WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 03/08/02

[7-11Henry-School]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-03 TC34:48]
[GRAPHIC=Henry School Consol.]

The Henry County school board is not giving up on the plan to consolidate several schools.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co./File Tape]

Last week, the superintendent asked the school board to scrap the plan after the Board of Supervisors refused the board's request for an advance on next year's budget.
Yesterday, the school board went against that recommendation and instead voted to ask the Board of Supervisors to transfer funds from the 2002 budget from one fund to another to pay for renovations.
As the plan stands now, the school system will consolidate four high schools into two and turn Carver Middle School into an elementary school next year.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=HOLD]

The board voted to keep John Redd and Figsboro Elementary schools as they are for another year.

[7-11Watch-Groups]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-57 TC1:51:58]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Attorney General John Ashcroft wants to step up the Neighborhood Watch programs throughout the U-S to help prevent crime -- especially terrorism.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Ashcroft says he wants to double the number of citizens' watch groups nationwide to about 15- thousand and help train them to detect possible terrorist activity.
Local officials who work with the Neighborhood Watch program say it's all about being a good citizen.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:37:01]
[IN Q=A lot of times]
((CINDY KOZEROW/LYNCHBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT: A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL SEE SOMETHING AND GO 'OH, IT'S NOT MY NEIGHBORHOOD, IT DOESN'T AFFECT ME'. BUT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT DOES HAPPEN IN A WASHINGTON OR A NEW YORK DOES AFFECT US AND TO BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS.))
[SUPER=01-Cindy Kozerow/Lynchburg Police Department]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=in their surroundings.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Kozerow (KAH-zer-oh) says residents should report only suspicious activity and not target people based on their race or ethnic origin.
(------------)

[7-11L'burg-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC36:41]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

Lynchburg police are asking for your help to find a suspected killer.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Authorities are searching for 47- year- old Randall Lee Langford.
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Langford is wanted for the shooting death of 51- year- old Loretta Jean Napier Sunday morning.
Langford is known to use the city's bus system and is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should call the Lynchburg police.
(------------)

[7-Thomas]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-61 TC1:08:14]
[GRAPHIC=Jeff Thomas]

Jeffrey Allen Thomas will be tried for the second time this summer in a new location -- Hanover County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski;]
Thomas' conviction and death sentence for the shooting death of 16-year-old Tara Munsey were overturned by the State Supreme Court last week. Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Fleenor says the trial is scheduled for July 29th to August 9th but it's possible the dates may change. Last week, in a unanimous decision, the state's highest court said pre-trial publicity and difficulty in seating a jury were reasons for a change of venue. Fleenor says a petition asking the high court to re-hear arguments is still pending.
(------------)

[45-6-Thomas]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-61 TC1:08:14]
[GRAPHIC=Jeff Thomas]
A second trial for Jeffrey Allen Thomas is scheduled for late this summer in Hanover County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski;]
Thomas' conviction and death sentence for the shooting death of 16-year-old Tara Munsey were overturned by the State Supreme Court last week. Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Fleenor says the trial is scheduled for July 29th to August 9th but it's possible the dates may change. Last week, in a unanimous decision, the state's highest court said pre-trial publicity and difficulty in seating a jury were reasons for a change of venue. Fleenor says a petition asking the high court to re-hear arguments is still pending.
(------------)

[45-11Henry-School]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-03 TC34:48]
[GRAPHIC=Henry School Consol.]

The Henry County school board now has a "plan B" for the consolidation of several schools.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co./File Tape]

Last week, the superintendent asked the school board to scrap the plan after the Board of Supervisors refused the board's request for an advance on next year's budget.
Yesterday, the school board went against that recommendation and instead voted to ask the Board of Supervisors to transfer funds from the 2002 budget from one fund to another to pay for renovations.
As the plan stands now, the school system will consolidate four high schools into two and turn Carver Middle School into an elementary school next year.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=HOLD]

The board voted to keep John Redd and Figsboro Elementary schools as they are for another year.

[45-11Afterschool]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-02 TC1:00:14]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Montgomery County has launched a new afterschool program, and it's given teens a whole new way to spend their afternoons--
(------------)
[VO-NAT :18]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

Teen Scene was started last week by the county's parks and recreation department to give kids a place to go. Library officials say they would crowd the libraries because they had nothing else to do. Now program leaders supervise activities, field trips and sports for 6th 7th and 8th graders.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:47:40 / 15:57:59]
[IN Q=most kids]
((KRISTEN LEWIS/TEEN SCENE LEADER; MORE KIDS TELL THEIR FRIENDS EACH WEEK AND THEN THE PARENTS WILL COME IN AND TELL US THEY LOVE IT BECAUSE REALLY THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE FOR THESE KIDS TO GO AFTERSCHOOL AND THEY DON'T WANT TO GO HOME ALONE.)) ((ASHLEY SMITH/TEEN SCENE PARTICIPANT; IT'S REALLY COOL IT'S SOMETHING TO DO IT'S NOT JUST GETTING ON THE COMPUTER OR SOMETHING.))
[SUPER=01-Kristen Lewis/Teen Scene Leader; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ashley Smith/Teen Scene Participant; :12]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=ON THE COMPUTER.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The free program runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays...2:30 to 5:30. Both the Christiansburg and Blacksburg libraries host Teen Scene in their recreation rooms.
(------------)

[45-11Herndon]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-10 TC15:46]
[GRAPHIC=None]
There was more than just a Dazzle game going on at the Civic Center last night -- Sports fans also got a special musical treat.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Ty Herndon made the Dazzle fans feel a little better after last night's loss.
He's the latest act to join the N-B-D-L's Hits and Hoops concert series.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=nat music]
((NAT MUSIC))
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=nat music]
(------------)

[FADE OUT]

(weather toss)

[8-11L'burg-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC36:41]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

Lynchburg police are looking for a man suspected of killing a woman who was found in her home..
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Authorities are searching for 47- year- old Randall Lee Langford.
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Langford is wanted for the shooting death of 51- year- old Loretta Jean Napier Sunday morning.
Langford is known to use the city's bus system and is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should call the Lynchburg police.
(------------)

[8-Thomas]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-61 TC1:08:14]
[GRAPHIC=Jeff Thomas]

A new trial has been scheduled for Jeffrey Allen Thomas. The trial is set for late this summer in Hanover County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski;]
Thomas' conviction and death sentence for the shooting death of 16-year-old Tara Munsey were overturned by the State Supreme Court last week. Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Fleenor says the trial is scheduled for July 29th to August 9th but it's possible the dates may change. Last week, in a unanimous decision, the state's highest court said pre-trial publicity and difficulty in seating a jury were reasons for a change of venue. Fleenor says a petition asking the high court to re-hear arguments is still pending.
(------------)

[8-11Watch-Groups]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-57 TC1:51:58]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The U-S needs to secure its neighborhoods one by one, and Attorney General John Ashcroft believes he has found a way to do just that.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Ashcroft says he wants to double the number of citizens' watch groups nationwide to about 15- thousand and help train them to detect possible terrorist activity.
Local officials who work with the Neighborhood Watch program say it's all about being a good citizen.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:37:01]
[IN Q=A lot of times]
((CINDY KOZEROW/LYNCHBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT: A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL SEE SOMETHING AND GO 'OH, IT'S NOT MY NEIGHBORHOOD, IT DOESN'T AFFECT ME'. BUT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT DOES HAPPEN IN A WASHINGTON OR A NEW YORK DOES AFFECT US AND TO BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS.))
[SUPER=01-Cindy Kozerow/Lynchburg Police Department]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=in their surroundings.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Kozerow (KAH-zer-oh) says residents should report only suspicious activity and not target people based on their race or ethnic origin.
(------------)

[8-11Afterschool]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-02 TC1:00:14]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A new afterschool program in Montgomery County is giving teenagers something fun to look forward to, and something positive to do afterschool.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT :18]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

Teen Scene was started last week by the county's parks and recreation department to give kids a place to go. Library officials say they would crowd the libraries because they had nothing else to do. Now program leaders supervise activities, field trips and sports for 6th 7th and 8th graders.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:47:40 / 15:57:59]
[IN Q=most kids]
((KRISTEN LEWIS/TEEN SCENE LEADER; MORE KIDS TELL THEIR FRIENDS EACH WEEK AND THEN THE PARENTS WILL COME IN AND TELL US THEY LOVE IT BECAUSE REALLY THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE FOR THESE KIDS TO GO AFTERSCHOOL AND THEY DON'T WANT TO GO HOME ALONE.)) ((ASHLEY SMITH/TEEN SCENE PARTICIPANT; IT'S REALLY COOL IT'S SOMETHING TO DO IT'S NOT JUST GETTING ON THE COMPUTER OR SOMETHING.))
[SUPER=01-Kristen Lewis/Teen Scene Leader; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ashley Smith/Teen Scene Participant; :12]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=ON THE COMPUTER.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The free program runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays...2:30 to 5:30. Both the Christiansburg and Blacksburg libraries host Teen Scene in their recreation rooms. (------------)