The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) articles from April 2001

The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) archives from April 2001

Norfolk, Va., Looks to Redevelop East Beach Neighborhood.
April 1, 2001... Byline: Stephanie A. Crockett Mar. 29--NORFOLK, Va.--As the new owner of the northwest corner of Shore Drive and East Little Creek Road, the city can hardly wait to tear down the buildings there. It will be the next step in redeveloping...

Officials, Developers Reach Deal on Virginia Beach, Va., Hotel Complex.
April 2, 2001... Mar. 30--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--City Manager James K. Spore and developer Bruce Thompson inked a proposed agreement early Thursday afternoon to build a 300-room luxury Oceanfront hotel complex, parking garage and public park at 31st Street. ...

Drugstores May Face Fallout from Building Spree in Norfolk, Va., Area.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 2--Even as the number of empty big-box stores has proliferated, national drugstore chains have been on a building spree of their own -- putting up "little boxes" on seemingly every prominent corner. ...

New Ship-Painting Company to Open in Norfolk, Va.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 30--NORFOLK, Va.--Metro Machine is planning a $60.9 million expansion that could create 185 jobs at a new ship-painting subsidiary in the city's Berkley section. The yard plans to open the wholly owned...

Ford Prepares to Begin Work on Expansion of Norfolk, Va., Truck Plant.
April 2, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 30--NORFOLK, Va.--With the clock ticking down to an apparent production launch next year, Ford Motor Co. is ready to hit the gas on a major expansion of its Norfolk truck plant. The automaker plans to break...

Norfolk, Va., Consumers Will Have Choice of Energy Providers in 2003.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 3--Hampton Roads consumers will be allowed to go shopping for their electricity a year earlier than the power company had requested. State utilities regulators have set Jan.1, 2003, as the launch date for...

Two Law Firms with Norfolk, Va.-Area Offices Undergo Mergers.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 31--Two law firms each with a Hampton Roads presence are undertaking mergers. Richmond-based Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins -- which has offices in Virginia Beach -- has merged with Wise & Marsac, a business...

Steamship Firm, Virginia Officials To Discuss New Portsmouth, Va., Terminal.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Apr. 3--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--Maersk Sealand executives are expected to meet this week with state and local officials to finalize details for a new marine terminal on Portsmouth's largest developable plot of land. ...

Israeli Shipping Firm Moves North American Headquarters to Norfolk, Va.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 3--NORFOLK, Va.--Norfolk scored a major economic development victory Monday, taking a corporate headquarters from New York City. With great glee, Gov. Jim Gilmore confirmed Monday that the North...

Companies Seek Ways to Accept Electronic Signatures.
April 3, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 3--Contracts signed with a swipe of a card. Or with a twist of a thumb-sized key. Or with a simple e-mail. That sounds far-reaching, but it's not. Companies are finding ways -- if they haven't already -- to...

Hampton Roads, Va., Area Blighted by Number of Empty Retail Stores.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 2--First they ate mom and pop. Now they've turned on each other. The big box retailers -- the megastores, the aptly named category killers -- chewed up the small, locally owned retailers and now are...

U.S. Small Business Group to Give Awards to Norfolk, Va.-Area Residents.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Apr. 4--In a testament to Hampton Roads' small-business strength, the U.S. Small Business Administration will honor four residents with awards. Each year, in each state, the federal administration honors small...

Vote of Virginia Beach, Va., Council Regarding Hotel Project Postponed.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Jason Skog Apr. 2--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf on Friday postponed the City Council's vote next week on a proposal to have the city spend millions more on the 31st Street hotel/park project. The mayor...

Norfolk, Va., Law Firm Buys Chesapeake, Va., Firm.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Apr. 3--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Norfolk law firm Kaufman & Canoles P.C. has purchased the Chesapeake firm Robert D. Jones and Associates P.L.C. The acquisition, which was effective Sunday, adds three attorneys to Kaufman &...

Parent Firm of Norfolk, Va.-Area Race Track Posts Loss for Dec. 31 Quarter.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 4--Citing higher expenses related to the timing of a horse-racing meet last year, the parent of Colonial Downs race track reported a loss for the Dec. 31 quarter after posting a slim profit in the comparable three...

Cerritos, Calif.-Based Educational Store Chain Files for Bankruptcy.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Mar. 31--The Store of Knowledge chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company, based in Cerritos, Calif., has 91 stores. Two are local -- one in MacArthur Center in Norfolk, the other in Lynnhaven Mall...

Portsmouth, Va.-Area Program Offers Training in Tourism, Hospitality Industry.
April 4, 2001... Byline: Matthew Jones Apr. 2--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--As a security guard in downtown Norfolk, Carla Martin watched as the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center went up across the Elizabeth River. In six months, she...

Cable Retailer to Close Retail Store in Virginia Beach, Va.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 5--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Cable TV retailer QVC Inc. plans to close its outlet store at Loehmann's Plaza in the next few months. QVC spokeswoman Bonnie D. Clark confirmed the planned closing Wednesday....

Norfolk, Va., University to Begin Work on Nation's First `Mag-Lev' Train.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Debbie Messina Apr. 5--The nation's first magnetic levitation train could begin gliding along an elevated track through the heart of Old Dominion University just over a year from now if the $14 million project keeps to its...

Chesapeake, Va., Office Park Continues Expansion.
April 5, 2001... Apr. 5--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--A booming business park continued its growth spurt Wednesday, with the opening of a new building and the announcement of two tenants for a building not yet complete. Information Systems Support Inc., and Strayer...

Parent of Norfolk, Va., Race Track Reports Loss for Quarter.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 5--Citing higher expenses related to the timing of a horse-racing meet last year, the parent of Colonial Downs race track reported a loss for the Dec. 31 quarter after posting a slim profit in the comparable three...

Virginia Beach, Va., Freightliner Truck Dealership Seeks Bankruptcy Protection.
April 5, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Apr. 5--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Hampered by a sharp falloff in sales, the Virginia Beach dealership Truckcenter of Tidewater Inc. has sought protection from its creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk while attempting...

Chesapeake, Va., Business Park Opens Building, Announces New Tenants.
April 6, 2001... Apr. 6--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--A booming business park continued its growth spurt Wednesday, with the opening of a new building and the announcement of two tenants for a building not yet complete. Information Systems Support Inc., and Strayer...

Competition, Changing Market Forces Sale of Portsmouth, Va., Hotel.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Louis Hansen Apr. 6--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--Facing stiff new competition and a changing hotel market, the Holiday Inn Olde Towne has been put up for sale. The 272-room waterfront hotel has been listed for $10.95million, and...

Kroger to Open New Grocery Store in Hampton, Va., Area.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Paul South Apr. 6--Kroger, one of the nation's largest retail grocers, will expand its drive for dominance in the Hampton Roads market to the Outer Banks in the spring of 2002, store officials said Tuesday. The...

TV Retailer Plans to Close Store at Virginia Beach, Va., Mall.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 6--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Cable TV retailer QVC Inc. plans to close its outlet store at Loehmann's Plaza in the next few months. QVC spokeswoman Bonnie D. Clark confirmed the planned closing Wednesday....

Chesapeake, Va.-Based Retailer Reports Increased Sales.
April 6, 2001... Apr. 6--Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. reported first-quarter net sales of $387.3million, an 18 percent increase over the January-through-March period last year, when sales were $327.1 million. The Chesapeake-based retailer, the nation's largest...

Portsmouth, Va., Dinner Recognizes Tech Companies for Accomplishments.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 6--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--In a year that's seen a rise and fall of the dot-com industry and the braking of the high-tech economic engine, local technology leaders aren't holding back from celebrating the success...

Virginia To Educate Utilities Consumers about Retail Choice Electricity.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 6--Class is in session for Virginia utilities consumers, courtesy of state regulators. With retail choice of electricity set to launch in less than nine months, the State Corporation Commission is progressing...

Verizon Abandons Long-Distance Charges between Cities in Norfolk, Va., Region.
April 6, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 6--A local phone call will reach all corners of the region starting next month, when Verizon Communications gets rid of long-distance charges between neighboring cities. A byproduct of the Bell Atlantic and...

Hampton, Va., Area Looks to Avoid Summer Jump in Gas Prices.
April 8, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 7--Despite threats of higher gasoline costs nationwide this summer, Hampton Roads may be spared from a surge in prices at the pump. Local gas is averaging more than a nickel a gallon cheaper than at this time...

Virginia Beach, Va., Officials Take Another Crack at Approving Resort Plan.
April 9, 2001... Byline: Jason Skog Apr. 9--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.-- It's been three fitful years since Beach leaders hatched a public-private partnership to build a $50 million luxury Oceanfront resort complex at 31st Street. Residents' opposition,...

`Along Came a Spider' star isn't afraid of sequels.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Mal Vincent LOS ANGELES _ Morgan Freeman doesn't talk a great deal on screen. He doesn't have to. The 63-year-old actor brings a sense of nobility to his roles. Reliability. Trustworthiness. An ease that keeps him very...

`Kingdom Come' co-star says she's glad just to still be around.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Mal Vincent rginian-Pilot BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. _ "Italians and black folks go CRAZY at funerals," Whoopi Goldberg was saying. "Irish people go crazy after the funeral. Our movie is about black folks and the thing about it is...

Chesapeake Airport Chief, Manager Had Unusual Business Deal.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Robert McCabe Apr. 8--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--When Al Obst, a 63-year-old former U.S. Airways Express pilot, took a new job at Chesapeake Regional Airport in 1997, he planned to pick up retirement income working as a flight instructor....

Bustling Courthouse Hasn't Fully Revived Suffolk, Va., Downtown.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Matthew Roy Apr. 10--SUFFOLK, Va.--Each weekday morning, civil servants, lawyers and their clients jockey for the 350-parking spaces behind downtown's Mills E. Godwin Jr. Courts Building. The metal detector at the front door,...

Consumers' Faith in Economy Continues to Dwindle.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 8--A brutal decline in stock prices hasn't deterred Bobby Allsbrook from shopping for another boat. While weaving through a cluster of new Boston Whalers at a Shore Drive dealership in Virginia Beach, the...

Proposed Waterfront Hotel in Norfolk, Va., Draws Criticism.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 10--NORFOLK, Va.--A proposal to build a five-story hotel on the park-like acre just west of Waterside received a cool reception when it was publicly disclosed for the first time Monday. During a...

Bush Budget Favors Hampton, Va., NASA Research Center.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 10--HAMPTON, Va.--NASA's Langley Research Center could see a 4 percent boost in federal funding next year, which means the center will fare much better than its agency if Congress waves in President Bush's...

Norfolk, Va.-Area Mall to Lose Two Stores.
April 10, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Apr. 10--MacArthur Center will take a one-two hit soon when two of its stores shut down in rapid succession. Naturalizer Shoes is calling it quits April 21 at the downtown mall. Employees of the bankrupt Store...

Virginia Regulators Weigh Options for Cutting Blue-Crab Harvest.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Apr. 11--GLOUCESTER POINT, Va.--Political support is waning for a proposal to limit Virginia's watermen to an eight-hour workday as a way to better protect the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. Instead, state regulators...

Norfolk, Va., Approves $2 Million Pier Expansion to Accommodate Cruise Ships.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 11--NORFOLK, Va.--Norfolk suddenly finds itself on the cruise ship map, and the City Council voted Tuesday to spend $2 million to stay there. The first cruise ship came to Nauticus in 1996. Two came in...

Currituck County, N.C., Grows Quickly Due to Location, Atmosphere.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Jeffrey S. Hampton Apr. 10--CURRITUCK, N.C.--It was a sunny afternoon Wednesday when John Downs Jr. and his daughter stepped out of their two-story home ready to fly a kite in their spacious back yard. The new white siding...

Foes of Proposed Luxury Hotel in Virginia Beach, Va., Want Project Scrapped.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Jason Skog Apr. 11--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Forget about tweaking the contract -- listen to the citizens and scrap the whole thing, opponents of a controversial 31st Street luxury hotel complex told City Council members Tuesday. ...

Some Norfolk, Va., Residents Oppose Idea of Turning Park into Hotel.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Apr. 11--It's just a patch of grass. And it's been destined for development for decades. None of that mattered to most of the folks found in the vicinity of Waterside around noon on Tuesday. They didn't like...

Norfolk, Va.-Area Pepsi Bottlers' Workers to Vote on Union Representation.
April 11, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 11--Hampton Roads labor organizers face their own Pepsi challenge this month. About 160 employees at two of The Pepsi Bottling Group Inc.'s local distribution centers are scheduled to vote on union...

Official Recommends New Area Code for Norfolk, Va., Area.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 12--Reaching out and touching your fellow Hampton Roads residents is about to get more complicated. An official with Virginia's utilities regulator is recommending a new area code for future local telephone...

Car Auction Dealer Meets Opposition in Quest for Suffolk, Va., Site.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Harold Nedd Apr. 12--SUFFOLK, Va.--An auto auction dealer failed on a second try Wednesday to find a prime location in the city for a hotly disputed business whose jobs pay $8 an hour. The Suffolk Industrial Development...

Flounder Quota Reduced Less in Virginia Than in Other Atlantic States.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Apr. 11--Virginia will be spared the brunt of new federal rules sharply cutting the amount of summer flounder that sportsmen can catch along the Atlantic coast this year. Under a proposed coastwide quota, intended...

Bank Sues Owners of Norfolk, Va., Hotel over $4.5 Million Loan.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Matthew Dolan Apr. 12--NORFOLK, Va.--The owners of the Radisson Hotel have been sued by their bank for failing to pay back the $4.5 million their company borrowed to renovate the Monticello Avenue icon. The lawsuit, filed March...

Backers of Norfolk, Va., Hotel Project Make Case to City Panel.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 12--NORFOLK, Va.--Bruce Watts first learned about Donnell Thompson from an article in Black Enterprise magazine. Watts, a senior official for Norfolk's Development Department, saw in Thompson a...

Hampton, Va.-Area Unemployment Rate Hits Historic Low in February.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 12--The stumbling national economy didn't trip up Hampton Roads' jobs market in February. The area unemployment rate slipped year-to-year to a historic low for that month, the second consecutive record. ...

Norfolk, Va., Pedestrian Mall to Undergo $500,000 in Renovations.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Stephanie A. Crockett Apr. 11--NORFOLK, Va.--Selden Arcade, a 70-year-old pedestrian mall between Main and Plume streets, is in line for renovations financed by a grant approved Tuesday by City Council. City officials agreed to...

Norfolk, Va., Leaders Approve $1.3 Million for Land Acquisition.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Stephanie A. Crockett Apr. 11--NORFOLK, Va.--Norfolk city leaders' commitment to East Ocean View redevelopment was expressed Tuesday with approval of spending almost $1.3 million for land acquisition Tuesday. City Council...

Portsmouth, Va., Restaurants Ask for Reduction of Food Tax Rate.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Louis Hansen Apr. 12--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--A group of downtown restaurateurs wants to serve the City Council some food for thought. About a dozen restaurant owners have signed a petition asking the council to roll back the city's...

Norfolk, Va., Nonprofit Technology Group Celebrates New Facility.
April 12, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 12--NORFOLK, Va.--With frosted cake and finger sandwiches, KIDTECH Inc. celebrated its new facility in Park Place on Wednesday, a lab that will serve as the operation's Southside home base. KIDTECH, a...

Winston-Salem, N.C.-Based Bank Reports Increased Income.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 13--Citing the benefits of its expansion strategy and its additional earnings from fees, service charges and commissions, BB&T Corp. reported a 15 percent increase in net income for the March 31 quarter. Despite...

Richmond, Va.-Based Furniture Retailer to Close Remaining 375 Stores.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Susie Stoughton Apr. 12--Heilig-Meyers Co., the Richmond-based home furnishing retailer that filed for bankruptcy in August, announced Wednesday that its remaining 375 Heilig-Meyers stores will close by summer. Heilig-Meyers...

Suffolk, Va., Historic Commission Gives Conditional Approval to Hotel Project.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Phyllis Speidell Apr. 13--SUFFOLK, Va.--The Suffolk Historic Landmarks Commission gave a conditional nod of approval Thursday to a $21.2million riverfront hotel project. The hotel, a Hilton Garden Inn, will open in the fall of...

Location of Proposed Hotel Sparks Discontent among Norfolk, Va., Officials.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 13--NORFOLK, Va.--The budding debate over the proposed Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn beside Waterside took a decorous turn Thursday before the Norfolk Planning Commission. After the cold shoulder...

Richmond, Va.-Based Company Buys Norfolk, Va., Real Estate Firm.
April 13, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Apr. 13--NORFOLK, Va.--Morton G. Thalhimer Inc. has purchased Charles G. Nusbaum Inc., a real-estate firm with a 45-year history in Hampton Roads. Charles G. Nusbaum Inc. employed three licensed brokers, including...

Chesapeake, Va., Hospital Dedicates New Outpatient Center.
April 15, 2001... Byline: Ellica Church Apr. 13--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Chesapeake General Hospital houses the busiest operating rooms in Hampton Roads, officials say. The 11 rooms run almost constantly. A growing demand on the hospital's resources is pushing...

Sushi Bar To Open in Norfolk, Va.
April 15, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Apr. 13--NORFOLK, Va.--A Japanese restaurant and sushi bar is moving into an empty storefront at Granby Street and College Place. Jack Chen, owner of the Osaka Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Virginia...

Proposed Bankruptcy Reforms May Burden Court System.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 15--Arguing that bankruptcy has lost much of its stigma, bankers, credit card issuers and retailers have lobbied aggressively in recent years to restrict the availability of bankruptcy courts to wipe out personal...

Bankruptcy Filings Increase in Norfolk, Va., Area.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 15--After declining steadily in recent years, the volume of personal and business bankruptcy filings in Hampton Roads is on the rise. Bankruptcy attorneys and others attribute it to a slowing economy and rising...

Environmental Group Reports Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Will Cost $8.5 Billion.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Apr. 15--It will cost $8.5 billion over the next 10 years to meet new goals for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, eclipsing the price tag for restoring the Everglades, an environmental group said Friday. The money is...

Commuters, Vehicle Ownership Increase in Norfolk, Va., Area.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Debbie Messina Apr. 16--Dale Castellow, transportation planner for Virginia Beach, wishes he could bicycle or walk to work, as he did when he lived in Florida. But since moving to the Beach, he's been forced to rely on his car. ...

Businesses Flourish in Downtown Norfolk, Va.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Apr. 15--Norfolk's urban entrepreneurs say business is booming. Profits, however, aren't the only dividend they're discovering downtown. There's a sense of continuity. Of community. Of coming home. ...

Virginia University Hosts Seminars To Attract Women to Engineering Profession.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 16--Women engineers. At one time, that phrase was an oxymoron. But nowadays, these women are the precious oxygen for an industry that's gradually been running out of breath. Fewer scientists and...

Developer May Withdraw Norfolk, Va., Hotel Project.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Apr. 14--NORFOLK, Va.--Frustrated by a week of difficult meetings, the developer who has proposed building a hotel beside Waterside said Friday that he may not be coming back to Norfolk. "I'm trying to...

Lawsuit against Meatpacking Company Smithfield Foods Moved to Norfolk, Va.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 14--NORFOLK, Va.--A federal lawsuit challenging Smithfield Foods Inc.'s dominance of the meatpacking industry has been moved to Norfolk. Two Georgia hog farmers and two Alabama hog farmers sued Smithfield,...

Virginia To Use Porcelain from Junked Toilets To Grow Oysters.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Apr. 15--HAMPTON, Va.--Oysters are resilient creatures, for sure. But can they really grow on old toilets? The state of Virginia is about to find out. Officials are preparing to embark on a wildlife experiment...

Virginia Regulators Mull Utilities' Plans to Let Operator Control Power Grid.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 14--As Virginia residents edge closer to choosing their power suppliers, state regulators are reviewing utilities' plans to shift control of their high-voltage lines to an outside operator. The State...

Compensation for Newport News, Va., Shipyard's CEO More Than Doubles in 2000.
April 16, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 14--NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--Citing the additional business booked during 2000 and the sustained rise in the company's stock price, Newport News Shipbuilding Inc. said Friday that the compensation paid to its chairman and...

Two Banking Giants Plan to Merge.
April 17, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 17--In a $13 billion deal that would create the largest bank in Hampton Roads and the fourth-largest in the country, First Union Corp. and rival Wachovia Corp. announced Monday that they will merge. The two...

Scientists Seek Upgrade for Newport News, Va., Energy Research Lab.
April 17, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 17--NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--Jefferson Lab scientists are designing an upgrade that would double their electron accelerator's capacity, hoping to probe deeper into the heart of nuclei to explain physical matter. ...

Mall, Battleship Highlight Revitalization of Norfolk, Va.
April 17, 2001... Byline: E Franklin Apr. 17--NORFOLK, Va.--Late into the night, the lights glowed in downtown Norfolk. They shined on street musicians playing Irish tunes at a St. Patrick's Day celebration. On girls frolicking to fiddlers in the...

Hampton, Va., Officials Look to Cultivate Oysters on Old, Discarded Toilets.
April 17, 2001... Apr. 17--HAMPTON, Va.--Oysters are resilient creatures, for sure. But can they really grow on old toilets? The state of Virginia is about to find out. Officials are preparing to embark on a wildlife experiment that tests the limits of...

Virginia Agency Sets Deadline for Verizon To Respond To Petition for Split.
April 17, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Apr. 17--A state agency has given Verizon's Virginia entities two weeks to respond to a petition to split the phone company in half--one part to sell local access lines wholesale and another to buy and market them to...

Pork Producer Announces Plans to Buy Souderton, Pa., Beef Processor.
April 18, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Apr. 18--Pork giant Smithfield Foods Inc. once again wants to add beef to its meat case. The company announced Tuesday that it plans to purchase Moyer Packing Co. of Souderton, Pa., a privately held beef...

Norfolk, Va.-Area Developer Earns Extension on Planned Shopping Center.
April 18, 2001... Byline: Mike Knepler Apr. 18--NORFOLK, Va.--Berkley's 30-year wait for a community shopping center has grown--again. The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority has granted the Robinson Development Group a 120-day extension to...

Economy Skirts the Edge of Recession, Norfolk, Va.-Area Experts Say.
April 18, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Apr. 18--NORFOLK, Va.--Are we in a recession? "No," said Mark Zandi, answering his own question. Zandi then asked the inevitable follow-up: If we're not in a recession, are we headed for one? "It's 50-50,"...

Clipper Ship Highlights Norfolk, Va., Waterfront.
April 18, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Apr. 18--The latest ship to see on the Norfolk waterfront may be here by accident, but it is beautiful by design. The clipper Stad Amsterdam, a striking square-rigged, three-masted vessel built to include the...

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments to Allow Families to Sue Shipyard Employers.
April 18, 2001... Byline: Jon Frank Apr. 18--The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case today that could allow the families of shipyard workers killed on the job to sue employers despite a Virginia law that has prevented such litigation. The...