A standoff early Tuesday morning between police and an armed
suspect in a home on Second Street in South Boston ended with
a charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling for
28-year-old Vincent L. Stovall, according to Lt. B.K. Lovelace
of the South Boston Police Department.
According to the lieutenant, officers received a call at approximately
1 a.m. that an individual was discharging weapons in his home
at 1114 Second Street.
"Officers Fisher, Fallen, Daniels and Barker responded to
the call," Lovelace said.
That no one was injured in the incident is a miracle, Lovelace
said
"As many rounds as he shot, I'm surprised that he didn't
hit someone.
"He was shooting in his home, but the rounds were going into
the neighbor's home," he said. "And they were home."
The suspect fired approximately 100 rounds from a .22 caliber
pistol and a .22 caliber rifle.
"From what we can tell, he would dump a box of bullets on
the bed, shoot all of them, and reload and shoot some more,"
Lovelace said.
He added that the South Boston officers were assisted by members
of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office and the Halifax Town Police.
When offices arrived on the scene, Lovelace said the suspect continued
to fire his weapons.
"He was discharging firearms in bursts of six or seven rounds
at a time," the lieutenant said.
Officers immediately set up a perimeter and closed all streets
leading to Second Street.
They also evacuated the homes surrounding Stovall's residence.
"We called the South Boston Tactical Team and a standoff
ensued for about three hours," Lovelace observed. "Finally
we were able to talk Stovall out of the home."
Lovelace said that Stovall was the only person in the residence,
and that a cause for the shooting was unknown.
Stovall is being held in Halifax Regional Jail without bond.
Tobacco producers and allotment-holders from across the region
will convene at Halifax County High School on Saturday, February
8, to attend the 10th annual meeting of the Virginia Tobacco Growers
Association.
The featured speaker for the event is Dr. Ed Barnes, president
emeritus of New River Community College.
Faced with the uncertainty and questions surrounding the Southside
tobacco industry, Halifax County Senior Extension Agent Emeritus
Larry McPeters said Monday that rather than hold its traditional
trade show this year, a more informational Tobacco Conference
would be more appropriate.
"Because we have some information on a potential buyout,
we felt like we'd spend more time in the conference this year
to focus on more informational content," McPeters said.
The program will begin at 10 a.m., with remarks by Virginia Congressman
Virgil Goode.
Goode is expected to address federal issues affecting tobacco
production in this year's Congress, including an update on the
potential "buyout" of quota.
Mike Fariss, vice-president of leaf purchasing for Philip Morris,
will address contractual marketing, issues related to leaf marketing
in 2003 and a vision of leaf marketing in the future.
The vice-president is also expected to address the potential quota
buyout and its FDA impact on domestic producers.
Tommy Bunn, executive vice-president of Leaf Tobacco Exporters
Association and Tobacco Association of the United States, will
address the group on the future of U.S. export leaf.
As special guest speaker this year, Barnes has first-hand knowledge
of Virginia's tobacco heritage, because "my first ancestor
was living in America in 1623, and mine is the first generation
not to be engaged in farming as a full-time occupation."
He was reared on a small tobacco and cotton farm in Sampson, N.C.
The topic of Barnes' address will be "From Stress To Success."
"We thought that this year, rather than focus entirely on
the challenges and uncertainty of the tobacco industry, we would
find a speaker that could present an upbeat, positive message
to the growers," McPeters said.
Following the conference, a sponsored lunch will be provided at
no cost to attendees.
All tobacco producers, family and allotment holders are encouraged
to attend to receive important information and support their growers
association.
The conference is sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Extension
and the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association.
For more information, contact your local Virginia Cooperative
Extension Office at 476-2147 or the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association
at 575-8584.
Pre-registration is not necessary to attend the conference.
Living up to a promise she made to the Halifax County Board
of Supervisors, Kimberly S. White, attorney for Tony and Deborah
Puryear, filed suit against the board Friday, seeking $71,526.02
in damages allegedly resulting from actions by county building
officials.
The county now has three weeks to respond to the allegations.
Contacted yesterday, David Martin, chairman of the board of supervisors,
said he preferred to not comment on the pending litigation.
"The board has discussed the possibility of litigation at
length," he said. "Right now, I think everyone would
be best served by letting our legal counsel and insurance company
handle (the suit)."
County Administrator Joe Morgan agreed.
"The insurance companies and legal counsel are the best parties
to address this issue," he said yesterday.
Martin said that any further discussion on the issue would be
initiated by new information provided by the county's counsel.
In the spring of 2001, the Puryears built a home in the Alton
community that they say was poorly constructed due to violations
to the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC).
Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that during the building process,
the county building inspector failed to conduct the minimum number
of inspections, failed to require that violations to the code
be corrected and that the building officials didn't hold the proper
certifications as required by the state.
As attorney for the couple, White told the supervisors at their
January 6 meeting that she had been given no choice but to re-file
the suit after supervisors denied their request for compensation
for damages incurred during the building of their home.
The Puryears had non-suited an earlier suit after the building
contractor purchased from them the house and 7.081 acres from
them for $221,500.
In return for dropping the suit, the Puryears had asked the supervisors
to cover the expenses incurred in gathering evidence for their
original suit and moving from their home.
But during the January meeting, the supervisors denied the claim
for damages on a 7-1 vote with Supervisor Ronnie Vaughan casting
the lone dissenting vote.
Filed with the Halifax County Circuit Court late Friday afternoon,
the suit says the county is obligated by law to enforce the USBC
and hire qualified personnel to enforce the code.
In addition to alleging that the county's employees were not qualified
to perform the inspections of their home, the Puryears allege
that the building official was "closely related" to
the contractor building their home, and allowed the builder to
commit "numerous violations" during the construction
process.
These violations, the couple allege, "result in unsafe and
unhealthful conditions and hazards incident to the construction
of the dwelling."
According to the suit, the violations were discovered by engineers,
contractors and other experts hired by the Puryears to examine
the home after the couple noticed standing water under the home
and cracks in the newly-constructed walls.
In their claim for damages, the couple said they were forced to
sell their home at a reduced value, that they incurred moving
and storage expenses and will have to build a replacement home.
"No matter who you are, even if you're a government, if you
do wrong, you should be held accountable," Deborah Puryear
said.
An 18-year-old South Boston man who was
a fugitive from justice was captured Monday night by members of
the Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force.
Antonio Lee Chambers, AKA "Tank," of Fairmont Apartments
on Poplar Creek Street in South Boston, was arrested as he tried
to flee from a residence in the apartment complex at approximately
8:30 p.m.
"When officers from the task force and South Boston Police
Department secured the area, Chambers jumped out a window and
was captured immediately," Maj. R.S.B. Pulliam said yesterday.
The major said that Chambers was indicted last year following
an investigation by the task force, and had additional drug charges
pending stemming from a search warrant the South Boston Police
Department had executed in December, 2001.
He is charged with one count of distribution of cocaine, one count
of possession of a firearm while in possession of cocaine, one
count of failure to appear on a felony charge, one count of manufacture
of marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute
marijuana and one count of possession with intent to distribute
cocaine, according to Pulliam.
Following his arrest last year, Chambers has been a fugitive from
justice for four months due to his failure to appear for his October,
2002 court date, according to police reports.
He is currently being held at the Halifax Regional Jail without
bond.
A court date has not been set.
Halifax County had the right cards in its hand in the waning
seconds of Monday's game against archrival GW.
The score was tied with seven seconds to play, the Comets had
the basketball and it was safely in the hands of sophomore guard
Craig McCargo.
McCargo broke to the open floor and headed for what appeared to
be a routine layup.
But, out of nowhere came GW's Keith Brown.
Brown made heavy contact with McCargo as he swatted the ball away
from its path to the hoop and knocked McCargo to the floor in
the process.
It looked like a foul, but there was no call.
Comets coach Garrett Dillard stared at the officials in disbelief.
"We had everything we wanted," Dillard said.
"I knew he (McCargo) was going to either knock the shot down
or he's shooting free throws."
"It was a pretty clear obvious foul," added Dillard.
"With one second to go, I've got confidence he (McCargo)
is going to make at least one free throw. That's not to say we
were going to win it. But, I'll take my chances having a one-point
lead with one second to play."
Instead, the Comets got the basketball with 1.4 seconds left and
a last-ditch desperation shot failed to hit the mark, forcing
the game into overtime.
GW outscored the Comets 11-5 in the four-minute overtime period,
leaving the Comets empty-handed with a 63-57 loss.
Dillard refused to focus on the no-call by the officials as the
reason for his team's defeat.
"I'm not going to focus on that," said Dillard.
"It's one of those deals where we should have done other
things before that."
The loss on the road to GW Monday night put the Comets in a squeeze.
While the Comets, 9-6 overall and 3-2 in Western Valley District
play, remained in sole possession of second place in the district
standings behind district leader Patrick Henry, the Comets had
to face Patrick Henry here last night.
A loss to Patrick Henry last night would drop the Comets into
a tie for second place with E.C. Glass and GW with district games
against Franklin County and GW remaining on the schedule.
"This was big," Dillard said of the loss to GW.
"If we lose to PH that gives us three losses along with Glass
and GW. So, you go from sitting on top of the hill and looking
good to going down in the valley and looking up trying to figure
out how you can get out of there."
The Comets victimized themselves with miscues, missed shots and
turnovers at key times and GW took advantage of it.
"Everything went wrong," pointed out Dillard.
"We turned the ball over, we didn't get the calls and we
missed the shots.
"We're a young basketball team and we're still growing,"
added the Comets coach.
"It was a good basketball game. It wasn't like they (GW)
pounded us."
The Comets got three players, McCargo, with 17 points, Andrew
Witko with 15 points and Dwight Green with 12 points, in double
figures. Freddie Jeffress also had a good night with eight points.
Halifax County did some things well at key points in the game.
A 9-0 run by the Comets in the final minute of the first quarter
that included five points from McCargo, a three-pointer from Green
and a free throw from Quintin Brown allowed the Comets to break
out of a tie and move to a 17-8 lead at the end of the first period.
The Comets were up by eight points with 4:52 left in the half
but GW, spurred by an individual 6-0 run by standout Keith Brown,
worked its way back into the game and pulled to within a point
of the Comets at 27-26 at intermission.
"That was critical," pointed out Dillard.
"If we keep a 9 or 10-point lead going into the half we can
do some things differently.
"We had some looks (at the basket) and just missed them.
We didn't do a good job of getting the initial pass off. We were
trying to pound it down inside and a lot of times we just couldn't
get it down to the guy."
After Green put the Comets up 29-26 with the first basket of the
second half, GW reeled off six quick points to forge ahead 34-31.
A trey by McCargo with 3:41 left in the period tied the game and
Witko gave the Comets the lead with a bucket with 1:25 left.
GW scored the last three points of the period to regain the lead
at 41-40 at the end of the quarter.
The host Eagles built a seven-point edge at 49-42 with 4:53 left
in the game and appeared to be on the verge of putting the game
away.
But the Comets rallied with back-to-back baskets from Jeffress
and Witko pulled the Comets to within three points with just over
three minutes to play.
GW led 50-46 with 2:42 left but the Comets got a layup from Brown
after a backcourt steal.
The Comets lost Witko from the game when he fouled out with 1:30
to play.
But Green, who stepped up to the inside, added a pair of free
throws after being fouled with 1:20 to play to allow the Comets
to tie the game.
Brown gave GW the lead with a big slam dunk with a minute to play
but McCargo tied the game with a layup with 30 seconds to go.
A GW turnover gave the Comets the opportunity to attempt to pull
off the win in regulation but Comets were unable to pull the contest
out of the fire.
"Offensively, we never got in synch," Dillard said.
"And, with Andrew (Witko) out, it takes away one of our offensive
weapons."
Dillard felt that the GW "mystique" may have had an
impact on his team.
"I was more concerned about the name 'GW,'" Dillard
said.
"I think that hurt us more than anything else, thinking that
this is GW, that this is a different game and you've got to do
something special.
"We really didn't have to do anything special," he added.
"We just had to play the way we've played the last few ball
games. But everything seemed to be a little more tense because
it was GW."
Ralph Lee Barker, 74, of 1053 Whitt Loop Road, Alton, died February
2 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Barker was born in Halifax County on April 28, 1928, the son
of the late Claude Lee Barker and Mary Lizzie Brown Barker and
was married to Hazel L. Barker. He was a member of Bethel Hill
Baptist Church in Person County, NC, was an Army Veteran and retired
from Georgia Pacific.
A funeral service will be held today, February 5 at 2 p.m. at
Bethel Baptist Church with the Rev. Jason Evans officiating. Burial
will follow in the church cemetery.
Survivors of Mr. Barker include his wife of the home; four daughters,
Patricia Barker Bradshaw and her husband, Lloyd of Alton; Carolyn
Barker Strohm and husband, Jay, of Halifax, Janice Duffey and
husband, Junior, of Clover, and Wanda Lacks and husband, James,
of Drakes Branch; five sons, Ralph Lee 'Butch' Barker Jr. and
his wife, Billie, of Halifax, Jimmy Conner and wife, Tammie of
Scottsburg, Tony Conner and wife, Debbie, of Timberlake, NC, Roger
Conner and wife, Janet, of South Boston, and Randy Conner and
wife, Kelley of Halifax; one brother, Marvin Tracy Barker and
wife, Julia of Clover; one sister, Faye Barker Clark of South
Boston; 15 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and a special
cousin Fleetie Hass of South Boston. He was preceded in death
by a granddaughter, Bobbie Jo Wade Jackson.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax
County Rescue Squad, PO Box 183, South Boston, 24592, or Bethel
Hill Baptist Church.
Lula Hodge Church, 89, of 7179 Newbill School Road, Clover, died
February 2 at Duke University Medical Center.
Mrs. Church was born in Boone, NC on March 17, 1913, the daughter
of the late Jeff Hodge and the late Annie Mitten Hodge, and was
married to Clinard Summers Church. She was a retired employee
of Craddock-Terry.
Graveside services were held February 4 at 11 a.m. at Halifax
Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Tom Walker officiating.
Survivors of Mrs. Church include one daughter, Annie C. Brown
of Scottsburg; four sons, Clyde Church and his wife, Sharon of
Halifax, John Wayne Church of Clover, Glen Hodges and Jack Hodges,
both of Ferguson, NC; two grandchildren, Christopher Church and
his wife, Crystal, and Jonathan Church, all of Burlington, NC;
and two great-grandchildren, Haley and Mattie Church of Burlington.
Lee Vert Dallas Jr. of Clover died February 2 at his home.
Mr. Dallas was a lifelong farmer and resident of Halifax County.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Maude Crews Dallas.
Graveside services were held February 4 at 3 p.m. at Hunting Creek
Baptist Church Cemetery.Those wishing to give memorials are asked
to consider Patrick Henry Boys Plantation, Inc., PO Box 1398,
Brookneal, 24528.
Myrtle Hailey Epperson, 75, of 20176 L.P. Bailey Memorial Highway,
Nathalie, died February 2 at the Lovingston Healthcare Center
in Lovingston.
Ms. Epperson was born in Halifax County on November 1, 1927, the
daughter of the late Samuel Hailey and Burley East Hailey Jones.
She is a member of Edge Baptist Church and a former employee of
the Medical Care Center, Lynchburg.
Survivors include two daughters, Alice Crews and husband, Kenneth,
of Nathalie, and Linda Epperson of Gladys; three brothers, Dewey
Hailey of Lynchburg, Roy Hailey of Danville, and Sam Hailey of
Scottsburg; five sisters, Zadie Francis of Hurt, Dolly Danner
of Powhatan, Margaret Pauley of Seaford, DE, Frances Simpson of
Lanexa, and Janie Childress of Lynchburg; five grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son,
Rufus Epperson, and a sister, Virginia McCullock.
A graveside service for Mrs. Epperson was held February 4 at 2
p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery by the Rev. Larry Martin.
Douglas B. Matze Sr., 78, of 517 Greenway Drive, South Boston,
died February 3 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Born in Wallace, NC on April 20, 1924, he was the son of William
M. Matze and Blanch Linn Matze, and was married to Florence Gravitt
Matze. Mr. Matze was a member of First Presbyterian Church of
South Boston.
As a Veteran of WWII, he served in the US Marine Corps, was a
member of the Masonic Fraternity Halifax Lodge No. 96, a member
of American Legion Post 8, was an active volunteer in the Halifax
County Rescue Squad, serving as Captain in 1968-1969, and was
awarded Life Member status.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Douglas B. Matze Jr. of Chesterfield;
one daughter, Mary Lou Taylor of South Boston; three brothers,
Kenneth Matze of Richmond, Luther Matze of Suffolk, and William
J. Matze of Roanoke; two sisters, Margaret Lipe of Richfield,
NC and Mary Ruth Setzer of Mooresville, NC; five grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two brothers,
Melvin Keith Matze and Mervin Linn Matze.
Funeral services for Mr. Matze will be held at 2 p.m. February
6 at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Russell Lee officiating.
Burial will take place at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening, February 5, from
7:00 until 8:30 at Brooks Funeral Home, and other times at the
home.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax
County Rescue Squad, PO Box 183, South Boston, 24592.
Willie Bee Womack, 84, of 103 Rose Hill Drive, South Boston, died
February 1 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Womack was born in Halifax County on September 24, 1918, the
son of Watt Womack and Nannie Cole Womack and was married to Bertha
Lee Adams. He was a member of New Mt. Olive Holiness Church.
Survivors include his wife; five daughters, Geraldine Miller of
Bayboro, NC, Cora N. Womack and Helen Wooding, both of South Boston,
Barbara Womack and Essie Womack, both of Halifax; three sons,
Watt Womack of Halifax, David Womack of Altavista and Willie J.
Womack of Petersburg; 24 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren;
and one sister, Jossie Womack of Vernon Hill.
Funeral services for Mr. Womack will be held February 7 at 1 p.m.
at New Mt. Olive Holiness Church with Pastor Leonia Palmer officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home of Cora N. Womack,
614 Westside Drive, South Boston.