WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 03/30/98

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[7stabbing]

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Franklin County authorities say a man who allegedly made a sexual advance to a woman during a weekend party was fatally stabbed by the woman's boyfriend.
Police said 46-year-old Thomas Darnell Palmer was stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife.
Arrested was 40-year-old John Amos Nolen of Penhook -- along with his girlfriend, 27-year-old Sharon Austin of Rocky Mount.

[7E-Evacuation]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
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[TAPE#=98-25; 08:58; 10:28]
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The smell of ammonia lingered in The Salem Civic Center yesterday--
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Saturday Night;]

this after an ammonia leak led the Salem Fire Department to evacuate around a thousand people Saturday night.
Many of them were attending the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Show.
Promoters of the event offered free admission yesterday to make up for Saturday's problem.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 16.41.38 - 16.41.46]
[IN Q=We had a]
((EDDIE FORT/PRES. PD & M, INC.: WE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE TODAY AND WE'RE HAPPY WITH THE TURNOUT, NOT ONLY TODAY BUT THROUGHOUT THE SHOW.))
[SUPER=01-Eddie Fort/PD & M Inc. President]
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[OUT Q=throughout the show.]
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[VO-NAT]

Meanwhile, the fans were blowing around the center yesterday, in an effort to ventilate the building.
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[ANCHOR=Melanie]
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The civic center's Assistant Director, John Saunders, said the leak happened when a valve burst Saturday night.

[7E-Bowers-Reax]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
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[GRAPHIC=David Bowers]

Roanoke Mayor David Bowers has yet to confirm whether he will campaign against congressman Bob Goodlatte for the sixth district seat this fall, but some state lawmakers are already speculating on how the race may turn out.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Opinions among legislators who considered how the mayor might fare against the incumbent are varied.
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[SOT=12:28:25/11:49:00/12:31:12]
[IN Q=HE HAS RUN]
((JOHN EDWARDS/STATE SENATOR AND FORMER ROANOKE VICE MAYOR; DAVID IS A VERY ENTHUSIASTIC POLITICIAN. HE'S AN ENTHUSIASTIC CAMPAIGNER. HE'S AN EXPERIENCED POLITICIAN AND I THINK HE WOULD RUN WELL.)) ((DICK CRANWELL/VINTON DELEGATE; HE HAS RUN VERY WELL IN THE CITY ELECTIONS. DAVID HAS A GRASP ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE CONFRONTING THE NATION. AND I THINK HE WOULD MAKE A VERY FORMIDABLE CANDIDATE TO BOB GOODLATTE. HOW THE OUTCOME WILL BE, NOBODY WILL KNOW UNTIL NOVEMBER.)) ((MORGAN GRIFFITH/SALEM DELEGATE; WELL, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR BOB GOODLATTE TO HAVE AN OPPONENT. HE WILL, AS HE'S DONE WITH HIS OTHER OPPONENTS, TROUNCE ANYBODY THAT ENTERS THAT FRAY BECAUSE HE'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB FOR OUR AREA OF THE STATE.))
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Mayor Bowers has not confirmed whether he will actually run against Goodlatte-- who has served as Roanoke's congressman for the past six years.
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[7E-Botetourt-Fire]

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With warmer temperatures comes the threat of brush fires...and already there's been a problem.
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[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;]

Yesterday afternoon four fire companies fought a woods fire in Botetourt County, off Mountain Pass Road.
They suspect it was started by careless hikers.
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[SOT 2:58:31]
[IN Q=it's still under]
((TODD GROH/VA. DEPT. OF FORESTRY; IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, WE HAD SOME POSSIBLE HIKERS UP IN THE AREA, WE'RE STILL LOOKING TO FIND SOME INFORMATION ON WHO THEY ARE, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT JUST A LITTLE CARELESSNESS STARTED THIS FIRE.))
[SUPER=01-Todd Groh/Va. Department of Forestry;]
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[VO-NAT]

Groh says spring is the worst fire season of the year, even after all the rain we've had.
With no leaves on the trees, the hard rains hit the ground and run off instead of soaking in, and the direct sunlight on the forest floor can dry things out in a hurry.
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[7Weather]

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A HOT Monday is heading your way. If you're about to step out the door, you can probably leave that extra layer behind. Expect sunshine and highs in the upper 80s in some areas today...

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[7BIRTHDAYS!] 3/31/98
Tuesday:

[SUPER=130-52/Janice Fisher/Elliston]

[SUPER=130-73/Opal Brady/Danville]

Anniversary
[SUPER=130-53rd/Homer & Opal Brady/Danville]

[SUPER=130-15/Joey King/Lexington]

[SUPER=130-/Bonnie Hall/Greensboro NC]

[SUPER=130-51/Mike Hodges/Bassett]

[SUPER=130-75/Mary Booth/Salem]

[SUPER=130-12/Amy Carroll/Pilot]

[SUPER=130-27/Randy Witt/Bedford]

[SUPER=130-9/Blake Baggerly/Altavista]

[SUPER=130-45/Michael Perdue/Hardy]

Anniversary
[SUPER=130-47th/Elmer & Ruby Rhodes/Martinsville]

[SUPER=130-2/Rebecca Riley/Goshen]

[SUPER=130-5/Christopher Baum/Catawba]

[SUPER=130-70/Jimmy Wheaton/Snow Creek]

No Pictures:

[SUPER=131-30/Joann Calloway/Roanoke]

[SUPER=131-29/Andrea Walker/Martinsville]

[SUPER=131-/Shirley Hammock/Snow Creek]

[SUPER=131-/Larry Smith/Roanoke]
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[45stabbing]

[ANCHOR=mel]
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A jealous boyfriend could be to blame for a man's death over the weekend.
Franklin County authorities say a man who allegedly made a sexual advance to a woman during a weekend party was fatally stabbed by the woman's boyfriend.
Police said 46-year-old Thomas Darnell Palmer was stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife.
Arrested was 40-year-old John Amos Nolen of Penhook -- along with his girlfriend, 27-year-old Sharon Austin of Rocky Mount.

[45Hanna-murder]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
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Another guilty verdict in the murder of a Lynchburg woman.
A jury has found 19-year old Stephanie Cull guilty of first degree murder for beating and stabbing 18 year old Stacey Hanna.
She has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The killing took place in Chesterfield County and is believed to be part of a lovers' quarrel involving two lesbians.
Two women have already been convicted of capital murder -- and a fourth has yet to go on trial for the same charge.

[45E-Legislators-Opinions]

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It could shape up to be an interesting Congressional race.
That's what Southwest Virginia lawmakers are saying about the possible sixth district race that could pit incumbent Bob Goodlatte against Roanoke Mayor, David Bowers if Bowers confirms he'll run.
Some state
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
legislators think Bowers would fare well in the race while others put their bet on Goodlatte.
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[SOT=12:28:32/12:27:00/12:31:26]
[IN Q=I THINK HE]
((JOHN EDWARDS/STATE SENATOR; I THINK HE WOULD MAKE A STRONG CANDIDATE. AND HE REPRESENTS, AS MAYOR OF ROANOKE CITY, A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE SIXTH DISTRICT.)) ((CHIP WOODRUM/ROANOKE DELEGATE; MAYOR BOWERS WOULD MAKE A VERY CREDIBLE CANDIDATE. HE WOULD HAVE STRONG SUPPORT I THINK IN THE CITY OF ROANOKE. AND I THINK WOULD DO VERY WELL IN THE ROANOKE VALLEY. I'M GLAD WE HAVE SOMEBODY OF HIS STATURE INTERESTED IN SEEKING THE NOMINATION AND INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR THE SEAT IN CONGRESS.)) ((MORGAN GRIFFITH/SALEM DELEGATE; I THINK BOB WOULD GO BACK WITH 60-70 PERCENT OF THE VOTE, JUST LIKE HE HAS IN THE PAST.))
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[45Paraplegic-Strongman]

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You've probably heard the biblical story about Sampson, well this area's very own Sampson is proving that nothing is impossible.
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[SUPER=03-Danville;]

A 1996 car accident left Samuel Johnson Junior a paraplegic after everything from his waist down was crushed.
Doctors predicted he would never walk again.
Nearly a year later Johnson, nicknamed "SAMPSON" by his friends proved doctors wrong, and emerged victorious in a national bodybuilding competition.
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[IN Q=I LOST]
((SAMUEL JOHNSON, JUNIOR/"SAMPSON"; I LOST 31 POUNDS IN TWO MONTHS. TEN POUNDS OF BODY FAT FROM 19-PERCENT I WENT DOWN TO TEN PERCENT. MORE MUSCLE. I BECAME MORE MUSCULAR. YOU COULD SEE IT IN MY SHOULDERS, MY CHEST, MY ABDOMEN, MY ARMS. AND I LIKED THE WAY I LOOKED.))
[SUPER=01-Samuel Johnson, Jr./"Sampson";]
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[OUT Q=I LOOKED.]
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[VO-NAT]
Apparently the judges did too. Sampson won 50-thousand dollars in cash and prizes and was one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's special guest two weeks ago at the "Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic"--one of the most prestigious bodybuilding competitions in the world. The 33-year old Southside resident downplays his accomplishments, saying he just wants to be good role model for others to follow.
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[45Weather]

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It'll be feeling like summer AGAIN today--
Monday's forecast high temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s under sunny skies.
Clear and mild tonight, with lows dropping into the mid and upper 50s.
The extended outlooks stays sunny and pleasant through tomorrow afternoon, with showers and thunderstorms likely by Wednesday.
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[8stabbing]

[ANCHOR=mel]
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Jealousy is believed to be the motive behind a fatal stabbing this weekend in Franklin county.
Police say a man stabbed another man who was allegedly making a sexual advance toward his girlfriend.
Authorities say 46-year-old Thomas Darnell Palmer was stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife.
Arrested was 40-year-old John Amos Nolen of Penhook -- along with his girlfriend, 27-year-old Sharon Austin of Rocky Mount.

[8Hanna-murder]

[8E-Evacuation]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Cut in]
[WRITER=sta]
[TAPE#=98-25; 08:58; 10:28]
[GRAPHIC=none]

If you went to the Salem Civic Center yesterday, you probably noticed an unpleasant odor--
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Saturday Night;]

An ammonia leak caused the Salem Fire Department to evacuate around a thousand people Saturday night after a valve burst at the civic center.
Promoters of the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Show offered free admission yesterday to make up for Saturday's problem.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 16.41.38 - 16.41.46]
[IN Q=We had a]
((EDDIE FORT/PRES. PD & M, INC.: WE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE TODAY AND WE'RE HAPPY WITH THE TURNOUT, NOT ONLY TODAY BUT THROUGHOUT THE SHOW.))
[SUPER=01-Eddie Fort/PD & M Inc. President]
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[OUT Q=throughout the show.]
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[8E-Botetourt-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Cut in]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=98-30; 10:44]
[GRAPHIC=Brush Fire]

As the thermometer keeps rising, so does the risk of brush fires..
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;]

Yesterday afternoon four fire companies fought a woods fire in Botetourt County, off Mountain Pass Road.
They suspect it was started by careless hikers.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 2:58:31]
[IN Q=it's still under]
((TODD GROH/VA. DEPT. OF FORESTRY; IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, WE HAD SOME POSSIBLE HIKERS UP IN THE AREA, WE'RE STILL LOOKING TO FIND SOME INFORMATION ON WHO THEY ARE, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT JUST A LITTLE CARELESSNESS STARTED THIS FIRE.))
[SUPER=01-Todd Groh/Va. Department of Forestry;]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=this fire]
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[VO-NAT]

Groh says spring is the worst fire season of the year, even after all the rain we've had.
With no leaves on the trees, the hard rains hit the ground and run off instead of soaking in, and the direct sunlight on the forest floor can dry things out in a hurry.
(------------)

[8Paraplegic-Strongman]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Cut in]
[WRITER=djo]
[TAPE#=98-29]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A local bodybuilder known as "Sampson" proves he's worthy of his nickname.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]

A 1996 car accident left Samuel Johnson Junior a paraplegic after everything from his waist down was crushed.
Doctors predicted he would never walk again.
Nearly a year later Johnson, nicknamed "SAMPSON" by his friends proved doctors wrong, and emerged victorious in a national bodybuilding competition.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT=09:49:02]
[RUNS=:04]
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT=09:23:02]
[IN Q=I LOST]
((SAMUEL JOHNSON, JUNIOR/"SAMPSON"; I LOST 31 POUNDS IN TWO MONTHS. TEN POUNDS OF BODY FAT FROM 19-PERCENT I WENT DOWN TO TEN PERCENT. MORE MUSCLE. I BECAME MORE MUSCULAR. YOU COULD SEE IT IN MY SHOULDERS, MY CHEST, MY ABDOMEN, MY ARMS. AND I LIKED THE WAY I LOOKED.))
[SUPER=01-Samuel Johnson, Jr./"Sampson";]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=I LOOKED.]
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[VO-NAT]
Apparently the judges did too. Sampson won 50-thousand dollars in cash and prizes and was one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's special guest two weeks ago at the "Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic"--one of the most prestigious bodybuilding competitions in the world. The 33-year old Southside resident downplays his accomplishments, saying he just wants to be good role model for others to follow.
(------------)

[8Weather]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
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Turning your attention now to weather--
Expect lots of sunshine today, with unseasonably warm temperatures.
Highs reaching the mid to upper 80s.
Clear and mild overnight, with lows cooling off into the upper 50s.
And taking a look ahead....the hot temperatures will turn cooler by mid- week..
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