WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 02/03/03

[7-11XGR]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-50 1:24:06]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]

The House and Senate budget committees unveiled their budget plans, making state workers and the D-M-V their top priorities.
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :13]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

The Senate's budget gives all state employees, AND teachers, a two percent raise.
The House plan boosts the paychecks of state workers by two-point-five percent but is conditional AND doesn't apply to teachers.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=STATE WORKERS WILL BE HAPPY]
((CHAIRMAN VINCE CALLAHAN/HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS: STATE WORKERS WILL BE HAPPY ASSUMING THE ECONOMY MAINTAINS AT LEAST ITS CURRENT LEVEL. UNLESS IT DOWNTURNS IT WILL BE A PROBLEM BUT WE PUT IN SOME MONEY FOR STATE WORKERS FOR NEXT YEAR.)) ((SENATOR JOHN CHICHESTER/SENATE FINANCE CHAIRMAN: IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CADRE OF STATE EMPLOYEES DELIVERING SERVICES IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY THEN THEY NEED TO KNOW WE'RE BEHIND THEM.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Vince Callahan/(R) House Appropriations Chairman; :00]
[SUPER=01-Sen. John Chichester/(R) Senate Finance Chairman; :09]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=WE'RE BEHIND THEM.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :20+]

Both plans would reopen the closed D-M-V offices, but only the House gives money to restore service on Wednesdays.

Both houses left intact the cuts to state police imposed by Governor Warner.
Lawmakers also cut the staff budget of Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine.
The two sides will spend the next few weeks ironing out the differences in their plans.
(------------)

[7-11Corps-Cuts]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-54 TC-34:29]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]
State leaders also determined the the future of Virginia Tech's Corps of Cadets.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/December]

Governor Warner had proposed cutting state funding for the military program by more than 500-thousand dollars for the next fiscal year.
If approved, the Corps would have then lost all state support the following year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 38:02]
[IN Q=I think it is a tragedy]
((MAJOR GREGORY GRUBBS/VA TECH CORPS OF CADETS: I THINK IT IS A TRAGEDY, I THINK TAKING MONEY FROM THE CORPS OF CADETS IS AN AWFUL THING, WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT VIRGINIA TECH CORPS OF CADETS COMMISSIONS 80-PERCENT OF OUR GRADUATES WHICH IS MORE THAN TWICE AS MUCH AS OTHER INSTITUTIONS LIKE VMI AND THE CITADEL. OTHER SENIOR MILITARY ACADEMY'S DON'T COMMISSIONED AS MANY LEADERS AS WE DO.))
[SUPER=01-Maj. Gregory Grubbs/Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=as we do]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Several lawmakers including Senator John Edwards of Roanoke had introduced budget amendments that would restore next year's funding.
Yesterday, both the House and Senate voted to restore the money.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

Lawmakers also agreed to continue to fund a female cadet corps at Mary Baldwin College that was also slated to lose state funding.

[45-11Parkway-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-45 TC-1:56:33]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]

Two people suffered injuries after a pedestrian was struck by a motorcycle near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

It happened around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, two miles past the Mill Mountain Star.
Rangers say a woman was driving over a bridge on a motorcycle and into a curve when she struck a woman and her dog.
The driver and the pedestrian were both taken to the hospital with what it is described as non-life threatening injuries.
The investigation is continuing, no word on whether charges will be filed.
(------------)

[45-11Danville-Police]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-46 TC-2:04:28]
[GRAPHIC=none]

The investigation into a shooting incident involving two Danville Police officers is nearly complete.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[VIDEO IS STILL THROUGH FIRST LINE]
An off duty officer shot 25 year old Charles Lynch back in October at the intersection of Piedmont Drive and Mount Cross Road.
[SUPER=03-Danville/October 2002]

The officer alleges Lynch attempted to run him over and that's when shots were fired.
Franklin County's Commonwealth Attorney was assigned to oversee the State Police investigation into the incident.
Cliff Hapgood says interviews are complete and he will release his findings on February 24th.
(------------)
[anchor=Kim]
[ss=none]

It will be up to Hapgood to decide whether to charge Lynch or the police officers.

[45-11Inge-Trial]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-52 TC-1:39:48]
[GRAPHIC=Inge]
Jury selection begins today for the man accused of murdering a Pittsylvania County sheriff's deputy.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co./July]

Roy Inge Junior is charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Deputy Frankie Betterton.
He was shot May 17th during a routine traffic stop on Route 58 just outside of Danville.
The judge in the case has denied a defense motion to move the trial out of Pittsylvania County.
The trial is expected to last most of the week.
(------------)

[45-11Rockbridge-Schools]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=02-53 TC-38:21]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Rockbridge County School administrators are getting help in overcoming their current budget crisis.
(------------)
[VO-NAT - 02-41 TC1:32:45]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co./File Tape;]
Talk of closing Effinger and Mountain View elementary schools has brought out strong concern from parents and community leaders. Some county officials say the small schools are the cornerstones of the communities.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT - 1:00:25]
[IN Q=Effinger is our only fully...]
((ROY FAUBER/ROCKBRIDGE CO. SUPERVISOR; EFFINGER IS OUR ONLY FULLY ACCREDITED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOW, IT HAPPENS TO BE THE SMALLEST. MOUNTAIN VIEW HAD THE HIGHEST 3RD GRADE SOL'S LAST YEAR, AND IT'S THE SECOND SMALLEST SCHOOL SO WE'RE WONDERING IF THERE ISN'T A CORRELATION BETWEEN HAVING SMALL COMMUNITY BASED SCHOOLS AND HAVING BETTER PERFORMANCE, AND THAT NEEDS TO CONSIDERED ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.))
[SUPER=01-Roy Fauber/Rockbridge Co. Supervisor; :05]
[RUNS=20]
[OUT Q=considered along with everything else.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The school board is forming a 24 person panel to look at solutions to the district's budget issues.
(------------)

[8-11XGR]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-50 1:24:06]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]

State workers and the D-M-V rank at the top of the House and Senate's budgetary considerations.
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :13]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

The Senate's budget gives all state employees, AND teachers, a two percent raise.
The House plan boosts the paychecks of state workers by two-point-five percent but is conditional AND doesn't apply to teachers.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=STATE WORKERS WILL BE HAPPY]
((CHAIRMAN VINCE CALLAHAN/HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS: STATE WORKERS WILL BE HAPPY ASSUMING THE ECONOMY MAINTAINS AT LEAST ITS CURRENT LEVEL. UNLESS IT DOWNTURNS IT WILL BE A PROBLEM BUT WE PUT IN SOME MONEY FOR STATE WORKERS FOR NEXT YEAR.)) ((SENATOR JOHN CHICHESTER/SENATE FINANCE CHAIRMAN: IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CADRE OF STATE EMPLOYEES DELIVERING SERVICES IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY THEN THEY NEED TO KNOW WE'RE BEHIND THEM.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Vince Callahan/(R) House Appropriations Chairman; :00]
[SUPER=01-Sen. John Chichester/(R) Senate Finance Chairman; :09]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=WE'RE BEHIND THEM.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :20+]

Both plans would reopen the closed D-M-V offices, but only the House gives money to restore service on Wednesdays.

Both houses left intact the cuts to state police imposed by Governor Warner.
Lawmakers also cut the staff budget of Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine.
The two sides will spend the next few weeks ironing out the differences in their plans.
(------------)

[8-11Racing-Museum]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-48 TC-1:30:25]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Disagreements and delays have put the opening for a new motorsports museum in the slow lane.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Stuart]

The new Virginia Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame in Stuart was supposed to be up and running by now.
The building that will house the museum has been built just above DeHart Park next to the Patrick Campus of Patrick Henry Community College.
But major disagreements between the museum's board have delayed the opening for months.
The board's president, Warren Williams, did not return our phone calls seeking comment on the delays.
(------------)

[8-11Snow-Leopards]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-51 TC-1:13:26]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Roanoke Valley's most famous felines will soon be meeting their mates.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

The snow leopard cubs at the Mill Mountain Zoo will celebrate their second birthday in May.
Shortly after that, the two CUBS are slated to leave Roanoke for other zoos as part a breeding program for endangered species.
But Zoo officials say don't worry, mom and dad are sticking around and new babies should soon be on their way.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:33:08]
[IN Q=Because our pair]
((DAVID WOOD/MILL MOUNTAIN ZOO: BECAUSE OUR PAIR IS VALUABLE AS FAR AS GENETIC MATERIAL THEY ACTUALLY WANTED US TO BREED THEM THIS YEAR BUT WE TOLD THEM WE COULDN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SPACE WITH THE TWO REMAINING CUBS SO I THINK THAT HELPED THE CUBS TO MOVE A BIT QUICKER THAN THEY MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE SO WE'LL PROBABLY STILL BE OK TO BREED THE ADULTS NEXT YEAR.))
[SUPER=01-Dave Wood/Mill Mountain Zoo]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=adults next year]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

This past week the zoo learned the male cub will be going to a Toledo Zoo.
The female cub is slated to head to a zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (------------)