Halifax County's students are moving closer to making the grade on the state's Standards of Learning tests.
And, so are their schools.
Results of SOL tests taken by county students this past spring showed a significant improvement over the previous year.
School system officials have calculated that eight county schools received marks that should give them provisional accreditation under the state's standards.
"The benchmarks we used to calculate it were approved by the state board," said Ann Conner, the director of instruction for the Halifax County Public Schools.
"These are our calculations. But, we expect these schools to receive provisional accreditation."
The schools included Halifax County High School, Halifax County Middle School and the paired schools of Washington-Coleman and C.H. Friend and Halifax Elementary School and Sinai Elementary School.
Clays Mill Elementary School and Cluster Springs Elementary School also achieved provisional accreditation status.
"We think these schools have done exceptionally well to meet the state benchmarks," Conner told the Halifax County School Board, Monday night.
"And, there were other schools that were very close to making it."
None of Halifax County's schools achieved provisional accreditation status the previous year.
Among the schools that were close to achieving the provisionally accredited status were Clover, Scottsburg, South of Dan, Sydnor Jennings, Turbeville, Volens and Wilson Memorial.
Each of those schools missed the mark in one category.
Conner pointed out that when a school calculates its accreditation, the third-grade science and social studies test results do not have to be included.
However, if including those scores proves to be beneficial, a school may include those scores if it wants to do so.
Under the state's mandates, a school can achieve full accreditation if 70 percent of its students passes the SOL tests.
One county school, Clover Elementary, was close to hitting that mark.
"If you go by the 70 percent mark in each category, there was only one category where there was not 70 percent passing," Conner noted.
Another good note for Halifax County was that none of the county schools, according to local calculations, had scores that would merit a warning for falling well below benchmarks.
While Conner and school system officials are literally beaming over the improvements in the SOL test scores, they are still waiting on the statewide results to see how the local students compare with their counterparts across the state.
It is expected that the state figures will be released sometime after mid-September.
"We're pleased," Conner said, "but we don't know how the state averages look.
"The only thing we can do right now is look at ourselves. But, that's the main thing."
Conner also emphasized that while she and school system officials are pleased with the results, this does not mean that the hard work is over.
"We're not saying that we're happy and this is it," she stated.
"The work is far from over. We've still got a long way to go."
In looking at the school system as a whole, the percentage of the county's third-graders passing the SOL tests improved from a range of just under five percent in English to a high of over 13 percent in Science.
There were increases in the percentage of fifth-grade students passing the SOL tests in four of the six categories.
Very minor decreases were noted in English and Science. There was a drop of almost percent in the History/Social Science test.
The percentage of eighth-grade students at Halifax County Middle School that passed the SOL tests showed significant increases in all but one area.
In fact, all of the students that took the Algebra I test passed it and 92.79 percent of the students that took the technology test passed.
The one down side to the middle school report was a decrease of two percent in the percentage of students that passed the writing SOL test.
However, even with that, 74.62 percent of the students that took the test passed.
At Halifax County High School, significant gains in the percentage of students passing the end-of-course SOL tests were noted in every area.
More than 77 percent passed the English test as compared to 61 percent a year ago, and 82 percent passed the writing test as compared to 64 percent a year ago.
Also, over 77 percent passed the Algebra I test as compared to 52 percent the previous year, and 54.55 percent passes the Algebra II test as compared to 25.66 percent a year ago.
There was a gain of 15 percent on the Geometry test, a 24 percent gain in the World History Part A test, a 42 percent gain in World History Part B test, a 25 percent gain in the Earth Science test, a six percent increase in Biology and a near 26 percent gain in Chemistry.
Although only 23.3 percent of the students taking the U.S. History test passed, the mark represented a gain of nearly nine percent over the 1999 totals.
Halifax County's scores on the History tests are the one real sore spot on the blotter.
But, that is something that Halifax County's students share with their counterparts across the state.
Only 58.59 percent of the county's third-graders passed the History/Social Science test and only 36.85 percent of the county's fifth-graders passed the test.
At Halifax County Middle School, only 49.4 percent of the eighth-grade students taking the test passed.
Only 23.3 percent of the students at Halifax County High School taking the U.S. History test passed it.
Such numbers were common across the state last year, and Conner says some low numbers may show up in the state figures this year.
"From the very beginning, the standards in social studies were overwhelming," Conner pointed out.
"I think there has been some recognition of that. That (social studies) was the first resource document to be produced at the state level."
The resource document, Conner says, is a state-produced document that defines, limits and delineates the concepts that are to be stressed.
Tests questions, she pointed out, are in the process of being fine-tuned and structured to correspond to the resource document.

It will cost the county school system just over $8.3 million for renovations and additions to three elementary schools.
The Halifax County School Board has awarded the bid for the work at Clays Mill, Sydnor Jennings and Scottsburg elementary schools to the Danville-based John W. Daniel Construction Co.
Coming in at a total of $8,305,767, the bid was the low bid among those submitted at the school system's August 15 bid opening.
"We had a benchmark of $8,400,000," said Dr. J.O. Crews, supervisor of facilities and community relations.
"We were hoping to stay below that benchmark and we did."
Broken down, the Danville firm's bid for the 26,447-square-foot addition to Sydnor Jennings Elementary School was $3,087,500.
The bid for the 31,920-square-foot addition at Scottsburg Elementary School came in at $3,343,800.
And, the bid for the 14,400-square- foot addition at Clays Mill Elementary School came in at $1,934,467.
The bid also included specified renovations to the trio of current buildings.
The only other firm that made a bid on the projects was J.E. Burton Construction Company of South Boston.
J.E. Burton Construction Co., however, bid only on the Sydnor Jennings and Scottsburg projects.
No bid was submitted for the Clays Mill project and no combined bid was submitted.
Crews stated that one other company, Blair Construction Company, picked up and paid for copies of the project plans but did not follow through with bids.
School system officials said they were pleased with the bid. Crews pointed out that the school system saved approximately $60,000 by combining the bids for the three projects.
Crews said that work will be going on simultaneously at the three schools.
Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt said the projects will take an estimated 15 months to complete.
"I think that is a fair assessment," he told the Halifax County School Board.
"We're right on the edge of whether we can finish by the time school starts next year."
The improvements would give each of the three schools the capability to house 350 students in grades K-6.
After the improvements and renovations to the trio of schools are completed, Clover Elementary School and Volens Elementary School will be closed.

Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker got the help he sought from supervisors Monday night to maintain the blood alcohol testing program used in driving-under-the- influence cases.
Last weekend, there was no one available to conduct the tests, Greenbacker told supervisors and South Boston and Halifax town council members during a joint session.
"This is something we have to have," said the prosecutor.
Since Halifax Regional Hospital stopped performing the tests, Town of Halifax police officers agreed to fill the "testing" gap.
But Halifax officials were concerned about liability for their officers. They also sought compensation for time spent testing in the field and testifying in court.
Existing legislation, coupled with court rulings, require that the commonwealth make the case that the testing procedure was adhered to, explained Greenbacker.
That means those administering the tests are called to testify in court.
Hospital emergency room personnel discontinued the testing program earlier this year, citing time and cost factors associated with court appearances.
"We have been doing this for six months, since the hospital stopped," Halifax Town Manager Bob Greene told town and county officials. Greene said that the town needed help.
Supervisors voted the balance of the $2,500 appropriated January 3, 2000 for 1999-2000, be carried over and used as needed in FY 2000-2001.
Joe Morgan, the county's new administrator, told supervisors that he had learned that the Halifax officers could be covered by insurance as part-time employees.
The Halifax officers to serve as blood alcohol technicians include Sweeney, Tracy Mocarsky and Lisa Atkinson.
Greenbacker also sought county and town officials' support in seeking a change in legislation requiring that those administering the blood alcohol test appear in court to verify the testing procedure.
Morgan and Greenbacker are to prepare a resolution for supervisors to be forwarded to the General Assembly.
During the Monday night session, South Boston Town Council also supported Greenbacker's request. Greene said that Halifax Town Council will address the issue at its next session.
Greenbacker, Halifax Police Chief Shawn Sweeney and Va. State Police First Sgt. Anne Barber attended the Monday night session in support of the blood alcohol testing program.
Barber told supervisors and council members that she needed to be able to give state troopers the tools they need to do their job.
"We have an obligation to citizens of Charlotte and Halifax counties to make our roads safe," she said.
The request for assistance followed a Friday morning meeting with law enforcement, hospital and county officials.

Supervisors and South Boston Town Council voted to reduce the landfill's tipping fee from $32 to $28 per ton for commercial trash, effective September 1.
South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel told town and county officials Monday night that the landfill was averaging 200 tons a day and would be able to close in about five years at that rate.
He said that he wanted to keep the volume up in order to meet the deadline recommended by the Department of Environmental Quality, but that there are two commercial haulers and South Boston is now competing for trash with other landfills.
With the reduction in tipping fee, Daniel said that he hopes to attract and maintain commercial trash business at the South Boston landfill.
If the trash volume is decreased to the point it affects the landfill's closing, dirt would have to be purchased to fill the site. Purchasing dirt for closing has previously been described by town officials as an expensive alternative.
Joint Library Status
In other business, South Boston Manager Ted Daniel told town and county officials that the former urology clinic on Hamilton Blvd. being considered as a joint Halifax/South Boston library could not be used since the engineering analysis of the floor strength indicated that the first floor would not support the required 160 pounds per square foot.
Although Daniel said that a substantial portion of the floor would support the state library's requirement, he noted that not all of the first floor would.
"I hope we continue to meet and talk about a joint library," said South Boston Councilman Tom Raab following Daniel's report.
The councilman suggested that Daniel and the county administrator work together to explore library possibilities. He also said that he thought some money might be available for a project through grants.
In other business, a 40.5-mile section of the Staunton River from Brookneal to the Highway 360 bridge got supervisors' and South Boston Town Council's support for scenic river designation during a joint session Monday night.
An 11-mile section of the Staunton River between Long Island and Brookneal was the first in the state to be designated a scenic river.
Tom Stutts, a member of the Staunton River Scenic River Advisory Committee, told supervisors that the designation would not affect any of the landowners' riparian rights.
He described the scenic river designation as similar to scenic highway status.
Supervisors and South Boston Town Council members approved Halifax Town Council's request to place members on the library, E-911 and joint consolidation committees.
Halifax Mayor Dennis Osborne named the following to committees: Councilmen H.C. Phillips Sr. and Harold Younger to the E-911 committee; Buddy Guthrie and Osborne to the library committee; Jack Dunavant and Cabell Daniel to the joint consolidation committee.
Supervisor David Martin told supervisors that the E-911 committee had authorized a conceptual study to detail benefits of consolidating emergency centers.
Ted Daniel, South Boston town manager, said that rescue and police departments were being canvassed to seek a consensus on organization. Centers may be centralized or have satellites, explained Daniel.
Supervisors also approved North Halifax Volunteer Fire Department's request to apply for a grant to be used for an ambulance.
The board also agreed to a request from Southside Infant Interagency Coordinating Council to serve as fiscal agent for the Part C contract for three years, and named the county administrator to the council.

By Doug Loftis
It's been almost three months since Marty and Cindy Taylor's world fell apart; literally.
The South Boston couple and her three-year-old son were among the 107 persons crossing the 320-foot walkway accessing Lowe's Motor Speedway at Concord, N.C., when it snapped on May 20 and fell onto U.S. Highway 29.
She suffered a shattered kneecap, broken femur, hip, ankle and elbow and collapsed lung. Marty also had a collapsed lung and a badly broken foot.
Young Brody had fallen asleep just before the race ended and was in his mother's arms when she remembers hearing a cracking sound as they approached the center of the bridge.
Her next memory was that of piles of rubble, people moaning and screaming with pain, but young Brody, still in her arms, had survived the fall with only minor scrapes and bruises.
Cindy and Brody were transported by helicopter, Marty by ambulance, to area hospitals. Cindy spent the next two weeks at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., before being transferred to Virginia Baptist Hospital in Lynchburg where she stayed for two more weeks. Marty went to Northeastern Medical Center in Concord, N.C., and remained there for two weeks.
In and out of hospitals since the accident, recovery for the Taylor family has been slow, painful and cumbersome. Cindy is on crutches, Marty is back in a wheelchair following surgery last week at Duke.
Cindy entered the hospital last week where doctors sedated her and forcibly bent her knee in an effort to improve flexibility.
Marty had been able to get around on crutches until infection set in and surgery was required. He's now on intravenous antibiotics.
The Taylors were renting a house on Fenton Street in South Boston before the accident. Unable to negotiate the steep incline into the house and its two stories, the family was forced to move to its present address on Union Church road. The log cabin they rent is easily entered and once inside, wide doorways and open space are making life easier.
Before the accident, Marty had worked as a respiratory therapist with health-services provider Lincare. But the accident forced him to take a leave of absence until he is physically able to perform his work requirements.
Meanwhile, he has been without a paycheck.
The Taylors were covered under Lincare's group health insurance policy, which included disability income. But Marty lacked the one-year tenure minimum to qualify for the benefit.
To retain their health insurance benefits, the Taylors have borrowed from relatives to pay the $180 monthly premium.
I guess we'll have to go on welfare...food stamps or something. I don't have much choice," Marty said last week before learning that his back wages would be forthcoming.
This week, the Taylors received a check for the wages he would have earned from May through August. The Taylors' attorney, Rick Spies of Lynchburg, has said that the money was provided by an insurance company that covered the bridge contractor.
The Taylors and other victims of the mishap are being told by officials with Lowe's Motor Speedway that bridge concrete supplier Tindall Corp., of Spartanburg, S.C., is responsible for the collapse.
With the help of family, friends and neighbors, the Taylors have managed to survive. They expressed appreciation for the prayers and countless acts of kindness shown to them, especially during and since the move into their new home.
The Union Ruritan Club has allowed them use of the swimming pool where Cindy has been able to exercise while Brody swims with friends. Doctors say that her recovery so far has been amazing.
Cindy has also found help and support from local Moms' Club members. Her injuries have made doing normally simple things, like cooking and cleaning, difficult.
"We've still got boxes to unpack," she said while pointing to several containers of belongings in the corner of the family room.
Throughout it all, the Taylors have managed to keep a strong spirit, and hope soon to attend more races. But they'll probably avoid pedestrian bridges. Cindy admits that she's always been afraid of bridges and, since the accident, Brody has had nightmares about the experience.
"Do all bridges fall down?" he recently asked his mother. And when she assured him that all bridges do not fall, he asked, "What about London Bridge?"
Brody will be entering preschool this fall.

Max Duane Rolfe, 54, stood by his assertion that he fired his shotgun at his son-in-law, Joseph McCullock, in self-defense last December, but during a presentence hearing Monday, Circuit Court Judge William Wellons upheld the jury's earlier recommendation that Rolfe be sentenced to 17 years in prison for second-degree murder.
Rolfe, a Nathalie resident, was also sentenced to an additional three years in prison for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
A decision to pursue an appeal had not been made as of yesterday, according to Rolfe's defense attorney, Curtis Thornhill.
Judge Wellons also declined the commonwealth's motion to add an additional three years suspended time to Rolfe's sentence, as allowed by Virginia code.
Rolfe was convicted in June of the December 23, 1999, shotgun slaying of McCullock.
In December, Rolfe was living in a cabin behind the home of his daughter and son-in-law, McCullock, in the northern part of Halifax County.
Rolfe claimed he shot at McCullock in self-defense, intending to shoot over his head to stop a potential assault.
McCullock was angry at recent rumors concerning his marital infidelity and drug use, and suspected Rolfe as the source, according to trial testimony.
The confrontation leading up to the shooting took place on the carport of McCullock's home.
"To me, it damaged Rolfe a great deal that over the years he lost all support and respect from his children," said Greenbacker on Monday.
"His daughter was willing to take him in, but after this, is estranged from him. His son, Jamie, is also estranged from him."
"It is difficult to alienate all of your kids."
Greenbacker also mentioned letters written by Rolfe to Judge Wellons blaming his conviction on his attorney, witnesses, everyone except Rolfe.
· In a second presentence hearing on Monday, the commonwealth was again turned away as it attempted to add 18 years, all suspended, to the sentence of Donald Mack Williams, 44, of Halifax.
Defense attorney Sandra Saseen argued that the jury had imposed sentences at the lower level of the sentencing guidelines.
Williams had been convicted of five counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of rape of a young girl living in his home over a period of three years.
Williams had been convicted by a jury in March of this year of the crimes.
Judge William L. Wellons sentenced Williams on Monday to five years for the rape charge and one year each for the assault charges for a total of 10 years, following the jury's recommendation.
Judge Wellons also fined Williams $2,000 for each of the sexual battery charges for a total of $10,000.
The judge ordered Williams to have no contact with the victim in this case, not by writing, not directly, nor was he to have others contact her.
Judge Wellons also ordered Williams be registered as a sex offender, as provided by law, and that a sample of Williams' blood be taken for DNA records.
Describing the crime as heinous, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney James Vann sought an additional three years of suspended time for each charge.
"That would allow the court a measure of control following Williams' release," said Vann.
Defense attorney Sandra Saseen indicated that her client will appeal his conviction.
"I never done this, there is no way," Williams told Judge Wellons prior to his sentencing.

Gary Darnell Boyd, 34, of South Boston, was sentenced on Monday in Halifax County Circuit Court to a total of two years each in prison on seven counts of forging and uttering with the intent to defraud a time card.
Boyd was additionally sentenced to two years each on seven counts of obtaining money by false pretenses.
Judge William L. Wellons suspended all of Boyd's 28-year sentence except for two years of Boyd's most recent forging and uttering charge.
The suspended sentence was conditional on Boyd's good behavior for 20 years. A two-year probationary period was also ordered for Boyd as well as random drug tests.
· Debra Jean Clark, 30, of South Boston, was sentenced to 12 months each in prison on Monday for two counts of abuse and neglect of a child.
Clark's entire sentence was suspended on condition of her good behavior for two years.
The court also ordered Clark to be placed under the supervision of Halifax-Pittsylvania Court Services for counseling and parenting classes.
· Randy Eugene Donnelly, 40, of Scottsburg, was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
· Frank Thomas Dunkley, Jr., 29, of South Boston, was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday for the possession of cocaine.
The court suspended Dunkley's entire sentence on condition of his good behavior for five years.
Dunkley will be on probation for one year through Halifax-Pittsylvania Court Services, and was ordered to remain drug free, undergo random drug tests and become gainfully employed in a full-time job.
· John Mark Edmonds, 23, of Halifax, was sentenced to six months in jail on Monday for one charge of hit and run.
The court suspended all but 10 days of Edmonds' charge on condition of his good behavior for one year. Edmonds will be allowed to serve his sentence on weekends.
· Vibernadette Grant, 39, of South Boston, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday for the possession of cocaine.
The court suspended all but 30 days of Grant's sentence on the condition of her good behavior for 10 years.
The court also ordered probation for Grant for two years and undergo drug counseling and treatment. She was additionally ordered to refrain from drug use and submit to random drug tests.
Grant will be allowed to serve her sentence on weekends.
· Earl Tydell Ross, 20, of South Boston, had two previously suspended prison sentences revoked on Monday for separate violations of probation conditions.
The court suspended all but a total of three years in prison for both revocations.
· Earnest Eugene Williams, 44, of Nathalie, was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for one count of hit and run.
The court suspended all of Williams' sentence except one weekend in jail.
The suspended sentence was on condition of Williams' good behavior for two years.
· Bradshaw Lamar Woody, 17, of South Boston, was sentenced on Monday to two years in prison for one count of possessing and transporting a firearm under the age of 29 and after a juvenile conviction of an adult felony.
The court ordered a probationary period of one year for Woody and also a period of two years' good behavior.

By Michael A. Paige
With the morning sun rising over the fields of Alton, Mason Coleman is keeping an eye on tradition.
Light green tinges in the stem indicates a day of pulling leaves and the 60-year-old farmer's crew combs through the 10-acre-crop for about 3,000 pounds of leaf to be racked and tiered in what will become the sweet, rare smell of wood-cured tobacco.
In a time when farmers are faced with the task of reducing nitrosamines, Coleman is among the very few today who continue to cure tobacco from wood, thereby producing a product that is lower in nitrosamines.
It's an age-old process that Coleman learned from his father when curing tobacco by wood was the way farmers got things done.
Wood-cured tobacco also involves a 24-hour-a-day process of filling the stick barn, lighting the fires and setting up a hammock for an all-night vigil of keeping the barns at certain temperatures.
Those earlier days of wood-curing trigger memories for tobacco farmers with tales of yore.
"I recall lying on a bank at night and falling asleep," said D.T. Neal, owner of Star Warehouse.
"Suddenly, in pitch dark, something close was breathing on me and I reached up and felt something cold," said Neal.
"It turned out that I had touched the nose of a cow and when I felt the horns, I thought it was the devil," added Neal.
Wood-curing requires year-round work of cutting logs in the winter, planting in the spring and pulling leaves in the summer and fall.
Now that the tobacco markets have opened, warehouses are being filled with that pungent smell of baled and burlaped sheets of leaf, accompanied by the bidding cadence of the auctioneer who brings a premium price for the golden crop.
However, mingled in today's fuel-cured yields lies a rare bale or burlapped sheet of the sweetest smell that is associated with tobacco.
It is that of the seldom-offered wood-cured leaf, which once permeated the rafters of every warehouse in the Southside.
When the wind scurries past the stick barns of Mason Coleman's, that particular aroma blends into the air and fills the nostrils with a distinctive smell that indicates to the farmer's seasoned nose whether or not the barn has completed its cure.
Coleman has filled one of his two stick barns with leaf reaching up into the squirrel tiers, above the six-tier six-room frame.
About four days later, Coleman will reach for a blackend stem to see if it snaps or bends with pressure. The snap will indicate whether or not the 3,000 pounds of leaf are ready for the market.
Usually, Coleman would have 5,000 pounds of gas- and wood-cured tobacco to be delivered to the warehouses twice a week.
This year, Coleman scaled back and plans to take about 2,000 pounds a week to the market. What was once a crop of 40 acres is now down to 10.
Coleman was also slowed by a bad knee this year. After knee surgery in November, he is still recovering as the knee has yet to completely heal.
Aided by a cane, which he is determined to leave behind, Coleman drives out to the fields with his sons, Steve and Damien Marquis, and he directs the work for the day.
With plenty of migrant workers to tend to the crop, Coleman watches the handmade 400-gallon sprayer being towed by a tractor to rid the crop of horn worms and lice.
As with the sprayer, Coleman has used his mechanical abilities to repair, rebuild and invent his equipment.
A heating oil tank fitted with nozzles and mounted on a frame was made to spray insecticides two rows at the time, and though Coleman's sons are compelled to stop often to clean out the nozzles of built-up rust, the work of ridding the plants of insects is accomplished this season with minimal expense.
Before the knee surgery, Coleman was capable of doing two men's work.
"I've been farming tobacco all my life," he said.
The Hard Work of Growing
Starting at age four, Coleman was in the fields from sunup to sundown, producing tobacco under the instructions of his father.
"He taught me how to plant tobacco and then he turned everything over to me," Coleman said.
A thousand pounds of nitrogen were used this year by Coleman to keep the 326 tobacco (a heavy strain) from turning prematurely yellow.
The amount of nitrogen used required a lot of rainfall, enough to wash the fertilizer into the soil; and Coleman had plenty of rainfall.
The National Weather Service reported that the South Boston area had 8.83 inches of rain in June and 7.07 inches in July.
"It takes years to learn how to do the right thing," said Coleman.
Every year is not the same and Coleman looks for signs during the winter that indicate what kind of year it will be and what conditions he will have to work with.
While the workers topped out the plants and poured Off-Shoot-T and Prime Plus on the plants for removing suckers, Coleman examined the leaves in late July for quality, color and texture.
With a hot searing sun burning the fields with temperatures ranging in the 90s, afternoon storms provided the rainfall needed for the nitrogen.
Migrant workers wearing hats and scarfs for protection against the sun, moved at a steady pace along the rows of plants to pick off the suckers and eventually pull the first batch of leaves.
"The daylight is for working, and the shade trees are for stopping for a rest. After you get things going, you take a few moments to rest in the shade," said Coleman who works every day, except Sundays.
"I believe in doing the best you can, and the rest will come to you," he added.
It is Coleman's intent to farm one hundred acres.
Meanwhile, he picks his workers on a basis of how they can handle the load.
"I treat them mighty good and I pay extra to those who don't spend a lot of time on breaks," he said.
At lunch time, Coleman's wife, Geraldine, sets the kitchen table for the family as they break off from the fields and head for the house.
Later in the day, friends lend a hand with the workers at the stringer machine, where picked leaves, piled on carts, are placed onto sticks on the conveyor belt. The belt sends the leaves to a bobbin and needle, which sews the leaves onto the sticks forming a rack which is passed on to workers in the barn.
The needle on the stringer is one that is handmade by Coleman.
When a tractor needs repair, Coleman has only to touch it before sensing the problem.
Wanted by shops to work as a mechanic in his earlier days, Coleman declined the offers, he said, because he preferred to work on something and then move on to something else.
It is the diversity of farming that he enjoys and it has kept him busy with tobacco in the summer and wheat in the spring.
With the tobacco market calling for changes in the way a crop is cured, Coleman is considering building two more stick barns to replace his bulk barns and, after this year, will shift solely to curing tobacco by wood.
Meanwhile, farmers gather in warehouses to share ideas about the market and some have said that wood-curing is the way to go.
Coleman has sold last year's mixed crop with a price of $1.85 a pound, and with new fire boxes ready to burn, the future of sweet leaf is a matter of reading the signs in the winter.

BY JOE CHANDLER
South Boston Speedway, a charter member of the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division, will not host a Busch Series event next year.
"NASCAR did not feel it was appropriate to bring the Busch Series back to South Boston Speedway," said South Boston Speedway manager Cathy Rice.
"It would have been nice if we could have had it (the Busch Series race) here another year. Right now, we have to look forward and not back."
While announcing that South Boston Speedway would not be on the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division schedule next year, Rice announced that the track plans to host a minimum of six national touring events in 2001.
Rice noted that at least three of those events are expected to be nationally televised.
"We remain committed to bringing national touring series and national media attention to Virginia's Racing Region," Rice pointed out.
Nancy Pool, the Executive Director of the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce, said that while it is disappointing that South Boston Speedway will not host a Busch Series race next year, the plans to bring other national touring series races to South Boston Speedway is a big plus to both the speedway and the community.
"There will be opportunities to bring other racing series here and bring television coverage here," Pool said.
"It may not be to the degree of the Busch Series. But it will be good, exciting racing that will provide healthy family entertainment to the fans that come to South Boston Speedway and racing that will bring us good coverage and exposure."
South Boston Speedway was a charter member of the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division, joining the series in 1982.
With the exception of 1992 and 1993, South Boston Speedway has hosted at least one NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division event each year.
"South Boston Speedway has been part of the history and tradition of NASCAR, said NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Helton.
"We look forward to continuing our relationship at this facility with NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series and other touring events. The success of NASCAR is built upon a foundation of short tracks like South Boston Speedway.
NASCAR Vice President Tom Deery said South Boston Speedway has been a traditional venue for NASCAR events.
"With increased improvements made at the facility, it lends itself to the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series and our regional NASCAR Touring series like the Slim Jim All Pro Series, Goody's Dash Series or possibly one of our seven other regional programs," Deery said.
"We look forward to continuing and expanding NASCAR's relationship with South Boston Speedway."
Rice pointed that NASCAR had not expressed any negative sentiments about this season's Busch Series race at South Boston Speedway.
"There wasn't anything negative said," Rice pointed out.
"The only negative was that we rented more seats than we were able to sell.
"I believe the 5 p.m. starting time hurt us," she continued.
"The fans that come to our races are used to seeing our races start at 7:30 p.m. There are also a lot of people in our market area that have to work on Saturday's and have to work on into the afternoon that couldn't make it for a 5 p.m. race."
Rice said approximately 20,000 race fans were on hand for this year's NASCAR Busch Series race at South Boston Speedway.
South Boston Speedway has continued to make facility improvements over the past several years in order to keep its annual date on the NASCAR Busch Series circuit.
This spring, as a result of NASCAR mandates, South Boston Speedway spent a great deal of money to double the size of its scoring tower, surround the race track with a new concrete retaining wall and pit road wall and make other recommended improvements.
While those improvements have been an overall benefit to the facility, they were made primarily as a condition to retain the track's Busch Series date for this season.
"You hope that when you make improvements like we had to make that you'd get a couple of years (of Busch Series races) to get your money out of them," she said.
"We knew we had to do these things to keep the (Busch Series) race this year."
South Boston Speedway is not the only short track that will go off of the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division circuit next season.
A story appearing in yesterday's edition of The Sun News, the daily newspaper in Myrtle Beach. S.C., stated that Myrtle Beach Speedway will also go off of the circuit next year.
The story stated that track owner Billy Hardee and fellow owner Nick Lucas have opted not to bring the Busch Series back to their facility next year for financial reasons.
Myrtle Beach Speedway, like South Boston Speedway and the other Busch Series tracks, has had to weather huge NASCAR mandated increases in Busch Series race purses over the past few seasons.
But, Myrtle Beach had another problem, a lack of sponsorship. The race at Myrtle Beach Speedway has been run without a sponsor for two the past two seasons.
Like South Boston Speedway, Myrtle Beach Speedway has been a long-time participant on the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division circuit.
The half-mile track in the famous resort city has been a part of the Busch Series since 1988.
Along with the announcement of the fate of the local NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division race, South Boston Speedway officials have also released a revamped late season schedule.
Only two nights of points races remain on the South Boston Speedway schedule, those being the September 2 and September 16 events.
The September 2 event will be the season's final double points event and will include a Twin 100's event for the NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars, a Twin 50's Limited Sportsman Division event and a 30 lap Super Stock Division race.
The final night of points races will be Saturday, September 16 when a 150 lap Late Model Stock Car event, a 75 lap Limited Sportsman Division race and a 30 lap Super Stock Division race are slated.
South Boston Speedway officials have also included some special events as part of its late season schedule including motorcycle thrill shows, an Enduro, circle drags, a Monster Truck event on October 28 and the big season ending Bailey's Hometown Challenge event November 3-5.
Highlighting that weekend will be a 300 lap race for the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model Stock Cars on Sunday, November 5.

Speedway officials said that work is already well underway towards setting the track's 2001 race schedule.
An announcement of next season's South Boston Speedway schedule is anticipated this fall.

John Slater Lamond, age 56, of Moseley, died Sunday, July 30.
He is survived by his wife, Mary M. Lamond; two daughters, Katharine Grigg Lamond Smith and her husband, Darrell G. Smith Jr. of Powhatan, April Dallas Lamond of Banner Elk, N.C.; one brother, Clyde C. Lamond III of Bluemont; his mother, Marguerite Moncure Lamond of Alexandria; one granddaughter, Deanna Smith. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Thomas Robinson Lamond and Robert Moncure Lamond; his father, Clyde C. Lamond Jr.
Mr. Lamond was the past president of Chesterfield Kiwanis Club, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Chesterfield Alternatives, retired U.S. Air Force, and a retired employee of Virginia Power.

Funeral services were conducted 11 a.m. August 2 at Swift Creek Presbyterian Church. Burial was in Union United Methodist Church Cemetery, South Boston, at 3 p.m.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Alpha 1 Association, 8120 Penn Ave. South, Suite 549, Minneapolis, Minn. 55431.

Wilson Medley, 85, of 1122 Medley Road, Alton, died August 20 at his home.
Mr. Medley was born in Halifax County on October 2, 1914, the son of Matthew Medley and Mary Stephens Medley and was married to Leola Brandon Medley. He was a member of Greater Brandon Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife; three sisters, Marie White, Queen Lewis and Leola Minor, all of Philadelphia, Pa.; one brother, Lowiest Medley of Philadelphia; a devoted niece, Mary Marie Hamlett of Alton; a devoted nephew, Coolidge Hamlett Jr. of Alton.
Funeral services for Mr. Medley will be held August 26 at 2 p.m. at Greater Brandon Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. H.R. Surgeon officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends at Greater Brandon Chapel Missionary Baptist Church Friday evening from 7:00 until 8:00 and other times at the home