[7-11Floyd-Prom]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-58 TC1:39:17]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Floyd County High School is allowing a same sex couple to attend the Junior prom.
And some Floyd County residents are outraged that a girl would bring her girlfriend as a date.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Floyd Co.;]


The A-C-L-U told the Floyd County high school principal that if he did not let Tiffany (La-Peen) Lapine bring a girl to the prom, he could be sued for discriminating against lesbians.
So Lapine is being allowed to bring her date.
Some fellown students are against the idea.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:24:10]
[IN Q=It's her right]

((IT'S HER RIGHT TO HAVE AN OPINION AND DO WHAT SHE WANTS. BUT I DON'T THINK SHE SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT A GIRL TO THE PROM BECAUSE IT'S FLOYD AND IT'S AN OLD TIME TOWN.))
[SUPER=01-Sarah Harris/Student;]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=OLD TIME TOWN]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Some say the idea offends them because they homosexuality is a sin.
Others say this publicity stains Floyd County's image.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:27:03]
[IN Q=Kinda saying]

((KINDA SAYING FLOYD'S OUT OF THE TIMES AND EVERYTHING. STILL STUCK BACK IN TIME. CAN'T ADJUST TO THE TIMES OR ANYTHING.))
[SUPER=01-Sean Peters/Student;]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=times or anything]
(------------)
[anchor=Melanie]
[ss=None]


Tiffany and her family did not want to appear on camera.

[7-11Blacksburg-Baby]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-01 TC1:25:56]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]


The woman accused of throwing her newborn's body in a dumpster has been arraigned in Blacksburg.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]


Rosetta Elizabeth Clark plead NOT guilty yesterday to the misdemeanor charge of improperly disposing of the infant.
The 21-year-old Virginia Tech student declined to comment on her case.
[SUPER=04-March 11;]


Police found the baby boy's body in a dumpster at Clark's apartment complex nearly three weeks ago.
A medical examiner later ruled that the baby was dead at birth.
Clark will be tried in Blacksburg next month.
(------------)



[7-11Dville-school]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=00-07 TC39:08]
[GRAPHIC=None]


The Danville school board has approved the superintendent's budget proposal.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]


The 48-million dollar budget is about a five percent increase from last year.
Included in the proposal is money for year round schools and an average five percent increase in teachers' salaries.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 56:12]
[IN Q=We're always]

((ELIZABETH SPAINHOUR/SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN: WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO DO MORE FOR OUR TEACHERS AS FAR AS SALARIES. ALTHOUGH IT'S NEVER ENOUGH IT'S MORE THAN WE'VE HAD BEFORE.))
[SUPER=01-Elizabeth Spainhour/Danville School Board Chair; :00]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=had before]
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


The budget goes to city council next.
(-----------)



[7-11Pulaski-Furniture]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-60 TC1:45:14]
[GRAPHIC=Pulaski Furniture]


More money for Pulaski Furniture stockholders.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski/June 1997;]


The company's C-E-O and senior managers arranged to buy Pulaski Furniture for 125-million dollars... with the unanimous approval of its Board of Directors.
They're buying shares from stockholders at 30-percent above their recent value on NASDAQ.
Pulaski Furniture employs more than two-thousand people in southwestern Virginia.
Analysts call the buyout a "sign of strength and confidence."
(------------)



[7Weather]


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


Here's a look at your Friday forecast.
Expect a sunny and pleasant day with light winds.
Highs in the upper 60s.
Tonight, clear with some scattered frost.
Lows in the low 30s.
The weekend forecast...

[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Pleasant/Winds N 5-10/65-69/Clear, with/Scattered Frost/30-35;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]




[45-11Dan-River]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=00-04 TC56:50]
[GRAPHIC=Dan River Negotiations]


New Contract talks open next month at Dan River Mills.
The news has some employees worried.
Surae Chinn has been looking at union contract talks and the company's finances.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=These negotiations]
[SUPER=01-Joe Bouknight/Dan River Inc. Spokesperson; :00]
[SUPER=03-Danville/January; :14]
[SUPER=01-Wayne Martin/Business Analyst; :33]
[SUPER=@Surae1; 1:28]
[RUNS=1:43]
[OUT Q=News 7 Danville.]

((((JOE BOUKNIGHT/DAN RIVER INC.: THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ABOUT JOB SECURITY REALLY BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT THAT GIVES DAN RIVER A LEVEL OF COMFORT IN INVESTING MORE MONEY IN DANVILLE.)) [RUNS:12]
Ever since the largest employer in Danville decided to move nearly 500 jobs to Mexico job security has become the main issue for the 32-hundred remaining workers. Neither side will say what areas the contract talks will cover. Business analysts like Wayne Martin can only speculate.
[SOT 1:45:06]

((WAYNE MARTIN/BUSINESS ANALYST: I THINK THE QUESTION COMES DOWN TO HOW MUCH DO WE AS EMPLOYEES HAVE TO SACRIFICE TO SECURE SOME OF OUR JOBS.)) [RUNS:16]
And how secure are those jobs? Company officials say Dan River incorporated is healthy and strong. But according to their annual report last year, operating profits dropped 82 percent in its apparel fabrics operation. That's the operation heading to Mexico. However, profits are up 50 percent in its home fashions division. Martin says by focusing on that success, the company has avoided the path other textile businesses have taken.
[SOT 1:41:17]

((WAYNE MARTIN/BUSINESS ANALYST: NARROWING THEIR PRODUCT LINE AND BECOMING MORE SPECIALIZE DID ALLOW THEM TO BECOME COMPETITIVE AND THAT HAS GIVEN THEM SOME STABILITY.)) [RUNS:10]))
(-------------)



[45-11Lewis-Gale]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Departing Docs]


After settling their legal and financial obligations with Lewis Gale Clinic, nine former clinic doctors say they're forming a group practice.
(XXXXXXXXX)

[Take FS Board]
The members of Valley Anesthesia say they have "taken the necessary steps" to insure they can leave the clinic and continue to provide services to their patients.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=none]


The anesthesiologists are setting up a practice at Lewis-Gale Hospital next door.
Their clinic contract says they can't practice within 50 miles of Salem, unless they pay a substantial penalty.
A clinic spokesman says it doesn't know what arrangements Valley Anesthesia has made to take care of that.

[45Weather]


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


Taking a moment now to check the Friday forecast..
Sunny and pleasant today with highs in the upper 60s.
Tonight, staying clear with scattered frost possible.
Lows in the low to mid 30s.
And looking ahead to the weekend...warmer with highs in the 70s...a good chance of rain and storms by Monday.


[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Pleasant/Winds N 5-10/65-69/Clear, with/Scattered Frost/30-35;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]




[8-Development]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=00-05]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Many local organizations rely on tax dollars for support.
Block grants provide those organizations with much needed financial help.
And as Joy Sutton reports some organizations hope to benefit from them.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The West End]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;08]
[SUPER=01-Kaye Hale/West End Center;20]
[SUPER=01-James Lesniak/NW Neighborhood Env. Org.;49]
[SUPER=01-Barbara Riggs/Blue Ridge Housing Dev. Corp.;1:20]
[SUPER=@Joy1;1:30]
[RUNS=1:39]
[OUT Q=j7 news 7]

((The West End Center is place where kids can go for free tutoring, and after school and summer programs.
The Center is just one several organizations hoping to get portion of the more than 3-million dollars up for grabs through the Community Development Block Grant.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:55:04]
[IN Q=We have a huge waiting list]

((KAYE HALE/WEST END CENTER: WE HAVE A HUGE WAITING LIST. IT TAKES ALMOST TWO YEARS TO GET INTO OUR PROGRAM AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF SPACE AND WE DON'T HAVE MONEY. SO IT WILL HELP US TO EXPAND OUR CURRENT FACILITY)) [RUNS14]
[OUT Q=facility]


At a community meeting Roanoke City's Office of Grants Compliance released its draft plan outlining how the funds for the Community Development Block and Home Entitlement Grants should be distributed for 2000 and 2001.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:53:18]
[IN Q=The recommendations]

((JAMES LESNIAK/NNEO: THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE RECEIVED WAS LESS THAN WE REQUESTED. I KNOW THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF MONEY OUT THERE. BUT IT SEEMS THERE IS PLENTY OF MONEY TO SUPPORT THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE POLITICALLY ON THE CITY LEVEL)) [RUNS13]
[OUT Q=on the city level]


The Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization which builds affordable housing like these apartments on Loudon Ave. requested around 900 -thousand -- but they may get less than half that amount.
While the Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences may get 250-thousand dollars to renovate the Old Shenandoah hotel for Center in the Square and Mill Mountain Theater-- the Blue Ridge Housing Development Corporation says it's satisfied with the more than 90-thousand dollars it may receive.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:56:02]
[IN Q=When we do]

((BARBARA RIGGS/BLUE RIDGE HOUSING DEV. CORP: WHEN WE DO CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES THOSE FUNDS HELP DOWN THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS WHICH ALLOWS US TO SELL HOME FOR REAL REASONABLE PRICES)) [RUNS08]
[OUT Q=prices]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]

((JOY SUTTON/REPORTING:MORE THAN 30 ORGANIZATIONS APPLIED FOR A PORTION OF THE MONEY. CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS BUT WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE THE FINAL DECISION. JOY SUTTON, NEWS 7))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=N7]))







[8-11Dville-school]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=00-07 TC39:08]
[GRAPHIC=None]


A new budget has been approved for Danville city schools.
The Danville school board has accepted the superintendent's budget proposal.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]


The 48-million dollar budget is about a five percent increase from last year.
Included in the proposal is money for year round schools and an average five percent increase in teachers' salaries.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 56:12]
[IN Q=We're always]

((ELIZABETH SPAINHOUR/SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN: WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO DO MORE FOR OUR TEACHERS AS FAR AS SALARIES. ALTHOUGH IT'S NEVER ENOUGH IT'S MORE THAN WE'VE HAD BEFORE.))
[SUPER=01-Elizabeth Spainhour/Danville School Board Chair; :00]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=had before]
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


The budget goes to city council next.
(-----------)



[8Weather]


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


Taking a break from the news to check weather...
Sunny and pleasant with highs climbing into the upper 60s.
Staying clear tonight with scattered frost possible.
Lows in the 30s.
And looking ahead to the weekend...warmer with highs in the 70s...a good chance of rain and storms by Monday.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Pleasant/Winds N 5-10/65-69/Clear, with/Scattered Frost/30-35;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]

by SS