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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 20, 1995                   TAG: 9509200041
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

Sharp gains in grain and coal loadings contributed to a 16,000-carload increase in freight traffic on the nation's railroads during the week ended Sept. 9 compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported. The survey weeks for both years included the Labor Day holiday.

Carload traffic was up 5.1 percent, or 340,770 cars, with loadings up 9.1 percent in the West and 1 percent in the East. Intermodal traffic totaled 137,059 containers and trailers, down 3.2 percent from last year.

Grain shipments were up more than 8,000 cars, or 38.6 percent, and coal was up more than 5,000 cars, or 4.5 percent. Grain was up 19.6 percent for the year.

Harry Levine, the association's chief economist, said intermodal loadings are below last year's totals, but that should be viewed in the context of huge increases last year caused by a shortage of truck drivers and a labor dispute in the trucking industry.

- Staff report

Wheat First wins national awards

Wheat First Butcher Singer's financial planning program for retired people has won awards in the 1995 National Mature Media Awards Program.

J. Tyler Pugh, senior vice president and branch manager of the company's Roanoke office, said the program won a silver award for its marketing brochure and a bronze award in the newsletter category.

Wheat First started the program at the beginning of 1994 to help retired people manage their assets and deal with financial problems such as inflation, taxes and health care costs.

- Staff report

Eagle Rock to get local-calling poll

The Roanoke & Botetourt Telephone Co. said it will distribute ballots to its customers in Eagle Rock's 884 exchange to learn if they want to extend local calling to the 862 and 863 exchanges in Clifton Forge.

The poll is the result of a customer petition, the company said.

If the proposal is approved, base phone rates for residential service for customers in Eagle Rock would increase $3.45 a month and the residential message rate would increase $2 a month in exchange for lifting of toll charges on calls between Eagle Rock and Clifton Forge, the company said.

The company mailed the ballots Sept. 15. They must be returned postmarked no later than Nov. 15. If Eagle Rock customers approve, the next step would be to poll Clifton Forge customers.

Questions about the proposal should be directed to R&B Telephone at 992-2211.

- Staff report