Anti-fracking group to protest at Covelli

Anti-fracking group to protest at Covelli

YOUNGSTOWN

Fracking Exposed: A State of Emergency will protest Nov. 30 at the Covelli Centre at the same time as the YOUNG 2011 Utica and Marcellus Shale Conference and Expo.

The group believes there is unwarranted hype surrounding the economic, safety and environmental impacts of natural-oil and gas drilling and a process called fracking.

Fracking is a process in which water, chemicals and sand are blasted through pipes into rocks thousands of feet below the ground to unlock natural gas and oil.

The group will meet at 8 a.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Youngstown before protesting at the Covelli Centre at 12:15 p.m. and at Central Square downtown.

Assisted-living groundbreaking

CANFIELD

EDM Management Inc. broke ground Wednesday for a $7 million, 55,000- square-foot assisted-living residence.

The Inn at Ironwood, which is expected to open in late 2012, will have 64 units complete with daily meal service, transportation, concierge services, health and wellness checks, outings and special events, salon and spa services and medication management.

It will create 25 full-time positions with an approximate payroll of $566,000 annually.

EDM, a Youngstown-based company in business since 2002, operates Briarfield Health Care Centers, a group of six skilled-nursing facilities and three assisted-living facilities in the Valley.

F.N.B. declares quarterly dividend

HERMITAGE, PA.

F.N.B. Corp. has announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 12 cents per share on F.N.B. Corp.’s common stock.

The dividend is payable Dec. 15 to shareholders of record as of the close of business Dec. 1.

The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FNB.

Car sales pick up during November

DETROIT

Car dealers are getting a surprise end-of-the-year bonus: More Americans are replacing old cars and trucks, enlivening a normally sleepy time for auto sales and putting November on track to be the industry’s strongest month of the year.

Dealers and analysts say people finally are getting rid of cars and trucks they’ve held onto for more than a decade. That demand, plus attractive lease deals, an ample supply of Japanese models and promotions on remaining 2011 models have drawn buyers to showrooms in large numbers the past two weeks.

The spike in activity comes after months of sputtering sales. Consumers have been reluctant to take on major debt such as car payments because of the uncertain job market. Unemployment has been around 9 percent for more than two years with no sign of significant improvement.

Vindicator staff and wire reports