The Daily Record News Summaries: June 26, 2008

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jun 26, 2008

BAE employee killed in Iraq

BAE Systems, of Rockville, the North American arm of a British defense company, announced that one of its employees, Nicole Suveges, a political scientist, was killed Tuesday in a bombing in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq. She was working with the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, on an Army socio- cultural comprehension program for which BAE is the prime contractor. Suveges, who earned a master's degree in political science from George Washington University, was completing her Ph.D. in political science from the Johns Hopkins University, where she also served as managing editor for the "Review of International Political Economy."

Sourcefire suitor hikes offer

Barracuda Networks Inc., a maker of computer network security products, said it increased its offer to acquire Maryland-based rival Sourcefire Inc. to $8.25 per share. Barracuda Networks, based in Campbell, Calif., said it first made the increased offer to Sourcefire on June 9, and that Sourcefire rejected the offer on June 18. The new offer represents a 10 percent increase from Barracuda's previous $7.50 bid on May 29, which Sourcefire also rejected. Sourcefire on Wednesday also turned down the latest offer.

S&P lowers Vertis' ratings

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it lowered its rating on Baltimore-based Vertis Inc.'s $350 million, 10.875 percent senior unsecured notes due 2009 to D from C, and its corporate credit rating on the company to D from SD, because the company missed a June 15 interest payment on the notes. Vertis, a provider of targeted advertising, media and marketing services, and American Color Graphics Inc., of Brentwood, Tenn., have announced plans to merge and restructure, and have prepared a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to speed the merger process. American Color Graphics' corporate credit rating was also lowered by S&P.

Parents protest ICC road work

Students and parents at Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring are demanding that Maryland halt construction of the Inter-County Connector until the state studies its potential health effects. About three dozen demonstrators gathered at the school Tuesday. The protesters say the highway, which will link I-70 in Montgomery County with I-95 in Prince George's County, will pass about 100 yards from the school grounds. They say the state needs to do more to guarantee that children, especially those with breathing problems, will be safe. A spokeswoman for Gov. Martin O'Malley said the governor has no plans to halt construction.

Medisolv buys Canadian firm

Medisolv Inc., of Columbia, a provider of business intelligence and clinical decision support software for hospitals in the United States and Canada, said it acquired a competitor, Clinsaver Software Inc., and its subsidiary, McCartney Consultants, of Toronto, Canada. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Medisolv said the acquisition will add experienced resources and personnel to its staff, and bring health care customers in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia to Medisolv's existing client portfolio. Under the agreement, Clinsaver's president will become Medisolv's vice president of Canadian operations.

Live Baltimore picks Fastspot

The Live Baltimore Home Center, a nonprofit organization that promotes the benefits of living in Baltimore City, said it selected Fastspot LLC, a Baltimore-based, minority-owned, Web and interactive design firm, to redesign the Live Baltimore Web site. Fastspot won the award during a competitive process in which 17 area companies took part. Live Baltimore and Fastspot will collaborate to enhance the popular Web site, developing interactive tools and a simplified portal to enable people to get information on such topics as educational seminars and home buying incentives.

Senators push for watermen aid

Maryland's two U.S. senators, Democrats Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, and Virginia's senators, Republican John Warner and Democrat James Webb, are jointly urging U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez to hasten his decision regarding the disaster declaration request by the states for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. The declaration would open up some $20 million in federal aid to help struggling watermen and seafood processors stay in business. The states are cutting their harvest of female crabs by more than a third this year in an attempt to revive the sagging stock of the bay's hallmark seafood.

Remodeled supermarket opens

Giant Food LLC, of Landover, a regional supermarket company, announced the completion of a multimillion dollar renovation of its 50,000-square-foot Catonsville store at 6223-25 Baltimore National Pike. The company has scheduled a "coming-back-out" party on Friday at 8 a.m. to celebrate the completion of the 12-week-long renovation. As part of a three-year company initiative to update 100 stores, the remodeled Catonsville store features improvements to the produce and perishable departments as well as a new interior decor, new store signage and larger food and pharmacy departments.