REGION

REGION

Sharon Regional Health opens sports injury clinic

HERMITAGE, Pa. — Sharon Regional Health System has opened a sports injury clinic at 2360 Highland Road, the former site of HealthPLACE.

The clinic is designed to rapidly assess and treat sports-related injuries for adolescents and adults.

The staff includes sports medicine physicians and rehab specialists from the hospital’s sports medicine team.

NATION

GM postpones closure of New York powertrain plant

DETROIT — General Motors Corp. said Wednesday it has pushed back the closure of an upstate New York powertrain plant to help boost its casting capacity, as the automaker shifts its product lineup focus toward cars and crossover vehicles.

The automaker said in May it would phase out work at the Massena, N.Y., plant by the end of 2008 as part of a shift toward more precision-oriented manufacturing technologies.

But as a result of a steep increase in consumer demand for smaller vehicles, GM is delaying the plant’s closure until mid-2009, GM spokeswoman Lynda Messina said.

The plant makes an engine block for the automaker’s Ecotec 2.2 liter engine, which is used in its Chevrolet Cobalt model, Messina said.

Apple iPhones to become available at Best Buy

NEW YORK — Best Buy Co. will start selling the iPhone on Sept. 7, becoming first U.S. chain to do so outside of Apple Inc.’s and AT T Inc.’s own stores.

Wednesday’s announcement by Best Buy expands the availability of Apple’s vaunted phone to 970 full-size stores and 16 smaller Best Buy Mobile stores. It’s also a coup for the Minneapolis-based chain, which has been upgrading its cell-phone departments.

Best Buy also resells Apple’s Mac computers and iPod media players.

WORLD

Wal-Mart Stores to invest, expand chain in Brazil

BRASILIA, Brazil — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced Wednesday it will invest at least $1 billion in Brazil to expand its operations in Latin America’s biggest country.

The announcement was made in a statement issued shortly after Craig Herkert, president and CEO of Wal-Mart’s America’s division, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met in the capital city, Brasilia.

The U.S. retail giant will invest the money to open 80 to 90 new stores in Brazil beginning in 2009.

The Arkansas-based Wal-Mart opened its first store in Brazil in 1995 and today has 318 outlets in 18 states employing 70,000 people.

Vindicator staff/wire reports