WDBJ 7 news at 6 for 10/28/04

[1-News-Head]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Are Virginia's public schools making the grade? The latest report card is out.
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[ENG#=1]
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Jean 2-Shot]

And it's not death .. but new life this musician hopes to bring to one campaign. We'll explain.
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[Sports-Head]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
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[ENG#=2]
Tonight on News 7 sports - Travis Wells will check in from Hotlanta where the Hokies and Yellow Jackets are ready to back in the ESPN spotlight tonight.
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[VO-NAT]
And the City of Martinsville is back in the game - as the Coastal Plain League is ready to set up shop at Hooker Field.
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[WX-Head]
[ANCHOR=Robin]
[SS=None]
Fog is the main concern overnight, pretty dense in a few locations. The gloomy pattern continues into Friday with some sunshine sneaking in for the weekend.
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[ANCHOR=Keith 4-Shot]

News 7 is next.
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[ENG#=3]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
More Virginia schools pass the test earning full accreditation.
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[SOT 11:58:21]
[IN Q=This is an incredible]
((JO LYNNE DeMARY: THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE TIME TO BE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. IT REQUIRES A LOT OF COURAGE, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF CONFIDENCE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.))
[RUNS=06]
[OUT Q=about what you're doing]
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=JEan 2-Shot]

And what one local school is doing to make the grade-
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[ANCHOR=Jean 2-Shot]

Good evening, I'm Jean Jadhon.
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

And I'm Keith Humphry.
[Accreditation]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=jwi]
[TAPE#=04-30 TC1:58:48]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
Nearly ten years after the Standards of Learning Program became part of school curriculum, 84- percent of Virginia's schools have reached full accreditation.
[ANCHOR=Jean 2-Shot]
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith, Jean & Jennifer/Microwave;]
Richmond Bureau Chief, Jennifer Wishon talked to state education leaders today and has more on the results. Keith and Jean, the number of full accredited schools rose six- percent this year.
[LIVE=Jennifer/FULL]
[SUPER=@Jennifer1;]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]
Something school officials praise, but until every student in Virginia attends a fully accredited school, the Department of Education says there's still work to be done.
[ENG#=4]
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[SOT]
[IN Q=Nat sound: Teaching in Virginia]
[SUPER=03-Richmond/File Tape; :00 ]
[SUPER=01-Jo Lynne DeMary/Superintendent of Public Instruction; :06 ]
[SUPER=@markWarner; :29 ]
[RUNS=1:18]
[OUT Q=schools that aren't making progress]
((((NAT SOUND OF SCHOOL FILE.)) Teaching in Virginia isn't what is was ten years ago.
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[SOT 11:56:47]
[IN Q=Now, by virtue of]
((JO LYNNE DeMARY: NOW, BY VIRTUE OF HAVING A STATE WIDE STANDARD THAT DRIVES WHAT IT IS WE WANT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO WHEN THEY LEAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TEACHERS ARE INCORPORATING THAT, THEY'RE USING THE DATA TO SHIFT THEIR CURRICULUM - THEY'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.)) [RUNS15]
[OUT Q=doing an outstanding job]
Especially when you consider reading, math and science requirements for elementary students were bumped up a notch this year.
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[SOT 12:11:24]
[IN Q=The fact that the]
((MARK WARNER: THE FACT THAT THE STATE, THIS YEAR, DIDN'T RETREAT, AS OTHER STATES DID, FROM THEIR HIGH STANDARDS, IS ALSO AN INDICATION THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT EDUCATION REFORM AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY SCHOOL GETS TO THAT FULL ACCREDITATION.)) [RUNS12]
[OUT Q=that full accreditation]
Governor Warner says the scores are a testament to hard work by teachers, students and parents. [INSERT PRE- PRO HERE] Eight out of every ten schools in Virginia are now fully accredited. In the News 7 viewing area twelve school systems have earned accreditation. But the vast majority, [END PRE- PRO HERE] 23 of them, have at least one school under a warning. That means, progress is being made, but achievement is below par.
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[SOT 11:57:53]
[IN Q=We're going to commit]
((JO LYNNE DeMARY: WE'RE GOING TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO WORKING WITH ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT FULLY ACCREDITED, BUT WE'RE ALSO PREPARED TO INTERVENE AND WORK TO DO THINGS WITH SCHOOLS THAT AREN'T MAKING PROGRESS.)) [RUNS13]
[OUT Q=aren't making progress]))
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[LIVE=Jennifer/FULL]
[SUPER=05-Richmond;]
The Department of Education will use the data released today to decide how to re- allocate resources to help struggling schools.
[DOUBLE BOXES=Keith, Jean & Jennifer/Microwave;]
Keith and Jean, Governor Warner says he'd like Virginia to become a place where "No child left behind" becomes a reality.

[Schools-React]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
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[WRITER=jja]
[TAPE#=04-41 TC25:32]
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[ENG#=1]

One School in Roanoke was fully accredited last year but this year it got a warning-
Suprisingly the students at the Roanoke Academy of Math and Science or RAMS actually did better on the SOL's this year than last... so why the warning?
The reason is the state raised the benchmarks- and RAMS just missed that bench.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Toni Belton/RAMS Principal; 00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; 10]
[SUPER=01-Lissy Merenda/Roanoke City School Spokesperson; 23]
[SUPER=@Jean1; :30]
[RUNS=1:11]
[OUT Q=MADE US WORK HARDER]
((TONI BELTON/RAMS PRINCIPAL: THEY'VE UPPED THE ANTE THEY RAISED THE BAR WHICH IS PERFECTLY FINE. WE'RE JUST GOING TO MEET THE BAR AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
Principal Toni Belton knows students at her school keep improving on the SOL's- the scores continue to rise each year.
Last year the school was fully accredited.. This year- despite higher scores, the school fell short of accreditation.LISSY MERENDA: AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL IN ENGLISH THE LEVEL CHANGED FROM 70 TO 75 PERCENT THAT'S A PRETTY BIG JUMP.

SCHOOL LEADERS SAY IT'S NOT JUST UP TO TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS TO HELP RAISE THE SCORES, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY INCLUDING PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND EVEN BUSINESSES.
Today the community effort is clear.
Volunteers who come in for an hour a week were hard at work one on one with students.
The school also offers two after school programs and one during the summer- they're made fun while teaching academics.
So from the ABC's to the SOL's this is one school that's not afraid of reaching state standards. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY SQUINT AT ME FOR SAYING THIS BUT IT'S MADE US WORK HARDER.))
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE WEBSITE BOARD]
[ANCHOR=Jean]

If you're wondering how your school fared, you can see the entire state report card by going to our website at WDBJ-7 dot com and clicking on websites in the news.
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[Keagy-Village]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
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Roanoke County says the developer of Keagy Village plans to go ahead with the controversial shopping center.
Without county funding, however, the company says it will make some changes.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]

The county got a letter today from Kahn Development, saying it will scale back some of the improvements it agreed to for the re-zoning.
The developer will still comply with V-DOT's requirements for access to the up-scale retail center.
The decision comes two days after county supervisors refused Kahn's request for almost a million dollars in incentives.
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[Tobacco-Fire]

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
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[GRAPHIC=Fire Invest.]
[ENG#=3]

Investigators say they have no idea what caused the fire at a South Boston tobacco warehouse Tuesday.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-South Boston]

The blaze destroyed the old Planter's Warehouse and about 300-thousand pounds of tobacco inside.
State and federal agents had been waiting for the debris to cool down before they could get inside, but they're not sure if they'll find any answers.
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[SOT 18:40:37]
[IN Q=It's obviously more]
((PHILLIP DURHAM/ATF INVESTIGATOR: IT'S OBVIOUSLY MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE EVIDENCE IN A FIRE CAN BURN UP, BUT THERE WILL STILL BE SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE AND EXAMINE TO DETERMINE WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THE FIRE AND WHERE IT BEGAN.))
[SUPER=01-Phillip Durham/ATF Investigator]
[RUNS=12]
[OUT Q=and where it began.]
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[VO-NAT]

Authorities have also brought in a specially-trained dog to determine whether any accelerants may have been used to start the fire.
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[Tease#1]
[ANCHOR=Jean 2-Shot]
[WRITER=dse]
[SS=NONE]
[ENG#=APRISA]

The stars are shining on the Presidential Campaign.
Actors and musicians are taking new roles, backing up John Kerry and George W. Bush.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]

Even Southwest Virginia's home-grown star Ralph Stanley is getting in on the action.
We'll hear from him when News 7 returns.
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[1st-Wx]
[Triplett]

(MINI OPEN)

[ANCHOR=Keith]
[NEWSCAST=Six]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=04-38 TC1:10:28]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2004]
[ENG#=1]

Ninth District Congressman Rick Boucher has faced one of his toughest challenges this year in his bid for re-election.
Last night, we heard from the Democratic incumbent, and tonight from the Republican who hopes to unseat him.
Joe Dashiell continues our look at the Ninth District race, with a profile of Kevin Triplett's campaign.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=What we knew]
[SUPER=01-Kevin Triplett/(R) 9th District Candidate; :00]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Tuesday; :09]
[SUPER=@Joe2; 1:10]
[RUNS=1:15]
[OUT Q=JD News 7]
((
[SOT HASTERT TAPE 06:06:52]
[IN Q=What we knew going in]
((WHAT WE KNEW GOING IN, AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO THIS LAST WEEK IS CONTINUE TO LET THEM KNOW THEY WILL HAVE A CHOICE, A DISTINCT CHOICE.))
[RUNS= 07]
[OUT Q=have a choice, a distinct choice.]

With House Speaker Dennis Hastert by his side this week, and Vice President Dick Cheney on the stump here in April, Kevin Triplett says he has been telling the voters what national republican leaders already know, that he has a legitimate chance to win on Tuesday.
[SOT 10:05:50]
[IN Q=And I just never have been one]
((AND I JUST NEVER HAVE BEEN ONE TO THINK THAT INCUMBENCY IS A GOOD ENOUGH REASON TO GET RE-ELECTED.))
[RUNS= :08?]
[OUT Q=good enough reason to be re-elected.]

Triplett says conservative position on issues including the War in Iraq, the economy and abortion put him in the mainstream of ninth district residents.
And says his experience as a NASCAR executive will help him sell the district.
[SOT 10:02:16 ]
[IN Q=In NASCAR]
((IN NASCAR IT WAS RACING. AS CONGRESSMAN OF THE NINTH DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA IT WILL BE THE NINTH DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA A
ND IT'S PEOPLE AND THE WORK FORCE, AND WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. ))[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=and what we have to offer.]

Triplett says his interest in politics grew in part from his passion for history.
And one chapter he has studied is the 1982 election in which Rick Boucher defeated 18- year incumbent William Wampler.
[SOT 10:08:45]
[IN Q=And I think some of the very themes]
((AND I THINK SOME OF THE VERY THEMES THAT HE RAN ON IN 1982 HAVE OCCURRED UNFORTUNATELY WITH HIM.))
[RUNS=]
[OUT Q=unfortunately with him.]

And Triplett is hoping that on Tuesday, ninth district voters will say they're ready to make a change.
Joe Dashiell News 7))
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[ANCHOR=Keith]
[SS=HOLD]

We'll profile Independent candidate Seth Davis tomorrow on News Seven at Six.

[Weed]

[ANCHOR=Jean]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=04-35 TC1:14:12]
[GRAPHIC=Campaign 2004]
[ENG#=2]

In the Fifth District, Al Weed is the latest in a succession of Democratic challengers hoping to unseat congressman Virgil Goode.
Weed says he brings something different to this fight ... a military background, a decent war chest, and a head start.
Steve Smallshaw sat down with the Nelson County Democrat.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=From the vineyards]
[SUPER=03-Nelson Co.; :00]
[SUPER=01-Al Weed/(D) 5th District Candidate; :32]
[SUPER=@ssm2; 1:48]
[RUNS=1:53]
[OUT Q=News7, Lynchburg.]
(( From the vineyards of Nelson County to the halls of Congress ... it's a journey Al Weed hopes to complete next week.
To do so, however, he'll need to unseat a well-financed incumbent in a relatively conservative district.
[natsot Goode ad]
((LIBERAL AL WEED...))
[RUNS= 02]

Weed says labels may be harder to hang on him than his predecessor, Charlottesville councilwoman Meredith Richards.

The 62-year-old vintner's resume includes more than four decades on active and reserve military duty ... a perspective he says lends weight to his opinions about the war in Iraq.
[SOT 18:26:41]
((AL WEED: HAVING A MILITARY BACKGROUND AT LEAST GIVES ME THE CREDIBILITY TO SAY THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. AND HAVING BEEN THROUGH VIET NAM AS A SOLDIER AND THEN COMING BACK AND BEING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS A YOUNG MAN AFTER I FINISHED WITH MY ACTIVE SERVICE, I SAW WHAT VIET NAM DID TO THIS COUNTRY AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN.))
[RUNS= 21]
[OUT Q=happen again.]

The deficit and health care are Weed's other top issues.
He favors a single-payer national system similar to Medicare ... an idea he says other Congressmen will get on board with if it gets him elected.
[SOT 18:32:59]
((WEED: IT'S NOT ONLY A QUESTION OF MY OWN ABILITY TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN, IT'S THE FACT THAT IF I'M ELECTED THAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IN THIS DISTRICT THAT THEY WANT A CHANGE AND THAT THEY NEED IT IN THIS AREA.))
[RUNS= 12]
[OUT Q=in this area.]
[natsot Weed commercial ]
((VIRGIL GOODE IS OUT OF TOUCH .. ))
[RUNS= 02]

Weed also says his opponent ... despite spending too much time in the 5th District ... has no idea what his constituents want or need.
[SOT 18:35:33]
((WEED: HE SAYS THAT HIS FUNCTION IS TO BE IN THE DISTRICT LISTENING TO PEOPLE. WELL, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS VIRGIL'S BEEN A POLITICIAN REPRESENTING PEOPLE IN THIS DISTRICT FOR THIRTY YEARS. IF HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT WE WANT BY NOW AND CAN'T GO UP TO WASHINGTON AND GET IT DONE, HE'S NEVER GOING TO HEAR IT. AND IT'S TIME TO SEND SOMEBODY TO WASHINGTON WHO'S GOING TO GO UP THERE AND DO THE WORK THAT WE NEED DONE.))
[RUNS= 19]
[OUT Q=we need done.]

Weed says he's ready to do the job.
Steve Smallshaw, News7, Lynchburg. ))
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[ANCHOR=Jean]
[SS=HOLD]

Tomorrow, we'll profile Republican incumbent Virgil Goode.

[Stocks]

[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=dse]
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Wall street extended its rally to a third day. [TAKE DOW & NASDAQ PAGE]
[RUNS=:30]
[SUPER=x5000;]
[SUPER=440-x/2.51/10004.54/x/5.75/1975.74;]
[ANCHOR=Jean 2-Shot]

The DOW edged upward another 2 and a half points.
The NASDAQ rose six.
[SUPER=271-h/0.16/39.32/h/0.66/48.69/i/0.38/32.90/i/0.72/80.40/h/0.16/44.52;]
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[SUPER=273-h/0.10/9.99/i/0.07/36.50/h/0.01/15.03/i/0.18/33.26/i/0.08/4.50;]
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[SUPER=#555; Reset]

[SPONSOR ANNOUNCE]
[COMMERCIAL]
[Stanley]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=khu]
[TAPE#=04-36 TC1:44:56]
[ANCHOR=Jean 2-Shot]
A blue grass legend stepped out of his comfort zone today and into politics.
[ENG#=1]
[ANCHOR=Keith 2-Shot]
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co.]
Ralph Stanley made appearances this afternoon in the Roanoke Valley and Lynchburg on behalf of the Democratic Presidential ticket.
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[SOT 2:00:52]
[IN Q=John Kerry, I think]
[SUPER=01-Ralph Stanley]
[RUNS=:52]
[OUT Q=OH DEATH (DOUBLE OUT)]
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(([VO-NAT]
((RALPH STANLEY; JOHN KERRY, I THINK, IS WELL QUALIFIED, BECAUSE HE'S HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. AND HE LOOKS PRESIDENTIAL, WHEN HE GETS UP AND TALKS.))
[SOT -Music Full]
He volunteered for this, he says... to come out and sing a couple of his songs with his 12-year old grandson, Nathan.

He professed to be out of his league- -talking politics in public. And yet he also volunteered the fact that he served a stint on the Dickinson County school board in the 1970's. He spoke of an encounter with a woman who hugged him and cried when she told him she'd lost her only son in the war in Iraq. That's how this 78-year old entertainer set up the performance of his signature song.))
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[Sports Tease]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6]
[WRITER=mst]
[GRAPHIC=None]
[ENG#=APRISA]
Baseball is coming back to Martinsville this summer. And Travis Wells will check in with a pregame report from Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta
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[VO-NAT]
where it promises to be a hot time in the old town tonight as Georgia Tech hosts the Hokies.
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[S-Tech]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=sp-184]
[GRAPHIC=VA. TECH/GA. TECH]
[ENG#=1]
It's the battle of the Techs tonight in Atlanta as the Hokies line up for their 10th Thursday night appearance on ESPN. Tech is 8-and-1 in Thursday night games, but tonight marks the first time the Hokies have faced Ga. Tech in an ACC contest. Travis Wells has some more fast facts from Atlanta in our pregame report.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=FIRST AUDIO]
[SUPER=@travis1; :00]
[SUPER=03-Atlanta, GA; :28]
[SUPER=01-Chan Gailey/Ga. Tech Head Coach; :55]
[SUPER=01-Bryan Randall/Va. Tech Senior Quarterback; 1:30]
[SUPER=01-Mike Imoh/VT Starting Tailback; :1:38]
[RUNS=2:00]
[OUT Q=...SEND IT BACK TO ROANOKE]
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[S-Skins]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-180 14004tc]
[GRAPHIC=SKINS]
[ENG#=2]

The Washington Redskins return to action this week after their bye week to host Green Bay.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Ashburn/April 26; :00]
It's uncertain if star rookie Sean Taylor will be on the field for the game. Taylor was arrested early yesterday on charges of driving under the influence and refusing a breathalyzer test. Police say Taylor flunked some field sobriety tests. He's currently free on bond.
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[S-Ville]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
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[GRAPHIC=news 7 sports]
[ENG#=3]

After losing its Appy League team a year ago, baseball is coming back to Martinsville next season in the form of a franchise in the Coastal Plain League.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville/2003 Season; :00]
The CPL is a summer college baseball league which began play in 1997 Most of the teams in this league are in North Carolina, but Virginia has teams in Petersburg and Hampton and soon one in Martinsville at Hooker Field. In January of this year, the Houston Astros announced that they were leaving Martinsville for Greeneville, Tennessee after five years in Henry County.
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[S-Sox]

[ANCHOR=Mike]
[NEWSCAST=6pm]
[WRITER=mst]
[TAPE#=SP-179]
[GRAPHIC=WORLD SERIES]
[ENG#=4]

50 years ago yesterday the Yankee Clipper Joe Dimaggio and Marilyn Monroe split. 50 year later - the Red Sox finally divorced themselves from the Curse of the Bambino.
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[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Boston, MA; :00]
Boston completed a four games to none sweep of the Cards last night and now they'll likely celebrate for weeks. The city's first baseball championship parade 86 years will take place on Saturday starting at Fenway Park and running to City Hall Plaza. City officials think the crowd top two million. (------------)