Budget, Code Of Conduct Before Trustees

School Board trustees will consider the approval of the 2007-08 Code of Student Conduct and Superintendent Paul Stapleton will report on the progress of the proposed 2007-08 school budget at the monthly meeting of the Halifax County School Board.
The meeting will get under way tonight at 7 p.m. at South of Dan Elementary School.
Trustees are scheduled to tour the new Cluster Springs Elementary School beginning at 3 p.m.
Items on the consent agenda include a personnel report from Deputy Superintendent Larry Clark, a report on athletic and educational field trips and fund-raising activities by Executive Director for Administration Paul Nichols and Executive Director for Instruction Joseph Griles, and a long-term suspensions report for April from Leon Johnson III, director of pupil personnel services.
Trustees Kelly Hill, Sandra Rister and Joe Bailey, each a member of the bookbags/homework policy committee, will present their recommendations to the board, and Director of Maintenance Larry Roller will give his monthly maintenance report.
A list of recognitions in also on the agenda, including recognition of division art winners in VSBA Southern Regional Forum art competition, recognition of the HCMS First Lego League team awards, and recognition of Wilson Memorial Elementary School for receiving the 2007 Title I Distinguished School Award.
Roy McKinnis will be recognized with the Unsung Heroes of Printing Award, and the board will also recognize Madyson Jordan, a Washington-Coleman Elementary School student, for heroism in helping save the life of her grandmother last month.
Bill Covington, CFO for Halifax County Public Schools, will give his monthly financial report, and there will be a time for citizens’ comments during the meeting.

SoBo To Work On Budget, Make PSA Appointments

Council is expected to appoint three representatives to the Halifax County Public Service Authority, address retirement benefits for public safety employees and revisit the town’s proposed $7,353,986 budget during its session tonight.
The meeting will get under way at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at 502 Yancey Street.
South Boston will have three appointees to the new joint PSA, which is expected to take over operation of the area’s water/sewer system in 2008. The county, Town of Halifax and South Boston are forming the board to govern water/sewer operations.
All three localities’ nominees are expected to be confirmed during an upcoming joint meeting Monday, May 21, at Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.
Council is expected to address a resolution approving enhanced retirement benefits “1.85 percent multiplier” for public safety employees tonight.
Also on Council’s agenda, the proclamation of Older Virginians Month and recognition that the South Boston water plant is the recipient of a state performance award from the health department.
Council is also expected to address its proposed $7,353,986 budget, one that carries no real estate or personal property tax rate increases during its budget work session following the business meeting. The Finance Committee is recommending a 2.5 percent salary increase for employees, which is one-half percent above town staff’s proposed budget.
Council’s next meeting will be a joint Halifax County and Town of Halifax meeting at 6 p.m. at Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.

 

Obituaries

Fannie Hicks Buster
Funeral services for Mrs. Fannie Hicks Buster will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Piney Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Whitfield Scott officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the residence, 2044 Woods Creek Lane in Scottsburg.
Mrs. Buster, 91, died Thursday, May 10, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born in Halifax County on June 3, 1915, the daughter of the late James Harvey Hicks and Elnora Sims Hicks and was married to the late John Mable Buster.
Mrs. Buster was a member of Piney Grove Baptist Church.
She is survived by six sons: John Marshall Buster of South Boston, Albert Henry Buster of Bremerton, Wash., Cain Daniel Buster of Hopewell, Col. Gilbert Hicks Buster of Germany, Wilbert Harvey Buster and Jesse Nathaniel Buster, both of Scottsburg; five daughters: Marion Lucille Dixon of Mays Landing, N.J., Shirley Leigh Buster of Pleasantville, N.J., and Kate Rebecca Buster, Eva Josephine Buster and Gloria Dionna Buster, all of Atlantic City, N.J.; a sister, Mattie R. Drewey of Philadelphia; a brother, John Dee Hicks of South Hill; a grandson she raised, David R. Ferguson of Clover; 31 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, two sons-in-law, three daughters-in-law, three sisters-in-law and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Mrs. Buster was preceded in death by her daughter, Fannie Rose Buster Webb, who also died May 10, a sister, Eva L. Hicks, and four brothers, Willie Hicks, Patrick Hicks, George Hicks and Jessie N. Hicks.
Fannie Buster Webb
Mrs. Fannie Buster Webb, 66, of Philadelphia, and formerly of Scottsburg, died Thursday, May 10.
She was the daughter of the late Mr. John M. Buster and Mrs. Fannie Hicks Buster.
A memorial service for Mrs. Webb was held on Saturday, May 12, in Philadelphia.
William Douglas Dickey
William Douglas “Bill” Dickey died Saturday, May 12.
Mr. Dickey was born in Pell City, Ala., on July 5, 1927, the son of John Douglas Dickey and Bertie Neal Dickey. The family moved to South Boston when Dickey was three.
He served his country in the U.S. Navy, entering at the end of World War II. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a central figure in the lives of many young boys in the community. He was an umpire, coach and league president in the baseball, basketball, and football leagues, spending countless hours organizing and supporting these activities and the kids involved.
Mr. Dickey worked as a salesman and manager with The Jewel Box, The South Boston News and Record Advertiser, The Halifax Country Club, and Clarksville’s Kinderton Country Club. In his semi-retirement, he owned and operated a small country store, Dickey’s Self Service.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Bertie Dickey; his sister, Mary Ruth Dickey Kaczmar, and his daughter, Deborah Sharp Dickey.
Mr. Dickey is survived by his wife, Lucille Palmer Dickey; his son, Michael Dickey of South Boston; his son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Melinda Dickey of Greensboro, N.C.; his granddaughters, Leslie Marie Dickey and Meghan Cole Dickey of Charlotte, N.C.; grandson Michael Sharp of Charlotte, N.C.; great-granddaughter Elizabeth Blythe Fincher; his great-grandson, Devan Dickey.
Services will be conducted by Brooks Funeral Home in South Boston. Visitation will be at the funeral home chapel on Monday, May 14, at 7 p.m. and at the home at other times.
There will be a graveside service at Halifax Memorial Gardens in South Boston on Tuesday, May 15, at 11 a.m.
For those who wish to give memorials, please consider the Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Avenue, South Boston, Va. 24592.

Jonathan Lee Peck
Funeral services for Mr. Jonathan Lee Peck will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church with the Rev. Jack Stewart, Rev. Bonnie Pizzeck, Rev. Bob Watts and Rev. David Dickerson officiating.
Interment will follow in the Hunting Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mr. Peck, 21, of T.N. Snow Road in Nathalie, died Saturday, May 12, at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
He was born in Halifax County on December 17, 1985, the son of Ricky Lee Peck and Charlotte Morris Peck and was engaged to Brandy Deal.
Mr. Peck was involved with the family business, Jon Boy’s Auto Repair, and was an honorary member of the Triangle Volunteer Fire Department.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Peck is survived by his grandmothers, Marjorie Morris of South Boston, and Doris Peck of Nathalie.
He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, William E. Morris and Willie Lee Peck.
For memorials, please consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, Va. 24592.

Lady Comets Whip PH, Glass

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
Taking care of business. That’s what the Comets varsity softball team did last week, winning three crucial Western Valley District games by 16-0 scores, including one Thursday at E.C. Glass and another here Friday against Patrick Henry
Halifax is now 6-1 in the district and 15-2 overall, with a showdown on the horizon Thursday with Franklin County.
Halifax 16 Patrick Henry 0
The Comets banged out 24 hits in a four and a half inning 16-0 win over Patrick Henry on Friday.
The Comets scored 12 runs on 12 hits in the first inning, adding two runs in the second and two more in the fourth to help end the contest.
Lashunda Davis finished with a double, three singles and four RBI’s, while Key Ferrell had a triple, two singles and four RBI’s and Liz Trickey and Betty Rose each three base hits and a RBI.
Stephanie Clark had a two-run double and single, Heather Hudson a pair of RBI singles, and Paige Rickman two singles and a RBI. Ally Thompson hit a RBI single, while Emily New had two base hits and Shayna Oakes and Melissa Sims one each.
Clark and Rickman shared pitching duties for the Comets and combined for a no-hit shutout, Clark hurling the first two innings and Rickman the final three frames.
Clark struck out five of six batters she faced and Rickman five of ten, each pitcher finishing with no walks.
Comets coach Melanie Saunders said the Patrick Henry team the Comets faced Friday was not the same team they faced April 24 in Roanoke.
That game saw Halifax beat Patrick Henry 7-0, scoring three runs each in the second and third inning, but only one thereafter
“This was a bad day for them and by no means is this the real Patrick Henry team,” explained Saunders.
“Their varsity has a freshman pitcher and their jayvee team has a eighth grade pitcher that’s also pretty good.
“When we played them up there, their pitcher held us to one run from the third inning on. I look to see more district teams coming at us and making a two-team race much bigger.”
Halifax 16 E.C. Glass 0
The Comets had 11 of their 23 hits in the first three innings and plated 11 runs on the way to a 16-0 win over E.C. Glass Thursday in Lynchburg.
Halifax tallied four runs on five hits in the first inning, three in the second on one hit, and four more in the third on five hits.
The Comets added two runs on four hits in the fifth and three more on six hits in the sixth inning.
Davis and Rickman each had three hits and each smacked a double in the win, Rickman finishing with four RBI’s and Davis three, while Rose had three base hits and a RBI.
Amber Bowman had a double, single and two RBI’s, Ferrell a double, single and RBI, Trickey two hits and two RBI’s, Oakes two hits and a RBI, Heather Hudson a double and single, Emily New two base hits and Ally Thompson and Sims each a base hit.
Rickman started and went the distance to get the win, allowing no runs on four hits in six innings of work.
She finished with 12 strikeouts and one walk.

Comets Thrash PH, Stay In Battle For Second

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team kept itself in the battle for second place in the Western Valley District standings with a 13-2 win over Patrick Henry Friday in Roanoke.
The win puts the Comets at 11-7 overall and 4-3 in the district with one game left Thursday night at 6 p.m. against Franklin County, the team the Comets are battling for the runner-up spot in the district.
District leader GW clinched the regular-season district title and the district’s number one seed for the Western Valley District and Northwest Region Tournaments with a win Friday night over Franklin County.
Halifax County out hit Patrick Henry 14-9 with Justin Bagbey and Kaleb Long both having a big night, going 3-4 at the plate. Two of Bagbey’s hits were for doubles and Long was credited with three RBIs.
Allen Stephens, Justin Jacobs and Joey Rogers each had two hits with Stephens and Jacobs logging three RBIs each and Rogers getting one RBI.
Billy Joe Garrett (one hit, one RBI) and Daniel Wilborn (one hit, two RBIs) also chipped in on the Comets’ offensive attack.
Halifax County had a tough time putting Patrick Henry away, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning and holding a narrow 2-1 lead after five innings.
The Comets finally delivered a knockout blow with five runs in the sixth inning that lifted them to a 7-1 lead and sealed the game with six more runs in the top of the seventh inning to go up 13-1. PH, with the help of a walk, a hit and a Comets error, scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning but it was far too little and too late.
Halifax County’s first-inning scoring came when Garrett walked with one out and moved to third base on a double by Bagbey.
A single by Stephens plated Garrett and Bagbey to put the Comets up 2-0.
PH scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, stringing together a single, a sacrifice bunt that moved the runner and a single to cut the Comets’ lead to one run at 2-1.
Halifax exploded for five runs in the top of the sixth inning, with all five runs being scored with two out.
Bagbey opened with a double with two out and an intentional walk to Stephens put two runners on the bases. A single by Jacobs scored Bagbey to put the Comets up 3-1.
A two-RBI single from Long put Halifax up 5-1. A single from Rogers kept the inning alive and a two-RBI single from Wilborn put the Comets up 7-1.
The Comets continued their offensive onslaught in the top of the seventh inning to score six more runs and take a 13-1 lead. Halifaax County had six hits in the inning that included run-scoring hits from Garrett, Stephens, Jacobs, Long and Rogers.
Jacob Vest and Jacobs teamed up on the mound to get the win.
Vest, the starter, went four innings and gave up six scattered hits and one run. He fanned two batters. Jacobs threw the final three innings and allowed three hits, two walks and one run. He struck out one batter.

Virginia Tech Scholarship Named In Honor Of Wimbish

By Bob Howerton
The News-Progress
A new athletic scholarship at Virginia Tech has been named in honor of South Boston resident Carlyle Wimbish Jr, in recognition of his approximately 30 years of service and support of Virginia Tech athletics.
The announcement of the scholarship was made Thursday night by David Everett of the Halifax County Hokie Club at the annual Orange & Maroon Tour at Mecklenburg Country Club in Chase City.
Everett noted that with a major gift from his son, the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund has created the Carlyle R. Wimbish Jr. ‘61 Athletic Scholarship, a scholarship which will be awarded to a student athlete from Halifax County High School, where Carlyle began his career after graduation, or from his alma mater, Deep Creek High School.
The announcement by Everett read, “The fall of 1978 marked the beginning of a new era in Virginia Tech athletics. With a new coach on the sidelines, interest in the program was gradually increasing. Among the crowd that gathered to witness the home opener against Tulsa that year was a new season ticket holder and new member of the Hokie Club, who had made the three hour drive to Blacksburg with his 12-year-old son to cheer on the Hokies.
“Although the Hokies lost that game, they gained one of their most loyal and dedicated supporters, one who over the course of the last 29 years has missed a grand total of one home football game. One who soon became one of the founders of the Halifax County/South Boston Hokie Club, and has served several terms as its president. One who has also served as a Hokie Rep. One who has been equally active in the Alumni Association, including service as president of the Halifax County/South Boston chapter. One who is, at least to many in Halifax County, what his license plate proudly proclaims: “Mr. Tech.”
“I was completely surprised by the announcement of the establishment of the scholarship,” Wimbish said after the announcement.
“This is my second term as president of the Halifax County Hokie Cub, but I have no idea how many years this term has run.”
The club has 50 plus members at this time.
Representing Virginia Tech were Athletic Director Jim Weaver and head men‘s basketball coach Seth Greenberg.
Weaver briefly touched on five main points of the Virginia Tech athletic program including a few remarks about the tragedy and the resilience of the students and the faculty of the people in the school and in the community of Blacksburg. He also touched on sportsmanship with the main emphasize being on respect for the competition both as an athlete and a fan.
He next touched on the integrity of the program in which problems in the athletic family has been taken out of the hands of the individual coaches and put in the hands of the athletic director for disciplinary action.
Weaver also covered the achievements of the various athletic programs for the last year with the point being that eight of the 21 athletic programs at Virginia Tech will finish in the top four in the ACC for the year. He also added that the tennis and golf teams have gotten at-large bids into the NCAA tournaments this year.
Weaver also told the audience that when figures are released in October it will show that the university will have the highest graduation rate ever for a six-year class, which is the way the figures are compiled.
Greenberg touched on the accomplishments of the men’s basketball program for the past year with their big wins over several ACC opponents, a second round bye in the conference tournament and their accomplishments in the NCAA tournament.
He also spoke briefly on the accomplishments of several key players and what their losses (graduation) will do to the program, although he indicated that the maturing of those returning and the incoming recruits will make for another good year at Virginia Tech.
Thursday’s Orange & Maroon Tour was jointly sponsored by the Southside (Mecklenburg and Brunswick counties), Halifax County and the Emporia Hokie clubs.