WDBJ 7 morning news for 05/21/00

[Open-Heads]

[ANCHOR=Denise]

[NEWSCAST=Sat Am]
[WRITER=sbu/chr]
[TAPE#=net]
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[roll cold out of the open]

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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=#4070;weekend headline banner]
[SUPER=@Denise1;]
[SUPER=@Andrew1;]
Coming up...... A walkway collapses and sends dozens of Nascar fans to the hospital.
We'll hear from a local man who was there.
(------------)

And Danville police are investigating an overnight murder. We will have more on those stories in just a few minutes.
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[2-shot toss to Hello]

[Danville-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=00-28 1:23]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]

Danville police are investigating a shooting death.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/This Morning]

The victim was reportedly shot in the head shortly before one a.m. at a building on the corner of Franklin and Monument Streets.
No word yet on the victim's identity or the police investigation.
We will have more information as it becomes available.
(------------)

[Bridge-Collaspe]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=00-06 1:36:26]
[GRAPHIC=Lowes Motor Speedway]

The cautions on the track during last night's NASCAR race were nothing compared to what happened when fans tried to leave the Lowes Motor Speedway.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Concord, NC/Home Video;]

Witnesses say it felt like an earthquake when a walkway collapsed outside the North Carolina, speedway.
Jerry Westling of Botetourt County was leaving the track when the 15 foot high bridge snapped in half sending people onto U.S. Highway 29.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=45 more]
[SUPER=01-Jerry Westling/Witness;]
[RUNS=21]
[OUT Q=type thing]
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[VO-NAT]

More than 80 people were injured.
Officials say most suffered cuts and broken bones, although hospitals report more than a dozen people in critical condition.
About 180-thousand fans watched Dale Earnhardt Junior win the Winston.
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[11Fifth-District]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=00-29 13;13]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2000]
[ANCHOR TAG!!!]
Democrats hope they've found a formidable opponent for Independent Congressman Virgil Goode.
Yesterday Fifth-District Democrats chose Mecklenburg farmer John Boyd to faceoff against the FORMER democrat.
Steve Smallshaw has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The rebuilding]
[SUPER=03-Rustburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Carl Eggleston/Fifth District Chairman; :29]
[SUPER=01-John Boyd/(D) Fifth District Candidate; :58]
[SUPER=01-Allen Hale/Sought Nomination; 1:17]
[SUPER=@ssm2; 1:28]
[RUNS=1:31]
[OUT Q=News7, Rustburg.]

(( The rebuilding of the Fifth District Democratic party got underway with a not- so subtle swipe at its former Congressman.
Virgil Goode's former chief of staff, Jim Evert, was given a trophy and two standing ovations for his political courage after resigning when Goode left the Democratic party last winter.
[natsot cheering]
[RUNS= 02]

While many Democrats here are glad to be rid of the conservative- leaning Goode, most agree his departure left the party in disarray.
[SOT 11:13:36]
((CARL EGGLESTON/FIFTH DISTRICT CHAIRMAN: THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONVENTION TO START THAT PROCESS, TO TRY TO HEAL THE PARTY FROM ALL THAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE VIRGIL GOODE EPISODE AND THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO NOMINATE SOMEONE AT THIS CONVENTION AND TO WORK AGGRESSIVELY FOR THAT PERSON.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=for that person.]

That person is Mecklenberg farmer John Boyd, who had the nomination wrapped up before the convention began.
Even with the name recognition gained from his fight on behalf of the nation's black farmers, Boyd admits taking on Goode will be a struggle.
[SOT 11:21:55]
((JOHN BOYD/D- FIFTH DISTRICT CANDIDATE: IT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH FIGHT BUT I LOVE A GOOD FIGHT. I'VE BEEN A FIGHTER ALL MY LIFE.. I FOUGHT FOR THE FARMERS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T GIVE US MUCH OF A CHANCE THERE, AS A MATTER OF FACT THEY DIDN'T GIVE US ANY CHANCE. AND SOME PEOPLE AREN'T GIVING US ANY CHANCE IN THIS RACE EITHER, SO WE MIGHT SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=surprise some people.]

Boyd's only opponent for the nomination, Allen Hale, says Goode is not unbeatable.
[SOT 11:18:23]
((ALLEN HALE/SOUGHT NOMINATION: HE RAN UNOPPOSED, AS YOU KNOW, IN '98.. I THINK IF THE ISSUES ARE BROUGHT OUT AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND HIS RECORD, I THINK HE'S VULNERABLE.))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=he's vulnerable.]

They'll find out in November.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Rustburg.))
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[anchor=Denise]
[ss=Rich Boucher]

Also yesterday-- Democrats in the ninth district re-nominated Congressman Rick Boucher who's seeking his tenth term.

[Boat-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A North Carolina man is charged with reckless operation of a motorboat after an accident on Smith Mountain Lake that sent 6 people to the hospital yesterday.
Investigators think 28-year-old James Paul Murray turned the boat too quickly and struck some rocks near Gills Creek in Franklin County.
Five people were thrown from the boat. One victim was in critical condition as of last night.

[Tease#1]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[SS=None]
[both mics HOT]
Some bluegrass greats are coming to Lexington today. Still to come - we'll hear from musician Ricky Skaggs - he'll tell us about the event.
[anchor=Andrew]
And... last week authorities arrested former Ku Klux Klansmen..
(----------------)
[vo-nat ] in connection with a decades-old church bombing that killed four girls.
In this week's Virginia Newsreel- we'll take a look back at the role of churches in the Civil Rights Movement.
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[LOTTERY]
[COMM #1]

[Health-Week]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun am]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Health Check]
Roanoke is on its way to becoming a medical Mecca and a physician is trying to ease children concerns about the hospital by making them face reality. Tonya Flory has more in this week's health check report.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=@Bowers; :18]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :47]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Mac Scothorn/Optometrist; 1:03]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; 1:30]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Walt Kaniefski/Emergency Room Physician; 1:43]
[RUNS=2:10]
[OUT Q=Health Check.]
(([TAPE#=500-5 54:30]
After several months of searching for the perfect spot -- the Star City will be the location for the Carilion Biomedical Institute. City officials are hoping the 74 acre health care park spanning from the Jefferson Street corridor to the banks of the Roanoke River will attract new businesses in that area.
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[SOT tc 00:11:07]
[IN Q=This project]
((DAVID BOWERS/ROANOKE MAYOR: THIS PROJECT WILL GIVE ROANOKE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS OUR CITIES ECONOMIC VISION. TO BRING NEW JOBS ESTIMATED AT NEARLY 25-HUNDRED NEW JOBS, HIGH TECH, HIGH PAYING JOBS.))
[RUNS= :14]
[OUT Q=paying jobs.]
Construction of the Biomedical Institute is expected to be complete within 18 months. The center will allow scientists from UVA, VA Tech and Carilion to work together on breakthroughs in robotics and laser surgery optics.
[TAPE#=500-5 51:43]
While Tech is working on that a Roanoke Optometrist is using some current therapy to relieve eye allergies for contact lens wearers. Dr. Mac Scothorn says allergy season is worst for people who wear contacts because the allergens stay in the contact and reinfect the eyes.
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[SOT tc 00:07:59]
[IN Q=They are]
((DR. MAC SCOTHORN/OPTOMETRIST: THEY ARE HAVING SOME EXCESSIVE TEARING AND SOMETIMES DENATURED PROTEIN AND MUCUS IS GETTING ON THE CONTACT LENS. OUR BODY REACTS AS THAT'S AN ALLERGEN. AND SO AGAIN THOSE MASS CELLS ARE THERE RELEASING HISTAMINE AND CAUSING A SICKLY TYPE OF SITUATION.))
[RUNS= :16]
[OUT Q=type of situation.]
Dr. Scothorn says daily disposable contact lenses avoid a build up of protein and pollen and help minimize the risk of irritation and infection.
[TAPE#=500-17 11:23:01]
An emergency room physician at Roanoke Community Hospital is arranging tours through the ER for four year olds. Doctor Walt Kaniefski says it helps ease their concerns about medical procedures.
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[SOT tc 01:50:50]
[IN Q=We see]
((DR. WALT KANIEFSKI/ER PHYSICIAN: WE SEE A LOT OF KIDS HERE AND THEY'RE SCARED THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXCEPT, THEY HAVEN'T SEEN THE PLACE, EVERYTHING'S NEW TO THEM AND SCARY SO THIS IS A WAY I THOUGHT TO BRING THEM THROUGH HERE, SEE THE ROOMS THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN, WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GET A SUTURE OF SPLINT, DECREASE THE FEAR FACTOR AND MAKE IT EASIER ON THEM.)) [RUNS:18]
[OUT Q=on them]
Pre-schoolers from Community school in Roanoke say they learned to be brave when if they get hurt, then treatment won't be more painful. Tonya Flory, News 7, Health Check.))

[Reel-Open]
[Anchor=Andrew]
[writer=chr]
[newscast=Sun AM]
[tape=Reel-Open]
[Graphic=Va. Newsreel]

Last week authorities announced arrests in connection with one of the most memorable crimes of America's Civil Rights era.
The bomb that left a church in shambles and killed four young girls illustrated the pivotal role churches held in the Civil Rights movement...both nationwide and in our area.
Keith Humphry looks back in this week's Virginia Newsreel.
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[Church-Reel]

[ANCHOR=Andrew]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=Va. Newsreel #3 59:24]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe]

[wipe wipe wipe]

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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=21-Danville/June 1963; :00]
[super=21-Danville/June 1963; :48]
[SUPER=21-Birmingham, AL/September 1963; 1:24]
[SUPER=21-Rev. L. W. Chase/; 1:43]
[super=21-Danville/June 1963; 1:45]
[super=21-Charlotte, NC/June 1996; 1:53]
[super=21-Richmond/February 21, 1996; 2:01]
[super=21-Gov. George Allen/June 19, 1996; 2:17]
[super=21-Washington, DC; 2:23]
[RUNS=2:55]
[OUT Q=I'm KH]
(([TAPE A 26 TC 11:00 - demonstrators on steps] [vo-nat]
From the steps of Danville's City Hall, black men and women called for equality. It was June of 1963. Demonstrators believed they had a higher power in their corner.

(////////////SOT//////////)
[SOT TAPE A26 TC 11:16-24]
[NATS SINGING]
[In-Q=God is]
((GOD IS ON OUR SIDE. GOD IS ON OUR SIDE.))
[runs= 08]
[Out-Q=on our side (whoa)]
[more civil rights demonstrators footage]
Amid social injustice, many African Americans turned to the church for solace.
Civil rights activists often found strength in numbers - -and strength from another source.
Whether in the pulpit or in front of protesters - the name of God was invoked time and again - in the NON-VIOLENT fight for change.
(///////////SOT/////////)
[SOT TAPE A 26; tc 5:23 - 5:43]
[In-Q=The Negro]
((THE NEGRO HAS GOTTEN RID OF THESE WEAPONS B/C THE NEGRO'S NOT SCARED OF ANYBODY. HE'S NOT SCARED OF THE MOB.. NOT AFRAID OF THE POLICE MAN... THE JUDGE AND HE'S NOT AFRAID OF GOD B/C GOD ALMIGHTY SAYS HE'LL BE A FRIEND TO US IN A TIME A TIME OF TROUBLE.))
[runs= :20]
[out-q=a time of trouble.]
[VO FROM A-26 TC 14:16 - Best pix of injured demonstrators]
When authorities cracked down on demonstrators in Danville - the injured found sanctuary in a House of Worship.
Bandaged but not defeated, protesters gathered at Loyal Baptist Church.
As they found a safe haven in church, in September, 1963 - [VO OF BIRMINGHAM CHURCH - from CHURCH-Reel tape TC 18:08:42 - DO NOT USE PIX OF GIRLS!!!] a Birmingham church became a killing ground.
Authorities believe Ku Klux Klansmen were responsible for the explosion that claimed the lives of four girls.
But Civil Rights activists had made it clear from the start - their cause would prevail - whether they faced the crimes of supremacists, or the [TAPE A 26 - FIRE MEN TC 24:40] police batons and fire hoses of authorities:
(//////SOT///////)
[SOT TAPE A 26 26:11-ISH - 26:20]
[In-Q=There's not enough]
((REV: THERE'S NOT ENOUGH WATER IN HEAVEN AND EARTH TO QUENCH THE FLAME OF FREEDOM THAT BURNS IN OUR HEARTS))
[runs= 09]
[out-q=in our hearts.]
[best pix of burning church on CHURCH BURNING TAPE AT 13:38:05]
More than 30 years later - African Americans would find THEMSELVES fighting fire.
In 1995 and 1996 - dozens of predominantly black churches across the South went up in flames. [CHURCH REEL TC 18:14:25]
Two Virginia churches - in Richmond and Chesterfield County - were among them.
Federal officials would conclude that racial tension was to blame for the majority of those arsons. [CHURCH REEL 18:13:33 - QUICK SHOT OF DANVILLE!!!]
From Danville to Washington D-C - [CHURCH REEL TC 18:14:52 - President and Governors at round table] communities and leaders took aim at the epidemic:
(///////SOT/////////)
[SOT CHURCH-REEL TAPE 18:14:06 - 18:14:21]
((GEORGE ALLEN: 18:14:06 --------- WHAT CONGRESSMAN CONYERS SAID 30 OR 40 YEARS AGO PEOPLE WERE MAKING EXCUSES FOR THIS
... NOW EVERYONE... IS CONDEMNING THIS ACTIVITY AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SIGN FOR THIS COUNTRY -------- 18:14:21))
[RUNS= :15]
[OUT-Q=for this country.]
[More church burning pics]
Several of the church arsons may remain unsolved. [VO OF SUSPECTS CHURCH REEL TAPE TC 18:09:03] But with the recent arrests of two men suspected in the fatal Birmingham church explosion - [more Birmingham church pix] those who fought for Civil Rights may take heart in the possibility that justice spans decades. [TAPE A26 - tc 10:17 PEOPLE PRAYING] And even if it doesn't - many believe there's an accounting that goes beyond the court system.
(///////SOT//////)
[SOT TAPE A26 10:45 - 10:48]
[IN-Q=In God's name]
((IN GOD'S NAME WE PRAY... AMEN))
[runs= :03]
[OUT-Q=Amen]

That's Virginia Newsreel. I'm Keith Humphry.))

[Sports-Plays]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=rst]
[TAPE#=SP-63 (41:52)]
[GRAPHIC=Horse Racing]

Red Bullet won the Preakness ending Kentucky Derby winner (Foo-suh-ee-chee) Pegasus' chances of a Triple Crown.
Red Bullet took advantage of five weeks' rest and a spectacular ride by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey to upset heavily favored Fu Peg.
Pegasus finished a well-beaten second. Impeachment was third.
Here's the call.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=First audio...]
[SUPER=02-Dave Johnson/ABC Sports; :]
[RUNS=:26]
[OUT Q=......Captain Steve."]
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[Albums-Bump] [2-SHOT] [soft music under]
(adlib toss to albums bump)
[Take Full Screen albums Bump]
[Chyron #7151 ]

[COMM # 3][2Open-Heads]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sat Am]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]

[roll cold out of the open]

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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=#4070;weekend headline banner]

Striking Rubatex workers move from the picket lines to the streets of Bedford.
(------------)

And trouble again for the Lowes Motor Speedway near Charlotte - when a walkway collapses.
Details coming up.
(--------------)
[2-shot toss to hello]

[2Bridge-Collaspe]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=00-11 49:46]
[GRAPHIC=Lowes Motor Speedway]

More than 80 people were hurt, some critically when a walkway collapsed outside the Lowes Motor Speedway.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Concord, NC/Home Video;]

Fans were filing out of the North Carolina speedway after the Winston, when a pedestrian bridge crossing highway 29 split in half.
Jerry Westling of Botetourt County was there amid the chaos.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=there's 20-thousand]
[SUPER=01-Jerry Westling/Witness;]
[RUNS=20]
[OUT Q=dazed and confused looks]
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[VO-NAT]

The 15 foot high bridge was built in 1995.
A year ago, three spectators at the track were killed and eight injured when debris from a race car flew into the stands.
(------------)
[anchor=Denise]
[ss=hold]

Dale Earnhardt Junior won last night's race.

[2Danville-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=0028 1:23]
[GRAPHIC=Shooting]

One person is dead after an overnight shooting in Danville.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/This Morning]

Police are releasing few details at this time.
The victim was apparently shot in the head shortly before one a-m at a building on the corner of Franklin and Monument Streets.
No word yet on the victim's identity.
We will have more information as it becomes available.
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[11Rally]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=00-25 2:50]
[GRAPHIC=Rubatex Strike]

Striking Rubatex workers in Bedford went in a different direction yesterday - they took their battle downtown.
Joy Sutton was there.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=For months]
[SUPER=03-Bedford;03]
[SUPER=01-Danny Brown/Striking Rubatex Worker;16]
[SUPER=01-Linda Chavez-Thompson/AFL-CIO Executive Vice President;42]
[SUPER=01-Kenneth Stevens/Retired Danville Steelworker;59]
[SUPER=@Joy2;1:09]
[RUNS=1:17]
[OUT Q=n7 Bedford]
((
(///// SOT /////)
[ NAT SOT]
[IN Q=]
((NAT SOT OF WALKERS))
[RUNS= 04]
[OUT Q=]

For months they've been walking the picket lines -- but on this day hundreds of striking Rubatex workers took their fight to the streets of downtown Bedford.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:17:39]
[IN Q=This strike right here]
((DANNY BROWN/STRIKING WORKER: THIS STRIKE RIGHT HERE HAS JUST MADE US STRONGER AND WE GONE SHOW AND PROVE TO THEM THAT THIS STRIKE RIGHT HERE IS GOING TO STAY. THIS UNION'S GOING TO STAY STRONG))
[RUNS= 11]
[OUT Q=stay strong]

Members of the United Steel Workers of America local 240 say what they want is a fair contract and for Rubatex to stop what they call unfair labor practices.
(///// SOT /////)
[NAT SOT]
[IN Q=]
((NAT SOT OF MARCHERS))
[RUNS= 03]

But these striking workers are not alone in their fight -- national labor leaders and other local unions are also backing them in this ongoing labor dispute.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:10:20]
[IN Q=We want a clear message]
((LINDA CHAVEZ-THOMPSON/NATL AFL-CIO: WE WANT A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE WITH THESE FOLKS ONE DAY LONGER THAN NECESSARY FOR THEM TO GO BACK TO WORK AND GET THEIR CONTRACTION AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THE COMPANY IS NOT BEING FAIR TO THEM. RUBATEX NEEDS TO BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES))
[RUNS= 13]
[OUT Q=themselves]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:21:13]
[IN Q=We came up here to give]
((KENNETH STEVENS/LOCAL 831: WE CAME UP HERE TO GIVE THEM A LIFT IN SPIRIT AND HOPE WE GET THIS THING SOLVED. THE QUICKER THE BETTER))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=the better]

This is the longest strike in the foam and rubber manufacturing history.
But these striking Rubatex workers say they are standing firm -- and they will continue to walk the picket lines for as long as it takes.
Joy Sutton, News 7, Bedford.))
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[ANCHOR=Denise]
[GRAPHIC=hold]

Union leaders say there have been recent negotiations with Rubatex and believe progress is being made.
Company officials had no comment.

[Ricky-Skaggs]

[ANCHOR=Andrew]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=00-07 1:30:32]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Bluegrass greats like Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, and Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder are bringing the sounds of bluegrass to Lexington today.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Skaggs earlier this week.
Here's some of that conversation.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT Audio 11:42:12 - 11:45:09]
[IN Q=Ricky, thank you]
[super=04-File Tape - CBS This Morning; 29]
[SUPER=04-File Tape; 1:18]
[super=02-Ricky Skaggs;]
[SUPER=03-Salem/May 7, 1998; 2:15]
[super=03-Roanoke/March 17, 1996;]
[RUNS=2:57]
[OUT Q=a hat on, ya know?]

(([BRING IN VIDEO WITH SKAGGS PRE-PRO SHOT]
[AT 11:42:41 - BRING IN VIDEO OF SKAGGS AND KENTUCKY THUNDER PLAYING ON CBS MORNING NEWS - IT'S ON A BETA TAPE WITH A SONY LABEL]
[At 11:43:28 bring in footage of Bill Monroe on LARGE BETA TAPE IN BLACK CASE LABELED BILL MONROE]
[11:44:15 BRING IN VIDEO WITH SKAGGS PRE-PRO SHOT AGAIN]
[11:44:24 - Bring in VO of Ralph Stanley on small DVC tape slugged RALPH STANLEY - begin at time code 3:12 with closeup of sign]
[11:44:55 - BRING IN AND END ON VO OF RICKY SKAGGS PRE PRO AGAIN]))

[ANCHOR=Andrew]
[graphic=None]

We'll have details on today's concert in Lexington - plus we'll hear more from Ricky Skaggs about the future of bluegrass music, a little later.

[Tease#2]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[SS=None]
[BOTH MICS HOT]
The music continues on News 7 Sunday Morning.
Coming up in this week's Virginia Profile - the banjo and its tradition in our area.
[ANCHOR=ANDREW]

And... a phone booth in the middle of the desert -
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
sounds like a sight worth seeing.
It turns out - too many people thought so.
We'll tell you what happened to the phone booth in the Mojave desert.
[Andrew ad-lib into the travel forecast]
(-------------)

[Andrew MIC hot] [ No 2-shot toss go straight to Travel Bump] [soft music under]

[Profile-Open]

[ANCHOR=Andrew]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=Profile Open]
[GRAPHIC=VA Profiles]

Most weeks our Virginia Profile focuses on an individual, but this morning we're featuring a diverse group of people whose lives are linked by a musical instrument.
Yesterday, the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College opened an exhibit on the Banjo in Virginia, and as Joe Dashiell reports, its history may surprise you.
(////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=animation]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUT Q=stop animation]

[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]

[Banjo-Exhibit]

[ANCHOR=Andrew]
[NEWSCAST=AM]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=Va. Profiles #3 1:13:20]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe]

[wipe wipe wipe]

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=OPENS ON NAT SOUND OF BANJO]
[SUPER=03-Galax/1995; :08]
[SUPER=01-Roddy Moore/Blue Ridge Institute; :47 quick]
[SUPER=03-Ferrum; 1:02]
[SUPER=@Joe2; 1:39]
[RUNS=2:40]
[OUT Q=JD News 7 Ferrum]
(( [OPENS ON NAT SOUND OF RIC ABRAMS PLAYING AT GALAX]
Visit the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, or any of the music festivals that have become a warm weather tradition in western Virginia, and you're sure to find a banjo close at hand.
But this picture is only part of the story. [CONTINUE NAT SOUND/DISSOLVE TO PHOTO OF SWEENEY]
Appomattox native and minstrel performer Joel Sweeney was once credited as the inventor of the banjo, or at least an innovator who added the fifth string, but scholars now say he played a different role, popularizing the banjo, and bringing it to a worldwide audience. [NAT SOUND OF RODDY TALKING ABOUT SWEENEY 30:13]
[IN Q=And he took the banjo]
((RODDY MOORE: AND HE TOOK THE BANJO ALL AROUND THE WORLD. AND THROUGH THE NORTH, THROUGH THE SOUTH, THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES, INTO EUROPE EVEN. HE WAS THE FIRST BANJO STAR FROM VIRGINIA. SO HE DIDN'T INVENT IT, BUT HE STILL DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT. HE DESERVES A WORLD OF CREDIT, BUT NO HE WAS NOT THE INVENTOR OF IT.))
[RUNS= :17]
[OUT Q=was not the inventor of it.]

As a new exhibit at the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College explains, the inventor of it was an African. The banjo's origins lie in the stringed instruments of West Africa. The xalam (halam), for example, already had a fifth drone string before slaves brought their musical traditions to America.
[SOT OF RODDY 19:53]
[IN Q=And we try to show]
((RODDY MOORE: AND WE TRY TO SHOW IN THIS EXHIBIT HOW THE INSTRUMENT CAME FROM AFRICA, HOW IT WAS ACCEPTED IN THE WHITE COMMUNITY WITH THE WHITES LEARNING TO PLAY BANJOS FROM THE BLACKS AND THEN ACTUALLY BECOMING A WHITE INSTRUMENT.))
[RUNS= :13]
[OUT Q=becoming a white instrument.]

Among the 33 instruments gathered for the show are reproductions of gourd banjos, the earliest known Virginia banjo... built by a Lynchburg cabinet maker, a home-built banjo made from an aluminum brake drum, and instruments that belonged to two of Virginia's bluegrass greats Ralph Stanley and Don Reno. [NAT SOUND OF RALPH STANLEY AND DON RENO PLAYING TOGETHER]
One wall of the gallery belongs to the mountain banjo... wooden instruments with small hide drums, that Moore and his staff are still documenting.
[SOT 24:22]
[IN Q=Trying to find out]
((RODDY MOORE: TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO WERE THE MAKERS OF THOSE AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE STILL WORKING ON. AND IT'S SOMETHING I WISH IF THERE ARE LISTENERS WHO KNEW ABOUT PEOPLE IN THEIR FAMILIES OR COMMUNITIES THAT HAD MADE THEM, OR THEY HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE WITH THE BANJOS, WE'D LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM.))
[RUNS= :15]
[OUT Q=we'd love to know about them.]

From the banjo's African roots, through slavery and the civil war... from polite society to the back porch and the concert stage... the exhibit suggests the banjo has provided the soundtrack for more than 200 years of Virginia history.
These examples will remain on display at the Blue Ridge Institute for ten months before hitting the road for exhibits in Abingdon and Richmond.
Joe Dashiell News 7 Ferrum))

[Bedford-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A tractor accident claimed the life of a Bedford County man yesterday.
34 year old Robert Newman of Blue Moon Terrace was trying to get a piece of equipment out of the mud by attaching a chain to a farm tractor.
That caused the tractor to rise upward and flip over, trapping Newman underneath it.
Police say Newman was dead on arrival.

[11Bent-Mt-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-07 1:24:37]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]

Traffic was backed up on Bent Mountain Road yesterday for miles - after a crash involving five cars.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
It happened around four o'clock. Police say the driver of this gold car was traveling north when she apparently lost control, crossed the center line, and hit three cars pushing them off the road. The driver then struck a fourth car head on. Three people were taken to Roanoke Memorial. None of the injuries appears to be life threatening.
(------------)

[Sports-Extra]

[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=sports extra #2]
[GRAPHIC=Scott Robertson Tournament]

The best young golfers in the world are hitting the links at the Roanoke Country Club this weekend.
Last night sports psychologist Bob Rotella gave them pointers on how to keep their game heads above the rest.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bob Rotella/Sports Psychologist; :14]
[RUNS=1:11]
[OUT Q=the kid's dream.]
(///// SOT /////)
(([SOT]
[IN Q=]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

Bob Rotella has worked with golf's best players, David Duval and Phil Mickelson among them.
He says winning the game in your head is what separates the good from the great.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

Rotella invites his clients to stay at his home for several days. During that he helps the athletes do some soul searching.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

The young golfers at the Scott Robertson Memorial Golf Tournament are among the best in the world.
To parents of star athletes Rotella has this advice.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]))

[2Ricky-Skaggs]

[ANCHOR=Andrew]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=00-7 1:33:40]
[GRAPHIC=None]

We heard from country-bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs earlier this morning about some of the artists who influenced him and his band Kentucky Thunder.
He also told me about an upcoming rendezvous with the Dixie Chicks - and the direction he thinks bluegrass is headed in.
(///////sot//////)
[sot]
[IN Q=I imagine there are a lot]
[SUPER=04-File Tape; 43]
[runs=1:50]
[Out-Q=Ricky: Bye Bye. Andrew: See ya.]

(((//// SOT /////)
[SOT Audio 11:45:10 - 11:46:28]
[VIDEO OF SKAGGS PRE-PRO ON SKAGGS PRE-PRO TAPE TC: 1:13:00]
[IN Q=I imagine there are a lot]
[runs= 1:18]
[out-q=for us as well]

[AT 11:45:48 - TAKE VIDEO OF DIXIE CHICKS ON DIXIE CHICKS TAPE TC 15:50:55]
[WHEN YOU BEGIN AUDIO EDIT AT 11:46:40 - GO BACK TO SKAGGS PRE-PRO SHOT TO END ON]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:46:40 - 11:46:55]
[IN-Q=You lookin forward to coming back...?]
[runs= :15]
[Out-Q=to pickin' tonight.]

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:47:17 - 11:47:34]
[In-Q=Ricky thank you]
[Out-Q=Ricky: Bye Bye. Andrew: See ya.]
[runs= :17]

[WE WILL NOT INCLUDE AUDIO FROM 11:46:30 TO 11:46:40!!!]
[WE WILL NOT INCLUDE AUDIO FROM 11:46:55 TO 11:47:17!!!]))
[anchor=Andrew]
[graphic=None]

You can catch Ricky Skaggs, as well as plenty of other artists like Ralph Stanley, Third Time Out, and Mac Wiseman today in Lexington.
(+++++++++++)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN BOARD NUMBER 9350]
"Music from the Shenandoah Valley" kicks off at 1 pm this afternoon at Cameron Hall on the V-M-I campus.
It will run until around 11 tonight.
Tickets are 25 dollars for adults, 20 for students - children 10 and under are free.
(+++++++++++)

[Did-You-See-That]

[ANCHOR=Denise ]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The world's loneliest Phone Booth is no more.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Mojave Nat'l Preserve, NV;]

It seems too many visitors prompted officials to dismantle the telephone booth which stood in the middle of the Mojave desert.
Too many people were driving across the desert park to visit the booth.
The phone was installed decades ago for ranchers and miners who lived in the isolated region south of Las Vegas.

It recently gained attention when the phone number and location were published on the Internet.
(------------)