BP hires local firm

BP hires local firm

canfield

Pecchia Communications, of Canfield, has been hired by BP America Inc. to provide public-relations services of the local firm as one of the companies supporting its activities in the proposed Utica and Point Pleasant shale project.

“Our agreement with Pecchia Comm demonstrates our commitment to hiring locally whenever possible as we continue to explore the possibility of safely developing this natural resource,” said Curtis Thomas, Director of BP’s Government and Public Affairs department in Ohio.

Ribbon cutting

warren

Farmers National Bank will have a ribbon cutting for a new location from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at 1625 Niles-Cortland Road NE, Suite 2 in Warren.

Soccer league gets new website

youngstown

A new website is helping the Mahoning Valley’s largest youth soccer organization communicate more effectively with its players, coaches and parents and reducing costs.

The Youngstown Area Youth Soccer League launched its new site recently with the help of Pecchia Communications, a Youngstown public-relations firm. Built on a WordPress platform, the site enables league volunteers to update text, add notices, upload pictures and more, all with the ease of editing a Word document. The site costs the league less than $10 per month.

Bank honored

YOUNGSTOWN

Home Savings and Loan Company recently accepted top honors from the Communicator Awards, which is run by the International Academy of the Visual Arts.

Home Savings won two awards for its new website, www.homesavings.com, in the categories of banking and bill pay and financial services. Deemed visually pleasing and easy to use, the bank took two “prestigous Silver Awards.”

The website’s host and service provider, who worked closely with the bank to design the new page, also took top honors.

Home Savings operates 34 banking offices and seven loan offices throughout Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

‘Backpack Boost’

warren

First Place Bank will launch a “Backpack Boost” to help local children start the school year with a free backpack filled with school supplies. The bank will donate 530 new backpacks as well as items to begin filling them.

The bank also is asking the public to donate additional supplies, with the goal of distributing filled backpacks to students in each area the bank serves.

In Mahoning and Trumbull county, 200 backpacks are being assembled for distribution to local students. Donations of new school supplies may be dropped off at any First Place Bank office from Monday to Aug. 3. The bank has suggested supplies ranging from pencils and notebooks to pocket folders and glue sticks.

Vindicator staff reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .66, 26.84 .59

Avalon Holdings,3.9901.1401

Clear Channel, .73 64.73 .53

Cortland Bancorp, 9.55.05

Farmers Nat., .126.42 .08

First Energy, 2.20, 49.34.26

FirstMerit Corp., .64,16.60 .32

First Niles Financial, .32,8.05.00

First Place Fin., .76.01

FNB Corp., .48,11.34.26

General Motors,19.60.27

General Electric, .68,19.75.31

Motors Liquidation, .0422.00

Huntington Bank, .16, 6.48.20

JP Morgan Chase, 1.20,36.072.03

Key Corp, .20,7.85.27

LaFarge, 10.41 .00

Macy’s, .80, 33.65.82

Parker Hannifin, 1.64, 73.941.69

PNC, 1.60,61.431.48

RTI Intl. Metals,22.77.50

Simon Prop. Grp.,4.00,158.561.64

Stoneridge 6.61 .24

United Community Fin. 2.74.02

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