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

DATE: SATURDAY, November 12, 1994                   TAG: 9411140114
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

Railroad retirement benefits, like those paid by the Social Security Administration, are scheduled to increase in January based on the rise in the cost of living during the 12-months ended last month.

Tier One railroad retirement benefits will rise by 2.8 percent, as will Social Security benefits. Tier Two railroad benefits will increase by 0.9 percent or 32.5 percent of the increase in the government's Consumer Price Index.

For the average regular railroad retiree, the annuity will increase by $24 a month to $1,119 in January and the average combined benefits for a retiree and spouse will increase by $35 to $1,656 a month. For widows or widowers of retirees, the survivor annuity will increase by $16 to $668 a month.

Railroad retirement taxes will not increase in 1995, but the amount of pay subject to these payroll taxes will increase in January as a result of increases in average national wages to which they are indexed.

Railroad retirees who work after retirement can earn more in 1995 without having their benefits reduced as a result of increases in earnings limits that are based on average national wage increases.

Staff report

Briefly ...

A Diabetes Management Center, operated by Franklin Memorial Hospital, has opened in Franklin County at Old Floyd Pike Square on Virginia 40 west. The center is staffed by Carla Teal, a diabetes nurse educator, and Lucy Shell, a registered dietician.

Family Dollar Stores Inc., a Matthews, N.C., discount retailer operating Roanoke Valley stores, Friday named John D. Reier president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. Reier has been senior vice president for merchandising and advertising since 1987.

Vishay Intertechnology Inc.'s Vitramon unit, including a plant in Roanoke, has received Ford Motor Co.'s top award for suppliers of components for its cars and trucks. The Total Quality Excellence award was for Vitramon's multilayer ceramic capacitor chips, which store and regulate power on electronic circuit boards that operate air bags, electronic engine controls, anti-lock brakes and auto sound systems.