Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Teen Killed, Cycle Crash

Sutherlin Woman Arrested In Connection With Palmer Fatality

In the second fatality affecting the county in a single day, a 19 year old South Boston man was killed Saturday afternoon when he lost control of the motorcycle he was operating, according to Sgt. R.J. Carpentieri of the Virginia State Police.
The accident occurred on Route 729 in Pittslyvania County near the intersection of Route 810 at approximately 5:48 p.m., according to police.
Carpentieri said that Brian Robert Farmer, of Birch Elmo Road, was killed when he reportedly lost control of his 2005 Honda CBR motorcycle, crossed the center lane of the highway and struck a 2003 Buick Century head-on.
The identity of the driver of the Buick was not released, according to the sergeant.
No charges were filed in the accident.
Trooper M.T. Wade was the investigating trooper.
Farmer is the son of Tony Bomar and Leslie Francisco.
Funeral services will be held today at 2 p.m., with services at Arbor Baptist Church.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
State Police arrested a 29-year-old woman Monday night on felony hit and run charges in connection with an an early Saturday morning accident that killed Sutherlin resident Danny E. Palmer.
Sgt. David Cooper said Palmer was killed when he was allegedly struck by a Ford F-150 operated by Virginia Owen Watts.
The accident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Virgilina Elementary School Returned To Halifax County

Trustees Salute Nurses During Monday Meeting

School trustees voted 5-1 to declare the Virgilina Elementary School as surplus and turn the deed for the property over to the county.
The decision came during the trustees regular monthly meeting Monday at Turbeville Elementary School.
Prior to the vote, Vice Chairman Sandra Rister asked the board to consider repainting the roof of the school before declaring it as surplus.
“I know they had tried very hard to get the roof painted before the school was closed,” she said. “I had hoped we could at least put a primer on before it is turned over. The will want it to look somewhat decent.”
She said the board had paid for some roof replacement and repainting prior to returning Volens Elementary to the county in 2001.
But Director of Maintenance and Operations Larry Roller said those repairs had been conducted while the school was still being used by students.
“We replaced some of the metal roof in 1998 and had the school occupied with students through 2001,” he said. “We had students in the building for three years and six months after the roofs were replaced.”
When asked why the Virgilina roofs had not been painted despite the fact a work order had been in for years prior to the schools closing, Roller told Rister roofs were painted on a rotating basis regardless of work orders.
“All of our painting we do on a routine schedule," he said. “We try to do it once every seven years. We have to keep school repairs in line with the manpower I have."
While painting is done on a rotating cycle between all the schools, Roller pointed out that roof repairs were dealt with as they occurred.
“If I have a leak it gets immediate attention,” he said.
Roller told the board he had made preliminary inquiries into the cost of repainting the Virgilina roof.
“I didn’t get a firm cost, but a ballpark figure is $8,000 to $9,000 for prepping the roof and one coat of paint,’ he said. “It may cost $15,000 to prep, put on one coat of primer and one coat of paint."
“The labor is going to be in the scraping and sanding," he added. “The cost of primer and paint will not be a prime factor."
Board member Steve Anderson said he was concerned about the system spending that money for a building that was no longer being used.
“If we were using it I could understand," he said. “If we are going to give it to the county I don’t feel it would be a wise use of funds on our part."
The board voted five to one, with Rister opposing and Chairman Arthur Reynolds not present, to return the school to the county as is.
Nurse Appreciation
Four school nurses, Sylvia Briggs-Judkins, Kimberly Murray, Vickie Poole and Lisa Rosche, were recognized for their service to the students.
Educational Consultant Audrey Davidson presented the nurses with framed certificate of recognition from signed by Governor Mark Warner and certificate from the Department of Education and the Department of Health.
The nurses told trustees that around 1,500 elementary students were served by a single nurse, 1,600 high school students were served by one nurse and 1,000 middle school students were served by one nurse.
Today is School Nurses Appreciation Day.
In Other Business
Trustees approved a number of sports summer camps including football, baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis, softball, volleyball and wrestling.
The camps serve students over 700 students from grades three through twelve.
Trustees also unanimously approved a consent agenda which included an application for $3,500 in federal funding for funding for language instruction for limited English proficient and immigrant students under Title III; a consolidated application for Title I, Title II and Title V federal funds; the annual special education plan; approval for a conduction of youth tobacco and community youth surveys.
Board members also approved the adoption of new English, vocational and math textbooks for the middle and high school.
Schools Superintendent Paul Stapleton said the math textbooks would be primarily used in high school-level classes.
Prior to the meeting, trustees were entertained by the Turbeville Tunes directed by Tim Knowlson. The students played two songs using Boomwackers, a collection of percussive tubes used to teach students about various notes.

 

SoBo Approves Capital Improvements Plan

No One Speaks During FY 2005-2006 General Fund Budget Hearing

No one spoke during South Boston’s proposed $8,278,779 budget public hearing Monday night.
The first reading of the budget will be June 13 with the final reading expected June 27 followed by its adoption.
The proposed budget carries no real estate tax increase, but reflects a 5 percent increase in both in-town and out-of-town water/sewer rates, increases in the consumer utility taxes and a $5 increase in the car decal fee.
The overall general fund budget summary reflects a 3.11 percent decrease, dropping from $8,545,233 last year to $8,278,779 in FY 2005-2006, or a $266,453 decrease.
Finance Committee Chairman Tom Raab told Council that a 1 percent increase in the occupancy tax would add an estimated $24,900.
In addition to other planned changes, this increase would total $52,240 in funding for the budget.
Councilmen decided to address requests for funding at its work session.
In other business, Council unanimously adopted its proposed $1,545,259 Capital Improvement Plan which reflects $241,943 in local funding, $760,000 in the form of grant revenues and $543,316 in state monies.
That plan includes:
•$545,000 dedicated to community development, with all coming in the form of grants
•$96,943 in locally funded contributions to the police department
•$668,316 in project funding for the public works department, with $125,000 local funding and $543,316 in the form of state funding
•$235,000 to community parks projects with $20,000 funded locally and $215,000 in the form of grant funding.
Tonight, Council also is expected to take action on grant application requirements for the proposed Church Hill Neighborhood project, specifically the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development grant application mandatory pre-contract activities.
The water/sewer fund reflects a 0.46 percent decrease overall and no capital projects are listed for the fiscal year.
Councilmen also approved required administrative work regarding the proposed Church Hill neighborhood project. The pre-contract activities adopted included: a local business and employment plan, non-discrimination policy; grievance procedure, residential anti-displacement and relocation assistance plan and fair housing certification. Town Manager Ted Daniel said that grants are usually announced by the Governor’s office in late June.

Obituaries

Brian Robert Farmer

Brian Robert Farmer, 19, of 6079 Birch-Elmo Road, South Boston died May 7, in Pittsylvania County. He was born in Danville on August 7, 1985, the son of Tony B. Bomar and Leslie F. Francisco. He was of the Baptist Faith.
Survivors include his grandparents, Robert ‘Frog’ and Lorine Farmer, and Sandra Boelte, all of South Boston; his mother and stepfather, Danny Francisco, of Sutherlin; his father of South Boston; three sisters, Samantha and Emily Hubbard, both of Sutherlin, and Hailey Bomar of South Boston; his fiance’, Lauren Tate of Sutherlin; his great-grandmother, Mabel Bowen of Virgilina; one aunt, Wanda Cartwright and husband, David, of Danville; and one uncle, Scott Farmer and wife, Barbara, of Alton. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Jackie Bomar.
Funeral services for Mr. Farmer will be held at Arbor Baptist Church today, May 11, at 2 p.m. with the Revs. Tom Wright and Horace Murray officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Lottie Parish Hill

Lottie Parish Hill, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Lawrenceville, died May 5 in Florida.
She was married to William Earl Hill.
Survivors include one daughter, Frances Hill Baird and her husband, Claudie, of Sarasota; one son, William Jeffries Hill and wife, Nancy, of South Boston; grandchildren, Blake Baird of San Francisco, Calif., Bruce Baird of Sarasota, Jeff Hill of South Boston and Jennifer Hill Laughorn of Scottsburg; and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held May 9 in Lawrenceville.

Albert Walter Jennings

Albert Walter Jennings, 74, of 1222 Story’s Creek Road, Alton died May 8, at his home.
Mr. Jennings was born on October 4, 1930, in Halifax County to the late David Jennings and Rebecca Terry Jennings. He was a member of Union Grove CME Church.
Survivors include his wife, Matric Medley Jennings; one daughter, Joyce Tucker of Java; three sons, Walter Louis Jennings of South Boston, Robert Wayne Jennings of Ringgold, and Rickey Leon Jennings of Alton; two sisters, Thelma Edmonds of Nathalie and Ruth Coles of Springfield, Md.; two brothers, Frank Jennings and Ira Lee Jennings, both of Washington, D.C.; seven grandchildren; one son-in-law; and two daughters-in-law.
Funeral services for Mr. Jennings will be held May 14, at 11 a.m. at New Vernon Baptist Church with the Rev. Clifton Terry officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Bobby Milton Jones

Bobby Milton Jones, 62, of 1125 Bold Springs Road, South Boston died May 8, at his home. He was born in Campbell County on June 19, 1942, the son of the late Archer Jones and Iolar Trammell Jones and was married to Mildred Josephine Jones.
Survivors include his wife; four daughters, Glenda Lloyd, Kathy Clay and Ronnie Smith, Debbie Conner, and JoAnn and Kenneth Miller, all of South Boston; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two brothers, Edward Jones of Springfield, Ohio, and James Jones of Petersburg; four sisters, Mildred Barksdale and husband, Jesse, of South Boston, Maggie Adams and husband, James, of Halifax, Mary Griffith and husband, Charles, of Wake Forest, N.C., and Maxine Rice and husband, John, of Raleigh, N.C. Mr. Jones was also preceded in death by one grandchild, Samantha ‘Sammie Jo’ Clay; three sisters, Mealie McCormick, Margaret Milton and Mabel Prowell; and two brothers, Hurley and Flenoury Jones.
Funeral services for Mr. Jones will be held today, May 11, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Don Bryant officiating. Burial will follow in Halifax Memorial Gardens.

DeWitt Hundley Logan

DeWitt Hundley Logan, 93, of Palm Coast, Fla., died May 6 at his home.
He was born in Halifax County.
The Kenneth L. Jones Funeral Home in Staunton is handling the arrangements.

Danny Eugene Palmer

Danny Eugene Palmer, 25, of 2130 Brooklyn Road, Sutherlin, died May 8.
Mr. Palmer was born in Halifax County on January 12, 1980 to James William Palmer and Zelda Oliver Davis. He was a member of New Arbor Baptist Church.
Survivors include one son, TeQuan Palmer of South Boston; his mother and his stepfather, Lawrence Davis of Sutherlin; his father of Long Island; one sister, Fannie Eugenia Palmer of South Boston; one brother, James Lamont Palmer of Hagerstown, Md.; his maternal grandparents, Berta Oliver and Clinton Oliver; his paternal grandparents, Fannie Lewis and Lionel Lewis; his step-grandparents, Sammy Davis and Lois Davis; and a step-great-grandmother, Clara Wiles.
Funeral services for Mr. Palmer will be held tomorrow, May 12, at 1 p.m. at New Arbor Baptist Church with the Rev. Nelson Stamps officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Walter Davis Stephens

Walter Davis Stephens, 58, of 103 Forest Trail, South Boston, died May 8 at MCV Hospital, Richmond.
Mr. Stephens was born in Halifax County on February 15, 1947, the son of the late Ember Stephens and Jessie Scott. He was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church and a Vietnam Marine veteran.
His survivors include his mother of South Boston; sister: Dolly Warren of Hampton; and two brothers: Wallace Stephens of Halifax and Donnell Stephens of South Boston. He was preceded in death by two brothers: Willie James and Harvey Junior Stephens.
A funeral service will be held Fri., May 13, at 1 p.m., at New Bethel Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.

Margie Udene Hunt

Mrs. Margie Udene Hunt, of Clover, died yesterday.
She was 67.
Mrs. Hunt was born on March 8, 1938 in Houston and resided in Clover with her sister, Carlene Yawn. She was the daughter of the late Gordon Massey and Bert Shugart Massey and was married to the late James Robert Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt is survived by two sisters, Carlene Yawn of Clover and Lois Lee of Teague, Tex.; a brother, Alvin Dewayne Shugart of Bryan, Tex.; a niece, Tammy Broxton and family of Java; a nephew, Roger Waddle and family of Java; a foster daughter, Delena Waddle of Meza, Az. and a great-nephew, Johnny Royer of California.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home tonight from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
Interment will be in the Lost Prairie Cemetery in Groesbeck, Tex.

Lions Baseball Looking To Seal The Deal In Conf. Tourney

Halifax Takes On Nottoway Here Friday In Semifinals

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

The Halifax County Middle School baseball team has won eight straight Southside Middle School Conference Tournament titles, and its quest for number nine begins here Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Nottoway.
Bluestone, the second seed in the East Division, plays today at West top seed Central in the other semifinal game, with the championship game scheduled for Saturday.
For this year’s team to add its name to the honor roll of champions, it will have to rely on its season long strength – pitching – especially considering the change in the tournament format.
The conference tourney semifinals have normally taken place Wednesday, with the championship game on Saturday, and playing back to back games presents the Lions with a challenge, according to coach Barry Powell.
“We’ll have to take a look at how far we can go with whomever we pitch," said Powell. “There’s no tomorrow if we don’t win on Friday, but I would love to have as much pitching as possible available for Saturday."
Powell and assistant coach Justin Saunders feel the Lions have progressed since the beginning of the season, but the pitching has been the consistent element in another undefeated (11-0) regular season.
“That’s been our strength, Kyle Long has pretty much been our workhorse, but I feel confident in Eric Brandon," said Powell. “He’s done a good job, as has Josh Rogers, Michael Puryear and Tyler Lewis.
“They’re the ones we’re looking at now to take us down the home stretch."
The Lions played up to, or down to the level of competition during the regular season, according to Powell, who is looking for a consistent performance from his team in the tournament.
“We seem to play to the level of our competition, and one disappointment this year is the way we’ve swung the bats," noted Powell. “But, it’s been hard to get into a rhythm, with one game one week, and two games another week.
“I thought we would have swung the bats better, but in their defense, we can play ‘small ball’ and manufacture some runs if we don’t hit well in the tournament. We bunt well and run the bases well."
Powell is looking for his team to put all the pieces together for two good games in the tournament, and he’s seen some signs already in practice.
“It looked like they turned it up a notch in Saturday’s practice," said Powell. “If our pitching comes through, I think we’ll be competitive. If Kyle and Eric are on their game, it’ll take a strong offense to overcome them.
“They’re by far above average eighth-grade pitchers, but you never know what will happen. That’s why they play the game," he continued.
“What I’ve been looking for all year has yet to surface, and I hope they put it all together. They seem to be putting on their tournament faces, and I’ve talked to them about our tradition of winning here at Halifax County Middle School.
“This has been a trying year at times, with two coaches instead of three, and Justin has done a good job. The kids have battled, and when it comes time to play, they’ll be ready."

Lions Softball Looks To Make It Seven Straight

Halifax Plays Central Here Today In Tourney Semifinal Game

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

The Halifax County Middle School softball team looks to make it seven straight Southside Middle School Conference Tournament titles this week, the first hurdle coming here today at 4:45 p.m. against an 8-2 Central team in the semifinals.
Bluestone, the number two seed in the East Division, travels to West one seed Nottoway in the other semifinal game.
Halifax enters the tourney with a 92-game winning streak, including a 12-0 regular season mark this year.
Lions coach James Smith said going into the season that this was one of his deepest and most versatile teams, particularly in pitching, and that has held true so far this year.
“Our pitching and defense has dominated this year, especially our pitching," noted Smith.
The Halifax roster lists seven pitchers, all of whom have seen mound action this year, and Smith can recall very few chances for his outfielders.
“We really haven’t been tested on defense, and I can’t recall but a very few balls hit to our outfielders, but I expect that to change against Central," said Smith. “I expect this to be a good ball game."
Nine current Lions were on the team that defeated Nottoway 2-1 in eight innings last year for the tourney title, but Halifax had to get by this same Central team in the semifinals to get there.
That they did, scoring all five runs in the first two innings on the way to a 5-1 win.
Halifax has backed its solid pitching and defense with a prolific offense, outscoring its opponents 199-6 in 12 games, allowing only two runs in eight conference wins. The Lions have shut out their last seven opponents.
The Lions may have to do one thing in the tournament they haven’t done much all year, play a seven-inning game.
“Our tougher games were in the beginning of the year against Stanford (N.C.) and Franklin County, and they were the only ones in which we went the full seven innings," recalled Smith.
“We’ve been hitting the ball pretty well all year, but we haven’t really faced the faster pitching outside of Stanford and Franklin County. But, we scored some runs against them."
The quality of play is always elevated come tournament time, and Smith expects a tough game against the Bobcats.
“Pitching and defense will be better in the tournament, and Central will make the routine plays, so you have to hit the ball well," said Smith.
“But, we seem to play better when we face better pitching, so I’m looking for us to play well. We practiced for about two and one-half hours on Saturday, working the defense and pitchers, and we batted against live pitching to try and stay sharp at the plate."
The Lions have continued to practice this week in preparation for Wednesday’s game, and the tournament will be the ultimate test for his team, noted Smith.
“We have a lot of talent. Hopefully, we’ll find out how good a team we really are."