WDBJ 7 morning news for 09/29/99

[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

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

Rain continues to fall in already-saturated eastern North Carolina.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Closer to home the steady rainfall over the last month has helped push Carvin's cove up some 6 feet.
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

Local rain gauges keep growing as scattered showers continue flowing into the region...
Expect patchy fog and drizzle during your morning commute...then an approaching cold front could touch off a few thunderstorms by afternoon.
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(ad lib live tease)
[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[Red-Cross]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=am]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-27 TC1:25:40]
[GRAPHIC=Floyd Relief]
[***ANCHOR TAG****]
Eastern North Carolina residents are getting more of what they don't need -- rain.
As much as six inches of rain has fallen in the past two days on areas still reeling from flooding by Hurricane Floyd.
Forecasters say the rain will continue today.
And that means more money will be needed for recovery efforts.
The Roanoke Red Cross chapter wants to raise 53-thousand dollars to help meet the need for cash.
So far, 31-thousand dollars has come in.
Kate Weidaw has more.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=everyday stacks of]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tom Brown/Roanoke Chapter Manager; :12]
[SUPER=@Kate1; 1:05]
[RUNS=1:13]
[OUT Q=kw news 7]
((Everyday stacks of 40 to 50 envelopes with donations ranging from five dollars to five hundred dollars come into the Roanoke Red Cross.
[SOT 2:20:21]
[INQ=]
((TOM BROWN/ROANOKE CHAPTER MANAGER: IT'S JUST HEART WARMING TO KNOW WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO CAN RESPOND FINANCIALLY TO THESE DISASTERS.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= :9]
And with damages estimated in the billions for North Carolina - any contribution helps. Especially since farms, as well as homes and businesses, are still under water. Many are still in shelters.
[SOT 2:16:08]
[INQ=]
((TOM BROWN/ROANOKE CHAPTER MANAGER: WE HAVE 24 SHELTERS OPEN AND OVER 2000 PEOPLE IN THE SHELTERS WHICH IS KIND OF UNUSUAL TO HAVE SHELTERS OPEN THIS LONG AFTER A DISASTER.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= :15]
Once residents begin to return home, new supplies will be in demand. That's when donation money is needed the most.
[SOT 2:17:15]
[INQ=]
((TOM BROWN/ROANOKE CHAPTER MANAGER: WE WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH FOOD CLOTHING WHEN THEY CAN GO BACK INTO A LIVING SPACE, SOME FURNITURE TO GO INTO THEIR NEW LIVING AREA.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= :15]
[STANDUP]
[INQ=]
((KATE WEIDAW/REPORTING: IF YOU ARE WANTING TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION YOU BRING IT INTO THE RED CROSS OR YOU CAN MAIL IT TO YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER. KATE WEIDAW NEWS 7.)) [OUTQ]
[RUNS=]))
(XXXXXXXX)
[WIPE to Full Screen Address]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

The address for the Roanoke Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is 352 Church Avenue Southwest, Roanoke. The zip code is 24016.
(-------------)

[E-City-Water]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-30 1:41:40]
[GRAPHIC=Water Supply]

Closer to home-- the rain is a little more welcome
Carvins Cove is on the rebound-- the water level is up to 22- point- eight feet below the spillway.
That's up more than six feet in the last month.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Carvins Cove]

Normally at this time of year, the water level is about 15 feet below full pond.
So even though the situation has improved dramatically, city officials say the water emergency isn't over.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:31:42]
[IN Q=We hope ]
((DIANE AKERS/ACTING ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER: WE HOPE PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO CONSERVE WATER. EVEN THOUGH IT'S RAINING, WE'RE STILL WELL BELOW WHERE WE NEED TO BE.))
[SUPER=01-Diane Akers/Acting Assistant City Manager]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=where we need to be.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Yesterday morning, Catawba Creek was up... and water was flowing into one of the tunnels that feeds Carvins Cove.

Since tropical storm Dennis moved through the region early this month, the ground has become saturated and more run- off is reaching the reservoir.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Mandatory water restrictions will remain in effect until the water level rises to at least eighteen feet below the spillway.

[E-L'burg-Council]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-39 16:18]
[GRAPHIC=Lynchburg]

A controversial strip mall proposed for the Boonsboro section of Lynchburg has been given the go- ahead.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Last night, city council voted 5- to- 1 to rezone a small patch of land off Boonsboro Road to allow for the construction of a stormwater retention pond.
The pond will serve a development that will include a gas station, car wash and strip mall.
More than 900 nearby residents had signed a petition opposing the project.
They're worried about run-off from the site and the increase in traffic the stores would generate.
(------------)

[S-Brzonkala]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=99-36 41:30]
[GRAPHIC=Supreme Court]

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the Violence Against Women Act is constitutional.
To make that decision, the high court will hear a local case.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Christy Brzonkala's legal fight against Virginia Tech and two former athletes hinges on the law that allows rape victims to sue their attackers and ask for damages.
Brzonkala says she was raped by former football players Antonio Morrison and James Crawford, and that Tech officials mishandled the internal investigation.
A federal appeals court threw out her case, but she appealed to the Supreme Court.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[SS=HOLD]

The Court will hear arguments sometime this winter... but the Court's decision won't come until sometime next summer.

[1-Sports]

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

In sports, Mike Stevens has high school highlights, including Shawsville's win on the hardwood, and a Steve Young update.
Good Morning Mike.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning folks]
[RUNS=1:46]
[OUT Q=in a bit.]

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

[One-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#M99-5]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[On Record]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
(I'll intro)
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=A heat pump]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Charles Echols/AEP; :07]
[RUNS=2:01]
[OUT Q=taken care of]

[Steve Live]
(I'll call for #)
[SUPER=16-(800) 956-4237/AEP Customer Service;]

(Steve tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [COMM] ((Archive: elctric heat))

[E-Dead-cats]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-28 TC1:38:39]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

Cheryl and Michael Boyd will spend eight days in jail and pay a fine for abusing dozens of cats.
Keith Humphry has details of the Salem couple's day in court.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The facts were]
[SUPER=03-Salem/July; :00]
[SUPER=01-Cheryl Boyd/Cat Owner; :18 -- QUICK!!!]
[SUPER=01-Michael Boyd/Cat Owner; :29 -- QUICK!!!]
[RUNS=1:07]
[OUT Q=Humphry, NEWS 7.]
(( The facts were plain enough: 57 cats in one house- -not including the dead ones- -23 stashed in the freezer, two more carcasses under the couch.
But the Boyds couldn't see they'd done anything wrong.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:21:05]
[IN Q=No, I could]
((NO, I COULD NEVER HURT AN ANIMAL.))
[RUNS= 02]
[OUT Q=hurt an animal.]

The prosecutor wanted to know how anyone could LIVE in a house with that many cats- -dead or alive.
"We eat out 'most every night," Michael Boyd said.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:13:20]
[IN Q= I guess we]
((I GUESS WE JUST LOVED THEM TOO MUCH TO GET RID OF THEM.))
[RUNS= 02]
[OUT Q=rid of them.]

Now they'll have to get rid of the three cats- -they HAD been allowed to keep... one of the conditions of their suspended sentence.
When asked if he'd sought counseling, Boyd said he doesn't need it now. "All my cats are gone," he said.
In a plaintive moment inside the clerk's office, Boyd said "we're not bad people."
The couple will be evaluated by the community corrections program. They must pay fines totaling 700 dollars, serve four weekends in jail and stay away from domestic animals for two years... and perform 100 hours of community service work at the S-P-C-A.
Keith Humphry, NEWS 7.))

[S-Appox-Prayer]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-33 TC1:33:09]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The issue of whether to allow school prayer in Appomattox County has now taken on political overtones.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Appomattox]

Republican Tommy Wright is hoping to unseat incumbent Richard Holland in the 15th State Senate District which includes Appomattox County.
Wright told a crowd at Appomattox High School yesterday that he supports the effort to set aside two minutes of silence at the beginning of each school day.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 21:39:58]
[IN Q=I think in]
((TOMMY WRIGHT/R- STATE SENATE CANDIDATE: I THINK IN THE PAST WE'VE BEEN INTIMIDATED BY THREATS OF POSSIBLE LAWSUITS OR ACTIONS AND THAT HAS CAUSED US TO LOSE SOME OF OUR FREEDOMS.. FREEDOMS THAT WERE HARD FOUGHT FOR, I MIGHT ADD, BY OUR SOLDIERS AND VETERANS IN YEARS PAST.))
[SUPER=01-Tommy Wright/(R) State Senate Candidate]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=in years past.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Reverend Jerry Childress is pushing for the moment of silence, and also wants the Lord's Prayer posted in each school.
The A-C-L-U has vowed to fight that move in court.
(------------)

[Health-Check]

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

In medical news, there may be a link between folic acids and Down's Syndrome.
Mika Brzezinski has that story and more in this morning's Health check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Mika Brzezinski/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:18]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]
(( THERE IS A NEW THERAPY OPTION AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS....A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THIS COUNTRY. VT-VO
FOR DECADES THE ONLY TREATMENT AVAILABLE WAS MAJOR SURGERY. BUT THE U-S FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION HAS JUST APPROVED A NEW DEVICE CALLED ANEURX.
IT PROVIDES AN ALTERNATE PATH FOR BLOOD FLOW AND RELIEVES THE PRESSURE THAT CAUSES THE CONDITION.
STUDIES SHOW ANEURX REDUCES HOSPITAL STAYS AND SPEEDS UP RECOVERY TIME. VT-VO
NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT WOMEN WHO HAVE A HARD TIME METABOLIZING FOLIC ACIDS ARE AT A HIGHER RISKS OF HAVING CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME.
THE STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION RAISES AN INTERESTING QUESTION: COULD FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS FIGHT THE DISORDER?
DOCTORS CAUTION THIS RESEARCH IS ONLY PRELIMINARY AND SAY FOLIC ACIDS ARE JUST ONE PIECE OF THE DOWN SYNDROME PUZZLE. VT-VO
A NEW VACCINE FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING CHILDREN WITH BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA MAY BENEFIT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THE WORLD OVER.
RESEARCHERS FROM CALIFORNIA SAY THOSE CHILDREN WHO WERE INOCULATED WERE 73 PERCENT LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY ILLNESS.
THE VACCINE IS EXPECTED TO BE GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT NEXT YEAR. HOWEVER DOCTORS WARN IT MAY NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE IN ADULTS. ONCAM-MIKA
AND THAT'S A LOOK AT THE DAY IN MEDICINE. I'M MIKA BRZEZINSKI, CBS NEWS, NEW YORK.))

(ad lib to weather)

[Two-Steve]

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

[On Record]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]

[Double Boxes=KMC & SPA]
(toss to Kimberly)
[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]

Rain continues to fall in already-saturated eastern North Carolina.
The Roanoke Red Cross will bring some relief, so far it's raised 31 thousand dollars, and hopes to take in 20-thousand more.
Help is also coming from Washington D-C, some 30 churches have filled a number of tractor trailers with food, medicine, clothing and other supplies.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

Meantime, the rain over the past month has been good news for the Roanoke Valley.
Carvins Cove is now 22 point 8 feet below the spillway.
That's up more than six feet from last month.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

If plan on purchasing an expensive car also expect to pay a lot more in car repairs.
The latest test results by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that bumpers on today's high end cars, aren't bumpers at all.
That means even slow speed crashes will result in extensive and costly damage.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Wednesday September 29.
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[2-E-City-Water]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-30 1:41:40]
[GRAPHIC=Water Supply]

The rain is fallin and the water level at Carvins Cove is rising.
The most recent measurement puts it at 22- point- eight feet below the spillway.
That's up more than six feet in the last month.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Carvins Cove]

Normally at this time of year, the water level is about 15 feet below full pond.
So even though the situation has improved dramatically, city officials say the water emergency isn't over.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:31:42]
[IN Q=We hope ]
((DIANE AKERS/ACTING ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER: WE HOPE PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO CONSERVE WATER. EVEN THOUGH IT'S RAINING, WE'RE STILL WELL BELOW WHERE WE NEED TO BE.))
[SUPER=01-Diane Akers/Acting Assistant City Manager]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=where we need to be.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Yesterday morning, Catawba Creek was up... and water was flowing into one of the tunnels that feeds Carvins Cove.

Since tropical storm Dennis moved through the region early this month, the ground has become saturated and more run- off is reaching the reservoir.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Mandatory water restrictions will remain in effect until the water level rises to at least eighteen feet below the spillway.

[E-VA-Drought]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-37 53:42]
[GRAPHIC=Drought of 99]

It's been feast or famine for Virginia's dry soils this year.
The drought and floods have caused an estimated 200- million dollars in damages to agriculture alone.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

But a steady rain at the State Fair yesterday NOT only made the fair a little less fun-- It's only done surface renewal of drought-stricken fields and waterways.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 14:57:58]
[IN Q=It's really]
((CARLTON COURTER/VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER: IT'S REALLY BEEN ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS IN A SAD WAY. THE DROUGHT OF THIS SUMMER WAS NOT REALLY THIS SUMMER. IT WAS 12 AND 14 MONTHS IN THE MAKING. ACTUALLY IT STARTED IN JUNE OF '98. SO WE WENT THROUGH THE WINTER WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT RAIN. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF A 15 MONTH DROUGHT.))
[SUPER=01-Carlton Courter/Va. Agriculture Commissioner; ]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=15 month drought.]
(-------------)
[TALENT=Kimberly]
[SS=none]

Despite the floods, a winter of regular rainfall will be needed throughout the state to get the groundwater back to healthy levels.

[E-Waterworks]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-31 1:30:22]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A man who wants to be a Franklin County supervisor will be in court today on assault charges.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.;]

David Talbott admits he pushed the owner of his local water company at Smith Mountain Lake.
For more than a month Robert Winney of Waterworks refused to fix a broken pipe near Talbott's yard.
The health department says the pipe leaked two to four gallons of water every minute.
When residents finally fixed it, Winney shoveled gravel over the pipe.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:29:57]
[IN Q=No I pushed]
((NO I PUSHED HIM BACK. IT WAS THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET HIS ATTENTION. I DO NOT THINK THAT CONSTITUTES ASSAULT.))
[SUPER=01-David Talbott/Candidate for Supervisor;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=constitutes assault]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Robert Winney has been at odds with residents for years.
Last April the State Corporation Commission fined Winney 25-hundred dollars for overcharging his customers.
(------------)

[2-Red-Cross]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-27 TC1:25:40]
[GRAPHIC=Floyd Aftermath]
[***ANCHOR TAG****]
Some areas of eastern North Carolina are going through a second round of flooding in less than two weeks.
Up to six inches of rain has fallen in areas already hit hard by Hurricane Floyd -- and more rain is in today's forecast.
[SS=Floyd Relief]

And that means even more money will be needed for recovery efforts.
The Roanoke Red Cross chapter hopes to raise 53-thousand dollars.
And its more than halfway there, with 31-thousand in contributions.
Kate Weidaw has more.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=everyday stacks of]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tom Brown/Roanoke Chapter Manager; :12]
[SUPER=@Kate1; 1:05]
[RUNS=1:13]
[OUT Q=kw news 7]
((Everyday stacks of 40 to 50 envelopes with donations ranging from five dollars to five hundred dollars come into the Roanoke Red Cross.
[SOT 2:20:21]
[INQ=]
((TOM BROWN/ROANOKE CHAPTER MANAGER: IT'S JUST HEART WARMING TO KNOW WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO CAN RESPOND FINANCIALLY TO THESE DISASTERS.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= :9]
And with damages estimated in the billions for North Carolina - any contribution helps. Especially since farms, as well as homes and businesses, are still under water. Many are still in shelters.
[SOT 2:16:08]
[INQ=]
((TOM BROWN/ROANOKE CHAPTER MANAGER: WE HAVE 24 SHELTERS OPEN AND OVER 2000 PEOPLE IN THE SHELTERS WHICH IS KIND OF UNUSUAL TO HAVE SHELTERS OPEN THIS LONG AFTER A DISASTER.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= :15]
Once residents begin to return home, new supplies will be in demand. That's when donation money is needed the most.
[SOT 2:17:15]
[INQ=]
((TOM BROWN/ROANOKE CHAPTER MANAGER: WE WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH FOOD CLOTHING WHEN THEY CAN GO BACK INTO A LIVING SPACE, SOME FURNITURE TO GO INTO THEIR NEW LIVING AREA.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= :15]
[STANDUP]
[INQ=]
((KATE WEIDAW/REPORTING: IF YOU ARE WANTING TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION YOU BRING IT INTO THE RED CROSS OR YOU CAN MAIL IT TO YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER. KATE WEIDAW NEWS 7.)) [OUTQ]
[RUNS=]))
(XXXXXXXX)
[WIPE to Full Screen Address]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

The address for the Roanoke Chapter of the American Red Cross is 352 Church Avenue Southwest, Roanoke. The zip code is 24016.
(-------------)

[church-relief]

[ANCHOR=mel]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Floyd Relief]

North Carolina flood victims are also getting some much need supplies via the nation's capital.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Washington DC;]

Some Washington D-C Church goers decided that watching televised reports was more than they could stand.
So they set out to help.
They've been collecting clothing, food, medicine and whatever else they can get for flood victims in North Carolina.
So far they've filled five tractor-trailers with two more arriving this morning.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[4:06:21-30]
[IN Q=It's a time....]
[SUPER=01-Burton "Quick" Moody/Junior Deacon;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=Everybody that's down in NC.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

More than 30 Washington churches have contributed to the North Carolina aid effort.
(------------)

[Car-tests]

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

Buying an expensive car -- could mean expensive repairs -- even if you have only a fender-bender.
The latest crash test results are out-- and they are grim-- for several high-end vehicles.
Lee Cowan reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[4:12:07]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=04-Institue for Highway Safety; :03]
[SUPER=01-Julie Rochman/Institute For Highway Safety; :14]
[SUPER=01-Lee Cowan/Reporting; :56]
[RUNS=1:28]
[OUT Q=Washington]
(( COURTESY: INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY
(NAT)
"3..2..1."
From the front...
(NAT)
"crash"
...to the back...
(NAT)
..."crash"
An insurance research groups says bumpers on some of today's most expensive cars, aren't bumpers at all.
SOT/JULIE ROCHMAN, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY

"Unfortunately, what we're seeing in these vehicles is bumpers that don't bump, they're essentially functioning more like trim."
In slow speed crash experiments conducted by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - none of the 7 cars tested came out without extensive and costly damage.
GRAPHIC:
The most expensive repairs had to be made to the most expensive cars - The Lexus GS 400 and the Cadillac Seville -- both sustaining almost 3-thousand dollars worth of damage over the course of four
tests at speeds only slightly faster than most people walk.
SOT/JULIE ROCHMAN, INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY

"Abysmal. They were just horrible performers. There is no reason that new designed vehicles shouldn't do much better that this class did."
COWAN ON CAM:
"Industry analysts point out these are some of the most common kinds of accidents that occur in parking lots and commuter traffic - and although some improvements have been made over the last several years, most bumpers are still inadequate.
But car manufacturers maintain the crash tests do not simulate the real world, and bumpers still absorb most of the impact from a slow speed collision. Still, the bottom line may be that paying once for an expensive car doesn't mean you won't pay again down the road. Lee Cowan, CBS News, Washington.))

[Three-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#M99-5]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[On Record]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
(I'll intro)
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=they ought to have]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Perry Whorles/Roanoke Gas; 1:03]
[RUNS=2:22]
[OUT Q=qualified man anyway]

[Steve Live]
(I'll call for #)
[SUPER=16-(540) 777-4427/Roanoke Gas;]

[double Boxes=SPA & MEL]
(toss to Melanie)

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]
(ad lib toss to bump)
[BUMP-Chyron]
[COMM #6]
((Archive: gas heat))

[2-E-Dead-cats]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-28 Tc1:38:39]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

The Salem couple convicted of abusing dozens of cats will spend eight days in jail and pay a fine.
Keith Humphry has details of Cheryl and Michael Boyd's day in court.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The facts were]
[SUPER=03-Salem/July; :00]
[SUPER=01-Cheryl Boyd/Cat Owner; :18 -- QUICK!!!]
[SUPER=01-Michael Boyd/Cat Owner; :29 -- QUICK!!!]
[RUNS=1:07]
[OUT Q=Humphry, NEWS 7.]
(( The facts were plain enough: 57 cats in one house- -not including the dead ones- -23 stashed in the freezer, two more carcasses under the couch.
But the Boyds couldn't see they'd done anything wrong.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:21:05]
[IN Q=No, I could]
((NO, I COULD NEVER HURT AN ANIMAL.))
[RUNS= 02]
[OUT Q=hurt an animal.]

The prosecutor wanted to know how anyone could LIVE in a house with that many cats- -dead or alive.
"We eat out 'most every night," Michael Boyd said.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 9:13:20]
[IN Q= I guess we]
((I GUESS WE JUST LOVED THEM TOO MUCH TO GET RID OF THEM.))
[RUNS= 02]
[OUT Q=rid of them.]

Now they'll have to get rid of the three cats- -they HAD been allowed to keep... one of the conditions of their suspended sentence.
When asked if he'd sought counseling, Boyd said he doesn't need it now. "All my cats are gone," he said.
In a plaintive moment inside the clerk's office, Boyd said "we're not bad people."
The couple will be evaluated by the community corrections program. They must pay fines totaling 700 dollars, serve four weekends in jail and stay away from domestic animals for two years... and perform 100 hours of community service work at the S-P-C-A.
Keith Humphry, NEWS 7.))

[S-Buoys]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-34 56:44]
[GRAPHIC=SML Buoy Battle]

Smith Mountain Lake residents have won their battle: boaters must slow down.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.;]

No-wake buoys force boaters to proceed only at "idle speed."
The lake's policy advisory board wanted the power to remove old no-wake buoys in private coves.
But Bedford County supervisors say they approved those buoys years ago, and there is no reason to change them now.

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

[3-Sports]

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

In sports, a speedway is losing some races and Sammy Sosa taking the lead in the homerun race.
Mike Stevens has the details.
Good Morning Mike.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[RUNS=2:18]
[OUT Q=take care.]

[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]

The Roanoke Red Cross chapter has set lofty goal for its flood relief efforts.
The chapter wants to collect 53-thousand dollars.
So far, people have donated some 31-thousand dollars.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

A controversial strip mall in the Boonsboro section of Lynchburg has been given the go- ahead.
Lynchburg city council voted 5- to- 1 to rezone a small patch of land off Boonsboro Road to allow for the construction of a stormwater retention pond.
The pond will serve a development that will include a gas station, car wash and strip mall.
More than 900 nearby residents signed a petition opposing the project.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

The rain may be falling and the water level at Carvins Cove rising, but that doesn't mean Roanoke's water emergency is over.
As of the most recent measurement, the level was still more than 22 feet below full pond.
City officials say water restrictions will remain in effect until the water level hits 18 feet.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
(Kimberly mic hot)
(///////////////)
[2 shot=Mel/Kmc]
(Kimberly ad lib weather)
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[Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]
(toss)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)
(ad lib bye) [Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]