Two veteran writers at The Gazette-Virginian - Beth Robert-son and Joe Chandler - were named to new positions effective July 1, the newspaper's editor and publisher Keith A. Shelton announced today.
Ms. Robertson will be the new managing editor, a post held by Hugh M. Moore for the past 19 years. Moore retired Wednesday after 47 years of newspapering.
Chandler will become the newspaper's full-time sports editor, a duty he shared with Moore prior to Moore's retirement.
"Both Ms. Robertson and Mr. Chandler bring excellent credentials to their new posts," Shelton said. "Beth first worked at the newspaper in 1964, resigned to raise a family and then returned to become the newspaper's feature editor.
"Her duties were increased later to covering government, politics, schools, police, courts and business, a full range of reporting that helped qualify her for the job," Shelton said.
Chandler, who also covered multiple beats, "will concentrate on reporting on all that's going on in the world of sports, and that's a lot in Halifax County," Shelton stated.
Chandler joined the newspaper staff as a photographer on the day he was graduated from Elon College, June 1, 1976.
"Joe had already worked part-time for two years," Shelton noted, "giving him a total of 25 years with stints at covering police and courts, school boards and other education activities, racing and wrestling."
"You would have to search far and wide to find a journalist with more experience," Shelton said.
Both Robertson and Chandler have won numerous awards for writing and photography.
Robertson won her Virginia Press Association awards in the areas of Business, Column Writing and Feature Writing. Chandler has garnered two VPA awards, both in sports photography.
His greatest largess came in 1996 when he was named "National Sports Writer of the Year" by Wrestling USA Magazine, a national publication covering high school and college wrestling.
Ms. Robertson has been active in civic and church activities for many years. She is a past-president of the Halifax County Historical Society and the Parsons-Bruce Art Association. She is a member of the Halifax Woman's Club.
A Ft. Worth native, she is a graduate of Texas Christian University. She is a member of the St. John's Episcopal Church where she has served on the Vestry and as a lay reader.
She has two children, Elizabeth and Robbie, and two grandchildren.
A South Boston native, Chandler is a graduate of Halifax County High School and Elon College. He worked as a staff photographer on his high school newspaper and as a writer and photographer for the Elon College News Bureau and the college yearbook and student newspaper.
He is a former member of the National Motorsports Press Association and is widely known for his coverage of NASCAR racing on all levels.
A member of the First Baptist Church, Chandler and his wife, the former Martha Roberts, have a daughter, Sarah Beale, age two and a half.

Despite the hot, dry weather, tobacco in Halifax County is not only holding its own but flourishing.
"We still have a very good potential tobacco crop," said Halifax County Extension Director Larry McPeters Thursday. "We've got a very good crop at this time given that some of the red places in our fields are behind and may never catch up. But generally speaking, there is potential to make a good crop."
While June was unusually dry, the lack of substantial rainfall actually worked in favor of the tobacco, as the young plants had to reach deep into the ground for moisture and as a result developed strong root systems.
Overcast skies have also helped a great deal, McPeters said.
"We need to get rain all over the county. We've been getting some in spots, like (Wednesday night) about a tenth of an inch fell in several areas, while the night before Liberty got eight-tenths. But it takes a lot of water this time of year. This overcast weather has been saving us," McPeters said. "While we have not had the moisture that ideally we would like to have, the past two weeks of overcast days, have made a difference. These days where it stays cloudy all morning and sometimes afternoon, too, are particularly good growing conditions for tobacco."
In fact, some farmers are already topping plants in some fields, McPeters said.
"Some tobacco is shoulder high, and I've talked to several farmers who have been out in their fields topping this week," he remarked.
But if the forecast holds true, things could get grim.
"I heard it was going to be 99 degrees Saturday, and that's not going to be good for anything. Anything over 92 or 93 degrees is bad for tobacco," McPeters observed.
For some crops, like soybeans and late-planted corn, it may be too late.
"It's just not a good crop of corn this year. What was planted early and had enough moisture to make a good stand, particularly in the lowgrounds, looks pretty good. But late corn didn't come up very well at all," McPeters said. "Soybeans, too. There just wasn't enough moisture to germinate, and some fields are going to be a disaster."
According to McPeters, there are some corn and soybean crops where a stand has been established are managing to hold their own, but rain will be absolutely necessary for these plants when they begin to fill in grain.
The low grain prices that devastated some farmers in the past couple of years may have done some good, however. McPeters said numerous farmers opted to purchase rather than produce their own grain this year because it was cheaper.
"Farmers are getting smarter. There wasn't much corn or soybeans planted this year. Our planted soy and corn we use to feed, and farmers are realizing it's cheaper to buy than raise their grain because the prices are so very low - around $2 a bushel for corn and around $4.75 a bushel for soybeans," McPeters said.

South Boston's reversion agreement with the county coupled with the unraveling of the regional library system with its additional state benefits means the county will need deep funding pockets next year.
This is the last year South Boston will shoulder responsibility for supporting the library operation as agreed upon in 1995 in a county/town document.
And it takes two or more independent political entities to form a regional library system.
Although the library system's changing status is really nothing new, the financial realities loom.
The county's 1999-2000 budget calls for $162,180 in library funding. The 2000-2001 projected county figure is $167,045, which will reflect almost a $55,000 shortfall when compared to the previous total town/county funding.
South Boston's library budget for fiscal 1999-2000 reflects $78,370 with almost $20,000 slated for roof repairs to the building, according to South Boston Financial Director Vandie Saunders.
However, the financial director estimated $60,000 as the town's average contribution over the last few years.
The library's total operating budget last year was $333,814.87, according to Sarah Hudson, direction Halifax County/South Boston Regional Library system, with the fiscal 1999-2000 budget set at $345,445.08.
The library system is funded through local and state funds with state funds making up one-third of the total budget, according to Hudson. Gifts fines and fees make up the remainder. "And grants when available," added the director.
County supervisors and officials discussed the library's changing status during county budget meetings earlier this year.
Suggestions included exploring the possibility of linking with adjoining counties to create a new regional system.
Halifax County's regional system and the Danville library already are linked by computer to share circulation.
The change is also triggering a host of operational "how to" questions with no immediate answers.
For example, South Boston owns the library building in South Boston.
Will the county now buy the South Boston building from the town, possibly lease the facility or take some other action?
Also on tap this year, a request for salary increases by director Hudson.
In the Library Board proposal, Hudson's salary would be increased to $41,491.79 and the assistant director's to $36,908.86.
"Salary percentages run between five to six percent depending on where the employee falls on the pay scale," said Hudson yesterday.
The county reflected about a five percent increase, according to a county official.
"All employees have had special training not only in library science but in technology." added Hudson. "And the majority have over 10 years experience here."
Both the library director and assistant director must have a Master's Degree in Library Science in an institution which is American Library Association accredited, added the director.
The director also noted the library is open 45.5 hours weekly including nights and Saturdays, but excluding holidays, and that over 80,000 patrons used the South Boston or Halifax library or the bookmobile last year.
"The Library Board is looking at every alternative (in funding)," said Hudson yesterday. She said alternatives included cooperative arrangements with other localities as well as grants and fund-raising.

Halifax County has the one of the slowest population growth rates in Virginia, growing only by 2.3 percent since 1990, according to estimates made by the U.S. Census Bureau.
With totals including South Boston for the first time in nearly four decades, the Bureau said that the locality grew from 36,030 in the 1990 census to 36,863 in 1998.
The data indicated that Halifax ranked 73rd in growth since 1990.
Surrounding counties out-paced Halifax, but not by much.
Pittsylvania was estimated to have gained by 3..1 percent, Charlotte by 4.9 percent, Campbell 5.8 percent and Mecklenburg 6.2 percent.
The city of Danville had a negative growth figure, dropping from a population count of 53,056 in 1990 to 50,868 last year, a loss of 4.1 percent.
As usual, the largest growth was in Northern Virginia, the bureau stated.
Suburban sprawl has turned the once wide-open expanses of northern Virginia's horse country into a burgeoning metropolis, but the desire for lawn and leisure isn't limited to areas near Washington, D.C. Rural central and southern Virginia counties are growing, too.
Loudoun, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, all outlying Washington suburbs, ranked among the five fastest growing counties in Virginia from 1990 to 1998, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated. Rural Fluvanna and Powhatan counties in central Virginia also made the top five. Among major cities, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach grew significantly.
Population losers, according to the bureau, included counties in southwest Virginia and the cities of Richmond and Norfolk.
Loudoun County, No. 2 in growth nationally for counties of at least 100,000 residents, grew by 67.12 percent to almost 144,000 residents, easily the fastest growth rate in the state.
Fluvanna County near Charlottesville was No. 2 in growth with an estimated 49.45 percent increase in residents, pushing the population to about 18,600.
''It's been unprecedented in our history here,'' said Cabell Lawton, the county's director of planning and development. ''All of a sudden it just started to explode.''
Apart from a short stretch of Interstate 64, ''we don't have a four-lane road or a stop light,'' Lawton said of the county. ''We don't even have a fast-food hamburger restaurant.''
Much of Fluvanna's growth has come in Lake Monticello, a 4,500-lot neighborhood that has drawn retirees and workers who like the short commute to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Lawton said. Richmond also is within a hour's drive.
Proximity to Richmond and a rural setting also has made Powhatan County popular. In eight years, the county west of the capital has grown 43.2 percent for a population of 21,950.
Jim Campbell of the Virginia Association of Counties said the growth in rural counties is not surprising.
''A smaller number doesn't take a whole lot of movement,'' Campbell said, noting that Fairfax County added nearly 111,000 residents in the 8-year period. That ranked the county 31st among the state's 95 counties with 13.55 percent growth, but only five other counties even have 100,000 residents.
Among cities, Chesapeake grew by 31.3 percent, pushing its population to the brink of 200,000, and Virginia Beach grew by 10 percent to more than 432,000 residents.
Norfolk lost 17.6 percent of its residents, the most among the 40 cities listed, to give it a population of about 215,000. Richmond lost 4.3 percent to fall under 200,000 residents.

The Halifax County Sheriff's Department has unveiled a new weapon to combat drug trafficking and aid in drug investigations.
It's known as "Pete."
"Pete" is a narcotics canine, a 13 month black lab trained to sniff out drugs.
His "partner" is Halifax County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. S.T. Moser, who is in charge of keeping and handling "Pete."
The pair attended a 12 week school at the Virginia State Police Academy in Richmond where both were trained by state police.
They "graduated" May 28 and Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Oakes says good results are already coming in.
"He's already made several good cases," the sheriff noted.
"In fact, he made one Monday morning."
Oakes was quick to point out that having the drug sniffing canine adds a new dimension to the sheriff's department crime fighting effort.
"This is a humongous step in drug enforcement," Oakes remarked.
"The dog is worth his weight in gold."
The cost of the training was approximately $2,700, a bargain when compared to the estimated $4,000 cost of obtaining training from a private agency.
Oakes noted that the sheriff's department received a $500 donation from the youth of Mt. Cana United Methodist Church to help pay for the purchase of the dog and the dog's training.
"They felt they wanted to make a difference in the community," Oakes said.
"The money came out of their fund and the congregation contributed to it as well."
Lewis Metal Works of South Boston constructed a cage to transport "Pete" in and donated it to the sheriff's department.
Oakes stated that "Pete" will increase the effectiveness of the sheriff's department's drug investigations.
"In the past we have always had to rely on dogs being brought in from other areas," explained Oakes.
"And, sometimes, it may take an hour or two before we can get a dog on the scene."
Sgt. Moser pointed out that the response time will be greatly reduced with "Pete" nearby.
"If they call, I can have "Pete" in the truck and ready to go in 15 minutes," Moser noted.
"The efficiency aspect of it is a great advantage for us."
Oakes noted that the sheriff's department will work cooperatively with the South Boston Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies that need assistance from "Pete."
"I've already worked with South Boston several times," noted Moser.

James Stephen Murphy of South Boston died Monday, June 28, 1999 at Woodbine Nursing Home in Alexandria. He was 66 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Murphy was born in Halifax County on September 15, 1932 the son of Willie and Virginia Lawson Murphy.

Funeral services were held Thursday, July 1 at 1 p.m. at Zion Hill Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Sandra Murphy of Alton; three sons, Wayne Murphy of Alton, John Stanley Murphy of South Boston and Jams Murphy of Durham, NC; three grandchildren; five sisters, Susie Chappell of South Boston, Nannie Odessa Link of Alton, Mildred Newman of Washington, DC, Annie Mae Murphy of Petersburg and Dorothy Marie Usher of MD; and two brothers, Thomas Murphy of South Boston and Lee Andrew Murphy of MD.

Fletcher Thornton Francis, 87, of 4101 Coles Ferry Road, Nathalie died Thursday, July 1, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was the husband of the late Alice Loraine Dowdy Francis.
Mr. Francis was born in Halifax County on July 29, 1911 the son of William Thomas Francis and Martha Wright Francis. He was a member of Childrey Baptist Church, a retired employee of Craddock-Terry Shoe Corporation, a Merchant and Texaco gas retailer for over 50 years.
Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Fred and Carolyn Francis of Nathalie; three grandchildren, Keith Francis and wife Bonnie of Nathalie, Kay Duffer and husband David of Nathalie, Chad Francis of Nathalie; three great-grandchildren, Katherine, Dustin, and Sandi Francis, all of Nathalie; two sisters, Irene Coates of Heritage Hall, Brookneal, Dorothy Rudd of Nathalie; two brothers, Hamon Francis of Heritage Hall, Brookneal and Woody Francis of Nathalie.
A funeral service for Mr. Francis will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 3 at Henderson Funeral Home Chapel by the Rev. Rodney Barwick with burial to follow at Childrey Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7 until 8:30 this evening at Henderson Funeral Home and will be at the home of Fred and Carolyn Francis, Coles Ferry Road, Nathalie other times.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Gideon International.

Eva Elizabeth Daniel of 5009 Bill Tuck Hwy., South Boston died Wednesday, June 30, 1999 at Halifax Regional Hospital. She was 81 years of age.
Miss Daniel was born in Halifax County on June 19, 1918 the daughter of Joseph Albert Daniel and Bertha Lee Griffin Daniel. She was a member of Mount Cana United Methodist Church.
Survivors include two brothers, Dorsey Lee Daniel and Martin F. Daniel, both of South Boston. She was preceded in death by one brother, Harry Wilson Daniel, andone sis ter, Ruby D. Arrington.

Funeral services for Miss Daniel will be held today, July 2 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Robert Lewis conducting the service. Burial will take place in Grace Baptist Church Cemetery.