REGION

REGION
Chamber, council offerbusiness assistance
WARREN -- The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Ohio Minority Business Council are offering business assistance to current or potential minority business owners from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the chamber's office in Warren.
For an appointment, call (330) 744-2131, extension 31.
NATION
More consumers chooseto pay their bills online
NEW YORK -- Many U.S. banks have reported an increase in online account enrollment following the recent anthrax scare as consumers became concerned about the safety of their mail.
Consumer Reports magazine says some online banking programs are better than others and suggests consumers comparison shop before signing up.
First, see if the banks you're interested in offer online bill payment, an integral part of banking over the Internet.
If they do, determine whether there are extra fees for bill payments and the number of days it takes the banks to pay bills. It's also important to know whether the banks will cover any fees if a payment is late.
From Vindicator staff and wire reports