Latham International, which makes swimming pools and parts such as liners, steps and ladders, said on Friday that a bankruptcy court approved a debt restructuring plan that will put the company into the hands of its lendersate Constitution through the initiative process.

Latham said it expects to come out of bankruptcy during the next few days.

The Latham, New York, company filed for bankruptcy in December in Delaware with a so-called prearranged plan in place that had the backing of the lenders that will now own it, including Littlejohn & Co, a private equity firm in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Tops Friendly Markets said Friday it is buying all 79 stores run by bankrupt rival Penn Traffic Co. for $85 million in cash, a move that would deepen its roots in New York and Pennsylvania and extend its reach into other Northeastern states.

Tops, a 76-store chain based in suburban Buffalo, said its bid has been accepted by Syracuse-based Penn Traffic and recommended to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., for approval. A judge met with lawyers for two hours Friday to discuss the proposed deal, then adjourned the hearing until Monday.

"The court proceeding went as expected, and our goal to see a bid chosen that will save the greatest number of stores and jobs is on track," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Along with its cash offer, Tops said it would eliminate about $100 million in unsecured claims against Penn Traffic's estate. That includes a $72 million claim for withdrawal liability from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents all of Tops' work force and about 85 percent of Penn Traffic's.

Mesa Airlines filed for Chapter 11 banktrupcy protection Tuesday, hoping to shed planes it no longer needs.

Mesa's filing is part of broader problems the airline has been experiencing with its operations as demand for air travel fell over the last year because of the economic downturn.

Contract carriers such as Mesa have traditionally been able to maneuver through tough economic times because their revenue is guaranteed through deals with major airlines.

Regional jets are smaller than the planes that large airlines use on most of their routes. They are often used to bring travelers to hub airports, where they can connect with other flights.

During the recession, as big airlines cut seats, Mesa struggled. Mesa currently operates flights as Delta Connection, US Airways Express and United Express.

Flying as United Express, Mesa had about 1.5 percent of Denver International Airport's market share in October.

A legal team that was seeking a bankrupt funeral home's financial records instead made a macabre discovery: nearly 100 boxes of cremated remains, some dating back more than two decades, stashed in a suburban storage unit.

The discovery has been a comfort for a few families that received the ashes of lost loved ones, but a conundrum for officials trying to figure out what to do with the rest.

Devotis Lee of Atlanta recently received the remains of her father, Julius Griffin, more than 10 years after his death in June 1999.

"It made me feel good, wonderful. It was fantastic," Lee said.

She said she had tried repeatedly to contact the funeral home several years ago but finally gave up in frustration. Then the Fulton County medical examiner's office got in touch to say the ashes had been found.

It's not clear whether any state laws were violated, but authorities are trying to determine whether sanctions should be brought against the Sellers Brothers Funeral Home or its last operator.

Heartland Publications LLC, the owner of 23 daily newspapers and other publications in nine states, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday after agreeing with its major lender on a plan to cut the company's debt load by more than half.

The privately held company is one of at least a dozen newspaper publishers forced into bankruptcy protection by the recession, which dampened advertising sales in an industry that was already seeing readers and advertisers migrate to the Web.

In its filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., Heartland reported assets of roughly $134 million and debts of $166 million.

Heartland spokeswoman Rivian Bell said the company's top lender, GE Capital, has agreed to reduce what it is owed to $70 million from roughly $111 million. In exchange, the financial-services arm of the industrial conglomerate General Electric Co. would get a 90 percent stake in the company.

Bell said the company's largest unsecured creditor, the hedge fund Silver Point Finance LLC, would get the remaining 10 percent ownership stake in exchange for the roughly $44 million it is owed, though Silver Point has not yet agreed to the reorganization plan. Silver Point did not respond to a request for comment.

Bankrupt U.S. auto parts supplier Visteon Corp said on Wednesday it is seeking approval for up to $150 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from a group of its term-loan lenders.

Visteon said it has filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for approval of the DIP facility, which would give it extra liquidity to pay for ongoing operations. The court is expected to consider the motion on Nov. 12, it said.

Visteon said under the terms of the proposed financing, it would withdraw $75 million on the closing date of the agreement and have an option to take out the rest later.

Visteon, spun off from Ford in 2000, filed for bankruptcy protection in June, one of the casualties of the global auto industry crisis.

Rural telecom services provider FairPoint Communications Inc filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Manhattan bankruptcy court on Monday, under a pre-arranged plan that would cut its debt by $1.7 billion.

In a statement, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company said the restructuring plan had the support of lenders holding more than 50 percent of the outstanding debt under its secured credit facility.

FairPoint has also received commitments for a $75 million debtor-in-possession (DIP) loan to continue operations while in bankruptcy.

"The day-to-day operations of our business will not be impacted by today's actions," Chief Executive David Hauser said.

In its Chapter 11 filing, the company listed total assets of about $3.24 billion and debt of about $3.23 billion.

FairPoint added that its annual interest expenses would be reduced from more than $200 million to about $65 million.

With about 1.7 million access line equivalents, FairPoint is the seventh largest local telephone company in the United States.