ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, August 3, 1996               TAG: 9608050021
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 

IN BUSINESS

ValuJet may fly again before end of August

ATLANTA - ValuJet Airlines should be flying again within three weeks, but the return could be delayed if Congress holds hearings on a complaint by a flight attendants union official.

ValuJet President Lewis Jordan this week told about 1,000 furloughed and current employees his best guess is ValuJet will begin flying again between Aug. 15 and Aug. 23, with nine planes in service between Atlanta and four cities he did not name.

But Susan Clayton, president of the ValuJet chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants, wants the FAA to remove Jordan and Chairman Robert Priddy before ValuJet is permitted to fly. Jordan and other company officials urged the employees to sign petitions opposing the complaint.

The Federal Aviation Administration grounded ValuJet on June 17, citing concerns about airplane maintenance following the fatal crash of Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades on May 11. -Associated Press Bankruptcies

Seven bankruptcies with business affiliations have been filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Virginia at Roanoke. Four of them are personal bankruptcies that the court listed as businesses because they have commercial connections and could be of interest to business creditors and customers.

Christopher C. Cooper of Rocky Mount, owner of a retail music supply store, filed for liquidation with assets of $11,900 and liabilities of $30,233.

Jack Foster Sr. and Diane Lynn Foster of Rocky Mount filed for a wage-earner plan for repayment of debts with assets of $43,728 and liabilities of $109,762. Jack Foster is a self-employed truck driver.

Raymond L. Kinder Jr. and Theresa C. Kinder of Tazewell, who have an interest in Silver Bullet Mining Inc., sought liquidation with assets of $79,645 and liabilities of $231,845.

Oscar Lyn Wright of Roanoke filed for liquidation with assets of $36,659 and liabilities of $92,066. He operated as O.L. Wright Contracting, a hauler of highway construction materials.

Ronny Jay Lester and Cheryl Denise Lester of Grundy filed for liquidation, listing assets of $27,480 and liabilities of $80,578. Ronny Lester trades as Italian Village.

Patty Ruth Lyons Seal of Lambsburg in Carroll County, who called herself a self-employed game room operator, filed for liquidation with assets of $81,175 and liabilities of $51,471.

Douglas Delano Neighbors Jr. of Roanoke, owner of Doug Neighbors Roofing, filed for liquidation with assets of $16,400 and liabilities of $149,162. -Staff report Briefly ...

Optical Cable Corp. said the $4.75 million in orders it received in July set a monthly record. The previous record of $4.5 million was set in March, when the company got an order from a northern European government for a military project, President Bob Kopstein said. The July record reflects a general improvement in business rather than any single large contract, he said. The company makes a broad range of fiber optic cables for the transmission of data, video and audio over medium distances. The company is to report earnings for its third quarter Sept. 15, and Kopstein said it expects to show significant improvement for the period.

New River Industries Inc. and Beavertown Mills Inc. said Friday they have completed a merger and will operate under the name of NRB Industries Inc. New River Industries has two plants in Radford; Beavertown Mills is in Beavertown, Pa. NRB will have its office in New York City. The plants will continue as suppliers of synthetic woven fabrics.

LENGTH: Medium:   68 lines