DATE: Wednesday, July 2, 1997               TAG: 9707020491

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   70 lines

LOCAL SCENE

NORFOLK

NORFOLK SOUTHERN HIRING 160 IN DECATUR, ILL.: Norfolk Southern Railway Co. plans to hire about 160 workers at its Decatur, Ill., rail yard in a few months, company officials said. The Norfolk-based railroad needs to hire more people because of traffic volumes generated by the healthy industries that use the railroad, said S.L. McGinnis, superintendent of the Illinois division. If the economy keeps growing, Norfolk Southern may need to hire as many as 250 in the next 18 months for the Decatur yard.

LAW FIRMS MERGE: Alfred Bernard III, James T. Lloyd Jr. and Philip R. Trapani Jr. have merged their law offices and formed Trapani, Bernard & Lloyd. Their offices are at 345 Monticello Arcade, 208 E. Plume St.

MOSER JOINS ACCOUNTING FIRM: Failes & Associates named Susan J. Moser as director of government contract services, a newly formed division of the company. Prior to this, she served as vice president for one of the area's largest 8(a) government contractors and as controller for an expanding 8(a) federal contractor with international operations. The federal 8(a) program provides work for minority contractors.

VIRGINIA BEACH

HAMPTON ROADS MAIL SERVICE EXPANDS: Hampton Roads Mail Service, a mail service company, has added a sales and marketing department. Steve Valentini was named director of the sales/marketing department. He was with Dow Jones & Co. where he was a circulation manager at The Wall Street Journal in Palo Alto, Calif.

ADVERTISING AGENCY RECEIVES HONORS: Barker Campbell Farley & Mansfield Advertising and Public Relations is the winner of three Measure of Excellence honors recently awarded by the Virginia Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations. The entries were created for Sentara Health System and Sentara's health plan, Optima. The Optima radio campaign received a Superior Award, and Meritorious Awards were presented for the Sentara ``Ratings'' television spot and Sentara Web site.

NEWPORT NEWS

ABU DHABI SHIP BUILDING WORKS ON GORDON: Newport News Shipbuilding had an affiliated Persian Gulf shipyard complete warranty work on the U.S. military transport ship Gordon. The big Peninsula yard completed a major conversion of the Gordon last year, delivering it to the Military Sealift Command in August. The ship is in the Middle East on its maiden voyage. Newport News Shipbuilding provides executive and technical support for Abu Dhabi Ship Building, which opened last year in the United Arab Emirates. Newport News Shipbuilding hopes to help Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding get other Navy repair work in the Middle East. It has 16 employees permanently located in the oil-rich Persian Gulf state. Newport News Shipbuilding is trying to win a contract that could be worth up to $2 billion to build up to eight fast frigates for the U.A.E. military.

VIRGINIA

WORKERS COMP RATES MAY CHANGE: While most employers would see rates for their workers compensation insurance fall in 1998, contractors would receive an overall 2.5 percent increase in premiums if the State Corporation Commission in Richmond approves a filing by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The council - which acts on behalf of insurance companies - filed July 1 for an average decrease of 1.5 percent in Virginia workers' compensation premiums, and a 2.9 percent decrease in premiums for employers in the assigned risk market. The filings would take effect April 1, 1998.

CORRECTION: The ``How to Invest Through Investment Clubs'' seminar, presented by Edward Jones, will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, not on Sunday, July 6. MEMO: To submit an item, send it to Local Scene, The Virginian-Pilot

Business News Department, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510.

Photos are welcome. Or fax your submission to 446-2531. ILLUSTRATION: Moser

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