[News-Heads]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=News-Heads]
[GRAPHIC=None]
(------------------)
[VO-NAT]
Today on News 7 at 5, the threat of winter weather has road crews on high alert.
(---------------)
Also some school systems are already adjusting their schedules.
[Weather-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]
Earlier watches have been upgraded to warnings. Snow by morning will range from 2 to 8 inches.
[Medical-Head]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#med heads]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]
Also President Bush calls for limits on medical malpractice awards as health insurance costs continue to rise.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
U-N weapons inspectors in Iraq think they have made an important discovery.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Jean]
Plus the Space Shuttle Columbia takes off on a historic mission.
News 7 at 5 is next.
[Video-Open]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=]
[TAPE#video open]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]
(----------------)
[WX-PRO]
A winter storm is just approaching the News 7 viewing area. It does have the potential of bringing accumulating snow.
(----------------)
[(toss to R)]
[ANCHOR=JEAN]
[NEWSCAST=FIVE]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 at 5]
It seems everywhere you go today, people are talking about the chance of snow.
Let's go straight to Robin Reed to find out what we can expect from the storm.
(toss to Robin)
[5-Snow-Preps]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=Five]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=502-08 1:17:09]
[GRAPHIC=]
The threat of significant winter weather sent state and local road crews into action earlier today. Many spent the morning preparing their equipment for the prospect of a long night on the road.
At the same time schools, businesses, and local utilities were also paying close attention to the approaching storm.
[DOUBLE BOXES= /Microwave;]
Joe Dashiell is outside our studios this evening with more on the day's preparations.
[LIVE= /FULL]
[SUPER=@joe1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
Jean, while there is a thick cloud cover, so far no snow and ice here.
But many in the area have been listening to the forecast, and looking ahead to the possibility of significant snowfall.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Lisa and Nathan Ewoldt]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Chap Huffman/Northwest Hardware; :13]
[SUPER=01-Jason Bond/VDOT Spokesman; :44]
[SUPER=01-Todd Burns/AEP Spokesman; 1:11]
[RUNS=1:22]
[OUT Q=anything in fact to react to.]
((Lisa and Nathan Ewoldt spent their day shopping for snow shovels. They finally found what they were looking for at Northwest Hardware, where dozens of sleds were also waiting for another winter blast.
[SOT 29:24]
[IN Q=Sleds and shovels]
((CHAP HUFFMAN/NORTHWEST HARDWARE: ...THE LAST TIME WE HAD SNOW, WE REALLY SOLD A LOT. WE'VE ALREADY SOLD A FEW, BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS SNOW.))
[RUNS= :11]
[OUT Q=with this snow.]
Across town at Roanoke's public works service center, a shovel of different dimensions was already in action, loading road salt and other chemicals into waiting trucks.
The scene was mucb the same at V-DOT's Hanging Rock Area Headquarters, where the snow plows were in place, the spreaders installed, and road crews were waiting to see what the latest storm would bring.
[SOT 1:40:41]
[IN Q=Every storm is different]
((JASON BOND/VDOT SPOKESMAN: EVERY STORM IS DIFFERENT. IF IT'S A WET, HEAVY SNOW IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO FREEZE QUICKLY AND PACK PRETTY SOLID, SO THE IDEA IS WE ASK FOLKS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE OUT, TRY TO S SO WE CAN GET TO IT AS SOON AS WE CAN. THE LESS TRAFFIC IS OUT THERE, THE EASIER IT IS TO DO OUR JOB.))
[RUNS= :16]
[OUT Q=do our job.]
Many school systems in western Virginia sent their students home early, while employees at American Electric Power watched the weather radar and waited for the disruptions that inevitably follow a major winter storm.
[SOT 18:55]
[IN Q=At this early stage]
((TODD BURNS/AEP SPOKESMAN: AT THIS EARLY STAGE, WHAT WE CAN REALLY DO IS JUST WATCH IT. WE'RE STAYING IN TOUCH WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND CERTAINLY WATCHING THE WEATHER PATTERNS DEVELOP TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN FACT TO REACT TO.))
[RUNS= :12]
[OUT Q=anything in fact to react to.]))
[LIVE= /FULL]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
As we play the waiting game tonight, plenty of attention will be focused US 220 south of Roanoke, where traffic snarled for several hours during the December storm.
State and local officials say they have learned from that experience and are tweaking their response in the 220 corridor.
[DOUBLE BOXES= /Microwave;]
Jean, tonight on News 7 at Six Marya Jones will take a closer look at that situation, and some of the changes authorities hope will help to keep traffic flowing.
[5-cancellations]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=Five]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=School Info]
The threat of snow and ice has lead some schools to change the plans for tonight.
(------------)
[SCHOOLTOUCH FULL]
Jean Reads the Closing off the Screen.
(------------)
[5-Iraq]
[ANCHOR=Jea]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
United Nation's Weapons Inspectors find something in Iraq, but it may or may not be a smoking gun.
Aleen Sirgany is in Washington with the latest developmets in the stand-off with Saddam Hussein.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-John Negroponte/U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.]
[SUPER=01-Gen. HussamMohammad Amin/Iraqi Nat'l Monitoring Directorate;]
[Super=@Sirgany1;]
[RUNS=1:28]
[OUT Q=CBS News, Washington.]
((IN WHAT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT, WEAPONS INSPECTORS FOUND
EMPTY CHEMICAL WARHEADS AT AN AMMUNITION STORAGE AREA IN
IRAQ....WARHEADS THAT THE U-N SAYS WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY DECLARED, AS
REQUIRED BY A SECURITY COUNSEL RESOLUTION.
THE WARHEADS ARE REPORTEDLY IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE U-S AMBASSADOR
TO THE U-N CALLS THE DISCOVERY AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT BUT CAUTIONS
ITS TOO EARLY TO SAY ITS THE SMOKING GUN.
JOHN NEGROPONTE/U.S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.:
I'm sure that we'll be getting further information. But I simply can't
enter into that kind of hypothetical proposition without having more
facts at my fingertips.
IRAQI OFFICIALS SAY THE WEAPONS ARE OLD ARTILLERY ROCKETS THAT HAVE BEEN
DECLARED. AND THEY SAY THE WARHEADS ARE "NOT" LINKED TO WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION.
Gen. Hussam Mohammad Amin/Iraqi National Monitoring Directorate: They are expired, they cannot be used, since longtime.
EARLIER TODAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME U-N INSPECTORS PAID A SURPRISE VISIT
TO TWO PRIVATE HOMES IN BAGHDAD AND ESCORTED AN IRAQI SCIENTIST TO AN
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION.
THE INTENSIFIED INSPECTIONS COME DAYS BEFORE CHIEF INSPECTOR HANS BLIX
DELIVERS A FACE TO FACE WARNING DIRECTLY TO BAGHDAD.
HANS BLIX/CHIEF UN WEAPONS INSPECTOR:
The situation is very tense and very dangerous.
U.S. doesn't convince counsel to change deadline.))
[5-Bush-Malpractice]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Too many lawsuits without merit- and if you go to the doctor, you're paying for it- so says President Bush who says one of the reasons health care costs so much is the huge amount of malpractice awards.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 28]
[IN Q=]
((PRESIDENT BUSH THE PROBLEM OF THOSE UNNECESSARY COSTS DONT' START IN THE WAITING ROOM OR THE OPERATING ROOM. THEY'RE IN THE COURTROOM.))
[RUNS=08]
[OUT Q=in the courtroom. APPLAUSE.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT 13 plus pad ]
The President says people hurt by a lousy doctor deserve an uncluttered court system, but he says there are too many frivolous lawsuits.
President Bush is proposing a 250-thousand dollar cap on what's called "non-economic" damages.
(----------------)
[Talent=Jean]
[Graphic=Hold]
In recent weeks surgeons in West Virginia have walked off their jobs to protest what they call outrageous medical malpractice insurance fees. Those fees no doubt are passed onto patients.
[5-Health-Insurance]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=502-05 1:58:17]
[GRAPHIC=None]
While doctors deal with the high cost of malpractice insurance, local small business owners work to meet heath care premiums.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :17]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Bart Wilner owns Entre Computer Center in Roanoke.
He says over 20-years in business, health care premiums continue to go up, last year by 22-percent, while coverage decreases.
Even with just 10-employees under his health care plan, he says he may need to rethink how the premiums are paid.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:48:41]
[IN Q=we pay]
((BART WILNER/BUSINESS OWNER; WE PAY APPROXIMATELY 40-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS IN ONE YEAR. SO 22-PERCENT MAY BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND BUT 40-THOSUAND DOLLARS ISN'T HARD TO UNDERSTAND.))
[SUPER=01-Bart Wilner/Business Owner;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=ISN'T HARD TO UNDERSTAND.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Wilner is rare in that he pays 100-percent of costs for his workers. But he says because of high numbers, a percentage split with employees is being considered as well as a plan that doesn't cover as much.
Coming up on News 7 at 6, a local benefits consultant offers explanations of why health care costs are skyrocketing.
(------------)
[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=Tease1]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Still to come on the newscast, Brent Watts will show us some of the latest hi-tech gadgets on the market.
(--------------)
[VO-NAT]
Also one astronaut on the Space Shuttle Columbia made history today. We'll tell you how.
(--------------)
[Comm 1]
[5-L'burg-Death]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=Five]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
An employee at Lynchburg's B-W-X Technologies died yesterday from injuries he suffered on the job earlier this month.
Squire Poe was a supervisor at the plant.
A statement from the company says Poe was injured January 2nd when hot water from a processing tank splashed onto him.
Poe was 56 years old and had worked at B-W-X for 33 years.
[5-shuttle]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The Space Shuttle Columbia is high above the earth tonight after blasting off this morning from Florida.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 04]
[IN Q=]
((EIGHT, SEVEN SIX... RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS.))
[SUPER=03-Cape Canaveral, FL]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q=research experiments]
(------------)
[VO-NAT 16 plus pad]
The seven crew members include the first Israeli to go into space.
This is the first time in three years that the Shuttle will not go to the international space station or work on the Hubble Space Telescope.
The crew on this mission will conduct research experiments.
(------------)
[Tease#2]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=Tease1]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Coming up next on the newscast, Robin will be along with a detailed look at the winter weather.
(-------------------)
[VO]
Then a little later, a former bull rider tells how big money has changed his sport.
(-----------------)
[Comm 2]
[5-Consumer-E]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=Five]
[WRITER=bwa]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
With a new year, comes new high tech gadgets and gizmos. And what better time to show them off than National High-Tech month.
[ROANOKE DOUBLE BOXES= Jean/Brent/Microwave;]
Brent Watts joins us this afternoon from Lee Hartman and Sons with a few of the latest technical toys.
[LIVE=Brent/FULL]
[SUPER=@brent1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
[LIVE= Brent/FULL]
[DOUBLE BOXES= Brent/Jean/Microwave;]
[Tease#3]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=Tease3]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Comin up next in Sports,
(--------------)
[VO-NAT]
Mike Stevens will have the last day of testing from Daytona.
(--------------)
[Comm 3]
[S5-Daytona]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=5pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-141 2206tc]
[GRAPHIC=BAM]
Good afternoon everybody and welcome to Thursday night.
Lots of news out of Daytona today surrounding the Daytona 500.
For starters - the track announced that John Travolta will serve as the grand marshall for the 500.
Also, NASCAR says that Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman are going together to start a Winston Cup team that will start competing in 2004.
The former Cowboys have been consulting with of all folks - Joe Gibbs.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Daytona Beach, FL; :00]
The six days of preseason testing wrapped up this afternoon at Daytona, and without a doubt the surprise of the month has to be the effort turned in by Kyle Petty.
KP turned in the third fastest time of the entire month with a lap this morning at 183 point 733 miles an hour.
Kyle would love to win the 500 - but it's not as important to him as it once was.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-Kyle Petty/Fastest Lap Today - 183.733mph; :00]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=...fo our family."]
(------------)
[S5-Nascar]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=5pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-144 1025TC]
[GRAPHIC=BAM]
NASCAR isn't the only bunch making waves in Florida today.
The Jacksonville Jaguars this afternoon -
hired Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as their new head coach.
The 39 year old Del Rio will be introduced at a news
conference tomorrow.
Steve Mariucci told the Jags he wasn't interested.
Yesterday, the 49ers fired Mariucci and today he confirmed that what doesn't kill a man - will certainly make him stronger.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-Steve Mariucci/Fired After 6 Seasons With 49ers; :00]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=...chose this life."]
(XXXXXXXXXX)
[go to pinnacle 12998]
Keep in mind that with the weekend drawing closer the NFL plays right here on WDBJ-7 this Sunday.
Join us at six as NFL Today gets you ready for the AFC title game between the Raiders and Titans.
That's Sunday night right here on WDBJ-7.
(--------------)
[S5-WDBJ]
[ANCHOR=5pm]
[NEWSCAST=]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=BAM]
If you are already looking ahead to the weekend hoops here on WDBJ-7.
(xxxxxxxxxxx)
[go to pinnacle 12997]
We have a basketball tripleheader for you this Saturday beginning at three.
Virginia travels to South Carolina to tangle with Clemson in the opener - then right after that we'll join the Illinois and Indiana game in progress.
And later on Saturday night at eight - NC State tees it up in Tallahassee against FSU.
(--------------)
[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=BAM]
Of course folks are still buzzing about JJ Redick's 34 point outburst last night against UVA.
Steve Mason was in Durham for the record setting performance.
He'll talk with JJ, Johnny Dawkins and Travis Watson tonight at the top of the hour.
Be sure to join us for that.
Take care everybody and have a safe night.
[go to break]
[5-Bull-Riding]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=5pm]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
You don't have to go to a rodeo to see bull riding.
The sport can now be watched on national television.
As Joy Sutton tells many riders are drawn to sport for a chance at the big bucks and a world title.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It's a sport unlike any other]
[SUPER=@Joy1;:00]
[SUPER=01-Jerome Davis/Former World Champion Bull Rider; :31]
[RUNS=2:38]
[OUT Q=I'm Joy Sutton for News 7]
[Close-ID]
[5pm]
SUPER=x4035; fax/copyright
[SUPER=x4034;email/copyright]
by SS