[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

(----------------)
[VO-NAT]


President Bush grants approval for federal money to go to stem cell research.
We'll have reaction from a Christiansburg man who hopes to be a candidate for the research to help correct a spinal cord injury.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


And a car accident last night in Roanoke lands two people in the hospital.
[ANCHOR=Leo]
(ad lib weather)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(ad lib live tease)

[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


Get your Friday started right here, with News 7 Mornin.

[Bush-Stem-Cell]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=George W. Bush]


In a televised address, President Bush announced approval of federal funding for LIMITED stem cell research.
Bush says he made the decision because of the potential for new cures for chronic diseases.
Aleen Sirgany has details.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Crawford, TX; :00]
[SUPER=01-Aleen Sirgany/Reporting; 1:16]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=Sirgany, CBS News, Washington.]

((
It was President Bush's first prime time address and perhaps his most important since taking office six months ago. After what some called an agonizing decision, Mister Bush announced his plans for limited embryonic stem cell research.

(SOT: Bush) 210944

Stem cell research offers great promise and great peril. So I have decided we must proceed with great care. As the result of private research, 60 stem cell lines already exist. They were created from embryos that were already destroyed. And they have the ability to regenerate themselves indefinitely.

(TRACK)

Scientists believe the controversial research could lead to badly needed therapies for a number of diseases and injuries. Proponents claim these primitive cells could someday be coaxed to develop into heart muscle brain cells even bone marrow.

(NATS)

The President heard from powerful voices while making his decision including the Pope who called the research evil; to celebrities like Parkinson's sufferer Michael J. Fox, to supporters of Ronald Reagan. Despite that, he is likely to face scorn from religious conservatives some who call the research murder.
(NATS)


The announcement came from Mr. Bush's vacation home at the so-called Western White House in Texas. Perhaps a safe haven from critics who will recall the President had campaigned against research that destroys human embryos.

(SOT: Bush) 1147

I have made this decision with great care. And I pray it is the right one.

(STANDUP)


The White House calls Mr. Bush's decision the middle ground. But the battle will soon head to the Senate, where some could introduce legislation to move research on embryonic stem cells even more boldly ahead.
AS, CBS News, Washington

))[React-Stem-Cell]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#01-38 TC41:23]
[GRAPHIC=None]


President Bush's decision hits close to home for a Christiansburg couple.
We recently brought you the story of William Boyd and his hope to be part of stem cell research.
News 7's Justin McLeod was with him and has his reaction.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NAT SOUND]
[SUPER=01-William Boyd/Stem Cell Research Supporter; :28]
[SUPER=01-Cricket Boyd/Stem Cell Research Supporter; :38]
[SUPER=@justin1; :50]
[RUNS=1:00]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7, Blacksburg]

((NAT SOUND OF WIFE AND HUSBAND HUGGING; :06
Nothing but tears of joy as family and friends gathered at their home to hear the President's decision.
It may be limited but Boyd believes allowing some federal funding for stem cell research is a step in the right direction.
He hopes to be part of a experimental trial to have stem cells injected into his back bone to help correct a spinal cord injury.))
(((/////SOT/////)
[SOT :32:31; 36:41]
[IN Q=It means maybe someday]

((WILLIAM BOYD/STEM CELL RESEARCH SUPPORTER: IT MEANS MAYBE SOMEDAY DOWN THE LINE I'LL BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN AND I WILL BE ABLE AND I'LL BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THIS PRISON I'M IN RIGHT NOW.)) ((CRICKET BOYD/STEM CELL RESEARCH SUPPORTER: I THINK SOMEDAY THEY MAY COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT HE IS NOT ABLE TO WALK FULLY LIKE YOU AND I CAN BUT MAYBE WITH A LITTLE ASSISTANCE, BRACES, BUT YEAH HE WILL WALK.))
[SOT ]

((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: THE BOYD'S REALIZE STEM CELL RESEARCH IS NOT A PROVEN SCIENCE. BUT THEY SAY THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK, AFTER ALL, ITS THE MOST PROMISING NEWS THEY'VE HAD SINCE HIS ACCIDENT. JUSTIN McLEOD, NEWS 7, BLACKSBURG.))))

[11Stem-Cells]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=01-30 TC1:14:20]
[GRAPHIC=None]


What if an abundant supply of stem cells could be found -- and the source prompted NO ethical debate?
(------------)
[VO-NAT :13]
[SUPER=03-Charlottesville;]


A University of Virginia doctor is setting up a new clinic he hopes answers that question.
Stem cells derived from human fat -- liposuction out of our own bodies -- could help prevent disease and save lives.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 12:07:32 ]
[IN Q=It's something that's very abundant]

((DR. ADAM KATZ/UVA RESEARCHER: IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY ABUNDANT... THEREIN LIES THE PRACTICAL APPEAL AND THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL POWER.))
[SUPER=01-Dr. Adam Katz/UVA Researcher;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=and the potential clinical power.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :08]


So far, the fat cells have only yielded stem cells in the lab.
Human success stories are still a long way off.
(------------)



[11Roanoke-Ax]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=01-39 TC34:08]
[GRAPHIC=Accident ]


Two people were taken to the hospital following an accident in Roanoke.
Police say they are lucky to be alive.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]


The accident happened about 10-15 last night on Old Vinton Mill Road.
Police say two people were taken to Roanoke Memorial hospital, but their injuries do not appear to be life threatening.
The driver may have taken the curve too fast.
(------------)



[11Carroll-Drowning]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-25 TC1:47:07]
[GRAPHIC=Drowning]


A Pulaski County man drowned in the New River.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :19.5]
[SUPER=03-Carroll Co.;]

Authorities recovered the body of Kenneth Akers Junior around 11:30 yesterday morning. The 20-year-old had been fishing near the Byllesby (Bills-bee) Dam in Carroll County. A family member says Akers had fished there several times but couldn't swim. The dam was shut down for divers to use a V-pattern search method to find him.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 25:10:00]
[IN Q=just looking at]

((GLEN HYATT/TWIN CO. DIVING TEAM; JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM THE EDGE IT DOESN'T LOOK THAT DEEP BUT THERE ARE ROCK LEDGES ALL ALONG THROUGH THERE AND AS YOU WALK OUT YOU'LL STEP IN A HOLE WAY OVER YOUR HEAD, WE WENT IN PLACES 10-12 FEET DEEP.))
[SUPER=01-Glen Hyatt/Twin Co. Dive Team;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=WE WENT IN PLACES 10-12 FEET DEEP.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Akers was married with two kids and another on the way.
(------------)



[TX-Drowning]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Drowning]


Meanwhile in Longview, Texas, three children drowned in a motel swimming pool.
A 14- year old girl was left in charge of her siblings, ages six to 10.
Investigators say the dead children were among a family of ten living at the motel.
The parents were working at the time.
Police say the teenager who was supposed to be watching the kids at the pool had gone back indoors because of the h

eat.[Discovery]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Space Shuttle]


The weather odds are against it-- but NASA will try again today to launch Space Shuttle Discovery.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Kennedy Space Center, FL;]


Yesterday's scheduled launch was scrubbed because of thunderstorms in the area.
Forecasters say today's weather could be worse.
But the launch is set for 5-15 this afternoon.
Once it IS in space, Discovery will deliver three new crew members to the space station and bring the current crew back home.
(------------)


[Marketwatch]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]


In business news, The producer price index is scheduled to be released later this morning.
Renay San Miguel has that story and more in this morning's Marketwatch.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Renay San Miguel/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:20]
[OUT Q=Marketwatch-dot-com, New York]


(( ONLY ONE ECONOMIC INDICATOR TO WORRY ABOUT TODAY..THE PRODUCER PRICE INDEX, WHICH MEASURES WHAT KIND OF WHOLESALE PRICES THE NATION'S MANFACTURERS ARE GETTING FOR WHAT THEY MAKE. ON THURSDAY INVESTORS TRIED TO DECIDE IF CONSUMER SPENDING, WHICH HAS PROPPED UP A WEAK ECONOMY SO FAR, IS FINALLY STARTING TO SHRINK..OR IF A RECOVERY IS INDEED RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER..
ESS=dow

THAT CONFUSION SHOWED IN THE DOW..IT ENDED UP JUST FIVE POINTS TO CLOSE AT 10-THOUSAND 298.
ESS=nasdaq

THE NASDAQ, MEANWHILE..WAS DOWN 3 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 1963.
ONCAM=

THOSE CONSUMER SPENDING FEARS WERE PROMPTED BY THE LATEST RETAIL SPENDING NUMBERS..MOST STORES THAT WERE OPEN THIS TIME LAST YEAR SHOWED FLAT TO DOWN REVENUE IN JULY.
ESS=


HOWEVER, WAL-MART (WMT) WAS UP ON THE NEWS THAT ITS SAME-STORE SALES WERE ACTUALLY UP 6 PERCENT IN JULY..
ESS=

IN THE TECH SECTOR, NORTEL NETWORKS (NN) SAYS IT DOESN'T SEE A REBOUND IN SPENDING FOR ITS FIBER-OPTIC EQUIPMENT BEFORE THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT YEAR..
ESS=

THERE WAS A MERGER TO REPORT TODAY..SOLECTRON (SLR) SAYS ITS BUYING ELECTRONICS CONTRACT MANUFACTURER C-MAC (EMS) FOR TWO POINT SEVEN BILLION IN STOCK AND DEBT..
ESS=

AND BROKERAGE FIRMS ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF A REPORT FROM UBS WARBURG...THE ANALYST THERE CUTTING FISCAL YEAR 2001 AND 2002 ESTIMATES FOR FOUR WALL STREET FIRMS, INCLUDING GOLDMAN SACHS (GS) AND LEHMAN BROTHERS (LEH)
ESS=

FOR MORE ON THE MARKETS CLICK ON CBS DOT MARKETWATCH DOT COM.
ONCAM=


I'M RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CBS MARKETWATCH DOT COM, NEW YORK.))


(tape tosses to stocks)

[STOCKS] [COMM]

[11VA-Education]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Education]


Virginia is ranked as the best educated state in the South. It is also one of the best in the nation. That's according to a census survey.
The Commonwealth ranks Number 7 in the percentage of residents with at least bachelor's degrees at 28 percent.


The District of Columbia ranks highest at 39 percent. Massachusetts ranked second.


[11Nagasaki-Veteran]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-33 TC37:37]
[GRAPHIC=None]


It's been fifty six years since a U-S plane dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.
Thousands observed the anniversary yesterday in Nagasaki's Peace Park, but the date also stirred memories here in the Roanoke Valley.
Joe Dashiell spoke with Bob Sams, a World War II veteran who was aboard the first ship to visit Nagasaki following the attack.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=And when we first heard]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
[SUPER=04-August 9, 1945; :12]
[SUPER=01-Bob Sams/World War II Veteran; :23]
[SUPER=@Joe2; 1:06]
[RUNS=1:19]
[OUT Q=Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke Co.]
(([NAT SOT 23:57]
[IN Q=And when we first heard]

((AND WHEN WE FIRST HEARD OF THIS BOMB, WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A LARGE CONVENTIONAL BOMB.))
[RUNS= :04]
[OUT Q=was a large conventional bomb.]


Bob Sams soon discovered it wasn't a conventional bomb, when his ship delivered occupation troops to Nagasaki.
The so-called "Fat Man" bomb killed as many as 70- thousand people... three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
Sams and his shipmates weren't prepared for the devastation they found there.
[SOT 32:51]
[IN Q=It was unbelievable]

((IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE THAT YOU COULD SEE AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE FOR A MILE, NOTHING. THE FOOTERS OF BUILDING, TREES BURNED AND STRUCTURES OF STEEL, BURNED LIKE A MATCHSTICK.))
[RUNS= :21]
[OUT Q=burned like a matchstick.]


Just out of high school Sams was 17 when he enlisted. He was a gunner aboard the USS Cambria, a Navy ship with a Coast Guard crew.
By the time he arrived in Nagasaki he had participated in seven invasions... and today, he remains convinced the atomic bomb saved his life.
[SOT 35:07]
[IN Q=There's no question.]

((THERE'S NO QUESTION. I DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBTS THAT HARRY TRUMAN MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.))
[RUNS= :06]
[OUT Q=made the right decision.]


Today Sams has skin problems that may be related to radiation exposure... but he feels fortunate to have served in the Pacific during World War II and fortunate to have survived.
Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke County))

[Health-Check]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=NET]
[GRAPHIC=Mornin Health Check]


In medical news, We'll take a look at how spending too much time in the water can cause Swimmer's Ear. Gretchen Carlson has that story and more in this morning's Health Check.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Gretchen Carlson/Reporting; :00 ]
[RUNS=1:24]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York.]

((Summer time means swimming pools, trips to the beach and Swimmer's Ear. Swimmer's Ear is an infection on the inner side of the eardrum, the lining of the outer ear. This lining contains glands that normally secrete a waxy coating that is both water repellant and too acidic for invading germs to survive. However, frequent swimming may wash away this protective coating. If you suspect your child is suffering from Swimmer's Ear, have a doctor confirm the diagnosis. He will probably prescribe antibiotic eardrops that will clear up the infection in about a week.
Postpartum Depression or PPD is the most common serious consequence of pregnancy according to a study at the George Washington School of Medicine. Researchers have found that most mothers with the disorder don't get help for months or years, if at all. That's because doctors typically are not trained to inform women of the symptoms or to screen for it. Thanks to ongoing legislation, many states now recommend that hospitals provide information abut PPD and encourage doctors to screen new moms as part of their general care. Efforts like these should help the more than 400,000 women each year are diagnosed with PPD.
And with the summer heat in full force across the country, Heat Rash can be a problem for babies and toddlers. If undressing your child uncovers tiny red bumps, it may be heat rash. It usually shows up as small blisters behind the ears, on the back or in the diaper area. To prevent Heat Rash, dress your baby in a single loose-fitting layer of cotton when the weather's hot. A cool compress can ease the itch but if the rash gets worse or starts to spread...see your pediatrician.
That's today's look at the world of medicine...I'm Gretchen Carlson, CBS News, New York.))

(Kimberly tosses to bump)

There's much more News 7 straight ahead..Stay with us... [bump-chyron] [Streaming-Video]
[comm #3]


[2-HEADLINES] [Kim at Desk]
[SUPER=#4049; Morning Headlines]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


Here's a look at today's top stories.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


Tears of joy at the news that President Bush will allow federal funding to be used for limited stem cell research.


A Christiansburg man hopes to have stem cells injected into his back bone to help repair an injury.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


No playing... K-B Toys officially announces it's taking over the old E-Toys distribution center in Pittsylvania county.
The move will create 150 new full-time jobs.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


And former New York Mob boss John Gotti is apparently getting sicker--
The so- called "Teflon Don" was transferred from the U-S Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Missouri to a hospital.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


And that's what's making news on this Friday, August 10th .
News 7 Mornin' will be right back.



[2-Bush-Stem-Cell]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=George W. Bush]


Religious groups are expressing their disapproval of President Bush's stance on stem cell research.
Speaking to the American public from his ranch in Texas, President Bush gave the thumbs up to federal funding for LIMITED research.
Aleen Sirgany reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Crawford, TX; :00]
[SUPER=01-Aleen Sirgany/Reporting; 1:16]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=Sirgany, CBS News, Washington.]

((
It was President Bushs first primetime address and perhaps his most important since taking office six months ago. After what some called an agonizing decision, Mister Bush announced his plans for limited embryonic stem cell research.

(SOT: Bush) 210944

Stem cell research offers great promise and great peril. So I have decided we must proceed with great care. As the result of private research, 60 stem cell lines already exist. They were created from embryos that were already destroyed. And they have the ability to regenerate themselves indefinitely.

(TRACK)

Scientists believe the controversial research could lead to badly needed therapies for a number of diseases and injuries. Proponents claim these primitive cells could someday be coaxed to develop into heart muscle brain cells even bone marrow.

(NATS)

The President heard from powerful voices while making his decision including the Pope who called the research evil; to celebrities like Parkinson's sufferer Michael J. Fox, to supporters of Ronald Reagan. Despite that, he is likely to face scorn from religious conservatives some who call the research murder.
(NATS)


The announcement came from Mr. Bush's vacation home at the so-called Western White House in Texas. Perhaps a safe haven from critics who will recall the President had campaigned against research that destroys human embryos.

(SOT: Bush) 1147

I have made this decision with great care. And I pray it is the right one.

(STANDUP)


The White House calls Mr. Bush's decision the middle ground. But the battle will soon head to the Senate, where some could introduce legislation to move research on embryonic stem cells even more boldly ahead.
AS, CBS News, Washington

))[2-React-Stem-Cell]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#01-38 TC41:23]
[GRAPHIC=None]


A Christiansburg couple is happy with President Bush's decision.
We recently brought you the story of William Boyd and his hope to be part of stem cell research.
News 7's Justin McLeod has Boyd's reaction.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NAT SOUND]
[SUPER=01-William Boyd/Stem Cell Research Supporter; :28]
[SUPER=01-Cricket Boyd/Stem Cell Research Supporter; :38]
[SUPER=@justin1; :50]
[RUNS=1:00]
[OUT Q=JM, News 7, Blacksburg]


((NAT SOUND OF WIFE AND HUSBAND HUGGING; :06
Nothing but tears of joy as family and friends gathered at their home to hear the President's decision.
It may be limited but Boyd believes allowing some federal funding for stem cell research is a step in the right direction.
He hopes to be part of an experimental trial to have stem cells injected into his back bone to help correct a spinal cord injury.))
(((/////SOT/////)
[SOT :32:31; 36:41]
[IN Q=It means maybe someday]

((WILLIAM BOYD/STEM CELL RESEARCH SUPPORTER: IT MEANS MAYBE SOMEDAY DOWN THE LINE I'LL BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN AND I WILL BE ABLE AND I'LL BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THIS PRISON I'M IN RIGHT NOW.)) ((CRICKET BOYD/STEM CELL RESEARCH SUPPORTER: I THINK SOMEDAY THEY MAY COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT HE IS NOT ABLE TO WALK FULLY LIKE YOU AND I CAN BUT MAYBE WITH A LITTLE ASSISTANCE, BRACES, BUT YEAH HE WILL WALK.))
[SOT ]

((JUSTIN McLEOD/REPORTING: THE BOYD'S REALIZE STEM CELL RESEARCH IS NOT A PROVEN SCIENCE. BUT THEY SAY THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK, AFTER ALL, ITS THE MOST PROMISING NEWS THEY'VE HAD SINCE HIS ACCIDENT. JUSTIN McLEOD, NEWS 7, BLACKSBURG.))))

[11KB-Toys]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=01-34 TC34:35]
[GRAPHIC=KB Moving In]


KB Toys has announced that it will take over the old e-Toys distribution center in Blairs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co.]


One hundred fifty new full-time jobs and nearly a thousand temporary jobs will be created as early as September.

Officials say it was a good deal... the staff was already trained and the distribution equipment was already in place.
Plus, Governor Gilmore handed over a 250 thousand dollar grant made possible from tobacco settlement money.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This is the first]

((GOV. GILMORE: THIS IS THE FIRST GRANT USED TO CLOSE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AND TO HELP CREATE JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY.))
[SUPER=@gilmore]
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=in the community.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


K-B plans to start shipping by September, and hopes to have at least five million toys moved out by Christmas.
The company is actively seeking employees.
(------------)



[11Chastang]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=01-35 TC47:02]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Even though he received a one-pound shipment of pot in the mail last year, Ben Chastang says he's not a drug dealer.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem]


Chastang survived an assault and robbery and the murder of his friend in Roanoke last month.
The city prosecutor says the situation was just what it looked like: a drug deal gone awry.
Despite Chastang's guilty plea in Salem yesterday on a second offense of single possession of pot, Chastang says what happened in Roanoke July 10th was not drug-related. And he can't wait for the trial.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:04:25]
[IN Q=I'm looking forward]

((BEN CHASTANG; I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, GET THE GUYS WHO DID THAT PUT AWAY.))
[SUPER=07-Ben Chastang]
[RUNS=07]
[OUT Q=put away]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


On the marijuana charges in Salem yesterday, Chastang was fined 25-hundred dollars and ordered to serve five weekENDS in jail.
(------------)



[11Pinion]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=01-36 TC 46:37]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]


A former janitor at a Botetourt County adult home receives a six month sentence for the sexual abuse of two residents.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Fincastle/May;]


Two mentally disabled residents at the Mountain View Two home said Jerry Pinion fondled them in their beds.
Pinion said he suffered from Parkinson's Disease ... and could not have had sex with them.
(------------)



[11Tobacco-Trial]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Tobacco Under Fire]


It's a victory for big tobacco.
A California judge has ruled that a jury's three billion-dollar punitive damages verdict against Philip Morris was excessive.
But the tobacco giant will get a retrial on the punitive issue only if the cancer-stricken plaintiff refuses a settlement of 100 million dollars.
Philip Morris argued that the company will likely face similar cases and could not pay three Billion dollars to every plaintiff.

[Gotti]


[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=kmc]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]


The health of former New York mob boss John Gotti is taking a turn for the worse.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-File Tape;]


Gotti has been transferred from the U-S Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri to a hospital.
The 60- year-old is suffering from the advanced stages of neck cancer, and officials say his condition is worsening.
[SUPER=03-Springfield, MO;]


Gotti's daughter, famed author Victoria Gotti arrived in Springfield last night to see him.
The so-called "Teflon Don" is serving a life sentence on charges of murder, racketeering, and witness tampering.
(------------)


[11Bluegrass-Awards]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-45 TC15:57]
[SS=none]


A great year is getting even better for one Franklin County musician.
Dan Tyminski (tuh-MIN-ski) has received ten nominations for the International Bluegrass Music Awards.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co./1998;]


Tyminski is a member of the band, Alison Kraus and Union Station... and a solo recording artist for Franklin County's Doobie Shea (SHAY) Records.
A resident of Ferrum, Tyminski supplied George Clooney's singing voice in the movie, "O Brother Where Art Thou."

(------------)
[ANCHOR=Kim]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Western Virginia is well-represented in the nominations. Others up for awards include members of the Lonesome River Band, and Mandolin musician Herschel Sizemore.
Recordings from Doobie Shea, Roanoke's Acutab Publications, and Blacksburg's Hay Holler Records are also nominated.

[11Dixie-World-Series]


[ANCHOR=Kim]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-22 TC2:05:07]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Virginia will play host to the Dixie Youth World Series for the first time in four decades.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Amherst Co.]


Starting next Monday, twenty four teams from across the South will face off on fields in Bedford and Amherst County.
The two localities beat out sites in Alabama and Tennessee for the honor of bringing the games here.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:21:07]
[IN Q=I think with]

((RONNIE ADAMS/MADISON HEIGHTS YOUTH BASEBALL: I THINK WITH THE TWO AREAS AND PLUS LYNCHBURG,WE HAVE ENOUGH MOTELS, WE HAD ENOUGH RESTAURANTS, WE HAD ENOUGH THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO DO WHEN THEY CAM HERE. AND PEOPLE HAVE WANTED TO COME TO VIRGINIA FOR A LONG TIME.))
[SUPER=01-Ronnie Adams/Madison Heights Youth Baseball]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=for a long time.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]


The games will also have a local flavor.
As the host sites, Bedford and Madison Heights each get to field a team.
And the state champions in the Dixie major league and Triple-A league are from Amherst and Appomattox, respectively.
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[Local-Recap]
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[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


Now here's another look at today's top local stories:
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


A census survey shows Virginia is by far the best educated state in the South -- and one of the best in the nation.
The Commonwealth ranks Number 7 in the percentage of residents with at least bachelor's degrees at 28 percent.
The District of Columbia ranks highest at 39 percent. Massachusetts ranked second.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

A Pulaski County man drowned in the New River. Authorities recovered the body of Kenneth Akers Junior around 11:30 yesterday morning. The 20-year-old had been fishing near the Byllesby (Bills-bee) Dam in Carroll County. A family member says Akers had fished there several times but couldn't swim.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


Police say two people are lucky to be alive after an accident on Old Vinton Mill Road in Roanoke last night.
They say the driver may have taken the curve too fast.
The two people were taken to Roanoke Memorial hospital, but police say their injuries do not appear to be life threatening.
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[2-SHOT]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]


Now here's Robin Reed with a preview of News 7 at Six.
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[OUT Q=on News 7 at 6.]
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[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)

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by SS