New Aldi to open

New Aldi to open

BOARDMAN

Boardman residents will have another grocery- shopping option this month. A new Aldi store will open at 9 a.m. Aug. 25 at 6600 South Ave.

Aldi, a discount food grocer, has more than 1,100 stores in 31 states, including Mahoning Valley locations in Youngstown, Austintown, Warren and Hermitage, Pa.

Companies to merge

BOARDMAN

Ray Kashmiry, president of R. Kashmiry and Associates Inc., and Douglas C. Dickson of Dickson Insurance Inc. recently announced the merger of the two companies, which will take effect Sept. 1.

Douglas’ position will be account executive of group and individual sales; he has more than 20 years’ experience.

This merger represents a pooling of the expertise of two major companies, in an effort to market small to large employer group benefits as well as for the self-employed and those who are Medicare eligible, Kashmiry said in a release.

R. Kashmiry and Associates was established in 1978 and represents many statewide organizations and is the exclusive marketing company for the HBA/BIA of Ohio Healthcare Alliance.

The corporate offices for R. Kashmiry and Associates are at 250 DeBartolo Place, Suite 2550. It also has regional offices in Akron, Elyria and Columbus. Call 330-758-4163 or toll-free at 877-860-6295.

Gas prices drop

YOUNGSTOWN

Drivers in Ohio are paying slightly less at the pump this week.

A survey Monday from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express lists Ohio’s average price at $3.61 for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline. That’s down a nickel from a week ago.

It’s still well above the average price of $2.75 a gallon at this time last year.

Ohio gas prices soared to a record average of $4.16 for regular about three months ago, then retreated a bit and have stayed in their current range. In Youngstown, the average price for regular-grade gas was $3.56 on Monday, 6 cents cheaper than a week ago.

Oil prices plunged after the first U.S. debt-rating downgrade last week. The change has raised concern among investors and could hurt economic growth and demand for crude oil.

Verizon workers hit picket lines

new york

Thousands of Verizon landline workers took to picket lines Monday from Massachusetts to Virginia, fighting management demands for contract givebacks and disputing that their work is unprofitable.

Verizon Communication Inc. countered that its 45,000 unionized workers in the East should not expect the kind of compensation they were paid when the phone company was a monopoly — and when no one questioned whether a household needed a land line.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .62, 19.28 —1.70

Avalon Holdings,2.61—.04

Clear Channel, .63 50.82 —2.28

Cortland Bancorp, 7.26—.29

Farmers Nat., .12, 4.30 —.25

First Energy, 2.20, 39.19—2.17

FirstMerit Corp., .64,12.51 —1.11

First Niles Financial, .32,7.17.33

First Place Fin., .6104—.19

FNB Corp., .48,8.36—.95

General Motors,24.57—1.74

General Electric, .60,15.43—1.08

Motors Liquidation, .0422—.00

Huntington Bank, .04, 4.93—.46

JP Morgan Chase, 1.00,34.06—3.54

Key Corp, .12,6.50—.75

LaFarge, 9.85 —1.30

Macy’s, .40, 24.13—2.41

Parker Hannifin, 1.48, 62.17—5.43

PNC, 1.40,46.99—4.19

RTI Intl. Metals,23.67—4.14

Simon Prop. Grp.,3.20,99.74—9.10

Stoneridge 7.40 —1.16

United Community Fin. 1.0601—.03

Selected prices at 4 p.m. Monday. Provided by Stifel Nicolaus. Not to be construed as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security.