WDBJ 7 morning news for 11/21/97

06:00-01

Bedford-Explosion

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=sta
TAPE#=97-85
GRAPHIC=Explosion

One man is believed to be dead following an explosion at a home in Chamblissburg.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Bedford Co.;

A neighbor said the explosion rattled his windows and sent a cloud of smoke into the air.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 08.26.30 - 08.26.45
IN Q=I was sitting
((MIKE HAMMER/NEIGHBOR: I WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH AND MY WINDOWS STARTED RATTLING AND I LOOKED TO MY LEFT AND LOOKED BACK IN THE WOODS AND I SAW A LITTLE BIT OF FIRE AND THEN A BIG MUSHROOM AND A LOUD EXPLOSION THEN I CALLED 911.))
SUPER=01-Mike Hammer/Neighbor;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=called 911.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The incident happened at this home along Saunders Road off route 6-16 in Chamblissburg last night.
The explosion and fire blew off the roof and gutted the inside of the home.
A neighbor said Danny and Maria Beckner lived at the home.
Officials say Maria Beckner escaped the fire and was taken to a nearby hospital.
A second person is still missing.
(----------------)

US-IRAQ

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=iraq conflict

U-N weapons inspectors are back in Iraq today.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Manama, Bahrain;

Under an agreement brokered by Russia, Baghdad has promised to let members of the U-N special commission.. including Americans go back to work as soon as tomorrow.
Officials hope the Iraqis will provide free and unconditional access to all sites believed to be hiding weapons of mass destruction.
Despite the inspectors' return, the U-S military buildup is continuing.
The aircraft carrier U-S-S "George Washington" is due to arrive in the Persian Gulf later today.
(----------------)

E-B'burg-Shooting

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=THa
TAPE#97-75
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales

Two of the three brothers charged in the shooting death of a man inside a crowded Blacksburg night spot will face charges.
The third was set free.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Blacksburg;

During a preliminary hearing yesterday charges were dismissed against Leon Scales.
However the judge later moved charges forward against Scale's twin brothers, Terry and Kerry.
The twins are accused of shooting and killing Richard Bullard inside Arnold's Restaurant, three months ago.
After court-- Leon Scales expressed confidence in his siblings.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I'm confident
((LEON SCALES:I'M CONFIDENT THAT EVERYTHING WILL COME OUT RIGHT, THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT, THEY'LL WALK OUT OF THERE. ))
SUPER=07-Leon Scales; :00
RUNS=:06 VERY QUICK!!!!!!!
OUT Q=out of there.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Paul Shoemaker, who was shot in the back during the incident, was the first to testify yesterday.
He says his friend, Bullard, was fatally shot after an verbal argument with the three brothers.
Attorney Robbie Jenkins is representing-- Terry Scales.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I don't
((ROBBIE JENKINS/DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANY TYPE OF DRAWN OUT SHOOTING AND I THINK YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED REALLY FAST, IT WAS A REACTION TO SOMEONE ELSE, BEING INVOLVED IN AN ALTERCATION.))
SUPER=01-Robbie Jenkins/Defense Attorney; :00
RUNS=:09
OUT Q=an altercation.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Police say the twins admitted firing guns in Arnold's but none of the day's witnesses could say which twin was holding which gun.
(----------------)

TWIN-DECEPTION

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=legal scales

In Southern California, a verdict in the so-called "evil twin" case.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Santa Ana, CA;
4:14:06
A jury yesterday found Jeen Han guilty of conspiring with two teenage boys to murder her twin sister.
Jeen Han was also convicted of burglary and false imprisonment for sending the two teenagers to tie up her sister Sunny Han and a roommate.
Sunny foiled the plot by calling the police.
The three face 25 years to life behind bars.
(----------------)

Parents-Owe

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=lba
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=va seal

Parents who neglect to pay child support could end up unable to drive their cars.
In a program launched in the last few weeks, metal "boots" are attached to cars to immobilize the vehicles until the parent agrees to a payment schedule.
The steel boots are blue and pink -- to remind parents of their neglected sons and daughters.

5-Donnelley

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=sgo
TAPE#597-43
GRAPHIC=NONE

Roanoke's first coffee-table book hits bookstore shelves today.
From subject matter down to the printer..this book is a Roanoke product.
It's one of the millions of books to roll off the R-R Donnelley presses.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;

The 170-page coffee table book displays the area's geography and economic growth.
A group of local businesses and the Regional Chamber of Commerce produced the opus.
And a native Roanoker snapped all the pictures.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12:14:16
IN Q=I love the area
((BARRY WRIGHT/PHOTOGRAPHER: I LOVE THE AREA AND HAVE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THE NATURAL BEAUTY THAT WE HAVE HERE. AND SO I ALWAYS CONSTANTLY PHOTOGRAPH IT ANYWAY. ))
SUPER=01-Barry Wright/Photographer;
RUNS=:09
OUT Q=photograph it anyway.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The book includes profiles of local businesses and business leaders.
(----------------)

One-Steve

ANCHOR=Steve
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=spa
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=NONE

Microwave
SUPER=15-Steve Pardon;
SUPER=11-Roanoke Co.;
SUPER=13-Fred Carrico/Yamaha Electronics;;
SUPER=11-Roanoke Co;

Stocks
Comm#2

E-Rt-114

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=mfe
TAPE#97-89
GRAPHIC=NONE

In the last three years, ten people have died along Route 1-14 in Montgomery County.
That has some residents concerned.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;

Last night they took their concerns to the Virginia Department of Transportation and state police.
Most in the crowd agreed that the road should be widened, but that step is a long way off.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 08:47:51
IN Q=Years, unfortunately,
((JIM SHULER/DEL BLACKSBURG: YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA HAS GOT 40 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF IDENTIFIED ROAD PROJECTS, AND OF COURSE THAT IS NOT AN ANSWER FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON 114.))
SUPER=@Shuler
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=live on 114.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Many were looking for more immediate solutions-- slower speeds, better lighting or more D-U-I checkpoints.
State police spokesman Sergeant F.W. Duffy says drinking and driving by students travelling between Radford and Virginia Tech is a big part of the problem.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 08:56:33
IN Q=I think
((I THINK THERE IS SOME EDUCATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AT THE UNIVERSITY'S OWN DRINKING AND DRIVING. THERE ARE A LOT OF PARTIES THAT ARE HELD AT FRATERNITY PARTIES THAT THE YOUNGER KIDS CAN GET BEER.)) ((JOHN HESS/RESIDENT: I THINK ITS PROBABLY UNFAIR TO BLAME IT ON TECH STUDENTS AND RADFORD STUDENTS. GRANTED THAT POPULATION PROBABLY HAS MORE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL, BUT THERE ARE LOCAL RESIDENTS THAT ALSO ABUSE ALCOHOL.))
SUPER=01-F. W. Duffy, Jr./Virginia State Police; :
SUPER=01-John Hess/Resident; :12
RUNS=:25
OUT Q=abuse alcohol
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=NONE

V-DOT says it is considering making improvements to the road condition, but reminds drivers to be extra-cautious.

E-Henry-Fire

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=tbr
TAPE#97-70
GRAPHIC=Fatal Fire

There was nothing firefighters could do to save a Henry County family who died Wednesday after a wood stove set their home ablaze.
While not all fires are preventable, officials say there are things residents can do to protect themselves.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
(( ))
SUPER=02-Rodney Howell/Henry Co. Fire Marshall
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=away from it
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Fire Marshall Rodney Howell says departments will inspect any home for free at the owner's request.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
(( ))
RUNS=:22
OUT Q=smoke detector nat.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Howell adds smoke detectors with fresh batteries are essential.
Residents should also have an escape plan in case of fire.
(----------------)

Harvests

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=lba
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=farming

Virginia's economy could soon feel the effects of this summer's drought.
It left below-average harvests for Virginia's cotton, corn, soybean and peanut crops.
Cash receipts from the four crops totaled 309 million dollars last year.
Agricultural economists haven't yet estimated the year's losses.
Supplies of the four crops are up elsewhere, which means prices will stay low.
Most of Virginia's tobacco crop is irrigated, so the drought did NOT cause much tobacco damage.

Two-Steve

ANCHOR=Steve
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=spa
TAPE#MR-1
GRAPHIC=NONE

Microwave
SUPER=15-Steve Pardon;
SUPER=11-Roanoke Co.;

(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=Eve's Bayou
SUPER=13-Anna Wentworth/Arts Reviewer; :00
SUPER=18-"Eve's Bayou"-Trimark; :16
SUPER=18-Anna's Grade "B-"; :45
RUNS=:51
OUT Q=through the bayou

(( "Eve's Bayou" is visually rich, evocative and sometimes interesting. Its a simple story that is layered with subplots involving childhood memories, voodoo and varied interactions among the members of a black upper class Louisiana family.
Samuel L. Jackson is Louie Baptiste, a small town doctor. Louie often uses his profession as an excuse to womanize, leaving an unhappy wife and conflicted children. The story is told from the perspective of young Eve Baptiste, a touching portrayal by Jurnee Smollett and her teenage sister Cisley, played by Meagan Good.
There is a lot of good cinematography; and the Louisiana bayou country is used to great advantage. It is nice to see a wealthy, cultured black family on screen; but the movie gets a B-. The acting is overly dramatic and the pace is as slow as the waters that creep through the bayou.)) Steve Live

Double Boxes=SPA & KMC
(Toss to Kimberly)

IRAQ

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=MEL
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=iraq conflict

U-N weapons inspectors returned to Baghdad this morning and are expected to be back on the job tomorrow.
Despite their return, the U-S military buildup is continuing.
The aircraft carrier U-S-S "George Washington" and its battle group is expected to arrive in the Persian Gulf later today.
Allen Pizzey reports.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
5:00:00
IN Q=
SUPER=03-Manama, Bahrain; :00
SUPER=01-Allen Pizzey/Reporting; 1:14
RUNS=1:21
OUT Q=CBS News, Amman

Septuplets

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=NONE

Two days after their birth, the McCaughey (McCoy) septuplets are still listed in serious condition but doctors say they're doing very well.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Carlisle, IA;
4:06:03
Yesterday, the infants' father Kenny McCaughey talked to the media, and re-lived the moment doctors first told him and his wife Bobby they would be having seven babies.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
((JUST WHOOOAAAHHHH, BASICALLY... (LAUGHS) ))
RUNS=:03
OUT Q=basically....(laughs)
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The family has been showered with gifts.. from free groceries to a new van.
Yesterday, they even received a phone call from President Clinton.
(----------------)

E-Preemies

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=Dal
TAPE#97-77
GRAPHIC=NONE

Doctors say the (McCoy's) babies beat the odds just by being born.
Premature births are the norm in multiple birth pregnancies.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@File;

In fact, doctors say in most cases, the more fetuses there are the earlier the birth.
Preemies such as these often have to be placed on breathing machines for several weeks.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 15:10:19
IN Q=THEY CAN HAVE
((DR. CAREY WINKLER/ MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE: THEY CAN HAVE SOMETIMES SIGNIFICANT VISION PROBLEMS CAN HAVE FEEDING PROBLEMS, TEMPERATURE INSTABILITY OR GETTING YELLOW JAUNDICE. BUT THEN AGAIN MOST OF THOSE ARE SHORT TERM PROBLEMS.))
SUPER=01-Dr. Carey Winkler/Carilion Maternal Fetal Med.;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=short term problems
ANCHOR=Kimberly
SS=NONE

And if the birth occurs before the 32nd week, the baby's brain might not be fully developed-- putting him at risk of birth defects such as Cerebral Palsy and mental retardation.
Dr. Winkler says the McCaugheys (mih-KOYs) should know within a few weeks whether the babies will experience any severe problems.

2-E-B'burg-Shooting

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=THa
TAPE#97-75
GRAPHIC=Legal Scales

Three brothers were charged with murdering a man inside a crowded Blacksburg night spot.
Now one of them is free.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Blacksburg;

During a preliminary hearing yesterday charges were dismissed against Leon Scales.
However the judge later moved charges forward against Scale's twin brothers, Terry and Kerry.
The twins are accused of shooting and killing Richard Bullard inside Arnold's Restaurant, three months ago.
After court-- Leon Scales expressed confidence in his siblings.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I'm confident
((LEON SCALES:I'M CONFIDENT THAT EVERYTHING WILL COME OUT RIGHT, THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT, THEY'LL WALK OUT OF THERE. ))
SUPER=07-Leon Scales; :00
RUNS=:06 VERY QUICK!!!!!!!
OUT Q=out of there.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Paul Shoemaker, who was shot in the back during the incident, was the first to testify yesterday.
He says his friend, Bullard, was fatally shot after an verbal argument with the three brothers.
Attorney Robbie Jenkins is representing-- Terry Scales.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=I don't
((ROBBIE JENKINS/DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANY TYPE OF DRAWN OUT SHOOTING AND I THINK YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED REALLY FAST, IT WAS A REACTION TO SOMEONE ELSE, BEING INVOLVED IN AN ALTERCATION.))
SUPER=01-Robbie Jenkins/Defense Attorney; :00
RUNS=:09
OUT Q=an altercation.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Police say the twins admitted firing guns in Arnold's but none of the day's witnesses could say which twin was holding which gun.
(----------------)

Three-Steve

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=spa
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=NONE

Microwave
SUPER=15-Steve Pardon;
SUPER=11-Roanoke Co.;
SUPER=13-John Cosgrove/Lee Hartman & Sons;
SUPER=11-Roanoke Co.;

Double Boxes=SPA & MEL
(Toss to Melanie)

5-Danville-smoking

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=tte
TAPE#597-47
GRAPHIC=Mornin health check

In this morning's health check,
SS=kicking the habit

The Great American Smoke Out made it to Danville, where tobacco feeds the local economy.
The hospital held a drive-thru smokeout yesterday.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Danville;

Drivers pulled right up to Danville Regional Medical Center to sign pledges to stay smoke free for a day.
The Hospital offered free survival kits, coffee and donuts to help them kick the habit.
Other smokers tested their lung capacity.
Ellen Pruitt, just had heart surgery, she's trying to quit smoking.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=its almost impossible
(( ))
SUPER=01-Ellen Pruitt/Smoker;
SUPER=01-Kay Crane/Danville Regional Medical Ctr.;
RUNS=:27
OUT Q=that decision to quit.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

This is the first year the medical center participated in the Great American Smokeout.
(----------------)
(TOSS TO BUMP)
BUMP Comm

2-Bedford-Explosion

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=sta
TAPE#=97-85
GRAPHIC=Explosion

An explosion that rocked one home in Chamblissburg is believed to have killed a man.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Bedford Co.;

A neighbor said the explosion rattled his windows and sent a cloud of smoke into the air.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 08.26.30 - 08.26.45
IN Q=I was sitting
((MIKE HAMMER/NEIGHBOR: I WAS SITTING ON THE COUCH AND MY WINDOWS STARTED RATTLING AND I LOOKED TO MY LEFT AND LOOKED BACK IN THE WOODS AND I SAW A LITTLE BIT OF FIRE AND THEN A BIG MUSHROOM AND A LOUD EXPLOSION THEN I CALLED 911.))
SUPER=01-Mike Hammer/Neighbor;
RUNS=:15
OUT Q=called 911.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The incident happened at this home along Saunders Road off route 6-16 in Chamblissburg last night.
The explosion and fire blew off the roof and gutted the inside of the home.
A neighbor said Danny and Maria Beckner lived at the home.
Officials say Maria Beckner escaped the fire and was taken to a nearby hospital.
A second person is still missing.
(----------------)

Rt-114

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=mfe
TAPE#net (edit of 97-89)
GRAPHIC=NONE

Montgomery County residents took their concerns about the rising death toll on route 1-14 to the Virginia Department of Transportation and state police last night.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;

In the past three years ten people have lost their lives on the roadway.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 08:42:59
IN Q=I was struck by
((JOHN HESS/RESIDENT: I WAS STRUCK BY A BIG JUMP IN THE LAST YEAR ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S RELATED TO SURVEILLANCE, OR IF ITS JUST THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.))
SUPER=01-John Hess/Resident; :
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=of alcohol.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Many were looking for immediate solutions-- slower speeds, better lighting and more D-U-I checkpoints.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 08:47:38
IN Q=I do feel
((I DO FEEL PERSONALLY THAT INCREASED VISIBILITY OF OFFICERS AND SOBRIETY CHECKS MAY PUT THE WORD OUT TO PEOPLE DRIVING THIS ROAD... BE CAREFUL.)) ))
SUPER=@Shuler;
RUNS=:10
OUT Q=be careful.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Most in the crowd agreed the road should be widened, but that step is a long way off.
V-DOT says it is considering making improvements to the condition of the road and passing lanes, but reminds drivers to be extra-cautious.
(----------------)

Car-Tax

ANCHOR=Kimberly
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=lba
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=personal property tax

Getting rid of the car tax may cost the Commonwealth nearly twice what Governor-elect Jim Gilmore estimated.
State budget analysts say implementing Gilmore's No-Car-Tax campaign pledge will cost as much as two- point- eight billion dollars.
Democrat Joe Gartlan of Fairfax said he expects even some Republicans to balk.
But G-O-P committee members said they'll find a way to deliver on Gilmore's promise.

S-Donnelley

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=sgo
TAPE#97-81
GRAPHIC=NONE

The Roanoke region now has its very own coffee-table book.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;

The Regional Chamber of Commerce and book manufacturer R-R Donnelley unveiled the book yesterday.
It's a 170-page collection of pictures displaying the area's geography and economic growth.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12:30:00
IN Q=What we wanted
((JOHN STROUD/ROANOKE REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS CREATE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP IN TERMS OF THE IMAGE OF OUR REGION. ))
SUPER=01-John Stroud/Chamber of Commerce;
RUNS=:06
OUT Q=our region
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Native Roanoker Barry Wright shot the book's pictures.
He photographed everything from Mill Mountain to the Virginia Military Institute.
But he admits his favorite picture is one of his wife's artwork.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12:16:03
IN Q=It's a picture
((BARRY WRIGHT/PHOTOGRAPHER: IT'S A PICTURE OF AN ICE SCULPTURE SHE DID A FEW YEARS AGO. WE LIVED OVER IN THE RALEIGH COURT AREA. SHE DECORATED IT UP. IT WAS A FEMALE SNOW LADY. SHE HAS NO IDEA IT'S IN, SO I'M GONNA BE EXCITED WHEN SHE SEES THAT.))
SUPER=01-Barry Wright/Photographer;
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=sees that.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The book hits bookstores today.
(----------------)

4-Scores

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Morn
WRITER=lba
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=NBA

In sports,
Danny Manning capped a 23-point night with two free throws in the closing seconds to lift Phoenix over Chicago.
For yesterday's scores from the hardwood, let's take a look at the scoreboards.
(/////SOT/////)
WIPE TO BOARDS
SUPER=#556
SUPER=X5028;
SUPER=0096-j/New York/100//Atlanta/79///j/Portland/93//Detroit/87///;
SUPER=x5009;
SUPER=0096-j/Indiana/109//Milwaukee/83///j/Golden
State/101//Dallas/97//Overtime/;
SUPER=x5009;
SUPER=0096-/Toronto/97/j/Houston/127////Chicago/85/j/Phoenix/89///;
SUPER=x5009;
SUPER=0096-j/Sacramento/97//Utah/95///;
SUPER=x5031;
SUPER=0103-j/Buffalo/5//Boston/0///j/Pittsburgh/2//Ottawa/0///;
SUPER=x5009;
SUPER=0103-j/Los Angeles/4//Chicago/3///j/Vancouver/4//Phoenix/2///;
SUPER=x5027;
SUPER=0098-j/Duke #3/100//Davidson/65///j/Kentucky #9/88//Morehead St./49///;
RUNS=:49
(-------------) OUT Q=........last score."