Shifting ground on at least three issues was cited by one county supervisor Wednesday night when supervisors declined to vote on a boundary adjustment with the Town of Halifax, instead voting 7-1 to reenter into negotiations with the town.
Supervisor R.E. Abbott, who opposes all annexation, was the lone dissenting vote.
"I want consolidation. I don't want to negotiate," said Abbott. "I support consolidation of services and one government. It is going to be that sooner or later. It's just a matter of time."
Halifax Mayor Dennis Osborne called supervisors' action "unexpected" following the Wednesday night vote.
Halifax Vice-Mayor S.J. "Jack" Dunavant said yesterday town council is expected to meet next week.
"I think we will try to work with the county," said Dunavant. "We are concerned about getting preempted by the General Assembly," he added.
Supervisor Garland Ricketts, who introduced the motion to reenter negotiations with the town, said the ground had shifted since discussions with the town got underway.
"Some figures were guesstimating at the time," said Ricketts Wednesday night.
Specifically, Ricketts named the allocation for water and sewer capacity from the town to the county, which he described as being cut by about half from earlier projections, now at 40,000 gallons of water capacity per day from the town to county.
Halifax County Administrator Dan Sleeper said that figure was in addition to an allocation of approximately 24,000 gpd provided under agreement for service in the Grubby Road area.
With the town's own needs, Sleeper said the town did not have that much additional capacity to share.
Supervisor R.E. Abbott expressed concern during the Wednesday meeting about future water and sewer capabilities and expansion needs by the towns and the cost.
Supervisor Ricketts also cited estimated revenue loss to the county as increasing from about $37,500 to $65,000 as part of the shifting ground.
"And the comments of all these people," said Ricketts of residents speaking during the two public hearings prior to the vote.
But the supervisor did not close the door on the town.
"It needs to have revenue and be more viable than it is," said Ricketts. "If not, it will wither like other small towns in Southside."
Supervisor R.L. Smart Jr. said he thought officials had "a clear mandate from the people to work out consolidation."
Supervisor William Coleman said the town had worked "diligently and in good faith, but some of the premises have changed. There are some cost discrepancies that are fairly significant," said the supervisor, adding he hoped an agreement would be worked out.
The supervisors' action came on the heels of almost two hours of public comment laced with calls for consolidated services and objections from landowners slated to be incorporated into the town.
"Democracy lives," said county landowner James Dunavant following the meeting. Earlier, Dunavant had objected in particular to the back portion of his farm being incorporated into the town. He asked that the line be moved back to Kent Creek. "You have to grow or die and I am willing to help you grow some," said Dunavant.
"I think they need time to work on it," said Lessie Bennett, a county resident who also spoke during the public hearing. "I think it was done too hastily without enough input from citizens. They need to work for the good of the whole area, not separate areas," said Bennett.
Earlier, Bennett, who lives on Route 501 south of Halifax, had complained it would cost $2,000 extra a year with "no say so" if land her family owned was incorporated.
The landowner told town councilmen and supervisors that their land had been used for a pumping station, gas line and water tower when needed.
"We have nothing left off that 200 acres to make a subdivision out of," said Bennett. "And now they want to charge more taxes for this undevelopable land."
Webb Park resident Mickey Vanney, who could not attend the meeting, submitted a letter to be read into the public record.
Vanney noted Webb Park subdivision would be split and questioned that decision. He noted South Boston furnishes water and sewer to the area.
In his letter, Vanney asked who would maintain Moore St. and what residents would get for their taxes.
Whatever is done should affect all Webb Park, Vanney wrote officials.
Kitty Shortt also objected to Webb Park subdivision being split. She also described the town as getting the "scraps from the table" in the adjustment.
"In 10 years Halifax will be in debt like South Boston. Halifax cannot survive on real estate tax ... What are you gong to do when Halifax gets in debt?" she asked.
Centerville businessman Biggy Hunt said he was concerned town council and supervisors did not have accurate figures on cost of the boundary adjustment.
During the public hearing Hunt urged putting the boundary adjustment off until a comprehensive, long range plan could be developed by the towns and county.
"Tens of millions of dollars are going to have to be spent here," he said. "These folks out here do not have money for tens of millions of dollars."
Town of Halifax resident Carl Espy asked that the boundary adjustment be reconsidered, saying he feared an increased tax burden. He described county services as "satisfactory for use of that undeveloped land" off Ball Park Road owned by his wife's family.
Halifax resident Cleve Wilborn also urged one government. "You are ramming it down their throats and they do not want any part of it," Wilborn told town council.
"Why do you all want to do this?" asked Wilborn.
"The town is filled up and we need to expand," said Mayor Dennis Osborne.
"What you are going to do will drive everyone's taxes in the county up," said county resident Allen Hughes.
Lucy Conner, a resident in the northern part of the county, urged the governments to pull together. She described the current situation as one of "two entities fighting over spoils of war. We need to pull together. Let's work for one goal," said Conner.
Joe Satterfield, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, told the crowd that supervisors "have not initiated any boundary adjustment with any town," but had been forced into the situation.
Earlier in the evening, Dr. Don Lacy, the Virginia Tech facilitator who has worked with the county and towns during negotiations, told the crowd there had been seven weeks of dialogue on the subject.
He explained there are two ways in Virginia for towns to expand their boundaries, annexation proceedings and voluntary boundary adjustment.
"Local folks lose control in annexation" proceedings, he explained, with the Commission on Local Government and a three judge-panel making decisions.
Lacy said the county had sought to minimize financial loss by avoiding the cost of litigation and had also sought to reduce the amount of loss it might have otherwise occurred had it gone through annexation.
Lacy said the town's objective had been to get area for residential and economic development and to deal with water and sewer issues.
Several residents also asked Lacy how citizens could pursue consolidation of government.
Lacy said it must be a majority vote in each area of every jurisdiction involved to approve that change.
"To consolidate, all sides have to agree," said Sleeper yesterday. "It is a referendum in each locality, and if it fails in any one of those, it fails."
Public hearings on the proposed boundary agreement between South Boston and the county will begin at 7 p.m. Monday in the Halifax County High School auditorium.
There are two public hearings on the same boundary issue.
The county hearing opens first at 7 p.m. with the South Boston hearing slated for 7:30 p.m. However, the South Boston hearing could be delayed by the first hearing.
South Boston will increase by approximately 4,071 acres if the boundary adjustment is approved by the two governments.
In Riverdale the town seeks about 82 acres lying to the south of the existing town boundaries. This area generally includes property adjacent to U.S. Route 501 from the Dan River to U.S. Route 58; property on the north side of U.S. Route 58 approximately 1000' east then continuing east along U.S. Route 58 approximately 1,200' then south to unmaintained right-of-way; west of U.S. Route 501 approximately 2,200'; north along Route 501 to U.S. Route 58; west along U.S. Route 58 to Norfolk Southern Railway then north along the railway to the existing town boundaries of South Boston.
In the Centerville area the town seeks approximately 3,989 acres located to the northwest north and northeast of the existing town boundaries.
The Centerville area would generally include the area west of the existing town along the Dan River to Pond Branch; then north along Pond Branch to River Road; then north along River Road to the Woodlawn Park and Westside Village subdivisions that would be included in the Centerville area; then along state Route 654 (Sinai Road) in a southwesterly direction to its Intersection with U.S. Route 501 but excluding the industrial area; then east to include commercial areas on the northern side of U.S. Route 501 and State Route 129 to a point on State Route 129 about 400 feet west of its intersection with Dan River Church Road, then east along State Route 129 to Dan River Church Road and east along Dan River Church Road to U.S. Route 360; and then west along U.S. Route 360 to the existing town boundaries.
A 16-year-old male student at the Halifax County High School was arrested Thursday morning after allegedly assaulting two police officers, confirmed Major Ray Link of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
The youth was transported to the Staunton Juvenile Detention Center pending his arraignment on four juvenile petitions. Those charges include two counts of assaulting a police officer, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of obstruction of justice, according to the investigation.
The incident began in a third floor restroom of the high school between the first and second periods, according to Deputy C.S. Yeatts, who has been assigned to the school.
Yeatts and Deputy S.A. Moore observed four students huddled closely together in a suspicious manner in the restroom at 10:10 a.m., according to the investigation.
They were suspected of consuming alcohol and when approached, were told to follow Moore downstairs to the school's main office, while Yeatts followed the entire group, police said.
At the second floor level near the school library, one of the youths began to walk ahead of the group in an apparent attempt to get away, according to the investigation.
Moore told the youth to stop several times, but the juvenile shouted profanities at the officer and refused to stop, Link said.
When Moore grabbed the subject by the arm to stop him from leaving, the youth allegedly assaulted Moore and shouted more profanities, according to Link.
The two officers subdued the juvenile and while handcuffing the subject were surrounded by a large group of students apparently angry at the arrest, according to Yeatts.
One student elbowed Yeatts during what the police officers referred to as a "near riot," Link said.
Teachers and school administration officials had to converge and help disperse the crowd, Yeatts said.
The three other youths who were detained did not try to flee during the incident, Yeatts added. An investigation into any possible illegal activity on their part is still underway, Link said.
HCHS Principal Larry Clark was not at the school Thursday and Assistant Principal Leon Johnson had no comment, pending a discussion of the incident with Clark upon his return.
Halifax County Superintendent of Public Schools Dennis Witt was out of town Thursday and also not available for comment.
In a separate incident at the high school, misdemeanor juvenile petitions have been filed against two students who allegedly possessed marijuana at the school on December 4, according to Link.
One youth was 15 years old and the other was 16 years old, according to the investigation.
On October 15, a 14-year-old juvenile was charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana, while on October 10, a 15-year-old juvenile was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, police said. An additional charge is expected in the October 10 case, Yeatts said.
"We believe that it is well worth the time and expense to have deputies at the high school," Link said. "They are there to help keep a lid on illegal activities that could jeopardize the safety of students, as well as faculty."
The sheriff's department assigns one deputy on a full-time basis to the school. Currently, Yeatts is the assigned officer which is officially called the School Resource Officer.
Deputy Moore is a possible replacement for Yeatts in January, while Yeatts is scheduled to attend the Central Virginia Training Academy in Lynchburg. Moore was in service at the high school Thursday for the first time to become familiar with the School Resource Officer's duties.
Great cooks from coast to coast entered a sleigh full of recipes - 6700 in all - in the Taste of Home Magazine's Christmas Cookie Exchange recipe contest this year with Scottsburg's Tamyra Vest among the dozen winners.
Vest's Apricot Crescents recipe also captured a coveted spot in the 1998 Taste of Home Annual Recipes cookbook.
"My roommate in college received the cookies in a Christmas care package from her mother and I've been making them ever since," said Vest. "I get asked so much for the recipe, I just keep recipe cards handy."
The Apricot Crescents have also become "an expected" Christmas gift among Vest's family and friends.
"My parents fight over the cookies so much when I make them that I've started mailing them in tins labeled 'his' and 'hers' so there's no squabbling over who gets more," added the baker.
Since her recipe appeared in The Taste of Home magazine, Vest said she has received several calls and letters from all over the United States requesting hints and tips on the recipe.
The recipe can be found on page 126 in the Cookies & Bars section of the 324-page annual cookbook.
Included in 1998 Taste of Home Annual Recipes are a dozen favorite menus from some of the magazine's 1,000 field editors -- good cooks located throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Vest's recipe for Apricot Crescents:
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
In a bowl, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg yolk and sour cream; add to crumb mixture and mix well. Chill for several hours or overnight. Divide dough into fourths. On a sugared surface, roll each portion into a 10-in. circle. Turn dough over to sugar top side. Combine preserves, coconut and pecans; spread over circles. Cut each circle into 12 wedges and roll each wedge into a crescent shape, starting at the wide end. Sprinkle with sugar. Place points down 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until set and very lightly browned. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4 dozen.
Vest cooking tips: Use lots of sugar when rolling wedges into crescent shapes. And use an insulated cookie sheet to assure proper cooking heat
Police detonated a confiscated hand grenade Tuesday evening on a farm just east of South Boston, according to Major Ray Link of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
The M-26 fragmentation grenade was turned over to the sheriff's department earlier that day by an estranged wife who had obtained a protective order against her husband, Link said.
In addition to the grenade, she turned over several rifles, shotguns, and a 9mm pistol which belongs to the man, Link added.
"She told us she had reason to believe that her life was in danger and that's why she retrieved the items from her husband," Link said.
Currently, no charges have been filed against the man which is why police have not released his name. The weapons are still being held at the sheriff's department.
"There's a good possibility that there will be a felony charge involving possession of the hand grenade, but the incident is still under an investigation at this stage," Link pointed out.
The grenade was turned over to Special Agent Larry Bishop of the Virginia State Police who, in addition to being an investigator, is also trained in bomb disposal.
Bishop took the grenade to a farm just off U.S. 58 and under a tightly-controlled situation, "rendered the grenade safe by detonating a side charge," he explained. The grenade exploded at about 5:30 p.m.
The investigation is being handled by Lt. L.W. Fears of the sheriff's department and is being assisted by Bishop.
James Alexander Scott, 23, of Scottsburg was charged Tuesday with three felony counts involving a break-in of a residence, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
In the same case, deputies arrested Faith Elizabeth Lacks, 19, also of Scottsburg and charged her with a felony counts of breaking and entering and grand larceny.
The couple allegedly broke into the home of Richard Carden on November 21 and stole a stereo, CD player, and speakers with a value of more than $200, according to the investigation.
He was charged with felony counts of breaking and entering, grand larceny, and possession of a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony, police said.
Scott and Lacks were released on bond pending their preliminary hearings in the Halifax County General District Court on January 30. They were arrested by Deputy Q.W. Clark.
In other cases:
· Christopher Lynn Thomas, 29, of South Boston was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor count of assaulting Kathryn Thomas, a family member. The alleged assault occurred the same day, police said.
Thomas was released on bond pending his trial in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on December 31. He was arrested by Deputy David Gibson.
· Tonya Denise Blane, 23, of South Boston was charged Monday with a misdemeanor count of threatening Caletia Neshell Graves by telephone, police said. The alleged incidents occurred between April 10 and October 7, police said.
Blane was released on bond pending her trial in the Halifax County General District Court on December 19. She was arrested by Lt. S.M. Cassada.
· Torrance Urick Dunkley, 19, of Clover was arrested Tuesday on a misdemeanor count of threatening Andre Bowman. The alleged incident occurred Monday, according to the investigation.
Dunkley was released on bond pending his trial in the Halifax County General District Court on January 16. He was arrested by Deputy Gibson.
Arrests were made of two different groups of juveniles who are charged with felony counts of breaking entering and grand larceny in three separate cases, police said.
A total of ten charges were filed against three male juveniles in the breaking and entering of the Meadville Elementary School and the Rt. 832 residence of Cyrus Ferguson, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Department.
The alleged break-ins and thefts occurred on November 29. Two juveniles were 15 years old and the other was 13 years old, according to the investigation.
Guns, jewelry, and other items were stolen from Ferguson's home, most of which was recovered, according to Investigator M.A. Womack.
They were each charged with two felony counts of breaking and entering and two felony charges of grand theft. Two of the subjects were also charged with misdemeanor counts of vandalism stemming from the school break-in, according to Womack.
They were released to the custody of their parents pending their trials in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
In a case investigated by the South Boston Police Department, two 16-year-old male juveniles were arrested this week for the October 1 break-in of John's Amoco located on Edmunds Street, according to Lt. Hubert Rice of the South Boston Police Department.
The youths allegedly broke through a glass window and stole cigarettes, candy, and other items, most of which was recovered, according to Lt. Rice.
At least one of the youths is presently in a juvenile detention home pending his trial.
Henry Tucker of 205 Greenfield Road, South Boston died Tuesday, December 9 at Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC at the age of 61.
Mr. Tucker was born in Halifax County on June 22, 1936 and was the son of the late Mr. Amous Tucker and Mrs. Maria Palmer Tucker. He was a member of the Five Fork Baptist Church.
His survivors include two sisters: Lula Ferrell and Helena Dingle of South Boston; four brothers: Joseph and Thomas Tucker of South Boston and Junior and James Tucker of Alexandria; and an aunt: Mrs. Beatrice Bailey of Halifax.
Funeral services will be held Sun., Dec. 15 at 1:30 p.m. with services at the chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home with the Rev. Sandy Palmer officiating. Burial will follow in the Five Fork Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will received friends at the home of the deceased.
Lodema Landrum Wilkerson of 311 Leigh Street, South Boston died Wednesday, December 10, 1997 at The Woodview. She was 83 years of age.
Mrs. Wilkerson was born in Pelham, NC on June 2, 1914 the daughter of Charlie Henry Landrum and Nannie Howard Chaney Landrum and was married to Mitchell Franklin Wilkerson. She was a member of South Boston Church of God where she was secretary of the church for many years.
Survivors include two sons, Lloyd Franklin Wilkerson and Donnie Gray Wilkerson, both of South Boston; one daughter, Nell Wilkerson Talley of Alton; one sister, Eugenia Landrum Anderson of South Boston; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren and one step-great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Mrs. Wilkerson will be held today, December 12 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home chapel with Revs. Don Fox and Bill Leonard conducting the service. Burial will take place in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Halifax County Cancer Association, PO Box 875, South Boston, VA 24592.
Ralph Hamlett Lowery of 1090 Bold Springs Road, South Boston died Tuesday, December 9, 1997 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 75 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Lowery was born September 25, 1922 in Halifax County the son of Bennie Lowery and Dossie Ford Lowery and was married to Helen Pool Lowery. He was a member of Black Walnut Baptist Church, and a retired employee of Stackhouse.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Ralph H. Lowery Jr. of South Boston; one daughter, Mona L. Sparks of Fairfax; one sister, Alice L. Hubbard of Fort Myers, FL; one grandson, Zachery Sparks of Fairfax; and one granddaughter, Lauren Sparks of Fairfax.
Funeral services will be held at Brooks Funeral Home chapel today, December 12 at 2 p.m. with Revs. Grover Stevens and Ricky Whitlow officiating. Burial will take place Black Walnut Baptist Church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Black Walnut Baptist Church.