REGION

REGION
First Niles dividend
NILES -- First Niles Financial declared a quarterly dividend of 15 cents a share, payable June 18 to shareholders of record June 4. It is the holding company for Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Niles.
NATION
Founder of Eckerd storesdies in Florida at age 91
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Millionaire philanthropist Jack Eckerd, a hard-driving businessman who turned three run-down drugstores into an empire that bore his name, died Wednesday at 91. Eckerd started the Clearwater-based Eckerd Drug Stores in 1952. By 1975, it had 465 drugstores in 10 states.
CWA union workers planto strike SBC for 4 days
SAN ANTONIO -- The union representing 102,000 SBC Communications employees plans a four-day strike starting Friday because of a deadlock in contract negotiations. The workers are represented by the Communications Workers of America.
CWA president Morton Bahr said the union opted for a short strike to get its message across without harming SBC too extensively.
SBC said it will launch its strike contingency plans, which call for managers, contract workers and some retirees to handle key duties in case of a walkout. A strike would likely affect local phone service in Ohio and other states.
Associated Press