Heating program

Heating program

STRUTHERS

The city has partnered with Constellation New-Energy, a retail energy provider, to help its community manage their winter-heating bills.

Effective Feb. 1, 2016, consumers will have the opportunity to sign up for a fixed rate of $3.84 per thousand cubic feet from Constellation NewEnergy. The rate will cover the March 2016 through February 2017 bill cycles. The rate excludes taxes and fees for services provided by the utility.

Residents and small businesses will receive information via mail describing the offer at the end of the year. Those wishing to “opt-in” will need to call Constellation NewEnergy directly at 1-800-718-1493. Customers not receiving a letter stating they are automatically included will need to call to enroll in the program.

Drilling permits

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Department of Natural resources issued three horizontal-drilling permits last week, all of them in Noble County. There are a total of 1,855 permits with 1,393 drilled, which has 828 of them producing. The rig count is 27.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued five permits to Hilcorp Energy Co. in Lawrence County.

Fraudulent returns

COLUMBUS

As Ohio’s tax filing deadline of April 15 draws closer, the Ohio Department of Taxation reminds Ohio taxpayers that income-tax fraud and identity theft continue to pose a danger to filers.

So far this tax-filing season, the state has intercepted a number of returns seeking fraudulent refunds surpassing last year’s 65,000 returns that included $276 million in fraud.

2 men plead guilty in chemical spill

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

Two former employees at Freedom Industries pleaded guilty to a pollution charge Wednesday in last year’s chemical spill in West Virginia that fouled a local tap-water supply.

Ex-Freedom plant manager Michael Burdette and environmental consultant Robert Reynolds entered the pleas at separate hearings to negligent discharge of a pollutant. Each faces up to a year in prison and a minimum $2,500 fine when sentenced June 24.

The spill of thousands of gallons of a coal-cleaning agent from Freedom Industries into the Elk River went into West Virginia American Water’s intake 2 miles downstream on Jan. 9, 2014.

Starbucks to deliver in NYC and Seattle

NEW YORK

Starbucks says it will start delivering to customers in select parts of Seattle and New York City later this year.

The details were to be discussed at the coffee chain’s annual meeting Wednesday.

In Seattle, it said it will team up with a company called Postmates to deliver to homes and offices within specific areas.

In New York City, delivery will be from existing or newly setup Starbucks shops in certain buildings, starting with the Empire State Building.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .61, 26.890.54

Avalon Holdings,2.820

Clear Channel, .46 18.910.38

Cortland Bancorp, 15.22-0.08

Farmers Nat., .128.090.06

First Energy, 1.44, 36.081.02

Fifth/Third, .5219.21-0.04

FirstMerit Corp., .64,19.20-0.1

First Niles Financial, .32,8.50-0.01

FNB Corp., .48,13.06-0.23

General Motors, 1.2038.490.2

General Electric, .88,25.640.33

Huntington Bank, .20, 11.14-0.08

JP Morgan Chase, 1.60,61.660.05

Key Corp, .26,14.46-0.15

LaFarge, 17.101.28

Macy’s, 1.25, 64.560.46

Parker Hannifin, 1.92, 121.632.2

PNC, 1.92,95.79-0.03

RTI Intl. Metals,37.180.54

Simon Prop. Grp.,5.20,191.455.32

Stoneridge 11.34-0.05

Talmer Bank, 14.91-0.37

United Comm. Fin., .04 5.30-0.13

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