freshs PUMPS UP BALLY STOCK Ba...

freshs PUMPS UP BALLY STOCK

Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp.'s shares climbed Friday, boost from news that the troubled fitness chain inked an agreement with its largest shareholder that hinted at a possible buyout or other "strategic transaction." Stock of the Chicago-based company rose 20 cent or 84 percent to terminate at $2.58 Friday on the of recent origin York Stock Exchange. Pardus Capital Management LP which confesss a 14.8 percent stake in Bally's, disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday that Bally will provide nonpublic information to Pardus "for the plan of evaluating and negotiating a possible strategic transaction."

CEC HIRES WELL-KNOWN LAWYER

Career Education Corp. announced Friday it has hired attorney William A. O'Connor as vice president and associate general forethought for regulatory law. O'Connor was principally recently chief legal counsel and ethics officer and chief of staff to the office of the minority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, where he helped write ethics legislation.

SALTON CHAIR LEAVES BOARD

Salton Inc. go to the bottom David C. Sabin, 57, retired Friday as chairman of the board and as a director, the Lake Forest-based appliance maker announced. Sabin, chairman of the company since September 1991 and secretary and director since its August 1988 inception, will assist temporarily as a consultant helping the company with customer relations and returns development.

critic STALLS NORTHWEST STRIKE

A U umpire temporarily blocked Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants from going forward strike, a tactic the company said could force it without of business. U.S. District arbitrator Victor Marrero said he was delaying for "a not many days" a decision on Northwest's appeal of a bankruptcy court ruling that would have allowed the work stoppage. The flight attendants union, which had planned strikes by the agency of its 9,300 Northwest members beginning Friday night, said it would obey the judge's order.

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