WDBJ 7 morning news for 04/21/04

[PKGNW-Neighborhood]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=04-15 TC 25:34]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=1]

Drug dealing and drive by shootings? Some residents in Northwest Roanoke say it happens all the time.
They're fed up and now they want something done about it.
Justin McLeod tells us what the city plans to do.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Belinda English/Northwest Roanoke Resident; :12]
[SUPER=01-Ray Higgins/Faith Works in Roanoke Valley; :39]
[SUPER=01-Joe Gaskins/Roanoke Police Chief; 1:00]
[SUPER=@justin1; 1:21]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7]
((((NAT SOUND OF POLICE SIRENS))
The sounds of sirens are quite common here in Northwest Roanoke.
Residents say when the sun goes down, the crime rate goes up.
[SOT 1:08:44]
[IN Q=I know one]
((BELINDA ENGLISH/NORTHWEST ROANOKE RESIDENT: I KNOW ONE PERSON THAT LIVES OVER THERE SHE WAS SAYING IT IS AWFUL, THAT THEY CAN'T SIT ON THE PORCH BECAUSE THEIR SCARED OF GETTING SHOT.)) [Runs07]
[OUT Q=of getting shot]

Those fears are valid.
The latest statistics from the Roanoke Police Department show that for the last week in March there were 32 major incidents citywide, 41-percent were in Northwest.
A group made up of area churches says the problem is especially bad on Hanover Avenue near Lucy Addison Middle School.
[SOT 52:35]
[IN Q=There's been a drive]
((RAY HIGGINS/FAITH WORKS ROANOKE VALLEY: THERE'S BEEN A DRIVE BY SHOOTING SOME YEARS AGO HERE WHERE THEY SHOT UP THE BUILDING, SHOT UP A GUY.)) [Runs05]
[OUT Q=shot up a guy]

That happened here in front of St. Gerard's Church.
Tuesday night the church hosted a community meeting where concerned residents asked city leaders for help.
They want the sidewalks repaired and more lights put up.
They want increased bike patrols in the area and for the city to shut down a notorius drug house.
[SOT 1:10:35]
[IN Q=I am aware]
((JOE GASKINS/ROANOKE POLICE CHIEF: I AM AWARE OF A PARTICULAR RESIDENCE IN THIS AREA WHERE WE HAVE EXECUTED TWO SEARCH WARRANTS IN WHETHER THEY ARE STILL DEALING DRUGS I DON'T KNOW BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY FIND OUT.)) [Runs09]
[OUT Q=certainly find out]

Those who hear these promises are hopeful but skeptical.
[SOT 1:08:07]
[IN Q=I think now]
((BELINDA ENGLISH/NORTHWEST ROANOKE RESIDENT: I THINK NOW WITH US GOING INTO ELECTIONS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF PROMISES BUT I'D LIKE TO WAIT AND SEE.)) [Runs05]
[OUT Q=LIKE TO WAIT AND SEE]
[SOT ]
[INQ Q=]
((JUSTIN McLEOD: SHE'LL HAVE ETO WAIT UNTIL AT LEAST THIS SUMMER. CITY LEADERSE SAY NO IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE UNTIL AFTER THE NEW FISCAL YEAR BEGINS WHICH IS JULY FIRST. JUSTIN McLEOD, NEWS 7.))))

[XGR-budget]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=tco]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]
[ENG#=none]

Virginia's General Assembly will meet today for its annual veto session. Usually lawmakers would return to Richmond to consider bills either altered or vetoed by the governor. However this year, the veto session has been put on hold until a budget agreement has been made. Yesterday, Senate G-O-P leaders showed a draft tax plan to several House Republicans whose votes are crucial to the passage of the bill in the house. Sources say the informal Senate plan has the support of Senate Democrats. The plan contains a freeze on the car tax to localities as well as some of the original 972 million dollar House tax plan.

[11Monty-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Montgomery County will pass a tax increase, the question is-- how much? The board is looking at four real estate tax hike options including a five cent increase which would create a 450-thousand dollar budget surplus. A four cent hike would roughly balance the budget. The board will vote on Monday.

[11Pulaski-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-14 TC18:37]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
The price of cigarettes may be going up in Pulaski.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski]
The town is considering raising the cigarette tax to 15 cents a pack which is a five cent increase. Radford is also looking at a similar tax. Town Managers say the increases may not be necessary, it just depends on what Richmond finally does with its budget.

(------------)

[Tornadoes]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=mornin']
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=3]
A series of storms swept across the Mid-West claiming four-lives.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Utica, IL]
The heaviest damage appears to have been in Utica, a town with a population of one-thousand that's about 80 miles southwest of Chicago. Several buildings collapsed in the town, including a tavern. Four other people, including three children, were also injured in Utica. Several buildings in downtown Utica were damaged or blown apart by the high winds. Mounds of bricks and wood were strewn across city streets and power lines and trees were knocked down. At least 15-thousand people were left without power in three counties.
(------------)

[Iraq]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=mornin']
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]
[ENG#=4]
Ten Iraqi children on their way to school were among the at least 55 dead in a series of simultaneous explosions in Basra.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Basra, Iraq]
Blasts rocked three police stations injuring more than 200. A British military spokesman said car bombs caused the simultaneous explosions, but an Iraqi police colonel said he thought rockets hit the stations. In Fallujah, an insurgent attack on Marines interrupted the fragile cease-fire there. The deal calls for insurgents to turn in there heavy weapons.. while marines would allow residents to return to their homes.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT from sirgany pkg]
[IN Q=Everybody must...]
((DAN SENOR, COALITION SPOKESMAN : EVERYBODY MUST RECOGNIZE IN ABSENCE OF TRUE CEASEFIRE MAJOR HOSTILITIES WILL RETURN ON SHORT NOTICE.))
[SUPER=01-Dan Senor/Coalition Spokesman]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=.. short notice.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And it looks like U.S. troops patrolling Southern Iraq will have more gaps to fill. The Dominican Republican has announced it will follow Spain and Honduras' lead - pulling out some 300 troops in the next couple of weeks.
(------------)

[11ABB-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

In business news, a South Boston plant is expanding and creating 25 new jobs.
A-B-B Incorporated is spending three-million dollars to expand its transformer manufacturing facility.
South Boston beat out locations in Oregon and China for the project.

[Marketwatch]

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

In other business news, Motorola released a strong earnings report. Alexis Christoforous has that story and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Alexis Christoforous/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:25]
[OUT Q=in New York, I'm AC.]
((> MOTOROLA IS SURE TO STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT ON WALL STREET TODAY. THE WORLD'S > SECOND LARGEST MOBILE PHONE MAKER SAID FIRST QUATER PROFIT MORE THAN > TRIPLED TO THE HIGHEST SINCE AT LEAST 1990... THAT'S AS SALES OF PHONE > HANDSETS SURGED 67 PERCENT. > > FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN ALAN GREENSPAN SPOOKED WALL STREET YESTERDAY. > GREENSPAN TOLD CONGRESS THE ECONOMY IS CLEARLY RECOVERING AND THAT > DEFLATION IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE. INVESTORS TOOK THAT AS A SIGN THE THE > FED WILL RAISE INTEREST RATES SOONER THAN EXPECTED. > > DOW TUMBLED TRIPLE DIGITS DOWN 123 POINTS > > THE NASDAQ SLID 41 POINTS > > AT&T Wireless said it lost 367,000 customers in the first quarter because > of technological snafus and a new federal rule allowing subscribers to > switch service while keeping their old number. In February AT&T Wireless > announced it was being bought out by rival Cingular for 41 billion > dollars. > > THE PRICE OF SPAM IS GOING UP. NOT E-MAIL.. THE REAL THING..FOR THE FIRST > TIME IN FOUR YEARS HORMEL IS RAISING THE PRICE OF THE CANNED MEAT PRODUCT > AND OTHER ITEMS INCLUDING DINTY MOORE BEEF AND HORMEL CHILI BY 4 AND 1/2 > TO 6 1/2 PERCENT. > > HORMEL SAYS THE PRICE HIKES ARE NECESSARY TO OFFSET THE THE HIGHER PRICE > FOR PORK AND BEEF. > > FIND OUT MORE AT CBS.MW.COM IN NY I'M ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS.))
(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [COMM]

[1181-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-16 TC07:32]
[GRAPHIC=I-81]
[ENG#=1]

A five vehicle accident on Interstate 81 caused minor damage and no injuries.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

But it caused major headaches for drivers yesterday.
The southbound lanes of the interstate were blocked near the "Roanoke-Montgomery County" line for about an hour and a half.
Traffic finally started moving about seven o-clock last night.
State police say a car hydroplaned and skidded off the highway. That led to a chain-reaction crash that damaged three tractor trailers and another car.
(------------)

[WIPE WIPE WIPE]

[11County-Accident]

[ANCHOR=susan]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-18 TC01:48]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=2]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE]

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

Roanoke County Police say drivers trying to avoid the traffic jam on I-81 caused another accident on West Main Street that sent two cars into a house.
Officers say the driver of the van pulled out in front of the SUV and both vehicles ended up in the yard of a home.
No one was injured.
(------------)

[PKGCity-Council]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=mornin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-04 TC 1:49:43]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2004]
[ENG#=3]
Candidates for Roanoke City Council have met with neighborhood groups, members of the PTA, and yesterday with the business community along Williamson Road.
With the election less than two weeks away, Joe Dashiell has more on the latest exchange.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=If Williamson Road]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Sherman Lea/(D) Roanoke City Council Candidate; :12]
[SUPER=01-Brian Wishneff/(D) Roanoke City Council Candidate; :21]
[SUPER=01-Bev Fitzpatrick/(D) Roanoke City Council Candidate; :39]
[SUPER=01-Angela Norman/(I) Roanoke City Council Candidate; :49]
[SUPER=01-Wendy Jones/(R) Roanoke City Council Candidate; 1:05]
[SUPER=01-Bill Carder/(I) Roanoke City Council Candidate; 1:14]
[RUNS=1:32]
[OUT Q=Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke]

((If Williamson Road is the Roanoke Valley's Main Street, the area has a major stake in the issues of the council campaign... starting with the new stadium and recent spending priorities. [SHERMAN LEA 02:09:03]
[IN Q=We stand for the renovation]
((SHERMAN LEA: WE STAND FOR THE RENOVATION OF VICTORY STADIUM. WE THINK THAT IDEA TO PUT A NEW STADIUM ON WILLIAMSON ROAD AND THE ORANGE AVENUE AREA WAS A BAD IDEA.)) ((BRIAN WISHNEFF: I UNDERSTAND THAT ROANOKE IS NOT A FINANCIALLY RICH COMMUNITY SO WHEN WE MAKE POOR SPENDING DECISIONS IT HURTS EVEN MORE.))
[RUNS= :19]
[OUT Q=was a bad idea.]

As six of the seven council candidates joined the Williamson Road Area Business Association for lunch, the conversation also turned to economic issues.
[SOT]
[IN Q=If you haven't been hurt by it]
((BEV FITZPATRICK: IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HURT BY IT YOU DON'T FEEL IT, BUT IF YOU'VE LOST TWO JOBS LIKE I HAVE, OR LIKE MANY OF YOU HAVE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS ARE NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS WE WANT THEM TO BE.)) ((ROANOKE HAS BEEN REVOLVING TOO LONG IN SOME AREAS AND NEEDS TO EVOLVE FOLLOWING THE 2001 - 2020 CITY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.))
[RUNS= :20]
[OUT Q=as we want them to be.]

And calls for creative solutions to bring in new businesses and nurture existing ones.
[SOT]
[IN Q=It is true]
((IT IS TRUE THAT WE ARE LANDLOCKED, BUT THERE ARE WAYS TO GET BUSINESSES HERE. WE HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE OPEN AND AVAILABLE AND WE HAVE BUILDINGS THAT CAN BE REFURBISHED.)) ((BUT I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE NEED TO DO. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS TAKE CARE OF OUR PRESENT BUSINESS BASE. IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS A CITY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS A REGION.))

[RUNS= :20]
[OUT Q=be successful as a region.]
Independent Duane Howard was unable to attend the latest forum. Next up the candidates for mayor.

Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke))[Space-Station]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=mornin]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=4]
They may not have encountered much traffic, but after several days three-astronauts have arrived at the International Space Station.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NASA]
The Russian Soyuz (Soy-ooze) spacecraft docked last night to replace the current international space station crew. Russian commander Gennady (gnetti) Pa-dal-ka and U.S. flight engineer Michael Fincke (Fink) will spend the next six months in space. A Dutch astronaut from the European Space Agency, is accompanying them for an 11-day mission to conduct experiments.

He will return to Earth with NASA astronaut Michael Foale and Russian Alexander Kaleri, who have manned the station since October.
(------------)

[Unique-Calf]

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[NEWSCAST=mornin']
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=1]
Most people say they could use an extra eye or two...
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Grand Saline, TX]
In East Texas one farm animal has an extra eye and mouth. The female calf whose name is "Unique" is thriving with two mouths and three eyes. Unique the 57-pound calf was born April 12th in a pasture. She's friendly, likes to drink milk from its mother, plus enjoys lapping up water by using both tongues. The extra mouth is on the lower left side of the calf's face. The third eye, which the calf blinks, is above the extra mouth. Besides a recent runny nose, the animal is otherwise healthy.
(------------)

[ANCHOR=Susan]
[SS=none]
News 7 Mornin will be right back.
[BUMP]

[COMM][11Tobacco-bill]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=04-11 TC45:04]
[GRAPHIC=Mark Warner]
[ENG#=2]
Governor Mark Warner says he is closing a loophole but some Southside legislators say he is shutting down farms and businesses.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Governor Warner has amended a bill, he says, to allow Virginia to receive its full share from the tobacco settlement fund.
He says 25 states have passed similar legislation.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT ::]
[IN Q=THOSE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT DOLLARS ARE CRITICAL]
((GOV. MARK WARNER: THOSE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT DOLLARS ARE CRITICAL TO SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA'S FUTURE. I SIMPLY THINK VIRGINIA SHOULD JOIN THE MAJORITY OF STATES WHO WANT MORE OF A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.))
[SUPER=@MarkWarner; :]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=WANT MORE OF A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Delegate Clark Hogan says Warner's amendment will put the state's independent cigarette manufacturers out of business AND cost Southside Virginia over 500 jobs.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 15:09:10]
[IN Q=WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES]
((DELEGATE CLARK HOGAN/R-HALIFAX CO.: WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES AS IT STANDS IS SHIP THESE 4-5 HUNDRED JOBS IN RURAL VIRGINIA OFFSHORE. IT WON'T KEEP CHEAP CIGARETTES OFF THE MARKET BUT GUARANTEE THEY'LL BE MADE BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES WITH FOREIGN TOBACCO.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Clark Hogan/(R) Halifax Co.; :]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=FOREIGN COUNTRIES WITH FOREIGN TOBACCO.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Legislators will vote on the change today during the General Assembly's veto session.
(------------)

[6-Medicare]

[ANCHOR=susan]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=04-07 TC1:13:30]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]

Seniors will soon be able to get some help paying for their medications.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Starting in May, seniors like Audrey Wheaton can sign up for Medicare's drug discount card program.
They will able to choose from about 20 cards that could save them between 10 and 25 percent on prescriptions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT15:44]
[IN Q=That's some help of course]
((AUDREY WHEATON/MEDICARE RECIPIENT; THAT'S SOME HELP OF COURSE THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. THE DRUG COMPANIES ARE STILL INCREASING THE PRICES ON THE DRUGS EVERY YEAR AND SOMETIMES EVERY MONTH ))
[SUPER=01-Audrey Wheaton/Medicare Recipient]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=sometimes every month]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Monique Scott with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was in Roanoke today training local agencies on the program.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT4:02]
[IN Q=It's a temporary measure while we work to enact]
((MONIQUE SCOTT/CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES; IT'S A TEMPORARY MEASURE WHILE WORK TO ENACT AND GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE FOR THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT THAT'S GOING BEGIN IN 2006 ))
[SUPER=01-Monique Scott/Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services]
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=begin in 2006]
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]

Seniors can only enroll in one card program at a time. The yearly enrollment fee will not exceed 30-dollars. And there is a 6-hundred dollar yearly credit for low-income seniors.
Scott says seniors should shop around because the actual discount amount will differ from company to company.
(+++++++++++++)
[WIPE TO FULL SCREEN 1013essc]
For more information you can find a link to the Medicare web site on our homepage or call 1-800 Medicare.
You can sign up for the cards beginning in May but they won't take effect until June First.
(-----------)