WDBJ 7 news at Noon for 03/14/97

12:00-01

NOON-HEADLINES

TALENT=Melanie
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VO-NAT

President Clinton topped off his week with a trip to the hospital after popping a tendon in his knee.
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ANCHOR=Melanie

And the search continues for a possible drowning victim in the New River.
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TALENT=Patrick
SS=None

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ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

Don't go away, the News is next.

CLINTON

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=clinton

President Clinton undergoes surgery this afternoon to repair a torn tendon in his right knee.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-West Palm Beach, FL;

The injury happened early this morning when Mr. Clinton stumbled on stairs at the Florida home of golf pro Greg Norman.
The President appeared upbeat as he headed home for Washington.
He is scheduled to arrive at this hour at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
(( DR. JOEL COHEN/VICE-PRESIDENT, ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL:THE INJURIES NOT UNCOMMON INJURY...REPAIR IS STRAIGHT FORWARD AND HE WILL GO THROUGH PHYSICAL THERAPY AND SHOULD RETURN TO FULL ACTIVITIES. ))
SUPER=01-Dr. Joel Cohen/St. Mary's Hospital;
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=FULL ACTIVITIES.
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VO-NAT

The President is expected to be in a leg brace and on crutches for up to six weeks.
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P-Drowning

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=tal
TAPE#97-15
GRAPHIC=None

Officials continue to dredge the New River today.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Fairlawn;

They are worried someone either jumped or fell from the bridge in Fairlawn.
One witness reported seeing a man sitting on top of the Peppers Ferry Bridge yesterday.
Another man sitting below said he heard and saw a large splash, but nothing surfaced and he could not tell what had hit the water.
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P-Hazing

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=jmc
TAPE#597-05
GRAPHIC=roanoke college

Prosecutor Skip Burkart dropped hazing charges against 17 Roanoke College students.
In return, the students pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./February 26;

The students were arrested after police found four young men face down in Carvins Cove one night last month.
The students say it was all part of a "bonding experience."
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P-SPCA

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=jmo
TAPE# 597-03
GRAPHIC=Alexander, Al

Three former workers at the Roanoke S-P-C-A say a state council is investigating their charges they were sexually harassed by the executive director.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;

This, after an investigation from the S-P-C-A board in November.
Debra Flanary, Diane Farren, and Melinda Chambers took their complaints against Al Alexander to the board but were not satisfied with the outcome.
A board member says it conducted a thorough investigation and IS satisfied.
Alexander says the allegations are unfounded.
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Tax-Cut

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=equ
TAPE#net (edit of 597-08)
GRAPHIC=va seal

Governor Allen signed his first real tax cut into law yesterday.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Richmond;

It's a cut to the "unemployment insurance tax" business owners pay.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 02:50:13
IN Q=Of the
((GOV. GEORGE ALLEN: OF THE MORE THAN 89- THOUSAND VIRGINIA BUSINESSES WHO WILL PAY NO STATE UNEMPLOYMENT TAX UNDER THIS PROPOSAL, OF THAT 89- THOUSAND, OVER 68- PERCENT OF THEM HAVE LESS THAN FIVE EMPLOYEES.))
SUPER=@Allen;
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=five employees.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=@file;

House Majority Leader Dick Cranwell helped engineer the tax cut in February.
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Rail-Merger

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=lbe
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=rail merger

Conrail's chief executive probably won't be offered a job after C-S-X and N-S split up his railroad between them.
But it sounds like David LeVan is getting some pretty good parting gifts.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Philadelphia, PA/November;

Rail industry sources told the Washington Post that LeVan could receive more than 22- million- dollars for his trouble.
Other Conrail managers are expected to get lucrative payouts.
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Albania

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=none

Americans are coming under fire as they try to flee the violence in Albania.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Tirana, Albania;

Gunmen on the ground fired at U-S and Italian helicopters today as they tried to evacuate Americans and other foreigners.
The U-S military has suspended airlifts.
More than 700 foreigners have been evacuated from Albania in the past 24 hours.
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L'burg-Parks

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=abr
TAPE#net (edit of 597-02)
GRAPHIC=Lynchburg City Seal

Soccer parents say there are not enough fields in Lynchburg to accommodate teams' needs.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lynchburg;

Parks and Recreation studies show the fields are poorly maintained and overused.
A new sports complex off Nationwide Drive would help alleviate the problem.
But the project is lacking investors and has even spawned a lawsuit from the neighbors.
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Forecasts
SUPER=X5000;
SUPER=314-Periods/of Rain/44-48/Evening Showers/Then Clearing/36-40;
SUPER=X5001;

MUPPETS

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=NOON
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=none

Big Bird is heading to China along with all his Sesame Street pals.
The Chinese version of Sesame Street will debut on Shanghai television early next year.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Shangai, China;

They've already begun auditions for performers in the Chinese version and Bert, Ernie and the Cookie Monster have been brushing up their Mandarin. (----------------)