Morning news AM cutins on WDBJ 7 10/30/95

08:25-01

7911-Problem

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=am
WRITER=dal
TAPE# 95-96
GRAPHIC=Fire

The new 9-1-1 system in Rockbridge County has residents worried.
They're questioning its significance after a fire destroyed a resident's house over the weekend.
Some wonder if the damage would have been less severe if a call for help had been answered sooner.
Denise Allen reports.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Bessy May Huffman
SUPER=03-Glasgow; :00
SUPER=01-Bette Emore/Daughter; :10
SUPER=01-Mary Alice Spangler/Neighbor; :42
SUPER=01-Capt. Chris Blalock/Rockbridge Co. Sheriff Dept.; 1:26
SUPER=@Denise1; 1:42
RUNS=1:59
OUT Q=Rockbridge County.
((Bessy May Huffman's husband built this house about 40 years ago.
They repaired it after the floods, but Saturday night the house was gutted by fire. ((BETTE EMORE/DAUGHTER: SHE CALLED ME AND SAID TO PLEASE COME FAST AND CALL 911. HER HOUSE WAS ON FIRE. I GRABBED MY PHONE AND CALLED 911 AND COULD NOT GET THROUGH AT ALL.))
Several neighbors also dialed 911, but say no one answered the call.
Bette Emore says it was her mother's neighbor, the fire chief, that finally got help to the scene. ((EMORE: AS SOON AS OUR NEIGHBOR GOT HERE, HE GOT THE TRUCKS HERE IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, BUT IF HE HADN'T BEEN HERE I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'D OF GOTTEN HELP.)) ((MARY ALICE SPANGLER/NEIGHBOR: IT WAS FIERCE, RED, SCARY. THE WIND WAS BLOWING.))
Bessy Huffman is in the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
Her daughter says she's been ill lately and is lucky to have made it out alive.
Other residents say this is not the first time there has been a problem with the 911 system. ((911 OPERATOR: ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY 911. CALLER: I NEED THE GLASGOW FIRE DEPARTMENT. OPERATOR: WHERE ABOUTS. CALLER: ON KANAWHA STREET ABOUT A BLOCK FROM THE FIRE HOUSE. BESSY MAY HUFFMAN'S HOUSE IS ON FIRE.))
The Rockbridge County Sheriff's Department answers the 911 calls.
There were two dispatchers on duty that night.
The computer logs and the tapes tell the story.
(/////SOT/////)
((CAPT. CHRIS BLALOCK/ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: THE FIRST DISPATCHER WHO HAD TAKEN THE CALL STARTED TO TONE OUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN GLASGOW. THE SECOND DISPATCHER STARTED TAKING UP THE 911 CALLS AS THEY CAME IN. THE PROBLEM IS A SERIES OF CALLS CAME IN IN THE MATTER OF SECONDS.))
The new 911 system was put into effect in March and is not fully operational yet.
The enhanced system requires at least nine thousand address changes.
Officials say these changes should be complete and the system fully operational by mid summer.
Denise Allen News 7, Rockbridge County.))

7Wytheville-fatal

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

A two vehicle accident in Wytheville last night killed one person.
Police say 38-year old Salvidor Simon was driving in the Northbound lane of Petunia Road and Route 11 shortly after seven in the evening.
He apparantly crossed into the southbound lane and hit a car head-on.
Simon was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.
Police say a 17-year old man was driving the other car, his injuries are not life-threatening.
The passengers in his car were treated and released.

7Warner

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=am
WRITER=amo
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=Warner, John

Senator John Warner will call for a national study of gambling's social costs and its impact on crime at a Norfolk news conference this morning.
Also appearing at the news conference will be northern Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf ... who sponsored House legislation for a national commission on gambling.
Wolf sponsored House legislation for a national commission on gambling.
Warner says he will sign a Senate version of the gambling study commission bill.

7weather

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

Turning now to the weather -
Today is going to be partly sunny with clouds moving in by this afternoon.
Highs will be in the 60s.
Tonight, temperatures will dip into the 50s
Expect rain to move in tomorrow - also cooler temperatures with highs in the 50s.

55Pocahontas-Unemployment

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE# 95-81
GRAPHIC=None

One West Virginia County has the dubious honor of posting one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
Scott Prince has more from Pocahontas County.
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SOT
IN Q=It looks like
SUPER=03-Pocahontas Co., WV; :00
SUPER=01-Donnie Curry/Pocahontas Co. Resident; :17
SUPER=@Scott1; :38
SUPER=01-Sen. Walt Helmick/(D) West Virginia; :55
SUPER=01-Dana Moyers/Pocahontas Co. Commission President; 1:23 QUICK!!!
RUNS=1:41
OUT Q=West Virginia
(( It looks like a nice place to visit, but many say you don't want to live here.
The latest unemployment numbers are in and Pocahontas County, West Virginia checks in with a whopping 19-point- 6 percent.
That's highest in the Mountain State, and one of the highest in the nation. ((DONNIE CURRY/POCAHONTAS CO. RESIDENT: THE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO WORK BUT YOU EITHER DRAW ALL OF YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT OUT AND LEAVE OR-- THERE'S JUST NOTHING HERE. WE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY HERE TO PROVIDE US SOME JOBS.))
That's not to say there isn't anyone supplying work to the region.
Snowshoe Silvercreek is the county's largest employer with around a thousand workers.
And that number is even higher during ski season.
But Snowshoe is the exception, not the rule.
This used to be the site of one of the world's largest tanneries, employing three to four hundred people at a time. Now it employs no one.
And when one or two of these manufacturing plants close, the local economy takes a major hit. ((STATE SEN. WALT HELMICK/(D)-WEST VIRGINIA: HERE IT PROMOTES A TREMENDOUS IMPACT. WE HAVE SUCH A SMALL POPULATION. WE ONLY HAVE 9,008 PEOPLE IN 965 SQUARE MILES.))
Helmick is trying to get Pocahontas County back on track.
One of the ideas is to turn THIS barren facility into an industrial park.
But there are many obstacles.
There are no four- lane roads, and trains don't come through the county anymore. ((DANA MOYERS/POCAHONTAS CO. COMMISSION: WE ARE AN ISOLATED COUNTY AND WE'RE IN A MOUNTAINOUS REGION, SO TRANSPORTATION IS NOT AN ASSET THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. ))
But right now, one out of every five people is OUT of work.
And residents say things need to change very soon, in order to change the outlook for the future.
Scott Prince, News 7, Pocahontas County, West Virginia.))

55race-driver

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

Race car driver Kenny Minter of Martinsville and a veteran of the local tracks in the area, was killed yesterday afternoon during a modified race at the Mid-Atlantic 500 championships in Asheboro, North Carolina.
Officials of the Southern Modified Auto Racing teams say Minter died when his car touched another car and hit the wall.
Minter was 39.

55Education-Outreach

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=bmy
TAPE# 95-76
GRAPHIC=education

Educators from the Science Museum of Western Virginia has come up with a teaching method that is getting students excited about learning.
Instead of young people make a tripping the musuem, the musuem comes to them.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Vinton;

Teachers say being able to see and touch the museum's exhibits make science come to life.
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10 54 25 00 - 10 54 45 00
SOT
IN Q=I think they
((ELIZABETH HUBBARD/FALLON PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER: I THINK THEY CAN LEARN A LOT FROM THINGS THEY MIGHT NOT EXPERIENCE IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE. AND THEY REALLY ENJOY IT AND THE SPEAKERS I THINK ARE GREAT AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND DIFFERENT THINGS THEY CAN DO WITH THE STUDENTS.))
SUPER=01-Elizabeth Hubbard/Fallon Park Elementary School Teacher;
RUNS=:19
OUT Q=with the students.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The museum has numerous subjects and items in it's education outreach program.... and it's tailored to meet the state's requirements for science education.
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11 03 30 00 - 11 03 38 00
SOT
IN Q=Each grade level
((JAN DOWLING/OUTREACH EDUCATOR: EACH GRADE LEVEL HAS DIFFERENT STANDARDS OF LEARNING IT'S SUPPOSE TO MEET WITH SCIENCE AND WE'VE TRIED TO GEAR OUR TOPICS TOWARD THOSE THINGS. ))
SUPER=01-Jan Dowling/Outreach Educator;
RUNS=:08
OUT Q=toward those things.
(----------------)
VO-NAT.

The program is offered for Kindergarten through 12th grade.
(----------------)

55weather

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

Taking a look at the weather for the start of your week -
It's is going to be partly sunny with clouds moving in by the afternoon.
Highs will be in the 60s.
Tonight, temperatures will dip into the 50s
Expect rain to move in tomorrow - also cooler temperatures with highs in the 50s.

8emergency

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=amo
TAPE#edit of 95-96
GRAPHIC=None

A number of questions are being raised this morning about the effectiveness of the 9-1-1 System in Rockbrige County.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Glasgow;

Bessy May Huffman's house went up in flames over the weekend.
She says she called her daughter who then tried to contact 9-1-1.
But Huffman's daughter says no one answered the call.
Several neighbors say they also tried to call.
The Rockbridge County Sheriff's Department answers the emergency calls and that night two dispatchers were on duty.
(//////SOT///////)
SOT 00:01:40
IN Q=the
((CAPT. CHRIS BLALOCK/ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: THE FIRST DISPATCHER WHO HAD TAKEN THE CALL STARTED TO TONE OUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN GLASGOW. THE SECOND DISPATCHER STARTED TAKING UP THE 911 CALLS AS THEY CAME IN. THE PROBLEM IS A SERIES OF CALLS CAME IN IN THE MATTER OF THREE TO FOUR SECONDS.))
SUPER=01-Capt. Chris Blalock/Rockbridge Co. Sheriff's Dept.;
RUNS=:17
OUT Q=matter of 3-4 seconds.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

But residents say it was Huffman's neighbor, the fire chief, who alerted a crew to come battle the blaze.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 00:00:46
IN Q=
((BETTY EMORE/DAUGHTER: AS SOON AS OUR NEIGHBOR GOT HERE, HE GOT THE TRUCKS HERE IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, BUT IF HE HADN'T BEEN HERE I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'D OF GOTTEN HELP.))
SUPER=01-Bette Emore/Daughter;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=GOTTEN HELP.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Huffman suffered from smoke inhalation.
Rockbridge County officials say the new enhanced 911 system was put into effect back in March but is NOT fully operational yet.
It should be completely on line by mid summer.
(----------------)

8unemployment

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=amo
TAPE#edit of 95-81
GRAPHIC=NONE

The latest unemployment numbers give a West Virginia county one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Pocahontas Co., WV;

Pocahontas County's unemployment rate is 19-points six percent.
That means one out of FIVE people is out of work.
The figure is the highest in West Virginia.
Snowshoe Silvercreek is the county's largest employer but recent plant closings put hundreds of people out of work.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Here it promotes
((STATE SEN. WALT HELMICK/(D)-WEST VIRGINIA: HERE IT PROMOTES A TREMENDOUS IMPACT. WE HAVE SUCH A SMALL POPULATION. WE ONLY HAVE 9,008 PEOPLE IN 965 SQUARE MILES.)) ((DONNIE CURRY/POCAHONTAS CO. RESIDENT: THE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO WORK BUT YOU EITHER DRAW ALL OF YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT OUT AND LEAVE OR-- THERE'S JUST NOTHING HERE. WE GOT TO HAVE SOMEBODY HERE TO PROVIDE US SOME JOBS.))
SUPER=01-Sen. Walt Helmick/(D) West Va.; :00
SUPER=01-Donnie Curry/Pocahontas Co. Resident; :12
RUNS=:23
OUT Q=us some jobs
(----------------)
VO-NAT

County officials say one of the area's problems is transportation.
(----------------)

8Keen

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cutin
WRITER=THA
TAPE# 95-73
GRAPHIC=Million Man March

Some southside leaders want to bring the spirit of the Million Man March to Danville.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Danville; QUICK!!!

The Reverend William Avon Keen is President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Danville.
SUPER=03-Washington DC/October 16;

He says the local S-C-L-C shares the concerns of march organizer Louis Farrakhan.
Earlier this year, the Heritage Preservation Association erected a monument and Confederate Flag at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History.
Keen says that's just one reason his organization has been in contact with the National S-C-L-C about holding a similar march in Danville.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=We would
((REV. WILLIAM A. KEEN/SCLC PRESIDENT:WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MARCH DEVELOPED ON THE LAST CONFEDERATE CAPITAL OF A SIMILAR MAGNITUDE TO BRING TO THE NATION'S CONSCIOUS LEVEL WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN THE LAST CONFEDERATE CAPITAL THAT IS DESTROYING MANHOOD SUCH AS HAVING AN EXTREME NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES ON DEATH ROW. ))
SUPER=01-Rev. William A. Keen/Danville SCLC President
RUNS=:23
OUT Q=on death row.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Keen says he's optimistic a march will be held in Danville.
(----------------)

8weather

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

Turning now to weather for your Mondy -
It's is going to be partly sunny with clouds moving in by the afternoon.
Highs will be in the 60s.
Expect temperatures to be much cooler tonight, with lows dipping down into the low 40s. will be in the 50s. Rain will be moving in by tomorrow, along with cooler temperatures - Highs