WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 04/16/01

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Jean]

Another banking mega-merger tops News 7 at Six tonight, one that could have a big impact on our area.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

And the battle to keep all of Lynchburg's fire stations open.
(------------)

[Sports-head]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

In sports, the Avalanche talks about their series with Myrtle Beach which begins tonight, the Yankees and the Red Sox square off on Patriots day
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

and for the first time in 10 years a Kenyan does not win the Boston Marathon.
(------------)

[WX-Head]
[TALENT=Leo]
[SS=None]

Cooler weather's heading our way and it could bring some rain and even some snow showers to the region... I'll have your hometown forecast coming up...

[Video-Open]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Rival banks put aside their differences and set their sights on a common goal... one bank, with your money in it.

(------------)
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]

Good evening, I'm Jean Jadhon.

[First-Union]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=01-16 TC23:05]
[GRAPHIC=Merger]

First Union and Wachovia today announced a merger.
While First Union hasn't had much financial success with mergers in the past, officials there say it's the best way to survive and thrive.
So what does this mean for customers?
[DOUBLE BOXES=JEan and Jennifer /Microwave;]

News 7 Business Reporter Jennifer Miele is in Roanoke tonight with the answer.
[LIVE=Jennifer FULL/Microwave]
[SUPER=@jennifer1]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke]

Jean, the new bank will be called "Wachovia Corporation."
So I called First Union customer service today and asked what customers who have First Union accounts should do about things like getting a new A-T-M card.
They said not to worry -- and to expect something in the mail sometime within the next three years.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=But I make the point]
[SUPER=04-First Union Video; :22]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :43]
[RUNS=:52]
[OUT Q=19 million combined customers.]
(([SOT]
[TC:20:04:54] ((MR. BAKER: BUT I MAKE THE POINT TO YOU NOW, THAT TOGETHER AT THE NEW WACHOVIA WE ARE NOT JUST BIG. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PIECES, AND STRATEGICALLY, THEY WILL FIT TOGETHER WELL.)) [RUNS16]
L.M. Baker Junior will be chairman of the new bank, which will carry the Wachovia name but be based in First Union's hometown of Charlotte.
900 million dollars and 7000 employees will be shaved from the company's operating budget -- about half will be laid off all at one time.
Baker and his new partner, First Union Chairman Ken Thompson didn't say when or where the layoffs will happen -- but they did stress their commitment to better customer service.
They said the new "Wachovia Corporation" will have more A-T-M's than any other bank in the region, in order to keep and grow the bank's 19 million combined customers.))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Jennifer FULL/Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]

The merger between First Union and Wachovia will make the new bank the fourth largest in the nation, and the largest on the East Coast,
[DOUBLE BOXES=Jean and Jennifer /Microwave;]

Jean.

[City-Council]

[ANCHOR=JEan]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=01-07 TC1:29:47]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke Budget]
Roanoke city council is just weeks away from adopting a budget that could include tax hikes. City Manager Darlene Burcham outlined her recommendations this afternoon. The proposed budget would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by ten cents.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Month;]
It would also raise the city's lodging tax by one percent. Both would generate approximately one million dollars to improve city sidewalks. A portion of the funds would also be used to improve marketing of the city as a tourist attraction.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:55:48]
[IN Q=We're also]
((DARLENE BURCHAM/ROANOKE CITY MANAGER: ))
[SUPER=01-Darlene Burcham/Roanoke City Manager; ]
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=work with our citizens.]
(------------)
[anchor=Jean]
[ss=HOLD]
The proposed budget also includes a three point five percent merit pay increase for city employees. It also calls for eliminating 23 vacant positions. A public hearing on the budget will be held next Monday.

[L'burg-Firefighters]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=6pmn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-03 TC1:56:06]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Could the Lynchburg fire department be doing a better job serving its citizens?
At least one resident thinks so, and he's got a plan to help them out.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith/Steve/Microwave;]

Lynchburg bureau chief Steve Smallshaw joins us with some details..
[LIVE=Steve/FULL]
[SUPER=@ssm1]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg]

Jean, Chip Smoot says 90 percent of the calls the fire department responded to last year were for medical assistance.. yet 90 percent of its budget is geared towards putting out fires.
Smoot has a plan to change that.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=With every city]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Chip Smoot/Former EMS Chief]
[SUPER=01-Buddy Martinette/Lynchburg Fire Chief]
[RUNS=:00]
[OUT Q=one individual job.]
(( With every Lynchburg department looking at a four percent budget cut, fire officials say that could force them to close one of the city's eight fire stations.
A scary thought, but one that's not necessary according to Chip Smoot.
Smoot is a former E-M-S chief whose dad was a firefighter.. he says the fire department needs to rethink how it allocates its resources.
[SOT 10:55:04]
((CHIP SMOOT: YOU HAVE TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES AND THE REQUIREMENT NOW IS FOR MORE FOCUS ON THE MEDICAL ASPECT OF IT AND A LITTLE LESS FOCUS ON THE FIRE.))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=on the fire.]

So Smoot has come up with what he calls his "Two Plus Two" plan.
It would shift firefighters into E-M-T jobs and put a staffed ambulance in all eight of the city's fire stations.. currently only four have one.
That would reduce emergency response time, save money and keep equipment fully staffed and in service.. all without jeopardizing public safety.
[SOT 10:58:42]
((CHIP SMOOT/FORMER E-M-S CHIEF: NOBODY HAS TO BE LAID OFF, LOSE ANY JOBS, WE DON'T HAVE TO CLOSE ANY FIRE STATIONS, WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT ANY ENGINE COMPANIES OUT OF SERVICE, WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT LADDER COMPANIES OUT OF SERVICE. EVERYBODY KEEPS WORKING, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF REALLOCATING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=going to be.]
[SOT 14:34:16]
((BUDDY MARTINETTE/LYNCHBURG FIRE CHIEF: I THINK IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE THAT'S NOT INSIDE AN ORGANIZATION TO FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE INTRICACIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN RUNNING AN ORGANIZATION, AND AT THE OUTSET IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE WELL IT ONLY REQUIRES THIS NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO DO THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF JOB, BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY FACTORS THAT FIGURE IN TO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REQUIRED TO DO THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL JOB.))
[RUNS= 17]
[OUT Q=one individual job.]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Steve/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]

Martinette says he's preparing an evaluation of Smoot's plan for the city manager.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith/Steve/Microwave;]

Smoot plans to present it to city council next week. Jean?

[EMT-Memorial]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-04 TC1:30:10]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Hundreds of friends and family members paid tribute today to a Lynchburg teenager who had planned on a career in public service.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Campbell Co./Thursday]

19-year old Benjamin Neighbors died in a car crash in Campbell County last week.
Neighbors was a volunteer with the Lynchburg Lifesaving Crew and recently had applied to be a 9-1-1 dispatch operator.
Emergency crews from around central Virginia attended a memorial service in his honor today.
(------------)

[Meningitis]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-09 TC1:05:20]
[GRAPHIC=Meningitis]

Bacterial meningitis is a rare, possibly fatal infection of the bloodstream and inflammation of the brain's lining.
Today officials confirmed a case in the New River Valley.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]

A 23-year old Virginia Tech sophomore is being treated at Montgomery Regional Hospital.
Virginia has seen sixteen cases of meningitis this year.
Doctors say over 85-percent of the cases are treatable if found early.
The disease is transmitted through discharges from the nose and throat of an infected person.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT-14:35:02]
[IN Q=These cases]
((DR. JODY HERSHEY/DIRECTOR OF NRV HEALTH DISTRICT; THESE CASES OCCUR SPORADICALLY IN THE WINTER AND THE SPRING AND ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES WE USUALLY HAVE ONE OR TWO CASES A YEAR IN THE NEW RIVER VALLEY WITHIN OUR UNIVERSITY SETTING. ))
[SUPER=01-Dr. Jody Hershey/NRV Health District Director;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=university setting]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[SS=HOLD]

People who have had prolonged, close contact with a meningitis patient are treated with an antibiotic.
You should see a doctor if you are experiencing symptoms which include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting and a skin rash.

[Tech-Protest]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-12 TC35:37]
[GRAPHIC=Virginia Tech]

There was compromise and dialogue on the Virginia Tech campus today as students continue to discuss racial issues.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]

Last week students protested in Buruss Hall.
[SUPER=04-March 29;]

The protest was sparked by an incident between two faculty members in March.
Two professors, one black and one white, argued over the use of a Pamplin Hall classroom.
The black professor ended up being arrested.
Some believe race was a factor in the incident and want racial sensitivity courses and an apology.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 14:28:41 TO 14:28:50 14:25:35 TO :14:25:43]
[IN Q=WE HAD ]
((NICHOLAS JORDAN/TECH STUDENT; I THINK FOR THE MOST PART WE DID GET WHAT WE WANTED I MEAN IT SHOWS RIGHT HERE YOU KNOW THERE MESSING UP START CHALLENGING THEM, THE SYSTEM IS WRONG TELL THEM ITS WRONG. BENJAMIN DIXON/VP MULTI CULTURAL AFFAIRS; WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME OF THE STRATEGIES AND OTHER THINGS THAT CAN TAKE PLACE TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES))
[SUPER=01-Nicholas Jordan/Tech Student;]
[SUPER=01-Benjamin Dixon/VP of Multicultural Affairs;]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Statements from the two professors involved in the incident are expected this week.
(------------)

[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[SS=NONE]

Still ahead on News 7, a big change for V-DOT... one that could save money and get roads built faster.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Nat Singing]
((NAT SINGING))
[RUNS=:03]
[OUT Q=Nat Singing]
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]

And it's a unique night at the opera-- one created and performed by kids!
(----------------)

[Beverly]

[ANCHOR=JEan]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=01-19 TC18:01]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Both sides dispute what led to a shooting outside Valley View Mall over a year ago, but today they agreed on the punishment.
Now, a Roanoke woman will serve three years for shooting a man after a confrontation in the parking lot.
Marya Jones reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=42-year-old]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=07-Deanna Beverly; :19]
[SUPER=04-June; :38]
[SUPER=01-Neil Horn/Assistant Prosecutor; :48]
[SUPER=@Marya2; 1:00]
[RUNS=1:10]
[OUT Q=MJN7, Roanoke.]
(( 42-year-old Deanna Beverly admits she shot William Staley, but says it was to protect her husband from a beating.
She plead guilty today to malicious wounding and use of a firearm in Roanoke Circuit Court.
Beverly contends that she and her husband were on the run from drug traffickers.
When Staley circled them in the mall parking lot, she thought he was one of them.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:13:36 - :53]
((DEANNA BEVERLY: WE'D BEEN CHASED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE FOR SIX WEEKS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL THEM... MILITIA WHATEVER. THEY WERE PEOPLE THAT MY HUSBAND WAS HAULING DRUGS FOR AND HE DECIDED NOT TO HAUL THE DRUGS ANYMORE AND THEY WERE BASICALLY THREATENING, BLACKMAILING HIM FOR MONEY.)) [RUNS:17]
Her husband, Cass Beverly, is serving a three-and -a- half year federal sentence for hauling marijuana in his truck.
Prosecutors say it's ludicrous to think that Staley, a 53 year-old WalMart custodian, was stalking them.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:48:10 - :15]
((NEIL HORN/ASST. COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY: HE SAW A U-HAUL AND SEVERAL PEOPLE LOADING THINGS INTO IT AND IT MADE HIM CURIOUS.)) [RUNS:05]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:14:29 - :33]
((DEANNA BEVERLY: IT WAS A SHAME THAT IT HAPPENED, BUT YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS I WOULD'VE DONE DIFFERENTLY.)) [RUNS:04]
The judge sentenced Beverly to serve three years of an 8 year prison term.
It will start on June 18th, so she can spend time with her kids before she goes to prison.
Marya Jones, News-7, Roanoke.))

[Gilmore]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=01-05 TC1:57:15]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Roads could be built nine to twelve months faster.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Governor Jim Gilmore signed 11 bills into law today that may help streamline operations at V-DOT.
And, he welcomed an entirely new nine member management team.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 14:32:46]
[IN Q=Simply because we are rechanging]
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE RECHANGING SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE DO THINGS, DON'T EVER LET ANYBODY TELL YOU WE'RE NOT HAPPY WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE WE ARE. AND WE KNOW WHAT A GOOD JOB YOU'RE DOING. NOW, THERE ARE STILL GONNA BE CRITICS. YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE CRITICS. ))
[SUPER=@Gilmore;]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=you're still gonna have critics. DOUBLE OUT!!!!]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

One of the bills would let localities take over their own road systems, and get the money V-DOT currently spends there.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 14;58:29]
[IN Q=In other words, if you are]
((CHIP NOTTINGHAM/VDOT COMMISSIONER: IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU ARE A COUNTY AND YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN COUNTY STAFF AND SOME WHEREWITHAL AND SOME INTEREST, WHY NOT TAKE OVER THE SECONDARY ROAD SYSTEM OR A PORTION OF IT. OR MAYBE JUST TAKE OVER PUTTING UP NEW TRAFFIC SIGNALS OR NEW SIGNS.))
[SUPER=01-Chip Nottingham/VDOT Commissioner;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=new traffic signals or new signs.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Another bill would let V-DOT engineers stop double and triple checking smaller projects, so they can focus on eliminating mistakes on larger construction projects.
(------------)

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

A mixed start to the week on Wall Street. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/31.62/10158.56/y/51.86/1909.57;]

The DOW gained 32-points.
NASDAQ fell 52.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/0.66/48.65/h/0.32/22.10/i/0.50/52.45/h/0.26/17.74/h/0.10/9.00;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.50/67.00/i/0.72/31.20/h/0.16/44.05/i/0.05/44.65/h/0.15/39.15;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.44/21.44/h/0.10/17.10/h/0.42/11.26/h/0.67/46.56//Unchg/13.27;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.64/63.58/i/0.05/53.05/i/0.08/52.00/h/1.85/62.05/i/0.65/49.05;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[School-Opera]

[ANCHOR=JEan]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-08 TC1:00:35]
[GRAPHIC=None]

When most people think of the opera, they think of big cities and opera houses like the Met, not places like Southside Virginia.
As Danville Bureau Chief Justin McLeod explains what may be more surprising is not where this opera is located but who created it.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 17:14:26]
[IN Q=Nat sound of kids dancing and singing]
[SUPER=03-Danville; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bernard Tate/Performer; :18]
[SUPER=01-Jason Thompson/Director; :52]
[SUPER=01-Kiara Legrand/Performer; 1:17]
[SUPER=@justin1; 1:25]
[RUNS=1:38]
[OUT Q=News 7, Danville]
((((NAT SOUND OF TWO KIDS DANCING AND SINGING))
This is not your typical opera. ((shot of girl writing in pencil 17:13:55))
But don't write it off that quickly. ((QUICK NAT SOUND OF THE OPERA))
What makes this opera so unique is that it was written, composed, and performed by third graders.
[SOT 16:53:30]
[IN Q=Its really exciting]
((BERNARD TATE/PERFORMER: ITS REALLY EXCITING. ITS REALLY BIG AND EVERYTHING WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT ALL BY YOURSELF.))

[Runs05]
[OUT Q=it all by yourself]

The third graders here at Woodrow Wilson Magnet school began this project back in September.
The first step was to develop a theme and a story. ((NAT SOUND OF KIDS SINGING AT PIANO; 17:01:14))
Then came the music....the students composed all the notes and words themselves.
[SOT 16:45:43]
[IN Q=All of it was easy]
((TOMISHA JOHNSON/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: ALL OF IT WAS EASY. WELL, EXCEPT AT FIRST.)) [Runs03]
[OUT Q=except at first]

And the hard part? Realizing each role is important and how to work together as a team.
[SOT 16:56:17]
[IN Q=Its very difficult]
((JASON THOMPSON/DIRECTOR: IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO TAKE EVERYBODY'S IDEA AND EVEN THE ONES THAT ARE NOT SO GOOD AND THE ONES THAT ARE WONDERFUL YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM TOGETHER AND DECIDE AS A GROUP WHICH IS GOING TO BE BEST FOR OUR OPERA.)) [Runs11]
[OUT Q=best for our opera]
((NAT SOUND OF THE OPERA)) An opera that's more about learning than just performing. For example, the light crew doesn't just turn the lights on. Teachers incorporate a lesson on electricity.
And sometimes what takes center stage (shot of stage) is the lessons these kids learn on their own.
[SOT 16:50:28]
[IN Q=We learned about how to treat others]
((KIARA LEGRAND/PERFORMER: WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW TO TREAT OTHERS, THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED AND HOW TO DO THE RIGHT THING.)) [Runs05]
[OUT Q=how to do the right thing]
[SOT 1:06:02]
[IN Q=After months of rehearsal]
((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: AFTER MONTHS OF REHEARSAL, ITS SHOW TIME. THERE WIL BE PERFORMANCES FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HERE IN DANVILLE ON WEDNESDAY AND THEN THE PUBLIC GETS THEIR CHANCE THURSDAY NIGHT BEGINNING AT SEVEN. JUSTIN McLEOD, NEWS 7, DANVILLE.)) [Runs13]
[OUT Q=News 7, Danville]))

[Sports tease]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

A female teenager adds new meaning to driving to the prom, she's a race car driver, the Salem Avalanche manager talks about rebounding from a tough homestand
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

and we will check in on the hottest high school softball team in the area, undefeated Northside.
(------------)

[S-Run]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6Pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-92]
[graphic=boston marathon]
Boston was a busy city today with runs scored and simply running as the 105th Boston Marathon hit the streets.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Boston, MA; :00]

For the first time in a decade, the men's winner was NOT from Kenya. South Korea's Lee Bong-Ju (Bawg-Zhoo) tour up the 26.2 mile course in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 43 seconds.
In women's, Catherine Ndereba (dah-REH-bah) won with a time of two hours 23 minutes and 53 seconds.
(------------)

[S-Boston]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-88]
[GRAPHIC=Red sox]
The Boston Red Sox won today to take three of four from the world champion New York Yankees.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Boston, MA/Yankees vs. Red Sox; :00]

It was Patriots day, Paul revere was in the house.
In the bottom of the fifth, Darren Lewis singles up the middle to score a run and the Bo Sox went up 2-nothing.
[SUPER=35-Boston/4/New York/1;] Boston's Frank Castillo retired 18 of 20 batters in six shutout innings as the R
ed Sox win 4-1.
(------------)

[S-AVS]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=sp-89 tc 1:23:03]
[GRAPHIC=Salem Avalanche]

The Avalanche is on the road for a meeting with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
Salem just finished up its opening six game home stand.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Yesterday;]

The Avs went 2 and 4 at home, including two loses to the Pelicans.
Yesterday, Salem put one in the win column beating Frederick 2-to-1.
It's a confidence builder after the Avalanche lost Saturday's game to the Keys in the ninth inning.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=We've had]
[SUPER=01-Dave Collins/Salem Manager;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=I'm seeing them make an adjustment]
(-----------------)
[anchor=Steve]
[ss=hold]

The Avalanche returns home Thursday night.[S-Northside]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=sp-82 tc 1:43:08]
[GRAPHIC=softball]

Northside High School is once again leading the way in Blue Ridge District Softball.
The Vikings are eight and oh on the season.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Their next three games are against district foes. Everyone is gunning for Northside since the Vikings have had two straight undefeated seasons in the district.
Northside plays at Alleghany tomorrow evening. The Mountaineers are in a five way tie for second.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=they've got]
[SUPER=01-Ashley Smith/Senior Captain; :03]
[SUPER=01-Lynn Richmond/Northside Head Coach; :13]
[RUNS=18]
[OUT Q=real quick]
(--------------)

[S-Girl]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=dal]
[TAPE#=sp-81 tc 1:31:55]
[GRAPHIC=NRV Speedway]

A Winston Cup victory is on the "to-do" list of one young driver at the New River Valley Speedway.
Denise Allen has 16 year old Brianne Cronrath's story.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=@Denise1; :11]
[SUPER=01-Brianne Cronrath/Late Model Truck Driver; :27]
[SUPER=03-Radford; :38]
[SUPER=01-Jon Wood/Wood Brothers Racing; :52]
[SUPER=01-Bret Cronrath/Brianne's Dad; 1:22]
[RUNS=1:38]
[OUT Q=News 7 Sports]
((
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:34:14]
[IN Q=she's 100 % girl]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=different things]

Those different things included climbing into a race car at the age of seven.
Brianne started in quarter midgets. The Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, native has spent the past couple season on the dirt track.
The Late Model Truck class at the New River Valley Speedway is her first experience at racing on asphalt.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:44:06]
[IN Q=i'm used to]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=big differnce]

Jon Wood, former Rookie of the Year at New River, is helping Brianne get use to those differences.
Teaching her how to take the corners and when to ease up or put on the speed has been a learning experience for him as well.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:52:09]
[IN Q=it's pretty cool]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=here's what I know]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=]

Brianne caught the racing bug from her dad,Bret. He drove until Brianne wanted to take the wheel.
Bret says the danger surrounding the sport doesn't worry him. They've taken every precaution to keep Brianne safe.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:34:49]
[IN Q=when we]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=past couple of months]

Dale Earnhardt was Brianne's favorite driver and she wants to follow in his footsteps.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q= NASCAR]
(())
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=ultimate goal]

Denise Allen News 7 Sports.
))