WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 09/08/03

[1-News-Head]

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[V/O-NAT] The Vice President's in town. We'll tell you why... and why most of us won't get a glimpse of him.
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[ANCHOR=Keith]
And recount the testimony of Dr. Cecil Knox, as his criminal trial gets underway in federal court.

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SPORTS HEAD]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

Tonight on News 7 sports - the latest on UVa and this week's Tech 2003 report.
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[VO-NAT]
And the Fleming Colonels get a new hoops coach as Mickey Hardy takes charge.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

Comfortable temperatures but more clouds than sun highlight the forecast.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 3-Shot]

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

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[VO-NAT]

The Vice-President touches down in the Roanoke Valley.
He can expect his re-election campaign to be a few hundred thousand dollars richer when he rolls out of town.

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[ANCHOR=Keith]
[GRAPHIC=News7at6]

Good evening, I'm Keith Humphry.
Shannon is off tonight.

[Traffic-Cheney]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#3:10 on 03-38]
[GRAPHIC=Dick Cheney]

Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Roanoke with plenty of fanfare.
He'll attend a private re-election campaign fundraiser at a home in Clearbrook tonight.
[Double Boxes=Keith and Justin/Starlink]

Justin McLeod is along Route 220 tonight with more on the visit.
[Live=Justin Full/Starlink]
[SUPER=@Justin1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
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[SUPER=01-Linda Hutchinson/Roanoke Co. Resident; :33]
[SUPER=01-Lee Hensley/Roanoke Co. Resident; :46]
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[OUT Q=don't see everyday.]
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[Live=Justin Full/Starlink]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
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[Double Boxes=Keith and Justin/Starlink]

[Holcomb]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Roger Holcomb]
More charges have been filed against a Giles County minister accused of child molestation. Police arrested Roger Holcomb of the Pembroke Church of God last Wednesday on two counts of aggravated sexual battery, for allegedly molesting a seven-year-old girl. Today, the Sheriff's office filed ELEVEN more charges against Holcomb. Authorities say Holcomb abused four other juveniles ranging in ages seven to 13. All of the alleged victims attended his church. Holcomb is being held without bond and is scheduled to be arraigned next week on all 13-charges.

[Knox]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-29 TC1:33:17]
[GRAPHIC=Cecil Knox]
Doctor Cecil Knox is having trouble concentrating. That was his own assessment on the witness stand today, even before the first prosection witness was called.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
It was an unusual start to what promises to be a drawn-out trial. The Knox defense team put him on the stand to support their belief that Knox is mentally incapable of assisting in his own defense. He indicated he has difficulty recalling particular patients as he reviews their charts. "Going back," he said, "it's like being in a room I haven't been in before." A neurologist testified Knox hasn't been able to keep food down or sleep for more than a month.
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[SOT 10:00:30]
[IN Q=I think there's]
((I THINK THERE'S SIGNIFICANT QUESTION AS TO HIS ABILITY TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN AN ACTIVE MANNER TO HIS BEST ABILITY IN HIS DEFENSE, YES. I would think that one would typically expect somebody in the position Dr. Knox finds himself to be more than a little anxious. SURELY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A NORMAL RESPONSE. THE BIGGEST QUESTION, HOWEVER, IS THE DURATION OF THE RESPONSE WHICH BY HISTORY NOW HAS BEEN OVER 30 DAYS WHICH MAKES IT MUCH MORE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT.))

[SUPER=01-Dr. Tim Hormel/Neurologist]
[RUNS=:31]
[OUT Q=clinically significant]
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[VO-NAT]
The judge conceded Knox "may not be at his peak mentally," but Judge Sam Wilson found him "fully, rationally oriented to time, place and circumstances." With that, the judge began interviewing jurors. One hundred were summoned today from as far away as Lynchburg and Wytheville. Another 100 potential jurors are due to report tomorrow. Knox is on trial for alleged health-care- fraud and racketeering, along with his office manager, Nurse Beverly Boone.

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[Radford-Pets]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-34 TC48:40]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The manager and owner of a Radford pet shop were convicted today on animal neglect charges.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Radford]
Classy Critters manager Stephen Sorrow was convicted on 13-charges of failure to care for an animal. The owner, Alexander Nelson, was also convicted on five similar charges. Officers searched the store July Eleventh and found dozens of animals covered in their own waste. Sorrow says he cleans the animal cages every week, and was going to clean them when police arrived. He was fined 650-dollars. Nelson 250-dollars. Officers say the shop has since been cleaned.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=NONE]

Economic issues short-circuit the effort to build a power-plant in Southside.
More on that when News 7 returns.
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[VO-NAT]

Plus why one Congressman believes the current plans to improve Interstate 81 could actually hurt Western Virginia's economy.
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[I-81]

[ANCHOR=kEITH]
[NEWSCAST=sIX]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-28 TC1:17:03]
[GRAPHIC=I-81 Improvements]

While Fluor Virginia and Star Solutions are adjusting their plans for Interstate 81 improvements, Sixth District Congressman Bob Goodlatte is raising a red flag.
The two consortiums have submitted new proposals to the Virginia Department of Transportation, but Goodlatte says he continues to have serious concerns. [***ROLL VIDEO IN MONITOR***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & JOeD /BAM;]

Joe Dashiell is in the studio tonight with more on Goodlatte's objections.
Keith, both proposals depend upon tolls to finance the improvements.
[LIVE= JoeD /FULL BAM]
[SUPER=@Joe1;]

And Goodlatte says, at the levels currently proposed, the tolls are far too high.
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[IN Q=If the tolls]
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[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :17]
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[OUT Q=will drive jobs out of western Virginia.]
(([SOT]
[IN Q=If the tolls]
((IF THE TOLLS WERE IMPLEMENTED AT THOSE LEVELS AS HIGH AS 68 DOLLARS FOR A ONE WAY TRIP THROUGH VIRGINIA FOR A TRUCK IT WOULD HAVE A DEVASATING IMPACT ON THE ECONOMIC CONDITION OF SOUTHWEST VRIGINIA, THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, ALL ALONG THE INTERSTATE 81 CORRIDOR.))
[RUNS= :15]
[OUT Q=all along the Interstate 81 corridor.]

As businesses calcualte the cost of transporting their goods, Goodlatte says he fears that excessive tolls will discourage some from locating in the area, and persuade others to leave.
He says the state should commit the funding it would have spent if there were no public private partnership, try to secure federal money, and then make up the difference with modest tolls.
Goodlatte says the current plan would divert funds from western Virginia to projects in other parts of the state.
[SOT]
[IN Q=And the people of southwest Virginia]
(( AND PEOPLE OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR FAIR SHARE BEFORE THE BURDEN OF PAYING FOR THIS INTERSTATE IS PUT ON THEIR BACKS BY TOLLS THAT WILL DRIVE JOBS OUT OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.))
[RUNS= :12]
[OUT Q=drive jobs out of southwest Virginia.]))
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[***ROLL VIDEO IN MONITOR***]
[LIVE= JoeD /FULL BAM]

Today, a representative of Fluor Virginia said his consortium will continue to refine its plan in an effort to reduce tolls, and minimize the impact on local drivers.
[DOUBLE BOXES=JoeD & Keith /BAM;]

But Keith, Goodlatte says the burden rests with the state to commit substantial funding, and reduce the project's dependence on tolls.

[Bell]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=03-31 TC1:21:04]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2003]

While the Vice-President was making his way to the Roanoke Valley for a GOP fundraiser, two leading Virginia Republicans were stumping for state senate candidate Brandon Bell.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore and Sixth District Congressman Bob Goodlatte joined Bell at a fundraiser this afternoon.
They touted Bell's experience and seniority from his previous service in the General Assembly.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=With Brandon]
((JERRY KILGORE/VA. ATTORNEY GENERAL: WITH BRANDON WE NOT ONLY GET INSTANT SENIORITY, BUT IF WE SEND BRANDON TO THE STATE SENATE WE'LL ALSO SEND SOMEONE TO WORK IN THE MAJORITY PARTY, WITH THE MAJORITY PARTY. THE SENATE OF COURSE IS CONTROLLED BY REPUBLICANS, WILL BE CONTROLLED BY REPUBLICANS AFTER THIS ELECTION AND BRANDON WILL BE IN THE MAJORITY WORKING TO MOVE VIRGINIA FORWARD. ))
[SUPER=@Kilgore;]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=with the majority party.]
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[VO-NAT]

Bell faces Democrat Stephen Emick in the 22nd Senatorial District.
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[Power-Plant]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Plans to build a gas- fired power plant in Henry County have fizzled out. Cogentrix notified Henry County officials that it was abandoning plans to build a plant in Axton-- citing economic factors. The plant would have created about 40 jobs.

[Stocks]

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

Wall Street began the week with a broad-based advance. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
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[SUPER=440-x/82.95/9586.29/x/30.41/1888.65;]

The DOW rose 83 points.
NASDAQ gained 30.
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[PH-Band]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6 PM]
[WRITER=jus]
[TAPE#=03-33 TC40:15]
[GRAPHIC=None]

The Patrick Henry High School band will not have to march into court after all.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/July]

The band has settled its lawsuit against Complete Custom Itinerary Service in Richmond.
Last March, the band paid 23-thousand dollars to the travel company for a trip to Orlando, Florida.
The trip was canceled because of the war in Iraq, and the company refused to refund the money.
The terms of the settlement are confidential but the group's attorney, John Edwards, says his clients are pleased.

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[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=None]

Edwards is now representing Roanoke County Schools in a similar problem with the same company.
He hopes the issue will be resolved before a lawsuit is filed.

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SPORTS TEASE]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]

Coming up tonight on News 7 sports - a new hoop coach for Fleming, the Tech 203 report -
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[VO-NAT]
And Matt Schaub is still out of action. Steve Mason checks in from Charlottesville.
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[S-Cavs]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-156]
[GRAPHIC=UVa]

Falling out of the top 25 is the least of the Virginia football team's worries. Dangerous Western Michigan is up next. Steve Mason has more on the Broncos and Matt Schaub.
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[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Charlottesville; :00]
[SUPER=03-Columbia, SC; :06]
[SUPER=01-Matt Schaub/Will Not Play This Week; :11]
[SUPER=01-Al Groh/UVa Head Coach; :20(QUICK!!!!!!)]
[SUPER=@Steve1; :32]
[SUPER=01-Anthony Martinez/1 TD Pass, 2 INT's This Season; :39]
[RUNS=:47]
[OUT Q=...News 7 sports"]
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[S-Fleming]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-149 15939tc]
[GRAPHIC=high school hoops]
The William Fleming Colonels have a new boy's head basketball coach. Mickey Hardy, who graduated from William Byrd in 1978 and has been an assistant at William Fleming for the past 11 years was named to the post this afternoon.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=WELL, I HAD...]
[SUPER=01-Mickey Hardy/New Fleming Boys' Head Hoop Coach; ;00]
[SUPER=01-George Miller/Fleming Assistant Principal; :16]
[RUNS=:31]
[OC=...A LOT OF QUICKNESS."]
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[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=HOOPS]
Hardy was an assistant under Burrall Paye, Roland Lovelace and Rick Hall at Fleming. And those of you who have been around the are for a long time remember that he could shoot the lights out of a gym as a player.

[Dental-program]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-32 TC52:52]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A dental program started in Roanoke will soon have children smiling all over Virginia.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Smart Smiles was established two years ago at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Roanoke Valley.
[SUPER=04-Delta Dental Video]

The program provides free dental care to children of low-income families.
Now Smart Smiles is being rolled out in Boys and Girls Clubs throughout Virginia.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 11:14:55]
[IN Q=FIFTY ONE MILLION SCHOOL HOURS]
((DR. GEORGE LEVICKI/DELTA DENTAL PLAN OF VA: FIFTY ONE MILLION SCHOOL HOURS ARE MISSED EVERY YEAR DUE TO DENTAL PROBLEMS. IF YOU JUST EXTRAPOLATE THAT FOR VIRGINIA YOU WOULD HAVE OVER A MILLION HOURS OF SCHOOL MISSED IN VIRGINIA JUST BECAUSE OF TOOTH PROBLEMS. SO IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO PUT A DENT IN THAT WE'LL HELP THE EDUCATION PROCESS FOR THESE KIDS WE'LL HELP THEIR SELF ESTEEM, WE'LL HELP THEIR DENTAL HEALTH AND HELP THEIR OVERALL PHYSICAL HEALTH.))
[SUPER=01-Dr. George Levicki/Delta Dental Plan of Virginia]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=OVERALL PHYSICAL HEALTH.]
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[VO-NAT]

Organizers for Smart Smiles say their goal is to provide dental care to 5-thousand Virginian children by 2005.
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[S-Tech2003]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-160 3051tc]
[GRAPHIC=TECH 2003]

The Virginia Tech Hokies are off this coming weekend. Their next showdown is with Texas A&M on Thursday night the 18th. But before that night there are folks that need to heal, and planes that need to be refueled
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[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/Saturday; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jake Grove/Va. Tech Senior Center; :40]
[SUPER=01-Col. Rock Roszak/Associate Director of Corps Alumni Relations; 1:22]
[RUNS=1:52]
[OUT Q=...THEM BACK WITH US."]
(( Kevin Jones' head first plunge into the wall at the ten yard line on Saturday should not force the Junior tailback to miss any game time. Tech's head athletic trainer Mike Goforth says Jones wrists - which he used to brace his fall sustained some trauma to ligaments, but he already is cleared to practice. Seeing Jones hit the wall riled up senior center Jake Grove. The Remington, Lombardi and Outland trophy candidate - is featured in ESPN the Magazine's college football issue. The Forest native is described as being Down and Dirty. ((JAKE:)) The article accuses Jake of a low blow in last year's Temple game - something his Mom was a little conerned about. ((JAKE:)) Finally, those lucky enough to have tickets for the Texas A&M game will be in for a huge pregame treat.)) ((COL. ROCK ROSZAK:))