WDBJ 7 morning news for 02/25/02

[Pearl]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]

New developments today in the kidnapping and murder of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl.
The Journal itself reports that U-S authorities are considering indictments in the case.
That, as the main suspect in Pearl's abduction appears in a Pakistani court.
Teri Okita reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Karachi, Pakistan; :00]
[SUPER=01-Teri Okita/Reporting; 1:08]
[RUNS=1:24]
[OUT Q=Okita, CBS News, Washington.]
((
(PKG)

(nats..outside court)
AUTHORITIES ARE HOPING 28 YEAR OLD AHMED OMAR SAEED SHEIKH WILL GIVE UP MORE INFORMATION TODAY, ABOUT THE KIDNAPPING AND KILLING OF WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER DANIEL PEARL.' SHEIKH OMAR HAS ALREADY ADMITTED TO MASTERMINDING PEARL'S KIDNAPPING. BUT WHO COMMITTED THE BRUTAL MURDER - OFFICIALS STILL DON'T KNOW.

(nats, Pakistani police)
PAKISTANI POLICE HAVE WIDENED THEIR DRAGNET TO THE BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN, HUNTING AN ARAB MAN, POSSIBLY LINKED TO OSAMA BIN LADEN'S AL-QAEDA TERRORIST NETWORK. AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THE ARAB WAS AT A MEETING, TO DISCUSS THE FINAL PLANS FOR PEARL'S KIDNAPPING. A MEETING CALLED BY SHEIKH OMAR, WHO'S REPORTEDLY EXPERIENCED IN ORCHESTRATING ABDUCTIONS. SHEIKH OMAR DID JAIL TIME FOR A 1994 KIDNAPPING IN INDIA - INVOLVING ONE AMERICAN. ACCORDING TO NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE, HE WAS SECRETLY INDICTED IN THE U-S JUST LAST NOVEMBER, AND AMERICAN AUTHORITIES WERE PUSHING FOR HIS CAPTURE - JUST TWO WEEKS BEFORE PEARL'S KIDNAPPING.

(bush nats)
NOW, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS REPORTEDLY THINKING OF ISSUING ITS OWN INDICTMENTS IN PEARL'S ABDUCTION AND MURDER. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS, THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDERING CONVENING A GRAND JURY TO HEAR EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.

------------------------------------------------------
(STANDUP)
IT'S UNCLEAR IF THE U-S WOULD PRESS PAKISTAN TO TURN SUSPECTS OVER FOR TRIAL HERE. IT WOULD DEPEND ON TWO THINGS. WHETHER THE U-S IS SATISFIED WITH PAKISTAN'S HANDLING OF THE CASE. AND WHETHER PAKISTAN WOULD BE WILLING TO TURN THEM OVER. TERI OKITA - CBS NEWS, NEW YORK

))[Bin-Laden]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=War on Terrorism]

U-S soldiers in Afghanistan believe they were the target of a failed rocket attack.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Kandahar, Afghanistan;]

Early yesterday morning, soldiers at the base at Kandahar airport woke up to the sound of rockets.
The weapons exploded almost a mile away.
After the explosion, Afghan soldiers chased the attackers by car but lost them.
Meanwhile, top military planners are again vowing that Osama bin Laden will eventually be caught.
But his whereabouts are still a guessing game.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 20:57:30]
[IN Q=What we do know]
((DONALD RUMSFELD/DEFENSE SECRETARY: WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY RECENT EVIDENCE THAT HE'S ALIVE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S NOT ALIVE IT SIMPLY MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HE IS OR ISN'T ))
[SUPER=01-Donald Rumsfeld/Defense Secretary;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=that he is or isn't/]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

Over the weekend, a British newspaper reported that bin Laden could be hiding out in a northern state of India.
But officials there say there is no evidence of that.

[11Vinton-Police]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jen/tha]
[TAPE#=01-62 TC-1:36:36]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]
Two elderly sisters were killed after their car was struck by a Vinton police officer's cruiser.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Vinton;]
Investigators say officer John Munsey was attempting to pull a speeding motorist over-- when his cruiser collided with another car.
State police say 72- year old Audrey Bryant St. Clair was making a left hand turn INTO her driveway--- when she was st
ruck by the officer. St. Clair and her sister, 67 year old Mary Onita Bryant, later died at Roanoke Memorial. Officer Munsey suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital. The crash happened shortly before midnight on Saturday-- near the intersection of Route 24 and Washington Avenue.
(------------)
[anchor=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Vinton police chief Herb Cooley says he and his staff are devasted by the accident-- and that their hearts go out to the victims' families.

[11Forest-Fires]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-08 TC-29:07]
[GRAPHIC=Forest Fires]
The law requires the Department of Forestry to put out forest fires at any cost.
But that's not easy for an agency that is already more than a million dollars over budget. And as Justin McLeod discovered the money problem may get worse before it gets better.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Amherst Co./Thursday; :00]
[SUPER=01-Chris Thomsen/Dept. of Forestry; :12]
[SUPER=@justin1; :40]
[SUPER=01-Charles Hutsell/Regional Forester; 1:05]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7]
((((NAT SOUND OF FIRES FROM AMHERST COUNTY))
If this week's forest fire in Amherst County is any indication, we are in for a long and dangerous spring fire season.
[SOT 2:22:17]
[IN Q=We need the rest of]
((CHRIS THOMSEN/DEPT. OF FORESTRY: WE NEED THE REST OF OUR TWO FEET OF SNOW OR WE NEED TROPICAL FRONT TO COME THROUGH HERE WITH 9 INCHES OF TROPICAL MOISTURE. WE NEED SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE.))
[Runs= :07]
[OUT Q=significant moisture]

Moisture that so far is hard to find.
The state's chief climatologist said this weekend we could be looking at a record breaking drought this year.
That could lead to more forest fires that last longer and with stronger intensity.
[SOT 2:11:46]
[IN Q=Fighting forest fires]
((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: FIGHTING FOREST FIRES IS A COSTLY ONE. TYPICALLY, THE FORESTRY DEPARTMENT WILL SPEND ROUGHLY 400-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR FIGHTING FOREST FIRES. THIS FALL ALONE, THE DEPARTMENT SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS AND COULD SPEND EVEN MORE THIS SPRING.))
[Runs= 16]
[OUT Q=this spring]

By the end of this year, the Department of Forestry expects to be more than three million dollars over budget.
This comes at a time when the Governor is asking the agency to cut its budget by nearly eight percent.
Regardless, forestry officials say fighting fires will not be compromised.
[SOT 4:59:07]
[IN Q=The bottom line is]
((CHARLES HUTSELL/REGIONAL FORESTER: THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE WILL PUT THE FIRES OUT AND WE WILL CONTINUE ON LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST.))
[Runs= 05]
[OUT Q=in the past]

But in the future, the department may have to cut positions, programs, and not replace worn equipment.
The Department of Forestry has applied for a FEMA grant to help pay for this year's fire season.
But in the end, the federal and state governments cannot provide what they need the most, that's rain, and only mother nature can provide it.
Justin McLeod, News 7.))

[11Hardees-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-54 TC-2:02:00]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

Fire Investigators have yet to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a local fast food restaurant.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Firefighters responded just before 1:30 yesterday morning to the Hardees on Wards Road in Lynchburg.
They arrived to find flames shooting from the roof.
It took crews more than three hours to put out the blaze.
The restaurant was closed when the fire started.
The building is a total loss and the cause is still under investigation.
(------------)

[Marketwatch]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

In business news, There is more evidence that the recession may be over. Alexis Christoforous has that story and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Alexis Christoforous/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:02]
[OUT Q=your local stocks]
((IT MAY NOT FEEL LIKE IT, BUT A TOP ECONOMIC FORECASTING GROUP SAYS THE RECESSION IS OVER. IT SAYS AMERICA'S LONGEST EXPANSION IN HISTORY WAS FOLLOWED BY ONE OF THE SHORTEST RECESSIONS EVER. IT PREDICTS INFLATION WILL REMAIN LOW AND INTEREST RATES WILL MOVE HIGHER IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR.
WE GET MORE SIGNS ON THE HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY THIS WEEK.. WITH A FULL PLATE OF REPORTS... LOOK FOR

(GR)
NEW AND EXISTING HOME SALES, CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, DURABLE GOODS ORDERS AND PERSONAL INCOME AND SPENDING.

(OC)
A SEE-SAW WEEK ENDED ON THE UPSIDE...

(GR)
THE DOW RACED AHEAD LATE IN THE DAY, RALLYING 133 POINTS .. IT'S UP LESS THAN ONE PERCENT FOR THE WEEK.

(GR)
THE NASDAQ RELUCTANTLY JOINED IN, UP 8 POINTS...BUT DOWN MORE THAN 4 PERCENT FOR THE WEEK.

(OC)
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE DEFENSE STOCKS..

(GR)
ANALSYTS SAY NORTROP GRUMMAN'S UNSOLICITED BID FRIDAY FOR T-R-W COULD BRING OUT OTHER POSSIBLE SUITORS INCLUDING UNITED TECHNOLOGIES , GENERAL DYNAMICS AND GOODRICH.

(GR)
TRACK ALL THE PRE-MARKET ACTION AT CBS.MW.COM ... AT THE NASDAQ

(OC)
I'M AC IN NY.))

(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [COMM]

[11Feedback]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=FdBack - :35:34]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 Feedback]

Viewers responded this week to an abuser's view on Oxycontin, and the anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death.
Here's assignment editor Joe McKean with Feedback.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Animation Open]
[SUPER=03-Daytona Beach, FL/This Month; :05]
[RUNS=1:07]
[OUT Q=Animation Close]
((The attention the late racing great got a year after his fatal crash prompted a viewer from Hurt (Phyllis Dawson) to write:
"They are acting like he's a god. It's bad he got killed but he's no better than anyone else, including the other race car drivers that lost their lives. What are they, chopped liver? Where is their stature?"
Our in-depth look at the perils, and promise of the powerful painkiller OxyContin got this response from a viewer (Heather Thurman) in Buena Vista:
"OxyContin has helped me so much and the fact that people are abusing it makes me sick. The guy on your story is really what compelled me to write because he was shameless and almost proud that he is getting away with abusing this drug. It is sad that the actions of this guy and others like him are going to jeopardize the legitimate purposes for which this drug was originally intended."
We appreciate your insights on our news coverage, or issues in the news. Send them to us by mail...fax...or email.
Joe McKean, News-7.))

[11Special-Olympics]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-58 TC-1:24:15]
[GRAPHIC=none]

There were plenty of Olympic moments in Blacksburg yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]

The Special Olympics held its annual regional basketball tournament on the campus of Virginia Tech.
Teams from all over southwest Virginia competed in full-court and half-court basketball.
Medal winners from this contest now advance to the state basketball championships which are scheduled to take place next month in Fredericksburg.
(------------)
(Kimberly tosses to bump)

[bump-chyron]

[comm #3]

[11MLK-Road]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-01 TC-1:00:29]
[GRAPHIC=MLK Jr.]

Plans to honor Martin Luther King Junior in Danville are heading in another direction.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/January, 2001]

A Danville man wants to rename the South Main, Central Boulevard, Piney Forest Road corridor after the civil rights leader.
But the city's naming commission says the address change could have a negative impact on businesses along the roadway.
So the commission has recommended choosing another roadway such as the Liberty View neighborhood or the Route 58 bridge over the Route 29 bypass.
(------------)
[anchor=Kim]
[ss=none]

City council is expected to take up the issue at its March 5th meeting.

[11NBC]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=02-10 TC-06:40]
[GRAPHIC=none]

The National Bank of Commerce is adding a regional advisory board.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

N-B-C is headquartered in Tennessee, and is overseen by board members in that area.
This is the first time the bank has allowed a regional division to form its own board.
The Roanoke Advisory board will be comprised of four members who will analyze the bank's customer service and community involvement qualities.
NBC says it only makes sense to get opinions from local residents, especially since expansion is on the horizon in the Valley.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[tc:06:05:17 NBC TAPE]
[IN Q=We're continually]
((JIM BECKNER/NBC REGIONAL PRESIDENT: WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT EXPANSION OURSELVES, AND I THINK TO STAY INDEPENDENT, YOU JUST KEEP DRIVING EARNINGS AND YOU'LL BE SUCCESSFUL.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Beckner/NBC Regional President]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=be successful.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

NBC hopes the board creates a forum for exchange about what it does right and wrong in the banking industry.
(------------)

[1st-Business]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ckor]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

In business news this morning, The job market looks somewhat better in a quarterly survey of hiring plans. Here's Barton Eckert with a look at the morning's top business stories..
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Barton Eckert/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:22]
[OUT Q=in Washington.]

(( GOOD MORNING THIS MONDAY THE 25TH OF FEBRUARY.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MORNING.
--------------------------

A SURVEY BY PLACEMENT FIRM MANPOWER SHOWS SOME COMPANIES EXPECT HIRING WILL IMPROVE SLIGHTLY THIS SPRING, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO SIGNAL A FULL RECOVERY YET..
IT WAS THE SURVEY'S FIRST INCREASE IN MORE THAN A YEAR.
MANPOWER EXPECTS THE INCREASE TO CONTINUE IN THE NEXT FEW QUARTERS, WHICH COULD SIGNAL A RECOVERY.
--------------------------

GAS PRICES ARE UP... SLIGHTLY.
THE LATEST LUNDBERG SURVEY OF 8-THOUSAND STATIONS.. SHOWS THE AVERAGE PRICE UP A THIRD OF A CENT PER GALLON.
(ESS GASOLINE PRICES
Regular $1.12
Mid-Grade $1.22
Premium $1.31 Source: Lundberg Survey)

LUNDBERG SAYS REGULAR AVERAGED $1.12 A GALLON.
ANALYST TRILBY LUNDBERG SAYS THERE ARE TWO FORCES AT WORK HERE.. THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS PULLING PRICES UP.. WHILE AT THE SAME TIME.. PLENTIFUL SUPPLIES ARE PULLING THEM DOWN.
--------------------------

ON WALL STREET THIS WEEK... WE'LL HEAR MORE OF "THE ACCOUNTING BLUES" AS INVESTORS REMAIN ANXIOUS OVER BOOKKEEPING METHODS.
PLUS FED CHAIRMAN ALAN GREENSPAN GIVES HIS TWICE YEARLY TESTIMONY ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY.
ON ASIAN MARKETS OVERNIGHT .. IN TOKYO STOCKS FELL BACK A TOUCH.
-------------------------

WHAT'S IN A NAME.. ALOT OF PROBLEMS.. AT LEAST FOR ENRON... GIVEN ITS COLLAPSE.
SO.. THE ANSWER? CHANGE THE NAME!
ENRON IS PLANNING TO CHANGE ITS NAME AND PAY OUT SOME BONUS MONEY TO KEEP KEY PEOPLE.
IN ADDITION, ENRON WILL ALSO ABANDON ITS GLITTERING, 50-STORY HEADQUARTERS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON AND LEASE SMALLER OFFICES....
--------------------------

AND THAT'S YOUR FIRST BUSINESS CHECK ON THE MORNING'S TOP BUSINESS HAPPENINGS..
I'M BARTON ECKERT IN WASHINGTON.))

(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [COMM]

[Med-Day]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin Health Check]

In medical news, do you think you've been eating healthy? Researchers have come up with a list of the top foods that could over time - save your life.
Jamie Colby has that story and more in this morning's Health check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Jamie Colby/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:01]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]

((GRAB YOUR GROCERY LIST - YOU MAY WANT TO ADD A FEW THINGS. HERE'S A LIST OF NINE FOODS, THAT COULD GIVE YOU A HEALTHIER HEART.

(TAKE FS)
APPLES ARE PACKED WITH PECTIN, A SOLUBLE FIBER THAT MAY REDUCE CHOLESTEROL. BERRIES ARE LOADED WITH VITAMIN C AND FLAVONOIDS, THAT AMONG OTHER THINGS CAN HELP REDUCE YOUR BODY FAT. GRAPES, GREEN AND RED, CONTAIN AN ANTIOXIDANT THAT MAY LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND CANCER.

(CHANGE FS)
IT MAY NOT BE YOUR FAVORITE VEGGIE, BUT BROCCOLI IS A NUTRITIONAL ALL-STAR THAT PROTECTS YOUR ARTERIES. GARLIC CONTAINS NATURAL SUBSTANCES THAT MAY HELP HEART HEALTH BY STOPPING BLOOD CLOTS. AND ENJOY THAT BOWL OF OATMEAL. IT SUPPLIES PLENTY OF CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING FIBER.

(CHANGE FS)
ANOTHER HEART FRIENDLY FOOD -- BEANS. THEY'RE A GOOD SOURCE OF FOLIC ACID AND ARE SAID TO PROTECT YOUR HEART. SALMON CONTAINS OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS WHICH MAY LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE. AND FINALLY, SOY IS PACKED WITH A PROTEIN SAID TO REDUCE CHOLESTEROL.

(BACK ON CAM)
THOSE 9 HEART HEALTHY FOODS ARE LISTED IN THIS MONTH'S 'ENERGY TIMES.' I'M JAMIE COLBY, CBS NEWS, NEW YORK.))

[11Dutch-Inn]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC-25:50]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A Henry County landmark destroyed by fire is rising up from the ashes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

It has been nearly a year since a fire destroyed part of the Dutch Inn in Collinsville.
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.]

The rebuilding process recently began with the construction of a new central building.
The hotel's trademark windmill will be back but the windmill tower will not be rebuilt.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:36]
[IN Q=The cost involved]
((HOWARD GRODENSKY/DUCTH INN OWNER: THE COST INVOLVED MADE IT PROHIBITIVE BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE A SET AMOUNT OF MONEY TO WORK WITH AND WE FELT WE COULD SPEND THE MONEY BETTER THIS WAY IN AREAS THAT WOULD BE REVENUE GENERATING AND WE HAD TO MAKE A TOUCH DECISION BUT WE HAD TO MAKE THAT DECISION.))
[SUPER=01-Howard Grodensky/Dutch Inn Owner]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=make that decision]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Once completed, the new two-story building will house offices, a restaurant and lounge, as well as bigger banquet and catering facilities.
The project will cost more than three million dollars and should be completed by early September.
(------------)

[11Debate]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-09 TC-24:19]
[GRAPHIC=none]
The debate has inspired novels and plays... Yesterday, students at Virginia Tech heard both sides argued at the Scopes Monkey Trial...
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]

Virginia Tech's Campus Bible Fellowship held a creation versus evolution debate yesterday.
The organization arranged to have two nationally known speakers, one to represent the creation perspective and one for the evolution point of view.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:33:28]
[IN Q=It's imporant to educate]
((SOLOMON GIFFORD/ORGANIZER: IT'S IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHY THEY BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE OR WHY THEY THINK WHAT THEY THINK AND ALSO IF SOMEONE COMES UP TO THEM AND TRIES TO PUSH THEIR IDEAS ON THEM THAT THEY CAN COME BACK WITH AN ANSWER.))
[SUPER=01-Solomon Gifford/Organizer]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=with an answer]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The two hour debate ended with a question and answer session.
Nearly a thousand people came out for the program.
(------------)

[NASA-Anniversary]

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

The 40th anniversary of Americans in Orbit was celebrated last night at Kennedy Space Center.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Kennedy Space Center, FL;]

Four surviving members of the Mercury astronauts-- including John Glenn took part in the festivities.
On February 20th, 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth.
The flight circled the globe three times, lasting nearly five hours.
The spacecraft was named Friendship Seven, and was part of the Mercury program. (------------) The program set the stage for all later human space- flight.