WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 02/05/02

[7Wx-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=Cut-ins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin' Report]

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom..... Wintry temperatures will hang around again today - so bundle up as you head out this morning. Meterologist Leo Hirsbrunner has your complete forecast coming up in just a few minutes.

[7-11Amtrak-Routes]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=tst]
[TAPE#=02-04 TC 14:50]
[GRAPHIC=Amtrak]

Amtrak is looking to the federal government for money. Amtrak officials say if the government doesn't pitch in, passenger train service in our region could end as early as October.
They have put out a list of 18 long-distance train routes that could be cut this fall.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape; :00]

The list includes the "Cardinal," which runs between Washington, DC and Chicago, with a stop at Clifton Forge....

And also the "Crescent," which runs between New York and New Orleans, with stops at the Kemper Street station in Lynchburg and also in Danville.
The list of potential route cuts is preliminary. Congress is expected to begin debating Amtrak's future within the next few weeks.
But for now, Amtrak says if it doesn't get more than one billion dollars from the government by October, it will have to cancel long-distance routes.
(------------)

[7-11Rail-Reaction]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC15:18]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
Local officials are trying to determine how Amtrak's financial troubles could affect the latest effort to bring passenger rail service to central and southwest Virginia.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

They were hoping Amtrak would be the operator for the TransDominion Express.. which would run from Bristol through Roanoke and onto Lynchburg.. where one leg would then head North to Washington and another east to Richmond.
[SUPER=04-File Tape]

The state has already sunk nine million dollars into the project.
Officials hoped to have the service operational by next year.
(------------)

[7-11Carvins-Cove]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=02-03 TC17:01]
[GRAPHIC=Water Restrictions]
Conserving water will soon be a MUST for Roanoke residents --Roanoke's City Council has declared a water state of emergency.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Carvins Cove;]

Right now, Carvins Cove is 21-point-2 feet below spillway.
Water conservation is still voluntary.
But when it drops to 22 feet, conservation will be mandatory.
Outdoor use will be restricted from 10 A-M to 7 P-M.
At 26 feet below spillway, Council will impose a ban on all outdoor water use, impose financial penalties on violators, buy water from Salem and Roanoke County and impose water surcharges on customers.
City Council authorized one-million dollars to buy water.
Roanoke consumes 16 million gallons of water a day.
In an emergency, Council COULD buy 6-million gallons a day from Salem and Roanoke County at a cost of 13-thousand 900-dollars.
Crystal Spring COULD supply nearly 4-million gallons a day.
But it will be shut down until December while the city installs a new filtration system to combat bacteria.
(------------)

[WXHeads]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Cut-ins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin' Report]

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
With chilly winds and temperatures hitting the teens in parts of the region, you can expect a very frosty day. Meterologist Leo Hirsbrunner has your forecast coming up.

[45-11XGR-Vans]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-55]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The House of Delegates approved a bill that would limit the use of 15-passenger vans, but not before lawmakers put in their say.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-July 1, 2001]

The legislation follows the church van accident last summer that killed 14-year old Jessika Lewis of Roanoke.
Yesterday, the House Education Committee considered a proposal that would require schools to use vehicles that meet federal school bus safety standards.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I think]
((CHILD CARE LOBBYIST: I THINK WE CONCENTRATE MAINLY ON DRIVER SAFETY. WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE THERE TO FIX UP SAFETY PROBLEMS IN VIRGINIA THAN SIMPLY WIPING OUT A FLEET OF VEHICLES AND SAYING OKAY YOU HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE NOW.)) ((YOU KNOW MONEY IS THE BIG ISSUE HERE, BUT YOU CAN'T COMPARE MONEY TO A CHILD'S LIFE, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE POINT OF. WE'RE NOT JUST OUT BECAUSE OUR DAUGHTER WAS KILLED, BUT OTHER CHILDREN ARE GETTING HURT AND WE JUST NEED TO LET NOT MONEY BE THE ISSUE HERE.))
[SUPER=01-Vernon Holloman/Child Care Lobbyist; :00]
[SUPER=01-Shelly Erndt/Jessika Lewis' Mother; :12]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=money be the issue here.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The committee ammended the bill so that it only applies to public schools.
Supporters were disappointed by that decision, but pleased that the legisaltion made it out of the committee.
(------------)

[45-L'burg-Airport]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-56 TC1:19:34]
[GRAPHIC=Lynchburg Airport]

Good news for Lycnhburg Airport - more flights are on the way to Central Virginia.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Starting April 1st, US Airways Express will provide three daily round-trip flights to Philadelphia.. and the airline is also adding another daily flight to Pittsburgh.
Airport officials hope the added service will fill the void left by United Express when it discontinued its flights to Washington.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:33:51]
[IN Q=When you look]
((MARK COURTNEY/LYNCHBURG AIRPORT MANAGER: WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, THE DIRECTION OF FLOW AND THE BUILDING OF PHILADELPHIA AS AN INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY, YOU'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO SEE A REAL IMPROVEMENT IN OVERALL POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS.))
[SUPER=01-Mark Courtney/Lynchburg Airport Manager]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=overall potential connections.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The new flights represent an additional 132 daily seats for Lynchburg.
The airport had lost nearly half its ridership capacity following the September 11th attacks.
(------------)

[45-11Rail-Reaction]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC15:18]
[GRAPHIC=Amtrak]
Amtrak is in need of additional funds to keep some passenger train routes in our region up and running.
But local officials say it's too early to tell how Amtrak's financial problems might affect efforts to bring passenger rail service to central and southwest Virginia.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

They were hoping Amtrak would be the operator for the TransDominion Express.. which would run from Bristol through Roanoke and onto Lynchburg.. where one leg would then head North to Washington and another east to Richmond.
[SUPER=04-File Tape]

The state has already sunk nine million dollars into the project.
Officials hoped to have the service operational by next year.
(------------)

[8Wx-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Cut-ins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin' Report]

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom...... Precipitation is headed our way later this week.
But for now, the forecast looks dry and chilly. Meterologist Leo Hisbrunner has your forecast comin up.

[8-11Amtrak-Routes]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=tst]
[TAPE#=02-04 TC 14:50]
[GRAPHIC=Amtrak]
Amtrak officials say unless they recieve additional funds from the federal government, passenger train service in our region could end as early as October.
They've released a list of 18 long-distance train routes that could be cut this fall.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape; :00]

The list includes the "Cardinal," which runs between Washington, DC and Chicago, with a stop at Clifton Forge....

[8-11Grundy-Shooting]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-59 TC48:30]
[GRAPHIC=Appalachian Law School]

Governor Mark Warner postponed his visit to the Appalachian School of Law until next Tuesday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :16.5]
[SUPER=03-Grundy;]
Bad weather forced Warner and Attorney General Jerry Kilgore to cancel their plans to visit the campus yesterday. Next week they're expected to address the law school community about the January mass shooting there that killed three people and wounded three others.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 6:08:23]
[IN Q=by coming]
((MATTHEW HARVEY/APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW STUDENT; BY COMING HERE IT WILL SHOW THAT HE CARES THAT RICHMOND CARES AND THE WHOLE STATE OF VIRGINIA CARES AND IS HURTING WITH US.)) ((LOU ELLSWORTH/APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW PRESIDENT; WE HAVE SPECIAL COUNSELORS PROFESSIONALS COMING TO MEET WITH INDIVIDUALS FACULTY STUDENTS AND STAFF WHAT I HEAR NOW MOST ARE STUDENTS TALKING ABOUT THEIR ASSIGNMENTS.))
[SUPER=01-Matthew Harvey/Appalachian School of Law Student; :00]
[SUPER=01-Lou Ellsworth/Appalachian School of Law President; :10]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=THEIR ASSIGNMENTS.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Ellsworth says all students have returned to campus and classes are in full swing.
(------------)

[8-11Death-Penalty]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-62 TC1:05:26]
[GRAPHIC=Death Penalty]
Despite protests from citizens, a General Assembly committee has rejected a moratorium on the death penalty in Virginia.
(///// SOT /////)
[NAT SOT OF DEMONSTRATION]
[IN Q=Executions no more]
((EXECUTIONS NO MORE. EXECUTIONS NO MORE.))
[SUPER=03-Richmond]
[RUNS=:04]
[OUT Q=executions no more.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Death penalty opponents brought their annual demonstration to Capitol Square, on the day the House Courts of Justice Committee considered two death penalty bills.
The measure calling for a moratorium was introduced by McLean Republican Vince Callahan.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:54:52 :21]
[IN Q=I'm the chairman]
((DEL. VINCE CALLAHAN/R- MCLEAN: I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF J-LARC AND WE JUST HAD A REPORT THAT SHOWS THAT IT'S UNEVENLY APPLIED THROUGH VIRGINIA. THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS LIKE THAT. THE 21- DAY RULE WHICH IS THE STRICTEST IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW EVIDENCE, THE QUALITY OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION, THERE'S A WHOLE RAFT OF ISSUES.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Vince Callahan/(R) McLean; ]
[RUNS=:21]
[OUT Q=whole raft of issues.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Another bill would have abolished the death penalty. Introduced by a Republican lawmaker, that measure was also rejected by the Courts of Justice Committee.
[BIRTHDAYS!] 2/6/02
Wednesday:

[SUPER=130-5/Maranda Moore/Lexington]

[SUPER=130-47/Virgil Ferguson Sr./Troutville]

[SUPER=130-6/Ashley Lyle/Roanoke]

[SUPER=130-17/Matthew Brizendine/New Castle]

[SUPER=130-/Trena French/Christiansburg]

[SUPER=130-/Sharon Ward/Rocky Mount]

[SUPER=130-5/Savannnah Haynes/Christiansburg]

No Pictures:

[SUPER=131-/Dora Ellington/Roanoke]

[SUPER=131-73/John Parker/Henry]

[SUPER=131-/Bessie Stegall/Snow Creek]

[SUPER=131-/Dorothy Martin/Snow Creek]

[SUPER=131-/Steve Jordon/Snow Creek]

[SUPER=131-/Richard Laberra/Boones Mill]
[SUPER=131-/Zeb Camper/Buchanan]