Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News articles from May 13 2003

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News archives from May 13 2003

Augusta, Ga., Tobacco Shop to Close Doors on Downtown Store after 30 Years.
May 13, 2003... By Vicky Eckenrode, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--After years of watching customer traffic decrease, one downtown business owner is snuffing out her shop. Tobaccoland, located at 739 Broad...

Biotech Client's Failure to Pay Destroys Small Fayetteville, Ga., Company.
May 13, 2003... By Christine Van Dusen, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--At the small office of PeachTree Clinical Research in Fayetteville, it looks as though everyone has left for lunch, or a fire drill. ...

New Coke, Pepsi Soft Drinks Products See Sales go Flat after Strong Debut.
May 13, 2003... By Scott Leith, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--In the soft drink business, what goes up often comes down. Vanilla Coke and Mountain Dew Code Red, the industry's biggest new products of...

Nasdaq Index Reaches 11-Month High as Spring Stock Rally Continues.
May 13, 2003... By Tom Walker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Wall Street's spring buying rally surged into Monday like the running of the bulls in Spain, one analyst noted. Technology demand pushed the...

Ted Turner Sours on Film Effort.
May 13, 2003... By Caroline Wilbert, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Ted Turner isn't planning to make more movies anytime soon, after losing tens of million of dollars on "Gods and Generals." He had...

Fidelity National Information Solutions Acquires Systems Maker.
May 13, 2003... By Maria Zate, Santa Barbara News-Press, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Fidelity National Information Solutions in Santa Barbara said Monday that it has acquired DPN Inc., a leading provider of broker back office and...

Hardin County, Texas, Constable Also Diversifies His Communications Tower Firm.
May 13, 2003... By Dan Wallach, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--LUMBERTON, Texas--Wayne McDaniel Jr. is testing the limits of how much activity can be packed into the standard 168-hour week each person is...

Southeast Texas Ranks Near Bottom of Metropolitan Areas Good for Business.
May 13, 2003... By Dan Wallach, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--BEAUMONT, Texas--A recent Forbes magazine ranking placed Southeast Texas near the bottom of 150 metropolitan areas it reviewed as good places for...

Owners of Home-Based Businesses in Beaumont, Texas, Experience Zoning Hassles.
May 13, 2003... By Beth Gallaspy, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--BEAUMONT, Texas--When Helen and Joe Zhou moved into their house at Folsom and West Lucas Drive two months ago, they thought they had a place...

Plan to Merge Milk Processors Is Dropped.
May 13, 2003... By Ken Dixon, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--HARTFORD, Conn.--A proposed merger of two leading milk processors has soured, prompting Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to voice relief Monday,...

Eatery, Play Area to Open in Trumbull, Conn., Mall.
May 13, 2003... By Stephania H. Davis, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--This summer will bring a new eatery and play area to the Westfield Shoppingtown Trumbull mall, officials there announced recently. Bennigan's...

Stratford, Conn.-Based Dresser Instruments Announces More Job Cuts.
May 13, 2003... By Rob Varnon, Connecticut Post, Bridgeport Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Stratford-based Dresser Instruments will be cutting more jobs as it embraces lean manufacturing techniques. A spokeswoman for the company said...

Lafayette, Colo.-Based Association Honors Technology Community.
May 13, 2003... By Erika Stutzman, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--The Lafayette-based Colorado Software and Internet Association said it will honor companies and executives it credits with building a strong...

Vallejo, Calif., Hospital Installs Bar-Code System to Catch Medication Errors.
May 13, 2003... By Sandy Kleffman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--VALLEJO, Calif.--With more than 17,000 different medications available, the potential has grown for patients to get the wrong one at...

Lowe's Won't Sell Possible Inhalants to Those Younger Than 21.
May 13, 2003... By Leigh Dyer, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--If you're under 21 and need some paint thinner, don't bother trying to buy it at Lowe's. In recent weeks, the home improvement chain quietly...

Major Airlines Hike Prices; Most Fares to Increase $5 Per Flight.
May 13, 2003... By Eric Torbenson, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Major airlines on Monday added $5 per flight for trips starting June 1, matching American Airlines Inc.'s move on Friday. United Airlines Inc. was...

Former Bethlehem Steel Workers Are Cut Off from Disability Payments.
May 13, 2003... By Tom Dochat, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Some employees of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. plant in Steelton who were receiving workers' compensation benefits have been notified that...

'Teaser' Billboard Campaign in Harrisburg, Pa., Area Unveils Advertiser.
May 13, 2003... By Emily Rice, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--You may have seen the billboards along Interstate 83 south near the Second Street exit to Harrisburg. The first sign -- "Little Did They Know...

Massachusetts Trade Groups Support Plan to Jumpstart Technology Fund.
May 13, 2003... By Jeffrey Krasner, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Business leaders and trade groups have lined up behind House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran's plan to inject $100 million into a long-dormant state fund for...

Exelon Seeks Permission to Close Four Boston-Area Power Plants.
May 13, 2003... By Peter J. Howe, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Exelon Corp. has asked regional power grid officials for permission to shut down four old power plants in Everett and South Boston that it said will no longer...

Former Massachusetts Attorney General Joins Quincy-Based Law Firm.
May 13, 2003... By Peter J. Howe, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Scott Harshbarger, the former Massachusetts attorney general, has joined a Quincy-based law firm to start up a practice advising businesses and institutions...

John Hancock to Cut CEO's Pay.
May 13, 2003... By Scott Bernard Nelson, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--One thing is certain after yesterday's John Hancock Financial Services Inc. annual meeting: Chief executive David D'Alessandro will not make $21.7...

Intel Warns of Problem with Some Itanium 2 Processor Chips.
May 13, 2003... By Hiawatha Bray, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Chip maker Intel Corp. yesterday warned of an electrical problem in some of its Itanium 2 processor chips that could cause crashes or impede performance in...

Dollar Falls to Four-Year Low against Euro.
May 13, 2003... By Robert Gavin, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--The dollar yesterday fell to its lowest level in four years against the euro, continuing a weakening trend that economists view as good news for the US economy...

Chelsea, Mass.-Based H.P. Hood, Dallas-Based National Dairy Drop Merger.
May 13, 2003... By Bruce Mohl, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--To ease Justice Department concerns, H.P. Hood and National Dairy Holdings called off their merger yesterday, proposing instead a deal that would link management...

The Boston Globe Boston Capital Column.
May 13, 2003... By Steven Syre, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Ask me to produce a list of bad ideas hatched during the crazy stock market days of the late 1990s, and I'd still be typing on Friday. Tracking stocks would...

Grand Forks, N.D., Landscape Contractor Expands into Retail Gardening.
May 13, 2003... By Rona K. Johnson, Grand Forks Herald, N.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--EMERADO, N.D.--J & G Landscaping Inc. has been around for 24 years, but this year, it has blossomed. Jo Ann Renfrow has been a landscape...

Fort Worth, Texas, Institute Gets Rare Samples from Botanist's Collection.
May 13, 2003... By Neil Strassman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--FORT WORTH, Texas--A rare and valuable collection of 7,000 samples of medicinal plants has been donated to the Fort Worth-based Botanical...

Texas Is Likely in for a Long, Dry, Hot Summer.
May 13, 2003... By Bill Hanna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--If, like many, you've been breathing a sigh of relief every time spring thunderstorms bypass your house, there could be a price to pay this...

Walkout Threatens More Than 200 Bills in Texas House.
May 13, 2003... By R.A. Dyer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--AUSTIN, Texas -- Although the shutdown of the Texas House is aimed at blocking legislation to redraw congressional districts, it could jeopardize...

Angry Democrats Bolt Texas Capital, Shut Down Legislature.
May 13, 2003... Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--AUSTIN, Texas--A group of renegade Democrats, furious over efforts to flush their fellow partisans from the U.S. Congress, are on the run after staging a dramatic...

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas, Art Chapman Column.
May 13, 2003... By Art Chapman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Down in Buffalo Gap, just outside Abilene, a vacant lot has been converted into a baseball diamond. It is a rough diamond. Flat stones serve as...

Detroit Free Press Mike Wendland Column.
May 13, 2003... By Mike Wendland, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--NEWEST PALM BOASTS A BUILT-IN CAMERA: Palm just won't sit still. In what's become almost a dizzying array of new models over the past few months, Palm's...

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh Column.
May 13, 2003

Northwest Airlines Subsidiary May Help Pensions.
May 13, 2003... By Rajiv Vyas, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Northwest Airlines, which carries 75 percent of passengers at Detroit Metro Airport, said that funding its three pension plans with stock of subsidiary...

Detroit Health System Hires Turnaround Consultant.
May 13, 2003... By Kim Norris, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--As its Detroit brethren did before it, St. John Health has secured the services of a well-known hospital turnaround consultant to help it restructure its...

Rivals Challenge Ford's Corner on the Police Car Market.
May 13, 2003... By Jocelyn Parker, Detroit Free Press Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--While Ford Motor Co. grapples with problems linked to its popular Crown Victoria police cars, its crosstown rivals are staging their own attack on the...

Auto Parts Maker Visteon Builds Unique Headquarters in Wayne County, Mich.
May 13, 2003

As Prices Fall, Texas Utilities Reevaluate Value of Wind-Generated Power.
May 13, 2003

Mexican Oil Monopoly to Begin $1.7 Billion Refinery Reconfiguration Project.
May 13, 2003... By Brendan M. Case, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--MEXICO CITY--State-owned oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos will launch the reconfiguration of a major refinery complex this month, embarking on the...

Topeka, Kan.-Based Bank Posts 43 Percent Drop in First-Quarter Earnings.
May 13, 2003... By Chad Lawhorn, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Low interest rates are beginning to take their toll on the state's largest residential lender. Topeka-based Capitol Federal Savings reported...

Lawrence, Kan.-Area Ranks High on List of Small Cities Good for Business.
May 13, 2003... By Chad Lawhorn, Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--A tough economy didn't stop the Lawrence area from climbing up two spaces to become the seventh-best small city in the country for business and...

First in Nicholasville, Ky., Contours Express Women's Gyms Are Now Nationwide.
May 13, 2003... By Risa Brim, Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--For businessman Daren Carter, it all started with a dream. Literally. Well, actually it was a dream along with some help from his mom and the...

FCC Proposal Would Allow Nation's Media Giants to Grow Bigger.
May 13, 2003... By Todd J. Gillman, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--WASHINGTON -- The nation's media giants could grow bigger, and single companies could own newspapers and television stations -- or multiple TV...

Airlines Hurt by Changes in Business Travelers' Ticket-Buying Habits.
May 13, 2003... By Suzanne Marta, The Dallas Morning News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--As American Airlines searches for ways to pump up its revenue, Chuck Hoekzema may represent the carrier's worst nightmare. With at least 120...

Harrisburg, Pa.-Area Ice Skating Centers to Diversify.
May 13, 2003... By Bill Sulon, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Concerned about slipping interest in ice skating and a corresponding slide in profit, owners of the Twin Ponds ice-skating centers plan a major...

Connecticut Bank and Trust Organizers Granted Temporary Charter.
May 13, 2003... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--The organizers of the new Connecticut Bank and Trust Co. were granted a temporary charter to begin raising money to open the bank. The three-member state banking...

The Hartford's 850 Layoffs Will Hamper Hartford, Conn., Region's Recovery.
May 13, 2003... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--It was the kind of employment blow the Hartford area didn't need -- or expect -- especially from its insurance company namesake. In the largest job cut of its...

The Hartford Reports 16 Percent Earnings Increase in First Quarter.
May 13, 2003... By Diane Levick, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--The Hartford's stock perked up Monday on news of higher earnings, bigger asbestos claim reserves, and capital strengthening -- the silver linings in...

Farmington, Conn.-Based Insurer Saw Profits Increase during First Quarter.
May 13, 2003... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--ConnectiCare, a Farmington-based health insurer, said net profits rose 35 percent in the first quarter, boosted by higher rates and enrollment. Net income for...

Pink Slip Panic Dominates Day as The Hartford Announces 850 Layoffs.
May 13, 2003... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--It was about 1:30 p.m. Monday when the tall, slender man in The Hartford's IT department was called to his boss's office and told he would lose his job after more...

South Windsor, Conn.-Based Sign Equipment Maker Completes Refinancing.
May 13, 2003... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Gerber Scientific Inc. of South Windsor said Monday that it had completed a refinancing of its debt by closing on a new, four-year credit package arranged by Fleet...

Stanley Works Machinists Dig in For Long Strike over Better Contract.
May 13, 2003... The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Union machinists at Stanley Works prowled picket lines and dug in for a long battle Monday -- the first full day of their strike against the well-known tool and...

Proposal for Utility Fees Draws Fire from Connecticut Officials.
May 13, 2003... By Stacy Wong, The Hartford Courant, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Some high-ranking state officials and advocates for the poor and elderly are objecting to proposed legislation that could give utility companies up to...

U.S. to Drop Security Fee for Strapped Airlines.
May 13, 2003... By Richard Newman, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Struggling airlines have persuaded the federal government to stop adding a post-9/11 security fee to their ticket prices, but not so their...

Israeli Software Firm to Purchase Pittsburgh Software Services Company.
May 13, 2003... By Martha McKay, The Record, Hackensack, N.J. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Software giant Ness Technologies -- an Israeli company with a U.S. base in Hackensack -- snapped up a Pittsburgh-based software company Monday in a...

Regulators Scrutinize $5 Airfare Jump for Possible Antitrust Rules Violations.
May 13, 2003... By Bill Hensel Jr., Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Just when it seemed that the first airfare increase of the year would stick, the Justice Department on Monday raised questions about the way it was levied....

Houston Energy Company El Paso to Announce Senior Executives' Departure.
May 13, 2003... By Laura Goldberg, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Three senior El Paso Corp. executives, including its second in command, are slated to leave the company within the next month, according to sources familiar...

Houston-Based Reliant Resources Draws No Penalties in Securities Probe.
May 13, 2003... By Nelson Antosh, Houston Chronicle Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Reliant Resources' bogus power trades and transactions designed to shift earnings from one period to the next have drawn the minimum punishment from...

The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Mathis Network Column.
May 13, 2003... By Karen Brune Mathis, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--August Busch III, chairman of the country's largest beer company, outlined his top 10 "values and principles" in operating St....

Research, Development Firm Coming to Jacksonville, Fla.-Area Technology Park.
May 13, 2003... By Timothy J. Gibbons, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--The First Coast Technology Park is bringing in the park's first actual research and development company. Along the way to making...

Topeka, Kan.-Based Bank Announces 43 Percent Decline in Second-Quarter Income.
May 13, 2003... By Dan Margolies, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Citing decreases in interest and dividend income, Capitol Federal Financial on Monday reported a 43 percent drop in second-quarter net income from...

The Kansas City Star, Mo., Commodities Column.
May 13, 2003... By Victoria Sizemore Long, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--KANSAS CITY, Mo.--WHEAT FUTURES CLOSE HIGHER AFTER RELEASE OF BULLISH DATA: Kansas City and Chicago wheat futures prices closed up sharply...

Lenexa, Mo.-Based Lab Testing Company Posts $4.6 Million First-Quarter Profit.
May 13, 2003... By Julius A. Karash, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--KANSAS CITY, Mo.--LabOne Inc. on Monday reported a first-quarter net profit of $4.6 million, compared with earnings of $3.1 million a year...

Sprint Shareholders Gather for Annual Meeting.
May 13, 2003

Kansas City, Mo., Women's Conference Focuses on Leadership.
May 13, 2003... By Jilian Mincer, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--If you want to succeed, if you want to make a difference, you need to take care of yourself, according to Susan L. Taylor, editorial director of...

Salina, Kan., Commission Rejects Sunday Liquor Sales.
May 13, 2003... By Darrin Stineman, The Salina Journal, Kan. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Don't expect Sunday liquor sales in Salina anytime soon. The Salina City Commission voted at its previous meeting to ask city staff members to...

Oregon Tourism Commission Proposes Lodging Tax.
May 13, 2003... By Greg Stiles, Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--Ashland consultant Mary Arnstad, a member of the Oregon Tourism Commission, made a pitch for a proposed 1 percent lodging tax Monday. The Oregon...

Florida Senator Doubts Passage of Budget.
May 13, 2003... The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--As the Florida Legislature returned to the capital Monday, Senate President Jim King warned that he might not have enough votes in his chamber to pass what he...

Fruit Fly Larvae Found at St. Petersburg Port Worry Florida Officials.
May 13, 2003... By Phil Long, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--As if citrus canker weren't enough to deal with, state agricultural officials may have a new threat to contend with: the Mexican fruit fly, not seen in Florida for...

North Miami, Fla., Mayor Balances Needs of Haitian Americans, City as Whole.
May 13, 2003... By David Ovalle, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--In October, North Miami voters were weeks away from deciding on a historic charter amendment to raise the height limit on a large tract of undeveloped bayfront...

Stock Market Continues to Rise as Investors Anticipate End of Bear Cycle.
May 13, 2003... By Gregg Fields, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--For the second startling session in a row, the stock market notched a triple-digit gain Monday, and an increasing number of analysts are suspecting Wall Street...

Word of Mouth, Grocery Stores Help Butler, Ga., Man Sell Barbecue Sauce.
May 13, 2003... By Maggie Large, The Macon Telegraph, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--MACON, Ga.--Do you think your secret barbecue sauce recipe has the right stuff to be bottled and sold on store shelves? Barbecue aficionados across...

Macon, Ga., Shopping Center Wins Approval for Expansion.
May 13, 2003... By Linda S. Morris, The Macon Telegraph, Ga. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--MACON, Ga.--The Summit Center at the shopping center at Bloomfield Road and Stacy Drive is to expand another 20,000 square feet, and two free-standing...

McAllen, Texas-Area Lawmakers Join Fellow House Democrats to Avoid Quorum.
May 13, 2003... By Andrea Hauser, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--McALLEN, Texas--Six local lawmakers have joined fellow Texas House Democrats to become the newest group of "Killer Bees" to fly from the state...

Ocala, Fla.-Area Developers Rush to Fill Increasing Orders for High-End Homes.
May 13, 2003... By Harriet Daniels, Ocala Star-Banner, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--OCALA, Fla.--Area property developers and home builders are attempting to fill an increasing number of orders for high-end homes throughout the county....

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System Increases Investment Activism.
May 13, 2003... By Barnet D. Wolf, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--After being burned for more than $300 million in losses because of fraud at companies such as Enron, Tyco and WorldCom, the Ohio Public Employees...

Housing Assistance Increases for Some Buyers at West Ocala, Fla., Community.
May 13, 2003... By Lashonda Stinson, Ocala Star-Banner, Fla. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--OCALA, Fla.--Low-income families using SHIP funds to buy or build homes will get extra incentives if they move into the West Ocala Front Porch...

The Orange County Register, Calif., Business Briefs Column.
May 13, 2003

Disney Offers Free Theme Park Admission to U.S. Military Personnel.
May 13, 2003... By Michele Himmelberg, The Orange County Register, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--ANAHEIM, Calif.--Lt. Roy Ferreira of Placentia just spent several months aboard an aircraft carrier patrolling the Persian Gulf. But...

Costa Mesa, Calif., Ceramics Maker Gets Patriot Missile Nose Cone Contract.
May 13, 2003... By Jim Finkle, The Orange County Register, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--COSTA MESA, Calif.--Ceradyne Inc., a maker of high-tech ceramics used in everything from orthodontics to missiles, won a military contract that...

National Association of Realtors to Address Affordable Housing in California.
May 13, 2003... By Jack Doo, The Modesto Bee, Calif. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--PLEASANTON, Calif.--Cathy Whatley, president of the National Association of Realtors, said the organization is finally getting serious about affordable...

Madison, Wis.-Based Utility Holding Company Awards Stock Options to Executives.
May 13, 2003... By Lee Hawkins Jr., Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--The top five senior executives at Alliant Energy Corp., which lost $10.7 million last year primarily on non-utility investments, received small...

Federal Investigators to Probe Blanchardville, Wis., Bank Ordered Closed.
May 13, 2003... By Paul Gores, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 13--A failed Blanchardville bank that was closed last Friday by regulators reopened for business Monday as a branch of The Park Bank. The Park Bank,...