First Niles Financial reports turnaround

First Niles Financial reports turnaround

Niles

First Niles Financial Inc., 55 N. Main St., reported Friday its first-quarter financial results, which improved compared with the same time last year.

Net income totaled $378,000, a more than half-million dollar turnaround from negative $297,000 in 2010’s first quarter.

Earnings per share were 33 cents in the first quarter, compared with negative 26 cents in the first quarter of 2010.

NAACP job fair

PITTSBURGH

The NAACP will sponsor its Regional Diversity Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Marriott Pittsburgh City Center, 112 Washington Place.

Those wishing to participate should bring r sum copies and must have at least a two-year degree. Positions are available in careers such as sales and marketing, management, information technology and software, education, engineering and finance and accounting.

For more information, visit psijobfair.com or call 952-595-4496. Those unable to attend the fair can browse the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s online job postings at naacpjobfinder.com.

Wine-industry study

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.

A Penn State University researcher will team up with a handful of other colleges, including Ohio State, to evaluate and seek ways to stimulate the eastern U.S. wine industry.

The $3.8-million, five-year project will evaluate the wine quality of grapes and look at improving grape and wine sustainability.

A 2009 study by the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board found the industry regularly has an economic impact of about $870 million.

Cooperatives forum

FAIRLAWN

The Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State and the Mid America Cooperative Council will host a Cooperative Development Forum on Thursday.

The session, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, 3180 W. Market St., will help small- business owners, economic- development professionals and students learn about cooperatives. There is no cost to attend, but those interested must register by calling 330-672-3028.

Coast Guard faults Transocean in spill

NEW ORLEANS

Flaws in Transocean Ltd.’s emergency training and equipment and a poor safety culture contributed to the deadly Deepwater Horizon drilling-rig explosion that led to the Gulf oil spill, according to a Coast Guard report released Friday.

The report centered on Transocean’s role in the disaster because it owned the rig and was primarily responsible for ensuring its safety, the Coast Guard said. BP PLC owned the well that blew out.

The Coast Guard report also concluded that decisions made by workers aboard the rig “may have affected the explosions or their impact,” such as failing to follow procedures for notifying other crew members about the emergency after the blast.

Vindicator staff/wire reports