BUSINESS DIGEST || Simon Roofing installs safety technology

Simon Roofing adds safety technology

YOUNGSTOWN

Simon Roofing, a national manufacturer/installer and service provider of commercial roofing systems, adopted cellphone block technology in its company vehicles as a safety initiative to curb distracted driving.

The program is through Cellcontrol Inc., which developed a patented distracted driving prevention platform eliminates talking, texting and browsing on any mobile device while a vehicle is in motion.

Comfort Suites has grand opening

LIBERTY

The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. today for Comfort Suites Youngstown North, 201 Perni Lane.

The hotel, owned by Liberty Belmont Properties Investors and operated by Radius Hospitality, is located off Interstate 80 and Belmont Avenue.

The hotel features 86 guest rooms.

Convenience store opens in New Castle

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

Last Minit Mart, a New Castle-based convenience store chain with 10 locations, recently announced the grand opening of a location at 1010 Wilmington Road, across the street from Jameson Hospital. A grand-opening celebration runs through Saturday and will feature buy one, get one free custom, signature and breakfast sandwiches.

March home sales rose year over year

COLUMBUS

The number of homes sold across Ohio in March rose 5.7 percent from the level posted during the month a year ago for the market’s 18th-consecutive monthly year-over-year gain, according to the Ohio Association of REALTORS.

March’s average home price of $153,607 reflects a 4.4 percent increase from the $147,177 mark posted during the month last year.

GM’s 2Q dividend

DETROIT

General Motors Co. on Wednesday declared a second-quarter 2016 dividend of 38 cents per share on the company’s common stock. The dividend is payable June 23 to all common stockholders of record as of June 10.

Source: VW to pay $1B to diesel owners

dETROIT

Volkswagen, the U.S. government and private lawyers have reached a deal for the automaker to buy back some of the 600,000 diesel cars that cheat on emissions tests and spend just over $1 billion to compensate owners, according to a person briefed on the matter.

The “deal in principle” includes a maximum amount of spending, but the final details, like how much each owner would get, are still being worked out, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the deal hasn’t been made public.

Some owners would get a choice of having VW repair their cars or buy them back, but that would vary by model year and engine type, the person said. The deal likely is part of a bigger payment package from VW.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1210.59.06

Aqua America, .71 31.54 —.70

Avalon Holdings,1.90.00

Cortland Bancorp, .2815.25.15

Farmers Nat., .129.00 —.01

First Energy, 1.44 34.76—.74

Fifth/Third, .5218.39.28

FirstMerit Corp., .6822.50 .29

First Niles Financial, .208.75.00

FNB Corp., .4813.47.10

General Motors, 1.5232.19.22

General Electric, .9231.15.00

Huntington Bank, .28 10.28.17

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.24 .04

JP Morgan Chase, 1.7664.24.92

Key Corp, .3012.14.16

LaFarge, .3417.57 .00

Macy’s, 1.44 41.36.21

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 113.49—.56

PNC, 2.0484.741.47

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.40203.72—4.54

Stoneridge 14.62 —.03

Talmer Bank, .20 19.54.42

United Comm. Fin., .10 5.77—.13

Selected prices from Wednesday’s 4 p.m. close.