[7-11M'ville-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch/nkr]
[TAPE#=99-59 TC1:47:35]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

Sunday night's fatal shooting in Martinsville may have been a domestic incident.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville/Sunday]

Police have released the name of the second victim.
She is the daughter of the suspect they're looking for.
18 year old Stacey Evon Rendon-Valdovinos is recovering at Wake Forest University Medical Center. The family has requested no information be released about her condition.
28 year old Jose Francisco Jimenez of Axton died in the shooting.
Officers found his body in a restaurant parking lot.
Authorities are looking for 38 year old Jose Luis Rendon whom they suspect is the trigger man.
(------------)

[7-11Chapman]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-09 TC1:42:34]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

The Radford man found guilty of plotting to kill three people including a judge will be sentenced today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford;]

The jury convicted Derrick Chapman of three counts of conspiring to commit capital murder.
Prosecutors said Chapman was hired in September by his friend Christopher DeMoranville to kill Montgomery County Circuit Judge Ray Grubbs.
They also discussed killing DeMoranville's parents ... all for two-million dollars.
In jail on other charges, DeMoranville told police about the plan.
Chapman's attorneys said that he never intended to carry out the hits ... just to take the money.
(------------)

[7-11Painter]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-08 TC44:53]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

A well-known Blacksburg attorney is facing charges that he set fires in Montgomery County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/December 1996;]

Joseph Painter has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of arson and manufacturing explosives.
Sources say Painter is the suspect in a series of fires in a subdivision being constructed behind his home.
Painter checked into an area hospital more than a week ago for undisclosed reasons.
He was unavailable for comment.
(------------)

[7-11NAACP-Boycott]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=00-10 TC36:40]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Governor Gilmore plans to meet with N-A-A-C-P leaders to avoid a boycott of the state's 11-point-seven billion dollar tourist industry.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

It could happen unless the N-double-A-C-P gets a promise from the Governor that he'll rescind his Confederate proclamation.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 12:00:03]
[IN Q=Other than]
((KING SALIM KHALFANI/VIRGINIA NAACP: OTHER THAN EITHER RESCINDING THE PROCLAMATION OR VOWING NOT TO DO IT IN THE FUTURE, I MEAN, OTHER THAN THAT, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AT THE SAME PLACE NEXT APRIL....AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE FROM THIS POINT ON.))17
[SOT 11:54:51]
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: I WILL BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH MR. KHALFANI ... IF HE WISHES TO RAISE ADDITIONAL TOPICS THAT'S OKAY WITH ME.))10
[SUPER=01-King Salim Khalfani/Virginia NAACP; :00]
[SUPER=@Gilmore; :18 ]
[RUNS=:27]
[OUT Q=with me.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

After mis-routing the N-double-A-C-P's letter requesting such a meeting, the Governor's office now says it will try to set one today.
(------------)
[TALENT=Melanie]
[SS=None]

Gilmore released a letter yesterday, telling the N-double-A-C-P a boycott would hurt all Virginians.
He says he's budgeted money for a slave museum and an African-American heritage trail.
His goal is to make Virginia the number one tourist destination in the South for black Americans.

[7Weather]


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

Here's a look at your Thursday forecast.
Partly cloudy and windy today with highs in the low to mid 60s.
Tonight, mostly clear with light breezes.
Lows in the low 40s.
The extended forecast...
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Cloudy/Winds NW 5-10/62-66/Mostly Clear/Light Breeze/40-45;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]


[45-11Danville-Braves]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=00-03 TC1:59:30]
[GRAPHIC=None]

An agreement between Danville and the Atlanta Braves has been made official.
The Danville Braves WILL stay in the city.
The decision comes after the city sued the Danville Braves for not paying stadium rent fees.
Surae Chinn has the story and reaction from fans.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This is from]
[SUPER=01-Thomas Cannon/Danville Braves Fan; :15]
[SUPER=01-Jerry Gwaltney/Danville City Manager; :42]
[SUPER=01-Bruce Baldwin/Atlanta Braves; :59]
[RUNS=1:22]
[OUT Q=News 7, Danville.]
(([natsot 1:26:06]
((THOMAS CANNON/DANVILLE BRAVES #1 FAN: THIS IS FROM THE FIRST YEAR))
[RUNS:03]
His home says it loud enough...hats, baseballs and cards. Thomas Cannon, to say it lightly is a major fan of the minor league Danville Braves.
[SOT 1:19:49]
((THOMAS CANNON/DANVILLE BRAVES #1 FAN: I PROBABLY WOULD LIKE TO SAY I'M THE NUMBER ONE IF NOT ONE OF THE TOP FIVE FAN
THAT THEY HAVE OUT THERE.)) [RUNS:05]
But the team has been in turmoil since the city sued it for not paying thousands of dollars in stadium fees last year. That didn't worry fans like Cannon too much and he doesn't have to for at least another 3 years. After weeks of negotiations the city and the Atlanta Braves signed off on a new deal.
[SOT 1:22:08]
((JERRY GWALTNEY/DANVILLE CITY MANAGER:THIS IS A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BRAVES IT IS ONE THAT IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.)) [RUNS:05]
The contract includes raising stadium rent fees to a little more than 60 thousand dollars a year. That's 20 thousand dollars more than in the past.
[SOT 1:33:43]
((BRUCE BALDWIN/ATLANTA BRAVES: YEAH IT'S A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WE WANT TO PAY AND IT'S HIGHER THAN WHAT THE AVERAGE IS IN THE LEAGUE BUT YOU KNOW THAT'S THE COST OF BUSINES SO WE ARE FINE WITH IT.)) [RUNS:07]
That's just fine by the city and Cannon who can continue to root for the home team.
[natsot 1:26:15]
((THOMAS CANNON/DANVILLE BRAVES FAN: I'M REALLY PROUD OF MY COLLECTION RIGHT REAL REAL PROUD OF IT.)) [RUNS:05]
Surae Chinn News 7, Danville.))
(-----------------)

[45-Truckers-Sleep]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=Highway Safety]

A Proposed federal regulation could create stricter driving shifts for Truck drivers.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Troutville]

The new regulations would require truckers to rest between 10 and 12 hours a day.
The 60-year old regulations that are currently in place require truckers to drive no more then 10 hours with 8 hours of rest.
Independent truck drivers like Bob Robinson say the proposed regulations are not needed.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:22:48]
[IN Q=it just]
((BOB ROBINSON/TRUCKER: IT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR THEM WANTING US TO RUN THEM 10 HOURS AND PARK THEM 12 YOU ADD THAT UP IN A YEARS TIME AND YOU'RE GOING TO LOOSE A LOT OF MONEY.))
[SUPER=01-Bob Robinson/Trucker]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=a lot of money.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

However truckers who work for companies say the hours the federal government are proposing wouldn't affect them because most companies already require 10 hours of rest.
(------------)

[45-11NS-Earnings]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse/nkr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Norfolk Southern]

Norfolk Southern's slide continues.
First quarter earnings fell 88-percent-- from 112 million dollars a year ago to just 14 million this year.
The company blames higher fuel prices, wage increases and integration costs from the Conrail break-up.

[45Weather]


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

Taking a break from the news now to check the forecast...
Partly cloudy and breezy today with highs near 65.
Mostly clear overnight with a light breeze and lows in the lower 40s.
The five day outlook is calling for a return of rainy weather tomorrow...but gradually warming up for the latter half of the weekend.
Highs in the 60s and 70s.


[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Cloudy/Winds NW 5-10/62-66/Mostly Clear/Light Breeze/40-45;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]


[8-11M'ville-Murder]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch/nkr]
[TAPE#=99-59 TC1:47:35]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

Martinsville authorities are continuing their search for the suspect wanted in connection with Sunday night's fatal shooting. Authorities say it may have been a domestic incident.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville/Sunday]

Police have released the name of the second victim.
She is the daughter of the suspect they're looking for.
18 year old Stacey Evon Rendon-Valdovinos is recovering at Wake Forest University Medical Center. The family has requested no information be released about her condition.
28 year old Jose Francisco Jimenez of Axton died in the shooting.
Officers found his body in a restaurant parking lot.
Authorities are looking for 38 year old Jose Luis Rendon whom they suspect is the trigger man.
(------------)

[8-11Chapman]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-09 TC1:42:34]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

Derrick Chapman will be sentenced today for plotting to kill three people including a judge.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford;]

The jury convicted Chapman of three counts of conspiring to commit capital murder.
Prosecutors said he was hired in September by his friend Christopher DeMoranville to kill Montgomery County Circuit Judge Ray Grubbs.
They also discussed killing DeMoranville's parents ... all for two-million dollars.
In jail on other charges, DeMoranville told police about the plan.
Chapman's attorneys said that he never intended to carry out the hits ... just to take the money.
(------------)

[8-11Missing-man-update]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sch/nkr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]

An elderly Pittsylvania County man is safe after he was missing for ten days.
Police found 65 year old Joseph Custer in good condition.
They found him at an old farm house in the county.

[8-11GE-Shareholders]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=General Electric ]

A proposal to change company retirement benefits has been rejected by General Electric shareholders.
The union proposal would have required shareholder approval of top executives' retirement packages.
Some retirees and workers say the company's pension plan for regular employees is meager when compared to the benefits offered to the Board of Directors.

[8-11Parkway-Center]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=00-06 TC55:29]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A new attraction is coming to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Local and state leaders broke ground on the Parkway's new interpretive center that'll provide an informative welcome to visitors.
Plans for the center have been in the works for the last two decades.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:50:07]
[IN Q=It's going to]
((GARY JOHNSON/BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY: IT'S GOING TO TAKE A BROAD LOOK AT THE REGION IN TERMS OF WHAT THERE IS TO SEE AND DO AND IT'S REALLY GOING TO FOCUS ON INTERPRETING WHAT THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY IS, REALLY WHAT ITS MISSION IS, AS WELL AS CONSTRUCTION HISTORY.))
[SUPER=01-Gary Johnson/Blue Ridge Parkway;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=construction history.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

It'll cost about two- million dollars to build.
The work should be completed next spring or summer.
(------------)

[8Weather]


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

Time to take one last look at your Thursday morning forecast...
Partly cloudy and milder today with highs in the mid 60s.
Clearing skies tonight with lows in the 40s.
The five day outlook is calling for a return of rainy weather tomorrow...but gradually warming up for the latter half of the weekend.
Highs in the 60s and 70s.


[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Partly Cloudy/Winds NW 5-10/62-66/Mostly Clear/Light Breeze/40-45;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS