WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 04/14/04

[7Wx-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

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

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
More showers are likely today, with some of the higher elevations reporting snow showers.
Steve Pardon has your mid- week forecast, coming up.

But first we have a couple of school announcement to pass along to you this morning.
(++++++++)
[take school info fs]
Highland County schools are closed because of heating problems. Personnel should report.
And in Grayson County, Mount Rogers School ONLY is on a two hour delay.
(++++++++)

[7-11Roanoke-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=cja]
[TAPE#=04-16 TC01:45]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

[ENG#=1]

An 82 year old Roanoke County man has been charged with murdering his wife.
Officers say on Sunday, family members found the body of 83-year old Neva Underwood Hurt in the living room of her Parkwood Drive home.
William Wallace Hurt was found unconscious in the basement of the home and was taken to an area hospital.
Meanwhile, in Roanoke a teenager is charged with a deadly shooting Friday night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Friday]

22-year-old Claude Benson Harper died Sunday evening from a gunshot wound to the face.
Roanoke police say a 17-year-old boy now faces murder and firearms charges.
Police are actively searching for the teen.
(XXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN BOARD]
They ask that anyone with information call Crime Line at 344-8500.
(------------)

[7-11Tech-Player]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=2]

A fight over a place in line at McDonalds cost a Tech football player his PLACE on the team- and will likely land him in court.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-2003]

Coach Beamer dismissed Freshman Michael Hinton from the team yesterday afternoon over what he calls disciplinary reasons.
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
The redshirt safety was arrested on Monday and charged with assault and battery, malicious wounding and property destruction after a fight at the Blacksburg McDonalds. Police say the fight started over someone cutting in line, and carried over to the Tech campus. Hinton faces charges from both Blacksburg and Virginia Tech Police.
(------------)

[7-11New-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=04-05 TC1:32:48]
[GRAPHIC=Telvista]

[ENG#=3]

A Texas company is moving to Danville and is planning to hire hundreds of people to work at its new call center. Telvista Incorporated made the announcement yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]

The 62-thousand square foot facility will occupy this section of the city's Airside Industrial Park.
When it's finished this fall, the company figures to hire 600 full and part-time employees to provide customer service for its clients worldwide.
City leaders say the move will help diversify the local economy.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:16:28]
[IN Q=So in this]
((JOHN HAMLIN/DANVILLE MAYOR: SO IN THIS DAY AND TIME YOU HAVE TO RETHINK YOUR ECONOMIC DIRECTION AND HOW YOU CAN GO ABOUT IT. FOR US IT'S BEEN TOUGH, BUT I THINK TODAY IS A GREAT WAY OF SAYING WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.))
[SUPER=01-John Hamlin/Danville Mayor;]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=trying to achieve.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The state helped Danville close the deal by providing 500-thousand dollars in economic incentives.
(------------)

[55-WXHeads]

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

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
Showers likely again today, with gusty winds...look for highs only around 50.
Steve Pardon has the forecast details, coming up.

But first we have some school information to pass along to you this morning.
(++++++++)
[take school fs]
Highland County schools are closed because of heating problems. Personnel should report.
And in Grayson County, Mount Rogers School ONLY is on a two hour delay.

(++++++++)[55-6-Monty-Merchants]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-10 TC35:59]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=1]

The Merchant's Tax in Montgomery County has once again become a hot topic.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;]
The tax is on all inventory at local businesses, but several business owners have long said it's too high. Local dealerships have even moved their cars out of the county to avoid paying up. The Board of Supervisors is now talking about forming a committee to study the tax. The board wants a group of citizens and business leaders to help decide if lowering the tax would actually generate more money because car dealers would stop avoiding it.
(------------)

[55-VOBM'ville-Baseball]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=04-06 TC 1:14:19]
[GRAPHIC=none]

[ENG#=2]

Even though baseball season is in full swing, Martinsville's season was over before it began.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville]

Hooker Field is closed up and will remain that way throughout the summer.
That's because the Houston Astros announced in January it was moving its Appalachian League affiliate to Greeneville, Tennessee.
The city had little time to find a replacement but is confident a team will be playing here by next summer.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 14:00]
[IN Q=We've consistently]
((MATT HANKINS/CITY OF MARTINSVILLE SPOKESPERSON: WE'VE CONSISTENTLY BEEN IN THE TOP THREE OR FOUR IN FAN ATTENDANCE AT TEAMS SO WE FEEL LIKE THERE IS A FAN BASE HERE THAT DOES SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL AND WE THINK THAT WOULD A STRONG DRAWING POINT TO ATTRACT ANOTHER TEAM HERE FOR THE 2005 SEASON.))
[SUPER=01-Matt Hankins/City of Martinsville Spokesperson]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=for the 2005 season]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The city is currently working to bring an Appalachian league team back to Martinsville.
League officials say the deal hinges on two major league franchises seeking entry into the league at the same time.

City leaders say there is already interest from other communities.
(------------)

[55-11Jerky-Mikes]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=04-11 TC38:17]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=3]

The low- carb craze is helping one local business.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Jerky Mikes in Roanoke County specializes in homemade beef jerky-
Now that so many people are adhering to high protein, low carb diets, that's helped sales of items like beef and buffalo jerky.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((CARLA BREAM/JERKY MIKES' CO-OWNER: A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE NEVER EVER TRIED BEEF JERKY ARE COMING IN AND SAYING I'M ON THE SOUTH BEACH DIET. I'M ON THE ATKINS DIET. I'VE LOST 20 POUNDS. I'M SICK OF WHAT I'M EATING. I NEED SOMETHING NEW.))
[SUPER=01-Carla Bream/Jerky Mike's Co-Owner;]
[RUNS=09]
[OUT Q=I need something new.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Carla Bream says Beef Jerky has zero carbs and is also low in fat.
Mike and Carla used to make beef jerky and dog biscuits as a hobby, then they quit their jobs and decided to turn their hobby into a business.
Now just a few years later, they've opened a store on Brambleton Avenue- and even have a website selling their products to people as far away as England and Sweden.
(------------)

[8Wx-Headline]

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

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
More rain is in the forecast, but snow showers are falling in far Southwest Virginia.
Steve Pardon has the complete forecast, coming up.

But first we have two school announcement to pass along to you this morning.
(++++++++)
[take school info fs] Highland County schools are closed because of heating problems. Personnel should report. And in Grayson County, Mount Rogers School ONLY is on a two hour delay.
(++++++++)

[8-6-Salem-Abduction]

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

Salem authorities are searching for a man they say briefly kidnapped a woman from a parking lot Saturday evening.
The 42-year old victim is not being identified. Police say she reported that when she got into her car in the 14-hundred block of West Main Street around 6:40 a man in the passenger seat put a gun to her head and told her to drive. After three blocks, the woman hit the man with a shoe. He grabbed her wristwatch and ran.

[8-GA-budget]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=tco]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]

[ENG#=1]

The House of Delegates have passed a compromise tax measure to help break the budget stalemate, but only after getting rid of over 250 million dollars in tax hikes. It's now up to the state Senate.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]
Despite major opposition, 17 Republicans broke from their leadership and pushed through a multi-million dollar tax package by a vote of 52 to 46.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This was a tough...]
[SUPER=01-@Bryant;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=...who doesn't get that.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
But the fate of the bill rests in the Senate Finance Committee, which is scheduled to meet today to vote on the bill.

But the Senate reportedly wants more money, and that means that despite a breakthrough, a state budget agreement is not a done deal yet.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We're still a long...]
[SUPER=01-]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=...between the two houses.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the compromise measure on Friday. But it is unlikely they will accept a bill that raises one and half billion dollars less than they proposed.
(-------------)

[8-6-Jailbreak-Arrest]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-12 TC25:33]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=2]

Pulaski County officials may have foiled a jailbreak.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Dublin/1999;]
Sheriff Jim Davis says 53 year old Kathleen Charlotte Meredith tried to pay an undercover agent to help break her husband out of the New River Valley Regional Jail. Meredith and her husband, Ronald Layne Meredith are now facing several charges-- including attempting to help an inmate escape and conspiracy to commit capital murder. Both are now being held at the jail.
(------------)

[8-6-Monty-Merchants]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-10 TC35:59]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=3]

Montgomery County's controversial Merchant's Tax is back in the spotlight.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;]
The tax is on all inventory at local businesses, but several business owners have long said it's too high. Local dealerships have even moved their cars out of the county to avoid paying up. The Board of Supervisors is now talking about forming a committee to study the tax. The board wants a group of citizens and business leaders to help decide if lowering the tax would actually generate more money because car dealers would stop avoiding it. (------------)