REGION

REGION

Briarfield Manor to break ground for new gym

AUSTINTOWN — A ground-breaking ceremony will be at 11 a.m. today for a new rehabilitation gym at Briarfield Manor, 461 S. Canfield-Niles Road. The expansion will add 3,200 square feet to the existing gym and feature a model apartment and equipment designed to help patients gain as much independence as possible from the therapy program. Construction is expected to be complete in June.

State offers insurance help to small-business owners

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Insurance is available to assist small-business employers with questions about COBRA and state group continuation requirements regarding health insurance. The department has posted on its Web site, www.insurance.ohio.gov, a model notice to be used to inform former employees of their state continuation coverage rights and notice of the federal premium assistance.

The federal stimulus plan provides a subsidy that may reduce by 65 percent the cost of COBRA and state continuation coverage – sometimes referred to as “mini-COBRA.”

From Vindicator staff reports