WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 05/15/01

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith2-Shot]

Attempts to address the OxyContin- abuse epidemic in far southwest Virginia net some arrests.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
(------------)
[V/O-NAT]
We'll also look into attempts to put a stop to the widespread forgery of OxyContin prescriptions.
(------------)

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Iverson claims MVP honors, Joe Nemechek is hurt at Dover. A Christiansburg woman will perform in front of more than 100 thousand at the Winston this weekend in Charlotte.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And Lee Suggs DAREs some Roanoke City elementary school students to do the right thing this afternoon.
(------------)

[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

Much needed showers, but so far, not enough to make a big difference. Our forecast keeps things a bit wet through Friday.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

News 7 at Six is next.
[Video-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Law enforcement makes another strike against Oxycontin.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Meanwhile the drug's maker tries to help pharmacists spot phony prescriptions.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Good evening, I'm Keith Humphry.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

And I'm Shannon Young.

[Bust-OxyContin]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=01-17 TC38:03]
[GRAPHIC=None]

It's almost like a guerilla war, a series of continuing battles that can pop up almost anywhere.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Today the front line moved to Lee County, in the far western tip of Virginia.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lee Co.]

The sheriff's department is looking for 45 people named in recent drug indictments.
30 of them face charges of distributing OxyContin, the strong and potentially addictive pain killer that has become a particular problem in Virginia's rural western counties.
Today's roundup is part of a year-long investigation into OxyContin abuse in Lee County.
(------------)

[OxyContin]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=01-08 TC1:59:58]
[GRAPHIC=Oxycontin]

Purdue Pharma --Oxycontin's maker-- is now making it more difficult for criminals to get access to it. [***OXYCONTIN MB GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith and Joy /MB SET;]

Health Check Reporter Joy Sutton has details on that part of the story.
Keith--
[LIVE=Joy /FULL MB SET]
[SUPER=@Joy1;]

Purdue-Pharma is now offering tamper proof prescription pads to doctors in Virginia-- giving pharmacists an upper-hand in identifying the criminal from the legitimate patient.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Pharmacist]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; 00]
[SUPER=01-Tim Lucas/Kroger Pharmacy Manager; 11]
[SUPER=01-Pamela Bennett/Purdue Pharma; 30]
[RUNS=1:11]
[OUT Q=things look pretty real]
(( Pharmacist Tim Lucas says just a couples of weeks ago --someone tried to forge a prescription for OxyContin at a local Kroger Pharmacy.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT10:20:28]
[IN Q=They actually got out of the store]
((THEY ACTUALLY GOT OUT OF THE STORE BEFORE THE POLICE WERE ABLE TO GET THERE. BUT THEY PASSED A PRESCRIPTION AT TWO OTHER LOCATIONS, ONE OF WHICH THEY ACTUALLY GOT THE MEDICATION)) [RUNS13]
[OUT Q=got the medication]

Lucas says forged prescriptions are difficult to catch.
But Purdue Pharma --the maker of OxyContin --is hoping to change that --by giving doctors tamper resistant prescription pads.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT10:32:06]
[IN Q=The pharmacist can now because]
((THE PHARMACIST CAN NOW BECAUSE OF THE BUILT IN SAFETY FEATURES THAT THIS IS A VALID PRESCRIPTION AND THAT HE OR SHE IN TURN SHOULD FILL IT)) [RUNS10]
[OUT Q=should fill it]

The pads have six safety features --for example, the design on the back of the pad is heat sensitive --it can be rubbed off but will re-appear.
And if someone tries to photocopy the prescription --the copy will show void at the top.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT10:24:12]
[IN Q=Those things will make it better for pharmacist]
((THOSE THINGS WILL MAKE IT BETTER FOR PHARMACISTS SO THEY CAN SEE IT'S A LEGITIMATE PAD. AND IT'S NOT A PHOTOCOPY OR BEEN PRODUCED SOMEWHERE BY A LOT OF THESE ELECTRONIC MEANS BECAUSE COMPUTERS TODAY CAN MAKE THINGS LOOK PRETTY REAL)) [RUNS20]
[OUT Q=look pretty real]))
(-------------)
[***OXYCONTIN MB GRAPHIC***]
[LIVE=Joy /FULL MB SET]

The tamper resistant pads are just one component of a 10 point plan by Purdue Pharma to reduce prescription drug abuse.
The company's also trying to develop an abuse-resistant drug and educate people about the dangers misusing Oxycontin.
Joy Sutton, News 7.

[Danville-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 PM]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-09 TC1:37:40]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

Police have made no arrests in a Danville murder that happened last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville]

Officers responded to this home on Paxton Avenue just after nine o'clock last night.
They found 28 year Anthony Lamont Luck suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was taken to Danville Regional Medical Center where he died a short time later.
The body has been sent to Roanoke for an autopsy.
Police are continuing to interview witnesses.
(------------)

[Franklin-Library]

[ANCHOR=]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=01-10 TC1:15:05]
[GRAPHIC=]

Action on Franklin County's overcrowded library has been postponed indefinitely.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mt.;]

The county Board of Supervisors said today it needed more time to evaluate locations and funding options for the library.
The present county library is packed beyond capacity, cramping workers and patrons.
Some citizens are in favor of moving it downtown to the old Peebles department store, to help revitalize the area.

Library trustees say the building doesn't meet their needs.
(///// SOT /////)
[bump SOTs]
[IN Q=Many families]
[SUPER=01-Dick Shoemaker; :00]
[SUPER=01-Beth Garst/Library Board Chair; :11]
[42:41 - :52] ((DICK SHOEMAKER: MANY FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.... RECYCLE SUCH A WONDERFUL BUILDING.))
[SOT 56:56 - 57:02]
((BETH GARST/LIBRARY BOARD CHAIR: WE'RE DISAPPOINTED A DECISION WASN'T MADE TODAY. WE ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE COUNTY LOOKING AT ANOTHER LOCATION.))
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=they need it.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Board says it will examine old and new options for library upgrades and financing.
(------------)

[Jefferson-Forest]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-13 TC49:33]
[GRAPHIC=JF Testing]

Bedford County school officials say they fully expect to have students back in Jefferson Forest High School this fall.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Forest]

Engineers charged with isolating and eliminating a fungus in the school figure to have their work completed by late August.
Cleaning of the entire school began this week and will continue through mid- June.
The four classrooms with elevated levels of the stachybotrys bacteria will be completely gutted and rebuilt.. dehumidifiers will be added to try to keep the fungus from growing back.
The fungus grows in damp conditions on ceiling tiles and drywall. It's been blamed for a variety of ailments in students and faculty.
The school board and county supervisors will discuss the cost of the plan next week.
(------------)

[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]

Florida isn't the only state with voting problems... Virginia has it's share too.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Still ahead on News 7, the good and bad news for Southwest Virginia.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Get Down]
((NAT GET DOWN, GET DOWN))
[RUNS=:03]
[OUT Q=get down. DOUBLE OUT ]
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]

And they may be man's best friends, but often a mail carrier's worst nightmare.
Find out how one problem dog could mean problems for the entire neighborhood.
(----------------)

[Interstate-81]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=01-23 TC13:38]
[***ANCHOR TAG***]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
As VDOT prepares to widen parts of Interstate 81 many residents are re-visiting the government's right to condemn their land.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
That same right made possible the Interstate's construction almost half a century ago.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 1-Shot]
[GRAPHIC=Eminent Domain]
In tonight's look at Eminent Domain we show you how the process has evolved and why some say it still has a long way to go.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It was my grandmother's property...]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.; :10]
[SUPER=04-October 1964; :45]
[SUPER=01-Jack Orr/VDOT; :53]
[SUPER=01-Joe Stewart/Landowner; 1:32]
[SUPER=@Shannon1; 2:04]
[RUNS=2:37]
[OUT Q=without Eminent Domain. It's impossible]
(([SOT 30:35-30:37]
[IN Q=It was my grandmother's property.]
((It was my grandmother's property.)) [RUNS:02]
[OUT Q=grandmother's property.]
Joe Stewart's family home is a memory, literally bulldozed by Interstate 81 nearly 40-years ago. Stewart still owns the land on either side of the freeway near Route 636, but now that's being threatened by the proposed Interestate 81 widening project. Also on his property are a water plant, powerlines, gas lines and part of the Smart Road, all additions Stewart could do without.
[SOT 28:15-28:17]
[IN Q=There's got to be a different way.]
((There's got to be a different way.)) [RUNS:02]
[OUT Q=to be a different way.]
[IN Q=43:56-43:58]
[IN Q=The whole system is wrong.]
((The whole system is wrong.)) [RUNS:02]
[OUT Q=system is wrong.]
But VDOT says the system IS getting better. Jack Orr 's been in the Right-of-Way department since the Interstate became a reality. Back then, he says, landowners often responded angrily to Eminent Domain, in part because the process was so cut and dried.
[SOT 5:53-6:03]
[IN Q=We made an appraisal, made that offer...]
((We made an appraisal, made that offer and, pretty much, if the folks didn't like it we filed a certificate and went through the condemnation proceedings.)) [RUNS:10]
[OUT Q=went through the condemnation proceedings.]
Since then, Orr says right-of-way agents have gotten smarter.
[SOT 5:02-5:17]
[IN Q=Now we get the public involved..]
((Now we get the public involved from the very earliest concept of plans and they're involved in the process right up until the plans are approved, really.)) [RUNS:15]
[OUT Q=plans are approved really.]
The roadblock appears when it comes to paying a "fair" price for the land. Stewart's argument is that sentimental value should be considered before the government cuts a check.
[SOT 45:53-46:11]
[IN Q=You got to treat the people right...]
((You got to treat the people right, decent way, the way I see it. Like I say, I'm not sure I know the answer but it could be done alot different, I'm sure. It's got to be done different.)) [RUNS:18]
[OUT Q=I'ts got to be done different.]
But the process can become only so flexible.
[SOT 9:05-9:16]
[IN Q=We deal only with fair market value]
((We deal only with fair market value, that's what the state law requires us to do, and before we can deal with any other value than that the law's gonna have to be changed.)) [RUNS:11]
[OUT Q=the law's gonna have to be changed.]
[SOT 33:57-34:12 (STANDUP)]
[IN Q= Orr says approaching landowners...]
((Orr says approaching landowners about buying right of way wasn't easy 40-years ago and isn't easy now. But he says looking at congestion on roads like Route 11 reminds him that Eminent Domain is about improving the quality of life for everyone.)) [RUNS:15]
[OUT Q=about improving the quality of life for everyone.]
[SOT 11:27-11:46]
[IN Q=Just think what it would be like if...]
((Just think what it would be like if all the traffic we had today was still running on Route 11. You cannot have a highway system without Eminent Domain. It's impossible.)) [RUNS:19]
[OUT Q=without Eminent Domain. It's impossible.]))
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]

Tomorrow, there goes the neighborhood. See how one city is using Eminent Domain to clean up its most run-down areas.

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The fed cut interest rates by another half point today.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

But investors responded with a yawn. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/3.65/10873.68/x/3.80/2085.72;]

The DOW dropped four points.
NASDAQ gained four.
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[VO]
[SUPER=271-i/0.41/48.21/i/0.08/21.55/h/0.65/55.05/h/0.43/20.48/h/0.73/10.48;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.37/66.45/h/0.04/30.62/h/0.39/44.61/h/0.42/50.15/h/1.50/38.50;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.46/23.60/i/0.11/21.90/i/0.13/12.27/h/0.01/50.92/i/0.49/15.51;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.08/60.08/i/0.51/56.29/h/0.14/54.00/i/0.02/64.73/i/2.35/52.00;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[Voting]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=01-12 TC1:24:44]
[GRAPHIC=VA Voting Problems]

A new study shows Virginia voters need to stop making fun of Floridians.
In Wythe County last November, six percent of all ballots cast were rejected.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@file;]

Wythe, Rockingham, and Charlotte counties were all on the top ten list for voting errors, in a new study done by an Old Dominion University professor.
Brunswick County was number one, with ten percent of its vote UNcounted.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 49:11]
[IN Q=There's no question]
((WILLIE DELL/NAACP VOTER FUND: THERE'S NO QUESTION...HEMORRHAGING... FAITH IN US AS AMERICANS TO CHANGE.))
[SUPER=01-Willie Dell/NAACP Voter Fund;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=faith in us as Americans to change.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond;]

A General Assembly commission studying election reform held its first meeting today in Richmond.
State lawmakers are already saying they need to help localities buy new equipment.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 41:37]
[IN Q=I would say, if we have to]
((STEPHEN MEDVIC/O.D.U. POLITICAL SCIENTIST: I WOULD SAY, IF WE HAVE TO LET'S EVEN HOLD OFF FOR AN ELECTION CYCLE OR TWO... VERY SOPHISTICATED MACHINERY... AND REALLY DO THIS RIGHT ))
[SUPER=01-Stephen Medvic/O.D.U. Political Scientist;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=and really do this right.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Roanoke and Montgomery counties, Salem, and Galax can all be proud.
They were on the top ten list of localities with the fewest voting problems in November.
(------------)

[Carriers-Dog]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-11 TC1:16:00]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Ask almost any mail carrier and they'll tell you the greatest danger they face comes with a bark and a bite.
Thousands of postal workers are attacked by dogs every year.
Justin McLeod went on the rounds today and found out that, in some cases, the entire neighborhood can pay the price.

(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 6:12:33]
[IN Q=Nat sound of woman sorting the mail]
[SUPER=03-Danville; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tiffany Cobbs/Mail Carrier; :12]
[SUPER=@justin1; :33]
[SUPER=01-John Meadows/Mail Carrier; :59]
[SUPER=01-Tom Giffin/Danville Postmaster; 1:18]
[RUNS=1:35]
[OUT Q=News 7, Danville]
((((NAT SOUND OF WOMAN WALKING AND SORTING THE MAIL; 6:12:33))
It's something mail carriers like Tiffany Cobbs have to sort through everyday.
When she delivers the mail, she's often greeted by this ((NAT SOUND OF DOG BARKING 6:10:30))
[SOT 5:53:33]
[IN Q=You'd be surprised how]
((TIFFANY COBBS/MAIL CARRIER: YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY DOGS PEOPLE HAVE AND THEY SWEAR THEY DON'T BITE BUT I ALWAYS SAID THEY HAVE TEETH THEY'LL BITE.)) [Runs07]
[OUT Q=teeth they'll bite]
((NAT SOUND OF DOG SNIFFING HER LEG; 6:10:03))
While not all dogs are dangerous, mail carriers do face risks everyday.
They encounter stray dogs, some unchained, others chained improperly.
A few dogs even chase the mail carrier and in some cases bite them.
[SOT 6:16:23]
[IN Q=Across the country, mailcarriers]
((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MAIL CARRIERS EXPERIENCE ROUGHLY 3-THOUSAND DOG BITES EVERY YEAR. THAT'S CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THE HIGH OF SEVEN THOUSAND A YEAR BACK IN THE MID-EIGHTIES. THE POSTAL SERVICE CREDITS THAT DECLINE IN ITS DOG BITE PREVENTION PROGRAM.)) [Runs13]
[OUT Q=dog bite prevention program]

All carriers carry dog repellent to help protect themselves.
But the best line of defense is to make peace not war.
Some mail carriers accomplish that by giving the dog a treat.
But that can be a catch 22.
[SOT 5:57:17]
[IN Q=For me it works]
((JOHN MEADOWS/MAIL CARRIER: FOR ME IT WORKS. ITS NOT REALLY GOOD FOR THE CARRIERS THAT FOLLOW BEHIND ME. THE DOGS WILL RUN UP TO THEM EXPECTING A DOG TREAT AND SOMETIMES THE CARRIERS SPRAY THEM EXPECTING A BAD DOG.)) [Runs09]
[OUT Q=expecting a bad dog]

If things get out of hand, the Postal service will warn the dog owner in person and through the mail.
The last resort is to stop mail service to that home and the entire neighborhood.
[SOT 6:00:57]
[IN Q=That has only happened]
((TOM GIFFIN/DANVILLE POSTMASTER: THAT HAS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE IN MY WHOLE CAREER SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN THAT WE DON'T GET COOPERATION FROM THE CUSTOMERS.)) [Runs07]
[OUT Q=from the customers]

It's all in an effort to make sure man's best friend doesn't turn into a mail carrier's worst enemy.
Justin McLeod, News 7, Danville.))

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Coming up tonight on the Big 7 - Lee Suggs hands off some advice to the area elementary school students. Joe Nemechek is injured in a practice crash at Dover.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And this Christiansburg woman is signing the national anthem this weekend at the Winston in Charlotte.
(------------)

[S-Iverson]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-90 15906tc]
[GRAPHIC=NBA]
For the first time since Moses Malone was named the league's MVP in 1983 - a Philadelphia 76er has been named the league's best player.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Philadelphia, PA; :00]
Allen Iverson topped Tim Duncan for this year's MVP honor after leading the league in scoring, steals and minutes played. At six feet tall and 165 pounds - he is both the shortest and the lightest player to ever win the MVP honor. Iverson scored 40 or more 17 times this season.
(------------)

[S-Suggs]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-92]
[GRAPHIC=Lee Suggs]

School is out, football season is over, but Virginia Tech tailback Lee Suggs is hard at work being a role model. Steve Mason "D.A.R.E.'s" to tell us why.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=first audio]
[SUPER=03-Miami, FL/November 4; :00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :10]
[SUPER=01-Lee Suggs/Former D.A.R.E Graduate; :22]
[SUPER=01-Amanda Tuck/D.A.R.E. Officer; 1:14]
[SUPER=01-Calvin Craighead/D.A.R.E. Graduate; 1:28]
[SUPER=01-Asia Jones/Oakland Elementary Principal; 1:32]
[SUPER=@Steve1; 1:41]
[RUNS=1:55]
[OUT Q=...News 7 sports"]
(-----------)

[S-Nemechek]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=NEMECHEK]

Joe Nemechek crashed during a practice session today at Dover and broke his right shoulder. He is in Kent General Hospital where he may stay overnight for observation. Nemechek was testing his Busch car when he cut a tire. He may have to miss the Winston all-star race this weekend in Charlotte.

[S-NASCAR]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=NASCAR]

NASCAR is about to get some competition or some help - depending on how you look at it. Today TRAC - a new racing series that plans to stage its events on NASCAR tracks announced its formation. Two of its main men are Cale Yarborough and Michael Kranefuss. They say their intention is not to steal drivers, but rather to groom up and coming ones. The series begins in 2003.

[S-Anthem]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-95 1456TC]
[GRAPHIC=LOWE'S]

This weekend's Winston all-star race is always one of the most anticipated and highly attended events of the racing season. For a local women it also will provide a huge thrill.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford/Last Saturday; :00]
Dari (DARE-UH) Cupp, a Blacksburg Realtor for Century 21, who sang the national anthem at New River Valley Speedway this past weekend - has been selected to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" for Saturday's night "Winston" - in front of more than 150 thousand people in Charlotte.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I...]
[SUPER=01-Dari Cupp/Singer; :00]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=...A GOOD SONG."]
(------------)
[VO-NAT CON'T]
Cupp , who also will sing the anthem on pole night, May 23rd, got the chance to shine on one of NASCAR's biggest stages after officials heard her new CD - "Right Car - Wrong Guy."
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I have a ...]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=....A LITTLE."]
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