"Health Department offices are expected to reopen today
after closing Monday when employees got sick following a weekend
pesticide treatment in the Mary Bethune Complex.
"It was done in response to staff complaints," said
Dr. Leland Spencer, district health director.
"They had noticed insects, fleas or mites were biting,"
he explained.
"So we called the county. We think it might have been fleas
," he added.
"Within one hour of arriving for work Monday, the majority
of the staff had physical symptoms ranging from chest pain, to
shortness of breath, to headaches to irritated eyes," said
the doctor.
"Staff appeared to be suffering from reactions to pesticide.
"Needless to say, there are no more fleas," he added.
Approximately 16 to 17 of the staff of 20 were affected.
"So far, there are no persistent problems. Everyone is apparently
fine in 24 hours," the doctor said yesterday.
The offices served over 3,000 clients last year.
Only Health Department offices, excluding Environmental Health
Services responsible for performing well/septic permitting and
food/restaurant inspections, were evacuated, according to the
doctor.
"There was obvious evidence the Health Department area had
been fumigated over the weekend," said the district director.
"Residue was obvious on tables and carpets."
To protect employees and other building occupants, the doctor
said several agencies were notified, including the Department
of Agriculture, which has a Division of Pesticide Services, OSHA
and a private lab, which also conducted tests.
When the Health Department closed in Halifax County, the doctor
said the public was directed to other Health Department services
in the area, particularly in Mecklenburg County. Some Halifax
County staff was reassigned to help there.
Halifax County is included in a district health area that also
includes Mecklenburg and Brunswick counties.
After having earlier sought a referendum from the Board of
Supervisors as a second alternative to launch its proposed $50
million school capital improvements plan, the Halifax County School
Board now wants to take that alternative off of the table.
In a special meeting Tuesday night, the School Board, in a 5-3
vote, passed a resolution saying it does not seek a referendum
for any amount of improvements to school facilities.
Instead, the School Board, in the words of the resolution, "will
defer to the wisdom and judgement of the Halifax County Board
of Supervisors to determine the appropriate level of support for
school improvements."
The resolution adopted by the School Board will be forwarded immediately
to the Board of Supervisors.
Some School Board members felt a better course of action is for
the School Board to focus its efforts on educating the Board of
Supervisors about the need for school improvements rather than
focusing efforts on attempting to pass a referendum.
A suggestion was offered by a Board member to have the School
Board set up a tour of the county schools and invite the members
of the Board of Supervisors to see the recently renovated schools
as well as the schools that are in need of work.
That opportunity, they said, will give supervisors an opportunity
to see and compare the facilities, and allow school officials
an opportunity to point out what is needed and why it is needed.
"If we go to referendum, a lot of time and effort will be
needed in order to win it," said School Board member Alan
Gravitt.
"If we put half the same effort toward educating the eight
people on the Board of Supervisors to deal with this issue, it
will be a slam dunk."
While there were differing opinions regarding the resolution,
School Board member Steve Anderson said he didn't feel the resolution
is controversial.
"Basically, all this is an opinion of the way we prefer,"
said Anderson.
Anderson told his fellow School Board that supervisors are always
saying they support the growth and improvement of education and
educational facilities in Halifax County.
"This is an opportunity for them to prove they support education,"
said Anderson.
School Superintendent Dennis Witt said he feels the supervisors
understand the need.
"There is no question in my mind the supervisors understand
the need," said Witt.
"It's at a political level and its at a level of how much
support is out there for it. They (the supervisors) have elections
coming up. It's a political issue right now."
School Board members Arthur Reynolds, Carl Furches and G.C. Ratliff
voted against the resolution.
Ratliff opposed the resolution on two fronts.
His first point was that the Board of Supervisors has not responded
to school system officials regarding the School Board's earlier
resolution asking for $21 million to move ahead with Phase II
of the school system's capital improvements plan, or, in the alternative,
putting a proposed $50 million capital improvements referendum
in front of the county's voters in November.
"I'd like more dialogue (with the Board of Supervisors),"
Ratliff said.
"We haven't gotten any response and all of the capital money
included in our construction budget has been taken away."
Ratliff, making his second point, added that while he feels a
referendum is not the best overall solution, "I don't like
retracting an action we have formally acted on. I have a problem
with retracting an offer."
Reynolds noted he supported Ratliff's opinion about retracting
an action the body has previously made.
"Why did we go to the supervisors with a referendum as an
option and we're saying now we don't want to use that as an option?"
queried Reynolds.
"I think one of things is that after an analysis of the situation
there is a feeling that that option (the referendum) is more bad
than good," said Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis
Witt.
"It is a divisive process. Also, if it fails, it sets you
back eight years and there is a negative response to the community
in terms of economic development."
Furches maintained the stance that he has taken from the beginning
- that a referendum is the proper way to approach the School Board's
proposed $50 million capital improvements plan.
"We're talking about the people's money," said Furches.
"We're not here to cram something down their throats."
During the discussion of the resolution, School Board members
expressed concern about the impact of the Board of Supervisors
having stripped $334,000 from the school construction monies contained
in the school system's proposed 2003-2004 school budget.
Witt explained that the Board of Supervisors left the School Board's
proposed operating budget intact, however, taking away the $334,000
puts a strain on the school system's ability to deal with capital-related
needs.
"We don't have as much money for roofs and other things we
might need to do," Witt told the School Board.
"If we identify certain roofs we need to address, we'll have
to go back and ask them (the Board of Supervisors)."
"Most of that money (the $334,000) was money that had earmarked
for fixing our (school) roofs," said School Board member
Patricia Nelson.
"Roofs were a hot topic during the past year," noted
Ratliff, "and the money has been taken away."
Other Matters
The School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to spend between
$20,000 and $30,000 to purchase and install an additional mobile
unit classroom at Halifax County Middle School.
Witt told the School Board that an attempt will be made to purchase
a good used mobile classroom.
If that effort doesn't pan out, a new unit will be purchased.
The mobile unit will not have water or sewer hookup. However,
it will have electricity and Internet access.
The new mobile unit will be placed adjacent to the four existing
Project IDEA mobile unit classrooms at the school.
School system officials had considered taking one of the four
mobile units that house the county's Project IDEA program and
using it as one of four additional classroom spaces that are being
created at the school for the 2003-2004 school year.
A large influx of seventh-grade students has made it necessary
for school administrators to add an additional four-teacher team
for next year, a move that necessitates the creation of four additional
classroom spaces.
Witt told the School Board that taking one of the Project IDEA
classrooms "will create a substantive loss of programming
and would diminish that program slightly."
By adding the additional mobile classroom, the four current Project
IDEA mobile classrooms can continue to be used next year.
The new mobile classroom will be used next year as one of the
classroom spaces to be used by the new seventh-grade team.
Also Tuesday night, the School Board voted to ask the Board of
Supervisors to appropriate an additional $478,717 to the Projects
category of the current year's school budget to cover funding
of two federal programs.
The programs involve federal flow-through funds and do not require
any additional dollars to be appropriated to the budget.
Halifax County Public Schools is acting as the fiscal agent for
two new projects started during the 2002-2003 fiscal year.
The Even Start Family Literacy Program is a $250,071 project that
is jointly administered by Halifax County Public Schools and Longwood
College and designed to improve educational opportunities for
low-income families in Halifax County.
The other project is the Southern Virginia No Child Left Behind
Partnership, a $228,646 project.
That program is a partnership of the Region VIII School Divisions
which was established to facilitate the implementation of the
federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Two former employees of Wellspring Academy have filed suit
for lost wages against founder Bob Gluhareff, according to court
records.
One of the employees is the former counselor who Gluhareff said
set off a chain of events that led to the closing of the school.
Lisa Grant filed a warrant in debt against Gluhareff on Wednesday
in the amount of $4,300 for lost wages.
Grant's suit is scheduled to be heard in Halifax General District
Court on May 28, according to court records.
Grant is joined in suing Gluhareff by former employee Troy A.
"Buddy" Martin of Danville.
Martin is suing the school for $1,240 for lost wages.
Martin's suit was filed Tuesday.
The case is set to be heard in Halifax County General District
Court.
Contacted yesterday, Gluhareff's attorney, W.W. "Ted"
Bennett of Halifax, said he had no comment on the suits.
While allegations of financial problems began surfacing earlier
this week, only one other suit had been filed as of yesterday
in Halifax County Circuit Court.
Gluhareff, via his business-The Religious and Educational Institute
of Raleigh- has been named as a defendant in a suit for $26,746.09
for non-payment of a bill from Sysco Food Services "for various
goods and merchandise sold and delivered by Plaintiff to Institute."
Wellspring closed its doors on April 20 after Grant took four
students off the property and had them call their parents.
The phone calls set off a string of conversations between parents
that resulted in so many withdrawals that Gluhareff said he couldn't
afford to keep the doors open.
"By midday Saturday (April 18) I realized that this was beginning
to get out of control," he said during a news conference.
"By Saturday night, I was worried that we would go under.
I knew we wouldn't survive the attack."
He said that he and other officials made the decision to close
the school due to the number of students withdrawing from the
school, the school's financial situation and an increasingly "riotous"
atmosphere at the school.
"That woman (Grant) turned this school upside down,"
he said.
The founder acknowledged that the school had been experiencing
financial difficulties for some time, but he blamed the regional
economic downturn and his own generosity for the school's financial
difficulties.
He said yesterday that his supporters were interested in re-opening
the doors.
"We have a group of folks who want to bring their kids back
to the school," Gluhareff said. "As well as a number
of people who are interested in helping the school."
Currently, Gluhareff said that he was "studying the viability
of re-opening."
Although he cautioned that no tentative date for the school to
open had been set, "there are a number of people who want
to start it back up right away."
Over $90,000 in salary increases for county
administration employees is prompting taxpayers' complaints.
Salary increases range from $1,000 to a high of $15,932. Raises
also included one $11,632 increase and one for $12,012.
Approval of the salary increases followed a Policy and Personnel
Committee's closed session recommendation. Supervisors approved
the action April 7.
Approval came in a 6-1 vote, with Supervisor R.E. "Dickie"
Abbott opposing and Supervisor James Edmunds absent.
Pay hikes retroactive to April 1 were approved.
Abbott charged yesterday that employees received a pay increase
when Morgan came to work as administrator.
"He said the money would come out of the budget, but that
was more money than anyone had to spend," Abbott said yesterday.
"This is the damnedest thing I've ever heard of," the
supervisor said of the salary increases.
Why, when the county is recording double-digit unemployment and
a budget is yet to be presented to the Board would supervisors
approve pay increases for county officials, some citizens question.
"Compensation within adjustments - within budget funds -
to reflect current duties that employees are performing,"
explained Joe Morgan, county administrator.
"And the major source of those funds was not filling the
assistant county administrator (Julia Moss, retired) office,"
Morgan said, instead splitting her duties among several employees.
Moss's salary was $43,368.
"We looked at job duties and tried to reflect duties and
compensation for similar duties," added Morgan. "We
had a problem of having folks being paid less than they deserved
(compared with other districts). This was an opportunity to get
pay closer, more commensurate with duties."
Morgan's personal salary increase was in line with his existing
contract, according to one supervisor.
Addressing the late budget process this year, Morgan said that
"generally speaking the county reserve funds were restored
in excess of $5 million due to the school index funding."
"That is what I call the working capital. That will pay a
month's bills and that is generally deemed to be an adequate reserve
for a county of our size."
The county administrator said that revenue projections are generally
flat except for the continuation of the tax increase, about 10
percent, which this year would be four cents on real estate (taxes).
"When I say flat," added Morgan, "a small growth
in county revenues and an equal loss in state revenues due to
the General Assembly reducing the budget and the share given to
localities."
The target date for presentation of the county's overall budget
is May 12 for the Finance Committee and May 19 for the full Board
of Supervisors.
Approval date is June 30, "to give as much time to get accurate
information as possible," explained the county administration.
Morgan said presentation of an initial county budget was affected
this year because "the figures weren't there" earlier.
"Why spend a lot of effort trying to figure out what those
140 legislative souls and the governor were going to do?"
he asked.
The GW Eagles broke open a scoreless game Tuesday with three
runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth on its way to a
7-0 Western Valley District win over the visiting Comets varsity
softball team.
The loss dropped the Comets to 1-1 in the district and 4-6 overall.
Tuesday's loss came two weeks after the Comets collected a season-high
17 hits against Patrick Henry, and the layoff might have hurt,
as the Comets could manage only four singles off GW ace Kristen
Farr.
In contrast, the Eagles had nine hits off Comet pitching, including
five off starter Emily Pool and four off Beth Throckmorton, who
relieved Pool with two out in the fifth inning.
Comets coach Melanie Saunders said the final score didn't reflect
how the game went.
"GW has a good team, and we had some miscues, but we only
had four hits," said Saunders.
"It's hard to win a ball game that way."
Pool and Farr were involved in a pitcher's duel going into the
fifth inning, with Pool giving up only two hits and Farr one,
that being a one-out single by Lindsey Hastings in the fourth.
Each had walked only one batter, with Hastings drawing the free
pass from Farr with two out in the first inning.
The Comets mounted their first scoring threat of the game in the
top of the fifth inning with two out, on consecutive singles by
Jamie Anderson and Mallory Lawter, but a pop out ended the threat.
Pool got two groundouts to start the bottom of the inning, but
GW connected for a double and single to put two runners on base,
and a throwing error from the outfield yielded the first run.
The next GW batter walked before a double down the right field
line brought home two more runs and a 3-0 lead.
Pool issued another walk and gave up another base hit before Throckmorton
came on to get a groundout, ending the inning.
The Comets went down in order to start the sixth inning, before
GW struck for four more runs to put the game away.
After a groundout to start the inning, the next GW batter singled,
and Throckmorton recorded a strikeout for the second out.
GW then connected for four straight hits to score four additional
runs to build the final margin.
The Comets attempted to rally in the top of the seventh, after
Kristi Myer reached on an error with one out.
With two out, Anderson connected for her second hit of the game,
but a strikeout ended any hopes of a comeback.
The Comets played E.C. Glass yesterday in Lynchburg, and will
return home today to face Franklin County, with wins against both
Western Valley District opponents crucial in their bid to stay
in the regular season title hunt.
Major William Randolph Watkins III, USAF,
37, of Goldsboro, NC, died April 7, in Iraq while flying a combat
mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Major Watkins was born in Halifax County on December 17, 1965,
the son of the late William R. Watkins Jr. and Anne Marie Haley
Atkins of Danville.
He is survived by his wife, Major Melissa Watkins; 11 month-old-son,
William Tucker Watkins; and their second child expected in August;
his mother; sister, Mary Garrett Watkins of Philadelphia, PA;
one brother, Edward Barksdale Watkins of Richmond.
Also surviving are his uncles, Tucker Carrington Watkins IV of
Clover, Jeff Haley and William Haley, both of Danville, Phillip
Haley of Chicago, IL, and Joseph Haley of Richmond; aunts, Louise
Watkins Moore of Halifax, Porter Watkins Thrift of South Boston,
Judy Hooker and Terri Hall, both of Danville, and Betty Stuart
Scott of Beckley, WV; and his grandmother, Rosemary Hellman Haley
of Danville.
Major Watkins graduated from Woodberry Forest High School in 1984,
and is a 1989 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He
served 12 years in the United States Navy as a Naval Flight Officer
in the A-6E Intruder and F-14A Tomcat. In June 2001, he transferred
to the United States Air Force as a Weapons Systems Officer in
the F-15E Strike Eagle and was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air
Force Base, NC. He was recently selected to assume the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel and was due to pin in the coming year.
A memorial service was held on April 26 in Southwest Asia by the
members of the deployed forces with which he was serving. The
funeral will be held tomorrow, May 3, at 11 a.m. at Saint John's
Episcopal Church in Halifax. Burial will be at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
A joint memorial service for Major Watkins and his pilot, Captain
Eric Cas of Amarillo, Texas is tentatively planned for Friday,
May 9, at Seymour Johnson, AFB, NC.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Watkins
Children's Education Fund, C/ BB&T, P.O. Box 1677, Goldsboro,
NC 27533-1677.
Viola Alderson Carrington, 91, of 2114 North
Main Street, South Boston, died April 29 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Carrington was born in Halifax County on August 2, 1911,
the daughter of Samuel Alderson and Ella Edmondson Alderson and
was married to the late Robert Lee Carrington. She was a member
of Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be held May 4 at 1 p.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist
with the Rev. Dr. James Crowder officiating. Burial will follow
in Rose Garden Cemetery.
Survivors of Mrs. Carrington include five daughters, Thelma Bryant
of New York, NY, Sammy Holloway of Oxon Hill, MD, Marion Carrington
of Englewood, NJ, Jean Winston and Melba Crews, both of South
Boston; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren;
one brother, Joseph Alderson of Red Oak; two sons-in-law; two
daughters-in-law; and one sister-in-law, Ruby Alderson. She was
preceded in death by five children, Barbara Steward, Robert Carrington,
Alfred Carrington, Mae Alderson-Brown and Merra Carrington.
The family will receive friends at Jeffress Funeral Chapel Saturday
evening from 7:00 until 8:00, and other times at the home.
Daniel Webster Hamlett Sr., 69, of New Haven,
CT, formerly of Halifax County, died recently.
Mr. Hamlett was born in Campbell County on November 4, 1933, the
son of David Hamlett and Temple Pannell Hamlett, and was married
to Betty Mae Hamlett. He was a former member of Mt. Calvary Baptist
Church.
Survivors include three daughters, Betty D. Hamlett and Henrietta
Hamlett, both of New Haven, and Lorretta Bernard of Atlanta, GA;
two sons, Linore Hamlett of Newton, NC and Daniel W. Hamlett Jr.
of New Haven; two stepsons, Glasco Staten of New Haven and Herman
Lee Staten of Topeka, KS; 17 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren;
two sisters, Barbara Henry of Halifax and Frances Dickerson of
Albany, NY; five brothers, William Moses Hamlett, George Hamlett
and Herbert Hamlett, all of Halifax, Harold Hamlett of Danville,
and Herman Hamlett of Albany.
Funeral services for Mr. Hamlett will be held tomorrow, May 3
at 3:30 p.m. at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Brookneal with the
Rev. Lorenzo Otey officiating. Burial will follow in the church
cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Barbara Hamlett,
Crystal Hill.
Tammy Sue Jones, 40, of 2010 Union Grove
Road, South Boston, died April 29 at her home.
Mrs. Jones was born July 12, 1962, the daughter of Earl J. Murphy
and Natalie Murphy, and was married to John Henry Jones Jr.
Survivors include her husband; her father and his wife, Kathy,
of Ruther Glen; two sons, Bobby Williams of South Boston and Brian
Williams of Spottsylvania; two daughters, Tanya and Melissa Williams,
both of Spottsylvania; one stepdaughter, Teresa J. Badawi of South
Boston; one brother, Michael Murphy of Ruther Glen; one grandchild,
Katlyn Marie Williams; and two step-grandchildren, Jeremy Hudson
and Renee 'Ke-Ke' Sims. She was preceded in death by her mother;
and one sister, Sandra Marie Murphy.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jones were incomplete at press timie
The family will receive friends at the home.
Joyce Elaine Moorefield, 51, of 1092 Golden
Leaf Road, Nathalie, died April 27 in Lynchburg.
Ms. Moorefield was the daughter of the late Claude Bernard and
Ethel Tucker Moorefield. She was a member of the Bread of Life
Church in Rustburg.
Survivors include one son, Emanuel Hunt; two goddaughters, Mary
and Kendra Allen, all of Charlottesville; three foster daughters,
Crystal and LaQia Torian and Brandy brooks of the home; two sisters,
Gelois Miller and husband, John, of Nathalie and Henrietta Scott
of Newark, DE; four brothers, Jimmie Moorefield and wife, Berta,
of Madison Heights, Tucker Moorefield and wife, Lynn, of Newark,
George Moorefield and wife, Diedra, of Mt. Rainer, MD, and Joseph
Moorefield of Nathalie; and two grandchildren.
Funeral services for Ms. Moorefield will be held tomorrow, May
3, at 2 p.m. at Republican Grove Baptist Church, Nathalie with
burial in the family cemetery.
The family will receive friends this evening from &:00 to
8:00 at the chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home, Brookneal.
Arch Samuel Satterfield, 90, of 2196 Huell
Matthews Highway, South Boston, died May 1 at Berry Hill Nursing
Home.
Mr. Satterfield was born in Halifax County on March 23, 1913,
the son of John Fleet Satterfield and Ella Elizabeth Boyd Satterfield
and was married to Louise Long Satterfield. He was a member of
Main Street United Methodist Church, a WWII Veteran, and a survivor
of Pearl Harbor. He was also a member of American Legion Post
8.
Survivors include a devoted niece and nephew. He was preceded
in death by one son, Wayne Anderson Satterfield.
Services for Mr. Satterfield will be held today, May 2 at 2 p.m.
at Main Street United Methodist Church with the Revs. Rudolph
Jacobs and Doug Martin officiating. Burial will take place in
Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church Cemetery with Military Rites.
The family will receive friends at the church for one hour prior
to the service.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax
County Rescue Squad, PO Box 183, South Boston, 24592.
Thomas Lee Whitlock Sr., 70, of 4212 East
Hyco Road, South Boston, died April 28 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Whitlock was born in Halifax County on September 29, 1932,
the son of Gordon Coleman Whitlock and Lena Pannell Whitlock and
was married to Fannie Mae Coles Whitlock. He was a member of White
Oak Grove Baptist Church in Sutherlin.
Survivors include three daughters, Barbara Mae Whitlock and Tracey
Whitlock, both of Vernon Hill, and Sandra Whitlock of Duluth,
GA; two sons, Thomas L. Whitlock Jr. of South Boston and Stacey
Whitlock of Duluth; 8 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren;
two brothers, Vennie Whitlock of South Boston and Willie C. Whitlock
of Petersburg; and one daughter-in-law. He was preceded in death
by one son, Anthony Whitlock; one sister, Pauline Majors; and
one brother, Maynard Whitlock.
Funeral services for Mr. Whitlock were held May 1 at 1 p.m. at
White Oak Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Melvin Fuller officiating.
Burial took place in the church cemetery.