BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Business to mark 35th anniversary

YOUNGSTOWN

American Business Center, an office equipment and solutions provider in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, will celebrate its 35 years in business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 18 at 7677 South Ave.

By continually adding emerging technologies to its offerings and enhancing its specialized local services and support, ABC Inc. has expanded its footprint in the tri-state area in its 35 years.

The facility was recently expanded to include 33 percent more physical warehouse space with multiple loading docks, as well as a renovated showroom floor and new signage.

Dominion rates

YOUNGSTOWN

Dominion East Ohio Standard Choice Offer/Standard Service Offer for October 2016 are $2.902 per thousand cubic feet or mcf.

The rates are 9.9 cents, or 3.5 percent, higher, than the September SCO/SSO rates of $2.803 per mcf. The rates are 31.9 cents, or 12.4 percent, higher than the October 2015 SCO/SSO rates of $2.583/mcf.

Auto sales down

YOUNGSTOWN

Total auto sales for September were down by just 0.6 percent over last year, according to Kelley Blue Book analysts. September 2016 had 1.43 million sales compared with 1.44 million in September 2015.

TrueCar Inc. projects U.S. revenue from new vehicle sales reached $47 billion for the month of September, down 0.3 percent from a year ago.

Gas prices rise

YOUNGSTOWN

Northeast Ohio gas prices saw an increase this week, hovering at $2.214 a gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Fuel Gauge report.

The national average is $2.224.

The average gas price in Youngstown this week is $2.155, according to AAA.

Pump prices have climbed higher as compared with the previous week, even though many states have switched over to the cheaper winter-blend gasoline.

Mexico: 4 youths disappeared; cartels suspected

MEXICO CITY

Prosecutors in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz say four young people have disappeared and drug cartels may be involved.

The prosecutor’s office says two young men and a young woman disappeared last Thursday near the port city of Veracruz. Another young man disappeared separately the same day.

The office said Tuesday in a statement that no ransom demands had been made. It said it will present the case to federal prosecutors “because of the existence of indications of the involvement of organized crime.”

Veracruz has been hit by waves of disappearances, in which local police and drug cartels have sometimes been implicated.

Staff/wire reports