WDBJ 7 morning news for 11/27/02

[Iraq]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]

U-N weapons inspectors have made their first stop in Iraq--
at a graphite rod factory about 25 miles from Baghdad.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Baghdad, Iraq;]

The U-N teams headed out early this morning, searching for weapons of mass destruction.
They know their actions could mean the difference between war and peace.
When Saddam Hussein locked out inspectors four years ago, they left knowing there were more weapons to be found.
The search this time around will be made easier with the latest technology, including ground- penetrating radar and new instruments that can measure radiation or traces of chemical agents.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The eyes can]
((DIMITRI EBINOS/U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: THE EYES CAN FOOL ANYBODY, YOU CAN ENTER A ROOM WHICH IS EMPTY, BUT THAT ROOM MAY HAVE A HISTORY. ))
[SUPER=01-Dimitri Ebinos/U. N. Weapons Inspector;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=have a history.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The weapons inspections are expected to take months.
(------------)

[Guns-Cockpit]

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

Under the new Homeland Security Law, commercial pilots could be carrying guns in the cockpit as early as this spring.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]

Officials expect about a third of the nation's 100- thousand commercial pilots will train to become weapons-qualified "federal flight deck officers."
However, Congress hasn't yet authorized funding for the training.
(------------)

[Holiday-Travel]

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

For those traveling by air to see family and friends this week, expect some long lines at the airport.
Air travel is up six percent from last year.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]

Officials say, in general, more Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving than last.
That also includes driving, despite higher prices at the pump.
Triple- A predicts about 36 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home.
(------------)

[6-Lewis]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-38 TC1:56:44]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

The trial of a Roanoke police officer involved in a shooting nearly three years ago has ended in his favor.
(-----------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
There was never any dispute that officer William Boucher (boo-SHAY) shot Wilbert Wesley Lewis during a traffic stop.

What was in contention was whether Lewis was shot in the stomach, or shot in the back. The federal jury deliberated just 25 minutes before coming back with a verdict in favor of Officer Boucher.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We placed ourselves]
[SUPER=01-Ted Farmer/Jury Foreman; :00]
[SUPER=01-William Boucher/Roanoke Police Officer; :05]
[SUPER=01-Wilbert Wesley Lewis/Plaintiff; :15]
[RUNS=29]
[OUT Q=say so on Boucher.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Lewis had sought 13 million dollars in his civil suit against the city, the Police chief and the City of Roanoke.
The chief and the city were dismissed as defendants early on, leaving Boucher to defend his actions. Boucher and eye witnesses testified that the officer repeatedly told Lewis to get down on the ground and to show his hands.
Lewis said he was putting his hands on top of the car when Boucher shot him.
(------------)

[5-Pipe-Bomb]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=502-01 2:46:40]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A pipe bomb exploded in a Roanoke County family's mailbox.
Investigators are offering a reward to find the person responsible.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Last Friday night, someone blew up Kim Sydnor's mailbox with a pipe bomb.
The whole neighborhood heard the blast, but no one realized what had happened until the next morning, when pieces of the mailbox turned up all over.
No one was injured...
But investigators are offering a reward of up to 100-thousand dollars for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:45]
[IN Q=There's been]
((BRETT BRUMBAUGH/POSTAL SERVICE INVESTIGATOR: THERE'S BEEN SOME PEOPLE WHO SAID THERE WERE CARS IN AND OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUST PRIOR TO AND AFTER THEY HEARD THE EXPLOSION, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR NEIGHBORS OR PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD WITH THOSE VEHICLES IF THEY'VE SEEN OR HEARD ANYTHING. AND ALSO IF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BRAGGING ABOUT IT OR CLAIMED THAT THEY'RE INVOLVED, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THEM IN THE INVESTIGATION. ))
[SUPER=01-Brett Brumbaugh/U. S. Postal Service Inspector;]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=in the investigation.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Sydnor thinks it was probably a prank ...
But his neighbors think it may have been done by the same person who's been stealing items from cars on the street.
The postal inspector says he's following up leads on some cars that were seen in the area that night.
(------------)

[AM-Brown-Farm]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=02-51 TC TC 7:24]
[GRAPHIC=none]
"Nature" versus "recreation". It's a debate that's been brewing for some time over what to do with the Brown farm in Blacksburg. Last night, town council endorsed a plan that COULD satisfy both sides.
(----------)
[VO-NAT]
[super=03-Blacksburg;]
The Brown Farm in Blacksburg is now known as the "Heritage Community Park and Natural Area". But aside from the name, little had been decided about the future of the property... until last night. The group "Friends of Brown Farm" want the 169- acres of land preserved as a nature park... while others in the Blacksburg community would like to see it include ballfields. Last night, town council endorsed a plan that takes both sides into account. It calls for preserving most of the acreage-- while setting aside 30 acres for other use.
(///sot///)
[sot 00:20:50]
[in q= we're trying]
((JOHN BROWDER: WE'RE TRYING TO BE IN THAT TOP LEAGUE OF PLACES TO LIVE AND WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER GREAT PLACES TO LIVE AND MOST OF THEM HAVE NATURE PARKS AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PLACE FOR BLACKSBURG. ))
[super=07-John Browder;]
[runs=09]
[out q= place for blacksburg.]
(----------)
[vo-nat] Mayor Roger Hedgepeth is also satisfied with the plan, but says carrying it out could be a lengthy and expensive process. As for what to do with the 30- acres set aside for future use-- Hedgepeth says the community will have a say in the project.
(----------)

[11NS-Layoffs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-43 TC1:25:34]
[GRAPHIC=NS Layoffs]

In business news, Norfolk Southern says it will furlough workers.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;]
Officials say 81-employees will be temporarily out of work starting December first and lasting at least through the end of the year. The move is blamed on a downturn in business during the holiday season. Roanoke's East End Shops have been building and rebuilding rail cars and engines for years, but a decline in coal exports has slowed down that work considerably. Workers at the railroad's Pennsylvania car shop are also facing furloughs. Officials say they will reevaluate the labor situation in January.
(------------)

[Marketwatch]

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

In other business news, Stocks tumbled yesterday. The Dow suffered a triple digit loss. And, No cash on hand. That won't be a problem at McDonald's. The restaurant chain is getting ready to accept credit cards beginning next year.
Ed Crane has those stories and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Ed Crane/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:33]
[OUT Q=I'm Ed Crane, CBS Marketwatch, NY]
((A ONE TWO PUNCH OF PROFIT TAKING AND ECONOMIC JITTERS SENT THE MARKETS SHARPLY LOWER.

(gr)
THE DOW WAS SLAMMED DOWN 172 POINTS, OR ABOUT 2 PERCENT...

(gr)
THE LOSS WAS SHARPER, PERCENTAGE WISE AT THE NASDAQ, THAT 37 POINT LOSS EQUATING TO 2 AND A HALF PERCENT.

(oc)
INVESTORS GOT A GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS REPORT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH, THE GOVERNMENT IN A REVISED REPORT SAYS THE THIRD QUARTER G-D-P WAS A FAIRLY HEALTHY 4 PERCENT, BUT A NEW REPORT FROM A PANEL OF ECONOMISTS PEGS THE CURRENT
QUARTERS GROWTH RATE AT ABOUT 1 AND A HALF PERCENT----50 PERCENT LOWER THAN
FIRST FORECAST.
BETTER NEWS ON THE CONSUMER FRONT. THE CONFERENCE BOARD REPORTS CONSUMER CONFIDENCE ROSE THIS MONTH FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 5 MONTHS, ALTHOUGH THE INCREASE WAS JUST A SMALL 5 POINTS ON THE CONFERENCE BOARD INDEX....THE JURY APPEARS OUT ON JUST WHAT KIND OF A HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON IT WILL BE FOR RETAILERS.
ON THIS THE LAST FULL TRADING DAY OF THE WEEK, WE'LL GET SEVERAL FRESH REPORTS INCLUDING THE CLOSELY WATCHED FIGURES ON SALES OF DURABLE GOODS LIKE CARS, AND APPLIANCES.

(gr)
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF INVESTORS CASHING IN ON STOCKS WHICH HAVE SEEN THEIR SHARE PRICE RUN UP IN RECENT DAYS. THE BIGGEST LOSER AMONG SECTORS WAS CLEARLY TECH WITH CISCO SYSTEMS, ORACLE AND MICROSOFT AMONG THE LOSERS.

(gr)
CHIPS STOCKS HAD A FAIRLY ROUGH DAY. ALTHOUGH INTEL LOST A FRACTION, SEMTECH FELL 15 PERCENT ON AN EARNINGS WARNING, AND RIVAL ANALOG DEVICES SHED SOME 4 PERCENT.

(oc)
YOU'VE SEEN THE STUDIES SUGGESTING TOO MUCH FAST FOOD CAN MAKE YOU FAT....WELL IT MAY SOON PUT YOU IN DEBT AS WELL....

(gr)
THATS BECAUSE MC DONALDS BEGINNING NEXT YEAR WILL TAKE CREDIT CARDS AT MANY OF IT'S RESTUARANTS. THE CHAIN DELAYED THE ROLL OUT OF CREDIT ACCEPTANCE UNTIL IT COULD FIND A HIGH SPEED CARD SWIPING SYSTEM, SO THAT CHARGE TRANSACTIONS ARE NOW SLOWER THAN THOSE MADE WITH CASH.

(gr)
GET MORE AT CBS DOT MARKETWATCH DOT COM

(oc)
I'M ED CRANE CBS MARKETWATCH NY.))

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

[11Passenger-Vans]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-42 TC1:31:42]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A new national safety report says 15-passenger vans have higher rollover rates than other vehicles.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :18]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Roanoke resident Joe Erndt lost his daughter in a van crash.
[SUPER=03-Randolph Co., NC/July 2001;]
14-year-old Jessika Lewis was killed on a North Carolina highway last July. The van carrying her church group had a defective tire and overturned several times. Her family has been fighting to get the vehicles off the road ever since.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:05:04]
[IN Q=IT'S SOMETHING]
((JOE ERNDT/JESSIKA'S FATHER; IT'S SOMETHING THAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WE NEED TO GET THE PEOPLE AWARE OF IT AND MAKE SURE AT LEAST IF YOU'RE GOING TO LET A KID IN THERE YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE SEAT BELTS ON.))
[SUPER=01-Joe Erndt/Jessika's Father;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=HAVE SEATBELTS ON.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The NTSB concludes the vans have an increased likelihood to rollover with higher occupancy and vehicle speed. The group says the vehicles should be further tested, given a rollover rating and that new technology may have the potential to make them safer.
[SUPER=03-Richmond/January;]
Erndt says he will once again lobby Virginia's General Assembly to get "Jessika's Cause" passed. The measure that would ban the use of 15-passenger vans failed earlier this year by two votes.
(------------)

[11Wilder-Comm]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-34 TC2:06:66]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Virginia is the only state that limits its governors to one term.... and some think that policy is hurting the state economically.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Yesterday, a commission on government efficiency endorsed the idea of allowing Virginia's governors to run for a second term.
Supporters of the proposal, like former governor Jim Gilmore, say it would provide better long-term financial planning.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 14:32:36]
[IN Q=IT WEAKENS THE VIRGINIA GOVERNOR]
[SUPER=01-Jim Gilmore/Former Governor; :00]
[SUPER=01-Doug Wilder/Former Governor; :09]
[SUPER=01-Del. Bill Howell/House Speaker-Designate; :18]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=POSSIBILITY OF EIGHT YEARS.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=None]

Changing the one-term limit would require amending Virginia's constitution.
Governor Mark Warner supports the proposal.
Even though any change in the law would not take effect until after he leaves office.
(Kimberly tosses to bump)

[bump-chyron]

[comm #3]

[11Monty-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=02-36 TC 1:59:57]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Some Montgomery County government workers will get to keep their jobs afterall.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

The Board of Supervisors voted Monday night to absorb the cuts passed down from the state to the county's four constitutional offices.
Those being the county treasurer, commonwealth's attorney, clerk of the circuit courts and commissioner of revenue.
The cuts would have totaled over 100-thousand dollars for the remainder of the fiscal year...forcing salary reductions and the elimination of at least nine-positions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 38:56]
[IN Q=we can afford]
((MARY BIGGS/MONTGOMERY CO. SUPERVISORS CHAIRPERSON: WE CAN AFFORD TO DO THIS AS FAR AS THIS ONE TIME, BUT, WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT A MATTER OF PRACTICE, BECAUSE THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE CUTS AND THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING ABLE TO RAISE REVENUES TO COVER THIS 39:13))
[SUPER=01-Mary Biggs/Montgomery Co. Supervisors Chairperson;]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=to cover this]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=none]

Also at the meeting...the board said it will consider passing a new ordinance that would prevent people from scalping ticktets at certain events. The idea stems partly from a recent ticket scam at Virginia Tech.