Official visits Cuba

Official visits Cuba

YOUNGSTOWN

Sarah Boyarko, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber senior vice president of economic development, was part of a group of eight leaders — including three from the Mahoning Valley — who traveled to Cuba last week to explore exporting opportunities.

The group, consisting of elected officials, companies and consultants, was exposed to Cuban culture, specific business opportunities and Cuban education and government officials.

Boyarko said this trip — the first of several that will take place — was an introductory opportunity to explore exporting opportunities within the approved industries of agriculture, building and construction materials, telecommunications, energy and other equipment and tools to support Cuban entrepreneurs.

Restoring pensions

WARREN

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, both applauded the announcement that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. has agreed to restore pensions of 1,350 RG Steel LLC employees who worked at facilities in Warren and Wheeling, W.Va.

Under the agreement, PBGC will restore plans of people who worked at Renco’s former subsidiary, RG Steel LLC, which is liquidating in bankruptcy. PBGC took responsibility for the plans, which had a funding gap of about $70 million, in 2012.

7,700 new Ohio jobs

COLUMBUS

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ newly released jobs report shows that Ohio gained 7,700 private-sector jobs in January, and the annual benchmarking process revised Ohio’s job figures higher than previously had been reported.

Passenger increase

LAS VEGAS, NEV.

On Friday, Allegiant Travel Co., reported preliminary passenger-traffic results for February 2016.

The number of passengers nationwide in February 2016 increased 21 percent from February 2015.

Allegiant, the only commercial airliner in operation at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, reported it had 795,768 passengers in February 2016 compared with 657,399 passengers in February 2015.

Departures increased 23.3 percent, and revenue passenger miles increased 21 percent.

Gunmen kill 16

SANAA, Yemen

Gunmen in southern Yemen on Friday stormed a retirement home run by a charity established by Mother Teresa, killing 16 people, including four Catholic nuns, officials and witnesses said.

The killing spree began with two gunmen who first surrounded the home for the elderly in Aden. Meanwhile, four others entered the building on the pretext they wanted to visit their mothers at the facility, according to the charity, Yemeni security officials and witnesses.

The gunmen then moved from room to room, handcuffing the victims before shooting them in the head.

Staff/wire reports