WDBJ 7 morning news for 12/07/99

[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

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

Cutbacks at Volvo in Dublin mean hundreds of layoffs.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

And NASA fails to detect a signal from the Mars Polar Lander, calling it the ``last best chance'' to hear signs of life.
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

The colder air arrived late yesterday as winds shifted to the northwest...so it is a rather chilly morning out there.
Expect skies to stay clear throughout the day...with seasonably cool highs in the lower 50s today.
The complete forecast, coming up.
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(ad lib live tease)
[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[E-Volvo-Layoffs]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=am]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-47 TC25:27]
[GRAPHIC=Volvo Layoffs]

400 workers at the Volvo plant in Dublin will be laid off after the first of the year.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Vice President of Manufacturing issued this letter to employees yesterday, stating cutbacks were necessary because of a decline in orders for new trucks.
[SUPER=03-Dublin/File Tape]

Despite the company's confirmation of the layoffs - the local 20-69 United Auto Workers Union said that talks of layoffs are just rumors, and an official said the Union won't respond until it's definite.
A Volvo spokesman says the company's expansion plans are still on track.
Volvo Trucks employs about 32-hundred people, and took on 700 new workers just this year.
(------------)

[E-SB-Tultex]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-43 1:24:36]
[GRAPHIC=Tultex]

400 laid off Tultex workers in South Boston may have to look elsewhere for new jobs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-South Boston;]

Tultex shut down sewing operations at its South Boston plant last week. It was the ONLY plant where Tultex garments were made in the U-S.
Workers heading to the employment office are finding that without Tultex, South Boston's job market is tight.
Even before the layoffs, the area had one of the highest unemployment rates in the state-- nearly 7 percent.
(------------)

[Pittston]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

After seven decades in the business, Pittston plans to sell its coal operations.
The company operates 30 mines in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Company officials say the liabilities and performance of the coal industry prompted the decision.
The company will focus on its Brink's armored car and home security businesses and its B-A-X Global transportation and freight business.

[Hog-Farming]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-50 TC37:51]
[GRAPHIC=Hog Farming]

An effort to make it harder for those controversial hog farms to move into Campbell County passed last night, but many local farmers aren't happy.
Steve Smallshaw has more. OT
[SOT]
[IN Q=The original idea]
[SUPER=03-Campbell Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Hugh Pendleton/Campbell Co. Supervisor; :19]
[SUPER=01-Calvin Carter/Campbell Co. Supervisor; :26]
[SUPER=01-Hugh Rosser/Campbell Co. Supervisor; :49]
[SUPER=01-Carter Elliott/Dairy Farmer; 1:03]
[SUPER=@ssm1; 1:15]
[RUNS=1:25]
[OUT Q=Smallshaw, News7.]
(( The original idea was to closely regulate large- scale farms.. in particular swine breeding operations.. and make it harder for a potential hog farm to move into Campbell County.
Three supervisors said there was no need to include dairy and cattle in that definition.
[SOT 21:53:12]
((HUGH PENDLETON/CAMPBELL CO. SUPERVISOR: I SEE NO NEED FOR RESTRICTIONS AT THIS TIME ON CATTLE OR DAIRY, AND THAT'S WHY I LEFT THEM OUT OF THE MOTION.))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=the motion.]
[SOT 21:59:19]
((CALVIN CARTER/CAMPBELL CO. SUPERVISOR: I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD NOT PUT ANY HAMSTRING AROUND THE FARMERS' NECK, THAT'S WHERE WE GET OUR DAILY FOOD FROM.))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=food from.]

But Pendleton's motion failed.. and after making some minor changes, the board adopted the original ordinance that sets limits on the number of animals a facility can hold and how close it can be to nearby homes.
The four supervisors who voted for it say the county's farmers will never notice the difference.
[SOT 21:48:20]
((HUGH ROSSER/CAMPBELL CO. SUPERVISOR: I DON'T SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT MYSELF OR YOU AS FAMILY OPERATORS ON YOUR FARM.))
[RUNS= 09]
[OUT Q=on your farm.]

But farmers say they're now paying the price for the well- publicized sins of the hog industry.
[SOT 21:51:34]
((CARTER ELLIOTT/DAIRY FARMER: AN INTENSIVE FARMER IS STILL A FAMILY FARM, AND WE OPERATE ON SO MANY MORE REGULATIONS THAN DOES A NON- INTENSIVE FARMER, AND I THINK REALLY A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.))
[RUNS= 11]
[OUT Q=don't understand this.]
[Standup ] ((Farmers have threatened to take the board of supervisors to court if the ordinance passed. There was no word, however, after the meeting whether that will be their next move. Steve Smallshaw, News7.))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=Smallshaw, News7.]))

[mars-lander]

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

It was called ``the last, best'' chance for the Mars Polar Lander -- and it failed.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pasadena, CA;]
[10;09:43- 8 pm newspath]
Once again, NASA heard nothing in the latest window for detecting a signal.
If the lander's computer had slipped into a ``safe mode'' after touching down, this was the time it should have sent a message.
Chances of ever hearing from the lander now are considered remote at best.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((RICHARD COOK, MARS POLAR LANDER TEAM, "WE'RE PRETTY MUCH REACHING THE POINT WHERE WE'VE USED OUR FINAL SILVER BULLETS))
[SUPER=01-Richard Cook/Mars Polar Lander Team;]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUT Q=used or final silver bullets.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Still it could be two weeks before the mission is declared a failure.
If it is, a failure review board would be appointed, including experts from both inside and outside NASA.
(------------)

[1-Sports]

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

In sports, Tech quarterback Michael Vick talks about being a Heisman Trophy finalist, and Frank Beamer talks about Hokie hysteria.
Denise Allen has more.
Good Morning Denise.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=2:00]
[OUT Q=see you then]

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

[One-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#M99-7]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[On Record]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
(I'll intro)
(/////////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Christmas in Croatia]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Renada Desija/Croatian Student; :20]
[SUPER=01-Melila Alexis/Hatian Student; 1:40]
[RUNS=3:04]
[OUT Q=Church related]

[Steve Live]

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

[SCHOOL-SHOOTING]

[ANCHOR=MELANIE]
[NEWSCAST=MORN]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=School Shooting]

Classes resume this morning at Fort Gibson middle school in Oklahoma, site of the latest school shooting.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Fort Gibson, OK;]
[4:37:54]
The suspected gunman, Thirteen year old Seth Tricky is in police custody.
He's described as a popular, straight A student who was active in a Christian youth group.
But authorities say he went on a shooting spree yesterday morning at his school.
This morning three students remain hospitalized, but none of their injuries is considered life-threatening.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((JACQUELINE ORMIN/STUDENT "WE WENT INSIDE AND THERE WAS BLOOD ALL OVER THE PLACE, ALL OVER THE CARPET, WHERE THEY BROUGHT IN ONE OF THE STUDENTS WHO HAD BEEN BEEN SHOT. WE ARE STILL IN SHOCK.))
[SUPER=01-Jacqueline Ormin/Student;]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=still in shock.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Hundreds of students attended a prayer service last night.
Meanwhile, Trickey was arraigned yesterday and will now face a battery of psychological tests.
The courts must decide if he should be tried as an adult .
(------------)

[E-Richwood]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=tte]
[TAPE#=99-46 33:12]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The owner of a Botetourt County home for adults is under investigation for possibly stealing residents' money.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;]

The Richwood Home serves about 29 elderly and handicapped adults.
Deputies say residents sign their monthly checks over to the home's owner, Caren Simpson.
They're supposed to have about 34 to 54 dollars left over from state subsidies each month to spend on personal items.
But the State Licensing Board found more than 12-hundred-dollars missing from patients' accounts in October.
And even though residents signed their checks over to the owner at the beginning of November, that money was still missing at the end of the month.
Deputies seized almost 50 documents from Richwood Home yesterday and say they may file charges within the next two weeks.
(------------)

[E-Domestic-Violence]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=99-49 TC22:55]
[GRAPHIC=Domestic Violence]

Emergency room doctors and nurses at Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital are collecting data on patients to determine a better way to treat domestic violence cases.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; ]

The forensic nurse examiners program in the emergency department is a starting point to help victims of abuse talk about the problem.
Nurses there are trying a new approach to screen every patient that comes in for partner abuse.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT tc 02:54:07]
[IN Q=We are establishing]
((DEBBIE DAVIDSON/FORENSIC NURSE EXAMINER: WE ARE ESTABLISHING A MORE UNIVERSAL SCREENING SO THAT WOMEN WHEN THEY COME IN WE CAN ROUTINELY ASK THEM SIMPLE QUESTIONS, ARE YOU AFRAID IN YOUR HOME?, ARE YOU EVER HURT BY THOSE YOU LIVE WITH? AND THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS WILL HELP OPEN THE DOOR.))
[SUPER=01-Debbie Davidson/Forensic Nurse Examiner;]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=open the door.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found only 10-percent of primary care physicians routinely screen patients for intimate partner abuse when not injured.
(------------)

[Health-Check]

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

In medical news, lefties are becoming righties.
Doctor Dave Hnida explains in this morning's Health check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Dave Hnida/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:35]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]
((If your child ever complains of a backache, its a complaint that you should take seriously.
VT=VO
The pain may be from a serious condition such as an infection or a tumor. Now when adults say my back is sore, its almost routine. But when that complaint comes from a kid, the red flag starts flying. In one and three cases, the cause is something like a fracture, an infection in a disc or a tumor. A report from Children's Hospital in Cincinnati says any youngster who complains of back pain for more than three days should definitely be checked out and sometimes, special scans are needed.
VT=VO
Here's another subtle, hard to detect problem in kids, post traumatic stress disorder after a car accident. A new report in the Journal Pediatrics says everything may seem okay after a wreck. But one in four kids go onto to develop classic symptoms. But few parents recognize it or seek medical help for their kids. Symptoms include nightmares, sleep problems, irritability and other changes in behavior. ON CAM And finally, if you're a lefty I'm sure you feel the world is designed to inconvenience you. It seems like everything is designed for righties. But trust me, you'll adapt over time. A new study in the Journal of Public Health suggests most lefties adapt by switching their writing hand from their left to their right. At age 35, 26% of lefties switch to the right hand. By age 65 that figure is 90%. That's a look at today's top 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 supers)
[SUPER=04-Christmas Around the World;]
[SUPER=04-Thursday, 3:30 PM;]
[SUPER=16-(804) 544-8330/Lynchburg College;]

[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]

There is still deep confusion in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, over why a 13-year-old boy opened fire yesterday morning outside his middle school.
He's described as smart and popular.
Five students were hurt but none of the injuries is life-threatening.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

Cutbacks at the Volvo plant in Dublin is expected to mean hundreds of layoffs.
In a letter yesterday, The Vice President of Manufacturing stated the cutbacks were necessary because of a decline in orders for new trucks.
Still the U-A-W local 20-69 calls the talk of layoffs just rumors.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

And NASA says it failed to detect a signal early today from the Mars Polar Lander during the ``last best chance'' to hear signs of life.
NASA says it may have to face the possibility of never really knowing what went wrong with the spacecraft.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this Tuesday December 7.
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[2-Hog-Farming]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin']
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-50 TC37:51]
[GRAPHIC=Hog Farming]

Campbell County farmers are not happy with the latest effort to make it harder for those controversial hog farms to move in.
Steve Smallshaw has more.
[SOT]
[IN Q=The original idea]
[SUPER=03-Campbell Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Hugh Pendleton/Campbell Co. Supervisor; :19]
[SUPER=01-Calvin Carter/Campbell Co. Supervisor; :26]
[SUPER=01-Hugh Rosser/Campbell Co. Supervisor; :49]
[SUPER=01-Carter Elliott/Dairy Farmer; 1:03]
[SUPER=@ssm1; 1:15]
[RUNS=1:25]
[OUT Q=Smallshaw, News7.]
(( The original idea was to closely regulate large- scale farms.. in particular swine breeding operations.. and make it harder for a potential hog farm to move into Campbell County.
Three supervisors said there was no need to include dairy and cattle in that definition.
[SOT 21:53:12]
((HUGH PENDLETON/CAMPBELL CO. SUPERVISOR: I SEE NO NEED FOR RESTRICTIONS AT THIS TIME ON CATTLE OR DAIRY, AND THAT'S WHY I LEFT THEM OUT OF THE MOTION.))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=the motion.]
[SOT 21:59:19]
((CALVIN CARTER/CAMPBELL CO. SUPERVISOR: I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD NOT PUT ANY HAMSTRING AROUND THE FARMERS' NECK, THAT'S WHERE WE GET OUR DAILY FOOD FROM.))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=food from.]

But Pendleton's motion failed.. and after making some minor changes, the board adopted the original ordinance that sets limits on the number of animals a facility can hold and how close it can be to nearby homes.
The four supervisors who voted for it say the county's farmers will never notice the difference.
[SOT 21:48:20]
((HUGH ROSSER/CAMPBELL CO. SUPERVISOR: I DON'T SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO AFFECT MYSELF OR YOU AS FAMILY OPERATORS ON YOUR FARM.))
[RUNS= 09]
[OUT Q=on your farm.]

But farmers say they're now paying the price for the well- publicized sins of the hog industry.
[SOT 21:51:34]
((CARTER ELLIOTT/DAIRY FARMER: AN INTENSIVE FARMER IS STILL A FAMILY FARM, AND WE OPERATE ON SO MANY MORE REGULATIONS THAN DOES A NON- INTENSIVE FARMER, AND I THINK REALLY A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.))
[RUNS= 11]
[OUT Q=don't understand this.]
[Standup ] ((Farmers have threatened to take the board of supervisors to court if the ordinance passed. There was no word, however, after the meeting whether that will be their next move. Steve Smallshaw, News7.))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=Smallshaw, News7.]))

[2-E-Volvo-Layoffs]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=am]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-47 TC25:27]
[GRAPHIC=Volvo Layoffs]

The new year will mean no job for 400 workers at the Volvo plant in Dublin.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Vice President of Manufacturing issued this letter to employees yesterday, stating cutbacks were necessary because of a decline in orders for new trucks.
[SUPER=03-Dublin/File Tape]

Despite the company's confirmation of the layoffs - the local 20-69 United Auto Workers Union said that talks of layoffs are just rumors, and an official said the Union won't respond until it's definite.
A Volvo spokesman says the company's expansion plans are still on track.
Volvo Trucks employs about 32-hundred people, and took on 700 new workers just this year.
(------------)

[2-E-SB-Tultex]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-43 1:24:36]
[GRAPHIC=Tultex]

400 former employees of the Tultex plant in South Boston may have a hard time finding new jobs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-South Boston;]

Tultex shut down sewing operations at its South Boston plant last week.
Workers heading to the employment office are finding that without Tultex, South Boston's job market is tight.
Even before the layoffs, the area had one of the highest unemployment rates in the state-- nearly 7 percent.
(------------)

[2-Pittston]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]

The company that operates 30 mines in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky plans to sell its coal operations.
Pittston officials say the liabilities and performance of the coal industry prompted the decision.
The company will focus on its Brink's armored car and home security businesses and its B-A-X Global transportation and freight business.

[2-mars-lander]

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

The head of the Mars Polar Lander project says they've played their last ace.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pasadena, CA;]
[10;09:43- 8 pm newspath]
Once again, NASA heard nothing in the latest window for detecting a signal.
If the lander's computer had slipped into a ``safe mode'' after touching down, this was the time it should have sent a message.
Chances of ever hearing from the lander now are considered remote at best.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((RICHARD COOK, MARS POLAR LANDER TEAM, "WE'RE PRETTY MUCH REACHING THE POINT WHERE WE'VE USED OUR FINAL SILVER BULLETS))
[SUPER=01-Richard Cook/Mars Polar Lander Team;]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUT Q=used or final silver bullets.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Still it could be two weeks before the mission is declared a failure.
If it is, a failure review board would be appointed, including experts both inside and outside NASA.
(------------)

[Three-Steve]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#M99-7]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

[On Record]
[SUPER=15-Steve/Pardon;]
(I'll intro)
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The multi-cultural night]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-D'Anya Mortimer/Bahamian Student; :25]
[RUNS=3:00]
[OUT Q= Johnkanu Music]

[Steve Live]

(I'll call for supers)
[SUPER=04-Christmas Around the World;]
[SUPER=04-Thursday, 3:30 PM;]
[SUPER=16-(804) 544-8330/Lynchburg College;]

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

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

[ok-shooting]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=School Shooting]

Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, middle schoolers will meet with counselors today as they return to school after yesterday's shooting.
A seventh-grader is in custody, accused of opening fire before school started, injuring several students.
Jennifer Jones reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[4:37;54]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Fort Gibson, OK; :10]
[SUPER=01-Justine Horst/Student; :20]
[SUPER=01-Jacqueline Ormin/Student; :26]
[SUPER=01-Jennifer Jones/Reporting; 1:07]
[RUNS=1:20]
[OUT Q=CBS NEWS, FORT GIBSON, OK.]
((Seth Trickey, 13 years old, described as a straight "A" student..popular..and now a suspect in the latest school shooting spree.
(nats of outside school)
Authorities say he opened fire Monday morning at his middle school. Four students were injured in the hail of gunfire.

SOT: Justine Horst/Student
"There was a lot of crying and figuring out who had been shot and just trying to get it all together."
SOT: "Jacqueline Ormin/Student "We went inside and there was blood all over the place, all over the
carpet, where they brought in one of the students who had been shot. We are still in shock. It's so scary." Frantic parents rushed to the school gripped with the agony of not knowing.
SOT: Parent
"I was terrified because my daughter goes to school here and I was just trying to get here as soon as I could to make sure she was okay." Authorities whisked Trickey into custody where he was arraigned and will face a battery of psychological tests.
(Nats)
Students gathered last night, all with one question on their mind: What caused this 13 year old boy to go over the edge. Stand-up Authorities hope to answer this question in the coming days. Meanwhile the courts must decide if Seth Trickey should be tried as an adult for this latest act of school violence. Jennifer Jones, CBS NEWS, Fort Gibson, Oklahoma.))

[E-XGR-Women]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-42 1:29:17]
[GRAPHIC=Counting Women]

Three quarters of a century after the first women lawmakers went to Richmond, the newly-elected Virginia General Assembly is only 16-percent female.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond/File Tape;]

And two of its senior-most women members will NOT be back.
One chaired the House committee on Corporations, Insurance, and Banking.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 15:01:11]
[IN Q=It's inside]
((DEL. VIOLA BASKERVILLE/D-RICHMOND: IT'S INSIDE BASEBALL FOR US WHO ARE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, DAY IN DAY OUT, DURING THE SESSION, BUT SOMETIMES THAT INFORMATION, AS FAR AS HOW THINGS WORK AND WHO'S IN A POSITION TO MAKE SOME POWERFUL DECISIONS, DOESN'T NECESSARILY GET OUT TO THE VOTERS.))
[SUPER=01-Del. Viola Baskerville/(D) Richmond; ]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=to the voters.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

But some argue that women don't really need to hold elective office to have their interests protected.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 10:09:42]
[IN Q=You know]
((ROBIN DEJARNETTE/FAMILY FOUNDATION: YOU KNOW, ALL THESE MEN HAVE WIVES, AND MOTHERS, AND DAUGHTERS THAT THEY CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT.))
[SUPER=01-Robin DeJarnette/Family Foundation; ]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUT Q=deeply about.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Virginia's population is 51-percent female.
The House of Delegates is now 15-percent female.
20-percent of state senators are women.
(------------)

[2000-numbers]

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

There's less than a month left in the year 19-99, and preparations for New Year's Eve are well underway in New York City.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-New York, NY;]
[3:27:48]
The crystal ball has been tested and now the numbers that count out year two-thousand have been brought to Times Square.
Workers hauled the seven-foot tall numerals across the Square yesterday morning.
These are the numerical towers that are supposed to signal the new year when the ball drops.
(------------)

[3-Sports]

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

In sports, Tech men's hoops travels to Lexington and takes care of V-M-I.
Denise Allen has the details.
Good Morning Denise.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=2:30]
[OUT Q=good day]

[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]

400 workers at the Volvo plant in Dublin will begin the new Millenium without a job.
The company says cutbacks were necessary because of a decline in orders for new trucks.
A Volvo spokesman says the company's expansion plans are still on track.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

The owner of a Botetourt County home for adults is under investigation for possibly stealing residents' money.
Residents of the Richwood Home are supposed to have about 34 to 54 dollars leftover from state subsidies each month to spend on personal items.
But the State Licensing Board found more than 12-hundred-dollars missing from patients' accounts.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Some farmers say Campbell County's Board of Supervisors went too far.
Last night supervisors passed an ordinance that will make it harder for large-scale hog farms to move into the county.
But the ordinance includes poultry, dairy and cattle operations.. and many farmers are afraid that could jeopardize their future.
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[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
(Kimberly mic hot)
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(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]