BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Home sales soar

WASHINGTON

A buying spree in the Midwest spurred new U.S. home sales last month to the fastest pace since July.

The Commerce Department said Friday that new-home sales in November rose 5.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate 592,000. It was the fastest pace since July’s 622,000. Sales were up 16.5 percent from November 2015.

Sales in the Midwest shot up 43.8 percent, the region’s biggest monthly increase since October 2012.

Consumers confident

WASHINGTON

American consumers are the sunniest they’ve been in more than 15 years.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index climbed to 113.7 in December, up from 109.4 in November and the highest since it reached 114 in August 2001. It’s another sign consumers are confident in the aftermath of a divisive election campaign.

Gift to food bank

YOUNGSTOWN

William Shivers, president of Huntington Bank’s Canton and Mahoning Valley regions, recently presented a $2,500 check to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley.

Huntington’s $2,500 donation will provide 12,500 meals to local individuals in need.

Gifts to schools

YOUNGSTOWN

The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, Dominion East Ohio’s parent company, has awarded $7,500 in K-12 Educational Partnership Grants to three Mahoning Valley schools or centers, part of $25,000 in overall grants awarded to 10 northeast Ohio schools.

Local grant winning programs are: Champion Middle School in Champion for its Community Stewardship Project; Oh WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science of Youngstown for its Silly Science Sunday in September program; and Willard Pre K-8 School of Warren for its Star Light, Star Bright program.

Tribal group ends weeklong occupation

CHARLESTOWN, R.I.

A group of Narragansett Indians ended a weeklong occupation of a tribal government building with a promise to resolve their disagreements with supporters of the tribe’s longtime leader.

The occupiers left the building and handed over its keys to a mediator at about 11:30 p.m. Monday. The breakthrough came after days of mediation that included telephone calls and face-to-face meetings on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“We accomplished what we set out to do, and it was time to go,” said one of the occupiers, Councilwoman Chastity Machado, who spent six nights sleeping inside the administration building.

The occupying group was led by tribal council members who were elected in July and who impeached Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas in October.

Staff/wire reports