Thieves Target Rifles, Pistols

The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of firearms in two separate incidents, according to Capt. Larry Fears.
Deputies were called Tuesday to the Cluster Springs Road residence of Walter Woody for a report of the theft of several firearms from the residence, Fears said.
Two .22-caliber rifles, a .38-caliber pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun were taken from the residence, according to Fears. Deputy J.P. Adams is the investigating officer.
Royce Mayberry of Cedar Grove Road, Alton, reported the theft of two guns and several other items from his residence April 12, Fears said.
Items taken include a .25-caliber handgun, automatic rifle (caliber undisclosed), five spools of coaxial cable, a roll of ground cable and a 100-ft. extension cord, according to Fears. Deputy P.C. Clayton is the investigating officer.
In other police business, Marvin Leon Cabler, 54, of Easley St., South Boston, was charged with felony petty larceny of items amounting to less than $200 from Valero, after having been convicted two or more times previously of larceny offenses.
The alleged offense occurred April 12. Deputy S.W. Gilliam served the warrant on Cabler on Thursday.
Richard Dale Culley, 19, of Rodgers Chapel Rd., Clover, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery of two individuals, which allegedly occurred March 28. Deputy T.K. Redd served the warrants on Culley Tuesday.
Michael A. Easley, 24, of Wolf Trap Rd., South Boston, was charged with misdemeanor trespassing at Westside Village Apartments after having been forbidden to do so.
The alleged offense occurred July 20, and Deputy Gilliam served the warrant Thursday.
Tatonya Chappell, of Coles Ferry Rd., Nathalie, was charged with misdemeanor using profane or threatening language over the telephone from February 4-7.
Deputy T.B. Sargent served the warrant Monday on Chappell.
John David Newcomb, 27, of Peach Ave., South Boston, was charged with misdemeanor petty larceny of items amounting to less than $200 from Valero.
South Boston Officer D.G. DeGeorgis served the warrant on Newcomb on Wednesday for the alleged offense that occurred April 13.
Michael Allen Smith, 20, also of Peach Ave., South Boston, was charged with misdemeanor petty larceny of items amounting to less than $200 from Jiffy Food Store.
The alleged offense occurred April 13, and Officer DeGeorgis served the warrant Wednesday.
Edward Traynham, 24, of State Shed Rd., Nathalie, was served a capias warrant for failing to appear in Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on March 31.
Deputy F.L. Holland served the capias warrant Tuesday.
Cory Lewis, 21, of Golden Leaf Rd., Nathalie, was served a capias warrant for failing to appear in Halifax County General District Court on April 4.
Deputy Holland served he capias warrant on Lewis on Tuesday.

South Boston Resident Surprises Two Intruders

A South Boston man surprised two young intruders Thursday morning at his Washington Avenue residence, according to South Boston Police Sgt. C.L. Carswell.
The resident told officers he heard a noise in the living room of his rented residence around 9:30 a.m. Carswell said when the man went into the living room to investigate the sound, he found two young black males in the room.
The two intruders fled the house and ran across several yards in the direction of North Main Street, Carswell said. The male tenant of the house contacted another tenant who called the police department from a pay phone, according to Carswell.
Officers arrived at the residence and began their investigation. Carswell said the front door was unlocked, and there were no signs of forced entry.
The two intruders are described as black males, age 13-14 years old, each approximately 5’10” tall, and each wearing jeans and a white tee shirt, according to Carswell.
Nothing had been reported missing from the residence as of press time Thursday, but one of the tenants had not returned to examine her belongings, Carswell said. Police had not identified tenants at press time.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Sgt. C.L. Carswell at 575-7273.

Library Salaries Safe

Reception April 29 For New Library Director

Halifax County Library will not be making cuts in salaries due to budget reductions, outgoing Library Director Paul Johnson told trustees in a report presented Tuesday afternoon during the board’s quarterly meeting.
“The library should still be able to keep salaries at the level in our budget proposal, as long as a small amount of local funds are carried forward to make up for the lack of increase from the town of South Boston,” according to the director’s report.
Halifax County’s budget included the full increase requested for library funding. However, South Boston’s budget proposal includes no increase for library funding, the report added.
Originally, the library had requested $238,695 from the county, of which supervisors cut $18,700, leaving $220,000, $10,000 more than the $210,000 county budget allocation for the current fiscal year.
“This is reverse of last year when the town gave us the full requested increase, and the county did not,” said Johnson in his last quarterly report to the board of trustees.
During the library board’s January meeting, trustees were informed the state government had cut all public libraries’ current fiscal year funding by 4 percent with Halifax County’s dropping from $128,394 to $123,258 resulting in an approximate $5,000 reduction.
This cut was felt in the materials budget with the library absorbing the reduction in material purchases for January and February. Normal purchasing of materials resumed in March, he explained
The library director noted that the governor’s biennial budget for 2008-10 included no new funding as requested by the Virginia Library Association.
“For the next two years state aid to public libraries will be left at 69 percent of the funding formula. This is lower than the level in the current budget,” the director reported.
Board members Jewell Giles and Joan Hines and Director Johnson traveled to a state budget public hearing in Rustburg to voice their concerns about decreased public library funding.
The Halifax County library director was the 67th speaker at that hearing, he said.
As of March 31, the Library of Virginia had not received permission from state government to release fourth-quarter state aid checks according to the normal schedule, Johnson also told trustees in his report Tuesday afternoon.
“We do not know when it will be released, so all discretionary spending is frozen until further information is available,” he added.
Since one quarter of state aid is applied to professional salaries, Johnson predicted the local library could run into cash flow problems if the library continues normal spending, and funds are not released before June.
According to the financial report, the balance forward at the end of the third quarter is almost $1,000 less than it was at the beginning of the fiscal year.
“This means that our expenses exceeded income by that amount, which is accounted entirely for state aid expenditures,” the director said.
During the meeting, trustees revised the budget to reflect the lower than anticipated state aid. The revision transferred $5,136 from state to local income and expenditures.
According to Johnson, the state aid reduction of $5,136 mandated by the governor is balanced by an equal increase in local income above forecasted revenues.
In other matters, the library director presented the quarterly circulation report that reflected a 7.56 percent increase in total circulation from the third quarter of 2006-07.
Patron visits also rose by 10.46 percent during that same time frame.
Circulation increased with the bookmobile and at the Halifax branch but dipped slightly in South Boston, Johnson reported.
Computer work sessions remained unchanged overall, with a small increase in Halifax and a small decrease in South Boston.
Patron visits increased in both libraries by 8.2 percent in South Boston and by 14.2 percent in Halifax, he added.
Rhonda Griffin, Halifax County’s new library director, has moved into the director’s office at the Halifax library. Johnson’s last day is April 30.
A January 1 local fund balance of $29,700.61 made it possible for the library to fund Griffin’s salary so she could begin work before Johnson officially retired from the position.
The public is invited to attend a reception welcoming the new library director on Tuesday, April 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Halifax library.

Bogus Bomb Threat At HCMS

Afternoon classes were briefly interrupted Wednesday afternoon at Halifax County Middle School while law enforcement officers searched the building after the school received a phoned-in bomb threat.
Officers with the South Boston Police Department, the sheriff’s office and Virginia State Police were called to the school shortly after 1 p.m. and conducted the search of the building along with school officials and staff, according to South Boston Lt. D.W. Barker.
After a thorough search of the school, officers cleared the area and school operations returned to normal, Barker said.
“The action taken by the middle school administration was appropriate and was handled efficiently with minimum disruption of the school day,” said Deputy Superintendent Larry Clark. “A code-1 emergency was reported and handled according to the guidelines in the Halifax County Public Schools’ codebook.”
Barker said the incident is under investigation by the South Boston Police Department, and investigators are looking into several leads.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Lt. Barker at 434-575-7273.

Obituaries

William Page Cole
William Page Cole, 74, of Roxboro, N.C. died April 16, 2008, at his home.
Born in Halifax County, he was the son of the late Robert Dalton and Fannie Spencer Cole.
Mr. Cole served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a tobacconist for Imperial Tobacco Company from 1956 – 1976. He later owned and operated Centerville Dodge and Chrysler in South Boston, and Center Pontiac Buick GMC in Roxboro. Mr. Cole was a member of Shady Grove United Methodist Church in Virgilina, and attended Theresa Baptist Church. He was a member of the American Legion and the Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Price Cole; one daughter, Pamela Cole Northrup of Fredericksburg; one stepson, Chris Schultz of Mayodan; one brother, Morgan H. Cole of Halifax; three sisters, Marie Ford of Virgilina, Doris Elliott of Scottsburg, and Lucy Arrington and husband, Leon, of Buffalo Junction; two grandchildren, Tyler Cole Northrup and Sarah Parker Northrup; two step-grandchildren, Chase and Mary Kathryn Schultz; and his brother-in-law, Jim Price and wife, Debra, of Madison.
Funeral services for Mr. Cole will be held tomorrow, April 19, at 11 a.m. at Brooks & White Chapel in Roxboro, with the Rev. Herbert Brown officiating. Burial will follow in Shady Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, April 18, from 7 to 9, at Brooks & White Funeral Home, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Theresa Baptist Church Building Fund, 3919 Chub Lake Road, Roxboro, 27574.
Condolences may be sent to www.brooksandwhite.com

Amos Dixon Coleman
Amos Dixon Coleman, 45, of 6054 L.P. Bailey Highway, Halifax died April 14, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Coleman was born in Halifax County on April 17, 1962, to Mary Ellen Coleman and the late Amos Coleman. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Meadville and was a former employee of Presto Products.
Survivors of Mr. Coleman include two daughters, Ashley Coleman and Katrina Mabins, both of Halifax; three sons, Tyrone Mabins of Richmond, Brandon Coleman and Jerome Coleman, both of Raleigh, N.C.; his mother of South Boston; one brother, Gordon Coleman of Halifax; one sister, Yvonne Carter of Halifax; one brother-in-law, George Carter; one sister-in-law, Theresa Coleman; a devoted friend, Darlene Mabins; and a devoted cousin, Barkley Chambers.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, April 19, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Meadville with the Rev. Robert S. Wimbish officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

James Willard Jennings
James Willard Jennings, 87, of Danville died April 13, 2008, at Danville Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Jennings was born June 16, 1920, in Halifax County the son of Anthony Jennings and Luella Freeman Jennings. He was a member of White Rock Baptist Church, retired from Douglas Aircraft Corp., and served in the U.S. Navy, World War II.
Survivors include one daughter, Amelda Porter of Atlanta, Ga.; brothers, John and Sylvester Jennings, both of Danville, and Louis Jennings of Nathalie; two sisters, Grace Jennings of Nathalie and Ora J. Hatchell of Monal Township, N.J.; one grandchild and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Mr. Jennings will be held today, April 18, at 11 a.m. at White Rock Baptist Church with the Rev. Walter M. Tinley officiating. Burial will follow in Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery, Halifax County.

Raymond A. Keatts
Raymond A. Keatts, 80, died April 13, 2008, at Lynchburg General Hospital.
He was born on April 1, 1928, in Halifax County the son of Silas and Roxanne Keatts. He was a Veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Clavigen Keatts; six children, Brenda G. Keatts, Sharon and Robert Drew, Belinda and Kenny Scott, Raymond A. Jr. and Cathy Keatts, Tammy and Mark Trail, and Kelly and Mary Keatts; three sisters, Virginia Powell, Minnie Powell and Alice Whitt; 18 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
Six brothers preceded Mr. Keatts in death.
A private memorial was held.

Shirley Martin Paxton
Shirley Martin Paxton, 61, of 1114 Cole Lane, Scottsburg died April 15, 2008, at her home. She was born July 4, 1946, in Halifax County, the daughter of the late James Wesley ‘Dink’ Martin and Arie Mae Snead Martin, and was married to William Lewis Paxton Sr. She was a member of Clover Church of God of Prophecy and was retired from Burlington Industries.
Survivors of Mrs. Paxton include her husband; one son, William Lewis Paxton Jr. and wife, Elizabeth, of Scottsburg; one grandson, Andrew Lewis Paxton of Scottsburg; three sisters, Lily Martin and husband, Eugene, Eva Hazelwood and husband, James ‘Bumpsie’ Hazelwood, all of Scottsburg, and Nora Pixley and husband, Chuck, of Roxboro, N.C.; four brothers, James Martin Jr. and wife, Carolyn, Kyle Martin and friend, Dorothy Davis, Thomas ‘Tom’ Martin and wife, Amy, all of Scottsburg, and Wyatt ‘Bennie’ Martin and wife, Donna, of Clover.
One daughter, Charlotte Ann Paxton, also preceded her in death.
Funeral services for Mrs. Paxton will be held April 20, at 3 p.m. at Clover Church of God of Prophecy with the Rev. Stephen Byrd officiating. Burial will follow in Clover Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home tomorrow evening, April 19, from 7:00 to 8:30, and other times at the home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, 24592.

Burton, RCR Resurgence Run On Parallel Tracks

By MIKE HARRIS
AP Auto Racing Writer
Jeff Burton’s great start to the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season has helped resurrect his career and the fortunes of Richard Childress Racing.
While everyone has been questioning when the Hendrick Motorsports juggernaut would finally get rolling, whether Dale Earnhardt Jr. will find Victory Circle again and just how good Kyle Busch can really be, Burton has clicked off six consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win at Bristol.
After finishing 13th and 12th in the first two races of this year, the longtime NASCAR star is leading the Cup standings after the first eight races and enjoying a rare off week with an 80-point margin over Busch.
Burton isn’t taking it for granted and was philosophical when asked about the fast start for him and RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, fifth and eighth in the points, respectively.
‘‘We’ve gotten off to a good start,’’ Burton said. ‘‘All three of our teams have been good, but that doesn’t mean we’re going be good two months from now, (and it) doesn’t mean we’re not going to (be).
‘‘I think the teams that take what they have today and find a way to make it better are the teams that are going to be good. You can’t run a season without getting better. If you don’t get better in this sport, you’re going to fall behind.’’
For a while, early in a Cup career that began in 1993, it appeared Burton might be the guy to challenge Jeff Gordon for supremacy in the sport, winning 17 races from 1997 to 2001 for Jack Roush. But Burton went winless the next three years and things didn’t begin looking up again until after he moved to the Childress team in 2005.
He was winless and finished 18th in the points in his first season with RCR, but things came together after that. Burton won in both 2006 and 2007 and made the Chase for the championship both years, finishing seventh and eighth in the standings. His teammates also made the Chase each of the last two seasons.
The resurgence of RCR after a difficult few years following the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 was no mere coincidence.
‘‘Jeff Burton had a lot to do with us turning things around,’’ Childress said. ‘‘He understands the sport, the cars and he brought ideas and opinions on what it takes to be successful. He is somebody who you can talk to and brings a real positive attitude.’’
By the time his career was revived, the driver from Virginia was also regarded by many in the garage area as an eloquent spokesman for the sport, not afraid to speak his mind on just about any subject, in or out of racing.
‘‘I can’t say that drivers ask me to speak on a topic,’’ Burton said. ‘‘I won’t say that’s never happened, but it doesn’t happen on a consistent basis by any means. I do have conversations with drivers about the condition of whatever we’re talking about and how it can be better.
‘‘I talk to a lot of people about that. I don’t know if I’m a leader in the garage or not. I mean, that’s for those guys to decide. But I do like being involved in it. I think that if you’re going to be part of something, you need to be part of it. I feel like I’m part of this sport and I don’t want to be just a driver.’’
But Burton knows that driving race cars is his real job, and he’s optimistic about the future at RCR, particularly now that Childress has announced he will add a fourth car to his stable in 2009.
‘‘Obviously, we believe it’s going to be a positive,’’ Burton said. ‘‘We have the infrastructure to support a fourth team. We expanded our shops; we did all those things. It was all with the understanding there would be four teams or the hope there would be four teams.’’
But Burton noted there is a lot more work needed before the fourth car can be put on track.
‘‘There’s going to be an influx of new people, an influx of new ideas and all those things are going to present challenges,’’ Burton said. ‘‘So it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be hard to do, but I believe we can do it.’’
If Burton says it, you probably don’t want to bet against it. His record, both on and off track these days, is pretty good.

Gordon Hopes SBS Will Be Stepping Stone To Title

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
Benny Gordon got his 2008 season off to a good start by winning the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Southern Division opener in Lakeland, Fla.
Gordon, who is seeking a fourth USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Northern Division title, hopes to get his title chase off on the right foot with a win in Saturday night’s Miller Lite 250 at South Boston Speedway, the opening race in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Northern Division series.
“We’re back in the form we’ve been in over the years,” Gordon said during a break in a test session here last week at South Boston Speedway.
“We’re looking to get in here (at South Boston Speedway) and win the first one. There’s no doubt we are capable. It’s just a matter of making the right decisions, making all of the right calls and keeping everything together.”
Gordon will be one of the top contenders for the top prize in the 250-lap Hooters Pro Cup Series race, which gets the green flag at 7 p.m. The Pennsylvania native had a good test at South Boston Speedway, further enhancing his team’s excitement.
“We’re really fast,” Gordon noted.
“We’re happy with the car. The guys are working their butts off. That’s what you get when you start off a season like that and have a win right off the bat.”
Saturday night’s Miller Lite 250 will be a big night for Gordon as representatives of his team’s primary sponsors, Samuel Metals, are expected to be on hand.
“This will the first time they have been here,” Gordon pointed out.
“They weren’t able to make it to the first race (at Lakeland, Fla.), so I’m excited to have them here. I’d love to get a win for them right off of the bat. That would go a long way with our sponsorship.”
Gordon has enjoyed a good deal of success at South Boston Speedway, having won two USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series races here (2004 and 2005) and won the pole for both of South Boston Speedway’s USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series races in 2006.
“South Boston Speedway is a lot like a track I used to race at down in Summerville, S.C.,” Gordon said.
“The way you get around here and the way you set your car up to make it work are pretty similar. I have a lot of laps there and I’m starting to get a lot of laps here as much as I have competed in All Pro and now Hooters Pro Cup. I just have a good feel for the place and always seem to have a fast car right off the bat.”
Gordon had a good run in the last Hooters Pro Cup Series race at South Boston Speedway, finishing second behind winner Jeff Agnew and leading a segment of the race.
“We were really kind of off,” Gordon said.
“It was the best we have run here, being as far off as we were. We want to redeem ourselves and get a win like we did in the Southern race. I’d like to get a win in the first Northern race and get started off on the right foot.”
Gordon didn’t get off to the best of starts here in last year’s USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Northern Division opener, qualifying twelfth and finishing 21st.
“Last year we had some changes in the organization and weren’t sure what direction we were going to go in or who we were going with,” Gordon explained.
“Samuel Metals came on board last year just a few weeks before the first race. We didn’t get to test, didn’t have the cars prepared. When we came down here (to South Boston) we were a little behind, were running third, got tied up with three or four laps to go and just started off badly.”
Action at South Boston Speedway kicks off today with the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series drivers taking to the track for a practice session that will run from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.
The Pro Cup Series drivers will hit the track at 11 a.m. Saturday for a final practice session. Pro Cup Series qualifying starts at 4 p.m.
Also on the slate for Saturday is a 50-lap race for the touring Allison Legacy Series. That event will start at 4:45 p.m.
A Fan Appreciation autograph session will be held at 5:45 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies will start at 6:30 p.m. and the Miller Lite 250 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series race will get the green flag at 7 p.m.
Advance tickets, priced at $15, will be available today until 5 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 3 p.m. Saturday. Adult general admission tickets on Saturday will be $20 each.

Lady Comets Beat Glass For 3-0 District Start

By Doug Ford
GV Staff Writer
Paige Rickman and Lyndsay Lawter pitched a combined no-hitter, and the Comets varsity softball team pounded out 13 hits in a 15-0 rout of E.C. Glass Tuesday at Comets Softball Field.
Three Comets had multi-hit games, Lashunda Davis with a triple, two singles and four RBIs, Stephanie Clark with a double, two singles and two RBIs, and Lauren Daniel with two hits and an RBI.
Melissa Morris, Ally Thompson and Betty Rose each had RBI base hits, and Whitney Womack and Amber Bowman each chipped in a base hit for the Comets, now 9-1 overall this season.
Halifax scored two runs in each of the first two innings, added four in the third and seven more in the fourth to help end the game after the top of the fifth under the mercy rule.
Rickman hurled the first four innings, and Lawter came on for the final frame, Rickman finishing with seven strikeouts and Lawter three. Neither pitcher walked a batter.
Comets coach Melanie Saunders said the game gave her team an opportunity to work on some things in advance of tough district games next week at Patrick Henry and at home against GW.
“We used this game to work on things that will help us later in the district,” explained Saunders, and the Comets responded with 13 hits and several successful bunts.
A leadoff single by Clark and RBI base hits by Davis and Daniel led to the two first inning runs, and a double by Clark and walk to Thompson preceded Davis’ two-run triple in the second.
Daniel and Womack singled, Lawter and Christine DeGeorgis reached on errors, and Clark on a fielder’s choice, before RBI hits from Thompson and Davis helped make it 8-0 after three innings.
Clark hit a two-run double, Morris a RBI single, and Bowman a base hit in the seven-run fourth, which saw Davis, Rose, Rickman and Daniel lay down bunts to help plate the runs which ended the game after four and a half innings.
“Everyone got a chance to play and bat, and we worked both Paige and Lyndsay on the mound,” explained Saunders, who knows the road gets tougher in Roanoke and Danville.
“This was an important district win, but things get tougher next week,” she said.
“Patrick Henry has improved each year and I remember last year in Roanoke their pitcher shut us down after the fourth inning.
“If she is ready to go, it’ll be a good ball game.”
“GW is our rival, has a new coach and some new faces, but they’ll be ready to go,” added Saunders.