Ice-covered roads forced Halifax County school officials to
close schools today for the ninth time this winter, even as Gov.
Mark Warner declared a state of emergency across the Commonwealth.
Motorists were encouraged not to drive unless they absolutely
had to.
"If they do have to get out, they need to use extreme caution
because it is very treacherous out here," warned South Boston
Police Sgt. Dennis Blanks Sunday afternoon.
Forecasts call for continued precipitation, according to Blanks.
"We could have several inches of ice on the road by Monday
morning," added Blanks.
A mixture of snow, sleet, freezing rain, floods and high winds
were sweeping the state yesterday, triggering Gov. Warner's declaration.
"It's still coming down and not warming up," Halifax
County Superintendent of Schools Dennis Witt said Sunday. "Back
roads are treacherous.
"This is probably the worst winter in a long time,"
he added.
Loss of power, heat, telephone service and a shortage of supplies
are primary concerns as storm conditions persist, warned Gov.
Warner.
"Citizens are advised to stock an emergency supply of water
and food and have an alternate heat source available if power
outages occur."
Halifax County citizens awoke Sunday morning to ice-covered roads
and freezing temperatures hovering around 22 degrees at mid-morning.
A sleet/snow mixture continued to pelt county roads yesterday
as highway crews fought to keep Halifax County's primary roads
open.
VDOT's Halifax Resident Engineer Joe Barkley II said Sunday that
his crews had been out since 6 p.m. Saturday.
"We've pushed some roads and used abrasives and chemicals"
to keep them open, added Barkley.
The resident engineer described road conditions Sunday afternoon
as "probably a little worse in the northern part of the county
and in Charlotte County."
Approximately 120 VDOT employees have been working 12-hour shifts
to keep roads open, according to Barkley.
Although Halifax County public schools are closed again today,
Superintendent Witt said yesterday that the Spring Break is still
intact, "If there are no more closings."
Kerry Lawrence Clark, 22, was arrested Friday and charged with
three counts of distribution of marijuana and one count of conspiracy
to distribute marijuana following the execution of a search warrant
at the Willow Oaks apartment complex by the Halifax/South Boston
Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force.
"At approximately 11:30 a.m., the tactical teams of the South
Boston Police Department and the Halifax County Sheriff's Office,
Halifax County deputies, South Boston officers, the task force,
and the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (VABC)
executed a search warrant at the residence," Maj. R.S.B.
Pulliam of the task force said.
After securing the scene, members of the task force seized approximately
one pound of marijuana, $8,200 in cash, various drug paraphernalia,
TVs, stereos, a computer, VCRs, jewelry, DVD players and various
other electronics and two vehicles, according to Pulliam.
Currently, Clark is free on a $25,000 secured bond.
Pulliam said Clark is expected to be charged with additional charges
in the near future.
"This area has been responsible for the distribution of illegal
drugs on a daily basis," the major said. "This apartment
had a large customer base, and many of these customers have been
identified and face potential charges."
Pulliam said the investigation into Clark's network is continuing
and he expects additional suspects to be apprehended.
"The success of this investigation was the result of undercover
agents purchasing drugs from this location over the pasy year
and valuable information provided by concerned citizens and the
law enforcement community in Halifax County," he said.
The task force would like to express thanks to all of the citizens
who passed information along about drug activity and violators
in the community.
"Most importantly, we would like to thank the citizens for
their patience in allowing the investigation to conclude,"
Pulliam said.
In an unrelated matter, the task force also arrested Richard Lee
Torian, 44, of Gygax Avenue in South Boston and charged him with
the distribution of cocaine and the conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Torian is currently being held in the Halifax Regional Jail under
a $7,500 secured bond.
A county-owned "green box", located at the rear of
Ratliff Grocery in Riverdale will remain there until a more suitable
site can be found.
That was the result of a Thursday night meeting between residents
of Route 704 and Halifax County Supervisors C.W. "Corky"
Rorrer and Ronnie Vaughan to discuss the current location of the
green box, which many think is unsuitable.
Rorrer represents the district in which the green box site currently
lies.
The green box was formerly located along Route 704 in Vaughan's
district, but was removed to the present site due to right-of-way
issues with a nearby railroad, and safety issues as well.
The two supervisors asked the group for suggestions for another
location, reminding them that a 150'x150' site in the Cluster
Springs area would be required.
Safety and security were the most mentioned issues for moving
the green box.
Many of those present said they are hesitant to go to the green
box at its present location, because of the heavy traffic in Riverdale
and the resulting difficulty with access to the site.
Wilson Powell, a county employee who drives the fork lift behemoths
that service the green boxes, has witnessed those problems first
hand, and not only at the green box in question.
Powell told the group that as a county employee he is responsible
for policing the areas around the green boxes he services.
"It burns me up, Powell began.
"They take aluminum siding and such, house shingles and put
it on the ground."
Powell added he has removed syringes from the area of one green
box.
He agreed that access to the green box in question is limited,
and that it's unsafe for a truck the size of the one he drives
to navigate the site behind Ratliff.
Vicky Daniel, who along with her husband, Judson, are Route 704
residents, felt that older people are afraid to come to the present
green box site, because of traffic and concerns for their safety.
"I sure wouldn't go back there at night," said Daniel.
Vaughan said that the long-term solution to the problem would
be the placement of convenience centers throughout the county
to replace the 300 green boxes.
Sixteen of them are planned, one in each of the eight electoral
districts to start, with two eventually planned for construction
in each district.
He estimated each would cost from $35,000 to $50,000 to build.
Rorrer estimated that the Cluster Springs area would have a convenience
center of its own within a year.
Rorrer added each convenience center would be fenced in to contain
wind-blown trash and each would have an attendant on site to assist
with recycling.
Residents expressed their anger and frustration with the ongoing
problem of trash and refuse along Rte. 704, asking for stricter
enforcement of the law to punish litterbugs.
Judson Daniel said he has asked the Sheriff's Department to help
stop the abuse of the green boxes, meant only for residential,
not commercial refuse.
"These folks who're breaking the law are causing us to suffer.
We need to stop commercial use of the green boxes," he said.
Henry Oakley, another Rte. 704 resident, agreed, saying other
localities have solved their litter problems by identifying and
fining violators.
Al Zimmerman, a Rte. 704 resident, went so far as to offer monetary
assistance to any civic group to maintain a stretch of his road.
"I'll make a gesture to pay a civic organization to clean
up trash on 704 and keep it clean. I'll contribute a significant
amount of money toward that," Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman proposed the addition of "no littering" signs
along that stretch of 704, adding the work in cleaning and maintaining
the road wouldn't be easy.
"It's not child's play," he advised.
"After the initial cleanup, I'll donate to help keep that
stretch of 704 clean. It can't get any worse."
Oakley countered that he didn't think it was right for law abiding
citizens to pay to pick up a "lawbreaker's" trash.
Tammy Reaves, a volunteer member of the Halifax County Improvement
Council, assured the group that the Improvement Council has long
since been aware of the issue.
"I can assure you, the enforcement of litter laws has been
an issue," she began.
Reaves said that she and council head Jenny Hochstein have completed
a video detailing enforcement techniques in an attempt to educate
the public on what's appropriate for green boxes.
"I'm glad this meeting happened, and this is an ongoing process.
Law enforcement needs to take place."
Reaves suggested citizens try and get a license tag number of
a driver they see littering and notify authorities.
"That driver will get a warning," she indicated.
Rorrer indicated the Sheriff's Department follows up on citizen's
reports of littering.
"(Sheriff) Oakes is generally very cooperative with us,"
Rorrer said.
"When we have specific information, such as a license number,
it needs to be followed up on."
Rorrer admitted that moving the green box wouldn't totally eliminate
the problems on 704, indicting that citizens would need to be
involved to help better enforce the laws already in effect.
With menacing bloodshot eyes and a devastating
left hook, Halifax County High School's competitor in NASA's "For
Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)"
robotics competition promises to end the careers of all comers
in a fight to the finish at Virginia Commonwealth University in
early March.
Longwood University Institute for Teaching Through Technology
and Innovative Practices is sponsoring HCHS's robotics team for
the second year, and spokesman Carol Inge has high hopes for this
year's competition.
"Last year, the kids did great," Inge said. "And
this year's team is even larger."
This year, the institute is teaming up with Halifax County Public
Schools, 20 high school students, five teachers and five local
engineers and business people to compete in the event.
Everyone connected with the team said last year's team did exceptionally
well considering the competition.
"Last year, our team placed 16th our of 66 teams," Inge
said. "We were the second-highest placing rookie team in
the competition.
"Placing that high was extraordinary, since the other teams
were financially supported by organizations like Boeing and Lockheed-Martin,"
she added. "Our team was on a shoestring budget and had no
experience in building robots."
This year's competition is in Richmond on March 7-8 at the VCU
Siegle Center on Broad Street.
In addition to gaining experience building robots, participating
in the team has had other effects on the high school students.
"He used to hate coming to school," Rose Curry said
of her son, Dwayne Martin. "Now he loves it."
She suggested that challenging students both technologically and
creatively provides the spark the students need to get excited
about learning.
"He's really doing something he loves to do," Curry
said.
And is college in her son's future?
"It is if I have anything to do with it," she said with
a laugh.
Charla Faulkner-Crews agrees.
She said her daughter, Leslie Crews, is thrilled about being on
the team.
"She loves art, and was planning on studying art in college,"
her mother said. "Now she's looking at programs in architecture
and engineering."
Crews said that being on the team provides the students with a
taste of what the business world is like.
"The students on this team are getting real world experience,"
the mother said. "This is an example of creatively merging
art and technology."
This year's team is led by Gary Spake, director of operations
at ABB. In addition to Spake, ABB engineers David Vinson, Baker
Carter, Carl Thompson and Tim Pridgen lend their expertise to
the robot, which features a pneumatic arm with a "devastating
left hook."
Five Halifax County teachers bring additional experience to the
team. Assistant Principal Charles Lowery, Ernest Bass, AutoCad
Drafting teacher, Jimmy Inge, machine shop teacher, Ricky Gordon,
electrical teacher and Anthony Pasciuta, biology teacher, each
brought their specialties to bear on the design of the battlin'
bot.
Pascuita painted CometBot's intimidating bloodshot eyes.
Any local business or individual in the community who wants to
help sponsor the team should contact Vicki Spake, office manager
of the institute, at 517.0717 or on the web at www.usfirst.org.
It was only appropriate that Halifax County's seniors reigned
supreme on Senior Night.
Comets seniors Andrew Witko, Dwight Green and Freddie Jeffress
combined for 33 points and 28 rebounds to lead the Comets to a
71-67 win over archrival GW of Danville and a second-place finish
in the Western Valley District standings.
Two other seniors, Joseph Brandon and Don Claiborne, while not
compiling the flashy numbers of the lead trio, gave the Comets
a defensive spark at the start of the second half when the Comets
unleased their up-tempo pressure defense.
The Comets used that defense to stake themselves to a 15-0 run
in the first three minutes of the second half that lifted them
from a 29-27 deficit at halftime to a 42-29 lead.
From there, the Comets cruised home with the win.
The victory, the Comets' second victory over GW in their last
10 meetings spanning a stretch of five seasons, was a marked turnaround
for the Comets who had played badly two nights before in a loss
to Franklin County .
"There is no one particular thing we did differently,"
said Witko who scored eight points, reeled in 12 rebounds and
blocked two shots before fouling out with four and a half minutes
left in the game.
"I think it was a matter of effort more than anything else."
Friday night's win over GW gives the Comets (10-9 overall, 4-4
district) a home game Wednesday night in the semifinal round of
the Western Valley District Tournament.
Halifax County will host Franklin County, which ended up with
the third seed after a tiebreaker, in Wednesday's 7 p.m. contest.
Comets coach Garrett Dillard hailed the win as a tremendous win
for his team.
"You go up against a team that has traditionally dominated
us in a game for second place and a home game in the tournament,
on Senior Night, on the last night of the regular season and you
find a way to pull it out, it's huge for the program," Dillard
said.
"You have to find the positives in things. Going back to
the Franklin County game (last Wednesday night), we lost that
one and we were here tonight with all of the marbles on the table.
"We lose to GW and we might be in fifth place," continued
Dillard.
"You don't ever want to lose but it (the loss to Franklin
County) put us in a position where our backs were even more against
the wall and made us have to fight that much harder."
The Comets were led in scoring by sophomore guard Craig McCargo
who scored 20 points, snared three rebounds, four steals and three
assists.
Thirteen of his points came in the second half.
Green finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals and
a blocked shot, Jeffress finished his night with 11 points and
eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Quintin Brown chipped in 11
points, eight of them coming in the second half.
For the game, the Comets hit 23 of their 44 attempts from the
floor for 52 percent.
Early on, the game looked like a carbon copy of the teams' earlier
meeting in Danville.
The Comets got an early lead, using six consecutive points by
McCargo to go up 12-7 midway through the opening period.
Halifax capped the first quarter when Chase Weddle made a shot,
was fouled and hit a free throw to complete a three-point play
that gave it an 18-11 lead after the first eight minutes.
But, as GW had done in the first game in Danville, it put together
a run in the second quarter to get back into contention and take
the lead.
GW put together a 12-2 run as the Comets managed only one bucket
in the first five minutes of the second quarter to take a 23-21
lead.
Jeffress and Green took a turn at tying the score before GW sank
the final shot of the half to go up 29-27 at the break.
Like the previous meeting, a big early second-half run decided
the game.
This time, it was the Comets that made the big spurt.
Halifax County broke the game open with the 15-0 run to start
the second half.
Witko canned six points in a row in the first minute and 10 seconds.
Green followed with five straight points and McCargo and Brown
added a basket each to lift the Comets to a 42-29 lead with 4:41
left in the third quarter.
GW missed four shots in a row and committed four turnovers in
that span.
The Eagles closed the margin to six points by the time the quarter
ended but that was as close as GW got to the Comets the rest of
the night.
A three-point play by Brown and a layup by Green gave the Comets
a 53-42 lead with just under six minutes to play.
Back-to-back baskets by McCargo near the midway point of the final
quarter put the Comets up 57-43 with 4:38 to play.
The Comets did enough down the stretch from that point to secure
the win.
Two three-pointers by GW in the final 27 seconds cut the Comets'
lead to six points with 12 seconds to play.
A free throw by McCargo with five seconds left put the Comets
up by the final 71-64 score.
"We fought and fought and fought and came out in the second
half and established our post game," Dillard pointed out.
"Once we did that, it opened the game up a little bit. Although
GW cut the lead back some, we were able to work the lead and not
let them get any closer than six points."
The game was a very physical one and the foul count and free throw
shooting counts showed it.
Halifax County was whistled for 24 fouls and GW was cited for
29 fouls, making a total of 53 fouls in the game.
Between the two teams, 59 free throws were taken with the Comets
hitting 23 of their 37 attempts from the charity stripe .
GW canned 11 of 22 attempts.
"It was a war out there," said Dillard.
"Guys were out there just going at each other, going for
every loose ball.
"Our guys had that warrior mentality where we've got to do
the "dirty" things to win," added Dillard, "things
like diving after balls, going strong at the ball, taking the
contact or whatever the case it may be.
"It's about having guys that don't mind sacrificing themselves
to make the big play. They did it and we were able to pull out
the victory."
Frances Brooks Conner, 77, of 7032 Huell Matthews Highway, Cluster
Springs, died February 13 at Meadowview Terrace, Clarksville.
Mrs. Conner was born in Halifax County on March 23, 1925, the
daughter of Charles Lloyd Brooks and Ruby May Smoot Brooks, and
was married to Charlie Acree Conner. She was a member of Black
Walnut Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Acree Beverly Conner of Alton and
Charles Henry Conner of Cluster Springs; one brother, Lloyd Brooks
of Columbus, Ohio; three granddaughters, Beverly C. Chandler and
Kimberly D. Conner, both of Alton, and Jennifer L. Conner of Wilmington,
NC; one grandson, Michael Acree Conner of Alton; and three great-grandchildren.
Graveside services for Mrs. Conner were held February 15 at Oak
Ridge Cemetery at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Rudolph Jacobs officiating.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Virginia
Chapter Alzheimers Foundation, PO Box 310, South Hill, 23970.
Annie Lee Brooks Eanes, 90, of Old Concord Road, Nathalie, died
Saturday at her residence.
Mrs. Eanes was a member of Mulberry Baptist Church and was a homemaker.
She was born May 10, 1912 in Pittsylvania County, a daughter of
the late Nobie Scott Brooks and Bethenie "Bunch" Eanes
Brooks.
Mrs. Eanes was predeceased by her husband, Elbert Lee Eanes Sr.,
four brothers and three sisters, Thomas Brooks, Walker Brooks,
Gilmore Brooks Russell Brooks, Ginnie Thompson, Addie Thompson
and Christine Roach.
She is survived by two sons, James Eanes Sr. and his wife, Gloria,
and Elbert L. Eanes Jr. and his wife, Linda, all of Nathalie,
five daughters, Beulah E. Barbour and her husband, Haywood, of
Nathalie, Christine E. Mitchell and her husband, Godfrey, of Chatham,
Janie E. Gibson and her husband, Dennis, of Chatham, Lucy E. Williams
and her husband, Merton, of Ringgold, and Cora E. Reeves and her
husband, Tommy, of Nathalie.
Other survivors include two sisters, Lucy B. Neal of Gretna and
Fannie B. Roach of Geneva, Ohio, 18 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren,
11 step-great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, February
18, 2003, at Mulberry Baptist Church by the Rev. A.A. Blanks and
the Rev. Richard Saunders.
The family will receive friends Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at
Colbert-Moran Funeral Home, Gretna, and other times at the residence.
Nelson Burruss King, 88, of South Boston, died February 13.
Born March 30, 1914, he was the son of George Benjamin King and
Dorothy Bondurant King, and was married to Rachel McNeely King.
Mr. King was a partner in G.B. King and Son, Inc., the sheet metal
roofing and air-conditioning business started by his father in
1914. He retired in 1990. In the post-depression 1930's, Mr. King
and his brother, Kenneth, made the 'Tin Man' which is on permanent
display in the South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts
and History. He had been a member of First Presbyterian Church
since 1923, and had served as a deacon. He had also been a member
of Faulkner Memorial Masonic Lodge #91.
Survivors include a daughter, Martha Ann Brochard and her husband,
F. Dean Brochard, of Dillwyn; two sons, Nelson Burruss King Jr.
of Ashland, MA, and his wife, Anne M. King; and Henry McNeely
King and his wife, Ida Mae, and her children Howard Christopher
Cole and Anita Cole Collins, both of South Boston; two grandsons,
Henry W. Wilson and his wife, Jennifer, of Fairfax, and Andrew
Nelson King and his wife, Daphne, of Charlotte, NC; two sisters,
Dorothy King Meeler of South Boston and Edna King Stone of Blackstone;
a brother, J . Douglas King of South Boston; and two special friends,
Ruth Mullins of Charlottesville and Rosalie Allen of Ashland,
MA. Mr. King was preceded in death by one sister, Bessie Ann King;
and three brothers, George Benjamin Jr., Kenneth Cameron and Thomas
E. King.
A graveside service for Mr. King was held February 15 at 11 a.m.
at Halifax Memorial Gardens.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider First Presbyterian
Church, 800 N. Main Street, South Boston, or South Boston-Halifax
County Museum of Fine Arts and History, 1540 Wilborn Avenue, South
Boston.
William Thomas 'Tommy' Midkiff, 58, of Red House, died February
13 in Lynchburg General Hospital.
Born in Lynchburg on April 7, 1944, he was the son of the late
Walter G. and Cecil Clark Midkiff and was married to Ellen Adams
Midkiff. Mr. Midkiff was a US Army Veveran of the Vietnam War,
a member of Providence Baptist Church and a retired employee of
Framatome ANP.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law,
Kymberley D. and Billy Mills, and Khrysti M. and Russell Franklin
Jr.; and four grandchildren, Gunnar, Brandon, Bennett and Harleigh
Claire, all of Red House. A sister, Darlene Midkiff, preceded
him death.
Graveside services for Mr. Midkiff were held February 15 at 2
p.m. in Providence Baptist Church Cemetery with the Revs. John
Jackson and Anthony Reeves officiating.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Charlotte
County Rescue Squad.
Halifax County native Jesse Silas Mitchell of Hampton died Wednesday
at MCV Hospital.
He was 48 years old.
Mr. Mitchell was born in Halifax County on February 8, 1955, a
son of the late Fitchell L. Mitchell and Martha Womack Mitchell,
and was married to Earnestine Dickerson Mitchell.
He was a member of Spanish Grove Baptist Church and an Army veteran.
Mr. Mitchell is survived by his wife, Earnestine Dickerson Mitchell,
two daughters, Ms. Kimiko Dickerson and Ms. Shauna Mitchell of
Hampton, two grandchildren and four sisters, Mrs. Bessie Hill
and Mrs. Shirley Mosby of Richmond, Ms. Gertrude Bailey of Alexandria
and Ms. Paulette Carden of Scottsburg.
Other survivors include four brothers, Robert L. Mitchell of Alexandria,
John Mitchell of Hartford, Connecticut, Joseph Mitchell of Detroit,
and Frank Mitchell of Hampton, four brothers-in-law, six sisters-in-law
and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Mitchell will be held Tuesday, February
18, at 1 p.m. at Spanish Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Ronnie
Womack officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery
with full military rites.
The family will receive friends Monday evening at the Jeffress
Funeral Home Chapel in South Boston from 7-8 p.m.
Emmitt Raymond Walker, 83, of 5033 Philpott Road, South Boston,
died February 13 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Walker was born in Halifax County on August 1, 1919, the son
of James Lemuel Walker and Judie Bower Walker and was married
to Flossie Cunningham Walker. He was a member of Liberty United
Church of Christ and an Army Veteran of WWII.
Survivors include two daughters, Patricia Anderson of South Boston,
and Tammy Walker Fisher of Alton; one son, Jimmy Ray Walker of
Buffalo Junction; one sister, Bernice Bowes of Roxboro, NC; six
grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside services for Mr. Walker scheduled for February 16 were
cancelled due to the weather. Arrangements ill be announced at
a later date.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax
County Cancer Association, PO Box 875, South Boston.