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

DATE: THURSDAY, May 26, 1994                   TAG: 9405260076
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

RICHMOND - Virginia's three largest telephone companies told the State Corporation Commission they should not be required to allow commercial use of three-digit numbers.

Private firms want to use the numbers, such as 211 or 311, to sell lottery results, sports news and other information.

Bell Atlantic-Virginia Inc., based in Richmond, went further and challenged the State Corporation Commission's legal authority to order the company to test the service for two years in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

``It would put the commission in the position of managing the telephone company's business,'' Warner Brundage Jr., Bell Atlantic's lawyer, said Tuesday.

GTE Virginia Inc. and Sprint/Mid-Atlantic Telecom Inc., representing Centel-Virginia and United Telephone-Southeast, also objected to opening the codes to information providers.

The SCC received requests for the three-digit codes last year from Landmark Communications Inc., which publishes the Roanoke Times & World-News, daily newspapers in Norfolk and a weekly news magazine in Richmond; the Washington Post Co.; and MarketLink, a Minneapolis-based information services provider.

- Associated Press

Best Products posts smaller loss

Best Products Co Inc., a Richmond-based retailer with a store in Roanoke, reported a net loss of $18 million in its first quarter, ended April 30. That compares with a loss of $21.3 million a year earlier. Sales for the quarter rose 9.2 percent to $273.7 million from $250.8 million.

Lechters finishes 1st quarter in red

Lechters Inc., a Harrison, N.J., housewares retailer with a store in Roanoke, reported a net loss of $1.3 million, equal to 7 cents per share, in its first quarter ended April 30, compared with net income of $356,000, or 2 cents per share, in the comparable 1993 quarter. Sales for the quarter rose 14 percent to $73.7 million from $64.4 million a year earlier.

First Virginia raises dividend

FALLS CHURCH - First Virginia Banks Inc., Falls Church parent of First Virginia Bank-Southwest and Southwest Operations Center Inc., on Wednesday declared a quarterly dividend of 32 cents per share on its common stock, up from 31 cents previously. The company also increased dividends for several series of its preferred stock. All the higher dividends will be paid July 18 to shareholders of June 30.

Allen welcomes Westvaco move

RICHMOND - Gov. George Allen on Wednesday welcomed Westvaco Corp.'s decision to move 110 corporate headquarters employees from New York City to Chesterfield County.

``Feel free to bring even more investment and more jobs to Virginia,'' Allen said at a news conference. He said the company chose Chesterfield County over sites in Kentucky, South Carolina and Maryland.

Westvaco operates a paper mill in Covington and employs more than 3,000 people across the state.

- Associated Press