CINCINNATI--At an April 7 hearing in federal bankruptcy court here, Davis Vision, a subsidiary of Highmark, was the successful bidder to acquire the assets of Sight Resource's remaining 25 stores.

Davis topped several other bidders to purchase the assets of 19 Cambridge Eye Associates stores and six Douglas Vision World locations for $6.5 million. The stores are in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Sight Resource had been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since June 2004.

"Davis Vision awaits an order from Cincinnati to complete this business transaction, after which Davis Vision will have 15 days to close," the company said shortly after the court hearing. A change in ownership would then follow, perhaps as soon as late April.

Davis parent Highmark acquired Viva International earlier this year.

Sight Resource had operated 99 locations until shortly before it filed for Chapter 11 protection, almost simultaneously selling off its 20 Kent Optical stores and closing all but one of its E. B. Brown Opticians units.

In separate transactions earlier this year, the struggling chain sold 10 Shawnee Optical units and six Eyeglass Emporium stores.