Lottie Nunn tossed her hat in the political ring yesterday making it a race for the supervisor's seat in Election District 7, and Sheriff D.J. Oakes formally declared his candidacy for re-election under the GOP banner.
Nunn, a banker here for 38 years, is running as an Independent candidate.
"I love helping people and I think this kind of fits," she said in making her announcement yesterday.
Calling communication with constituents key, Nunn said, "No one loves this county any more than I do, and I want to make it an even better place to live and raise children."
Nunn will face incumbent Garland Ricketts, also an Independent, in her bid. ED-7 has precincts in Hyco, Midway and Virgilina.
In making his announcement yesterday, Oakes noted that in cooperation with South Boston Police, Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, "We now enjoy the benefits of having our own narcotics task force, presently ranked the second most active in the Commonwealth."
He also said the tactical unit, S.T.A.R.S., is trained and equipped to handle any crisis and that the creation of a civil process division has resulted in added efficiency in the serving process and has provided enhanced security in the courts.
The sheriff also noted the investigative division has grown from two investigators to seven, with three deputies assigned to the task force. Also, the county now has its own narcotic detector canine to support law enforcement efforts in the war on drugs in the county.
Calling his first term as sheriff "a unique learning experience," Oakes said that with support of the Board of Supervisors the following goals have been accomplished:
---The 911 dispatch center is fully operational.
---The Blue Ridge Regional Jail is expected to open in July "and provide a more modern and humane environment for the inmates."
---The crime prevention program is popular in elementary schools, civic organizations, festivals and charity events.
---The Crimestoppers program is gaining support in the local business community and has provided cash rewards for information in many criminal cases.
---The department has grown by 13 deputies and five dispatchers in the last four years.
"Despite that growth, we have consistently managed to stay within our budget, returning your tax dollars to the county treasury in surprisingly large amounts," said the sheriff.
"The expenses surrounding the deputy at the high school, including his salary, come from the sheriff's office budget, not the school board's."
The sheriff said his office has saved money by purchasing used vehicles in lean years, as well as having utilized surplus military and government property when possible. Crediting his staff, the sheriff said it would have been impossible without their assistance.
The Sheriff Oakes issued the following statement:
"In the last four years, I have made every effort possible to fulfill the promises I made as a candidate for Sheriff of Halifax county. I am proud of our many accomplishments and ask that you continue to provide support and encouragement for me, my deputies, dispatchers, and staff as I seek a second term as sheriff of Halifax County.
"If re-elected, I promise to do everything in my power to make our community a safe place for everyone to live, grow, and prosper. For the last fourteen years, I have dedicated my life to the profession of law enforcement and to the citizens of Halifax County. My loyalty and devotion to Halifax County is the driving force in my desire to seek another term in office. As I have done throughout my career, I will continue to treat every citizen with respect and courtesy, and I will continue to provide the highest and most efficient level of law enforcement to our community," he closed.
Oakes is being challenged by Independent James Russell Dismuke.

Annexation is the big item "not" listed on the supervisors' agenda tonight.
Halifax Town Council unveiled its proposal last Tuesday, forwarding a boundary adjustment resolution, map and description to county administrator.
Halifax council officials said in their Tuesday session they hope to complete a boundary settlement with the county by the close of the year.
The proposed boundary meets the South Boston line in the Centerville area, includes Salishan and the Golf Course Road area and extends Mountain Road in an easterly direction.
On supervisors' agenda for tonight, three public hearings, the hog issue, expected approval of the county's $59.3 million 1999-2000 budget and the Board's proposed rules of procedure.
The Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax and public hearings begin at 8 p.m.
Public hearings include Virginia International Raceway, which is seeking a conditional use permit for 1,200 acres in the southwest corner of the county.
Also scheduled, a proposed change in the Halifax County Code to move the Clover polling place from the fire department to the former Clover Town Hall.
The third public hearing addresses proposed increases in water/sewer rates for Clover and Riverdale systems as of July 1. Projected increases reflect 40 percent in Clover and 20 percent in Riverdale.
The confined animal feeding issue finds itself in two places on the Monday night agenda. Southside Concerned Citizens is listed on the agenda, and the CAFO issue is listed under unfinished business.
With both the planning commission's CAFO recommendation and the report from the Agricultural Development Committee previously submitted to supervisors, the stage is set for Board action.
SCC is seeking a two-mile setback from property lines, the center line of highways, surface waters, primary streams, subdivisions, churches, schools and public facilities, according to SCC chairman Jack Dunavant.

A Clover teen was arrested Sunday morning on drug charges following a traffic stop by Halifax County Sheriff's deputies.
Phillip Craig Fallen, 19, of Mt. Laurel road, Clover, was charged with possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, after sheriff's deputies pulled him for alleged traffic violations shortly after 10 a.m.
Halifax County Sheriff's reports indicated that Fallen was also charged with reckless driving, driving on a suspended/revoked operator's license, and failure to stop for a blue light and siren.
He is scheduled to appear in Halifax County General District Court June 9.
A pair of South Boston women also face drug charges stemming from an unrelated arrest Saturday.
Shortly after 2:30 a.m. Saturday Deputies S. Britton and Q. Clark charged Emma Jean Boyd, 44, of Spring Avenue, and Margie Marie Lester, 33, of Suggs Lane, with possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance.
They are both scheduled to appear in Halifax County General District Court June 9.
In other reports, Kenneth Lee Loftis, 37, of Howard P. Anderson Road, Crystal Hill, was arrested Saturday and charged with assault and battery on a family/household member, namely Donna S. Lacks.
He is scheduled to appear in Halifax County Juvenile and Domestic Relation Court June 16.
Rodney Dale Henderson, 21, of Cluster Springs, was arrested around 3:30 a.m. Sunday on public intoxication charges.
He is scheduled to appear in Halifax County General District Court July 16.
Mohanbai Chhitubhai Patel, 47, of Clarksville, was arrested Saturday for allegedly writing a bad check for the amount of $252.38 to Lowes Home Center last April.
Sharon D. Musselwhite, 33, of Virgilina, was ordered to appear in Halifax County General District Court June 16 on charges that she made a false report June 3.
She was arrested Saturday.

Nearly 40 mailboxes took a beating during a spree of vandalism that erupted over Memorial Day weekend in the Nathalie area.
According to reports from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, warrants have been issued against two men suspected of smashing more than 37 mailboxes along Acorn Road, Thornton road, and Stateshed Road in the Nathalie area on the morning of May 30 at approximately 2 a.m.
A news release from the Halifax County Sheriff's Office indicated that authorities have issued warrants against Kevin Lloyd of Brookneal and Ronnie Carson Beadles, 18, of Thortons Road, Nathalie, charging them with using a large iron rod to damage the mailboxes.
Beadles was also charged with puncturing five tires on a dump truck while it was parked at Hendricks Garage, located on Route 501 north next to Childrey Wayside, and spray painting two highway stop signs.
In an unrelated incident, Franklin W. Adams, 25, of River Road, South Boston, was arrested Thursday on vandalism charges.
According to Sheriff's reports, Adams is accused of trespassing at O'Sullivan Industries and damaging property there Wednesday.

By DAVID REED
Associated Press Writer
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - Groundwater and rare plants and animals could be harmed by the expanded use of wastewater sludge to fertilize fields in the geologically sensitive Shenandoah Valley, state conservationists have warned.
The state Department of Environmental Quality has recommended  that the State Water Control Board approve the sludge spreading permit when it meets June 15 meeting in Richmond, DEQ spokesman Bill Hayden said Thursday.
That recommendation comes despite objections from the state Department of Conservation, which asked DEQ to delay the permit process until scientists can assess the impact sludge - treated human waste used as fertilizer - has on groundwater and on rare and threatened species that live in the area's nature preserves.
''The information we have reviewed gives us cause for concern,'' Lesa Berlinghoff of the conservation department's Natural Heritage Division wrote in a letter to the DEQ office in Harrisonburg.
Many of the farms in central Shenandoah Valley are in a unique geologic terrain called karst, Ms. Berlinghoff said. Karst terrain is characterized by sinkholes, sinking streams, caves and complex underground drainage patterns. On less porous land, contaminants are filtered before entering the underground water table.
In one example she cited, sludge would be applied near springs that feed the Cowbane Wet Prairie Natural Area Preserve, where there is one rare bird and six rare plants.
''Groundwater is the major source of drinking water in this area, and an effective groundwater quality monitoring program should be implemented to assess the impacts of sludge application,'' she and a colleague wrote in the May 13 letter.
A local scientist was more explicit.
''There is no way they are going to remove all these toxins,'' said Robert Mueller, a geologist and retired NASA scientist from Staunton. ''It would be devastating to these sensitive ecosystems.''
The treated sewage sludge, which is high in nitrogen and has residues of ammonia and metals, is culled from the bottom of industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants in Augusta and Rockingham counties. A local company, Houff's Feed & Fertilizer Co. of Weyers Cave, wants to expand the area where it spreads the sludge from 750 acres to 2,800 acres.
The volume of sludge, a few million gallons a year, won't increase significantly, company manager Tim Grove said.
Houff's is limited in the amount of sludge it spreads and can only apply sludge on a particular farm once every three years. ''We try to make sure the requirements in the permit are going to protect the environment,'' Hayden said.
About 300 people attended a public hearing on the permit application in Weyers Cave recently, and several spoke about studies they have discovered on the Internet or elsewhere that shows sludge is dangerous and contains pathogens and heavy metals. Others speakers said they believe it is safe.
Sludge from treated human waste is applied on agriculture lands in 30 Virginia counties. Several counties have banned its use as a fertilizer.

A South Boston woman was taken to the hospital Sunday afternoon following a fight with her husband in the Dixie Youth Baseball parking lot in South Boston.
Patricia Miller of North Main Street, South Boston, was taken to the Halifax Regional Emergency Room and treated for facial lacerations shortly after 1:30 p.m.
According to reports from the South Boston Police Department, Mrs. Miller and her husband, Paul Miller, 31, had been arguing in the parking lot beside the Dixie Youth Baseball Field on Houghton Boulevard when she got in her van with her two-year-old child and attempted to leave.
While she was in the van, her husband was allegedly pounding on the glass of the driver's side window, and as she pulled away, the glass broke, cutting her face.
South Boston Police Officer C.L. Carswell charged Mr. Miller with domestic assault.

Roy Ryland Hunt of 2133 Dudley Road, Halifax, died June 3, 1999 at McGuire V. A. Medical Center. He was born in Halifax County, on June 26, 1920 and was 78 years old.
Mr. Hunt was the son of Memory Ryland Hunt and Effie Arthur Hunt and was married to Frances Guthrie Hunt. He was a member of Beth Car Baptist Church, a veteran of World War II-European Theater, recipient of the Purple Heart and was a member of DAV.
Mr. Hunt is survived by: his wife, Frances Guthrie Hunt, of Halifax; four sons: Paul R. and Brenda Hunt, of Roanoke; Roderick G. and Ann Hunt, of South Boston; David T. Hunt, of South Boston; Luke J. and Rhonda Hunt, of Halifax; two daughters: Gayle H. Cole, of South Boston; Jackie H. Crews, of Halifax; thirteen grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; five brothers: Clarence Hunt, of Altavista; Rev. Russell Hunt, of Gretna; Winfree Hunt, of Nathalie; Irvin Hunt, of Nathalie; Carroll Hunt, of Nathalie; and one sister, Nannie Bell Henderson, of Hurt.
Funeral services for Mr. Hunt were held Sunday, June 6 at 4:00 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Charles Stewart conducting the service. Burial took place in the Childrey Baptist Church Cemetery.

Kenneth Wayne Parton. 59, of 603 Lincoln Avenue, Asheboro, NC died Thursday, June 3, 1999 at Randolph Hospital, Asheboro, NC
Mr. Parton was a native of Danville, a Air Force Veteran, and a former driver for Royal Tours in Randleman, NC. Mr. Parton was a member of Christians United in Danville.
Mr. Parton is survived by his wife, Kathy D. Parton, of Asheboro, NC; one daughter: Kalyn Drew Parton, of the home; one son: Kevin Parton, of Danville; a step-daughter: Bethany Lynn Salmons, Collinsville and a step son: Joseph Benjamin Salmons IV, of Collinsville; two brothers: Rev. Larry G. Hill, of Danville and Michael Hill, of Liberty, NC; one sister: Belinda Lawson, Providence, NC and one grandchild.
Funeral services were held Saturday, June 5 at 11:00 a.m. at Pugh Funeral Home Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Edwin Moore.
Graveside service was Saturday at 3:00 p.m. - Leemont Cemetery, Danville.

Charles Cabell Hendricks, 65, of 1087 Hendricks Trail, Alton, died June 4, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was born in Halifax County on August 30, 1933.
Mr. Hendricks was the son of John Lewis Hendricks and Lois Carter Hendricks and was married to Daisy Mangum Hendricks. Mr. Hendricks was a member of Alton Baptist Church.
Mr. Hendricks is survived by: a daughter, Michele H. Talley, and son-in-law, Malcolm Talley, of Alton; a son, John L. Hendricks, of Alton; two sisters, Virginia Overby, of Florida and Esther Richards, of Richmond and a granddaughter, Jessica N. Talley, of Alton. He was preceded in death by his wife, Daisy M. Hendricks.
Funeral services for Mr. Hendricks were held Sunday, June 6 at 3:00 p.m. at Alton Baptist Church with the Rev. Phil Ellenburg and Rev. Clyde Shelton officiating. Burial took place in the Alton Baptist Church Cemetery.

Nancy Lee Faulkner Edmondson of 1522 Ridge Street, South Boston, died Saturday, June 5 at her residence at the age of 73.
She was born in Halifax County on December 8, 1925 and was the daughter of the late Cassie Lee Faulkner. She was married to Howard Edmondson and was a member of the Mount Olive Baptist Church.
Mrs. Edmondson along with her husband, owned and operated Edmondson's Cleaners for over 34 years and also owned and operated Debra's Diner for over 20 years.
Mrs. Edmondson is survived by her husband, Howard Edmondson, of the home; one daughter, Debra Watkins, of South Boston; two grandchildren, Lauren Edmondson and Gabrielle Watkins, both of South Boston; one sister, Rosetta Watson of South Boston; two brothers, Joe Faulkner, of South Boston; and Preston Faulkner, of Newport News.
Funeral services for Mrs. Edmondson will be held Wednesday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m. with services at the Mount Olive Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. James M. Crowder officiating. Burial will follow in the Oak Ridge Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the chapel of Jeffress Funeral Home on Tuesday evening from 7 until 8 p.m. and at all other times at the home of the deceased, 1522 Ridge Street, South Boston.

James Richard Mills of Halifax died June 3, 1999 at his home 'Millstone' 5114 Halifax Road. he was born in the Millstone community, Halifax County on August 7, 1913 and was 85 years old.
He was the son of Leslie Dibrell Mills and Margaret Katherine Blanks Mills and was married to Emelyn Anderson Carr Mills.
He was a member of the Beth Car Baptist Church and a founding member of the Halifax Volunteer Fire Department, and a life long tobacconist Mr. Mills was president of C. W. Walters Tobacco Company of South Boston and prior to his retirement was a leaf supervisor for Dibrell Brothers Inc. of Danville.
Mr. Mills is survived by: three daughters: Anne M. Sizemore, of Liberty, MO; Rebecca M. Reichlin, of Girdwood, Alaska; Emelyn M. Weyandt, of Vienna; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Dorothy Mills Guill, of Halifax and Margaret Mills Bowman, of New Hope, PA; 10 nieces, nine nephews.
Funeral services for Mr. Mills were held Sunday, June 6 at 2:0 p.m. at Beth Car Baptist Church with the Rev. Charles Stewart and the Rev. Dr. Melvin Bradshaw conducting the service. Burial took place in the Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are ask to please consider the Beth Car Baptist Church or the Halifax Volunteer Fire Department.

James Henry Edmondson of 1123 Cole Lane, Scottsburg, died Friday, June 4 at McGuire Veterans Medical Center in Richmond, at the age of 83.
He was born n Halifax County on February 21, 1916 and was the son of the late Henry A. Edmondson and Alberta Hardy Edmondson. He was married to Mabel Carrington Edmondson and was a member of the Piney Grove Baptist Church. He was also a World War II Army Veteran.
Mr. Edmondson is survived by his wife: Mabel C. Edmondson, of the home; one daughter: Jacqueline E. Coleman, of Randallstown, MD; one son, Wayne Edmondson, of Scottsburg; one step-daughter, Ruth Pettus, of Alexandria; four grandchildren two great grandchildren; one step granddaughter; two step great grandchildren; one brother, Charlie Edmondson, of Philadelphia, PA; one step son-in-law, James Pettus, two brothers-in-law; and four sisters-in-law. Mr. Edmondson was preceded in death by one son, James H. Edmondson, Jr.

Charles William 'Charlie" Epps, of 1093 Mountain Road, Halifax died June 4, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was born in Halifax County on August 15, 1920 and was 78 years old.
He was the son of John Willie Epps and Virginia Lee Epps and was married to Mary Louise Ferrell Epps. He was a member of the Beth Car Baptist Church.
Mr. Epps is survived by: one son, Charles Jackie Epps, of Halifax; three nieces, Kathy Comer, of Halifax; Becky Long, of Halifax; Betty Jean Crowder, of Halifax; two nephews, Larry Stevens, of Halifax; Aubrey Stevens Jr., of Halifax. He was pre-deceased in death by a sister, Lillian Epps Stevens.
Funeral services for Mr. Epps will be held today (Monday, June 7) at 2:00 p.m. at Beth Car Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Melvin Bradshaw and the Rev. Charles Stewart conducting the service. Burial will take place in Pleasant Grove United Church of Christ cemetery.