Flu Blows Through

By Sonny Riddle
G-V Staff Writer
If you’re lucky, you haven’t had the flu … yet!
But if you haven’t, you probably know someone who has.
“It’s the flu season, and seasonal flu has come to Virginia,” said Dr. Charles Devine, health director for the Southside Health District.
Millie Lavaway, infection prevention and control practitioner at Halifax Regional Hospital, said there have been a number of positive flu tests in the county.
“Our hospital microbiology lab has tested 89 positive Influenza A cultures and five Influenza B cultures from Jan. 4 through Feb. 27,” Lavaway said. “These figures are not all-inclusive, because many people who get the flu will ‘nurse’ themselves and not seek medical attention.”
Lavaway said the numbers of positive tests are a total of all positive flu tests done in the lab and do not represent patients hospitalized with the flu. “These swabs came from several sources—area physician offices, the emergency room and other outpatient sources,” she added.
Deputy Superintendent Larry Clark said the school system has not experienced any unusual rise in absenteeism. “We have not seen any major impact from the widespread flu and stomach illness in the county,” Clark said. “Our average attendance in January was 95.4 percent, and the February attendance rate has been 94.1 percent,” he added.
In the United States, the peak season for the flu runs anywhere from late December through March.
Millions get the flu each year in the U.S. In fact, 5 percent to 20 percent of U.S. residents are stricken with the virus each year, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The flu, or influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses which infect the respiratory tract, according to the CDC.
Influenza can cause illness in its victims that ranges from mild to severe, and in some cases, it can lead to death.
An average of about 36,000 people in the United States die from the flu each year, according to CDC statistics. Most who get the virus recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some cases lead to life-threatening complications such as pneumonia.
Unlike the common cold, which takes some time to develop, the flu usually comes on suddenly. Common symptoms of the flu include fever, headache, extreme fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches and stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The CDC says the stomach symptoms are more commonly found in children than in adults, and many refer to the gastrointestinal symptoms as “stomach flu.”
Symptoms usually appear one to three days after exposure, according to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Most people are ill for less than a week, but those who develop complications may need to be hospitalized.
Anyone can get the flu, even healthy people, and serious problems from the virus can happen at any age. The CDC says people age 65 years and older, pregnant women, young children, and those with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, are more likely to get complications from the flu.
Pneumonia, bronchitis, dehydration and sinus and ear infections are some of the more common complications that may arise from the flu.
The main way the flu viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes, says the CDC. This happens when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of anyone nearby.
A less frequent of spreading the disease is when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object, and then touches his or her own mouth or nose before washing hands.
Some laboratory tests are available to diagnose the flu, but physicians usually diagnose the disease from the person’s symptoms, according to the VDH.
Rest, liquids and over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen, are the usual treatments, although some prescription drugs may prevent or reduce the severity of flu, advises the VDH.
Parents are strongly cautioned to not give aspirin to children who have the flu because of the possibility of causing a complication called Reye Syndrome.
Does past infection with the flu make you immune? Probably not, says the VDH. Influenza viruses change frequently, so people who have been infected or given a flu shot in previous years may become infected with a new strain of the virus.
And how do you prevent the flu? The Virginia Department of Health recommends being vaccinated against influenza each year.
Wash your hands frequently with warm soapy water. If that is not possible, use one of the alcohol-based hand sanitizers found in supermarkets or other retail stores. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
“Take the time to get a flu shot,” said Devine. “The flu vaccine is your best protection against flu viruses, but it won’t protect you from cold or flu viruses that are already in your body when you get the vaccine.”
And to help reduce the spread of the virus, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If a tissue isn’t available, cough or sneeze into your forearm, not your hands.
If you should contract the flu, the VDH recommends you stay home from work or school.
Also, avoid going to the store or running other errands while you are ill. And most important, seek help from your healthcare provider.
“If you are sick with flu-like illness, then reduce your contact with others and cover your cough to help prevent spreading your germs and viruses to others,” advises Devine.
“While flu is currently widespread, different strains of flu virus circulate as late as May,” he said. “A flu shot will reduce the likelihood of contracting influenza even this late in the season.”
For more information about the flu, call the Halifax County Health Department at 476-4863, or contact your personal healthcare professional.

Leap Year Babies Celebrate Today

By Paula I. Bryant
G-V Staff Writer
Today – Feb. 29, 2008 -- is a special day for a handful of select individuals known as leap year babies.
Ed Burton of South Boston and H.T. Waller of Nathalie are two of these important individuals - each born on Feb. 29, 1952 and celebrating their 14th birthdays today.
Today, both “young men” operate successful businesses – Burton at Supply Line in the southern end of the county, and Waller at Waller Brothers Trophy Shop in the northern end.
In addition to sharing the same birthday, one that only rolls around once every four years, Burton and Waller also enjoy confusing people when talking about their many accomplishments at such young ages.
At the ripe age of 3 ½-years-old, Burton began his supermarket career working at Hall’s Supermarket located on the lower end of South Boston. When he turned 4, he went to work at the Colonial Store.
Just short of his fifth birthday, Burton married his “teenage” sweetheart Patsy Powell.
Their first child Shane was born when Burton was 5 1/2, and daughter Brandy came along the year he turned 6 ½.
The years flew by as his children grew up and became adults, but Burton maintains he has continued to hold on to his youthfulness.
“I was almost 10 ½ when my first grandson, Brice, was born,” Burton said. At 12, he welcomed his granddaughter Braelyn. Both are his son’s children.
Almost two years ago at age 13 ½, Burton said he became grandpa again when his daughter gave birth to her son, C.J.
“I’m a very young grandpa,” he added.
Waller’s history is just as impressive following his birth in 1952 at a Lynchburg hospital.
“I was working on the family’s tobacco farm at a very young age,” he said remembering helping out at the age of 2. “I farmed all through my growing up years.”
At age 4 ½, Waller graduated from Halifax County Senior High School and began attending Danville Community College where he received an engineering degree at age 5. Later that same year he got an engineering job at Daystrom Furniture.
He started his trophy business at 5 ½, a job he continues to enjoy today as he turns 14. Assisting him is wife Cathy, whom Waller married when he was 8 ½.
In recent interviews, Burton and Waller recalled celebrating their birthdays on Feb. 28 with cake, ice cream, family and friends on the years they didn’t have a true birthday on which to celebrate.
“Some years I would celebrate on both days – Feb. 28 and March 1,” Burton added.
Waller said he always had birthday parties as a child, and the neighborhood kids would come with their presents.
“It was pretty much like a normal birthday except you would look at the calendar, and your date wasn’t there. Everything else was pretty much the same,” Waller added.
As a child, Burton said he never remembers the kids giving him a hard time because his birthday wasn’t on the calendar three out of every four years.
Today to celebrate his 14th birthday, Burton plans to go to his daughter’s house for a dinner with family. Also celebrating with Burton today is his aunt Agnes Hackney of Vernon Hill.
“I was born on her fourth birthday when she was 16,” Burton said.
“My family always tries to get a bunch of us together to celebrate on the years when I have an actual birthday,” he added.
Waller is celebrating today away from home.
“I don’t like to make a big deal about my birthday, it’s kinda like just another day,” he said. “I’m going to be working at a karate tournament in North Carolina this year on my birthday.”
Waller could not recall one birthday that stands out more than another, but Burton remembered his fourth real birthday on Feb. 29, 1968 because he was hoping to get his driver’s license.
“I’ll never forget that birthday because it snowed all day, and I couldn’t get my license,” Burton said.
At the ripe age of 14, Burton and Waller both enjoy their work and agree they have very little spare time.
However, when he’s not busy at Supply Line, Burton said he enjoys camping and taking cruises.
“I don’t even think about retirement. At my young age, it’s not in my vocabulary. I just enjoy working too much,” he added.
Waller participates in sports in his limited spare time.
“Karate is the most enjoyable thing I do,” the seventh degree black belt senior master in American Freestyle Karate said.
The 14-year-old also has managed to get ranks in four other styles of karate over the years.
Burton and Waller join with several other locals who are celebrating today when they say, “We just hope we have a whole lot more of ‘em.”
Other local residents also celebrating on this special day include Frank Lacks Jr., Kendall Good, Avryl Taylor, Agnes Hackney, Wilkie Fields, Dale Carpentier, Amy and Leon.
Feb. 29, the leap day, has been associated with age-old traditions, superstitions and folklore.
It was the Romans who first designated February 29 as leap day, but it was the ancient Egyptians who figured out the solar year and the man-made calendar year didn’t always match up.
That’s because it actually takes the Earth a little longer than a year to travel around the Sun — 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, to be exact.
A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been inserted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called common years, have 365 days.
Leap years are needed to keep the calendar in alignment with the earth’s revolutions around the sun.
The vernal equinox is the time when the sun is directly above the Earth’s equator, moving from the southern to the northern hemisphere.
The mean time between two successive vernal equinoxes is called a tropical year–also known as a solar year–and is about 365.2422 days long.
Using a calendar with 365 days every year would result in a loss of 0.2422 days, or almost six hours per year.
After 100 years, this calendar would be more than 24 days ahead of the season.
By adding a leap year approximately every fourth year, the difference between the calendar and the seasons can be reduced significantly, and the calendar will align with the seasons much more accurately.

Sentences Handed Down In Fulenwider Assault

Two defendants convicted earlier in connection with a home invasion in 2006 were sentenced Tuesday in Halifax County Circuit Court to lengthy prison terms.
Andrew Lee Loftis, 17, of Alton, tried as an adult and convicted in circuit court of four crimes related to the home invasion, received an effective 10-year prison sentence.
Judge William L. Wellons sentenced Loftis to 25 years for breaking and entering the dwelling of Katherine Fulenwider with a deadly weapon and 20 years each for the grand larceny of a firearm from Edward F. Fulenwider Sr., the malicious wounding of Edward F. Fulenwider Sr. and the malicious wounding of Katherine Fulenwider.
Judge Wellons suspended all but four years for each of the malicious woundings and all but two for the breaking and entering, conditioned upon Loftis’ good behavior for 85 years.
The court ordered Loftis to pay $1,431.07 restitution jointly and severally with co-defendant Charles Lamont Jennings, and ordered him to remain on probation indefinitely, abstain from illegal drugs, submit to random drug tests and to have no contact with his victims.
Charles Lamont Jennings, 24, of South Boston, was sentenced to an effective 13-year prison sentence for five convictions related to the home invasion.
Judge Wellons sentenced Jennings to 25 years in prison for breaking and entering the residence of Katherine Fulenwider and 20 years each for three other offenses, including the grand larceny of firearms and other property from Edward Fulenwider Sr., and the malicious woundings of Edward Fulenwider Sr. and Katherine Fulenwider.
The court also sentenced Jennings to a five-year suspended prison term for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Judge Wellons suspended all but 13 years in prison for Jennings, conditioned upon his good behavior for 90 years, and ordered him placed on probation indefinitely.
The court ordered Jennings to pay $1,431.07 restitution both jointly and severally with co-defendant Loftis, to abstain from illegal drugs and submit to random drug tests.
In a separate matter, Jennings was sentenced to a total of 80 years in prison, with all time suspended, for four felonies.
The court sentenced Jennings to 20 years in prison each for breaking and entering Boston Lumber Company and Southern States and 20 years each for grand larceny for Boston Lumber Company and Southern States.
The court ordered Jennings to pay $12,062.47 restitution to Boston Lumber Company both jointly and severally.
Other Court Cases
n Kelvin Wise Stovall, 42, of South Boston, was sentenced Tuesday to a total of 80 years in prison, with all but 12 suspended, for four counts of having carnal knowledge of a minor and four for taking indecent liberties with a minor.
The court ordered the suspended portion of Stovall’s sentence be conditioned upon his good behavior for 80 years, beginning immediately, and ordered him placed on probation indefinitely.
The court additionally ordered Stovall to submit to random drug tests, to undergo counseling and treatment, and to register as a sex offender.
The court finally ordered Stovall to not come within 100 feet of schools and child day care centers, and to have no contact with his victim or the victim’s family.
n Antwan Laquay Davis, 23, of Scottsburg, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison, with all but nine months suspended, for hit and run with property damage exceeding $1,000.
The court ordered the suspended portion of Davis’ sentence be conditional upon his good behavior for 10 years and ordered him placed on probation for two years following his release.
The court additionally ordered Davis to pay $1,410.72 restitution to Henry L. Coleman at a rate of at least $50 per month beginning 60 days after his release and suspended his operator’s license for six months.
Work release was authorized for Davis.
In another matter, Davis was sentenced to 12 months in jail, with all but three suspended, for misdemeanor reckless driving.
The court suspended Davis’ operator’s license for six months for the misdemeanor and authorized work release for the defendant.
n Andrea Hodnett Jordan, 41, of Alton, pleaded no contest Tuesday to cocaine possession.
The court found evidence sufficient to convict Jordan of the drug possession charge but withheld its finding of guilt, placing Jordan on first offender status and continuing the case for one year.
The court placed Jordan under supervision of Halifax-Pittsylvania Court Services and ordered the defendant to perform 100 hours of community service, abstain from illegal drugs and submit to random drug tests.
n Latroy Lee Saunders, 29, of South Boston, pleaded guilty recently to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of marijuana.
In exchange for Saunders’ plea, the court sentenced the defendant to 10 years in prison for the cocaine distribution charge and 30 days for marijuana possession, with all suspended to time already served.
The court ordered Saunders be placed on probation for two years.
n Adam Scott King, 25, of Sutherlin, received a 10-year suspended prison term Tuesday for grand larceny from Rob Guthrie’s Junk Yard.
The court ordered King’s suspended sentence be conditioned upon his good behavior for 10 years and ordered him placed on probation for one year or until $4,500 restitution (jointly and severally) is paid in full.
The court additionally ordered King to have no contact with or go on the property of his victim, and to submit to random drug tests and undergo drug tests.
n Ryan Joseph Marshall, 26, of Halifax, had a charge against him for a probation violation dismissed by the Commonwealth without prejudice on Tuesday.
n Charles Anthony Ratliff, 47, of Alton, was convicted Tuesday of a probation violation.
The court ordered Ratliff to pay court costs at a rate of $50 per month beginning April 1 under supervision of the probation department.

Obituaries

Thomas Osborne Burch
Thomas Osborne Burch, 67, of 1036 Cardwell Trail, Crystal Hill died February 26, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Burch was born November 18, 1940, to the late Shirley Burch and Lou Fannie Bauldwin Burch, who survives. He was married to the late Carolyn Burch.
In addition to his mother, survivors include one daughter, Angela Duvall; two sisters, Mary B. Crews and husband, Demetrius, of Danville and Delores Burch of Crystal Hill; four brothers, Henry Burch and James H. Burch, both of Crystal Hill, Shirley E. Burch of District Heights, Md. and Kevin Burch of Fleming, N.J.; three grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Burch will be held tomorrow, March 1, at Crystal Hill Baptist Church in Halifax with the Rev. Louis Leigh officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. A viewing will be held 1 hour prior to the service.
The family will receive friends at the home.

Timothy Jerome Marshall
Timothy Jerome Marshall, 19, of 312 E. Bishop Drive, South Boston died February 23, 2008.
Mr. Marshall was born in Halifax County on August 1, 1988, the son of Shirley Marshall.
Survivors include his mother of the home; his birth mother, Linda Henderson; his grandmother, Juanita Marshall of Halifax; five brothers, Bryn, Tony, Mike, Eric and Judge Henderson, all of Halifax; seven sisters, Hannah, Niki, Kiki, Sandra, Toshia, Alia and Malia, all of Halifax; his special friend, Ceceli Edmonds; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Marshall will be held today, February 29, at 1 p.m. at New Zion Baptist Church with the Rev. Willie N. Yancey officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Zelda Tuck Richardson
Zelda Tuck Richardson, 51, of 2003 Ridge Street, South Boston died February 27, 2008, at Danville Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Richardson was born in Halifax County on October 4, 1956, the daughter of Arthur Tuck and Jessie Felton Tuck, and was married to the late Thomas Burton Richardson. She was a member of Blue Wing Grove Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, survivors include one sister-in-law, Barbara B. Tuck of South Boston; one brother-in-law, Andrew Richardson of South Boston; her mother-in-law, Anna Richardson of Virgilina; two nephews, Clarence Tuck II and Tariq Tuck, both of South Boston; and other relatives and friends.
One brother, Clarence Tuck Sr., also preceded Mrs. Richardson in death.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, March 1, at 1 p.m. at Blue Wing Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Hayward Jennings officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Tuck, 1203 White Oak Fork Road, Virgilina.

Melvin Lee Snow
Melvin Lee Snow, 87, of Hickory, N.C. died February 21, 2008, at Palliative Care Center & Hospice of Catawba Valley.
Mr. Snow was born April 26, 1920, in Caswell County, N.C., the son of the late James S. and Maggie Thaxton Snow. He was a World Wear II U.S. Army Veteran where he received a Purple Heart. Mr. Snow retired from Synthetics Finishing and was a member of Rhodhiss United Methodist Church.
In addition to his parents, his wife, Dorothy Brandon Snow; sisters, Lessie Snow, Betty Jones and Beatrice Hamlett; and brothers, Willie Snow, Percy Snow, Arnold Snow, James Snow and Johnny Snow, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his children, Melba S. Johnson of Wilkesboro, N .C., Wayne Snow of Granite Falls, N.C., Phillis S. Inge and Ronnie L. Snow, both of Hickory; his sister, Mildred Daniel of South Boston; a brother, Franklin Snow of South Boston; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. February 24, at Catawba Funeral and Cremations, with Pastor Larry Staples officiating the Rev. Jessie Bowman interpreting. Burial followed in Catawba Memorial Park.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Palliative Care Center & Hostpice of Catawba Valley, 3975 Robinson Road, Newton, N.C. 28658

2008 Lions Gearing Up

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The Halifax County Middle School baseball and softball teams, a week ahead of their Halifax County High School counterparts who finish tryouts today, are making good progress as the clock starts counting down to their March 15 season-opener.
Both teams are expecting tough tests in the season-opening HCMS Invitational Tournament, which has Northern Middle School, Franklin County and Powhatan Middle School joining the Lions for the four-team tournament.
Lions baseball head coach Jody Nelson said he has been pleased with the progress made thus far in practice and tryouts.
“We had good turnouts for all the pre-season clinics, from 30-40 at each one, and we had about 63 at tryouts,” said Nelson.
“Out of those numbers every year, at least 50 are all-stars from the county Dixie baseball programs, and that’s a tribute to those programs.
“They’ve all played the game a long time and all of them come with a good mindset and a good collection of tools.”
Nelson added that he and assistant coach Reagan Priest have focused on finding positions for the 17-man roster in its first week of practice as a team.
“We’re trying to move some kids around and find the right positions for them, and right now we look pretty solid with a good hitting lineup and depth in pitching,” noted Nelson.
What has especially pleased Nelson is how close the team has become in only one week.
“I’m just thrilled with the team chemistry right now. Most of the time, especially with this age group, it takes about a month for them to adjust to one another, but this group is different,” said Nelson.
Priest added that he and Nelson expected more than 61 at tryouts following the clinics, but was still pleased with the numbers.
“I think what happened was that some of the players found themselves intimidated by the clinics and decided not to come to tryouts,” said Nelson.
“Still, 61 is a big number.”
Making cuts was, as always, difficult for the coaches, he pointed out.
“It got harder and harder each day and my stomach hurt by the time we got to the last day and made the final cut,” said Priest.
Priest is pleased with the willingness to work shown by the prospects.
“Their attitude is good,” explained Priest. “The first couple of days of the clinics they kind of played around, and we had to talk to them and let them know this was something to take seriously.
“We told them this was something that would help them get one foot in front of the others who would be trying out that didn’t participate in the clinic.”
Lady Lions Set With 16-Player Roster
Lions head softball coach James Smith was also pleased with the numbers at tryouts and he and assistant coach Bonnie Bowen have pared the roster to 16 players.
“Tryouts went really well and I was pleased with both the numbers and the talent,” said Smith.
“About 55 came out for conditioning and following that the numbers dropped and about 42 tried out for the team from three grades.”
“We’ve had conditioning clinics, worked on hitting in the batting cage, and held fielding drills in the gym, but now we’re trying to get as much work outside as we can and come up with a starting lineup, continued Smith.
“So far, I like what I see and after the tournament we’ll find out more about this team.
“Things have been going well, and we need a couple of games under our belt to really see what we have, but a number of players have been to a world series, and there is experience overall.”

Six Comets Qualify For State Indoor Meet

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Six members of the Halifax County High School indoor track team, five from the girls team and one from the boys team, have qualified to compete in theGroup AAA State Indoor Track & Field Championships today at at George Mason University in Fairfax.
Girls track team members that qualified include junior Stacey Hamlett (55-meter dash), freshman Taylor Davis (55-meter race), senior Tanashia Medley (500 meters), junior Brittany Foster (high jump), and senior Marteia Ferrell (triple jump). Junior Clyde Scott (55-meter hurdles) was the only member of the boys team to qualify.
The Lady Comets finished 13th overall in the Northwest Region indoor meet held Tuesday at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md. Halifax County finished fourth among the Western valley District teams that competed. Franklin County (fifth), E.C. Glass (seventh) and Patrick Henry (11th) finished ahead of the Comets.
The boys, which had only a small handlful of athletes participating, finished last among the 22 teams in the boys meet.
Hamlett qualified for the state meet with a fourth-place finish in the 55-meter race with a time of 7.36 seconds. She was the highest finisher for the Comets in the event.
Medley advanced to the state competition with a sixth-place finish in the 500-meter race with a time of one minute and 21.03 seconds. Ferrell placed sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 33 feet and 11 and three quarters inches. Foster qualified for the state meet with a jump of 4-10 in the high jump, a mark that left her in a three-way tie for sixth place.
Davis and Scott had previously qualified for the state meet by posting times in previous meets that were equal to or better than the state-qualifying standard for their respective events. Scott placed eighth in the 55-meter hurdles in Tuesday’s regional meet, missing out in his quest to finish in the top six. Davis placed 14th in the preliminaries of the 55-meter race with a time of 7.67 seconds and failed to qualify for the finals in that event.
While the finishes and marks were not good enough to qualify for the state meet in other events, the Halifax County High School athletes still fared well.
In addition to qualifying for the state meet in the triple jump, Ferrell placed eighth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.04 seconds and finished in a tie for `14th place in the long jump with Foster a mark of 15-0.75. Foster, who qualified for the state meet in the high jump, also placed 10th in the triple jump with a leap of 32-9.
Senior Jasmine Pointer placed eighth in the long jump with a mark of 15-10.25, placed eighth in the triple jump with a mark of 33-5.75 and finished in a nine-way tie for ninth place in the high jump with a jump of 4-8. Junior Cherena Canada placed 11th in the triple jump with a jump of 32-8.25, senior Monica Thorpe placed 12th in the shot put with a throw of 30-11 and sophomore Tanisha Evans placed 12th in the 300-meter race with a time of 44 seconds.
Freshman Melyse Brown placed 14th in the shot put with a throw of 30-3, sophomore Tyiesha Pannell placed 18th in the 500-meter race with a time of 1:27.49 and senior Felicia Bowman placed 21st in the 300-meter race with a time of 45.76 seconds.
The Comets’ 4x400-meter relay team placed eighth with a time of 4:25.60. Halifax County’s 4x200-meter relay team was disqualified for an infraction.
In the boys meet, Scott placed eighth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.17 seconds and placed eighth in the long jump with a leap of 20-6.25.
Junior James Jennings placed 15th in the preliminary round of the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.99 seconds and failed to qualify for the finals.
Halifax County’s 4x200-meter relay team placed fifth with a time of 1:35.56 and scored four of the six points that the team earned in the meet.
The top six finishers in the individual events and the top three finishers in the relay events advanced to the state meet.

SBS Plans Doubleheader For Season Finale

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
South Boston Speedway’s 2008 season finale on Oct. 25, will bring together two popular stock car racing series to create a big racing doubleheader.
The event, the NASCAR Barkhouser Late Model 250 and the PASS Championship 250, will feature a 250-lap race for South Boston Speedway’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division and a 250-lap race for the Super Late Models of the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) racing series, will give fans 500 laps of racing in one afternoon.
“We feel this will be a very exciting event for our fans,” said South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice.
“Many fans know very well the excitement and the intensity of the competition that the teams and drivers of our Barkhouser Late Model Stock Car Division display during their events here at South Boston Speedway. The PASS Super Late Models put on a very exciting show when they ran here the year before last. Bringing these two series together at South Boston Speedway in one big event will give fans of both series a great show on which to end the 2008 season.”
The 250-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race will be the longest and richest Late Model Stock Car Division race of the season at South Boston Speedway. Rice said the winner of the Late Model Stock Car Division race will take home $10,000, the same prize that has been awarded to the winner of the 300-lap event that has served as the season finale for the Late Model Stock Car Division competitors at South Boston Speedway in recent seasons.
Rice noted that the season finale will be a two-day event with practice and qualifying taking place on Friday and the two feature races being run on Saturday.
South Boston Speedway will open its 2008 season on Saturday, March 22, with a five-race event. The season opener will feature races for the Late Model Stock Car Division, the Limited Sportsman Division, the Pure Stock Division, the Southern Vintage Modified Division and the INEX Legends Cars Series.
In order to give teams and drivers an opportunity to prepare for the opening of the new season, South Boston Speedway will hold an Open Practice Day on Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.