WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 05/09/96

08:25-01

7Jeff-Artis

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=cro
TAPE# edit of
GRAPHIC=Artis, Jeff

Jeff Artis, who lost Tuesday's city council race, says he's quitting the Republican party.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@File;

Artis tells News 7 -- quote -- "I can no longer support a political party whose most powerful faction does not support me as a candidate or respect me as a black man."
He also called Ralph Smith-- the city's party chairman --homophobic and racist.
SMITH says Artis is entitled to his opinion, but doesn't understand why he's being called a racist.
Artis says he will continue to support Republicans Bob Goodlatte, Jim Gilmore and John Warner.
(-------------)

7Alicia-Reynolds

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=tbr
TAPE#96-39
GRAPHIC=NONE

State authorities say a body found yesterday in Culpeper County has been identified as Alicia Showalter Reynolds.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The 25- year- old Baltimore women disappeared two months ago when she was traveling on U-S 29.
Witnesses told police they saw her talking with a clean cut young man who appeared to be helping her look under the hood of her car.
SUPER=03-Lignum;

Her partially decomposed body was found Tuesday in the Lig-num area of the County.
Family members say the news has brought them closure.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 11:28:00
IN Q=One of the hardest
SUPER=01-Sadie Showalter/Alicia's Mother;
RUNS=:18
OUT Q=peacefully resting.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

After Reynolds disappeared, police got numerous reports of women being approached by a man while driving on U-S 29.
The description given by the women matches the man last seen with Reynolds
(----------------)

7Tuggle

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=tbr
TAPE#96-45
GRAPHIC=legal scales

A Virginia death row inmate is granted a 30-day stay of execution.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@file;

Lem Tuggle WAS scheduled to die June 6th.
A Federal appeals court granted the stay yesterday to give Tuggle time to ask the U-S Supreme Court to review his case.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Tuggle was convicted of the 1983 rape and murder of a Smyth County woman.
He is also the last surviving member of six death row inmates who escaped from the Mecklenburg Correctional Center in 19-84.

7Route-58

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=equ
TAPE#96-33
GRAPHIC=NONE

The Allen Administration says it's giving up on the idea of making all of Route-58 four lanes.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Smyth Co.;

The section east of Abingdon, that goes through the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is too environmentally sensitive.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 02:27:56
IN Q=From an environmental
((ROB MARTINEZ/VA. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T THINK IT'S JUSTIFIED. PERSONALLY I DON'T THINK IT'S JUSTIFIED TO RUIN THAT AREA WITH THAT KIND OF FACILITY. HOWEVER, CLEARLY THERE IS A NEED FOR SAFER ROADS. THE EXISTING ROUTE 58 THAT CONNECTS FROM VOLNEY TO DAMASCUS IS NOT SAFE.))
SUPER=01-Rob Martinez/Va. Transportation Secretary;
RUNS=:24
OUT Q=is not safe
TALENT=Melanie
SS=NONE

Martinez says he's already talked with officials in Smyth, Washington, and Grayson counties about some safety improvements to the two-lane road.
The state will hold new public hearings on the idea.

75-Spring-Hollow

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=rjo
TAPE#596-06
GRAPHIC=Roanoke Co. Seal

Roanoke County officials celebrated the filling of the Spring Hollow Reservoir yesterday and it's possible use as a recreational area.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;

The reservoir is located at the Clifford D. Craig Memorial Dam.
The reservoir can hold more than 3 BILLION gallons of water.
Spring Hollow will also be used for hiking, biking and boating.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 15:50:03
IN Q=Recreationally, as we said...
((SPIKE HARRISON/ROANOKE COUNTY SUPERVISOR: ))
SUPER=01-Spike Harrison/Roanoke Co. Supervisor;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=...that would be now.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Southwest county residents have been drawing water from Spring Hollow since the beginning of the year.
Officials say it's engineered to hold enough water to withstand the most severe drought.
(----------------)

7Weather

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

Turning now to the forecast -
Today will get off to a foggy start, but the sun will come out early in the morning.
The rest of the day will be warm and humid, with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s.

55Jeff-Artis

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=cro
TAPE# edit of
GRAPHIC=artis

Jeff Artis, who lost Tuesday's city council race, says he's quitting the Republican party and has harsh words for the city's party leader.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@File;

Artis tells News 7 -- quote -- "I can no longer support a political party whose most powerful faction does not support me as a candidate or respect me as a black man."
He also called Ralph Smith-- the city's party chairman --homophobic and racist.
SMITH says Artis is entitled to his opinion, but doesn't understand why he's being called a racist.
(----------------)

55Warner-Miller

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=equ
TAPE#96-31
GRAPHIC=warner, john

Republican voters have just over one month to make up their mind about Warner and and his opponent
SS=miller, jim
Jim Miller.
Yesterday, the contest over who's the REAL conservative heated up.
Ellen Qualls explains.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Wonkish economist
SUPER=03-Richmond; :00
SUPER=01-Tanya Metaksa/National Rifle Assoc.; :19
SUPER=@miller; 23:
SUPER=01-Eric Peterson/Warner Spokesman; :47
SUPER=@Ellen1; 1:31
RUNS=1:43
OUT Q=Qualls, News 7, Richmond.

(( Wonkish economist Jim Miller collects guns and says he'll defend yours.
Senator John Warner has the heads of elk and pheasants he's shot on his walls, and has been historically backed by the National Rifle Association.
But today, NRA legislative director Tonya Metaksa had to choose one.
sot 01:23;24
((TONYA METAKSA/NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION: UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT LEAVE JOHN WARNER. JOHN WARNER LEFT US.))
runs=:04

sot 01;20:40
((JIM MILLER/(R) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: NOW I'M GRATEFUL...US SENATE.))
runs=:10

Miller hammers Warner for supporting the Brady bill, limiting handgun purchases and inspired by Reagan staffer Jim Brady after he got a bullet meant for the President.
A Warner spokesman says Reagan and a majority of Republicans supported the Brady bill at the time.
sot 03:57:27
((ERIC PETERSON/WARNER SPOKESMAN: IT'S JUST AN INDICATION OF THE WEAKNESS OF HIS CAMPAIGN. THAT HE HAS TO RELY ON ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NRA TO HELP HIM GET HIS MESSAGE ACROSS THE STATE. What's wrong with the NRA? THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE NRA. BUT IF HIS CAMPAIGN WERE STRONG, HE'D BE DOING THAT ON HIS OWN.))
runs=:19

But Warner's firing back on TV.
His ammo?
His record -- which he's labelling conservative, four times in 30 seconds.
nat sot ad 03:53;27
((HE FOUGHT TO REBUILD THE AMERICAN MILITARY. AND WORKED AT RONALD REAGAN'S SIDE TO HELP END THE COLD WAR. WINNING THE RESPECT OF CONSERVATIVE LEADERS.))
runs=:09

sot 01:27:07
((JIM MILLER: WE'LL BE GOING UP LATER WITH OUR MEDIA CAMPAIGN. THIS IS PRETTY EARLY TO GO UP. IT REFLECTS THE FACT THAT HE'S JUST GOT A BUNDLE OF MONEY.))
runs=:09

SOT STANDUP 04:24;11
((WITH THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY JUST OVER ONE MONTH AWAY, EXPECT TO SEE A LOT MORE OF BOTH OF THESE MEN. BECAUSE THERE'S NO SENSE IN SAVING YOUR CAMPAIGN BUDGET UNTIL AFTER YOU'VE LOST THE NOMINATION. ELLEN QUALLS, NEWS 7, RICHMOND.))
RUNS=:13))

55Power-Line

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#96-48
GRAPHIC=American Electric

More static over plans for American Electric Power to build a high voltage power line.
This time, it's in West Virginia.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@File;

The U-S Park Service in West Virginia says it doesn't want the line to cross the New River in Summers County as proposed by A-E-P.
The company wants to run it more than 100 miles from Wyoming County, West Virginia to Botetourt County.
(-------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD

A-E-P says it needs the line to meet future customer demand.
The project is under review by the National Forest Service in Virginia, but it's delayed the release of the study several times.

55Harris-Teeter

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#96-43
GRAPHIC=NONE

Harris Teeter has sold six of its stores in the region.
They will now be locally owned.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Salem;

The North Carolina chain will sell the stores to Harden Foods- a new company that'll be based in Altavista.
The stores being sold are in Reidsville, North Carolina,-- Altavista, Amherst, Salem, South Boston and South Hill.
They will be renamed "Fresh and Friendly" stores, emphasizing fresh perishable products and excellent customer service.
Harris Teeter says it's selling the stores because they don't fit in with the company's long term goals.
(-------------)

55Weather

8Reynolds

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=tbr
TAPE#96-39
GRAPHIC=NONE

A body found in a remote field east of Culpeper earlier this week is that of Alicia Showalter Reynolds.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The body was partially decomposed and authorities needed an autopsy to get a positive identification.
Reynolds disappeared two months ago when she was traveling on U-S 29.
Witnesses told police they saw her talking with a clean cut young man who appeared to be helping her look under the hood of her car.
SUPER=03-Lignum;

Her body was found Tuesday in the Lig-num area of the County.
Family members say the news is the end of a long ordeal.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 11:28:00
IN Q=One of the hardest
SUPER=01-Sadie Showalter/Alicia's Mother;
RUNS=:18
OUT Q=peacefully resting.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

After Reynolds disappeared, police got numerous reports of women being approached by a man while driving on U-S 29.
The description given by the women matches the man last seen with Reynolds.
(----------------)

8Lindsey

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=tal
TAPE#96-36
GRAPHIC=NONE

William Ray Lindsey will spend seven years in prison for killing a man with an axe at a Rural Retreat campground last September.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Wythe Co./File Tape;

Lindsey pled guilty this week to second degree murder in the death of Jabe Ferguson.
Lindsey struck Ferguson in the head with an axe, then fled to Tennessee with his companion, Kerri Ann Koehler.
In January a judge dismissed murder charges against Koehler for lack of evidence.
Lindsey was ordered to serve seven years of a 20-year sentence.
(----------------)

8York

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=rjo
TAPE#96-35
GRAPHIC=Business News

A Fortune 500 company is bringing 160 new jobs to Botetourt County.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;

York International says it bought a shell building in Fincastle, for more than one- million dollars.
York is known worldwide for making air conditioning and refrigeration machinery.
State and local officials welcomed the technology giant and believe York's decision to move here might attract other businesses.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 10:41:06
IN Q=When companies as large
((GAYLE MORGAN/STATE REP. OF COMMERCE AND TRADE: WHEN COMPANIES AS LARGE AND AS EXCELLENT AS YORK INTERNATIONAL LOCATE IN AN AREA IT MAKES OTHER SIMILAR SITUATED COMPANIES IN AN AREA SAY, HUMPH... I WONDER WHAT THEY KNOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW, WE BETTER GO AND LOOK IN THAT AREA AND SEE IF MAYBE WE WANT TO LOCATE THERE TOO.))
SUPER=01-Gayle Morgan/State Rep. of Commerce and Trade;
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=to locate there too.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The Botetourt site beat out 22 other communities in four states.
York officials plan to move into the building in August.
(----------------)

8National-Conference

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=kmc
TAPE#96-42
GRAPHIC=NONE

Four people received special honors at the 31st annual humanitarian awards dinner in Roanoke last night.
It was hosted by the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night;

Those receiving awards were Rabbi Jerome Fox of Beth Israel Synagogue, arts and culture advocate Pearl Fu (FOO), and philanthropists Sydney and Rosalie Shaftman.
National Conference president Sanford Cloud addressed the audience at the Hotel Roanoke.
Cloud criticized Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schot-- who recently said Adolph Hitler was "good at the beginning" but then "went too far."
Cloud says public figures should be more careful of their words.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 21:44:25
IN Q=Their comments
((SANFORD CLOUD/NATIONAL CONFERENCE PRESIDENT: THEIR COMMENTS CAN BE SO VERY HURTFUL-- NOT ONLY TO A PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, BUT TO ALL AMERICAN PEOPLE. AND I REALLY THINK THAT AN APOLOGY IS IN ORDER. ))
SUPER=01-Sanford Cloud/National Conference President;
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=apology is in order
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Cloud, along with other participants of the conference paid tribute to the late T-V personality and fitness expert Artie Levin-- who passed away last week.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 21:46:09
IN Q=he was a giant
((HE WAS A GIANT OF A MAN, AS HE RELATES TO TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS RACIAL, ETHIC, AND CULTURAL LINES. ))
RUNS=:08
OUT Q=CULTURAL LINES
(----------------)
TALENT=Melanie
SS=none

Just a decade ago, Levin received the humanitarian award.

8Weather

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

Turning now to the forecast -
It's going to be a sunny day, with warm and humid conditions.
Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s. The sun will return tomorrow with highs in the 80s. Clouds will move in tonight - lows will be in the 60s.