WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 03/24/04

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Plans for I-73 take a detour.
We'll show you where the road's headed now.
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[ENG#=1]
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
And legislators meet again in hopes of reaching an accord on the state budget. We'll see what they've accomplished.
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[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=2]
Tonight on News 7 Sports - the Express for one of just six games left in the regular season. Steve Mason will have a LIVE report from the Roundhouse -
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[VO-NAT]
plus, fire destroyed everything at the Stuarts Draft high school athletic field house over the weekend - everything that is except the community's spirit.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

The forecast trend is for the warmer weather to continue for the rest of the week. More on the forecast straight ahead.
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[ANCHOR=Keiht 4-Shot]

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

[ENG#=3]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

History reroutes Interstate 73.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 21:04]
[IN Q=3 years ago...]
((LAURA BULLOCK/VDOT SPOKESWOMAN; 3 YEARS AGO WE DID ALL THE HISTORIC WORK AND EVERYONE WAS IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT PORTION OF ROANOKE WAS NOT HISTORIC.))
[RUNS=:8]
[OUT Q=was not historic.]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Bus now it's a different story. Transportation officials announce the road WILL run along Route 220, not through Southeast Roanoke.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

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

And I'm Shannon Young.
[I-73]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=03-55 TC1:48:32]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
A historic designation for one Southeast Roanoke community means that the proposed route for Interstate 73 will have to change.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
The old route was already controversial, and now, new opposition is expected. [***I-73 GRAPHIC IN MONITOR***]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & RICHARD/NEWSROOM POD;]
Richard Lesko joins us with more on this story. Keith and Shannon, VDOT has scrapped a 12 mile section of the proposed route for Interstate 73,
[LIVE=Richard /FULL Newsroom]
[SUPER=@richard1;]
of course, that means the road has to go somewhere else. Now the highway is bearing down on another neighborhood.
[ENG#=4]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :19]
[SUPER=01-Laura Bullock/VDOT Spokeswoman; :35]
[SUPER=01-Arnold Covey/Roanoke Co. Community Development; :57]
[SUPER=01-Ann Rogers/Virginians for Appropriate Roads; 1:23]
[RUNS=1:29]
[OUT Q=open spaces and our historic areas.]
(( The old route had I-73 breaking off of 581 near downtown Roanoke and running through Southeast Roanoke. Now the new proposed route calls for 73 to follow Route 220 through Clearbrook and Crowell's Gap before rejoining the previous route in Franklin County. VDOT officials say some changes to the route are inevitable, and 220 is still a viable option even though it was NOT picked almost 3 years ago. Fine tuning the route will help VDOT get some answers from the Federal Highway Administration.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT - 25:00]
[IN Q=They are the keepers...]
((LAURA BULLOCK/VDOT SPOKESWOMAN; THEY ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE ALL IMPORTANT RECORD OF DECISION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED FOR I73. WE NEED TO KNOW IF IT'S COMING OF GOING, AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT UNTIL WE HAVE A CORRIDOR THAT IS PICKED.))

[RUNS= 11]
[OUT Q=a corridor that is picked.]
Roanoke County officials say they aren't concerned about development along the 73 corridor, saying the highway is possibly DECADES away from being built, and it's possible that the route might change again.
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[SOT 8:14]
[IN Q=The mission that the...]
((ARNOLD COVEY/ROANOKE COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; THE MISSION THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS IS WORKING, IS THIS IS ANOTHER SEGMENT, LET'S FIND OUT ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SEGMENT BEFORE WE DECIDE IF THIS IS THE CORRIDOR. SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO WAIT AND STUDY AND PROVIDE THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.))
[RUNS= 13]
[OUT Q=information they need.]
A citizen's group is proposing another idea: don't build the interstate, but limit access to Route 220 and make it safe enough to hold additional traffic.
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[SOT - 17:25]
[IN Q=It precludes the neccessity...]
((ANN ROGERS/VIRGINIANS FOR APPROPRIATE ROADS; IT PRECLUDES THE NECCESSITY TO BUILD A HIGHWAY THROUGH OUR OPEN SPACES AND OUR HISTORIC AREAS.))
[RUNS= 8]
[OUT Q=and our historic areas.]))
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[LIVE=Richard/FULL Newsroom]
The change in route will still have to be approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, and will be looked at by the Federal Highway Administration, but
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith-Shannon & Richard/NEWSROOM POD;]
Keith and Shannon, residents will have an opportunity to discuss the changes at several public hearings this spring.

[Henry-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=5]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=04-04 TC1:00:32]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident]
[ENG#=1]

The investigation into a fatal church bus accident last year in Henry County is now over.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co./December 21;]
A toxicology report reveals 21-year-old Telisa Ann Hunt's blood-alcohol level WAS over the legal limit, when her car collided head-on with a church-bus on Route-57 west of Martinsville. Hunt died instantly after the crash. The bus went over a guardrail and down a 70-foot embankment, sending all eight passengers to the hospital. All are now said to be doing okay.
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[460-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=04-06 TC47:54]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]
[ENG#=2]

State police say excessive speed caused a tractor trailer to flip over near Lynchburg this morning, trapping a passenger underneath.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

It happened around 8:30 on the ramp from Route 29 North to Route 460 East.
Authorities say 46-year-old Jerome White of North Carolina was going too fast when his truck flipped over the guardrail and onto its side.
It took rescue crews two hours to free White's passenger from under the truck.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:51:02]
[IN Q=We had a]
((CAPT. PAUL GINTHER/LFD TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM: WE HAD A LOT OF CUTTING TO DO WHILE WE WERE IN THERE, HAD TO CUT THE SEATS OUT AND THEN HAD TO STABILIZE THE VEHICLE AS WE WENT ON BECAUSE THE VICTIM'S ARM WAS PINNED IN BETWEEN THE GUARDRAIL AND THE TRUCK.))
[SUPER=01-Capt. Paul Ginther/LFD Technical Rescue Team]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=and the truck.]
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[VO-NAT]

57-year-old Robert Howard Cox of Hurt was flown to U-V-A Medical Center with internal injuries.
The truck was carrying 20 tons of baby formula.
White's been charged with reckless driving.
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[B'burg-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-02 TC1:38:22]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
[ENG#=4]

Another accident shut down 460 in Montgomery County for over an hour this afternoon.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montgomery Co.;]

At around 12:45 a driver lost control and flipped her car over about a mile outside the Giles County line on 460-eastbound.
51 year old Jodi Beth Lambert from Giles County was trapped in the car for over an hour.
She was flown by helicopter to Roanoke Memorial Hospital with head trauma.
State police are still trying to figure out why Lambert crashed.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT44:34:00]
[IN Q=The vehicle crossed ]
((TROOPER ERIC KING: THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE MEDIAN FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON, WENT ABOUT 300 FEET AND THEN IT CROSSED BACK ACROSS THE MEDIAN TO THE EAST BOUND LANE AND OVER TURNED.))
[SUPER=01-Trooper Eric King/State Police;]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT Q=and overturned.]
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[VO-NAT]

State Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to give them a call.
Rescue crew members say Lambert's injuries do not appear life threatening.
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[XGR-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Keith]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=03-54 TC1:56:10]
[SS=VA Budget]

State legislators still have a lot of unfinished business.
Even though budget conferees met for the first today in over a week, not a lot was accomplished.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Meghan /State Microwave;]

Richmond Bureau Chief Meghan Muldoon joins us from the State Capitol with the latest. Conferees were scheduled to meet at four today.
[LIVE=Meghan /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=@Meghan1]
[SUPER=05-Richmond]
House conferees showed up 45 minutes late and the meeting lasted only a few minutes.
All-in-all not a promising start...
[ENG#=4]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=WITH NO BUDGET AGREEMENT IN SIGHT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :00]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Jay O'Brien/(R) Clifton; :]
[SUPER=@Kilgore; :]
[SUPER=01-Sen. Ken Stolle/(R) Va. Beach; :]
[RUNS=:00]
[OUT Q=BEHIND PUBLIC SAFETY.]
(( With no budget agreement in sight, legislators are offering fallback positions just in case.
Senator Jay O'Brien says the state should do what the federal government does and pass a continuing resoltuion to prevent a government shutdown.
[SOT 17:31:13]
((SENATOR JAY O'BRIEN/R-CLIFTON: GOVERNMENT MUST CONTINUE AND WE HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT GIVING CONFIDENCE TO CITIZENS. AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WE NEED TO GIVE THEM THE CONFIDENCE AS WELL.)) [RUNS:15]
Senators say the House of Delegates violated the Constitution by recessing for more than three days. Attorney General Jerry Kilgore says he will look into it but says that's really not the issue.
[SOT 17:54:26]
((ATTORNEY GENERAL JERRY KILGORE: we need to stop alot of the politics and theater here and get in a room and make sure we come up with a budget.)) [RUNS:11] Despite the absence of the House, the Senate went to work reviving their budget plan.
It includes sales and income tax increases and stealing from the House playbook, the removal of tax breaks for public utilities.
But the bill allows the utilities to pass the increases to consumers.
Supporters say the additional 128 million dollars is need to fund public safety.
[SOT 03:51:35]
((SENATOR KEN STOLLE/R-VIRGINIA BEACH: I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE CAN VOTE FOR A BUDGET BUT THEY'RE CUTTING JAIL PER DIEMS BEHIND PUBLIC SAFETY. :49)) [RUNS:14]))
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[LIVE=Meghan /FULL State Microwave]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]
Conferees are scheduled to meet again tomorrow.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith & Meghan/State Microwave;]

But the full House and Senate aren't expected to be back in Richmond until Saturday -- so that's the earliest that the state can finally get a budget.

[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[SS=NONE]
[ENG#=V10]

One of the Valley's known pastors confesses to a long-running affair outside of his marriage. That story is next.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Plus some of the country's biggest cable companies are putting customers in control to block out unwanted content.

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[1st-Wx]
[Fuller]
(MINI OPEN)
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=04-07 TC45:47]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
Retired pastor Charles Fuller offered a stunning confession this week to members of the church he led for nearly four decades.
[ENG#=1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/October 1999]
In a videotaped statement played at a membership meeting Sunday night, the Reverend Doctor Fuller admitted he carried on an adulterous love-affair for 15 years of his tenure at First Baptist Church. The Chairman of Deacons says the church forgives him. "We at First Baptist grieve at the confession of Dr. Charles Fuller," Gene Cress says in a written statement released this afternoon. But Cress also says the confession shows: "You reap what you sow." Fuller retired in 1999, one month shy of his 68th birthday. He remains an elder in the church.
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[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=]
It's unclear why Reverend Fuller chose to reveal the long-running affair now, years after it ended. Fuller himself won't say, citing the fact that members were asked not to discuss it. "I will not violate that," Fuller said.

[Harris]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-01 TC1:20:10]
[GRAPHIC=Wayne Harris]
[ENG#=2]

Wayne Harris may be leaving, but school issues remain at the center of the Roanoke City Council campaign.
Joe Dashiell reports the candidates for Mayor are weighing in, as the school board prepares to search for a new superintendent.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=After Wayne Harris announced]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Monday; :00]
[SUPER=01-Alice Hincker/(R) Candidate for Mayor; :08]
[SUPER=01-Mac McCadden/(I) Candidate for Mayor; :29]
[SUPER=01-Rev. Nelson Harris/(D) Candidate for Mayor; :59]
[SUPER=@Joe2; 1:18]
[RUNS=1:23]
[OUT Q=JD News 7 Roanoke]

((After Wayne Harris announced he plans to retire, Republican Alice Hincker said she hopes the school board will look outside for his replacement.
[SOT]
[IN Q=I'd be really concerned]
((ALICE HINCKER/(R) CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: I'D BE REALLY CONCERNED IF WE COULD REGAIN THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IF SOMEONE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE ADMINISTRATION THAT'S BEEN VERY CLOSE TO THE PROBLEMS WERE TO TAKE OVER AS SUPERINTENDENT.))
[RUNS= :12]
[OUT Q=were to take over as superintendent.]

Independent Mac McCadden disagrees.
He says board members shouldn't limit their search as they look for the best person to build on the school system's many strengths.
[SOT]
[IN Q=The last two school superintendents]
((MAC MCCADDEN/(I) CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: THE LAST TWO SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE COME FROM OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM, AND IN BOTH CASES HAVE LEFT UNDER SOME TURMOIL. I THINK WE NEED TO FIND THE BEST POSSIBLE CANDIDATE WHO CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC, WHO CAN ARTICULATE WELL WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND MAINTAIN THE MOTIVATION OUR STAFF NEEDS TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN.))
[RUNS= :21]
[OUT Q=to educate our children.]

Meanwhile, Democrat Nelson Harris says he hopes the transition will offer a fresh start, and says he has confidence in the school board's ability to find the best person for the job.
[SOT]
[IN Q=You try and cast the net]
((NELSON HARRIS/(D) CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: YOU TRY AND CAST THE NET AS BROAD AS YOU CAN FOR BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CANDIDATES. AGAIN BOTH HERE WITHIN THE STATE AND NATIONALLY AND I THINK THE SCHOOL BOARD'S JOB IS AGAIN TO ATTRACT THE BEST APPLICANT POOL THAT THEY CAN SO THEY WILL HAVE A NUMBER OF GOOD CHOICES TO SELECT FROM.))
[RUNS= :18]
[OUT Q=good choice to select from]

Efforts to reach Independent George Sgouros were unsuccessful.
Joe Dashiell News 7 Roanoke))

[Pulaski-Bus]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A Pulaski County first grader was left behind on a school bus this week.
It happened around 8:10 yesterday morning.
A driver dropped off kids at Snowville Elementary School and then took the bus home.
A neighbor heard the child crying from inside the bus.
School officials are investigating the incident.
They are also going over policies and reminding all drivers to double check the bus before leaving the school.

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A mixed close on Wall Street today. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-y/15.41/10048.23/x/7.68/1909.48;]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The DOW lost 25 points.
NASDAQ rose eight.
[SUPER=271-h/0.27/38.85/i/0.10/52.97/h/0.10/33.25/i/1.51/87.49/i/0.22/78.31;]
[SUPER=272-i/0.08/34.65/i/0.56/17.65/i/0.03/6.84/i/0.41/62.51/i/0.02/29.18;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.32/7.09/i/0.66/39.84/h/0.15/16.34/h/0.40/21.00/h/0.13/5.39;]
[SUPER=274-h/0.02/14.22/i/0.04/68.58/i/0.02/36.04/i/0.51/45.91/h/0.37/58.58;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[SPONSOR ANNOUNCE]
[COMMERCIAL]
[Cable-TV]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=03-51 TC2:03:57]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Millions of cable customers across the country now have the ability to block unwanted channels from their television sets, free of charge.
[ENG#=]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
The country's top 10 cable providers this week announced an agreement to provide free blocking equipment to customers, as part of their "Cable Puts You in Control" campaign. Most cable companies, including Cox and Adelphia, already offer free blocking equipment to subscribers, but legally they don't have to.
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[SOT 5155]
[IN Q=this is an]
((MIKE PEDELTY/COX CABLE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS:THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON OURSELVES TO GO TO ESSENTIALLY CUSTOMERS TO SAY LISTEN, IF THERE'S PROGRAMS IF THERE'S THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT IN YOUR HOME, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT ONLY THE PEOPLE IN YOUR HOME ARE GOING TO SEE THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO THEM TO SEE IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE 09))
[SUPER=01-Mike Pedelty/Cox Cable Director of Public Affairs;]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=to be available]
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[VO-NAT]
The equipment is available only by request.
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[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=none]
Tonight on News 7 Sports - the Stuarts Draft high school sports community is faced with a fourth and long situation thanks to a nasty fire. And Steve Mason is hanging out with the Express tonight -
(XXXXXXX)
[LIVE=Steve Full/Microwave]
[SUPER=@steve1;]
[SUPER=05-Roanoke]
(Mase will adlib tease)
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[S-Live]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-168 2512TC]
[GRAPHIC=KELLY CUP PLAYOFFS]

With less than 100 games remaining in the regular season, eight remaining berths in the 2004 Kelly Cup Playoffs are still up for grabs. The Express would love to have one of those but currently the team is four points out of the running. Steve Mason now joins us from the Roundhouse with head coach Tony McAulay and some pregame notes on tonight's critical game with lowly Greenville.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=@steve1; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tony MacAulay/Express Head Coach; :33]
[RUNS=1:22]
[OUT Q=...NEWS 7 SPORTS."]

(------------)[S-Draft]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-169 TC3920]
[GRAPHIC=Stuarts Draft Fire]
[ENG#=2]

Last Saturday night, a fire gutted the fieldhouse at Stuarts Draft High School. Travis Wells spent the day in Augusta County where the entire community is trying to cope.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Augusta Co./Saturday Night; :00]
[SUPER=01-Tom Goforth/Stuarts Draft Head Football Coach; :30]
[SUPER=@Travis1; 1:18]
[SUPER=01-Brett Zirkle/Stuarts Draft Quarterback; 1:28]
[SUPER=01-Derrick McGown/Stuarts Draft Running Back; 1:46]
[RUNS=2:00]
[OUT Q=News 7 Sports."]
((Just after 6 o'clock Saturday evening the first smoke started to billow from the building and within minutes flames were shooting through the roof.
Tom: Derrick:
The field house was built 27 years ago with several additions along the way. Cougars football Coach Tom Goforth lost 25 years of trophies, team photos, game tapes, and memorabilia.
Tom:
The building housed three equipment rooms, dressing rooms and an athlete's lounge, in addition to the school's weight room. Included among the items lost in the blaze, all of the Cougars football, track, cross country and wrestling gear.

Tom: Travis: Brett:
Coaches and administrators now have the tough task of drawing up a gameplan to move forward. In Augusta County, Travis Wells, News 7 Sports.))