Business briefs

VIRGINIA

Nestle plant making cookie dough again

DANVILLE -- Nestle USA is phasing in production of cookie dough again at its Danville plant.

The operation was shut down during a federal investigation of whether a 30-state E. coli outbreak was linked to the company's raw dough.

The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that the strain of E. coli found in a sample of raw cookie dough collected at Nestle's Danville plant does not match the strain that has been linked to the outbreak.

Nestle spokeswoman Roz O'Hearn said federal scientists worked with the company's microbiologists to examine the plant.

The company said more than 1,000 tests were performed at the plant, including extensive environmental analyses.

O'Hearn said the dough being produced this week won't be shipped for sale.

VDOT OKs contracts for $1.6 million in projects

The Virginia Department of Transportation has approved three contracts valued at about $1.6 million for Richmond-area construction and maintenance projects.

• Branscome Inc. of Williamsburg received a $1.1 million contract to repave Interstate 64 eastbound between mile markers 155 and 157, and I-64 westbound between mile markers 171 and 170 in Goochland County. Construction is expected to be complete in September. Drivers should expect alternating lane closures overnight and during off-peak hours.

• Colony Construction Inc. of Powhatan was awarded a $278,000 contract to construct left turn lanes along U.S. 1 at the Forest Lake Road intersection in Chesterfield County. VDOT expects the work will be finished in November.

• Surface Preparation Technologies Inc. of Mechanicsburg, Pa., was awarded a $251,000 contract to install centerline rumble strips along U.S. 460 in Prince George County and Routes 60, 13 and 522 in Powhatan County. Rumble strips alert drivers when they cross the centerline. The work should be complete in September.

Luray Caverns adding attraction about valley

LURAY -- Luray Caverns is developing an attraction that will teach visitors about the history of the central Shenandoah Valley.

The Luray Valley Museum and Gardens is scheduled to be completed by spring 2010. Part of the new attraction will be open to the public for a "Discovery Day" on Aug. 15.

Luray Caverns Corp. Vice President Rod Graves said the attraction will include the 6,600-square-foot Stonyman Museum, which is housed in a restored log cabin. The museum will tell the history of the valley from 1720 to 1920. Its artifacts will include an 1836 Bible from Germany.

WLEE featuring program for young professionals

The Greater Richmond Chamber's HYPE program for young professionals will be featured on WLEE (990 AM) from 11 a.m. to noon tomorrow.

HYPE members Kelly James of Bon Secours Health Systems and Corey Humphrey of the chamber will be guests on the "On Track with Vanessa Womack" program to discuss Richmond's rankings as one of the best places to start over and one of the best places for young professionals.

HYPE is an acronym for Helping Young Professionals Engage.

THE NATION

Ritz Camera wants auction to sell assets

Ritz Camera said that it is unable to raise the cash it needs to operate through the summer.

The Maryland-based firm, a victim of the economy and changing technology, has been attempting to reorganize since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February.

The company, which operates stores throughout Virginia including the Richmond area, said in court documents that it now hopes to sell its assets. It has been negotiating with two potential bidders who would take over all of its 370 stores.

Ritz asked the federal bankruptcy court to schedule an auction for July 20.

If the effort to sell the company is not successful, the filing said, Ritz is seeking permission to liquidate and close by July 24, to avoid paying $3 million in rent going into September.

Elsewhere

• Citigroup Inc. shuffled its top management again, naming its third chief financial officer of the year and bringing in a new head of its Citibank division as it returns its focus to traditional banking. Edward Kelly, who took over as the bank's finance chief in March, is on the move for the second time in less than five months and will now oversee strategy and mergers in a new role as vice chairman. John Gerspach, 56, currently the bank's chief accounting officer, is taking over as CFO.

• Sprint Nextel Corp. announced it will transfer operation of its wireless and wireline networks to Swedish telecommunications equipment maker LM Ericsson. The seven-year deal, valued at $4.5 billion to $5 billion, will transfer about 6,000 Sprint employees this year to an Ericsson-owned subsidiary, based at Sprint's Overland Park, Kan., headquarters.

-- From Staff and Wire Reports