Broken Gas Line Shuts Down U.S. 58

Workers Laying Fiber Optic Cable Rupture Six-Inch Natural Gas Pipe

A ruptured natural gas line late Monday morning shut down all four lanes of Route 58 near the Halifax County Industrial Park for more than an hour, according to Allen Bober, Halifax County’s emergency services coordinator.
Shortly after 10 a.m., a contractor burying communications cable along the highway struck a six-inch pipe carrying natural gas used by plants in the Halifax County Industrial Park, according to Bob Innes, spokesman for Columbia Gas of Virginia.
The accident occurred near the roadway in front of the BHK plant.
Emergency services personnel were joined by state police and firefighters as they waited for representatives of the natural gas company to arrive to shut off the flow to the ruptured pipeline.
“We started closing down Route 58 at around 10:45 a.m. and it was shut down until 1:24 p.m.,” Bober said. During the closure, traffic was re-routed around the affected area via Route 931.
Innes said that an internal investigation is being conducted and the exact quantity of gas that was lost has not been determined.
“We lost a whole lot of gas,” Bober said, noting that gas was shooting approximately six feet in the air from the pipe buried around four feet deep.
Although the hazardous materials response team was not called to the scene, emergency services personnel notified adjacent property owners as firefighters secured the area and sprayed the pipe to dissipate the fumes, Bober said.
“We did what could be done,” Bober said. “We had to wait on the gas company to arrive to shut down the line.”
Once the Columbia Gas workers were on the scene, they had to dig up a second section of the pipe and insert a crimping device to stop the flow to the broken section.
Innes said that it took approximately 2.5 hours for the company to shut down the line.
“Repairs and cleanup continued until about midnight,” he said, noting that two unidentified commercial customers lost service due to the rupture.
“Natural gas is lighter than air so it dissipates into the air,” Innes said. “It’s a good thing because it didn’t become trapped on the ground.”
The Columbia Gas spokesman said the incident serves to illustrate the need to take care around utilities when digging.
“It’s a good reminder to call before you put a shovel in the ground and to take care with underground utilities,” he said.

 

House GOP Lukewarm On Kaine Speech

House Republicans Say Governor Didn’t Offer Specific Solutions To Commonwealth’s Problems

from staff and wire reports

Newly inaugurated Gov. Timothy M. Kaine made the case for more transportation cash Monday but promised to veto any bill that would raise roads and rails money unless transportation funds are shielded from use elsewhere.
Like many House Republicans, Halifax County Delegate Clarke Hogan said Kaine’s State of the Commonwealth address did little to address the specific needs of the state’s transportation system.
“We were looking for some specifics on the transportation needs of Virginia and we didn’t hear them,” he said. “I think he talked about our problems, but he ran on a platform of having answers to them and I didn’t hear them. He didn’t propose anything specifically.”
During his first speech to the full General Assembly, Kaine also said he supported the establishment of a four-year university in Martinsville, a move Hogan said would do little to address the higher educational needs of the region at large.
“I think our higher education center is a much better answer to the higher education needs of Southside as opposed to starting a new college,” he said. “I would encourage Martinsville to look in that direction.
“What they do in Martinsville as far as higher educational opportunities isn’t going to address the needs of Halifax County. They aren’t solutions for the whole region.”
House Transportation Committee Chairman Leo C. Wardrup, R-Virginia Beach, also complained that Kaine’s speech was short on details.
‘‘Once again, I heard a lot of generalities,’’ Wardrup said, a theme common among House Republicans. ‘‘We can talk all we want to about transportation policies ... well, let’s see what they are.’’
Wardrup summarized the House’s transportation goals in a 650-word press release timed to precede Kaine’s speech by several hours. Much of it rests on legislation approved a year ago, including more than $800 million earmarked for matching federal transportation funds.
In his first State of the Commonwealth address, Kaine also sought legislation giving localities the zoning power to slow development if it overwhelms local transportation and to allow localities to exempt up to 20 percent of a house’s value from personal property taxes, all pledges made during his campaign.
Kaine, a Democrat, also asked the Republican-run General Assembly to preserve major funding provisions in former Gov. Mark R. Warner’s final budget, particularly outlays for expanding research and development at state colleges and universities, $232 million for Chesapeake Bay cleanup and an unprecedented allocation of nearly $500 million for mental health.
His 38-minute address for the first time mapped the policy priorities of the four years ahead of him. He repeatedly credited House and Senate GOP leaders as partners with Warner in repairing the fiscal wreckage they faced four years ago even as he warned House and Senate GOP leaders against long-term reliance on general fund money intended for schools, health care and police and to build roads.
Kaine appeared relaxed and showed little emotion, rarely straying from his prepared text. His most personal moment came before the speech when his wife, Anne Holton, kissed him then tried to wipe away a lipstick print before he ascended the rostrum.
The speech, however, was dominated by transportation needs, which he defined as the most urgent need before the state. And it ended a day in which the House of Delegates outlined its transportation priorities in a news release.
‘‘The message from Virginia is clear: It is time for action,’’ Kaine said, referring to 11 town hall-style meetings he held across the state since his Nov. 8 election.
Kaine said local governments need the leeway to slow suburban sprawl where streets and highways are inadequate to handle it, a proposal that alarms Virginia’s muscular real estate and development lobby but which Kaine said ‘‘is not anti-development.’’
‘‘Our current system, in which local governments make land use decisions and the state follows behind with transportation planning and funding creates a situation where the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing,’’ Kaine said.
He asked legislators to ‘‘make plain to all Virginians that dedicated transportation funds only will be used for transportation.’’
‘‘I will veto any budget that violates that promise and diverts Transportation Trust Fund dollars away from transportation purposes,’’ he said, advocating a constitutional amendment to outlaw legislative raids on the state’s chief operations fund during tight budget times.
He called on the House and Senate to approve the $625 million in one-time general fund revenues Warner placed into the budget. ‘‘However, a long-term reliance on general fund dollars for transportation is a road to fiscal disaster, a road paved with school books, nursing home beds and public safety resources.’’
Kaine did not advocate any new taxes, but threw out a few clues for legislators to ponder over the next two months:
‘‘Should drivers who abuse our roads and endanger our families bear a higher burden through fees? Should heavier vehicles that cause increased wear and tear on the roads be charged more in maintenance costs? How much should we rely on funding like HOT (high-occupancy toll) lanes and tolls? Should localities have more options to fund critical regional projects?’’ Kaine said.
He continued, asking how much debt and financing the state should use for transportation and whether the revenues now in place to fund building and maintaining roads and bus and urban transit systems were adequate.
‘‘And, most importantly, what is the price — what is the cost — of doing nothing?’’ he concluded.
On another top priority, education, Kaine said he will propose to ‘‘begin moving teacher salaries closer to the national average.’’ That fell short of the assurance of a 9 percent pay raise over two years that would boost pay for Virginia teachers to the national average of nearly $47,000 annually.
“Where’s the money going to come from?” Hogan asked. “If you look at what teacher’s salaries have done over the last four years, they’ve gone up 20 percent according to the state average. “
Hogan advocated funding the state’s obligation to basic aid for education.
“Ultimately, it’s the School Board and the Board of Supervisors who give salary increases,” he said. “Salaries account for 75 percent of the local school budget and if you give money to education on the state level, (it will) go toward salaries. We need to continue to fund our basic aid to public education. That’s what we need to stay focused on.”
Kaine also called for more stringent, regular and standardized personnel evaluations for teachers and appointed a task force of parents, educators and early childhood educators to develop guidelines for a Kaine proposal to provide pre-kindergarten education for 4-year-olds.

 

Attempted Murder Charges Reduced After Plea Agreement

Two men received suspended sentences for misdemeanor assault and battery convictions Tuesday in Halifax County Circuit Court after entering into plea agreements with the Commonwealth.
Lashane Rontez Kirby, 19-year-old Halifax resident, and Travis Tremayne Kirby, 23, of South Boston, were both originally indicted for the attempted murder and malicious wounding of John A. Giggetts, as well as grand larceny.
Under terms of a plea agreement, the attempted murder charges against both defendants were nol prossed by the Commonwealth, with both defendants pleading guilty to a reduced charge of the misdemeanor assault and battery of Giggetts and grand larceny.
A presentence report was waived, and Judge Leslie M. Osborn sentenced Lashane Kirby and Travis Kirby to one year in jail each for the assault and battery conviction and five years in jail each for grand larceny.
The court suspended the entire sentence for both defendants, conditioned on their good behavior for six years, and ordered both men to be placed on probation for one year.
The court additionally ordered both Lashane Kirby and Travis Kirby to pay the medical bills of their victim and to have no contact with the Giggetts family.
Other Court Cases
• Delquan Lamar Newton, 22, of South Boston, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the unlawful wounding of George Chandler after reaching a plea agreement with the Commonwealth.
Newton was originally indicted for the malicious wounding of Chandler, the malicious wounding of Christopher Terry, the attempted malicious wounding of Quincy Polk, and twice for using a firearm for attempting to commit malicious wounding.
Under terms of the plea agreement, all charges but the unlawful wounding of Chandler were dismissed, with Newton released on bond to await sentencing in the March court term.
• Linda Gail Martin, 44, of Nathalie, was convicted Tuesday of cocaine possession.
The court sentenced Martin to three years in prison, with all time suspended, conditioned on Martin’s good behavior for five years, and ordered her to be placed on probation for one year.
The court additionally suspended Martin’s operator’s license for six months and ordered her to undergo random drug tests and counseling.
• Alan Scott Totherow, 39, of Alton, was convicted Tuesday of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Under terms of a plea agreement, the court sentenced Totherow to five years in prison, with all time suspended, conditioned on Totherow’s good behavior for five years.
• Tanya Johnson, 32, of South Boston, was convicted Tuesday of a second or subsequent offense of enhanced petty larceny.
The Commonwealth nol prossed an identical charge against Johnson during the hearing, with Johnson released on bond to await sentencing in the March court term.
• James Osborne Edmonds Jr., 35, of Vernon Hill, was convicted Tuesday of a second or subsequent offense of enhanced petty larceny.
The court deferred sentencing for Edmonds until a later date in Halifax County Circuit Court.
• Grant Christopher Ellwood, 55, of South Boston, received a one-year suspended jail sentence for DUI and fines totaling $300 for DUI and driving without an operator’s license, following a misdemeanor appeal case heard Tuesday in Halifax County Circuit Court.
The court ordered Ellwood’s suspended sentence be conditioned on his good behavior for one year, ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service through Halifax-Pittsylvania Court Services, and suspended his operator’s license for one year, restricting it for travel to, from and during work.
• Joe Lewis Leigh Jr., 42, of Halifax, was convicted Tuesday of a probation violation.
The court ordered Leigh be evaluated for the Detention and Diversion centers prior to sentencing at a later court date.
• Jason Thomas Allen, 22, of Halifax, was convicted Tuesday of a probation violation.
The court revoked one year of Allen’s previously suspended prison sentence, six months to run concurrently with time received in Pittsylvania County.

 

Blue Team Edges Red Team In Industrial League All-Star Game

Harris, Waller Named Co-MVP’s In Annual League Classic

Waverly Harris scored 18 points, nine in each half, as the Blue Team edged the Red Team 92-90 in a free-wheeling, high-scoring South Boston Business & Industrial League All-Star game Sunday.
Rodney Chandler of the Red Team hit a three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining to tie the contest at 90-90, before Eric Smith won the game for the Blue Team with a driving layup with four seconds left.
Harris, named Co-MVP for the game, hit three treys and was a perfect seven for seven from the foul line for the Blue Team, which trailed at halftime by one point, 45-44.
Also named Co-MVP for the game was Clyde Waller, who scored 17 points for the Red Team, including two three-pointers, and was six of nine from the foul line.
The annual all-star game matches the league’s best players, with AWNC I, Dollar General/Chappell’s Cleaning, Food Lion/Wal-Mart, Presto, R.O. Harrell/Felton Brothers and South Boston/Huber providing the Blue Team lineup.
The Red Team was represented by players from ABB, AWNC II, Georgia Pacific/Papa John’s, H&M Logging/Leigh Construction, Lasco and O’Sullivan.
The Red Team got scoring throughout its lineup to take a one-point halftime lead, with Lamont Boyd hitting 10 of his team-high 24 points before intermission. Waller had seven, Josh Smith and Michael Jackson six, Treymayne Boyd five, and Travis Fields four points in the first half.
Tommy Torain was one of two from the foul line, but the Red Team didn’t take full advantage of its opportunities at the charity stripe in the first half (13-24), or the lead would have been greater.
The Blue Team got contributions from eight players to keep it close at halftime, Eric Chappell scoring 10 points, Harris hitting two treys among his nine points, while Marcus Boyd and Eric Smith each scored six points.
Anthony Watkins had five points by halftime, Cornelius Davis four points, and Eric Pounds and Gary Yancey two points apiece for the Blue Team, which was only three of eight from the foul line as a team.
That stat changed in favor of the Blue Team after halftime, with 20 trips to the foul line, the winners sinking 16 of them.
Marcus Boyd alone made six straight free throws after intermission and Harris was six of six for the Blue Team.
In contrast, the Red Team was seven of 12 from the charity stripe in the second half, and that may have been the difference, despite 14 points from Lamont Boyd and 10 points from Waller after intermission.
Fields finished with eight points, Torrence Dunkley, Torain and Treymayne Boyd with seven points apiece, while Josh Smith and Michael Jackson each had six points. Chandler and Dominik Shortt each had a trey for three points, and David Byrd added a field goal for the Red Team.
Harris and Chappell each scored 18 points for the Blue Team, while Eric Smith had 14 and Marcus Boyd 12 points, respectively.
Pounds and Davis each had eight points, while Watkins and Gary Yancey added seven points each.
Non-League Action
In a non-league game prior to the annual all-star contest, McBride Construction defeated 40 Boyz by a score of 81-66.

Blue 44 48—92
Red 45 45--90
Blue – M. Boyd 12, Watkins 7, Pounds 8, Yancey 7
Red – Chandler 3, Jackson 6, Waller 17, Fields 8, Torian 7, Shortt 3, Dunkley 7, D. Byrd 2, T. Boyd 7, L. Boyd 24, Smith 6

Stats
Game 1
McBride Construction 81
40+ Boyz 66

Game 2
Blue All-Stars 92
Blue Squad –W. Harris 18, Smith 14, Boyd 12, Pounds 8, Davis 8, Watkins 7, Yancey 7
Red All Stars 90
Red Squad – L. Boyd 24, Waller 17, Torian 7, Dunkley 7, T. Boyd 7, Jackson 6, Smith 6, Chandler 3, Shortt 3, Fields 8, Byrd 2

MVP
Blue Squad – Waverly Harris
Red Squad – Clyde Waller

 

Anderson, Terry Lead HCHS In Asics Invitational

David Anderson And Patrick Terry Set New Meet Records As The HCHS Boys Indoor Track Team Tied For Fifth Place In The Asics High School Invitational

Two members of the Halifax County High School boys indoor track team, David Anderson and Patrick Terry set new meet records and helped lead the Comets to a top-five finish in last weekend’s Asics High School Invitational Track Meet at Liberty University.
Anderson set a new meet record of 47 feet and five and a half inches in winning the triple jump and Terry set a new meet record of 6.53 seconds in winning the 55-meter dash.
In addition, the Comets’ Jeremy Clauden qualified himself for the Northwest Region meet with a time of 8.33 seconds with his seventh-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles.
“I was very pleased,” Comets coach Ralph Robinson said yesterday.
“Anytime you can finish in the top five in a meet of this caliber you’ve done very well.”
Manchester High School of Richmond won the meet with 54 points and was followed by Western Valley District member E.C. Glass with 45 points. Lynchburg’s Heritage High School finished third with 38.5 points, Hermitage High School of Richmond placed fourth with 32 points and Halifax County and Deep Creek High School tied for fifth with 30 points each.
Halifax County was leading the meet after the first round of competition on Friday night and was leading Saturday after 12 of the 15 meet events had been completed. However, the Comets lost opportunities to score points late in the meet and it proved costly.
Halifax County High School does not participate in the pole vault and the Comets did not field an entry in the 3,200-meter (two-mile) race. Those circumstances coupled with the Comets being shut out in the shot put left the team a little short.
“I felt like we could have possibly finished as high as third,” Robinson said.
“I can count about 11 points that we should have picked up and didn’t. Still, I’m very pleased with our effort. Fifth-place is not bad at all.”
In addition to the big marks put up by Terry, Anderson and Clauden, the Comets had several other good performances over the course of the weekend.
Along with his win in the triple jump, Anderson placed fifth in the long jump with a leap of 21-2, placed 11th in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 6.80 seconds and placed 21st in the 300-meter race with a time of 38.86 seconds.
Travis Word picked up some points for the Comets with his third-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.06 seconds. Corey Jackson placed 13th in the shot put with a throw of 41 feet and eight inches.
The Comets’ 4x200-meter relay team consisting of Anderson, Terry, Willie Stephens and Clauden scored points, placing fifth with a time of 1:37.21.
Halifax County’s 4x800-meter relay team consisting of Ronnie Link, Melvin Reynolds, Chris Pridgen and Amanuel Coleman placed eighth with a time of 9:00.98.
Also, Jamond Edmonds placed 15th in the long jump with a leap of 19-2.5 and placed 16th in the triple jump with a mark of 38-1. He also placed 21st in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.96 seconds.
Tony Barbour placed 17th in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.88 seconds and Bryan Clarke placed 17th in the high jump with a mark of 5-6.
Comets Girls Finish 21st
The Halifax County High School girls indoor track team placed 21st out of 26 teams in last weekend’s Asics High School Invitational.
While that may not appear to be very good, Robinson said it represented a step forward.
“The girls improved a lot,” Robinson pointed out.
“We finished third among the five teams from our district. A week ago, they probably wouldn’t have even gotten on the board (scoreboard). This is a young group and they’re still getting used to everything.”
One of the more outstanding performances for the Comets girls was a fifth-place finish by the 4x200-meter relay team. The tandem of Marteia Ferrell, Juanita Kincy, Felicia Bowman and Carolyn Reynolds turned in a time of 1:54.89.
Among the top individual performances was a fourth-place finish in the high jump by Kincy. Kincy’s mark of 5-0 put her in a three-way tie for third place. She was listed as placing fourth in the final rundown.
Shaday Coleman placed ninth in the preliminary round of the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.64 seconds and placed 37th in the long jump with a leap of 12-6.
LaDonna Canada placed ninth in the shot put with a throw of 30-8. Ferrell placed 16th in the triple jump with a mark of 31-10 and also placed 17th in the long jump with a leap of 14.3.50.
The girls’ 4x400-meter relay team placed 15th overall with the team of Bowman, Reynolds, Ferrell and Kincy turning in a time of 4:33.03.
Erin Squires placed 16th in the high jump with a mark of 4-6. She also placed 25th in the triple jump with a mark of 29-4.50 and 37th in the shot put with a throw of 24-4.75.
Blacksburg High School won the girls meet with 75 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Western Guilford High School of Greensboro, N.C. which tallied 37 points.

 

HCHS Comets Swimmers 3-1 In Double Dual Meet

Halifax Boys Sweep. Girls 1-1 Against Fuqua, Prince Edward

The Comets boys swim team recorded a sweep of Fuqua School and Prince Edward High School, while the Comets girls defeated Prince Edward in a dual swim meet held Monday at Fuqua.
The Comets boys outpointed Fuqua 61-31 and Prince Edward 58-30, while the Comets girls defeated Prince Edward 64-27. Fuqua School won the girls meet against the Comets girls by a 59-35 margin.
Comets swim coach Spencer Ferguson said both teams had a good meet Monday, with several outstanding performances by both individuals and relay teams.
Caroline Clements won both the 100 fly and 200 IM, while Eric Nelson won the 50 free event.
Phillip Saunders won the 200 IM, Dane Ferguson the 100 free, Bryan Slagle the 100 back, and Jarrett Pearce the 100 breast for the Comets boys, while four Comets relay teams also won their events.
The boys 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free relay teams, in addition to the girls 200 free relay team, recorded first-place finishes.
“Both teams were outstanding,” began Ferguson. “Eric Nelson just gets stronger in the 50 free and the relays, and I’m very excited with how he is swimming.
“I’m also proud of Caroline Clements. She is working hard toward improving her times as we prepare for the district meet.
“The boys free relay and 400 free relay teams (Ferguson, Nelson, Slagle, Pearce) were outstanding, strong and consistent,” continued Ferguson.
“I’ve found the fastest combination of swimmers for the girls 200 free relay team, and they just missed the school record at the meet. “We had outstanding performances from two members of that team, Megan and Sarah Rosche.
“Their hard work is paying off.”
Comets Boys Placings
and Times
200-Yard Medley Relay
1. HCHS “A” (Nelson, Slagle, Saunders, Trevor Griffin) 2:07.05
200-Yard Free
2. Ferguson 2:01.88
3. Pearce 2:15.47
200-yard IM
1. Saunders 2:43.48
4. William McGhee 3:02.47
50-Yard Free
1. Nelson 25.22
5. Antoine Weldon 28.86
Macaulay Hammond 28.97 (Exhibition)
Luigi Ditomasso 37.09 (Exhibition)
100-Yard Fly
2. Saunders 1:15.29
100-Yard Free
1. Ferguson 53.45
3. Griffin 1:02.50
Weldon 1:07.14 (Exhibition)
Taylor Elliott 1:21.42 (Exhibition)
500-Yard Free
2. Andrew Wilkins 7:48.55
200-Yard Free Relay
1. HCHS “A” (Nelson, Pearce, Slagle, Ferguson) 1:43.27
3. HCHS “B” (McGhee, Weldon, Griffin) 1:54.33
100-Yard Back
1. Slagle 1:13.31
5. Wilkins 1:33.39
100-Yard Breast
1. Pearce 1:14.14
3. Hammond 1:32.72
400-Yard Free Relay
1. HCHS “A” (Nelson, Pearce, Slagle, Ferguson)
4. HCHS “B” (Saunders, McGhee, Wilkins, Griffin)
Comets Girls Placings
and Times
200-Yard Medley Relay
2. HCHS “A” (Emily Rosche, Clements, Courtney McDowell, Sarah Rosche) 2:13.54
5. HCHS “B” (Brittney Fifer, C.A. Nichols, Brittany Marshall, Samantha Coates) 2:39.20
200-Yard Free
3. Lacy Will 2:36.47
5. Lindsey Martin 2:49.67
200-Yard IM
1. Clements 2:32.75
50-Yard Free
3. Megan Rosche 29.94
5. Sarah Rosche 30.40
Morgan Farley 31.22 (Exhibition)
Charlotte Solomon 34.76 (Exhibition)
Kelly Price 39.64 (Exhibition)
100-Yard Fly
1. Clements 1:05.14
4. C.A. Nichols 1:26.46
100-Yard Free
3. Will 1:07.67
5. Emily Rosche 1:07.81
Kelsey Campbell 1:22.26 (Exhibition)
Charlotte Solomon 1:24.50 (Exhibition)
500-Yard Free
3. Martin 7:32.37
5. Christine DeGeorgis 8:45.70
200-Yard Free Relay
1. HCHS “A” (Will, S. Rosche, M. Rosche, Clements) 1:54.59
5. HCHS “B” (Coates, Price, Nichols, Solomon) 2:22.33
100-Yard Back
7. Fifer 1:41.10
100-Yard Breast
2. McDowell 1:23.00
3. E. Rosche 1:30.26
400-Yard Free Relay
2. HCHS “A” (Will, McDowell, Martin, S. Rosche) 4:47.17
3. HCHS “B” (Marshall, Campbell, DeGeorgis, Nichols) 5:12.96

 

Obituaries

George Lawrence Sims Jr.

George Lawrence Sims Jr., 44, of 1014 Beard Trail, South Boston died January 15, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Sims was born in Halifax County on June 24, 1961, the son of the late George Lawrence Sims Sr. and Margaret Louise White Sims, and was married to Angela Harris Sims. He was a member of Banister Hill Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Jasmyn Johnson of South Boston; four sons, LaQuinton Johnson, Antonio Johnson, George Faulkner and Dilontee LaShaun Sims, all of South Boston; five sisters, Margaret Anderson and Sue Sims, both of Halifax, Janice Chandler, Lily Williams and Ann Johnson, all of South Boston; two brothers, Harvey White of Alton and Ernest Sims of Halifax; his mother-in-law and stepfather-in-law, Rachel Hill and Ernest Hill; and his father-in-law, Howard Harris.
Funeral services for Mr. Sims will be held tomorrow, January 19, at 11:30 a.m. at Banister Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. William Carr officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, January 18, from 7 to 8, at Jeffress Funeral Home Chapel.

Ruby Farrar Propst Thaxton

Ruby Farrar Propst Thaxton, 80, of 1326 Terry Avenue, South Boston died January 17, 2006, at Chase City Nursing Home and Rehabilitation.
Mrs. Thaxton was born in Durham, N.C. on November 10, 1925, the daughter of the late Cleveland Richard Farrar and Annie Doss Farrar and was married to the late John ‘Buddy’ Wade Thaxton Jr. She was a member of McCanless United Methodist Church.
Survivors include one son, Larry Propst of Chase City; one stepdaughter, Brenda Platt of Madison, N.C.; one stepson, John Wade Thaxton III of Greensboro, N.C.; three grandchildren, Linda Propst Smith of LaCrosse, Lisa Propst Carpenter and Jenna Propst Robinette, both of Chase City; and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Thaxton will be held tomorrow, January 19, at Powell Funeral Home Chapel at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home this evening, January 18, from 7:00 until 8:30.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider a charity of choice.

Sharon Calista Thomas

Mrs. Sharon Calista Thomas, 56, of Wexford Lane in Spartanburg, S.C., died Monday, January 16, at her home.
She was born in Auburn, Ala., on February 11, 1949.
Mrs. Thomas was a member of McCanless Memorial United Methodist Church in South Boston.
She is survived by her husband, William James “Billy” Thomas Jr. of Spartanburg; two sons, Greg Melvin of San Francisco and Jason Melvin of Pittsburgh; two step-sons, William Keith Thomas and James Russell Thomas, both of South Boston; a sister, Lyn Cain and husband John of Palm Bay, Fla.; a brother, Silas Ward and wife Suzanne of Dalton, Ga. and two nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time.