[7S-UVA-Babies]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#98-69 1:00:30]
[GRAPHIC=Baby Swap]
With no new information, and no clear answers, the case of the two babies switched at birth at the U-V-A Medical Center is out of investigator's hands.
NEWS 7 has learned the police report has been turned over to the Commonwealth's Attorney in Charlottesville with NO clear findings of fault, no suspects or criminal allegations.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@file;]
Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Chapman is expected to talk to the families of Rebecca Chittum in Buena Vista and Callie Johnson in Greene County in a matter of days about any details he will be making public.
A source close to the investigation says the 1995 baby switch may have simply been a mistake.
The police investigation is expected to remain open indefinitely, just in case new information comes up.
(----------------)
[7Rockbridge-Firefighters]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sta]
[TAPE#=98-56 1:57:14]
[GRAPHIC=Arson Arrest]
Arson charges have landed nine Rockbridge area volunteer firefighters behind bars... And police say they confessed to the crimes.
As Stacey Martin tell us, the arrests follow a 19-month investigation.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Henry Tolley had]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co.; :03]
[SUPER=07-Henry Tolley; :13]
[SUPER=01-Robert Foresman/Lexington Fire Department; :37]
[RUNS=1:04]
[OUT Q=SM, News 7, Lexington.]
((Henry Tolley had plans to renovate a small, white home on his property.
But, as he showed us, a dry patch of dirt and some dead weeds are all that remain, after it was burned to the ground last April.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 00.28.30 - 00.28.38]
[IN Q=And, everything]
((HENRY TOLLLEY: AND EVERYTHING WAS JUST--THE HOUSE--WHEN WE LOOKED OUT YOU COULD SEE THE FLAMES YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT DONE WENT UP AND BURNT THE WEATHER BOARD AND EVERYTHING.))
[RUNS08]
[OUT Q=and everything.]
Police arrested nine firefighters and charged three juveniles in connection with this and several other fires.
Charges against two others are pending.
Five of those charged are volunteers at the Effinger Fire Department.
Another four are members of the Lexington Fire Department.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 23.49.35 - 23.49.47]
[IN Q=The majority of them]
((CHRIS BLALOCK/ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: THE MAJORITY OF THEM SAID IT WAS JUST BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO ANSWER CALLS AND THEY THOUGH IT WOULD BE A GOOD TRAINING EXERCISE TO PUT THE TRAINING TO USE THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN OVER THE YEARS AND JUST THE THRILL OF BEING ABLE TO ANSWER A CALL.))
[RUNS12]
[OUT Q=answer a call.]
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 02.04.06 - 02.04.21]
[IN Q=Most of the adults]
((STACEY MARTIN/REPORTING: MOST OF THE ADULTS ARE CHARGED WITH ARSON AND BREAKING AND ENTERING AND THEY FACE A POSSIBLE SEVEN YEARS IN JAIL. THE JUVENILES COULD BE SENTENCED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE, PROBATION AND/OR TIME AT A JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER. STACEY MARTIN, NEWS 7, LEXINGTON.))
[RUNS15]
[OUT Q=SM, News 7, Lexington.]
))[7E-Poindexter]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=djo]
[TAPE#=98-63 1:46:17]
[GRAPHIC=Poindexter]
One civil rights group is taking aim at the Roanoke police department.
Two officers were cleared earlier this week in connection with a suspect who died after being hit with pepper spray.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Derek Poindexter was pepper sprayed by the two officers- who thought he was chewing crack.
When Poindexter refused to spit it out, the officers sprayed him.
He later died.
The N-double-A-C-P says the officers' actions were out of line and adds they may not be solely responsible.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT=14:29:58]
[IN Q=WE WANT TO]
((MARTIN JEFFREY/LOCAL NAACP PRESIDENT; WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS GOES BEYOND JUST THE DECISION OF THOSE TWO OFFICERS. TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICIES THAT SAY IT'S OKAY FOR YOU TO SPRAY PEPPER SPRAY IN THE FACE OF A MAN WHO'S HANDCUFFED. THAT'S JUST LUDICRIOUS.))
[SUPER=01-Martin Jeffrey/Local NAACP President;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=JUST LUDICRIOUS.]
(------------)
[7E-Pepper-Spray]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=98-62]
[GRAPHIC=Pepper Spray]
Roanoke police say they receive few complaints over the use of pepper spray, although it's use is fairly common.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
That's according to the man who teaches other officers how to use force.
Sgt. Eric Mills said officers use pepper spray an average of 107-times a year.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/1996;]
Mills said pepper spray stings, but doesn't cause any serious injuries.
He also said he's been sprayed with pepper spray HIMSELF -- and knows what it feels like.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 3:10]
[IN Q=it dilates]
((MILLS: IT DILATES THE VESSELS IN YOUR EYES, SO THE EYES GO SHUT. THEY BURN. YOUR SKIN BURNS. YOUR BRONCHIAL PASSAGES CONSTRICT, SO YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON BREATHING AND BREATHE DEEPLY.))
[SUPER=01-Sgt. Eric Mills/Roanoke Police Department;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=DEEPLY]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Mills said police only use pepper spray when suspects under arrest ignore an officer's verbal commands.
(------------)
[7WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE #=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a look now at your Thursday forecast..
Clouds move into the area, along with some light southerly winds.
Look for highs in the lower 60s.
Mostly cloudy tonight, with a chance for some showers.
Lows are expected to be in the upper-40s.
The extended forecast...
[CK/WX PRO=]
MAPS
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Increasing Clouds/Winds S 10/60-64/Mostly Cloudy/Lt. Rain Possible/45-49;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[7BIRTHDAYS!] 11/20/98
Friday:
[SUPER=130-6/Bryce Odum/Union Hall]
Anniversary:
[SUPER=130-47th/Harrison & Gazette Jones/Chatham]
No Pictures:
[SUPER=130-14/Skesha Campbell/Penhook][cutopen]
[SUPER=19-Melanie/Moon;][45Giles-Investigation]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=98-]
[GRAPHIC=Bomb Threat]
Authorities in Giles County today plan to announce charges in a series of bomb threats at county high schools.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pearisburg;]
They're not releasing details, but investigators apparently made a major breakthrough in the case yesterday as they interviewed students at the Sheriff's office.
They've also identified at least two pay phones involved.
So far, four bomb threats have been called in this week, including one yesterday at Narrows High School.
(------------)
[45E-stalker-uva]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=98-71 41:10]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Police at the University of Virginia think they're dealing with a serial rapist.
They a man who raped a female student is also responsible for another attack.
(-----------)
[vo-nat]
[super=03-Charlottesville]
Charlottesville authorities say the suspect struck again Saturday night, when he jumped from behind a church and attacked a 21-year old woman.
Police think the same man raped a 19-year-old woman under Beta Bridge at the University in October.
Two sorority house break-ins were also reported in October -- and the supsect in both break-ins matches the description of the attacker.
U-V-A is sending out e-mail warnings to all female students.
(------------)
[45E&H-Chief]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Emory and Henry]
The police chief at Emory and Henry College says she was fired for trying to crack down on campus drinking.
Wallace Ballou says school administrators do NOT want a no-alcohol policy enforced because they're afraid of offending alumni who holds tailgate parties at home football games.
School officials declined to comment.
Just under a thousand students attend Emory and Henry which is affilitated with the United Methodist Chuch.
Last spring, Virginia methodists asked five church-affiliated colleges to ban alcohol.
[45S-FBI-Fugitive]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chu]
[TAPE#598-37 32:16]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A suspect in a decade-old murder case in Halifax county is now on the FBI's most wanted list.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
Pictures of Raymond Kalun Pin can be found on the FBI's internet site.
He's accused of killing Frank Syndor and Valencia Bouldin in 1989.
Authorities believe Pin stabbed Syndor over a poker game -- then killed Bouldin for witnessing the murder.
(----------------)
[TAKE WEB WATCH PAGE FULL]
You can find a link to the FBI's internet site by going to the WDBJ7 home page and clicking on "Web Watch."
(-------------)
[45E-State-Budget]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=98-61 1:51:34]
[GRAPHIC=Va. Budget]
With state Republicans championing proposed tax cuts, state Democrats are claiming it's nothing they haven't tried before.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem;]
A crowd of sheriff's deputies gathered yesterday, eager to get the nine-percent raise offered by the Governor.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 15:54:30]
[IN Q=You may be]
((YOU MAY BE A DEPUTY SHERIFF WORKING AND YOU'RE BEING PAID $21,247 A YEAR AND YOU MAY BE WORKING BESIDE A TOWN POLICE OFFICER WHOSE SALARY IS $31,000 A YEAR AFTER THEY'VE BEEN THERE FIVE YEARS.))
[SUPER=@Marrs;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=five years]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Republican tax cuts would also give more money to police and all lottery profits to education -- a total of almost three-million-more dollars in Roanoke County.
But Democrats say they've suggested giving lottery money to schools before -- only to be shot down.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 16:38:30]
[IN Q=Three times]
((THREE TIMES THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY ... STUDENTS IN VIRGINIA.))
[SUPER=@Woodrum;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=students in Virginia]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]
The tax cut proposals will go before the General Assembly when the session starts in January.
[45Bluefield-Jobs]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=New Jobs]
A telemarketing firm is bringing some 200 new jobs to Bluefield, West Virginia.
Mayor Nelson Walker says the company will work out of a former Grants Supermarket location but would not dislose any other information about the business.
[45WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE #=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a moment now to check the forecast--
Increasing clouds today, with highs in the lower 60s.
Expect the clouds to linger overnight, with the possiblity of some light rain developing.
Lows in the upper 40s.
In the four day forecast, showers are likely for tomorrow, but drier weather is on tap for the weekend.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Increasing Clouds/Winds S 10/60-64/Mostly Cloudy/Lt. Rain Possible/45-49;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=19-Melanie/Moon;][8E-Rockbridge-Fires]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sta]
[TAPE#=98-56 1:58:33]
[GRAPHIC=Arson Arrest]
A nineteen month investigation has led to the arrests of several Rockbridge area firefighters
for ARSON.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co.;]
Charges against nine firefighters with the Lexington and Effinger Fire Departments include arson and breaking and entering.
They could each face up to seven years behind bars.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 23.50.04 - 23.50.20]
[IN Q=We have a good deal]
((CHRIS BLALOCK/ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: WE HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF DAMAGES A LOT OF THESE HOMES, SOME OF THEM WERE UNDER REMODELING. THEY STILL HAD A VALUE TO THEM AND ANYTIME YOU BRING OUT FIRE EQUIPMENT AND RUN LIGHTS AND SIRENES IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS YOU PUT THE PUBLIC AND THE FIREFIGHTERS AT RISK.))
[SUPER=01-Chris Blalock/Rockbridge Co. Sheriff's Dept.;]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=firefighters at risk.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
At least 21 suspicious fires were reported over a 19-month period.
Authorities said all of those charged confessed and said they claimed to set the fires so they could put their training to use.
Charges against two others are pending.
(------------)
[8S-UVA-Babies]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#98-69 1:00:30]
[GRAPHIC=Baby Swap]
The case of the two babies switched at birth at the U-V-A Medical Center is reportedly now in the hands of the Commonwealth's Attorney in Charlottesville.
News- 7 has learned the police report contains
NO clear findings of fault, no suspects or criminal allegations.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@file;]
Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Chapman is expected to talk to the families of Rebecca Chittum in Buena Vista and Callie Johnson in Greene County in a matter of days about any details he will be making public.
A source close to the investigation says the 1995 baby switch may have simply been a mistake.
The police investigation is expected to remain open indefinitely, just in case new information comes up.
(----------------)
[8Giles-Investigation]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=98-]
[GRAPHIC=Bomb Threat]
Giles county police are expected to make a statement later this morning concerning a series of bomb threats made at area high schools.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pearisburg;]
They're not releasing details, but investigators apparently made a major breakthrough in the case yesterday as they interviewed students at the Sheriff's office.
They've also identified at least two pay phones involved.
So far, four bomb threats have been called in this week, at Giles and Narrows High Schools.
(------------)
[8E-Sesame-Street]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Sesame Street can be found at the Salem Civic Center...at least for the weekend.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; ]
But one of the show's characters gave some patients a sneak preview yesterday at the Medical Center for Children at Roanoke Community Hospital.
The star of the Children's Television Network and popular "tickle-toy" Elmo played games with sick children this afternoon.
And after the activities ended, Elmo served cookies in the playroom.
(------------)
[8E-Lord-Dance]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=98-70 1:02:29]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Their energetic rhythms made their performance video the biggest seller of all time in the U-S.
(/////SOT/////)
[NAT SND]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
[Runs=:04]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And last night "Lord of the Dance" came alive on a Roanoke stage.
The Irish Dance Troupe graced the Roanoke Civic Center -- minus its famed star -- American Michael Flatley.
Flatley formed the Celtic dance troupe in 1994.
Since March, "Lord of the Dance" has crossed the globe with stops in Holland, Belgium, and South Africa, among others.
(------------)
[8WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE #=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time again for the Thursday forecast--
The outlook is cloudy today, with mild high temperatures in the lower 60s.
Mostly cloudy skies tonight, with the chance of some light rain.
Lows in the mid and upper 40s.
The extended forecast calls for rain tomorrow, and partly to mostly sunny skies for the weekend.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[SUPER=314-Increasing Clouds/Winds S 10/60-64/Mostly Cloudy/Lt. Rain Possible/45-49;]
by SS