Youngstown — good place to raise family?

Youngstown — good place to raise family?

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown area is known for having the highest poverty rate and some of the cheapest housing in the nation.

The Valley can add another distinction, at least according to Forbes, which ranked Youngstown as the fourth-best metro area to raise a family.

“Still feeling that rust-belt economic pain that’s undermining incomes, but affordable with good schools,” the website’s description reads. Forbes ranked America’s 100 largest metro areas by median income, overall cost of living, commuting delays, crime statistics, school quality and housing affordability.

Read the complete list at http://onforb.es/HtPkN2.

Lockhart purchases Columbiana land

COLUMBIANA

Lockhart Development Co. purchased 920 acres of undeveloped commercial and residential real estate in Columbiana for $4.9 million.

The property adjacent to The Links at Firestone Farms was appraised at $7.3 million.

The land previously was owned by Meadowbrooke Development LLC and was sold Tuesday at the Columbiana County Courthouse in a sheriff’s sale. National City Bank had started foreclosure proceedings on the property in 2009. Lockhart Development Co. was one of the plaintiffs in the foreclosure case.

Small-business loans

WASHINGTON

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a report showing that Ohio banks have increased their small-business lending by $31.6 million since receiving capital through Small Business Lending Fund.

The SBLF encourages community banks to increase their lending to small businesses to help them grow and create new jobs.

The Treasury invested more than $4 billion in 332 institutions, located in over 3,000 communities in 48 states, through the SBLF.

“This report shows that the Small Business Lending Fund is having a powerful impact,” Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin said in a statement. “The program is helping spark new lending to local entrepreneurs looking to invest in their businesses and create new jobs.”

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 21.70 —.26

Avalon Holdings,4.77.17

Clear Channel, .77 72.89 .39

Cortland Bancorp, 8.75.00

Farmers Nat., .126.45 .15

First Energy, 2.20, 44.93—.67

FirstMerit Corp., .64,15.92 —.38

First Niles Financial, .32,8.05—1.95

First Place Fin., .70.00

FNB Corp., .48,11.42—.19

General Motors,23.70—.50

General Electric, .68,18.75—.45

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 6.16—.18

JP Morgan Chase, 1.20,42.96—.93

Key Corp, .12,8.02—.13

LaFarge, 10.38 —.42

Macy’s, .80, 38.55—1.43

Parker Hannifin, 1.56, 81.49—1.11

PNC, 1.40,61.75—.89

RTI Intl. Metals,21.06—.47

Simon Prop. Grp.,3.80,141.79—2.86

Stoneridge 9.20 —.19

United Community Fin. 1.80—.21

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.