WDBJ 7 morning news for 10/18/03

[Open-Heads]

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[roll cold out of the open]

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[VO-NAT]
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Coming up on News 7 Saturday Morning.......
Two people are injured after their home caught fire in Blacksburg early this morning.
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And at least six people were killed in a fire in a county administration building in Illinois yesterday. We will have more on those stories in just a few minutes.

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[B'burg-Fire]

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Two people were airlifted the UVA burn center after their home caught fire early this morning.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg/This Morning;]

Flames broke out in this mobile home in Clayton Estates in Blacksburg around 5:30 this morning.
Two people were home at the time and both were injured.
Police officers were on the scene to help with the victims when firefighers arrived.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=The police had already]
[SUPER=01-Bobby Carner/Blacksburg Fire Department;]
((BOBBY CARNER: THE POLICE HAD ALREADY PULLED TWO VICTIMS FROM THE FIRE AND WAS WORKING ON THEM. EMS ALSO WORKED ON THEM AND FLEW VIA HELICOPTER WITH BURNS AND OTHER UNKONOWN INJURIES.))
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[OUT Q=and other unknown injuries]
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[VO-NAT]

Police have identified the victims as 32 year old Steven Cook and 39 year old Duane Duncan.
There's no word on how the fire started, but officials say it appears accidental.
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[IL-Fire]

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A deadly blaze inside a high-rise building in Chicago leaves six people dead.
As Dana Kozlov reports workers were trappered inside stairways and hallways.
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[IN Q=The end of the work week]
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[SUPER=01-Dana Kozlov/Reporting; 1:10]
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[OUT Q=eleven seriously injured peple during that late search]
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That was Dana Kozlov reporting.

[11Dan-River]

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After nine months of rotating layoffs, Danville's largest employer says it will periodically close during the winter in order to move inventory.
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[VO-NAT]
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In a internet conference call, officials say they have to increase market share in order to remain competitive and will introduce a new product line in February.
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[SOT 21:18:04]
[IN Q=We knew that we]
((TOM MUSCALINO: WE KNEW THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT WITH THE SAME SORTS OF PRODUCT CONTENT THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE MARKET AND CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE MARKET.))
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[OUT Q=have in the market]
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[VO-NAT]
Dan River Incorporated announced earlier in the week that it would NOT meet third quarter expectations because of a decrease in home fashions, apparel, and engineered products.

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[6Ruan-Layoffs]

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The strike by Kroger workers in West Virginia and two other states is costing jobs at a company in the Roanoke Valley.
About 35 drivers and mechanics for Ruan Transportation have lost their jobs.
The company delivers goods to Kroger stores, and officials say because of the strike there's just no work for these people.
Ruan says once the walkout is settled its employees will be back to work.

[Iraq]

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Congress approves President Bush's request for 87-million dollars for Post-War Iraq.
Jennifer Donelan has details.
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[IN Q=Nat sot, bill passes]
[SUPER=03-Washington, DC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rep. Bill Frist/Senate Majority Leader (R) Tennessee; :20]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Tom Daschle/(D) South Carolina; :47]
[SUPER=01-Jennifer Donelan/CBS News; 1:34]
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((AFTER WEEKS OF DEBATE, CONTROVERSY, AND PRESSURE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ...IT IS OFFICIAL. THE U.S. CONGRESS HAS APPROVED A MULTI - BILLION DOLLAR CHECK...PAYABLE TO IRAQ...WITH AMERICAN TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL.
Sot - Rep. Bill Frist/Senate Majority Leader, R-Tenn "There was sticker-shock. A lot of people worried about the cost, but look where we are today."
ALTHOUGH, THE 87 BILLION DOLLAR AID PACKAGE ISNT EXACTLY WRAPPED UP THE WAY PRESIDENT BUSH HAD WANTED.
IN A DEFIANT MOVE, THE SENATE VOTED TO CONVERT HALF OF A 20.3 BILLION GRANT FOR RECONSTRUCTION INTO A LOAN...SO IRAQ WOULD HAVE TO PAY BACK MORE THAN 10 BILLION DOLLARS.
Sot - Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SC) We want Iraqis to share in the responsibility to pay it back
THOSE WHO WANTED THE LOAN SAY IRAQIS, IN THE OIL RICH COUNTRY, SHOULD SHARE THE BURDEN WITH AMERICANS STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AT HOME.
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAD ARGUED THE SHATTERED NATION IS ALREADY DROWNING IN DEBT.
THE HOUSE AGREED. THEY'LL HAVE TO BATTLE THAT OUT LATER WITH SENATORS.
NOT CONTROVERSIAL...66 BILLION IN EMERGENCY MONEY WILL GO TO SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ .

NAT SOT.

AND IN IRAQ....THE AMERICAN DEATH TOLL - SINCE THE END OF MAJOR COMBAT - BROKE THE ONE HUNDRED MARK FRIDAY.
IN KERBALA - THREE U.S. MILITARY POLICE DIED IN A HAIL OF GUNFIRE AND ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADES OUTSIDE THE HOME OF A SHITTE CLERIC. TWO IRAQI POLICE WERE ALSO KILLED IN THE AMBUSH.
THEN, JUST SOUTH OF BAGHDAD, THE 101ST CASUALTY, ANOTHER U.S. MILITARY OFFICER, KILLED IN A BOMB BLAST.
STANDUP; TO COME:
(bills to be merged/president sign when back from his trip)))

[11Water-Authority]

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Roanoke County and the city of Roanoke have shuffled through all of the suggestions and finally settled on name for the NEW regional Water authority.
It will be known as the Western Virginia Water Authority.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]

City council and the board of supervisors approved the authority earlier this year ... now they're negotiating the nuts and bolts.
Officials say months of quiet work have set the stage for a successful collaboration.
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[IN Q=We've had some very serious]
((ELMER HODGE/COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR: WE'VE HAD SOME VERY SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS WORKED THROUGH THOSE MAJOR POINTS.)) ((DARLENE BURCHAM/CITY MANAGER: WE'RE BUILDING THE BLOCKS THAT WILL MAKE THIS A VERY SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION.))
[SUPER=@Hodge; :00 QUICK]
[SUPER=@Burcham; :07 QUICK]
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[OUT Q=a very successful transition.]
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[VO-NAT]

Officials hope to have the seven-member board in place by the end of the year, and state approval by next Spring.

The new authority will set new water and sewer rates that will take effect July 1st of next year.
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[11River-Search]

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Rescuers have found the body of a man who apparently committed suicide.
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[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.;]
Two park rangers yesterday found the body of 55-year old Ronald Lee Mayfield, Junior. A passerby saw the man climb over the railing of the Roanoke River Bridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway Thursday morning.

Police found a suicide note and wallet nearby. Divers and a State Police helicopter were called-in to assist in the search, which ended around noon yesterday ...about a half-mile from the bridge. Police say Mayfield was employed by Roanoke City.
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[Bush-Manila]

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As part of his Tour of Asia, President Bush traveled today to the Philippines.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Manila, Philippines]

He praised the country's President Gloria Arroya for cracking down on an al-Qaida linked militant group and for sending troops to Iraq.
Bush says the anti-terror alliance between the U-S and the Philippines is a rock of stability in the Pacific.
The President only plans to spend a few hours in the country because of terrorists fears. His next stop will be Thailand.
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[Soyuz-Launch]

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The Russian Space craft, Soyuz (SOY-USE), left for the International Space Station today.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NASA]

The crew includes members from Russia, the United States and Spain. The astronauts will live onboard the International Space Station for six months.
NASA is relying on the Russians to keep its astronauts flying until it resumes shuttle flights. (------------) The U-S space agency halted space travel after the Columbia disaster.