[HEADLINES]

[TALENT=Melanie]

(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


One of the world's most popular athletes is about to call it quits.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]


And it's opening day for the 19-99 General Assembly session.
(/////////////)
[TALENT=Patrick]
[SS=None]
(adlib)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]


News 7 at noon is next.

[Jordan-Open]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Michael Jordan]



(XXXXXXXXXXXX)

[CBS LIVE FEED]
[SUPER=05-Chicago, IL]


You're looking at a live picture from the United Center in Chicago where Michael Jordan is expected to announce his retirement in a matter of moments.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=JORDAN]


Good afternoon, I'm Melanie Moon.
Jordan has not yet stepped to the microphone.
We'll have more on his announcement later in the newscast.

[XGR-Opening]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#99-3 TC05:53]
[GRAPHIC=State Capitol]


The last session of Virginia's General Assembly this century kicks off today for a six week run.
Tonight, NEWS 7 will have live coverage of Governor Jim Gilmore's State of the Commonwealth speech at 7 p-m.
But the preview is: Virginia's booming.
[DOUBLE BOX=Melanie and Ellen/State Microwave]


Ellen Qualls is at the State Capitol.
What can we expect?
[LIVE=Ellen full/Microwave]
[SUPER=@Ellen1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]


Melanie, this is the odd-numbered year short session.
The budget changes are just amendments to the two year budget.
But with almost a BILLION dollar surplus over what was expected last year, expect a cut in the sales tax on groceries, expect more money for schools, expect more credit-taking... because it is an extremely important election year.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=All 140]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bob Holsworth/VCU Political Analyst; :14]
[SUPER=@Bryant; :34]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Joe Gartlan/(D) Fairfax; :37]
[SUPER=01-Del. Alan Dudley/(R) Rocky Mount; :45]
[RUNS=:50]
[OUT Q=the session.]

(( All 140 seats in the House and Senate are up for grabs in November-- and whichever party controls the Capitol controls the year 2000 drawing of political districts.
But extra cash will help ease the partisanship.
[sot 16:32:30]

((BOB HOLSWORTH/VCU POLITICAL ANALYST: RIGHT NOW, WHILE THINGS MAY BE VERY BAD UP IN WASHINGTON IN THE PUBLIC'S MIND, THINGS COULDN'T BE BETTER HERE AT HOME. NOW HOW LONG THAT WILL LAST OF COURSE IS AN OPEN QUESTION, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE GOVERNOR, IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE REALLY DOING IS REALLY GIVING THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY SAY THEY WANT.)) [runs20]

[sot 16:28:50]

((DEL. PRESTON BRYANT/R-LYNCHBURG: THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY AROUND THAT ALL THE MAJOR CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN BOUGHT UP AND PAID FOR.)) [runs:10]

[sot 16:25:36]

((SEN. JOE GARTLAN/D-FAIRFAX: YOU WILL SEE MORE POLITICAL GREED EVIDENCE BY PEOPLE PUSHING PET PROJECTS THAN THERE HAS BEEN IN A LONG TIME.)) [runs:10]

[sot 16:34:29]

((DEL. ALLEN DUDLEY/R-ROCKY MOUNT: WELL AS YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MAY BECOME THE HOT TOPIC DURING THE SESSION.)) [runs:05]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Ellen full/State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]


So how to spend lottery profits and how to regulate imported trash may be what lawmakers want the public to focus on... it's always something simpler that really gains attention.
This year it could be a Sons of Confederate Veterans license plate or a "Choose Life" license plate... or some bizarre bill that hasn't even been filed yet.
[DOUBLE BOX=Ellen and Melanie/State Microwave]





[NAACP]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=djo]
[TAPE#=99-4 TC15:04]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The controversial debate over the leadership of the Roanoke chapter of the N-double-A-C-P should be resolved by the day's end.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night;]

That according to the local branch's president-elect Brenda Hale, who addressed the matter on a local radio broadcast about an hour ago.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

The recent presidential election was in question due to alleged voting irregularities. A letter from the national branch resolved the issue last month saying Hale was the new president. But local branch members apparently didn't find out until last night's meeting.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT=01:22:21]
[IN Q=I ASKED HIM]

((VOICE OF BRENDA HALE/PRESIDENT-ELECT; I ASKED HIM AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT WHY THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT SHARED WITH ME....I COULD NEVER GET AN ANSWER.))
[SUPER=02-Brenda Hale/President-Elect;]
[RUNS=19]
[OUT Q=GET AN ANSWER.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Lewis is the woman who allegedly filed the complaint about the vote. Hale and former local chapter president Charles Green say Jeffrey has appealed to the state chapter as part of what they call a conspiracy to keep his position.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Hale says the national branch has vowed to have the matter solved by the end of the day. Jeffrey could not be reached for comment.

[Wilderness-Academy]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=NetB]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Enrollment at a Botetourt boarding school is on the rise, even though the school is being investigated by the Department of Education.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./November;]


The Department of Education reports the Wilderness Leadership Academy is well on its way toward regaining its license, after losing it last fall for being unsafe and unsanitary.
Community volunteers gathered last Saturday to clean and repaint the facilities.
The Education Department does want a written promise from school officials that boys will no longer play "Pass Out," in which they hold their breath until they fall unconscious.
But assistant director Todd Daniel says after boys were caught playing that game last spring, they were warned of the danger and stopped.
He says the boys are very closely supervised.
The school currently has eleven boys and Daniels says they're interviewing prospective students.
School officials believe they WILL regain their license after a full inspection later this month.
(------------)


[Tourism-Depot]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=98-71 TC1:33:21]
[GRAPHIC=None]


The town of Rocky Mount has decided to turn a historic train depot into a hospitality center.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mount;]


Visitors to the center will be able to pick up travel brochures, view a community calendar of events, and see a map of local shops, restaurants and hotels.
Both the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Merchants' Association had applied to staff the building, but were denied.
Now only Rocky Mount's Virginia Main Street Program will rent office space in the building.
A large reception area can also be rented for public or private functions.
(------------)[tease1]

[HARD MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]


The hours to President Clinton's Senate trial are ticking away.
More on the last minute wrangling is next on News-7 at Noon.
(--------------)
[VO-NAT ]


And we've heard of the Six-Million Dollar Man-- how about the three million dollar baseball?
(---------------)
[Talent=Patrick]

[Wx-Tease] [Weatherpro] [music up full] [comm1]

[Clinton]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#net]
[GRAPHIC=Senate Trial]


Opening arguments in the President's impeachment trial begin tomorrow.
President Clinton says he will continue doing the business of the nation while the Senate does the business of the trial.
Lee Cowan reports the president actually answered reporters' questions today.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]

[11:30UPDATE WINDOW]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Washington DC;]
[SUPER=04-Tuesday;]
[SUPER=01-Joe Lockhart/White House Spokesman;]
[SUPER=01-Rep. Henry Hyde/(R) Judiciary Comm. Chairman;]
[SUPER=01-Lee Cowan/Reporting;]
[RUNS=1:32]
[OUT Q=cbs news washington.]

((IT IS ANOTHER DAY OF DEADLINES FOR THE PRESIDENT - ANOTHER DAY OF DOCUMENT DUMPS -- AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG WHILE HE TALKED ABOUT IT.
(( CLINTON SOT 10:43:20 ))

"We filed our brief -- HIS 130 PAGE LEGAL BRIEF NOW JOINS THE ONE THE HOUSE FILED ON MONDAY - IT CALLS THEIR CASE GROUNDLESS AND SAYS IT FALLS FAR SHORT OF WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS HAD IN MIND TO REMOVE A PRESIDENT FROM OFFICE. FOR ITS PART, THE HOUSE OUTLINED WHAT IT CALLED AN `OVERWHELMING' CASE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT - ITS 150 PAGES STRUCTURED LIKE A CONSPIRACY. (( GRAPHICS )) "EVENTS AND WORDS THAT MAY SEEM INNOCENT OR EVEN EXCUPATORY IN A VACUUM," THE BRIEF READS, "MAY WELL TAKE ON A SINISTER, OR EVEN CRIMINAL CONNOTATION WHEN OBSERVED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE PLOT." THE BATTLE LINES HAD BEEN DRAWN ON PAPER - BUT WORDS WERE ALREADY FLYING. (( SUPER: TUESDAY ))
(( SUPER: JOE LOCKHART//WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN )) (( SOT AT 13:47))

"I think it detracts from the argument they are trying to make." THE LEADING HOUSE MANAGER DID HIS BEST TO REMAIN CORDIAL.
(( SUPER: REP. HENRY HYDE//HOUSE JUDICIARY CHAIR )) (( SOT AT 17:07:50 ))

"I'm glad he' s generous and kind and deferential, just as we've come to expect from them. We're proud of our brief, we have nothing but respect for the white house's brief, so I'll leave the invective to Mr. Lockhart."lc CBS News, Washington.))

[IRAQ]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=MEL]
[TAPE#net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq Attack]


Another skirmish today over the skies of Iraq.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Baghdad, Iraq;]

[4:22:42]
But this time Saddam Husseins' actions won't go unanswered.
The White House says appropriate action will be taken to enforce the no-fly zones and to protect allied air crews. [4:13:53-YESTERDAY'S 4 AM ]
U-S officials said American warplanes in northern Iraq attacked several missile sites today in self-defense.
Two of their missiles scored direct hits on Iraqi targets.
U-S forces returned safely to base.
(----------------)


[MCGWIRE]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=Mel]
[TAPE#Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]


It's another record when it comes to baseball great Mark McGwire.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]

((SOLD FOR 2.7 MILLION DOLLARS. ))
[SUPER=03-New York, NY;]
[RUNS=:03]
[OUT Q=for 2.7 million dollars.]
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


That's how much McGwire's 70th home run ball was auctioned off for last night in New York.
Philip Ozersky-- a research scientist who caught the McGwire home run at an office outing last September-- promises to share some of his good fortune with charities.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]

(( PHILIP OZERSKY/BASEBALL OWNER IM IN AWE...I MEAN WHOEVER THOUGHT HAT A TEN DOLLAR BASEBALL WOULD BE WORTH 2.7 MILLION DOLLARS.....))
[SUPER=01-Philip Ozersky/Former Baseball Owner;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=WORTH 2.7 MILLION DOLLARS.]
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


The annonymous phone bidder also scooped up Sammy Sosa's famous 66th home run ball for 150-thousand, and when you add the commission total of 172-thousand that puts the total at over 3- million.
The bidder says he'll go public with his plans for the record ball "in the near future".
(----------------)


[Scott-Manufacturing]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Environmental Health]


The Environmental Protection Agency has fined a Franklin County company.
The E-P-A fined Scott Manufacturing 25-thousand dollars for failing to report the use of three toxic chemicals.
The E-P-A says Scott failed to report the chemicals from 1994 to 1996.
The chemicals contribute to smog and can cause nausea, dizziness and breathing problems.

[E-L'burg-Council]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#98-73 1:12:47]
[GRAPHIC=Lynchburg]


One major shopping center has been given the green light.. another is still "stuck in traffic" after a public hearing last night in Lynchburg.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]


After two months of debate and study, city council voted 5- to- 2 to approve a 38- million- dollar shopping center off Graves Mill Road.
The vote came after the developer agreed to make certain road improvements that will alleviate traffic problems in the area.
"Creekside Center" figures to create hundreds of new jobs for the area once it's completed by the spring of 2001.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 22:14:26]
[IN Q=I hope our]

((BERT DODSON/LYNCHBURG COUNCIL MEMBER: I HOPE OUR CITY COUNCIL TAKES A POSITION OF BEING PRO- DEVELOPMENT, PRO FREE ENTERPRISE. AND I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE ZONING REQUEST.))
[SUPER=01-Bert Dodson/Lynchburg Council Member; :00]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=the zoning request.]
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


Council postponed action on ANOTHER shopping center proposal.. this one for a 58- acre tract of land near the Route 460 interchange.
Council members want to give engineers time to complete a study on how the 325- thousand square foot project would impact traffic on the heavily- traveled Wards Road area.
(----------------)

[Tease2] [SOFT MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]


Find out who's on the worst-dressed list of 1998.
That's next on News-7 at Noon.
(-----------------)
[VO-NAT ]


And Buffalo has reached record snowfall amounts-- and we're not even half way through winter yet.
(-----------------)

[MUSIC UP FULL]
[COMM BREAK #2]


[Blackwell-list]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#net]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Mr. Blackwell is out with his worst dressed list and the top three include a film star, a pop star and a friend of Kenneth Starr.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Linda's bad...]

(([4:46:40] BLACKWELL: LINDA'S BAD FASHION TRIP..SHEEP DOG IN DRAG. MAMMA MADONNA HAS BECOME A GOTHING FRIGHT...OF FASHION LIGHT. KATE WINSLET FROM GAUDY GOWNS...WITH THE TITANTIC. ))
[RUNS=:53]
[OUT Q=WITH THE TITANIC.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[ss=NONE]


Other's on the list include former bay watch star Carmen Electra, singers Courtney Love and Mariah Carey and actress Sandra Bullock.

[Live-Jordan]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Michael Jordan has taken his place at the podium.
Let's listen to some of what he has to say.
(XXXXXXXXXXXX)

[TAKE CBS LIVE FEED]


[Buffalo-snow]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#net]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]


In Buffalo, New York they haven't seen this much snow in more than 20 years.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Buffalo, NY;]

[4:26]
About 63 inches of snow has fallen in the city so far this winter, that's more than five feet.
In fact, since this winter began, Buffalo has had only three days WITHOUT snow.
Buffalo averages just over 93 inches of snow a year.
The snow depth of 27 inches still on the ground is the most since the blizzard of 19-77.
And in case any of the locals haven't had enough snow, more snow is forecast for tomorrow.
(----------------)


[Stocks]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE# none]
[GRAPHIC=stocks]


On Wall Street at Noon, the Dow was DOWN 175 points.
[tease3] [SPORTS MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]


Sports is next on News7 at Noon--
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


Plus, the green flag has dropped, and the Nascar Media tour is off and running.
Mike Stevens is traveling with the teams and we'll have an update when News 7 at Noon continues.
(---------------)

[MUSIC UP FULL]
[COMM BREAK #3]


[Sadler]


[ANCHOR=Patrick]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-28]
[GRAPHIC=Nascar media tour]


The 1999 Nascar Media Tour is on track and heading through the Carolinas this week. But it's some folks from north of the border that are the hot topic.
Mike Stevens explains.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Charlotte, NC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Elliott Sadler/Citgo Ford Driver; :18]
[SUPER=@Mike1; :30]
[super=01-Jimmy Spencer/Winston Ford Driver; 1:17]
[RUNS=1:42]

(-----------------) [OUT Q=News 7 Sports]
by SS