WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 08/17/00

[7-11Indictment]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=Fred Pledge]
Roanoke police officer Fred Pledge now faces a revised indictment, which was handed down by a grand jury.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/July 27]
Pledge is charged with one count each of Conspiracy and Racketeering. The new indictment adds seven new acts to the racketeering charge. Now, Pledge is accused of accepting nearly 18-thousand dollars in cash, as well as guns, drugs and alcohol from known drug dealers. The original indictment claimed he accepted less than three-thousand in bribes.
[SUPER=04-Yesterday]
The N-double-A-C-P spoke out in support of Pledge yesterday - and against the federal investigation of the police officer.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=As I look...]
((AS I LOOK AT OFFICER PLEDGE, I'M NOT DEFENDING WHAT HE DID OR DIDN'T DO - BUT THE WAY THAT THAT THEY WENT ABOUT DOING IT. IT'S ALMOST AS IF WE WANT TO SET THIS MAN UP.))
[SUPER=01-Rev. Carl Tinsely/NAACP Acting President]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=about doing it.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]
Not all Roanoke NAACP members stand behind Pledge, though. In a memo to News 7, member Jeff Artis states "Pledge's problems aren't because he's Black .. Pledge has problems because he got caught."

[7-11Robb]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2000]
The Democratic National Convention heard from Virginia Senator Chuck Robb last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Los Angeles, CA]
He spoke for about five minutes last night, saying he was addressing skeptics who wonder if voting in the election really matters.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=If you care...]
((SENATOR CHUCK ROBB: IF YOU CARE ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS, IF YOU CARE ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, IF YOU CARE ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, IF YOU CARE ABOUT WORKERS RIGHTS, EQUAL RIGHTS, VOTING RIGHTS...IT MATTERS.))
[SUPER=201-Chuck Robb/(D) U. S. Senate Candidate]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=it matters.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Robb also addressed budget deficit reduction by Democrats over the past eight years - saying electing Al Gore means continued progress.
(------------)

[7-11Green-Party]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=00-28 TC54:50]
[GRAPHIC=none]
The Virginia ballot for president could feature two other candidates joining Bush and Gore.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Richmond;]

The Libertarians have already turned in petitions for Harry Browne.
Yesterday, the Green Party filed more than 17-thousand signatures to put Ralph Nader on the state ballot.
Pundits say Nader could cut into Gore support.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 12:55:19]
[IN Q=Well I've never]
((SHERRY STANLEY/GREEN PARTY OF VIRGINIA: WELL I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO PREDICT HISTORY. I LIKE TO MAKE IT. SO WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND DO WHAT WE CAN. BUT I DON'T LIKE MAKING PREDICTIONS. THAT ALMOST TAKES THE VOTE AWAY FROM PEOPLE. THE DECISION-MAKING IS IN THE HANDS OF THE CITIZENS OF VIRGINIA HERE. I HOPE THAT WE GET AT LEAST TEN PERCENT OF THE VOTE HERE BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE THE GREEN PARTY BALLOT ACCESS IN VIRGINIA. BUT WINNING WOULD BE FINE TOO.))
[SUPER=201-Sherry Stanley/Virginia Green Party;]
[RUNS=:24]
[OUT Q=be fine too.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Nader 2000 campaign says its candidate is on the ballot in 20 other states.
Virginia's Board of Elections must sign off on the petitions dropped off yesterday.
(------------)

[7WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Taking a break from from the news to check the forecast...
Mostly sunny today with pleasant temperatures warming into the mid 80s.

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[45-11Pipeline]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kth]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A natural gas pipeline is seeing opposition from concerned citizens and landowners from several counties.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

Virginia Gas is planning to lay a pipeline through the Roanoke Valley.
Members of The Sensible Mountain Policy Action Coalition say they'll do everything they can to stop it.
SimPac members want Virginia to use the same easement that is owned by other energy companies to save the land.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT :12:58-:13:05]
[IN Q= Rather than cut]
((RATHER THAN CUT AN ADDITIONAL SWATH THROUGH OUR MOUNTAINS, LET'S SHARE.))
[SUPER=01-Deneille Hoffman/SMPAC]
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=let's share.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

A public forum on the issue will be held September 7th at 7 pm at the Brambleton Center.
(------------)

[45-11Boty-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=00-34 TC5:52]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
An old store in Botetourt County has been damaged by fire.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.]

Flames broke out at the old store near the corner of Jennings and McFalls Creek roads yesterday afternoon.
The structure was built around 1940 but has been vacant for two or three years.
Firefighters do not yet know how it started.
(------------)

[45-11Roanoke-Fraternity]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=00-36 TC1:16:02]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke College]
Allegations of hazing have brought a suspension to a Roanoke College fraternity.
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem]

(Pie Kappa Fi) Pi Kappa Phi is being investigated by the college and its national fraternity.
The school says the conduct in question happened in the Fall of 1999 but did not come to light until this past Spring.
(-------------)

[45-11Tobacco]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=00-29 TC45:56]
[GRAPHIC=Tobacco]
A new kind of tobacco used in biomedical research is being grown first by a farmer in Pittsylvania County.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((NAT SOT OF JOE WILLIAMS TALKING TO CROPTECH WOMAN))
[SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co.;]
[RUNS=:03]
[OUTQ=NAT SOUND]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Joe Williams is raising a quarter acre of the Oriental tobacco that researchers say will be a medical and financial cure. He can grow more of these plants per acre -- at a cheaper cost. And he can harvest this type of tobacco with a machine, rather than pay scarce workers to pull each leaf by hand.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:41:01]
[IN Q=It'd be]
((JOE WILLIAMS/FARMER: IT'D BE A GREAT BENEFIT. THE LESS LABOR YOU HAVE THE LESS EXPENSE YOU HAVE AND THAT'S PART OF OUR PROBLEM NOW. OUR LABOR COSTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE WHILE OUR QUOTA DECREASES.))
[SUPER=01-Joe Williams/Farmer;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=quota decreases]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Researchers say the challenge is that this crop is more susceptible to disease and pests. They say within three years, they'll start building processing plants, which will produce new jobs.
(------------)

[45-11Wythe-Outhouse]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
An elderly Wythe County man was rescued by his mailman, after being trapped for three day under his outhouse.
76-year old Coolidge (WINE-set) Winesett was rescued from the outdoor toilet yesterday after his mailman came looking for him.
He'd been trapped since Saturday when he fell five feet through the floor into some sludge.
Authorities say he's doing well.

[45WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#none]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Checking your weather story now--- It's a nice one.

Lots of sunshine expected today..
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[8-2-11Indictment]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=Fred Pledge]
Roanoke Police Officer Fred Pledge is now facing additional charges after a grand jury handed down a revised indictment against him.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/July 27]
Pledge is charged with one count each of Conspiracy and Racketeering. The new indictment adds seven new acts to the racketeering charge. Now, Pledge is accused of accepting nearly 18-thousand dollars in cash, as well as guns, drugs and alcohol from known drug dealers. The original indictment claimed he accepted less than three-thousand in bribes.
[SUPER=04-Yesterday]
The N-double-A-C-P spoke out in support of Pledge yesterday - and against the federal investigation of the police officer.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=As I look...]
((AS I LOOK AT OFFICER PLEDGE, I'M NOT DEFENDING WHAT HE DID OR DIDN'T DO - BUT THE WAY THAT THAT THEY WENT ABOUT DOING IT. IT'S ALMOST AS IF WE WANT TO SET THIS MAN UP.))
[SUPER=01-Rev. Carl Tinsely/NAACP Acting President]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=set this man up.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Not all Roanoke NAACP members stand behind Pledge, though. In a memo to News 7, member Jeff Artis states "Pledge's problems aren't because he's Black .. Pledge has problems because he got caught."

[8-11Heilig-Meyers]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=00-22 TC1:40:37]
[GRAPHIC=Heilig-Meyer Chap. 11]

Heilig-Meyers stores in Christiansburg, Radford, Martinsville, Collinsville and (Rain-ell) Rainell, West Virginia will be closing. The company has filed for bankruptcy protection.
Jennifer Miele has details about the downsizing of the nation's number one furniture company.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The bankruptcy announcement]
[SUPER=03-Salem; :00]
[SUPER=01-Brian Gottstein/Legg Mason; :20]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.; :58]
[SUPER=@Jennifer1; 1:07]
[RUNS=1:15]
[OUT Q=JM News 7.]
(( The chapter 11 protection will allow Heilig-Meyers to continue operations as it implements a restructuring plan.
70 to 80 percent of the store's sales were financed directly through the company. With so many stores in so many medium-sized markets, the company has had to spend a large amount of money collecting those finance payments.
[SOT]
[IN Q=There have been]
((BRIAN GOTTSTEIN/LEGG MASON: THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DELINQUENCIES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING SO THEY'VE HAD TO WRITE A LOT OF THAT OFF. THEY'VE HAD TO SPEND A LOT MORE MONEY ON, FROM WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS, ON MARKETING COSTS TO BRING NEW CLIENTS IN.))
[OUT Q=new clients in.]
[RUNS13]
Some analysts say customers who have furniture financed through the company are at the mercy of the company who buys those debts.
[SOT]
[IN Q=Their debts would]
((BRIAN GOTTSTEIN/LEGG MASON: THEIR DEBTS WOULD BE SOLD TO WHOMEVER THE NEW FINANCIERS ARE, A NEW COMPANY COMING IN AND BUYING THEIR OLD DEBT. THOSE CUSTOMERS WOULD CONTINUE THOSE OBLIGATION, TO A NEW FINANCIER.))
[OUT Q=a new financer.]
[RUNS15]
Finance restructuring may also be a worry for workers-- Heilig-Meyers employs 16 thousand people in twenty nine states.
[SOT]
[STAND UP] [TC:]
[IN Q=one company has]
((ONE COMPANY HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TO BUY MORE THAN TWO MILLION DOLLARS OF CUSTOMER DEBT. NO WORD YET ON HOW THAT WILL EFFECT CUSTOMERS WHO STILL OWE THE COMPANY MONEY. JENNIFER MIELE, NEWS 7.)) [RUNS11]
[OUT Q=JM News 7.]))
(----------------)

[8WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Let's take a look again at the forecast...
Mostly sunny with highs in the mid 80s..
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