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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 2, 1995                   TAG: 9509050055
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

Although "sold" signs have been posted at the long-vacant former Woolworth store in downtown Roanoke, the deal has not yet been finalized. Will Trinkle of C.W. Francis & Son Inc. of Roanoke, who represents the seller, said Friday the sale is expected to be completed Sept. 12.

He declined to identify the buyer of the building at 26 Campbell Ave. S.W. until the transaction has closed, but he said the buyer is a downtown merchant who plans a retail business on the street-level floor. There are as yet no plans for the structure's upper floors, Trinkle said.

As part of a major streamlining of the national corporation, Woolworth closed the store at the end of 1993. It had operated at that location since 1903.

- Staff report

Va. Power to open 7 payment centers

Virginia Power said Friday it will open seven customer payment centers in Alleghany and Rockbridge counties on Sept. 11

The company's business offices at 2307 Beech Ave. in Buena Vista and 1212 Winterberry Ave. in Low Moore will stop taking payments Nov. 30.

Personnel at the new centers will take payments at automated terminals that will transmit payment information directly to Virginia Power. All types of payments will be accepted at the centers, including service deposits, delinquent bills, partial payments and overpayments.

The centers will be located in:

Buena Vista at Loughhead Building Supply at 1913 Magnolia Ave. and Four Seasons Florist & Gifts at 2152 Sycamore Avenue.

Lexington at Harris Teeter at 422 E. Nelson Street.

Natural Bridge Station at Loughhead Building Supply on Rt. 130.

Covington at Downer Hardware and Supply at 610 South Highland Ave. and Fridley's Pharmacy at 320 W. Main St.

Clifton Forge at Owen's Pharmacy at 515 E. Ridgeway St.

Last month, Virginia Power announced that it would increase the number of neighborhood payment centers throughout its service area from 20 to about 200 by the middle of 1996.

- Staff report

Bankruptcies

Two bankruptcies with business affiliations have been filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Virginia at Roanoke. One of them is a personal bankruptcy that the court listed as a business because it has commercial connections and could be of interest to business creditors and customers.

Dewey Randolph Young Jr., trading as Young Trucking, and Sherry Young of Henry filed for liquidation. They estimated their assets and liabilities at less than $50,000 each.

James E. Goodman of Rocky Mount, who described himself as a realty agent and landlord, filed for a wage earner plan for repayment of debts. He said he had assets of $656,427 and liabilities of $330,607.