WDBJ 7 morning news AM cutins for 09/16/99

[7VA-Floyd]

[ANCHOR=melanie]

[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Hurricane Floyd]

Hurricane Floyd hasn't even reached Virginia yet. But it already has turned roads into lakes and forced thousands of Virginians to flee inland from the threat of gale-force winds and another half-foot of rain. A huge area from Richmond east to the coast and north to the Washington suburbs is virtually shut down today, with schools and government offices closed, commuter trains idle and airports with little or no traffic. Governor Gilmore has called out 400 National Guard troops and shuttled state troopers from western areas to the east, where the storm is expected to cause the most damage. Winds up to 80 miles an hour near the coast are expected.

[SUPER=03-Virginia Beach/This Morning][7L'Burg-Storm]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morning]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-33]
[GRAPHIC=]

As the rain began to fall in Lynchburg last night officials were preparing for what damage the storm could bring this morning
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
Officials at the Emergency Operation Center said because the winds had died down they were predicting less damage to the area. But the Chief of Police is still asking residents to not let their guard down.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:01:37]
[IN Q=]
((CHUCK BENNETT/LYNCHBURG POLICE CHIEF: WE'RE STILL GOING TO FACE A SITUATION WITH TREES DOWN, WIND DAMAGE, AND POWER OUTAGES.))
[SUPER=01-Chuck Bennett/Lynchburg Police Chief]
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The storm has closed Lynchburg schools today but city officers will remain open.
(------------)

[7Mueller]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=VA Death penalty]

The Department of Corrections says it doesn't expect the effects of Hurricane Floyd to delay the execution of 51-year-old Everett Lee Mueller.
Mueller is set to die tonight for the 19-90 rape and murder of a ten-year-old Chesterfield County girl.
His clemency petition to the Governor includes a letter in which Mueller claims he didn't kill Charity Powers, but that he burned and buried her body after finding it in the woods near his home, fearing he would be blamed for the death.
Mueller confessed to raping and killing Powers after his arrest, but told Gilmore in his letter that police told him a confession could spare him a death sentence.

[7E-Love]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-30 1:27:02]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

John Claude Love will spend time in prison for his role in a traffic accident last June that killed two Blacksburg men.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/June 7, 1998;]

Love was behind the wheel when his pickup struck a motorcycle head-on in Blacksburg.
The crash killed 21-year old Michael Perry and 21-year old Michael Dove.
A jury yesterday sentenced Love to 18-months in prison for felony hit and run.
Love could've received five years in prison for leaving the scene of the accident.
But one jury member said-- the fact Love later flagged down a sheriff's deputy and returned to the crash site made an impact on his decision to opt for a lighter sentence.
(------------)

[7E-Griffin]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-26 1:52:19]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

Another case ended in a mistrial yesterday-
It came down to a question over whether the official cause of death was homicide, and when that determination was made- -
That led to the mis-trial in David Griffin's case.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/October 17, 1997]

He's accused of killing his roommate and setting the house on fire two years ago.
James Cline's death was not officially labeled a homicide right away. The medical examiner told the jury yesterday that it was homicide. That prompted a mistrial.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=]
[anchor=None]

The case will be retried in January.

[7WEATHER]

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

Switching from news, let's take a look now at your Thursday forecast...it'll be rainy and windy with winds out of the north. Temperatures will be in the upper 60-to lower 70's. Tonight the winds will decrease and temperatures will be in the lower 50's.

[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Rainy & Windy/Winds N 25-35/68-72/Decreasing Winds/Winds NW 10-15/50-54;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]

[45L'burg-Briefing]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Floyd]

Hurricane Floyd made lanfall several hours ago in North Carolina.
And as it continues to move to the east, officials in central Virginia are breathing a little easier this morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Lynchburg authorities have been monitoring the storm all night, and they now expect the worst to hit during the daylight hours.
Officials say the city is prepared for whatever Floyd is going to throw at them.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:47:32]
[IN Q=To a great]
((COL. CHARLES BENNETT/LYNCHBURG POLICE CHIEF: TO A GREAT DEGREE WE CAN ONLY BE REACTIVE IN THIS SITUATION, OBVIOUSLY DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE SO FAR.. THE TRACK OF THE STORM SEEMS TO BE MOVING A BIT MORE TO THE EAST THAN THEY ORIGINALLY PREDICTED AND CERTAINLY TO HAVE THE HIGH WINDS AND RAIN IN THE HOURS OF DAYLIGHT WILL BE MUCH BETTER.))
[SUPER=01-Col. Charles Bennett/Lynchburg Police Chief]
[RUNS=21]
[OUT Q=will be much better.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Red Cross officials say ten people spent last night in a shelter the city has set up for those who didn't feel comfortable riding the storm out at home.
(------------)

[45va-floyd]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=]

Hurricane Floyd hasn't even reached Virginia yet.
But it already has turned roads into lakes and forced thousands of Virginians to flee inland from the threat of gale-force winds and another half-foot of rain.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Virginia Beach/This morning]

Heavy rain and winds from Hurricane Floyd will get worse through the day, but it has already knocked out power to thousands and contributed to a fatal car crash.
Virginia Power reports nearly 26-thousand customers without power.
Governor Gilmore has called out 400 National Guard troops and shuttled state troopers from western areas to the east, where the storm is expected to cause the most damage.
(------------)

[45E-Love]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-30 1:27:02]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A hit and run trial has ended with a prison sentence for the driver charged with the leaving the scene of the deadly accident.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/June 7, 1998;]

John Claude Love was behind the wheel when his pickup struck a motorcycle head-on in Blacksburg.
The crash killed 21-year old Michael Perry and 21-year old Michael Dove.
Yesterday a jury sentenced Love to 18-months in prison for felony hit and run.
Love could've received five years in prison for leaving the scene of the accident.
But one jury member said-- the fact Love later flagged down a sheriff's deputy and returned to the crash site made an impact on his decision to opt for a lighter sentence.
(------------)

[45E-Griffin]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-26 1:52:19]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

In Roanoke, another case has ended with a mistrial.
It came down to a question over whether the official cause of death was homicide, and when that determination was made- -
That led to the mis-trial yesterday in David Griffin's case.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/October 17, 1997]

He's accused of killing his roommate and setting the house on fire two years ago.
James Cline's death was not officially labeled a homicide right away. The medical examiner told the jury today that it was homicide. That prompted a mistrial.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=]
[anchor=None]

The case will be retried in January.

[45Star]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

A Roanoke tourist attraction is now a historic landmark.
(---------)
[vo-nat]
[Super=03-Roanoke;]

Yesterday the state Department of Historic Resources voted to make the Mill Mountain star a state landmark.
The star will NOW be considered for a national designation.
Made with two thousand feet of white neon tubing, the star was conceived 50 years ago as an extravagant Christmas decoration, but has since evolved into a symbol for the so-called ``Star City of the South.''

(-----------------)[45WEATHER]

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

Taking a moment now to check our local forecast..
As Hurricane Floyd continues pushing to the northeast, we'll see more scattered showers and very windy conditions with winds up to 35 miles an hour.
Highs today near 70.
Decreasing winds overnight, with lows near 52.
The extended forecast looks good...with partly sunny skies into the weekend...highs in the 70s...lows in the 50s.

[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Rainy & Windy/Winds N 25-35/68-72/Decreasing Winds/Winds NW 10-15/50-54;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]

[8L'burg-Briefing]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin']
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Floyd]

Hurricane Floyd made landfall several hours ago in North Carolina.
And continues to move to the east, but officials in central Virginia are not worried.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Lynchburg authorities have been monitoring the storm all night, and they now expect the worst to hit during the daylight hours.
Officials say the city is prepared for whatever Floyd is going to throw at them.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:47:32]
[IN Q=To a great]
((COL. CHARLES BENNETT/LYNCHBURG POLICE CHIEF: TO A GREAT DEGREE WE CAN ONLY BE REACTIVE IN THIS SITUATION, OBVIOUSLY DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE SO FAR.. THE TRACK OF THE STORM SEEMS TO BE MOVING A BIT MORE TO THE EAST THAN THEY ORIGINALLY PREDICTED AND CERTAINLY TO HAVE THE HIGH WINDS AND RAIN IN THE HOURS OF DAYLIGHT WILL BE MUCH BETTER.))
[SUPER=01-Col. Charles Bennett/Lynchburg Police Chief]
[RUNS=21]
[OUT Q=will be much better.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Red Cross officials say ten people spent last night in a shelter the city has set up for those who didn't want to ride the storm out at home.
(------------)

[8va-floyd]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Floyd]

Hurricane Floyd hasn't even reached Virginia yet.
But it already has turned roads into lakes and forced thousands of Virginians to flee inland from the threat of gale-force winds and another half-foot of rain.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Virginia Beach/This Morning]

The heavy rain and winds from Hurricane Floyd are anticipated to get worse through the day, but it has already knocked out power to thousands and contributed to a fatal car crash.
Virginia Power reports nearly 26-thousand customers without power.
Governor Gilmore has also called out 400 National Guard troops and shuttled state troopers from western areas to the east, where the storm is expected to cause the most damage.
(------------)

[8Mueller]

[8-transportation]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=highway spending]

A new Maxon Dixon poll is out that shows two thirds of support Governor Gilmore's plan to spend an additional two-point-five billion dollars on transportation over the next six years without raising taxes.
The plan includes the use of general tax revenue and part of the state's tobacco settlement to pay for highway construction.
The poll showed that only 21 percent disapprove of the plan.
In northern Virginia, where traffic is most congested, the poll found that 52 percent of voters support a one-cent sales tax increase to pay for road work, while 37 percent oppose raising the sales tax.

[8Star]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=cutin]
[WRITER=rsp]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=none]

The Neon star that gave Roanoke it's nickname is now a historic landmark.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/This Morning]

Yetsterday the State Department of Historic Resources voted to make the Mill Mountain star a state landmark.
Next, it wil be consdered for national designation.
Made with two thousand feet of white neon tubing, the star was born 50 years ago.
It was created as a gigantic Christmas decoration, but has since evolved into a symbol for the so-called ``Star City of the South.''

(------------------)[8WEATHER]

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

Here's another look at the Thursday forecast...
Still some scattered showers today, especially in the eastern portions of the viewing area.
Otherwise, a high wind advisory is in effect for northerly breezes of 25 to 35 miles an hour with higher gusts.
Temperatures will reach 70 for the high...lows tonight near 52 with decreasing winds.
The five day forecast includes partly sunny skies and pleasant temperatures in the 70s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=#555; reset] [SUPER=314-Rainy & Windy/Winds N 25-35/68-72/Decreasing Winds/Winds NW 10-15/50-54;]