[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

On NEWS 7 tonight... just how close we came to putting the car tax cut on hold at 70-percent.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

And a traffic stop captured on videotape draws national interest. We'll take a look.
(------------)

---

[Sports-head]

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

In sports, we will check in with Northside as our high school football coverage rolls on, 97 softball teams have invaded Salem, all chasing a national title
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

and speaking national contenders, the Virginia Tech freshman opened practice today.
(------------)

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

The peak of the summer heat is here now. It will last another two days before breaking for showers this weekend.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 4-Shot]

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


(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 10:24:10 ]
[IN Q=The Wall Street analysts are]
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: THE WALL STREET ANALYSTS ARE THE EXPERTS. NOT SOME OF THE PUNDITS THAT YOU HEAR ACROSS THE STATE.))
[RUNS=:09 ]
[OUT Q=that you hear across the state.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :15]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Unveiling the worst financial news of his administration, Governor Jim Gilmore accentuates the positive.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

But he also reveals just how close we came to pulling the car tax cut "triggers" that would grind the tax cut to a halt at 70 percent.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[Gilmore]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#01-33 TC34:59]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Three one hundredths of one percent... That's how close state revenues came to freezing the car tax phase-out at 70 percent.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

After months of suspicion from lawmakers over delays in tax refund checks, the close shave was revealed today at the State Capitol.
[Double Boxes=Keith-SHannon & Ellen/State Microwave]

Ellen Qualls is in our Richmond newsroom with the details.
[Live=Ellen Full/Microwave]
[SUPER=@Ellen1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]

Virginia's June 30th end of fiscal year revenues were 52 million dollars below last fall's projection.
That shortfall is POINT-4-7 percent of the total revenues.
POINT-5-0 percent is where the tax cut would freeze, according to state law.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=That's about one half of one]
[SUPER=@Gilmore; :00]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :20]
[SUPER=01-Boyd Marcus/Gilmore's Chief of Staff; :42 ]
[RUNS=1:02]
[OUT Q=will be managed as the year goes on.]
(( [sot tape 10:20:10 ]
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: THAT'S ABOUT ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT LESS THAN WE HAD ESTIMATED THAT IT WOULD GROW. THE DIFFERENCE BY THE WAY BETWEEN WHAT WE ACTUALLY GREW AND WHAT WE HAD ESTIMATED WE WOULD GROW, OF ABOUT 52 MILLION, IS EQUAL TO ONLY ABOUT A DAY OF DEPOSITS INTO THE STATE TREASURY.))
[runs= 17]

So the good news is that revenues did grow -- just less than they even thought when they revised the numbers down last fall.
And the rainy day fund Doug Wilder created ten years ago has now reached its cap of 940 million dollars.
And some college building money can be unfrozen now -- after four months of budget anxiety.
On the matter of the car tax cut though, mixed signals.
From the Chief of Staff:
[sot tape 10:45:04 ]
((BOYD MARCUS/GILMORE CHIEF OF STAFF: THE MONEY TO GO TO THE HUNDRED PERCENT MARK IS IN THIS BUDGET AND THIS BUDGET IS BALANCED.))
[runs= 05 ]

But from his boss:
[sot tape 10:30:42 ]
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: NO WE'RE NOT BACKING OFF OF THAT. BUT I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AS THE YEAR GOES ON AS TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO PRODUCE OUR '02/'04 BUDGET AND THE CABOOSE BILL. WE'LL KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT AND THE RESOURCES AND FINANCES AND HOW THE BUDGET WILL BE MANAGED AS THE YEAR GOES ON.))
[runs= 16]))
(-------------)
[Live=Ellen Full/State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]

When reporters pointed out that position was NOT much different from Democrat Mark Warner's pledge to phase out the tax eventually, but after he took a look at the books, the Governor revised himself to say he's RESOLUTE that the car tax will go next year.
[Double Boxes=Keith-Shannon & Ellen/Microwave]
(KEITH QUESTION: So what about the state agency cuts the Governor mandated in the spring to deal with the budget impa
sse?) ELLEN: We're told they are still being appealed and debated. The savings produced so far, though, have helped to balance the budget despite today's shortfall.

---

[Grand-jury]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]
Roanoke Police say one of the suspects in a June 10th robbery and murder turned himself in this afternoon.
(XXXXXXXX)
[Take Pinnacle Page] Twenty-one year old "Droop" Bradburn was indicted yesterday, but police had been unable to locate him until he showed up at the police station.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=HOLD]

Robert Alphonzo Bradburn is one of those wanted for the robbery and murder of Ryan Fischer and theft of Ben Chastang's car. Though Chastang insists it was NOT related to drugs, the chief prosecutor said today that he doesn't believe that. There's evidence that this happened in the course of an attempt to buy cocaine, says Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell.

---

[Bomb-Threats]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-32 TC53:24]
[GRAPHIC=Bomb Threat]

What started out as a prank could end up costing two Amherst County teenagers thousands of dollars.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Amherst Co./March 28]

The two boys.. ages 15 and 16.. were found guilty yesterday of making a bomb threat to Amherst County High School last March.
The threat forced faculty, staff and law enforcement to put in extra hours to search the school and handle questions from worried parents.
But school administrators say the real cost is in lost classroom time.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 21:29:17]
[IN Q=If this would]
((DR. JOHN WALKER/AMHERST CO. SCHOOL SUPT.: IF THIS WOULD OCCUR AND THEN THE NEXT DAY SCHOOL WOULD BE BACK TO NORMAL, THAT WOULDN'T BE SO BAD, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS. MANY PARENTS ARE LEGITIMATELY CONCERNED, MANY STUDENTS ARE LEGITIMATELY CONCERNED, AS ARE STAFF MEMBERS AT THE SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, IS IT SAFE?))
[SUPER=01-John Walker/Amherst Co. School Superintendent]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=is it safe?]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Walker says it cost the school system several thousand dollars in overtime and expenses every time a bomb threat occurs.
Two other teens convicted of an April bomb scare in Amherst have been ordered to repay 9- thousand dollars in restitution.
All four students have also been expelled for the coming school year.
(------------)

---

[77-Wreck]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-26 TC1:14:56]
[GRAPHIC=77 Fatal Accident]
Authorities have changed their theory on what caused a deadly crash on Interstate-77 in Bland County last month.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bland Co./July 18;]
Five people, including two children, died in this accident near Bastian on July 18th. At first State Police believed a car driven by a West Virginia man crossed the median and caused the wreck. But following an investigation, they now say an Ohio driver, who was among those killed, was the one responsible. Authorities say 60-year-old Renata Richter was traveling south when SHE crossed the median and hit the car carrying a family of four. That group was headed north to West Virginia.
(------------)

---

[Shawsville-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-25 TC1:41:30]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
The heat took its toll on firefighters in Montgomery County today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :19.5]
[SUPER=03-Shawsville;]
An elderly couple's trailer was engulfed in flames around 2 p-m in Shawsville. Resident Deward Caswell believes a window air conditioner started the blaze. His wife was the only one home at the time and was treated on the scene. Crews from Elliston, Christiansburg and Blacksburg worked in shifts because of the hot conditions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:13:22]
[IN Q=IT EXHAUSTS YOU]
((BARON GIBSON/ELLISTON FIRE DEPARTMENT; IT EXHAUSTS YOU VERY QUICKLY WE TRY TO WORK IN SHIFTS USE ONE BOTTLE UP AND YOU TAKE IN AND COME OUT LET SOME OTHER PEOPLE GO IN ONCE THEIR BOTTLES GONE YOU SWITCH SHIFTS YOU DRINK A LOT OF WATER YOU TAKE OFF YOUR COAT.))
[SUPER=01-Baron Gibson/Elliston Fire Department;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=TAKE OFF YOUR COAT]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The house is a total loss.
(------------)


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

Next on News 7, find out anti-government groups and radio talk-shows are interested in a Franklin County traffic stop.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

And it's spent decades underwater... now a big piece of Civil War history is sailing back to Virginia.
(----------------)

[Newman]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=01-22 TC2:00:49]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A routine traffic stop in Franklin County leads to a roadside debate over the Constitution ... and the arrest of a Ferrum woman.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Abby Newman was driving without a license ... yet she contends the traffic stop violated HER rights.
She went before a judge today [***NEWS 7 @ 6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Marya /MB SET;]
and Marya Jones talked to her.
Keith and Shannon,
[LIVE= Marya /FULL MB SET]
[SUPER=@Marya1;]

Abby Newman claims the checkpoint was unconstitutional.
State police say the stop was legal ... and Newman took it too far when she assaulted them.
You can take a look at the video from the trooper's car... taken here from the website infowars.com ... and judge for yourself.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Trooper Mike Bowen]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mount;]
[RUNS=1:10]
[OUT Q=I did not assault you.]
(( Trooper Mike Bowen was conducting a routine license checkpoint last September, when he met with some unusual resistance.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:34:47 - 5:34:57]
((TROOPER BOWEN: ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME WHO YOU ARE? ABBY NEWMAN: NO, SIR. YOU HAVE NOT CHARGED ME, I HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING WRONG. AND I DO NOT OWE YOU THAT, SIR BECAUSE I DO NOT SERVE YOU, SIR, YOU SERVE ME. )) [RUNS:10]
Abby Newman says it's against her religion to have a Social Security number. So, the self-described homemaker and farmer gave hers up and changed her name.
That's why she says she hasn't been able to get a driver's license.
State police charged her with driving without one, obstructing justice and assault and battery on a police officer after the stop led to this confrontation, in which officers say she kicked and shoved them:
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:36:02 - 5:36:30]
(( STEP OUT OF THE CAR FOR ME. NO, SIR, DON'T YOU TOUCH ANY OF MY PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN THIS CAR. YOU'RE RIGHT I'VE RECORDED THIS CONVERSATION. THAT'S ASSAULT. RESISTING ARREST. IT IS NOT ASSAULT. YOU'RE UNDER ARREST FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, RESISTING ARREST AND ASSAULT ON AN OFFICER. I DID NOT ASSAULT YOU.)) [RUNS:28]))
(-------------)
[***NEWS 7 @ 6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[LIVE= Marya/FULL]

Newman is defending herself in her trial next Thursday.
The Commonwealth's Attorney says the case has generated some interest from anti-government groups, who have been faxing in their opinions.
Abby Newman has appeared on several radio talkshows around the country...
[PASSING SHOT=KEith-Shannon & Marya /MB SET;]
but, Keith and Shannon, when we asked her for an on-camera interview today, she declined.

---

[State-City]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=01-43 TC15:12]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Roanoke's star is rising as a center for business and technology...
(-----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]

That was the message from Mayor Ralph Smith in his first State of the City address before the Chamber of Commerce this morning.
He counted the new Carilion Biotechnology Institute, the growth of several technology-based companies and plans for a new stadium complex and professional basketball team among the signs of progress.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:40:23 - :40]
[IN Q=We are a fiber optic hub]
((RALPH SMITH/MAYOR: WE ARE A FIBER OPTIC HUB... AND SOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE WILL BE A TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER, TOO.))
[SUPER=01-Ralph Smith/Roanoke Mayor;]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=biotechnology center, too.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Smith also applauded Roanoke city government for trying to cut business costs and praised local governments for their cooperation.
(------------)

---

[Stocks]

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

A mixed day on Wall Street. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/46.91/10448.22/y/6.00/2028.26;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW gained 47-points.
NASDAQ dropped six.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/0.64/45.55/i/0.23/20.17/h/0.27/63.05/i/0.23/25.00/h/0.10/9.35;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.56/61.29/h/0.51/35.92/h/0.02/48.00/h/1.38/42.77/h/0.18/44.40;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.30/25.88/h/0.19/20.19/h/0.48/8.64/h/0.74/45.51/i/0.63/16.36;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.78/70.44/h/0.87/66.41/h/0.30/53.57/h/0.95/72.01/h/0.58/55.08;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

---

[New-Antenna]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=01-23 TC1:30:33]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Channel 7 has taken one step closer to the digital age.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

Our new antenna crested the last grade on Poor Mountain this morning, atop a flat bed trailer all the way from Maine.
It's 38 feet tall, weighs a ton and a half and cost about 200-thousand dollars.
It won't be put in place until Fall. Ultimately it'll be a key element in our conversion to digital television.
The new transmitter is already in place, and- -as you probably know- -we're building a new studio on Hershberger Road. All of this will enable W-D-B-J to begin broadcasting a digital signal on Channel 18.
There'll be a long transition period- -about six years- -when we'll be broadcasting on both Channel 7 and 18, but the F-C-C requires us to have the digital antenna on the air by May 1st.
(------------)

---

[Wytheville-Concert]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-24 TC1:29:25]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A theater in the New River Valley says its new concert series will get you up close and personal with big stars.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :18]
[SUPER=03-Wytheville;]
The Wohlfahrt Haus (Wolf-fert House) dinner theater will feature Patty Loveless as the first act in a string of concerts. The country singer will take the stage August 12th at 8 p-m. Later this year, the Glen Campbell and the Charlie Daniel's Band will perform to a capacity crowd of 6-hundred and 60.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 32:06:00] (COVER END OF BITE)
[IN Q=THIS IS KINDA]
((MARY JO BABBIT/WOHLFAHRT HAUS DINNER THEATRE; THIS IS KINDA LIKE A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR OUR ECONOMY TO BUILD TRAFFIC IN AND OUT F OUR CITY IN WYTHEVILLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE TO INCLUDE US IN THEIR LIST OF THINGS TO DO IN ADDITION TO DINNER THEATRE.))
[SUPER=01-Mary Jo Babbit/Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=IN ADDITION TO DINNER THEATRE.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Tickets start at 60-dollars and are available at the Wohlfahrt Haus box office. Next year organizers hope to hold 20 to 30 concerts featuring all types of music.
(-----------)

---

[Sports tease]

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

The Tech freshman open practice today, words from Coach Beamer. The Express signs a key player,
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
and our high school football pre season travels take us to Northside to chat with Jim Hickam and the Vikings.
(------------)

---

[S-Tech]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-94 1:00:45]
[GRAPHIC=Tech football]

The ninth ranked Virginia Tech football program opened freshman practice for the 2001 season today down in Blacksburg.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; :00]

The freshman quarterback race seems to be drawing a good bit of attention as Bryan Randall, Chris Clifton and Will Hunt are battling for the back up spot behind Grant Noel. One of them might even contend for the starting job.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="]
[SUPER=01-Frank Beamer/Virginia Tech Head Coach; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ricky Bustle/Tech Offensive Coordinator; :17]
[RUNS=:26]
[OUT Q=work very hard"]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Practice began at six am, players watched the sun come up on the way out. Star running back recruit Kevin Jones seemed awake and his right ankle, which he injured while playing in a high school football all star game a few weeks ago, looked strong.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Kevin Jones/Freshman Running Back; :]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=go through the first practice"]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Tech has always been known to welcome and encourage walk ons and former Northside standout Tommy Morgan was simply excited to be on the field.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Tommy Morgan/Virginia Tech Freshman Walk On; :00]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=.....having a blast]
(------------)
[anchor=steve]
[graphic=tech football]
The upper classmen report to practice this coming Saturday.

---

[S-Vikings]

[ANCHOR=sma]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-100 (49:41)]
[GRAPHIC=High School football]

Speaking of Morgan, his former team, Northside, finished last season with a loss to Salem in the Region 3 Division 4 championship. The Vikings graduated 14 seniors from that team and that makes this season a big challenge on the football field.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="We had....]
[SUPER=01-Jim Hickam/Northside Head Coach; :]
[RUNS=:25]
[OUT Q=....those positions."]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :]

While Hickam is concerned with filling those lost positions the summer has been very encouraging. An average of 50 players spent the summer working out in the weight room. And the over all numbers are good and the Vikings have some talent at the skilled positions.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="In high....]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=......that's good."]
(----------------)

---

[S-Softball]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-95]
[GRAPHIC=Softball]

The Amateur Softball Association 18 and under fast pitch softball national championship began play in Salem this morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem; :00]

97 teams from all 50 states are competing for the title in the double elimination tournament format. The week's biggest attraction should be Wednesday night at nine at Kiwanis Field, when the U.S gold medal team plays the women's professional softball league all stars.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Michele Smith/U. S. Gold Medal Pitcher; :00]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=....come out and watch it"]
(-----------)

---

[S-Express]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-102]
[GRAPHIC=Express]

The Roanoke Express owners announced today that they are dropping ticket prices for next season. Silver section seats will drop 6 percent, Gold section seats will fall 13 percent and Platinum level seats will go down 4 percent. Ice level seats and kids 17 and under, their tickets remain the same price.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

Express head coach Perry Florio announced today that veteran goalie Daniel Berthiaume has agreed to terms with the Express for the upcoming season. This will be his seventh season in Roanoke. Last season, Bert was fourth in the ECHL in wins with 26 and fourth in the league in goals against with a 2.40 average.
(------------)

[Monitor-Engine]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=01-29 TC1:00:00]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The engine of the ironclad U-S-S Monitor was returned to the site of its most famous battle today.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Newport News]

Today, a barge carried the engine to The Mariner's Museum in Newport News.
The Monitor revolutionized naval warfare in 18-62 when it fought the Confederate warship Virginia to a draw near Newport News-- it was the first battle of ironclads.
The ship eventually sank off North Carolina's Outer Banks during a storm.
The engine was recovered last month and will go on display in a conservation tank. (------------)