WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 11/19/03

[7Wx-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=Cut-ins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin' Report]

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
Heavy rain and breezy conditions are expected throughout the day,
Metereologist Leo Hirsbrunner has the full forecast details, coming up.

[7-AM-Water-Authority]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Drought 4071]

No drought out there now, but Roanoke City and County are looking ahead to summer, and the possiblity of another water shortage. A combined water authority holds it organizational meeting later today in hopes of preparing for and dealing with future droughts.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./July 2002;]
Last year's long dry spell was the second to strike the region in the last five years, and that's when efforts got underway that led to creation of a joint city-county water authority. The drought led to water restrictions across Virginia, and created problems for people everywhere .. in cities, suburbs, and the country.
(------------)

[7-11Sheriff-Demotions]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=03-39 TC1:40:40]
[GRAPHIC=Election 2003]

With elections over, some local sheriffs wasted no time in knocking their political opponents and their supporters down a notch.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./Last Month;]

Tommy Guill, a 30-year veteran who opposed Botetourt County Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle, was demoted from lieutenant to deputy and put back on shift work in the jail.
[SUPER=03-Henry Co./Last Month;]

In Henry County, Sheriff Frank Cassell has demoted his opponent's son.
Shane McPeek, son of Michael McPeek, was taken off patrol and moved to the jail.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The demoted deputies have no legal recourse.
According to policy, they serve "at the sheriff's pleasure."

[7-VOB-School-Safety]

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

Roanoke City schools now have two groups working to improve safety.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

A group called the Roanoke School Violence Protection Coalition met for the first time last night.
The founders are familiar names: school resource officer Butch Lewis and parent Alice Hincker.
They want the group made up of citizen's to supplement not undermine the city's school safety task force.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:49:12]
[IN Q=At some point I wouldn't]
((BUTCH LEWIS/RSVP COALITION CO-FOUNDER: AT SOME POINT I WOULDN'T MIND IF THE TASK FORCE AND THE RSVP THE ROANOKE SCHOOL VIOLENCE PROTECTION COALITION MAYBE CAN GET TOGETHER AND SHARE SOME IDEAS.))
[SUPER=01-Butch Lewis/RSVP Coalition;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=share some ideas]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The school safety task force also met last night.
The group is made up of 34 members which includes teachers, students, administrators, and police officers.
Members say although they were appointed, public input is important.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:45:12]
[IN Q=Our work here]
((PAULA WILDER/TASK FORCE FACILITATOR: OUR WORK HERE IS NOT TO JUST SHARE OUR OWN OPINIONS ABOUT THIS BUT TO GET ORGANIZED SO WE CAN GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO COLLECT EVERYBODY ELSE'S OPINION ABOUT THIS.))
[SUPER=01-Paula Wilder/Task Force Facilitator;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=opinion about this]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Organizers hope to hold public forums in December and another in January before issuing a report on school violence next spring.
(------------)

[55-WXHeads]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Cut-ins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin' Report]

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom.....
Flood watches and flood warnings are posted for the area, as rain continues today.
There are reports of some flooded roads in western areas of Bland County.
Meanwhile, Carroll County authorities are reporting a minor accident on Interstate- 77, but crews are cleaning it up.
And in Tazewell County, authorities say say there's some river and creek flooding .

Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner has the mid- week forecast, in just a moment, but first we have some school information.

[55-5-Tax-reform]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=503-06 1:21:50]
[GRAPHIC=Tax reform]
Members of the General Assembly may have to stay in session a little longer this year.
Governor Mark Warner says he will call a special session if lawmakers do not tackle tax reform.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

Warner said that if lawmakers don't agree on reforms to the state's tax code before they adjourn in March, he will call them back to Richmond to finish the job.
The governor says that without tax reform, the state faces annual budget shortages through the end of the decade.

Some Republican lawmakers say that if the governor had presented his tax reform plan sooner, there would be no need for a special session.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 23:32:24]
[IN Q=THE GOVERNOR PROMISED IN HIS]
((DELEGATE MORGAN GRIFFITH/R-SALEM: THE GOVERNOR PROMISED IN HIS CAMPAIGN HE'D HAVE THAT OUT BY 02, 03 IS ALMOST GONE AND WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN.)) ((GOVERNOR MARK WARNER: MY HOPE IS THE LEGISLATURE WILL BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS DURING THE GENERAL SESSION. I'VE SAID ALL ALONG, WE'VE GOT TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE DURING THIS BUDGET CYCLE IF IT TAKES LONGER IT WILL TAKE LONGER. MY HOPE IS LEGISLATORS WILL ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK.))
[SUPER=@Griffith; :00]
[SUPER=@MarkWarner; :08]
[RUNS=:25]
[OUT Q=ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Warner says he will unveil his tax reform ideas later this month.
(------------)

[8WX-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Cut-ins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin' Report]

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom.....
Flood watches and flood warnings are posted for the area, as heavy rain continues.
There are reports of some flooded roads in western areas of Bland County.
Meanwhile, Carroll County authorities are reporting a minor accident on Interstate- 77, but crews are cleaning it up.
And in Tazewell County, authorities say say there's some river and creek flooding .
We also have some school information.

[8-11Amherst-Chase]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-45 TC42:30]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A man that lead police on a high-speed chase through central Virginia faced felony charges in three jurisdictions.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Amherst Co.;]

The pursuit reached speeds of more than 90 miles an hour before ending near the entrance to Sweet Briar College on Route 29 in Amherst County.
Authorities say 32-year-old James Edward Sinclair Junior.. was a shoplifting suspect from Greensboro where police had been looking for him.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:14:09]
[IN Q=They informed me]
((TOM LAWTON/LYNCHBURG POLICE: THEY INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE FACING SOME CHARGES FROM THEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN SOME TYPE OF SHOPLIFTING AND ENDED UP IN A STRUGGLE WITH A SECURITY GUARD AND THE SECURITY GUARD MANAGED TO SLAP ONE OF HIS HANDCUFFS ON HIM.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Lawton/Lynchburg Police Department;]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=handcuffs on him.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Sinclair was still wearing the handcuffs when police stopped him.
(------------)

[8-11Textiles]

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

Textile industries in the U.S. are fighting for its life against Chinese imports.
Yesterday President Bush took action, though it may be too late for the thousands of Virginia textile workers who've lost their jobs.
The president invoked the so-called China Safeguard, which allows temporary quotas on some textiles imported from that country.