By Doug Ford
The first-ever Roanoke Summit took place at Halifax County High School on Tuesday night, drawing a basin-wide group of approximately 150-200 people.
The summit comes on the heels of recent news that the North Carolina Research Triangle is looking to Kerr Lake as a possible long-range water source.
Sponsored by Virginia Delegate W.W. "Ted" Bennett Jr., North Carolina Representative James W. Crawford Jr., of Oxford, N.C., and the Roanoke River Basin Association (RRBA), the event was a first step "in a process towards improving the three Cs of the Roanoke River Basin - communication, cooperation and coordination," according to Tom Brawner, executive director of the RRBA.
"We were extremely pleased with the turnout...there was a good mix of governments - federal, state and local - and of citizens, industry, homeowner associations, recreational interests and environmental groups. There was also a good mix between Virginia and North Carolina," Brawner said.
Representation at the meeting was indeed basin-wide, from Roanoke, Bedford, Danville and Lake Gaston in Virginia, to Raleigh and Beaufort County in North Carolina.
"You never know what the turnout will be when you have one of these meetings," said Bennett.
"I'm pleased with the number of people who came - they turned out from one end of the basin to the other."
During his remarks, Bennett repeated his call for a unified body to fight for the basin.
"I'm of the firm belief that we will never do justice to the Roanoke River Basin - its waters, the rivers of the Dan, Staunton, Smith or their stream contributaries - until we come together and understand with one common bond the problems of the people of the Roanoke and the problems of the people in Carolina.
"...Nor will we ever have the political influence to affect those policies we know to be misguided, inadequate and dated until we do come together."
In echoing the sentiment of the majority of stakeholders at the meeting, North Carolina Rep. Crawford called for a single entity to address the future of the basin.
"The wheel that squeaks gets the grease," said Crawford.
"You have to get in line and fight for what you want...we've got to work together shoulder to shoulder, because what happens in Virginia affects North Carolina tremendously.
"It'll take all of us working together to fight the political influence of the areas that have the population. They have the population; therefore, they have the votes," Crawford said.
The question of a basin-wide organization to speak for stakeholder issues is important - the Roanoke River Basin drains parts of about 30 counties in Virginia and North Carolina, from Roanoke, Virginia, to Martin, Washington and Beaufort counties in North Carolina, and eventually to Albemarle Sound.
Both the general consensus at the meeting and responses to the questionnaires handed out prior to the proceedings favored the establishment of a basin-wide entity.
The questionnaires further indicated that a large majority of those who responded prefer a private entity over a governmental structure, although many expressed an interest in governmental representation in the private entity.
Cooperative Approach
An example of this cooperative approach to basin concerns was shared with the summit group by Eldon James, coordinator for the Rappahannock River Basin Study Commission.
The commission was formed in 1996 to study many of the same economic and environmental issues that face the RRBA, and included General Assembly members as well as local government elected officials from the Rappahannock basin area.
A report of that study was presented to Governor Jim Gilmore and the Virginia General Assembly this year.
"State agencies listen to local officials a little bit differently if members of the General Assembly are sitting at the table," James said.
"Local governing body members in total listen to state agency officials a little differently if one of their own at the table is an advocate for and understands the issue before them," James added.
But James made it clear that if one entity is agreed upon to speak for the Roanoke River Basin stakeholders, it should not be a governmental structure.
"The last thing we need is another layer of government," James said.
Ewell Barr, a member of the RRBA executive committee, agreed.
"The RRBA board of directors believes that a private agency or entity, rather than a governmental agency or entity, would better, more effectively and more dependably represent the interest of all stakeholders within the basin," Barr said.
"The board feels that a governmental entity runs the risk of becoming an arm of what in Virginia's case would be a General Assembly dominated by Northern Virginia and Tidewater Virginia...
"And in North Carolina's case, a General Assembly dominated by the Research Triangle and the industrial crescent of North Carolina," Barr added.
Approximately 10 speakers at the summit expressed their concerns for the basin, a basin that encompasses roughly 31 counties in Virginia and North Carolina, running from the Appalachian Mountains to the Albemarle Sound.
Those concerns ranged from inter-basin transfer of water to drought issues and pollution to economic development.
"From Roanoke City all the way down, this basin is plagued by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), e-coli and siltation in the Dan and Staunton rivers, particularly where the Dan and Staunton meet," Bennett remarked.
""I'd like to see one entity, fully staffed, with enormous data in-house on the quality and quantity of water in the entire basin.
"We need a drought index by which there's a threshhold below which water is not withdrawn," Bennett added.
"This now gives us something to build on," said Brawner.
"This summit was a first step, and it's almost inevitable that other surveys and meetings will be necessary to work out the specifics of the structure that is acceptable to all stakeholders.
"The next step is to compile in summary form the input, both verbal and written, that we received at the meeting, seek additional input from those unable to attend the meeting, distribute the summary to the meeting participants and propose a specific next step in this process.
"After we look at the written input - which was substantial - we will begin the work toward the specifics of a structure that will be acceptable to the stakeholders," Brawner said.
Hal Sharpe, president of the RRBA, summed up the attitude of the evening when he held before the group a container of water that he drew from the waters of the basin that day.
"This is worth fighting for!"

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Environmentalists say they will carefully watch for loopholes in a landmark agreement to develop better ways to handle hog waste.
Under the agreement announced Tuesday, Virginia-based Smithfield  Foods agreed to spend $65 million to develop alternative waste-handling systems.
Smithfield, which controls about 70 percent of North Carolina's hog production, also agreed to install better waste systems on its 276 N.C. farms within three years after the new technology is developed and give assistance to more than 1,200 farms that raise Smithfield hogs under contract.
While the agreement doesn't mean 4,000 hog waste lagoons will go away, it could lead to a fundamental change in the way the hog industry deals with millions of tons of waste it generates.
Environmental leaders and state regulators said Wednesday they are pleased with the Smithfield agreement, but will be watching carefully for any possible problems.
Their concerns:
- The deal doesn't specifically cover contract farms, where the bulk of the 4,000 or so waste lagoons in North Carolina are located.
- The deal doesn't cover the companies and farms that produce about 30 percent of the hogs in North Carolina.
- There is currently no alternative technology that is considered both cleaner than and as economically viable as waste lagoons.
''There are a lot of details that have to be worked out, very important details,'' said Michelle Nowlin, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center in Chapel Hill. ''The contract farms are probably going to need grants, not loans. This thing isn't going to work if the contract farms don't go along with it.''
The hog industry in North Carolina grew after Smithfield opened the world's largest slaughterhouse in Bladen County in 1993. Those new hog farms depended on open-air hog lagoons to get rid of their waste.
While inexpensive, the lagoons have turned out to be a major source of water and air pollution, especially when they flood or break and pollute the state's rivers and streams.
Smithfield officials said they are confident all of their contract farms will install the new systems once they are tested and approved by the state.
''We have a provision in all of our contract agreements that require the farmers to employ the best environmental methods available,'' said Richard Poulson, vice president and adviser to the chairman of Smithfield.
Poulson said the company realizes any new technology will probably cost more to build and maintain than the waste lagoons now in use.
Using the grant, N.C. State University researchers will try over the next two years to perfect better waste-handling technologies. The state will then evaluate those technologies to determine whether they are technically and economically practical. If approved, the clock will start ticking for Smithfield to install the new systems.
Poulson said the company knows the deal has many details left to be worked out.
State environmental officials will continue to move ahead with rules aimed at implementing a previously announced plan by Gov. Jim Hunt to eventually eliminate waste lagoons, according to department spokesman Don Reuter.
''This deal with Smithfield should give that initiative a shot in the arm,'' Reuter said.

The South Boston-Halifax Junior Woman's Club has captured first place honors in the state for its preservation and revitalization work at The Prizery.
The Prizery, an historic tobacco warehouse in South Boston, is being developed as a community fine arts and welcome center.
The prize was awarded to the club during the Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs' convention in Norfolk.
The local club competed against 97 other entries in the state, including general and junior clubs, for the Community Improvement Program award.
In choosing the project, club officials said that The Prizery "would enhance economic, industrial and community development for the town, the county and the Southside Virginia region.
"It will further benefit these areas by offering multi-cultural opportunities to an under-served area and provide a welcome center and a public meeting space."
The 34-member club decided to become a user group of The Prizery, with the goal of using the building to raise funds for the Community Arts Center Foundation, and also to publicize the overall the project.
"We designed events to fulfill both needs." said Kat Puryear, club president and Prizery project chairman.
The number of events the club supported "surprised even club members" when the list was compiled for entry in the General Federation of Women's Clubs competition, she added.
"The club is fully committed to seeing The Prizery project through to a successful conclusion and to seeing The Prizery functioning as an integral part of our community life.
"Our members see this project as important to ourselves, our community growth and development, and the growth and development of our children," emphasized Puryear.
Since the project got under way several years ago, The Prizery has been awarded $1,375,000 in grant money. The most recent, a $500,000 grant, was awarded this summer.
Next week, architects will be at The Prizery three days as part of the planning/design phase.
South Boston-Halifax Junior Woman's Club members serving on The Prizery project committee included: Puryear, past president Michele Ah, Debbie Knight, Tamyra Vest, Niki Perkins, Becky McCoy, Erin White and Shannon Hill.
User groups of The Prizery include: the Halifax Little Theatre, Halifax Woman's Club, Parsons-Bruce Art Association, the Town of South Boston, the South Boston-Halifax Junior Woman's Club.
Chris Jones serves as president of the Community Arts Center Foundation.

A letter to parents from new Halifax County High School principal Albert T. Randolph seeking payment of unsatisfied student debts is bringing in the money.
But, at the same time, it has created a stir among some parents.
Parents of students having unsatisfied debts recently received a letter stating that if the outstanding debt is not satisfied by August 11, "your child will be placed in an alternative educational setting until such time the debts are addressed."
The response to the letter, Randolph says, has been largely positive.
"We've had approximately 200 students or parents to come in to satisfy their debts or return items such as books, calculators, uniforms and so forth," Randolph said Wednesday.
"I have been very pleased with the positive response and appreciate the cooperation of the parents and students in coming in to satisfy their debts.
"I'd like to thank the parents and students for supporting the school and taking care of these matters," he added.
While Randolph's letter to parents appears to be producing desired results, some parents have voiced concern over the wording and potential impact of the letter.
Fearful parents have interpreted the wording "alternative educational setting" as meaning that the child will be removed from the high school and placed at the Halifax County Career Center or into the school system's Alternative Education program.
Randolph, however, insists that students who have unsatisfied monetary balances will not be removed from school.
"In no way are we planning to remove any child from the high school and have him or her placed in the alternative education center," Randolph stated.
And, he said, the "alternative educational setting" that will be used for those students who have not satisfied their debts prior to the first day of school has not been determined.
"It has not been decided what the alternative setting will be," Randolph said.
"The length of time of the alternative setting will be until arrangements can be made with the parents to satisfy the outstanding debt."
Randolph, who served as principal at Randolph-Henry High School in Charlotte County prior to being named to the principal's post at the high school earlier this month, said he used the in-school suspension program as his "alternative educational setting" in attempting to collect outstanding debts at Randolph-Henry.
The move worked at the Charlotte County high school, he said.
"Better than 95 percent of the students who needed to do so satisfied their debts prior to the opening day of school," he stated.
"They either satisfied the debts or made arrangements to satisfy the debt on a payment plan."
Randolph strongly emphasized that he will work with parents and students in their effort to clear the debts.
"We will make every reasonable effort to work with parents to satisfy the outstanding debts," he noted.
"If parents need an extended amount of time to pay the debt, all they have to do is contact the school and let us know if they plan to pay the debt by the first day of school."
Randolph also stated that when Halifax County High School holds its annual Open House prior to the start of the new school year, school personnel will be available to accept payments.
"We will have people available to collect previous debts and pay new expenditures for the coming year," Randolph pointed out.
"And, we will be available during Open House to work with parents in setting up payment plans, if necessary."
Randolph explained that his procedure is to have students and parents satisfy unpaid debts prior to the start of each new school year.
"The previous administration collected at the end of the (student's) senior year," Randolph pointed out.
"What I'm doing is trying to eliminate carryover. My normal procedure is to clear a person's debt prior to the start of the new school year."
The high school principal stated that his procedure is to collect payments of debts on an annual basis.
"I'm not going to let a ninth-grader carry over (a debt) into the tenth grade and let a tenth-grader carry over a debt to the eleventh grade and so forth," explained Randolph.
"This procedure provides parents an opportunity to clear up debts on an annual basis and eliminate any parent from having a large debt at the end of the child's senior year which they may not be aware of."
Randolph's approach to debt collection is much different than the approach used by former Halifax County High School principal Larry Clark.
"We collected most of our outstanding balances when a student was preparing himself or herself for graduation or when they wanted their records released," Clark explained.
Clark explained that efforts to collect unpaid balances in that manner were "marginally successful.
"We could withhold the actual diploma," Clark said.
"But, you can't withhold the issuance of graduation. If you were a graduating senior and had a balance due, you could participate in the graduation exercise. That was permitted, but you could not receive your actual diploma until you paid the balance you owed."
The former high school principal said there is a lesson to be learned.
"The lesson that all students need to understand is that if they incur an obligation it is their responsibility to take care of it and satisfy it," Clark explained.
"We, as adults, know that lesson very well. That is one of life's lessons that we don't want to overlook as our children enter adolescence and finish high school."

The trial of 18-year-old Jason Thomas Loftis, indicted in the shooting death of Joseph McArthur Barnett, was continued until September on a defense motion in Halifax County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
The case was scheduled for the following day, Wednesday.
Loftis, of Alton, is charged with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony (murder) and conspiracy to commit a felony (murder).
Barnett, owner of a riding stable, was shot in the driveway of his Alton, Va., home during the evening of December 15, 1999.
Barnett, 56, died at Duke University Medical Center on December 24, of injuries from a shotgun wound to the head.
Judge William L. Wellons granted the motion for continuance by defense counsel, Robert Morrison, in order for the court to determine Loftis' competence to stand trial.
A previous, separate motion for continuance by Morrison was denied earlier in the hearing.
Morrison listed the reasons for his second motion.
"The counsel for the defendant represents hereby that he has observed a change in the ability of the defendant to communicate with counsel over the course of the preparation of this case.
"Conversations between counsel and his client initially simply related facts and circumstances to one another.
"Recently, as the trial date approached, conversations were more involved and dealt with issues such as entry of a plea and whether to cooperate with the commonwealth in order to receive a substantial assistance motion.
"Client's parents were consulted and reinforced counsel's concerns.
"Counsel for the defendant represents that there exists legitimate concerns that the defendant is not able to make an informed plea to the charges against him.

"Wherefore, counsel requests this court make a determination as to the defendant's competence to stand trial before any further action is taken in this case."
The court ordered Morrison to prepare an evaluation order for his client, after denying a motion from Morrison to withdraw as defense counsel.

A 20-year-old South Boston man was shot in the chest early Wednesday morning after two black males entered his home at 215 Wildflower Drive.
Kenneth A. Hodges was shot in the lower right chest area sometime between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., after the men had kicked in a side door and entered the bedroom where he was partially asleep, according to Lieutenant Rice of the South Boston Police Department.
Hodges was treated at Halifax Regional Hospital and released, according to the police.
Anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the subjects is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 575-TIPS(8477). A reward is offered.
· Charlton J. Earl Hazen, 27, of Volens Road in Nathalie, was arrested by sheriff's deputies Wednesday on grand larceny charges.
Along with grand larceny, Hazen was also charged with stealing a Lincoln 250 tag-along welder valued at $200 or more, belonging to William Touchton; and removing a serial number on the welder without the consent of the owner.
Hazen allegedly committed the offense on January 1.

In other police reports,

A 16-year-old Virgilina youth was charged with reckless driving Wednesday morning after a two-vehicle collision on Red Bank Road (Route 734), seven-tenths of a mile south of East Hitesburg Road (Route 733).
Trooper G.M. Gilliam said the youth was driving a 1987 Toyota pickup and crossed the center of the roadway, colliding head on into a 1995 Eagle, driven by Mandy Gail Teel, 21, of Virgilina.
Teel was injured by the 8 a.m. collision and was treated at Halifax Regional Hospital and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Gilliam estimated $6,000 in damages to the Teel vehicle and $3,500 in damages to the vehicle driven by the youth.
· A two-vehicle crash occurred Saturday evening on Turbeville Road (Route 658), nine-tenths of a mile south of Route 58.
Trooper D.T. Conner said the 6:45 p.m. crash was the result of a 1999 Pontiac, driven by James Alexander Redmond, 48, of Irvine, Calif., that had improperly stopped in the highway and was approached by another vehicle at a high rate of speed.
Conner said Redmond was talking to the driver of another vehicle, also improperly stopped in the highway, when a 1998 Ford, driven by George Anthony Hudson, 18, of Alton, crested the hill at a high rate of speed and struck the Redmond vehicle.
A passenger, Deborah Redmond, 44, was injured by the 6:45 p.m. crash and was treated at Halifax Regional Hospital and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The trooper estimated $6,000 in damages to each vehicle and charged Redmond with improper stopping on the highway, and Hudson with reckless driving.
· Three injuries were the result of a two-vehicle crash Sunday evening on Boxwood Road (Route 761), five-tenths of a mile north of Beaver Pond Road (Route 621).
Trooper S.M. Krantz said the 7:30 p.m. crash occurred when a 1989 Nissan stationwagon, driven by Annette Lynn Adams, 30, of Nathalie, struck a 1984 Datsun, driven by Douglas Lee Jones, 38, of Blairs, as both vehicles were traveling in the middle of the roadway.
The trooper said Adams and a passenger, James Henderson, 35, were injured, as well as Jones.
All three injured were treated at Halifax Regional Hospital and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Krantz estimated $2,500 in damages to the Adams vehicle and $2,000 in damages to the Jones vehicle.
Both Adams and Jones were charged with failing to keep to the right of the centerline.

The Virginia champion South Boston Dixie Majors all star team is hoping to bring Virginia its first World Series win when it opens play tomorrow night in the Dixie Majors World Series in Euliss, Tex.
South Boston will face the host team, Euliss, Tex., in its opening round game tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the Dallas, Tex. suburb.
A win by South Boston tomorrow night will snap a long-standing unenviable streak for Virginia.
South Boston manager David Myers said that as far as he could find out, at least through recent seasons, the Virginia entry has failed to win a game in the double elimination World Series tournament.
"I've talked to several people and I've asked around and to the best of my knowledge, Virginia hasn't won a World Series game," Myers said.
"We want to be the team that wins the first game for Virginia."
South Boston's Dixie Majors all star teams have won the Virginia title three of the past four years.
This is the second consecutive trip for South Boston to the Dixie Majors World Series.
"This is our best chance (to get a win)," Myers said.
"There are a lot of very good, very tough teams in the World Series and several of them are traveling teams that have been playing together a long time."
"Sometimes," continued Myers, " the host team isn't as strong as some of the other teams like Alabama, Georgia or Louisiana. But, you never know until you play them."
If Myers' South Boston team can defeat the team from Euliss, it will face the winner of the Alabama-Louisiana game on Sunday.
Two wins would be huge for South Boston.
"If we win the first two games we'll get a bye and won't have to play again until Tuesday," Myers pointed out.
"That would sure be nice."
This South Boston Dixie Majors all star team that Myers is leading into the World Series is arguably one of the best South Boston teams to take the field.
It is a well rounded team with good combination of pitching, defense and hitting.
South Boston is loaded with pitchers with Brian Medley, Scott Adams, Brandon Howerton, Josh Milam, Brent Myers and Brian Lloyd all available for duty.
"We've got another guy, Geoff Moore, who can pitch, that we haven't used," Myers noted.
South Boston's defense has been solid throughout district and state tournament play.
"We've got excellent defense," Myers said.
"We've turned three or four double plays that have gotten us out of big holes. And, we've made very few errors."
The fact that South Boston is well rounded could well pose problems for the opposition.
"This isn't a team where we have to rely on one or two or three key people to do everything," Myers said.
"Everyone on the team can step up and do the job and play the role we need for them to play when we need it."
Myers pointed to a couple of instances to demonstrate his point.
"Bruce Anderson and Kirby Barbour, the two youngest kids on the team, have played well and contributed to the team," Myers said.
"In the district tournament championship game, Bruce came up to pinch hit and got a hit that drove in two runs to end the game under slaughter rule.
"Kirby," added Myers, "has played well and hit the ball well. And, another of the younger players we have, Gary Palmer, has hit the ball well and is playing good defense.
"We've got people that we can bring in off the bench that we feel confident that can do what we need for them to do."
South Boston also has demonstrated the ability to bounce back from adversity.
After winning the first two games of the recent Dixie Majors state tournament, South Boston fell to Wythe County.
It rebounded and came back to defeat Wythe County twice in the final round to win the state title.
As a result of that experience, Myers says the players are feeling any pressure as they head into the World Series.
"There is no pressure," Myers noted.
"I don't think they even felt any pressure in the state tournament. Some of that, I think, is the fact that several of the players played on the high school team this past spring and they faced a tough lefthander in Thomas Martin from Albemarle.
"Wythe County had three tough left handed pitchers," Myers pointed out.
"The kids from the high school team had faced Martin several times and they talked to the others and were a big influence and a big help to the other kids."
Myers says the biggest challenge his team faces in the World Series is hitting the baseball.
"We've got to hit the baseball," Myers stated.
"So far, we've done well hitting the ball. We need to keep hitting. We're comfortable with everybody that comes to the plate."
Myers says he plans to use every available option to put runs on the scoreboard.
"When we get runners on, we're going to do everything we can to move them," he pointed out.
"We'll bunt the ball and use sacrifice flies to move runners and try to score them. We've done pretty well bunting the ball and we'll do it when we need to do it."

The State Championship and a berth in the Dixie Debs World Series were at stake last night when Halifax County squared off against Farmville in the championship game of the Virginia Dixie Debs Softball Tournament.
Halifax County, which had one loss entering last night's final round, needed to defeat Farmville twice in order to capture the state title.
Farmville defeated Halifax County 2-1 Tuesday night to drop Halifax County into the loser's bracket. But Halifax bounced back with a 13-10 win over Amherst County Wednesday night to advance to last night's championship game.
In Tuesday's game, Halifax and Farmville were tied 1-1 until the last inning, when Farmville scored the winning run.
Halifax had scored first against Farmville when in the second inning, Lindsey Stolzenthaler reached base on an error and was brought home by Jenny Armistead's RBI-single.
Shannon Torian went the distance on the mound, allowing two runs and six hits.
Farmville tied the game at one all in the fifth inning and then scored again in the sixth.
In Wednesday night's game, Shonda Welch took the mound as the starter, but was relieved by Felecia Sprattley after loading the bases with two walks and a batter hit by a pitch.
Amherst took advantage of the loaded bases and scored two runs in the top of the first.
Halifax answered with singles by Jennifer Roller and Anna Lewis, that resulted in their scoring and tying the game at 2-2.
Sprattley shut down Amherst in the second inning and Halifax went down in strikes to close out the second inning.
Amherst went on the attack again in the third against Sprattley and scored four runs off of two hits and two walks.
Anna Lewis relieved Sprattley and closed out the inning by retiring the next three batters.
Down 6-2, Halifax again responded offensively in the third inning when Brandy Conner singled, Lewis reached base on a walk, Branda Best hit a run-scoring double and Welch followed with a single.
Lindsey Stolzenthaler also singled but was thrown out on a fielder's choice, however, Halifax had collected four runs to tie the game again at six apiece.
Welch returned to the mound in the fourth inning with a vengeance as she struck out all three batters.
Then Halifax went to work again with the bats, as Roller led off with a double, Conner reached on a walk and Welch smacked a three-run homer.
Stolzenthaler singled and scored the fourth run of the inning when Jenny Armistead doubled.
With a 10-6 lead, Welch again retired the line-up in the fifth inning with three consecutive strike outs.
Conner took the mound in the sixth inning to preserve the score, and Halifax then added three more runs in the sixth with a walk by Best and three singles by Stolzenthaler, Armistead and Sprattley.
Amherst attempted to make a comeback in the last inning when a three-run homer lifted the score to 13-10.
However, after Conner allowed the four runs off of three hits, she obtained the third out to preserve the win.
Stolzenthaler was three for four in hitting, Roller and Armistead were each two for three with doubles, Welch was also two for three with a home run, while Lewis was one for two, Best and Sprattley were each one for three and Conner was one for four.

Ronald Jeremiah Hill, age 37, of Mooresville, NC, formerly of Halifax County, died July 25 in North Carolina.
Mr. Hill was born in Halifax County on June 3, 1963, the son of Andrew Ferrell and Lin Dora Hill Ferrell. He was a member of St. Matthew Baptist Church.
Survivors include his father; four brothers, James Elvis Hill, Dennis Jerome Hill, Carol Michael Hill and Noel L. Ferrell, all of Clover.
Funeral services for Mr. Hill will be held July 29 at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Andrew Ferrell, 3127 Mt. Laurel Road, Clover.

Otis Terry, age 70, of 1160 Ridge Road, Vernon Hill, died July 26 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Terry was born in Halifax County on April 18, 1930, the son of Willie Terry and Maude Mitchell Terry and was married to Saeko Narumi Terry. He was a member of Oak Level Presbyterian Church, a Veteran of the U.S. Army where he was a Sargeant First Class having served in both Korea and Vietnam.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Margaret At. Pasquale of Henderson, N.C. and Carol At. Willis of Cluster Springs; one son, Marvin Wayne Terry of Vernon Hill; two brothers, William Terry of Vernon Hill and David Terry of Ringgold; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Mr. Terry will be held July 29 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow in Oak Level Presbyterian Church Cemetery with Military Rites.

The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home this evening, July 28 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. and other times at the home.