Holiday party set for MVYP group

Holiday party set for MVYP group

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning Valley Young Professionals’ holiday party will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Students Motivated by the Arts, 258 W. Federal St.

Tickets are $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers and includes wine, beer, soft drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

This year’s event will benefit the Park Vista Secret Santa program. It’s a tradition at Park Vista Retirement Community that gifts are provided to each resident on Christmas Eve by Santa’s helpers.

MVYP is asking members and friends to donate a gift of soft, skid-free socks or slippers, soft candy, tins of cookies, scented lotions, stuffed animals, large print Bibles or books, puzzle books, lap blankets, or health and beauty items.

Tickets for the party can be purchased at the door.

Marcellus production

PITTSBURGH

Range Resources Corp. says that natural-gas production from its Marcellus Shale wells has reached the equivalent of 400 million cubic feet per day.

The company, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, says in a release that the daily production from wells in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus region roughly doubled from the end of 2010, and matched its targets.

The company is aiming for 600 million cubic feet per day of Marcellus production by the end of 2012.

Range also says it has firm agreements to sell up to 650 million cubic feet per day of Marcellus gas in the future.

Ford to recall Fusion and Milan sedans

detroit

Ford is recalling more than 128,000 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans from the 2010 and 2011 model years because the wheels can fall off the cars.

The recall affects only cars with 17-inch steel wheels built from April 1, 2009, through April 30, 2009, and from Dec. 1, 2009, through Nov. 13, 2010.

Federal regulators say that bolts holding the wheels on can fracture, causing a vibration. If the vibration is ignored, the wheels can separate from the car.

Dealers will replace the lug nuts on all four wheels and check the rear disc brake surface.

The recall is expected to begin around Jan. 24.

Trade deficit shrinks to lowest point in ’11

washington

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in October to its lowest point of the year after Americans bought fewer foreign cars and imported less oil.

The shrinking trade gap boosted growth over the summer and may do so again in the final three months of the year. But economists worry the trend could reverse next year, especially if Europe’s debt crisis worsens.

The Commerce Department said Friday that the trade deficit shrank 1.6 percent to $43.5 billion.

It was the fourth straight monthly decline.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 21.64 .46

Avalon Holdings,2.75.14

Clear Channel, .65 59.41 —.03

Cortland Bancorp, 7.00.00

Farmers Nat.4.60 .03

First Energy, 2.20, 44.77.36

FirstMerit Corp., .64,14.49 .47

First Niles Financial, .32,6.70.00

First Place Fin., .56.04

FNB Corp., .48,11.06.46

General Motors,21.15.17

General Electric, .60,16.84.53

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 5.26.16

JP Morgan Chase, 1.00,33.18.96

Key Corp, .12,7.38.19

LaFarge, 9.11 .35

Macy’s, .40, 32.79.50

Parker Hannifin, 1.48, 81.021.50

PNC, 1.40,55.911.51

RTI Intl. Metals,24.70.68

Simon Prop. Grp.,3.20,124.302.80

Stoneridge 8.49 .31

United Community Fin. 1.03.05

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