Monday, May 1, 2006

County Receives Over $6M From Tobacco Commission
Majority To Be Used For Construction For Prospective Industry

The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission awarded $9,341,913 in grants Thursday, with Halifax County receiving a total $6,150,000 for two projects.
The Halifax County Industrial Development Authority was awarded a total of $6 million in grants for an economic development project dubbed “Project Mentor,” and the Halifax County Department of Tourism received a $150,000 grant for a project called Southern Virginia On The Move.
The Southside Economic Fund of the Tobacco Commission awarded $4.1 million for Project Mentor and the Special Projects Committee recommended a $1.9 million award for the project, according to IDA Executive Director Mike Eades.
Both grants were awarded Thursday.
Tobacco Commission Member and Delegate Clarke Hogan said the funding will be used to construct the facility, which will then be owned by the Industrial Development Authority and leased to a prospective client.
County Administrator Bryan Foster said yesterday that the project is the planned major expansion of one of the industries in the county.
It is expected to be announced in the near future, Foster said.
According to Halifax County Tourism Director Linda Shepperd, the money her office received will be used during the state’s 2007 celebration of the founding of Jamestown.
“It’s really the first big initiative to bring attention to our part of the state,” she said.
Shepperd said a replica of the Godspeed will be sailing from Virginia and stopping in six ports along the East Coast with a “Meet Virginia” display.
Halifax County joined forces with seven other localities to be included in the display.
“The Tobacco Commission is putting us on a larger stage,” Shepperd said.
Other grants include a $1,363,500 grant awarded to Danville’s Future of the Piedmont Foundation for the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (VIPER) project.
The Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce received a $42,500 grant for an economic impact study on the development of U.S. Interstate 73 in Southside Virginia.
The Roanoke River Rails To Trails program received $100,000 to study the economic impact and develop a master plan for the region’s Tobacco Heritage Trail, which is planned to include Halifax County.

Accident Claims Second Victim
Driver Christian Jackson Succumbs At Duke Hospital

The Tuesday night accident that took the life of a 16-year-old Virgilina girl has claimed a second victim.
Christian J. Jackson, 20, of Crystal Hill, died Saturday night at Duke University Medical Center from injuries sustained in the accident, according to a Duke spokesman.
Jackson was transported to the Durham hospital following an accident Tuesday night on Wilson Road.
According to Virginia State Trooper T.C. Comer, a 2005 Ford Focus being operated by Jackson ran off the right side of the road, overcorrected and overturned several times.
Four other passengers in the vehicle were also listed as injured in the accident, Comer said.
Shana Marie Ingram died Wednesday at the UNC-Chapel Hill Hospital after being ejected from the vehicle during the accident, according to police.

No Contest In South Boston, Virgilina Council Elections
In Halifax, Candidates Vying For Three Of Four Seats, Mayor’s Post

Only the Town of Halifax features a contest in Tuesday’s election with challengers vying for three of four Council seats as well as a contest for the Mayor’s seat. (See accompanying Halifax election story.)
Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
In South Boston, incumbent Councilman Ed Owens is joined by two political newcomers, Don P. Thompson and W.R. “Bill” Snead Jr., in bids for three uncontested town Council seats in tomorrow’s municipal election.
Councilmen Eric Roberts and Glen Abernathy – Abernathy filled former councilman Tom Raab’s unexpired term - are not seeking re-election.
Owens is seeking his third term.
“This is a critical time, a crucial time because of water/sewer issues, the landfill (closing) and economic development,” Owens said in declaring his re-election bid.
Yesterday, Snead, a South Boston businessman, said, “ For me to put my name up for election to voters was simply to serve the people. I admit I am a novice in many of the areas of government, but hopefully I will be able to learn quickly. From my recent visits to Council meetings I saw that the new regional landfill is a positive thing, but it is tough to work out the details as to what the costs is going to be and how we will fairly distribute the costs to all the people in the county … and how the costs will affect the citizens of South Boston.”
“I think our town is really moving in a very positive direction and I felt like I have the time and the energy to be a part of that,” said Thompson, the retired HCHS athletic director. “ So I decided I would do it.”
In Virgilina, six Council seats and the mayor’s post will be on the ballot Tuesday, all uncontested.
Mayor Kate Cosner resigned her post in early April and Councilman Allen D. Cosner is not seeking re-election. The Cosners are moving to Alleghany County, North Carolina.
Elizabeth Andrea is running uncontested in her bid for mayor.
Seeking Council seats in tomorrow’s election are R. Owen Murray, Rufus Ed Chandler Jr., Thomas Keith Tuck Jr. Mary Helen Gravitt, Richard Seate and Kirke “Kit” C. Hooper.
Scottsburg will not hold an election, according to Halifax County Registrar Judy Meeler, who said Scottsburg holds elections every four years.

 

Comets Alone At The Top
HCHS Took Sole Possession Of The District Lead With A 5-2 Road Win Friday Over E.C. Glass In Lynchburg
The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team took over sole possession of the lead in the Western Valley District standings Friday night with a come-from-behind 5-2 win over E.C. Glass in Lynchburg.
With the win, the Comets (9-5, 4-0 district) took a one-game lead over the Hilltoppers (7-6, 3-1 district) and remained undefeated through the first half of the Western Valley District schedule.
Three of the Comets’ four district wins have come on the road. With three of its final four district games to be played at home, the Comets have only one more district road game remaining, that being a May 9 date with Patrick Henry in Roanoke.
The Comets have only one game this week, a home game Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Franklin County. Halifax County will enter the game with a two-game edge over the Eagles, the third-place team in the district standings.
The Comets did exactly what they needed to do in Friday’s game against the Hilltoppers, get the hits when they needed them and play a solid game defensively.
Halifax County had seven hits in the game with David Lacks and Willie Stephens getting two hits each. The second of Lacks’ two hits was a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, a hit that allowed the Comets to break a 1-1 stalemate and take a 3-1 lead.
Matt Conner, Scott Gieselman and Bobby Owens each had one hit in the winning effort.
Lacks helped his cause on the mound with his 2-3 night that included two RBIs. Lacks had a solid night on the hill, yielding five hits and two walks. He fanned two batters and allowed only one earned run.
Owens went to the mound for the Comets after the Hilltoppers’ leadoff batter, Matt Bergin, reached base on an error to start the bottom of the sixth inning. He struck out the first batter he faced and got Glass’ Alex Kozera to ground out for the second out of the inning.
Glass’ Drew Elkins got a hit to score Bergin to get to within a run of the Comets at 3-2, but Owens got the next batter to ground out to end the inning and squelch Glass’ rally.
Owens struggled some in the bottom of the seventh inning but he and the Comets managed to escape unscathed.
Nathan Gillespie, the Hilltoppers’ leadoff batter in the inning, walked and Capps followed with a hit. A passed ball allowed both runners to advance, putting runners on second base and third base with no out.
That was as close as Glass would get to scoring as Owens and the Comets retired the next three batters to end the game.
When Owens was done with his stint, he had allowed two hits and one walk and had struck out two batters.
The Comets had to battle back from an early deficit in this one as Glass, with the help of a leadoff walk and back-to-back hits, scratched up a run to take a 1-0 lead.
Halifax County tied the game with a run in the top of the third inning. Leadoff batter Willie Stephens singled, stole second base and advanced to third base on a sacrifice by Conner. Another sacrifice, this one from Justin Bagbey, allowed Stephens to score the game-tying run.
Lacks’ two-run round tripper in the fourth inning put the Comets up 3-1. Glass’ run in the bottom of the sixth inning made it a 3-2 game.
Halifax County added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Owens kicked the inning off with a hit. Jacob Swillie popped up for the first out. A double by Stephens put runners on second base and third base and Conner delivered a two-RBI single to put the Comets up 5-2.
Glass came close to scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning but the Comets turned them back to save the win.

Big Inning Key To Comets Softball Victory
Halifax Scores Six Runs In Fourth On Way To 8-0 Win Over E.C. Glass
The Comets varsity softball team erupted for six runs in the fourth inning to break open a scoreless game and added two more in the fifth to defeat E.C. Glass 8-0 here Friday in a Western Valley District contest.
Liz Trickey and Lashunda Davis each had two hits to lead the Comets, Davis slugging a one-out double to start the fourth-inning rally, while Trickey’s two-out, two-run base hit finished it.
Betty Rose, Beth Throckmorton, Shayna Oakes and Jessica Morris each added RBI singles during the rally which gave Halifax a 6-0 lead.
Davis added a second hit and scored on a Hilltopper error, and Jasmine Parker added a RBI flyout in the sixth for the final two Comets runs.
That was more than enough run support for Comets hurlers Throckmorton and Morris.
Throckmorton held the Hilltoppers to two hits in six innings on the mound, before Morris came on to close the game out in the top of the seventh. Throckmorton struck out three batters and Morris one, while the Comets’ defense backed them up with an error-free game in the field.
Comets coach Melanie Saunders said not to be deceived by the final score, noting that E.C. Glass is a much improved team this year after spending several seasons at the bottom of the district standings.
“I tell you what, Glass has improved 110 percent,” began Saunders. “The pitcher we saw tonight is a freshman and can throw the ball, and their hitters all put the bat on the ball their first go-round at the plate.
“We weren’t setting them down by any means and we’re going to have a tough time with them up there.
“It took us awhile to get our bats going, but defensively we played well and Beth and Moo both did a good job on the mound.”
Glass actually outhit the Comets 2-0 through three and a half innings with singles in the first and third frames before Halifax rallied with six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth.
Davis hit a double to the center field fence and Rose singled her home for the first run of the game. A Glass error on a Key Ferrell fly ball put runners at first and second, before two-out RBI base hits by Throckmorton, Oakes, and Morris made it 4-0.
Trickey capped the rally with her two-run single to give Halifax a 6-0 lead, and the Comets added their final two runs an inning later.
Davis led off with a base hit and scored when a throw on a force play at second on a Rose grounder went awry, Rose advancing to third on the play.
Parker then hit a deep fly ball to center field to plate Rose with the final run of the game.
With the big rematch here tomorrow with district leader Franklin County on the horizon, Saunders is looking for the Comets (3-1 WVD, 11-3 overall) to start swinging the bats earlier.
“We hit the ball well starting in the fourth inning, but we’ll have to do it earlier against Franklin County,” said Saunders.
“They have sticks thoughout their lineup and they’ll start hitting early on.”
Franklin County handed the Comets their only district loss, and tomorrow’s matchup is a key game in the race for the regular season title and a berth in the regional tourney, but every game is key from here on, emphasized Saunders.
“I don’t know if the game with Franklin County will decide the regular season champ, considering the balance in the district this year,” said Saunders.
“We’re looking at how much Glass has improved, and they’ll be hard to beat on the road. GW has senior leadership in their lineup, and it took us awhile to get going when we played them the first time,” added Saunders, also aware that the Comets must play a tough road game at Patrick Henry a week from Tuesday.
“Tomorrow is just another district game, and we’ll have to work hard in order for us to win.
“None of them are gimmees anymore.”
The varsity softball team is scheduled to square off against Franklin County here tomorrow at 6 p.m.

 

Morris Becomes First Repeat Winner At SBS
Philip Morris Fended Off A Challenge From Owen Miller To Win Saturday’s Barkhouser 150 LMSC Race At South Boston Speedway
Philip Morris came to South Boston Speedway Saturday night looking for a lift in his quest for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national championship chase.
By the time the night was over, he had found it.
Morris fended off a series of challenges from Owen Miller of Emporia and held on to win the Barkhouser 150 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car race.
The former South Boston Speedway NASCAR Late Model Stock Car division champion outlasted Miller in a 25-lap spring to the finish, driving his Chevrolet across the finish line about three car lengths (.284 second) ahead of the Chevy driven by Miller.
Morris’ win was his second in as many starts here this season and it gave him the distinction of becoming the first repeat winner in the division this season.
“This is a pick-me-up that we needed very badly,” said Morris who is competing for the national championship.
“This isn’t what we expected. We expected we would be so far behind because these guys are able to practice and race here. We’re trying to look at the big national picture and we really need South Boston Speedway to be a part of our championship year. We’re trying our best to gain anywhere we can. We’ll be here a lot this year.”
Morris’ win didn’t come without a fight.
Miller, who drives the Chevrolet owned by Dolly Fallen of South Boston, kept pace with Morris for much of the race, never falling more than a few car lengths back. He tried several times to make a run on Morris but was turned back.
The Emporia resident made a series of bids in the final 15 laps, getting the nose of his car alongside of Morris’ car on several occasions. However, Morris was able to deny Miller the win.
“It was a heck of a lot of fun,” Miller said of the race.
“ We’ve been struggling all year. This is monster improvement from a couple of weeks ago.”
Miller said it was a great battle between two equal cars.
“I was doing all I could and I’m sure he was doing all he could,” Miller pointed out.
“I wanted to win and I tried to move him out of the way the best I could without wrecking both of us. We just came up a little short.”
Morris noted that he and his team missed the setup on his car and that he struggled throughout the race trying to hold off Miller.
“My car was done way early in the race,” Morris noted.
“ We missed the setup pretty bad and I had looked all over the racetrack trying to find a place. Every time I got around a lapped car it seemed like it heat my tires up terribly and that 2 was right all over my spoiler.”
Miller said a late caution period that created a 25-lap sprint at the end hurt his chances.
“I didn’t want that last caution,” Miller noted.
“ I wanted a long green-flag run. His car was getting worse and mine was consistent. I was catching him. I believe if we hadn’t had that last caution I’d have been able to move him around a little bit more and maybe have gotten by him.”
Cliff Daniels of Smithfield had a great night, finishing third behind Morris and Miller and scoring his best finish in NASCAR Late Model Stock Car division racing. He started tenth and moved into third place in the last five laps by passing Rodney Cook of Reidsville, N.C.
“To be up here on the podium with great drivers like Owen Miller and Philip Morris really means a lot,” Daniels said.
“There were a lot of guys out there abusing their tires early too early in the race or racing each other a little bit too hard too early in the race. My game plan was to not do that. It worked out pretty well. The last 10 laps I had enough tires left to pass Rodney Cook for third place when it mattered. Some drama happened in front of us, but we had a good car at the end of the race when it mattered.”
Cook finished fourth and Jonathan Cash of Oxford, N.C. finished fifth. Keven Wood of Stuart, Eddie Johnson of Midlothian, Wayne Ramsey of Amherst, Ronald Hill of Rougemont, N.C. and rookie Jonathan Bailey of Keysville rounded out the top ten finishers.
Two of the top three drivers in the points standings entering the race, Jon Denning of Springfield, N.J. and Adam Barker of Hurt both encountered mechanical problems as did Drew Herring of Benson, N.C., last year’s runner-up in the chase for the track championship.
A pinion gear broke in the rear end of Denning’s car during the pre-race pace laps and he failed to start the race. Barker encountered mechanical troubles and finished 17th, 23 laps down. A mechanical problem sent Herring to the sidelines after just 46 laps, leaving him with a 22nd place finish.
Morris averaged 71.555 mph in the race that took 50 minutes and 41 seconds to complete. The race was slowed by four caution periods.