Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News articles from January 13 2005

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News archives from January 13 2005

Augusta, Ga., airport marketing director copes with shifting airline lineup.
January 13, 2005... By Dena Levitz, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Augusta Regional Airport's new marketing director is starting work just as the airport deals with the aftereffects of Continental Express' bitter...

Akron, Ohio-area businesses grapple with downpours, flooding.
January 13, 2005... By Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--This isn't typically the time of year to worry about floods, but business owners Wednesday were nervously watching rising waters creeping toward...

CNN's Headline News network adds 3 prime-time shows.
January 13, 2005... By Mike Tierney, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--CNN unwrapped a pair of bold prime-time programs for its Headline News network Wednesday, an extreme makeover with an hour devoted to stage and...

Decline of U.S. dollar helps exporters prosper.
January 13, 2005... By Michael E. Kanell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Slick Willie has been doing a lot more traveling lately. This particular Willie is a brand name, the most popular in a line of...

'Billionaire' loss still a kick for Atlanta hosiery maker.
January 13, 2005... By Renee Degross, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Atlanta entrepreneur Sara Blakely thinks she still came out a winner on "The Rebel Billionaire," even if she didn't get the grand prize. ...

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Maria Saporta column.
January 13, 2005... By Maria Saporta, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--EQUIFAX HAS SHORT LIST FOR CEO POST: Atlanta-based Equifax is zoning in on potential candidates to succeed Chief Executive Tom Chapman. ...

U.S. trade deficit jumps to record.
January 13, 2005... By Michael E. Kanell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The U.S. trade deficit in November took a startling leap to a record level, with imports worth $60.3 billion more than the U.S. goods and...

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wall Street column.
January 13, 2005... By Tom Walker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--LATE UPTURN PUSHES STOCKS TO SOLID GAINS: A buying surge in the last half-hour of trading pushed the stock market to its best gain this year,...

Montecito Bank & Trust happy with 2004 results.
January 13, 2005... By Maria Zate, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Montecito Bank & Trust reported strong results for the fourth quarter and full 2004, reaching record levels in loans, deposits and total assets,...

Oil drilling may come to Casmalia, Calif.
January 13, 2005... By Barney McManigal, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--After a virtual 20-year absence from the Santa Maria Valley, the oil industry could be poised for a comeback. Planning officials on...

Connecticut business group's session predicts year of slight growth.
January 13, 2005... By Rob Varnon, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--CROMWELL, Conn. -- "It's deja vu all over again." That stock Yogi Berra quote was how Nick Perna, economic adviser to Webster Bank, summed up his...

Ad chief named at Subway restaurant chain.
January 13, 2005... By Dave Goldberg, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The Milford-based Subway restaurant chain has named Tom Seddon chief executive officer of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust. SFAFT...

Mississippi Tourism Association presents awards to state lawmakers.
January 13, 2005... By Geoff Pender, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--JACKSON, Miss. -- Two South Mississippi lawmakers were presented awards from the Mississippi Tourism Association on Wednesday. Rep. Diane...

Homebuilder Standard Pacific may buy Bakersfield, Calif., builder, watchers say.
January 13, 2005... By Jennifer Plotnick, The Bakersfield Californian Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The buzz in Bakersfield's building industry says Probuilt Communities is selling to Standard Pacific Corp., a homebuilder in Southern...

Detectives post reward for tips on solving Edwardsville, Ill., fires.
January 13, 2005... By Jennifer Kapiolani Saxton, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Detectives hope a $5,000 reward will help their investigation of two suspicious fires at the American Legion...

Boulder, Colo., woman opens computer repair shop.
January 13, 2005... By Erin Madison, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Anybody who's worked with computers understands how frustrating it can be when they don't work. But a new Boulder store is there to help with...

Level 3 Communications cuts 11 percent of work force.
January 13, 2005... By Matt Branaugh, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Level 3 Communications Inc., the Broomfield-based network and communications provider, said Wednesday it will cut between 500 and 600 of its...

Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo., Tech Range column.
January 13, 2005... By Matt Branaugh, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--SIZZLE AND STAKE: It may well be the toughest gap to bridge. You have a promising technology but you need money -- known in the investment...

Economist offers 2005 outlook for 2 Florida counties.
January 13, 2005... By Dana Sanchez, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--BRADENTON, Fla. -- The first half of 2005 should be excellent for Manatee and Sarasota counties business, but rising interest rates could contribute...

Artists, sponsors needed for Burlington, N.C., horses.
January 13, 2005... By James Moffat, Times-News, Burlington, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Lexington has its pigs. Raleigh has its wolves. Now Burlington is looking to add horses to the mix. Carousel horses decorated by local artists...

North Carolina officials say rest home owes wages.
January 13, 2005... By Brandee Hayhurst, Times-News, Burlington, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The N.C. Department of Labor has determined that someone owes $7,213 in unpaid wages to 13 people who worked at Dogwood Forest Homes in...

Brownsville, Texas, zoo investigates loss of 3 bushbuck antelope.
January 13, 2005... By Ildefonso Ortiz, The Brownsville Herald, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- Gladys Porter Zoo officials are investigating the deaths of three female West African bushbuck antelope over the weekend....

Columbia, Md., firm to benefit from new DHA information.
January 13, 2005... By Tricia Bishop, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Two pieces of news yesterday about the health benefits of DHA may benefit Martek Biosciences Corp., a Columbia company whose production of the omega-3 fatty...

Developer eyes worn Baltimore shopping center for urban retail.
January 13, 2005... By Lorraine Mirabella, The Baltimore Sun Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Carl Verstandig surveyed the Waverly Tower Shopping Center at Greenmount Avenue and 28th Street and relished the sight of it, the crumbling parking...

Former poker professionals bet on fad by tutoring players in California.
January 13, 2005... By Dan Laidman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. -- Jack Cochran and Chris Hinkley locked eyes across the table. Hinkley raised; Cochran drove the stakes even...

The Charlotte Observer, N.C., Carolinas column.
January 13, 2005... The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--INSURANCE EXECUTIVE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES QUITS HEALTH CARE: Jack Walker, the head of North Carolina's insurance program for state employees and teachers, has...

Hickory, N.C., furniture maker abruptly closes.
January 13, 2005... By Heather Howard, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--HICKORY, N.C. -- A Hickory furniture maker closed without warning this week, putting as many as 250 employees out of work. A sign on the door...

Carolinas debut still planned for kid-focused cell phone.
January 13, 2005... By Andrew Shain, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--SunCom Wireless will not change plans to debut a phone aimed at kids ages 6-12 next month in the Carolinas despite a British study this week that...

The Charlotte Observer, N.C., Doug Smith column.
January 13, 2005... By Doug Smith, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--RETAIL SITE PICKS CARMEL, N.C. 51: Mecklenburg's second-largest concentration of retail stores and services -- nearly 6 million square feet -- is...

The Charlotte Observer, N.C., US Airways briefs column.
January 13, 2005... The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--MORE EXECS LEAVING: Three top US Airways executives are leaving the company, becoming the latest upper managers in a steady stream departing the airline during its...

Perfection Bakeries to open Plymouth Township, Mich., plant.
January 13, 2005... By Greta Guest, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Perfection Bakeries Inc. plans to open a plant in Plymouth Township in April, creating as many as 80 jobs. The 64, 000-square-foot bakery is expected to...

Chrysler CEO criticizes Toyota's pricing.
January 13, 2005... By Sarah A. Webster, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Take that, Toyota. While General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group take most of the heat for offering fat incentives on cars and trucks...

U.S. manufacturers lobby plans to support conservative judge appointments.
January 13, 2005... By Ruby L. Bailey, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Manufacturers this month will launch an organized lobbying effort on behalf of conservative judges nominated by...

New ski wax goes long way in different conditions.
January 13, 2005... By Eric Sharp, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Start, a Finnish manufacturer of cross-country ski waxes, has come out with a product called Grip Tape for Skis, a wax that goes under the foot section of...

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh column.
January 13, 2005... By Tom Walsh, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--MOVE OVER GUYS: GALS BUY TRUCKS TOO: And we thought big pickup trucks were for guys. Silly us. Now comes data from R.L. Polk & Co., the Southfield...

Daily Mail, London, business briefs column.
January 13, 2005... Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--BARCLAYS TREK: Barclays' talks to buy a majority stake in South Africa's ABSA are "progressing." The South African bank said both parties were awaiting regulatory approval....

Takeover interest in British building materials firm sends stock up.
January 13, 2005... Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Swiss cement maker Holcim sent shares in Aggregate Industries through the roof with a proposed 1.8 billion pounds bid worth 140 pence-a-share cash. AI soared to 145...

Daily Mail, London, Alex Brummer column.
January 13, 2005... By Alex Brummer, Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--DANIELS FEEDS LIONS AGAIN: No one can accuse Eric Daniels of letting the grass grow under his feet at Lloyds TSB. Since he arrived at the High Street bank...

U.S. takeover firm could bid for British broadcaster, new executive says.
January 13, 2005... Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Lord Hollick said he would not rule out making a bid for ITV after agreeing to take a top role at US private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. Labour peer Hollick,...

Fourth senior executive retires in continuing shakeup at Lloyds bank.
January 13, 2005... By James Quinn, Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Lloyds TSB's retail supremo Peter Ayliffe is to be sacrificed as part of tough-talking chief executive Eric Daniels' growth plans. Ayliffe, head of...

Daily Mail, London, market report column.
January 13, 2005... By Geoff Foster, Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The global advertising draught has swept through the print and publishing industries over the past few years. A sharp decline in advertising spend has hit...

Russian oil output pushes BP to record profits.
January 13, 2005... By Brian O'Connor, Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--BP is using record profits to make asset write-offs and write-downs that may rob its 2004 results of a little of their shine. But it still seems likely to...

British retailer stays on track with big iPod sales.
January 13, 2005... By Lucy Farndon, Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--A surge in demand for plasma TVs, iPods and DVD players helped electricals giant Dixons offset a drop in mobile phone and computer sales over Christmas. ...

German bidder denies hostile bid for London Stock Exchange.
January 13, 2005... Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Deutsche Borse denied reports that it threatened the London Stock Exchange with a hostile bid, as its prey posted strong December trading figures. DB said it was "focused on...

British mobile phone operator mm02 looks to reduce small shareholders.
January 13, 2005... Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--MmO2 is making it worthwhile for its smallest shareholders to hang up on the stock. At a cost of 15 million pounds, the mobile phone group is offering a 5 pence premium per...

British dealmaker Richard Thompson ventures into musical theater.
January 13, 2005... By James Ashton, Daily Mail, London Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Richard Thompson's fingers are crossed as tightly as those of superstar Sir Elton John's. Both have invested in the muchhyped Billy Elliot musical, which...

Durham, N.C.-based commercial realtor buys shopping center in Cary, N.C.
January 13, 2005... By Anne Krishnan, The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Durham's Zapolski + Rudd is continuing a real estate shopping spree with its latest purchase, Waverly Place in Cary. The firm, which...

Dover, Del., bar closes its doors.
January 13, 2005... By Jshuane Melton, Delaware State News, Dover Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--DOVER, Del. -- One of Dover's hottest nightspots has closed its doors. Froggy's Bar & Grille on Lafferty Lane in Dover has ceased operations...

Delaware lawmakers still consider options for golf club.
January 13, 2005... By Joe Rogalsky, Delaware State News, Dover Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--DOVER, Del. -- Lawmakers will likely have a chance to approve plans for Garrisons Lake Golf Club once the state decides what it wants to do with the...

Delaware governor proposes agency restructuring.
January 13, 2005... By Joe Rogalsky, Delaware State News, Dover Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--DOVER, Del. -- Gov. Ruth Ann Minner proposed restructuring several low-profile state agencies on Wednesday, a move that would consolidate several...

Delaware to purchase coastal, forest land.
January 13, 2005... By Joe Rogalsky, Delaware State News, Dover Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--DOVER, Del. -- Delaware officials and Delaware Wild Lands Inc. have reached agreement on a deal for the state to purchase 664 acres in Angola Neck...

The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y., business briefs column.
January 13, 2005... By Tim Logan, The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--PHONE COMPANIES TO PAY UP: ALBANY, N.Y. -- Four New York telephone companies will pay $170,000 for failing to let customers block access...

Duluth, Minn., airport chalks up record passenger numbers in 2004.
January 13, 2005... By Peter Passi, Duluth News-Tribune, Minn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Despite its setbacks, 2004 will go down in the logbooks as a record year for Duluth International Airport. The number of passengers flying in and...

GE locomotive production plant adds workers in Erie, Pa.
January 13, 2005... By Peter Panepento, Erie Times-News, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Robert Veith spent 11 years helping build locomotives at GE Transportation's Lawrence Park plant until he was laid off in 1985. He's spent the past...

Indian retailers foresee era of private labels as durables are diluted.
January 13, 2005... By Kala Vijayraghavan, The Economic Times, India Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--That's a million-dollar question consumer durables manufacturers and dealers have raised. Will it be a commodity or will it remain a brand....

Fredericksburg, Va., bridal shop closes abruptly; brides to alter plans.
January 13, 2005... By Meghann Cotter, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Bride-to-be Melissa Fauscett heard rumors that Crystal Reflections was closing. The 27-year-old Massaponax resident got nervous...

Krispy Kreme holds fund-raiser to publicize first Fredericksburg, Va., store.
January 13, 2005... By Cathy Jett, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Cindy Perry figured the biggest prize would be buried the deepest at a fund-raiser Krispy Kreme held yesterday outside its soon-to-open...

Frederick, Md., bus system may add new connector route.
January 13, 2005... By Naomi Smoot-Kimble, The Frederick News-Post, Frederick, Md. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--FREDERICK, Md. -- Travel time for some passengers on the TransIT bus system may soon be cut by up to 30 minutes. TransIT...

US Airways executive to head Miramar, Fla.-based low-cost carrier.
January 13, 2005... By Niala Boodhoo, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has chosen US Airways marketing executive Ben Baldanza to be its new president, Spirit Chief Executive Officer...

BP Amoco launches 'crystal clear' gas.
January 13, 2005... By Joseph Mann, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--BP Amoco on Wednesday launched a new version of its Ultimate premium-grade gasoline in the South Florida market. Amoco Ultimate "crystal clear"...

South Florida Sun-Sentinel Business Strategies column.
January 13, 2005... By Marcia Heroux Pounds, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--A TIME-SAVING TIP: FIRST, DECIDE WHAT NOT TO DO: People are generally better at what they enjoy. I like writing this column, for example,...

Land in rural southeast Fresno, Calif., goes from farming to development.
January 13, 2005... By Sanford Nax, The Fresno Bee, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Doris and Walter Halemeier's 80 acres in southeast Fresno have been in his family for a century. Their once-rural vineyard now is in the path of...

AirTran to keep growing at Fort Worth, Texas, airport.
January 13, 2005... By Trebor Banstetter, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--AirTran Airways plans to continue to expand at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport this year, filling some of the void being left as Delta Air Lines...

Belo Corp. executive warns of lower revenues.
January 13, 2005... By Andrea Ahles, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Executives at Belo Corp., still recovering from a circulation scandal at The Dallas Morning News, said revenues this year will be only...

Fort Worth, Texas, chef's cookware makes debut.
January 13, 2005... By Heather Landy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--FORT WORTH, Texas -- Celebrity uber-chef Emeril Lagasse has one. So do Jamie Oliver and Wolfgang Puck. Now, Fort Worth's Tim Love of The...

Delta Air Lines sales soar after cuts in fares.
January 13, 2005... By Trebor Banstetter, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Passengers flocked to buy tickets on Delta Air Lines flights after the carrier dropped prices last week, with online sales jumping 60...

Texas Senator hopes to pass modified guest worker program.
January 13, 2005... By Dave Montgomery, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Cornyn has been named to head a key Senate panel on immigration and border security, putting the Texas Republican in...

Mount Pleasant, Texas, power plant is rated nation's worst in mercury emissions.
January 13, 2005... By Scott Streater, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--A North Texas power plant has been identified as the worst mercury-emitting power plant in North America, outpacing the dirtiest plants in...

Texas official unveils sweeping tax plan to replace school finance system.
January 13, 2005... By R.A. Dyer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--AUSTIN, Texas -- School property taxes would decrease by as much as a third, sales taxes would probably rise, and the state would create a broad...

Texas-based Valor telephone seeks approval to go public.
January 13, 2005... By Jim Fuquay, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Irving, Texas-based Valor Communications, whose telephone service area includes rural lines in Texas and three adjacent states, said Wednesday it...

Gambling plan on 'life support,' Gov. Perry says.
January 13, 2005... Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--AUSTIN, Texas -- The effort to legalize video slot machines in Texas, one of the cornerstones of last year's failed effort to overhaul the school-finance system,...

Eatery closed for fix-up in Fayetteville, N.C.
January 13, 2005... By Rebecca Logan, The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--A burger restaurant near Cliffdale and Skibo roads is closed again, this time for renovations. Since last week, would-be customers who...

The Boston Globe Boston Capital column.
January 13, 2005... By Steven Syre, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--WHITE HOT NO MORE: Corporate earnings reports are beginning to show up here and there. The trickle will turn into a flood of numbers within the week. The...

Merck's cholesterol drug may be sold over counter.
January 13, 2005... By Diedtra Henderson, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Federal advisers today and tomorrow will consider whether the Food and Drug Administration should approve Merck & Co.'s bid to make Mevacor the first of...

Sleepy doctors pose a hazard on road, study says.
January 13, 2005... By Liz Kowalczyk, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Researchers who found that sleep-deprived medical residents can pose a danger to patients have discovered that these tired doctors also may present a hazard...

Study says $138.1 billion was spent on home improvement in 2003.
January 13, 2005... By Chris Reidy, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Homeowners spent a new high of $138.1 billion on home improvement in 2003, an increase driven by affluent consumers, according to a new study by Harvard...

Supreme Court ruling may affect sentencing of former Rite Aid executives.
January 13, 2005... By Tom Dochat, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday on federal sentencing guidelines could affect the prison terms of two former Rite Aid Corp. executives...

Harrisburg, Pa.-area firms rally to give disaster aid.
January 13, 2005... By Bill Sulon, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Central Pennsylvania businesses and their employees are donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to tsunami-relief programs. Harsco Corp....

Combined industrial union would have few Harrisburg, Pa., connections.
January 13, 2005... By David Dekok, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The merger of two of the nation's larger industrial unions isn't expected to have much impact locally. The United Steelworkers of America...

Shelton, Conn.-based health insurer names regional president.
January 13, 2005... By Diane Levick, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Steven Hale Nelson has been named president of Health Net of the Northeast, a role in which he faces the challenges of reversing enrollment...

Hartford, Conn., newspaper settles telemarketing complaint.
January 13, 2005... By Paul Marks, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--The Courant has paid a $36,000 civil penalty to the state after it was accused of breaking the law barring phone solicitations to consumers whose...

Connecticut electricity supplier offers discount.
January 13, 2005... By Stacy Wong, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Residential electricity supplier Levco Tech is offering a 1 percent discount off electricity generation charges to the customers of Connecticut Light...

Old, new challenges for Connecticut businesses weighed.
January 13, 2005... By Dan Haar, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Another year, another looming fiscal crisis for the state, another huge pile of debt for the nation, but this time it all carries more than the usual...

Bristol-Myers to sell consumer drug unit.
January 13, 2005... By Lewis Krauskopf, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Jan. 13--Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is selling its North American consumer medicines business as it continues to focus on selling prescription drugs. ...