WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 04/26/02

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Jerry Falwell's church is making history.
We'll show you how.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And, four days after a suspicious fire at a local high school, daily operations have yet to return to normal.
(------------)

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on the Big 7 - the 37th annual Cosmopolitan track meet is underway in Salem. Carlos Boozer give up his final year at Duke.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And John Force steps checks in as Thunder Valley comes alive this weekend in Bristol.
(------------)

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

The first half of the weekend will be cool. But the second half brings showers and warmer readings. Details next.

(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

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

(/////SOT/////)
[SOT - 56:16]
[IN Q=]
((OF COURSE WE CAN'T USE THE GYM NOW, SO WE HAD AN ASSEMBLY IN THE MEDIA CENTER, AND WE RESUMED CLASSES, AND EVERYTHING IS GOING NICELY...))
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=everything is going nicely.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :10]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
A small fire turns into a big headache for one Danville school...
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Monday's fire has forced a change in the routine for the Opportunity School, but life is getting back to normal.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Shannon Young.
[School-Fire]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=02-08 TC1:29:58]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Officials at the Opportunity School in Danville say a fire there earlier this week has been an inconvenience, but they are adjusting to any problems.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :20.5]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]
The school was closed for several days following Monday's fire, and students returned to classes yesterday. The fire started in a corner of the auditorium and gymnasium and was quickly extinguished. The school's principal says the clean up process has already begun, and it should be just a matter of weeks until everything gets back to normal.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT - 57:05]
[IN Q=Right now, we are working...]
((SAMUEL MASSIE/OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL; RIGHT NOW, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE INSURANCE ADJUSTERS. WE'RE WORKING WITH MAINTENANCE AND HOPEFULLY THE GYM WILL BE WORKED ON THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK, PAINTING, FLOORING AND THIS TYPE OF THING. SO WE'RE GOING TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES.))
[SUPER=01-Samuel Massie/Opportunity School Principal;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=...going to roll with the punches.]
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[VO-NAT - :10+]
The Opportunity School has more than 150 students. Police investigators think someone set the fire in a cardboard box Monday morning, though the investigation is continuing.
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[Salem-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-06 TC1:31:35]
[GRAPHIC=Salem Budget]

Smokers will help pay for renovations to a Salem middle school. City Manager Forest Jones this morning presented the 2002-2003 budget to city council. The numbers include a new tax on cell phones and a hike in the city's lodging tax .
(///// SOT at top /////)
[SOT 2:08-2:28]
[IN Q=We're also going to put a cigarette tax...]
((FOREST JONES/SALEM CITY MANAGER: WE'RE ALSO GONNA PUT A CIGARETTE TAX WHHICH WILL PARALLEL ROANOKE CITY'S CIGARETTE TAX. RIGHT NOW, THEIRS IS 17-CENTS A PACK, IT MIGHT GO UP TO 27. WE'LL PARALLEL WHAT THEY DO SO IT'LL BE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY.))
[SUPER=01-Forest Jones/Salem City Manager;]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=consistent throughout the valley.]
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[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The cost of a car decal will also jump from 10 to 20 dollars. The additional revenue will help pay for improvements to be made at Andrew Lewis Middle School. Jones says the budget also includes 300-thousand more dollars for the school system and a 4-percent raise for teachers and city employees.

[RU-Dining]

[ANCHOR=Shannon ]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-14 TC38:04]
[GRAPHIC=None]

One local college is dealing with budget trouble by privatizing.
Radford University says it's privatizing all its food services and catering. Officials say they started to look at the option after major state funding cuts were announced. The move into uncharted territory begins July First.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Rachel /Microwave;]
New River Valley Bureau Chief Rachel Cannon joins us with more on the changes it will bring for students and staff. Rachel?
[LIVE= Rachel /FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=@Rachel1;]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
Things are going to change - but officials say it's for the better. The job is going to Chartwells. A private company that provides dining services to more than 2-hundred colleges and universities.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Nats]
[SUPER=03-Radford; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ben Southard/RU Executive Chef; :13]
[SUPER=@Rachel1; :27 QUICK]
[SUPER=01-David Hill/University Services Asst. Vice-President; :36]
[SUPER=01-Mary Bugg/Food Technician; 1:20 QUICK]
[RUNS=1:25]
[OUT Q=BE JUST FINE.]
((NATS 3:21:05 Ben Southard has been with Radford University food services for almost 3-years. The executive chef says he's ready for the facelift his workplace is about to get.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:17:46]
[IN Q=the biggest change ]
((BEN SOUTHARD/RU EXECUTIVE CHEF; THE BIGGEST CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE IN DALTON HALL, DALTON HALL IS A KIND OF A 1960'S CAFETERIA BUILT IT 1990. THE STYLE OF FOOD WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT IN THAT ENVIRONMENT ISN'T WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED NOW.))

[OUT Q=NOW]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:23:47]
[IN Q=BUT OFFICIALS]
((RACHEL CANNON/RCANNON@WDBJ7.COM; BUT OFFICIALS SAY WHEN THE NEW COMPANY COMES IN THEY'RE GOING TO USE MONEY TO RENOVATE AND MAKE IT MADE TO ORDER, IT WILL GIVE STUDENTS MORE CHOICE.))
[OUT Q=MORE CHOICE]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:11:59]
[IN Q=if we ]
((DAVID HILL/UNIVERSITY SERVICES ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT; IF WE CONTRACT WITH A PRIVATE VENDOR THEY CAN GET THINGS REMODELED AND CHANGED QUICKER THAN USING THE STATE SYSTEM THAT'S PART OF THE EFFICIENCY.))
[OUT Q=EFFICIENCY.]
David Hill says on top of efficiency, there's the money factor. In a 5-year deal with Chartwells, Radford is guaranteed a minimum of 2.5 million dollars in revenue each year. On its own, the University produced about a million dollars. The numbers add up, but in the beginning workers weren't so sure.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:16:52]
[IN Q=WHY PEOPLE]
((WHY PEOPLE COME TO THE STATE TO WORK IS BECAUSE OF RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND THEY WERE VERY UNSURE ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM IN THE FUTURE.))
[OUT Q=FUTURE]
Officials say all 67-salaried employees will stay on. Approximately 3-hundred wage employees are expected to retain their jobs through Chartwells.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:19:34]
[IN Q=as a]
((MARY BUGG/FOOD TECHNICIAN; AS A WHOLE I THINK WE WERE APPREHENSIVE BUT WE'VE BEEN REASSURED THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE JUST FINE.))
[OUT Q=BE JUST FINE.]))
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[LIVE= Rachel /FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
Radford Officials say employees may be re-trained or even re-assigned.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Rachel & Shannon /Microwave;]
But that they don't anticipate anyone losing their jobs.

[Thomas-Road]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-10 TC54:47]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg yesterday became the first church in Virginia in more than two hundred years to incorporate.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/File Tape]

Lawyers for the Reverend Jerry Falwell say the State Corporation Commission have granted their charter.
Earlier this month a federal judge ruled the state law banning churches from incorporating was unconstitutional.
Falwell is also challenging state limits on how much property a church can own.
The move allows Thomas Road Baptist to actually own the property on which it's building a new sanctuary on Candlers Mountain Road.
(------------)

[Kemper-Street]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-13 TC26:02]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Ninety years after it was first built and just a few years after it was nearly condemned, Lynchburg's Kemper Street train station has officially been reborn.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

Local, state and federal officials helped dedicate the newly-renovated station during a ceremony this afternoon.
3-point-2 million dollars was spent overhauling the building, parking lot and surrounding areas.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 16:19:26]
[IN Q=This is exactly]
((REP. BOB GOODLATTE/R- 6TH DISTRICT: THIS IS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF PROJECT YOUR FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS WERE DESIGNED FOR.. TO STRENGTHEN AND IMPROVE THE CITIZENS' ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND SERVICES. LOCAL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL TRULY REAP THE BENEFITS OF THE CITY'S CONCEPT FOR THE KEMPER STREET AREA DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.))
[SUPER=@Goodlatte]
[RUNS=19]
[OUT Q=area development project.]
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[VO-NAT]

Kemper Street now houses the city's Amtrak Station, Greyhound bus lines and business offices.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]

If you were hoping to get tickets to the Statler Brothers farewell tour, you may be out of luck.
Details on the record-setting sellout in Salem when News 7 returns.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

And Roanoke's snow leopards are getting names for their first birthday.
We'll tell you what they'll be.
(----------------)

[Eavesdropping]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-12 TC53:24]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Ed Matricardi's lawyer wants to know what state prosecutors are trying to hide.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Steve Benjamin is defending Matricardi against charges of eavesdropping.
Benjamin today expressed frustration over the state's unwillingness to provide him with information.
He accused prosecutors of being "secretive" and "mysterious".
Benjamin also criticized the investigation for "leaking like a sieve."
Bill Dinkin, the lead prosecutor in the case, today said Benjamin "will get everything he's entitled to."
Matricardi's next court date is May 14th.
(------------)

[Auto-Repair]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#02-05 TC1:53:11]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The smart money in auto repair these days is in computers.
Today's mechanic often puts down his wrench and picks up a mouse... and the end result is a better running vehicle.
Business Reporter Jennifer Miele explains what's driving these industry changes.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=You're dealer's auto]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Mike Siska/Magic City Ford Shop Manager; :20]
[SUPER=01-Larry Ceola/ATS Transmissions Owner; :42]
[SUPER=@jennifer1; 1:15 (QUICK!!!)]
[RUNS=1:24]
[OUT Q=JM News 7, Roanoke.]
(( Your dealer's auto repair shops can feel more like an operating room -- monitors beep as mechanics work diligently to repair lose valves.
To get to the real heart of a problem though, cars can be hooked up to computers for examination.
This diagnostic testing is changing the way car shops do business.
[SOT]
[TC:00:13:19] ((MIKE SISKA/MAGIC CITY FORD SHOP MANAGER: YOU HAVE TO BE VERY SAVVY WITH ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSIS AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET MORE INVOLVED AS TIME GOES ON.)) [RUNS07]
Larry Ceola's mechanics at ATS Transmissions each have their own computer terminals, giving them high speed Internet access to vendor information.
Mini movies on DVD can even show a mechanic exactly what he needs to do to fix a problem.
[SOT]
[00:32:17] ((LARRY CEOLA/ATS TRANSMISSION: I WAS KIND OF HESITANT TO DO IT FOR A WHILE BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WELL IT WOULD BE RECEIVED IN THE SHOP, BUT I JUST PUT IT OUT THERE...... REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW WELL MY GUYS TAKE TO IT.)) [RUNS13]
Ceola broke ground on a new facility in Botetourt County where nine new mechanics will learn all about the trade and the technology that goes along with it.
It's just one example of how innovations once used only by dealerships are making their way to repair shops all over the county.
And many say computers in car shops is money well spent.
[SOT]
[STAND UP] ((JENNIFER MIELE/REPORTING:COMPUTERS HELP MECHANICS SEE A CAR SO WELL WHEN YOU BRING IT IN, THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU NEVER HAVE TO LOOK BACK. JENNIFER MIELE, NEWS 7, ROANOKE.)) [RUNS08]))

[Stocks]

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

Data suggesting the economy cruised out of recession in the first quarter did little to cheer investors. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/124.34/9910.72/y/49.81/1663.89;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW slid 124 points, closing below the 10-thousand mark for the first time since February.
NASDAQ lost 50.
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[VO]
[SUPER=271-i/0.75/56.75/i/0.33/45.97/h/0.94/71.78/h/0.23/20.61/i/0.18/7.12;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.69/65.41/i/0.50/56.25/i/0.55/31.50/i/0.06/22.74/h/0.10/47.90;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.15/22.39/i/0.06/21.60//Unchg/0.77/i/0.02/54.84/i/0.80/14.95;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.38/67.03/h/2.13/84.25/i/0.22/41.20/i/0.05/37.40/i/1.20/55.80;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[Playgrounds]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=02-07 TC1:18:00]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-SHot]

Playground accidents send thousands of children to the emergency room every year.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

But there are safety measure parents can observe to help avoid injury.
(------------)
[VO-NAT:15]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Parents need to make sure the equipment is age appropriate.
Children under five need separate play areas because they are developmentally different than older children.
For preschoolers the playground deck should be four feet or lower.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT17:20]
[IN Q=There are just so many ways they can]
((LARRY FITZGERALD/PLAYGROUND SAFETY INSPECTOR; THERE ARE JUST SO MANY WAYS THEY CAN HAVE ACCIDENTS AND FALLS. 70-PERCENT OF PLAYGROUND ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY FALLS))
[SUPER=01-Larry Fitzgerald/Playground Safety Inspector; ]
[RUNS=09]
[OUT Q=caused by falls]
(-----------)
[VO-NAT :18]

Parents should also inspect the equipment and playground surface for potential hazards.
Hardwood fiber, pea gravel, sand and synthetic material are acceptable. There should be 12 inches of loose fill.
But no playground is 100-percent safe --so parental supervision is very important.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT11:29]
[IN Q=Most playground accidents are caused by]
((LARRY FITZGERALD/PLAYGROUND SAFETY INSPECTOR: MOST PLAYGROUND ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY A LACK OF SUPERVISION. IN FACT, 50-PERCENT COULD'VE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE CHILD WAS PROPERLY SUPERVISED))
[RUNS=11]
[OUT Q=was properly supervised]
(------------)
[VO-NAT:6]

About 200-thousand children are injured every year on playgrounds.
(------------)

[Statlers]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-11 TC53:40]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Salem's Civic Center has the Statler Brothers to thank for the fastest ticket sales the facility's ever seen.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :15]
[SUPER=03-Salem;]
Tickets for the final performance of the group's Farewell Show went on sale at ten this morning. Less than an hour and a half later, they were gone. Doris Young was first in line, but she had to arrive last night to claim the coveted spot.
(///// SOT at :15 /////)
[SOT 8:51-9:04]
[IN Q=Because I love the Statler Brothers...]
((DORIS YOUNG/STATLER BROTHERS FAN: BECAUSE I LOVE THE STATLER BROTHERS. I HAVE SEEN THEM FOUR TIME IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. AND THIS IS THE LAST SHOW TO IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME TO GET GOOD SEATS.))
[SUPER=01-Doris Young/Statler Brothers Fan;]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=important to me to get good seats.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :10]
[SUPER=@File;]
The concert is set for Saturday, October 26th. The sellout of the 6-thousand seat event was the fastest in the history of the Salem Civic Center.
(------------)

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Coming up tonight on the Big 7, Boozer hits the road for the NBA, the Ric Flair of drag racing takes over the microphone as we check in with John Force.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And the 37th annual Cosmopolitan Track and Field event is underway in Salem with athletes from 29 area schools taking part.
(------------)

[S-COSMO]

[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[NEWSCAST=6PM]
[WRITER=mbr]
[TAPE#=SP--115]
[GRAPHIC=NEWS-7 SPORTS]
The largest track and field meet in Southwest Virginia is underway this weekend at Salem High School. The 37th annual Cosmopolitan Track and Field Meet opened this afternoon with 29 area schools participating.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Cosmopolitan Track Meet]
If tradition holds, the field will be chasing William Fleming for the Boys' Senior Division Title. The Colonels have won 24 of the previous 36 Cosmo track meets. Fleming Boys' Coach Rudy Dillard says his team looks forward to this meet every year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT -- Rudy Dillard -- 16:34:29]
[IN Q=This is a meet...]
[SUPER=01-Rudy Dillard/William Fleming Head Coach]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=...makes it good."]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Colonels could get a push from Christiansburg for the Boys' Senior Division Title although Blue Demons Coach Randy Bailey thinks it will take something special to topple Fleming.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT -- Randy Bailey -- 16:37:42]
[IN Q="We're somewhat...]
[SUPER=01-Randy Bailey/Christiansburg Head Coach]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=...have a shot."]
(------------)
[ANCHOR TAG]
[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[Graphic=Hold News-7 Sports]
The Cave Spring Girls are looking for their 7th straight Cosmo title. The field also includes both a High School Junior Division and a Middle School Division. The meet continues through tomorrow at the Salem High School Track. Admission is two dollars for adults and one dollar for students.

[S-Boozer]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-116 13712tc]
[GRAPHIC=NEWS 7 SPORTS]

Duke-bound J.J. Redick was certain to get his share of playing time next year at Duke, and now he will also be able to get his number 4 jersey. This afternoon Carlos Boozer
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-ACC; :00]
ended his college career by signing with a sports agent. The six foot nine inch 280 pound Boozer had said all along that he planned to turn pro and skip his senior season, but by signing with an agent he cannot change his mind. He averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds a game this past season.
(------------)

[S-Youth]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-117 1:24:14]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 sports]

Tiger Woods has started a golf craze among today's youth. University of Florida golfer Bubba Dickerson is turning pro this week in Greensboro.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Greensboro, NC; :00]
Jay Haas's son Bill, a sophomore at Georgia Tech, is playing along side his father at the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic. The older Haas has watched young guns come in and out of the tour for many years, but now the youngsters are entering the PGA tour with a better arsenal.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-Jay Haas/PGA Touring Pro; :00]
[RUNS=:21]
[OUT Q=...for a long time" DOUBLE OUT!]
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=NEWS 7 SPORTS]
_____________ has the lead as the second round of play is winding down at the Forest Oaks Country Club.

[S-Drag]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-118]
[GRAPHIC=NEWS 7 SPORTS]

Bristol will be reverberating this weekend as the NHRA - Powerade Drag Racing circuit is in the Tri-Cities for its spring stop.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NHRA; :00]
Qualifying for the weekend is continuing at this hour at "Thunder Valley." The man in the funny car competition is once again John Force. From 1993-thru-2001, Force has won every single title - 9 straight championships. The 52 year old has been described as a cross between Ric Flair and the late Dale Earnhardt.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-John Force/9 Straight NHRA Championships; :00]
[RUNS=:27]
[OUT Q=...THAT WILL FIX ME."]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=mike]
[GRAPHIC=hold news 7 sports]
More qualifying at Bristol is on tap tomorrow with the finals set for Sunday afternoon.

[S-NASCAR]

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

The Winston Cup circuit is in Fontana, California this weekend for the NAPA 500. Qualifying is set to get underway at this hour, but it is raining at the track right now. Hermie Sadler will go out first. Jeff Gordon has owned this track. In five career starts on the two-mile oval, Gordon has two wins. He's qualified in the top five in three times in five tries.
[Snow-Leopards]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-23 TC04:43]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

For their first birthday Mill Mountain Zoo's snow leopard cubs will be gifted with names.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :25]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/March 16;]
A naming contest sponsored by the zoo and your Hometown Station recently yielded a winner. Kathryn Clemmer's 4th grade class at Grace Academy in Roanoke suggested the cubs, one male and one female, be named Niko and Maya. The option garnered more than 54-hundred votes. The zoo will celebrate the cubs' birthday Saturday May fourth with special activities and cupcakes.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon TAG ON 2-SHOT]
The names Niko and Maya come from characters on the TV show "Galaxy Rangers".