WDBJ 7 news at Noon for 02/19/98

12:00-01

ANCHOR=Melanie

NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=Iraq Conflict

President clinton says Saddam Hussein should not be encouraged by the questions his national security team faced during a town meeting yesterday.
The debate was over possible use of military force against Iraq if a diplomatic solution is not reached.
Byron Pitts has the latest.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=
SUPER=03-Washington, DC;:00
SUPER=03-New York, NY;:16
SUPER=01-Kofi Annan/U-N Secretary General;:29
SUPER=01-Byron Pitts/Reporting;:54
RUNS=1:11
OUT Q=CBS NEWS WASHINGTON.
(( This morning as he left the White House. President Clinton put his own spin on yesterday's Town meeting when his top advisors were bombarded with jeers and tough questions about the threat of US military force against IRAQ

SOT/ PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
'WELL I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD OLD FASHIONED AMERICAN DEBATE."
Meantime UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is in route to Baghdad for a face to face with Saddam Hussein. An 11th hour effort at diplomacy. even as more US troops and hardware arrive in the Persian Gulf.
/KOFI ANNAN, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL 'OBVIOUSLY WHEN I MEET HIM, I WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION VERY CLEARLY. I'LL GET HIME TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF IS IN HIS INTEREST AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE TO AGREE TO IMPLEMENT SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS."

SOT/PRES. CLINTON
'WE HOPE THE SECRETARY'S MISSING . PREPARED TO ACT."
BYRON PITTS STANDUP))

Athens-Bomb

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=jha
TAPE#=net
GRAPHIC=None

A bomb attack on a U-S company in Greece is suspected to be a protest against the U-S threat on Iraq.
(------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Athens, Greece

Early this morning a time- bomb exploded outside a General Motors building in Athens causing heavy damage, but no casualties.
The Athens police chief says the bomb was planted outside of the back door of the G-M building.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

(------------)S-Robb

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=equ
TAPE#98-9
GRAPHIC=Chuck Robb

Virginia Senator Chuck Robb isn't hiding his feeling about the situation in Iraq.
Robb's calling for the United States to lift its 23- year- old ban on assassinating foreign leaders.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@file;

The Senator says he's NOT advocating Saddam Hussein's assassination.
He merely wants to make Saddam "more receptive" to allowing access to U-N inspectors.
Robb says lifting the assassination ban would deprive Saddam of some peace of mind.

(------0----------)clinton-intern

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=Clinton

A team of White House lawyers is at the federal courthouse in Washington this afternoon, along with top Clinton adviser Bruce Lindsey.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Washington, DC;
11:03:28
White House officials have said President Clinton may invoke his executive privilege to limit the questioning of Lindsey by the grand jury investigating the Monica Lewinsky case.
But if he does he'll do it without the help of the Justice Department.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
11:02:41-49
IN Q=
((JANET RENO: WITH THE AGREEMENT OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT....INCLUDING ANY QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE. ))
SUPER=01-Janet Reno/U.S. Attorney General;
RUNS=:07
OUT Q=of privilege
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Lindsey, who has known Clinton since childhood and is perhaps his closest adviser, spent about five hours before the grand jury yesterday answering questions about the president's relationship with Lewinsky.
(----------------)

S-Abed

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=KHu
TAPE#None
GRAPHIC=Joe Abbott

Deliberations are expected to begin today in the case against Joe Abbott and eight others.
In closing arguments, attorneys reviewed the testimony from 189 witnesses and the more than 400 pieces of evidence.
Prosecutor Julie Dudley said the family has promoted a climate of fear for

seven years, through armed robbery, arson, burglary and fraud.S-Annie's-Bill

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=THa/EQu
TAPE#97-94
GRAPHIC=Death Penalty

Annie Leftwich, may have lived a terrible life, but the four- year- old's legacy is now making its way through the General Assembly.
The House of Delegates approved "Annie's Bill" yesterday on a vote of 93 to five.
The bill would make torturing a child to death a capital crime.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

The Dickenson County girl died after months of repeated abuse by her mother and stepfather who were tried in Montgomery County.
SUPER=03-Christiansburg/January;

When the four- year- old died she was gagged and bound to her urine- soaked baby bed in a cramped utility room with wild squirrels.
The child's parents were each sentenced to the maximum 50- years in prison.
(----------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=Death Penalty

It now goes to the state Senate.Grayson-Murder

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=lba
TAPE#NONE
GRAPHIC=Legal scales

Last week a judge postponed the trial of one of the white men charged with burning and beheading a black man in Grayson County.
Now tere's a request to delay the second suspect's trial.
Louis Ceparano's attorney asked to postpone Ceparano's capital murder trial, now scheduled for April first.
The issue is whether Ceparano was too drunk to have intended to kill Garnett Johnson last summer, so his lawyer wants a toxicologist to evaluate alcohol's effect on his client.

OLYMPIC-MEDALS

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=mel
TAPE#net
GRAPHIC=nagano 98

Team U-S-A has its first double medalist at the Nagano Olympics.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Nagano, Japan;

Speedskater Chris Witty won the silver today in the woman's One-thousand meter race.
Earlier this week she won the bronze in the 15-hundred.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=this one's
((CHRIS WITTY/SILVER MEDALIST:THIS ONE'S A LITTLE SHINIER THAN THE LAST ONE, IT'S NOT COLOR I WANTED I guess" ))
SUPER=01-Chris Witty/Silver Medalist, Speed Skating;
RUNS=:04
OUT Q=i wanted, I guess.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
7:13:22
American figure skaters Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski are back on the ice today practicing for tomorrow's showdown in the free skate competition.
SUPER=04-Wednesday;
7:20:32
They're both poised for gold and silver after near perfect performances in yesterday's short program.
But Nicole Bobek is out of medal contention after missing a jump in her performance.
(----------------)

E-Figure-Skating

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=djo
TAPE#=98-14
GRAPHIC=NONE

And as the top U-S gold medal contenters set their sights on the finals one local youngsters is just beginning the long journey toward the goal of Olympic competition.
David Johnson reports.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT
IN Q=CORAL WOOD
SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00
SUPER=01-Coral Wood/Future Figure Skater; :07
SUPER=01-Fran Wood/Coral's Mom; :28
SUPER=@David1 :46
RUNS=1:24
OUT Q=Djo, News 7.
(( Coral Wood idolizes this year's U-S national champion, Michelle Kwan.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT-17:02:49
IN Q=SHE'S REALLY GOOD
((CORAL WOOD/FUTURE FIGURE SKATER; SHE'S REALLY GOOD AND SHE DOES A LOT OF GOOD STUFF THAT I LIKE.)) RUNS:05
OUT Q=I LIKE.

The youngster first learned to skate just months ago.
The seven year old was taught by her champion, her dad, who once aspired to skate competitively.
Now Coral's parents live vicariously through their daughter.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT-17:07:31
IN Q=HE'S A GREAT
((FRAN WOOD/CORAL'S MOM; HE'S A GREAT ICE SKATER, A GREAT FIGURE SKATER. LAST YEAR, WE DECIDED SHE WAS OLD ENOUGH TO TRY IT. SO WE TOOK HER ON THE ICE AND SHE TOOK OFF AND SHE HAS STUCK WITH IT. SHE EXPRESSED ENOUGH INTEREST IN IT THAT WE FELT LIKE SHE SHOULD HAVE LESSONS.)) RUNS:19
OUT Q=HAVE LESSONS.
STAND-UP/08:59:03 ((DAVID JOHNSON/REPORTING; CORAL TOOK TO THE ICE LIKE A FISH TO WATER. AFTER JUST SEVEN LESSONS, THE FORT LEWIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT SAYS IT MAY NOT BE LONG BEFORE SHE SKATES COMPETITIVELY.)) RUNS:10
(/////SOT/////)
SOT-17:03:23
IN Q=I REALLY
((I REALLY DON'T KNOW. I GUESS NEXT YEAR OR SOMETHING.)) RUNS:04
OUT Q=OR SOMETHING.

Coral says she already has her eyes on the prize, an olympic gold medal.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT-17:08:58
IN Q=WE WOULD
((WE WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT HER IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH TO PURSUE. I THINK WE KNOW THAT IT'S SACRIFICE, BUT IF SHE FOUND THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE WANTED TO DO, WE WOULD BE BEHIND HER 100-PERCENT.)) RUNS:18
OUT Q=HER 100-PERCENT

DAVID JOHNSON, NEWS 7.))

E-Mason-Dixon

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=equ
TAPE#97-98
GRAPHIC=News 7 poll

Election night may have been much longer had Don Beyer introduced a plan to eliminate the food tax.
The latest NEWS 7/Mason-Dixon poll results are in.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Stacked up head to head, 45-percent say they favor repealing the car tax.
37-percent favor repealing the sales tax on food.
18-percent say neither, or they're not sure.
But the breakdown along gender lines is interesting.
52-percent of men favor repealing the car tax, versus 30-percent who'd get rid of the food tax.
Only 38-percent of women would repeal the car tax.
44-percent picked the food tax cut.
The Governor has the positive spin.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 11:48
IN Q=If you
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: IF YOU LOOK AT THE ELECTION, YOU WILL SEE THERE WAS NO GENDER GAP IN THE ELECTION. SO I THINK THE WORKING WOMEN OF THIS STATE DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE TAX RELIEF. AND LET'S FACE IT, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT TAX RELIEF AT ALL IF I HADN'T RUN ON A PROGRAM OF TAX RELIEF.))
SUPER=@Gilmore;
RUNS=:14
OUT Q=tax relief.
(----------------)
VO-NAT

But if state revenues decline and paying for the car tax cut requires new revenue-
only 30-percent of those polled would pay higher sales or income taxes to make that happen.
And only 14-percent would agree to higher local property taxes to pay for the car tax cut.
(----------------)

S-School-Violence

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=kmc
TAPE#97-99
GRAPHIC=Education

Violence in Roanoke County schools is not being tolerated.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Vinton;

William Byrd High School principal Bob Patterson says he was following procedure when he called police after 16- year- old Joseph Grissom kicked another student.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 9:53:20
IN Q=When Joseph
((BOB PATTERSON/WILLIAM BYRD PRINCIPAL: WHEN JOSEPH DID KICK THE YOUNG LADY, HE DID DO BODILY INJURY. SHE WAS IN REAL SEVERE PAIN WHEN SHE CAME IN HERE AND SHE WAS REAL UPSET ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S WHY WE PROCEEDED AS WE DID. ))
SUPER=01-Bob Patterson/William Byrd Principal;
RUNS=:12
OUT Q=proceeded as we did
(----------------)
VO-NAT

Patterson says he determined the incident was an assault, and so he turned the matter over to police.
He says the situation was complicated when the boy was transported to a LYNCHBURG detention facility because his parents could not be reached.
Meantime, Grissom's father says they were NOT contacted.
He's been protesting outside the school all week, demanding the removal of the principal.
(----------------)

S-Police-Accreditation

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=sta
TAPE#=98-3
GRAPHIC=None

The smallest police force in Virginia to be accredited by the state is in our area.
The 15 sworn officers in Lexington serve about 7,000 people, but the majority of those residents are students at Washington and Lee University and V-M-I.
(------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Lexington

The department's been trying for the honor since January of 19-96 and was approved after changing some department policies and passing a recent review.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12.04.29 - 12.04.42
IN Q=This is the
((CHIEF BRUCE BEARD/LEXINGTON POLICE DEPT.:THIS IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER. I'VE BEEN HERE WITH THE LEXINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR 28 YEARS AND I'VE BEEN CHIEF OF POLICE FOR 11 YEARS AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THIS TASK.))
SUPER=01-Chief Bruce Beard/Lexington Police Dept.
RUNS=:13
OUT Q=complete this task.
(------------)
VO-NAT

Chief Beard says accreditation will standardize department operations and improve the department's standing in the community.
(------------)
ANCHOR=Melanie
SS=None

City Council will honor the police force at tonight's

meeting.5-Meadowbrook

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=THa
TAPE#598-6
GRAPHIC=nursing home

Meadowbrook nursing home will continue to receive Medicaid and Medicare
reimbursement for ONE month. (----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Shawsville/Last Week;

Federal officials say the Shawsville facility lost its eligibility Sunday after failing a third survey.
However-- payment will continue for 30- days while new management tries to correct deficiencies.
An official with the nursing home says there are NO plans to close.
(----------------)

5-Umpire-Battery

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=noon
WRITER=equ
TAPE#597-56
GRAPHIC=NONE

One vote could have made the difference as the House of Delegates batted around a bill involving Virginia sports.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=@file;

A bill that would have mandated jail time for anyone who battered a referee, coach, or umpire went down on a 48 to 49 vote.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 14:19:04
IN Q=We are
((DEL. JACK REID/R-HENRICO CO.: WE ARE GOING TO START LOSING PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO CALL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES, HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL GAMES, HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING MATCHES IN THIS STATE, IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THEM.))
sot 14:19:58
((DEL. TOM JACKSON/D-HILLSVILLE: HOW ABOUT TEACHERS? HOW ABOUT STATE JUDGES? HOW ABOUT LAWYERS? HOW ABOUT DOCTORS? AND I GUESS HOW ABOUT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN WALKING UP AND DOWN THE STREET? WHY AREN'T THEY JUST AS IMPORTANT AS A REFEREE?))
SUPER=01-Del. Jack Reid/(R) Henrico Co.; :00
SUPER=@Jackson; :14
RUNS=:26
OUT Q=a referee?
(----------------)
VO-NAT

There is NO similar bill in the Senate, so the measure appears to be dead for the year.

(-----0-----------)5-GE-Elfun

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=sgo
TAPE#598-1
GRAPHIC=general electric

The arts council is still basking in the glow of yesterday's announcment.
(----------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Salem;

The Elfun group -- the community-service wing of General Electric -- gave a 20-THOUSAND dollar check to the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge.
It's the biggest corporate donation ever given to the arts council.
(/////SOT/////)
SOT 12:59:54
IN Q=it's very
((SUSAN JENNINGS/BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL: IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS ONE SPEAKER SAID, WHEN SCHOOLS CUT BUDGETS, THE ART BUDGET IS THE FIRST THING TO GO. BUT YET RESEARCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY SHOWS ART EDUCATION BUILDS SELF ESTEEM, INCREASES TEST SCORES, INCREASES COMMUNITY SERVICE.))
SUPER=01-Susan Jennings/Arts Council of the Blue Ridge;
RUNS=:16
OUT Q=community service
(----------------)
VO-NAT

G-E said the gift shows the company is a dedicated corporate citizen.
The Elfun group supports a number of education, art and environmental charities.
(----------------)

E-Gathright-Dam

ANCHOR=Melanie
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=eea
TAPE#=98-8
GRAPHIC=NONE

Lake Moomaw should be a bit lower today after the Army Corps of Engineers spent much of yesterday eliminating extra water.
(------------)
VO-NAT
SUPER=03-Alleghany Co.

The lake level is up because of all the rain we've had, so the Corps increased the flow at Gathright Dam yesterday morning, and in the afternoon.
The increased flow continued through the night, officials say they don't expect any serious flooding.

(------------)Tech

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=11pm
WRITER=Mike
TAPE#net (edit of TB98-1)
GRAPHIC=ATLANTIC 10

The Tech Hokies beat first place Dayton Flyers by a single point.
(----------------)
VO-NAT eng#
SUPER=03-Blacksburg/Dayton vs. Va. Tech; :00

Watch the move of the year by Tech freshman Jenis Grindstaff, who spins and splits the defense to score inside.
Dayton's Andy Metzler battled heavy traffic for the basket.
The Hokies Brendan Dunlop would then create some space off the dribble and he gets the nice roll on the short jump shot.
The Flyers would try to push the tempo as Edwin Young scores.
SUPER=33-Dayton/53/Virginia Tech/54;

But this was the Hokies' night. Russ Wheeler scores from the top of the key, and Tech beats the Dayton Flyers 54-to-53.

(-------------)Virginia

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=Mike
TAPE#net (edit of VB98-1)
GRAPHIC=VIRGINIA LOGO

It wasn't a good night in Raleigh for U-V-A as the Cavs lost to N-C State.
(----------------)
VO-NAT eng#
SUPER=03-Raleigh, NC/Fox Sports South; :00

The Cavs came out strong and took a 10-to-2 lead.
But State would take a 33 to 26 halftime lead and continue to build on that in the second half as Curtis Staples had all kinds of trouble.
Norman Nolan would do his best to keep the Cavs alive. He ended the game with 26.
SUPER=33-Virginia/55/N.C. State/74

But State would blow this one wide open in the final 10 minutes to post a 74-to-55 win.

(-------------)Fleming

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=sma
TAPE#=S8-3
GRAPHIC=RVD tourney

The boys Roanoke Valley District tournament semi-finals tipped off over at the Salem Civic center last night.
(----------------)
VO-NAT #eng
SUPER=03-Salem/Cougars vs. Colonels; :00

In the first half, Cougar guard Drew Viers makes the bullet pass to a cutting Dorian Hendricks, who finds the hoop.
Fleming comes right back. Jermaine Hardy dishes to Derrick Turner who steps up and snaps the nylon with the J.
The Turner highlight reel rolled on. SUPER=33-William Fleming/82/Pulaski
Co./74; He grabs the ball from Danny McKittrick and goes coast to coast.
Cougar Robert Rogers with the nice second effort; but Fleming wins 82-74.
(-------------)

wipe wipe wipeCave

ANCHOR=Patrick
NEWSCAST=Noon
WRITER=sma
TAPE#=net (edit of BB98-3)
GRAPHIC=WIPE WIPE WIPE
(----------------)
VO-NAT WIPE to #eng
SUPER=04-Knights vs. Patriots; :00

The Colonels will meet cave Spring in the Championship.
P-H's Johnathan Helms gives to Mike Perry and he does the rest - nailing the jumper.
But the Knights would not Cave in. Ricky Dierker misses the shot but Jesse Seamon collects the rebound and scores on the put back.
P-H went inside. Boo Battle gets the entry pass from Johnson and
SUPER=33-Cave Spring/73/Patrick Henry/57;
finishes. Battle scored a game high 27 points.
The Knights Cory Paxton then blows past Helms for two of his 9 and Cave (-------------) Spring reaches the finals with the 73-57 victory.