Gas prices drop

Gas prices drop

YOUNGSTOWN

Northeast Ohio gas prices decreased about 10 cents a gallon this week to $3.81, according to AAA East Central. The average for gas prices in Youngstown is $3.727.

The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.65 per gallon. This time last year, consumers were paying $3.63, and the national average was beginning to trend downward toward the summer low of $3.47.

Ribbon-cutting set

WARREN

There will be a ribbon-cutting for Family and Friend’s Home Care, 290 Market St., on Thursday.

The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and will feature the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and the owner of the home-care center.

Family & Friend’s Home Care opened in 2013, after research showed there were no home-care agencies specifically catering to the armed-forces veteran and his or her’s spouse/widower needs in the Warren area.

Heinz, Ford team up

pittsburgh

Ford Motor Co. and the H.J. Heinz Co., the Pittsburgh-based ketchup maker, are teaming up on research to turn tomato skins into auto parts.

According to a joint news release, scientists at both companies believe they can use tomato fibers to manufacture composite materials used for wiring brackets, or storage bins in cars instead of petroleum-based plastics.

Ford says it began working with Heinz, The Coca-Cola Co., Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble to speed up attempts to create a “a 100 percent plant-based plastic to be used to make everything from fabric to packaging.”

Meanwhile, Heinz was looking to recycle the leftover parts of the 2 million tons of tomatoes Heinz uses to make ketchup each year.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .61, 24.96 —.08

Avalon Holdings,4.76.18

Clear Channel, .61 23.40 —.10

Cortland Bancorp, 11.75—.20

Farmers Nat., .127.75 —.01

First Energy, 2.20, 34.74.15

FirstMerit Corp., .64,19.97 —.23

First Niles Financial, .32,8.30.00

FNB Corp., .48,12.76—.11

General Motors,36.40—.10

General Electric, .76,27.41—.03

Huntington Bank, .20, 9.71—.01

JP Morgan Chase, 1.52,57.90.48

Key Corp, .22,14.38—.11

LaFarge, 22.53 —.19

Macy’s, 1.00, 58.88—.35

Parker Hannifin, 1.80, 129.52.11

PNC, 1.76,88.42—.09

RTI Intl. Metals,27.30—.26

Simon Prop. Grp.,4.60,165.68—1.32

Stoneridge 10.76 —.16

Talmer Bank, 14.44.13

United Community Fin. 3.82—.07

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