Monday, March 15, 2004

Separate Incidents Kill Two
Early Sunday Morning Accident Claims The Life Of Clover Woman

An early morning accident that claimed the life of a 21-year-old Clover woman yesterday was still under investigation at press time, Inv. B.K. Lovelace of the South Boston Police Department said.

A passenger in the vehicle involved in the accident, Fannie King, was killed during the 2:35 a.m. incident at the intersection of College Street and Hamilton Boulevard, Lovelace said.

According to the police report, Cpl. S.T. Moser responded to the report of a single vehicle accident.

After arriving at the scene, Moser discovered that Tracy Martin, 38, of Nathalie, was operating a 1996 Ford four-door above the posted speed limit when he lost control of the vehicle and struck an embankment on the north side of Hamilton Boulevard, according to the report.

Martin was transported to Halifax Regional Hospital.

Trooper Thomas of the Virginia State Police was called to the scene to reconstruct the accident.

Charges against Martin are pending further investigation, Lovelace said.

Motorcycle Crash At VIR Kills 51-Year-Old North Carolina Man

A North Carolina motorcycle rider died instantly following a motorcycle crash yesterday morning at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), according to Virginia State police.

Trooper R.T. Ridgeway said Thomas J. Doherty, a 51-year-old rider from Chapel Hill, N.C., died about 9:35 a.m. Sunday morning as the result of a crash on the north course of VIR, one-tenth of a mile north of the North Paddock Bridge.

According to a preliminary investigation, Doherty and another motorcyclist, 54-year-old Richard Young of Raleigh, made contact while exiting a series of curves, with both riders and bikes going off the right side of the track and striking a tire retaining wall.

Dr. Phillip Ward, who examined Doherty at Halifax Regional Hospital following the crash, attributed Doherty's death to head and neck injuries, the trooper reported.

Young was transported to Danville Regional Hospital, where he was treated and released, the report continued.

Doherty and Young were participating in the 2004 WERA Sportsman Series Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Region event at VIR when the accident occurred.

Practice sessions had been scheduled for Sunday morning from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. for novices and experts in four lightweight classes, the 600cc class for novices and experts, the 750cc class for novices, and the 750cc and up class for experts.

Doherty's death is the first for a competitor at VIR since the facility reopened in 2000.

‘A Good Time. Big Time.’
Sixty-Five Vendors, More Than 1,000 Visitors Attend Annual C.H. Friend Show

C.H. Friend Principal Linda Owen called this weekend's 31st Annual Antique, Craft & Art Show a "huge success" yesterday.

"We don't have a final count on actual dollars raised," she said. "But well over 1,000 people went through looking at this year's show."

The principal credited much of the success to the work of the three co-chairs of the show committee.

"Elaine Hunt, Jennifer Taylor and Georgine James did a marvelous job of putting this year's show together," she said. "There were a lot more vendors this year due in large part to the good advertisement and (vendor) recruitment."

With 65 vendors, the show was much larger than last year and "greatly exceeded our expectations," Owen said.

"It was just a great financial success for the school," she added.

"(Georgine James) summed it up really well when she said 'It was a good time. Big time,'" the principal said.

The raffle winners this year were:

• Fourth place - Linda Unroe of South Boston. Unroe won a $100 gift certificate to Italian Delight.

• Third place - Mary Tucker Irby of South Boston. Irby won two season tickets to the Halifax County Little Theater and dinner for two at Bistro 1888.

• Second place - Nellie Barley of South Boston. Barley won an overnight stay at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.

• First place - Yolanda Carr of South Boston. Carr won a $1,000 shopping spree in downtown South Boston.

General Assembly Session Is Extended
Budget Talks Delay GA Adjournment; House, Senate Remain Bitterly Divided On Tax Increases

Profoundly divided over a new state budget, members of the General Assembly failed to come to an agreement by their Saturday adjournment deadline and voted for the first time in six years to prolong the legislative session.

The House voted 97-2 and the Senate concurred on a 39-0 vote to push the end of the session from Saturday to midnight on Tuesday, extending the session for three days even as rival factions in the dispute scoffed at the prospect of a breakthrough by then.

"The discussion is really about the proper role of state government and how big that government is going to be," Del. Clarke Hogan, R- Halifax, said yesterday. "What people need to remember is the money that feeds state government we have to take from people."

If budget negotiators fail to reach an agreement, the state risks a long-term impasse that would leave cities and counties unable to count on state funding and would likely prompt Wall Street to depreciate the government’s perfect credit rating for the first time.

If unresolved by June, it could force the first budget shutdown of Virginia government.

‘‘Come June 30th, it shuts down, baby,’’ House budget negotiator Johnny Joannou, D-Portsmouth, said of the rancorous standoff.

Mecklenburg Senator Frank Ruff, R-Clarksville, said the give and take of budget negotiations were part of the process.

"I feel confident something will be worked out shortly," he said. "There is nothing wrong with an open debate on what the core responsibilities of government are.

"There are a lot of people with big personalities trying to play a role," Ruff added. "And as the system has gotten more and more open, it's become more difficult to come to an agreement.

"A dictatorship is fairly simple," he said. "A Democracy isn't."

The Halifax delegate charged the Senate with undermining the Democratic process.

"We have a process built on building consensus and passing bills through both houses of the General Assembly," he said.

"The tax increase that the Senate budget is built on didn't pass. So what we have here is a few senators, led by (Senator John) Chichester, insisting on their view and setting aside the legislative process.

"If Chichester and his allies want to continue the discussion in public, they're free to do so," Hogan said. "But to hold captive every school child, every teacher, deputy, and medicaid recipient, to try to force in a brinksmanship kind of way, a budget built on tax increases they were against not six months ago is outrageous.

"If this government shuts down because people can't live on the revenue that's available and has been properly voted on, and insists on money that doesn't exist, then shame on them."

If the House and Senate fail to agree on a budget, state-funded services and payrolls will cease at midnight on June 30.

"You can't create a budget on a tax increase that didn't pass. (The budget bills) have to be voted on by the majority of both bodies. Period," Hogan said.

"Del. Hogan needs to realize the House budget is dead too, on the Senate side," Ellen Qualls, spokesperson for the governor's office, said yesterday. "It would have cut local law enforcement money, eliminated a teacher pay raise, cut education programs and hurt sheriff's departments.

"It raided the transportation money and left the budget out of balance," she added. "The House hasn't fixed that yet in these negotiations."

Gov. Mark R. Warner, who has kept a low profile during the budget talks, criticized the House and Senate for taking the session into overtime, saying it made jobs of police officers and teachers who rely on state support less secure.

‘‘I remain convinced that no minds are so closed that they don’t see the sensible realities that the legislature’s failure to act simply passes the burden on to Virginia taxpayers at another level,’’ Warner said in a news conference.
‘‘So enough posturing, enough chest-thumping. Let’s stop the backslapping and trying to score political points. Let’s stipulate right now that both the House and the Senate view their positions as correct, but it’s time for both to move to compromise,’’ Warner said.

"We're wondering where the governor is and why all of a sudden he's decided in the last month that the plan he traveled the state pushing is inadequate and now a couple of billion more a year is necessary to meet the state's core essential services," Hogan said. "It's pretty clear the governor has no intention of exerting any kind of leadership or pressure to resolve this.

"That's surprising from someone who campaigned on these issues," he added. "But we've seen things like this from him over and over in the last two years."

"Del. Hogan embarrasses himself again," Qualls, retorted. "The governor continues to believe his plan, which gives a tax cut to two-thirds of Virginians while making long-term investments, should be the final compromise between the House and the Senate.

"(Warner) continues to meet with the budget negotiators and the House and Senate leadership toward that end," she said. "I wonder who Del. Hogan is meeting with?"

Face-to-face talks between the five House negotiators and four from the Senate minutes after Warner spoke were among the most hostile yet.

‘‘What are we going through this charade for?’’ Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr., the House’s top budget writer, asked the Senate conferees. ‘‘Are you going to come off sales and income taxes?’’

‘‘Are you going to bring your revenue up?’’ Chichester, R-Stafford and the Senate’s lead negotiator, shot back.

Exasperated, Callahan said, ‘‘Still won’t answer the question.’’

When Chichester suggested shifting the discussion to transportation projects and the gasoline tax increase the Senate proposes to fund them, Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said the issue should be submitted to a statewide voter referendum.

‘‘Passing the buck isn’t my bag,’’ Chichester replied.

And when the discussion turned to a proposed cigarette tax, House conferees demanded that the Senate withdraw its sales and income tax increases.

‘‘We’re not going to take those off the table,’’ Chichester said. ‘‘The sales and income taxes fund the obligations and promises we’ve made.’’

Already tired from the contentious 60-day legislative session, legislators from both parties reacted angrily at being asked to stick around for at least three more days and paying for their own food and lodging. The $115 state per diems ended on Saturday.

‘‘We need to go home and say ’Call us when you have an agreement.’ All they’re doing is playing a game and all we’re going to do is sit here looking at each other,’’ said Del. Jackie Stump.

Stump and Del. Joe Johnson, both Democrats who face six-hour drives to their homes in far southwestern Virginia, cast the two votes against prolonging the session.

Hogan said house Republicans were not going to be moved from their position against the Senate's proposed tax increases.

"I'm not going to be hoodwinked into raising the taxes on a family of four $2,000 a year," he said. "That's what the Senate is trying to do.

"We'll negotiate with them in good faith," the Halifax delegate added. "But they need to be willing to negotiate and act in good faith, and the Senate hasn't shown they are willing to do that."

Comets Kick Off New Season Today
The HCHS Varsity Baseball Team Begins Regular-Season Play Today Against Northern Vance

By JOE CHANDLER | G-V Staff Writer

The Halifax County High School varsity baseball team officially opens its 2004 season today, going on the road to face Northern Vance.

Today's meeting will be the first ever contest between the Comets and the Henderson, N.C. team.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Comets coach Kelvin Davis.

"We've been looking forward to getting the season started."

Davis says his team will be going into today's game somewhat blind.

"I don't know anything about them," said Davis.

"I understand Northern Vance is supposed to be a pretty decent team. We're just going to go out there and play Comets baseball and see what happens."

Today's road season-opener marks the start of a busy week for the Comets who have three games on tap this week, two of which will be played here.

After today's road contest, the Comets will play their home-opener Wednesday, facing last year's Group AA state baseball champion, Amherst County, in a 6 p.m. contest.

On Friday, the Comets will complete their busy opening week when they face Group AA Martinsville High School here in a game slated for a 5 p.m. start.

The Comets will enter today's opener against Northern Vance with a successful preseason stint behind them.

Halifax County downed Heritage 7-1 in a preseason scrimmage game last Wednesday and followed it up Friday night with an 8-5 win over Brookville in its final scrimmage game.

The Comets were in control of Friday night's contest, running up a big lead before Brookville scratched for four runs in the final inning to make the score of the game much closer than the game actually was for most of the night.

Halifax County had the hot bats Friday night, stinging Brookville for nine hits.

Jason Lloyd and Justin Armistead were a perfect 2-2 at the plate with Armistead getting a double, a triple and picking up an RBI.

Chris Perkins had one hit in two trips to the plate, one of which produced an RBI.

In addition, Brent Long, Ryan Gieselman, and Ryan Roller each had one hit in two official trips to the plate.

Marcus Humphrey was a perfect one-for-one at the plate.

Davis used two hurlers in the contest, going with Tyler Clarke and Jeremy Jeffress for three innings each.

Both pitchers had a good outing, giving up only one earned run each.

Obituaries

Betty Lou Sparrow Barksdale

Funeral services were held for Mrs. Betty Lou Sparrow Barksdale of Richmond, formerly of Halifax County, on March 10 in Richmond.
Pastor Bessie Mitchell conducted the service at the Hattie T. Jenkins Memorial Chapel, with burial following at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

Mrs. Barksdale, 61, died March 5.

She was born in Halifax County on March 12, 1942, a daughter of Fannie Sparrow Dean and the late James Sparrow.

She is survived by her husband, Sylvester F. Barksdale, two daughters, Michele C. James of Victorville, California, and Angela Cunningham of Richmond, one grandson, Zion E. James, and her mother, Fannie Bell Dean.

Also surviving are three sisters, Linda Jefferies of Pennsauken, N.J., Terry Gilmore and Deborah Dean of Richmond, four brothers, Fred Sparrow of Richmond, Marshall Sparrow of Alexandria, George Sparrow of Halifax and Charles Dean of Baltimore, M.D. Other survivors include one aunt, Juanita Womack, one uncle, Joseph Dabbs, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Mary Logan Faulkner

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Logan Faulkner of South Boston will be held Wednesday, March 17, at 11 a.m. at the Jeters Chapel Baptist Church with burial in the Faulkner Family Cemetery.

The Rev. Samuel Mitchell will officiate.

Mrs. Faulkner, 77, died Saturday, March 13, at South Boston Manor.
She was born in Halifax County on March 2, 1927, a daughter of the late Bill Logan and Mrs. Nannie Majors Logan. She was married to the late Sanford Lee Faulkner.

Mrs. Faulkner was a member of the Jeters Chapel Baptist Church.

She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Carmetta Faulkner of South Boston, one devoted niece, Mrs. Angela Smith of South Boston, one grandson, Antwan Faulkner of South Boston, two sisters, Mrs. Nannie Lovelace of Halifax and Mrs. Mae Fannie Faulkner of South Boston, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends, and a devoted friend, Mrs. Doris Ingram of South Boston.

The family will receive friends at the home of Ms. Angela Smith, 1000 East Bishop Drive, Apt. 338, South Boston.

Minnie Bette Thomas Waggoner

A graveside service for Mrs. Minnie Bette Thomas Waggoner will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, at Oak Ridge Cemetery in South Boston.
Mrs. Waggoner of Colonial Heights, formerly of Halifax County, died March 12 at the Colonial Heights Convalescent Center in Hopewell.

She was born in Halifax County on Nov. 19, 1919, a daughter of George Thomas and Eliza Redd Thomas and was married to Amiel Oscar Waggoner.
Mrs. Waggoner was 84.

She is survived by two sons, Roy Waggoner of Chester and Willie Waggoner and wife Brenda of South Boston, one daughter, Nancy Hatcher and husband James of South Boston, seven grandchildren, Lisa Yager and Kevin Waggoner of Chester, Sandra Waggoner and Susan Waggoner of South Boston, David Tuck of Virgilina, Carol Tuck of Alton and Patricia Tuck of South Boston, five great-grandchildren and one brother, Warren Thomas, survives.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, March 16, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home, and at other times at the home of Willie and Brenda Waggoner, 808 Randolph Ave., South Boston.