Harwood to visit

Harwood to visit

YOUNGSTOWN

Richard Harwood, a National Public Radio and CNN commentator, author and founder and president of Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, will visit Youngstown later this week.

He will meet with Mahoning Valley community groups and business leaders Thursday and Friday to discuss the possibility of the region’s joining other areas, such as Battle Creek, Mich., and Las Vegas, in becoming a “beacon community.”

Beacon communities create networks of public innovators to identify areas of change.

Harwood will speak to business leaders about businesses working for the public good.

Harwood has a history with the Valley. About a decade ago, he conducted training that led to the Mahoning Valley Vision for Education, which resulted in the Steel-to-Scholars program. His organization also prepared a report for the Mott Foundation, which many credit as a predecessor to Youngstown 2010.

Merger gets OK

HERMITAGE, PA.

F.N.B. Corp. and Parkvale Financial Corp. have cleared a hurdle with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding their proposed merger.

The merger Tuesday was declared effective by the SEC.

Shareholders of Parkvale Financial Corp. will be entitled to receive 2.178 shares of F.N.B. common stock for each share of Parkvale Financial common stock owned immediately before the merger.

Parkvale Financial Corp. will have a special meeting of shareholders Dec. 15 to consider and vote on the proposed merger.

Shareholders of record as of the close of business Oct. 20 will be entitled to notice and vote at the meeting.

Farmers’ dividend

CANFIELD

The board of directors of Canfield-based Farmers National Banc Corp. on Tuesday declared a cash dividend of 3 cents per share. The common-stock cash dividend will have a record date of Dec. 16 and is payable to shareholders of record Dec. 30.

Farmers National Banc Corp. is the holding company for Farmers National Bank and Farmers Trust Co. and has more than $1 billion in assets, 18 banking locations and two trust offices.

Plant concerns

CLEVELAND

A watchdog group is questioning the soundness of an Ohio nuclear plant where a 30-foot hairline crack recently was discovered.

The crack was found in the thick concrete on the outside of the reactor containment building at the Davis-Besse plant outside Toledo. Further inspections found numerous, tiny cracks on the building’s facade.

The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reports the Union of Concerned Scientists has written the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission asking whether the concrete walls were built to adequate engineering specifications.

The NRC said Monday the letter is being reviewed. Plant owner FirstEnergy Corp. says the walls were designed properly and the building has been inspected thoroughly.

The plant has been shut down for installation of a new 82-ton reactor head, replacing one that cracked.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 22.44 —.01

Avalon Holdings,2.30.09

Clear Channel, .65 56.95 .17

Cortland Bancorp, 7.00.00

Farmers Nat.4.25 —.03

First Energy, 2.20, 46.00.33

FirstMerit Corp., .64,14.64 .45

First Niles Financial, .32,7.25.00

First Place Fin., .78—.05

FNB Corp., .48,10.94.19

General Motors,25.041.03

General Electric, .60,16.48.09

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 5.49.15

JP Morgan Chase, 1.00,35.02.78

Key Corp, .12,7.54.15

LaFarge, 10.05 .13

Macy’s, .40, 32.16—.19

Parker Hannifin, 1.48, 83.741.15

PNC, 1.40,54.56.80

RTI Intl. Metals,28.55.12

Simon Prop. Grp.,3.20,130.801.01

Stoneridge 7.94 .14

United Community Fin. 1.11—.05

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