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GOOD EVENING EVERYONE... I'M HALEY HARRISON.AND I'M VAL THOMPSON.THANKS FOR STAYING UP WITH US TONIGHT.WE'LL GET TO OUR TOP STORY IN JUST A MOMENT -- BUT FIRST -- IT'S BEEN A COLD AND DREARY EVENING IN THE VALLEY AS THE RAIN AND UNSEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES CONTINUE.SOME HARRISONBURG RESIDENTS MADE THE BEST OF THE WEATHER AND SPENT THE NIGHT AT THE MOVIES. WE TURN NOW TO CHIEF METEROLOGIST GEORGE HIRSCHMANN WITH A LOOK AT OUR FIRST FORECAST. -It will be another cold night Thursday night with lows in the upper 30s and a chance of rain or drizzle with light accumulations. Rain chances and cool temperatures will stay with us through weeks end. There is a chance we could see a few flurries mixed in with rain showers Friday night and Saturday night. We warm back into the low 60's as we begin next week. THE ON-GOING NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE RE-SURFACED AT BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE TONIGHT. STUDENTS WERE SHOWN RECENT STUDIES THAT CHALLEGE BOTH SIDES OF DROPPING THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE TO 18.OUR MARY PULLEY SPOKE WITH A MAN WHO WANTS IT LOWERED... AND ANOTHER, WHO WANTS IT TO STAY AT 21...MARY? HALEY, VALSOME SAY DROPPING THE LEGAL AGE MEANS AND A GREATER RISK OF MORE DEATHS. BUT OPPONENTS SAY, IT DOESN'T KEEP ALCOHOL OUT OF "UNDERAGED" HANDS, IT JUST CAUSES THEM DRINK IT IN PRIVATE, WHICH LEADS TO MORE ABUSE. AS AN AUTHOR, FORMER TIME MAGAZINE CORRESPONDENT, AND PARENT, BARRETT SEAMAN KNOWS THE LEAGAL DRINKING AGE ISSUE, ISN'T EASY."My conversations with my daughter were probably pretty much the same as every parent's conversation with their children when they come of age."AND THAT AGE BEING 18, WHEN BARRETT SEAMAN SAYS YOUNG ADULTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DRINK ALCOHOL.HE ADMITS, IT'S NOT WITHOUT RISK."Dad, can we have a party this weekend in the house. Can we have beer if we make sure nobody drives home? It's a very tough issue when you have liabiity laws." DURING A DEBATE, SEAMAN SPOKE OF STUDIES INCLUDING ONE CO-AUTHORED BY HIS OPPONENT, THAT A LEGAL DRINKING AGE OF 21 HAD LITTLE AFFECT IN PREVENT ALCOHOL ABUSE, AND RELATED FATALITIES.HE'S SAYS, THE CURRENT DRINKING AGE ONLY CAUSES THE UNDER-AGED TO ABUSE ALCOHOL MORE, IN AN ACT CALLED "PRE-GAMING."THAT'S WERE STUDENTS CONSUME HEAVY AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL BEFORE AN ACTIVITY, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN'T LEGALLY DRINK IN PUBLIC.HIS OPPONENT DISAGREES."We're talking about maybe 800 to 900 lives that we estimate 21 is saving each year. If we lower it back to 18 we could be killing 800 to 900 more youth. JAMES FELL,IS A SENIOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR "THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION." HE'S DISPLAYED SEVERAL STUDIES THAT SUGGEST LOWER THE DRINKING AGE IS DANGEROUS.ONE STUDY CLAIMS THE CURRENT LAW REDUCE TRAFFIC FATALIES BY 11-PERCENT BARRETT SEAMAN CHALLENGED THAT LAST STATISTIC SAYING THAT DECLINE IN TRAFFIC DEATH FATALITIES WAS HAPPENING, "BEFORE" THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE WAS SET AT 21 -- BACK IN 1984.VAL? THANKS MARY.ANOTHER STUDY DISCUSSED TONIGHT SHOWS THAT SOME COUNTRIES THAT ALREADY HAVE A LOWER AGE, ARE LOOKING TO RAISE THE LEGAL LEVEL. AUGUSTA COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE VOICING THEIR THOUGHTS ON PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO ROUTE 250 IN STAUNTON. TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING IS PART OF THE RICHMOND ROAD COORIDOR PROJECT. THE RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE SIDEWALKS, BIKE ROUTES, AND INTERSECTION ENHANCEMENTS BETWEEN "GREENVILLE AVENUE", AND "DESPER HOLLOW ROAD".THE PROJECT'S MANAGER SAYS, BECAUSE OF TIGHT BUDGETS, THESE UPGRADES WON'T LIKELY HAPPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. "That's one big thing that has not yet been fully identified is the funding. This plan is meant to provide recommendations so that when that when funding becomes avaialble, something can be implemented." THE CENTRAL SHENANDOAH PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION IS STILL TAKING COMMENTS ON THEIR WEB SITE.THAT, ALONG WITH TONIGHT'S FEEDBACK WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO BE RELASED LATER THIS MONTH. A VALLEY MAN IS TRYING TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR LOCAL AGRICULTURE BUT IN A WAY YOU MIGHT NOT EXPECT.THE OWNER OF HERMITAGE HILL FARMS IN WAYNESBORO WANTS TO GROW WHAT'S CALLED AGRI- TOURISM. W-H-S-V'S SARAH SAGER FOUND OUT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF BRINGING MORE PEOPLE TO AREA FARMS.SARAH? HALEY- VAL- THE OWNER OF HERMITAGE HILL FARMS SAYS SINCE AUSUGTA AND ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES HAVE SOME OF THE LARGEST FARM AREAS IN THE STATE, A BOOST IN AGRI-TOURISM WOULD CREATE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY IN THE AREA. ON HERMITAGE HILL FARM, CRAIG NARGI IS FIGHTING FOR A BOOST IN SOMETHING HE PASSIONATELY BELIEVES IN, AND IS INVESTED IN... AGRI-TOURISM."We're trying to get the local board here and our community to embrace what it is and then follow up with how we can enhance it. 93% of Augusta County is zoned agriculture." THE BENEFITS OF AGRI-TOURISM ARE SOMETHING NARGI BELIEVES COULD NOT BENEFIT THE COUNTY BUT ALL OF VIRGINIA. AGRI-TOURISM LEAVES A SMALL FOOTPRINT AS WELL AS BRINGING IN TOURISTS WHOSE MONEY WILL STAY LONG AFTER THEIR GONE. "People like to come and visit our rural heritage. They want to experience a farm for what it is. And the great thing they get to come in and see it and then they get to leave." LANDON VAUGHT KNOWS THE UPS AND DOWNS OF TRYING TO GROW BUSINESS AS A HORSE BACK RIDING INSTRUCTOR. "People don't know how much time it takes, and the effort. It's a 24 hour job to come out here and start a business."LANDON SAYS NARGI'S EFFORTS FOR AGRI- TOURISM ARE BRINGING ATTENTION TO HER BUSINESS AS WELL "The lesson part, the board. I've only been here for 2 months but it gets me shown. It lets people know that I'm out here and I'm ready for business. And that, if they want to come out and ride, then I'm here." NEXT NARGI WANTS TO TAKE HIS AGRI-TOURISM PUSH TO THE STATE LEVEL WHERE HE HOPES TO GAIN TAX INCENTIVES FOR ENTREPRENUERS IN THE FIELD. HALEY?THANK YOU SARAH.THE OWNER OF HERMITAGE HILL FARMS HOPES LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO RICHMOND INTRODUCE A HOUSE AND SENATE BILL FOR AGRI-TOURISM IN JANUARY. FARMERS ARE ALWAYS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER FORECAST, BUT CHANCES ARE YOU'VE ALSO NOTICED THE COOL SUMMER WE HAD AND THE SEEMINGLY EARLY ARRIVAL OF WINTER THIS WEEK.THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE SAME EL NINO WEATHER SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THOSE UNSEASONABLE TEMPERATURES, WILL MAKE FOR A COLDER WINTER THIS YEAR. SNOW AND RAIN TOTALS FOR THIS WINTER ARE HARDER TO PREDICT. We've seen El Nino winters, with absolutely no snow in this area, and we've also seen some winters with some of the record breaking snows. We expect more storminess to cross the south, whether they end coming up the coast and bringing us more rain or snow is indeterminent at this time." AN EL NINO HAPPENS WHEN THE WARM WATERS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN EXTEND FARTHER EAST THAN NORMAL. It will be another cold night Thursday night with lows in the upper 30s and a chance of rain or drizzle with light accumulations. Rain chances and cool temperatures will stay with us through weeks end. There is a chance we could see a few flurries mixed in with rain showers Friday night and Saturday night. We warm back into the low 60's as we begin next week. STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE NEWS AT 11...POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A LOCAL WOMAN, ACCUSED OF STEALING PRESCRIPTIONS... FROM THE DISABLED.I'LL HAVE MORE, IN "CRIME WHERE YOU LIVE"... PLUS...SHE'S CONVICTED OF KILLING A WOMAN WITH HER CAR IN HARRISONBURG.FIND OUT HOW LONG BETHANY JONES... COULD

• Release Date

  Oct 28, 2009

• Runtime

  10:43