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

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

Court Rules State Can't Sue Smithfield, Va., Pork Producer for Past Offenses.
March 3, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Mar. 3--The Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state cannot again sue Smithfield Foods Inc. for past environmental offenses, saying the pork giant already has been penalized in federal court for similar...

CEO of New Kent, Va., Horse Track Operator Offers to Buy Firm's Shares.
March 4, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 2--Colonial Holdings Inc., the financially ailing parent of the Colonial Downs horse track in New Kent County, said its chief executive officer has offered to buy the Colonial shares he doesn't already control for...

Officials Propose Bus Transport for Suffolk, Va., Employees of Meatpacker.
March 4, 2001... Byline: Susie Stoughton Mar. 2--SUFFOLK, Va.--Hundreds of Suffolk residents who worked at Smithfield Packing Co. in neighboring Isle of Wight County lost their jobs last year -- many of them unnecessarily, company officials said. A...

Music Chain Launches Online Guitar Lesson from Web Site.
March 4, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 2--Mars Music entered new musical terrain Thursday, launching an online guitar lesson from its Web site. A new instrument will be added to the online course list roughly every 15 days. In the end, lessons for...

Advocates Urge Hampton Roads, Va., to Get Connected to High-Speed Rail.
March 4, 2001... Byline: Debbie Messina Mar. 2--Before the nation's interstate highway system was built in the 1960s, Hampton Roads was a lot like two other metro areas to the south: Charlotte and Raleigh. But then came Interstates 95, 85, 77 and 40,...

More Office Space Goes Vacant in Norfolk, Va., Area.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 2--The economic slowdown late last year struck a glancing blow to Hampton Roads' real estate market as vacancy rates rose in office and retail space, according to the Old Dominion University Real Estate...

Hampton, Va.-Area Bank Agrees to Merger.
March 6, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 6--In the latest round of banking consolidation in Hampton Roads, James River Bankshares Inc. said Monday it had agreed to a $107 million merger offer from First Virginia Banks Inc., the largest bank holding company...

NASA Tests Space Mission Experiments in Hampton, Va., Laboratory.
March 6, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 6--HAMPTON, Va.--Slowly, delicately, two men in white suits lifted the front of what looked like a gray, metal suitcase by its yellow side handles, beginning to unhook it from its carrier. They had to be...

Nation's first test-tube baby has come a long way.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Liz Szabo FAIRFAX, Va. _ Elizabeth Jordan Carr has been around cameras her entire life. A television crew filmed her entry into the world. Life magazine put her on its cover when she was only 8 months old. Her earliest baby...

Farmers Attend Seminar about Agricultural Risk Management in Williamsburg, Va.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Linda McNatt Mar. 7--WILLIAMSBURG, Va.--A farm pond, a key left in a tractor, or a slippery concrete floor can spell disaster for a farmer who opens his property to the public. "A lawsuit -- if you're not prepared -- can kill...

Construction Begins on New Business Park in Chesapeake, Va.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Amy Jeter Mar. 7--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Beams are rising and cement is flowing as construction begins in the city's 13th commercial park, near two Suffolk business parks off Interstate 664. By July, Hudd Distribution Services Inc.,...

Rye, N.Y., Catalog Retailer To Reduce Virginia Beach, Va., Work Force.
March 10, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 10--Saying it might lose money in its recently ended fiscal year, the national catalog retailer Lillian Vernon Corp. announced Friday that it is cutting its salaried work force by 12 percent, or 40...

Redevelopment of Norfolk, Va., Complex Displaces Hundreds of Residents.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 9--NORFOLK, Va.--The redevelopment of Ocean View displaced several hundred low-income residents, left some property owners unhappy and now is putting the squeeze on longtime homeowners in the form of...

Norfolk, Va.-Area Jobless Rate Falls to Record Level.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 9--Weeks before he officially becomes a licensed electrician, Thomas Sherwin is already plugged into a job. "The market right now is wide open, big time," said the 28-year-old Virginia Beach resident, who...

Norfolk, Va., Receives Increased Tax Revenues from Downtown Mall.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 9--NORFOLK, Va.--MacArthur Center generated $4.57 million in taxes, excluding real estate taxes, for the city of Norfolk in 2000, Norfolk's commissioner of revenue announced Wednesday. That's up 29...

Redevelopment of Norfolk, Va., Neighborhood Begins to Pay Dividends.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 9--NORFOLK, Va.--Barry Strathmann remembers coming home one night and finding his block bathed in the pulsing strobe of police lights. That wasn't rare for East Ocean View. This time, a neighbor in a condo...

Virginia Beach, Va., Baseball Team Looks to Walk Away from Town.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Jason Skog Mar. 11--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--After just three seasons at Sportsplex, the Hampton Roads Mariners offered more than $1 million to walk away from the stadium built largely for the team. City Manager James K. Spore and...

Activists Look to Clean Nitrogen, Phosphorus from Virginia's Chesapeake Bay.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Mar. 11--Nitrogen and phosphorus are virtually everywhere. In people. In food. In soil. In animals. They are essential for life. But in the Chesapeake Bay, the vital nutrients have become villains. They pour into...

Virginia Charter Captains Say Proposed Fishing Ban Will Cause Financial Loss.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Mar. 7--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--To charter boat captains, the black sea bass is pure gold -- especially in spring, when the tasty bottom swimmer is the only species they target during fishing trips off the Virginia coast....

Joint-Force Defense Contract Would Benefit Chesapeake, Va., Office.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 8--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--A natural disaster pounds a section of a foreign country into ruin. Within days, U.S. Air Force cargo planes deliver humanitarian aid to an airfield being managed by the U.S. Army Corps of...

Virginia Internet Service Closes, Leaves Customers Temporarily Unplugged.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 8--A quick dial into e-mail turned into a weeklong struggle for Internet access for Robert L. Twiddy. It all started when his Internet service blanked out two weeks ago. When Twiddy called technical...

Contractor for New Kinko's Store in Chesapeake, Va., Waits to Be Paid.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 11--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Chuck Skinner wasn't interested in the invitation to a store grand opening that arrived in the mail last month. Skinner was waiting for something else: a $36,000 payment for framing and...

Hampton Roads, Va., Transit Commission Launches New Study on Light Rail.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Debbie Messina Mar. 9--Light rail studies in Chesapeake and on the Peninsula chugged forward Thursday when the Hampton Roads Transit commission agreed to spend about $17 million to determine train routes and environmental impacts....

Norfolk, Va., Area Embraces Upscale Mall, Celebrates Two Years in Business.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Mar. 11--NORFOLK, Va.--It's probably safe to say it now. On the second anniversary of MacArthur Center, little doubt remains: We're in love with the place. The money is flowing in. Downtown property values...

Virginia Natural Gas Utility Lays Off Employees.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 9--NORFOLK, Va.--As weather warms for Virginia Natural Gas customers, the company is putting some of its workers out in the cold. VNG is laying off 53 employees in Newport News and Norfolk. Virginia Natural Gas...

Environmental Lawsuits Could Follow Virginia-Based Pork Producer for Years.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 4--Pork giant Smithfield Foods Inc. could face years of litigation and tens of millions of dollars in civil penalties and legal bills to battle lawsuits filed this week by environmental activists. And if the...

Newport News, Va., Shipyard Mulls Future of Defense under President Bush.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 7--Though its shipbuilding programs appear secure under President Bush's Pentagon, Newport News Shipbuilding could be affected in less obvious ways by the new team. The Bush Defense Department could be more...

Pending Buyout of TWA Causes Confusion for Norfolk, Va., Call Center Workers.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 8--NORFOLK, Va.--For workers at the Norfolk TWA reservation call center, the pending buyout of the bankrupt airline has been a source of confusion. Union officials for the International Association of Machinists...

Siemens Automotive Plans Layoffs at Newport News, Va., Plant.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 14--NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--Siemens Automotive Corp. is planning to announce layoffs of salaried employees at its plant here this week. Company spokeswoman Grindly Johnson was unwilling to comment Tuesday on the...

Newport News, Va.-Area Consumers Prepare for Possible Flight Delays.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 14--Hampton Roads frequent fliers had better fasten their safety belts. They could be in for a bumpy ride. With the busy summer travel season approaching, labor disputes and a continuing crush of air traffic...

Internet Service Providers Compete for Consumers in Norfolk, Va., Area.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 13--The Yellow Pages may list dozens of companies under "Internet services," boasting of quality service and low costs. Question is, how many of them are still up and running? Internet service providers...

Money Problems Force Fremont, Calif.-Based Natural Wonder to Close Its Stores.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Mar. 14--Companywide money troubles are closing Natural Wonder stores -- including the two in Hampton Roads. The local stores -- at MacArthur Center and Lynnhaven Mall -- will probably close in June. A...

Virginia Business Owners Protest Sudden Increase in Licensing Fees.
March 20, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 19--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Small-business owners mind their finances almost like individuals: this much for utilities, that much for employees' wages, some for taxes. Consider what you would do, then, if one of...

Norfolk, Va.-Built Ford Pickup Trucks Impress Reviewers.
March 20, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 17--NORFOLK, Va.--Have you driven a Ford lately? The staff of Consumer Reports has, and it's pretty impressed. The auto industry's most prominent buyer's guide says the Norfolk-built F-150 pickup truck is...

Gasoline Prices Fall 10 Percent in Virginia's Hampton Roads Area.
March 20, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 20--As they prepare to gas up the family minivan for spring break, Hampton Roads residents might find that they'll have a little extra to spend on sunscreen. Whether those savings will hold through the...

Hotel Project in Virginia Beach, Va., Hits Another Snag.
March 20, 2001... Byline: Aggie Blum Mar. 20--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--The location's hot, the developers are eager and the city has spent millions to make it happen, but the 31st Street hotel project remains stalled. City Council was set to discuss the...

Friday is James Madison's 250th birthday, and his house is open.
March 20, 2001... Byline: Krys Stefansky MONTPELIER, Va. _ On Friday, scores of strangers will drop by his house. They'll linger in the dining room, peep into the parlor, admire the veranda. And thousands of children will line up on his front lawn to...

Virginia Venture Capital Forum Features `Survivor' Challenge.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 21--NORFOLK, Va.--The high-tech "survivors" sat at the Virginia Venture Capital Forum luncheon, scattered at cloth-covered banquet tables, eyeing the rugged company of lawyers and investors. They had come...

Virginia Beach, Va., Hotel Razed for Office Building.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Jon Glass Mar. 21--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Concrete and glass shattered Tuesday morning as a 4,000-pound steel ball slammed into the former Days Inn hotel on Bonney Road. The rhythmic swinging of the wrecking ball, thud by...

Visitors to View Changes to James Madison's Home in Virginia.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Krys Stefansky Mar. 20--On Friday, scores of strangers will drop by his house. They'll linger in the dining room, peep into the parlor, admire the veranda. And thousands of children will line up on his front lawn to form a...

NASA Research Center in Norfolk, Va., Area to Aid Launch of Next Mars Mission.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 20--In 18 days, NASA's next Mars mission will launch with a hand from NASA Langley Research Center, which will help guide the spacecraft safely into the planet's lower orbit for a closer look. Still smarting...

Philip Morris Works to Develop Image of Socially Responsible Tobacco Company.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 21--Once dubbed "arguably the most reviled corporation in America," tobacco giant Philip Morris Cos. Inc. is trying to polish up its corporate image, its chief of public opinion research said yesterday. ...

Virginia's Hampton Roads Area Unlikely to See Borrowing Surge, Economists Say.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 21--The Federal Reserve's reduction in interest rates Tuesday is likely to boost the confidence of consumers and investors but probably won't set off a surge of borrowing in Hampton Roads, bankers and economists in...

Engineers Turn Down Newport News, Va.-Area Reservoir Project.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Scott Harper Mar. 21--NORFOLK, Va.--The King William Reservoir, a proposed $150 million drinking-water project on the Peninsula, should not be built, the Army Corps of Engineers recommended Tuesday after years of study. In a...

Shipping Company Eyes Portsmouth, Va., Property for New Marine Terminal.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 21--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--The city's largest tract of undeveloped land, a 568-acre plot with nearly a mile of waterfront, could finally have a future. Maersk Sealand, the world's third-largest shipping company,...

School starts too early for teens, researchers say.
March 21, 2001... Byline: PHILIP WALZER VIRGINIA BEACH_Destiny Bennett's first class at Princess Anne High School: A vision of education in slow motion. Her English teacher throws out a vocabulary question. The answer is right in their books. But the...

Aluminum Producer Chooses Realtor to Sell Richmond, Va., Headquarters.
March 22, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 22--Reynolds Metals Co. has selected CB Richard Ellis of Virginia Inc. to sell its headquarters site in Richmond. The world's No.3 aluminum producer merged with No.2 Alcoa Inc. last May, eliminating...

Virginia Regulators Develop Plan for Retail Access to Energy.
March 22, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 22--Virginia regulators are fine-tuning the process that will allow the state's consumers to shop for power like they do bread or milk. The State Corporation Commission is seeking public comment on the rules...

Norfolk, Va.-Area Tech Networking Event Encourages Local Dealmaking.
March 22, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 22--NORFOLK, Va.--The guy you bump into at tonight's CriticalMass social may not be from the high-tech firm down the street or the investment bank in the next city. He might hail from 160 miles up I-64. ...

First Union Will Pay $26 Million to Settle Suits Filed by Employees.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 23--First Union Corp. said Thursday that it agreed to pay $26 million to settle two lawsuits alleging the Charlotte-based banking company mishandled employees' retirement plans by limiting the participants'...

Busch Gardens Restricting Visits to Its Williamsburg, Va., Petting Zoo.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 23--Busch Gardens Williamsburg has some advice for some animal fans: You can look, but you better not touch. With the theme park set to open for the season on Saturday, officials are asking some recent...

Economists Discuss Impact of Proposed Marine Terminal in Portsmouth, Va.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 22--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--As a rule of thumb, ports are powerful economic engines. But economists said it's hard to put their fingers on how big the economic impact would be from a proposed Maersk Sealand marine...

Demolition Begins at Portsmouth, Va., Shopping Mall.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Janie Bryant Mar. 23--PORTSMOUTH, Va.--The bulldozers are chewing away at the old Bradlee's store. They won't stop until they get to the other end of Tower Mall, leaving only the rubble of one retail era and the hopes of a new...

Newport News, Va., Auto Parts Plant to Lay Off 50 Workers.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 18--NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--Siemens Automotive officials confirmed Friday that the company will lay off about 50 workers, or 13 percent, of its salaried work force. Reports had surfaced mid-week that the...

Charlotte, N.C., Banking Firm Settles Lawsuits over Retirement Plans.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 24--First Union Corp. said Thursday that it agreed to pay $26 million to settle two lawsuits alleging the Charlotte-based banking company mishandled employees' retirement plans by limiting the participants'...

Norfolk, Va., Day-Trading Brokerage Closes Up Shop.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 18--The computer screens are gone, and the high-speed phone lines have been disconnected. A dozen dusty desks have been pushed against the wall. Scattered around the room are discarded coffee cups, stacks of...

Hampton, Va.-Area Development Board Ranks in National Top 10, Analyst Says.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 18--The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance ranks among the top 10 percent of groups of its kind in the in the nation, according to an outside analyst. The report comes as the public-private...

Chesapeake, Va.-Based Dollar Tree Issues Another Earnings Warning.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Mar. 15--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Dollar Tree Stores Inc. issued another earnings warning Wednesday -- its second within the past three months. The latest warning concerns earnings for this year's first quarter. ...

Chesapeake, Va.-Based Dollar Tree Stock Falls on Lowered Expectations.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Mar. 16--Dollar Tree stock took another dive Thursday -- one day after the Chesapeake-based company cut its earnings expectations for the second time in three months. Stock prices dropped from $24.19 per share...

Virginia Educators Scope Out Technology Gear at Demonstration.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 16--Videoconferencing cameras and monitors lay across the front table, all futuristic equipment that makes a mouse click go a long way. Even as far as a conference room in Atlanta, as presented by the...

Virginia Beach, Va., Amphitheater Officials Announce New Name, Higher Profits.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Jason Skog Mar. 15--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--The GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater has a new name and it's even longer -- Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater. The change was revealed Wednesday as city officials said 2000 was...

Williamsburg, Va., Zoo Park Increases Security, Awareness for Foot-and-Mouth.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 24--Busch Gardens Williamsburg has some advice for some animal fans: You can look, but you better not touch. With the theme park set to open for the season on Saturday, officials are asking some recent...

Virginia-Based Smithfield Foods Enacts Measures to Protect Hog Farms.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 15--With agricultural experts worldwide on high alert against foot-and-mouth disease, the industry's largest hog producer is stepping up biosecurity to protect its livestock. "In light of what's going on in...

Home Decor Store to Open Chesapeake, Va., Location.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Joanne Kimberlin Mar. 15--CHESAPEAKE, Va.--Newcomer Garden Ridge is moving into a former Home Quarters building just off Battlefield Boulevard. The old HQ is at 1517 Sam's Circle, near the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club development. It...

Wawa Food Markets Plan to Open Virginia Beach, Va., Locations.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Clint Riley Mar. 15--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Wawa, a word uttered almost daily by busy Philadelphians on the go, is closer to becoming a part of Hampton Roads' vernacular. Planning Commission members on Wednesday unanimously moved...

Christian Broadcasting Network to Cut 50 Jobs in Virginia Beach, Va.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Michael Davis Mar. 24--VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--The television home of broadcaster and businessman Pat Robertson is cutting 50 jobs at its Virginia Beach headquarters. Officials for Christian Broadcasting Network say the layoffs,...

Storm Wreaks Havoc on Portsmouth, Va.-Bound Container Ship.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 16--The wicked nor'easter forecast to batter Hampton Roads two weekends ago ravaged a Portsmouth-bound ship at sea, washing scores of shipping containers off the vessel's deck and into the North Atlantic. ...

Virginia Beach, Va., Internet Software Firm Buys Back Stock, Restructures.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 20--OOP, an Internet software company, bought back the stock owned by Envest Ventures I LLC, a local venture capital firm, and laid off a "small number" of employees Monday in a restructuring. Terms of the...

Demolition Begins at Old Portsmouth, Va., Strip Mall.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Janie Bryant Mar. 24--PORTSMOUTH. Va.--The bulldozers are chewing away at the old Bradlee's store. They won't stop until they get to the other end of Tower Mall, leaving only the rubble of one retail era and the hopes of a new...

Forbes Magazine Executive Says Tech Stocks Remain Overvalued.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 15--A 22-year technology writer assured local business people Wednesday that, despite its recent dark days, the technology economy is still overvalued -- just not as much as this time last year. But more...

Norfolk, Va., Venture Capital Contest Adopts `Survivor' Theme.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 20--The high-tech version of the "Survivor" reality show debuts in prime time -- lunchtime -- today at a Norfolk hotel, where 16 hopeful entrepreneurs will vie for a prized hourlong interview with a venture...

Hampton, Va., Area Scores Low on Yahoo Web-Use Evaluation.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 24--The region barely made an Internet magazine's listing of the country's top 50 wired cities, coming in third to last. Hampton Roads, spanning from Newport News to Virginia Beach, placed 48th in next...

Norfolk, Va., Database Firm To Partner with Israeli Computer Language Company.
March 27, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 27--NORFOLK, Va.--Great Bridge LLC of Norfolk has formed a partnership to combine its open-source database system with an Israeli company's open-source scripting language, which allows databases to talk to each...

Four Norfolk, Va.-Area Companies Win Military Contracts.
March 27, 2001... Byline: Sean Olson Mar. 27--The U.S. Joint Forces Command has awarded contracts, possibly worth $213 million, to four companies with ties in Hampton Roads. The two contracts are in support of the command's Joint Concept Development...

Norfolk, Va., Accounting Professor Puts Knowledge to Use in Mystery Novel.
March 27, 2001... Byline: Philip Walzer Mar. 27--NORFOLK, Va.--A serial killer is on the loose at baseball stadiums across the country, poisoning and beating to death innocent fans. The hero who helps solve the case is not an FBI agent or police...

Researchers at Hampton, Va.-Area Center to Help Test a Hypercomputer.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 28--HAMPTON, Va.--It can fit up to 26 million transistors in one silicon chip and process about the same number of instructions in a single second. It's not a brain. Or a Pentium. It's a supercomputer, which...

The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va., Port Briefs.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 28--Virginia International Terminals will not need an empty container depot after all. Beginning March 1, VIT limited the amount of empties that steamship lines can keep on the waterfront. As a result,...

Virginia Beach, Va., Banker Dies at 85.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 29--W. Wright Harrison, a Virginia Beach resident who was instrumental in building what became the region's largest bank during the 1960s and '70s, died Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 85. By applying...

Virginia Beach, Va.-Based Credit Card Firm To Refund Fees, Pay Penalty.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Tom Shean Mar. 29--In response to allegations that it misled consumers while selling loss-protection services for credit cards, a Virginia Beach company agreed to refund customers' fees and pay a $40,000 penalty to the state, the...

Norfolk, Va.-Based Rail Company's General Counsel To Join Private Law Firm.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Dennis O'Brien Mar. 29--After a 39-year career with Norfolk Southern and its predecessors, Wiley F. Mitchell Jr., the railroad's senior general counsel, is giving up the 12- to 14-hour days and retiring. Well, maybe not. ...

Williamsburg, Va., Conference To Focus on Improving Business Tech.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 29--WILLIAMSBURG, Va.--The more businesses that embrace technology and e-commerce, the closer they -- and the state -- step to the competitive edge. That's the mantra that high-tech and business leaders will...

Doctors looking for protein `footprints' so they can detect early cancer.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Liz Szabo NORFOLK, Va. _ Cancer is like a thief, stealing energy from healthy cells, lurking unobserved in hidden corners. The disease begins in secret, working so quietly that doctors can scan for it with searchlights and find...

Artificial Flower Retailer Plans a Distribution Center in Suffolk, Va.
March 31, 2001... Byline: Christopher Dinsmore Mar. 31--SUFFOLK, Va.--A very slow first quarter for economic development is ending on a positive note. Petals Inc., a catalog and Internet retailer of artificial flower arrangements, announced plans Friday...

Virginia Beach, Va.-Based Internet Software Developer Files for Bankruptcy.
March 31, 2001... Byline: Vandana Sinha Mar. 31--Itribe.com Inc., a Virginia Beach-based Internet software developer, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Norfolk after an anticipated second round of financing fell through. The company, which built Web...