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

DATE: THURSDAY, July 15, 1993                   TAG: 9307150438
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

Roanoke Gas Co. customers may see small credits on their monthly bills as the result of a court ruling this week involving the company's supplier, Columbia Gas Transmission Corp.

A court of appeals in Charleston, W.Va., said Tuesday Columbia Gas can flow through to its customers, retail gas companies, about $177 million in refunds it has received or will receive from its natural gas pipeline suppliers.

The ruling prevents the company's creditors from sharing in the refunds to satisfy their claims in the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Roanoke Gas President Frank Farmer said Columbia Gas is one of the local company's wholesale suppliers.

He said the refund for an average residential customer of Roanoke Gas would be 13.3 cents a month for 12 months, a total of about $1.60. The actual amount would vary based on actual consumption.

The timing of the refunds will depend on whether there are further appeals and on the Bankruptcy Court's schedule. - Staff report

Briefly . . .

\ First Union National Bank of Florida, a unit of First Union Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., said Wednesday it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Enterprise Bank in Winter Park, Fla. Enterprise has one office, with about $40 million in assets. The agreement provides for the payment of $8.8 million in cash by First Union. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the year, subject to Enterprise shareholder approval, regulatory approval and other conditions of closing.

\ Brandon Becker, a 16-year veteran of the SEC, on Wednesday was named head of the Securities and Exchange Commission unit that oversees the stock markets. He was appointed by acting SEC Chair man Mary Schapiro to lead the agency's Market Regulation Division, where he has been deputy director since 1991. He replaces William Heyman, who left the agency in March and joined the investment firm of Salomon Brothers on Monday.