[7-School-Info]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=School Info]

The rain has some schools changing their schedules today-- (XXXXXXXX) [TAKE SCHOOLTOUCH FS]
Schools in Smyth county are CLOSED today, and schools in Tazewell County are running two hours late.
(-------------)

[7-11Wytheville-Water]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Flooding]
The recent rain was good news for some areas, but for others it brings new worries. The town of Wytheville is now asking residents and businesses to conserve water because rising water knocked out and flooded many water and sewage treatment plants. Right now, the town's relying on a 3-million gallon storage tank, so there's no danger of contamination.
But that's only about a days supply and until the treatment plant comes back on line, the town can not pump any clean water into the system.
The mayor hopes the problem will be repaired sometime today.
[TAKE VIDEO]

[7-11VA-Flooding]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-02 TC1:09:31]
[GRAPHIC=none]

[TAKE VIDEO]

(------------)
[VO-NAT]

In far Southwest Virginia, Governor Warner has called on the National Guard for assistance. Seven counties are under a state of emergency.
[SUPER=03-Pennington Gap]

In Pennington Gap, a six foot high wall of water washed through this grocery store.
It's now closed indefinitely.
[SUPER=03-Gate City]

In Gate City, the floodwaters hit businesses downtown.
Now they're cleaning up.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 20:17:39]
[IN Q=We're trying to ]
((SCOTT MORGAN; WE'RE TRYING TO PUMP THE WATER. ALL OUR COMPUTERS ARE USELESS AT THIS POINT. MY FILES ARE ALL USELESS. THEY'RE TRYING TO SALVAGE THE INSURANCE FILES AND DO THE BEST THEY CAN.))
[SUPER=01-Scott Morgan]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=best they can]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Scott Co.]

Hundreds all across the area were flooded out... many more were flooded in.
The Clinch River rose 20 feet Sunday night and early yesterday morning.
The north fork of the Holston River jumped to record levels in Saltville before cresting late this morning.
(------------)



[7-11Carvins-Cove]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=02-14 TC03:51]
[GRAPHIC=Carvins Cove]
As for Roanoke's main water supply, the rain has helped raise the water level.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Carvins Cove]

The weekend rain raised the level in Carvins Cove by almost half a foot.
It's at 24-point-3 feet below the spillway right now.
On Saturday, it was at 24-point-7.
Steady rain filled up the creeks that feed the reservoir so the water level should continue to go up over the next day or two.
(------------)

[7-6-Rockbridge-Jobs]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Rockbridge New Jobs]
A new company is making Rockbridge County its home. The county beat out two sites in West Virginia and Tennessee for a new manufacturing facility.
A company called Power Systems International has decided to locate its facility in the Natural Bridge Industrial Park, and begin operations in April.
The company makes mobile power generating systems for military use.
The two point five million dollar investment will create 64 new jobs.

[45-11City-Council]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST= AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=02-13 TC03:44]
[GRAPHIC=Martin Luther King]
A group's efforts to honor Dr. Martin Luther King in the city of Roanoke have so far been in vain.
The latest proposal was defeated yesterday by a divided city council.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Members were considering whether to re-name the portion of Elmwood Park between Bullitt Avenue and Franklin Road in memory of the civil rights leader.
The proposal had the support of a broad-based committee, but also opposition from Roanokers who believe the city should do more to recognize King's contributions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=And until we are ]
((LINDA WYATT/ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL: AND UNTIL WE ARE READY TO HONOR DR. KING IN THE WAY WHICH HE NEEDS TO BE HONORED, THEN I THINK IT IS LESS THAN HONORABLE TO DO ANYTHING.)) ((REV. E.M. MITCHELL/COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: IT WAS NOT A COMPROMISE. I THINK LINDA WYATT COPPED OUT TODAY. HER STATEMENTS WERE WRONG. THIS COMMITTEE WAS SCARED OF NOBODY. THIS COMMITTEE STUCK TO ITS GUNS AND I THINK SHE OWES THE COMMITTEE AN APOLOGY.))
[SUPER=@Wyatt; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rev. E. M. Mitchell/Committee Co-Chair; :16]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=the committee an apology.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

City Council defeated the Elmwood Park proposal on a vote of four to three.
The decision angered supporters of the plan, who say they now fear that any effort to honor King with a Roanoke memorial is doomed.
(------------)

[45-11Redistricting]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-05 TC1:02:36]
[GRAPHIC=Redistricting]
Governor Warner plans to take a stand without the help of the Attorney General. Warner plans to appeal a judge's decision to throw out the state's new re-districting plan.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Warner said yesterday he intends to hire his own lawyer to appeal Salem Judge Richard Pattisall's ruling that said the redistricting plan was unconstitutional because the new district lines were drawn according to race.
The governor says he'll appeal, because, in his words, a decision this significant should not be left to a single judge.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:24:24]
[IN Q=Protection of the fair]
((GOVERNOR MARK WARNER: PROTECTION OF THE FAIR VOTING RIGHTS OF ALL VIRGINIANS IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR DEMOCRACY. WHILE REDISTRICTING IS NATURALLY A PARTISAN PROCESS, WE MUST NOT FORGET THE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT EVERY CITIZEN HAS AN EQUAL VOICE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.))
[SUPER=@markwarner]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=democratic process]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Warner decided not to join forces with Republican Attorney General Jerry Kilgore who last week refused to meet with the governor to talk about the issue.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=Jerry Kilgore]

The Attorney General released a statement yesterday afternoon saying he supports the governor's decision and that discussing the case with Warner would have created a conflict of interest.

[8-Wytheville-Water]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Flooding]
The rain we hoped for has come, but it's brought flooding waters with it in some areas.
The rising waters have knocked out many water and sewage treatment plants.
The town of Wytheville is asking residents and businesses to conserve because its water treatment plant was flooded.
Right now, the town's relying on a 3-million gallon storage tank, so there's no danger of contamination.
But that's only about a days supply and until the treatment plant comes back on line, the town can not pump any clean water into the system.
The mayor hopes the problem will be repaired sometime today.
[TAKE VIDEO]

[8-11VA-Flooding]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-02 TC1:09:31]
[GRAPHIC=none]

[TAKE VIDEO]

(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Meanwhile, Governor Warner has called out the National Guard in Far Southwest Virginia.
Seven counties are under a state of emergency.
[SUPER=03-Pennington Gap]

In Pennington Gap, a six foot high wall of water washed through this grocery store.
It's now closed indefinitely.
[SUPER=03-Gate City]

In Gate City, the floodwaters hit businesses downtown.
Now they're cleaning up.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 20:17:39]
[IN Q=We're trying to ]
((SCOTT MORGAN; WE'RE TRYING TO PUMP THE WATER. ALL OUR COMPUTERS ARE USELESS AT THIS POINT. MY FILES ARE ALL USELESS. THEY'RE TRYING TO SALVAGE THE INSURANCE FILES AND DO THE BEST THEY CAN.))
[SUPER=01-Scott Morgan]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=best they can]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Scott Co.]

Hundreds all across the area were flooded out... many more were flooded in.
The Clinch River rose 20 feet Sunday night and early yesterday morning.
The north fork of the Holston River jumped to record levels in Saltville before cresting late yesterday morning.
(------------)



[8-11Carvins-Cove]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=02-14 TC03:51]
[GRAPHIC=Carvins Cove]

Meanwhile, good news for Roanoke's main water supply-- the recent rainfall has had a positive effect on the Cove.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Carvins Cove]

The weekend rain raised the level in Carvins Cove by almost half a foot.
It's at 24-point-3 feet below the spillway right now.
On Saturday, it was at 24-point-7.
Steady rain filled up the creeks that feed the reservoir so the water level should continue to go up over the next day or two.
(------------)

[8-11Tech-Visitors]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Am Cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-07]
[GRAPHIC=Tech Tuition]
The numbers are in-- students at Virginia Tech have learned just how much much their tuition will increase this fall ..
(------------)
[VO-NAT :19]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
Yesterday, the school's Board of Visitors approved a 9-percent hike. The number translates into about 250-dollars more in tuition for Virginia residents and 1-thousand dollars more for non-residents. Officials say additional financial aid is being made available. The hike is helping Tech meet the state's budget cuts.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:33:14]
[IN Q=were losing]
((LARRY HINCKER/TECH SPOKESMAN; WERE LOSING 13-PERCENT OF OUR STATE APPROPRIATIONS WERE RAISING TUITION BY 9-PERCENT THAT WILL RAISE ABOUT 11-MILLION DOLLARS SO WE'LL STILL BE IN THE HOLE ABOUT 13-MILLION DOLLARS.))
[SUPER=01-Larry Hincker/Tech Spokesman;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=ABOUT 13-MILLION DOLLARS.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Hincker says to meet that number - cuts in personnel, programs and budgets are necessary. Details on the departments and how many people will be affected are expected in May. (------------)
by SS