Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 8, 1993                   TAG: 9312080288
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

A total of 202 branches formerly operated by First American and Dominion banks in Virginia, Maryland and Washington will become offices of First Union National Bank on Friday.

First Union will unveil its green and white signs at branches in Washington, Baltimore, Richmond, Norfolk, Fredericksburg and the Washington suburbs, as it did in October at 53 offices in the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia.

Also affected will be dozens of smaller communities in northern and southeastern Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley, including Winchester and Harrisonburg.

First Union acquired Dominion in March and First American in June. - Staff report

\ USAir reduces some fares to Florida

USAir announced Tuesday reductions of roughly 50 percent in its lowest fares between Roanoke and three Florida cities. The new lowest round-trip ticket to Tampa costs $119 and to Jacksonville or Orlando are $139.

Normal lowest round-trip fares to Orlando and Tampa are $271 and to Jacksonville $264. The special fares require that tickets be bought seven days in advance, departure from Roanoke on the last flight of the day, and the return from Florida on the first flight of the day. Also, travelers must buy their tickets within 24 hours after making reservations and must stay over a Saturday night. - Staff report

\ Briefly . . .

Rowe Furniture Corp. on Tuesday increased its quarterly dividend 20 percent, from 2 1/2 cents to 3 cents per share, to be paid Jan. 14 to shareholders on Dec. 23.

An improving economy and low interest rates pushed mortgage delinquencies to a 19-year low from July through September, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association.