WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 08/01/96

08:25-01

7Bramblett

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=khu
TAPE#96-52
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales
SUPER=19-Melanie Moon;

Nearly two years after the murder of a Vinton family, the suspect in the case is behind bars.
Earl Conrad Bramblett is in custody in South Carolina this morning.
Yesterday, Bramblett made his first formal court appearance in connection with the case.
Keith Humphry has more from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
SUPER=01-Anthony Mabry/State Solicitor; :08
SUPER=07-Earl Bramblett; :32
SUPER=03-Vinton/August 29, 1994;:50
SUPER=01-Barry Keesee/State Police Special Agent; 1:15
RUNS=1:35
OUT Q=South Carolina

7Obremski

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE#96-61
GRAPHIC=Michael Obremski

Meantime in Roanoke County, the man charged with making obscene phone calls to young girls was in court yesterday.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/May 10;

Michael Obremski was arrested in May for making threatening telephone calls to girls ranging in age from 8 to 18.
Yesterday he pleaded no contest in Roanoke County circuit court to 11 charges.
They include threatening to abduct, taking indecent liberties with a minor and making an obscene phone call.
Obremski will be sentenced in late September.
(----------------)

7Jewell

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-58
GRAPHIC=Jewell

The security guard suspected in the Olympic bombing last weekend has ties to Southside Virginia.
An Atlanta newspaper says Richard Jewell is a Danville native.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Atlanta;

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the 33-year old was born in Danville around 1962.
He reportedly moved to Georgia about seven years later.
The only other information given was that his mother's name is Barbara and his father is deceased.
(----------------)

7Mason-Dixon

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE#96-53
GRAPHIC=News 7 Poll

Here's a question to think about.
Will Virginians go against recent history and support a Democrat for the presidency?
The latest News- 7 Mason Dixon Poll says that might be the case.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

President Clinton trails Republican Bob Dole by just two percentage points-- with ten percent of voters still undecided.
SUPER=@File;

Ross Perot's independent candidacy seems to have little chance of gaining steam in the Commonwealth.
BUT when you toss him into the mix Dole's lead over Clinton gets even slimmer.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD

The poll DOES show that Dole would widen the gap here if he picked up Colin Powell as a running mate.
Statewide, 39-percent of voters said they would be "more likely" to vote for Dole if Powell was on the ticket.

7weather

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=NONE
SUPER=X5000;SET DISSOLVE
(CHYRON TODAY/TONIGHT AREA FORECAST PAGE)
SUPER=314-Showers Ending/Variably Cloudy/80-84/Partly/Cloudy/63-67;
SUPER=#555;RESET

Turning now to the forecast - rain is going to start the morning off, but will end.
Variable clouds this afternoon with highs in the lower 80s.
For tonight, expect partly cloudy skies, with lows in the mid 60s.

55Fire-Suspect

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=sly
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales
SUPER=19-Melanie Moon;

The man accused in a quadruple homicide two years ago in Vinton is expected to fight extradition back to Virginia.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Spartanburg, SC;

Earl Bramblett has been living in Spartanburg South Carolina since all four members of the Hodges family were murdered in late August 19-94.
Yesterday Bramblett told a judge that Virginia State Police had told him he was free to move and that he never tried to hide his identity.
Bramblett has been working at a Spartanburg sign shop and was also in the process of buying a home.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Vinton/August 1994;

Bramblett is described as a friend of Blaine and Teresa Hodges. The bodies of the couple and their two young daughters were found in their burning home two summers ago.
SS=Murder Investigation

Earl Bramblett is being held without bond in South Carolina.
He may appear in court again on Friday.

55Valley-View

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=kmc
TAPE#96-63
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales

Two months after a fight between a Roanoke man and a Valley View Mall security guard that led to a boycott of the mall by the Southern Leadership Conference, the two men faced each other in court yesterday.
Kimberly McBroom has the story.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=In early June
SUPER=03-Roanoke/June 4; :00
SUPER=03-Roanoke; :19
SUPER=01-Gerald Teaster/Prosecutor; :33
SUPER=01-Melvin Hill/Mann's Attorney; :41
SUPER=@Kimberly1; :56
SUPER=01-Robyn McNeal/Valley View Shopper; 1:04
SUPER=01-Hayward Statum/Valley View Shopper; 1:14
SUPER=01-Wendy Schaeffer/Spencer Gifts; 1:21 quick!!
RUNS=1:32
OUT Q=McBroom, News 7

(( In early June, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference accused Valley View Mall of discriminating against blacks.
They made a public example of a confrontation between 25- year- old Robert Manns and Valley View's security chief, John Rutledge.
Manns filed assault charges-- accusing Rutledge of shoving him.
In turn, Rutledge charged Manns with trespassing, saying he refused to leave the mall when he was asked to.
Testimony revealed Manns left the mall-- then came back.
A judge has ruled Manns was guilty of trespassing, but did NOT enter a conviction of record.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT manns tape 5:20:45
((GERALD TEASTER/PROSECUTOR: EVENTUALLY HE LEFT AND IT WASN'T A MATTER OF HAVING HIM PHYSICALLY TAKEN AWAY AND I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WHY HE DID NOT GIVE HIM THE CONVICTION.))
RUNS=:07
(/////SOT/////)
SOT MANNS TAPE 5:11:48
((MELVIN HILL/MANN'S ATTORNEY: BUT THE QUESTION IS, WHICH WAS ANSWERED IN OUR FAVOR IS DO YOU WANT TO CONVICT SOMEONE BASED ON THOSE SET OF FACTORS. HE CHOSE NOT TO AND WE'RE HAPPY WITH THAT.))
RUNS=:08

Meanwhile, Rutledge was found Not Guilty of assaulting Manns-- with the evidence failing to prove any intent to cause harm.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT standup here tape 2 8;32:02
((KIMBERLY MCBROOM/NEWS 7: AFTER ALL THE ATTENTION THIS CASE HAS RECEIVED, WE DECIDED TO TALK TO SOME FOLKS WHO SHOP AND WORK AT VALLEY VIEW MALL TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY THINK THE ATMOSPHERE IS LIKE. ))
RUNS=:08
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 8:13:45 TAPE 2
((ROBYN MCNEAL/VALLEY VIEW SHOPPER: YOU CAN BE WALKING AROUND THE MALL AND THEY WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW IT-- YOU JUST WALKING WITH YOUR FRIENDS, AND THEY'LL SWEAR UP AND DOWN YOU'RE TRYING TO STEAL SOMETHING AND THEN THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU ALL AROUND THE STORES LIKE YOU'RE A THIEF. ))
RUNS=:09
(/////SOT/////)
SOT TAPE 2 8:09:40
((HAYWARD STATUM/VALLEY VIEW SHOPPER: MY SON AND I COME OUT HERE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK AND PLAY VIDEO GAMES AND SHOP, AND WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE AT ALL.))
RUNS=:06
(/////SOT/////)
SOT tape 1 4:49:10
((WENDY SCHAEFFER/SPENCER GIFTS: EVERYBODY AROUND HERE'S REAL COOL. EVERYBODY AROUND HERE IS REAL LAID BACK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS.))
RUNS=:04

Schaeffer says she hasn't noticed any change in business since the S-C-L-C called for the boycott.
Kimberly McBroom, News 7.))

55Joint-Surgery

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=sta
TAPE#96-56
GRAPHIC=NONE

Some Irish surgeons have made the trip across the Atlantic to study new techniques in hip and knee replacement in Salem.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Salem;

They're learning from orthopedic surgeons at Lewis Gale Hospital-- observing about four or five replacement surgeries a day.
And, while this type of surgery is not new in Ireland the techniques used by Lewis Gale surgeons are.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12.51.28 - 12.51.42
IN Q=There is actually
((MARTIN GOUGH/IRISH JUNIOR-SURGEON; THE HIP REPLACEMENTS WE TEND TO PUT IN AT HOME TEND TO FIX TO THE BONE WITH CEMENT, HERE THE PRACTICE MUCH MORE COMMONLY IS TO PUT IN THE HIP REPLACEMENT AND RELY ON THE DESIGN OF THE REPLACEMENT TO ACCURATELY FIT THE BONE.))
SUPER=01-Martin Gough/Irish Junior-Surgeon;
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=fit the bone
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The Irish junior-surgeons are only in town for about a week but they have managed to experience a taste of life in the Valley.
Their trip has included a couple of rounds of golf and the sampling of southern cuisine.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Ireland has less than 60 orthopedic surgeons in the entire country.

55weather

8Bramblett

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=khu
TAPE#96-52
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales
SUPER=19-Melanie Moon;

Earl Conrad Bramblett says he will fight extradition back to the Roanoke Valley to face four charges of murder.
Bramblett was formally charged yesterday in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
He is accused of killing Teresa and Blaine Hodges and their two young daughters nearly two years ago in Vinton.
Keith Humphry has more.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
SUPER=01-Anthony Mabry/State Solicitor; :08
SUPER=07-Earl Bramblett; :32
SUPER=03-Vinton/August 29, 1994;:50
SUPER=01-Barry Keesee/State Police Special Agent; 1:15
RUNS=1:35
OUT Q=South Carolina

8Obremski

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE#96-61
GRAPHIC=Michael Obremski

The man charged with nearly a dozen felonies- and accused of striking fear in little girls pled no contest to the charges yesterday.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/May 10;

Michael Obremski was arrested in May for making threatening telephone calls to girls ranging in age from 8 to 18.
He appeared in Roanoke County circuit court and pled no contest to 11 charges.
They include threatening to abduct, taking indecent liberties with a minor and making an obscene phone call.
Obremski will be sentenced in late September.
(----------------)

8Jewell

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-58
GRAPHIC=Olympic Bombing

An Atlanta newspaper says the security guard suspected in the Olympic bombing last weekend is from Southside Virginia.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Atlanta;

According to the "Atlanta Journal Constitution", 33-year old Richard Jewel was born in Danville in 1962.
He reportedly moved to Georgia about seven years later.
The only other information given was that his mother's name is Barbara and his father is deceased.
(----------------)

8Lex-Retirement

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=rjo
TAPE#96-55
GRAPHIC=NONE

Some Lexington residents want to open a NEW retirement community in the area.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lexington;

They have the land... but not the money.
Retirement community organizers say they are in desperate need of an affordable retirement community to prevent senior citizens from leaving.
The Bartenstein family donated 85 acres of the Sunnyside Farm earlier this year.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 10:25:51
IN Q=They wanted something
((THEY WANTED SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN WITH THIS INCREDIBLE PIECE OF LAND AND WE STARTED TALKING TO THEM ABOUT A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY AND WE FELT THAT WE WOULD BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE LAND AND SERVE A NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND IT WAS JUST A COMBINATION THAT WENT TOGETHER.))
SUPER=01-Dianne Herrick/LRC Committee Member;
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=that went together.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The dream has been in the making for ten years.
Herrick says they hope to construct 60 units within the next few years... but first they must get donations to pay for it.
(----------------)

8weather

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=nle
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=NONE
SUPER=X5000;SET DISSOLVE
(CHYRON TODAY/TONIGHT AREA FORECAST PAGE)
SUPER=314-Showers Ending/Variably Cloudy/80-84/Partly/Cloudy/63-67;
SUPER=#555;RESET

Turning now to the forecast -Expect a rainy morning, then things will dry out some this afternoon. Highs will be in the lower 80s.