Friday, June 24, 2005

Crimes Committed, Crimes Solved
1-Hill Guilty Of Malicious Wounding

A 28-year-old South Boston man was convicted Wednesday of the malicious wounding of a Westside Trailer Park resident last September.
George Louis Hill Jr. pleaded guilty to the malicious wounding of Michael Smith after entering into a plea agreement with the Commonwealth.
Under terms of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth nol prossed an additional indictment against Hill, one charging him with using a firearm to commit a malicious wounding.
Judge William L. Wellons remanded Hill to custody to await sentencing in the July court term.
Smith was shot at his home in the Westside Trailer Park during the early morning hours of September 25, 2004, according to police reports.
South Boston Police and Halifax County Sheriff’s Department Deputies responded to Westside Trailer Park about 1:52 a.m., after receiving reports of a resident being shot.
Upon arriving at the scene, they found the victim, identified as Michael Smith, sitting on his front porch.
According to police, Smith stated that he was in bed when someone knocked on his front door, but found no one there when he opened it.
Smith answered a knock on his back door, and a second individual entered Smith’s residence through the front door when he answered that knock, investigators theorized at the time.
Police said Smith told them the second person was armed with a handgun and a struggle ensued.
Smith was shot in the head during the struggle, and was transported to Halifax Regional Hospital, where he was treated and released.

2-Drug Charges Net 10 Years

A man described by police as a “major drug dealer” received a 10-year sentence on multiple drug and firearm charges, Maj. R.S.B. Pulliam said Wednesday.
Edward Stokes, 50, of Bellvue Road in Halifax, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, one count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, two counts of distribution of crack cocaine, a third count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Pulliam said.
If convicted by a jury, Stokes could have faced a possible life sentence.
Stokes was arrested last November when investigators and deputies searched his Bellvue Road residence and seized a “significant quantity” of crack cocaine, cocaine, cash and marijuana.
A firearm and other drug-related items were also seized.
Stokes is currently being held in the Halifax Regional Jail.
In other police business, George Edward Herndon, 43, of Lower Liberty Road in Nathalie, was charged yesterday with the felonious assault of David. D. Faulkner.
The alleged offense occurred Tuesday.
Deputy J.M. Burton was the arresting deputy.

3-Man Arrested For Car Theft

A 24-year-old Nathalie man was arrested on grand theft charges Wednesday after he allegedly stole a vehicle from a Mountain Road restaurant, Capt. Larry Fears of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said yesterday.
Carlos Younger, of Leda Road, was arrested by Investigator Jimmy Clay at approximately 3:10 p.m., after the sheriff’s office received a call that a blue 1998 Lincoln Navigator was taken from a restaurant located at the intersection of routes 360 and 57, according to police.
According to police, the keys were left in the vehicle, which was left running while the owner – identified as Joe Allred III – went into the restaurant.
“Within 10 minutes, deputies spotted the vehicle behind the mobile units at Halifax Elementary School,” Fears said.
Younger was reportedly taken into custody without incident.
He is being held in the Halifax Regional Jail.

 

Booker Sues Chastain Board

Says Board Isn’t Producing Financial Records In Violation Of Founder’s Wishes

By KEITH STRANGE
G-V Staff Writer

Claiming that the current governing Board is operating contrary to its founder’s wishes, a Town of Halifax resident is suing to see the financial records of The Chastain Home for Gentlewomen.
Frank Booker, through Attorney John Greenbacker Jr., filed the suit Wednesday in Halifax County Circuit Court.
The suit names the homes’ chief executive officer, secretary, treasurer and members of the Board of Trustees as defendants.
The defendants named include Attorney Edward B. Lumpkin, Director Brockenbrough Lamb Jr., Secretary W. Bates Chappell, Treasurer Robert W.P. Martin, Jr., and trustees Hugh G. Edmunds, Chandler A. Nelson, Beth Robertson, Carl Espy, IV. and Tucker L. Henley.
Booker alleges that the will of James Bruce Chastain, which set up the trust that finances the home, mandates that the financial records be open to the public.
“The twenty-second paragraph of Exhibit A (the will) provides, in part, that the governing authorities of The Chastain Home for Gentlewomen and their corporate successors shall cause ‘the itemized expenditures and all matters concerning the financial condition of the home’ to be printed for distribution and inspection by visitors to The Chastain Home in Halifax, Virginia,” the suit reads.
According to the paragraph in question, “the printed report of the Trustees showing the itemized investments of the trust funds, the corpus of the estate, and the income received therefrom yearly, and the sums paid to and for the use and support of the Home for each current year, and the number of (residents of the home) shall be read at such meeting (the Homes’ annual meeting); also the itemized expenditures and all matters concerning the financial condition of the Home, which reports shall be printed for distribution and recorded in said Yearly Memorial Book and open for inspection to any visitor.”
Booker alleges that on previous investigation, he learned that:
• In 2003, the IRS “assessed a tax penalty of $165,970 against the Corporation (the governing body of the Home)” for failing to distribute the required amount of money to charitable organizations.
• The governing body of the Home incurred $61,854 in legal fees in 2003 that “greatly exceeded previous years’ expenditures for legal services”. “Upon information and belief the plaintiff (Booker) alleges that a substantial amount of these fees were charged to the Corporation by the law firm of which the defendants Lamb and the Corporation’s registered agent (Lumpkin) are members.”
Booker is also challenging the management of the Homes’ finances.
“In 2003-04, when the average monthly market value of the Corporation’s security investments was $9,221,765, Corporation securities valued at $3,840,607 were sold,” Booker alleges in the suit. “While (an exhibit) reveals the payment of management fees which the Plaintiff (Booker) alleges was paid to Kanawha Capital Management, LLC, the investment firm of the defendant Chappell.”
“There is no itemized list of trading fees or an accounting of other income that may have accrued to Kanawha Capital Management, LLC, as a result of its dealings with and for the Corporation,” Booker alleges in the suit.
According to the suit, Booker went to the Home in February and asked to see the financial documents.
“No minutes of the Corporation were there, and no financial records but the categorical expenditures for the operation of the Home in Halifax, as contained in an accountant’s statement, was available for inspection,” the suit alleges.
Following an April 26 letter from Booker requesting the documents, the suit alleges that lawyers for the Home wrote him claiming that the process of incorporating the Home “relieved (the governing Board) of its obligation to file and maintain any records in The Chastain Home in Halifax other than a record of the annual public memorial service.”
“The refusal of the Defendants to file at the Chastain Home in Halifax, Virginia, the information sought by the Plaintiff… Deprives the Plaintiff and other interested members of the public of the information necessary to assess the financial condition of the Corporation and The Chastain Home,” Booker alleges. “This refusal is contrary to the will and intent of James B. Chastain, who sought transparency in the handling of the Corporation’s financial affairs through the device of a public account of the management of its assets.”
Booker is requesting the Court force the Board to turn over the documents in question and pay the costs of the lawsuit.

 

Obituaries

Richard Wilson Bates

Richard Wilson Bates, 89, of 2090 Dr. Merritt Road, Nathalie died June 21 in South Boston.
Mr. Bates was born in Halifax County on April 30, 1916, the son of the late Harry Lee Bates and Sarah Poindexter Bates. He was a member of Sunflower Baptist Church and was a WWII Army Veteran.
Survivors include his nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Dr. Jesse J. Bates and H. Louis Bates; and one sister, Mary L. Bates Harris.
Funeral services for Mr. Bates will be held tomorrow, June 25, at 11 a.m. at Sunflower Baptist Church with the Rev. Robert L. Tucker officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with Military Honors by American Legion Post 99.
The family is receiving friends at 1024 College Street, South Boston.

Shirley Moody Gould

Shirley Moody Gould, 86, of South Hampton, N.H., formerly of Halifax, died July 14, 2004.
While living here she was an active member of Beth Car Baptist Church and belonged to many civic groups and clubs.
Mrs. Gould was the daughter of Bill and Hazel Tuxbury Moody, and was married to the late Edward W. Gould Jr.
A graveside service for Mrs. Gould will be held at 3 p.m. today, June 24, at Halifax Cemetery.
Her survivors include a daughter, Diane Thomson; one grandson, Eric Thomson and his wife, Julia, of Durham, N.C.; a brother, Philip, and wife, Ethel, of Kittery, Maine.

Joseph Lazarus Petty

Joseph Lazarus Petty, 70, of 1068 Grubby Road, Halifax died June 18, at his home.
Mr. Petty was born in Halifax County on June 15, 1935, the son of the late Cecil Petty and Nannie Canada Petty, and was married to the late Dorothy Petty. He was a member of County Line Baptist Church.
Survivors include one son, Joseph Petty of Richmond; three brothers, James Edward Petty of New York, N.Y., Linwood Petty of Halifax, and Harvey Petty of Philadelphia, Pa. Mr. Petty was also preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers, Inez Hogue, Maydell Hogue, David Petty and Ivory Petty.
Funeral services will be held today, June 24, at 1 p.m. at County Line Baptist Church with the Rev. Robert Hogue and the Rev. Dr. Otis Dillard officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home.

Irene Owens Ray

Irene Owens Ray, 85, of South Boston died June 19, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Ray was born in Halifax County on May 23, 1920, to the late William Owens and Agnes Ewell Owens, and was married to the late Herbert Ray. She was a member of Memorial Baptist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Ola Owen McKinney of Charlotte, N.C.; one son, Irvin Jennings of Richmond; one sister, Amanda Walton of Newport News; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one daughter-in-law, Marlena Jennings.
Funeral services for Mrs. Ray will be held tomorrow, June 25, at 2 p.m. at Memorial Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Katherine Strange, 1412 Porter Lane, South Boston.

Angia Vaughters Snead

Angia Vaughters Snead, 94, of Randolph died June 20 at her home.
She was the daughter of the late Robert Vaughters and Clemmie Powell Vaughters and was married to the late Charles H. Snead Sr. Mrs. Snead was a member of Gethsemane Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include nine children, Zeanell Brogdon and husband, William, Willie S. Cook, Lee Snead and wife, Betty, all of Randolph, Perry Snead and wife, Eva, and Francis Melvin Snead Sr., all of Richmond, Dorothy Hall and husband, Joseph, of Charlotte Court House, James Harold Snead of Bridgeport, Conn., Delmer Gilliam and husband, Theodore, of Clover, and Angie Leeks and husband, Wilbert, of Greenwood, Fla.; 33 grandchildren; 49 great-grandchildren; 23 great-great-grandchildren; two daughters-in-law, Irene Snead of South Boston and Edna Snead of Baltimore, Md.; two sisters-in-law, Florence Snead of Roanoke and Blanche Daniels of Charlotte Court House; and one brother-in-law, Herbert Snead of Roanoke.
Funeral services for Mrs. Snead will be held tomorrow, June 25, at 1 p.m. at Gethsemane Presbyterian Church in Drakes Branch with burial in Henry Presbyterian Cemetery in Randolph.
Condolences may be emailed to Jeffressfh@aol.com.

Bobby Ruth Carter Thompson

Bobby Ruth Carter Thompson, of Lillington, N.C., died June 21, at Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn, N.C.
Mrs. Thompson was born January 18, 1923, to Charles L. Carter Sr. and Irene Ruth Carter of Stamford, Texas. She was married to the late Henry S. ‘Tommy’ Thompson of Virginia.
Survivors include her children, Alan Thompson and wife, Sharon, of New Bern, N.C., David Thompson and wife, Artie, of Henderson, Ky., Holly Thompson Mayberry and husband, Leslie, of Liberty, N.C., and Robin Graham Thompson and companion, Chris Johnson, of Dunn; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Thompson will be held today, June 24, at 10:30 a.m. at Lillington United Methodist Church with the Revs. David Harriss and Jeff Roberts officiating. Burial will take place today, June 24, at 3:30 p.m. in Halifax County at Union United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Lillington United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 506, Lillington, 27546.

Nannie Conner Elliott

Nannie Conner Elliott, 92 of 408 Powell Road, South Boston died June 23, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Elliott was born on January 13, 1913, in Halifax County the daughter of the late John Henry Conner and Ella Hackney New, and was married to the late Robert M. Elliott. She was a member of Berry Hill Presbyterian Church, and was a former textile worker at Halifax Textile Mill.
Funeral services will be held at Berry Hill Presbyterian Church tomorrow, June 25, at 11 a.m. with the Revs. Terry Blevins and Ed Melvin officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Brooks Funeral Home this evening, June 24, from 7:00 until 8:30, and other times at the home.
Survivors of Mrs. Elliott include one daughter, Helen E. Ladd and husband, Lynwood, of South Boston; two grandsons, Carl Ladd and wife, Leigh, of Stuarts Draft, and David E. Ladd and wife, Angie, of Nelson; one granddaughter, Lisa Ladd of South Boston; four great-grandchildren, Karen Bayne and husband, Bane, Michael Ladd, Parker Ladd, and Chyna Ladd; and several nieces and one nephew. She was also preceded in death by two sisters; and one brother.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Halifax County Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 183, South Boston, 24592, or Berry Hill Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund.

The Fine Art Of Skeet Shooting

All-American Ryan Tribble Aims High

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

Ryan Tribble, a 14-year-old resident of the Stovall community in Halifax County, is fast climbing the ranks in the sport of skeet shooting after only two years of competition.
Tribble recently took first-place in the Sub-Junior Division at the Great Eastern Skeet Shoot in Richmond, breaking 491 out of 500 clays during the competition which involved about 275 shooters.
He recently achieved an even greater honor, being the first county youth named to the All-American Skeet Shooting Team by the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA).
Tribble, the son of Wayne and Angela Tribble, was one of only two Virginia youth named to the All-American team, which includes the top 15 sub-junior skeet shooters in the nation.
Shooting or “breaking” clay targets is what it’s all about in the sport of skeet shooting, the term “skeet” refering to an old Scandanavian word meaning “to shoot.”
The sport originated at Glen Rock Kennels in Andover, Massachusetts in 1920, when a group of game hunters, including the proprietor of the Glen Rock Kennels, his son and one other person, began shooting at clay targets as a means of obtaining wing-shooting practice.
Skeet shooting competitions eventually developed into a regular program including a rotation of 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge, .410 bore competitions, as well as doubles, taking place on a field with eight stations.
Tribble got hooked on the sport about two years ago after a visit to the Brookneal Sportsman’s Club, and won his first competition just last year at a local 4-H skeet shooting event.
He then joined the NSSA, and has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including winning the Virginia State Sub-Junior Skeet Shooting Championship last year, and being named to the Virginia Sub-Juniors State Team in the process.
“It takes concentration to become a good shooter. You need to stay calm and relaxed, and you need to have your gun fitted to your specifications,” said Tribble, who practices two to three times a week at either the Halifax, Brookneal or Brushy Mountain gun clubs.
“Each practice takes about three hours and I break about 250 clays during a typical practice,” noted Tribble.
Considering the potential danger involved in skeet shooting, competitions are strictly monitored, according to Wayne Tribble.
“We were amazed with how much there is to it,” he began. “The sport is very regulated, with sanctioned referees, and safety is paramount. He [Ryan] loves it and has a talent for it.”
The sport of skeet shooting is among the fastest growing in the United States, according to Wayne Tribble, who points to the 20,000-member NSSA as evidence of the sport’s popularity.
“I think there are about 1,700 registered skeet shooters in Virginia who compete, and thousands in a state the size of Texas.”
Ryan Tribble has competed in other sports, including swimming for the Comets swim team last year, but believes he’s found his niche in skeet shooting.
He hopes to add another title at the World Skeet Shooting Championship next month in Tupelo, Mississippi, after competing in a couple of local competitions.
When asked if he was confident going against the best shooters from at least 28 states and two countries, he nodded in the affirmative, with a broad smile.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”

Francisco Comes Back To Speedway

Nathalie Driver Returns To Limited Sportsman Division

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

Ryan Francisco, who won 12 races and finished third in points twice in the Limited Sportsman Division at South Boston Speedway from 2000-2002, will return to racing, beginning with the 50-lap Limited Sportsman feature July 9.
The 23-year-old Nathalie driver will race a No. 81 Monte Carlo owned by Robert Fisher, the same car number and model he raced before.
Only the owner is different, and Francisco said he feels comfortable with the new arrangement.
“I ran five races last year in Limited in the No. 30 car owned by Claude Wright,” said Francisco. “We didn’t finish a race, and I decided I couldn’t do what I needed to do in order to improve and compete with the equipment I had.”
“Robert Fisher owned the car Stacy Compton drove here, and he’s owned other cars as well. He’s been around racing for many years, and it’s not something new to him.
“He and I have known one another for several years, and we just got together and came to an agreement. He’s letting me drive his car to see what it’s capable of.”
Francisco’s crew is a mix of both old and new, as well.
Danny Francisco and Rodney Francisco are back as crew members, with Mark Francisco, Don Gauldin and John Godding added to his crew this time around.
Primary sponsor for at least one race is Mi Carreta Mexican Restaurant, with the other sponsor being Slip-In Food Mart.
Lack of sponsorship was the primary reason for Francisco’s leaving the sport in the first place, he noted.
“To be honest, I never wanted to leave racing, but I left due to lack of sponsorship. I had no choice. The racing bug never left me and it will always be in me, no matter what happens.”
Francisco admitted he hasn’t kept up with racing as much as he should since his departure, but knows the level of competition at South Boston is tough in all the divisions.
“The competition has really stepped up this year, it was getting that way when I first left,” said Francisco, adding there are several drivers capable of winning each and every week.
“I welcome the challenge, and I would like for everyone to run up to their capabilities, but my main challenge now is myself and my car,” he noted. “I need to get seat time and adjust to my car.
“It’s a new car, I’m not used to it, and there are a few things on it I’ve never had to deal with.”
Another thing Francisco has not dealt with since his departure are the heat and fatigue factors associated with summer time racing at South Boston, something else to be figured into the equation.
“We’ll allow ourselves three races to get back into the groove, to get the team and myself adjusted. Once we do that, we’ll begin to focus on the other competitors and what we need to do to race against them.”
Francisco said he has no illusions about his return, and says he and his team will have to take things step by step.
“I’m real excited about it, there’re a lot of things to work out, and everything won’t be perfect,” he said. “I don’t expect to go right out and pick up where I left off, I know that won’t happen. It’s kind of like going back to the drawing board.
“The competition is a lot tougher, and it’s going to take more than it used to, but hopefully, we can be just as competitive as before.”
As for racing next season, Francisco has adopted a wait and see attitude.
“I wish I knew, this deal is something thrown together real quick,” he emphasized. “I wish it could have happened at the beginning of this season, but it didn’t.
“That’s why I’m not worried about running for points, just about getting seat time and getting a feel for the track again.
“I’ve been here before, I know what it takes, and if we have to do something to this car to make it more competitive, we’re going to do it. Our main goal is to win and we’ll do whatever it takes.
“It took awhile the first time, but we learned and it paid off.”

Post 8 Baseball Drops Third Straight To Open Season

Post 16 Lynchburg North Slugs Three Homers In 14-9 Win

BY Doug Ford
G-V STAFF WRITER

The South Boston American Legion Post 8 baseball team was bitten by the long ball Tuesday night in losing its third straight game to open the season, Post 16 Lynchburg North hitting three home runs in a 14-9 win at Heritage High School.
Post 8 got a home run of its own, that a solo shot by Justin Armistead in the ninth inning, but Post 16 countered with a grand slam homer in a six-run first inning. A two-run home run in the fifth and solo homer in the sixth accounted for three more runs for Post 16.
Armistead had a double and single in addition to his home run, Brent Long had three singles, a double and RBI, and Robert Carter had three singles to lead Post 8, which also got two doubles and an RBI from Blake Waller.
Ryan Roller and Chris Sizemore got the other hits for Post 8, which fell behind 6-0 after one inning of play and cut the lead in half before Post 16 scored four runs in the fifth and four more the next two innings to hold off a late-game rally by Post 8.
Things looked promising for Post 8 early on, Carter reaching on a base hit to start the game, but he was doubled off first on a line drive out off the bat of Armistead. Long and Roller hit consecutive singles, but a groundout ended the threat.
Post 16 responded with six runs in its first at-bat, capped by a grand slam home run, and the score stayed that way until Post 8 rallied in the third inning to cut the margin to 6-3.
Carter singled to start the rally, Armistead followed with a double and Long had an RBI base hit. Roller hit a sacrifice fly to drive in another run, but Post 16 added four runs in the fifth on two base hits, a walk and a two-run homer to make it 10-3.
A solo home run, two base hits and a walk led to two more runs for Post 16 in the sixth inning to make it 12-3. Post 8 scored a run on two singles and two walks, the last by Kaleb Long to make it 12-4 in the top of the seventh, but Post 16 added its final two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 14-4 margin.
After scoring once in the eighth, Post 8 rallied again in the ninth to score four runs, Armistead’s homer leading off the inning.
Brent Long hit a double, Waller an RBI double and Sizemore an RBI single. Another run scored on a Post 16 error, but a double play ended the rally and the game.
Post 8 used four pitchers in the game, David Lacks starting the game and pitching into the fifth before being relieved by Dex Seamon, who finished the inning.
Kyle Long pitched the first part of the sixth inning, and Spence came on to finish the sixth and the seventh inning, and Tyler Clarke came on to finish the game for Post 8.