REGION

REGION
Chi-Chi's in Hermitage,Niles will be closed
YOUNGSTOWN -- Chi-Chi's restaurants in Niles and Hermitage, Pa., are among those being closed by the Kentucky-based Mexican restaurant chain. Chi-Chi's, beset by a hepatitis A outbreak and bankruptcy, said Thursday it has closed 26 restaurants that were underperforming.
NATION
Forbes' billionaire listputs DeBartolo at No. 472
NEW YORK -- Eddie DeBartolo Jr., 57, of Tampa, Fla., is the 472nd richest man in the world, according to Forbes magazine's annual list of billionaires.
DeBartolo is developing shopping centers but also has a large holding of stock in Simon Property Group of Indianapolis. The magazine said he had a net worth of $1.2 billion. His sister, Denise DeBartolo York of Canfield, was not on the list. She owns the San Francisco 49ers football team.
Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, topped Forbes' list with a $46.6 billion fortune.
Chains, grocery clerksreach tentative pact
LOS ANGELES -- Grocery clerks and three supermarket chains reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday that could bring an end to the longest grocery strike in U.S. history and send 70,000 cash-strapped employees back to work.
Greg Denier, a spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, as well as a source close to the supermarket chains, said an agreement had been reached.
From Vindicator staff and wire reports