An early Saturday morning domestic dispute has resulted in a string of charges against a 35-year-old Halifax man, according to Halifax Police Chief Shawn Sweeney.
Thomas Joe Howell was arrested on a misdemeanor count of assault and battery of Sandra Alderson and a felony count of breaking and entering her Rt. 360 West residence, Chief Sweeney said.
Howell was also charged with a felony count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and misdemeanor counts of destruction of private property (breaking the door to her residence), brandishing a firearm, and petit larceny, he added.
The petit larceny charge involves a ski-jacket belonging to Alderson which Howell allegedly took during the 3 a.m. break-in, according to the investigation.
At least one shot was fired by Alderson during the altercation, police said.
During the investigation of the break-in and assault, police obtained a search warrant for Howell's two vehicles and residence in the Forest View Apartments on Mountain Road in Halifax.
Howell, an employee of the Town of Halifax, had initially refused a police request for a consent search of his apartment and vehicles, according to the investigation.
The search warrant was obtained in an attempt to locate evidence related to the initial charges, Chief Sweeney said.
Officers from the Halifax Police Department and the Halifax County Sheriff's Department searched the apartment and found 18 marijuana plants, two shotguns, a revolver, a small amount of processed marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, police said.
A homemade interior growing light was also found. The marijuana plants had a total estimated value of $18,000, Chief Sweeney pointed out.
After the search, Howell was charged with a felony count of manufacturing marijuana with intent to distribute.
Howell was released on bond pending his trials in the Halifax County General District Court and the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
His preliminary hearing for the felony marijuana distribution charge is scheduled for district court on May 1.
Participating in the arrest and search were Sgt. T.E. Logan, Cpl. J.L. Lucia, and Deputy Q.W. Clark from the Halifax County Sheriff's Department and Lt. G.T. Stanley II, Officer Stanley Britton Jr. and Officer Marty Davis of the Halifax Police Department.
A group of exotic wildlife pets - including an Iguana, scorpion, and tarantula - were also found in Howell's apartment. They were properly cared for and contained and posed no threat to law enforcement officers, Lt. Stanley pointed out.
Kevin Lamont Traynham, 18, of Ball Park Loop Road, just west of Halifax, was charged Friday with a felony count of malicious wounding, according to Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Oakes.
Traynham allegedly wounded Gregory Hamlet during an argument on January 26 in which Traynham was also charged with a misdemeanor count of assault and battery of Lesley A. Ferreira, police said.
When deputies made the arrest, they also served a capias from the Halifax County Circuit Court for his failure to abide by court-ordered sanctions, according to the investigation.
Traynham is being held in the Halifax County Jail pending his trial in the Halifax County General District Court on March 16. He was arrested by Cpl. S.T. Moser.
In other cases:
· Kenneth Alvester Brooks, 27, of the Love Shop Trailer Park in South Boston, was charged Saturday with a misdemeanor count of assault and battery of Felicia Faulkner, police said.
Brooks allegedly assaulted Faulkner, a household or family member, during an argument which occurred on March 5, according to the investigation.
Brooks was released on bond pending his trial in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on March 18. He was arrested by Investigator J.R. Hicks.
· David H. Stevens, 35, of Halifax was charged Sunday with a count of assault by threats against Tinnell Stevens.
The level of the charge is due to his having been previously convicted twice or more before of assault against a family member within the last ten years, police said.
He is currently being held in the Halifax County Jail pending his trial in the Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on March 18. Stevens was arrested by Sgt. T.E. Logan.
It's always hard to beat the same team three times in one season.
Halifax County High School's varsity academic competition team found that out Saturday in the Western District ACE (Academic Competition for Excellence) Tournament at Lynchburg College.
The Comets, the second place finisher in the regular season, had beaten third seeded GW in both of their regular season contests. But, GW turned the tables on the Comets and beat the Comets 278-223 in the opening round, knocking the Comets out of a tournament title bid.
Regular season champion E.C. Glass beat fourth seeded Amherst County in the opening round and went on to beat GW in the title round to take the district tournament title.
"Eventhough we lost in the first round of the tournament, we had a really good season," remarked Halifax County High School ACE Coordinator Tammy Daniels.
"The questions we had were a little rough. And, I think the fact that we had beaten GW so easily before the kids didn't take it as seriously as maybe they should have. And, we had some kids that had been on a band trip the day before and were tired. I think it was it was just a combination of things."
Daniels congratulated her team on its outstanding season.
"I'm extremely proud of our whole group," she remarked.
"They worked hard and it showed."
While the loss in the opening round of Saturday's district tournament was a disappointing one, the Comets had six individuals to be named to the ACE All District Team.
Named to the varsity ACE All District Team were Jeremy Bauldwin from the Math team, Chad Jackson from the Science team, Ashley Talley from the Social Studies team, and Reuben Crews from the English team.
Two Comet jayvee ACE team members were named to the Jayvee All District ACE Team. They were Jessica Sibley from the English/Social Studies team and Nora Lee from the Math/Science team.
Halifax County High School's district champion jayvee ACE team received the rotating jayvee championship plaque. The Comet varsity Science, History, Literature, and All Around teams received silver cereal sized bowls in recognition of their second place finishes in the overall district standings for their respective categories and the Comet team received a silver cereal bowl for its runner-up finish in the overall district standings.
In Saturday's contest against GW, the Comets got off to a slow start, fell behind early, and couldn't catch up. GW opened with an 80-48 win over the Comets in the Math round and scored an 80-26 win over the Comets in the Science round. That put the Comets behind 160-74 after two rounds.
Halifax bounced back in the third round eventhough they sustained a 58-55 loss there. And, the two teams tied the English round 35-35. Eventhough the Comets won the All Around category by a 59-25 score, it wasn't nearly enough to overcome the GW lead and the Comets lost 278-223.
Saturday's Western District ACE Tournament may have marked the end of an era for this form of academic competition. The Virginia High School League started an academic competition this year to determine district, regional, and state champions just as it does in other forms of athletic and academic competitions. And, the Western District schools appear to be gravitating toward that competition.
The VHSL competition not only begins and ends at a different time in the school year, each school fields one academic team of six to eight students including alternates.
That format means that much fewer students get to participate in the VHSL competition than the ACE competition which features five categories of varsity competition in each match with four students starting on each team and two categories of jayvee competition with four students starting on each team.
Halifax County High School officials have not yet announced their plans for academic competition next year.
A parade, live music, arts and crafts exhibits, children's activities, and a street dance will all be a part of the 6th Annual Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department Support Day event.
The Support Day event will be held Saturday, April 18 at the Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department with activities starting at 9 a.m., the parade at 11 a.m., and the Street Dance featuring music by Auda Creek going from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Fire department officials noted that the event will be held rain or shine.
Plans for the Support Day event, which serves as the fire department's primary fund raising event for the year, are well underway and entries are being sought for both the arts and crafts exhibit and the parade.
Persons interested in reserving a space for the arts and crafts exhibit or entering a unit in the parade are asked to call 575-1062, 572-6847, 575-7829, or 517-0247.
The Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department Support Day is a popular event in the area because it has a wide variety of activities going on throughout the day starting at 9 a.m. and continuing until the Street Dance concludes at 9 p.m.
Several arts and crafts exhibitors will be on hand with a variety of items and the festive parade attracts a lot of interest with its large variety of units. Children's activities during the day will include a visit by Uncle Curt who will perform a magic show, do face painting, and have special balloons. There will also be some children's rides and ponies for the youngsters to enjoy.
There will be live music throughout the afternoon and evening starting at 12:30 p.m. Several local performers will be on hand to provide a variety of music from gospel to bluegrass to country rock.
The featured band of the event will be Auda Creek which will be making its first appearance at the Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department Support Day. Auda Creek will provide the music for the Street Dance which will be held from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.
When it comes to food, visitors to the Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department Support Day will find plenty of it. Fire department members will make and sell a Brunswick Stew for lunch with the stew being sold by both the bowl and the jar.
Also, the fire department will have both fried chicken and barbecue pork dinners available throughout the day with cole slaw, baked beans, iced tea, and dessert. Meal tickets for the fried chicken and barbecue pork plate dinners are now on sale for $7 per plate. Persons desiring to purchase dinner tickets should contact a fire department member.
In addition, food will be available at a concession stand being operated by Hilda Hatcher of Danville. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be available there. Also available at the concession stand are blooming onions, ribbon fries, and pork rinds, marking the first time that these three food items will be made available at the Support Day event.
Domino's Pizza, lemonade, ice cold soft drinks, cotton candy, candy apples, and funnel cakes will also be available at the event.
Cluster Springs Volunteer Fire Department officials note that there will be drawings for cash prizes with a $300 first prize, a $100 second prize, and a $50 third prize being given away.
There will also be drawings for additional door prizes.
Plans are being made for this year's Virgilina SummerFest which is set for Saturday, May 23 in the heart of the Town of Virgilina.
This year's SummerFest, the primary fund raising event of the year for the Virgilina Volunteer Fire Department, will feature music and arts and craft displays starting at 9 a.m., the annual SummerFest Parade at 11 a.m., a Brunswick Stew lunch at the fire station at 12 noon, and a late afternoon - early evening dinner consisting of barbecue pork and barbecue chicken plates at the fire station.
Person and groups wishing to enter a unit and participate in the SummerFest Parade are asked to contact Ralph Murray at 585-2657 or Jimmy Watts at 585-2439.
Individuals wishing to reserve a space for the arts and crafts display or wishing to obtain information about the arts and crafts exhibit are asked to contact Beverly Murray at 585-2657.
Organizers of the event note that there will be plenty of live entertainment and activities throughout the day-long event.
A variety of food items, homemade desserts, and soft drinks will be available throughout the day as well.
By Beth Robertson
The old Texaco station bustles with action in artist Major Holt's memory ...and his painting.
It is a South Boston scene he knew well as a boy, his Americana.
In his paintings he likes "to create things he knows, places I've been around, places that used to be there, like the Texaco station. It's not there now, but I used to go there with my dad," he explained.
Today the lower Main St. gas station - torn down years ago - survives, alive and well thanks to Holt's colorful painting.
There are other local paintings as well, friends and relatives captured by Holt on canvass in South Boston's neighborhoods.
"I have a love for what's going on around me and I grew up in South Boston," said the artist.
Holt named Ernie Barnes, creator of the Sugar Shack painting in television's "Good Times," and Norman Rockwell as the artists who have most influenced him.
"I like Americana," said the artist. And Americana seems to be leading Holt home.
Following a two-year art school study stint at the Maryland College of Art and Design, Holt migrated to New York, but found he had trouble creating there. "The juices were not flowing. Anything I did, I didn't personally like," he explained.
Back in South Boston now working at a job he likes with Teledyne Allvac, he is once again surrounded by the familiar world he loves as an artist.
And art is a central theme in his life, one he remembers since about age five when he first picked up a pencil and started drawing television cartoons.
"The more I did it, the more people noticed," recalled Holt with a smile. Then, in the fourth grade, he remembers having his photograph in the newspaper for a crayon drawing he did. "One of me walking in the woods in the snow," recalled the artist.
"Mrs. Lambrecht entered it in an art contest and it won Best in Show," continued Holt.
As a young man, Holt's friends often asked him to draw comic characters for them. He also did portraits. "But it didn't sink in until high school," continued the artist, that art could be his future.
In that respect, he is very happy he "took art to another level" at the Maryland college.
"I learned new things about anatomy, how to create a figure making sure the proportions were right. I'm more confident about drawing a full-figure individual. I also got a strong appreciation for color," added Holt.
The artist's favorite medium?
"Acrylics," he answered quickly. "My lifelong friend. I've worked with them a long time.
"I have a very strong dislike for oil. I don't like the time it takes to dry ...and it is such a complicated medium to use. For me," he added.
Holt "definitely has fun with sketches" and enjoys creating comic strips. "I have a ball with colored pencil, and now ink is like working with pencil. Fun for me."
Holt also took first prize for a poster he did for the National Victim Center while in Maryland. The battered figure, weeping and with one black eye, carries this message: If you love me you've got a hateful way of showing it. Child abuse is a crime.
The artist also created Whiptail, a story about a cat with a long tail whose problem tail saves the day for fellow cats when a dog gives chase. Add the creation of an action hero, and Holt's ranging interests are obvious.
Since childhood art has been his constant companion ... and the journey is yet young.
Richard Lawrence Puryear Sr. of 2184 Huell Matthews Highway, South Boston died March 7, 1998 at his home.
He was born in South Boston on September 14, 1925 and was 72 years of age. He was the son of James Lee Puryear and Mary Lucy Whitlow Puryear and was married to Catherine Lucille Elliott Puryear.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church, a World War II Army Veteran, member of the American Ligon Post 8, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8243.
Mr. Puryear is survived by his wife; Catherine Lucille Elliott Puryear, of South Boston; one daughter, Diane Puryear Eaton, of South Boston; one son and daughter-in-law; Richard Lawrence Puryear Jr. and Mary Queen Puryear, of Greensboro, NC; one sister, Elsie Puryear Norris, of Mechanicsville; one granddaughter, Kelly Arendall Hill and her husband, Jeff Hill, of South Boston; one step grandson, Chip Welcher and his wife, Sandra Welcher, of Virgilina; one step great granddaughter.
Funeral services for Mr. Puryear will be held today (Monday) March 9 at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Bob Fox and the Rev. Dean Miller conducting the service. Burial will take place in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
For memorials, please consider the First Bapist Church.
Edward D. (Snip) Conner of 7061 Bethel Road, Scottsburg died Saturday, March 7, 1998 at his home. He was born in Halifax County, on January 11, 1926 and was 72 years of age.
He was the son of Luther M. Conner and Annie B. Conner and was married to Betty Compton Conner.
He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church and a member of Bethel Ruritan Club.
Mr. Conner is survived by one sister, Beatrice Newbill, of Nathalie; one brother, J. Harold Conner, of Scottsburg.
Funeral services for Mr. Conner will be held today (Monday, March 9) at 11:00 a.m. at Bethel Batptist Church with the Rev. Tony Brooks conducting the service. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to please consider the Bethel Baptist Church or the Hospice Support Care of Southside Virginia, 554 North Main Street, South Boston.
Nannie Elizabeth Loftis Long of 1124 Harmony Road, Alton, died Friday, March 6, 1998 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was born March 24, 1933 in Halifax County and was was the daughter of Hurt Green Loftis and Addie Smith Loftis and was married to John L. "Peter" Long.
She was a member of Bethel Hill Baptist Church.
Mrs. Long is survivied by her husband, John L. "Peter" Long, of Alton; four daughters; Rita Long, of Halifax; Kathy L. Vaughan, of South Boston; Wanda K. Toombs and Cynthia L. Justis, of Halifax ; son; Lawrence M. Long, of Elmo; one sister, Bessie L. Clay, of Gretna; two brothers, Ollie Lee "Pete" Loftis, of Alton and John William Loftis, of South Boston; four great grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Long were held at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. with the Rev. Davis Moore and Rev. Rudolph Jacobs officiating. Burial wook place in the Harmony United Methodist Chruch Cemtery, Alton.
Those wishing to give memorials please give to American Diabetes Association, Virignia Affilate Inc, 404 8th Street, N. E., Suite C, Charlottesvile, VA 22902 or American Heart Association, Halifax-South Boston Unit, P. O. Box 41, South Boston, VA 24592.
Mary Susie Saunders of Richmond,, died Thursday, March 5 at her residence in Richmond, at the age of 89.
She as born in Halifax County on October 20, 1908.
Mrs. Saunders is survived by her two daughters, Beatrice Fisher, of Richmond; Judy Worrell, of Washington, D. C.; two sons, Charles Wilson, and Roy Martin, of Washington, D. C.; seventeen grandchildren; a devoted granddaughter, Sabrina Daniels, of Richmond; four great grandchidlren; one brother, John Buster, of Scottsburg; one daughter-in-law; two sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mrs. Saunders will be held today (Monday, March 9) at 1:00 p.m. at Piney Grove Baptist Church in Scottsburg the Rev. Whitfield Scott, officiating with interment in the church cemetery.
Charles Phillips of Miami, FL passed away on Thursday, February 26, 1998 at Northshore Hospital in Miami, FL at the age of 67.
Mr. Phillips was born in Ray City, GA on November 18, 1930.
His survivors include his sisters: Mable Wonell and Carrie Vickes of Miami, FL and his aunt: Allie Mae McMiller.
Funeral services were held Saturday, March 7 at Crawford, Garrett and Burton Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Michael Terry officiating. Entombment was in the New Bethel Baptist Church cemetery.