Blaming low-priced Asian imports, Burlington Industries Inc. announced Tuesday the overall cut of 2,900 jobs and the closing of seven plants in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, including the loss of approximately 150 production and administrative jobs in the Clarksville plant.
But the Halifax plant is still hiring.
"Locally, the reorganization will incorporate the Raeford, NC weave room into the Halifax plant," said Halifax plant manager Lott Rogers yesterday.
"That allows us to start all of our equipment up over the next three months making the transition.
"I do not foresee elimination of any jobs locally. We are still hiring and training," said Rogers. "We will be running at full capacity in Halifax, which we have not done in a long while."
The loss of 150 jobs in Clarksville reduces the number of Burlington employees at that plant from 1440 to 1290.
There is a possibility that some Clarksville employees might find slots in the Halifax plant, according to Lott.
"It is a moving target. It depends on our attrition," said Lott of the Halifax plant's 950-employee roster.
The seven plants slated for closure include: Hillsville, VA; Mooresville, Forest City, Oxford, Cramerton and Statesville, NC; and Bishopville, SC.
In announcing the comprehensive reorganization of its apparel fabric business Tuesday morning, Burlington officials said operations would be streamlined and U.S. capacity reduced by 25 percent to compensate for the continuing surge of low-priced garment imports, primarily from Asia.
"We have been running our apparel fabrics operations at less than full capacity over the last 9-12 months, anticipating that the surge of low-priced garment imports from Asia might only be the temporary result of the Asian financial crisis," said George W. Henderson III, chairman and chief executive officer for Burlington Industries, in the early morning press release.
" We now believe that this situation is more permanent in nature and we must reduce our U.S. manufacturing capacity accordingly and utilize only our most modern facilities to be competitive," said the CEO.
The interior furnishings segment of the company, which represented 42 percent of fiscal 1998 sales, is not part of the reorganization.
The major elements of Burlington's plan are:
---Merge Burlington Klopman Fabrics and Burlington Tailored Fashions.
---Burlington Sportswear will become a business unit within the Burlington Global Denim division, marketing fine cotton slacks and fabrics. The company will close its knitted fabrics and shirts business.
--- Seven plants will be closed plus the elimination of one department in Raeford, NC and overhead reductions throughout the company.
---The cost of the reorganization will be reflected in a restructuring charge, before taxes, of approximately $80-$90 million in the second fiscal quarter, ending April 3, 1999, plus other expenses related to the restructuring of approximately $25-$35 million, before taxes, that will be charged to operations over the next six to nine months.
"By reducing our overall capacity, utilizing only our most modern equipment and concentrating on a value-added product mix, we will be able to run our U.S. operations on a much more efficient and cost-effective basis," said Henderson. "The combination of streamlined and modern U.S. operations, together with our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities coming on stream later this year in Mexico, will position the company well to compete on a global basis.
"We deeply regret the loss of jobs, many of which are held by long-term Burlington employees," said Henderson.
"We recognize that our markets face increasingly competitive pressures from a global economy, but we find it intolerable to continue to lose U.S. jobs to 'unfair' trade."
Unfair trade forms were described as child labor, illegal transhipment of products to circumvent trade laws, the heavy support of foreign industries by foreign governments to enable them to dump their products in the U.S. market at extremely low prices, and the lack of environmental regulations in many parts of the world.
"Last year, 260,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs were lost, despite a robust economy," said Henderson. "Some 42 percent of these job losses were in the textile and apparel industries."
The Burlington official said the company continues to work with elected officials in Washington to "find a fair balance in world trade - one that recognizes the vital importance of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. economy."

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A legislative panel killed a bill Monday that would have made it easier for local governments to regulate large hog farms.
Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources voted against the bill 10-3 after dozens of farmers showed up at the committee meeting to speak out against it.
The bill, proposed by Sen. Madison Marye, D-Montgomery, would have amended the Right to Farm Act that the General Assembly passed five years ago. That act curtailed localities' rights to make farms seek special permits to operate.
Marye wanted to change the Right to Farm Act in the case of hog farms with more than 1,000 hogs. But farmers, especially those from large corporate farming operations, oppose any attempts to weaken the act's provisions.
Members of the Gilmore administration also opposed the bill, saying it would impose unnecessary burdens on farmers.
"When price pressures are crushing farms ...it shouldn't be made harder for farmers with extra regulations," said Joshua Leaf, the deputy secretary for commerce and trade.
Officials from more than a dozen localities, plus a handful of citizens groups, came to the meeting to support the bill. They said localities need the legal tools to regulate large hog farms, which can produce huge amounts of waste and lower nearby property values.
"If we're going to tie the hands of local government ...then why don't we just run everything from the state?" Marye said. "That's what this is all about, giving local governments a voice."

A story appearing in the January 22, edition incorrectly stated that 58-year old Wesley B. Betterton of Nathalie was charged with and pleaded guilty to raping and sodomizing his daughter.
Betterton was charged with and pleaded guilty to four counts of taking or deterring for the purpose of prostitution his teenage daughter. He was charged with and pleaded guilty to five counts each of rape and sodomy of his teenage niece plus four counts of taking or deterring the same victim for the purpose of prostitution.
Betterton, 58, was sentenced to 25 years in prison under a plea agreement accepted by the Commonwealth to prevent the two teenage victims and other family members from having to testify.
Had Betterton faced a trial by jury, his maximum sentence was 10 life terms plus 80 years.
The inaccuracy in the story was brought to the attention of the newspaper by Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Petra Blanchard. The complete text of that letter follows:
This letter is 'in regards to your article on Friday, January 22, 1999, entitled "Pleads Guilty To Raping, Making Daughter, Niece Prostitutes." The headline is accurate, however the contents of your article are not.
The defendant, Wesley B. Betterton, was not charged with, nor did he plead to, raping or sodomizing his daughter. This was an eighteen count indictment. Only four counts pertained to the daughter. Those counts were for prostitution. The remaining counts were for rape, sodomy and prostitution of his niece.
Another inaccuracy in your story is that the defendant was not facing 446 years 'in prison according to the sentencing guidelines. The point value in calculating the guidelines was 446, which when compared to the table gave the defendant a minimum sentence of 27 years, I I months. The maximum sentence the defendant could have been given by the court was 44 years, 7 months under these guidelines. Had the defendant faced a trial by jury, the minimum sentence he could have received was 56 years. The maximum sentence was 10 life terms plus 80 years.
A third inaccuracy in your story is that the girls never received tips of up to $75. Both girls reported that the most money they ever received and kept during the six week period was a total of $75. All other money was turned over to the defendant.
The Commonwealth accepted this plea agreement to prevent the two teenage victims the trauma of having to testify about the horrible and vile things that were done to them. Additionally, there were several other family members and neighbors who would have testified against the defendant. The defendant is currently 58 years of age. This 25 year sentence is effectively a life sentence for him.
_____
The publishers regret the error and any inconveniences which may have resulted.

The Halifax County Saddle Club has received a $10,000 Virginia Recreational Trails Fund grant that will be used for a trailhead parking area at Staunton River State Park.
The park has a 10-mile multi-use trail which includes horseback riding and a future trail along the Staunton River is in the making.
The saddle club has a current membership of 31 families and according to a club spokesperson, rides at Staunton River State Park are generally held at least once a month.
The grant comes through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and will require the saddle club to provide an in-kind matching the contribution. Club members have agreed to provide labor and materials equal to $10,000.

In addition, the City of Danville will use a $28,850 grant to develop an extension of Anglers Park Trail. The half-mile, eight-foot wide trail would link to the city's Stinson River Trail, providing access to recreational facilities at Dan Daniel Park and Anglers Park.
"Residents and visitors who enjoy Virginia's wonderful natural resources are the real winners when we award these grants," said David G. Brickley, DCR director. "These proposals were well thought out, meeting multiple recreational needs."
DCR administers the matching grant program, which is funded by the National Recreation Trails Act. In 1998, 23 separate projects were funded for a total of $520,000.
Applications for Virginia Recreational Trails Fund are accepted until April 1, 1999. More information can be obtained by contacting Jerry Cassidy, DCR grant administrator at 804/736-3218 or visit http://www.state.va.us/~dcr/>

Preliminary results of the PCB contamination levels found in the fish in the Staunton River should be released over the next few weeks, according to Del. W. W. "Ted" Bennett.
In a statement released Monday, Bennett said the Department of Environmental Quality advised him this week that some preliminary results should come out over the next few weeks.
Citizens of the area called for validation of the contamination levels found in the fish in the Staunton River that were documented in 1993 but not revealed until 1998.
According to Del. Bennett, much of the join fall sampling of fish and sediment collection along the Staunton River and in the Kerr Reservoir was sent to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) on December 18 of last year and on January 12.
"VIMS reports we may have a report on the, testing of the first 10 samples within the next week," Del. Bennett said.
Some 141 samples of fish tissue and sediment were taken. The full report on all of the samples should be available within the next 60 to 90 days, Bennett said.
The fish tissue samples targeted fish, species which are of interest to local anglers which were not included in the 1993 study, such as flathead catfish, channel catfish, walleye and small mouth bass.
In the fall of 1998, 75 fish samples were collected from five locations on the Staunton River.
Phases I and 11 of the current study which commenced in the fall of 1998, include the Kerr Reservoir, the Staunton River, as well as Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Lake.
Phases I and 11 will run into this spring when additional samplings of the Staunton will occur with first time samplings from the Dan River.
Phase III will include collection of fish and sediment in previously unsampled areas throughout the remainder of the Roanoke River basin.
Their collection will be sent to VIMs in the fall and winter.
The Governor has proposed a budget appropriation of $250,000 over the two years to complete the study, Bennett explained.
To obtain further immediate updates on the study, the work plan and all details concerning its status, information is available on DEQ's website which can be accessed at (http://www.deq.state.va.us).

Seventeen-year-old Robin Clark had worn her class ring only two weeks when someone stole it, $5, and a watch from her Grove Avenue Pool locker while she was on lifeguard duty.
That was 18 years ago.
This Christmas, Robin Clark Guthrie opened a present from the past, her 1980 Halifax County High School class ring.
"About two months before Christmas Tony Wilborn called my husband and said that he had found the ring at the old Grove Avevue pool with his metal detector," recalled Robin's mother, Faye Clark.
"We couldn't believe it, the ring looked brand new. We wrapped it up and gave it to her as a Christmas present. It was really, really neat to see her face," said Mrs. Clark. "She thought we had had one made."
Not only had Tony Wilborn found the ring, he had done some detective work to find the owner.
Inside the 1980 ring Wilborn found the name Janet R. Clark engraved.

"That was the year my brother graduated, 1980," explained Wilborn. "I asked him to look in his class reunion pictures. It had the ladies with their maiden names. After we found that, I knew her father, George Clark, so I gave him a call and told him it would make a nice Christmas gift."
"When I saw it, I thought that they had made a class ring for me," recalled Robin Guthrie. "When I flipped it over and saw my name, I was speechless. It's been a real shock to get it back, sort of the delight of Christmas," added Robin.
"I think he did a very, very nice thing," she said. "I don't know how many people would have done that."

Frances Beatrice Hilliard of New York, formerly of Clarksville, died Sunday, January 24, 1999 in New York.
Ms. Hilliard was born in Mecklenburg County the daughter of Viola and Leonard Miller. She was a member of St. John Baptist Church, Buffalo Junction.
Survivors include her mother of Clarksville; two brothers, Leonard Hilliard Jr. of Corona, NY and Jerry Hilliard of South Boston; eight sisters, Mary Harris of Littleton, NC, Sarah Hilliard of Brooklyn, NY, Rosa Newton, Nannie Smith, Blanche Hilliard, all of Clarksville, Dorothy Hilliard of New Jersey, Mattie Hilliard of South Boston and Lillie Terry of Buffalo Junction.
Funeral services for Ms. Hilliard will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, January 30 at St. John Baptist Church with Rev. Melvin Paylor officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Willie Thomas Stovall of Fairmont Apartments, South Boston died Sunday, January 24, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital at the age of 45.
Mr. Stovall was born in Halifax County June 25, 1953 the son of Willie Lee Stovall and Arlene Johnson stovall and was married to Marlene Stovall. He was a member of White Oak Fork Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be held today, January 27 at 2 p.m. at White Oak Fork Baptist Church with Rev. Glenn Faulkner officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Survivors of Mr. Stovall include his wife; one daughter, Joanne King of South Boston; one son, Marcus Stovall of South Boston; four grandchildren; four step-children; one step-grandchild; his father; five sisters, Dianna Boxley, Brenda Walton and Peggy Merritte, all of South Boston, Wendy Stovall and Wanda Stovall, both of Virgilina; one brother, Giles Stovall of South Boston; and his maternal grandmother, Mary Johnson of Virgilina.

Frances Dodson Sisco of Richmond died Monday, January 25, 1999 at her home. She was 63 years of age at the time of her death.
Mrs. Sisco was born in Halifax County on September 30, 1935 the daughter of Lewis Moore Dodson and Alice D. Dodson She was a member of First Baptist Church in Richmond.
Her only survivor is her mother of Turbeville. She was preceded in death by her father.
Graveside services for Mrs. Sisco will be held today, January 27 at 2 p.m. at First Cross Roads Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Ken Williams conducting the service.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider your favorite charity.

Mary Elizabeth Seamster Wilborn of 1166 Paul Jones Road, Halifax died Saturday, January 23, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was 80 years of age.
Mrs. Wilborn was born in Halifax County on August 20, 1918 the daughter of Jack Seamster and Molly Comer Seamster and was married to John Thomas Wilborn. She was a member of Winns Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, William L. Wilborn and Robert Lee Wilborn, both of Nathalie and Clyde Douglas Wilborn of Halifax; four daughters, Nancy Wilborn Walker of Brookneal, Annie Wilborn Switzer, Mary Wilborn Hancock and Frances Wilborn King, all of Nathalie; 28 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews; and one sister-in-law, Ruby Moore Seamster of Halifax.

Funeral services for Mrs. Wilborn were held Tuesday, January 26 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Revs. Richard Welch and Bob Watts conducting the service. Burial was in McKendree United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Ineatha Renae Wyatt of South Boston died Friday, January 22, 1999 at Duke Regional Medical Center at the age of 19.
She was born in Hampton on February 6, 1979 the daughter of John Samuel Wyatt Jr. and Joanne Williams Wyatt.
Ms. Wyatt is survived by one son, Dayjon Latte of South Boston; her mother, Joanne Wyatt of South Boston; her father and stepmother, John Wyatt Jr. and Beverly Wyatt of Danville; three sisters, Pamela Wyatt of Delran, NY, Wanda Wyatt of Vincentown, NJ and Jennika Wyatt of South Boston; three stepsisters, Faith Coates of Pensicola, FL, Kim Williams of Killeen TX and Andrea Gillis of Dover, DE; one stepbrother, Steven Contee of Smyrna, GA; maternal grandmother, Ineather Williams of South Boston; and her paternal grandmother, Jennie Wyatt of South Boston.
Funeral services for Ms. Wyatt will be held Thursday, January 28 at 1 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church with Rev. William Dixon officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home tonight, January 27 from 7 until 8:00, and other times at the home of Jennie Wyatt, 4197 East Hyco Road, South Boston.

Mary Arlene Hill Bane of Vernon Hill died Monday, January 25, 1999 at her home. She was 83 years of age at the time of her death.
Mrs. Bane was born in Halifax County on December 9, 1915 the daughter of John William Hill and Gillie Wyatt Hill and was married to Lacy W. Bane. She was a member of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, was Postmistress of Vernon Hill Post Office for 31 years, and was a teacher in the Halifax County Public School System.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter and her husband, Mary Thomas Bane and Mason Ligon of Rocky Mount; one sister, Alice Pruitt of Brookneal; two brothers, Samuel T. Hill of Volens and Roy Edward Hill of Republican Grove. She was preceded in death by a son, John Jenkins Bane.

Funeral services for Mrs. Bane will be held today, January 27 at 11 a.m. at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church with Rev. Bill Wilkins officiating. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.

Mary Adams Newbill McDowell of 1407 Peach Avenue, South Boston died Tuesday, January 26, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was 91 years of age at the time of her death.
Mrs. McDowell was born in Halifax County on February 8, 1907 the daughter of James Samuel Newbill and Ella Hudson Newbill and was married to Carter Glass McDowell. She was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include one niece, Mary Ann Newbill Carlton of Farmville; three nephews, LA. Newbill and C.C. Newbill, both of Guatemala City, Central America and H.H. 'Skip' Newbill Jr. of Suffolk; 11 great nieces and nephews and three great-great-nephews.
Graveside services for Mrs. McDowell will be held Thursday, January 28 at 2 p.m. at Oak Ridge Cemetery with Revs. Bob Fox and Tony Brooks conducting the service.

The family will receive friends at her home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Elevator Fund at First Baptist Church.