WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 05/27/04

[7Wx-Headline]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

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

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
We'll see a break from the wet weather, but then another round of showers and thunderstorms is likely later today.
Meteorologist Leo Hirbrunner has the full forecast, coming up.

[7-AMPower-Outtages]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=Severe Weather]

[ENG#=1]

A-E-P crews have made progress in the New River Valley this morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Giles Co.; :00]
Last night's storms brought heavy rain, high winds, thunder and lightning. The roadways were pretty treacherous, but there were no major accidents reported or damage from the storm. The biggest complaint?? Power outtages.
[SUPER=03-Pulaski Co.; :15]
Pulaski was hit the hardest. At last report, 2 customers are without power in the Pulaski area. That's down from 46-hundred. And in Cambria near Christiansburg, only one customer is without power. That's down from 19-hundred.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=Severe Weather]
The situation is much different along the Virginia- -Tennessee border where nearly 7-thousand people are still without power. American Electric Power officials say crews are working around the clock and the power should restored by this evening.

[7-11Tornado]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-26 TC03:41]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD OTS]

[ENG#=2]

Unconfirmed reports say a tornado may have touched down on the Virginia-Tennessee border yesterday. Police agencies are reporting heavy damage in Scott and Lee counties and the city of Bristol.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Johnson Co., TN;]
This is what the damage looks like on the Tennessee side. Severe storms knocked down trees, damaged homes and took out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Two schools in Kingsport, Tennessee were also damaged. A-E-P officials say it could be several days before the power is restored in that area.
(------------)

[7-AMBlacksburg-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

[ENG#=3]

Some chemicals at Blacksburg's Industrial Park set off a small explosion last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
A drum of chemicals in a drying machine caught fire at Wolverine Gasket Company around 10:00 o-clock. The building was evacuated. Fire officials say no one was in the room at the time of the flash fire and there were no injuries.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The damage]
[SUPER=01-Keith Bolte/Blacksburg Fire Chief;]
((KEITH BOLTE: THE DAMAGE IS CONTAINED TO INSIDE THE DRYING BOOTH. WE WON'T KNOW TILL TOMORROW WHAT THE DAMAGE LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT THE CAUSE IS. THE SPRINKLERS CAME ON RIGHT AWAY AND PUT THE FIRE OUT.))
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=THE FIRE OUT.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Employees were allowed back in the building by midnight. Fire officials say there was never any danger to ANY of the nearby neighborhoods.
(------------)

[55-WXHeads]

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

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
A chance of more showers and thunderstorms today, with highs reaching 80.
Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner has today's forecast, plus a peek ahead at the holiday weekend, coming up.

[55Rke-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]
[ENG#=]

There's a report of an accident at the intersection of Brambleton Avenue and Brandon Avenue in Roanoke. Few details have been released, but authorities say one person was taken to the Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Police are controlling traffic in the area.

We'll have more on this story as soon as it becomes available.[55-AMPower-Outtages]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=Severe Weather]

[ENG#1]

More people are waking up to power this morning in the New River Valley after last night's storms left them in the dark.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Giles Co.; :00]
The storms brought heavy rain, high winds, thunder and lightning. The roadways were pretty treacherous, but there were no major accidents reported or damage from the storm. The biggest complaint?? The power outtages.
[SUPER=03-Pulaski Co.; :15]
Pulaski was hit the hardest. At last report, 2 customers are without power in the Pulaski area. That's down from 46-hundred. And in Cambria near Christiansburg, only one customer is without power. That's down from 19-hundred.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=Severe Weather]
The situation is much different along the Virginia- -Tennessee border where nearly 7-thousand people are still without power. American Electric Power officials say crews are working around the clock and the power should restored by this evening.

[55-11Homeland-security]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=504-03 TC46:52]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=2]

Governor Warner says because of new threats, state officials will pay extra attention to security at large public events.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-New York/File Tape]

Warner says the state is following the federal government's lead and is NOT upgrading its threat level.
He says Virginia's director of homeland security was briefed yesterday afternoon by the Justice Department.
Warner is telling Virginians NOT to cancel their vacation plans and to continue going about their daily lives.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT :21:04]
[IN Q=WE ARE URGING VIRGINIANS]
((GOV. MARK WARNER: WE ARE URGING VIRGINIANS TO BE VIGILANT PARTICULARLY AT MASS PUBLIC EVENTS BUT THE KIND OF ADDITIONAL SECURITY PRECAUTIONS WE ARE TAKING ARE MORE BEHIND THE SCENES.))
[SUPER=@MarkWarner]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=TAKING ARE MORE BEHIND THE SCENES.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Warner says Virginia is as well prepared as any state in the country.
(------------)

[55-11Hillsville-Rescue]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-22 TC10:15]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=3]

It looks like the Hillsville Rescue squad may not be opening anytime soon.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Carroll Co.;]
The rescue squad was temporarily shutdown earlier this month by the Board of Supervisors. Board members say they made the decision because of citizen complaints, missed calls, personnel problems and unauthorized use of a county vehicle. The county is now advertising for an Emergency Services Coordinator. Assistant County Administrator Ronald Newman says the Coordinator's first job will be to assess the Rescue Squad situation and make a recommendation to the board.
(------------)

[8Wx-Headline]

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

Good morning, I'm Kimberly McBroom......
More rain and storms are on the horizon today, but the holiday weekend looks drier and a bit cooler.
Meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner explains, coming up in the forecast.

[8-Rke-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]

[ENG#=1]

Traffic is backed at the intersection of Brandon Avenue and Brambleton Avenue.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/This Morning;]
Roanoke police are not sure what caused a single vehicle accident early this morning. Rescue workers used the jaws of life to extricate the driver from the car. A witness says it was raining when he saw the wreck.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=About 6:30 - 6:45]
[SUPER=01-Philip Palmer/Eyewitness]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=ten times worse]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The driver was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Traffic is backed up in the area while authorities investigate the cause of the accident.
(------------)

[8-AMPower-Outtages]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=Severe Weather]

[ENG#=2]

A-E-P crews have made progress in the New River Valley this morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Giles Co.; :00]
Last night's storms brought heavy rain, high winds, thunder and lightning. The roadways were pretty treacherous, but there were no major accidents reported or damage from the storm. The biggest complaint were the power outtages.
[SUPER=03-Pulaski Co.; :15]
Pulaski was hit the hardest. At last report, 2 customers are without power in that area. That's down from 46-hundred. And in Cambria near Christiansburg, only one customer is without power. That's down from 19-hundred.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[SS=Severe Weather]
The situation is much different along the Virginia- -Tennessee border where nearly 7-thousand people are still without power. American Electric Power officials say crews are working around the clock and the power should restored by this evening.

[8-11Tornado]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-26 TC03:41]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD OTS]

[ENG#=3]

There are unconfirmed reports a tornado may have touched down on the Virginia-Tennessee border. Whatever it was, police say it left behind a lot of damage in Scott and Lee counties, as well as in the city of Bristol.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Johnson Co., TN;]
This is what the damage looks like on the Tennessee side. Severe storms knocked down trees, damaged homes and took out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Two schools in Kingsport, Tennessee were also damaged. A-E-P officials say it could be several days before the power is restored in that area.
(------------)

[8-11Read-Mountain]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=am cutins]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=04-20 TC12:55]
[GRAPHIC=None]

[ENG#=4]

A number of drug charges-- including posession and distribution-- are filed against six Botetourt County Middle School students.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./Wednesday]
The charges stem from an incident last week where Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle says a 15-year-old boy got a hold of the anti-seizure drug Klonopin, and gave it to several classmates. Emergency crews were called to the school when five of the 8th-graders became sick. A hearing is scheduled for July 6th. (------------)