Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) articles from January 2003

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) archives from January 2003

Richmond, Va., Technology Firms Recognized for Rapid Growth at Banquet.
January 31, 2003... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jan. 31--Two companies that have managed to stay on the crest of the technology business wave were given the top honors at this year's Rising 25 banquet. CapTech Ventures Inc., a technology sales and...

Financial-Aid Event Set in Virginia.
January 30, 2003... Jan. 30--The Virginia Association of Financial Aid Administrators will present a program Feb. 1 for high school students and their parents to learn about financial-aid programs. Financial Aid Super Saturday will be held from 10 a.m. to 2...

Virginia Unemployment Rate Remained Below National Average in December 2002.
January 30, 2003... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jan. 30--Virginia's jobless rate improved slightly in December as the holiday sales season gave a modest boost to retail employment. The state's unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the month, down from a...

Heathsville, Va.-Based Black Farmer's Group Opposes Pending BB&T Bank Merger.
January 29, 2003... Byline: Carol Hazard Jan. 29--The National Black Farmers Association has filed a complaint with the Federal Reserve Board about BB&T Corp.'s plans to buy First Virginia Banks Inc. The Heathsville, Va.-based farmers group claims that...

Richmond, Va.-Based Packaging Firm Sees Profit Rises 17.5 Percent.
January 29, 2003... Jan. 29--Richmond-based Chesapeake Corp. said its profit grew 17.5 percent in the fourth quarter. The specialty packaging company said its sales were up 19 percent to $240 million, in part because of the strengthening of major European...

Green Bay, Wis.-Based Trucking Company to Hire 200 Virginia Drivers.
January 29, 2003... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Jan. 29--A national trucking firm is planning to hire 200 drivers in Virginia to serve Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s new grocery distribution center in Louisa County. Schneider National Inc. said yesterday that...

Referendum on Excise Tax Faces Virginia Apple Growers.
January 28, 2003... Jan. 28--Virginia apple growers have until Feb. 4 to return their ballots to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on whether to continue the apple excise tax. The self-imposed tax is used to fund programs in apple...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Business Briefs Column.
January 28, 2003... Jan. 28--NEW BRANCH OPENS FOR BANK OF AMERICA: Bank of America opened a branch yesterday at 11681 W. Broad St., one block west of Pump and Pouncey Tract roads. The branch has six lobby tellers, four drive-ups and an ATM. Manager Erin...

Virginia Social Services Department to Get $4.7 Million for Energy Assistance.
January 25, 2003... Byline: Greg Edwards Jan. 25--Virginia's Department of Social Services will get $4.65 million from the $200 million in emergency home energy assistance the federal government released yesterday. The money will go toward crisis...

Virginia Commission Temporarily Bars Smyrna, Tenn.-Based Securities Dealer.
January 25, 2003... Jan. 25--The State Corporation Commission has issued a temporary injunction against Village Life Inc. The Smyrna, Tenn.-based company solicited Virginia investors to buy unregistered securities. The SCC's Division of Securities and...

Williamsburg, Va., Theme Park Updates Look with New Logo, Attractions for 2003.
January 25, 2003... Byline: Greg Edwards Jan. 25--Busch Gardens Williamsburg is dressing up for its 2003 season with a new logo, renovation of old attractions and the addition of new ones, including a fancy restaurant. The park's logo, which appears on...

Nippon Wiper Blade to Close Windshield-Wiper Plant in Dinwiddie, Va.
January 23, 2003... Byline: Lea Setegn Jan. 23--DINWIDDIE, Va.--A plant in Dinwiddie County that makes windshield-wiper blades will close at the end of March, leaving roughly 240 employees without jobs, a spokeswoman for NWB USA Inc. said yesterday. ...

Richmond, Va.-Based Ethyl Sells Antioxidant Division to Albemarle.
January 23, 2003... Jan. 23--Albemarle Corp. has completed its purchase of Ethyl Corp.'s fuel and lubricants antioxidants business, the Richmond-based companies said. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Ethyl, a maker of petroleum additives, said it...

Richmond, Va., Airport Sets December Passenger Record Last Year.
January 22, 2003... Byline: Chip Jones Jan. 22--Passenger traffic at Richmond International Airport surged in December, capping a year of steady gains in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Though the airport's 2002 total passenger traffic...

Richmond, Va., Alternative Newspaper on Hiatus, But Editor Promises Return.
January 22, 2003... Byline: Bob Rayner Jan. 22--Punchline, the edgy arts and entertainment tabloid with lots of 20-something readers, is taking a break. The free weekly suspended publication after its Jan. 9 issue. But its owners vow that Punchline will...

Bristol, Va., Could Offer Cable TV Under Bill.
January 21, 2003... Byline: Greg Edwards Jan. 21--A state Senate committee endorsed a bill from its chairman yesterday that clears the way for Bristol and certain other municipalities to offer cable-television services. However, Bristol -- home of the...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Earnings Column.
January 21, 2003... Byline: McGregor McCance Jan. 21--Infineon Technologies AG's beleaguered memory division gave the computer chip maker a welcome boost in first-quarter earnings. The German company still posted a loss of 40 million euros ($42...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Consumer Watch Column.
January 19, 2003... Byline: Iris Taylor Jan. 19--Are you wondering why your homeowner's insurance premiums shot through the roof last year? And, what -- if anything -- you can do about it? In the spirit of "Get Smart About Insurance Week," Jan....

IRS Teams with Companies, Government to Offer Free Internet Tax Filing.
January 17, 2003... Byline: Carol Hazard Jan. 17--Over 45? Younger than 20? A member of the military? Most taxpayers will be able to prepare and files their taxes online for free. The Internal Revenue Service said yesterday it is teaming with 17...

Richmond, Va.-Based Dominion Resources to Cut Jobs.
January 17, 2003... Byline: Greg Edwards Jan. 17--Dominion Resources Inc., the Richmond-based energy company, said yesterday that it will eliminate several hundred union and salaried jobs this year. Dominion, the parent of Dominion Virginia Power, has...

Richmond, Va., Could Benefit from Proposed Wachovia, Prudential Merger.
January 17, 2003... Byline: Carol Hazard Jan. 17--Richmond could be home to the second-largest brokerage in the United States. Talks about a possible merger of Wachovia Securities, based here, and Prudential Securities have resurfaced. Earlier talks...

Arlington County, Va., Lawmaker Withdraws Anti-Ivy Bill.
January 14, 2003... Byline: Greg Edwards Jan. 14--Arlington County has an ivy problem. But a legislative attempt yesterday to nip the problem in the bud withered under the heat of opposition in a state Senate committee. Ivy opponents from Arlington...

Electronics Makers Urged to Court Female Shoppers at Las Vegas Show.
January 11, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Jan. 11--LAS VEGAS--When Karen Chupka registered participants at her first Consumer Electronics Show in 1989, she was amazed that 80 percent were men. Show-type girls pranced around on the show floor...

Richmond, Va.-Area Law Firm for Health Separates.
January 11, 2003... Byline: Alan Cooper Jan. 11--Crews & Hancock, one of the pre-eminent health law firms in the state, has split in two. Lawyers involved in medical malpractice and other insurance defense work will practice at the old firm's offices at...

Many Richmond, Va., Companies Split Duties of Chairmen, Chief Executives.
January 10, 2003... Byline: Bob Rayner Jan. 10--Richmond may be ahead of the curve when it comes to corporate governance reform. Whether that's intentional or just a coincidence is hard to say. A panel of the Conference Board, a leading national...

Richmond, Va., Bank Businessman's Move Opens New Territory.
January 9, 2003... Byline: Carol Hazard Jan. 9--A highly visible Richmond businessman is setting up shop here for Union Bank & Trust, one of the largest and oldest Virginia-based banks. Richard D. Ocheltree left First Union Corp. in October after 18...

Richmond, Va.-Area Phone Customers Lose Service.
January 9, 2003... Byline: McGregor McCance Jan. 9--About 10,000 Richmond-area customers of Cavalier Telephone Inc. lost service for several hours yesterday when the company had a failure of part of its fiber-optic network and its backup. The company...

Colonial Williamsburg, Va., Foundation Announces Changes in Management.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--WILLIAMSBURG, Va.--The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation announced a management shuffle in which two executives will be promoted and two executives have resigned. John S. Bacon, currently vice president, general counsel and...

Virginia Jobless Rate Falls to 3.6 Percent in November.
January 1, 2003... Byline: Carol Hazard Jan. 1--Virginia's unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent in November, the lowest rate in 18 months, the Virginia Employment Commission said yesterday. The last time it was lower was May 2001, at 3.2 percent. ...