A school bus fight last September that was captured on a video camera inside the bus, may have ended yesterday in Circuit Court when 15-year-old LaShawn L. Hill was convicted of felonious unlawful wounding and 16-year-old Vincent Stovall Jr. was found guilty of assault and battery, a misdemeanor.
Much of what took place that afternoon on the bus was captured on video and played to a courtroom of lawyers, parents and Judge Charles L. McCormick II.
Bus driver Yvonne Vaden told how, as she approached the place where the accused students were scheduled to get off the bus, an argument began between Hill and the victim, 18-year-old Derek Bowden.
"Now we're gonna get it on," she remembers hearing Hill saying to Bowden and seconds later, the fight erupted. As she stopped the bus, the camera continued to record the fight as scores of screaming students scrambled to the front of the bus to avoid the violence that was taking place in the rear.
Final frames of the video clearly showed Hill and Stovall running up the aisle and exiting the bus while Derek Bowden remained inside.
Bowden appeared to have been yelling from the inside out of a bus window to someone outside the bus after the fight ended.
Attorneys for the accused students attempted to portray their clients as victims themselves rather than the aggressors in the fight. Bowden and Hill, that same morning on the way to school, got into an argument on the bus and were required to report to Halifax County High School Associate Principal Leon Johnson for disciplinary action.
Johnson suspended Hill from bus privileges for three days but allowed him to ride the bus home that same afternoon.
Johnson told how Hill and Bowden had agreed to settle their dispute, Hill apologized and the two students shook hands. "I was very proud of the way they resolved the matter," said Johnson.
But the settlement was obviously short-lived.
Bowden, a six foot 320-pounder, admitted that he was the biggest student on the bus and claimed the back seat of the bus as his own. "Wasn't that your place of honor?" James Midkiff, lawyer for Hill asked Bowden.
"I didn't realize that there was a hierarchy of sitting on a school bus," Judge McCormick responded.
"Were you expecting a fight?" Midkiff asked Bowden. "I knew it won't no way around it," Bowden responded while admitting that during the height of the fight, he was probably winning despite his two-to-one odds.
Both Bowden and the bus driver, Yvonne Vaden, said that it was Hill who swung first and wielded in his hand a combination lock.
Blows to Bowden's head inflicted lacerations and contusions that later required medical attention.
Stovall, who has remained free on bond since being charged, was said to have only entered the fight towards the end. Hill has been held in a detention center since his arrest.
Bowden said that he had no real dispute with Stovall who grabbed him from behind and wrestled him to the floor of the bus.
Bowden said that he got up and punched Stovall several times before the fight ended. The incident occurred as the bus approached and stopped on Highway 610 just off US 501 north of Halifax.

The family farm, so long a staple of American agriculture, is in decline, and Virginia farmers and landowners are considering permanent conservation easements, in order to preserve individual rural and historic landscapes.
About 50 area farmers, landowners, and residents attended a Conservation Easement Workshop yesterday at Ernie's Restaurant to learn of the benefits and guidelines for developing a conservation easement on their land.
Quoting from a recent book on the subject, Halifax Cooperative Extension Agent Larry McPeters attempted to "highlight" the meaning of a conservation easement.
"Conservation easements are becoming more popular each year among owners of open space land," quoted Peters.
"They provide a means to save taxes, preserve the inherent productivity and character of the property, and insure that the lands remain in their current use forever, free from the threat of development."
In Halifax County alone, the total number of farms declined from 1,252 in 1987 to 940 in 1997, according to a 1997 Census of Agriculture for the county.
McPeters pointed to the need for conservation easements in Halifax County, noting that real estate prices and low taxes in Southside Virginia are being "gobbled" up for alternative uses, "not in the best interest of the general public and the community in the long term."
According to McPeters, agriculture in Halifax County generally produces about $45 million each year in farm sales, providing a lot of the real estate taxes that fund county government.
James Edmunds II, who is seeking a conservation easement for part of his farm property, admitted the term "easement" scared him at first.
"To me the term 'easement' means the right of ingress or egress, or trespass or public use - any other use other than my own," said Edmunds.
Edmunds explained that after further study, he saw that landowners lost no control over their property as the result of granting an easement.
"The only thing that the easement holder would want to do actually is be able to once a year call you up and say that they would like to come out and look at your farm, to see if you're doing what your contract calls for.
"This is a legal binding document and lasts forever," Edmunds added, suggesting that professional help would be advisable if someone is considering an easement.
Edmunds mentioned that it was a tough decision to make due to the permanence of the easement.
"I think that it's one thing you need to consider - for me, it was an emotional decision...it's hard to put into words, the emotional attachment I feel toward my farms.
Sherry Buttrick, director of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF), commented that conservation easements were not prevalent in Southside to this point due to the local lack of exposure to suburban sprawl experienced in other areas of the state.
"Easements are really the ultimate tool for preserving individual rural landscapes," said Buttrick.
"They're a wonderful tool to forestall sprawl and urbanization of the countryside," Buttrick added, mentioning that the majority of conservation easements to date are found in heretofore rural areas pressured by new development, such as Albemarle County.
A state agency created in 1966, VOF holds the most donated easements of all land trusts in the country, with 165,000 acres in easement in 65 statewide localities.
Buttrick emphasized that a conservation, or open-space easement, is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a public body, such as VOF or a private conservation group. It is initiated by the landowner.
"Not everybody should do, or have to do easements, but they're a tool for preserving good family lands," remarked Buttrick.
"An easement restricts the amount of subdivisions and effectively prevents the creation of subdivisions on land under easement."
Each easement, according to Buttrick, is individually tailored to reflect the conservation values of the property and the individual goals of the landowner. They generate a tax deduction and estate tax savings.
Legal and Tax Implications
Attorney Theodore Craddock, of Lynchburg, and John D. Hutchinson V, of Western Virginia Land Trust, spoke on the legal and tax implications of conservation easements.
According to Craddock, easements are considered a "property right in real property," in Virginia.
"They're legal in nature and must be in writing and notarized," said Craddock, adding that the local circuit court has jurisdiction over the enforcement of issues surrounding easements.
"To drive any of the benefits, an easement must be perpetual; however, they're not meant to interfere with a county's individual comprehensive plan."
Craddock reminded the gathering to seek good legal advice and a good appraiser when considering an easement.
Hutchinson discussed the tax implications of conservation easements, including real property taxes, federal and state income taxes, long-term capital gain tax on property and estate taxes.
Easements, under Virginia law, remove the potential for development of the property held, known as 'fair market value,' according to Hutchinson's presentation.
Virginia law requires that the tax assessment recognizes this reduction in value.
The donation of a conservation easement that meets federal tax code requirements can be deducted from state and federal taxable income, just like tax deductible gifts made to a church or community group.
An easement that protects land from future development also lowers its fair market value, and the value of the property owner's estate. This reduced value will result in lower estate taxes, according to Hutchinson's presentation.
There are limitations to the granting of conservation easements.
"The VOF doesn't intend easements to be used as roadblocks," said Buttrick, referring to their potential use by people to prevent or reroute dam, power line and highway projects.
If an easement was already in place prior to planning for such projects, an easement release would only be authorized if it were in the public's best interest, and only if suitable substitution could be found for the easement taken, according to Buttrick.
"An easement can be released, but the standards (for that release) are high" said Buttrick.
It was also pointed out by Buttrick that VOF was not allowed to establish easements in areas already designated as urban growth areas, but that there was flexibility in converting from one agricultural use to another within a particular easement.
Judge Dismisses Tobacco Lawsuit

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a small tobacco company's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the $206 billion multistate settlement with cigarette makers.
U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer ruled that Star Scientific Inc. could not challenge the 1998 settlement because the Chesterfield County company chose not to join the pact between the major tobacco companies and 46 states.
Star, which claims to have developed a less-toxic cigarette, claimed the deal to reimburse states for smoking-related health care costs enabled the largest U.S. tobacco companies to increase their prices and protect their marketing dominance by stubbing out competition from smaller firms.
The suit, filed in December, named Attorney General Mark L. Earley as defendant because he negotiated the state's participation in the settlement.
''We are pleased the court agreed with the commonwealth's position,'' said David Botkins, a spokesman for Earley. ''This dismissal will allow Virginia to receive the benefits ... and funds to help prevent youth smoking.''
Virginia expects to get up to $4 billion over 25 years under the tobacco settlement. The state is earmarking 10 percent of the money for anti-smoking programs. Half of the money will go to tobacco-dependent regions to help diversify their economies, and the remaining 40 percent goes into the state's general fund.
Star will appeal the decision, said company president Paul Perito.

By MICHAEL A. PAIGE
Jump Frog Jump!
The instructional textbook, written by Robert Kalan and illustrated by Byron Barton, has five-year-olds getting a jump on learning the ABCs.
The colorful characterization of the text is just one of the many methods used by Karen Overton, a kindergarten teacher at Washington-Coleman Elementary School, in exposing her young students to the concepts of letter identification skills.
Children in kindergarten classes in Halifax County's public schools are learning the alphabet, basic tools of comprehension and skills that will prepare them for the Standards of Learning tests down the road.
Some students, however, have a leg up on others.
Those children are ones who have attended some kind of pre-kindergarten program.
This spring, parents are making crucial decisions about what is best for their three-and four-year-olds who are eligible to attend pre-K.
The decision as to whether or not to enroll their children in pre-kindergarten is tough for some parents.
However, exposing a child to the comprehension of letters and other basic skills in a prekindergarten experience gives the child a green light in the colorful world of Arabic numbers, the alphabet, color schemes and other basic cognitive skills.
Children enrolled in the Weekday Early Education or W.E.E. School programs at Dan River Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of South Boston, receive quality preschool instruction which prepares a child not only mentally, but in the spiritual, social and emotional realms as well.
WEE school children enter kindergarten with a tremendous advantage by having developed self-confidence and a sense of self-expression that is instilled by their awareness of their world.
These children also enter kindergarten with other children who have yet to be exposed to the curriculum or have a limited exposure provided by parental training.
Then there are children with learning disabilities who also enter the kindergarten class to absorb the curriculum.
To assist children who may be behind or face obstacles that prevents easy attainment of the curriculum, the Halifax County Public Schools offers programs geared to assisting those children.
In the kindergarten class, the teacher is faced with creating a balance among the children who have been exposed to learning the basic skills of comprehension, and those children who are just getting started.
To help accelerate the ways and means of creating a parity among kindergarten children, programs, such as Breakthrough to Literacy, are implemented to assist a child in learning how to discover the relationship between speech and the written text.
Breakthrough to Literacy is a computer program that was first piloted at Clays Mill Elementary School about five years ago with the emphasis of teaching five basic activities of listening to stories, telling stories, exploring word and letter association and hand/eye coordination.
Halifax County Public Schools will accept applications in April for children who are considered in need of assistance to prepare them for kindergarten.
The prekindergarten classes are federally funded by Title 1, and held at Clays Mill, Halifax, South of Dan and Sydnor Jennings elementary schools.
A screening process determines which children are in the greatest need of assistance.
A maximum of 16 students per class is required and information pertaining to applications can be obtained by contacting Valdivia Marshall, director of programs at 476-2171.
The Halifax County Public Schools also has a program funded by the Virginia Preschool Initiative whereby pre-K is offered at Meadville and Washington-Coleman elementary schools.
At Washington-Coleman, the children in pre-K go through exercises the requires moving from one end of a colorful classroom to the other in a series of games that makes learning letters, numbers, dates and words more fun.
"The children come here in September and we get them as far as we can in nine months," said Biddie Plaster, principal of Washington-Coleman Elementary School.
"And its nice to get them when their little," Plaster added.
Other means of preschool preparation are provided by Halifax County Area Community Action through the Head Start program.
Head Start is federally funded and serves about 130 children through sites at the Community Action building, the Mary Bethune Complex and Volens Elementary School.
"The application process for Head Start is based on income," said Patricia Taylor, director.
Head Start diversifies its program (geared toward three- to five-year-olds) into comprehension, dental and medical benefits to help a child develop physically and mentally.
Bridging the Gap
However, a most innovative method for bridging the gap among children was introduced into the schools this year and that is the use of kinesthetics.
Developed by Bethany Tucker of Turbeville, the kinesthetic method of using hand signals to help accelerate the comprehension of letters and sounds was first experimented with in a school in Danville.
The Tucker Signing Strategy of Reading was designed with an emphasis of closing the gap between children by using hand signals based on the hearing impaired and developed with Tucker's own standard of signals for teachers to work with in the classroom.
After success with students in Danville, Tucker teamed with Dr. Ruby Paine and set up workshops in Halifax County for teachers to learn the new system.
"It's a six-hour workshop and teachers are fully implemented after the workshop is completed," Tucker said.
Tucker found success with the program in other areas in the state and has started workshops throughout the United States in such places as Wyoming and Ohio.
She is currently offering a workshop in Las Vegas.
Tucker, an associate professor at Averett College, said the concept originated five years ago when she observed that some children were not learning how to read.
"Reading is such an abstract task," Tucker said.
When she observed that boys were more prone to concrete methods of learning, she experimented with the American sign language and found it to have the assimilation needed to combine the abstract with the concrete.
The success of kinesthetics is just one more step at helping young children achieve in the classroom and provides a balance of learning the ABCs.

Comets' Shutout Streak Continues

Halifax County's solid defense came to the rescue here Monday as the varsity Comets softball team blanked Heritage 2-0.
Monday's shutout was the team's fourth in as many games and upped the Comets' season record to 4-0.
The Comets' defense turned in another solid performance, staving off a first-inning threat when Heritage managed to load the sacks with two out and stifling another threat in the fifth inning when the Pioneers had two runners on the sacks.
Just as big, however, was the fact that the Comets managed to put a run on the board in the bottom of the first inning after turning back the initial Heritage threat.
The Comets got a single from hurler Anna Lewis with two out and backed it up with a double by Branda Best that plated Lewis to give the Comets A 1-0 lead.
Halifax County added its final run in the bottom of the second inning when Jennifer Roller hit a double to right field with one out and scored when Amberly Moon reached base on an error.
The Comets threatened to break the game open in the bottom of the fifth by getting its first three batters on the sacks.
Felicia Sprattley led off with a walk, Brandi Conner singled and Lewis reached base on a fielder's choice.
It was a perfect setup for a score but the Comets couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.
Best struck out, Sprattley was put out when Lindsay Stolzenthaler hit into a fielder's choice and Jenny Armistead popped up to the first baseman to end the inning.
Halifax County's bats were not as productive Monday against Heritage as they had been in previous games.
The Comets got four hits with Conner, Lewis, Best and Roller getting a hit each.
But, they were enough to get the job done on this occasion.
Lewis had a good day on the mound, giving up six scattered hits and one walk. She fanned one of the 26 batters she faced in her seven innings on the hill.
The Comets will return to action today when they host Dinwiddie.
Game time is 5 p.m.

The Halifax County-South Boston Dixie Girls Softball League will be the host league for the district tournaments for all four Dixie Softball age groups this summer.
League president Dean Elliott said this week that the tournament format will have two tournaments being played simultaneously over a two-week period.
The district tournaments for the two youngest age groups, the Angels and Ponytails, will begin June 29.
District tournaments for the two older age groups, the Belles and Debs, will start July 6.
The sites and game times for the tournaments will be announced at a later date.
Opening ceremonies for the Dixie Girls Softball League will be held Saturday, April 7 at 2 p.m. at Carter Field in South Boston.
Nine games will be played at Carter Field that day with the first game, a Ponytails Division game, set for 9 a.m.
The league will be playing its games on six fields this season including the South Boston YMCA field, a new field at the Mary M. Bethune Complex in Halifax, Carter Field, the Cluster Springs T-Ball League Field, Cluster Springs, and Halifax County High School.

Elsie Mann Crews of 1033 K Fork Loop, Halifax died Tuesday, March 27, 2001 at her home. She was 62 years old.
Mrs. Crews was born September 29, 1938 in Clarkton. She was the daughter of the late Robert and Edna Elder Mann. She was married to the late Giles T. Crews, Sr.
She was a member of South Boston Church of Christ and retired from Woodview Nursing Home.
Survivors include four daughters, Deborah Montgomery and her husband, Ray of Clays Mill, Sandra Webber and her husband, Larry of Pelham, N.C., Robin Butler and her husband, Phillip of Bumpass, and Barbara Cooper and her husband, David of Apex, N.C.; one son, Giles T. "Tom" Crews, Jr. of Durham, N.C.; four sisters, Louise King of Altavista, Betty Smith and Mattie Maxey, both of Brookneal, and Virginia Haley of Hurt; one brother, John Mann of Gladys; nine grandchildren; a close friend, Benny Burton of Halifax.
Mrs. Crews was preceded in death by two brothers, Ben Mann and Robert "Slim" Mann.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at Childrey Baptist Church in Nathalie with the Rev. Rodney Barwick officiating. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of the deceased.
The family requests that anyone wishing to give memorials to please consider Halifax County Cancer Association, P.O. Box 875, South Boston, Va. 24592.

Eldress Farmer Carter, 77, of 709 Maple Avenue, South Boston died March 25.
Born October 4, 1923 in Chatham, she was the daughter of the late Jack David Farmer and Daisy Newby Farmer. She was a member of Olive Branch United Methodist Church.
Ms. Carter is survived by three daughters, Elizabeth C. Williams of South Boston, Elaine C. Mabe of Pelham, N.C. and Dorothy Carter of Portland, Or.; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Graveside services were held yesterday at Halifax Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Ken Williams officiating.
The family will receive friends at the home of the deceased.

Ellie Bentley Scott Fisher, 80, of 1200 Buck-Horace Trail, Nathalie, died March 25 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Born June 8, 1920 in Halifax County, she was the daughter of the late Elie and Lena Daniel Bentley. She was married to Horace D. Fisher and was a member of First Baptist Church of Millstone.
Her survivors include a daughter: Deborah Scott Moser of South Boston; son: Thomas Ray Scott of Nathalie; three sisters: Gladys McCullough of Lynchburg, Edna Guthrie and Mamie Davis of Nathalie; two brothers: Carroll Bentley of Nathalie and Henry Bentley of Brookneal; step-son: Buck Fisher of Nathalie; five step-daughters: Dolly Fallen of South Boston, Sarah Monroe of Gladys, Becky Gentry of Henderson, NC, Gracie Conde of Homestead, Fla., Agnes Morris of Nathalie; seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, 16 step-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held today, March 28, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Millstone with the Revs. Bob Watts and Rodney Barwick. Burial will be held in the church cemetery.
For memorials please consider the First Baptist Church of Millstone.

Nathan Henry "Pinky" Walton, 39, of Alexandria died March 21 in an Alexandria hospital.
Mr. Walton was born August 9, 1961 to the late Mary Latta and Jesse Brooks. He was a member of the Love of Christ Church.
His survivors include three sisters: Hattie Chappell and Clarissa Jones of Alexandria and Roseland Ragland of Connecticut and four brothers: Earnest Walton of Lynchburg, Butch Walton of Orange Co., Larry Walton of Dumfries and Waddell Latta of North Carolina.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Mary Anna Motley, 76, of 511 Berry Hill Rd., South Boston died March 26 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Miss Motley was born in Halifax County on February 15, 1925, the daughter of the late John T. and Emma Anderson Motley. She was a member of County Line Baptist Church.
Her survivors include a sister-in-law: Dorothy Walton Motley of Vernon Hill, 24 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by five sisters and two brothers.
A graveside service will be held tomorrow, March 29 at County Line Baptist Church cemetery at 2 p.m. with the Revs. Coy Terry and Latta Terry officiating.
The family will receive friends tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home and at other times at the home.
In lieu of flowers please consider the County Line Baptist Church.

Tucker Atkinson Clark, 90, of Blackstone, died March 19 in the Southside Hospital, Farmville.
Mr. Clark is the son of Arnold P. Clark and Mary Kate Hubbard.
His survivors include a daughter: Anita Lou Carter of Disputanta; sister: Mattie Kate Chaffin of South Boston; seven grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by a son: Tucker A. Clark, Jr.
A graveside service was held March 23 at Lakeview Cemetery, Blackstone.

A memorial service for Glenna Miley Stewart of Virgilina, who passed away February 26, 2001 will be held at Grace Baptist Church on Saturday, March 31 at 12 p.m. with the Rev. Jack Stewart officiating.