Juvenile Arrested In Pair Of Bomb Threats

One juvenile has been arrested and charged with two counts of making a bomb threat stemming from separate incidents that occurred at the Halifax County Middle School last Wednesday and Thursday.
According to South Boston Police Sgt. R. E. Redd, the juvenile was taken before a Juvenile Intake Officer and transported to W. W. Moore Juvenile Detention Facility following his arrest Thursday.
For the second day in a row, South Boston Police officers responded to a phoned in report of a bomb threat at the middle school Thursday at 4:25 p.m., Redd said.
Officers secured the school, and school administration and staff, South Boston police officers, Halifax County sheriff’s deputies, and Virginia State Police officers searched the building.
Following a thorough search of the school that yielded no bomb, Thursday after-school operations returned to normal, Redd said, and officers worked to obtain information that led to the arrest of the juvenile.
Police officers and school personnel were conducting another search of the school as a precautionary measure when students arrived at the middle school Friday morning.
Students were kept outside until a thorough search was completed, and school operations returned to normal, Redd said.
Later that same day at 2:54 p.m., town police, county deputies and state police returned to the middle school to investigate yet another bomb threat.
According to Capt. B. K. Lovelace, the decision was made to dismiss school early.
Law enforcement officials conducted a sweep of the buses. After receiving an all clear, middle school students boarded the buses and were transported to the high school.
Car riders were sent outside to wait for their rides while authorities conducted a thorough search of the building, Lovelace said.
No bomb was found, and the school was turned over to the administration at about 4 p.m., he added.
Authorities said a pack of cigarettes and some lighters were found during the sweep of the school.
Any person with information about the Friday afternoon bomb threat at the middle school is asked to call South Boston Police Officer G. M. Gilliam at 575-7273.
Chief J. W. Binner expressed appreciation to concerned citizens who assisted in the investigations as well as the Virginia State Police and the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.

M And S Center Seeks Supervisors’ Financing Support

Halifax County Board of Supervisors and members of the South Boston and Halifax town councils will hear an update tonight on the Modeling and Simulation Center of Excellence, and supervisors are expected to take action on a resolution of support for project financing from the Lake Country Development Corporation (LCDC) for the design and construction of the required M & S Center up-fits in the Riverstone building.
The joint meeting will get under way tonight at 6 p.m. in the second floor conference room at the Mary Bethune Office Complex in Halifax.
Earlier this month, Dr. Carole C. Inge, M and S Center executive director, explained in a handout distributed to members of the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority that the center is “making good progress on several fronts.”
The handout updated the status of the M and S Center that now has 10 people from Virginia Tech and Tetra Tech reporting regularly to the Riverstone Technology Building.
New equipment is expected to be ordered very soon, and Inge said she is finalizing specifications and negotiations.
IDA is in the process of applying for $400,000 to up-fit approximately 6,000 square feet of first floor space at Riverstone for the M and S Center’s use, and the board of supervisors is slated to consider a resolution of support tonight for project financing from the Lake Country Development Corporation (LCDC) for the design and construction of the required up-fits to Suite 102 in the Riverstone building.
According to County Administrator Bryan Foster, the maximum principal amount of the loan will not exceed $400,000, and the IDA is seeking to finance this debt through LCDC at the maximum rate of 4 percent with up to a 15-year amortization schedule with no penalty for prepayment.
The IDA is requesting the board of supervisors to reimburse the IDA for the interest-only portion of the debt service on this loan for up to the first 18 months, Foster said.
The partners in the M and S Center also have requested the IDA forego the lease payments for the first 18 months as an inducement to the project.
Inge said she is in the process of hiring two to three more people to work at the center.
“We have made contact with the president of an aerospace company who uses modeling and simulation and recently leased four offices in Riverstone for two years,” she said speaking of AVID LLC President Sam B. Wilson III.
“He has ideas for new equipment we may want to consider down the road that would support military contracts,” Inge added.
M and S Center representatives also have met with Virginia Tech faculty and are working with several departments and colleges on campus as they proceed with the creation of a university center off campus.
According to Inge, seven corporate prospects now have plans to move to Riverstone.
“We are seeking local assistance to court these companies and work out details for leases and partnerships,” she added.
In addition, she is developing a web site and marketing materials while visiting the state modeling and simulation center in an effort to learn more about their model and “our partnership.”
Inge also cited plans to meet with education units in the region to discuss the educational elements of modeling and simulation.
“We are launching a post-doctoral program starting this summer for internships, and we have visiting faculty coming to the county as well,” she added.
In addition, the M and S Center is considering holding a “Wounded Veteran Entrepreneurial Program” to train and retrain veterans in Riverstone for modeling and simulation jobs.
“These people would come to Riverstone to work, and we could help them begin their second careers, start businesses and get contracts,” she added.
The M and S Center will serve as a catalyst to attract new business enterprises to Riverstone, according to the M and S Center executive director.
The M and S Center is expected to employ 18 people during its first year of operation, with an additional dozen to be hired in year two, and nine more in the third year.
Also during their meeting tonight, supervisors and town council members will recognize long-time Halifax County resident Grayson Gosney and hear a presentation from Lynn Crump of the Department of Conservation on the scenic river designation of the Banister River.
Supervisors also are expected to take action on a resolution supporting the establishment of a community based outpatient clinic for Halifax County veterans.
According to the resolution, it is estimated over 4,000 veterans currently reside in Halifax County, with many being disabled and facing significant health issues which requires them to travel substantial distances to receive veteran’s health care.
County veterans are forced to travel over 200 miles roundtrip to veterans health facilities located in Richmond which veterans advocates say places significant physical and economic burdens on them.
In an effort to provide better access to medical care for veterans, the board of supervisors is being asked to endorse the resolution supporting the establishment of a community-based veterans medical clinic to improve health care access for Halifax County veterans.

Talbott: ‘It’s Been A Good Ride’

By Sonny Riddle
GV Staff Writer
Most businesses fail in the first one to three years after opening, and the owner of that business must pursue other options.
Ed Talbott is not one of those.
Talbott, who opened Ed’s Triumph in 1958 and now oversees the operations of Ed’s Inc. Honda-Yamaha, will celebrate his 50th anniversary in business in early May.
“It was a hobby,” Talbott said. “And the old saying is if you do something you like, you don’t have to work, so that’s the way it’s been,” he added.
Before he got into motorcycle sales, Talbott said he repaired them.
“We started fooling with motorcycles in 1955,” he said.
The opportunity to get into sales came shortly thereafter. “In 1958 we took on Triumph, which was an English-brand motorcycle,” recalled Talbott. “We had the choice between Triumph and Harley, but Harley had too many demands,” he explained.
Talbott said when he thought about going with Triumph, he started with practically nothing. “On the application they wanted to know how much money I had, and I told them I had a used Harley-Davidson worth $350,” Talbott said. “I told them I could sell that and get some operating money,” he laughed.
“The man from Triumph said ‘I’m going to take a chance on you,’ and that was in 1958,” Talbott said. “And in 1963 I was the volume Triumph dealer on the east coast.”
Talbott expanded his business several years later, adding Honda motorcycles to his inventory. “We took on Honda in 1966,” he said. “And we’re one of the top 25 oldest dealers that are still in operation.”
In 1979, Talbott expanded again, adding Yamaha to his growing business.
Along with being one of the oldest continually-operating Honda dealers, Talbott is one of a select group of local entrepreneurs who went in business about the same time.
“We came along with people like Mason Day, Harold Puryear, Jack Slagle, John Cannon, Bo Thomason, all of us along in the same group there,” he said. “All of them are still active in their business, just a group of guys, we all knew each other.”
Talbott said what prompted him to go into business was his enjoyment of motorcycles. “I rode motorcycles, I worked on motorcycles, I thought I was good at it,” he added with a laugh. “All of a sudden people wanted me to work on their stuff, and we were working on it for nothing and really enjoying it.”
Talbott said he was working third shift at J.P. Stevens, then something happened that encouraged him to make a business out of motorcycles. “We had five or six motorcycles out there waiting to be worked on,” he said. “Then a guy called me up and told me he wanted his bike ‘yesterday.’ So I said if this is the way it’s gonna be, then they’re gonna have to pay.”
Talbott said he first operated out of an old shack. “When we met with Triumph, we had an old sawmill shack sitting on cinder blocks with a wood floor with cardboard to keep the wind from blowing through,” he quipped.
The early days of the business were tough, according to Talbott. “When we first started we were working third shift at the mill. That meant you got up at quarter after 11 at night, you got something to eat and you went to work,” he said.
“You’d come off at eight o’clock the next morning, get a little something to eat. You opened up the store and stayed there until four o’clock,” Talbott said. “You went in, took a shower and laid down, and if nobody wanted to talk motorcycles you slept until 11, but if somebody came up and wanted to talk, you’d have to get up, go out and talk to them. It was a 16 to 18 hour a day job.”
Talbott said weekends would consist of riding motorcycles, “Because that was what you were pushing,” he explained.
When he was first approached by the field representative from Honda, Talbott said he kicked him off his property. The fee to become a Honda dealer at that time was $5,500. Talbott said when he asked the rep what he would get for that amount, the rep told him parts, motorcycles, tools and signs. “I asked him how much would I be able to sell, and he said, ‘do you want it or not want it,’ and I said, ‘you woke me up, I didn’t wake you up, so I’m going back to bed,’” he said with a laugh.
Talbott said a field representative from another company told him Honda was an up and coming company, and he would do well to become associated with Honda.
Talbott said he called American Honda in California and got the same rep he had kicked out of his yard. “And he told me the price had just gone up to $7,500,” he laughed. “I said that was OK, so for $7,500 they sent me 28 motorcycles, seven boxes of parts as big as a desk, signs and special tools for every model. “That’s when we moved into the bus station over on Seymour Drive,” he said.
“So within a year we went from a little shop in the backyard to the old bus station, which was a two-car service station,” Talbott said. “After a year at that site, Talbott moved his business to its present site. “That was 1967,” he said. “It was a roller-coaster.”
Talbott said the motorcycle business has been good to his family. “It has educated a couple of our children, and our youngest, our son Darrin, is still employed in the company,” he said.
Talbott said all four of his children still live and work in Halifax County. “Sandra Slayton and Donna Hudson, our twin daughters, are school teachers here in the county. Bunny Propst, my oldest daughter, runs the car lot up here (Riverdale Auto Sales),” he said. “I’ve been blessed by being able to have them all here in the county.”
Talbott said business has changed since he became a business owner. “Before, you could do it yourself, now you have to hire people who know more than you to do it for you,” he explained.
Financing a business has changed from the early days also, according to Talbott. “All small business owners started out borrowing on their house to finance their business,” he explained. “But now, small businesses have been able to get financing.”
Talbott said another big change he’s seen over the years has been the innovation of financing merchandise for the business owners. “The companies want to get the product on your floor so you can sell it, so they will finance it,” he said. “It’s a big business, everybody wants to get involved in it, but they don’t do it for nothing. You’ve got to pay them to do it, but it does keep merchandise on the floor.”
In-house financing has helped boost sales, Talbott said. “The companies want to sell motorcycles, and if you want to buy they will finance for you,” he added.
Success as a business owner comes at a price, according to Talbott. “For a business to succeed, the owner has to be able to sacrifice his family, he’s got to be willing to work more than nine to five, he’s got to work nights and weekends,” he said. “Most like the nine to five stuff five days a week. You can’t do that in our business, it just doesn’t work.”
When asked if he would have done anything differently, Talbott said he would have gotten more education. “I would have made somebody the best man he ever hired,” he explained.
“The reason for that, I would have had more time to spend with my family,” Talbott said. “My wife did an excellent job raising my family, but I run a motorcycle business, she did the family.”
Talbott said opportunities for a small business owner in our area are great, but workers employed by county, state or federal government have an advantage in the area of benefits. “Retirement and other benefits for small business owners are nothing compared to what you get working for someone else,” Talbott said. “People are looking for benefits, and small businesses cannot give the benefits.”
Talbott said everyone should try small business ownership. “Once you go into business for yourself, you appreciate it when you go to work for someone else, because you’ll know what’s expected of you,” he said. “And it gives you a better attitude.”
When asked about the future of business in South Boston, Talbott said South Boston can be the best place anyone ever lived. “The climate is correct, we don’t have the ice and storms you have to the north or west 60 miles either way,” he said. “This is a wonderful place, but we’ve got to take care of our own,” he added.
“With textiles gone and furniture gone, we need jobs in the $12-$15 (per hour) range,” Talbott explained. “We need them in volume more than we need a few select high tech jobs, but that’s just my opinion.”
Talbott said there are many people here who would like to have a steady job making $12-$15 an hour. “We’ve got people here in Halifax County who are not college graduates,” he explained. “We have people who are hard-working, honest people who are trying to provide for their families,” he added.
“The first thing you’ll say is $12-$15 an hour won’t provide for your family,” he said. “But if your wife works, like most do, then you’re talking about $30 an hour.”
Talbott said it’s going to take a lot of adapting for county residents and workers. “There’s going to be some changes in the next 10 years,” he said.
A portion of the changes in the way we do things will involve transportation. “They’re talking about gas at $3.54 a gallon, we’re going to be riding a lot of scooters, whether they buy them from me or not, they’re going to have to have transportation,” he said.
Talbott said he’s working on adding more motor scooters to his inventory in order to have them available as the ideas about transportation change.
Additionally, recreation is an important factor to many residents. “Everybody wants to give the kids something to do, and one of the simplest things we can do is open up the low ground, the Corps of Engineers’ land, and let them ride their dirt bikes and ATVs on it,” Talbott said. “We don’t need a 45-mile hiking trail, nobody is going to walk 45 miles on a hiking trail. Horses would be fine on it, but they’re not going to ride 45 miles on a horse either.”
Talbott said if the community wants to do something to attract the youth, trails will have to be opened up on some of the land that’s not currently being used. “Maybe a farmer might be interested in renting his land, just like they do for hunting,” he explained. “He could rent the land for riding. That in itself could be a very good income for a farmer, because these guys will pay $10 a day to just ride your land.”
Talbott says things, like legal liability, can be overcome. “We’ve got 100 acres right here on the river, real sandy soil that’s good for absolutely nothing but riding bikes and ATVs on,” he said. “It would make one fine, fine riding park!”
Summing up, Talbott said, “We need recreation, and we need jobs for average people.”
There must be something therapeutic about riding a motorcycle. Wandering about the showroom at Ed’s, your attention is brought to an embroidered pillow with the message, “You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist’s office.”
“What I like about being in a business of your own is you make up your mind from the start if you’re going to be a good guy or a bad guy,” Talbott said.
“If you bring your beliefs to work with you, you can live the life you want to, if you don’t let it drive you,” he explained. “When I was young it drove me, now I can relax and do it,” he added.
“We’re working to try to do things for our community,” Talbott said. “And I think if you ever lose that sense of guidance, it’s not good for you at all.”
Ed’s Inc. Honda-Yamaha is celebrating its 50-year anniversary with an open house May 6-10. “We’re celebrating all week, but we’re partying on the 10th,” he added.
There will be BBQ, soft drinks, and there also will be a Poker Run at $15 a couple and $10 single. Cash prizes will be awarded for the Poker Run with $300 for first place, $125 for second place, and $75 for third.
There will be live music, and youngsters can have their picture taken with Mom on a motorcycle from 10 a.m. until noon for $10.
At 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m., there will be 50/50 drawings.
All proceeds will go to the Halifax County Cancer Association. “All money raised comes back to the county for the people who need it,” he said. “Everybody has known someone who has needed their help, and it’s nice to know it’s there.”
Talbott also listed Patrick Henry Boys Home and the Midway Fire Department as recipients of his various charitable activities over the years.
Ed Talbott began working on motorcycles as a hobby back in the 1950s out of a shack in his backyard in Cluster Springs. He became a retail dealer in 1958, and over the past 50 years his business has grown to its present-day level of success. He continues to oversee the everyday operations of his business as a hands-on owner, something out of the ordinary in these days of absentee owners.
“It’s been a good ride, it’s let us see most of the world,” Talbott said. “It’s been good to us.”

Obituaries

Rosella Tuck Davidson
Rosella Tuck Davidson died April 6, 2008, at Retreat Hospital Hospice, Richmond.
Born in 1918 in Halifax County, she was the daughter of the late Parham Franklin Tuck and Rosella Thorne Tuck. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Paul W. Davidson, and her brothers, Robert Thorne Tuck and Richard Cabell Tuck. She was a niece of former Governor William Munford Tuck.
Mrs. Davidson is survived by her sister, Mary Tuck Echols of Fort Defiance; and her brother, Franklin Dandridge Tuck and his wife, Pauline ‘Polly’ Speights Tuck of Virginia Beach.
Mrs. Davidson graduated from Mary Washington College and was employed in administration at Reynolds Metals Company in Richmond. She was a member of First Church Christ Scientist in Richmond.
Graveside services for Mrs. Davidson will be held at Westhampton Memorial Park on April 28, at 2 p.m. by the Right Rev. John Boucher.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the University of Mary Washington, 1119 Hanover Street, Fredericksburg, 24401-5412, or to the American Hospice Foundation, 2120 L Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20037.

Hunter Marshall Owen Jr.
Hunter Marshall Owen Jr., 85, died April 17, 2008, at Lynchburg General Hospital.
Mr. Owen was born November 16, 1922, in Charlotte County the son of the late Hunter and Ruth Ramsey Owen, and was married to Matilda Gaines Owen. He was a member of Phenix Presbyterian Church, was a World War II Veteran, and was a retired farmer and butcher.
Survivors include one sister, Frances Owen Anderson of Halifax; one stepdaughter, Judy Harris of Appomattox; two nieces, Katherine Mattson of Prince Fredrick, Md. and Patricia Lemons of Alfred, Fla.; and one nephew, James Jennings of South Boston.
One sister, Alice Owen Jennings, also preceded Mr. Owen in death.
Funeral services were held April 20, at 2 p.m. at Phenix Presbyterian Church with the Rev John Kidd officiating. Burial followed in Bethel Cemetery.

Mary Lou Carter Rickman
Mary Lou Carter Rickman, 74, of 1014 Rawlings Trail, Halifax died April 17, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Rickman was born November 21, 1934, in Roanoke the daughter of the late William O. Carter Sr. and Leatta Alis Carter, and was married to Billy Ronald Rickman. He was a member of O k Level Presbyterian Church where she was a choir member. She was also an EMT and First Responder with the Oak Level Volunteer Fire Department.
In addition to her husband, survivors include four daughters, Mary Ellen Lowery of Halifax, Patricia A. Stevens and husband, Mike, of South Boston, Deborah L. Glover and husband, Wash, of Clover, and Janet F. Lacks and husband, Wallie, of 29 Palms, Calif.; one son, Ronald R. Rickman and wife, Sharon, of Alton; 15 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
One son, Donald C. Rickman; and a brother, William O. Carter Jr., also preceded Mrs. Rickman in death.
Funeral services will be held today, April 21, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Ed Melvin officiating. Burial will follow at Halifax Memorial Gardens with Fire Department Honors.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Oak Level Presbyterian Church or Oak Level VFD, 2019 Swain Road, Halifax, 24558.

Elaine Pauline Anderson Fallen
Elaine Pauline Anderson Fallen of Halifax County, died April 18, 2008, at the Meadowview Terrace in Clarksville. She was 80.
Born July 10, 1927, in Perth Amboy, N.J., she was the daughter of the late Ethel Anderson and was married to the late Joseph Franklin Fallen.
She was a member of the Providence Presbyterian Church.
She is survived by three daughters, Karen Robertson and husband Ira of South Boston, Joyce Moore and husband Dillard of Chesterfield, Amy Bricking and husband Jerry of Tampa, Florida; one son, Richard Fallen and wife Diane of Warfield; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Monday, April 21 at Providence Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Jeff Jones conducting the service.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Phillip Harker Long Sr.
Phillip Harker Long Sr. of Cluster Springs Road, South Boston, died Sunday, April 20, 2008, at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 67.
Born in Halifax County January 15, 1941, he was the son of the late William Harris Long and the late Eva Puryear Long.
He was self-employed and was a member of Black Walnut Baptist Church.
He is survived by one son, Phillip H. Long Jr. of South Boston; a sister, Dale L. Reaves of South Boston; and a brother, Cliff Long of South Boston.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jeff Long and Monte Long.
A graveside service for Mr. Long will be held at Cedar Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery Wednesday, April 23 at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to the Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, 2040 Link-Puryear Road, South Boston, Va. 24592.
The family will receive friends at the home of Dale and Curtis Reaves, 3038 Cluster Springs Road, South Boston.

Critical Week Ahead For Comets

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
This week will be a make-it or break-it week for the Halifax County High School varsity baseball team.
The Comets (6-5 overall, 1-2 district) face two critical games this week with a road game Tuesday against Patrick Henry in Roanoke and a road game Friday against arch rival GW at nearby Dan Daniel Park.
By winning both games, the Comets can stay in contention for the Western Valley District regular-season championship and the district’s top seed for the Northwest Region Tournament.
On the other hand, two losses will sink the Comets’ bid for the regular-season title.
“We’ve got to really concentrate on those two ball games,” said Comets head coach Kelvin Davis.
“They can either make or break our season. We can take both games and still be right in the thick of things. If we were to take a loss in both games, we’re in trouble. The guys know that. We know what we have to do.”
Halifax County got behind the eight-ball early in a 6-4 loss to Franklin County in its home Western Valley District opener. The Comets rebounded with an easy win over William Fleming and got some help from GW when GW defeated Franklin County.
The Comets took another hit in their bid for the district crown with a 6-4 road loss to E.C. Glass, Meanwhile, GW, which struggled early in the season, has bounced back to win its first three district games. GW’s most recent district win came Friday night when the Eagles downed Patrick Henry 7-3.
In light of what has happened in recent games, the Comets’ loss to E.C. Glass was the most disappointing because a gift with GW’s win over Franklin County flew out of the window in the process.
“That was a big disappointment,” Davis said of the loss to E.C. Glass.
“We were really focused on going up there to E.C. Glass and getting that win because we knew GW had beaten Franklin County.”
To further show the parity in the district, Patrick Henry has recently beaten E.C. Glass. With the state of the district at this point, this week’s pair of games loom large in the big picture.
“We’ve got to have our minds focused on PH now,” Davis pointed out.
“This district is a tough district and everybody is neck and neck. We can’t take anybody lightly. Hopefully we can go into this week and take those two ballgames. They are big games.”
Davis says his team has a good attitude going into this week’s pair of games.
“This season is a long way from being over,” he pointed out.
“These guys have a good attitude. We have some good seniors that will try to lead us through this thing. My guys are not going to give up me. They know what kind of team we have.
“I still think we have a good opportunity to be (district title) contenders,’ added Davis.
“This is still the first round of the district games, so, hopefully, we can turn things around.”

Comets Rally Falls Short

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
A valiant last-inning rally in which Justin Bagbey nailed a two-run homer came up short of the mark as Halifax County High School dropped a close 3-2 contest to undefeated Tunstall High School here Friday afternoon.
Despite seeing his team fall short in the final inning, Comets head coach Kelvin Davis had nothing but good things to say about his team.
“I don’t have anything to complain about,” Davis said.
“I thought we played well. We didn’t have any errors. Our pitchers allowed only two walks. It was a good all-around ballgame. It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get the win. But, that’s baseball. I’m very proud of the guys.”
The Comets (6-5 overall, 1-2 district) got good performances from starting pitcher Daniel Wilborn and reliever Dale Trent. Wilborn yielded one walk, fanned three batters and gave up eight scattered hits that resulted in two runs before leaving the game in the fifth inning.
“We knew he (Wilborn) could keep them off-balance,” Davis said.
“He did a heck of a job on the mound. That’s what we want and that’s what we expect out of Daniel when we’re playing quality teams like that.”
Trent, who went to the mound in the top of the fifth inning after Tunstall’s first two batters reached base, squelched the visitors’ initial bid to extend their 2-0 lead.
Tunstall’s Dustin Cockram, the first batter Trent faced, hit a ground ball to Comets shortstop Eric Brandon who promptly triggered a double play. Trent then struck out Brett Hylton to end the inning.
Tunstall extended its lead to three runs in the top of the sixth inning when B.J. Harlow singled, moved to second base on a wild pitch, advanced to third base when Matt Brumfield grounded out to Trent and scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Travis Wray.
Two outstanding defensive plays in the top of the seventh inning kept Tunstall in check. When Trent’s night ended, he had yielded one hit and two walks and had struck out two batters.
“He (Trent) bailed us out of a big situation,” Davis said of the fifth inning effort.
“They (Tunstall) had the bases loaded and he (Trent) got us a ground ball and we turned a double play. Then, he got a strikeout to end the inning. That’s what we want, players that will come in and take the ball and take control of the situation.”
The Comets trailed 3-0 entering the top of the seventh inning but was given new life when Wilborn came up with a two-out hit. Bagbey followed with a two-run homer to bring the Comets to within a run.
Brandon singled to put the potential game-tying run on base. The inning ended when Trent lofted a fly ball to centerfield that was snagged for the final out of the game.
Halifax County had opportunities to get on the scoreboard prior to the seventh inning but was unable to get the hit it needed at the right time.
The Comets stranded seven runners on the sacks through the first five innings, leaving two runners on the bases in both the third and fourth innings. In both instances, Tunstall hurler Will Hardy came up with a strikeout to end the inning and bail himself out of trouble.
“It’s just unfortunate that we’re not getting those key hits,” Davis remarked.
“But, if we keep putting runners on base, it’s eventually going to happen.”
Tunstall scored its first run of the game on a solo homer by Cockram in the top of the second inning. The Trojans added their second run in the top of the third inning when Ian Hayes led off with a double and scored on sacrifice fly by Justin Thompson.

Boys Tennis Defeats Fleming For Second Time

Boys Tennis Defeats Fleming For Second Time

By Doug Ford
GV Staff Writer
Five of six singles seeds won their matches, and all three doubles tandem won in straight sets Friday, as the Comets boys tennis team defeated William Fleming for the second time this season.
Chris Moore, Patrick Barnes, Jacob Trent and Ralph Tuck at numbers one through four singles all won in straight sets, as did number six singles seed John Michael Parnell.
Nat Snead, playing number five singles, took his opponent to three sets before falling, but Moore/Barnes, Trent/Tuck and Ryan Dixon/Stephen Talbott won at numbers one through three doubles in straight sets.
Comets coach David Riddle noted improvement from the first time the teams met this season.
“The guys played another good match,” began Riddle. “Fleming actually scored less games against us today than they did in our previous meeting, which is always pleasing to see as coach when you meet a team for the second time.
“We expect to see the same thing with the rest of our district opponents.”
Riddle was particularly pleased to see Dixon and Talbott pick up their first non-exhibition doubles win and added that Parnell played probably his most solid match of the year.
“They have all come along well considering that they had never played before this season,” he said.
With the win, the boys tennis team improved to 2-4 in the Western Valley District and 4-5 overall.