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In brief

By TIMES WIRES
Published July 28, 2006

Competition in Christian retail

Christian retailers like Chuck Wallington have long had a comfortable niche, but lately they've found themselves in competition with giant retailers and the Internet.

Largo Winn-Dixie among closings

Following up on a pledge to close stores that don't meet profitability standards, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. chief executive officer Peter Lynch has decided to close seven more stores before the company emerges from bankruptcy this fall. Among them is the Winn-Dixie at 1199 E Bay Drive in Largo, which will close by the end of August. That will leave the Jacksonville chain with 530 stores.

Google settles click fraud case

An Arkansas judge Thursday approved a $90-million settlement between Google Inc. and advertisers who claimed the Internet search engine company improperly billed them for "clicks" that didn't lead to genuine customers seeking their products. Google will give advertising credits that are the equivalent of a $3.80 refund on every $1,000 spent in its advertising network during the past 4 years.

Shrimp processors agree to inspections

Three of Florida's largest shrimp processors have signed agreements with Wild American Shrimp Inc., an industry trade group, to sell shrimp meeting higher quality specifications. The three processors' shrimp will be inspected by Wild American Shrimp and certified that it meets quality specifications. The move is part of an effort by the U.S. shrimp industry to compete against foreign imports flooding the market. The three processors are Cox's Wholesale Seafood in Tampa, Tampa Maid in Lakeland and Wood's Fisheries in Port St. Joe.

Majority of seniors happy with drug plans

More than eight in 10 seniors enrolled in Medicare drug plans are satisfied with their plan, according to a June survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Menlo Park, Calif. nonprofit organization found that about two in 10 of the 1,585 seniors polled said they'd had a major problem with their plan, including having to pay unexpected costs or finding that their drug was not covered. Seniors in fair or poor health were significantly more likely to report major problems. Medicare Part D began in January.

Banker given 30 year sentence for fraud

Former Hamilton Bank chief Eduardo A. Masferrer was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for a fraud scheme that falsely inflated the bank's earnings to bolster its stock and won him a $1.8-million bonus. Hamilton bank once operated in the Tampa Bay region.

[Last modified July 28, 2006, 01:18:20]