[News-Heads]
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE=Heads]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]
Coming up on News 7-
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
A teenager faces charges for assaulting local officers.
We'll tell you what led to their skirmish.
Plus, first an earthquake, now mudslides.
California weathers another natural disaster.
And US soldiers in Iraq build a link home.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Shan]
Plus a battle at the Insight Bowl.
News 7 is next.
[Video-Open]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=VidOpen]
[ENG#=2]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Two City Police officers are taken to the hospital tonight after trying to serve warrants at a Roanoke home.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 at 11]
Good Evening I'm Shannon Young. Jean Jadhon is off tonight.
[Hale]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=03-50 TC1:08:44]
[GRAPHIC=News 7 @ 11]
The officers were both treated and released from local hospitals with minor injuries, but a suspect is still on the loose.
[***HALE IN MONITOR***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & RAchel /BAM;]
Rachel DePompa joins us with the details. Rachel what happened?
Shannon, Roanoke police officers say they were trying to serve warrants on 19 year old Willard Wayne Hale,
[LIVE= Rachel /FULL BAM]
[SUPER=@Rachel1]
when Hale decided to run.
The warrants stem from a firearm theft in Botetourt County.
[ENG#=3]
(-------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Officers say they found Hale hiding in a cabinet in this home at 117 14th Street Southeast. Police say Hale began fighting with the officers and during the struggle, one officer's gun went off. No one was shot, but police say Hale managed to get away.
This is a picture of Willard Wayne Hale. He's described as a white male, who's 5-11 and weighs about 220 pounds with fairly short brown hair and a goatee. Hale is now facing new charges in connection with the assault on the police officers and the escape.
(------------)
[LIVE=Rachel /FULL BAM]
[***CRIMELINE IN MONITOR***]
If you've seen Willard Hale, you're asked to call Crimeline at 344-8500.
As for the officers involved, Officer A-F O'Connor was treated and released from Carilion Community Hospital for a cut to the head. Officer R-H McNiff was treated and released from Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for an injured knee. Another officer suffered minor bruises in the incident.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & RAchel /BAM;]
Shannon, There will be an investigation into the firing of the gun, but the Department says that is standard policy in an incident like this.
[Arson-Arrest]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=503-04 TC43:04]
[GRAPHIC=Fire Invest.]
[ENG#=4]
Two blazes kept Roanoke firefighters busy Christmas day.
Now police say they were the work of an arsonist... and they have a suspect in custody
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Last Night]
Witnesses saw a man leaving one of the homes on Dale Avenue just as the fire started around 8 o'clock.
Police found 27-year-old Monty Wayne Henegar nearby and charged him with two counts of arson.
Police say he'd had an argument with a man who'd been staying at one of the houses that caught fire.
No one was hurt.
(------------)
[CA-Mudslides]
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dgr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]
Searchers in California's San Bernardino Mountains have now recovered six bodies after mudslides roared through two camps.
The search continues for ten other people -- mostly children --who had been at a church camp.
Chris Lawrence has more on how three inches of Christmas day rain caused the mess.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=THE SEARCH FOR VICTIMS ]
[SUPER=03-San Bernadino Co., CA;]
[SUPER=01-Chip Patterson/San Bernadino Co. Sheriff's Dept.;]
[SUPER=01-Howard Hamilton/Escaped Flood;]
[SUPER=01-Chris Lawrence/CBS News;]
[RUNS=1:30]
[OUT Q=Standard Out]
((WORKERS IN OLD WATERMAN CANYON ARE STILL TRYING TO RESCUE FAMILIES --NOT JUST RECOVER BODIES.
THE RESCUE TEAMS BROUGHT IN LIGHTS AND GENERATORS -- REFUSING TO GIVE UP ON THEIR SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS.
(SOT: CHIP PATTERSON/SAN BERNARDINO CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.)
"We're going to continue searching as urgently as possible throughout the night."
CREWS CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE -- MOST OF THEM CHILDREN -- FOLLOWING
A TORRENTIAL MUDSLIDE. THE FAST-MOVING MUCK SWEPT THROUGH A CHURCH CAMP IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS ON CHRISTMAS DAY. CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MUSHY, MUDDY AND WET -- A WALL OF LIQUID EARTH -- TOO MUCH FOR SOME VICTIMS TO SURVIVE.
(SOT: CHIP PATERSON/SAN BERNARDINO CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.)
"They all have been found in the area of the slide. (butt to) Obviously, they've been caught up in trees and mud and brush."
OFFICIALS SAY ABOUT 30 PEOPLE WERE SPENDING THE HOLIDAY WITH THE CAMP'S CARETAKER WHEN CLOSE TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN FELL. NORMALLY, TREES AND BUSHES WOULD HOLD BACK THE MUD. BUT RECENT WILDFIRES HAVE STRIPPED THESE HILLSIDES OF VEGETATION. THAT CLEARED THE WAY FOR A DEADLY FLOW
OF MUD, BRANCHES, AND ROCKS.
SURVIVORS SAY IT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING.
(SOT: HOWARD HAMILTON/ESCAPED FLOOD)
"Two minutes later, there was a wall of mud that completely went through the house we were staying."
BODIES WERE ALSO FOUND AT A NEARBY TRAILER CAMP IN DEVORE. DOZENS OF PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED.
(STANDUP)
THIS WAS A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY, BUT WORKERS HERE ARE NOT DEPENDING MIRACLE ... THEY'LL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY OR HOWEVER LONG THAT IT TAKES.))
[Iran-Earthquake]
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dgr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
Clean up and rescue attempts are still on in Iran after a massive earthquake hit the ancient city of Bam this morning.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bam, Iran;]
When the quake struck, many people were asleep in their mud brick homes-- which simply collapsed.
At least five thousand are dead, and 30 thousand more are injured.
The 6 point 5 magnitude quake destroyed whole neighborhoods, including an ancient medieval citadel.
This is what it looked like before.
But the mud brick walls were too fragile to withstand the shaking, and large sections simply disintegrated.
Many nations are already pledging support, including the U-S which is sending relief aid.
Temperatures in the area are expected to drop to near freezing tonight and may hamper rescue crews.
(------------)
[Tappahannock-Terror]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-53 TC22:29]
[GRAPHIC=Terror Alert]
[ENG#=3]
As America remains on high alert for terrorism, the "chatter" picked up about a possible terror plot may have included the name of a small Virginia town.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Tappahannock]
There are no obvious targets in the town of Tappahannock, about 45 miles northeast of Richmond... no factories, no plants, no commercial ports.
Regardless, extra security precautions were taken this week.
Two of the town's ten police officers are on duty as opposed to the usual one.
The phone lines at the Sheriff's department have been lighting up whenever an outsider is spotted in town.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Yeah, Media]
(( STANLEY CLARKE/ESSEX CO. SHERIFF; YEAH MEDIA. OUT OF TOWN PLATES, THAT TYPE OF THING. PEOPLE NOT USED TO THAT AROUND HERE SO WHEN THEY SEE MEDIA AROUND THEY START CALLING.))
[SUPER=01-Stanley Clarke/Essex Co. Sheriff; ]
[RUNS=:09]
[OUT Q=they start calling]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Further to the north, Rappahannock County is also on alert, based on the same intercepted chatter.
(------------)
[Beagle]
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dgr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=4]
The Beagle has landed on Mars, but it hasn't barked back.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Darmstadt, Germany;]
The first European trip to Mars has so far been met with disappointment.
It was supposed to land yesterday and send back Christmas greetings from the red planet, but three attempts to contact the lander have failed.
There are still 13 more opportunities to make contact with the lander before the Mars Express orbiter can attempt contact early next month.
The lander may be in question, but the Mars Express Orbiter has been a success.
The duo is meant to look for signs of life.
(------------)
[Tease1]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[WRITER=dse]
[NEWSCAST=11p]
[SS=None]
[ENG#=V10]
Virginia's wineries are fast becoming the toast of the country.
Still ahead on News 7-- their recipe for success.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
Plus big bargains have holiday shoppers flooding back into area stores.
(-------------)
[Sports-preview]
[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=MST]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=1]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITES]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=BIG 7."]
(( Hey folks Mike Stevens back in the News 7 sports office as the Hokies try to gain some Insight in Phoenix.
The Tire Bowl pregame hype is over - Steve Mason checks in from Charlotte.
The Holiday Hoopla events opens in Salem, and Lavar Arrington gets a new $80 million dollar deal tonight on the Big 7.))
[Leyva]
(NO MINI)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-48 TC53:04]
[GRAPHIC=Tony Leyva]
[ENG#=1]
Tony Leyva's month and a half on the run will add 16 months to his prison sentence.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/April 2002]
The convicted child molester violated his parole in July and fled to Haiti, where he was arrested in August.
He's now in a federal prison in Petersburg.
The time he has already served will be credited to his 16-month sentence.
A spokesman with the parole commission says that puts Leyva's scheduled release date at January 2nd, 2005.
Leyva will likely be returned to Roanoke.
That's where he was convicted in 1988 of molesting dozens of young boys he befriended while preaching at tent revivals across the Southeast.
(-------------)
[Franklin-Death]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Foul play is not suspected in the death of a man found in a car in the Snow Creek section of Franklin County this morning.
Relatives told investigators 29-year-old Michael Campbell had been drinking heavily on Christmas Day.
Arriving home from a party early today, family members said Campbell was too drunk to move.
They left him in a car in his driveway.
A few hours later, someone went to get him and found light smoke in the car from a cigarette left on the console.
The sheriff says he won't know how Campbell died until after an autopsy.
[Monty-Sheriff]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=03-52 TC38:21]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
Montgomery County's new sheriff-elect says he's ready to take over the job.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Christiansburg]
Democrat Tommy Whitt took the oath of office this afternoon in front of hundreds of well-wishers at the Montgomery County Courthouse.
The sheriff-elect says he's already selected a Chief Deputy and his top two lieutenants.
There will be a swearing in ceremony next week for the rest of the deputies.
Whitt says he's anxious to take office and get his administration started.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT:2:23:00]
[IN Q=Being my 51st.]
((TOMMY WHITT: BEING MY 51ST BIRTHDAY AND BEING SWORN IN AS SHERIFF I'M ABSOLUTELY ELATED. IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE HAPPIER DAYS OF MY LIFE.))
[SUPER=01-Tommy Whitt/Sheriff-elect]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=day of my life.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Whitt won the seat in November with 54-percent of the vote.
He'll officially take office on January first.
(------------)
[Virginia-wine]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-49 TC45:07]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
2003 has been a very good year for Virginia's wine industry.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bent Mountain]
The number of Virginia wineries recognized for producing world-class wines increased dramatically.
And Virginia wine growers, including Governor Mark Warner, were featured in the latest issue of Wine Spectator.
In the last ten years, the number of wineries in Virginia has doubled.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:00:55 ]
[IN Q=THE CLIMATE IS IDEAL]
[SUPER=01-Russ Amrhein/Amrhein Wine Cellars]
[RUNS=:24]
[OUT Q=IS DYNAMIC FOR GRAPE GROWING.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Virginia's wine growers say their industry contributes as much as 97 million dollars a year to the state's economy through sales and increased tourism.
(------------)
[Tease2]
[ANCHOR=Jean]
[WRITER=dse]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[SS=None]
[ENG#=V10]
A violent day in Iraq.
An update on U-S casualties is next on News 7.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
But the news isn't all bad.
See how some soldiers are making the desert look more like the links.
(----------------)
[Commercial]
[Iraq]
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=11 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq Casualties]
[ENG#=1]
In the past 24-hours, four American soldiers have been killed in Iraq.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :31]
The two who died today were killed in bomb explosions.
The Army's Fourth Infantry Division says a soldier in Baqouba (bah-KOO'-bah) was trying to defuse a homemade bomb when it blew up
and killed him.
Guerrillas used a roadside bomb near Balad (BEHL'-ihd), north of Baghdad, to kill a second soldier.
Meantime, Americans say they, too, are drawing blood with a series of surgical strikes aimed at Saddam loyalists US commanders believe are attacking their troops.
Recent raids show intelligence is getting better, leading to more arrests, and ideally, fewer attacks.
[SOT 1:42-1:50]
(///// SOT AT :31 /////)
[IN Q=This is a significant...]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=slow things down.]
(------------)
[WIPE WIPE WIPE]
[Golf-Iraq]
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=11 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=2]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :16]
[SUPER=03-Balad, Iraq;]
Elsewhere in Iraq, soldiers trying to take their minds off the daily attacks built what has to be one of the world's roughest golf courses.
One of the organizers says it's important for troops to relieve some of the stress associated with their job.
(///// SOT at:16 /////)
[SOT AT :16]
[IN Q=It's great that the soldiers...]
((IT'S GREAT THAT THE SOLDIERS GET A BREAK PARTICULARLY IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON, WHEN MOST SOLDIERS OR STATIONED ELSEWHERE YOU KNOW, THEY ARE ON HALF DAY SCHEDULES OR IN VACATIONS WITH THEIR FAMILIES,
TAKE THEIR MIND OFF THE INTENSITY OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING.))
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=intensity of what they're doing.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT :05]
Other holiday activites included carolling, gift exchanges and concerts.
(------------)
[S-Extra]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=EXTRA]
[GRAPHIC=NONE]
[ENG#=V10]
Highlights from the Insight, Steve Mason checks in from the Tire Bowl.
Plus, we'll check on the Express and the Holiday Hoopla.
But first tonight's Extra Point -
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Lavar Arrington has agreed to a new contract extension with the Washington Redskins.
The perennial all-pro gets an 8 year deal worth $80 million dollars. The new deal calls for Arrington to get $26 and half million dollars in bonuses.
Arrington was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl last week.
(------------)
[GO TO SCORES]
[SUPER=#556;]
[SUPER=x5020;]
[SUPER=0101-/Virginia Tech/28//California/42/4/The Insight Bowl/j/Bowling Green/28//Northwestern/24//The Motor City Bow
l/;]
[SUPER=x5034;]
[SUPER=0122-/Roanoke/83/j/Greenville/114///j/Charleston/100//Huntsville/96///;]
[SUPER=x5029;]
[SUPER=0104-/Charlotte/1/j/Roanoke/2//Express at Greensboro Saturday/j/Greenville/3//Greensboro/1///;]
[SUPER=x5027;]
[SUPER=0097-j/William Fleming/72//Roanoke Catholic/48///j/Hidden Valley/61//Patrick Henry/49///;]
[SUPER=x5009;]
[SUPER=0097-j/Salem/53//Gar-Field/51///j/Osbourn/58//Cave Spring/49///;]
[SUPER=x5009;]
[SUPER=0097-j/Carroll Co./69//Galax/53///j/Radford/75//Ft. Chiswell/45///;]
[SUPER=x5009;]
[SUPER=0097-j/Rural Retreat/53//Tazewell/51///j/George Wythe/82//Bland Co./57///;]
[RUNS=:35]
[OC=...LAST SCORE]
(--------------------)
[S-Insight]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-160]
[GRAPHIC=INSIGHT BOWL]
[ENG#=]
The Virginia Tech Hokies are hooked up in offensive shootout in the desert tonight against the California Golden Bears in the Insight Bowl.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Phoenix, AZ/ESPN; :00]
Cal roared in Bank One ballpark a three point underdog.
But the Golden Bears would take the opening drive right down the field and score on the Hokies to make it 7-to-nothing.
The Hokies, who were criticized this year for their unimaginative offense were very creative as Bryan Randall and Chris Shreve set up the first Tech score on this pitch and catch inside the Cal five.
The Tech staff also got Marcus Vick into the swing of things, He set up two TDs with catches from Randall while playing receiver.
Vick also caught the first touchdown of his career on this finger tip grab from Randall. The Hokies were on top 21-to-7 after a quarter.
But Carter Warley kept Cal in the game missing three field goals, and by the 10 minute mark of the third the game was tied at 28-all.
[super=36-Virginia Tech/28/California/42/4th Quarter;]
Bud Foster's defense then game up another score four minutes later and found itself behind 35-to-28.
Right now the Hokies trial it 42 to 28 in the fourth.
(------------)
[S-Cavs]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=11]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-161 4121TC]
[GRAPHIC=Tire bowl]
[ENG#=2]
UVa and Pitt kick off the Tire Bowl tomorrow morning at 11.
Steve Mason has a look at all of today's activities from the Queen City.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=03-Charlotte, NC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Walt Harris/Pittsburgh Head Coach; :18]
[SUPER=03-Pittsburgh, PA/This Season; :37]
[SUPER=01-Larry Fitzgerald/22 Touchdowns This Season; :46]
[SUPER=01-Rod Rutherford/Pittsburgh Quarterback; 1:01]
[SUPER=01-Al Groh/UVa Head Coach; 1:24]
[SUPER=01-Matt Schuab/UVa Quarterback; 1:37]
[SUPER=01-Almondo Curry/UVa Cornerback; 1:47]
[SUPER=01-Joe DeLamielleure/NFL Hall of Famer; 2:24]
[SUPER=@steve1; 2:34]
[RUNS=2:53]
[OUT Q=...news 7 sports."]
(-------------)
[S-Express]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-164 3804TC]
[GRAPHIC=express]
[ENG#=3]
The Roanoke Express hosted Charlotte tonight without one of its top defensemen. Tim O'Connell was called up by the Norfolk Admirals today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Checkers vs. Express;:00]
Tony MacAulay would still get a solid effort and some enthusiasm as Blair Stayzer and company welcome the Checkers to town.
Stayzer would be in the thick of things all night long. After a scoreless first period he puts "himself" in the net instead of the puck.
The game remains scoreless heading to the third.
[SUPER=38-Charlotte/1/Roanoke/2;]
Roanoke wins it 2 to 1.
The Express is at Greensboro tomorrow night.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=MIKE]
[GRAPHIC=DAZZLE]
The Dazzle lost to Fayetteville tonight 114 to 83.
They host them at the Civic Center tomorrow night.
[S-Catholic]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-157 12917TC]
[GRAPHIC=holiday hoopla]
[ENG#=4]
The eight team Holiday Hoopla high school event began three days of action this afternoon at the house that Harveycutter built.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Fleming vs. Catholic; :00]
The first game of the tournament featured defending champ Roanoke Catholic taking on the William Fleming Colonels.
Fleming's Estaban Barrett finds an open spot on the interior, makes the catch and turns and scores the quick deuce for the Colonels.
Catholic would have to play catch-up with Orlando Walker proving that even the easy stuff in close was a challenge for the Celtics in the first half.
Fleming didn't even play its first game until December 19th due football, but they are playing now. Naper (NAY-PEER) Alleyne
[super=33-William Fleming/72/Roanoke Catholic/48;]
(A-LEAN) spins in two and gets fouled.
Colonels advance to the quarterfinals with the 72 to 48 win.
(------------)
[wipe to eng#1]
[S-Hidden]
[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-151 14612tc]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=1]
[WIPE TO ENG#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem/Titans vs. Patriots; :00]
The second game of the day featured Jack Esworthy's Patrick Henry Patriots and Chris Morris' Titans.
Hidden Valley with the great give and go as Hunter Miller and Brent Lawrence get the job done and Miller gets the hoop and the harm on the break.
The Titans then take it on the outside as John Michael Bohon knocks in the three pointer and Hidden Valley has a nice cushion.
But PH got back in the game with a three of its own. Mark Grogan gets this one to go down from the right side of the key.
This time with the defense, Reggie Martin makes the steal and
[super=33-Hidden Valley/61/Patrick Henry/49;]
flies to the other end for the hoop.
But the Titans advance with the 61-to-49 win.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=mike]
[graphic=holiday hoopla]
In the two games, Salem nipped Gar-Field 53-to-51 and Cave Spring lost to Osbourn 58-to-49.
[TOSS TO BREAK]
[Returns]
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=11pm]
[WRITER=jwi]
[TAPE#=03-43 TC1:46:12]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]
Area stores were packed today with shoppers hoping to score a bargain or return their not- so- favorite holiday gift.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
Shoppers at Valley View Mall took advantage of large price reductions.
Stores like B- Moss are trying to sell out of winter clothing in order to make room for their Spring lines.
However, many shoppers returned items.
According to the Better Business Bureau, retailers have the freedom to choose their own policies.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 47:23 BBB TAPE]
[IN Q=It's up to the business]
((JULIE WHEELER/BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: IT'S UP TO THE BUSINESS TO SET THE POLICY. IT'S UP TO THE BUSINESS TO POST THE POLICY, EITHER ON THE CASH REGISTER RECEIPT OR AT THE CASH REGISTER AND IT'S UP TO THE CONSUMER TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT POLICY IS BEFORE THEY MAKE A PURCHASE.))
[SUPER=01-Julie Wheeler/Better Business Bureau;]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=they make a purchase]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Wheeler says ALL companies are required to give full monetary refunds when merchandise is defective.
(------------)
by SS