WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 04/17/03

[7-11Brush-Fires]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-17 TC00:08]
[GRAPHIC=Brush Fires]

Four major brush fires in the area have already consumed several hundred acres.
(XXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE MONTGOMERY CO. MAP]
Two fires are still burning on Poor Mountain just west of the Roanoke-Montgomery County line.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]

Virginia Department of Forestry officials say the fires have blackened about 23 acres.
They think a downed power line started the blaze.
Firefighters from Roanoke and Montgomery Counties are working on the fires in some difficult terrain.
No homes are in danger and they plan to use helicopters today to help contain the blaze.
(XXXXXXXX)
[WIPE TO PULASKI CO. MAP]
A third fire is burning on Draper Mountain in Pulaski County.
That fire has charred about 20 acres so far.
The fire is under control.
Firefighters plan to return to the site today with a helicopter. [CHANGE TO ROCKBRIDGE MAP]
There was an even larger fire in Rockbridge County yesterday when a prescribed burn by the Department of Game got out of hand.
More than 300 acres have burned on Bratton Mountain.
It is located one mile south of Goshen on Route 39.
That fire is 80--percent contained.

(-------------)[7-11Manns]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=03-14 TC2:49:12]
[GRAPHIC=Billy Ray Manss]
A 19 year old Martinsville man who was charged in a murder for hire scheme has been acquitted.
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :18]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville/File Tape;]
Billy Ray Manns had been charged with shooting Lisa Nicole Muhammad in September of 2000. Prosecutors say Manns was hired to do the shooting by Muhammad's husband, Maverick. Family members and prosecutors said the NOT guilty verdict was a travesty, while defense attorneys said the state had not proved its case.
(//////SOT/////)
[SOT - 16:17/09:27]
[INQ=]
((JOAN ZIGLAR/COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY; BILLY MANNS CAN COME OUT RIGHT NOW AND TELL YOU HE KILLED LISA AND THERE'S NOT A THING ANYONE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA CAN DO.)) ((STEVE MAHAR-MILANI/DEFENSE ATTORNEY; IT WAS A HUNG JURY LAST TIME AND THAT TELLS YOU IT COULD HAVE GONE EITHER WAY, I TELL ALL MY CLIENTS GOING INTO A JURY TRIAL, WIN LOSE OR DRAW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME PERSON YOU WERE WHEN YOU STARTED.))
[SUPER=01-Joan Ziglar/Commonwealth's Attorney; :00]
[SUPER=01-Steve Mahar-Milani/Defense Attorney; :07]
[RUNS=22]
[OUTQ=you were when you started.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :06+]
Prosecutors declined to comment on whether they will seek charges against Maverick Muhammad.
(------------)

[7-11Troops-Packages]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-09 TC49:43]
[GRAPHIC=Homefront]
Troops headed to the Middle East are getting a little extra support from some Pulaski students.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Pulaski;]
The fifth graders at Claremont Elementary organized care packages for a Virginia National Guard unit, which is scheduled for deployment to Kuwait any day now. The packages include items like toothpaste, razors and candy. In all, the kids made 109 packages, one for each soldier in the unit. They say they also plan to write letters thanking them for their service.
(------------)

[45-11Hunter-Death]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The death of a turkey hunter in Rockbridge County has prompted a reward fund and a plea for more information.
44- year- old David Stack of Maryland was hunting between South Buffalo Road and Bluegrass Trail on Saturday when he was shot in the back.
His body was found Sunday morning.
Yesterday, state game officials announced a one thousand dollar reward from the National Wild Turkey Federation for information leading to an arrest.
They say this is the first Virginia hunting fatility since 1990, in which the shooter remains unknown.

[45-11Bush-Aide]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-13 TC23:46]
[GRAPHIC=George W. Bush]

He's one of those people you see in dark suits surrounding the President, helping him plan and execute his daily routine.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Lynchburg]

Yesterday, Presidential aide Tim Goeglein (GAYG-line) gave Liberty University students a little insight into what it's like to work in the White House these days.
Throughout the war with Iraq, Goeglein says the President's morale and the morale of his staff have remained very high.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:11:31]
[IN Q=Our priority]
((TIM GOEGLEIN/PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL ASSISTANT: OUR PRIORITY HAS BEEN THE WAR. WE REALIZE THAT IN LARGE MEASURE, THIS IS A WAR PRESIDENCY, AND THAT GEORGE W. BUSH WILL BE MEASURED NOT JUST IN THE SHORT TERM BUT IN THE LONG TERM OF HIS HISTORY BY THE SUCCESS OF THIS WAR. SO WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN AS A STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALWAYS FULLY PREPARED TO DO WHAT THE PRESIDENT NEEDS.))
[SUPER=201-Tim Goeglein/Presidential Special Assistant]
[RUNS=21]
[OUT Q=what the President needs.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Goeglein calls Bush "God's choice" to lead America in this chapter of its history.
(------------)

[45-11Pilot-Flag]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=03-06 TC1:22:16]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A Danville pilot is one of only fifty across the country chosen to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :17]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg;]
Michael Davis was picked by the Experimental Aircraft Association and the National Park Service. He'll represent Virginia in the "50 Flags to Kitty Hawk" program. This Saturday, he fly his rebuilt Piper J-3 Cub to North Carolina to place Virginia's flag at the Wright Brothers' National Memorial.
(///// SOT at :17 /////)
[SOT 1:37:51-1:38:04]
[IN Q=I can't really believe that they picked me...]
((MICHAEL DAVIS/PILOT: I CAN'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT THEY PICKED ME TO FLY THE FLAG. I HOPE EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA JOIN ME IN THIS CELEBRATION.))
[SUPER=01-Michael Davis/Pilot;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=join me in this celebration.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :15]
He'll also be carrying a proclamation by Governor Mark Warner making April 19th "Virginia 50 Flags to Kitty Hawk Day."

(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=None]
The Wright Brothers made their historic flight December 17th, 1903.

[8-11Brush-Fires]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-17 TC00:08]
[GRAPHIC=Brush Fires]

Firefighters have a busy day ahead of them with several area brush fires.
(XXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE MONTGOMERY CO. MAP]
Two fires are still burning on Poor Mountain just west of the Roanoke-Montgomery County line.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]

Virginia Department of Forestry officials say the fires have blackened about 23 acres.
They think a downed power line started the blaze.
Firefighters from Roanoke and Montgomery Counties are working on the fires in some difficult terrain.
No homes are in danger and they plan to use helicopters today to help contain the blaze.
(XXXXXXXX)
[WIPE TO PULASKI CO. MAP]
A third fire is burning on Draper Mountain in Pulaski County.
That blaze charred about 20 acres so far.
It is now under control.
Firefighters plan to return to the site today with a helicopter. [CHANGE TO ROCKBRIDGE MAP]
There was an even larger fire in Rockbridge County yesterday when a prescribed burn by the Department of Game got out of hand.
More than 300 acres have burned on Bratton Mountain.
It is located one mile south of Goshen on Route 39.
That fire is 80--percent contained.

(-------------)[8-11Liberty-Arson]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-04 TC1:27:04]
[GRAPHIC=None]

An arrest has been made in connection with a recent string of arson fires on the Liberty University campus.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

18-year-old Christopher L. Lee, a freshman from New Jersey, was arrested without incident Tuesday.
Authorities believe Lee is responsible for setting six small fires over a three-day period last week, including one that caused significant damage inside the school library.
So far he faces a single count of arson. Other charges are pending.
Police have "not" determined a motive.
(------------)

[8-11State-Capitol]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-07 TC 1:25:35]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Changes are in store for Virginia's 215-year-old State Capitol building.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Governor Mark Warner signed into law yesterday a bill authorizing the sale of bonds to pay for repairs to the Capitol and the empty buildings nearby.
Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the Capitol once housed the Confederate Congress.
It is now in disrepair due to age, mold and antiquated wiring.
The 118-million dollar project is expected to be complete by 2007 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.
(------------)

[8-11Troops-Packages]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-09 TC49:43]
[GRAPHIC=Homefront]
Some Pulaski students took a break from class to support area troops headed for the war.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Pulaski;]
The fifth graders at Claremont Elementary organized care packages for a Virginia National Guard unit, which is scheduled for deployment to Kuwait any day now. The packages include items like toothpaste, razors and candy. In all, the kids made 109 packages, one for each soldier in the unit. They say they also plan to write letters thanking them for their service. (------------)