Planning commissioners in a four to three vote Monday night
recommended three setback changes, a new swine trigger point for
ordinance application and increased setbacks for larger swine
herds.
The commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the Board
of Supervisors.
Setback changes proposed included an increase from 700 ft. to
1,000 ft. from highway center lines, and from 500 ft. to 1,000
ft. from property lines and blue line streams.
Instead of a trigger point of 375 swine to initiate setback regulations,
commissioners recommended 750, which is the same as the state's
for waste disposal permit requirements.
In addition, commissioners recommended that with each 500 hogs
over 750 that 1,000 foot setbacks be added in all categories for
structure setbacks.
Supervisors make the final decision on ordinance amendments. Prior
to their decision a public hearing will be held on the issue.
Commissioners rejected South Central Agriculturalists For a Safe
Environment's (SAFE) proposed CAFO amendment recommendation offered
by commissioner Hudson Reese in a 3-4 vote prior to approving
the proposal offered by commissioner Jim Davis
E.C. Graves, Hudson Reese and Ray Waller supported the SAFE proposal
and opposed the resolution which passed with votes from Jim Davis,
Hunter Ford, Ann Crabtree and Ray Owen.
The SAFE proposal was very similar to the January planning commission
proposal, according to assistant county administrator Jerry Lovelace,
with the exception that SAFE's proposal increased the planning
commission proposal for setbacks from towns and drinking water
sources.
SAFE's proposal also removed supervisors' setbacks for waste disposal,
removed the cap on number of hogs per farm - set at 5,000 by the
Board, eliminated the well water testing requirement, dropped
the minimum four mile separation between hog facilities and the
requirement for odor abatement techniques.
A steady rain Monday night did not dampen the turnout for the
public hearing. Over 400 packed the conference room and spilled
out into the hall during the 7 p.m. hearing got underway.
Prior to the hearing, SAFE served 200 barbecue sandwiches at the
Mary Bethune site, according to the organization's chairman Tucker
Watkins, and over 150 joined the Southside Concerned Citizens
march to the site.
North Carolinian Don Webb of Alliance For a Responsible Swine
Industry told those gathered at the courthouse, "A good neighbor
would never stink up their neighbors' homes."
Rallying against the corporate hog farm Webb urged, "Don't
let it happen to you. Your liberty is to use land as you want
to but when they stink up your land with their land, they are
wrong."
Public Hearing Comment
Billy Wooding of Sutherlin, a CAFO grower for almost five years
with Carroll's, distributed SAFE's proposed setbacks to planning
commission members.
Wooding called the SAFE setbacks "more responsible"
ones which take in small farmers.
He warned that supervisors' proposed setbacks were pretty strict
and would "cut a lot of people out " of farming. He
called proposals for two and four miles between hog operation
farms "totally unacceptable."
Jane Willis of Virgilina lives about one-half mile from a hog
farm which she said was permitted over a year ago with no notification
to neighbors.
Willis said foul hog odor drove her and her Memorial Day guests
inside this year. "I am a prisoner in my own home,"
she told commissioners.
The issue is one of health, quality of life and property rights
of owners, she added.
Harry Martin, who has a sow and feeder farm in the county, told
the audience there are eight hog farms here - one for 31 years
- and no well or stream has been polluted. The City of Virginia
Beach has twice as many and they can get a permit easier there,
added Martin.
"It has been good to me," said the hog producer. "I
am here so others can have an opportunity," he added.
John Parker, representing the Virginia Pork Association, said
that in 1980 Virginia had 1.2 million hogs but in 1998 less than
900,000 hogs were sold in the state. He told commissioners the
state lost two packing houses to other states because there were
not enough for jobs.
Parker said consumption of pork is going up while beef consumption
is going down. "Integration is not a bad word," he told
commissioners. "It gives opportunity for small farmer to
stay on the farm."
Jay Reese, president of the Halifax County Farm Bureau, told commissioners
less than 2 percent provide safe and inexpensive food for consumers.
He also worried the urban dwellers perception of wanting to return
to old farms might turn rural America into a living museum and
called on the public to trust farmers to protect the environment.
"This is not about farming," said Hap Hagood of Clover.
"None of us is against farming. This industry has the reputation
across the land as a polluter... WE cannot afford to allow anymore
hog farms in Halifax County."
Lisa Long, a Red Bank resident who lives less than a mile from
a hog producer, told commissioners "hog odor invades my house."
It is so strong one day she said she nearly threw up when she
stepped outside, and her six-year-old asked if they could move
away. "Make the quality of life for everyone fair,"
she asked.
However, Robert Smith, who lives less than one-half mile from
the same farm, said he smelled it only twice. "Everybody
pollutes," he said.
"Don't let the dollar signs blind you to seeing truth,"
warned Carol Conner of Scottsburg. "The only ones to come
out best will be Carroll's Foods." She called the operations
harmful to those with breathing problems, to the animals, to the
environment and to the community.
John Boyd asked the commissioners to make a reasonable determination
for the citizens and farmers.
Ward Burton said, "This is an issue that cannot be contained
in property lines." He also said it is "not our Southern
way to pollute neighbors. I cannot take somebody's quality of
life away."
But Burton also called on the community to get behind the small
farmer to help them as they make a living.
SAFE chairman Tucker Watkins said, "We can't make public
policy based on fear." He also said of 317 wells checked
in Duplin County, NC. none were found contaminated with nitrates.
"How can you license odors to go on someone's land?"
asked SCC chairman Jack Dunavant, who has called for two mile
setback citing odor. "We don't hate hogs," he added,
but called on the industry to clean up.
"It is the most awful stench you can smell," said Jeff
Puryear of the hog operation one-half mile from his Red Bank home.
Puryear called for strict setbacks. "Red Bank is being ruined
by this industry," he added.
"The corporations will destroy family farms," said Don
Webb. "All hog farms do stink and all cesspools leak. You
think they are going to stop with eight farms? Tammy Wooding,
They are gong to wallow all over you."
A number of speakers from Red Bank complained of hog odor. Tammy
Wall was in tears as she told commissioners the issue has torn
family apart.
A time lag, one of almost 25 years, spans the chasm between
the first discovery of harmful levels of toxic chemicals in the
Roanoke River and any warnings to the public by state health officials.
That finding has been made by members of a Joint Legislative Audit
and Review Commission (JLARC) whose scowling 54-page report criticizes
the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Virginia
Department of Health (VDH) for being "reactive rather than
proactive" in posting public warnings on the Staunton River
and the subsequent delay in releasing information to the public.
The Roanoke (Staunton) River flows out of Smith Mountain Lake
through Altavista, Long Island, Brookneal and Clover before reaching
John H. Kerr Reservoir. Harmful levels of toxic chemicals known
as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) used as insulators in electrical
equipment, made their way into the waters but just how and where
have not been disclosed.
High levels of PCBs, said by scientist to cause cancer, were detected
in the river in the early 1970s by the Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ), known today as the State Water Control Board (SWCB).
But that discovery was not made known to the public until 1998
when the state health department posted advisories along parts
of the Staunton River advising people not to eat more than two,
eight-ounce meals a month of carp, white bass and striped bass.
Shortly thereafter, the advisory was broadened to include flathead
catfish, smallmouth bass and channel catfish.
Halifax Delegate W.W. "Ted" Bennett expressed concerns
that toxic data may have been withheld from the general public
and asked for a JLARC review.
A subcommittee of JLARC was appointed to consider the findings
from a preliminary staff inquiry and to receive testimony or information
on the matter.
According to JLARC Director Philip A. Leone, the study team contacted
numerous individuals at various levels of the DEQ and VDH.
"A time lag that occurred between DEQ's 1993 study of the
river and the 1998 VDH issuance of a health advisory on eating
fish is only a fraction of the total time since a report prepared
for the State Water Control Board documented the same toxic issue
in the Staunton River more than a quarter century ago," Leone
said.
That report found concentrations in fish and sediment samples
of toxic substance - polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - that appeared
to ascend in approximately the same section of the Staunton River
that is under suspicion today, he explained.
"Based on the findings from this preliminary inquiry, there
is a concern that unsystematic management and delays in the use
of data on water quality may be hindering state efforts to thoroughly
assess water toxic problems and protect the public," Leone
said.
In a memo to Del Bennett concerning the preliminary inquiry, the
JLARC Director said, "Evidence indicates that without pressure
from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which
began over a decade ago, it is unlikely that a public warning
on the river would exist today."
"In addition, DEQ's recent change in strategy to focus more
now on identifying the source or sources of PCBs...was in response
to substantial pressure from citizens in the river basin,"
Leone added.
Leone praised DEQ for releasing the Virginia Toxics Database to
EPA and other interested parties after years of delay.
He urged DEQ, however ,to address what appears to be a long-standing
need to do a better job of maintaining, linking, accessing and
using the results from past and present water quality analyses
or studies.
"Because DEQ management appears to be generally on course
now in responding to concerns raised about public access to toxic
data and the Staunton River issue, and given that VDH's decision
making appears to occur within nationally-recognized parameters,
we don not recommend a continued review by JLARC staff at this
time," Leone concluded.
Standards of Learning test scores for Halifax County's students
generally improved over last year.
But, local students continue to struggle in Math and History.
"I am pleased overall that there was improvement in the test
scores across the division." Ann C. Conner, Director of Instruction
told the county school board Monday night.
"There were a couple of areas that stayed the same and in
a couple of spots there was a slight drop like in Grade 5 English.
And, we're concerned about Math and Social Studies performance
in Halifax County."
Highlighting the local results was the finding that in the fifth
grade more 75 percent passed the Writing test and over 74 percent
passed the Technology test, and that in the eighth grade over
85 percent of the students that took the Algebra I test passed
and that almost 82 percent passed the Technology test.
School system officials also noted that the division average for
the percentage of both middle school and high school students
passing the Algebra I SOL test reached 54.8023 percent, almost
doubling last spring's division average of 25.24 percent.
Also, there was a general increase in the percentages of students
in grades three five, and eight that gained "proficient"
status in passing the SOL tests. And, there were increases, most
especially in grade 8, in the percentage of students that achieved
"advanced" status in passing the SOL tests.
Among the more disappointing findings were that only 14.53 percent
of eleventh grade students taking the U.S. History End of Course
test passed, that only 19 percent of students taking the Algebra
II End of Course test passed, and that only 30.48 percent of eighth
graders taking the History/Social Science test passed.
Conner stressed, however, there is no way to assess how much progress
the local students have made because everyone is viewing scores
posted by different groups of students.
"We are looking at the results of two different groups of
students, and, in the case of the high school, three different
groups of students." Conner said.
"Because we have no history we can't use the SOL tests to
measure the progress of our students. The SOL tests are just one
measure of how our students are performing."
The State Department of Education has not yet released the state
SOL Test scores. Nor have the results for the individual schools
been released.
Conner said it will probably be late this month or even sometime
next month before the state scores are released.
The percentage of students passing the SOL Tests in the third
grade generally improved over last year as 52.94 percent passed
the English, 60.33 percent passed the Math, 50 percent passed
the History/Social Science test and 54.33 percent passed the Science
test.
Halifax County's fifth graders fared pretty well with the exception
of English and Math. An overwhelming majority, 75.20 percent,
passed the Writing test, 74.94 percent passed the Technology test,
61.18 percent passed the Science test and 45.57 percent passed
the History/Social Science test.
In English, 61.24 percent passed, a decline from 64.66 percent
in 1998. And, in Math, 44.73 percent passed which is down from
45.43 percent a year ago.
The percentage of eighth grade students passing the SOL tests
improved in all areas, most notably in Algebra I where 85.71 percent
of the students taking the test passed and Technology where 81.99
percent of the students passed.
Results of the Science test showed 66.94 percent of the students
passing. The English test showed 56.76 percent passing with 76.68
percent passing the Writing test, 48.13 percent passing the Math
test, and 30.48 percent passing the History/Social Science test.
Comparing the results of the Standards of Learning End of Course
tests for Halifax County High School's eleventh grade students
is difficult in that Halifax County High School moved to the 4x4
Block Schedule format and, as a result, End Of Course tests were
administered at the end of the year and again in the spring.
The percentage of students passing the Writing, World History
Part B, U.S. History, Earth Science, and Chemistry in the Spring
1999 test was higher than the percentages of students passing
those tests in the Fall of 1998.
In comparing the percentages of students passing the SOL tests
from the Spring of 1998 and the Spring of 1999, a higher percentage
of students passed the Writing, Algebra I, Algebra II, World History
Part B, Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry.
Conner pointed out that it is impossible to make a comparison
of results in the World History End of Course tests for high school
students because none of Halifax County High School's students
took a World History test last spring.
What happened was Halifax County High School had a World History
class and a World Geography class. The SOL test for World History
Part A dealt with world history up to 1000 and World History Part
B dealt with world history from 1000 to the present day.
"Our students had to get through two courses before they
could take one of the tests," Conner noted.
And, on top of that, the students had to take both parts of the
World History SOL test at the end of the first semester.
"The teachers were frustrated and the students were frustrated,"
Conner said.
"They couldn't cover it all."
At the end of second semester, students took World Geography and
then took Part A and those students that took World History took
Part B.
The result was a significant increase in the number of students
that passed World History Part B.
Conner pointed out there are still some glitches in this, the
second year that SOL tests have been administered. In one instance,
a "makeup" prompt for one of the Writing tests was sent
to replace the one contained in the test material.
And, there are difficulties dealing with the timing of the tests
which are administered well before the semester ends.
"These are End of Course tests but they're not really given
at the end of the year," Conner pointed out.
"They are given way too early. But, the timing is out of
our control. We are given a window by the state in which the tests
have to be given and we have to give them in that window. The
timing is the thing that concerns teachers across the state the
most."
County school superintendent Dennis Witt and Conner both pointed
out that everyone in the school system is working dilligently
toward trying to raise the percentage of students passing the
SOL tests.
Conner noted that instructional supervisors and teachers have
been receiving and reviewing resource material made available
by the State Department of Education pertaining to the SOL initiatives,
that work is continuing with the Lead Teacher initiative and that
remediation planning is continuing.
"Everyone is focused and working very hard to put the best
curriculum together to teach the SOLs," Witt said.
"We're going after it the best we know how to do."
South Boston Council members unanimously approved the town's
new zoning map following a public hearing Monday night.
The adopted zoning map, which designates the zoning districts
specified in the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of South Boston,
reflects the changes proposed by the South Boston Planning Commission
following their public hearing last week.
Council voted unanimously to approve the map as it was presented
by the Planning Commission, granting all the requested zoning
alterations except for a request from local developer Dean Jones
to extend the B-1 Neighborhood Commercial District to include
his corner property on North Main Street and Halifax Boulevard,
which was zoned R-1 Residential on the proposed zoning map.
Jones, who owns a number of commercially zoned lots adjacent to
this corner property previously owned by Barbara Petty, hoped
to persuade council to override the planning commission's recommendation
to leave the parcel zoned residential. He explained that he planned
to move the existing residence from this corner lot and build
a commercial project on the 10 lots previously owned by Leslie
Puryear, which adjoins this corner property.
"The building will take place on the property that is already
zoned C-1. I would like this corner property changed from residential
to business so it can be used for access, visibility and mostly
parking," Jones said.
Several area residents who had spoken against this proposal during
the planning commission meeting last week spoke out in opposition
to Jones' request again Monday night, pointing out that the intersection
was already too busy, and that a commercial venture, such as a
convenience store, would make it worse, and increase crime and
other disturbances in the area.
Other residents said they felt a commercial venture on that corner
would compromise the integrity of the traditionally quiet neighborhood
and threaten the sanctity of the Oak Hill Cemetery, which is located
directly across the street.
While Jones maintained that he would not construct a business
that would increase crime, create dangerous traffic problems in
the area or in any way decrease property values, especially as
he owns 50 undeveloped lots in the nearby Merritt Hills subdivision,
council voted to follow the Planning Commission's recommendation
to leave the corner zoned residential.
But before Council officially approved the zoning map, they grappled
with another problem. Council member Ed Owens stated that some
people owned property that had been "down zoned" from
business to residential but had not been specifically notified
of this change.
"It's not right for a person who buys property, and then
it is down-zoned without notice," he said, adding that many
of these properties might have closed businesses that owners might
like to re-open at some point. "These people still have the
right to be notified."
Town Manager Ted Daniel pointed out that all property owners had
been notified of the rezoning process through public notice, but
not individually.
Council voted that the map would be approved, but that the planning
commission would proceed to identify the properties that had been
down zoned. Owners of such properties would then be notified and
given an opportunity through the end of this year to petition
for rezoning if they so wished, and the Town of South Boston will
take care of public hearing advertising costs related to these
matters.
In other business, following another public hearing Council voted
unanimously to grant Felton Brothers Transit Mix a special use
permit to allow construction of a new ready mix concrete plant
at 613 Railroad Avenue, adjacent to their current location.
Hill Felton Jr. and Sr. told council members that the current
plant has been there since 1947, and that the new facility will
be cleaner, produce less dust, and be more efficient.
At the conclusion of the third public hearing of the evening,
Council voted to approve a land exchange between the Town of South
Boston and Bobby Smith.
The Town proposed to exchange a lot it owns on Edmunds Street
for the lot owned by Smith at 612 Prescott Street.
The exchange would provide the Town with unrestricted access to
a sanitary sewer manhole on the Prescott Street lot that is currently
blocked by the house.
Daniel said the Community Action Committee will construct a new
home for the Smiths on the Edmunds Street lot.
South Boston and Aldelphia Cable Communications will return to
the bargaining table once again concerning their lease agreement
on the lot fronting Hamilton Boulevard used to house the cable
television tower.
While the Current Issues Committee voted earlier this month to
grant Adelphia a five-year lease for $2,000 a year, South Boston
Mayor Glen Abernathy said he was not comfortable with some of
the wording that indicated that the town would lease the property
to Adelphia as long as they held a valid franchise in the Town
of South Boston.
The two parties will meet again to determine a specific date regarding
the lease and the matter will be voted on again next month during
the regular town council meeting.
South Boston Council members also voted to allow Frank Dance to
cut the timber on the unopened but platted right-of-way known
as "Treemont Street" north of Route 129 behind Centerville
Dodge.
Following a decision Monday night by Council concerning a request
by the South Boston Historical Museum, the South Boston Town Finance
Office will act as "fiscal agent" for payroll purposes
for the museum.
A specialized pilot program that will allow teachers in Halifax
County, Pittsylvania County, and the City of Danville to receive
training in new techniques of integrating technology into their
classrooms is being established here by Longwood College.
Dr. David Smith, the Dean of Education at Longwood College announced
to the Halifax County School Board Monday night that the Longwood
College Alliance For Learning will be established in the school
system's portion of the Mary M. Bethune Office Complex in Halifax.
Smith explained that a bill recently passed by the General Assembly
established a pilot program for a regional technology training
venture for teachers and that Longwood College will develop the
first center, a center which will be housed in Halifax County.
The General Assembly has appropriated $270,000 to fund the program,
funding which Smith said he hopes will be continued in future
years.
"This will allow us to bring in the expertise which will
improve the skills of teachers in implementing technology into
the improvement of learning in all areas," Smith pointed
out.
Smith told the school board that Longwood College has already
begun advertising for applicants for the director's post.
"The first job of the director," Smith said, "will
be to do a needs assessment in Halifax County and see where we
can best apply our resources and energy in the first year."
Smith explained that his take on the situation is that the program
will initially focus on a target population of students and teachers.
"We will establish some clear guidelines for that target
population," Smith said.
"We need to plan carefully and target carefully our efforts
and plan how we can measure our efforts."
"What we want to do," Smith said, "is lift up the
performance of the youngsters within the school division and lift
up the school division as a model for what can be done in a relatively
rural area."
Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt hailed the establishment
of the new center as another step forward in Halifax County's
education program.
"This is a great opportunity for us," Witt said, "something
we couldn't do ourselves."
By ANTHONY JEWELL
Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Three law firms that represented Wisconsin in
its lawsuit against the tobacco industry earned $3,032 an hour for
each of the 24,733 hours they worked, newly released documents show.
The state attorney general's office released the information Monday
in an attempt to end an open records lawsuit filed by three newspapers
seeking to learn details on work the firms performed in winning
the state a $5.9 billion settlement with cigarette makers.
The tobacco lawsuit was settled in November as part of a multistate
agreement that would give Wisconsin $5.9 billion over 25 years.
The attorneys had resisted releasing their records, citing ''ethical
issues,'' but agreed to release them to Attorney General James
Doyle, who then gave them to reporters.
The hundreds of pages detail how the law firms spent their time working
on the case.
Between Oct. 23, 1998, and Jan. 25, for example, two of the firms
- Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek of Milwaukee and Brennan, Steil, Basting
& MacDougall of Janesville - spent more than 1,820 hours reviewing
39,000 previously secret tobacco documents.
Robert Scott, an attorney at Whyte, declined to comment, except to
say ''I considered the final chapter when we settled the case.''
The documents also provide details about $2 million that the law firms
spent on the case. Robert L. Habush of the Milwaukee firm Habush,
Habush, Davis & Rottier, frequently traveled in style, including
limousine trips and a $7,818 chartered flight to Washington,
D.C., that would have cost $906 if he had flown coach, the
records said.
The law firms' initial contract to represent the state was on
a contingency basis, in which they would be paid 20 percent
of whatever the state won in court. After the out-of-court
settlement, the tobacco companies agreed to pay them $75
million over five years. Based on 24,733 hours of work, that
equals about $3,032 an hour.
The Wisconsin State Journal of Madison, The Capital Times of Madison
and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sued the state in May for
the records.
Robert Dreps, an attorney for the newspapers, said the documents provided
Monday lacked some details, including information on whether
lawyers or paralegals performed certain work. He was not sure
whether the newspapers would continue with the lawsuit.
Harry Junior Womack of 1179 Hudson Road, Virgilina died Sunday,
July 11, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 52 years of
age at the time of his death.
Mr. Womack was born April 19, 1947 in Halifax County the son of
Louie Phillip Bailey Womack and Josephine Conner Sadler and was
married to Connie Daniel Womack. He was a Salesman with Talbert
Building Supply.
A funeral service will be held at Grace Baptist Church today,
July 14 at 11 a.m. with Rev. Jack Stewart officiating. Burial
will take place in Halifax Memorial Gardens.
Survivors of Mr. Womack include his wife; his mother of South
Boston; two sons, Harvey Vincent Womack and his wife, Catherine
of South Boston and Harry Phillip Womack of Virgilina; one daughter,
Julie W. Hutson and her husband, Steven W. Hutson of Bullock,
NC; three brothers, William Womack and his wife, Mary of Hopewell,
Joe S. Womack of Smithfield, and Charlie Womack and his wife,
Veita of Vancouver, WA; two sisters, Betty Redd and her husband,
Wray Redd and Liz Williams and her husband, Don Williams, all
of South Boston; two grandsons, Daniel Ryan Hutson and Justin
Thomas Womack; and one granddaughter, Mackenzie Dawn Hutson.
William Emmitt Tharpe, 80, of Richmond died Monday, July 12,
1999.
He was a WWII Army Veteran.
Survivors include two daughters, Thelma J. Kindley of Greensboro,
NC and Virginia Ann Carter of Reidsville, NC; one son, Curtis
Tharpe of Chase City; four sisters, Josephine Lloyd and Catherine
Tharpe, both of Halifax, Lottie Bell Scearce of Danville and Pauline
Arthur of South Boston; four brothers, Euggie Tharpe of Victoria,
Royal Tharpe of South Hill, Gilbert Tharpe of Halifax and Vernie
Tharpe of CA; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Graveside services for Mr. Tharpe will be held today, July 14
at 11 a.m. at Public Fork Christian Church Cemetery in Red Oak
with Rev. Denis Fritz officiating.
Catherine Olivia Anderson Nester of 1021 Lilborn Trail, Nathalie
died Monday, July 12, 1999 at Twin Oaks Nursing Home. She was
67 years of age.
Mrs. Nester was born in Halifax County on March 28, 1932 the daughter
of James Edward Anderson and Ethel Coates Anderson and was married
to McDaniel Nester. She was a member of Catawba Baptist Church.
At one time she was an active member of the women's bowling team,
was in the church choir, the WMU, and was the Nathalie Homemakers
Club treasurer. She was a retired District Supervisor with the
Virginia Commission on Aging.
Survivors include her husband; three daughters and sons-in-law,
Janet N. and David T. Phillips of Kennansville, NC, Sandra N.
and Gregory A. Buchanan of Blairsville, GA and Lisa N. and Patrick
F. Popek of Richmond; one brother, Ted W. Anderson of Nathalie;
three grandchildren, Michael Shane Crenshaw of Harrisburg, PA,
Kellie Paige Crenshaw of Charlotte, NC and Averie Bret Buchanan
of Blairsville. She was preceded in death by one brother, J.E.
Anderson Jr.
Funeral services for Mrs. Nester will be held today, July 14 at
2 p.m. at Catawba Baptist Church with Rev. Ed Griffin conducting
the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Southside Virginia Alzheimer's Association, 908-Q Hwy. 1, South Hill, VA 23970 or Catawba Baptist Church.
Ella Rebecca Tucker, 84, of Willow Creek Apartments, South
Boston, died Sunday, July 11, 1999 in Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Mrs. Tucker was born in Halifax County on October 23, 1914 the
daughter of Alexander Tucker and Rebecca Faries Tucker and was
married to Henry Stephen Tucker. She was a member of Republican
Grove Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Ella Grant of Gretna;
one sister, Mrs. Clayton Brooks of Wilmington, DE; two brothers,
Jack Tucker of Philadelphia, PA and Peter Tucker of Chester, PA;
five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She was preceded
in death by one daughter, Mary Haley; four sisters, Louise Royster,
Ethel Moorefield, Gracie Palm and Martha Petty; and one brother,
John Tucker.
Funeral services for Mrs. Tucker will be held Thursday, July 15
at 1 p.m. at Republican Grove Baptist Church with Rev. L.S. Otey
officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of her daughter, Ella
Grant, Westbriar Apartments, Gretna.
A memorial service for Pocahontas Wight Edmunds will be held
Saturday at noon at St. John's Episcopal Church in Halifax.
The Rev. Fred Martin will officiate.
Mrs. Edmunds, 95, died June 15 in Richmond.
She was married to the late Richard Coles Edmunds of Halifax and
is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Douglas A. Brown of Fairfax
and Mrs. St. George Tucker Grinnan, II of Boca Raton, Fla; one
son, Richard Coles Edmunds Jr. of Richmond; two sisters, Mrs.
William Francis Brown and Mrs. Anderson Wade Lamb of Richmond;
and one brother, Richard Cunningham Wight Jr. of Richmond.
Eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren also survive.
Horsley Edward Jones, 81, of Red Oak died Tuesday, July 6,
1999 at Vencor Hospital, Greensboro, NC.
Mr. Jones was born May 20, 1918 in Red Oak to Isham Grover and
Sula Gregory Garner Jones and was married to Dorothy Whitt Jones.
He attended Ferrum Junior College before joining the US Army.
He served in WWII, participating in the Normandy Invasion and
was awarded a Bronze Star for service during the Battle of the
Bulge.
Returning to Charlotte County, he served as magistrate in Bacon
District, was a Dixie Youth baseball organizer and coach, a PTA
president of Wylliesburg Elementary School and Randolph-Henry
High School. He was a life-long member of Public Fork Christian
Church where he served as president of the cemetery committee,
trustee, Sunday school superintendent, elder, and was chairman
of the building committee.
Survivors of Mr. Jones include his wife; three sons, H. Dean and
wife Barbara Kirby Jones of Roanoke, Gary Michael and wife Kelly
Helms Jones of Richmond, and Randall Whitt Jones of Red Oak; one
daughter, Joyce Anne Jones and husband of Silver Spring, MD; two
sisters, Mrs. Judd Jackson of Wylliesburg and Mrs. Frances Fowler
of Red Oak; two grandsons, Christopher Dean and wife Kimberly
Jones, and Bryan North Jones of Roanoke; one granddaughter, Andrea
Denise Jones of Columbus, OH; three foster grandchildren, Khuong
Dinh, Vu Tran, and Laura Truong, all of Roanoke.
Services were conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 10 at Newcomb
Allgood Davis Funeral Home in Chase City with Rev. Dana Hunt officiating.
Graveside services with military honors followed at Public Fork
Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Patrick
Henry Boys Home, or Wylliesburg Dixie Youth Baseball, c/o Ralph
Moore, Drakes Branch.