WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 01/28/03

[1-News-Head]

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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Making more Macks... and Volvo Trucks... means laid off workers are being called back in Dublin.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
And we'll get a look at The Reverend Jerry Falwell's 10-million dollar plan to link his school to his church.

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
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Tonight on News 7 Sports - Jordan's in the all-star game - the next Jordan has a local tie to Roanoke College.
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[VO-NAT]
and the party rolls on in Tampa as the Super Bowl Champs get a victory parade.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

A cold rain is on the way with pockets of freezing rain likely in West Virginia. We'll check the forecast in a moment.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon 4-Shot]

News 7 is next.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Hundreds of laid-off workers at Volvo's Dublin plant will soon be back on the job.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

And company officials say that's just half of the good news.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[Volvo]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=02-52 TC1:33:55]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Production changes at the New River Valley Volvo plant will mean the return of hundreds of laid-off workers.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith-Shannon /Microwave;]

New River Valley Bureau Chief Myranda Stephens joins us now with the details.
Keith and Shannon, a spokesperson for Volvo tells us the company plans to recall 300-workers...
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=@Myranda1;]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]

at the Dublin facility sometime in late April.
Why?
That is when it also plans to increase the production rate for both of its truck lines.
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[IN Q=IN A LETTER]
[SUPER=03-Dublin/File Tape; :00]
[RUNS=:38]
[OUT Q=LAST TWO YEARS]
(( In a letter sent out yesterday to the current 1750-workers at the plant, the company says it will increase its average production rate for its Volvo line from 44-a-day to 56.
Production for its new Mack line of trucks will also go up from 18-a-day to 43.
Company spokesperson, Jim McNamara, says these changes are scheduled to take place the second week of April.
And of course, he says more work equals the need for more workers.
McNamara says the plant hopes to gradually bring back 300-of the more than 17-hundred workers laid-off over the last two years.))
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[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]

With the plant's new line of Mack trucks and the new model of Volvo trucks unveiled last October, McNamara says this increase in production was expected.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith-Shannon/Microwave;]

He says it's called "ramping up" .
Basically what that means is a company will start at a lower level of production and then gradually build it up to meet market demand...Keith and Shannon.

[K&C-Trucking]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=02-55 TC39:12]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A Central Virginia Trucking Company and seven of its drivers have been indicted for allegedly falsifying logs.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Rustburg/October 1998]
It's been more than four years since federal agents raided the offices of K-and-C Trucking. The company is also known as Lone Wolf Transportation. The 18-count federal indictment- -returned last month but unsealed only today- -cites such discrepancies as a log entry that indicates a truck driver from Huddleston was "off-duty" in the sleeper berth in Peoria on a certain date when he was actually driving on the West Virginia Turnpike.
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[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=None]
Dispatcher David Martin and trucking company owners James Sanders and Norvell Preston are also among those charged.

[Quick-Murder]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-49 TC1:13:44]
[GRAPHIC=Murder Invest.]

A special grand jury in Nelson County has finished its investigation into the 1998 murder of Jeffrey Quick.. but has "not" issued any indictments.
Quick disappeared from his home near Tyro nearly five years ago.
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[VO-NAT]

Campbell County resident Frank Farinacci was seen there several times that day.. and the jury believes Farinacci, acting alone, murdered Quick.
Farinacci was killed by his wife last February..
[SUPER=04-File Tape]
authorities say Elizabeth Farinacci murdered her husband to cover up her own role in the disposal of Quick's body which has never been recovered.
The rest of the grand jury's report has been sealed.
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[Botetourt-Deputy]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=502-12 TC46:54]
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A former Botetourt County deputy faces up to 20 years in prison for inappropriately touching a child.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Fincastle;]

39-year-old Tracey Alan Cornwell WAS a resource officer at Read Mountain Middle School.
A Botetourt County judge found him guilty today of aggravated sexual battery.
The 11-year-old girl testified that he took off her bra and fondled her one night last August.
Cornwell admitted he removed the bra but said he NEVER touched her inappropriately.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The girl was NOT a student at Cornwell's school.
He remains out on bond and will be sentenced in May.

[Falwell-Ericsson]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=02-48 TC1:21:24]
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Lynchburg city leaders got their first look today at the plans the Reverend Jerry Falwell has for the city's largest industrial site.
Falwell wants to buy the Ericsson property on Candler's Mountain Road and use it to relocate his Thomas Road Baptist Church there and expand Liberty University.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]

Steve Smallshaw was at today's council work session.. Steve how did the presentation go over with city council?
[LIVE=Steve/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=@ssm1]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg]

Keith, council members are not saying much one way or the other about what they think about taking the city's largest industrial site almost entirely off the tax rolls.
But Falwell says his plans for the property will more than offset any potential revenue losses.
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[SOT ]
[IN Q=He's been looking]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rev. Jerry Falwell/Liberty U. Chancellor; :19]
[SUPER=01-Jerry Falwell, Jr./Liberty U. Attorney; :59]
[RUNS=1:11]
[OUT Q=reasonable way to go.]
(( He's been looking to do this for years.
The Reverend Jerry Falwell owns two major institutions in Lynchburg: Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University.
For decades, they've been separate entities.. but when the Ericsson property next door to Liberty came up for sale, Falwell saw a chance to change that.
[SOT 3:38:41]
((REV. JERRY FALWELL/LIBERTY U. CHANCELLOR: IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL BURDEN FOR US NOT TO BE ALL TOGETHER. AND THE CHURCH WILL BE OCCUPYING ALL OF THAT BUILDING EXCEPT FOR WHAT WE WILL BE LEASING TO S-C-I..))
[RUNS= 13]
[OUT Q=to S-C-I.]

S-C-I.. what's left of Ericsson's cell phone operation.. and its 500 employees will rent about 300-thousand square feet..leaving about 600-thousand square feet tax exempt.
But Falwell also plans to sell 22 acres that would be turned into a retail shopping center, another source of potential revenue.
Falwell is NOT asking the city to rezone the property.. it would stay industrial and Thomas Road could occupy it under a compatible use clause in the law.
[SOT 4:34:53]
((JERRY FALWELL JR./LIBERTY U. ATTORNEY: AND SOME OF THE USES THAT ARE PERMITTED BY RIGHT ARE UNION HALLS, ARMORIES, OTHER USES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO CHURCHES IN THAT THEY INVOLVE PUBIC ASSEMBLY, SO WE THINK IT'S A REASONABLE WAY TO GO.))
[RUNS= 14]
[OUT Q=way to go.] ))
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[LIVE=Steve/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]

Falwell's team will close on this 10-million dollar deal next month, with or without the city's blessing..
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]

A decision from city council is probably still a few months away.

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

Sid Clower took Henry County to the cleaners.
That action has the General Assembly rethinking the penalties for white-collar criminals.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

More on that when News 7 returns.
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[VO-NAT]

And these kids dazzled their teachers with a lot of reading. Today Roanoke's basketball team provided their reward.
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[Boty-Fire]
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[TAPE#=03-03 TC26:26]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Several agencies are assisting Botetourt County investigators with a fatal fire.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
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[VO-NAT :18]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.;]
Investigators continue to comb through a log home on Catawba Road where three people were killed yesterday. Neighbors identify the victims as Michol Street and his two young children Austin and Jessica. Roanoke County, an A-T-F agent and a K-9 dog from Bristol are among those searching through debris.
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[SOT 02:13:04]
[IN Q=THERE ATE]
((RONALD SPRINKLE/BOTETOURT CO. SHERIFF; THERE ARE SOME VERY LARGE TIMBERS THAT ARE INSIDE THAT CABIN THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE BEFORE COMPLETING THIS INVESTIGATING AND AT THIS POINT AS SOON AS THE INVESTIGATION IS DONE WE'LL BE ABLE TO RELEASE MORE.))
[SUPER=01-Ronald Sprinkle/Botetourt Co. Sheriff;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=RELEASE MORE.]
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-Yesterday;]
Sheriff Sprinkle says he doesn't know when the cause of the fire will be determined. While there are no clear signs of arson at this point, the fire scene is being guarded around the clock.
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[County-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
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[TAPE#=02-50 TC58:35]
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[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]

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[VO-NAT]

Roanoke County officials HAVE found the cause of a fire that destroyed a home near Vinton.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./January 17]

They've traced it to some flammable liquids stored near a gas water heater.
The heater ignited vapors from the chemicals, starting a fire in the basement that spread through the house on Twin Mountains Drive.
That was the night a fire truck slid on ice created by leaking fire hoses and slammed into a sport utility vehicle.
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[XGR]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=02-47 TC1:28:18]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Former Henry County Administrator Sid Clower received 15 months behind bars for embezzling nearly 800-thousand dollars.
But under legislation moving forward in the General Assembly, the next public official caught stealing from taxpayers would face much longer jail time.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Meghan/State Microwave]

Meghan Muldoon has been following this story.
She joins us now from the State Capitol.
Henry County Administrator Sid Clower may be behind bars but that doesn't mean he's forgotten.
[LIVE=Meghan Full/ State Microwave]
[SUPER=@meghan1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]

In fact, he's the inspiration behind a bill meant to crack down on public officials who betray the public trust.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=HENRY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR]
[SUPER=@file; :00]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :15]
[SUPER=@Reynolds; :28]
[SUPER=@Armstrong; :44]
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[OUT Q=BEFORE ITS PAID BACK. Second Ref. ]
(( Henry County Administrator Sid Clower pleaded guilty last year to embezzling almost 800-thousand dollars.
He was given a 15-month sentence but Henry County lawmakers say Virginia's sentencing guidelines did not REQUIRE that Clower serve any jail time.
A bill unanimously approved by a Senate Committee would change that by imposing a mandatory minimum sentence for public officials caught stealing.
Those who embezzle from taxpayers would serve one year for every 50- thousand dollars stolen.
[SOT 13:00:33]
[IN Q=MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN]
[RUNS:15]
[OUT Q=SAY NO TIME TO SERVE.]

[SOT 15:07:33]
[IN Q=WHAT SENATOR REYNOLDS]
[RUNS:10]
[OUT Q=OUGHT TO GO TO JAIL.]

Even though Reynolds' bill won't affect Clower, there is legislation that could extend his probation.
Under one House bill, those who have not made full restitution would remain under state supervision until the money is paid back.
[SOT 15:11:56]
[IN Q=IN CASES WHERE RESTITUTION]
[RUNS:12]
[OUT Q=BEFORE ITS PAID BACK.]))
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[LIVE=Meghan Full/ State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]

If Reyolds bill had been the law when Clower was sentenced he would have been facing 16 years in jail.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Meghan/State Microwave]

Keith that's a big difference.

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
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Wall Street slammed the brakes on its recent slide. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/99.49/8089.05/x/17.05/1342.32;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW jumped 99 and a half points.
NASDAQ rose 17.
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[Police-Station]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mpu]
[TAPE#=02-51 TC1:05:06]
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Police hope a new neighborhood precinct station will bring new visibility and a new sense of community in Southeast Roanoke.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

The renovated fire station on Jamison Avenue is the new headquarters for the department's COPE squad.
COPE stands for Community- Oriented Policing Effort, and the office is the result of two years of community planning and involvement.
Both city officials and Southeast residents are pleased with the new addition.
(/////// SOT///////)
[SOT=4:32:15]
[IN Q=Residents are saying]
((BILL CARDER/ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL: RESIDENTS ARE SAYING TO ME, I FEEL SAFER, THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS AND FEELS BETTER.))
[SUPER=01-Bill Carder/Roanoke City Council]
[RUNS=04]
[OUT Q=and feels better]
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[VO-NAT]

Longtime resident Maxine Right looks forward to the new station:
(//////SOT/////)
[SOT=14:01:18]
[IN Q=Well, at least]
((MAXINE RIGHT/LOCAL RESIDENT: WELL, AT LEAST THEY WON'T HAVE FAR TO GO WHEN WE CALL THEM. BEING A SENIOR CITIZEN WE DON'T GET TO CALL THEM TOO MUCH, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE A DISTURBANCE OUT ON THE STREET, OR SOMETHING AND THEY'LL DO THAT. SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE IT, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE.))
[SUPER=01-Maxine Right/Southeast Roanoke Resident]
[RUNS=15]
[OUT Q= for the young people]
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[VO-NAT]

While officials say that the building will often be occupied, visitors are encouraged to call ahead for an appointment.
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[Dazzle]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=02-46 TC1:55:40]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke Dazzle]
When it comes to motivating kids to read, the Roanoke Dazzle is scoring big.
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[VO-NAT :15]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
The team today practiced in front of nearly 300-students from Rich Acres Elementary School in Martinsville. The trip was a reward offered by Dazzle sponsor Taco Bell for buckling down and hitting the books. But the visit was good for the team, as well.
(///// SOT at :15 /////)
[SOT 10:59:41-10:59:51]
[IN Q=I'm real excited...]
((D'ANDRA HUGHES/3RD GRADER: I'M REAL EXCITED. WHEN I FOUND OUT WE WERE COMING HERE I ALMOST CRIED. MY EYES WERE ALL WATERY.)) ((DENNIS ROBARGE/DAZZLE PRESIDENT: IT'S GOOD. IT GIVES THESE GUYS A LITTLE BIT OF NOISE. USUALLY, DURING PRACTICE, BOUNCING BALLS IS ALL YOU HEAR SO, IT'S GOOD.))
[SUPER=01-D'Andra Hughes/3rd Grader; :00]
[SUPER=01-Dennis Robarge/Dazzle President; :11]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=all you hear so, it's good.]
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[VO-NAT :10]
Of the 350 kids in the accelerated reading program, 297 met their goal. After practice, the kids joined the Dazzle players for a catered Taco Bell lunch.
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[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SPORTS TEASE]
[GRAPHIC=]
Coming up tonight on News 7 sports - Michael's in but Mario is out. The Bucs' parade honors Ronde's wish to keep the party alive this afternoon in Tampa.
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[VO-NAT]
and Steve Mason checks in with the area's local connection to the highly publicized Lebron James.
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[S-Parade]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-145 1300TC]
[GRAPHIC=super bowl]

The Super Bowl champion Buccaneers partied in the streets of Tampa this afternoon.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Tampa, FL; :00]
The parade began at 3:30 and snaked its way through downtown before ending at Gaslight Park. Ronde Barber, waved a big Bucs' flag on board his Dodge parade vehicle. And another Tampa Bay player with local ties DeVone Claybrooks from Bassett high school also basked in the limelight.

As he did last night at the team's welcome home rally - Ronde urged the fans to savor the moment.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=THIS IS THE ...]
[SUPER=01-Ronde Barber/Tampa Bay Cornerback; ;00]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=...repeating baby."]
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[S-Robby]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-35:25]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke basketball]

The Roanoke Maroons are 9 and 8, a solid record considering five losses were to nationally ranked teams and to division one Harvard. Steve Mason has more on Roanoke's top scorer, Ohio native Robby Pridgen.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=@Steve1; :00]
[SUPER=03-Salem; :17]
[SUPER=01-Robby Pridgen/19.9 Points, 2.5 Assists a Game; :30]
[SUPER=03-Akron, OH; :46]
[SUPER=04-1992 Season; 1:20]
[SUPER=01-Page Moir/Roanoke Men's Basketball Coach; 1:27]
[RUNS=2:03]
[OUT Q=news 7 sports"]
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((STEVE MASON:ROBBY PRIDGEN AND LEBRON JAMES, THE BEST HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER IN THE NATION, HAVE A FEW THINGS IN COMMON. ROBBY PLAYED AT SAINT VINCENT SAINT MARY, THE SAME SCHOOL LEBRON PLAYS FOR RIGHT NOW. THE TWO KNOW EACH OTHER, AND HAVE PLAYED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, BUT ROBBY HAS BECOME ARGUABLY THE ODAC'S BEST PLAYER ON HIS OWN.))
((Robby bleeds maroon and white, but he also wears his heart on his sleeve, a saint Vincent-saint Mary varsity jacket. He graduated in 1997 before LeBron James. ((:))
Pridgen has followed this year's expected number one NBA draft pick. He feels for LeBron, who was cleared yesterday after an investigation into how he obtained a 50 thousand dollar Hummer H2. Unlike most who have monitored James story from a far, Robby has a much closer connection to Lebron. ((:)) While he respects LeBron's game, Robby's idol is former Maroon Hilliary Scott. Pridgen hopes to become an Al-American like Scott and has worked on developing into not only a complete player, but a complete person. ((PAGE MOIR/ROANOKE HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH:)) ((:))
Pridgen, who is second in the ODAC in scoring, third in three point percentage and first in free throws, hopes to play pro basketball overseas. Steve Mason News 7 sports.))

[S-Jordan]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-135 5430TC]
[GRAPHIC=BAM]

The reserves for the NBA all-star game next month were set today and Michael Jordan was selected to represent the East stars.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NBA; :00]
It will be Jordan's 14th appearance in the all-star game. It seems funny for him to be a reserve, but he's in some mighty fast company. Shaq, Chris Webber and Jason Kidd are all backups for the game that tips-off Sunday February 9th in Atlanta.
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[S-NHL]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-138 3138tc]
[GRAPHIC=NHL]

While Jordan's in - Mario Lemieux says he will not play in this weekend's NHL all-star bash.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NHL; :00]
Lemieux, who leads the NHL in scoring with 68 points, has not played for the last six games and he will not play tonight against the Islanders or on Thursday against the Caps. He is suffering from a nagging groin injury, and today he took himself out of the all-star game.
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[S-Golf]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=THE MASTERS]

When the Masters tees up in April right here on Your Hometown Station - Greg Norman, a three-time runner-up at Augusta will not be in the field. Last year the Masters gave him a special exemption to get in the field and he finished 36th. This year the Masters has informed he will not get an exemption. Norman says he agrees with the ruling.