Authorities were busy yesterday afternoon alerting businesses
in the Riverdale area to potential flooding as Southside residents
battened down the hatches for what one National Weather Service
official called a "flood of historical proportions."
Bobby and Becky Loyd are facing their first flood as Riverdale
business owners since they purchased their property less than
a year ago.
Late yesterday, they began emptying the entire contents and loading
it all into trailers for higher, and drier, ground.
"They told us that it will be three feet deep in here,"
said Loyd as he lifted another box full of flags and gift items
their shop offers.
Earlier in the day, Loyd was undecided if his business would actually
be inundated by the muddy and churning waters of Dan River.
The last time the river rose this high was when hurricane Fran
rolled through in September 1996.
While the Loyds were learning how to exit Riverdale for the first
time, seasoned-veterans like Patsy Harris at Puryear's Tire know
all too well how to load up and move out.
"I can't tell you how many times I've done this," she
said while stuffing another box of records and papers into the
back seat of her compact car.
Family members and other volunteers were beginning to remove the
hundreds of tires and equipment from the garage to prevent what
would be certain losses otherwise.
"Everything has to be moved out," said Harris. "It's
going to be a big enough mess when we come back."
"This is going to be very comparable to the flooding that
occurred in September of 1996 with Hurricane Fran," said
Mike Gillen, senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
He said early yesterday that Halifax County was expected to receive
as much as four inches of rainfall before the storm moved out
of the region yesterday afternoon.
But there are regions expected to receive even more, according
to the hydrologist.
"It will be closer to six inches west of Danville,"
Gillen said. "That's where (Halifax County's) flood water
will come from."
Forecasters are expecting the Dan to crest around 33 feet sometime
early Sunday morning.
Flood level for the river is 19 feet, according to the hydrologist.
"We're looking at around 15 feet above flood stage,"
he said.
"Generally, for this time of the year, the Dan River runs
between eight and 12 feet," Gillen said.
As of yesterday afternoon, the flooding had not created any major
problems for the Halifax County school system.
"We know of about 10 flood spots out there," said Halifax
County School Superintendent Dennis Witt.
"But, there are none that we can't go around and make accommodations
for."
Witt said he and school system officials will stay abreast of
flood-related developments over the weekend.
Announcements will be made if circumstances force the school system
to make any major changes in its schedule.
South Boston Fire Chief William Murray spent yesterday afternoon
warning businesses in Riverdale about the impending flood.
"Most of the businesses have been there a long time and know
what this flood can do," he said.
"But given the projections that we have, we're expecting
two and a half feet of water on Route 501 Friday, with the water
reaching the stop light on Route 58 Saturday," he said yesterday.
"If the levels reach what they are predicting, they'd better
move out."
Flood waters on the roadways pose a serious hazard to drivers
as well.
"We're asking drivers not to try to cross any water on the
roadways, no matter how shallow it looks," Sgt. Jeff Lane
of the Virginia State Police said yesterday. "It doesn't
take very much for your car to be swept off the road."
Lane urged drivers to attempt to find alternate routes home if
their usual routes were closed due to flood waters.
He added that state police officials were preparing contingency
plans for this weekend, when flooding was expected to be at its
worst.
"If more troopers than are currently on hand in Halifax County
are needed, we will use officers from surrounding jurisdictions,"
he said.
Anyone who would like information on road closures throughout
the weekend can call the Virginia Department of Transportation
at 476-6342 or the Halifax County Sheriff's Department at 476-3334.
The South Boston Police Department is searching for suspects
in a drive-by shooting that occurred Wednesday night on Gygax
Avenue.
According to Inv. T.M. VanAernem, the department received a call
reporting shots fired in the area of Gygax Avenue between Hoover
and Ridge Streets.
"When Officer A. Fisher arrived on the scene shortly after
the call was received, he discovered that the victim, Tyrone Dunkley
Jr., had already been transported to the Halifax Regional Hospital
in a personal vehicle," VanAernem said.
Dunkley, 20, of Green Valley Road in Clover, was apparently attempting
to turn his vehicle around when police say a black Nissan pulled
beside his vehicle and began shooting, the investigator said.
Dunkley was shot two times in the side, according to police reports.
He has since been treated and released from Halifax Regional Hospital.
Lt. Brian Lovelace said yesterday that investigators had interviewed
some persons who witnessed the incident.
"We have several clues and are working on developing suspects
right now," he said.
But the lieutenant stopped short of saying the department had
a specific suspect.
"There are some people we are looking at," he said.
VanAernem asks that anyone with information regarding the crime
please contact the South Boston Police Department at 575-4272
or Crimestoppers at 476-TIPS.
Despite the war waging in Iraq and a heightened terrorist alert,
Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt said the county's
schools are continuing with the normal daily routines.
"We're cognizant of the situation," said School Superintendent
Dennis Witt.
"But it's still 'business as usual' with us at this point."
The only change in the school system's routine relates to school-related
field trips.
Witt said yesterday field trips to Washington, DC and large urban
areas such as Norfolk and port areas along the East Coast will
not take place.
Other field trips will be considered by school system officials
on a "wait and see" basis."
Witt said plans are in place to help students who may be anxious
about the war and students who may have concerns because they
parents or relatives in the military.
"We're on a counseling alert to help take care of those kinds
of needs," Witt said.
"The state superintendent and the State Department of Education
have provided references to websites that have information on
how to respond to the war."
Larry Clark, assistant superintendent for Human Resources, added
that everyone should be sensitive toward faculty, students and
other personnel who have family members in the military that
have been called to active duty and or may be participating in
the conflict.
Clark said that in a staff meeting yesterday morning school principals
and supervisors were advised "to use good, old-fashioned
common sense in dealing with the situation."
He said that one of the things discussed was how much TV coverage
of the war was appropriate for the classroom.
Clark pointed out that principals that war news should not be
the focus of instruction, that SOLs and normal class curriculum
should continue to be the focus of teachers.
He also noted that if the war coverage was appropriate for certain
classes, such as Social Studies, some class time could be devoted
to the TV coverage of the war.
While local police are keeping a close watch on major facilities,
routines are still pretty much normal.
"We've got a 24-hour watch on all water towers and water
treatment facilities," said South Boston police Lt. John
Barber.
"We have extra patrols on bridges including the ones on Routes
360 and 501 and check underneath them as well."
Barber noted that South Boston Police had a plan in place before
the war started and that the department has extra personnel available
at night to respond to any situation.
"Our immediate concern this weekend is the impending flood,"
Barber pointed out.
Capt. L.W. Fears of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department said
"we're keeping our eyes and ears open."
Members of the Halifax/South Boston Regional
Narcotic Enforcement Task Force have arrested a 37-year-old Virgilina
man on marijuana charges stemming from an incident last September
in which a juvenile brought a large quantity of drugs onto a school
bus.
Douglas Ray Compton, of Buckshoal Road, was arrested Tuesday and
charged with possession of marijuana while possessing a firearm,
distribution of marijuana to a minor and contributing to the delinquency
of a minor, according to Maj. R.S.B. Pulliam of the task force.
He has been released on a $7,500 secured bond.
In September 2002, the Halifax County Sheriff's Office received
a call from the school bus shop advising officers that a bus driver
was requesting assistance.
When officers arrived at the scene, a juvenile was found to be
in possession of marijuana.
The incident occurred as the children were traveling to school,
according to police reports.
A student at Cluster Springs Elementary School received a long-term
suspension after throwing a bag containing marijuana out the
window of the school bus, according to school officials.
After seizing the marijuana at the school bus scene, officers
from the task force then executed a search warrant on a Wilson
Road residence in the Virgilina community, according to Pulliam.
Officers at the scene seized four firearms, approximately 20 marijuana
plants, a quantity of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Pulliam
said.
Last fall, Compton was charged with distribution of marijuana
as well as the manufacture of marijuana.
These new charges are in addition to charges Compton faces from
the September incident.
A trial date had not been set at press time.
Graveside services for Mrs. Berl Dean "Daisy" Baucom
of Nathalie will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22, 2003 at
the Halifax Memorial Gardens.
The Rev. Shelton Miles will officiate.
Mrs. Baucom died Tuesday, March 18 at the home of her daughter
in New Jersey.
She was 71.
Mrs. Baucom was born in Ashville, N.C., on July 20, 1931 to the
late Edward Baucom and Bertha Baucom.
Survivors include three daughters, Gail Hall and husbane Wayne
of Nathalie, S.Darlene Hosterman of Asbury, N.J. and Dawn Kenyon
and husband Patrick of Asbury, N.J., one son, Cecil Dale Seymour
and wife Marie of Huntington Beach, Ca., seven grandchildren and
seven great-grandchildren.
William Sydnor Jr., 73, of 2307 Hamilton Blvd., South Boston,
died March 17 in South Boston.
Mr. Sydnor was born in New York, NY on June 5, 1929, the son of
William Sydnor Sr. and Annie Nicolas Sydnor. He was a member of
St. James Baptist Church, was a Navy Veteran and a member of American
Legion Post 99.
Survivors include three daughters, Elizabeth Sydnor of Jackson,
MS, Valarie Sydnor of Tuckahoe, NY and Aprel Bolt of Yonkers,
NY; two grandchildren; one sister, Joan Coleman of Yonkers; one
brother, Raymond Sydnor of New York; two sisters-in-law, Rosetta
Sydnor Jackson of Scottsburg and Hillary Sydnor of New York; and
a friend, Amanda Bates of South Boston.
Funeral services for Mr. Sydnor will be held tomorrow, March 22
at 2 p.m. at St. James Baptist Church with the Rev. Byrd B. Blackwell
officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home.
Eugene Frederick Venable, 79, of 430 North Main Street, Halifax,
died March 17 at his home.
Mr. Venable was born in Halifax County on January 17, 1924, the
son of Willie Venable and Tassie Dixon Venable and was married
to Lillian Thompson Venable. He was a member of Banister Hill
Baptist Church and was a WWII Army Veteran.
Survivors include one sister, Ruth N. Venable of Jamaica, NY;
and two sisters-in-law, Irene Sawyer and Araminta Goode, both
of Halifax.
Funeral services for Mr. Venable will be held March 23 at 3 p.m.
at Banister Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. William Carr
officiating.
The family will receive friends at the Chapel of Jeffress Funeral
Home Saturday evening from 7 until 8, and other times at the home.