At a time when most members of the General Assembly haven't
even unpacked from returning home after the session, competition
for their seats is already heating up.
And it appears that Delegate Clarke Hogan, R-60th, will have to
fight another battle, this time to keep his seat in the House
of Delegates in November's election.
Brad Wike of Keysville, who ran against Hogan in the 2001 election,
will be announcing a run for the seat.
Wike, 47, is an electrical worker employed by Dominion Virginia
Power.
In his last bid for the seat, Wike said that he "received
42 percent of the vote and was out-spent by a two-to-one margin."
Wike said yesterday that he sees flaws in the legislature.
"I'm not happy about the way things are going in the General
Assembly," Wike said.
He said that many legislators have lost focus on what Virginia
is about.
"We're not being fiscally conservative with our money,"
he said.
"I don't think we're focused on middle-class Virginians,"
added Wike.
He pointed out the estate tax cut, which was passed this year
by the General Assembly.
"We cut the estate tax, but in the meantime increased user
fees," he said, adding "that doesn't make sense.
"We have taxes that are hurting the middle class, but at
the same time we are cutting the taxes of the richest Virginians.
"The framers of our Constitution envisioned a part-time legislature
that works for and on behalf of its citizens," he said.
"I am certain that the hard-working folks of the 60th District
are not being represented in the General Assembly by one of their
peers," Wike added. "In this time of economic hardship,
it is imperative that we have a representative that is aware of
the challenges that affect working people.
"I believe in the electoral process," he said. "Voters
should have a choice, and I am here to offer a real one."
Wike said yesterday that he will make a public announcement in
the upcoming weeks.
When asked if he felt he could do a better job in the legislature
than Hogan, Wike was emphatic.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't be running if I didn't."
The Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task
Force dealt another blow to narcotics traffickers Friday night
with the arrests of two on crack distribution charges.
Cornelius Antwain Green, 27, AKA "Shorty," of the Willow
Oaks apartments in South Boston, was charged with six counts of
distribution of crack cocaine.
He is currently being held in the Halifax Regional Jail under
a $10,000 secured bond.
Keith Wilson Jones, 19, of Edmunds Street in South Boston, was
arrested Friday and charged with one count of the distribution
of crack cocaine.
Jones is currently incarcerated in the Halifax Regional Jail under
a $5,000 secured bond.
"The task force, working closely with both concerned citizens
and the South Boston Police Department, concluded a lengthy investigation
and began the arrest phase last week with the execution of a search
warrant at the Willow Oaks apartment complex," said Maj.
R.S.B. Pulliam, head of the task force.
Following the execution of the search warrant, Kerry Lawnence
Clark, 22, was charged with three counts of distribution of marijuana
and one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Inside Clark's apartment, 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, according to Pulliam. Task force members also
seized two vehicles from the scene.
Last week, the task force also arrested Richard Lee Torian, 44,
of Gygax Avenue in South Boston, and charged him with distribution
of cocaine and the conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Pulliam said that this phase of the investigation concentrated
on street level drug dealers.
"The suspects arrested (Friday) are the drug dealers that
the citizens of South Boston and Halifax County see everyday,"
he said. "Citizens driving by open air drug markets on their
way to work or with their families often observe these drug dealers
conducting their business out in the open, and some citizens are
faced with watching these drug dealers sell next to their residence."
Additional arrests of drug dealers are anticipated in the following
weeks, both in South Boston and at the Willow Oaks apartment complex,
according to Pulliam.
Agencies assisting in the investigation include the South Boston
Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department
of ABC and the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.
State Police
In other police business, Kenneth A. Brooks, 32, of Chestnut Creek
Road in Halifax County, was arrested early yesterday morning and
charged with felony assault and battery of a household member,
according to Halifax Police Chief Glenn Stanley.
Brooks was arrested at the residence of the victim, who was not
identified.
Halifax Police Officer T. Freeman was the arresting officer.
Andrew Wareham, 23, of Cyclone, Pa., was charged with following
too closely Thursday afternoon after his 1996 Freightliner tractor-trailer
struck a 1990 Mercury two-door operated by Frank Allen Boyd, 53,
of L.P. Bailey Hwy. in Halifax.
The accident occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m., according to
police reports.
Trooper G.M. Gilliam said that Boyd was attempting to turn left
off of Highway 501 when the accident occurred.
Gilliam estimated the damages to the Mercury at $1,200 and said
the tractor-trailer received an estimated $1,000 in damage.
Although Boyd complained of minor injuries sustained in the accident,
he declined transportation to the hospital for treatment.
Delegate Clarke Hogan said yesterday that the two crucial items
for Halifax County, K-12 public education funds and Medicaid funding,
survived the state's budget crunch and were passed by the General
Assembly for next year's budget.
"Based on the numbers that were provided to the General Assembly
by the governor's office, we have produced a balanced budget this
year," he said.
But Hogan cautioned that all funding in the budget hinges on whether
projected money is available, and said a large percentage was
a band-aid for the current fiscal crisis.
"About half of the cuts in the Governor's proposal were one-time
fixes, and I think that's true in the consensus budget,"
Hogan said.
Still, the delegate said he was pleased with the overall outcome
of the budget.
"I think we were able to do some things that are pretty positive,"
Hogan said. "Such as cutting funding to the things that we
consider non-essential services and concentrating on core services."
The delegate said he was glad to see that there were no cuts in
direct aid for public education.
"Halifax County schools came out of this great," he
said. "Our system received $30,438,806.
"We actually increased basic aid money to K-12, and the teachers
receive a 2.25 percent pay increase," Hogan added. "That's
real money for teachers and state employees."
The increase will cost the state $27.5 million, and the is effective
January 1, 2004.
Statewide, the budget promises more money for education including:
· An extra $92 million for public education, for a total
of $7.2 billion two-year appropriation.
· $10 million which will be leveraged for low-interest
loans and immediate assistance for school construction.
· A $3.2 million increase in funding to improve testing
programs in math and history.
"One of the things that I'm glad about is the fact that our
schools held on to their composite index adjustment," the
delegate observed. "Two years ago, Halifax County received
$25 million from the state and now they get $30 million.
"That's a 20 percent increase in two years," he pointed
out.
Considering the state's fiscal crisis, Hogan said he was pleased
that the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center received full
funding.
"In addition to the $240,000 proposed by the Governor, we
added $200,000 for 2004 funding.
"Now that was hard," the delegate said. "To get
new money in this fiscal situation wasn't easy, but I felt like
it was important for that center's operation and really important
for this area's economic revival."
Medicaid Funding
An area of specific concern for Hogan was Gov. Warner's proposed
freeze on Medicaid reimbursements.
During last year's budget reductions, Medicaid reimbursements
to hospitals, nursing homes, HMOs and pharmacies were cut by $127
million, and Warner's introduced budget would have reduced reimbursement
payments by another $150 million.
In addition, the Governor's budget proposal cut an additional
$38 million in direct care services for the elderly and disabled.
"That would have been disastrous for Halifax County,"
Hogan said. "Those funds are very important to the people
in our area."
The budget passed by the General Assembly:
· Restores approximately $67.8 million in both state and
federal funds to offset cuts to HMOs, hospitals, nursing homes
and pharmacies.
· Implements a preferred drug list to ensure that medications
provided through Medicaid are appropriate and cost-effective.
· Sets aside funds in the federal Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) program to serve as a reserve in the
event of further cuts in the program.
· Provides additional funding for programs for the mentally
ill.
· Restores $785,000 in funding for community-based services
for the disabled.
Hogan said that he was fairly pleased with the work done on the
budget this year.
"Anytime you look at any budget, you have to remember that
it's a consensus," he said. ""There will always
be parts of it that you don't like and parts that you're very
proud of and do like.
"All in all, I think this is a good budget that focuses on
core services and does so in the context of the economic times
we're living in," Hogan added.
Thick century-old brick walls buttressed
by massive hard pine beams will beckon 21st century Hamlets, Miss
Daisies and Bach masterpieces.
The Prizery's metamorphosis quickens daily with its transition
to a Community Arts Center.
The prevailing beat is strictly construction, with the crunchy
roar of cement mixers, trowels in rapid-fire action and the untimely
squeak of a well-used wheelbarrow rolling by with its load.
A hive of activity, the three-story structure is alive with promises
to be kept.
June 1,2003, is the projected opening date for the 5,000-square
foot Phase I construction.
The $1.6 million project will open with a welcoming center, combination
offices, conference rooms, art gallery, reception hall and lobby
space for the future theatre.
Funding is primarily from ISTEA grants.
"When Phase I is completed, it should be paid for,"
said Prizery board member John Cannon, who was standing in the
center of the construction project last week.
"And then we're going to start fund-raising for Phases 2-6
to complete the building," added Cannon.
"We want to immediately proceed into construction drawings
for the final phases and fund-raising to put the building up in
two and one-half years as opposed to 10 to 15 years."
He estimates it will take about $5 million to complete The Prizery.
With approximately $2.5 million in tax credits, the Foundation
is hoping to partner with a for-profit firm to complete the cycle.
"With the remainder coming from donations, grants and any
other source," added Cannon.
Cannon said the Board hopes to have the fund-raiser basically
finished before November. "So we know where we're at,"
he added.
Whitney Jones, a professional fund-raising group, is sending survey
letters to the public for their input.
"This building is an economic engine and it's going to mean
a lot to people in the community, to parents, to professional
people, to people who like theatre and want their children involved
in the arts," added Cannon.
In the next phase, the steel structure will go in for the theatre/lecture
hall, explained Chris Jones, president of the Community Arts Center
Foundation board.
That space will seat 300 potential students or theatregoers or
music and dance patrons.
"We hope to partner with the college (Southern Virginia Higher
Education Center) and use that as lecture hall space," added
Jones.
"Every seat will have a fold-up desk, and screens will come
down for long-distance learning from Longwood, Averett, DCC or
other sources.
"We will also have the ability to beam out from this classroom
to other classrooms," added the Foundation president.
Longwood University President Patricia Cormier is an enthusiastic
supporter of the project.
"The opportunity for mutually beneficial programming, utilizing
distance education facilities at The Prizery, and possible venues
for academic instruction in the arts is invaluable to higher education
in the area," she wrote Cannon last week.
The Longwood president and Prizery supporters agree that the building's
renovation in the heart of the historic warehouse district will
have a significant impact on the stabilization and economic base
of the South Boston community.
"Not only will the renovation add a much-needed cultural
center in the area, but it will surely spur development of the
area around the building and attract other businesses as well,"
Cormier speculated.
In Prizery plans, the theatre will occupy the north section of
the ground floor through the second floor.
The building's third floor will be a community room capable of
seating 400 people for a meal, or a meeting or classroom space.
A music classroom is also scheduled for that floor.
Below will be an art gallery.
"We are partnering with the Virginia Museum," added
Jones. "There is a gallery with some 3,500 square feet of
high-security space, which means the Virginia Museum can bring
in a high-end exhibit to South Boston.
"But it will also be used for local and regional artists,"
observed Jones during The Prizery tour.
He said there will also be space for various classes, for art,
pottery, print making, oil and water painting.
The Prizery project began about six years ago when the building
was donated by owners John Cannon and the late Bob Harris.
"When this facility is through, we will have a true college
presence in South Boston with the Southern Virginia Higher Education
Center doing the academic side and The Prizery with the performing
arts, the classrooms and the theatre," said Cannon.
"We hope to tie them together, to educate our young people
here and provide entertainment for everyone. I think the two will
work together, the synergy is tremendous.
"And we will have an actual college campus right here in
Halifax County," added the board member.
The Prizery also seeks to enhance arts education in the secondary
schools.
"We want to see if The Prizery could be the campus for the
town and county elementary schools," said Jones.
"We will have faculty here for art education, so hopefully
we could bring students into this building as part of the school
program to make the arts education in our school system more attractive."
Prizery Construction
All work in The Prizery is under supervision of the Department
of Historic Resources in Richmond.
"They have helped nurture the project," added Jones.
Founding user groups for The Prizery project were the Parsons-Bruce
Art Association, the Halifax Woman's Club, the Junior's Woman
Club of South Boston and the Little Theatre group.
"We said we couldn't lose this game," said Comets
guard Craig McCargo.
"Before the season started people said you all are not going
to win the championship. We had to prove them wrong."
The Comets did.
Halifax County overcame a 19-point second-quarter deficit to score
a thrilling come-from-behind 61-58 overtime win over Patrick Henry
Friday night in the championship game of the Western Valley District
Tournament.
"This is THE victory," exclaimed Comets coach Garrett
Dillard.
" This is the one that puts you on the map as a program.
Wherever you look, you're going to see Halifax County as Western
Valley District champions.
"That's the kind of victory you need so that your kids know
we're as good as anybody in our district," added Dillard.
"Now it's time to take it to the regional level."
The Comets earned a berth in the Northwest Region Tournament with
a win here Thursday night over Franklin County.
As the Western Valley District champion, the Comets earned a home
game in the opening round of the Northwest Region Tournament.
Halifax County will play the Cardinal District runner-up here
Saturday night. The time of the game will be announced later this
week.
Patrick Henry will take to the road Saturday to face the Cardinal
District champion.
The Comets won the game - and a battle of wills - over a tough
veteran Patrick Henry team that, like the Comets, was seeking
its first district tournament championship trophy in 10 years.
When it came down to the bottom line, it was a veteran senior,
Dwight Green, and a young sophomore, Quintin Brown, that delivered
the Comets from the throes of defeat.
Green, who led the Comets with 18 points, five rebounds and three
steals, grabbed a nifty bounce pass from Brown under the basket
and scored with 1:23 left in overtime to put the Comets into the
lead for the first time in the game.
Then, after the Patriots' Marlon Kemp missed on the other end,
Brown, who finished his night with 11 points and nine rebounds,
grabbed the rebound and raced in for a layup with 1:02 left to
put the Comets up by four at 57-53.
Patrick Henry's Melvin Smith came up with a late steal and Cornelius
Penn scored off of an offensive rebound to bring the Patriots
to within two points with 27.3 seconds to play.
But McCargo and Brown buried the Patriots by sinking both ends
of a one-and-one opportunity at the free throw line in the last
20 seconds to put the Comets up 61-55 and seal the Comets' victory.
A three-pointer by Penn with a second left on the clock was far
too little too late for the Patriots.
While the Comets got a team-high 18 points and five rebounds from
Green and 11 points from Brown, the victory was a total team effort.
McCargo, who was 0-10 from the floor regrouped and scored 13 points
in the final 12 minutes of the contest.
Freddie Jeffress came through with 10 points and four rebounds
and Andrew Witko, while scoring only seven points, played a solid
defensive game, blocking five shots and grabbing a team-high 11
rebounds.
Early on, it appeared that Patrick Henry (17-6), who hadn't lost
a district game or a home game all year, was going to make quick
work of the Comets.
Halifax County found itself down by 10 points after the first
six and a half minutes.
Trailing by seven points, the Comets saw a potential turnaround
go awry when officials waved off a three-quarter court shot that
McCargo sank with 1.8 seconds left in the first quarter.
PH responded by scoring the first five points of the second quarter
to go up 19-8. A technical foul on Green gave the Patriots two
more free throws and a 21-8 lead.
Things got even worse.
Trailing 28-12, officials called a personal foul on the Comets'
Sharmane Holeman as Holeman attempted to tie up the Patriots'
Andre Brewer in the lane.
Brewer let a couple of choice words fly, resulting in a technical
foul on Kemp.
A Patrick Henry player hurled a verbal dart at Dillard, touching
off a tense exchange between Dillard, the officials, and PH coach
Jack Esworthy.
Brewer sank both ends of the one-and one opportunity for the Patriots.
The Comets missed out on an opportunity to make up some ground
as Witko made only one of the two free throws for the Comets resulting
from the technical foul and McCargo missed a three-point attempt
on the ensuing Comets possession.
PH got the rebound off of McCargo's miss, and the Patriot's DuJuan
Johnson raced in for a layup to give his team its biggest lead
of the game at 32-13 with 2:57 left in the first half.
The Patriots finished the half with a 16-point cushion.
"The guys got frustrated and I did too," said Dillard.
"I apologized to the guys because they were feeling my vibes
and frustrations. Once I focused in on the game and forgot about
the referees I think the guys did as well."
Halifax County started chipping away at PH in the second half.
A three-pointer by Green with 5:48 left in the third quarter backed
by a layup by Jeffress with 4:41 left, brought the Comets to within
11 points at 37-26.
"When we cut the lead to 13 we coaches said we were two possessions
away from making this a ballgame," Dillard said.
"Once we got it to 10 and below 10 we knew we were in it."
A three-pointer by Brown brought the Comets to the magic 10-point
mark with 3:36 left and a layup by Brown on a followup to a missed
shot by Green brought the Comets to within eight points with 2:25
left.
That was the margin the Comets were shooting for as they made
it a 10-point game at 46-36 at the end of the quarter.
Trailing 48-38 with 7:14 left in the game, the Comets used their
pressure defense to touch off a 15-5 run to deadlock the game.
McCargo tied the game with 1:32 left. After PH missed a shot and
the Comets got the ball back, Dillard pulled his team out and
ordered it to hold the ball for the final shot.
Halifax, interrupted by three time-outs called by Dillard, held
the ball for the final 1:08 of the fourth quarter.
McCargo attempted to get the win for the Comets with a three-pointer
with 1.5 seconds left but the shot missed the mark, forcing the
game into overtime.
"Once we got rolling, for them (Patrick Henry) it was like
a big snowball that's coming down the hill that's getting bigger
and bigger bigger," Dillard said.
"We didn't do anything any different except play with a little
more intensity. The guys just stepped it up."
Rachel Glass Francis, 67, of Millstone Church Road, Nathalie,
died Sunday, February 23, at Heritage Hall Nursing Home.
Rachel Glass Francis was born in Halifax County on September 16,
1935, the daughter of the late Guy Glass and Alice Coates Glass.
She was a member of First Baptist Church of Millstone.
Francis was married twice, first to the late Felix S. Francis,
and secondly to the late Hamon J. Francis.
Rachel Glass Francis is survived by two daughters, Debra Owen
and husband Marvin of Gladys; and Janice Briggs and husband Danny
of Randleman, N.C.; four grandchildren, Kevin Owen, Vicky Owen,
Jennifer Cook and Mark Briggs; two great-grandchildren, Devin
Owen and Cameron Cook; three step-sons, James Francis of Farmville,
Clark Francis of Taylor, MI, and Kenneth Francis of South Boston;
three step-daughters, Eleanor Harris of Nathalie, Rebecca Hogan
of Halifax and Ruth Jennings of Nathalie; and one brother, Randy
Glass of Nathalie.
A graveside service will be conducted Tuesday, February 25, at
2 p.m., at First Baptist Church of Millstone, with the Rev. Robert
Watts conducting the service.
The family will receive friends tonight, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
at Henderson Funeral Home in Brookneal.
Myrtle Osborne Nichols, 84, of Clover, died February 20 at Twin
Oaks Convalescent Center.
Mrs. Nichols was born in Charlotte County on May 5, 1918, the
daughter of Charles M. Osborne and Elizabeth Osborne and was married
to Frank G. Nichols. She was a member of Clover United Methodist
Church.
Survivors include a number of nieces and nephews.
Services for Mrs. Nichols were held February 23 at 2 p.m. at Powell
Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Ann Davidson officiating. Burial
followed in Clover Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Clover United
Methodist Church.