WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 02/14/00

[7-Schoolwatch]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=School Info]

We have one school announcement this morning.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE SCHOOLWATCH FS] Bath County schools are delayed two hours today. Again, Bath County delayed two hours.

[7-E-Munsey-Memorial]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-01 31:54]
[GRAPHIC=Munsey]

People around the Roanoke Valley are mourning the death of Tara Rose Munsey.
Yesterday, hundreds of people turned out for a memorial service for the Radford High School sophomore.
Joy Sutton has more.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Radford; :03]
[SUPER=01-Deana Phillips/Tara's Friend; :12]
[SUPER=01-Jean Umberger/Tara's First Grade Teacher; :26]
[SUPER=01-Kim Hopkins/Tara's Friend; :37]
[SUPER=01-Russell Gregory/Radford University Professor; :45]
[SUPER=@Joy1; 1:30]
[RUNS=1:34]
[OUT Q=n7 radford]

[7-Arson-Arrest]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Arson Arrest]

Botetourt County authorities say a man set fire to his family's home Saturday morning.
46 year old Charles Douglas Russell later turned himself over to sheriff's authorities and was charged with arson.

Russell's wife recently sought a protective order against her husband.
She and her two children were staying with relatives at the time of the fire.

[7-E-Bush]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2000]
The 2000 presidential race is heating up, and George W- Bush and Al Gore are leading in Virginia polls.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@File]

A Media General News Service poll shows Bush leading John McCain-- 39 percent to 25 percent.
Gore received the support of 40 percent of those polled while Bill Bradley had 29 percent support.
The news service interviewed 8-hundred adults in Virginia earlier this month.
(------------)

[7Weather]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

Here's a look at your Monday forecast.
Windy today with a chance of showers and storms.
Highs reach the upper 50s to low 60s.
Tonight, wind advisories in effect, with winds reaching 25 to 50 miles per hour.
Lows in the mid 30s.
The extended forecast...

[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Windy, Chance of/Showers or Storms/58-62/Wind Advisory/Winds NW 25-50/32-36;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]

[45-Schoolwatch]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=School Info]

We have one school announcement this morning.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE SCHOOLWATCH FS] Bath County schools are delayed two hours today. Again, Bath County delayed two hours.

[45-Bill-Deadline]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=VA State Capitol]

The next two days will be busy for the state's General Assembly.
Tomorrow is the deadline for each chamber of the State's General Assembly to act on its own bills.
As a result, the Senate and House of Delegates will hold marathon floor sessions today and tomorrow. A number of issues are still unresolved, including Governor Gilmore's proposal to use 40 percent of state tobacco settlement money to help finance two-and-a-half billion dollars in transportation projects.

[45-E-Court-Bills]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=00-02 38:20]
[GRAPHIC=none]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Yesterday afternoon, the House Courts of Justice Committee approved a handful of interesting bills.
One would lessen the penalty for oral or certain other sex acts between consenting adults from a felony to a misdemeanor.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 16:20:15]
[IN Q=]
((DEL. KAREN DARNER/D-ARLINGTON: WHAT WE'VE LOOKED FOR IN THE PAST HAS BEEN JUST DECRIMINALIZING IT AND SAYING THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY PENALTY FOR THIS CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY IN THE COMMONWEALTH. BUT, AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT IT'S AGAINST THE LAW. BUT I WORKED WITH SOME FOLKS LAST YEAR AT THE END OF THE SESSION, AND WE WENT TO THE IDEA OF LOOKING FOR IT TO BE A MISDEMEANOR, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE PENALTIES ATTACHED TO FELONIES.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Karen Darner/(D) Arlington;]
[RUNS=:24]
[OUT Q=attached to felonies.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond/Wednesday]

The committee also said yes to a bill that would let felons petition a circuit court to restore their voting rights after they've served their prison time.
Current Virginia law leaves that decision up to the Governor.
(------------)

[45-Death-Penalty]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

Yesterday, the House Courts of Justice Committee also approved a bill giving people sentenced to death more time to produce new evidence on appeal.
The committee voted 12-to-11 to send the bill to the House floor.
Virginia law allows condemned inmates only 21 days after sentencing to present new evidence pointing to their innocence.
The new bill would extend the deadline to three years -- but inmates would be allowed to raise new evidence only twice.

[45-E-Bush]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2000]

Nine southeastern states will award almost half the number of delegates needed to win the Republican presidential nomination.
And a new poll finds that voters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia favor George W. Bush.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@File]

A Media General News Service poll shows Bush leading John McCain-- 39 percent to 25 percent.
The survey also gave Gore 40 percent to Bill Bradley 29 percent.
The news service interviewed 8-hundred adults in Virginia earlier this month.
(------------)

[45Weather]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

Taking a break from the news to check weather...
Windy today, with a chance of showers or thunderstorms.
Highs near 60.
A wind advisory goes into effect this afternoon and tonight....winds overnight may gust up to 50 miles an hour.
The five day forecast calms down tomorrow...with partly cloudy skies through the week...with highs in the 40s and 50s.

[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Windy, Chance of/Showers or Storms/58-62/Wind Advisory/Winds NW 25-50/32-36;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]

[8-Schoolwatch]

[8-E-Munsey-Memorial]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-01 31:54]
[GRAPHIC=Munsey]

Friends and loved ones of Tara Rose Munsey came out in the hundreds to say goodbye to the teenager.
A memorial service honored the memory of the Radford High School student.
Joy Sutton reports.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Radford; :03]
[SUPER=01-Deana Phillips/Tara's Friend; :12]
[SUPER=01-Jean Umberger/Tara's First Grade Teacher; :26]
[SUPER=01-Kim Hopkins/Tara's Friend; :37]
[SUPER=01-Russell Gregory/Radford University Professor; :45]
[SUPER=@Joy1; 1:30]
[RUNS=1:34]
[OUT Q=n7 radford]

[8-S-Auditions]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-05 1:58;02]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Two local boys will have a taste of stardom this week.
The youngsters will take the stage today when the musical "Ragtime" opens.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Yesterday, auditions were held to select two African American boys, ages four to six, to play "Little Coalhouse."

Colin Johnson and Demitri Chambers were picked and will take part in the Broadway musical which runs today through Wednesday at the Roanoke Civic Center.
(------------)

[8-S-Chocolate-Festival]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jha]
[TAPE#=00-04 20:46]
[GRAPHIC=none]

It was a chocolate lovers paradise.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Everything from chocolate covered strawberries to cakes and candies adorned the Roanoke Civic Center for the Chocolate Festival yesterday.
Numerous local chefs showed off their skills in a dessert contest.
And to make the tasting even more enjoyable, entertainment was provided along with children's activities and a chance to win something even sweeter... a diamond pendant from Ginger's Jewelers.
(------------)

[8Weather]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

Turning to the forecast...
Windy today, with a chance of showers or thunderstorms and highs warming to near 60.
A wind advisory will be in effect tonight, with northwesterly gusts up to 50 miles an hour.
The five day forecast calms down tomorrow...with partly cloudy skies through the week...with highs in the 50s and 60s..

[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Windy, Chance of/Showers or Storms/58-62/Wind Advisory/Winds NW 25-50/32-36;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]