WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 03/14/96

08:25-01

7Fatal

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=kmc
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=NONE

A Covington teenager was struck and killed yesterday while riding his bike.
State police say 14-year old Glenn Franklin Rudd apparently pulled in front of a pick up truck when he was making a turn onto Valley Ridge Drive.
Police are not releasing the name of the driver-- who is not expected to be charged.

7D'ville-Fire

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=THa
TAPE#EDIT of 96-14
GRAPHIC=fire

A house being remodled in Danville was destroyed by fire this morning.
By the time firefighters arrived, the one-story house was fully involved and the roof had already collasped.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Danville/This Morning;

Crews were called to 774- Arnette Boulevard at about 4 o'clock.
Authorities say it appeared the fire had been burning for a while.
They say the collapsed roof actually made it easier to extinguish the fire using the ladder truck.
Their biggest concern was ensuring the fire didn't spread to neighboring homes.
No one was living in the home.
Officials say the owners had been remodeling the house.
The fire was out in about 15- to 20- minutes.
(----------------)

7Hibbs-Wimmer-Ball

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=tal
TAPE#96-10
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales

A judge in Wythe County has certified abduction and murder charges against three men charged in the death of 17 year old Ricky Lee Coleman.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Wythe Co./January 22;

Coleman's body was found next to a creek on route 618.
He died from exposure to the cold.
Authorities say Coleman was drinking at the home of 19 year old Jason Hibbs.
SUPER=03-Wytheville;

Hibbs allegedly punched Coleman and threw him in the backyard, where he lay moaning and cursing.
Authorities say later 18 year old Eric Wimmer and 20 year old Eric Ball helped Hibbs wrap Coleman in a blanket and drive him to the creek bank, where he was found three days later.
(----------------)

7Frizzelle

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-19
GRAPHIC=Frizzelle

And a judge in Halifax County has sentenced a former preacher to 14 years behind bars.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Halifax/January 17;

Authorities say 45 year old Jonathon Frizzelle signed loans to buy vehicles and expensive lawn mowers.
He apparently got into trouble because he would sell the items without notifying or paying the bank.
In January, Frizzelle pleaded NO contest to 13 counts.
He was also ordered to pay restitution of more than 19- thousand dollars.
Among his victims- A fellow minister and used car salesman.
Frizzelle was pastor at two local churches before his arrest last summer.
(------0----------)

7Regional-Jail

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-15
GRAPHIC=Regional Jail

The architects responsible for designing a 42- million dollar regional jail system for central Virginia say they want the public's help in putting the plans together.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg

Over the next six weeks, the architectural team will talk with residents about what they'd like to see in each of the four buildings in the jail system.
SUPER=04-Last Night; :08

That process began last night when designers sat down with a neighborhood task force in Lynchburg.
Many downtown residents had fought hard to keep the jail out of their neighborhood.
But with the project a done deal, they now say they're just practicing damage control.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 21:19:04
IN Q=Yeah, we really
((TOM HUGHES/FEDERAL HILL RESIDENT: YEAH, WE REALLY DO WANT AND HOPE THAT THE REGIONAL JAIL STRUCTURE IS IN KEEPING WITH THE HISTORIC FLAVOR. WE'RE HOPING FOR A BUILDING THAT DOESN'T STICK OUT LIKE A MODERN SORE THUMB.))
SUPER=01-Tom Hughes/Federal Hill Resident; :00
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=modern sore thumb.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Councilman Junius Haskins spoke to a neighborhood group last night about the new jail.
He says residents will only have themselves to blame if they don't take part in the design process.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 21:46:02
IN Q=People who live
((JUNIUS HASKINS/LYNCHBURG COUNCIL MEMBER: PEOPLE WHO LIVE ACROSS THE STREET, WHO LIVE TWO BLOCKS AWAY OR ANYONE IN THE CITY FOR THAT MATTER, WHO HAVE VITAL INPUT TO MAKE, THEY SHOULD BE WELCOME AND SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO DO JUST THAT, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A COMMUNITY PROJECT.))
SUPER=01-Junius Haskins/Lynchburg Council Member; :00
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=a community project.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The state is picking up half the cost of the jail construction.
(----------------)

7Weather

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

Taking a look now at the forecast -
Today is going to be another nice day. It'll be sunny and warm with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s.
Clouds will move in tonight with some rain developing late.
Lows will be in the 40s.

55Branson

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=tal
TAPE#96-18
GRAPHIC=Billy Branson

Wythe County administrator Billy Branson hopes a judge will have better luck in finding out why he's been asked to resign. Branson is taking the
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Wytheville;
board of supervisors to court over a January 15th meeting that he believes was illegal.
He says legal action could have been avoided
SUPER=@File;
if former chairman Mark Munsey had produced the meeting minutes or publicly apologized.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 11:31:04
IN Q=
((BILLY BRANSON/WYTHE CO. ADMINISTRATOR: WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO START LEGAL PROCEEDINGS TO MAKE THEM PRODUCE THE RECORDS, OR AT LEAST STATEMENTS OF WHAT THEY SAID IN THE MEETING AND WHAT ACTION THEY TOOK. Q: AND THAT WOULD SATISFY YOU, TO JUST KNOW WHAT WAS SAID AT THE MEETING? A: WELL, IT'S ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY SAID. IF THEY CALLED ME A SON-OF-A-GUN I WON'T BE TOO HAPPY.))
SUPER=01-Billy Branson/Wythe Co. Administrator;
RUNS=:18
OUT Q=won't be too happy.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Branson wants to know what the board said about him, so he can decide if he is a victim of discrimination.
Munsey has admitted minutes of the meeting were not recorded.
(----------------)

55Bank-Merger

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=lbe
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=Banking

A merger in the southwest banking industry creates the largest bank in Danville.
American National Bankshares and the Mutual Savings Bank of Danville have announced they are joining forces.
Three offices of Mutual Savings will close today and then reopen tommorow as American National branches.
One Mutual Savings office will be closing, but no jobs will be lost.
The move also creates the the sixth largest in Virginia.

55First-Union

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#96-9
GRAPHIC=First Union

Meantime, another Banking giant hopes to be the first when it comes to cyberbanking.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=04-First Union Video;

Yesterday, First Union became the first bank in the country to release its annual report on C-D-ROM.
Bank officials say the multimedia presentation will help people understand it's strategies.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 13:22:42
IN Q=You have
((YOU HAVE TO PUT TECHNOLOGY IN AND OFFER IT TO THEM, IN A WAY THAT WILL BE APPEALING.))
RUNS=:04
OUT Q=be appealing.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

First Union's disk also connects to its home page on the Internet.
(-------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=First Union

The Charlotte-based bank has more than two-thousand employees in the Roanoke Valley, one of its regional headquarters.

55Wireless-Cable

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE#96-11
GRAPHIC=Cable TV

And more technology is coming soon to a small screen near you.
Scott Prince has more on what's new in the cable T-V business.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=There's something
SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00
SUPER=01-Bob Nay/R&B Cable; :14
SUPER=01-Betty Ann Rice/Wireless Cable Subscriber; :39
SUPER=@Scott1; :50
RUNS=1:23
OUT Q=S.P. News 7

((There's something different about this cable hook- up.
The installer is hardly using any cable.
WIRELESS technology is now available in the Roanoke Valley... and the demand is signaling success.
(/////SOT/////)
((BOB NAY/R&B CABLE: WE HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT'S TWENTY- FIVE TO THIRTY PERCENT GREATER THAN A TYPICAL WIRE LINE CABLE SYSTEM AND THEY SEEM TO LIKE THE CHANNEL LINEUP QUITE A BIT. ))
From the outside it appears to be a small satellite dish-- but that's where the satellite similarities end.
Wireless cable offers only twelve channels.
But the draw is that it offers local stations, and it can reach some remote areas where traditional cable is not offered. ((BETTY ANN RICE/WIRELESS CABLE SUBSCRIBER: WE WANTED CABLE EVER SINCE IT CAME TO THE CITY OF ROANOKE, BEFORE WE WERE EVEN IN THE CITY. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET IT AND IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. ))
That's not to say there aren't any drawbacks.
Yes, wireless cable gives you local stations... but as of right now, only half of them.
And unless your home possesses a clear view of Tinker Mountain, the system can't be installed.
That's because it works on microwave technology.
The signal from the mountain tower can't have any obstructions... that includes buildings, other mountains... or even a group of trees.
If any of these these things exist, the signal will be blocked.
Even still, officials hope to attract a strong number of households.
They expect 2- thousand subscribers to tune into wireless cable in the next year.
Scott Prince, News 7.))

55Weather

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

Taking a look now at the forecast -
Today is going to be another nice one.
It'll be sunny and warm with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s.
Clouds will move in tonight with some rain developing late.
Lows will be in the 40s.
Looking ahead, temperatures will be mild tomorrow and throughout the weekend, with showers off and on.

8Covington-Fatal

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=kmc
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=NONE

Police say a Covington teen-ager was killed yesterday when he rode his bike in front of a pick-up truck. 14-year-old Glenn Franklin Rudd was turning onto Valley Ridge Drive, when the truck hit him.
Police are not releasing the name of the driver-- who is not expected to be charged.

8County-Schools

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=JoeD
TAPE#96-12
GRAPHIC=Roanoke County Seal

Roanoke County's school board chose the county jail as the backdrop to make a point about education.
(////////////////)
SOT JOHNSON 14:01:31
IN Q=We're standing
((BOB JOHNSON/SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN: WE'RE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE JAIL , IN FRONT OF THE COURT SYSTEM HERE. AND THE ONE THING I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT EXPENSES, IF YOU THINK EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE, WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE PRICETAG OF IGNORANCE.))
SUPER=01-Bob Johnson/Supervisors Chairman;
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=the pricetag of ignorance.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Supporters say more than bricks and mortar are riding on the April 2nd referendum.
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Yesterday;

And while most of the money is earmarked for the construction of a new south county high school, supporters say they hope regional differences won't defeat the proposal.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT MINNIX 14:17:15
IN Q=Another six or eight years
((FUZZY MINNIX/CAVE SPRING SUPERVISOR: ANOTHER SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, THERE'S GOING TO BE NEEDS HERE. THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEED HERE, AND THOSE FOLKS ARE GOING TO SAY, WE DIDN;T GET OURS. WHY SHOULD THEY GET THEIRS.))
SUPER=01-Fuzzy Minnix/Cave Spring Supervisor;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=why should they get theirs.
ANCHOR=Melanie
ss=HOLD Roanoke County

Opponents have raised questions about the cost, the financing and the fairness of a project that benefits one part of the county more than the others.
Voters will have their say on April Second.

8Bedford-deputies

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=KHu
TAPE#96-16
GRAPHIC=Bedford County

Bedford County is about to get two new female sheriff's deputies.
One of the women is making history in the county.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Bedford/Yesterday
Wendy Fnch is the first female road officer EVER.
The Sheriff presented her with the badge of office yesterday.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 14:11:03
IN Q=And congratulate
((AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON BEING THE FIRST FEMALE ROAD DEPUTY IN BEDFORD COUNTY.))
SUPER=07-Sheriff Mike Brown
RUNS=:05
OUT Q=in Bedford County.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

She spent the last year and a half as a LYNCHBURG sheriff's deputy, working the lock-up.
She's not impressed by the historic "first."
She says it's just a job she's always wanted.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 14:19:35
IN Q=and you need
((AND YOU NEED WOMEN OFFICERS OUT THERE. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT MEN CAN'T HANDLE.))
SUPER=01-Wendy Finch/Bedford Co. Sheriff's Deputy;
RUNS=:06
OUT Q=can't handle.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Finch says she may be able to deal better with other women- whether they're crime victims or suspects.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

By the way, neighboring Amherst County already has a woman in the police academy -ready to start policing the area beginning May 24th.

8Frizzelle

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-19
GRAPHIC=Frizzelle

A former Halifax County minister will spend the next 14 years in prison.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Halifax/January 17;

In January, Frizzelle pleaded NO contest to 13 counts of fraud.
A judge sentenced him yesterday.
Authorities say 45 year old Jonathon Frizzelle signed loans to buy vehicles and expensive lawn mowers.
He apparently got into trouble because he would sell the items without notifying or paying the bank.
Frizzelle was also ordered to pay restitution of more than 19- thousand dollars.
Among his victims- A fellow minister and used car salesman.
Frizzelle was pastor at two local churches before his arrest last summer.
(------0----------)

8Actors

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

Actors from a southwest Virginia theater company are heading to Russia today to perform a new play.
The play is based on the deaths of Russian scientists during World War Two.
The production is part of a cultural exchange program between the Barter Theatre and actors with the Rybinsk Theatre, which will perform in Abingdon this summer.
The Barter Theatre's artistic director, Rick Rose, says the trip to Russia's second-oldest theater presents an opportunity to increase international awareness of the historic Abingdon theater.