WDBJ 7 morning news for 07/05/99

[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]

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

A 21- year- old murder suspect is dead after an alleged two- state killing spree in the Midwest.
He's said to have targeted minorities.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And dozens of people spent the HOT holiday protesting AEP's proposed power line.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Patrick]
(ad lib weather)
[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Wake up with us...News 7 Mornin is next.

[Shootings]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=shooting]

It was a holiday weekend killing spree throughout the Midwest-- with minority groups as the targets.
And the man believed to be responsible is also dead.
Authorities say 21- year- old Benjamin Nathaniel Smith shot himself during a high-speed chase in Southern Illinois.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bloomington, IN;]

Smith is the suspect in a string of shootings involving blacks, Orthodox Jews, and Asians.
Some of the incidents occurred inside or near churches and synogogues.
Smith is also connected with three drive-by shootings in the Chicago area.
Ephraim Wolfe is one of the victims. (///// SOT /////)
[SOT 4:01:51 ]
[IN Q=Who goes]
((EPHRAIM WOLFE/SHOOTING VICTIMS: WHO GOES AND SHOOTS PEOPLE? WHO LIKES TO SHOOT PEOPLE? IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? IT'S CRAZY.))
[SUPER=01-Ephraim Wolfe/Shooting Victim;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=it's crazy]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Police say Smith was known for handing out racist literature.
But the head of Smith's white supremacist church says he never appeared to have a violent streak.
(------------)

[Fireworks-Explosion]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=explosion]

Fourth of July fireworks proved hazardous to a couple of workers in Arizona.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Peoria, AZ;]

Two of them were critically injured while setting up a fireworks display at the Peoria Sports Complex.
Authorities say the workers suffered severe burns and had to be airlifted to a local hospital.
(------------)

[11Wythe-Protest]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=99-30 2:46]
[GRAPHIC=AEP Proposed Line]

Dozens of people spent their July-4th protesting AEP's proposed power line. They spent the evening underneath an exsisting high-voltage line.
(+++++++)
[Take Full Screen]
At issue is the proposed line that would carry power from Wyoming West Virginia through Tazewell, Bland and Wythe Counties to AEP's Jacksons Ferry Station.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Wythe Co.]

And just a short distance from Jacksons Ferry, at Fosters Falls, dozens of opponents rallied in opposition last night, right under a major high-voltage line
They say there is no need for another one running through their counties.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I think that]
[SUPER=01-Deborah Little/Power Line Opponent;]
((I think that A-E-P is trying to set themselves up for deregulated market, in which they can sell the excess energy at the cost of our society here. We already have a power line in Wythe County. We have already beared the burden for utilities.))
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=burden for utilities.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

A-E-P says it needs a new line to meet the region's future power needs.
The state will conduct public hearings later this month.
(------------)

[11Pulaski-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=99-28 11:14]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]

An accident over the holiday weekend claimed the life of a Dublin man.
(+++++++)
[Take FS MAP]
Yesterday afternoon a motorcycle and a pickup truck collided on state route 100, just south of Interstate 81.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski Co.]

State Police say the motorcycle's driver, 46 year old Darrell Duaine Hundley crossed the solid yellow line and collided with the pickup.
Hundley died at Roanoke Memorial hospital. No word on the driver of the pickup.
(------------)

[11Ax-Remember]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-19 58:08]
[GRAPHIC=]
[NOTE:**ANCHOR TAG**]
It's been a year since seven people were killed in accident on Interstate 81.
And for one man, the memory of the fatal crash has impacted his life forever.
Joy Sutton has the story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=A cross]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;00]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./July 4, 1998;10]
[SUPER=01-Ray Sloan/Buchanan Volunteer Fire Dept.;36]
[SUPER=@Joy1]
[RUNS=1:04]
[OUT Q=Botetourt Co.]

((A cross, a wreath, a teddy bear and flowers serve as a memorial for the seven people who were killed in an accident July 4th, 1998.
When a car traveling southbound on I-81 near the Arcadia exit in Botetourt county hydroplaned into the median and then into the path of a tractor trailer.
Both vehicles fell over the bridge and landed on route 11.
For Ray Sloan with the Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department it's a day he will never forget...as he and other fire and rescue workers recovered the victims bodies.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:55:37]
[IN Q=You are never going]
((RAY SLOAN/BUCHANAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.: YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS SOON. IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FORGOTTEN))
[RUNS= 9]
[OUT Q=be forgotten]

And Sloan says every time the tones sound at the fire station his heart starts to race...
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:56:08]
[IN Q=You always have]
((RAY SLOAN/BUCHANAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.: YOU ALWAYS HAVE IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD. IS THIS GOING TO BE ANOTHER JULY 4TH))
[RUNS= 5]
[OUT Q=July 4th]

Sloan says since the day of the accident the words "July 4th" have taken on a new meaning--the are used to describe an accident he hopes will never be repeated.
Joy Sutton, News 7 Botetourt County.))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=Switched at Birth]

The accident was just the start of a very difficult month for the Chittum family of Buena Vista.
Among the victims was Kevin Chittum, the father of Rebecca.
By early August, it was learned that Rebecca was one of two girls switched at birth at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

[11Heat]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-21 51:58]
[GRAPHIC=Heat Wave]

The July heat wave will send temperatures into the upper 90's today.
Even though these temperatures aren't unusual for this time of year doctors say some people are being treated for heat stroke.
(-----------)
[VO-NAT]
Around Roanoke yesterday we found several people outside during the times when the sun was the hottest---playing bas
ketball, riding bikes or just taking a walk.
And although these activities can seem harmless...in this type of heat they can be dangerous especially if you're doing something strenuous.
Roanoke Memorial says this week alone several people have gone to the emergency room for heat related illness.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:57:38]
[IN Q=we've had peopl]
((DORIS DUFF/ROANOKE MEMORIAL: WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COMING IN WITH NAUSEA, VOMITING, STOMACH CRAMPING. USUALLY WHEN THEY HAVE A HEAT STROKE THEY DON'T SWEAT, BUT DIZZY AND WEAKNESS))
[SUPER=01-Doris Duff/Nurse]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=but dizzy, weakness]
(---------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Remember heat stroke is life threatening. Roanoke Memorial says to be smart..and they can't stress enough drink plenty of fluids...and stay inside when the sun is at it 's hottest.

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

[Space-Camp]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]

It's not as high-tech as some, but it's a lesson well taught.
Bill Wood takes us to a space camp that has a lot of heart and a lot of hope.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:50:16 Steve Tape]
[IN Q=5,4,3,2,1]
[SUPER=03-Albuquerque, NM; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bill Wood/Reporting; 1:30]
[RUNS=1:36]
[OUT Q=for CBS News]

[2-shot toss to stocks]

[11Train-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Six families spent their holiday forced out of their homes, after two Norfolk Southern trains collided near Danville yesterday morning, in Caswell County North Carolina.
One car spilled half a ton of a potentially flammable powdered chemical.
The families were evacuated for nine hours until the chemical was cleared away.
No one was hurt.

[11WebWatch]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=eea]
[TAPE#=webwatch 16:48:34]
[GRAPHIC=webwatch]

If you're wondering where all our rain went this weekend, you can track it down on the web.
Eric Earnhart has the details in this week's WebWatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=As those hit and run]
[RUNS=1:30]
[OUT Q=EE, News 7]
(( [intro]
[RUNS= :05]

As those hit and run thunderstorms blow through the area, you can track the rain-fall totals with the Integrated Flood Observing and Warning System... or IFLOWS...
On the Botetourt County map, pay close attention to rain guage 1103... that's the rain guage at the dwindling Carvin's Cove reservoir.
The main Virginia IFLOWS map will give you access to data in other counties.
Someone apparently DOESNT like the forecast at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is the lastest government website hit by hackers. The attack temporatily disabled the Agency's Storm Prediction center. The FBI is investigating the series of attacks on government sites.
Keep an eye on your e-mail... a new study suggests more people are using electronic mail to deliver bad news, because it's easier than a face to face confrontation... and researchers found e-mail senders don't sugar coat it... so if "You've Got Mail"... you may have trouble....
Finally we celebrate the Independance Day Holiday with a visit to the document that got it all started. The National Archives and Records Administration has a high resolution image of the original document, along with transcripts, and a history lesson, including a section on how Thomas Jefferson was influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights.
Visit these sites by clicking on WebWatch, on the WDBJ website at WDBJ 7-dot-com.))

[Summer-Products]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]

There are some new products on the market to help make your summer fun and safe.
Herb Weisbaum tells us about them.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:52:03 SteveTape]
[IN Q=nat]
[SUPER=03-Seattle, WA; :00]
[SUPER=04-Hobie Cat Video; 1:11]
[SUPER=01-Herb Weisbaum/Reporting; 2:14]
[RUNS=2:37]
[OUT Q=CBS News, Seattle]

[2-shot toss to bump]

[2-HEADLINES]
[2-shot=/Kmc]
[SUPER=#4049; Morning Headlines]
[ANCHOR=kIMBERLY]

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

Authorities say the suspect in a two- state shooting spree in the Midwest is now dead.
21-year- old Benjamin Nathaniel Smith is believed to have shot himself during a high- speed chase with police.
Smith allegedly targeted minority groups included blacks, Asians, and Orthodox Jews.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

Several hundred firefighters are battling wildfires in central Utah.
Many homes were evacuated over the holiday weekend, with more than 60- thousand acres of land up in smoke.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=kimberly]

And the July fourth holiday brought back memories of last year's fatal accident on Interstate 81.
A cross, a wreath, a teddy bear and flowers serve as a memorial for the seven people who were killed near the Arcadia exit in Botetourt county.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Monday, July 5-th . News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[2-Shootings]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]

Police believe the suspect in a Midwest killing spree has taken his own life.
21- year- old Benjamin Nathaniel Smith is believed to be linked to several minority shootings over the weekend.
Bobbi Harley reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Bloomington, IN;]
[SUPER=01-Bill Hayes/Chicago Police Department;]
[SUPER=01-Ephraim Wolfe/Shooting Victim;]
[SUPER=01-Bobbi Harley/Reporting;]
[RUNS=1:33]
[OUT Q=Harley, CBS News, New York]
(( THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE LAST PLACE THE SUSPECT STRUCK BEFORE HE DIED.
POLICE SAY A MAN DRIVING A BLUE FORD TAURUS FIRED FOUR SHOTS INTO A CROWD AT A KOREAN CHURCH IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA SUNDAY. ONE WORSHIPPER WAS KILLED.
INVESTIGATORS ALSO THINK THE SATURDAY SHOOTING OF AN ASIAN COLLEGE STUDENT IN URBANA AND THE ATTEMPTED SHOOTING OF TWO BLACK MEN IN SPRINGFIELD THAT SAME NIGHT ARE RELATED.

(SOT CMDR BILL HAYES/CHICAGO POLICE DEPT.)
"If you just look at his vicitms you could say it's a hate crime."

POLICE SAY BENJAMIN NATHANIEL SMITH HAD A HISTORY OF HANDING OUT RACIST LITERATURE.
HE ALSO MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN BY CHICAGO POLICE OF THE GUNMAN WANTED THERE IN THREE DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS OVER THE WEEKEND.
FRIDAY NIGHT-SIX ORTHODOX JEWS WERE WOUNDED WHILE WALKING HOME FROM SYNAGOGUE.
A LITTLE WHILE LATER ---FORMER NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL
COACH RICKY BYRDSONG WAS SHOT AND KILLED NEAR HIS HOME. TWO ASIAN AMERICANS WERE ALSO SHOT AT BUT NOT HIT. POLICE BELIEVE THE SHOOTER WAS IN THE SAME FORD SEDAN.
SUNDAY, ONE OF THE CHICAGO VICTIMS TALKED ABOUT THE SHOOTING.

SOT EPHRAIM WOLFE/SHOOTING VICTIM

AUTHORITIES HAVE LINKED SMITH TO A WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUP CALLED THE WORLD CHURCH ORDER OF THE CREATOR.
A WEBSITE CLAIMING IT BELONGS TO THE CHURCH SAYS THE GROUP CONDONES NEITHER VIOLENCE NOR UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES, BUT ITS OBJECTIVE IS ``THE SURVIVAL, EXPANSION, AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE WHITE RACE..''
BOBBI HARLEY, CBS NEWS, NEW YORK.))

[Wildfires]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Wildfires]

Wildfires have scorched two tiny Utah communities, sending residents packing over the holiday weekend.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Eureka, UT;]

The fires have spread to more than 60- thousand acres .
Nearly 400 firefighters are now battling the blaze.
Yesterday, some residents were allowed to return to their homes.
But it was a bittersweet homecoming for those who lost many of their belongings in the fires.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 4:06:39 ]
[IN Q=I said]
((PHYLISS CORBETT/RESIDENT: I SAID, WE'RE SCARED TO DEATH. EVERYTHING WE HAVE IS GONE. WE GOT EVERYTHING LOADED AND WE'RE TAKING EVERYTHING. WE'RE TAKING EVERYTHING.))
[SUPER=01-Phyliss Corbett/Resident;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=taking everything (double out)]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Gusty winds over the weekend hampered firefighting efforts, but forecasts of cooler temperatures and a shift in winds should help firefighters contain the blaze.

(-------------)[2-11Wythe-Protest]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=99-30 2:46]
[GRAPHIC=AEP Proposed Line]

They don't want A-E-P to put a new power line through their counties, so they spent their July Fourth evening underneath a PRESENT high-voltage line.
(+++++++)
[Take Full Screen]
At issue is the proposed line that would carry power from Wyoming West Virginia through Tazewell, Bland and Wythe Counties to AEP's Jacksons Ferry Station.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Wythe Co.]

And just a short distance from Jacksons Ferry, at Fosters Falls, dozens of opponents rallied in opposition last night, right under a major high-voltage line
They say there is no need for another one running through their counties.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I think that]
[SUPER=01-Deborah Little/Power Line Opponent;]
((I think that A-E-P is trying to set themselves up for deregulated market, in which they can sell the excess energy at the cost of our society here. We already have a power line in Wythe County. We have already beared the burden for utilities.))
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=burden for utilities.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

A-E-P says it needs a new line to meet the region's future power needs.
The state will conduct public hearings later this month.
(------------)

[2-11Ax-Remember]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-19 58:08]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[NOTE:**ANCHOR TAG**] The memory of the last years fatal 4-th of July accident that killed seven people on Interstate 81 has impacted one man's life forever.
Joy Sutton has the story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=A cross]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;00]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./July 4, 1998;10]
[SUPER=01-Ray Sloan/Buchanan Volunteer Fire Dept.;36]
[SUPER=@Joy2;]
[RUNS= 1:04]
[OUT Q=Botetourt Co.]

((A cross, a wreath, a teddy bear and flowers serve as a memorial for the seven people who were killed in an accident July 4th, 1998.
When a car traveling southbound on I-81 near the Arcadia exit in Botetourt county hydroplaned into the median and then into the path of a tractor trailer.
Both vehicles fell over the bridge and landed on route 11.
For Ray Sloan with the Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department it's a day he will never forget...as he and other fire and rescue workers recovered the victims bodies.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:55:37]
[IN Q=You are never going]
((RAY SLOAN/BUCHANAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.: YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS SOON. IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FORGOTTEN))
[RUNS= 9]
[OUT Q=be forgotten]

And Sloan says every time the tones sound at the fire station his heart starts to race...
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:56:08]
[IN Q=You always have]
((RAY SLOAN/BUCHANAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.: YOU ALWAYS HAVE IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD. IS THIS GOING TO BE ANOTHER JULY 4TH))
[RUNS= 5]
[OUT Q=July 4th]

Sloan says since the day of the accident the words "July 4th" have taken on a new meaning--the are used to describe an accident he hopes will never be repeated.
Joy Sutton, News 7 Botetourt County.))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=Switched at Birth]

The accident was just the start of a very difficult month for the Chittum family of Buena Vista.
Among the victims was Kevin Chittum, the father of Rebecca.
By early August, it was learned that Rebecca was one of two girls switched at birth at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

[2-11Heat]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-21 51:58]
[GRAPHIC=Heat Wave]

Tempertures will flirt with 1-hundred degrees today as the July heat wave continues.
Even though these temperatures aren't unusual for this time of year doctors say some people are being treated for heat stroke.
(-----------)
[VO-NAT]
Around Roanoke yesterday we found several people outside during the times when the sun was the hottest---playing bas
ketball, riding bikes or just taking a walk.
And although these activities can seem harmless...in this type of heat they can be dangerous especially if you're doing something strenuous.
Roanoke Memorial says this week alone several people have gone to the emergency room for heat related illness.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:57:38]
[IN Q=we've had peopl]
((DORIS DUFF/ROANOKE MEMORIAL: WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COMING IN WITH NAUSEA, VOMITING, STOMACH CRAMPING. USUALLY WHEN THEY HAVE A HEAT STROKE THEY DON'T SWEAT, BUT DIZZY AND WEAKNESS))
[SUPER=01-Doris Duff/Nurse]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=but dizzy, weakness]
(---------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Remember heat stroke is life threatening. Roanoke Memorial says to be smart..and they can't stress enough drink plenty of fluids...and stay inside when the sun is at it 's hottest.

[Bermuda-Hamptons]

[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

Some call it the Battle of the Beaches.
Others say its just a war of words.
In one corner there's Bermuda-- in the other The Hamptons.
Jennifer McLogan has more on the controversy.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:39:24 Steve Tape]
[IN Q=So this]
[SUPER=03-East Hampton, NY; :00]
[SUPER=04-Television Commercial; :20]
[SUPER=01-Michael Hollander/Convention and Visitors Bureau; :37]
[SUPER=01-Jennifer McLogan/Reporting; :48]
[SUPER=01-Robert Gaffney/Suffolk Co. Executive; 1:26]
[RUNS=2:09]
[OUT Q=for CBS News]

[2-shot toss to bump]

[11Cat-Show]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=99-23 1:02:09]
[GRAPHIC=none]

For the third year the Roanoke Civic Center was crawling with cats as the Star City Cat Fanciers sponsored their annual cat show.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Yesterday;]

Breeders came from all over the country to show their prize cats. Rico Hill knows what it takes to show a winner. He has been breeding award winning Rappers for sixteen years. His cat Plain White Wrapper is the top feline in the nation.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=There is a]
[SUPER=01-Rico Honey/Cat Breeder]
(RICO HONEY: THERE IS A 100 POINTS TO EACH CAT STANDARD AND EACH CAT STANDARDS DESCRIBE THE IDEAL OF THAT BREED.)
[RUNS=06]
[OUT Q=that breed.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The show featured 275 felines in 37 different breeds.
(------------)

[11Feedback, July 4]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=feedback 31:07]
[GRAPHIC=feedback]

The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate our nation's history.
Some of the symbols of that heritage have been creating controversy lately, and brought us several comments from viewers.
Assignment Editor Joe McKean tells us what they had to say, in this week's Feedback.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=A committee]
[RUNS=2:07]
[OUT Q=McKean, News-7.]

(( A committee last week proposed that an image of Robert E. Lee be placed back on a Richmond flood wall, along with a picture of a black soldier and one of Lincoln.
That news brought a couple of responses.
"Why don't they use the old one until the new one is done? It seems to me that this is a way for the panel to stall by having new murals made...(and) in regard to the comments that Sa'ad El-Amin made about the decision being made to satisfy the vocal majority which was white. Was it any better when the decision was made to satisfy ONE person?"
And a viewer from Rocky Mount who asked that his name not be used said:
"Of course it was wrong what happened back in the 1800's dealing with slavery, but this is 1999 and times have changed. For the last 30 years or so the blacks and whites have had the same teachers, the same books, the same homework and the same opportunity to make something of themselves as we the whites have had...But too many of the black community would rather change their names to something other than what their parents gave them and sit back and yell about things being racist."
And there were some notes about the issue of flag burning.
"Perhaps the commentator never stood on the rolling deck of a ship at midnight, in stormy weather, knowing that the enemy, its subs, its kamikaze planes were on the prowl. I have, and only those with similar experiences can know the consolation and encouragement of Old Glory silhouetted against a darkened sky, beating a tattoo as it flapped in the wind. Let's protect the greatest symbol of our Great Nation, in spite of those who would degrade it".
"Although it is a felony to burn a cross in Virginia and against the federal laws, it is perfectly OK to burn the US Flag. Aren't they both freedom of speech? Taking down Lee's picture, flying the southern flag, the old state song, are all a part of our heritage...Let us all stand up together and protect all of these symbols from abuse".
Letters to News-7 should be send to P.O. Box 7, Roanoke, 24022-0007.
Our fax number is 343-7269.
Our e-mail address: news@wdbj7.com.
And we have a moderated on-line forum on our web page, wdbj7.com.
Joe McKean, News-7.))

[Local-Recap]
[SUPER=#4059;Local Recap]
[2-Shot=Kmc]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Now here's another look at today's top local stories:
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
A group of people in Wythe County gathered under an exsisting high voltage power line last night in opposition of A-E-P's proposed power line. That line would carry power from Wyoming West Virginia through Tazewell, Bland and Wythe Counties to AEP's Jacksons Ferry Station.
They say there is no need for another one running through their counties.
A-E-P says it needs a new line to meet the region's future power needs.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
A Dublin man is dead after his motorcycle crossed the solid yellow line and collided with a pickup.
State Police say it happened on state route 100 just south of interstate 81 in Pulaski County yesterday afternoon.
They say the motorcycle's driver, 46 year old Darrell Duaine Hundley died at Roanoke Memorial hospital.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Roanoke Memorial says this week alone several people have gone to the emergency room for heat related illnesses.
In this type of heat, outdoor activities can be dangerous especially if you are doing something strenuous. So Roanoke Memorial says to be smart.. they can't stress enough to drink plenty of fluids...and stay inside when the sun is at it 's hottest.
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[ANCHOR=Patrick]
(Patrick mic hot)
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[2 shot=patrick]
(Patrick ad lib weather)
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(ad lib bye) [Double Boxes=Kimberly and Patrick]