Gas Up, Running Out

From Staff & Wire Reports

The gas prices have gotten so high in Halifax County that some pumps refuse to charge it.
Runt Powell, the owner of Runts on U.S. 360, said that only one of his pumps will charge the current price of $3.39 per gallon, while two others stop at $2.99.
And skyrocketing prices may not be the only problem facing area consumers, there is also the possibility of shortages.
Powell said his supplier, Davenport Energy, informed him that there is no product available for his station.
“I’m low,” he said of his supply. “ I don’t know when I’ll be able to get any more.
“When I run out I don’t know what I’ll do,” he added.
For those who still have gas, it just keeps going up.
“We just moved from $2.79 to $3.19 a gallon,” Phil Hammond, the owner of Short Stop in Scottsburg, said Thursday morning. “No one knows where it will stop.”
According to the gas station owner, his supplier, also Davenport Energy, hasn’t given him any indicator when prices will stop rising.
“I’ve gotten no specifics, they’re doing the same thing we are, taking it one day at a time,” he added. “It will probably be $3.59 before the weekend’s done.”
Hammond said he has not heard from Davenport about any supply shortages.
One thing there is no shortage of at county gas stations is conversation about the price of fuel.
“Everybody who walks in here says something about it,” Jay Henderson of Bridgeview in Halifax said.
“I don’t know what people are going to do,” Henderson said, noting that the price per gallon at his station had gone up another 30 cents yesterday. “People still have to buy it, they still have to go to work.”
Communities around the country are also experiencing the sting of high fuel prices and the fear of shortages.
‘‘Out of Gas’’ signs and yellow caution tape were draped across pumps in parts of the United States early Thursday after many retailers were overrun by panicked motorists looking to top off their tanks as prices soared past $3 per gallon and reports of shortages spread.
Gas stations in and around downtown Atlanta had temporarily run out of gas. The same was reported elsewhere, including parts of North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Arizona. Many retailers who did have gas had no clue when their next shipments would come in.
‘‘People have kind of panicked and they’re waiting in long lines because they’re afraid the prices are going to go up,’’ said Jan Vineyard, executive director of the West Virginia Oil Marketers And Grocers Association. ‘‘We’re going to have some outages.’’
Price hikes were first evident at stations nationwide Wednesday as gasoline costs breached $3 a gallon for the first time in numerous states, the result of fuel pipeline shutdowns and delayed deliveries since Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and Mississippi earlier this week.
‘‘Everybody is panicking. They think there’s not going to be any gas,’’ said Keturah Jackson, a clerk at a gas station in Atlanta’s upscale Buckhead district. ‘‘I didn’t believe the hype. I didn’t jump in the van like everyone else.’’
Gas prices jumped by more than 50 cents a gallon Wednesday in Ohio, 40 cents in Georgia and 30 cents in Maine. In southern Illinois, gas prices at some stations jumped more than 50 cents in less than four hours Thursday morning.
The increases followed price spikes on wholesale and futures markets Tuesday after the hurricane knocked off-line refineries and pipeline links along the Gulf Coast that provide about a third of the country’s gasoline supplies.
Concerns are now mounting over limited supplies of gasoline, including the possible return of long lines and scarcity reminiscent of the 1970s gas crisis.
‘‘It’s crazy,’’ said Mike Currie, shaking his head as he topped off his truck’s tank with gas at a station in his hometown of Bismarck, N.D. ‘‘I’m going to have to consider buying a Moped.’’
In trading in Europe on Thursday, continuing fears about tight supplies caused by Katrina caused gasoline futures to jump more than 10 cents a gallon. Analysts expected some relief once electricity is restored to Gulf Coast pipelines and refineries, but they are unsure how long that will take.
This week’s increases come atop a 40 percent price rise in the last year that boosted the average retail price of unleaded regular to $2.61 a gallon nationwide last week, Energy Department figures show.
‘‘We don’t have a shortage of gasoline. We have a delivery problem,’’ said Bill Weatherspoon, executive director of the North Carolina Petroleum Council, which represents major retailers that get gasoline from the pipelines.
The situation was much worse in areas closer to the hurricane’s path. In southwest Alabama, gas lines of 100 cars were commonplace early Thursday, extending out onto entrance ramps along Interstate 10. And most of the gas stations were closed, not for a lack of gas but for a lack of electricity to pump it. People were sitting in their cars for hours in anticipation of when power would be restored and the pumps working again.
Brian Scapecchi of Foley, Ala., saw the long lines at gas stations Wednesday and opted to return to a 24-hour station in the middle of the night in hopes the lines would be shorter. He guessed right, and was able to fill up at 12:40 a.m. Thursday.
‘‘I’m sure it will be taken care of in a couple of weeks, but I’m not taking any trips,’’ said Scapecchi, vowing to converse gas and avoid going anywhere over the Labor Day weekend.
Although police in Charlotte, N.C., reported prior to daybreak that only 30 of Mecklenbur County’s 230 fueling stations were out of gas, that number appeared to grow considerably Thursday as drivers continued to crowd the open stations, fearing a shortage. On some busy streets, stations that did have gas were seeing lines that were causing traffic backups.
Charles Richardson, assistant manager of a gas station in Charlotte, said he was one of the few stations in the city that had received gas since Monday. ‘‘We ran out yesterday, but we got a drop this morning,’’ he said.
In Georgia, a few gas stations were charging as much as $6 per gallon Wednesday after other retailers had run out of gas and long lines were reported across the state. In response, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an executive order authorizing state sanctions against gas retailers who gouge consumers.
In New Jersey, acting Gov. Richard J. Codey ordered increased state inspections at gas stations for possible price gouging.
The market did receive some help Wednesday when the federal government said it would loan oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to refiners facing shortfalls. And the Environmental Protection Agency said it would temporarily allow gasoline retailers nationwide to sell fuel that does not meet stringent summer air-quality standards.
Several gas stations in the Milwaukee area ran out of gas for several hours at the time. The outages were blamed more on logistical problems on the supply end than any increase in demand.
‘‘Everybody is really trying hard. But it has been very, very difficult to get enough gasoline,’’ said Jim Fiene, senior vice president of the Open Pantry convenience store-gasoline station chain in southeast Wisconsin.
The problems soon could extend far beyond motorists’ wallets. Energy experts say they are concerned about how hurricane damage to Gulf Coast natural gas and heating oil facilities will affect heating bills this winter. Rising jet fuel costs because of the hurricane also have put additional pressure on cash-strapped airlines.
In Georgia and North Carolina, state officials asked residents to conserve gas and government workers were ordered to limit nonessential travel. A suburban Atlanta vanpooling program also reported a 50 percent jump in participants since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast on Monday.

 

Landfill Is Cost-Effective

County Administrator Responds To Concerns From Resident(s)

At least one county resident is questioning the efficacy of the proposed Southside Regional Landfill, alleging that the landfill cannot operate for the amount advertised and questioning the environmental impact on nearby John H. Kerr reservoir.
The resident, who asked not to be identified, provided the Gazette-Virginian with a breakdown of tipping fees (the cost to the county per ton of solid waste) associated with landfills across Southside and central Virginia.
• The Lynchburg landfill has a volume of 450 tons per day (TPD) and charges $35 per ton.
• In Campbell County, the landfill charges a rate of $35 for an average of 140 TPD.
•The Bedford County landfill charges $38 per ton for an average of 150 TPD.
• Appomattox County’s landfill averages 50 TPD for a rate of $55 per ton.
• In Prince Edward County, the landfill averages 55 TPD and charges a tipping fee of $35.
County Administrator Bryan Foster said yesterday that the resident is comparing apples to oranges.
“All of those are single-county landfills,” he said. “It’s for a single entity, not regional. You cannot compare tipping rates because all the factors that go into how that tip rate is derived vary by localities from place to place.
“This landfill will be much more than that in terms of tonnage,” Foster added. “We’re going to be well over 200-250 tons per day with everyone together. Halifax County does over 100 tons per day by itself.”
Future disposal costs are estimated to be around $1.2 million a year based on a projected cost of $28/ton dumping expense, according to Foster.
Halifax County has joined with Charlotte and Mecklenburg counties in forming the Southside Regional Solid Waste Authority.
“It’s economy of scale,” Foster said. “More tons per day will result in lower tipping fees.”
Foster said the county had studied alternatives and the regional authority is the most efficient choice for county taxpayers.
“Of all the options we’ve looked at, this seems to be the most financially sound and environmentally sound option we have,” he said.
Because it is an unlined landfill, the federal Department of Environmental Quality is requiring that the South Boston landfill close by December 31, 2007.
Plans call for a new landfill on a 500-acre site located on Route 92 in Mecklenburg County approximately four miles north of Boydton.
Supervisors held a public hearing on the proposed Authority in June, 2004 and the Authority was incorporated the following September.
“We’re in the process of permitting the new landfill right now,” Foster said.
Although he said he has not asked DEQ specifically about the reservoir issues, he feels sure they have considered the environmental impact on the lake in the plans.
“It’s a lined landfill that is very environmentally sound and should have no impact on the surrounding environment,” Foster said.
A lengthy, two-phase process, Foster said the county is currently working with DEQ to look at the site as a whole, including environmental issues, to determine if the proposed site is suitable.
“The second part of the process involves the actual design of the landfill,” he said.
If all goes as planned, the new landfill should be ready when the South Boston site closes, according to the county administrator.
“Right now, we’re on a schedule that should allow us to have the permitting in place and we should be operating on January 1, 2008,” Foster said.
The biggest concerns at this point, the county administrator said, are associated with additional expenses the county will incur when the landfill opens.
“Right now, we’re looking at getting the trash to the new site,” he said.
Foster said the county “ran the numbers” and the regional authority is the most cost-effective for the county.
“The costs are going to cover everything,” Foster said. ”From operation to debt service and a funding reserve. The tip fee will cover all those things. From the information we have to date, that’s a solid number.”
He said there are private companies that dispose of waste for municipalities, but any decision will involve substantial costs to the taxpayer.
“We haven’t ruled (private collection companies) out yet,” Foster said. “But the numbers right now indicate it will be cheaper to join the Authority.”

 

Kilgore Promises More Jobs For Southside Communities

Candidate For Governor Talks About His Plan For Region, Differences Between Himself And Democratic Challenger Tim Kaine

“Never before has the two parties nominated two candidates more different to run for governor,” said Jerry Kilgore, Republican candidate to replace Gov. Mark Warner in the governor’s mansion.
Kilgore was in town on a fund-raising tour Wednesday night and spoke candidly about the differences between himself and Democratic opponent Tim Kaine.
The two will face off in the November election.
“In Southside and Southwest Virginia, you have to ask one question – who can create the most jobs for the regions,” he said. “I’m from rural Virginia, I grew up in rural Virginia and understand the ways of rural Virginia. Rural Virginia isn’t just some place I come at election time looking for votes.”
The Republican hopeful said that if elected, he will return as governor “actively recruiting businesses here.”
“If we don’t get an elected governor who understands who we are and what we mean, we’ll go another four years and see our economy continue to diminish,” he said. “I’ll be a governor who will be an active recruiter because we’re going to double the tax credits for businesses willing to locate here. We’re going to make it more advantageous for a business to locate here.”
Kilgore also promised to work with his planned Governor’s Research Partnership Fund to encourage new research opportunities in Southside.
“We’re going to encourage research opportunities (by working with) the research alliance to bring new research opportunities by giving new tax credits to businesses that will actually conduct research here,” he said.
His plan will not raise taxes, Kilgore said.
“His plan will raise taxes,” he said. “(Kaine’s) proudest achievement as lieutenant governor has been the largest tax increase in Virginia’s history and yet he wanted more. He wanted more during that (General Assembly) session of 2004 and he wanted to raise the gas tax right after.
“Let me assure you – I oppose raising the gas tax,” Kilgore said. “Asking Virginians to pay more for gas than they already do is just unconscionable to me.”
The former Attorney General said he and Kaine “disagree on the basic instinct of government, the fundamentals.”
“He supports a bigger government and more tax dollars,” he said. “I consider them taxpayers’ dollars and I consider myself a steward of those dollars.
“He believes in a bigger government, I don’t.
“He believes in raising taxes, I do not. You need a decoder ring so you know when he uses words like ‘budget reform’ or ‘investment,’ he’s really talking about tax increases.
“He opposes the death penalty, called for moratoriums and even compared our law enforcement to the Soviet Gulag.
“I support law enforcement and I support the death penalty,” Kilgore added. “I’ve been a prosecutor almost my entire career.”
The Republican candidate said Kaine has actively fought to restrict the rights of gun owners.
“He got an ‘F’ rating from the NRA (National Rifle Association),” he said. “He’s used taxpayer dollars to send anti-gun marchers to the anti-gun rally in Washington, D.C. And he asked (Richmond) city attorneys to prepare papers and look for ways to sue gun manufacturers. (Kaine) has championed taking away gun owners’ rights. I will protect the rights of gun owners.
“I’ve been endorsed by the NRA every time I’ve run (for office),” Kilgore said, adding the organization gave him an ‘A’ rating.

Obituaries

Jessie White Dawson

Jessie White Dawson, 95, of 1073 East Oak Hill Drive, Halifax died August 31 at her home.
Ms. Dawson was born in Pittsylvania County on October 11, 1909, the daughter of Raleigh M. White and Lucy ‘Evie’ Keatts White. She was a member of Straightstone Baptist Church, and was retired from J.P. Stevens.
Survivors include one daughter, Evelyn Conner and her husband, Wayne, of South Boston; two sons, Hampton Dawson Sr. and his fiance, Vickie, of Presque Isle, Maine, and Claude L. Dawson and wife, Evelyn, of Gretna; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by one brother; and three sisters.
Funeral services for Ms. Dawson will be held today, September 2, at 11 a.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Rudolph Jacobs officiating. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Scottsburg.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Humane Society, P.O. Box 969, South Boston, 24592.

Margaret Watkins Jeffries

Margaret Watkins Jeffries, 83, of Milton, N.C. died August 30 at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro, N.C.
Mrs. Jeffries was born in Milton, on March 26, 1922, the daughter of the late Floyd Watkins and Louise Gooden Watkins, and was married to the late Earnest Jeffries. She was a member of High Street Baptist Church of Milton.
Survivors include two daughters, Patricia Johnson of Greensboro and Judith Ann Cunningham of Alton; two sisters, Catherine Gibson of Queens, N.Y. and Nettie Harris of Hagerstown, Md.; one brother, James Watkins of Danville; four grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two sons-in-law, Irvin Johnson and James C. Cunningham.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jeffries will be held tomorrow, September 3, at noon at High street Baptist Church with the Rev. Angel Lea officiating. Burial will follow in Floral Hills Memory Gardens Cemetery in Danville.
Viewing will be tomorrow at the church from 10 a.m. until noon.

Mayo Mills Worsley III

Mayo Mills Worsley III, 52, of Danville died August 31, at Danville Regional Medical Center.
Mr. Worsley was born October 20, 1952, in Danville the son of Ann Carter Worsley of South Boston, and the late Mayo Mills Worsley. He was employed as a carpenter with P.L. Anderson and was of the Episcopal faith.
Survivors include two brothers, Joel P. Worsley of Virgilina and Carter W. Worsley of Danville; and four nieces and one nephew. He was preceded in death by a brother, John D. Worsley.
A memorial service will be held September 4 at 6 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, Virgilina with the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating. Burial will be private.

Comets Launch A New Season Here Tonight

The HCHS Varsity Football Team Kicks Off The Season Here Tonight At 7:30 P.M. Against Rustburg

By Joe Chandler
The Gazette-Virginian

A new season and a fresh new beginning for the Halifax County High School football program will unfold when the Comets face Rustburg here tonight in their 7:30 p.m. home opener at Tuck Dillard Stadium.
The “new look” Comets will debut with their new head coach, John Lacy Harris, a new coaching staff that includes a handful of new faces and several familiar ones, a new, exciting brand of football and a new set of uniforms that bring back the traditional “Comet” blue.
Even the playing field at Tuck Dillard Stadium will have a new, exciting look about it tonight for tonight’s GCR Night event with a colorful Halifax County High School logo at midfield, the word Comets painted in each end zone and “Comet Blue” yard markers.
Some special effects are said to possibly be in the works during pre-game and the Halifax County High School Blue Comets Marching Band will unveil its new halftime show tonight to add to the festiveness of the occasion.
Also tonight, Halifax County High School and South Boston Speedway are joining forces to get both Comets football fans and NASCAR racing fans involved in a big weekend of local sports through a special combination football/racing ticket offer.
Fans may purchase a ticket for $10 that will be good for admission to the Halifax County High School varsity football team’s home opener tonight against Rustburg and for admission to South Boston Speedway for Saturday night’s GCR Presents Comets Football Night event.
The special combination tickets may be purchased today at the main office at Halifax County High School and at the main office at South Boston Speedway. Fans attending tonight’s football game will have the opportunity to purchase the combination tickets when they arrive at Tuck Dillard Stadium.
Football fans will see one of the country’s top NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car division racers at tonight’s Comets football game. Peyton Sellers of Danville, the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series national points leader, will be on hand to meet fans and to conduct the pre-game coin toss.
His car as well as the cars of South Boston drivers Bruce Anderson and Nick Igdalsky will be on display at Tuck Dillard Stadium tonight and all three drivers will be available to meet fans.
While there will be plenty of festiveness surrounding tonight’s home opener, the real focus of attention will be the action on the field when the Comets square off against Rustburg.
“Our kids are ready to get started,” said Harris.
“It’s been a long preseason and we’ve gotten a lot accomplished. We’ve had a good week of practice. We’ve spent our time preparing for Rustburg and the things they do.”
Stan Hodgin, the Comets’ offensive coordinator, concurred.
“We’ve had a very upbeat, fast-paced week of practice,” Hodgin said.
“We’ve had an awful long preseason. I think we’re excited. We need to play.”
Hodgin said tonight’s game against Rustburg, a team that is traditionally a contender in the Group AA Seminole District, will serve as an indicator of the progress the team has made.
“We need a first game as a measuring stick of where we are in our progress,” Hodgin said.
“We were certainly able to see to some degree where we are from our scrimmages. But, when you start counting wins and losses, that’s where you see where you really are.”

 

Comets Harriers Win Opener

The HCHS Boys And Girls Cross Country Teams Scored Big Wins Here Wednesday Over Person High

By Joe Chandler
The Gazette-Virginian

The Halifax County High School cross country team opened its season in a big way here Wednesday at Edmunds Park with both the boys and girls teams scoring runaway wins over neighboring Person High.
Nailing down four of the top seven finishing positions, the Comets boys team defeated Person High 24-32 and the girls team, nailing down four of the first six finishing positions, downed the Lady Rockets 22-33.
“We’re very happy with the way they performed,” said Comets head coach Brady Taylor.
“We didn’t have our top runner, Chris Pridgen, who was hurt and we still won pretty handily.
Taylor said the overall performance of both the boys and girls teams was a good one.
“We had the top three boys and three of the top four girls,” the Comets coach pointed out.
“Our number four and five runners in both the boys and girls had to pick it up to make sure that we won and they did their job.
“For a lot of the kids, this was their first real meet,” added Taylor.
“Nobody gave up. Nobody quit. It might have taken them a little longer (to run the course) than they wanted it to take them, but we’re happy.”
The Comets’ Ronnie Link won the boys meet, topping the field with a time of 21 minutes and one second. Robert Poirier, who finished 10 seconds behind Link, and Josh Shealy, who finished third with a time of 22:25, gave the Comets a sweep of the top three spots.
Halifax County also gained the seventh spot with Joey Arnold’s finish in a time of 23:58 and Shawn Barksdale, who finished 11th with a time of 24:39, was the final runner to figure into the scoring for the Comets.
In the girls’ meet, the Comets’ Amy Totherow was the winner with a time of 25:27. Sarah McCollum finished third overall with a time of 28:58 and Lacy Will, with her fourth-place finish in a time of 30:06, gave the Comets three of the top four finishing spots.
Also scoring for the Comets were Brittney Fifer who finished sixth with a time of 33:45 and Emily New, who finished eighth with a time of 34:59.
Taylor said the times were good considering the difficulty of the Edmunds Park course.
“This is probably the slowest course we’ll run all year, especially with the new part that we added to the course this year,” Taylor pointed out.
“The footing isn’t as sure in some of the turns and they couldn’t run as fast. This course also probably has more hills than any other course they’ll run. If our kids see their times coming down on this course, their times will come way down on other courses.”
The Comets cross country teams will return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Roxboro, N.C. for a return meet with Person High.

 

HCMS Lions Linksters Finish Third In Conference Contest

HCMS Defeated E.W. Wyatt And Lost To Powhatan and Bluestone Here Wednesday At Green’s Folly Golf Course

By Joe Chandler
The Gazette-Virginian

The Halifax County Middle School golf team defeated one conference opponent and lost to a pair of others here Wednesday in their final home match of the season here at Green’s Folly Golf Course.
Halifax County Middle School carded a round of 205 on the day for the nine-hole contest. That, unfortunately, was no match for Powhatan, which turned in a round of187 or for Bluestone, which followed one shot behind the winner.
The Lions did, however, down E.W. Wyatt, which finished its day with a 266 total.
Halifax County Middle School coach Charlie Payne said he felt his Lions players gave a good effort.
“I thought we did pretty well,” Payne said.
“We had a lot of inexperienced players that got a chance to play. It was a good experience for them. We’re just trying to steadily improve. We’re trying to shoot for the end-of-the-season conference championship tournament that will be held in late September.
“We’ve got to get our score down to 180 or 185,” Payne continued.
“If each player could knock off three or four , we’ll be there.”
With the best four scores counting toward each team’s total, the Lions were led by a round of 46 from Tyler Clay. Dru Henderson carded a round of 52 and was followed by Blake Jones with a 53 and Coy Lawson with a 54.
Other scores for Halifax County Middle School included Parker Harrell (55), Tayler Tyler (58), Jacob Saunders (60), Shannon Hargrave (62), Noah Hill (64), Joshua Rogers (68) and Shelby Hargrave (68).
“Those last four players have just started playing golf,” Payne pointed out.
“I thought they did a fine job. It’s amazing that they played as well as they did.”
There was a tie for medalist honors with Logan Lacks of Bluestone and Lewis Newman of Powhatan finishing in a tie with a round of 44.
Payne said Clay had a shot at medalist honors but a nine on his final hole took him out of the running.