WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 03/20/03

[7-Electrical-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=03-13]
[GRAPHIC=fire]
A-E-P officials say the power is back on in Downtown Roanoke this morning. It was turned off while crews battled an underground electrical fire.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

American Electric Power officials say cable failure ignited the fire near Roanoke's A-E-P headquarters.
Smoke could be seen billowing from an underground vault.
The power outage affected customers from the Williamson Road Area, all the way to Elm Avenue.

(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=fire]

Meanwhile it's still affecting the Roanoke Times. The outage stopped the presses. Officials say delivery will be delayed to Roanoke customers.

[7-Roanoke-Fires]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-06]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

That's not the only blaze keeping firefighters busy.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

A home on Patton Avenue caught fire shortly after ten 'clock last night.
The building was vacant and no one was injured, but fire officials say the interior was gutted.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=]

A home in the southern hills neighborhood was also damaged when a clothes dryer caught fire.

But damage from that blaze was not extensive.[7-11Tech-Policy]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-08 TC36:51]
[GRAPHIC=Bruce Smith]
Former Hokie Bruce Smith and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus are among those who are speaking out against Virginia Tech's new admissions policy.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/March 9]

The Board of Visitors voted last week to bar race, gender and other factors in admissions decisions, based on the advice of Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.
[SUPER=03-Ashburn/2000]

In a written statement, Smith says he is "outraged" that the Board acted without advance notice or public input.
He also says he will "work hard" to reverse the new policy.
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus today accused the Attorney General of playing politics.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 11:55:57]
[IN Q=IT APPEARS THAT HE'S PANDERING]
((SEN. HENRY MARSH/D-RICHMOND: IT APPEARS THAT HE'S PANDERING TO THE RIGHT WING INTERESTS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO DIVERSITY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IN VIRGINIA.))
[SUPER=01-Sen. Henry Marsh/(D) Richmond]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=BELIEVE IT OR NOT IN VIRGINIA.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The lawmakers say it is wrong to eliminate race-based preferences while continuing to give legacies special treatment.
(------------)

[7-6-Hollins-Gift]

[ANCHOR=kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=03-10 TC12:57]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Hollins University is a couple million dollars richer, thanks to a generous gift. Frank Batten, the retired chairman of Landmark Communications, has presented the liberal arts school with 2-point-2 million dollars to be used to create an endowed chair.
(-------------)
[VO-NAT :17]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./File Tape;]
Hollins benefited from the Batten family in 1995, as well, when members pledged 2-million dollars for scholarships and academic development. Frank Batten's mother, wife and a daughter are Hollins graduates. Batten himself served on the university's board for more than twenty years.
(------------)

[45-Electrical-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=03-13]
[GRAPHIC=fire]

An underground electrical fire caused the lights to go out in Downtown Roanoke for a while today.
But A-E-P says the power is now back on.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

American Electric Power officials say cable failure ignited the fire near Roanoke's A-E-P headquarters.
Smoke could be seen billowing from an underground vault.
The power outage affected customers from the Williamson Road Area, all the way to Elm Avenue.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=fire]

Meanwhile it's still affecting the Roanoke Times.
The outage literally stopped the presses.
Officials say delivery in the Roanoke area will be delayed.
Subscribers should receive their papers before noon.
Convenience stores and racks will have papers by around 10.

[45-Roanoke-Fires]

But damage from that blaze was not extensive.[45-11Burrow]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-12]
[GRAPHIC=Richard Burrow]
Federal Judge James Turk ruled yesterday that the government has 10 days to get the re-trial of Richard Burrow underway, or the charges will be dismissed.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Monday]
However, the way the judge worded his order, the government could re-indict Burrow anytime before the statute of limitations runs out. That could be another four years. Government prosecutors have said they haven't decided whether to pursue the fraud case against the former D-Day Memorial President. The judge says Burrow, the public and the Memorial Foundation deserve some resolution of the matter.
(------------)

[45-11Rachel-Fund]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-01]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A Bedford County community has responded in a big way to help a little girl left hospitalized by a drive-by shooting last month.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Five-year-old Rachel Sanchez was shot in the head while riding with her grandparents in North Carolina.
[SUPER=03-Forest]

Her teachers and classmates at Forest Elementary School started the "Reaching Out For Rachel" fund last week, and her story apparently touched many people.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:40:45]
[IN Q=What a fluke]
((LORI MANLEY/FOREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: WHAT A FLUKE THING TO HAPPEN, TO GET SHOT IN YOUR CAR GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, YOU KNOW. SO I JUST THINK THE CHILD BEING A KINDERGARTNER AND WE PUT HER PICTURE OUT THERE. AND WHEN YOU PUT A FACE WITH A NAME AND A SITUATION PEOPLE OPEN UP THEIR HEARTS.))
[SUPER=01-Lori Manley/Forest Elementary School Principal]
[RUNS=18]
[OUT Q=open up their hearts.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The fund drive raised six thousand dollars to help defray Rachel's family's expenses while they stay with her in North Carolina.
(------------)

[8-Electrical-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=03-13]
[GRAPHIC=fire]

A-E-P officials say the power is back on in Downtown Roanoke this morning. It was turned off while crews battled an underground electrical fire.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

American Electric Power officials say cable failure ignited the fire near Roanoke's A-E-P headquarters.
Smoke could be seen billowing from an underground vault.
The power outage affected customers from the Williamson Road Area, all the way to Elm Avenue.

(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=fire]
Meanwhile it's still affecting the Roanoke Times.
The outage literally stopped the presses.
Officials say delivery in the Roanoke area will be delayed.
Subscribers should receive their papers before noon.
Convenience stores and racks will have papers by around 10.

[8-Roanoke-Fires]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-06]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

Roanoke firefighters also battled a house fire.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

A home on Patton Avenue caught fire shortly after ten 'clock last night.
The building was vacant and no one was injured, but fire officials say the interior was gutted.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=]

A home in the southern hills neighborhood was also damaged when a clothes dryer caught fire.

But damage from that blaze was not extensive.[8-11Gossage]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=02-55]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A former Radford Salvation Army officer convicted of embezzlement will NOT serve any jail time.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford;]
Terry Gossage pled guilty to embezzling nearly 27-thousand dollars from the organization during a four-year period. Gossage admits to secretly opening a checking account through the Salvation Army, but says he put the money toward the organization and not himself. He later reported what he had done.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:12]
((HE MISHANDLED THE MONEY, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. AND HE CAN'T FULLY ACCOUNT FOR IT, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT SO HE'S PAYING THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT 13:22))
[SUPER=01-David White/Gossage's Attorney;]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=FOR THAT]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A judge ordered Gossage to perform 500-hours of community service a year for the next three years. He must also give at least a quarter of his paychecks to his family to pay off the loans he used to make restitution.[

8-11New-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=03-03 TC1:17:34]
[GRAPHIC=NEw Jobs]
Plans for the expansion of one company in Botetourt County will mean more jobs for the area.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;]
Metalsa is hiring 70-people at its facility in the Vista Corporate Park. The manufacturer of heavy truck rail frames is building a 150-thousand square foot addition. The construction, to be completed by late September, will double its production capacity. Metalsa is based in Mexico but opened up operations in Botetourt County in 19-96. They currently employee 134-people. New jobs will likely be in operations and production. (------------)