WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 02/04/02

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

A ban on 15- passenger vans survives a vote in the General Assembly, but not without changes.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And we'll return to the seen of the crime in Grundy to see how Appalachian Law School is coping with last month's violent deaths.
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[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Roy]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rst]
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In sports, Two of the state's top linebackers have committed to Virginia the Cavaliers men's basketball team drops in the A-P poll.
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[VO-NAT]

And Stacy Compton is featured as we begin the countdown to this month's Daytona 500.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

Weather problems tonight include the drought, high wind warnings and fire weather warnings. We'll try to sort it out in our forecast.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

News 7 is next.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=You know money]
(( YOU KNOW MONEY IS THE BIG ISSUE HERE, BUT YOU CAN'T COMPARE MONEY TO A CHILD'S LIFE.))
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[OUT Q=compare money to a child's life.]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A House of Delegates committee makes a major change
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

But "Jessika's Cause" moves forward in the General Assembly.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Shannon Young.
[XGR-Vans]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
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[TAPE#=01-55 TC1:44:24]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The legislation follows the church van accident last summer that took Jessika Lewis's life.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The measure would ban the use of 15- passenger vans to transport students.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & JoeD /State Microwave;]

Today, a House Committee approved the legislation, but Joe Dashiell reports, members also made some changes.
[LIVE=JoeD /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=@joe1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]

Keith and Shannon... supporters of this legislation say the accident last July is just one of many that lead federal investigators to question the safety of the vehicles.
But the bill that would limit their use also faces strong opposition.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=This is a small effort]
[SUPER=01-Mike Strebler/Supporter of Van Restrictions; :00]
[SUPER=04-July 1, 2001; :26]
[SUPER=01-Vernon Holloman/Child Care Lobbyist; :32]
[SUPER=01-Joey Erndt/Supporter of Van Restrictions; 1:02]
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[OUT Q=and we're going to continue to fight it.]
(([IN Q=This is a small effort]
((MIKE STREBLER: THIS IS A SMALL EFFORT WE'RE MAKING SO THAT PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF DON'T GET A CALL AND SAY WE NEED YOU TO COME DOWN THE HOSPITAL, YOUR CHILD'S DEAD, AND THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THEIR ACTIONS TODAY.))
[RUNS= :13]
[OUT Q=because of their actions today.]

Mike Strebler was angry after the House Education committee amended the bill to include only public schools.
Like the family of 14- year- old Jessika Lewis, Strebler lost a son to a fatal van accident...
But as lawmakers considered the legislation, others questioned whether the vans are inherently dangerous.
[SOT]
[IN Q=We know that those vehicles]
((VERNON HOLLOMAN/CHILD CARE LOBBYIST: WE KNOW THAT THOSE VEHICLES HAVE PARTICULAR HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND YOU HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT WHEN YOU DRIVE IT JUST LIKE AN SUV AND OTHER VEHICLES BUT OUR PRIMARY SAFETY FOCUS IS ON THE DRIVER. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE VIRGINIA OUGHT TO GO ON THIS, AND QUITE FRANKLY I THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S VIEW OF THIS HAS BEEN MISGUIDED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. ))
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[OUT Q=for a number of years.]

The decision to amend the bill disappointed Salem Delegate Morgan Griffith, but he was pleased the legislation made it out of committee and advanced to the floor of the House.
So were the parents of Jessika Lewis.
[SOT]
[IN Q=We walked in here...]
((JOEY ERNDT: WE WALKED IN HERE AND WE'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH DONE IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE BILL IS STILL ALIVE AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT IT.))
[RUNS= :08]
[OUT Q=continue to fight it.]))
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[LIVE= JoeD /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]

Shelly and Joey Erndt are hoping supporters of the legislation will contact lawmakers.
And Delegate Morgan Griffith may try to modify the bill on the floor of the House.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & JoeD /State Microwave;]

But Keith and Shannon, the bill is still alive... and for now, Griffith says, that's enough.

[City-Council]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
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City Council says Roanoke's drought has reached crisis levels.
Today council declared a water state of emergency, approving restrictions as Carvins Cove continues to drop.
[Double Boxes=Keith and Marya/Microwave]

Marya Jones joins us now with the details.
[Live=Marya Full/Microwave]
[SUPER=@Marya1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
( ad lib)
(Rollcue: overstepping a boundary.)
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[SUPER=01-Bill Carder/Roanoke Vice-Mayor;]
[SUPER=01-Bill Bestpitch/Roanoke City Council;]
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[OUT Q=right down the toilet.]
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( ad lib)
[Double Boxes=Keith and Marya/Microwave]

[L'burg-Airport]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
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[TAPE#=01-56 TC1:18:37]
[GRAPHIC=Lynchburg Airport]

Air service is beginning to rebound at the Lynchburg Regional Airport.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Since September 11th, the airport had lost nearly half its rider capacity, including four daily flights to Washington D.C.
Today, US Airways Express announced it will provide three daily round-trip flights to Philadelphia beginning April 1st.. and an extra daily flight to Pittsburgh.
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[SOT 12:35:22]
[IN Q=We have done]
((MARK COURTNEY/LYNCHBURG AIRPORT MANAGER: WE HAVE DONE LOTS OF MARKET RESEARCH, WE'VE DONE SURVEYS, WE'VE COLLECTED GOVERNMENT DATA. WE PUT THAT TOGETHER IN A PACKAGE, A PRESENTATION TO MAKE OUR BEST CASE FOR OUR MARKET BEING UNDERSERVED AND CERTAINLY WE MADE A GOOD CASE AND WITHOUT A DOUBT, US AIRWAYS RECOGNIZED THAT THIS WAS AN UNDERSERVED MARKET.))
[SUPER=01-Mark Courtney/Lynchburg Airport Manager]
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[OUT Q=an underserved market.]
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[VO-NAT]

The new flights represent a 43 percent increase in daily seat capacity in Lynchburg.
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[Brush-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
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[GRAPHIC=Brush Fire]

Today's strong winds helped fan several brush fires in the region. At last check, all them were still small.

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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.;]

More than a half-dozen companies worked to contain this brush fire near Chamblissburg in Bedford County.
The fire forced authorities to close state route 608 for a while, but the road is now open.
No word on what might have started the fire.
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[School-Info]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
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Several schools are having a hard time dealing with this return to winter.
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[TAKE SCHOOLTOUCH FS]
Classes in Bland County, Highland County and Mercer County will be two hours late tomorrow.
Smyth County will operate on a one hour delay.
Tazewell County schools will be delayed two hours tomorrow morning.
And tomorrow's classes at Scott Memorial School in Wythe County are canceled due to a heating problem.
Will Mother Nature calm down soon?
Let's talk to Robin Reed.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]

Today's windy weather also played havoc with Governor Warner's planned trip to the Appalachian School of Law....

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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shanon 2-Shot]

Even as the campus continues to get back to normal.
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[WEB-ADDRESS]
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[Web Address Announce] [Pinnacle 4885ess] [COMMERCIAL]
[Grundy-Shooting]
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[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Snow and wind is forcing Governor Mark Warner to reschedule an appearance at the Appalachian School of Law today.

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-SHot]
Warner and Attorney General Jerry Kilgore were expected to talk with county leaders and then address the law school community this afternoon.
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=Appalachian School of Law]
The Grundy campus is still reeling from the mass shooting in January that killed three people and wounded three others. New River Valley Bureau Chief Rachel Cannon has more.
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[IN Q=Nats]
[SUPER=03-Grundy; :00]
[SUPER=01-Lou Ellsworth/Appalachian School of Law President; :05]
[SUPER=01-Matthew Harvey/Appalachian School of Law Student; :22]
[SUPER=01-Tracey Bridges/Appalachian School of Law Student; :40]
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((Nats outside
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[SOT 8:56:21] (Cover then show him)
[IN Q=we understand]
((LOU ELLSWORTH/APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW PRESIDENT; WE UNDERSTAND, WE LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND WE KNOW EVEN COMING BY CAR CAN BE DIFFICULT, CERTAINLY BY AIR IS EVEN MORE FRAGILE.))
[OUT Q=FRAGILE.]
And too dangerous on a day like this. Officials say Warner tried to reach this group by plane, then helicopter, only to have to reschedule for next Tuesday.

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[SOT 6:08:23]
[IN Q=by him coming]
((MATTHEW HARVEY/APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW STUDENT; BY HIM COMING, IT WILL SHOW THAT HE CARES RICHMOND CARES AND THE WHOLE STATE OF VIRGINIA CARES ABOUT US AND IS HURTING WITH US. ))
[OUT Q=WITH US.]
Students say the campus is still healing. Tracey Bridges is in his third year at ASL and an eye witness to the tragedy. He's one of the men who helped subdue shooting suspect Peter Odigazewa.
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[SOT 3:46:14]
[IN Q=It's getting]
((IT'S NEVER GONNA BE BACK TO NORMAL, WERE GETTING AS CLOSE AS WE CAN GET I GUESS.))
[OUT Q=GUESS.]
President Ellsworth says counselors are still on hand, campus is full and classes are in full swing. He adds professors are taking into account recent events when it comes to attendance and course loads.
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[SOT 11:14:18]
[IN Q=it's one]
((IT'S ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT IT CAN LINGER WITH A PEOPLE DEPENDING ON WHO THEY ARE FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME IT WOULD NOT BE NATURAL IF WE WERE BACK DOING EVERYTHING THE SAME AS WE WERE BEFORE.))
[OUT Q=WERE BEFORE.]
Before they lost two professors and a student to violence. Rachel Cannon, News 7, Grundy.))

[Pierpaoli]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
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Testimony is underway in the trial of a VMI professor accused of having sex with an underage boy.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lexington;]
39-year old Paul Pierpaoli (peer-PAUL-ee) is charged with having carnal knowledge of a minor and using a computer to solicit sex with a minor during August of last year. The minor today testified that he and his 21-year old boyfriend met Pierpaoli on the website gay dot com. That same night he said the three of them met at an abandoned trailer in Rockbridge County to have sex.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=HOLD]
Pierpaoli taught history and has served as Assistant to the Superintendent of VMI. He was suspended with pay in September.

[Knox-Raid]

[ANCHOR=Keith ]
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Doctor Cecil Knox remains in custody as his lawyers try to come up with funds to meet a 200-thousand dollar bond required for his release.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Meanwhile the Doctor's office in Old Southwest Roanoke remained closed. A message therapist who worked out of the Second Street facility came by to see what she could learn. A woman removing plants from the office said she knew only what she'd seen on the news. Knox and his associates have been the subject of government inquiry since 1999. It became clear last Summer that it was a CRIMINAL investigation, when the F-B-I seized patient files from the office. The prosecutor confirmed today that some of the evidence produced last year provided the basis for Friday's arrests. The F-B-I recovered a voodoo doll at the office Friday, purportedly representing Assistant U-S Attorney Rusty Fitzgerald. When asked about it today, Fitzgerald said: "different defendants react in various ways."
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[Foutz]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
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[GRAPHIC=Ricky Foutz]
Former Vinton Police Chief Ricky Foutz will be allowed to make changes in his deposition. He was deposed last fall as part of his law suit against the town. His lawyer submitted 19 pages of proposed changes, but the town cried foul. Federal Judge James Turk says there's no question the changes alter the substance of Foutz's testimony under oath... so substantive, Judge Turk says, the deposition must be re-opened to give Town attorneys the opportunity to impeach Foutz with what the judge called the Chief's "contradictory answers."

[Stocks]

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Stocks sank as investors bailed out rather than sit through the latest round of accounting and earnings worries. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
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[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW dropped 220 points.
NASDAQ fell 56.
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[Goode]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
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[GRAPHIC=Virgil Goode]

Martinsville's Chamber of Commerce will receive 50 thousand dollars to assist with workforce development in Southside.
With the help of Congressman Virgil Goode, the funds were included in a bill signed into law by the President.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville]

Goode made the announcement himself in Martinsville today.
He also commented on his recent party affiliation change from Independent to Republican.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=I believe in the]
((REP. VIRGIL GOODE/: I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE THAT SWITCHING WILL BENEFIT THE 5TH DISTRICT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE 5TH DISTRICT COULD GET THROUGH APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS.))
[SUPER=01-Rep. Virgil Goode/(R) 5th District]
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[OUT Q= appropriations process.]
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[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Goode also said an Independent candidate's name is more difficult to find on certain ballots, and believes that could have hurt his chances in the next election.

[Radio-Ratings]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jmc]
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[GRAPHIC=Radio Ratings]

The Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market has a new leader, according to one ratings company.
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[TAKE PINNACLE FULL SCREEN]
The Arbitron survey from last fall shows WROV at the top. [ADD 1001]
The rock station toppled Q-99 from its number one ranking in the spring ratings period.
Next in line were Star Country and another country station, WYYD, followed by top 40 outlet K-92. [CHANGE PINNACLE TO 1002]
The story's a bit different in the New River Valley. [ADD 1003]
K-92 came out on top there, with Q-99 second, Star Country third, WPSK fourth and WBRW fifth.
The ratings measured listeners 12 or older, Monday through Sunday, from 6am to midnight.
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[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Roy]
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[WRITER=rst]
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And coming up in sports, Stacy Compton gets ready for the Daytona 500 The Virginia Cavaliers get two of the state's top high school linebackers.
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[VO-NAT]

And shortly after winning Superbowl 36 the New England Patriots were honored by Wheaties.
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[S-NASCAR]

[ANCHOR=Roy]
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[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-115 3352TC]
[GRAPHIC=COUNTDOWN TO DAYTONA]
All this week, News 7 Sports is getting you race fans ready for Speedweeks 2002 as the Countdown Daytona is in its final stages. In the coming days, we'll chat with the champ, the locals, and a number of folks in between. Tonight Mike Stevens talks with Stacy Compton about his new team and new challenge.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=03-Daytona Beach, FL/January 9; :00]
[SUPER=01-Stacy Compton/Conseco Pontiac Driver; :17]
[SUPER=03-Mooresville, NC; :25]
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[OUT Q=...NEWS 7 SPORTS."]
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(( Stacy Compton made his share of headlines during testing last month at Daytona when he posted some of the fastest speeds. But the Grit native says numbers can be deceiving - and no way his team as good as advertised. ((STACY COMPTON:)) Stacy is in his first year with the AJ Foyt owned Conseco Pontiac crew. It's a team that last year was abysmal at Daytona and Talladega. It made three of the four races on provisionals and missed the July Pepsi 400 altogether. ((STACY COMPTON:)) Struggling is something Stacy is not accustomed to at Daytona. Last year he was a key figure in Dodge's return to NASCAR. He won two poles and sat on the outside of the front row for the Daytona 500. He now takes over a car that neither Rick Mast nor on Hornaday could consistently make competitive. ((STACY COMPTON:)) Stacy also is driving full-time on the Busch series this year in the Kingsford Chevy. Mike Stevens News 7 sports.))

[S-Super]

[ANCHOR=Roy]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rst]
[TAPE#=SP-111 (48:01)]
[GRAPHIC=Superbowl Logo]

The New England Patriots returned home today with the Super Bowl 36 trophy and all the other things that go along with winning football's biggest game.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-New Orleans, LA; :]

Immediately following their victory over the Rams, The Patriots were honored by Wheaties. Tom Brady, Antowain Smith, Lawyer Miloy Troy Brown and Roman Phifer are featured on the box.
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[SUPER=01-Antowain Smith/Patriots Running Back; :00]
[SUPER=01-Troy Brown/Patriots Receiver; :11]
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[OUT Q=.......feeling man."]
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[S-Glenn]

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[GRAPHIC=NFL Logo]

Former New England Receiver Terry Glenn is back in the news but it has nothing to do with football.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NFL; :]

Prosecutors in Boston have withdrawn assault and better charges against Glenn.
Last month, a judge threw out potentially damaging statements by Glenn's ex-girlfriend, who has recanted her charge.
Glenn was scheduled to face trial later this month. Prosecutors say they can't pursue the case without her testimony.
He could be charged at a later date.
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[TALENT=Roy]
[GRAPHIC=Hold Logo]

Glenn missed the season and New England's Super Bowl run after being suspended by the team for missing a drug test.

[S-UVA]

[ANCHOR=Roy]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rst]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=UVA Logo]

Two of the state's top linebackers committed to the Virginia Cavaliers today. Ahmaad Brooks, a 6 foot 3, 230 pound linebacker from Hilton in Northern Virginia will play for the Cavaliers.
Brooks was the U-S-A defensive player of the year.
The other player is Kai Parham from Princess Anne High school in Virginia Beach. Parham is also 6 foot 3 and weighs 230. The two will sign the letter of intent on Wednesday.