[7-81-Ax]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]
If you plan on driving on Interstate 81 near Ironto this morning, you may want to look for an alternate route.
State police say an accident in the northbound lanes near the Ironto rest stop has blocked at least one lane.
They don't expect to have things back to normal until sometime after seven.
Troopers suggest detouring around the accident on routes 11 and 460.
[7E-Bath-Snow]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=99-2 53:49]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]
Snow wreaked havoc across some parts of the commonwealth yesterday.
Places like Bath County will feel it's effects for days to come.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bath Co.]
More than 25-hundred homes and businesses lost power yesterday... Full service isn't expected to be restored until later today.
Bath, along with northern Botetourt and Rockbridge Counties, saw more than a foot of snow on the ground.
(------------)
[7E-City-Schools]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-14 7:03]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]
While school closings and delays were the norm across the region yesterday, Roanoke City schools remained open and on time.
Many parents questioned the safety of that decision.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT SOT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Wasena school saw a flurry of late arrivals after school buses changed their routes, and students waited for a closing announcement that never came.
(///////SOT////////////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I had my son watching]
((SUSAN BRADBURY: I HAD MY SON WATCHING TV, UP UNTIL 8:30. MOMMY WE'RE STILL GOING.))
((CINDY GANLEY: IT PUT MY WHOLE MORNING AND KIDS' IN A TAILSPIN. THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST CALLED A TWO HOUR DELAY. AND LAST WEEK THEY CLOSED SCHOOLS FOR WET STREETS.))
[SUPER=01-Susan Bradbury/Parent; :00]
[SUPER=01-Cindy Ganley/Parent; :08]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=closed school for wet streets.]
(-----------------)
[VO-NAT]
School officials say they consulted with forecasters and transportation employees, and were confident they could pick up students and return them safely in the afternoon.
(///////SOT////////////)
[SOT 18:30:28]
[IN Q=We made the decision]
((MARY HACKLEY/ROANOKE CITY SCHOOLS: WE MADE THE DECISION THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INTENSE EARLY THIS MORNING, THE SNOW WAS SLUSHY AND TRANSPORTATION FELT THEY COULD GET OUR BUSES AND SERVICE OUR CHILDREN TODAY.))
[SUPER=01-Mary Hackley/Roanoke City Schools;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=service our children today.]
(------------------)
[VO-NAT]
By the time students were dismissed for the day, rising temperatures had cleared the roads, and cleared the way for buses carrying them home.
(-----------------)
[7E-Snowball]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-1 1:04:51]
[GRAPHIC=None]
As quickly as the snow came and went yesterday, so did a controversy over whether two young boys could face criminal charges for a snowball fight.
Steve Smallshaw reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The two boys]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Sgt. Bobby Ratliff/State Police; :18]
[SUPER=01-Leigh Drewry/Boys' Attorney; :36]
[SUPER=@ssm2; :50]
[RUNS=:55]
[OUT Q=News7, Bedford Co.]
(( The two boys were exchanging snowballs at this intersection along Route 221 in Forest last Wednesday when one snowball sailed into the road and narrowly missed a passing car.
The driver complained and state police investigated.. the trooper told the boys they could be charged with throwing a missile at an occupied vehicle.
[SOT 13:24:23]
((SGT. BOBBY RATLIFF/VA STATE POLICE: IF PEOPLE, WHOEVER THEY MAY BE, THROW THINGS AT CARS, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW UP, ESPECIALLY GETTING A COMPLAINT FROM PEOPLE. AND THE MOTORING PUBLIC OUT HERE JUST WILL NOT TOLERATE THINGS LIKE THAT AND WE'RE NOT EITHER.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=not either.]
But friends and family of the two boys say police over- reacted..
[SOT 12:22:08]
((LEIGH DREWRY/BOYS' ATTORNEY: A VIOLATION OF THE LAW REQUIRES CRIMINAL INTENT, THERE WAS NO CRIMINAL INTENT IN THIS SITUATION. THEY WERE PLAYING WITH SNOW.))
[RUNS= 08]
[OUT Q=with snow.]
After talking with the Bedford commonwealth's attorney, Drewry says he understands the case will be dropped.
Drewry calls that a "common sense" approach to the situation.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Bedford County.))
[7S-Midget]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-26 13321TC]
[GRAPHIC=Express]
The Roanoke Valley Junior Express hockey team is hitting the road in search of a national championship.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co; :00]
This team of 16 to 18 year olds leaves for the District tournament in Fort Myers, Florida today. If the team wins this tournament, it qualifies for the hockey national championships.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="we...]
((JOE MALINE/JUNIOR EXPRESS COACH:))
[SUPER=01-Joe Maline/Junior Express Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=...and intensity"]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Junior Express, made up of players from Roanoke, Blacksburg and Appomattox, qualified for Districts by winning the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League title in Charlotte, the last weekend in February.
The Carolina Hurricanes were so impressed with the Junior Express, that the N-H-L team donated nearly 500 dollars to pay for Roanoke's entry fee in the Florida tournament.
(------------)
[7WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a look now at your Tuesday forecast..
Warm weather returns today, with sunny skies and some light winds. Look for highs to reach sixty degrees.
Clear skies remain in the forecast for tonight. Lows will range from the mid-30s to around 40 degrees.
The extended forecast...
[CK/WX PRO=]
MAPS
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Warmer/Winds W 10/55-60/Clear Skies/Light Breeze/35-40;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[7BIRTHDAYS!] 3/17/99
Wednesday:
[SUPER=130-1/Kristen Tyree/Glade Hill]
[SUPER=130-13/Tiara Law/Roanoke]
[SUPER=130-5/Patrick Moran/Floyd]
[SUPER=130-12/Randy Carter/Roanoke]
[SUPER=130-/Jimmy Phillips/Vinton]
[SUPER=130-/Tammy Brown/Roanoke]
[SUPER=130-67/Charlie Eastridge/Salem]
[SUPER=130-17/Nick Livingston/Pulaski]
[SUPER=130-12/Brittany Main/Christiansburg]
[SUPER=130-4/Sherman Burns/Concord]
[SUPER=130-30/Lori May/Madison Heights]
[SUPER=130-95/Minnie Murray/Boones Mill]
[SUPER=130-50/Randy Sarver/Salem]
No Pictures:
[SUPER=131-86/Alene Smith/Roanoke]
[SUPER=131-40/Mike Huffman/Roanoke]
[SUPER=131-/Patricia Bishop/Dublin]
[SUPER=131-/Cheryl Hancock/Roanoke]
Anniversary:
[SUPER=131-15th/Jenny & Al Odenthal/Roanoke]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=19-Melanie/Moon;]
[45-81-Ax]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]
One person is dead and traffic is stopped on Interstate 81 northbound after a pick-up truck ran underneath a tractor trailer near Ironto.
State police have not released the victim's identity.
Troopers say one northbound lane of I-81 will not open up until later this morning.
They suggest detouring off the interstate, onto Routes 11 and 460.
[45E-Roanoke-Fire]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=99-6]
[GRAPHIC=Fire Investigation]
Investigators in Roanoke are still trying to determine what sparked a blaze
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
last night on Day Avenue.
An elderly woman had to be rescued from the building that housed 4 apartments.
Another resident returned from dinner to find his apartment in shambles.
Authorities aren't yet sure just how extensive the damage is, or whether arson could be a factor in the fire.
(------------)
[45E-Runaway-Found]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chu]
[TAPE#=98-81 1:38:25]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The search is over for a missing Danville teenager.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/Last Week;]
14- year old Brooke Graves ran away from her home and was missing for a week.
Her mother says Brooke took off after being bullied by some other girls at school.
Danville Police received a tip before finding the girl and returning her to her home.
Brooke's mother says her daughter was taken in and cared for by a stranger, who she now calls an angel.
(------------)
[45Tech-Women]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#99-4 1:08:53]
[GRAPHIC=Tech Basketball]
The Virginia Tech women's basketball team has made it to the sweet sixteen in the N-C-DOUBLE-A tournament.
The Hokies defeated the Lady Tigers of Auburn last night 76 to 61 in the second round.
Eric Earnhart shows us what the fans think of the their Lady Hokies.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=They lined up]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]
[SUPER=01-Kathy Hayden/Hokie Fan; :11-quick]
[SUPER=01-Jackie Pugh/Hokie Fan; :23]
[SUPER=01-Al Feinman/Hokie Fan; :48]
[SUPER=01-Nancy Gilmore/Former Player; 1:06]
[SUPER=01-Ruth Humes/Grandmother; 1:22]
[SUPER=@Eric1; 1:28]
[RUNS=1:36]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]
(([natsot]
They lined up for one, two, even three hours in the cold outside the Cassell, for one reason.
[SOT]
[IN Q=to see]
((KATHY HAYDEN/TECH FAN; TO SEE THE LADY HOKIES WIN, I WORK HERE ON CAMPUS SO I JUST CAME STRAIGHT OVER AFTER WORK. ))
[OUT Q=after work]
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(( THEY'VE GOTTA DO IT, THEY'VE GOTTA DO IT TONIGHT. ))
[OUT Q=]
Combine that excitement, the cold, the two to three hour wait, and general admission seating.
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(( EVERYBODY'S GOING TO MOB IN... FALL ON EVERYBODY. ))
[OUT Q=]
[NATSOT]
The rush was on at 7:30 sharp, the ticket takers hands were a blur as the stubs piled up on the floor, the crowd flooded the arena, bottlenecking in the tunnel, then fanning out for the best seats, the lady hokie's popularity seems to know no bounds.
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(( AL FEINMAN/HOKIE FAN; BOY THEY'RE WONDERFUL, EVERY ONE OF THE, TOO BAD I'M AS OLD AS I AM... ))
[OUT Q=]
Fan's gathered at Champ's sports bar to watch on satellite, but to their dissappointment the game apparently was blacked out.
Still Nancy Gilmore who played for tech 9 years ago is glad to see the team come this far.
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(( NANCY GILMORE/FORMER PLAYER; A LONG WAYS, A VERY LONG WAYS, BONNIE HENRICKSON HAS DONE AMAZING THINGS WITH THIS TEAM, I THINK SHE REALLY CONNECTS WITH THE LADIES, I THINK SHE'S EVERYTHING THEY NEED. ))
[OUT Q=]
Game high scorer Amy Weitzel's grandmother watched the victory celebration proudly from the stands.
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((RUTH HUME/GRANDMOTHER; I'M SPEACHLESS, I'M JUST SO HAPPY FOR THEM...WONDERUL. ))
[OUT Q=]
[standup]
Amy's grandmother and the rest of the Tech fans have about a week to catch their breath before the lady Hokies take the next big step.
In Blacksburg, Eric Earnhart, News 7.))
[45Parachute]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=ssa]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]
A Roanoke businessman has obtained clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to make a new kind of parachute.
Manly Butler of Butler Parachute Systems calls the device the ``Sombrero Slider.''
The Sombrero Slider looks like a Mexican hat-- sliding down strings under the canopy as the parachute opens.
Butler said his parachute is safer because canopy inflation is controlled no matter how fast the person is falling.
He expects to get a patent within a month.
[45WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#]
[GRAPHIC=]
Turning your attention now to weather--
Sunny and warmer today with westerly winds and highs soaring into the upper 50s.
Clear skies with lows in the upper 30s.
The five day forecast is UNSEASONABLY warm, with tomorow highs around 70...and temperatures staying at least in the 60s through Saturday.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Warmer/Winds W 10/55-60/Clear Skies/Light Breeze/35-40;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=19-Melanie/Moon;]
[8-81-Ax]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=99-5]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal accident]
One person is dead and traffic is stopped on Interstate 81 northbound after a
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]
pick-up truck ran underneath a tractor trailer near Ironto.
State police have not released the victim's identity.
Troopers say one northbound lane of I-81 will not open up until later this morning.
They suggest detouring off the interstate, onto Routes 11 and 460.
(-------------)[8Henry-Robbery]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=chu]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Armed Robbery]
Henry County officers have arrested two suspects in the armed robbery of the Speedway convenience store.
William Dudley Smith Junior of Martinsville, turned himself in Sunday.
Randy Lee Campbell, also of Martinsville, was arrested Sunday in North Carolina.
Greensboro police shot Campbell when he tried to flee a hotel room, armed with two handguns.
He was treated for his injuries, and both men are now in jail.
[8E-Parole-Board]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-3 1:12:34]
[GRAPHIC=Parole Down]
It appears Virginia is in line with the rest of the nation-- with its tougher stance against crime.
A new study shows that one in every one-hundred-fifty Americans is behind bars, despite a drop in the crime rate.
And Virginia's abolishment of parole has meant fewer inmates are released.
Ellen Qualls reports.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Virginia completely]
[SUPER=@FILE ; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rick Alderman/Virginia Parole Board Chairman; :38 ]
[SUPER=@Ellen2; :53 ]
[RUNS=1:03]
[OUT Q=Qualls, News 7, Richmond.]
(( Virginia completely abolished parole in 1995.
But half the state's inmates did their crimes before, and are still doing their time with the possibility of parole.
But compare the rate at which they're getting parole granted.
Under Governor George Allen -- who abolished parole -- the rate went from 25% to 14, to 18, and back up to a 20-percent grant rate.
But under Governor Jim Gilmore, the rate dropped to the single digits.
Nine percent for 1998.
Seven for January of this year.
Eight percent for February.
The board chairman says he's frustrated-- because most parole eligible inmates remaining in the system are the least desirable to turn loose.
[sot 14:18:42 ]
((RICK ALDERMAN/VIRGINIA PAROLE BOARD CHAIRMAN: FRANKLY IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO HAVE A LOWER PAROLE RATE. BUT ALL OF US ARE GENUINELY COMMITTED TO FINDING PEOPLE TO PAROLE. WE WANT TO.))
[runs :13]
It's a far cry from 1990, when one in every two Virginia inmates who came up for parole was let loose-- because Virginia prisons were massively overcrowded.
Ellen Qualls, News 7, Richmond.))
[8E-City-Schools]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-14 7:03]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]
Many parents were upset by Roanoke city's decision to keep schools open yesterday, when other area school systems made students stay home.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT SOT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Wasena school saw a flurry of late arrivals after school buses changed their routes, and students waited for a closing announcement that never came.
(///////SOT////////////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I had my son watching]
((SUSAN BRADBURY: I HAD MY SON WATCHING TV, UP UNTIL 8:30. MOMMY WE'RE STILL GOING.))
((CINDY GANLEY: IT PUT MY WHOLE MORNING AND KIDS' IN A TAILSPIN. THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST CALLED A TWO HOUR DELAY. AND LAST WEEK THEY CLOSED SCHOOLS FOR WET STREETS.))
[SUPER=01-Susan Bradbury/Parent; :00]
[SUPER=01-Cindy Ganley/Parent; :08]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=closed school for wet streets.]
(-----------------)
[VO-NAT]
School officials say they consulted with forecasters and transportation employees, and were confident they could pick up students and return them safely in the afternoon.
(///////SOT////////////)
[SOT 18:30:28]
[IN Q=We made the decision]
((MARY HACKLEY/ROANOKE CITY SCHOOLS: WE MADE THE DECISION THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INTENSE EARLY THIS MORNING, THE SNOW WAS SLUSHY AND TRANSPORTATION FELT THEY COULD GET OUR BUSES AND SERVICE OUR CHILDREN TODAY.))
[SUPER=01-Mary Hackley/Roanoke City Schools;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=service our children today.]
(------------------)
[VO-NAT]
By the time students were dismissed for the day, rising temperatures had cleared the roads, and cleared the way for buses carrying them home.
(-----------------)
[8WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time again to look at the Tuesday forecast--
Lots of sunshine today and westerly winds pushing temperatures into the upper 50s for afternoon highs.
Skies stay clear overnight, with lows of 35 to 40.
And for the rest of the week....partly to mostly sunny skies with temperatures warming into the 60s and 70s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Warmer/Winds W 10/55-60/Clear Skies/Light Breeze/35-40;]
by SS