WDBJ 7 news at Noon for 03/22/96

12:00-01

NOON-HEADLINES

TALENT=Melanie
SS=None
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VO-NAT

A second emergency landing for the pilot of a small plane, this time in a Roanoke mall parking lot,
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ANCHOR=Melanie
and nine days after a gunman opened fire on a Scottish primary school, classes are back in session.
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TALENT=Patrick
SS=None

Clouds today will give way to sunshine and warmer weather for Saturday. I'll have a complete weekend forecast coming up in just a few minutes.
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ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Don't go away, the news is next.

Plane-Crash

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=spr
TAPE#=96-26
GRAPHIC=Plane Crash Invest./PRIVATE

An investigation is underway into last night's plane crash at Valley View Mall.
Pilot James Lee says he had engine problems and could not make it to Roanoke Regional Airport.
doublebox=mel/scott

Scott Prince joins us from the mall with the latest.
LIVE=scott/full
SUPER=@Scott1;
SUPER=05-Roanoke;
(scott ad lib)
(********rollcue: pilot James Lee...******)
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SOT
IN Q=FFA officials
SUPER=03-Roanoke;
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night; :05
SUPER=01-James Lee/Pilot; :20
SUPER=01-Mark Courtney/Roanoke Regional Airport; :44
RUNS=1:00
OUT Q=fact of life
LIVE=scott/full
(toss to mel)

GM-LATEST

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=MEL
TAPE# net
GRAPHIC=G-M logo

In Ohio, twenty-seven-hundred G-M workers have gathered on the campus of the University of Dayton to vote on ending their 18-day strike.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Dayton, OH;

The walkout has idled nearly all of G-M's North American production by causing a parts shortage.
A tentative settlement was reached yesterday.
Union leaders have not released details, but they're recommending approval.
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Dunblane

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=none

Classes have resumed in Scotland at the school where 16 young children and their teacher were shot to death last week.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Dunblane, Scotland;

Parents escorted their children into the Dunblane Primary School this morning for the first time since the March 13th massacre.
The school's headmaster says the town is putting the tragedy behind it.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=THE EVIL THAT
((RON TAYLOR/DUNBLANE PRIME SCHOOL: THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DAY FOR US BECAUSE TODAY MARKES THE BEGINNING OF OUR RECOVERY.WE WILL RECOVER THAT, I PROMISE YOU THAT. ))
SUPER=01-Ron Taylor/Dunblane Prime School;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=I PROMISE YOU THAT.
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VO-NAT

Taylor says he has been overwhelmed by the thousands of floral tributes, cards and stuffed animals sent by people from around the world.
Five children and two adults wounded in the attack remain hospitalized.
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COP-SHOOTING

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=Shooting

A man who shot two police officers at home near New York City ended a long standoff today with suicide.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Eastchester, NY;

Police say the gunman, 26 year old Richard Sacchi (SAH'-chee) opened fire on the officers yesterday when they answered a phone call for help.
One of the officers died.
Officials say Sacchi (SAH'-chee) also killed his grandmother and his dog.
He was found in an upstairs bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=He layed out
10:13;15 ((JEANINE PIRRO/WESTCHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: HE LAYED OUT HIS CLOTHES FOR HIS FUNERL, AND HE WROTE ON THE WALL "FOR MY FUNERAL". ALSO ASKED JESUS TO FORGIVE HIM AND SAID HE WANTED TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH JESUS. ))
SUPER=01- Jeanine Pirro/Westchester Co. District Attorney;
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=ETERNITY WITH JESUS.
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Police say Sacchi was supposed to turn himself in today for a stalking charge.
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Texas-FIRE

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#NET
GRAPHIC=Fire

Police in Texas today are investigating a murder- suicide- arson.
Early this morning firefighters found the bodies of two adults and three children in a burning house near Houston.
Authorities say some of the dead had been shot.
Investigators also found a gas can in the house, suggesting possible arson.

County-Fire

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=jmo
TAPE# 96-25
GRAPHIC=Fire Investigation

Investigators say a fire at a condemned house and neighboring trailer in Roanoke County appears to be suspicious.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Last Night;

The blaze broke out late last night at 73-23 Apple Grove Road.
Fire officials had received information that the house and trailer would be set on fire.
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SOT 1:12:30
IN Q=On this particular
((DONALD GILLESPIE/ROANOKE CO. FIRE MARSHAL: ON THIS PARTICULAR FIRE THE HOUSE BURNED. WE'VE SINCE BEEN HERE AND FOUND AN ATTEMPT TO BURN THE TRAILER. WE DO HAVE A SUSPECT. WE CAN'T RELEASE HIS NAME.))
SUPER=01-Donald Gillespie/Roanoke Co. Fire Marshal;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=release his name
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VO-NAT

Joseph Schoonover, the property owner's brother, was taken to the hospital suffering from cuts.
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SOT 1:12:55
IN Q=We suspect
((GILLESPIE: WE SUSPECT HE MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE HOUSE OR AT THE HOUSE WHEN THE FIRE OCCURRED.))
RUNS=:08
OUT Q=fire occurred.
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD

Apparently a couple who lived in the trailer had been evicted.
While moving yesterday the couple told investigators they came to the trailer and found their furniture on fire in the yard.
Gillespie says he also has suspects in that incident.
There's no word on whether the two incidents are related.
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ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Up next, a look at a fatal accident in Franklin County,
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VO-NAT
and Puppyland is no longer dogged by the threat of criminal prosecution over the death of a pet.
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comm1

Franklin-Ax

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=tbr
TAPE#96-29
GRAPHIC=None

An elderly woman is dead following an automoblie accident on Route 2-20 in Franklin County yesterday.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Franklin Co./Yesterday;

Eighty-five year old Helen Louise Nolen died when the car she was riding in was struck on the passenger side.
Police say Nolen was with 71 year old Ruth Hash Jones who apparently turned into the path of a car being driven by William Edward Maxwell of Rocky Mount.
Lifeguard 10 transported Nolen to Roanoke Memorial Hospital where she later died.
The accident is still under investigation.
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Puppyland

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=KHu
TAPE#96-21
GRAPHIC=NONE

Criminal charges will not be filed against a Roanoke dog grooming business due to lack of evidence.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;

The death of a dog boarded over-night last September at Puppyland prompted an investigation by city police, animal control and the State Department of Agriculture.
Though the dog had a couple of broken ribs and a punctured lung, the city prosecutor said today there's no way to prove how the dog's injuries were inflicted and who might have been responsible.
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SOT 12:48:00
IN Q=Certainly
((DON CALDWELL/PROSECUTOR: CERTAINLY THE INJURIES THAT THE ANIMAL SUFFERED WOULD LEAD ONE TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED BY ACCIDENT. BUT SUSPICION IS NOT GOING TO DO IT IN THIS SITUATION.))
SUPER=01-Donald Caldwell/Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney; :00
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=in this situation.
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Caldwell says the owner of the dog is free to file a civil complaint against Puppyland.
The owner of the business, Chris Benson, already has a 16-million dollar libel lawsuit pending against W-S-L-S T-V over this case.

Bonds

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=JoeD
TAPE#96-11
GRAPHIC=Roanoke County Seal

Roanoke County School Board members say they've done their best to see that all parts of the county benefit from capital improvements.
Yesterday, they called for the entire county to rally around the proposed bond issue that will pay for a new Cave Spring High School.
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SOT
IN Q=I think it's very unfair
SUPER=01-Jerry Canada/School Board Chairman;
((JERRY CANADA/SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN: I THINK IT'S VERY UNFAIR THAT WE'RE BEING ACCUSED OF FAVORING ONE PART OF THE COUNTY OVER ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, BECAUSE WE'VE MADE SPECIAL EFFORTS TO TRY AND STAY AWAY FROM THAT.))
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=stay away from that.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Yesterday;

Supporters of the bond issue held their latest news conference at William Byrd Middle School.
They say it's a state- of- the- art school building and just one example of the effort to deliver a high- quality education in all corners of the county.
SOT CRANWELL 12:01:16
IN Q=Roanoke County is one political
((DEL. DICK CRANWELL/D- VINTON: ROANOKE COUNTY IS A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS IN EVERY PART OF THE COUNTY GET A QUALITY EDUCATION. AND I THINK IT ALL WORKS IN CYCLES.))
RUNS=:08
OUT Q=works in cycles.
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD

Regional questions aside, opponents question the location of the new school, the cost, and the financing.
Don Terp says the county simply cannot afford the long-term debt.
The issue goes to the voters of Roanoke County with a referendum on April 2nd.
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ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Still to come --
Astronomers say a once in a lifetime opportunity is over your head, but we'll show you how you can still get in on it,
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VO-NAT
and Atlantis may not be over our heads for as long as originally scheduled.
Why NASA is talking about cutting the mission short, next.
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Update

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=non
WRITER=cro
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=gm logo

We've just learned that G-M workers have ratified a settlement, ending a strike at two brake plants.
The United Auto Workers union says the deal won approval from 99 percent of the Ohio plant workers who voted.

Atlantis

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=Atlantis

Just hours after Atlantis launched into space, NASA is cutting its nine-day mission short because of a leaky steering system.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Cape Canaveral, FL;

About a quarter of the hydraulic fluid leaked from a critical power unit during the pre-dawn liftoff.
There are three such units aboard the shuttle - two are required for landing.
The crew will go on with docking with the Russian space station MIR scheduled for tomorrow, but safety rules may force the shuttle to shorten its visit after transferring U-S astronaut Shannon Lucid to the station.
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Comet

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=cro
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=none

You might want to turn your head toward the skies over the next few nights to glimpse an astronomical event of historic proportions. ESS/FULL
Comet Hyakutake (Ya-ku-talk-ee) is scheduled to get as close to earth as a comet has ever come before, and this comet is so big and so bright it will be visible to the naked eye.
ANCHOR=Melanie 2 shot

Hopkins Planetarium Director Britt Rossie is here to tell us about this phenomenon.
There's been a lot of talk about this comet, is it really that big of a deal?
SUPER=01-Britt Rossie/Hopkins Planetarium;
(Where should skywatchers look and what can they expect to see?)
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VO-NAT
RUNS=:35
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(Any tips for better viewing?)

(I understand Sunday night may be the best night for viewing the comet?)

(Tell us about the discovery of the comet?)

(There have been some disapointments in the past with other much publicized
comets, like Haley's Comet ten years ago, are we going to be disappointed this time?)

(And this is really a once in a lifetime opportunity, when is the comet
expected to make a repeat appearance?)
ANCHOR=Melanie
ESS/FULL/1030
You can find more information about the comet on our WEB site.
Again -- Comet Hyakutake (Yah- ku- talk-ee) should be visible every clear night from this weekend through late April.
And while a telescope or binoculars will provide the best view, the comet should also be visible to the naked eye.

British-beef

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=none

Four more countries have joined in a ban on British beef imports.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-London;

That word comes as Britain's largest consumer organization warns people to shun British beef to avoid the risk of catching a strain of cattle brain disease.
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SOT
IN Q=
((PROFESSOR JOHN PATTISON, BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S CHIEF ADVISOR ON BSE: IT'S NOT A QUESTION YOU CAN SIMPLY ANSWER YES OR NO DEPENDS ON AN ASSESSMENT OF RISK. IF BY SAFE YOU MEAN THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RISK WHATSOEVER THEN WE CAN NOT SAY THAT. IF YOU MEAN BY SAFE, IS IT AS SAFE AS THE ORDINARY DAY TO DAY THINGS WE DO, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES IT'S MUCH SAFE THAN MANY OF THEM))
SUPER=01-Prof. John Pattison/Agricultural Advisor;
RUNS=:20
OUT Q=than many of them.
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VO-NAT

France, which enforced the ban immediately, is the largest importer of British beef.
The U-S has excluded British beef since 1989.
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Stocks

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=cro
TAPE# none
GRAPHIC=stocks

Stocks have been showing little movement today.
On Wall Street at noon the Dow was UP only a half a point.
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ANCHOR=Melanie

Stick around.
Patrick will have the latest on the N-C-Double-A tournament,
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VO-NAT
and Steve Mason takes us to Lexington for football -- already!
We'll tackle sports, next, on News 7 at Noon.
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Scores

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=Final Four

Massachusetts and Georgetown have advanced to the N-C-Double-A East Regional basketball finals.
U-Mass topped Arkansas 79-to-63, while John Thompson's Hoyas beat Texas Tech 98-to-90.
Tomorrow's Midwest Finals pit Kentucky against Wake Forest.
The Wildcats routed Utah 101-to-70, while Wake Forest beat the Louisville Cardinals 60-to-59. ESS/FULL
You can catch continued coverage of N-C-Double-A Tournament action this weekend right here on your Hometown Station.
At 7:40 tonight, Mississippi takes on Connecticut - then following that game, stay tuned for the Georgia Tech- Cincinnati game.

VMI

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=sma
TAPE#=S6-4
GRAPHIC=VMI football

Basketball may be taking center stage this month but football season will be here before you know it.
Steve Mason was in Lexington yesterday with the VMI Keydets for their first week of spring training.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=first audio
SUPER=03-Lexington; :00
SUPER=01-Thomas Haskins/ 6.2 Yards Per Carry Avg.; :05
SUPER=04-Last Season; :12
SUPER=01-Bill Stewart/VMI Head Coach; :23
SUPER=01-Al Lester/VMI Sophomore Quarterback; :40
SUPER=@Steve1; 1:17
RUNS=1:54
OUT Q=....news 7 sports"
((Head coach Bill Stewart begins his third season with a team that is hungry. ((THOMAS HASKINS/VMI TAILBACK:))
and humble! Haskins will try and improve on his 17 touchdown, 1548 yard performance last season. A tall order now that the opponents know he's a first team All-American. ((BILL STEWART/VMI HEAD COACH:)) Success will depend on the output of quarterback Al Lester and the 5 other returning offensive starters. ((AL LESTER/VMI QUARTERBACK:)) ((BILL STEWART/VMI HEAD COACH:))
Most of VMI's defensive punch will come from the linebackers. Former E.C. Glass standout Mike Rogers is part of a linebacker corp that welcomes every starter back from a year ago. ((MIKE ROGERS/85 TACKLES LAST SEASON:)) ((STEVE MASON:)) ((STEWART:))
VMI opens the regular season September 7th against the Ole Mississippi on the road. In Lexington Steve Mason News 7 sports.))

wrap

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=AMO
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=NONE
(******patrick ad lib********) (toss to mel)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Today on Health Check-- more information on the British beef scare, and what it means for us in this country. Thanks for joining us, and have a great weekend. That, plus all the latest news, sports and weather-- on News 7 at FIVE.