Region News Digest: Nominations sought for 40 Under 40 Awards

REGION

Nominations sought for 40 Under 40 Awards

YOUNGSTOWN —The MVP 20/30 Club is accepting nominations for its 40 Under 40 Awards, which will be presented Nov. 20. Nomination forms can be submitted until June 30. They are available at the club Web site at www.mvp2030club.org.

Nominees must reside in Mahoning, Trumbull or Columbiana county and be between 21 and 40. They should excel in their profession and show exceptional community service.

Keene Choices in Health now open in Poland

POLAND — Dr. Bonnie Keene has opened Keene Choices in Health at 23 W. McKinley Way. She was graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in 1999 and practiced in Illinois. Her new practice offers uses low-force and no-force chiropractic techniques and laser and acupressure services. She expects to be certified soon by the state as an acupuncturist.

Skybus ticket refunds

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann advised consumers who had airline tickets with Skybus to contact their banks and credit card providers to try to get their money back. The Columbus-based airline recently ceased operations.

Consumers who paid for undelivered airline tickets by credit card are protected by the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, Dann said. The law allows consumers to refuse to pay for credit card “billing errors,” which include undelivered goods or services. Dann said purchases made by debit card, cash or check do not offer the same protections as credit card transactions.

Capri Cafaro appointed vice chair of task force

COLUMBUS — The state of Ohio has appointed State Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd, as vice chairwoman of the Ohio Agriculture to Chemicals, Polymers and Advanced Materials Task Force. The creation of the 13-member task force is aimed at accelerating the state business climate by maximizing ties between agriculture and the polymer industry.

The polymer industry in Ohio includes more than 2,800 facilities and 140,000 workers. It generates $49 billion in annual sales revenue.

NATION

Fewer use drugs at work

NEW YORK — Fewer people are using drugs in the workplace, thanks to employer crackdowns and increased awareness of drug-testing programs. Workplace drug use hit a new low in 2006, according to the annual Drug Testing Index recently released by Quest Diagnostics Inc.

Amphetamine use among federal workers, including pilots, truck drivers and others mandated by the U.S. Department of Transportation for drug testing, fell 20 percent last year, the index reported.

Who decides finances?

NEW YORK — More than half of men, 56 percent, in well-to-do families say husbands make financial decisions in the home, but women beg to differ, according to a report released by Spectrem Group.

Nearly two-thirds of women believe financial decision-making is a joint effort, the report found. Despite their differing beliefs, men and women pool their money in most affluent households, with just 5 percent of families separating finances.

The report was based on interviews with families that had more than $500,000 of investable assets.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports