Natural-gas rates

Natural-gas rates

Youngstown

City officials announced a 12-month fixed rate of $3.99 per Mcf of natural gas for members of the city’s Natural Gas Program.

The new rate will run through the October 2013 billing cycle. Residents and small commercial customers should receive a letter about the change from IGS Energy to arrive on or about Sept. 22.

Calls about the program and any questions should not go to the city but to IGS Energy at 1-800-280-4474.

Seasonal workers needed for center

NORTH Jackson

Things Remembered’s North Jackson distribution center is seeking 250 seasonal workers for this year’s holiday season.

Hiring began Friday, and the facility is hoping to fill both first and second shifts. A recruiting event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Columbiana County One-Stop, 7860 Lincole Place, Lisbon. A second recruiting event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Trumbull County One-Stop, 280 N. Park Ave., Suite 1, Warren.

A final recruiting event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Mahoning County One-Stop, 141 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman.

Kmart joins rivals, waives layaway fees

NEW YORK

The layaway wars are heating up ahead of the winter holidays.

Kmart, a division of Sears Holdings Corp., said Friday that it’s waiving the fees that shoppers pay to open its interest-free pay-over-time program at its discount stores and online through Nov. 17.

The parent company, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., plans to do the same for its Sears, Roebuck and Co. stores, but Jai Holtz, vice president of financial services for Sears Holdings, says it’s still finalizing the time frame. Both Kmart and Sears have charged $5 for an eight-week layaway contract and $10 for the 12-week program.

Kmart’s move comes three days after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it was lowering its holiday layaway program fee to $5 from $15. Shoppers who make their final layaway payment will get a full refund of the fee in the form of a Wal-Mart gift card.

Toys “R” Us Inc. said Monday it was eliminating the upfront service fee for layaway orders created in store from this past Tuesday through Oct. 31. After Oct. 31, a $5 service fee will apply.

Settlement near in mortgage-scam case

WASHINGTON

The government’s consumer-finance watchdog is in talks to settle charges that a California businessman falsely promised to help lower homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments.

Abraham Michael Pessar said that he is talking to officials and is close to resolving the case, the first of its kind brought by the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The case, one of only two public enforcement actions by the agency so far, is seen as a bellwether of its approach to enforcing consumer laws. Companies, lawyers and advocates are dissecting it for hints about how tough the new regulator will be and what practices it will target.

Vindicator staff/wire reports