REGION

REGION

Ribbon-cutting for
Warren Hallmark store

WARREN — A Hallmark store in the Warren Plaza will hold a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. today after it moved from another location in the plaza. The new location is larger and features a new look for Hallmark stores in this area, said Ed Ribenbaugh, sales and marketing director.

The store is operated by Gorant Candies of Warren, which is owned by Steve Chelekis and Perry Macheras, who are descendants of the family that founded Gorant Candies. Their company also operates a store in Howland.

Although the company offers Gorant candy, it is an independent company. American Greetings of Cleveland owns Gorant Candies, which operates stores under the Gorant and Yum Yum Tree name and has a production plant in Boardman.

NATION

30-year mortgage rates
rise to 6.34% average

WASHINGTON — Rates on 30-year mortgages, after dropping to their lowest point in four months, edged up this week.

Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.34 percent this week, up slightly from last week’s 6.31 percent, which had been the lowest level since May 17. This week’s 6.34 percent rate is the second-lowest since mid-May.

Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, averaged 5.98 percent this week, basically unchanged from 5.97 percent last week.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports