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Profiles 12th District Representative Pete Geren. Reasons for his decision not to run for the re-election; Commitment to family values; Plans for his political career.

Focuses on the merger of Central Bancorp. and Norwest Corp. Implications for the banking industry in Texas; Deal between Boatmen's-NationsBank.

Presents an interview with United States Small Business Administration chief counsel for advocacy, Jere Glover on his attitude toward the job and issues seen as crucial to the support of small business from Washington leaders. Changes in attitude toward small business; Attention on financial institutions and lending for small business; Opinion on Fort Worth's Business Assistance Center.

Reports on the plans of the newly appointed board of the Downtown Fort Worth Tax Increment Financing District in Texas to meet in June 1996 to begin approving the project and the financing plans for the district. Projects include underground parking garage; Members of the board.

Reports on Central Bank & Trust's opening of branch locations as part of its expansion in Tarrant County, Texas. Decision to forgo successful Winn-Dixie Marketplace branch concept; Opening of a full-service site and motor bank.

Reports that Chris Shoppa has exchanged his banking career for a partnership with his brother, Jimmy. Assistance of Chris in expanding family businesses, the Shoppa Materials Handling Inc.; Acquisition of two John Deere dealerships in December; Increase of revenues from the Shoppa businesses.

Discusses the concept of factoring in banking and finance. Mechanics of asset-based lending; Role of factoring in providing working capital for new businesses; Offered services of factoring companies.

Reports on that credit unions have been slowly gaining ground over banks in luring customers and deposits in Tarrant County, Texas since 1991. Second-place ranking of Strunk and Associates in terms of deposits; Amount of deposits lost by banks to competitors; Credit unions' expansion of their affinity base outside the original intent; Reasons why credit unions may pose a threat to banks.

Focuses on the responsibilities of Greg Hudson as director of the Forth Worth Zoo in Forth Worth, Texas. Maintenance of the balance within the zoo facility; Focus on giving people a good time; Criticisms on the zoo in the 1970s and 1980s; Comments from Hudson.

Reports on the success of the Stop Six Bank One branch which is situated at East Loop 820 and Ramey Avenue. Comments from Banc One Corporation Vice President Glenn Forbes; Community Reinvestment Act's (CRA) part in Bank One success.

Discusses the amount of mergers in the banking industry. Statistical information; Analysts comments.

Reports on a dispute between Fort Worth, Dallas, Grapevine, Euless, Irving and Coppell over D/FW Airport. Reason for dispute; Principle issue of dispute; Comments from Kevin Cox deputy executive director of governmental affairs for the airport.

Reports that doctors in Tarrant County are faced with the decision about continuing as providers of the Harris Health plan. Indecision about accepting new contract; Details of new contract; What local physicians had to say.

Presents information on stories in Fort Worth, Texas. Most talked about issue of D magazine relating columnist Katie Sherrod pondering the question, `Who runs Fort Worth?'; Findings; Power pyramid; Ruling families; Eating losses; Darden Restaurant's first quarterly report as public company; Red Lobster and Olive Gardens; Financial statements.

Reports on the growth of attorneys specializing in employment and labor law. Efforts to protect groups of persons from discrimination; Comments from labor law attorneys; Why lawyers are going into employment and labor law.

Reports on an increase in the number of banks mergers in the United States. North Carolina-based NationsBank's interest in acquiring New York, New York-based Chase Manhattan; Potential mergers; Price attributed for bank acquisitions; Texas bank market's remaining quiet in terms of acquisitions; Fort Worth, Texas-based Comerica's interest in expansion.

Addresses issues relating to merger of Wells Fargo Corp. and Norwest Corp. Richard Kovacevich and Paul Hazen as presidents and chairmen, respectively; Effect of differences in corporate cultures; Comparison of business models used in expansion.

Features the Bank One Forth Worth financial institution in Tarrant County, Texas. Management of trust business and other investment assets; Policy in the processing of loans; Changes since a reorganization in 1995.

Details the merger between Interstate Hotels Corp. and Patriot American Hospitality Inc. Possible change in the name of Arlington Marriott to Wyndham Hotel; Terms of the deal; Corporate asset of the companies.

Reports on a plan for the Trinity Railway Express commuter line that will save the Tindall Storage warehouse building but will require at least a partial demolition of the Alarm Supply building in Tarrant County, Texas. Engineering studies made on the feasibility of running the rail line through the shell of the Alarm Supply building; Eligibility of the two warehouse buildings for the National Register of Historic Places.

Reports on Korean Air Cargo's addition of another flight to its Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport operation. Increase in business of the cargo airline; Passenger flights.

Reports on the small arts groups and programs from the Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County's Neighborhood Arts Program. Catalysts for neighborhood revitalization; Giving low-income neighborhoods access to cultural arts; Funding with public, corporate and foundation money; Expansion into organizations.

Reports on a charter application for Fort Worth National Bank by a group of local bankers and investors. Venture by Bruce Davis, Billy Allen, Faye Bond and Gary Manny; Expected shareholders and initial capitalization; Memories evoked by the old Fort Worth National Bank name to residents in the Texas city.

Features the art exhibit `Norwest Collection' on view at the Kimbell Art Museum in the summer of 1998 in Fort Worth, Texas. Items being exhibited; History of the `Norwest Collection; Operating hours of the museum; Admission fee.

Details the decline in hotel occupancies in Tarrant County, Texas which is attributed to the growth real estate development in the county. Increase in the average daily room rate by hotels to compensate for the declining occupancy; Occupancy rates in other parts of Texas; Performance of hotels in the county in April 1998.

Focuses on Dale Lockett, Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau's (CVB) president and chief executive officer. Outlook on team management; Arlington CVB's losses under Lockett's administration; Lockett's career background; Arlington CVB's business nature.

Looks at the various highway projects planned to improve the economy of Tarrant County, Texas. Obstacles to the said road projects; Budgetary allocations; Projected impact of these road projects on the problem of traffic congestion.

Looks at the skepticism expressed by business analysts about the success of the merger of Wells Fargo & Co. and Norwest Corp. in the United States. Differences between the corporate cultures of the two banks according to Genesis Group analyst Dale Terry; Efforts taken by the management teams to reconcile their differences.

Reports on the contract awarded to Oil Services and Construction Co. to renovate the Texas & Pacific Railroad Station and construct the Trinity Railway Express terminal in Fort Worth, Texas. Contract amount; Exterior and interior renovations to be handled by the construction firm; Sources of funding for the project.

Reports on Norwest Bank Texas officials' negotiations with real estate developers in Fort Worth, Texas to transform the bank's medical district property into a mixed-used project. Significance of the project to the medical district; Reaction of banks' executives to the proposed sale and redevelopment of the property.

Features Fort Worth, Texas-based filmmaker Bret McCormick. Personal and career background; McCormick's book project entitled `Produce Your First Feature Films for $20,000 (Or Less)'; McCormick's achievements as a director and producer of low-budget independent films.

Reports on Citizens National Bank's opening of a loan production office in San Antonio, Texas. Plans to originate US Small Business Administration guaranteed loans in South Texas.

Reports that the Texas-based Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport won a bid to host the Association of Latin American and Caribbean Freight Forwarders' 2001 Congress and Exhibition. Event as a chance for the airport to highlight its facilities and trade potential.

Focuses on the plans for an International Compliance Center at the Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas are being considered for federal funds for improvements along the Interstate 35 trade corridor. Remarks from Denton County Judge Jeff Moseley; Possible components of the compliance center based on studies commissioned by NASCO; Estimated cost of the compliance center.

Focuses on the competition among economically distressed areas in Fort Worth, Texas for $33 million in tax incentives and $100 million in grants for federal empowerment zones. Holding of a city council meeting on the issue in June 1998; Chances for Fort Worth to receive designation according to Fort Worth Planning Director Fernando Costa.

Discloses that Historic Restoration Inc. and Marriott Corp. have proposed a Fort Worth Convention Center hotel project to city officials in Fort Worth, Texas. Issues to be decided concerning the convention center expansion; Factors to be considered in deciding on the project; Reasons for Marriot's interest in the Fort Worth market.

Focuses on the Czechoslovakian painter Milan Med. Career background; Educational background; Med's migration to the United States; Med's acquisition of artistic freedom in the US; Discussion of Med's first major show in the US.

Reports on the community charter received by the Security One Federal Credit Union from the US National Credit Union Administration. Use of the charter in the expansion of the union's membership eligibility to residents in Arlington, Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens in Texas; Number of members; Analysis of community charters.

Focuses on the effort of Forth Worth, Texas to promote flexibility in the city's tax abatement policies. City staffs' passing of a proposal that would create a flexible but a performance-driven abatement policy; Impact to the city's taxation process; Analysis of the proposal.

Focuses on the efforts of Forth Worth, Texas to reduce the city's budget due to a $4.6 million reserve shortfall. Includes the tightening of budgets in the different sectors of the city government; Possible delay of community operations and services; Sources of the budget shortfall.

Reports on the difficulties faced by the Fort Worth Convention Center in competing in Texas' expanding conventions industry. Fort Worth's inadequate facilities; Expansion or replacement options for the Fort Worth Convention Center; External and internal competitors of Convention Centers.

Reports that Fort Worth city officials have approved Meacham International Airport tenants' request for the funding of a crosswind runway repair. Local pilots' criticism of the runway's closure; City council's use of capital reserve funds to complete the project; Estimates of the project cost; Three-year window estimate for repairs.

Reports that L.T. Barton Insurance Co. has merged with Roach Howard Smith & Hunter. Expansion of L.T. Barton's market nationally and internationally; Roach Howard Smith & Hunter/L.T. Barton (RHSH/LTB) Holdings Inc.'s autonomous control of the agencies; Comments from company executives concerned.

Profiles the success of Texas Jet President Reed Pigman Jr. Company's hangar and fuel service for corporate jets; Background on Pigman's career which started at the Meacham Airport.

Reports that Austin, Texas-based Air Age Services Inc. has signed an agreement to purchase the failed International Aviation Services Ltd. Approvals needed for the finalization of Air Age's purchase; Air Age's expansion plans for its Meacham International Airport operation.

Reveals the results of an opinion poll conducted among Tarrant County, Texas, executives indicating business leaders' confidence in local, state, and national economy for fiscal 1998. Effects of a strong economy on local business profitability; Foreseeable economic trends for the fiscal year.

Reports on preparations for the opening of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 1998. Comments from Paul Beard, managing director of Bass Hall; Career history; Job responsibilities; Educational background; Bass Hall as home to five performing arts groups.

Discloses Miami, Florida-based Challenge Air Cargo Inc.'s negotiation to lease the 205,500-square-foot International Cargo Center under construction of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (D/FW). Lease agreements handled by project developer Trammell Crow; Challenge Air's plans for the site; Implications of Challenge Air's possible move to D/FW on other air carrier's businesses.

Warns businesses of the dangers of bad debts. Debt cycle in good and bad economic times; Erosion of profitability; Steps companies can take to pare down bad debts; Fear which hinders the aggressive pursuit of past-due accounts; Signs defaulting customers are likely to exhibit.

Features a commercial paper program which could help the city of Fort Worth, Texas save on interest expenses. Funding for continual capital improvement projects; Interest rate comparison with long-term financing; Establishment of a credit line with a major money center bank.