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School surveys draw response

The Halifax County School Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16 beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the school board conference room to review the results of a…

Homeschoolers gain yardage on school sports

Homeschoolers who want their children to be able to play public-school sports are cheering a historic vote this week in Richmond that advances a bill to a floor vote in…

Kitchen closed

Shoney’s out of business in South Boston, Farmville

Sports

Lions close regular season with win

The Halifax County Middle School boys’ basketball team defeated Westwood, 41-28, Monday, completing the regular season.

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McDonnell decision costs Halifax County $1.5 million

SoVaNow.com / February 08, 2010
Gov. Bob McDonnell weighed in today on a school funding debate of particular interest to Halifax County schools — and the news from the governor’s office is not what local officials had hoped to hear.

McDonnell announced today that he will support updating the Local Composite Index (LCI), the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget. His predecessor, former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, had proposed freezing the index to save money in the strapped state budget.

The move favors northern Virginia, which stood to lose $128.3 million if the formula was not updated. The decision will mean that local governments in most other counties and cities in Virginia will be required to come up with a larger share of funding for school divisions.

Perhaps no community had more riding on the decision than Halifax County, which stood to gain an extra benefit from an index freeze. Halifax is in the last year of a 15-year deal with the state giving the county an artificially low index. The county received the break to offset the costs of absorbing students from the South Boston school system when South Boston reverted to a town in 1994.

Under the Kaine budget plan, Halifax County would have kept its low index for one more year. By losing it, the county will face a $1.5 million funding reduction from the state, on top of an estimated $3.4 million in cuts already plugged into Virginia’s education budget.

In discarding the proposed index freeze, McDonnell said today the idea was “unprecedented” and would have represented a broken commitment on Virginia’s part.

“For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia,” said McDonnell in a written statement. “The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources.

“For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth. Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration.

“The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.”
McDonnell continued, “The decision to continue to update the Local Composite Index is one that I reached after extensive meetings with my finance staff, legislators, and local government officials. I thank all these individuals for their input and thoughts during the process.

“Ensuring that we have a fair formula that is implemented without regard to temporary or political considerations is the best means by which to appropriate education funding in the Commonwealth.

“Every time the Index is readjusted some school systems gain funding, while others receive less. This has occurred for nearly forty years, and local officials understand the routine and objective biennial implementation of the Index.”

In announcing his decision to undo the proposed freeze of the Index, McDonnell also identified specific budget savings to account for the additional state spending required. The update will cost the state $29 million in FY 2011.

To cover this increased funding, McDonnell will recommend to the General Assembly the transfer of $13 million from Literary Fund balances; $8 million through the use of available balances in the Health Insurance Fund to reduce state health insurance premiums; $5.2 million will be found in Real ID savings and an available $3 million will be captured in additional Non-General Fund balances.

Budget recommendations will continue to be made and communicated to the legislature in the coming days, the statement from the governor’s office said.

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Trustee Sale
TRUSTEE'S SALE OF
306 DORTCH LANE, South Hill, VA 23970
In execution of a Deed of Trust in the original principal amount of $131,750.00, with an annual interest rate of 7.0000% from VIRGINIA G. SHEARIN AND GERALDINE S. BACON dated August 2, 2004, recorded among the land records of the Circuit Court for the COUNTY OF MECKLENBURG as Deed Book/Instrument # 040005358, the undersigned appointed Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at public auction at the front of the Circuit Court building for the County of Mecklenburg located at 393 Washington Street, Boydton, Virginia on April 19, 2011 at 2:00 PM, the property with improvements to wit: LOTS NO. 8, 9, 10 AND 11 ON "MAP OF THE J.S. DORTCH SUBDIVISION, SOUTH HILL, VIRGINIA", RECORDED IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY, VIRGINIA IN PLAT BOOK 7, PAGE 49. AND further described in the above Deed of Trust. (Tax Map No. 078A17-33-008 & 078A17-33-010) THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. TERMS OF SALE: ALL CASH. A bidder's deposit of $13,100.00 or 10% of the sale price, whichever is lower, will be required in cash, certified or cashier's check. Settlement within fifteen (15) days of sale, otherwise Trustees may forfeit deposit. Additional terms to be announced at sale. Loan type: Conventional. Trustee's File No. 11-212704D.
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