Business

U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose halted the proceedings Thursday in Pittsburgh in the civil lawsuit Aluminum Bahrain filed against Alcoa Inc. until the end of a federal investigation into claims that Alcoa's employees and its agents used bribes to gain business. The lawsuit filed in February claimed that Aluminum Bahrain overpaid for Alcoa's alumina, a primary material for aluminum production, because company and government officials took bribes. Alcoa denied the allegations. The government last week asked to intervene to prevent questioning of witnesses or gathering of documents, for fear it might harm a criminal investigation. Ambrose's order stops Alcoa from responding to the complaint, and Aluminum Bahrain from filing a RICO statement specifying its allegations of bribery.

CNet to cut 120 jobs

CNet Networks Inc. says it is laying off 120 employees as part of an effort to streamline the online media company while generating more content for its news and entertainment sites. All the layoffs -- about 4.4 percent of CNet's work force -- will involve employees in the United States. CNet's suite of popular Web sites commands a huge worldwide audience, but its investors have long complained the company's profits haven't kept pace with the growth of Internet advertising. Along with the technology news site CNet.com, the San Francisco-based company operates News.com, TV.com, GameSpot.com, Chow.com and BNet.com. It said in a February filing that, as of Dec. 31, it employed about 2,700 people worldwide.

Columbia hike studied

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania's plan for a rate increase will come under scrutiny by the state Public Utility Commission. The natural gas utility, which is replacing 600,000 feet of aging pipeline, wants to increase annual revenue by $58.9 million, or 10.3 percent. The PUC voted 4-0 Thursday to investigate the request, a typical step with rate hikes. Columbia's increase would raise the monthly bill for a customer using 7.2 thousand cubic feet by $10.99, to $113.94. The PUC action suspends the increase for up to seven months, and assigns the matter to an administrative law judge. The PUC will make a final decision by Oct. 28. Columbia has 370,556 residential, 37,914 commercial and 327 industrial customers in 26 counties.

DeCesare fined $25,000

The state Department of Environmental Protection said it fined DeCesare Corp., of Murrysville, $25,000 after work at its San Ria Court development in Murrysville led to pollution of the Steels Run stream. The department said the company violated a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit when earth disturbance activities begun in 2004 led to stormwater runoff carrying sediment into Steels Run, which is designated as a high quality stream and cold water fishery.

Highmark to go dark

Highmark Inc. will shut off its lights in Downtown's Fifth Avenue Place and Penn Avenue Place between 8 and 9 p.m. Saturday in recognition of the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour promotion of environmental initiatives. Highmark operates some 12,000 lights in the two buildings, which will be turned off for an hour, along with the blue-light spike atop Fifth Avenue Place. Earlier this week, H.J. Heinz Co. said it would shut off the neon-lit ketchup bottle atop the Heinz History Center in the Strip District on Saturday and encouraged its 33,000 workers worldwide to turn off their lights.

Justifacts to add jobs

Justifacts Credential Verification Inc., of Plum, said Thursday it will increase employment from 62 people to between 90 and 100 workers in the next 3 to 5 years as a result of its move to the Westmoreland Business and Research Park in Upper Burrell. The Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp.'s board approved the agreement on Thursday for Justifacts to construct a 20,000-square-foot office on a 4.1-acre parcel in the business park. Justifacts, which specializes in a detailed background screening process, has been in business more than 25 years and has served more than 1,300 clients, the company said.

Tourism boosters honored

VisitPittsburgh announced its 2006 Travel & Tourism Partner Awards on Thursday at its annual meeting. Chip Riley, executive director of East Coast Volleyball Inc., received the Convention & Meetings Partner Award for bringing an annual junior girls' championship to the city. Richard Piacentini, executive director of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, has a Travel & Tourism Advocate Award related to the "Chihuly: Gardens and Glass" exhibit. Marguerite Marks received the same award for the yearlong Pittsburgh Celebrates Glass event.

Other business news:

• Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down slightly this week, staying below 6 percent, although rates on other types of mortgages rose. Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, said Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.85 percent this week. That was down slightly from 5.87 percent last week and marked the second consecutive week that rates have been below 6 percent.

• Vision-guided robot maker Seegrid Corp. of Lawrenceville named Mitchell Weiss as chief operating officer and Greg Cronin as executive vice president. Weiss oversees engineering and manufacturing at Seegrid's facility in Lowell, Mass. Cronin joined Seegrid from Descartes Systems Group, where he was executive vice president responsible for sales and marketing. Seegrid's robots are used in warehouses.

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