WDBJ 7 news at 5 for 01/05/01

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[VO-NAT]

Today on News 7 at 5, layoffs on the National level could cost some Roanoke County workers their jobs. We'll have the details.
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And from Charlotte, an ex-girlfriend says former N-F-L player Rae Carruth threatened to kill her after she got pregnant. [Weather-Head]
[TALENT=Robin]
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Heading into the weekend with the return to more normal temperatures and a mixture of sun and clouds. Details ahead.

[Medical-Head]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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In other news, some people are raising a stink in the state capitol building, but it may not be what you think,
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[VO-NAT]
and in Sports, Al Groh (GROW) officially takes over as the head football coach of the U-V-A Cavaliers,
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[ANCHOR=Jean]

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[VO-NAT]

The murder trial of a former N-F-L player takes a turn as another ex-girfriend says Rae Carruth threatened to have her killed.
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[5-Carruth]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=500-8 1:46:29]
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Carruth is on trial- accused of having another pregnant girlfriend murdered so he would not have to pay child support.
While the trial is winding down, some of the most damaging testimony came today during the prosecution's rebuttal.
One of Carruth's former girlfriends says he was furious when she became pregnant and he threatened to have her killed if she did not have an abortion.
Bob Knowles has more.
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[SUPER=01-Amber Turner/Carruth's Former Girlfriend; :22]
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[5-Hanover-Direct]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Catalog Retailer Hanover Direct is laying off more than ten percent of its workforce- but is unclear how the company's local operations will be affected.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Oct. 1995;]

In a news release, Hanover Direct said it's eliminating 285 jobs nationwide.
The company is also closing some of its businesses, including three underperforming catalogs.
This afternoon, a company spokesman said the Roanoke fulfillment center could see a small number of layoffs, though the exact number isn't known.
She said Hanover Direct remains committed to its operations in the Roanoke Valley.
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[5-E-Toys]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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[TAPE#=00-50 TC39:47]
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Layoffs as well at E-Toys in Pittsylvania County-
The company let 37 workers go at its warehouse in Blairs.
Poor sales have forced E-Toys to close its European operations and trim its work force.
In all, 700 of its one-thousand employees at E-Toys and BabyCenter will go.
Nearly 400 of those are gone now; the rest will be out of work by the end of March, when the company may run out of operating cash.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blairs/File Tape]

Now, E-Toys warehouse operations in Pittsylvania County and Ontario California WILL stay open, but warehouses in Greensboro, North Carolina and Commerce, California will close in the next three months.
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[(toss to R)]
(toss to Robin)
[Robin-Tease] [01/05/2001]
[SS=NONE]ROBIN IN WX-CENTER
[WXPRO/FULL] WEATHER MAP TOMORROW FORECAST FIVE DAY FORECAST

[SS=NONE]ROBIN TOSS BACK[tease#1]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Roanoke's latest air service is off the ground. We'll introduce you to Potomac Air after this break,
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[VO] And we'll have the latest from Texas- new information as the manhunt intensifies for seven prison escapees.
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[5-Brush-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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A careless smoker may be to blame for a raging wildfire in Southern California.
As Teri Okita reports- the fire has not only destroyed thousands of acres of brush- but several homes too.
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[SUPER=07-Lenny Judd;]
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[Super=07-Mike Wilson;]
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[OUT Q=standard outcue.]
((Resident: did you see this?" Nina Judd finds one treasure left buried in the smoldering debris.
"nat sot pop"
But everything else is gone...destroyed in Wednesday's wildfire just outside San Diego. Eight Year old, Lenny Judd, woke up to the smell of smoke and flames. His mom rushed them out and drove away. LENNY JUDD:LUCKILY WE DROVE THROUGH IT. MOM DROVE THROUGH IT, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING RIGHT NOW. WE WOULD BE DEAD. His four year old brother Jeremiah, lost most of his Christmas presents that morning including his prized boots. Teri Okita: What happened to your boots. Ans Jeremiah: They got burned.
Neighbor Jim Scherkenback lost everything in his storage area..but it could have been worse . His family is unharmed after being trapped inside their house. The roads blocked off by flames. Jim Scherkenback: The flames were going sideways, the winds were so bad and the embers were going crazy. It was quite an experience. Teri Okita/Reporting. While fire can destroyed everything in it's path, it can also spare homes - as it did for Mike Wilson..who lives just up the road.
If they could get us some water that would be great." Some resources are gone but Wilson counts his blessings. Mike Wilson/Resident: It looks like a demilitarized zone. Everything is fried. We lost all ten acres, except for the house. With more than ten thousand acres burned crews are still working hard and hope to contain the fire Saturday. It will take years to bring this area back to life but these residents say they are here to stay...brush fires come with the territory.))

[5-Texas-Manhunt]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Police in Texas have released new sketches of seven prison escapees-
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Irving, TX;]

One sketch shows a cold sore on the fugitive's lip-
Another has a mole drawn on- and some of the others are now shown as though they've lost weight.
Police believe the seven escapees are responsible for the death of a police officer Christmas Eve and they may have injuries of their own.
The escapees include two killers, two armed robbers, a child abuser, a serial rapist and a burglar.
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[SOT 15:02:40]
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((DO NOT APPROACH THESE PEOPLE,,, CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ANY OTHER AGENCIES ..LET US DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THESE PEOPLE INTO CUSTODY.))

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[OUT Q=into custody.]
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[VO-NAT]

Police say the men could have gone in any direction.
The case will be featured on America's Most Wanted tomorrow night.
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[5-Cobb]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Lynchburg's director of economic development says he's leaving his job because of a dispute with city council and its handling of the Lynchburg airport.
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[VO-NAT]
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Lee Cobb has spent 18 years as the city's top business recruiter.
He says the city's fixed base operator.. a company partly-owned by Vice Mayor Stewart Hobbs.. has not met the terms of its lease agreement with the city.
Cobb says enforcing the lease is difficult because Hobbs has a position of power in city government.
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[SOT 10:39:22//13:55:40]
[IN Q=We never know]
((LEE COBB/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: WE NEVER KNOW WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING WHETHER WE ARE WORKING WITH A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OR IF WE ARE WORKING WITH AN OFFICIAL OF VIRGINIA AVIATION AND JUST PROBLEMS RESULT.)) ((STEWART HOBBS/LYNCHBURG COUNCIL MEMBER: IT'S MAKING ALLEGATIONS TO MAKE ALLEGATIONS, REGARDLESS THAT THE FACTS AREN'T THERE TO SUPPORT IT.))
[SUPER=01-Lee Cobb/Economic Development Director; :00]
[SUPER=01-Stewart Hobbs/Lynchburg Council Member; :13]
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[OUT Q=to support it.]
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[VO-NAT]

Lynchburg's commonwealth's attorney has ruled the lease is legal and does "not" represent a conflict of interest.

The dispute has prompted Cobb to take early retirement.. he plans to leave his post by March.
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[5-Potomac-Air]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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A new airline - with operations based in Roanoke - took off today.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Potomac Air is a subsidiary of U-S Airways.
The new airline flew 50 passengers between Roanoke, Greensboro and Washington D.C. today for about one hundred dollars round trip.
With its maintenance and other operations based in Roanoke, the airline employs more than one hundred people.
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[IN Q=I think the]
((BOB BRAYTON/POTOMAC AIR: I THINK THE HOPES ARE THAT IT BECOMES A VIABLE AIRLINE AND HELPTS THE COMMUNITY OF ROANOKE. IT PROVIDES SERVICE BETWEEN ROANOKE AND D.C. AND THEN FROM D.C. TO THE WORLD, WHEREVER PEOPLE WANT TO GO.))
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[OUT Q=want to go.]
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[VO-NAT]

Passengers can buy tickets at the airport right before they get on the plane.
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[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Cowboys have been known to fling the bull around the campfire, but this weekend in Salem, it's the bull's turn. Jacey Birch will join us from the Rodeo.
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[5-Feature]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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This weekend cowboys and cowgirls are riding... roping... wrestling... and racing their way to the winner's circle. It's the annual Salem Stampede Days Rodeo.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Jean/Jacey]

Our own Jacey Birch is out at the Salem Civic Center now getting a taste of what a real rodeo is all about.

[LIVE=Jacey Full]

((ROLLCUE:...))
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[Stats] [01/05/2001] [CK/ESS]FIVE BACKGROUND [CK/WXPRO] [CK/VIEWERNET] [CK/WXPRO]WEATHER MAPS [CK/CHYRON/5 PAGES]REGIONAL FORECASTS [ESS/FULL]EXTENDED FORECAST [WALK OVER FOR 2 SHOT TOSS] [Forecasts]
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[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Today in Sports, the Al Groh (GROW) era begins at U-V-A. We'll hear from the new head coach of the Cavaliers after this break,
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[VO] and on Health Check, addiction- and why it's keeping pain medication out of the hands of some who truly need it.
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[5-Trigon]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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Good news tonight, for the more than 21-thousand Trigon members in Henry County and Martinsville.
Trigon and Memorial Hospital in Martinsville have now agreed to extend their old contract until February 28th.
The extension will also be retroactive. That means any claims received from January 1st through the 5th will paid at the in-network level.
The two parties say they will continue negotations and are optimistic that a new mutually acceptable contract can be reached.

[5-Addiction]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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[TAPE#=500-19 1:27:41]
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In health check,
Some doctors and patients say the increasing abuse of prescription drugs, like oxycontin, is making it tougher for those really need the medication to get access to it.
[ANCHOR=JEAN 2 shot]

Health Check Reporter Joy Sutton explains.
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Jean,
One doctor told me that street use of oxycontin has become an epidemic in Southwest, Virginia
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And that has made doctors more reluctant to prescribe it.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=We're only in]
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[SUPER=07-Jeanette Murray;25]
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[OUT Q=through this]
((
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[IN Q=We're only in the first couple]
((DR. CONRAD BAUM/ADDICTIONOLIST:WE'RE ONLY IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS BEING ABLE TO PRESCRIBE ADEQUATE PAIN MANAGEMENT USING NARCOTICS AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY OF WEEDING OUT THE CRIMINAL FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY NEED THE MEDICATION )) [RUNS13]
[OUT Q=medication]

And for chronic pain sufferers like Jeanette Murray, who takes oxycontin, it's sometimes made getting medication difficult.
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[SOT11:31:04]
[IN Q=Anybody that has pain]
((ANYBODY THAT HAS PAIN IT'S AN AUTOMATIC ASSUMPTION THAT YOU'RE JUST SEEKING DRUGS AND IF YOU'RE SEEKING DRUGS YOU MUST BE A CRIMINAL, THEY JUST CAN'T IMAGINE SOMEONE COULD BE A LEGITIMATE PAIN PATIENT ESPECIALLY FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I HAVE SUFFERED)) [RUNS18]
[OUT Q=i have suffered]

Murray has suffered with her pain for the past two years. She was injured after she fell on her wrist which led to a nerve injury.
Aside from taking oxycontin daily,three times a week she goes to therapy at Professional Therapies in Christiansburg.

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[SOT11:26:47]
[IN Q=I can not phathom what my life would be like]
(( I CAN NOT FATHOM WHAT MY LIFE WOULD MY LIFE WOULD BE LIKE WITHOUT MEDICATION, AND WITHOUT MY THERAPY TREATMENTS ESPECIALLY WHEN AT TIMES EVEN WITH THOSE THERAPIES MY PAIN IS STILL A 10 PLUS )) [RUNS10]
[OUT Q=a ten plus]

And she says it's unfortunate that others are making it bad for those who really need prescription medication to get it.
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[SOT11:31:48]
[IN Q=It's horrifying]
((IT'S HORRIFYING AND JUST UPROARS ME TO THINK THAT A LEGITIMATE PATIENT IS HAVING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS)) [RUNS11]
[OUT Q=all of this]

Doctor Conrad Daum says many doctors are just afraid.
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[SOT22:22:12]
[IN Q=We can be reprimanded or ]
((DOCTOR CONRAD DAUM: WE CAN BE REPRIMANDED OR EVEN HAVE OR LICENSE SUSPENDED IF WE'RE CARELESS ABOUT HOW PRESCRIBE ADDICTIVE MEDICATION - A LOT OF DOCTORS ARE RELUCTANT PERIOD TO PRESCRIBE THESE MEDICINES )) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=per thousand]

Murray has now made it her mission to start a support group for chronic pain sufferers.
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[SOT11:32:57]
[IN Q=With the negativity that i have faced]
((WITH THE NEGATIVITY THAT I HAVE FACED AS A REGISTERED NURSE IF I CAN JUST MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HAVE A VOICE HEARD FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN PAIN THEN IT IS WORTH ME HAVING TO SUFFER THROUGH THIS)) [RUNS19]
[OUT Q=suffer throught this]))
[ANCHOR=Joy Full]

Doctor Daum says for someone who has never been addicted to alcohol or drugs the chance of becoming addicted to a prescription drug like oxycontin is about 1 per thousand.
[ANCHOR=Jean/Joy 2 shot]

Jean,

[S5-UVA]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5pm]
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[TAPE#=SP-87 30 :22]
[GRAPHIC=ticker]

It's time for our two minute ticker.
[GRAPHIC=uva football]
The University of Virginia introduced Al Groh as it's new head football coach in a 10:30 news conference this morning. Steve Mason has more from the Carl Smith Center's Hall of Champions in Charlottesville.
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[SUPER=03-Charlottesville; :00]
[SUPER=01-Al Groh/UVa Head Football Coach; :15]
[SUPER=01-Walt Derey/1993-1996 UVa Tight End; :56]
[SUPER=@Steve1; 1:06]
[SUPER=04-1995 Season; 1:26]
[SUPER=01-Mike Groh/UVa Football Assistant; 1:34(QUICK!!!)]
[SUPER=04-2000 NFL Season; 1:41]
[SUPER=01-Chris Slade/Ex-Cavalier & New Eng. Patriot; 1:46]
[SUPER=01-Doug Karczewski/Ex-Cavalier & N.Y. Jet; 1:51]
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[OUT Q=...News 7 sports"]
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[5-Capitol-Smell]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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[TAPE#=500-14 1:29:14]
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Something stinks at the Virginia State Capitol.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

It's not an ethics violation. It's not illegal. It's a smell emanating from the bowels of the building itself.
And for the women who work in House room three .. ground zero for the odor .. it's no longer a joke.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=People, no matter]
[SUPER=01-Nancy Kidder/Capitol Worker; :00]
[SUPER=01-Donald Williams/Dept. of General Services; :21]
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[OUT Q=run together.]
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[VO-NAT]

Until a solution is found, the workers who are most affected will keep on spraying air freshener, lighting candles, and popping Advil to beat the headaches.
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[ANCHOR=Jean]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Some workers say they have very real health concerns. Ellen Qualls has more on that on News 7 at 6. [Close-ID] [5pm] SUPER=x4035; fax/copyright [SUPER=x4034;email/copyright]