Uranium Mining Study Killed

Staff & Wire Reports
A legislative committee has rejected a proposed study of whether uranium can be mined safely in Virginia.
The Rules Committee voted Monday to table the bill, which environmentalists and other opponents viewed as the first step to lifting a 25-year-old moratorium on mining the ore.
State Sen. Frank Wagner of Virginia Beach emphasized that the bill only called for a study, and it would be up to the General Assembly to decide whether the moratorium should be lifted.
Some committee members wanted to substitute Wagner’s bill with one that would appoint a commission to determine what issues should be examined. Wagner opposed that approach, which he characterized as “a study of a study.”
A company, Virginia Uranium Inc., pushing for the study has the rights to a massive uranium deposit in Pittsylvania County near Chatham.
Del. Watkins Abbitt, House District 59, of Appomattox, offered the motion to table the bill Monday, with a second by Del. Clarke Hogan, House District 60, of South Boston.
“It is clear this issue will not go away, and we certainly will have to deal with it next year and the next,” Hogan said Tuesday. “But at this point I think it is largely defeated for the year.
“We did offer the proponents a compromise about a week ago that set up a structure that would look at the scope of the study and be sure all elements were covered, and they rejected that compromise out of hand,” added Hogan. “They basically said they couldn’t do it more or less their way, they didn’t want to do it. So, at the point, the logical thing was to lay that bill on the table.
“Two things,” continued Hogan, “no one has ever opposed the uranium company doing their own study. They certainly have the right to do whatever they want. But if the state is going to take on a study, it is going to have to meet certain guidelines, and it is going to have to be drawn not by a small group of proponents for uranium.”
The delegate said that through introducing budget language that would lift the moratorium, “they had already made up their minds it was safe and wanted a study to prove that. For those of us skeptical, we wanted a more fair-minded study.”
Del. Donald Merricks, District 16, supports Senate Bill 525, explaining the majority of the correspondence and emails he received were in support of a study.
“Those supporting a study are supporting SB525 and I recommend action on that bill,” Merricks said in a recent interview with the Star-Tribune newspaper in Chatham. “The scope of a study is addressed in SB525. Let me be clear, I have consistently said that the only way I would support a study was if the study addressed, in addition to the safety and environmental issues, the economic impact uranium mining would have on existing and future business in the region, that the study would involve public input from the citizens in the affected communities, and the study commission have representation from Pittsylvania County and Halifax County to give credibility to the commission. This bill addresses these issues.
“I am neither for nor against mining uranium,” continued Merricks. “If I were to vote today, I would vote no to mining because I don’t have all the information I need to make an educated, intelligent decision. That is what this study would provide. And to be honest, I would have to be shown, beyond the shadow of doubt, that mining uranium could be done without any, and I mean any adverse affects on our area before I would agree to lift the moratorium.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Supervisors Threaten To Use Nuclear Option

Eliminating two constitutional officers – the treasurer and commissioner of revenue - is a proposal supervisors are seriously considering after receiving a letter from Treasurer Linda S. Foster Monday.
The board would have to change to a county manager form of government in order to eliminate the two constitutional offices, a decision that would have to be approved by voter referendum.
According to County Administrator Bryan Foster, for some time now the county has been implementing the new MUNIS financial system in an effort to centralize the county’s accounting system to bring it online.
Within the last week the first set of utility bills have been mailed, and currently Financial Director Stephanie Jackson is working on tax bill collections, Foster explained.
However, a letter written by the treasurer Monday expresses dissatisfaction with the lack of progress being made using the MUNIS system.
The letter also requests a first year appropriation of $21,000 so the treasurer’s office can implement new software, with ongoing maintenance costs to follow in subsequent years.
Foster asked the county administrator to forward her request for the new software to the board during its Monday night meeting, the county administrator said as he paraphrased portions of the letter.
“She stressed her concerns and problems she has encountered with the MUNIS system, and she would like for us to consider this,” he said giving each board member a copy of the letter.
In the letter addressed to the county administrator, the treasurer wrote:
“Please find enclosed a copy of a proposal from Datasynch Corporation concerning the new counter tax implementation software programs for real estate (twice a year billing and collection) and personal property. Since we are having problems with the MUNIS tax program, we will need to go with another program that is faster and more convenient to employees and customer service. The MUNIS Company has not produced any unpaid balances on any tax years to match to my general ledgers. This is very important that this is done for audit purposes. We do not need for MUNIS trainers to come in our office until balances are correct. This way the county can save on the daily training costs.
“Also find enclosed the copy of the e-mail from one of MUNIS’s trainers about some issues that are important to our office and have not been corrected or implemented. There are other issues that have not been addressed as to the late penalty and adjustments in interest and administrative collection. This MUNIS program seems to call for a lot of adjustments that are unnecessary. I do not have enough personnel to handle all these adjustments since the amounts are assessed to the unpaid tax base before collecting any interest or administrative fee. At the present time, these amounts are assessed for billing purposes. Since the personal property screen will show separate vehicles, this will make keying in payments time consuming. Our system now is more convenient as we have one screen for multiple vehicles and only one posting of that tax ticket number which will be the same on the new counter Datasynch program. The issue of administrative fees is very important as the county could lose considerable amount of funds from this MUNIS method, some $30,000.
“Since Datasynch Corp. has implemented twice a year billing on real estate taxes in other counties, I see no problem with their program for this 2008 tax implementation and counter program. Since time will be limited for the 2008 real estate to be billed in May, we will need a program that will work. The board has adopted the real estate twice a year billing, and this office, along with the commissioner of revenue, will need to see that the job gets done in a timely manner. Bills will need to be mailed out by another company as our office will not have the time to hand stuff envelopes. We still have to implement the selling of the county decals this year for a deadline of April 15, 2008.
“There are a lot of unanswered issues that I have not mentioned. In talking with another treasurer that has the MUNIS system, she said it was like taking, ‘two steps backward, instead of two steps forward.’ We need a program that will work for both offices and have a better customer service at the same time. We do not need a program that will constantly cost the county a lot of funds. I have no problems keying in the miscellaneous receipts using the MUNIS software which I can still use.
“I request that you take this proposal to the entire board so they can have a better understanding of the problems we are having in our office trying to implement the tax program. I would request that you and the board take a look at the MUNIS contract to see if MUNIS is in default with our county. After all, I was told, before any training began, that MUNIS could produce a better program, less cost, less time, and using my data to balance our accounts. I cannot see this happening any time soon as the delinquent taxes are yet to be balanced out. I cannot believe the board would want this office to go forward with a program that is not correct.
“In closing, I would like to say that I have seen the demonstration from Datasynch on the new counter system and am satisfied that this system will do the job we need. I firmly believe this is the system that we need.
“Thank you for your time and understanding.”
Finance Committee Chairman Doug Bowman wasted no time responding to the treasurer’s letter.
“I’m just going to be real clear. It bothered me a lot to get this letter. We have been working with the treasurer and commissioner of revenue for over a year to implement the MUNIS centralized accounting.
“And what we’re getting is resistance, and this is the latest example in this letter we’ve gotten today, of why they’re proposing another option,” he said.
According to Bowman, he along with board Chairman William I. Fitzgerald have met with both offices on more than one occasion to make them aware of the board’s decision to implement a centralized accounting system.
“We gave them plenty of lead time on semi-annual tax bills, and staff is working hard to get that done, and we’re getting resistance from these constitutional officers, and it’s very disconcerting,” Bowman continued.
The county has accommodated the constitutional officers on office structure, equipment and personnel, he said.
“We have been sensitive to their concerns about going to this system, about going to semi-annual tax billing for real estate, and to get this letter today really puts a bad statement on their willingness to do what the county has already decided to do.
“I’m going to say it this way, I think it borderlines on dereliction of duty, lack of support for county directives that they are constitutionally charged to do,” Bowman said.
From a finance perspective, the finance chairman said it has been clear to him that this has been a board decision made over the past two years.
“This is important for operating efficiency. We feel there is an opportunity to gain taxpayer savings to consolidate some of these back office services, many of them financial,” he added, citing the treasury function, the payroll function and payables function.
“To get this letter today shows me they are blatantly resisting what they definitely know is our objective, and I personally take it as an affront to me, this board and the county taxpayers,” he concluded.
W. Bryant Claiborne said he agreed with Bowman.
“When you consolidate services, you save money. When you save money, you make taxpayers happy,” Claiborne said.
He said it is incumbent upon board members to look into bringing the treasurer’s and the commissioner of revenue’s offices under the auspices of the county board.
“I think it’s high time we start considering the best interests of the county and start doing things that will save money. I think we need to start seriously discussing this,” he concluded.
Fitzgerald also agreed with sentiments expressed by Bowman and Claiborne.
He spoke of a meeting he and Bowman had with the treasurer and commissioner of revenue.
“They said to us they were going to work diligently with us to make this happen. It has not, and there’s a county manager form of government that we as board can change to that would eliminate the treasurer and commissioner of revenue, and the office would come under Mr. Foster. This board needs to consider that option because this is serious, and it’s costing the taxpayers of the county,” Fitzgerald said.
“We can change that and at the same time save some money for this county. This board needs to strongly consider it, and I’m prepared to move to do it,” he added.
Fitzgerald suggested the board give the treasurer and commissioner of revenue an opportunity “once more” before the board takes steps to change to a different type of government.
“They’re elected people, and this board has no authority except to ask for their cooperation, and we’ve done that, and we’re getting resistance,” he said speaking of the MUNIS system in which the county has invested its money.
Fitzgerald continued, “This letter simply tells us about the costs and the fact that it’s difficult, and it’s too late for that. We’re beyond that.”
ED-1 Supervisor R. A. “Dickie” Abbott said he is the supervisor who first brought this subject up.
“This is a way of saving money and keeping our hands clean on what you do, and it’s good for our government. I’m not saying it’s good for everybody’s government, but it’s good for our government,” Abbott said, adding, “I think it will work better than anything we can do.”
ED-6 Supervisor Wayne Conner described the proposal to change the type of government to a county manager form as “a good move.”
ED-7 Supervisor Lottie Nunn asked fellow board members whether this proposal has been explained to Foster and Commissioner of Revenue Brenda Powell.
“No it has not,” Fitzgerald responded.
Bowman said he and Fitzgerald would meet with the two constitutional officers to discuss the proposal.
“I want to meet them face to face and let them know this is what I call the nuclear option,” Bowman said.
“We can bring their 20 employees from those two offices, and we can get that done along with some other things a lot more efficiently if we control the finance department of the county,” he added.
“We can eliminate two real fast,” Fitzgerald said.
Bowman further addressed several of Foster’s specific concerns outlined in the letter.
“I talked with MUNIS program manager today. He assured me that we have enough time to get the bow in sync on MUNIS to be able to have the bills prepared by mid-April. We will set the tax rate April 7 and that gets plugged in. We’ve got enough time to do that, but we need their cooperation in cleaning up the transfer of information from one system to the other,” Bowman said. “So far we have not gotten that.”
He offered an example of the resistance shown by the treasurer telling of an instance where the trainer was paid to come to the treasurer’s office on a scheduled day that she set up.
“There was one instance when the trainer showed up and the treasurer said I don’t have any time for you today,” Bowman said noting the county had paid the trainer and it was on the treasurer’s calendar but she said , “I can’t deal with you today. I don’t have time.”
He said this type of resistance is costing the county money.
“We should have had this done six month ago,” Bowman said. “And this conversion to semi-annual would have been a lay-up. Now it’s a three-point shot.”
Fitzgerald told supervisors he and Bowman would talk with the two constitutional officers on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Mr. Bowman and I will meet with them once more, but this is the last time,” the board chairman said. “The last time.”

Supervisors Unveil $98 Million Budget

Supervisors this week unveiled a $98.4 million proposed budget for July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.
According to County Administrator Bryan Foster, the draft budget proposal totals $98.4 million, a 5.25 percent decrease from the current budget.
The decrease is due to completion of the $61 million school construction program, Foster said.
However, even though the total budget has decreased, the fiscal strain on the county continues to increase, he added.
The FY 2009 budget is the first to be prepared with the recently adopted twice-annual real estate collection with one-half of the tax bill due June 5 and the remaining half due Dec. 5.
Due to the earlier tax collection date, a new tax rate will be put in place by April 7.
Foster is recommending supervisors increase the real estate tax rate to 48 cents per $100 assessed value.
“The proposed 48 cent real estate tax rate for fiscal year 2009 keeps us comparable with our neighboring counties in this part of Virginia,” Foster said.
The original budget requests from all departments and agencies versus the expected revenue resulted in a deficit of approximately $5.7 million. If this deficit were to be eliminated solely by increasing the real estate tax, the rate would need to be increased by 16 cents to a new rate of 57.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, Foster continued.
“This is a 37 percent increase in the tax rate; an increase that I do not believe would be supported by the board,” he added.
Creating this deficit are large items for which there are no corresponding increases in revenue.
For examples, local contributions to schools increased over the last year by $2,671,050; landfill tip fees increased by $800,000; landfill transportation fees are up by $500,000; IDA contributions up by $182,793; Social Services/CSA increase of $211,000; new capital projects totaling $650,000 and new debt service for the transfer station totaling $197,000.
The total of these increases and new expenses total $5,211,843.
In order to balance the budget, Foster is recommending an increase in the real estate tax rate by 6.5 cents; increase personal property tax rate by 35 cents to $3.65 per $100 assessed value; use $1.1 million of unrestricted fund balance; use $700,000 of earned interest on the VPSA bonds towards school debt service; minimal addition local dollars for school system operations including an agreement to lease-purchase new school buses instead of outright purchase; and budget cuts across departments and agencies.
Foster summed it up saying, “It’s all about choice. While it is true that significant parts of the budget are mandated services and/or required matching funds, the budget remains the single-most important manifestation of the community we have, the community we desire and the future we want to achieve. The board must make hard choices about the community it wishes to create and sustain, and incorporate these choices into the financial decisions within this budget.
These are important decisions to make and the board must be up to the challenges if Halifax County is going to succeed. Our future is bright if we commit the resources and political will to make it happen.”
Supervisors will hold their first work session on the proposed budget next Monday.

Obituaries

Bassie C. Barbour
Bassie C. Barbour, 90, of Md., formerly of Nathalie, died February 26, 2008, in Takoma Park, Md. He was a son of the late Bossie and Lizzie Barbour and was married to Roxie A. Barbour.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Marshall Barbour and wife, Shirley; two daughters, Annie Barbour and Mattie Hill and husband, Damon; two grandchildren, Arlene Butler and husband, Kenny, and Monica Barbour; three great-grandchildren, Janee Brooks, Andra Brooks and Donovan Hill, all of Md. And Washington, D.C.; one sister, Violet Lane of Wilmington, Del.; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Barbour were held March 4, at 1 p.m. at the Chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Brookneal with Bishop Anthony Miller officiating. Burial followed in the Barbour Family Cemetery in Nathalie.
Condolences may be emailed to Jeffressfh@aol.com.

Walter Russell Carrington
Russell Carrington died on February 28, 2008, at his home in Fayetteville, N.C.
Mr. Carrington was born in Nathalie on August 2, 1937, to the late Charlie M. and Mary Belle Carrington.
Services will be conducted by the Wiseman Mortuary in Fayetteville.

Ardelia Ann Oliver Fields
Ardelia Ann Oliver Fields, 97, of 5158 Philpott Road, South Boston died March 1, 2008, in Fayetteville, N .C.
Mrs. Fields was born in Halifax County on April 11, 1910, the daughter of the late William Huel Oliver and Pearl Bland Oliver, and was married to the late Bailey John Fields Sr. She was a member of Cross Roads Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Bailey J. Fields Jr., of Fayetteville, William Robinson of Queens, N.Y. and Paul Hodges of Brooklyn, N.Y.; one Goddaughter, Juanita Hinton of Newport News; four grandchildren, Marquita A. Fields of Kuwait, Bailey J. Fields III of Fayetteville, Evelyn Robinson and Cynthia Robinson of San Jose, Calif.; and other relatives and friends.
Three sisters, Grace Daniel, Hazel Thompson and Francis Oliver; and one brother, William Oliver, also preceded Mrs. Fields in death.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, March 6, at 2 p.m. at Cross Roads Baptist Church with the Rev. Nelson Stamps officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, March 5, from 6 to 7, at Jeffress Funeral Home Chapel.

Reva Elliott Jones
Reva Elliott Jones, 94, of 1015 Crestview Trail, South Boston died March 2, 2008, at her home.
Mrs. Jones was born August 29, 1913, in Gretna the daughter of the late Vincent and Sallie Elliott, and was married to the late Walter McKinley Jones. She was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church and attended Glenwood United Methodist Church.
Survivors include one son, Ronnie Jones of South Boston; one daughter, LaJanice J. Sizemore of South Boston; one brother, Millard Elliott of Danville; one granddaughter, Merry Lynn Styles; and two great-grandsons, Matthew and Paul Styles.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jones will be held today, March 5, at 2 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bob Woodfin officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@embarqmail.com

Boys Tennis Looks To Add More Wins

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The Comets boys tennis team is looking to improve its standing in the Western Valley District this season, with four of top five singles seeds among five players returning for coaches David Riddle and Brady Taylor.
Returnees include juniors Chris Moore, Pat Barnes and Jacob Trent, along with sophomore Ralph Tuck and senior Nat Snead.
Newcomers include juniors Ryan Dixon, Stephen Talbott and John Parnell, in addition to sophomore Taylor Elliott and freshman Tayler Tepper.
Last season was a rebuilding year for the Comets, who lost four of their top six players from a third-place district finisher the year before, according to head coach Riddle.
A well-attended off-season conditioning program has Riddle and assistant coach Taylor optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I’ve been looking forward to this year,” explained Riddle.
“Last year was a definite rebuilding year, because we had only two from our top six returning, Pat and Chris, along with a lot of newcomers.
“Four of our top six (Moore, Barnes, Trent, Tuck) return this year, and we have some inexperience at the bottom of the ladder, but the off-season conditioning was probably the best I’ve ever seen.
“If they weren’t participating in a fall or winter sport, they were conditioning for the tennis season, so I was definitely pleased with their work ethic.”
Moore and Barnes, each entering their fourth year with the team, moved up the ladder from fifth and sixth singles seeds to one and two last season, and both improved despite vastly tougher competition, noted Riddle.
“Both Chris and Pat had some rough times last year, but they realized they were in a tough spot playing against higher level players, and that experience will help them this season,” said Riddle.
Second-year player Trent was a pleasant surprise last season, according to Riddle, moving from number five to three singles during the course of the year.
“He basically won at any position we placed him. He’s a pretty solid athlete and will pick up some wins for us this year at number three,” noted Riddle.
Both Tuck and Snead are expected to contribute more after playing most of last season at number six singles and number three doubles, respectively.
“Ralph improved as the season went along last year and I think he’s ready for the challenges he’ll face as one of the higher seeds,” said Riddle.
“Nat played most of last season at number three doubles. If he plays to his ability with confidence and focus, he’ll contribute this season.”
Newcomers Dixon, Parnell, Talbott, Elliott and Tepper, although relatively inexperienced, have shown signs of helping the depth of the team this season, said Riddle.
“Ryan wrestled during the winter and is picking things up right now, so he seems willing to learn, while Taylor was on the swim team and came right over to the tennis courts after that season was over,” explained Riddle.
“He’s definitely willing to learn think we’ll depend on [Taylor] a lot at one of the lower seeds at the start of this season.
Parnell, Talbott and Tepper will each improve with experience on the court, according to Riddle, and will provide extra depth along with that experience.
“John was one of the guys in there conditioning with our returning players and seems to have a ‘knack’ for what’s going on,” he noted.
“Stephen is picking things up and Taylor, our lone freshman, is also learning the game.
“I like freshman coming out because we can build with them for four years.”
The Comets face a schedule roughly the same as years past, with new district member William Fleming replacing Person High School, but the district overall remains tough.
“Two state champs in the last 10 years have come from our district, E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry, two solid programs,” said Riddle.
“But, finishing third two years ago demonstrates what we can do with Halifax tennis, and although last year was a rebuilding year, we think we can do better this year.
“We had seven players last year and having ten this year gives us more flexibility and makes the guys who aren’t seeded hungrier.”
Riddle and Taylor will get a better idea of the ladder in the week prior to the season-opener March 14 at Martinsville.
“We have people competing for positions, and nothing is set right now. We’ll have challenges this week and after our scrimmage (Tuesday at Randolph-Henry) we’ll know more,” explained Riddle.
“The district season is our big focus this year and we hope to pick up some more wins there. It was kind of tough going from third place the year before to last in 2007, but this year we look to make a little more noise, especially with our top seeded guys.
“We’d definitely like to see them advance a little further in the tournament.”

SCCA Event Opens VIR Season

The first spectator event of the season at Alton’s Virginia International Raceway will be run this weekend with the North Carolina Region of the Sports Car Club of America staging its “March Memories” South Atlantic Road Racing Championship regional races.
The two-day event, the first race of the season for the North Carolina Region SCCA, will be run on the 2.25-mile VIR North Course.
Among the bigger races of the weekend will be a one and a half hour race for the cars and teams that compete in the ECR A Group 1 on Saturday and a one and a half hour ECR B Group 4 race which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday morning prior to the track’s lunch break and quiet hour from 11 a.m.-noon.
Also among the events slated for Saturday are a 14-lap or 30-minute SARRC race for Group 2.
Sunday afternoon’s action will include a 45-minute CCPS race for Group 9, and 14-lap or 30-SARRC races for Groups 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10.
Already showing over 220 entrants in ten race groups, the races will be held on VIR’s North Course, the same 2.25-mile track used by NASCAR teams in testing and by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) pro riders on their stunning superbike races.
“We usually run the Full Course,” said one of the Region’s volunteer track workers, “but this weekend, we’re running only the North Course while the NESBA motorcycles run the South Course.”
This ability to run separate events on the track allows VIR to play host to nearly 500 “track days” a year, according to track officers.
The SCCA racers will take to the course in everything from Showroom Stock economy sedans, to all-out mini-GP cars capable of lapping the full course at over 100 mph. Corvettes, Mustangs, Nissans, Toyotas, Volkswagens and Porsches will crowd the track, along with fields of sports racers and even a few old NASCAR racers.
The competing drivers hail from as far away as New Mexico, Nova Scotia and Ontario, Canada, plus the usual contingent of drivers from as close to the track as just a couple of miles from the entrance, in Semora, N.C.
North Carolina has nearly three times the drivers registered of any other state, with Virginia sending just a few more than 30 drivers, according to early registration figures.

Youth Wrestlers Fare Well In Finale

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Eleven members of the Halifax County Youth Wrestling Association won medals Saturday in the Smith Mountain Lake Wrestling Club Tournament held at Staunton River High School.
Tyler Duffer, who had won first place in the three previous tournaments the club has participated in this season, made it a sweep Saturday by winning first place in the 67-78-pound weight class. Duffer was the club’s sole first-place winner in Saturday’s tournament.
Makenzie Gibson, who competes in the 72-80-pound weight class, won a second place medal. Also earning second-place medals were Shon Ballou who competed in the 52-59-pound weight class and Cameron Crowder who placed second in the 66-75-pound weight class. Crowder picked up his first match win of the season in the tournament.
Earning third-place medals were Colby Rivera in the 53-61-pound weight class, Thomas Satterfield in the 62-72-pound weight class, Alex Perkins in the 47-54-pound weight class, Tristen DeGeorgis in the 58-68-pound weight class and James Anderson in the 117-123-pound weight class. Rivera, Satterfield, Perkins and DeGeorgis picked up their first match wins of the season in the tournament.
Jared Messick placed fourth in the 78-84-pound weight class and Evan Hardy placed fourth in the 74-81-pound weight class.
More than 300 youths participated in Saturday’s tournament, which was the fourth and final event of the season for the members of the local wrestling club.
“For the most part, I was very pleased with how the kids did in last Saturday’s tournament,” said coach and association president Jerry Messick.
“Some of the kids that had not won a match this year finally won some matches, It’s always good to see youngsters win their first match and accomplish something positive. I think a lot of them have turned the corner.”
Messick said 27 youngsters participated in the Halifax County Youth Wrestling Association on a regular basis this year.
“I have really enjoyed coaching the kids that we had to come out and participate in the program,” Messick said.
“I thank David Gibson, Dr. Phil Ward and Mickey Armstrong for the help they gave to the program this year. They have given us a lot of support. I’m looking forward to next year and getting the program started up again towards the end of November.”