WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 01/08/03

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The legislative session starts today.
We'll preview tonight's State of the Commonwealth speech.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :05]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And, we'll have a local eyewitness's account of today's plane crash in Charlotte.
(------------)

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on News 7 sports - Daytona Testing continues - we'll check in with Elliott Sadler. Plus, an healthy update on Express player David Silverstone.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And Lee Suggs is already looking to give back to the Northwest Roanoke Community along with former Colonel John St. Clair. That story later in sports.
(------------)
[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

The warm west wind will continue to blow hard through tomorrow. After that, it's a return to winter temperatures this weekend. More on the forecast in a few moments.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

NEws 7 at Six is next.
[Video-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]

(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

A U-S Airways Express plane crashes in Charlotte killing 21 people.
[ANCHOR= Shannon 2-Shot]

A Roanoke woman saw it all happen.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT @6:55]
[IN Q=Just to watch]
((JUST TO WATCH SOMETHING LIKE THAT... YOU SEE IT ON TV, BUT SEEING IT IN PERSON IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.))
[RUNS=:07 ]
[OUT Q=totally different.]
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[Plane-Crash]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=02-47 TC1:11:16]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The doomed flight also had a link to Central Virginia.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The Beech 19-hundred turbo-prop made its first trip of the day from Lynchburg Regional Airport to Charlotte.
[ANCHOR=Shannon ]
[GRAPHIC=US Airways Plane Crash]

All of the Lynchburg passengers and crew got off the plane in Charlotte.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Charlotte, NC]

19 new passengers and two crew members were on board flight 54-81 when it took off from Charlotte bound for the Greenville-Spartansburg Airport in South Carolina.
A call for help came from the cockpit just before the commuter plan hit a hangar and burst into flames.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It's not clear]
((JOHN GOGLIA/NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD; IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT THAT MEANS YET, BUT AT LEAST WE KNOW THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CATOSTROPHIC EVENT THAT LED HER TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.))
[SUPER=01-John Goglia/National Transportation Safety Board]
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=declare an emergency.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Officials say the plane was struggling from the start.
As it took off for Greenville, witnesses watched it climb steeply, then move into a twisting dive
The National Transportation Safety Board says search teams have already found what they believe is the flight data recorder.
They also believe they know the location of the cockpit voice recorder.
(------------)

[Witkege-Murphy]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-44 TC2:03:58]
[GRAPHIC=Plane Crash]
Erin Murphy of Roanoke actually saw the plane go down in Charlotte this morning.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=She had left ]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; ]
[SUPER=01-Erin Murphy/Plane Crash Witness]
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=whatsoever.]

(( She had left Roanoke around five o'clock this morning to take her boyfriend to Charlotte so he could catch a flight to Michigan. They had barely reached the top floor of the parking garage, when her boyfriend noticed something unusual about the commuter flight that had just taken off.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT @1:00]
[IN Q=He's like, "that plane]
[Runs:05]
[OUT=straight up.]

[@1:21]
[IN=And it turned]
[RUNS18]
[OUT Q=sick to my stomach]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Erin's pictures don't show us much, but the crash left en indelible image in her mind.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 5:55]
[IN Q=like a rocket]
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=up in the air.]
Toby Witkege (WIT-kedge) was booked on an 11:50 AM flight to Grand Rapids, by way of Chicago. Murphy says U-S Airways offered him a rental car or to cash in his ticket, but she says they both took some comfort in knowing he'd be flying on bigger plane, so he decided to fly.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 3:50]
[IN Q=to see that when]
[RUNS:08]
[OUT Q=whatsoever.]))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith ]
[SS=HOLD]
Toby Witkege landed safely in Grand Rapids a couple of hours ago, though it turned out to be a smaller plane on the flight out of Chicago- --and that one was kind of bumpy.

[L'burg-Airport]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=02-41 TC1:56:38]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD Crash]

The plane used for Flight 54-81 was making its second flight of the day.
It had just flown into Charlotte from our area.
[DOUBLE BOXES= /Richard Microwave;]

Richard Lesko joins us from our Lynchburg Newsroom with that part of the story.
Keith, the same plane was also used for Flight 54-34 which flew out of the Lynchburg Regional Airport around 6-fifteen this morning.
[LIVE=Richard/FULL]
[SUPER=@Richard1;]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]
Right now it appears none of the 15 passengers or two crew members from the Lynchburg flight continued on to Greenville.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Mark Courtney/Lynchburg Regional Airport Manager; :20]
[RUNS=:54]
[OUT Q=may have canceled for that reason.]
(( All reports indicate Flight 54-34 out of Lynchburg went smoothly, in fact it took off and landed in Charlotte about 5 minutes early. After that flight the aircraft sat in Charlotte for about an hour and a half, and took on a new crew and passengers before departing for Greenville.
(//////SOT/////)
[SOT - 14:23:37]
[INQ=All indications...]
((MARK COURTNEY/LYNCHBURG REGIONAL AIRPORT MANAGER; ALL INDICATIONS THAT I'VE GOTTEN IS THAT NO PASSENGERS THAT BOARDED OUR FLIGHT THIS MORNING WERE BOUND FOR GREENSVILLE/SPARTANBURG, AND THAT ALL PASSENGERS DEPLANED THE AIRCRAFT ONCE THEY ARRIVED IN CHARLOTTE.))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUTQ=once they arrived in Charlotte.]
After the crash, all flights between Charlotte and Lynchburg were canceled for hours. And all the flights were scheduled to fly use a Beechcraft 19-hundred aircraft.
(//////SOT/////)
[SOT - 14:26:26]
[INQ=There should not be...]
((THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY CONNECTION, THESE ARE OTHER AIRMIDWEST AIRCRAFT, IT MAY BE PRECAUTIONARY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF UNTIL THEY HAVE SOME INDICATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, THEY MAY HAVE CANCELED FOR THAT REASON.))
[RUNS= 15]
[OUTQ=may have cancelled for that reason.]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Richard/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]
Now it appears things are getting back to normal here in Lynchburg. The 5:50 flight arriving from Charlotte is a few minutes late, and a 6:10 departure is still planned.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Richard/L'Burg Bureau]
And Keith, the Roanoke Regional Airport also suffered delays to Charlotte of about 45 minutes earlier today, but now those flights are back on time.

[Park-Shooting]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=02-48 TC52:23]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

Roanoke Police have charged a man with murdering another man in a park bathroom five months ago.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

They're looking for 23-year-old Moises (MOY-sis) "Boo" Torres ... and believe he may be in New York.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/July;]

They say he knew the victim, 25-year-old Dorian Dion Pierce.
Pierce was shot in the men's restroom at Loudon Park on July 22nd. Prosecutors say it appears the crime was drug-related.
Witnesses identified Torres as the man they saw talking to Pierce before the shooting and running from the bathroom afterward.
(------------)

[Brown]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-54 TC17:42]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]

The Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office is looking for a second suspect in connection with the murder of a Blairs couple.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :34]
[SUPER=03-Pittsylvania Co./November 14;]
Willie and Clara Bell Harston were found beaten to death in their Malmaison Road home November 13th. Authorities arrested 27-year old James Antonio Generette (JEN-ah-RETT-tee) in North Carolina and recently extradited him to Pittsylvania County where he's being held without bond. Today, the sheriff issued another warrant, this one for the Harston's 25-year old next-door neighbor, Carlot (CAR-litt) Brown. She's wanted for being an accessory after the fact. Authorities say Generette had been visiting Brown at the time of the murder. They believe she's staying in the Durham North Carolina area.
(------------)

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

Still ahead on News 7 at Six, General Electric prepares for a strike... one the union says is for all Americans
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Plus the General Assembly Session opens in Richmond with a new House Speaker, and Governor Warner's new agenda.

(----------------)

[XGR-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=1:17:20 on 02-46]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Virginia lawmakers are back at work.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The 2003 session of the General Assembly opened today with members welcoming a new Speaker but facing old budget problems.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Meghan/Starlink]

Richmond Bureau Chief Meghan Muldoon is at the State Capitol.
She joins us with more details.
Richmond was very sunny today,
[LIVE=Meghan Full/Starlink]
[SUPER=@meghan1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]
in stark contrast to the gloomy challenge ahead for lawmakers.
They have 45 days to balance the state's budget. They admit it will be tough but that they will get the job done.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=bedford lawmaker Lacey]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :00]
[SUPER=01-Speaker Bill Howell/(R) Stafford; :26]
[SUPER=01-Del. Dave Nutter/(R) Blacksburg; :51]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Bo Trumbo/(R) Fincastle; 1:02]
[SUPER=01-Del. Chip Woodrum/(D) Roanoke; 1:19]
[RUNS=1:38]
[OUT Q=DOESN'T FORGET US.]
(([NAT Sound]
Bedford lawmaker Lacey Putney opened the session as acting Speaker but soon passed the gavel to a new leader.
Stafford County Republican Bill Howell was elected unanimously as the body's 54th Speaker and assumed the chair to enthusiastic applause. [nat sound]
Howell promised fairness and civility.
[SOT 00:57:27]
[IN Q=I ACCEPT THIS GAVEL]
[RUNS:11]
[OUT Q=LAWS WE MAKE.]

Howell was chosen by Republicans to replace former Speaker Vance Wilkins, who resigned last summer following a sexual harassment controversy.
Many lawmakers say that the change in leadership and the challenging fiscal times have sparked a new sense of cooperation.

[SOT 14:07:12]
[IN Q=VANCE WAS MORE OF A]
[RUNS:13]
[OUT Q=MAKE EVERYONE FEEL GOOD.]

[SOT 13:56:39]
[IN Q=WHEN YOU PUSH TO GET]
[RUNS:10]
[OUT Q=BENEFITTED FROM IT.]

But some Democrat lawmakers say its too soon to tell what kind of Speaker Howell will be.
[SOT 14:25:35]
[IN Q=I APPLAUD THE SENTIMENT]
[RUNS:08]
[OUT Q=PROOF IN THE EATING.]
While lawmakers went to work , Governor Mark Warner spent time rehearsing his State of the Commonwealth address.
Warner is expected to add to his reform plan of streamlining state government in the face of declining revenue.
[SOT 14:10:46]
[IN Q=the governor]
[RUNS:03]
[OUT Q=doesn't forget us.]))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Meghan Full/Starlink]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]
Usually all of the state's top elected officials attend tonight's address but, due to security concerns, this year Attorney General Kilgore will not be here.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Meghan/Starlink]

There is no specific threat but state anti-terrorism experts recommended he not be there in case of an attack.
[Morris]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Governor Warner may be facing another tough year what with the budget battles and all 140-legislative seats up for grabs.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 3-Shot]
Tom Morris, political expert and President of Emory and Henry College is here to offer some insights.
[SUPER=01-Dr. Tom Morris/Emory & Henry College;]
(adlib interview)

[Stocks]

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

Stock prices slumped as worries about the economy came flooding back. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/145.28/8595.31/y/30.51/1401.06;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW dropped 145 points.
NASDAQ fell 30 and a half.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-i/0.29/45.91/i/0.18/29.79/i/0.05/61.15/i/0.29/71.07/i/0.50/12.03;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.05/6.46/i/0.75/56.45/i/0.29/37.54/i/0.40/25.50/i/0.11/6.92;]
[SUPER=273-i/1.98/41.00/h/0.01/15.99/i/0.13/20.43/i/0.04/2.36/i/0.62/40.51;]
[SUPER=274- /Unchg/10.00/i/0.76/58.29/i/2.32/40.91/i/0.55/37.81/i/0.47/49.99;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[GE-Strike]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-51 TC38:54]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Union workers at General Electric say they will hold a nationwide strike next week.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-shot]
Thousands across the country and hundreds at the Salem location are expected to walk the picket line to fight hikes in health care premiums. [***GE STRIKE GRAPHIC***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Rachel /Pulpit;]

Business Reporter Rachel Cannon joins us now with more on what this strike could mean for G-E services. Keith and Shannon, The strike is set to last 48-hours beginning next Tuesday at 12:01 a-m.
[LIVE= Rachel /FULL Pulpit]
[SUPER=@Rachel1;]
Union workers say they're tired of rising health care costs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :22]
[SUPER=03-Salem;]
G-E workers under the Health Care Preferred Plan saw increases January 1st and union leaders say there are more planned for the near future. In a statement, General Electric says its health benefits remain among the best in the industries in which GE competes. But the union says with billions in profits, the company needs to put the bottom line aside.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 14:00:51]
[IN Q=what they're]
((WILEY FOUTZ/IUE-CWA UNION LOCAL 161; WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY WANT TO PASS ON MORE COST TO US WHEN IN FACT WE'VE BEEN HELPING PAY THOSE COSTS OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS OR MORE THROUGH A LOSS OF COST OF LIVING INCREASES WE'VE GIVEN TO THAT THE COMPANY IS TRYING TO MAKE IT SOUND AS THOUGH THEY CAN'T AFFORD THIS.))
[SUPER=01-Wiley Foutz/IUE-CWA Union Local 161;]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=CAN'T AFFORD THIS]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :20]
The union says the strike will impact 48-GE locations in 23-states. In the Salem, the workers are hourly, almost 4-hundred of them will walk the picket line during their regular shift. General Electric says the IUE-CWA union represents about 13,900 employees, or about 5% of GE's workforce. The company says it will meet customer needs during the strike.
(------------)
[LIVE= Rachel /FULL Pulpit]
The strike is also meant to deter G-E's plan to seek "substantial" increases when national contract union negotiations which start in May of this year.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Rachel /Pulpit]
Keith and Shannon, Union leaders say this is a fight for every American who deserves basic health care at a low cost.

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Express player David Silverstone is out of the hospital. Lee Suggs and John St. Clair are cooking up some summer fun for area kids.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And it's hard to figure in this economic time - but Elliott Sadler gets huge promotion after what was a terrible year at the office.
(------------)

[S-Daytona]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-141 TC1523]
[GRAPHIC=Preseason Thunder]

Testing rolled on this afternoon at Daytona International Speedway. Defending Winston Cup champ, Tony Stewart posted the fastest speed in the morning session, clocking in at 182.99 miles per hour.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Daytona, FL; :00]

Elliott Sadler was just eleventh fastest so far today. Sadler begins 2003 with Robert Yates Racing after a an up and down season last year with the Wood Brothers--a season in which Sadler posted just 2 top five finishes.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Elliott Sadler/Driver, M&M's Ford; :00]
[RUNS=:26]
[OUT Q=work out good for us."]
(---------------)

[S-Camp]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-144 3:37]
[GRAPHIC=Tech/UVa 6136]

Virginia Tech's Lee Suggs and former Virginia lineman John St. Clair are back on the same team again this summer working for Roanoke city kids.Steve Maosn explains.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Lee Suggs/22 Touchdowns & 1,325 Rushing Yards; :24]
[SUPER=01-John St. Clair/St. Louis Rams Offensive Tackle; :36]
[SUPER=01-Bo Patrick/Celebrity Football Camp Coordinator; :43]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; 1:22]
[SUPER=@Steve1; 1:55]
[RUNS=2:15]
[OUT Q=....News 7 sports"]
(--------------------)

((The college arch rivals held their first meeting as teammates again Wednesday at Corn Beef and Company to begin organizing their Celebrity football camp for kids. Suggs, who has been involved in community functions like DARE graduation, and St. Clair will combine forces with former UVa star and now Baltimore Ravens linebacker Shannon Taylor and his camp that was held at Patrick Henry high school this past summer. ((:)) ((:)) ((:))
While they are excited about the camp, both have other pressing issues right now. St. Clair is a restricted free agent and the St. Louis Rams still have his rights. ((:))
Suggs will begin working out for the NFL combine that kicks off in March in Indianapolis next week. His goals will be to lower his 40 yard dash time and to get stronger in the weight room. Lee is racking his brain this week trying to decide on an agent. Suggs has recieved at least 75 emails and some video presentations from potential agents and financial advisors.)) ((:))

((STEVE MASON:)) [S-Silverstone]

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

Roanoke Express left winger David Silverstone is back home resting tonight after a scare sent him to the hospital last night. Silverstone collapsed in the Express lockeroom after the team's 3-to-2 win over Atlantic City. He was taken to Roanoke Memorial and examined and eventually released this morning after 3:30. He apparently had an adverse reaction to taking caffeine pills during last night's game and was having trouble moving his arms and legs. The word from the team is that he will NOT play in the next game on Friday.