OHIO

OHIO

Heritage Manor plans
open house Sunday

YOUNGSTOWN — Heritage Manor Retirement Community, 517 Gypsy Lane, will hold an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The manor, a full-service, nonprofit skilled nursing facility associated with the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation, recently underwent a renovation. Tours, entertainment and refreshments will be featured. To make reservations for the program, contact Connie Goldner at (330) 746-1076, Ext. 203.

Ohio OKs AT&T effort
to expand video service

COLUMBUS — AT&T has the state’s OK to roll out a video service in more parts of Ohio.

The company is the first to win authorization from the Ohio Department of Commerce under a new law allowing television services to obtain a single, statewide approval. The old system known well to cable companies required them to negotiate agreements with each individual community.

When the change was being debated by Ohio lawmakers earlier this year, AT&T said its video packages cost consumers at least 20 percent less than traditional cable. AT&T Ohio already offers digital television service in the Cleveland and Akron areas. The Commerce Department says the company may now introduce it in the rest of its local phone service area in Ohio.

Judge: Satellite tax
is unconstitutional

COLUMBUS — A judge in Columbus says it’s unconstitutional for the state to be charging satellite TV customers a sales tax that doesn’t also apply to cable.

State officials say they’ll appeal the ruling from Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Daniel Hogan and will ask a court to allow the 6 percent satellite tax to remain in place in the meantime.

Satellite providers EchoStar and DirecTV had sued the state, arguing that the tax the Ohio General Assembly approved in 2003 is discriminatory.

Associated Press