[7-Stadium-Vote]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=02-]
[GRAPHIC=none]


Members of Roanoke City Council and the Planning Commission voted unanimously yesterday to rezone property for a new stadium and amphitheater.
But some critics say the city has not addressed many potential problems.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]


The city plans to build the multi-purpose facility on land near the intersection of Orange Avenue and Williamson Road.
Critics who spoke at the public hearing said they don't want to kill the project, but hope the city will address lingering concerns about traffic, parking, pedestrian access, noise and other issues.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT TAPE 2 22:48:21]
[IN Q=Miss Wyatt says]

((ESTELLE MCCADDEN: MISS WYATT SAYS THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS TO CHOKE A HORSE, AND A LARGE HORSE. WELL LET'S MAKE THAT HORSE A LITTLE LONGER, TAKE TIME, TAKE OUR MONEY AND LET'S GET SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE PROUD OF.))
[SUPER=07-Estelle McCadden]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=everybody's going to be proud of.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Last night's meeting was the second time the two boards have voted on the rezoning. Opponents successfully challenged the first vote in court, and they argue that last night's vote was improper as well.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=Water Rates]


City Council also approved a 35 percent increase in water rates on a unanimous vote.

[7-11Scott]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-45 TC1:38:32]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]


A Lynchburg man suspected in a gang-related shooting last fall will have to wait two more months for his trial... while prosecutors attempt to figure out whether they have the right man.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/September 23]


21-year-old Mario Antwane Scott is charged with shooting a woman in the arm in front of her Pierce Street home September 23rd.
He was supposed to go on trial yesterday, but the Commonwealth's Attorney says he's still waiting for D-N-A and ballistics test results.
The gun police believe was used in the crime was found just last week.
Prosecutor Cary Payne also says investigators have uncovered evidence that may indicate Scott is innocent.
A new trial date is set for March.
(------------)



[7-11First-Virginia]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-53 TC27:28]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]


The oldest and largest bank holding company headquartered in Virginia is being bought by B-B-and-T. First Virginia Bank made the announcement yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

The deal between the two banks actually involves a stock swap of nearly three and half billion dollars. If it's approved by shareholders and regulators, the merger would combine two of the country's highest performing bank holding companies.
Bank officials expect the transition to be complete by October, though they say it will be some time before deciding on any branch closings or layoffs.
(------------)



[45-11Danville-Fire]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]


Fire destroyed a Head Start center in Danville.
Firefighters still don't know what caused the double-wide mobile home at 621 Cardinal Place to go up in flames yesterday afternoon.
There were not any children inside.
The building was heavily damaged.

[45-6-Grundy-Shooting]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=02-54 TC20:17]
[GRAPHIC=Peter Odighizuwa ]


It may be another three months before accused murderer, Peter Odighizuwa (oh-dig-uh-ZOO-uh) appears in court again.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Grundy/File Tape;]


Odighizuwa's competency hearing that was re-scheduled for Thursday has now been continued.
His attorney says the doctors at the state hospital where he is being treated for schizophrenia need more time to restore his mental capacity.
Odighizuwa faces capital murder charges for the shooting deaths of three people LAST January at the Appalachian School of Law.
(------------)



[45-11Howard]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]


Henry County investigators arrested 33-year old Maurice V. Wood of Martinsville yesterday.
He is charged with second degree murder, robbery and firearms violations- in the murder of a man in October.
Wood is in the Henry County Jail without bond.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


He's charged with the killing of Charles Antwan Saunders on October 27 of last year.
Saunders was shot in the head inside his Fieldale home.
(------------)



[45-6-Abortion-clinics]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-52 TC1:28:02]
[GRAPHIC=None]


The House of Delegates is moving forward with a bill that abortion right supporters say is an attempt to limit access to abortion.
Supporters of the bill say it's a matter of safety.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]


Yesterday, a House Committee approved legislation that would impose the same health regulations on abortion clinics that are imposed on hospitals.
Opponents say the regulations are unnecessary since first-trimester abortions are not considered surgical procedures.
But the patron of the bill says women are at risk after two died in the state this past year after having abortions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:31:36]
[IN Q=A WOMAN WHO HAS]

((DELEGATE BOB MARSHALL/(R) MANASSAS: A WOMAN WHO HAS AN ABORTION IN VIRGINIA, COUNTING THOSE TWO DEATHS, IS TWENTY-NINE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.)) ((DELEGATE VIVIAN WATTS/(D) ANNANDALE: TO SINGLE OUT ONE PROCEDURE TO LIMIT ITS AVAILABILITY, AGAIN, IS NOT ACTING IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Bob Marshall/(R) Manassas; :00]
[SUPER=01-Del. Vivian Watts/(D) Annandale; :08]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=OF THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Under the bill, abortion clinics would be required to have a registered nurse and licensed doctor on duty at all times.
The House passed a similar measure last year.
(------------)



[8-11Amherst-Election]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-46 TC1:42:46]
[GRAPHIC=None]


An election in Amherst County yesterday attracted very few voters.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Amherst Co.]


Amherst held a special election yesterday to fill the seat of commonwealth's attorney Ed Meeks who died last August.
Acting prosecutor Starke Mundy was running unopposed, and officials expected a very light turnout.
They still had to spend about 6-thouand dollars to hold the election.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:03:34]
[IN Q=You've got the]

((GARY BEASLEY/AMHERST CO. VOTER REGISTRAR: YOU'VE GOT THE COST OF MOVING THE MACHINES AND PROGRAMMING THE MACHINES. WE DIDN'T USE THE NUMBER OF MACHINES THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY USE FOR A GENERAL ELECTION. WE BASICALLY IN EACH POLLING PLACE PUT ONE MACHINE AND HAD A BACKUP IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENED.))
[SUPER=01-Gary Beasley/Amherst Co. Voter Registrar;]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=case something happened.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


By mid-afternoon, just 17 voters had showed up at one of the county's busier precincts.
Mundy will have to run for the post again in November.
(------------)



[8-11Agee]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-49 TC1:02:06]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Salem will soon have a new representative on the Virginia Supreme Court.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]


Yesterday, the General Assembly elected former Salem delegate Steven Agee to the state's highest court.
[SUPER=04-January 2001;]


Agee, a state appeals court judge, will fill the vacancy on the Supreme court created by the retirement of Chief Justice Harry Carrico.
Agee is the second Salem native on the Supreme Court, joining Lawrence Koontz.
(------------)



[8-11VMI-prayer]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=502-10 TC1:33:53]
[GRAPHIC=None]


A daily mealtime prayer USED to be the tradition at V-M-I.
A federal appeals court must now decide if the school can resume this tradition.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]


Virginia is appealing a judge's ruling that the dinner prayers violate the constitutional separation of church and state.
An A-C-L-U lawyer, representing two former cadets, argued that the coercive environment at V-M-I makes its difficult for cadets to opt out of praying.
Attorneys from the Attorney General's office contend that daily prayers at military schools are permissible because they help develop military readiness.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:27:46-57]
[IN Q=THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL]

((ATTORNEY GENERAL JERRY KILGORE: THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL PROBLEM IN HEARING A PRAYER. WE ALL HEAR THEM AT ALMOST EVERY CEREMONY WE ATTEND WHETHER ITS AT THE LOCAL KIWANIS OR THE CIVITAN CLUB.)) ((REBECCA GLENBERG/ACLU OF VIRGINIA: WHAT THE SUPREME COURT HAS SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS THAT ITS HARM IN ITSELF TO BE SUBJECTED TO A STATE ENDORSEMENT OF RELIGION.))
[SUPER=@Kilgore; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rebecca Glenberg/ACLU of Virginia; :11]
[RUNS=:23]
[OUT Q=ENDORSEMENT OF RELIGION.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


A ruling on the case is not expected until the spring. (------------)
by SS