'3 Minutes With' U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3 Pa.
Monday, December 02, 2013FARRELL, Pa. -- In today's "3 Minutes With," U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3 Pa., discusses how politicians in Washington seem more concerned with scoring political points and advancing party agenda, the need to work together for the common good, and public officials putting out the idea that people can't cooperate. Kelly attended last week’s groundbreaking for the Farrell Commerce Center (READ STORY).
Youngstown Score Chapter Changes Leadership
Monday, December 02, 2013YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Youngstown Chapter of Score -- formerly Service Corps of Retired Executives -- has changed its leadership. Steve Spencer will serve as chapter chair, Frank Bordonaro as vice-chairman and Nick Moliterno as treasurer.
Shoppers Gobbled Up Thanksgiving Deals
Monday, December 02, 2013WASHINGTON -- More than 141 million* unique shoppers have already or will have shopped by the end of the big Thanksgiving weekend, up from 139 million over the same time frame last year. For those who shopped multiple times over the weekend, the survey found more than 248 million** waited in line, took advantage of big discounts offered throughout the mall and shopped on retailers websites, up from 247 million shoppers last year.
Black Friday Store Traffic, Sales Up in Most Regions
Monday, December 02, 2013CHICAGO -- With the allure of deep discounts, "door-buster" promotions and extended store hours, shoppers visited more stores and spent more money across Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday than they did last year. Sales and traffic posted the lowest gain in the Midwest, ShopperTrak reports.
Compared to Thanksgiving and Black Friday last year, bricks-and-mortar shopper traffic rose 2.8% to more than 1.07 billion store visits, ShopperTrak says. Retail sales also increased 2.3% as shoppers spent an estimated $12.3 billion those two days.
Cyber Monday: Beware of Dangerous Fakes Online
Monday, December 02, 2013WASHINGTON -- Once viewed by many as a problem limited to purveyors of high-end luxury goods, counterfeiting has become a multi-billion dollar criminal activity that affects almost every American industry.
On this Cyber Monday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is issuing alert tips to help consumers avoid dangerous fakes as they shop online.
On Cyber Monday last year, consumer spending mushroomed to $1.5 billion in online sales, with experts forecasting even more growth in 2013, the chamber said.
Development of Utica Shale Outpaces Other Plays
Friday, November 29, 2013PITTSBURGH -- Despite the relatively small number of wells in production, oil and gas development in the Utica shale in eastern Ohio is moving at a rapid clip compared to more mature plays in the United States, analysts and energy executives say.
Many of the exploration and production companies that drill in the Utica are applying the lessons learned from their experiences in some of the larger plays, such as the Bakken in North Dakota, the Marcellus in Pennsylvania and the Barnett and Eagle Ford in Texas.
SBA to Hold Affordable Care Act Seminar at YSU
Friday, November 29, 2013CLEVELAND -- The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a two-hour informational seminar on the Affordable Care Act at Youngstown State University at 9 a.m. Dec. 10. The seminar is designed to help small-business owners better understand the health care law.
The Affordable Care Act is intended to help small businesses by lowering premium cost growth and increasing access to quality, affordable health, SBA officials said. Small-business owners will have the opportunity to hear from SBA officials and can ask questions about the implementation of the law.
Keeping Up with Bills Is Top Financial Priority
Friday, November 29, 2013NEW YORK -- Americans' top financial priority is staying current or getting caught up on bills, a Bankrate.com survey has found. That was cited by 36% of respondents and named nearly twice as often as the secondmost common response, paying down debt (20%).
"Americans' financial priorities reflect the difficult economic realities of high unemployment, stagnant income and the absence of new high-paying jobs," said Greg McBride, Bankrate.com senior financial analyst, in a prepared statement.
Rescue Mission Seeks to Meet Changing Needs
Wednesday, November 27, 2013YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Jim Echement expects to provide 1,000 Thanksgiving dinners to the needy at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley. That’s 1,000 each day, he says.
“Years ago, when Westlake Terrace was here, we would serve over 1,000 meals,” the Rescue Mission’s executive director reported. With the removal of the housing project those numbers had gone down “but now that they’re populating the whole North Arlington community we’re anticipating another jump up back toward the 1,000-meal mark,” he said.
BBB Offers Black Friday, Cyber Monday Shopping Advice
Wednesday, November 27, 2013YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- As Black Friday and Cyber Monday loom, the Better Business Bureau advises consumers to plan carefully plan before shopping this holiday season.