WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 05/28/03

[7-11Walton]

[ANCHOR=kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-13 TC1:05:17]
[GRAPHIC=Percy Walton]

Percy Walton will not be executed tonight as scheduled.
The U-S Supreme Court refused to overturn the stay issued by a federal judge in Roanoke.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/File Tape]

Walton was scheduled to die tonight for the 1996 murders of an elderly couple and a neighbor.
His attorneys recently argued that he is mentally retarded.
The U-S Supreme Court ruled last year that it is unconstitutional to execute a retarded person.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=HOLD]

A spokesman for the Attorney General says the high court's ruling in the Walton case is the type of decision that leads victims of crime NOT to trust the judicial process.
The case will be scheduled for oral arguments later this year.

[7-Blacksburg-Body]

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

Police have identified a Blacksburg man found dead over the weekend.
A passerby discovered the body of 28- year- old Spencer Allen Lewis around 9:30 Sunday morning.
Lewis was lying in the grass in the 2900 block of South Main Street.
There's no word yet on the cause of death, but Blacksburg Police are now awaiting the results of an autopsy performed today.

[7-11Westside-Incident]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-25 TC26:02]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Roanoke Police and School officials have completed an investigation of an alleged assault on an elementary school playground.
They say they found nothing to warrant formal charges.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Police and school officials conducted separate investigations following reports that an 11- year- old girl was sexually assaulted by four boys during recess at Westside Elementary.
School officials say they found no evidence that an assault had occurred.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 41:09]
[IN Q=We interviewed children]
((ANNIE HARMAN/EXECUTIVE FOR STUDENT SERVICES; WE INTERVIEWED CHILDREN AND TEACHERS . WE TALKED TO SOME PARENTS AND FOUND THAT THE ALLEGATIONS WEREN'T FOUNDED. WE DIDN'T FIND ANY INDICATIONS THERE WAS A SEXUAL ASSAULT AT ALL.))
[SUPER=01-Annie Harman/Executive for Student Services]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=sexual assault at all.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The eleven year- old girl is not attending Westside any longer.
The boys were suspended, but Harman says they will be allowed to make up work, and will have the suspensions removed from their records.

[45-AM-L'Burg-Council]

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

Last night, the Alliance for Families and Children asked Lynchburg city council to restore thousands of dollars in city aid for its programs.
Once again, city council said NO.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

A large number of supporters gathered to make their plea once again before city council.
They needed five votes to pass a resolution to reinstate forty four thousand dollars for childcare and substance abuse programs.
Three members voted for it, three against, including one member who changed his vote from last week.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 34:02; 31:38]
[IN Q=How often can the losing]
((JOSEPH SEIFFERT/VOTED AGAINST MEASURE: HOW OFTEN CAN THE LOSING SIDE OR LOSING PARTY BRING IT UP WHEN IT HAS ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS MOTION IS APPROPIATE. IT SEEKS TO GO AROUND THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THAT VOTE ON THAT BUDGET.)) ((BERT DODSON/VOTED FOR MEASURE: TO DEFUND THESE PROGRAMS I THINK SENDS A WRONG MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY. LAST WEEK, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO TWO GOVERNMENT CLASSES AT E.C. GLASS AND THE QUESTION CAME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN WHY ARE YOU TAKING OUT SUBSTANCE PROGRAMS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.))
[SUPER=01-Joseph Seifert/Voted Against Measure; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bert Dodson/Voted For Measure; :13]
[RUNS=:27]
[OUT Q=for our schools]
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[VO-NAT]

Council member Robert Garber felt it was inapporpiate for the city to fund an organization that a council members sits on.
Joan Foster is the director of the alliance and had to abstain from voting.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=none]

The alliance hopes to continue funding the programs through a fundraising campaign.

[45-11Voting-Machines]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jwa]
[TAPE#=03-11 TC1:26:36]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Roanoke County is about to make some major changes in the way residents cast their votes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

A new computerized voting system was unveiled yesterday before members of Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors.

The new system complies with the Help Americans Vote Act, which requires the elimination of lever-based voting machines in coming years.
With WIN-vote, voters cast their ballots by simply touching a computer screen.
Roanoke County Registrar Diane Henson says change is inevitable and that now's the right time to try the new system.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Just the opportunity]
((DIANE HENSON/ROANOKE CO. REGISTRAR: JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ITSELF CAME ABOUT AND WE FIGURED IT WAS TIME TO TRY IT OUT IN CASE WE WANTED TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE OUT AT ANOTHER ELECTION, WE STILL HAVE TO DO THAT IF WE NEED TO.))
[SUPER=01-Diane Henson/Roanoke Co. Registrar]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=if we need to.]
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[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Citizens voting in the Democratic primary on June 10th will be the first to try out the new system.
WIN-vote would cost between 300 and 700-THOUSAND dollars.

[8-11Walton]

[ANCHOR=kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-13 TC1:05:17]
[GRAPHIC=Percy Walton]

Convicted killer Percy Walton will spend more time on death row.
That after the U-S Supreme Court refused to overturn the stay issued by a federal judge in Roanoke.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/File Tape]

Walton was scheduled to die tonight for the 1996 murders of an elderly couple and a neighbor.
His attorneys recently argued that he is mentally retarded.
The U-S Supreme Court ruled last year that it is unconstitutional to execute a retarded person.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=kim]
[SS=HOLD]

A spokesman for the Attorney General says the high court's ruling in the Walton case is the type of decision that leads victims of crime NOT to trust the judicial process.
The case will be scheduled for oral arguments later this year.

[8-Blacksburg-Body]

[8-Greenway]

[ANCHOR=kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jwa]
[TAPE#=03-15 TC3:17:07]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Some students got out of class yesterday for a lesson in building roads.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Students from around the area gathered at Patrick Henry High School for a hands- on look at the latest road construction equipment.
From dump trucks to large construction vehicles, students had a chance to see it all.
They even took a ride on a computer- simulated bulldozer.
The Vice President of Lanford Brothers talked to students about the type of employees the industry is looking for.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The business has changed]
((ALAN SOLTIS/LANFORD BROTHERS VICE-PRESIDENT: THE BUSINESS HAS CHANGED AN AWFUL LOT. THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S COMING INTO IT AND WE REALLY NEED YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE EAGER TO LEARN NEW THINGS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS IN LIFE.))

[SUPER=01-Alan Soltis/Lanford Brothers Vice-President;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=different things in life.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Yesterday's event was sponsored by Partners in Education, an organization that introduces students to careers in the road construction industry.
(------------)

[8-11Miss-Roanoke]

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

A new woman is wearing the Miss Roanoke Valley crown.
Alana Malick, a first year law student and Roanoke native, now holds the title and will participate in the Miss Virginia competition next month.
She was the runner-up in April's competition.
The winner, Sara Sheffield, voluntarily resigned last week.
Sheffield is a sergeant in the U-S Army.
Pageant officials say she wouldn't have been able to participate in the state competition because of her militar y commitment.