WDBJ 7 news at Noon for 08/14/02

[News-Heads]

[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]

Coming up on News 7--

Authorities in Campbell County are looking for a killer.
The shooting happened at a home late last night near Lynch Station.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]

And, after a two- day search, a four- year- old California girl is home safe.
Her alleged kidnapper is in custody.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Leo]
[SS=None]

Dry weather continues across the area with just a slight chance for a late day shower or storm each day through the end of the week....I'll have your forecast......
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[ANCHOR=Kimberly 2-Shot]

News 7 at Noon starts right now...
[Noon-open]
[SUPER=#4054; News 7 Headline Banner]
[SUPER=@Kimberly1;]
[SUPER=@Leo1;]

[Campbell-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]

Good Afternoon, I'm Kimberly McBroom.
A Campbell County man is dead and authorities are searching for his killer after a shooting last night near Lynch Station.
Authorities say a masked gunman walked into a home on Dearing Ford Road just after midnight and shot 26-year-old Tony O'Brien Stone.
Several other people were in the home at the time of the shooting but they were not injured.
Sheriff's officials say the shooting was "not" a random act, but they would not comment on a possible motive.
Investigators are pursuing several leads but no arrest has been made.

[Missing-Girl]

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

The missing child story in Los Angeles has a happy ending.
After vanishing from a park on Sunday, four- year- old Jessica Cortez is now safe and sound, and her alleged abductor is in custody.
Jim Acosta has the story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Los Angeles, CA/Last Night; :03]
[SUPER=01-Martin Pomery/L. A. P. D. Interim Chief; :17]
[SUPER=01-Jim Acosta/CBS News; 1:05]
[RUNS=1:12]
[OUT Q=Acosta, CBS News.]
((

Two days of agony have ended for the parents of Jessica Cortez, the 4 year old girl who had become yet another victim of child abduction. After an intense search involving more than 200 police officers, she was back in her fathers' arms wearing a happy smile.

SOT: Martin Pomery/Interim Chief/LAPD
"Little Jessica is just fine, she's back with her parents, she has not been a victim of any type of assault, there is a suspect in custody."
That suspect is Patricia Cornejo who brought Jessica to a Los Angeles health clinic after she complained of a sore throat. The girl was dirty, her hair had been cut and she was wearing different clothes. Alert employees recognized the child and called police.

SOT: Martin Pomery/Interim Chief/LAPD
"It was because of those good people at the clinic that we were able to respond and rescue her and return her to her parents."
Police still don't know why Cornejo allegedly kidnapped Jessica. She is already the mother of four children of her own.

SOT:Martin Pomery/Interim Chief/LAPD
"We just don't know what was in her mind, why she did what she did, why she took the child, why she took the child to the clinic."
Jessica's disappearance early Sunday triggered a massive search. When that search came up empty, it became clear that the girl had been kidnapped.
Police had released a sketch of a male suspect. He is still wanted for questioning but is no longer considered a suspect. JA, CBS News.

))[Kidnapped-Baby]

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

The search continues for a baby who was kidnapped from a Wal-Mart parking lot in Abilene, Texas yesterday.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Abilene, TX;]

Authorities say the baby's mother had just put one-month- old Nancy Chavez into her mini- van along with her other two children, when she stepped about 10 feet away to return a shopping cart.
She says she then saw a woman take the baby and her car seat into another vehicle.
A surveillance tape shows the mother being dragged for several feet as she tried to hold onto the car.
Police are still looking for the baby and her abductor.
The suspect is described as a heavy-set woman with shoulder-length, brownish-blond hair.
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[11-Evonitz]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=02-25]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Officials say they have solved the murders of three Virginia girls killed nearly seven years ago. Investigators say D-N-A proves a rape suspect who committed suicide in Florida earlier this summer was guilty of the homicides. Yesterday afternoon-- authorities talked about the evidence that helped solve the cases. Teresa Hamilton has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=At an afternoon]
[SUPER=03-Spotsylvania Co.; :00 ]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Dwight Adams/FBI; :28]
[SUPER=01-Ron Knight/Spotsylvania Co. Sheriff; :57]
[SUPER=01-Ron Lisk/Father; 1:14]
[SUPER=01-Phylis Silva/Mother; 1:33]
[SUPER=@Teresa2; 1:58]
[RUNS=2:10]
[OUT Q=Hamilton, NEWS 7.]
(( At an afternoon news conference-- authorities confirmed what they already suspected.... that Richard Evontiz was responsible for the deaths of Sofia Silva and sisters Kristin and Kati Lisk. Spotsylvania county investigators say D-N-A helped prove their suspicions... Police say one of Evonitz's hairs was found inside Kati's sock-- while two of Kristen's fingerprints were found inside the trunk of his 1992 Ford Taurus.
(///sot///)
[sot 16:57:08]
[IN Q= It was a miracle]
((IT WAS A MIRACLE THOSE FINGERPRINTS WERE THERE BECAUSE TYPICALLY AFTER THAT LENGTHY OF TIME YOU MIGHT NOT EXPECT THOSE FINGERPRINTS TO BE THERE. )) [RUNS08]
[OUT Q= be there.]
Investigators zeroed in on Evonitz after he allegedly abducted and raped a South Carolina teenager in June. The girl escaped, and Evonitz killed himself three days later. Authorities say these padded handcuffs the 15- year old girl was still wearing when she escaped from Evonitz's apartment also bolstered their case.
[sot 16:57:40]
((THE FIBER EVIDENCE IS ESPECIALLY OVERWHELMING OF THE GREAT NUMBER OF FIBERS FOUND ON ALL THREE VICTIMS AND DETERMINED TO HAVE COME FROM VARIOUS CARPETS AND OTHER MATERIALS FOUND IN EVONITZ'S RESIDENCE )) [runs10]
[out q= evonitz residence.]
For the parents of the girls-- it's been a long seven years.
[sots]
(( ron lisk/father: )) ((phylis silva/Mother; )) [runs25]
[out q= ]
The murder of another Virginia woman remains unsolved... Investigators say none of the evidence links Evonitz to the murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds. Teresa Hamilton, NEWS 7.))

[11-81-Chase]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Two men from Pennsylvania led police on a high speed chase through the New River Valley.
State police say the chase started on Interstate 81 yesterday afternoon near the Pulaski-Wythe County line when a stolen car ran through radar at 77 miles an hour and a trooper pursued.
The chase continued onto Route 100 and ended in the town of Pulaski when the suspect's vehicle hit a utility pole and the occupants fled.
The passenger was arrested almost immediately... the driver was caught a few hours later.
The two Pennsylvania men are charged with a number of crimes.

[Trailways]

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

A bus crash on the New York State Thru- way sends dozens to the hospital--
Police believe the bus went out of control after hitting the back of a slow- moving tractor-trailer.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Cornwall, NY;]

A Trailways passenger bus carrying about 35 people crashed and rolled over on its side about 50 miles north of New York City.
The bus was traveling from Montreal. About two dozen people were taken to local hospitals, including the driver, who suffered serious injuries.
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[Crop-Circles]

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

If you've seen the new Mel Gibson movie, "Signs," this next story may give you the creeps--
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Teton, ID;]

Crop circles have turned up in a set of wheat fields near Teton, Idaho.
The town's mayor discovered 12 circles over the weekend.
The film, "Signs" is about a man who finds crop circles in his field, and that's generating even more interest in the real- life happening in Idaho.
Witnesses say they couldn't find any path leading up to the circles, and no sign they were made by humans.
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[toss to Leo] [WX-Tease] ((TOSS TO LEO)) [8/14/2002]
[SS=NONE]LEO IN WX-CENTER

[WXPRO/FULL] TIMELAPSE UV INDEX STORY

[SS=NONE]LEO TOSS BACK

[Tease1] [HARD MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
Coming up on News 7 at Noon - Lynchburg officials are asking for help controlling crime...
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[VO-NAT ]
And rescue crews are working to keep dampened spirits afloat as deadly floods hit the city of Prague.
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[music up full] [comm1]

[Czech-Flooding]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Flooding]

It's the worst flooding in more than a century--
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Prague, Czech Republic;]

Floodwaters are threatening historic buildings in the Czech capital city of Prague, as hundreds of thousands of people run for higher ground.
At least 94 people have died in the flooding throughout Europe.
Meanwhile, a 35- year- old elephant had to be put down in the Prague zoo, because workers were not able to free it from its compound and save it from drowning.
The remaining elephants in the zoo were able to be freed successfully.
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[Wildfires]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

A fast- moving wildfire has sent residents fleeing from their homes in an upscale area west of Denver.
So far, no one's been injured.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Golden, CO;]

Authorities believe a train passing through the area may have sparked the flames.
So far, two acres have burned, but no structures are damaged.
Meanwhile, temperatures over 100 degrees are making life miserable for firefighters battling a nearly 400- thousand- acre blaze in southwestern Oregon.
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[6-L'burg-Council]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-24 TC1:11:22]
[GRAPHIC=None]

F-B-I statistics show 94 percent of mid- to large-sized cities have a problem with gangs.. you can now count Lynchburg among their ranks.
Police there say they're going to need some help getting a handle on the problem before it escalates out of control.
Steve Smallshaw reports.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=Lynchburg police say]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :05]
[SUPER=01-Todd Swisher/Lynchburg Police Department; :30]
[SUPER=01-Wayne Duff/Lynchburg Police Department; :44]
[SUPER=01-Bill Petty/Commonwealth's Attorney; 1:03]
[SUPER=@ssm2; 1:20]
[RUNS=1:25]
[OUT Q=News7, Lynchburg.]
(( Lynchburg police say roughly a half-dozen gangs are operating in the Hill City.. their members are more heavily armed than ever and the crimes they're committing are getting more violent.
[natsot 15:16:22]
((YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A MAN RIGHT HERE WALK AROUND, AND HE WILL ACTUALLY START FIRING A WEAPON, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FOUR MUZZLE FLASHES COMING FROM HIS HANDGUN, AS HE'S RUNNING TOWARDS THAT WHITE JEEP.))
[RUNS= 10]

This shootout at a local pizza place was just one of several recent gang-related shootings, that have left one teenager dead and several other people wounded.
[SOT 14:51:03]
((TODD SWISHER/LYNCHBURG POLICE: ALL THESE AFOREMENTIONED GANGS ARE ESTABLISHED, FAIRLY WELL-ORGANIZED AND EXTREMELY TERRITORIAL (11) WHICH IS CERTAINLY NOT SURPRISING CONSIDERING THEY CONTROL THE STREET-LEVEL DRUG SALES IN THE CITY OF LYNCHBURG.))
[RUNS= 14]
[OUT Q=city of Lynchburg.]
[SOT 15:04:36]
((WAYNE DUFF/LYNCHBURG POLICE: THEY ARE PROTECTING A BELIEF OF THEIRS AS WELL AS A TERRITORY, AND WHEN THESE TERRITORIES GET CROSSED, THAT'S WHEN WE START HAVING THESE VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS.))
[RUNS= 09]
[OUT Q=violent confrontations.]

It's just a matter of time, authorities say, before innocent people are caught in the crossfire.
Prosecutor Bill Petty told city council today the time to act is now.
[SOT 15:25:32]
((BILL PETTY/COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY: WE HAVE A BRIEF MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY TO GET AHEAD OF THIS PROBLEM. ONCE IT BECOMES INGRATIATED IN LYNCHBURG, I FEAR QUITE FRANKLY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME AS WE SEE IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES AND CHICAGO AND SOME OF THESE BIGGER CITIES.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=these bigger cities.]

City leaders say they may form a task force to start studying the problem and look for some solutions.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Lynchburg.))
[tease next][Tease2] [SOFT MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Contractors hired to grade the S-O-L's failed at giving accurate results... we'll have that story after the break..

(-----------------)
[VO-NAT ]
and - back to school shopping can be a "Royal" pain in your pocket... find out what many states are doing to help. Stay with us.. News 7 at noon will be right back.
(-----------------)
[MUSIC UP FULL]
[COMM BREAK #2]

[11SOLs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Good news for thousands of Virginia students... it turns out they did better on this past spring's S-O-L's than they first thought.
More than 56-hundred students who originally failed an English writing test now have a passing score.
The department of education's testing contractor re-calculated the scores after local school systems questioned their accuracy.

[School-Shopping]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[NOTE ANCHOR TAG!!]
Before students can start making the grade, their parents have to shell out some cash for back-to-school shopping.

And as Andre Show-ell reports, buying everything kids need is a tough task, even for a ROYAL family.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Washington, DC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Nikki Royal/Back to School Shopper; :19]
[SUPER=01-Alfred Jackson/Store Manager; :47]
[SUPER=01-Scott Krugman/National Retail Federation; 1:04]
[SUPER=01-Andre Showell/Reporting; 1:10]
[RUNS=1:53]
[OUT Q=breaking the bank.]
((

nats TAPE 1 11-34-25 "This is the one I need."
BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING IS A DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY.
nats TAPE 1 11-45-26 "Can you get this ?
nats Tape 1 11-33-30 "Ooooo look at this one !"
NIKKI ROYAL IS THE MOTHER OF FIVE BOYS AGES 3 TO 11. HER HANDS ARE FULL.
nats Tape 1 11-38-37 "I just look for the cheaper prices."
BACK TO SCHOOL ITEMS CAN CARRY A HEFTY PRICE TAG.
Tape 1 1 11-40-35 "Between clothing and school supplies ? I spend close to 1000 dollars.
SHE'S HAD TO CHANGE HER APPROACH TO SHOPPING DURING THE ECONOMIC CRUNCH EVEN THOUGH HER HUSBAND HOLDS DOWN TWO JOBS TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
nats TAPE 1 11-45-16 "How much were they ? 40 cents.
CG- NIKKI ROYAL/MOTHER OF 5
Tape 1 11-39:51 "It's a challenge. I try to buy little things at a time instead of waiting until the last minute and getting everything at once." :05
THIS STORE MANAGER IS SEEING MORE SHOPPERS SEARCHING FOR SALES.
CG- ALFRED JACKSON/STORE MANAGER
TAPE 1 10-44-08 "They're lookiing for bargains.. they're looking to buy an abundance of school supplies to last throughout the school year. " :07
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION ... SALES ARE FLAT. THE AVERAGE FAMILY WILL SPEND MORE THAN 450 DOLLARS ON BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING.
CG- SCOTT KRUGMAN/NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATIONS
TAPE 2 13-32-00 "We find that consumers who are saving might not spend a lot and they're gonna be cautious. :03
CG- ANDRE SHOWELL/B.E.T. NIGHTLY NEWS
S.U. TAPE 1 11-24-40 "The average low income family earning $25,000 or less spend a considerably larger portion of their income on back-to-school purchases. In fact, they spend about 70 dollars more than families with higher incomes. "
nats TAPE 2 12:08:06 (drawer shuts)
TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF ESPECIALLY FOR NEEDY FAMILIES... A GROWING NUMBER OF STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ARE OFFERING TEMPORARY TAX-BREAKS ON BACK TO SCHOOL ITEMS.
nats tape 2 12-05-02 ("thank you for shopping with us. )
THAT'S WELCOME NEWS FOR THIS FAMILY'S BUDGET.

(NIKKI ROYAL)

TAPE 1 11-42-11 "You save money so anytime you can do that .. its a great help."

))

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[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]
[SS=none]

That was Andre Show-ell reporting.[Weather] [NOON WEATHER] [8/14/2002] [TWO SHOT]
[WXPRO/FULL]

[MUSIC UNDER] [COMMERCIAL]

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[CK/VIEWERNET;]

[CK/WXPRO]WEATHER MAPS [WXPRO/FULL] FORECASTS EXTENDED FORECAST

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE# none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

It's a mixed day on Wall Street. At noon

[super=460-y/90/x/6;]

, the Dow was down 90 points. Nasdaq up 6 points.

(x=up y=down)[tease3]
[SPORTS MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
Coming up next in sports... the quarterback contest continues to heat up in Blacksburg...
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[VO-NAT ]
And the Colonels say they have some BIG plans for the upcoming season... we'll see what they have in store...
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[MUSIC UP FULL]
[COMM BREAK #3]

[S-Colonels]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-104 1:41:18]
[GRAPHIC=FFE]
Today's Friday Football Extra report takes us to William Fleming. The Colonels were a disappointing 5- and- 5 last year... but are hoping that some BIG plans will change that...
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

Fleming is literally huge this year with a line averaging nearly 300- pounds a man.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=bite]
[SUPER=01-Keith Smith/William Fleming Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=.....will be a plus for us"]
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[VO-NAT]

The Colonels return seven defensive starters and six offensive starters. The quarterback and fullbacks are BACK, and there's speed at wide- out.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=........about those positions"]
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[S-Tech]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-122 5739tc]
[GRAPHIC=TECH]
Virginia Tech's offense came alive yesterday for the team's second scrimmage of the preseason. Kevin Jones rushed for two scores and Lee Suggs got one on the ground. The quarterback spot continues to be a battle with the season opener now just 12- days away. Grant Noel was 6- of- 9 for 48- yards and an interception, while Bryan Randall completed four out of six passes for 46- yards and two T-Ds.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I THINK...]
[SUPER=01-Bryan Randall/Virginia Tech Quarterback; :00]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=...BEAT HIM OUT."]
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[S-Dunn]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-128 41:20]
[GRAPHIC=NFL]

Just when you thought Steve Mason was through with his reports from training camp, we find out he's not done. Actually, he's all about Dunn today - Warrick Dunn.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Greenville, SC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Warrick Dunn/Falcons Running Back; :10(QUICK)]
[SUPER=01-Dan Reeves/Falcons Head Coach; :30]
[SUPER=@Steve1; :42]
[SUPER=01-Michael Vick/Falcons Second Year Quarterback; :56]
[SUPER=03-Atlanta, GA; 1:27]
[RUNS=1:32]
[OUT Q=....News 7 sports" ]
(--------------)
((NAT SOUND))
((The Falcons ignored their budget when they signed Dunn to a six year deal worth a reported 25 million dollars. ((:))
There was a very distinctive sound each time Michael Vick handed off to Dunn in training camp. Dan Reeves hopes cameras aren't the only things clicking with the Atlanta offense this season. The addition of Dunn should help. ((:)) ((:)) ((:)) ((:))
Dunn played most of last season with a painful toe injury and still posted a career best 68 receptions. Healthy physically and also mentally, now that t he Falcons are NOT using him as a straight a head runner as Tampa Bay did. ((:))
Duckett, who looked sharp in short work against Jacksonville in a pre season game last Thursday, delivers a jolt of competition for Dunn. Steve Mason News 7 sports.))

[Penguin-Bar]

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

A penguin goes into a pub, sits down and orders a drink--
No, it's not a joke--
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Charlwood, U. K.;]

Penguin Pepsi, who lives in Gatwick Zoo near London is SO attached to her keeper that she follows her practically everywhere-- even to the local pub.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=One day I was]
((SUE HARVEY, ZOO KEEPER: SAYING "ONE DAY I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR AND TURNED ROUND AND PEPSI WAS SITTING THERE. I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE HER ALL THE WAY BACK, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE HER ALL THE WAY BACK SO I JUST POPPED HER IN THE CAR AND CALLED IN HER ON THE WAY BACK AND SHE CAME IN AND SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.))
[SUPER=01-Sue Harvey/Zookeeper;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=loved it.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

And the villagers are used to occasional visits by the Zoo's penguins.
A couple of years ago, another penguin by the name of Gus also accompanied his keeper to the pub.
Ever since then, the sight of a penguin sitting at the bar doesn't shock patrons-- or make them think they've had a little too much to drink.
(------------)

[quickcast next] [Quickcast]
[WXPRO/FULL] FINAL LOOK AT THE WEATHER
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