WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 05/15/03

[1-News-Head]

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[V/O-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Roanokers are up to here with flash flooding, as three inches of rain fall downtown in an hour.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A Tech program that awards minority status according to field of study may not pass the affirmative action test.

[Sports-head]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
In sports more from Tech on the ACC- Big East conference dilemma, an update on the Tech golf team at the national championships,
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[VO-NAT]
and Roanoke College men's basketball coach is appointed to a national committee and snags three huge local recruits.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

As the flooding rains drain away, we are watching for patchy fog to lower visibility and make it difficult to see the total lunar eclipse later tonight.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

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

(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((NAT THUNDER))
[RUNS=:02 ]
[OUT Q=NAT THUNDER]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A severe thunderstorm swamps downtown Roanoke, dumping three inches of rain in an hour.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

That brought out sandbags, and kept kids inside their schools.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Shannon Young.
[Flooding]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=03-18 TC48:35]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The rain started coming down hard at 2:00.
Downtown Roanoke got rain-soaked in no time flat.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Business owners, pedestrians and motorists had more than they bargained for ... and a lot to clean up.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Marya /Microwave;]

Marya Jones is in downtown Roanoke to assess the aftermath.
Keith and Shannon,
(Marya ad libs)
[LIVE= MArya /FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=@Marya1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke ]

(adlib) ((ROLLCUE:...))
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=NATS thunder clap]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
[RUNS=:00]
[OUT Q=just beginning.]
(((///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((NATS: THUNDER CLAP. PEOPLE RUNNING IN MARKET SQUARE.)) [RUNS:02]
The rains came down fast and furious, sending people running for cover.
But there was nowhere to hide from the rising floodwaters on Campbell Avenue.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((NATS: sandbaggers)) [RUNS:02]
As the waters encroached on Center in the Square, worried volunteers hauled out the sandbags and started stacking.
Passersby did anything to stay dry ... even a plastic burqua barely did the job.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((NATS: RAIN)) [RUNS:01]
A river ran ran through Campbell Avenue.
These men tried out to move their car ... but it was already submerged in water. It took a tow truck to finish the job.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((NATS: downtown rain.)) [RUNS:01]
Several lightning strikes downtown kept firefighters busy.
They investigated a report that it struck the roof at the Metro restaurant building.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((nats: sweeping.)) [RUNS:01]
After all the rain passed, the basements and ground floors were flooded and the task of cleanup was just beginning.))
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[LIVE= Marya /FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]

The storm took a toll on electrical power for some residents.
AEP says 700 customers in Roanoke are without power.
In the New River Valley, 5-thousand customers are still in the dark.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Marya /Microwave;]

Keith and Shannon?

[Vinton-Flooding]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=03-19 TC21:11]
[GRAPHIC=Flooding]
The flooding was not confined to Roanoke City. Many surrounding communities face high water.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Vinton;]
In Vinton, police had to close Walnut Avenue two different times today, after Glade Creek twice overflowed its banks.

Portions of several nearby streets were also barricaded, with Vinton police rerouting traffic.
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[Roanoke-School]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6 PM]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=03-20 TC19:30]
[GRAPHIC=Flooding]

Today's storms kept many Roanoke school students in their classrooms this afternoon.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Highland Park Elementary School appeared to be most affected by the flooding.
High waters on Fifth Street forced school administrators to relocate the bus loading zone.
It then took a hour or more for the buses to arrive.
The kids watched a movie until it was time to go home.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 7:32]
[IN Q=That calms them down]
((DEB SMITH/BUS DUTY SUPERVISOR: THAT CALMS THEM DOWN, THAT CALMS THEM DOWN AND KEEPS THEM OCCUPIED UNTIL THE BUSES GET THERE. BY THIS TIME, THE PHONES ARE STARTING TO RING PRETTY HEAVY IN THE OFFICE BECAUSE THE PARENTS ARE STARTING TO GET CONCERNED THAT THE BUSES ARE RUNNING LATE.))
[SUPER=01-Deb Smith/Bus Duty Supervisor]
[RUNS=:13]
[OUT Q=are running late]
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[VO-NAT]

A School administrator remained at each Roanoke school late this afternoon just in case some kids had to return to school because the buses could not drop them off at home due to the flooding.
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[Pitts-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rca]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]

A four-alarm fire is burning in Pittsylvania County. Fire officials say the blaze at Don's Auto Recycling started at around 4:45. Witnesses report multiple vehicles on fire, high flames and thick smoke. At least four fire departments are on the scene to increase water manpower. Officials aren't saying what may have caused the fire.

[Framatome]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-13 TC48:25]
[GRAPHIC=New Jobs]

Hundreds of high-paying jobs are headed to central Virginia, thanks to a multi-million dollar expansion by Framatome Advanced Nuclear Power.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

The announcement came from State Commerce Secretary Michael Schewel during a business awards luncheon in Lynchburg.
Framatome will invest a total of 32 million dollars in its Lynchburg and Campbell County facilities over the next three years.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:15:32//13:18:02]
[IN Q=Largely it's our]
((TOM CHRISTOPHER/FRAMATOME ANP: LARGELY IT'S OUR SUCCESS IN THE MARKETPLACE. WE'VE PROBABLY INCREASED OUR MARKETSHARE BY MAYBE TWENTY PERCENTAGE POINTS, SO OUR BUSINESS VOLUME HAS IMPROVED BY WELL OVER 200 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR NOW IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.)) ((ED MILLER/LYNCHBURG ECON. DEVELOPMENT: IT'S A BIG SHOT IN THE ARM FOR US, AGAIN PARTICULARLY WITH THE TYPE OF FIRM IT IS, THE TYPE OF SALARIES AMD BENEFITS THEY HAVE, WE THINK IT'S HUGE.))
[SUPER=01-Tom Christopher/Framatome President; :00]
[SUPER=01-Ed Miller/Lynchburg Econ. Development; :13]
[RUNS=24]
[OUT Q=we think it's huge.]
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[VO-NAT]

Framatome is the world's leading supplier of fuel, services and engineering for nuclear power plants.
The company employs about 15-hundred people at its U-S headquarters in Lynchburg.
The expansion will add another 300.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]

The fight over affirmative action at Virginia Tech isn't just affecting admissions.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Still ahead, see how it's also affecting minority programs and associations on campus in the final part of our University Diversity series.
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[VO-NAT]

Plus a piece of Bedford's Civil War history is hanging high again.
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[University-Diversity]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-09 TC1:38:53]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
The Minority Academic Opportunities Program has been in existence at Virginia Tech for ten years now.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
With more than 100-students, it's not only the largest minority program at Tech, but also one of the most successful.

[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith-Shannon/Microwave;]
But as New River Valley Bureau Chief Myranda Stephens tells us, criticism over Affirmative Action has put the program's future in jeopardy. Keith and Shannon, when most people hear the term minority, they don't picture a white man.
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=@Myranda1;]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
But in MAOP, a minority is defined as anyone who is under-represented in their field of study. So, a white male student who, let's say, wants to be a teacher, would be eligible for the program.
(+++++++)
[University Diversity FS] Tonight as we wrap up our three-day look at University Diversity we'll hear why officials say just because the MAOP program is color-blind, doesn't mean it's fair.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=we have a slogan]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Randy Grayson/Minority Academic Opp. Program Founder; :15]
[SUPER=01-Danielle Miles/MAOP Student; :40 QUICK!!]
[SUPER=01-Wayne Lin/MAOP Student; :44]
[SUPER=01-Patricia Hyer/Assoc. Provost for Academic Admin.; 1:02]
[RUNS=1:44]
[OUT Q=can find support]
((([SOT 24:03][COVER BITE!!!]
[RUNS:03] ((WE HAVE A SLOGAN AND THAT IS MAOP IS FAMILY 2406)) The MAOP family roots trace back to Virginia Tech professor Doctor Randy Grayson, who in 1993 gave birth to a minority program unlike any other at the university.
[SOT 2534]
[RUNS06] ((RANDY GRAYSON/MAOP FOUNDER: I FEEL THAT ONE OF THE KEY THINGS ABOUT RETAINING PEOPLE IS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT.)) [NATS @ 10:09-10:11] The Minority Academic Opportunities Program is set up to offer students support on top of scholarships. Upon enrollment, the students are automatically assigned a mentor. They're also required to attend monthly family meetings, so they can form a bond.
[SOT 655-659]
[RUNS:04] ((DANIELLE MILES/MAOP STUDENT: 655 OH IT'S A FAMILY DEFINITELY A FAMILY 659.))
[SOT 334]
[RUNS:04] ((WAYNE LIN: 334 WE ALL DISCUSS OUR PROBLEMS WE DISCUSS OUR CLASSES AND WE JUST GET ALONG SO EASY 338)) But, with affirmative action now under fire, this big happy family may never be the same. Pat Hyer has been working with Grayson to restructure MAOP so that it will be in compliance with state guidelines.

[SOT 3110]
[RUNS:10] ((PAT HYER/ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS: WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE TEST THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S PUT OUT THERE IS TO TREAT ALL STUDENTS EQUALLY SO IF WE APPLY ONE TEST TO ONE RACIAL GROUP IT HAS TO BE THE SAME TEST TO OTHER RACIAL GROUPS 20)) [INSERT GRAPHIC HERE!!!] Hyer says to do that the program could either broaden its eligibility criteria, or be based on financial need alone. She's worried, though, [BACK TO VIDEO!!!!] that the more the university neutralizes its programs, the less it's able to communicate to those who might be attracted to them.
[SOT 4104][COVER PART OF BITE!!!]
[RUNS16] ((THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MAY LOSE AS WE TRY TO NEUTRALIZE THE LANGUAGE, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMS, THE WAY THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA READ. IT'S HARDER FOR THE THAT STUDENT WHO MAY NOT HAVE EASY ACCESS TO COLLEGE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS PLACE WHERE THEY CAN FIND SUPPORT.)))))
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[LIVE=Myranda/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Blacksburg;]
All race-related programs at Tech will undergo some changes. MAOP isn't the only one.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith-Shannon/Microwave;]
Whether those changes are permanent, though, depends on the highly-anticipated outcome of the Supreme Court case.

[Stocks]

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

Investors ignored some dismal economic news, and sent stocks higher. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/65.32/8713.14/x/16.48/1551.38;]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The DOW rose 65 points.
NASDAQ gained 16 and a half.
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[VO]
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[SUPER=273-h/0.52/7.06/i/0.05/33.28/h/0.11/15.36/i/0.06/21.62/i/0.14/5.75;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.02/6.98/h/0.21/59.27/i/0.32/37.10/h/0.30/39.63/i/0.14/53.76;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[School-Safety]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-14 TC3:14:45]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The future of Roanoke's resource officers and recent incidents in some schools have focused fresh attention on school safety. [***NEWS 7 @ 6 IN MONITOR***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=JoeD & Shannon /Newsroom Pod;]

Joe Dashiell has been looking into the issue, and he's here tonight with the first of two reports.
[LIVE= JoeD /FULL Newsroom Pod]
[SUPER=@Joe1;]

Shannon, the subject has produced a pointed debate among parents who believe administrators are not doing enough to protect their children, and others who resent having to defend the reputation of a school system they believe is overwhelmingly safe.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Two recent lockdowns]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Week; :00]
[SUPER=01-Wayne Harris/Roanoke School Superintendent; :17]
[SUPER=01-Chris Hincker/Former City Middle School Student; :40]
[SUPER=01-Alison Blanton/Middle School Parent; :59]
[RUNS=1:09]
[OUT Q=how out of the ordinary it was.]

((Two recent lockdowns on high school campuses... Reports of a man walking near William Fleming with a gun... the sound of a weapon in the woods near Patrick Henry...
To some those incidents reflect the need for additional security. To others they're evidence that procedures now in place are working.
[SOT]
[IN Q=It is my firm belief]
((IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS AND 165 VISITS TO SCHOOLS THIS SCHOOL YEAR THUS FAR, THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE SAFE THEY'RE ORDERLY AND THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE SAFE AND ORDERLY.))
[RUNS= :14]
[OUT Q=continue to be safe and orderly.]

School superintendent Wayne Harris acknowledges that violent incidents occur, but says the school system takes swift and appropriate action.
Others are not so sure.
[SOT 17:00:50]
[IN Q=Although I am not scared to attend school]
((ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SCARED TO ATTEND SCHOOL. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CHILDREN THAT ARE. AND THEY HAVE GOOD REASON TO BE. MANY SITUATIONS ARE NOT BEING HANDLED PROPERLY.))
[RUNS= :08]
[OUT Q=before something is finally done.]

The prospect of losing a resource officer at each of the city's high schools has prompted concerned parents to speak out.
Negative publicity has spurred others to defend their schools' reputations and response.
[SOT 23:14:18]
[IN Q=I don't mean to downplay]
((I DON'T MEAN TO DOWNPLAY SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR, BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY UNUSUAL AND I GUESS IN A FLIP SIDE WAY WE ARE FORTUNATE TO REALIZE HOW OUT OF THE ORDINARY IT WAS.))
[RUNS= :12]
[OUT Q=how out of the ordinary it was.]))
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[LIVE= JoeD /FULL]

Just how ordinary is hard to grasp... this is an issue where statistics can lead to many different conclusions.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & JoeD /Newsroom Pod;]

And the answer to the question, Are Roanoke City Schools Safe? depends on who you ask.

[Animal-Encroachment]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-08 TC1:46:52]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The balance of nature between man and beast is tipping toward the animals.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
In suburban developments- -even among homes built decades ago- -residents report seeing black bears in their yards. Joyce Turman has the paw prints to prove a bear visited her house over the weekend, though at first she thought it looked like a child had been climbing on the picnic table.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 13:26:50]
[IN Q=The reason I thought]
((JOYCE TURMAN/MARTIN CREEK ROAD RESIDENT; IF YOU LOOK WHERE A PERSON'S FINGER WOULD BE SHORTER AND THAT WAS SO LONG.))
[SUPER=01-Joyce Turman/Martin Creek Road Resident]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=that was so long.]
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[VO-NAT]
She laughs about it now, realizing that a bear was having a picnic on her porch. Half a mile up the road her brother, Bobby Martin, put up an electric fence- -though he says it was more to keep out deer than bears. Deer will devour strawberry plants AND the fruit. The bears mainly want to rummage through trash cans.
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[Sports tease]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]

More reaction from Virginia Tech on the ACC-Big East situation, a look at a pitcher in the Division III softball national championship who has overcome a handicap,
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

and former Patrick Henry and UVa star Shannon Taylor talks about the benefits of playing for his third NFL team
(------------)

[S-East]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=steve]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-144 1:08:10]
[GRAPHIC=Big east/acc]

Big East schools desiring membership to the ACC will try and sell their strong points as to why they shouldbe invited in. Virginia Tech's basketball programs experience in a basketball conference like the Big East and geographical proximatey to many ACC schools makes the Hokies a soild fit in the ACC
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Seth Greenberg/Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Coach; :00]
[SUPER=01-Bonnie Henrickson/Va. Tech Women's Basketball Coach; :12]
[RUNS=:24]
[OUT Q=......be successful"]
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[S-Golf]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Virginia Tech]

Jay Hardwick's Virginia Tech Hokies golf team is competing in the NCAA East Regional at the Auburn University Club this afternoon. Tech is currently on the back nine at 11 over par on day one, in 14th place. The top ten teams will advance to the finals after tomorrow's second round.

[S-Page]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-143 TC11758]
[GRAPHIC=Roanoke College Basketball]

Roanoke College basketball coach Page Moir has received a national honor, being named to the board of directors for the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Moir is one of two Division Three coaches on the 18 member panel. The organization works closely with the NCAA on a number of issues including rules changes.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/2002-03 Season; :00]

Moir has also been hot on the local recruiting trail this off-season, picking up committments from three local players including Cave Spring's Matt Hamilton, Chris Finney from North Cross, and Andy Fralin from William Byrd.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Page Moir/Roanoke College Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:19]
[OUT Q=great recruiting year."]
(-------------------)

[S-Pitcher]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-141 TC14052]
[GRAPHIC=Division Three Softball]

Western New England enters this weekend's Division Three Softball as the number 8 seed. There are no misconceptions about the Golden Bears being an underdog, but the teams' top pitcher is doing her part to break down misconceptions about the hearing impaired. Travis Wells has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Salem; :00]
[SUPER=01-Marcie Bruder/Western New England Pitcher; :16]
[SUPER=01-Lori Mayhew/Western New England Coach; :45]
[SUPER=@travis1; 1:13]
[RUNS=1:23]
[OUT Q=News 7 Sports."]
((Marcie Bruder has a record of 20 and 3 which includes 2 no hitters and nine shutouts this season. What's special about Bruder is not easy to see. The senior hurler suffers from a nearly 50 percent hearing loss.
Marcie: Lori:
If anything, Marcie has used her impairment to her advantage.
Lori: Marcie: Travis: Bruder will miss her graduation from Western New England on Saturday. But she says she wouldn't be anywhere but Salem this weekend. At the Moyer Complex, Travis Wells, News 7 Sports.))

[Bedford-Flag]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-12 TC59:32]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

140 years after it was captured in battle and four months after it was painstakingly restored, a Bedford Civil War flag is ready to be displayed again.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford/July 2002; :00]

This is what the banner of the Bedford Southside Dragoons looked like last summer.
[SUPER=04-Today; :06]

Today, the cracked paint has been restored and brightened and the flag is now framed and hanging in a climate-controlled room at the Bedford City-County museum.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 15:09:34]
[IN Q=This is very]
((ELLEN WANDREI/MUSEUM DIRECTOR: THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE THIS KIND OF PIECE IN YOUR COLLECTION AND TO HAVE IT ALL READY TO DISPLAY NOW. THE PEOPLE WHO HAD SEEN IT BEFORE REALIZE IT HAD HOLES IN IT, MAJOR HOLES, SO WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW IT AGAIN.))
[SUPER=01-Ellen Wandrei/Museum Director]
[RUNS=18]
[OUT Q=to show it again.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Those who donated to the restoration fund are getting a sneak preview of the restored flag tonight.
It will be available to the public starting tomorrow morning. (------------)