Reston's Vibrant Economy Part 41: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

• For once, the potty-mouthed executives at Sallie Mae have something to be happy about. After realizing they weren't going to be able to continue to "offer" college students "loans" at 29 percent interest rates, they won a fancy five-year contract from the U.S. Department of Education to manage and service some of those socialist gubmint-backed loans, which presumably aren't quite as usurious (cough cough nanny state!)
  
  
• Reston-based Greater Atlantic, which was told by the Feds to go sell itself under the threat of being forced to accept large stacks of gubmint bailout money against their will, was acquired by some company called MidAtlantic Bancorp Inc., which it turns out is backed by Comstock Partners LC. Along with now running a bank and handing out toasters to Christmas Club members and whatnot, Comstock also oversees a series of low-profile and insignificant building projects in partnership with local governments. What could possibly go wrong?
  
  
• Remember how the Fairfax Times got bought by a company owned by the Washington Post? Well, it turns out the new owners, who are apparently "experienced journalists," may actually add staff and bring back the Reston Times and the other local editions that were curtailed last fall. That's good, because an "experienced journalist" could probably find a thing or two to write about in Reston these days.