The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) articles from December 2002

The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) archives from December 2002

Norfolk, Va., Area to Be Test Market for 7-Eleven's New Dreammm Doughnut.
December 1, 2002... Byline: Roy Bahls Dec. 1--The doughnut war is about to heat up as local 7-Elevens roll out their Dreammm doughnut. Hampton Roads becomes the test market Tuesday for what the company says is a new and improved glazed doughnut. The...

Eastern Virginia Medical School Receives Community Service Award for Outreach.
December 1, 2002... Byline: Elizabeth Simpson Dec. 1--The institution's deeds touch the young and the old. Medical students watch movies with young cancer patients. A family-practice doctor gives monthly "What's Up Doc?" television advice to senior...

Norfolk, Va., Airport's Plain Areas to Receive Face Lifts.
December 2, 2002... Byline: Debbie Messina Dec. 2--Next to the sparkling, spacious additions at Norfolk International, older areas of the airport are looking a little shabby. The ticketing lobby is cramped. The concourses are worn. "With the newly...

Old Nigerian Bank Scam Finds New Life Online.
December 2, 2002... Byline: Tom Shean Dec. 2--For helping move $12.7 million from a Nigerian bank to his account in the United States, Navy Capt. James Hagarty would get a 25 percent cut. The money belonged to a depositor who had died in a plane crash...

Founder, Shaper of Eastern Virginia Medical School Dies at 91.
December 2, 2002... Byline: Guy Friddell Dec. 2--NORFOLK, Va.--Harry H. Mansbach, 91, a founder, fund-raiser and major shaper of the Eastern Virginia Medical School, died Sunday morning at his home in Norfolk. Declaring once his unswerving dedication to...

Head of Northrop Grumman's Newport News, Va., Shipyard Takes Role in Stride.
December 2, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 2--NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--In the control room of the carrier Ronald Reagan, the foreman stands ready to answer the president's questions. But Thomas C. Schievelbein, president of Northrop Grumman Newport News,...

Portable Classrooms Become Permanent at Chesapeake, Va., Schools.
December 3, 2002... Byline: Matthew Bowers Dec. 3--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Take away rainy days, cold days, muddy days. Shorten the walk. Surround with a fence. Add restrooms. Then, maybe, students would take to portable classrooms. Once inside, "it's just another...

Norfolk, Va., Consumers Can Compare Electricity Costs with New Provider.
December 3, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 3--Hampton Roads residents who want to save money with a new electricity service provider starting in January will have to find power costing less than 3.98 cents per kilowatt-hour. That's the "price to...

Military's Concerns Impact New York Firm's Plans for Virginia Wind-Energy Farm.
December 3, 2002... Byline: Scott Harper Dec. 3--NORFOLK, Va.--A New York company hoping to build a large wind-energy farm off Virginia's Eastern Shore is changing its plans in response to concerns raised by the military. The company, Winergy LLC, which...

Number of Norfolk, Va.-Area Consumers Filing for Bankruptcy Rises in 2002.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Tom Shean Dec. 4--Driven by high levels of personal debt, more consumers in Hampton Roads have sought relief in bankruptcy court this year despite the region's stable economy. "With the debt they're carrying, I think many of...

Norfolk, Va., to Evaluate Service Given by Cable Provider Cox.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Meredith Kruse Dec. 4--Residents who want better cable service now have a chance to speak up. City officials will hold a public hearing Thursday so that residents can rate the service they're getting from Cox Communications,...

Virginia Beach, Va.-Based Health-Care Firm Considers Sites for Expansion.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 4--Amerigroup Corp. is looking at sites in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake for what could be the biggest office real estate deal this year in Hampton Roads. The fast-growing health-care company, based in...

Portsmouth, Va., Site Recommended for Upscale Housing Development.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Janie Bryant Dec. 4--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--It was once the modest waterfront farm of the late Fred Beazley, a millionaire philanthropist. Now the site is giving the city something it has wanted for a long time: A new community...

Titanic Salvager's Leaders May Face Charges for Violating Securities Laws.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Marc Davis Dec. 4--Leaders of the company that has been salvaging the Titanic since 1987 may be hit with federal civil charges for violating securities laws, according to court documents and interviews. Capping a two-year...

Virginia Consumers to Feel Impact of Rise in Wholesale Natural-Gas Prices.
December 5, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 5--The winter chill will make some consumers shudder in more ways than one this month, as rising wholesale natural gas prices trickle down to heating bills. Residential customers of Columbia Gas of Virginia...

Virginia, North Carolina Residents May Pay More for Christmas Trees.
December 5, 2002... Byline: Linda McNatt Dec. 5--Wrapped in scarf, gloves and a heavy coat to ward off the bone-chilling wind, Loraine West used her cane to move boughs aside and check for needle stability. A fresh tree is the only thing that will work in...

Production Company to Close Norfolk, Va., Office, Open New Headquarters.
December 5, 2002

Future of Norfolk, Va., Airport Service Staff Uncertain after US Airways Cuts.
December 5, 2002

CarMax May Build in Virginia Beach, Va.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 6--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--After eight years of looking, CarMax Inc. may finally be coming to Hampton Roads. CarMax has acquired an option to buy 22 acres of land off Bonney Road near Rosemont Road in...

Virginia Beach, Va., Council Considers Increasing Tax on Cigarettes.
December 6, 2002... Dec. 6--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Hoping to raise an extra $4.5 million a year, the City Council is considering raising the local tax on cigarettes. If approved, the tax per pack will rise 18 cents -- to 50 cents from 32 cents. Virginia Beach...

Exhibit on Terrorist Attacks Comes to Virginia Beach, Va.
December 7, 2002... Byline: Jon Glass Dec. 7--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The sight of the police car's door, twisted like foil, stuck in Steven Bronson's head. So did the taped sound of bagpipes, playing a haunting version of "Amazing Grace," as he gazed at...

Virginia Beach, Va., Businessman Sues Korean Air for Boiling Water Burns.
December 7, 2002... Byline: Tim McGlone Dec. 7--NORFOLK, Va.--Remember the woman who was awarded nearly $3 million for being scalded by McDonald's super-hot coffee? Virginia Beach businessman Duncan S. Leung has a similar tale, but he only wants $50,000....

Virginia Beach, Va., Mall to Get Makeover.
December 7, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 7--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Pembroke Mall is going under the knife next year for a long-awaited and much-needed face-lift. Plans to make over the region's first enclosed shopping mall will be unveiled...

Virginia Governor Tries to Steer Road Money to Norfolk, Va., Area.
December 7, 2002... Byline: Warren Fiske Dec. 7--RICHMOND, Va.--The Virginia Department of Transportation would have to develop detailed financial plans for major projects under a series of road-building reforms unveiled Friday by Gov. Mark R. Warner. ...

Palatial Lavatory Planned for Roadway in New Kent County, Va.
December 7, 2002... Byline: Bill Burke Dec. 7--The state's road-building program may be in the toilet, but that's not stopping the folks who run it from erecting a latrine fit for a queen. Or a governor, at least. It's not much to look at now -- just...

International Operations for Smithfield Foods Inc. Expected to Boom.
December 7, 2002... Byline: Michael Davis Dec. 7--SMITHFIELD, Va. -- For meat giant Smithfield Foods Inc., the next great consumer market will likely have an accent other than a Virginia drawl. Smithfield's international operations -- especially in Europe...

Paving Company Buys Norfolk, Va., Property.
December 7, 2002

Norfolk, Va., Gas Station Owner Dispenses Fuel, Philosophy.
December 8, 2002... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Dec. 8--NORFOLK, Va. -- Fuel and philosophy. Stan Raciborski has been dispensing that unlikely duo from his Wards Corner Exxon for more than 30 years. For most of that time, Raciborski's station on the...

Virginia Beach, Va., Officials Hope Street Improvements Bring City Prosperity.
December 9, 2002... Byline: Jason Skog Dec. 9--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The dingy cottages, fix-it shops, strip malls and an abandoned go-cart track along the 19th Street corridor seem to dare the city's newest redevelopment plans. Planners dream of 19th...

Dismal State of Shipping Industry Puts Squeeze on Norfolk, Va., Port.
December 9, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 9--From the docks at the port of Hampton Roads, the ocean shipping business looks buoyant. Ships loaded with goods pull in and out of the terminals, dumping revenues into the port's coffers and wages into...

Virginia Public Colleges Increase Tuition for Spring Semester.
December 9, 2002... Byline: Philip Walzer Dec. 9--Students at Virginia's public four-year colleges will pay an average of $590 more this school year, victims of a double dose of tuition increases within six months. After shouldering an increase in August,...

Neighbors Say Water Woes Are Ignored in Chesapeake, Va.
December 9, 2002... Byline: Robert McCabe Dec. 9--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--The first turn of the faucet each day in hundreds of Indian River homes can be an adventure. "You never know what color it's going to be," says John Simmons, 65, a lifelong resident of the...

Virginia Research Center's Mars Plane A Finalist for NASA Mission.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Diane Tennant Dec. 10--An airplane that would skim the surface of Mars in the search for life and ancient history is one of four finalists in NASA's own search for the perfect machine to explore the Red Planet. The airplane...

Virginia Natural Gas Builds Temporary Processing Operation in Chesapeake, Va.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 10--NORFOLK, Va.--Virginia Natural Gas is building a temporary processing operation in Chesapeake for liquefied natural gas that would help meet peak heating demand on extra-cold days over the next three...

Navy Names New Aircraft Carrier for Elder Bush.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Dale Eisman Dec. 10--WASHINGTON--Modesty has always been one of his trademarks, and George H.W. Bush was characteristically reticent on Monday as the Navy delivered perhaps its ultimate tribute to his public service. But as an...

Lieutenant Governor Asks Virginia to Pay Teachers More.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Warren Fiske Dec. 10--RICHMOND, Va. -- Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Monday called on the General Assembly to fund its share of public education mandates fully and raise teachers' salaries to the national average. The Democrat...

Transportation Brainstorming Sessions to Start in Virginia.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Debbie Messina Dec. 10--Elected leaders and planners are ready to begin searching for solutions to the region's transportation problems now that voters have rejected a sales-tax increase to fund road and transit projects. And...

Road Safety A Top Concern, Pizza Delivery Industry Says, despite Fatal Wrecks.
December 11, 2002... Byline: Lou Misselhorn Dec. 11--NORFOLK, Va.--A Chanello's Pizza official said Tuesday that it will press drivers to be more cautious after the recent fatal wreck involving one of its delivery drivers. "We will reiterate and...

Remote-Control Trees Push Americans' Buttons.
December 11, 2002... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Dec. 11--The ol' Tannenbaum has come a long way from the days when Grandpa traipsed out to the forest to fell one. TV shopping channel QVC was swamped with orders this year after advertising a prelit artificial...

Dollar Tree Searches for Former Employees Owed Back Pay.
December 11, 2002

Developers Argue in Favor of Light Manufacturers in Suffolk, Va.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Harold Nedd Dec. 12--SUFFOLK, Va.--Developers are fighting a city-led effort to prevent more light industry manufacturers from moving into northern Suffolk's Bridgeway Commerce Park. Dominion Lands Inc. officials said the...

New Agency Means Opportunities, U.S. Senator Tells Norfolk, Va.-Area Chamber.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Tom Shean Dec. 12--NORFOLK, Va.--Creation of the giant Department of Homeland Security opens up abundant sales opportunities for businesses, especially for those providing information technology, U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., told...

Redevelopment of Virginia Beach, Va., Mall May Take Ten Years.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 12--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--The redevelopment of Pembroke Mall will begin in January and may take as long as 10 years, mall officials said Wednesday. The renovation of the mall itself will begin around...

Environmentalists Criticize Agreement Regarding Virginia Shipyard Regulation.
December 12, 2002

Prospect of Light Rail in Chesapeake, Va., Stalls.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Debbie Messina Dec. 13--Light rail is effectively dead in Chesapeake. A new report shows it would be too expensive to build and not enough people would ride it. Cost estimates range from $35 million to $50 million a mile for...

Chesapeake, Va.-Area Waste Authority Reverses Course on Recycling Program.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Scott Harper Dec. 13--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--The regional waste authority, which just months ago was considering an end to curbside recycling, may now expand the program with an automated, $10 million system in much of South Hampton...

Independent Retailers Use Creative Marketing Offers to Lure Shoppers.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Deborah Markham Dec. 13--If it snows in Times Square on New Year's Eve, David Nygaard Fine Jewelers will give customers their money back for all purchases made between Dec. 1 and 24. Nygaard first gambled on this promotion when...

Changes Could Save Virginia $1 Billion Annually, Panel Says.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Warren Fiske Dec. 13--RICHMOND, Va.--Virginia could save more than $1 billion a year by overhauling its purchasing system and merging state agencies, according to a report Thursday by a gubernatorial commission charged with...

Norfolk, Va.-Area Hotel to Drop Ramada Affiliation in January.
December 14, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 14--NORFOLK, Va. -- The Tazewell Hotel Ramada Plaza will drop its Ramada affiliation on Jan. 1, as its owner uses bankruptcy reorganization to break the contract. The move is a first step toward...

Ship-Repir Firm to Lay Off Up to 200 Workers at Norfolk, Va., Yard.
December 14, 2002... Dec. 14--NORFOLK, Va.--Facing a dry spell in its ship-repair work, Metro Machine Corp. said Friday it will lay off as many as 200 workers at its Norfolk yard during the coming week. After completing major repairs to the Navy landing ship...

Virginia Beach, Va., Leaders Reflect on Efforts to Raise Transportation Funds.
December 14, 2002... Byline: Tom Shean Dec. 14--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Business and municipal leaders acknowledged Friday that they stumbled badly in their effort to win taxpayer support on Nov. 5 for funding regional transportation projects. "Perhaps we...

Firms Offer Norfolk, Va.-Area Consumers All-In-One Phone Service.
December 15, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 15--Ma Bell took care of people. All telephone services on a single bill. One company to address every problem. No need to break down charges or calculate usage. Those days have returned -- sort of....

Norfolk, Va., Officials May Sign Tenant for Biomedical Research Park.
December 16, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 16--NORFOLK, Va. -- Three years after its hyped opening, the city finally may be about to sign a tenant for what was originally called the Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Park. Norfolk spent $2...

Controversy Erupts over Streamlining of Services for Disabled Virginians.
December 16, 2002... Byline: John Hopkins Dec. 16--Advocates for the blind are fighting to keep their state agency out of a streamlining plan that would lump all services for people with disabilities into one umbrella office. The proposal calls for the...

Virginia Governor Wants to Cut Medicaid Benefits, as Budget Crisis Continues.
December 16, 2002... Byline: Christina Nuckols Dec. 16--RICHMOND, Va. -- Gov. Mark R. Warner will propose millions of dollars in cuts to the health-care program for Virginia's poor, elderly and disabled this week in his efforts to solve the state's budget...

Navy Officers Earn Degrees in New Program at University in Virginia.
December 16, 2002... Byline: Richard S. Koonce Dec. 16--NORFOLK, Va. -- Twenty-six Navy nuclear officers were the first to earn degrees Sunday from Old Dominion University's Master's of Engineering Management CD-ROM program. Most of them also were the...

Personal Bankruptcy Filings to Undergo Closer Scrutiny.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Tom Shean Dec. 17--NORFOLK -- Hoping to wipe out your personal debts by filing for bankruptcy? Be prepared to bare your financial soul, including pay stubs, credit-card bills and bank statements. And if the disclosures aren't...

Study Gives Virginia Poor Marks on Spending to Protect Environment.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Scott Harper Dec. 17--RICHMOND, Va.--Virginia spends less on environmental protection than any other state in the nation -- a trend that will only get worse as more budget cuts are announced later this week, according to officials...

Corporate Livestock Farms Must Comply with New Waste-Disposal Rules.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Michael Davis Dec. 17--Corporate livestock farms will have to apply for federal water pollution permits, track their manure waste and meet other requirements under new regulations introduced Monday. Issued by the Environmental...

Norfolk, Va., Helps Steer Design of Old Dominion University's Expansion.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Meredith Kruse Dec. 17--NORFOLK, Va.--City and Old Dominion University officials say they're working together to improve the design of University Village, ODU's $260 million expansion east of Hampton Boulevard. The development...

Proposal to Consolidate Virginia Veterans Services.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Warren Fiske Dec. 17--RICHMOND, Va.-- State services for veterans would be consolidated in one department under a proposal unveiled Monday by Gov. Mark R. Warner. Warner also said he will ask the General Assembly to authorize a...

Cendant Corp. to Employ 100 in Virginia Beach, Va., Call Center.
December 18, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 18--Half a year after moving 100 jobs away from the city, Cendant Corp. plans to open a new human resources call center in Virginia Beach that will employ up to 100 workers in a few years. The economic...

Norfolk, Va., Plans $37 Million Cruise Terminal.
December 18, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 18--The city's consultants on Tuesday unveiled a draft plan of a $37 million cruise terminal that would bank on major passenger ships' enduring devotion to the local waterfront. Based on current numbers and...

Currituck County, N.C., Officials Limit Size of New Homes.
December 18, 2002... Byline: Jeffrey S. Hampton Dec. 18--Currituck County commissioners imposed a 45-day moratorium Monday night on construction of homes with more than eight bedrooms while planning officials work out how to solve parking congestion and...

New York-Based Hotel Franchiser to Open Call Center in Virginia Beach, Va.
December 18, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 18--Half a year after moving 100 jobs away from the city, Cendant Corp. plans to open a new human resources call center in Virginia Beach that will employ up to 100 workers in a few years. The economic...

Grant Approved to Speed Development of New Office Complex in Norfolk, Va.
December 18, 2002... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Dec. 18--For nearly two years, signs have teased of a new office development on a large lot south of Holland Road's divergence from South Independence Boulevard. It has been a long time coming, but the...

Norfolk, Va., Officials to Help Launch Retirement Community.
December 19, 2002... Byline: Meredith Kruse Dec. 19--NORFOLK, Va. -- City officials will spend $3.2 million to help launch a much-anticipated $87 million retirement community near the Eastern Virginia Medical Center. On Wednesday the board of the nonprofit...

Virginia Beach, Va., Dating Service Refuses Refund for Dead Suitor's Daughter.
December 19, 2002... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Dec. 19--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- James "Russ" Pullen had a good reason for missing his date. He was dead. But that's no guarantee of a refund from Introductions, the Virginia Beach dating service Pullen paid...

Survey Forecasts Minimal Pay Raises in 2003.
December 19, 2002... Byline: Michael Davis Dec. 19--Looking for a big raise next year? Don't bother looking too hard. The average worker can expect a pay increase of less than 4 percent in 2003, courtesy of the struggling economy, according to a new...

Virginia Beach, Va.-Based Managed Care Provider Switches from Nasdaq to NYSE.
December 19, 2002

As Federal Aid for Heating Bills Shrinks, Need Rises in Norfolk, Va.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 20--The caller from Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters sounded worried. A family was headed home with a premature baby and had no heat in the house, the caller said. The family had fallen behind on...

UPS Has Been in High-Gear since Thanksgiving.
December 20, 2002... Dec. 20--Santa's got nothing on Mike Gregory. While St. Nick only has to gear up for one big night of gift-hauling, Gregory -- a driver for United Parcel Service Inc. -- has been loading and unloading hundreds of packages a day, 60 hours a...

Peoria, Ill.-Based Call-Center Operator Could Pull Plug on Suffolk, Va., Site.
December 20, 2002

Whaleyville, Va., Farmer Wins Award for Excellence.
December 21, 2002... Byline: Linda McNatt Dec. 21--SUFFOLK, Va.--Soybeans and cotton are still in the fields. Peanuts remain in the barn. Unsold. Bobby H. Rountree, a Whaleyville farmer, is working day and night to harvest the rest of his crops. Overall,...

Temporary Businesses Draw Holiday Shoppers, Earn Well for Owners.
December 21, 2002... Byline: Deborah Markham Dec. 21--Beef sticks and cheese balls are as much a part of Christmas as Santa Claus and snowmen. They're apparently just as profitable. One of the first Hickory Farms kiosks in Hampton Roads brought an...

Virginia Program for Low-Income Minority Entrepreneurs Faces Possible Closing.
December 21, 2002... Byline: Mike Knepler Dec. 21--A program that helps low-income minority entrepreneurs start or expand tax-generating small businesses is in danger of closing because of state cutbacks. The nonprofit Minority Economic Development through...

Norfolk, Va., Terminal Port Security System Considered Effective.
December 21, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 21--NORFOLK, Va. -- If an alarm sounds on new radiation detection equipment at the port of Hampton Roads, it's as likely to signal a container full of smoke detectors or porcelain toilets as it is a nuclear or...

Virginia Researchers Able to Make Natural Blood Vessels in Laboratory.
December 22, 2002... Byline: Diane Tennant Dec. 22--RICHMOND, Va. -- Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have grown natural blood vessels in the lab, raising hopes for easier heart surgeries and reductions in diabetic amputations. Using a...

Virginia Ranks Near Bottom in Spending for Government Services.
December 22, 2002... Byline: Bill Sizemore Dec. 22--Already a low-spending state for environmental cleanup, schools, parks, and aid for the elderly, Virginia risks slipping even more dramatically as lawmakers slash programs to offset budget deficits. The...

Three Players Compete for Radio Traffic Reports in Virginia Beach, Va., Area.
December 22, 2002... Byline: Deborah Markham Dec. 22--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Traffic reporter Clay "Major" Miller slipped out of the Oldies 92.9 studio and crossed the hallway. Three other radio stations in the Hampton Roads Radio Group lined the...

Subliminal Cues Reel Consumers in to Buy during Holiday Season.
December 22, 2002... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Dec. 22--Feeling an urge to shower family and friends with holiday gifts? There might be more behind it than just the season of giving. Inside the stores, your psyche is being assailed. The music. The...

Norfolk, Va., Family Buys Back Heating, Air Conditioning Firm from FirstEnergy.
December 24, 2002... Byline: Carolyn Shapiro Dec. 24--NORFOLK, Va.--A 30-year-old Norfolk family business is returning to its family. And my, has it grown. Webb Technologies Inc. left the nest in January 1999, when Akron, Ohio-based electricity and...

Group Urges Tolls, Private Gifts to Fund Road Projects in Virginia.
December 24, 2002... Byline: Christina Nuckols Dec. 24--RICHMOND, Va.--Opponents of November's failed referendum to raise taxes for roads are urging Gov. Mark R. Warner to use tolls and private contributions from landowners and businesses to pay for Virginia's...

Virginia Transportation Halts $15 Million Contract for Inspections.
December 24, 2002... Byline: Bill Sizemore Dec. 24--Virginia Transportation Commissioner Philip Shucet has put the brakes on a $15 million inspection contract that was about to be awarded to a company laden with former executives of the state highway...