RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Balancing their compassion with a concern that they shouldn't treat some unemployed people differently than others, legislators are considering a bill to provide assistance to laid-off textile workers in southwest Virginia.
On Wednesday, the House Labor and Commerce Committee will vote on the Textile Workers Relief Act. The bill would offer at least two years of health insurance for workers who lost their jobs due to foreign competition because of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It also would raise weekly unemployment benefits for persons living in high unemployment areas by 43 percent.
Even when the rest of the state is seeing unprecedented prosperity, the bill has raised concerns.
''I'm not sure someone unemployed in Newport News is less deserving than someone unemployed in Martinsville,'' said Del. John Rust, R-Fairfax County, chairman of the board that oversees the state's unemployment trust fund.
''It's going to be hard to single out one group,'' said House Speaker Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst. Wilkins said he fears the textile bill might be unconstitutional or attract lawsuits from unemployed persons ineligible for the bigger benefit checks or health insurance.
One legal issue is raised by the Harper vs. Commonwealth of Virginia lawsuit, filed because the state was collecting taxes on federal retirement money but not state benefits. The state was forced in the early 1990s to stop taxing the federal benefits and to pay millions of dollars to federal retirees in compensation.
''If you discriminate in benefits from one group to another then we come perilously close if not realizing another Harper situation,'' said Sen. John Chichester, R-Fredericksburg, chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Advocates of the bill counter that special categories among the unemployed are not unknown. The federal government already treats workers displaced by NAFTA differently by offering retraining benefits not offered to other jobless people. And the state of Washington offers additional benefits for jobless timber workers.
About 3,300 textile workers have lost their jobs in southwest and southside Virginia, either through plant closures or layoffs. The workers and the legislators sponsoring the bill blame the job losses on NAFTA, which has prompted many labor-intensive industries to relocate to Mexico.
Unemployment is 19.6 percent in Martinsville and 11.6 percent in neighboring Henry County.
Supporters of the bill say the bill is intended as much for communities as for individual unemployed people.
''With 7,000 people unemployed, I'm losing the shoe store, the gas station and the grocery store,'' said Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Henry, the bill's chief sponsor.
Using that perspective, it makes sense to offer higher benefits to workers in localities with the highest unemployment rates, they say.
''This builds a floor underneath the community during this transition,'' said state AFL-CIO President Daniel LeBlanc.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A bill to raise jobless benefits for thousands of laid-off textile workers in southside Virginia has run afoul of the Gilmore administration.
''This is divisive and is not equitable to all Virginians,''  Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Labor Joshua Lief said Monday of the measure intended mainly to help workers in the Martinsville area who lost their jobs with the bankruptcy reorganization of apparel-maker Tultex.
Expanding the measure to provide similar relief to laid-off workers statewide would bust the state's unemployment trust fund, Lief said.
The bill would raise the maximum weekly unemployment check for displaced workers in depressed regions - defined as regions with unemployment twice the state average or higher - from $232 to $332. It also would provide health insurance for some workers.
The House Labor and Commerce Committee is expected to vote on the bill Wednesday.

By Michael A. Paige
A centennial celebration of the Virgilina Elementary School will take place on Monday to mark the 100th day of the 100th year of its existence.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., a ceremony will take place at the school auditorium to commemorate a century of education in the town. Those scheduled to attend the presentation will include the oldest alumnus,Vera Puryear Slagle, 97, and the youngest student now attending Virgilina Elementary, Neil O'Brien, 5.
Speakers will include Rep. Virgil Goode, 5th District; Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett, 60-D; Dennis Witt, superintendent of schools; D.H. McDowell Jr., school board chairman; Lottie Nunn, member of the Board of Supervisors; Aleta Fears, principal of Virgilina Elementary; and a representative of Stover Long's, mayor of Virgilina. A letter from Governor Gilmore will also be read.
In a proclamation by the Halifax County Board of Supervisors, signed on January 3, 2000, Virgilina Elementary was officially recognized for its contributions and longevity in community education, its achievements in the Standards of Learning tests, and its continuation of providing quality education in a small classroom setting.
The Community School
Situated on Florence Avenue, Virgilina Elementary remains a cherished institution in the rural community and among alumni who gather for annual fellowships. The old brick building once served as the high school for the community in the first half of the 20th century - before the 1953-1954 consolidation of Halifax County high schools.
A step inside the school likens to a pilgrimage through educational history that resonates on the creaking floors; likens also of young scholars exploring the vestibules of an old university, where the ambience reeks of reverence for forebearers who made their marks in life.
The woodwork of arched halls reflects period framework and a heritage that goes back to the 1920s.
Yet Virgilina Elementary began as a one-room school house, a clapboard building built in 1899. A decade later, additional rooms were added, along with the construction of an auditorium. After 1908, the four-room school would eventually fostered such alumni as the Honorable William Munford Tuck, a governor of Virginia.
In 1926, there were plans to build a bigger school and Virgilina High School received $5,000 from the citizens of the town and another $5,000 from the state.
A modern brick building emerged, complete with a library, and the old clapboard school was in the process of being dismantled when the new facility was destroyed by fire. Students were placed back into the old school building, minus ceilings, while a new school was resurrected from the ashes.
The auditorium, however, was left over from the old building, and served the new facility in the accommodation of graduation exercises. It was during that time that Virgilina became a junior high school. And the auditorium stands today as a testimony to those who achieved their advancement in life and it continues to serve the school as a multi-purpose room.
The Basic Teachings
Methods in teaching have changed far beyond the days of the early 20th century. The living testimonies provide a memorable chart of how Virgilina's alumni obtained their reading, writing and arithmetic, their athletic programs, and the support from a community instilled with a sense of respect for education and the care of its students.
Of the generations that experienced their formative years in Virgilina, the oldest living alumnae is Vera Puryear Slagle, from the class of 1920. She currently resides at the Berry Hill Nursing Home and, after a hip replacement, continues to walk on her own.
She equates her remarkable ability to walk with a saying that "old Capricorns are determined people. They keep on trying," she said.
Prevalent among many of Virgilina's early alumni was a willingness to brave the elements of nature in order to raise themselves up to participate in America's most basic and essential instruction. Such tenacity was bred in their patriotic duty and their character to tackle hardships.
Mrs. Slagle was 17 years old when she graduated from the 10th grade. Her classes were held in the old four-room school building.
In the early days, pupils lined up 2 by 2 in the morning and marched into the auditorium before classes began.
The first order of business was the Lord's Prayer, then a reading of scripture, an announcement or two and a send off with the song "My Country 'Tis of Thee."
Getting to school meant walking to school in boots, heavy coats and gloves according to the weather; some walked for miles both to and from school.
Mrs. Slagle recalled one particular time she had to walk up the hill that led to the school when it was covered with snow and ice. Because of the slippery ice, she had to grip the tracks made from horses' hoofs and crawl up the hill.
A Progressive Pupil
It was in the 1930s when school buses began transporting pupils to Virgilina. Transportation occurred after the closing of several area schools, which included Shady Grove, Ridgeway, Mountain, Rice, Redbank and Aarons Creek.
These were small clapboard schools in the Red Bank district and their closings required a bus system to haul the children to Virgilina.
Elmo Smith, whose late wife, Charlotte Hudson Smith, attended Virgilina and who later taught there, worked out a deal with the county whereby he purchased a touring car and was to be reimbursed with oil and gas while he operated the vehicle as a school bus.
Smith had bought a 1924 Ford for about $40, and used the touring car to deliver children back and forth each day from school.
As a boy, Smith attended Aarons Creek school. He recalled having to walk to school and when the children wore woolen-knit socks on their feet while they walked in the snow.
"We would hang the socks on a tree by a string to dry while we were in school. At the end of the school day, the socks would be dry enough to be put on again for the walk home," said Smith.
In class, Smith said the students would have a water cooler to use when they wanted a drink of water and they would fold up a piece of writing paper into the shape of a cup to dip into the water for a drink.
At Virgilina, a reference is made that it was a privilege to go a quarter of a mile to the spring in order to bring back to the class a bucket of drinking water.
In every room there was a pot-belly stove heated by coal and a closet used for packed lunches.
The Graduates
Eventually, in the 1940s, a well was put in at the back of the school and a cafeteria installed when more rooms were added to the building.
In 1952-1953, many of Virgilina's programs were discontinued following the organization of the Halifax County High School, which included its athletic programs.
Before the disbandment, Virgilina had developed such ball players as Alvah P. Bohannon Jr., class of 1928, who entered into the big league in Richmond. A pitcher and the son of the town's doctor, Bohannon Jr. led Virgilina's baseball team as coach/captain.
"We weren't accredited at the time so we didn't have a championship game, but we held our own against other teams," said Bohannon.
Other sports figures included Morris Daniel, a pitcher from the class of 1930, who was celebrated for pitching a no-hitter, (When his mother went to watch him pitch in a game, she wondered why so many praised his pitching when no one seemed able to get a hit.); outfielder Lawrence Tuck went on to Elon College to become a star player before a leg injury ended his basball career; catcher George Chandler, Coulber Puryear; and pitching ace, Hustler Gravitt Sr., known for his in-curve, or slider.
Virgilina's girls basketball program was also a success with players such as Virginia Bohannon Bailey, class of 1930.
Senior banquets, the earlier version of a prom, were at times a simple occasion.
"What we had was a weenie roast outside with the graduating class sitting by the fire and telling tales," said Hannah Hite, class of 1941.
Causey Coale, class of 1940, who now resides in Clarksville, recalled his senior banquet held at the old Roxboro Hotel. Coale escorted Estelle Jones, whom he later married.
Edwin Daniel, class of 1942, recalled the second grade at Virgilina as an introduction to the arts. He would go on to Elon College to become a professor in art.
After the consolidation of the high schools, Virgilina served as an elementary school producing seventh-grade alumnae such as Lisa Morris Long, class of 1977 and president of the centennial committee.
The Virgilina experience for Long was forged from influential factors, such as the chicken pot pie at lunch and a carrot cake made by a special third-grade teacher, Florence Boswell.
Long learned the recipe of Boswell's carrot cake, which continues to be served in the Long household.
Other remembrances of Long include the amusing ritual of her sixth-grade teacher, Miss Marguerite Daniel, class of 1932, who applied lipstick at her desk in the afternoon.
Another memorable teacher for Long was seventh-grade teacher Mr. William Jones, who had the knack of using secret codes on the blackboard to inform his class of the United Way contributions, of which the Jones class would come out the winners as the top contributors.
Small School Role Model
Recently, Virgilina was honored by Governor Gilmore for its achievements in the Standards of Learning testing. Virgilina was among the top 25 schools in the state to improve in the test ratings.
Currently accredited by the state, the school was first accredited while a high school in the 1929-1930 academic year.
The first Parent-Teacher Association met in 1923 and its contributions through the years led to maintaining a library, establishing a cafeteria, providing support for a pre-school clinic, organizing a home economics class, and making provisions for playground equipment.
Principals included the Reverend C.W. Newman, who was appointed in 1917 and served until 1925, R.M. Hook, E. Carlton Vaughan and Georgia Freidenstein.
Of the elder alumni who recall the original clapboard school, their memories tell a story of how teachers and parents of students held a firm responsibility to the institution and a caring trust of authority and discipline in the classroom. At the time, those traits were for the benefit of raising children eager to obtain higher standards of living.
Perhaps it is an irony that as Virgilina proved itself efficient in raising those living standards, it is now serving as a role model in the efforts to raise the standards of education.
Virgilina was one of the first schools in Halifax County to place computers in the school. Today, a computer lab serves the pupils and updated classroom computers are now on-line with the Internet.
The centennial celebration will include a tree planting ceremony of a magnolia, and a time capsule will be buried and recovered in 25 years.
To commemorate the 100th year anniversary, a brass ornament will be sold during the festivities of Come Back to Virgilina Day, a continuation of the celebration that will involve speakers and classroom tours arranged with memorabilia.
The celebration will be on Saturday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In a 6-2 vote, supervisors endorsed a proposal Monday night to join forces with South Boston to solve mutual landfill problems.
Supervisors also decided to keep the current Sinai site on Farm Road as the county's animal impoundment facility and they authorized the county administrator to purchase two acres of adjoining land and to begin construction of an additional building.
The county had considered two sites at the Bethel landfill for the facility. However, objections to location at the Bethel site resulted in a petition with over 85 signatures, according to Halifax County Administrator Dan Sleeper.
A new 1800-square-foot building is to be added at the Farm Road site, significantly enlarging the current 500-square-foot facility. The total improvement cost is estimated at $55,000.
The county has already obtained the necessary permits to operate the Sinai facility, which is located in South Boston.
However, there are several South Boston stipulations, which include limiting the number of animals housed at the site to 100. The town also has the right to have the facility moved if it should ever become "a continuing nuisance" in the neighborhood.
Landfill
The action to approve the Memorandum of Understanding between South Boston and the county came with objections from supervisors R.E. "Dickie" Abbott and Lottie Nunn.
The memorandum, if approved by the Department of Environmental Quality, calls for the county to begin dumping its trash at the South Boston landfill.
The county administrator is to request a meeting with DEQ officials here on February 28.
The cooperative agreement between town and county would allow the county to address design problems at its landfill, as well as close several older sections.
South Boston needs to fill and close its landfill. The town is facing increasing pressure from the General Assembly and DEQ to close state 1205-unlined landfills, South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel explained last month. The county faces similar pressure in 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 for closure, according to town officials.
During the Monday night session, Abbott complained that following annexation of county property utility taxes formerly used by the county to help run the landfill are now kept by South Boston and the Town of Halifax.
"If you don't remedy it now, you're not going to do anything about it. It costs a lot to run a landfill," said the supervisor.
Abbott said that he did not see why the county would stop filling its own landfill to go help South Boston. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me," added the supervisor.
However, the proposal was recommended by the county administrator and supported by Joe Satterfield, chairman of the board.
Supervisor Tom West's motion that the county adopt the Memorandum of Understanding passed 6-2.
South Boston Town Council unanimously approved the Memorandum of Understanding last month.
County Roads
A request by landowners to abandon a section of Route 812 was discussed by supervisors. Supervisors asked that the road be posted 30 days to alert county residents of the proposed closure, a first step in the closing process. The closing would affect a one-quarter-mile section at the road's end.
Supervisor James Edmunds, who owns land bordering the road, said that trash is dumped in the area and that landowners want it closed.
County officials and Virginia Department of Transportation officials hope to meet next month to review the proposed Clarkton Bridge project. Charlotte and Halifax counties' officials had sought renovation of the bridge. VDOT engineers are expected to make their report at the proposed March meeting.
Highway Resident Engineer Joe Barkley said that he anticipated Route 58/Hyco River would be completed next month. He also said the Route 360/Terry's Bridge construction could be completed within the next few months, weather permitting.
On state force projects, Barkley said he expected to complete Route 617 in February. Work on Route 716 is expected to be completed in the spring of 2000. Also work on routes 929 and 925 is expected to be completed in the spring of 2000.
Delinquent Taxes
Vandie Saunders, finance director for South Boston, discussed the sale of real estate due to delinquent taxes.
He told supervisors that although his delinquent tax list may start with 200 pieces of property, that owners usually pay the tax and that only a dozen or so parcels are actually sold.
Saunders asked county officials if they would consider refunding the county's part of that tax for delinquent land bought by the town only, not other purchasers of 1996 delinquent properties.
Supervisors advised Saunders to submit the request to supervisors for the tax refund each year following the sale. Supervisors indicated they preferred to make the decision on a year-to-year basis.
Supervisors also authorized county treasurer Linda Foster to sell at the best available price over 10,000 shares of Trigon stock by August.
"We must sell it within three years," Foster advised supervisors of the August deadline.
In other business, supervisors approved an employment agreement with architectural and landscape history consultant Davyd Foard Hood for work at the War Memorial Park in Halifax.
Public Hearings
Supervisors set a public hearing dealing with cablevision services for their March meeting. Supervisors will consider adopting a franchise agreement with Adelphia and consider adoption of an ordinance/
Public hearings were set for February 22 for the Planning Commission and March 6 for supervisors for approval of Virginia International Raceway's permit.
Supervisors also agreed to pay for the bus trip taking area residents to Richmond this week to lobby for the Highway 501 project. Southside residents are seeking a four-laned 501 from the North Carolina line to Lynchburg.

Winter held Halifax County deep in its frozen grip last month. For two weeks, it seemed that if it wasn't snowing and cold, the world outside was being coated in a relentless storm of freezing rain and sleet.
While most residents waited out the storm in relative comfort indoors, other living creatures suffered in the frigid conditions.
Such was the story of a mother and her brand-new litter of puppies, as related to this paper by Kathy Myer, foster-care coordinator for the Halifax County Humane Society.
According to Myer, on Friday, January 28, before the big ice storm hit, a lady (who will remain anonymous) found the unfortunate mother dog. She had apparently frozen to death.
An animal lover, this woman was deeply saddened by what she found and buried the dog, totally unaware that she had recently given birth to five fuzzy pups and hidden them, as dogs will do.
The following day, the woman was puzzled by a strange, recurring sound.
"She kept hearing noises that sounded like babies crying out, 'mama, mama,'" said Myer.
She traced the strange cry to a gully of snow, and to her horror, uncovered five small bundles of fur.
"She frantically dug them out, only to find that two of them had already frozen to death. A third puppy took its last breath while she held it in her hands," Myer related.
The other two puppies, while ice-cold, were still breathing, so the woman bundled them under her coat and took them into her home.
But while the woman managed to save their lives, their future, as unwanted pets, remained bleak.
"This sort of thing sickens me. At some time in the mother's dog life, she was somebody's pet. But she was discarded like garbage and left to fend for herself," Myer said.
"Unfortunately, this story is not unique; hundreds of dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are abandoned every month. They are dropped off at dumpsters, along roadsides, and out in neighborhoods," she continued.
While some survive, many of these abandoned animals die of starvation, disease, exposure, or are hit by cars.
The two puppies that survived the elements last month were lucky, according to Myer, because the woman, who was not able to keep them herself, contacted the Humane Society.
Last week, the nine-day-old puppies were taken to the animal Medical Clinic. Even after five days of special attention and care, their body temperatures remained below normal, Myer said.
Now the puppies, who must be bottle fed every four hours and receive around-the-clock care, live in a foster home.
Their conditions improve daily, Myer said.
But the story behind their plight is far too common, according to Myer, who said these situations could be avoided if pet owners would be responsible for their animals and have them spayed or neutered.
"These two babies survived by a sheer miracle and due to an overwhelming desire to live," she said. "Yes, they want to live, as did their littermates and their mother. But we failed them. We looked the other way when we passed this mother dog. We told ourselves it was not our problem that she was starving, cold and wet. We simply let four lives slip away because we didn't want to get involved."
Myers, who is passionate about her work with the Humane Society and reminds the community that Feb. 29 is the annual Doris Day Foundation spay/neuter day, wishes more people would get involved and help the homeless animals in Halifax County.
"These puppies, along with many others, need good homes. We need the funds to help pay for their care. We are a nonprofit, tax-deductible, nonshelter organization. We exist only on community donations, which are used for situations just like this one," Myer said.
"If we all gave a little something each month, it would go a long way. Just cut out one movie ticket, one trip to a fast-food place, one pack of cigarettes, and give that money to the Humane Society."
Donations can be mailed to the Halifax County Humane Society at P.O. Box 969, South Boston, Va. 24592, or call 575-1473 for more information or to adopt a pet.

It has been a frustrating season for the Halifax County High School Blue Comets.
And, they vented their frustration on arch-rival GW here Monday night.
The Comets staged a miraculous comeback, rallying from a 21-point deficit with three minutes to play in the first half to score a 65-62 overtime upset of GW, the state's tenth ranked team in the Virginia Associated Press Top 10 Basketball Poll.
"We came here tonight and said we weren't losing anymore," said Comets guard Fred Price after scoring 26 points that included six points in the overtime stanza and four in a crucial possession with 29 seconds left in the contest that gave the Comets the victory.
"I'm so proud. This is the first big game we've won in a long, long time. It feels good, It feels real good."
William Jennings agreed.
"It's a great confidence booster," Jennings pointed out amid the frenzied post-game celebration with the fans.
"We went out there and played hard. Everybody stepped it up. We knew we had lost too many games and we had to go out there and step it up."
Teddy Bradley, who played a big role in the Comets' initial spurt to get back into the contest and blocked a key shot in the late going that prevented GW from regaining the lead, joined in the revelry.
"I'm very happy," Bradley said.
"GW is always such a big rivalry. We did a few different things. And, coach talked to us about how to get motivated. That was about it."
Monday night's win upped the Comets' record to 7-8 for the season and 1-3 in the Western District with three games left, two of them district contests.
The victory was Halifax County's first win against GW in three years.
For Dillard, who was an assistant coach under GW head coach Chris Carter before coming here to take over the reigns of the Comets two years ago, it was his first win as a coach over his former team.
"I told my wife that eventually something was going to happen," Dillard said.
"I said this is a magic game, something is going to happen. It gets no more magical than beating GW at home when they're undefeated in the district."
The miracle victory was a big triumph for the Comets.
"It gives us a win in the district," Dillard said.
"It gives us confidence. Sure, we have eight losses. But, when you can beat a team like that, it shows how good we could be if we can play this way the rest of the year."
Dillard admitted that the win could reverse what has been a season full of struggles.
"It can turn our season around," Dillard said.
"That is, if we keep it all in the proper perspective and realize that this is just one game and don't let it be "The Game," the climax, the end of the season."
Carter gave Halifax County plaudits for the win.
"My hat's off to Coach Dillard," Carter said.
"He's one of my best buddies. We talked two or three times a week. If I've got to lose, I'm glad it was to him.
"I just don't want it to happen again," he chuckled.
GW fell to 13-5 but remains the district leader with a 3-1 slate. The Eagles host Albemarle Friday night in what amounts to the district's regular season title game.
"We still control our own destiny," said GW coach Chris Carter.
"To me, it (the loss) is not that big. I told the guys we still have a goal. It's going to be a little tougher. We'll probably have to earn it (the district title) the hard way."
Carter said Halifax County's defense was a big key to the Comets' win.
"Halifax County did a great job defensively," Carter remarked.
"They played super defense. They really got after it. It was almost like they challenged us man against man."
The Comets spent the final three minutes of the first half and the entire second half trying to overcome their early game deficit, the Comets wrestled control of the game away from GW in the final minute of the contest.
Price hit a layup off of a fastbreak with 40 seconds to go in the overtime period to put the Comets up 61-60 and was fouled.
He missed the free throw but Cardell Mosley grabbed the rebound. Price got the ball back again, drove the lane and hit a basket with 29 seconds to play that gave the Comets a 63-60 lead that they would never give up.
Price iced the game by converting both ends of a one and one opportunity at the charity stripe with 10 seconds left to put the Comets up 65-60.

GW's Antonio Fitzgerald sank a basket on the other end with three seconds to play but it wasn't enough to overcome the Comets.
"I knew we could come back and win it," Price said.
"We had brought it back from a 21 point lead to a 13 point lead. I knew we were in for a game then."
GW totally dominated the early part of the game.

The Comets turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions, opening the door for GW to race to an 11-0 lead before Jennings put the Comets on the board for the first time with 3:44 left in the opening period.
GW upped its lead to 15-2 before Price hit his first basket of the night, a three-pointer, to cut GW's lead to 10 points at 15-5 at the end of the period.
The visitors rang up a big 8-0 run at the outset of the second period to take a 25-7 lead. A basket by GW's Milton Perkins with 3:28 left in the first half gave GW its biggest lead of the game, a 31-10 lead.
Then, the Comets started on the road to the way back into contention.
With Bradley hitting four points and Terez Garland connecting for five points, the Comets went on a 9-0 run that put them within a dozen points at 31-19 with 1:58 left in the half.
Bradley hit another basket before the half ended. But, GW got on the board as well and took a 34-21 lead at the half.

The second half marked a total turnaround for the Comets.
In the first half, the Comets turned the ball over 10 times as opposed to GW's four.
The Comets took much better care of the ball in the second half, committing only three turnovers while GW turned the ball over seven times.
Two baskets by Sterling Williams and another by Bradley resulted in a 6-0 run for the Comets at the start of the third quarter that allowed the Comets to slice their deficit to under 10 points for the first time.
Baskets by William Haugh and Price near the two minute mark brought the Comets to within three points at 38-35 and a three-pointer by Price at the buzzer to end the period brought the Comets to within a deuce at 42-40.

GW managed to up its lead back to seven in the first two and a half minutes of the fourth period.
But, a 6-0 Comets run capped by a 10-footer by Jennings from the middle with 3:20 left in regulation gave the Comets their first tie.

The Comets and GW deadlocked three more times before time ended in regulation with a tip-in by Mosley with 31 seconds to play being the final score in the regulation time period.
GW had a chance to win with 10 seconds to play but a turnover gave the ball back to the Comets.
The Eagles' Richard Thomas stole the inbounds pass. Falling, he shoveled the ball to Fitzgerald whose shot fell shy of the mark.
Halifax County grabbed the lead for the first time in the game on its first possession of the overtime period.
It was Bradley that gave the Comets the lead, with the shot following Bradley's rebound of a missed three-point attempt by Williams.
Eight Comets players got into the scoring column with Price's game high 26 points leading the way.
Bradley followed with eight, Jennings scored seven, Mosley scored six, and Garland had five points as the team's top scorers.

Marsha Leigh Clay, 37, of 4046 Oak Level Road, Halifax, died February 6, 2000 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Miss Clay was born in Halifax County on September 28, 1962, the daughter of Douglas Thomas Clay Sr. and Phyllis Dobbins Clay.
Her survivors include her mother; son: Michael Lee Clay of Halifax; sister: Deborah C. Wilmoth of Yanceyville, N.C.; two brothers: Douglas Thomas Clay Jr. of Sutherlin and Mark A. Clay of Halifax.
A graveside service will be held Wednesday, February 9 at Halifax Memorial Gardens at 3 p.m with the Rev. Jim Smith officiating.

Wilton McArthur (Mack) Powell, 57, of 1018 Stevens Lane, Halifax, died February 5, 2000 at his home.
Mr. Powell was born in Halifax County on March 29, 1942, the son of the late Luther James Powell and Martha Hackney Powell. He was married to Martha Ann Owen Powell and was a member of Bethel Baptist Church.
His survivors include his wife; daughter and son-in-law: Tracey P. and Ray Davis Eanes of Chatham; son and daughter-in-law: Steve and Rhonda Thomas Powell of South Boston; grandson: Stephen Blake Powell of South Boston; mother; two sisters: Peggy Powell and Patsy Weaver of Rockville, Md. and three brothers: Glen, James and Donnie Powell of Halifax.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, February 9 at 11 a.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bob Watts officiating. Burial will take place in the Bethel Baptist Church cemetery.

Leon Pleasant Squires, 30, of 1815 Hoover Str., South Boston, died February 1, 2000 at his residence.
Mr. Squires was born in Halifax County on October 29, 1969, the son of James Jerome Squires Sr. and Joan Sutphin Squires.
His survivors include his father; two brothers and their wives: James Jr. and Shelia and Glenn and Sandra and one sister: Lisa.
A funeral service was held February 8 at First Baptist Church, Ferry Street with the Rev. Harold Roberts officiating. Burial will follow in the Rose Garden Cemetery.

Robert Vincent Squires, 28, of 1815 Hoover Str., South Boston, died February 1, 2000 at his residence.
Mr. Squires was born in Halifax County June 16, 1971, the son of James Jerome Squires Sr. and Joan Sutphin Squires.
His survivors include his father; two brothers and their wives: James Jr. and Shelia and Glenn and Sandra and one sister: Lisa.
A funeral service was held February 8 at First Baptist Church, Ferry Street with the Rev. Harold Roberts officiating. Burial will follow in the Rose Garden Cemetery.

Eleanor Lucille Turpen Roberts, 83, of Clarksville, died February 3, 2000 at Habersham Home, Demorest.
Mrs. Roberts was born in Rabersham County on April 10, 1916, the daughter of Northan Utah Turpen Sr. and Martha Drucella Williams Turpen. She was a member of Clarksville Baptist Church and was married to the late Elvin Roberts.
Her survivors include her son: Earl Roberts of Cornelia; daughter: Emily Farley of Halifax; brother: N.U. Turpen Jr. of Cleveland, Oh.; three sisters, Agnes Calfee of Indiana, Evelyn Hale of Mississippi, and Martha Pasternak of Michigan; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held Saturday, February 5 at Hillside Memorial Chapel with the Rev. David Turner and the Rev. Furman Lewis officiating. Burial took place in the Clarksville Memorial Cemetery.