[1-News-Head]
[ANCHOR=SHannon 2-Shot]
In the midst of an enormous state budget crisis, the final negotiations come down to funding for museums and cultural
organizations.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
And Reverend Falwell's church approves actions that- -at the moment- -still violate state law.
(------------)
[Sports-Head]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on News 7 Sports.
ODAC tennis on this glorious evening.
NASCAR news concerning some wicked G-forces.
Robert Prunty leaves Gretna for Hargrave.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And Randy Dunton is hired as the new head hoop coach at Liberty University.
(------------)
[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]
The anti-winter forecast continues into the weekend. We'll explain in just a few minutes.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 4-SHot]
News 7 at Six is next.
[Video-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 1:06:53]
[IN Q=I just want to say]
((I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. HOLD THE COURSE. STAY STRONG.))
[RUNS=:04]
[OUT Q=stay strong.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
The battle over the state budget continues in Richmond...
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
While funding for cultural groups in western Virginia hangs in the balance.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Good evening, I'm Keith Humphry.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And I'm Shannon Young.
[XGR-Budget]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=01-56 TC1:54:16]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
One year after a budget stalemate stripped their state funding, museums and cultural groups in western Virginia are at the center of the budget debate once again.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Lawmakers are still trying to reach a compromise tonight... but the House and Senate remain at odds over funding for non- state agencies.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & JoeD /State Microwave;]
Joe Dashiell is at the Capitol tonight where negotiators are expecting another long night.
[LIVE=JoeD /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=@joe1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]
Keith and Shannon, their midnight deadline came and went, and early this morning their effort to fill a three point eight billion dollar gap in the state budget stalled.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=As we were finishing up]
[SUPER=01-Sen. John Chichester/(R) Fredericksburg; :00]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :14]
[SUPER=01-Sen. William Wampler/(R) Bristol; :30]
[SUPER=@thomas; 1:03]
[RUNS=1:13]
[OUT Q=be able to get something done.]
(([SOT 56:18]
[IN Q=As we were finishing up]
((SEN. JOHN CHICHESTER: AS WE WERE FINISHING UP PRETTY MUCH ALL OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO THEY BROUGHT UP THIS LITTLE POINT OF A 24-MILLION DOLLAR EXPENDITURE FOR NON-STATES.))
[RUNS= :12]
[OUT Q=for non-states.]
Budget negotiators say they had resolved about 95 percent of their differences... when they squared off over funding for the private, non-profits.
The House had included almost 24- million dollars for a number of non-state agencies, including more than 20 in western Virginia.
[SOT 15:17:28]
[IN Q=The Senate's position]
((THE SENATE'S POSITION IS, WHEN YOU'RE CUTTING ALMOST FOUR BILLION DOLLARS OUT OF THE BUDGET LET US LOOK AT THOSE CORE PRIORITIES, SUCH AS EDUCATION HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE TO FOLKS WHO MAY BE MENTALLY RETARDED WHO HAVE NO OTHER PLACE TO GO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO STRIKE A BALANCE THAT WITHIN ALL OF THESE CUTS WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE CORE SERVICES TO THE FOLKS WHO NEED THEM MOST.))
[RUNS= :22]
[OUT Q=need them most.]
House conferees held their ground... producing another list of private groups that made into the Senate's spending plan.
But Roanoke Delegate Vic Thomas says he remains hopeful a compromise is close.
[SOT 14:51:26]
((DEL. VIC THOMAS/D- ROANOKE: WE DON'T WANT ANY FIASCOS LIKE WE HAD LAST YEAR. WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THAT. I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOMETHING DONE.))
[RUNS= :10]
[OUT Q=able to get something done.]))
(-------------)
[LIVE= JoeD /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]
The House and Senate have sent the conferees back to the table... and extended their deadline until a half-hour after midnight...
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & JoeD/State Microwave;]
So Keith and Shannon, barring a quick compromise... we're expecting another late evening for lawmakers here in capitol square.
[L'burg-Murder]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-01 TC1:16:56]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Lynchburg authorities say an arrest won't come any time soon in the city's first murder of the year.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
51- year- old Loretta Jean Napier (NAY-pee-ur) was found shot to death inside her Campbell Avenue home Sunday morning.
Police say Napier's body was found around 11:30 by a friend who was checking on her.
Investigators say they're still talking with neighbors and friends but have "not" developed a suspect.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the Lynchburg police.
(------------)
[Thomas-Road]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=01-62 TC1:47:09]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The Reverend Jerry Falwell and his congregation are another step closer to a showdown with the city of Lynchburg and the state of Virginia over how much land a church can legally own.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]
Steve Smallshaw is in our Lynchburg newsroom tonight.. Steve, what's the latest?
[LIVE=Steve/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=@ssm1]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg]
Shannon, the members of Thomas Road Baptist Church voted Sunday to 1: incorporate and 2: take ownership of nearly 150 acres of land for a new sanctuary.
Both those actions are illegal under current state law.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The laws were]
[SUper=03-Lynchburg/File Tape; :00]
[SUPER=04Today; :19]
[SUPER=01-Jerry Falwell, Jr./Liberty Counsel; :35]
[RUNS=1:18]
[OUT Q=back into the case.]
(( The laws were originally passed in the 18th century to prevent churches from becoming too powerful.
Reverend Falwell filed suit in November, claiming they were unconstitutional.
[natsot 2:59:31]
((THAT'S THE CAMPUS IN PURPLE AND THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY HERE IS WHERE THE CHURCH WANTS TO LOCATE.))
[RUNS= 08]
The laws are also preventing Thomas Road Baptist Church from building a new sanctuary on 150 acres of land on Candlers Mountain.
Falwell's congregation wants to own the church it's actually going to worship in.. to do that they're challenging the city and state to enforce the law.
[SOT 2:50:31]
((JERRY FALWELL JR./LIBERTY COUNSEL: SO WE'RE SAYING TO THE JUDGE WE VOTED TO INCORPORATE.. THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION WON'T ALLOW US TO INCORPORATE.. WE VOTED TO TAKE TITLE TO THE PROPERTY, BUT WE CAN'T GET CLEAR TITLE BECAUSE OF THESE LAWS, SO PLEASE GIVE US SOME RELIEF.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUT Q=give us some relief.]
Until that happens, plans for the new sanctuary are dead in the water because the church can't get title insurance to property it doesn't legally own.. and without title insurance, it can't get a loan to start construction.
[SOT 2:53:34]
((FALWELL JR.: WE ARE HOPING THAT NOW THAT WE'VE SHOWN SOME REAL HARM THAT'S BEING CAUSED TO THE CHURCH AND SOME REAL ENFORCEMENT ACTION THAT HAS OCCURRED THAT THE COURT WILL AGREE WITH US AND BRING THOSE PARTIES BACK INTO THE CASE.))
[RUNS= 16]
[OUT Q=back into the case.] ))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Steve/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]
Judge Norman Moon has not decided whether to reinstate the city of Lynchburg and its circuit court judge as defendants in the lawsuit.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]
A hearing in the case is scheduled for later this month.
[Haleos]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-02 TC56:13]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Montgomery County is protecting a business investment by helping out a struggling company.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :21]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
While the Blacksburg fiber optic company Haleos works to secure long-term funding the county is paying its lease.
This week the board of supervisors advanced 250-thousand dollars to its industrial development authority for payments.
Haleos officials says a telecommunications industry downturn forced layoffs and a current furlough of 85-employees.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:41:15]
[IN Q=this simply]
((ROBERT PARKER/MONTGOMERY CO. SPOKESMAN; THIS SIMPLY PROTECTS THE COUNTY'S INVESTMENT THE COUNTY HAS A LARGE INVESTMENT IN THAT BUILDING AND IN ORDER TO STAY CURRENT WITH THE BANK IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE BOARD TO FORWARD THAT MONEY OR THE AUTHORITY TO SPEND.))
[SUPER=01-Robert Parker/Montgomery Co. Spokesman;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=AUTHORITY TO SPEND.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Haleos building is owned by the I-D-A and was built in conjunction with the county in 19-98.
Haleos officials say they're appreciative of the board's actions and are still working to secure long-term funding to stay in business.
(------------)
[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]
One of the biggest cheating investigations in U-V-A's history is about over.
We'll have the latest when News 7 at Six returns.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
And U-S Airways hopes a new C-E-O can pilot the company back into the black.
(----------------)
[Optical-Cable]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=01-57 TC1:48:47]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Major developments today in the on-going struggles of Optical Cable Corporation.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
The stock price of the Roanoke County fiber optic maker has plummeted over the last several months... but today, there is one less worry on the minds of company leaders.
[***NEWS 7@6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Jennifer /MB SET;]
Business Reporter Jennifer Miele is here to tell us about that.
[LIVE=Jennifer /FULL MB SET]
[SUPER=@jennifer1]
Keith, Shannon, two major brokerage houses -- UBS Paine Webber and Bear Stearns -- have stopped selling off Optical Cable stock.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The firms have]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Year;1:07]
[RUNS=1:23]
[OUT Q=face Optical Cable.]
(([PRE PRO PAGE 1]
The firms have dropped their lawsuits against the company... suits that demanded Optical Cable hand over stock to pay back debts incurred by former President Bob Kopstein.
But, there are still at least a half dozen investor class action suits pending against the company.
One other note -- the case against the Internet user "Stockinup2001" who uploaded inside information to the web has been settled out of court.
[PRE PRO PAGE 2]
On to financial issues... Optical Cable's annual shareholder meeting is Tuesday. Executives aren't sure yet if cameras will be allowed inside, but reporters have been invited.
As far as a shareholder question answer period goes -- no decision on that has been made.
Also, the company reported today sales are down six million dollars from the first quarter of 2001.
[PRE PRO PAGE 3]
Some personnel notes... the company is still negotiating with founder Bob Kopstein about taking a consultant position with Optical Cable -- remember he was fired last year after racking up millions of dollars of personal debt.
The acting CEO, Neil Wilkin, says he's focusing on making cable, making money and expanding the company's customer base.
[END PRE PRO]
Wilkin has had experience with troubled companies... two dot coms he helped run before coming to Optical Cable went bankrupt.
Wilkin says his past experience is useful, but the issues that faced those companies are not the same as those that face Optical Cable.))
(------------------)
[***NEWS 7@6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[LIVE=Jennifer Full/MB SET]
And we'll here more about those issues at the stockholder meeting
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Jennifer /MB SET;]
next week, Keith, Shannon.
[US-Airways]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=US Airways]
There's a new man at the controls of U-S Airways.
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape]
David Siegel is the new president and C-E-O of the troubled airline.
Siegel knows a thing or two about the airline industry, having spent seven years at Continental
Airlines where he helped turn around Continental Express.
Arlington-based U-S Airways lost over one billion dollars in the fourth quarter and close to two billion dollars last year.
(-------------)
[Advance-Auto]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Advance Auto]
Nine million shares of Roanoke's Advance Auto Parts are up for grabs.
About two million are coming from the company treasury.
The rest are being offered by three major shareholders.
Advance Auto closed at 43 dollars and 60 cents a share today.
[Stocks]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Wall Street's appetite for blue chips returned today.
[TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/140.88/10574.29/x/24.08/1890.37;]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
The DOW climbed 141 points.
NASDAQ gained 24.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-i/0.10/43.60/h/0.50/45.25/h/1.65/66.70/h/0.16/20.01/h/0.20/7.95;]
[SUPER=272-h/1.76/61.97/h/0.72/54.62/h/1.05/41.55/h/0.72/27.84/h/0.63/40.78;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.30/22.31/h/0.11/26.12/h/0.22/1.12/h/0.33/53.33/h/0.09/12.35;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.90/65.62/i/0.26/68.55/h/0.69/48.09/h/0.79/35.04/h/0.14/60.90;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[UVA-Investigation]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=UVA]
A University of Virginia honor committee has finished a yearlong plagiarism investigation that forced 38 students to leave school.
The committee states that of the 157 students accused of copying term papers in a physics
class, 13 were found guilty and 25 admitted guilt and left school on their own.
Twenty students still await trial.
The class' professor started referring students to the committee in April after a homemade computer program found duplicated phrases in his students' work during the past five semesters.
[C'Burg-Mayor]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=01-59 TC2:35:02]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A former member of Montgomery County's Board of Supervisors is running for Mayor of Christiansburg.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :16]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg;]
Ann Hess says a number of friends and community leaders asked her to campaign for the office.
Hess is a self-employed artist and former instructor of chemistry.
She says her efforts to increase voter turnout for the race will be at a grassroots level.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 30:15:13]
[IN Q=where neighbor]
((ANN HESS/CANDIDATE CHRISTIANSBURG MAYOR; WHERE NEIGHBOR WILL BE TALKING TO NEIGHBOR OR I WILL BE MEETING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS I'LL BE TALKING TO ANY ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD INVITE ME TO SPEAK. ))
[SUPER=01-Ann Hess/Candidate Christiansburg Mayor;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=INVITE ME TO SPEAK]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Hess faces long-term incumbent Mayor Harold Linkous and innkeeper Rocco Capozzi in the May 7th election.
(------------)
[Sports Tease]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Coming up tonight on the Big 7, the head Hawk flies over the Hargrave.
Liberty U. has a new head coach who isn't new at all.
The Express hits the road again tonight.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And what would a day like this be without some outdoor action.
We'll check in on the top two ODAC tennis teams in a moment.
(------------)
[S-Hargrave]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-115 4812tc]
[GRAPHIC=FRIDAY FOOTBALL EXTRA]
We begin tonight with news that one of Friday Football Extra's top coaches is leaving Gretna to take over the postgraduate program at Hargrave Military.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-Friday Football Extra; :00]
Robert Prunty, who took Gretna from an 0-and-44 team to am undefeated regular season this past year, is returning home in many ways.
Prunty graduated from Hargrave and later served their as a voluntary coach.
Last year, 29 grads of Hargrave's postgraduate program played in major college football bowls.
(------------)
[S-Express]
[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-119]
[GRAPHIC=express]
The 30-21 and 9 Express is on the road tonight taking on Atlantic City. The Board Walk Bullies are in third place in the Northeast Division, one spot above Roanoke. Richmond is right below the Express, so tonight's game along with the remaining 11 games are crucial for the Express as the playoff picture clears up.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Daniel Berthiaume/Express Goalie; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rick Kowalsky/8 Points in Last 5 Games; :17]
[RUNS=:40]
[OUT Q=.....down the stretch here"]
(----------------)
[S-Big]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-117 5242tc]
[GRAPHIC=liberty]
It didn't take the Liberty Flames long to replace fired head basketball coach Mel Hankinson and they replaced him with the person who should have gotten the job four years ago.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-1997-98 Season; :00]
Randy Dunton, who replaced Jeff Meyer and did a decent job as interim coach in the 1997-98 season when he led the Flames to an 11 and 17 record that included a 69-to-64 upset win over UVa in Charlottesville, gets the job.
He has been an assistant coach at Binghamton University the past two seasons. and earlier spent a decade at LU.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=BIG EAST]
The Big East tournament opened today at Madison Square Garden. Boston College beat Rutgers 60-to-55 in the opener. And Georgetown beat Providence 68-to-67. Two more quarterfinals are set for tonight.
[S-ACC]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=ACC]
The ACC Tournament quarterfinals are here on WDBJ-7 later this week.
(XXXXXXX)
[GO TO PINNACLE]
Friday afternoon regular season champ Maryland takes on the winner's of Thursday night's Florida State-Clemson game at Friday Noon.
Right after that one - UVa takes on NC State shortly after two.
(XXXXXX)
[GO TO PINNACLE]
The night session has Duke and Carolina at 7 followed by Wake Forest and Georgia Tech at 9:30.
(----------------)
[S-Gibbs]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-112 10703TC]
[GRAPHIC=NASCAR]
One of Tony Stewart's crew members has been suspended from the team after being charged with assault.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-This Season; :00]
Randall Cox, a mechanic with Joe Gibbs Racing and the rear tire changer for the Home depot team was arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and charged with assault on a female using aggressive physical force and communicating threats.
He is now free on bond, but suspended from the race team indefinitely.
(------------)
[S-Park]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-106 13442TC]
[GRAPHIC=steve park]
Steve Park continues to make progress toward his return to Winston Cup racing.
Park tested this week in Darlington - the place where he suffered his head injury last season.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rockingham, NC;:00]
The Pennzoil Chevy has been piloted by Kenny Wallace while Park recovers, but Park is now extremely optimistic about his return since testing at Charlotte, Darlington and Atlanta.
His progress has been so great that he could be back in the Pennzoil Chevy before Martinsville.
(------------)
[S-Ricky]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-113 10125tc]
[GRAPHIC=BUSCH]
Last night we told you that Busch Series rookie Ricky Hendrick needed surgery today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-Last Season; :00]
The Hendrick Motorsports driver, who dislocated his right shoulder in Saturday's NASCAR Busch race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, had ligament damage repaired today during an arthroscopic procedure.
His GMAC Chevrolet is one of the Busch cars carrying the new "black box" data recorders.
These devices may tell NASCAR more than it wants to know. Hendrick's crash was measured at a 50-G force impact. The space shuttle astronauts experience 4 to 6 Gs on liftoff.
(------------)
[S-Tennis]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rst]
[TAPE#=SP-110 (59:110)]
[GRAPHIC=Tennis Logo]
The spring like weather was a welcomed site as the ODAC women's tennis season opened at Hollins University.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :]
It's tradition for the season to open with the top 2 teams in the Conference.
Top ranked Washington and Lee opened the tournament at the courts of second ranked Hollins.
The advantage on the court goes to the Generals. Washington and Lee has the luxury of practicing inside at the Tennis Center in Lexington every day.
While the weather has limited practice time at Hollins.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="They bundle....]
[SUPER=01-Leslie Bernard/Hollins Head Coach; :00]
[SUPER=01-Cinda Rankin/Washington & Lee Head Coach; :14]
[RUNS=:24]
[OUT Q=.........I'm sure."]
(---------------)