[7-E-Fire-Latest]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=99-50 34:14]
[GRAPHIC=Ft. Lewis Mtn. Fire]
After days of battling the fire on Fort Lewis mountain, firefighters are happy with their progress.
In fact, the command post may be shut down today and crews may be sent home.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Last Night;]
Last night, firefighters sat down for dinner.
Among the menu items: 150 steaks, 150 chicken breasts, donated by Kroger, Food Lion, and Giorgos restaurant (GEORGE-Ohs) in Vinton.
The blaze that charred around a thousand acres was 100 percent contained by yesterday evening.
But it could be weeks before the embers still smoldering on the mountain are snuffed for good.
The Department of Forestry will continue to monitor the situation until that happens.
Scott Goldberg has more on the clean up efforts.
(------------)
[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]
[7-E-Brush-Fire]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutin]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-40 1:41:50]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=natsound]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
[SUPER=01-Mario Romero/New Mexico Firefighter; :10 - quick!!!!]
[SUPER=01-John Albert/New Mexico Firefighter; :25]
[SUPER=01-Chris Thomsen/Va. Dept. of Forestry; :51]
[RUNS=1:10]
[OUT Q=N7, Roanoke Co.]
(///// SOT /////)
(([SOT from "New Mexico Fire Crew" tape]
[IN Q=natsound]
((NATSOUND: RAKING LEAVES, BURYING EMBERS.))
[RUNS= 02]
[OUT Q=]
Cooling the few hot spots still smoking on Fort Lewis Mountain ... local crews got the federal help they've needed all week.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT same tape at 21:39:58]
[IN Q=just walking]
((MARIO ROMERO: JUST WALKING ...COVERING COALS WITH THE DIRT.))
[RUNS= 05]
[OUT Q=WITH THE DIRT]
The two 20-man teams from New Mexico get 10-dollars and 12-cents an hour for a mop-up effort that's expected to last a couple of days.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT "thomsen thurs" tape at 39:52]
[IN Q=what's in it]
((Scott Goldberg: What's in it for you? JOHN ALBERT: GOOD MONEY. GOOD JOB. AND ADVENTURE -- AN ADVENTURE!))
[RUNS= 12]
[OUT Q=ADVENTURE, AN ADVENTURE (double out)]
What they get paid adds to the hundreds of thousands of dollars already spent fighting the fire.
A cost that'll be paid by whoever started it -- if it turns out to be arson -- someone who also could get five years behind bars for lighting the blaze that kept crews working around the clock since Monday.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT "thomsen thurs fire" tape 26:56]
[IN Q=if somebody]
((THOMSEN: IF SOMEBODY MALICIOUSLY SET THE FIRE ... THAT'S JUST MEANNESS ... THOSE PEOPLE BELONG IN JAIL.))
[RUNS= 04]
[OUT Q=IN JAIL]
But the Forestry Department says the fire won't leave lasting scars.
Fresh vegetation will grow out of the ashes.
And hunters will be allowed back in the woods ... as soon as the last hot spot stops smoking.
Scott Goldberg, News-7, Roanoke County.
(----------)))
[7-Grand-Jury]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Vinton Police Investigation]
Testimony in the grand jury investigation of retired Vinton Police Lieutenant Bill Brown continues today.
And the special prosecutor says it won't be the last.
Neil Vener said yesterday that it could be next year before grand jurors complete their investigation into allegations of wrong-doing on Brown's part.
Vener said town officials reviewed the case with State Police before convincing Lieutenant Brown and Chief Ricky Foutz to quit.
[7-OSHA-Rubatex]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Rubatex]
OSHA inspectors are checking out Rubatex, reportedly after a series of recent accidents at the Bedford plant.
The United Steelworkers of America Local 240 says it asked inspectors to investigate.
The Union says Rubatex employees have suffered injuries three times in the past month: Two had a finger cut off, and another person's hand was caught in a mill.
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Here now is a look at your Friday forecast.
Sunny and mild today with light winds.
High temperatures reaching the mid 60s.
Tonight, partly cloudy with winds.
Low temperatures in the 40s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Mild/Winds S 10/62-66/Partly Cloudy/Light S Winds/42-46;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[45-Prison-Cameras]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-41 45:07]
[GRAPHIC=VA Prisons]
A ban against news cameras inside Virginia prison's has been lifted.
However, some prisons will still be off limits.
The blackout began in the spring of 1995, when Willie Lloyd Turner was executed... and a loaded gun was found inside a typewriter in the cell right outside the execution chamber.
Ellen Qualls reports.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=nat sound]
[SUPER=03-Powhatan Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ron Angelone/Virginia Corrections Director; :20 ]
[SUPER=01-Laura Rinier/Inmate Advocate; :54 ]
[SUPER=@Ellen1; 1:09]
[RUNS=1:27]
[OUT Q=News-7 Richmond]
(([nat sot gate]
[runs:04]
41 low and medium security institutions are finally re-opened to cameras and recording devices... for tours and interviews and limited inspection.
The prisons director says it's NOT just to generate good publicity at a time when juvenile prisons are under fire.
[sot 23:54:55]
((ANGELONE: WELL I BEEN GETTING BEAT UP FOR SIX YEARS. ... ADVANTAGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY.))
[runs:23]
Inmate advocates say the new policy is good news-- for inmate families and taxpayers.
But why are the state's seven most hard-core prisons still off-limits?
[sot 16:06:21]
((LAURA RINIER/INMATE ADVOCATE: THE PLACES WHERE ARE THE MOST ALLEGATIONS OF INHUMANE, CRUEL TREATMENT...NOTHING TO HIDE, WHY NOT LET YOU IN?))
[runs:15]
[STANDUP]))
[45-E-Biomedical]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=99-49 16:06]
[GRAPHIC=Carilion Biomedical]
The Roanoke Valley moves into the 21st century with a medical science and technology center.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; ]
The heads of Carilion Health System, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia are teaming up to create the Biomedical Institute.
Teams of scientists from the universities will research robotics, lasers and patches that can diagnose disease.
Right now, the 75 million dollar project will create about 20 jobs, but the partners believe that number will grow in the coming years.
(------------)
[45-OSHA-Rubatex]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Rubatex]
OSHA inspectors are checking out Rubatex, reportedly after a series of recent accidents at the Bedford plant.
The United Steelworkers of America Local 240 says it asked inspectors to investigate.
The Union says Rubatex employees have suffered injuries three times in the past month: Two had fingers cut off, and another person's hand was caught in a mill.
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a moment now to check the Friday forecast...
Sunny and mild again today, with highs this afternoon reaching the mid 60s.
Turning partly cloudy tonight, with lows near 45.
The weekend outlook is calling for clouds to build tomorrow...with scattered showers by tomorrow evening.
Look for highs in the 60s...lows in the 40s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Mild/Winds S 10/62-66/Partly Cloudy/Light S Winds/42-46;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[8-Neighborhood]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Residents on Roanoke's Autumn Lane say they are fed up with a developer violating city ordinances.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Some say it's been an ongoing struggle getting city officials to crack down on a developer.
Aubrey Butler says the developer is putting up homes over a dumping site, which was labeled not suitable for building.
Many people who live on Autumn Lane boycotted last night's meeting with the developer and city officials.
Those who did show up say they are fed-up with the city's empty promises.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:34:10]
[IN Q=We want them]
((WE WANT THEM TO BE TRUTHFUL WITH US AND MAKE THE CONTRACTOR GO BY THE CITY CODES, AND QUIT GIVING HIM ANYTHING HE WANTS))
[SUPER=01-Douglas Woody/Autumn Lane Resident]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=he wants]
(----------)
[VO-NAT]
City officials say the developer did have past violations, but those violations have been fixed and the developer has been approved to build 11 homes on the site.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:23:46]
[IN Q=Subsoil conditions]
((SUBSOIL CONDITIONS OF THE SITE WERE REQUESTED AND PROVIDED AND IT WAS DETERMINED BY DOING CERTAIN THINGS TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS THAT OF THE BUILDING CODE THAT THE LOTS COULD BE DEVELOPED.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Taselli/City Development Review Coord.]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=could be developed]
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
City officials say the site is inspected on a regular basis and all violations are handled promptly.
(-------------)
[8-E-Henry-Wreck]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-37 1:50:50]
[GRAPHIC=Accident Investigation]
The Martinsville man who fled the scene of a burning car wreck early yesterday morning now faces criminal charges.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.;]
State police say that the driver, 25-year old Blake Warren Athey, walked away from the accident with minor injuries after he hit a utility pole.
It took rescuers more than 45 minutes to get 21-year old John W. Tunnell out of the car.
He was severely burned and is still in critical condition.
Authorities tracked Athey down this morning at a friend's house.
He's charged with leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.
(------------)
[8-S-Post-Office]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-38 1:12:16]
[GRAPHIC=Postal Service]
A contract post office in Bedford County is closed after some clerks were accused of running a scam.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Huddleston;]
Postal inspectors closed the post office located in a Huddleston convenience store.
Residents say clerks post-dated money orders, possibly to use the money in the meantime.
Investigators say convenience store employees may have also mixed money from the store and the post office.
They have not yet decided whether to file criminal charges.
All mail is being forwarded to the main Huddleston post office.
(------------)
[8-S-Pluma]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-39 1:00:35]
[GRAPHIC=Pluma Liquidation]
A longtime Southside employer is closer to shutting down after selling off two of its plants.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville/September; ]
A bankruptcy court judge approved the sale of Pluma's Martinsville and Altavista plants for a total of about two-million dollars.
The Martinsville plant was bought by a Pennsylvania company that plans to sell off all of Pluma's remaining sewing equipment.
The Altavista plant was purchased by a local printing company.
Pluma is going out of business and selling all its assets.
(------------)
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
That's is for the news...here's a final look at the forecast.
Sunny and mild today, with a high near 65.
Skies will turn partly cloud ytonight, with lows near 45.
As for the next five days....scattered showers developing late tomorrow...then a mixture of clouds and sunshine through early next week.
Look for highs in the 60s...lows in the 40s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Sunny & Mild/Winds S 10/62-66/Partly Cloudy/Light S Winds/42-46;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS