WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 01/26/99

[7School-Bus]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=99-10]
[GRAPHIC=School Bus Ax]

An eight- year old girl died early this morning, after being caught in a chain reaction accident involving a wrecker and a school bus.
Emily Sturgil's grandmother-- 61-year-old Geraldine Gillispie-- also died when her car was hit by the wrecker on Route 220 near the Franklin County/ Henry County line.
The wrecker then slammed into the bus, and one young passenger had a close call.
Eric Earnhart has more.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=When the wrecker hit]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Larry Young/Grandfather; :13]
[SUPER=01-Anita Young/Bus Passenger; :20]
[SUPER=01-Tammy Young/Mother; 1:09]
[SUPER=@eric2; 1:16]
[RUNS=1:23]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]
(( When the wrecker hit, 5-year-old Anita Young was in the worst possible place on the bus... standing in front of the open door... ready to step out.
Her grandfather, waiting at the house, saw it happen.
[SOT 04:18:14]
[IN Q=it happened]
((LARRY YOUNG/GRANDFATHER; IT HAPPENED SO FAST, I SAW MY MAILBOX GO INTO THE AIR AND THAT ROLL BACK WAS PUSHING THE SCHOOL BUS DOWN THE ROAD.)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=down the road]
[SOT 04:20:40 ]
[IN Q=I was on]
((ANITA YOUNG/PASSENGER; AND IT MADE THE BUS GO INTO THE GRASS AND I SLID DOWN THE STEPS)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=down the steps]

But NOT out the door... because her bus driver, JoAnn Brown... heard the wrecker hit the car behind her... and had just enough time to pull Anita safely back.
[SOT 04:20:47]
[IN Q=Ms Brown]
((ANITA YOUNG/PASSENGER; MRS. BROWN, SHE TOOK THE BACK OF MY COAT AND SHE HOLDED ON TO ME, AND IF SHE WOULDN'T HAVE HOLDED ON TO ME I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT THE WINDOW.)) [RUNS10]
[OUT Q=out the window]

The force of the on-coming wrecker is obvious from the damage to the car in between it and the bus, where the impact killed the driver and critically injured a passenger...
But Anita was the ONLY child injured on the bus.
[SOT 04:20:59]
[IN Q=are you ok?]
((ANITA YOUNG/PASSENGER; ARE YOU OK NOW? YES, I ONLY HURT MY BACK AND I HAVE A FEW SCRATCHES)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=a few scratches]

And she has a very grateful mom.
[SOT 04:21:23]
[IN Q=]
((TAMMY YOUNG/MOTHER; IT SCARED ME, BUT THANKS TO MS. BROWN, I CAN'T BE ANY MORE THANKFUL TO HER THAN I AM RIGHT NOW, CAUSE THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER HAD SHE NOT GRABBED HER.)) [RUNS10]
[OUT Q=grabbed her]

Anita says she might have some bad dreams, but WILL get on the bus again.
Eric Earnhart, News 7))

[7E-Confederate-Plate]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Confederate Plate]

The Confederate flag does NOT have a place on Virginia's license plates.
That's according to the House of Delegates, who voted to take the flag OFF of license plates recognizing Sons of Confederate Veterans.
(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE CONFEDERATE PLATE PINNACLE PAGE]
N-Double-A-C-P officials took their fight to prevent the flag from appearing on the plates to the General Assembly last week.
Officials with the Sons of Confederate Veterans called the move "unacceptable".
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The house DID approve a plate with the heritage group's name emblazoned on it.
The house still has one more vote before the measure goes to the Senate, where an amendment could restore the flag.

[7Leyva]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

After a plea from family members, there will be no parole for a man who's both a self- ordained minister and a convicted child molester.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-1989;]

Tony Leyva once claimed he sexually molested 100 boy during nationwide preaching tours.
In 1989, he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]

Yesterday, the U-S Parole Commission reversed an earlier decision to parole Leyva after family members, a federal judge and a prosecutor all asked them to reconsider.
But Leyva does have a mandatory parole date in November of the year 2000.

[7WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE #=]
[GRAPHIC=]

Taking a look now at your Tuesday forecast..
A pleasant, breezy day, with sunny skies and temperatures rising up into the low- 50s.
Continued clear tonight, with lows falling into the lower-30s.
The extended forecast...
[CK/WX PRO=]
MAPS

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[SUPER=314-Sunny Skies/Light Breeze/48-52/Mostly/Clear/30-35;]
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[7BIRTHDAYS!] 1/27/99
Wednesday:
Anniversary:
[SUPER=130-37th/Leroy & Carroll Harris/Collinsville]

[SUPER=130-76/Jesse Hawker/Keeling]

[SUPER=130-7/Michael Boyd/Bassett]

[SUPER=130-10/Bradley Orren/Radford]

[SUPER=130-3/Lacey Guilliams/Ferrum]

[SUPER=130-46/Anita Jones/Wirtz]

[SUPER=130-21/Latasha Suggs/Roanoke]

[SUPER=130-22/Chris Patrick/Shawsville]

[SUPER=130-80/Ray Perdue/Danville]

[SUPER=130-36/John Taylor/Blacksburg]

[SUPER=130-1/Kyle Campbell/Salem]

[cutopen]
[SUPER=19-Melanie/Moon;]

[45E-Crook]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=THA]
[TAPE#98-77 58:01]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

A Montgomery County man will find out in March how much time he will spend in prison for killing a man.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

Yesterday a judge convicted 43-year old Robert Crook of first degree murder in the death of Michael Durham.
The 36-year old was shot five times last March--- his body was later dumped along an isolated road outside Blacksbur
g.
Crook said he shot Durham while the two were riding down the road because Durham pulled a gun from inside his boot.

But two witnesses in the car said they never saw the victim with a weapon.
(/////SOT/////)
[16:52:04]
[SOT]
[IN Q=I still]
((SHERRY WINKLER/VICTIM'S SISTER: I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY HE DID IT, WHY AT ALL, AND HERE MY BABY BROTHER IS DEAD AND MY MOTHER, IT'S JUST DESTROYED HER, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M EXPECTING A BAD OUTCOME FROM HER BECAUSE IT WILL JUST DEVASTATE HER, SHE'S BEEN HANGING ON FROM ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SEE THE OUTCOME, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY SHE CRIES, YOU KNOW, HE KILLED MY BABY.))
[SUPER=01-Sherry Winkler/Victim's Sister; :00]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=killed my baby.]
(----------------)
[anchor=Melanie]
[graphic=None]

Crook could be sentenced to up to 20 years behind bars.[45S-Hog-Farms]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chu]
[TAPE#98-81 38:58]
[GRAPHIC=Hog Farm]

A bill that would have made it easier for local governments to regulate hog farms as has been voted down by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.
The vote came after dozens of farmers showed to voice their opposition to the bill.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Halifax Co./October 1998;]

Citizens in many localities, like Halifax County, are fighting hog farmers.
They were hoping to gain more legal tools to regulate large hog farms, which they say can produce huge amounts of waste.
But hog farmers, who say Virginia already imposes tough regulations, were able to convince Senate Committee members to kill the bill.
(----------------)

[45E-Confederate-Plate]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Confederate Plate]

Meantime, Virginia's House of Delegates has voted to take the Confederate battle flag OFF of license plates recognizing Sons of Confederate Veterans.
(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE CONFEDERATE PLATE PINNACLE PAGE]
N-Double-A-C-P officials took their fight to prevent the flag from appearing on the plates to the General Assembly last week.
Officials with the Sons of Confederate Veterans called the move "unacceptable".
(----------------)
[anchor=Melanie]
[graphic=None]

The house DID approve a plate with the heritage group's name emblazoned on it.
The house still has one more vote before the measure goes to the Senate, where an amendment could restore the flag.

[45S-Ericsson]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=98-82 32:09]
[GRAPHIC=Ericsson]

Ericsson may be laying off thousands of its workers worlwide-- but that shouldn't affect its Lynchburg division.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

That's the word from the Swedish telecommunications giant. The company said it's cutting 11-thousand jobs across the globe.
[SUPER=03-Stockholm, Sweden;]

The job cuts come after last month's announcement that 19-98 earnings would be lower than expected.
Ericsson makes cellular phones and equipment for telephone networks.
Thirty-eight hundred people work at its Lynchburg operation.
(------------)

[45S-Davidsons]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=98-74 1:10:53]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

The Davidson's clothing store chain is closing its Blacksburg shop.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]

Davidson's has operated the store at 117 North Main Street for about 40 years.
The manager, who's been with the store since it opened, will retire.
Davidson's also operates stores in downtown Roanoke, Tanglewood Mall and in Lynchburg.
(------------)

[45WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE #=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Turning your attention now to the forecast---

Sunny skies today with a light breeze.
Look for highs around 50.
Staying mostly clear overnight, with lows in the lower 30s.
In the extended forecast, temperatures will be very mild tomorrow with highs in the 60s under mostly sunny skies.

Look for a gradual cooldown by the weekend, along with a good chance of showers.
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[SUPER=314-Sunny Skies/Light Breeze/48-52/Mostly/Clear/30-35;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=19-Melanie/Moon;]

[8School-Bus]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=99-10]
[GRAPHIC=School Bus Ax]

An accident yesterday involving a school bus and a wrecker killed an eight- year- old girl and her grandmother.
The little girl, Emily Sturgil died in the hospital early this morning.
61-year- old Geraldine Gillespie was killed when her car was hit by the wrecker on Route 220 near the Franklin County/ Henry County line.
When the wrecker then slammed into the school bus, another child received minor injuries.
Eric Earnhart has details.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=When the wrecker hit]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Larry Young/Grandfather; :13]
[SUPER=01-Anita Young/Bus Passenger; :20]
[SUPER=01-Tammy Young/Mother; 1:09]
[SUPER=@eric2; 1:16]
[RUNS=1:23]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]
(( When the wrecker hit, 5-year-old Anita Young was in the worst possible place on the bus... standing in front of the open door... ready to step out.
Her grandfather, waiting at the house, saw it happen.
[SOT 04:18:14]
[IN Q=it happened]
((LARRY YOUNG/GRANDFATHER; IT HAPPENED SO FAST, I SAW MY MAILBOX GO INTO THE AIR AND THAT ROLL BACK WAS PUSHING THE SCHOOL BUS DOWN THE ROAD.)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=down the road]
[SOT 04:20:40 ]
[IN Q=I was on]
((ANITA YOUNG/PASSENGER; AND IT MADE THE BUS GO INTO THE GRASS AND I SLID DOWN THE STEPS)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=down the steps]

But NOT out the door... because her bus driver, JoAnn Brown... heard the wrecker hit the car behind her... and had just enough time to pull Anita safely back.
[SOT 04:20:47]
[IN Q=Ms Brown]
((ANITA YOUNG/PASSENGER; MRS. BROWN, SHE TOOK THE BACK OF MY COAT AND SHE HOLDED ON TO ME, AND IF SHE WOULDN'T HAVE HOLDED ON TO ME I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT THE WINDOW.)) [RUNS10]
[OUT Q=out the window]

The force of the on-coming wrecker is obvious from the damage to the car in between it and the bus, where the impact killed the driver and critically injured a passenger...
But Anita was the ONLY child injured on the bus.
[SOT 04:20:59]
[IN Q=are you ok?]
((ANITA YOUNG/PASSENGER; ARE YOU OK NOW? YES, I ONLY HURT MY BACK AND I HAVE A FEW SCRATCHES)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=a few scratches]

And she has a very grateful mom.
[SOT 04:21:23]
[IN Q=]
((TAMMY YOUNG/MOTHER; IT SCARED ME, BUT THANKS TO MS. BROWN, I CAN'T BE ANY MORE THANKFUL TO HER THAN I AM RIGHT NOW, CAUSE THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER HAD SHE NOT GRABBED HER.)) [RUNS10]
[OUT Q=grabbed her]

Anita says she might have some bad dreams, but WILL get on the bus again.
Eric Earnhart, News 7))

[8E-Kennedy]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=djo]
[TAPE#=98-71 1:50:53]
[GRAPHIC=Kim Kennedy]

After alleging that she was raped, a former exotic dancer refused to cooperate with authorities.
So yesterday, charges were dropped against the man accused of raping her.
David Johnson reports.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=44-year-old Kim Kennedy]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jody Fields/Victim's Mother; :15]
[SUPER=01-Alice Ekirch/Prosecutor; :39]
[SUPER=@David1;]
[RUNS=1:14]
[OUT Q=DJ N7]
((44-year old Kim Kennedy was charged with raping and sodomizing the stripper at the Knights of Pythias Lodge last month. But the alleged victim failed to cooperate with authorities, so the charges were dropped--something which visibly upset the woman's mother.
[SOT=00:11:38]
[IN Q=MY DAUGHTER]
((JODY FIELDS/VICTIM'S MOTHER; MY DAUGHTER WAS SCARED TO GO OUT OF THE HOUSE.....MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF HERSELF.))
[RUNS= 16]
[OUT Q=OUT OF HERSELF.]
Prosecutors understood Field's daughter fear, but adds that once a rape victim decides to press charges, they usually follow it through to the end.
[SOT=00:08:09]
[IN Q=I THINK IT'S]
((ALICE EKIRCH/PROSECUTOR; I THINK IT'S UNUSUAL THAT SHE BROGUTH THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM, BUT HAS FAILED TO COOPERATE WITH US.))
[RUNS= 08]
[OUT Q=WITH US.]
Kennedy is a custodial employee at Ruffner Middle School, but has been suspended without pay since he was arrested.
[SOT=00:04:49]
[IN Q=I DO HOPE]
((JOHN LICHTENSTEIN/KENNEDY'S ATTORNEY; I DO HOPE THAT HE CAN GET HIS JOB BACK, GO ON WITH HIS LIFE AND PUT THIS BEHIND HIM.))
[RUNS= 06]
[OUT Q=THIS BEHIND HIM.]
[STAND-UP/] ((DAVID JOHNSON/REPORTING; BUT THAT MAY BE EASIER SAID THAN DONE. SINCE THE CHARGES WERE NOL PROSSED, MEANING THEY WERE NOT DISMISSED BUT SIMPLY DROPPED, KENNEDY COULD FACE THE SAME CHARGES AGAIN. THE VICTIM'S MOTHER SAYS SHE INTENDS TO MAKE SURE HER DAUGHTER PRESSES CHARGES AGAIN. DAVID JOHNSON, NEWS 7.))
[RUNS= 13]))

[8WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE #=]
[GRAPHIC=]

Turning to weather--
Expect another sunny day, with daytime highs around 50.
Skies will stay mostly clear tonight, as lows fall back into the lower 30s.
The four day outlook includes mostly sunny, mild weather through Thursday, with rain likely by Friday.
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