A Vernon Hill woman who was severely beaten Friday night by her estranged husband is suspected in his subsequent shooting death, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
Gloria Cole Bauer, 32, remains hospitalized at the Halifax Regional Hospital for injuries which include a broken nose and "cuts, bruises, and scrapes all over her body," according to Major Ray Link of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department. "It was clearly a case of a severe beating."
Her former husband, Andy Voyle Bauer, 39, of Vernon Hill was pronounced dead Friday night of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the investigation.
No charges have been filed and no decision has been reached on what charges, if any, will be filed, according to Link.
"That will depend on a meeting this week between the sheriff, investigators, and the commonwealth's attorney," he explained.
"The local medical examiner believes Bauer died of four gunshot wounds to the chest, stomach and arm areas," Link said.
His body was sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Richmond for a complete autopsy to determine the exact nature of his death, he added.
Police believe the beating and shooting occurred at the 6170 Mountain Road residence that the couple formerly shared, located about a quarter mile north of Rt. 360 in the Vernon Hill community. "It is unclear right now who was actually living at the house," Link said.
At 8:16 p.m., dispatchers at the Halifax County Sheriff's Department received a call from Gloria Bauer asking for emergency medical assistance and to report that her husband was shot and driving away in his pickup truck, according to the investigation.
While the Halifax County Rescue Squad and First Responders from the Oak Level Volunteer Fire Department were being paged, a "be on the lookout" bulletin was sent out for Andy Bauer's truck.
Virginia State Trooper M.S. Roark Jr., who lives in the Vernon Hill area, was on patrol nearby. He stopped at the western intersection of Rt. 671 with Rt. 360 to call dispatchers for an additional description of the truck, according to the investigation.
At that point, he observed headlights of a truck coming from a nearby private drive towards the intersection. The interior light was on and Roark realized it was the vehicle and subject being sought, police said.
When the truck stopped, Roark approached to investigate. Bauer told Roark, "Help me, I've been shot," then slumped over into unconsciousness, according to the investigation.
Two rescue squad units arrived minutes later. One group attempted to revive Andy Bauer, while the other unit went to the residence to treat and transport Gloria Bauer to the hospital for her injuries.
Investigators recovered a .32-caliber semi-automatic handgun at the home, but it has not yet been positively determined to be the weapon used in the shooting, Link pointed out.
The pickup truck driven by the husband and Gloria Bauer's vehicle were both impounded as part of the ongoing investigation, he added.
No additional weapon was found at the home and no weapon was immediately found during a preliminary search of the vehicle, Link said.
A detailed search and evidence collection process of both vehicles was scheduled to take place Sunday afternoon, he added.
Meanwhile, Bauer's parents hired South Boston attorney Chandler Nelson to represent their daughter during possible developments in the case.
Bauer is a financial advisor and a graduate of Chatham Hall and Sweet Briar College. Her husband was self-employed in the sign business. The separated couple have two young children.
The meeting this week to decide if any charges will be filed hinges on the element of self-defense. Reports of a previous beating, which included her ribs being broken, could not be confirmed.
"To my knowledge, there were no previous charges of assault filed by Mrs. Bauer against her husband, but that doesn't necessarily mean nothing else happened," Link said.
Different alternatives could take place, depending on the decision by Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker Jr., officials said. No charges could be filed or charges could be sent to a grand jury to see if they would issue an indictment.
"This is another sad case of domestic abuse, something that happens way too much," Link said. "Cases like this is precisely why the sheriff's department had hired a domestic abuse specialist."
Link would not state whether he believes the commonwealth should file charges against the wife, citing the "ongoing investigation" status of the case. However, he did state what charge would have been filed if the husband did indeed commit such a beating and not been shot.
"Hypothetically, this clearly would have been a case of a malicious wounding," Link pointed out. "This was certainly no misdemeanor assault."
In addition to a fatal shooting Friday night, the Halifax County Sheriff's Department spent a busy week investigating several cases of assault and grand larceny.
Among the cases:
· Harry Winston McGregor, 48, of Virgilina was charged with a misdemeanor count of assault and battery of Jonathan Wilborn, a household or family member, police said.
The alleged incident happened on Saturday and he was arrested the same day by Deputy Q.W. Clark. McGregor was released on bond pending his trial in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on December 10.
· Michael A. Watlington, 32, of Danville was charged with a felony count of grand larceny of a 1991 Yamaha 250 four-wheeler. The vehicle is owned by Donald Edward Fox, according to the investigation.
The alleged incident occurred on April 20 and he was arrested Friday by Sgt. T.E. Logan. Watlington was released on bond pending his preliminary hearing in the Halifax County General District Court.
· Christopher Lee Heath, 21, of Georgetown, Georgia was arrested on a felony count of grand larceny of a .22-caliber Marlin rifle owned by Curley Martin, police said.
The alleged incident occurred on October 21 and he was arrested Wednesday by Cpl. S.T. Moser.
Heath is currently being held in jail pending his preliminary hearing in the Halifax County General District Court on February 6, 1998.
· Christina Denise Hudson, 18, of Scottsburg was charged with a misdemeanor count of assault by bodily threat against Jennifer Perkins, police said.
The alleged incident happened on November 22 and she was arrested on November 25 by Deputy David Gibson.
Hudson was released on bond pending her trial in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on December 10.
· David Anthony Rose, 40, of Scottsburg was arrested on a misdemeanor count of violating a protective order (following and harassing Pamela Terry), police said.
The alleged incident occurred on November 21 and he was arrested by Sgt. L.A. Cobb on November 26, according to the investigation.
Rose was released on bond pending his trial in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on December 3.
· Tommy Joseph Wolfe, 50, of Halifax was charged with a misdemeanor count of reckless discharge of a firearm, police said.
The alleged incident occurred Friday and he was arrested the same day by Deputy Gibson, according to the investigation.
Wolfe was released on bond pending his trial in the Halifax County General District Court on January 16.
· Charles David Cole, 21, of Virgilina was arrested on two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear in court and being a fugitive from the state of North Carolina.
Cole was arrested Thursday by Investigator C.A. Bates. He is currently being held in jail pending his trial in the Halifax County General District Court and his extradition to North Carolina.
· Deputies recovered a 1993 Chevrolet pickup truck which was stolen from the parking lot of the uper 8 Motel in Riverdale at 6:38 a.m. Wednesday.
The truck was started up by its driver, Mickey Lynn Collins, who went back into the motel while the truck was warming up, according to the investigation.
That's when the truck, owned by the D.R. Mozeley Company of Charlotte, N.C., was stolen. It was recovered a 5:58 p.m. on Friday parked on a county road, police said. The investigation is continuing.
· A fire in a storage building owned by Allie Puckett of 756 Magnolia Drive is under investigation by the South Boston Police Department.
Contents of the metal building included tools and a lawn mower. The South Boston Fire Department responded to the call at 2:29 a.m. and extinguished the blaze.
By Doug Loftis
Those immortal words are chiselled into the work ethic of all who work on the railroad and know what it takes to keep it rolling along the endless miles of track. Norfolk-Southern Corp., which serves Virginia along with 19 other Southeastern and Midwestern states and Canada, has over 14,300 miles of railroad to maintain.
The rail lines in Halifax County run from Brookneal through South Boston and into North Carolina, and from South Boston up to Clover where its largest local customer, the Clover Power Station, is situated.
Clover Power Station depends on the railroad to deliver the more than 2-million tons of coal and about 100,000 tons of limestone it consumes annually.
Coal shipments, called unit trains, also travel through Halifax County to power plants south of here in North Carolina.
Coal cars, weighing from 95 to 100 tons each, require the best of rail lines. Norfolk Southern spent more than $3.5 million to upgrade its 15-mile line from South Boston to Clover before the power plant became operational in 1995. Old rail was removed and replaced with 136-pound welded rail while new crossties were installed and more ballast was added to ensure a safe track foundation.
Replacing crossties and adding ballasts is an ongoing maintenance procedure, one which about two months ago, brought another work crew to the area where they set up camp along the tracks at South Boston. A week ago, the project was completed and all of about 40 of these maintenance workers have left.
Crossties usually have a life of about five to six years. The replacement process is done with specially designed machinery, 26 pieces in fact, that begins with a tie crane followed by other units that pull and drive spikes, remove and install cross ties and ballasts and sweep and roll the railroad bed. Even a machine equipped with a magnet picks up and loads all metal parts for salvage.
No more than five cross ties can be removed from a single section. To remove more might result in the loss of gauge between the tracks which could lead to a derailment.
Workers call him, appropriately enough, "cook". He's Robert Snyder and around the railroad camp site, he's man's best friend. Up long before daybreak frying bacon, sausage, ham and bologna, he and two kitchen helpers even prepare dough for scratch biscuits essential for sopping up the gravy and grits on the side.
Snyder doesn't actually work for the railroad but his Arkansas-based food services company contracts with Norfolk & Southern to feed the "gangs" which maintain the endless miles of track throughout their domain.
Snyder lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where you'll find him heading back each Friday afternoon when the last meal for the week has been served.
Home is where his wife and two young daughters await his return for the all-too-short weekend that points the way to an eight-hour drive back to South Boston and another work week.
Oddly enough, Snyder's first assignment was in South Boston about six years ago not along after he traded in his three-piece suit and air-conditioned office for a chef's hat and a sizzling mobile kitchen that rolls to each railroad work camp. He had worked as a technician with IBM before finding a salary advantage in a spatula and frying pan plus more time at home with his family.
At 41, Snyder is raising his second family following a failed first marriage that produced one child who now attends college. "That's one reason I like this...you work three and half days and you're off."
And there's always the next assignment that keeps him and the railroad maintenance gang on the move.
So what do they eat; these men who have been working on the railroad?
Breakfast is served in the dining car that's connected to the kitchen by a ramp. Eggs, cooked to order, even omelets, pancakes, oatmeal, hash fries, cereal and fruits are regulars.
Lunch is on the road...or rather track and is no bag affair. If chicken is the main item, some is fried, some baked, some barbecued and for picky eaters there are chicken nuggets and Hot Pockets! It's all served up with beans, potatoes, corn bread, coffee, tea, milk or Kool Aid.
Evening meal is served again inside the dining car and the entries include country ham, roast beef, prime rib, t-bone steak, fried catfish and shrimp. Some evenings, there's scratch pizza-Synder style of course!
With each meal there's always fresh cut potatoes that are fried, mashed or scalloped, a choice of vegetables and biscuits...lots of 'em!
Snyder's kitchen serves up from $1,500 to $1,700 worth of food every five working days but it's how Norfolk-Southern keeps work crews on the job performing the maintenance that keeps the trains rolling.
Halifax County High School will stage an Open House/Parent Visitation Program Wednesday at 6 p.m. featuring a special meeting for parents focusing on block scheduling.
Halifax County High School principal Larry Clark said Wednesday night's special Parents Meeting, which has been set for 7:50 p.m. in the high school cafeteria, is an important meeting for parents of students in grades 9-11 at the high school and parents of students currently in the eighth grade at Halifax County Middle School.
The Parents Meeting is being held as part of Halifax County High School's Open House/Parent Visitation Program which will start at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Parents will have a chance to visit with their children's teachers from 6 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. and then attend the special Parents Meeting on block scheduling in the school cafeteria at 7:50 p.m.
This week's meeting on block scheduling is designed to give parents an overview of what the school day and class schedules will be like at the high school if the Halifax County School Board should decide to implement block scheduling next year and do away with the current six period school day schedule.
If the school board should decide to make the switch to the 4x4 Block Schedule at the high school, it will mark one of the biggest fundamental changes in secondary school instruction to occur here in many years.
"This is one of the most significant changes that we have recommended to the school board and to the community in my 30 plus years in the school system," said Clark.
"We have done many significant things in our school system like consolidation in 1953, to integration in 1970, to building and opening the new high school in 1979, and, just a few years ago, restructuring our program from a junior high school to a middle school program. But, those things did not significantly impact our instructional program - at least not like this will."
While school trustees have not formally acted to implement the 4x4 Block Schedule format at Halifax County High School for the 1998-99 school year, the school board has given school administrators the okay to take initial steps toward implementing the block scheduling format next year beginning with student registration.
Between now and the start of the Christmas holidays, students will register for their 1998-99 classes based upon a 4x4 Block Schedule format.
And, with student registration looming close on the horizon and the major impact that block scheduling will have on high school programs, Clark stresses that it is essential that parents attend this meeting so that they will better understand what will be in store for their children next year.
"We realize that this is a fundamental change in how instruction is delivered to students," Clark said.
"For many of us, the format of the instructional day and the instructional delivery system hasn't changed much. If we implement block scheduling, we are going to fundamentally change how students are organized for instruction, the amount of time in a class period, and how instruction will be delivered by our teachers."
Clark will present the registration data along with other pertinent information including potential impacts on staffing, the school building, and other related issues to the county school board at the school board's January 12 meeting.
The school board will decide at that point what, if any, additional steps will be taken toward implementation of block scheduling at the high school.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Early December, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates how much tobacco farmers will be allowed to raise in the coming year, is always a nervous time for tobacco growers.
But with a proposed smoking settlement simmering in Washington, the next two weeks are shaping up as one of the most nerve-wracking periods in many years for North Carolina's billion-dollar tobacco-growing business.
Some observers say North Carolina growers could be forced to cut their crop by 20 percent or more because of the settlement and millions of pounds of surplus leaf.
The government program, which dates to the Great Depression, props up prices by trying to match tobacco supply and demand each year. The federal agency also sets minimum prices for grades of tobacco. If a farmer doesn't receive a bid for his tobacco that is higher than the support price, he can sell it to a price-support cooperative. The cooperative processes the tobacco then tries to sell it later when prices improve.
This year, the quotas and support prices are scheduled to be announced Dec. 15.
''It doesn't look very good as far as next year's quotas are concerned right now,'' said Arnold Hamm, assistant general manager of the Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corp. in Raleigh. ''We think there could be a drop of 15 to 20 percent. It could be more - maybe a lot more - depending on what the cigarette companies decide to do.''
That could represent an income cut of $200 million or more for the 31,000 North Carolinians who have quotas for flue-cured tobacco.
North Carolina grows about two-thirds of the country's flue-cured leaf and leads the nation in tobacco production.
The Agriculture Department uses three major criteria in determining demand and calculating quotas each year:
- an estimate by U.S. cigarette makers on how much American-grown tobacco they expect to use in the upcoming year. Those estimates are due Monday.
- an average of U.S. tobacco exports over the past three years, which is added to the manufacturers' demand estimates. That number is slightly higher this year than it was last December.
- the amount of surplus tobacco held by the price support cooperative. The co-op is allowed to hold up to 15 percent of the previous year's crop at the end of the season. If it holds less than 15 percent, the amount it is short is added into the demand figure for the upcoming season. If the co-op holds more than 15 percent, however, the surplus amount is subtracted from the demand figure for the coming season.
This year, the flue-cured price co-op is holding more than 195 million pounds, or about 20 percent of the 1997 crop. That means that nearly 50 million pounds of flue-cured will be subtracted from next year's demand estimate.
Last year, after Hurricanes Bertha and Fran inflicted heavy crop damage, buyers scrambled for any available leaf and very little tobacco went to the price co-ops. As a result, the Agriculture Department raised demand estimates and quotas for the just-completed season by more than 125 million pounds.
In the coming year, the opposite will happen.
''Instead of adding 125 million pounds to the demand side, USDA is going to be subtracting nearly 50 million pounds,'' Hamm said. ''That just by itself is going to make a big difference.''
This year's flue-cured quota of just over 1 billion pounds was the highest in more than a decade. Besides the short supplies caused by the hurricanes, it was also fueled by strong manufacturer purchase intentions of 535 million pounds.
Manufacturers' buying intentions for next year remain uncertain.
An announcement by U.S. cigarette makers that they intend to buy more tobacco could give opponents of the proposed landmark liability settlement new ammunition to attack the deal.
Bruce Flye, who with his son grows about 90 acres of tobacco north of Rocky Mount, hopes the cigarette makers will announce large purchase intentions despite the looming settlement.
''They are using a lot of foreign tobacco right now because it's a little cheaper,'' Flye said. ''They can cut back on that if they want to. The farmers and the cigarette companies have had our differences in the past, but we've always been a team.''
Hamm said it would be a political mistake for cigarette makers to slash their purchases in the coming year.
''Low purchase intentions would send a really bad message to tobacco farmers,'' he said. ''They are going to need tobacco farmers as they try to get this settlement through Congress.''
The Good Samaritan needs a Good Samaritan ...with deep pockets.
The non-profit helping organization is facing a state Fire Marshal mandated sprinkler system order for its four rooms at First Baptist Church with estimates running in the $15,000 to $17,000 range.
And the deadline looms.
The Good Samaritan has already missed one deadline and both its administrative coordinator, Loretta Brown, and a church official are hoping if a sprinkler system is under contract by the end of the year, the Fire Marshal will grant an extension until the work is completed.
The church is not under a similar mandate.
"When the Good Samaritan moved in it fell under a change of building use policy from the church," explained First Baptist Associate Pastor Dean Miller. "And thus falls under new guidelines because of clothes in the storage and display area."
At issue is one large clothing display room and three storage rooms.
The 12-year-old Good Samaritan organization is housed in the first floor of the South Boston church and helps about 1,000 families annually with clothing as well as crisis needs.
The Good Samaritan drew the Fire Marshal's attention when the church weekday school was in the process of being certified by the state "so that people could call and ask about the school," explained Miller.
"Part of that certification process required health and safety inspections for the school," said the associate pastor.
The state Fire Marshal for this region came to inspect for safety and, in the course of doing that, he had to inspect all the areas where children are active, recalled the minister.
Miller said one place the children go is "adjacent to The Good Samaritan" facilities.
"The issue has moved to one of safety," said Miller on Friday.
"Should something happen and those clothes catch on fire, particularly if everyone was upstairs and unaware it was burning ...."
Facing the tremendous cost for a sprinkler system, Miller said The Good Samaritan investigated moving to a new location but decided the present location was best.
"We hope to raise the money because we feel like for almost 13 years we have been a viable force in the community and have helped so many people," said Brown. "And we want to stay and continue our work."
The Good Samaritan is not United Way Funded.
"We are supported by churches and individuals in the community," explained Brown. "About 40 churches provide half the income with the remaining half provided by individuals."
First Baptist Church pays the organization's utility bills and insurance with Good Samaritan paying its own telephone bill.
"They have been wonderful hosts," said Brown of First Baptist.
Volunteers staff The Good Samaritan center Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. They are not open if schools are closed for bad weather, added Miller, who also serves on The Good Samaritan's board.
The center is closed on Saturday and Sunday for distribution but does accept donations at the rear door of the church, according to Miller.
"Our address is 815 North Main St., South Boston,Va. 24592 in case anyone wants to send a check," said Brown.
A funeral for Victoria Shields Whitlow, 83, of 178 High View Church Road, Roxboro, NC, who died Tuesday, November 25, 1997, at her home, will be held at 2 p.m. today, November 28 in High View Baptist Church by Revs. J.D. Moore and Buddy Hall. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Whitlow was a native of Halifax County, the daughter of Percy and Bessie Wheeley Shields and was married to Harvey W. Whitlow.
Surviving are a daughter, Miranda Helfter of Yaupon Beach, NC; four sons, Talmadge Whitlow, Alvin Whitlow, Graley Whitlow and Jackie Whitlow, all of Roxboro; a foster daughter, Betty H. Tayler of KY; a brother, Phillip Shields of Mebane, NC; a sister, Mildred Griffin; 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Elsie S. Banks Robinson of 14751 Paradise Lane, Amelia, and formerly of Halifax County, died Saturday, November 22, 1997 at Johnston Willis Hospital in Richmond at the age of 72.
Mrs. Robinson was born in Halifax County on May 14, 1925 the daughter of Deacon William J. Banks and Nannie M. Banks of Clover. She was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church and a graduate of Halifax Training School and also attended Virginia Union University.
Survivors include her husband, Deacon William H. Robinson of Amelia; two daughters, Theresa Alston and Patricia Robinson; three sons, William, James and Samuel Robinson, all of White Plains, NY; one step-son, Christopher Jefferson of Las Vegas, NV; one sister, Reginia Robinson of Amelia; four brothers, William F. Banks of Bronx, NY, Robert of Clover, Henry of TN, and John of Greenwich, CT; one brother-in-law; five sisters-in-law, including Olivia Banks of Clover, and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Robinson will be held today, November 28 at 1 p.m. at Promise Land Baptist Church in Amelia.
Leonidas Whitehead of The Bronx, NY, and formerly of Clover, died November
24, 1997 in New York at age 79.
Mr. Whitehead was born in Charles City on December 2, 1917 the son of Elijah Whitehead and Martha Adkins Whitehead. He was married to Willie Mae Palmer Whitehead and was a World War II Army Veteran and a retired Longshoreman.
Survivors include two daughters, Etta Frances Hill of Mt. Laurel and Yvette Whitehead of The Bronx; one son, Henry Alvin Palmer Sr. of The Bronx; one daughter-in-law, Constance Palmer; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; one adopted grandson, Edwin Bega of The Bronx and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Whitehead will be held Saturday, November 29 at 11 a.m. at the chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home with Rev. R.H. VanHook officiating. Burial will follow in Bethel Grove Baptist Church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Etta Francis Hill in Clover.