WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 04/06/04

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Just when a compromise appeared close at hand, hopes for a state budget are dashed again.

A live report from Richmond coming up.
(------------)
[ENG#=1]
[VO-NAT :05]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
And opposites not only attract, they collide, on stage in the NASCAR Ballet.
(------------)

[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
[ENG#=2]

Tonight on News 7 sports - the Express opens the playoffs, testing continues at Martinsville. Tech introduces Bonnie's replacement -
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

And Steve Magenbauer is the man tabbed to replace Willis White and lead the Salem high school football program.
(------------)

[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]

Another warm one tomorrow with changes coming up in the rainfall department especially this weekend.
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon 4-Shot]

News 7 is next.

[2Bank-Robbery]

[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=04-12 TC17:30]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
Good evening, I'm Shannon Young.
[ANCHOR=Keiht 2-Shot]

And I'm Keith Humphry.
An arrest has been made in the robbery of a Bedford County bank.
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

The suspect allegedly was trying to rob another bank in Lynchburg this afternoon.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The SunTrust bank on Graves Mill Road was robbed last month by a man who walked in with a sawed-off rifle and demanded money.
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co./March 17]

A widespread search of the area failed to find him.
Lynchburg police say 37-year-old Maurice Preston Scott man tried to rob the Central National Bank on Tate Springs Road today, but the bank was closed when he approached it.
He was apprehended after a short foot pursuit.
Bedford County authorities are holding a news conference at this hour to discuss the arrest.
(------------)

[B'burg-Sewer]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=04-07 TC57:56]
[GRAPHIC=Lawsuit]
[ENG#=3]

Blacksburg's controversial sewer extension to the Toms Creek basin is headed to court.
Two people filed suit in Montgomery County Circuit Court against the town today.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]

The residents are challenging the legality of a more than 7 and a half million dollar bond that will help pay for the sewer line through Toms Creek.
The suit alleges the town did not follow proper procedures when passing a bond for the sewer project.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=HOLD]

Town officials are not commenting on the suit.

[L'burg-Budget]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=04-05 TC1:19:32]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=1]

Last year, just a handful of people turned out to speak at a public hearing on the Lynchburg city budget.. tonight, they're expecting hundreds.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]

A gaping 17-million dollar budget hole could force the city to cut services AND raise some local taxes.
That has many citizens concerned about losing things like night-time bus service, a branch library and a neighborhood fire station.
City leaders say they expect to get an earful from all sides.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:23:13]
[IN Q=It could be]
((CARL HUTCHERSON/LYNCHBURG MAYOR: IT COULD BE A FAIRLY LENGTHY EVENING, BUT THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. LAST YEAR WAS PROBABLY THE SHORTEST BUDGET HEARING THAT I'VE PARTICIPATED IN SINCE '96 AND THE REST OF THEM HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE LENGTHY, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THE CITIZENS HAVE TO SAY, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STATE LEVEL, WHICH IS NOTHING IT SEEMS, AND THEN WHAT'S TAKING PLACE IN LYNCHBURG WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET BY MAY.))
[SUPER=01-Carl Hutcherson/Lynchburg Mayor]
[RUNS=21]
[OUT Q=balance the budget by May.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Tonight's public hearing gets underway at 7 at Heritage High School.
The city is adding extra bus service to and from the Plaza so more residents can attend.
We'll have more tonight on News7 at Eleven.
(------------)

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

A hands-on day for high school students.
More on their tryouts as fire-fighters, police officer and politicians later on News 7.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

Plus we'll see how a miniature horse is recovering from a big scare... when it was attacked by two dogs.
(----------------)
[1st-Wx]
[Dog-Attack]
(MINI OPEN)
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=myr]
[TAPE#=04-04 TC1:16:59]
[***ANCHOR TAG***]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-Shot]

A horse in Bedford County proved to have luck on his side after being attacked over the weekend by two dogs.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Myranda Stephens has more on the attack and what the owner of the horse hopes will come of it.
[ENG#=1]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Bedford Co.; :07]
[SUPER=01-Carol Simmons/Horse Owner; :12]
[SUPER=@Myranda2; 1:02]
[RUNS=1:20]
[OUT Q=News 7, Bedford County.]
(([SOT 10:13:10]
[RUNS06] ((IT'S JUST A BEAUTIFUL PLACE HERE, IT'S JUST A SHAME WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT A GOOD TIME THE HORSES HAD RUNNING AND PLAYING OUT HERE)) Carol Simmons was at home Sunday evening, when around 6:30 a man in a white pickup truck came knocking at her door.
[SOT 09:55:05]
[RUNS07] ((HE WANTED TO KNOW IF WE OWNED PONIES, AND THAT THERE WERE TWO PITBULLS DOWN IN THE PASTURE THAT WERE ATTACKING THEM.)) Simmons grabbed a shovel and followed the man to the area, where she then saw her 4-year-old miniature horse "Tater" being chased by two dogs.
[SOT 10:13:57]
[RUNS06] ((I SAW THEM ABOUT HERE SO THEY MUST HAVE CUT DOWN THIS ROAD RIGHT HERE AND HEADED UP THIS WAY 1403)) Simmons' neighbors saw what was going and tried to shoot the dogs, but they got away. After checking to make sure her other horses were okay, Simmons brought Tater back to the house and called a vet. Now with several stitches in his muzzle, Tater is surprisingly doing okay.
[SOT 09:58:52]
[RUNS08] ((I WAS REALLY AMAZED WHEN I CAME OUT YESTERDAY HOW EASILY HE ATE, LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED 5900)) Simmons says it will be a long time before she lets Tater or any of horses out of their pens. Her hope is that the incident will prompt county officials to enforce some type of leash law. So that something like this doesn't happen again to her horses and even worse to any humans. Myranda Stephens, News 7, Bedford County. ))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=None]

Animal Control officers say they've beefed up patrol and placed traps in the area near Hardy Road to try and catch the dogs.
They say the dogs had collars, so if anyone thinks they know who they might belong to, they're asked to call authorities.

[Richardson]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=04-08 TC1:09:39]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=2]
An Alleghany County man is behind bars after authorities say he nearly beat a Craig County man to death. 22-year-old William Riley Richardson of Clifton Forge is accused of assaulting his 17-year-old girlfriend and 65-year-old Richard Sarver. Police say Richardson and the girl were fighting when Sarver threatened to call the police. It was at that point reports say, he began to hit the wheelchair-bound Sarver and attempted to burn down the house.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-New Castle]
Richardson was arraigned today in Craig County General District Court. He faces five-felony counts including attempted murder, malicious wounding and attempted arson. He's being held with no bond in the Botetourt County Jail. Sarver's in serious condition at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
(------------)

[WIPE WIPE WIPE]

[Gallimore]

[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=04-06 TC1:05:46]

[ENG#=3]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE]

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-New Castle]
Meanwhile, a Craig County man accused of murder has been released on bond. Judge Louis Campbell released 32-year-old Jay Alan Gallimore on 25-thousand dollars bond on the condition he stay away from drugs and alcohol and live with his sister and her husband, a Sergeant on the Blacksburg Police Force.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Shannon]
[SS=None]
Gallimore is accused of first degree murder and felony assault for a March 28th fight which left 49-year-old Stanley Ray Crawford dead. Gallimore is scheduled to be back in court on May 27th.

[Flippen-Densmore]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=Business News]
The Roanoke-based law-firm of Flippen Densmore Morse and Jessee is merging with the larger Richmond-based firm of LeClair Ryan. Together they'll boast a stable of 132 attorneys with offices around the state and the District of Columbia. It'll be known as LeClair Ryan Flippen Densmore. The merger takes effect May 1st, Law Day.

[Stocks]

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

A late-afternoon rally lifted blue chips to another day of gains. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/12.44/10570.81/y/19.22/2059.90;]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

The DOW rose 12 points.
NASDAQ lost 19.
[SUPER=271-i/0.09/41.04/h/0.28/55.57/i/0.01/32.77/i/0.50/93.12/h/0.75/82.00;]
[SUPER=272-h/0.20/35.40/h/0.06/21.31/i/0.08/6.93/h/0.46/64.71/i/0.06/31.52;]
[SUPER=273-i/0.50/8.44/h/0.04/42.54/h/0.18/16.93/h/0.05/22.36/h/0.04/5.83;]
[SUPER=274-i/0.79/13.53/i/0.06/69.50/h/0.36/37.62/h/0.23/46.65/h/0.38/59.02;]
[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[SPONSOR ANNOUNCE]
[COMMERCIAL]
[House-Budget]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=04-01 TC1:38:21]
[ANCHOR=Keith]

Today in the House of Delegates, three attempts to break the budget impasse and all three efforts failed.
The special budget session is in its fourth week and the state is still no closer to a budget.
Today was billed as the most serious attempt thus far to moving the budget talks forward.
Despite an understanding from the Speaker of the House that the half-cent sales tax increase would go to the floor, it didn't make it there.
Richmond Bureau Chief Meghan Muldoon has more.
[ENG#=4]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=IN AN ATTEMPT TO END THE BUDGET]
[SUPER=03-Richmond; :]
[SUPER=@Bryant; :]
[SUPER=01-Del. Ken Plum/(D) Reston; :]
[RUNS=1:05]
[OUT Q=TIME AND EFFORT. ]
(( In an attempt to end the budget stalemate, a group of Republican delegates offered a proposal that would increase the sales tax rate by one-half percent.
The tax hike would raise 972 million dollars over two years.
[SOT 13:23:52 ]
((I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN THIS OVERLY LONG STALEMATE .00 AND WILL SEND THIS TO THE HOUSE VOTE :12)) [RUNS:20]
But the House Finance Committee tabled the compromise proposal along with another bill that would have raised the sales tax a half of a penny.
The move came as a surprise to many.
[SOT :56:27]
((PEOPLE OF GOODWILL COME TO NOW IT'S BEING UNDERCUT. :35)) [RUNS:08]
Before the committee vote a member of an anti-tax group berated Republicans for backing down from their opposition to tax increases.
[SOT 14:47:27]
[IN Q=]
((THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A BETRAYAL OF EVERYTHING DURING YOUR CAMPAIGNS. :36 :45 IF YOU WERE GOING TIME AND EFFORT. :49)) [RUNS:22]
[OUT Q=]))
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

That was Richmond Bureau Chief Meghan Muldoon Reporting.

[NASCAR-Ballet]

[ANCHOR=Shan]
[NEWSCAST=6 p.m.]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=04-03 TC1:03:13]
[***ANCHOR TAG***] Martinsville won't be the only venue hosting NASCAR next week. The sport will literally take center stage at the Jefferson Center, as well, with an innovative idea in dance.
[ENG#=1]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Stock car racing and ballet...]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;:06]
[SUPER=01- Shaleigh Comerford/Dancer;:23]
[SUPER=01-Jenefer Davies Mansfield/Roanoke Ballet Theatre;:40]
[SUPER=@Shannon2;:56]
[RUNS=1:24]
[OUT Q=more excited than anything.]
((Stock car racing and ballet are about as far apart on the cultural scale as they can be. Which is precisely why Roanoke Ballet Theatre combined the two.
[SOT 2:01 - 2:03]
[IN Q=It's very...]
((SHALEIGH COMERFORD/DANCER: IT'S VERY CHALLENGING.)) [RUNS:02]
[OUT Q=...challenging.]
NASCAR ballet is an original creation that simulates a race. Rather than play chartacters, dancers in bright colors represent cars.
[SOT 1:19 - 1:36]
[IN Q=We've used a lot of literal kinds...]
((SHALEIGH COMERFORD/DANCER: WE'VE USED A LOT OF LITERAL KINDS OF ELEMENTS SUCH HAS HAVING A RACETRACK, SIGNALS, CRASHES. AND THE MOVEMENT ITSELF SHOWS A PARTICULAR KIND OF PACING AND A PARTICULAR KIND OF RYTHM.)) [RUNS:17] [BUTT BUTT BUTT]
[SOT 4:25 - 4:39]
[IN Q=And on top of that...]
((JENEFER DAVIES MANSFIELD/ROANOKE BALLET THEATRE: ON TOP OF THAT WE'RE SHOWING COMMERCIALS, INTERVIEWS, WE HAVE HUGE PROJECTION SCREENS, MUSIC CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR THIS, PYROTECYHNICS, IT'S VERY VISUAL IT'S LIKE GOING TO A NASCAR RACE.)) [RUNS:14]
[OUT Q=like going to a Nascar race.]
Artistic Director Jenefer Davies Mansfield says she hopes to capitalize on NASCAR's popularity and rev up a crowd that typically wouldn't attend ballet. NASCAR gave her permission to use its name and logo and will even be sending representatives to watch the show. Drivers Ward Burton, Rick Mast and Frank Kimmel will make appearances and Your Hometown Station's Mike Stevens will call the race.
[SOT 7:04 - 7:09 ]
[IN Q=I am nervous because...]
((JENEFER DAVIES MANSFIELD/ROANOKE BALLET THEATRE: I AM NERVOUS BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLETELY NEW VENTURE BUT I'M MORE EXCITED THAN ANYTHING.)) [RUNS:05]
[OUT Q=more excited than anything.]))
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Shan]
[GRAPHIC=None]
There will be three performances of NASCAR Ballet, one next Thursday and two on Saturday. Tickets range from 11 to 30- dollars.

[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=V10]

Coaches are on the move today as the Tech women hire Beth and the Salem football team welcomes home one of its own to lead the Spartans.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Plus, testing continues today at Martinsville in preparation for the Advance Auto Parts 500.
(------------)

[S-Mags]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-170 3402tc]
[GRAPHIC=Salem Coaching Search]
[ENG#=1]
The search to find a new head football coach at Salem high school is over. This afternoon Hidden Valley's Steve Magenbauer, a Salem native was tabbed to replace the retiring Willis White.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=GETTING BACK TO....]
[SUPER=01-Steve Magenbauer/New Salem Head Football Coach; :00]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=....in this case."]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=04-Friday Football Extra; :00]
Magenbauer is returning to his alma mater where he starred as a quarterback and linebacker. He says besides his immediate family - one of the first people he called was his former head coach - Willis White.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=WELL, HE GAVE ME...]
[RUNS=:20]
[OUT Q=...A GREAT CHALLENGE."]
(-----------)
[VO NAT CON'T] Magenbauer says the challenge of building Hidden Valley from the ground up will serve him well in his new job.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE...]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=....FOOTBALL TRADITION."]
(-------------)

[S-Tech]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=twe]
[TAPE#=SP-162 TC15156]
[GRAPHIC=Dunkenberger]
[ENG#=2]

Shawsville native Beth Dunkenberger returned home today to accept the women's basketball job at Virginia Tech. Travis Wells caught up with the new Head Hokie.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg; :00]
[SUPER=01-Beth Dunkenberger/New Tech Women's Coach; :25]
[SUPER=01-Erin Gibson/Hokies Forward; :39]
[SUPER=01-Carrie Mason/Hokies Point Guard; :48]
[SUPER=@travis1; :56]
[RUNS=1:05]
[OUT Q=News 7 Sports."]
((Beth Dunkenberger becomes the fifth women's basketball coach in Tech history. Dunkenberger spent the past four seasons at Western Carolina, following a 3 year tenure as Florida's recruiting coordinator, and a nine year run as a Hokie assistant to Carol Alfano. She attended both of Techs' NCAA tournament games this season, and is fully aware of the tools she has to work with.
Beth:
Dunkenberger's ties to the area have given her current players a comfort level after nearly two weeks of uncertainty.
Erin: Carrie: Travis:))

[S-Test]

[ANCHOR=mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-172 34:28]
[GRAPHIC=Advance Autoparts 500]
[ENG#=]

12 Nextel Cup drivers invaded Martinsville Speedway today to test for the April 18th Advance Auto Parts 500. Steve Mason has more.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville; :00]
[SUPER=01-Jimmie Johnson/6th in Nextel Cup Points; :13]
[SUPER=01-Jamie McMurray/13th in Nextel Cup Points; :22]
[SUPER=01-Dale Jarrett/20th in Nextel Cup Points; :40]
[SUPER=01-Clay Campbell/Martinsville Speedway President; :51]
[SUPER=@Steve1; :59]
[RUNS=1:11]
[OUT Q=...News 7 sports"]
(-----------------)

((Five of the Nextel Cup's top 15 drivers got into a short track state of mind in another effort to figure out the half mile track ((:)) ((:))
Martinsville shed new Nextel light on the drivers with nearly four thousand square feet of sinage that has taken an old track and some veteran drivers into racing's new age.)) ((:)) ((:)) ((:)) [Job-Shadows]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=sba]
[TAPE#=04-02 TC2:00:50]
[ANCHOR=Shannon 2-shot]
Imagine rescuing people from a burning building, investigating a murder scene or serving on town council - all at the tender age of 17.
[ENG#=1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Vinton]
That was the case for about 40-students from William Byrd High School on student government day. Every year students some of the seniors get a chance to shadow Vinton professionals. These teenagers got a chance to train with the fire department and see if they have what it takes to make it as an actual firefighter.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT@4:12:47:13]
[IN Q=I guess they're just...]
((LOGAN MUELLER, WILLIAM BYRD H.S. SENIOR: I GUESS THEY'RE JUST RUNNING US THROUGH WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE TO BE A FIRE FIGHTER IN VINTON. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING THROUGH A SIMULATED BURNING HOUSE AND RESCUE PEOPLE THAT ARE STUCK IN THE HOUSE.))
[SUPER=01-Logan Mueller/William Byrd H. S. Senior]
[RUNS=:12]
[OUT Q=.. IN THE HOUSE.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The program gives young people an idea what it's like in the "real world" and may even open their eyes to actual career. The program is a long-running success story. It's been going on since the 1950's.
(------------)