WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 03/28/02

[1-News-Head]

(------------)
[V/O-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
The tire fire was the work of an arsonist. We'll hear it straight from the fire marshal.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
And Henry County Administrator Sid Clower and an assistant are suspended with pay.

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on News 7 Sports, Steve Mason checks in with Al Groh and the gang from UVa spring football practice. The testing is over for now at the Martinsville Speedway.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And Express winger Vern Fiddler earns a spot on the ECHL's all-rookie team.
(------------)

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

Water tips, Weatherschool and a warming forecast highlight the weather segment coming up.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=SHannon 4-Shot]

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

(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 2:08 - :11]
[IN Q=It come down to one thing.]
[RUNS=:04]
[OUT Q=somebody set the fire.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The Fire Marshal says Roanoke County's tire fire is the work of an arsonist.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Now the question is -- who did it?
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[Tire-Fire]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=02-09 TC50:17]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The tire fire that consumed Willie Keeling's illegal tire dump was deliberately set.
[ANCHOR=SHannon 2-Shot]

That's the ruling of Roanoke County's fire marshal today.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Marya/Microwave;]

Marya Jones is out at Starkey Park tonight with more.
Marya, any suspects in the arson?
Not as of yet.
[LIVE= Marya /FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=@Marya1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke Co.;]

There were no witnesses.
The fire marshal says NO ONE has been ruled out as a suspect, including the tire dump's owner, Willie Keeling.
But he says a passing train could NOT have sparked the fire.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The fire started]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :21]
[SUPER=01-Don Gillispie/Roanoke Co. Fire Marshal; :32]
[SUPER=10-Willie Keeling/Tire Dump Owner/Yesterday; :50]
[SUPER=01-Chris Wagner/EPA; 1:09]
[RUNS=1:16]
[OUT Q=3 - 4 major piles.]
(((///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:57 - 1:13]
((DON GILLISPIE/ROANOKE CO. FIRE MARSHAL: THE FIRE STARTED ALONG THE EDGE OF THIS ROAD, DOWN HERE IN THE GRASS. IT MOVED FORWARD RIGHT UP OVER THE BANK, INTO THE WOODS, RIGHT ON INTO THE TIRE PILE.)) [RUNS:17]
Fire Marshal Don Gillispie says whoever set the fire knew what he was doing.
It probably only took minutes for winds to blow the fire up the bank, across the tracks, and into the tire pile.
Gillispie says the fire started too far from the tracks to have been sparked by a passing train.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:09:58 - 12:10:05]
((DON GILLISPIE: WE FEEL AT THIS POINT THE FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN BURNING BEFORE THE TRAIN COMPLETED ITS TRAVEL THROUGH.))
[RUNS:08]
Investigators say no accelerants were used ... but they did find a lighter that's been sent to a crime lab for testing.
No one saw who set the fire.
The tire dump's owner says it wasn't him.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:10 - 5:20]
((WILLIE KEELING/PROPERTY OWNER: I CAN'T EVEN WALK ON A STEEP BANK. HOW COULD I SET A FIRE? IF I SET A FIRE, IT WOULD BURN ME UP BEFORE I COULD GET OUT OF THE WAY OF IT.)) [RUNS:10]
Meanwhile, the E-P-A took its first steps on the tire dump today, beginning what promises to be a long clean up effort.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 12:18:14 - :24]
((CHRIS WAGNER/EPA: WE CAN'T TELL HOW DEEP THE FIRE IS, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT ABOUT 6 ACRES ARE ON FIRE AND BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE TO FOUR MAJOR PILES.)) [RUNS:10]))
(-------------)
[LIVE= Marya /FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke Co.;]
(adlib)
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-SHannon & Marya /Microwave;]

[epa]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC50:30]
[GRAPHIC=Tire Fire]
The E-P-A had to get a warrant to enter the property, because Keeling refused to give federal officials access without it. He reached an agreement with STATE and COUNTY officials last November that allowed THEM on his land, but he wouldn't extend the deal to the feds.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
Keeling had gotten the state and county to promise to pay him 25-hundred dollars a year for access to his property.

But the officials also had to agree to turn a "blind eye" to any other public health hazards they might find.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:55:50]
[IN Q=We figured if]
((PAUL MAHONEY/ROANOKE CO ATTORNEY; WE FIGURED IF WE CAN SOLVE THE MAJOR PROBLEM: THE TIRES, WE'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE WON'T LOOK AT OTHER STUFF... IF THERE IS OTHER STUFF.))
[SUPER=01-Paul Mahoney/Roanoke Co. Attorney; ]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=if there is other stuff]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[***KEITH ON CART***] Federal authorities have made no such promises. The warrant extends to everything on the site, not just tires. The E-P-A has already earmarked half a million dollars from the Superfund to clean up the Keeling tire dump... great news for Roanoke County.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:57]
[IN Q=The county gains by the fire...]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=every cloud has it's silver lining.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=HOLD]
And yet Mahoney is quick to say any benefits that accrue to the county government are offset by the potential health hazards associated with the fire.

[Henry-Board]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=02-18 TC06:33]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A criminal investigation into possible embezzlement of Henry County funds has prompted the county to suspend its administrator and one of his assistants.
Sid Clower headed both the county administration and its water authority -- but is now on leave with pay. [***NEWS7 @ 6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Jennifer /MB SET;]

Business Reporter Jennifer Miele was in Henry County this morning when the board made its decision.
[LIVE= Jennifer /FULL MB SET]
[SUPER=@jennifer1]

Shannon, Henry County believes this criminal investigation centers around the finances of the Public Service Authority board.
That's the water authority Clower headed up before and during his time as County Administrator.
Both the board of supervisors and the PSA board believed it was necessary to suspend Clower so that County business can continue.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Before they]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jim McInerney/Public Service Authority Board; :20]
[RUNS=53]
[OUT Q=than this.]

(( Before they voted to suspend Clower and his assistant, Rosemary Pace, the Public Service Authority board members said a prayer for the man that led their agency for more than a decade.
They say nobody saw this investigation coming -- nor do they understand why he threatened suicide while police searched his office.
[SOT]
[TC:09:13:26] ((JIM MCINERNEY/PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY BOARD: WE ARE AWARE THAT A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING, THE PSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS WANTS TO DO ALL IT CAN TO FACILITATE THIS INVESTIGATION AND HELP ENSURE IT COMES TO A SWIFT AND FAIR CONCLUSION.)) [RUNS12]
The board of supervisors voted to put deputy county administrator Benny Summerlin into Clower's positions until the investigation is complete.
They say they did not take the decision lightly.
[SOT]
[TC:11:17:28] ((WE NEED A MOTION.... THAN THIS.)) ))
(------------------)
[***NEWS 7 @ 6 MB GRAPHIC***]
[LIVE= Jennifer /FULL MB SET]

We learned today that police seized records connecting Clower to a North Carolina investment firm when they searched his office Tuesday.
We tried to contact the company - Marion Bass Investments -- but had no luck.
Major parts of the company were apparently bought out recently, so we could not ask the firm if Clower consulted for them, or if they consulted for him.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Jennifer /MB SET;]

[Ringgold-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 Pm]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=01-61 TC1:31:13]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The Ringgold Fire Department will take a major step tomorrow as it works to get back on its feet.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Ringgold]

Firefighters will hold a groundbreaking tomorrow morning for a brand new fire station on two acres of land on Tom Fork Road.
The move comes nearly four months after a fire destroyed the old station as well as three fire trucks.
The fire department already had plans to build a new facility, the fire just sped up the process.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 31:45]
[IN Q=It will be four bays]
((WALTER HENDERSON/RINGGOLD FIRE DEPT.: IT WILL BE FOUR BAYS ACROSS THE FRONT, FOUR BAYS ACROSS THE BACK AND WE CAN HOUSE 8 TRUCKS WITH NICE COMMERCIAL SIZE KITCHEN, TRAINING ROOM, MEETING ROOM, IT'S JUST REALLY GOING TO BE NICE.))
[SUPER=01-Walter Henderson/Ringgold Fire Dept.; :]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=going to be nice]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The fire department has received 75-thousand dollars in donations as well as 450-thousand dollars in insurance money to pay for the project.
The new fire house should be completed by July first.
(------------)

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

A nurse at a local hospital is convicted of assaulting a patient.
That's next on News 7 at Six.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

And a local woman channels her sadness over September 11th into stitches.
(----------------)

[Hospital-Assault]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-06 TC58:30]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A nurse from a local hospital was convicted today of committing sexual assault during an exam.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :21]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
36-year-old William P. McClanahan Junior... an emergency room nurse at Montgomery Regional Hospital was charged with the misdemeanor after a female patient complained. She testified he inappropriately touched her during an exam in February for an allergic skin reaction. McClanahan says he was assessing her condition as a nurse.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 28:21:15 - :34]
[IN Q=WHEN WE JUDGE ]
((JIMMY TURK/DEFENSE ATTORNEY; WHEN WE HAVE A JUDGES THAT ARE DECIDING WHAT THE APPROPRIATE STANDARD OF CARE IS AND DECIDING WHEN DOCTORS GO TO FAR IN THE EXAMINATION OF PEOPLE I THINK THAT'S A VERY, VERY SCARY THING FOR A COMMUNITY.)) ((JOEY SHOWALTER/COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY; HE CHANGED HIS STORY ON TWO OCCASIONS AND THEN TODAY HE COMES INTO THE COURTROOM AND HE CHANGED HIS STORY FOR A THIRD TIME.))
[SUPER=01-Jimmy Turk/Defense Attorney; :00]
[SUPER=01-Joey Showalter/Commonwealth's Attorney; :13]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=FOR A THIRD TIME]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The judge fined McClanahan 500 dollars. His laywer says he's filing an appeal. McClanahan has been suspended from work since the incident.
(------------)

[Resk]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-11 TC31:03]
[GRAPHIC=None]
All but two of the accusations against a Roanoke Valley Osteopathic physician were dismissed last night by a committee of the state Board of Medicine.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Joan Resk was found in violation of ethical standards for several newspaper ads. Dr. Resk was fined 18-hundred dollars and ordered to undergo ethics training.
(------------)

[Falwell]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-03 TC1:00:27]
[GRAPHIC=Jerry Falwell]

Virginia's law banning churches from incorporating is unconstitutional according to the Reverend Jerry Falwell, and apparently no one in state government disagrees with him.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Falwell is suing the State Corporation Commission which denied Thomas Road Baptist Church's request to incorporate because of a 200-year-old law that prohibits the move.
At a hearing in federal court this morning, the commission's lawyer said it wasn't his job to defend the law, only to enforce it.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:39:00]
[IN Q=If it's]
((DUKE DEHAAS/STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION: IF IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL, SO BE IT. THERE'S NOBODY DEFENDING IT AND THAT STRIKES ME AS A BIT ODD, BUT AGAIN IT'S NOT OUR AGENCY'S POSTURE OR ROLE TO DO THAT.)) ((MATHEW STAVER/LIBERTY COUNSEL: UNLIKE ANY OTHER CASE THAT I'VE EVER BEEN IN, EVERYONE WANTS TO WIGGLE AWAY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT THE DEFENDANT. AND THE REASON FOR THAT I THINK IS VERY CLEAR.. THESE LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS AND THERE'S NO MORE CHAIRS, WHOEVER'S LEFT IS GOING TO BE DEFENDING AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAW.))
[SUPER=01-Duke DeHaas/State Corporation Commission; :00]
[SUPER=01-Mathew Staver/Liberty Counsel; :12]
[RUNS=27]
[OUT Q=an unconstitutional law.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Judge Norman Moon said he'd issue his ruling in the suit fairly quickly.
(------------)

[Stocks]

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

Wall Street put in a mixed performance to end the quarter. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/22.97/10403.94/x/18.61/1845.36;]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The DOW lost 23 points.
NASDAQ gained 19.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/0.95/46.00/h/0.09/46.09/i/0.78/68.02/h/0.97/21.47/i/0.05/6.90;]
[SUPER=272- /Unchg/65.16/i/0.12/53.63//Unchg/37.45/h/0.37/25.57/h/0.70/44.08;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.14/22.16/i/0.32/23.94/h/0.03/1.01/i/0.92/52.67/i/0.17/13.40;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.66/66.73/h/0.83/73.82/h/0.55/46.10/i/0.37/37.08/i/0.70/61.30;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[Quilt-Lady]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-05 TC1:11:20]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[***ANCHOR TAG***]
For every rescue worker digging through the rubble at Ground Zero, there were many who wished they could help in the aftermath of September eleventh.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Rather than feel helpless, a local artist chose to channel that energy in to her work.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=I put the Statue of Liberty on...]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.; :19]
[SUPER=01-Carol Mesimer/Quilter; 1:05]
[RUNS=1:42]
[OUT Q=this is my fabric wall.]
(([SOT 15:58:44-15:58:58]
[IN Q=I put the Statue of Liberty on...]
((I put the Statue of Liberty on and then the Pennsylvania trees and then the New York City skyline and the idea was to have the towers quilted in as a ghost image in the background.)) [RUNS:14]
[OUT Q=ghost image in the backgroud.]
It's been more than 6-months since the September 11th terrorist attacks but, to Carol Mesimer, the images of that day have yet to fade. Inspiration struck the accomplished quilter just hours after the first plane struck the World Trade Center. With needle in hand she poured her feelings into a piece entitled "Remember Me", limiting herself to only black and white.
[SOT16:00:40-16:00:44]
[IN Q=There'll be no color.]
((There'll be no color. There'll be no color. It's just... those were the colors of the day.)) [RUNS:04]
[OUT Q=Those were the colors of the day.]
The final shape will be that of a pentagon, the top panel hanging above another layered with swatches, each labeled with the name of a victim. Mesimer can attach 25-names an hour and often puts in 6 to 8 hours a day. Constructed out of 17-yards of fabric, the quilt is too heavy to work on as a single piece so sits divided in a work room near two others with a similar theme.
[SOT 16:03:25-16:03:37]
[IN Q=My friends ask me how many...]
((My friends ask me, "How many of these are you gonna make?" My pat answer is until I run out of ideas.)) [RUNS:12]
[OUT Q=until I run out of ideas.]
"Fallen Leaves, Fallen Lives" will display one leaf for each victim. She's not sure what will happen to these quilts when they're finished. But the uncertainty doesn't faze her. The process is what's important Mesimer says. That and that fact that every stitch she lays down helps sew up America's wound.
[SOT 16:05:06-16:05:16]
[IN Q=There's not a courthouse in the nation that doesn't have a littel plaque with the names...]
((There's not a courthouse in the nation that doesn't have a little plaque with the names of the people in that area and, you know, this is my fabric wall.)) [RUNS:10]
[OUT Q=this is my fabric wall.]))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[SS=None]
Mesimer would however like to see "Remember Me" hang at the International Quilt Show in Houston later this year.

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Coming up tonight on the Big 7, Steve Mason checks in from UVa spring football. The Express has some newsmakers as the final weekend of the regular season approaches.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And we all like being tested on material we're comfortable with - Ricky Craven is proof of that at Martinsville.
(------------)

[S-Cavs]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-110 1:09:05]
[GRAPHIC=UVa football]

The Virginia Football team officially began the spring football season yesterday. Steve Mason gives us a first look at some of the 2002 Cavaliers.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=first audio]
[SUPER=03-Charlottesville; :00]
[SUPER=01-Al Groh/UVa Head Coach; :16]
[SUPER=01-Matt Schaub/UVa Junior Quarterback; :33]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./This Past Season; :47]
[SUPER=01-Angelo Crowell/UVa Team Captain; 1:23]
[SUPER=@Steve1; 1:39]
[RUNS=1:47]
[OUT Q=News 7 sports"]
(---------------)
((After a 5 and 7 2001, even fans attending spring practice felt a more strict mood around the football team. One third of the team is not participating in spring ball, perhaps because many of those players are among one of the nation's top recruiting classes that will arrive July 26th. ((AL GROH:))
The Cavs are no longer in suspense about their quarterback. Matt Schaub took steps this off season to let everyone know, he's the guy. ((:))
Schaub held for the kickers in practice. Speaking of kickers, Groh thinks Cave Spring senior Tom Hagan has a bright future at UVa. ((:)) Senior All ACC first teamer Billy McMullen and linebacker Angelo Crowell are the new team captains. Crowell and his defense are wearing orange crush jerseys in practice, a name that can be traced to the Denver Broncos D back when UVa offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave played there. New jerseys for a team with now well adjusted to it's second year coaching staff. ((:))
former Detroit Lions coach Bobby Ross attended Wednesday's practice to watch son Kevin coach the Virginia running backs. ))

[S-Test]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-108 14613tc]
[GRAPHIC=MARTINSVILLE]

Several Winston Cup teams wrapped up a two day test session at the Martinsville Speedway this afternoon in preparation for the April 14th Virginia 500.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville; :00]
Rookie Jimmie Johnson, who is a remarkable fourth in the points race after six events, was supposed to get some testing help from his car owner Jeff Gordon this week. But when rain on Tuesday forced the test session to be moved back a day Gordon couldn't make it.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=HE...]
[SUPER=01-Jimmie Johnson/Fourth In Points Standings; :00]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=...A BIG HELP TOO."]
(------------)
[VO-NAT con't]
One of the cars Johnson kept a close eye on the past two days was the number 32 ride piloted by Ricky Craven. The Tide Ride won at Martinsville last fall, and crew chief Mike Beam decided to make Martinsville a priority again this year.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-Mike Beam/Ricky Craven's Crew Chief; :00]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=...not our weaknesses."]
(---------------)

[S-Express]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-114 12746TC]
[graphic=express]

The Express closes out the regular season this weekend with two games. Earlier today -
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
Vern Fiddler was named to the ECHL all rookie team. He had 55 points in 44 games for the Express. Fiddler is with the AHL Norfolk Admirals at this time. A productive year, considering he was almost out of hockey when the season started.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-Perry Florio/Express Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=.....succeed with us"]
(--------------)
[VO-NAT(con't)]

Florio is sitting Mike Peron this weekend in order to rest his injured knee for the first round of the playoffs which begin next Tuesday in Trenton.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=bite]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=...ON TUESDAY."]
(------------)