[7-diesel-leak]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=abr]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]
Part of Orange Avenue is closed this morning after a truck ruptured it's tank carrying diesel fuel.
Officials are barracading the right westbound lane of Orange Avenue Northeast.
The truck ruptured the tank and continued to Statesman Industrial Park.
That's where the road block starts and continues for a quarter of a mile.
Workers hope to have the spill mopped up around 7:30 this morning.
There is reportedly no environmental danger related to this spill.
[7-Layoffs]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Tultex Chapter 11]
The lays continue at Tultex.
The company plans to lay off another 350 people in Henry County within two months.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville;]
A company spokeswoman said yesterday that half of those layoffs will take place with the
closing in 60 days of a customer service center and warehouse.
The layoffs are linked to the clothing manufacturer's filing in federal court last
week to reorganize.
At that time, Tultex dismissed 26-hundred employees.
(------------)
[7-11Tultex]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-42 1:35:13]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
Those workers who have already been laid off are now wondering what they'll do about their benefits.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Vinton]
Some of them began to get their questions answered last night in Vinton.
Women who worked at the now closed Roanoke sewing plant went to the town hall.
They met with representatives from the U-S Department of Labor.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT "Tultex Mtg" tape at 20:37:10]
[IN Q=as long as]
((BILL SEILER/US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: AS LONG AS PEOPLE ... CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR JOBS AND CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR LIVES.))
[SUPER=01-Bill Seiler/U.S. Dept. of Labor;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR LIVES]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Topics at the meeting included insurance and 4-0-1-Ks.
Anyone who missed the meeting can contact the Department of Labor's office in Washington or Senator Chuck Robb's office in Roanoke.
(------------)
[wipe wipe wipe]
[7-11Retail-Tultex]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-38 1:46:21]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe wipe]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.;]
The troubles at Tultex also mean hard times for some Martinsville and Henry County businesses.
Tultex was Ben Copenhaver's number one customer until last week.
His company has made sticker labels for Tultex for more than two decades.
But as textile jobs have left the country, he's lost some of his best clients.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:18 - :24]
[IN Q=We've lost four to five customers]
((BEN COPENHAVER/HAVERLINE LABELS OWNER: WE'VE LOST FOUR TO FIVE CUSTOMERS TO BANKRUPTCY IN THE LAST YEAR... AND IN 25 YEARS, WE'VE NEVER LOST ONE.))
[SUPER=01-Ben Copenhaver/Haverline Labels Owner;]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=never lost one.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Work has halted at K-T-I Energy's 14-person Martinsville plant, where Tultex was the ONLY customer.
The plant supplied steam for Tultex's cloth production.
No one there has been laid off.
But the Virginia Employment Commission reports that two other local companies are cutting back on staff because of Tultex's problems.
(------------)
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Here's a look at your Friday forecast.
Becoming breezy today with rain likely.
Highs reach the upper 50s to 60.
Tonight, skies clear and the winds remain.
Temperatures fall to the upper 30s to 40.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Becoming Breezy/Rain Likely/55-60/Clearing Skies/Winds NW 10-20/35-40;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[45-11Graham-Executed]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Va. Death Penalty]
Convicted killer Andre Graham was executed by injection last night at the Greensville Correctional Center.
(+++++++++)
[take GRAHAM FS]
He was convicted of killing a 20-year old woman outside a Richmond restaurant six years ago.
Graham became is the fourteenth person executed in Virginia this year.
That's the highest number of executions in the Commonwealth in one year, since the death penalty was re-instated.
(++++++++++++)
[45-11Johnson]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-39 1:27:23]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A Roanoke man faces second degree charges in connection with a fatal stabbing last month.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Yesterday at a preliminary hearing, Francis Johnson claimed he pulled a knife on Donald Harris, during a fight, to protect himself.
But he told police he didn't mean to kill Harris.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:34]
[IN Q=He was kinda]
((HE WAS LIKE KINDA HIGH. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE'D DO, BECAUSE HE ALWAYS PLAYED LIKE HE WAS GOLDBERG OR THE ROCK AND HE BE INTIMIDATING PEOPLE.))
[SUPER=01-Jerry Edmonson/Roanoke Police Detective]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=intimidating people.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Goldberg and the Rock are professional wrestlers.
Harris family members said he hoped to become one himself.
(------------)
[45-Forest-Fires]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-57 :03]
[GRAPHIC=Forest Fires]
Officials estimate the recent forest fires in Roanoke County will cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But it's not all bad news.
Joy Sutton explains.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./November;00]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./August;10]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Michael Feller/Scientist;25]
[SUPER=01-Chris Thomsen/Forestry Official;1:05]
[Super=@Joy1;1:22]
[Runs=1:38]
[OUT Q=n7.]
(( It was just last month -- that a wild fire on Fort Lewis Mountain burned out of control for several days -- in the end charring more than 13-hundred acres.
And the scene was much the same in August, on Purgatory Mountain.
The fire on this mountain consumed more than 12-hundred acres.
While these fires will cost the state around 300-thousand dollars -- in the long run they may benefit the environment.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:10:38]
[IN Q=if you're concerned]
((IF YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH PROTECTING BIO -DIVERSITY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT))
[RUNS5]
[OUT Q=very important]
Scientist Doctor Michael Feller says without forest fires certain species would not be able to survive.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:12:58]
[IN Q=There are a]
((THERE ARE A GROUP OF ANIMALS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO THE SUNNY, WARM, DRY ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU GET FOLLOWING A FIRE. ))
[RUNS15]
[OUT Q=following a fire.]
Feller says after a fire, thick vegetation begins to grow. It's food for many animals:
[In-Q=Those animals]
((THOSE ANIMALS ARE ADAPTED BECAUSE THEY EAT SOME OF THE PLANTS THAT OCCUR IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS))
[out-q=in those environments.]
But Forestry officials who battled the flames on both Purgatory and Fort Lewis Mountains say despite the positives - there are plenty of negatives that shouldn't be overlooked.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT02:18:42]
[IN Q=Well the greatest]
((THE GREATEST NEGATIVE OF A WILD FIRE IS THE THREAT TO HUMAN LIFE AND PROPERTY. AFTERMATH THE AIR POLLUTION THAT SUFFERS CERTAINLY MANY PLACES IN THE ROANOKE VALLEY WERE AFFECTED QUALITY WISE BY THE FIRES. THE OTHER IS WATER QUALITY, WATER QUALITY COULD DIMINISH FROM EROSION THAT COULD ARISE FROM THE FIRE))
[RUNS17]
[OUT Q=from the fire]
Forestry officials say as early as next spring the damage done by these fires could be covered with fresh vegetation.
And within the next five years it will be hard to tell that a fire every spread through Purgatory and Fort Lewis Mountains.))
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a break from the news now to check the forecast...
Becoming breezy today, with rain likely through this afternoon.
Highs in the upper 50s.
Clearing skies tonight, with winds up to 20 miles an hour at times.
Lows in the upper 30s.
The five day forecast is drier for the weekend...with scattered showers expected again on Tuesday.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Becoming Breezy/Rain Likely/55-60/Clearing Skies/Winds NW 10-20/35-40;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[8-Fires]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Forest Fires]
Two recent forest fires in the area will have both positive and negative effects.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./November]
Forestry Officials say the combined price tag for the fires on both Fort Lewis and Purgatory Mountains -- will cost the state around 300-thousand dollars.
But despite the costs -- there is positive benefit that can result because of these fires.
Some scientists say fires play a critical role in restoring a forest and in the survival of several species.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:10:38]
[IN Q=if you're concerned]
((IF YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH PROTECTING BIO -DIVERSITY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT))
[SUPER=01-Dr. Michael Feller/Scientist]
[RUNS= 5]
[OUT Q=very important]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Scientists say vegetation begins to grow after fires --which provides food and shelter for animals.
But Forestry officials say its important to recognize the downside of wild fires such as air pollution and water quality.
Officials say the charred landscape on both Purgatory and Fort Lewis Mountains could show signs of vegetation as early as this spring.
(-------------)
[8-11Breast-Cancer]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=99-43 1:29:30]
[GRAPHIC=Breast Cancer Awareness]
The holiday spirit filled the air at the Carilion Breast Care Center in Roanoke.
(///// NAT SOT /////)
[SOT tc 06:17:24]
((HARP MUSIC))
[RUNS=:05]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night; ]
Breast cancer survivors and their families gathered for a Christmas tree lighting to celebrate the first "Holiday Lights of Hope."
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT tc 04:58:04]
[IN Q=We thought that]
((MARGARET HARVEY/BREAST CARE CENTER: WE THOUGHT THAT CHRISTMAS IS JUST A WONDERFUL AND WARM TIMES TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AND WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO BREAST CANCER SO FOR A FIVE DOLLAR DONATION, MANY HAVE DONATED A LIGHT IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE.))
[SUPER=01-Margaret Harvey/Breast Care Center; ]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=loved one.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The money goes to the Sunshine Fund for the fight against breast cancer in the Roanoke Valley.
(------------)
[8-11Bowers-Munchkin]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=99-44 1:13:11]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke City Seal]
The Star City has a new sister city...Emerald City.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Yesterday, Mayor David Bowers' counterpart from Munchkinland presented him with the gleaming, green key, in a "short" ceremony at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Bowers returned the favor, giving his fellow public official a key to the Star City.
The Munchkin mayor is a skater in the Wizard of Oz ice show, which started Wednesday night.
It runs through Sunday.
(------------)
[8-11Bowl-Sportswear]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-41 1:22:50]
[GRAPHIC=Sugar Bowl]
It's the area's newest and hottest commodity...anything saying Virginia Tech.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
Fortunately, a Lynchburg business has been helping meet that demand.
For the past few weeks, High Peak Sportswear has been cranking out hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts celebrating the Hokies' magical season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:44;21]
[IN Q=There's a tremendous]
((RALPH SMITH/HIGH PEAK SPORTSWEAR: THERE'S A TREMENDOUS DEMAND, RIGHT NOW ALL THE RETAILERS ARE SCREAMING FOR AS MUCH VIRGINIA TECH, SUGAR BOWL, UNDEFEATED SEASON, NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- TYPE SHIRTS THAT THEY CAN GET. AND WE'RE IN A POSITION RIGHT NOW OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPLY THEIR NEEDS, SO IT'S A GREAT DEAL FOR EVERYBODY.))
[SUPER=01-Ralph Smith/High Peak Sportswear;]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=deal for everybody.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Smith says many of his employees are Tech fans so they don't mind working the extra hours.
And a design for a national championship shirt is already in the works should the Hokies win the big one.
(------------)
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Before we wrap up this morning, here's one more look at the forecast...
Breezy today, with rain likely and highs nearing 60.
Clearing skies overnight, with lows in the upper 30s.
The extended forecast is calling for partly to mostly sunny skies all weekend and highs in the 50s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Becoming Breezy/Rain Likely/55-60/Clearing Skies/Winds NW 10-20/35-40;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS