[Traffic-Information]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Severe Weather]
[ENG#=none]
Severe storms are causing headaches all across the region this morning.
State police say they've had about a half dozen rain related accidents overnight -- including one in Botetourt County that sent three people to the hospital.
Officials say a car hydroplaned on Interstate 81 near mile marker 167 and hit the guardrail.
Another driver behind had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing, and that caused a tractor trailer behind them both to jackknife and force the middle car into the first one.
No one's injuries were life threatening.
High wind is the story in Danville -- where one apartment building was damaged.
Residents in two units were displaced when part of the roof blew away, but they've found a place to stay.
There's also some debris in the roads, but none are closed at this time.
The town of Calloway in Franklin county is seeing high water. Calloway road is closed in parts due to high water coming across bridges.
(+++++++++)
[TAKE L'burg Board]
Lynchburg dispatchers say several roads are closed because of flooding.
Part of Greenwood Drive, one lane of the Fifth Street Bridge is closed, Winston Ridge Road, and McConville road all have high water and drivers should avoid them.
(++++++++++++++)
[Iraq]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]
[ENG#=1]
The military says three more U- S troops have been killed in Iraq.
Two Marines died in action yesterday in the country's western Anbar province.
Another soldier died while supporting an operation near Mosul.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Baghdad, Iraq;]
In the ongoing efffort to disrupt the upcoming elections, insurgents hit a U-S convoy in Baghdad today.
And several recent attacks appear to be warnings for Iraq's top Shiite cleric, who supports the general elections.
Some Sunni clerics have called for a boycott, others want the election postponed until their regions are safe.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=WE are willing]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Hatem Mukhlis/Iraqi National Movement;]
[RUNS=:06 (estimated runs time)]
[OUT Q=FAllujah is in ruins.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Iraqi officials expect about half of the country's 15- million eligible voters to take part in the January 30th election.
(------------)
[Prison-Abuse]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=2]
Attorneys present closing arguments today in the courtmartial of Army Specialist Charles Graner.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]
Graner faces multiple charges for his alleged role in the Iraqi prison abuse scandal.
Yesterday, his defense rested, after soldiers assigned to Abu Ghraib testified that intelligence officers wanted detainees roughed up.
A military jury will decide Graner's fate.
If convicted, he could get up to 17-and-a-half years in prison.
(------------)
[6-General-Assembly]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jwi]
[TAPE#=04-50 TC1:02:27]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
Should cameras be mounted at stop lights in Roanoke?
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]
Senator John Edwards yesterday re- introduced a bill in the Senate that would do just that.
Cameras would take pictures of vehicles that run red lights.
Vehicle owners would then receive a ticket in the mail.
It's something city officials have asked for and something Senator Edwards says would save lives.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 21:16:36]
[IN Q=Studies shoe that this]
((SEN. JOHN EDWARDS/(D) ROANOKE: STUDIES SHOW THAT THIS PHOTO- RED, AS IT'S NOW CALLED, HAS SAVED LIVES. IT'S CUT DOWN ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND IN LARGER URBAN AREAS, IN PARTICULAR THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE RUNNING RED LIGHTS WHEN NOBODY IS THERE OR WHEN THEY DON'T THINK SOMEBODY'S WATCHING.))
[SUPER=@Edwards;]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=don't think somebody's watching]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Delegate William Fralin agrees that running red lights is a significant problem, but doesn't think cameras are the solution.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 21:24:15]
[IN Q=I feel like it is a]
((DEL. WILLIAM FRALIN/(R) ROANOKE: I FEEL LIKE IT IS A VIOLATION OF SIXTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS. BASICALLY YOU GET A TICKET IN THE MAIL AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO AND PROVE THAT YOU'RE INNOCENT- THAT IT WASN'T YOU RATHER THAN THE STATE HAVING TO PROVE THAT YOU COMMITTED THE VIOLATION.))
[SUPER=@Fralin;]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=you committed the violation]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Fralin believes other steps like adjusting the timing of lights would be a better answer to the problem.
(------------)
[11Warner]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-44 TC1:51:54]
[GRAPHIC=Mark Warner]
[ENG#=4]
Governor Warner says he is disappointed with a report that raises questions about the need for a new university in Southside Virginia.
Yesterday, he told community leaders he remains committed to the concept.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.]
On the day after he delivered his State of the Commonwealth Address, the governor held a community meeting at Patrick Henry Community College.
He said the report from the State Council on Higher Education will not be the last word on the new university.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 21:24 ]
[IN Q=Don't lose heart]
((DON'T LOSE HEART. THIS IS A PROCESS THIS IS A BATTLE AND THE BATTLE IS GOING TO BE WON. BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ALL ACROSS VIRGINIA.))
[SUPER=@markwarner]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=opportunities all across Virginia.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Warner said he will press lawmakers for an appropriation to keep the project moving.
(------------)
[Marketwatch]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]
[ENG#=1]
In business news, the government releases the December unemployment figures.
And stocks were down Thursday.
Ed Crane has those stories and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Ed Crane/Reporting; :00]
[RUNS=1:26]
[OUT Q=in New York.]
((((ED-ON CAM))
GOOD MORNING....AHEAD OF THE OPEN INVESTORS WILL GET THE LATEST NEWS ON UNEMPLOYMENT....WHEN THE GOVERNMENT RELEASES THE DECEMBER JOBLESS FIGURES
SEVERAL FACTORS CONSPIRED TO DRIVE STOCKS DOWN THURSDAY.....A MIXED REPORT ON RETAIL SALES. A NEGATIVE REPORT ON JOBLESS CLAIMS...AND THE BIGGEST SPIKE IN CRUDE OIL FUTURES IN SIX WEEKS..........CHECKING THE FINAL NUMBERS:
((GRAPHICS))
THE DOW FELL 111.95
THE NASDAQ DROPPED 21.97
((ED-ON CAM))
AMONG THE DOW STOCKS TRADING LOWER----PFIZER....WHICH WAS CITED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATI0N FOR MISLEADING ADS
FOR TWO ARTHRITIS DRUGS...CELEBREX AND BEXTRA....
INVESTORS ALSO GOT SOME MIXED NEWS ON RETAIL SALES---THEY ROSE ONE POINT TWO PERCENT IN DECEMBER---BUT NEARLY ALL OF TH
AT GAIN CAME IN THE FORM OF NEW CAR AND LIGHT TRUCK SALES.....ABSENT THAT...THE RETAIL SALES GAIN WAS JUST 3 TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT...
TWO COMPANIES BUCKED THE TREND...RADIO SHACK REPORTED A SEVEN PERCENT GAIN...AND APPLE COMPUTER STOCK LEAPED 9 PERCENT
HIGHER---REPORTING A 4TH QUARTER PROFIT BOOST OF 74 PERCENT....AT THE CORE OF APPLE'S RECENT SUCCESS...SALES OF THE I P
OD PERSONAL MUSIC SYSTEMS...
9 VENDORS FOR THE U-S ARM OF EUROPEAN RETAILER ROYAL A-HOLD HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS THAT HELPED THE COMPANY INFLATE PROFITS BY 800 MILLION DOLLARS...AMONG THEM EMPLOYEES OF GENERAL MILLS AND TYSON FOODS.
I'M ED CRANE CBS MARKETWATCH/NY.))
(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS]
[COMM]
[CA-Mudslide]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=1]
Today officials will meet with residents of La Conchita, California to discuss whether and when they'll be able to return home.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-La Conchita, CA;]
Experts say the town remains geologically hazardous after Monday's mudslide that killed 10 people and ruined more than a dozen homes.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pledged to help residents get back on their feet SAFELY..
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I would never recommend]
((GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER/R- CALIFORNIA: I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND FOR THEM TO REBUILD IN AN AREA OR IN A SPOT THAT IS DANGEROUS WHERE SOMEONE SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT MUDSLIDE COMES THIS HOUSE WILL BE RIPPED DOWN AGAIN. ))
[SUPER=01-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger/(R) California;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=ripped down again]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Yesterday, rescue operations were stopped when authorities accounted for everyone reported missing.
Crews that had been digging around the clock held a brief memorial service on the pile of mud and debris.
(------------)
[11Rainbow-Forest]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=04-53 TC34:42]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
An order from a state agency may prove to be a "drain" on one Botetourt community.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.]
Members of Rainbow Forest Recreation Association have been ordered to empty their community lake because the dam isn't up to code.
The group had a conditional certificate to operate, but has to repair a number of problems like- taking care of the trees and grass near the dam, cleaning up debris and fixing an emergency spillway that doesn't meet minimum standards.
The treasurer of the Rainbow Forest Recreational Association tells News7 the group has hired an engineer to figure out how much repairs will cost the neighborhood.
(------------)
(Kim tosses to bump)
[BUMP]
[COMM] [6-Marye-Land]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-43 TC1:39:43]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=2]
It's no secret Virginia farmers, on average, are aging, and the amount of farmland in the Commonwealth is shrinking.
That's one of the reasons local conservation groups are working overtime to save more land.
New River Valley Bureau Chief Rachel DePompa found, Senator Madison Marye is the latest to step up... adding his property to the list.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Senatory Madison ]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;:00]
[SUPER=01-Madison Marye/Former Senator;:26]
[SUPER=01-Tamara Vance/Virginia Outdoors Foundation;:48]
[SUPER=01-Roger Holnback/Western Virginia Land Trust;1:13]
[SUPER=@Rachel2;1:19]
[RUNS=1:38]
[OUT Q=RD, news 7.]
((Senator Madison Marye was born on this land in Montgomery County. His mother called it The Happy Little Valley.
NATS: 4:27:00 IT GOES BACK INTO THE WOOD LAND AND COMES AROUND TO THE RIGHT. :32
He loves the land so much, he's now saved all 562 acres from future development. A new land preservation agreement protects these rolling hills from mining, industry and future malls or subdivisions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT: 6:36:00 to :47 ]
[IN Q=This area]
((MADISON MARYE: THIS AREA COULD BE DEVELOPED INTO STRIP MALLS DOWN HERE SOMEWHERE AND THIS SORT OF THING. I THINK THERE'S A PLACE FOR DEVELOPMENT. BUT I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S IN THIS VALLEY.))
[RUNS:11]
[OUT Q=this valley.]
Sen. Marye's neighbors also have a conservation agreement, meaning all told, more than 11-hundred acres in the Elliston Straight away are off limits. And it's not just the view being saved.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT: 17:30:00 :45]
[IN Q= The river]
((TAMARA VANCE: THE RIVER THAT GOES THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY. IN TWO MILES A AWAY IT'S THE DRINKING WATER INTAKE FOR THE CITY OF SALEM AND SO KEEPING THIS LAND AS OPEN SPACE HELPS PROTECT THE WATER QUALITY FOR THE DRINKING WATER FOR THE CITY OF SALEM.))
[RUNS:15]
[OUT Q=of salem.]
Land agreements like these are starting to pop up all around southwest Virginia. From Roanoke to Grayson County. Last year 5700 acres became protected.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT: 24:37:00 to :46]
[IN Q=We're finding more]
((ROGER HOLNBACK: WE'RE FINDING MORE AND MORE OF FARM OWNERS IN THEIR 70'S AND 80'S NOW AND THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE GENERATIONAL CHANGE AND WHO'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FARM.))
[RUNS:10]
[OUT Q=the farm.]
Conservationists believe these agreements could be an answer.
NATS.. 5:10:00 Marye walking/pointing. IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER..
And Sen. Marye's hoping with this new deal, his land will stretch that far for quite some time.
In Montgomery County, Rachel DePompa, News 7. ))
(kim tosses to steve for weekend preview) [Winner]
[ANCHOR=None]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=D1]
[SUPER=45-Price Bowles/Salem]
[COMM]
[6-Health-Department]
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=04-47 TC1:10:06]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=1]
The Roanoke Health Department is not getting a good bill of health.
It's housed in an ailing building --constructed in the 1950's.
Health officials are ready to move -- but as Health Check Reporter Joy Sutton explains-- it's an issue of funding.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The pictures tell the story]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Molly O'Dell/District Health Director;10]
[SUPER=01-Bev Fitzpatrick/Roanoke Vice Mayor;36]
[SUPER=03-Richmond/Yesterday;50 Quick]
[SUPER=01-Del. Onzlee Ware/(D) Roanoke;53]
[SUPER=@Joy2;1:12]
[OUT Q=News 7, Roanoke]
[RUNS=1:16]
by SS