HBA home show

HBA home show

BOARDMAN

The Home Builders and Remodelers Association of the Valley will host its 61st annual Home & Garden Show this weekend at Mr. Anthony’s on South Avenue.

The show is open noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with HBA-certified contractors and see examples of new market trends. There will be landscaped outdoor-living displays and a variety of home professionals.

For information, visit www.myhbaworks.org.

Wine-and-beer taste

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Area Grocers Association and the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 7th Annual Wine & Beer Taste fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. March 8 at Stambaugh Auditorium on Fifth Avenue.

The proceeds will benefit the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown HIV/AIDS Ministry and the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County.

There will be entertainment by the Buddy White Trio, an array of wine and beer and a Chinese auction.

Tickets can be purchased from the Shenango Valley Chamber by calling 724-981-5880, Community Food Warehouse at 724-981-0353, or Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown at 330-793-0434. Cost is $50 per ticket or $350 for a table of eight. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

First Niles results

NILES

First Niles Financial Inc., the holding company for Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Niles, on Tuesday announced financial results for 2011’s fourth quarter and all of 2011.

The company reported $1.33 million in net income, compared with a net loss of $242,000 in 2010.

Primary earnings per share was $1.16, compared with negative 22 cents a year ago.

Total equity rose from $12.3 million to $13.6 million.

The company had $103.8 million in total assets, down $1.3 million from Dec. 31, 2010.

The annual meeting of shareholders will take place at 2 p.m. April 25 at the First Niles main office, 55 N. Main St.

Health office opens

PITTSBURGH

A nonprofit group has opened an office in western Pennsylvania to help the public with health concerns over Marcellus Shale gas- drilling operations.

The Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project opened an office last week in McMurray, southwest of Pittsburgh, and says its mission is to support people “who believe their health has been, or could be, impacted by natural-gas drilling activities.”

“The state lacks enough resources to really address this,” director Raina Rippel said Tuesday. “There is this gaping hole for the community.”

Rippel said the project has several paid staff members, including a nurse. Other medical and research experts are consultants. The on-site nurse will make house calls in Washington County, but phone calls or emails from other parts of the state are welcome, Rippel said.

Vindicator staff/wire reports