Upward Expansion

Halifax Regional Hospital System officials announced a $14 million expansion Friday that will create two new floors, each housing 20 private patient rooms.
Construction is expected to start in late September or early October, according to HRHS Chief Executive Officer Chris Lumsden.
Officials anticipate the new floors — which will be added to the front tower facing Wilborn Avenue — will open in 2009.
“In the last two to five years, we have seen patient volumes grow,” Lumsden said Friday, “with ER (emergency room) visits 25,000 last year.”
The CEO said over 100,000 patients were treated at the hospital last year and that the facility is attracting patients and employees from across the region.
“This is a very, very special day for our organization,” said the CEO, lauding physicians, nurses, former patients, family members and clinical staff for their project input. “We are preparing for the future but also addressing the present.”
Lumsden described the new Phase 6 project design as embodying a Planetree philosophy, one which also reflects the hospital’s goal of “great patient care.”
Noting research has shown that environment plays an important role in healing, Lumsden said Phase 6 rooms include new features to help reduce patient stress and anxiety.
The Planetree philosophy is described as integrating “human caring with the best of scientific medicine and complementary healing traditions.”
Reflecting that aim, in Phase 6 the rooms will be larger and have larger windows “to provide natural light.” There will also be comfortable seating and a place to sleep when a family member stays with a patient.
The expansion also provides for patients’ families, with a family room set aside on each floor which will include a children’s area, a television, eating area and a quiet space for reading.
The new floors will also provide enhanced support spaces for staff and additional caregiver stations, which will place staff closer to patients’ rooms.
J.E. Burton was named general contractor for the project and Odell Associates, Richmond, the project architect.
Included in the Phase VI project are emergency department and family birthing center renovations.
A new elevator will also be installed, and Lumsden said additional parking is also being planned.
The hospital is seeking $14 million in financing for the new patient tower and an additional $6 million for the other improvements and renovations.
Stewart Nelson, chief financial officer, said the hospital will finance $20 million in new debt for a 30-year term through tax-exempt public issue bonds. He said the bonds will probably be issued in mid-October.
“We are very fortunate as a rural community hospital to have the financial reserves accumulated through the years that allows us to reinvest in our organization,” Nelson said, noting Standard and Poor’s “A” credit rating for the hospital.
Dexter Gilliam, chairman of the planning and development committee and board member, described Phase VI planning as a “lengthy and thorough” process, one he said focused on meeting current and long-term needs for patients and the service area.
Gilliam thanked the medical staff and the design team for their hard work.
Other HRHS officials participating in the Friday press conference included Patricia Thomas, director patient care services, Connie S. Zamora, director planning and business development, and chairman of the project design committee, Dr. James Witko, president of the medical staff, and Joan W. Devine, vice president of the medical staff.

News Schools, HCMS Dedication Wednesday

“This is a time of excitement for everyone in Halifax County,” said School Superintendent Paul Stapleton on the upcoming opening of the county’s two new elementary schools and the renovated middle school.
The new Cluster Springs and South Boston elementary schools and the newly renovated Halifax County Middle School will officially open following dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremonies at each school Wednesday.
The ribbon will be cut first at the South Boston Elementary School during the 9:30 Wednesday dedication. The ceremony begins at the middle school at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. the new Cluster Springs Elementary School will hold its dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony.
“These new school buildings should assure a solid education for the students of Halifax County, Stapleton said. “We have great teachers in the schools and now we have the facilities to match their abilities,” he added.
Construction began on the new Cluster Springs Elementary School in April 2006 at a cost of $16,078,109. J.E. Burton Construction was the contractor for the new 85,237 square foot building.
Work also began on the new South Boston Elementary School in April 2006 by Blair Construction Co. of Gretna. The cost of the 97,653 square foot building was $16,086,151.
December 2005 marked the beginning of renovations and construction at Halifax County Middle School. More than140,000 square feet under went renovation with new construction of 57,047 square feet, totaling 197,447 square feet. The construction of new classrooms were necessary with the sixth grade moving to the middle school this school year. Branch & Associates of Roanoke was the primary contractor for the project at a cost of $29,316,346.
The buildings were designed to encourage and enhance learning for all students, along with the latest in technology to assist them in their educational activities.
“I want to thank our School Board for approving these construction projects and especially the Board of Supervisors for funding the projects, Stapleton said. “It’s a credit to the citizens of Halifax County to provide such facilities for the education of our students,” he added.
The public is invited Wednesday‘s ceremonies.

VEC Office Suspends Operation To Relocate

The South Boston Virginia Employment Commission Office temporarily suspended business operations Friday in preparation for the office’s relocation, according to VEC Office Manager Linda Daniel.
No new location for the VEC office has been announced, according to Daniel, but it will be upon confirmation of a site by the Department of Real Estate Services.
Monday and Tuesday, VEC staff will complete packing and begin to move office files and equipment, Daniel said.
Beginning on Thursday, Workforce Investment Service staff and Job Service and Trade Act representatives will be available at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. As will Veteran Services staff as scheduled, according to Daniel.
Also, several staff members will remain at the Seymour Drive location to answer service inquiries until Aug. 20.
The office’s main phone number, (434) 572-8270, will remain active, as well as, the unemployment insurance line for claims information of filing at 1-866-832-2363, Daniel said.
The agency’s web site, www.VaEmploy.com, and job orders will be accepted online by accessing employer services or calling the office’s number.
Once a new site is selected, announcements will be made by radio, on the agency’s web site, in the newspaper and posted at the former office location, Daniel said.
Letters will also be sent to all registered customers providing the relocation information, she added.
“Thank you for your support and patience as we transition and continue to provide workforce services to our area,” Daniel said.

Obituaries

Gathon Louis Pointer
A funeral for Gathon Louis Pointer will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Crawford House Chapel in Halifax with the Rev. Elton Medley officiating.
The family will receive friends at the residence of Gregory Pointer, 1705 Vaughan Street in South Boston.
Mr. Pointer, 74, of Brandon Chapel Road in Alton, died Wednesday, August 8, at Meadowview Terrace in Clarksville.
He was born in Halifax County on May 1, 1933 to the late Roland Pointer and Gedale Poteat Pointer. His surrogate parents were the late Aaron Pointer and Cora Mae Pointer and he was formerly married to May M. Stephens Pointer.
Mr. Pointer is survived by four daughters, Deborah Jean Price of Alton, Brenda M. Harris of Blanch, N.C., Tammy Richardson and Elsie Richardson, both of Washington, D.C.; a son, Gregory A. Pointer of South Boston; 19 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, a daughter-in-law, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a son, Louis Pointer Jr., two sisters, Irene Pointer and Willie Mae Brandon, and a brother, Thomas Pointer.

Wallace Currie
A funeral for Wallace Currie will be held on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church with the Rev. Michael Ferrell officiating.
Burial will follow in Halifax Memorial Gardens with military honors by American Legion Post 99.
The family will receive friends at the home of Gwendolyn Currie, 1816 Grace Avenue, South Boston.
Mr. Currie, 57, of Newport News and formerly of Halifax County, died Friday, August 10, in Newport News.
He was born in Halifax County on April 28, 1950, to the late Alfred Junior Currie and Lillie Singletary Currie.
Mr. Currie was a Vietnam War veteran and a retired employee of Norfolk Naval Base. He was also a member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
He is survived by two sisters, Janice Brown of Chase City, and Gwendolyn Currie of South Boston; a brother, Anthony Currie of South Boston, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Mr. Currie was preceded in death by a brother, Benjamin Currie.

Calvin Wilson Wilmouth
A graveside service for Calvin Wilson Wilmouth of Alton will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Clover Cemetery with David Earp officiating.
Mr. Wilmouth, 89, died Saturday at Halifax Regional Hospital.
A Halifax County native, Mr. Wilmouth was born December 22, 1917, a son of the late Arthur Wilmouth and Daisy King Wilmouth. He was married to Lilly Martin Wilmouth.
Mr. Wilmouth, a farmer, was a U.S. Army veteran serving in World War II. He was of the Baptist faith.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Wilmouth is survived by one son, Kenneth Wilson “Skip” Wilmouth and wife Rose of Alton, one daughter, Caroline W. Earp and husband David of Mechanicsville, Md., two grandsons, Matthew Wilmouth and David Harold Earp Jr., one granddaughter, Carlene Earp, two step-granddaughters, Christy Francisco and Tracy Matthews, and two step-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be at Brooks Funeral Home on Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Turbeville Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department, 8146 Philpott Road, South Boston, Va. 24592.
Online condolences may be sent to brooksfh@embarqmail.com

Joe Edward Davis
Joe Edward Davis of Rosehill Drive, South Boston, died Saturday, August 11 at The Woodview.
Mr. Davis was born in Halifax County on July 26, 1933 and was 74 years old. He was the son of the late Albert Davis and Alice Newby Davis and was a retired employee of U.S. Plywood. He was of the Baptist faith.
Mr. Davis is survived by two sisters, Bertha Martin and Margie Jones, both of South Boston; two brothers, William Davis and Albert “Butch” Davis, both of South Boston, and a number of nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Davis was preceded in death by four sisters, Elsie D. Hamm, Lavania D. Yancey, Lossie D. Choplin and Inez D. Morris; and by a brother, Lewis Davis.
A graveside service will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Oak Ridge Cemetery with the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating.
The family will receive friends at the home of Carolyn Perkins, 915 Old Berry Hill Rd., South Boston.
The family requests that those wishing to give memorials should consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, Va. 24592-0875.

Comets Fare Well In Scrimmage

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
The Halifax County High School varsity football team faced its first preseason test Saturday in scrimmages against Liberty High School and Louisa High School in Bedford and got some pretty good marks from first year head coach Stan Hodgin in the process.
“I’m quite pleased with the way the day went,” Hodgin said.
“We started with an awful lot of effort and not nearly the enthusiasm and emotion we hope to play with. But, as the day went on, I thought our effort stayed at a very high level and I thought our enthusiasm increased as we went along. I think the place we finished the day is where we want to be when we’re in competition with another school.”
The Comets outscored Liberty three touchdowns to none when the first string offensive and defensive units of the two schools took the field.
In the second scrimmage, again with the first-string units on the field, the Comets fell behind twice but rallied to deadlock that scrimmage with both teams finishing with two touchdowns.
The numbers on the scoreboard were, however, the furthest thing from Hodgin’s mind. What Hodgin and his coaching staff were looking for were to identify players that could step up and win starting spots at certain positions and to identify the areas in which the players needed the most work.
From that standpoint, the day was a huge success.
“This was incredible,” Hodgin noted.
“I would say it (the scrimmage) is a huge success. Just to have the opportunity to go against somebody else was good for us and the two opponents we saw have very good programs. We got stretched and they exposed some weaknesses that we have and helped us identify some areas we need to work on.
“We had an awful lot of guys that are trying to win jobs that were put in difficult situations and responded well,” Hodgin added.
“Certainly, everything didn’t go our way, but we’ve gone a long way in identifying some areas we need to spend some extra time on in the next two weeks.”
Offensively, the Comets looked impressive at times and, at other times, sputtered.
In the scrimmage against Liberty High School, the Comets scored three touchdowns but had two others negated as the result of penalties.
All three touchdowns came through the air with quarterback Rodale Pippen hitting Lemal Adams with a 55-yard aerial strike for the first score. For the second touchdown, Pippen threw a strike to Gabe Aguilar for 24 yards. The closer was a 29-yard pass from Pippen to Courtney Ervin.
In that scrimmage, Pippen was unofficially 4-9 through the air for 108 yards. He also ran three times for an unofficial total of 27 yards. Running back Travis Stevens had three carries for an unofficial 63 yards.
In the scrimmage against Louisa, Pippen threw for two more touchdowns, the first being a 50-yard strike to Adams. The second was a three-yard toss to Travis Coleman. He finished that scrimmage unofficially with a 9-17 passing mark and two touchdowns.
Ervin had four catches totaling an unofficial 45 yards.
Hodgin said he and the coaching staff didn’t come into the scrimmage looking for big numbers.
“We’re just trying to identify personnel and giving them an opportunity to perform and win a job or additional plays during games,” he pointed out.
“Overall, I think the offense performed well from the standpoint of where we are in the season. We are certainly not ready to play a ballgame yet. But, I like where we are right now.”
The Comets defense also played well.
Halifax County’s defense threw a shutout against Liberty but appeared a little shaky at times against Louisa’s misdirection offense, especially in Louisa’s first offensive series in which it scored two touchdowns, one on a 35-yard run and another on a seven-yard run, and unofficially yielded 135 yards.
In the second defensive series, however, the Comets held Louisa scoreless and held it to an unofficial 45 yards.
Hodgin said he was pleased with the defensive effort as well.
“I thought they did well having seen live bullets for the very first time and from such high quality programs such as Liberty and Louisa,” the Comets coach said.
“The longer the day went on, the better the defense got. I’m very pleased with that unit.”
With the first scrimmage now over, Hodgin, his coaching staff and players will get back to work today with a second preseason scrimmage facing the team on Friday.
“We’ll break down film, grade this and let the guys see on film the mistakes that were made and the areas that we need to work on,” Hodgin said.
“We’ll develop practice plans around the needs that we have. Building a team is never completed. We’re in the early stages right now, but I think we have a chance to have another successful season.”

Comets Linksters Seek Improvement In Wake Of HCHS Invitational

By Joe Chandler
Sports Editor
The Halifax County High School golf team is seeking improvement in the wake of Thursday’s Halifax County High School Invitational Golf Tournament.
The Comets linksters finished ninth in the season-opening tournament at Green’s Folly Golf Course, the same position the team finished in last year’s tournament.
Four of the six Comets players that took part last year played in this year’s event, with pretty much the same result.
Jacob Trent, who led the Comets’ effort last year, did so again Thursday with his round of 79. Underclassman Mike Jones, playing in the number four spot for the Comets in what was his first time of playing in the HCHS Invitational, carded a solid round of 84.
Seniors Brad Tribble and Michael Ferrell, both of whom came on strong at the end of last season and competed in the Northwest Region Tournament, played the number one and number two slots respectively for the Comets and struggled with rounds of 87 and 89 respectively.
Raleigh Powell, who also played last year, played in the number five spot and turned in a round of 89.
Freshman T.J. Daniels, getting his first taste of varsity-level competition, came in with a round of 92.
While this was not the type of opening day that returning Comets golf coach David Graham had hoped to see, the issue he is most concerned with from this point forward is improvement.
“It’s really not disappointing,” Graham said.
“We know it’s a long season. If this had happened in the middle of the season it would different. I know we can improve. I watched the kids and jotted down some things that I saw that we can do and work on in practice. Would I have liked to have seen us do better, yes. The big thing I want to see is to see us improve.”
Graham said the season-opener gave him and the team insight on what areas the players need the work the most.
“We need work around the greens, work from about 100 yards in,” Graham said.
“We lost a lot of shots around the greens.”
The Comets coach pointed out that seniors Tribble and Ferrell need to step up their game. Rounds such as those posted Thursday by Trent and Jones, Graham says, are what the team needs.
“Trent played well with his 79 and Jones had a solid round with an 84,” Graham said.
“If we can get our kids to keep it in the 79 to 84 range, we will be in great shape. We have a freshman, T.J. Daniels, coming along and there were two or three other kids that were within two to three shots of qualifying to play in this tournament.
“I think we’ll be a pretty good team in a couple of weeks with more practice,” added Graham.
“I think we can be competitive.”
Bassett High School, which finished in a three-way tie for second place in last year’s tournament, overwhelmed the field Thursday.
Playing in blistering temperatures that soared past the 100-degree mark, the Bassett team laid waste to the field, posting a team total of 303 and winning the tournament by a 17-stroke margin.
Last year’s winner, E.C. Glass, was the runner-up with a 326 total. Bluestone High School finished in a tie for third place with Brookville with a score of 327 but was awarded third place on the basis of a tiebreaker. GW of Danville finished fifth with a 332 total, giving Western Valley District teams two of the top five spots.
GW golfer Parker Hodges was the medalist for the tournament with his round of 70 topping the field by four shots. Bassett players Blake Carter and Max Magee finished second and third respectively with rounds of 74 and 75.

Agnew Pro Cup Winner

By Doug Ford
G-V Staff Writer
Saturday night’s win in the Miller Lite 250 presented by Virginia Tourism at South Boston Speedway couldn’t have come at a better time for veteran Hooters Pro Cup driver Jeff Agnew.
For Gary St. Amant and rookie Brandon Ward, third- and eleventh-place finishes were good enough, St. Amant clinching the Northern Division points title and Ward the division rookie points championship.
Agnew, a Floyd, Virginia, resident qualified eighth, took the lead from defending division champion Benny Gordon on lap 147 and went on to take his first win of the season in the Northern Division finale.
Gordon, of DuBois, Pennsylvania, rolled home second, followed by St. Amant, Derek Kale and Matt Carter.
Jody Lavender, Jeff Fultz, A.J. Frank, Sam Fullone and Shane Wallace rounded out the top ten in a race slowed by 12 cautions for 66 laps.
St. Amant, with a 65-point lead over Gordon coming into the race, needed a finish of eighth or better to clinch the division, while Ward, with a 65-point lead over fellow rookie Ben Stancill, also needed a good run to clinch.
Both got what they wanted, as did Agnew, but Johnny Rumley set the early pace after winning the pole with a lap time of 15.828 seconds (90.978 MPH).
Kale, Carter, St. Amant and Jack Bailey rounded out the top five qualifiers in a 32-car field, with Ward starting 13th and Gordon 19th.
Rumley led throughout the first portion of the race, before relinquishing the lead to Shane Wallace after a pit stop on lap 85 following the race’s fourth caution.
Gordon and Agnew, who had pitted earlier, emerged in second and third for the restart, with Gordon taking the lead from Wallace on lap 89 and leading until Agnew passed him on lap 147.
St. Amant, who had been as far back as sixth on lap 100, picked up the pace and was third by lap 150, and the top three remained constant the remainder of the race.
Agnew seemed to be as much relieved as excited about his first win of the season, the first for the Virginia driver in his home state since Coeburn a couple of years ago.
“It seemed like we had a monkey on our back, both here and at New River, every time we had a shot at it, something happened,” said Agnew.
“Tonight, we got out front early, so it was up to us to make a mistake or not.
“This is an important win for us. When you’re qualifying 25th every week and crashing out or having breakage or stuff like that, this means everything.”
Agnew added he and his team hit upon something in practice that he thought made his car a little better Saturday, something he may keep doing in the Pro Cup Championship Series.
“I don’t know, we’ll see what happens the next race, I guess we’ll bring that back out.”
St. Amant Secures Northern Division Title
Two-time ASA champ and veteran short track racer St. Amant said it may take a little time for his first Pro Cup division championship to sink in.
“It means so much to beat Benny Gordon,” began St. Amant, a Delaware, Ohio, resident.
“He’s won three [division] titles in a row, and he’s the guy to beat week in and week out. I feel we beat him fair and square for the championship.”
The short schedule (eight races) may have played into his hands, St. Amant explained.
“We came [in April] to South Boston with a great race car and carried it to the first four races, before switching over to a new car and running the next three with that one.
“We won a race with that car but when we came back here, we knew we were going to bring out ‘Old Faithful,’” continued St. Amant.
“That’s the same exact setup to a tee to what we had here the first race, and once again tonight it proved those are the same four springs and shocks it wants on it.”
St. Amant admitted to a little anxiety as the season progressed toward Saturday’s finale, and with both his cars staying in one piece the entire way.
“I started thinking about the championship too much. We raced eight times and kept the same body on both cars, never having to replace a bumper or anything.
“That says a lot about the Northern Division, in the past I would say there are not many guys who could race eight times like that, and it shows you how far the division has come.”
St. Amant also admitted to keeping an eye on Gordon during the race and knew he had a little work to do once he saw Gordon in the lead.
He took advantage of a mishap between Ward and Fullone to gain the positions he needed and some breathing room in the process.
“I was a little nervous with Gordon in the lead halfway through the race. We were sixth and I knew some guys would be coming on with new tires,” said St. Amant.
“I thought I’d better get me a few more spots to feel safe so I got on the wheel. My spotter did a great job letting me know where everybody was all night, and my crew in the pits did a great job giving me the times and letting me know how fast I was compared to the leaders.
“It was a total team effort tonight.”
Gordon, who came to within 65 points of St. Amant with a dominating performance the previous race at Lake Erie, said the setup on his race car was off just enough to keep him from a win.
“We had a good car, and we freed it up a little more after it cooled off in the afternoon,” explained Gordon.
“It was just a touch loose in the middle and if we could have had that back, we could have outrun them, but second-place was all we had tonight.
While congratulating both Agnew and St. Amant, Gordon was left to contemplate what might have been if his season had gotten off to a better start.
“We had three dnfs earlier this season and that cost us in an eight-race schedule. That’s awful short to come back from that, but the car’s working good, the team’s working good and we have the Championship Series coming up.”
Brandon Ward Locks Up Division Rookie Title
Ward qualified 13th, three positions ahead of Stancill, and did enough on the track Saturday to win the Northern Division rookie points title.
The Winston-Salem resident was around the top ten all night and was battling Fullone for fourth on lap 157 when the two cars got together.
Ward was penalized for rough driving and forced to start 20th after the ensuing caution, but Stancill, also in the top ten, stalled during the same caution.
Ward eventually finished 11th and Stancill 17th, giving Ward the Rookie points title for the division.
“This feels good, the guys at RHR have worked hard all year,” said Ward.
“I have to thank Randy Humphrey first of all for giving me this opportunity, and the list goes on and on for people who’ve helped us.
“We had a rough start to the season, but we just kept fighting hard. Robert Huffman (crew chief) has led these guys all year long and has done an excellent job.
“I had a rough night tonight, we had a top-five car, but I got into the No. 48 (Fullone) and spun him.
“It was just a racing deal, we were racing hard and didn’t mean to do it, but the call was consistent even though we thought we were in the right.
“But it goes both ways.”
If not for motor problems at Shenandoah, Ward feels he would have been in the running for the division title.
“If not for that 31st or 32nd-place finish that night we may have had a chance at this championship, but we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.”