[7E-Transportation]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-15 1:19:32]
[GRAPHIC=Highway Improvements]


It's an issue that's gotten two years of study by a special commission of state lawmakers.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]


But yesterday, Governor Jim Gilmore appointed his own transportation policy commission.
He challenged its members to "think big" and "think new."
But don't even think about raising the gas tax to pay for new roads.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 10:27:45]
[IN Q=Simply raising]

((GOV. JIM GILMORE: SIMPLY RAISING TAXES IS BACKWARD THINKING, IT'S REALLY LAZY... ANY DUMB DOORKNOB CAN DO THAT.))
[SUPER=@Gilmore;]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=do that.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


The Sierra Club says the Governor's commission is "a kangaroo court."
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 10:34:21]
[IN Q=What he's]

((GLEN BESA/SIERRA CLUB: WHAT HE'S DONE IS HE'S APPOINTED A COLLECTION OF... MORE AIR POLLUTION.))
[SUPER=01-Glen Besa/Sierra Club;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=air pollution.]
[TALENT=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]


The existing legislative commission has decided there are more than four BILLION dollars in unmet road needs right now in Virginia.

[7Safety-Course]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-??]
[GRAPHIC=Boating Safety]


Just before the busiest boating weekend of the season -- a record number of people signed up for a free safety course at Smith Mountain Lake.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co./Last Night;]


Almost 100 people showed up last night.
The course is required only for 14 to 16 year olds who want to jet ski.
Volunteers demonstrate, for example, how to choose a boat, lifejacket, and fire extinguisher.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 20:47:54]
[IN Q=I've taken it before]

((I'VE TAKEN IT BEFORE BUT IT'S ALWAYS USEFUL. THINGS COME UP, RULES CHANGE. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE THE COURSE IF THEY DRIVE A BOAT.))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Dunford/Crazy Horse Marina;]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=drive a boat]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


More than 800 people have already taken the course in the past five months -- topping the number from ALL last year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:13:18]
[IN Q=We have a ]

((WE HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD IN ACCIDENTS AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE. THEY'RE DOWN 40 PERCENT OVER TWO YERAS. DUI'S ARE DOWN 59 PERCENT.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Maynard/Boating Association;]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=59 percent]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Last year, the General Assembly refused to make boating education mandatory.
These courses are offered frequently at Smith Mountain Lake and in Roanoke.
(------------)



[7E-Gas-Main]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-27 14:13]
[GRAPHIC=none]


Traffic was blocked and homes were evacuated in downtown Danville after a gas leak caught fire.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville]


Around eight yesterday morning, a passing motorist spotted flames coming from this regulator station off Memorial Drive.
As fire crews blocked off the area, the leak grew larger, with flames scorching nearby treetops.
A half dozen homes in the neighborhood were evacuated briefly while city employees shut off gas to the valves.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:28:45]
[IN Q=It is summer]

((JIM HARR/DANVILLE GAS DEPT.: IT IS SUMMER TIME, VERY LITTLE GAS CONSUMPTION, THEREFORE WE CAN DO WITHOUT THE STATION FOR A LITTLE WHILE, WHILE WE HAVE TIME TO TEST EVERYTHING THAT REMAINS THERE BEFORE WE PUT IT BACK INTO SERVICE.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Harr/Danville Gas Department; :00]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=back into service.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Harr says customer service will "not" be disrupted while the station is repaired.
(------------)



[7E-Unemployment]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-20 49:47]
[GRAPHIC=Va. Unemployment]


The state's unemployment numbers went up last month ... but that was expected heading into the summer with students looking for jobs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

[***NO SUPER***]
Virginia's jobless rate for May was 2-point-9, up five-tenths of a percent from April.
In Roanoke, unemployment was at two percent, up from one-point-six.
Lynchburg also went up four-tenths of a percent.
Danville had the highest unemployment rate of any Virginia metro area.
The rate there is seven-and-a-half percent.
(------------)






[7WEATHER]


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


Your midweek forecast calls for partly sunny skies and cooler temperatures. Highs will be in the upper 80's. Partly cloudy tonight with showers posible and lows in the mid 60's. Tomorrow look for partly sunny skies with less humidity and highs in the low to mid 80's. Chance of showers remains throught the night with lows in the mid 60's. Winds will be out of the south at 5 to 10 miles an hour.
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[SUPER=#555; reset]

[7BIRTHDAYS!] 7/1/99
Thursday:

[SUPER=130-17/Bruce McKinney/Ferrum]



[SUPER=130-12/T.J. Thompson/Ferrum]



[SUPER=130-42/Jeanette Gray/Pearisburg]



[SUPER=130-2/Courtney Karr/Christiansburg]



[SUPER=130-94 yrs. young!/Algae Munsey/Green Valley] (pronounced Al-gee)



[SUPER=130-48/Walter Gordon Jr./Roanoke]



[SUPER=130-37/Connie Hale/Ironto]



[SUPER=130-38/Steve Martin/Hardy]



[SUPER=130-/Elmer Ramsey/Galax]



[SUPER=130-6/Katelyn Angell/Boones Mill]


No Pictures:

[SUPER=131-75/Gorden Dillon/Boones Mill]



[SUPER=131-/Inez Burnette/Galax]



[SUPER=131-31/Tracey Harvey/Roanoke]



[cutopen]
[SUPER=@Melanie1;]


[45E-City-Schools]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-26 19:09]
[GRAPHIC=Education]


Roanoke School Superintendent Wayne Harris says that area schools are making the grade...

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]


It was a challenging year... with the pressure to improve on disappointing test results... and the disruptions that followed the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.
Yesterday, Harris delivered a state of the schools address and told members of the school board he's proud of the progress the city schools have made.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:33]
[IN Q=I'm convinced]

((WAYNE HARRIS/ROANOKE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: I'M CONVINCED THAT WHEN WE ARE FACED WITH A GREAT CHALLENGE, PEOPLE RISE TO THE OCCASION AND I THINK THAT'S EVIDENCED BY WHAT HAPPENED IN ROANOKE CITY.))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Harris/Roanoke School Superintendent]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=happened in Roanoke city.]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]


Harris says there are some subject areas that require attention including elementary math and history... but he says 24 of the city's 29 schools have shown substantial improvement on the Standards of Learning.

[45E-NAACP]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-28 8:24]
[GRAPHIC=Lee Mural Dispute]


The US Justice Department is now interested in the debate over the Robert E. Lee mural in Richmond.
It's offered to step in and mediate.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]


At a news conference yesterday, the Virginia N-double-A-C-P condemned death threats and hate messages directed at City Council member (Sod) Sa'ad El-Amin.
He's the man who got the Lee mural taken down.
On local newsgroup postings, one can easily find threats to hang El-Amin by his neck... or to hang him on the floodwall with nails.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 09:27:36]
[IN Q=]

((SA'AD EL-AMIN/RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL: THE IGNORANT PEOPLE... TAKE SERIOUSLY THESE THREATS.))
[SUPER=01-Sa'ad El-Amin/Richmond City Council;]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=these threats.]
[TALENT=]
[SS=none]


Richmond Police say they are investigating threats made by phone or letter.
The mural question will be decided by an community advisory panel.

[45Homeowners]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=none]


Neighborhood association membership may have more privlidges than you think.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co./Last Night;]


Lawyers from Northern Virginia were at Smith Mountain Lake last night -- saying the General Assembly has passed new laws to protect homeowners.
As long as they ask, association members must be notified of board meetings in writing and have access to the information packet in advance.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:56:05]
[IN Q=There is a perception]

((THERE IS A PERCEPTION AND IT MAY NOT BE AN ACCURATE ONE BUT THERE IS A PERCEPTION BY MANY IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT ASSOCIATION BOARDS OF DIRECTORS ARE BEHAVING IN MORE OF AN EXCLUSIVE MANNER THAN AN OPEN MANNER.))
[SUPER=01-Andrew Elmore/Attorney;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=an open manner]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


BUT -- you still cannot get confidential information -- like your neighbor's record of paying dues.
(------------)



[45New-Laws]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]


With the arrival of July tomorrow, dozens of new laws in Virginia will take effect.
One of them is the "Patients" Bill of Rights to regulate health maintainence organizations.
The H-M-O package lets Virginians designate a specialist as their primary care physician. It will also put more pressure on H-M-O's to cover clinical drug trials for terminally ill patients.

[45WEATHER]


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


Shifting gears now to weather--
Partly sunny, less humid, and cooler today, with highs in the upper 80s.
Partly cloudy overnight, with a slight chance of showers.
Lows near 65.
The extended outlook is calling for partly cloudy skies, with widely scattered thunderstorms.
Temperatures will turn hot again for the holiday weekend...highs around 90...lows around 70.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
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[SUPER=#555; reset]

[cutopen]
[SUPER=@Melanie1;]


[8New-Laws]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]


July first will bring in dozens of new laws in Virginia.
One of them is the "Patients" Bill of Rights to regulate health maintainence organizations.
The H-M-O package lets Virginians designate a specialist as their primary care physician. It will also put more pressure on H-M-O's to cover clinical drug trials for terminally ill patients.

[8Garbage-law]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]


New garbage laws are bringing lawyers forthe state into Federal Appeals court today.
Yesterday, A U-S District judge agreed to block the laws from taking effect tomorrow.
(------------)
[VO-NAT 598-33 49:05]
[SUPER=03-King and Queen Co./File Tape]

The measures restrict dumping out-of-state garbage at Virginia landfills. Trash hauler Waste Management contends the laws violate the Constitution's commerce clause. But the state argues the company is concerned only about making money, not potential environmental hazards that endanger the public.


(------------)



[8Hull's-drive-in]


[ANCHOR=]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=99-22 1:11:38]
[GRAPHIC=none]


Many people were anticipating the reopening of Hull's Drive-in in Rockbridge County this summer... and now they are upset because it will not be opening at all.
Some of them aren't giving up their drive-in without a fight.
Eric Earnhart has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This quiet]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co.; :00]
[SUPER=04-May 15, 1998; :13]
[SUPER=01-Peggy Payne/Hull's Angels; :22]
[SUPER=@Eric1; :36]
[SUPER=01-Christy Park/Hull's Angels; 1:01]
[SUPER=01-R. J. Ogren/Spokesman; 1:08]
[RUNS=1:30]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]


(( This quiet piece of Rockbridge County property holds a lifetime of memories, entertaining families every summer since 1951...
Hull's Drive-in became a family tradition... famous for it's buttered popcorn... and an atmosphere where everyone felt welcome.

[SOT 17:45:25]
[IN Q=you pull in]

((PEGGY PAYNE/HULL'S ANGELS; YOU PULL IN YOUR PICKUP TRUCK AND BRING ALL YOUR PILLOWS AND STUFF AND IT'S COMFORTABLE AND CHEAP AND THE FOOD IS GREAT. SO LOSING IT WOULD BE LOSING A LOT. DATE NIGHT, I'LL HAVE NO SOCIAL LIFE THIS SUMMER, PLEASE FEEL SORRY FOR ME))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=feel sorry for me]


[standup17:30:27] DRIVE-INS LIKE THIS ARE VANISHING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OFTEN BECAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT, PROPERTY LIKE THIS IS SIMPLY TOO VALUABLE TO LEAVE SITTING IDLE DURING THE DAY.

Enter Hull's Angels... and an approach they say no one's ever tried before... Since drive-in's don't make much money... Why not buy the business, take over the lease and operate it as a non-profit organization... About 50 people are now working to make that happen.
Christy Park says Rockbride young people need a place to go at night.

[SOT 17:46:17]
[IN Q=at night it is nice to]

((CHRISTY PARK/HULL'S ANGELS;AT NIGHT IT IS NICE TO HAVE OPTION, IT'S NICE TO GO BE WITH AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE AND ENJOY THE DRIVE IN.))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=enjoy the drive in]
[SOT 17:33:57 ]
[IN Q=I think we can raise]

((R.J. OGREN/SPOKESMAN; I THINK WE CAN RAISE THE MONEY, WE'VE GOT AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THIS, WE'VE GOTTEN MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CALLING THIS PAST WEEK WANTING TO JOIN, WE HAVE INTEREST FROM PEOPLE AS FAR AWAY AS WASHINGTON DC NOW.))
[RUNS= 14]
[OUT Q=washington dc now.]



The theater is eligible to be registered as an historic site next year... Hull's Angels hope it will remain a piece of "living" history.
Eric Earnhart, News 7.))





[8Safety-Course]


[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-??]
[GRAPHIC=Boating Safety]


A record number of people signed up for a free safety course ar Smith Mountian Lake in the wake of the busiest boating weekend of the season.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co./Last Night;]


Almost 100 people showed up last night.
The course is required only for 14 to 16 year olds who want to jet ski.
Volunteers demonstrate, for example, how to choose a boat, lifejacket, and fire extinguisher.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 20:47:54]
[IN Q=I've taken it before]

((I'VE TAKEN IT BEFORE BUT IT'S ALWAYS USEFUL. THINGS COME UP, RULES CHANGE. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE THE COURSE IF THEY DRIVE A BOAT.))
[SUPER=01-Wayne Dunford/Crazy Horse Marina;]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=drive a boat]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


More than 800 people have already taken the course in the past five months -- topping the number from ALL last year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:13:18]
[IN Q=We have a ]

((WE HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD IN ACCIDENTS AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE. THEY'RE DOWN 40 PERCENT OVER TWO YERAS. DUI'S ARE DOWN 59 PERCENT.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Maynard/Boating Association;]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=59 percent]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


Last year, the General Assembly refused to make boating education mandatory.
These courses are offered frequently at Smith Mountain Lake and in Roanoke.
(------------)



[8WEATHER]


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


Taking a moment now to look at the mid- week forecast...
Partly sunny and a lot more comfortable outside today, with highs in the upper 80s.
Partly cloudy tonight, with a few showers possible, and lows in the mid 60s.
The next five days should be partly cloudy...with widely scattered afternoon thunderstorms possible.
Highs near 90...lows near 70.
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by SS