Business conference

Business conference

Dayton

The Ohio Department of Development is hosting the sixth annual Ohio Business Matchmaker Conference March 22 and 23 at the Wright State University Nutter Center, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway.

The conference is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. March 22, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 23.

The event brings together buyers and sellers of goods and services and offers small-business training sessions, according to a press release.

Training programs include conducting business with government agencies, reading solicitations, certifications and registrations, marketing to prime contractors and working with joint ventures, among others.

According to a press release, more than 1,400 businesses took part in one-on-one meetings with more than 250 buyers at last year’s event.

The $50 registration fee includes a boxed lunch. The registration deadline is Tuesday. Call the Ohio Small Business Development Center at 614-466-2711 for more information.

Judge OKs plan to sell old GM assets

DETROIT

A federal judge said Thursday he will approve a plan to liquidate old General Motors Co. assets that the company shed in bankruptcy.

GM was split into two companies — General Motors Co. and Motors Liquidation Co. — when it emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2009. The new plan sells off and cleans up old assets, including 89 industrial sites in 14 states.

Judge Robert Gerber verbally approved the plan Thursday and said he will issue a written decision soon, according to Motors Liquidation. The hearing took place at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York.

Jury convicts environmentalist

SALT LAKE CITY

An environmental activist was convicted Thursday of making $1.8 million in false oil- and gas-drilling bids at a federal auction in a case that became a cause c l ®bre among avid supporters and Hollywood celebrities such as Robert Redford.

Tim DeChristopher, 29, made the bids to run up the price of 13 oil and gas leases near Utah’s Arches and Canyonlands national parks and push the land beyond the reach of buyers.

But in the end, he lacked the ability to cover his bids.

It took a federal jury about five hours to convict him on two felony counts of interfering with and making false representations at a government auction. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $750,000 at his June 23 sentencing.

Disney buys maker of game platforms

LOS ANGELES

The Walt Disney Co. has acquired a Finnish company as part of its renewed focus on social and mobile games.

Disney said Thursday it has bought Rocket Pack, a company based in Helsinki that gives developers tools to create games that work on Web browsers without the need to download anything.

Games using the platform also work on the browsers of portable devices such as Apple Inc.’s iPad and iPhone.

Vindicator staff/wire reports