Authorities admit that they have little to go on in Monday afternoon's holdup of One Valley Bank at 904 Wilborn Avenue in South Boston. It was just before closing when the lone, masked gunman strolled into the lobby brandishing probably a sawed-off shotgun, demanded cash from a female teller and fled through the same west entrance door in a matter of minutes.
Other than the eight One Valley Bank employees, no other customers were inside the bank when the 2:30 robbery took place. The gunman made no direct threats but police say tellers could see the end of the barrel of the mostly hidden weapon.
Police would say only that the take was a "fair" sum.
The bank's security cameras that would normally provide a close-up view of the bandit malfunctioned. South Boston Police said the video security system had been activated at the start of the workday and showed no signs of not functioning properly.
No getaway vehicle was seen by witnesses within the bank nor those in the vicinity of the crime scene which is just three blocks away from South Boston Police headquarters. Within minutes after the alarm was sounded, scores of officers responded and began patrolling the vicinity and questioning those who may have seen anything.
Bank employees described the man as being a white male, about six feet tall and of slender build, in his 20s, having sandy hair and wearing a blue stocking cap with his face partially covered by a red bandana.
His dress included a blue denim long sleeve shirt, blue work pants and dark work boots. He stuffed the cash inside a dark back pack and was last seen running west alongside Logan Street.
South Boston Police were joined by Virginia State Police, FBI agents and search dogs with Halifax Correctional Officer Sherwood Forlines and Virginia State Trooper Gene Perkins.
Persons having any information concerning the robbery are asked to contact South Boston Police or Halifax County-South Boston Crime Stoppers at 575-8477 or 476-8477. Rewards up to $1,000 can be received for information leading to an arrest and conviction of this or any other crime.
It was a rainy morning 24 years ago when another gunman, also in his 20s, walked into the bank at 904 Wilborn Avenue, locked the employees in a restroom and made off with more than $10,000 in cash.
And one of the same employees then, Nancy Irby, was a witness of this week's holdup of the One Valley Bank (formerly First Federal Savings & Loan).
While claiming that he had several other accomplices waiting outside the bank, the single unmasked man calmly ordered other bank employees to enter the ladies restroom while he made Irby open the vault and fill a bank bag with cash.
Irby then joined others in the restroom as the robber wired shut the door and warned them all not to open it as he fled out of the west entrance.
Because it was raining that day and the bandit used an umbrella to partially hide his identity, he was later referred to as the "umbrella bandit".
Citing "high stakes and serious consequences," supporters of a major expansion of the Continuing Education Center took a crucial step Monday night towards a possible $1.75 million bond referendum for this November's ballot.
The Halifax County Board of Supervisors approved scheduling a public hearing on the matter for Monday, July 20. The motion for the public hearing was made by supervisor Robbie Smart and was seconded by supervisor Tom West. It passed 7-0, with Bill Abbott absent for the vote.
After public input is received at the public hearing, the board would then vote whether to add the $1.75 million bond referendum to this fall's ballot.
That hearing will be held in the second floor meeting room of the Mary Bethune Office Complex in Halifax. The hearing will begin at 7 p.m.
The entire project, promoted as an indispensable tool to generate economic and industrial development, is estimated to cost between $3.5 and $4 million.
Over a dozen members of the Halifax Educational Foundation, Inc. attended the meeting to offer their support of the project. The members represent a cross section of the local business and industrial community. The HEF was created last year and is CEC's fundraising arm.
Overseeing eventual educational and management duties of the CEC will be an organization called the South Central Virginia Higher Education Consortium. That group is comprised of officials from Longwood College, Averett College, Danville Community College, and Southside Virginia Community College.
Chris Lumsden, chairman of the HEF, gave the supervisors an overview of the project and then introduced several HEF board members, who spoke in favor of the group's initiatives.
After reminding the supervisors of the high illiteracy, dropout, and unemployment rates in Halifax County, Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett compared the need for the major expansion to former President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" program in the late-1930s.
The national government stepped in to economically-besieged areas during that period to rekindle economic growth. Such steps by the government was the foundation to the economic success of places such as Atlanta, Northern Virginia, and the Research Triangle Park, Bennett pointed out.
"If (local unemployed or under-employed citizens) are ever going to have a chance, then we're going to have to spend money on education," Bennett told the board. "This is high stakes with serious consequences."
Businessman Rick Harrell, who serves as vice-chairman of the HEF, told the board that an expanded CEC would help bring industry to the region. "Every industry that comes here asks, 'How can we train our people?'" Harrell told the board. "We need something we can point to."
Harrell also told the board that the HEF would be asking many people, including those with considerable financial resources, to donate money to the project.
"We're going to ask them to make a pledge for the survival of this community," he said. "We know we have a daunting task ahead of us."
The proposed project's centerpiece would be the renovation of a 70,000 square foot building located at the intersection of Seymour Drive and Factory Street in the historical district of South Boston.
The building was originally built by the Export Tobacco Co. and was recently donated to the project by its owner, R&J Investors, an investment firm owned by Riverdale business John Cannon and the estate of the late-Bob Harris. The donation, with an assessed value of $1.7 million, also included five acres of land, Lumsden said.
In the first phase of the project, the CEC would occupy about 20,000 square feet of the building. The remaining areas of the building would continue to be used for commercial storage, generating some revenue to help pay for operating expenses, according to Lumsden.
If passed by voters, the county will issue General Obligation Bonds, which is expected to cause real estate tax rates to increase by 1 1/2 cents to 3 cents per $100 of assessed value, County Administrator Dan Sleeper said.
Under current real estate tax rates of 31 cents per $100 of assessed value, a Halifax County citizen (living outside the Town of South Boston) who owns a $100,000 home would pay $310 a year in property taxes. With an increase of 1 1/2 cents, that homeowner would pay an additional $15.00 per year or $325.00.
If the rate increase was raised by 3 cents, that homeowner would pay an additional $30.00 or $340.00 per year.
A citizen of Halifax County who lives within the Town of South Boston currently pays 52 cents per $100 of assessed value in real estate taxes or $520 per year for a $100,000 home.
An increase of 1 1/2 cents in the real estate tax rate would increase that to $535 per year or a $15 increase. An increase of 3 cents in the rate would raise the homeowner's real estate tax bill to $550.
HEF officials are planning on a 15-year time frame for the bond.
Of the total amount needed, the HEF hopes to raise half from the public sector and the other half from the private sector, Lumsden told the board.
Already, the HEF has raised $500,000, with the Town of South Boston committing $250,000 to the project. Another $250,000 was given to the HEF by Halifax County, which had been given a $250,000 donation from the Old Dominion Electric Corporation for such a purpose.
"ODEC was generous enough to provide that much money to the county and the board decided to use that money to help get the CEC project off the ground," Sleeper said. (ODEC is one of the general partners of the Clover Power Station.)
The HEF is within reach of an additional $250,000, which was allocated for the project by the Virginia General Assembly. The HEF is in the process of completing application procedural requirements to receive that money, Lumsden pointed out.
As for operating expenses, the HEF hopes that the facility will be self-sustaining within a three-year period, Lumsden said.
If the bond referendum passes and other funding falls into place, construction of the project is expected to begin in late-summer of 1999, with the first classes beginning in the fall semester of 2000, officials said.
If the project becomes reality, Halifax County stands a much greater chance to attract more, as well as higher paying jobs, Delegate Bennett pointed out.
"We can't do anything about having an interstate highway coming through here," Bennett reflected. "But we can do something about education."
Letters, thousands of letters, have been pouring into Washington and Fifth District Congressman Virgil Goode is convinced that lawmakers are getting the message about tobacco and new taxes.
Goode was in South Boston this week and spoke at a breakfast held by the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce and later interviewed by The Gazette-Virginian.
The Southside Virginia congressman sees the letters as evidence that voters too are getting the message, one that is being told especially by tobacco companies in a series of television advertisements that proceeded the latest tobacco legislation defeat known as the McCain bill.
A Democratic effort to attach tobacco legislation to an appropriations bill was rejected by the Senate last week on procedural votes.
While the push for some form of tobacco legislation continues, Goode sees recent developments as perhaps easing the attacks on the product which is produced in quantity throughout the Congressional District he serves.
"Why should I be taxed to get youths to stop smoking?" is the single question most asked by letterwriters said Goode. The McCain bill, while adding as much as $1.50 per pack tax on cigarettes, did little to address the problem of how to stop or discourage youths from smoking.
Studies show that increased cigarette taxes will have the most impact on households earning less than $30,000 a year.
Goode believes the next round of tobacco legislation will include some punitive measures aimed at underage smokers. "This would at least put some responsibility on youth." said Goode who mentioned such forms of punishment as community service or the loss of driver's license for those under the age of 18 caught using tobacco.
Any comprehensive tobacco bill, said Goode, must also include some limited liability for tobacco companies. Otherwise, the congressman noted, there will be no incentive for them to participate.
Congress is on break until next week and Goode predicted that some form of tobacco legislation might come before the end of August.
South Boston presented its new- look Town Council to the public today, the governing body featuring three returnees and three brand new members.
Of particular interest was the presence of Richard Pond, the successful appointee from some two dozen announced candidates who sought to fill the unexpired term of Deborah Morris, who resigned recently.
Pond was named by the sitting members of Council to fill Mrs. Morris' two year term. He will join returning Council members C. W. Rorrer Jr. and Radford Trent starting into their two-year segments.
Those elected in May to full four-year terms were W. C. Wilborn, re-elected to his seat, and Thomas Raab and Edward Owens, both newcomers to the governing body.
The election by Council of Pond, a retired Virginia Power executive, came on a divided 3-2 vote.
Josephine Marshall, in her next-to-last day as a Council member after a long period of service, offered Pond in nomination and she was joined in voting for him by Trent and Rorrer. Wilborn, who had nominated Larry Smith, and Owens were opposed.
A few minutes earlier, Wilborn had sought to delay filling the vacant seat until the first regular Council meeting of the new year--July 13, but that initiative was defeated, too.
Pond, who resides on Marshall Avenue, was out of town Monday night and yesterday and was not available for comment.
Those taking office today were sworn in by General District Court Judge Joel C. Cunningham.
In another major matter, Council approved the $15,093,509 appropriations resolution and affirmed tax rates for fiscal year 1998-99--21 cents per $100 on real estate, $1.42 per $100 on personal property, and 31 cents per $100 on machinery and tools.
A scheduled public hearing on the question of the town disposing of its one-third interest in the William M. Tuck drew no one to speak either for or against, and Council confirmed its earlier noted desire to make the disposal.
Council referred to a later date the appointment of people to fill vacancies on the Industrial Development Authority and the Southside Regional Partnership.
Beginning with the month of July, Town Council will hold its regular meetings on the second Monday of each month, thus avoiding a first-Monday conflict with the Board of Supervisors.
Council was heeding the request of a number of people, who said they felt the community would be better served with the meetings at different times, inasmuch as some people would like to attend both meetings from time to time.
While the issue was not on the prepared agenda, Council devoted time to a request from Dixie Inc. representatives for help on the operation of the new Day Complex on Houghton Avenue at the northern end of the new Office and Business Park.
While Dixie reps Archie Bohanon and John Ambrose said their organization would appreciate any amount of aid, they particularly put in a plug for water and sewer service and payment of the electricity bill.
They estimated the total cost to amount to some $3,500 for the year, but they pointed out that they had no figures for comparison since this is the first year of the park's operation on this level.
Ambrose said a survey by Dixie Inc. disclosed that a tournament at the end of last season brought in about $35,000 to the community. With the state Dixie Youth AAA tournament to be played here late this month, Ambrose said the money generated could go over $100,000
"We like to look at this complex not as just recreation, but as a business too," he said.
Council, after considerable discussion, took no action at that time, but most of the Council members spoke favorably of the facility and its benefits to the community.
It's not often that you see half of a house lying along the side of the road.
But, motorists passing by the intersection of Routes 58 and 360 making their way to work and to other venues shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday saw the unusual sight.
An estimated $6,000 damage resulted yesterday morning when a half of a modular home fell off of a truck on Route 360 just past the intersection and struck a highway guard rail and sign in the process.
Trooper D.T. Conner said that the driver of the truck, who was identified as Tommy Howerton, was charged with violating a hauling permit as a result of the mishap.
According to the trooper, Howerton was making a turn from Route 58 onto Route 360 and, as Howerton made the turn, a gust of wind assisted in causing the one half of a modular home to turn over and fall off of the truck.
Traffic flow was not slowed appreciably as the portion of the modular home came to rest on the shoulder of the road.
A 63-year-old South Boston resident, Ruby Arendall Hackney, was injured in a two car crash that occurred early Monday morning on Route 501 just 300 feet north of the Route 654 intersection.
Trooper R.C. Compton's report stated that the 7:40 a.m. mishap occurred when Hackney slowed behind a vehicle and a car driven by 56-year-old Jane Hite Davis of Virgilina slid into the rear of Hackney's auto.
An estimated $2,000 damage was done to the 1993 model car driven by Davis and an estimated $1,000 damage was done to the 1994 model car driven by Hackney.
Davis was charged by Trooper Compton with following too close.
One person was injured when a pickup truck struck a tree that had blown down across Route 603 during an early morning thunderstorm.
Trooper G.M. Gilliam reported that a pickup truck driven by Charlie Alton Shearin, 51, of Nathalie struck a tree that had blown down and fallen across the road.
Injured in the 4:50 a.m. mishap that occurred on Route 603, a tenth of a mile east of the intersection of Route 649 was 24-year-old Jeffrey Shearin who was a passenger in the vehicle.
Damage to the 1991 model pickup truck driven by Charlie Shearin was estimated at $1,100.
No charges were filed as a result of the accident.
Trooper G.M. Gilliam was the investigating officer.
Trooper Gilliam charged 34-year-old Lindsay Christopher Smith of Nathalie with reckless driving in the wake of a single vehicle crash that occurred Monday at 4:50 a.m. at the intersection of Routes 603 and 642.
According to Trooper Gilliam's report, Smith was attempted to turn off of Route 603 onto Route 642, lost control of his car, locked the brakes, and slid into a utility pole.
Damage to the 1991 model foreign made car driven by Smith was estimated at $2,000.
George Rodney Wilborn, 51, of South Boston was injured in a single vehicle crash that occurred Sunday at 5 a.m. on Route 659, a mile and a half west of the intersection of Route 683.
Trooper L.G. Perkins' report stated that the car driven by Wilborn ran off of the right side of the road and struck a ditch.
Damage to the 1993 model car driven by Wilborn was estimated at $3,500.
Trooper Perkins charged Wilborn with reckless driving.
Ricky Thomas Blalock, 39, of Roxboro, N.C. escaped injury when the 1986 model tractor-trailer rig he was driving struck and killed a deer Saturday at 4 a.m. on Route 501, a tenth of a mile south of the intersection of Route 636.
Damage to the tractor-trailer was estimated at $1,200.
No charges were filed by Trooper Gilliam in connection with the mishap.
The driver of a truck that crashed into a Norfolk-Southern train early Monday morning disregarded signal lights and the locomotives' warning horns according to police. There are no gates at the South Main Street railroad crossing.
Keith Allen Peck, 21, escaped injury but a man whom he referred to as his step-father, John Allen Wilkerson of South Boston, was killed June 18 in Durham, N.C. when the truck he was driving collided with a train in downtown Durham, N.C.
Both men shared the same 1014 Logan Street address and worked for the same employer, Solite Lightweight Transportation which manufactures concrete building blocks in South Boston and at other locations.
Damages to the 1988 Mac truck which Peck was operating were estimated at $1,500 while the train engine, operated by R.A. Bomber of Roanoke, sustained about $500 in damages.
Peck was charged with failure to yield.
Deputies are still actively investigating Friday night's shooting at a night spot near Clover that wounded three people, according to Major Ray Link of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
The shooting occurred at the Red Bird Night spot located 1.5 miles west of Clover on Rt. 746.
Most seriously wounded was Tyrone Alexander Coleman, 20, of the Love Shop Trailer Park, who was transferred to Duke Hospital with a wound to the back, Major Link said.
Torrance Dunkley, 20, of Nathalie was wounded in the left thigh, while a 15-year-old male juvenile from Nathalie sustained a wound to his left hand, according to Major Link.
No arrests have been made. The motive for the shooting is believed to have been retaliation from an incident that occurred the night before at a convenience store near Clover, according to the investigation.
A woman was reportedly struck with a baseball bat by another woman, police said. Investigators are currently trying to see if, and to what degree, the two incidents are connected, Major Link said.
In other cases:
· Jonas Walker, 62, of South Boston was charged last week with a felony count of malicious wounding. He allegedly struck Bobby R. Jackson over the head with a liquor bottle, according to the investigation.
The alleged incident occurred Thursday and he was arrested by Deputy H.L. Farmer. Walker was released on bond pending his preliminary hearing in the Halifax County General District Court on August 7.
· Eugene Dunn White, 28, of Alton was charged with a felony count of breaking and entering the residence of Francis D. Satterfield. The alleged incident occurred Sunday.
He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of damaging personal property, the frame and doorway to Satterfield's residence, police said.
White was arrested by Cpl. S.T. Moser. He was released on bond pending his preliminary hearing in the Halifax County General District Court on August 7.
Ray Hudson 'Billy' Lewis of 9097 L.P. Bailey Highway, Nathalie died Sunday, June 28, 1998 at his home. He was 69 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Lewis was born in Halifax County on June 12, 1929 the son of Venable A. Lewis and Elizabeth Hudson Lewis. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Millstone.
Survivors include one sister, Elizabeth Ann Lewis of South Boston; one brother, Francis O. Lewis of South Boston; special friends, Paul and Janice Torian and Shawn and Shannon Torian, all of Scottsburg.
Funeral services for Mr. Lewis will be held today, July 1 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Millstone with Rev. Bob Watts conducting the service. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
Ella I. Easley died Thursday, June 18, 1998 at Washington DC General Hospital.
She was the daughter of Rev. Thomas H. Easley and Rosa Coleman Easley.
A funeral for Ms. Easley was held at the Chapel of Washington Center on June 22 with Revs. Alan Graves and L.T. Graves officiating. Burial was at Glenwood Cemetery in Washington.
Survivors include one sister, Leola Easley Graves; 10 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; two nieces and eight nephews.
Lynwood Morgan Irby, 71, of Norfolk died June 28, 1998 in a Norfolk hospital.
Born in Halifax County, Mr. Irby was retired after 34 years from the Norfolk Naval Supply Center. He was a charter and active member of Carrow Baptist Church in Virginia Beach and member of the Kerns Masonic Lodge in Halifax County. He was an U.S. Army veteran of World War II and Korea.
The son of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. Clarence Irby, he is survived by his wife, Jean Nichols Irby; two daughters, Donna Duvall and her husband, Greg of VA Beach and Karen Rose and her husband, John of Harrisonburg; grandchildren, Perrin and Morgan Duvall of VA Beach and Meredith and Sarah Rose of Harrisonburg; one sister, Frances Roller of Halifax County; four brothers, Carroll Irby of Richmond, Ray, Kenneth and John Irby, all of Halifax County.
A funeral service for Mr. Irby will be conducted Thursday, July 2 at 11 a.m. at Carrow Baptist Church in VA Beach with Revs. Les Redfern and David Ford officiating. A graveside service will be conducted at Clover Cemetery in Clover on Friday, July 3 at 11 a.m.
The family will receive friends at Kellum Funeral Home, Rosewood Chapel this evening, July 1 from 7 to 9:00.
Memorial donations may be made to the Organ Fund, Carrow Baptist Church, 5545 Susquehanna Drive, VA Beach, VA 23462 or to the Leukemia Society.
Mr. George Allen Foy of South Boston passed away Thursday, June 25 at Halifax Regional Hospital at the age of 65. He was born in Halifax County May 1, 1933.
Survivors of Mr. Foy include three daughters, Sandra F. Williams of South Boston, Cheryl F. Craig and Georgie F. Edmonds of Richmond; one son, Gerald Foy of South Boston; nine grandchildren and one great-grandson; two sisters, Harriet Chalmers and Nevern Smith of Albany, N.Y.; and three brothers, John Foy of Clover, Rev. Pleasant Foy of Selkirk, N.Y. and Alvin Foy of Albany, N.Y.
Funeral services will be held today at 1 p.m. at Banister Hill Baptist Church in South Boston. The Rev. William Carr will officiate, with interment taking place in the Pound family cemetery. Remains will lie-in-state one hour prior to the service.
The family will receive friends at the home of the deceased, 1230 Old Grubby Rd., South Boston.
John B. Coles of McKeesport, PA, formerly of Halifax, died Thursday, June 25, 1998 in McKeesport at the age of 77. He was born in Halifax County on February 16, 1921.
Survivors include his wife, Lillie Clark Coles of McKeesport; two daughters, Maxine and Michelle; four sons, John Jr., Larry, Preston and Stevie Coles; and one sister, Ada Coleman.
Funeral services for Mr. Coles will be held Thursday, July 2 at 1 p.m. at St. Pauls AME Church in McKeesport.
Howard Edwin Wilborn of The Bronx, NY, formerly of Clover, died Friday, June 26, 1998 at Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home in New York at the age of 65.
Mr. Wilborn was born in Halifax County on July 27, 1932 the son of Rev. William H. Wilborn and Mary Coleman Wilborn and was married to Anna Collins Wilborn. He was a member of Bethel Grove Baptist Church and was retired from the New York City Transit Authority.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Earline Wilborn of The Bronx and Elyse Wilborn Burges of Philadelphia, PA; one step-son, Roger Collins of IN; three grandchildren; three sisters, Ruby Wilborn Jones of Norlina, NC, Louise Wilborn Randolph of Los Angeles, CA and Clara Wilborn Chambers of The Bronx; four brothers, Earl T. Wilborn of Clover, Paul H. Wilborn of Richmond, Rev. O.T. Moore of Spring Valley, NY and Donald Oliver of The Bronx.
Funeral services for Mr. Wilborn will be held Friday, July 3 at 2 p.m. at Bethel Grove Baptist Church with Rev. O.T. Moore officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Earl T. Wilborn, 1040 Green Valley Rd, Clover.
Mattie Satterfield Biggins of Baltimore, MD, formerly of Alton, died Friday, June 26, 1998 in Baltimore at the age of 57.
Mrs. Biggins was born in Baltimore on December 3, 1940 the daughter of Cardwell Satterfield and Mary Lipscomb Satterfield. She was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church and was employed as a reading specialist with the Baltimore public school system.
Survivors include one son, Jon Biggins of Pikesville, MD; one God-daughter, Qurtisa Nelson of Pikesville; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Biggins will be held today, July 1 at 7 p.m. at March Funeral Home in Baltimore.
Graveside services will be held Friday, July 3 at noon at New Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Alton with Rev. Wallace R. Allen officiating.
Jewell Ross Ward passed away Tuesday, June 30, 1998 in Nakina, NC. She was born January 18, 1903 in Brunswick County, NC.
She was the mother of Carl H. Ward of South Boston.
Arrangements were not available at press time.