WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 07/09/96

08:25-01

7Sheffield-Fire

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-59
GRAPHIC=Fatal Fire

Lynchburg officials are trying to determine the cause yesterday's house fire that killed a family of five.
It's the Hill City's deadliest fire in four decades.
Steve Smallshaw reports.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=It was
SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00
SUPER=01-Steve Kinzer/Neighbor; :19
SUPER=01-Cmdr. Kenneth Crawford/Lynchburg Fire Dept.; :48
SUPER=@ssm2; 1:04
RUNS=1:13
OUT Q=News7, Lynchburg.

(( It was Lynchburg's deadliest fire in more than forty years.
Osama Abouzeid, his wife Felicia and their three young daughters all perished when their Sheffield Drive home caught fire early Monday morning.
Neighbor Steve Kinzer was the first to spot the blaze, but there was nothing he or the fire department could do.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 5:26:54
IN Q=The smoke was
((STEVE KINZER/NEIGHBOR: THE WHOLE LIVING ROOM WAS UP IN FLAMES. THE SMOKE WAS CHOKING, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE, WASN'T NOTHING REALLY THAT I COULD HAVE DONE. ))
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=could have done.

Authorities say the fire had been burning for several hours before it was discovered.
All five family members were found in the girls' bedroom, their exits at the front of the home blocked by smoke and flames.
As investigators searched the debris, neighbors and friends consoled each other.. and tried to reason how such a tragedy could have happened.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 4:20:30
IN Q=I've been here
((CMDR. KENNETH CRAWFORD/LYNCHBURG FIRE DEPT.: I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 29 YEARS, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'VE GOT CHILDREN INVOLVED, IT MAKES IT TWICE AS BAD, YOU KNOW.))
RUNS=:09
OUT Q=bad, you know.

Fire marshals are concentrating their efforts on the living room area, where the blaze apparently started, and where a computer may have short- circuited.
A number of items were sent to the state crime lab for testing, but it could be several days before the exact cause is determined.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Lynchburg.))

7Vote

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=cro
TAPE# edit of rubatex 96-49
GRAPHIC=rubatex

By a wide margin, union workers at the Rubatex plant in Bedford have voted "yes" to a contract offer, the same one they rejected more than a week ago.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Bedford;

SUPPORTERS of the contract said it would have been occupational suicide to reject the offer a second time.
Rubatex management had said 287 jobs at the Bedford plant would be moved to another Rubatex plant in Arkansas without the agreement.
CRITICS of the contract said the workers gave in to scare tactics.
A Rubatex official said the company will spend more than a million dollars to improve the Bedford plant.
(-------------)

7Trigon

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

Trigon is facing more legal troubles.
Albemarle County has become the latest municipality to file a lawsuit against the insurer.
The lawsuit claims Trigon owes the county at least a million dollars.
The case is similar to ones brought by Charlottesville and Lynchburg.
The localities contend that Trigon negotiated discounts for hospital services and failed to pass on the savings.
Trigon said it was not yet served with the lawsuit, and could not comment.

7Hurt-Park

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=JoeD
TAPE#96-54
GRAPHIC=City Seal

Officials of the Roanoke Housing Authority say criticism about their management of the Hurt Park Housing Development is unfounded.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke;

Officials say the neighborhood has received more funding for improvements in the last two years than any other public housing community in the city.
They said they haven't neglected the neighborhood.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=We've done 504
((NEVA SMITH/HOUSING AUTHORITY DIRECTOR: WE'VE DONE 504 HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY. RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING COMPLETE NEW ROOFS ON ALL OF THE BUILDINGS TO BE FOLLOWED WITH SEWER WORK AND A NUMBER OF OTHER RENOVATION, MAJOR TYPE ACTIVITIES.))
SUPER=01-Neva Smith/Housing Authority Director; :
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=major type activities.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Officials say residents share responsibility for the appearance of the complex, including care of the grass in front of each apartment.
Yesterday, Board members also expressed their support for the COPE team, the community policing program that's focused attention on the city's public housing neighborhoods.
(----------------)

7Weather

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

Taking a look now at the forecast -
It's going to be mostly sunny today with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Highs will be near 90 degrees.
Tonight, clouds move in with a chance of thunderstorms.
Lows will be near 60.
Looking ahead - it'll be partly sunny and less humid tomorrow.
Highs will be in the lower 80s.

55Fatal-Fire

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-59
GRAPHIC=Fatal Fire

Fire officials say a short circut in a computer could be the cause of a fatal house fire in Lynchburg yesterday morning.
Five family members were killed.
Steve Smallshaw has the story.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=It was
SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00
SUPER=01-Steve Kinzer/Neighbor; :19
SUPER=01-Cmdr. Kenneth Crawford/Lynchburg Fire Dept.; :48
SUPER=@ssm2; 1:04
RUNS=1:13
OUT Q=News7, Lynchburg.

(( It was Lynchburg's deadliest fire in more than forty years.
Osama Abouzeid, his wife Felicia and their three young daughters all perished when their Sheffield Drive home caught fire early Monday morning.
Neighbor Steve Kinzer was the first to spot the blaze, but there was nothing he or the fire department could do.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 5:26:54
IN Q=The smoke was
((STEVE KINZER/NEIGHBOR: THE WHOLE LIVING ROOM WAS UP IN FLAMES. THE SMOKE WAS CHOKING, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO LATE, WASN'T NOTHING REALLY THAT I COULD HAVE DONE. ))
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=could have done.

Authorities say the fire had been burning for several hours before it was discovered.
All five family members were found in the girls' bedroom, their exits at the front of the home blocked by smoke and flames.
As investigators searched the debris, neighbors and friends consoled each other.. and tried to reason how such a tragedy could have happened.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 4:20:30
IN Q=I've been here
((CMDR. KENNETH CRAWFORD/LYNCHBURG FIRE DEPT.: I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 29 YEARS, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'VE GOT CHILDREN INVOLVED, IT MAKES IT TWICE AS BAD, YOU KNOW.))
RUNS=:09
OUT Q=bad, you know.

Fire marshals are concentrating their efforts on the living room area, where the blaze apparently started, and where a computer may have short- circuited.
A number of items were sent to the state crime lab for testing, but it could be several days before the exact cause is determined.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Lynchburg.))

55Offender-Registry

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=equ
TAPE#96-47
GRAPHIC=state seal

Virginia residents who have spent time behind bars may not be able to keep it secret from their nieghbors.
The Governor has ordered the Department of Corrections to release a list of recently paroled prison inmates.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 01:30;39
IN Q=Public safety
((JERRY KILGORE/VA. PUBLIC SAFETY SECRETARY: PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALWAYS GONNA WIN OUT OVER THE PRIVACY INTERESTS OF A PAROLEE. BECAUSE THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT COURTHOUSE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.))
SUPER=01-Jerry Kilgore/Va. Public Safety Secretary;
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=of Virginia.
TALENT=Melanie
SS=HOLD

The parolees are grouped by zip code.
The list can be mailed monthly to any resident who requests it.

55Inmates-Work

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=equ
TAPE#96-46
GRAPHIC=State Seal

Meanwhile, prison INMATES are marking a one year anniversary of cleaning up the streets.
This past year they've cleaned roads and mowed lawns.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Richmond;

About 300 communities and non-profit groups actually invited them.
Inmate work crews are celebrating the anniversary this month.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 53:56
IN Q=When you
((RON ANGELONE/VA. CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR: WHEN YOU GO THERE AND YOU TRY TO PITCH IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING INMATES IN AND BELIEVE ME, YOU'LL BE FINE -- UH, WHEN THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IT IN THE PAST, THEY'RE HESITANT. SOME GOOD COMMUNITIES, POWHATAN CAME OUT, APPALACHIA CAME OUT AND SAID "YEAH WE WANT 'EM." AND ONCE YOU HAVE SUCCESS IN CERTAIN AREAS, OTHER COMMUNITIES HEAR ABOUT IT. THEY'RE ASKING FOR IT. SO WE'RE GETTING THE SPIN-OFFS NOW.))
SUPER=01-Ron Angelone/Va. Corrections Director;
RUNS=:23
OUT Q=spin-offs now.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

This particular crew is clearing a lot behind the Science Museum of Virginia for a 13-acre outdoor science park.
(----------------)

55Unemployment

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#96-52
GRAPHIC=Unemployment

Meantime, Roanoke and Lynchburg celebrate some banner economic news.
The two cities boast some of the lowest jobless rates in the state.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The May figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission show the Roanoke area has a jobless rate of roughly two-and-a-half percent.
The Lynchburg region comes in around three-and-a-half percent.
Both communities have seen their unemployment numbers drop compared to the same period a year ago.
Statewide, unemployment in May went down to just a little over four- percent.
That's the lowest number in May in six years.
(-------------)

55Weather

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

Taking a look now at the forecast -
It's going to be mostly sunny today with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Highs will be near 90 degrees.
Tonight, clouds move in with a chance of thunderstorms.
Lows will be near 60.
Looking ahead - it'll be partly sunny and less humid tomorrow.
Highs will be in the lower 80s.

8Fire

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#edit of sheffield-fire 96-59
GRAPHIC=Fatal Fire

Fire investigators suspect a computer may have short-circuited to start the fire that killed a family of five in Lynchburg yesterday.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;

It Lynchburg's deadliest fire in more than forty years.
Osama Abouzeid (o-SAMA AH-boo-zade), his wife Felicia and their three young daughters were killed when their home on Sheffield Drive caught fire early yesterday morning.
Authorities say the fire had been burning for several hours before it was discovered.
All five family members were found in the girls' bedroom. Exits at the front of the home were blocked by smoke and flames.
Fire marshals are concentrating their efforts on the living room area, where the blaze apparently started.
(-------------)

8Rubatex

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE#96-49
GRAPHIC=Rubatex

Rubatex workers in Bedford have voted to approve a contract that's very similar to the one they rejected more than a week ago.
Scott Prince says the vote may save nearly 300 jobs.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=This time
SUPER=03-Bedford; :00
SUPER=01-Parker Price Jr./Union President; :16
SUPER=01-Zelma Sheppard/Union Member; :29 (Quick!)
SUPER=@File; :33
SUPER=01-Jerry Kirschke/Rubatex V.P. Human Resources; 1:04
SUPER=@Scott2; 1:19
RUNS=1:29
OUT Q=Scott Prince, News 7
(( This time it wasn't even close.
Members of the Local 240 United Steel Workers Union overwhelmingly approved the Rubatex contract.
These workers are now hopeful the company reverses its decision to transfer 287 jobs.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 17:07:38
IN Q=We're hoping
((PARKER PRICE JUNIOR/UNION PRESIDENT: WE'RE HOPING FOR THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS PLANT. THOUGH WE DON'T LIKE EVERYTHING IN THE PACKAGE, WE WORKED HARD TO SAVE THE JOBS OF THE PEOPLE. I THINK THAT IT CAME DOWN TO THE BOTTOM LINE-- TO SAVE THE JOBS FOR THE PEOPLE ))
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=the people (2x)
BUTT! BUTT! BUTT!
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 13:33:36
IN Q=I feel
((ZELMA SHEPPARD/UNION MEMBER: I FEEL SURE THEY'RE GOING TO WORK WITH US. I FEEL SURE. ))
RUNS=:05
OUT Q=feel sure

It was just last Sunday when this same contract was brought before the union.
Members shot it down by two votes, with the key issues being mandatory overtime and the loss of seniority for some long- time workers.
In response to the proposal's rejection, Rubatex announced it would move more than one- third of its workforce to Colt, Arkansas.
That put employees in a frenzy... and union officials called the second vote.
Company officials say the layoffs are on the back burner for now... but refused to speculate on the future of the job cuts.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 18:16:21
IN Q=What we
((JERRY KIRSCHKE/RUBATEX VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES: WHAT WE WILL DO INITIALLY IS TO PULL DOWN THE WAR NOTICES THAT WERE POSTED LAST WEEK WHICH SIGNIFIED THE LAYOFF. THERE WILL BE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR LAYOFFS AND WE'LL START LOOKING AT THE MODERNIZATION PLANS WE HAD ON ON HOLD PENDING THE VOTE. ))
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=the vote

There is certainly no love loss from either side... but at least for right now... both union and company officials seem pleased with this latest vote.
Scott Prince, News- 7.))

8Chopski

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=KHu
TAPE#96=51
GRAPHIC=legal scales

In court today in Roanoke, testimony in the fraud trial against Pharmacist Joseph Chopski.
The court case stems from a dispute with Trigon.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

When Blue Cross initiated its "R-X Alternative program," that Chopski felt was unfair to independent pharamcists, he posted a sign at his "Wonder Drug" pharmacy discouraging the use Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Chopski's lawyer says the program cut his profit by eleven percent.
(---------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=hold

When first confronted with evidence of fraudulent billing, Chopski allegedly told Trigon's auditor that he could "get a good lawyer and ...make it look like accidental billing."
A defense lawyer told the jury yesterday Chopski "can't explain away every mistake," but points out that there are just 19-hundred dollars worth of discrepancies out of more than 600-THOUSAND dollars in billing over two-and-a half years.

8Trigon

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

Meantime Trigon is facing its own legal trouble.
Albemarle County has become the latest municipality to sue Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The lawsuit claims Trigon owes the county at least a million dollars.
The case is similar to ones brought by Charlottesville and Lynchburg.
The localities contend that Trigon negotiated discounts for hospital services and failed to pass on the savings.
Trigon would not comment.

8Weather

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

Taking a look now at the forecast -
Mostly sunny skies today with a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be near 90 degrees.