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Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

Note: Because breaking news happens fast, you may find typographic errors within news scripts. Odd punctuation, visual cues, anchor and producer notes may also appear with the scripts since these are the actual files that the news anchors present to you on Eyewitness News.
Tonight on
Eyewitness News at 6 PM
Eyewitness News at 6 PM
Reporting Today: Rick Lord
and Deborah Linz
Jim Barach is in the Weather Center
and Mark Martin has Sports
Produced by: Martin Hicks/Teresa Higginbotham
Directed by: Lee Chatman


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  • WELCOME
      COMING UP ON EYEWITNESS NEWS.......

      GOVERNOR JOE MANCHIN TALKS TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA'S ROLE IN THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN ENERGY.

      AND, STUDENTS IN WEST VIRGINIA GO ONLINE TO TELL LAWMAKERS HOW THEY FELL ABOUT THE ISSUES.

      PLUS, YOU WILL SOON BE ABLE TO TURN AROUND ON THE TURNPIKE WHEN TROUBLE STRIKES.

      JIM AD LIB ON TAPE

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    TEASE VIDEO
      THE GOVERNOR TALKS DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDENT ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA.

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    WELCOME
      GOOD EVENING, I'M RICK LORD... DEBORAH LINZ IS ON ASSIGNMENT.

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    INTRO GOV MEETS PRES
      WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR JOE MANCHIN JOINS NINE OF HIS COUNTERPARTS IN A SIT DOWN MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND TOP ADMINISTRATION STAFFERS.

      THE SUBJECT IS ENERGY.

      EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER KENNIE BASS JOINS US LIVE FROM OUR CHARLESTON NEWSROOM WITH DETAILS.

      I TALKED WITH GOVERNOR MANCHIN ABOUT AN HOUR AGO AND HE DESCRIBED THE MEETING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA AS AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS COUNTRY'S FUTURE AND WHERE COAL FITS INTO THE MIX.

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    GOV MEETS PRES
      MANCHIN, KENTUCKY GOVERNOR STEVE BESHEAR, OHIO GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND AND SEVEN OTHER CHIEF EXECUTIVES SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR AND HALF AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

      THE BIG NEWS TO COME OUT OF THIS MEETING IS THAT THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF THE AN AGENCY TO FOCUS ON A COORDINATED FEDERAL STRATEGY TO COMMERCIALIZE CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES.

      THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE WANT THOSE TECHNOLOGIES OPERATING AND ON THE MARKET IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

      GOVERNOR MANCHIN SAYS HE THINKS THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE COAL MARKET DOESN'T BEAR THE BRUNT OF OVER-REGULATION, WHICH COULD CAUSE COAL PRICES TO SKYROCKET.

      GOVERNOR MANCHIN SAYS HE THINKS THE PRESIDENT'S ENERGY TASK FORCE WILL BE UP AND RUNNING VERY SHORTLY.

      HE ADDED HE'S HOPEFUL WEST VIRGINIA WILL BE REPRESENTED ON THAT TASK FORCE SO THE MOUNTAIN STATE'S EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COAL CAN BE PUT TO GOOD USE.

      IN THE NEWSROOM... KENNIE BASS... EYEWITNESS NEWS.

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    AFLCIO CONF.
      UNION REPS FROM ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN STATE ARE TALKING ABOUT *JOBS IN WEST VIRGINIA.

      HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS OF THE A-F-L C-I-O ARE IN CHARLESTON THIS WEEK FOR THE ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE.

      THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TWO DAY EVENT IS LABOR LOBBY DAY-- WHERE UNION REPS FROM ACROSS THE STATE SPEAK WITH LAWMAKERS ABOUT ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE WORKING MIDDLE CLASS.

      AT THE FOREFRONT THIS YEAR IS RETIREMENT PAY AND BENEFITS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.

      THE A-F-L C-I-O CAME TOGETHER IN 1955. IT IS A VENTURE OF 57 INTERNATIONAL LABOR UNIONS.

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    METH LAB
      A TIP TO ST. ALBANS POLICE LED THEM TO A METH LAB THIS AFTERNOON.

      POLICE SAY THEY FOUND ALL THE MAKINGS OF A LAB AT 2644 FURLONG AVENUE -- BY ORDINANCE PARK.

      THEY ARRESTED FOUR PEOPLE... BROTHERS KEVIN KING AND STEPHEN KING, AND DAVID FLECK FOR OPERATING A CLANDESTINE LAB.

      BURNITA MILLER WAS ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTING AND OFFICER... SHE WAS RELEASED ON BOND.

      THE THREE MEN ARE ON THEIR WAY TO JAIL.

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    PATRICK MOORE
      A PUTNAM COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ABUSING THREE TEENAGE GIRLS.

      AND THIS ISN'T PATRICK MOORE'S FIRST TIME FACING SEX CHARGES. BACK IN 2000, HE WAS CONVICTED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL.

      LAST YEAR, MOORE ALLEGEDLY DRUGGED THREE TEENS WITH LORATAB AND SEXUALLY ABUSED THEM IN HIS HOME AND CAR. MOORE WILL BE SENTENCED IN APRIL.

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    ROBERT POANDL
      AN OHIO PRIEST IS ACCUSED OF MOLESTING A WEST VIRGINIA CHILD INSIDE A ROANE COUNTY CHURCH.

      FATHER ROBERT POANDL OF CINCINNATI WAS INDICTED LAST WEEK BY A GRAND JURY.

      HE'S CHARGED WITH 1ST DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY A CUSTODIAN...

      THE ALLEGED CRIME TOOK PLACE IN 1991...

      THE ALLEGED VICTIM IS NOW 28 YEARS OLD.

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    SEX OFFENDER WEBSITE
      REMEMBER, FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CONVICTED SEX OFFENDERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, LOG ON TO www.wvstatepolice.com AND CLICK ON THE SEX OFFENDER LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

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    SEX OFFENDER QUESTION
      WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

      DO YOU USE THE ONLINE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY, AND IF SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?

      LOG ON TO WCHSTV.COM AND CLICK ON OUR POLL QUESTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN.

      WE'D LIKE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS.

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    EYEWITNESS WEB
      AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN *ALWAYS FIND EYEWITNESS NEWS ON THE WEB AT WCHSTV.COM, ON FACEBOOK AND ON TWITTER.

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    KERRY JEMISON JR.
      A MAN WE PROFILED LAST NIGHT ON OUR FUGITIVE FILES IS HEADED TO JAIL... THANKS TO YOUR TIPS.

      AT ABOUT 11:00 THIS MORNING, KERRY JEMISON, JR. TURNED HIMSELF IN TO CHARLESTON POLICE. IN NOVEMBER, HE ALLEGEDLY PISTOL WHIPPED TWO MEN OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME-- AND BURGLARIZED THEIR HOUSE. JEMISON MARKS THE 215TH CAPTURE FOR OUR FUGITIVE FILES.

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    SHOOK PLEA
      A STATE LAWMAKER PLEADS GUILTY TO DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

      DELEGATE ALEX SHOOK WAS FINED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS IN MAGISTRATE COURT YESTERDAY.

      SHOOK WAS CHARGED WITH FIRST OFFENSE D-U-I AFTER HE DROVE THE WRONG WAY DOWN VIRGINIA STREET LAST WEEK. A POLICE REPORT SAID HIS BLOOD-ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS MORE THAN TWICE THE LEGAL LIMIT. SHOOK LATER ISSUED A STATEMENT APOLOGIZING FOR HIS ACTIONS, CALLING IT A "TERRIBLE MISTAKE".

      HE IS NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR.

      NEARLY SIX WEEKS AFTER THE SEASON'S BIGGEST SNOW STORM SHUT DOWN THE TURNPIKE FOR HOURS... THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS STARTED A PROJECT THEY SAY SHOULD ELIMINATE THAT PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.

      THIS WAS THE SCENE ON DECEMBER 19-TH... HUNDREDS OF DRIVERS STRANDED ON THE WEST VIRGINIA TURNPIKE FOR HOURS.

      THIS MORNING, WORK BEGAN ON CUTTING AWAY CONCRETE TO INSTALL GATES ALONG THE BARRIER, SO PEOPLE CAN TURN AROUND IF AND WHEN AN EMERGENCY AFFECTS TRAVEL.

      ...quickly on this

      IT WILL TAKE ABOUT SIX WEEKS TO INSTALL FOUR GATES.

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    6 YOUTUBE FORUM
      TOMORROW'S VOTERS ARE TAKING TO THE INTERNET... TODAY.

      EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER BRYANT SOMERVILLE JOINS US NOW LIVE IN HUNTINGTON WHERE THIS YEAR'S YOUTUBE FORUM IS NOW UNDERWAY... BRYANT.

      RICK, WHEN YOU THINK OF GETTING ANSWERS FROM LAWMAKERS, YOU USUALLY DONT THINK OF YOUTUBE...BUT THATS WHAT STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE ARE DOING...AND THEYRE NOT EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE.

      THIS YEAR WILL BE THE THIRD ANNUAL YOUTUBE YOUTH FORUM CONTEST.

      BASICALLY WHAT IT IS...IS STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS THROUGH YOUTUBE...THAT WILL BE ASKED TO STATE LAWMAKERS IN CHARLESTON ON FEBRUARY 17.

      WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK? WELL...PREVENT CHILD ABUSE WEST VIRGINIA STATE COORDINATOR, JIM MCKAY...SAYS YOUD BE SURPRISED.

      "they ask hard hitting questions about the economy, about health care...about major issues of the day."

      IF YOU LIVE IN WEST VIRGINIA AND WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION TO STATE LAWMAKERS...THE DEADLINE TO ENTER IS FEBRUARY 10TH...ENTRY FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.WVYOUTHFORUM.ORG.

      REPORTING LIVE IN HUNTINGTON; BSO; EYEWITNESS NEWS.

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    SIGNING DAY
      IT'S NATIONAL SIGNING DAY... AND THE MOUNTAINEERS SCORED A BIG CATCH TODAY, WHILE THEY STILL AWAIT WORD FROM ANOTHER BIG TIME RECRUIT WHO'S LISTED WVU AS HIS FAVORITE.

      LET'S BRING IN MARK MARTIN AS HIGH SCHOOL STARS ARE PUTTING PEN TO PAPER TODAY.

      RICK, WEST VIRGINIA'S RECRUTING CLASS AT THE MOMENT IS 19-STRONG...HEAD COACH BILL STEWART AND COMPANY ARE ALWAYS IN THE MARKET FOR QUARTERBACKS AND TODAY THEY LAND PARADE ALL-AMERICAN BARRY BRUNETTI FROM MEMPHIS....

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    RAHEEM WAITERS
      A STANDOUT WIDE RECEIVER FROM RIVERSIDE HAS SIGNED HIS NAME ON THE DOTTED LINE AND COMMITTED TO MARSHALL UNIVERSITY.

      he will be grey shirting the 1st semester and begin taking classes in january 2011

      RAHEEM WAITERS SIGNED HIS LETTER OF INTENT THIS MORNING AT RIVERSIDE HIGH SCHOOL. DOZENS OF STUDENTS WERE ON HAND TO CONGRATULATE HIM. HE RECEIVED A POSTER HIGHLIGHTING HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE FIELD. THE SENIOR SAYS HE'S EXCITED TO HIT THE FIELD WITH THE THUNDERING HERD.

      it was pretty smooth because when marshall came to me that was pretty much my number one pick and i was pretty confident with them the whole time

      RAHEEM IS A LUCKY GUY, ONLY ABOUT ONE AND A HALF PERCENT OF ALL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY WILL SIGN A DIVISION ONE SCHOLARSHIP.

      I'LL HAVE MORE COMING UP LATER IN SPORTS.

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    SCHMITT CONCUSSIONS
      IN CONTACT SPORTS, ATHLETES ARE USED TO GETTING KNOCKED AROUND. BUT WHEN IS IT TOO MUCH?

      EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER RUDI RAYNES JOINS US LIVE IN THE STUDIO TO LOOK AT THE DANGERS OF HEAD INJURIES.

      FORMER WVU STAR OWEN SCHMITT AND LOCAL COACHES SAY CONCUSSIONS CAN BE A SCARY THING, BUT YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF WHEN YOU PUT ON THE HELMET AND STEP ON THE FIELD.

      IT'S A RISK FOOTBALL PLAYERS TAKE EVERYTIME THEY STEP ON THE FIELD.

      :nats: helmet to helmet hit

      THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONCUSSION IS INEVITABLE IN ANY PHYSICAL SPORT... THAT'S WHY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES LIKE OWEN SCHMITT ARE SPEAKING OUT ABOUT SAFER PLAY.

      "It's part of the game and you can't really change the rules and they've tried to make helmet to helmet contact and issue, but it's gonna happen."

      SCHMITT ADMITS HE HASN'T BEEN THE CONCUSSION PREVENTION POSTER CHILD IN THE PAST.

      "You get kinda in the emotions of the game and get caught up a little bit. It's not something that's going to happen again. I've been talked to about it. This is a serious matter."

      SCHMITT AND RENOWNED NEUROSURGEON RASHID PATWARDHAN SAY GOOD EQUIPMENT AND PULLING A PLAYER OUT IF THEY'RE NOT ACTING NORMAL ARE GOOD WAYS TO PREVENT WHAT COULD BE A DEVASTATING INJURY.

      A concussion doesn't have to involve someone losing consciousness, it can be an alteration of that, someone not being themmselves. Just by looking at a player we can't tell if they're bleeding inside their head."

      :nats: whistle

      WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL COACH, EARL MONROE SAYS HIS STAFF IS TRAINED TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SOMEONE TRYING TO BE TOO TOUGH.

      "They may fake and say that they're okay, but the trainers are trained to look for some of those symptoms and see if they're telling us the truth."

      THE NCAA OUTLAWS HELMET TO HELMET CONTACT AND PENALIZES PLAYERS WHEN THEY DO IT, SO MONROE SAYS ALONG WITH SPECIALLY FITTING HELMETS FOR EACH OF HIS PLAYERS HE TEACHES THEM SAFER TECHNIQUES.

      "We say see what you hit, we want you to keep your head up. It's a terrible part of the game and we have to try to protect the kids."

      THAT LAST HIT YOU SAW WAS WHEN PAT WHITE GOT KNOCKED OUT A FEW WEEKS AGO.. YOU CAN SEE WHAT OWEN SCHMITT HAS TO SAY ABOUT THAT AND THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS FOR SAFER NFL REGULATIONS BY GOING TO OUR WEBSITE AND WATCHING MY UNCUT INTERVIEW WITH HIM.

      REPORTING LIVE IN THE STUDIO, RUDI RAYNES, EYEWITNESS NEWS.

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    FULL WEATHER
      ANCHORS TOSS TO JIM FOR WEATHER

      JIM PITCHES TO WEATHER GRAPHICS

      Join Jim Barach and the entire Storm Team at the Weather Center Online for the only regional web site that provides live, local updates, 24 hours a day!
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    WATERFOWL SURVEY
      WITH ALL THE BAD WEATHER WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS WINTER, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A GROUP OF BIOLOGISTS GOING UP IN A CHOPPER TO COUNT BIRDS. BUT AS EYEWITNESS NEWS ANCHOR PATRICK MCMURTRY EXPLAINS IN THIS WEEK'S WEST VIRGINIA WILDLIFE REPORT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED ONE SNOWY JANUARY MORNING.

      Nats of chopper taking off

      DNR biologists take off making their 30th annual winter water fowl survey, migrating, much like the birds they are tracking, along the rivers of West Virginia.

      :08Gary Sharp/DNR Biologist says:

      "This is the mid-winter waterfowl survey. We do it in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of it is it's another tool to manage wildlife populations.

      The timing is crucial, if they go too early or wait too long, they'll wind up counting ducks and geese already counted in other states. That's why we braved freezing temperatures, heavy ice and low visibility to go up in the chopper and count birds on the water below.

      :44Gary Sharp/DNR Biologist says:

      "There are 7 segments in West Virginia, we'll fly 4 of them today, 2 on the Kanawha and 2 on the Ohio. We fly the main stream of water and the embankments as long as there is backwater.

      1:06

      We're gonna see a lot of Canada geese, mainly black ducks and mallards, but also do an eagle survey in conjunction with this."

      While the eagle survey gives biologists a lot of useful information, the stuff they get on ducks and geese translate directly into your hunting opportunities.

      :26Gary Sharp/DNR Biologist says:

      "This and other surveys are used to set hunting regulations and we've been conducting this survey in early January for 30 years."

      So, thanks to the cooperation of the pilots who take us up, the survey gets done despite the tough conditions we seem to run into every January. For West Virginia Wildlife, I'm Patrick McMurtry, Eyewitness News.

      FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WINTER WATERFOWL SURVEY, GO TO WCHSTV dot COM, OR YOU CAN E-MAIL PATRICK DIRECTLY.

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    SPORTS
      WELCOME BACK TO EYEWITNESS NEWS AT SIX.

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    NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
      THIS IS THE DAY MANY LIKEN TO CHRISTMAS MORNING AROUND THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL LANDSCAPE...THE FIRST WEDNESDAY IN FEBRUARY IS ALWAYS NATIONAL SIGNING DAY...A DAY IN WHICH TOP HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PROSPECTS CAN SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE AND BECOME A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL'S PROGRAM...

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    WVU FOOTBALL
      IN MORGANTOWN THE THIRD RECRUITING CLASS FOR HEAD COACH BILL STEWART WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE... AT THE MOMENT THE COACHING STAFF HAS SECURED 19 FUTURE MOUNTAINEERS ON THIS FIRST DAY A LETTER-OF-INTENT CAN BE SIGNED...COACH STEW PRAISED HIS COACHES AND PLAYERS FOR HELPING BRING THIS LATEST CLASS TO MORGANTOWN...

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    MARSHALL FOOTBALL
      THE LAST TWO SIGNING DAYS DOC HOLLIDAY JOINED STEWART IN EAGERLY AWAITING WHO WOULD SIGN WITH THE MOUNTAINEERS...BUT TODAY, HOLLIDAY'S FOCUS WAS AT ANOTHER PART OF WEST VIRGINIA...

      DOC'S FIRST RECRUITING CLASS IN HUNTINGTON WAS ANNOUNCED THROUGHOUT THE DAY...HOLLIDAY, WHO IS WELL KNOWN NATIONALLY FOR HIS SKILLS IN THIS AREA, APPEARS TO HAVE BROUGHT IN AN OUTSTANDING GROUP OF FUTURE PLAYERS IN THE GREEN AND WHITE...THE NEW LEADER PRAISED HIS FIRST EVER STAFF THAT WILL LEAD THE HERD FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS LIST HUNTINGTON BOUND

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    WVU BASKETBALL
      WHILE THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM LOOKS OVER ITS LATEST LIST OF FUTURE PLAYERS, THE BASKETBALL TEAM JOURNEYS FORWARD IN THE 2009-10 SEASON...TONIGHT WEST VIRGINIA GUNS FOR ITS 18TH WIN OF THE SEASON AND 7TH IN THE BIG EAST WHEN IT PLAYS TO HOST TO THE PITT PANTHERS...WEST VIRGINIA IS COMING OFF A HUGE WIN SATURDAY OVER LOUISVILLE...TONIGHT'S GAME TIPS OFF AT 7...

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    MARSHALL BASKETBALL
      MARSHALL TRIES TO END A FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK TONIGHT ON THE ROAD...THE HERD WILL MEET THE GOLDEN HURRICANE OF TULSA...THE GAME GETS UNDERWAY AT 8...AFTER A 15-AND-2 START, MARSHALL IS NOW AT 15-AND-6 OVERALL AND 4-AND-3 IN CONFERENCE USA...TULSA IS 17-AND-4 AND 6-AND-1 IN LEAGUE PLAY...

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