WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 03/17/03

[7-11Mont-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]

One person was killed and four others injured in a accident yesterday in Montgomery County.
(+++++++)
[TAKE MAP FULL]
It happened around 1:45 on Route 11 when a pickup hit a Ford Explorer head-on.
One person was killed, another airlifted to Montgomery Regional Hospital and three others were treated for injuries that weren't life-threatening.
Deputies have not yet released any names.
(-------------)

[7-11Liberty-Bridge]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-50 TC2:00:17]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A bridge in Roanoke is scheduled to close for a couple months beginning later today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Weather permitting, the Liberty Road bridge over Interstate 581 will be closed for repairs.
No traffic will be allowed on the bridge during the closure so motorists are encouraged to find alternate routes.
The sidewalk, however, on the south side of the bridge will remain open for pedestrians.
V-DOT plans to shut down some lanes on 581 but only during nighttime hours.
The project is expected to be completed by late May.
(------------)

[7-11Peace-Vigil]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-04 TC34:23]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]

Yesterday, hundreds of anti-war protests were held across the East Coast, including one in Blacksburg.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]

As many as 300 people showed up for a vigil on the Virginia Tech campus ... one of many held across Southwest and Central Virginia.
They lit candles at 7 o-clock.
Many protestors said they feared action in Iraq would lead to a backlash against the U-S.
Others believe there must be more world support for a war.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:08:45 Rich Tape]
[IN Q=I think Saddam]
((SARAH DAWSON/PEACE PROTESTOR; I THINK SADDAM NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, BUT IT'S TOO SOON. WE'RE RACING INTO IT AND STILL DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE WORLD.)) ((TOM DAWSON/PEACE PROTESTOR; I COME FROM A MILITARY FAMILY MYSELF, SO I HAVE PARTICULAR EMPATHY TOWARDS ANYBODY WHO'S GOING TO BE PUT IN A WAR SITUSTION, BUT IT'S JUST WAY TOO SOON.)) ((SARAH BELCHER/PEACE PROTESTOR; THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE ANY OF MY ELECTED LEADERS ARE REPRESENTING MY VIEWS.))
[SUPER=01-Sarah Dawson/Peace Protester; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tom Dawson/Peace Protester; :07]
[SUPER=01-Sarah Belcher/Peace Protester; :16]
[RUNS=:26]
[OUT Q=representing my views.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Some 5000 vigils were planned in 120 countries.
The first took place in New Zealand.
Most were organized over the Internet.
(------------)

[45-11Forest-Rangers]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jwi]
[TAPE#=02-55 TC1:35:25]
[GRAPHIC=Columbia]

The search for Space Shuttle Columbia debris continues more than a month after the craft broke apart. Some local men have been part of that effort.
Jennifer Wishon has their story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=04-File Tape; :00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :13]
[SUPER=01-Seth Miller/Virginia Department of Forestry; :32]
[SUPER=@Jennifer1; :42]
[RUNS=1:54]
[OUT Q=News 7, Roanoke]
((On February First America awoke to pictures of the Space Shuttle Columbia falling from the sky. In the days since NASA has been collecting and reassembling the pieces of the shuttle to try and determine what went wrong.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:18:59]
[IN Q=That's the kind]
((THAT'S THE KIND OF CREW WE HAVE, THEY EVEN GET MY BAGS FOR ME.)) [RUNS03]
[OUT Q=bags for me]
That kind of crew consists of 20 firefighters from the Virginia Department of Forestry. They touched down in Roanoke Saturday night after spending two weeks in Texas searching for shuttle debris. Roanoke native Seth Miller led the group.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:15:40]
[IN Q=Over the fourteen]
((SETH MILLER/VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY: OVER THE FOURTEEN DAY PERIOD WE WALKED A TOTAL OF ABOUT 171 MILES, SO IT WAS CONSTANTLY, YOU WOULD GRID FROM ONE SIDE BUMP DOWN GRID BACK AND WE WERE COVERING FORTY TO SIXTY ACRES.)) [RUNS12]
[OUT Q=to sixy acres]
[BUTT BUTT BUTT]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:45:10]
[IN Q=It's currently wildfire]
((JENNIFER WISHON/REPORTING: IT'S CURRENTLY WILDFIRE SEASON IN VIRGINIA AND ANY OTHER TIME THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO LET THE FIREFIGHTERS LEAVE THE STATE, BUT THANKS TO THE WET WINTER WE'VE HAD THE DEPARTMENT FELT IT COULD OPERATE WITH A REDUCED STAFF.)) [RUNS13]
[OUT Q=a reduced staff]
While wet weather allowed the crew to take the trip it also made their jobs more difficult in Texas.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:15:12]
[IN Q=The weather in]
((THE WEATHER IN EAST TEXAS WAS PRETTY COLD. IT WAS HIGH 20'S LOW 30'S AND SLEETING, REALLY COLD WEATHER, AND WE STILL HAD TO GO OUT AND DO OUR GRIDING AND DO OUR WALKING.)) [RUNS11]
[OUT Q=do our walking]
And the cold wasn't the only element the group had to battle.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:12:12]
[IN Q=It was pretty rough]
((JOHN WILLOUGHBY/VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY: IT WAS PRETTY ROUGH. I MEAN IT WAS ROUGH TERRAIN - I MEAN NOT ROUGH TERRAIN, BUT IT WAS A LOT OF BRIARS A LOT OF THICKETS.)) [RUNS05]
[OUT Q=everything else you can name]
The work was hard, but the men say they were happy to serve their country.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:16:49]
[IN Q=You see all the national]
((YOU SEE ALL THE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS AND ALL THE RESERVISTS BEING CALLED UP AND EVERYONE HEADING TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND I JUST THINK THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS SERVE OUR COUNTRY HERE WHILE ALL THE TROOPS ARE OVERSEAS WE MIGHT AS WELL PICK UP THE SLACK AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE ON THE HOME FRONT.)) [RUNS17]
[OUT Q=on the homefront]
There are currently three astronauts in space at the International Space Station. These men can feel proud that they helped collect pieces of a puzzle to help bring the astronauts back home safely.
Jennifer Wishon, News 7, Roanoke.))

[8-11Giles-Search]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=03-01]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The search for two missing men in Giles County has been called off for now.
(------------)
[VO-NAT 02-50 tc 1:58:33]
[SUPER=03-Giles Co./Thursday; ]
Crews spent much of the day looking in the New River, as they had for more than a week. Relatives identify the two as 50- year old John Wagner of Roanoke and 36- year old Ty Hodges of Vinton. The men disappeared more than a week ago. Searchers had been concentrating their efforts around the Ripplemead bridge.
(------------)

[8-11Drug-Bust]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
State police promise to release more details later today on a multi- million dollar drug bust. According to a press release from the Salem office-- troopers seized more than two- million dollars in drugs after pulling over a tractor trailer. Two people were arrested. A press conference is scheduled for this afternoon.

[8-11Liberty-Bridge]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-50 TC2:00:17]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A bridge in Roanoke is scheduled to close for a couple months begining later today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Weather permitting, the Liberty Road bridge over Interstate 581 will be closed for repairs.
No traffic will be allowed on the bridge during the closure so motorists are encouraged to find alternate routes.
The sidewalk, however, on the south side of the bridge will remain open for pedestrians.
V-DOT plans to shut down some lanes on 581 but only during nighttime hours.
The project is expected to be completed by late May.
(------------)

[8-11Bedford-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-54 TC2:01:41]
[GRAPHIC=None]
School officials in Bedford County are determined to find a way to avoid any tax increase.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.]

The county's proposed school budget next year is more than 79-million dollars.
That is a nearly three percent increase over last year, but the school system is not asking for any increase in local aid from the county.
School administrators also believe teachers deserve a one- point- six- percent raise.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:03]
[IN Q=It would be hard]
((JIM BLEVINS/SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS: IT WOULD BE HARD FOR US TO CONTINUE TO RETAIN TEACHERS ARE GOOD TEACHERS AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE TREATED FAIRLY.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Blevins/Bedford Co. Superintendent of Schools]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=treated fairly]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The school board is expected to have the budget done by mid-April.
The board will also vote soon on whether to cancel final exams for high school students.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=None]

There is concern that there are not enough days remaining in the school year to give both the exams and Standards of Learning tests. The problem arose from students missing 17 school days because of snow.