It's far from robust and too early to predict an economic recovery,
but increased spending for everything from new homes to a private
school and renovation of a facility for the performing arts accounted,
in part, for the estimated $30 million of construction activity
in 2002.
In 2001, Halifax County and the towns of South Boston and Halifax
reported approximately $27.2 million of construction that includes
both new buildings and remodeling and improvements to existing
structures. All values are obtained from building permits.
Among the more expensive projects is the renovation of The Prizery
in South Boston's historic warehouse district. Work began in late
2002 and involves structural renovations, new electrical, plumbing
and heating and air conditioning, all at an estimated cost of
$1.2 million.
The Carlbrook School, located in western Halifax County, is undergoing
renovations that will cost in excess of $1.4 million. The private
school opened in 2002 in historic Carlbrook, a stone mansion,
and its owners are having constructed on the site residential
housing, classrooms and dining facilities.
Commercial projects include a $1.3 million trucking terminal for
R.O. Harrell Inc. Harrell operates approximately 50 road tractors
and 165 trailers and is located on U.S. 58 west across from the
Halifax County Industrial Park and adjacent to the new Riverstone
Business and Technology Park.
Situated on 150 acres, the first phase of Riverstone Park will
cost $1,648,300 and involves the construction of right and left
turn lanes on Hwy 58, relocating Hwy 703, construction of a four-lane
entrance road, construction of east half of loop road, creating
a stormwater management basin, landscaping, irrigation, and utilities
for this portion of the project.
Sheetz, a Pennsylvania convenience store chain, is spending an
estimated $1.3 million to build the facility on the 1.43 acre
tract of land that was purchased for $1 million.
Halifax Regional Hospital spent an estimated $1.4 million for
renovations at Cox Rehabilitation Center.
Other commercial projects include a $500,000 garage and body shop
at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), and a $348,000 addition
to Lewis Metal Works in the Houghton Industrial Park.
Several churches were issued permits for renovations including
the First Baptist on Main Street in South Boston ($185,000), Denniston
Grove Baptist Church ($200,000) and Jehovah's Witnesses ($250,000).
New, single family conventional home construction in the Town
of Halifax, some having an estimated value of more than $300,000,
accounted, in part, to an overall 200 percent increase in construction
in the county seat.
Total 2002 building permit values for the Town of Halifax were
$1.6 million. A year earlier, just $525,000 in total building
permit values were issued.
Six conventional homes and nine manufactured home permits were
issued in the Town of Halifax.
All but missing from the total construction picture was industrial
expansion. Halifax County issued a total of six permits with a
total value of just over $200,000.
During 2002, the county issued a total of 228 permits for mobile
homes with a stated total value of $7,078,600. In 2001, a total
of 259 mobile or manufactured homes having a stated value of $8.4
million were positioned in the county.
Both the towns of South Boston and Halifax allow manufactured
housing and during 2002, Halifax issued permits for nine while
South Boston had six.
When the General Assembly reconvenes for the 2003 session this
Wednesday, one of the items on their agenda will be to fill the
position of retiring Tenth District Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court Judge Frank Slayton.
For the first time, Slayton's position will be filled according
to recommendations from a citizen panel, according to Del. Clarke
Hogan.
Hogan joined forces with Del. Thomas Wright and Sen. Frank Ruff
to appoint a fifteen-member citizen committee from Charlotte,
Halifax, Lunenburg and Mecklenburg counties to consider potential
candidates for the judgeship and advise the General Assembly of
their findings.
"The General Assembly will make the final decision,"
Hogan said.
The committee was formed in December, and the delegate said he
expected their findings by January 10 or 12.
This will be the first time that an advisory committee of citizens
has been used in Virginia, according to the delegate.
"Looking back at how (appointing judges) has been done in
the past, I feel like it was a closed system where members of
the Virginia Bar worked with the legislators to put someone on
the bench," Hogan said.
He added that the job of the courts was to serve the general public,
not the Bar. "The way a lawyer practices law doesn't automatically
make them a good judge or a bad one."
The delegate said he wanted more citizen input in the selection
process.
"During my campaign, I thought about doing it by committee,"
he said. "Other communities have done it, and we don't know
how successful the process can be, but it's worth a try.
"I've made a decision to take the position of the committee's
decision," Hogan added. "Whatever comes out of the caucus
will be supported."
As necessary, the committee and the General Assembly will seek
input from the Virginia Bar Association, Hogan pointed out.
The delegate said he was convinced the makeup of the committee
would serve the Tenth District well.
"If you look at the people on the committee, we'll get a
good recommendation from the community," he said. "I
think it's important to have people who are aware of things.
"These people are private citizens who are performing a service
for the Tenth Judicial District," Hogan added.
Serving on the committee are Bob Gluhareff, Ed Owens, Rick Harrell,
and Detra Carr, all of Halifax County.
Other members include Conrad Bowling of Clarksville, John Bowman
of Chase City, Sherwood Creedle of South Hill, Dan Farnsworth
Jr., of Keysville, Dexter Gilliam of Danville, Greg Gordon of
Clarksville, Cheryl Ireland of Boydton, Renee Maxey of Rice, Sid
Smith of Kenbridge, David Wells of Victoria and Debra Andrews
of Charlotte Courthouse.
The Tenth Judicial Circuit serves ten counties, including Halifax.
Charlotte, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Halifax counties account
for two-thirds of the caseload of the Tenth District, according
to Ruff.
Supervisors are expected to elect officers, to consider funding
extension agent positions, to review and approve the Six-Year
Road Plan, and to hear a bundle of economic development initiatives
during their board meeting tonight.
The King Village Trail road request is also expected to be addressed
during the Board session, Halifax County Administrator Joe Morgan
said yesterday.
King Village residents have appeared numerous times before the
Board seeking a Virginia Department of Transportation-maintained
roadway.
The unpaved road, almost a mile in length, is located off of Love
Shop Road near Rebel's Corner.
Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. in the Conference Room at Mary
Bethune Complex in Halifax.
At 8 p.m., supervisors will hold a public hearing regarding disposition
of property related to the former Clover and Volens elementary
school sites.
Previously, Danville Community College indicated an interest in
assisting in the formation of a community development foundation
to provide reuse of the Volens school as an educational and community
center.
At one time, the Clover Fire Department indicated some interest
in reuse of the Clover facility.
Economic Development
The supervisors' Economic Development Committee is expected to
introduce several proposals, Supervisor Ronnie Vaughan, committee
chairman, confirmed yesterday.
Consideration of the unification of the Halifax County and South
Boston Industrial Authorities, a move to have strategic economic
incentive packages for business/industry on the books, and supervisors'
support for construction of a $10 million multi-use building at
Riverstone Business and Technology Park are expected.
The Halifax County Industrial Development Authority Board supports
the concept of a single economic development effort, according
to Scott Morris, IDA executive director.
"Talking about it, considering it," Morris said yesterday.
IDA unification is also on South Boston Town Council's work session
agenda tonight.
"It's one way we could better work together," Morris
said Friday during an economic development review in his office.
"We are too small to have so many groups trying to do so
much."
The IDA Board also has asked Delegate Clarke Hogan to enter two
amendments to current legislation to facilitate unification should
the parties agree, according to the executive director.
Morris said the amendments would: (1) allow naming a new authority
The Economic Development Authority of Halifax County, or any name
so chosen; (2) and, if there is agreement, to create a joint authority
and to consider allowing South Boston Town Council to appoint
two members at large and supervisors to appoint five members at
large to the 7-member board.
"It is limited as to how the board could be compiled,"
Morris explained.
"This just gives us the ability if that is the way we want
to do it," Morris said yesterday. "It may or may not
be the way it works, but it gives us the ability if we so choose,"
explained Morris.
The IDA director said that he had worked with McGuire Woods law
firm "to make sure we (Halifax County) are taking advantage
of the current economic stimulus incentives available at the state
level, as well as ensuring we come up with creative incentives
to make us more competitive at the local level."
Morris said that was accomplished by looking at neighboring communities
as well as incentives employed in other states.
Also on the tonight's agenda, supervisors' support for construction
of a proposed $10 million multi-use building at Riverstone Business
and Technology Park.
"Three million is being sought for construction this year
from the Economic Development Fund of the Tobacco Commission,
as well as 80 percent of future economic funds from the Tobacco
Commission," Morris said.
"Again, all that would have to be approved by the Tobacco
Commission. This is just to get the supervisors' support behind
it," Morris added.
Supervisors are also expected to hear an Agricultural Development
Committee request for 100 percent funding for part-time extension
agent - with retired extension agent Larry McPeters recommended
in that slot - and a full-time extension agent to fill the local
office vacancy.
ADC is recommending filling the Animal, Natural Resource (ANR)
position full time and using interim technical assistance of McPeters
on a part-time basis now to assist farmers during the growing
season.
Funds saved through current vacancies in the extension office
could fund the ADC recommendations, the county administrator explained.
Cuts in state funding have resulted in dramatic extension office
staff cuts throughout the state.
During tonight's Board session, Jason Fisher, acting unit chair
person at the Halifax Extension Office, is also expected to present
an office overview to supervisors, Morgan said yesterday.
The Board is also expected to address the $63,365.01 damage claims
sought by Mr. and Mrs. Tony Puryear of the Alton community.
The Puryears cited building code violation issues regarding construction
of their home.
Supervisors met with their attorney in closed session in December
to discuss the matter.
The Board is also expected to receive an update on Land Use Task
Force status, and the county's Comprehensive Plan Revision.
The two standing committees of the South
Boston Town Council are expected to address the placement of telecommunication
towers at three town schools when they meet in their regular monthly
work session tonight.
The meeting will begin at 5:45 p.m. at council chambers on Yancey
Street and is open to the public.
Members of the current issues committee are expected to recommend
that a special use permit application from the Halifax County
School System be placed on the January 13 agenda for public hearing.
The application seeks permission to erect telecommunication towers
at Washington Coleman and C.H. Friend elementary schools as well
as Halifax County High School.
The permit, if approved, will allow the school system to construct
a wireless Wide Area Network to provide broadband communication
access to all county schools, according to Town Planner Lee Pambid.
The towers are part of a plan by the Halifax County School Board
to increase data transfer capacity between schools and school
administration.
Each of the towers will be 96 feet high, Pambid said.
"Property owners have been notified," Town Manager Ted
Daniel said at an earlier meeting.
Although he acknowledged that there was some trepidation from
citizens living near the proposed locations, Daniel said the public
hearing would give them the opportunity to voice their concerns.
The committee will also hear a report from a Board of Viewers
on a proposed closing a portion of Church Street.
Addison Marable, Buddy Wilborn and Dick Pond were appointed to
serve as viewers on the request at the December council meeting.
The portion of the street in question is currently unopened but
dedicated for use by the town.
A public hearing on the closing is also expected to be placed
on the agenda of next week's meeting.
Members of the committee are also expected to review construction
fund priorities for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Issues concerning the disposal of commercial solid waste are expected
to be addressed by the committee at tonight's meeting.
Daniel said during the committee's November meeting that some
changes need to be made to the town's commercial solid waste program.
"We're coming face to face with the solid waste issue,"
he warned.
He said the town is losing money collecting commercial waste for
disposal.
"The town gets approximately $45,000 per year in revenue,
and it costs roughly $89,000 to pick them up," he said.
Currently the town is collecting 200 tons of solid waste every
day, according to the town manager.
The committee is also expected to review the tobacco commission's
position on securing tobacco payments for the town.
Other items on the agenda for tonight's meeting include a proposal
to consolidate the Halifax County and South Boston Industrial
Development Authorities and a review of the annual leaf pickup
and disposal report.
The finance committee is expected to hear a request from the South
Boston Fire Department to use $15,000 currently in the capital
outlay fund to purchase a thermal-imaging camera.
The camera is designed to detect heat emissions, and would be
used to locate hot spots and people in heavy smoke inside a structure.
In addition, the camera could prove valuable in locating lost
persons during a search and rescue, according to the agenda.
Committee members are also expected to review the first draft
of the 2003-2008 capital improvement program and the monthly financial
statement.
Dwight Green and Craig McCargo are living up to their nicknames.
Green, a senior known as "Iceman" to his teammates,
scored 24 points, snared 10 rebounds and led a 16-3 third-quarter
run by Halifax County that lifted it to a 17-point lead which
effectively iced the game.
McCargo, known as "Superman" for his high-flying layups
and floor speed, added 23 points that included four key second-quarter
field goals, reeled in six rebounds and had four assists.
Together they combined for a big one-two punch as Halifax County
leveled Carlisle School 77-61 in a non-district game here Friday
night.
"McCargo and Green had a superb night attacking the basket,"
said Comets coach Garrett Dillard.
"I thought they were the key offensively. It's not that we
did a whole lot of things differently, they just did what they
knew they could do."
Sophomore Chase Weddle also had a big game for the Comets with
four rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.
While Weddle scored only two points, those coming on a field goal
in the first quarter, he made a big impact on the game in other
ways.
"His numbers don't speak for the way he played," Dillard
pointed out.
" He did an outstanding job getting his hands up, changing
shots, rebounding and being a presence in the middle."
The Comets also got nine points, four rebounds and three blocked
shots from Andrew Witko, six points and nine rebounds from Freddie
Jeffress and five points, eight rebounds, two steals and three
assists from Quintin Brown.
The win was Halifax County's third of the season and evened the
team's overall record at 3-3.
Friday night's win in front of a sparse home crowd was the second
win in a string of four home games for the Comets.
Dillard said the victory was a good one for his club which will
end a string of five consecutive home games Tuesday night when
it faces E.C. Glass here in a Western Valley District contest.
"Anytime you get a win you're happy," Dillard said.
"You lose a game like this and next week you don't know who
you start, you don't know who you play, you don't know what style
of play you want to play."
"When you win, you feel good about what you did," he
added.
" We also know we've got things to work on."
Former Halifax County High School player Korey Townsend and teammate
Marcus Becker were the primary sparkplugs for the Chiefs.
Becker led Carlisle School with 19 points and Townsend, with seven
field goals on the night, followed with 17 points.
"Townsend and Becker are good players," said Dillard.
"One-on-one, they're as good as anybody we can throw at them
(Halifax players)."
The first half was a difficult one for the Comets as Carlisle
School, with Becker, Townsend and B. Woodall combining for 10
field goals, five of which were three-pointers, led virtually
all of the first two quarters.
Halifax tried its share of the long-range shots but went 0-9 in
three-point attempts as compared to the 5-9 mark tallied by the
Chiefs.
The Comets led once in the first quarter when Sharmane Holeman
sank a field goal with 2:13 left in the first period and regained
the lead in the closing seconds of the half.
After trailing by as many as five points, the Comets, with two
free throws from Green and Weddle's only basket of the game, trailed
by one point at 15-14 at the end of the first period.
A 9-2 run by the Chiefs in the opening minute and a half of the
second quarter put the Comets down by eight points.
The Comets battled back and took the lead at the end of the half.
Baskets by Green and McCargo and two free throws from Freddie
Jeffress in the final 1:11 of the first half lifted the Comets
to a 36-34 lead at intermission.
Halifax County changed its tactics in the second half with regard
to defending Becker and Townsend.
"We decided we were going to take the ball out of the Becker
kid's hands and "jump" him and make somebody else score,"
Dillard pointed out.
"Once we started "jumping" the ball, it took the
ball out of their hands and made other guys have to make shots
and do some different things."
The Comets also gave up on the three-point shots and concentrated
more on attacking the baseline and getting better looks closer
to the basket.
Those moves eventually paid off.
A basket by Brown with 5:07 left in the third quarter lifted the
Comets from a one-point lead to a three-point lead and started
a 16-3 run that lifted the Comets to a 60-46 lead at the end of
the third quarter.
Green had four baskets in the run. McCargo, Jeremy Edmonds, and
Holeman also chipped in a bucket.
McCargo and Townsend engaged in a bit of a scoring battle during
the first three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter.
Green broke that up with back-to-back baskets that lifted the
Comets to a 67-50 lead with 3:24 to play.
Carlisle made one last bid with an 8-0 run that brought the Chiefs
to within eight points at 69-61 with 1:07 left in the game.
A basket by Jeffress off of an offensive rebound put the Comets
back up by 10 points with 1:02 to play and four points by McCargo
and a basket by reserve guard Kenneth Rosado with three seconds
left in the contest gave the Comets the 16-point win.
Halifax County players had a good night on the boards as they
reeled in a total of 46 rebounds.
The Comets were 32-65 from the floor for an overall average of
49 percent.
From two-point range the Comets were 32-55 for 58 percent.
However, the Comets were 0-10 from three-point range.
"This was a difficult game," Dillard said.
"It was a game coming off of a long break, kids coming back
to school on a Thursday and the slight crowd that was here.
"We had the kids together from 4 o'clock until game time
and that was different for them," added the Comets coach.
"When you're dealing with young kids, everything that is
new is different. They kind of looked at Carlisle and thought,
'hey, it's going to be a cakewalk,' but Carlisle had two or three
good ball players that could make things happen."
Funeral services for Cameron Draper Anderson, 76, of Nathalie,
will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church of Republican
Grove with burial in the church cemetery.
The Rev. Rodney Barwick and the Rev. Shelton Miles III will conduct
the service.
Mr. Anderson died Saturday at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was born in Halifax County on March 31, 1926, a son of Robert
Lee Anderson and Bessie Mae Wright Anderson. He was married to
Arey Guthrie Anderson.
Mr. Anderson was a member of Childrey Baptist Church. He also
was a published author and a World War II veteran.
He is survived by his wife, Arey G. Anderson of Nathalie, three
daughters, Patricia Roberts and husband Carroll of Alton, Angela
Laws and husband Daylon of Blythewood, South Carolina, and Teresa
Carr and husband Ronnie of Nathalie, and one son, Timothy Anderson
of Nathalie. Seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren
survive.
Other survivors include one brother, Tom Anderson of Nathalie,
four sisters, Violet Lester of Halifax, Glennie Wade of Nathalie,
Josie Guill of Scottsburg and Janice Wright of Rustburg, and one
special friend, Fuzzy Hines.
Thomas Edward Allen, 74, of Amherst, died January 2 at Virginia
Baptist Hospital.
Mr. Allen was born in Detroit, MI on July 19, 1928, the son of
John Berkley Allen and Telitha Jane Riddle Allen and was married
to Lula White Allen.
Survivors include one daughter, Telitha A. Mahdavi and husband,
Saeed, of Lynchburg; one granddaughter, Shirin Mahdavi of Lynchburg;
two brothers, Dennis Allen of Halifax and Eugene Allen of Richmond.
Graveside services for Mr. Allen were held January 4 at 2 p.m.
at First Baptist Church of Republican Grove Cemetery with the
Revs. Boley and Randall officiating.
Funeral services for Mr. Gaither Sampson Brooks will be held Wednesday,
January 8 at 2 p.m. at the Dan River Bethel Baptist Church.
The Rev. James L. Thomas will officiate.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Mr. Brooks, of Bold Springs Road in South Boston, died Friday,
January 3 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond.
He was 81.
Mr. Brooks was born in Halifax County on December 29, 1921 to
the late Richard Brooks and the late Fannie Crawley Brooks. He
was married to Josephine Crosby Brooks and was a member of the
Dan River Bethel Baptist Church.
He was a WWII Veteran, where he served in the United States Army.
Mr. Brooks is survived by his wife, two sons, Leroy Brooks of
Silver Springs Md. and Michael Brooks of Washington, D.C., six
grandchildren, one great-grandchild, three sisters, Rosetta Hackley
of South Boston, Willye Johnson of Cooksville, Md., and Elizabeth
Medley of South Boston, two daughters-in-law, one brother-in-law,
three sisters-in-law and a host of other relatives and friends.
The family will receive friends at the church on Wednesday from
1p.m. until 2 p.m., and all other times at the home of Elizabeth
Medley, 4125 Bold Springs Road in South Boston.
Frank Melvin Brown, 71, of Glen Burnie, MD, died at his home.
Born in Clover, Mr. Brown attended Halifax Training School in
Halifax, and served in the US Army. He retired from St. Johnsbury
Trucking Co. and Consolidated Freightways, and was a member of
Bethel Grove Baptist Church in Clover.
Services were held December 3 at 1 p.m. at Crownsville State Veterans
Cemetery.
Survivors of Mr. Brown include two brothers, Jesse F. Brown of
Glen Burnie and William C. Brown of Catonsville, MD; and one sister,
Mary L. Brown of Clover.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Bethel Grove
Baptist Church.
Funeral services for Mr. Ronald Eugene Edmonds Jr., will be held
Tuesday, January 7 at 1 p.m. at the Mountain Grove Missionary
Baptist Church.
The Revs. Arthur E. Crews and Ronnie L. King will officiate.
Mr. Edmonds died Saturday, January 4 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
He was 58.
Mr. Edmonds was born in Halifax County on September 15, 1944 to
Mrs. Mary Mayo Edmonds and the late Ronald Edmonds Sr. He was
married to Mrs. Alma Hensley Edmonds and was a member of the Mountain
Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
Mr. Edmonds was a former employee of Daystrom Furniture Company.
He is survived by his wife, one daughter, Kimberly Edmonds of
Salisbury, N.C., three sons, Rodney Edmonds of South Boston, Jeffrey
Edmonds of Hillsborough, N.C. and Ivan Edmonds of Atlanta, Ga,
five grandchildren, his mother, one sister, Patsy Edmonds of Silver
Springs, Md., two brothers, Bobby Edmonds of Petersburg and Allen
Edmonds of South Boston, one daughter-in-law and a host of other
relatives and friends including the devoted Freddie Ross.
The family is receiving friends at the residence, 1207 Porter
Lane in South Boston.
Charles Wallace Henderson, 59, of Alexandria, formerly of Halifax
County, died recently in PA.
Mr. Henderson was born in Halifax County on December 26, 1943,
the son of the late Albert Henderson and Rosa Crews Henderson,
and was married to Sarah Thomas Henderson. He was a member of
Banister Hill CME Church, and was employed by Hub Trucking Co.,
Inc.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Vera Commer of Bronx,
NY and Wanda Kirkland of Clinton, MD; three stepchildren, Sabrina
Fletcher of Alexandria, Reginald Fletcher of Suitland, MD, and
Lakeesha Larry of Waldorf, MD; 13 grandchildren; two brothers,
Lawrence Henderson and Willie James Lawson, both of Halifax; and
one sister, Rosa Adell Lawson of Halifax.
Funeral services for Mr. Henderson were held January 4 at 2 p.m.
at Banister Hill CME Church with the Rev. Francis Coates officiating.
Burial was in the church cemetery.
Adolphus Allen Jennings, 65, of Temple Hills, MD, formerly of
Nathalie, died December 31 in Washington, DC.
Mr. Jennings was the son of the late John Jennings and Alice Jackson
Jennings and was married to Denise Jennings.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Aaron Jennings, Harold
Scott and Dominic Jennings; six daughters, Towann Randolph, Denise
McField, Sharon Abbey, LaGreta Fox, Adrianne Goode and Lynteakia
Jennings.
Funeral services for Mr. Jennings were held January 4 at 2 p.m.
at New Shiloh Baptist Church in Nathalie with the Rev. Sylvester
Crawley officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.