NATION DIGEST || More traffic at Pittsburgh airport

More traffic at Pittsburgh airport

PITTSBURGH

Passenger traffic at Pittsburgh International Airport grew 2 percent in April, the 13th-consecutive month of growth.

A total of 680,604 passengers boarded and deplaned at the airport in April, compared with April 2010, which had a total of 667,372.

Year-to-date totals show scheduled traffic up 5.8 percent.

The Allegheny County Airport Authority, because of increased traffic and heavy summer travel months, is asking fliers to arrive at least 90 minutes before their scheduled departure time.

HMHP leases 28 Cruzes for staff

YOUNGSTOWN

Humility of Mary Health Partners and General Motors Co.’s Lordstown complex have teamed up to help homebound patients.

HMHP is leasing 28 Chevrolet Cruzes for its home-care and home medical-equipment staff.

Enterprise Fleet Management helped make the arrangement.

Raising awareness of Ohio businesses

COLUMBUS

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s office on Thursday launched Ohio Business Profile to raise awareness about Ohio companies that create interesting products or offer outstanding service.

“Ohioans will be both surprised and proud of the sheer diversity and offerings of Ohio entrepreneurs and the wide reach of these companies across the nation and around the world,” Husted said.

OBP, available online through the Secretary of State website, highlights companies that contribute to their local communities and employ Ohio residents.

Restaurant cited by Obama to close

TOLEDO

An Ohio restaurant mentioned last week by President Barack Obama as an indirect beneficiary of the government’s Chrysler bailout will go out of business Sunday after more than 70 years.

Co-owner Richard Lawrence of New Chet’s Restaurant in Toledo says business has fallen victim to the economy and the workplace smoking ban approved by Ohio voters in 2006. He told The Blade newspaper of Toledo on Wednesday that auto-industry cutbacks also hurt.

Lawrence says he used to deliver up to $300 in food per week to Chrysler Group LLC’s Jeep plant in Toledo, but now that’s down to about $100 worth.

Obama visited the plant Friday and told workers that without them, who would eat at Chet’s or patronize other local businesses?

Home equity near record low levels

WASHINGTON

Falling real-estate prices are eating away at home equity.

The percentage of their homes that Americans own is near its lowest point since World War II, the Federal Reserve said Thursday. The average homeowner now has 38 percent equity, down from 61 percent a decade ago.

The bleak news came as mortgage rates hit a new low for the year, falling below 4.5 percent for a 30-year fixed loan. But even alluring rates have failed to deliver any lift to the depressed housing industry.

Staff/wire reports