WDBJ 7 morning news for 11/22/00

[Recount]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Election 2000]

Good Morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom.
Vice President Al Gore's campaign for the Presidency lives on.
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that hand re- counts may continue, and be counted in the final vote tally.
Those numbers must be reported by late Sunday or early Monday.
Meanwhile, George W- Bush still holds a 930- vote lead in the official, but uncertified vote tallies.
Terisa Estacio is in Tallahassee with more.
[LIVE=Terisa Estacio/FULL]
[SUPER=701-Terisa Estacio/Reporting;]
[SUPER=705-Tallahassee;]

((ROLLCUE:...))
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=703-W. Palm Beach, FL;]
[SUPER=701-Craig Waters/Supreme Court Spokesman;]
[SUPER=701-Al Gore/(D) Presidential Candidate;]
[SUPER=701-James Baker/Bush Advisor;]
[RUNS=:00]
[OUT Q=]
(( Locator: West Palm Beach, FL Election workers are back on the job this morning, hand counting ballots cast in the presidential race. And for the first time, they know their counts really will count.

SOT: Craig Waters/Supreme Court Spokesman
"The court has consistently held that the right of the people to cast their vote is of paramount concern, overriding all others."
Florida's seven Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously that the manual counts underway in three Florida counties can be included in the final Presidential vote tally. The new numbers must be reported to Secretary of State Katherine Harris by LATE Sunday or EARLY Monday. This decision breathes new life into Al Gore's run for the White House.

SOT: V.P. Al Gore/D-Presidential Candidate
"I firmly believe that the will of the people should prevail and I'm gratified that the court's decision will allow us to honor that simple constitutional principle."
Texas Governor George W. Bush's campaign quickly reacted to the news calling the opinion unfair and unacceptable.

SOT: James Baker/Bush Advisor
"The Florida Supreme Court rewrote, the legislators' statutory systems assumed the responsibilities of the executive branch and side stepped the opinion of the trail court as the finder of fact." ))
[LIVE=Terisa Estacio/FULL]
[SUPER=705-Tallahassee;]

[1-School-Info]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=School Information]

The cold weather has forced a couple of schools to close today.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN BOARD]
In Grayson County-- Grayson County High School and Independence Middle Schools will be closed because of heating problems.
All other Grayson County schools will be open.
(------------)

[11SML-Zoning]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=mornin]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=00-46]
[GRAPHIC=Smith Mt. Lake]
Franklin County supervisors paved the way last night for a 140-acre complex at Smith Mountain Lake, including a retirement home, shops, a golf course and a movie theater. It's expected to produce 300-thousand-dollars in tax revenue every year. Tina Tenret explains.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This pay dirt]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ron Willard, Sr./Developer; :22]
[SUPER=01-Don Fink/Smith Mountain Lake Association; :49]
[SUPER=@Tina1; :56]
[RUNS=1:05]
[OUT Q=Tina Tenret News7]
(( This pay dirt near Westlake Corner holds the seeds of a 30 million dollar community. Picture a golf course, movie theater, condos, a shopping center, and a retirement home. Plus, the developer plans to give six acres to the sheriff's office, the YMCA, and the performing arts.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:04:13]
[IN Q=The job impact]
((RON WILLARD/DEVELOPER: THE JOB IMPACT ... ABOVE THEIR RETAIL OFFICE)) [RUNS:19]
[OUT Q=ABOVE THEIR RETAIL OFFICE]
The Smith Mountain Lake Association likes the look of this brick village, with its gardens, sidewalks and rotundas. It's not like the newer strip malls that members hate.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 20:04:31]
[IN Q=It shows]
((DON FINK/SML ASSOC: IT SHOWS PROMISE OF BLENDING BETTER WITH THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT THAN SOME OF THE BUILDINGS RECENTLY ERECTED IN THIS AREA.)) [RUNS:06]
[OUT Q=erected in this area]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((TINA TENRET/NEWS7: THIS PROJECT IS JUST ABOUT A HALF MILE AWAY FROM THE BOOKER T-WASHINGTON MONUMENT, WITH FARMLAND IN BETWEEN. PARK SERVICE OFFICERS WORRY THAT POLLUTION WILL HURT WILDLIFE IN GILLS CREEK -- BUT AGREED TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER TO FILTER THE RUNOFF, IF IT CAUSES A PROBLEM. ))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]))

[11Teen-Driving]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Take some time to ride along with your teen driver this holiday weekend.
That request from Virginia State Police after an alarming spike in teen motorist fatalities.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henrico Co./November 1;]

142 young motorists between the ages of 16 and 20 have died on Virginia roads so far this year.
That's compared to 119 in all of last year.
Eleven of the deaths came in this month alone.
The State Police superintendent says the General Assembly might want to revisit its decision to lower the age at which teens can get a learners permit.
But there's a bigger problem.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 10:52:02]
[IN Q=Right now]
((COL. GERALD MASSENGILL/VIRGINIA STATE POLICE: RIGHT NOW, THE 18 YEAR OLDS... 180 PERCENT ... NOT SURE HOW THAT RELATES OR IF IT DOES.))
[SUPER=01-Gerald Massengill/Virginia State Police;]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=or if it does.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Most of the teen fatalities are the result of over corrections when the car runs off the road.
In the data available through September, only one in six is related to alcohol.
(------------)

[Holiday-Travel]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Holiday Travel]

While plenty of people will be driving this holiday weekend, a record 21- MILLION Americans are expected to take to the skies.
But after a summer of airline troubles and flight delays, there could be some bumps in the road.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Chicago, IL;]

Already lines are forming inside airports around the country.
But there are lines outside, too.
Flight attendants at American Airlines and United are picketing.
United says it mechanics forced the carrier to ask a judge to outlaw any work slowdown over the holidays.
That, after maintenance- grounded planes jumped by as many as 50 flights a day.
Another major carrier, Delta, is already warning passengers of possible delays and cancellations because pilots have adopted a "no overtime" policy.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:15:12]
[IN Q=Every airline]
((AARON GILMAN/NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: EVERY AIRLINE PILOTS GROUP AND MACHINISTS GROUP WANTS TO BE THE INDUSTRY- LEADING UNION.))
[SUPER=01-Aaron Gilman/Northwestern University;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=industry- leading union]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

But that matters little to holiday travelers, who just want to make sure they reach their destination on time.
(------------)

[Roanoke-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

[Super=03-Roanoke/This Morning;]

Fire destroyed a house in Roanoke this morning.
Crews were called to a home on Tillet Road in Southwest Roanoke around 5.
Roanoke Fire Department Spokesperson Jennifer Faulkner says they suspect a 6 year old girl is inside the house and crews are searching for the her at this time.
It's believed the girl was staying with her grandmother.
The grandmother suffered burns and was taken to the hospital.
We do have a crew on the scene and we'll pass on any additional information as it becomes available.

[2-School-Info]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=School Information]

Two schools in Grayson County are closed today due to the cold weather.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN BOARD]
Grayson County High School and Independence Middle Schools will be closed because of heating problems.
All other Grayson County schools will be open.
(------------)

[11NAACP-Gilmore]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=00-39 TC1:11:23]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The Virginia N-double-A-C-P appears to have backed down from its threat of a national boycott of the Commonwealth.

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

After an almost two hour closed-door session with Governor Jim Gilmore yesterday, the civil rights group's leaders refused to comment.
Gilmore's Secretary of Health and Human Resources said Confederate History Month was NOT even mentioned.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 16:47:43 ]
[IN Q=They're not]
((CLAUDE ALLEN/HEALTH & HUMAN RESOURCES SECRETARY: THEY'RE NOT A SPECTACLE. THEY'RE NOT TO BE PUT ON DISPLAY. THERE'S NOT A DISPUTE HERE. THERE'S AN ONGOING DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE. AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE MEETING, AND REFLECTED BY THE NAACP'S WILLINGNESS TO MEET WITH THE GOVERNOR BUT ALSO NOT TO DISCUSS IT IN THE PRESS.))
[SUPER=01-Claude Allen/Health & Human Resources;]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=in the press.]
(-------------)
[TALENT=Shannon]
[SS=None]

The apparent pact of silence between the administration and the N-double-C-P is a far cry from the summer.
Then, director Salim (suh-LEEM) Khalfani threatened civil action if Gilmore declared next April Confederate History Month.
Gilmore has NOT announced his plans on that yet.
On other issues, according to Secretary Allen, the administration agreed to help educate black voters about the registration and voting process.
But the Governor reiterated his opposition to a moratorium on the death penalty that the N-double-A-C-P was seeking.

[11Slave-Mural]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=00-40 TC1:17:50]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Artwork in two of Lynchburg's court buildings is drawing fire from some minority residents who find it racist.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

In question is this mural in the juvenile court building that shows a white farmer and a black man, presumed to be his slave, driving an oxen team to market.
Citizens are also upset over these depictions of Lynchburg's early history in the lobby of the city's circuit court.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:48:37]
[IN Q=And when I]
((JOE SEIFFERT/LYNCHBURG COUNCIL MEMBER: AND WHEN I SAW THE FIGURES OF THE BLACK PEOPLE WHO WERE PLANTING TOBACCO, I SAID 'THAT STEPS OVER THE LINE, THAT'S DISPARAGING', IN MY OPINION. AND I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM IN TAKING DOWN THE METALWORK THAT SHOWS THOSE BLACKS BECAUSE THEY'RE CARICATURES AND THEY'RE MADE TO LOOK LIKE MONKEYS.))
[SUPER=01-Joe Seiffert/Lynchburg Council Member]
[RUNS=19]
[OUT Q=look like monkeys.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Experts say it will cost about 50- thousand dollars to remove the painting from the juvenile court building.
Council will discuss the issue further next month.
(------------)

[2-HEADLINES]
[2-shot=KMC/SYO]
[SUPER=#4049; Morning Headlines]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

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

A legal victory for Vice President Al Gore in his bid for the White House.
The Florida Supeme Court gives the "thumbs up" to hand recounts.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]

Virginia's Standards of Learning tests are making the grade when it comes to reliability standards for such tests.

But the jury's still out on whether they're actually teaching children more.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And just as temperatures are taking a dip, the Snowshoe ski resort is opening today.
Snowmaking equipment and the recent wintry weather have whitened the slopes.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Wednesday, November 22nd .
[ANCHOR=Shannon]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[2-Recount]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Election 2000]

Good Morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom.
Al Gore's campaign will be giving thanks tomorrow for a ruling from Florida's Supreme Court.
The court has decided that hand re- counts may go on, and that their results will count toward the state's final Presidential vote tally.
Election workers will stay busy over Thanksgiving Weekend.
The hand- counted numbers must be reported to Secretary of State Katherine Harris by late Sunday or early Monday.

Meanwhile, George W- Bush is still leading by 930 -votes in the official, but uncertified tallies.
Terisa Estacio joins us now from Tallahassee with an update.
[LIVE=Terisa Estacio/FULL]
[SUPER=701-Terisa Estacio/Reporting;]
[SUPER=705-Tallahassee;]

((ROLLCUE:...))
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=703-W. Palm Beach, FL;]
[SUPER=701-Craig Waters/Supreme Court Spokesman;]
[SUPER=701-Al Gore/(D) Presidential Candidate;]
[SUPER=701-James Baker/Bush Advisor;]
[RUNS=:00]
[OUT Q=]
(( Locator: West Palm Beach, FL Election workers are back on the job this morning, hand counting ballots cast in the presidential race. And for the first time, they know their counts really will count.

SOT: Craig Waters/Supreme Court Spokesman
"The court has consistently held that the right of the people to cast their vote is of paramount concern, overriding all others."
Florida's seven Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously that the manual counts underway in three Florida counties can be included in the final Presidential vote tally. The new numbers must be reported to Secretary of State Katherine Harris by LATE Sunday or EARLY Monday. This decision breathes new life into Al Gore's run for the White House.

SOT: V.P. Al Gore/D-Presidential Candidate
"I firmly believe that the will of the people should prevail and I'm gratified that the court's decision will allow us to honor that simple constitutional principle."
Texas Governor George W. Bush's campaign quickly reacted to the news calling the opinion unfair and unacceptable.

SOT: James Baker/Bush Advisor
"The Florida Supreme Court rewrote, the legislators' statutory systems assumed the responsibilities of the executive branch and side stepped the opinion of the trail court as the finder of fact." ))
[LIVE=Terisa Estacio/FULL]
[SUPER=705-Tallahassee;]

[3-School-Info]

[Roanoke-Fire]

[11SOL-Tests]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=00-38 TC1:12:22]
[GRAPHIC=Standards of Learning]

Virginia's Standards of Learning tests "meet or exceed" reliability standards for such standardized tests.
But the jury's still out on whether they're teaching children more.
Ellen Qualls reports.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good news]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ronald Hambleton/Testing Expert; :16]
[SUPER=01-Kirk Schroder/Virginia Board of Education; :46]
[SUPER=@Ellen2; 1:09]
[RUNS=1:22]
[OUT Q=Qualls, News 7, Richmond.]
(( Good news for the state Department of Education: six national testing experts have signed off that the S-O-L tests are scientifically sound.
However, the experts say the two week turnaround the state demands of its testing contractor is unheard of, and could cause mistakes.
[sot 13:53:33]
((RONALD HAMBLETON/NATIONAL TESTING EXPERT: IT'S A QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE....NIGHT SHIFT IS NOT ALWAYS STRONG AS THE DAY SHIFT.)) [runs:20 ]
The experts say they need more data throughout to offer a better assessment-- but much of that data won't come until colleges report back on how prepared Virginia students are when they come to them.
[sot 14:11:41]
((KIRK SCHRODER/VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION: WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS...FEAR AND UNFOUNDED CRITICISM ABOUT THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THIS TESTING PROGRAM.)) [runs:23 ]
Parents Across Virginia United to Reform the S-O-Ls says these findings show the tests may be legally defensible... but they don't answer the question of if they're educationally defensible.
Ellen Qualls, News 7, Richmond.))

[2-SML]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=mornin]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Smith Mountain Lake]

A 30-million-dollar development is going up at Smith Mountain Lake that will include a retirement home, movie theater and nine-hole golf course.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.;]
Franklin County supervisors just approved plans for the 140-acre shopping and condo complex near Westlake Corner. Ron Willard says his development will provide 300-thousand tax dollars a year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:06:24]
[IN Q=I'm looking]
((RON WILLARD/DEVELOPER: I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING ... GIVING THEM THAT.))
[SUPER=01-Ron Willard, Sr./Developer;]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=giving them that]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Willard says the shopping village will be all brick in 1930's downtown style. But with the Booker T-Washington National Monument just a half mile away, the Park Service is worried pollution will hurt the fish in Gills Creek. They say they'll work with Willard to filter runoff from the project.
(------------)

[11Snowshoe]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=00-34 TC1:46:12]
[GRAPHIC=none]

The Snowshoe resort opens its slopes today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Snowshoe, WV]

The snowmaking equipment there has been operating around the clock for more than a week, and the latest wave of wintry weather added several inches of fresh powder.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Normally opening day]
((NORMALLY OPENING DAY IS JUST AN EXCITING DAY BECAUSE EVERYONE'S EXCITED ABOUT GETTING ON THE SNOW. IT'S USUALLY JUST A FEW TRAILS AND GRASS AROUND... AND YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE STILL EXCITED BECAUSE THERE IS SNOW AND WE'RE ABLE TO SKI, BUT THIS IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, QUITE POSSIBLY JUST UNBELIEVABLE. IT'S GREAT.))
[SUPER=01-Blaine Daniel/Snowshoe Employee]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=It's great.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Snowshoe has opened earlier in the past, but rarely with this much snow. When the first skiers hit the slopes today, about 25 percent of the resort's terrain will be open.
(------------)

[Roanoke-Fire]

[4-School-Info]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=School Information]

Two schools are closed today due to the cold weather.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN BOARD]
In Grayson County-- Grayson County High School and Independence Middle Schools will be closed because of heating problems.
All other Grayson County schools will be open.
(------------)

[11Tech-Football]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-36 TC2:03:15]
[GRAPHIC=Tech Graduation Rate]

A Virginia Tech football player is turning in a stellar performance on the field and in the classroom ... and, according to some recent statistics, against the odds.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]

Senior wide receiver Andre Davis has helped take the Hokies to victory... all while making the Dean's List and running track.
He's on schedule to graduate this spring.
But a report on graduation rates from the N-C-Double-A suggests Davis is one of an elite minority.
In the last four years, half of all Division One scholarship football players graduated within six years.
At Virginia Tech, it was 45 percent.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 1:25:32 - :43]
[IN Q=Football is great.]
((ANDRE DAVIS/TECH WIDE RECEIVER: FOOTBALL IS GREAT, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THERE FOR YOU FOREVER. AND I REALLY THINK THAT YOU SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON GETTING YOUR DEGREE, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN FOOTBALL MIGHT BE DONE.))
[SUPER=01-Andre Davis/Virginia Tech Wide Receiver;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=might be done.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Coach Frank Beamer says his players' graduation rates were low last year because many transferred to other schools or are still working toward a degree.
The school has doubled its academic support staff to work with athletes... and aims to have THEIR graduation rates match Tech's average of 73 percent.
(------------)

[Local-Recap]
[SUPER=#4059;Local Recap]
[2-Shot=Kmc/Syo]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Now here's another look at today's top local stories:
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
(XXXXXXXXXXXX)
[Take FS Board]
Grayson County High School and Independence Middle Schools will be closed today because of heating problems.
All other Grayson County schools will be open.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]

Fire destroyed a house on Tillet Road in Southwest Roanoke around 5 this morning.
Roanoke Fire Department Spokesperson Jennifer Faulkner says they suspect a 6 year old girl is inside the house and crews are searching for the her at this time.
It's believed the girl was staying with her grandmother.
The grandmother suffered burns and was taken to the hospital.

(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

The Snowshoe resort opens its slopes today.
The snowmaking equipment there has been operating around the clock for more than a week, and the latest wave of wintry weather added several inches of fresh powder. When the first skiers hit the slopes today, about 25 percent of the resort's terrain will be open.

(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
(Shannon mic hot)
(///////////////)
(Shannon ad lib weather)
(-------------)
[2-SHOT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Now here's Keith Humphry with a preview of News 7 at Six.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=They haven't paid]
[RUNS=18]
[OUT Q=on News 7 at 6.]
(-------------)
[Desk=Kimberly/Shannon and Steve]
(toss)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)
(ad lib bye) [Desk=Kimberly/Shannon and Steve]