REGION

REGION
Sam's Club announces move, expansion plans
WARREN -- Sam's Club is leaving its current Niles location and moving up state Route 46 to build a new store.
Construction on the lot next to Lowe's near state Route 82 will begin in the spring and take about six months, said George Farris, a spokesman for DeBartolo Property Group, which is developing the site. The cost is $10 million.
Sam's Club is moving because the new site will allow for a larger and updated store, Farris said. The new store will have 135,000 square feet, which is 50,000 square feet larger than the current store.
The store will carry groceries but will not be a Super Sam's Club, which is even larger and carries a wider variety of food.
Farris said the new store will employ 200, about 60 percent of whom will be full-time employees. The current store has 80 employees.
DeBartolo Property, which is owned by Eddie DeBartolo, also announced Friday that it is developing a $25 million retail center on state Route 44 in Chardon. The 500,000-square-foot plaza will have a Wal-Mart Super Store and other retailers.
Unemployment rates decrease slightly
YOUNGSTOWN -- Unemployment rates fell last month in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, although the jobless rate in Youngstown was more than double the state average of 5.2 percent.
Mahoning County's rate fell to 6.6 percent from 6.8 percent in October. It was 5.9 percent a year ago. Youngstown's rate last month was 11.6 percent last month, compared to 11.9 percent in October and 10.5 percent in November 2001.
Trumbull County's rate last month was 5.5 percent, compared to 5.9 percent in October and 5.3 percent in November 2001.
Columbiana County's rate last month was 5.8 percent, compared to 5.7 percent in October and 5.4 percent in November 2001.
Vindicator staff report