WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 02/19/03

[7-VOB-City-Council]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=02-]
[GRAPHIC=none]
The Roanoke Civic Center is permitted to sell beer at professional sporting events.
But now it wants permission to sell alcohol at concerts and other entertainment events to stay competitive. Officials will make their case before the department of alcoholic beverage control tomorrow morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
But there's been so much opposition that the location of the hearing may change. Yesterday, the majority of Roanoke City Council agreed to ask the A-B-C board to move the hearing to a new location to accommodate the hundreds who're expected to attend. Opponents argue expanded alcohol sales would hurt the civic center atmosphere.. while supporters say it would be good for business.
(///sot////)
[sot 01:17:50 01:16:54]
[in q=The opportunity will ]
((BETH DOWDY: THE OPPORTUNITY WILL NOT ONLY CREATE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, BETWEEN THE SALEM AND ROANOKE CIVIC CENTERS BUT ALSO LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD AMONG ROANOKE BUT ALSO DC, RICHMOND AND GREENSBORO. )) ((AL BEDROSIAN: I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING THAT'S HAPPENED THOUGH, BECAUSE IT'S WOKEN UP A SLEEPING GIANT AND THAT'S THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY THAT SAYS NO MORE OF THIS. ))
[super=01-Beth Dowdy/Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce;]
[SUPER=01-Al Bedrosian/Opponent; :00]
[runs=20]
[out q=more of this. ]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The city manager says council does NOT have the authority to request the hearing be moved, but nevertheless a request will be made .
(------------)

[7-11King-Bridge]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-06 TC16:35]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Yesterday, Roanoke City Council voted to rename the First Street Bridge in honor of Martin Luther King Junior.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Previous efforts to create a memorial to King have been derailed by controversy, and there was some criticism yesterday.
But WITH the bridge slated for renovation, council members were unanimous in their support for the proposal.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=And I see no better place]
((REV. EDWARD MITCHELL: AND I SEE NO BETTER PLACE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRIDGING THE GAP. THAT'S WHAT DR. KING DID. HE BRIDGED GAPS BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE. WE'RE HERE TODAY, ASKING YOU TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.))
[SUPER=01-Rev. Edward Mitchell/Southern Christian Leadership Conference; :05]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=bridge that gap.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The future of another Roanoke landmark was also on council's agenda.
The Fairacres Property in south Roanoke is up for sale, and The Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation asked council to recognize its architectural and historic significance.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Council members said they support efforts to preserve the historic home, but tabled the issue until they hear from the Council of Garden Clubs, which owns the property.

[45-6-Roanoke-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-51 TC1:29:07]
[GRAPHIC=New Jobs]
Local economic development officials say the struggling economy is about to get a major boost. At two press conferences today, Governor Warner will announce new jobs in Roanoke City and County.
The news involves two different companies, 4-hundred new jobs and a 30-million dollar investment in the region.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:49:11]
[IN Q=right now]
((PHIL SPARKS/RKE VALLEY ECONOMIC DEV. PARTNERSHIP; RIGHT NOW, I'LL TELL YOU IN JANUARY WE HAD MORE PROSPECT VISITS THEN ANY TIME SINCE JANUARY 1994 WHEN WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE RECESSION AND WE THINK THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.))
[SUPER=01-Phil Sparks/Economic Development Partnership;]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=THINK THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
A state source says Vidette Group is opening in the City of Roanoke and that the technology sales firm will hire up to one-hundred people within five months. The announcement for the County is expected to provide three-hundred manufacturing jobs. More details on the companies and jobs will be released later today.

[45-11EBay-Scam]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A Lynchburg teen is headed to prison for using the Internet to scam people out of tens of thousands of dollars.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

19-year-old Jermal A. Word pleaded guilty to a twelve-count federal fraud indictment yesterday.
Authorities say Word was selling high-dollar camera equipment on the Internet auction site E-Bay.. the problem was, the equipment didn't exist.
Word's customers lost, on average, three thousand dollars each.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 23:36:00]
[IN Q=It doesn't appear]
((RANDY RAMSEYER/ASST. U.S. ATTORNEY: IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THERE'S MUCH MONEY LEFT. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY PRETTY MUCH JUST SPENT THE MONEY ON HOTEL BILLS, PARTIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.))
[SUPER=01-Randy Ramseyer/Assistant U. S. Attorney]
[RUNS=09]
[OUT Q=things like that.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Two of Word's friends: 21-year-old Steven Carter and 19-year-old Jermaine Anderson pleaded guilty to a single fraud count.
A fourth suspect, Raymond Saunders, has yet to stand trial.
(------------)

[45-11XGR-81]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-49 TC1:42:48]
[GRAPHIC=Interstate 81]

Interstate 81 may soon have new signs, and adjusted speed limits.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape]

Both the House of Delegates and state Senate have approved a bill to post lower speed limits on hazardous sections of Virginia's highways.
The legislation will also increase the fines for speeding in those stretches.
Opponents of the measure say it is unnecessary.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:30:48]
[IN Q=THIS IS A BILL WHICH I CALL]
((DELEGATE LEO WARDRUP/R-VIRGINIA BEACH: THIS IS A BILL WHICH I CALL SIGNS AND FINES. BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY ALL IT DOES. IT PUTS UP SOME SIGNS AND THEN IF YOU DON'T OBEY THE SIGNS, YOU GOT FINES.)) ((DELEGATE CHIP WOODRUM/R-ROANOKE: I BELIEVE THIS IS FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC. IT'S A SAFETY BILL AND IT'S NOT JUST A NICE LITTLE BILL BUT I THINK ITS GOING TO SAVE LIVES AND THAT'S OUR PURPOSE.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Leo Wardrup/(R) Virginia Beach; :00]
[SUPER=01-Del. Chip Woodrum/(D) Roanoke; :09]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=THAT'S OUR PURPOSE.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Roanoke Senator John Edwards introduced the bill.. It will require a public hearing before any road can be designated a highway safety corridor.
(------------)

[8-11Stabbing-Roanoke]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

A friend's discovery has led to a murder investigation.
Roanoke police say a man was going to visit a friend's apartment on Hunt Avenue around 6 last night.
That's when he found 44 year old Douglas Wayne Washington stabbed to death inside.
(XXXXXXXX)
[TAKE CRIMELINE FS]
Police ask anyone with information to call crimeline at 344-8500.
(-------------)

[8-11XGR-plates]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-02 TC29:10]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Anti- abortion supporters may soon have their message on a Virginia license plate.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Yesterday, the Senate passed a bill to create a tag that reads "Choose Life."
Senators rejected an amendment by a Roanoke lawmaker to replace those words with the less controversial phrase "Support Adoption."
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:40:36]
[IN Q=WE'RE TREADING ON]
((SENATOR JOHN EDWARD/D-ROANOKE: WE'RE TREADING ON DIFFICULT AND, I THINK, VERY THIN ICE WHEN WE START GETTING INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE QUESTION OF TURNING OUR LICENSE PLATES INTO BUMPER STICKERS.))
[SUPER=01-Sen. John Edwards/(D) Roanoke]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=INTO BUMPER STICKERS.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Eight other states have approved similar plates.
A South Carolina judge recently ruled that anti-abortion tags are unconstitutional.
Governor Mark Warner has NOT said whether he will veto the measure.
But Warner says he is concerned with using state-issued license plates to advance political viewpoints.
(------------)

[8-6-Rescue-Mission]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=03-04 TC17:07]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]

The Roanoke Rescue Mission says the number of people needing shelter or assistance is up 28-percent from last year.

And the winter weather is only making things worse.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

In fact, all of the Rescue Mission's beds were filled Monday night, so some people had to sleep on mats on the floor.
That's why the mission says it needs the public's help to build an additional facility.
( ///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:38:35]
[IN Q=We have a whole in the ground]
((JOY SYLVESTER-JOHNSON/ROANOKE RESCUE MISSION; WE HAVE A HOLE IN THE GROUND ACROSS THE STREET WHICH WOULD ENABLE US TO HAVE 130 MORE BEDS AND IT SURE WOULD BE A SHAME FOR NEXT WINTER TO HAVE THIS SAME STORY WITH PEOPLE IN THE FLOOR BECAUSE WE COULD NOT BUILD THAT BUILDING))
[SUPER=01-Joy Sylvester-Johnson/Roanoke Rescue Mission]
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=couldn't build that building]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Rescue Mission says it wants to continue to help people like Charles Oberdorfer. He suffered frostbite while living in his car for 16 days.
He says because of the shelter's health care center he was able to get treatment and has only minor nerve damage.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:45:03]
[IN Q=I can only imagine it was probably]
((CHARLES OBERDORFER; I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IT WAS PROBABLY IN THE TEENS AT TIMES. IT WAS COLD))
[SUPER=07-Charles Oberdorfer]
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=it was cold]
(--------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The Rescue Mission says any donations from the public would be helpful, most importantly winter clothing and over-t he-counter cold and flu medications.