WDBJ 7 morning news for 12/20/99

[Headlines]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]

(----------------)
[VO-NAT]

The arrest of a suspected terrorist at the Canadian border heightens fears of attacks on New Year's celebrations state side.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

And a Catalog company is bringing jobs to Martinsville.
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

You'll need the umbrellas for mainly the morning hours...as light rain and drizzle continue over the area.
All the moisture is advance of a cold front that'll bring heavier rainfall amounts tomorrow.
The complete forecast, up next.
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(ad lib live tease)
[2-shot]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

[New-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jha]
[TAPE#=99-42 1:49:57]
[GRAPHIC=New Jobs]

After months of layoffs and plant closings-- Martinsville and Henry County have reason to celebrate.
200- new jobs are on the way to the area.
(----------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville]

National Catalog Corporation is opening a new e-commerce distributing and customer service center in the old Pluma building in Henry County.
The company has operated an inbound customer service center in Martinsville since July, and plans for the expansion to begin immediately.
(--------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=Hold]

The news could not have come at a better time.
Just this month--Tultex laid off more than 17-hundred employees in Martinsville and Henry County.

[Bedford-Arrest]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=None]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Two people are under arrest for two recent holdups in Bedford County.
And investigators say they are suspects in other armed robberies in Franklin, Botetourt and Pittsylvania Counties.

42 year old Freeman Lee Muse and 46 year old Costella Forney of Harrisonburg were arrested last night after a Bedford deputy pulled their car over.
The two are charged with robbing a gas station near Smith Mountain Lake last Friday .. and the Thaxton market last Tuesday.

[2shuttle]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=Space Shuttle]

After a series of delays the space shuttle discovery is in space this morning.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=01-Kennedy Space Ctr., FL;]
[RUNS=:07]
[OUT Q=(SHUTTLE COUTDOWN FROM 3 AND LIFT OFF)]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

After several delays, Discovery made a successful launch last night from Florida.
Wiring problems kept the craft grounded for five months.
The crew aboard "discovery" will try and repair the troubled Hubble telescope.
Had the shuttle not been launched last night, NASA would have waited until January for another try.
Officials want to avoid having it in space over new year's day for fear of Y-2k problems.
(------------)

[1-Sports]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=sports cut in]
[GRAPHIC=None]

In sports, a Floyd County high school football player is named Group A player of the year.
Steve Mason has that story and highlights from around the N-F-L.
Good Morning Steve.
(/////SOT/////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Good Morning]
[RUNS=2:30]
[OUT Q=Monday everybody.]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
(Melanie ad lib toss to Kimberly/Wx)

[Dog 911]

[ANCHOR=Melanie ]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#=Hold 4 Pardon]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Every now and then, you hear of an amazing story...one where an animal and a human have a connection that can't be described.
A story in which the animal does something you just can't believe.
John Clay brings us one of those stories.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Tucker...come here Tucker]
[SUPER=03-Centre Co., PA; :00]
[SUPER=01-Joyce McLaughlin/Tucker's Owner; :28]
[SUPER=01-Jason Skelly/911 Dispatcher; :52 (quick)]
[RUNS=1:40]
[OUT Q= gave him a biscut (no tag, not obvious)]
(-------------)
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=]
That was John Clay reporting. And in just a few minutes, if you are including pets on your Christmas list, we'll have

some ideas for your to consider.[2BORDER-ARREST]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=MORN]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Authorities are searching for a suspected accomplice to Ahmed Ressam (AH'-med res-AHM') who is charged with bringing explosives into the U-S from Canada.
Meanwhile, Montreal police have found a van belonging to Ressam.
His arrest has heightened fears of terrorist attacks on New Year's celebrations in the United States.
Vince Gonzales reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[3:08:14]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Seattle, WA; :00]
[SUPER=01-Sandy Berger/National Security Advisor; :29]
[SUPER=01-Vince Gonzales/Reporting; 1:29]
[RUNS=1:46]
[OUT Q=CBS NEWS, SEATTLE.]
(( While explosives-smuggling suspect Ahmed Ressam sits locked up in this Federal detention center outside Seattle--authorities are engaged in a coast-to-coast manhunt for an unknown individual who traveled with him.
Ressam stayed with someone for two weeks at this Vancouver hotel before heading for the U.S. Investigators say he purchased two tickets for the cross-border ferry to Port Angeles, Washington, raising concerns that the second suspect slipped across the border while agents were busy with Ressam.

(SOT/Berger, Face the Nation) OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO
DETERMINE WHAT HIS PLANS AND WHAT HIS MOTIVES WERE, WHETHER THERE WERE OTHERS INVOLVED, WHAT KIND OF AFFILIATION HE MIGHT HAVE HAD.
CBS News has learned that Canadian authorities are firmly convinced Ressam is connected in some way to Osama bin Ladin...the alleged terrorist mastermind believed to be responsible for the American embassy bombings in Africa.

(GRAPHIC, BIN LADEN AND RESSAM PHOTOS)
U.S. officials now also believe there is some type of link between the two men. Intelligence sources tell CBS News, Ressam "...may not have met Bin Laden but he may have met with people who did."
(END GRAPHIC)

Because of bin Laden--the State Department recently warned Americans to stay away from large gatherings and millenium celebrations abroad. But with preparations now underway for big new year's parties in major U-S cities, the White House extended the Y2K warning to American soil.

(SOT/Berger/110802) I WOULD SAY THAT AMERICANS SHOULD BE VIGILANT AS
THEY GO ABOUT THEIR PLANS FOR THE NEW YEARS.

(STNDUP:) IN SEATTLE ADDITIONAL SECURITY WILL BE ADDED TO MILLENIUM
CELEBRATIONS AT THE SPACE NEEDLE. AND CUSTOMS PORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY REMAIN ON HEIGHTENED ALERT-- BUT INVESTIGATORS TELL CBS NEWS THEY GOT
LUCKY WHEN THEY CAUGHT RESSAM--- AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THEIR LUCK

WILL HOLD THROUGH THE NEW YEAR. VINCE GONZALES CBS NEWS SEATTLE.>))[Osborne]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=99-38 2:00:16]
[GRAPHIC=None]

A former carnival worker who killed his girlfriend in Virginia ... then another woman in Tennessee has received another life term in prison.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Blountville, TN/File Tape;]

Bradley Duane Osborne was sentenced Saturday for killing his former girlfriend at an Abingdon motel in October of '96.
He then stole her car and shot and killed another woman in Tennessee.
Osborne was already serving life in prison for her murder.
(---------------------)

[2Christmas-Shopping]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morning]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=Christmas Shopping]

Hundreds of last minute shoppers crowded the malls this weekend and that has meant sales are up for some local retailers.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

Valley View Mall was buzzing with shoppers this weekend and many say they are spending much more this holiday in comparison to last year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:22:44]
[IN Q=Today I spent]
((JUSTIN KOEHLER: TODAY I SPENT A THOUSAND DOLLARS, TOTAL HOLIDAY I'VE SPEND 2 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THAT'S PROBABLY 3 TIMES WHAT I SPENT LAST YEAR))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=last year]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Mall officials say sales are up about 8 percent overall compared to this time last year and some stores have gains as much as 25 percent..
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:28:40]
[IN Q=I think that's]
((MARIE COMPTON/FINK'S: OUR PERCENTAGE IS UP A LOT. I THINK THAT'S DUE TO THE ECONOMY BEING SO GREAT AND PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE STOCK MARKET AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE CAUSED THEM TO HAVE EXCESS MONEY TO SPEND THEN OUR BUSINESS REALLY EXCELS BECAUSE OF THAT))
[RUNS= 11]
[OUT Q=because of that]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

And with a few a days left before Christmas -- retailers are banking on more last minute shoppers taking to the malls and spending lots of money
(-----------)

[Zoo-Lights]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-50 50:47]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Homes aren't the only places decorated this holiday season -- so is the Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke]

It's all part of Zoo Night Lights.
The first 50 visitors each night receive free holiday specs that transform the Christmas lights into snow flakes.
Zoo officials hope the holiday lights will encourage folks to see the animals in the winter.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT8:12]
[IN Q=The big message]
((BETH POFF/MILL MOUNTAIN ZOO: THE BIG MESSAGE WE WANT TO GET OUT IS NOT ONLY A HAPPY HOLIDAY MESSAGE BUT ALSO THAT WE'RE HERE YEAR ROUND SO ENJOY THOSE MILD DAYS. WE'VE HAD A MILD WINTER SO FAR AND THE ANIMALS ARE MUCH DIFFERENT IN THE COLDER MONTHS A LOT OF THEM ARE MORE ACTIVE))
[SUPER=01-Beth Poff/Mill Mountain Zoo]
[RUNS=13]
[OUT Q=more active]
(------------)
[VO-NAT]

Poff says this is also a good time to view some of the zoos newest additions like the bald eagles and (core-sick) fox -- which is found at only one other zoo in the country.
You can check out the lights through Thursday.
(------------)

[Healthcheck]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=Healthcheck]

Computers will be joining the battle against breast cancer.
And the latest trends on teen drug use.
Betsy Karetnick has our Morning Healthcheck report.
(///// SOT /////- 03:21:14)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Doctors may soon]
[SUPER=01-Betsy Karetnick/Reporting;]
[RUNS=1:20]
[OUT Q=CBS News, New York]
((DOCTORS MAY SOON HAVE A NEW WEAPON IN THEIR BREAST CANCER FIGHTING ARSENAL.

VT=VO
ADVISERS TO THE U-S FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION HAVE RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE FIRST COMPUTERIZED MAMMOGRAM.
WHILE THE AGENCY IS NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY USUALLY DO.
MORE THAN 30 MILLION MAMMOGRAMS ARE PERFORMED ON WOMEN EACH YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY. THE X-RAY IS THE BEST WAY TO DETECT BREAST CANCER, ESPECIALLY EARLY TUMORS.

ONCAM=Betsy
THERE'S NEW HOPE THIS MORNING FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE DEPRESSION WHO DON'T RESPOND TO TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS.
A SURGICALLY IMPLANTED DEVICE THAT STIMULATES THE VAGUS NERVE HAS SHOWN PROMISE IN HELPING THESE PEOPLE.
IN A STUDY OF 30 PATIENTS WITH SEVERE DEPRESSION OR BI-POLAR DISORDER, 40 PERCENT OF THEM RESPONDED TO THE TREATMENT. SOME PATIENTS FELT SO WELL THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK AND RESUME OTHER DAILY ACTIVITIES,
THE VAGUS NERVE, WHICH RUNS BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE TRUNK OF THE BODY CARRIES NERVE IMPULSES THAT PLAY A PART IN MOOD AND SLEEP.

VT=VO
((vo)) THERE IS GOOD AND BAD NEWS THIS MORNING CONCERNING TEENS AND DRUGS.
FIRST THE GOOD NEWS. FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, OVERALL TEEN DRUG USE HAS REMAINED STABLE.
NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS. MORE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAY THEY USED STEROIDS AND THE DRUG ECSTASY.
8 PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS REPORT USING THE "CLUB DRUG" LAST YEAR. THAT'S MORE THAN A 2 PERCENT RAISE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND THAT'S A LOOK AT THE DAY IN HEALTH. I'M BETSY KARETNICK FOR CBS NEWS, NEW YORK.))

[Dog-Shopping]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#=Hold 4 Pardon]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Many people consider their pets part of the family..and this year more than 28 million of those people will buy presents for their pets. Camie Melton has some ideas.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=This tail]
[SUPER=03-Apple Valley, MN; :00]
[SUPER=01-Mat Andzullis/Petco Manager; :21 (quick)]
[SUPER=01-Camie Melton/Reporting; :25]
[RUNS=1:37]
[OUT Q=for cbs news]
[2-HEADLINES]
[2-shot=Mel/Kmc]
[SUPER=#4049; Morning Headlines]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Here's a look at today's top stories.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Police say the man charged with bringing bomb-making materials into Washington state from Canada is linked to a group that steals to support terrorism.
Montreal police say Ahmed Ressam (AH'-med res-AHM') was arrested last year for stealing goods the group sells to raise cash for terrorists abroad.
His van was found last night in Montreal.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Kim]

For a change new jobs are coming to Henry County.
National Catalog Corporation is opening a customer service center in Henry County and hiring 200 employees.
Last month Tultex laid off hundreds of workers at its Martinsville plant.
(----------------)
[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]
And -- Space shuttle ``Discovery'' astronauts are on their way to fix the Hubble Space Telescope -- finally.
The shuttle lifted off last night after an unprecedented nine delays. The astronauts are expected to reach the three billion-dollar telescope on Tuesday.
(----------------)
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]

And that's what's making news on this .
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

News 7 Mornin' will be right back.

[2New-Jobs]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=jha]
[TAPE#=99-42 1:49:57]
[GRAPHIC=New Jobs]

200 new jobs are on the way to Southside, where textile layoffs have left many people looking for work.
Just this month--Tultex laid off more than 17-hundred employees in Martinsville and Henry County.
(----------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Martinsville]

Now, National Catalog Corporation is opening a new e-commerce distributing and customer service center in the old Pluma building in Henry County.
The company has operated an inbound customer service center in Martinsville since July, and plans for the expansion to begin immediately.
(--------)

[2Bedford-Arrest]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=none]

Two people charged with two recent holdups in Bedford County are also suspects for other armed robberies in Franklin, Botetourt and Pittsylvania Counties.
42 year old Freeman Lee Muse and 46 year old Costella Forney of Harrisonburg are charged with robbing a gas station near Smith Mountain Lake last Friday .. and the Thaxton market last Tuesday.
They were arrested last night after a Bedford deputy pulled their car over.

[border-arrest]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=morn]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Authorities say the Algerian man arrested for allegedly trying to bring bomb parts across the U-S border from Canada may have been part of a theft ring that helped fund terrorist groups.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Montreal, Canada;]
[3:10:10]
Montreal police have also found a van belonging to Ahmed Ressam (AH'-med res-AHM'), who remains jailed in Seattle.

The area around the vehicle was evacuated so a bomb squad could inspect it for bomb making materials.
The Algerian suspect was arrested in Washington state last week.
[SUPER=03-Seattle, WA; :12]
[3:08:14] Officials believe he may have been planning terrorists acts in connection with upcoming Millenium celebrations.
(------------)

[Carruth]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth is back in North Carolina, where he will face a first-degree murder charge.

(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-Charlotte, NC]

Carruth was arrested on a federal unlawful flight warrant .. after his former girlfriend, Cherica Adams, died Tuesday of gunshot wounds.
He was found last week in western Tennessee. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty.
Carruth is the first active NFL player ever charged with first-degree murder.
(------------)

[Cuban-Inmates]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=ejo]
[TAPE#=Net]
[GRAPHIC=None]

One prison warden, one deputy, and five female inmates are looking ahead to the holidays now that they are free once again.
They had held been hostage by six Cuban inmates for six days.
(------------)
[VO-NAT]
[SUPER=03-St. Martinville, LA]

Those inmates will be returned to Cuba in a deal that ended the standoff in Louisiana over the weekend.
While the incident is over, the damage will take some time to repair, and the work is already underway.
(------------)

[SHUTTLE]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=MORN]
[WRITER=mel]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Shuttle Discovery]

NASA is celebrating last night's launch of space shuttle ``Discovery.''
The launch ended a string of nine launch delays caused by faulty wiring, a dented fuel line and bad weather.
The shuttle crew is on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
Terisa Estacio reports.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[3:01:46]
[IN Q=This is the last]
[super=03-Kennedy Space Ctr., FL; :00]
[SUPER=02-Dave King/Launch Director; :24]
[SUPER=02-Curtis Brown, Jr./Shuttle Commander; :30]
[SUPER=01-Terisa Estacio/Reporting; 1:12]
[RUNS=1:19]
[OUT Q=CBS News, Houston]
((
(TAKE NATS )
(INCUE: THIS IS THE LAST MISSION FOR NASA 1999 )

FINALLY, AFTER NINE FAILED ATTEMPTS, THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SUCCESSFULLY BLASTED INTO SPACE SUNDAY NIGHT.

(TAKE NATS )
(CG: BLAST OFF )

(TAKE TRACK )

PROBLEMS PLAGUED THIS MISSION FOR MONTHS. BAD WEATHER POSTPONED FRIDAY AND SATURDAYS SCHEDULED LAUNCHES. THEN EARLIER IN THE WEEK, LAST MINUTE CONCERNS REGARDING WELDS IN CRITICAL FUEL LINES CANCELED THE FLIGHT.

(TAKE NATS MESSAGE REGARDING HUBBLE )
(TAKE CG: DAVE KING/LAUNCH DIRECTOR; )
(INCUE: WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT MISSION TO HUBBLE AND WE WILL SEE YOU
BACK HERE BEFORE THE MILLENNIUM )
(TAKE SOT )

(CG: COMMANDER CURTIS BROWN JRS. )
(INCUE: WE JUST HAVE ONE REQUEST, JUST SEND A NOTE TO HUBBLE..
BECAUSE WE ARE ON OUR WAY. )
DISCOVERY IS HEADING TO HELP THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE. HUBBLES POINTING SYSTEM IS DOWN HINDERING THE CRAFTS ABILITY TO SEND IMAGES FROM DEEP SPACE TO SCIENTISTS ON EARTH. DURING THIS 8 DAY MISSION THE SEVEN MEMBER CREW WILL BE QUITE BUSY. AFTER HOOKING UP WITH HUBBLE, THE ASTRONAUTS WILL SEEK TO REPLACE SEVERAL ITEMS ON THE TELESCOPE INCLUDING INSTALLING NEW GYROSCOPES, A RADIO TRANSMITTER AND FINE GUIDANCE SENSOR.

(MORE NATS OF FLIGHT MOVING ON TO SPACE )

DISCOVERY IS TWENTY YEARS OLD BUT NASA SCIENTISTS SAY IT IS CERTAINLY UP FOR THE BIG JOB. IF THE SHUTTLE WAS UNABLE TO LIFT OFF SUNDAY, THE NEXT ATTEMPT WOULD IN JANUARY JUST TO STEER CLEAR OF ANY Y2K TROUBLE.
THE SHUTTLE IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO EARTH ON DECEMBER 27.

TERISA ESTACIO, CBS NEWS HOUSTON))[Poinsettias]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=spa]
[TAPE#=Hold 4 Pardon]
[GRAPHIC=None]

Nothing helps ring in the holiday better than bright red, beautiful poinsettias. But poinsettias aren't just for Christmas anymore. As Linda Kubitz reports, new poinsettias are being developed in new shapes, colors and sizes just in time for the new millennium.

(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=Should old]
[SUPER=03-Gainesville, FL; :00]
[SUPER=01-Linda Kubitz/Reporting; :]
[RUNS=1:19]
[OUT Q=for cbs news]
(-----------)
[ANHOR=Melanie]
[GRAPHIC=None]
Poinsettias can last as long as 3 months indoors as long as they're properly watered regularly, but not saturated. Once it's warm enough they can be transplanted outside.
((BUMP))

((COMMERCIAL))[Christmas-Shopping]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=morning]
[WRITER=jsu]
[TAPE#=99-]
[GRAPHIC=Christmas Shopping (wreath)]

The countdown is on till Christmas -- and that had many people migrating to the malls this weekend.
And as Joy Sutton reports Valley View Mall in Roanoke is experiencing an increase in sales compared to last holiday season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT]
[IN Q=]
[SUPER=03-Roanoke;:00]
[SUPER=01-Debbie Trout/Shopper;:20]
[SUPER=01-Justin Koehler/Shopper;:37]
[SUPER=01-Michael Wilhoem/Shopper;:44]
[SUPER=01-Marie Compton/Fink's Jewelers;1:35]
[SUPER=@Joy1;1:44]
[RUNS=2:01]
[OUT Q=n7, Roanoke]

(( Debbie Troutt is just one of hundreds of shoppers who have waited to the last minute to buy Christmas presents.
She says the mall was so crowded on Saturday - she couldn't find a place to park and had to come back Sunday.
But that hasn't stopped her from spending lots of money this holiday season.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:33:46]
[IN Q=I'm afraid to add]
((DEBBIE TROUTT: I'M AFRAID TO ADD UP HOW MUCH I'M SPENDING PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE BECAUSE I'M SHOPPING AT THE LAST MINUTE. AND I'M NOT SPENDING TIME LOOKING))
[RUNS= 9]
[OUT Q=time looking]

Actually she's just buying -- like many other shoppers - who say they are spending hundreds of dollars more this holiday compared to last year.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:22:44]
[IN Q=Today I spent]
((JUSTIN KOEHLER: TODAY I SPENT A THOUSAND DOLLARS, TOTAL HOLIDAY I'VE SPEND 2 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THAT'S PROBABLY 3 TIMES WHAT I SPENT LAST YEAR))
[RUNS= 10]
[OUT Q=last year]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:37:15]
[IN Q=A whole lot more]
((MICHAEL WILHEOM: A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN LAST YEAR PROBABLY DOUBLE OF WHAT I SPENT LAST YEAR))
[RUNS= 5]
[OUT Q=last year]

And many retailers are reaping the benefits.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT 2:28:40]
[IN Q=I think that's]
((MARIE COMPTON/FINK'S: OUR PERCENTAGE IS UP A LOT. I THINK THAT'S DUE TO THE ECONOMY BEING SO GREAT AND PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE STOCK MARKET AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE CAUSED THEM TO HAVE EXCESS MONEY TO SPEND THEN OUR BUSINESS REALLY EXCELS BECAUSE OF THAT))
[RUNS= 11]
[OUT Q=because of that]

Compton says sales at Fink's Jewelers are up 15 percent from the last holiday season.
She says people are even buying the more expensive gifts like this millennium ring -- a collectors item -- valued between 10 and 20 thousand dollars.
A Valley View Mall spokesperson also says sales are up overall....with some stores experiences a sales gain of as much as 25- percent.
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:39:31]
[IN Q=And the countdown is on]
((JOY SUTTON/REPORTER: AND THE COUNTDOWN IS ON TILL CHRISTMAS AND RETAILERS HOPE THAT WILL MEAN MORE CUSTOMER THIS WEEK COMING IN TO GET THOSE LAST MINUTE GIFTS))
[RUNS= 9]
[OUT Q=gifts]
(///// SOT /////)
[SOT2:29:56]
[IN Q=men are always shop last]
((MARIE COMPTON/FINK'S: MEN ALWAYS SHOP LAST SO BETWEEN NOW AND CHRISTMAS EVE WERE EXPECTING REALLY BIG SALES))
[RUNS= 6]
[OUT Q=big sales]

And this holiday it seems that neither the crowds nor the shortage of parking spaces will keep the shoppers from buying.
Joy Sutton, News 7 Roanoke.))

[Fatal-Accident]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Fatal Accident (traffic)]

Police say a woman who went through a red light Sunday died in the collision that followed.
Lynchburg police 79 year old Berneice Morris died .. after failing to stop at a light along Ford Avenue.
Her car struck a S-U-V. No one in the other vehicle was seriously hurt.

[CarSeat-Recall]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=kwe]
[TAPE#=none]
[GRAPHIC=Child safety Seats]

There's an infant car seat recall to pass along.
Kolcraft Enterprises is recalling 754-thousand car seats because of a defective handle that causes the seat to rotate .. and that can cause the baby to fall out.
So far, there have been 42 infants injured and more than three thousand reports filed because of the handle-related problem.
(+++++++)
[TAKE FULL SCREEN GRAPHIC 1000] To get a free repair kit, you can call Kolcraft at 877-776-2609.
(+++++++)

[Venezuela]

[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
[NEWSCAST=Morn]
[WRITER=tha]
[TAPE#=net]
[GRAPHIC=Flooding]

At least one-thousand people have died as a result of torrential downpours in Venezuela-- and the death toll is still climbing.
(------------)
[VO-NAT 15:27:46]
[SUPER=03-Caracas, Venezuela]

Nearly six-thousand people are still missing in the floodwaters.
President Hugo Chavez made the announcement Sunday on national TV.
He says officials are now looking for places to bury the dead because cemeteries in the capital of Caracas are covered in mud.
Authorities say it's the worst natural disaster in the nation's history.
(---------)

[3-Sports]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
[NEWSCAST=Mornin]
[WRITER=chr]
[TAPE#=sports cut in]
[GRAPHIC=None]

In sports, Steve Mason shows us the latest holiday gifts for the sports enthusiast.
Good Morning Steve.
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[SOT]
[IN Q=Good morning]
[RUNS=2:28]
[OUT Q=Monday everybody.]

[ANCHOR=Melanie]
(weather toss)

[Local-Recap]
[SUPER=#4059;Local Recap]
[2-Shot=Mel/Kmc]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

Now here's another look at today's top local stories:
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

200 new jobs are on the way to Southside. National Catalog Corporation is opening a new e-commerce distributing and customer service center in the old Pluma building in Henry County.
The company has operated an inbound customer service center in Martinsville since July, and plans for the expansion to begin immediately.
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[KIMBERLY ON CAMERA]
[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
Two people charged with two recent holdups in Bedford County are also suspects for other armed robberies in Franklin, Botetourt and Pittsylvania Counties.
They were arrested last night after a Bedford deputy pulled their car over.
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[VO-NAT]
[ANCHOR=Melanie]

The countdown is on till Christmas -- and that had many people migrating to the malls this weekend.
Valley View Mall in Roanoke is experiencing an increase in sales compared to last holiday season.
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[ANCHOR=Kimberly]
(Kimberly mic hot)
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(Kimberly ad lib weather)
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[Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]
(toss)
[ANCHOR=Steve]
(live ad lib, tease tomorrow)
(ad lib bye) [Double Boxes=Melanie/Kimberly and Steve]