After hours of tense negotiations with Gov. Jim Gilmore, members of the Virginia General Assembly reached a compromise regarding distribution of the $4 billion the Commonwealth expects to receive from the $206 billion national tobacco settlement.
"Tobacco money is secure," announced Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett Sunday morning following the close of the 1999 session. "This bill is probably the single most important piece of legislation since the 1938 Federal Agricultural Adjustment."
According to Bennett, the compromise bill now before the governor that Gilmore has agreed to sign is "not as good as the original" bill that sailed unopposed through the House and the Senate earlier in February, "but it's about as good as it can be."

Gilmore and the legislature struggled up until 9:30 p.m. Saturday night about who should control a proposed commission to administer part of the money the state hopes to receive in the tobacco settlement.
The original bills outlined the structure for a Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission that would consist of 21 members to be appointed by the governor and bipartisan members of both the House and the Senate.
The Commission would be responsible for overseeing the distribution of 50 percent of the $4.6 billion, or approximately $2.1 billion, generated from the tobacco settlement over a period of 25 years to provide compensation to quota owners and growers affected by decreasing demand for tobacco products and shrinking quotas.
These original bills also set up the 15-member Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation for the purpose of administering 10 percent of the $2.1 billion to finance programs to discourage youth smoking and help enforce laws against sale of tobacco products to minors.
Gilmore, however, said during a National Governors' Association meeting in Washington last week said he was concerned about how these plans routed the money directly to independent regional commissions and bypassed the state budget process.
At first the House and Senate voted to reject changes Gilmore suggested concerning the panel's structure. According to Bennett, Southside legislatures feared Gilmore's plan would give the administration too much control over the funds, which are supposed to be used to provide indemnity to quota owners and growers and stimulate economic growth in tobacco dependent communities.
"We had a bill, and he sent down a substitute and we negotiated a compromise," Bennett said.
When the dust settled Saturday night and a compromise was reached, the independent commissions that were to distribute Virginia's share of the $206 billion national tobacco settlement remained, but only on the condition that the governor would have primary control over who will be appointed to serve on the commissions. The amended bills also place the settlement money into a non-reverting fund with the Treasurer of Virginia, rather than funneling directly to the two commissions or placing the money directly in the general fund.
"There were some constitutional concerns raised by the administration about bypassing the state treasury. They hope by putting the money in a non-reverting fund within the budget that they will discourage future governors from trying to use it for other purposes," Bennett said.
Under the revised legislation, the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission would be comprised of 31 rather than 21 members, including six delegates; four senators; the Secretary of Commerce and Trade or his designee; the Secretary of Finance or his designee; the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs or his designee; three active flue-cured tobacco producers to be appointed by the governor (of these, two shall be appointed by the governor from a list of six growers provided by the members of the General Assembly appointed to the Commission.); three active burley-tobacco producers appointed by the governor (of these one member shall be appointed by the governor from a list of three growers provided by the members of the General Assembly appointed to the Commission.); one representative of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation appointed by the governor; and 11 citizens to be appointed by the governor (of which three shall be appointed by the governor from a list of nine provided by the members of the General Assembly appointed to the Commission.
According to this most recent legislation, the total asset loss value in quota and economic losses for active tobacco producers in Virginia is estimated to be $1.2 billion.
"The money is not in hand yet," reminded Bennett. "And if is does come through, it could be the year 2000 before any funds are distributed to indemnify farmers and quota holders against losses caused by decreasing quotas."
Bennett said farmers may see some relief money as soon as this fall from a separate fund that was set up in January by the four major tobacco companies and governors from the major tobacco producing states of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and Georgia.
The $5.15 billion Tobacco Farmer's Trust Fund, from which Virginia hopes to receive $348 million, will be financed by contributions over a 12-year period by Philip Morris Cos., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Tobacco Co. and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. and will be distributed to farmers and quota owners affected by quota cuts as allocated by the USDA for the crop years 1995 through 1998.
He described the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission as providing a "safety net" for growers, quota owners and tobacco-dependent communities against future quota cuts and decreasing demands for tobacco products.
Tobacco is Virginia's No. 1 cash crop, with 1997 receipts of $188 million. Tobacco was grown in 47 counties on about 8,400 farms in 1997, according to a Virginia Tech study.
In Other assembly action with local interest:
Lottery Funds will now add $1,573,256 to the Halifax County school system as opposed to Gov. James Gilmore's plan, a proposal which would have returned $915,166, according to Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett.
"I am absolutely delighted our plan made it through," said Bennett yesterday, following the General Assembly's closing session Saturday night.
"Fifty percent of the (school lottery) money will be set for construction and 50 percent will be unfettered," added the delegate.
Earlier in the legislative session Gilmore and Democrats had disagreed how lottery monies returned to school systems would be used, with Democrats calling for specific designation like construction and Gilmore choosing not to designate use.
The Halifax County system should began receiving funds this year.
In budget amendments introduced by Bennett, the delegate said the Continuing Education Center here will receive $300,000 for faculty, computers, hardware and software, and the South Boston-Halifax County Fine Arts and History Museum will receive $75,000.
In other legislative business, Bennett said the Highway 58 project received $104 million in the budget.

Even as supervisors receive a summary tonight of proposed county ordinance setbacks for confined animal feeding operations comparing Halifax County to other localities, the Town of Virgilina is asking for an increased 5-mile setback.
"As we understand, the Halifax County Planning Commission has proposed, in the confined animal feeding ordinance, a 2,500 ft. setback from Incorporated Township," advised the Virgilina letter signed by Mamie Tuck, Town of Virgilina clerk/treasurer.
"We are requesting a 5 mile setback from the Virgilina Town Limits," continued the February 4 letter to supervisors. (See county setback comparison summary box inside.)
The Board will also receive a planning commission recommendation that a certified plat be submitted in seeking permitting for confined animal feeding operations.
The Board meeting opens at 7 p.m. tonight in the Conference Room at Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.
Also slated tonight, several public hearings, including a Public Nudity Community Standards Ordinance.
Public hearings open at 8 p.m. In addition to the Public Nudity hearing, a public hearing addressing George W. & Brenda Stevens' application seeking a conditional use permit for a diesel repair and state inspection station on River Road, 0.5 mile east of the Pittsylvania County Line, and a hearing seeking public input concerning the integration of the water and sewer rates for the Town of Clover. There will be no increase in current rates but billing will be done monthly instead of bi-monthly. There would be a decrease in out-of-town rates since there is no longer a town.
Supervisors will also be advised that pending sufficient funds made available to the Route 58 Corridor Development program, VDOT does not anticipate reactivating the study in the Riverdale area in the near future, according to J.G. Browder Jr., chief engineer VDOT, in a letter to the county dated February 16.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - Tultex Corp., Martinsville's biggest employer, announced a $36.5 million loss for 1998, seven times what it lost in 1997 and only its second annual loss ever.
The maker of sweats, T-shirts, caps and jackets said the December heat wave and imports reduced sales, while costs rose. It incurred about a third of the loss during its usually profitable October-December quarter, when normally chilly winter weather sends people out for warm clothes.
The company lost $4.8 million in 1997 after a string of 61 profitable years. The announcement of back-to-back losses Thursday had been expected because the U.S. clothing industry is growing little and some companies have had heavy losses.
In its fourth quarter, Tultex lost $13.8 million, or 46 cents per share, on sales of $99.6 million, compared to a loss of $8.5 million, or 19 cents per share, on sales of $172.7 million during the same period of 1997.
For the year, the company lost $36.5 million, or $1.23 per share, on sales of $468.7 million, compared to a loss of $4.8 million, or 19 cents per share, on sales of $649.4 million in 1997.
A Tultex spokeswoman said the company expects to turn its fortunes around. Closure, sale or merger are ''not in the plan,'' Kim Adkins said. ''No one's trying to buy us out. We're not going to go anywhere.''
Executives have launched a strategy to make money again, she said, and ''we're confident we're going to get that done.''
Tultex is taking steps to collect debts more aggressively, delay payments to creditors, lower inventory by about a quarter and do no capital investment, according to company officials.
Tultex, founded in 1937 in Martinsville, is a mainstay in one of southwestern Virginia's oldest industries. The jobs of more than 2,500 employees in the Martinsville area are riding on executives turning Tultex around. The company has about 2,700 employees at its other manufacturing plants in North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Jamaica and Mexico.
No job cuts were announced Thursday, but there have already been many. Tultex by the end of next month will employ 1,000 fewer production workers and 80 fewer salaried personnel in the U.S. than it did at the beginning of last year. One hundred and fifty of those production jobs were recently eliminated in Martinsville.
Tultex replaced those production workers with about 1,000 contract workers in foreign countries.

One driver and two passengers were hospitalized Sunday afternoon following a two-car crash on Highway 58 in front of the Halifax Industrial Park.
Timothy Paul Bowman, 32, of Ringgold and his passenger, Lee Ann Trammell, 35, were hospitalized as well as Betty M. Hughes, 52, a passenger in a second vehicle, following the 1:05 p.m. collision.
Earl G. Hughes, 55, also of Ringgold and the driver of the 1997 Ford pickup, was east bound on Highway 58, according to Virginia State Trooper Richard S. Ridgeway, the investigating officer. A tractor-trailer also was traveling east and turning into the Industrial Park.
Ridgeway said the Hughes vehicle was in the left lane behind the tractor-trailer and that the Bowman vehicle, a 1992 four-door sedan, pulled straight across into the path of the Hughes' pickup and was struck in the driver's side door.
The state trooper said all were wearing seat belts and that air bags in the Hughes vehicle deployed.
Trooper Ridgeway said both vehicles were totalled, estimating damages at $6,000 to the 1992 sedan and $6,500 to the pickup.
Charges are pending.
In a single vehicle accident Saturday night, Charles David Elliott, 26, was injured when he lost control of his 1990 pickup on Route 706, ran off the shoulder of the road, overcorrected and ultimately overturned, according to Virginia State Trooper Richard Ridgeway.
Damage to the pickup was estimated by the state trooper at $7,000 and $3,000 to $4,000 to an atv thrown from the pickup. Trooper Ridgeway said charges are pending.

Forty-four-year-old Rachel Boyd Hill of Scottsburg was charged with reckless driving by state police in the wake of a Friday morning mishap on Route 783.
Trooper G.M. Gilliam said that neither Hill nor the driver of the other vehicle, 23-year-old Darren Edward Caison of South Boston were injured in the 8:15 a.m. crash that occurred on Route 783, a tenth of a mile east of the intersection of Route 501.
According to Trooper Gilliam's report, Caison was sitting in a line of traffic at the stop sign at the intersection when his car was hit in the rear by the car driven by Hill.
Damage to the 1989 model car riven by Hill was estimated at $1,200. An estimated $1,000 damage was done to Caison's car.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The General Assembly wrapped up its 1999 session Saturday, ending a 46-day run dominated by HMO reform, new limits on garbage dumping and emotional battles over the Hugh Finn right-to-die case.
The assembly officially adjourned at 8:59 p.m.
The legislators arrived Jan. 13 for their odd-year short session with only minor adjustments to be made to the two-year, $42 billion budget they adopted a year ago. Nonetheless, each party had a lengthy agenda, in part because of an unprecedented nearly $1 billion budget surplus.
Republicans' plans for the money were laid out last fall by Gov. Jim Gilmore. He proposed dedicating lottery profits to localities for education, slashing public college tuition by 20 percent and boosting funding for mental health care. He also called for limits on trash dumping to stop Virginia from becoming the nation's biggest importer of out-of-state garbage.
Democrats, meantime, arrived with a ''patient's bill of rights''  giving Virginians far more power in dealing with their managed  health care plans. They also renewed last year's push for a grocery tax cut - a proposal Gilmore adopted as his own.
On Saturday, both sides said they had gained most of their goals.
''Everything the governor and the Republican caucus wanted, we  achieved in some form or another,'' Sen. Thomas K. Norment, R-James City, said.
In a plus for Democrats, public support for HMO reform forced the GOP to back a version of the patient's bill of rights, said Del. C. Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County, the House Democratic  leader.
The bill would let Virginians designate a specialist as their primary care physician, give them easier access to specialists and allow them to appeal coverage denials to an independent board, among other provisions. Gilmore has not yet said whether he'll sign it.
Democrats lamented, though, that the GOP used its 21-19 Senate  majority to kill a central part of the plan: letting Virginians sue their HMOs. Republicans agreed with insurers who said such lawsuits would drive up health care costs.
''The victory is somewhat bittersweet,'' said Sen. Stanley C. Walker, D-Norfolk and the original bill's sponsor. ''The GOP, working hand-in-hand with hundreds of HMO lobbyists, killed that portion.''
The legislators managed to spend most of the huge surplus. Some of the cash went to begin shaving two cents off the 4 1/2 percent sales tax on groceries over four years - an eventual cost of $248 million a year - and to designate $275 million in lottery revenues for education spending.
On the garbage issue, bills limiting how much trash can be dumped in a landfill, banning trash shipping by barge on Virginia rivers and increasing trash regulations passed with bipartisan support. Gilmore plans to sign those bills.
The legislature also passed a complex electricity deregulation plan. Competition between electrical power providers will begin in 2002, eventually letting customers choose a utility the same way they choose long-distance phone service.
By far the most emotional issue of the session - the Hugh Finn case - ended in defeat for conservatives and a problem for Gilmore.
Finn, a Kentucky broadcaster, suffered brain damage and became  vegetative after a 1995 car accident. Last summer, his wife,  Michele, decided to disconnect his feeding tube and let him die.
But conservative Del. Robert Marshall, R-Prince William, questioned Finn's diagnosis and helped Finn's parents and brothers fight Mrs. Finn's decision. Gilmore eventually got involved too, taking Mrs. Finn to court to try to stop her until he could investigate the case further.
Courts ruled against Gilmore, and Finn died on Oct. 9.
This winter, in fallout from that case, Democrats introduced a bill reimbursing Mrs. Finn $48,000 for her legal expenses from fighting state investigators. That bill was hotly debated in several public hearings, most featuring Mrs. Finn's tearful testimony and her sister, Elaine Glazier, publicly accusing her of killing her husband.
The reimbursement, considered a slap at Gilmore's decision to intervene, survived when a Democratic senator stuck it in the state's budget amendments and Republicans budget negotiators agreed to leave it in.
Gilmore will now be forced to either sign the reimbursement or veto it. His spokesman, Mark Miner, said the governor hasn't decided yet what he'll do.
A bill proposed by Marshall, meantime, would have made it harder for people to let vegetative relatives die. That bill was defeated.
''I'm called upon to fight the good fight, not necessarily to win,'' Marshall said.
Also failing were proposals to require a 24-hour waiting period before a woman can have an abortion and a tax credit for parents who send their children to private or religious schools.

An estimated $1,500 damage was done to a South Boston home early Saturday morning when a fire broke out in the kitchen.
South Boston Fire Department officials said firemen were able to quickly extinguish the blaze at the Howard Hamilton residence at 2308 North Main Street and confine the fire damage to the kitchen.
Firemen had to tear out some kitchen cabinets and sheet rock in the kitchen in order to douse the blaze and check for any hidden fires.
Seventeen firemen and three trucks responded to the call that was reported at 12:13 a.m.
Firemen were on the scene for over an hour.

Helen Wright Spears Veasey, 80, of 1328 Hodges Street, South Boston died Friday, February 26, 1999 at Twin Oaks Nursing Home.
Mrs. Veasey was born in Halifax County on April 22, 1918 the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Spears and Martha Ann Wright Spears and was married to Benjamin Wallace Veasey. She was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church and South Boston Garden Club.
Survivors include one daughter, Martha Ann Veasey of Richmond; two grandchildren, Stephanie Kaye Veasey and Katie Marie Veasey, both of Monroe, NC; one sister, Marie Spears Williams of South Boston; two brothers, George H. Spears of Roanoke and Jack C. Spears of Newport News; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mrs. Veasey were held Sunday, February 28 at 4 p.m. at Main Street United Methodist Church with Rev. George Gravitt conducting the service. Burial was in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Willie Lee 'Billy' Puryear Sr. of 2214 Vaughan St, South Boston died February 26, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 67 years old at the time of his death.
Mr. Puryear Sr. was born in Halifax County, on January 26, 1932. He was the son of Fred Berman Puryear and Louise Talley Puryear. He was a member of Black Walnut Baptist Church and retired from Georgia Pacific.
Survivors are four daughters, Connie P. Clark of Easley, S.C., Kay P. Jones of Durham N.C., Karen P. Puryear and Kim P. Bush both of South Boston; two sons, Willie 'Lee' Puryear Jr. and Kelly M. Puryear both of South Boston; and 12 grandchildren.

Funeral services for Mr. Puryear Sr. will be held today, March 1 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jack Stewart and Pastor Bill Leonard conducting the service. Burial will take place in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

John Poker Newcomb of 206 South Main Street, Clover died Saturday, February 27, 1999 at his home. He was 84 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Newcomb was born January 7, 1915 the son of John Newcomb and Della Wade Newcomb and was married to Florence Newcomb. He was a member of Clover Baptist Church and retired owner/manager of Clover Texaco and a farmer.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday, March 2 at 2 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Tom Walker officiating. Burial will follow in Clover Cemetery.
Survivors of Mr. Newcomb include his wife; one daughter, Brenda N. Dunaway of Drakes Branch; two sons, Danny Newcomb of Stoneville, NC and Jason Newcomb of Saxe; three grandchildren, Jason Newcomb Jr., Eric Newcomb and Iris Moorefield; two great-grandchildren, Dee Dee Moorefield and Travis Moorefield; nine step-grandchildren and 13 step-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Linda M. Newcomb and one son, Ray M. Newcomb.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home tonight, March 1 from 7 until 8:30, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Clover Baptist Church or Clover Volunteer Fire Department.

Esther K. Bank died Friday, February 26, 1999 at her home in New Rochelle, NY.
Mrs. Bank is the widow of the late William J. Bank, former owner of Jonbil, Inc. in Chase City. She is survived by three sons, Barry Bank of South Boston, Michael Bank of Croton, NY and Marshall Bank of Rocky Mount, NC; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services were held at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Mount Vernon, NY Sunday, February 28 at 1 p.m.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Alzheimer's Chapter of your choice.

Mary Wilmouth Ford of 2161 Love Shop Road, Halifax died Thursday, February 25, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was 90 years of age at the time of her death.
Mrs. Ford was born in Halifax County on February 14, 1909 the daughter of Oscar Wilmouth and Etta Gravitt Wilmouth and was married to Charlie David Ford.
Survivors include one daughter, Eleanor Hughes of Halifax; one son, Harrell R. Ford of Halifax; five sisters, Myrtle Wilbourn of Emporia, Ethel Wilbourne and June Williams, both of South Boston, Ophelia Epps of Halifax and Garnett Mills of Wilson, NC; four grandchildren; one step-grandchild; one great-grandchild; and one step-great-grandchild.
Graveside services for Mrs. Ford were held Saturday, February 27 at 11 a.m. at Dan River Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Jack Stewart conducting the service.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Rescue Squad

Lucille Nelson Allgood, 67, of LaCrosse died Friday, February 26, 1999 at Heritage Hall in Blackstone. She was a retired supervisor at the former LaCrosse Sportswear.
Mrs. Allgood is survived by two sons, Sam Allgood of Newport News and Nelson Allgood of Palmer Springs; five sisters, Isla Bagby of Nelson, Virgie McCann of Roxboro, NC, Nannie Taylor and Lucy Nelson, both of Richmond, and Mary Weary of Clarksville; four brothers, Dan Nelson of South Boston, Robert and Roosevelt Nelson, both of Virgilina, and Irby Nelson of South Hill; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Sunday, February 28 at 2 p.m. in Crowder-Hite-Crews Funeral Home with burial in Crestview Memorial Park.

Thorburn Orpen 'T.O.' Andrews of 607 Forest Drive, South Boston died Thursday, February 25, 1999 at his home. He was 74 years of age.
Mr. Andrews was born in Nottaway County on November 27, 1924 the son of Royal Hamilton Andrews and Annie Vaughan Andrews and was married to Irene Anderson Andrews. He was a retired manager for the Roses Stores where he had worked for 31 years.
Survivors include two sons, Arthur Tribble Jr. of VA Beach and Grady A. Tribble of Norfolk; two brothers, R.C. Andrews of Frostproof, FL and John L. Andrews of Smithfield; two sisters, Irene A. Norton of Frostproof and Francis A. Hicks of VA Beach; four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mr. Andrews were held Sunday, February 28 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Revs. George Gravitt, Bob Watts and John Wilder officiating.

The family will receive friends at Holomon-Brown Funeral Home, Tidewater Chapel, Norfolk tonight, March 1, from 7 until 9 p.m. and a graveside service will be held Tuesday, March 2 at 11 a.m. in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk.