[HEADLINES]
[TALENT=Melanie]
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
American soldiers are dead and wounded after an emergency landing of a military transport plane in Kuwait.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
The search for seven missing Marines off the coast of San Diego may be coming to an end shortly.
(/////////////)
[TALENT=Patrick]
[SS=None]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[SS=None]
News 7 at noon is next.
[Kuwait-crash]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
Three American soldiers are dead and 16 injured in Kuwait.
They were on board an Air Force plane that was forced to make an emergency landing at Kuwait's International Airport without its landing gear.
The plane was from the 61st airlift squadron-- based in Arkansas.
Robyn Richardson has the latest from the Little Rock Air Force Base.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[6:01:10]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Robyn Richardson/Reporting; :00]
[SUPER=03-Jacksonville, AR; HOT CHANGE!!!!!!]
[SUPER=@file; :26]
[RUNS=1:10]
[OUT Q=at the Little Rock Air Force Base.]
[chopper-accident]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Helicopter Crash]
The search continues today in the Pacific for seven Marines who've been missing since their helicopter crashed yesterday during a train mission.
But it may be called off later today because of rough weather.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Off San Diego, CA;]
The Sea Knight Helicopter went down about 25 miles off the coast San Diego.
Eleven Marines were rescued within minutes by two nearby SEAL boats.
Rescue crews report finding only a smoke flare and no major debris field...an indication that the helicopter may have sunk quickly.
However.. officials say all Marines are trained to survive in the water.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((LT RESTREPO: AND SO THEY DO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY ARE IN A PREDICAMENT IN WHERE THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN THE WATER AND NEEDING TO ESCAPE.))
[SUPER=01-Lt. Pat Restrepo/Camp Pendleton Spokesperson;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=needing to escape.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The Pentagon is not saying what led to the crash, but the San Diego Tribune reports that a rappelling rope dangling from the chopper may have snagged on a Navy ship, causing the crash.
(------------)
[Russian-spy]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she has no idea if Russia had inside help installing a bug in the State Department.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Washington DC;]
[FROM LAST NIGHT 8 PM NEWSPATH 20:09:03]
Investigators are looking into that -- interviewing hundreds of government employees after a Russian diplomat was allegedly caught using the bug.
The Russian embassy employee was detained here, outside the State Department.
Officials say they'd be watching him for months and that he as caught operating eavesdropping equipment that was installed in a conference room.
U-S officials say this serves as proof that while the cold war is over, U-S - Russian relations are still delicate.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
((ERIC HOLDER, DEP. ATTY. GENERAL; OUR RELATIONSHIP IS NOT AS ADVERSARIAL AS IT WAS, BUT YET WE CAN'T LEAVE OUR GUARD DOWN.))
[SUPER=01-Eric Holder/Dep. Attorney General;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=OUR GUARD DOWN.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
There is no comment from the Russian embassy.
The employee enjoys diplomatic immunity and therefore can't be prosecuted.
His expulsion comes a week after an American accused of spying was thrown out of Russia.
(------------)
[Forest-Fires]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-57 :03]
[GRAPHIC=Forest Fires]
Despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent fighting them, there could be some positive benefits associated with two recent forest fires.
Joy Sutton has details.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke Co./November; :00]
[SUPER=03-Botetourt Co./August; :10]
[SUPER=01-Dr. Michael Feller/Scientist; :25]
[SUPER=01-Chris Thomsen/Forestry Official; 1:05]
[Super=@Joy1; 1:22]
[Runs=1:38]
[OUT Q=news 7]
(( It was just last month -- that a wild fire on Fort Lewis Mountain burned out of control for several days -- in the end charring more than 13-hundred acres.
And the scene was much the same in August, on Purgatory Mountain.
The fire on this mountain consumed more than 12-hundred acres.
While these fires will cost the state around 300-thousand dollars -- in the long run they may benefit the environment.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:10:38]
[IN Q=if you're concerned]
((IF YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH PROTECTING BIO -DIVERSITY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT))
[RUNS5]
[OUT Q=very important]
Scientist Doctor Michael Feller says without forest fires certain species would not be able to survive.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:12:58]
[IN Q=There are a]
((THERE ARE A GROUP OF ANIMALS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO THE SUNNY, WARM, DRY ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU GET FOLLOWING A FIRE. ))
[RUNS15]
[OUT Q=following a fire.]
Feller says after a fire, thick vegetation begins to grow. It's food for many animals:
[In-Q=Those animals]
((THOSE ANIMALS ARE ADAPTED BECAUSE THEY EAT SOME OF THE PLANTS THAT OCCUR IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS))
[out-q=in those environments.]
But Forestry officials who battled the flames on both Purgatory and Fort Lewis Mountains say despite the positives - there are plenty of negatives that shouldn't be overlooked.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT02:18:42]
[IN Q=Well the greatest]
((THE GREATEST NEGATIVE OF A WILD FIRE IS THE THREAT TO HUMAN LIFE AND PROPERTY. AFTERMATH THE AIR POLLUTION THAT SUFFERS CERTAINLY MANY PLACES IN THE ROANOKE VALLEY WERE AFFECTED QUALITY WISE BY THE FIRES. THE OTHER IS WATER QUALITY, WATER QUALITY COULD DIMINISH FROM EROSION THAT COULD ARISE FROM THE FIRE))
[RUNS17]
[OUT Q=from the fire]
Forestry officials say as early as next spring the damage done by these fires could be covered with fresh vegetation.
And within the next five years it will be hard to tell that a fire every spread through Purgatory and Fort Lewis Mountains.))
[tease1]
[HARD MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
Doctors Without Borders picks up their Nobel Peace Prize.
That's one story still ahead on News at noon.
(--------------)
[VO-NAT ]
And Dorothy's dress goes on the auction block.
First let's talk to Patrick Evans about our wet forecast.
(---------------)
[Talent=Patrick]
[Wx-Tease]
[Weatherpro]
[music up full]
[comm1]
[Nobel-Peace]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Nobel Prize]
In a ceremony that recognizes peace efforts, a plea to stopping the bloodshed in Chechnya.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Oslo, Norway;]
Doctors Without Borders accepted the 19-99 Nobel Peace Prize today in Oslo.
The group's international council president also appealed to Russia to stop bombing civilians in Chechnya.
The group plans to use the Nobel's nearly one million dollar cash award for a new campaign against neglected diseases.
Doctors Without Borders sends about 25-hundred medical professionals a year to work in 80 countries.
(------------)
[CORNEA-Lab]
[ANCHOR=MELANIE]
[NEWSCAST=NOON]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Medical News]
For the first time, scientists have grown artificial corneas in a laboratory setting.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Ottawa, Canada;]
[3:15:45]
A major step that may help people see again.
The cornea is like a clear window in the front of the eye, it also helps to focus light.
In some people, the cornea gets damaged because of disease or injury and that causes blindness.
The only hope for vision comes in the form of corneal transplant, but corneas are in short supply and the waiting list is long.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
((DR. GRIFFITH:WITH A LOT MORE RESEARCH, SUPPORT AND TIME, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL OF HAVING AN ARTIFICIAL CORNEA, WHICH COULD BE USED FOR CORNEAL TRANSPLANTATION USING HUMAN CELLS. ))
[SUPER=01-Dr. May Griffith/University of Ottawa Eye Institute;]
[RUNS=:10]
[OUT Q=USING HUMAN CELLS.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
About 40- thousand corneas are transplanted each year with corneas donated at death.
(------------)
[EYE-CHIP]
[ANCHOR=MELANIE]
[NEWSCAST=NOON]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=HOLD]
Also today, researchers at John's Hopkins say they are one step closer to helping people who have lost their vision because of disease of the retina such as macular degeneration.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Baltimore, MD;]
The retina is the focus point in the back of the eye.
At Hopkins, doctors have developed what they call an eye chip that gets implanted into the eye.
And this chip can electronically transmit images to the brain.
(///////SOT//////)
[IN=if the device...]
((IF THE DEVICE FUNCTIONS JUST ENOUGH TO ALLOW MOBILITY AND RECOGNIZING SHAPES THEN IT WILL BASICALLY HELP IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. ))
[SUPER=01-Dr. Mark Humayun/Lead Researcher;]
[RUNS=:08]
[OUT=THOUSANDS of people.]
(---------)
[vo-nat]
The chip may be ready for use within 10 years.
(------------)
[E-Breast-Cancer]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=tfl]
[TAPE#=99-43 1:29:30]
[GRAPHIC=Breast Cancer]
The sights and sounds of the holiday filled the air at the Carilion Breast Care Center in Roanoke to benfit a good cause..
(///// NAT SOT /////)
[SOT tc 06:17:24]
((HARP MUSIC))
[SUPER=03-Roanoke; ]
[RUNS=:05]
[OUTQ=NAT Music]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Breast cancer survivors and their families gathered for a Christmas tree lighting to celebrate the first "Holiday Lights of Hope."
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT tc 04:58:04]
[IN Q=We thought that]
((MARGARET HARVEY/BREAST CARE CENTER: WE THOUGHT THAT CHRISTMAS IS JUST A WONDERFUL AND WARM TIMES TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AND WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO BREAST CANCER SO FOR A FIVE DOLLAR DONATION, MANY HAVE DONATED A LIGHT IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE.))
[SUPER=01-Margaret Harvey/Breast Care Center; ]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=loved one.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
The money goes to the Sunshine Fund for the fight against breast cancer in the Roanoke Valley.
(------------)
[Layoffs]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=kor]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Tultex Chapter 11]
Another 350 Tultex employees in Henry County will be out of a job within two months.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville;]
A company spokeswoman said yesterday that half of those layoffs will take place with the closing in 60 days of a customer service center and warehouse.
The layoffs are linked to the clothing manufacturer's filing in federal court last week to reorganize.
At that time, Tultex dismissed 26-hundred employees.
(------------)
[E-Tultex]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=sgo]
[TAPE#=99-42 1:35:13]
[GRAPHIC=Tultex Chpt. 11]
Many of those laid off Tultex employees are wondering what happens to their benefits.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Vinton]
Some of them began to get their questions answered last night in Vinton.
Women who worked at the now-closed Roanoke sewing plant went to the town hall.
They met with representatives from the U-S Department of Labor.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT "Tultex Mtg" tape at 20:37:10]
[IN Q=as long as]
((BILL SEILER/US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: AS LONG AS PEOPLE ... CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR JOBS AND CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR LIVES.))
[SUPER=01-Bill Seiler/U. S. Dept. of Labor;]
[RUNS=17]
[OUT Q=CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR LIVES]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Topics at the meeting included insurance and 4-0-1-Ks.
Anyone who missed the meeting can contact the Department of Labor's office in Washington or Senator Chuck Robb's office in Roanoke.
(------------)
[wipe wipe wipe]
[E-Retail-Tultex]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=mjo]
[TAPE#=99-38 1:46:21]
[GRAPHIC=wipe wipe wipe wipe]
[WIPE WIPE WIPE WIPE]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Henry Co.;]
The troubles at Tultex also mean hard times for some Martinsville and Henry County businesses.
Tultex was Ben Copenhaver's number one customer until last week.
His company has made sticker labels for Tultex for more than two decades.
But as textile jobs have left the country, he's lost some of his best clients.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 10:18 - :24]
[IN Q=We've lost four to five customers]
((BEN COPENHAVER/HAVERLINE LABELS OWNER: WE'VE LOST FOUR TO FIVE CUSTOMERS TO BANKRUPTCY IN THE LAST YEAR... AND IN 25 YEARS, WE'VE NEVER LOST ONE.))
[SUPER=01-Ben Copenhaver/Haverline Labels Owner;]
[RUNS=:06]
[OUT Q=never lost one.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Work has halted at K-T-I Energy's 14-person Martinsville plant, where Tultex was the ONLY customer.
The plant supplied steam for Tultex's cloth production.
No one there has been laid off.
But the Virginia Employment Commission reports that two other local companies are cutting back on staff because of Tultex's problems.
(------------)
[Graham-Executed]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=Va. Death Penalty]
Virginia has executed 14 death row inmates this year, the most in any year since the state resumed executions in 19-82.
(+++++++++)
[take GRAHAM FS]
Last night, Andre Graham became the fourteenth.
He was convicted of killing a 20-year old woman outside a Richmond restaurant in 1993.
(-------------)
[E-Bowl-Sportswear]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=ssm]
[TAPE#=99-41 1:22:50]
[GRAPHIC=Sugar Bowl]
Virginia Tech fans have been "gobbling" up all kinds of Hokie merchandise.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg]
Fortunately, a Lynchburg business has been helping meet that demand.
For the past few weeks, High Peak Sportswear has been cranking out hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts celebrating the Hokies' magical season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 17:44;21]
[IN Q=There's a tremendous]
((RALPH SMITH/HIGH PEAK SPORTSWEAR: THERE'S A TREMENDOUS DEMAND, RIGHT NOW ALL THE RETAILERS ARE SCREAMING FOR AS MUCH VIRGINIA TECH, SUGAR BOWL, UNDEFEATED SEASON, NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP- TYPE SHIRTS THAT THEY CAN GET. AND WE'RE IN A POSITION RIGHT NOW OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPLY THEIR NEEDS, SO IT'S A GREAT DEAL FOR EVERYBODY.))
[SUPER=01-Ralph Smith/High Peak Sportswear;]
[RUNS=14]
[OUT Q=deal for everybody.]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
Smith says many of his employees are Tech fans so they don't mind working the extra hours.
And a design for a national championship shirt is already in the works should the Hokies win the big one.
(------------)
[Tease2]
[SOFT MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
If you thought octuplets were a lot to handle, stay tuned.
(-----------------)
[VO-NAT ]
We'll meet one mama with 18 little ones to take care of.
(-----------------)
[MUSIC UP FULL]
[COMM BREAK #2]
[E-Bowers-Munchkin]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=jmc]
[TAPE#=99-44 1:13:11]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Roanoke's mayor now has a key to the Emerald City, thanks to the mayor of Munchkinland.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]
David Bowers' counterpart from Munchkinland presented him with the gleaming, green key, in a "short" ceremony at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Bowers returned the favor, giving his fellow public official a key to the Star City.
The Munchkin mayor is a skater in the Wizard of Oz ice show, which started Wednesday night.
It runs through Sunday.
(------------)
[oz-dress]
[ANCHOR=melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
The wizard of Oz story debuted on the silver screen sixty years ago.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-London, England;]
[3:22:25]
And today the dress worn by Judy Garland in the movie sold for 324 thousand dollars, more than twice the expected price at Christie's auction house in London.
The gingham dress was bought by a life-long Judy Garland fan from Manhattan.
The blue door from the hit film, "Notting Hill" also sold today for 7,500 dollars.
The famous door was on the front of Hugh Grant's home in the film.
(------------)
[dog-puppies]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=None]
There's a lot of puppy love coming out of Utah these days, and were not talking about Donny Osmond.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lindon, UT;]
[3:17:31]
It all started when a lab named Tawnie has set a national record by giving birth to 18 puppies 2 months ago.
Tawnie's achievement landed her "mother of the year" honors and free dog food from the Iams Company.
One puppy died...but, the others survived a tricky delivery.
(------------)
[Stocks]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=noon]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE# none]
[GRAPHIC=stocks]
On Wall Street at Noon, the Dow was UP 37 points.
[tease3]
[SPORTS MUSIC UNDER]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
Still to come in sports, a local basketball coaching legend says goodbye to the court,
(----------------)
[VO-NAT ]
and the Radford Highlanders win a shocker over Ricky Stokes' Tech team.
Patrick has those highlights, next.
(---------------)
[MUSIC UP FULL]
[COMM BREAK #3]
[S-PH]
[ANCHOR=Patrick]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-57 20:16]
[GRAPHIC=High school hoops]
Patrick Henry hosted Salem on the high school hard wood last night.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke/Spartans vs. Patriots; :00]
Charlie Morgan and his defending state champs had their hands full with P-H.
Tyrone Ferrell dishes to Mike Peery, he rips rope from the right side late in the first.
Then, off the inbounds, Chris Leftwich forces the Salem turnover and gets the ball to Peery who drains another three pointer at the buzzer. P-H leads 24-8.
Turnovers hurt the Spartans. Tyson Hawkins with the theft and the dish to
[SUPER=33-Patrick Henry/72/Salem/43;]
Peery for the deuce. Peery scored 18 of his game high 23 in the first half. The Patriots lead 41-14 after that hoop.
Haley would answer with this shot but it was still 41-16
Peery would not let Salem enjoy that basket for long as he comes right back and snaps the nylon.
PH wins 72-43.
(------------)
[Tech-Radford]
[ANCHOR=Patrick]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=tar]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=NCAA Basketball]
The Radford Highlanders shocked the Hokies in the Cassell last night 62 to 60.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blacksburg;]
Radford gets ready to hit the court with a little prayer.
But the Hokies open the game with a 4-zip lead. This David Whaley jumper made it 6-nothing Tech.
Tech continued to dominate as Dennis Mims gets the alley oop. He slams the bisquit in the basket, making it 12 to 1 Tech.
Radford chipped away at the lead. Ryan Charles hits inside giving Radford the 16-15 lead.
The Highlanders extend the lead to 4 with this tres. It's 19-15.
But Tech rallies on an 8 to 2 run, and ends the first half leading 32 to 27.
The Hokies dominated the start of the second. Andre Ray's hoop gives Tech the 49-39 lead.
But Radford comes back. Corey Watkins lays it up with one-oh-7 left in the game to tie it at 60.
[SUPER=33-Radford/62/Virginia Tech/60//;]
With 20 seconds left, Radford goes to Watkins again.
He hits the game winner, and the Highlanders win 62 to 60.
(------------)
[S-Davis]
[ANCHOR=Patrick]
[NEWSCAST=Noon]
[WRITER=sma]
[TAPE#=SP-54 5138TC]
[GRAPHIC=JOE DAVIS]
A true hometown favorite will retire from his post at the end of this basketball season.
Joe Davis will hang up the whistle after 34 years on the court.
(---------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Lynchburg;]
Yesterday afternoon the Lynchburg College head coach was back at practice just a few hours after announcing his intentions to retire.
Davis has been a fixture in the southwest Virginia college coaching ranks with stops at Radford and Ferrum.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[SUPER=01-Joe Davis/Retiring at Season's End; :00]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=...really blessed."]
(------------)
[VO-NAT con't]
Davis also influenced many young men in the high school ranks with stops at Glenvar and Cave Spring. He also is a member of both the Ferrum and Radford University halls of fame.
(------------)
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=BITE]
[RUNS=:17]
[OUT Q=...THE GOOD PART."]
(----------------)
by SS