WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 02/06/98

08:25-01

Thirty-Weather

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7Frith

ANCHOR=Melanie
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TAPE#=98-5
GRAPHIC=Frith, Earl

The jury worked until the early morning hours to come up with a guilty verdict against Earl Frith.
Keith Humphry stayed through the night and files this report.
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IN Q=I'm disappointed
SUPER=01-Earl Frith/Realtor; :10
SUPER=@keith1; :43
SUPER=01-Richard Studenic/Juror; :55
SUPER=01-Louis Welch/Jury Foreman; 1:02
SUPER=01-Joe Mott/Prosecutor; 1:21
RUNS=1:45
OUT Q=KH, N7, Roanoke
(( 15:39:30 ((I'M DISAPPOINTED.))
RUNS=:01

Always the diplomatic salesman. The 63-year old realtor left the courthouse still frustrated by the delay in the time between his indictment and trial. ((EIGHT YEARS IS A LONG TIME.))
RUNS=:02

NINE years ago, Frith sold a farm in Floyd County to Columbian Cocaine trafficker Javier Cruz.
Then there was a large cash transaction- -that prompted Frith to structure deposits at the bank to come in UNDER 10-thousand dollars... trying to avoid the scrutiny from the IRS.
He was convicted of "structuring;" found NOT guilty of playing a part in Cruz's drug conspiracy.
After nine hours of deliberation the judge declared a mistrial on the one remaining charge. 15:54:30 ((THOUGH THE FOREMAN INDICATED TO THE JUDGE THAT IT DIDN'T APPEAR PROMISING THAT THE JURY COULD COME UP WITH A VERDICT ON THE MONEY LAUNDERING COUNT AGAINST FRITH, SEVERAL JURORS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO STAY- -EVEN AT 3:30 IN THE MORNING- -AND CONTINUE TO DELIBERATE.))
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15:30:30 (( ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO RENDER A VERDICT? WE WOULD LIKED TO HAVE DECIDED IT.))
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15:31:20 (( I GUESS CLOSE TO FINDING HIM NOT GUILTY ON THAT LAST COUNT.))
RUNS=:04

The foreman said the jury had trouble agreeing on the law in the case.
He emphatically rejected any notion that Frith might have been set up by the government.
Though Cruz's ex-WIFE testified the informant himself did NOT. 15:38:30 ((THERE WERE A NUMBER OF WITNESSES WE DIDN'T CALL IN THIS CASE. AND CERTAINLY WE FELT WE PROVED OUR CASE, EVEN WITHOUT MR. CRUZ AS A WITNESS.))
RUNS=:09

The jury made short work of convicting the other defendant, J-R Castellanos, a Miami drug trafficker of conspiring to import and distribute cocaine. 15:56:45 CASTELLANOS FACES A MINIMUM OF TEN YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON. Keith Humphry, NEWS 7,Roanoke.
RUNS=:06))

75-Blevins

ANCHOR=Melanie
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A Montgomery County teacher is facing charges of having sex with a teenager.
34- year- old Michael Blevins is a math teacher and wrestling coach at Shawsville High School --
He's charged with 15 counts of fornication and 30 counts of crimes against nature, including sodomy.
Authorities say the crimes occurred in Smyth County last summer.
State police say Blevins' 16- year- old victim was NOT one of his students.

7train-wreck

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GRAPHIC=train derailment

Clean up continues today along the Maury River following a train derailment.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Glasgow;

Just before dawn yesterday three locomotives from a Norfolk Southern train plunged into the Maury River when the train reached an 80 foot section of track that had been washed away by heavy rain.
The engineer and conductor managed to climb out a window, jumped into the river and swam to safety.
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40:49:24
IN Q=
((CHIEF RICHARD SPANGLER/GLASGOW VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT THESE GUYS MIGHT HAVE DROWNED....WHICH I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. ))
SUPER=01-Chief Richard Spangler/Glasgow Volunteer Fire Dept.;
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OUT Q= I can understand that.
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VO-NAT

Four to six trains a day use the track, and workers hope to have it repaired by Saturday.
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7Weather

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Checking your Friday forecast, light rain continues today with a chance of snow in some areas...
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7BIRTHDAYS! 2/7/98
Saturday:

SUPER=130-7/Gage Gray/Ballard, WV;

SUPER=130-3/Makayla Davis/Dugspur;

SUPER=130-3/Whitney Preston/Natural Bridge Station;

SUPER=130-70/Mildred Beck/Chatham;

SUPER=130-76/Annie Bowyer/Altavista;

SUPER=130-11/Brent Giffen/Martinsville;

SUPER=130-13/David Hammock/Callands;

No Pictures:

SUPER=131-44/Ernie Garrett/Roanoke;

SUPER=131-/Louise Haynes/Snow Creek;

SUPER=131-/Nicole Thurman/Snow Creek;

SUPER=131-/Cynthia Oakes/Snow Creek;

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45Frith

ANCHOR=Melanie
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After deliberating until the early morning hours a Roanoke jury has returned a guilty verdict in the federal trial against realtor Earl Frith.
Keith Humprey stayed at the Courthouse through the night and files this report.
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SUPER=01-Louis Welch/Jury Foreman
SUPER=01-Richard Studenic/Juror
SUPER=@keith1
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15:39:30 ((I'M DISAPPOINTED.))
RUNS=:01
15:54:30 ((THOUGH THE FOREMAN INDICATED TO THE JUDGE THAT IT DIDN'T APPEAR PROMISING THAT THE JURY COULD COME UP WITH A VERDICT ON THE MONEY LAUNDERING COUNT AGAINST FRITH, SEVERAL JURORS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO STAY- -EVEN AT 3:30 IN THE MORNING- -AND CONTINUE TO DELIBERATE.))
RUNS=:13
15:30:30 ((I THINK WE WOULD LIKED TO HAVE FINISHED THIS, BUT WE'LL JUST HAVE TO DECIDE THAT LATER. I GUESS IT'S OVER NOW. ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO RENDER A VERDICT? WE WOULD LIKED TO HAVE DECIDED IT.))
RUNS=:15

The foreman said the jury had trouble agreeing on the law in the case. 15:31:20 ((I THOUGHT IT WAS CLOSE TO GETTING IT SOLVED, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. WHAT WERE THE NUMBERS? I GUESS CLOSE TO FINDING HIM NOT GUILTY ON THAT LAST COUNT.))
RUNS=:12

The foreman emphatically rejected any notion that Frith might have been set up by the government. It was more a matter of understanding the judge's instructions, he said. 15:38:30 ((THERE WERE A NUMBER OF WITNESSES WE DIDN'T CALL IN THIS CASE. AND CERTAINLY WE FELT WE PROVED OUR CASE, EVEN WITHOUT MR. CRUZ AS A WITNESS.))
RUNS=:09

Government prosecutors and case agents were shocked when Castellanos returned for trial... given the hefty sentence he could get. 15:56:45 CASTELLANOS FACES A MINIMUM OF TEN YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON. Keith Humphry, NEWS 7,Roanoke.

45S-Gender-Equity

ANCHOR=Melanie
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If you've ever wonder why some hair cuts, dry cleaning services, and clothes cost more for women than for men your not alone.
In fact one Virginia lawmaker is looking into the matter.
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SOT 13:29:45
IN Q=
((DEL. GLADYS KEATING/D-FAIRFAX: IT'S A QUESTION OF SIMPLE EQUITY OF FAIRNESS. AND I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CALLS FROM ALL OVER SAYING OH THANK HEAVENS SOMEBODY'S DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.))
SUPER=01-Del. Gladys Keating/(D) Fairfax;
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OUT Q=about this.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Richmond;

Fairfax Delegate Gladys Keating's fighting a battle against the forces of the free market.
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SOT 13:29:05
IN Q=I would
((DEL. KATHY BYRON/R-LYNCHBURG: I WOULD JUST ASK DO WE REALLY NEED A BILL IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH TRYING TO GET EQUALITY THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ON OUR OWN. DEL. GLADYS KEATING/D-FAIRFAX: MR. SPEAKER I WOULD SAY OBVIOUSLY OR I WOULDN'T HAVE PUT IT IN.))
SUPER=01-Del. Kathy Byron/(R) Lynchburg; :00
RUNS=:11
OUT Q=it in.
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VO-NAT

But there is one area where women consumers benefit...
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IN Q=In the gentleman's
((IN THE GENTLEMAN'S PAST, HAS HE EVER GONE TO A RESTAURANT ON A LADIES NIGHT? laughter. ))
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OUT Q=(laughter)
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VO-NAT

The Gender Equity Act of 1998 is mired in debate -- and got sent back to committee for more work.
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45S-Drug-Bust

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GRAPHIC=Drug Bust-Pot

Two Danville were taken into custody after found 60-pounds of marijuana in their car.
Miguel Pena of Cascade Virginia and Fernando Medina of Mexico are in jail --each being held on 25-thousand dollars bail.
Officers seized the drugs Wednesday.
They estimate the street value of the pot at 90-thousand dollars.

45weather

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Taking a break from the news to check the continued wet weather--
Light rain, along with some mixed precipitation will be common today with highs in the upper 30s.
Tonight looks cloudy, with a lingering chance of light rain or snow.
Lows in the lower 30s.
The four- day forecast is brighter for the weekend...
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8Frith

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Cut in
WRITER=khu
TAPE#=98-5
GRAPHIC=Frith, Earl

Realtor Earl Frith has been found guilty of just ONE of the four counts against him.
A federal jury worked through the night on a verdict and Keith Humphry was there when it was read.
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IN Q=I'm disappointed
SUPER=01-Earl Frith/Realtor; :10
SUPER=@keith1; :43
SUPER=01-Richard Studenic/Juror; :55
SUPER=01-Louis Welch/Jury Foreman; 1:02
SUPER=01-Joe Mott/Prosecutor; 1:21
RUNS=1:45
OUT Q=KH, N7, Roanoke

8S-Teen-Drivers

ANCHOR=Melanie
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TAPE#97-100
GRAPHIC=Session 98

The General Assembly has toughened the rules for teen drivers-- but not as much as they MIGHT have.
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VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Richmond;

A measure that would put restrictions on teens who've been cited for moving violations lost some teeth.
SUPER=@file;

Lieutenant Governor John Hager's signature bill would have limited the number of passengers who could ride with a teen who'd gotten one ticket.
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SOT 13:38:36 LONNIE
IN Q=My teenage
((MY TEENAGE CHILDREN WANT TO GO TO THE MOVIES. AND FIVE OF THEM WANT TO GO. AND THERE'S ONLY THE CAR THAT WE HAVE. I WOULD HATE TO HAVE TO DRIVE THEM TO THE MOVIES AT 8:30, GO BACK AND PICK 'EM UP AT 11:30 BECAUSE FIVE OF THEM COULDN'T GO OR SIX HEAVEN FORBID IF WE HAD A MINIVAN.))
SUPER=01-Del. John Tate/(D) Smyth Co.;
RUNS=:16
OUT Q=had a minivan.
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VO-NAT

But the bill's defenders made the unsuccessful argument that it's a matter of life and death.
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SOT 13:47:15
IN Q=Particularly
((DEL. JIM SCOTT/R-FAIRFAX: PARTICULARLY BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES AND IN INFRACTIONS PROPORTIONALLY TO THE POPULATION, THAT THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN RISKY BEHAVIOR. AND THIS IS AN EFFORT TO DISCOURAGE THAT RISKY BEHAVIOR.))
SUPER=01-Jim Scott/(R) Fairfax;
RUNS=:16
OUT Q=risky behavior.
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VO-NAT

As the bill's been left now, only teens with more than one ticket would be restricted.
Two brings a suspension.
Three tickets brings a one year revocation.
(-------0---------)

8weather

ANCHOR=Melanie
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Turning to the weather outlook--
More light rain, with some wintry mix possible today.
Highs in the mid to upper 30s.
Cloudy, with a chance of more light rain or light snow tonight.
Lows falling into the lower 30s.
The weekend looks drier and warmer...
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