ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 1997                TAG: 9703250083
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: INDICATOR 

IN BUSINESS

The number of passengers boarding planes at Roanoke Regional Airport was about the same in February as a year earlier, while total cargo moved through the airport was down 8.96 percent. Mark Courtney, airport commission spokesman, said the amount of air freight (total cargo excluding air mail) was off 15.84 percent measured by weight, while freight taken off planes was down 1.1percent. He said UPS is trucking second-day delivery packages to their destinations rather than using planes from Roanoke. He expects that to continue throughout the year.

Flawed part forces recall of new 'Vettes

DETROIT - Two weeks after the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette went on sale, General Motors Corp. has recalled it to fix a defect that could cause drivers to lose control of the high-performance sports cars.

The recall affects about 1,400 of the new, fifth-generation 'Vettes, but only 530 had been delivered to customers as of Friday, GM spokesman Kyle Johnson said.

GM employees noticed the problem while driving new Corvettes in the company fleet, Johnson said Monday. An investigation revealed that some of the cars have a metal rear-suspension part, called a toe link, that was improperly heat-treated by the supplier. The part controls the angle of the wheels.

The $38,060 Corvette is produced in Bowling Green, Ky. The 1997 model, the first complete redesign of the storied sports car in 13 years, went on sale March 7.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Short-term T-bill rates up

The Treasury Department on Monday sold $11.6 billion in three-month bills at an average discount rate of 5.26 percent, up from 5.13 percent last week. An additional $11.5 billion was sold in six-month bills at an average rate of 5.33 percent, up from 5.26 percent.

The three-month bill rate was the highest since they sold for 5.3 percent Dec. 11, 1995. The six-month bill rate was the highest since 5.38 percent on Sept. 3, 1996.

The Federal Reserve said the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, the most popular index for adjustable-rate mortgages, rose to 5.81 percent from 5.72 percent.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

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