WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 07/23/03

[7-11Short-Murders]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=03-21 1:07:47]
[GRAPHIC=Jennifer Short]
An old crime scene in North Carolina has once again peaked the interest of investigators in the Short family murder case.
(+++++++)
[Take Investigators Return Map] They have returned to an area near Madison, a few miles east of Route 220 in Rockingham County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rockingham Co., NC;]

They're damming and re-routing a stream there to sift through the soil.
Nearly 10 months ago, investigators searched the area when they recovered part of Jennifer Short's skeleton.
They say there's no new information leading them BACK -- they just want to take a closer look with heavier equipment and more manpower.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:41:23]
[IN Q=We certainly have]
((WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE FORTITUDE, THE EXPERIENCE AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO WORK THIS CASE AND WE JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THAT WE'RE STILL ASKING ANYBODY THAT 'S GOT ANY INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD.))
[SUPER=01-Kimmy Nester/Henry Co. Sheriff's Department;]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=to come forward.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The effort brought out dozens of investigators and volunteers from Virginia and North Carolina.
They say because the time and equipment were almost entirely DONATED, it won't cost the taxpayers anything.
The search is expected to last two to three days.
There's still a 42-thousand dollar reward for information in the case.
(------------)

[7-11Pitts-Death]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]

The Pittsylvania County Sheriff's office is investigating a suspicious death in the Callands (KAL-inds) community.

(+++++++)
[Take Shooting Map FS]
Deputies responded to Strawberry Creek Lane around 3:30 yesterday morning, and found 44 year Leland Ann Philpott shot to death.
Her husband 47 year Benjamin Joseph Philpott was found alive, but with a single gun shot wound to his head.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]

Family members at the scene say Mr. Philpott was placing a gun to his head as they were coming into the residence.

He is currently at the UVA Medical Center.

[7-11Cerxon]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=03-33 04:37]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Henry County is looking to a resident company to pay its back- owed bills.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co./February 2002]

Cerxon (SERKS-on) is a technology company in the former DuPont Factory. The county attorney recently sent a letter to Cerxon demanding full and immediate payment of more than 20-thousand dollars.
Henry County officials say the company is two months behind in paying its rent and repaying its loans. Cerxon employs 25 people and supplies high-tech components for the automobile, cell phone, and medical industries.
(------------)
[TALENT=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Company president Craig Roberts did not return our phone calls seeking comment.

[45-11Swisher]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-19 1:32:08]
[GRAPHIC=Bobby Swisher]
The death sentence for a convicted killer was carried out last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[NO SUPER]
Bobby Wayne Swisher was put to death by lethal injection.
He was convicted in 1997 of the rape and murder of 22-year-old Dawn Snyder of Stuarts Draft.
But the jury that sentenced him to death used the same verdict form that the state Supreme Court ruled was defective in another case.
The state reversed the death sentence of Michael Lenz because of the improper form but refused to do so for Swisher.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT :20:03]
[IN Q=THE STATE OF VIRGINIA]
[SUPER=01-Jack Payden-Travers/Death Penalty Opponent; :00]
[SUPER=01-Stephen Benjamin/Criminal Defense Lawyer; :08]
((JACK PAYDEN-TRAVERS: THE STATE OF VIRGINIA NEEDS TO LIVE UP TO ITS OWN CODES AND STATUTES WHICH SAY THAT DEFECTIVE JURY FORMS ARE NOT ALLOWED.)) ((STEPHEN BENJAMIN: IF THE JURY HAD HAD A PROPER VERDICT FORM THEY MAY HAVE SENTENCED HIM TO LIFE.))
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=SENTENCED HIM TO LIFE.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Virginia State Court said Swisher's lawyers failed to raise the verdict form issue at the proper time.
(------------)

[45-11Price]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Rebecca Price's days as Craig County's commissioner of revenue are over. Price has resigned from office, and has also agreed NOT to seek re-election as part of an agreement. Earlier this year, Price was indicted on check fraud charges. This week, she agreed to step down from office and remove her name from the ballot to avoid a felony conviction. Under the deal, she also agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. Price will not serve any time behind bars.

[45-11Nestle]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=03-28 30:29]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

Plans for a new water bottling plant in Rockbridge County are all dried up.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :19]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co.;]
Big Springs is now out of the running for the facility. The Nestle Water Company had been interested in the property and environmental testing was underway. In a move that surprised local economic officials, this week Nestle says they will use a site farther north of Rockbridge to save money in transportation costs.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:17:55]
[IN Q=WE'RE ALWAYS]
((DAVID KLEPPINGER/THE ROCKBRIDGE PARTNERSHIP; WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR HIGHER QUALITY JOBS WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW TAX REVENUE, AND THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES A COMMUNITY HAS TO ATTRACT A FORTUNE 50 COMPANY OF THE PRESTIGE OF A NESTLE SO THAT ALL ADDS UP THE DISAPPOINTMENT.))
[SUPER=01-David Kleppinger/The Rockbridge Partnership;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=TO THE DISSAPPOINTMENT.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Kleppinger says they've been working with Nestle on the project since last Fall. The plant would have created about 250-jobs for the area.
(------------)
[TALENT=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]
Recently some citizens against the plant formed an alliance. Officials say that had nothing to do with Nestle's decision.

[8-11City-Schools]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-25 1:16:41]
[GRAPHIC=None]
New complaints are surfacing about the city of Roanoke's plans to re-organize its school resource officer program.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

The city has announced changes that will rotate more officers through the program, and limit their years of service in the schools.
Roanoke officials say the plan will strengthen the program, but Patrick Henry parent Alice Hincker is one who disagrees.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We're not rotating]
((ALICE HINCKER/PATRICK HENRY HS PARENT: WE'RE NOT ROTATING OUR TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS OUT OF SCHOOLS EVERY FEW YEARS, AND I DON'T REALLY SEE ANY REASON TO IMPLEMENT THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM UNLESS YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO SHAKE UP THE PROGRAM IN A WAY THAT WILL AFFECT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED FOR A LONG TIME.))
[SUPER=01-Alice Hincker/Patrick Henry High School Parent;]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=for a long time.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Hincker believes the changes were prompted by the recent controversy involving Officer Butch Lewis.
City officials say their investigation "went well beyond the issues of one officer."
(------------)

[8-114H-Investigation]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=4H Investigation]
The Four-H program at Smith Mountain Lake is making some changes in response to allegations of organized fist fights at the camp.
(------------)
[VO-NAT from 03-29 24:08]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co./July 7]

Several volunteer counselors between the ages of 14 to 19 are accused of staging fights between campers, charging admission, and taking bets on the outcome.
Since the incidents apparently happened late at night, the Virginia Cooperative Extension is now requiring a paid staff person or the camp director to make nightly checks on all lodges.
(------------)

[8-11Jackson]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A former state legislator is about to get a new job in Richmond.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond/January 2001]

Tommy Jackson is expected to become the next president of the State Board of Education later today. He is a former Delegate from Hillsville.
Jackson says having a Southwest Virginian in charge of the state's educational policies will be a tremendous benefit for the region, and one of his main priorities will be helping rural areas attract and keep quality teachers.
(------------)

[8-11Monty-Loan]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-27 33;18]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Thanks to some help from the federal goverment, a daycare program in Christiansburg now has a permanent home.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]
The New River Community Action head start program received a 240-thousand dollar federal loan yesterday to help toward the purchase of its current facility. The program serves about 50 families in Christiansburg and Shawsville. (------------) Officials say with the funding, they hope to now add more services to the program.