REGION

REGION
Masury company buysnew production equipment
MASURY -- Specialty Strip & amp; Oscillating Inc. bought a new oscillator which gives the company new capabilities for producing oscillated coils, including the ability to run a coil uninterrupted for 10 to 15 times longer than with conventional methods. The new equipment also allows the Masury company to achieve faster run times and heavier gauges and to apply the coil to spools as well as metal or cardboard coils.
First Niles Financialreports quarter's earnings
NILES -- First Niles Financial earned $261,000, or 20 cents a share, during the third quarter, compared with $296,000, or 22 cents, a share in the same quarter last year. The decline was because of a decrease in net interest income. First Niles is the holding company for Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Niles.
NATION
Pretrial motions to beginin case of conspiracy
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In November 2001, two men were arrested at San Francisco International Airport with tickets to China and, prosecutors allege, suitcases packed with trade secrets swiped from high-tech companies.
Today, in San Jose, Calif., pretrial motions were scheduled in the case against Fei Ye and Ming Zhong, who are charged with stealing corporate secrets and conspiracy.
Moreover, prosecutors allege they stole the secrets to help their China-based company -- a violation of the 1996 Economic Espionage Act. The Act comprises two broad criminal categories -- trade secret theft and economic espionage, which is more difficult to prosecute because it requires evidence that a foreign government was involved in the theft.
From Vindicator staff and wire reports