Planners Table Kennel Ordinance

Recommend A Study Group Be Formed To Address Problem

The Halifax County Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously voted to recommend the county not adopt the proposed kennel ordinance.
The action came as the Commission met for its regular monthly meeting at the Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.
Assistant County Administrator Jerry Lovelace said yesterday that Commission members recommended a study group be formed consisting of both county officials and citizens to address the specific problems facing the county from the “small number of dog owners who are creating problems.”
“The Commission felt this ordinance would serve more to burden legitimate kennels than address problem kennels,” he said.
Seven people spoke in opposition to the proposed ordinance, while no one spoke in favor of the proposal.
“They said that most people, whether private or commercial, are taking care of their dogs and are not creating a problem,” Lovelace said.
The issue arose after one county resident told the Board of Supervisors that barking dogs were creating a problem.
During its May meeting, Chatham Road resident Wayne Conant told the Board he had exhausted all other avenues for relief from barking dogs kept near his home by neighbor Ray Foster.
Conant, who has lived in Halifax County for about four years, said the dogs don’t appear to be vicious, “but they’re out there on four-foot chains.”
In an effort to alleviate the problem, county officials are proposing a stricter zoning ordinance on operators of kennels and a substantial increase in the costs of dog license tags.
If passed, the ordinance would address waste disposal, noise and safety issues for both commercial and private kennels.
The increases being proposed are as follows:
• For one to five dogs, $5 if the dog is spayed or neutered, $10 if not spayed or neutered. The current cost is $3.
• For a kennel housing between six and 10 dogs, $40. The current rate is $20.
• A kennel with between 11 and 20 dogs - $60, up from the current rate of $30.
• For a kennel with 21 or more dogs - $75, up from the current rate of $37.50.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance change during its September 6 meeting.
In other business, no one spoke during a hearing on a proposed zoning change requested by Sinai Road businessman Kenneth Hodges.
Hodges is requesting that three acres be rezoned from agricultural to business.

Scottsburg Woman Must Pay Over $10,000 Restitution

A 35-year-old Scottsburg woman was sentenced Thursday in Halifax County Circuit Court to 25 years in prison, with all time suspended, but must pay $11,342.49 in restitution for three felony convictions, including embezzlement/grand larceny, identity fraud and computer fraud.
Judge Leslie M. Osborn sentenced Linda Malone Vaughan to ten years in prison for embezzlement/grand larceny of property from Inez Yeatts Vaughan and Edd Vaughan, five years for identity fraud, and ten years for computer fraud.
Judge Osborn ordered all time suspended, conditioned on Linda Vaughan’s good behavior for 25 years, and ordered her to be placed on probation for two years, both beginning immediately.
The court ordered the Linda Vaughan to pay $2,187.71 restitution to Edd and Inez Vaughan, $1,330.93 to Benchmark Bank, $1,123.30 to Bank of America, $2,700 to MBNA, and $4,000.55 to Beneficial Finance.
The court additionally ordered the defendant to perform 200 hours of community service, to submit to random drug tests, and to undergo substance and alcohol abuse treatment.
Other Court Cases
• Anthony Richard Classen, 32, of Danville, was convicted Tuesday of the grand larceny of property from Jerry Epps.
The court sentenced Classen to five years in prison, suspending all but one year, to run concurrently with a sentence received in Pittsylvania County. Work release was authorized for Classen.
The court ordered the suspended portions of Classen’s sentence be conditioned on his good behavior for five years, beginning immediately, and ordered him to be placed on probation for two years upon his release.
• Michael Austin Ginwright, 20, of Lorton, Va., was sentenced Tuesday to ten years in prison for grand larceny from R.O. Wilkins, and one year in jail for misdemeanor trespassing.
Judge Leslie M. Osborn suspended all but one year and three months for the grand larceny conviction, conditioned on Ginwright’s good behavior for 10 years, and ordered him to be placed on probation for two years upon his release.
Ginwright will receive credit for time served.
• Robert Wesley Guthrie, 37, of Halifax, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of attempting to possess a firearm after being convicted of a felony, following a plea agreement with the Commonwealth.
Under terms of the plea agreement, Guthrie was sentenced to five years in prison, with all time suspended, conditioned on his good behavior for five years.
The court ordered Guthrie to pay a $250 fine, perform 50 hours of community service and remain on probation until the fine is paid and community service completed.
• Cassandra Leshawn Stovall, 33, of South Boston, was sentenced Tuesday to ten years in prison each, with all time suspended, for two separate cocaine distribution convictions.
Judge Osborn ordered Stovall’s suspended sentence be conditioned on her good behavior for 20 years, beginning immediately, and ordered her to be placed on probation for two years, also starting immediately.
The court additionally ordered Stovall to enter and complete the Detention and Diversion programs, to undergo substance abuse tests and treatment, as well as suspended her operator’s license for one year, restricting it for travel to and from probation and substance abuse counseling.
• Heather Leigh Vandervort, 33, of Halifax, was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison, with all time suspended, for the embezzlement/grand larceny of property from Southside Foods, Inc.
The court ordered Vandervort’s suspended sentence be conditioned on her good behavior for 10 years and ordered her to be placed on probation for one year, both beginning immediately.
The court additionally ordered Vandervort to undergo substance abuse treatment and tests, and pay $549 restitution to Jiffy Foods.
• Michael Darnell Owens, 58, of South Boston, was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison, with all but 120 days suspended, for a subsequent offense of DUI.
Judge Osborn ordered the suspended portions of Owens’ sentence be conditioned on his good behavior for three years, beginning immediately, and ordered him to be placed on probation for one year following his release. Owens will receive credit for time served.
The court additionally ordered Owens to abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs, submit to random drug tests, undergo substance abuse treatment and counseling, as well as suspended his operator’s license indefinitely.
• Danny Mitchell Lawson, 20, of South Boston, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for possession of a Schedule I/II controlled substance.
The court suspended Lawson’s entire sentence, conditioned on his good behavior for five years, and ordered him to be placed on probation for one year, both beginning immediately.
The court additionally suspended Lawson’s operator’s license for six months, and ordered him to abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs, submit to random drug tests, and to undergo substance abuse treatment and drug counseling.
• Teresa Brown Bailey, 35, of South Boston, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison each for passing a forged check and driving after being declared an habitual offender.
The court suspended all but one year and one month in jail, conditioned on Bailey’s good behavior for ten years, beginning immediately, and ordered her to be placed on probation for one year upon her release. Bailey will receive credit for time served.
The court additionally ordered the defendant to pay $50 restitution to H&H Grocery, to submit to random drug tests, and to undergo substance abuse tests and treatment.
• Billy Gene Jerrells, 54, of Halifax, was convicted Tuesday of a probation violation.
The court withheld sentencing for Jerrells, extended his probation for six months and ordered him to continue drug counseling and treatment through Southside Community Services Board.
• Dustin Chad Montgomery, 30, of Nathalie, was convicted Tuesday of a probation violation.
The court revoked 90 days of Montgomery’s suspended prison sentence, with work release authorized, and extended his good behavior provision for an additional year.
• Mary Elizabeth Burch, 45, of South Boston, had a show cause charge against her for a probation violation dismissed Thursday upon payment of restitution.
• Deborah Ragsdale Chandler, 40, of Keysville, on first offender status for a cocaine possession charge, had that charge dismissed Thursday upon payment of court costs.
• Robert Dana Lowery, 24, of South Boston, was convicted Tuesday of a probation violation.
The court ordered Lowery to be placed on probation for an additional six months, to perform 50 hours of community service through the probation department, and extended his good behavior provision for one year.
• The court found evidence sufficient Tuesday to convict Melissa Tracy Wooden, 25, of South Boston, of two charges, including marijuana distribution and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
The court took the case under advisement and continued the case until the September 2006 term.
• Lee Rozakis, 50, of Raleigh, N.C., had a charge of speeding 53/35 MPH zone dismissed Thursday upon completion of the driver improvement program.

Turbeville Fire & Rescue Association Receives $72,504

The Turbeville Fire and Rescue Association has received a $72,504 grant through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Fire Administration’s Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program, Sen. George Allen announced Wednesday.
“The money will be used for turnout gear and for self-contained breathing apparatus for the firefighters,” Turbeville Fire Chief Daryl Reaves said yesterday.
Reaves said the Department grant mandates that the money be spent for the equipment specified in the grant application.
In Virginia, $2,834,132 in federal grants were awarded to 22 Virginia fire departments.
“I am pleased that Virginia’s firefighters will be better equipped and prepared,” said Sen. George Allen in making the announcement Wednesday. “Our communities will be safer because of this assistance.”
In addition to Turbeville, 11 other fire departments received funding from the Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Program. They are:
Stewartsville/Chamblissburg Vol. Fire Company               $55,437 Vinton(Bedford Co.)
Newport News Fire Dept $125,399 Newport News
Sedley Volunteer Fire Department   $36,575 Sedley(Southampton Co.)
Amelia Volunteer Fire Department                    $161,405 Amelia(Amelia Co.)
Stony Creek Volunteer Fire Department     $35,910 Stony Creek(Sussex Co.)
New HopeVolunteer Fire Department      $20,425 Ft. Defiance(Augusta Co.)
HarrisonburgRescue Squad, Inc.                  $32,164 Harrisonburg
Simmonsville Volunteer Fire Department    $80,275 Newport(Giles Co.)
Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department                 $60,268 Suffolk
Manassas Volunteer Fire Company $52,000 Manassas(Prince William Co.)
Ferrum Volunteer Fire Department                $55,920 Ferrum(Franklin Co.)
Turbeville Fire and Rescue                          $72,504 Alton(Halifax Co.)
Ten fire departments received funding
from the Fire Vehicle Acquisition Program:
Mount Cross Volunteer Fire Department Inc.                        $166,250 Danville
Tunstall Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Inc.         $232,750 Danville
Grottoes Volunteer Fire Department                $209,000 Grottoes(Rockingham Co.)
Wilson Volunteer Fire Company                   $189,050 Lyndhurst(Dinwiddie Co.)
Forest Volunteer Fire Company                            $171,000 Forest(Bedford Co.)
Midlothian Volunteer Fire Department        $247,500 Midlothian(Chesterfield Co.)
Trevilians Volunteer Fire Department               $238,450 Louisa(Louisa Co.)
WashingtonCounty Fire Rescue #1 Inc.          $240,350 Bristol(Washington Co.)
Eggleston Volunteer Fire Department                $114,000 Eggleston(Giles Co.)
ShenandoahShoresVolunteer Fire Dept $237,500 Front Royal(Warren Co.)

Obituaries

Eva Olds Cole
Eva Olds Cole, 81, of 2081 Cluster Springs Road, South Boston died August 24 at her home.
Mrs. Cole was born June 25, 1924, in Halifax County the daughter of the late William D. Olds and Ella Womack Olds, and was married to Ralph Lowery Cole. She was a member of Black Walnut Baptist Church, a former member of Cluster Springs Ruritanettes and Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, and was a retired inspector with Sales Knitting.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Ida Mae King and her husband, Henry, of South Boston; one sister, Dorothy Talley of Scottsburg; two grandchildren, Chris Cole and wife, Lori of South Boston, and Anita Collins and husband, Steve, of Clover; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Cole will be held today, August 26, at 2 p.m. at Black Walnut Baptist Church with the Rev. H.V. Conner officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Anyone wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Black Walnut Baptist Church.

Lindberg Hill

Lindberg Hill died August 22 at Woodview Nursing Home.
Mr. Hill was born September 15, 1927, to the late Tom and Lillie Traynham Hill, and was married to Julia Carr Hill. He was a member of Sunflower Baptist Church, the Southern Four, and was a U.S. Navy Veteran having served in the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include four daughters, Joyce Carr of Camden, N.J., Mary Jackson of South Boston, Emma Jones of Nathalie, and Evangelist Martha Jones and husband, Curtis, of Woodbridge; three sons, Philip, Roland and Willie Hall, all of Camden; two brothers, Eppie Hill of Nathalie and Ollie Hill and wife, Iola, of Md.; one sister, Lottie Hill of Renan; 23 grandchildren; and 41 great-grandchildren. Mr. Hill was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Shelly ‘Rat’ Jackson; and two brothers, Lacey and Richard Hill.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, August 27, at 1 p.m. at Sunflower Baptist Church with Pastor Robert Tucker Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with Military honors by American Legion Post 99.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, and other times at the home, 2229 Acorn Road, Nathalie.

Doris Morrison Martin

Doris Morrison Martin, 86, of 2176 Rabat Road, Nathalie, died August 25, at Autumn Care Nursing Home in Altavista.
Mrs. Martin was born in Campbell County on March 6, 1919, the daughter of the late Otey Cleveland Morrison and Audley Mason Morrison and was married to the late John Maynard Martin. She was a member of Childrey Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Louis M. Martin and wife, Faye, and Otey T. Martin and wife, Amy; one daughter, Doris M. Tribble and husband, George, all of Nathalie; six grandchildren, Teri M. Simmons nd husband, Chris, Staci M. Guill and husband, Dennis, George Wayne Tribble and wife, Angela, Keith B. Tribble and wife, Tracy, Daryl T. Martin and wife, Kim, all of Nathalie, and Michele L. Martin and fiance’, Chris Terrell, of South Boston; and 10 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Martin was preceded in death by one grandson, Christopher T. Tribble.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow, August 27, at Childrey Baptist Church with the Rev. James Crocker officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Doris and George Tribble, 7092 Stage Coach Road, Nathalie.
Memorials may be made to Childrey Baptist Church building fund.

 

Comets Face Final Preseason Test Tonight

HCHS Will Scrimmage Colonial Forge And Varina Tonight In Its Final Preseason Test

BY Joe Chandler
G-V Staff Writer

The preseason will close tonight for the Halifax County High School varsity football team and it will close with the team’s final preseason test.
Halifax County will be taking part in the annual GW football jamboree in Danville today where it will scrimmage Colonial Forge from Northern Virginia and Richmond area football power Varina beginning at 4 p.m.
“This is the end of preseason,” said Comets head coach John Lacy Harris.
“This is more than just a practice. This is the real deal.”
Halifax County “won” its first preseason scrimmage contest two weeks ago, topping two-time an defending Group AA state champion Gretna High School. The Comets scored both offensively and defensively in that scrimmage with the team showing well on both sides of the ball.
Tonight’s scrimmage is expected to provide the Comets with a tougher test than their initial foray with Gretna in that both Colonial Forge and Varina are expected to be big in size and at a higher overall talent level.
“I think the talent level of these two teams is good,” Harris said.
“They’re going to be well-coached. They’re going to give us an opportunity to see where we are as a team. We need to see our kids respond to adversity in a positive way.”
The format for today’s scrimmages will be a “live” game situation that will include punts and extra-point attempts after touchdowns. There will be no punt or kickoff returns and no kickoffs.
That format, Harris said, will give him and the coaching staff an opportunity to get a good look at how well the players perform under game conditions.
“We want to see the kids play with reckless abandon but under control,” Harris pointed out.
“We don’t want them thinking. We expect them to know their assignments and carry out their assignments without having to think about them. They have repped them enough now in practice where they should know what to do. Now, we want to see them do it.”
From today on, Harris and the Comets will turn from a preseason mode into their regular-season mode.
“From now on, our work will be preparing for the next opponent,” Harris said.
“We’re through installing plays and have been for quite awhile. At this time of the year, the focus is on the small things because that is what wins games.”
After today’s scrimmage contests, the Comets will continue their preparations for their home season opener which will come a week from tonight.
The Comets will kick off their 10-game schedule by hosting Group AA Rustburg at 7:30 p.m. at Tuck Dillard Stadium on what will be GCR Company Night.

Zemke And Duhamel Bring Battle For AMA Formula Xtreme Title To VIR

From AMA Pro Racing

For the second year in a row, the battle for the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series title is coming down to the last few races and at Virginia International Raceway this weekend, Honda teammates Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel will write another chapter of their great 2005 season-long battle.
While the Honda mates go toe-to-toe in Xtreme, it’s a battle between experience and youth in the Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series. There veteran Aaron Yates is trying to win back the championship he vacated in 1996 and young Jason DiSalvo is trying to chase down his older rival to score his first AMA title.
Zemke and Duhamel have been trading wins all season long on their factory Hondas. Last year it was Duhamel taking the victory at VIR and going on to win the Formula Xtreme No. 1 plate.
This year the tables have turned and it’s Zemke leading and Duhamel chasing. Zemke leads by 11 points with just two rounds remaining and is trying to reach the finish line and for the first time take home the top prize.
Zemke has been agonizingly close to championships five times in his career and the former flat tracker isn’t breathing easy yet.
“Anytime you have someone of Miguel’s stature chasing you for the championship it’s going to be tough,” said Zemke, who has been runner up in Formula Xtreme three times before.
“Even though we’re teammates he’s not going to give me an inch and I’ll have to earn this championship one lap at a time.”
Duhamel will go down in the record books as one of the best road racers in the history of AMA racing – he already has seven AMA road racing titles to his name, but the 37-year-old Montreal native is not ready to rest on his laurels just yet.
“Obviously the pressure is on,” Duhamel said.
“For both of us it’s going to be tight, right down to the last lap. Jake has ridden really well this season, but I don’t want to go down without really making him earn it. VIR will not lack for excitement, that’s for sure.”
While Zemke and Duhamel are focusing on the championship, a few other riders would like to break the Honda stranglehold on the series. The two most likely candidates to break the monopoly at VIR are Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard and Michael Barnes, of M4 EMGO Suzuki.
Attard has scored two podium finishes in the series and seems to be coming into his own in recent rounds. Barnes joined his team as a mid-season replacement rider and the veteran has been impressive. Barnes would love to add a Formula Xtreme win trophy to his trophy case.
Aaron Yates is heading up the Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series coming into VIR. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider has found a home in the series and a string of three consecutive wins has given the Georgian racing veteran a 14-point lead over Jason DiSalvo.
If Yates makes it four in a row at VIR, he would become the first to run up a streak like that in the series since Tom Kipp clicked off five straight in the former 750 Supersport Series in 1999.
“It’s good to be on a winning streak,” Yates said. “but the championship is still too close for comfort. With just two races to go there’s not a lot of strategy left. I’m going out there to try to keep winning. That’s about it.”
Former race winner Lee Acree will also be in the lineup for the VIR Superstock race. Acree’s win here in 2001 was one of the biggest upset wins in the history of the series.
The AMA Lockhart Phillips USA formula Xtreme Series race will be televised nationally on SPEED Channel at 1 p.m. (Eastern), Tuesday, Aug. 30.
Fans can also follow the race via live timing and scoring on www.amasuperbike.com.
For additional information on the race call (434) 822-7700 or visit www.virclub.com.

SBS, NASCAR Levy Penalties In Wake Of Fracas

Five Individuals Including Four Drivers Facing Penalties Resulting From Incident That Ended Last Week’s Grand Sportsman Division Race

BY Joe Chandler
G-V Staff Wrtier

NASCAR and South Boston Speedway officials have levied penalties against five individuals involved in the fracas that forced a premature end to last Saturday night’s Grand Sportsman division race at South Boston Speedway.
Four of the individuals are facing suspensions.
South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice said yesterday the two drivers involved in the on-track incident, Jack Milam of Keeling and Brad Matthews of Oxford, N.C., have both been fined and suspended as a result of penalties levied by NASCAR track officials.
Milam, who was disqualified from the race, has been fined $500 and suspended from racing at the track indefinitely. Matthews, who entered the race as the division points leader, was disqualified from the race and has been fined $500 and suspended for the remainder of the 2005 season.
Both drivers were penalized for actions detrimental to stock car racing – an altercation on the track with the intent to do bodily harm to another competitor.
Mike Milam, who was allegedly involved in the fray, was fined $500 and has been suspended for the remainder of the 2005 season. He was penalized for leaving his team’s pit area and participating on a fight on the racetrack.
In addition to the speedway penalties, NASCAR penalties have been imposed against two individuals.
Jarrett Milam, who was also allegedly involved in the fracas, was fined $300 and suspended from racing at the speedway through December 31. He is a competitor in the track’s Pure Stock division.
Finally, Jonathan Cash of Oxford, N.C. has been fined $250 and has been suspended from racing at the track until the fine is paid. Cash, a competitor in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car division, was placed on probation through December 31.
Jarrett Milam was penalized for failure to follow the directions of a track NASCAR officials and fighting.
Cash was penalized for failing to follow the directions of a track NASCAR official and going onto the racetrack while the field was running under the yellow flag.
The top rookie in the Late Model Stock Car division, Cash stands fourth in the division points race, 36 points behind third-place driver Owen Miller.
The disqualification and suspension of Matthews has ended Matthews’ hopes of winning the South Boston Speedway Grand Sportsman division title.
Matthews, who received no points last Saturday night as the result of the disqualification, slipped to third place in the points standings.
Junior Hancock of Danville is the new leader in the division points standings and leads Keith Edwards by eight points with Matthews in third place, eight points down to Edwards.
With Matthews not being eligible to compete in the upcoming race on September 3, the final race of the season for the Grand Sportsman division competitors, it is likely he will fall deeper into the standings.
Jack Milam dropped to eighth place in the Grand Sportsman division points standings after his disqualification Saturday night.
Jarrett Milam, who is in 11th place in the Pure Stock division points standings, will also take a hit in the points standings as a result of his suspension.