WDBJ 7 morning news for 05/27/99

[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

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

A U-N tribunal is expected to announce today that it's charging Slobodan Milosevic with war crimes.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

A Tennesse truck driver is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with yesterday's fatal accident on Interstate 81.
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Our run of partly to mostly sunny weather contiues for your Thursday, as high pressure sets the stage for a very pleasant holiday weekend.
Still breezy though--- we'll talk more about your forecast, in a few minutes.
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(ad lib live tease)
[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[Kosovo]

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

Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, has reportedly been indicted for war crimes.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@File;]
[20:09:08 8 p.m. newspath]
The world tribunal is expected to announce details of the indictment later today.
The court is said to have a long list of alleged atrocities committed by the Milosevic and his regime.
Meantime, Thousands of people who planned to leave the Air Force this year have to put their plans on hold.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]

The Pentagon says Air Force pilots and support crews have to stay in the service until the NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia are over.
The order affects about 40 percent of the Air Force.

[Fatal-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=81 Deadly Ax]

The truck driver involved in yesterday's fatal accident on Interstate 81 told investigators he blew a tire and lost control in the accident, but police say the evidence tells another story.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]

Investigators focused their attention on the truck's left front tire.
They did find damage but said it was not caused by a blowout, plus there were no skidmarks on the northbound pavement.
By the time driver Richard Wayne West of Pulaski Tennessee was released from the hospital, police were ready to charge him with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=from what we've]
(( V.C. JONES/VA. STATE POLICE; FROM WHAT WE'VE GLEANED FROM THE INVESTIGATION SO FAR, WE DON'T SEE ANY INDICATION OF ANY MECHANICAL DEFECT AT THIS TIME.))
[SUPER=01-V. C. Jones/State Police;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=at this time]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Yesterday's crash pushes the number of deaths on I-81 this year into the double digits.
At least 10 peope have lost their lives in crashes from Wythe to Rockbridge Counties. . .
Most of the accidents have involved tractor-trailers.
(------------)

[E-Druckenmiller]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=THa]
[TAPE#=99-12 1:26:21]
[GRAPHIC=Druckenmiller Rape Charge]

Attorneys for former Virginia Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller say prosecutors are withholding evidence.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

Druckenmiller, who now plays for the 49-ers, is accused of raping a Tech student at a party in Blacksburg, back in March.
The former Tech quarterback admits he had sex with the girl but says it was consensual.
At a pretrial hearing yesterday, Druckenmiller's attorneys asked the court for access to more of the prosecution's evidence.
They claim prosecutors are withholding certain witness statements that could help prove the young woman was the aggressor that night.
Druckenmiller's attorneys say they've also run into other roadblocks.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We've been]
((DEBORAH CALDWELL-BONO/DRUCKENMILLER'S ATTORNEY: WE'VE BEEN HINDERED IN OUR EFFORTS TO TALK WITH WITNESSES BY THE WITNESSES TELLING US THAT THE POLICE HAVE TOLD THEM NOT TO TALK WITH US, YEAH THAT'S HINDERING.))
[SUPER=01-Deborah Caldwell-Bono/Druckenmiller's Attorney; :00]
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=that's hindered.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=Hold]

Prosecutors told the judge they've been cooperative in turning over evidence and aren't required to hand over everything.
Judge Ray Grubbs, however, did NOT make a decision.
Instead-- he continued the case after bickering between the two sides continued to escalate.

[1-Sports]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=sports cut in]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Taking a look at sports this morning--
The Winston Cup circuit was burning rubber in Charlotte last night.
Here with that story and more is Roy Stanley.
Good Morning Roy.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=4:18]
[OUT Q=later on mornin]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
(Melanie ad lib toss to Kimberly/Wx)

[One-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[Microwave]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
[SUPER=11-Roanoke;]
[SUPER=01-Ilya Abelsky/Jewelry Designer;]
[SUPER=11-Roanoke;]

(toss to stocks)
[STOCKS] [COMM] ((Archive: Faberge Eggs))

[Shuttle-Launch]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Discovery Launch]

The seven ``Discovery'' astronauts are at the launch pad for the first shuttle mission in six months.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Kennedy Space Center, FL;]

Discovery is set to blast off in about 30 minutes on a ten-day mission to deliver more than a ton of supplies to the new international space station.
The gap in launches is one of the longest-ever in the shuttle program.
It was caused by repeated delays with a key Russian component of the space station.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((BILL HARWOOD/CBS NEWS SPACE CONSULTANT (14:22:02) "I DON'T THINK THEY'RE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT IT, BUT THEY CERTAINLY AREN'T LEAVING ANYTHING TO CHANCE. THEY'VE PUT IN SOME EXTRA SIMULATIONS, THEY PUT IN SOME EXTRA TESTS WITH THE LAUNCH TEAM DURING THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE STAYS ON THEIR TOES AND IS CRISP DURING THE HECTIC FINAL MOMENTS OF THE COUNTDOWN."))
[SUPER=01-Bill Harwood/CBS News Space Consultant;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=MOMENTS OF THE COUNTDOWN.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The mission was also delayed a week when a severe hailstorm damaged the protective foam covering the shuttle's large external fuel tank.
(------------)

[Water-Quality]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morning]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-22 TC45:54]
[GRAPHIC=Smith Mt. Lake]

Several new programs are hitting Smith Mountain Lake to keep the water clean.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.;]

For a limited time -- Franklin County will pay half the tab for some homeowners to get their septic systems pumped out.
And, Ferrum College will patrol the shoreline looking for leaking drainfields.
Some residents warn about the effect of I-73.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:54:30]
[IN Q=All the oil]
((ANN ROGERS/I73 OPPONENT: ALL THE OIL, GREASE, PESTICIDE AND SALT FOR DE-ICING WILL WASH INTO STREAMS, THE ROANOKE RIVER AND THE BLACKWATER RIVER AND SUBSEQUENTLY SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE.))
[SUPER=01-Ann Rogers/I-73 Opponent;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=Smith Mountain Lake]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

So far this season's tests by Ferrum College and the health department show the water is clean.
(------------)

[Power-Line]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Proposed Power Line]

The latest proposed route for a high-voltage power line has received a passing grade from the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.
(XXXXXXXXXXXX)
[FULL SCREEN PINNACLE BOARD]
In a filing with the State Corporation Commission, the group says the path between Wyoming, West Virginia and Jacksons Ferry in Wythe County would have less of an impact on the Appalachian Trail than other alternatives.
It says the Appalachian Trail Conference and its associated clubs are willing to accept the corridor if American Electric Power takes specific steps to mitigate the power line's impact.
(------------)
[anchor=Melanie]
[graphic=Hold]

Appalachian Trail Managers say they still oppose the corridor that would have carried the power line from Wyoming to Cloverdale.

[Health-Check]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin Health Check]

In medical news, garlic could prevent a certain kind of cancer.
Betsy Karetnick has that story and more in this morning's Health check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Betsy Karetnick/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:02]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]
(( IT COULD BE A MODERN-DAY POTION FOR INCREASING MALE FERTILITY.
VT=VO
((vo))
A NEW DIETARY SUPPLEMENT CALLED PROXEED IS NOW AVAILABLE OVER THE INTERNET.
AN ITALIAN DRUG COMPANY CLAIMS THE POWDERED MIX CAN INCREASE SPERM COUNT.
BUT DOCTORS SAY MEN TAKING PROXEED SHOULD -PROCEED- WITH CAUTION.
THAT'S BECAUSE STUDIES ON THE PRODUCT HAVE BEEN LIMITED.//
VT=VO
((vo))
ARE HOSPITALS BEING RUN BY DRACULA?
YOU WOULD THINK SO AFTER READING A REPORT IN TODAY'S NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE.
IT SAYS HOSPITALS ARE DRAWING UP TO 10 TIMES MORE BLOOD FROM PATIENTS.. THAN IS NEEDED FOR MEDICAL TESTS.
TAKING TOO MUCH BLOOD CAN DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OXYGEN-CARRYING RED CELLS IN THE BODY.// ONCAM ((on cam))
AND GARLIC OFTEN GETS A BAD WRAP FOR ITS UNFORGETTABLE ODOR.
BUT RESEARCHERS SAY THE CLOVES MAY PREVENT BOWEL CANCER.
ACCORDING TO A NEW ZEALAND STUDY, RATS WERE ABLE TO STIMULATE CANCER-FIGHTING ENZYMES.. AFTER BEING FED A SUBSTANCE FOUND IN GARLIC.
SCIENTISTS SAY THE BEST WAY FOR HUMANS TO REAP THESE SAME BENEFITS.. IS TO EAT GARLIC RAW.//
AND THAT IS A LOOK AT TODAY'S MEDICAL NEWS. I'M BETSY KARETNICK, FOR CBS NEWS, IN NEW YORK.))

(ad lib to weather)

[Two-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#NONE]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[Microwave]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
[SUPER=11-Roanoke;]
[SUPER=01-Ilya Abelsky/Jewelry Designer;]
[SUPER=11-Roanoke;]

(I'll call for board)
[essc87??]

[Double Boxes=KMC & SPA]
(toss to Kimberly)
((Archive: faberge eggs)) [2-HEADLINES]
[2-shot=Mel/Kmc]
[SUPER=#4049; Morning Headlines]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Here's a look at today's top stories.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

U-S officials say Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is being indicted as a war criminal for atrocities in his homeland.
The sources expect an announcement today from the world tribunal in the Netherlands that prosecutes war crimes.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

A Tennessee truck driver faces charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with an accident yesterday on Interstate 81.
Two people were killed when their car collided with a tractor trailor in Montgomery County.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

And``Discovery'' is scheduled to blast off just before 7 a-m this morning for the first shuttle mission in six months.
The shuttle is carrying supplies to the new international space station.
It's been six months since the last shuttle lanch, the longest gap between missions since the challenger disaster.

(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Thursday May 27.
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[E-Monty-Ax]

[ANCHOR=]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=99-24 21:09]
[GRAPHIC=I-81 Deadly Ax]

The two people killed on Interstate 81 yesterday probably never knew what hit them.
Meanwhile, investigators are checking out the truck driver's version of the accident.
He told investigators he blew a tire and lost control in the morning accident, but police say the evidence tells another story.
Eric Earnhart has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The Virginia State]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.; :00]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg; :14]
[SUPER=01-V. C. Jones/State Police; :22]
[SUPER=01-Jennifer Bishop/Witness; :37]
[SUPER=01-Janet Keene/Neighbor; :49]
[SUPER=@Eric1; 1:17]
[RUNS=1:30]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]
((The virginia state police began their investigation immediately, focusing their attention on the truck's left front tire. they did find damage but said it was not caused by a blowout, plus there were no skidmarks on the northbound pavement. by the time driver richard wayne west of pulaski tennessee was released from the hospital, police were ready to charge him with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(( V.C. JONES/VA. STATE POLICE; FROM WHAT WE'VE GLEANED FROM THE INVESTIGATION SO FAR, WE DON'T SEE ANY INDICATION OF ANY MECHANICAL DEFECT AT THIS TIME.))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

The memory of the truck sliding down the embankment 100 feet from her house still frightens Jennifer Bishop.

[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((JENNIFER BISHOP/WITNESS; I THOUGHT HE WAS COMING THROUGH THE FENCE, I WASN'T SURE IF HE HAD A GAS TANK ON OR WHAT HE WAS DOING.))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

In fact the accident has shaken the roadside neighborhood in more ways than one.

[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((JANET KEENE/NEIGHBOR; IT SHOOK THE HOUSE, I THOUGHT SOMETHING FELL DOWNSTAIDS.))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

neighbors think they should have some kind of protection from accidents like this... like this wall being built along a new stretch of interstate a few miles away.
for some this is the first time they've considered the danger beyond their back doors.

[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((JANET KEENE/NEIGHBOR; I HAD NEVER BEFORE, BUT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL DEFINITELY THINK ABOUT.))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]
[standup]
The evidence of the accident here will be gone soon, but the impact it's had, and the effect it's had on neighbors will be around for some time. In Montgomery Co., Eric Earnhart, News 7))

[E-81-Fatalities]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=99-15 43:33]
[GRAPHIC=I-81 Traffic Deaths]

Yesterday's crash pushes the number of deaths on I-81 this year into the double digits.
At least 10 peope have lost their lives in crashes from Wythe to Rockbridge Counties. . .
Most of the accidents have involved tractor-trailers.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co./January 3]

The year got off to a bad start January 3rd when eight trucks were among the many vehicles that piled up in Rockbridge County, killing four people.
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co./March 16]

In March, one man was killed when he drove his CAR into the back of a tractor-trailer in Montgomery County.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./May 10]

And earlier this month, a Florida trucker died when his rig ran off 81 near the 581 interchange in Roanoke County.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Then two more deaths yesterday.
Of course this does NOT mean the truck drivers were always at fault.
State police say traffic deaths in Virginia are DOWN about 20- percent this year compared to last year.

[2-E-Druckenmiller]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=THa]
[TAPE#=99-12 1:26:21]
[GRAPHIC=Druckenmiller Rape Charge]

Attorneys for former Virginia Tech quarterback Jim Druckenmiller say they can't get all the evidence they need.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

Druckenmiller, who now plays for the 49-ers, is accused of raping a Tech student at a party in Blacksburg, back in March.
The former Tech quarterback admits he had sex with the girl but says it was consensual.
At a pretrial hearing yesterday, Druckenmiller's attorneys asked the court for access to more of the prosecution's evidence.
They claim prosecutors are withholding certain witness statements that could help prove the young woman was the aggressor that night.
Druckenmiller's attorneys say they've also run into other roadblocks.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We've been]
((DEBORAH CALDWELL-BONO/DRUCKENMILLER'S ATTORNEY: WE'VE BEEN HINDERED IN OUR EFFORTS TO TALK WITH WITNESSES BY THE WITNESSES TELLING US THAT THE POLICE HAVE TOLD THEM NOT TO TALK WITH US, YEAH THAT'S HINDERING.))
[SUPER=01-Deborah Caldwell-Bono/Druckenmiller's Attorney; :00]
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=that's hindered.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]

Prosecutors told the judge they've been cooperative in turning over evidence and aren't required to hand over everything.
Judge Ray Grubbs, however, did NOT make a decision.
Instead-- he continued the case after bickering between the two sides continued to escalate.

[E-Fleming]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-17 30:43]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

It took a Lynchburg jury just two hours to find a man guilty of capital murder yesterday.
Today they begin delibertating his future.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

33-year old Darryl Lamont Fleming was accused of stabbing to death 16- year- old Corey Pennix last August.
Fleming also stole crack cocaine and money from Pennix's socks while he lay bleeding to death.
The jury rejected Fleming's claim of self defense.
The sentencing phase of Fleming's trial starts later today.. he could receive the death penalty.
(------------)

[S-Powell]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-18 26:44]
[GRAPHIC=LEgal Scales]

A convicted murderer from Halifax County is getting out of prison because of a clerical error.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Halifax Co./1996]

Louis Jordan Powell Junior's 28-year murder sentence was overturned yesterday by the Virginia Court of Appeals.
The court threw out the sentence because Powell was not tried within five months of his preliminary hearing.
The Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney said of the court's decision:
"In this instance they celebrate form over justice. I think this decision does a disservice to the pursuit of justice in Halifax County."
Powell still has to serve several months in prison on weapons charges.
(------------)

[Three-Steve]

[2-Kosovo]

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

U-S Officials say Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is being indicted as a war criminal.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@File;]
[20:09:08 8 p.m. newspath]
The world tribunal is expected to announce details of the indictment later today.
The court is said to have a long list of alleged atrocities committed by Milosevic and his regime.
Meantime, the Pentagon has banned about forty percent of the Air Force from leaving their service jobs until the conflict with Yugoslavia is over.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]

The order means that about six-thousand people who already had approval to retire or leave the service before the end of the year must now stay.

[SML]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#99-22 TC44:41]
[GRAPHIC=Smith Mtn. Lake]

Just in time for Memorial Day -- Ferrum College and the health department say according to their tests so far this season, Smith Mountain Lake is clean.
But this summer -- you may notice some new restrictions at the lake.
Tina Tenret has the latest.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=People in older lakeside]
[SUPER=01-Anna Telford/Lake Resident; :20]
[SUPER=01-Bob Ollweiler/Lake Resident; :38]
[SUPER=@Tina2; :47]
[RUNS=:57]
[OUT Q=Tina Tenret News7 Franklin County]

((People in older lakeside homes will be asked to pump out their septic systems.
Franklin County will pay half the cost.
But soon regular pumping may be the law.
And -- Ferrum College is going to patrol the shoreline this summer by boat -- probing for leaking drainfields.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:49:47]
[IN Q=They've done]
((THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AND I'M IMPRESSED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE. WE ARE BENEFITTING FROM THAT HARD WORK.))
[RUNS= :07]
[OUT Q=HARD WORK]

Children at Smith Mountain Lake state park must now wear plastic pants to swim -- so dirty diapers won't pollute the water --
and farmers are being pushed to better manage animal waste.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:55:42]
[IN Q=Do you have]
((TINA TENRET/NEWS7: DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WATER QUALITY? WELL, HAVING BEEN A WATER QUALITY MONITOR FOR ALL THESE YEARS, FRANKLY NO. I THINK OUR WATER QUALITY IS VERY GOOD.))
[RUNS= :08]
[OUT Q=VERY GOOD]

Experts say silt is now the biggest threat to Smith Mountain Lake -- when, for example, cows and construction add more mud to the lake.
Tina Tenret News7 Franklin County. ))

[Miss-Universe]

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

There is a new Miss Universe this morning.
(////////SOT////////)
[IN=]
[SUPER=03-Trinidad and Tobago;]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUT=Miss Botswana...]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[4:13:39]
Mpule Kwelagobe (em-POO'-leh kweh-LAH'-oh-bay) reacted with shock, surprise then joy at last night's contest in Trinidad.
It's a major accomplishment for the southern African country with its first-ever contestant at the pageant.
The prize includes a 40-thousand-dollar salary for the year's reign as the last Miss Universe of the century.
The pageant was broadcast live on C-B-S to 80 countries.
(--------)

[3-Sports]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=sports cut in]
[GRAPHIC=None]

It was semifinals night in regional high school action.
Here with complete action from the soccer pitch and ballfields is Roy Stanley.
Good Morning Roy.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=2:14]
[OUT Q=Have a Great Day Everybody!]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
(weather toss)
[Local-Recap]
[SUPER=#4059;Local Recap]
[2-Shot=Mel/Kmc]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Now here's another look at today's top local stories:
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Investigators working on yesterday's deadly accident on Interstate 81 are focusing their attention on the truck's left front tire.
They did find damage but said it was not caused by a blowout, plus there were no skidmarks on the northbound pavement.
By the time driver Richard Wayne West of Pulaski Tennessee was released from the hospital, police were ready to charge him with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

At a pretrial hearing yesterday, Jim Druckenmiller's attorneys asked the court for access to more of the prosecution's evidence.
They claim prosecutors are withholding certain witness statements that could help prove the young woman was the aggressor the night of the alleged rape.
Prosecutors told the judge they've been cooperative and aren't required to hand over everything.
Judge Ray Grubbs, however, did NOT make a decision.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Several new programs are hitting Smith Mountain Lake to keep the water clean.
For a limited time -- Franklin County will pay half the tab for some homeowners to get their septic systems pumped out.
And, Ferrum College will patrol the shoreline looking for leaking drainfields.
So far this season's tests by Ferrum College and the health department show the water is clean.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
(Kimberly mic hot)
(///////////////)
[2 shot=Mel/Kmc]
(Kimberly ad lib weather)
(-------------)
[Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]
(toss)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)
(ad lib bye) [Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]