WDBJ 7 morning news for 11/11/99

[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

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

A explosion at a Michigan nursing homes leaves several people dead and injured.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
And the E-P-A presses for criminal charges against Roanoke for burying chemical waste.
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

A bit cooler today, but still rather comfortable.
The sun, however, will be a limited commodity as a cold front approaches with clouds and scattered showers.
The latest forecast is up next.
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(ad lib live tease)
[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[E-Buried-barrels]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-41 37:28]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke City Seal]

The City of Roanoke could face criminal penalties for burying chemical waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency is pressing for felony charges and criminal sanctions against the city.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/December 1997]

The investigation dates back to the discovery of contaminated waste stored in 55-gallon drums, then buried underground at the service center on Courtland Avenue.
Sources say the city will probably have to answer to criminal charges for storing waste in buried barrels... either by entering a guilty plea to criminal information or going to trial.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=None]

City officials have begun putting together an environmental awareness program for city workers and local residents-- one which may include municipal employees from around the region.

[Switched-Babies]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Switched Babies]

A judge in Buena Vista will begin hearing evidence today in a custody battle over one of the two little girls switched at birth.
Paula Johnson is seeking custody of her biological daughter, Rebecca Chittum.
Rebecca and the daughter of a Buena Vista couple were switched at the U-V-A Medical Center in 1995.
Rebecca is being raised by the parents of the Buena Vista couple.
Johnson wants to raise both girls.
We'll have more on the story on News-7 at Noon.

[Fetal-Protection]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=am]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-48 TC12:14]
[GRAPHIC=None]

If a criminal kills or injures a pregnant woman and her fetus - should the assailant be charged with two crimes?
A bill called the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 calls for the fetus and the mother to be considered separate entities under the law-- when a person hurts or kills both mother and fetus.
Last night at Hollins University both sides were debated.
Kate Weidaw has the story.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=when a criminal]
[SUPER=01-Fiona Givens/Virginia Society for Life; :00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :10]
[SUPER=01-David Nova/Planned Parenthood; :26]
[SUPER=07-Gregory Tully; :54]
[SUPER=07-Tammy Evans; 1:03]
[SUPER=@Kate1; 1:10]
[RUNS=1:27]
[OUT Q=kwe news 7.]
(([SOT 22:39]
[INQ=]
((FIONA GIVENS/VIRGINIA SOCIETY FOR LIFE: WHEN A CRIMINAL ASSAILANT KILLS A PREGNANT WOMAN THE ASSAILANT SHOULD BE PUNISHED TWICE ONCE FOR KILLING A PREGNANT WOMAN AND AGAIN FOR DEPRIVING HER OF HER PREGNANCY.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 10]
Fiona Givens is a strong supporter of a proposed bill that requires harsher punishments for criminals that commit acts of violence against pregnant women. Her opponent - David Nova from Planned Parenthood - says the bill could eventually undermine a woman's right to choose.

[SOT 16:11]
[INQ=]
((DAVID NOVA/PLANNED PARENTHOOD: WE SEE IT AS A DIRECT ATTACK AGAINST ROW VERSUS WADE AND ULTIMATELY INTERVENING ON THE WOMAN'S RIGHT OF ABORTION SERVICES.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 8]
During the debate in front of Hollins students, Givens said the bill does not penalize a woman wanting or having an abortion - it simply makes criminals liable for killing a fetus. Nova says it still has implications for the abortion debate. Students attending tonight's debate had mixed views on the proposed legislation.
[SOT 46:34]
[INQ=]
((GREG : I LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT ADDRESSEES CRIMINAL AND MAKES THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST TWO CRIMES.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 9]
[SOT 47:24]
[INQ=]
((TAMMY EVANS: THE BABY IS TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON THE MOTHER AND I DON'T SEE HOW THEY ARE SEPARATE BEINGS WHEN THEY CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ONE ANOTHER.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS= 6]
[STANDUP]
[INQ=]
((KATE WEIDAW/REPORTING:PRO CHOICE ADVOCATES SAY THE BILL IS A TRAP SET TO DIVIDE AMERICANS ON ABORTION WHILE PRO LIFE SUPPORTERS SAY THE BILL IS JUST ABOUT PREVENTING ATTACKS ON PREGNANT WOMAN. MEANWHILE CONGRESS IS CONSIDERING THE BILL. KATE WEIDAW NEWS 7.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS=]))

[E-Wilkins]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-44 48:56]
[GRAPHIC=Wilkins]

It looks like a Central Virginia lawmaker will make history.
Amherst Delegate Vance Wilkins now appears to have his party's vote locked up to become Virginia's first Republican House Speaker ever.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

Wilkins' top opposition, Jack Rust of Fairfax, threw his support behind Wilkins yesterday.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The most important]
[SOT 13:03:05]
((DEL. JACK RUST/R-FAIRFAX: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS THAT WE COME OUT AS A UNIFIED CAUCUS.))
[sot from steve feed]
((DEL. VANCE WILKINS/R-AMHERST: I TALKED TO JACK LAST NIGHT AND I SAID DON'T WORRY ABOUT NOT DOING THIS, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE PLENTY FOR YOU TO DO'. [:07] THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF THINGS WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND WE DON'T NEED TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONE TIME, ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY AND WE WON'T CHANGE THE WORLD IN A DAY EITHER. [:16]))
[SUPER=01-Del. Jack Rust/(R) Fairfax; :00]
[SUPER=@Wilkins; :06]
[RUNS=:21]
[OUT Q=day either.]
(-------------)
[TALENT=Kimberly]
[SS=none]

Bedford Independent Lacey Putney was a possible compromise candidate for Speaker.
Putney has now also withdrawn his name from contention.

[MI-FIRE]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Fire]

Five people are dead and several more missing following a fire overnight at a Michigan nursing home.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Flint, MI;]

Officials say the fire started after a boiler in the basement of the one-story building exploded.
More than 100 people were inside at the time.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I thought it]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=didn't want to go.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

At the time of the explosion, several nursing home workers were in the basement near the boiler.
Officials have yet to find them.
Area hospitals are treating the wounded -- some are reportedly in critical condition.
Several firefighters and an ambulance worker are being treated for smoke inhalation.
(------------)

[1-Sports]

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

In sports, Mike Stevens has highlights from another night of girls high school basketball.
Good Morning Mike.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=1:28]
[OUT Q=have that later]

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

[One-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#M99-6]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[Roll Cold out of Break]
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=welcome back]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jim Lange/Former "Dating Game" Host; :29 quick!!!!]
[SUPER=03-"The Dating Game"/The Game Show Network; :36 ]
[SUPER=01-Trish McDermott/Online Dating Expert; 1:15]
[RUNS=2:26]
[OUT Q=News 7 Mornin' Returns]

(tape tosses to stocks)
[STOCKS] [COMM] ((Archive: on line dating))

[KINKEL-SENTENCING]

[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=MORN]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Legal scales]

Kip Kinkel will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Springfield, OR/May 1998;]

He's the seventeen year old from Oregon who opened up fire at his high school and killed two fellow students.
The night before he killed his parents.
Because he was under age at the time of the shootings kinkel was not eligible for the death penalty.
Instead the judge handed him a 100 and eleven year sentence.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I hope he lives with ]
(( JOSH RYKER, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT; I HOPE HE LIVES WITH THE MENTAL IMAGES OF WHAT HE'S DONE TO US FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. JENNIFER ALLDREDGE, SHOOTING VICTIM 14;54;02 UNTIL THE SCARS GO AWAY, UNTIL MY HAND HEALS, UNTIL MY BOYFRIEND STOPS FEELING GUILTY FOR NOT SAVING HIS FRIEND FROM DYING..IT GO AWAY.. ))
[SUPER=01-Josh Ryker/High School Student; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jennifer Alldredge/Shooting Victim; :06]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=won't go away.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Attorney's for Kinkel claim it's unfair to lock away a mentally ill teenager.
(------------)

[Bedford-Student]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Bedford County sheriff's authorities have charged an 8th-grader with selling L-S-D at Jefferson Forest High School.
The alleged transaction took place Tuesday and was reported to the school resource officer.
It turned out to be a plain piece of paper.
The student was arrested but has since been released into his parents' custody.

[E-Allstate]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-42 54:39]
[GRAPHIC=Allstate Reorganization]

Allstate says when the ax drops ... slashing 4-thousand jobs nationwide ... it won't take a cut out of the Roanoke Valley.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

The service center in Roanoke County shut down for more than an hour yesterday while employees found out what was going on.
Everyone was listening to a conference call ... and waiting to find out if Allstate's reorganization would cost anyone a job.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 54:05//////53:26]
[IN Q=no one]
((RICK ZAHARIAS/ALLSTATE VICE PRESIDENT: NO ONE WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THEY'D BEEN LAID OFF OR THEY WERE LOSING A JOB. ////// WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME WORK OUT AND BRING NEW WORK IN. SO THE WORK WE LOSE IS GOING TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW WORK. SO WE'RE NOT LOSING PEOPLE.))
[SUPER=01-Rick Zaharias/Allstate Vice President]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=NOT LOSING PEOPLE]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

About 85-percent of the people who work at the service center will see the scope of their job change ... but the company insists their jobs will stay here.
The company is changing the way it does business ... selling insurance online and through an 800-number.
(------------)

[S-New-Bridge]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=99-39 46:18]
[GRAPHIC=None]

It is considered a "bridge to the future" of transportation in Virginia.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;]

This northbound ramp on Interstate- 81 is the testing site for a new fiberglass- reinforced bridge.
A section of concrete was replaced by what's called E-Z Span.
It weighs just a fraction of concrete, and tests show it's as tough as steel.
V-DOT officials think it may better withstand the wear from water and road salt.
If all goes well with the year-long experiment, officials say the fiberglass bridge will be installed at a permanent site.
(------------)

[Health-Check]

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

In medical news, orange juice may be a big help for your cholesterol levels.
Doctor Dave Hnida has that story and more in this morning's Health check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Dave Hnida/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:38]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]
((If you think cholesterol lowering margarine is the magic bullet, think again.
VT=VO
((vo)) A new study from the American Heart Association concludes one new margarine Take Control does lower cholesterol but not all that much. In fact, researchers say if you are relying on this type of magic margarine to lower your cholesterol you had better eat it with lots of fruits and vegetables to get a significant drop in your numbers.
VT=VO
((vo)) One way you may want to go is orange juice, but even here, you'll need about three small glasses a day. A study from the University of Western, Ontario shows orange juice every day can raise your HDL or good cholesterol by about 21%..which is considered to be a large increase. While three glasses a day may sound like a lot for some people, it may be a better way than medication.
VT=VO
((vo)) Now if you already have heart problems, or for that matter diabetes, one type of medication that may save your life is an ace inhibitor. Ace inhibitors are a class of high blood pressure drugs which have been found to provide extra heart protection for people with diabetes or heart failure. They lower the risk of a heart attack by about 25%..which is more potent than aspirin.
VT=VO
((vo)) And finally today, a rat study..but still it's one that should make your mom feel good. A study in the Journal Nature finds after giving birth, rats get smarter mainly by making new connections between brain cells. Researchers say the hormone of pregnancy along with the stimulation of parenting improves memory and raises IQ. That's what you always hear, mom knows best.
ONCAM=DR DAVE
((on cam)) That's a look at the day's health stories. I'm Dr. Dave Hnida for CBS News.))

(ad lib to weather)

[Two-Steve]

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

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

(I'll call for boards)
[essc#8700]
[essc#8701]

[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]

A deadly fire at a Flint, Michigan nursing home has left all the residents there homeless.
Fire officials say the boiler in the basement exploded causing the walls and ceilings to collapse.
The injured are at area hospitals while others are taking refuge at nearby churches.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

A judge in Buena Vista will begin hearing evidence today in a custody battle linking two four-year-old girls who were switched at birth in 19-95 at the University of Virginia Medical Center.
Paula Johnson is seeking custody of her biological daughter, Rebecca Chittum.
The biological parents of Callie Conley were killed an auto accident.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

The Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice has voted to decertify the state's largest juvenile prison.
The board cited overcrowding and sexual misconduct at the Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center in taking yesterday's action.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Thursday November 11.
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[2-Switched-Babies]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Switched Babies]

The custody battle over one of the two little girls switched at birth moves into a Buena Vista courtroom today.
Paula Johnson is seeking custody of her biological daughter, Rebecca Chittum.
Rebecca and the daughter of a Buena Vista couple were switched at the U-V-A Medical Center in 1995.
Rebecca is being raised by the parents of the Buena Vista couple.
Johnson wants to raise both girls.
We'll have more on the story on News-7 at Noon.

[E-L'burg-Baby]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-45 38:36]
[GRAPHIC=None]

It was six years ago that an abandoned baby was found in Lynchburg and now police say they've solved the case.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/November 1993]

It was November of 1993, when 15-year old Shekita Champion told police she found a newborn baby girl in a trash heap behind her home.
Police always suspected Champion was the baby's mother but could never prove it until recently.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:36:08]
[IN Q=The original story]
((CAPT. EARL BURNETTE/LYNCHBURG POLICE: THE ORIGINAL STORY DIDN'T QUITE ADD UP, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULDN'T QUITE PUT YOUR FINGER ON. THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, THERE WAS NO ADMISSION ON HER PART, YOU HAD NO PROBABLE CAUSE TO PURSUE HER ANY FURTHER LEGALLY. WE HAD NO PROBABLE CAUSE FOR A CHARGE BUT WE JUST FELT HER STORY WASN'T RIGHT.))
[SUPER=01-Capt. Earl Burnette/Lynchburg Police Department]
[RUNS=19]
[OUT Q=story wasn't right.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Burnette says D-N-A tests show Champion is the girl's mother.
She was arrested yesterday in Washington D-C and awaits extradition back to Virginia.
(------------)

[2-E-Buried-barrels]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-41 37:28]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke City Seal]

The Environmental Protection Agency is pressing for felony charges and criminal sanctions against the city of Roanoke.
The city could face criminal penalties for burying chemical waste.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/December 1997]

The investigation dates back to the discovery of contaminated waste stored in 55-gallon drums, then buried underground at the service center on Courtland Avenue.
Sources say the city will probably have to answer to criminal charges for storing waste in buried barrels... either by entering a guilty plea to criminal information or going to trial.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=None]

City officials have begun putting together an environmental awareness program for city workers and local residents-- one which may include municipal employees from around the region.

[Draft-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Fire]

A volunteer firefighter in Augusta County faces arson and murder charges for the fire that killed his one year old son.
Michael Ledford was among those who responded to the fire at his apartment on October tenth.
It broke out a few hours after the family celebrated Zachery Ledford's first birthday.
His wife was severely injured in the fire and is still hospitalized.
The 23-year-old Ledford is being held without bond at the Augusta County jail.

[fatal-fire]

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

Five people people are dead and several others are missing following a fire at a nursing home in Flint, Michigan.

Officials say the fire started after a basement boiler exploded.
Lauren Bishop reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[4:45]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Flint, MI; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jim Horton/Asst. Flint Fire Chief; :42]
[SUPER=01-Lauren Bishop/Reporting; 1:13]
[RUNS=1:23]
[OUT Q=CBS NEWS FLINT, MI.]
((SUPER: Flint, MI
As flames shot into the night sky, rescuers swooped down on the nursing home trying to free trapped residents. But the force of the fire pushed them back.
SOT: Robert Pickell/Gen. Co. Sheriff (PRE-FONTED)
"The heat was just so intense immediately after the explosion"
Officials say a basement boiler exploded.. knocking down walls and the ceiling. Area residents report hearing a large blast.
MOS SOT: "Well, me and my son here were in the house and I heard a large explosion. And I looked out the door and seen
my neighbor walking out. I said I'd never heard anything like that in my life."
At the time of the explosion, several nursing home workers were in the basement near the boiler. Officials have yet to find them and fear the worst
SOT: Jim Horton/Flynt Asst. Fire Chief

Area hospitals are treating the wounded -- some are reportedly in critical condition. Also injured in the blast -- several firefighters and an ambulance worker. They're being treated for smoke inhalation.
This explosion has left all the elderly residents without a home. Several area churches and nearby nursing homes have opened up their doors to the survivors. Stand-up Close SUPER: LAUREN BISHOP/REPORTING))

[BUILDING-COLLAPSE]

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

A pre-dawn apartment building collapse in southern Italy has left at least 8 dead and many others trapped in the rubble.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Foggia, Italy;]
[3:02;25]
Officials say at least 70 people were in the building at the time of collapse.
Witnesses report hearing no explosions before the accident.
Authorities suspect severe structural damage may have led to the collapse.
(------------)

[E-Wilkins]

[Three-Steve]

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

[On Record]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
(I'll intro with following script- we need to try and make it look like I was on tape)
Welcome back to News7 Mornin. Today I'm talking to Trish mcDermott, online dating expert from Match.com and Jim Lange former host of the Dating Game.
Jim, I'd like to start with you again, since the Game Show Network runs the Dating Game now have you enjoyed a resurgence in popularity?
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=yea the game show]
[SUPER=01-Jim Lange/Former "Dating Game" Host; :00 ]
[SUPER=01-Trish McDermott/Online Dating Expert; 1:15]
[SUPER=@File; :44]
[RUNS=1:19]
[OUT Q=thats priceless]

[Steve Live]

(I'll call for web address)
[SUPER=07-www.match/oceanprincess.com;]

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

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

[2-E-Allstate]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-42 54:39]
[GRAPHIC=Allstate Reorganization]

Allstate is slashing four thousand jobs nationwide.
But the company says none will be lost in the Roanoke Valley.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

The service center in Roanoke County shut down for more than an hour yesterday while employees found out what was going on.
Everyone was listening to a conference call ... and waiting to find out if Allstate's reorganization would cost anyone a job.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 54:05//////53:26]
[IN Q=no one]
((RICK ZAHARIAS/ALLSTATE VICE PRESIDENT: NO ONE WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THEY'D BEEN LAID OFF OR THEY WERE LOSING A JOB. ////// WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME WORK OUT AND BRING NEW WORK IN. SO THE WORK WE LOSE IS GOING TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW WORK. SO WE'RE NOT LOSING PEOPLE.))
[SUPER=01-Rick Zaharias/Allstate Vice President]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=NOT LOSING PEOPLE]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

About 85-percent of the people who work at the service center will see the scope of their job change ... but the company insists their jobs will stay here.
The company is changing the way it does business ... selling insurance online and through an 800-number.
(------------)

[2-Bedford-Student]

[5-Beaumont]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=599-14 51:46]
[GRAPHIC=None]

They're NOT closing it down-- but Virginia's Juvenile Justice Board has "de-certified" the state's largest juvenile prison.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Powhatan Co./File Tape]

Beaumont Juvenile Correctional Center currently holds 27 percent more teen inmates than it's designed to handle.
And it's 25 security officers SHORT.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I'm at the]
[sot 12:57:15]
((LT. CHIP HARDING/JUVENILE JUSTICE BOARD: I'M AT THE POINT WHERE IF MY SON WAS IN TROUBLE, HE WOULDN'T GO TO BEAUMONT. IF I HAD TO FLEE THE COUNTRY WITH MY SON, I WOULD NOT LET JUVENILE JUSTICE PUT HIM AT BEAUMONT, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF HE WOULD SURVIVE.))
[sot 11:58:38]
((CONNIE SEAGLE/JUVENILE JUSTICE BOARD: I AM SURE THAT GOVERNOR GILMORE WILL MAKE THIS A PRIORITY.))
[sot 13:05:04 ]
((DEL. JAY DEBOER/D-PETERSBURG: I THINK IT SHOWS CONSIDERABLE COURAGE BY A POLITICALLY APPOINTED BOARD TO TAKE AN ACTION SUCH AS THIS THAT OBVIOUSLY MUST BE AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION.))
[SUPER=01-Lt. Chip Harding/Juvenile Justice Board; :00]
[SUPER=01-Connie Seagle/Juvenile Justice Board; :12]
[SUPER=01-Del. Jay DeBoer/(D) Petersburg; :18]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=the administration.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Gilmore administration says conditions and discipline at Beaumont do NOT merit "emergency" attention-- but conditions are slowly being improved.
Beaumont was passed over for state certification ten times before today's board action.
(------------)

[S-College-Risk]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=99-34 1:58:55]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A new national crime-risk study ranks Ferrum College, Hollins and Liberty Universities among the safest college communities in Virginia.
The rest of the colleges and universities hereabouts are ranked in the "moderate risk" category.
(----------)
[VO-NAT]

It's the result of a national analysis available on the Internet that looks at crime statistics for areas immediately surrounding college campuses.
While campus neighborhoods in southwest Virginia are generally ranked safe, some in eastern Virginia are ranked in the high-risk category, including V-C-U, Norfolk State, and Old Dominion. However, none were ranked among the nation's 50 highest-risk.
(+++++++)
[Take Web Watch FS]
For a direct link to the rankings, log onto our home page at W-D-B-J- -7-dot-com, and click "Webwatch".
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[3-Sports]

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

In sports, NASCAR plans to make a multi-million dollar television deal.
Mike Stevens has that and notes on a local football star's N-F-L debut.
Good Morning Mike.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=2:04]
[OUT Q=conference women]

[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:
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

A judge in Buena Vista will begin hearing evidence today in a custody battle over one of the two little girls switched at birth.
Paula Johnson is seeking custody of her biological daughter, Rebecca Chittum.
Rebecca and the daughter of a Buena Vista couple were switched at the U-V-A Medical Center in 1995.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

The City of Roanoke could face criminal penalties for burying chemical waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency is pressing for felony charges and criminal sanctions against the city.
The investigation dates back to the discovery of contaminated waste stored in 55-gallon drums, then buried underground at the service center on Courtland Avenue.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Allstate says when the ax drops ... slashing 4-thousand jobs nationwide ... it won't take a cut out of the Roanoke Valley.
The service center in Roanoke County shut down for more than an hour yesterday while employees found out what was going on.
About 85-percent of the people who work at the service center will see the scope of their job change ... but the company insists their jobs will stay here.
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[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
(Kimberly mic hot)
(///////////////)
(Kimberly ad lib weather)
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[Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]
(toss)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)
[Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]
(ad lib bye)