[7Lawsuit]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Lawsuit]
A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a ten million dollar lawsuit filed by the family of a man shot to death by two Blacksburg police officers.
Maurice Taylor's family claimed that the officers used excessive force and violated Taylor's civil rights
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/August 9, 1995]
when they shot him 12 times inside a drugstore in August 1995.
At the time of the shooting, Taylor was wanted on a fugitive charge, and he pulled out a B-B gun that looked like a 45-caliber pistol when the officers approached him
(------------)
[7S-Fulcher]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-31 32:35]
[GRAPHIC=Mike Fulcher]
Mike Fulcher, the lead defendent in the Bland-Prison drug- trafficking trial will NOT be taking the stand.
The jury is likely to get the case today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Former Prison Guard Billy King was the only defendant who did testify.
King admitted he had unauthorized contact with Fulcher's family half a dozen times,
[SUPER=03-Bland Co.]
but he flatly denied taking drugs into the prison.
He had refused to go undercover and help investigators get the goods on other guards and inmates, because he said he thought that would get him killed.
(------------)
[7E-Scales]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-30 59:29]
[GRAPHIC=LEgal Scales]
Today marks the beginning of closing arguments in the case against the identical twins accused of murdering a man in Blacksburg.
The defense stands by its claim that the twins were acting purely out of self defense.
Teresa Hamilton reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Kerry Scales/Defendant; :46]
[SUPER=01-Janice Scales/Twins' Mother; 1:12]
[SUPER=@Teresa1; 1:20]
[RUNS=1:27]
[OUT Q=NEWS 7, Christiansburg.]
[7Helvestine]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Frank Helvestine-- the man convicted of unintentionally killing a toddler in a 1975 racially motivated bombing in Roanoke County has died in prison.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/September 26, 1997]
Helvestine died yesterday while serving a 12-year sentence for his role in the bombing meant to kill an interracial couple.
Instead, the bomb killed 23-month-old Carrie Ann Mask, whose family had parked their van next to a car with the bomb in it.
The case was unsolved until 1996, when Helvestine's son-in-law told police he knew about the bombing.
(------------)
[7WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a look now at your midweek forecast... we'll see more showers and storms. Possible heavy downpours at times. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 70's. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers likely. Temps will be in the low-to-mid 60's. The extended forecast calls for......
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[SUPER=314-Showers & Storms/Heavy Downpours/75-80/Mostly Cloudy/Scattered Showers/62-66;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[7BIRTHDAYS!] 8/26/99
Thursday:
[SUPER=130-10/Kayla Cramblitt/Rocky Mount]
[SUPER=130-17/Tonya Brown/Roanoke]
[SUPER=130-50/Rebecca Morrison/Fincastle]
[SUPER=130-50/Cynthia Craddock/Cloverdale]
Anniversary:
[SUPER=130-10th/Randy & Lori May/Madison Heights]
No Pictures:
[SUPER=131-56/Harvey Hutchinson, III/Madison Heights]
Twins:
[SUPER=131-4/Colin & Chelsea Johnson/Roanoke]
[SUPER=131-/Nancy Brown/Roanoke]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=@Melanie1;]
[45Helvestine]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A man convicted of unintentionally killing a toddler in a 1975 racially motivated bombing in Roanoke County has died in prison.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/September 26, 1997]
Frank Helvestine died yesterday while serving a 12-year sentence for his role in the bombing meant to kill an interracial couple.
Instead, the bomb killed 23-month-old Carrie Ann Mask, whose family had parked their van next to a car with the bomb in it.
The case was unsolved until 1996, when Helvestine's son-in-law told police he knew about the bombing.
(------------)
[45E-Amherst-Murder]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-23 2:02:30]
[GRAPHIC=Amherst Murder Probe]
The fiery death of an Amherst County man in January is now being investigated as a homicide.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Amherst Co.]
Lab tests recently confirm that 40- year- old Herman Branham was soaked with both gas and kerosene in the yard of this home January 27th.
Branham was still on fire when he walked more than a half mile to his mother's home and collapsed.. he died six days later.
Police have a suspect but need more information.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:34:36]
[IN Q=Somebody's got]
((JIMMY AYERS/AMHERST CO. SHERIFF: SOMEBODY'S GOT TO KNOW SOMETHING AND THAT'S WHAT I'M BEGGING, IS FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL US SOMETHING TO BRING IT TO A CLOSE.))
[SUPER=01-Jimmy Ayers/Amherst Co. Sheriff]
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=to a close.]
(XXXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE CRIMESTOPPERS FULL SCREEN]
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Central Virginia Crimestoppers at 1- 888- 798- 5900.
(-------------)
[45E-Kings-Dominion]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=99-20 1:51:25]
[GRAPHIC=Kings Dominion]
Little information has been released on the roller coaster death at Kings Dominion.
But park officials are saying the man's actions on the ride
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Doswell]
may be to blame for his death.
20-year old Timothy Fan of New York City was killed Monday night while riding the Shockwave.
Riders stand while the roller coaster makes several loops - reaching speeds of 50 miles an hour.
A statement released by Kings Dominion says "witness statements indicate rider misconduct on the part of Fan may have played a role in the incident."
Park officials say the ride is safe.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:22:25]
[IN Q=It's been]
((IT'S BEEN OPERATING SINCE 1986 WITHOUT INCIDENT, IT IS INSPECTED ON A DAILY BASIS.))
[SUPER=01-Betsy Moss/Park Spokesperson;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=on a daily basis.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Theme park officials have not said HOW Fan died.
The ride is closed along with similar rides at Paramount Parks in Cincinnati and Toronto- while an investigation is done.
An initial investigation found no problem with the ride's restraint system and no operator error.
(------------)
[45E-Tobacco-Tour]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-27 55:17]
[GRAPHIC=Tobacco - Tough Times]
Seantor Chuck Robb and Congressman Virgil Goode traveled to southside yesterday to hear from tobacco farmers and businesses facing tough times.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co.;]
The Democrats toured a tobacco warehouse, two tobacco farms and the Danville plant of Dimon -- a leaf dealer and processor.
All have been hard-hit by a decline in tobacco consumption, along with increased imports, lawsuits and drought.
Robb and Goode say they'll try to take the farmers' concerns back to Capitol Hill.
(/////SOT/////)
[***BUMP SOTS***]
[SOT 1:00:03 - :18]
[IN Q=There is no question that]
((SEN. CHUCK ROBB/(D) VIRGINIA: THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT WE'VE HAD A TOUGH TIME CONVINCING MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HEARD ONLY FROM THE ANTI-TOBACCO FORCES THAT THIS IS AN INDUSTRY, AN OCCUPATION THAT'S BEEN PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.))
[SOT 2:42:38 - :45]
((REP. VIRGIL GOODE/(D) 5th DISTRICT: ONE THING WE SHOULD DO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS NOT ENCOURAGE ANY MORE FEDERAL LAWSUITS AGAINST TOBACCO.))
[SUPER=01-Sen. Chuck Robb/(D) Virginia; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rep. Virgil Goode/(D) 5th District; :16]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=federal lawsuits against tobacco.]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
Goode and Robb were honored by the Virginia Farm Bureau for their work to support tobacco farmers.
[45WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a break from the news to check the forecast...
Showers and thunderstorms will likely continue today, with highs in the upper 70s.
Mostly cloudy tonight, with more scattered showers likely and lows in the mid 60s.
The five day forecast is cloudy and damp through the end of the work week....look for highs to gradually warm up into the 80s...lows in the 60s.
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[SUPER=#555; reset]
[cutopen]
[SUPER=@Melanie1;]
[8E-County-Supers]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-21 1:53:33]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke County]
The stalemate over school construction projects continues as members of the Roanoke County School Board and the Board of Supervisors try to resolve the money issue.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:20:21 BOS/SCHOOL BOARD TAPE]
[IN Q=There's an old country song]
((BOB JOHNSON/SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN: THERE'S AN OLD COUNTRY SONG. I'VE GOT TOO MUCH MONTH AT THE END OF MY MONEY. WELL WE GOT TOO MUCH PROJECT AND WE'VE RUN OUT OF MONEY.))
[SUPER=@Johnson;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=we've run out of money.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
Cost estimates for the new south county high school and improvements to Glenvar Middle School are now ten million dollars higher than projected.
So the school board and supervisors must decide whether to find more funding, or scale back the two projects.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I don't think there are any]
((TOM LEGGETTE/SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY EASY ANSWERS. I'M HOPING THAT BY TAKING A QUICK LOOK AT THIS, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL BE CONVINCED THE ARCHITECTS ARE CORRECT. AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT LOSING ANOTHER YEAR.))
((HARRY NICKENS/VINTON SUPERVISOR: I WOULD NOT AT ALL ADVOCATE DOWNSIZING, IF YOU WILL, THE PROGRAMMING AREA, BUT WE HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THE MEANS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Leggette/School Board Member; :00]
[SUPER=@Nickens; :12]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=available to us.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Four members of the two boards, the county administrator, and the school superintendent will meet with the architects Friday morning.
[8S-GOP]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Va. GOP]
Education is at the top of voters minds says the Republican Party of Virginia.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@file;]
Yesterday, Republicans unveiled a six point plan to beef up security in the schools, provide more money to help students who are failing the SOL tests, and hire more teachers.
[SUPER=03-Richmond]
They also slammed Democrats for their summer-long focus on road-building needs.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 13:46:38]
[IN Q=I think]
((SEN. RANDY FORBES/R-CHESAPEAKE: I THINK THEY HAVE TOTALLY ABANDONED THE EDUCATION INITIATIVES THAT WE THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMONWEALTH BY NOT TALKING ABOUT THEM AND SETTING FORTH THE IMPORTANCE THAT THEY'VE HAD. IN ALL THE PRESS CONFERENCES THAT YOU'VE ATTENDED, HOW MUCH PRIORITY HAVE THEY PUT ON EDUCATION DURING THIS ELECTION CYCLE? NOT VERY MUCH FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN.))
[SUPER=01-Sen. Randy Forbes/(R) Chesapeake;]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=we've seen.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
A Democratic party spokesman points out that some of the Republican school security measures are already in place, thanks to bi-partisan responses to school violence.
(------------)
[8E-Bus-Daycare]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=jbi]
[TAPE#=99-26 1:29:55]
[GRAPHIC=None]
For Rockbridge County's preschoolers, the yellow school bus will be more than just transportion.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rockbridge Co.]
An empty school bus will replace the old churches that used to house county preschools.
A year ago fire inspections stopped the use of the churches and disbanded the program.
[SUPER=03-Bath Co.]
The idea to use buses came from Bath County -- it's been using buses for pre-school for 20 years.
The bus has all the things a classroom would need including heating, air and bathrooms.
Officials from both counties agree that this program reaches more students because the classroom is mobile -- however the children aren't in the bus when it moves.
Rockbridge County hopes to open the bus for school in October.
(------------)
[8E-Gastric-Bypass]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-24]
[GRAPHIC=health report]
In health news, Virginia could become the first state in the nation to require insurance coverage for gastric bypass surgery for the morbidly obese.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-Amer. Bariatric Surgery Society]
The procedure staples the stomach to make it smaller.
It's recommended mostly for obese people for whom heredity is the dominant cause.
Yesterday, a legislative advisory commission recommended insurance companies should have to at least offer coverage to those who want to pay extra for it.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 11:31:52]
[IN Q=I think]
((SEN. BENNY LAMBERT/D-RICHMOND: I THINK IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND WE'LL SEE HOW IT WORKS AND I THINK THAT IN THE LONG RUN IT MIGHT BE EVEN BETTER IN THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AFTER EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATISTICS.))
[SUPER=01-Sen. Benny Lambert/(D) Richmond; ]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=the statistics.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The average gastric bypass costs about 15- thousand dollars... but could prevent hypertension, joint replacements, cardiac problems, and other conditions associated with obesity.
(------------)
[TALENT=]
[SS=]
A spokesman for the H-M-O industry says the extra costs of covering gastric bypass surgery would just be passed on to the consumer in premium increases.
The 2000 General Assembly will debate the issue more.
[8WEATHER]
[ANCHOR=KIMBERLY]
[NEWSCAST=CUTIN]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time again to check the mid- week forecast...
Showers and locally heavy storms will continue today, with highs in the upper 70s.
Mostly cloudy tonight, with scattered showers likely and lows in the mid 60s.
The extended forecast is calling for more showers over the next couple of days...with sunshine returning by the latter half of the weekend.
Highs in the 80s...lows in the 60s.
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[SUPER=#555; reset]
[SUPER=314-Showers & Storms/Heavy Downpours/75-80/Mostly Cloudy/Scattered Showers/62-66;]
by SS