[7-XGR-Election]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=equ]
[TAPE#=99-37]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
A century of Democratic dominance in Virginia's statehouse has come to an end.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Richmond]
Republicans swept into majority party status in the House of Delegates last night.
They also maintained their slim majority in the state senate.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 22:57:54]
[IN Q=What a future]
((GOV. JIM GILMORE: WHAT A FUTURE WE'VE GOT AHEAD OF US! WHAT A MOMENT FOR ALL REPUBLICANS! DEMOCRACY HAS FINALLY COME TO THE COMMONWEALTH. applause))
[SOT 23:12:27]
((CRAIG BIEBER/VIRGINIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: WELL VERY MIXED, OBVIOUSLY. WE WOULD HAVE HOPED TO HAVE WON MORE SEATS. IT APPEARS THAT WE WILL NOT QUITE GET THERE. BUT IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THE REPUBLICANS WHO WERE PREDICTING WE WOULD LOSE SEVERAL SEATS IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. IT APPEARS THAT THOSE FOLKS WERE MISTAKEN.))
[SUPER=207-Gov. Jim Gilmore; :00]
[SUPER=201-Craig Bieber/Virginia Democratic Party; :10!]
[RUNS=:28]
[OUT Q=were mistaken.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Richmond/File Tape;]
The historic House results mean Democratic Speaker Tom Moss of Norfolk is out -- and the leading contender for his powerful post is from Amherst.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT 08:27]
[IN Q=Well I might]
((DEL. VANCE WILKINS/R-AMHERST: WELL I MIGHT TALK TO A FEW OF MY MEMBERS. I HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT. BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE IT ALL.))
[SUPER=201-Del. Vance Wilkins/(R) Amherst;]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=it all.]
[TALENT=Melanie]
[SS=HOLD]
Bedford Independent Lacey Putney is a possible compromise candidate.
Republicans will pick a new speaker in two weeks.
[7-Cranwell]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-49]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
A 26-percentage point victory means Democrat Dick Cranwell is headed back to Richmond for a 15-th term.
(----------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Vinton]
This was the second time Cranwell beat Al Bedrosian for the 14th district seat in the House of Delegates.
But this time around Cranwell won by a significant majority -- compared to just a few percentage points last time.
And while Cranwell claimed his victory -- other democrats were not as lucky.
Despite the upset overall for the democratic party -- Cranwell says not much will change in the General Assembly.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 22:06:30]
[IN Q=You all]
((YOU ALL WANT TO LOOK AT THIS AS DEMOCRATIC VERSUS REPUBLICAN AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS ELECTION WAS ABOUT, THIS WAS 140 FIRE FIGHTERS, LITTLE SKIRMISHES GOING ON))
[SUPER=201-Del. Dick Cranwell/(D) Vinton]
[RUNS=10]
[OUT Q=You all want]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Cranwell says he is ready to get back to Richmond to continue standing up for Southwest Virginia.
(----------)
[7-Church]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-36]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
One bright spots for Roanoke Valley Republicans was the election of Butch Church to the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors.
(XXXXXXX)
[TAKE RESULTS FULL SCREEN]
Church defeated Democrat Spike Harrison with 57 percent of the vote.
His victory, and the re-election of Fuzzy Minnix gives Republicans a majority on the board.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 01:44:48]
[IN Q=I feel in my heart]
((I FEEL IN MY HEART THAT WE HAVE A CHEMISTRY AND A COMBINATION OF THREE REPUBLICANS THAT CAN USE THEIR COMMON SENSE AND RESPECT WE HAVE FOR THE CITIZENS. WE WORK FOR THE PEOPLE WE'RE PUBLIC SERVANTS. I THINK WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE REALLY DO.))
[SUPER=201-Butch Church/(R) Supervisor-Elect]
[RUNS=:16]
[OUT Q=we really do.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
Church paid tribute to his 85- year- old mother, his wife, and others who supported his eight and a half month campaign for office.
[7Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Here now is a look at your mid week forecast...
Expect a mostly sunny day with winds reaching 15 to 25 miles per hour.
High temperatures today in the mid 40s.
Tonight, clear and cold with a hard freeze likely.
Low temperatures dip into the 20s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Turning Mostly Sunny/Winds W 15-25/42-46/Clear & Cold/Hard Freeze Likely/20-25;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[45-Edwards]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-35]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
Republicans have taken control of Virginia's legislature for the first time in history.
But Democrats scored big wins elsewhere in yesterday's elections.
(XXXXXXXXX)
[TAKE LEADER 200]
Democratic State Senator John Edwards won re-election in the 21st District.
Scott Goldberg was at the Democrat's victory party.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=203-Roanoke; :00]
[SUPER=201-Sen. John Edwards/(D) 21st District; :12]
[SUPER=201-Vern Danielsen/Rke. Democratic Chairman; :45]
[SUPER=219-Scott/Goldberg; :53]
[RUNS=1:07]
[OUT Q=News-7 Roanoke]
(((///// SOT /////)
[SOT ]
[IN Q=natsound]
((NATSOUND: EDWARDS CELEBRATING.))
[RUNS02]
[OUT Q=]
All week John Edwards was getting ready for a race that would come down to the wire...
What he got in the end was a landslide victory.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:14:17]
[IN Q=tonight is not]
((EDWARDS: TONIGHT IS NOT JUST A VICTORY FOR JOHN EDWARDS. IT'S A VICTORY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY (applause).))
[RUNS09]
[OUT Q=applause]
Republicans thought they had a good chance of winning back Edward's seat ...
And even the most optimistic Democrats were surprised he won by an 18-point margin.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT EDWARDS INTERVIEW AT 10:42:53]
[IN Q=WE DIDN'T]
((EDWARDS: WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE ... THIS LARGE MARGIN OF VICTORY.))
[RUNS05]
[OUT Q=MARGIN OF VICTORY]
In the end, Democrats say, voters said "no" to negative campaigning ....
Endorsing Edwards' record ... his ideas ... and his refusal to run ads attacking his opponent.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT vern interview at 10:34:20]
[IN Q=WHEN SOMEONE]
((VERN DANIELSEN: WHEN SOMEONE RUNS ON ISSUES AND HAS A STRONG CHARACTER, IT'S A VICTORY FOR EVERYBODY.))
[RUNS08]
[OUT Q=FOR EVERYBODY]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT STANDUP 12:18:45]
[IN Q=THE 21ST]
((SCOTT GOLDBERG: THE 21ST DISTRICT STATE SENATE SEAT HAS A HISTORY OF CHANGING PARTIES -- IT'S DONE THAT IN 4 OF THE LAST 5 ELECTIONS. JOHN EDWARDS BUCKS THAT TREND ... WINNING RE-ELECTION TO A SECOND FOUR-YEAR TERM IN RICHMOND. SCOTT GOLDBERG, NEWS-7, ROANOKE.))
[RUNS12]
[OUT Q=NEWS-7 RONAOKE]))
[45-Fralin]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jda]
[TAPE#=99-29]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
Many Roanoke Valley Republicans expected the race between Edwards and Fralin to be much tighter.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Roanoke Co.]
Early in the evening hopes for a Fralin victory faded ---and Republicans had to look to other races for reasons
to celebrate.
Fralin thanked his supporters, and congratulated Edwards, but he declined to analyze the result.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 1:02:23]
[IN Q=You know I'm not sure]
((YOU KNOW I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED . I THINK WE GOT OUR MESSAGE OUT. I THINK THE VOTERS UNDERSTOOD WHERE JOHN AND I WOULD HAVE VOTED DIFFERENTLY ON DIFFERENT PIECES OF LEGISLATION. APPARENTLY THEY SIDED WITH JOHN AND LIKED HIS VOTES JUST FINE AND THAT'S OKAY. THE VOTERS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT AND THAT'S OKAY.))
[SUPER=201-William Fralin/(R) State Senate Candidate]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=the voters are always right and that's okay.]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
Fralin said he does not believe that charges of negative campaigning played a role in his defeat.
[45-E-Museum-Fire]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-41 31:54]
[GRAPHIC=Fire]
A historic building in Lynchburg that was being renovated into a children's musuem caught fire last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg;]
Just after ten, a passerby saw smoke coming from a second story window from the 135- year- old J.W. Wood building on Jefferson Street.
The structure is being renovated into the Amazement Square children's museum and was scheduled to open next summer.
Crews had the blaze under control in about twenty minutes.
The cause has not been determined.
(------------)
[45Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Turning your attention now to the forecast...
Turning mostly sunny later today...very breezy, with highs near 45.
Skies will stay clear overnight, and we're expecting a hard freeze as lows drop into the 20s.
The extended forecast is calling for sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Highs gradually warming into the 50s and 60s...lows in the 20s and 30s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Turning Mostly Sunny/Winds W 15-25/42-46/Clear & Cold/Hard Freeze Likely/20-25;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
[8-Keister]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-44]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
Election 99 will go down as a historic one in Virginia.
For the first time ever Republicans have taken control of Virginia's legislature.
But Democrats scored big wins elsewhere in yesterday's elections.
(XXXXXXXX)
[TAKE LEADER 110]
Including Democrat Benny Keister who won the seat left open when Republican Tommy Baker retired.
Teresa Hamilton reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Democrat]
[SUPER=203-Dublin; :00]
[SUPER=201-Benny Keister/(D) Delegate Elect; :16 ]
[SUPER=201-Barbara Chrisley/(R) Candidate for Delegate; :43 ]
[SUPER=219-Teresa/Hamilton; :59]
[RUNS=1:12]
[OUT Q=NEWS 7, Dublin.]
((Democrat Benny Keister says he knew going into the race that it was going to be tough-- but never imagined it would get quite as heated as it did-- as evidenced by the constant stream of negative campaign ads that have bombarded viewers over the past several weeks.
[IN Q=]
(( BENNY KEISTER/D-DELEGATE ELECT: I THINK PART OF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE FACT IT GOT TO BE A SPOTLIGHT TYPE DEAL, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO JUST DIG IN BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.))
The seat Keister will soon occupy has historically been held by Republicans. And, the G-O-P was pinning its hopes on Barbara Chrisley....who acknowledged early on that Keister would be the one heading to Richmond.
[IN Q]
(( I'VE OBVIOUSLY LEARNED THE INSIDE OF BIG TIME POLITICS AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT IT WAS A VERY REWARDING EXPERIENCE, OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN.))
Keister, who's also Mayor of Dublin, would like to get some rest-- but admits that probably won't happen anytime soon. The question of who will fill his shoes locally-- must now be decided.
Teresa Hamilton, NEWS 7, Dublin.))
[8-Newman-Campbell]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-38]
[GRAPHIC=Election 99]
All three of Central Virginia's Republican incumbents won re- election yesterday.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=203-Lynchburg]
Delegate Preston Bryant had no opposition this year, and Kathy Byron easily beat Democrat Jason Campbell in the 22nd District.
State Senator Steve Newman also had no trouble defeating his Democratic challenger in the 23rd senate district.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:33:19]
[IN Q=The percentages]
((SEN. STEVE NEWMAN/R- LYNCHBURG: THE PERCENTAGES ARE EXCITING TO BE QUITE HONEST, THIS PARTICULAR CAMPAIGN THEY SPENT A LOT MORE MONEY, IT WAS A LOT MORE NEGATIVE AND THE RESULTS WERE THE SAME.))
((JOHN CAMPBELL/D- SENATE CANDIDATE: I'M NOT DISCOURAGED BY THAT, BECAUSE IT MEANS WE GOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL THE NORMAL DEMOCRATIC BASE IN THIS DISTRICT.))
[SUPER=201-Sen. Steve Newman/(R) Lynchburg; :00]
[SUPER=201-John Campbell/(D) State Senate Candidate; :12]
[RUNS=19]
[OUT Q=in this district.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Campbell says he would "not" rule out another run for political office in his future.
(------------)
[8-S-Natural-Bridge]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=99-27 2:01:17]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Last month's accidental death of a tourist at historic Natural Bridge has left experts with many questions.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Natural Bridge]
So the road that runs on top of the tourist attraction will be closed, beginning today.
Route 11 will be closed for as long as two weeks while experts check how solid it is.
(------------)
[8Weather]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=AM Cutins]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=]
[GRAPHIC=]
Time again to take a break from the news and check weather...
After scattered snow flurries this morning, skies will turn mostly sunny.
Windy today, with highs in the mid 40s.
Clear and cold tonight, with a hard freeze likely and lows in the lower 20s.
The next five days promise lots of sunshine and warmer highs in the 50s and 60s.
[SUPER=X5000; set dissolve]
[SUPER=314-Turning Mostly Sunny/Winds W 15-25/42-46/Clear & Cold/Hard Freeze Likely/20-25;]
[SUPER=#555; reset]
by SS