[7-E-Local-Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-51 56:36]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather ]
Most of the state is recovering from the latest round of winter weather.
Icy conditions have made travelling hazardous and so far, one weather related fatality has been reported.
V-Dot crews worked through the night to clear area roadways.
Many are now clear with a few patches of ice and snow-- though some in Roanoke, Boteourt, Craig and Bedford Counties are still snow-covered.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
The Lynchburg area picked up close to two inches of snow Saturday night, before everything turned over to a heavy rain that tapered off by late afternoon.
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]
The snow and ice contributed to several accidents yesterday. This tractor trailer accident near Dixie Caverns led officials to shut down a portion of Interstate 81 for several hours.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
The Roanoke Regioanl Airport is operating this morning, though some flights to the northeast have already been cancelled due to bad weather there.
(------------)
[7-NRV-Snow]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]
The storm dumped more than six inches of snow on much of the New River Valley.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]
VDOT reports most roads to be in minor condition-- that means some patches of snow and ice on the roads.
A fleet of a hundred trucks carrying 700 tons of salt has been working to clear the rest of the roads.
And school officials are taking the situation seriously.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=we've got 8 to]
((FRED MORTON/MONTGOMERY CO. SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: WE'VE GOT 8-10 PEOPLE OUT CHECKING SAFETY OF THE ROADS VERY CAREFULLY TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL KIDS AND WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO LOOK FOR THE SAFETY OF KIDS FIRST AND TO TRY AND LET PEOPLE KNOW AS SOON AS WE CAN. ))
[SUPER=01-Fred Morton/School Superintendent;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=soon as we can.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=HOLD]
Further to the east, ice was a big problem.
180-thousand Richmond area customers lost power last night.
(XXXXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE Full Screen Phone Number]
If you need detailed road information, you can call V-DOT directly at 1-800-367-ROAD.
[7-Textile-Talks]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Textile Relief]
Laid- off textile workers are taking their concerns to the state Capitol today.
Dozens of people from the Henry County area are expected to attend a house Labor and Commerce Committee hearing in Richmond.
The proposed Textile Workers Relief Act of 2000 would make jobless people in high unemployment areas eligible for Medicaid and would boost the maximum unemployment benefit in such areas by 100 dollars
a week.
[7-Richmond-Arrest]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation]
Police in Richmond believe they have the suspect in four unsolved murders from 1996.
Officials say Leslie Leon Burchart, a homeless schizophrenic has confessed to the slayings and given investigators information about the crimes that only the killer would know.
Four women ranging in age from 55 to 84 were found strangled in their homes in the so called Golden Years homicides.
[7-Telemarketing]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Virginia residents may have a solution for unwanted telemarketing calls.
Telemarketers could face restrictions under bills before the House Corporations, Insurance, and Banking Committee.
The panel will conduct a public hearing tomorrow to create a list of people who don't want to receive telemarketing calls.
Companies that call people on that list would be guilty of violating the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Here's a look at today's weather.
Partly sunny and windy today.
Highs in the low to mid 30s.
Tonight, partly cloudy and still windy, with lows in the lower 20s.
The extended forecast...
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Winds W 15-30/32-36/Partly Cloudy/Still Windy/20-24;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[45-S-Roanoke-Murder]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=00-02 16:58]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation]
[***ANCHOR TAG****]
Roanoke police continue to look for clues in connection with the weekend murder of a motel owner.
Fifty-seven year old Betty (duh-sigh) DeSai was found dead Saturday.
As Joy Sutton reports loved ones -- say this is a double tragedy -- since Desai's husband was also murdered.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Betty ]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Yesterday;00]
[SUPER=01-Jitendra Desai/Victim's Friend;:22]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/March 1990;40]
[SUPER=@Joy2;1:13]
[RUNS=1:16]
[OUT Q=js News 7 Roanoke]
(( Betty DeSai was found dead Saturday morning inside the Park Inn International Motel on Melrose Avenue -- a business she owned and managed.
The motel had been robbed and police suspect the robbery may have been a motive in her death.
Friends of DeSai say it's hard to comprehend that she died just like her husband -- a victim of violence.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:59:13]
[IN Q=We just could not]
((DR. JITENDRA DESAI:WE JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. IT WAS HARD TO FATHOM. AND ONE THOUGHT THAT WENT THROUGH MY MIND IS THAT ROANOKE IS A SAFE PLACE THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=happening here]
Betty's husband Girish (ger-REESH) DeSai was found dead almost ten years ago at an apartment complex he owned and managed -- he'd been murdered by one of his tenants.
Jitendra Desai, who was NOT related to the couple but considered them close friends, says the Indian Community has suffered a great loss.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:58:09]
[IN Q=They were very community]
((JITENDRA DESAI: THEY WERE BOTH VERY COMMUNITY ORIENTED, VERY HARD WORKING, VERY CARING AND DEDICATED PEOPLE))
[RUNS= 6]
[OUT Q=dedicated people]
Desai says the couple had two daughters -- who are now left grieving the loss of both of their parents.
Joy Sutton, NEWS 7, Roanoke.))
(----------------)
[++++TAKE FULL SCREEN GRAPHIC+++++]
Police are not saying how Betty DeSai was murdered but anyone with information on the crime is urged to call the Roanoke City Police Crimestoppers at 1-800-791-0044.
(-------------)
[45-Richmond-Arrest]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation]
Richmond police believe they may have a serial killer in custody.
Officials say Leslie Leon Burchart, a homeless schizophrenic has confessed to four unsolved murders and given investigators information about the crimes that only the killer would know.
Four women ranging in age from 55 to 84 were found strangled in their homes in 1996.
They were referred to as the Golden Years homicides.
[45-Textile-Talks]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Textile Relief]
In Richmond today, dozens of laid-off textile workers are expected to converge on the state Capitol.
The House Labor and Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on a bill to help unemployed textile workers in the Martinsville area.
The proposed Textile Workers Relief Act of 2000 would make jobless people in high unemployment areas eligible for Medicaid and would boost the maximum unemployment benefit in such areas by 100 dollars
a week.
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Let's take a moment to check the forecast...
Some lingering snow showers in the higher elevations this morning, otherwise, partly sunny and windy today.
Highs near 35.
Partly cloudy tonight, with lows in the lower 20s.
In the five day forecast, a gradual warm- up with highs in the 40s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Winds W 15-30/32-36/Partly Cloudy/Still Windy/20-24;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[8-E-Local-Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-51 56:36]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather ]
The latest round of winter weather has left most of the state under a blanket of ice and snow.
Icy conditions have made travelling hazardous and so far, one traffic fatality has been reported.
V-Dot crews worked through the night to clear area roadways.
Many are now clear with a few patches of ice and snow-- though some in Roanoke, Boteourt, Craig and Bedford Counties are still snow-covered.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
The Lynchburg area picked up close to two inches of snow Saturday night, before everything turned over to a heavy rain that tapered off by late afternoon.
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]
The snow and ice contributed to several accidents yesterday. This tractor trailer accident near Dixie Caverns led officials to shut down a portion of Interstate 81 for several hours.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
The Roanoke Regioanl Airport is operating this morning, though some flights to the northeast have already been cancelled due to bad weather there.
(------------)
[8-NRV-Snow]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]
Much of the New River Valley is working to dig out from more than six inches of snow.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]
VDOT reports most roads to be in minor condition-- that means some patches of snow and ice on the roads.
A fleet of a hundred trucks carrying 700 tons of salt has been working to clear the rest of the roads.
And school officials are taking the situation seriously.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=we've got 8 to]
((FRED MORTON/MONTGOMERY CO. SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: WE'VE GOT 8-10 PEOPLE OUT CHECKING SAFETY OF THE ROADS VERY CAREFULLY TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL KIDS AND WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO LOOK FOR THE SAFETY OF KIDS FIRST AND TO TRY AND LET PEOPLE KNOW AS SOON AS WE CAN. ))
[SUPER=01-Fred Morton/School Superintendent;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=soon as we can.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=HOLD]
Further to the east, ice was a big problem.
180-thousand Richmond area customers lost power last night.
(XXXXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE Full Screen Phone Number]
If you need detailed road information, you can call V-DOT directly at 1-800-367-ROAD.
[8-Roanoke-Murder]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation]
Roanoke police continue to investigate the weekend murder of a motel owner.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Saturday;]
57-year old Betty DeSai (duh-sigh) was found dead inside the Park Inn International Motel on Melrose Avenue Saturday.
The motel had been robbed and police suspect the robbery may have been a motive in her death.
DeSai's friends are stunned and say it's hard to understand how she died just like her husband who was murdered almost ten years ago.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We just could]
((DR. JITENDRA DESAI: WE JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. IT WAS HARD TO FATHOM. AND ONE THOUGHT THAT WENT THROUGH MY MIND IS THAT ROANOKE IS A SAFE PLACE. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING.))
[SUPER=01-Dr. Jitendra DeSai/Victim's Friend;]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=be happening]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[Take Full Screen Graffic]
Police ask anyone with information to contact the Roanoke City Police Crimestoppers at 1-800-791-0044.
(------------)
[8-Richmond-Arrest]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation]
Richmond police believe they have found the suspect in four unsolved murders from four years ago.
Officials say Leslie Leon Burchart, a homeless schizophrenic has confessed to the 1996 slayings and given investigators information about the crimes that only the killer would know.
Four women ranging in age from 55 to 84 were found strangled in their homes in the so called Golden Years homicides.
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Here's a look at the Monday forecast...
Turning partly sunny today and windy with highs in the mid 30s.
Partly cloudy tonight with lows around 22.
In the five day forecast, partly cloudy skies with a gradual warm- up.
Expect highs in the 40s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Winds W 15-30/32-36/Partly Cloudy/Still Windy/20-24;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS