"Everyone who has a question or a concern" is invited to a town meeting Wednesday called by Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Warner to discuss recent textile closings and the economic future of South Boston and Halifax.
The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Halifax County High School auditorium.
The recent rash of layoffs triggered the town meeting, Bennett said.
Help from state and federal agencies for retraining, educational assistance and helping those seeking jobs to "know where current jobs are," rate high on the Wednesday agenda.
"It is not a recession in every business sector," Bennett said.
The delegate wants to make sure prospective employees know the job skills required, and then to make sure that the Continuing Education Center and community colleges can help with retraining.
Bennett said that Warner "wants to come and listen and see where there are holes that we may need to plug long-term and to discuss short-term needs."
"It is a chance for workers to tell their stories, to find out where their problems are and to make sure they make as soft a landing as possible," the delegate said.
"We're not sure how adequate the state's unemployment compensation rate benefits are," added Bennett.
Some of those questions were "looked at" the General Assembly session before last due to the Tultex job loses in Martinsville, he recalled.
"But it was not increased for the lowest paid employees. We want to see where we are on that piece," he added.
On the federal level, the delegate said that "we need to see how well benefits from NAFTA-related closings are and how long it takes to crank that up, so that they receive some assistance quickly rather than being strung out for weeks and months. That is why we will have the Virginia Employment Commission people here from Richmond."
Continuing Education Center representatives will also attend the meeting.
JPS
Virginia Employment Commission officials will also be at the JPS Apparel plant Wednesday and Friday to talk to employees, J.R. Griffin, JPS manager said yesterday.
JPS announced last month that the South Boston plant would close by August 20, affecting 346 employees at that plant.
Plant manager Griffin blamed NAFTA and imports for the plant's closing.
A job fair will also be held at the South Boston plant on Wednesday, July 18, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon to present employees with other employment and educational opportunities.
JPS sought Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in North Carolina within days of the South Boston announcement.

It will be a race for the 60th District House seat.
Democrat Brad Wike officially tossed his hat into the political ring Friday during courthouse stops in Halifax, Farmville and Charlotte County, saying the hardworking people of Southside "deserve a choice and a voice."
"The delegate from these parts should be like those hardworking people, honest, independent and willing to compromise. I am here today to tell you that I am that man," Wike, a 45-year-old Virginia Power employee and Keysville resident told the Halifax crowd.
Immediately after the late afternoon announcement, Wike took questions from supporters and the media seeking his position on the state's Right to Work law, the death penalty, drug testing for teachers and the repeal of the car tax, among others.
Wike, a South Boston resident from 1987 to 1994, is seeking the seat currently held by retiring Del. W.W. "Ted" Bennett.
On the issues:
· The death penalty. "I think the death penalty is pretty barbaric but I think the people that deserve it are barbaric, too. I believe that in Virginia we need to take a closer look at how we are doing it, but it is a deterrent to crime," Wike said.
· Repeal of the car tax: "We are phasing out the car tax and I hope that we can continue to phase it out. We probably need to take a look at whether it is fiscally responsible to do it in the time frame the law allows today."
· Women's rights: "What sort of rights? Don't we all have the same rights?" asked Wike.
The question was narrowed to the abortion issue and a woman's right to choose. The candidate said that he thought a woman should have the right to choose. "That is between her and her god and her doctor and family," he said.
· The candidate's service on boards or commissions. Wike said that he has been working on the electric utility destructuring debate for a number of years.
"My focus was to make sure that utility workers and consumers weren't injured by this act," Wike said. He told the crowd that two years ago he had been appointed to the Consumer Advisory Board that was set up by the Electric Utility Restructure Act of 1999, a 17-member board of citizens from industry and the public.
· Transportation: Favors four-laning Highway 501 as a commercial corridor.
· Key issues facing Southside: The candidate named the need to continue to bolster educational infrastructure, to bolster transportation infrastructure and to make sure affordable and accessible health care was available.
He said there was no key issue that he was running on. "We have a lot of problems in Southside Virginia." However, he said that leadership "is not all about having the answers." Instead, he said that it was about getting the people together who think they know the answers, compromises, and getting the job done.
· Drug testing for teachers since school bus drivers are tested Wike said that he assumed school bus drivers are tested because they have a commercial driver's license. He said that he, too, is subject to random testing in his work.
However, he said that he would have to think about drug testing citizens because of their job, and that he might have a problem with that. "I think we begin to infringe on people's rights," he said.
· Are you now or have you ever been a member of a union? "Yes," replied the candidate, "The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers." He said that he has been a member since 1974.
He was that at one time he was a business manager of the local union.
"I do work for the members at the General Assembly from time to time," Wike said. However, he said that he does not hold elected position with union.
He described himself as "an issue advocate," not one who spends money on politicians as a lobbyist.
· Jobs. "I Know we have a problem with jobs moving out of here." He advocated broadening the technical base and supported the CEC and higher education initiatives.
"I am excited about something Mark Warner is talking about, vocational training and certification," he added.
· Right to Work. "My union, we are about 90 percent solid." He said that people who believe in the union believe in it enough to pay dues and that they are active and they care about what they are doing.
He described the Right to Work provision in Virginia as "something that we live with and we deal with it."
He also noted that people have a chance to work at a place and they don't have to support the union, however they get all the benefits that the union negotiates for ...
· Jobs. Manufacturing is going away nationwide. "I think the 60th District, and Halifax County in particular, would be a good candidate for a Capital One Call Center. If we have the infrastructure to make it work and I am not sure about that. But those are the types of jobs we can do."
· Will he work as hard for tobacco farmers as Del. Bennett did? "I personally use tobacco products," said the candidate. He said that he supports the right to choose and "of course I will work as hard for tobacco farmers."
GOP
Republican Clarke Hogan, a Keysville businessman and South Boston resident, announced his candidacy for the 60th House seat in April.
GOP 60th District Chairman John Greenbacker said yesterday that Hogan is the Party's official nominee since no other candidate filed prior to the 10 a.m. Saturday deadline. Therefore, the GOP will not hold a mass meeting in the District to select a candidate.
"The campaign certainly begins in earnest," Greenbacker said yesterday.
The GOP district chairman described the Democratic Party as "representing a small socialist minority in Southside Virginia.
"These were the guys who kicked (5th District Congressman) Virgil Goode out of the party," Greenbacker said. "I don't think any right thinking person can keep their core constituency happy. It is basically the world owes us a living crowd."

Citizens get one more opportunity tonight to express their thoughts concerning Halifax Regional Hospital's proposal to rezone 50 feet of land to build a parking lot.
South Boston Town Council will hold a public hearing at tonight's meeting on the hospital's application to rezone a 50-foot strip of property on the north side of Beechmont Road from R-1 Residential to T-1 Transitional District.
Hospital officials had orginally planned to rezone approximately 4 acres of land on the north side of Beechmont Road, with a 50-foot strip to be used for the proposed 100-space parking lot.
However, several Beechmont Subdivison residents objected, citing safety issues, and loss of nighborhood integrity.
After meeting with Beechmont Subdivision Residents, hospital officials amended their request to rezone a 50-foot strip of land to build the parking lot.
Other Agenda Items
· Town Council will consider a citizen-at-large appointment to the Planning Commission at tonight's meeting.
A section of the Town Code states that one member of the Planning Commission may be a council member and one may be an administrative officer of the Town.
Currently, the town manager serves as a member of the Commission. With the appointment of a Zoning Administrator to support the Planning Commission, an additional citizen member of the commission is appropriate.
The Current Issues Committee discussed this issue on July 2 and recommended Council consider adding an additional citizen member to the Commission to replace the administrative officer member.
· Council will consider tonight the adoption of a resolution authorizing the Town of South Boston to participate in the Statewide Mutual Aid (SMA) Program for Emergency Management.
With the adoption of the SMA Bill, localities can exchange services and resources in a response to a major emergency, such as a flood or a hurricane.
The SMA program resolves inconsistencies concerning the insurance and liability coverage of emergency workers when deployed from one locality to another and takes advantage of opportunities for federal/state reimbursement of deployment related costs.
· Council will consider the adoption of resolutions honoring Josephine Marshall and Virginia Roberts for service to the community.

A 20 percent rate hike from its employee group health insurance carrier has the Halifax County School Board looking for alternatives.
The Halifax County School Board will examine its alternatives when it convenes tonight at 7 p.m. at the Mary M. Bethune Office Complex for its July meeting.
School system officials put out its health insurance program for bids after officials from Community Health informed them that its premium rates will increase by just over 20 percent for the coming year.
That increase, Witt said, was unacceptable and school system officials went to work to rebid its insurance program.
"We felt like we had to go out to bid and look at some other alternatives," Witt said.
"If we didn't, you'd have a lot of folks that would not take the insurance because they absolutely could not afford it."
Witt said the school system has received bids from Trigon and Community Health and that the School Board will review those bids tonight.
He did not disclose what the bids were or the details of the proposed programs bid by the two companies.
If school system officials had continued with the Community Health program as it was offered, the premium rate increases would have left school system employees taking a hit in the wallet.
The Halifax County School Board included a $50 per month increase in its contribution toward employee group health insurance premiums in its 2001-2002 school budget.
That move raised the School Board's contribution from $170 per month to $220 per month for 10 months.
At the time the school budget was adopted, school system finance officer Bill Covington said the added contribution of the School Board would cover as much as a 15.2 percent premium rate increase.
The rate increase proposed by Community Health would leave school system employees in a deficit situation.
"We upped our ante and we don't want the (rate) increase to more than eat up what our increase was," Witt said.
"This is an extremely important issue. It (rebidding the insurance program) was the right thing to do."
Witt explained that the rate increase from Community Health was based on the school system's claims and premium experience.
"Our claims experience was much higher than our premiums," Witt explained.
"They had to go up on the rates but we were hoping for a more favorable rate."
Also tonight, the School Board will hear a review of capital improvements needs at Halifax County Middle School.
Witt and a representative from the BCWH Architects firm will outline needed improvements at Halifax County Middle.
There is also a possibility that Witt may ask the body to consider undertaking a capital improvements project at the middle school before undertaking another elementary school project.
Preliminary discussions have already been held regarding a proposed Phase II of the school system's long-range capital improvements program.
The proposed Phase II project calls for renovating and adding to Cluster Springs Elementary School, South of Dan Elementary School and Turbeville Elementary School.
Virgilina Elementary School and Wilson Memorial Elementary School have been targeted for closure under that proposal.
The topics of health insurance and the middle school capital improvements needs will be the primary topics the School Board will address tonight.
Other topics on the agenda include possible action on a proposed teacher and administration evaluation tool and revisions to the school system's policy manual that will bring the document more into line with state codes.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - There was no winner in Saturday's $19.5 million Lotto drawing, Virginia Lottery officials said.
The winning numbers were 3,14,17,21,25 and 45.
Thirty-two tickets matched five of six numbers to win $1,360 each and 1,526 tickets matched four to win $50.
Saturday's jackpot is estimated at $20 million.

By MICHAEL A. PAIGE
The Halifax County National Ponytails allstar team earned a berth in the State Tournament Thursday night, trouncing Brookneal 25-1 to win the District 7 Ponytails Tournament.
Halifax National won the championship game in four innings with a combined pitching effort that allowed only two hits and an unearned run by Brookneal.
Jessica Morris started the game on the mound and went on to be the winning pitcher after pitching two innings.
Morris gave up one hit, one run, struck out two batters and walked one.
Ashley Lewis relieved Morris in the third inning and closed the game in two innings, giving up one hit and striking out five batters.
Halifax County Nationals used a 13-run first inning to stake an early claim at the title.
Lead-off batter Michelle Davis singled to open the first inning and advanced to second base on an error by the shortstop.
Heather Oakes followed by getting on base by a fielder's choice that moved Davis to third base.
Morris singled to send Davis home for what was the team's first run to trigger the onslaught.
Other players to contribute to the first-inning romp were Alyson Thompson and Mandy Watts, who hit back-to-back doubles.
Watts was two-for-two in the first inning with the double and a single.
Lewis, who started the game in right field, singled, while Oakes also singled in her second time at bat in the first inning.
While Morris was relieved at pitching, she was switched to shortstop and continued to contribute to the win by batting three-for-five, which included a triple and a double.
Davis had three hits with four-at bats while Thompson was one-for-one with her double and Watts was two-for-four with a double.
Oakes was two-for-five at the plate, Lewis hit one-for-four, while Amber Bowman and Tracy Spencer were each one-for-two.
Brookneal managed to score an unearned run in the first inning after a single was followed by a passed ball that moved the runner to second base.
The runner for Brookneal stole third base and scored on a wild pitch.
Halifax County held a 13-1 lead going into the third inning and added seven runs with a double by Morris and singles by Davis and Spencer that highlighted the third inning.
Five more runs were scored in the fourth inning with a Morris triple and singles by Oakes and Bowman that were the key hits.
Halifax County's 25 runs came from 14 hits in the championship game.

Glenn Carson Clay

Glenn Carson Clay, 50, of McKeever Trail, Nathalie, died July 5.
Mr. Clay was born in Halifax County on February 7, 1951 to the late Ocie C. Clay Sr. and Lula W. Clay.
His survivors include a brother: Ocie Clay Jr. of Nathalie; four sisters: Patsy Layne of Altavista, Ruby Clay and Dorothy Moore of South Boston and Rosa Wells of Java.
Visitation will be held at the home.

Irene Sugg Singleton

Irene Sugg Singleton, 91, died July 3.
Mrs. Singleton was born on December 28, 1909 in South Boston to Dennis N. and Edith Kent Sugg. She was married to the late George G. Singleton. She held many positions including teacher at the Halifax Training School, principal of Blandford Elementary School and supervisor of federal programs with Petersburg's school system.
Her survivors include her brother: Judge Irvin Douglas Sugg; two sisters-in-law: Bernice H. Sugg and Winnie P. Sugg and a God-son: David J. Whitted.
A funeral service was held July 7 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church with burial in the Rose Garden cemetery.

Alton William King

Alton William King, 77, of 621 Berry Hill Road, South Boston died July 4 at Berry Hill Nursing Home.
Mr. King was born in Halifax County on September 20, 1923 to Luther J. and Sallie Estelle King. He was married to Helen King.
Surviving is his sister: Bessie King Duffer of South Boston.
A graveside service was held July 7 at Oakland Cemetery in Scottsburg with the Rev. Rudolph Jacobs officiating.

Addie (Dick) Godfrie Lloyd

Addie (Dick) Godfrie Lloyd of 1174 Lennig Rd., Nathalie died July 6, 2001 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was born in Halifax County January 25, 1940 and was 61 years old.
He was the son of Clarence B. Lloyd Sr. and Elsie Duncan Lloyd and was married to Jean Fallen Lloyd.
Mr. Lloyd was a member of Childrey Baptist Church where he was a deacon, a mason with Kerns Lodge 103, and fireman with Liberty Vol. Fire Dept.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Lloyd is survived be two daughters, Amy Clem, and husband Randy, and Wendy Lloyd, all of Nathalie; three grandchildren, Leanne, Allizon and Zachary Clem of Nathalie; one sister, Annie L. Long of Nathalie; three brothers, Charles Linwood Lloyd and Roger Dale Lloyd of Nathalie, and Daniel (Danny) Barry Lloyd of Clover.
He was preceded in death by one son, Randy Lloyd, and two brothers, W.D. Lloyd and Clarence (Butch) Lloyd.
Funeral services will be held today at 2:00 p.m. at Childrey Baptist Church with the Rev. Rodney Barwick conducting. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with Masonic rites.
The family will receive friends at the home of the deceased.

Lavonia Cynthia Dixon

Lavonia Cynthia Dixon of Lynchburg died July 8, 2001. Formerly of South Boston, Mrs. Dixon was a member of First Presbyterian Church, and was a retired Virginia insurance agent. She previously owned and operated Dixon's Insurance Agency of South Boston.
Mrs. Dixon is survived by three children and their spouses: Tony and Mary Ogle Cudd of Lynchburg; Betty and David Rickman of Halifax, and Richard and Lavonia Snow of Madison Heights; nine grandchildren, two of whom reside in the area, Cynthia Rickman Thomason of South Boston and Rae Rickman Ford of Halifax; and eight great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends tomorrow from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, 427 Graves Mill Road, Lynchburg. A private graveside service will be conducted.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Hospice of the Hills, 3300 Rivermont Ave., Lynchburg.

James William Oliver

James William Oliver of Baltimore, Md. and formerly of Alton, died Thursday, July 5, 2001. He was born in Halifax County April 21, 944 to the late Joseph Olive and Maggie Chandler Oliver and was married to Odella Scott Oliver.
He was a member of New Antioch Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md. and was a former member of Cross Road Baptist Church in Turbeville.
Mr. Oliver is survived by his wife; one son, James Oliver, Jr. of Baltimore; two daughters, Veronica Crawley of Richmond and Pamela Oliver of Durham, .C.; one brother, Robert Douglas Oliver; and three sisters, Frances Oliver Owen, Margaret Oliver Owen, and Gwendolyn Oliver Ragland, all of Halifax County.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 11 at 3:00 p.m. at Cross Road Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. A viewing will be held at Jeffress Funeral Home Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.