WDBJ 7 morning news for 04/24/04

[Open-Heads]

[ANCHOR=Joy]

[NEWSCAST=Sat Am]
[WRITER=jen]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[roll cold out of the open]

[ENG#1]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Coming up on News 7 Saturday Morning... Two are dead and several missing and injured after a powerful explosion rocks an Illinois plastics plant.
[ENG#2]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
an apparent drunk driver leads Hill City and State officers on an early morning chase before crashing into a church. We will have more on those stories in just a few minutes.
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[2-shot toss to Hello]

[Plant-Explosion]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=sat am]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Explosion]
[ENG#=3]

A plant explosion in Illionis has killed two people --and two others are still missing.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Illiopolis, IL]

The blast occurred late last night inside the Formosa Plastics plant and could be felt up 20 miles away.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT1:00]
[IN Q=We understand]
((WE UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT 60-70 % OF THE PLANT HAS BEEN DESTROYED. AS FAR AS INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE IN THE PLANT WHEN IT EXPLODED, WE WERE TOLD ORIGINALLY THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 16 PEOPLE ON THE SHIFT THAT WERE WORKING AT THE TIME))
[SUPER=01-Tony Sacco/Sangamon Co. IL Police Chief]
[RUNS=16]
[OUT Q=working at the time]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Officials say there was a major explosion at a reactor followed by possibly two or three successive explosions.
A one mile radius around the plant has also been evacuated.
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[Train-Blast]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=sat am]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Train Accident]
[ENG#=4]

At least 154 people are confirmed dead and another 13-hundred injured in Thursdays train explosion in North Korea.
The blast happened near a railway station close to the Chinese border.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Seoul, South Korea]

South Korea is already promising to send a million dollars in emergency aid and other assistance. Officials say there also willing to hold talk with North Korea about refugee support and reconstruction efforts as well.
Aid workers and relief teams from other countries are also headed to the country.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:06 , from north korea, aid worker]
[IN Q=The health system is in a very]
((THE HEALTH SYSTEM IS IN A VERY POOR STATE, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CONSUMABLES, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MEDICINES, THEY DON'T HAVE TABLETS, THEY HAVE A LOT OF TRAINED STAFF, BUT VERY LITTLE FOR THEM TO WORK WITH))
[SUPER=01-Anne O'Mahony/Irish Relief Worker]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=for them to work with]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

North Korea says the blast was sparked by an electrical contact caused by carelessness.
(---------------)

[Iraq-Attack]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=sat am]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Iraq]
[ENG#=1]

Violence continues in Iraq -- at least three people were killed in a car bomb near the main U-S base in Tikrit. Witnesses say the bombers were targeting a convoy of Iraqi officials.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Sadr City, Iraq]
Further south, a U-S military base comes under attack leaving four U-S soldiers dead and seven others injured.
Military officials say two rockets slammed into the form Iraqi airbase which is now used by the U-S Army's First Calvary Division.
The explosion sparked mass demonstrations.
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[L'burg-Ax]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat-AM]
[WRITER=cdo]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=Accident]
[ENG#=2]

A police chase around two o'clock this morning ends as the suspect crashes into a church.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Bedford/This Morning;]
The chase began as Lynchburg police say they attempted to pull over a driver they believed to be intoxicated. The suspect led police to Bedford, where he eventually drove into a nursery area at the Bedford Church of God.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 00:1:54-00:2:04;]
[IN Q=if it had been sunday;]
((REV. JOHN IVINS/BEDFORD CHURCH OF GOD IF IT HAD BEEN SUNDAY MORNING THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CHILDREN INSIDE AND TWO ADULTS. I JUST THANK GOD NO ONE WAS IN THE ROOM AND NO ONE GOT HURT HERE. I'M SORRY HE GOT HURT.))
[SUPER=01-Rev. John R. Ivins/Bedford Church of God;]
[RUNS=:10;]
[OUT Q=i'm sorry he got hurt;]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Police laid down tack strips, flattening the tires on the suspects car. He continued to drive on the rims of his wheels, maintaining speeds near 70 miles per hour.
Police say he never tried to swerve before hitting the church. Reverend Ivins (EYE-vins) says tomorrow's services will not be affected.
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[11Radford-Rape]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=rde]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Radford University Police are investigating a student's claim that she was raped on campus. A female student says she was raped around four Thursday afternoon at Floyd Hall. Police say the two people knew each other. No arrests have been made. Police say the case is still under investigation.

[11Pitts-Body]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=cja]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Human remains have been found in Pittsylvania County.
(XXXXXX)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN MAP]
Deputies got a call at 10:30 Thursday night, after someone found skeletal remains near Inman Road in Cascades.
Investigators later confirmed that the remains are human.
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[ANCHOR=Joy]
[SS=None]

Officers describe the remains as being 'very weathered.'
They've been sent to the medical examiner's office in Roanoke.

[11Mower-Fatal]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=syo]
[TAPE#=04-05 TC1:49:30]
[GRAPHIC=Justin Simmons]
[ENG#=3]
A Troutville boy killed in a lawnmower accident is being remembered for his sunny smile and inquisitive nature.
(------------)
[VO-NAT :22]
4-year old Justin Simmons died of head injuries Thursday after he was run over by a riding lawn-mower at a day care home in Daleville. The Botetourt County Sheriff's Department says Orville Reedy
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./Thursday;]
was mowing on a slope when the machine stalled and rolled backwards over the boy. Justin's parents say he had a contagious grin- they want him to be remembered for his joy.
(///// SOT AT :22 /////)
[SOT 16:57:34 - 16:57:45]
[IN Q=I hate that Justin has to be...]
((RON AND KRISTIE SIMMONS/PARENTS: I HATE THAT JUSTIN HAS TO BE MADE PUBLIC BY THIS BUT WE DID THIS FOR HIM... AND WE KNOW HE'S IN A BETTER PLACE.))
[SUPER=01-Ron and Kristie Simmons/Parents;]
[RUNS=:11]
[OUT Q=He's in a better place.]
(------------)
[VO NAT :15] The Botetourt County Sheriff's Department will turn over the results of its investigation to the Commonwealth's Attorney to decide whether charges will be filed. Kristie Simmons says she thinks the Reedys have already suffered enough.
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[Prostate-Treatment]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=sat am]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Focus Health]
[ENG#=1]

In focus on health,
A new advancement in the treatment of prostate cancer could help doctors better target tumors.
Mary Ann Childers has details.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=It's the most commonly]
[SUPER=03-Park Ridge, IL; :00]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Jon Han-Chih Chang/Radiation Oncologist; :15]
[SUPER=01-Alex Markovic/Medical Physicist; :34]
[SUPER=01-Mary Ann Childers/CBS News; 1:29]
[RUNS=1:40]
[OUT Q=Mary Ann Childers for CBS News]

((IT'S THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCER IN AMERICAN MEN. ONE IN SIX WILL DEVELOP PROSTATE CANCER SOMETIME IN HIS LIFE. BUT NOW DOCTORS HAVE A NEW TOOL TO HELP THEM FIGHT IT. BITE: "In order for us to know where the prostate is ... we have to be able to see internally." (16:08 to 16:12) AND NOW DOCTORS AT ADVOCATE LUTHERAN GENERAL HOSPITAL IN PARK RIDGE ARE DOING JUST THAT -- LOOKING INSIDE ... WITH A NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM CALLED I-BEAM ULTRASOUND TARGETING. IT'S SORT OF THE MEDICAL EQUIVALENT OF A GPS UNIT -- ONLY IN 3 DIMENSIONS. BITE: "It's going to allow us to give the same amount of radiation to a smaller area, and that smaller area is gong to be concentrated around the prostate. And before ... we couldn't do that." (:53 to 1:05) THAT'S BECAUSE THE PROSTATE IS A MOVING TARGET. LITERALLY. DEPENDING ON THE FULLNESS OF THE BLADDER AND INTESTINES -- AND EVEN THE VOLUME OF A PATIENT'S BREATHING -- THE PROSTATE CAN SHIFT POSITION INSIDE THE BODY AS MUCH AS 2 CENTIMETERS. DAILY RADIATION TREATMENTS OVER SEVERAL WEEKS CAN PUT SURROUNDING TISSUE AT RISK. BITE: "The biggest problem with radiation hitting other organs is that it can cause side effects, undesireable side effects such as the most common are irritation to the rectum, and irritation to the bladder." (4:19 to 4:29)
BY SIMPLY STROKING THE ULTRASOUND PROBE OVER THE PATIENT'S ABDOMEN, THE I-BEAM NOT ONLY LOCATES THE PROSTATE -- IT G
IVES DOCTORS A REAL-TIME DISPLAY OF ALL THE INTERNAL ORGANS -- IN JUST 30 SECONDS. nat. sot: "So --we may have to d
o some fine-tune alignment..." (23:29 ....) THEY CAN THEN MAKE ACCURATE ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THE RADIATION IS FOCUSED EXACTLY ON THE TUMOR. BITE: "Now all the proper shifts have been made, and we're ready to start treatment of the patient." (32:15 to 32:19) (TAG) THIS ULTRA-SOUND SYSTEM IS ALSO SMALL, AND PORTABLE -- SO IT CAN BE MOVED FROM ROOM TO ROOM. AND TAKE THE UNCERTAINTY OUT OF RADIATION THERAPY. AD LIB: THERE'S GREAT POTENTIAL FOR OTHER USES ....SUCH AS TREATMENT FOR BREAST DISEASE. ANYTIME, IN FACT, DOCTORS NEED TO SEE INSIDE SOFT TISSUE STRUCTURES. IN REAL TIME. ))

[joy toss to bump]
[AM-Keith-Bryant]
[MINI-OPEN] ((MINI-OPEN))

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=jen]
[TAPE#=04-]
[GRAPHIC=nonr]

[ANCHOR TAG!!!!!!!!!]

[ENG#=1]

A local man's musical tribute to all of the men and women who have died fighting in the war on terror is putting him in the national spotlight.
Keith Bryant is best known for his country music, but his latest musical venture is taking his focus off of Nashville and on Iraq.
Justin McLeod talked with Bryant about the song's success and a special homecoming where he'll be performing.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Lexington; :00]
[SUPER=01-Keith Bryant/Country Music Singer; :48]
[SUPER=@justin2; 1:09]
[RUNS=2:03]
[OUT Q=Justin McLeod, News 7]
((((((NAT SOUND OF KEITH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SONG))
This is Keith Bryant's tribute to the soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
It is called Soldiers in Heaven. ((NAT SOUND GOING INTO BITE, FADING INTO HIS BITE))
[SOT 9:20:26]
[IN Q=It's real heart felt]
((KEITH BRYANT: IT'S REAL HEART FELT AND WE WANT THE SOLDIERS TO KNOW WE APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO AND IT'S A HARD JOB.)) [Runs:05]
[OUT Q= it's a hard job]

A job that began a little over a year ago.
When the bombs started falling in Iraq, Keith was performing at a casino in Arizona.
His manager quicky wrote a song for the soldiers.
[SOT 9:21:06]
[IN Q=It puts you in]
((KEITH BRYANT: IT PUTS YOU, YOU ARE STANDING IN A FIELD OF WHITE CROSSES AND JUST FEELING REALLY REMORSEFUL FOR ALL THE LOSS.)) [Runs07]
[OUT Q=for all the loss]
((NAT SOUND OF SONG))
The song is about their bravery, the grief over their death, and how they're now in a peaceful place where there are no battlefields. ((NAT SOUND OF THE SONG))
Soldiers in Heaven was never intended to be a commercial hit.
But Keith got such a huge response from the song, he decided to record it.
He's now been asked to perform it next week as part of the homecoming for the National Guard unit based in Washington D.C.
[SOT 9:24:35]
[IN Q=One of the soldiers]
((KEITH BRAYNT: ONE OF THE SOLDIERS IN THE 547TH GOT KILLED IN ACTION AND WE ARE DOING THIS SONG IN HIS HONOR OF COURSE FOR ALL THE SOLDIERS BUT IN HIS HONOR ESPECIALLY FOR THIS GROUP.)) [Runs10]
[OUT Q=for this group]
((NAT SOUND OF THE SONG TO THE END))))))

(----------------)
[ANCHOR=jOY]
The song will soon be released in music stores,
(+++++++++)
[TAKE WDBJ WEBSITE FS] but you can get a copy earlier from his website. You can find a link to it on our website - just click on "websites in the news".
(--------------)
[ANCHOR=JOY]
We'll also hear more of the song a little later on News 7.

[2Open-Heads]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat Am]
[WRITER=jen]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=none]
[roll cold out of the open]

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[VO-NAT]
[ENG#1]
[SUPER=#4070;weekend headline banner]
Coming up on News 7 Saturday Morning.... Rocket fire kills four more Americans this morning in Iraq.

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[VO-NAT]
[ENG#2]
An apparent drunk driver's run from police comes to crashing halt at a church in Bedford. We will have more on those stories in just a few minutes.
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[2-shot toss to Hello]

[11Garrison]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-13 TC26:14]
[GRAPHIC=Garrison]
[ENG#=3]

A prominent Roanoke attorney's law license has been revoked for the second time.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/File Tape]

Yesterday, the state bar disbarred Sam Garrison.
In a news release, Garrison admitted he kited more than six-thousand dollars in checks around Christmas 2000.
Garrison said his income had steadily declined after he defended men charged with soliciting sex in Roanoke's Wasena Park and he says he needed the money to pay bills.
(------------)
[ANCHOR=Joy]
[SS=HOLD]

Garrison paid back the six-thousand dollars and was never criminally charged by state or federal prosecutors for the check kiting scheme.
But the Justice Department referred the matter to the state bar, which started its own investigation.
In the news release, Garrison says the sanction imposed by the bar was excessively harsh and disproportionate to the harm done.
Garrison was disbarred once before and had his license reinstated in 1993.

[11Jeffries]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=dse]
[TAPE#=04-06 TC1:33:26]
[GRAPHIC=LEgal Scales]
[ENG#=4]

There is still no word on the verdict in Mark Jeffries' murder trial.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

The jury got the case early yesterday afternoon and has been deliberating ever since.
Jeffries is accused of the November murder of William Rodriguez.
Around nine last night, the jurors reported they were deadlocked on a verdict.
The judge told them to keep trying.
(------------)

[11XGR-budget]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=mmu]
[TAPE#=04-09 TC56:38]
[GRAPHIC=VA Budget]
[ENG#=1]

The State Senate may be agreeing on one thing... it's time to take action.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Richmond]

Key Senators are pledging to vote on Tuesday on a tax package designed to break the budget stalemate.
Republican Senator John Chichester says they are NOT at "an agreement point" yet but that closed-door talks will continue over the weekend.
Senator Ken Stolle says a limit on car tax relief WILL be part of the Senate's plan.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 01:15:05]
[IN Q=IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO]
((SENATOR KEN STOLLE/R-VIRGINIA BEACH: IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO AN INCOME TAX YOU ALMOST HAVE TO LIMIT THE CAR TAX OR THE CAR TAX ITSELF WILL CONSUME ANYTHING YOU DO WITH THE SALES TAX. :14 EVERYTHING WE RAISE WITH THE SALES TAX WILL BE CONSUMED BY THE ADVANCING OF THE CAR TAX.))
[SUPER=01-Sen. Ken Stolle/(R) Virginia Beach]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=ADVANCING OF THE CAR TAX.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

The Senate is trying to fashion a deal between Democrats who want increased spending and key House Republicans who want new taxes capped at one billion dollars.
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[11Dan-Chem]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=jwi]
[TAPE#=04-07 TC1:21:15]
[GRAPHIC=Dan Chem Strike]
[ENG#=2]

After nearly four months on the picket line, there's still no end in sight for DanChem workers on strike.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Danville;]
About 70- members of the "United Food and Commercial Workers Union" went on strike January first. That after, they say the company offered an unreasonable contract- including an increase in health- care premiums that would nearly double the amount under the old contract.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:56:08]
[IN Q=Healthcare to us is everything]
((EDWARD HUNT: HEALTHCARE TO US IS EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING CHEMICALS EVERY DAY AND THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS BE GOING TO THE DOCTOR ON SOMETHING THAT WE'RE AFRAID TO GO BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GO.))
[SUPER=01-Edward Hunt/Union Employee;]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=can't afford to go]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
DanChem officials say the company IS meeting customer demands with temporary and non- union employees, but they admit it's been hard. Union workers say they'll stay out as long as it takes to reach a fair agreement.
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[11New-Trees]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=rle]
[TAPE#=04-10 TC47:28]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=3]

Some of Roanoke's signature trees are about to be uprooted for some with an international flair.
(------------)
[VO-NAT - :28+]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;]
The old Bradford Pear trees are coming down, making way for Japanese Yoshino cherry Trees. City officials say the Bradford Pears splinter during winter storms and interfere with power lines. The cherry trees are the same type well known in Washington D-C's Cherry Blossom Festival. Just a few of the trees have been planted this week, but eventually they will line the entire section of Wiley Drive by the River's Edge Sports Complex.
(------------)

[Tease#2]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat Am]
[WRITER=jen]
[SS=None]
[BOTH MICS HOT]
[eng#=v10]
Coming up in movie review - It may look like just another teen movie, but Jennifer Garner takes her latest blockbuster well past the stereotype.
[ANCHOR=Brent]
And a little later,
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[MUSIC ON TAPE!!!!!!!!!]
we'll here more of Keith Bryant's musical tribute to America's fallen hero's. Stick around. News 7 Saturday morning will be right back.
(-------------)
[Lotto] [Break]

[Biz-Review]

[ANCHOR=Joy]
[NEWSCAST=Sat AM]
[WRITER=dgr]
[TAPE#=Biz Review 03/04 tc 8:50]
[GRAPHIC=Business Review]
[eng#=3]
NASCAR is good for business in Southside, and an area union is still fighting for a better contract. Donald Graham has more in News 7's Business Review.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=MUSIC AND GRAPHICS]
[SUPER=03-Danville; :05]
[SUPER=01-Edward Hunt/DanChem Union Employee; :27]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.; :52]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville; 1:14]
[SUPER=01-Anne Atkins/Red Birch Country Market Manager; 1:30]
[SUPER=19-Donald Graham/Reporting; 1:44]
[RUNS=1:54]
[OUT Q=MUSIC AND GRAPHICS]

(( [MUSIC AND GRAPHICS]
[TAPE#=503-00 1:52:27]

Unionized DanChem employees have been on strike for nearly four months, but are no closer to reaching an agreement with the company. About 70- members of the "United Food and Commercial Workers Union" went on strike January first. That after they say the company offered an unreasonable contract- including an increase in health- care premiums that would nearly double the amount under the old contract.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:57:12]
[IN Q=A lot of people think]
((EDWARD HUNT: A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK WE'RE OUT HERE BECAUSE OF MONEY AND WE'RE GREEDY AND WE'RE MAKING GOOD MONEY, BUT HEALTHCARE IS A BIG THING. YOU GO FROM 41 DOLLARS TO 138 DOLLARS YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.)) [RUNS14]
[OUT Q=to think about it]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Employees are also concerned about a three- year freeze of hourly wages. Both sides say they're willing to negotiate and are working with a federal negotiator, but no movement has been made.

[MUSIC AND GRAPHICS]
[TAPE#=04-18 TC 4:24]
A neighborhood group formed to oppose an upscale shopping center in Roanoke County is now fiercely divided. Kahn Development wants to build near Route 419 and Keagy Road, but opposition has made it hard to get permission. Now, it is proposing to build further down 419, away from Keagy Road. But, some residents say that will only shift the problem to another part of the community. [MUSIC AND GRAPHICS]
[TAPE#=04-01 TC-1:57:14]
90 thousand people came to Martinsville for the race this past weekend, and more than ever, the visitors, and the dollars they spend, are very important. The population of Martinsville multiplies about six times over -- and everything race fans buy helps a struggling local economy get back in the black.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 40:54]
[IN Q=It started getting]
((ANNE ATKINS/RED BIRCH COUNTRY MARKET: IT STARTED GETTING BUSY ON TUESDAY. EACH DAY JUST KEEPS INCLINING MORE AND THE BIGGEST DAY IS OF COURSE RACE DAY. LAUGHTER.)) [RUN8]
[OUT Q=race day. Laughter]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Outside the Red Birch, parking spots sold for 20- dollars a pop - including spaces in front of gas pumps. And across the street campers rented spaces in front of a grocery store.
For News 7, I'm Donald Graham and that's Business Review. [MUSIC AND GRAPHICS]))
[joy toss to bump]