WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 12/11/01

[7-11Monty-Remains]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-49 TC1:25:02]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Blacksburg Police believe they're well on the way to solving a missing person's case.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :20]
In January of 19-79, Virginia Tech student Jan (Sheckley) Schoechle went for a walk and disappeared.
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; ]
Police now believe the 23-year-old's remains have been found. Earlier this month, a hunter came across human bones and part of a skull in a wooded area of Montgomery County. At the time, Police Chief William Brown was a lieutenant with the department.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:12:51]
[IN Q=I CAN REMEMBER]
((WILLIAM BROWN/CHIEF BLACKSBURG POLICE DEPT.; I CAN REMEMBER US CALLING IN THE HELICOPTER FROM STATE POLICE AND WE HAD PEOPLE OVER THE TOP OF THE AREA WHERE WE BELIEVED THAT HE WENT INTO AND HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE GROUND THAT JUST WALKED THROUGH LOOKING FOR ANY SIGNS OF HIM.))
[SUPER=01-William Brown/Blacksburg Police Chief;]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=ANY SIGNS OF HIM]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Case documents describe (Sheckley) Schoechle as a devoutly religious and serious student who was taking antidepressants at the time of his disappearance. Authorities are still waiting for a positive identification from the medical examiner and information on the cause of death.
(------------)

[7-11Henry-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=01-58 TC14:04]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Two new supervisors say they are prepared to take office in Henry County. Both are optimistic about taking on the county's weak economy.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.]

David Davis spends his days at Bassett Furniture as Assistant Director of Engineering.
Jim Adams will double as a yarn procurement manager at V-F Imagewar until the plant closes next summer.
Neither has job security -- that's why both want to play a part in decision making.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((DAVID DAVIS: IT'S A GLOBAL ECONOMY. WE'RE ALL SUFFERING A LITTLE BIT, BUT I TELL PEOPLE THAT ALL THE TIME...WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.)) [BUTT BUTT] ((JIM ADAMS: A PERSON HAS TO THINKA BOUT THAT EVEN WHEN THEY SEEK AN OFFICE THIS IS NOT A HAND THAT WAS DEALT ALL OF A SUDDEN.))
[SUPER=01-David Davis/Henry Co. Supervisor-Elect; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jim Adams/Henry Co. Supervisor-Elect; :09]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=of a sudden.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors voted to remove a quarter of a million dollars from the county's general fund to compensate for a budget shortfall.
(------------)

[7-6-Neuhs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=01-21 TC26:11]
[GRAPHIC=none]
A Franklin County man has pleaded guilty to hiring a hit man to kill his wife.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]
Roanoke businessman David John (News) Neuhs plead guilty yesterday to a charge of interference with a witness. His 12 month sentence was suspended on the condition that Neuhs have no contact with his wife... Neuhs is only allowed in Franklin County to visit his parents.. The murder for hire plot was foiled in April, when the alleged hit man's fianc� told Neuhs' wife about it.
(------------)

[45-11Warner]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=01-58]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Governor- Elect Mark Warner has picked a government insider instead of a political player to be his new chief of staff.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :09]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

Yesterday, Warner named Virginia Retirement System director and 23 year state government veteran Bill Leighty (LITE-ee) to the top post in his administration.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 15:00:45]
[IN Q=The high respect he's held in by]
((MARK WARNER/GOVERNOR-ELECT: THE HIGH RESPECT HE'S HELD IN BY PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF STATE GOVERNMENT. THE FACT THAT HE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE IT WORK.))07
[SUPER=@MarkWarner]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=how to make it work.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :09]

Reporters made sure the man who had served under both Republican and Democratic governors voted for Warner, and shares his views.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 15:02:35]
[IN Q=I share every commitment]
((BILL LEIGHTY/WARNER CHIEF OF STAFF: I SHARE EVERY COMMITMENT HE'S EVER MADE. MARK WARNER: EXCEPT THE COMMITMENT I MADE TO MY WIFE. HAHAHA.))08
[SUPER= ]
[SUPER=01-Bill Leighty/Warner Chief of Staff; :00 QUICK]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=to my wife. hahaha]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :07]

Leighty is Warner's second staff announcement.
He named a finance secretary two weeks ago.
(------------)

[45-11Peace-Protesters]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-51 TC1:39:09]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A man who helped protest against the U-S attacks in Afghanistan has been found guilty of breaking a Lynchburg law.
The law says that groups of five or more must get a permit before holding a rally.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/November 9]

Jack Payden-Travers was cited for helping organize this anti-war demonstration on November 9th.
He was found guilty yesterday and fined fifty dollars.. but his lawyer says the law is unconstitutional.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:58:58]
[IN Q=The way the]
((DAVID BAUGH/DEFENSE ATTORNEY: THE WAY THE LYNCHBURG CITY ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, ANY TIME FIVE PEOPLE AGREE TO MEET IN THE STREETS TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING, IF THEY PRE-PLAN IT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IN A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY WITH FREE SPEECH, YOU HAVE TO GET A PERMIT TO MEET TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.))
[SUPER=01-David Baugh/Defense Attorney]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=have a conversation.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The peace activists say they're being targeted because of their opposition to the war in Afghanistan.
City officials say "no" group has ever been denied a permit because of its message.
(------------)

[45-11School-Board]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=01-52 TC58:12]
[GRAPHIC=Education]
Local school boards are desperate for more money.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :14]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]
Yesterday, members of Roanoke City, Roanoke County and Botetourt County school boards met with several lawmakers to talk about funding. They say they're not getting the money from the state they need to hire and keep the best employees.
(///// SOT at :14 /////)
[SOT 18:46-19:07]
[IN Q=Begin with competative salaries for employees...]
((WAYNE HARRIS/ROANOKE SUPERINTENDENT: BEGIN WITH COMPETATIVE SALERIES FOR EMPLOYEES. WE'RE ALL FIGHTING TO HAVE THE BEST TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN EVERY CLASS AND WE HAVE TO BE COMPETATIVE IN ALL OUR SALARIES SO, I'M FIRST CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT FUNDING IS ADEQUATE FOR SALARIES.)) [BUTT BUTT BUTT]
[SOT 23:22-23:26]
((DELEGATE MORGAN GRIFFITH/(R) HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY, IT'S NOT GONNA BE FUN. BUT WE CAN FIND THE MONEY TO DO THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE.))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Harris/Roanoke Superintendent;]
[SUPER=01-Del. Morgan Griffith/(R) House Majority Leader; :21]
[RUNS=:25]
[OUT Q=things that have to be done.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The meeting was the first between lawmakers and school board members to help localities explore their funding options.

[8-Optical-Cable]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[Writer=jmi]
[TAPE=none]
[GRAPHIC= Optical Cable]

Optical Cable plans to vigorously defend itself against a lawsuit filed by a shareholder last month. That's according to a statement released yesterday. The suit alleges that Optical Cable's president made fraudulent and/or negligent misrepresentations about company performance. The statement says quote "The Company may incur substantial costs in defending itself against the lawsuit, regardless of its merit or outcome." Optical Cable's president was fired last week.

[8-6-Neuhs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=01-21 TC26:11]
[GRAPHIC=none]
A man accused of hiring a hit man to kill his wife entered a guilty plea in Franklin County in connection with the case.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]
Roanoke businessman David John (News) Neuhs plead guilty yesterday to a charge of interference with a witness. His 12 month sentence was suspended on the condition that Neuhs have no contact with his wife... Neuhs is only allowed in Franklin County to visit his parents.. The murder for hire plot was foiled in April, when the alleged hit man's fianc� told Neuhs' wife about it.
(------------)

[8-JLARC]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=01-54 TC39:02]
[GRAPHIC=VA Death Penalty]

WHERE killers commit their crimes in Virginia has the biggest influence in whether they are sent to the death chamber.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :16]

That's the top finding of a year-long study by Virginia's watchdog agency, the Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission.
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

But lawmakers on the committee say they're surprised and pleased to see that since 1995, race has played NO factor in who's sentenced to death.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I guess it really helps]
[sot tape 12:12:16 ]
((DEL. DWIGHT JONES/D-RICHMOND: I GUESS IT REALLY HELPS TO SEE THESE NUMBERS AT IT RELATES TO RACIAL PROFILING... ISSUES ARE NOT PRESENT. AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.))
[sot tape 12:04:18 ]
((SEN. TOMMY NORMENT/R-WILLIAMSBURG: I WOULD THINK THAT THAT IS A WONDERFUL STORY TO TELL ALL VIRGINIANS BECAUSE IT REMINDS US THAT THE LAWS ARE BEING EQUALLY APPLIED AND WE ARE NOT BACK IN SOME ARCANE AREA. I DON'T FIND THE REPORT TROUBLING AT ALL. I FIND IT REASSURING.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Dwight Jones/(D) Richmond;]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Tommy Norment/(R) Williamsburg; :20]
[RUNS=:33]
[OUT Q=at all. I find it reassuring.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :14]

The report says who gets the death penalty really depends on who the local elected prosecutor is, and how he interprets the local constituents' views on the matter.
Some lawmakers think that's too arbitrary.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I think it opens a dialogue]
[sot tape 12:07:21 ]
((DEL. FRANK HARGROVE/R-HANOVER CO.: I THINK IT OPENS A DIALOGUE THAT I HOPE IN COMING YEARS OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODIES OR OTHER MEMBERS WILL SEE FIT TO ABOLISH THIS PENALTY.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Frank Hargrove/(R) Hanover Co.;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=see fit to abolish this penalty.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :06]

The report did NOT try to evaluate whether an innocent person has ever been executed in Virginia. (------------)