REGION

REGION

Retirees, spouses to get
help with their premiums

PITTSBURGH — The United Steelworkers said 53,000 retirees and surviving spouses who lost health-care coverage in the bankruptcies of four steel companies are getting extra financial help with their Medicare Part B premiums. The one-time payments are coming from a trust fund bargained by the USW.

Checks will be mailed during the first week of December to USW-represented retirees and spouses from Bethlehem Steel, LTV, Acme Metals and Georgetown Steel. The checks will reimburse eligible individuals for up to 12 months of Medicare Part B premiums paid during 2007. A single retiree will receive up to $720, and couples $1,440. Part B premiums were typically $93.50 a month for Medicare beneficiaries. The benefit amount from the trust fund was increased from $25 per month, as originally announced to retirees, to $60 per month.

The trust was established in 2002 through negotiations between the United Steelworkers and International Steel Group, which has since been acquired by ArcelorMittal USA.

Cortland Bancorp declares
quarterly, stock dividends

CORTLAND — Cortland Bancorp has declared a quarterly dividend of 22 cents a share and a 1 percent stock dividend. Both dividends are payable to shareholders of record as of Dec. 14. The stock dividend will be paid Jan. 1, and the cash dividend will be paid Jan. 2.

Dominion East Ohio
to lower its gas rate

CLEVELAND — The rate for buying gas from Dominion East Ohio will go down 1 percent effective Dec. 14. The new Standard Service Offer will be $8.64 per thousand cubic feet of gas, down 6.6 cents from the current rate. The new rate is 13 percent lower than the rate in place in December 2006.

The Standard Service Offer, which accounts for a majority of a customer’s bill, represents costs associated with securing natural gas for customers who buy gas from East Ohio. Most of its customers buy gas from third-party suppliers.

From Vindicator staff reports