[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]

Optical Cable loses its president.
Today Bob Kopstein is out of a job.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Plus, Hokie fever goes north. We'll have the winners of the school's logo contest.
(------------)



[Sports-Head]


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

Tonight on News 7 sports, the Tech 2001 report talks is al about the Gator and the Dudley. Plus, the Fiddler is leaving again.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

And this Roanoke Catholic star is honored by the star city in council chambers.
(------------)


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


We begin the first month of winter putting our holiday decorations up weather shorts and t-shirts. Details of the week ahead in a few minutes.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 3-Shot]


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



(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=You know this]
[RUNS=:05 ]
[OUT Q=question to be answered]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]


Reaction from the financial community after the founder of Optical Cable is fired.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=NEws 7 at Six]


Good evening, I'm Shannon Young.
Keith Humphry is off tonight.

[Optical-Cable]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#01-53 TC44:24]
[SS=News 7 at Six]


It's another chapter in the saga of the Roanoke county company.
[GRAPHIC=Bob Kopstein]


Today Bob Kopstein was let go.
[Double Boxes=Teresa and Shannon/Microwave]


Teresa Hamilton is outside Optical Cable and has more on the story.
[Live=Shannon Full/Microwave]
[SUPER=@Teresa1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke Co.;]
( ad lib)
(Rollcue:the early 1980's)
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=according to]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./File Tape; :00]
[SUPER=01-Brian Gottstein/Legg Mason Financial Advisor; :32]
[RUNS=1:00]
[OUT Q=after today.]
(-------------)
[Live=Teresa Full/Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke Co.;]
( ad lib)
[Double Boxes=Teresa and Shannon/Microwave]
(QUESTION: So Teresa who's in charge now?)



[Econ-Development]


[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=01-50 TC1:10:48]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A local company will be the first to occupy the Roanoke County Center for Research and Technology.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :23]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

Novozymes Biological today joined county supervisors in announcing plans to move the business into the 457-acre business park. President Ted Melnik says the move will save 65-jobs and create 25 new ones. Novozymes recently became a wholly-owned subsidiary of a Danish company. Melnick says the decision to keep Novozymes in the Roanoke Valley is a bright light in the economic darkeness following September eleventh.
(///// SOT at :23 /////)
[SOT 26:59-27:15]
[IN Q=And here, three months later...]

((TED MELNIK/NOVOZYMES BIOLOGICAL, INC.: AND HERE, THREE MONTHS LATER, THE DANISH BASED COMPANY IS SAYING MORE THAN THAT THEY FEEL FOR US BUT THAT THEY BELIEVE WE'RE A GOOD PLACE TO GROW. WE'RE GONNA GROW IN THE UNITED STATES. WE'RE GONNA GROW IN THE ROANOKE VALLEY.))
[SUPER=01-Ted Melnik/Novozymes Biological, Inc.;]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=We're gonna grow in the Roanoke Valley.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Novozymes plans to invest 12-million dollars in the Roanoke area over the next few years. Phase one of the company's expansion plans is to start immediately.
(------------)



[NRV-Body]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A hunter made a startling discovery over the weekend.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Department says a few very old bones and what looks like part of a human skull were found. A hunter came across the material on the mountains off Meadowbrook Road on Sunday. Authorities are investigating and will send the bones to the medical examiner for evaluation tomorrow.

[Gilmore-Budget]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]


Governor Jim Gilmore again lowered state revenue projections for the next fiscal year.
Today, Gilmore lowered the projections another 112 million dollars, to a total of one Billion dollars since last February.
Gilmore said he made the decision after business leaders and economic advisors told him the recession would last longer and economic recovery would be more gradual than projected.

[City-Council]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-48 TC1:34:53]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]


Local governments throughout western Virginia are wrestling with the effects of the recession, and today's news from Richmond suggests the problem may become worse. [***NEWS 7 @ 6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & JoeD /MB Set;]


Today, Joe Dashiell attended a meeting during which state legislators prepared local officials for more bad news.

[LIVE=JoeD /FULLMB SET]
[SUPER=@Joe1;]


Shannon, school systems and local governments were already anticipating cuts in state funding... but lawmakers say the state's budget shortfall, and the potential for painful cuts, are growing.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It's going to be tight]
[SUPER=01-Del. Vic Thomas/(D) Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :14]
[SUPER=01-Del. Chip Woodrum/(D) Roanoke; :26]
[SUPER=01-Sen. John Edwards/(D) Roanoke; :39]
[RUNS=:49]
[OUT Q=going to aggravate the situation.]
(([SOT VIC 01:23:22]
[IN Q=It's going to be tight]

((IT'S GOING TO BE TIGHT. A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PUT ON HOLD. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HARD TO STAY ON TOP OF THINGS. AND THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A LOT OF NEW MONEY, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PLUG SOME HOLES.)) [RUNS:12]
[OUT Q=plug some holes.]


The message was clear as lawmakers sat down with members of Roanoke City Council and the city School Board.
The budget shortfall will be larger than recent estimates... and local governments will feel the impact.
[SOT]
[IN Q=I think it will]

((DEL. CHIP WOODRUM: I THINK IT WILL BE WORSE THAN 1.2 BILLION. THE PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR IS A 1.5 BILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL, SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SERIOUS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT.)) ((SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: IT'S GOING TO HURT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY OTHER COMPONENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN HURTING FOR THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS ANYWAY AND THIS IS JUST GOING TO AGGRAVATE THE SITUATION.)) [RUNS:24]
[OUT Q=aggravate the situation.]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=JoeD /FULL MB Set]


Now lawmakers are not just talking about freezing the repeal of the car tax...
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & JoeD /MB SET;]


Shannon, today, they said the shortfall is becoming so large the General Assembly may have to consider rolling back the car tax cut... to something less than 70 percent.

[Council-Cameras]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-49 TC1:15:11]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Television cameras capture the action at regular meetings of roanoke city council, but not all of it...
And today members of council caught some heat for that decision.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]


RVTV routinely televises council meetings, but recently members voted to end the coverage before citizens speak at the end of the agenda.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=what we began to find...]
[SUPER=01-Linda Wyatt/Roanoke City Council; :00]
[SUPER=01-Duane Howard/Roanoke resident; :19]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=right of the citizens to be heard.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=None]


Council member Alvin Hudson said he believes the entire meeting should be televised, but a majority of council disagrees.

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


Going to the Gator Bowl? Better get your tickets soon.
We'll have an update a little later in the newscast.
(XXXXXXX)
[LIVE=Patrick Full/Microwave]
(Patrick Adlibs Live Tease)
[SUPER=@Patrick1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke]
(----------------)



[Pierre]


[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=01-39 TC1:59:02]
[GRAPHIC=none]

A third Muslim is charged with trying to illegally obtain a handgun. The U-S Attorney for the Western District of Virginia says Bilal (bill-AL) Ben Benu (ben-YOO) lied about his police record in order to get a pistol in late 1998. Benu's also charged with possessing a box of AK-47 ammunition. Owning the ammo was illegal in light of a former conviction for possession of a controlled substance.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;]

Last Friday, two other members of the same Charlottte County community were found guilty on similar charges. Authorities say 44-year old convicted felon Vincente Pierre used his wife, 37 year old Traci Elaine Upshur, to obtain a 40 caliber handgun in March of 19-99. Pierre has been linked to the Muslim Al-Fuqra terrorist organization.
(------------)



[ATV-Ax]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 PM]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-52 TC31:53]
[GRAPHIC=None]


An ATV accident kept rescue crews busy in Lynchburg this afternoon.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]


42 year old Barry McCrickard was riding his four-wheeler alone near Top Ridge Road when he lost control of the vehicle causing it to flip over.
McCrickard used his cell phone to call his wife who then phoned paramedics.
Rescue workers on the ground coordinated with a helicopter to help locate the injured man.
McCrickard is in stable condition this evening at Lynchburg General Hospital.
(------------)



[Tree-Fashion]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=six]
[WRITER=pev]
[TAPE#=NONE]
[GRAPHIC=Christmas]


Are you tired of using the same old Christmas Tree decorations year after year?
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Patrick /Microwave;]


Patrick Evans has a few suggestions for sprucing up your spruce this holiday season, and he joins us from the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, with plenty of good examples.
[LIVE=Patrick/FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=@Patrick1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
[SUPER=01-Michael Daniels/Regency Floral;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke]
(adlib)
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Patrick /Microwave;]



[Stocks]


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


Enron-related woes weighed heavily on investors today and dragged the stock market lower. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/87.60/9763.96/y/25.68/1909.90;]


The DOW dropped 88 points.
NASDAQ fell 26.
(-------------)

[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/1.15/42.85/h/0.25/41.50/h/0.05/61.43/i/0.17/13.53/i/0.29/5.90;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.37/58.08/i/0.49/47.25/i/1.58/36.92/i/0.31/22.09//Unchg/38.79;]
[SUPER=273-h/0.05/25.37/i/0.46/18.93/h/0.17/1.33/i/0.04/47.13/i/0.11/13.53;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.63/62.63/h/0.65/65.30/h/0.47/47.47/i/0.21/30.74/i/0.57/54.58;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]


[Tech-Spirit]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-44 TC1:44:04]
[GRAPHIC=Virginia Tech]

The winners are in for Virginia Tech's "Crazy for the Hokies" contest...and first place goes to alumni from a rival university...
(------------)
[VO-NAT :21]

This V-T on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania is tops out of 32-entries. The challenge was to reproduce a Tech logo in a big, crazy manner.
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; ]

Virginia Tech graduate Heather Grice and sister Meghan, a Tech student, told their brother and uncle about it. Even though they went to the University of Pittsburgh, the pair created the 55 by 85 foot design.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:30:54]
[IN Q=THEY ARE THE KIND ]

((MEGHAN GRICE/CONTEST WINNER; THEY ARE THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT JUST LIKE TO GO OUT THERE AND IMPRESS PEOPLE AND GET THINGS DONE. THEY DID A REALLY GREAT JOB THEY VERY PRECISE AND THEIR PITT FANS HUGE PITT FANS BOTH OF THEM PITT GRADS AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS STORY FUNNY WE KIND OF CALLED IT PITT FANS GO HOKIE.))
[SUPER=01-Meghan Grice/Contest Winner;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=PITT FANS GO HOKIE.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Second and third place go to a V-T on a Monster truck and one made out of balloons. Organizers say the contest will be an annual event.
(------------)



[Gator-Tickets]


[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-45 TC2:02:24]
[GRAPHIC=Gator Bowl]


There's still time for you to ring in the New Year cheering for the Hokies during the Gator Bowl.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :17]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]

But tickets are going fast...Tech fans have already scooped up more than 9-thousand for the face-off between Virginia Tech and Florida State. Sandy Smith, Director of ticket sales, says the Jacksonville stadium provides just over 12-thousand seats for Hokie fans.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:43:23]
[IN Q=were always known]

((SANDY SMITH/DIRECTOR TICKET SERVICES; WERE ALWAYS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE BEST TRAVELING TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY AND OUR FANS ARE COMING TRUE TO FORM AS ALWAYS WE STILL HAVE TICKETS FOR SALE WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL TICKETS OF WE NEED THEM.))
[SUPER=01-Sandy Smith/Director Ticket Services;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=IF WE NEED THEM]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

60-dollar club seats are sold out. Available seats are 40-dollars and can be purchased by calling or visiting the Tech box office. Game time is 12:30 New Year's Day.
(------------)



[Sports Tease]


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

Coming up tonight on News 7 sports a Roanoke Catholic running machine gets honored in council chambers. Ice news concerning Keenan and the Fiddler is coming up.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Plus, it's a Taylor-Made Tech 2001 report as check in with Ben, some injured Hokies and the folks in Jacksonville.
(------------)



[S-Tech2001]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-109]
[GRAPHIC=TECH 2001]


This morning's Tech 2001 Report centers around injuries, awards and a man named Smith from the Gator Bowl. Here's our next to last installment of the season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/Saturday; :00]
[SUPER=01-Mike Goforth/VT Head Athletic Trainer; :40]
[SUPER=01-Ben Taylor/Finalist for 2001 Dudley Award; 1:32]
[SUPER=01-Bob Smith/Gator Bowl Vice Chairman; 2:09]
[RUNS=2:29]
[OUT Q=...AND THE FANS."]

((Despite the gravity of game, there was plenty of levity before kickoff as Frank Beamer and Larry Coker shared a few light moments at midfield. The Big East brawl left both teams a little banged up. Kevin Jones' injury has been diagnosed as a grade two shoulder separation right where the shoulder meets the collarbone. He will not have any contact until the team arrives in Jacksonville on December 26th. The news concerning defensive end Jim Davis is not so good. He ripped a pectoral chest muscle and will have an MRI on Thursday and miss the Bowl game in Jacksonville. ((MIKE GOFORTH:)) In more uplifting news the annual Dudley Award will be handed out Tuesday night at the Downtown Club in Richmond. Last year Lee Suggs was a runaway winner - this year the voting is expected to be extremely tight. The three finalists for the award include UVa wide receiver Billy McMullen, William and Mary quarterback David Corley and the Hokies linebacking machine Ben Taylor. The senior from Ohio played his final game in Blacksburg this past Saturday against the Canes. He did everything he could to bring home a win by recovering two Miami fumbles. Taylor has already made one all-america team and he was a semi-finalist for the Butkus Award. He finished the regular season with a team high 121 tackles. ((BEN TAYLOR:)) A representative from the Gator Bowl watched the Tech-Miami game on Saturday. He says he believes the Hokies will travel well even though this is through 4th Gator date since 1994.)) ((BOB SMITH/GATOR BOWL VICE-CHAIRMAN:))

[S-Catholic]


[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-12 7:57]
[GRAPHIC=track & field]


The buzz around town when it comes to Roanoke Catholic is the Celtics high powered boys basketball team. But a track and field standout is making national and local headlines as well.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

Runner Brian Doherty received a proclamation and a star from Mayor Ralph Smith during today's city council meeting. Doherty has been named the top high school male athlete in Virginia and was one of 102 finalists for the Wendy's high school Heisman award
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=first audio]
[SUPER=01-Brian Doherty/High School Heisman Candidate; :00]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=an honor in itself"]
(---------------)



[S-Vern]


[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-113]
[GRAPHIC=Express]


Roanoke Express head coach Perry Florio is holding strong to the purpose of the ECHL...to develop players for the higher levels. Today, Florio announced that center Vern Fiddler has been called up

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

to the American Hockey League's Norfolk Admirals again. Fiddler spent the week of November 18th with the Admirals and played three games. He was back with the Express for three games but left for Norfolk late this afternoon and will be gone all week.
(------------)



[S-Keenan]


[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=sp-114]
[GRAPHIC=mike keenan]


Former Roanoke Valley Rebels hockey star Mike Keenan took his seventh head coaching job in the NHL today. He was introduced as the Florida Panthers head coach. Keenan was fired by the Boston Burins last year and was asked why get back into such a tough line of work.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="because]
[SUPER=01-Mike Keenan/New Panthers Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=..permanent basis"]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Miami, FL; :00]


Keenan, who led the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup in the 90's, inherits a team that is 6 and 15.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="first audio]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=......from the first stage"]

(--------------)
by SS