Monday, December 10, 2007

NY1 Lensman Falls to Death Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on NYPost.com article]

(Anchor – in studio)
A young man fell to his death from the 59th Street Bridge last night. Erika Waddell is covering the story. Erika, what do we know?

(Live shot – On 60th street, Bridge in background)
Well, we know that the young man was 27 year-old Christian Milin of Woodside Queens. And he’d been walking home after a night of celebrating the Fourth of July when his life took a tragic turn.

(Photo of victim, UES bars, Cars driving on bridge)
VO: Milin and a friend had gone bar-hopping in the city that night. Instead of taking a taxi to get home, the two men decided to walk.

(Victim’s friend)
SOT: We decided we were going to be adventurous. We decided we were going to walk across the bridge.

(Close up on bridge, Zoom out to show water)
VO: It’s not clear how Milin fell, but it appears to be accidental. According to police, he was walking about 35 feet behind his friend when he either tripped or slipped.

(Policeman)
SOT: He tumbled two stories. There doesn’t appear to be any foul play involved, but alcohol probably played a part.

(More bar shots)
VO: Milin’s friend admits that the two had been drinking that night.

(Friend, more bridge shots)
SOT: Honestly, we probably shouldn’t have been walking on that point of the bridge.

(Hospital shots)
VO: Milin was rushed to Cornell Medical Center, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

(Father and mother, father talking)
SOT: The last time I saw him was at dinner. Then the hospital called us at 4 o’clock in the morning, and he died. We are just devastated. We only had him.

(Live shot – 60th St.)
Milin was a budding cameraman for New York 1. Funeral services will be held early next week in Queens. Reporting live from Manhattan, Erika Waddell.

Shore Pollution Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on news stock footage]

(Anchor – in studio)
Polluted waters and empty beaches in New Jersey are making headlines across the country. Erika Waddell is live in Asbury Park, the center of all the controversy. Erika –

(Live shot – boardwalk in background)
As you can see behind me, the boardwalk is almost completely empty. Those who used to flock to the Jersey shore have decided to stay home or go elsewhere. Poor sewage treatment has had a devastating effect on the ocean and the city’s economy.

(Two people walking on empty street, desolate houses/hotels)
VO: The usually thriving beach town of Asbury Park has become a ghost town. Owners of concession stands and hotels have taken a hard financial hit.

(Hotel owner)
SOT: We have 40 rooms that are occupied anywhere from 80 to 90 percent on an average weekend. This past weekend we were down to about 10 percent.

(Close up on Ormond sign, older people on porch swing)
VO: Josh Smith owns The Ormond Accommodations, which typically brings in its most business in July. He says he’s losing about $4,000 a day.

(Hotel owner, few people on boardwalk)
SOT: Not only did we lose reservations, but we lost the people who had usually come down.

(Audience at meeting)
VO: Business owners aren’t the only ones feeling the loss. Residents feel they’re paying the price for the mayor’s negligence. Many gathered this evening to urge local politicians to take action.

(Man at mic, close-ups on concerned faces, different audience shots)
SOT: For the past 16 years the people and the government of Asbury Park have not only been negligent but I feel what they’ve done has been criminal (applause).

(Woman reading ‘Join the Fight’ pamphlet, close-up on it’s cover)
VO: Residents of Asbury Park are so fed up that they’re ready to take legal action. Local politicians admit they have a huge problem on their hands.

(Man in suit #1)
SOT: I feel very strongly that it’s been a cumulative effect. That every year over the last three or four years it’s gotten worse.

(Dirty water, foam in waves)
VO: But plant operators insist that they’re working as fast as they can to remedy the situation.

(Man in suit #2)
SOT: On Friday the new plant should be online and operating which will treat the waste much better than it is right now and discharge it farther out into the ocean.

(Live shot – boardwalk behind)
Business owners hope the sewage problem clears up immediately and wonder if the summer is even salvageable. Reporting live from New Jersey, Erika Waddell.

Discovery of Dead Newborn Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on NYTimes.com article]

(Anchor – in studio)
Police discovered the body of a baby girl early this morning in a Brooklyn apartment. Erika Waddell is live with that story. Erika –

(Live shot – on street, apartment behind)
The mood is very grim in this neighborhood as police are try to figure out exactly how this baby died. But they have confirmed finding a newborn wrapped in a garbage bag here at this Brooklyn complex earlier today.

(Signs and stuffed animals people left outside door, hospital)
VO: At about 2:15 this morning police searched the home of 20 year-old Shirley Courcelle. They were summoned by doctors at Coney Island Hospital after Courcelle came in claiming to have had a miscarriage.

(Doctor, police going in and out of hospital)
SOT: When she came in, she was bleeding very badly. She told us she had suffered a miscarriage, but we did an exam on her, and it was clear that she had in fact given birth. That’s when we called the police to investigate.

(Apartment building shots, garbage shoot/dumpster)
VO: According to police, Courcelle confessed to giving birth but said the baby had been stillborn. She told them she through the body down the garbage shoot of her apartment building.

(Police officer)
SOT: That actually turned out to be a lie. But we kept searching and eventually found the body in her closet in a dark plastic bag.

(Press conference)
VO: The medical examiner’s office has yet to confirm or deny that the baby was stillborn, but we are slowly learning more details.

(Medical examiner spokeswoman)
SOT: We now know that the baby was carried to term, and that she was born at approximately 8am. She weighed six pounds.

(Hospital entrance, photos of Courcelle)
VO: According to police, Courcelle went to the hospital alone. And we’ve since learned that no one, not even her boyfriend, knew she was pregnant. Apparently she’d been hiding in baggy clothes for months.

(Boyfriend)
SOT: She couldn’t have been in her correct state of mind. If anything, she’s for kids. That’s not what she’s about.

(Neighbor)
SOT: She’s just a regular girl. I never thought she could cause anyone any harm.

(Live shot – on street)
Police escorted Courcelle home earlier today. Prosecutors are waiting to hear if the baby was born alive before they decide how to handle the case. Reporting live from Brooklyn, Erika Waddell.

Beach Cop Runs Over Sunbather Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on CNN.com article]

(Anchor – in studio)
A Florida patrol truck ran over a young woman on the beach. Could this happen to you? Erika Waddell is covering the story from Jones Beach. Erika -

(Live shot – walking on beach, sunbathers in back)
If you thought the ocean was the most dangerous part of a day at the beach, think again. Yesterday a Daytona Beach patroller accidentally ran over a sunbather! Sounds like a freak accident, but the officers here on Jones Beach drive the same kind of trucks as the one in the accident. It could just as easily happen here.

(Tire tracks in the sand)
VO: Officer Robert Augustynowski was reportedly driving his patrol truck at two and a half miles per hour when he ran over 20-year-old Danielle Taylor.

(Patrol spokeswoman)
SOT: The officer didn’t see her and drove diagonally over her body. Two of the tires rolled over her shoulder and her hip.

(Medical aid facility/EMTs on beach)
VO: Taylor was rushed to Halifax Medical Center. Doctors have yet to say how she’s doing.

(Beach Patrol Capt.)
SOT: She was clearly hurt, but she seemed awake and alert right after the accident. But that’s all I know.

(Jones beach lifeguards, patrol trucks driving, sunbathers, first aid signs)
VO: A shocking incident in itself, but even more appalling is that this kind of thing has happened before. Last August, a sunbather was run over while sitting in a lounge chair. And in 2003, a Miami policeman drove over two women, killing one, while on a chase.

(Beach goer #1)
SOT: That’s so scary. You assume that you’re safe on the beach. At least you’re out of the water so you shouldn’t have to worry about anything.

(Beach goer #2)
SOT: Patrollers should be there to protect us, not to hurt us.

(More beach shots, patrollers and trucks)
VO: So should you worry about this happening to you or your children? Officers of the Jones Beach Patrol don’t think so.

(Officer #1)
SOT: Though they’re unfortunate, those are isolated incidents. Accidents happen, but I assure you, these kinds of things are rare.

(Officer #2)
SOT: If you’re sunbathing, you should always make sure to stay with the crowd. You’ll be safer in many ways if you’re with a group and stay visible.

(Live shot – beach with sunbathers in background)
And those are definitely some important tips to remember this summer no matter where you are. Reporting live from Long Island, Erika Waddell.

Westfield Tornado Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on news stock footage]

(studio – anchor)
A tornado ripped through a New Jersey neighborhood this afternoon. There’s a lot of damage, but fortunately, no one was hurt. Erika Waddell is live on the scene. Erika -

(live shot – on street, fire trucks in background)
We’re on North Avenue in Westfield, New Jersey, a place where people usually don’t have to worry about tornadoes. But tonight, power lines are down and residents are shaken after one touched down right here.

(trees down, garage collapsed)
VO: This neighborhood was left a mess after a tornado whipped through around 3 this
afternoon. Winds were strong enough to uproot large trees and even caused some structural damage.

(Woman with umbrella)
SOT: It was a very big cloud up in the sky swirling around. It was coming from South Avenue up toward North Avenue, and it was just coming across the railroad tracks.

(Man witness)
SOT: Very dark clouds. The wind was blowing maybe over 75 miles per hour.

(Residents gathered on street, scene shots)
VO: When the weather cleared up, stunned residents gathered to survey the damage and share their experiences.

(Woman witness)
SOT: I’ve never seen anything like it, myself. It was swirling around like something you might see on a TV program how the wind whips around in a big circle.

(Uprooted trees, close up on roots)
SOT: And then you saw the trees fall? Yeah. The roots ripping out of the ground, you could hear that. It was a sight.

(Home with tree on roof)
VO: One home was seriously damaged when two uprooted trees crashed on its roof.

(Man next to house)
SOT: There’s a lot of structural damage and every room is pretty well smashed. The ceilings are down and there’s a lot of damage on the walls.

(House from different angles, zoom on roof damage, backyard shot)
SOT: It’s pretty lucky that no body was here. You see the news, you see it all the time but you never think it’s going to hit in New Jersey.

(live shot – on street, fire trucks in background)
Trees also fell onto power lines, causing a transformer to spark. Crews are busy trying to restore power tonight. North Avenue and other streets in the area will be blocked off until sometime tomorrow. Reporting live from New Jersey, I’m Erika Waddell.

Scarsdale Traffic Shooting Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on news stock footage]

(Studio - anchor)
A traffic dispute turned ugly in Scarsdale this afternoon when a well-known former investment banker allegedly shot another driver. That man is in stable condition tonight. Erika Waddell is reporting live from Village Court. Erika –

(Live shot – Courthouse)
An interesting turn of events has landed one man in the hospital and an investment banker jail. I’m standing in front of the Scarsdale Village Court where Arthur K. Solomon is awaiting arraignment tonight.

(Perp walking out of building)
VO: Arthur K. Solomon looked subdued as police escorted him to jail. The 67 year-old had turned himself in to police at 7 this evening.

(Scene shot)
VO: Around 2 o’clock today, Solomon allegedly shot a man off of Highway 95 near the Weaver Street exit.

(Police interview)
SOT: According to witnesses, both operators seemed to be arguing back and forth, yelling between the cars.

(Men searching white Honda)
VO: Witnesses report that the victim, 34 year old Michael Katugno, left his white Honda and approached Solomon’s red Mercedes on foot. Solomon then allegedly shot him in the abdomen.

(Police interview)
SOT: At that time witnesses heard a shot rang out. Mr. Katugno stumbled and the red Mercedes left the area.

(Police interview/scene shot)
SOT: Witnesses obtained his license plate number and we tracked that number to some offices in Manhattan.

(Perp getting into car and hiding face)
VO: Solomon offered to come to police headquarters and speak with investigators. They took him into custody upon arrival. Solomon was charged with attempted murder in the 2nd degree.

(Live shot – Courthouse)
Solomon is a retired partner of the Solomon Brothers banking firm. He faces 15-25 years in prison if convicted. For ___ News, I’m Erika Waddell.

Dentist/Child Abuse Package

[Written by Erika Waddell, based on news stock footage]

(Studio – Anchor)
We’ve got breaking news tonight out of Queens. A retired dentist was arrested this evening for sexually abusing at least three young boys. It happened at 190th street. Our own Erika Waddell is live on the scene. Erika –

(Live – front of house)
I’m standing in front of the home where police arrested John Smith earlier this evening. They began investigating Smith after concerned parents tipped them off. If convicted, he faces 8 counts of sodomy, sexual abuse, and child endangering.

(Perp walking out of building)
VO: The 65 year old retired dentist looked dazed as police walked him out of the station in handcuffs. Police took him into custody at about 4:30 this afternoon after searching his home. They found sexually explicit books, magazines, and video tapes. They’ve identified three victims but believe there are more.

(Press conference)
SOT: We don’t have a specific figure. What we’re doing is we talk to one individual we are getting other names and we’re trying to interview those people.

(Perp getting in car)
VO: Even more disturbing, Smith is a father, himself. According to police, the victims are all boys ranging in age from 11 to 13. For several months they had gone willingly to his home after school.

(Press conference)
SOT: Some children were shown like current movies and other children might be taken to other parts of the house where sexual activity would take place.

(Smith’s home, kids toys in yard)
VO: The video tapes police found in Smith’s home included child pornography, many depicting young boys. The tapes do not appear to be homemade.

(Street signs and neighborhood homes)
VO: Police also recovered what they believe to be marijuana.

(Press conference)
Drug paraphernalia was recovered. We don’t have any indication at this point that the children were offered drugs but that is a possibility.

(Live – front of house)
Police believe the abuse has been happening for several months but the investigation is ongoing. Police are currently booking Smith at County Jail. They have not yet questioned him. Reporting live from Queens, I’m Erika Waddell.