Friday, April 7, 2006

Fires Cause Estimated $90K In Damage

A two-story home on Handy Bottom Trail was totally destroyed by fire Monday night and a second home, at Straightstone Road, was gutted early Tuesday morning, according to North Halifax VFD Chief L.C. Fisher.
The fire chief estimated $90,000 in total damages at the two homes.
The chief said the call to the Handy Bottom Trail fire came between 6:00-6:30 p.m. Monday when neighbors called in the alarm.
“When we arrived, it was fully involved,” Fisher said.
The chief said the floor at the two-story home, owned by Charlotte Bowe, had burned through and fire was coming from the basement.
Fisher said his department had about 15 men at the scene and they were assisted by approximately 10 men from Liberty Station 8.
“Some of us stayed until about midnight, partly because of wind conditions,” said Fisher.
Although the cause of the blaze is unknown, one resident said he believed lightning ignited the home.
Fisher described the house as a total loss at an estimated a $40,000.
Tuseday morning, at 2:45 a.m., Fisher said the department received a call to a house fire on Straightstone Road.
“One (person) woke up and smelled smoke, got up and saw one room completely involved,” said the chief. Fisher said that room contained the telephone.
“We were fighting a losing battle because of the delay in turning in the alarm,” added Fisher.
He said firefighters stayed at the scene until 6 a.m.
The chief said North Halifax VFD was assisted at the fire by the Brookneal and Renan fire departments as well as the Halifax County Ladder Company.
Fisher said that he “would consider the house a total loss,” describing it as “gutted.”
The chief estimated damage at $50,000. He said Betty Tucker and family lived at the residence, which is owned by Mrs. Bob Harris of South Boston.

 

County Set For First Online Auction
Will Be Conducted Through GovDeals.Com

For the first time, Halifax County will conduct its auction of surplus property and items seized by police online, County Administrator Bryan Foster announced Wednesday.
Foster said that the county has entered into a relationship with www.govdeals.com to conduct the online auction.
“If you’re familiar with e-Bay, the auction will operate in a similar manner with the main difference being this is for government property,” he said.
“The use of Internet auctions has grown tremendously over the past few years,” Foster added. “We have traditionally held a one-day auction once we accumulated enough items to make a live auction feasible and we have not always received the best sales price for certain items. With GovDeals, we will be able to market to a wider audience, thereby increasing our ability to get the best sales price possible.”
Anyone interested in viewing the items for sale or bidding on a specific item can go to the website to register and bid.
“Registration is free and simple to complete,” Foster said.
The county administrator said that only information such as name, address, phone number and e-mail address is required to bid on an item.
“No credit card, bank account, social security number or other personal information is necessary,” he said.
Successful bidders will pay Halifax County directly and not pay over the Internet.
“Citizens who are the winning bidder will deal with the county directly regarding payment and picking up the item they purchased,” Foster said. “We realize there are folks who don’t want to pay over the Internet and they will not need to do so. However, using this process will allow our residents to bid on items from the comfort of home at a time that is convenient for them.”
Photos and descriptions of all items to be sold will appear on the Internet. Sale items will appear online beginning today and will remain online from 10-14 days.
Some of the first items that will appear for sale include a Chevrolet S-10, Ford Crown Victorias and seized property such as electronics, cell phones and other items.
The county will continue to add items to the auction site throughout the year as they become available for sale, Foster said.

 

Investigation: Asbestos Under HCMS, No Danger To Children
School Officials Say Clean-Up Planned, Additional Precautions To Be Taken For Workers
Clean-up will take place next week to remove or cover particles of non-airborne asbestos found in the soil under Halifax County Middle School, according to Halifax County Public School Superintendent Paul Stapleton.
After a complaint from a subcontractor working at the school in late March, school officials contracted with HDH, an asbestos consulting firm, to investigate the presence of asbestos in a labyrinth of tunnels under the school.
In a report on the investigation sent to Stapleton earlier this week, HDH Environmental Services Manager Robin Liebal said small amounts of asbestos were found in the tunnels, but they are not airborne.
Liebal said an investigator was at the construction site on March 22 and March 30 to take samples from the tunnels.
“At no time were ‘palm size’ pieces of debris identified as alleged,” she wrote. “In fact, it took some investigation and digging in the dirt to find pieces to be sampled, the majority of which were found underneath piping in areas that had been previously abated.”
According to the environmental services manager, the asbestos found is a different type than airborne particles previously cleaned from the property.
“Although it is impossible to determine the exact cause of the additional asbestos identified within the crawl space, it is believed to have been in the soil for some time and due to the amount of activity within the area, has surfaced,” she wrote. “This material was not evident during the initial abatement of the area in the crawlspace under this contract and (was) not visible during the visual and air clearance procedures performed by HDH in December of 2005.”
“What they found is insulation material in the dirt that came off the piping under the building,” Stapleton said. “But I feel like anytime you raise an issue like this it requires a certain level of concern for safety.”
Liebal suggested the soil underneath the school be covered while work is being completed.
“It is… my opinion that some type of ground cover be placed within the areas of the crawlspace where the greatest amount of replacement activity is to be performed,” she wrote.
Stapleton said the school system would comply with all suggestions in order to ensure the safety of workers at the job site.
“At this point, we plan to go in next week to comply with the recommendations outlined in the report,” he said.
He added yesterday that clean-up will take place next week when students are on spring break.
“There is no danger to the kids,” he said. “Our focus right now is to protect the workers under the building.”
The superintendent said workers would remove some of the soil and put in plastic to cover the soil next week.
“We aren’t going to take the chance of stirring up any more asbestos,” he said. “We will also monitor the air on a regular basis to ensure the safety of the workers. I think that when this is done, we will be going above and beyond what is required.”
Stapleton said an independent asbestos removal firm would be brought in to review the precautions taken at the school.

 

Obituaries

Annie Pulliam Johnson
Annie Pulliam Johnson of Wilmington, Del., formerly of Charlotte County, died April 1, 2006, at the age of 103.
Mrs. Johnson was born September 15, 1902, to the alte Matt Allen and Sarah Allen and was married to the late Rev. Henry Johnson.
Survivors include three sons, Samuel Pulliam, Wesley Pulliam and John Pulliam; four daughters, Ruth Puryear and husband, Howard, Marie Garlic and husband, Hezekiah, Hattie Pulliam and Mary Alice Brown and husband, Thomas; two sisters, Torrie Hughes and Ellen Banks; 30 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Johnson will be held tomorrow, April 8, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Paul U.A.M.E. Church in Wilmington. Burial will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery .
Stuart W. Roark
Stuart W. Roark, 83, of Chesapeake, died March 31, 2006, at his home.
Born January 2, 1923, in Halifax County, he was the son of the late Labon Roark Sr. and Effie Roark. He was a longtime member of Cradock Baptist Church serving as a deacon, usher, member of the Rechamp Sunday School Class, and on the Premise Committee. Mr. Roartk retired in 1978 from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Shop 31 after 35 years of service as a master machinist.
He is survived by his wife, Arline Saunders Roark; two sons, Richard S. Roark and his wife, Sandra, and Danny L. Roark and his wife, Libby; four grandchildren, Richard S. Roark Jr., Robin D. Roark, Melissa Roark Waddell, and Trevor A. Roark; one great-grandson, Tyler R. Waddell; and one brother, Labon F. Roark.
Mr. Roark was preceded in death by two sisters, Marie Stone and Inez DeJarnette; and six brothers, Clarence, Moral, George, DeRoy, Malcom, and Kent Roark.
Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Rob Edwards at Cradock Baptist Church, Portsmouth at 11:00 a.m. on April 4. Burial followed in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Cradock Baptist Church. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.snellingsfuneralhome.com.
Shirley McDaniel Wilborn
Shirley McDaniel Wilborn, 75, of 5147 Halifax Road, Halifax died April 5, 2006, at The Woodview.
Mrs. Wilborn was born in Pittsylvania County on September 9, 1930, the daughter of the late James W. McDaniel and Sarah Doss McDaniel and was married to the late Earl Trumaine Wilborn. She was a member of Revelation Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Joan W. Hackney and husband, Mark, of Greensboro, N.C. ad Deborah W. Adcock and husband, Wayne, of Cluster Springs; one son, Earl Phillip Wilborn of Halifax; one sister, Margaret M. Glass of Halifax; two devoted friends, Delores Wilborn and Allen Anderson; five grandchildren, Michelle Hackney, Donna Gordon, Matthew Hackney, Brooke Wilborn and Jessica Wilborn; and six great-grandchildren. Mrs. Wilborn was also preceded in death by one grandson, Michael Wagstaff; four sisters and three brothers.
Funeral services will be held today, April 7, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Millstone with the Revs. Jason Murray and Ron Rhew officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, 24592, or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, Ohio 44720.

 

Maxwell A Standout In Sports And Academics
Former South Boston Resident Bill Maxwell Was A Standout In Three Sports As Well As In Academics

When you look for a person that exemplifies the highest standards for a student-athlete, Bill Maxwell fits the bill.
Maxwell, a football and basketball star at Halifax County High School, a standout player in the South Boston Babe Ruth Baseball League and a record-setting kicker on the University of Virginia football team, excelled not only on the playing field, but in the classroom as well.
As a high school senior, Maxwell received the T.C. Watkins Award in 1970 as Halifax County High School’s Male Student Athlete of the Year, an honor that is based on both academic and athletic performance.
In college, Maxwell led the University of Virginia in punting in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and, in 1971 was named as a member of the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team.
It is the combination of excellence in athletics and academics that has led to Maxwell to being inducted into the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame.
One of his former Comets teammates, Alan Parham, summed it up the best in his remarks in nominating Maxwell as a Hall of Fame inductee.
“I believe Bill to be one of the very best examples our youth could have,” Parham wrote.
“He combined academics with athletics very well and, still today, remains an excellent individual, citizen and family man.”
This year’s induction banquet, the 18th annual affair, will be held Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at C.H. Friend Elementary School in South Boston.
Tickets are priced at $20 each in advance and $25 each at the door. Hall of Fame officials noted that only 250 tickets will be sold.
The tickets are available at a handful of locations including Velro Church Supply in Halifax, Halifax Pharmacy, Waskey Cleaners, Electric Service Company, True Value Hardware, the Gazette-Virginian and from any member of the Board of Directors.
Three other individuals, Jack Crews, Don Thompson and Alfred Joseph “Scooter” Savarese, will join Maxwell as inductees into the Hall of Fame this year.
The induction of Maxwell, Crews, Thompson and Savarese will make this year’s class of inductees the largest class to be inducted in 15 years.
Maxwell said being inducted into the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame is a special honor.
“I see it as a great honor,” Maxwell said.
“I think about all of the people that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame and I see such really great people. It was a great opportunity to be able to play sports in Halifax County.”
Maxwell said his biggest influences in sports were his father and former Halifax County High School football coach Coleman Starnes.
“My father always did everything he could to support me in any way,” Maxwell pointed out.”
Starnes, he said “took a bunch of kids, good kids, and molded them into good players, good students and good people. He really cared about you.”
Maxwell played football, basketball and baseball. He had a stellar career in both football and basketball and opportunities for college scholarships in both sports.
“It was a tough call my senior year to go play football or take a basketball scholarship somewhere,” Maxwell said.
“I decided that UVA football was the better choice.”
Maxwell led the University of Virginia in punting in 1971, 1972 and 1973, averaging 36.9 yards per kick in 1971, 35.1 yards per kick in 1972 and averaging 37.8 yards per kick in 1973.
The former South Boston resident said that what he found when he moved from high school football to college football was that the emphasis changed.
“What I found was that the higher you go, the more the emphasis changes from creating a solid person to winning games,” Maxwell said.
“Some of the coaches cared. Others would just try to get the best performance out of a person no matter what it took.”
Maxwell said that at Halifax County High School, the coaches put the best interest of the students first.
“Every coach at Halifax County High School put that first,” Maxwell pointed out.
“They cared more for you as an individual and Coleman (Starnes) was an example of that.
“In college,” Maxwell continued, “you become more of a commodity. You see that in all sports.”

 

Comets Batter PH In District Opener
The HCHS Varsity Baseball Team Pounded Patrick Henry 13-3 Tuesday, Faced Franklin County Last Night And Faces Loyalsock, Pa. Here Today

The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team will complete a busy week here tonight when it faces a team coached by former Comets baseball standout Casey Waller.
Waller and his high school team from Loyalsock Township in Williamsport, Pa. will face the Comets here tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the second game of what will be a JV-varsity doubleheader that will open with the JV game at 4:30 p.m.
Tonight’s game will conclude a busy three-game week for the Comets who routed Patrick Henry 13-3 here in Tuesday’s Western Valley District opener and faced Franklin County in Rocky Mount last night in another key district contest.
Halifax County opened Western Valley District play in a big way Tuesday, bouncing Patrick Henry 13-3 in six innings in the district opener for both teams.
Halifax County (4-4 overall, 1-0 district) was trying to make it two district wins in a row last night when they faced Franklin County (7-1 overall) in Rocky Mount.
“Franklin County is off to a good start and has momentum behind them,” said Comets coach Kelvin Davis.
“There’s no question that’s a big game for us. We’ve got to take our “A” game up there.”
The Comets had some momentum in their favor last night as well.
Halifax County, which had struggled with its hitting through much of the early part of the season, pounded Patrick Henry (3-3 overall, 0-1 district) with 17 hits and was able to end the game under the 10-run slaughter rule in the bottom of the sixth inning.
“We’ve been putting the bat on the ball,” Davis said.
“It was just a matter of time. I told the guys it was just a matter of time before we were going to break loose.”
The win in the district opener was big, Davis said.
Our real season started this week,” pointed out the Comets coach.
“ That was a big win. Nobody else has opened up yet and we’re out front right now. It helps take some of the pressure off. You can’t say enough about the win as far as momentum and how it helps you mentally.”
Not only did the Comets display good offensive firepower, they got a good performance on the mound from starting pitcher Bobby Owens and reliever Jacob Vest.
Owens hurled four innings and struck out four batters while giving up one hit and one walk.
“I thought he threw well,” Davis said.
“ He’s a gamer. I thought he stuck it to them. His change-up and curve ball were really working.”
Vest did a solid job as well, fanning five of the 11 batters he faced through the final two innings and allowing two hits and one walk. Two defensive errors on the part of the Comets made things a little hairy for Vest but Vest was able to keep the Patriots at bay.
Seventeen of the 18 players on the Comets roster saw action and a dozen of them got at least one hit in the contest.
Tony Barbour led the Comets with three hits and Scott Gieselman, Justin Bagbey, Jeremy Jeffress and Jacob Swillie each chipped in two hits.
David Clark, Matt Conner, David Lacks, Joey Rogers, Owens and Billy Joe Garrett each had one hit for the Comets.
The Comets got off to a quick start with a two-RBI single from Jeffress giving the Comets a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Halifax County added four more runs in the bottom of the second inning to make it a 6-0 score. A run-scoring single by Gieselman and a two-RBI hit by Barbour and two Patrick Henry errors keyed the big inning.
A hit by Swillie that plated Lacks who had led off the inning with a walk and a stolen base put the Comets up 7-0 after three innings.
Patrick Henry took advantage of a Comets error and a pair of wild pitches to pick up a run in the top of the fourth inning and cut the deficit to six runs.
Halifax County got that run back and more, rallying for four runs with the help of two-RBI hits from both Lacks and Swillie to push its lead to 11-1.
Two Comets errors, a hit and a walk resulted in two runs for the Patriots in the top of the fifth inning as they trimmed their deficit again, this time making it an 11-3 score.
The score stayed that way until the Comets scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jeffress led off with a double and scored on a hit from Joey Rogers. Rogers was erased when Vest hit into a fielder’s choice. Hits by Garrett and Clark loaded the sacks and a hit by Conner plated Owens to put the Comets over the top and end the game.

 

Varsity Softball Team Wins District Opener
Halifax Gets 12 Hits To Defeat Patrick Henry 11-3

“The Comets got their groove back.” Those were the words of one varsity softball player following Tuesday’s 11-3 win here over Patrick Henry in the Comets’ Western Valley District opener.
Following four wins to open the season, Halifax had faltered at home against Tunstall and Person High in its last two games, untimely errors in the field and lackluster hitting contributing to the losses.
But, except for a couple of lapses, the Comets rebounded in a big way to beat the Patriots in a rematch of last year’s district tournament championship game.
Halifax outhit Patrick Henry 12-4, Lashunda Davis finishing with three hits, including a triple, and three RBI’s, while Jasmine Parker added a two-run base hit, the key blow in a three-run third inning that gave the Comets a lead they would never relinquish.
Heather Oakes slugged a RBI double and Key Ferrell and Mandy Watts contributed RBI singles, while leadoff batter Liz Trickey had a single and scored three runs.
Comets pitchers Beth Throckmorton and Jessie Lloyd, who combined to hold Patrick Henry to four hits, hit a double and single, respectively, while Jessie Morris and Betty Rose added base hits.
Comets coach Melanie Saunders, while pleased with the win in the district opener, was “partly satisfied” with the Comets’ play against the Patriots.
“I’m happy we won our district opener, but not entirely satisfied with the way we played,” began Saunders.
“We didn’t make contact with the ball the first few innings the way we’re capable of doing, and we didn’t hit the ball where it was pitched.”
Halifax batters made contact with the ball, but not solid contact until the third inning when the Comets’ bats broke loose, according to Saunders.
“They may have been a little down at first after two straight losses, but they picked it up later and seemed to play more relaxed,” she added.
Mental mistakes and fielding errors led to three late Patrick Henry runs, and the Comets may have relaxed a little too soon with a comfortable lead in the last two innings, she noted.
“We made mental mistakes in the field that allowed runs, and we can’t afford to do that despite the score. In a tight ball game, it might have cost us,” said Saunders, while adding she was pleased with both her pitchers.
Throckmorton hurled the first five innings, before giving way to Lloyd for the final two frames.
Throckmorton allowed no runs on one hit, striking out 11 batters and walking one, while Lloyd gave up three runs in two innings, striking out two batters and walking none.
The Comets also committed five errors the final two innings, which led to the Patriots’ three runs.
“I was pleased with out pitchers, Beth and Jessie were both on target with their pitches,” said Saunders, adding she was also pleased with catchers Rose and Amelia Saunders.
Halifax stranded three baserunners the first two innings before breaking out in the third, Trickey hitting a leadoff single to start the rally. Heather Oakes sacrificed Trickey to second and Davis reached base on an error, Trickey scoring to make it 1-0.
Davis advanced to third on the play, Rose followed with a single, and the Patriots had no play on a grounder by Ferrell to load the bases.
Parker followed with a two-run base hit to make it 3-0, and the Comets built their lead to 5-0 the next inning.
Heather Oakes reached base on a one-out error and stole second, before scoring on Davis’ triple, and Davis scored on two-out hit by Ferrell.
Halifax scored two more runs in the fifth, using a Throckmorton single to start the rally. Throckmorton advanced to second on a passed ball and Melissa Sims reached on an error before two passed balls scored Throckmorton. Heather Oakes smacked a RBI double to make it 7-0, but the Patriots responded with two runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Two Comets errors put runners aboard with one out, and a throwing error with two out scored the first Patriots’ run. An RBI single plated the second Patrick Henry run to cut the Halifax lead to 7-2.
The Comets used a combination of four hits and two walks to plate their final four runs in the sixth, more than enough to balance a Patriots’ tally in the top of the seventh.
Morris led off the inning with a base hit, Parker walked and Lloyd singled to load the bases. Watts singled home a run and Parker scored on a passed ball for a 9-2 advantage.
Heather Oakes walked to reload the bases and Davis hit a two-run single to make it 11-2.
Patrick Henry used a hit, two errors and another base hit for its final run in the top of the seventh, but a Lloyd strikeout ended the game.
Halifax traveled to Franklin County last night for a crucial district contest, and Saunders said her team would need to jump on the ball and score early against the Eagles.
“Franklin County did not lose much at all from last year, it has hitters throughout its lineup and pretty good defense,” said Saunders.
“We have to score in the early innings, we can’t wait until the fourth or fifth, because it’s tough to play up there in that atmosphere.
“They have great fan support and when we get baserunners on, we have to move them and score runs.”