08:25-01

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SUPER=@Melanie1;

7sWatch


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=lba
TAPE#none
GRAPHIC=school info


Some schools are closed or delayed this morning due to icy conditions.
Here's a look at the list.. take SchoolWatch

7Rosser


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-98
GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation


Neighbors are in shock after an eight- year- old is charged with killing his step-father in Pittsylvania County.
Sheriff Harold Plaster won't confirm the arrest and has placed a gag order on his department.
But a source close to the Bernard Rosser murder case confirms the chief suspect is the man's eight- year- old stepson.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co.;


The 55- year- old Franklin County probation officer was found dead at his Gretna home in mid-December.
SUPER=04-Franklin News Post;


Authorities say he suffered a severe blow to the head.
Neighbors say prior to the arrest they were concerned for their own safety because of the severity of the crime.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Naturally

((JACK DALTON/VICTIM'S NEIGHBOR:NATURALLY, ANYBODY WOULD BE, LIVING TWO DOORS DOWN, KNOWING SOMEBODY RUNNING LOOSE, THAT HAD MURDERED SOMEBODY, NATURALLY WE WOULD BE TENSED.))
SUPER=01-Jack Dalton/Victim's Neighbor; :00
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=be tensed.
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD


Neighbors say the Rosser family moved into the house about two years ago.
Neighbors tell NEWS 7 the child was large for his age but did not cause any problems in the neighborhood.

7Arson-Fires


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-
GRAPHIC=fire


There were three cases of arson last night in Lynchburg.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;


Just hours after firefighters extinguished a fire at a Hill City lumberyard, they were called to this house on Marsh Street where the front porch had been set on fire.
It took them about fifteen minutes to bring the blaze under control.
Just across the street, crews hosed down a small pile of tires and debris that had been torched.
Fire marshal John Jennings says all three fires were deliberately set.
No arrests have been made.
(----------------)



7L'burg-Crash


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#97-1
GRAPHIC=None


Lynchburg police are still trying to sort out the facts of a brief chase that ended with a teenage suspect wrecking a stolen car.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;


Police were called to Monsview Place to look for a vehicle wanted used in a possible abduction.
An officer spotted the car and attempted to pull it over, but the driver took off.
After hopping a curb, the 15- year- old backed into a police cruiser and sped off again, this time crashing into a parked car.
The teen, whose identity is being withheld because of his age, suffered a minor head injury in the crash.
He's facing charges of reckless driving, driving without a license, eluding police and assault on an officer.
Authorities are still trying to track down information on the reported abduction.
(----------------)



7WEATHER


ANCHOR=MELANIE
NEWSCAST=MORN
WRITER=ldo
TAPE#NONE



SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE
SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Windy & Colder/40-42/Wind Chill Advisory/Clear and

Cold/10-15;
SUPER=#555; RESET


Turning now to the weather forecast,
An Arctic front is on the way. Expect temperatures to drop drastically today.
Highs will reach 40 degrees today.
Temperatures will then drop to 10-15 overnight.
The bitter cold, and windy weather sticks around through the weekend.
Will will continue to run school closings throughout the morning.
7BIRTHDAYS! 1/17/97!

SUPER=130-/Doris Matthews/Vinton;



(Anniversary)
SUPER=130-63rd/Curtis & Annie George/Gretna;



SUPER=130-2/Kasey Hudson/Roanoke;



SUPER=130-35/Bill Payne/Thaxton;



SUPER=130-/Phyllis Williams/Roanoke;



SUPER=130-10/Jennifer Bradley/Roanoke;



(Triplets!!)
SUPER=130-54/Janet Martin-Jane Smith-Joan Austin/Shawsville;


Saturday:

SUPER=130-11/Scotty Gray/Narrows;



SUPER=130-83/Georgia Blankenship/Roanoke;



SUPER=130-18/Brentn Godfrey/Clifton Forge;



SUPER=130-40/Debbie Zoo/Roanoke;


No Pictures:

SUPER=130-/Lynette Baker/Appomattox;



SUPER=130-/Keran Lilly/Appomattox;



SUPER=130-53/Martha Wilkins/Alexandria;

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SUPER=@Melanie1;


555-Rosser


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=spr
TAPE#596-42
GRAPHIC=murder investigation


There's confirmation that an eight- year- old boy is the chief suspect in the murder of a Franklin County probation officer.
A source close to the investigation says Bernard Rosser's stepson has been arrested for murder.
Neither the sheriff nor the Commonwealth's attorney would comment.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=04-Franklin News Post;


The Franklin County probation officer was found dead in his Gretna home last month.
He was killed after suffering a blow to the head.
SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co./December 19;


The boy's name is not being released and officials won't say whether the child is being kept in custody.
(----------------)



55Arson-Fires


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-
GRAPHIC=arson


Three separte and suspicious fires kept Lynchburg fire crews on the move last night.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;


Just hours after they extinguished a fire at a Hill City lumberyard, firefighters were called to this house on Marsh Street where the front porch had been set on fire.
It took them about fifteen minutes to bring the blaze under control.
Just across the street, crews hosed down a small pile of tires and debris that had been torched.
Fire marshal John Jennings says all three fires were deliberately set.
No arrests have been made.
(----------------)



55Bedford-Ax


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#97-3
GRAPHIC=Accident


No charges will be filed against the Bedford County motorist who ran over and killed his neighbor's four- year- old daughter.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Bedford Co./January 5;


Lauren Paige Cobb was playing with friends in this cul-de-sac when she ran to a nearby driveway to pick up rocks.
That's when a neighbor hit Cobb while he backed out of his driveway.
Police say the man could not have seen the child because of a parked car in the street.
Prosecutor Randy Krantz is still reviewing the final report, but does NOT anticipate filing charges.
(----------------)



55Virginia-Transformer


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#96-
GRAPHIC=business news


A deal with a company in India means big bucks for a Roanoke firm.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/1987;

file cued from 87-124
Virginia Transformer has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Crompton Greaves (GREEVES) of Mumbai (mum-BUY), India.
The contract is expected to generate as much as three- to- five- million- dollars annually in additional sales for the company.
(-------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=hold


Virginia Transformer has been in a strong growth mode for a while now.
It recently opened a plant in Mexico, and last year it hired about 50 new people in Roanoke.

55WEATHER


ANCHOR=MELANIE
NEWSCAST=MORN
WRITER=ldo
TAPE#NONE


There are many school closings-- stay tuned to news 7 for updated lists throughout the morning.
SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE
SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Windy & Colder/40-42/Wind Chill Advisory/Clear and

Cold/10-15;
SUPER=#555; RESET


Turning now to the weather forecast,
Highs will reach 40 degrees today.
But Temperatures will then drop to 10-15 overnight.
The bitter cold, and windy weather sticks around through the weekend.
cutopen
SUPER=@Melanie1;


8Rosser


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=morn
WRITER=THa
TAPE#96-98
GRAPHIC=Murder Investigation


A source close to the Bernard Rosser murder investigation, confirms Rosser's eight- year- old Stepson is the PRIME suspect.
Sheriff Harold Plaster has no comment on the arrest and has placed a gag order on his department.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co.;


The 55- year- old Franklin County probation officer was found dead at his Gretna home in mid-December.
SUPER=04-Franklin News Post;


Authorities say he suffered a severe blow to the head.
Neighbors say prior to the arrest they were concerned for their own safety because of the severity of the crime.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Naturally

((JACK DALTON/VICTIM'S NEIGHBOR:NATURALLY, ANYBODY WOULD BE, LIVING TWO DOORS DOWN, KNOWING SOMEBODY RUNNING LOOSE, THAT HAD MURDERED SOMEBODY, NATURALLY WE WOULD BE TENSED.))
SUPER=01-Jack Dalton/Victim's Neighbor; :00
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=be tensed.
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD


Neighbors say the Rosser family moved into the house about two years ago.
Neighbors tell NEWS 7 the child was large for his age but did not cause any problems in the neighborhood.

8Arson-Fires


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#96-
GRAPHIC=arson


Three separate cases of arson were reported overnight in Lynchburg.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;


Just hours after firefighters extinguished a fire at a Hill City lumberyard, they were called to this house on Marsh Street where the front porch had been set on fire.
It took them about fifteen minutes to bring the blaze under control.
Just across the street, crews hosed down a small pile of tires and debris that had been torched.
Fire marshal John Jennings says all three fires were deliberately set.
No arrests have been made.
(----------------)



8L'burg-Crash


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=ssm
TAPE#97-1
GRAPHIC=None


Lynchburg police are still trying to sort out the facts of a brief chase that ended with a teenage suspect wrecking a stolen car.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;


Police were called to Monsview Place to look for a vehicle used in a possible abduction.
An officer spotted the car and attempted to pull it over, but the driver took off.
After hopping a curb, the 15- year- old backed into a police cruiser and sped off again, this time crashing into a parked car.
The teen suffered a minor head injury in the crash.
He's facing charges of reckless driving, driving without a license, eluding police and assault on an officer.
(----------------)



8Gil-Davis


ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=cutin
WRITER=eea
TAPE#96-99
GRAPHIC=Davis, Gil


A Pittsylvania County woman is raising questions about the character of a prominent Virginia lawyer.
Gil Davis is running for Virginia Attorney General, and represents Paula Jones in her sexual harrassment suit against President Clinton.
He also represents Ramona Hines in a lawsuit.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co.;


Hines says Davis behaved innappropriately, when she and her husband met him at a Roanoke Hotel for a conference on her case.
She says the three began drinking and and talking about a playboy photo-shoot.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=now what do you
(((/////SOT/////)

off the preprod tape 16:44:18 Davis; "Now what do you want to do?" Hines: "what did I tell you?" Davis; "You want to take your clothes off" Hines; "No I didn't say that...(laughter) 3:18:04 RAMONA HINES: THIS, WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SEEN IS NORMAL, THAT'S CHARACTER FROM MR. DAVIS, AND WHEN I WOULD HEAR HIM ON CNN AND I WOULD HEAR HIM SPEAK, HE TO ME WAS SPEAKING OUT OF CHARACTER;))
SUPER=07-Ramona Hines
RUNS=:25
OUT Q=speaking out of character
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=HOLD


A spokesman for Davis says he can not respond to Hine's statements because he still represents her, and is bound by attorney client confidentiality.
Hines says she is considering a lawsuit against Davis, and may sell the rights to the video tape, though she says she is not actively seeking a buyer.


8WEATHER


ANCHOR=MELANIE
NEWSCAST=MORN
WRITER=ldo
TAPE#NONE


There are many school closings-- stay tuned to news 7 for updated lists throughout the morning.
SUPER=X5000; SET DISSOLVE
SUPER=314-Partly Sunny/Windy & Colder/40-42/Wind Chill Advisory/Clear and

Cold/10-15;
SUPER=#555; RESET


Turning now to the weather forecast,
There are widespread areas of black ice around the region so please be careful on the roads this morning.
Highs will reach 40 degrees today.
But Temperatures will then drop to 10-15 overnight. The bitter cold, and windy weather sticks around through the weekend.
by SS