Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Gluhareff Pleads Guilty

From Staff and Wire Reports
The founder of Wellspring Academy, a now-defunct faith-based school for troubled boys formerly located on Birch-Elmo Road, will spend between 27 and 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to four federal fraud charges Monday.
Robert Serge Gluhareff, 62, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, one count of tax fraud and one count of mail fraud. He was originally charged with 53 federal counts alleging he knowingly deposited more than a half-million dollars in bad checks.
The remaining charges, including money laundering and making false statements before a federal grand jury, were dropped.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Gluhareff will serve between 27 and 33 months in prison, paying $100 a month during his time in prison and will then serve three years of supervised release at which point he will continue to make restitution to his victims.
U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said he feels justice was done.
“I think this was a man who took advantage of parents desperate to find a place for their children,” he said. “Because of that desperation, they were vulnerable. He knew it and took advantage of it to line his own pocket.
“I believe the plea agreement and resulting imprisonment were appropriate for these crimes.”
Gluhareff was the founder and chief executive officer of Wellspring Academy, a residential school that was purported to provide counseling to young people with academic and behavioral problems. The school opened in the late 1980s and by 1997 was a boys-only school until it abruptly closed its doors in April, 2003.
From 2000 until Gluhareff closed the school, between 60 and 100 boys were enrolled, with tuition ranging from $43,000 to $49,000 per student, according to prosecutors.
According to evidence presented in U.S. District Court by federal prosecutors, the school became mired in financial difficulty and couldn’t meet expenses from 1999 until 2003. Gluhareff began to pad school accounts by depositing bad checks into them, prosecutors said.
“Mr. Gluhareff took advantage of parents desperate to find a suitable placement for their sons and caused parents and some of their employers to falsely fill out their own tax returns,” Brownlee said in a statement following the guilty plea.
According to Brownlee, Gluhareff wrote some checks from his personal accounts, but others were written by parents who believed the checks would not be deposited until they had secured loans to cover them.
More than $662,000 in bad checks were deposited into Wellspring accounts between 2002 and April 2003, Brownlee said.
The prosecutor said the government lost more than $400,000 in taxes because Gluhareff told parents that certain tuition payments were tax deductable. He also said Gluhareff asked parents to have their employers donate matching gifts to the school although he was aware the donations were actually tuition payments and not charitable contributions.
On Easter Sunday 2003, Gluhareff called the parents of the boys and told them the academy was closing and they should make arrangements to immediately pick up their children.
Wellspring Academy was operated under the corporate umbrella of The Religious and Educational Institute of Raleigh, Inc.

Heading For Iraq

National Guardsmen from South Boston have been called to enter active duty in Iraq, according to Maj. Gen. Robert B. Newman Jr.
Newman, the adjutant general of Virginia, announced Monday that 64 soldiers from South Boston’s Company A, 429th Brigade Support Battalion will join 108 soldiers from Roanoke’s Company E, 429th Brigade Support Battalion entering federal service on May 11.
“The Guardsmen are currently scheduled to travel to their mobilization station, Camp Shelby, Miss., after a short period of duty at their home armories,” he said.
Newman said the soldiers are being activated for a 13-month tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lt. Col. Chester Carter, public affairs officer for the Virginia National Guard, confirmed that the soldiers will serve in Iraq.
Carter said the unit will spend approximately two months at Camp Shelby before traveling to Iraq.
“We don’t have a specific location (in Iraq) where they will be stationed or a specific mission at this point,” he said. “They’ll get that when they get to Camp Shelby.”
Carter said the South Boston soldiers will support the Roanoke Company — a long-haul transportation company — during the tour.
“The South Boston soldiers will be providing drivers and maintenance support for E Company,” he said.
1st. Sgt. Mike Adams of the South Boston unit declined to comment on the mobilization when contacted yesterday.

Noblin Enters Sheriff’s Race

An estimated 60 county residents turned out at the courthouse Monday to show their support for former deputy and Virginia State trooper Stanley Noblin who announced that he is challenging incumbent D.J. Oakes for the Office of Sheriff in the November general election.
Noblin, who has been in law enforcement for over 14 years, said he decided to seek the office after receiving multiple requests from citizens of the county.
“It was a hard decision,” Noblin said, noting he had to resign from the State Police to run. “The State Police have been good to me. It’s a great organization to work with.”
But he said he sees many positive opportunities for the community and the sheriff’s department.
“My idea of being sheriff is being accessible to the people,” Noblin said. “To the citizens who put their confidence in me to lead the law enforcement in Halifax County.
“I understand being sheriff is an administrative position,” he added. “But the sheriff should also participate and oversee investigations in the field.”
Noblin said as sheriff he would remain “well-trained” and keep all his law enforcement certifications current.
Another goal of Noblin’s would be to enhance cooperation with other area law enforcement agencies, he said.
“Forming a regional task force including all local agencies and the state police,” Noblin said, “would give us more man power to investigate drug crimes.
“We could have eight or nine agents working drug investigations versus three of four,” he added, noting that more arrests lead to more seizures and including the State Police would bring back state funding. “The ultimate goal is to get drugs off the street.
Noblin said he recognizes that drugs and drug-related crime remain a major hurdle in the county.
“A lot of the break-ins and larcenies in the county are fostered by the need to buy drugs,” Noblin said. “I’d take a more aggressive approach by re-forming the regional task force.
“If we could go back to working together,” Noblin added, “criminals would be afraid to commit a crime in Halifax County.”
Noblin, a Halifax County native, began his law enforcement career with the Clover Police Department in 1993, then served as a sheriff’s deputy for two years before joining the State Police, where he has spent the last 10 and a half years.
If elected, Noblin said he would work to provide a positive and supportive work environment within the sheriff’s department and strive to get the department accredited.
“With accreditation comes accountability and respect,” Noblin said.
Also, all existing employees would be evaluated on their job performance as well as their ability to work with other officers within the department and work cooperatively with officers from other law enforcement agencies.
Noblin, who is running as an independent, said he wants to make a positive change in the county’s law enforcement.
“I’m running as an independent because there’s no place in law enforcement for politics,” Noblin said. “I want to foster equal representation for all the citizens of the county.”
Noblin currently resides in the Bethel community with his wife, Emily, and their three children, Sara, Olivia and Leo.
“I want to make Halifax County a safer place to raise our children and grandchildren,” Noblin said. “And I ask for your support.”

Obituaries

Bessie Fears Cook

Bessie Fears Cook, 89, of Rustburg died April 1, 2007, at her home. She was the wife of the late Carson Ellis Cook.
Mrs. Cook was born in Halifax County September 27, 1917, daughter of the late Bennie Fears and Mamie Coates Fears. She was a member of Faith Baptist Church and retired employee of Daystrom Furniture Co.
Survivors include four sons, Aubrey Cook and wife, Carol, of Concord, Carroll Cook and wife, Judy, of Lynchburg, Glen Cook and wife, Evelyn, of Seneca, S.C., and James Cook and wife, Sandra, of Forest; one daughter, Patricia Hull of Rustburg; one brother, Carlton Fears of Lynchburg; three sisters, Elizabeth Bomar of Brookneal, Joyce Peade of South Boston, and Ollie Mayhew of Lynchburg; 25 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
One son, William Cook; and a granddaughter, Tabitha Cook, preceded Mrs. Cook in death.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today, April 4, at Childrey Baptist Church with the Rev. Charlie Harbin officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Barbara Gill-Barksdale

Barbara Gill-Barksdale, 65, of New York died March 28, 2007, at Tish Hospital in New York.
Mrs. Barksdale was born in Miami, Fla. December 31, 1941, the daughter of the late Ernestine Chess Barker and Benjamin Gill, and was married to Willie Lynwood Barksdale. She was a member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Survivors include her husband; and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Barksdale will be held today, April 4, at 2 p.m. at Sunflower Baptist Church in Halifax County with Pastor Robert Tucker officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Lorine Yancey Granger

Lorine Yancey Granger, 80, of 5133 Clays Mill Road, Scottsburg died April 2, 2007, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Granger was born in Halifax County February 10, 1927, the daughter of the late James Henry Yancey and Gertie Smith Yancey and was married to Billy Marshall Granger. She was a member of Winns Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors of Mrs. Granger include her husband; one son, Bill Granger and wife, Susan, of Halifax; one grandson, Drew Granger of Halifax; and one sister, Jean Y. Martin of South Boston.
One daughter, Joan Dale Granger; and one sister, Lucille Covington, also preceded Mrs. Granger in death.
Funeral services will be held today, April 4 at 2 p.m. at Winns Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Tim Madison, the Rev. James Kopco and Father David Booher officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Otis Bowie Snead Jr.

Otis Bowie Snead Jr., 85, of 1051 Wolf Trap Road, South Boston died April 2, 2007, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Snead was born in Halifax County June 4, 1921, the son of the late Otis Bowie Snead Sr. and Lucy Bell Watts Snead and was married to Violet Ebbert Snead. He was a member of Beth Car Baptist Church, and a member of Staunton School for the Deaf Football Hall of Fame.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Darius Snead and wife, Rachel, Dennis H. Snead and wife, Angela, all of South Boston, and Dan Lloyd Snead and wife, Gwynn, of Halifax; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. One sister, Mirian S. Atwood, also preceded Mr. Snead in death.
Graveside services will be held today, April 4, at 2 p.m. at Oakland Cemetery with Nathan Good officiating.

Rev. Dr. Emmett H. Jeffress

Rev. Dr. Emmett H. Jeffress, 77, of Rensselaer, N.Y., formerly of Scottsburg, died March 28, 2007, in New York.
Rev. Jeffress was born in Halifax Ccounty February 15, 1930, the son of the late Rev. Henry Jeffress and Vealer Richardson Jeffress and was married to Dolly M. Jeffress. He was pastor of Wilborn Temple First Church of God in Christ in Albany, N.Y., and was a U.S. Army Veteran.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Louise Cooper of Danville; one brother, the Rev. Freddy Jeffress and wife, Edith, of Scottsburg; two sisters, Gracie Coleman and husband, Aaron, and Mary Davenport and husband, Jake, all of Scottsburg; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Rev. Jeffress will be held today, April 4, at 11 a.m. at Wilborn Temple Church in Albany.
Friday, April 6, the remains will lie-in-state at The Crawford House Chapel in Halifax where the family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thereafter, a graveside service will be held at Spanish Grove Baptist Church cemetery in Scottsburg with Military Rites by American Legion Post #99.

Irene Copley Jones

Irene Copley Jones, 89, of 1808 Vaughan Street, South Boston died April 2, 2007, at her home.
Mrs. Jones was born in Halifax County November 25, 1917, the daughter of the late Bessie Clements Copley and Charles O. Copley and was married to the late Leroy Wilson Jones Sr. She was a member of First Baptist Church where she worked with the Nursery for 31 years.
Survivors include one daughter, Ramah Hope Reynolds and husband,Greg, of Vienna; one son, Leroy W. ‘Butch’ Jones of Scottsburg; one grandson, Eric Reynolds of Vienna; one granddaughter, Kristine Reynolds of Vienna; one sister, Doris C. Clarke of Richmond; and special family members, Katie, Ryan and Jaden DeJarnette and Nick and Heather Wilson.
One sister, Evelyn Hupp; and four brothers, Marvin Copley, Oswald, Copley, Thurman Copley and Charles Copley, also preceded Mrs. Jones in death.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, April 5, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Tim Cannon officiating. Burial will follow in Halifax Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends this evening, April 4, from 7:00 until 8:30 at Powell Funeral Home, and other times at her home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Patrick Henry Boys Home, P.O. Box 1398, Brookneal, 24528.

Kevin Wayne Talbott

Kevin Wayne Talbott, 29, of 1057 Paradise Road, Alton died April 1, 2007. He was born in South Boston August 18, 1977, the son of Curtis Wayne Talbott and Mary Pierce Talbott.
Mr. Talbott was of the Baptist Faith.
Survivors include his parents; two sisters, Donna Talbott of Waynesboro, and Tammy T. Child and husband, Chad, of South Boston; one brother, Curtis Neil Talbott of South Boston; his maternal grandmother, Myrtle Ray of Clarksville; one daughter, Brooklyn Marie Talbott of South Boston; a niece and nephew, Lauren and Drew Tetterton of South Boston; and a special friend, Nicole Parker.
Funeral services for Mr. Talbott will be held today, April 4, at 11 a.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Jack Stewart and Richard Saunders officiating. Burial will follow in Halifax Memorial Gardens.

Lady Comets Nip Tunstall

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
A two-out base hit by Betty Rose and RBI double by Lashunda Davis in the fourth inning produced the only run of the game, as the Comets varsity softball team edged Tunstall 1-0 here Monday.
Halifax pitchers Paige Rickman and Stephanie Clark made the lone run stand up in a duel with Trojans standout hurler Brittany Arnn.
Rickman started and pitched the first two innings, giving way to Clark after being hit by a pitch while batting in the bottom of the second.
Rickman had allowed only one hit while striking out three Trojans by then, and Clark allowed only one hit, a seventh inning single, while collecting nine strikeouts in five innings of work.
Rickman and Clark did not walk a batter, and neither did Arnn, who allowed three hits and recorded seven strikeouts in seven innings, Liz Trickey’s sixth inning single the only other Halifax hit in the contest.
Monday’s game was exactly the type of competitive contest Comets coach Melanie Saunders expected from the Trojans and wanted to help prepare her team for the upcoming district schedule.
“These are the types of games we need to see all the time before the district starts, against teams of this caliber,” said Saunders.
“They have a great pitcher who moves the ball and has a great change-up, everybody saw that today.
“They have hitters through the lineup who do different things and they have speed on the bases.”
The Comets made the plays at the plate and in the field that were necessary to win a tight game, according to Saunders, who noted the pitching of Rickman and Clark, the Comets’ defense and the key hits that produced the game’s only run.
“Paige did a good job on the mound the first two innings, and Stephanie did well in finishing the game, moving the ball around and letting our defense work,” said Saunders.
A first inning double by Nicole Barbour and single by Emily Atkinson were the only hits allowed by Comets pitching, and Halifax broke through with back-top-back hits by Rose and Davis to break the deadlock in the fourth inning.
“Arnn had much more velocity on the ball than some of the other pitchers we’ve faced,” explained Saunders.
“It took us awhile to get our bats moving, and we just need to adjust to different speeds. We have some young kids who are learning to make adjustments from fast to slow pitching.
“I’m not down on what we’re doing at the plate, we just have to make the adjustments.”
The Comets are getting an idea of what it takes to win tight ball games, emphasized Saunders, starting with the leadership of returnees such as Rose and Davis.
“We’ve been preaching to hit the ball where it’s pitched. Rose got on base and Davis hit the ball to the right side, and we’re finding that the kids from last year are stepping up to provide leadership for the new players.”
Halifax, now 7-0 on the season, has another tough test with a game here tomorrow against Person High School, a solid team with another good pitcher, Brittany Shotwell.
While not downplaying the Comets’ undefeated record, Saunders noted that everything her team is now doing on the diamond is pointing toward district competition.
“It looks good being 7-0, but it’s what you do in the district that helps you toward the regionals,” said Saunders.
“I’m glad we’re winning ball games, but I just want to make sure we’re playing solid teams to get us ready for the district games.”
The game against Person is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer Drops Bulldogs

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
The Comets varsity girls soccer team got two goals from Melissa Smith, and one each from Mary Beale, Sarah Rosche and Suzanne Gasperini to defeat Martinsville 5-1 here Monday.
Halifax peppered Martinsville with 37 shots on goal for the game, including a 20-4 edge in the first half which ended with the Comets holding a 2-0 lead.
Smith had nine first-half shots on goal the opening half, her initial goal coming off a free kick at the 29:24 mark, and Beale scored at the 24:24 mark off an assist from Krystal Hooker.
Comets keeper Leah Yosich kept Martinsville off the board with four saves in the first half, a couple of them from point blank range, and Halifax made it 3-0 barely four minutes into the second half.
Sarah Rosche struck from 30 yards out with an assist from Emily Rosche to make it 3-0, before Martinsville responded with its only goal just past the halfway mark of the final half.
The Comets continued to pull away with two late goals, the first by Melissa Smith at the 38:54 mark with an assist from Hooker, and Gasperini with a goal at the 40:23 mark with an assist from Smith.
Halifax controlled action in the midfield area throughout the game, the lone Martinsville goal coming on one of its few runs down the field.
Yosich had seven total saves in goal for the Comets, including several from close-in.
“We’re very pleased with the way the girls played tonight,” said Comets coach Sid Young.
“They went out real hard and led 2-0 at halftime, and it could have been more. We had a 20-4 edge in shots the first half and a six to one advantage in corner kicks, with the Martinsville keeper having to make 15 saves.
“The girls kept the pressure on the entire game, and that helped lead to the two goals at the end.”
Young added that the solid win against Martinsville gives the Comets momentum as they prepare to face E.C. Glass tomorrow in Lynchburg in their Western Valley District opener.
“Thursday is a big test,” noted Young. “The girls and I feel like we can compete with Glass and they’re excited about it.
“We need to control the ball and play good defense, and we also need a good offensive game.
“We’ve come close before, but it will be a big step forward if we can beat them.”
The game at Glass is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Inspection Of Anderson’s Engine Part Of Track Rules

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
A move Saturday night by South Boston Speedway’s NASCAR officials to take the engine of South Boston Limited Sportsman Division driver Bruce Anderson and submit it for inspection was made under the track’s rules for the division, South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice explained Monday.
Rice emphasized there is no suspicion that Anderson or his team have done anything wrong.
The results of last Saturday night’s twin 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division races were declared pending the completion of an inspection of Anderson’s engine.
An announcement regarding the outcome of the inspection and final race results could come as early as today.
Last season South Boston Speedway officials made a move to utilize what are popularly called “crate engines” in the track’s Limited Sportsman division.
“These engines are General Motors engines straight from the factory,” Rice pointed out.
“When a competitor calls and tells us he wants to purchase an engine, we get the engine here at the track, a NASCAR track official seals the engine and the competitor then picks it up.
“All of the engines are exactly alike because they come straight from GM,” Rice continued.
“Teams are not allowed to break the seals and make alterations to the engine.”
Because the engines are sealed, if track NASCAR officials want to have the engine or any components of the engine inspected, the entire engine must be removed from the competitor’s car.
If the engine passes inspection, a track NASCAR official reseals the engine and it is returned to competitor.
On the other hand, if something is found that is deemed to be wrong, the engine will be confiscated and appropriate penalties specified in the division rules will be handed down.
A routine inspection, Rice said, is what transpired this past Saturday night.
“An inspection of a competitor’s engine can be made at any time at the discretion of the track’s NASCAR officials,” Rice pointed out.
“It’s because we use sealed crate engines that Bruce’s engine had to be removed and sent off.”
Rice pointed out that track NASCAR officials have the discretion to inspect the engine of any competitor in the division at any time.
Anderson said Monday that his team has not done anything to break any rules.
“This is just a process that we’re going through (under the rules),” Anderson pointed out.
“If it (the decision on the engine) comes back that the engine is wrong, it is going to be because it (the engine) was wrong when we bought it.”
Rice also noted that a new rule has been added in the Limited Sportsman division rulebook this season. The rule states that if a competitor wins three races in a row, he or she will have to start in the middle of the pack in the next race, regardless of where he qualifies under the clock.
That means that Anderson, if his pair of wins in last Saturday’s race stand, will have to start in the middle of the pack in the division’s next race.