REGION

REGION
Ohio's jobless raterises to 6.3 percent
Ohio's unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in June, up from the May figure of 6.1 percent. Nationally the jobless rate was 6.4 percent, up from 6.1 percent a month before.
Locally the jobless rates were higher than the state and national averages. Youngstown's rate was 13.7 percent in June, up from 12.6 percent in June 2002. Mahoning County's rate was 7.9 percent in June, up from 7.2 percent in the same period a year ago. The June jobless rate was 7.3 percent in Trumbull County, up from 6.7 percent a year ago, and was 9.4 percent in Columbiana County, also up from 7.7 percent a year before.
NATION
Brewery contests$1.9M in sewer bills
PITTSBURGH -- The city Water and Sewer Authority is again seeking to terminate service to the Pittsburgh Brewing Co., the maker of Iron City and I.C. Light beers, citing more than $3 million in unpaid bills.
In December, the company won an injunction blocking the authority's termination notice. The brewery has conceded it owes about $1.5 million in water bills, but has contested the sewer charges, which the authority places at as much as $1.9 million.
Gadzooks makes switchto young women's clothes
DALLAS -- Teen retailer Gadzooks is banking on girl power. Or make that girl buying power.
By this weekend, most of the company's 420 stores will be switched from an equal mix of clothes for boys and girls to just girls. Gadzooks stores in the Eastwood Mall, Niles, and the Southern Park Mall, Boardman, have already made the switch.
The company, which had net sales of $326 million in 2002, had about equal sales on items for boys and girls, but wanted more of a focus, officials said. The company shifted from marketing to boys and girls ages 14-18 to young women ages 16-22.
Consumer confidenceshows slight increase
NEW YORK -- Consumer confidence in the economy rose slightly in the middle of July, spurred higher by an improved view of current conditions, according to a report released Friday.
The University of Michigan's preliminary report on consumer sentiment for July rose to 90.3, compared with 89.7 in June and 92.1 in May, according to those who had seen the report. It is released only to subscribers.
Meanwhile, the expectations index, which seeks to describe consumers' outlook for economic growth, was said to have fallen to 82.7 in mid-July from 86.4 at the end of June.
Vindicator staff/wire reports