School trustees didn't bite Monday night when county school superintendent Dennis Witt offered a proposal to implement their school facilities plan in a three phase program.
Instead of okaying the plan, a mirror of the $30 million school facilities plan they adopted just a month ago, opponents and proponents of the previously adopted plan squared off in a round of infighting that left Witt's proposal for phasing in the plan in three steps over a period of several years hanging in limbo.
The only thing that the school trustees could agreed on was a desire to meet as a full board with the full board of the Board of Supervisors to discuss the proposed school facilities plan.
And, they instructed Witt to set up that meeting at the earliest opportunity.
Witt explained that he came up with the multi-phased plan after discussions he and county school board chairman Alan Gravitt had with county officials.
Noting that county officials expressed sentiments that the extensive school facilities plan adopted last month by the school board would likely receive a warmer reception if it were broken down into phases, Witt said a proposal was derived to divide the plan into three phases in order to spread out the work and expenses over a number of years.
"It seems to be a manageable approach if we are going to do school improvements," Witt said, pointing out that discussions with county officials about the possibility of phasing in the plan over a number of years "fell on favorable ears."
Phase I calls for $14.6 million worth of renovations encompassing Clays Mill, Scottsburg, Sinai, Sydnor Jennings, Meadville, and Wilson Memorial and an expenditure of $616,000 for 14 buses in order to implement the proposed dual transportation system that has received a good deal of public support.
Along with those items, Clover Elementary School, Halifax Elementary School, and Volens Elementary School would be closed.
Witt noted in his plan that there will be $622,141 in operational savings associated with that move. And, while there would be a $190,000 increase in transportation costs, the net operational savings would still come in at over $432,000 a year.
Phase II of the plan calls for a total of $12.8 million in renovations for C.H. Friend, South of Dan, and Turbeville with Washington-Coleman, Cluster Springs, and Virgilina being closed when the renovations are completed.
The operational savings that would result in that move is estimated at $622,141.
Then, in Phase III is $3.3 million worth of renovations to Halifax County Middle School.
In a prepared summary, Witt stated that the first phase of the plan could be funded through a literary loan from the Commonwealth of Virginia. And, he noted that if an application for funds were made during the current school year, the school system could qualify for a two percent interest loan for 20 years.
If the school system were to go that route, the Board of Supervisors would need $469,145 in new money to fund the project in the first year, $166,152 in new money the second year, $133,642 in new money the third year, and $22,700 in new monies the fourth year. Then, beginning in the fifth year, the governing body would see a major decline ($257,357) in the amount of funds needed to finance the project.
Witt's summary also stated that the dual transportation system could be implemented by purchasing only 14 additional buses, which was half of the original estimate and, as a result there would be savings in operational expenses.
The school superintendent also stated in his summary that when the county's ILS Computer Lab initiative is retired. Phase II could be implemented using a combination of Literary Loans and Virginia Public School Authority Loans.
Phase III, the one that involves renovations to the middle school, could be addressed anytime after that or, even be included in Phase II if the economic picture looked good.
In addition, Witt recommended that the Board of Supervisors establish a school construction fund, a fund into which the school board could deposit state school construction funds, proceeds from its sale of Trigon stock shares, and other operational savings monies.
Witt noted that the Board of Supervisors could grant permission to apply for the two percent Literary Loan monies and that in such a case a voter referendum would not be needed.
"It could be done as a matter of what we need to do for the school system," Witt said.
"It's done all across Virginia."
But, school trustees wouldn't bite on the plan.
Raleigh Moorefield, eying Witt's chart showing $400,000 in state school construction funds being available throughout the 20 year period for the loan, told Witt there was no guarantee that those monies would be available for the entire period and that he needed to add that money back into the formula after a period of four years or so in order to get a more accurate picture of the financial impact of the plan.
Witt told Moorefield that the numbers were a projection and that nobody was looking at those figures as anything but a projection.
And, trustee Carl Furches piped up to point out that the school board should meet with the Board of Supervisors and see and hear what the Board of Supervisors feel they can handle financially.
"We've been talking all along about this board sitting down with the Board of Supervisors," Furches noted.
Witt, after hearing further comments from Moorefield and Furches, said he has no problems with the school board meeting as an entire board with the full Board of Supervisors.
School trustee D,H. McDowell, Jr. reminded his fellow board members that they have all had opportunities to attend whatever Board of Supervisors meetings they wished to attend and express their concerns.
Then, Moorefield, citing his preference to see the school board with the full Board of Supervisors, slammed Witt and Gravitt for what he apparently felt was an improper expression by Witt and Gravitt to county officials of the school board's sentiments on the plan adopted by school trustees and for meeting with county officials without school board members being present to express their views.
"What I think is right or wrong, I can handle my end of it," Moorefield said.
Gravitt explained the circumstances of his comments and discussions with the Board of Supervisors, explaining that he was sitting in the audience at a recent meeting of the Supervisors and simply attempted to answer questions that the Supes posed to him.
"They asked me some questions and I tried to answer them the best I could," Gravitt said.
He stated that he, Witt and school system finance director Bill Covington met with County Administrator Dan Sleeper, Joe Satterfield, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and Garland Ricketts, the chairman of the Supes' Finance Committee.
Gravitt said that some financial figures that county officials held were reviewed as were figures that school system personnel held.
"Nobody made any representations what the (school) board would do or not do or what this (school) board would approve or not approve," Gravitt said.
"I did not speak or try to speak for this board other than to convey the plan which had been approved by the vote of this (school) board."
Furches then piped up and noted that the children in the smaller schools seem to do better on standardized test scores than students from larger schools and asked "can we renovate all of the schools and keep what we have?"
Moorefield quickly added that test score of children at Virgilina and Volens were the best in the county.
Then Lottie Nunn, whose district includes Virgilina, pointed out, "you can redistrict without building schools. Our people at Virgilina worked hard and had an alternative plan and it was never considered. What has consolidation gotten you?"
She added that building new schools "that look like prisons" won't necessarily help matters and told Witt "send us more (students). We'll take more."
Moorefield added, "what I think needs building is another high school. The consolidation of the senior high - that's where the problems are. If we're going to build anything, that's what we need to do."
School trustee Steve Anderson pointed out that test scores shouldn't be the basis of this decision making process because "one of the lowest scores in the county is at one of the smallest schools . In my mind, that criteria in itself, doesn't mean much."
Furches chimed in, saying "the new SOLs are going to show what schools are doing what and what teachers are doing what."
School trustee Patricia Nelson pointed out the economic havoc operating 15 schools is having on the school system and the taxpayers and pointed out that the inefficiency of operating 15 schools "is not appropriate use of the taxpayers' money. It's just not how it's done."
Gravitt stated that the school board has already adopted a school facilities plan to present to the Board of Supervisors and that "we ought to meet with them about the monetary part of it."
"As a board, we need to support or not support phasing in," Nelson added.
Wanda McDowell then suggested that the school board meet with the Board of Supervisors, a comment that was met by Moorefield, who said, "that's just what we talked about three months ago and we had opportunities to do that."
Twenty-five-year-old Lance Antonio Chandler, who was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in connection with the February, 1993 slaying of store clerk William Howard "Billy" Dix during the robbery of a Love Shop convenience store, is slated to be executed August 20.
Larry Traylor, the Director of Communications for the Virginia Department of Corrections, said yesterday that Chandler's execution is scheduled for 9 p.m. that night at the Greensville Correctional Center near Jarratt.
If Chandler's execution occurs as scheduled, the South Boston resident will become the seventh person to be executed in Virginia this year. And, he will be the first individual from Halifax County to be executed by the state in 36 years.
Traylor said that Chandler has exhausted all but two avenues of appeal, those being an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and lastly to Governor James Gilmore.
On May 20, the United States Court of Appeals For the Fourth Circuit denied federal habeas corpus relief. And, on June 16, the Fourth Circuit denied Chandler's petition for rehearing and suggestion for a rehearing in front of a multi-judge panel.
The Department of Corrections spokesman said that Chandler, who is currently housed on Virginia's Death Row at the Sussex I prison facility near Waverly, will be moved to the Greensville Correctional Center, the site of Virginia's death chamber, about four days prior to his scheduled execution date.
The next inmate scheduled to be executed after Chandler is Jonile Dubois who was convicted of crimes in Portsmouth City Circuit Court.
Including Chandler, there are 44 inmates being lodged on Virginia's Death Row.
Chandler admitted shooting Dix during the robbery of the Mother Hubbard's Convenience Cupboard store at Love Shop during his early December, 1993 trial in Halifax County Circuit Court.
And, he admitted to having used cocaine, marijuana, and drinking beer prior to the crime.
In addition to receiving the death penalty for the capital murder conviction, Chandler was sentenced to 39 years in prison for convictions on other charges related to the store robbery.
The former College Street resident was sentenced to 25 years in prison on a robbery charge, 10 years in prison for being convicted on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, and to two years in prison for each of two convictions on charges of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Earlier, in May, 1993, Chandler was convicted of the August, 1992 robbery of a UPS deliveryman and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and was sentenced in July of that year to nine years in prison for those offenses.
Three of four other co-defendants in the Chandler case received prison terms as a result of related convictions.
Chandler's cousin, 24-year-old Dwight Mendel Wyatt, a former Halifax County High School baseball standout, received sentences totaling 49 years after entering guilty pleas to murder, robbery, and two firearms charges.
Geraldine Terry Fernandez, 34, of Brookneal, received a 12 year sentence in the spring of 1994 for convictions on murder, robbery, and two firearms charges.
George Dixon Boyd, a former football standout at Halifax County High School, was convicted of a misdemeanor petit larceny charge for the theft of a case of beer from the store and received a 12 month jail sentence.
However, because had already spent more than that length of time in jail awaiting trial, he was released from custody after his trial concluded.
Bernice Lynn Murphy, who was a 17-year-old juvenile at the time the crime was committed, was initially convicted of robbery and the use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery and was ordered to be placed into the custody of the Virginia Department of Youth And Family Services.
However, in December, 1995 the Virginia Court of Appeals overturned Murphy's conviction and dismissed all charges against her.
It's been five years since grocery store clerk William Howard "Billy" Dix went to work at Love Shop one chilly February day never to return.
Next week the man convicted of murdering Dix with a single shot to the head during the store robbery is scheduled to be executed for capital murder.
Only two avenues of appeal remain for Lance Antonio Chandler, an appeal to the United States Supreme Court or to Governor James Gilmore, according to Larry Traylor, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Chandler's execution is scheduled at 9 p.m. Thursday, August 20, at the Greensville Correctional Center.
Billy Dix's wife hopes the governor does not intervene on Chandler's behalf.
"He killed my husband and he should have the death penalty, I think," said Mrs. Dix.
However, neither Mrs. Dix nor Dix's father, Halifax merchant Howard Dix, plans to drive to Greensville.
"The reason I won't go is it would bring up memories, knowing he killed Billy, shot him in cold blood, and I just can't deal with that again," said Dix' wife.
Married four and a half years when her 33-year- old husband was killed, Mrs. Dix has never remarried.
Five years does not change heartache. "After you lose any of your family, it is rough," said Howard Dix, who also finds the jury's sentence fair.
Mrs. Dix did not know her husband's killer, seeing him "for the first time in court" during the trial.
Will the execution bring closure for Mrs. Dix?
"I don't know how I will feel," she said earlier this week.
She is, however, quick to describe Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker's prosecution of the case as "an excellent job."
A sad irony also lingers in Mrs. Dix's mind. "When Billy worked at the Sinai Mother Hubbard's, he used to walk home at midnight down Berry Hill Road to Papa Moore's Store (near where the couple lived) and nothing ever happened."
But one night at work at Love Shop, Billy Dix was not so lucky.
A cold-blooded killing...by a coward!
Such was the description of the shooting that claimed the life of an Alton woman Friday night in the presence of her four-year old twins who, after hearing what they described as an explosion, ran to a neighbor's house for assistance.
The explosion was the blast from a weapon which authorities refuse to describe but is believed to have been a shotgun fired from outside the mobile home through a window at close range.
Based on details revealed by Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Oakes, 30-year old Rhonda Lynn Bowes Stone of 3092 Mt. Carmel Road may never have seen her attacker.
Sheriff Oakes said several suspects are being questioned and that an arrest in the crime is expected by week's end. Among those being questioned is a Person County (N.C.) man who sources say was either a boyfriend or an ex-boyfriend of the victim.
One of the first persons to reach the victim, a neighbor with CPR training, attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate the woman. While the nearest neighbor to the victim's mobile home is located .1 mile away, several persons in the vicinity reported hearing a blast at the time of the shooting.
The victim and her boyfriend of several years were seen around 8:30 p.m. at a Virgilina grocery store. Sheriff Oakes refused to identify the male friend but said that he was a prime suspect in the shooting.
No signs of forced entry of the home or a struggle at the shooting scene were found.
One does not have to travel to Wall Street, Hong Kong, or Canary Wharf to learn about the globalization of business. That can be done here in Halifax County, with yet another purchase of a local industry by an international firm.
Allegheny Teledyne, which was formerly called C K Corporation, was purchased Friday by Bohler-Uddeholm, a major industrial firm based in the country of Austria. The facility is located just off Eastover Drive, on the east side of South Boston.
The local operation will now be called Bohler-Uddeholm Specialty Metals, Inc. and will continue to make high-speed steel round bar products. Such steel rods are used by industrial manufacturing companies which produce tools.
Hans Overdiek, a member of the board of directors of Bohler Udderholm, recently stated that the company would increase production at the Halifax County plant by about 4,000 tons per year, but declined to give specifics about any expansion efforts.
Bohler-Uddeham had 1997 global revenues of approximately $1.45 billion dollars and a total of 9,315 employees. Locally, Bohler-Uddeholm Specialty Metals, Inc. employs about 74 people.
"The purchase of this business is in line with Bohler-Uddeholm's strategy to strengthen its most important core business area: Special Steel Long Products," commented Roy Hindle, a spokesman for the U.S. division of Bohler-Uddeholm which is located in Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
Sales and marketing of the locally-manufactured steel products will be handled by the Bohler Division of Bohler-Uddeholm, located at Arlington Heights, Illinois.
"Bohler-Uddeholm aims to extend its success in producing high quality speed steel to the newly-acquired facility," Hindle said. "With this acquisition, the company commands an estimated 18-20 percent of the world market in high speed steel."
Anthony Wilborne died Friday, August 7, 1998 at Southside Community Hospital in Farmville.
Mr. Wilborne was born in Halifax County on January 27, 1913 the son of Charles and Lucy Farrar Wilborne and was married to Virginia Farrar Wilborne.
Survivors include his wife of the home; one son, Joseph S. Wilborne of Saxe; four daughters, Dorothy McCraw of Landover, MD, Melissa Davis of Hampton, Gladys Tucker of Saxe and Gloria Jackson of Nathalie; two daughters-in-law, Dorethea Wilborne of South Boston and Joanne Wilborne of Saxe; two sons-in-law, Rev. Roy McCraw of Landover and Semmie Davis of Hampton; 13 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; one brother, Matthew Wilborne of Richmond; two sisters, Charity Garrett and Alice Davis, both of Clover.
Funeral services for Mr. Wilborne were held Monday, August 10 at 2 p.m. at Bethel Grove Baptist Church with Rev. R.H. VanHook officiating.
Col. Marvin Caldwell Hillsman, US Army Retired, 91, of Farmville and formerly of Falls Church, died Sunday, August 9, 1998 at Southside Community Hospital.
Col. Hillsman was born May 15, 1907 in Bedford County the son of Harry Pollard and Betty Palmer Hillsman and was married to Rebecca Jennings Hillsman.
Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Marvin C. Hillsman Jr. and Grace O'Neil Hillsman of Harrisonburg; two granddaughters, Susan H. Hurley of VA Beach and Amy H. Blackwell of Harrisonburg; two great-grandsons, John and Mark Hurley of VA Beach; three sisters, Frances H. Thomas of Lynchburg, Angie H. Graves of Bedford and Ruth H. McVeigh of Lynchburg; one brother, John D. Hillsman of Bedford. He was preceded in death by his wife, one sister, Fern H. Deaner, and one brother, O. Duvall Hillsman.
Col. Hillsman was graduated from New London Academy in 1926 and from VA Tech in 1930. He served with the 29th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II and with the 5th Infantry Division and the Far East Central Command during the Korean War. After retirement, he served with the Department of Defense. Prior to World War II he was a high school teacher and coach in Halifax County, and he also was employed by Southern States between World War II and Korean War.
Col. Hillsman was an active Mason as a member of Mentow Lodge #180 in Bedford, and the National Sojourners, the Heroes of '76, and the Royal Arch Masons in Arlington. He was also a member of the Kena Temple of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in Alexandria.
A memorial service will be held at Shorter Funeral Home in Farmville at 3 p.m. Thursday, August 13. A funeral and burial service with full military honors will be conducted at Arlington National Cemetery at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 20.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Patrick Henry Boys & Girls Plantation, Brookneal, VA, or to a charity of your choice.
Rhonda Lynn Bowes Stone of 3092 Mt. Carmel Road, Alton died Friday, August 7, 1998. She was 30 years of age at the time of her death.
Mrs. Stone was born January 17, 1968 in Halifax County the daughter of Joe Ed Bowes and Shelby Crews Elliott. She was employed as an elderly home care provider.
Survivors include her mother of Alton and step-father, Richard Randolph Elliott of Alton; three daughters, Erica Lynn, Katie Jo and Stephany Jean Bowes, all of Alton; one sister, Lora Jane Bowes of Alton, two brothers, Randy Darnell Elliott of Turbeville and Richard Anthony Elliott of Alton; her maternal grandmother, Ruth Morris Crews and paternal grandparents, Joe and Nellie Bowes of Roxboro, NC. She was preceded in death by her father.
Funeral services for Mrs. Stone will be held at Brooks Funeral Home Chapel today, August 12 at 2 p.m. with burial to take place in Bethel Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Person County, NC.
Charles Edward Henderson, 47, of Folly Estates Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC died Saturday, August 8, 1998 at Conway Hospital.
Mr. Henderson was born March 4, 1951 in Newport News the son of Robert and Nancy Norman Henderson and was married to Carol L. Henderson. He was employed at The Bowery for several years and was a salesperson for the Harley-Davidson Dealership.
Survivors include his wife of Myrtle Beach; his parents of Halifax; one son, James D. Leibee of Jacksonville, NC; one daughter, Virginia Rabon of Myrtle Beach; three brothers, Robert Henderson Jr. and Bill Henderson, both of Halifax and Gary Henderson of Lynchburg; and one grandchild.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, August 11 at McMillan-Small Funeral Home Chapel in Myrtle Beach.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 15 at Powell Funeral Home Chapel.
The family will receive friends Friday, August 14 from 6-8 p.m. at the home of Pat and Bill Henderson on Woodgrove Trail, Halifax.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the memorial service for Mr. Henderson.
Samuel Mason Torian Jr. of Florence Avenue, Virgilina died Monday, August 10, 1998 at Halifax Regional Hospital. He was 85 years of age at the time of his death.
Mr. Torian was born in Halifax County on July 15, 1913 the son of Samuel Mason Torian Sr. and Frances Dickinson Torian and was married to Annie Baker Young Torian. He was a member of Florence Avenue Baptist Church. He was the grandson of the late Alfred Elijah Dickinson who was a Baptist minister and editor of The Religious Herald for a number of years. Mr. Torian attended Augusta Military Academy and Smithdeal-Massey Business School.
Survivors include his wife of the home; one daughter, Hallie Torian Owen of Alton; one son, Samuel Mason Torian III of Collinsville; five grandchildren, Rufus Owen IV of Dallas, TX, Dan Owen of Eugene, OR, Jackson Taylor Owen of Falls Church, Samuel Mason Torian IV of Sterling and Sarah Ellen Torian of Atlanta, GA. He was preceded in death by one sister, Frances Torian Johnson and one brother-in-law, Rev. Hugh H. Johnson.
Funeral services for Mr. Torian will be held Thursday, August 13 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Revs. Bill Keen and Bobby Whitfield conducting the service. Burial will take place in Virgilina Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home tonight, August 12 from 7 until 8:00 and other times at the home.