WDBJ 7 news at Noon for 03/17/00

[HEADLINES]

[TALENT=Melanie]

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[VO-NAT]

A passenger goes berserk on an Alaskan Airlines flight....
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[ANCHOR=Melanie]

And a medical examiner issues a report on the dead baby found in a Blacksburg dumpster.
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[TALENT=Patrick]
[SS=None]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]

News 7 at noon is next.

[Blacksburg-Baby]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-52 TC2:01:25]
[GRAPHIC=NEws 7 at Noon]

The baby found in a Blacksburg dumpster over the weekend was born dead.
That's according to a report from the medical examiner today.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/Saturday;]

The infant was discovered Saturday, wrapped in plastic shopping bags inside the dumpster.
Police say the mother, a 21-year-old Virginia Tech student, could still face charges for improperly disposing of the body.
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[air-scare]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 at noon]

Authorities don't know what caused a man to turn violent last night on an Alaskan Airlines flight from Mexico to San Francisco.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-San Francisco, CA;]
[8:03:11]
The man walked the aisles of the jet, muttering and threatening passengers, before breaking down the locked cockpit door.
He was wrestled to the ground and subdued by passengers and crew members after attacking the co-pilot.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[8:04:43]
[IN Q=WHAT REALLY SCARED US IS WHEN HE ...]
((WHAT REALLY SCARED US IS WHEN HE TRIED TO OPEN THE EXIT IS WHEN HE OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND ATTACKED THE PILOT, AND FIVE IF US YANKED HIM BACK.))
[SUPER=01-Chris Honochick/Passenger; ]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=YANKED HIM BACK.]
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[VO-NAT]

The co-pilot was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
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[Irish-peace]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=St Patricks Day]

It's a day for wearing green -- and talking peace -- at the White House.
President Clinton hosts Irish leaders today for the annual observance of St. Patrick's Day.
But he also has meetings with major players in the Northern Ireland peace talks.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=The next few weeks....]
((PRIME MINISTER BERTIE AHERN:OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, STARTING WITH THE MEETINGS TODAY WITH THE PRESIDENT, WE JUST HAVE TO FIND A WAY OF WORKING IT THROUGH. THE MAIN DIFFICULTY IS ARMS. GERRY ADAMS: SINN FEIN IS THERE IN IT'S OWN RIGHT. WE ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE IRA. WE WANT TO SEE ALL THE GUNS TAKEN OUT OF IRISH POLITICS, AND IT'S MY VIEW WE WILL GET THAT.))
[SUPER=01-Bertie Ahern/Irish Prime Minister;]
[SUPER=01-Gerry Adams/Sinn Fein President;:14]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=we will get that.]
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[ANCHOR=MEL]
[SS=None]

April marks the second anniversary of the Good Friday Peace Accord that was supposed to give Northern Ireland self-rule.

[Verna-Lewis]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Verna Lewis]

A federal judge has ordered a Daleville physician to begin serving an 18 month tax fraud sentence.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/December 1999]

Verna Lewis was convicted last July of filing false tax returns for three years and asking her maid and yardman to lie to I-R-S officials.
She was originally scheduled to report to prison in February but was allowed to wait while the Supreme Court reviewed a New York case that raised an issue similar to one her attorneys raised.
She'll remain free until a new date is set for her to turn herself in.
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[5-Peta-Early]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=599-17]
[GRAPHIC=None]

An animal rights group has dropped its controversial, "Got Beer" campaign targeted at college students.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals pulled the plug on the campain yesterday after it received a lot of negative attention from Mothers Against Drunk driving and other anti-drunk driving groups.
Attorney General Mark Earley was among those who urged PETA to drop the adds because they promoted college drinking.
He says PETA's decision to stop that campaign is a victory for parents and colleges across the country.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 34:04]
[IN Q=My first reaction]
((ATTORNEY GENERAL MARK EARLEY: MY FIRST REACTION WHEN I HEARD THE CAMPAIGN GOT BEER, WAS GOT SENSE, I MEAN DOES PETA REALLY HAVE SENSE THINKING THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO GET ACROSS THEIR MESSAGE))
[SUPER=@Earley;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=their message]
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[VO-NAT]

PETA says the ads were not intended to promote alcohol -- but to point out that even beer is better for you than milk.
Peta has changed their campaign now to Dump Dairy.
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[Anchor=Melanie]
[Graphic=None]

As a goodwill gesture Peta has donated 5-hundred dollars to MADD-- and is offering a link to the MADD site on its web page

[oscars]

[ANCHOR=mel]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Academy Awards]

And the Oscar goes to-- apparently to some thieves.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@File;]

The 54 Oscar statuettes that were supposed to be handed out at the Academy Awards show March 26th vanished from a loading docking during shipment from Chicago to Los Angeles.
But Academy officials say the show will go on.
They say they're confident replacement statues will arrive two days before the ceremony.
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[tease1] [HARD MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Still to come on this abbreviated News 7 at Noon, Patrick Evans has a look at the Saint Patrick's Day and weekend forecast. [music up full] [comm1]