Utility opposes brewer's plan

Duquesne Light yesterday objected to bankrupt Pittsburgh Brewing's plans to borrow $500,00 from an unidentified lender while it tries to reorganize. The brewer consistently has been late paying its bills and has yet to pay a $9,800 security deposit as required by a Feb. 14 court order, Duquesne Light said in court papers. Under the terms of proposed financing, the lender would be paid before Duquesne Light received any amounts the brewery owes for electricity provided since the company sought bankruptcy protection a year ago, the utility said.

Grocer finds more buyers

Tops Markets found buyers for more of its northeastern Ohio stores, in addition to the 19 locations being sold to O'Hara-based grocer Giant Eagle. All 46 stores will be closed today. Deals are in place for 29 sites. In addition to Giant Eagle, other grocers will buy another eight sites, with two reverting to the landlords. The Williamsville, N.Y.-based subsidiary of Dutch grocer Ahold is pulling out of the Ohio market.

Le-Nature's cash to flow

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge M. Bruce McCullough yesterday signed an order authorizing use of cash generated by Le-Nature's to wind down operations at the bankrupt Latrobe bottled water company. Some of the money from the creditor-backed plan will be used to investigate allegations of accounting fraud. Creditors hope the probe will increase their monetary recovery from former management as well as from other parties who were in a position to know about or prevent any illegal activity.

A setback for Coudersport

Time Warner Cable will close its call center in Coudersport, Potter County, in early February, eliminating about 500 jobs. Time Warner is not the cable provider for the area and has call center operations throughout its service areas, a company spokeswoman said. The closure was a possibility since Time Warner took over operations of Adelphia Communications Corp. in July, she said.

Also in business ...

RheoGene Inc., an affiliate of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, has granted a license to Centocor Research and Development Inc. to use RheoGene's gene-targeting AttSite. Financial terms weren't disclosed ... Indiana, Pa.-based oil field services company Superior Well Services Inc. said it priced its offering of 4.6 million shares at $25.50 each, including 3 million sold by the company and 1.6 million sold by stockholders, and that proceeds of about $72.7 million will be used to repay debt and purchase additional equipment ... Groundbreaking for the H. John Heinz III Progressive Care Center, a part of VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, is scheduled to be held at 9:30 a.m. today in O'Hara. The $34 million project includes a residential living facility and an administration building.