Monday, April 10, 2006

Scottsburg Man Charged, Child Porn

A 58-year-old Scottsburg man was arrested Thursday on sexual battery and child pornography charges after the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office received a tip and conducted a search of his residence, according to Halifax County Sheriff’s Office Captain Larry Fears.
Edwin Martin, of McDonald Road, was charged with causing a minor to perform or be a subject of sexually explicit visual material, possession of child pornography and committing aggravated sexual battery on a minor less than 13 years of age, Fears said.
Martin was arrested after Sheriff’s deputies and investigators executed a search warrant at the residence stemming from information provided by a concerned citizen and the Department of Social Services, according to Fears.
The search of Martin’s residence yielded a number of video tapes that police allege appear to have been produced at the residence and reportedly involve a number of participants under the age of 18, according to Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kim White.
White said her office is considering placing additional charges against Martin based on evidence recovered from his residence and statements made to investigators.
Martin is being held without bond in the Halifax Regional Jail.
He is scheduled to appear in Halifax Juvenile and Domestic Court on April 19, Fears said.

 

South Boston Town Council

Hearing On Capital Improvement Plan On Tap Tonight

A public hearing on the proposed five-year Capital Improvement Budget for South Boston will get under way tonight at 7 o’clock in South Boston Council Chambers at 502 Yancey Street.
Staff’s recommended FY 2006-2011 budget provides $2,661,326 (General Fund) and $107,375 (water/sewer) for capital improvements for the first year of the five-year capital improvement program.
Of the total General Fund capital projects for FY 2006-2007, $955,248 is being provided through grants and other state funding programs with $1,706,078 in General Fund revenues.
Tonight, Council will also address a request from Sharon Glassman of Marshall Avenue to close the unopened but dedicated alley behind her residence, east of Marshall Avenue and north of Fenton Street.
A three-member Board of Viewers, Ann Grabtree, Buddy Wilborn and Dick Pond, met last month at the request of Council regarding the alley. However, at Council’s March work session, it was noted property owners at the northern part of the alley had not been notified, while others were alerted to the proposal. The town manager recommended that Council put the matter on its April agenda.
Also on the agenda, a proposed non-smoking policy in town-owned facilities. In other business, Council is expected to offer a resolution honoring Erle Scott for his service to the Industrial Development Authority. Scott ‘s new position as the town’s financial director excludes him from serving on the IDA.

 

Halifax Town Council

Councilmen Bark Over Leash Law

The debate grew heated Thursday as Halifax councilmen addressed proposed changes to the town’s dog ordinance.
Councilman Charles Parker argued that stricter language should be adopted forbidding dogs from running at large in town.
Councilmen Jack Dunavant disagreed, saying that a leash law was unnecessary for the town and that existing county ordinances protected people and property from destructive dogs.
Halifax County Animal Control Officer Emmet Edmonds told Council that his department enforces county animal ordinances within the town and that any town resident who suffer property damage or has been threatened by an aggressive dog can call him.
Most of the stray dogs have a pattern, Edmonds said. If they are a problem traps can be put out, he added.
The existing dog ordinance in Halifax allows for dogs to run free as long as they are licensed.
Parker said residents have a problem with dogs running at large as evidenced by the crowd at the Planning Commission and at Council’s last meeting when the issue was addressed.
“They’re (residents) telling us there’s an issue with these dogs,” Parker said. “Are we going to say that there isn’t?
“We can say dogs should not be allowed to roam free,” he added.
Dunavant disagreed, saying a leash law is unnecessary for Halifax.
“I’m not willing to go to a leash law for the little, rural town of Halifax,” Dunavant said.
Councilman Alan Stevens said a leash law might not be the answer to the town’s roaming dog problem.
“The real problem is stray dogs,” Stevens said. “A leash law won’t help.
“People need to call animal control first,” Stevens said, noting county regulations against destructive dogs can be applied in town.
Council voted to put the new dog ordinance on the agenda for their meeting Tuesday night.
Also on Tuesday’s agenda is a motion to ask VDOT and the Halifax County Public Schools to address the dangerous traffic situation in front of Halifax Elementary School.
Halifax Police Chief Devin Snead told Council that vehicles are double parking and making illegal U-turns in the drop off area in front of the school on Mountain Road.
VDOT recently put up signs warning drivers that U-turns are illegal in front of the school.
Several councilmen thought the signs should not have been erected and should be removed.
“I think this is an overreaction,” Dunavant said. “I think the signs ought to come down.”
Councilman Parker said that going through the school’s parking lot, currently the only alternative to making a U-turn to turn around, is also not safe.
“There are no good options,” Parker said. “Little kids in the parking lot go everywhere.”
Council agreed that the school needs to provide a turn around area.
“We need to provide people with a good alternative,” Dunavant said.
Also on Tuesday’s agenda is a request from the Rev. Terry Blevins, board member of Healthy Families of Halifax, to declare April Child Abuse Awareness Month in the town.
Council will then go into closed session to address property matters.
After Tuesday’s regular meeting Council will hold a special call meeting to review the preliminary draft and make amendments to the town’s personnel policy manual.

 

Four Inducted Into Sports Hall Of Fame

Don Thompson, Jack Crews, Bill Maxwell and “Scooter” Savarese Were Inducted Into The Sports Hall Of Fame Saturday
Another page was added to the history of Halifax County sports Saturday night with the induction of Don Thompson, Bill Maxwell, Jack Crews and Alfred Joseph “Scooter” Savarese into the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame.
This year’s class, the largest class to be inducted in 15 years, swelled the number of individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame to 59.
The individuals inducted during Saturday night’s 18th annual inductions banquet comprised a diverse group.
Thompson, a former basketball coach at Halifax County High School and, later, Hampden-Sydney College, is the winningest coach in the history of Halifax County High School.
Crews was a standout athlete in both football and basketball and went on to have a stellar college football career at Virginia Tech.
Maxwell was also a football and basketball standout at Halifax County High School and went on to play football at the University of Virginia where he set several kicking records.
Savarese was a noted baseball player and had an outstanding baseball career playing for the former South Boston Wrappers semi-pro baseball team.
Scholarship Recipients
In addition to the induction of the four members of the Class of 2006 into the Hall of Fame, three Halifax County High School student-athletes were presented scholarships.
Bobby Owens, a standout in baseball, football and track and field, was presented the Buck Williams Scholarship.
Owens has a 91 grade-point average. He was named as the recipients of the Comets football team’s Best Offensive Back award in 2004.
This past season he was named as the team’s Most Valuable Player on offense and was named the Player of the Year in the Western Valley District. In addition, he was named to the First Team All-Western Valley District Team, named to the Second Team All-Northwest Region Team and was selected to play in this year’s Virginia High School League Coaches Association All-Star Game.
Owens has been a member of the HCHS varsity baseball team for four year, was named to the Second Team All-Western Valley District Team last year and, a s a member of the Comets indoor track team, was named last year to the All-Western Valley District Team.
Halifax County High School football and wrestling standout Damon Chambers was named as the recipient of the Matze Family Scholarship which was presented by Kenneth Matze.
Chambers has a 93 grade-point average, a member of the National Honor Society, and has served as a member of the school’s Ecology Team and Peer Mediators group.
He is a four-year letterman in wrestling, received the Coaches Award in 2004 and was named as the Most Valuable Wrestler this past season.
Chambers has played football for four years and was named as the Most Valuable Player on defense this past season. In addition, Chambers was an All-Western Valley pick in football.
Halifax County High School senior Deelynn Leigh was named as the recipient of the Hugh M. Moore Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship presented by the Sports Hall of Fame.
Leigh has a 94.4 grade-point average and was a participant in the Junior Leadership Program in 2004-2005.
She was a member of the HCHS volleyball team for three years, lettered in two years and was named as the Most Valuable Player in 2005. In addition, she was a member of the varsity girls basketball team for three years, lettered two seasons and was an All-Western Valley District pick.
The Inductees - Jack Crews
Crews was a standout in both football and basketball at Halifax County High School. In 1971, in his senior year, Crews led the Comets defense with the most tackles (53). On offense, Crews, playing end, had eight catches for 147 yards, an 18.4 yards per catch average, and two touchdowns.
He was also an All-Western District pick and an All-Northwest Region pick that season.
In basketball, Crews scored 231 points during his senior year for a 13.1 points per game scoring average. He was named to the All-Western Valley District Team.
His brother, Calvin Crews, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, presented him for induction.
It was a true family affair for the Crews brothers. Calvin Crews, during his presentation, told the audience of their experiences growing up on the family farm in the northern part of the county and of his brother’s outstanding athletic accomplishments.
Laughing, he told the audience, “he was the most mischievous boy you’d ever want to see. I received more punishment trying to protect my big brother than you could imagine.”
Jack Crews said he was truly grateful to receive this honor.
“I never thought this day would come,” Jack Crews said.
“When I got the call from Mr. Dillard saying I had been nominated by the committee and had been accepted, I was overwhelmed. I’m excited to be in your presence here this evening and to be recognized as an athlete that has passed through here. I thank God for the opportunity to be before you this evening”
Crews, who played under former Comets football coach and former Comets basketball coach Bill Morningstar, who the guest speaker for the evening, said they were tough coaches but were fair.
“Coach Starnes and Coach Morningstar, “ he said, “were two of the toughest coaches I ever worked for. They were two tough guys, but they taught us a lot.”
Don Thompson
Former Halifax County High School basketball players Ed Owens and L.F. Elliott, both o whom played under Thompson, presented Thompson, a former Halifax County High School and Hampden-Sydney College coach, for induction.
“We were strangers when we met, he became my coach, he became my mentor and today I’m proud to call him a dear friend,” Elliott said.
Elliott called Thompson an innovator.
“People ask me why he was he so successful and I say because he was so innovative,” Elliott told the audience.
“ I think we were one of the first teams in the state of Virginia in high school that we would switch defenses when someone made a shot or missed a shot. That kept teams off balance all night long. “
Owens said Thompson was a coach that was able to get the most out of his players.
“I’m happy to be here tonight as a product of his work,” Owens said.
“He inspired you. He was able to get the most out of players. I want to thank him, not only for what he’s done for me, but for so many young men in this community. It was not only athletics, he inspired you to be better people.”
Thompson said, “it’s an honor and a privilege to be in this Hall of Fame, to be with this class with Bill, Jack and Scooter and all of those ahead of me. It’s wonderful and I’m so excited and so honored to be a member of this Hall of Fame.”
The former Comets coach told the audience, “it’s been a wonderful ride.” The journey to this point, Thompson added, has been a wonderful experience.
“I love the players,” he noted.
“I love the fans, I love the parents. Heck, even on this night I love the referees,” he laughed.
Bill Maxwell
Former Halifax County High School football coach Coleman Starnes presented Maxwell for induction.
“It’s always a satisfying experience when former players do real well and they’re honored and recognized for all of their accomplishments,” Starnes pointed out.
The former coach pointed out that when he returned here to coach in 1967 he had a group of about a half a dozen sophomores that he took to the varsity level and that they had a close bond and a close friendship, a friendship that continues today.
“That group of young people and the other friends and players that were in there were very, very close. They were good athletes, very bright, very hard-working kids and they had a tremendous will to win.
“Bill was one of those kids,” he added.
“ A lot of his friends and people that played with him are here tonight. I think that’s a testimony to how close and how much a team that these young men were. I am extremely proud to say that all of them grew up to do much better than their coach.”
Maxwell, a retired bank executive, said that he has observed in business that people who were athletes and had played sports often excelled as a result of their competitive spirit. He also pointed out that lessons learned in sports carried over to life and business.
“If you go through sports, you’re going to have your ups and downs,” Maxwell pointed out.
“In sports, there are good days and bad days. You try so hard and you lose a game and you have to go right back and start all over again. It’s no different in business. You get a contract or you get a promotion, you lose a valuable client, it’s all very similar.”
Maxwell pointed out the positive attributes that playing sports instills in a person, the value of exercise and the value of building long-lasting friendships and having good friends.
“In our case, we have stayed very close through the years,” he said.
“ One of the most important things in my life is being able to stay connected.”
He also pointed out the important roles that Starnes and Morningstar played in his life.
“I think about Bill and Coleman and how they were wonderful coaches and mentors for all of us when we came through high school,” he said.
“That has tended to be the way Halifax County has always been.”
Starnes, he said, “was special at teaching people that this is the way you live your life. It’s more than winning a ballgame. These are values you take with you that you can use the rest of your life.”
“Scooter” Savarese
Bill Matze presented Savarese for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Matze pointed out that Savarese came here from New York and made his home in this community.
“We’ve been enriched by his staying here in South Boston,” Matze said.
Savarese spun a series of stories about his experiences playing with the South Boston Wrappers and his experiences with coach Jimmy Epps, a previous inductee into the Hall of Fame.
He stated that when it came down to being ready to go, Epps was always ready to play.
“Jimmy had his team ready to go on opening day. When the bell rang, he was ready,” Savarese said.
“We had a lot of good times with Jimmy.”
Savarese said Epps had only three signals that his players had to learn.
“He said, “I don’t care if the other team knows them, just as long as you know them.”
Guest Speaker -
Bill Morningstar
Former Halifax County High School basketball coach Bill Morningstar was the guest speaker for the night. This marked the first time in the 18-year history of the inductions banquet that a guest speaker has had a personal connection with each of the inductees.
“I know these four out here really well,” he said.
“Don Thompson was a guy that beat me a couple of times when I was coaching at Halifax. We got along real well. When I left Halifax, he came and won more games there than any coach in the history of Halifax County High School.”
Savarese, he continued, “worked with my dad in the telephone office and I got to hang around with him through the years. He’s a truly outstanding person. Bill Maxwell and Jack Crews, I had the privilege of coaching them in basketball.”
Morningstar said he had been fortunate in his career to have had some very good players.
“First, you have to have talent,” he noted.
“ You have to love to play and you have to love to win.”

 

Comets Baseball Team Extends Win Streak

Halifax County Downed Loyalsock Township 6-4 Here Friday On A Reunion Night For Former Comets Players Kelvin Davis and Casey Waller
It has been quite some time since former Comets players Kelvin Davis and Casey Waller had been on a baseball field together.
The former teammates on the Halifax County High School state championship baseball team of 1984 were reunited here Friday night, albeit as coaches of opposing teams.
Davis and his Comets team prevailed 6-4, holding off a late bid by the Loyalsock High School Lancers to score their fifth straight win.
“It was a special night for me and it was good to get a win,” said Davis after the win that pushed his team to 6-4 overall and 2-0 in Western Valley District play.
“It was a great night. It brought back a lot of memories. It was so special to see Casey. He is still a hard-nosed ballplayer like me. I knew he was going to bring a good quality ballclub down here.
“We played a good quality hitting club,” Davis said of the Lancers.
“It’s very fortunate that we got runners on (base) and got some key base hits and everything fell our way tonight.”
Both teams made their share of mistakes with the Comets committing four errors and the Lancers making two errors. The difference rested with the fact that the Comets were able to overcome their miscues.
“Errors are going to come here and there,” Davis said.
“ But, we also made some big plays that got us out of some tough innings. You’ve got to play through everything that you come up against. We did that tonight.”
The Comets had seven hits in the contest with Matt Conner, Justin Bagbey, Jeremy Jeffress, David Lacks, Bobby Owens, Jacob Swillie and Kaleb Long each getting a hit.
Comets freshman Kyle Long got the starting call and went four and a third innings. He struggled at times, walking seven batters. However, he yielded just two hits and fanned five batters.
Halifax got off to a good start with leadoff batter Willie Stephens getting a walk, stealing second base and scoring on a double by Conner to go up 1-0.
The Comets added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning to go up 3-0. Owens got a hit with one out and scored when Swillie reached second base on a Lancers error. Swilie stole third base and scored when Kaleb Long laid down down a bunt that netted him a hit and a RBI.
Loyalsock (3-2 overall) scored a run in the top of the third inning when Logan Davis doubled and scored when Michael Drumbaugh reached base on an error.
Halifax bounced back to score three more runs in the bottom of the third inning which began with Bagbey being hit by a pitch and scoring on a double by Jeffress. A hit by lacks scored Jeffress, Owens walked and a hit by Swillie scored Lacks to out the Comets up 6-1.
The Comets victimized themselves with miscues in the top of the fifth inning that included a pair of errors and a pair of wild pitches. After the Lancers scored two unearned runs, Chris Fisher came in to relieve Long on the mound. A sacrifice on the part of the first batter that Fisher faced added a third unearned run for the Lancers and allowed them to cut their deficit to two runs at 6-4. Fisher fanned the next batter to get the Comets out of the inning.
Halifax found a little difficulty in the top of the sixth when Fisher walked two of the first four batters he faced in the inning. Owens came to the hill and Halifax got out of the inning when Drumbaugh smashed a ball back to Owens and Owens made the easy play to first base to retire the side.
Owens and the Comets retired Loyalsock in order in the seventh inning to cap the contest.
Davis said he felt Long did a good job on the mound.
“Kyle struggled a little bit on his change-up and curve balls, but I thought if we made plays behind him he’d still be in the ballgame to the end,” Davis said.
“We have to make plays behind our pitchers and, in a couple of instances, we didn’t. Fisher is our middle reliever and he came in and did a good job to set up for Bobby (Owens) and he did a good job.”
Waller said it was mistakes that hurt his team.
“The first half (of the game) we didn’t come out mentally prepared to play and weren’t focused,” Waller said.
“ We were making too many mental mistakes. We knew Long had a good pickoff move and we got picked off twice. That’s a mental mistake, not staying focused.
“We kicked the ball around a little bit,” he added.
“ I thought our guys swung the bats well, but had too many base running mistakes and too many fielding mistakes. We didn’t decide to kick it into another gear until the fourth inning. By that time, it was too late.”

 

Comets Blank Franklin Co.

The HCHS Varsity Baseball Team Picked Up Its Second District Victory With A 4-0 Road Win Over Franklin County

The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team picked up a big win Thursday night, blanking Franklin County 4-0 to pick up its second Western Valley District win in as many games.
Comets senior hurler Jeremy Jeffress, pitching in front of almost two dozen pro baseball scouts, went the distance and fanned 15 batters while yielding five hits and two walks.
“Jeremy was definitely on his game,” said Comets head coach Kelvin Davis.
“He had one of his best outings of the year. He was hitting his spots well. I’d have hated to have had to face him myself.”
The road win was a big boost for the Comets who pushed themselves over the .500 mark for the first time since early in the season. More importantly, the win gave the Comets a sweep of their first two district games and put them on top in the district standings.
“It was an all-around good game for us,” said Davis.
“We got the key hits when we needed them and we made the plays defensively when we had to make the plays. Everybody was ‘up’ for this game.”
The Comets had a good night offensively, coming up with nine hits in the contest. Willie Stephens led the team with three hits and Bobby Owens chipped in two hits as they accounted for over half of the team’s offense.
David Lacks had a hit, that being a solo homer homer in the second inning. Justin Bagbey, Tony Barbour and Jacob Swillie also had a hit each.
The Comets scored three runs in the top of the second inning with Lacks giving the Comets a 1-0 lead on a solo homer with one out. Owens followed with a single, stole second base and scored on a hit by Swillie.
Swillie stole second base, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Stephens to put the Comets up 3-0.
Halifax County added its final run in the top of the fourth inning when Owens singled with one out, stole second base, moved to third base when Kaleb Long reached base on an error and scored on a double by Stephens.
Jeffress fanned eight of the 15 batters he faced through the first four innings. A base hit and fielder’s choice gave Franklin County two baserunners with one out in the fifth inning but Jeffress got out of the jam by fanning the next two batters to end the inning.
A hit and a walk allowed Franklin County to get runners on at first base and third base with two out in the sixth inning and Jeffress again got out of the jam by fanning the final batter.
After Franklin County’s leadoff batter singled to open the bottom of the seventh inning, the Comets and Jeffress got out of that spot as well. A strikeout by Jeffress, a pop fly to first base and another strikeout ended the inning and the game.
Franklin County stranded eight runners while the Comets left four runners on the sacks.
Davis said he fully expects to see another close game when Franklin County comes here on May 2.
Franklin County is going to be tough,” Davis said.
“They were 8-1 going into this game. They are a quality ballclub. They’re a team that you’ve got to look out for.”

 

Obituaries

Sterling Glen Burton
Sterling Glen Burton, 66, of 2707 Halifax Road, South Boston, died April 6, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Burton was born June 16, 1939, in Halifax County to the late William McKinley Burton and Marion Dunn and was married to Annie Murphy Burton. He was a member of New Ephesus Baptist Church, and was a retired employee of New York City Transit Authority.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Rafi ‘Stanley’ Burton of East Orange, N.J. and Kenneth Burton of Boonsboro, Md.; one sister, Gloria Thomas of Springlake, N.C.; one brother, Lambous Burton of South Boston; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two daughters-in-law.
Funeral services for Mr. Burton will be held today, April 10, at 11 a.m. at New Ephesus Baptist Church with the Rev. Michael Ferrell officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
William Carrington Edmunds
William Carrington Edmunds, 83, of 1058 Back Street, Halifax, died April 6, 2006, at Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Mr. Edmunds was born April 4, 1923, in Halifax County to the late Evelina Edmunds and was married to Thelma Sadler Edmunds. He was a member of St. Paul CME Church and was a retired employee of Burlington Industries.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Laura Paige of Halifax; four sons, Israel Edmunds of Newark, N.J., Keith Edmunds of Wichita, Kans., Nathaniel Edmunds and Michael Edmunds, both of Richmond; one sister, Laura Lloyd of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and five grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mr. Edmunds will be held tomorrow, April 11, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul CME Church with the Rev. Billy Cherry officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.
Thomas Dewey Fletcher
A graveside service for Thomas Dewey Fletcher of Virgilina will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Virgilina Cemetery. The Rev. Don Davidson will officiate.
Mr. Fletcher, 61, died Sunday, April 9, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was born in Halifax County on September 29, 1944, the son of Arthur Henry Fletcher and Gracie Bowen Fletcher.
Mr. Fletcher was a member of the Union Christian Church.
He is survived by two sisters, Joyce F. Graham and Claire F. Gordon, both of Halifax, two brothers, John S. Fletcher and Alfred H. Fletcher, both of Virgilina, and a number of nieces and nephews.
Mr. Fletcher was preceded in death by three brothers, Irvin, Junior and Henry Wise Fletcher.
The family will receive friends Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home.