Halifax County's and South Boston's combined rate of growth in 1999 couldn't measure up to the unprecedented pace of 1998 largely due to the lack of commercial and industrial spending. Total construction, including new starts and alterations and additions to existing properties in 1999, was just over $46.5 million compared to $69.5 million in 1998.
Annexation of Halifax County by South Boston in 1998 and the Town of Halifax in 1999 continues to reduce the rate of growth in the county.
Industrial building permits issued by the county in 1999 included a 540,000-square-foot addition to the Dollar General Distribution Center plus a truck maintenance building, both at an estimated cost of $2.3 million. Dollar General now has approximately 1.2 million square feet under roof and employs about 515 persons in the Halifax County Industrial Park.
Additions to flagmaker Annin & Co. ($2.8 million), also in the industrial park, and toolmaker Bohler Uddeholm ($320,000), located east of South Boston near the former Georgia-Pacific plant, were among industrial projects last year.
Total industrial activity in 1999 was $5.2 million compared to $16.4 million in 1998, a decline of almost 68 percent.
Blue Chip Racing, a new name in an old location (remember Virginia International Raceway(VIR) from the late 1950s?), is being resurrected, and last year's construction permits valued building activity at $464,000.
Construction at VIR (now known as The Virginia International Raceway and Motorsport Country Club) has amounted to timing towers, a concession stand, registration building, guard facility and restoration of the approximate 3.27-mile asphalt race track. Plans call for much more and the first sports car racing event, tentatively scheduled in August, already has rumors circulating that movie legends Paul Newman and Tom Cruise might appear.
VIR is located in the southwestern section of Halifax County on a bend in the Dan River near the Pittsylvania County line.
Less dramatic but nonetheless necessary is a $637,000 renovation of the county courthouse in Halifax.
A total of 79 new conventional homes at a cost of $6.6 million was just three more than the number built in 1998, while 325 manufactured houses accounted for over $10.2 million of construction in Halifax County last year.
Town of South Boston
Construction totaling $10.4 million in 1999 was up 11.3 percent over 1998 in the Town of South Boston, and 17 new conventional home projects costing an estimated $2.1 million accounted for the most significant increase. One North Main street home had an estimated building cost of over $625,000.
In nonresidential construction, major projects included additions and renovations to Halifax Regional Hospital, Goody's Family Clothing in Hupps Mill Plaza, AutoZone on Wilborn Avenue, a gymnasium for Centerville Baptist Church and a new concrete plant for Felton Bros. Transit Mix on Railroad Avenue.
Improvements to the town's wastewater treatment plant cost an estimated $2.5 million.
Town of Halifax
No new construction, only alterations and improvements to existing properties, was started in Halifax during 1999. Town officials say that the estimated cost of all improvements was down about 30 percent over 1998 when total activity amounted to approximately $275,000.

Complaints about dogs attacking deer, getting into garbage and tearing up newspapers in the Town of Halifax put a dog-leash law back on the council's agenda Tuesday night.
But council members agree that they don't want a leash law, they simply want dogs' owners to be responsible for their pets.
Roaming and pesky dogs are an old problem, one that surfaces from time to time, according to Greene.
In fact, Greene said that an ordinance dealing with dogs running loose had been drafted in the past, but that it had never been passed.
One Halifax resident registered a complaint about unruly dogs during the Tuesday night session, but the town manager said he had a list of other residents who had registered complaints.
Of particular concern to councilmen was the report of two incidents of dogs attacking deer. One of the attacks was reported in a Halifax resident's driveway and another at the Halifax Elementary School, according to councilman S.J. "Jack" Dunavant. The wounded deer had to be killed by authorities at the school site.
School was not in session at the time of the deer attack, but Halifax Police Chief Sweeney expressed concern had children been present.
Council members were also concerned. "Dogs get vicious when they go for the kill," said Dunavant. "They could hurt a child or an elderly person. We are concerned."
Sweeney and Greene are to review the issue and report to council during its February session.
Tax Billing
Town residents now have the option of paying their real estate and personal property taxes in two payments instead of one.
However, they will continue to receive their tax bill in October.
Prior to council's action Tuesday night, the deadline for paying taxes was December 5. This year, Town of Halifax residents may pay 50 percent of their tax bill by Dec. 5, 2000, and the remainder by June 5, 2001, with no interest or penalty.
Council approved a decision "to basically give people some relief from paying the tax bill all at one time," explained the town manager.
Town decals for the year 2000 will not expire until June 30, 2001, giving residents an additional three months since town decals had normally expired on March 31.
Public Hearing
Town council set a public hearing for Tuesday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the town's administration building on Main Street to amend the town's zoning ordinance. The hearing addresses R-1 (single family residential) zoning in the area acquired by the town as a result of the January 1, 2000, boundary adjustment with the county.
In other business, Jack Dunavant was elected to serve as vice mayor.
Council also named four residents to serve on the town's Board of Zoning Appeals. Baker Carter, Thomas Paulette, Gatha Richardson and J.E. Tuck were named to the board.
Town Manager Greene is to meet with the Halifax Woman's Club, the Banister Garden Club and town merchants to discuss Christmas lights and decorations and to seek recommendations for the town for Christmas 2000.

A Vernon Hill man was found guilty in Halifax County Circuit Court of molesting four children who were under his care between November 1991 and May 1999.
Angel Ruben Delpilar, 45, of Nunnelly Bridge Road, entered an Alford plea of guilty to four counts of aggravated sexual battery on Tuesday as part of a plea agreement with the Commonwealth, which in exchange for the guilty plea, dismissed four counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
The four children were all under the age of 13 and lived with Delpilar and his wife. The earliest incident of molestation occurred on November 2, 1991, according to court records.
Judge Charles L. McCormick III found Delpilar guilty of all four counts and ordered a presentence report be prepared for the March term of court before revoking his bond and remanding him to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Halifax.
In other circuit court activity on Tuesday, Jeffrey Keith Daniel, 31, of Vernon Hill, who was charged with shooting at and running down his girlfriend with his truck, received a five-year suspended sentence.
Following the incident, Daniel was charged with malicious wounding, discharging a firearm within an occupied building, attempted malicious wounding, and the use of a firearm to attempt malicious wounding.
On a motion of the Commonwealth, the charge of malicious wounding was amended to unlawful wounding and the remaining three charges were dismissed.
According to court records, on April 11, 1999, Bobbie Quesenberry awoke shortly before 1 p.m. in the Ridge Road residence that she shared with Daniel and asked him to take her to the store to purchase cigarettes.
Daniel told investigators that Quesenberry grew angry and began walking to the store when he did not awaken immediately.
After dressing, Daniel got in his truck and found Quesenberry in the yard, court records indicated. He told investigators he was trying to scare her, not harm her, when he accelerated and ran off the road.
He struck Quesenberry with the front of the truck and dragged her more than 50 feet, according to court records.
While in the hospital, immediately after the incident, Quesenberry told investigators that she and Daniel had been fighting all morning and that he shot at her both inside the house and as she was running up the driveway before he ran her down with the truck, court records indicated.
She later said the whole incident was an accident.
Daniel was found guilty of unlawful wounding and sentenced to five years with all time suspended on the condition of his good behavior for a five-year period, and he was placed on probation for one year.
Kelly Layne Foster, 39, and his daughter, Angela Foster Jones, 20, both of Chatham Road, Halifax, were sentenced on marijuana charges stemming from the 1998 raid on their property during which task force agents found marijuana plants and smoking paraphernalia.
Foster, who was convicted on September 13, 1999, of possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, distribution of marijuana to a minor and/or causing a minor to assist in distribution, and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony, was sentenced to five years for each charge for a total of 15 years.
McCormick suspended all but two years on the condition of Foster's good behavior for a 15-year period following his release from incarceration. He also placed Foster on two years' probation upon his release.
Jones, who was convicted of one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, was sentenced to five years with all time suspended based on the condition of her good behavior for a five-year period.
McCormick placed her on two years' probation and ordered her to submit to random drug tests.
McCormick also heard the following cases this week in circuit court:
· Christopher Charles Ashby, 28, of Stagecoach Road, Nathalie, pleaded guilty and was convicted of driving under the influence (subsequent offense) and driving after being declared an habitual offender.
Ashby will be allowed to remain free on bond while a presentence report is prepared for the March term.
· Trena Ann Barksdale pleaded not guilty to charges of forgery and uttering with the intent to defraud and conspiracy to commit a felony in a case involving thousands of dollars.
Court records indicated that Barksdale told investigators that she entered an arrangement with Lamont Yusef Thomas, who will be tried Jan. 31, and received a check from Signart Co., Inc., for $29,531, which she in turn deposited in her account.
After the required bank waiting period, Barksdale said she was to keep $3,000 for herself and turn the rest over to a middleman.
McCormick found Barksdale guilty as charged and set her bond at $15,000.
A presentence report was ordered for the March term.
· Louis P. Llewellyn Jr., 23, of Brook Road, Richmond, pleaded not guilty to trespassing on school property and entered a plea of no contest to possessing a firearm on school property.
He was convicted on both counts and allowed to remain free on bond.
The Commonwealth dismissed a charge of possessing a box cutter hidden from view.
A presentence report was ordered for the March term.
· John Conrad Miller, 28, of Pine Heights Trail, Halifax, pleaded not guilty to the charge of making a false statement on a consent form to purchase a firearm.
The charge was dismissed.
· Melody Valencia, 18, of Poplar Creek Street, South Boston, pleaded not guilty to charges of stalking and throwing a missile - a Mountain Dew bottle - into an occupied vehicle.
The charges were dismissed.
· Tommie Sylvester Yarborough, 45, of Woodbrook Avenue, South Boston, pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering and conspiracy to commit a felony.
McCormick found Yarborough guilty of endorsing a check written on the account of Merwin Drug/Reed Drug for $29,572.79.
A presentence report was ordered for the March term, and McCormick allowed Yarborough to remain free on bail.
· Kenneth Brooks pleaded guilty to driving after being declared an habitual offender (subsequent offense).
He was found guilty and his presentence report was updated for March 1.
McCormick revoked his bond and Brooks was remanded to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Halifax.
· Sherman Herman Chisholm, 58, of Wilson Memorial Trail, pleaded guilty and was found guilty of driving after being declared an habitual offender (subsequent offense).
He will be allowed to remain free on bond until he is sentenced in March.
· Cathy Bowman Clark, 43, of Riverdale Drive, South Boston, was sentenced to 24 years in prison on eight counts of forgery and uttering.
McCormick suspended all time but six months on house arrest on the condition of Clark's good behavior for a six-month period. She will be permitted to go to church.
She also received a 30-day sentence on a show-cause, which will run concurrently with the six-month sentence.
Clark will also be placed on intensive supervised probation when she completes her active sentence.
· Joe Cephas Coles, 29, of Hunter Lane, South Boston, was sentenced to 24 years on eight counts of forgery and uttering.
McCormick suspended all but 12 months on the condition of Coles' good behavior for a 24-year period.
Coles will also be required to complete two years' probation upon his release from incarceration, pay $448.52 restitution to the victim, get a job and abstain from using any alcohol.
· Jerry Lorenzo Faulkner Jr., 25, of Parker Avenue, South Boston, pleaded not guilty to assaulting South Boston Police Officer D. Barker and obstructing justice.
Both charges were dismissed.
· Clarence Junior Herndon, 51, Lenning Road, Nathalie, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and, as part of a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine.
He was found guilty as charged and sentenced to five years with all time suspended on the condition of his good behavior for a five-year period with two years' probation.
· David Nelson Mosley, 33, of Mountain Road, Halifax, pleaded guilty and was found guilty of driving after being declared an habitual offender.
McCormick sentenced him to 12 months in jail.
· Helen Felicia Richardson, 33, of Poplar Creek Court, South Boston, pleaded not guilty to assaulting and battering Shawn Edwards.
The charge was dismissed.
· Darrell Wayne Smith, 31, of Mill Road, Clover, pleaded guilty and was found guilty of breaking and entering with the intent to commit larceny, grand larceny and possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
A presentence report was ordered for the March term.

The Virginia Tobacco Trust Fund Board has developed a new policy concerning the dispersal of Phase II funds designed to allow growers and quota owners more flexibility.
Under the new policy that will govern the 2000 payment to Virginia producers and quota owners, growers who wish to retire, and quota owners who wish to sell out, can do so and still receive payments, according to board member Don Anderson of South Boston.
The Phase II Tobacco Board announced in a press release on Wednesday that for the next six years, producer payments will be made to those who produced flue-cured or burley tobacco in 1998, whether or not they grew tobacco thereafter.
Quota owners who sold quota after July 1, 1998, will continue to receive payments until the quota owner has been fully compensated for losses sustained from the recent quota cuts. At that time, the purchaser of that quota will be entitled to payments for quota losses incurred after the purchase date.
Defining the point at which a quota owner has been fully compensated will be determined later, Anderson said.
"It was the feeling of the board that the payments had to be structured in such a way to give people the maximum amount of flexibility," Anderson said. "We know there are a lot of people who are close to, or at, retirement age who feel they can't retire because of the recent quota cuts, which have reduced their production.
"We felt like a lot of them would be forced to continue growing tobacco just in order to continue to get payments," Anderson continued. "Conversely, on the ownership side, a lot of people would not consider selling quota because of the loss of payments."
Under the revised policy, for the next six years the board will continue to certify payments to producers and quota owners based on production in 1998, and/or the quota owned as of July 1, 1998.
"We were trying to eliminate the incentive to go out and lease more tobacco with the idea of getting larger payments on down the road. We realize farmers are making plans for the 2000 crop and need to know what our intentions are," Anderson said.
Payment division will remain as it was in 1999, with flue-cured producers and quota owners each receiving 50 percent of the payments. Burley producers will receive 75 percent of the burley payments; burley quota owners will receive 25 percent.
Virginia is expected to receive more than $18 million in 2000, the second year of the 12-year, $340 million-settlement, which was negotiated last year between the tobacco growing states and four major cigarette manufacturers.
The amount is expected to rise to more than $27 million in 2001.
Applications for the 2000 payments will be mailed after Labor Day, September 4, for expected payment on December 31, 2000. The return deadline for these applications will be set in the near future.
In December, the board approved a second round of 1999 fund payments for producers and quota owners who submitted inaccurate or defective applications, and it also decided that those farm operators who did not return an application in 1999 would be mailed a new application at the end of January.
These applications for second-round payments must be postmarked no later than March 1, and payments will be mailed out on April 17.

Representatives from McGuire, Woods, Battle and Boothe LLP, legal counsel to the Virginia Tobacco Trust Certification Board, will be available to answer questions during the Virginia Tobacco Conference and Trade Show next month in South Boston.
These legal representatives will be available throughout the day-long trade show and conference, which will be held at the Halifax County High School on February 12.
Issues that have been tentatively scheduled for discussion at the 2000 Conference include an update of Phase I and Phase II programs of the Master Settlement Agreement and low nitrosamine tobacco production.
The representatives will also be present at the 2000 Area Flue-Cured Tobacco Meetings at Southern Piedmont Research Center on January 20, and at Chatham High School on January 27.

Which road will the Halifax County High School Blue Comets take?
That is the big question that Comets head coach Garrett Dillard is asking as the Comets head into tonight's 8 p.m. Western District opener against Albemarle.
The Comets played their best game of the season in a recent 25 point loss to nationally ranked Mt. Zion. Tuesday night, they played badly in a 10 point loss to Franklin County.
It is that kind of woeful inconsistency that has plagued the Comets the past few weeks.
The Comets have now lost three straight games, something they haven't done all season. And, they've slipped to 5-5 for the season.
Now, Dillard says, his team is at a huge crossroads.
"We could beat Albemarle and be 6-5 and 1-0 in the Western District and those first 10 games don't mean anything," Dillard said.
"But, if we lose to Albemarle, those first 10 games mean everything because we're going to blame that loss on the way we played the first 10 games.
"If we win, we'll be back in good shape," continued Dillard.
"But, even then, I won't really be satisfied until we win two or three ball games in a row and play well doing it."
Tuesday night's loss to Franklin County still gnaws at Dillard's gut.
The Comets played well only in brief spurts, the best of which came in the final five minutes of the game.
In short, it was arguably their worst performance of the season.
"It's a huge step backward," Dillard said afterward.
"But, sometimes it takes going all the way to the bottom to get to the top."
The Comets' performance was such that Dillard and his staff got quite verbal with the team in a lengthy post-game meeting.
"I was really frustrated," Dillard explained.
"Maybe this is what we needed, where we can just go in the locker room and fuss each other out and scream and yell and do what we have to do and let these guys know where we stand."
The team, he noted, will react in one of two ways.
"Either they're going to come back and play hard or we're just going to realize we're going to have a year where we're going to lose a lot of games and just start preparing for next year," Dillard pointed out.
"One of those two things will happen."
A part of the Comets success in getting on the right road and staying there will largely rest in how each individual mentally prepares himself to play.
"We've got too many guys complaining about other people pushing them," Dillard said, "or saying 'coach, what're you fussing at me for?' and this and that.
"We've just to get guys that are tough, that are athletes that know how to compete," he continued.
"Until we do that, we're going to keep losing."
A part of Dillard's frustration is there is no apparent outward reason for his team to be so inconsistent.
"It's put me in a pretty bad mood because we started out the year well," the Comets coach explained.
"We played Patrick Henry well, we played Person well twice, and eventhough we lost to William Fleming, I thought we played fairly well and we had people out.
"Now," he added, "you get everybody back and we're too inconsistent.
"We might come out here Friday night and play like world beaters and then come back next week and do nothing. We've got to get consistent. Until we do that, we're going to be up and down and we're going to be hovering around .500."
Tonight marks the start of district play for all four Western District teams.
In addition to tonight's contest here between the Comets and Albemarle (8-3 for the season), GW (9-4) will host E.C. Glass (6-3).

Some losses are easier to take than others.
Halifax County played its best game of the season last week yet lost by 25 points to nationally ranked Mt. Zion.
That loss was acceptable to Comets coach Garrett Dillard.
But, the Comets played about as badly Tuesday night in a 64-54 loss to Franklin County as they had played well against Mt. Zion.
That wasn't acceptable.
"It's sickening when you have guys that are super athletes that can run, jump, and shoot and yet you can't get them to produce," the obviously upset and frustrated Comets coach said after his team suffered its third consecutive loss and fell to 5-5 on the season.
"We play hard in spurts and make things happen but we can't get consistent."
Inconsistency was the trademark of the Comets' performance against the Eagles.
For the most part it was Franklin County that dictated the pace of the game.
And, while the Comets moved the ball fairly well against and around Franklin County's zone defense, they could not consistently hit the eight to twelve-foot jump shots that were open to them.
For the game, the Comets were 20-61 from the field. By comparison, Franklin County was 19-49 from the floor.
"Nobody could hit it because you have to know how to prepare for a ball game," Dillard said.
"You have to know if they give me the shot I've got to knock it down or be smart enough to drive to the basket and when somebody pulls up, drop it off."
"The jayvees did it," added Dillard.
"Why can't the varsity guys do it?"
Once Franklin County discovered the Comets' could not effectively shoot over the zone defense, the Eagles stuck with it for extended periods of time.
"That was probably the most zone defense we've seen," Dillard said.
"I thought we worked the ball halfway decent and got some pretty good shots out of it. We couldn't make them and we let them (Franklin County) score too easily. We just didn't do anything defensively."
Halifax County played its best in the fourth period when they held Franklin County two just four baskets, two of them in the final 20 seconds of the game.
After trailing by 11 points with 5:58 left in the game, the Comets turned up their defensive pressure, came up with a handful of steals, and tried to claw their way back into the contest.
Price, who scored 14 points in the game, hit a three-pointer at the 5:44 mark to put the Comets within eight points.
A Comet steal set up an opportunity for Cardell Mosley to hit a pair of free throws for two of his 12 points in the game and bring the Comets to within six points.
Dante Ballou then scored with 3:43 left in the game off of a feed from guard Carleton Roach to bring the Comets to within four points at 47-43.
But, the Comets' run came to stop.
After a foul on the ensuing possession, officials simultaneously tagged Roach and Franklin County's Julius Jamison with technical fouls.
Jamison hit the front end of a one and one opportunity at the charity stripe to put the Eagles up by five but missed the second shot.
The Eagles got the ball and another foul was called against the Comets. This time the Eagles' Matt Barnhart hit both ends of a one and one opportunity to send the Eagles up by seven points.
The Comets regrouped and put together another run.
Jennings scored on an offensive rebound and was fouled. He made the free throw to complete the three point play and pulled the Comets to within four points at 50-46 with 2:36 to play.

That was the best stretch of the game played by the Comets and marked the closest the Comets could get to the Eagles down the stretch.
"We played the last few minutes of the fourth quarter the way we should have played the whole game," Dillard remarked.
"That's what bothers me. We come out and play the last three or four minutes of the fourth quarter and we had probably four or five steals, eventhough we didn't convert on all of them. Imagine if we do that the whole ball game."
Franklin County then spurted to a 5-0 run that put the Eagles up by nine points with 1:06 left to play.
And, when the Comets were forced to foul in an attempt to get the ball back, the Eagles hit six of eight attempts in the final 52 seconds to seal the win.
While the Comets fell short in their stretch drive, the real dagger in the Comets' side came early in the third period.
After Price and Franklin County's Devon Taylor traded three-pointers to open the second half the lethargic looking Comets were hit by a 9-1 Franklin County run that put the Comets behind 37-29 with 3:11 to play in the period.
And, before the period ended, the Comets had been outscored 18-7 and trailed 43-32.

"We didn't come back with any energy to start the third quarter," Dillard said.
"I thought at the half we were in pretty good shape. We made a three-pointer to tie it up. I thought we had the momentum. But, we didn't come back with any energy to start the third quarter and made a bunch of silly fouls and missed a lot of easy shots."
The Comets struggled at times in the first half but managed to stay within hailing distance of the Eagles.
Teddy Bradley gave the Comets the first lead to open the game, hitting a basket after Jennings had come up with a steal.
Halifax County led twice in the opening stanza, fell behind by a basket, tied the game twice, and trailed by five points until Price got an offensive rebound after a miss by Mosley and scored on the stick-back.
The basket left the Comets trailing by three points, 15-12 at the end of the period.
HALIFAX COUNTY
PLAYER FG FT F TP
Roach 3 0-0 4 8
Milam 0 0-0 1 0
Williams 0 0-0 0 0
Baird 0 0-0 2 0
Jackson 0 0-0 0 0
Jennings 7 1-1 4 15
Whitlock 0 0-0 0 0
Bradley 1 0-0 3 2
Price 5 1-4 3 14
Garland 0 0-1 0 0
Ballou 1 1-2 1 3
Reynolds 0 0-0 0 0
Mosley 3 6-9 4 12
Haugh 0 0-0 0 0
TOTALS 20 9-17 22 54
FRANKLIN COUNTY
PLAYER FG FT F TP
Layman 2 3-4 1 8
Kirby 0 0-0 1 0
Wade 0 0-0 0 0
Taylor 5 8-9 2 20
Angle 2 0-0 0 4
Wray 1 0-0 0 2
Muse 5 8-12 2 18
Holland 1 0-0 1 2
Townes 0 0-0 0 0
Barnhart 2 2-2 4 6
Meeks 1 0-0 2 2
Jamison 0 2-4 4 2
TOTALS 19 23-31 17 64

Halifax Co. 12 13 7 22--54
Franklin 15 10 18 21--64
3-Point Field Goals: (HC)--Roach 2, Price 3; (F)--Layman 1, Taylor 2.

Frances G. Chappel, age 86, died January 11, 2000, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Chappel was born November 16, 1913, the daughter of Esau and Ola Gerst and was married to Richard Chappel. She was a member of Memorial Baptist Church and was owner/operator of a community store.
Survivors include two nieces, Ola Betts of District Heights, Md. and Elaine Gerst of South Boston; one nephew Wilbert Gerst of Sweetwater, Texas; her mother-in-law, Beauty Glenn of South Boston; and a devoted cousin, Lula Hamlin of Richmond.
Funeral services for Mrs. Chappel will be held Saturday, January 15 at 2 p.m. at Memorial Baptist Church in Riverdale with Pastor Richard Terry officiating. Burial will take place in Rose Garden Cemetery.

James Wilson Martin, age 90, of Halifax, died January 9, 2000, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Martin was born in Halifax County on July 26, 1909 the son of Jeff Martin and Clara Martin and was married to Martha Martin. He was a member of St. Luke CME Church.
Survivors include his wife; one stepson, Charles Marable and wife, Lydia of Halifax; one daughter-in-law, Louise Martin of Halifax; a number of grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and four step-great-grandchildren.

Services for Mr. Martin will be held January 14 at 2 p.m. at St. Luke CME Church with Pastor Jones officiating. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.

Thomas "Jack" Luther Eggleston, age 65, of Thornton Road, Nathalie, died January 10, 2000, at his home. He was the husband of Doris Martin Eggleston.
Mr. Eggleston was born in Alderson, WVa. on January 13, 1934, the son of Edna Mae Knapp Eggleston and Harry Orville Eggleston. He was of the Baptist Faith and a retired Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy.
In addition to his wife he is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Debbie Eggleston of Mount Airy, Md.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Diane and Darvin Paulk of Birmingham, Ala. and Cheryl and Tim Gielow of Quincy, Ma.; his mother of Brookneal; one brother Billie Eggleston of Chester; three sisters, Mary Smith and Nora Hamlett, both of Brookneal and Dorothy Throckmorton of Halifax; three step daughters, Pamela Jennings of Naruna, Angela Mann of Gladys and Mary Ann Hammock of Nathalie; and 18 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Jennifer Mann.
A funeral service for Mr. Eggleston will be held at 11 a.m. January 14 at Hunter Road Baptist Church by Rev. Charles Sanders. Burial will follow in Wickliffe Cemetery with Military Rites.

Velma Childress Bowling, age 88, of Chase City, died January 11, 2000.
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in Chase City on January 14 at 1 p.m. with Rev. Melvin Bradshaw officiating. Entombment will be in Woodland Mausoleum.
Survivors of Mrs. Bowling include her husband, Floyd A. Bowling; two daughters, Jean Massie of Fairfax and Merle Hundley of Halifax; two sisters, Alise Etter of Fredericksburg and grace Marshall of Woodford; two brothers, Otis Childress and Elbert Childress, both of Fredericksburg; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Chase City Rescue Squad.

Margaret Foster Durham, age 72, of 111 Rosehill Drive, South Boston, died January 11, 2000, at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Durham was born in Halifax County on March 11, 1927, the daughter of James Foster and Lottie Powell Foster and was married to Calvin Durham. She was a member of St. Matthew Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Elder Sylvester Durham of Eden, N.C., Melvin Durham of Martinsville and Kelvin Durham of Roanoke; 17 grandchildren; six great grandchildren; two sisters, Louise Crayton of South Boston and Phyllis Carden of Scottsburg; three brothers, William Foster of lover, Louis Foster of Washington, D.C. and McArthur Foster of New York, N.Y.; and one god daughter, Shelia Tuck of South Boston.

Funeral services for Mrs. Durham will be held January 16 at 3 p.m. at St. Matthew Baptist Church with Elder Sylvester Durham officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.

Louise Powell Devito, age 85, of Richmond, died January 13, 2000, at home.
Mrs. Devito was born in Halifax County on March 19, 1914, the daughter of John Edward Powell Sr. and Annie Morton Lovelace and was married to John J. Devito.
Survivors include one daughter, Sylvia O. McLaughlin of Halifax; three grandsons, Tucker McLaughlin Jr. and Bill McLaughlin, both of Halifax and Tom McLaughlin and wife, Eva Cassada of South Boston; two granddaughters, Ann Lovelace McLaughlin of Mt. View, Ca., Sylvia McLaughlin Chambers and husband, Craig of Seattle, Wa.; four great grandchildren, Will McLaughlin of South Boston, Jennifer McLaughlin of Halifax, Kitlyn and Adlaide Chambers, both of Seattle; one sister, Ginger P. Swisher of Adams, Wi.; two brothers, N.T. Powell of Amherst and W.M. Powell of Athens, Ga.
Funeral services for Mrs. Devito will be held January 15 at 2 p.m. at Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, Staples Mill Chapel in Richmond.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home January 14 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Halifax Educational Foundation, PO Box 595, South Boston.