THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 14, 1996 TAG: 9609140518
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 50 lines
The Housing and Urban Development Department awarded an asset management contract for HUD-owned properties in Virginia Beach to Tucson, Ariz.-based CitiWest Properties Inc. The award, announced Thursday, ends a hotly contested controversy. Real estate firms based in Virginia Beach had competed for that contract and expressed anger when informed that an out-of-state firm would be the most likely winner. Many of the local Realtors have held contracts to manage HUD-owned property in the past and they didn't understand why the contract went to an out-of-state firm. (Staff) Norfolk Southern secures land options in Kentucky
Norfolk Southern Corp. is securing options on almost 600 acres of farmland in Shelby County, Ky. along Interstate 64 for industrial development, company officials said. Speculation in the county has centered on a proposed Ford Motor Co. distribution center, which the automaker will use to ship vehicles and parts to sites in the Southeast. Officials at Ford, which makes Ranger pickups, Explorer sport utility vehicles and heavy-duty commercial trucks at plants in Louisville, did not deny the rumors. Norfolk Southern is one of several rail and truck companies Ford uses to move freight. (Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News) Inspector General rejects union request of ValuJet
The Transportation Department's inspector general has rejected a union request to investigate the process leading to approval of ValuJet to return to service, transportation sources said. The Federal Aviation Administration returned the Atlanta-based airline's certificate last week and the parent Transportation Department issued a tentative approval for flights to resume. However, that approval doesn't become final until the department completes its evaluation of objections filed by the Association of Flight Attendants, which has been sharply critical of the management of the low-fare airline. That analysis is still underway. (AP) State crops suffer heavy blow from hurricane
Virginia suffered a heavy blow to its agricultural and poultry industries under Hurricane Fran. Early estimates of damage to Virginia crops reached $51 million, according to the state Farm Service Agency. Southside tobacco growers suffered the bulk of the financial losses, which reached $20.41 million in five counties. Two other counties reported an approximate $34.8 million loss to their high-priced, flue cured tobacco fields. Ruined corn and soybean crops totaled $14 million in damages, while grain and apple crops were also hurt. Fran also demolished poultry houses and killed 500,000 chickens and turkeys in four Shenandoah Valley counties. by CNB