Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) articles from September 2006

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, VA) archives from September 2006

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Boomers column.(Column)
September 30, 2006... Byline: Bob Raynor Sep. 30--HMO, PPO, HSA: IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT CAN BE TRICKY: In the next few weeks, a lot of folks will be making decisions that will affect their budgets -- and possibly their health -- for the new year. All...

Direct Source rebrands self.
September 30, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 30--The Direct Source made its name in the direct-mail game, handling major clients such as PNC Bank, BB&T and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Still, the company isn't widely known in its hometown. "We've...

Chemical found in DuPont workers.
September 30, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 30--A controversial man-made chemical has been found in blood samples taken from some employees of a DuPont Co. plant in Chesterfield County. The substance, known as PFOA, was detected at varying...

Nothing's Amiss about VaCap's building name.
September 29, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Sep. 29--Thomas Amiss of Lanexa pulled his boat into the harbor at Hilton Head, S.C., when he spotted someone he knew from Richmond. He was in New Orleans about four years ago, when someone yelled from across the...

N.C. firm wins auction for rights to Schwarzschild chain; will keep name, staff.
September 29, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 29--A North Carolina family-owned jewelry retailer plans to buy Richmond's venerable Schwarzschild Jewelers. Schiffman's Jewelers, based in Greensboro, N.C., won the right to buy the three-store...

Will Virginia face future shock on electricity bills?
September 29, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 29--Sharply rising electric rates in Maryland and Delaware have Virginians, including state lawmakers, wondering what will happen when capped rates end here in four years. Like Virginia, its two northern...

Rivals AirTran, JetBlue scrap for travelers, with winner ruling the region.
September 28, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 28--Richmond has become a business battleground between turf-conscious airlines acting like "The Sopranos," a national aviation expert said yesterday. "It's about whacking [competition] and protecting one's...

Va. home sales in Aug. fall.
September 28, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Sep. 28--Virginia saw lower house prices and fewer sales last month, providing more evidence of a cooling housing market. The number of homes sold fell in August by 24.7 percent compared with the same month a...

State jobless rate dips to 2nd-lowest in U.S.
September 28, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 28--Virginia's unemployment rate dropped slightly in August, mostly because of seasonal factors, the Virginia Employment Commission said yesterday. The rate fell from 3.3 percent in July to 3.2...

Luck Stone complex expanding.(Company overview)
September 28, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 28--Since July, Charles S. Luck IV and other Luck Stone Corp. executives have been working in a trailer office near the company's rustic Goochland County headquarters. The executive wing of the...

Dominion fine: $4.25 million.
September 28, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 28--Dominion Resources Inc. will pay a $4.25 million fine to settle federal charges of false and knowingly inaccurate reporting of natural-gas trading information. The false reporting, which included price...

Richmond International Airport traffic rises in August.
September 27, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 27--Richmond International Airport had its 15th consecutive month of record traffic in August, sparked by service from JetBlue Airways to New York and Boston. The airport had a 9.7 percent increase over the...

Jean-Jacques Bakery owner in Carytown, Va., hangs up hat.
September 27, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 27--Clement Denicourt is saying au revoir to the Jean-Jacques Bakery in Carytown that he started nearly 23 years ago. "I'm very sad, but it is time," said Denicourt, whose last day is Saturday. ...

Richmond, Va., native will lead local operations for Bank of America.
September 27, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 27--Bank of America has chosen a lifelong Richmonder to lead its local operations. The bank, which has 34 branches in the region, will announce today that Thomas E. Goode has been named market president...

Richmond, Va., airport to add free 'cell-phone lots' for waiting motorists.
September 27, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 27--Relief is coming for motorists waiting for planes to arrive at Richmond International Airport. The regional airport commission approved a plan to build a 40-space "cell-phone lot," designed for motorists...

American Banker honors Capital One Financial founder.
September 27, 2006... Sep. 27--American Banker has named Richard D. Fairbank its 2006 Banker of the Year. Fairbank is founder, chairman and chief executive of Capital One Financial Corp., the largest private employer in the Richmond area. He will be honored...

City advertiser says bring your friends to Richmond.
September 27, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 27--Doug Burford is at it again. The veteran adman and relentless Richmond cheerleader is digging into his own pocket to promote another idea for boosting the hometown. This time, he's getting some help...

Virginia growers hope market for spinach returns before the fall harvest peaks.
September 27, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 27--KING GEORGE -- Perry Bowen doesn't have any problem eating his spinach; he just hopes everyone else will begin eating theirs again -- and soon. Bowen, 43, is a rarity among Virginia farmers. He's a...

United States relaxes ban of liquids on planes.
September 26, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 26--Travelers should find flying a little more refreshing today. The government is partially lifting its ban on carrying liquids, gels and aerosols aboard aircraft. The edict also eases rules against taking...

Number of home sales falls, but Richmond, Va., area fares better than U.S.
September 26, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Sep. 26--Home sales fell in the Richmond area in August compared with the same month a year ago. But prices, while showing signs of slowing, are still up. The average local sales price in August rose to $283,636,...

Richmond, Va., Carytown Jewelers owner pleads guilty to tax evasion charges.
September 26, 2006... Byline: Tom Campbell Sep. 26--Hasan Hamdi Abdeen, owner of Carytown Jewelers Inc., pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to a charge of tax evasion. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $100,000...

Virginia to keep watch on power plant.
September 26, 2006... Byline: Rex Springston Sep. 26--David Hudert's 10-year-old son stayed home from school yesterday because the boy was coughing and sneezing. Hudert, who lives in Alexandria, blamed his son's sickness on sooty emissions from the old,...

Workplaces that work for working mothers.
September 26, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 26--Marshell King, an administrative secretary at St. Mary's Hospital, dreams of becoming a nurse. That poses major challenges for the working mother with four young children, but she is taking...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Biz Buzz column.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 25--EX-CAPITAL ONE EMPLOYEES OPEN SOUTH ASIAN MARKET: Bryce Allison and Ramyad Sharma come from two very different cultures. Allison was born in Scotland and Sharma is from India. They both met at Capital...

Norway, Canada examples of balancing industry and environmental concerns.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 25--Norway could show the U.S. the way to break decades-old gridlock over offshore oil and gas production, says retired government geologist Frank Manheim. The Scandinavian country, which maintains vibrant...

Breaking the offshore drilling moratorium through understanding its origins.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 25--Frank Manheim believes that understanding the origin of conflict between environmentalists and the oil and gas industry could help break the political stalemate over offshore drilling. Manheim, a retired...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., American Trends column.
September 25, 2006... Byline: Gary Robertson Sep. 25--PERCENTAGE OF COLLEGE MEN DOWN; NO CLEAR REASON: Where are all the men? That could be a good question at most of the nation's colleges and universities. A recent report by the American Council of...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Consumer Watch column.
September 24, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Sep. 24--Virginia Commonwealth University students whose Social Security numbers and other information were exposed by your school on the Internet, have you moved to protect yourself from identity theft? Other...

Offshore drilling at stake.
September 24, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 24--Congress has until Friday to reach an agreement to increase offshore oil and gas drilling before adjourning for this fall's congressional elections. Virginia has a key interest in the outcome, as...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Bob Rayner column.
September 24, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 24--The biggest fistfight in economic circles right now pits Richmond against New York. In one corner, we have Wall Street analysts and bond traders. In the other, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. ...

Wall St. power, Richmond address.
September 24, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 24--Four of the country's five biggest brokerage firms call New York home and bear names like Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley that have reverberated on Wall Street for generations. The third largest, with...

Online venture helps college students find work, often at home.
September 23, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 23--As a college student, would it be appealing to hold an internship where you may never meet your boss or step foot in the office? Say you're the boss. Would communicating with your young intern via the...

Affiliates see potential for more local revenue in online commercials.
September 23, 2006... Byline: Douglas Durden Sep. 23--For networks, the additional platforms on which to air their shows provide greater exposure, plus new sources of revenue through commercials that differ from those on the network broadcast. But what...

Virginia will study tax figures.
September 23, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 23--Retailers sent their tax collection and data from August's sales to the state this week. But the Virginia Department of Taxation has no plans to break out how much of a total tax break consumers...

Cavalier to buy Reston telecom.
September 23, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 23--Cavalier Telephone plans to buy publicly held telecommunications and Internet access provider Talk America Inc. for $251 million, the companies said yesterday. A merger would more than double...

Cavalier to buy Reston, Va., telecommunications company.
September 23, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 23--Cavalier Telephone plans to buy publicly held telecommunications and Internet access provider Talk America Inc. for $251 million, the companies said yesterday. A merger would more than double...

Miss your favorite show? Check it out online.
September 23, 2006... Byline: Douglas Durden Sep. 23--There are so many ways to keep up with your favorite TV shows this fall that you could almost forget watching them on their respective networks. CBS, ABC and NBC are streaming a hefty chunk of their...

Gas bills will drop because costs fell.
September 22, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 22--Columbia Gas of Virginia said yesterday that it has filed with state regulators to lower the portion of its rates that covers natural-gas costs. A typical residential customer's bill will drop 2.3...

Weboffice has shut down.
September 22, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 22--After operating for two years, Weboffice Inc. closed its doors last week. The Hampton-based company was much like an online mall for small businesses. ThinkWeboffice.com offered links -- and many times...

Firms seek to shine at show.
September 22, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 22--A whole lot of networking was going on at the Greater Richmond Convention Center yesterday, with folks making their case for everything from marketing services to office furniture. Sponsored by the Greater...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., business briefs column.
September 21, 2006... Sep. 21--REVENUE, PROFIT RISE AT CARMAX: CarMax Inc.'s profit rose 44 percent in the company's second quarter, which ended Aug. 31, as total sales rose 18 percent. The Goochland County-based automobile retailer reported profit of $54.3...

Luck Stone plans expansion of headquarters in Goochland County, and to add jobs.
September 21, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 21--Luck Stone Corp. is planning an expansion and renovation at its Goochland County headquarters. The family-owned company, which operates quarries in central and Northern Virginia, also expects to...

Freeing spirits from houses.
September 21, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Sep. 21--Some people would say B.J. Wall is a psychic, but she calls herself a communicator. Wall says she sees and talks with spirits. She is called by Realtors to cleanse spirits from houses that won't...

Delta will fly Boeing 757 jet at Richmond, Va., airport.
September 20, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 20--Delta Air Lines, which recently grabbed the largest share of local air travel, is preparing to stake another claim. On Nov. 1, Delta will introduce a Boeing 757 jet at Richmond International Airport for...

Storehouse owner files bankruptcy.
September 20, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 20--Furniture manufacturer and retailer The Rowe Companies has filed for federal bankruptcy protection because of rising expenses and declining sales. The company, based at McLean in Fairfax County,...

Some see only small chance Federal Reserve will raise rates again this year.
September 20, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 20--Most people expect the Federal Reserve to sit tight today. Futures traders estimate there's only an 8 percent chance the Fed will boost rates again this year. Moultrie Dotterer, equity strategist for...

Williamsburg, Va., on A-list for retirement.
September 20, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 20--Joe and Elena Perez lived in many places in the United States and overseas during Joe's career with the U.S. Navy. Last year, they chose to settle in James City County, just outside Williamsburg,...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Minding Your Business column.(Column)
September 19, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Sep. 19--WATCH FOR RED FLAGS THAT CAN SIGNAL FINANCIAL TROUBLE: Is your business in financial trouble? Paul Thompson, senior tax manager at Shaw & Sullivan P.C. in Alexandria, and the National Society of...

2 biotech companies get funding.
September 19, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 19--Two Richmond-based biotechnology companies have secured more than $26 million in venture-capital funding. Living MicroSystems Inc. received $18 million, its second round of financing in less than two...

Delta to end travel pact with AirTran.
September 19, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 19--If you fly to Atlanta on Delta Air Lines or AirTran Airways, you'll soon lose a travel tool if things go bad. On Oct. 8, Delta will cancel an agreement that allows passengers to rebook tickets on AirTran...

Windsor House in Richmond, Va., to be sold by sealed bid.
September 19, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Sep. 19--The Windsor House in Windsor Farms will be sold, but it won't hit the Multiple Listing Service. The property, at 4601 Lilac Road in Richmond, will be sold as is by sealed bid, according to information...

Wachovia veteran enjoys his return to hometown.
September 19, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 19--David Camden jokes that his career choices were limited after he graduated from Hampden-Sydney College, the all-men's school near Farmville that boasts a long tradition of spawning future doctors, lawyers and...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Biz Buzz column.(Column)
September 18, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 18--FISH STORY HAS HAPPY ENDING FOR BUSINESSMAN: Gregg E. Davidson got tired of corporate life. After 22 years at Wachovia Securities and its predecessor companies, Davidson made a career shift. He became...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., American Trends column.
September 18, 2006... Byline: Gary Robertson Sep. 18--WILL BUD.TV MAKE A BIG SPLASH WITH VIEWERS? Hey guys. Just what a lot of you have been waiting for -- an Internet entertainment network all about beer. It's Bud.TV Anheuser-Busch is set to...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Consumer Watch column.
September 17, 2006... Byline: Iris Taylor Sep. 17--VIRGINIANS CAN AGAIN GET FREE CREDIT REPORTS: Consumers, it's time to get your free annual credit reports. September marks the first full year since Virginians could order a free report annually from each...

Local high-tech job market perks up.
September 17, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 17--After taking a tumble and spending years in rehab, Richmond's high-technology job market looks as though it might soon make a full recovery. The increase in the area's base of the highly skilled jobs...

Low-fare business travel.
September 17, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 17--At first blush, shelling out $1,700 for a round-trip airline ticket from Washington to London seems pricey. Fares can run as low as $400 or less during nonpeak periods or when a traveler can snag a good...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Tech Notes column.(Column)
September 17, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 17--MONKEYING WITH SHOCKOE WIDGET CAN AID BUSINESSES: Shockoe.com won't lead you to the Web site you might imagine it would. No nightlife happenings here. No news about upcoming art shows in the Bottom....

Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia warns firms of suspected con artist.
September 16, 2006... Sep. 16--A suspected con artist believed to be behind a number of scams in the Midwest could be targeting some local businesses, the Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia said. The woman often claims to be physically disabled and,...

11 years ago, many firms were just making their Internet plans.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 16--Even if you're only 11, this will make you feel really old. On March 20, 1995, the Richmond Times-Dispatch carried one of its first -- if not the first -- articles about how local companies have...

SCC warns of rate increases.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 16--Electric rates could rise significantly in the very near future, as well as in 2011 after rates caps expire, the State Corporation Commission has warned state officials. The warning came in a letter to...

Ford moves up closure of Norfolk plant.
September 16, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 16--Thousands of Ford Motor Co. workers in Tidewater must decide whether to take buyout offers or continue working until the Norfolk truck-assembly plant closes. The closing will come sooner than...

Kansas group lauds city.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 16--For the most part, they liked what they saw. About 60 business and government leaders from Wichita, Kan., took a whirlwind tour of the Richmond area from Wednesday to yesterday. "We wanted to see how...

J.W. Fergusson & Sons shuts down.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 16--J.W. Fergusson & Sons Inc., one of the Richmond area's oldest businesses with roots predating the Civil War, abruptly shut down operations. The label manufacturer laid off 143 employees on...

Hopewell News sets changes.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 16--The Hopewell News is cutting back and intensifying its local focus. Beginning next week, the newspaper will publish on Tuesdays and Fridays. It has been printing editions Monday through Friday. The...

Power plant's future in doubt.
September 16, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 16--A recommendation by a State Corporation Commission hearing examiner leaves the future of a proposed coal-fired power plant in Southwest Virginia in doubt. Dominion Virginia Power requested assurances...

Food workers' union appeals ruling.
September 15, 2006... Byline: Greg Edwards Sep. 15--A union trying to organize two North Carolina pork plants is appealing a federal order that rejects mandated contract bargaining at one of the plants. Smithfield Foods Inc. spokesman Dennis Pittman...

Economy can drive 'green' change.
September 15, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 15--Those looking to counteract global warming should look at the stock performance of automobile makers Honda and Toyota versus Ford and General Motors, one scientist suggested yesterday. "The market...

Find deals for meals.
September 15, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 15--Attention food lovers, cash-strapped students and others who want to save a few bucks on a meal: the Web has a deal for you. Restaurant.com offers discounts to -- you guessed it -- restaurants around...

Amtrak, CSX seek solutions.
September 15, 2006... Byline: Chip Jones Sep. 15--CSX Corp., often blamed for favoring its freight trains over passenger service, is working with Amtrak to improve on-time performance, a state rail group learned yesterday. The governor's Rail Advisory...

Virginia firms win environmental awards.
September 14, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 14--Eight Virginia companies won Governor's Environmental Excellence awards yesterday for environmental stewardship and conservation efforts at their operations. The awards, given annually to...

Northern Virginia company to offer training in new Internet Protocol version.
September 14, 2006... Byline: Jeffrey Kelley Sep. 14--A new company specializing in an advanced technology called IPv6 wants to educate people about that acronym. To do it, Herndon-based Command Information Inc. has opened an IPv6 training center and will...

Richmond, Va., TV station to be sold to Alabama firm.
September 14, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 14--WUPV Channel 65, soon to be Richmond's local CW network affiliate, will be sold for $47 million. Lockwood Broadcast Group, based in Hampton, has agreed to sell the station to a subsidiary of Community...

Four Virginia companies ranked on magazine's list of best career choices.
September 14, 2006... Sep. 14--Four Virginia-based companies have made BusinessWeek magazine's list of the best places to start a career. Philip Morris USA, the Henrico County-based tobacco company, ranked 29th on the list of 55 companies, published in the...

LandAmerica Financial acquires Capital Title Group in $248.3 million deal.
September 14, 2006... Sep. 14--LandAmerica Financial Group Inc., a Richmond-based provider of real estate transaction services, has completed its acquisition of Capital Title Group Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. Founded in 1981, Capital Title operates primarily as...

Commonwealth Biotechnologies announces $2.35 million in new contracts.
September 13, 2006... Sep. 13--Commonwealth Biotechnologies Inc. said yesterday that it had received new private sector and government contracts of approximately $2.35 million since Aug. 8. The company's principal contract award is for roughly $1.45 million...

Renaissance Partners taps new director of events.
September 13, 2006... Sep. 13--Renaissance Partners has tapped Lisa Sims to be its director of events, which include next month's National Folk Festival. Sims is vice president of marketing for the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. She...

Civic group names 68 in 'class'.
September 13, 2006... Sep. 13--Leadership Metro Richmond, a leadership-development and community service organization, has selected 68 people for the Class of 2006. Over the next year, the LMR class -- divided into seven community action groups -- will...

Role of Web sites is evolving.
September 13, 2006... Byline: Aaron Kremer Sep. 13--In the mid-1990s Leo Burke -- the Carytown furniture store, not the founder -- sold mirrors, beds and tables from the company's Web site to customers all over the country. But distributors didn't want...

Philip Morris doubts study on nicotine.
September 12, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 12--Philip Morris USA is disputing a study by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that concluded the amount of nicotine smokers inhale from cigarettes has increased since 1998. The study,...

'Wow! factor' brings Kansans here.
September 12, 2006... Byline: Bob Rayner Sep. 12--They won't be in Kansas anymore -- at least not for the next few days. About 60 Wichita, Kan., business and civic leaders will tour the Richmond area tomorrow to Friday. "You have a real 'Wow!' factor...

Windsor Farms folks on edge.
September 12, 2006... Byline: Carol Hazard Sep. 12--Windsor Farms, a tony neighborhood hugging the James River off Cary Street Road, is in an uproar. The large, unoccupied Windsor House on 4.4. acres is going on the market. The future sale, and the fear...

Poll: Local job outlook is solid.
September 12, 2006... Byline: John Reid Blackwell Sep. 12--The Richmond area's job market should be fairly strong in the final three months of the year but not as strong as in the summer, according to a survey. Local employers' hiring intentions have...

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., business briefs column.
September 11, 2006... Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan Sep. 11--SISTERS GET ECLECTIC SHOPS INTO A SINGLE EMPORIUM: The idea for the Shops at 5807, a mini mall of eclectic small shops that opened last week, came as a result of a flat tire. That flat tire...