Businessbriefs

Preservation conference runs through Saturday

"Opening Doors to Preservation: 25 Years of Partnerships," astatewide historic preservation conference, began today and continuesthrough noon Saturday in Charleston.

Today's highlight is the annual Main Street West Virginia awardsbanquet at the Marriott. Gov. Joe Manchin is the keynote speaker.

Friday's highlight will be a keynote speech by Joseph Riley, mayorof the city of Charleston, S.C. Riley will speak at 1:15 p.m. at theCapitol Theater. Conference participants will have an opportunity totake two local tours on Saturday. There will be a tour of downtownCharleston from 9 a.m. to Noon.

It will begin at the Midland Trail National Scenic HighwayAssociation Office, 237 Capitol St. There will be a tour ofCharleston's West Side from 1:30 to 4 p.m. It will begin at PDMArchitects, 305 Washington St. W.

The conference is sponsored by the Preservation Alliance of WestVirginia and Main Street West Virginia. For more information callCarrie Williams at 345-6005. For more information about theCharleston tours on Saturday, call Jama Burton of the Charleston AreaAlliance, 340-4253.

NiSource reports drop

in first quarter net income

NiSource Inc., the corporate parent of Columbia Gas TransmissionCorp., reported first quarter net income of $172.9 million, down from$206.3 million in the same period a year ago.

The lower income in the most recent quarter reflects a record-setting warm winter that was 15 percent warmer than a year ago, thecompany said Wednesday.

NiSource has about 650 employees in West Virginia. Most of themwork across the Kanawha River from the Capitol, in Columbia GasTransmission's MacCorkle Avenue office building.

Bayer employees to help

build house for charity

Employee volunteers from Bayer MaterialScience in South Charlestonand Bayer CropScience in Institute were scheduled to help build aHabitat for Humanity house in South Charleston's Jubilee Heightssubdivision today.

The home-building project is underwritten by a $50,000 grant fromthe Bayer Foundation. It will benefit a local family of four.

COMPILED BY

GEORGE HOHMANN