Uranium Legislation Changes Again

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story written by Ray Reed is reprinted with permission from the Danville Register & Bee. Reed is a staff writer for The News & Advance in Lynchburg.

RICHMOND — A proposed study of uranium mining in Pittsylvania County is becoming one of the more heavily lobbied bills in the General Assembly, as opponents and advocates flock into committee meetings to tweak the bill and talk to key legislators in the hallways
The bill put forth by Virginia Uranium Inc. went through its third Senate committee revision in a week Monday, extending the study statewide.
The bill came up for more review yesterday in a Senate Rules subcommittee.
Some of the study’s backers already were on the House of Delegates side of the Capitol on Monday, talking to House Speaker William Howell outside the chamber. And the House hasn’t even received the uranium legislation yet.
Uranium hasn’t achieved the headline-grabbing level of advocacy that surrounds smoking, gun rights and payday lending, but supporters and opponents have been talking one-on-one with legislators and winning more local and statewide citizen participation in the study.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources amended the bill Monday, changing the study from a narrow focus on Pittsylvania and neighboring counties into one that would consider uranium mining statewide.
The change means mining opponents from Orange County and other parts of the state can have a voice in the study. Another large uranium deposit has been identified in that Virginia county, and environmental groups are handing out maps that, they say, suggest uranium deposits may be located throughout the eastern half of Virginia.
Walter Coles, who owns most of the Pittsylvania County farmland where the deposit is located, said Virginia Uranium wanted the study to be statewide anyway. But during the legislative process, the bill was morphed into a local focus that gave Pittsylvania and Halifax counties each one more representative on the study commission.
That local focus didn’t go away Monday, but environmental and other activists said the bill might be unconstitutional if it focused on mining by one company in a single region.
Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Henry County, asked that the bill be amended into a statewide study.
Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, said, “I worry that if this amendment is not adopted, this bill will be unconstitutional.”
The committee adopted the change without opposition and forwarded the bill to the Senate Rules committee, where a subcommittee that reviews all study bills will examine it this morning.
Jack Dunavant of Halifax County, chairman of the Southside Concerned Citizens group opposing the study, said the change means “we can educate people all over Virginia about how dangerous this is.”
Janet Mease of Sandy Level in Pittsylvania County urged the committee to make sure the study is conducted.
“Is it safe to mine uranium in Pittsylvania County?” Mease asked.
“The answer is to allow the National Academy of Sciences, expert people, people who are qualified, people who are educated, who know far more about this issue than anyone in this room or the average person in Pittsylvania County,” to study it.
Mease said the strengths of the county’s economy are disappearing.
“Tobacco is fading out. Textiles are fading out,” she said. “We are asking you to please approve this study and when the results come back we will go from there, hoping it will affect all, will help the economy in Pittsylvania County, in our neighboring counties and the state of Virginia.”
A couple of hours later, Mease was outside the House chamber talking to Howell, who as House speaker can decide which committee gets the bill - one that focuses on business-related legislation, or one that’s more likely to think first about the health and environmental aspects of mining uranium.

Bear Beware

Beekeeper Gene Riddle is angry, loaded for bear, and hiding in the blackberry patch.
“That bear tore up another beehive last night,” an angry Riddle said yesterday.
It was the third night in a row the bear had ripped open Riddle’s beehives, scattering the wood superstructure and leaving behind honey-laced frames scooped clean, and Riddle’s had it.
“I stayed there until 8 o’clock last night, but it was raining,” Riddle said of his planned confrontation.
But the bear came calling after Riddle left, destroying yet another beehive stationed at the Cole Berry Farm off of Asbury Church Road.
That was the final straw.
Yesterday, Riddle was planning to move the remaining beehives “because he will keep coming back while they’re there,” he explained.
This is not Riddle’s first experience with black bears.
He once had about 100 beehives in Pittsylvania County, “but the black bear put me out of the bee business there, destroying a large number of my beehives,” he recalled.
Of course, a big black bear goes where he wants to when he wants to, according to Riddle’s tale.
Once, when Riddle and his grandson were in Pittsylvania County near the Franklin County line, a big bear ambled into his beekeeping activities at midday. Covered in bee-protection garb, the two could not react quickly enough to challenge the bear, and off it scampered up the hillside with Riddle’s armed grandson in futile pursuit.
“The black bear is very destructive when it comes to his food source,” explained the beekeeper. “He will enter buildings for dog food or grain. In cornfields they destroy a lot of corn.”
Now Riddle wants the public to know the black bear is here. “We have an ideal habitat for him in Halifax County, the woodlands, the water and food sources he looks for.”
While Riddle would like to see the bear trapped and removed, he is armed to take action, and the conservation officer issued a kill permit Monday.
For Riddle, it’s time for action.
Beware bear.

Tax Lien Filed Against Founder’s College

The Virginia State Department of Taxation filed a judgment Monday in Halifax County Circuit Court against Founders College Education LLC for a total of $11,226.47 in unpaid taxes, including interest and penalties.
Founder’s College Education LLC was cited for failure to pay employer withholding taxes for two tax periods in 2007, according to the Memorandum of Lien.
The tax periods cited by the Department of Taxation include those from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, 2007 and from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, 2007, according to the memorandum.
The judgment for the first tax period cited by the Department of Taxation is $7,671.61, while the second judgment amount is $3,554.86.
The memorandum states that demand for payment for the liability has been made, but that it remains unpaid.
“Therefore, the Tax Commissioner has caused this Memorandum of Lien to be filed in the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court and recorded in the Judgment Docket Book,” according to the judgment document.

Obituaries

Isla Nelson Bagbey
Isla Nelson Bagbey, 78, of Nelson died February 4, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Bagbey was born in Halifax County the daughter of the late John Irby and Berta Lowery Nelson and was married to Floyd Allen Bagbey. She was a member of the first graduating class of Halifax-South Boston School of Nursing. Her nursing career spanned 58 years and during those years was employed with South Boston Hospital, Halifax Regional Hospital, Fuller-Roberts Clinic and Prompt Medical. She was a member of Amis Chapel Baptist Church where she was active in the WMU.
Funeral services for Mrs. Bagbey will be at 11 a.m. today, February 6, at Amis Chapel Baptist with the Revs. Ron Craddock, Jim McAlister and Gene Brooks officiating.
In addition to her husband, survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Wanda and R. Michael Harris of Raleigh, N.C. her son and daughter-in-law, Bobby and Sherryl Bagbey of Buffalo Junction; three brothers, Roosevelt Nelson of Nelson, Irby Nelson of South Hill, and J. Robert Nelson of Virgilina; four sisters, Mary N. Weary of Buffalo Junction, Virgie McCann of Roxboro, N.C., Nannie Taylor and Lucy Nelson, both of Richmond; her grandchildren, Bryan Harris and wife, Jessica, and Heather H. Totty and husband, Stephen, all of Raleigh; Shannon Bagbey of Clarksville and Robbie Bagbey of Roxboro; and her great-grandchildren, Haley Harris, Craig Totty and Austin Harris.
One brother, James D. Nelson, and one sister, Lucille Allgood, also preceded Mrs. Bagbey in death.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.wclfh.com.

Tiffany Nicole Simmons Chaney
Tiffany Nicole Simmons Chaney, 23, of Chatham died February 3, 2008, the result of an automobile accident.
Born January 11, 1985, in South Boston she was the daughter of James D. Simmons and Diana Simmons of Boydton. Her paternal grandmother, Elva Simmons, preceded her in death.
Mrs. Chaney was an employee of Food Lion.
In addition to her parents, survivors include her husband, Carroll M. Chaney Jr. of the home; one brother, James Lee Simmons and wife, Jenny, and their son, Zachary, of South Boston; one sister, Sabrina Simmons and her son, Neal Gibson, and her fiancé, Marshall Gibson, of Boydton; her paternal grandfather, James A. Simmons and his wife, Christine, of Chase City; her maternal grandparents, Jimmie and Joan Thomas of Brodnax; her husband’s grandmother, Annie Chaney of Gretna; her father-in-law, Carroll M. Chaney Sr. of Gretna and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Chaney will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow, February 7, at Midway Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Lynn Marstin officiating. Graveside services will follow at 2 p.m. in the St. Andrews Episcopal Church Cemetery in Baskerville by the Rev. John Alford.
The family will receive friends this evening, February 6, from 7:00 to 8:30, at Colbert-Moran Funeral Home in Gretna, and other times at the home of Annie Chaney, 5881 Rockford School Road, Gretna.

Nancy Cloutier Collier
Nancy Cloutier Collier, 71, of 3061 Volens Road, Nathalie died February 2, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Collier was born in Louisville, Ky. September 29, 1936, the daughter of the late Francis Monroe Cloutier and Lillian Cloutier, and was married to the late Richard Reber Collier. She was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include one daughter, Joyce C. Frank of Nathalie; one son, Kenneth Paul Collier and wife, Beth, of Nathalie; one sister, Ida C. Lynch of Louisville; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service for Mrs. Collier will be held tomorrow, February 7, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Vance Midgett officiating.
The family will receive friends this evening, February 6, from 7:00 to 8:30, at Powell Funeral Home, and other times at the home.

Adelle Johnson Harding
Adelle Johnson Harding, 94, of 2194 Hardings Mill Road, Nathalie died February 2, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Harding was born in Halifax County on October 13, 1913, the daughter of the late Richard Alonza Johnson and Helen Myrtle Conner Johnson and was married to the late Irvin Daniel Harding. She was a retired teachers aide and was a lifelong member of Providence Presbyterian Church where she served as a Sunday school teacher, a choir member, president of the Women of the Church, director of Vacation Bible School, and served on various other committees. She was a charter member of Fort Hill Garden Club where she served as president, flower show chairman, and on various other committees.
Survivors of Mrs. Harding include one daughter, Miriam Harding Mozingo and husband, Van, of Williamsburg; one son, Richard Irvin Harding of Fayetteville, N.C.; five grandchildren, Keith Mozingo of Nathalie, Angela Harding Fallen of South Boston, Allyson Mozingo of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Jennifer Davis and husband, George, of Hope Mills, N.C., and Daniel Harding and wife, Katie, of Raleigh, N.C.; four great-grandchildren, Brittany Bullard of Fayetteville, Morgan Davis and Sydni Davis, both of Hope Mills, and Neil Harding of Raleigh; and a special brother-in-law, Victor G. Harding of Nathalie.
Five sisters; two brothers; and her daughter-in-law, Georgia Crump Harding, also preceded her in death.
Funeral services for Mrs. Harding were held February 4, at 11 a.m. at Providence Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Jeff Jones officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Providence Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund or Halifax County Rescue Squad.
Online condolences may be directed to powell@gcronline.com

Ruth Guill Heath
Ruth Guill Heath, 93, of 6224 Dryburg Road, Scottsburg died February 4, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Heath was born in Halifax County on December 14, 1914, the daughter of the late Charlie R. Guill and Mary Will Snead Guill and was married to the late Hinton James Heath Sr. She was a member of Fork Baptist Church where she was active with the Senior Baptist Women.
Survivors include three daughters, Ann H. Chaney and husband, Ed, of South Boston, Deborah H. Walden of Halifax, and Janet H. Blevins and husband, Jay, of Scottsburg; three sons, Hinton Heath Jr. and wife, Betty, of Clover, Aubrey Heath and wife, Margie, of Scottsburg, and Glen Heath and wife, Linda, of Memphis, Tenn.; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and one sister, Beatrice ‘Tina’ Barker of Scottsburg.
One grandson, Curtis Heath; one great-grandson, Kevin Hatcher; one son-in-law, David Walden; four brothers, Joe, Charlie, John and Guy Guill; and one sister, Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Snead, also preceded Mrs. Heath in death.
Funeral services will be held February 8, at 2 p.m. at Fork Baptist Church with the Revs. Jim Bunce and Jason Murray officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 at Powell Funeral Home tomorrow, evening, February 7, and other times at her home.
Those wishing to give memorials, are asked to consider Fork Baptist Church Cemetery Fund or the Gideon’s International.

Jean Harper Lamm
Jean Harper Lamm of Alton died February 2, 2008, at her home.
Mrs. Lamm was born on January 15, 1938, in Johnston County, N.C., to the late Willis Harper ‘Rabbit’ and Lillie Massengill of Micro, N.C.
She was co-owner of J & H Stables and was co-owner and operator of National Livestock Supply in Raleigh, N.C. She was active with 4-H as a leader working with the children and committees for their horse program. Among other things, she was a notary, a licensed realtor, owner of an insurance company, active member of the North Raleigh Exchange Club for the prevention of child abuse, a volunteer at the South Boston Museum and a mentor. Mrs. Lamm enjoyed her work with the blind, the autistic, and children in summer camps.
Survivors include her husband, Hilton; her daughter, Simone Lamm Brannan and her husband, David Neil Brannan, of Raleigh; grandsons, Ashley and Austin Brannan; her mother; one brother, Willis Harper Jr. and his wife, Faye; sisters, Judy Evans and her husband, Nelmer, Josephine Lee and her husband, Bobby, Jeanette Lee and her husband, Charles, and Becky Hill.
Funeral services for Mrs. Lamm will be held at 11 a.m. today, February 6, in the Chapel of Mitchell Funeral Home in Raleigh. Burial will follow at Raleigh Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends following the services at J & H Stables, 9500 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, NC 27615.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Safe Child, 864 West Morgan, Raleigh, NC 27603.
Condolences may be sent to www.MeM.com.

Lions On Upswing Entering Tournament

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
A late-season run capped by a big win at E.W. Wyatt last week has the Halifax County Middle School boys basketball team looking at the Southside Middle School Conference Tournament with optimistic eyes.
Halifax County, the number two seed in the East Division, plays West Division three seed Nottoway tonight at Lions Gym, immediately following the Halifax-Central/Charlotte County girls game at 4:45 p.m.
The Lions boys won four straight and five of six games to end the regular season with a 9-5 record, including the season-ender at Wyatt, always a very tough place to win.
Coach Mike Hailey said he was less than optimistic about his team’s chances after a 4-4 start to the season.
“This team has accomplished far and beyond what I thought it would following the start of practice and the first few games,” he said.
“For us to finish 5-3 with second-place (in the conference) is nothing short of a miracle in my eyes. As the season moved along, I thought that 4-4 would be fabulous and to go on the road and win the Wyatt game was really, really good.”
This year’s team isn’t as talented across the board as some others he’s coached, but has probably gotten more out of the talent it has than any before it in his tenure, according to Hailey.
“In the few tight games which we’ve won, we had a couple of ‘miracles,’ and in the others I thought our strategy was better and that we executed that strategy better than the other team.
“That’s probably allowed us to [accomplish] what we have this year and I’m extremely proud of them.
“I’m real, real happy with what we’ve gotten out of this group of boys and from a coach’s viewpoint they’ve accomplished a lot.”
Defense has been the key to the Lions’ success thus far and it will continue to play a big role in the postseason, noted Hailey, who also addressed his team’s free throw shooting woes this season.
“If you can play defense throughout the ball game, you have a chance, and for the most part we’ve done a lot of that, box and one, triangle and two, man-to-man variations,” he continued.
“Unfortunately, free throw shooting has been an issue for us all season, I think the best we’ve done is 65 percent in one game.
“Fortunately, what we’ve had is our defense, and that is the trademark of any team at any level, and we’ve” probably done as good a job of playing defense as anyone in the conference this year.”
The Lions’ play of late has Hailey re-evaluating the team’s chances of making another appearance in the tournament championship game.
Hailey’s Lions have played for the tournament title each of his nine years as head coach.
“Coaches try to be optimistic, but I’m a realist and wouldn’t have given a plugged nickel for us to reach the finals at the start or halfway through the season,” explained Hailey.
“Now, I’m thinking not only that we can reach the finals but that we can win it.”
The Lions own at least one conference win over each team in its division except Russell, and Hailey is hoping for another shot at the Lions.
Halifax first must take care of business against Nottoway and a possible semifinal opponent.
“Russell has a lot of talent and depth, but we hung with them for the majority of two games, and in a game with everything on the line anything can happen,” Hailey pointed out.
“If we can get there, I think it’s a tossup. “Even though [Russell] is more talented, the pressure is on them.
“We’re not overlooking anybody…our kids know what’s at stake and I like our chances of getting to the semis,” continued Hailey.
“I like the way it looks and I’m much more optimistic than I was a month ago.”
Should the Lions defeat Nottoway, they will advance to play the winner of the Park View-Central contest Friday at Nottoway in the tournament semifinals.
That finals are scheduled for Saturday at Nottoway.

Lady Lions Aim For Another Tourney Title

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
Coach James Smith didn’t know what to expect from the Halifax County Middle School girls basketball team entering this season, one with no returning starters from a squad that won its fifth consecutive Southside Middle School Conference Tournament title last year.
Smith would tell you now that this year’s team, with an initial starting five that included two eighth-graders, two seventh-graders and one sixth-grader, has surpassed all expectations.
The Lady Lions again take a number one seed in the East Division and unbeaten record (14-0) into tonight’s game against West Division four seed Central of Charlotte County.
Smith said that overall he has been pleased with the progress made thus far by his team.
“We had no starters back and lost about 95 percent of our scoring and rebounding from last year,” began Smith.
“But, from the beginning of the year, we’ve improved a great deal, particularly defensively. Offensively, we’re in and out but that’s to be expected from sixth- and seventh-graders.
“Overall, I’m satisfied with where we stand now.”
Smith has been stressing to his team that tournament play presents an entirely different scenario than the regular season, where one loss does not mean the end of the season.
“I told them that the tournament is different, because one loss and the season is over, and I challenged them to step up in the post season,” explained Smith.
“Everyone is 0-0 and you can throw the records out the door.
“I’m hoping this young team can step up, but we’ve played well on the road and I’m excited to see how we play in the tournament.”
One thing Smith has been pleased with is the emergence of several scoring options as the season has progressed, with at least four players leading the team in scoring at one time or another.
“That’s good to see, because they can pick up the slack for one another and it means that an opponent would have a harder time than if they had simply one or two scorers to shut down,” noted Smith.
There are areas for improvement, he cautioned.
Teams may try to pack it in and dare us to beat them from outside, so we need to practice our perimeter shooting,” said Smith.
“We also need to improve our free throw shooting and rebounding.”
Smith knows that the Lady Lions will have the home court advantage today against Central, but will face greater challenges on the road if his team can get by the Lady Bobcats.
“I expect a challenge Wednesday, but greater ones Friday and Saturday,” said Smith.
“I know that both Lunenburg and Powhatan will pose problems for us, and we’ll have to play well in order to win.”

AWNC II, Woods/Coleman In Industrial Finale

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The top two seeds will battle it out Sunday for the South Boston Business & Industrial Basketball League Tournament title.
Top seed AWNC II won by forfeit against SoBo/IALT and will try and finish an unbeaten season with one final roadblock standing in its way.
That roadblock is Woods/Coleman Construction, which routed six seed Goodyear 70-46 to reach the finals.
Named Players of the Week for their performances in the semifinal game were Marcus Coleman of Woods/Coleman and Faron Osbourne of Goodyear.
Coleman finished with a game-high 19 points, including five three pointers to lead his team to the win, while Osbourne had a team-high 17 points for Goodyear.
The South Boston Business & Industrial Basketball League Tournament finals will held Sunday at 5 p.m. at the South Boston Recreation Center.
Woods/Coleman 70
Goodyear 46 (Semifinals)
Marcus Coleman led four players in double figures for Woods/Coleman, which reached the finals with a 70-46 rout of Goodyear.
Coleman finished with 19 points, including five treys, while Dwight Green and Rodney Palmer each had 13 and Fred Price 10 points for the winners.
Coleman had three treys among 13 first-half points, and Palmer had one three-pointer among his nine, as Woods/Coleman took a 32-25 halftime lead.
Green caught fire in the second half, pouring in nine of his 13 points, while Price and Coleman each added six and Palmer four, Coleman’s points coming on a pair of treys.
Faron Osbourne tried to keep his team close, hitting three treys in the first half, while Charles Crider added a three-pointer and Larry Warren and Sean Poole each four points.
Osbourne and Tracey Wright were the primary scoring options for Goodyear in the second half, Osbourne with eight points (two three-pointers) and Wright with a three-pointer among seven points.
Wright was the other double figure scoring for Goodyear, finishing with 10 points.
Foul shooting proved not to be a factor in the contest, Woods/Coleman only three of 13 from the foul line and Goodyear only one of eight from the charity stripe.