WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 05/23/02

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith]

Critics butt heads with Abercrombie and Fitch over a cheeky line of underwear for the under-aged.
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[VO-NAT]
And, a legendary golfer from Bath County completes his final round. Sam Snead died today at the age of 89.
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[Sports-head]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

In sports, a hometown side of Sam Snead that the national and international side of Golf rarely saw, Mike Stevens will have a report from Lowes Motor Speedway
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[VO-NAT]

and it was say no to drugs day at Merritt Hutchinson Stadium where the Hillcats played Potomac.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

The holiday weekend is fast approaching. We'll check that forecast out in a few moments.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 3-SHot]

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

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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
Virginia's original sports superstar passed away today. Golfer Sam Snead has died at the age of 89.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]

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

[Snead]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=02-15 TC1:50:24]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 @ Six]

Bath County resident and legendary golfer Sam Snead died this afternoon just days shy of his 90th birthday.
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[VO-NAT - :23+]
[SUPER=@file]
Family members confirmed Snead died around 3-30 this afternoon at his home near Hot Springs. Snead is the P-G-A Tour's career victory leader with 81 tournament wins, and was the oldest player to win a P-G-A event at nearly 53 years old. He was a three time P-G-A and Masters champion, earning his last green jacket in 1954. His funeral has been set for 2-o'clock this Sunday at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Hot Springs.
We'll have more on his passing tonight on News 7 at Eleven.
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[Redistricting]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-12 TC1:24:12]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The battle over the state's redistricting plan continues....as the Attorney General takes the fight to Virginia's highest court.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Meghan /Microwave;]

Meghan Muldoon has been following the case. She joins us now from Richmond.
Keith, earlier this year a circuit court judge threw out the Republican plan for new voting districts.
[LIVE= /FULL]
[SUPER=@Meghan1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]

Attorney General Jerry Kilgore asked the Supreme Court today for an appeal.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The controversy began when]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :00]
[SUPER=@Kilgore; :32]
[SUPER=@Griffith; :47]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple/(D)Arlington; 1:15]
[RUNS=1:28]
[OUT Q=THAT NEED TO BE REDRAWN.]
((The controversy began when Salem judge Richard Pattisall agreed with Democrats that the Republican-drawn redistricting plan packed too many black voters into too few districts.
Pattisall ruled the plan was unconstitutional.
Deputy Attorney General Frank Ferguson today criticized Pattisall's handling of the case, saying he never proved anyone was harmed by the new voting districts.
The attorney general's office also argued that Pattisall overstepped his authority in ordering new elections and asked the justices to overturn that ruling.
[SOT 09:06:56]
[IN Q=A SINGLE CIRCUIT JUDGE]
((ATTORNEY GENERAL JERRY KILGORE: A SINGLE CIRCUIT JUDGE IN SALEM DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO THROW OUT THE ELECTIONS FOR ALL OF VIRGINIA.)) [RUNS:06]
[OUT Q=ELECTIONS FOR ALL OF VIRGINIA.]
Republicans also called into question the motives of Pattisall, who is a former Democratic Party activist. They say his decision was based more on political grounds than legal ones.
[SOT 09:19:25]
[IN Q=THE DISTRICTS ARE MUCH]
((HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER MORGAN GRIFFITH: THE DISTRICTS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT THE DEMOCRATS DID IN 1991. I THINK THE COURT IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO SAY THIS IS A POLITICAL PROCESS. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DID NOT VIOLATE ANY OF THE RULES THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW AND THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.)) [RUNS:14]
[OUT Q=THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.]
But Democrats disagree. They say Republicans are resorting to attacking the judge in this case because the law isn't on their side.
They say they're confident that if the Supreme Court takes the appeal, they will get a ruling in their favor.
[SOT 09:14:56]
[IN Q=WHETHER OR NOT THE SUPREME]
((SENATOR MARY MARGARET WHIPPLE: WHETHER OR NOT THE SUPREME COURT HEARS THE APPEAL AND PERHAPS THEY WILL, I WON'T BE UPSET. I JUST THINK ITS UNNECESSARY BECAUSE I THINK WE'LL END UP EXACTLY IN THE SAME POSITION WITH A RULING THAT THESE ARE RACIALLY GERRYMANDERED DISTRICTS THAT NEED TO BE REDRAWN.)) [RUNS:16]
[OUT Q=THAT NEED TO BE REDRAWN.]))
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[LIVE= Meghan /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]

The two parties do agree on one thing...that the matter needs to be resolved quickly.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Meghan /State Microwave;]

Keith, that's still in question at the moment. The justices haven't ruled yet on whether they'll hear the appeal.

[Hunt]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6 PM]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=02-23 TC16:05]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A Judge has appointed a special prosecutor in a case involving three Danville police officers.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville/May 13]

Police responded to a report of a hostage situation on North Main Street on the evening of May 10th. After a three and a half hour standoff, the emergency Response Team entered the apartment and shot 67-year old Rennie Hunt. Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell has been appointed to assist the Virginia State Police investigation. Three Danville officers are currently on administrative leave.
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[Warner-education]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-13 TC55:41]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Governor Mark Warner says he's appointing working groups to improve public education.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

In his first speech to the state board of education since his inauguration four months ago, Warner said he's forming three working groups that will address schools' unmet needs, accountability and financing.
He's expecting the groups to develop specific recommendations that he will then present to the General Assembly next year.
Warner also told the board in Richmond that high standards alone will not improve student achievement.
He said good teachers are equally important and he repeated his campaign promise to improve their compensation.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:25:51]
[IN Q=As the economy recovers]
((GOVERNOR MARK WARNER: AS THE ECONOMY RECOVERS, I HOPE TO DO ALL I CAN TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE VIRGINIA'S TEACHERS' SALARIES. I THINK THAT'S A COMMITMENT I SHARE AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHARES.))
[SUPER=@markWarner]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=I share and the General Assembly shares.]
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[VO-NAT]

The working groups will begin meeting in June.
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[Trigon-Carilion]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5pm]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=02-14 TC1:14:56]
[GRAPHIC=None]

For years Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield has been given favorable discounts by health providers because of its history.
But now Carilion is trying to level the playing field for other insurance providers. [***NEWS 7 @ 6 GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Joy/Pulpit]

Today Health Check Reporter Joy Sutton spoke with an health care law expert to find out what's really going on behind this health care battle.
Keith, Trigon was started by hospital associations back in the 1930's --then it was called Blue Cross.
[ANCHOR=JOY FULL]
[SUPER=@JOY1;]

At that time Trigon was non-profit and was started to serve the community --but in 1997 when it went for profit some health providers began to view it a little differently.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This favorable treatment has given]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape;00]
[SUPER=01-Timothy Jost/W & L Law Professor;16]
[RUNS=1:05]
[OUT Q=GO TO FOR THEIR CARE]
(( This favorable treatment has given Trigon a large share of the market in Virginia and bigger discounts from Carilion than other insurance providers. But now Carilion Health System is offering the insurance giant the same discount it will soon give four other insurance companies.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT14:29:16]
[IN Q=I think Carilion is hoping]
((I THINK CARILION IS HOPING THEY WILL GET MORE CONTROL OVER THE PRICE BY GETTING MORE COMPETITION AMONG BUYERS RATHER THAN BEING IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE A MONOPOLY WHERE YOU HAVE ONE DOMINATE BUYER WHO IS DEMANDING A DISCOUNT BEYOND WHAT ANYBODY ELSE GETS)) [RUNS16]
[OUT Q=anybody else gets]

Law professor Timothy Jost says this is not a matter of whose right or wrong, just how the market works. He says the bigger question is whether the government should provide universal health care in the U-S.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT14:34:08]
[IN Q=But as long as we have markets]
((BUT AS LONG AS WE HAVE MARKETS WE ARE GOING TO SEE MORE MORE OF THIS UNFORTUNATELY. SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOSE OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE NTO GOING TO GET TO GO THE HOSPITALS THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO GO TO FOR THEIR CARE)) [RUNS13]
[OUT Q=go to for their care]))
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[LIVE=Joy Full/Pulpit]

Carilion has given Trigon until May 31 to make a final decision on new contract.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Joy/Pulpit]

Keith.

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

A cheerleading coach is in court, charged with embezzling funds meant for her squad. The details are still ahead.
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[VO-NAT]

And what happened to the thongs? Abercrombie and Fitch faces heat for selling skimpy underwear to pre-teen girls.
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[Abercrombie]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jmi]
[TAPE#=02-11 TC1:32:13]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Conservatives say Abercrombie & Fitch has gone too far...
The store's getting national attention for its line of child thong underwear designed to fit kids as young as 10 years old.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Jennifer /CAVE;]

Business Reporter Jennifer Miele found out the Abercrombie in Roanoke pulled the underwear from shelves today.

Keith, Groups like the American Decency Association and the American Family Association say thong underwear for children exploits youth sexuality and promotes child molestation.
[LIVE= Jennifer /FULL CAVE]
[SUPER=@jennifer1]

Abercrombie doesn't see anything wrong with them.
Either way -- they're not for sale in Roanoke anymore.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=With sayings on them]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;:12]
[SUPER=01-Juanita Davis/Parent;:29]
[SUPER=01-Joy Hudson/Abercrombie Kids Shopper;:49]
[RUNS=59]
[OUT Q=stuff like that.]
(( With sayings on them like "eye candy" and "wind wink," Ambercrombie's thong underwear attracted national attention because they fit children as young as 10.
The A-D-A called for a boycott of Ambercrombie stores.
While parents we talked to at Valley View Mall won't buy the underwear -- they still plan to shop at A&F.
[SOT]
[tc:12:20:01] ((JUANITA DAVIS: IT WOULDN'T STOP ME FROM SHOPPING THERE BUT I DON'T LIKE THONGS AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET MY KIDS WEAR THEM. I JUST THINK IT'S A GROWN UP THING TO DO.)) [RUNS11]
The thong line is aimed at children ages 10 to 16.
So what do they think about all this? 14-year-old says 10 year olds can't possibly realize the sexual implications of wearing a thong.
[SOT]
((ABERCROMBIE SHOPPER:I THINK THEY DON'T REALIZE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WHEN GUYS SEE YOUR UNDERWEAR. IT'S LIKE YOU'RE SHOWING OFF AND STUFF LIKE THAT.)) [RUNS09]))
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[LIVE= Jennifer /FULL CAVE]

I went to Abercrombie at Valley View Mall today, and a clerk there told me the thong underwear was "in the back" and that she wasn't allowed to sell them.
The A-D-A was told all stores pulled the thongs, but an Abercrombie Spokesperson says that's news to him.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Jennifer /CAVE;]

Keith.

[Powers]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=02-10 TC1:27:56]
[GRAPHIC=Legal Scales]

A former head coach to the Franklin County High School Cheerleaders was in court today ... facing charges that she embezzled from her squad.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mount;]

Jacqueline Powers coached the Eagles' cheerleaders from 1991 to 2000.
A financial audit in 1999 determined some of the squad's money was missing.
Prosecutors allege that Powers took 22-hundred dollars between May and September of '99.
The money was intended to pay for cheerleaders' uniforms.
Prosecutors say bad bookkeeping made it hard to determine how much came in and where it went.
Powers and her attorney say any of the 17 people who handled the money COULD have taken it.
She'll get to put on her defense next week.
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[Knox]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-22 TC40:41]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
The trial of Roanoke pain doctor Cecil Knox has been postponed until next year.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/February]
The entire month of October HAD been set aside for the trial in U-S District Court. Knox was indicted February first, charged in a 32-count indictment with distributing narcotics- -including the controversial pain-killer OxyContin- -without a legitimate medical purpose. The attorneys met with the judge this week and re-scheduled the trial for six weeks beginning the first Monday in January.
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[Stocks]

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

Stocks turned things around in the final hour and a-half and closed with a gain. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/58.20/10216.08/x/24.18/1697.63;]

The DOW gained 58 points.
NASDAQ rose 24.
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[VO]
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[SUPER=272-h/0.58/66.27/h/0.90/58.12/h/1.03/32.95/h/0.35/22.76/h/0.23/46.93;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.03/22.55/h/0.29/21.20//Unchg/0.70/h/0.38/55.45/h/0.10/14.10;]
[SUPER=274-h/1.22/69.97/h/1.20/99.50/h/0.82/44.18/h/0.37/39.35/i/0.49/56.31;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[Checkpoint]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=kar]
[TAPE#=02-18 TC34:55]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Roanoke police pulled over hundreds of drivers today... without the help of their radar guns.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

There's a good chance you were stopped if you drove on Avenham Avenue this morning.
Participating in Buckle Up Now, police checked licenses and registration and made sure all drivers were wearing seat belts.
Officers also handed out flyers linking traffic deaths to un-restrained drivers.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT - 17:40]
[IN Q=this campaign has]
((RICK CLARK/ROANOKE POLICE DEPARTMENT - THIS CAMPAIGN HAS PROVIDED US WITH THE LITERATURE. WE GO AROUND TO DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY AND PUT IT UP IN CITY RIGHT ALWAYS AND JUST REALLY PROMOTING BUCKLE UP NOW, TRYING TO CUT DOWN ON THE FATALITIES IN THE STATE.))
[SUPER=01-Rick Clark/Roanoke Police Department]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=Fatalities in the state.]
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[VO-NAT]

Officers also informed drivers of the new child safety seat law which takes effect on July first.
Children six and under must be secured in a safety seat.... the current law applies to children age four and younger.
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[Sports tease]

[ANCHOR=6pm]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

Sam Snead was bigtime, but he never forgot his hometown family, we will also have Hilcats highlights
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[VO-NAT]
and Mike Stevens will join us from Lowes Motor Speedway for a pre qualifying report.
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[S-Charlotte]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=Starlink]
[GRAPHIC=Lowes motor speedway]

More than 75 thousand fans are expected in Charlotte tonight for pole night for Sunday's Coca-cola 600
[DOUBLE BOXES=Steve & Mike/Microwave;]
where time trials are set to get underway at the top of the hour. Mike Stevens joins us from the speedway with the latest, Mike.
[LIVE=Mike/FULL]
[SUPER=@Mike1; ,:00]
[SUPER=05-Concord, NC; :00]

((ROLLCUE:...JUST LIKE OLD TIMES HERE AT CHARLOTTE WITH THE PETTY'S AND THE WOOD BROTHERS MAKING ALL THE HEADLINES.))
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Concord, NC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Elliott Sadler/Asks for his Immediate Release; :17]
[SUPER=01-Junie Donlavie/Sauers Ford Car Owner; :54]
[SUPER=01-Kyle Petty/Adam's Father; 1:22]
[SUPER=01-Pattie Petty/Adam's Mother; 1:33]
[RUNS=1:50]
[OUT Q=....something you'll never get over"]
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[LIVE=Mike/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Concord ;]

[DOUBLE BOXES=steve & MIke /Microwave;]

[S-Add]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-114 2:00:38]
[GRAPHIC=Sam Snead]

The loss of Sam Snead hits golfers and fans all over the world, but his passing is felt the strongest in Bath County, where he has been a resident his entire life.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Hot Springs/1997; :00]

Perhaps his allegiance to Hot Springs was never more evident than back in 1997 when Snead was inducted into the Bath County Athletic Hall of Fame where he was named a charter inductee. The seven time hall of famer said on that night on Friday Football Extra, that the award by far meant the most to him.
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[anchor=steve]
[graphic=sam snead]

Snead always gave back to his community. He purchased the 2001 Bath County football state championship rings for ea

ch player and coach earlier this year.[S-Hillcats]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-121 02:38]
[GRAPHIC=Avalanche]

The Salem Avalanche is in Wilmington tonight for a game against the Blue Rocks.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg/Cannons vs. Hillcats; :00]
In Lynchburg this afternoon, it was say no to drugs day at Merritt Hutchinson Stadium as around a thousand kids were on hand to watch the Hillcats battle Potomac.
In the bottom of the second, the Cats score first Yurrendell DeCaster rips this shot up the middle and that plates B.J. Barnes. 1-nothing Lynchburg.
Later the same inning, runners on first and second, Chris Duffy gets some good wood [SUPER=37-Lynchburg/8/Potomac/4;]
on the ball and DeCaster is gonna come on down all the way from first. 2-zip.
The Cats turn up the volume on defense as pitcher Mike Connolly throws the pick off to first, Johnny Hernandez gets(------------) caught in the run down and he is out, Cats win 8-4.