WDBJ 7 morning news for 01/24/03

[11County-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-52 TC1:32:15]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

Fire forced a woman out of her Roanoke County home. The blaze broke out just before eight o-clock last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

Flames destroyed the home on Starlite Lane.
Firefighters say a woman was home at the time and made it outside safely with her dog.
A cat was not so lucky.
Firefighters had to deal with downed powerlines, the cold and water problems.
No word on what started the blaze.
(------------)

[11Gas-Problems]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Winter weather]

Heat has been restored to residents on Tillet Road in Roanoke.
Roanoke Gas says the problem was fixed around 1 o-clock this morning.
A similar problem also happened in Garden City, but gas was restored there last night.

[D-Day-Conference]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=D-Day Memorial]
Efforts between the National D-Day Memorial Foundation and its creditors to reach a settlement are apparently paying off. The foundation has scheduled a news conference for two o-clock this afternoon to detail the settlement.

We'll have more on the story tonight on News 7.[Homeland-Security]

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

Tom Ridge will be sworn in today as the nation's first Secretary of Homeland Security.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Washington, DC;]

The former Pennsylvania Governor will head up a department with 22 federal agencies and 170- thousand employees.
The 57- year- old Vietnam veteran has been serving as the President's top adviser on anti- terrorism efforts since the 9-11 attacks.
(------------)

[Bush-Prescription]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Bush]

President Bush is reportedly considering a prescription drug plan.
According to the New York Times and Washington Post, people on Medicare who want prescription drugs would have to join a government-subsidized, private health plan like an H-M-O.
The plan is similar to a Republican proposal passed by the House last year and debated by the Senate.

[Nell-Carter]

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

She was best known for her role as the out-spoken, but lovable Aunt Nell on the '80s sitcom "Gimme a Break."
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]

Tony and Emmy Award- winning actress Nell Carter died yeterday at her home in Beverly Hills.
Carter collapsed at her home, and was found by one of her teenage sons.
She'd suffered from diabetes for years, and underwent brain surgery to remove an anneurysm.
Nell Carter was 54.
(------------)

[Church-Bombing]

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

Palestinians are outraged over the bombing of a Gaza chapel.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Gaza City, Gaza Strip;]

Witnesses say an Israeli helicopter fired the missile that did minor damage.
Authorities say the bombing occured after an ambush by Palestinians killed three Israeli soldiers.
A total of 11 missiles were fired, mostly at workshops believed to be making weapons.
Several people were injured.
(------------)

[11Optical-Cable]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-01 TC12:31]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

In business news, 2002 turned out to be a good year for struggling Optical Cable.
The company turned a profit of 284-thousand dollars.
That translates to four cents a share.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./File Tape]

That's a big turnaround for the fiber-optic cable maker.
In 2001, the Roanoke County company lost nearly seven million dollars.
President Neil Wilkin says Optical Cable will continue to increase its sales, reduce costs and focus on long-term future growth.
(------------)

[6-Advance-Auto]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Advance Auto]

Advance Auto is reporting solid fourth quarter results despite less than anticipated sales. Officials say the company produced strong operating income by generating robust gross margins and leveraging expenses.
Earnings per diluted share are expected at the top end of a guidance range of 38 to 42 cents compared to 16-cents last year. Advance is still aiming its 2003 fiscal year guidance for a 25-percent increase in earnings per diluted share.

[Marketwatch]

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

In other business news, Wall Street has snapped a five-day losing streak. Ed Crane has that story and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Ed Crane/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:40]
[OUT Q=I'M EC, CBS MARKETWATCH, NY]
((GOOD MORNING...THE DOW HAS A BRAND NEW WINNING STREAK---AFTER FIVE DAYS AND 500 POINTS OF LOSSES

ESS=current dow

THE DOW TURNED POSITIVE ABOUT MID DAY AND FINISHED UP.50 POINTS...

ESS=closing s and p

THE S AND P FINISHED UP ABOUT 9 POINTS

ESS=current nasdaq
THE NASDAQ WAS ON THE UPSIDE ALL DAY AND CLOSED UP 28
KEEP AN EYE AMAZON DOT COM
ESS=amzn
AFTER THE BELL AMAZON REPORTED EARNINGS THAT BEAT THE STREET BY A NICKEL PER SHARE. /

ESS=full screen mc donalds
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 47 YEARS THE GOLDEN ARCHES ARE STAINED WITH RED INK. MC DONALDS IS POSTING IT'S FIRST EVER QUARTERLY LOSS, A SUPERSIZED 343 MILLION DOLLARS, FOUR TIMES WORSE THAN EXPECTED. MC DONALDS SALES WERE ACTUALLY UP 2 PERCENT, BUT THE COMPANYS TAKING AN 800 MILLION DOLLAR RE-STRUCTURING CHARGE AND PLANS TO CLOSE 700 UNDER PERFORMING OUTLETS.

ESS=att/sbc/bell south
A-T-AND T HAS BEEN DRAGGING THE TELECOM SECTOR DOWN. THE COMMUNICATIONS GIANT REPORTED A LOSS OF MORE THAN 600 MILLION DOLLARS LAST QUARTER. IT'S TRADING LOWER ALONG WITH LONG DISTANCE COMPETITORS BELL SOUTH AND S-B-C. A-T-T'S BLAMING CELL PHONE AND E MAIL USE FOR CUTTING INTO IT'S SALES.

ESS=full screen mbna
AND A STOCK THAT USUALLY PLEASES WALL STREET HAS DISAPOINTED ANALYSTS. M-B-N-A THE SECOND LARGEST ISSUER OF CREDIT CARDS MISSED IT'S TARGET NUMBER BY A NICKEL PER SHARE. DESPITE HAVING A HIGH INCOME, CREDIT WORTHY PORTFOLIO OF CUSTOMERS, MBNA IS SETTING ASIDE MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS TO COVER BAD DEBTS.

ESS=txn/intl/msft
MOST TECH AND COMPUTER STOCKS ARE ON THE MOVE HIGHER, SPARKED BY A BANG UP EARNINGS REPORT FROM TEXAS INSTRUMENTS. AMONG THE GAINERS, INTEL AND MICROSOFT.
MORE THAN 350 THOUSAND PORTA CRIBS ARE BEING RECALLED, BECAUSE THE BOTTOMS WOODEN BOTTOMS CAN FALL OUT IF NOT PROPERLY FASTENED. MADE BY HUFCO AND EVENFLO THE CRIBS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES GERRY AND EVENFLO..between 1991 and 2002. AND AFTER CREEPING HIGHER MORTGAGE RATES ARE FALLING AGAIN. THE AVERAGE 30 year fixed rate loan 5 point 91 percent.
check your stocks 24 7 at cbs dot marketwatch dot com.))

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

[National-WX]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]

People who normally use shovels for sand are now using them to move SNOW.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Up to a foot has blanked North Carolina's beaches as a blast of arctic cold ripples across the South.
Snow is so rare in the Outer Banks that the county doesn't even own a snowplow.
And in Florida, citrus growers are will inspect their crops, after temperatures plunged into the teens and 20s.
(------------)

[11Pulaski-Death]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]

Pulaski police say a man died yesterday from a combination of exposure and natural causes.
They identify him as William Cecil Rigney.
And they say an autopsy shows no evidence of foul play.
The Pulaski police department release did not give any other details.

[11Roanoke-Homeless]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-51 TC1:00:53]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The frigid temperatures are making it extra tough for the homeless.
One area organization is hitting the streets to make sure everyone has a warm place to stay.
But as Justin McLeod discovered many shelters are already full.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Carol Tuning/Homeless Assistance Team; :11 (QUICK)]
[SUPER=01-Colleen Carrell/TRUST House; :50 (QUICK)]
[SUPER=@justin2; :]
[RUNS=1:27]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7, Roanoke]
((((NAT SOUND OF SHUTTING DOOR AT 5:10))
They call themselves the HAT team.
Their mission?
Get the homeless off the streets and into a shelter.
[SOT 9:08]
[IN Q=The HAT team]
((CAROL TUNING/HOMELESS ASSISTANCE TEAM: THE H-A-T TEAM WILL GO OUT AND OFFER SERVICES SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION TO A SHELTER.)) [Runs06]
[OUT Q=to a shelter]

The Homeless Assistance Team or HAT has been around in Roanoke since 1997.
A team of three staffers cruises the city streets every afternoon Monday thru Friday.
Last year, they helped nearly a thousand people.
That number is up significantly over the last few years.
[SOT 10:51]
[IN Q=I think the job]
((CAROL TUNING/HOMELESS ASSISTANCE TEAM: I THINK THE JOB SITUATION HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT. A LOT OF PERSONS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS.)) [Runs05]
[OUT Q=lost their jobs]

Many end up in shelters like the TRUST House on Elm Avenue in Roanoke.
The staff here has had to work extra hours recently just to keep up with the demand.
[SOT 14:40]
[IN Q=We've been getting]
((COLLENN CARRELL/TRUST HOUSE: WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS CAN WE TAKE EXTRA PEOPLE AT THIS TIME, HOW SOON CAN WE TAKE THEM, THAT TYPE OF THING.)) [Runs07]
[OUT Q=type of thing]

TRUST is currently filled to capacity with twenty people.
If the demand increases, workers will be forced to put mattresses on the floor.
[SOT 20:56]
[IN Q=Because it is so cold]
((HOMELESS PERSON: BECAUSE IT IS SO COLD DOES IT MAKE YOU APPRECIATE PLACES THIS EVEN MORE? OH YEAH, IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T WOULDN'T BE IN THE RIGHT MIND, PARDON MY LANGUAGE, THEY SHOULD APPRECIATE IT IF THEY DON'T.)) [Runs12]
[OUT Q=if they don't]

Whether they do or don't, there are men and women who work everyday to make sure no one is left in the cold.
Justin McLeod, News 7, Roanoke.))

[11L'burg-Homeless]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-49 TC1:07:10]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Homeless people are not the only ones at risk during these cold nights.. some local police departments are keeping an eye on people whose homes may not be adequately heated.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

In Lynchburg, officers have been told to be on the lookout for persons with nowhere to go and make sure they're brought inside.
Police are also keeping tabs on the elderly and poor whose homes have heat, but not enough for these extreme temperatures.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:33:35]
[IN Q=And we're discussing]
((COL. CHARLES BENNETT/LYNCHBURG POLICE CHIEF: AND WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT WITH OTHER CITY AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT'S THE CASE. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS LETTING OUR OFFICERS KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO BE ESPECIALLY DILIGENT IN ASSISTING PEOPLE TO GET ADEQUATE SHELTER ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.))
[SUPER=01-Col. Charles Bennett/Lynchburg Police Chief]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=one way or another.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Bennett says he's also reminding his own staff to protect themselves against the cold while they're out on the streets.
(------------)

(Kimberly tosses to bump)

[bump-chyron]

[comm #3]

[2-Homeland-Security]

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

President Bush adds another position to his Cabinet today, as Tom Ridge officially becomes the first Secretary of Homeland Security.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Washington, DC;]

The former Pennsylvania Governor will head up a department with 22 federal agencies and 170- thousand employees.
The 57- year- old Vietnam veteran has been serving as the President's top adviser on anti- terrorism efforts since the 9-11 attacks.
(------------)

[1181-Fatal]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-]
[GRAPHIC=81 Fatal Accident]

The weather may have contributed to an accident that killed 3 people from our area.
It happened on Interstate 81 in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Officers say a driver of a van lost control on a patch of snow and ice and while regaining control pulled into the path of a tractor trailer.
All four people in the van were ejected, none were wearing seatbelts.
The driver, Joyce Puff and passenger Joey Mendez, both of Shawsville, were killed. As was Brad Dickerson of Elliston. Another passenger Travis Puff is being treated for injuries.