Clover Man Dies In Saturday Accident
Two Pedestrians Struck In Separate Incidents Last Week

A single-vehicle wreck Saturday evening on Route 605 claimed the life of a 36-year-old Clover man, according to Virginia State Trooper P.W. Leath.
Thomas Arthur Flinton died after his 2006 Chevrolet Venture ran off the left side of the road and struck a tree, according to a preliminary police report.
The accident occurred at approximately 10:25 p.m., seven-tenths of a mile south of Route 746, according to Leath.
On Thursday, a pedestrian was injured after being struck by a Jeep Cherokee on Route 501, according to Leath.
Jennifer Lynn Rogers, 24, of South Boston, was reportedly struck while walking on the paved portion of the highway, according to the police report.
She was allegedly struck by a 1998 Cherokee driven by Debbie Tune King of Nathalie, according to Leath.
Rogers was transported from the scene by the rescue squad, police said.
Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $4,000.
There have been no charges filed at presstime.
On Friday, a pedestrian was struck in the intersection of Routes 501 and 40, according to Leath.
Swannie Nathan Miller, 48, of Nathalie, was reportedly struck while attempting to cross the highway, according to the police report.
Miller, who was transported from the scene by the rescue squad, was struck by a 2001 Ford F-150 driven by Alan Andrew Bradley, 49, of Fort Washington, Md., police said.
The accident occurred at approximately 9:38 p.m., according to Leath.
Damage to the pickup was estimated at $5,000.
No charges have been filed at this time, police said.
On Saturday, a 1997 Chevrolet Blazer struck a 1989 Ford F-150 after allegedly failing to yield the right of way, according to Virginia State Trooper T.C. Comer.
The Blazer was driven by Douglas Wade Perkins, 26, of Virgilina, and the pickup was driven by Timothy O. Stone, 38, also of Virgilina, according to Comer.
The accident occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of routes 604 and 606, when the Blazer failed to yield the right of way and struck the F-150 in the driver’s side, according to the police report.
No injuries were reported.
Damage was estimated by police at $3,000 to the Blazer and $4,000 to the pickup.

Sheriff Airs State Police Salaries, Years Of Service
Sheriff D.J. Oakes cautions against salary comparisons among area law enforcement agencies following the Gazette-Virginian’s publication of town and county employees’ salaries last month.
“Comparisons between local agencies are skewed by factors such as years of service credit and educational bonuses and fail to reflect overtime allowances or wages earned for off-duty employment,” writes Oakes.
The sheriff also sought – and provided to the G-V - the Game Commission and Virginia State Police officers’ salaries and ranks. However, game wardens’ years of service were not provided. “The public is not given the right of access to that information,” wrote Phil Smith of the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Oakes’ letter to the editor, as well as salary figures he sought through his freedom of information request, are printed in full, as is Smith’s reply to Oakes’ request.

Dear Editor:
In the last few weeks, the Gazette-Virginian has published the salaries of all County and Town employees in separate issues of your newspaper. As expected, the articles created quite a stir within our respective agencies with most employees trying to justify various salaries against years of service, job descriptions and responsibilities, and rank of job classification within the respective departments. The consensus of opinion was that a career in law enforcement would likely never be rewarded with enormous wealth but rather by the satisfaction of a job well done and the gratification of helping people in need.
Comparisons between local agencies are skewed by factors such as years of service credit and educational bonuses and fail to reflect overtime allowances or wages earned for off-duty employment. The overtime budgets for the local agencies differ greatly and are as follows: the Halifax Police Department - $3,000, the Halifax Co. Sheriff’s Office - $10,000, and the Town of South Boston Police Department - $60,000. The number of employees range from 5 in Halifax, to 31 in South Boston, and a total of 43 for the
Sheriff’s Office, including 5 dispatchers. Part-time employees are not included in these figures. The salaries for the Sheriff’s Office reflect a Board of Supervisors-funded 3 percent increase for all employees, above the salaries established by the State Compensation Board.
I have attached the salary information for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Virginia State Police. The Game Commission salaries include game wardens in Halifax County as well as the surrounding counties of Pittsylvania, Charlotte, Mecklenburg and Campbell. The State Police information applies to Area 23, which includes Halifax and Charlotte counties. The employee names have been deleted as a courtesy to the respective agencies. The State Police information includes years of service with that agency.
The most glaring disparities are in the supervisory positions that range from a low of $50,004.96 for a Game Commission Sergeant to a high of $73,551 for a State Police Senior Special Agent. The Sheriff’s Office Captain, a deputy with 27 years of service and third in my command structure, is the highest-paid employee in my office at $52,411. A Sergeant in my office, with 9 years of experience, is making $34,341 while a Senior Trooper, with the same years of service, is being paid $47,026.
In my opinion, deputy sheriffs and local police officers, as well as the dispatcher who support them, are our first line of defense against the criminals who are working overtime to disrupt and destroy our peaceful communities. When you have an emergency and dial 911, a local dispatcher answers the phone and sends the appropriate law enforcement or emergency services agency to your home. In criminal cases, the vast majority of complaints are handled by local deputies and police officers, a fact that is supported by the annual “Crime in Virginia” report published by the Department of State Police and available on-line at the Virginia State Police web site under the category Crime Statistics.
In calendar year 2005, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office recorded 503 reportable total incidents compared to 37 for the Virginia State Police. The 2004 figures are much the same with a total of 591 for the Sheriff’s Office and 66 for the State Police.
Traffic tickets, motor vehicle accidents, and other minor complaints are not reflected in this annual report. Likewise, it does not provide any information concerning juvenile, inmate, or mental health transports, civil papers or warrants served, courtroom security hours, number of school resource offices provided to the schools, or hours dedicated to public functions such as athletic games, fairs, festivals or other fund-raising events.
The Virginia State Police provide invaluable services to the Commonwealth of Virginia and Halifax County. My office has worked closely with the State Police on many criminal cases during my career as a deputy and as sheriff of Halifax County, with VSP providing specialized assistance on homicides, arson, and various other “white collar” crimes.
VSP has the resources that most local agencies could never provide or afford, including helicopters, armored vehicles, mobile crime labs, state of the art computer equipment, and the highly-trained personnel needed for identity theft and Internet pornography cases. Many of the training programs my deputies and investigators attend are provided or taught by VSP instructors.
Please develop your own conclusions and opinions from the information I have provided.
Without the knowledge of the years of service of each employee, it would be a disservice to the law enforcement community and the citizens of Halifax County to make any other comparisons.
Halifax County is fortunate to have dedicated people serving the community, in a very dangerous and demanding profession. Please thank each and every one of them whenever the opportunity presents itself. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we fight to make our community a safer place to work, live, and raise our families. Thank you.
Sincerely,
D.J. Oakes
Halifax County Sheriff

Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Sheriff D.J. Oakes

Dear Sheriff Oakes:
In response to your request, enclosed is a list of (l) the nine Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) game wardens who are assigned to the counties of Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Mecklenburg and Pittsylvania; (II) their counties of assignment; (III) their ranks; and (IV) their annual salaries.
Game Wardens’ years of service is information contained in individual personnel records. The public is not given the right of access to that information by 2.2-3705.8 (A) of the Code of Virginia, which is the section granting right of access to records of public employees’ position, job classification, salary, and reimbursement for expenses. DGIF declines to release the requested information on years of service, under the authority of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act’s personnel records exclusion, 2.2-3705.1 (1) of the Code of Virginia. If you care to, however, you should feel free to solicit the officers directly and individually to request that data.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Phil Smith
Policy Analyst, Regulatory Coordinator and Freedom of Information Officer

 

NHVFD Marathon Will Fund New Building, Ambulance Service
Blueprints Of New Facility Will Be Available For Review

Mark your calendars now, because the second Saturday of September can only be one thing: North Halifax Volunteer Fire Department Marathon Day!
The department has set a fund-raising goal of $10,000, according to Chief L.C. Fisher.
Funds raised at the event will go towards a new facility for the department and hiring paid EMTs to improve ambulance service during the day, the chief said.
“One of the more recent projects was the preparation and plans for a new building,” Fisher said in the NHVFD newsletter. “The plans for this new building are ready and the project is almost at the stage of being sent out to contractors for the bidding process.
“Plans for the new building will be available on Marathon Day for the community to review,” he added. “In the near future, we hope to have construction under way on the modern facility with room to house all vehicles as well as provide space for fund-raising, training and community activities.”
Also, the department has started an ambulance service in the area.
“It has been a life-saving advantage to provide this service to residents of northern Halifax County,” Fisher said. “Since starting the service the department has responded and transported over 1000 sick or injured patients to hospital facilities.
“This has been a volunteer service at no charge to the patient,” he explained. “Many factors are having an impact on the future of the service.
“Training time for emergency medical personnel and work schedules for our department members, as well as time away from home, is taking its toll on providers,” he said. “During the daytime hours there have been a few calls that we could not answer because all of our emergency medical personnel were on the job and no volunteers were available.
“These calls had to be turned over to the County Rescue Squad or a professional patient transport company that has paid employees resulting in the patient’s medical insurance being billed for the service,” Fisher said. “We feel the ambulance service had been very valuable to the community.
“Consequently, we want to see this service not only continue, but improve,” he said. “In order for that to happen the department has decided to hire emergency professional medical personnel starting in early September.
“Our volunteers will still be available for night and weekend calls,” he explained. “In order to hire paid staff the department will need to start billing the patient’s medical insurance for ambulance calls, as surrounding rescue squads are already doing.
“We will have a booth set up a Marathon Day with information on this service and someone there to answer questions,” he said “It is important to remember that billing is for the purpose of having paid personnel for daytime calls and the department will still have the usual expenses such as utilities, insurance, maintenance, the building and equipment,” he said. “For these, we ask for your support on Marathon Day.”
Marathon Day festivities are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on September 9 at the North Halifax Volunteer Fire Department.

Edward Morgan Moon
Edward Morgan “Billy” Moon Sr., 70, of 4356 Moons Road, Long Island, died Thursday, August 17, after a brief stay at Virginia Baptist Hospital.
Born July 6, 1936 in Pittsylvania County, he was the son of the late Charlie Thornton Moon and Christine Harris Moon and was married to Sharon Walker Moon.
He was a member and a deacon of Edge Hill Baptist Church. The lifelong farmer was also a member of the Pittsylvania County Cattlemen Association.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by four daughters: Kay Elliott and husband Dale of Hurt, Penny Parcell and husband Todd of Leonardtown, Maryland, Billie Jo Ware and husband Greg of Rustburg, Bobbie Jo Moser and husband Keith of Forest; two sons, Edward Morgan “Eddie” Moon Jr. and wife Sherri of Long Island and Keith Moon and wife Sheila of Altavista; two sisters, Ethel Cox and husband Rufus of Roanoke and Irola Cothran of Hurt; fourteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held Sunday, August 19, at Edge Hill Baptist Church by the Rev. Brandon S. Park and the Rev. Bert Johnson with interment in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Finch & Finch, Inc. Funeral and Cremation Service, Altavista, and other times at the residence.
The family suggests that those wishing to make memorials consider Edge Hill Baptist Church Building Fund, c/o Carolyn Moon, 1528 Dews Rd., Hurt, Va. 24563 or the American Cancer Society, 2316 Atherholt Rd, Ste 108 Lynchburg, Va 24501.
To send condolences, please visit www.finchandfinchfuneralservice.com.
Annie Belle Lipford Franklin
Funeral services for Mrs. Annie Belle Lipford Franklin will be held today at 3 p.m. in the Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Don Bryant officiating.
Interment will follow in Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Danville.
Mrs. Franklin, 81, died Saturday, August 19, at her home.
She was born on April 1, 1925, in Person County, N.C., the daughter of the late Charlie Franklin Lipford and Annie Bet Smart Lipford and was married to the late Benjamin Belt Franklin.
Mrs. Franklin was a homemaker and member of the Cherry Hill United Methodist Church.
She is survived by a daughter, Maxine Franklin Powell of South Boston; a son, Edward Wayne Franklin of Alton; a sister, Emily Lipford Clifton of Raleigh, and three grandchildren, Howard B. Powell Jr., Parker Franklin and Reece Franklin.
Mrs. Franklin was preceded in death by three brothers, Robert, James and Frank Lipford.
Kristina Lee Perkins
Funeral services for Mrs. Kristina Lee Perkins will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Wylliesburg Baptist Church with the Rev. Rodney Barwick officiating.
Burial will follow in the Heath Family Cemetery in Clover.
Visitation will be held tonight at Powell Funeral Home from 7:00 – 8:30 and at other times at the home of her mother, 1091 Rodgers Chapel Road in Clover and at the home of her father, 3008 Ridgeway Road in Vernon Hill.
Mrs. Perkins, 31, of South Boston, died Saturday, August 19, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
She was born August 26, 1974 in Halifax County, the daughter of Emmanuel Edward Hess Jr. and Carol Heath Arrington and was married to Ronald Ray Perkins.
Mrs. Perkins was a member of the Wylliesburg Baptist Church.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, David Wayne Covington Jr. of South Boston; her mother and step-father Carol and Fred Arrington of Clover; her father and step-mother, Edward and Debra Hess of Vernon Hill; her grandfather, her mother-in-law, six step-children, Christy Boyd of Henderson, N.C., Jennifer Grady, Jason Perkins and Casey Perkins, all of South Boston and Diamond Perkins and Brandon Perkins, both of Chase City; six step brothers and sisters, Beth Mareau of Clover, Jonathan Bennett of Vernon Hill, Paulette Arrington Mitch and Frederick Arrington Jr., both of Roanoke, Joseph Arrington of Fort Sill, Okla., Susan Jackson of Ridgeway and Angie Critchfield and Phillip Arrington, both of Danville, and two grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Teresa Peregoy.
For memorials, please consider the Wylliesburg Baptist Church Building Fund.
John Calvin Green
John Calvin Green, 81, of Dan River Church Road in South Boston, died Sunday, August 20, at the Woodview.
Mr. Green was born in Person County, the son of the late Luther and Laura Morton Green. He was a member of the Longhurst United Methodist Church, was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy and was an employee of Wilkerson Construction for more than 45 years. Mr. Green retired from Landmark Building in Danville.
Survivors include his wife, Gracie Carver Green; two sons, Andrew and Archie Bohanon, both of South Boston; four grandchildren, Nikki, Drew, Ace and Kimberly Bohanon; three great-grandchildren and one sister, Frances Green of Roxboro.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, August 22, with the Rev. Herbert Brown officiating.
No visitation is planned.
Memorials may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 710 W. 168th Street, New York, N.Y. 10032-9982.

 

Comets Shade Gretna In Benefit Game
A Pair Of Fourth-Quarter Touchdowns Lifted HCHS To A 42-32 Win Over Gretna
The Halifax County High School varsity football team passed its first test of the pre-saeson here Friday night against Gretna.
It was a tough one.
Halifax County freed itself from a close encounter with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and edged the Hawks 42-32 here in Friday night’s Virginia High School League benefit footbalkl game.
“We saw a lot of good things out of some of the kids that did not start last year and are starting this year along with some key backups,” said Comets head coach John Lacy Harris.
‘I thought we did real well defensively on four out of every five plays. Then they would hit a big one. They (Gretna) had some good players. Good teams do that.’
Gretna coach Chris Thurman, whose Hawks were 10-1 last season in Group A Division II play, felt good about his team’s overall effort..
“They (Halifax) outmanned us,” said Thurman.
“They were platooning guys in and out and they just wore us down. For what we’re going to play, Halifax is probably the top team I’ll see this year. They’re better than what I’m going to see for awhile.”
The game was an offensive donnybrook with the two teams combining for a total of 794 yards of total offense and throwing a total of 66 passes.
Halifax County racked up 368 yards of total ofrfense with quarterback Rodale Pippen running 13 times for a total of 127 yards and passing for a total of 143 yards. He ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on scampers of 19 and 58 yards respectively and threw for two more.
Morgan Brown ran for 57 yards and Travis Stevens rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
In the passing department, Pippen connected with seven different receivers and hit 14 of his 29 pass attempts.
“Offensively, I think we’re progressing on schedule,” Harris said.
“We’ve got some kids to get excited about. The offensive line has room to improve but they did a good job.”
Gretna logged 416 yards of total offense with quarterback Tyon Bennett running for 90 yards and two touchdowns and throwing for a total of 268 yards and three touchdowns.
‘I think Gretna can score on just about anybody,” Harris said.
“ Our defense gave up more points than they would have had we just played the starters. But, we can’t afford to do that. We’ve got to have depth and we have to develop that depth.”
One of the plesant surprises foir the Comets was the team’s kicking game.
Placekicker Chris Rorrer sent a handful; of kickoffs into the end zone and was perfect on all of his extra-point attempts. Punter Patrick Currie got off all of his kicks including one for 42 yards.
“I thought we won the kicking game,” the Comets coach pointed out.
“The kicking game really surprised us with how that went. We blocked a kick and had great coverage. Chris Rorrer kicked some into the end zone and was perfect on his extra points. Patrick Currie did a real good job with the spread punt. We did a good job.”
A disappointing aspect of the night was the numerous penalties assessed against the Comets.
The Comets were penalized 13 times for a total of 101 yards, eight of which were marked off in the second half.
“If we did everything they (the officials) said we did, we have a major problem,” Harris noted.
“But, they are correctable.”
Gretna wasn’t much better in the penalties category, being tagged for 11 penalties for a total of 80 yards..
The biggest concern of Harris and the coaching staff was an injury to linebacker Troy Stephens. Harris said Stephens was expected to undergo an MRI either yesterday or today to determine the full extent of his injury.
“We’re concerned about Troy and we hope his injury is not serious,” Harris said.
“He’s a key player for us.”
Turnovers played a key role in the outcome. Gretna turned the ball over six times, four by interceptions. Two of the turnovers directly led to Comets touchdowns. That, combined with the blocked punt set up three of the Comets’ six touchdowns in the game.
The Comets opened the game well with Patrick Terry snaring a 17-yard throw from Pippen with 6:42 left in the first quarter in what was the team’s second possession of the game.
Right after that, the Comets’ defense blocked a Gretna punt and recovered it on the Hawks’ 1-yard line. Halifax capitalized immediately with Stevens scoring on the enxt play. Rorrer’s kick put the Comets up 14-0, a lead they held until the end of the period.
The Comets upped their lead to two touchdownsd again when Brown snared a 46-yard pass from Pippen with 8:55 left in the half. Gretna added a score on a 19-yard run by Darius Barley with 5:43 left in the half as the Hawks closed to within eight points by halftime.
Gretna drew to within hailing distance twice, cutting the Comets’ lead to two points early in the third quarter and making it a three-point game at 28-25 with a 59-yard run by Bennett with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.
Pippen’s two touchdown runs put the Comets up 42-25 with four and a half minutes to play and effectively sealed the win.

 

Mladin Scores Superbike Sweep At VIR
For The second Year In A Row Mat Mladin Sweeps The AMA Superbike Series Doubleheader
Mat Mladin admitted Sunday to having been feeling a little under the weather. Yet, you wouldn’t have known it judging from his weekend performance.
The six-time and defending AMA Superbike Series champion won yesterday’s AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited race at VIRginia International Raceway, completing a sweep of the weekend’s AMA Superbike Series doubleheader for the second year in a row.
On Saturday, Mladin charged to a resounding win over injured teammate Ben Spies, taking the lead on the fourth lap and scoring a 19.503 second win, the biggst win in the series this season. (See Separate Story).
Yesterday, Mladin had a tougher time of it, starting on the pole and dropping to eighth place after racing too hard into the first turn and sliding to the outside groove. He regrouped and sped past early leader Aaron Yates on the 18th lap to take the lead.
From there, Mladin ran away to a 5.279 second win over Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Yates, who scored his first Superbike podium finish of the season, with veteran Miguel Duhamel taking third place on a Honda.
The win was Mladin’s fifth of the season and his fifth career Superbike win at VIR. His sweep of the weekend’s doubleheader allowed him to cut his deficit to teammate Spies in the series title chase from 45 points to 29 points and work his way back into contention in the series points chase with three races left in the season. Spies, who broke his hand in a crash at VIR on Friday, finished fourth yesterday.
“After Mid-Ohio I said the only way we could win this championship is if Ben loses it,” Mladin said.
“And, it’s up to Ben if we’re going to win the championship. All we can do is try to win races and that’s what we did this weekend.”
While Mladin made it look pretty easy in scoring the sweep, he said this wa a tough weekend for him.
“I feel better today and have my voice back a little bit,” he said after the race.
“It was a tough weekend, one of the toughest ones I’ve had. But, it was a good weekend for us. I can’t complain.”
Duhamel had a great race, challenging Yates for the lead often before finally settling for third place.
“The bike was really good,” said Duhamel.
“I’m not saying by any means that I could have gotten Aaron or Mat but I could have been a little closer. There was a risk factor that I thought was too high so I backed it down a bit.”
Duhamel said he was concerned about his tires.
“I knew from yesterday’s (Saturday’s) Dunlop (Dunlop Tires) data that we could overhat the tire we were using,” Duhamel noted.
“At the pace I ran today, I was probably doing that. So, when you have 14 seconds on fourth (fourth-place) and you came from the third row-tenth to third, you start thinking about these things a bit.”
Spies followed Mladin, Yates and Duhamel in fourth place and Honda rider Jake Zemke rounded out the top five finishers, winning a four-way battle for fifth place.
Ben Bostram finished sixth with Roger Lee Hayden, Jason Pridmore, Matt Lynn and Eric Wood roundingout the top ten finishers.
Saturday’s third-place finisher, Britain’s Neil Hodgson, was running third when he crashed in front of Spies on the second lap.
Mladin averaged 94.2 miles per hour in the 100K, 28-lap race which took 40 minutes and 18 seconds to complete.
Eric Bostram Wins
Superstock Race
Yamaha rider Eric Bostram made it a perfect two-for two weekend yesterday, staving off a charge from Jamie Hacking on the final lap to win the 17-lap Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series race.
Bostram entered yesterday’s race having scored his first career Superstock Series win on Saturday.
With the second-place finish, Hacking continues to hold the lead in the series points chase, leaving VIR with a 32-point lead with two races left. Hacking had entered the weekend with three straight Superstock Series wins.
Jason Disalvo finished third to give Yamaha its first podium sweep of the season.
“Jamie was coming for about the last five laps,” said Bostram who is nearing the end of his first season competing in this series.
“It felt really good to beat Jamie. He’s been the guy to beat all year.”
Yates finished fourth on a Suzuki and Josh Hayes, riding a Honda, rounded out t top five finishers.
Hacking Locks Up
Supersport Series Crown
Jamie Hacking, looking to nail down two AMA series titles this season, secured one of them yesterday.
Hacking won yesterday’s 17-lap AMA Supersport Series race and locked up the series championship with two races remaining. He win was his sixth of the season in the series.
In picking up the win, Hacking had to fend off challenges from Team M4 EMGO Suzuki teammates Geoff May and Michael Barnes, both of whom led briefly.
At the finish, Hacking crossed the line 1.752 seconds ahead of May with Barnes taking third place.
Chris Peris finished fourth aboard a Yamaha and Ben Attard, riding a Kawasaki, rounded out the top five finishers.
Hacking averaged 91.689 mph in the race that took 25 minutes to complete.

 

Herring Vaults Into Points Lead With Win
Drew Herring Scored A Flag-To-Flag Win In Saturday’s LMSC Race At SBS
Drew Herring again sits atop the Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway, grabbing the pole and taking his eighth win of the season in the 150-lap Late Model feature race Saturday night.
Herring, who lost the points lead to Jonathan Cash last week after a late-race crash with Philip Morris and Adam Barker, this time benefited from some bad luck on the part of Cash to take over the top spot.
Cash, who owned a eight-point advantage over Herring entering the race, had surged from a 14th place qualifying effort to fourth, but had nowhere to go after the car of Scott Turlington spun in front of him with two laps remaining.
That caution, the third of the night, set up a green-white-checkered finish, with Herring, a Benson, N.C. resident, holding off Nick Smith of Hampton to emerge with an 18-point lead over both Cash and Owen Miller.
Cash finished 14th after the late-race incident, while Miller took eighth after qualifying 13th.
Adam Barker of Hurt qualified second and finished third, followed by Eddie Johnson, who moved from 14th at the start of the race to finish fourth.
Rounding out the top ten were Jon Denning of Springfield, N.J., followed by Rodney Cook of Reidsville, N.C., Jason Dickerson of Ruckersville, Miller, Brandon Dean of Lancaster, S.C. and Jonathan Bailey of Keysville.
The race’s first caution, along with a little ruckus marked the first 10 laps, the race after a spinout on the opening lap, and the second after the cars of former track champion Timothy Peters and Speedy Faucette got together on lap seven.
Peters was responding to an earlier bumping incident initiated by Faucette and this time Faucette was sent spinning into the wall in turn one.
An obviously angry Faucette leaped on the hood of Peters’ car before being restrained by NASCAR officials, and Peters was assessed a stop and go penalty as a result of the incident.
Peters, a lap down to the field, parked his car for the night.
From that point, the chase was on, with Wayne Ramsey, Barker, Dickerson, Smith and Cook competing for position behind Herring before a caution on lap 62.
Following that caution, Smith, Cash and Johnson made their moves, Smith in second, Cash in fourth and Johnson fifth by lap 111, and the top five remained virtually unchanged until the Turlington spin on lap 148 which collected Cash.
Herring got a quick jump on the subsequent restart and stayed in front the remainder of the race to get the win.
Herring noted the ironic circumstance surrounding his win after the race in which he benefited from an opponent’s bad luck to retake the points lead.
“We want to win this thing fair and square without anyone having any problems,” he said.
“Tonight was just a good night for us. This is the car we wrecked earlier in the year, and we didn’t know exactly how we’d run, although we were pretty good in practice yesterday.
“It was a little off today, but we just went out and laid down a lap in qualifying,” the Benson, N.C., resident continued.
“We were a little loose tonight, real loose at the end, but we can work on that.”
With his wrecked car from the prior race waiting for repair back home, Benson is unsure which machine he will drive September 2 in the next-to-last Late Model race of the season.
“I don’t know which one I’ll bring back in two weeks,” said Herring.
“We’ll get to work on the old car and see if we can put it together, but we’ll have to make our minds up and try for another win.”
Smith thought he may have had something for Herring during the longer runs, but admitted that the race winner was faster on the restarts.
Still, he was satisfied with his finish and his season thus far, which has him fourth in points entering the final two races.
“Second-place is great. It may be harder to get to first, because Drew has a great team,” said Smith, who is still aiming for that initial win this season.
“We may have to figure something else out, we’re not far off from a win and we have to come out and keep testing.”
Barker was also happy with his final placing, considering he and his team spent long hours the past week trying to put the pieces together after the wreck during the previous race.
“It’s like a win for us, particularly after what happened last week,” said Barker.
A total of 19 drivers took the checkered flag for the Late Model race Saturday night, with the race lasting approximately one hour to complete.
Herring turned a lap in a time of 15.856 during qualifying to take the pole, while seven other drivers had qualifying times less than 16 seconds.