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    <title>Economy News for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
    <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/</link>
    <description></description>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Richmond Times-Dispatch</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-11-22T15:24:02-05:00</dc:date>

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         <item>
          <title>Gift cards should be a pleasure, not a pain</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/columnists/article/IRIS22_20091121&#45;193405/307171/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Gift cards shouldn&#8217;t be a pain New regulations are coming that are designed to protect consumers against predatory fees and practices in the $88 billion gift-card industry. Until then, you&#8217;re on your own. Follow these tips to make giving and receiving a gift card a pleasure, not a pain:   Know a store card from a general-purpose card.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:38 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>How seniors can steer clear of money woes</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/SENI22S1_20091121&#45;193405/307175/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Ah, the golden years, a time for dreaming about retirement&#8212;or kicking back and enjoying the fruits of one&#8217;s labor after decades in the working world. Sadly, though, retirement has turned into financial turmoil for some seniors and is an uphill battle to pay the bills and preserve their assets. A better life is possible, though, some experts say, even in today&#8217;s troubled economic times, if seniors will follow these steps:           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Va. jobless rate falls to 6.3%</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/JOBS21_20091120&#45;222606/307064/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia&#8217;s job market improved last month as the number of Virginians out of work declined. The Virginia Employment Commission also noted weekly declines in the number of laid-off people making their first claims for unemployment benefits compared with last year. The declines during several weeks of October were the first such drops in more than a year, VEC chief economist William F. Mezger said yesterday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Nonprofit, Realtors to create Va. housing&#45;costs index</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;INDE21_20091120&#45;221604/307045/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Housing Virginia, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to affordable housing, and the Virginia Association of Realtors will produce a quarterly housing-affordability index for the state beginning in January. The index will be a broad measure of housing affordability that compares housing and rental costs with household incomes. &#8220;Basically what we&#8217;re looking at is presenting the percentage of a typical Virginia household&#8217;s income necessary to afford the typical home in Virginia,&#8220; said R. Scott Brunner, chief executive officer of the Virginia Association of Realtors.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL21_20091120&#45;202602/306999/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stocks fall a third day as dollar strengthens NEW YORK Investors can&#8217;t shake their fears that the economy isn&#8217;t keeping up with the stock market. Stocks fell for a third straight day yesterday as a disappointing outlook from computer maker Dell Inc. suggested that an economic recovery could be uneven. The major indexes all had moderate losses, leaving the Dow Jones industrials with a slim 0.5 percent weekly gain while broader indexes slid.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Electronics retailer hhgregg open for business in Richmond</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;GREG20_20091119&#45;221406/306843/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The CEO of the appliance and consumer-electronics retailer believes the chain can make headway in an already competitive market.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:38 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Virginia tax collections reflect struggling economy</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/ECON20_20091119&#45;223008/306912/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginians are taking home less pay, spending less in stores and still are getting hit on their investments, new state tax-collection statistics show.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:11 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 20</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB20_20091119&#45;221406/306846/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond Times-Dispatch President and Publisher Thomas A. Silvestri has been elected chairman of the American Press Institute. The institute, based in Reston, is a nonprofit, independent education center that provides training and leadership development in the news industry. It offers seminars, workshops and custom programs for newspaper professionals and organizations.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>U.S. scores well in Genworth consumer poll</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;GENW20_20091119&#45;221406/306842/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Genworth Financial Inc.&#8216;s latest survey of consumers&#8217; vulnerability found Americans are doing well, considering. Despite the recession, Americans are much less financially at risk than Europeans, the Henrico County-based insurance giant&#8217;s latest review shows. &#8220;Given the harsh economic climate in the USA of recent months, it is perhaps surprising,&#8220; the review commented.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>AOL to shed a third of its work force</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;AOLL20_20091119&#45;221406/306839/</link>
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Struggling Internet company AOL plans to shed up to 2,500 jobs&#8212;more than a third of its work force&#8212;as it prepares to separate from Time Warner and finally sever their ill-fated marriage. Major job cuts had been expected and seemed certain after Time Warner said last week that AOL would take $200 million in charges for severance and other restructuring-related costs. But the magnitude was not known until yesterday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Alcoa will cut 250 jobs at Hampton plant</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;ALCO20_20091119&#45;221406/306838/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Alcoa Inc., the largest U.S. aluminum producer, will cut 250 jobs at a plant in Hampton because of falling parts orders for industrial gas turbines. The reductions represent about 24 percent of the 1,060 workers employed at the Alcoa Howmet plant, which is part of the company&#8217;s power and propulsion division, spokeswoman Jean Moorman said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Mortgage delinquency rate rises in Va.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;FORE20_20091119&#45;221202/306837/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on residential properties in Virginia stood at 7.7 percent at the end of the third quarter, up from 6.9 percent in the previous quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Nationally, the delinquency rate for mortgage loans was 9.94 percent, up from 8.86 percent in the second quarter.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street: Stocks slide after signs of subdued recovery</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL20_20091119&#45;205401/306817/</link>
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Stocks tumble on signs of subdued recovery NEW YORK Signs of a subdued economic recovery sent investors out of stocks yesterday and in search of safer assets like the dollar. Major indexes tumbled about 1 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which lost 94 points but ended well off its low. Energy and material stocks logged some of the biggest losses as a jump in the dollar sent commodity prices tumbling. Meanwhile, an analyst&#8217;s downgrade of the chip industry pulled technology shares lower.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Bankruptcy judge approves LandAmerica plan</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;LAND19_20091118&#45;222007/306643/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The end is near for LandAmerica Financial Group Inc. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens approved the Henrico County-based title insurer&#8217;s plan yesterday to dissolve itself, pay creditors and set up trust committees to wind down the estate. &#8220;Not everyone is happy but this is the happiest plan we could have,&#8220; Huennekens said after a daylong hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap: Tech, housing numbers cited as stocks drop</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL19_20091118&#45;195002/306581/</link>
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Tech, housing numbers cited as stocks drop NEW YORK Disappointing forecasts from technology companies and an unexpected drop in home construction added to worries about the economy and sent stocks modestly lower. The drop yesterday came a day after major stock indicators closed at 13-month highs. The Dow fell 11.11, or 0.1 percent, to 10,426.31, after sliding as much as 77 points in morning trading.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Va. farm exports to Cuba expected to increase</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;CUBA18_20091117&#45;212804/306343/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia&#8217;s agricultural exports to Cuba are expected to be up by more than 10 percent this year, even as overall U.S. food exports to the communist country decline, state officials said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:34 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Habitat for Humanity creates Virginia&#8217;s first community land trust</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/LAND18_20091117&#45;221804/306369/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity has created the first community land trust in Virginia, which the nonprofit hails as a landmark moment in the history of affordable housing in the state. The local chapter has placed a parcel of land for 19 homes off Springs Road in South Richmond into the trust. In a community land trust, a buyer purchases only the house&#8212;not the land&#8212;keeping costs down.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 18</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB18_20091117&#45;213604/306353/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
After 22 years, Spinnaker&#8217;s Restaurant in the Chesterfield Towne Center has closed. The eatery officially shuttered Sunday after an issue with The Macerich Co., the California-based company that owns regional malls. Gregg Gregory, the owner of the local Spinnaker&#8217;s, said his lease was supposed to end next month, but the company told him last week that it was time to go.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Costco and Coca&#45;Cola Co. locked in price dispute</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TOGO18_20091117&#45;213604/306352/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Costco customers may have to look elsewhere for Coca-Cola products now that the retailer has stopped carrying them because the pair are fighting over prices. The public squabble between one of the nation&#8217;s largest wholesale club operators and the world&#8217;s largest soft-drink maker is likely to fizzle quickly. But it reveals real tensions as retailers and product makers square off on prices.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>VRS names Genworth to provide long&#45;term&#45;care insurance</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;GENW18_20091117&#45;213604/306351/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Virginia Retirement System has selected Genworth Financial Inc. as its choice to offer long-term-care insurance as a fringe benefit to its more than 600,000 members, retirees and beneficiaries. The coverage will be offered through a group insurance policy, under the Commonwealth of Virginia Voluntary Group Long Term Care Insurance Program.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Central Virginia Bankshares</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;EARN18_20091117&#45;213604/306350/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Central Virginia Bankshares Inc. reported a third-quarter net loss of $1.05 million, or a loss of 46 cents per share, compared with a loss of $16.89 million, or $6.56 per share, in the year-earlier quarter. Core earnings, or net income after adjustments related to investment losses in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and a special assessment, were $571,368 compared with $942,656 in the year-earlier quarter.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Chester company buys 172 Exxon stations</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;UPPY18_20091117&#45;212804/306346/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Chester-based Southside Oil LLC has bought 172 Exxon retail gasoline stations, mainly in Maryland, more than doubling the company&#8217;s retail operations. The privately held company did not disclose the terms of the sale. Southside Oil is a wholesale gasoline distribution company owned by Steven and Linda Uphoff. The Uphoffs also operate 42 Uppy&#8217;s Convenience Stores Inc. locations in Virginia. They own the property where 67 other BP and ExxonMobil gas stations are, but they don&#8217;t operate those stations.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Tobacco firms find tax loophole</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TOBA18_20091117&#45;212804/306345/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A new, multimillion-dollar tax loophole is leading some firms to start labeling their tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes as pipe tobacco. New tobacco taxes, meant to finance an expansion of children&#8217;s health insurance, boosted the levy on tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes from $1.10 a pound to $24.78 a pound. But the tiny, fading market of pipe smokers managed to get by with a federal tax of $2.83 a pound.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Massey buys more coal reserves</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;MASS18_20091117&#45;212804/306344/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Massey Energy Co. has bought additional coal reserves from the bankrupt Appalachian Fuels LLC and its affiliates. The metallurgical and steam coal reserves, bought for about $6 million, consist of about 15 million tons of highvolatile coal located in Barbour County, W.Va. Richmond-based Massey also acquired permits which will eventually be necessary for production on the property.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL18_20091117&#45;192202/306323/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Commodities gain, but stocks end mixed NEW YORK Stocks finished an erratic session mixed yesterday as higher commodity prices lifted energy and materials shares. Major stock indexes had their third straight advance, reaching new 13-month highs, but there were more declining shares than advancers on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Va. crop outlook muddied by deluge</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;FARM17_20091116&#45;220006/306131/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Last week&#8217;s torrential rainfalls have caused damage and delays to some Virginia farm crops, but the extent of losses is unknown, some agriculture experts said yesterday. Several crops that were recently planted or still in the fields were hurt by the widespread, three-day deluge, including winter wheat, barley and soybeans, said Molly Payne Pugh, executive director of the Virginia Grain Producers Association.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:52 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Retail sales data point to subdued holiday season</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/national_international/article/B&#45;ECON17_20091116&#45;220006/306130/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Retail sales rose in October but provided little hope for a robust holiday shopping season to invigorate the economic recovery. The figures, driven by a surge in auto sales, exceeded economists&#8217; expectations&#8212;sales rose 1.4 percent last month, the Commerce Department said. But excluding the big rebound in auto sales, the gain was 0.2 percent. And the report included a sharp downward revision to sales in September.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:42 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Coalition of CEOs urges government to invest in electric cars</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TOGO17_20091116&#45;220006/306136/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Agroup of businessmen launched a coalition yesterday to urge the federal government to make a major investment in electric transportation, pointing to electric cars as the best way to confront the nation&#8217;s dependence on imported oil. Top executives with more than a dozen companies, including Nissan Motor Co., FedEx Corp., electric utility PG&amp;E Corp. and battery developers A123 Systems Inc. and Johnson Controls-Saft, announced the formation of the Electrification Coalition to lay the groundwork for millions of electric cars to reach U.S. highways.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:39 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 17</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB17_20091116&#45;220006/306137/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The State Corporation Commission says Virginia&#8217;s goal reducing electricity consumption by 10 percent by lowering demand and improving efficiency is realistic. The General Assembly passed legislation this year requiring the report, which the SCC submitted to the legislature and Gov. Tim Kaine yesterday. Time Warner will spin off Internet business AOL Inc. as a separate company Dec. 9.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:31 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>T&#45;bill rates are unchanged</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TBIL17_20091116&#45;220006/306135/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills were unchanged in yesterday&#8217;s auction. The Treasury Department auctioned $30 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.065 percent. An additional $31 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.165 percent. The three-month rate remained the highest since those bills averaged 0.075 percent Oct. 26. The six-month rate remained the lowest since those bills averaged 0.150 percent Oct. 13.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:21 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Fed suggests new rules for retailers on gift cards</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;FEDD17_20091116&#45;220006/306133/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Federal Reserve proposed new rules to protect consumers from unexpected costs or restrictions on gift cards. More than 95 percent of Americans have received or bought gift cards, the Fed said. Under the proposed rule announced yesterday, consumers must have at least five years to use the gift cards before they expire. The Fed also said service or inactivity fees can be imposed but only under certain conditions.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:18 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Post&#45;bankruptcy GM reports smaller loss</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;EARN17_20091116&#45;220006/306129/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
General Motors, its river of red ink stemmed by a trip through Bankruptcy Court, reported a narrower quarterly loss yesterday and said it would start repaying billions of dollars in government loans that helped keep it alive. GM lost $1.2 billion in the third quarter&#8212;far less than the $6 billion it lost in the first three months of the year, before GM was transformed by a stay in Chapter 11. The company credited a sharp reduction in debt as well as sales of new models.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:16 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL17_20091116&#45;202202/306111/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stocks rise after report on better retail sales NEW YORK Investors kept the stock market&#8217;s upward momentum going yesterday, sending shares sharply higher after retail sales rebounded more than expected in October and the dollar extended its slide. Major stock indexes rose more than 1 percent to 13-month highs. The Dow Jones industrial average advanced 136.49, or 1.3 percent, to 10,406.96 after rising nearly 164 points.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:12 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Va. receives a &#8216;D&#8217; for premature birth rate</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;PREM17_20091116&#45;220006/306134/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia is doing better at reducing premature births, but the state still gets a grade of D because too many babies are born before full term, according to the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes today releases its 2009 report cards that grade states on premature birth rates. The national grade average is a D&#8212;and only one state, Vermont, received a B. No state received an A.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Customer count up at Glen Allen Supermarket</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/NAME16_20091115&#45;173411/305908/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
David Fitzgerald stops by the Glen Allen Supermarket nearly every afternoon to grab a cup of coffee. &#8220;Everyone there is very friendly,&#8220; the Henrico County resident said. &#8220;They know most everybody that comes in. If they don&#8217;t know you on your first trip, they will know you the next time.&#8220; Rhonda Abernathy and her husband, Jeffrey, bought the store in May 2008 from 79-year-old Emmett Allen when he decided to retire. His father, E.L. Allen, started the business in 1925 as a general store.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:04:09 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>60 Seconds with: Lisa Disselkamp</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SECS16_20091115&#45;173411/305911/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
LISA DISSELKAMP Metro Business asked Lisa Disselkamp, president of Athena Enterprises, a Chesterfield County-based work-force management technology consulting firm, and author of two books, including &#8220;No Boundaries,&#8220; about managing payroll costs: &#8220;Business leaders today are looking for sources for profit and productivity. &#8220;While they may realize labor spending is one of the largest line-item expenses, it is often one of the most undermanaged costs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:16 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Indicators for week of Nov. 16</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SKED16_20091115&#45;173411/305912/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Indicators MONDAY Commerce Department releases retail sales for October and business inventories for September.&nbsp; TUESDAY Labor Department releases the Producer Price Index for October. Treasury releases money-flows data for September. Federal Reserve releases industrial production for October. National Association of Home Builders releases housing-market index for November.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Freshmen urged to get financial lives on track</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/columnists/article/IRIS15_20091114&#45;185805/305709/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Freshmen can avoid money woes College freshmen, listen up. Get your financial life on track this first semester&#8212;or you may wind up making mistakes and paying a heavy price later, warned R.D. Norton, author of &#8220;Start Here: Getting Your Financial Life on Track.&#8220; Living away from home with your peers is awesome, isn&#8217;t it? But, as a freshman, &#8220;there are plenty of things that can get you into trouble,&#8220; Norton said in an interview.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:01:54 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Cost&#45;cutting helps profit for Southern States Cooperative</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;STAT14_20091113&#45;215405/305576/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The recession took a bite out of Southern States Cooperative Inc.&#8216;s revenue in its 2009 fiscal year, but cost-cutting helped it turn a profit for the year. The Richmond-based agricultural cooperative, which is owned by 300,000 member farmers, held its annual meeting yesterday at its Henrico County headquarters. &#8220;Without question fiscal 2009 was a very difficult year for our cooperative,&#8220; said Thomas R. Scribner, Southern States&#8217; president and chief executive officer.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Trade deficit up sharply in Sept.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;ECON14_20091113&#45;215405/305575/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A weaker dollar may boost the nation&#8217;s economy by increasing exports and narrowing the trade gap&#8212;but that won&#8217;t happen anytime soon. Instead, the nation&#8217;s trade deficit rose in September by the largest percentage in a decade as U.S. exports grew for the fifth straight month, but imports rose faster, a government report showed yesterday. That trend is likely to continue until the middle of next year, economists said.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Rich buying again, but middle class still hurting</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;EARN14_20091113&#45;215405/305574/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
American shoppers are splitting again: The affluent are finally starting to buy, picking up designer clothes at such places as Nordstrom, while those on the lower economic rungs are still scrimping by, heading to Wal-Mart for the basics. Recent earnings reports from major retailers suggest that the wealthy, who pulled back their spending the hardest during the financial meltdown last fall, are once again being enticed to open their wallets and going back to higher-end outlets.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL14_20091113&#45;214202/305570/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Earnings reports give a boost; Dow gains 73 NEW YORK Encouraging earnings news from major retailers and The Walt Disney Co. drew investors back into the stock market to cap a second big week of gains. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 73 yesterday after falling 94 on Thursday. Major stock indexes rose more than 2 percent for the week.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Area localities differ over allowing livestock in urban areas</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/FARM13_20091112&#45;221805/305429/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
PETERSBURG Dana Ballenger brought home two baby doll sheep and gave them good Southern names, Jezabell and Thelma Lou. She checked first with city authorities to be sure zoning would allow for sheep on her 2-acre lot in historic Petersburg. &#8220;I am going green with my sheep,&#8220; she said. &#8220;Forget the lawnmower belching out toxins and making lots of dust and stirring up allergens. My little sheep munch the grass, fertilize it and look beautiful while doing it.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:01:11 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Economy at &#8216;somewhat of a snapback,&#8216; expert tells Richmond economists</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;RABE13_20091112&#45;221408/305398/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Business economists think the U.S. economy will get back to where it was before the recession by the end of next year. But employment won&#8217;t reach pre-recession levels until 2012, Lynn Reaser, president of the National Association for Business Economics, told a group of her Richmond colleagues yesterday. &#8220;It&#8217;s not a roaring recovery, but certainly not an anemic one,&#8220; she told the Richmond Association for Business Economics.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap: Drop in U.S. energy demand drags stock market lower</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL13_20091112&#45;203603/305359/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Drop in energy demand a drag on stock market NEW YORK Ajump in the nation&#8217;s energy inventories sent stocks falling yesterday as investors worried that demand for oil and gasoline is falling because of the struggling economy. Major stock indexes slid about 1 percent from 13-month highs. The government&#8217;s inventory report pushed crude oil down 3 percent, below $77 a barrel. A gain in the dollar also weighed on prices for commodities including oil by making them more expensive for overseas buyers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Foreclosure filings down in Virginia for month, year</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;FORE12_20091111&#45;212804/305136/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The number of homeowners on the brink of losing their homes dipped in October, the third straight monthly decline, as foreclosure-prevention programs helped more borrowers.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:42 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 12</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB12_20091111&#45;213004/305143/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The MBA program at the University of Richmond&#8217;s Robins School of Business was ranked the 17th best part-time program in country by BusinessWeek. The University of Virginia&#8217;s Darden School of Business ranked 16th best U.S. full-time MBA program. It had been ranked 15th two years ago. The two program were the only ones in Virginia to be included in the magazine&#8217;s recent rankings.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Price for gold rockets above $1,000 per ounce</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TOGO12_20091111&#45;213004/305142/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Price for gold hits record of $1,119 per ounce The new gold rush is on. The price of the precious metal is soaring, hitting a record $1,119 an ounce on yesterday&#8212;confounding market analysts who thought there was no way gold would remain so expensive when it first cracked the unheard-of $1,000 mark last year. The remarkable run has implications far beyond those for savvy investors. In New York&#8217;s diamond district, more people started showing up late last year to sell their gold, and the crush hasn&#8217;t let up, said Anthony Iannelli, owner of Iannelli Diamonds.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Macy&#8217;s localization efforts paying off</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;MACY12_20091111&#45;213004/305141/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Macy&#8217;s Inc.&#8216;s move to localize merchandise at its department stores by region appears to be paying off. The giant department-store retailer did a better job of narrowing losses in the fiscal third quarter than analysts had expected, helped by &#8220;My Macy&#8217;s&#8221; efforts to tailor products to fit regional markets. Macy&#8217;s gradual upswing in business bolstered optimism about holiday-season sales, prompting management to raise full-year sales and profit estimates. But Macy&#8217;s fourth-quarter targets didn&#8217;t contain as much punch as investors had been hoping for.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Alpha Natural Resources Inc.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;ALPH12G_20091111&#45;212804/305135/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Headquarters: Abingdon (moving to Bristol) &nbsp; Employees: 6,200 &nbsp; Top executive: Kevin S. Crutchfield, chief executive officer &nbsp; Founded: 2002, after the private-equity firm First Reserve Corp. bought the Virginia operations of Pittston Coal Co. &nbsp; Key products: Coal for steam and metallurgical uses            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL12_20091111&#45;212201/305133/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stocks rise as traders bet on low rates, China NEW YORK More signs that interest rates will remain low and upbeat economic news from China gave investors more reason to keep buying stocks yesterday. Federal Reserve officials signaled in speeches late Tuesday that a recovery in the economy is likely to be weak. Investors took that as another sign that policymakers will hold interest rates low to help resuscitate growth.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 11</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB11_20091110&#45;215601/304906/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Tobacco company Star Scientific Inc. has six months to get its stock price above $1 per share or face possible delisting from the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Petersburg-based company said it was notified by Nasdaq officials on Nov. 5 that it was not in compliance with the exchange&#8217;s minimum-bid rules because its closing per-share bid price was below $1 for 30 consecutive days.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Housing plan reaches one in five borrowers</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;MORT11_20091110&#45;215405/304901/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Obama administration&#8217;s mortgage-relief program has reached one in five eligible homeowners, a government report says, but most of those borrowers are on temporary trial plans that have yet to be made final. As of the end of October, more than 650,000 borrowers, or 20 percent of those eligible for the &#8220;Making Home Affordable&#8221; program, had signed up for trials lasting up to five months, the Treasury Department said yesterday. The modifications reduce monthly payments to more affordable levels.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>6.1 unemployed workers competing for each job</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;JOBS11_20091110&#45;215405/304900/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Job openings are at rock-bottom levels, according to government and private surveys released yesterday. It&#8217;s a trend that could keep the unemployment rate high even as layoffs slow. Small businesses in particular are reluctant to add workers as they struggle to obtain credit. Many are pushing their employees to produce more. Economists say small businesses account for about 60 percent of new jobs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>FDIC boss says big banks need to lend more</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/banking/article/B&#45;BANK11_20091110&#45;215405/304895/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said yesterday that she&#8217;s &#8220;very worried&#8221; that the nation&#8217;s biggest banks aren&#8217;t lending enough and warned the economy could take another turn for the worse without increased access to credit. FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair said the FDIC&#8217;s upcoming quarterly report would show that &#8220;not many large institutions are doing a very good job of lending.&#8220; Instead, she said, some are taking advantage of near-zero interest rates by borrowing dollars cheaply to buy higher-yielding assets like stocks or commodities&#8212;a move known as the &#8220;carry trade.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL11_20091110&#45;212402/304878/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stocks mostly fall as dollar&#8217;s value increases NEW YORK Caution returned to the stock market yesterday as investors decided to slow an advance that has lifted the Dow Jones industrial average 475 points in five days. Stocks mostly fell in light trading, though the Dow tacked on 20 points to close at 10,246.97, a new high for the year. The modest advance came a day after the Dow shot up 200 points for the second time in three days.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Dow jumps 200 points to 13&#45;month high</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL10_20091109&#45;220006/304717/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Dow Jones industrial average stormed to its highest level in more than a year yesterday as a falling dollar boosted prices for gold, oil and other commodities. Stocks also jumped as investors grew more confident that governments around the world will keep interest rates low to help the global economy. Energy and materials stocks led the market, with the major indexes rising 2 percent. The Dow jumped 200 points for the second time in three days, reaching 10,226.94&#8212;its highest level in 13 months.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Next Williamsburg visit could include an 18th&#45;century coffeehouse experience</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TOGO10_20091109&#45;220006/304716/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WILLIAMSBURG Don&#8217;t expect soy lattes or Internet access for your laptop, but your next visit to Colonial Williamsburg could include a stop in a coffeehouse. Visitors will be able to experience an 18th century-style coffeehouse when R. Charlton&#8217;s Coffeehouse opens Nov. 20 on Duke of Gloucester Street at the historic site. Free coffee, tea and hot chocolate inspired by 18th-century recipes will be served in demitasse cups at R. Charlton&#8217;s.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Slow economy means hottest toys will be even harder to find</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;SHOP10_20091109&#45;215805/304712/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Robotic toy hamsters, the latest Barbie dolls and stylish boots are disappearing from store shelves as holiday shoppers start to get serious. But don&#8217;t confuse this with the days of Tickle Me Elmo. Instead of a throwback to great buying binges of the past, the empty shelves are just another sign of bad times. The shortages come from stores that are terrified of ordering too much and are keeping their inventories thin.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Kraft takes $16.4 billion offer for Cadbury to candy maker&#8217;s shareholders</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;KRAF10_20091109&#45;215805/304711/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Kraft Foods has gone hostile in its bid to buy Cadbury but didn&#8217;t sweeten its first bid, drawing an immediate rejection from the British candy maker in what is likely to be a lengthy takeover struggle. Taking the same offer directly to Cadbury shareholders likely means that Kraft is betting no competing bids will emerge for the maker of Dairy Milk and Creme Eggs. The early gambit also leaves the company room to take the bid higher.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Core Consulting adds clients after tough 2008</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/NAME09_20091108&#45;165605/304471/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Rick Mears likes how Core Consulting looks at the decision-making process from all angles when it provides information-technology strategy and advice to its clients. &#8220;Core has provided valuable insight into how to achieve our objective of modernizing our enterprise systems while preserving the edge the systems provide for us in our business,&#8220; said Mears, senior vice president and chief information officer at medical and surgical products distributor Owens &amp; Minor Inc.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:04:55 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Biz Buzz: Trio hopes to create buzz in home sales market</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BUZZ09_20091108&#45;170006/304487/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Three former University of Richmond students are trying to make it easier for homeowners to sell their houses. The three&#8212;Mike Gray, Mark Hickman and Andrew Ryan&#8212;have launched RichmondHomeBuzz. The company starts doing business today. Friends since college, the three started the company as a way to help homeowners who want to sell their houses but don&#8217;t want to pay commissions or have little experience with the for-sale-by-owner process.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:02:39 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Good news for commercial real estate owners</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/LITT09_20091108&#45;165806/304483/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Commercial real estate owners got some encouraging news during the past few weeks. Several economic reports showed promising signs, and the FDIC made clear how it is looking at commercial real estate loans sitting on the books of banks. For the first time in two years, tangibly good news came out of the Bureau of Economic Analysis on GDP growth. The government agency reported 3.5 percent annualized growth in gross domestic product, which is the highest since the third quarter of 2007. Many economists are declaring the recession over.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:01:24 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>60 Seconds with: Steve Kimball</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SECS09_20091108&#45;165605/304474/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
STEVE KIMBALL Metro Business talked to Steve Kimball, managing director of Tuscan Advisors, a Henrico County-based business consulting firm. He also is a member of the Richmond Venture Forum, a group that brings together venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. He was asked about the status of entrepreneurs: &#8220;Entrepreneurs are America&#8217;s competitive advantage. In the last 20 years, they created 80 percent of the jobs. They are the real job creators.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:01:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Ask Score: Where to begin if you want to start a business</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SCOR09_20091108&#45;165605/304473/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Q:I am a recent victim of corporate downsizing. I am considering starting my own business. What insights can you offer me as I try to determine my best course of action?&#8212;Andrew C., Sandston Answer: In a recent &#8220;Ask SCORE&#8221; column, I cautioned a reader to think twice before he committed his life&#8217;s savings to a venture that has no certainty of success.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:01:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Indicators for the week of Nov. 9</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/SKED09_20091108&#45;170006/304499/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Indicators MONDAY Nothing scheduled.&nbsp; TUESDAY Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for September.&nbsp; WEDNESDAY Veterans Day. Bond markets closed.&nbsp; THURSDAY Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims. Treasury releases federal budget for October. Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Bankruptcy petitions for Nov. 9</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/metrobusiness/article/BANK09_20091108&#45;165806/304476/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The following are recent business bankruptcy petitions filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Case Number: 09-36805 Dinwiddie Memorial Park Inc., Dinwiddie County Assets: $1,000,001 to $10 million Liabilities: $500,001 to $1 million Filing: Chapter 11 (reorganization) Case Number: 09-37113 Commonwealth Cancer Institute LLC, Richmond           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Crooks set sights on bank ATMs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/columnists/article/IRIS08_20091107&#45;185604/304319/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Crooks set sights on bank ATMs Stop and look before inserting your card into an ATM machine. Crooks have been tampering with automated teller machines around the world&#8212;and in Virginia, striking last summer in Hampton Roads and leaving behind 100 victims including those from Richmond and Chesterfield County. The victims were robbed of about $500,000, according to the Secret Service in Richmond. An investigation is ongoing.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Stock news for Nov. 8</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/STOX08_20091107&#45;185604/304320/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For the week that ended Nov. 6. DIVIDEND Quarterly unless noted Increased Aaron&#8217;s Inc .018 from .017 Alliance Res Ptrs .76 from .745 Apollo Invest .28 from .26 Beckman Coulter .18 from .17 Buckeye GP LP .39 from .37 CH Robinson .25 from .24 Meadowbrook Ins .03 from .02 Mercury General .59 from .58           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:39 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>White&#45;collar jobless prevalent in Richmond area</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BLUE08_20091107&#45;185604/304314/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The worst recession in 70 years has ended. But tell that to people trying to find jobs. &#8220;The recession is not over until everyone who wants to work is working and working at what they want to do,&#8220; said Walter Courtney of Montpelier. Courtney, 56, is an Internet technology professional who works as a security guard at a retirement home in Hanover County. He was a project manager at a bank, but was laid off early in the economic downturn.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings report: Insmed</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;EARN07_20091106&#45;212402/304146/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond biopharmaceutical company Insmed Inc. reported it lost $150,000 in the quarter ending Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $2.2 million in the same period a year earlier. On a per-share basis, the loss in the third quarter was break-even compared with a 2-cent loss in the year-ago period. Revenue for the third quarter was $2.5 million, compared with $4.1 million for the corresponding period in 2008.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:56 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL07_20091106&#45;201804/304116/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stocks post modest gains despite bad news on jobs NEW YORK Investors undaunted by a surprisingly weak jobs report found enough positive news to nudge stocks higher yesterday. News that the nation&#8217;s unemployment rate rose above 10 percent last month for the first time in 26 years didn&#8217;t derail the stock market&#8217;s strong gains during the week, which lifted major indexes more than 3 percent.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:56 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 7</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB07_20091106&#45;212402/304147/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Philip Morris USA and two other cigarette companies can stop making payments to tobacco farmers in Maryland and Pennsylvania through a decade-old settlement. North Carolina&#8217;s highest court ruled yesterday that Henrico County-based Philip Morris, Lorillard and R.J. Reynolds could stop making payments to those growers under a 1999 agreement, which stemmed from the national tobacco settlement with the states a year earlier.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:53 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Home&#8217;s price sheds light on local market</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/real_estate/article/B&#45;TOGO07_20091106&#45;212202/304145/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
One of the top 10 home sales in September in the Richmond area was for a house with 12,870 square feet that sold for $931,900. It is assessed for $1.845 million. Is this a crazy market or what? Yes and no. The house, at 330 Pembroke Lane in Goochland County, was a foreclosure. It was listed in 2006 for $2.995 million, according to the county assessor&#8217;s office.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond&#45;area jobless press hunt for work</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/JOBS07_20091106&#45;222806/304232/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Richmond&#8217;s unemployed workers did the best they could to shake off yesterday&#8217;s bad news that the U.S. unemployment rate hit double digits. They got back to the main task: finding work. The nation&#8217;s jobless rate rose to 10.2 percent last month from 9.8 percent. The unemployment rate is the highest in 26&#189; years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the number of people on employers&#8217; payrolls fell by 190,000&#8212;more than economists, who just last week were hailing the end of the recession, had forecast.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:29 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Economic stimulus debated at Va. Asian Chamber</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;ASIA06_20091105&#45;213204/303943/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The federal economic-stimulus plan is working for small businesses in Virginia, a senior SBA official told the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce&#8217;s procurement conference here.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:43 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Nov. 6 Business Briefs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB06_20091105&#45;220604/303970/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Martin Agency and five other agencies are competing to handle advertising for General Motors Co.&#8216;s Cadillac division. GM said it narrowed its list of candidates to six agencies, a month after announcing it was dumping boutique agency Modernista! as its longtime ad partner. GM said it will hold visits with the candidates in Detroit before Thanksgiving, with finalists making presentations to company executives in January.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Craigslist warns of job scams</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;JOBS06_20091105&#45;220604/303968/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Job-seekers beware: There&#8217;s a new warning on Craigslist.com. The Web site recently posted a scam alert, telling applicants to be on the lookout for bogus ads that promise work that doesn&#8217;t exist. &#8220;The ones that sound too good to be true, they usually are,&#8220; said Kevin Jackson, chief investigator for Florida&#8217;s Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Universal Corp.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;EARN06_20091105&#45;220604/303967/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Higher prices for North American tobacco have boosted Universal Corp.&#8216;s earnings so far this fiscal year despite a drop in shipments of leaf. Volumes rose in South America and Asia, while Universal&#8217;s African operations got a boost from a better mix of leaf and increased income from processing. Richmond-based Universal&#8217;s profit for the second quarter ended Sept 30 rose 26 percent from the year before to $52.5 million, or $1.77 a share, despite a 17.5 percent drop in revenue to $647.9 million.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Oct. sales up, but shoppers still cautious</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;RETL06_20091105&#45;213204/303946/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
October&#8217;s retail sales results, the best performance since April 2008, show that Americans are spending a little more. But will they be willing to pay full price this holiday season? Stores are heading into the period with slashed inventories, determined not to have the fire sales that characterized last Christmas. But shoppers still are facing tight credit and a weak job market and might wait for fat discounts or not buy at all. That game of chicken will determine the holiday winners and losers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>House OKs extended homebuyer, jobless aid</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;HOME06_20091105&#45;213204/303945/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Missed out on Cash for Clunkers? Congress has another deal for you: Buy a home before May 1 and collect up to $6,500 from the government. If you&#8217;re a first-time homebuyer, get up to $8,000. As part of efforts to encourage people to spend money to help revive the economy, the House voted yesterday to expand a popular tax credit for homebuyers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap: Jobs data, Cisco report send stocks over 10,000</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL06_20091105&#45;191604/303898/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Jobs data, Cisco report send stocks over 10,000 NEW YORK Abright forecast from Cisco Systems and upbeat economic news sent stocks soaring yesterday and propelled the Dow Jones industrials back above 10,000. The rally showed that investors are regaining their optimism about an economic recovery. The Dow bolted up 203 points, or 2 percent, while the Nasdaq composite index, led by Cisco&#8217;s outlook, rose nearly 2.5 percent. The market&#8217;s move continued a streak of volatility that began last month, but this latest surge was powered not by a single event but by a wave of good news:           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Fed again vows to hold rates at record lows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;FEDD05_20091104&#45;214203/303730/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Federal Reserve pledged yesterday to keep a key interest rate at a record low for an &#8220;extended period,&#8220; signaling that the weak economy remains dependent on government help to grow. The Fed said economic activity has &#8220;continued to pick up&#8221; and that the housing market has strengthened&#8212;a key ingredient for a sustained recovery. But Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues warned that rising joblessness and tight credit for many people and companies could restrain the rebound in the months ahead.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Cash for Clunker deals faulted in sales analysis</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;CASH05_20091104&#45;214203/303729/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The most common deals under the government&#8217;s $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program, aimed at putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road, replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by The Associated Press. The single most common swap&#8212;which occurred more than 8,200 times&#8212;involved Ford 150 pickup owners who took advantage of a government rebate to trade their old trucks for new Ford 150s.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 5</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB05_20091104&#45;214003/303727/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Star Scientific Inc. said yesterday that it plans to introduce the CigRx nutraceutical product developed by its Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals subsidiary for worldwide marketing and sales in partnership with inVentiv Health Inc. &#8220;Our goal is to make CigRx available to adult smokers worldwide who wish to maintain a nicotine-free metabolism,&#8220; said Jonnie R. Williams, Star Scientific&#8217;s CEO.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Clothing brands shift stores seeking higher sales</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;TOGO05_20091104&#45;214003/303726/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW YORK Some of fashion&#8217;s best-known names are playing musical chairs. Faced with a consolidating department store industry and eroding sales, some labels are cutting ties with retailers that sold their clothing and betting their future with one chain. Liz Claiborne Inc.&#8216;s announced last month that it&#8217;s moving its namesake line to J.C. Penney Co. from Macy&#8217;s Inc. Other stores have made similar moves with other major brands, like Tommy Hilfiger and Dana Buchman.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Attorney general urges Va. Power electric&#45;rate cut or refund</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/energy/article/B&#45;RATE05_20091104&#45;214003/303725/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Virginia&#8217;s attorney general is urging the State Corporation Commission to either cut Dominion Virginia Power&#8217;s electric rates this year or have the company give customers a refund for over-earning last year. Experts for Attorney General Bill Mims&#8217; office told the SCC that Dominion Virginia Power&#8217;s rates should be reduced by $238 million or customers should receive a refund of $153 million.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL05_20091104&#45;192206/303657/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stocks end mixed after investor optimism fades NEW YORK Alate-day slump left stocks mixed yesterday as investors couldn&#8217;t hold on to their optimism after the Federal Reserve gave an encouraging assessment of the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average, up more than 150 points after the Fed described the economy as showing more signs of recovery, closed up 30. The broader indexes were narrowly mixed. The Dow rose 30.23, or 0.3 percent, to 9,802.14. It had been up as much as 156 after the Fed announcement.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Earnings: Kraft Foods and Richmond&#45;based Colfax</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;EARN04_20091103&#45;211405/303455/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Kraft Foods said slower sales, lower retail food prices and the comparison with a gain a year ago helped cut its third-quarter profit 40 percent, but the company raised its forecast for the year. The company said it remains interested in a possible offer for British candy company Cadbury PLC but did not disclose a time frame or price.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:46 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Brink&#8217;s payment to pension plan pays off</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;BRIN04_20091103&#45;211405/303453/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sometimes, you need to spend money to make money&#8212;as The Brink&#8217;s Co. Inc. has done, breaking step with most American businesses by contributing funds to a pension fund when it didn&#8217;t have to. Brink&#8217;s, which makes its money toting cash for others, pumped $150 million into its then-underfunded pension plan in August. This week, the company disclosed that the move likely will end up boosting its profits this year and next&#8212;while freeing up some $94 million for acquisitions next year and the year after.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:36 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Stimulus funds sought for aerospace research center</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/AERO04_20091105&#45;110601/303848/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The University of Virginia and Virginia Tech are seeking federal economic-stimulus money to help build a manufacturing research center aimed at fostering growth in the state&#8217;s aerospace industry and related businesses. Officials with the universities said yesterday that they are seeking up to $15 million in stimulus-related funding, including a grant from the National Institutes of Science, to help build the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing near the Rolls-Royce North America aircraft-engines component plant now in development in Prince George County.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:19 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Auto&#45;sales data shows industry beginning to stabilize</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;AUTO04_20091103&#45;211601/303463/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
After months of fluctuating sales, the auto industry offered signs of recovery from its yearlong slump, as most automakers reported yesterday higher levels of U.S. sales in October. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, reported its first monthly sales gain in almost two years, while Hyundai and Subaru were huge winners thanks for their popular models and fuel-efficient sedans. Other top automakers&#8212;Toyota, Ford, Nissan&#8212;also posted higher sales.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Business Briefs for Nov. 4</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB04_20091103&#45;211405/303461/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Commuters who drive alone on some of the most congested highways in the Washington region could earn $2 a day by carpooling to work. Commuter Connections, a network of transportation groups coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, launched a three-month pilot program recently. The program is open to commuters who currently drive alone on the Capital Beltway between Bethesda and Tysons Corner or between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Interstate 270 and on Interstate 395 from the District across the 14th Street bridge into Northern Virginia.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Fed to release statement about interest rates</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;FEDD04_20091103&#45;211405/303456/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Even with the Federal Reserve widely expected to leave interest rates at a record low today to nurture the fragile recovery, fissures are growing among policymakers about when to start boosting rates to head off inflation. Fed policy makers are slated to release a statement today about 2:15 p.m. The target range for bank lending rate now is at zero to 0.25 percent. If the Fed keeps the same rate, commercial banks&#8217; prime lending rate&#8212;used to peg rates on home equity loans, certain credit cards and other consumer loans&#8212;will stay at about 3.25 percent.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond radiology practice seeks bankruptcy protection</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;CANC04_20091103&#45;211405/303454/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Commonwealth Cancer Institute, a small radiology practice in Richmond&#8217;s Carver neighborhood, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Chapter 11 filing last week is intended to give the practice time to reorganize, by protecting it from its creditors&#8217; claims. The practice, operated by Dr. Marcus W. Brown, has seen referrals from radiation treatment decline, cutting monthly revenue to $60,000 from $80,000, said its attorney, Bruce E. Arkema.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Buffett buying Burlington Northern rail for $34 billion</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;BERK04_20091103&#45;211405/303452/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Legendary investor Warren Buffett is making what he calls an &#8220;all-in wager&#8221; on the U.S. economy&#8212;$34 billion to buy a major railroad that hauls everything from corn to cars across the country. Burlington Northern, the nation&#8217;s second-largest railroad, is the biggest hauler of food products like corn, and coal for electricity, making it an indicator of the country&#8217;s economic health. The railroad also ships a large amount of consumer goods&#8212;including items imported from Asia&#8212;from big Western ports like Los Angeles and Seattle.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Wall Street recap: Rising commodities, dealmaking lift stocks</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/investment/market_stocks/article/B&#45;WALL04_20091103&#45;201001/303427/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Rising commodities, dealmaking lift stocks NEW YORK Investors sidestepped some of their doubts about the economy and bought energy and industrial stocks as commodity prices rose. Stocks ended back-and-forth trading mostly higher yesterday as a spike in the price of gold and corporate dealmaking extended an advance from Monday. The gains in commodity prices helped stocks pare early losses.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Top Virginia agricultural commodities mostly fare better in 2008</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/CROP03_20091102&#45;211003/303233/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Among the success stories in Virginia agriculture in 2008 was wine grapes, which became one of the state&#8217;s top 20 agricultural commodities, according to new data. Of those 20 top-earning commodities, 12 produced higher cash receipts in 2008 than in 2007, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported yesterday.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:48 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Nov. 3 Business Briefs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/BBBB03_20091102&#45;215603/303260/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The State Corporation Commission has authorized Dominion Virginia Power to sell up to $1.5 billion of its stock to parent company Dominion Resources Inc. The electric utility, which originally sought approval to sell up to $3 billion in stock, says it will use the money to retire short-term debt and pay for capital investments. The commission staff recommended that the SCC authorize the sale of $1 billion in common stock this year and an additional $500 million in 2010. Dominion Virginia Power agreed with the staff recommendation for the smaller offering.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Economic gauges are good news</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B&#45;ECON03_20091102&#45;215603/303258/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Hopes for the fledgling economic recovery got a boost yesterday from better-than-expected news on manufacturing, construction and contracts to buy homes. The surprisingly strong readings provided some comfort that the economy is packing more momentum than assumed going into the end of the year. Still, with jobs scarce, lending tight and consumers wary of spending, it&#8217;s unclear whether the gains can be sustained as government stimulus programs wind down.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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