Friday, May 17, 2006

Cole’s Returns Fire At NYC Suit

Calls Federal Lawsuit “Wholly Groundless”

Cole’s Gun Shop owner Mark R. Cole fired back Wednesday to allegations made in a federal lawsuit filed by New York City officials alleging his shop and 14 others engaged in illegal firearms sales.
In a prepared statement through his attorney, Michael Cole, the shop owner said, “After reviewing the lawsuit and the claims made in it, we consider the suit to be wholly groundless; and without any basis in law or in fact.”
“We feel very confident that when all the information comes out, we’re going to be vindicated,” said Cole yesterday.
The statement charges that the lawsuit is a cynical attempt by New York officials to place blame on lawful firearm dealers.
Cole also flatly denies that his shop ever knowingly made a “straw sale” as alleged in New York’s lawsuit.
“We have never made a so-called “straw sale” to anyone,” the statement said. “Nor have we made say such sale where we had any reasonable suspicion that such an unlawful transaction was being attempted.”
New York sent undercover private investigators to all the gun shops named in the lawsuit and allegedly made “straw purchases” from the dealers and caught the sales on tape.
Cole’s claims the video footage has been edited and significant portions of the transaction have been deleted making the tape misleading.
The lawsuit alleges that 32 guns involved in NYC crimes between 1994 and 2001 have been traced back to Cole’s Gun Shop.
Cole’s said in that period the shop sold approximately 600 guns per year for a total of 4,200 firearms making the number of guns named in the suit an extremely small fraction, seven-tenths of one percent, of the shop’s overall firearm sales.
The statement also asserts that the lawsuit is technically defective in that New York has no jurisdiction upon which to sue the store as Cole’s does no business in the state or City of New York and has never sold a gun to a New York resident.
Cole’s said it will defend the case to the utmost and is confident it will prevail.
The owner also said he wanted to thank the people who have supported him since news of the lawsuit broke.
“I’ve received a whole lot of support from my friends and members of the community,” he said. “I would like for everyone to know that it’s truly appreciated.”
Read the full text of Cole’s statement issued Wednesday below:

In response to the lawsuit recently filed against 15 gun dealers, including Cole’s Gun Shop, Inc. of South Boston, on behalf of Cole’s Gun Shop, we wish to issue the following statement:
1) After reviewing the lawsuit and the claims made in it, we consider the suit to be wholly groundless, and without any basis in law or in fact; the suit is a cynical attempt to place blame for the actions of criminals on those lawfully marketing firearms.
2) We are therefore left to conclude that the suit is merely a grandstanding effort by New York City Mayor Bloomberg to earn cheap political points from certain recent tragedies in that city. However, these events have no causal connection whatever with anything unlawful or otherwise improper done by Cole’s Gun Shop or anyone acting on its behalf;
3) We further consider the lawsuit to be yet another groundless attack on handgun ownership in general, and small dealerships specifically, which make easy and convenient targets for New York’s army of lawyers and its unlimited resources;
4) We have never knowingly made a so-called “straw sale” to anyone, nor have we made any such sale where we had any reasonable suspicion that such an unlawful transaction was being attempted. As to the videotape allegedly depicting a straw sale consummated in Cole’s Gun Shop, it obviously has been edited so as to delete significant portions of the transaction, and is therefore misleading. The Complaint filed by the City even expressly alleges that the Cole’s Gun Shop clerk involved was told that the woman who allegedly illegally purchased the gun in question for someone else was “looking for something to buy,” which statement is not depicted on the videotape.
5) Cole’s Gun Shop has been in existence since the early 1970s and has a spotless record of integrity and compliance with the law, and supports all gun laws that rightly and properly protect the public; we consider the prohibition of straw sales to be one of those. Indeed, Cole’s Gun Shop recently received a letter of commendation from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, for its cooperation with the Bureau’s efforts to trace used firearms involved in criminal activity.
6) The lawsuit in question fails to establish, or even allege, any causal connection whatsoever between any alleged negligence on the part of Cole’s Gun Shop and any specific act of violence or any harm done to any individual, or to the City of New York generally; while the suit alleges that the purported videotaped “straw purchase” was never actually consummated, but rather was a “sting,” it nonetheless is “a proximate [i.e., direct] cause of the City’s injury” – a logical impossibility.
7) The suit alleges that between 1994 and 2001, 32 guns confiscated in New York were traced to Cole’s Gun Shop, and between 1996 and 2002, 26 crimes were committed in New York with guns traced to Cole’s Gun Shop. Between 1994 and 2001 Cole’s Gun Shop sold approximately 600 guns per year, or some 4,200 guns. Therefore, little more than seven-tenths of one percent of our guns sold during the time in question allegedly are involved in this suit.
8) Simple common sense dictates that we have no control over who comes into possession of our guns, or where they may end up once they leave our store, and to attempt to hold us responsible for such is patently absurd.
9) The suit alleges that Cole’s Gun Shop “appears to specialize in the supply of illegal guns to the youth market ….” This is demonstrably false, and were it not alleged in a protected lawsuit it would be libelous, and we would sue on account of it. Cole’s Gun Shop has never sold a single gun to anyone under the legally required age, and to claim otherwise without one shred of evidence is scurrilous.
10) The lawsuit is further technically defective in that the City of New York has no jurisdiction upon which to sue Cole’s Gun Shop in its courts; Cole’s Gun Shop does not, nor has it ever, sold a handgun to a New York resident; it has never done any business, or any advertising even, in New York; it has no registered agent in New York, nor any bank account or other asset in New York.
In conclusion, we view the lawsuit as completely without merit, and without minimizing the results of any gun violence in New York, the suit is indeed frivolous. Mayor Bloomberg has alleged that the citizens of New York need protection against “rogue” gun dealers, and he categorizes Cole’s Guns Shop as such. We respond by suggesting that law-abiding businesses need protection against “rogue” politicians and groundless lawsuits used to promote political agendas with taxpayer dollars.
We intend to defend the case to the utmost, and are confident that we will prevail.
Michael A. Cole
Attorney and brother to Mark R. Cole,
Owner &President, Cole’s Gun Shop, Inc.
South Boston, Va.

 

IDA To Buy Flex-Tec Building

Appraised At $525,000, IDA To Purchase Facility For $450,000

The Halifax County Industrial Development Authority Board of Directors agreed yesterday to authorize staff to proceed with an option to purchase the former Flex-Tec building.
The action came following an executive session as the Board held its regular monthly meeting at Riverstone Technology Park.
Located in the Halifax County Industrial Park, the IDA is seeking to purchase the approximately 13,000-square-foot building and three acres for $450,000.
“It has been appraised at $525,000, IDA Board Chairman Larry McPeters said.
IDA Executive Director Mike Eades said the Board has a prospective industry that is seeking to locate in the building.
“They want to start production in January, 2007,” McPeters said.
The Board chairman said that several modifications would have to be made to the building in order to make it suitable for the new tenant.
The Flex-Tec building was vacated several years ago after the company ceased operations in Halifax County.
Board member John Bosiger made the motion to sign a six-month purchase option agreement for the property. With a second by Board member Jack Slagle, the motion unanimously passed.
The Board also voted to authorize staff to execute an agreement to locate a Cingular Wireless cellular tower at Riverstone Technology Park.
The agreement will be executed following a review by the Board’s legal counsel.
In other business, Eades told the Board that IDA staff have received a commitment from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for a $15,000 grant for an engineering study and planning grant for the demolition of the 166,000-square-foot former Georgia Pacific building. The vacant building sits on 104 acres the IDA wants to market to prospective industry.
The Board also agreed to extend the option on 34 acres known as the Motorplex Property on U.S. 58 west.
Located behind Bojangles, the IDA staff recommended earlier this year to purchase the property for $780,000, with funding provided by Community National Bank at 5.8 percent fixed interest. Additional funding for the purchase will come from the Tobacco Commission.
The purchase price reflects a $25,000 per acre asking price.
Originally, the option was for 42 acres, but was later reduced to 34 acres.
“We’ve amended the agreement to reflect that and entered into a monthly agreement with the owners for $1,000 per month,” Eades said.
The executive director said earlier that a prospective industry is considering locating on the property.
A meeting with architect and engineering firms the Timmons Group and Baskervill and Sons will be held on May 23 to finalize information for a master plan for Riverstone Technology Park, Eades told the Board.
According to Eades, the acquisition of an additional 16 acres requires updating the plan for the park.
“We’re planning to give them a vision of what we want the plan to look like,” he said.
Board members are seeking a June deadline for the development of the plan.
Board members also voted yesterday to accept a proposal from Dewberry & Davis for architectural and engineering services for IDA office space at Riverstone.
The Dewberry bid was accepted under the condition that the job not exceed a cost of $18,400.
The IDA is seeking to locate a 1,500-1,600-square-foot office suite in Building I.
Board members also voted to increase the mileage reimbursement for IDA staff from 36.5 cents per mile to 40 cents per mile.
“Gasoline is expensive and I don’t believe the staff should have to absorb the cost of traveling for IDA business,” Board member Carlyle Ramsey said.

 

Florida Seeks $17M From Brown & Williamson For Cigarettes Made For Star Tobacco & Pharmaceuticals

BY BRIAN SKOLOFF
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cigarette maker Brown & Williamson owes Florida $17 million as part of the landmark 1997 tobacco settlement after it failed to report the sale of billions of cigarettes produced under Star Tobacco & Pharmaceuticals, Attorney General Charlie Crist said Wednesday.
Under the multibillion-dollar settlement, Brown & Williamson along with other manufacturers were to pay a lump sum of $550 million to the state and annual payments thereafter based on the volume of cigarette sales, Crist said in a motion filed in state court in Palm Beach County.
Brown & Williamson, under a contract with Star Tobacco & Pharmaceuticals Inc., ‘‘manufactured, sold and shipped’’ seven billion cigarettes and has failed to report the profits as part of the settlement, according to the motion.
The filing seeks $17 million in back payments and a contempt of court fine.
‘‘They’ve been making regular payments but the payments were not up to what they should be,’’ Crist said. ‘‘We are asking the court to require this company to live up to its part of the bargain and stop short changing the citizens of this state.’’
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. merged with Brown & Williamson in 2004 to create the second-largest U.S. cigarette maker. R.J. Reynolds spokesman David Howard said Brown & Williamson only made cigarettes for Star, but did not distribute, market or sell them.
He said the profits from Star sales don’t apply to the settlement’s requirement to pay Florida a percentage of domestic sales because Star was not part of the agreement.
In 2004, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a similar motion in his state’s 1998 tobacco settlement, alleging Brown & Williamson used ‘‘smoke and mirrors’’ to avoid paying $16 million also under a production contract with Star.
A judge ruled in favor of Brown & Williamson. The case is set to go before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on June 7, Abbott spokesman Tom Kelley said.
Florida’s 1997 settlement called for Philip Morris USA, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Brown & Williamson and Lorillard Tobacco Co. to pay the state more than $13 billion over 25 years. To date, Florida has received more than $4 billion in payments, Crist said.

 

Season Ends With Win Over E.C. Glass

The HCHS Varsity Baseball Team Ended Regular-Season Play With A 9-5 Win Over E.C. Glass Here Tuesday Night

After a disappointing outing in its recent loss to arch-rival GW, the district regular-season champion Halifax County High School varsity baseball team needed to wind up its season on a positive note.
The Comets did just that Tuesday night, downing E.C. Glass 9-5 in the annual Senior Night game here at Comets Field.
“After the GW loss, our goal tonight was to get back on a positive note,” said Comets head coach Kelvin Davis.
“ It was key for us to get this win.”
The Comets did what they needed to do in the season finale, coming up with key hits at the right moment.
Halifax County had nine hits in the contest with Willie Stephens, Scott Gieselman and David Lacks each getting two hits. Justin Bagbey, Jacob Swillie and Patrick Currie had one hit each.
“It was a good win,” said Comets head coach Kelvin Davis whose team finished regular-season play with a 12-6 overall record and a 7-1 slate in district play.
“ We got some key hits at the right time. As long as we can do some things to put runners in position and have an opportunity to make those big hits we should be okay.”
Senior hurler Jeremy Jeffress went six innings on the mound for the Comets, giving up four hits and three walks while fanning 10 batters.
One of the four hits was a solo homer by the Hilltoppers’ Drew Elkins in the top of the fourth inning. That blast by Elkins allowed Glass to cut in Halifax County’s two-run lead and make it a 2-1 score.
It wasn’t one of Jeffress’ better nights on the mound but it was plenty good enough to help the Comets get the win.
“Jeremy struggled at the beginning of the game and couldn’t find his spots with his slider and curve ball,” Davis noted.
“Whether it’s him or any other pitcher that is struggling, we need to the give him some runs and we did that tonight.”
The Comets gave Jeffress a comfortable margin with a seven-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning that allowed the Comets to extend their lead to 9-1 and, for all practical purposes, put the game out of reach.
Halifax County sent a dozen batters to the plate in the big inning that was aided by four Hilltoppers errors and a pair of walks.
Bagbey and Lacks produced the Comets’ two hits in the inning with Lacks’ single plating two runs.
With an eight-run cushion, Jeffress fanned all three E.C. Glass batters he faced in the sixth inning.
“Once we gave him those runs, he (Jeffress) was more like his old self,” Davis said.
Davis sent Bobby Owens to the mound in the seventh inning, the inning in which the Hilltoppers picked up four runs and did their most damage.
While Owens walked the first four batters he faced to give Glass one run and the Hilltoppers’ Joseph Dupree unloaded a three-RBI double with two out to clear the sacks, the Glass rally was not nearly enough to put the Comets in any real danger.
The Comets got the upper hand early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third inning with the help of back-to-back hits from Swillie and Stephens and an E.C. Glass error. That two-run burst allowed the Comets to stay in front the rest of the contest.
Halifax County’s next outing will come Tuesday in the first round of the Western Valley District Tournament. The Comets will host Franklin County, the fourth-seeded team, in a game that has been tentatively set for 7 p.m.

 

Varsity Softball Team In Playoff For Top Tournament Seed

Comets Face Franklin County Today In Danville

The Comets varsity softball team will take on Franklin County in Danville today at 5:30 p.m. for the top seed and home field advantage in next week’s Western Valley District Tournament.
Halifax forced a playoff with Wednesday’s 4-0 win over E.C. Glass in Lynchburg, giving the Comets and Eagles identical 7-1 district records.
Halifax finished the game with a total of nine hits, Melissa Sims leading the way with three singles, a RBI and run scored against Glass, while Mandy Watts had two hits and an RBI.
Lashunda Davis had a RBI single and Betty Rose a sacrifice fly for another RBI, while Heather Oakes had a double and Shayna Oakes and Beth Throckmorton each had a base hit for Halifax.
Four runs proved to be enough for Throckmorton, who held the Hilltoppers to two hits, one in the second and the other in the seventh inning.
Wednesday’s contest with Glass was every bit as tough as expected, but the Comets made enough plays on offense (nine hits) and defense to overcome an uncharacteristic four errors against the Hilltoppers.
“It wasn’t our best defensive game, and we made some errors behind Beth, but she pitched well,” said Comets coach Melanie Saunders.
“We were able to come out of it, pick ourselves up and made some good defensive plays to keep Glass from scoring.”
Each team had an opportunity to take the lead but came up short in the first inning, Sims stranded at third after a leadoff single. Heather Oakes sacrificed her to second and Sims went to third on a groundout, but a flyout ended the threat.
A key defensive play prevented Glass from taking the lead in the bottom of the first, an error and passed ball putting the leadoff batter for Glass at second base.
The runner advanced to third on a groundout and tried to score on a flyout, but Comets’ center fielder Jasmine Parker relayed the ball to Throckmorton, who threw to catcher Rose to nail the runner at the plate.
Halifax rode that momentum to the top of the second with a two-out rally to take the lead. Throckmorton singled, Shayna Oakes walked, and Watts singled to load the bases, before Sims knocked home the first run of the game.
Halifax saw more scoring opportunities go by the board the next two frames before adding some insurance in the late innings.
Davis hit a single and Key Ferrell reached base on an error in the third, and Shayna Oakes singled in the fourth without producing a run, but Halifax broke through for three runs in the next two innings.
Sims got things going with a leadoff single in the fifth and Heather Oakes reached base on an error, before Davis knocked Sims home with a RBI base hit. Rose followed with an RBI flyout to make it 3-0.
Another key two-out hit produced the final Comets’ run in the top of the sixth inning, leadoff batter Jasmine Parker reaching base on an error, advancing to third on a passed ball and scoring on a Mandy Watts RBI single for a 4-0 advantage.
That proved to be enough for Throckmorton, the senior right-hander going the distance, hurling a shutout while giving up two hits. She finished with eight strikeouts and only one walk.
Several players stepped up to make plays in the win against Glass, obviously a big win for the Comets, according to Saunders.
“We hit the ball pretty well, and it was a win we needed to have in order to force a playoff with Franklin County,” she noted.
“We had some people step up today, and Melissa did a good job coming in for Liz [Trickey].”
“Melissa hit the ball well and played good defense and we had some others step up when we needed them in this game.”
Halifax and Franklin County split their regular season games, each team winning at home, and Saunders is looking for another tough game tonight.
“This game will be tough for both teams,” said Saunders. “Franklin County is a good team and they hit the ball well throughout their lineup.
“But, we can hit the ball, too, and we’ve done a good job of reaching this point after losing to them earlier in the season.
“I think we’re where we want to be right now, they’re focused on the task at hand, and it’s going to come down to whichever team can get going first.”

 

Barker Says “Bump” Forgiven, But Not Forgotten

CHARLOTTE, NC – Robert “Bootie” Barker, crew chief for the Haas CNC Racing team in the Nextel Cup Series, doesn’t have a problem with what happened to his car in the 2005 NEXTEL Open at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
The way it happened is a slightly different matter.
With driver Mike Bliss, the Barker-led Haas CNC team started on the pole and led 16 of the Open’s 30 laps one year ago. On the final lap, Brian Vickers, driving the No. 25 car, closed to within inches of Bliss, who was in the lead.
With the finish line in sight, Vickers turned Bliss, sending the Haas CNC Chevrolet sliding through the infield grass. Vickers got the win, and with it a spot in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. Bliss, Barker, and the rest of the Haas crew were left to load their car on the team transporter and ponder what might have been.
Looking back on that final lap, Barker says he’s OK with why the spin happened. Where he takes issue is with how it happened.
“Vickers was going for the win in a race where points weren’t involved, and he did what he felt he had to do,” Barker said. “I’m OK with that. I understand that. The money you can win in the All-Star race is an awfully big carrot to dangle in front of a driver.
“What I didn’t like, and what I still don’t agree with, is flat-out wrecking somebody to win. That’s what happened. We got wrecked, plain and simple.”
To those who would argue that all’s fair in a non-points event, Barker feels there’s still a right way and a wrong way to win a race.
“There’s always beating and banging in racing, and I love that. If (Vickers) had gotten alongside us and we had a finish like (Ricky) Craven and (Kurt) Busch had at Darlington, it would have been awesome, regardless of who won.
“To me, the difference is in the etiquette. I use the analogy of a boxer. A boxer can use his elbows and his head a little bit to gain an advantage on his opponent, and that’s cool. It’s part of the game. What’s not part of the game, or what I feel shouldn’t be a part of the game, is a blatant shot below the belt. Regardless of the circumstances or how much money’s at stake, I honestly wouldn’t want my driver to win a race that way.”
While Barker wishes Vickers would have handled the situation differently, he says the same thing about his own driver.
“This is not a criticism of Mike Bliss at all, but I think he changed his line on those last few laps to try and keep Vickers behind him. Mike was just trying to be conservative, so you can’t fault him for that. If Mike would have run the same line he ran earlier on, I don’t think the (No.) 25 would have gotten to us. We can ‘woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’,’ all day, though.”
So, given the way the race ended, what was Barker’s first thought when Vickers crossed the finish line?
“Well, we’ve got a great relationship with Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports, so my first thought was to keep my guys from going down there and killing (Vickers),” Barker said. “My guys were upset, and I definitely wasn’t happy. What could we really do at that point, though? He won, we didn’t. End of story.
“I’m not mad at Vickers, and I have a lot of respect for Lance (McGrew, Vickers’ crew chief). I learned a lesson as to how Vickers chooses to race, and I filed that away for future reference, but it’s over and done with. Let’s move on.”
While some crew chiefs might dwell on “the one that got away,” Barker is too busy preparing for the next two weekends at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
“I hadn’t thought about (that race) in months until someone asked me about it this week. I try to stay focused on what’s happening now. That’s the only way you’re going to be competitive.”
With a new driver, Jeff Green, piloting the No. 66 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet this season, how does Barker rate his chances in this weekend’s NEXTEL Open event?
“I think we’ve got a very real shot at winning it,” Barker said. “We had a pretty good test session at Lowe’s a few weeks back, and we’ve learned a few things since then that I think will make us very competitive. Hopefully, we can close the deal this time.”
If it comes down to the last lap and Barker finds his driver challenging for the win, what advice will he offer?
“Well, if the (No.) 25 is leading and we’re right on his bumper, I can assure you my advice will not be for Jeff to let off,” Barker said. “To borrow a line from Dale Earnhardt, I’ll tell Jeff to ‘just rattle his cage.’”

 

Obituaries

Shirley Davis Walker
Shirley Davis Walker, 69, of Buffalo Junction died May 16, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Walker, a native of Halifax County, was the daughter of Samuel Jr. and Mattie Inez Dunn Davis, and was married to Joseph Grey Walker. Working for Burlington Industries for 14 years, she later became bookkeeper for Grey Walker Construction, Inc., and for the family farm.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today, May 19, at Gravel Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Brad Reynolds and the Rev. Earnie Taylor officiating. Burial will follow in Grave Hill Cemetery.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Walker is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Teresa W. and Jay Blanks, and Tracey W. and Gerald Hatcher; one son and daughter-in-law, Samuel and Karen H. Walker, all of Buffalo Junction; one sister, Peggy Newton; and one brother, William Davis, both of Virgilina; and seven grandchildren.
Condolences can be expressed at www.wclfh.com.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Gravel Hill Baptist Church, 1662 Carter’s Point Road, Buffalo Junction, 24529; Mecklenburg County Life Saving and Rescue, P.O. Box 1539, Clarksville, 23927, or Boydton Life Station, P.O. Box 182, Boydton, 23917.
Bernard Brown ‘B.B.’ Butler
Bernard Brown ‘B.B.’ Butler, 72, of Clover died May 17, 2006, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Butler was born in Guilford County, N.C. July 10, 1933, the son of the late Bernard Brown Butler Sr. and Mabel Summers Butler and was married to Phyllis Browning Butler. He was a member of South Boston Church of Christ, was a U.S. Army Veteran, and was retired vice president of Clover Yarns Company.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Bernard Brown Butler III and wife, Jolene, of Winchester, Donald Bruce Butler Sr. and wife, Donna, of Clover, Steven Craig Butler and wife, Kara, and James Eric Butler and wife, DeAnne, all of Mechanicsville; one daughter, Deborah Jean Butler of Richmond; one brother, Paul Dean Butler and wife, Peggy, of Ga.; six grandchildren; and one niece and one nephew.
Funeral services for Mr. Butler will be held tomorrow, May 20, at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Billy Harper and Don Roarabaugh officiating. Burial will follow in Clover Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home this evening, May 19, from 7:00 until 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, or the Leukemia Foundation, Box 21, 2101 Executive Drive, Hampton, 23666.
Jessie Thomas Carr
Funeral services for Mr. Jessie Thomas Carr will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Second Buffalo Baptist Church with interment to follow in the church cemetery in Nathalie.
Mr. Carr, 88, of Nathalie, died on Sunday, May 13 in Brookneal.
He is survived by two daughters, Hallie Bradley of Nathalie and Bernice Nowlin of Lynchburg; two sons, Joseph T. Carr (Ruby) of Rustburg and Roman Eugene Carr of Oxon Hill, Md., one sister, Ilean Boyd of Wilmington, Del.; one sister-in-law, Helen Boyd; one brother-in-law, Othell Boyd; 21 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
Condolences may be emailed to Jeffressfh@aol.com.
Bettie Lellian Brown
Mrs. Bettie Lellian Brown, 76, of Gladys, died Tuesday, May 16, in Lynchburg.
She is survived by two daughters, Virginia Valdean Brown of Altavista and Betty Johnson and husband Willie of Hillside, N.J.; two sons, Larry Brown and wife Phyllis and Hubert Brown and wife Ethel, all of Gladys; 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren; one brother, Authur Lewis Jennings of Newark, N.J.; one godson, Derrick Tucker of Richmond; and devoted friends Rosa Younger, Barbara Tucker and Horace Mabins; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Betty Lellian Brown will be held at 2:30 p.m.,Sunday, May 21, at the Ellis Creek Baptist Church in Nathalie. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Condolences may be e-mailed to Jeffressfh@aol.com