WDBJ 7 morning news for 07/15/04

[PKGRobertson-Park]

[ANCHOR=Kim]

[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=04-23 TC34:53]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=1]

The neighborhood asked for it and the city agreed.
But that was two years ago and very little has been done to renovate a Northwest Roanoke park.
Justin McLeod tells us why.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Lee Walker/Resident; :13 (VERY QUICK)]
[SUPER=04-June 1, 2002; :17]
[SUPER=01-Donnie Underwood/Roanoke Parks and Recreation; :53]
[SUPER=@justin1; 1:21]
[RUNS=1:33]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7]
((((NAT SOUND OF CHILDREN PLAYING))
Children who live in the old Shadeland neighborhood have plenty places to play.
But you won't see them anywhere near Brown-Roberston Park and many hope that will change.
[SOT 2:12:39]
[IN Q=It is something]
((LEE WALKER/RESIDENT: IT IS SOMETHING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS. I BELIEVE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS.)) [Runs03]
[OUT Q=neighborhood needs]
((QUICK NAT SOUND OF GROUNDBREAKING IF YOU HAVE IT))
So two years ago the city agreed to make several improvements to the park which is located on Tenth Street between Kellogg and Grayson Avenue.
First up was to rename the park in honor of the two people who died here during the flood of 1985.
But since then very little work has been done leaving many to wonder if the project has been dropped.
[SOT 1:59:48]
[IN Q=It has not been ]
((DONNIE UNDERWOOD/ROANOKE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT: IT HAS NOT BEEN DROPPED.)) [Runs02]
[OUT =it has not been dropped]

City leaders admit it's taking longer than expected.
The problem? The project is tied to upgrades to nearby Washington Park and the Lick Run Greenway which will eventually go through Brown-Robertson.
[SOT 1:57:29]
[IN Q=The tricky thing]
((DONNIE UNDERWOOD/ROANOKE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT: THE TRICKY THING IS WHEN YOU DEAL WITH GREENWAY SOMETIMES WE GET INVOLVED WITH FEDERAL MONEY, STATE MONEY, NOT JUST CITY MONEY SO WE GOT A LOT OF HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH.)) [Runs07]
[OUT Q=hoops to jump through]

Those obstacles are almost cleared and the city hopes to begin construction here at the park by next spring.
The improvements will cost more than 180-thousand dollars and will include playgrounds and a picnic pavilion similar to the ones you see here.
But many nearby residents say it should already be in place.
[SOT 2:12:13]
[IN Q=Do you think it]
((LEE WALKER/RESIDENT: DO YOU THINK IT IS TAKING TOO LONG? LONGER THAN WE WOULD LIKE, YES.)) [Runs04]
[OUT Q=we would like, yes]
[SOT ]
[IN Q=The city plans]
((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: THE CITY PLANS TO HOLD COMMUNITY MEETINGS THIS FALL TO ASK THE NEIGHBORS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT IN THE PARK. BUT PLANNERS POINT OUT IT'S LOCATED IN A FLOOD PAIN SO IT MAY BE LIMITED ON WHAT THEY CAN DO. JUSTIN McLEOD, NEWS 7.))))

[Iraq]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]
[ENG#=2]

At least three police officers have been killed in a car bombing today near police and government buildings in western Iraq.
The U- S Marine who disappeared in Iraq and turned up in Lebanon three weeks later is now on his way back to the U-S from Germany.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun says he's anxious to get home.
In his first public statement since he vanished, Hassoun said he was in good spirits.
Video on Arab television showed Hassoun as an apparent hostage, but military investigators want to know whether he deserted his unit and how he turned up at the u-s embassy in Lebanon.
(------------)

[Campaign-2004]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2004]
[ENG#=3]

Whoopi Goldberg won't be on the air selling ``Slim-Fast'' anymore. Company officials have dropped the actress from their commercials because of comments she made about President Bush at a fund-raiser for John Kerry.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Ashwaubenon, WI;]

After two days on the road in the Midwest, President Bush is back at the White House today to sign an identity theft law.
Traveling through Wisconsin, the President touted his record on national security and defended his decision to go to war in Iraq.
His Democratic rival John kerry heads to Philadelphia today to address the annual N- Double- A-C-P convention.
And in Iowa, Kerry's V-P pick, John Edwards called on the President to take responsibility for Iraq intelligence failures.
(------------)

[11Givens-Update]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=04-22 TC56:48]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=4]

Road construction in front of a Salem bookstore could be completed this week.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :38]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Last Week;]
VDOT is adding a turn lane and paving parts of East Main Street and Route 419. The project has been criticized by the owner of Givens Books who says it's cutting into his business. Chip Givens expressed his displeasure on a sign directing supporters to call the city manager's office. A city zoning official removed the sign claiming it was illegal, but later allowed Givens to put it back up, pending a decision by the city's attorney. This morning, a Salem spokesperson said the city will most likely let the issue lie. VDOT says, weather permitting, the construction that prompted the sign to be erected in the first place could be completed later today.
(------------)

[11Alleghany-Vandalism]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=04-17 TC1:15:12]
[GRAPHIC=Brackman Cup]
[ENG#=1]

A trophy stolen when the Alleghany County High School was vandalized last week has been recovered.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Alleghany Co.;]
Deputies located the Brackman Cup on the bottom of Pike's Pond a few miles from the high school. Every year it's awarded to the winner of the Alleghany High - Covington High football game. One of the teens charged with the vandalism told authorities that he had thrown the cup in the water. With some volunteer help yesterday, authorities fished out the trophy and returned it to school officials.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT - 2:06:46]
[IN Q=This is not unusual...]
((DALE MUTERSPAUGH/ALLEGHANY CO. SHERIFF; THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND HERE, I MEAN YOU PUT OUT A CALL FOR HELP... AND THEY ARE READY TO COME, NOT TO MENTION PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS WHO AT THE DROP OF A HAT WILL COME AND HELP WHEN YOU CALL THEM, THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS. ))
[SUPER=01-Dale Muterspaugh/Alleghany Co. Sheriff; :05]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=of the Alleghany Highlands.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Four teens face charges in the vandalism. They are being held at Coyner Springs Juvenile Detention Center pending a hearing on Friday. An 18 year old is also being held at the Alleghany Regional Jail.
(------------)

[Marketwatch]

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

In business news, Apple computer released its earnings report along with Bank of America and McDonalds.
Jean Lee has more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Jean Lee/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:16]
[OUT Q=in New York, I'm AC.]
((WALL STREET WILL REACT TO THE LATEST EARNINGS NEWS WHEN THE MARKETS OPEN. STOCKS ENDED YESTERDAY LOWER, AS INTEL'S DISAPPOINTING PROFIT MARGIN OUTLOOK...
SENT THE DOW DOWN 38 POINTS, WHILE THE NASDAQ GAVE BACK 16.
INVESTORS COULD GO PICKING FOR APPLE STOCK. THE COMPUTER MAKER CAME OUT WITH ITS 3RD QUARTER RESULTS AFTER THE BELL, TOPPING ESTIMATES. THE COMPANY'S earnings more than tripled As its of its iPod digital music player surged more than 180-percent..
CHIP MAKER A-M-D SURPASSED SALES GOALS IN ITS LATEST QUARTER. But the company only matched wall street's earnings expectations.
A-M-D's rival Intel was by far the DOWS BIGGEST LOSER on Wednesday, after it came out with A DISAPPOINTING MARGIN OUTLOOK. LOOKS LIKE THE CHIP MAKER IS HEAVY ON PRODUCT, ROLLING OUT MORE MICROPROCESSORS THAN CUSTOMERS HAD ORDERED.
THE DAYS WINNERS INCLUDED BANK OF AMERICA, WITH A SECOND QUARTER JUMP IN NET INCOME. MCDONALDS' WHITH JUNE QUARTER EARNINGS UP FROM LAST YEAR... AND HARLEY DAVIDSON MARKING A FIRST. The COMPANY HIT THE 1-BILLION DOLLAR MARK IN MOTORCYCLE SALES.
For more on the day in business check into our website. It's cbs.mw.com. I'm jl, cbs mw in ny.))
(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [COMM]

[National-WX]

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

Emergency workers are clashing with fires in the west and floods in the east.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Angeles National Forest, CA;]

Firefighters in California are gaining ground on blazes that have charred more than 19- thousand acres.
Wildfires are also burning in Alaska, Nevada and Arizona.
[SUPER=03-Lumberton, NJ;]

Severe weather continues pounding the east coast.
In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, flooding forced evacuations and left a long trail of damage.
Storms also brought delays of up to three hours at many major airports in the region.
(------------)

[11Franklin-Storms]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=04-25 TC44:31]
[GRAPHIC=Severe Weather]
[ENG#=2]

Some homowners in Franklin County are still cleaning up from last weekend's powerful storms.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.;]
Strong winds knocked down power lines and uprooted trees in the Smith Mountain Lake area. One tree nearly split this mobile home in half. Some who witnessed the storm called it the worst they'd ever seen.
(------------)

[11E-Library]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=04-21 TC40:27]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
Some area libraries have come up with a novel way to check out books.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
This week, the Roanoke Valley Libraries launched a new Electronic Library system. The system lets patrons read books on their computers 24-hours a day. Folks will first need to set up an account at one of the branches in Roanoke city, county, or Salem and Botetourt counties. Right now, more than two-thousand E-books are available through the system, but officials expect to have more than 20-thousand by the of the year.
(------------)

[11Horse-Subdivision]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=04-19 TC1:16:10]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=4]

A new kind of subdivision in Bedford County will cater to horse enthusiasts.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.]

Ralph and Shana (SHAY-nuh) Beck are turning part of their 320-acre property into the area's first equestrian community.
They're selling 40 lots to people who want the convenience of keeping their own horse and having riding trails right outside their back door.
The lots will vary in size from two to eight acres.. realtors say they've had some interest in the property already.
The first homes should be ready by next spring.
(------------)

[2-Shelor]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=dgr]
[TAPE#=feed tape]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
[ENG#=4]

Fire crews in Christiansburg are cleaning up after a fire at the Shelor Motor Mile.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg/This Morning]
Calls of thick black smoke started coming into the state police before 4 o-clock this morning. According to reports from the scene, a Volkswagon Jetta caught fire inside the quicklane service center. There's no word on what started the blaze.
(------------)

[Add page next]

[L'burg-Shooting]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=dgr]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]
[ENG#=none]

One man is in critical condition after being shot in the abdomen late last night in Lynchburg. Police say when they responded to the call at 1310 Garfield Avenue, they found 46 year old Lawrence Haywood Baker lying in the front yard with a bullet wound. 32 year old Anthony Edward Davis of Lynchburg is charged with malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

[Page 31 next][2-Marketwatch]

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

In business news, Apple computer released its earnings report along with Bank of America and McDonalds.
Jean Lee has more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Jean Lee/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:16]
[OUT Q=in New York, I'm AC.]
(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [WOOD ROGERS SPONSOR BOARD 5185 ESSC] [WINNER ANNOUNCE]

[11Red-Cross]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=bwa]
[TAPE#=Features #2 TC11:45]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
Dozens of volunteers from around the state got a taste of what it would be like to prepare meals for disaster victims.
This week the team made hundreds of home-cooked meals inside the American Red Cross's new mobile kitchen. Brent Watts has the story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It's a 53 foot...]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Amy Whittaker/American Red Cross; :24]
[SUPER=01-Peggy Owen/American Red Cross Volunteer; 1:00]
[SUPER=@brent2; 1:20]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=...BW News-7 Roanoke.]

[Tape tosses to bump] [BUMP]

[COMM][11Drama-Camp]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-16 TC1:57:32]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
Some Blacksburg kids are learning how to ACT UP this summer.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
They're part of "Act and React" a summer drama camp in town. These 7 to 12 year olds are learning how to build sets, write scripts and sing songs. With the help of second grade teacher Alicia (A-lee-sha) Spitzer, the kids are trying to put together an hour long play in less than a month.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT:16:29:00; 21:17:00]
[IN Q= They help each]
((ALICIA SPITZER: THEY HELP EACH OTHER THEY WATCH OVER EACH OTHER. ARE SLOGAN IS BE A BUDDY NOT A BULLY. WE DON'T LAUGH AT PEOPLE IF THEY FORGET THEIR LINES, WE HELP THEM REMEMBER. CAROLYN YE: IT'S FUN, EXCITING, IT GIVES YOU EXPERIENCE TO ACT IN FRONT OF OTHERS TO BE IN PLAYS AND STUFF. ))
[SUPER=01-Alicia Spitzer/Drama Teacher;]
[SUPER=01-Carolyn Ye/Camp Member;]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=plays and stuff.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The kids will hold an open performance on July 30th at 10 a-m at the old Blacksburg Middle School.
(------------)

[2-11Horse-Subdivision]

[COMM][6-Disabled-Comedian]

[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=04-20 TC15:18]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=3]

It's not easy to make fun of yourself.
But one comedian says it's his way of getting people to look past his disability.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem]

Micheal Aronin (UH-roan-in) has cerebral palsy. And he's used it to his advantage as stand-up comic.
(///// SOT /////)
[NAT SOT16:57:19]
[IN Q=I went up to the teller. She said may I help you]
((I WENT UP TO THE TELLER. SHE SAID MAY I HELP YOU. I SAID YES I'M HERE TO GET MY BALANCE))
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=I'm here to get my balance]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Aronin (UH-roan-IN) was in Salem yesterday for the 15th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Independent living center. The center helps people with disabilities.
Aronin (UH-roan-IN) hopes his take on life will give others something to smile about.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT16:37:00]
[IN Q=Laughter can help us through any situation]
((MICHAEL ARONIN/COMEDIAN & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER; LAUGHTER CAN HELP US THROUGH ANY SITUATION. IT NOT ONLY HELPS ME BUT THE NON-DISABLED POPULATION FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH ME))
[SUPER=01-Michael Aronin/Comedian & Motivational Speaker]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=more comfortable with me]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Aronin (UH-roan-IN) has made his living as stand-up comic for the past 12 years. He is also a motivational speaker. (------------)