[7E-Bomb-Scare]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-6 1:37:55]
[GRAPHIC=Bomb Threat]

It's been one week since explosions and shots rang out at Colorado's Columbine High School. As the investigation there continues, school officials around the country are keeping a close eye on security.
Yesterday in Roanoke, two bomb scares prompted educators to send a message to students.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

At Woodrow Wilson middle school, students missed the first three hours of class...
while the bomb squad removed two fake bombs someone planted in a bathroom.
At Patrick Henry High School, one student was arrested and suspended after he allegedly threatened a teacher.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 14:31]
[IN Q=THE COMMENTS]
((WAYNE HARRIS/ROANOKE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: THE COMMENTS INCLUDED THE PHRASE THAT THERE WAS A BOMB IN THE ROOM. AND THEN THAT STUDENT CAME BACK AND ASKED THAT TEACHER, "OH YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET?"))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Harris/Roanoke School Superintendent]
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=NOT DEAD YET]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Superintendent Wayne Harris said Roanoke schools will not put up with violent threats.
And he said students who make them face serious punishment.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:35]
[IN Q=we will not]
((WAYNE HARRIS/ROANOKE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: WE WILL NOT TOLERATE WHAT SOME STUDENTS CONSIDER PRANKS, WHAT THEY CONSIDER FUN. IT'S NOT FUN TO US.))
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=NOT fun to us]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Harris said Roanoke schools have stepped up their efforts to prevent violence since last week's deadly shootings.
(------------)

---

[7E-Movie-Violence]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=99-22 2;06]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The two teenage suspects in the school shooting were exposed to violent movies and video games.
In a recent study at Virginia Tech, a connection WAS found between violent images and certain violent behavior.
Eric Earnhart has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=James Weaver says]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; :00]
[SUPER=04-Warner Brothers; :07]
[SUPER=01-James Weaver/Va. Tech Communications Studies; :25]
[SUPER=@eric1; 1:02]
[RUNS=1:28]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]
(( James Weaver says there's no question the media influences people... otherwise commercials would be useless...
But do violent images cause violence?
Weaver's study showed groups of people films for a week... films with no violence, realistic violence, and gratuitious violence... like the current box office leader "The Matrix"
(natsot)
((we need guns, lots of guns)) [RUNS:03]
[SOT 02:29:29]
[IN Q=watching very]
((JAMES WEAVER/COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES; WATCHING VERY GRATUITIOUS VIOLENCE, THE TYPE OF VIOLENCE WHERE VIOLENCE IS DONE JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT, DID CAUSE PEOPLE TO SHIFT THEIR ATTITUDES, THEIR BELIEFS, IT DESENSITIZES THEM TO VIOLENCE IN THE REAL WORLD.)) [RUNS14]
[OUT Q=the real world]

NOT everyone was affected, in fact just a small percentage... The group affected the MOST?
Young men, who consider themselves outsiders and social deviants.
[SOT 02:31:23]
[IN Q=they then would]
((JAMES WEAVER/COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES; THEY THEN WOULD TURN AROUND AND BE VERY NEGATIVE IN THEIR ASSESMENTS OF OTHER PEOPLE, BE VERY INSENSITIVE TO THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT OTHER PEOPLE EXPERIENCE, THEY BASICALLY BECAME VERY CALLOUS))

[RUNS15]
[OUT Q=very callous]

And he says they were more likely to see violence as a way to solve a conflict with another person.
The solution, Weaver says, is not banning movies... but increasing awareness.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 02:33:23]
[IN Q=we need to be ]
(( WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THOSE MESSAGES CAN INSPIRE FOLKS TO ACT IN WAYS THAT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE, TO THINK IN WAYS THAT ARE NOT APPRPRIATE, IT CHANGES YOUR WOLD VIEW, WHEN YOU WATCH THESE VERY VERY VIOLENT FILMS.)) [RUNS14]
[OUT Q=very violent films]

Eric Earnhart, News 7.))

---

[7WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]


Taking a look now at your Tuesday forecast..
More rain today, along with some light winds. Look for highs in the low- to mid-60s.
The showers continue overnight, with lows in the mid-40s.
The extended forecast...
[CK/WX PRO=]
MAPS

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[SUPER=314-Rain Likely/Winds E 5-10/60-64/Occasional/Rain/42-46;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[7BIRTHDAYS!] 4/28/99
Wednesday:

[SUPER=130-/Faye Lowe/Gretna]


[SUPER=130-6/Brittany Cardwell/Roanoke]


[SUPER=130-8/Alex Mitchell/Roanoke]


[SUPER=130-3/Chase Cobbs/Rocky Mount]

Wow!
[SUPER=130-98/Hyacinth Eakin/Roanoke]


[SUPER=130-10/Susan Gilbert/Fieldale]


[SUPER=130-4/Karah Akers/Draper]


[SUPER=130-8/Amber Gallimore/Pearisburg]

Wow!
[SUPER=130-85/Jesse Mitchell/Huddleston]

No Pictures:

[SUPER=131-66/Rubye Edwards/Hillsville]


[SUPER=131-33/Delores Lewis/Hardy][cutopen]
[SUPER=@Melanie1]

---

[45-Fulcher]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-7 1:20:56]
[GRAPHIC=Mike Fulcher]

Guilty pleas are expected from at least 40 percent of the prison guards and inmates accused of drug trafficking at Bland Prison.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Attorneys for most of the 22 defendants appeared in court yesterday.
Attorney David Whaley re-iterated his client's claim that the money laundering scheme that
[SUPER=03-Fincastle/April 12]
Mike Fulcher is accused of operating was "more or less a ruse to gather evidence" for the authorities.
The judge questioned how that could be, if government agents were unaware Fulcher was working for them.
Fulcher was granted an opportunity to inspect a dozen boxes of evidence the government seized from his mother's home last Summer.
Ethel Fulcher is charged in the money- laundering part of the conspiracy.
(------------)

---

[45E-Character-Counts]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-5]
[GRAPHIC=Hold School Safety]

One week ago today, the nation watched in horror as a tragic school shooting unfolded in Littleton, Colorado, which claimed the lives of 15 people.
The search for answers to the problem of school violence is leading many schools to consider character education.
And students in Roanoke are leading the way.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=There's been less fights]
((THERE'S BEEN LESS FIGHTS AND LESS SUSPENSIONS.)) ((THEY'RE WORKING HARDER. THEY'RE TRYING. THEY'RE IMPROVING ON THE WORK.)) ((PEOPLE ARE CARING MORE AND THEY'RE BEING MORE RESPONSIBLE.))
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=being more responsible.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Since Fallon Park Elementary School implemented the Character Counts program, discipline problems have dropped dramatically.
The curriculum emphasizes the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Roanoke native Vic Hackley is the chairman of the National Character Counts Coalition.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:53:00]
[IN Q=We need to attend to the character]
((WE NEED TO ATTEND TO THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH OUR ADULTS AND OUR CHILDREN IN A CONCERTED AND CONTINUOUS WAY OR AMERICA IS GOING TO SELF-DESTRUCT FROM INSIDE.))
[SUPER=01-Vic Hackley/National Character Counts Chrmn.]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=or America is going to self-destruct from inside.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Legislation sponsored by Roanoke Senator John Edwards will require character education in all of Virginia's public schools.
This week, teachers and volunteers are learning how to implement the Character Counts curriculum during a workshop at the Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Center.
(------------)

---

[45-Skate-Park]

[ANCHOR=]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssi]
[TAPE#=99-9]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Things are rolling right along for Roanoke skaters.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
The City Parks and Recreation Department officially opened the Roanoke Valley Skate Park yesterday. For skaters throughout the valley it's a place where they can legally enjoy the sport.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Well its been]
[21:49:31] ((BEN MULLEN/SKATEBOARDER: WELL ITS BEEN A DREAM FOR ME. I'VE JUST BEEN FOCUSED ON GETTING THIS FOR THE KIDS FOR A LONG TIME. JUST TIRED OF SEEING THE KIDS GET TICKETED FOR SOMETHING THEY ENJOY.))
[SUPER=01-Ben Mullen/Skateboarder ]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=they enjoy.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Skating on the streets in Roanoke is illegal.
Skaters like Ben Mullen have been working to get an official park for a long time. While they celebrated the opening of this new site, both City and County officials stressed the importance of using the proper safety equipment.
(------------)

---

[45-5-Diet-Drug]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=598-41 57:16]
[GRAPHIC=Diet Drugs]

Dieters now have the first medication that does more than suppress appetite.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The new pill blocks absorption of almost a third of the fat they eat. The government approval of Orlistat is for prescription only. Food and Drug Administration officials warn the drug is specifically for the seriously obese. The F-D-A does not suggest it should be used by casual dieters who just want to shed five or ten pounds.
(------------)

---

[45WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Turning now to the Tuesday forecast...
Rain likely again today, with unseasonably cool high temperatures in the lower 60s.
Occasional rain lingering through tonight, with lows near 45.
The five day outlook stays wet through Thursday...with partly sunny skies by the weekend.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Rain Likely/Winds E 5-10/60-64/Occasional/Rain/42-46;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=@Melanie1]

---

[8E-School-Threats]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-19 3:54]
[GRAPHIC=School Safety]

Heightened awareness of school violence is prompting local school officials to take every potential threat seriously-- even if it APPEARS to be harmless.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

The Colorado school shootings HAVE made children more willing to report unusual behavior on the part of their peers.
School resource officers say what used to be just playground banter now must be analyzed in terms of a potential threat.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:39:48]
[IN Q=I think in]
((OFFICER STEVE CLARK/SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER: I THINK IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT NOW LONGER CAN WE JUST TAKE PEOPLE, TAKE CHILDREN AND SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO. THINGS LIKE JONESBORO AND WHAT HAPPENED IN COLORADO ARE A SHOCKING REMINDER THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY, AND REALLY GET INSIDE THE HEADS OF THE KIDS THAT ARE SAYING THEM AND FIND OUT JUST WHAT THEIR INTENT REALLY IS.))
[SUPER=01-Steve Clark/School Resource Officer; :00]
[RUNS=24]
[OUT Q=intent really is.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

These students at Dunbar Middle School in Lynchburg taped a school-wide television program yesterday, discussing how the Colorado shootings have affected them.
School psychologists are encouraging children to sit down with a teacher or counselor to talk things out.
(------------)

---

[8E-State-Y2K]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-11 34:33 ]
[GRAPHIC=Battling the Bug]

State officials are spending 194- million- dollars to ward off any potential problems that could arrive with the new millenium.
Ellen Qualls has more in our continuing report on preparing for Y2K.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The buck stops ]
[SUPER=01-Bette Dillehay/Virginia Y2K Director; :10]
[SUPER=@Ellen1; 1:43 ]
[RUNS=2:00]
[OUT Q=Qualls, News 7, Richmond.]
(( The buck stops with Bette Dillehay.
She heads up Virginia's Century Date Change Initiative Office-- and all state officials answer to her on all things Y2K.
[SOT 10:28:00 ]
((BETTE DILLEHAY/VIRGINIA Y2K DIRECTOR: GOVERNOR GILMORE HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT HE DOES NOT EXPECT STATE AGENCIES TO FALTER.)) [RUNS:09]
Indeed, the Gilmore administration touts him as the nation's Internet Governor, the man whose state is a hub for half the world's Internet traffic.
A Y2K failure would be bad for business, among other things.
[SOT 10:33:04 ]
((BETTE DILLEHAY/VIRGINIA Y2K DIRECTOR: I DON'T WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT THE COMPUTERS TURNING ON. I WORRY ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO IDENTIFY WHERE OUR DEPENDENCIES EXIST.)) [RUNS:13]
That means: Virginia's doing everything it can.
Now it's up to your local grocery store... your gas station... your local power provider... and everyone with whom THEY interact.
[SOT 10:32:03 ]
((BETTE DILLEHAY/VIRGINIA Y2K DIRECTOR: ONLY A THIRD OF THE COMPANIES ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. THE ATTITUDE IS I'LL FIX IT WHEN IT BREAKS.)) [RUNS:10]
There has been NO survey of Virginia cities', towns', and counties' preparedness.
But national surveys show them ill prepared.
[SOT 10:43:50]
((BETTE DILLEHAY/VIRGINIA Y2K DIRECTOR: AND AS I GO FROM ONE COMMUNITY TO ANOTHER, I CONFIRM THAT FACT IN VIRGINIA.))
[RUNS:08]
But back to the state level, Dillehay has identified 319 priority business activities across 100 Virginia agencies that she views as "mission critical"... including stuff you may wish would fail in 2000, like registering boats and collecting taxes.
[SOT 10:49:20]
((BETTE DILLEHAY/VIRGINIA Y2K DIRECTOR: YES WE WILL COLLECT TAXES!)) [RUNS:03 ]
[sot standup]

As for emergency preparedness, the state and the American Red Cross say they're just treating Y2K like a big winter ice storm-- urging you to use common sense, but prepare for up to a week without power, water, or transportation.
It is in fact, the panic factor... and the PARTY factor that worries Virginia public safety officials most.
More on why you and me are the real Y2K problems for Virginia in our next report.
Ellen Qualls, News 7, Richmond.))

---

[8WEATHER]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Taking a break from the news to check weather...
Rain likely today, with highs in the lower 60s.
Occasional rain will continue overnight, as lows fall into the mid 40s.
The extended forecast is calling for more rain through Thursday...then drier and warmer by the weekend.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=#555; reset] [SUPER=314-Rain Likely/Winds E 5-10/60-64/Occasional/Rain/42-46;]