WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 12/31/02

[Video-Open]

[NEWSCAST=6]

[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]

(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 21:36:38-21:36:45]
[IN Q=Well, I didn't know there were...]
((WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE ALL OUR BAGS. I WAS KINDA MAD 'CAUSE I PACKED EVERYTHING THE WAY I WANTED IT TO BE.))
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=everything the way I wanted it to be.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :07]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Local air travelers get their first taste of the latest in federal security.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Every piece of luggage is now being screened.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[Airport-Screeners]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-48 TC37:49]
[**ANCHOR TAG**]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Roanoke Regional today joined the ranks of airports screening all bags for explosives.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And not everybody is happy about it.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=They're taking everything out of it.]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jessica Roop/Traveler; :19]
[SUPER=01-Jackie Shuck/Airport Director; :44]
[SUPER=01-Susan Novelli/Traveler; 1:33]
[RUNS=2:00]
[OUT Q=which is what we have right now.]
(([SOT 21:36:47-21:36:51]
[IN Q=They're taking everything...]
((JESSICA ROOP/TRAVELER: THEY'RE TAKING EVERYTHING OUT OF IT. LIKE, EVERYTHING, ALL MY CLOTHES AND EVERYTHING.)) [RUNS:04]
[OUT Q=all my clothes and everything.]
Jessica Roop is learning about the new federal luggage screeners the hard way. As she and her family check in for a cross-country flight, her bag is chosen at random for a thorough search. Jessica is irritated.
[SOT 21:36:53-21:36:56]
[IN Q='Cause I packed it so everything...]
((JESSICA: 'CAUSE I PACKED IT SO EVERYTHING THAT WOULD BREAK WOULDN'T BREAK.)) [RUNS:03]
[OUT Q=would break wouldn't break.]
Jessica is one of many travelers caught off guard by the new procedure but she'll face it at every U.S. airport she comes across. The federal government says all airports must be checking all luggage by the end of the day December 31st. The bigger airports will run bags through screeners on conveyor belts. But smaller ones, like Roanoke Regional, are using trace detection equipment.
[SOT 21:18:19-21:18:30]
[IN Q=There can be interior searches...]
((JACKIE SHUCK/AIRPORT DIRECTOR: THERE CAN BE INTERIOR SEARCHES, EXTERIOR SEARCHES OR FULL BAG SEARCHES MEANING THEY'LL ACTUALLY LOOK UNDERNEATH CLOTHING AND OTHER POSSESSIONS THAT ARE IN THE BAG.)) [RUNS:11]
[OUT Q=that are in the bag.]
The process has screeners swabbing luggage with a piece of paper that's then inserted into a machine to be checked for traces of explosives. Screeners may swab individual items as well, as in the case of this man who's bag was packed so tightly the zipper broke when screeners tried to close it. The Transportation Security Administration says he can file a claim.
[SOT 21:19:08-21:19:19]
[IN Q=I mean, this is all for the security...]
((JACKIE SHUCK: I MEAN, THIS IS ALL FOR THE SECURITY OF PASSENGERS. THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM SO THEY NEED TO BE PATIENT.)) [RUNS:11]
[OUT Q=so they need to be patient.]
And many are being understanding.
[SOT 21:37:19-21:37:25]
[IN Q=I was a little surprised that it was...]
((SUSAN NOVELLI/TRAVELER: I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT IT WAS EVERY SINGLE BAG BUT, YEAH, IT'S A GOOD THING. I GUESS IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.))
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=I guess it needs to be done.]
But if you don't want to deal with the hassle, wait a while. Shuck says the trace detection equipment is temporary.
[SOT 21:20:18-21:20:37]
[IN Q=What will happen eventually...]
((JACKIE SHUCK: WHAT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY IS TECHNOLOGY WILL CATCH UP WITH THE NEED, THE EQUIPMENT WILL GET SMALLER AND AIRPORTS WILL BE ABLE TO EXPAND, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO GET THE INSPECTIONS BEHIND THE COUNTER INSTEAD OF IN FRONT OF THE COUNTER WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.)) [RUNS:09]
[OUT Q=which is what we have right now.]))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[SS=None]
Shuck estimates that's about 3 to 5 years away. In the meantime she says you'll want to give yourself an hour to 75-minutes to check in, get through screening and security and make it to your gate.

[Power-Line]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
American Electric Power cleared another hurdle today. The U-S Forest Service gave A-E-P final approval to cut through the Jefferson National Forest.
(XXXXXXXX)
[TAKE PINNACLE FULL] A-E-P needed the path to build a 90- mile high voltage power line from West Virginia to Jacksons Ferry in Wythe County. As part of the agreement, forestry officials have instructed A-E-P to use darkened steel for its towers.
(-------------)
[anchor=Shannon]
[SS=None]
They've also ordered the power company NOT to clear trees within a five-mile radius of the Indiana bat habitat during the summer when the bats live in the trees. A-E-P is now waiting for a final permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to build across the New River near Jackson's Ferry.

[Drunk-Driving]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=02-46 TC1:02:46]
[GRAPHIC=NEw Years]

New Year's Eve is a time of celebration for many people ... but for one family in Rocky Mount, it's a time of sorrow.
It's the day they lost a relative to a drunk driver.
And the family has an unusual way of marking the date.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Marya/Newsroom Pod;]

Marya Jones is here with more on that.
Keith,on New Year's Eve 1998, Charles Muse was hit by a drunk driver.
[LIVE= Marya /FULL Newsroom Pod]
[SUPER=@Marya1;]

Each year since, the man who killed him has been ordered to visit his grave as the victim's family looks on.
It's a consequence of drunk driving that the Muse family hopes people will keep in mind this holiday.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NATS: walking]
[SUPER=03-Rocky Mount; :00]
[SUPER=01-Donna Muse/Victim's Daughter; :20 QUICK!]
[SUPER=01-Capt. Bob Strickler/Blue Ridge Transportation Safety Board; 1:10 2nd bite]
[RUNS=1:28]
[OUT Q=THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS]
(((///// SOT /////)
[SOT ]
((NATS: MUSE FAMILY WALKING.)) [RUNS:02]
Every New Year's Eve, the Muse family visits Charles Muse's burial plot in the Byrd Lane Cemetery.
They bring flowers to place on the grave of the father and grandfather they lost three years ago.
And each time, they're joined by the man who killed him.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:06]
((DONNA MUSE/VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: IT'S HARD ON THE FAMILY, ESPECIALLY THE GRANDKIDS, TO COME AND SEE HIM. HE DON'T HAVE ANY REMORSE FOR WHAT HE DONE. )) [RUNS:09]
Aaron Mathis was driving drunk when he hit Charles Muse's car on New Year's Eve in 1998.
A year later, he pleaded guilty to drunk driving and involuntary manslaughter.
He served eight months in jail -- but as part of his sentence, the judge ordered him to visit Muse's grave each New Year's Eve for nine years.
Like the first graveside visit last year, this one passed in silence.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((NATS: SILENCE -- shot of group at grave.)) [RUNS:03]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:59]
((BOB STRICKLER: THE COURT IS SERIOUS HERE, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO DRINKING AND DRIVING. )) [RUNS:04]
Bob Strickler is the chairman of the Blue Ridge Transportation Safety Board and a captain with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department.
He says local and state law enforcement will be out in force this New Year, conducting sobriety checkpoints.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 11:29]
((BOB STRICKLER: IF YOU GO OUT TONIGHT, WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A GOOD TIME... IF YOU DRIVE, DON'T DRINK, IF YOU DRINK, DON'T DRIVE, VERY SIMPLE.)) [RUNS:10]
Charles Muse's family hopes that will be your New Year's resolution.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:58]
((DONNA MUSE/VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. )) [RUNS:02]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Marya/FULL Newsroom Pod]

Anyone convicted of a D-U-I faces up to a year in jail, a 25-hundred dollar fine and a suspended license.
But a drunk driver who kills someone can face more unusual types of punishment.
Occasionally, some are made to speak publicly about drunk driving or to visit the victim's grave.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Marya /NEwsroom Pod;]

Keith?

[First-Night]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=02-44 TC1:50:00]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

Blacksburg is gearing up for its own alcohol-free New Year's celebration.
And organizers of First Night say they won't let a little rain, or a big game spoil their plans.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg]

This afternoon, crews were unloading sound equipment at the old Blacksburg Middle School, while others were setting up concessions at the Blacksburg Recreation Center.
Now in its third year, the town's First Night Celebration will feature music, magic and other family entertainment at a half-dozen different locations.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 32:13]
[IN Q=The first year we did it]
((DEAN CRANE/PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR: THE FIRST YEAR WE DID IT, IT WAS FIVE DEGREES. AND WE WERE SHOCKED, PEOPLE CAME OUT WITH THAT. AND WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH ANY SORT OF CONSIDERATION LIKE THAT. A LITTLE RAIN WON'T HURT US AT ALL.))
[SUPER=01-Dean Crane/Parks and Recreation Director;]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=won't hurt us at all.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The fireworks that will usher in the New Year, are set up and ready to go... and organizers say that barring a major downpour, rain will not cancel the show.
(------------)

[Cat-Ad]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-49 TC28:23]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Our pets mean a lot to us.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
So much, that when we lose one, we often feel compelled to share our grief.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg]
[SUPER=01-Lila Wills/Grace's "Mom"; :07]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Marie Suthers-McCabe/VA-MD Vet School Veterinarian; :30]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=at her own expense.]
(( Grace was no ordinary pet. Last year a farmer found her abandoned in a field near Christiansburg.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:51:32]
[IN Q=]
((HE FOUND HER IN A COOLER, SHE HAD BEEN TORTURED. SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO HER EYES. THEY WERE ALL BLOODY.)) [RUNS09]
[OUT Q=]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:03:13]
[IN Q=]
((THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS ODD. THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY. (pan down to ad) IT'S NOT RIGHT.)) [RUNS:07]
[OUT Q=]
Experts at the Virginia-Maryland Vet School managed to save Grace, though not her eyes.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:08]
[IN Q=]
((SHE'S A LITTLE KITTY THAT GIVES US HOPE. SHE WAS SO ABUSED. AND THEN IN HER RECOVERY SHE WAS SO GIVING.)) [RUNS:07]
[OUT Q=]
Grace became a combination goodwill ambassador and poster cat for animal abuse.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:54:30]
[IN Q=]
((WE WOULD GO TO NURSING HOMES. SHE WOULD GO TO SCHOOLS. WE WOULD TEACH. SHE WAS A PART OF MY LIFE. SHE WOULD FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE.)) [RUNS07]
[OUT Q=]
Suddenly- -just ten days ago- -Grace died of kidney failure. Lila Wills was so devastated, she took out a full-page ad in the Roanoke Times. [1:57:30] ((THIS IS MY TRIBUTE TO GRACE. Probably at least a couple of thousand dollars. IT WAS GOOD CHUNK. You'd rather not say. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH IT COST.)) [RUNS13] The Roanoke Times says a full-page, color ad would cost 29-hundred dollars. Wills says she didn't think the news media would be all that interested in Grace's death, so she chose to publish her own memorial on her own terms, in her own time, at her own expense.))

[Stocks]

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

Wall Street wrapped up its third-straight losing year with a whimper. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/8.78/8341.63/y/4.05/1335.49;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW gained nine points.
NASDAQ dropped four.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-i/0.30/48.90/i/0.20/27.33/h/1.50/62.90/i/0.23/69.57/h/0.14/11.76;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.01/6.00/i/0.27/54.90/h/0.04/37.23/i/0.15/24.35/h/0.07/6.81;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.01/41.50/i/0.08/15.45/h/0.16/19.99/h/0.07/2.36/i/0.86/40.53;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.40/9.50/i/0.34/56.92/i/0.23/38.75/i/0.21/36.44/i/0.13/50.51;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[Juvenile-Judge]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A Lynchburg attorney is in line to become the newest juvenile court judge in the 24th Judicial District.
A bipartisan citizens committee nominated William Light to replace retiring judge Dale Wheeler on the J&D court bench starting next spring.
Light's practiced law in Lynchburg since 1985, with a heavy concentration in juvenile and domestic relations issues.

[New-Covenant]

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

We hoped to bring you a story on Lynchburg's New Covenant School.
But because of the lenghth of today's football game, we won't be able to do that until tomorrow.

[Sports tease]

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

Tech talks about stopping the Air Force option attack, The Redskins Marvin Lewis is being mentioned as an NFL head coach again
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

and we will close out the Lewis Gale-Dominos Jimmy V Foundation college basketball tourney at Roanoke College.
(------------)

[S-Option]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-141 716tc]
[GRAPHIC=TECH/AIR FORCE]

Virginia Tech and Air Force meet at 10:30 in the Diamond Walnut Bowl. Mike Stevens says, though Tech has not familiarized itself with the Falcons in 20 years, the objective is clear, stop the option.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=03-Colorado Springs, CO; :00]
[SUPER=01-Chuck Peterson/Air Force Offensive Coordinator;:27]
[SUPER=01-Chance Harridge/Air Force Quarterback; :45]
[SUPER=01-Bud Foster/VT Defensive Coordinator; :53]
[SUPER=01-Jonathan Lewis/VT Freshman Defensive Tackle; 1:03]
[SUPER=01-Nathaniel Adibi/VT Defensive End; 1:13 quick!]
[SUPER=01-Frank Beamer/VT Head Coach; 1:28]
[SUPER=@mike1; 1:41]
[RUNS=2:00]
[OUT Q=...NEWS 7 SPORTS."]
(---------------)
(( It is a glaring statistic and one that does not lie. Air Force led the entire nation this season is running the football racking up 315 yards a game. And the Falcons don't just pick up yards - they do so in a unique way - by exclusively running the option.))