WDBJ 7 morning news for 01/09/04

[School-Info]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=School Information]
[ENG#=none]

Many school systems have altered their schedules today. We have that list running at the top of the screen.
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[TAKE FS WEB ADDRESS 4473 essc] For a continuously-updated list of weather-related closings and delays, go any time to our home page at wdbj7-dot-com.

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[GA-Murders]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=2]

Georgia police have captured a man suspected of killing four people and kidnapping three children.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Chattanooga, TN;]

Jerry William Jones allegedly shot three former in-laws, strangled his infant daughter, then fled with two other daughters and a former step- daughter.
Police caught up with him near the Georgia- Tennessee state line after a chase.
They say Jones had tried to out- maneuver them on I- 75 near Chattanooga, when he crashed his S-U-V.
All three kidnapped girls were found safe.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=I saw two]
((HOWARD SEARS/WITNESS: I SAW TWO OF THE KIDS THEY GRABBED THEM AND PULLED THEM THIS WAY - AND JUST THE HELLICOPTERS CAME AND AIR LIFTED THEM AWAY.))
[SUPER=01-Howard Sears/Witness;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=lifted them away.]
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[VO-NAT]

Meanwhile, 31- year- old Jones attempted to shoot himself in the head, and is said to be in critical condition.
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[Bush-Space]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Bush]
[ENG#=3]

President Bush has new plans to go to the moon-- and beyond.
Senior administration officials say he's preparing to make a major space policy announcement next week.
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[VO-NAT]

Meanwhile, the "Spirit" rover has been sending back pictures of the Red Planet to Earth.
Now Bush wants to send an astronaut there.
His plans also include sending a crew back to the moon and building a lunar space station.
The announcement also follows a series of NASA setbacks- including the Shuttle Columbia disaster.
Bush addressed the nation immediately after that.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=Mankind is led into the]
((MANKIND IS LED INTO THE DARKNESS BEYOND OUR WORLD BY THE INSPIRATION OF DISCOVERY AND THE LONGING TO UNDERSTAND. OUR JOURNEY INTO SPACE WILL GO ON.))
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=will go on.]
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[VO-NAT]

But money could be a major obstacle for future space missions.
Early estimates put a voyage to Mars at nearly a trillion dollars.
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[VOBFirehouse-Primary]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Friday-AM]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2004]
[ENG#=4]

Roanoke Democrats have decided how they will choose their slate of candidates for the May elections.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Monday]

The party will nominate candidates for city council by holding a firehouse primary February 7th from 10 to 4 at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=It allows a lot of folks]
((IT ALLOWS A LOT OF FOLKS TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE. ANYBODY THAT'S A DEMOCRAT IN THE CITY, A REGISTERED VOTER IN THE CITY, THEY CAN COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE, CAST THEIR BALLOT AND LEAVE.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Brubaker/City Democratic Chairman;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=cast their ballot and leave.]
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[VO-NAT]

Last night, Roanoke Vice-Mayor Nelson Harris confirmed that he will seek the Democratic nomination for Mayor.
He will face former Mayor David Bowers.
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[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2004]

Incumbent Council members Bill Bestpitch, Bev Fitzpatrick and Linda Wyatt also announced their plans to seek new terms.

[11Henry-School]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=03-46 TC1:22:48]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]
Some Henry County students will have to wait a little longer to find out where they'll go to school next year.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.;]
With a four to three vote, the newly elected Henry County School Board decided to suspend school consolidation until it can review the plan. Under the current plan five-schools will close and two high schools and two middle schools will be combined.
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[SOT]
[IN Q= WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD...]
((BONNELL YOUNG@tape2-2:58:32:19: WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. WE NEED THE HENRY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM TO MOVE FORWARD- WE NEED TO STOP BEING JOKES TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR AREA. clapping)) ((TYLER MILLNER@tape 1-2:25:01:23: WITH THIS MAJOR DECISION, I CAN'T BELIEVE A BOARD WOULD WANT TO ACT WITHOUT THE OPINION OF THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT!!))
[SUPER=01-Bonnell Young/Fieldale-Collinsville Band Director; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tyler Millner/Consolidation Opponent; :10]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q= ... CAN'T BELIEVE THAT. 2nd Reference!]
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[VO-NAT]
The new board will review the plan over the weekend and then reconvene on Monday afternoon at one o-clock to decide what to do next.
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[Marketwatch]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]
[ENG#=1]

In business news, the wife of Enron's former finance chief will serve time in prison.
Alexis Christoforous has that story and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Alexis Christoforous/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:45]
[OUT Q=in New York.]
((> A federal judge has agreed to accept a plea > agreement from the wife of Enron's former finance chief. > The deal would send Lea FAS'-tow) to prison for five months. It also > could result in a plea > bargain involving her husband, Andrew Fastow. He's been negotiating a > plea deal with prosecutors that could send him to prison and force him to > pay 20 (m) million dollars for his role in the collapse of theenergy > giant. > > The New York Stock Exchange has asked the securities and exchange > commision and ny attorney general eliot spitzer to help it recover about > $140 million in what it calls "unreasonable compensation" paid to its > former chairman and ceo Dick Grasso. spitzer and the sec agreed to > conduct their own investigations into whether dick grasso's 187 mln dollar > pay package violated state or federal laws or nyse rules. > Today's stock market action will likely be dictated by the december > unemployment report which is due out before the stock market opens. > > Yesterday, Wall Street celebrated more evidence of economic recovery. > Stocks finished higher after investors received word of > better-than-anticipated holiday retail sales and a favorable outlook > from mobile phone giant Nokia > > the dow rose 63 points > > while the nasdaq added 22 > > ALCOA HAS KICKED OFF THE EARNINGS SEASON..THE ALUMINUM GIANT AND DOW > COMPONENT > POSTED A FOURTH QTR PROFIT OF 340 MLN DOLLARS, VERSUS A LOSS LAST YEAR. > > FIND OUT MORE AND TRACK YOUR STOCKS AT CBS.MW.COM IN NY I'M ALEXIS > CHRISTOFOROUS.) > >

(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [COMM]

[Iraq]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]
[ENG#=1]

U-S troops in Tikrit launched sweeping raids arresting more than a dozen Iraqis wanted for attacks on coalition forces.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Tikrit, Iraq;]

The U-S military says more than 300 soldiers carried out the raids in Saddam Hussein's hometown shortly before midnight.
They were looking from 18 men and teenagers suspected of involvement in insurgent attacks.
During the four- hour operation, troops also seized bomb- making materials, computes, and a handful of weapons.
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[11Mesaba-Airlines]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]

Some Northwest Airlink flights may not be in the air beginning at midnight tonight.
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[VO-NAT]
[Super=03-Minneapolis, MN;]

Pilots for Mesaba airlines which operates as Northwest Airlink may go out on strike.
The airline funnels passengers to about 30 states.. and does operate flights out of Roanoke.
For many passengers the news of a possible strike came as a suprise.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((COMPLETELY UNAWARE CAUGHT BY SPURISE IF WE'LD KNOW WE MAY HAVE TAKEN AN ALTERANTE ROUTE.))
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=ALTERNATE ROUTE.]
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[VO-NAT 17 plus pad]

Right now Talks between pilots and the company are not looking good.
Mesaba airlines and its 844 pilots have been unable to agree on pay and benefits.
Passengers who need more information on flights are advised to call Northwest Airlines Reservations.
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[VOB-VMI-House]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morning]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=3]

Virginia Military Institute wants to rewrite its history but some preservationists say not so fast.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lexington]

V-M-I wants to tear down the Post Surgeon's Residence which is a century old Victorian home.
The school plans to use the land to expand the dining hall for cadets.
V-M-I says it can only build in the back and the house is in the way.
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[SOT 5:30:20; 5:48:23]
[IN Q=We really looked]
((KEN WHITE/VMI SPOKESPERSON: WE REALLY LOOKED AT THIS SEVERAL OPTION AFTER OPTION AND DEALT WITH THE ARCHITECTS OVER MONTHS AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A WAY TO ENCORPORATE OR SAVE THE BUILDING AND STILL MEET THE DINING NEEDS OF THE COPRS OF CADETS.)) ((JEAN DUNBAR/HISTORIC LEXINGTON FOUNDATION: IT WOULD BE REPLACED PRIMARILY WITH A ROADWAY AND A PARKING LOT AND I DON'T THINK IT IS A GOOD HISTORIC RESOURCES AND I ALSO DON'T THINK ITS A GOOD USE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY.))
[SUPER=01-Ken White/VMI Spokesperson; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jean Dunbar/Historic Lexington Foundation; :13]
[RUNS=:23]
[OUT Q=taxpayers money]
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[VO-NAT]

The state's architectural Review Board has already given the project the green light.
But after complaints from preservationists, the group has agreed to re-hear the case today in Richmond.
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(Kim tosses to bump)
[BUMP]

[COMM] [6-Franklin-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=New Jobs]
Dozens of new jobs are coming to Franklin County. R-and-D Millwork and its sister company, Custom Woodwork are moving and expanding. The companies are moving operations to the former Pluma Textile Plant and will spend more than a million and a half dollars on improvements there, and create 57 new jobs. The two companies say the expansion is possible because of recent successes in the housing market. Now let's take a look at your local stocks.
(Kim TOSS TO STOCKS)
[STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [WINNER ANNOUNCE]

[6-Valley-Ridge]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=03-52 TC48:14]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
A controversy for some water customers in Alleghany County is clearing up.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Alleghany Co./Last Month;]
Customers of the Valley Ridge Water Company have been boiling their water for months because of excessive turbidity. Now Valley Ridge Water and Alleghany County have inked an agreement that will let the county extend a public water line to the area from Low Moor. Construction could begin as soon as this Spring. More than 150 customers, two medical clinics and two schools have been affected by the notice. (------------)