WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 07/18/03

[7-11Roanoke-Shooting]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=03-29 TC31:18]
[GRAPHIC=fatal Shooting]

Roanoke police are still searching for the person responsible for a fatal shooting.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :23]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
One man was killed and two others were injured after a barrage of gunfire erupted in a Northwest neighborhood around 4 0-clock yesterday morning. 22-year-old Darren Jordan says while walking home with his older brother Kevin and their 16-year old cousin they were approached by two men in a car. He says a man told them to get on the ground ... so they ran. That's when multiple shots were fired from the car.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 02:09:16]
[IN Q=I'M ALRIGHT]
((DARREN JORDAN/SHOOTING VICTIM; I'M ALRIGHT, IT'S ALL GOOD, YOU KNOW I GET TO SEE ANOTHER DAY BUT MY BROTHER HE DIDN'T MAKE IT THAT REALLY HURTS.))
[SUPER=01-Darren Jordan/Shooting Victim;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=REALLY HURTS]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Darren and his cousin are each recovering from two gunshot wounds. He says he doesn't know the shooter or why someone would do this. Police have yet to release a description of the man or car they may be looking for in connection with the shooting.
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[7-AMResource-Officer]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=03-25 TC1:08:37]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Roanoke City Manager Darlene Burcham is asking the school board to address school violence and the way it's reported.
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[VO-NAT]

In a letter, Darlene Burcham wrote "the numbers of offenses were checked, and it was determined that the Police Department's numbers and the Resource Officers' numbers were virtually identical.
Differences in police reports and school reporting will need to be addressed by the board."
The chairman of the school board cannot explain the discrepancy but does offer a possible explanation.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:46:29]
[IN Q=Probably just a procedural]
((GLORIA MANNS/ROANOKE CITY SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN: PROBABLY JUST A PROCEDURAL DIFFERENCES, POSSIBLY, I CAN'T SAY PROBABLY, POSSIBLY PROCEDURAL DIFFERENCES, HOW INCIDENTS ARE ADDED UP OR ONE SEES BEHAVIOR BEING TWO OCCURRENCES, ONE SEEING BEING ONE OCCURRENCE SO I REALLY CAN'T EVEN SPECULATE UNTIL I GET THE DATA.))
[SUPER=01-Gloria Manns/Roanoke City School Board Chairman;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=get the data]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Manns is able to address one of the city manager's concerns.
In her letter, Burcham says statistics indicate an average of four school Resource Officers for cities of Roanoke's population bracket, yet the city employs sixteen.
Gloria Manns responds saying concerns over school safety and community outcry prompted the board to keep the same amount of resource officers for next year.
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[45-11Drowning]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=eki]
[TAPE#=503-01 TC23:15]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The body of a fisherman who was missing for three days has been recovered.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lexington/Tuesday]

A rescue crew found Graham Smith's body around 10:30 yesterday morning about a mile from where he was last seen along the Maury River in Lexington.
Smith and his brother, both in their 70's, were fishing together when he disappeared Monday.
Authorities say he must have slipped into the rough water.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=None]

Meanwhile, Roanoke authorities have given up the search for a capsized boat on the Roanoke River.

[45-11Gang-database]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-27 TC28:12]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Though Virginia already has a gang-fighting tool, state leaders are considering new ways to combat the growing problem of gang violence.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape]

Virginia's youth gang file was set up five years ago as a way for the police to share information on gang activity.

State police estimate there are thousands of gang members in Virginia.
Yet there are only 33 names in the database.
Police officials say the database is a vital law enforcement tool and should be utilized.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 11:27:11]
[IN Q=IT'S A VERY MOBILE SOCIETY]
((GERALD MASSENGILL/VIRGINIA STATE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: IT'S A VERY MOBILE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN TODAY. AND MANY OF THESE GANGS THAT WE DEAL WITH ARE MOBILE, SO THEY TRAVEL FROM ONE JURISDICTION TO ANOTHER. AND WE NEED TO KNOW WITHIN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY OF VIRGINIA WHAT IS A PROBLEM IN OTHER REGIONS WE CAN BETTER PREPARE FOR IT.))
[SUPER=01-Gerald Massengill/Virginia State Police Superintendent]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=CAN BETTER PREPARE FOR IT.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Of the 33 names, none was submitted by a police department in southwest Virginia.
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[45-11Missing-Child]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-20 TC1:26:46]
[GRAPHIC=Logan Bowman]

Though it's been six months since a five-year-old Grayson County boy disappeared from his home, athorities have not given up hope that he may still be alive.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Grayson Co./File Tape;]
Cynthia Davis and Dennis Schemerhorn (Skim-er-horn) were charged with child neglect in connection with the disappearance of Davis' son, Logan Bowman. The two are scheduled to be tried separately. Davis in October, Schemerhorn in November. Meanwhile, authorities say the chances of finding Logan alive are fading everyday.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2412]
[IN Q=we have small searches]
((JERRY WILSON/GRAYSON CO. SHERIFF: WE HAVE SMALL SEARCHES WE'VE HAD INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE ABOUT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TO LOOK AND OF COURSE WE FOLLOW UP ALL LEADS AND TRY TO FIND SOMETHING, BUT SO FAR WE HAVEN'T RECOVERED ANYTHING.))
[SUPER=01-Jerry Wilson/Grayson Co. Sheriff;]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=recovered anything]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Wilson says since Logan's disappearance in January, he's gotten calls as far away as Florida and Chicago but still has no strong leads.
(------------)

[8-11Swisher]

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

The Virginia Supreme Court has refused to hear the final appeal of death row inmate Bobby Wayne Swisher.
Yesterday's decision sets the stage for Swisher's execution next week for the 1997 rape and murder of an Augusta County woman.
Swisher's first scheduled execution was postponed on July First when Governor Mark Warner granted a three-week stay for defense attorneys to mount a final appeal.
Warner's office said yesterday it likely would NOT intervene again.

[8-6-Franklin-Shooting]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=03-21 TC54:33]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A failed armed robbery in Franklin County has landed two men behind bars.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co./June 16;]

Deputies say two men broke into this mobile home last month, looking for drugs and money.
William Davis, who lived there, shot the intruders.
Travis Richards of Rocky Mount was found dead outside.
Last night, deputies arrested Claude Elton Wray of Martinsville.
He's charged with nine felonies, including robbery and assault and battery.
Dale Eric Chisom of Rocky Mount is charged with being an accessory to the robbery.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Both men are being held in the Franklin County jail without bond.
The man who shot the intruders is also in jail -- for being a habitual offender.

[8-6-Peter-O]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-30 TC1:03:31]
[GRAPHIC=Peter O.]

The suspect in a shooting spree last year in Grundy may now be competent to stand trial.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Grundy/File Tape;]
Peter Odighizuwa faces capital murder charges for the shooting deaths of three people LAST January at the Appalachian School of Law. Odighizuwa was being treated in a state hospital for schizophrenia, after a judge ruled he was incompetent to stand trial. But, a clinical psychologist now says Odighizuwa's mental capacity has been restored. Another competency hearing has been scheduled for September Ninth.
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[8-11Youth-Conference]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-24 TC49:14]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Hundreds of Lynchburg residents can expect a knock on their door sometime within the next week.. but it won't be a salesman or someone looking for a handout.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Instead, thousands of teenagers are flocking to the Hill City to perform random acts of kindness.
It's all part of the Brethren National Youth Conference that's getting underway at Liberty University.
Organizers say the teens will be performing short, simple tasks for people as part of their mission education.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:52:15]
[IN Q=These are random]
((JOHN EVERETT/BRETHREN NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE: THESE ARE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS, THESE ARE NOT THINGS WE'RE DOING FOR MONEY OR DONATIONS OR ANYTHING. THESE PEOPLE THAT COME TO YOUR DOOR WILL COME IN A SHIRT SIMILAR TO THIS, THEY'LL KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR, THEY'LL ASK IF YOU WANT ANYTHING DONE.))
[SUPER=01-John Everett/Brethren National Youth Conference]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=want anything done.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Teens will also be holding free car washes and helping city staff clean litter off the streets. (------------)