By KEITH STRANGE
Two more men were arrested Thursday and charged with murder for the November 23 shooting at American Legion Post 99.
The victim was identified as Thomas Jackson, 29, of College Street in South Boston.
Jackson succumbed to his injuries that afternoon at the hospital.
William Arthur Wells Jr. aka "Little Will," 25, of Thompson Store Road in Vernon Hill and Earl Daniel Clark Jr., 19, of Bane Street were arrested at approximately 5:45 p.m. and charged with the first-degree murder of Thomas Jackson and the use of a firearm while committing murder.
Wells and Clark are currently being held without bond in the Halifax Regional Jail.
These arrests stem from an incident on November 23, when a South Boston man was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the American Legion Post 99 following a private party.
Police report that the violence stemmed from an altercation between two groups of men.
At approximately 2 a.m. that morning, the Halifax County Sheriff's Office began receiving calls stating that shots had been fired at the location.
Deputies were on the scene within minutes, but it was quickly determined that the victim had been transported to Halifax Regional Hospital by friends.
After securing the area, the deputies started collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Three of the alleged suspects were arrested November 24 without incident.
Allen G. Fallen, 23, of Lincoln Drive in South Boston was charged with the first-degree murder of Jackson and the use of a firearm while committing murder.
According to Maj. R.S.B. Pulliam, charges against Fallen were nol prossed Friday in General District Court.
Eric Shawn Edmunds aka "Urkey," 29, of Wilson Memorial Trail in South Boston was charged with the first-degree murder of Jackson and the use of a firearm while committing murder.
Wendell D. Williams, 20, of Union Grove Road in South Boston was also charged with the first-degree murder of Jackson and the use of a firearm while committing murder.
It has subsequently been decided that the charges be nol prossed, and prosecutors will not pursue charges placed on Wendell Williams in conjunction with the incident, according to police.
A quantity of marijuana and Ecstasy pills were seized from Edmunds and Fallen.
A fourth suspect was arrested the following day. Quendell L. Williams, 20, of Union Grove Road in South Boston turned himself in at the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.
Williams was also charged with the first-degree murder of Jackson and the use of a firearm while committing murder.
Edmonds and Quindell Williams are currently being held in the Halifax Regional Jail without bond.

CLARKSVILLE - Southside breathed a sigh of relief when Gov. Mark Warner announced Friday that a new industry would be moving into the area.
Recently burdened by soaring unemployment, Clarksville welcomed the news that a manufacturer of food service and industrial plastic bag products plans to locate a $10 million facility here.
Warner said the new industry would employ about 300 workers.
New York-based Trinity Packaging is a privately held firm supplying packaging material and equipment to manufacturing plants and warehouses throughout the United States.
More than 300 people enthusiastically received word that Virginia had successfully competed with Tennessee and other states for the project.
The news came as Warner's Economic Crisis Strike Force conducted its first job fair at the Clarksville Community Center.
The job fair drew hundreds of people to the community center.
Attendees were given access to job information, educational opportunities, social services assistance and much more.
Some 12 companies had representatives on site to accept applications for their businesses.
Various employers and agencies set up tables with information for job-seekers. At one, a representative of Phizer Pharmaceutical was explaining a deep-discount drug program to people who have lost jobs and meet certain qualifications.
"It is important that these individuals and their families have access to the full spectrum of services, both public and private, through a single intake process," Warner said.
Beginning today, Southside residents can access services by calling 1-888-439-3916 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
By the middle of March, Economic Response Centers will be open in Martinsville and Clarksville, and a satellite center will be housed at the Virginia Employment Center in South Boston.
Participating agencies include the Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Department of Social Services, Southside Virginia Community College and various private faith-based and civic organizations.
State officials said that the site for the new industry is yet to be determined, and that company officials are looking both at existing facilities and the possibility of new construction.
They said the deal had been finalized Thursday and that details of a timeline for taking applications had not been determined.
"I was pleased to personally work with Trinity Packaging executives during their site selection process," Warner said in a prepared statement.
"This announcement is great news for the Town of Clarksville and Mecklenburg County after the region has been hit hard by recent layoffs.
"Trinity Packaging will rely heavily on the experience and commitment of the regional workforce," he added
During his announcement Friday afternoon, the governor said that he understands the tremendous loss Mecklenburg and Halifax counties are facing with the elimination of some 2,000 jobs in just a few months.
"I know the community is having a struggle at this point," he said.
"But I know the people of this community. I know the people of Southside Virginia, and let me say at the outset, Clarksville and Mecklenburg County will come through this process stronger."
"We will be back. We're going to make sure that we bring those good quality jobs to this region."
Warner thanked Trinity Packaging and its chairman and chief executive officer, John Freund, for the "vote of confidence" placed in Southside Virginia through this investment, noting that the 75-year-old company possesses "good solid working values."
The governor presented Mecklenburg County with a $500,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to help finalize the deal.
Warner cited The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission as partners in securing the new industry.
They provided $400,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity funds to attract the company to the region.
State officials said Mecklenburg County intends to use a Community Development Block Grant approved by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to bring water and sewer to the site.
The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services, and the company is eligible to receive further tax credits because it is locating in an enterprise zone.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Town of Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, the Lake Country Marketing Council and Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative assisted the company with its decision, officials said.

Four keynote speakers are expected when the 2002 Virginia Tobacco Conference and Trade Show gets underway Saturday at Halifax County High School.
Speakers scheduled include Rep. Virgil Goode, Sen. Charles Hawkins, Kirk Wayne of Tobacco Associates and Arnold Hamm of Flue-Cured Tobacco Stabilization Cooperative.
The show will feature over 50 exhibitors who are expected to be on hand at the show, providing cutting-edge technology related to tobacco production.
"This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the tobacco industry to come out and see new innovations, as well as talk to industry experts," said Larry McPeters, Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent.
The show will be held from 9 a.m. until 12 noon in the gymnasium, with approximately 50 vendors displaying their wares.
Equipment exhibits will be on display in the parking lot.
The trade show is sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association and is expected to run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
The "Dutch Treat" lunch will be provided by the Triangle Volunteer Fire Department.
"The show will feature tobacco-related items. We will have representatives from FSA and NRCS, new machinery and barn retrofitting displays," McPeters said.
He added that "anything related to tobacco production and marketing" will be available.
"This is a good way for farmers to keep up with the market. They can talk one-on-one to dealers and distributors from the industry," McPeters added.
Following the show, the annual conference will be held in the auditorium.
Speakers will provide the industry's most recent information on some of the most important topics concerning producers.
Among the speakers scheduled to appear and topics to be discussed are:
· Rep. Virgil Goode will discuss items on the legislative agenda that relate to the industry.
Goode's speech is entitled "Federal Legislative Agenda and Tobacco Quota Buyout- What will happen?"
· Kirk Wayne, president of Tobacco Associates, will discuss the export industry and how contract tobacco will affect international exports.
Wayne will concentrate on new strategies to promote U.S. flue-cured tobacco on the international market.
· Arnold Hamm will represent Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation and will stabilization warehouse operation.
· Senator Charles Hawkins will discuss the challenges and opportunities we face in the tobacco community and will offer some options to stabilize the agricultural population.
· Other representatives from state government will be on hand as their schedule permits to discuss the Tobacco Commission and future economic development plans for southside and southwest Virginia.
Following the conference, the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association will hold its annual meeting, nominating the board of directors for 2002.
The trade show and conference is open to everyone, and there is no registration or fee charged to attend.
Tobacco producers are especially encouraged to attend and become updated on production, marketing and legislative issues associated with the tobacco industry.
Anyone wishing more information about the Tobacco Conference and Trade Show can call the Virginia Cooperative Extension - Halifax Office at (434) 476-2147

Mary Ann King always knew that she was adopted.
She remembers putting on her pink dress and patent leather shoes to go home with her adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Quarles. She was five years old.
"I remember the day real well," recalled King. "I was outside playing with my wagon."
By dusk she would became the newest member of the Ellis Creek Community. And, for Mary Ann, it would be a happy life.
There was also an adopted brother, Billy, who is deceased, as are both of her adoptive parents.
"I loved my adopted parents," said Mary Ann. "I would never have tried to find my real parents while they ( my adoptive parents) were living because I would not have hurt them."
Instead, Mary Ann grew up in Halifax County, married Donnie King, "a wonderful husband," and had two daughters of her own, Kaye, 17, and Christy, 18.
But Friday, Mary Ann's life turned upside down.
"I am so excited," cried King. "It's like watching Oprah or something. It happened early this morning."
That was when Mary Ann's sister Dorothy called her.
Mary Ann had been seeking medical information from adoption records, but the inquiry triggered an unexpected response.
Officials called her back and told her that her sister was trying to reach her. They asked if would she like to make contact. She said, yes.
Dorothy, who is 11 months older than Mary Ann, called that morning.
"She cried and I cried," recalled Mary Ann. "I can't wait to hug her."
"Where have you been all this time?" Dorothy asked.
Dorothy, who lives in Winchester, told Mary Ann that she had placed ads in a various newspapers seeking her. The ads referred to Daisy, Mary Ann's given name, and asked her to call.
Mary Ann never saw the ads.
There were nine children - eight living - in Mary Ann's biological family in Smythe County, Virginia.
Three of the children were adopted, Mary Ann, Dorothy and Brenda. The other children were in foster care.
"We have to find one more sister, Brenda," added Mary Ann.
"Dorothy had met everyone in the family but me and Brenda."
Mary Ann also learned Friday that both of her natural parents have died. "My father was 20 years older than my mother," she said. He died in 1980s at age 80. She was 60 in 1991 when she died."
Her biological brother, George, died last year.
"He worked at Dollywood," noted Mary Ann. "If I had known, I could have seen him there."
Mary Ann said that her adopted parents always told her that her parents did not want to give her up, but that they were poor.
"So, I always knew they loved me," she said.
Dorothy talked with Wanda over the weekend.
"She said that she used to sing to me. That she would sing 'Itsy bitsy Daisy don't you cry.'
"They seem real nice, real sweet," said Mary Ann. "I've got good family that I never knew. This kind of offers closure.
"And when the doctor asks me my medical history, I can tell him something."

Things looked a little on the "iffy" side when Halifax County missed shots on its first two possessions in Friday night's game against Cave Spring.
The rollicking Cave Spring student section, looking a lot like the "Cameron Crazies" of Duke University fame, went into a near frenzy at the sight of the two misses.
But a 9-0 by the Comets during a two-minute span shortly thereafter, quieted the raucous crowd and stunned the Knights so badly they never recovered.
The result was an impressive 53-41 win by the Comets, a win that elevated the Comets to 4-2 in Western Valley District play and put them in a tie for second place with Cave Spring in the district standings.
Friday night's loss was the third in a row for Cave Spring since the Knights edged Halifax County here January 22 on a three-pointer by standout J.J. Redick in the closing seconds of the game.
Redick injured a foot in the game against the Comets and has been out of action since that time. He is expected to be on the sidelines the rest of the season.
"This is a big win," said Comets coach Garrett Dillard after his team pushed its record to 13-3 overall.
"This puts us in a position where we can help control our own fate by winning future games."
Halifax County, while being held to 53 points, shot 46 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three-point range.
Shamoni Faulkner led the Comets on offense with 13 points and had three steals.
Anthony Owen followed with 11 points and had four rebounds and four steals.
Lymon Gregory, who played a key role in the early first-quarter run, finished the night with nine points, four rebounds and four steals. Sterling Williams scored nine points and had three steals.
Andrew Witko followed with seven points and Ricky Petty and Danny Whitlock each scored two points.
The Comets first-quarter run started with two free throws from Williams at the 5:21 mark.
Baskets by Gregory on the next two Comets possessions ran the Comets' lead up to 6-0 after which the Knights called a time-out.
After the Knights missed a scoring opportunity, Witko converted a three-point play with 3:31 left in the quarter to put the Comets up 9-0.
Cave Spring cut the Comets' lead to five points but a three-pointer from Faulkner and a basket from Whitlock put the Comets up 14-4 with 1:56 left in the period.
The Knights' Adam Trumbower, who led his team with 14 points while making his first start after being sidelined for almost a month, hit the first of his four three-pointers in the contest with 57 seconds left to make it a 14-7 Comets lead after the opening period.
While Trumbower's shot gave the Knights' fans a lift, the Comets took care of that and the Knight's bid quickly after that.
Halifax County made a near-perfect defensive stand to start another big run at the start of the second quarter.
Combining easy baskets that came from steals and Cave Spring miscues with some good offensive execution, the Comets went on an 11-0 run over the first 3:15 of the quarter to run up a 25-7 lead over the Knights.
Witko, Gregory and Faulkner hit a basket each to start the run, Williams added a three-spot and Owen capped it with a layup off of a steal in the Knights' backcourt to give the Comets an 18-point edge with 4:45 left in the first half.
Halifax County scored only one basket the rest of the first half, that one a bucket by Faulkner with 1:34 left before intermission.
Yet, the Comets still emerged with a 29-14 lead at the halftime break.
"That was one of our goals," Dillard said in reference to his team's explosive starts in the first and second quarters.
"Our goal was to have a good first quarter and build a double-digit lead."
While the offense was there with three players chipping in baskets in the first-quarter run and five players cashing in with baskets in the second-quarter run, the Comets' defense was as good as it had been at any time during the season.
Halifax County ruined many of the Knights' back-door cuts and attempts at setting screens with its aggressive man-to-man pressure defense.
As a result, the Comets held Cave Spring to only seven points in each of the first two quarters.
Cave Spring turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and took a beating on the boards on both ends of the floor.
For the game, Cave Spring had a total of 21 turnovers, 14 of which were steals made by the Comets.
By comparison, the Comets had only 12 turnovers in the game.
"Not only did we do a good job scoring, we also did a good job on defense," Dillard noted.
"Eventhough there were times when we didn't put the ball in the basket we didn't go flat. We were either scoring or playing real good defense."
With a three-pointer from Owen and a basket from Witko, the Comets built their lead to 17 points early in the third quarter.
Cave Spring fought back with a pair of three-pointers from Trumbower and a basket from Tom Hagan to cut the Comets' lead to 11 points at 35-24 with 4:33 left in the quarter.
Dillard called a time-out at that point to settle his team and attempt to squelch the cave Spring run and the crowd which was quickly getting back into the game.
Owen, who was having a little of a subpar night offensively, stepped up and offered to defend Trumbower.
With Owen on him the rest of the night, Trumbower hit only two baskets after that, one a three-pointer late in the third quarter.
"He (Owen) said he wanted number three (Trumbower)," Dillard said.
"So, we put him (Owen) on him. He really stepped up to the challenge. He (Owen) contested every shot the kid took the rest of the night and did a great job on him."
With the help of a basket from Witko and four points from Owen, the Comets inched their lead up to 41-29 at the end of the period and regained some breathing room.
Cave Spring mounted a 5-0 run to start the fourth quarter and cut the Comets' lead to nine points with 3:33 left in the game.
That was as close as Cave Spring would get the rest of the game.
A basket by Faulkner with 3:21 left broke the Cave Spring rally and put the Comets up by an 11-point margin.
Halifax was able to hang on down the stretch despite a 6-11 effort from the charity stripe in the final 1:53 of the game.
"They (Cave Spring) fought to get back in it," Dillard said.
"But we did the right things down the stretch. We missed a few free throws but we hit the ones that counted."

Johnnie Williams scanned his eyes over the activity Saturday morning on the Mary M. Bethune field in Halifax.
In front of him, approximately 30 men, all prospective players for the new Halifax County-based Southside Virginia Gators semi-pro football team, were going through a series of conditioning drills.
It was the first official workout for the Gators and the first of many activities and practices that Williams will preside over as the head coach of the Gators.
"I'm very proud to have even been considered to coach a semi-pro team," said Williams, the current head football coach at Park View Middle School in South Hill.
"This will be a big challenge. I like a challenge. I'm always up for a challenge. I've never backed down from a challenge. I'm real excited about this opportunity."
Williams brings 23 years of coaching experience to the Southside Virginia Gators, 10 years of which he garnered in Halifax County.
The South Hill resident coached football in Halifax County from 1980 until 1990.
Williams started here as the head coach of the Halifax County Middle School football team and moved over to become a coach for the Halifax County High School jayvee football team.
He also served as an assistant coach for the Halifax County High School varsity football team.
After that, Williams went to South Hill where he has coached for 12 years.
Williams started out as head coach of the Park View Middle School team, moved to serve as the offensive coordinator at Park View High School and then returned to Park View Middle School.
During his tenure as head football coach at Park View Middle School, Williams has compiled a record of 32-8-1 and has had three Southside Middle School Conference championship teams.
"We've been real successful," Williams said.
"We've had an awful lot of guys that want to work. It's been a lot of work but I've tried to keep it fun for them. We didn't have a player to miss a practice the entire season last year."
Williams' coaching career at Park View Middle School has, however, ended.
The successful middle school coach said Saturday that he has informed the principal at Park View Middle School that he will not return to his position as head coach of the team next season.
He will, however, remain on the staff of Park View Middle School as a teacher.
Williams said the Gators have a pool of 72 applicants from which to pick the team's 60-player roster.
The Gators' coach said he was pleased to see the turnout for the opening day.
"I'm happy to see that many out here knowing we have 72 applications," Williams said.
"From those 72 applicants we had some guys call and say they had to work. What we'll do from here is evaluate what happened today and make some phone calls and get more people out here."
Williams said he saw a number of things from the first day of conditioning drills.
"I can see that some of these guys have kept themselves in pretty good shape and that there are a lot of them who are out of shape," Williams said.
"That's okay for now. We're going to work on that. The good part is that most of these guys have played football before and have some sort of knowledge of the game."
Williams said there is a lot of work to be done, both on his part and the part of the prospective players.
"There is going to be a lot of hard work for the players but, at the same time, it will be a competitive form of hard work," explained Williams.
"There will be a lot of competitive events for them to go through. You can get a lot more of the players that way.
"We plan to have a lot of fun, too," added Williams.
"But, the fun is something that will have to be earned."
As far as his work is concerned, Williams says there is more than enough to do.
"Thank God for the computer and technology," Williams said.
"We can put a lot of things on the computer and that will help us quite a bit. And, once I get my coaching staff together, it will take a lot of the pressure off of everybody."
Williams says he is looking at things as one step at a time.
"I'm taking a day-by-day approach," he pointed out.
"I'm going to take my time and evaluate the players and see who we have and what we can do with what we have and go from there."
When it comes to his philosophy on offense, Williams said he likes an up-tempo type game.
"I'm thinking about going to a multiple offense," he said.
"We'll go with the basic "I" formation with splits, slots and different tight end routes. We'll also be using our backs a whole lot."
"I believe in playing an up-tempo game," he added.
"I believe in trickery as well as starting a game with a no-huddle offense. I want to keep the other team guessing. I want them to have to play a guessing game. If I can keep substitutes from coming onto the field, I believe I have a good chance of scoring on the other team because they're always looking for something and we want to do the opposite."
As far as the defensive side of the ball goes, Williams says he is looking for a group of tough players to go at the other team.
"My goal is to put the biggest and meanest guys on defense," Williams said.
"That's the first priority. I think in the long run our defense will win games for us. We will have the ability to score and I hope our defense and special teams will score for us also."
Williams says he feels good about the prospects for the Southside Virginia Gators and the team's ability to attract community support.
"The community seems to be very excited about it," Williams said.
"We went over to a local a couple of weeks ago and the people were real excited about it.
"I think there will be a lot of curiosity at first," added Williams.
"But, I think that once they come out and see the final product they will like what they see."

Bessie Martin Lacks

Bessie Martin Lacks, 69, of 3246 Mt. Laurel Rd., Clover, died February 1 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Lacks was born in Halifax County on June 21, 1932, the daughter of Bruce E. and Fannie Powell Martin. She was a member of Hunting Creek Baptist Church.
Her survivors include two daughters: Gladys Bollinger of Scottsburg and Mary Francisco of Nathalie; son: Edwin "Pete" Lacks of Panama City, FL; four sisters: Linabee Newcomb of Victoria, Helen Wilson of South Boston, Mary Martin of Randolph and Irene Rickman of Saxe; four brothers: Lewis and Roy Martin of Randolph, Edwin "Booster" Martin of Saxe and Robert Martin of Roxboro, NC; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a sister, Annie Mae Clements and brother, John Henry Martin.
A funeral service will be held today, February 4 at 2 p.m. at Hunting Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Tony Sisk and Rev. Lee Roy Davis officiating. Burial will take place in the Providence Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
For memorials please consider the Providence Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund.