First day sales were 769,672 pounds selling for $1,418,888.33 for an opening day average of $184.35.

Going under loan to stabilization was seven percent of the day's offerings.

The South Boston Flue-Cured Tobacco Market opened yesterday a day late, with little fanfare, few observers, but a whole lot of tobacco.
With over 780,000 pounds on the floor-enough for two full days of sales during a normal season-auctioneer Carleton Gravitt opened the local market with first sales at Victory Warehouse.
The market opened a day after the official opening day of the Old Belt and market officials didn't schedule any of the traditional opening festivities.
About 100 were on hand for the first sale, with most of those farmers, industry representatives or warehouse employees.
Market sales director Teresa Poole said the increase in the number of pounds on the opening day is related to the cut in the number of sale dates.
With only 13 days scheduled, farmers are pushed to get their leaf on the warehouse floor, she said.
Poole said she expects all sale dates this year to be loaded as farmers move to get their leaf sold.
Most of the warehouse leaf is baled tobacco, she said, and each bale is equivalent to about three sheets.
This helps move the sale along faster and get more leaf sold each day, she said.
Farmers, hit with quota cuts the past few years, have over 9.6 million pounds to sell this year.
This is over two million pounds less than was sold last year.
Also, many farmers are selling directly to the tobacco industry through contract sales.
Opening day sales last year on the local market totalled 484,993 pounds selling for $861,919.12 for an opening day average of $177.72 per hundredweight.

By KIA SHANT'E BREAUX
Associated Press Writer
DANVILLE, Va. (AP) - Virginia's flue-cured tobacco market opened Monday with growers getting higher-than-expected prices for their crop. But many still expressed concerns about the future.
''I'm happy with the prices I got today. Let's just hope they hold up,'' said Larry Spell, a Halifax County farmer who sold much of his 5,000 pounds of sack tobacco at between $1.88 and $1.94 per pound. ''I tell you, us farmers have been getting beat up on these last few years.''
The beatings Spell referred to are the fallout from the national tobacco settlement, a shift from the auctioning system to contract farming of tobacco, and consecutive cuts in quotas - the amount of tobacco the government allows farmers to grow.
More than 100 people showed up for the opening ceremony Monday inside Holland's warehouse in Halifax County. Among those speaking were Lt. Gov. John Hager and U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, I-5th.
With the bellowing chant of an auctioneer, the market opened at Holland's about 9 a.m. with a procession of buyers and farmers marching between the rows of aromatic tobacco.
The tobacco hitting the market Monday was carryover crop from 1999, when prices for sack tobacco - loose leaves in burlap sacks - ranged from $1.67 to $1.75 per pound.
Tobacco bales, 700- to 800-pound blocks of tightly compressed leaves, sold between $1.87 and $2 per pound, a little more than last year's prices.
Many growers feared tobacco companies would not be willing to pay decent prices for tobacco this year because they've paid so much money for the national tobacco settlements. Even though that hasn't happened much yet, many, including Goode, are keeping a close watch.
''I'm still cautiously optimistic about the future of tobacco,'' said Goode, who represents much of Virginia's tobacco-growing region. ''But there's still a lot on the table. The national lawsuit and the pending Florida smokers verdict could have a huge impact on the industry.''
A Florida jury last month ordered the tobacco industry to pay $145 billion to that state's sick smokers. If the verdict is upheld, many fear that the companies will go bankrupt and it eventually would mean the demise of the small-tobacco farmer.
Another hot topic Monday was contract buying, in which companies buy directly from farmers.
Harry Lea, president of the Virginia Flue-cured Warehouse Association and owner of Piedmont-Big Sale Tobacco Warehouse, estimated that about a third of Virginia's tobacco will be sold through contracting this year.
''There's more and more pressure each year for growers to switch to contracts,'' Lea said. ''I believe that system will continue to grow. There's a mixture of positive and negative things with it, depending on where you are.''
Opponents of the contracting system say if many more tobacco growers make the switch, the traditional practice of selling leaf to the highest bidder would end, wiping out warehouses and hundreds of tobacco-related jobs.
Tobacco quotas also have been cut by more than 50 percent over the last few years, which greatly reduce farmers' profits.
Tobacco growers also have felt the pinch of increasing fuel prices because they need to buy propane to cure the tobacco in barns. Additional expenses also come with tobacco baling. This is the third year that bales of tobacco have been auctioned in Virginia.
Tobacco companies are pushing farmers to use the baling system to improve efficiency in marketing and shipping tobacco. While the companies are willing to pay a little more money for baled tobacco, some small growers can't afford the baling machinery.
Despite the obvious challenges, many tobacco growers such as Calton Watherford of Danville said they'll stick it out a little longer.
''I've been at this thing my entire life, but we're not making any money in this business anymore,'' said Watherford, 66. ''But it's just something about growing tobacco. It's something that gets in your blood. That's why I stay in.''

Farmers are beginning to see the results of barn conversions that allow for the production of a low nitrosamine tobacco and those who haven't converted their barns should do so as soon as possible, said Extension Agent Larry McPeters.
Buyers are taking leaf cured in the converted barns, he said.
"The conversions are here to stay, farmers need to make the conversion as soon as possible," he said, "if they want to participate in the grant program that reimburses farmers for the conversion."
To be reimbursed, the conversion must be in place in the barn, he said.
For this reason, farmers who are just beginning to make the change, will miss out on the August 31 deadline for the $3,000 per barn grant.
After August 31 and through July 1 of next year, farmers will be eligible for reimbursements of up to $2,600 per barn converted.
Vendors offering barn conversions are behind in the construction of the conversions, he said, so no new orders will be filled before the August 31 deadline.
Also, buyers next year will be expecting leaf cured in the converted barn, so time is really falling short to make the switch.
McPeters said there have been about 4,000 barns converted throughout the flue-cured growing states.
"This thing is for real," he said. "It's not going to go away, so farmers need to make the change."
McPeters reminded farmers that it has been recommended that tobacco high in nitrosamine not be eligible for support price next year.
It has been recommended, but is not final, he said.
McPeters also urged farmers who have been strickent with tobacco mosaic virus to be prepared to do soil tests in affected fields.
Over 100 farms in the area have been identified as affected with the virus.
If mosaic is in the field, it can come up through the roots of next year's crop and re-infect the leaf.
Farmers need to be prepared to move to different fields for next year's production.
In the meantime, those with affected fields this year need to destroy the stalks and roots as soon as possible to help reduce the chance of the virus surviving the winter.
Mosaic needs live cells to survive, he said. Destroying stalks and roots takes away for it to live.
Fortunately with the wet year, damage from mosaic has been reduced.
"A hot, dry year would have been a disaster," he said.
And finally as far as the blue mold threat is concerned, most farmers have topped out and pulled at least once, he said.
Getting good air flow through the fields helps to reduce the chance of getting blue mold, he said.

Mayor Glen Abernathy announced on Monday the formation of a mayoral task force to study the reestablishment of retail viability in South Boston.
In conjunction with council's approval on Monday of an application for the Virginia Main Street Start-Up Community Program, Abernathy expressed his concerns for the area's retail climate.
"As an outgrowth of council's June retreat, we are extremely concerned about the retail viability of this community and the growth and vitality of our retail establishments," Abernathy said.
"In the past, South Boston has been a shopping destination - that is falling by the wayside. We have got to step in...to this purpose I'm appointing a mayoral task force to be charged with coming up with an idea or group of ideas to bring 500 new and different shoppers to South Boston every day," Abernathy added.
Those appointed to the task force last night included Curtis Waskey, Vilma Pambid, Wayne Fuller, Bill Kelehar, Greg Pourier, Leigh Leggett-Moore, Levi Hamilton, David Nelson, Patricia Jennings, Vicky Witko, Hayne Dominik, Ronnie Lacks, Ronnie Green and Meredith Bowman.
Council members appointed to the committee were H. Coleman Speece and Carroll Thackston.
"In contacting each and every one of these individuals, there was tremendous response, open-mindedness and agreement that we need to meet together and work together to reestablish South Boston as a retail destination in Southside Virginia," said Abernathy.
According to Abernathy there may be additional appointments to the task force.
Public Hearings
South Boston Town Council voted Monday to deny an application from McLaughlin Shopping Centers, L.C., to amend the town code to allow individual lots without frontage to exist within shopping centers.
The vote came after a public hearing on the application to amend the town's subdivision and zoning ordinances.
The applicant sought the change in order to sell a 50-foot-by-100-foot parcel of land within Halifax Square Shopping Center. The parcel has no frontage on a public road.
The Planning Commission had earlier considered McLaughlin's request, and did not recommend that town council amend its code to permit the sale of the parcel.
"Within our (town) zoning ordinance, the definition of a shopping center is an assemblage of stores under the same ownership and control that fronts on a public road," said Ted Daniel, town planning commission member and subdivision agent.
The Planning Commission had proposed a long-term land lease option as an alternative solution to amending the town code.
According to Daniel, selling rather than leasing the parcel may result in future problems with easement and parking issues among separate business owners in Halifax Square, as well as other shopping centers.
"This is a situation where if this is the only lot affected...one isolated case...we could probably deal with it," said Daniel.
"The question is from a planning standpoint; if we make permanent changes to our zoning or subdivision ordinances, and have other subdivisions or shopping centers developed, how do we address those situations?"
Alan Gravitt, counsel for McLaughlin Shopping Centers, spoke in favor of the petition to amend the town code to allow sale of the parcel.
"The regulations put form over substance," said Gravitt.
"There is no public interest in not doing this (amend the town code). McLaughlin believes there is a market of business owners out there who have expressed interest in owning their own property and building.
"If each individual parcel has its own parking, it sort of defeats the whole purpose of having a shopping center, where you commonly share parking and other services."
Daniel and Gravitt decided to meet and discuss the issue in order to reach a solution.
Two other public hearings were on council's agenda.
Town Council unanimously approved the county school system's request for a Special Use Permit to erect a modular classroom on high school grounds.
Larry Roller, director of operations and maintenance for the county school system, spoke in favor of a Special Use Permit for a 24-foot-by-44-foot modular classroom for an in-house suspension program at the high school.
"This would be an alternative for students who get in trouble for minor offenses, rather than sending them home," said Roller.
The modular unit will be alongside the vocational building at the high school.
Town Council also granted an application for a new taxi service after a public hearing.
Jacqueline Crosby had applied for the certificate of public convenience and necessity to establish and operate a new taxi cab service, Jackie's Cab Company.
The business will operate at 900 John Randolph Blvd., the current site of the Greyhound bus station.
Crosby and local resident, Isaiah Dogan, both spoke in favor of the application.
Other Business
· Town Council approved an agreement with ReUse Technology for fly ash placement on a 6.8-acre tract on town land adjacent to Dixie, Inc., complex.
· Expenditures budgeted for 1999-2000 requested to be carried over to the current fiscal year were approved by council.
· Council approved the annual listing of delinquent taxes and utility bills and a request to publish an uncollected 1999 real estate tax list.
· Appointments to the Southside Regional Partnership were announced, including Mayor Glen Abernathy, councilmen H. Coleman Speece and Carroll Thackston, and Ann Crabtree.
· Town Council authorized town staff's request for a corporate bank credit card, with a credit limit of $5,000. All purchases are to authorized by Town Manager Ted Daniel and Vandie Saunders, town financial officer.

Eight recycling bins have been placed throughout the county this week to recycle newspapers, aluminum cans and steel cans.
Blue recycling bins and green boxes for household waste can be found at the following sites:
· Route 501 North, behind Mac's car wash.
·The county landfill, Route 922.
·The Project H.O.P.E. Building on Route 360 (Mountain Road).
·The Mary Bethune Complex.
·Cherry Hill Road (Route 658) off of Highway 501 South, across from the VDOT garage.
·Ed Chandler's Garage, located at the intersection of Route 96 and Route 49 in Virgilina.
·The South Boston landfill.
·The water tank site in Clover (recyclables only, no green bins).
Green bins are for household waste that cannot be recycled and blue bins are for recycling.
The containers are clearly marked.
"Please do not, under any circumstance, put trash in the recycling containers," urged Jennifer Hochstein, Recycling & Litter Control coordinator.
Tips on preparing recyclables in your home include keeping newspapers dry, flattening aluminum cans, if possible, to save room in the recycling containers, and rinsing steel cans, and flattening if so desired.
"These sites were selected after careful consideration to serve all districts of the county; to be conveniently located; to be large enough to accommodate both green boxes and recycling bins; and to have safe ingress and egress for traffic and maintenance trucks," Hochstein said in releasing the recycling locations.
For addition information, call 476-3308 with questions or comments.

Several charges of reckless driving took place during the first part of the week, according to the Virginia State Police.
· Marilyn Denise Barksdale, 30, of Clover, was driving a 1992 Jeep Sunday afternoon when her vehicle ran off of the left side of U.S. Route 360, near Bellvue Road (Route 729), struck a guard rail and overturned.
Trooper D.O. Cooper II said Barksdale was injured from the 4:10 p.m. accident, along with a passenger, Tiffany N. Harris, 16.
Barksdale and Harris were treated at Halifax Regional Hospital and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The trooper estimated $8,000 in damages to the vehicle and $800 to the guard rail.
Barksdale was charged with reckless driving, driving too fast for road conditions.
· A 16-year-old North Carolina youth was injured Sunday morning after a single-vehicle accident on Route 58, two-tenths of a mile east of Solomon Road (Route 747).
Trooper D.T. Conner said the youth, from Winston-Salem, N.C., was driving a 1992 Mitsubishi that ran off of the right side of the road before the youth lost control.
Conner said the driver overcorrected and the vehicle ran into the median and overturned.
The trooper estimated $7,900 in damages to the vehicle from the 9 a.m. accident.
The youth was charged with reckless driving, failing to maintain control.
· Judith Katherine Madden, 25, of New Port Richey, Fl., was involved in a single-vehicle accident Monday afternoon on Route 501, four-tenths of a mile north of Volens Road (Route 603).
Trooper Cooper said Madden was injured, along with a month-and-a-half-old baby, after the 1996 Ford she was driving ran off of the right side of the road.
Cooper said the driver overcorrected and the vehicle came back on the road before it ran off of the right side again.
The vehicle then struck a light pole and overturned, according to Cooper.
Madden and the baby were taken to Halifax Regional Hospital and were treated and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Cooper estimated $4,000 in damages to the vehicle and charged Madden with reckless driving, failing to maintain control.

A stolen vehicle was reported to the South Boston Police Department on Monday by Johnny Williams of Hunting Tree Apartments.
Lt. Rice said a 1989 Mitsubishi pickup (license plate ZGK4583) owned by Williams was taken sometime between the hours of 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 575-TIPS (8477) or 575-4271.
A reward is available should the information lead to a conviction.

Nancy M. Williams, 75, of Huntsville, Alabama died August 4 at her home.
The funeral was held August 6 at Valhalla Funeral Home with Brother J.B. Whitaker officiating. Burial was in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Williams was a member of Memorial Parkway Church of Christ. She was a retired registered nurse.
Survivors include her husband, Thomas H .Williams; one daughter, Nancy Williams Jackson of Eagle, Colo.; two sons, Thomas H. Williams Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Charles A. Williams of Guntersville; one sister, Stella M. Herndon of Clinton, N.C.; two brothers, Henry O. Moore and Roy R. Moore, both of Halifax; and six grandchildren.

Jennie Lee Marable Pannell, 85, of Long Island died August 12 at her home.
Mrs. Pannell was born in Halifax County on July 19, 1915, the daughter of Peter Marable and Minnie Garland Marable and was married to Dall H. Pannell. She was a member of First Buffalo Baptist Church in Long Island.
Survivors include four daughters, Barbara Pannell and Gloria Pannell of the home, Bethann Thomas of Washington, D.C. and Eleaser Burrell of Carner, N.C.; five sons, William Pannell of Ft. Washington, Md., Herbert Pannell and Ronnie Pannell, both of Long Island, Paul Pannell of Philadelphia, Pa. and Carl Pannell of Upper Marlboro, Md.; 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one son, Lloyd Pannell; three sisters, Lillie Clark, Lucy Waters and Beatrice Class; and two brothers, William and Robert Marable.

Funeral services for Mrs. Pannell were held August 15 at First Buffalo Baptist Church at 3 p.m. by the Rev. Samuel C. Terry. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Corrie Puryear Moore, 61, of Virgilina died August 8 at Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
Mrs. Moore was born in Mecklenburg County the daughter of Howard and Elizabeth Puryear. She was married to Forest Eugene Moore.
Services were held at 2 p.m. August 11 at Nelson Baptist Church with the Revs. James McAlister and Tony Brooks officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Moore is survived by her husband; one daughter and son-in-law, Bonita and Gene Taylor of Scottsburg; three sons and daughters-in-law, Barry E. and Jennifer Moore of Nathalie, Timothy 'Brett' and Tammy Moore of Scottsburg and Byron and Angie Moore of Halifax; five sisters, Addie P. Rogers of Boydton, Beulah Crenshaw, Bessie Moore and Pearl Hudson, all of South Boston and Mary Puryear of Virgilina; two brothers, Larvester Puryear and August Puryear, both of Virgilina; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by one daughter, Cynthia Lee Moore and one brother, Howard Puryear.

Barbara Sarah Campbell Clark, 57, of Boydton died August 12.
Mrs. Clark is survived by her husband, Linwood C. 'Buddy' Clark; two sons and daughters-in-law, Calvin Lee and Jane Price Clark and Dennis Ray and Kathleen Love Clark, all of Boydton; five sisters, Arlene Matthews of Henderson, N.C., Eleanor Flynn of Boydton, Catherine Satterfield of South Boston, Helen Wilson of Sanford, N.C. and Elsie Owen of Chase City; one brother, Arnold Campbell of Chase City; and two grandchildren, Bradley Preston Clark and Ethan Lee Clark. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eldridge and Beatrice Campbell; two sisters, Glynn Harris and Ruth Flinn; three brothers, James, Arthur and Allen Campbell; and one grandson, Aaron Drew Clark.
Funeral services were held August 15 at Newcomb Allgood Davis Funeral Home Chapel with Charles Davis officiating. Burial was at Woodland Cemetery.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Boydton Life Station, PO Box 182, Boydton 23917.