08:25-01

7Matheson

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=jmo
TAPE# 95-86
GRAPHIC=none

A Virginia Tech student is dead following a car accident yesterday Insterstate 81.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Montgomery Co./Yesterday;

20-year-old Robert Lee Matheson of Danville was killed at about five p-m in front of the Ironto Rest Area.
It happened when a car driven by 23-year-old Keith Wallace of Roanoke crossed the median and hit Matheson's vehicle.
Matheson died at the scene.
Wallace suffered minor injuries.
Police are still investigating.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

And a nine-year-old boy was killed in an accident in Charlotte County.
Travis Matthew Byron died after he was struck by a station wagon on route 3-60.

7Funeral


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=Dal
TAPE# 95-88
GRAPHIC=None

Victim rights advocates are questioning the effectiveness of a three-year- old law AFTER the murder of a Roanoke woman.
Roanoke police say Larry William Mack FATALLY shot Alesha Ann Johnson, and then committed suicide.
Yesterday, family and friends of Alesha Johnson gathered for a memorial service.
And as Denise Allen reports, loved ones HOPE officials will start taking stalking charges more seriously.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=They came to
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Yesterday; :00
SUPER=01-Angela Johnson/Alesha's Sister; :15
SUPER=01-Darlene Young/Turning Point Women's Shelter; :39
SUPER=@Denise1; :46
SUPER=01-Battina Altizer/Attorney; 1:02
RUNS=1:44
OUT Q=News 7
((
They came to say good bye.
Alesha Johnson had just recently turned 21.
And police say last Thursday, Johnson was shot by her former boyfriend 26-year old Larry Mack.
Family members say she was moving on with her life. ((ANGELA JOHNSON/ALESHA'S SISTER: JUST BECAUSE A WOMAN DOES NOT WANT TO BE WITH YOU ANY LONGER IS NO REASON TO KILL HER AND TAKE HER LIFE. YOU MOVE ON.))
Family members say Mack had been staking out their apartment for weeks.
And shortly before her death Johnson filed stalking charges against him.
The stalking law went on the books in 1992.
Many say its over used and not taken seriously. ((DARLENE YOUNG/THE TURNING POINT WOMEN'S SHELTER: I THINK WE SHOULD STAND UP AND START ENFORCING THESE LAWS AND STICKING UP FOR THESE WOMEN.))
The law states that a person is guilty of stalking if on more than one occasion that person's behavior places another person in reasonable fear of death, sexual assault or bodily injury.
If convicted it's a class two misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of six months in jail. ((BETTINA ALTIZER/ATTORNEY: IF THAT PERSON IS CONVICTED MORE THAN ONCE IT'S A CLASS ONE MISDEMEANOR AND THAT IS UP TO 12 MONTHS IN JAIL. OR A 25-HUNDRED DOLLAR FINE. ON THE THIRD OFFENSE IT'S A CLASS SIX FELONY WHICH IS ONE TO FIVE YEARS IN THE PENITENTIARY.))
Bettina Altizer says maybe using computers to improve communication between the different divisions of the court system will help prevent cases similar to Johnson's.
Alesha Johnson's family says they'll do what ever it takes to help other families avoid losing a loved one.
They says they want Alesha to be more than just a statistic.
Denise Allen News 7,))
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Larry Mack's family says he was portrayed unfairly by the media.
They believe Larry never meant to shoot Alesha Johnson.
They say this is a tragedy for both families.

7Campaign-Spending


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=cro
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=campaign 95

Governor Allen's political action committee is targeting legislative races with strong Republican challengers by financing local advertising campaigns ... spending 180-thousand dollars last month.
According to candidates' finance reports ... Allen's PAC gave nearly 15-thousand dollars in media advertising to Trixie Averill. She's running against House Democratic Leader Dick Cranwell of Roanoke County.

7Weather


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#
GRAPHIC=

Turning now to the weather -
Lots of sunshine today as temperatures reach high in the 70s.
Lows tonight will be in the 40s.
Clouds and cooler temperatures will continue to move in throughout the week.

55Murder


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=cro
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=murder

A 25-year-old Henry County man was shot and killed last night in what police believe to be a drug related incident.
Orbin Smith Junior was found shot at his home on Carver Road at about ten last night.
He later died at a hospital.
Police are still investigating.

5581-Ax


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cut-in
WRITER=jmo
TAPE# 95-86
GRAPHIC=none

An accident on interstate 81 killed a Virginia Tech student.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Montgomery Co./Yesterday;

20 year old Robert Lee Matheson of Danville died when another car crossed the median and hit his car in front of the Ironto Rest area.
23-year-old Keith Wallace was the driver of the other car. He suffered minor injuries.
(----------------)
WIPE/WIPE/WIPE

55Salem-Ax


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
TAPE# 95-76
GRAPHIC=wipe/wipe/wipe
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Salem/Last Night;

Roanoke Boulevard in Salem is open again following an auto accident that downed power lines and blocked traffic.
A 17-year-old male was driving eastbound last night when he hit a guide wire on an electrical pole.
The boy suffered minor injuries.
The road was closed for several hours between Hemlock and Route 4-19 while crews cleaned up the area.
(----------------)

55Solar-Living


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cut-in
WRITER=spr
TAPE# 95-93
GRAPHIC=None

Sunshine means a lot more than just a pretty day to one Botetourt County man.
He depends on that solar energy to keep his house running... and he says he's sold on solar power..
Scott Prince has more.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Mark Hanson
SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.; :00
SUPER=08-Mark Hanson/Owns Solar Home; :16 (screen left)
SUPER=@Scott2; 1:12
RUNS=1:24
OUT Q=Scott Prince, News 7
((Mark Hanson says he doesn't mind rainy weather, even though he relies on the sun to heat his house and warm his water.
When clouds prevail and the temperature drops OUTSIDE, Hanson has enough solar energy stored up to keep things normal INSIDE.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
((MARK HANSON/OWNS SOLAR HOME: YOU HAVE ABOUT THREE DAYS RIDE THROUGH WITH THE HOT WATER. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'LL HAVE HOT WATER FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS. NOW THERE IS A BACKUP FOR THAT. AS FAR AS THE AIR HEATING GOES, YOU GET A WARM NIGHT FROM A SUNNY DAY.))
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=SUNNY DAY

Eight solar panels on the roof capture sunlight.
The panels then heat plumbing pipes, which carry water down to the basement of the house.
The hot water is stored here in this bin.
But Hanson is not completely dependent on the sun.
He uses electricity to light up his house, and it's the only way to charge up his electric car.
It takes six to eight hours to fully charge the vehicle, enabling it to go from his home near Fincastle to his job in Roanoke.
He says it's much cheaper to maintain than a conventional car.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12:36:48
IN Q=Your're looking
((HANSON:YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 3- POINT- 5 CENTS A MILE TOTAL COST. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE MUFFLERS, OR OIL, THAT TYPE OF THING. NO TUNE-UPS ))
RUNS=:08
OUT Q=NO TUNE-UPS

Hanson says he spent about fifty- five hundred dollars converting the car.
He shelled out another two- thousand dollars to install the solar- driven system in his house.
But he says that has just about paid for itself in the money he saves on electric bills.
So what's next for Hanson????
How about a solar- powered hot tub.
Scott Prince, News 7.))

55Model-Cars


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cut-in
WRITER=bmy
TAPE# 95-83
GRAPHIC=None

The first annual Roanoke Model Car Swap meet over the weekend drew quite a crowd... especially when it came to the race car model contest.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Saturday;

Model builders constructed replicas of the cars driven by NASCARS' most popular drivers.
Among the displays was Thomas Mountcastle's collection of NASCAR memorabilia.
His collection includes press clippings from racing days at Roanoke's Victory Stadium.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 10:55:18
IN Q=most of my
((THOMAS MOUNTCASTLE/COLLECTOR: MOST OF MY COLLECTION CONSISTS OF PAPER FROM THE '50'S, '60'S AND '70'S. I JUST ENJOY READING ABOUT THE OLD DRIVERS THAT SET THE BASIS FOR THE NASCAR.))
SUPER=01-Thomas Mountcastle/Collector;
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=FOR NASCAR
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The Roanoke Valley Stock Car Model Builders Club sponsored the event.
The club meets on the second Thursday of each month.
(----------------)

55Weather


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#
GRAPHIC=

Turning now to the weather -
Lots of sunshine today as temperatures reach the mid 70s.
Tonight, partly cloudy skies with lows in the upper 40s.
Tomorrow, partly sunny skies. Afternoon temperatures will be in the 70s again...

8Murder


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=cro
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=murder

A 25-year-old Henry County man was shot and killed last night in what police believe was a drug related incident.
Orbin Smith Junior was shot at his home on Carver Road at about ten last night.

8Armed-Robbery


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=cro
TAPE#=none
GRAPHIC=none

And a K-9 tracking dog led police to an armed robbery suspect in Chatham.
The Chathem Heights Express Mart was robbed at about two this morning by a man who threatened the clerk with a kitchen knife, and took off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police where called to the scene, and one of their tracking dogs led them to a house about a half mile away, where police say they found the suspect in the shower.
30-year-old Keith David Covington of Spencer is being held on bond.

8Funeral


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=Dal
TAPE# 95-88
GRAPHIC=None

The fatal shooting of a Roanoke woman last week has advocates of victim rights questioning effectiveness of a three-year-old law.
Roanoke police say Larry William Mack shot Alesha Ann Johnson, and then committed suicide.
Yesterday, family and friends of Alesha Johnson gathered for a memorial service.
And as Denise Allen reports, loved ones HOPE officials will start taking stalking charges more seriously.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=They came to
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Yesterday; :00
SUPER=01-Angela Johnson/Alesha's Sister; :15
SUPER=01-Darlene Young/Turning Point Women's Shelter; :39
SUPER=@Denise1; :46
SUPER=01-Battina Altizer/Attorney; 1:02
RUNS=1:44
OUT Q=News 7
((
They came to say good bye.
Alesha Johnson had just recently turned 21.
And police say last Thursday, Johnson was shot by her former boyfriend 26-year old Larry Mack.
Family members say she was moving on with her life. ((ANGELA JOHNSON/ALESHA'S SISTER: JUST BECAUSE A WOMAN DOES NOT WANT TO BE WITH YOU ANY LONGER IS NO REASON TO KILL HER AND TAKE HER LIFE. YOU MOVE ON.))
Family members say Mack had been staking out their apartment for weeks.
And shortly before her death Johnson filed stalking charges against him.
The stalking law went on the books in 1992.
Many say its over used and not taken seriously. ((DARLENE YOUNG/THE TURNING POINT WOMEN'S SHELTER: I THINK WE SHOULD STAND UP AND START ENFORCING THESE LAWS AND STICKING UP FOR THESE WOMEN.))
The law states that a person is guilty of stalking if on more than one occasion that person's behavior places another person in reasonable fear of death, sexual assault or bodily injury.
If convicted it's a class two misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of six months in jail. ((BETTINA ALTIZER/ATTORNEY: IF THAT PERSON IS CONVICTED MORE THAN ONCE IT'S A CLASS ONE MISDEMEANOR AND THAT IS UP TO 12 MONTHS IN JAIL. OR A 25-HUNDRED DOLLAR FINE. ON THE THIRD OFFENSE IT'S A CLASS SIX FELONY WHICH IS ONE TO FIVE YEARS IN THE PENITENTIARY.))
Bettina Altizer says maybe using computers to improve communication between the different divisions of the court system will help prevent cases similar to Johnson's.
Alesha Johnson's family says they'll do what ever it takes to help other families avoid losing a loved one.
They says they want Alesha to be more than just a statistic.
Denise Allen News 7,))
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Larry Mack's family says he was portrayed unfairly by the media.
They believe Larry never meant to shoot Alesha Johnson.
They say this is a tragedy for both families.

8Campaign-Spending


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=cro
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=campaign 95
Governor Allen's political action committee is targeting legislative races with strong Republican challengers by financing local ad campaigns.
According to financial reports, the PAC spent 180-thousand dollars last month.
SS=averill

A big beneficiary is Trixie Averill.
Allen's PAC gave her nearly 15-thousand dollars for her campaign.
Averill is running against
SS=cranwell
House Democratic Leader Dick Cranwell of Roanoke County.

8Weather


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#
GRAPHIC=

Turning now to the weather -
Lots of sunshine today as temperatures reach high in the 70s. Lows tonight will be in the 40s.
by SS