WDBJ 7 news at Noon for 08/01/96

12:00-01

NOON-HEADLINES

TALENT=Melanie
SS=None
(----------------)
VO-NAT

An accused multiple murderer fights extradition to the Roanoke Valley.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie

And sweeping changes ahead for the nation's welfare system.
President Clinton says he'll sign the latest measure passed by the house and now awaiting approval in the Senate.
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TALENT=Patrick
SS=None

(//////////////)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Don't go away, the news is next.

Hodges

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=sly
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales

Nearly two years after a Vinton family was found murdered in their home, the man accused of the crime stood before a judge to hear the charges against him.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Spartanburg, SC;

Earl Bramblett has been living in Spartanburg South Carolina since shortly after the slayings of the Hodges family.
As Bramblett pointed out yesterday after the murders Virginia State Police questioned him but told him he was free to move.
Bramblett says he was down on his luck when he first arrived in Spartanburg.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT At 51:13:12 on Tape 96-52
IN Q=When I landed
(( ))
SUPER=07-Earl Bramblett;
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=social security number
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Bramblett has been working at a Spartanburg sign shop and was also in the process of buying a home.
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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.
(----------------)
Talent=Melanie
SS=Legal Scales

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

jewell

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=Olympic Bomb

The Olympic bomb and its makeup are still being closely examined by federal investigators.
"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' says federal agents are going over pieces of the pipe bomb that were scattered over a wide area.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Habersham Co., GA;

Meanwhile security guard Richard Jewell also remains under investigation.
Late yesterday authorities searched a cabin in northeastern Georgia where Jewell lived a couple of months ago.
SUPER=03-Atlanta;

And earlier in the day, agents carted away box after box of unidentified material from Jewell's Atlanta apartment.
Jewell's lawyer says the investigation will vindicate his client, and a man who says he is a friend of Jewell's is confident the 33 year old is not resposible for Saturday's pipe-bombing.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I'm sure
(( ))
SUPER=01-Jeff Crane/Friend of Jewell;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=no reason at all.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=04-Saturday;

Jewell has not been charged or arrested in with connection with the Centennial park explosion that killed one person and wounded more than 100.
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welfare-reform

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=Washington DC

The Senate is expected to complete action on the welfare overhaul bill today before sending it to the White House for the president's signature.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Capitol Hill;

Yesterday the House approved the measure after President Clinton announced he would sign it.
The measure will end a six decade old federal guarantee of open ended aid for the poor.
Republicans say it will end the cycle of poverty.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
(( I WILL SIGN THIS BILL FIRST BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IN BROKEN, SECOND BECAUSE CONGRESS HAS MADE CHANGES I SOUGHT AND THIRD//THIS IS THE BEST CHANCE TO COMPLETE THE WORK OF ENDING WELFARE AS WE KNOW IT. ))
RUNS=:23
OUT Q=as we know it.
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VO-NAT

The measure limits Welfare benefits to five years and recipients are required to work within two years.
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Tobacco

ANCHOR=Mel
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-67
GRAPHIC=Tobacco

One of the most anticipated days of the year got underway this morning in Danville.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=nat-sound
((NAT-SOUND ))
SUPER=03-Danville;
RUNS=:03
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Hundreds of Southside tobacco farmers gathered at Hollands Warehouse to mark opening day for the Danville flue-cured tobacco market.
Experts say this year's market looks promising.
Farmers have had to deal with drought like conditions for a good part of the summer, but recent rains have helped out significantly.
Farmers and Southside lawmakers who spoke this morning believe the real threat to tobacco isn't Mother Nature rather the Food and Drug Administration's attempts to regulate tobacco.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I'm proud
((CLARENCE BRYANT/"CONCERNED FRIENDS FOR TOBACCO":I'M PROUD OF WHAT I DO, WE DO A GOOD JOB AT IT. IF YOU PUT ME OUT OF BUSINESS HERE, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO EXPORT IT OVERSEAS, SOMEONE IN BRAZIL, ZIMBABWE, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, THEY'LL GROW IT AND LAUGH ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK BECAUSE PRESIDENT CLINTON PUT ME OUT OF BUSINESS, THAT JUST, DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. ))
SUPER=01-Clarence Bryant/"Concerned Friends for Tobacco"; :00
RUNS=:20
OUT Q=to me.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The Danville market is the second largest flue-cured tobacco market in the U-S.
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Danville-Fatal

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=jmc
TAPE#None
GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident

A Danville man was killed in a car accident this morning.
Police say 24-year-old Shannon Flynn had pulled into Riverside Drive, when his car was hit broadside by an oncoming truck.
Flynn died at the hospital.
The driver of the truck wasn't hurt.
NO charges have been filed.

EMBRYOS

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=None

In England this afternoon, scientist have begun destroying more than 3-thousand human embroyos.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-London/Last Night;

Anti- abortion groups held a vigil last night to protest the program, which the Catholic Church calls "prenatal massacre."
A 19-90 law prohibits clinics from storing the embryos longer than five years unless donor couples seek an extension.
The embryos belong to 900 couples who have lost touch with the clinics and cannot be traced.
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Monsoon

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=None

Typhoon "Herb" roared into China with 87 mile per hour winds today, leaving at least 14 dead on the island of Taiwan.
Officials say at least four people, are missing and more than 200 have been injured.
Thousands of homes have been flooded or destroyed.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Manila;

Meantime, a monsoon has forced evacuations in the Philippines.
Officials in Manila issued the call after floodwaters rose four to five feet.
But some families refused to leave, prompting the government to send in rescue teams.
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tease#1
HARD MUSIC UNDER
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Still to come on News 7,
We'll tell you about a newcomer to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail, and it's not an inmate,
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VO-NAT
and efforts to recover more wreckage from the downed T-W-A Flight 800 are being hampered by bad weather.
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Talent=Patrick
Wx-Tease music up full comm1

PLANE-EMERGENCY

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#None
GRAPHIC=None

Some terrifying moments for some airline passengers last night over the skies of Pennsylvania.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Harrisburg, PA;
11:00:38
An American Airlines jet bound for New York had to make an emergency landing in Harrisburg.
Officials say one engine failed and the cabin filled with thick, black smoke.
No one was hurt but several passengers say they were thinking about T-W-A Flight 800, which exploded July 17th, killing all 230 aboard.
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WIPE/WIPE/WIPE

TWA-CRASH

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=WIPE/WIPE/WIPE
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-East Moriches, NY;

Meantime, searchers combing the Alantic for the wreckage from flight 800 are hoping for better weather today.
Choppy seas stalled salvage efforts yesterday.
Investigators are eager to recover of the front fuselage of the plane to determine if a bomb exploded in the front cargo hold, cutting off the plane's nose.
(----------------)

Henry-Warden

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#96-59
GRAPHIC=None

For the second time in less than a year, a Henry County animal warden has been suspended.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Henry Co./File Tape;

The county administrator will not say why Gerald Wheeler has been suspended without pay through Monday.
Sidney Clower says it's a personnel matter.
Last year Wheeler was suspended after he was indicted for distributing a drug used to euthanize animals.
A judge later dismissed those charges, saying Wheeler had no criminal intent.
Wheeler was then reinstated.
(-------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=None

Wheeler could not be reached for comment.

Obremski

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

He was charged with nearly a dozen felonies- and accused of striking fear in little girls.
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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.
(----------------)

Blue-Ridge

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-57
GRAPHIC=None

There may not be a jail for him to run yet, but the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority has hired its new administrator.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;

Chris Webb was chosen from a field of 67 applicants from across the country.
Webb most recently was employed as the superintendent of State Correctional Unit number 9 in Rustburg.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 1:48:07
IN Q=We will run
((CHRIS WEBB/BLUE RIDGE REGIONAL JAIL ADMINISTRATOR: WE WILL RUN FACILITIES THAT PUT PUBLIC SAFETY NUMBER ONE AND THAT THE FACILITIES WILL BE CLEAN AND SAFE PLACES FOR NOT ONLY THE STAFF THAT WORK THERE BUT THOSE PERSONS DETAINED.))
SUPER=01-Chris Webb/Blue Ridge Reg. Jail Administrator; :00
RUNS=:19
OUT Q=those persons detained.
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VO-NAT

The jail authority says Webb's local ties are a bonus, but were "not" a major factor in his hiring.
He has 21 years of experience in the corrections business.
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Tease#2
SOFT MUSIC UNDER
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Up next on News 7,
We'll have an update on the incident at Valley View Mall that prompted a boycott by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,
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VO-NAT
and a West-coast fire in the heart of the country's vineyards is causing many evacuations.
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Valley-View

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

A Roanoke man's skirmish with a Valley View Mall security official led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to call for a boycott of the mall.
Yesterday both the shopper and the security guard faced each other in court.
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.))

Sonoma-Fires

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=lba
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=None

Firefighters have struggled with a wildfire in the heart of California's wine country.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Sonoma Co., CA;

The blaze consumed more than 300 acres of Sonoma County brush since it started yesterday afternoon.
No injuries have been reported and there are no reports of damage to any wineries.
100 people were moved to temporary shelters.
Roughly 30 fire engines and two helicopters have been called in to help fight the fire.
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WEATHER
SUPER=300-77/64/NW 9mph/30.00S/97/1953/55/1986;
SUPER=301-75/79/NW 7mph/29.98S/98/1935/54/1936;
Forecasts
SUPER=X5000;
SUPER=330-Partly/Cloudy/62-66/Partly/Sunny/80-84;
SUPER=331-Partly/Cloudy/64-68/Partly/Sunny/82-86;
SUPER=332-Partly Cloudy/Fog Developing/54-58/Partly/Sunny/76-80;
SUPER=333-Partly/Cloudy/60-64/Partly/Sunny/76-80;
SUPER=334-Mostly Clear/Patchy Fog/54-58/Partly/Sunny/76-80;
SUPER=X5001;

Lex-Retirement

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

Some Lexington residents are ready to open a NEW retirement community in their area.
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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.
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tease#3
SPORTS MUSIC UNDER
ANCHOR=Melanie

Stick around - Patrick has sports next including a preview of Olympic action in Atlanta,
(----------------)
VO-NAT
and it may be the first of August, but to some, the month means football is right around the corner.
We'll talk to some higher ups in the A-C-C.
(---------------)
MUSIC UP FULL comm4

Olympics

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=sly
TAPE#None
GRAPHIC=Olympics

Michael Johnson will try to make history today.
The U-S sprinter has already won the 400 meters -- now he'll try to become the first person to also win the 200 at the same Olympics.
But Carl Lewis' quest for a tenth Olympic gold medal has apparently ended.
The track star says he is ending his campaign for a spot on the U-S men's 400-meter relay.
The decathlon also finishes up today and American Dan O'Brien is on track for the gold.

S-Brick

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=Mike
TAPE#R-33
GRAPHIC=INDIANAPOLIS

Four hours of open practice was the the order of the day at Indianapolis yesterday afternoon as the Winston Cup boys
(----------------)
VO-NAT eng#
SUPER=03-Indianapolis; :00

limbered up for the first round of qualifying.
Mark Martin and Rick Mast had two of the fastest practice times of the day, but this was the man grabbing most of the attention.
Dale Earnhardt was walking and talking and waving to the crowd despite his broken clavicle and sternum.
Mike Skinner practiced the Richard Childress owned Goodwrench Chevy yesterday but Dale plans to at least start Saturday's race.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q="If I were...
((DALE EARNHARDT/DRIVER -GOODWRENCH CHEVY:))
SUPER=01-Dale Earnhardt/Goodwrench Chevy Driver; :00
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=...I DECIDE."
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S-ACC

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=sma
TAPE#=FB96-1
GRAPHIC=ACC

The ACC football coaches and players have been hanging out at Homestead this week, and Steve Mason says when they haven't been dodging maids they've been discussing a changing of the guard within the conference.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=first audio
SUPER=03-Hot Springs; :00
SUPER=01-Fred Goldsmith/Duke Head Football Coach; :12
SUPER=@Steve1; :37
SUPER=03-Charlottesville/Last Season; 1:00
SUPER=01-Tiki Barber/Rushed for 1,397 Yards Last Year; 1:06
SUPER=01-Warrick Dunn/Florida State Tailback; 1:14
SUPER=01-Bobby Bowden/Florida State Head Coach; 1:33
SUPER=01-George O'Leary/Georgia Tech Head Football Coach; 1:45
RUNS=2:02
OUT Q=...news 7 sports"
(-------------)

((The media hoped to uncover the storylines for the 1996 football season.
But it was a Homestead employee, not a reporter who got up close and personal with at least one coach. ((PAUL GOLDSMITH/DUKE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH:)) ((STEVE MASON:))
Virginia's Mike Groh is just 1 of 7 ACC quarterbacks lost to either graduation or exhausted eligibility.
Both Warrick Dunn of Florida State and UVa's Tiki Barber are heisman trophy front runners and lead the best ACC class of runners ever. ((TIKI BARBER/UVA RUNNING BACK:)) ((WARRICK DUNN/FLORIDA STATE RUNNING BACK:))
Clemson's Raymond priester has also been mention in th Heisman hunt and you can't forget about North Carolina's Leon Johnson, Georgia Tech's CJ Williams, and NC State's Tremayne Stephens. ((:))
Their success will depend on some young offensive lines throughout the conference, that story, In our next ACC report. At the Homestead, Steve Mason, News 7 sports.))
(-------------)

wrap

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=amo
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=none
(*******toss to Patrick**********)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Coming up in tonight's Health Check report on NEWS-7 at Five.
The diet soft drink market could get even more crowded.
A new artificial sweetener already found in gum and some desserts is trying to make its way into diet drinks.
But one consumer group says it hasn't been scrutinized and tested enough.
More on the story tonight on NEWS-7 at Five.

Oldest-Twins

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=lba
TAPE#Net
GRAPHIC=None

Imagine living a century and still having your sister right there beside you.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Tokyo, Japan;

The world's oldest set of twins did better than that.
The two women celebrated their 104th birthday yesterday.
Local officials in Tokyo invited Kin Narita and Gin Kanie to a birthday celebration in their honor. (-------------) Party goers applauded as they blew out the candles on their birthday cake.