[7Wx-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

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



Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
Wind advisories are posted from tonight through tomorrow morning-- with daytime highs only reaching the 30s and 40s.


Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner has more on that, and the latest on the chance for some wintry weather.





[7-11Radford-Chief]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=03-55 26:58]
[GRAPHIC=None]



[ENG#=1]


The chief of police in Radford has been reportedly fired.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford;]


The Associated Press, citing the Roanoke Times, says city leaders fired chief Wes Terry yesterday.
The move comes after Terry was suspended with pay back in October over charges he abused his power and conducted an illegal search.
City Manager Tony Cox did not return our phones seeking comment.
But according to the A-P, Cox will release a statement later today.
(-------------)


[7-11Roanoke-Schools]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-04 01:09]
[GRAPHIC=None]



[ENG#=2]

Roanoke school officials are seeing a brighter financial picture. School officials are expecting a substantial increase in state and local funding.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;]


Last night, they outlined a preliminary budget that includes an increase of more than six and a half million dollars.
That's enough to pay for rising retirement costs, fund a three- percent raise for teachers and administrators, and institute a seven period day in the high schools.
The proposal won't be assured until the General Assembly approves the state budget, but officials say they have tried to build their spending plan on a worst- case scenario.
(------------)


[7-VOB-VMI-Expansion]


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



[ENG#=3]


Some fear V-M-I will sacrifice its past in order to build for the future.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lexington;]


The school unvelied a 100-million dollar expansion plan to city leaders Tuesday afternoon.
The plan calls for new athletic fields, expanding six buildings and constructing four new ones, including a field house, an aquatic center, and a parking garage.
Some preservation groups have concerns the project will mean the demolition of several historical buildings on post.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 6:04; 9:54]
[IN Q=I hope there is]

((PAM SIMPSON/ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN: I HOPE THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME KINDA PROCESS OF GIVE AND TAKE AND DICUSSION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SO THEY'LL KNOW WHAT HISTORICAL VALUES ARE FOR US TOO.)) ((GEN. BINFORD PEAY/VMI SUPERINTENDENT: THEY WILL BE MODERN BUT THEY WILL RETAIN ALL THE GOTHIC ARCHITECT THAT VMI IS KNOWN FOR AND WILL BLEND IN THE CITY OF LEXINGTON IN A HISTORIC WAY.))
[SUPER=01-Pam Simpson/Architectural Historian; :00]
[SUPER=01-Gen. Binford Peay/VMI Superintendent; :08]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=IN A HISTORIC WAY]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Virginia Military Instititute says the project will take more than twenty years and will be paid for mainly by private donations.
(------------)



[7-11Address-Promo]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=State of Commonwealth]


State legislators will get down to business today. The General Assembly convenes at noon. Taxes and the state budget are expected to be the dominant issues in the 2004 session. Governor Warner will present the case for his tax proposals in the annual State of the Commonwealth Address.
(+++++++)

[Take SOC Promo FS 4530essc] News 7 will bring you the governor's address live from Richmond. Our coverage begins tonight at 7 o-clock.
(------------)



[55-WXHeads]


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



Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
Turning colder and windier today, with a chance of light rain and snow across the region tonight.
Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner has details, coming up in the forecast.

[55-11Carroll-Shooting]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]



A Carroll County woman is now charged with a robbery and shooting eight days ago.
(+++++++)

[TAKE NIXON PICTURE]
46-year old Elva Rosemary Nixon was charged this week with armed robbery, aggravated malicious wounding and two gun violations. She's being held at the New River Valley Regional Jail without bond.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]

Nixon is charged with the January 5th shooting of Donald Brady in the Keno section of the county.
He's in critical condition at a North Carolina hospital.








[55-11Clark-HQ]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Wesley Clark]



[ENG#=1]


The Roanoke campaign office of General Wesley Clark is now officially open.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

Supporters for Democratic the presidential candidate opened their Roanoke headquarters today on Campbell Avenue. Former State Senator Madison Marye was the guest speaker at today's celebration. Like Clark, Marye also served in the military, but Marye says he supports Clark because he will bring a "genuine prosperity" to this country.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2326]
[IN Q=i think]

((MADISON MARYE:I THINK WE HAVE A FIELD OF OUTSTANDING CANDIDATES, I'VE LISTENED TO THEM, I'VE LOOKED AT THEM, I'VE TRIED TO LEARN AS MUCH AS I COULD ABOUT THEM, BUT I THINK GENERAL CLARK STANDS OUT ABOVE THEM ALL.))
[SUPER=01-Madison Marye;]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=above them all]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Roanoke office is one of five the Clark campaign is opening this week in Virginia.
(------------)



[55-11Bison-Beef]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=03-42 1:22:01]
[GRAPHIC=Mad Cow Disease]



[ENG#=2]


A New River Valley farmer says the Mad Cow scare is actually beefing up his business.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Riner;]


Jim Politis (Po-LITT-iss) has been raising bison in Riner for over 10-years, and says the demand for his product has increased 3- fold in the last few weeks.
He's seen at least 40 new customers and is getting flooded with phone calls about how his bison are raised.
Politis (Po-LITT-iss) says January is usually a slow month, but because of the scare, he's about to double sales from last year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT:09:39:00 ]
[IN Q=Mad cow is]
[SUPER=01-Jim Politis/Bison Farmer;]

((JIM POLITIS:MAD COW IS PROBABLY A LITTLE OVER PUBLICIZED IN MY ESTIMATIONS BUT IT HASN'T HURT OUR SALES. IT'S BROUGHT IN PEOPLE WHO'VE THOUGHT ABOUT TRYING US AND NOW SAY WE HAVE A REASON TO COME IN HERE.))
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=come in here.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Politis (Po-LITT-iss) has 100 acres and raises about 70 bison a year.
He also sell his beef at the Brush Creek Buffalo Store and Restaurant in Riner.
(------------)



[8Wx-Headline]


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



Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
Partly cloudy today, with gusty winds.
A wind advisory has been posted through tomorrow morning.
Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner has the mid- week forecast, right after the news.





[House-Fire]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM-Cutin's]
[WRITER=tco]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]



Authorities are on the scene of a house fire in Northwest Roanoke.
They're not releasing much information at this time, but they say the blaze is in the 12- hundred block of Centre Avenue.
We have a news crew on the way, will have more on the story later on News 7 at Noon.





[8-VOB-L'burg-Schools]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tco]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]



[ENG#=1]


Lynchburg educators are facing a deficit between 3 to 5 million dollars, and say nothing is safe from their budget axe.
The school board held a public hearing on the matter last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg;]

They call it their worst budget crisis in more than a decade. New obligations to the state retirement system has the school board looking into a long list of cost-saving measures, including layoffs of dozens of school employees.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:54:05]
[IN Q=This is not a...]

((JAMES MCCORMICK/LYNCHBURG SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: THIS IS NOT A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GO IN AND TAKE A CHUNK OUT OF A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS. THESE REDUCTIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO OCCUR EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF RAISES.))
[SUPER=01-James McCormick/Lynchburg School Superintendent;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=...the absence of raises.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

A handful of people spoke at the public hearing, most urging the school board to stand strong and hope for the best when they submit their budget to the city. But board members say despite every politician's aversion to raising taxes, it may be the only answer.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:38:05]
[IN Q=We have to...]

((HARRY SMITH/LYNCHBURG SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: WE HAVE TO PAY THE BILL. IF WE HAVE THESE NEEDS IN OUR SCHOOLS OR IN OUR CITY GENERALLY, THEN WE THE PUBLIC MUST PAY FOR IT.))
[SUPER=01-Harry Smith/School Board Member;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=...must pay for it.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Later in the spring, the board will know exactly how much the city can contribute and then the tough cuts will have to be made.
(------------)



[8-11Safety-Zone]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=03-46 1:27:41]
[GRAPHIC=Safety Zone]



[ENG#=2]


If you use common sense while behind the wheel, police say Virginia's "first and only" Highway Safety Corrider will become a lot safer.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :18]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Yesterday, State Police started heavily patrolling Interstate 81 from milemarker 127 to 142. The stretch between Ironto and Salem is one of the most dangerous in the state. Troopers say speeding, lane changes and tailgating are the biggest problems. But they don't ticket everyone who breaks the law.
(///// SOT at :18 /////)
[SOT - 38:59- 39:11 - tape 2]
[IN Q=Sometimes you get a...]
[SUPER=01-Gary Chafin/Virginia State Police;]

((GARY CHAFIN/VA STATE POLICE: SOMETIMES YOU GET A TRUCK OR A CAR THAT'S GOT A ROAD RAGE THING GOING ON AND THEY'RE DOING EVERY THING THEY CAN TO GET AWAY FROM 'EM..))
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=can get away from 'em.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :10]

The "safety zone" designation comes with fines that can range from 500 to 25-hundred dollars. Trooper Chafin was one of five officers patrolling that stretch of road yesterday.
(------------)



[8-11I-81]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-47 1:29:02]
[GRAPHIC=None]



[ENG#=3]


[**WIPE**WIPE**]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Interstate 81/File Tape;]

A Republican lawmaker has his own proposal to make 81 safer. He wants the trucks to keep right. Staunton Delegate Chris Saxman is introducing a measure to limit trucks to the center or right lanes of 81. (------------) The restriction would apply only where the interstate expands to three lanes.
by SS