WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 11/29/02

[7-11Plane-Crash]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-49 2:35]
[GRAPHIC=Plane Crash]

A plane crash in the mountains of Bland County took the lives of 2 people around midnight Thursday. Later today, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will visit the site where the six-seat private aircraft went down, not far from the West Virginia border.
(+++++++++)
[TAKE BLAND MAP FS 4173essC]
Authorities say the plane was bound for the airport in Bluefield and that the flight may have originated in Florida.
Search crews didn't locate the craft until yesterday morning after a Civil Air Patrol plane picked up a signal from its emergency beacon.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bland Co.]

The crash site is at the end of an icy, winding mountain road which made it difficult for rescuers to reach the scene.
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[SOT 18:02:20]
[IN Q=It's just]
((PATRICK KIRTNER/VIRGINIA STATE POLICE: IT'S JUST A HEAVILY WOODED AREA.. ...INTO THE GROUND THERE.))
[SUPER=01-Patrick Kirtner/Virginia State Police]
[RUNS=20]
[OUT Q=into the ground there.]
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[VO-NAT]

Kirtner says there were reports of sleet and freezing rain in the area at the time the plane went down.
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[ANCHOR=Kim]
[ss=hold]

Police say the two victims were a man and a woman, but they are not yet releasing their identities.

[7-11NRV-Judgeships]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=02-43 1:27:25]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Two prosecutors are hoping for a bench seat in the New River Valley.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford/February 2001]

Radford commonwealth's attorney Randal Duncan wants to succeed Radford circuit judge Duane Mink when he retires next year.
Bar associations in Giles and Pulaski counties have endorsed Duncan.
The Montgomery-Radford bar association has endorsed Blacksburg attorney Marc Long for the circuit court job.
[SUPER=03-Floyd/October 2000]

Floyd prosecutor Gino Williams wants to replace retiring district court judge T.D. Frith.
Blacksburg lawyer David Mullins is also going after that seat.
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[ANCHOR=none]
[ss=none]

Mink and Frith are stepping down because they both reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 by the end of the year.
But the General Assembly could decide to leave both judgeships vacant to save money.

[45-11Goodlatte]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=02-35 2:01:23]
[GRAPHIC=Bob Goodlatte]
Congressman Bob Goodlatte won't know for sure until early next year, but hopes to become the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

Goodlatte is second on the seniority list, but the Republican congressman who's ahead of him, John Boehner (BAY-nor) of Ohio, has endorsed Goodlatte for the job.
He has also been cultivating support among Congressional leaders. A steering committee will make the final decision January 8th.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The speaker has been very encouraging]
((REP. BOB GOODLATTE: THE SPEAKER HAS BEEN VERY ENCOURAGING IN TERMS OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE WORK I'VE DONE ON THE COMMITTEE AND MY PREPARATION FOR TAKING THIS BIG RESPONSIBILITY AND HAS ALSO ASKED ME TO SPEAK IN ILLINOIS IN THE COMING WEEKS, AT THE FARM BUREAU CONVENTION THERE, SO I TOOK THAT AS A GOOD SIGN.))
[SUPER=@Goodlatte;]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=that as a good sign]
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[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

Goodlatte says the chairmanship would benefit the entire Sixth district, and not just the region's farming communities. The Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction over a wide array of programs, including food stamps, school lunches, food banks, agricultural research, and the national forests.

[45-11Mountain-Lake]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=02-36 2:02:47]
[GRAPHIC=none]
New ideas to raise the water level at Mountain Lake aren't going over as well as owners had hoped.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Giles Co./Last Month;]

Workers recently drilled a well in a nearby drainage area, hoping to pump that water back into the lake.
But the resort's manager this week said the flow of water from the well is too low to make that plan work.
The level of the lake is about half what it would normally be.
Experts aren't sure why. But they believe the drought has a lot to do with it.
Mountain Lake's owners will soon meet to decide what their next move might be.
In the meantime, they've built nine new cottages on the property, and the resort plans to open year-round, starting in January.
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[45-6Tech-Traffic]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-38 2:02:53]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Hurry up and wait...
That's what football fans will likely face on the road to Blacksburg this weekend, as they head to the matchup between Tech and U-V-A.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]
Game day traffic concerns are already promoting V-DOT to warn drivers about heavy delays in the area. Congestion is expected on Interstate-81 and Route-460. Officials say football traffic, which can be a hassle on its own, will be made worse by Thanksgiving travel. Kick-off for the tomorrow's game is scheduled for 3:30. V-DOT reminds drivers to leave early, use the new Route 460-Bypass and to watch for signs about traffic patterns and parking.
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[8-11Plane-Crash]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-49 2:35]
[GRAPHIC=Plane Crash]

A plane crash in the mountains of Bland County took the lives of 2 people around midnight Thursday. Later today, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will visit the site where the six-seat private aircraft went down, not far from the West Virginia border.
(+++++++++)
[TAKE BLAND MAP FS 4173essC]
Authorities say the plane was bound for the airport in Bluefield and that the flight may have originated in Florida.
Search crews didn't locate the craft until yesterday morning after a Civil Air Patrol plane picked up a signal from its emergency beacon.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bland Co.]

The crash site is at the end of an icy, winding mountain road which made it difficult for rescuers to reach the scene.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:02:20]
[IN Q=It's just]
((PATRICK KIRTNER/VIRGINIA STATE POLICE: IT'S JUST A HEAVILY WOODED AREA.. ...INTO THE GROUND THERE.))
[SUPER=01-Patrick Kirtner/Virginia State Police]
[RUNS=20]
[OUT Q=into the ground there.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Kirtner says there were reports of sleet and freezing rain in the area at the time the plane went down.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[ss=hold]

Police say the two victims were a man and a woman, but they are not yet releasing their identities.

[8-11Rescue-Mission]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-38 2:04:09]
[GRAPHIC=Thanksgiving]
At Roanoke's Rescue Mission, many people were thankful for free minutes on the phone this Thanksgiving.
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[VO-NAT :15]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
U-S Cellular is to thank for providing plenty of phones and minutes to be used. The HOPE program is designed to offer cell phone service at no charge. Officials say reaching out is always important, but even more so on a holiday.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:13:40]
[IN Q=THIS IS]
((JULIE THOMAS/US CELLULAR; THIS IS AN UNRESTRICTED CALL THEY CAN CALL TO ANY FAMILY MEMBER,FRIEND THROUGHOUT THE U-S THEY CAN TALK AS LONG AS THEY NEED TO TALK AND THEY CAN SAY ANYTHING THEY NEED TO SAY WHICH IS GREAT, THESE PEOPLE MAY GETTING IN TOUCH WITH SOMEBODY THEY HAVEN'T TALKED TI WHICH MAY GIVE THEM SOME HELP ALONG THE WAY.))
[SUPER=01-Julie Thomas/US Cellular;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=ALONG THE WAY.]
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[VO-NAT]
The Rescue Mission concentrates on helping with a traditional holiday dinner. They will feed about 6-hundred people this Thanksgiving. Organizers say the numbers are up due to a sluggish economy which in our area meant a large number of layoffs. This year alone, the Mission will serve 220-thousand meals.
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[Mornin' Promo] [ANCHOR-Kim] [Animation]
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((Tomorrow on News 7 Mornin'.))
[RUNS=03]
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[Kim on Camera] Steve Pardon talks with a man who's featured in an upcoming History Channel special on Moonshine. and our Monday Manuscript is "Patches on the Same Quilt". We'll talk with the author.
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Tomorrow on News 7 Mornin'.[Animation full]