"She saved all OF her life and lost it in about an hour!"
South Boston Police Officer B.K. Lovelace could only offer sympathy for an elderly county woman who, yesterday morning, lost over $14,000 to two flim-flam artists whom he described as "cool as can be."
A black female suspect, said to be in her mid-twenties, was captured on bank security cameras as she stood alongside the victim and withdrew her savings from two separate banks, NationsBank on Broad Street and OneValley at Wilborn Avenue.
Police would not release the name of the victim.
According to police, a NationsBank teller attempted to discourage the victim from withdrawing in cash her savings and urged her to accept a cashier's check instead. The teller was told by the victim that she was about to purchase a mobile home.
It all started in the parking lot of Wal-Mart around 11 a.m. as the victim drove in, parked her car and began walking towards the store. She had taken only a few steps when a black male subject approached her and began a conversation that included his alleged finding of a black bag near the victim's car.
He showed the bag to her but before opening it, a black female subject approached and the three begin to discuss what might be inside. When the bag was finally opened, it appeared to be full of cash.
Police said that the male subject told the victim and the second suspect that he worked for WalMart and would go inside and count the money and determine if it might be counterfeit.
He allegedly entered and returned from the store shortly thereafter with news that the money is indeed real and plentiful: all $55,000 of it! What must they do with it? Call police?
The Wal-Mart store manager, the suspect claimed, suggests that the money be split four ways. He then would take the cash, purchase Wal-Mart stock and the four would all reap the rewards without anyone ever knowing just how it happened.
Before that could be done, however, a show of faith in the scheme required that the victim turn over some cash. Police said that she gave the two about $120 that she had in her purse.
Another visit inside Wal-Mart was made and upon the return, the victim was told that the $120 was not enough. She told them that she had more in savings and that's when she and the female suspect drove to the two banks and made the withdrawals.
With the $14,000 in cash, the two returned to the WalMart parking lot where the male suspect was waiting. The victim was told to wait in her car while the two entered the store to transact the deal.
After about 20 minutes of waiting, the victim entered the store, met with the manager and police were notified.

Almost a year has passed since South Boston fire fighter Kevin Daniels nearly lost his life in a automobile accident that occured while he was on his way to an emergency call.
As a result of that August 7 wreck a year ago, Kevin was rendered totally paralyzed and struggling to survive with the help of life-support. So serious was his condition that his parents, Terry and Pat Daniels, were told by physicians to prepare for the worst.
But Kevin fought back and overcame tremendous odds. He not only survived, but on May 17 he took his first steps - 17 of them.
To help with his medical and rehabilitation expenses, the South Boston Fire Department plans to donate the proceeds from their Second Annual Horse Show this weekend.
According to his mother, Kevin spent the first 35 days following his accident in the Intensive Care Unit at Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C. It was touch and go, but he survived and was transferred to Wake Medical Center for the following 113 days.
"He started 'Home Health' on the first of the year, and did that until the end of April. Then the first of May he went to Sheltering Arms in Richmond," Terry said. "It was there that he took his first steps."
The road to recovery has been a long one, but not a lonely one, Kevin's mother explained.
"It's slow but sure, and that is what thrills me. I steadily see things improving, and no one knows how far he'll go," she said. "The fire department has been absolutely fantastic...the smiles, the kindness, the fact that you know that they care. And look what they're doing (with the horse show.) They have lent so much support in so many ways, not just with money but with the smiles. Being a fireman is probably what gave Kevin the determination to fight this and push on the way he's done."
Terry said Kevin took his best steps last Tuesday - about 75 of them - and has been eating soft foods, including chocolate cake.
"I promised him the biggest steak he can eat when he is able," she said.
This fall, September 6, Kevin will go to the Woodrow Wilson Short Term Rehab Unit (STRU) in Fisherville, where he will stay for six to eight weeks undergoing additional therapy that may lead to vocational rehabilitation.
"It depends on how well he's done before he goes into the vocational (rehab). It all depends on him," she said.
The South Boston Fire Company Auxiliary's two-part horse show will be held this Saturday, July 31, at the Halifax County Fairgrounds.
The Virginia & Racking Horse Owner's Associations' **AA Rated show will open at 1 p.m. A total of 28 classes will be held throughout the afternoon, and the evening show, with 33 classes, will begin at 6 p.m.
David Jones of Boonesboro, MD, will be judging the walk, rack and pleasure classes, while Ken Davis will judge the gaited, western and hunter pleasure classes.
Concessions by the Oak Level Volunteer Fire Department will be available on the grounds, and B&B Western Shop will be open with a wide variety of tack and equine accessories.
Admission is $3, with children 12 and under admitted free of charge. Reserved parking spaces are available for $5.

Odor and pollution control, as well as system construction and operational costs, were bottom-line questions following Bion Technologies hog manure waste management presentation here Tuesday.
Hog producers, county officials, representatives from Southside Concerned Citizens (SCC) and South Central Environmentalists for a Safe Environment (SAFE) were among those attending the afternoon presentation by Bion Technologies' officials from the Clayton, NC, offices.
Bion, which has offices in a half-dozen states, treats both solid and liquid fraction of the manure wastestream through a complex series of natural microbial processes.
Typically, the system consists of bioreactors, solids, ecoreactors, temporary water storage areas and polishing ecoreactors.
Also, solids may be periodically harvested from the solids ecoreactor, processed and subsequently removed from the farm site, according to Edward A. Hennig, a Bion vice president.
However, both SAFE President Tucker Watkins and county hog producer Page Wilkerson noted that in the past the farmers understood the final product would be bought from them. Now, removal seems to be the only commitment to hog producers.
Selected as "one of the innovative technologies for study" at North Carolina State, Hennig said four of Bion's systems are operating in that state now with one more under construction.
The company already has recorded success in the diary business, Hennig told the crowd of about 25 on Tuesday, with the end product available as a fertilizer.
Horticulture researcher Dr. Cindy L. Frick with Bion, described the end product as like a potting soil, an ingredient producing "phenomenal growth rate," almost double, in certain plants.
In the hog industry, Hennig said, "The degrading process (in the waste management process) begins in the (hog) house and that is important to odor control."
Watkins described the Bion system as interesting but noted the company's representatives did not give an operations cost.
Also, a system cost was not given since company representatives said soil and topography were cost factors.
"The problem is odor control," said Watkins, noting probably 70 to 80 technologies are currently being studied.
Some want to add things to lagoons, whether masking agents or biological agents, said the SAFE president.
"The problem is that some of them just did not do anything and it would be counterproductive to go out and try one of these without knowing it is going to work."
"My question really is, if you take it out of the first lagoon and put it into the drying area, does it have an odor problem?" asked Watkins. "He says it does not," he later added, referring to the Tuesday presentation.
Watkins saw the system as "certainly a technology worth looking at."
"Anything is a help," began SCC Chairman Jack Dunavant. "It is a step in the right direction. How much, we don't know. They don't know ..."
Hog producer Page Wilkerson said, "This man says it helps the odor."
What Bion Technologies is doing is putting oxygen in the manure with a pump, explained the Halifax County farmer. "I think you can do about the same thing with an aerator in the lagoon," he added.
"I use an enzyme and microbes in my lagoon and I think it has very little odor myself."
"A new lagoon smells," explained Wilkerson, who operates an 1,160-sow and 1,500-baby pig confined animal feeding operation.
The farmer also described a "sow farm (as) not as much odor as a finishing farm."
"From what I've seen, I think it is a pretty good alternative to what we're doing now. And I think it would help with odor from the lagoons," said the farmer.
Wilkerson noted that Hennig said it would help with pollution with very little methane or ammonia coming off the lagoon.
"Nobody really knows how much is coming off and how much is nitrogen gas," added Wilkerson.
Wilkerson also said he does not feed his hogs hormones, a question asked during the Tuesday seminar in regard to rapid growth produced by the end product in the waste management system.
"In cattle, you do have hormone implant for growth but not in these hogs. It is good feed and genetics that make them grow fast," added Wilkerson.
"Very ambiguous," said SCC's Dunavant of the Bion technology presentation.
"They didn't tell you how much it is going to cost," he began.
Dunavant said he was "more concerned about the health aspects associated with odor and water pollution."
The SCC chairman described the Tuesday Bion session as raising as many questions as it provided answers.
"And my number one reaction is that it is a smoke screen thrown up by hog proponents to confuse the issues."
The SCC chief also raised another question.
"The first question is what business is it of the county to try to solve problems of the hog industry. Why should they be trying to solve problems of the hog industry?"
Dunavant said there are several hundred processes out there for treating hog waste. "All of which do some good, but that only partially solves the problems of odors.
"I am not going to try to solve the problems of the hog industry but I will pass on it," he added.
County Planner Jerry Lovelace also noted there was reluctance Tuesday to express operational costs for the waste management system, but added it appeared "to be a viable alternative type of waste management. I can't comment on the cost factor because I don't know."
Lovelace also said any existing potential operation would have to examine retrofitting costs and long-term operational costs. Also, the initial installation costs in a new operation as well as the operating costs.
"I am not endorsing it or the equipment," said Lovelace. "The intent was educational, an alternative that seems to be available."
Lovelace said the interest was primarily because the proposed ordinance has a requirement that an operator submit a detailed plan of proven odor- control technology and this is an option. So again, the soul purpose was education."
The county planner said he had "a lead" on another company and if he had another alternative, he would like to provide another informational session.

South Boston officials and representatives from Joyce Engineering Inc., met Tuesday with Virginia Delegate W.W. "Ted" Bennett to explain how recent improvements to the South Boston landfill enable the town to operate the site for up to 20 years without threat to the environment.
They hope that Bennett - who was instrumental last December in obtaining a last-minute amendment buying South Boston time to make improvements to the landfill and comply with their written consent order from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) - will share this information when the General Assembly convenes in January and convince it to allow the landfill to remain in operation until closure is more economically and structurally feasible.
Jeffrey M. Fantell, P.E., Joyce Engineering project manager over the South Boston landfill, explained to Bennett that South Boston's landfill has been targeted, along with more than 30 other sites across the state, for closure due to environmental concerns.
Earlier in the month, the Solid Waste Subcommittee of the Joint Subcommittee Studying the Future of Virginia's Environment met to discuss HB1205 landfills.
According to notes from the meeting, "All agreed a sensible, prioritized phase-out of HB1205s should be based on the environmental condition of each site, a cost/benefit analysis of closure, the availability of disposal alternatives, the cost of closure, and the availability of financial resources for closure."
Speakers also supported an idea for a work group to design "some threshold or criteria" for prioritization of HB1205 landfills, which will be addressed in upcoming legislation.
The fact that South Boston's landfill has been classified as a HB1205 landfill is nothing new. But what South Boston officials would like to avoid is early closure based solely on the landfill's HB1205 status.
According to South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel, Bennett worked tirelessly last December to secure a last-minute amendment that bought South Boston some time to make improvements to the landfill complying with the written consent order from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
"Ted seems very attune to our problems and extremely aware of the economic problems that early closure could cause," Daniel said after the meeting. "He is doing all he can to represent Halifax County and the Town of South Boston in their fullest interest.
"Ted was absolutely outstanding in buying us some time by calling for an amendment to allow landfills in towns with consent orders with the DEQ to continue operating under their guidelines last December," Daniel continued. "What we hope to avoid is any arbitrary decision to close this landfill just because we happen to be a HB1205 landfill. What we're doing right now is environmentally responsible. We are already monitoring groundwater for contamination to ensure we have normal-type groundwater like you'd expect with unlined landfills; that it's contained; and that we can plan for the future."
Part of the town's plan includes using incoming trash, which is closely monitored, to raise the landfill to the proper closure elevation of 530 feet. Currently the highest elevation is 460. Fantell estimated it would take approximately 20 years to reach that elevation.
"When we do that, we will install all other environmental elements and continue to monitor the site for another 30 years," Daniel continued.
According to Fantell, the projected cost of closing the landfill and subsequent monitoring will fall between $2 million to $3 million.
"It would cost approximately $1.5 million to actually close the site, $1 million for post-closure care costs over about 30 years, and around $500,000 for additional ground water impact studies," Fantell told Bennett. "But the good thing about this site is that we've done everything we can to minimize environmental risk already."
Using incoming trash rather than filling the landfill with dirt also helps economically, as the town now charges a $30/ton tipping fee. Were the state to order the town to close its landfill, this revenue would be lost, and the town would be faced with having to find, as well as pay, to use another facility.
"What we want the General Assembly to understand is that we can continue to utilize the landfill in a responsible manner and progress with closure over time at a minimum cost to our citizens," Daniel said. "All we're asking is that they continue to monitor us, and we'll meet all the requirements."
Once the landfill in South Boston does close, the trash will have to go somewhere, and Daniel said the possibility of the town building another landfill is far from likely.
Instead, South Boston refuse will most likely be taken to the Halifax County landfill for disposal, Daniel said.
"As residents of Halifax County, I see us using those facilities," Daniel said. "That's why I say, let's continue using this one (in South Boston) and not exacerbate county's problems (with their landfill). If we can use ours for 10 or 15 years, that trash will be going in here and not into the county landfill."

Clara Elizabeth Wallace Ross of Halifax died Tuesday, July 27, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital at the age of 71.
Mrs. Ross was born in Milford, CT on February 2, 1928.
Survivors include one son, James Ross of Halifax; three grandchildren; and her mother, Laura Wallace.
Funeral services for Mrs. Ross will be held Saturday, July 31 at 11 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in Halifax with Father Arceleous Elliott Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in Banister Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home, 1009 Back Street, Halifax.

Willie B. Womack Sr., 68, of Cocoa Beach, FL died Tuesday, July 27, 1999 in Cocoa Beach.
Mr. Womack was born in Vernon Hill and was owner/operator of a Virginia Construction Co. He was a member of Asbury Methodist Church of Vernon Hill, Lions Club, Cocoa Beach Elks Lodge 2387, Kiwanis Club, Optimist Club, Ducks Unlimited, former member of South Boston Police Dept., March of Dimes and a member of the Shrine. He was made an Honorary Deputy Sheriff by Sheriff Jake Miller.
Survivors of Mr. Womack include his wife, Susan; two sons, Willie Womack Jr. of Sarasota, FL and Charlie Womack of Cocoa Beach; two daughters, Virginia Ann Womack and Nita Kerns, both of Vernon Hill; one brother, William 'Bud' Womack of Vernon Hill; one sister, Patricia 'Betty' Atkins of Marion; and three grandchildren, Crockett Womack, M.V. Kerns and J.B. Kerns.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31 at Riverside Presbyterian Church with Rev. Allen Brindsi officiating. Burial will follow in Florida Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends this evening from 6 until 8:00 at Beckman-Williamson Funeral Home in Cocoa Beach.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Shriners Childrens Hospital, American Heart Association, Florida Elks Harry-Anna Trust Fund or the charity of your choice.

Howard Cosby Carter of Wildwood, 1170 Carter's Lane, Halifax died Wednesday, July 28, 1999 at his home. He was 88 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Carter was born in Halifax County on May 21, 1911 the son of James Frank Carter and Florence Cosby Carter. He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church.
Survivors include one sister, Margaret Carter Hiner of Richmond and one brother, James Carter of Hampton.
Funeral services for Mr. Carter will be held Saturday, July 31 at 11 a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church with Rev. Harry Thomas conducting the service. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.

Percy McKinley Marable Jr of 1134 Woodgrove Trail, Halifax died Monday, July 26, 1999 at his home. He was 56 years of age.
Mr. Marable was born in Halifax County on January 14, 1943 the son of Roberta Ferrell Marable and Percy McKinley Marable Sr. and was married to Linda Edmunds Marable. He was a member of New Arbor Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife; his mother; and one sister, Berta Oliver of Sutherlin. He was preceded in death by a brother, Prince Edward Marable Sr.
Funeral services for Mr. Marable will be held today, July 30 at 1 p.m. at New Bethel Baptist Church with Rev. Michael Terry officiating. Burial will follow in New Arbor Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.

Frances Guthrie Hunt of 2133 Dudley Road, Halifax died July 28, 1999 at her home. She was 76 years of age.
Mrs. Hunt was born in Halifax County on November 13, 1922 the daughter of Charles Edward Guthrie and Charlotte Belle Singleton Guthrie and was married to Roy Ryland Hunt. She was a member of Beth Car Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Gayle H. Cole of South Boston and Jackie H. Crews of Halifax; four sons, Paul R. and Brenda Hunt of Roanoke, Roderick G. 'Ricky' and Ann Hunt and David T. Hunt, all of South Boston, Luke J. and Rhonda Hunt of Halifax; one brother, F.E. 'Buck' Guthrie of Brookneal; one sister, Thelma Sinning of South Boston; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a special niece, Jackie D. Glass of Nathalie; and a special friend, Louise Crews of Halifax.
Funeral services for Mrs. Hunt will be held Saturday, July 31 at 10 a.m. at Beth Car Baptist Church with Rev. Charles Stewart conducting the service. Burial will take place in Childrey Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home this evening from 7 until 8:30, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider your local fire department.