Gas prices rise

Gas prices rise

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio gas prices jumped 8 cents from last week amid a rise in oil prices. A survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express on Monday showed the statewide average price for regular gasoline was $3.20 a gallon, up from $3.12.

The increase wasn’t as drastic in the Mahoning Valley. Gas prices rose about 2 cents, from $3.15 to $3.17 a gallon in the past week.

Gas in Ohio still costs nearly $1 less than when prices peaked in May, but a gallon of regular is about 30 cents more than it was last year at this time.

Energy applications

YOUNGSTOWN

Local Ohio Salvation Army offices are accepting applications for EnergyShare, Dominion East Ohio’s program that helps families who have exhausted other forms of winter-energy assistance.

To qualify, a person must live in the Dominion service area and be a Dominion customer. A recipient must have a household income no higher than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, be unemployed or demonstrate a personal or family crisis.

The 2011 federal poverty level is: $10,890 for a family of one; $14,710 for a family of two; $18,530 for a family of three; and $22,350 for a family of four, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Eligible people can receive only one payment of up to $500 per heating season. For information, visit www.dom.com.

Complaint analysis

COLUMBUS

A newspaper’s analysis shows the most-common complaints received by the Ohio Department of Insurance come from people who had health claims denied.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the department got more than 3,100 complaints last year and in the first 11 months of this year. Of those, 43 percent were from people whose insurers would not pay a medical bill. Consumers sought help from the state after losing appeals to their insurance companies.

More than 1,300 complaints were for denied claims, and about 220 of them led to refunds, additional payments or settlements.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 22.15 .28

Avalon Holdings,2.8692.1692

Clear Channel, .65 61.00 1.51

Cortland Bancorp, 7.00.00

Farmers Nat.4.40 —.05

First Energy, 2.20, 44.63.34

FirstMerit Corp., .64,14.45 —.02

First Niles Financial, .32,6.70.00

First Place Fin., .65.00

FNB Corp., .48,10.98.27

General Motors,21.59.31

General Electric, .60,16.33.24

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 5.32.11

JP Morgan Chase, 1.00,33.511.18

Key Corp, .12,7.41.21

LaFarge, 9.50 .42

Macy’s, .40, 33.14.60

Parker Hannifin, 1.48, 82.83.72

PNC, 1.40,55.181.21

RTI Intl. Metals,25.94.75

Simon Prop. Grp.,3.20,122.97.17

Stoneridge 8.44 —.17

United Community Fin. 1.02.02

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.