[7-Danville-Murder]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=99-58 34:14]
[GRAPHIC=Murder]
Danville police are still investigating the alleged murder of a women who's body was found yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]
Authorities say it appears that 45 year old Mary Deloris Johnson was stabbed - but they're not sure.
Police found Johnson's body in her bedroom at 731 Memorial Avenue - after receiving calls from friends concerned that they had not heard from her.
Police say there were no signs of forced entry, but that her apartment had been ransacked.
Johnson's body will be sent to the Medical Examiner to determine an exact cause of death.
(------------)
[Anchor=Melanie]
[TAKE FS GRAPHIC]
Anyone with information is asked to call Danville Police at 804-799-5111 or Crimestoppers at 804-793-0000.
[7-Missing-Girl]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-53 48:54]
[GRAPHIC=None]
In Pulaski County, authorities are continuing the search for the teenaged girl who has been missing for two days.
(+++++++)
[FS PICTURE]
16 year old Tara Rose Munsey, a Radford High School junior, was last seen leaving work at the Fairlawn Taco Bell around seven Tuesday night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski Co.;]
Her car was found abandoned in the parking lot with her dinner still sitting in the driver's seat.
Authorities say there were no signs of a struggle, but they call her disappearance "suspicious."
Yesterday, state police searched by helicopter for signs of Munsey, but found no leads.
(++++++++)
[TAKE PHONE NUMBER FS]
If you have any information on Munsey - you can call the Pulaski Co. Sheriff's Dept. at 540 980-7800.
(+++++++++)
[7-11C'burg-Officer]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A Christiansburg police officer has been charged with the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in December.
A Montgomery County grand jury indicted 29-year-old Terry Calvin Buchanan on the charge of aggravated sexual battery.
Buchanan left the police last month after an internal investigation.
Aggravated sexual battery is a felony that can carry up to 20 years in prison.
Buchanan could not be reached for comment.
[7-11Goode]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=99-48 1:24:21]
[GRAPHIC=Goode]
Earlier this week, Virgil Goode announced he is running for re-election as an independent, but yesterday the Congressman was surrounded...
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Washington, DC;]
by Republicans.
He announced that he's joining the House G-O-P Caucus.
That means Goode will take part in its policy sessions.
(------------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The G-O-P awarded the Fifth District lawmaker a seat on the House Appropriations Committee.
Democratic leaders were quick to say good riddance.
Virginia's Democratic Party Chairman Ken Plum said Goode has turned his back on loyal Democrats who have supported him for 28 years.
House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt criticized Goode for "aligning himself with three political parties in less than a week."
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Here's a look at today's forecast.
Partly sunny and windy today with high temperatures in the low to mid 30s.
Tonight partly cloudy and cold.
Lows in the low to mid teens.
The weekend forecast...
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[SUPER=#555; reset]
[45-11Lewis-Gale]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-54 53:55]
[GRAPHIC=L-G Departing Docs]
Lewis Gale Clinic hopes to keep more doctors from leaving by holding a new round of high level talks this weekend.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem]
This, after Wednesday's announcement that all 10 doctors in the anesthesiology department are quitting ...
following 18 doctors resigning earlier this month.
[phycor website]
All accuse Nashville-based PhyCor of mismanaging their practices.
[pre-pro]
The clinic held a special meeting last night with its board of directors.
Next ... on Saturday ... News-7 has learned a top-level PhyCor executive will come to Salem.
He's coming to town for "serious and critical" negotiations.
In those talks ... the clinic will consider "all options" for the clinic's future.
That includes a possible change in ownership ... and one option is cutting the clinic's ties to PhyCor.
(------------)
[45-11Textile-Aid]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-51 54:14]
[GRAPHIC=Va. Capitol Textile Aid]
In Richmond, they're looking for ways to help laid off Southside Textile workers.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Mr. Chairman]
((SEN. ROSCOE REYNOLDS/D-HENRY CO.: MR. CHAIRMAN, I LEAVE WITH THE TENDER MERCIES OF THIS COMMITTEE THESE CONCERNS, THESE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, SO WE CAN PRAYERFULLY ASK FOR A FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION.))
[SOT ]
((SEN. JOHN CHICHESTER/R-STAFFORD CO.: ALL OF US UP HERE UNDERSTAND AND I THINK THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH UNDERSTAND THE DILEMMA THAT YOU FIND YOURSELVES IN.))
[SUPER=@Reynolds; :00 ]
[SUPER=01-Sen. John Chichester/(R) Stafford Co.; :12]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=yourselves in.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville/File Tape;]
The Senate Finance committee heard 13-point-8 million dollars in requests for Medicaid coverage and increased unemployment benefits.
That's just the dollars that would back up the Textile Workers Relief Act of 2000.
The rest must be approved by other committees.
(------------)
[TALENT=Melanie]
[SS=HOLD]
Additionally, Senator Reynolds says the tobacco settlement will now NOT be able to pay for capitol improvements to the Natural History Museum.
So that's another 12-million dollar request of state budget money.
Reynolds says a new museum would mean a lot to new employers who want to locate in the Martinsville area.
[45-11Griffin-Pipe]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-56 34:20]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A fuel spill isn't the only setback at the Griffin Pipe Factory.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
Yesterday, an accident between a forklift and a tanker truck led to 750 gallons of diesel fuel being spilled into the James River.
An environmental contractor was called in to contain the spill.. cleanup was expected to take at least a day.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Mel]
[graphic=none]
And late yesterday afternoon, officials announced that 85 employees of Griffin Pipe would be out of a job by the end of March.
The company is moving its pipe fittings operation to a plant in Mexico.
The plant will still employ 200 people.
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a break from the news to check the forecast..
Partly sunny and not as windy today, with highs near 35.
Tonight looks partly cloudy and cold, with lows near 15.
Looking ahead at the weekend forecast... increasing clouds tomorrow with winter weather possible by late tomorrow night and in to Sunday.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Winds NW 10-15/32-36/Partly Cloudy/& Cold/12-17;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[8-11Prices-Fork]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=none]
A Supreme Court appointed panel says the community of Prices Fork in Montgomery County will NOT be a town.
The three judge panel decided the community will stay as it is...at least for now.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;]
Some of the nearly two-thousand residents of Prices Fork petitioned for the community to become a town.
They said it would preserve its heritage and keep Prices Fork from being annexed by Blacksburg.
Some residents ... and county officials ... argued that was NOT a threat.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 1:11:00 - :13]
[IN Q=I've survived there]
[SUPER=01-Harold Dudley/Prices Fork Resident;]
((Harold Dudley/Prices Fork Resident: I'VE SURVIVED THERE FOR A GOOD MANY YEARS AND I'VE HAD FOOD, AND SHELTER ALL THAT TIME AND I SEE NO REASON TO CHANGE ANYTHING. I BELIEVE THE COUNTY'S QUITE CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF IT. ))
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=taking care of it.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The judicial panel agreed.
But the citizens in favor of town status for Prices Fork can still appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
(------------)
[8-11Moment-Silence]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Virginia students may have one minute for silent meditation, prayer, or reflection during the school day.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Chesterfield Co.]
A state Senate committee referred that bill out to the full Senate yesterday on a 10 to 4 vote.
A moment of silence is a local option now.
In Chesterfield County, they have that, but the teacher is NOT allowed to suggest prayer.
The A-C-L-U believes the bill may be UN-constitutional as it's worded now.
Current Virginia law allows any child to pray alone or with other students -- as long as school officials don't get involved.
(------------)
[8-11Teacher-Pay]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Virginia's teachers could be getting a big pay raise.
Democrats in the State Assembly announced plans to give teachers a ten percent raise, over two years.
It would cost an estimated 400 million dollars.
But it would bring teacher salaries in Virginia up to the national average.
Republicans are backing a much smaller increase, 2-point-two five percent.
[8-11Board-SOL]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=500-04 8:40]
[GRAPHIC=SOLs]
Do you think the people who make Virginia school children take the S-O-L tests could pass them themselves?
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Patrick County delegate Barnie Day wants to know.
[SUPER=03-Richmond/May 1997;]
He has a bill that would require the nine members of the State Board of Education to take the tests just like the kids--
(------------)
[anchor=melanie]
[ss=HOLD]
and publicly release their grades.
Board President Kirk Schroder calls Day's bill a "stunt."
But Schroder took the tests himself last year. He says he just needs to brush up on the higher levels of math.
[8-11Junior-League]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-60 53:25]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Dozens of Clearbrook Elementary students got a little help from the Junior League of the Roanoke Valley ...
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
to honor the adults who've made a difference in their lives.
The students took their parents and teachers out to dinner -- to thank them for their efforts.
The event was called the Night of 2-thousand stars.
And these stars were chosen because of their efforts to help make the student's future a little brighter.
(------------)
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time to check the Friday forecast...
Partly sunny skies with highs in the mid 30s.
Staying partly cloudy overnight, with lows in the teens.
Looking ahead at the weekend forecast... increasing clouds tomorrow with snow possible by late tomorrow night and maybe some mixed precipitation as we head into Sunday.
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[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Winds NW 10-15/32-36/Partly Cloudy/& Cold/12-17;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS