[7-Bacterial-Outbreak]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]
So far, 51 people have been affected by an outbreak of the shigellosis bacterial
infection in the Roanoke and Bedford areas since May tenth.
Shigellosis attacks the intestinal tract
and often leaves people with severe diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Other
symptoms include headaches and abdominal cramps. The infection is
usually spread by children who don't wash their hands properly
after using the bathroom. Health officials in the area say no food
handlers have been affected so far.
[7-11Drowning]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-13 48:57]
[GRAPHIC=Drowning]
The search is over for the missing Pittsylvania County man who was last seen floating away on a cooler on the James River.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Prince George Co./Monday;]
The body 52 year old Benny Krantz of Hurt was found on the beach near Tarr Bay about a half mile east of Benjamin Harrison Bridge on the James River.
People walking by found him around 5 o'clock yesterday.
Authorities had a hard time finding Krantz because of poor weather conditions and strong tides.
Krantz's body has been taken to the medical examiners office in Richmond.
(------------)
[7-11Vinton-Drowning]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=00-13 50:31]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The investigation continues into the drowning death of a Vinton toddler.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Vinton;]
Two year old Hailey Wilson drowned in a backyard pool while under the care of a babysitter Tuesday morning.
Police say the caretaker, Leni (Whitt-meyer) Whitmire, discovered the child and attempted C-P-R.
Investigators say they're continuing to conduct interviews in hopes of determining how the child wandered off and got past a secured gate leading to the pool.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 03:32:06]
[IN Q=That's the ]
((THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR, FOR SURE, THAT WE'LL DETERMINE IN THE DAYS TO COME, THAT WE'LL DEFINITELY FIND OUT HOW THE CHILD ENTERED THE POOL.))
[SUPER=01-Sgt. M. A. Vaught/Vinton Police Department;]
[RUNS=09]
[OUT Q=the pool.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Investigators say Whitmire was caring for six children and was NOT licensed to do so by the state.
Police say they won't decide if charges will be filed until they consult with the Commonwealth's attorney once their investigation is complete.
(------------)
[7-11Rainbow-Murders]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=00-05 1:43:38]
[GRAPHIC=legal scales]
The man convicted of The Rainbow Family murders that happened two decades ago has been acquitted.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lewisburg, WV/1993]
7 years ago Jacob Beard was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting deaths of two hitchhikers on their way to a Rainbow Family Gathering in Pocahontas County.
But yesterday a West Virginia jury found Beard INNOCENT.
He was released from jail last year after a death row inmate in Missouri confessed to killing Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero.
(------------)
[anchor=Kimberly]
[graphic=None]
Beard says he plans to head home to Florida, and spend time with his family.
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time again to look at today's hot forecast...
Partly sunny and much warmer with highs soaring to near 90.
Skies will turn mostly clear tonight with lows in the mid 60s.
The five day forecast stays pretty hot through tomrorow....
[SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Wind W-10mph/85-90/Mostly Clear/Light Winds/62-68;]
[SUPER=#555;RESET]
[45-11West]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=00-08 1:36:18]
[GRAPHIC=Dennis West]
After serving less than 10 years for kiling his wife, Dennis West could have gone back to prison if an assault charge had held up in court.
(------------)
[V/O-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Shona Reynolds filed the assault and battery warrant against West three days after he fired her.
The two worked at Holiday Inn Express on Gainsboro Road where West is the assistant manager.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:34:50]
[IN Q=I said, well]
((I SAID, "WELL, SHONA, YOU'RE GOING TO BE FIRED, BECAUSE OF CUSSING. I CANNOT ALLOW AN EMPLOYEE TO CUSS A SUPERVISOR OR ANOTHER EMPLOYEE."))
[SUPER=01-Dennis West/Assault Suspect]
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=or another employee.]
(------------)
[V/O-NAT]
She denied cussing at West... insisting, instead, that West grabbed her in the course of firing her.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:09]
[IN Q=and he yelled]
((AND HE YELLED AT ME. HE SAID YOU'RE FIRED. WHEN HE DID THAT HE REACHED OVER A GRABBED ME BY MY ARM.))
[SUPER=01-Shona Reynolds/Complaining Witness]
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=by my arm.]
(------------)
[V/O-NAT]
Judge Jackie (Ta-Leh-vi) Talevi was concerned that it took Reynolds three days to file a complaint with the magistrate. In this conflict between his account and hers, the judge decided the case was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
(------------)
[45-11Jackson]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=00-10 1:40:06]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]
A Roanoke man accused of arson and murder MIGHT have talked too much while he was in jail--
Three city inmates may be witnesses for the prosecution next week in his trial.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/May 18, 1998;]
Brian Eugene Jackson is charged with the Church Avenue rooming house fire that killed six people in May of 1998.
He was in court yesterday, as his attorney asked for more information on jailhouse witnesses.
They may claim that Jackson made incriminating statements while in custody.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 55:37]
[IN Q=We decided]
((CHRIS KOWALCZUK/JACKSON'S ATTORNEY: WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING WHO THESE PEOPLE WERE, THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS, WHAT THEIR MOTIVATIONS ARE, WHY THESE JAILHOUSE SNITCHES ARE SUDDENLY COMING FORWARD IF IT'S SUDDEN.))
[SUPER=01-Chris Kowalczuk/Jackson's Attorney; ]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=if it's sudden.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=KIM]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]
Prosecutors have agreed to provide more information, once it is clear the inmates will actually testify. Jackson's trial is scheduled to begin on Monday.
[45-11Halifax-murder]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation]
Halifax county authorities believe a domestic dispute turned deadly.
56-year old Henry Lionel Link of South Boston was shot to death.
His wife Mary Link called deputies and stated someone had been shot and she needed a deputy.
That's when officers found Link dead in his home.
Authorities seized several firearms. Charges are pending.
[45-Bacterial-Outbreak]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]
There's an apparent outbreak of the bacterial infection, shigellosis.
51 people have contracted the disease in the Roanoke and Bedford areas since May 10th.
Shigellosis strikes the intestinal tract
and can cause severe diarrhea, fever and vomiting.
Other symptoms include headaches and abdominal cramps.
The disease is usually spread by children who don't wash their hands properly
after using the bathroom.
Health officials in the area say no food
handlers have been affected so far.
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Shifting gears now to weather...
With the arrival of June comes some hot temperatures.
Highs today nearing 90 under partly sunny skies.
Mostly clear overnight, with lows in the mid 60s.
Checking the forecast....
[SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Wind W-10mph/85-90/Mostly Clear/Light Winds/62-68;]
[SUPER=#555;RESET]
[8-11Freeman]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=sch]
[TAPE#=00-05 1:44:20]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A Danville man has been found guilty of child pornography and rape of a minor.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]
25-year old Roger Donovan Freeman faced eight different counts including child pornography, sodomy and statutory rape of a 14-year old girl.
The defendant pled not guilty to those charges during his trial.
Prosecutors entered about two dozen photographs that included Freeman and two minors.
Some of them were nude pictures of the defendant in the process of committing different acts.
Judge James Ingram convicted Freeman shortly after closing arguments.
His sentencing is scheduled for June 29th.
(------------)
[8-11FOI-Suit]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=00-15 32:16]
[GRAPHIC=Lawsuit]
Recently, we brought you a story about a Botetourt man who had filed suit against the County Supervisors for violating the rights of citizens to attend a public meeting. That lawsuit has now been dismissed by a judge.
The decision came after a hearing yesterday on a motion by the county's attorney.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./April 20;]
The issue centered on a budget hearing last month.
Many people couldn't get into the room to hear what was going on.
Attorney Bob Patterson argued that violated the state's open meeting law.
(------------)
[anchor=Kimberly]
[graphic=Hold]
Botetourt County's attorney said that the meeting was legal, and that the supervisors would have moved it to a bigger room had they expected a huge crowd.
The judge sided with the county.
[8-11ACLU-Park-Arrests]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The American Civil Liberties Union has joined a Roanoke case challenging Virginia's centuries-old sodomy law.
The ACLU says if the sodomy law is not struck down by Virginia's Court of Appeals, it should at least NOT apply to private consensual sex between adults.
The ACLU has filed a friend-of-the court brief in the case of a group of defendants arrested in Wasena park.
Virginia's sodomy statute prohibits oral and anal sex.
[8-11-29-Fatality]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]
A Danville truck driver has been killed in accident on Route 29.
An Albemarle County official says 40-year-old Terry Grasty was trapped in his burning Dollar-General rig after another truck rear-ended him at an intersection.
No word yet on whether the driver who hit Grasty will face charges.
[8-11Rainbow-Murders]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AMCutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=00-05 1:43:38]
[GRAPHIC=legal scales]
The man convicted of The Rainbow Family murders that happened two decades ago has now been been acquitted.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lewisburg, WV/1993]
7 years ago Jacob Beard was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting deaths of two hitchhikers on their way to a Rainbow Family Gathering in Pocahontas County.
But yesterday a West Virginia jury found Beard INNOCENT.
He was released from jail last year after a death row inmate in Missouri confessed to killing Vicki Durian and Nancy Santomero.
(------------)
[anchor=Kimberly]
[graphic=None]
Beard says he plans to head home to Florida, and spend time with his family.
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time again to look at the forecast...
Partly sunny and hot today with highs nearing 90.
Mostly clear tonight and lows in the 60s.
Checking the forecast....
[SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE]
[SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Wind W-10mph/85-90/Mostly Clear/Light Winds/62-68;]
[SUPER=#555;RESET]
by SS