A North Carolina man was shot to death early Sunday morning at a residence on Chappel Trail in Vernon Hill.
A Halifax County Sheriff's Department spokesman said that deputies were called to the scene after shots were heard from the residence.
Joseph Eric Leonard, 29, of Wilmington, N.C., has been charged by authorities with the first degree murder of William Joseph Fancher, 21, of Franklinville, N.C.
Major Richard Pulliam said that the deputies arrived at the scene and observed a large party in progress. Fancher was found to be shot at the scene and that the suspect had left, according to Pulliam.
Leonard was taken into custody by Deputy M.R. Thompson after the suspect was stopped on Route 360 west, a short distance from the residence.
Deputy Thompson also seized an arsenal of weapons, including assault weapons and ammunition, from the suspect's vehicle.
Along with first degree murder, Leonard is charged with use of a firearm in commission of a felony, driving under the influence and refusing to permit a sample of blood to be taken or to take a breath test.
Pulliam said additional charges are pending. Leonard is currently being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail.
A separate assault occurred at the scene, prior to the fatal shooting, that led to the arrest of Corey Tye Gunlickson, 27, of Gastonia, added Pulliam.
Gunlickson was charged with malicious wounding and is currently being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail under a $10,000 secured bond.
Chief investigator Lt. C.A. Bates led the investigation with as many as ten deputies involved in the case.
Pulliam said additional drug and weapon charges are pending.
· Two Halifax men were arrested by sheriff's deputies Friday on assault and battery charges.
Ralph Daryl Montgomery, 29, of Old Mill Road was charged for the assault and battery of Robert Richardson, 50, also of Old Mill Road.
Richardson was charged with the assault and battery of Montgomery, as well as brandishing a firearm and possessing a firearm after he had been convicted of a felony.
The assault and battery charges allegedly committed by Richardson and Montgomery occurred on the day of the arrest.
The charges alleged against Richardson involving a firearm were committed on December 22.
Richardson and Montgomery are scheduled to appear in Halifax County General District Court on February 9.
· Timothy Tyrone Majors of Duck Trail in Halifax was arrested by sheriff's deputies on the charge of breaking and entering with the intent to commit a misdemeanor.
Majors allegedly entered the dwelling of Helen Tomlinson on September 18 with the intent to commit larceny.
A hearing date was not available at press time.
· A Crystal Hill man was arrested Saturday by sheriff's deputies on the charge of appearing in public in an intoxicated manner.
William Henry Jones, Jr., 29, of Crystal Hill Road was charged with allegedly appearing in public in an intoxicated manner on the day of the arrest.
Jones is scheduled to appear in Halifax County General District Court on February 18.

In other police reports,
A trash vehicle from the Town of South Boston took a wack at the Vaughan Street overpass Thursday afternoon while traveling on Randolph Boulevard.
Officer William E. Fallen said the rear trash door of the 1999 Mack trash truck, driven by Jesse Wayne Hendren, 48, of South Boston, was up and exceeded the maximum height under the overpass as the truck attempted to travel underneath the bridge.
Fallen estimated $25,000 in damages to the truck and an estimated $2,000 in damages to the bridge.
The 1:40 p.m. mishap is still under investigation.
· An 85-year-old South Boston woman was injured Thursday afternoon in a crash that occurred at the intersection of Wilborn Avenue and First Street.
Officer C.L. Carswell identified the injured as Mary Smith Daniel, who was driving a 1984 Pontiac that struck a 1994 Chevrolet in the side.
Both Mark Anthony Hamlett, 25, of Clover, whose vehicle was struck, and Daniel told the officer that they each had the green light in the 4:14 p.m. crash.
Daniel was treated at Halifax Regional Hospital and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Carswell estimated $4,000 in damages to the Hamlett vehicle and $2,000 in estimated damages to Daniel vehicle.
The officer charged Hamlett with driving with a suspended license.
· Two Halifax women were involved in a two-car crash Wednesday afternoon on Old Halifax Road.
Officer William Ozmec said Christina Coleman Stevenson, 27, was driving a 1993 Chevrolet and was yielding on to Route 501 north when her vehicle was struck from behind by a 1995 Ford Explorer, driven by Jonice Blanks Slate, 25.
The officer estimated $3,000 in damages to the Stevenson vehicle and $500 in estimated damage to the SUV.
No charges were filed from the 4:10 p.m. crash.
· A two-car crash occurred Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Broad Street and Edmunds Street.
Officer T.L. Freeman said Amy Lloyd Clem, 36, of Nathalie was driving a 1997 Ford pickup north on Broad Street when her vehicle was hit in the passenger side by a 1993 Saturn, driven by Meredith Harrell Taylor, 57, of Chapel Hill, N.C.
The officer said Taylor ran a stop sign which caused the 4:55 p.m. crash.
Freeman estimated $1,000 in damages to each vehicle.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Federal agents arrested an Alaska man wanted for allegedly kidnapping his two children from their South Boston home on Nov. 20, 1999, and the extradition process to return him to Halifax County is underway, according to South Boston Police Lt. Rick Loftis.
Last month, Robert K. Paulk, 34, was arrested on a federal warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, according to FBI spokesperson Mary Johlie.
According to Loftis, when Paulk is extradited to Halifax County, he will be charged with two counts of kidnapping stemming from the alleged abduction of his 13-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son from the South Boston home of their mother, Jody Paulk.
Charges are still pending against the children's godfather, Charles W. Gillespie, who has not been located by authorities.
Kidnapping charges against private investigator John G. O'Leary, of Albemarle County, were nol prossed in Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Jan. 4.

A South Boston man is being held without bond on rape charges following his arrest on Friday in Danville.
According to South Boston Police Lt. Rick Loftis, Lester Dontrell Lawson, 20, of Cherry Hill Church Road, has been charged with raping a woman at a Sinai residence on January 17.
Loftis said that he, Ptl. W.M. Garner and Regional Task Force officers Jim Binner and Randy Redd went to Danville after receiving a tip that the suspect had been seen on a Greyhound bus Friday afternoon.
Lawson was arrested at the Danville bus stop without incident and transported to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Halifax.
A trial date will be set when Lawson appears before a Halifax County General District Court judge today for an advisement hearing, Loftis said.

Blinking back tears, students from Sarah Hodges' first-period government class gathered on Friday morning to remember their classmate, Michelle Lee Puryear, who was killed in an automobile accident last December.
Still numbed by grief borne of the sudden tragedy, Michelle's family joined her classmates as they presented them and Halifax County High School Principal Larry Clark with a plaque, which will be placed in the school lobby in Michelle's memory.

The message was written by Regina Richardson, a student in Mrs. Hodges' class, who attended elementary school with Michelle in Mecklenburg County.
They both moved to Halifax County when they were in middle school and remained friends throughout their high school years.
Members of the student body and local community were stunned when they heard of the fatal accident in the Red Bank community that claimed Michelle's life on December 30.
Family members said Michelle, a senior at Halifax County Senior High School, attended classes in the morning and worked at Hardee's restaurant in Riverdale in the afternoons and evenings.

She had begun to work some extra hours in the morning before school to earn extra money for the holidays, family members said.
Michelle, who was engaged to be married to Brian Morris of Virgilina, was reportedly on her way to work that Thursday morning when she ran off the side of Red Bank Road and struck a tree just south of Hitesburg Road.
At school, Michelle played trumpet in the band and was planning to attend Danville Community College this fall. She was a member of the Nelson Baptist Church.

A proposal to join forces to solve landfill woes, which was unanimously passed by South Boston Town Council during a joint town/county session last month, is expected to be revisited by supervisors during tonight's board meeting, according to landfill committee chairman Tom West.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.
At last month's meeting, Supervisor R.E. Abbott told the joint session that the county landfill committee had not met on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the county and town.
Supervisors referred the proposal to the committee.
In a presentation last month, Halifax County Administrator Dan Sleeper told the joint session that the county had design problems it would like to address in its lined landfill in the Bethel Community before it begins using it. The county also wants to close several older sections.
South Boston needs to fill and close its landfill, South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel explained, because town officials are facing increasing pressure from the General Assembly and the Department of Environmental Quality to close 1205 landfills in the state. The county faces similar pressure on older sections of its landfill.
To cap the landfill, South Boston needs more trash or it will have to buy dirt to fill it to the proper height, according to town officials.
The town currently receives an average of 30 to 35 tons daily at the town landfill and the county averages about 100 tons daily.
Even with the agreement, the county would continue some operations at its landfill. The recycling center would remain open and the county would take tires, concrete, stumps and debris, Sleeper told town and county officials.
Budget
Supervisors begin the long budget process this month, tackling an estimated $2 to $3 million in additional local funding needed for public schools.
To fund the estimated increase linked to the composite index formula, Sleeper has, on several occasions, warned that some tax increase may be needed this year.
The county currently has the lowest tax rate in the state at 31 cents per $100, according to Sleeper.
Sleeper has proposed the following budget guidelines for supervisors: salaries as may be dictated by state, no more than a 2 percent increase in all line items except salaries and fringe benefits, and the overall budget for the second year of the biennium shall not exceed 2.0 percent.
Last year, supervisors, in a 5-3 June vote, approved the $59.3 million county budget, with several board members objecting to an almost $6 million increase over the previous year's budget.
To cover expanding expenses, Sleeper has estimated a county budget of about $60 million.
Regarding salaries, Sleeper said that the state has a 2.4 percent salary increase and that he is proposing 2.5 percent increase for county employees.
In developing the county's 2000-2001 budget, the following schedule has been proposed: budget requests to departments on Tuesday and submittal of budget requests by Friday, Feb. 25.
Sleeper, who has accepted the position of county administrator in neighboring Pittsylvania County, begins work there March 1. However, after accepting the position, Sleeper told Halifax County supervisors that he would continue to work with them during the budget process.
The finance committee begins its work reviewing the budget material in March.
There will be a joint meeting of the board and the Halifax County School Board on the school budget in March.
The county plans to advertise the full draft budget in April with a public hearing on the school budget in April.
Adoption of the School Board budget will be by May 1. Supervisors hope to have a budget hearing on the matter on Monday, June 19, with budget adoption no later than Friday, June 30.

Halifax Town Council will meet next week rather than its regular session this week due to conflicting schedules, town manager Robert Greene announced Friday.
At the Tuesday, February 15, meeting, the town council will hold a public hearing on zoning changes related to the recent annexation.
Council will also discuss a sample ordinance for animal control, discuss delinquent tax collection and discuss truck traffic within the town.

A $1.5 million-damage claim, thought to be the largest in recent Halifax County history, has been awarded a former resident who suffered severe injuries in an auto crash that claimed the defendant's life.
Last Monday, Circuit Court Judge William L. Wellons entered a judgement of $1.5 million for Cheryl Meyer Linsley, 51, against the estate of Margaret M. Jennings, who was killed in the head-on collision that occurred on Nov. 20, 1998.
After listening to approximately an hour and a half of testimony, Wellons ruled that Jennings had been negligent and was therefore responsible for Linsley's injuries.
Linsley, who now lives in Vermont, was driving along U.S. 501 north, about two miles away from her Halifax home, when a 1995 Oldsmobile, driven by Jennings, collided with her 1995 Chevrolet Blazer.
According to Virginia State Police reports, the collision occurred when Jennings attempted to pass other vehicles in a "no passing" zone and struck Linsley's vehicle almost directly head-on.
Linsley was pinned in her vehicle for approximately two hours and suffered two broken legs, 12 broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a collapsed lung, among other injuries, according to her attorney, W.W. "Ted" Bennett.
She was transported to Duke Medical Center in Durham, N.C., where she underwent 11 hours of surgery. As a result of the accident, Linsley's right leg was amputated below her knee.
According to Jim Daniel, a Danville attorney representing the insurance company, Linsley has incurred $260,000 in medical expenses so far, and she faces $125,000 in future bills for necessary operations.
Jennings' sister-in-law, Kitty S. Jennings, 93, of Nathalie, was also critically injured in the accident.
According to her attorney, Tom Phillips Sr., of Lynchburg, Jennings will receive an undisclosed settlement from her sister-in-law's estate.

Information galore.
That's what local farmers can expect when they attend one of the many agriculture meetings being held throughout the county this month.
Approximately 20 producers attended each of the two meetings held in Turbeville and Midway last week, which was a perfect number, according to Larry McPeters, Halifax County extension agent.
"The meetings last about two hours, and they are very beneficial to all farmers," said McPeters, who said after the initial presentations that the farmers break into small work groups for about 30 to 45 minutes.
"The purpose of these meetings is to expose this information in some small way to everyone. Then, each farmer can follow-up on whatever is of interest to them and get more detailed information."
During his presentation, McPeters concentrated on the research and production side of agriculture, commenting on fertilization methods and products, weed control and different products that were on the market for disease control.
He also touched on the livestock outlook for this coming season.
"Right now, the outlook is very positive. Beef cattle are selling good, and the outlook is good for the next three years," he said.
As usual, tobacco was a big topic, and McPeters briefly touched on a number of new varieties, and shared greenhouse and production information.
Reggie Arrington of the Halifax County FSA Office attended the meeting in Midway and spoke on behalf of the Water and Soil Conservation District concerning a number of available conservation programs including the following:
· The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
· The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
· The Forestry Incentive Program (FIP).
According to Arrington, CRP is a voluntary program that offers annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term resource-conserving covers on eligible land.
Eligible land has been planted for crops for two of the past five years. It must be capable of being planted now. Certain marginal pasture land is also eligible.
The duration of the contracts is from 10 to 15 years.
The deadline to sign up for this program is Feb. 11, Arrington said.
CREP is an enhancement of the CRP, with a goal to improve the quality of Virginia's streams and groundwater by restoring wetlands and establishing mixed hardwood forests and grass buffer strips along streams and around wetlands and around sinkholes.
"This program has three components: Cost-share (75-100 percent); annual rental payments for 10 or 15 years; and an open-space easement option that may be added to the first two components," Arrington explained.
The FIP is a cost-share program to replant harvested timberland, and will cover 40 percent of the cost to replant in pine and 65 percent to replant in hardwood.
Kevin Bohon from the Halifax Farm Service Office discussed other assistance programs, including a livestock assistance program, a crop disaster program and loan deficiency payments.
The livestock assistance program, he explained, reimburses farmers for pasture losses due to drought, based on acres of pasture and number of head of livestock.
"The sign-up period for this program closes this Friday," he noted.
The crop disaster program covers any losses last year in excess of 35 percent, according to Bohon.
The deadline for this program is Feb. 25.
"Loan deficiency payments are the payments we make to grain producers when the market rate for the commodities falls below our loan rate," he explained.
Bohon also discussed the Conservation Reserve Program, for which the sign-up period ends this Friday, as well.
"With this program, cropland that is now, or will be idle next year, can go in for a 10- or 15-year period if it's planted for wildlife cover with warm- season grasses and/or trees, and you receive annual rental payments," he said.
For many farmers, the most pressing matter on their minds right now has to do with the Phase II tobacco payments, according to Bohon.
"Some applications are coming back to the farmers without payments, and our office is doing a lot of troubleshooting," he said, before touching on some basics regarding the payment method. "Those who got their checks are happy, but others were kind of frustrated."
There will be four more of these area meetings this week, with the first being held tonight at the North Halifax Fire Department at 7 p.m. The other meetings will be held on Tuesday at the Triangle Fire Department at 7 p.m.; Wednesday at the Halifax Extension Auditorium at 10 a.m.; and Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the Oak Level Fire Department at 7 p.m.
"These meetings are very beneficial and I encourage all farmers to come to the meeting nearest to their home and keep up with the information that is available to them," McPeters said, adding that these meetings are free of charge.
He also encouraged all tobacco farmers and quota owners to be sure to attend the Virginia Tobacco Conference and Trade Show at the Halifax County Senior High School this Saturday.
"There will be representatives from tractor and equipment companies, seed producers, fertilizer companies, crop insurance - just about anyone that has anything to do with tobacco," he said. "In addition, representatives from McGuire, Woods, Battle and Boothe LLP, legal counsel to the Virginia Tobacco Trust Certification Board, will be available to answer questions you may have regarding the Phase II payments."
Issues that have been tentatively scheduled for discussion at the 2000 Conference include an update of Phase I and Phase II programs of the Master Settlement Agreement and low nitrosamine tobacco production.
McPeters also reminded all farmers that they need to contact him by July 1 if they want to participate in the free pesticide clean-up program.

Garrett Dillard's face mirrored his frustration as he stood against the wall outside his team's locker room.
His Comets had just staged a Jeckyl-Hyde performance in a 10-point 54-44 loss to Albemarle Friday night in Charlottesville.
The Comets played a solid first half, emerging with an 18-16 halftime lead and holding the Patriots' top scorer, Marcus Wilson scoreless.
That was despite the fact that Albemarle had out-rebounded the Comets and that the Comets had committed more fouls and more turnovers than Albemarle.
But, the Comets laid down at the start of the second half, allowing Albemarle to go on a 7-0 run in the first three minutes, a run that gave the Patriots a five point lead which they never relinquished.
"It was like we went into the locker room and came out as a different team," Dillard said after his team fell to 6-8 on the season and 0-3 in the district.
"The guys just didn't come out and play hard. Defensively we just stopped working. They just didn't have that same desire. They (Albemarle) came out and scored the first seven points not because they were executing but because we had guys standing still and not getting their hands up in the shooters' faces.
"I can't explain it," continued Dillard.
"I can't explain why a group of guys came out in the first half like the best team in the state of Virginia and in the second half not even the best team at their own high school."
The Comets needed a victory against Albemarle in order to have a shot at obtaining a second place finish in the district and an opportunity to play their first round Western District Tournament game at home.
A victory against the Patriots would have been the first of two steps the Comets needed to take to make that happen.
The second step comes tonight when the Comets face district leader GW of Danville here at home.
But, the second step, which would be a win over GW, now will be a somewhat hollow one.
While a win over GW will be big for the Comets in terms of a morale boost, the Comets can now only play for third place in the four team district race.
The Comets did some good things in the first half of Friday night's game against the Patriots.
Albemarle led the first half of the first period before the Comets put together a 5-0 run on the strength of a basket from center Cardell Mosley and three points from Teddy Bradley, who led the Comets' scoring in the game with 11 points, to go up 7-5.
The Patriots grabbed the lead back before the period ended and held it until Bradley hit two quick baskets about two minutes into the second period to put the Comets back on top 13-12.
Albemarle managed to regain the lead but the Comets tied the game twice more, once on a free throw by William Jennings and again on a basket by Josh Milam.
Jennings put the Comets on top at the end of the half with a pair of free throws with 36 seconds left that gave the Comets an 18-16 edge.
"I was more than pleased," Dillard said of his team's first half.
"We're on the road. We have a two point lead. I don't think the Wilson kid had even scored a point. That was our goal - to shut him down."
The complexion of the game changed in the second half.
Not only did Albemarle burst out of the gate to score the first seven points and go up 23-18, they continued to stymie and frustrate two of the Comets' big guns, guard Fred Price and forward William Jennings.
The Patriots played a diamond and one on Price and held him scoreless for three periods before he finally hit a three-pointer and a foul shot in the fourth period.
Price, who scored only four points in the game, became very frustrated, Dillard said.
"We tried to let him know we don't care if you don't score a point," Dillard said.
"But, when you have a guy that has it in his mind he wants to be an offensive player and score 15 or 20 points, when he doesn't do that, he gets very frustrated.
"Kids sometimes get frustrated," continued Dillard, "and will stop playing and start doing silly things, rushing shots, and stop working hard on defense trying to save energy for offense. He did that and it really affected us in the second half."
Jennings, who was held to nine points in the game, was double teamed virtually the entire time and, on occasions, found himself triple teamed as the Patriots sagged a man back to front him when Jennings would try to ask for the ball deep into the paint.
That ploy worked as Jennings scored only five points through the first three periods, all on free throws. He didn't hit a field goal until the fourth period when he hit twice from the floor.
On the other side, the Patriots got 13 second half points from Wilson who went over the 1,000 point milestone for his high school career in the process.
And, by virtue of the fact that the Comets did more than their share of fouling, the Patriots were able to score 17 points as a result of free throws.
Halifax County, by comparison, had only 16 attempts at the charity stripe for the contest.
The Comets scored only six points in the third period and fell behind by nine points at 31-22 at the end of the period.
Halifax hit the first basket of the fourth period to get back to within seven points but the Patriots gradually inched their way to an 11 point edge before the first two minutes had ticked off the clock.
Carleton Roach, who was scoreless for three periods and came back to score 10 points in the final period, hit a trio of three-point field goals in the final stanza, the first two of which allowed the Comets to get to within nine points of the Patriots.
The Patriots managed to rebuild their lead, gaining as much as a 16 point cushion with a minute to play in the game.
That allowed them to survive a late 8-2 stretch run by the Comets that was spearheaded by three-point field goals from both Roach and Price along with a free throw from both.
"I felt we would win the ball game," Dillard remarked.
"We had a good game plan. It worked for one half. They (Albemarle) didn't do anything differently. We just didn't come out (to start the second half) with any energy."

Halifax County High School swimmers Amy Ward and Andrew Leonard won district titles Thursday as the Comets swim teams placed second in the Western District Swimming Championships.
The Comets girls team finished in a tie with GW for second place in the district while the boys team earned a runner-up finish in its meet.
Twenty-six Comets swimmers, 14 girls and 12 boys, qualified to compete in Saturday's Northwest Region Swimming Championships which will be held at the Freedom Center in Manassas which is part of the George Mason University campus.
"I'm real pleased with that," said Comets coach Dewey Compton.
"That's a good number of swimmers to go to the regionals.
E.C. Glass continued its domination of Western District swimming in winning both the girls and boys meets.
The Hilltoppers scored 216 points in the girls meet with Halifax County and GW both scoring 106 points.
Glass won the boys meet with 234 points with Halifax County taking second place with 127 points and GW finishing third with 57 points.
Ward, a junior, won the district title in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 27.20 seconds. She won the district championship in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:07.48.
Leonard, also a junior, won the district title in the 200-meter IM with a time of 2:21.78. That was Leonard's best mark in the event this season.
Along with that, Leonard placed third in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:09.90.
The Comets had several good marks in the district meet.
Nora Lee placed third in the 200-meter IM with a mark of 2:37.88 to lead the Comets in that event. She also placed fourth in the 100-meter fly with a time of 1:13.36.
Among the better marks for the girls were Liza Holmes' fourth place finish and Maggie Hunt's fifth place finish in the 500-meter freestyle.
Holmes recorded a mark of 6:52.89 which was her top mark of the season and Hunt came in with her best time of the season with a mark of 6:58.38.
Hunt and Mary Caldwell posted their best times of the season in the 100-meter breaststroke where they placed seventh and eighth respectively.
Hunt turned in a time of 1:25.94 and Caldwell was timed in 1:27.48.
Stephanie Bomar had a good swim in the 100-meter freestyle where she finished fifth with a time of 1:07.06.
Among the top efforts for the boys team was Chad Compton's pair of second place finishes in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle.
Compton's mark of 23.58 seconds in the 50-meter race was good enough to qualify him for the regionals on the basis of time. The regionals cut mark for times was 23.62 seconds.
His mark in the 100-meter race was 54.47 seconds.
Greg Ward posted his best time of the season in placing second in the 500-meter freestyle. Ward's mark in that event was 6:26.49
Casey Owen turned in a notable performance by posting his best time of the season in the 100-meter freestyle event.
His time of 59.64 seconds, which was good enough to earn fifth place, marked the first time this season that he has broken the one minute mark in the event.
Owen also placed fourth in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:13.63.
Another Comets swimmer that posted his best time of the season in the district championship meet was Chris Drake.
Drake finished seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:17.
The Comets got a good performance from Jordan Clark who finished third in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:24.64 and fifth in the 100-meter fly with a time of 1:17.52.
And, Ron Overbey finished fifth in that event with a time of 2:30.47 in what was his first attempt at competing in that particular event.
Alex Psihramis placed fifth for the Comets in the 50-meter free style with a mark of 26.02 seconds and sixth in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:01.72
The Comets swim teams put together successful seasons this season with the girls team finishing 6-1 in dual meets and the boys finishing with a 5-2 slate.
"I'm real pleased with the effort that the team has given during the season," Compton said.
"We have a lot of people that are going to the regionals for the first time and a lot of ninth and tenth graders that have done well that will be back again next year."
Western District Swimming Champions
Girls Results
E.C. Glass 216
George Washington 106
Halifax County 106
200 Medley--ECG (Martha Frankfort, Eleanor Whitley, Jennifer Austin, Gretchen Nygaard) 203.91; GW (Brittany Price, Laura Nixon, Jenny Robinson, Brittany East) 2:09.50; Hal. (Amy Ward, Megan Jackson, Nora Lee, Joni Abbott) 2:12.6.
200 Free--Brittany East GW 2:01.03, Ashley Cook ECG 2:08.64, Martha Frankfort ECG 2:12.36, Eleanor Whitley ECG 2:16.11, Meredith McCrea ECG 2:19.63, Emily Ranson GW 2:34.79, Jessie Ramsey H 2:39.88, Maggie Wilkins H 2:47.81.
200 IM--Anne Blanks ECG 2:22.02, Jennifer Austin ECG 2:27.16, Nora Lee H 2:37.88, Jenny Robinson GW 2:39.42, Elizabeth Madden ECG 2:43.87, Katie Adams GW 2:44.41, Liza Holmes H 2:45.91, Kathryn Ramsey H 2:49.14.
50 Free--Amy Ward H 27.20, Elizabeth Frazier ECG 27.32, Laura Nixon GW 28.07, Gretchen Nygaard ECG 28.35, Erin Cranston ECG 29.11, Stephanie Bomar H 29.51, Joni Abbott H 30.03, Alexis Slack ECG 31.36.
100 Fly--Eleanor Whitley ECG 1:05.11, Laura Nixon GW 1:09.30, Meredith McCrea ECG 1:09.89, Nora Lee H 1:13.36, Martha Petty ECG 1:18.41, Lauren Gardner ECG 1:18.49, Kathryn Ramsey H 1:19.35, Jessie Ramsey H 1:30.54.
100 Free--Brittany East GW 56.39, Anne Blanks ECG 58.51, Gretchen Nygaard ECG 1:03.49, Jennifer Barrett ECG 1:06.69, Stephanie Bomar H 1:07.06, Joni Abbott H 1:07.08, Cecelia Capps ECG 1:10.18, Liz Bomar H 1:10.20.
500 Free--Ashley Cook ECG 5:43.46, Brittany Price GW 6:21.16, Elizabeth Madden ECG 6:27.85, Liza Holmes H 6:52.89, Maggie Hunt H 6:58.38, Emily Ranson GW 7:02.13, Rebecca Slivka GW 8:43.54, Sarah Foster GW 9:37.92.
200 Free--ECG 1:49.22, GW 1:54.48 (Jenny Robinson, Laura Nixon, Brittany Price, Brittany East), Hal. 1:58.33 (Amy Ward, Joni Abbott, Stephanie Bomar, Nora Lee).
100 Back--Amy Ward H 1:07.48, Martha Frankfort ECG 1:09.04, Sarah Barrett ECG 1:15.81, Cecelia Capps ECG 1:17.17 Brittany Price GW 1:17.71, Kathryn Bradley H 1:19.13, Christina Manning H 1:24.10, Martha Petty ECG 1:25.80.
100 Breast--Elizabeth Frazier ECG 1:12.04, Jennifer Austin ECG 1:14.66, Alexis Slack ECG 1:20.75, Jennifer Barrett ECG 1:22.50, Katie Adams GW 1:23.25, Jenny Robinson GW 1:23.89, Maggie Hunt H 1:25.94, Mary Caldwell H 1:27.48.
400 Free--ECG 4:03.17 (Elizabeth Frazier, Ashley Cook, Eleanor Whitley, Anne Blanks), Hal. 4:45.63 (Kathryn Ramsey, Jessie Ramsey, Maggie Hunt, Stephanie Bomar), GW 5:19.35 (Alex Stainback, Emily Ranson, Cristina Schasse, Katie Adams.

Western District Swimming Champions
Boys Results
E.C. Glass 234
Halifax County 127
George Washington 57
200 Medley--ECG 1:49.80 (Graham Gilmer, James Cure, Hunter Jamerson, David George), Hal. 1:57.47 (Casey Owen, Jordan Clark, Andrew Leonard, Chad Compton), GW 2:11.93 (Ian Adams, Chris Conway, Tyler Bushong, Paul Gillispie).
200 Free--Freeman Coleman ECG 2:11.49, John Ferry ECG 2:14.49, Jordan Clark H 2:24.64, Jeremy White ECG 2:26.19, Ron Overbey H 2:30.47, Chris Conway GW 2:37.67, Cale Husted H 2:38.37, Tripp Hunt H 2:45.36.
200 IM--Andrew Leonard H 2:21.78, Graham Gilmer ECG 2:22.51, John Blackman ECG 2:31.63, J. Storton ECG 2:33.15, Tyler Bushong GW 2:46.17.
50 Free--Hunter Jamerson ECG 23.49, Chad Compton H 23.58, James Cure ECG 24.37, Daniel Gerdy ECG 25.69, Alex Psihramis H 26.02, Thomas Brennan ECG 26.26, Daniel Roller H 26.38, Paul Gillispie GW 28.79.
100 Fly--David George ECG 1:03.79, Graham Gilmer ECG 1:09.59, Michael Surlak ECG 1:10.52, Chris Nauss ECG 1:12.92, Jordan Clark H 1:17.52, Chris Conway GW 1:21.39, Ron Overbey H 127.20, Aaron Smith H 1:27.33.
100 Free--Hunter Jamerson ECG 53.51, Chad Compton H 54.47, Nathan Sheppard ECG 56.92, John Ferry ECG 58.67, Casey Owen H 59.64, Alex Psihramis H 1:01.72, Daniel Roller H 1:04.15, Brett Thomas GW 1:14.43.
500 Free--Freeman Coleman ECG 5:57.45, Greg Ward H 6:26.49, Jeremy White ECG 6:50.72, Michael Surlak ECG 6:58.16, Ian Adams GW 6:58.73, Tripp Hunt H 7:58.70.
200 Free--ECG 1:40.60, Hal. 1:43.18 (Jordan Clark, Alex Psihramis, Andrew Leonard, Chad Compton), GW 2:14.28 (Jeremy Fowler, Brett Thomas, Joey Overby, David Fesperman).
100 Back--David George ECG 1:05.42, John Blackman ECG 1:07.71, J. Storton ECG 1:12.86, Casey Owen H 1:13.63, Chris Nauss ECG 1:17.60, Aaron Smith H 1:18.91, Ian Adams GW 1:19.18.
100 Breast--James Cure ECG 1:05.23, Nathan Sheppard ECG 1:08.32, Andrew Leonard H 1:09.90, Thomas Brennan CG 1:11.49, Daniel Gerdy ECG 1:16.28, Tyler Bushong GW 1:16.92, Chris Drake H 1:17.00, Cale Husted H 1:19.39.
400 Free--ECG 4:01.14 (John Blackmon, Daniel Gerdy, Nathan Sheppard, Graham Gilmer), Hal. 4:14.54 (Daniel Roller, Alex Psihramis, Ron Overbey, Casey Owen), GW 4:52.21 (Chris Conway, Paul Gillispie, Ian Adams, Tyler Bushong).

Halifax County High School's grapplers won the much ballyhooed "Rat Bowl" here Thursday night.
But, the team's first Western District win of the season, a 48-27 triumph over the E.C. Glass Hilltoppers on Senior Night, didn't come in a luster filled fashion.
First, the "Rat Bowl," which was initiated by former Comets assistant coach Grayson Throckmorton and Comets coach Brady Taylor as a fun way to bring some added intensity to the annual dual match between the two teams, was missing a central figure.
Throckmorton, who was said to have recently resigned from his post as the E.C. Glass wrestling coach, was not with the Hilltoppers Thursday night.
"That took away from it (the "Rat Bowl") some," Taylor remarked.
"I wish Grayson had been here. We're friends and I wish him the best of luck."
And, acting Glass coach Chip Tucker, with only eight wrestlers in the fold, had to give up six forfeits, translating to 36 team points, to the Comets, virtually assuring the Comets of victory before they stepped out onto the mat.
"If we could have had a knock-down drag-out match it would have been more fitting," Taylor said.
"It also would have been nicer if more of our seniors had gotten a chance to wrestle in their final home match.
"But," continued Taylor, " a win is a win and I'm happy. The rat will go on our shelf in the wrestling room right next to our Lakeland Duals trophy."
The win was a boost to the Comets in that it elevated the Comets' season record to 7-9 overall and 1-1 in Western District action.
"Since we've had two quad meets and a dual match canceled, we needed to win this match to give ourselves a chance to finish the season with a respectable record," Taylor said.
"And, it helped us pick up some seeding points for the Western District Tournament.
The Comets, who gave up two forfeits themselves, struggled some in the match, winning only three of the seven weight classes that were contested.
"We got a lot of help from forfeits," Taylor acknowledged.
"The way it worked out, it was our strongest guys that picked up the forfeits."
Halifax County's wins among the contested matches came from 119-pounder Nick Wilson, 130-pounder Mike Neff and 275-pounder Kevin Smith.
"They looked good," Taylor remarked.
"I thought Nick looked really good and I was glad to see Kevin have the courage to come from behind and get the pin the way he did."
Taylor said that some of the Comets' rustiness can be attributed to the bad winter weather that has kept the team idle for the better part of two weeks.
"We were a little off," admitted Taylor.
"That was probably from our not being here the last couple of weeks. We only had two days of practice to get ready for this match. That, I think, played a part in it."
The Comets now have to prepare for their final Western District regular dual meet, that one being against GW Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Danville.
"We've got some work to do," Taylor pointed out.
"We're going to have to give up some forfeits. Hopefully, we can overcome that.
"GW is a tough squad to beat," added Taylor.
"We're going to have to really pick it up for GW. GW is a beatable team. If we can get ourselves in the right frame of mind and have a couple or three real good days of practice, I think we can compete with them."
HALIFAX COUNTY 48 E.C. GLASS 27
103 - Norman Mack (ECG) pinned Aaron Vaughan (HC) 53 Sec.
112 - Fritz Marion (ECG) won by forfeit.
119 - Nick Wilson (HC) pinned Walter Basten (ECG) 1:22.
125 - Charles Stump (ECG) dec. Chris Emory (HC) 7-3.
130 - Mike Neff (HC) pinned Jessica Lamar (ECG) 30 Sec.
135 - Jason Long (HC) won by forfeit.
140 - Charlie Hall (HC) won by forfeit.
145 - Jacob Jennings (HC) won by forfeit.
152 - Brian Hall (HC) won by forfeit.
160 - Double forfeit.
171 - Eric Schoel (ECG) pinned Barrett Thompson (HC) 1:04.
189 - Casey Allen (ECG) pinned David Adams (HC) 1:44.
215 - Alex Haynie (HC) won by forfeit.
275 - Kevin Smith (HC) pinned James Ware (ECG) 2:59.
EXHIBITION
112 - Fritz Marion (ECG) pinned Chad Cole (HC) 3:10.

Alec Stonewall Throckmorton, age 71, of South Boston, died February 2, 2000 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Throckmorton was born in Halifax County on May 8, 1928 to Henry Herbert Throckmorton and Evelyn Saunders Throckmorton. He was married to Virginia Guthrie Throckmorton.
His survivors include four sisters: Margaret Burton of South Boston, Livian Layne of Lynchburg, Agnes Hackney of Vernon Hill, Linda Howerton of Blairs; four brothers: Alton Throckmorton of Scottsburg, Ernest Throckmorton of Newport News, Louis Throckmorton of Roxboro, N.C., Joel Throckmorton of Williamsburg and four step-children: Suzanne Gulley of South Boston, Jimmy Guthrie of Danville, Debbie Ingram and Donnie Guthrie of Halifax.
A funeral service was held Saturday, February 5 at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. John Wilder officiating. Burial took place in Mountain View Cemetery in Danville.

Stover Rexford Adams, 85, of 16211 L.P. Bailey Memorial Highway, Nathalie, died February 3, 2000 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Adams was born in Pittsylvania County on January 26, 1915, the son of Daniel Adams and Susie Guard Adams. He was married to the late Irene Coates Adams and was a member of Childrey Baptist Church.
His survivors include his daughter and son-in-law: Betty and R. Lewis Francis of Winfall; son: Bobby J. Adams of Salem; two grandchildren: Mark Francis of Gladys and Kimberly Snyder of Eden, N.C. and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Rexford L Adams.

A funeral service was held Sunday, February 6 at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Rodney Barwick officiating. Burial took place in Childrey Baptist Church Cemetery.
For memorials please consider the Brookneal Rescue Squad or the Childrey Baptist Church.

Eugenia Landrum Anderson, 87, of 715 Marshall Ave., South Boston, died February 4, 2000 at Lynchburg General Hospital.
Mrs. Anderson was born in Halifax County on June 17, 1912, the daughter of Charlie Henry Landrum and Nannie Howard Chaney Landrum. She was married to Junious Eugene (Dean) Anderson and was a member of the Center United Church of Christ.
Her survivors include two daughters: Bettie A. Srougi of Lynchburg and Geraldine A. Newton of Danville; son: Junious Eugene Anderson of Vernon Hill; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held Sunday, February 6 at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. John Wilder officiating. Burial took place at Halifax Memorial Gardens.

Kate Morris Trickey, 93, of Harmony, died February 5, 2000 at The Woodview.
Mrs. Trickey was born February 2, 1907 in Halifax County, the daughter of John Robert Morris and Nannie Flora Gravitt Morris. She was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church where she served as a long time Sunday School teacher.
Her survivors include three sons: Robert Henry Trickey and his wife, Frances of Longhurst, N.C.; David Morrell Trickey and his wife, Magdeline of Quinton; A.C. Trickey and his wife, Carol Dean of Mebane, N.C.; nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her husband, John David Trickey and daughter, Elizabeth Whitlow.

A funeral service will be held today, February 7 at 2 p.m. at Harmony United Methodist Church with the Rev. Michael Sullivan officiating. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Harmony United Church, c/o Kim Fox Treasurer, 79 Frank Fox Road, Roxboro, N.C. 27575.

Samuel Davis Jr., 82, of Clarksville, died February 1, 2000 in the home in which he was born.
Mr. Davis was a World War II Navy veteran and was the founder and chairman of the Kinderton Invitational Golf Tournament. He was a member of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in which he helped build.
Mr. Davis was the first chairman of the Clarksville Planning and Zoning Commission and served 43 years on the Mecklenburg County Electoral Board which was the longest service held in the history of the Commonwealth.
His survivors include his wife: Mary Ross Larson Davis; three children: Samuel Davis III, Peter Nils Davis and Jane Ross Davis; seven grandchildren: Laura Davis, Christopher Davis, Hannah Davis, Sarah Davis, Kirby Saunders, Eliza Davis and Peter Davis and two great-grandchildren: Hannah Davis-Hancock and Lucy Davis-Hancock.

A memorial service was held February 5 at Clarksville Baptist Church with the Rev. Doug Geddis officiating. Interment was held at the Oakhurst Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church or to the Frances Davis Sales Library Fund of Clarksville Baptist Church.

Frank Smith Medley, 49, of Scottsburg died February 2, 2000 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was born in Halifax County on November 2, 1950.
His survivors include his daughter: Patrice Medley of Capitol Heights, Md.; son: Kenric Medley of Temple Hills, Md.; mother: Alice Watkins of Scottsburg; two sisters: Shirley Hill of Stafford and Edna Jennings of Scottsburg; brother: Ray Watkins of Roanoke and four grandchildren.
A funeral service was held Sunday, February 6 at St. James Baptist Church in Scottsburg with Rev. Byrd Blackwell and Rev. Ronald Claiborne officiating. Interment was held in the church cemetery.