// Ticker startup
function startTicker()
{
	// Define run time values
	theCurrentNews     = -1;
	theLength    = 0;
	// Locate base objects
	if (document.getElementById) {	
		    theAnchorObject     = document.getElementById("Banner");
			runTheTicker();   	
		 }
	else	{
		document.write("<style>.ticki{display:none;}.ticko {border:0px; }</style>");
		return true;
	}
}
// Ticker main run loop
function runTheTicker()
{
	var myTimeout;  
	// Go for the next story data block
	if(theLength == 0)
	{
		theCurrentNews++;
		theCurrentNews      = theCurrentNews % theItemCount;
		theStorySummary      = theSummaries[theCurrentNews].replace(/&quot;/g,'"');		
		theTargetLink        = theSiteLinks[theCurrentNews];
		theAnchorObject.href = theTargetLink;
		thePrefix 	     = "<span class=\"tickls\">" + theLeadString + "</span>";
	}
	// Stuff the current ticker text into the anchor
	theAnchorObject.innerHTML = thePrefix + 
	theStorySummary.substring(0,theLength) + whatScroller();
	// Modify the length for the substring and define the timer
	if(theLength != theStorySummary.length)
	{
		theLength++;
		myTimeout = theCharacterTimeout;
	}
	else
	{
		theLength = 0;
		myTimeout = theStoryTimeout;
	}
	// Call up the next cycle of the ticker
	setTimeout("runTheTicker()", myTimeout);
}
// Scroller generator
function whatScroller()
{
	if(theLength == theStorySummary.length)
	{
		return theScrollerNone;
	}

	if((theLength % 2) == 1)
	{
		return theScrollerOne;
	}
	else
	{
		return theScrollerTwo;
	}
}

	var theCharacterTimeout = 50;
	var theStoryTimeout     = 5000;
	var theScrollerOne        = "_";
	var theScrollerTwo        = "-";
	var theScrollerNone       = "";
	var theLeadString       = "<strong>Important Info:</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;";

	var theSummaries = new Array();
	var theSiteLinks = new Array();
function $(){
	return document.getElementById(arguments[0]);
}