[1-News-Head]
[TALENT=Keith]
A confessed killer three hours from his date with death... while another capital murder suspect's alleged confessi
on is repeated in court.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And the OxyContin Summit in Richmond produces a 7-point plan to stem abuse of the prescription pain killer.
(------------)
[Sports-Head]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on News 7 sports, 16 area high school will be playing for a berth in the state basketball tournament this evening.
We'll talks to the Cavs about their 20th win of the season.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And Page Moir and his Roanoke College Maroons begin play in the NCAA tournament tonight at the Bast Center.
(------------)
[WX-Head]
[TALENT=Robin]
[SS=None]
More warm weather for Friday and Saturday. Then colder and wetter by Sunday. Details ahead.
[Video-Open]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The state is preparing to execute a man who says he "came out of prison to deliver death, pain and destruction."
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
Good evening, I'm Keith Humphry.
[Akers]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=00-51 TC1:49:15]
[GRAPHIC=Akers]
Thomas Wayne Akers is scheduled to die by lethal injection at nine o'clock tonight.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mt./January 1999]
Akers admitted he beat Wesley Smith to death with a baseball bat, threatened to come back and kill the trial judge and prosecutor if he wasn't put to death.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=HOLD]
This morning the chief federal judge for Western Virginia refused to block the execution.
Sam Wilson found that Akers' court- appointed attorney doesn't have "standing" to raise the issue of competency over his client's objections.
Late today the Federal Appeals Court in Richmond agreed with that determination.
The case is now before the U-S Supreme Court.
[Thomas]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=00-49 TC1:47:35]
[GRAPHIC=Thomas Trial]
A Floyd County woman says Jeffrey Thomas confessed to killing Tara Munsey in a conversation the morning after the teenager dissappeared.
Today, jurors in Thomas's capital murder trial heard from Barbara Helton about how that alleged confession eventually compelled her to turn her friend in.
Marya Jones has her story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Barbara Helton]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski; :00]
[SUPER=@Marya1; :47]
[RUNS=1:01]
[OUT Q=MJ, News 7, Pulaski]
[Danville-Sheriff]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=00-50 TC1:57:27]
[GRAPHIC=None]
State Police are investigating the Danville Sheriff's Department.
It involves allegations made February 14th.
Authorities won't say what those allegations are.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville]
But State Police special agent Jim Ruland told us he is investigating improper actions by several Danville Sheriff employees.
The Sheriff, Danville's Police Chief and the Commonwealth Attorney's office considered the allegations serious enough to ask State Police to investigate.
They wanted to avoid what would have been a conflict of interest if they'd investigating their own colleagues.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 00:38:29]
[IN Q=We wanted it to be]
((CHIEF NEAL MORRIS/DANVILLE POLICE DEPT.: WE WANTED IT TO BE INVESTIGATED FAIRLY. AND WE WOULD HAVE DONE A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION. BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD THINK THAT'S NOT TRUE. THIS WAY IT REMOVES ANY OF THAT POSSIBILITY OF ANYONE SAYING THAT.))
[SUPER=01-Neal Morris/Danville Police Chief]
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=of anyone saying that]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
State Police won't say how long the investigation may take.
Once completed, State Police will issue a report to the Commonwealth Attorney.
(------------)
[Oxycontin]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=00-53 TC1:20:38 ]
[GRAPHIC=OxyContin]
It's the hottest new drug on the streets of southest Virginia. OxyContin gives a heroin-like high when snorted or injected.
But the 28 deaths just in our region in the last two years .. make it a medical and law enforcement crisis.
The Attorneys-General of Virginia and Maryland sat down with the pain reliever's maker today, and came to a multi-part agreement.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Ellen/Starlink;]
Ellen Qualls is in Richmond .. where that meeting took place.
[LIVE=ELlen full/Starlink]
[SUPER=@Ellen1;]
[SUPER=06-Richmond;]
(adlib)
[**ROLLED FROM TRUCK**]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=They're gonna be focused]
[SUPER=@Earley; :00]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :28]
[SUPER=@File; :32]
[SUPER=01-Joe Curran/MD Attorney General; :42]
[RUNS=1:07]
[OUT Q=why are you doing this?]
(-------------)
[LIVE=Ellen full/Starlink]
[SUPER=06-Richmond;]
(adlib)
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Ellen/Starlink;]
[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=NONE]
Police bust a suspected Lynchburg Crack House.
Details are coming up.
And, we've heard about the state budget cuts for the upcoming year....
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
Still ahead on News 7 at Six, we'll find out how they could cut in to college education at places like Virginia Tech and Radford.
(----------------)
[Clement]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-01 TC1:20:06]
[GRAPHIC=None]
One of the Roanoke Valley's most important business leaders of the last fifty years has died.
G. Frank Clement (CLEM-ent), the retired President of Shenandoah Life, passed away this morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Born in Roanoke, and raised in the New River Valley,
Clement rose through the ranks of the insurance company to become President and Chairman.
But he was also a leader of many community organizations and a moving force behind civic projects, including Center in the Square.
(///// SOT ///// )
[SOT 97-10 ]
[IN Q=We talked about]
((G. FRANK CLEMENT: WE TALKED ABOUT ALL SORTS OF PROJECTS THAT WERE GOOD FOR ROANOKE AND QUITE A FEW GOOD IDEAS DEVELOPED THERE AND WE GOT BEHIND THEM AND PUSHED THEM AND THEY CAME INTO BEING.))
[SUPER=10-G. Frank Clement//1997;]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=they came into being.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[GRAPHIC=None]
G. Frank Clement was 93 years old. Funeral Arrangements are incomplete.
[Salem-Paper]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=00-48 TC1:59:08]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The long-time publisher of the Salem Times Register said goodbye to the Salem Newspaper group today.
Ray Robinson has sold his newspapers, but he told News-7's Jennifer Miele that the printer's ink on his fingers will never wash off.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The ink on the]
[SUPER=03-Salem; :06]
[SUPER=01-Ray Robinson/Former Newspaper Owner; :13]
[SUPER=01-Jeff Stumb/Main Street Newspapers; :34]
[SUPER=01-Wilson Koeppell/Main Street Newspapers; :57]
[SUPER=@Jennifer2; 1:31]
[RUNS=1:50]
[OUT Q=JM News 7 Salem.]
(( The ink on the presses runs is in Ray Robinson's blood, and the ink on the paper comes straight from his heart.
He's the man behind the Salem Times Register.
[10:38:49]
((RAY ROBINSON/FORMER NEWSPAPER OWNER : WE RUN HOMETOWN NEWSPAPERS. I TELL PEOPLE VERY CANDIDLY, MAKE NO APOLOGIES ABOUT IT, IF IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN SALEM, I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO PUT IT IN MY NEWSPAPER.))
[RUNS07]
For more than 40 years, Robinson and his wife Jeanne have been publishing hometown newspapers.
Until yesterday, the Robinsons owned the Salem Times Register, New Castle Record, Fincastle Herald, and Vinton Messenger.
But today Wilson Koeppell (keppel) and Jeff Stumb (Stum) added the Salem Newspaper group to their collection.
[10:51:55]
((JEFF STUMB: WILSON AND I GOT TOGETHER LAST YEAR AND DECIDED TO FULFILL BOTH OF DREAMS TO OWN MORE NEWSPAPERS. THAT'S WHEN WE BOUGHT THE NEWSPAPERS IN CHRISTIANSBURG, BLACKSBURG AND RADFORD.))
[RUNS12]
The pair worked their way up through the ranks of a newspaper group in Alabama under the wing of long-time publisher Jim Boone.
[10:54:33]
((WILSON KOEPPELL: IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE JIM BOONE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NEWSPAPERS. AND HE'S THOUGHT US A LOT ABOUT FINANCING, A LOT ABOUT RUNNING A GOOD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER.))
[RUNS08]
Robinson says his faith in Koeppell and Stumb made this emotional day much easier.
[10:41:07]
((RAY ROBINSON/FORMER NEWSPAPER OWNER :WITH MY HEART I DIDN'T WANT TO SELL THE NEWSPAPERS OF COURSE. I ALSO DIDN'T WANT TO GROW OLD, BUT I AM. THIS WAS A BUSINESS DECISION. IT WAS A GOOD ONE. ))
[RUNS08]
But just because the ink on the contract is dry, it doesn't mean the readers of Salem will turn the page on Ray Robinson.
His columns will appear in his "former" papers, and he and his wife will stay on as consultants for Main Street Newspapers.
[10:41:02]
((RAY ROBINSON/FORMER NEWSPAPER OWNER :WE'VE NEVER BEEN OUT OF WORK BEFORE IN OUR LIVES. WE'VE NEVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING OUT OF WORK OR RETIRED. BUT NOW WE CAN.))
[RUNS10]
New owners say the sale of the Salem Paper Group will not stop these presses.
Jennifer Miele, News 7, Salem.))
[Stocks]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]
Weary investors got some good news today - after S-G Cowen's analyst reiterated his buy rating on I-B-M.
[TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/45.14/10450.14/x/31.54/2183.37;]
That sent stocks on a sharp upturn late in the day - but the Dow still closed 45 points lower.
The Nasdaq climbed 32 points.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/0.01/47.55/i/0.97/22.03/i/1.36/49.34/h/0.31/17.24/i/0.31/8.40;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.41/65.15/h/0.33/32.70/i/0.10/45.70/i/0.59/45.91/i/0.30/39.30;]
[SUPER=273-h/0.14/24.38/i/0.39/17.70/i/0.47/9.28/h/0.37/48.55/i/0.13/10.75;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.26/65.99/i/0.85/59.34/i/1.06/48.44/h/0.27/63.41/i/1.75/48.34;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[Drug-Bust]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-03 TC56:17]
[GRAPHIC=Drug Bust]
One man is in custody, another is still being sought by Lynchburg police after a raid on a suspected crack house this afternoon.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
A police tactical team executed a search warrant on this home on Johnson Street around 4.
It had been the subject of neighbors' complaints for months.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:16:03]
[IN Q=Field Operations]
((LT. JERRY STOKES/LYNCHBURG POLICE: FIELD OPERATIONS BUREAU, THE UNIFORMED OFFICERS HAVE BEEN RESPONDING OVER HERE TO COMPLAINTS OF THE DRUG ACTIVITY AND DISORDER FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT.))
[SUPER=01-Lt. Jerry Stokes/Lynchburg Police Department]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=working on it.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The department's K-9 unit helped track and arrest one of the suspects.. an aerial search using a State Police helicopter failed to locate the other.
Police also recovered an undetermined amount of drugs in and outside the house.
(-----------)
[Tech-Budget]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=00-45 TC1:56:33]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]
State colleges across the Commonwealth are feeling the pinch of stalled budget negotiations.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
They've been asked by the Governor to submit contingency spending reduction proposals by noon tomorrow.
Virginia Tech was given a target reduction of 3-point-8 million dollars for the fiscal year ending June 30th...
(/////SOT/////)
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]
[SOT- 15:59:32]
[IN Q=WERE GOING TO]
((LARRY HINCKER/VA TECH SPOKESMAN; WERE GOING TO BE LOOKING EVERYWHERE BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING ACROSS THE BOARD, REDUCTIONS POSSIBLE NOT PURCHASING CARS MOTOR VEHICLES, POSSIBLE REDUCING EQUIPMENT PURCHASES A LOT OF GENERAL FUND MONEY AND STUDENT AID WE'LL BE LOOKING IN THAT AREA.))
[SUPER=01-Larry Hincker/VA Tech Spokesman]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=IN THAT AREA]
(--------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford]
Radford University is also trying to meet its alloted reduction of 630-thousand dollars.
(-------------)
[Science-Fair]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6p-m]
[WRITER=slo]
[TAPE#=00-54 TC1:25:47]
[GRAPHIC=None]
More than 120 students addressed everything from bacteria to smoke alarms at the Roanoke City-wide Science Fair.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Roanoke's six middle schools and two high schools competed today at Addison Aerospace Middle School.
Families and friends came out to support the students.
Judges will choose thirty winners to go on to the Western Virginia Regional Science Fair on April seventh at Roanoke College.
(------------)
[Sports Tease]
[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
It's regional semi-finals night on the high school hardwood.
The Liberty men open play in the Big South tonight.
And Roanoke College plays its NCAA opener.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And we'll look back as UVa's home finale last night and check in with some of the stars who helped the team gets it 20th win of the season.
(------------)
[S-Roanoke]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-91]
[GRAPHIC=NCAA 6194]
Roanoke College begins its quest for that elusive NCAA basketball title tonight as the Maroons host the Savannah College of Art and Design at seven at the Bast Center.
After losing to Hampden-Sydney in the ODAC final, Roanoke was just glad to get in the tournament.
But now that they're in the big D-3 dance they want to make a run at the title
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=01-Alex Phillips/Roanoke Center; ]
[SUPER=01-Brad Dunleavy/Roanoke Guard; :16]
[SUPER=01-Colby Leftwich/Roanoke Forward; :25]
[SUPER=01-Page Moir/Roanoke Head Coach; 36]
[RUNS=:49]
[OUT Q=...OF THE YEAR."]
(------------)
[S-Big]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=BIG SOUTH]
The Big South conference passed out its postseason honors on the men's side this afternoon.
Coastal Carolina's Torrey Butler was named the Big South player of the year, while Charleston Southern's Jim Platt was named coach of the year.
[GRAPHIC=ANDY SAVETCHENKO]
Radford University's Andre Savetchenko, the Highlanders 7 foot center named the Big South's scholar athlete of the year. Radford plays its tournament opener tomorrow night at 6, while the Liberty men play tonight at 8:30 against UNC Asheville
[S-Cavs]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-90]
[GRAPHIC=UVa]
The Seventh ranked Virginia Men's basketball team ran it's win streak to four with a 84-65 win over Clemson last night. Steve Mason has a recap and takes a look at what's a head.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Charlottesville/Last Night; :00]
[SUPER=01-Adam Hall/Scored 7 Points; :22 QUICK!!!]
[SUPER=01-Roger Mason/10 Points & 4 Assists; :36 QUICK]
[SUPER=01-Donald Hand/15 Points & 8 Assists; :41]
[SUPER=@Steve1; :52]
[SUPER=01-Pete Gillen/UVa Head Coach; 1:05]
[RUNS=1:22]
[OUT Q=....News 7 sports"]
(---------------)
((Emotional February wins over Duke and Carolina and a Clemson team whose best player was sick with the flu were just a few of the elements in place for a UVa let down. But doubters forgot three things, Chris Williams ability to come alive in the second half, a stingy defense and the Wahoos Fab five.
((:))
Not just any victory. This was Virginia's 20th of the season, a milestone reached for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
((:))
((:))
((:))
((:))
The Cavaliers battle Maryland Saturday in College back. The game tips off at 2pm and you can watch it right here on your Hometown Station. In Charlottesville, Steve Mason News 7 sports.))
[S-Regionals]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=sp-86 10300TC]
[GRAPHIC=TOURNEY TIME]
Regional semi-finals on the high school hardwood tonight will decide which teams are headed to the state tournament.
We'll have the highlights of 6 games tonight for you from Region C, Region 3 and the Northwest region's boys and girls contests on News 7 at 11.
(----------------)
[vo nat eng#]
[super=03-Rocky Mount/Tuesday Night; :00]
The best game of the night for many folks will take place at a neutral site at Northside high school this evening at 7:45 as the Franklin County Eagles take on the G.W. Danville Eagles. This should be a high scoring affair, and for once I feel confident in saying that the Eagles will win.
(-----------------)[Almanac]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
From a weather reporting standpoint, winter is over. We keep winter records for December, January and February.
And Jacey Birch is already in a spring planting frame of mind. Here is our March almanac.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=@Jacey1; :00]
[SUPER=01-Clark Becroff/Greenbrier Nurseries; :25]
[RUNS=1:15]
[OUT Q=I'm Jacey Birch.]
[**MUSIC CONTINUES FOR 55 SECONDS**]
by SS