Emporia, Virginia--the News

Obituary

Annie Elaine Newsome Woodruff passed away and left this earthly life on Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

She was born on December 3, 1931 in Greensville County, Virginia where she lived her life on the Dry Bread Road. She was the eighth of ten children of the late Joseph and Lottie Newsome. Her husband William Alton Woodruff predeceased her.

She is survived by her two sons, William A. Woodruff, Jr. and his wife Bonnie of Colonial Heights, Virginia and Randell K. Woodruff and his wife Fay of Beaufort County, North Carolina along with nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her three sisters, Ada Avent and her husband Arthur of Southampton County, Virginia; Edith Roughton of Roanoke Rapids, NC; Bessie Cooper and her husband Arnold of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and her brother Raymond Newsome and his wife Sylvia of Gates County, NC.

Visitation will be at Owen Funeral Home in Jarratt from 7:00-8:30 pm on Friday, January 27, 2012. A service in celebration of her life will be held at Independence United Methodist Church on the Dry Bread Road near Emporia, Virginia at 11:00am on Saturday, January 28, 2012 with the interment following the service in the church cemetery.

At the conclusion of the service the family will greet family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Independence United Methodist Church.

Owen Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Senate Approves Lifting Ban on Sunday Hunting

By Brad Fulton

Capital News Service

Virginians are one step closer to being able to hunt on Sundays. On a 29-11 vote Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that would allow Sunday hunting on private land.

Sen. Ralph Northam, a Democrat from Norfolk, introduced Senate Bill 464. Originally, it would have completed lifted the state’s ban on hunting on Sundays. A committee folded into SB 464 legislation by Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, to permit Sunday hunting “on private property, either as a landowner, the landowner’s spouse or the children of the landowner, or with the written permission of the landowner.”

At the request of Sen. Charles Carrico, R-Galax, senators further amended the measure to prohibit hunters from hunting within 250 yards of a place of worship.

Of the 20 Democratic senators, 17 for the bill and three voted against it.

Of the 20 Republican senators, 12 voted for the bill and eight voted against it.

“I’m glad that the Senate acted decisively today to roll back an archaic restriction on a constitutional right in Virginia,” Petersen said after the floor vote.

The bill would rescind a state law that prohibits hunting on Sunday on public or private land, declaring it a “rest day for all species of wild bird and wild animal life, except raccoons, which may be hunted until 2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings.”

Gov. Bob McDonnell said last week that he agrees with lifting the ban on hunting on Sundays on private property.

Opposition to lifting the ban has come from groups such as the Virginia Farm Bureau and the Virginia Humane Society.

Petersen noted that the National Rifle Association supports his efforts to eliminate the ban on Sunday hunting. According to a survey, two-thirds of licensed hunters in Virginia support hunting on Sundays, Petersen said.

The bill now goes to the Virginia House of Delegates. If passed, the measure could open up Sunday hunting as early as next hunting season.

YMCA Preschoolers hit 100

On Thurs Feb 26, YMCA Preschool celebrated their 100th day of school! The kids had a fun-filled "100-themed" day! The kids had a blast stringing 100 loops on necklaces, making 100 crowns and glasses, sorting 100 m&m's, making a 100 paperclip chain, and even eating a "100" snack made with a pretzel stick and two round crackers! The kids also brought in bags filled with 100 things. Some of the items were cotton balls, seashells, marshmallows, navy beans and bubblegum! Each child brought in another bag full of 100 pennies to be donated to the Emporia Animal Shelter. We look forward to the rest of the school year!

The warm days get the Spring Fever surging through the veins of a gardener, creating thoughts of getting outside to begin work on the yard. While it is still too early to do a whole lot, there are some things we can do to keep busy. We can sharpen our tools-not an exciting way to spend time but a necessary one. We can start to divide the daylillies and daffodils as long as the dirt is not too wet. And, of course, we can always pull weeds or pick up any trash that may have accumulated in the yard or garden. If, however, the weather is too rainy, too windy or too cold, we can always curl up in the recliner, get those seed catalogs out and dream of what will be!