[7-Danville-Mgr]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Danville has a new city manager.
City Council says it will name the new manager tomorrow.
The city conducted a five-month nationwide search to fill the job.
Sources say the finalist is a former city manager from Virginia who works in the southeast-
But Council members say they're keeping his identity under wraps until he breaks the news to his current employer.
He'll replace former manager Ray Griffin, who was ousted in July.
[7-E-Fire-Chief]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-46]
[GRAPHIC=Lynchburg Seal]
Lynchburg is getting closer to hiring a new fire chief, as 19 people are now in the running.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/File Tape]
The position opened up when current chief Fred Mills announced he was stepping down to spend more time with his family.
Mills will return to the position of battalion chief within the department.
A nationwide search for his replacement was undertaken, with yesterday as the deadline for applications.
The city hopes to have a new chief on board by the spring.
(------------)
[7-Monty-Prosecutor]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
It's official.
Joey (show-walter)Showalter will become Montgomery County's next prosecutor.
Showalter beat incumbent Phil Keith by just 50- votes in the November election.
Keith then petitioned the court for a recount.
The votes were re-counted yesterday with the same outcome.
[7-E-Torgersen]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-42 1:42:04]
[GRAPHIC=Paul Torgersen]
He's been living and working a double life for the past six years...as a college professor who's also a president.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
But in less than three weeks-- Virginia Tech's 14th president will retire.
Paul Torgersen has served as president since 1994 and while he says it's been an interesting and rewarding job it's also been tiring.
Torgersen typically works seven days a week to get the job done-- because he also teaches in the engineering department.
As far as his replacement-- Torgersen says Charles (stee-ger) Steiger was an excellent choice.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We both]
((PAUL TORGERSEN/VIRGINIA TECH PRESIDENT: WE BOTH COME FROM A BACKGROUND OF WORKING WITH FACULTY AND I THINK THAT WILL BE AN ASSET IN IS CASE AS IT WAS IN MINE, I THINK CHARLES IS GOING TO BE A GREAT PRESIDENT.))
[SUPER=01-Paul Torgersen/Virginia Tech President; :00]
[RUNS=15 approx.]
[OUT Q=great president.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
After he retires at the end of the year, Torgersen will continue teaching at Tech.
As far as slowing down-- Torgersen says he plans to play a lot more tennis.
(------------)
[7-Medicaid-Reimbursement]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Medicaid]
A legislative watchdog agency says Virginia should change the way it distributes Medicaid funds to state nursing homes.
Virginia's average Medicaid reimbursement rate of 78-dollars a day is well below the U-S average of nearly 99- dollars a day.
But Governor Gilmore plans to include 20- million dollars in the next budget to increase reimbursements
to 85 dollars a day.
Despite that proposal, the nursing home industry is seeking another 104-million dollars a year.
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Taking a look now at your Tuesday forecast.
Showers this morning, then skies turn partly sunny.
Highs today in the 50s.
Tonight, partly cloudy with light winds.
Low temperatures in the 30s.
Looking at the extended forecast...
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Morning Showers/Then Partly Sunny/50-60/Partly Cloudy/Light SW Winds/30-38;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[45-E-Salem-Tannery]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=99-43]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Cleaning up the old tannery site in Salem was a costly endeavor--- it took 356- thousand dollars to do the job.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem]
In the mid- to late 70's several different companies used the 16-acre site as a reclamation site for used batteries.
This man salvaged lead for Hercules, New Jersey Zinc and Mohawk Rubber.
The E-P-A says the soil became contaminated by lead as batteries were busted open on the ground.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:59:55]
[IN Q=This side goes]
((THIS SIDE GOES BACK TO THE MAIN RAILROAD TRACK. ...IT GOES BACK TO THE RIVER.))
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=to the river.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The government has reached agreement with Yokohama- -Mohawk's successor- -Viacom- -successor to Jersey Zinc- -and Hercules to pay for the clean up.
(------------)
[45-Swartz]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=KMC]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]
A convicted Rockbridge County murderer was killed in a prison fight over the weekend with another inmate.
48- year- old John Stephen Swartz was taken to the Sussex One state prison infirmary after the incident Saturday night.
Swartz died about an hour later, when C-P-R failed to revive him.
An autopsy was scheduled.
Corrections officials say the investigation is ongoing, and didn't release the name of the other inmate involved.
[45-E-Hawkins]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-38 1:54:46]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]
A Campbell county deputy who was stabbed while on the job says the legal system fell short of protecting HIM.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
A judge yesterday ruled 23-year old Allen Hawkins was criminally insane the day he stabbed Deputy Rodney Thompson.
Three psychologists back up that claim, which will allow Hawkins to avoid serving time in prison.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 22:43:48]
[IN Q=You can't just]
((JOE SANZONE/DEFENSE ATTORNEY: YOU CAN'T JUST PUNISH PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU FEEL THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE. BUT THE LAW MAKES JUDGEMENTS AND DETERMINES FOR PEOPLE, AND IN HIS CASE, HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS MENTAL ILLNESS FOR MANY YEARS IN THE FUTURE.))
[SUPER=01-Joe Sanzone/Defense Attorney]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=in the future.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
But Thompson and his family say Hawkins' legal connections helped him in court yesterday.
Hawkins is the son of Lynchburg attorney David Hawkins.
(------------)
[45-S-DeMoranville]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-48 28:44]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The alleged conspiracy to murder a Montgomery County judge may have also included plans to kill two other people.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford/November 22;]
A grand jury on Friday indicted Christopher (Dee-more-ann-ville) DeMoranville for allegedly plotting to kill his parents.
DeMoranville was already in custody for allegedly trying to hire Derick Chapman to kill Circuit Judge Ray Grubbs.
No one was injured.
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg/September 18;]
Chapman was also indicted by the same grand jury last week.
Authorities say Chapman was planning to shoot Judge Grubbs in the head.
Both men remain behind bars.
(------------)
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Let's take a break from the news now to check the forecast...
Morning showers will eventually give way to partly sunny skies.
Highs will stay in the 50s.
Tonight looks partly cloudy tonight with lows in the mid 30s.
Looking ahead to the next five days....a return of sunshine by tomorrow...
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Morning Showers/Then Partly Sunny/50-60/Partly Cloudy/Light SW Winds/30-38;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[8-S-Allstate]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-39 1:30:20]
[GRAPHIC=Allstate]
Allstate is restructuring the company and that means 130 employees will be out of a job.
But the company says it'll hire 300 new workers next year.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[file video]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./November]
Allstate announced a company-wide reorganization last month.
At the time, Allstate said nobody in Roanoke would get laid off.
But the company is sending one department's work to California.
An official says about half the workers in the department will get new jobs in Roanoke... and that the remaining workers either didn't want a different job or didn't qualify for one.
(------------)
[8-M'ville-Budget]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Tultex Chpt. 11]
Meanwhile the problems at Tultex had left Martinsville city officials wondering if taxes and fees will increase, but they now say, not this year.
But after that, it's up in the air.
Tultex's cutbacks will deal a major blow- an impact report released by the city yesterday says Tultex accounts for half the city's water and sewage revenue. The company is cutting its use by 35 percent.
That COULD mean a rate increase for residents next year.
Tultex also owes nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in taxes.
If that's NOT paid, officials expect to fall back on unspent money in the school and city funds.
[8-E-Tultex]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-50 46:26]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The holiday season may not be the same for the thousands of textile workers in Henry County who are without jobs.
However, friends and neighbors are working to make sure they DON'T go without a Christmas holiday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.;]
The city, county, and local charities are pitching in with more than 600 bikes and thousands of toys to help families of laid off workers.
Former workers at Tultex, Pluma, and Ashworth can pick up toys and food for the holidays at The Salvation Army's Toy Store.
The Salvation Army is even helping some families with their bills.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 4:36:36 - :51]
[IN Q=We're having to pay]
((LT. ERIK NICKELL/SALVATION ARMY: WE'RE HAVING TO PAY ELECTRIC BILLS, MORTGAGES AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. WE WANT TO GET THESE PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET, WE DON'T JUST WANT TO PAY THEIR BILLS...WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME PAYING THAT MANY BILLS, SO WE NEED THEM TO FIND SOME JOBS.))
[SUPER=01-Lt. Erik Nickell/Salvation Army;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=find some jobs.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Salvation Army expects to provide toys for as many as two-thousand kids in the area.
The Toy Store will be open for parents Tuesday through Thursday of next week at the Dutch Inn Plaza in Collinsville.
(------------)
[8-Mail-Delivery]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=99-??]
[GRAPHIC=Postal Service]
With the holiday season here, postal service employees are hard at work getting out all the holiday mail.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
More than 700-thousand pieces of mail were sorted, stacked, and tossed into piles yesterday-- three times the normal amount.
And it's more then just letters being placed in the mail, this years on line shopping craze is adding some weight to mail bags.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:33:10]
[IN Q=We're seeing]
((BILLY MARTIN/ROANOKE POSTMASTER: WE'RE SEEING AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS JUST HERE IN THE ROANOKE VALLEY OF ADDITIONAL PARCELS COMING THROUGH.))
[SUPER=01-Billy Martin/Roanoke Postmaster]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=parcels coming through.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
December 20th is the deadline to make sure your letters and packages arrive on time for Christmas.
(------------)
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Let's turn to the forecast once again this morning...
The rain will taper off by this afternoon.
Skies will turn partly sunny later on with highs in the 50s.
Partly cloudy overnight, with lows in the 30s.
The extended forecast is calling for sunshine tomorrow....with highs in the 40s and 50s for the next few days.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Morning Showers/Then Partly Sunny/50-60/Partly Cloudy/Light SW Winds/30-38;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS