Wednesday, April 13, 2005

91-Unit Town House Project Is Announced By Cannon

Homes Will Cost $149,000 To Over $200,000;
First Will Be Completed By Late Summer

Plans for the construction of up to 91 town houses were unveiled yesterday by South Boston businessman John Cannon, who indicated that the first homes should be ready for occupancy by late summer.
Edgewood Town Homes will be located on a 14-acre site just east of Love Shop Road directly behind Edgewood Estates Subdivision.
The entrance for the Edgewood Town Homes is from Love Shop Road (Route 614) through the existing entrance shared with Edgewood Subdivision, which consists of 22 residential building lots.
The “quality built” multi and single level, two and three bedroom homes will range in size from 1,500 to 2,500+ sq.ft. and cost from $149,000 to over $200,000 according to Cannon.
Six different models with Georgetown architectural design feature main levels with either a master bedroom or small office area. Homes are designed for light and airy appearance with the use of transom glass and vaulted ceilings on the second level.
According to Cannon, the design of the Edgewood Town Homes development is suitable for all ages. Homes can even be equipped with elevators.
The first phase of the building project calls for 12 to 18 homes, sidewalks, low curb paved streets and custom designed street lighting.
Phase I also will include a community center with workout room and meeting rooms. “This will be a gathering place for town home owners,” said Cannon, whose partner in the venture is his son, Michael Cannon.
A patio area will be built to compliment a future swimming pool that will be part of Phase II.
Edgewood Town Homes are, according to Cannon, designed to provide residents carefree living with landscaping and exterior maintenance provided.
The entire town home village will have wireless computer access with fiber optic cable to each home. Communication wiring inside will all be designed for high-speed connectivity for home office convenience.
Cannon said that options, such as additional space, design changes and security systems with a centralized fire alarm system will be available during pre-construction.
Raleigh, N.C. architect Cleve Pate is credited with the design of Edgewood Town Homes.
Cannon said that he had been planning the project for over 12 years, the last two years of which went into the actual design.
Specific attention, said Cannon, focused on creating soundproof walls between the homes. “We want to ensure total privacy,” said Cannon.
Local builder, Randy Dixon, is superintendent for the project which, said Cannon, “consists of local people who will make sure that all workmanship will meet the highest standards of quality for carefree living.”
A homeowner association will have the protection of restrictive covenants.
Scotty Felton of The Davis Company Realtors of South Boston will be the exclusive listing agent for Edgewood Town Homes.
“There is a great need for this type of property and we are so excited about marketing these homes,” Felton said yesterday.
More information, including design features and floor plans, can be found on the website at www.edgewoodtownhomes.com

 

Cherokee To Move Plant To Halifax

Cherokee Tobacco Company LLC is moving its cigarette manufacturing operations to Halifax County to the Virginia Brands Plant on Bill Tuck Highway. This completes Cherokee’s move to Halifax County that began in December 2004 when they moved 36 jobs here.
Cherokee Tobacco Company is the exclusive national distributor of Cherokee cigarettes and tobacco products. The national headquarters and distribution center located in the Halifax County/South Boston Industrial Park in the former Medical Textiles building currently owned by the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County. Cherokee Tobacco Company has employees and contractors in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
“We are excited about our agreement with Virginia Brands to manufacture our cigarettes in South Boston,” said C. F. Fuller, President of Cherokee Tobacco Company. “Virginia Brands has been great to work with as we searched for the best place in the United States to manufacture our products. Virginia Brands is the perfect company for us to partner with as we grow and expand our operations nationwide.”
“This is an excellent example of the importance of existing industry growth in Halifax County,” commented Larry McPeters, Vice-Chairman of the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County. “We are excited to continue to work with these two industries in this partnership for many years to come.”
Marvin Ligon and A.G. Fisher of Virginia brands stated, “We are very enthusiastic and excited about the relocation of Cherokee’s manufacturing to Virginia Brands. We look forward to working with them in the future.”
“Manufacturing our products in the United States is a key component of our business development plan. We made the decision to move our manufacturing operation from Brazil mainly to improve quality control and inventory.”
“We are very excited about this partnership between two of our local businesses. What a great announcement when local companies join forces and keep production local instead of taking it overseas,” stated Mr. William Fitzgerald, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Cherokee tobacco products began being produced in the mid 90’s when a group of businessmen from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian Nation began manufacturing and selling cigarettes. Over the past 10 years, the company has transitioned and other investors who formed Cherokee Tobacco Company obtained the manufacturing and distribution rights. Bill Barker of Danville is the Chairman/CEO. Charles Fuller of Raleigh is the President/COO. CTC employs ten local South Boston residents.
Virginia Brands is located on Bill Tuck Highway. They employ 22 people from the South Boston area. Marvin Ligon and A.G. Fisher started the business in 2003 and are the owners of Virginia Brands.

School Trustees Approve $56.9 Million Budget

Ask Supervisors For $1.5 Million Increase In Local Funding

Following a public hearing with no comment the School Board unanimously approved a $56,959,138 budget Monday night.
Board Chairman Authur Reynolds and members Joe Bailey and Nancy Lee Bagwell were not present for the vote.
Reynolds and Bailey arrived later in the meeting.
The budget requires a 13.2 percent increase in local funding, asking supervisors for $13,438,256.
While that is $1,567,125 more than the locality paid last year, Schools Superintendent Paul Stapleton said last year’s local contribution to the school budget was the lowest since 1996.
“It has not been level funding," said Stapleton. “The percent the county has paid has decreased every year since 2001. You have gone from over $13 million in local contribution in 2001 to $11 million last year."
Key increases in the budget include teacher raises, health care costs and roof improvements.
Instruction costs for the 2005-06 school year will increase by 7.33 percent as a result of new teacher salary scale and anticipated increases in health insurance premiums.
The new salary scale represents an average across the board 5% raise with starting teacher salaries increasing to $32,000 form $30,648.
The board is also setting aside an additional $528,000 for expected health insurance premiums.
Those funds would be used to either maintain or reduce the amount that employees contribute to health insurance depending on how much the premiums increase, explained Chief Financial Officer Bill Covington.
“If the insurance costs only go up 10 percent we could probably cut the premium employees are paying in half,” he said. “It is just going to depend on the increase.”
Currently the board is paying 78 percent of its employees’ health insurance premium.
Annual roof repairs represent the largest increase in the budget.
Trustees allotted $750,000 for annual roof maintenance increasing the operation and maintenance section of the budget by 15.92 percent.
During a March 17 budget work session board members were told that they could not afford to pay for both roof repairs and debt services for Phase I school improvements.
“You are getting caught in a squeeze on a couple of commitments that you can’t keep,” Stapleton told the board in March. “You are looking at $1.4 million for roofs and debt services.”
Last year both items were paid for using state construction money, after the board of supervisors refused to provide the $822,549 requested for roof maintenance.
“There is no way you can pay for both,” he said. “And even if you only do one you still have no flexibility to do any of the other projects you want to get done. If you are going to have any flexibility to use state construction money for school improvements, the supervisors need to pay your debt service and you roof repairs. Otherwise, if you have an emergency you are not going to have any state money to deal with it and you are going to have to go back to the local government for funds.”
Recognizing that the Board of Supervisors would not be able to pay for both roof repairs and the debt service, School trustees decided to pay the debt service with state construction money and ask the locality to cover roof repairs.
Putting Rumors To Rest
Prior to the budget public hearing Stapleton took a moment to address a number of rumors concerning teacher positions and class sizes.
“We seem to have a great rumor mill in Halifax County," he said. “I would like to dispel a couple of rumors.
“This budget includes the same number of teaching positions for next year as we have this year. No teachers will be cut out of the budget. We are not firing 140 teachers. We are not firing teachers to give pay increases.
“We are not going to have 30 to 35 students per class. Our average ratio for next year is 19.6 to one," he added.
That ratio is for kindergarten through sixth-grade classes, according to Assistant Superintendent Larry Clark.
He said the ratio does not include special education classes in which ratios are fixed by strict federal regulations.
“We have the same number of teacher positions," added Clark. “No one has lost their job."
Distribution of teachers among the elementary schools is based on projected enrollment, added Clark.
“I don’t know how these rumors got started," Stapleton told the board. “I just wanted to give you some factual information. There are no teaching positions cut out of the budget going into next year."
Recognitions
Trustees recognized winners in both the local and regional 2005 art competition.
At the elementary level Victoria Evans won first place, Shannon Fountain took second place and Cole McKinney placed third.
All were students at Cluster Springs Elementary School.
In the middle school first place went to Gunnar Stephens, second place went to Devon McNear and Ryann Kraft took third place.
The high school first place went to Antonio Roberts , second to Marvin Jackson and third place to Ashlee Coleman.
Gunnar Stephens won third place in regional competition and Antonio Roberts took Second place regionally.
“This was the best piece of art work I saw out of 22 counties," Stapleton told Roberts. “It never ceases to amaze me the art talent we have in Halifax County."
The board also recognized the HCHS Boys 200-meter freestyle relay swim team members Ronald Clark, Jimmy Bishop, Eric Nelson and Dave Ferguson for breaking the school record by a second and a half, and Caroline Clements for qualifying for state.
Finally the board recognized members of the indoor track team for their performance at the state competition.
Shanday Coleman and Tanashia Medley qualified for the 55 hurdles; Ashley Coleman and Cory Jackson for the for the shot put; Patrick Terry for the 60 meter; Ronnie Link for the 1000 meter; and Shemelia Brandon for the long jump, triple jump, 500 meter and 300 meter.
Brandon set new school records in all four event this year and placed fourth in the state in the long jump and fifth in the state in the triple jump.
Ashley Coleman placed fifth in the state in the shot put.
Other Business
The board unanimously approved a consent agenda, which included policy manual revisions, appointments to the agricultural advisory council, a resolution to freeze the local retirement option and the 2005-06 Career and Technical Education Plan.
ûClark explained to the board that they were required to freeze the local retirement option by the Virginia Retirement System.
“The break in service between retirement and going back to work was not long enough for them," Clark told trustees. “There will no longer be that option for retirees.
“We have a couple of other options we can look at," he added.
ûAppointments to the agricultural advisory council include Bert Carr, Steven Good, Tommy Hudson, Steve Woltz, Joe Leigh, Ronnine Waller, Tom West, Bill Abbott, Don Reese, David Conner, Bill Smith, Authur Reynolds and Joe Bailey.
ûTwo people addressed the board concerning foreign exchange programs.
Betty Hudson told the board about ASSE International Student Exchange Program, explaining that she is currently seeking host families for two students from Germany.
Brandi Winstead, a seventh grader, told the board she had been selected for the people to people student ambassador program.
She said the trip would cost over $5,000 and asked the board for help in finding contributions and sponsors.

Obituaries

Florine Stokes Hudgins

Florine Stokes Hudgins, 84, of 7196 East Hyco Road, Virgilina died April 10 at The Woodview.
Mrs. Hudgins was born July 25, 1920, to the late Vanner Stokes and Fannie Faulkner Stokes, and was married to the late Harrison A. Hudgins. She was a member of Blue Wing Grove Baptist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, F. Sue Kennedy of Virgilina; one adopted daughtre, Jean Hamiel of Brooklyn, N.Y.; one granddaughter, Wanda Marable of Jeanerette, La.; four great-grandchildren including the devoted Willesha Marable of Virgilina.
Funeral services for Mrs. Hudgins will be tomorrow, April 14, at 2 p.m. at Blue Wing Grove Baptist Church with the Revs. Hayward Jennings Sr. and Kenneth Stokes officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Alma Long Moorefield

Alma Long Moorefield, 87, died Sunday, April 11, at Clapps Nursing Center where she had been a long time resident. She was born May 29, 1917 in Halifax County to the late W. G. Long and Nannie Wilkins Long.
Mrs. Moorefield was a member of Florida Street Baptist Church. She retired from Jones Fur Service.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Thomas Moorefield; and a son, Charles Thomas Moorefield Jr.
Surviving are her son, Perry Moorefield and wife, Susan, of Jamestown; three grandchildren, Lindsey Moorefield and Brandon Moorefield of Jamestown, Nathan Moorefield and wife, Mary-Patrick, of Breckenridge, Col.; three sisters, Alice Worsham, Alvis Stone and Elsie Vaughan; and one brother, James Stover Long.
Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. today, April 13, at Guilford Memorial Park Mausoleum Chapel. The Rev. Steve Walsh will officiate.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at Hanes-Lineberry Sedgefield Chapel, and other times at the home of Judson J. Morgan, her daughter-in-law’s father. The family request memorials be made to the Clapps Nursing Center for a memorial garden to be established in her memory, 5229 Appomattox Road, Pleasant Garden, N.C. 27313.

Wayne Mitchell Snead

Wayne Mitchell ‘Heavy’ Snead, 55, of 2187 Scottsburg Road, Scottsburg died April 12 at his home.
Mr. Snead was born in Halifax County on August 7, 1949, the son of the late John E. Snead Jr. and Virginia C. Snead, and was married to Bonita Moore Snead. He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church, and was self-employed as an auto-body repairman.
Graveside services will be held tomorrow, April 14, at Oakland Cemetery in Scottsburg at 2 p.m. The Rev. Jason Murray will officiate.
Survivors of Mr. Snead include his wife; his mother; two daughters, Beverly S. Seamster and her husband, Bobby, of Nathalie, and April Elizabeth Snead of Chase City; one brother, Stuart Snead of Halifax; and one grandson, Zachary Wayne Seamster.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home this evening, April 13, from 7:00 until 8:30, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Avenue, South Boston, 24592.

William Hughes Turner

William Hughes Turner, 79, of Brunswick, Ga. died April 5 at his home.
Mr. Turner was a native of Halifax County. He retired as a Warrant Officer from the U.S. Navy and from Trust Company Bank as Vice President and Branch Manager, and was a member of Lakeside United Methodist Church in Brunswick.
Survivors of Mr. Turner include his wife, Wilma Turner; a daughter, Sandy T. Dance and her husband, Martyn, of Brunswick; one son, Stan Turner and wife, Rhonda, of Brunswick; a brother, Banks Turner and wife, Pat, of Kennesaw, Ga.; and his grandchildren, Cameron Gleaton, Ryan Gleaton, Lindsey Harris, Allie Dance, Austin Turner and Kelly Taylor.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Swanson, Glenn and Joe Turner; and five sisters, Virginia Guthrie, Mary Lois Jennings, Reba Torian, Penta Owen and Frances Reese.
Funeral services for Mr. Turner were held at 11 a.m. April 7, in the chapel of Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home in Brunswick, with the Rev. Marsha Emory officiating. Burial with military honors followed in Chapel Park Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Hospice of the Golden Isles, 1692 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, Ga. 31525, or the Building Fund of Lakeside United Methodist Church, 5572 New Jesup Highway, Brunswick, 31525.

Cordie Wilburn Williams

Cordie Wilburn Williams died April 9 at JFK Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Mrs. Williams was born May 8, 1914, in Nathalie to the late Asa and Elizabeth Wilburn, and was married to the late Virgil Wayne Williams.
Survivors include two sons, Wayne Williams of Kansas City, Mo. and Karroll Williams of Wellington, Fla.; four grandchildren six great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Sara Martin of Nathalie and Mattie Hardy of South Boston.
Mrs. Williams was preceded in death by five brothers, Bryant, Obie, Claude, Lennis and A.V. Wilburn; and one sister, Ruby Davenport.
Funeral services will be held today, April 13, at 1 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel in South Boston, with the Rev. Richard Saunders officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

John H. Woodward

John H. Woodward, 73, of 4114 Ball Park Loop, Halifax died April 9 at his home.
Mr. Woodward was born in Saltville on October 29, 1931, and was married to Margaret Alice Woodward. He was a Veteran of the Korean War, a graduate of Emory & Henry University.
Mr. Woodward was a teacher in Southwestern Virginia, and later worked as a consultant for Raytheon Corporation. He served as technical coordinator for Daystrom Furniture, was a representative for the Virginia State Employment Commission and for the Virginia Department of Vocational Rehabilitation where he coordinated the local Job Corps Program. After leaving the Virginia Department of Social Services, Mr. Woodward owned a private home improvement/general contracting business in the Halifax area.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Sharon W. Novia of Halifax; two sons, John D. Woodward of Halifax, and Scott B. Woodward of Portsmouth, two grandchildren, Eliza Rae Woodward and Leo Robert Woodward of Virginia Beach; and one brother, David A. Woodward of Marion.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorials can be made to The American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1131, Fairfax, 22038-1131.

 

Bobby Wilborn Living A Full Sports Life

Hall Of Fame Inductee Winner In Basketball, Golf

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

South Boston-Halifax County Sports Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Wilborn is best-known as a member of the 1960 Comets varsity basketball squad that finished third in the VHS State Basketball Championship.
But, his other athletic endeavors can fill the sports section of a daily newspaper, Wilborn competing in bowling, softball, billiards, and most notably golf.
He even won the city marble championship in 1955 while at C.H. Friend Elementary School, an accomplishment he still points to with pride.
Ironically, basketball wasn’t the first sport Wilborn took up, the youngster introduced to sports by his uncle, Floyd Elliott, a star with the South Boston Wrappers baseball team and now a member of the Hall of Fame.
“What really got me started was my uncle, Floyd Elliott," recalled Wilborn. He used to take me to the county league ball games. He and Lewis Cole ran the concessions and I peddled seat cushions and drinks."
Wilborn played with three baseball teams before picking up basketball as a seventh-grader at Friend, playing baseball for the Marauders under coach Charlie Meeler, the Lions under coach Addison Marable and the Carter Fabrics Pony League team under Red Landis.
Wilborn, as he seems to be with any sport, was a quick hoops study, playing on an undefeated eighth-grade team at Halifax County High School, before jumping directly to the varsity in 1958.
Wilborn termed the Comets’ run to the state tourney in 1960 as one of the fondest memories of his life, as well as the camaraderie with his teammates, including Bill Morningstar, Wayne Lloyd, Chip Conner, Tommy James and the late Ed Stembridge, who died in a tragic automobile accident shortly after graduation.
Wilborn recalled the trip to Charlottesville for the state tournament.
“I remember the tournament was in Charlottesville, and there was snow on the ground. Hank Hamrick carried us up there in a 1957 Ford station wagon," he began. University Hall had a hump in the middle of the floor, and it was strange dribbling a basketball uphill and then down.
Halifax defeated E.C. Glass and coach Jimmy Bryant three times that year in district play, said Wilborn. There were no regionals then, and only the district champion went to the state.
The Comets also had to beat arch rival GW to advance, a basket from James the game-winner.
“That’s a name people don’t remember, but they should. Tommy James made the basket at GW during the district tournament that sent us to the state. How people forget that, I don’t know."
“We defeated Washington and Lee in the first game and then played Virginia High School (Bristol) and the Robinette twins in the second game, one of whom scored 35 points against us. He was unstoppable.
“The next game, they couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn and Highland Springs ended up with the championship, and we finished third.
“We wanted to play Highland Springs so bad, because we knew we could beat them, but we didn’t get there. Who knows now what would have happened?"
There is no way to compare the basketball players of Wilborn’s era to those who play today, he emphasized.
“All the baskets I shot would have been 3-pointers today, I don’t know how many I shot," admitted Wilborn.
“The big difference was that then a 6-3 player was a jolly green giant. Now, a lot of them are as tall (6-9) as Calvin Crews.
Crews, the center on the Comets 1973 state runner-up team, along with former Wrappers player Clifton “Click" Smiley, are fellow inductees Saturday night.
“Chip Conner was a center in high school and played guard at the University of Virginia," added Wilborn.
“There’s really no way to compare us, but we would have loved to compete with them. The one thing that made us what we were was that we were a team. Most of us hung out together then, and all of us try to get together every year at the Hall of Fame banquet.
“It’s like a homecoming to us."
Wilborn continued to add to his resume following his high school career, particularly as a golfer.
He played golf at Green’s Folly Golf Club from 1965 until 1981, before going to Halifax Country Club (HCC).
“Charlie Baskervill and I set a record over there (Green’s Folly) in 1967 that has yet to be broken," said Wilborn proudly. “It was a member-guest best ball tournament and we shot 65-67-132."
Wilborn won the Green’s Folly member-member golf tourney in 1981 with Bobby Vernon and was the Club Champion at Halifax Country Club in 1988.
In 1990, he won the HCC member-guest tournament with Woody Clay, and added a member-member tournament championship in 2004 with Nick Lumsden.
“It’s all been a good ride and I’ve been very fortunate," reflected Wilborn.
“People like Hugh Moore and Addison Marable have been great motivators for me, as well as Charlie Meeler, Hank Hamrick, Gerald Tutor and Bill Harraway."
Wilborn ranks his selection to the Hall of Fame right below his marriage to high school sweetheart Jean Wilmouth and their family, including daughter Amy and grandchildren Baylee and Jill.
“This probably means more to me than it does to anyone…next to my family, getting married and having my daughter, it ranks way up there.
“It’s a big honor for me."

 

Comets Varsity Softball Defeats Amherst 3-1

Halifax Gets Key Hitting, Pitching, Defense In Win

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

Execution at the plate and in the field can be the difference in a close ball game, and the Comets varsity softball team did just that against Amherst here Monday, making key plays on offense and defense to defeat the Lancers 3-1.
Lori Reeves got two of those hits, a run-scoring single in the fourth and an RBI double in the sixth, while Jasmine Parker collected the other RBI on a third- inning groundout.
Jessica Morris and Tracy Nelson got the other Halifax hits, Morris a leadoff single in the third inning and Nelson a double in the first.
Three runs proved to be enough for Comets pitchers Beth Throckmorton and Jessie Lloyd, who along with the Comets defense made key plays when needed to hold the Lancers to one run.
Halifax scored each of its runs after leadoff batters reached base in the third, fourth and sixth innings, a fact not lost on coach Melanie Saunders.
“We had some good hits and execution. “We made some adjustments on our own at the plate, and that’s only going to be a positive as we go along," began Saunders.
“We did what we had to do at the plate today, move the runners when they get on base," she continued.
“We have a lot of new kids who are new to the varsity, and I told them at practice not to think about what happened last week at practice or during a game, but to relax in the batters box and hit the ball
“We had a couple of miscues at the plate, but those things happen. Now, they understand the importance of execution.
“Defensively, we played well. Beth did a great job and Jessie came in and did well. Both the pitchers moved the ball around the plate, and that has to happen. Our pitchers have to have confidence in the defense behind them."
Good defense by both teams kept the game scoreless until the third inning. The Comets got out of jam in the top of the first, when a leadoff single and one-out double put Amherst runners at second and third, before two line drive outs ended the threat.
The Comets threatened to take the lead in its first at-bat, Nelson smacking a two-out double, but the Amherst second baseman made a great play on a grounder between first and second to stop that rally.
Throckmorton gave up a one-out triple in the third inning, but got a flyout and groundout to strand the runner.
Halifax manufactured a run to take the lead in the bottom of the third, Morris getting a leadoff base hit. Morris moved to second on a Mallory Lawter sacrifice, to third on a passed ball, and scored on a Parker RBI groundout.
Comets outfielder Cari Clark made a great catch on a well-hit drive to deep left field to help keep Amherst off base in the top of the fourth, before the Comets added another run in its half of the inning.
Nelson drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a single by Reeves to give the Comets a 2-0 advantage.
Halifax left two runners on in the fifth, but added its final run in the sixth inning, Davis reaching base on an error and stealing second. Reeves hit a line-drive double to the gap to plate Davis with the final Comets run.
Amherst tried to rally in the top of the seventh, using two singles and a Comets error to plate one run, but two flyouts ended the game.
Throckmorton gave up no runs on three hits in five innings of work against Amherst, finishing with six strikeouts, before giving way to Lloyd for the final two innings.
Lloyd gave up two hits and one run, while recording one strikeout. Neither Comets pitcher surrendered a walk.
Saunders was pleased with the win against a quality opponent.
“They [Amherst] had some good hitters and they are a good defensive team, including an awesome second baseman who took a run away from us in the first inning.
“All together I’m pleased, and we’re ready to go there Thursday and match up with them again."
The Comets varsity softball team is now 3-2 on the season. Thursday’s game at Amherst is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

HCHS Comets Extend Win Streak To Six

The HCHS Varsity Baseball Team Made It Six Wins In A Row With An 8-3 Road Win Over Amherst County

BY Joe Chandler
G-V STAFF WRITER

Timely hitting gave Halifax County the edge Monday night in an 8-3 road win over Amherst County.
Jeremy Jeffress led the Comets’ offensive attack with a pair of home runs and three RBIs while hurlers David Lacks and Bobby Owens combined to hold the Lancers to three hits while allowing three walks.
“We got a very good win,” said Comets coach Kelvin Davis whose team won its sixth straight game and improved its record to 7-2 overall and 1-0 in Western Valley District play.
“The big thing was we got key hits at the right time. We hit the ball well and we spread the hits around but it was the timing of the hits that was big.”
Jeffress, playing third base, had his best night of the season at the plate with a pair of round trippers that gave the Comets three of their eight runs.
His first homer was a solo shot that kicked off the top of the third inning and the second was a two-RBI shot in the top of the seventh inning that closed the door on the Lancers.
“He was really seeing the ball,” Davis said of Jeffress.
“The game was real close at the time of his first home run. To have him come up and drive runs in for us like he did was very good for us.”
Halifax County also got hits from Chris Conner, Clyde Brooks, Ryan Gieselman, Blake Waller and Marcus Humphrey.
Lacks, a lefthander, started the contest for the Comets on the mound and hurled the first five innings. Amherst County scored all of its runs against Lacks but Lacks did a better job than that would indicate as he yielded only three hits and three walks while fanning two batters.
“He did a good job of keeping the (Amherst County) batters off balance,” Davis pointed out.
“He had a little trouble at the beginning of the game finding the strike zone but he got himself into a groove and worked out of it.”
Owens came to mound in relief and held the Lancers hitless through the final two innings.
“Bobby came in and shut the door on those guys,” Davis said.
“He’s showing a lot of promise. If he continues to work hard he will be able to help us down the stretch.”
If there was a blemish on the Comets’ performance it was in the form of defensive miscues.
The Comets committed six errors in the contest with two of them coming in the bottom of the first inning to help Amherst County scored twice and erase a two-run lead the Comets developed in the top half of the frame.
Halifax County made two more errors in the second inning, one in the fourth inning and another in the fifth inning. Three of the errors were bad throws from Gieselman, the Comets catcher, attempting to nail Amherst County runners attempting to steal bases.
The Comets picked up two runs in the top of the first inning after Conner, the leadoff batter, singled to kick off the inning. Conner scored later on a wild pitch and Chris Perkins, who got on base with a walk, also scored on a wild pitch to put the Comets up 2-0.
The Lancers tied the game in the bottom of the second inning but the Comets went on top in the top of the second inning when Gieselman was struck by a pitch and Willie Stephens, running for Gieselman, scored on an Amherst County error.
Jeffress’ solo homer in the top of the third inning put the Comets up 4-2 after three innings. The Lancers scored in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it a 4-3 game but Halifax plated two runs in the top of the sixth inning to go up 6-3.
Brooks led off with a hit, went to second base on a wild pitch and scored on a hit by Gieselman. Stephens, again running for Gieselman, scored on a wild pitch for the second run of the inning.
The Comets capped the game with Jeffress’ two run homer in the seventh inning, a blast that also scored Justin Armistead, who walked to lead off the inning.