[1-News-Head]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
A nine month mystery comes to a bizarre but happy ending as a missing Utah girl is found... alive.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :06]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And a local community struggles with the life and death implications of the potential sale of its hospital.
(------------)
[Sports-Head]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on News 7 Sports - an upset in the Big East tourney sends the Irish home.
Pete Gillen checks his team's pulse as the ACC tournament draws closer.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
and Cave Spring is back in the state tournament, in a new classification, with new go-to-guys, but the same old tourney toughness.
(------------)
[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]
Spring weather is pushing in but the colder air to the north is trying to push back. We'll show you who wins in a moment.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]
News 7 at Six is next.
[Video-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
"Miracles do exist."
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
That's the reaction today to the report that missing teenager Elizabeth Smart has been found alive.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Good evening, I'm Keith Humphry.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And I'm Shannon Young.
[Smart]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=net]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Police in Utah say the 15-year-old girl was found in the car of a drifter pulled over in a traffic stop near Salt Lake City today.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=@file]
A police spokeswoman said "Two separate women had called in and said they thought they had spotted `Emmanuel,'' whose real name is Brian David Mitchell.
He once did work on the Smart's home.
Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home last June. Police have promised additional information at 7:PM Eastern time.
It was her uncle, TOM Smart who- -when told Elizabeth had been found alive- -said "Miracles do exist.''
Of course the C-B-S Evening News with Dan Rather will have more on the story right here on W-D-B-J-7 tonight at 6:30
(------------)
[Patrick-Hospital]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=02-50 TC1:55:47]
[GRAPHIC=None]
R-J Reynolds-Patrick County Hospital has been dealing with financial problems for some time.
In 19-99, it filed for bankruptcy protection after years of mounting losses.
But now with a prospective buyer for the location, community members are worried about what they may be losing.
[***EMT EMergency Graphic***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & RAchel /Pulpit;]
Business Reporter Rachel Cannon joins us with more on this story.
Shannon, ageMark is the company that wants to buy the hospital.
The deal still has to be approved by a bankruptcy judge but residents are already
[LIVE= Rachel /FULL Pulpit]
[SUPER=@Rachel1;]
concerned that the new owners will no longer operate an emergency room.
They say it would mean life threatening longer travel time for critical patients and that emergency ambulance services in the County would be hurt.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NATS]
[SUPER=03-Patrick Co.; :]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Diane Rowell/ER Physician; :16]
[SUPER=01-Crystal Harris/Patrick Co. Board of Supervisors; :30]
[SUPER=01-Raymond Wells/Nurse Paramedic; 1:00]
[RUNS=1:12]
[OUT Q=PEOPLE COULD DIE.]
((((NATS 00:16:16 DRIVING AWAY))
Emergency personnel fear the sale of the hospital will drive their much needed services out of town.
Details of the agreement are not being released.
The feeling among EMTs is that the emergency room may be eliminated.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:21:30]
[IN Q=I would]
((DR. DIANE ROWELL/ER PHYSICIAN; I WOULD THINK THEY WANT TO KEEP THE ER OPEN I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD WANT TO KEEP THE HOSPITAL OPEN FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THE HOSPITAL HERE. ))
[OUT Q=HOSPITAL HERE.]
But no one outside of the deal knows.
Not even the County's Board of Supervisors.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:14:32]
[IN Q=we would]
((CRYSTAL HARRIS/PATRICK CO. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS; WE WOULD LIKE TO SAVE IT BUT WE DON'T WHAT'S GOING ON WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD ANYTHING. ))
[OUT Q=ANYTHING.]
The C-E-O of the hospital says he cannot comment because they're in negotiations.
But a member of the hospital's Board of Trustees says a functioning E-R is in the sale agreement and that it's guaranteed for five-years.
(( NATS 00:23:33 "SHE SAYS SHE CAN'T WALK"))
E-R doctors like Diane Rowell and paramedics like Raymond Wells hope they are given the opportunity to keep providing their services.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:08:59]
[IN Q=if we]
((RAYMOND WELLS/NURSE PARAMEDIC; IF WE LOSE THE OMD THE ER CLOSES OUR TRANSPORT TIMES WHICH ARE 20 25 MINUTES WHICH ARE LONG TURN INTO 40 MINUTES OR AN HOUR SERIOUSLY INJURED PEOPLE OR CRITICALLY PEOPLE COULD DIE. ))
[OUT Q=COULD DIE.].))
(-------------)
[LIVE= Rachel /FULL Pulpit]
We called the prospective buyer, but did not get a call back.
A reminder, before the sale can go through, it needs to be approved by a bankruptcy judge.
[DOUBLE BOXES= /Microwave;]
Shannon, that's set for the end of the month.
[Meat-Recall]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Product Recall]
Some ground beef sold at Kroger is being recalled because it may be contaminated with E-coli.
The beef came from an American Foods Group plant in Ohio on January 24th.
(XXXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE FS PINNACLE]
The recall includes ground beef in one, two and three pound foam trays AND ground hamburger patties.
The ground beef has the code numbers 3-0-2-4 and 3-0-2-5 under the Kroger label.
Customers can return it to the store for a refund.
American Foods has set up a customer hotline at 1 - 800 - 829 - 2838.
Health officials say there have been no local cases of E-coli infection.
(-------------)
[Tech-Policy]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-01 TC49:50]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Virginia Tech's unexpected move to eliminate its affirmative action policy has left many asking why?
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith /Microwave;]
New River Valley Bureau Chief Myranda Stephens talked to officials at the university today to find out.
Keith, officials say simply put, because they had to.
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=@Myranda1;]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
And if folks are upset about it, they shouldn't blame the university.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/File Tape; :00 QUICK!!!]
[SUPER=01-Kent Willis/ACLU;]
[SUPER=01-Larry Hincker/VT Spokesperson;]
[RUNS=:00]
[OUT Q=CANNOT DO IT.]
((Virginia Tech has gotten a lot of criticism from people, including the A-C-L-U.
[RUNS09]
((IF COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN VIRGINIA AND ACROSS THE NATION ABANDON THEIR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICIES THEN OUR CAMPUSES ARE NOT GOING TO BE VERY DIVERSE.))
But Virginia Tech says abandoning its affirmative action policy was a legal move, and not one by choice.
[SOT 28:07]
[RUNS10]
((THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE SERIES OF MOVEMENTS ON PART OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE PARTICULARLY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW 28:17))
A law that was created in November of 2001, when the state reached an accord with the federal office of civil liberties.
[SOT 28:33]
[RUNS19]
((WHICH BASICALLY SAID THAT WE NO LONGER NOT ONLY MUST, BUT WE NO LONGER CAN HAVE REMEDIAL PROGRAMS TO CORRECT PAST ACTIONS OF DISCRIMINATION 28:48 SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY NO LONGER PERMISSABLE, YOU CANNOT DO IT. 28:52))))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
Despite the legal reasoning, Tech's student government association says it is now in the process of filing a lawsuit against the university, for removing sexual orientation from the new policy.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda /Microwave;]
You see, because the policy says it won't discriminate in favor of certain groups, but it also says it won't discriminate AGAINST them either.
But, officials say sexual orientation is not legally protected under law, therefore they have that right not to include it.
[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]
Virginia Wester Community College gets its biggest ever gift.
Still ahead on News 7, find out how it might help keep the whole Valley healthy.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Plus they're not ready to stop the presses quite yet... or even start them.
But we'll check out the Roanoke Times' new addition.
(----------------)
[Rachel-Fund]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-07 TC46:02]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[***ANCHOR TAG***]
A five-year-old Bedford County girl is continuing her slow recovery from a drive-by shooting last month in North Carolina.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Now her friends, teachers and neighbors are asking what they can do to help.
Steve Smallshaw reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Her desk]
[SUPER=03-Forest; :00]
[SUPER=01-Lori Manley/Forest ES Principal; :24]
[SUPER=01-Lauren Calvert/Classmate; :50]
[SUPER=01-Meg Garfield/Classmate; :58]
[SUPER=01-Tiffany Nielsen/Classmate; 1:03]
[SUPER=@ssm1; 1:10]
[RUNS=1:31]
[OUT Q=News7, Bedford County.]
(( Her desk in Mrs. Coulson's kindergarten class has been empty for weeks, but her classmates still hold Rachel Sanchez in their hearts.
The five-year-old was shot in the head while driving with her grandparents in North Carolina last month.. she remains hospitalized in critical condition with her family by her side.
Their expenses grow daily, so Rachel's extended family at Forest Elementary School decided to help.
[SOT 12:01:39]
((LORI MANLEY/FOREST E.S. PRINCIPAL: SO WE'VE GOT A COMMITTEE OF TEACHERS THAT MEET ONCE A MONTH AND WE JUST KIND OF BRAINSTORMED AND CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF REACHING OUT FOR RACHEL.))
[RUNS= 06]
[OUT Q=for Rachel.]
[natsot coins dropping 12:13:32]
[RUNS= 02]
Coin by coin, the fund is growing.
In just the first few hours, the school had collected more than 13-hundred dollars, and the calls kept coming in.
[SOT 12:02:00]
((MANLEY: WE'RE HAVING BUSINESSES CALL MAKING DONATIONS, IF YOU SELL THIS YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE MONEY, IT'S BEEN VERY OVERWHELMING TODAY.))
[RUNS= 08]
[OUT Q=overwhelming today.]
[SOT 12:10:38]
(( Why do you want to help your friend Rachel? LAUREN CALVERT/CLASSMATE: BECAUSE SHE'S MY FRIEND. Do you miss her? MM-HMM.))
[RUNS= 09]
[OUT Q=mm hmm.]
[SOT 12:11:05]
((Tell me why you want to help? MEG GARFIELD/CLASSMATE: BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP HER GET BETTER.))
[RUNS= 04]
[OUT Q=get better.]
[SOT 12:12:31]
((TIFFANY NIELSEN/CLASSMATE: BECAUSE RACHEL'S MY FRIEND AND SHE REALLY LIKES TO PLAY WITH ME OUT ON THE PLAYGROUND AND I REALLY MISS HER AND I WORRY ABOUT HER.))
[RUNS= 08]
[OUT Q=worry about her.]
[Standup ]
((In addition to the school drive, another fund is being set up here at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lynchburg, where Rachel would come to the ECHO Early Learning program on snow days, and where her younger sister still attends.))
[RUNS= 12]
[OUT Q=sister still attends.]
School officials say they talk with the Sanchez family twice a week and that Rachel seems to improve a little every day.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Bedford County. ))
(XXXXXXX)
[WIPE TO PINNACLE]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
To contribute to the Rachel Sanchez fund, you can call Forest Elementary at 434-525-2681.
(-------------)
[Giles-Search]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=02-55 TC1:22:41]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Rescuers say efforts to find two men who may have drowned in the New River have switched from search to recovery.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Giles Co./Sunday;]
State police divers continued their search today, but authorities say at this point, the men are presumed dead.
They've been missing since Friday night.
Authorities still aren't releasing their names, but say one is from Roanoke, and the other is from Vinton.
A large scale search for their bodies is planned for this weekend.
(------------)
[Wrestling-Coach]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A former Alleghany County High School head wrestling coach faces assault and battery charges.
Officials say a female student accused 43 year old Aaron Mark Casstevens of touching her improperly at the school on February 13th.
Casstevens' contract with the school system ended with the conclusion of the wrestling season last week.
He will be arraigned tomorrow.
[Rice]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-05 TC35:22]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A former West Virginia governor's aide nabbed on Internet sex charges in Bedford County has had his sentence overturned.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Four years ago Thomas Rice traveled to Bedford to have sex with someone he thought was a 13-year-old boy.
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co./File Tape]
The "boy" was an undercover investigator and Rice pleaded guilty to using the Internet to solicit sex from a minor.
Rice served 33 months in prison before his release in August of 2001.
The Fourth U-S Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday called that punishment excessive and ordered a new sentence.
Because he's already served his time, any new term would only reduce Rice's probation.
(------------)
[Stocks]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]
A late-day turnaround pulled Wall Street out of a third straight sell-off.
[TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/28.01/7552.07/x/7.67/1279.14;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
The DOW rose 28 points.
NASDAQ gained eight.
(-------------)
[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/0.22/39.92/h/0.05/21.47/i/0.27/58.40/h/0.21/65.84/i/0.12/6.48;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.07/6.06/i/0.41/54.12/i/0.21/38.74/h/0.45/23.80/h/0.04/3.87;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.20/40.05/i/0.07/12.59/i/0.05/17.70/i/0.03/3.30/h/0.26/35.72;]
[SUPER=274- /Unchg/9.15/i/0.19/52.75/h/1.06/33.47/h/0.03/32.75/h/0.70/47.50;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]
[Printing-Plant]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=02-53 TC1:35:43]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Since construction began over a year ago, the Roanoke Times Print Facility has become an imposing presence downtown.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
The project is on schedule. The building is almost complete, but as, Joe Dashiell reports the work is far from over.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Construction workers are hitting the home stretch]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Chip Harris/Project Director; :14 QUICK]
[SUPER=04-1956; :23]
[SUPER=04-1985; :32]
[SUPER=@Joe2; :58]
[RUNS=1:10]
[OUT Q=JD News 7 Roanoke]
((Construction workers are hitting the home stretch, just 8 to 10 weeks from completing the building's interior, but others are just beginning to lay the foundation for the newspaper's new state of the art Heidelberg Mainstream 80 press.
[NAT SOT OF CHIP HARRIS 16:47:09]
[IN Q=This is our press bay]
((THIS IS OUR PRESS BAY. WE'RE 42 FEET UP TO THE CEILING FROM THE FLOOR AND THE PRESS IS GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE FROM 32 TO 35 FEET UP.))
[RUNS= :09]
[OUT Q=32 TO 35 FEET UP.]
The newspaper now depends on printing technology designed before World War II.
Elements of the current press were installed in November 1948. Though the equipment was updated in the mid-80s, it requires constant care.
Major parts of the new press, the first of more than 50 tractor- trailer loads will start arriving by the end of next week...
[SOT 17:12:01]
[IN Q=Everything has to be very, very precise]
(( EVERYTHING HAS TO BE VERY VERY PRECISE, THE ALIGNMENT OF THE PRESS, AS THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE PRESS ARE BROUGHT IN AND THEY'RE SET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND THEN ON TOP OF OTHER UNITS, IT HAS TO BE JUST PERFECT.))
[RUNS= :14]
[OUT Q=has to be just perfect.]
The new press offers greater speed, better print quality, and more color capability.
And if all goes according to plan, the new print facility will deliver on that promise by the end of October.
Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke))
[Sports Tease]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Coming up tonight on News 7 Sports -
A first round upset at Big East, plus the state high school basketball tournaments open tomorrow in Lynchburg.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
And Virginia is hoping the third time is the charm against Duke as the ACC tourney gets ready to open.
Pete Gillen on the Devils and his team's problematic season.
(------------)
[S-East]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-140 10439]
[GRAPHIC=NEWS 7 SPORTS]
March Madness doesn't officially begin until the NCAA tournament starts next week.
But if you've been watching the action since the calendar turned in both men's and women's hoops - you know things are already maddening.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-New York, NY/ESPN; :00]
More proof of that this afternoon in the Big East tournament's first round as St, John's elimnated Notee Dame.
St. John's led by 21 points and halftime and by 23 at one point.
But Notre Dame almost got the game to overtime.
[SUPER=33-St. John's/83/Notre Dame/80;]
But the shot of the buzzer rims out and St. John's advances to the quarterfinals with an 83-to-80 win.
(------------)
[TALENT=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=NEWS 7 SPORTS]
Also, this afternoon - Providence ended West Virginia's season with a 73-to-50 win.[S-Gillen]
[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-137 TC5930]
[GRAPHIC=ACC #6163]
The 50th annual ACC Basketball Tournament gets underway tomorrow in Greensboro, North Carolina with the play-in game pitting Clemson and Florida State. The Virginia Cavaliers open play Friday night at 9-30 against Duke. The Blue Devils have won the post season party in each of the past four seasons.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="The league is...]
[SUPER=01-Pete Gillen/Virginia Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:30]
[OUT Q=chance to win."]
(---------)
[VO-NAT con't]
With ongoing scandals dominating the college basketball scene, Gillen hopes that his players have learned from several off the court mistakes this season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="Little things...]
[RUNS=:25]
[OUT Q=play good in the game."]
(------------)
[S-Cave]
[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-146 TC4741]
[GRAPHIC=VHSL Double AA]
The state high school playoffs roll on tomorrow in Lynchburg. The Cave Spring Knights meet Graham in the second Group 2-A semifinal at 8-45.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :00]
The Knights have taken the double A ranks by storm after winning the Triple A crown a season ago. Last year, J.J. Redick was the only double digit scorer, but Billy Hicks now has a much more balanced offensive attack.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q="We're not..]
[SUPER=01-Billy Hicks/Cave Spring Head Coach; :08]
[SUPER=01-Adam Trumbower/Cave Spring Guard; :26]
[RUNS=:32]
[OUT Q=defense against us."]
(------------------)
[S-Wythe]
[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-147 43:31]
[GRAPHIC=Group A]
In Single A, George Wythe meets Radford in the state semifinals Thursday at the Vines Center around five o'clock. The Maroons beat the Bobcats in the Region C championship and expect a war.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Al Copenhaver/George Wythe Maroons' Basketball Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=.....things that we do well"]
(--------------)
[S-Radford]
[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-148 13:54]
[GRAPHIC=none]
(------------)
[VO-NAT wipe to #eng!!!!]
[SUPER=03-Radford; :00]
Speaking of Radford, coming up tonight at 11 we will feature Bobcats junior shooting guard Neal Manor, a key part of Radford's team who inspires everyone around him by playing with a handicapped arm. That story tonight on Hometown Hoops Weekly.
(------------)
[wipe to pinnacle!!!!!!!!!]
[@page--------]
lowed by the Bobcats and the Maroons. The Group A final four gets underway at three PM at the Vines Center as Altavista takes on Nandua. That game is fol
by SS