TOBACCO-LAWSUIT

EARNS-DOMINION RESOURCES

BLACKSBURG EXPLOSION

WEEKENDS IN JAIL

UVA JOURNAL-LAWSUIT

TOBACCO-LAWSUIT

RICHMOND — A challenge by two of the largest U.S. cigarette makers alleging conflicts of interest in the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel’s review of tobacco products can move forward, a federal judge has ruled. In an order posted Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon in Washington denied the FDA’s motion to dismiss the suit filed by Lorillard Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. The suit filed last year alleges financial conflict of interest and bias by several members of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee and asks the court to stop the federal agency from relying on the panel’s recommendations. By Tobacco Writer Michael Felberbaum.

EARNS-DOMINION RESOURCES

RICHMOND — Energy provider Dominion Resources Inc. said Wednesday that costs related to summer storm outages and other charges, as well as declines in electricity use due to milder-than-normal weather, drove its second-quarter profit down about 23 percent. The Richmond, Va.-based company reported earnings of $258 million, or 45 cents per share for the three months ended June 30, compared with $336 million, or 58 cents per share, a year ago. By Business Writer Michael Felberbaum.

BLACKSBURG EXPLOSION

BLACKSBURG — A pipe bomb exploded in Blacksburg early Wednesday, damaging a vehicle parked blocks from Virginia Tech’s campus. The improvised explosive device exploded near several parked vehicles at about 2:50 a.m., authorities said. A sports utility vehicle appears to have been targeted, said Rich Marianos, special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

WEEKENDS IN JAIL

RICHMOND — Virginia’s attorney general says a little-noticed 1999 law bars judges from allowing felons to serve their jail terms just on weekends. Virginia Lawyers Weekly reports (http://bit.ly/MRI8no ) that the Virginia Beach sheriff’s office brought the law to the attention of the city prosecutor, who requested an opinion from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Defense lawyers say weekend jail time is routinely allowed in many jurisdictions, including Virginia Beach, as a way to let defendants provide child care or keep jobs that will allow them to pay fines and court costs.

UVA JOURNAL-LAWSUIT

CHARLOTTESVILLE — The University of Virginia is being sued by the family of a literary journal managing editor who committed suicide in 2010. The $10 million lawsuit claims 52-year-old Kevin Morrissey’s death stemmed from a hostile work environment created by U.Va. officials and the Virginia Quarterly Review.

ALSO RECEIVING INTEREST:

— VDOT FATAL — Police ID VDOT worker killed in traffic accident.

— LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT — Martinsville keeps top jobless rate in June.

— ROMNEY-TRAVEL — Romney finalizes plans for multistate bus tour.

— OBAMA THREAT-SENTENCING — Va. man who pleaded guilty to Obama threat freed.

— OLD MURDER-COVINGTON — State police reopen probe of ’92 Covington slaying.

— FATAL HIT-RUN — Woman struck and killed in Herndon parking lot.

— TEEN KILLED — Plea deals for 2 suspects in W.Va. teen’s slaying.

— COAL CONTRACT LAWSUIT — Mountain State Carbon, Alpha settle contract suit.

— EARNS-AMERIGROUP — Amerigroup 2Q net income falls as revenue climbs.

— OCEANFRONT DEATH — Mich. man dies after ocean rescue at Va. Beach.

— POLLUTION FINE — Hopewell plant fined, improving pollution controls.

— FARM LINK WORKSHOP — Farming transitions focus of Va. workshop.

— LINCOLN MOVIE — Virginia again backdrop for Lincoln film.

— ENDANGERED ARTIFACTS — Public to have say on top Va. endangered artifacts.

— EAGLES RELEASE — Va. rehabilitation center to release 2 eagles.

The AP-Richmond