WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 12/13/00

[7-School-Board]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-43]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke City School Board]
Despite the Roanoke City school board's vow to improve employee salaries, school teachers might not see any pay raises in the upcoming fiscal year.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Superintendent Wayne Harris presented the preliminary 2001-2002 general fund budget to the School Board last night. It includes a minimum average three-percent pay raise for teachers and administrators. But Harris says those pay raises fall under the "unfunded" portion of the budget.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT @ 22:39 - 22:54]
[IN Q=I don't have...]
((I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY YET TO FUND THOSE...BUT WE ANTICIPATE THAT WHEN THE GOVERNOR PROPOSAL COMES FORWARD AND THE CITY REVISES REVENUE TO THE SCHOOLS WE'LL GET MORE MONEY - HOW MUCH I CAN'T SAY.))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Harris/Roanoke City Superintendent]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=can't say.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Harris says he needs about 3-million dollars to fund those pay raises. That money would also help implement a 7-period high school schedule, and would increase benefits for school bus drivers.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Earlier this week, Governor Gilmore's office said teachers will see NO new state money. The School Board budget won't be approved until Spring of next year.

[7-Substitute-Shortage]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=00-45 TC34:47]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke Co. Schools]

Finding substitute teachers is a nationwide problem, according to the Virginia Education Association, and Roanoke County is finding it is true here as well.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]
The V-E-A says these days it's not uncommon for school systems to lower their educational requirements to solve the problem. Next week, Roanoke County's school board will consider one such proposal. Right now - the county requires a four year degree in any field to substitute. Under the proposal, substitutes would be required to have only an Associate's Degree or, in some cases, two years of college.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:18:10]
[IN Q=If they're ]
((TOM HALL/ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF PERSONNEL: IF THEY'RE INTERESTED WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A LOT OF IN SERVICE A LOT OF TRAINING TO THEM SO THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH ONLY TWO YEARS UNDER THEIR BELT COMING IN AND TAKING OVER IN A CLASSROOM.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Hall/Superintendent of Personnel;]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=in a classroom.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Roanoke County school board will vote on the issue next Monday.
(------------)

[7-Vanity-Fair]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=tst]
[TAPE#=00-41 TC1:05:51]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A photographer famous for his pictures of Virginia steam trains, is now the subject of a published photo spread in Vanity Fair Magazine.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/August 2;]
As you may remember, Vanity Fair magazine needed steam locomotive 12-18 as a monster prop in some pictures of photographer O. Winston Link.
At the time, magazine staffers wouldn't say exactly why they needed the shots.
Now we know.
The magazine's January edition honors 18 influential photographers who are active in their 80s and beyond.
Link, who turns 86 this month, is included because of his famous nighttime shots of Norfolk & Western steam trains.
(------------)

[7WEATHER]

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

Taking a break from the news now to check weather--
Increasing clouds today with a highs in the mid 30s...

[SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE]
[SUPER=314-Increasing/Clouds/34-36/Sleet and/Freezing Rain/28-31;AREA FORECAST]
[SUPER=#555;RESET]
[ESS C] (EXTENDED)

[45-Pritchett]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=00-38 TC1:36:50]
[GRAPHIC=Bud Pritchett]

A man who is serving a life sentence for the Ironto rest stop murder gained a small victory in court.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-1997]

The Virginia Court of Appeals accepted Bud Pritchett's confession as "voluntary," while one of the three judges who reviewed the case questioned "police tactics" in obtaining the statement.
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co./April 1997]

Estel Singleton was murdered at the rest stop... his bank and credit cards stolen.
Pritchett admitted he used the victim's A-T-M card, claimed he found them. There was no direct evidence that linked Pritchett to the murder, beyond his own statement.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[SS=HOLD]

Yesterday, Judge James Benton cited Pritchett's low I-Q and the fact that police lied to him to get him to come in and talk to them.
Attorney Jimmy Turk says Benton's dissent may help get the full Court to re-hear the case.

[45-NAACP]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-42]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The Roanoke chapter of the N Double-A C-P has a new leader.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Brenda Hale will serve a two-year term as the organization's local president. Hale has already created two task forces, focusing on education and law enforcement. She says she hopes to establish a better relationship between the NAACP and the police department. Hale ran against incumbent president Martin Jeffrey in 19-98 and appeared to have won until NAACP officials nullified the election because of irregularities. In this year's election, Hale defeated candidate Evangeline Jeffrey by a vote of 61 to 59.
(-------------)

[45-I-73]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=00-44 TC51:08]
[GRAPHIC=Interstate 73]
The Roanoke Times published a four thousand dollar ad to opponents of Interstate 73 for free by mistake. Tina Tenret has reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=A full page ad]
[SUPER=01-Wendy Zomparelli/Roanoke Times Publisher; :14]
[SUPER=01-Rob Glenn/I-73 Supporter; :42]
[SUPER=@Tina1; :52]
[RUNS=1:02]
[OUT Q=Tina Tenret News7.]
(( The full page ad in the front section of the Roanoke Times normally costs more than four thousand dollars. But the Roanoke Times gave it away accidentally to I-73 opponents.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 14:37:30]
[IN Q=This ad]
((WENDY ZOMPARELLI/ROANOKE TIMES PUBLISHER: THIS AD WAS ACCEPTED IN ERROR AS A PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISEMENT. WE HAVE VERY CLEAR PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISEMENT POLICIES THAT STATE ADS THAT TAKE PARTISAN POSITIONS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING.)) [RUNS:15]
[OUT Q=ADVERTISING]
Public opinion of I-73 is especially critical this week because VDOT's asking for feedback on the proposed road. So the free publicity in the Roanoke Times strengthens people AGAINST the interstate-- and shocks people who want it.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:44:20]
[SOT 19:40:37]
[IN Q=We had decided]
((ROB GLENN/I73 ADVOCATE: WE HAD DECIDED WE COULD NOT AFFORD THE ADS. SO WHEN WE SAW THE ADS WERE DONATED WE THOUGHT, GOSH, WE REALLY MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. butt butt butt TINA TENRET/NEWS7: IF YOU WANT VDOT TO KNOW YOUR OPINION ON I73, YOU CAN ATTEND ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS LIKE THIS ONE THAT WILL BE HELD AT HOTEL ROANOKE THIS WEEK. TINA TENRET NEWS7)) [RUNS:21]
[OUT Q=Tina Tenret News7]))

[45WEATHER]

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

Let's turn to the mid- week forecast--
Increasing clouds with highs near 35...

[SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE]
[SUPER=314-Increasing/Clouds/34-36/Sleet and/Freezing Rain/28-31;AREA FORECAST]
[SUPER=#555;RESET]
[ESS C] (EXTENDED)

[8-School-Board]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-43]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke City School Board]

There may not be any pay raises for Roanoke city school teachers during the next fiscal year.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Superintendent Wayne Harris presented the preliminary 2001-2002 general fund budget to the School Board last night. It includes a minimum average three-percent pay raise for teachers and administrators. But Harris says those pay raises fall under the "unfunded" portion of the budget.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT @ 22:39 - 22:54]
[IN Q=I don't have...]
((I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY YET TO FUND THOSE...BUT WE ANTICIPATE THAT WHEN THE GOVERNOR PROPOSAL COMES FORWARD AND THE CITY REVISES REVENUE TO THE SCHOOLS WE'LL GET MORE MONEY - HOW MUCH I CAN'T SAY.))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Harris/Roanoke City Superintendent]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=can't say.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Harris says he needs about 3-million dollars to fund those pay raises. That money would also help implement a 7-period high school schedule, and would increase benefits for school bus drivers.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Earlier this week, Governor Gilmore's office said teachers will see NO new state money. The School Board budget won't be approved until Spring of next year.

[8-Hickson]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=00-37 TC2:01:58]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

A Bedford county courtroom will again be the scene of a trial for a babysitter accused of killing an infant.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Sonya Hickson is charged in connection with the death of 13 month old Frances Vermillion in February of 1998.
[SUPER=03-Bedford;]

Hickson was babysitting Vermillion in her home near Hardy when she claims the toddler fell out of a chair and hit her head.
Hickson later amended her story and told police she had also dropped the child at least twice that morning.
An autopsy showed Vermillion suffered at least two blunt impact injuries to the head.
The medical examiner testified it is possible the injuries could have resulted from separate falls, but that they are also consistent with someone who has been slapped or kicked in the head.
Testimony resumes this morning.
(------------)

[8-Habitat]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-40 TC1:51:43]
[GRAPHIC=Habitat for Humanity]

Despite missing Habitat for Humanity money, some New River Valley families are moving into their new homes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford;]

Patty Furrow and her son got the keys to their new Habitat house at a dedication ceremony yesterday.
First National Bank employees helped pay for and build the house.
In October, Habitat and several New River Valley charities found more than half-a-million dollars missing.
Their money was handled by N-R-C Management.
Now, six of seven Habitat houses are moving forward... thanks to 57-thousand dollars in donations.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:49 - :58]
[IN Q=We've received]
((TERRY FITZWATER-PALMORE: WE'VE RECEIVED 5-THOUSAND DOLLAR DONATIONS AND A 10-THOUSAND DOLLAR ANONYMOUS DONATION, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE WITH EVERY LITTLE BIT PUT IT TOWARD WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO, AND THAT'S TOWARDS ELIMINATING POVERTY HOUSING.))
[SUPER=01-Terri Fitzwater-Palmore/NRV Habitat For Humanity;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=eliminating poverty housing.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

No one has been charged yet in connection with the charities' missing money.
(------------)

[8WEATHER]

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

Let's take another look at the forecast...
Clouding up today with chilly highs only in the mid 30s...

[SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE]
[SUPER=314-Increasing/Clouds/34-36/Sleet and/Freezing Rain/28-31;AREA FORECAST]
[SUPER=#555;RESET]
[ESS C] (EXTENDED)