[1-News-Head]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
There's hope for holiday shoppers who can't find this year's hot toy.
We'll have the alternative.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :05]
And, first, snow.
Now, ice.
Southwest Virginia braces for more winter weather.
(------------)
[Sports-head]
[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
In sports, Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage hopes UVa fans leave their fair share of skid marks at the Charlotte Tire Bowl, Coach Beamer talks about the Bay area
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
and the three finalists for the Dudley award are out, will Lee Suggs take home the trophy?
(------------)
[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]
For the second time in early December, there are winter weather worries. A very cold rain is on the way overnight. Details in a moment.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 3-Shot]
News 7 is next.
[Video-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Road and power crews hope Mother Nature cuts them a break tonight.
But officials at V-DOT and A-E-P say they are preparing for the worst.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]
Good evening, I'm Shannon Young. Keith is off tonight.
[Winter-Weather]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=02-45 TC40:28]
[GRAPHIC=Winter Weather]
Many of us can expect cold rain.
But freezing rain is possible for parts of our region late tonight and through the morning.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Shannon /Microwave;]
New River Valley Bureau Chief Myranda Stephens joins us now with more on how crews are getting ready.
Shannon, the freezing rain doesn't look quite as threatening as it did before, at least here in the Southwest.
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=@Myranda1;]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
The National Weather Service is now saying the rain will most likely come in the overnight hours, rather than ten-o-clock tonight.
Still, that doesn't put us in the clear.
If the rain does turn into ice, it could cause problems on the roads, even power outages.
And that's something V-DOT and A-E-P are watching out for.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=AS THE SUN]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bert Sumpter/VDOT; :10]
[RUNS=:53]
[OUT Q=WITH THE ICE]
((As the sun melts away the snow off their building, workers at Christiansburg's V-DOT office are gearing up for what could turn into another pre-winter mess.
(//////SOT/////)
[SOT 22:24]
[OUT=we're making]
((BERT SUMPTER/VDOT: WE'RE MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT IS UP TO SNUFF, WE'RE MAKING SURE ANY KIND OF REPAIRS TO OUR SPREADERS OUR PLOWERS ARE BEING DONE RIGHT NOW.))
[RUNS :09]
[OUTQ=Done right now.]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
Officials say they will have about three or four people in each area on stand-by tonight, in case they are needed to clear the roads.
But, they say clearing ice and clearing snow are definitely two different things.
(//////SOT/////)
[SOT 23:21][COVER SOME VIDEO]
[INQ=Snow you can]
((SNOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUSH OFF THE ROAD. ICE, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH PUSHING INVOLVED, WE USE MORE CHEMICALS THAT TYPE OF THING, WE ALSO MAKE SURE OUR CHAINSAWS AND OUR DEBRI-REMOVING EQUIPMENT MORE UP TO SNUFF AND READY TO GO DEALING WITH ICE 23:41))
[RUNS 20]
[OUT Q=go dealing with ice]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Myranda /FULL]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
American Electric Power says it's basically doing the same thing.
Officials tell us they are closely watching the forecast and are preparing their trucks as well.
And by the way, in case folks are wondering if they'll have enough manpower now that they've sent some of their workers out to North Carolina.
Officials say they've sent about 20 people out of almost 300--so they should be in good shape.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Robin /Microwave;]
(Myranda tosses to Robin)
[School-Info]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=School Info]
While some folks are preparing for another possible shot of winter weather, some schools are still trying to deal with the last one.
(XXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE SCHOOLTOUCH FULL]
(Shannon adlibs schools)
(-------------)
[Route-58]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=02-47 TC24:57]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The state's longest highway project is coming up short.
The Department of Transportation today said it has suspended work on the Route 58 expansion for lack of money.
(+++++++)
[TAKE ROUTE 58 "On Hold" FS]
The 680 mile long project from the Cumberland Gap to Norfolk is being built in segments.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Patrick Co./File Tape;]
A review of V-DOT finances shows a 272 million dollar shortfall between what the state had planned to spend improving Route 58, and how much is needed.
State officials say managers of separate sections made spending commitments without talking to each other.
And no one had overall authority over spending.
That will change.
Transportation secretary Whitt Clement says he's appointed someone to oversee the entire project.
(------------)
[Prepaid-tuition]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-40 TC1:48:42]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The cost to Virginia parents locking in college tuition for their children just got steeper.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@file]
The state plans to raise its prepaid college tuition rates by 25 percent to keep pace with rising school costs.
The 50-thousand Virginians already enrolled in the state's prepaid college savings plan will not be affected.
But the higher rates would apply to those who choose to enroll next year.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 22:18:10]
[IN Q=WHEN WE OPEN]
((DIANA CANTER/VA COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN: WHEN WE OPEN THIS COMING FEBRUARY, THE PRICES ARE GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR FOR THE SAME AGED CHILD OR THE SAME GRADE, AND SO THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT PRICES THAT HAVE INFLATED ALONG WITH THE SAME TUITION INFLATION IN OUR STATE AT THE STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.))
[SUPER=01-Diana Cantor/VA College Savings Plan]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Still, state officials do not expect the higher rates to hurt enrollment.
And for the first time, parents can sign up for one of the state's college savings plans online.
(XXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE PINNACLE FS]
You can find a link to that website on our homepage at wdbj7-dot-com.
(------------)
[Franklin-Deaths]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-42 TC1:56:47]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Franklin County authorities are keeping relatively quiet about the death of a Moneta area couple.
Sheriff Quint Overton says 85-year-old William Thomas English and his 85-year-old wife Flora were found dead of gunshot wounds in their home Sunday morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :16]
[SUPER=03-Franklin Co.;]
The home is on Bluewater Road, on the Franklin County side of Smith Mountain Lake.
Overton says investigators have determined that English shot and killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself.
The sheriff would not talk about what may have led to the shootings.
(------------)
[Radford-Fatal]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]
Radford Police say high speed and unused seat belts appear to be responsible for a fatal traffic accident.
Police say two men were in a car that ran off Tyler Avenue in Radford around 1 this morning .. and struck a utility pole.
48 year old Frederick Alan Fields was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
37 year old Charles Meredith was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where police say he is in critical condition.
[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=NONE]
It sounds like a deal from K-Mart that's too good to be true.
The problem is, it's a scam.
We'll have the details when News 7 at Six returns.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
Plus they're flying off the shelves.
See how some area businessmen are cashing in on one of this year's hottest Christmas toys
(----------------)
[Burrow]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-41 TC1:15:32]
[GRAPHIC=Richard Burrow]
The federal fraud trial of former D-Day director Richard Burrow continued today in Lynchburg.
Burrow is accused of defrauding the state of millions of dollars it shelled out to help build the war memorial in Bedford.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]
Steve Smallshaw has been covering this trial.. he's in our Lynchburg newsroom with more.
[LIVE=Steve/FULL]
[SUPER=@ssm1]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg]
The jury is getting a lesson in accounting.. phrases like spread sheets, flow charts and secured interest have been a big part of today's testimony.
The government is trying to prove Richard Burrow exaggerated the foundation's financial well-being as he struggled to get the D-Day memorial finished on time.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Less than two]
[SUPER=03-Bedford/File Tape; :00]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :]
[RUNS=:39]
[OUT Q=and the state.]
(( Less than two weeks before its June 6th dedication, the D-Day Memorial was out of money.
Director Richard Burrow needed cash fast to keep construction crews from walking off the job, so he approached the Bank of the James for a short-term loan.
To secure that loan, Burrow told bank officials he was expecting more than two and a half million dollars in pledges from seven big-time contributors.
But those pledges, some of which never materialized, were never put down on paper and an office manager testified today she wanted to remove them from the foundation's flow sheet.
That's when she says Burrow got angry and ordered her to keep them on the list he was showing to the banks and the state. ))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Steve/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]
A major question the jury will have to decide is whether Richard Burrow honestly believed those pledges would come in, or whether he was fabricating them just to keep other money flowing into the project.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]
Burrow is expected to give his side of the story when he takes the stand later this week.
[KMart-Scam]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A new phone scam's being tried on local residents.
The Better Business Bureau says an individual or bogus company is calling people at home and asking for their credit card number.
For a minor fee on the card, they're promising hundreds of dollars of K-Mart merchandise.
But the manager of a local K-Mart says there is no such offer.
The Better Business Bureau reminds you to never give out credit card or banking information to an unknown solicitor.
[Hot-Toy]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-50 TC10:29]
[GRAPHIC=Christmas Shopping]
We recently told you about one of the hot toys for kids this year.
Zip Zaps are flying off Radio Shack's shelves with demand for the product outweighing supply.
But there's hope for gift givers looking to make a Christmas wish come true.
Business Reporter Rachel Cannon introduces us to the competition.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NATS]
[SUPER=01-Princeton Clark/Manager; :16 QUICK!!!]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.; :19]
[SUPER=01-Tom Shupe/Customer; :52]
[SUPER=@Rachel1; 1:04]
[RUNS=1:30]
[OUT Q=RC, News 7, Roanoke.]
((NATS "THE BEST PART OF THESE CARS ARE IT ONLY TAKES 45 SECONDS TO CHARGE UP."
You don't need much of a sales pitch to a convince a customer to buy this gift.
These two entrepreneurs had no idea what they had when they decided to invest in mini-racers.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:03:27]
[IN Q=WE WERE]
((PRINCETON CLARK/MANAGER; WE WERE JUST LIKE LETS GO AHEAD AND TRY IT AND SO WE GOT IT AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A BIG HIT ))
[OUT Q=HIT.]
Business is booming at the kiosk they set up in the New River Valley Mall.
The small, remote controlled car was popular in Japan for several years before recently coming to the U-S.
The brands here are similar to zip-zaps. Quickly rechargeable cars that run on a computer chip.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 18:59:42]
[IN Q=last month]
((LAST MONTH WE SOLD OVER 18-5, 18 THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF THESE LITTLE CARS.))
[OUT Q=CARS.]
To keep up with demand they order from five overseas companies.
Now that customers like Tom Shupe are buying, it's typical for them to get three or four shipments a week.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:32:34]
[IN Q=ONE OF]
((TOM SHUPE/CUSTOMER; ONE OF MY NIECES SAID SHE WANTED IT AND MY WIFE AND I HAD COME OUT AND WE WERE PLAYING WITH IT A LITTLE BIT AND WE MIGHT HAVE TO GET A COUPLE EXTRA FOR OURSELVES. ))
[OUT Q=ourselves.]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=the racetrack]
((RACHEL CANNON/RCANNON@WDBJ7.COM; THE RACETRACK IS ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT BIGGER. THE OWNERS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING A HOBBY SHOP IN THE MALL. IN THE CENTER WOULD BE A LARGE RACE TRACK WHERE YOU COULD BRING YOUR CARS IN AND COMPETE.))
[OUT Q=AND COMPETE.]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 19:01:31]
[IN Q=bring them]
((BRING THEM AND RACE THEM AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE LITTLE CONTESTS WHERE YOU CAN WIN FREE UPGRADES.))
[OUT Q=UPGRADES.]
A basic model is 20-dollars. You can spend more on kits and additional parts.
But no matter what the price, you can bet a lot of them will be parked under trees Christmas morning.
Rachel Cannon, News 7, Montgomery County.))
[Stocks]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The bulls came back to Wall Street, buying stocks after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady.
[TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/100.85/8574.26/x/23.34/1390.48;]
The DOW climbed 101 points.
NASDAQ gained 23.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/1.60/52.80/i/0.32/26.41/h/1.19/62.84/h/1.33/69.38/i/0.03/11.85;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.18/6.24/h/1.36/51.38/h/0.47/36.95/h/0.43/25.93/h/0.27/7.47;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.95/40.24/h/0.20/15.30/h/0.28/19.96/i/0.08/2.16/h/0.95/41.01;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.09/9.94/h/0.95/57.43/h/0.05/38.35/h/0.69/35.75/h/0.64/52.49;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[Xmas-Trees]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=02-48 TC15:48]
[GRAPHIC=None]
It's been a prickly year for the area's Christmas tree growers.
The ongoing drought-- and a late freeze in May brought headaches.
And, last week's snow didn't help.
But as Teresa Hamilton reports-- Christmas tree farmers are a resilient lot.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Nat sound]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00 ]
[SUPER=01-Betty Vornbrock/Christmas Tree Grower; :13 quick!!!!]
[SUPER=01-Billy Cornette/Christmas Tree Grower; :36]
[SUPER=@Teresa2; 1:11]
[RUNS=1:18]
[OUT Q=NEWS 7, Roanoke.]
(((///sot///)
[sot]
[in q= Nat sound]
((nat sound))
[runs05]
[out q= nat sound.]
The holiday season is one the busiest times of the year for Billy Cornette and his wife, Betty.
A time when years of hard work finally pay off.
(///sot///)
[sot]
[in q= 01:11:11]
(( BETTY VORNBROCK/CHRISTMAS TREE GROWER: WE BRING THEM IN FRESHLY CUT AND ALL THIS DOES, IT SUPPORTS THE LOCAL GROWERS OF THE TREES IN THIS AREA WHICH IS ALWAYS HELPFUL TO THE ECONOMY HERE. ))
[runs08]
[out q=economy here. ]
Cornette and his wife not only operate this tree stand at Brookside Shopping center in Roanoke-- but also open their Carroll County farm to families who want to cut their own trees.
Last week's snow-- though took a toll on the family farm.
(//sot///)
[sot 01:11:55]
[in q= This weekend]
((BILLY CORNETTE/CHRISTMAS TREE GROWER: THIS WEEKEND, WE HAD A SMALLER WEEKEND, MUCH SMALLER THAN LAST WEEKEND BUT THAT'S ALL PART OF FARMING AND I TRY TO BE REAL POSITIVE ABOUT IT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF PEOPLE CAN'T GET TO THE FARM THEY'LL COME SEE BETTY HERE AT THE LOT.))
[runs15]
[out q= here at the lot. ]
The fact is it's been tough year for Christmas tree growers all across Virginia and North Carolina.
Several days of freezing temperatures in May also proved costly for farmers.
The ongoing drought has also been a challenge-- for growers to overcome.
(///sot///)
[sot 01:11:18]
[in q= You know]
(( YOU KNOW WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT TO SHY AWAY FROM IT, WE HAVE TREES THAT AREN'T GOING TO DROP THEIR NEEDLES AND THEY'LL HOLD UP JUST FINE THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND THEY WERE GROWN BY LOCAL PEOPLE. ))
[runs15]
[out q= by local people.]
Local folks who some might say are as tough as their trees.
Teresa Hamilton, NEWS7, Roanoke.))
[Sports tease]
[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
The finalists for the Dudley award are in, Tech coach frank Beamer talks about his San Francisco treat
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
and a fireside chat with Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage about a challeneg he is extending to Cavalier football fans.
(------------)
[S-Tire]
[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-129 15854TC]
[GRAPHIC=UVA/WEST VIRGINIA 6156]
The UVa players are in the middle of exams this week, but rest assured - they are fired up about playing West Virginia. Mike Stevens says the Virginia administrators also see the bowl game as a HUGE opportunity.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=THE FACT...]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/West Virginia In White; :00]
[SUPER=03-Jacksonville, FL/The Gator Bowl; :09]
[SUPER=01-Craig Littlepage/Virginia Athletic Director; :28]
[SUPER=03-Charlotte, NC; :51]
[SUPER=03-Charlottesville; 1:03]
[SUPER=@mike2; 1:50]
[RUNS=2:33]
[OUT Q=...NEWS 7 SPORTS."]
(------------)
(( The fact that both Virginia and West Virginia were relegated to the Tire Bowl is simply too ironic - both have felt like retreads of late after being passed over by the Gator Bowl. For the folks in Charlotte and at both schools it is a match made in geographic heaven.
((CRAIG LITTLEPAGE:))
The UVa faithful gobbled up more than 4000 of their allotted 12 thousand 500 tickets on Monday. And there is little doubt that both schools will pitch in to make the game a complete sellout at Ericsson Stadium.
But for UVa it is critical that the Cavalier fans FILL these seats to rid themselves of the postseason tag that labels them as sorry travelers.
((CRAIG LITTLEPAGE:))
And build a tradition. Littlepage admits that part of the process is making bowl games an annual affair. As for the pecking and picking order of the ACC bowls this postseason Littlepage says that topic will be addressed with league commissioner John Swofford.
((CRAIG LITTLEPAGE:))
The Continental Tire Bowl kicks off on Saturday December 28th at 11am. Mike Stevens News 7 sports.))
[S-Beamer]
[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-134 ]
[GRAPHIC=Tech walnut san francisco bowl]
The 9 and 4 Hokies look for a 10 win season December 31st in the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl against Air Force. You can Bet coach Beamer will be focussed on winning, but he will also enjoy a city he is familiar with.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Frank Beamer/Led Tech to 10 Straight Bowl Appearances; :00]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=i'm gonna be honest with you"]
(------------)
[S-Recruit]
[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-127 15240tc]
[GRAPHIC=TECH]
Virginia Tech and Miami are continuing their recruiting wars during the break between the end of the regular season and the Bowl season.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; :00]
Pompano Beach, Florida running back Tyrone Moss has picked the Canes over the Hokies.
Moss visited Tech on Homecoming weekend during the Rutgers game and during his stay he donned his own Tech jacket.
The 5-10, 210 pounder tailback is considered by most experts to be one of the top 20 prep players in the nation.
(------------)
[S-Dudley]
[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-126]
[GRAPHIC=football]
The Dudley award finalists have been selected for Monday's ceremony in Richmond.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; :00]
Tech's Lee Suggs is on the ballot. He rushed for over 12 hundred yards and 20 TD's. UVa quarterback Matt Schaub, also a finalists. The ACC player of the year had 27 TD passes.
(---------------)
[anchor=steve]
[graphic=football]
William and Mary QB David Corley is also a finalist for the award given to the state's top football college player.
[S-Express]
[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-122]
[GRAPHIC=express]
The Roanoke Express plays the Johnstown Chiefs tonight at the Roanoke Civic Center.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
The Express is in fifth place in the Northeast Division with a 12-10 and 2 record while Johnstown is in fourth place in the Northwest. Face off is at 7, highlights to come at 11.
(------------)
[S-Hoops]
[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=VMI hoops]
In college hoops tonight, VMI is at Liberty for a men's seven o'clock game. Both are 3 and 2 and VMI won the first mee
ting 68-54.
by SS