WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 02/28/01

[7-Thomas]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=00-49 TC1:42:50]
[GRAPHIC=Thomas Trial]
Testimony will resume this morning in the capital murder trial of Jeffrey Allen Thomas, accused of murdering Radford teen Tara Munsey.
Cameras have been banned in the courtroom, but Marya Jones was there yesterday as attorneys outlined their arguments and jurors heard from the first witnesses against Thomas.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Tara Rose Munsey's]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski; :16]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski Co./Last Year; :26]
[SUPER=@Marya1; :50]
[RUNS=1:02]
[OUT Q=In Pulaski, MJ, News 7.]

[7-Akers]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=00-54 TC1:23:35]
[GRAPHIC=Thomas Akers]

The Virginia Supreme Court says Thomas Akers' execution will go on as scheduled tomorrow night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mount/January 1999;]

Akers is set to die for the murder of a Roanoke man in Franklin County.
He's refusing to cooperate with the attorneys handling the appeal.
But they're still planning to take the case to the U-S Supreme Court.
(------------)

[7-Police-Dogs]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=00-47 TC1:53:46]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Lynchburg police say they are close to finishing investigating an attack on an officer by one of the department's drug dogs.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/February 13]

Officer Rick (ru-Jerry) Ruggieri suffered injuries to his face and hands when a dog turned on him at the police training grounds.
A former police officer claims the department isn't telling the whole story about what happened - and that a less- experienced handler was present that day.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 22:21:29]
[IN Q=You should believe]
((COL. CHARLES BENNETT/LYNCHBURG POLICE CHIEF: YOU SHOULD BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE OR SOMEONE WHO HAS NO FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER OF THE INCIDENT. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE INCIDENT, SHE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. WAS SHE THERE? WELL, YES, BUT THERE WERE ALSO 40 OTHER PEOPLE THERE, WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU THEIR NAMES EITHER, BECAUSE THAT WASN'T GERMANE TO THE ISSUE.))
[SUPER=01-Charles Bennett/Lynchburg Police Chief;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=to the issue.]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]

Bennett says the department's investigation should be completed by next week.
(-------------)

[45-D'ville-Explosion]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-01 TC1:18:40]
[GRAPHIC=Explosion]
A small gas main explosion in Danville sent two men to the hospital yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville]

The accident happened just before three yesterday afternoon on Industrial Avenue at Pearl Street.
A private contractor was working on the "city owned" gas main when it exploded- trapping one man underneath some dirt.
He and another person were taken to the hospital.
Emergency Service Officials are still trying to figure out what caused the explosion.
(------------)

[45-Gas-Pipeline]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=00-53 TC1:16:38]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Opponents of a proposed gas pipeline don't have much time to persuade the State Corporation Commission as to where they think the line should go.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

A hearing examiner has recommended that the S-C-C approve the merger of Virginia Gas and a New Jersey Company, but he also encouraged them to reconsider the possibility of co-locating the proposed pipeline along existing easements.

[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Yesterday, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved funding for another look at that issue.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:23:24]
[IN Q=Let's get the good data]
((BRENT RILEY/PIPELINE OPPONENT: LET'S GET THE GOOD DATA. LET'S PULL THIS TOGETHER IN THE SHORT RUN. LET'S KIND OF QUANTIFY WHAT THIS MEANS TO US AS A COUNTY, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT WHAT IT DOES TO INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS.))
[SUPER=01-Brent Riley/Pipeline Opponent;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=what it does to individual property owners.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Unless the State Corporation Commission grants an extension, the county only has until March 8th to provide additional information.

[45-Fabricated-Metals]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=01-06 TC52:43]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Employees at a Roanoke County company unknowingly lost their health insurance before they lost their jobs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

Barry Moran spent 23 years at Fabricated Metals until its doors closed in October.
Moran and his wife say the company stopped paying insurance premiums two months before shutting down.. but never told employees.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Closing is bad]
((BARRY MORAN/FORMER FMI EMPLOYEE: CLOSING IS BAD ENOUGH, BUT DOING THAT TO OUR INSURANCE AND 401 K'S IS PLUM RIDICULOUS. THEY STILL OWE US FOR A LOT OF MEDICAL BILLS AND WE ARE HERE TO GET THINGS STRAITENED OUT, WHETHER IT TAKES THE COURT TO DO IT OR WHATEVER IT MAY TAKE.))
[SUPER=01-Barry Moran/Former FMI Employee]
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=whatever it may take.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The company says financial trouble forced it to shut its doors and stop paying premiums.
But the company also says it DID give the insurance premium money back to its employees.
Fabricated Metals officials would not go on camera, and instead issued this statement "We have always tried to treat employees the best we can, and have done so through the years. Circumstances beyond our control forced us to close. We tried to do everything we could to honor our employees' concerns."
Yesterday employees urged Roanoke County Police to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, the company says it just doesn't have the money to pay employee medical bills.
(----------)

[8-Police-Dogs]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=00-47 TC1:53:46]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The Lynchburg police department is close to finishing its investigation into a K-9 drug dog's attack on an officer.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/February 13]

Officer Rick (ru-Jerry) Ruggieri suffered injuries to his face and hands when a dog turned on him at the police training grounds.
A former police officer claims the department isn't telling the whole story about what happened - and that a less- experienced handler was present that day.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 22:21:29]
[IN Q=You should believe]
((COL. CHARLES BENNETT/LYNCHBURG POLICE CHIEF: YOU SHOULD BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE OR SOMEONE WHO HAS NO FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER OF THE INCIDENT. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE INCIDENT, SHE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. WAS SHE THERE? WELL, YES, BUT THERE WERE ALSO 40 OTHER PEOPLE THERE, WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU THEIR NAMES EITHER, BECAUSE THAT WASN'T GERMANE TO THE ISSUE.))
[SUPER=01-Charles Bennett/Lynchburg Police Chief;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=to the issue.]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]

Bennett says the department's investigation should be completed by next week.
(-------------)

[8-Center-Square]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=00-]
[GRAPHIC=Center in the Square]

With a smaller budget to work with, Center in the Square is making some changes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
The center in downtown Roanoke is home to several museums and Mill Mountain theater. However, it does NOT charge rent to any of the organizations. The facility gets much of its funding to operate and maintain the building from the state. But Center in the Square officials say, so far, the state has NOT awarded it any money in this year's budget.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:06:17]
[IN Q=The impact]
((JIM SEARS/CENTER IN THE SQUARE: THE IMPACT OF THAT WILL BE FEWER SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO ARE ABLE TO COME TO THE MUSEUM AND WHO ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE EDUCATION FROM THE MUSEUM, LESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LESS TOURISM IN THE AREA, LESS THINGS THAT WILL GENERATE INCOME IN THIS REGION.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Sears/Center in the Square; :00]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=this region.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Sears says to make ends meet, the center will be closed on Mondays and will reduce staff hours and other services. The center will also take out a loan and step up local fundraising efforts to get through the year.
(------------)

[8-Tyminski]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=00-55 TC 1:25:30]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A bluegrass singer from Ferrum is making his MOVIE debut--
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-Worldwide Pants, Inc.;]

Dan Tyminski serves as actor George Clooney's singing voice in the film, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
And last night, Tyminski appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman".
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 0:55:52]
[IN Q=We're very ]
((DAVID LETTERMAN: WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEXT GUESTS, ALL OF WHOM ARE FEATURED ON THE SOUNDTRACK OF THE FILM, "OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?" PLEASE WELCOME EMMYLOU HARRIS, ALLISON KRAUSS, GILLIAN WELCH, ALONG WITH DAN TYMINSKI AND THE SOGGY BOTTOM BOYS. KIDS?)) ((DAN TYMINSKI/SINGER: I AM A MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW....))
[SUPER=07-David Letterman; :00]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=constant sorrow...]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]

The film, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" is set in 1930s Mississippi and is a re- telling of Homer's "The Odyssey". (------------)