Monday, January 26, 2004

Storm Strikes Region
Snow, Ice Close Schools, Endanger Motorists

Halifax County public schools and Danville Community College are closed today as a result of the powerful winter storm that passed through the county Sunday.

Road crews and emergency personnel were busy yesterday as accumulating snow led to dangerously icy roadways.

A spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation said the entire day shift was working Sunday putting down abrasives and chemicals.

He added that additional hired equipment was being called in.

"It seems like it is going to get worse before it gets better," said the spokesman.

At press time, the National Weather Service was reporting two to four inches of accumulated snowfall throughout the county, and were predicting a total accumulation of four to seven inches.

Meteorologist Anita Silverman said yesterday that the snow was expected to change to freezing rain Sunday night with an additional light accumulation of ice.

She added that there is 50 percent chance of freezing rain Monday morning and afternoon, which could add up to a quarter inch of additional ice.

Silverman said she expected Halifax County to be under a winter storm warning on Monday.

Irene Cimino, spokesman for Virginia Dominion Power, said Sunday that they were keeping a close eye on the weather in Halifax County.

"We have additional crews and contractors on standby should outages occur," she said.

Cimino added that if customers experience an outage they should report it at 1-888-667-3000.

GOP Held Lead In ‘03 Fund-Raising
In State Races During Last Election, Majority Of Campaign Contributions For GOP More Than $500

The final January report for the 2003 election cycle confirmed that in the race for state-wide office Republicans held the upper hand in fund-raising over their Democratic challengers.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), a watchdog group that tracks campaign finance, donations of more than $500 accounted for more than half of both Del. Clarke Hogan's and state Sen. Frank Ruff's war chests.

Hogan, who won reelection to his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates over Democratic challenger Brad Wike, reported 56 percent of his donations were more than $500, according to VPAP.

The delegate reported 81 donations of $100 or less, compared to 253 donations of more than $100.

According to an account summary, Hogan raised a total of $197,248 during the 2003 election cycle and spent $165,295 in his bid for re-election.

The delegate repayed loans totalling $45,200, for an ending balance of $9,250.
Hogan's top five contributors were:

• The Class of 2002 Southside Leadership Fund, a political fund-raising group to which Hogan belongs - $17,000.

• S&M Brands, makers of Bailey's cigarettes - $3,000.

• Va. Dental PAC, a Richmond-based political action committee - $3,000.

• The Barber Group, an in-kind donation for the production of a radio ad - $2,500.

• The Va. Auto Dealers Association - $2,500.

Challenger Brad Wike reported two donations of $100 or less, and 32 donations of over $100.

VPAP reports that Wike raised a total of $14,858 during the election cycle and spent $17,539 in his bid to claim Hogan's seat.

Wike's top five contributors during the 2003 election were:

• The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers - $6,250.

• William M. McLaughlin of Halifax - $1,375.

• Firefighters Local 2068 of Fairfax - $1,000.

• Va. State AFL-CIO, of Richmond - $950.

• AFL-CIO (FAST) of Washington, D.C. - $500.

Former Del. Frank Ruff, of Clarksville, who has served District 15 in the Senate since 2000, was unchallenged in his bid for re-election.

Ruff reported 58 percent of his total contributions were over $500.

The senator listed 447 donations of $100 or less and 500 donations of more than $100.

VPAP reports Ruff raised a total of $170,256 during the 2003 election cycle, listed expenditures of $162,443, repayed loans of $20,055 and spent a total of $186,460.

Sen. Ruff's top five contributors to his campaign were:

• Friends of Southside Virginia, of Skipwith - $14,170.

• Va. Senate Majority Leader's PAC, a Glen Allen-based political action committee - $5,000.

• Georgia-Pacific PAC - $3,500.

• Va. Optometric Association PAC, a Richmond-based political action committee - $3,500.

• Sprint - $2,500.

Information about the fund-raising efforts for the candidates for local offices will follow in subsequent editions of The Gazette-Virginian.

Police Arrest Two For B&E
SoBo Police Are Still Investigating Armed Robbery And B&E

Two South Boston men have been arrested and charged with the breaking and entering of a Tanglewylde Drive apartment, according to Investigator T.M. VanAernem of the South Boston Police Department.

VanAernem said that Randy C. Jones, 27, of Porter Lane, and Momar O. Guy, 32, of Hamilton Boulevard were arrested Friday and charged with the crime.

The investigator charged that in the early morning hours of January 11, the subjects went into an apartment located in the Town of South Boston.
Entry into the residence was made through a window, the investigator added.
"While (the suspects were) attempting to crawl through the window, the resident woke up and began yelling at the subjects," he added.

The suspects fled the scene, but not before taking an undisclosed amount of merchandise from the apartment before the resident awoke, police officials said.

Jones was arrested without incident at the Halifax/Pittsylvania Court Services.
Guy was discovered inside the Auto Zone on Wilborn Avenue when he was seen by South Boston Lieutenant B.K. Lovelace.

"Lt. Lovelace observed Guy shoplifting while inside the store," VanAernem said. "According to Lovelace, when Guy put his hands against the wall, a piece of the stolen merchandise fell from under his coat."

Guy was charged with a separate breaking and entering and enhanced larceny, the investigator said.

Both suspects are being held at the Halifax Regional Jail without bond.
VanAernem said the investigation into the crimes is continuing and additional suspects are expected to be arrested in the near future.

In other police business, a juvenile has been arrested and charged in connection with a rash of vehicle breaking and entering and vandalism, VanAernem said.

The investigator said a search warrant was executed shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday at a residence on Leigh Street.

"The search warrant is the result of an ongoing investigation pertaining to the rash of vehicles that have been vandalized and broken into throughout the town," he said.

The South Boston Police Department has answered 27 calls since September 1 concerning vehicles being broken into, according to police.

VanAernem said he would encourage citizens to be cautious about leaving personal items in their vehicles while unattended.

Additional charges are expected in connection with the crimes, he added.
Officers Investigating Armed Robbery

Officers are investigating an armed robbery that occurred Friday at the Jiffy Store on John Randolph Boulevard.

According to VanAernem, officers with the South Boston Police Department responded to the call at 9:24 p.m.

The first officer on the scene, Officer P.M. Williams, told VanAernem that two black males with their faces concealed entered the store and displayed a weapon.

After ordering the clerk to the floor, they took an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the scene.

The subjects are described as a short black male wearing a grey mask and grey jacket and a medium height black male wearing a blue hooded coat.
The pair are believed to have fled the scene in a Ford Explorer or similar SUV.
• Members of the South Boston Police Department are also investigating a breaking and entering that occurred overnight on January 20, police officials said.

VanAernem said Friday that officers responded to 4-T Sales, on Main Street, where someone entered the business during the night through a rear door and took an undisclosed amount of merchandise.

Anyone with information about these or any other crimes is asked to call the South Boston Police Department at 575-4271 or Crimestoppers at 575-TIPS.

If the information leads to the arrest and conviction of the persons involved in any crime, the caller is eligible to receive up to a $1,000 reward.

Buzzer-Beater
Craig McCargo’s Three-Pointer At The Final Buzzer Lifted Halifax County To A 72-70 Win Over GW

By JOE CHANDLER | G-V Staff Writer

It is not unusual to see Craig McCargo knock down three-point shots with near routine precision.

Several times this season McCargo has canned multiple three-pointers to help his Comets teammates turn back opponents.

The Comets' junior guard hit only one three-pointer here in Friday night's Western Valley District game against archrival GW of Danville.

It was a big one.

McCargo cashed in his only three-pointer of the night at the final buzzer, giving Halifax County a thrilling come-from-behind 72-70 win and sending the near-capacity crowd that packed Blue Heaven into a frenzied celebration.

"I'm astonished," McCargo said as he continued to collect his thoughts from the hardwood battle that had concluded about 20 minutes earlier.

So were the Comets' fans.

GW had taken a 70-69 lead on a tip-in by Jamar Bennett with 8.3 seconds to play, leaving the Comets with a chance to win on their final possession.

McCargo got his hands on the ball on the GW end of the floor with about three seconds left and quickly pushed the ball up the floor.

When he reached the three-point line he pulled up, elevated to get over the GW defender trying to stop him and launched the shot.

The ball disappeared cleanly below the rim allowing the Comets to move to 3-0 in Western Valley District play and remain in a deadlock with Franklin County for the district lead.

McCargo, who led the team with 18 points, led the team in assists with six and logged three steals, said afterward he had a good look on his game-winning shot.

"It was too good," he said with a smile.

"I felt the person (the GW defender) there but once I got into the air it was all good."

While McCargo's big shot was well-celebrated, he said it was a total team effort that gave the Comets the win.

"It was fast-paced and real physical on both sides," McCargo said.

"Everybody had to bring it, from the first man on the court to the last man on the bench, one through 14, everybody had to bring it."

Comets coach Garrett Dillard said McCargo made a great effort at the end.

"Craig got it (the ball) and the floor was wide open," Dillard pointed out.

" All you could see was halfcourt and blue. He did a great job pushing it, getting out to the spot. He shot it right at the buzzer. He didn't pull up too early.

"When he released it, Coach Cowan (Comets assistant coach Alexis Cowan) said it was good," continued Dillard.

"You could see the release on it. You could see it was going right down the middle of the basket. When he said that, I took off."

GW head coach Bobby Martin said McCargo made a great shot.

"The guy (McCargo) made a great shot at the end," said Martin.

"We had a guy in his face and he still made the shot."

Dillard said his team had the situation it wanted in the close, hard-fought game - a chance to win the ballgame.

"If it comes down to one last shot, I'll take my chances on it," said Dillard.

The Comets coach said he would have felt every bit as comfortable if Brown had had the ball and taken the final shot.

"We treat Craig and "Q" the same," he said.

"As long as one of those guys had the ball, I felt comfortable."

Friday night's win over GW lifted the Comets' record to 11-5 overall and gave the Comets a two-game cushion over GW, E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry, all of whom have at least two district losses.

"This separates us from the rest of them," Dillard said.

"We're 3-0 in the district, GW, Patrick Henry and E.C. Glass all have two losses."

While the Comets celebrated, GW players and coaches languished in quiet.
Martin, obviously emotionally drained, praised his team's effort.

"They laid it on the line tonight and came short," Martin said.

"Both teams played hard. As a fan, you couldn't ask for anything more."

Martin said the game was a big one for his team. The real impact of the game, he said, may not be measured until today.

"I guess we'll find out how big a game this was when we come back to practice on Monday," Martin pointed out.

"The question is do we come back with some intensity or do we come back thinking about this game. It's a true test. We'll find out what we're made of."

It took a big night from several Comets players to secure the win.

Three Comets players hot double figures with McCargo's 18-point night being followed by a 17-point effort from Jeremy Jeffress and a season's best 15-point night from Ricky Petty.

Comets center Chase Weddle also had a big night, scoring 9 points, collecting a team-high 9 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.

The Comets led most of the way and held a six-point 49-43 lead after Brown sank a layup with 7:05 left in the game.

GW then mounted its big push, going on a 10-2 run to take a 54-51 lead with 4:54 to play.

The Eagles extended their lead to seven points with just over three minutes to play, putting the Comets in a pretty tough position.

Dillard said, however, he wasn't overly concerned at that point in the contest.
"We never felt pressured, never felt worried or concerned," said the Comets coach.

"We knew we could score. We had to get a (defensive) stop and we had to get a rebound."

The Comets got both and Petty opened the door for the Comets' comeback by draining a trey to cut the margin to four points.

After GW missed the front end of a one-and one opportunity at the charity stripe and missed two more free throws after that, Brown knocked down a three-pointer with 2:19 to play to bring the Comets back to within a point at 60-59.

GW managed to inch the margin back up to three points but McCargo scored to make it a one-point game with 1:54 to play.

The Eagles scored on their ensuing possession only to see Jeffress sink a three-pointer to deadlock the game at 64-64 with 1:26 left on the clock.
Halifax County kept the game close down the stretch with Sprattley taking a feed from McCargo and scoring from the paint to deadlock the game at 66-66 with 1:04 to play.

GW regained the lead with 58 seconds to play on two free throws from J.C. Chaney.

Petty again, opened the door of opportunity for the Comets by hitting a three-pointer with 26 seconds left in the game to give the Comets a 69-68 lead.

Bennett's tip-in for GW with 8.3 seconds to play put the Eagles in front for the sixth and final time of the night but the lead didn't last as McCargo's buzzer-beater gave the Comets the thrilling win.

"We wanted a situation where we had a chance to win the game," said Dillard.
"At least we weren't down by 6 or 7 (points) with 10 seconds to play. We were down one point with 10 seconds to play."

The Comets led much of the game, leading by as many as 7 points in the first quarter before emerging with an 18-14 lead after the first 8 minutes.

Halifax County led by as many as 5 points in the second quarter and held a 28-27 lead at halftime.

GW grabbed the lead early in the third quarter only to lose it on a three-pointer by Jeffress with 5:26 left in the quarter.

The Comets led by as many as 5 points on two occasions and used two free throws from Petty to grab a 44-39 lead at the end of the period.

One of the key factors in the game was free throw shooting.

Halifax County was 8-12 from the charity stripe while GW, as Martin lamented, was 11-21.

" If you make two of those (free throws), you win the game or at least go to OT," the GW coach pointed out.

"We shot them great down the stretch but we missed too many early."
Yet, for Halifax County, it was a great night.

"This was a great feeling," said Dillard as he remembered past games in which his Comets teams had defeated E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry, on a final shot and had chances to beat Page High School with a final shot.

"We beat Glass a couple of times at the buzzer and this is right up there with those."

Obituaries

Addison Oliver Bates

Addison Oliver Bates, 65, of 2105 Vaughan Street, South Boston died January 22 at Lynchburg General Hospital.

Mr. Bates was born in Halifax County on June 29, 1938, the son of the late Frank Thornton Bates and Mary Jones Bates and was married to the late Christine Wilson Bates. He was an ABB retiree.

A funeral service was held January 24 at 2 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Sean McKenzie officiating. Burial followed in Virgilina Cemetery.

Survivors of Mr. Bates include three daughters, Janet Wallace and husband, John, of Clover, Tammy Smith of Scottsburg, and Kelly Epps and husband, Dwight, of Highland Springs; one son, Rick Bates and wife, Connie, of Church Hill, Tenn.; two sisters, Diane Austin of Scottsburg and Brenda Powell of South Boston; one brother, Ken Bates of Cumberland; a devoted brother-in-law and his wife, A.G. and Edith Wilson, of Virgilina; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one step-grandson; and one step-great-grandchild. He was also preceded in death by one sister, Laline Adkins.

Paul Clifton Duffer

Paul Clifton Duffer, age 68, of 1032 Hite Lane, South Boston, died Sunday, January 25, at Danville Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Duffer was born February 9, 1935, and was the son of the late Sam Peter Duffer and Gracie Duffey Duffer.

He was married to Virginia Christine Wilson Duffer.

A member of Revelation Baptist Church, Mr. Duffer was retired from J.P. Stevens.

Preceding him in death were two brothers, Clarence Duffer and Willie Duffer, and one sister, Ruby Wallace.

Paul Clifton Duffer is survived by his wife; one son, Jimmy Michael Duffer of South Boston; one brother, Sam Louis Duffer of South Boston; and one sister, Audrey McCormick of South Boston.

Funeral services for Paul Clifton Duffer will be Wednesday, January 28, at 2 p.m., at Revelation Baptist Church, with the Rev. Rudolph Jacobs conducting the service.

Interment will be at Halifax Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends Tuesday at Brooks Funeral Home, between 7 and 8:30 p.m., and other times at the home, 1032 Hite Lane, South Boston.