WDBJ 7 news at 11 for 12/31/03

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

A Halifax County boy is missing.
We'll have a live report on efforts to find him.
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[ENG#=1]
[VO-NAT :06]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And, Roanoke's counting on more than the clock to make a new idea in New Year's Eve parties a success.
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[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=Sports Head]
[GRAPHIC=None]

In sports, words from Pete Gillen on his 8 and 1 Cavs as they take on undefeated Iowa State tonight, Tony Shaver talks about running the William and Mary program,
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[ENG#=2]
[VO-NAT]

and the Express faces off against the ECHL's best team.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

Nothing but fair weather for outside parties and the new year begins with temperatures will above normal.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

News 7 is next.
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[OUT Q=come back in.]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The family of a missing five year old clings to hope.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

A massive search for the boy continues in Halifax County.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Shannon Young.
[Missing-Boy]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=03-51 TC41:42]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

5 year old Deandre Barksdale was spending the holidays with his grandparents when he wandered away from their home near Turbeville about 5:00 last night.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE MAP FULL]
Since then an extensive ground and air search has been underway, but there's still no sign of the little boy.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-shannon & Steve /Starlink;]

Steve Smallshaw is in Halifax County tonight, near the search command post.
Steve bring us up to date on the search efforts.
[LIVE= Steve /FULL Starlink]
[SUPER=@ssm1;]
[SUPER=05-Halifax Co.]
(adlib)
[***ROLLED FROM STARLINK***]
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Halifax Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Michael Barksdale/Father of Missing Boy; :17]
[SUPER=01-Bob Wingfield/Commonwealth Search and Rescue; :57]
[SUPER=01-Cassandra Barksdale/Aunt of Missing Boy; 1:22]
[RUNS=1:37]
[OUT Q=truely, truely.]
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[LIVE= Steve /FULL Starlink]
[SUPER=05-Halifax Co.;]
(adlib)
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Steve /Starlink;]

[Williams]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A missing woman from Greensboro has been arrested in Gretna on felony child abuse charges.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN PINNACLE PHOTO]
25 year old Tiffney Nicole Williams left a doctor's office in North Carolina with her two year old child Monday morning.
After her boyfriend reported her missing, her child was found alone in her car in the Whittles community of Pittsylvania County.
(-----------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Williams was located today at Grandview apartments about five miles from there.
After a mental evaluation, she was charged and arrested.
She is being held without bond.
Her child was turned over to Pittsylvania County Social Services.

[City-Market]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=03-44 TC1:26:25]
[GRAPHIC=None]

There's now less than 6 hours left before Father Time claims yet another year. And now, there are a few new ways to ring in the new year.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Richard/Microwave;]

Richard Lesko joins us now with a preview. Shannon, two new events are on tap for this New Year's Eve,
[LIVE=Richard/FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=@richard1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
one in Salem, and one in Roanoke. And if you plan to attend, you won't believe what your eyes or your ears are telling you.
[ENG#=4]
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Salem; :10]
[SUPER=01-Ted Arvin/Valleydale General Manager; :23]
[SUPER=01-Gary Greer/Ball Co-Builder; :39]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; 1:04]
[SUPER=01-Stu Israel/"Midnight on the Market" Organizer; 1:22]
[RUNS=1:38]
[OUT Q=price of admission, that's worth the price of admission in itself. ]
(( There's won't be any pyrotechnics, but the sky is sure to light up in Salem at the stroke of midnight. That's when a homemade 6 foot ball atop the Valleydale building will drop. It all started out as a small gift to employees, but through word of mouth and a little publicity now it's one of the most talked about events on the eve of 2004.
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[SOT - 5:42:08]
[IN Q=]
((TED ARVIN/VALLEYDALE GENERAL MANAGER; WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS LITTLE THING FOR 50 OR 100 PEOPLE, NOW I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.))
[RUNS= 7]
[OUT Q=we're going to have.]
Gary Greer and a few others have been working on building the project since August, and say their efforts will be worth it once the ball drops.
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[SOT - 5:49:11]
[IN Q=]
((GARY GREER/BALL CO-BUILDER; WE PLANNED TO COME UP HERE, PUT THE BALL IN THE AIR AND IF PEOPLE SAW IT WE'D BE HAPPY, BUT NOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO COME AROUND AND SHOW UP, IT'S REALLY GETTING BIG TIME.))
[RUNS= 13]
[OUT Q=really getting big time.]
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[SOT - 5:43:02]
[IN Q=]
((TED ARVIN/VALLEYDALE GENERAL MANAGER; IT LOOKS GOOD. SURPRISINGLY IT LOOKS GOOD. MAYBE NEXT YEAR I'LL GIVE HIM SOME MONEY AND HE CAN PUT 50 MORE STROBE LIGHTS IN IT. IT WILL BE A LOT BRIGHTER NEXT YEAR.))
[RUNS= 12]
[OUT Q=brighter next year.]
If people around the valley can't SEE that display, perhaps they'll be able to HEAR another. Live music will rock downtown Roanoke in an event similar to First Fridays. The first ever Midnight on the Market will also feature an appearance from a special guest...
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[SOT - 5:53:22]
[IN Q=I can't divulge everything]
((STU ISRAEL/"MIDNIGHT ON THE MARKET" ORGANIZER; I CAN'T DIVULGE EVERYTHING, BUT AT MIDNIGHT WE'LL BE LOWERING A LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY FROM 85 FEET IN THE AIR, AND HE'LL BE DRESSED AS A NEW YEARS BABY. CAN'T TELL YOU HIS NAME, BUT HE WEIGHS MORE THAN 300 POUNDS, SO YOU GOT TO COME DOWN FOR THAT, THAT'S WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION IN ITSELF. ))
[RUNS= 19]
[OUT Q=worth the price of admission in itself.]))
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[LIVE=Richard/FULL Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke;]
Admission is 10 dollars, and the festivities will kick off at 9 o'clock.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Shannon & Richard /Microwave;]
Shannon, organizers say leave the kids at home, and ring in the new year with a few thousand of your best friends here on the Market.

[Lyric-Party]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=03-52 TC43:07]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]

Blacksburg is also hosting its own alternative to First Night.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]

The YMCA, Lyric Theatre and Downtown Merchants Association are offering folks a local talent show.
It's called "Kickin' Off The New Year" and it's being held at The Lyric Theatre.
The town's annual First Night celebration was canceled this year due to budget cuts and low attendance.
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[SOT:54:00]
[IN Q=Since first night]
((SUSAN MATTINGLY/LYRIC THEATRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: SINCE FIRST NIGHT WAS CANCELED A GROUP OF US DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY ANOTHER ACTIVITY FOR NEW YEARS EVE THAT WOULD BE FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AND APPEAL TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY))
[SUPER=01-Susan Mattingly/Lyric Theatre Executive Director;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=wider community]
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[VO-NAT]

The event starts at 7:30 and is expected to last for about two hours.
It will feature several local performers, including poets and musical acts.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]
[ENG#=V10]

Along with plenty of new year's festivities comes plenty of drinking... and police say they'll be out tonight in force.
That's still ahead on News Seven at Six.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

And Heironimus has another year on its lease in Salem... but the owner of the building says the cash registers will likely fall silent sooner than that.
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[1st-Wx]
[Heironimus]
(MINI OPEN)
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-46 TC1:14:49]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[ENG#=1]
All of the remaining Heironimus stores in Virginia will close by the end of February, including the Salem store.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Salem]
There's a year left on the lease at Spartan Square. The terms of the lease require Heironimus to remain in business through the end of what's been a 15-year agreement. Property owner L-S Waldrop says he can hold the company to it, but he says "it doesn't make sense." He fully expects the parent company to close Heironimus in Salem when the rest of the stores- -in Roanoke and Lynchburg- -close February 29th. Waldrop says he's confident he can find a new tenant, "equal to or better than what we have now."
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[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=None]
When NEWS 7 broke this story Monday we incorrectly reported that the Dunlap Company lost money last year. Revenues were off by 11-and-a half percent from the year before, according to Yahoo Finance, but not in the red.

[County-robbery]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-53 TC23:58]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
There was a pre-dawn hold-up at the 7-11 on 419 today.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
Three men went into the store just off Chaparral Drive about 4:30 this morning, demanding money. All had guns and wore masks. The young men took off on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The store is about a mile from Cave Spring High School.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=None]
County Police say the suspects are black in their late teens or early twenties- -two of them stocky, the third slender.

[Mayfield]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-48 TC58:37]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]
Ron Mayfield's family has retained an attorney to help investigate his death and what led up to it.
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[VO-NAT]
The Woodrow Wilson Middle School teacher jumped off
[SUPER=04-October 16]
the Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge over the Roanoke River following allegations that he'd assaulted a student. A decision had been made not to pursue charges against Mayfield, but he didn't know that.
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[ANCHOR=SHannn]
[SS=None]
Attorney Frank Rogers says he's already spent "some time" investigating the matter. He says he expects to be able to release his findings sometime early next year.

[Unemployment]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=03-45 TC1:34:44]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[ENG#=4]

Virginia has its lowest unemployment rate in two and a half years.
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[VO-NAT]

The state average fell a tenth of a point to three point three percent.
The Roanoke metro area saw unemployment drop two tenths, coming in at an even three percent.
The Danville metro area saw the biggest improvement for the month. Unemployment there dropped eight tenths of a point. But at seven percent, it is still the highest jobless rate in the state.
The rate remained unchanged at four point three percent in the Lynchburg area.
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[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
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[TAPE#=None]
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Wall Street has its first winning year since 1999, though share prices closed mixed on this final trading session of the year. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/28.88/10453.92/y/6.51/2003.37;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW gained 29 points today.
NASDAQ fell six and a half.
[SUPER=271-h/0.38/81.40/h/0.39/54.42//Unchg/30.51/h/0.68/75.00/i/0.07/80.43;]
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[SUPER=273-i/0.02/7.86/i/0.03/42.96/h/0.10/18.51/i/0.15/23.65/h/0.50/7.10;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.39/13.26/i/0.03/71.50/h/0.08/35.08//Unchg/46.59/h/0.27/53.05;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[SPONSOR ANNOUNCE]
[COMMERCIAL]
[Drunk-Driving]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=03-41 TC1:51:47]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

With alcohol related crashes on the rise in Virginia, several local law enforcement agencies are preparing for a busy night.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Most will have extra patrols on the road, looking specifically for drunk drivers.
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=None]

New River Valley Bureau Chief Rachel DePompa has a Holiday reminder.
[ENG#=1]
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[SOT]
[IN Q=You're sure to]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;:00]
[SUPER=01-Lt. Brian Wright/Montgomery Co. Sheriff's Department; :11]
[SUPER=01-Lt. Bruce Bradbery/Blacksburg Police Department; :24]
[SUPER=@Rachel2; 1:08]
[RUNS=1:19]
[OUT Q=News7 Blacksburg]
((LIGHTS FLASHING CAR DRIVING OFF 5:40:00
You're sure to see some flashing lights on the road this New Year's Eve. Local officers and deputies say it's going to be one of those "full force" nights.

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[SOT:10:31:00 ]
[IN Q=We're gonna]
((LT. BRIAN WRIGHT: WE'RE GONNA BEEF IT UP A LITTLE BIT OVER THE WEEKEND AND THE NEXT FEW NIGHTS AND YOU CAN EXPECT AS MANY AS 5 TO 10 EXTRA DEPUTIES ON PATROL.)) [RUNS:08]
[OUT Q=deputies on patrol.]

SHERIFF'S CAR NATS 12:28:00
Those extra deputies will be on the lookout for drunk drivers.

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[SOT:8:05:00]
[IN Q=The Blacksburg Police]
((LT. BRUCE BRADBERRY: THE BLACKSBURG POLICE WILL BE DOING AS THEY DO EVER NIGHT. WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR DRUNK DRIVERS. WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR INTOXICATED DRIVERS AND IF WE FIND INTOXICATED DRIVERS WE WILL TAKE THEM TO JAIL.)) [RUNS:08]
[OUT Q=to jail.]

NATS- EMPTYING BOTTLES
New Year's Eve is one of the most popular nights to drink. But police are being extra cautious this year because drinking and driving appears to be on the rise. [TAKE PRE-PRO] More than 42-thousand people died on the nation's highways last year and 41-percent were alcohol related crashes. [END PRE-PRO]

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT:8:33:00 ]
[IN Q=That's a significant]
((LT. BRUCE BRADBERRY:THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DIE AND WHEN YOU TAKE THAT ONE LAST DRINK FOR THE ROAD IT MAY WELL BE YOUR LAST AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT )) [RUNS:07]
[OUT Q=to think about.]

Police say even those hosting celebrations need to be careful.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT:10:10:00]
[IN Q=If you're hosting]
((LT. BRIAN WRIGHT: IF YOU'RE HOSTING A PARTY AND YOU ALLOW SOME ONE TO LEAVING KNOWINGLY WHO ARE INTOXICATED. YOU COULD BE HELD LIABLE.)) [RUNS:08]
[OUT Q=liable.]

Police say if you don't want to see or hear this....
LIGHTS AND SIREN 7:10:00
don't hit the roads after taking a drink. Rachel DePompa, News 7, Blacksburg))

[Sports tease]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=V10]

We will give you a taste of five college bowl games, the Express fights the number one team in the ECHL, the NFL offensive and defensive players of the year are announced
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[VO-NAT]
and we will check in on former Hampden Sydney coach and now William and Mary coach Tony Shaver.
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[S-UVA]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-164 40:29]
[GRAPHIC=UVa hoops]
[ENG#=1]

8 and 1 Virginia and 7 and OH Iowa State began play right at six in the first ever men's basketball meeting between the two. The Cavs are coming of a tough loss to N.C. State but Gillen says this team, no matter the situation, is sticking together this season.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=..]
[SUPER=01-Pete Gillen/UVa Men's Basketball Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=....good as we can be"]
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[ANCHOR=steve]
[GRAPHIC=UVa hoops]

The UVa women tip it off against Clemson at 7:30 in the ACC opener for the Lady Cavs who stand at 5 and 5. The Tigers are 10 and 1.

[S-Shaver]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-151 14704tc]
[GRAPHIC=BASKETBALL]
[ENG#=2]

The William & Mary basketball team has had an up and down start to this season finishing 2003 with a sub-500 mark under first year head coach Tony Shaver. And things won't get any easier for the Tribe once we ring in the New Year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=WE HEARD THAT...]
[SUPER=01-Tony Shaver/William & Mary Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:26]
[OUT Q=...DIVISION ONE RANKS HERE."]
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[VO-NAT CON'T]
[SUPER=03-Hampden-Sydney;]
Shaver says a part of him still misses Hampden-Sydney where he coached for the past 17 seasons, and he's quick to point out that the bench bosses in the ODAC are among the best.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[RUNS=:18]
[OUT Q=...FOR 17 YEARS."]
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[S-Bowls]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-160 2:00:00]
[GRAPHIC=college football]
[ENG#=3]

The college football post-season picks up its pace with five bowl games kicking off today.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Nashville, TN; :00]
Auburn and Wisconsin battled in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Ronnie Brown and Carnell``Cadillac'' Williams each scored two rushing touchdowns as Auburn beat Wisconsin 28-to-14. The Tiger defense logged six sacks and forced two turnovers that set up a pair of touchdowns in the game's final four minute.
[SUPER=03-El Paso, TX;]
Twenty-fourth-ranked Minnesota and Oregon played in the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas. The Ducks trailed late into the fou
rth quarter, but went ahead with about 5 minutes left. However, Minnesota drove down and kicked this field goal to win
it 31-30.
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[S-NFL]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-159 1:51:02]
[GRAPHIC=NFL]
[ENG#=4]

What are the odds that the NFL Associated Press offensive and defensive players of the year would play on the same team and have the same last name. That's exactly what's happened this year as Baltimore's Jamal Lewis and Ray Lewis take home the awards.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-NFL; :00]
Ravens running back Jamal Lewis has been named the N-F-L's Offensive Player of the Year by The AP. Lewis finished with two-thousand-66 this year, 39 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing mark. Linebacker Ray Lewis is the Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in four seasons. He received 43 of the 50 votes cast by a nationwide panel of sports reporters.
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[S-Express]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-163 38:23]
[GRAPHIC=excpress]
[ENG#=1]

The Express just faced off against the number one team in the entire ECHL in the Gwinnett Gladiators, who are 21-8 and 3 compared to Roanoke's 17-11 and 2 record.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

The Express is holding strong in fourth place in the Southern Division and one reason is Joe Dusbabek. The center has nine points in the last nine games and has filled a leadership void left by the call up of Dan Carlson.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Joe Dusbabek/4 Goals, 5 Assists in Last 9 Games; :00]
[SUPER=01-Rick Kowalsky/33 Points This Season; :17]
[RUNS=:25]
[OUT Q=.......on this team"]
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