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Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Joseph Barden Jr.
Vol. XXVII No. 39
October 9, 2013
Solzbach receives Eagle Scout Award See 3A
Viking ship sunk Blessed Sacrament blasts past Brunswick Academy 42-7
Pay As You Earn plan one option for repaying student loans See 2A
See 1B
Community saddened by death of Vernon Poe School board member, longtime law enforcement officer was a familiar face to many in county By Ben Orcutt News Editor
The Sept. 29 sudden and tragic accidental death of Vernon Poe struck a blow to not only family and friends, but the Powhatan community at large, according to those who knew him best. “I mean he was just a wonderful person,” said Poe’s wife, Inez. “He was a wonderful father, husband [and he] loved his grandchildren.” A veteran law enforcement officer, Poe worked for a number of agencies around Poe the state, the last of which was the Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office, where he spent about 23 years, his wife said. “He loved the sheriff’s department,” said his wife, who was the Powhatan County Registrar for 40 years. Mrs. Poe said the two things that meant the most to her husband were his family and law enforcement. see Poe page 5A
McClung recognized for academic achievement By Ben Orcutt News Editor
Thanks to the collegecredit courses he took at Powhatan High School, 2013 PHS class member Nathan McClung was able to enter Virginia Tech this year essentially as a sophomore instead of as a freshman. “Taking college level McClung courses in high school has given me a huge leg up in college due to the way it has allowed me to take classes required for my major this year, rather than having to take the general classes normally completed during freshman year,” 18-year-old McClung said during a recent interview. McClung finished high school with a 4.6 grade point average, which was good enough to see McClung page 5A
PHOTO BY BEN ORCUTT
From left, Company 1 Chief Carroll Smith, Capt. Danny Coley and volunteer firefighter Grant Daniel lowered the American flag at Company 1 to half-staff last week in honor of their colleague and long-time Company 1 member Jimmy Timberlake.
Farewell to ‘Jimmy’ Longtime PVFD Co.1 member James Timberlake dies By Ben Orcutt News Editor
His given name was James Barksdale Timberlake, but for most people in Powhatan County, he was simply known as “Jimmy.” Timberlake, 64, died on Sept. 30 from congestive heart failure, according to his son, James Barksdale “Jamie” Timberlake II, who is the Commissioner of the Revenue for Powhatan County. The elder Timberlake served in the military for 26 years and was named Marine of the Year. He also Timberlake worked an equal amount of time for the Virginia Department of Forestry. However, he is probably best known for serving over 33 years with the Powhatan County Volunteer Fire Department, with most of his service with Company 1. “His whole life was about service – from working for the state serving in the forestry department to the volunteer services with the
fire department,” his son said. “When he knew somebody was struggling and he could make a difference, he had the ability to do that with you able to keep your self-respect. “He always wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions and make you think about your actions. It was very important to him that every person was heard when there was a decision that was being made and if he didn’t agree with you, he would tell you that. You couldn’t stay mad at him because he always had a way of doing it but with letting you keep your selfrespect for your opinion.” Jamie Timberlake followed in his father’s footsteps and he also is a lifetime member of Company 1 and former chief. The elder Timberlake is held in the highest regard by his Company 1 colleagues. “Well, Jimmy’s sort of like a legend up here and I know the older guys that knew him a lot better than I did really miss him,” Company 1 Chief Carroll Smith said. Company 1 Capt. Danny Coley worked with Timberlake as a volunteer and on Timberlake’s farm as well. see Jimmy page 8A
Inside
Sports
Index
A4 VAVRS German Exchange Program a success Powhatan Volunteer Rescue Squad has chance to interract with counterparts from thousands of miles away
B1 Indians overcome slow start to slay Lions in ‘The Jungle’ Despite relatively slow start, Powhatan nabs 26-14 victory
Calendar Classified Letters Obituaries
A7 B7 A6 A7
Opinion Quotes Real Estate TV Listings
A6 A2 B7 B4-5