Kansas Inc. president submits resignation

A leader of efforts to boost economic-development in Kansas has resigned his post.

Jerry Lonergan, president of Kansas Inc. since September 2003, submitted his resignation effective this week.

Lonergan had worked during his term to improve Kansas Inc.’s communication with the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp.

“The skill set necessary to revitalize an organization is different from those required for ongoing program activities and research,” said Lonergan, in his resignation letter. “By my leaving now it will afford Kansas inc. leadership a chance to find a person with the best skill match for maintaining and improving the research output of the organization.”

Kansas Inc. directors plan to discuss finding a new president during a meeting Thursday in Topeka.

Communications

Sprint delays plans for mobile directory

Sprint Corp., the No. 3 U.S. mobile service, has decided against offering wireless directory assistance services this year, citing costly and time-consuming legal requirements.

Several U.S. mobile providers, including Overland Park-based Sprint, have worked together since last year to develop a directory of mobile numbers aimed at giving subscribers such as business customers the option of having their numbers publicly listed.

But Sprint, which plans to buy Nextel Communications Inc. later this year, said it would hold off on the service at least until next year because of a California law requiring customers to sign a document confirming they want the service.

Bankruptcy

US Airways lands financing extension

US Airways will have access to the cash it needs to keep flying through June after a bankruptcy judge approved a deal Thursday between the nation’s seventh-biggest carrier and the federal Air Transportation Stabilization Board.

An interim financing deal between the two parties had been set to expire on Saturday, but U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen Mitchell gave his blessing to an extension through June 30. By then, the airline hopes it will have found a new investor to provide hundreds of millions of dollars needed to emerge from bankruptcy protection.

Earnings

Profits shine on Sun

Sun Microsystems Inc. posted a small profit for its fiscal second quarter Thursday, but year-over-year sales continued to slide as the server and software maker struggled to gain back business it lost after the tech collapse in 2001.

For the three months ended Dec. 26, Sun earned $19 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with a loss of $125 million, or 4 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Sales fell 1.6 percent to $2.84 billion from $2.89 billion.