REGION

REGION
In Mahoning Valley, salesof vehicles drop by 18%
YOUNGSTOWN -- Vehicle sales in the Mahoning Valley fell about 18 percent last month.
The Automobile Dealers Association of Eastern Ohio said Tuesday that 4,249 new and used vehicles were sold by area car dealers, compared with 5,194 in September 2004. For the first nine months of this year, dealers sold 44,045 new and used vehicles, about the same number as last year at this time.
The sales leaders by county were: Mahoning County, Youngstown Buick Pontiac GMC, 290; Trumbull County, Pace Pontiac, 132; and Columbiana County, Stadium GM Superstore, 172.
NATION
Colgate-Palmolive Co.announces plant closing
CLARKSVILLE, Ind. -- Colgate-Palmolive Co. told workers Tuesday that its 500-employee plant that makes most of the company's U.S. toothpaste supply will close by January 2008.
New York-based Colgate said the move was designed to increase efficiency and competitiveness. Colgate Total toothpaste will be manufactured at a new facility, but the company said it has not yet picked a site for the new plant.
Colgate announced last December that it would close about one-third of its worldwide plants and cut up to 4,500 jobs as part of a four-year restructuring plan that executives hoped would save the company as much as $300 million each year.
From Vindicator staff and wire reports