WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 05/09/03

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

A shoplifting suspect kills a policeman with the officer's own gun.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Details of the daybreak shooting, what happened to the suspect and information on the officer who died.
(------------)

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Tonight on News 7 Sports - Mike Shula tries to right the ship at Alabama. A PH Patriot earns a hoop scholarship.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
and Mike Easley, the Governor of North Carolina takes a spin at theLowe's Motor Speedway and destroyed Jimmie Johnson's car.
(------------)

[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

Severe warnings top the weather with quite a bit of wind damage today. We will check on the progress of the storms in just a moment.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

News 7 is next.
[Video-Open]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=Video Open]

(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((MIKE AKERS/WITNESS: HE WAS BEATING HIM BRUTALLY 3021 REPORTER: HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE? NO HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE 2024))
[RUNS=:05 ]
[OUT Q=didn't have a chance. (2nd Reference)]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Trying to apprehend a shoplifting suspect in Christiansburg proves fatal.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Two men are killed, one of them a local police officer.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Shannon Young.
[C'burg-Shooting]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-18 TC32:15]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
A Christiansburg police officer and the suspect both died following a shooting this morning at local gas station.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
It happened at the Shell station off Interstate-81, near the Christiansburg exit.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Myranda /Microwave;]
New River Valley Bureau Chief Myranda Stephens has the details. Keith and Shannon, authorities say the deadly string of events began around 5:30 this morning,
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=@Myranda1;]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
when Officer Scott Allen Hylton spotted a shoplifting suspect at the gas station. Witnesses say that's when things got ugly.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Mike Akers/Witness; :09]
[RUNS=:50]
[OUT Q=Montgomery Regional Hospital]
(([SOT 3019]
[RUNS05] Mike Akers' daily routine includes stopping by this gas station before heading to work. And today was no different.
[SOT 2846]
[RUNS:07] ((MIKE AKERS/WITNESS: I JUST STOP THERE EVERY MORNING TO GET COFFEE AND A PAPER AND I JUST SEEN HIM BEATING THE OFFICER AND I WENT TO HELP 2853)) Akers says he saw the suspect, 21-year-old Christopher Holmes of Christiansburg, attack officer Hylton and grab his gun. He says he tried to go over and help, when Holmes turned the gun on him.
[SOT 2951]
[RUNS04] ((OH YEAH I FEEL LUCKY IT WAS ANGELS WITH ME SOMEWHERE IF HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN OFF THE SAFETY I WOULDN'T BEEN HERE TODAY 2955)) Akers says he ducked behind a car and watched Holmes shoot at other officers on the scene, before fatally shooting Hylton. Officers say they then chased Holmes into the McDonald's parking lot next door and opened fire. Holmes was later pronounced dead at the Montgomery Regional Hospital. ))
(-------------)
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
The Virginia State police is investigating the shooting. Now, there was a Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy, Eric Sutphin who was also shot, but officials say he was treated at the hospital and released, that he is doing okay.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Marya/Microwave & Starlink;]
Marya Jones is at the scene of this morning's shooting with more on both men who died.

[Holmes-Hylton]

[ANCHOR=]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#03-11 TC1:00:03]
[GRAPHIC=]

[Double Boxes=Myranda and Marya/Starlink]

(Myranda tosses to Marya)

[Live=Marya Full/ Starlink]
[SUPER=@Marya1;]
[SUPER=05-Christiansburg;]
( ad lib)
(Rollcue: ended so violently.)
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Lt. Dalton Reid/Christiansburg Police Dept.; :00]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg; :17]
[SUPER=04-1997; :52]
[RUNS=1:11]
[OUT Q=Virginia Tech last year.]
(-------------)
[Live=Marya Full/Starlink]
[SUPER=05-Christiansburg;]
( ad lib)
[Double Boxes=Keith-Shannon and Marya/Starlink]

[Griffith]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=03-13 TC39:43]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Hylton is the second Christiansburg police officer to die in the line of duty.
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :22]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg/September 1994; ]
Officer Terry Lynn Griffith died under similar circumstances in September of 1994. Griffith was attempting to apprehend a shoplifter and was shot in the head with his own service revolver after a struggle. The man police identified as the shooter, Samuel Jerome Patterson, was killed by Montgomery County deputies in a gun battle at the end of a brief chase. Griffith was 37.
(------------)

[Storms]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=03-15 TC2:57:21]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Heavy winds and strong rain have been moving through central and southside Virginia this afternoon.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.]

The first line of thunderstorms to roll through parts of Bedford County left downed trees on Route 43.
Firefighters worked to clear the road, about five miles south of the city of Bedford.
Other parts of the region are reporting no serious injuries or damage from the winds, rain and hail.
But the system did bring a few tornado warnings.
(------------)

(Keith & Shannon toss to Robin)

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

The large field of Republicans hoping for a state senate seat is about to get a lot smaller.
More on tomorrow's firehouse primary when News 7 returns.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

And they may not be in use for long, but Congress is about to drop a lot of money to modernize Virginia's voting machines.
(----------------)

[Senate-Race]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jwi]
[TAPE#=03-09 TC1:29:13]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The race to find a Republican nominee for the State Senate's 22nd District will come to an end tomorrow.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
G-O-P officials spent the day taking care of last minute details for their Firehouse Primary.
[ANCHOR=Shannon ]
[SS=Campaign 2003]
Jennifer Wishon says the process is taxpayer friendly.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=The 22nd District embodies]
[SUPER=01-Tom Leggette/GOP District Chairman; :08]
[SUPER=@Jennifer2; 1:00]
[RUNS=1:33]
[OUT Q=JW, News 7]
((The 22nd District embodies a diverse geographic area. But Saturday's primary will be a new experience for many voters.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:07:13]
[IN Q=We haven't had]
((TOM LEGGETTE/GOP DISTRICT CHAIRMAN: WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY FIREHOUSE PRIMARIES DOWN IN ROANOKE COUNTY, THEY HAD ONE IN BOTETOURT SO IT'S A NEW TECHNIQUE.)) [RUNS08]
[OUT Q=a new technique]
Brandon Bell, Butch Church, Brenda Johnson, Jim Jones, Joe Obenshain and Dale Wilkinson are all hopefuls for the Republican nomination. As the candidates have been campaigning, party officials have been organizing the actual primary and say voters are in store for a change.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:08:09]
[IN Q=You're not going to have]
((YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE QUITE THE FORMALITY THAT YOU DO IN A REGULAR PRIMARY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE VOTING MACHINES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PAPER BALLOTS.)) [RUNS11]
[OUT Q=have paper ballots]
An estimated 30- thousand dollars is being saved. And while supporters of the candidates will be manning the polls, officials say voter fraud is not an issue.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:09:00]
[IN Q=There's no way that]
((THERE'S NO WAY THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT YOU COULD GET MORE THAN ONE VOTE IN THAT BOX. AND REMEMBER, EVEN AT POLLS WHERE I HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID THEY'RE WORKING OUTSIDE THIS PROCESS FOR A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE, I HAVE OTHER CANDIDATE'S PEOPLE WORKING THERE TOO.)) [RUNS14]
[OUT Q=working there too]
Another change for some voters will be where they cast their ballot. Precincts for the district have been condensed into five locations. Read Mountain Middle School, Vinton Firehouse, the Brambleton Center, Salem Courthouse and the Montgomery County Courthouse. Chairman Leggette says he has increased the number of volunteers at each location in expectation of a large voter turnout. And he predicts the candidate that campaigned the hardest will rise above the rest. Jennifer Wishon, News 7.))

[Voting]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-14 TC3:08:22]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Virginia is expected to receive 60 million dollars to overhaul the state's election procedures... but will those federal funds be enough?
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

In response to the presidential-election fiasco in Florida, Congress is handing out billions to help states replace their punch-card and lever voting machines, the type used in most of Virginia precincts.
The new machines cost up to four-thousand dollars each.
State election officials are concerned there won't be enough money to replace them all.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 02:57:14]
[IN Q=IF YOUR PRECINCT HAS FOUR]
((JEAN JENSEN/VA BOARD OF ELECTIONS SECRETARY: IF YOUR PRECINCT HAS FOUR MACHINES IN IT WE'RE REALLY ONLY GETTING ENOUGH FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE FEDS TO REPLACE TWO OF THE FOUR MACHINES. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE WORKING WITH THE LOCALITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THOSE OTHER MACHINES.))
[SUPER=01-Jean Jensen/VA Board of Elections Secretary]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=FUNDS FOR THOSE OTHER MACHINES.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The state hopes to have the new machines in place by January 2006.
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[Bond-Cote]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-17 TC14:54]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Government agents claim a company in the New River Valley has been applying a toxic chemical to tents and tarps it sells to the U-S military.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Pulaski/Yesterday]
Criminal Investigators spent all day yesterday at BondCote facilities in Pulaski and Dublin. They seized more than 200 items, including tarps, production logs and files. According to documents filed today in federal court, a senior BondCote employee reported that the company used "chrome yellow" on certain fabrics, in part because it keeps desert tan or olive green colors from fading. The government says exposure to chrome yellow can cause cancer and other health problems.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=None]
A batch of "duck cloth" that BondCote delivered to a Marine base in Georgia last June allegedly tested positive for chrome yellow.

[Stocks]

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

Buyers reemerged on Wall Street after two straight days of declines. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/113.38/8604.60/x/30.46/1520.15;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW gained 113 points.
NASDAQ rose 30 and a half.
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[VO]
[SUPER=271-h/1.01/53.31/h/0.67/31.70/h/0.25/25.50/h/0.16/70.70/h/0.31/74.00;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.04/9.40/h/0.08/6.09/h/0.38/59.34/h/0.57/41.40/h/0.53/29.00;]
[SUPER=273-h/0.24/6.67/h/0.45/31.90/h/0.29/14.31/h/0.45/21.42/h/0.19/4.88;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.03/7.02/h/0.35/58.10/h/0.73/37.06/h/0.38/39.30/h/0.79/55.80;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[What's-Next]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-12 TC47:21]
[GRAPHIC=None]

It's a question they've been trying to answer for five years.. as educators try to steer young people away from drugs and violence.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The annual "What's Next?" day began in 1999 after the murder of Liberty High School student Anthony Poindexter.
[SUPER=03-Bedford]

Organizers wanted to rally the community to step up and help teach kids about non-violent ways to settle their differences.
But now they say a lack of funds threatens their success.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:23:42]
[IN Q=We're asking for]
((JOHN EGGLESTON/EVENT ORGANIZER: WE'RE ASKING FOR ANY TYPE SPONSORSHIP, I MEAN TO PUT YOUR NAME WITH US IS TO SAY I BELIEVE IN KIDS AND I BELIEVE IF WE GIVE THESE THIS GROUP THE MONEY THEY NEED THEN THEY CAN CONTINUE TO DO POSITIVE THINGS, AND REALLY THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS THE MONEY, WE HAVE THE KIDS, WE JUST NEED THE MONEY.))
[SUPER=01-John Eggleston/Event Organizer]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=we just need the money.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Eggleston says he expects more than 15-hundred kids from around central Virginia to attend tomorrow's "What's Next?" event at Liberty High School.
It's free and gets underway at 10 a-m.
The group also sponsors an A-A-U basketball team and peer mediation groups throughout the year.
(------------)

[CHIP]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=03-12 TC47:21]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Some local companies insured a win at an annual fundraiser today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :20.5]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
The top teams from "Tugs for Tots" are both in the insurance business. Allstate and Atlantic Mutual pulled ahead of 20-other teams in heavyweight and lightweight competition. Each team paid one-thousand dollars to participate. The funds go to CHIP ... the Child Health Investment Partnership, which provides health care to children in need.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:29:46]
[IN Q=it's about]
((ROBIN HALDIMAN/CHIP EXEC. DIR.; IT'S ABOUT COMING OUT HERE IT'S TEAM BUILDING THING FOR CORPORATIONS RAISING MONEY FOR WONDERFUL CAUSE AND HELPING OUT KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS YOU AND I DO.))
[SUPER=01-Robin Haldiman/CHIP Exec. Director;]
[RUNS=:15]
[OUT Q=as you and I do.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
This is the event's 7th year. Today's fun raised 28-thousand dollars. Thanks to Lewis Gale, it also marked the first time "Tugs for Tots" received a corporate sponsorship.
(------------)

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SPORTS TEASE]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]
Coming up tonight on News 7 Sports - we'll hear from the new boss at Bama. The North Carolina governor hits the wall at the Lowe's Motor Speedway,
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
and the Scott Robertson committee hands out $10 thousand dollars in scholarship money this afternoon.
(------------)

[S-Shula]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-143 11607TC]
[GRAPHIC=NCAA FB]
Alabama football is ready to try it again, and this time they believe they have the right man in former Crimson Tide quarterback - Mike Shula.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Tuscaloosa, AL; :00]
Shula and his wife Sherry call returning to Bama a once in a lifetime opportunity. He also says he has received some good advice from his hall of fame coaching dad - Don Shula.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=THE COACHING...]
[SUPER=01-Mike Shula/New Alabama Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=...gonna do with it."]
(------------)
[talent=mike]
[graphic=ncaa]
At 37 - Shula will be the youngest coach in the SEC. He gets a six-year deal worth $900 thousand bucks.

[S-Scholar]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-141 TC13544]
[GRAPHIC=Scott Robertson Memorial]

Next week some of the best junior golfers in the world will converge on the Roanoke Country Club for the Scott Robertson Memorial golf tournament. But today tournament officials honored two local youngsters for their accomplishments off the course. Travis Wells has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=01-Barry Wirt, Jr./Scott Robertson Scholarship Winner; :19]
[SUPER=@travis2; :35]
[SUPER=01-Carrie Stump/Gene Hawthorne Grant Winner; 1:01]
[SUPER=04-2002 Scott Robertson Tournament; 1:13]
[RUNS=1:20]
[OUT Q=News 7 Sports."]
((The Scott Robertson Memorial Golf Tournament will celebrate its 20th anniversary next week. This afternoon Patrick Henry High School's Barry Wirt, Junior celebrated winning the 8 thousand dollar Scott Robertson scholarship. Wirt, who ranks 16th in a class of 360, will take his talents to UVA next fall.
Wirt:
While Wirt may not have made the Robertson field, he plans to continue his career on the links by restoring the Cavaliers to ACC golf prominence.
Wirt:
Lord Botetourt's Carrie Stump captured the 2 thousand dollar Eugene Hawthorne Grant. Stump is ranked 17th out of 221 students in her class.
Carrie:
5 of the top 18 boys players in the world, and 9 of the top 14 junior girls will be on hand for this year's Scott Robertson which gets underway on Friday. Travis Wells, News 7 Sports.))

[S-Patriot]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-139 1:35:38]
[GRAPHIC=Basketball]

One of Patrick Henry's finest student athletes will play college basketball at Division II Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

Senior Brian Epperly signed his letter of intent today. The 6 foot 6 center has a 3.6 grade point average and 1270 SAT's. He averaged 10 points and five rebounds a game this past season. Epperly has a solid basketball and life plan already in place.
(------------)

[S-Gov]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-134 TC13301]
[GRAPHIC=Nascar]

The Nascar Winston Cup Series has the Mother's Day Weekend off, but today, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley hit the track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Jimmie Johnson's number 48.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Concord, NC; :00]

Governor Easley was taking laps to raise money for Communities in Schools, an anti-dropout program. He also plans to run a couple of laps prior to the Winston.
Things went well for about four to five laps, but then the governor wrecked the Lowe's machine. He reached speeds in excess of 160 miles an hour, but was estimated to be going about 120 miles an hour when he hit the wall.
Easley was o-k, suffering from just a bruised ego.
(------------)

[S-Riggins]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-142 12649TC]
[GRAPHIC=REDSKINS]

As if the Governor's incident wasn't strange enough today, Redskins' fans got a shock this afternoon when they tuned into happened to tune
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-CBS; :00]
Your Hometown Station this afternoon to watch the Guiding Light. John Riggins, the Super Bowl 27 MVP, has joined the cast of the Soap Opera playing the role of Mitch Hendon, an ex-Marine who is suspicious about his wife's relationship with a college-age man.
(------------)

[Gillespie]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=03-06 TC2:04:50]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Roanoke is welcoming home a renowned artist who will leave behind a piece of her work.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :19]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Dorothy Gillespie is a Roanoke native and 19-37 graduate of Jefferson High School. Behind this curtain is the panel painting she was asked to create for her alma matter. The artist is well known for her enamel metal wall murals. Her latest creation remains a secret until being unveiled and dedicated tomorrow evening.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:09:29]
[IN Q=SO IT'S]
((DOROTHY GILLESPIE/ARTIST; SO IT'S THAT GASP I LOVE WHEN THEY GO GASP, BECAUSE THAT WAS SO SPECIAL AND NOW WHENEVER SOMETHING IS UNVEILED THEY GO (GASP) ... LAUGHTER.))
[SUPER=01-Dorothy Gillespie/Artist;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=ha ha ha (she's laughing).]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Gillespie calls her painting Celebrated Memories. She says she has nothing but good memories from her times at Jefferson High School and that's it's very special to have a piece of her work at the center. (------------)