The reversion of South Boston to town status and consolidation of the city and county school systems in 1995 has left the county facing an estimated $2 million loss in state school funds for the 2000-2001 school year.
And, there is potential that there could be similar losses in succeeding bienniums.
While that is bad news, it is tempered by the fact that over a five year period ending with the 2000-2001 school year, the county will have received several million dollars in state funds that it would not have received had the State Board of Education not agreed to freeze the county's composite index at the 1995 level.
Despite that, the question is how will the county will deal with the loss.
County Administrator Sleeper said yesterday that while no concrete plans have been formulated to cope with the loss, there are two key items county officials are eying.
One of those is a possible tax hike based upon the latest property reassessments, the figures of which will come out next month. The other is capitalizing on the increased values of the ODEC power plant at Clover which, for the first time, will be assessed at full market value.
Sleeper stated that the citizens will receive their new property reassessment information sometime around February 15. After that the Board of Supervisors will be asked to set the tax rate.
The county administrator stated that under the current tax structure increasing taxes by a penny will yield $100,000. Using that for a basis, it would take a 20 cent hike to cover the $2 million loss.
Whether or not the Board of Supervisors will adopt a tax hike at its next opportunity is not known.
While the loss of the estimated $2 million in state school funds has not been a major highlight of discussions in recent Board meetings, it is an issue that both South Boston and county officials have known about for some time.
"We've known about it," County Administrator Dan Sleeper said of the impending loss.
"We knew it was going to come. We talked to Dr. Walker (former county school superintendent Dr. Kenneth E. Walker) during retreats and meetings. The Board of Supervisors is aware of the issue. The problem is we don't know what to do about it. The question is how do you raise two million dollars."
The county administrator also pointed out that the issue was discussed during the recent boundary adjustment negotiations, and that he has spoken about the situation in previous presentations to area industrial development and civic groups in an effort to expose the situation to the people of the community.
Supervisor Dickie Abbott noted yesterday that the issue was discussed both in open Board meetings and in Finance Committee meetings.
"It has not been talked about that much but every one of them (Supervisors) knows about it," Abbott said.
Supervisor Joe Satterfield also confirmed that supervisors are aware of the problem.
South Boston Town Manager Ken McLawhon said yesterday that Town Council was aware of the impending loss of state funds.
"It's been talked about all along," McLawhon said.
he pointed out that the issue was discussed both during the reversion process and was revisited during the recent boundary negotiations.
McLawhon said that the general feeling of town officials was that the impending reassessment of the ODEC power plant at its full value would yield additional revenues for the county, revenues, he said, which "will go a long way toward offsetting that loss."
The town manager also stated that the county's new property reassessment would also yield additional income that could also be used to help cushion the loss.
Sleeper said that there may have been some disbelief in some corners, even on the part of some of the Supervisors, one because of the large amount of the money that was involved and two, because of the fact that the impact seemed to be far into the future.
Unfortunately, though, the future is looming very close to the horizon.
County school superintendent Dennis Witt pointed out that from the school system's perspective, one of two things will occur.
"We will either have to come up with the resources to deal with it or cut services," Witt stated.
Witt says that while the problem is a big one "there is a plus in that we all have known about it since the beginning of the reversion and we will have enjoyed five years of a lesser composite index which has helped every citizen and the Board of Supervisors in keeping expenses down. We have reaped the rewards of that money and we (the county) have been been able to use that money (which it didn't have to appropriate for schools) for other things."
The timing of the loss of the state funds in light of the recent boundary adjustments and all of the necessary changes that they bring, is unfortunate.
"But, we still have two years before the change," Witt said. "two years for the county to make whatever adjustments that may be necessary."
"You have to make it a situation of controlled planning and be ready for it and not make it a crisis situation," added Witt.
"I hope that is what happens."
The school superintendent added that discussions with the Board of Supervisors and the county administrator will continue as the school system progresses in its budget process.
"It's got to be a situation of give and take," Witt said.
"It's got to be a team effort and we've got to get everyone to pull together. We're all in this together as I see it."
While having to face the loss of an estimated $2 million in state funds for the 2000-2001 school year, the county school system will face a secondary hit if school enrollments continue their 15 year plunge.
Halifax County Public Schools finance director Bill Covington said declining enrollments and resulting declining Average Daily Membership (ADM) figures have a negative impact on the state's compilation of the county's composite index.
Also, each "lost" student costs the school system about $2,500 per pupil in direct state funds.
Covington explained that the composite index is a key factor in the formula used by state officials to determine the amount of per pupil state funds appropriated to a locality.
The state assigns a certain dollar amount in state monies from various categories of funds for each child. State officials then use the school system's ADM or average daily membership and multiply that by the amount of money per child to come up with a total amount of dollars to be distributed to the locality.
After that, the state applies a percentage which is the composite index, a figure derived from factors such as the county's true value of property, the county's adjusted gross income, the county's taxable retail sales, the county's population and the school system's average daily membership.
The composite index is then applied to the total dollar figure to determine how much the state will pay to the locality.
At the time of South Boston's reversion to town status, the State Board of Education agreed to freeze the county's composite index at .2380 for a five year period. If the five year freeze had not been implemented, the county's composite index would have shot up to .3060 for the 1996-98 biennium and to .3312 for the 1998-2000 biennium.
Prior to the time that South Boston reverted to town status, the South Boston school system was operated independently of the county. South Boston had a higher composite index than the county which meant that the state was paying the city school system less money on a percentage basis than it was paying the county.
"When the reversion occurred it made us appear to have more money in the locality per pupil and per person as compared to the way that Halifax County looked by itself," said Covington.
The State Board of Education did Halifax County a big favor in granting the five year moratorium on its composite index. As a result of the state's action, the county has received between $1 and $2 million each year in state funds that it would otherwise not have received and will continue to receive approximately that same amount each school year until the school year 2000-2001.
"Between one and two million each year for the five years is what we have avoided losing," Covington pointed out.
"According to the latest calculation, if it wasn't for the freeze, we'd be getting about 10 percent less state money each year of the biennium than we will be getting."
The composite index for all of the state's school system's will be compiled again before the 2000-2001 school year. And, with the recent round of boundary adjustments coming into play, Halifax County's composite index will change again. How much of a change will occur is not known.
"That will be the real one," Covington noted.
"That will be the one that we will have to use."
The new composite index figure will be revealed to school system officials sometime in mid to late November, 1999.
While the county is having to face the loss of an estimated $2 million in state school funds starting with the 2000-2001 school year, declining enrollments and ADM figures will provide a double whammy of sorts.
Due to a continuing decline in the school system's ADM figure, the county school system is being hit with a double whammy.
With each "lost" student meaning a loss of approximately $2,500 to the county in per pupil state funds, the loss can pile up.
To demonstrate the decline, Covington pointed out that the ADM figure for the 1995-96 school year was 6,361 students, That dropped to 6,343 in 1996-97 which, based on an estimated $2,500 per student figure, means a loss of $45,000. Eventhough the exact numbers won't be determined until March 31, the projected number for 1997-98 will be approximately 6,200. That will mean a loss of about $357,000.
"It (the ADM) will go down some more unless we reverse a 15 year trend," Covington said.
"We've been losing students every year for the past 15 years."
Voters in the newly annexed areas of South Boston will be able to vote in the next municipal elections, town officials confirmed yesterday.
But the date could be different from the regularly scheduled date of May 5, Town Manager Ken McLawhon said.
Aside from a possible one-time change of date and the new citizens participating, however, the election procedure is expected to be the same as it was before annexation, McLawhon said.
For one thing, this means that all the ballots will be cast at one place--the National Guard Armory on Hamilton Boulevard.
For another, voting will be at-large, or town-wide, with no separate precincts.
"We don't foresee any changes in the at-large system," McLawhon said.
First, though, the town must get approval from the U. S. Department of Justice, assuring the federal government that elections in South Boston are as fair to everyone as possible, the Manager said.
"The demographics indicate an increase and not a decrease in minority representation," McLawhon said.
"This (newly incorporated area) does not dilute any minority voting base," he said.
The date of the election essentially is in the hands of the Justice Department. If Justice sends down a quick approval, the election will beheld May 5 as scheduled.
However, if the Justice answer to the town request is delayed for any reason, South Boston expects to have General Assembly permission to set a new date as soon as possible.
Council approved a resolution Monday night calling upon Del. Ted Bennett and Sen. Louise Lucas to have the General Assembly enact a law that would permit South Boston to delay the election if the Justice Department has not acted by April 10.
Incumbents whose terms expire this year are Josephine Marshall, Bill Starke and Buddy Wilborn.
Others who will remain in office for two more years are Glen Abernathy, major; Radford Trent, vice-mayor, and other Council members Corky Rorrer and Debbie Morris.
Also Monday night, Council took steps to help ease the transition period for affected property owners being accepted into the town for the first time, as follows:
*Waived the $150 zoning application fee within the boundary adjustment area for a one-year period (adopted unanimously).
*Delayed until March 1, 1998, the date for businesses with the boundary adjustment area to obtain a business license and pay the applicable tax. (Councilman Wilborn abstained).
*Set February 1, l998, as the date when the town's meals and lodging tax will become applicable in the adjustment area (approved 4-0, Wilborn nay, Trent abstaining.
In other Monday action, Council:
*Authorized a $9,300 contract with the firm of Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mattern for special engineering design services for the Orleans Avenue storm culvert project, over the objections of Councilman Wilborn.
*Unencumbered $243,419.90 in UDAG funds and earmarked these funds for contribution to the CEC expansion project.
*Accepted a federal EDA grant of more than $800,000 that will supply the bulk of the funds needed for construction and improvements to the water and wastewater facilities, work that will provide protective measures to ensure service during flood and storm conditions. The federal contribution is $820,000, with the town required to put up $273,990 as its share.
*Directed Finance Director Vandie Saunders to proceed with the sale of tax-delinquent real estate property from the year 1994.
The governing body also adopted the following resolutions:
*Endorsing the Community Arts Center Foundation's application for 1998 grant funding.
*A memorial honoring former Councilman and Vice-Mayor, the late James Irby.
*Another memorial honoring the late Lawrence Smith, founder of Smith Automotive and lifelong civic leader.
*Retirement resolution honoring Dr. Jesse Bates, beloved physician of many years in South Boston, and a longtime member of the South Boston School Board.
Charles Phillips, who requested permission to address Council, admonished the members to take care in the spending of taxpayer funds.
"Why waste money?" he asked them, and cited an earlier action by Council in awarding a $9,300 contract for work he said could have been done "in house" by town engineer Cabell Carrington.
"I'd like you to be a little more careful when you go to spending taxpayers' money," Phillips said.
At the same time, Phillips implored Council to keep its promises. "I was annexed in 1967 and promised curb and gutter. I still haven't got them," he said.
Phillips also sought information on the governing structure of the town. "Who oversees the town? Do you, or does Ken? Who sets policy?"
He was told that Council makes policy, and the Town Manager carries it out.
Mayor Glen Abernathy took the occasion of the first Council meeting of the year, and the first since boundary expansion, to speak briefly to new citizens.He welcomed the new citizens and businesses to town, and said town officials are talking with all businesses in the affected area.
Abernathy also said he had received a number of comments on the garbage collection service now being provided in the new areas for the first time.
"All have been positive," the Mayor said.
Car decals, schools and the town's leash law for dogs topped the list of "now what" questions from South Boston's newest citizens following the town's 4,000- acre acquisition last week.
Here are some quick answers from town officials:
---Former county residents taken in by the new boundaries may continue to use county decals until later this year. South Boston decals go on sale March 1 in the South Boston Director of Finance's Office for $20 and must be displayed by April 15.
---New South Boston residents are advised there is a leash law for dogs as well as a licensing of cats in the town. The '98 dog and cat license is due. The dog license may be purchased at the county treasurer's office in Halifax. The cat license, which is required in South Boston, may be purchased at the town finance office. All dogs and cats four months of age are required to be vaccinated, according to South Boston Animal Control Officer Terry Farris. Fines may be steep, ranging from zero to $250.
Addressing the new laws, South Boston Police Chief Jim Hall said, "We want to try to make the transition as easy as possible. We want to protect and serve. This is what our job is."
Hall emphasized the focus now is on educating new residents. The police chief said health was the main issue with cats and dogs, particularly rabies. "If you have a question, call the police department at 575-4271," added Hall.
---School attendance zones have not been changed as a result of the South Boston/Halifax County boundary agreement. The school system is a county system and attendance zones are based on the whole county and not town lines, Superintendent of Schools Dennis Witt advised.
---On burning trash, there is no open burning in the Town of South Boston.
Supervisor Joe Satterfield of Election District #3 was unanimously re-elected Monday night as Chairman of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors. He will serve as chairman for the next two years.
Tom West of Election District #2 was also unanimously re-elected to the post as Vice-Chairman and will serve a two-year term.
Satterfield was nominated by supervisor Robbie Smart of Election District #8 and the nomination was seconded by West.
West was also nominated by Smart while the nomination was seconded by supervisor Garland Ricketts of Election District #7.
Both Satterfield and West abstained during their respective 6-0 votes. Supervisor Dickie Abbott of Election District #1 was not present at the time the vote was made.
The board unanimously approved keeping the meeting date and location at the same time, while designating the third Monday of each month as the alternate meeting date.
County Administrator Dan Sleeper noted that recent citizen requests, including the Association for Better Government, have asked that the meeting dates of the Board of Supervisors and the South Boston Town Council be shifted so that the two elected bodies do not meet at the same time.
Since all boards of supervisors throughout Southside Virginia meet on the first Monday, a request should be made to the South Boston Town Council for them to move their meeting date, Sleeper told the board.
The board will continue to meet in the second floor public meeting room of the Mary Bethune Office Complex in Halifax on the first Monday night. Meeting will continue to begin at 7 p.m.
Whether to pay for consultants to study - or repairmen to fix - a problem with the county's sewer system in Riverdale was debated during Monday night's regular monthly meeting of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors.
County officials had requested to be part of an infiltration/inflow study which is scheduled to be done for the Town of South Boston by Olver Consulting Engineers-Environmental Laboratories of Blacksburg.
Inflow of ground water and storm runoffs have been reported in the Riverdale system, but exactly where the pipe breakage is and how much of an inflow problem exists has not yet been determined.
In response to the county's request, Olver stated that the county would be charged $8,737 for participation in the study. Of that amount, $5,300 would be for the consultant and $3,200 would be for equipment such as flow meters.
The remaining $237 would be used to fund 16 man-hours of labor which will be provided by the employees of the Department of Public Works of the Town of South Boston, according to county officials.
In October, 1996, the Town of South Boston approved a proposal by Olver for a study of the town's sewer system at a cost of $22,200. An additional cost of between $15,000 to $16,000 was recommended in the proposal for flow meters which would pinpoint specific inflow problems areas throughout the town, officials said.
In a meeting last month of the board's Finance Committee, County Administrator Dan Sleeper noted that funds to pay for the project were not in the current budget, "but could probably be obtained from other categories."
Sleeper also told the committee that there was a need to "meet with Olver to discuss their methodology and the basis for the $5,300 consultant fee."
The study would be for metering only and would not include the process of sending in a pipe camera system which determines where a breakage is, as well as a followup process of sealing the leak with caulk, Sleeper pointed out.
The Finance Committee, during its December 22 meeting, recommended approval for the county to join the study and spend the $8,737. The committee motion was made by supervisor Garland Ricketts and seconded by supervisor Tom West.
However, the issue received a much different response Monday night from the overall board of supervisors.
"Why should we spend more money on consultants to tell us how much of a leak we have, when what we need to do is get the leak fixed?" asked supervisor Earl Watts.
Supervisor Robbie Smart also expressed concern about spending money on consultants rather than actual repairs.
The money that would go towards the consulting firm could, instead, go towards the cost of actually sending in a pipe camera, finding the leak, and fixing it, both Watts and Smart pointed out.
"We already know there's a leak," Watts said. "We have all these studies done and it never got fixed. Let's just get it fixed."
Instead of voting on whether to participate in the Olver study at a cost of $8,737, the board decided to table the issue.
While no action was taken, Sleeper will obtain more information on the issue which is expected to reappear before the board at a later date.
In a bizarre twist that mixed theft with reciprocity, a tire was stolen and then replaced early Tuesday morning on a Probation and Parole Department vehicle in South Boston.
A motorist apparently sustained a flat tire and spotted the state-owned 1993 Plymouth parked at the 1320 Seymour Drive offices of the Virginia Department of Parole and Probation, according to South Boston Police Lt. H.B. Rice.
The unknown subject jacked up the Plymouth, took off the vehicle's right front tire and wheel and then replaced it with the flat tire and wheel from his or her own vehicle, Lt. Rice explained.
The Plymouth remained on the premises as did the subject's jack, he added. The stolen tire and wheel had a value of about $150, according to the investigation.
When employees of the Parole and Probation Department arrived at 8 a.m., they reported the theft. The incident is still under investigation.
"I've been in law reinforcement for over 30 years," reflected Lt. Rice. "You see something new every week."
In other cases investigated by the South Boston Police Department:
· Kenneth S. Young, 37, of Grubby Road was charged on January 2 with a felony count of driving a motor vehicle after previously having been declared a habitual offender, police said.
SBPD Office B.K. Lovelace stopped Young on Bane Street at 2:08 a.m., police said. Young was driving a 1990 Ford and was arrested after a computerized license check was made, according to the investigation.
He is currently being held in the Halifax County Jail pending his preliminary hearing in the Halifax County General District Court.
· Police are investigating the January 3 breaking and entering of the residence of Walter P. Smith of 690 Lincoln Drive in Sinai.
Two 21-inch color television sets and a cable converter valued at more than $430 were reported stolen, according to Lt. Rice.
Entry was made by someone who pried open the front door of Smith's trailer, police said. The incident is still under investigation by SBPD Officer A.J. Hicks.
· A 1981 Oldsmobile was broken into Friday evening in the parking lot of the Food Lion in Riverdale, Lt. Rice said.
A Pioneer radio-cassette player and cassettes were reported stolen from the vehicle which is owned by George C. Farrar of Clover, police said.
Entry was made by someone who broke a window to the vehicle, between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to the ongoing investigation.
· An attempted breaking and entering of Sadler's Machine Shop on Berry Hill Road was reported on January 3. Entry was not gained and nothing was stolen, police said.
The use of a radar unit by a deputy of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department resulted in a series of charges against a South Boston man, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
Stewart Ratliff, 32, of Peach Avenue was arrested Monday after he was clocked at a speed in excess of 80 miles per hour in the Riverdale-Hyco Road area, according to the investigation.
The arrest was made made by Cpl. S.T. Moser.
Ratliff was charged with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, attempting to elude a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon (knife), having no driver's license, and reckless driving, police said.
"This is the very reason why we want our law enforcement officers to have the ability to use radar units," commented Major Ray Link. "Stopping someone for speeding in a case like this can frequently result in the arrest of people for drunk driving, fugitive warrants, you name it."
The sheriff's department first began using radar units on January 1. Several people have been charged by deputies with speeding since then, but Ratliff allegedly was the first driver to be charged with DUI, according to Major Link.
"This is not so much about writing speeding tickets," reflected Major Link. "It's all about public safety and efficient use of law enforcement officers."
The technical nature of local law enforcement will take a major step forward with the approval Monday night of funding for a state-of-the-art fingerprint system, officials said.
The Halifax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $16,000 in funding for a Live Scan system that digitally records fingerprints of arrested individuals.
That funding will go with $56,000 in state grants that will purchase the $72,000 system. Maintenance, leasing fees, and supplies for the system is expected to cost a total of about $9,000 per year, officials said.
Instead of the traditional method of a subject putting each finger and thumb of a subject into ink and then onto an identification card, the new system is based on a computer system that "scans" the entire hand.
"This is bringing local law enforcement efforts into the twenty-first century," explained Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Oakes. "This makes a tedious part of law enforcement much more efficient and drastically helps to improve the true identification of subjects we book."
As recently as late-December, the sheriff's department arrested an alleged drug dealer from Brooklyn, New York who had about 15 aliases.
With the ink fingerprint system, it would take days, and in some cases weeks, to establish a true identity to such an individual, while the new system is virtually instantaneous, Sheriff Oakes pointed out.
The Live Scan will help prevent the occurrence of a subject being released after his or her booking, when they are actually fugitives for more serious crimes that may have taken place elsewhere, explained Major Ray Link of the sheriff's department.
"The use of this system in a small town in Florida resulted in the capture of a person wanted for murder in West Virginia," Major Link said. "Without it, for the relatively minor offense he was stopped for, this subject would have been long gone."
Essentially, a person puts his or her hand down flat on a scanner that resembles a copying machine, Major Link explained. A reading is taken and a match is electronically sought through the network.
The Live Scan Network is connected by software and modem to the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) through the Virginia State Police Records Management Division. This enables a national pool of fingerprints for instant identification of a subject, officials said.
The system is expected to be on-line by spring, Sheriff Oakes said.
The Year 2000 mega computer problem - as well as a lack of programmers to address the glitch- is opening the high tech door of opportunity in South Boston.
The Software Factory is the key.
Opening its doors last fall, the Software Factory was founded to provide partial solutions to two problems:
---The shortage of computer programmers, especially for the Year 2000 problem.
---The lack of training in technology jobs for the underemployed and unemployed in rural areas. The Year 2000 problem affects most of the country's major computer systems, including federal agencies.
The problem: The systems were not programmed to deal with time and dates beyond the year 1999 and will default to 1900 on January 1,2000 unless reprogrammed.
The result, particularly in record intensive federal agencies, looms dangerously close.
Reprogramming is essential not only in federal agencies, but in state, business, university and private sectors.
The Software Factory is operating as part of the solution at its 504 Wilborn Ave. location.
Innovators, Software Factory President Jerry Hill and Vice President Beverly Lucas opened the business with a new approach, operating on the theory that non-technical people could be taught to perform Year 2000 assessment and remediation.
They were right.
"They took to the (computer) language, found the date and changed it," said the quiet-spoken president of the company's first recruits.
"After one month of training, they were very enthusiastic," added Hill.
The new employees learned COBOL, Visual Basic and access to Microsoft.
It was a giant step for some, particularly those students who entered training knowing basically how to turn the computer on and off.
Currently, a new computer boot camp of approximately 30 students is being taught at the company by Jill Will of The Solution Store. The company hopes to increase its staffing as it establishes a labor pool.
The Software Factory's first boot camp had about 15 students.
The company is also engaged in new development. TSF works directly with customers or as a subcontractor to a prime contractor or integrator.
Hill noted The Software Factory is also competitive with foreign competitors, adding the work can be done here economically.
The company president is also enthusiastic about the welcome The Software Factory received here. With ties to Virginia, Hill said both he and Lucas wanted to locate in the state, but the search took several avenues. This week Hill recalled the welcome extended by legislators and economic development authorities here which drew the new company to South Boston.
Yesterday, Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett told students in the company's computer boot camp that he would introduce legislation or budget language in this General Assembly session to give preference to hiring Virginia people rather than sending work offshore as the state moves to let bids for Year 2000 remediation work. Bennett said estimated costs are near $47 million with two-thirds of that for colleges.
A ground breaking ceremony for the 110-bed jail in the Town of Halifax has been scheduled for Friday, January 16. The event will take place in the parking lot behind the Town Hall of Halifax (formerly the Central Fidelity Bank) and will begin at 10 a.m.
Members of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors and the Halifax Town Council have been invited to attend. Other elected officials, including state and federal legislators, will also be invited.
The jail will be part of the newly-formed Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority which also includes a new 540-bed jail in the City of Lynchburg. A ground breaking ceremony will be held for the Lynchburg jail on Thursday, January 15.
The authority will also have jails located in Bedford and Campbell counties. Those jails will be renovations and expansions of existing correctional facilities, rather than new structures, officials said.
A snag developed in the preconstruction stage of the Halifax jail's estimated 18-month construction period. Hensel-Phelps of Texas, which will serve as general contractor, thought the existing upper and lower parking lots at the site would be available to them for storage of construction vehicles, equipment, and other supplies.
In a meeting with county officials last week, Hensel-Phelps officials were told that such parking lots would have to remain open to regular users, such as employees of Halifax County, the court and sheriff's office, and even those who have been summoned to appear in court.
Officials stated that the current wooded area would be cleared first for such construction equipment storage.
However, about 15 vehicles which have been impounded by the sheriff's department and are stored in the lower lot will be moved to the old tennis courts behind the Mary Bethune Office Complex.
On a related matter, Riverdale businessman Donnie Ellington appeared before the board to ask that the county utilize private business for storage of impounded cars, rather than utilizing publicly owned space.
Ellington has "done countless favors, often at no charge for the county in many cases that the general public doesn't even know about," Sheriff Jeff Oakes said. "I believe that he should be given due consideration for what he has to offer."
Ellington has property that includes a fully-enclosed, heated building that can store vehicles securely on a 24-hour-a-day basis, he told the board.
Such a long-term impoundment service would have to be put out to bid in accordance with state law, county officials said.
Ellington stated that his appearance was not to promote his towing and storage business to the board, but just to ask that the county consider leaving that business to the private sector.
Ruby Sue Williams of 215 Annie Street, Orlando, FL, formerly of Halifax County, passed away December 31, 1997.
She was born October 24, 1907 the daughter of N.P. Williams and Minnie Loftis Williams.
Miss Williams is survived by four sisters, Marie Williams, Earleen Sabin and Serena Tyner, all of Orlando and Catherine Morgan of New Smyrna Beach, FL; and one brother, Woodrow W. Williams of South Boston.
A memorial service will beheld Saturday, January 10 at First Baptist Church of Orlando.
Lynwood Leroy Worsham, 74, a retired construction worker, of South Boston, formerly of Victoria, died Friday, January 2, 1998.
Mr. Worsham is survived by three sisters, Dorothy W. Johnson of Richmond, Sallie W. Hudson of Nelson and Marjorie W. Newcomb of Keysville; two brothers, Milton L. Worsham of South Boston and John A. Worsham of Elizabeth City, NC. He was a member of Victoria Christian Church.
Graveside services were held Sunday, January 4 at 4 p.m. at Lakeview Cemetery in Victoria with Rev. Earl Pinchbeck Jr. officiating.
James Hagood (Boots) Perkins of South Boston died January 5 at the Berry Hill Nursing Home at the age of 72.
Mr. Perkins was born in Halifax County on June 8, 1923, the son of Henry Thomas Perkins and Lizzie Jane Jackson and was married to Margaret Powell Perkins.
His survivors are one brother: Thomas Perkins, six nieces and three nephews.
A graveside service will be held Thursday, January 8 at 10 a.m. at the Perkins Family Cemetery with the Rev. Rudolph Jacobs conducting the service.
The family will be at the home, 1074 Throckmorton Trail, Scottsburg.