WDBJ 7 morning news for 03/28/00

[Explosion]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Explosion]

Investigators will return to the petroleum plant in Pasadena, Texas today trying to determine what caused yesterday's explosion.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pasadena, TX;]

The blast at a Phillips Petroleum chemical plant killed one person and injured more than 70 others.
Authorities say injuries included burns, smoke inhalation and anxiety-related disorders.
The explosion sparked a fire that sent thick smoke over the area.
This isn't the first deadly explosion at the plant.
One that happened in 19-89 killed 23 workers.
Last June, two employees lost their lives in another accident.
(------------)

[Mass-Grave]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]

More evidence of cult- related deaths in Uganda.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rugaz, Uganda;]

Prisoners under armed guard uncovered more than 70 bodies from a mass grave.
Police have now confirmed 562 deaths since the March 17th fire in a makeshift church.
Many of the victims appear to have been stabbed and strangled.
Preliminary investigations also show they've been dead for about a month.
Local residents watched the exhumations, but did not recognize any of the victims.
(------------)

[11EchoStar]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#00-07 TC33:31]
[GRAPHIC=Echostar]

14-hundred news jobs are coming to the New River Valley thanks to the nation's second-largest satellite-TV provider.
Marya Jones has the story.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=clapping]
[SUPER=@Boucher; :16]
[SUPER=01-Soraya Cartwright/EchoStar; :45]
[SUPER=@Marya1; 1:02]
[RUNS=1:13]
[OUT Q=MJ, News 7.]
(((/////SOT/////)
[natsound: clapping] ((NATSOUND: CLAPPING ))
[RUNS=:02]

EchoStar is dishing out the jobs in the New River Valley...and a projected 30-million dollars a year in local investment.
Company officials say they've already begun interviewing.
They'll hire 600 people immediately... and 14-hundred within a year.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 2:38:07 - :24]
((REP. RICK BOUCHER/(D) 9TH DISTRICT: WHAT A GREAT DAY THIS IS FOR THE 9TH DISTRICT. THIS WILL ENRICH THE ECONOMY OF THE NRV AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOUSANDS OF THE REGION'S RESIDENTS.))
[RUNS= :16]

It's a job-growth victory that was hard-won.
EchoStar officials say the area was a tough sell because it had much lower unemployment than they wanted.
But a job fair in March that brought out two-thousand hopefuls helped seal the deal.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 2:47:52 - 2:48:08]
((SORAYA CARTWRIGHT/ECHOSTAR: IF I WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT VIRGINIA ON PAPER, IT WOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT TO THE TOP TWO CITIES BECAUSE OF UNEMPLOYMENT. THE BEST THING YOU DID WAS INVITE US HERE TO LET US SEE FOR OURSELF WHAT'S HERE.))
[RUNS= :16]
[SU] ((MARYA JONES/NEWS 7: ECHOSTAR IS STILL CHOOSING BETWEEN LOCATIONS AT TWO CHRISTIANSBURG INDUSTRIAL PARKS. IT HOPES TO BEGIN CHOOSING IT'S NEW WORKFORCE AT JOB FAIRS ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY NEXT WEEK. MARYA JONES, NEWS 7.))
[RUNS= :09]))
(XXXXXXX)
[WIPE TO FULL SCREEN]
Those job fairs will be held at the Montgomery County Enterprise Center in Christiansburg.
That's at 755 Roanoke Street... Tuesday and Thursday from 10 A-M to 7 P-M.
(-------------)

[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]

[11Sat-TV]

[11Gas-Prices]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#00-03]
[GRAPHIC=Gas Prices]
High gas prices may be going down sometime soon -- that's if the major oil producers increase production. Kate Weidaw has more.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=07-Bob Hunt; :21]
[SUPER=03-Vienna, Austria; :39]
[SUPER=07-Tom Bartness; 1:02]
[SUPER=@Kate1;1:06]
[RUNS=1:16]
[OUT Q=News 7 Roanoke]
((You see the high prices for gasoline every where you drive. Bob Hunt and his family are from Texas but still have a ways to go before they reach their destination in Alaska.

[SOT 20:36]
[INQ=]
((BOB HUNT: FROM HERE TO PRICE RUPERT I HAVE 4000 MILES.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 05]

And his annual trip is costing him more then he ever expected.

[SOT 20:44]
[INQ=]
((BOB HUNT: I'M GOING TO BE PAYING A WHOLE LOT MORE BECAUSE THE FUEL'S A LOT HIGHER OTHER PLACES THEN IT IS HERE.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 07]

If the price of gasoline is getting you down -- then be thankful you're not overseas [CBS yesterday 21:21:05] where the price is about five dollars a gallon in Britain and close to four dollars in France, Italy, and Germany. [CBS TODAY 16:40:56] That's one reason the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is meeting in Vienna, Austria to reach an agreement on increasing production.
Oil traders expect OPEC ministers to increase production by up to two million barrels day. But experts question if that will really affect prices at the gas pump. Drivers are skeptical too.

[SOT 15:57]
[INQ=]
((TOM BARTNESS: THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO TURN MORE OIL SO THEY SAY THE PRICES ARE GOING TO COME DOWN, HA HA HA, YEH LIKELY STORY.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 07]

[STANDUP]
[INQ=]
((KATE WEIDAW/REPORTING: OPEC DID NOT REACH AN AGREEMENT YESTERDAY TO INCREASE OIL PRODUCTION, HOWEVER IF AND WHEN THEY DO IT COULD STILL BE SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS BEFORE WE SEE A DROP IN GAS PRICES. KATE WEIDAW NEWS 7 ROANOKE.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS=]))

[Cuban-Boy]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Elian Gonzalez]

U-S immigration officials plan to meet with the Miami relatives of Elian Gonzalez today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Miami, FL;]

About 50 people held a candlelight vigil last night outside of Elian's home because of mounting speculation that the boy's return to Cuba is imminent.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service says it'll revoke Elian's right to stay in the U-S, unless the family promises to turn him over if they lose their battle in court.
The deadline for that agreement is Thursday.
Meanwhile, attorneys for Elian's relatives say revocation would be the first step to forcibly returning the boy to his father in Cuba.
(------------)

[11Bank-Robbers]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=00-13 TC00:10]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

A Roanoke man pled guilty to a couple of recent bank robberies.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/July 20, 1998]

Steven Burnette admitted robbing a First Union branch on Melrose Avenue, the summer before last.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./November 26, 1999]

Burnette was also convicted of a holdup at the First Virginia Bank near Oak Grove Plaza last fall.
Burnette had an accomplice on that one, Keith Garner.
Both men will be sentenced in June, in Roanoke's federal court.
(------------)

[11Fulton-Truck]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-56 TC01:44]
[GRAPHIC=Business Closing]

Fulton Trucks Incorporated is closing its doors after 60 years in Roanoke.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

The company located on Shenandoah Avenue has been in the area since 1941.
Jay Blake, the General Manager, is retiring after working there 49 years and decided to sell the business.
Blake says he doesn't know what business will take over the property because he sold it to a financial investor in Roanoke.
(------------)

[11Raccoon]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=nkr]
[TAPE#=00-06 27:53]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A raccoon that was in a tight spot for a few days is now safe and sound.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

We're talking about the raccoon that got tangled in some wires on a utility pole Thursday.
Wildlife Rescue and American Electric Power were able to untangle the animal Sunday, but it was too scared to climb down.
Yesterday, an AEP cherry picker helped workers to bring the raccoon to safety.
(------------)

[Health-Check]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin Health Check]

In medical news, can low cholesterol numbers cause depression?

Doctor Dave Hnida has that story and more in this morning's Health check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Dave Hnida/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:32]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]

((ON CAM WHEN IT COMES TO CHOLESTEROL- THE LOWER THE BETTER... TRUE? . MAYBE NOT- ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH LINKING LOW CHOLESTEROL AND DEPRESSION.

VT=VO
A STUDY IN THE JOURNAL PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE FOLLOWED MORE THAN 30 THOUSAND MEN- AND FOUND - YES INDEED- THOSE WITH LOW CHOLESTEROL LEVELS HAD A HIGHER RATE OF DEPRESSION. NOW, THERE ISNT ONE MAGIC NUMBER THAT THE CHOLESTEROL HAS TO GO DOWN TO IN ORDER TO TRIGGER DEPRESSION- IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PERSON- BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE NOW FIGURED OUT WHY THERE MAY BE A LINK. APPARENTLY, THE LOWER THE CHOLESTEROL LEVEL- THE LOWER THE LEVEL OF THE BRAIN CHEMCIAL SEROTONIN. AND SEROTONIN IS WHAT KEEPS YOUR MOOD STABLE.IN FACT- WHEN WE GIVE YOU ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS IT WORKS BY RAISING SEROTONIN LEVELS.

VT=VO
ALSO TODAY- ITS NOT JUST HEART ATTACKS AND CANCER YOULL NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT TIME YOU LIGHT UP A CIGARETTE- ITS SPRAINS, STRAINS, AND BROKEN BONES.A STUDY FROM THE ARMY SHOWS THE RATE OF INJURIES ARE 150% HIGHER IN SMOKERS COMPARED TO NON SMOKERS. THE REASON- POORER BLOOD SUPPLY EQUALS WEAKER MUSCLES AND BONES.

VT=VO
AND FINALLY A WORD OF WARNING FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER- STAY AWAY FROM HIGH DOSES OF VITAMIN C. A NEW STUDY FROM MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING IN NEW YORK SHOWS HIGH DOSES OF C MAY ACTUALLY PROTECT TUMOR CELLS FROM THE EFFECTS OF RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY- MAKING THE CANCER TREATMENTS INEFFECTIVE.
ON CAM THATS A LOOK AT SOME OF TODAYS TOP HEALTH STORIES IM DR DAVE HNIDA FOR CBS NEWS..))

(ad lib to weather)
[2-HEADLINES]
[2-shot=KMC/MEL]
[SUPER=#4049; Morning Headlines]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Here's a look at today's top stories.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

A Lynchburg federal judge says supporters of Ross Perot are in charge of the Reform Party.
The judge's decision clears the way for Chairman Pat Choate and other party officials to start planning a convention for later in the year.
But there may still be bad blood among members.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

It's the third deadly explosion at this Texas petroleum plant.
Investigators will continue looking for clues to yesterday's blast that left one person dead and injured more than 70 others.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

And the nation's second-largest satellite-TV provider, EchoStar, is beaming 14-hundred new jobs to the New River Valley.
Company officials say they've already begun interviewing.
They'll hire 600 people immediately... 14-hundred within a year.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Tuesday, March 28th .
[ANCHOR=Patrick]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[11Reform-Party]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=00-01 TC1:19:55]
[GRAPHIC=Reform Party]

A Lynchburg federal judge says supporters of Ross Perot are in charge of the Reform Party.
The judge's decision clears the way for Chairman Pat Choate and other party officials to start planning a convention for later in the year.
But as Steve Smallshaw reports, it may not be easy for members to reunite after a bitter court battle.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Until judge]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/Last Week; :00]
[SUPER=03-Nashville/Last Month; :09]
[SUPER=@ssm1; :42]
[RUNS=1:00]
[OUT Q=News 7, Lynchburg]

(( Until Judge Norman K. Moon issued his 22-page ruling this afternoon, there actually were two Reform Parties of America.
The party split last month during this out of control meeting in Nashville that saw Pat Choate replace Jack Gargan as party chairman.
Judge Moon ruled that "..The national committee meeting was valid and did not violate the party's constitution.." because proper notice was given and the delegates were properly credentials.
Gargan's refusal to call that meeting to order was "an improper attempt to subvert the will" of the majority of the party.
Moon concluded that the "Reform Party will suffer irreparable injury if Gargan" and his supporters are not barred from representing the party.)) [Standup] ((Pat Choate says he would welcome Jack Gargan back to the Reform Party, but Gargan says he absolutely will NOT go back. He estimates as much as 80 percent of the Reform Party's membership will leave with him.. and a fourth political par
ty.. one headed up by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura.. could be in their future. Steve Smallshaw, News7, Lynchburg.)

)[11Robb]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-57 TC1:31:33]
[GRAPHIC=Chuck Robb]

U-S Senator Chuck Robb made a stop in Roanoke as part of his campaign kickoff. He admits he's in for a tough challenge, but he assured his Democratic supporters he knows how to fight.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Robb rallied Roanoke Valley Democrats yesterday before taking his campaign kickoff to Richmond and Norfolk.
His Republican rival, former Governor George Allen, has raised twice as much money, but Robb says he isn't concerned.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:07:03]
[IN Q=I got outspent]
((SEN. CHUCK ROBB: I GOT OUTSPENT 15 MILLION DOLARS LAST TIME BY OLLIE NORTH. NOW THEIR CAMPAIGNS ARE SIMILAR IN SOME RESPECTS. AND HE'S CERTAINLY GOING TO OUTSPEND ME, AND I'VE SAID THAT FROM THE OUTSET, BUT IF YOUVE BEEN OUTSPENT BY 15 MILLION THE PROSPECT OF ABOUT HALF THAT AMOUNT IS NOT INTIMIDATING.))
[SUPER=01-Chuck Robb/(D) Candidate for Senate;]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=that amount is not intimidating.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Robb emphasized his military service, his support for public education as Governor, and his search for bipartisan solutions to issues of national importance.
(------------)

[11Gilmore-Mother]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-58 TC1:30:24 ]
[GRAPHIC=Jim Gilmore]
International diplomacy must go on-- Governor Gilmore kept part of his schedule on track even though is mother passed away.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Gilmore's mother died Thursday night.
Margaret K- Gilmore was 83 years old, and lived in Henrico County.
Because of her death, the Governor canceled the rest of his public schedule through Wednesday.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[SS=HOLD]

But the he went ahead with a previously scheduled Internet summit yesterday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak was Gilmore's guest in northern Virginia to talk about how that area's "e-commerce" community could form partnerships with Egypt's growing Internet sector.

[2-Explosion]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Explosion]

After one worker was killed and more than 70 others injured, authorities are still trying to figure out what caused yesterday's explosion at a Texas petroleum plant.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pasadena, TX;]

Investigators will be back at the scene of the blast today.
Those who were injured suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and anxiety- related disorders.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:10:40 ]
[IN Q=Obviously, an]
((JIM ROSS/PLANT G.M.: OBVIOUSLY, AN EVENT LIKE THIS IS DIFFCULT FOR PEOPLE TO PROCESS. SO... FORTUNATELY, MOST OF THESE ARE NOT REAL SERIOUS OF NATURE.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Ross/Plant General Manager;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=serious of nature]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

But this isn't the first deadly explosion at the plant.
One that happened in 19-89 killed 23 workers.
Last June, two employees lost their lives in another accident.
(------------)

[11Danville-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=00-03 TC1:17:11]
[GRAPHIC=Fire Investigation]

Still no word on what caused the fire that forced eight Danville residents from their homes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]

The fire started around one yesterday morning on the second floor of this Worsham Street apartment house.
Fire investigators have not been able to determine the cause because of extensive damage.
No one was injured.
(------------)

[2-11EchoStar]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=Echostar New Jobs]
The nation's second-largest satellite-TV provider, EchoStar, is beaming 14-hundred new jobs to the New River Valley.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg]

Company officials say they've already begun interviewing.
They'll hire 600 people immediately... and 14-hundred within a year.
EchoStar officials say the area was a tough sell because it had much lower unemployment than they wanted.
But a job fair in March that brought out two-thousand hopefuls helped seal the deal.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((SORAYA CARTWRIGHT/ECHOSTAR: IF I WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT VIRGINIA ON PAPER, IT WOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT TO THE TOP TWO CITIES BECAUSE OF UNEMPLOYMENT. THE BEST THING YOU DID WAS INVITE US HERE TO LET US SEE FOR OURSELF WHAT'S HERE.))
[SUPER=01-Soraya Cartwright/Echostar]
[RUNS= :16]
[OUT Q=what's here]
(-------------)
[vo-nat]
EchoStar hopes to begin choosing it's new workforce at job fairs on Tuesday and Thursday next week.
(XXXXXXX)
[WIPE TO FULL SCREEN]
Those job fairs will be held at the Montgomery County Enterprise Center in Christiansburg.
That's at 755 Roanoke Street... Tuesday and Thursday from 10 A-M to 7 P-M.
(------------)

[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]

[2-11Sat-TV]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-59 TC1:12:27]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[WIPE TO ENG]

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

One area businessman believes the call center will translate into good news for Echostar's local customers.
Matt Whitcomb owns a Roanoke based business that sells, installs and services DISH programming in a 30- county area.
He recently visited the company's headquarters in Colorado and says he's convinced the new site will encourage the company to offer local programming to its customers in the Roanoke area.
(///// SOT ///// 23:38:35)
[SOT]
[IN Q=There is ]
((MATT WHITCOMB/ACS PRESIDENT: THERE IS LIMITED CAPACITY TO DISTRIBUTE LOCAL SIGNALS BACK DOWN TO THE CUSTOMER BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WITH THIS CALL CENTER GOING IN CLOSE TO HOME THAT THE ROANOKE STATIONS ARE PROBABLY A SHOE IN WITHIN THE NEXT 30- TO 60- DAYS.))
[SUPER=01-Matt Whitcomb/ACS President; ]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q= next 30- to 60-days.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[SS=Echostar Generic]

Echostar is also getting involved in the Internet business.
The company has announced its joined forces with another company to provide high speed Internet service to its customers via the satellite.
[Local-Recap]
[SUPER=#4059;Local Recap]
[2-Shot=Kmc/PEV]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Now here's another look at today's top local stories:
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
14-hundred new jobs are coming to the New River Valley.
Officials with EchoStar, the nations second-largest satelitte provider, says they've already begun interviewing.
They'll hire 600 people immediately... and 14-hundred within a year.
EchoStar hopes to begin choosing it's new workforce at job fairs on Tuesday and Thursday next week.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Fulton Trucks Incorporated is closing its doors after 60 years in Roanoke.
Jay Blake, the General Manager, is retiring after working there 49 years and decided to sell the business.
Blake says he doesn't know what business will take over the property because he sold it to a financial investor in Roanoke.

(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
A raccoon that got tangled in some wires on a utility pole Thursday is now safe and sound.
Wildlife Rescue and American Electric Power were able to untangle the animal Sunday, but it was too scared to climb down.
Yesterday, an AEP cherry picker helped workers to bring the raccoon to safety.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Patrick]
(Patrick mic hot)
(///////////////)
(Patrick ad lib weather)
(-------------)
[2-SHOT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Now here's Jean Jadhon with a preview of News 7 at Six.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It's a region]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=to the community]
(-------------)
[Double Boxes=Kimberly/Patrick and Steve]
(toss)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)
(ad lib bye) [Double Boxes=Kimberly/Patrick and Steve]