WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 01/21/04

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A mail-order distribution center says it can do the work with a smaller crew.
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[ENG#=1]
[V/O-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
And we've got the hard-luck story of one of the families burned out their homes in Roanoke today.
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[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=2]

In sports, our NASCAR media tour reports roll on today with drivers thoughts on the points changes, Curtis Staples talks about the Dazzle scoring punch
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[VO-NAT]

and Duke puts it's number one ranking on the line tonight.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

A cold front zips through here tomorrow with little effect for Roanoke but it may bring some snow showers to the western mountains.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon 4-Shot]

News 7 at Six is next.
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[ENG#=3]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

One of the Lynchburg area's largest employers is getting a few sizes smaller.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A downturn in catalog sales forces clothing retailer J. Crew to lay off workers.
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[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[J-Crew]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=03-53 TC45:57]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-shot]

One year ago, J. Crew hired Millard Drexler.. the former chairman of the Gap Stores.. to be its chief executive.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Since then, the company has been undergoing a restructuring to make it more efficient and to re-market the J. Crew product.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]

The trickle down effect is being felt in Lynchburg and that's where Steve Smallshaw is tonight.. Steve, do we know how many people lost their jobs today?
Keith and Shannon, a J. Crew spokesman refused to give an exact number,
[LIVE=Steve/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=@ssm1]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg]
but information we've been given elsewhere makes it appear this is a significant layoff.
[ENG#=4]
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg;]

Until today, the company employed about a thousand year-round employees at its customer relations and distribution center just outside of Lynchburg.
Today, many of those workers.. in all areas of the plant.. discovered they were out of a job.
J. Crew blames the downsizing on a number of factors including a downturn in the amount of mail orders it receives and processes.
In 2001, mail orders made up more than a third of the company's business.. a year later it was about 25 percent.
That meant fewer orders were being processed here in Lynchburg, leaving the facility overstaffed.
The spokesman also says returned orders are no longer mailed back to Lynchburg, but instead can be brought to a local retail store.
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[LIVE=Steve/FULL L'Burg Bureau]
[SUPER=05-Lynchburg;]

The end result is a lot of people are out of a job tonight..
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Steve/L'Burg Bureau;]

J. Crew says those laid off employees were given severance packages.

[Hobby-Guns]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-49 TC1:17:02]
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[ENG#=1]

Buyers of guns at gun shows may soon be subjected to greater scrutiny.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

A Senate Committee today narrowly approved a bill requiring criminal background checks at gun shows.
Richmond Senator Henry Marsh is the patron of the bill.
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/December 2002; ]

He says the lax regulation of gun sales by unlicensed dealers at gun shows contributes to Virginia's high crime rate.
But opponents of the bill say less than two percent of the guns used in crime are bought at gun shows.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 14:42:10]
[IN Q=PEOPLE LIKE TIMOTHY MCVEIGH]
((JIM SALO/VIRGINIANS AGAINST HANDGUN VIOLENCE: PEOPLE LIKE TIMOTHY MCVEIGH THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBER TRADED AT GUN SHOWS WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE GUNS USED WERE PURCHASED AT A GUN SHOW. DAWSON HOBBEST/NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION: THIS LEGISLATION WILL DO NOTHING TO PREVENT CRIME WILL NOT TAKE GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS.))
[SUPER=01-Jim Salo/Virginians Against Handgun Violence; :00]
[SUPER=01-Dawson Hobbes/National Rifle Assoc.; :15]
[RUNS=:21]
[OUT Q=GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS.]
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[VO-NAT]

The legislation must still make it through both the House of Delegates and the Senate.
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[Sterlingwood]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
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[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-46 TC1:38:21]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
Nearly two dozen people are without a place to call home tonight, after fire broke out an apartment complex in Roanoke. It happened around 12:45 this morning at the Sterlingwood Apartments on Montauk Road. Officials say it started in a bathroom exhaust fan in one of the apartments and spread to five other units. No one was hurt, but the damage forced 21-people out of their homes.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith /Newsroom;]
Myranda Stephens spoke with one of the families who's having a hard time. Keith, being a single mother of four is hard enough.
[LIVE=Myranda/FULL Newsroom]
[SUPER=@Myranda1;]
So you can imagine what it's like for Yolanda Davis to lose almost everything she and her family owns as a result of something they had no control over.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :08]
[SUPER=01-Yolanda Davis/Fire Victim; :15]
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[OUT Q=DO EVERY EFFORT TO, YES.]
(([SOT 22:43]
[RUNS06] ((YOLANDA DAVIS/FIRE VICTIM: WHERE DO I GO? WHERE DO I CARRY MY KIDS? WHAT AM I GONE DO?)) Yolanda Davis was at work when she learned the apartment unit below hers caught fire.
[SOT 21:28]
[RUNS08] ((I HAPPENED TO CALL MY CHILDREN FROM WORK, AND THEY TOLD ME THE NEIGHBOR TOLD ME THERE WAS SOME SMOKE AND THAT THE APARTMENT WAS ON FIRE.)) When she got there, Davis found her kids were safe, but that her family lost just about everything they owned in the fire.
[SOT 22:15][COVER PART OF BITE!?!]
[RUNS12] ((THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COME IN AND GET A FEW ITEMS THAT WE COULD TRY AND SAVE... BUT NOT MUCH.)) [NATS @ 1859 customer service...] [RUNS04] But despite what may seemed her worst nightmare, Davis is getting help. Through the Red Cross, she and the other fire victims can receive vouchers for food, shelter and clothing. For Davis, it's enough to get her back on her feet.
[SOT 2351]
[RUNS05] ((REPORTER: THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS? DAVIS: I'M GONE TRY AND GOING TO DO EVERY EFFORT TO YES.))))
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[LIVE=Myranda/FULL Newsroom]

Davis and her children had been living in their apartment for less than a year, but she regrets not getting renter's insurance.
One interesting note, Davis says the people living in the apartment where the fire originated were aware of the problems with the exhaust fan, but never reported it because they were moving out.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Myranda & Keith/Newsroom;]

Keith, we tried talking to the apartment manager, but she had no comment.

[Russell-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=03-44 TC2:01:55]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
[ENG#=3]
Another fire severely damaged a home near the Roanoke River in southwest Roanoke this morning.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
Flames were coming out the windows when firefighters arrived at the house on Russell Avenue just before 11-A-M. Tim Whitlock and his wife were at work when the fire started .
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[SOT 17:21:10]
[IN Q=It's all gone]
((TIM WHITLOCK/RESIDENT; IT'S ALL GONE, EVERYTHING. MY DOG, MY CAT, ALL OF IT.))
[SUPER=01-Tim Whitlock/Resident]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=all of it.]
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[VO-NAT]
The couple's Jack Russell Terrier crawled behind a television set and died in addition to a black cat. Whitlock's father, Leonard, owns the house. Battalion Chief Jeff Beckner said this morning that a power line had dropped. Officials later confirmed this was an electrical fire that started in the kitchen wall. Watching these firefighters work in 25 degree weather, we saw graphic proof that 30-percent of our body heat is lost from the head and neck.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]
[ENG#=V10]

Parking's already at a premium in downtown Radford... and it could get even tighter. More on a controversial proposal when News 7 returns.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

And V-Dot's new I-81 Safety Corridor has been in place for more than a week... but are drivers paying attention?

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[1st-Wx]
[Wishneff]
(MINI OPEN)
[NEWSCAST=Six]
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[TAPE#=03-52 TC1:01:08]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Brian Wishneff has led the effort to save Victory Stadium, and kill the plan to build a new stadium and amphitheater near the civic center.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Today, he called on Roanokers who share his concerns to support his bid for city council.
[ENG#=1]
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Wishneff gathered with supporters at the Roanoke Higher Education Center, one of projects he helped to plan as a city official, and independent consultant.
He says the controversy involving Victory Stadium is symbolic of bigger problems in city government.
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[SOT 08:55:01]
[IN Q=Whether it's Victory Stadium]
((BRIAN WISHNEFF/(D) CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE: WHETHER IT'S VICTORY STADIUM, WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS, THERE'S JUST NO PUBLIC ANY MORE IN THE PUBLIC DEBATE. AND EVEN WHEN THE PUBLIC DOES SHOW UP, THE IMPRESSION THAT I HEAR PEOPLE WALK AWAY WITH IS NOBODY'S LISTENING.))
[SUPER=01-Brian Wishneff/(D) Roanoke City Council Candidate;]
[RUNS=:14]
[OUT Q=is nobody's listening.]
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[VO-NAT]

Wishneff is seeking the Democratic nomination for city council, and says he and Sherman Lea are running as a team.
The party will choose its slate of council candidates at a firehouse primary February 7th at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall.
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[Radford-Parking ]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
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[TAPE#=03-42 TC1:32:12]
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[ENG#=2]

Parking spaces, or the lack of them, is usually an issue in any city. But Radford may soon be giving up another 50 spots and it's causing quite a stir in the business community.
New River Valley Bureau Chief Rachel DePompa explains.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=It's not always]
[SUPER=03-Radford;:00]
[SUPER=01-Chris Bell/Restaurant Manager;:22]
[SUPER=01-Thomas Starnes/Radford Mayor;:47]
[SUPER=@Rachel1;1:00]
[SUPER=01-Kenneth Bowling/Restaurant Customer;1:20]
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[OUT Q=News 7, Radford.]

((It's not always easy to find one of these on Tyler Avenue in Radford.
NATS- CAR GOING BY...
Between the businesses lining the street and the university, parking spaces are few and far between.
QUICK NATS 08:03:42:00 GETTING ICE. That's why Restaurant Manager Chris Bell wants to keep all the parking he has. He's concerned about a possible city council plan to make more empty spaces like this.

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[SOT:8:01:53:00 ]
[IN Q=The properties]
((CHRIS BELL:THE PROPERTIES AROUND THIS BLOCK OF TYLER AREN'T DEEP ENOUGH TO DEVELOP ANY FURTHER BACK. THERE'S AN ALLEY THAT RUNS BEHIND. IT PRECLUDES ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ON THIS SITE. BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO WHERE TO ACCOMMODATE CUSTOMERS.)) [RUNS:13]
[OUT Q=accomodate customers.]

The council's looking at cutting down trees, fixing the crosswalks and adding a bike path. To do it, the city may need to get rid of Tyler Avenue parking for good.

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[SOT:1:53:42:00]
[IN Q=Visibility is an issue ]
((THOMAS STARNES:VISIBILITY IS AN ISSUE AND THAT IS ONE OF THE MORE VIABLE OF THE CITY AND I THINK CITY COUNCIL IS TAKING A REAL HARD LOOK WE DO NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY )) [RUNS:15]
[OUT Q=business community.]

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[SOT:08:14:47:00 ]
[IN Q=You can see]
((RACHEL DEPOMPA:YOU CAN SEE THE DRIED UP GRASS AND MUD WHERE PEOPLE ALREADY MAKE THEIR OWN SPACES TO WALK. THE CITY SAYS THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT PEDESTRIANS AND JUST WANT TO MAKE IT SAFER.)) [RUNS:10]
[OUT Q=to make it safer.]

But so far, downtown business owners along Tyler don't seem to like what they're hearing. [NO PARKING SIGN TO TRAFFIC 8:11:09:00]. The say eliminating the parking (NATS) will effectively eliminate business. NATS- RECEIPT PRINTING.... 08:08:39:00

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[SOT:08:04:34:00]
[IN Q=Parkings a premium]
((KENNETH BOWLING: PARKINGS A PREMIUM HERE ALREADY . SO IF THEY LOSE ANYMORE PARKING ITS NOT GONNA HELP THINGS..)) [RUNS:07]
[OUT Q=along the street]

Council members say nothing's been set in stone. A decision on pulling cars out of Tyler for good... 08:20:07:00 NATS CAR PULLING OUT
could come in the next month. Rachel DePompa, News 7, Radford.))

[I-81-Citations]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=03-47 TC1:42:46]
[GRAPHIC=I-81 Safety Corridor]
[ENG#=3]
State Police want to know what kind of traffic violations are being committed in the state's only Highway Safety Corridor.
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[VO-NAT :32]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./Last Week;]
Troopers started patrolling the fifteen miles of Interstate 81 from Ironto to Salem last week. Since then they've issued at least 141 summons. Most of the tickets addressed miscellaneous violations. Most included speeding. A State Police spokesman says the infractions will eventually be broken down into categories with a special report on driver activity in the Safety Zone to follow. The stretch of interstate is one of the most dangerous in the state. Troopers say speeding, lane changes and tailgating are the biggest problems.
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[Meth-Lab]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Authorities have found their first Methamphetamine lab in Montgomery County.
The New River Valley Drug Task Force raided a duplex just outside Blacksburg on Friday and found large amounts of chemicals used to make crystal meth and a small amount of what they think is the finished product.
They also discovered what they estimate to be 12-thousand dollars worth of marijuana plants.
34 year old Matthew Bordeaux and 24 year old Benjamin King face four felony charges.
They're being held at the Montgomery County jail.

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
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Strong bank earnings helped blue chip stocks to solid gains. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/94.96/10623.62/y/5.53/2142.45;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW rose 95 points today.
NASDAQ lost five and a half.
[SUPER=271-h/0.71/41.80/h/0.79/54.00/h/0.66/31.81/h/0.81/78.20/h/1.78/81.85;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.35/36.49/h/0.46/22.53/i/0.05/6.84/h/0.75/62.75/h/0.49/33.85;]
[SUPER=273-h/1.23/10.74/h/0.31/45.15/i/0.06/18.75/h/0.54/23.24/i/0.61/8.17;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.34/12.65/i/0.04/72.68/i/0.17/37.02/h/0.75/47.08/h/0.50/53.45;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[SPONSOR ANNOUNCE]
[COMMERCIAL]

[Boty-Plan]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=03-45 TC1:59:07]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]
Botetourt County is "on the grow," and county officials are working to keep up.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co.]
Every five-years the county's comprehensive plan must be updated- and it's that time again. According to the latest census numbers, there are more than 30-thousand residents in Botetourt. Terry Austin, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors says the county is constantly working to give residents the conveniences of city living in a rural setting. So, the planning commission is hosting an open house tomorrow to give residents a peak at the updated Comprehensive Plan. Residents will be able to offer comments and suggestions at the event tomorrow from four to eight o'clock in the Central Academy Middle School Cafeteria in Fincastle.
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[Cox-HD]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
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Customers of Cox Cable will be able to watch the Superbowl on high-definition TV. Cox and Your Hometown Station today announced an agreement that will allow subscribers access to Channel 7's HDTV programming starting this Thursday. The service will be free to customers with a high-def television and COX high-def set-top box.

[Sports tease]

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

Richard Petty, Ray Evernham, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. offer their thoughts on NASCAR's changes to the point system, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski talks about the season as the Blue Devils face Maryland tonight,
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[VO-NAT]

and Curtis Staples discusses his second place Dazzle.
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[S-Media]

[ANCHOR=Steve]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=tbr]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Media Tour 6348]
[ENG#=1]

Tbe fallout from NASCAR's new points championship changes continues today. Mike Stevens has more on the touchy subject from the NASCAR media tour.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Concord, NC; :00]
[SUPER=01-Brian France/NASCAR Chairman and CEO; :20]
[SUPER=01-Ray Evernham/Evernham Motorsports Owner; :35]
[SUPER=01-Richard Petty/Petty Enterprises Owner; :54]
[SUPER=01-Dale Earnhardt, Jr./Third in Points in 2003; 1:13]
[SUPER=@Mike1; 1:26]
[RUNS=1:39]
[OUT Q=News 7 Sports.]

[S-Duke]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-163 TC5328]
[GRAPHIC=ACC]
[ENG#=2]

There's a huge showdown in the ACC tonight as Duke travels to College Park to face Maryland. The Blue Devils, the preseason pick to win the league, top the college polls this week, but Coach 'K' says his players don't measure success by what others think.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Mike Krzyzewski/Duke Head Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:29]
[OUT Q=what we want to do."]
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[S-Staples]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-156 1:46:48]
[GRAPHIC=Dazzle]
[ENG#=3]

The 11 and 7 Roanoke Dazzle is in second place in the NBDL standings.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; :00]

Curtis Staples is averaging eight points a game and the former UVa star is pleased with his team's inside/outside punch.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Curtis Staples/Dazzle Guard; :00]
[RUNS=:22]
[OUT Q=......real hard to beat us"]
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[S5 Next]

[S-Tennis]

[ANCHOR=steve]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-162 TC5547]
[GRAPHIC=Tennis]
[ENG#=1]

Top seeded Andy Roddick and defending Aussie Open Champ Andre Agassi had little trouble advancing to the third round of the tournament down under.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Melbourne, Australia/ESPN; :00]

Agassi wasted little time in taking care of 18 year old Tomas Berdych. The 4th seeded Agassi took just an hour and 22 minutes to win in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2, and 6-4. (------------)