Smaller Peanut Crop Expected

No one is certain how much under last year’s yield the peanut crop will fall but most area farmers and Nansemond County Agent John W. Freeman agree that it will be substantial.

Freeman stated today that estimates of a drop as much as 30 percent in Nansemond County production is now considered to be conservative, &uot;however, for the country as a whole,&uot; he said, production is up over last year.&uot;

Apparently his pessimism is shared by most local farmers. Chesley Powell, a Pitchkettle Rd. farmer with 32 acres of peanuts said yesterday that his crop will definitely be quite lower than last year. Henley Williams, who has about 70 acres in peanuts on his Kilby Rd. farm near Suffolk said where last year he had well over 25 bags to the acre, this year he would be &uot;happily surprised&uot; to come close to 20. A small farmer who did not disclose his name stated his 17-acre yield of around 18 bags to the acre last year would not average 10 this year. &uot;It is the worst season I have had in 20 years of farming,&uot; he said, &uot;and another like it next year will completely wipe me out.

Man stabbed by irate questioner

A little football knowledge might have come in handy for a Nansemond County man hospitalized at Obici today in &uot;fair&uot; condition.

Police said Amos Brown, 38, of Route 1, Suffolk, told them he’d parked his car near the Tynes Street playground at 7:30 p.m. yesterday and was preparing to walk over to Betty’s Seafood Caf\u00E9 for something to eat, when an incident leasing to a stabbing occurred.

Brown said, a group of four or five Negro men were standing on the street arguing about a football game when he got out of his car. They told him to come over and tell them something about it. Brown said he told them he didn’t know anything about it.

At that, Brown claimed, one of them said, &uot;you one of them said, &uot;You country scoundrel, you ought to know something about it,&uot; and struck him in the chest.

The victim said he then walked away several steps before he realized he’d been cut in the right side of his chest and went to a doctor’s office. He there received first aid before he was taken to Obici for treatment of the wound and hospitalization. Brown who works at the United States Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, told officials the men were about 20 to 23 years of age.

2 charged with reckless driving

A couple of Suffolk men will be tried on charges of careless and reckless driving this month as a result of two accidents here over the weekend.

Parker C. Gilliam, 45, of 203 North Street, sustained a cut on his chin where he reportedly ran a car up on the sidewalk and into a Virginia Electric and Power Company pole on the east side of Pine Street.

The car driven by Gilliam, owned by the Clark-Andrews Motor Company, was damaged along the front end and chassis and estimated $800.

Police said there was no visible damage to the utility pole. Gilliam was summonsed for a police court hearing Wednesday.

A warrant was also secured Saturday charging Henry Reid of Muskrat Road with driving into a corner of Ellen E. Harvell’s grocery store at 515 East Washington Street.

Lions to sponsor movie at palace

The Palace Theatre will be under &uot;new&uot; management Wednesday and Thursday nights.

For members of the Suffolk Lions Club in an effort to replenish their charity fund, are now selling tickets for the two days and will man the box office, candy booth and play usher these nights.

Oscar Kennedy, publicity chairman for the project, said tickets may be secured from any member of the club. He said those sold in advance will net the club a percentage, but those sold at the door will not.

2 hurt when cars collide at hospital

Obici hospital attendants practically had their patients delivered to them when a 3-car accident occurred at the hospital’s exit about 8:40 p.m. Saturday.

Admitted to the hospital were Walter Hyman, 53, 1900 East Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk, with lacerations of the lower and upper lips, and Claude Bernett, 43, of 1843 East Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk, with a lacerated forehead and chest pains.

According to State Trooper Charles Bailey, who investigated a car driven by Cecil Mizelle, 45, of Rt. 3, Box 708, Suffolk struck the rear of a car driven by John T. Harris, 28, of 120 Morgan St., Suffolk as Mizelle emerged from the exit. Harris was headed west on Rt. 460. A few minutes later, Hyman’s car which wass also occupied by Bernett, collided with Harris’ car.

-Compiled by Jennifer Rose