Five Arrested In Operation Cold Turkey

Five individuals on a list of 10 suspects named in felony indictments handed down by the Halifax County Circuit Court have been arrested by Halifax County Sheriff’s investigators, according to Sheriff Jeff Oakes.
These individuals were wanted on various charges related to recent break-ins and larcenies in the county, Oakes said. Four of the suspects were arrested in the past few days as part of Operation Cold Turkey, he added.
Oakes said additional warrants on three of the individuals and an additional suspect were obtained as the result of a separate investigation into recent break-ins at Billy Watts’ Exxon in Clover and Bobby and Linda’s Grocery in Dryburg.
Sheriff’s Office deputies and investigators arrested three suspects Friday on charges related to a break-in at the Dan River Church Road home of James Howerton, according to Oakes.
Thomas Eugene Anderson, 27, of Old Cluster Springs Road, South Boston, Jeffrey Wichita Pruitt, 20, of Russell Gap Road, Boomer, N.C., and Amanda Carol Compton, 19, of Conner Evans Trail, Alton, were each charged with the break-in at the Howerton residence, Oakes said. Anderson was charged with an additional count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, he added.
Oakes said that the three suspects, along with 38-year-old Ricky Lewis Compton of Conner Evens Trail, Alton, were charged by Investigator T.R. Spencer with the July 22 break-ins and larcenies of Billy Watts’ Exxon and Bobby and Linda’s Grocery.
The three male suspects were held without bond, and Amanda Compton posted a $15,000 bond and was released from jail, Oakes said.
Thomas Edward Barley, 43, of Webster Street, South Boston, was arrested by Deputy S.M. Bowen Saturday on charges related to the Aug. 29, 2006 break-in and larceny of personal property belonging to John Sweeney of Leighwood Trail, Halifax, Oakes said.
Barley was charged with breaking and entering, receiving a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Oakes. He is currently being held without bond in the Halifax Adult Detention Center, Oakes said.
Following those arrests, investigators recovered a firearm that was stolen from a Mecklenburg County residence on July 25, Oakes said.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Investigator Chris Whittemore, along with Halifax County Sheriff’s Investigators J.D. Clay and A.D. Tribble, interviewed the suspects in the Clover and Dryburg break-ins and determined that weapons from the Mecklenburg incident had been transported to Person County, N.C., according to Oakes.
On Monday, investigators Whittemore, Clay and Tribble met with Investigator Joe Weaver of the Person County Sheriff’s Office and traveled to Person County near Mayo Lake where additional weapons were recovered, Oakes said.
The weapons are believed to have been stolen during the Mecklenburg County burglary, Oakes said. Additional charges are pending further investigation, he added.

Council Urges Businesses To Find Trash Contractors

South Boston Director of Public Works Alan Auld said he has received comments from multiple private trash haulers that businesses are declining to enter into contracts because they have heard that the town is planning to get back into commercial trash collection.
That is completely untrue, according to South Boston Council members.
Councilman Coleman Speece recommended that the town send out a second letter to the town’s commercial trash customers to inform them that the town will not be getting back into the collection business.
South Boston currently has 200 green boxes at town businesses, according to Auld, and those boxes must be collected and replaced with boxes from the private contractor.
Auld said there may have been some confusion, because the town stated it would consider getting back into commercial collections if the private haulers either did not show interest in the market or were price gouging.
Neither seems to be the case, Auld told Council, there are several firms competing for the business and the prices are in line with other areas.
Council agreed to have staff contact commercial trash customers again to clear up any confusion.
Also at Monday’s work session, Auld updated Council on the progress of closing the town’s landfill.
The closure process has started and is “going like clock work,” Auld said.
Industrial waste will be turned away starting Sept. 1, which will leave enough room in the landfill for residential waste through the end of the year, Auld added.
Also at the work session, Council reviewed the Board of Viewers recommendation that Jenny Wilkins be allowed to purchase an abandoned alley adjacent to her property on Merritt Street for fair market value.
To determine value, staff estimated Wilkins’ three lots at 50,837 sq. feet with a value of $22,300 for 44 cents per sq. foot.
Using the same ratio, the alley’s estimated value is $2,640 for 6,000 sq. feet.
The Board of Viewers recommended offering the alley to Wilkins for $2,600.
Wilkins has yet to respond to the town’s offer, according to South Boston Clerk Jane Jones.
Council then set a public hearing for their Monday, August 13, meeting to address an ordinance amendment on changeable copy signs.
During the planning commission’s hearing two speakers spoke in favor of the proposed amendment.
Henry Moore, of Holiday Signs, and Amy Knott, of Chase Development, voiced support for changeable copy signs.
Following the hearing the commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the new sign ordinance.
Council also reviewed the finance director’s year-end report, which had the town collecting 10.1 percent more than anticipated revenue, but also spending 3.7 more than budgeted.
Revenues were budgeted at $7,697,444 and the town actually collected $8,476,576, according to Finance Director Erle Scott.
On the expenditures side the town also anticipated $7,697,444, but spent $7,985,814, Scott added.
Several of the cost overruns were personnel related, with overtime for public works personnel due to special events downtown and office staff to handle increased customer traffic.
Scott and Auld said they are looking at alternatives to cut down overtime expenses.
Auld also updated Council on roadwork around the new South Boston elementary school.
He said they are building a road in front of the school that should be paved tomorrow with weather permitting.
Also upgrades are being made to Hamilton Boulevard to accommodate school bus traffic.

Physician Reviews Years In South Boston

When internist Dr. Roger Browne retires at the end of this month, he’ll leave behind a legacy of innovative medical practices spanning his 35 years of practice in South Boston.
“Al Burkholder (former hospital administrator) invited me to come to Halifax Community Hospital in 1973,” Browne said.
“When I opened my practice in July of that year, there was no cardiac CPR. We trained nurses and other employees in cardiac CPR and developed the ‘Code Blue’ system in the hospital,” Browne said.
Browne said he inserted the first pacemaker on a Halifax County resident in 1973, and he, along with Vickie Gainey, was instrumental in initiating the respiratory therapy department at the hospital.
“We also started the cardiac stress test as a diagnostic tool for patients and helped start the intensive care unit at the hospital,” Browne said.
One particular patient who stands out in Browne’s memory was one of his colleagues, Dr. Leslie Beach. “Dr. Beach was Halifax County’s first heart transplant patient in July, 1988,” he exclaimed.
“I studied the procedure and worked with the University of Virginia Medical Center to get him on the list for a heart transplant,” he added. That procedure was successful and added several years to his life.
Browne said that in the early days of his practice in South Boston he was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“I took care of all my patients in the emergency room and made daily rounds in the hospital, as well as office hours. Things got a little easier when Bandy and McConahey (Dr. Maurice Bandy and Dr. William McConahey) came on board,” Browne said.
When asked why he came to Halifax County to practice medicine, Browne replied, “I came because it was a good place to live…and had good hunting and fishing.” Always the avid sportsman, you would find him, when he wasn’t working, in the field quail hunting with his dogs or on the water with rod and reel.
The personable physician has served on the Board of Directors of the hospital, as well as chief of staff and chief of medicine during his years in South Boston.
Summarizing his years as a physician, Browne said, “It’s an honor and a privilege when someone sits in your office and reveals their deepest problems to you…I’m honored that people would put that much trust in me.”
Browne said he is a dying breed, “Everyone coming out of medical school now wants to specialize … I’m the ‘Last of the Mohicans,’ a T-Rex, a dinosaur.”
The practice of medicine has greatly changed during his tenure as a physician. “When I started there were only about four antibiotics, two or three heart pills and a few blood pressure medications,” he exclaimed.
Browne added that the hospital has made great progress over the years. “The community is very lucky to have a hospital of that caliber here, and it’s been an honor to have been a part of it.”
When asked about a possible cure for certain diseases, such as cancer, in the near future, Browne replied, “I have no idea, we always hear the same thing from researchers…more money.”
“If the good Lord would let me cure one disease before I retire, it would be diabetes,” Browne said. “Diabetes is the worst scourge in Halifax County. It’s behind heart disease, vascular disease, eye problems and a number of others,” he said.
“Hypertension and diabetes are connected … take it (diabetes) out of the game and you take a lot of the other stuff out with it,” he added.
Browne will close his office at the end of the day on Aug. 31. What will he do? “That’s up to my wife, Joan. She’s given up a lot over the years … and when we finally close up, I’ll let her decide what we do,” he said.
As to what his patients will do when he retires, Browne said, “There are a lot of excellent doctors here in Halifax County who are taking on new patients. I’m sure my patients will be in good hands.”
They have been for the last 35 years.

Obituaries

Irene Snow Cox
Irene Snow Cox, 64, formerly of Altavista, died Saturday, July 28, 2007, at Lynchburg General Hospital. She was the wife of the late John Wesley Cox.
Born April 23, 1943, in Halifax County, she was a daughter of the late James Snow and Margaret Moorefield Snow. She was a retired employee of The Lane Company and Old Virginia Candle Company and attended Liberty Baptist Church.
Survivors of Mrs. Cox include two sons, David Allen Cox and his wife, Tabatha, of Gretna, and James ‘Wes’ Cox of Lynchburg; a daughter, Kimberly Irby and her husband, Tracy, of Conover, N.C.; two stepsons, Johnny Cox and his wife, Teresa, of Altavista and Mike Cox and wife, Karen, of Bedford; a brother, Jimmy Snow and his wife, Kim, of Bedford; a sister, Brenda Perdue of Lynchburg; eight grandchildren, nine step-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, and nine step-great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will beheld at 11 a.m. tomorrow, August 2, in the Finch & Finch Chapel by the Rev. Jim Critchley with burial to follow in Mount Hermon United Methodist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7:00 – 8:30 this evening, August 1, at the funeral home, and other times at the home of Dickie Fox, Altavista.
Condolences may be sent to www.finchandfinchfuneralservice.com

Elson T. Matthews
Elson T. ‘Buck’ Matthews, 70, of 2100 Sandy Beach Road, South Boston, died July 31, 2007, at South Boston Manor.
Mr. Matthews was born February 21, 1937, in Halifax County, and was married to Nancy Culley Morgan Matthews. He was of the Baptist faith, retired from Industrial Fan Company, and was an Army Veteran.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Debra M. Matthews and husband, Glenn, and Jo M.Cash, all of Halifax, and Nona M. Hite and husband, Riley, of South Boston; one son, Jason Morgan and wife, Tina, of Red Oak; two sisters, Willie Mae Jones of South Boston and Barbara M. Seamster of Alton; one brother, Glenn S. Matthews of Halifax; nine grandchildren, Scott and Victor Matthews, Chris and Chip Hite, Beverly Cash, Emily and Sadie Morgan, and Austin and Aaron Welch; five great-grandchildren, Arica Matthews, Jessica Balducci, Brooke Matthews, Lee Smith III, and Landon Hite; and an extended daughter, Brenda Banks and her three children and five grandchildren.
One brother, Frank Wilson Matthews; one sister, Lucy Christine Jones; one grandchild, Adam Morgan; and one great-grandchild, Maci Smith, also preceded Mr. Matthews in death.
The family will receive friends this evening, August 1, from 7:00 to 8:30, at Brooks Funeral Home, and other times at the home.
Graveside services for Mr. Matthews will be held tomorrow, August 2, at 11 a.m. at Clover Cemetery with the Rev. Jerry Jordan officiating.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@earthlink.net

More Than 70 Turn Out For Lions Tryouts

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
More than 70 athletes turned out Monday for the first day of practice and tryouts for the Halifax County Middle School football team.
Practice and tryouts continue in the mornings this week, before going to the more traditional evening practice sessions next week, according to head coach Frank Shealy.
Returning assistant coaches Stanley Brandon, W.J. Long and James Smith were also on hand to put the players through offensive and defensive drills Monday morning.
Shealy was pleased with the turnout, even considering a number of sixth-graders eligible for the team for the first time.
“All in all, I’m pleased with the turnout, even with the sixth-graders coming in, and we have about 20 who may still come out,” said Shealy, adding it was far too early to make any personnel decisions.
“We had no football camp this year, so these sessions are both tryouts and practice for us, but we have enough numbers for a blue/orange game or a intra-squad scrimmage,” added Shealy.
With no camp and no preseason scrimmages on the schedule as of Monday, Shealy noted that things are basically “starting from scratch” this year.
The first few days of camp will be devoted to basic formations and running a few plays to get coaches familiar with the skill sets of players they have on hand.
“We’re looking at about five guys at quarterback right now, and an equal number of running backs,” said Shealy.
“It looks like we have a number of guys who can play defense, and the coaches will get together and figure out who has the skill sets for those positions.
“We’re not going to put on helmets or pads until next week, because we’re trying right now just to get an idea of who the athletes are and where they can best help us.”
No decision has been made as to the size of the roster, but Shealy indicated it ultimately wouldn’t be fair to keep all those who come.
“Keeping 90 would be wonderful, but to do that wouldn’t be fair, because a lot of them may not get a chance to play,” explained Shealy.
“We’d rather keep a certain amount and have the rest play in the county leagues and get experience there.
“You learn a lot in practice, probably more than anywhere else, but everyone wants to play in the games.
“At this point, everything is wide open.”

Comets Plan Fan Appreciation Night

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
Football fans accustomed to watching a game from the bleachers may not realize the size, speed and athleticism the players possess in today’s game.
Comets football coaches know this all too well, and in appreciation of the community’s support of the football program, they have designated Aug. 14 as Fan Appreciation Night at Tuck Dillard Stadium.
There will be no admission fee and activities will begin at 7 p.m.
“What makes this unique is that it allows the fans on the field to watch practice from a different perspective and get a feel for the speed of the game,” said Comets head football coach Stan Hodgin.
“It will allow fans to see just how big and how fast the players are today.
“The biggest single change in the high school game over the past 15-20 years is the speed of the game.”
Concessions and Comets merchandise will be available.
Season tickets will be available for purchase at $20 apiece, in addition to a limited number of parking passes, also $20.
After Aug. 14 and through the first home football game Aug. 31, season tickets and parking passes will be available for sale at the HCHS main office
Fan Appreciation Night is a way for the Comets football program to thank the fans for their support, continued Hodgin.
“We have the best fans in the state, and this is one small way we can give something back to our fans.
“I encourage all middle school players and parents as well as players and parents of the midget football leagues to take this opportunity to see the inside of Halifax County High School football.
“I’m honored to offer this opportunity to our community, and I think it would be great to have a large crowd of people attend practice.”

Burton Wins 2nd Annual HCC Memorial Tournament

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
Jim Burton fired a low net score of 63 at Halifax Country Club Sunday to win the second annual Halifax Country Club Memorial Tournament.
Burton finished as the low net winner for the tourney, followed by Dunnie Nichols and Sam Fisher, both of whom shot a net of 64.
Fisher was awarded second after a match of cards.
Low gross winner for the handicap tournament was Jimmy Clay, who shot a score of 68, while W.J. Long was second with a 69.
The Memorial Tournament was known until last year as the Walter McCormick Memorial Tournament, played in honor of the late Walter McCormick, a member of Halifax Country Club.
The format was changed last year to honor not only McCormick, but another late club member.
“We wanted to be able to honor someone more contemporary,” explained Sam Fisher, who also chaired the tournament last year.
“A lot of people know Judge McCormick, but may not have known [Walter].”
Last year’s honoree was Les Dillard III, and this year the tournament was played in honor of the late Dr. William “Susie” Harris, a long-time club member, and to honor his son, Robbie Harris, HCC manager.
“We thought it would mean a lot to the family and to Robbie, so that’s what we decided to do,” added Fisher.
Dr. Harris, a highly regarded dentist, was also known for his sense of humor and his dress on the golf course, preferring knickers and a “tam” while golfing.
“He had the prettiest set of golf clubs I’ve ever seen, he just looked like a golfer,” said Fisher, a friend and golfing partner of Harris.
Also a golfing partner of the late “Hogeye” Henderson, Harris maintained his sense of humor and dignity, even while battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to Fisher.
“I would come by and talk to him sometimes, and he would talk about patients he hadn’t seen in many years,” said Fisher.
“He did a lot of good deeds for people in his dental practice and he touched a lot of lives here.”
Robbie Harris said the tribute to his father brought back a lot of memories.
“He played golf here any chance he could, and he did look like a golfer, with the knickers and the tam,” recalled Harris.
“He was Mr. Scotland to us.”
Daughter Anne Harris said that to this day people remember her father in a kind way.
“Not a week goes by where someone walks up to me and says ‘you’re Dr. Harris’ daughter, I remember your daddy.’”