[Open-Heads]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[roll cold out of the open]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=#4070;weekend headline banner]
[SUPER=@Denise1;]
[SUPER=@Leo1;]
Coming up, it was smooth sailing for the Hokies on AND off the field - as fans expecting traffic troubles are pleasantly surprised.
(------------)
[vo-nat]
And it was a less-than-fun night at the fair Down Under - as a ride collapses, sending dozens to the hospital.
(-------------)
[2-shot toss to Hello]
[11Tech-Parking]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-27; TC 55:45]
[GRAPHIC=VA Tech]
Hokie fans went home with the win after the first game of Tech's football season yesterday.
But they also went home with mud - and lots of it.
The continuing rainy weather is making for a sticky parking situation - but a new exit's made traffic a breeze.
Kate Weidaw reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=nat sound]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;:00]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/Sunday;:20]
[SUPER=@Kate2]
[RUNS=1:04]
[OUT Q=kw news7 Blacksburg]
((
[NAT SOUND CARS]
[RUNS=2]
It's Labor Day weekend so where's the traffic?
[SOT 5:10:51]
[INQ=]
((WE THOUGHT THE TRAFFIC WOULD BE A REAL PROBLEM.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS2]
And so did most people. The new exit off interstate 81 made it easier for traffic to bypass Christiansburg but no one saw any major back ups.
[SOT 5:04:30]
[INQ=]
((IT'S BETTER THEN LAST WEEKEND.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS2]
What a different story from last Sunday when the sky opened up and rain came pouring down. It left folks parked in lot 9 stuck in the mud and calling for tow trucks to get them out.
[SOT 5:05:26]
[INQ=]
((GETTING OUT TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR WITH A LITTLE PUSHING.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS4]
Mud seemed to be causing problems for more then just the cars last week.
[SOT 5:04:34]
[INQ=]
((WE WERE COVERED WITH MUD COVERED WITH MUD.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS3]
And with the threat of rain lingering over the fans again it didn't stop them from parking their cars and having a good time.
[SOT 5:05:39]
[INQ=]
((SO FAR IT'S A LOT BETTER AND IF WE WIN I COULD CARE LESS HOW MUDDY IT IS.))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS4]
[video 5:07:16]
Some obviously didn't mind getting wet.
[nat sound screaming]
[runs2]
It's all part of coming to the game...
[SOT 5:10:02]
[INQ=]
((HOKIES NUMBER 1))
[OUTQ=]
[RUNS2]
[video Hokie Man]
And cheering on the team. Kate Weidaw News 7 Blacksburg.))
[anchor=Denise]
[graphic=Hold]
Roy Stanley will have highlights from yesterday's game a little later in the newscast.
[Hillsville]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=none]
The Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market is NOT just playing host to shoppers and tourists this weekend.
Federal A-T-F agents and uniformed police officers are in the mix.
The long arm of the law has its hand in the show because of reports of heavy gun dealing at the event in the past.
The show is huge because Hillsville is the only Virginia locality that enjoys an exemption from a state law requiring gun show promoters to submit names and addresses of all vendors to state police and local authorities.
[11Bedford-Fire]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-26; TC 1:23:52]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
A Bedford County furniture shop continues to smolder -
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.]
after it burned to the ground yesterday.
Roger Henderson, the owner of Henderson's Antiques, says lightning struck his businesses - located next to his home - early yesterday morning.
Danny Coleman, fire chief for the Big Island fire department, says crews from Bedford and Forest were called in to assist his department.
But, he says, torrential downpours slowed their response time.
The building was engulfed when firefighters arrived.
They say it will be days before the fire is completely out.
(------------)
[Fairground-Collaspe]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
An amusement ride turned into a scary ride at an Australian Fairground yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Adelaide, Australia;]
37 people were injured, three seriously.
The Spin Dragon collapsed at the annual Royal Adelaide Show.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=the actual]
[SUPER=01-Caleb Sutherland/Witness;]
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=no where to run]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Three people are still in the hospital.
Health and safety officials are trying to discover the cause of the collapse.
(------------)
[Firestone]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=Firestone]
As if the Bridgestone/Firestone Company needed anything else to deal with, another major financial disaster was avoided yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-La Vergne, TN;]
A strike was averted at the tire company's plant in Tennessee.
The plant continues to pump out thousands of tires , but the picket signs remain ready as negotiators talk in good faith with indications that both sides are giving a little to reach a settlement.
This labor dispute is not about more money, it's about improved working conditions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=what is]
((LARRY CANADA/UNION MEMBER - WHAT IS YOUR FEELING TOWARD CONSUMERS
MAYBE PURCHASING THESE PRODUCTS, TRYING TO REPLACE THE RECALLED TIRES
THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THEIR VEHICLES? FIRST THING I'D DO IS GET ON THE
PHONE AND TELL EVERYONE I KNOW NOT TO, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID YOU DON'T
JUST WALK UP AND BUILD A TIRE IT'S AN ART.))
[SUPER=01-Lary Canada/Union Member;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=it's an art]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
No new deadline has been set.
The beleaguered company is working in overdrive trying to replace six point five million recalled tires.
(------------)
[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=2- Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[SS=None]
[BOTH MICS HOT]
Wet roads are blamed for a fatal accident in Montgomery County.
Details to come on News 7 Sunday Morning.
[ANCHOR=Leo]
And -
(------------------)
[vo-nat]
a big lead slips away in Charlottesville -
We'll tell you about the Cavaliers' season-opener that went into O-T.
Stick around.
(------------------)
[lott]
[comm]
[Health-Week]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=weekend]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=42:24]
[GRAPHIC=Health Check]
Heavy backpacks may contribute to back pain in children.
That's the story topping this week's Health Review.
Health Check Reporter Joy Sutton has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Martha Engberson/7th Grader; :15]
[SUPER=01-Dr. John Olsen/Chiropractor; :27]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; 45]
[SUPER=03-Salem/August; :55]
[SUPER=01-Dr. John Heil/Sports Psychologist; 1:04]
[SUPER=04-VDH Tape; 1:15]
[SUPER=01-Dick Tabb/Environmental Health Manager; 1:38]
[SUPER=@Joy2; 1:20]
[RUNS=1:55]
[OUT Q=I'm JS]
(([tape 500-01, 1:27:12, use first and third bite]
12 year old Martha Engberson visits a chiropractor to help alleviate pain she says comes from carrying a heavy backpack.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT17:26:11]
[IN Q=It would get so bad it would feel]
((MARTHA ENGBERSON: IT WOULD GET SO BAD IT WOULD FEEL LIKE I PULLED A MUSCLE UP IN MY SHOULDER AND THEN WITH YOUR NECKS ITS THE SAME WAY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BALANCE IT OUT. SO IT STARTS HURTING YOUR NECK ALSO))
[RUNS= 12]
[OUT Q=also]
Doctor John Olsen of Olsen Clinic of Chiropractic says it's problem parents shouldn't take lightly.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT17:38:39]
[IN Q=Parent need to be awaret]
((DR. JOHN OLSEN/CHIROPRACTOR: PARENTS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT IT'S AN ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE LONG TERM BACK PROBLEMS))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=long term back problems]
The American Chiropractic Association says your child's backpack should weigh no more than 5 to 10 percent of the child's body weight. It should be worn with both shoulder straps, and should be adjusted to fit close to the body.
[tape # 500-8, 1:21:12, use second bite ]
In other health news, a Roanoke Sports Psychologist is headed to the Olympics to help coach the U-S Fencing team.
Doctor John Heil of the Lewis Gale Clinic says the mental aspect of the game is very important, especially in a sport like fencing - which requires a high level of tactical skill.
One of the techniques Heil uses is visualization.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT ]
[IN Q=You create in your mind]
((DOCTOR JOHN HEIL/SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST: YOU CREATE IN YOUR MIND THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF THE EVENT. YOU IMAGINE WHAT'S HAPPENING, IMAGINE HOW YOU FEEL, EVEN HOW IT MAY SOUND AND LOOK, AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT YOU TRY TO APPLY YOUR SKILLS))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=your skills]
[tape # 500-10, 2:01:11 (use second bite)]
And health officials say conditions this time of year are ideal for mosquitos, especially with all the rain.
You can reduce the number of mosquitos around your home by eliminating standing water in places like gutters.
While mosquitos are mainly just a nuisance they can carry diseases such as the west nile virus and some forms of encephalitis.
There have been no reported cases in the Roanoke Valley. But Health officials say it's important to be cautious.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT ]
[IN Q=This fall the bird population]
((DICK TABB: THIS FALL THE BIRD POPULATION THAT ARE RESERVOIR FOR THE WEST NILE VIRUS WILL BE MOVING DOWN SOUTH AS PART OF THEIR MIGRATION. SO IT'S LOGICAL THAT THEY MAY BRING THE WEST NILE FURTHER THIS YEAR. WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL ENTER VIRGINIA))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=this year]
That's this week's health review. I'm Joy Sutton.))
[6Biz-Review]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=Biz Review; TC 1:47:38]
[GRAPHIC=Business Review]
One local company promises a quicker Internet connection - while another wins a BIG contract to control the nation's nuclear plants.
Those are just a few of the stories in this week's Business Review.
Jennifer Miele reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Music/graphics]
[SUPER=03-Daleville;:14]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;:26]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;:47]
[SUPER=@Jennifer1;1:01]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg;1:14]
[SUPER=03-Campbell Co./File Tape;:]
[RUNS=1:45]
[OUT Q=Music/graphics]
(( This week in review.... R and B Communications announced plans to provide small businesses and consumers with a faster connection to the Internet.
The communications company also announced plans to construct a new 4- and- a-half- million dollar facility.
The new building with be located next to their current site and will bring 1-hundred new jobs to the area.
A new company will be moving in to Botetourt County. The average pay ... twelve dollars an hour.
Altec Industries makes cherry-pickers for A-E-P trucks and other companies worldwide.
It plans to build a plant on 36 acres in Greenfield industrial park -- investing 12 and a half million dollars and hiring 150 people over the next three years.
Morgan Stewart Galleries in Tanglewood Mall is closing its doors.
Company representatives say the store has never been profitable in its three years at the Mall.
The store's five employees will be furloughed after a one month liquidation sale.
The Department of Energy has picked a local company to control seven of the nation's Nuclear Weapons Manufacturing Plants. B-W-X Technologies of Lynchburg got the job - worth two and a half billion dollars.
[TAPE#=00-23 TC1:06:17]
The company will send experienced managers from the Lynchburg plant to nine different states to supervise nuclear manufacturing. This contract is the second awarded by the D-E-P to B-W-X in the last month.
Finally the Dow was up 23.68 to close at 11238.78. 2, and the NASDAQ finished up 27.98 to finish at 4234.33.
For News 7, I'm Jennifer Miele and that' this week's Business Review.))
[Sports-Plays]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=sports play]
[GRAPHIC=mlb]
In the majors, Pittsburgh doubled San Diego 6-to-3.
Abraham Nunez had three R-B-Is.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-San Diego, CA/Padres-Cox Cable;]
Matt Clement's pitch is in the dirt. Brian Giles comes home for the Pirates and it's two -nothing.
Another mistakes ups the score to three-zero when Phil Nevin can't get his glove on the ball and John VanderWal scores.
San Diego starts a come back. George Williams hammers one over the right field wall, to cut the lead to three to two in the fifth inning.
But the comeback would fall short and Pittsburgh continues its good game at the plate winning this one, six to three.
(------------)
[Albums-Bump]
[2-SHOT]
[soft music under]
(adlib toss to albums bump)
[Take Full Screen albums Bump]
[Chyron #7151 ]
[COMM # 3][Tx-Fires]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=Wildfires]
The Texas heat is giving fire fighters fits. And tourists trying to enjoy the Labor Day weekend by lounging around Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie, Texas, will have to battle the smoke.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Grand Prairie, TX;]
Firefighters have been fighting grass fires that have consumed over 40 acres of land.
The fire is now under control and no structures in the area were damaged.
Four firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, but no other injures were reported.
(------------)
[wipe wipe wipe]
[6Firefighters]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=00-19; TC 1:59:35]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe]
(------------)
[VO-NAT 00-39 tc 06:39]
[SUPER=03-Salem/This Week;]
Virginia firefighters have volunteered to help douse the flames continuing across the Lone Star state.
The volunteers left this week - and the job's not getting any easier because Texas is under a heat advisory.
The Virginia Department of Forestry has loaned a dozen firefighters, five bulldozers and two support trucks.
It's part of an agreement between southeastern states to help each other in times of need.
(------------)
[2Open-Heads]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[roll cold out of the open]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=#4070;weekend headline banner]
Coming up , wet roads may have caused the crash that killed an Elliston woman.
(------------)
[anchor=Denise]
And a new study finds women may not find equality - in Virginia's courtrooms.
More on those stories just ahead.
[2-shot toss to hello]
[11Fatal-Ax]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=00-28; TC 1:19:04]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]
A collision on wet roads cost one woman her life.
The accident occurred yesterday evening on North Fork Road in Montgomery County.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.]
37 year old Phyllis Hurt of Elliston was traveling west when she lost control of her vehicle.
The car spun sideways and was struck on the driver's side by a Jeep Cherokee.
Officials say they were unable to revive the victim.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 8:17:40]
[IN Q=bystanders]
((SGT. VERN JONES/STATE POLICE: BYSTANDERS HAD ALREADY PULLED HER FROM THE VEHICLE SHE WAS NON RESPONSIVE EVERYTHING WE FOUND IS SHE WAS KILLED ON IMPACT.))
[SUPER=01-Sgt. Vern Jones/State Police]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=on impact.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Two women in the Jeep Cherokee were taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Police say their injuries are minor.
Officials say slick roads are to blame for the accident.
(------------)
[Bus-Brakes]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun aM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
School districts nationwide are being warned about defective brakes on an estimated six THOUSAND buses.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Robbinsdale, MN;]
Thomas Built Buses notified districts, last week the defect involved the anti-lock brake system on buses made between March of 1998 and last month.
The brake systems' control unit can 'misinterpret' signals sent from the wheels causing temporary loss of braking capability.
Districts were told how to inspect the brakes but repair kits aren't expected to be available until November.
(------------)
[Gender-Bias]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]
Are the scales of justice - and equality - balanced for women and men in Virginia's legal system?
A Virginia Supreme Court task force says the answer is no - for female attorneys AND domestic violence victims.
The task force finds men are more likely than women to become judges - and that female attorneys are often the target of sexism in Virginia's courts.
The report recently released by the task force also says women who are victims of domestic abuse are sometimes misunderstood in the male-dominated legal arena.
Virginia's Supreme Court formed the task force to study the issues two years ago.
[Virginia-Wealth]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
For most Virginians - the results of a new study by the Economic Policy Institute are good: Virginia workers are richer than they were 5 years ago.
The increased wealth is due to high employment rates, an increase in minimum wage, and a more productive workforce.
But while the wealth is growing - the study finds the gap between rich and poor is also growing.
In the latter half of the 1990s - the richest one-fifth of Virginians earned 10-point-7 times more than the poorest 20-percent.
That's up from a 7-point-4 times difference from 1978 to 1980.
[11VA-Beach]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=mce]
[TAPE#=00-29; TC 1:05:03]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The efforts of the "polite police" seem to be paying off in Virginia Beach.
(------------)
[VO-NAT@500-04; TC 1:06:15]
[SUPER=03-Virginia Beach/July]
At the start of the summer, symbols were placed all over the strip of ocean resorts, reminding visitors to mind their p's and q's.
The icons are working, according to merchants along the ocean front.
They say tourists are generally abiding by the icons that make it clear that such excesses as foul language, rowdy behavior and lewd exhibitions won't be tolerated.
(------------)
[Tease#2]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun Am]
[SS=None]
[BOTH MICS HOT]
Still to come on News 7... a former Hokie wants to go to extremes - in the professional league that could be football's answer to pro-wrestling.
[ANCHOR=Leo]
And speaking of pro-wrestling -
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
Roger Ebert takes us "Beyond the Mat" in his Video Picks.
We'll tell you what he thinks about the behind-the-scenes documentary.
But first... if you're traveling today...
[Leo ad-lib into the travel forecast]
(-------------)
[Leo MIC hot]
[ No 2-shot toss go straight to Travel Bump]
[soft music under]
[Profile-Open]
[ANCHOR=Leo]
[NEWSCAST=WeekendAM]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=Profile Open]
[GRAPHIC=Va. Profile]
Page Hazlegrove was beginning to receive national recognition when she died unexpectedly in September 1997.
This summer, her artwork is opening eyes in her own hometown.
Joe Dashiell visits the Art Museum of Western Virginia, for this week's Virginia Profile.
(////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=animation]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUT Q=stop animation]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]
[Hazlegrove-Profile]
[ANCHOR=Leo]
[NEWSCAST=Sunday-AM]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=Va. Profile #3 1:50:24]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe]
[wipe wipe wipe]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The pieces are striking]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Brian Sieveking/Curator; :10]
[RUNS=1:40]
[OUT Q=JD News 7 Roanoke]
((The pieces are striking, familiar forms with unexpected details, basic shapes that force the viewer to look at them in a different light.
[NAT SOT OF SIEVEKING 07:20]
[IN Q=She was interested]
((BRIAN SIEVEKING/CURATOR: SHE WAS INTERESTED IN THE IDEA THAT GLASS IS EXTREMELY STRONG IN SOME WAYS AND EXTREMELY FRAGILE IN OTHER WAYS. AND SHE WAS USING GLASS AS A METAPHOR FOR NATURE AND AS A METAPHOR FOR PEOPLE.))
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=as a metaphor for people.]
Page Hazlegrove lived and worked in Massachusetts, but her roots were here in Roanoke.
Though she studied painting, ceramics and other artistic disciplines, it was glass sculpture that became her creative passion.
[SOT 00:03:01]
[IN Q=She was one]
((SHE WAS ONE OF A GROUP OF GLASS ARTISTS WHO BEGAN TO USE GLASS REALLY AS A MODE OF PERSONAL EXPRESSION IN A WAY THAT HAS NORMALLY BEEN RESERVED FOR PAINTING AND SCULPTURE.))
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=painting and sculpture.]
Hazlegrove was just 41 years old in September of 1997 when she died unexpectedly in her sleep. Her career lasted only about ten years...but Guest Curator Brian Sieveking says he was stunned by the amount of work she produced.
The Roanoke exhibition includes a wide variety... and Sieveking says it succeeds on several levels.
[SOT SIEVEKING 00:00:51]
[IN Q=First and foremost]
((BRIAN SIEVEKING: FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE THE WORK IS REALLY FIRST-RATE AND IS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT WORK. SHE WAS JUST BEGINNING TO RECEIVE A LOT OF ATTENTION NATIONWIDE AT THE TIME OF HER DEATH, BUT ALSO BECAUSE SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ROANOKE. AND SO SHE WAS A ROANOKE ARTIST AND A ROANOKE NATIVE.))
[RUNS=:21]
[OUT Q=and a Roanoke native.]
Page Hazlegrove's work will remain on display at the Art Museum of Western Virginia through October 8th.
Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke.))
[Ebert-Picks]
[ANCHOR=Leo]
[NEWSCAST=Sun am]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=net Ebert]
[graphic=none]
From pro-wrestling behind the scenes to "The Big Kahuna" - Roger Ebert has a look at what you might want to select from the video shelves this holiday weekend.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Doesn't it]
[SUPER=01-Roger Ebert/Movie Critic;:00]
[RUNS=2:07]
[OUT Q=I'm Roger Ebert]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Leo]
[SS=None]
You can see Roger Ebert's reviews today at Eleven here on Your Hometown Station.
[2-shot toss to bump]
[Sports-Extra]
[ANCHOR=Denise]
[NEWSCAST=Sun AM]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=sports extra #2]
[GRAPHIC=football]
[anchor tag]
Former Virginia Tech defensive back Loren Johnson is preparing to leave the cozy confines of coaching high school football for the grueling tryouts of the new Xtreme Football League.
September 16th he'll join other players looking for a professional football gig at an XFL combine.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Daleville/Friday Night; :00]
[SUPER=01-Loren Johnson/XFL Hopeful; :23]
[SUPER=03-New York, NY/February 1999; 1:04]
[super=03-Blacksburg/1998 Season; 1:16]
[RUNS=1:40]
[OUT Q=continue playing football]
(( (///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=nat sound]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]
This Hokie is now a Cavalier. He's taken off the pads, for the time being, and picked up a whistle as an assistant for Lord Botetourt High School.
But these teenagers aren't in awe of Johnson's college and NFL Europe experience.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:12:52]
[IN Q=actually they]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=as a player would tell them]
While he's teaching them the game and helping them realize the goal of a state championship, these players are also pushing Johnson to achieve his dream of professional football.
Johnson says during workouts his players make sure he's giving his all so he's ready for the XFL combine on September 16th.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:14:22]
[IN Q=it's a combine]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=little bit of football]
The XFL is a new league started by The World Wrestling Federation's Vince McMahon.
The smashmouth brand of football starts play in February. It'll be played outdoors. They'll be helmet cameras and wired locker rooms.
McMahon says it'll be a high speed game, 100 percent entertain and 100 percent real.
For Johnson it's another chance to play football.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:15:08]
[IN Q=that's my first love]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=continue playing football]
))
(--------------)
[anchor=Denise]
[ss=hold]
Johnson says the new league will hold a draft in October and minicamps in November.
[2BIRTHDAYS!] 9/4/00
Monday:
[SUPER=130-19/Shelley Alger/Woodlawn]
[SUPER=130-1/Nicholas Puffenbarger/Millboro]
[SUPER=130-7/Danielle Slate/Bassett]
[SUPER=130-82/Evelyn Price/Blacksburg]
No Pictures:
[SUPER=131-/Doris Jewell/Lafayette]
by SS