WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 12/23/96

08:25-01

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SUPER=@Beth1;

7Plane-Crash

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=Dal
TAPE# STARLINK EDIT
GRAPHIC=plane crash

Eyewitnesses report seeing flashes of fire, and feeling the ground shake as a plane crashed in Giles county last night.
The D-C-8 crashed into East River Mountain and rescue workers say there were no survivors.
The Greensboro News and Record is reporting that a mechanic from the Triad Maintenance Corporation and five Airborne Express Employees were aboard the plane.
One of the employees was from Winston-Salem and the other four were from Ohio.
The Airborne Express Cargo plane was traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to Wilmington, Ohio, on what officials say was a routine maintenance flight.
As Denise Allen tells us witnesses helped locate the crash.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I heard
SUPER=01-David Conley/Eyewitness; :00
SUPER=01-Steve Davis/Capt. Giles Co. Rescue; :25
SUPER=03-Giles Co.; :37
SUPER=01-Jason Conley/Eyewitness; :44
SUPER=@Denise1; 1:16
RUNS=1:31
OUT Q=News 7 Narrows
(((/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I HEARD A KIND
((DAVID CONLEY/EYEWITNESS: I HEARD A KIND OF ODD NOISE. IT SOUNDED KINDLY LOW AND STARTED COMING UP REAL LOUD. I CAME TO THE DOOR REAL QUICK AND I LOOKED UP THROUGH THERE, THE MOUNTAINS LIT UP AND IT WAS AN EXPLOSION. BLACK SMOKE AND RED AND BLUE FLAMES COMING UP OVER THERE.)) ((STEVE DAVIS/CAPT. GILES CO. RESCUE: WE DID CONTACT THE INDIANAPOLIS CONTROL CENTER. THEY DID VERIFY FOR US THAT AN AIRCRAFT DID GO OFF OF THEIR SCREEN. THEY GAVE US THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE AND WE DID VERIFY THAT WE ARE AT THE RIGHT LOCATION.))
It took rescue workers an hour and a half to locate the crash.
Officials say the plane nearly disintegrated.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
((JASON CONLEY/WITNESS: ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS JUST PARTS. THE PLANE HAD CLEARED OUT A BIG PATH OF WHERE IT WAS AT.)) ((DAVIS: THE SCENE FROM US RIGHT NOW IS STRAIGHT UP THE MOUNTAIN ABOUT A MILE, A MILE AND A QUARTER, TO THE NORTH OF US. IT'S ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY AN OLD LOGGING ROAD THAT THE GUYS ARE LITERALLY HAVING TO WORK THEIR WAY AROUND THE DOWNED TREES, BRUSH THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE ROAD TO GET TO THE CRASH SITE.))
The cargo plane was empty. Officials do not know if the crew tried to radio in for help. DENISE ALLEN/NEWS 7 REPORTER: RESCUE WORKERS HAVE CLOSED THE CRASH SITE UNTIL F-A-A AND NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS RELEASE THE SCENE. AT THAT TIME THE RESCUE WORKERS WILL TRY TO GO IN AND RECOVER THE VICTIMS.
DENISE ALLEN NEWS 7 NARROWS.))

7DC-8

ANCHOR=beth
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=DAL
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=plane crash

D-C-8'S, like the one in last night's crash, are a wide body aircraft used as passenger planes in the late '50's and early '60's. we have a dc8 full screen graphic
Empty, they weigh 83 tons with a wing span of 148 feet.
The plane has four jet engines and can travel up to 600 miles per hour.
The cargo plane usually carries a crew of three.
And has a fuel capacity of 20-thousand gallons.

7road-closings

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=afr
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=road conditions

Icy roads throughout our region are making driving dangerous this morning.
Authorities sanded Route 2-20 in the Alleghany Highlands last night, and reopened it at 11:30.
Icy conditions have been reported on Route 2-20 and Interstates 64 and 81.
And, a twelve mile stretch of Route 606 in Allegheny County is closed this morning. Authorities report a thick sheet of ice on the road.
Many spots around the region are still VERY icy-- And authorities report roads that look wet may be iced over-- so please take care on your drive to work this morning.

7WEATHER

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=cutin
TAPE#NONE

SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE
SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/and Warmer/56-59/Increasing Clouds/Rain After
Midnight/40-45;

SUPER=#555; RESET

Turning now to the weather forecast,
WE are expecting partly sunny skies with unseasonably warm temperatures. Highs will be near 60 in the region today.
Tonight, lows should drop to around 40.
Tomorrow, it'll be a bit colder wtih a chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Overnight lows will be in the teens.
Christmas day, cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Highs will be in the 30s. 7BIRTHDAYS ! 12/24/25/96
Christmas Eve:

SUPER=130-1/Malik Cobbs/Danville;

SUPER=130-4/Kelsie Felts/Galax;

SUPER=130-16/James Coffey/Lexington;

Christmas:

SUPER=130-23/David Owens Jr./Radford;

(Anniversary)
SUPER=130-/Charles & Peggy Vanmeter/Raphine;

SUPER=130-/Ray Austin/Martinsville;

(Anniversary)
SUPER=130-56th/Wallace & Margaret Solomon/Halifax;

No Pictures:

(Anniversary)
SUPER=130-25th/Glenn & Barbara Hall/Vernon Hill;
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SUPER=@Beth1;

55Crash

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=Dal
TAPE# net
GRAPHIC=plane crash

Eyewitnesses say the earth shook when a plane crashed in Giles County last night.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Giles Co;

A D-C-8 crashed into East River Mountain in Giles County last night.
Rescue workers say there were no survivors.
Six people were aboard the plane, including five Airborne Express Employees, one from Winston-Salem and the other four from Ohio.
The Airborne Express Cargo plane was traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to Wilmington, Ohio, on what officials say was a routine maintenance flight.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I HEARD A KIND
((DAVID CONLEY/EYEWITNESS: I HEARD A KIND OF ODD NOISE. IT SOUNDED KINDLY LOW AND STARTED COMING UP REAL LOUD. I CAME TO THE DOOR REAL QUICK AND I LOOKED UP THROUGH THERE, THE MOUNTAINS LIT UP AND IT WAS AN EXPLOSION. BLACK SMOKE AND RED AND BLUE FLAMES COMING UP OVER THERE.)) ((STEVE DAVIS/CAPT. GILES CO. RESCUE: WE DID CONTACT THE INDIANAPOLIS CONTROL CENTER. THEY DID VERIFY FOR US THAT AN AIRCRAFT DID GO OFF OF THEIR SCREEN. THEY GAVE US THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE AND WE DID VERIFY THAT WE ARE AT THE RIGHT LOCATION.))
SUPER=01-David Conley/Eyewitness; :03
SUPER=01-Steve Davis/Giles Co. Rescue; :25
RUNS=:36
OUT Q=right location.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

It took rescue workers an hour and a half to locate the crash. It's only accessible by an old logging road that is littered with downed trees and brush.
Officials say the cargo plane was empty and nearly disintegrated in the crash. It is not known if the crew tried to radio for help.
(-------------)

55road-closings

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=afr
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=road conditions

Icy roads throughout our region are making driving dangerous this morning.
Most roads have been reopened this morning.
Icy conditions are especially bad in Bath County, Allegheny county and the Clifton Forge are-- authorities are reporting many minor accidents.
Many spots around the region are icy-- And authorities report roads that look wet may be iced over-- so please take care on your drive to work this morning.

55WEATHER

8Plane-Crash

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=Dal
TAPE# STARLINK EDIT
GRAPHIC=plane crash

Good morning, I'm Eric Earnhardt, filling in for Melanie Moon.
A D-C-8 crashed into East River Mountain in Giles County last night.
Rescue workers say there were no survivors.
Six people were aboard the plane, including five Airborne Express Employees, one from Winston-Salem and the four others from Ohio.
The Airborne Express Cargo plane was traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to Wilmington, Ohio, on what officials say was a routine maintenance flight.
As Denise Allen tells us witnesses helped locate the crash.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I heard
SUPER=01-David Conley/Eyewitness; :00
SUPER=01-Steve Davis/Capt. Giles Co. Rescue; :25
SUPER=03-Giles Co.; :37
SUPER=01-Jason Conley/Eyewitness; :44
SUPER=@Denise1; 1:16
RUNS=1:31
OUT Q=News 7 Narrows
(((/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I HEARD A KIND
((DAVID CONLEY/EYEWITNESS: I HEARD A KIND OF ODD NOISE. IT SOUNDED KINDLY LOW AND STARTED COMING UP REAL LOUD. I CAME TO THE DOOR REAL QUICK AND I LOOKED UP THROUGH THERE, THE MOUNTAINS LIT UP AND IT WAS AN EXPLOSION. BLACK SMOKE AND RED AND BLUE FLAMES COMING UP OVER THERE.)) ((STEVE DAVIS/CAPT. GILES CO. RESCUE: WE DID CONTACT THE INDIANAPOLIS CONTROL CENTER. THEY DID VERIFY FOR US THAT AN AIRCRAFT DID GO OFF OF THEIR SCREEN. THEY GAVE US THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE AND WE DID VERIFY THAT WE ARE AT THE RIGHT LOCATION.))
It took rescue workers an hour and a half to locate the crash.
Officials say the plane nearly disintegrated.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
((JASON CONLEY/WITNESS: ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS JUST PARTS. THE PLANE HAD CLEARED OUT A BIG PATH OF WHERE IT WAS AT.)) ((DAVIS: THE SCENE FROM US RIGHT NOW IS STRAIGHT UP THE MOUNTAIN ABOUT A MILE, A MILE AND A QUARTER, TO THE NORTH OF US. IT'S ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY AN OLD LOGGING ROAD THAT THE GUYS ARE LITERALLY HAVING TO WORK THEIR WAY AROUND THE DOWNED TREES, BRUSH THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE ROAD TO GET TO THE CRASH SITE.))
The cargo plane was empty. Officials do not know if the crew tried to radio in for help. DENISE ALLEN/NEWS 7 REPORTER: RESCUE WORKERS HAVE CLOSED THE CRASH SITE UNTIL F-A-A AND NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS RELEASE THE SCENE. AT THAT TIME THE RESCUE WORKERS WILL TRY TO GO IN AND RECOVER THE VICTIMS.
DENISE ALLEN NEWS 7 NARROWS.))

8Gas-Prices

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=spr
TAPE#96-90
GRAPHIC=gas prices up

The highways will be well traveled this week.
Triple-A estimates 39 million Americans will be hitting the road to celebrate Christmas.
And, Eighty percent of them will be traveling by car.
Not only will they rack up the mileage, but a pricy gas bill.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke;

Compared to last December, gasoline prices are up a whopping 17 cents a gallon.
But according to local Triple- A officials, things could be worse.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 11:24:06
IN Q=The least
((JOYCE BRADFORD/AAA OF VIRGINIA: THE LEAST EXPENSIVE AREA IN THE COUNTRY IS THE SOUTH EAST SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BETTER THAN AVERAGE PRICES HERE. ))
SUPER=01-Joyce Bradford/AAA of Virginia;
RUNS=:07
OUT Q=prices here
(----------------)
VO-NAT

According to Bradford the most expensive place to buy gasoline is on the west coast.
(----------------)

8SHOPPING

ANCHOR=Beth
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=DAL
TAPE#96-92
GRAPHIC=christmas shopping

With less than two days left until Christmas,
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;
merchants say this holiday sales are mounting.
Store owners say procrastinators have been keeping the stores busy.
And they apparently are not just buying stocking stuffers...they're buying the big ticket items as well.
Many customers say they're looking for last minute deals.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 05:55:04
IN Q=I ALWAYS DO
((BARBARA HOLBROOK/SHOPPER: I ALWAYS DO LAST MINUTE SHOPPING. I LOVE CHRISTMAS AND I GO RIGHT UP TO THE END, THE SALES GET BETTER AND I JUST KEEP SHOPPING.))
SUPER=01-Barbara Holbrook/Shopper;
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=I JUST KEEP SHOPPING
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Holbrook says she believes an improved economy is prompting shoppers to buy more.
With Christmas on Wednesday, many stores are open extended hours today, and close early Christmas Eve.
(----------------)