BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Sweeney invests in service technicians

BOARDMAN

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC recently announced a new investment in service technicians. Beginning in the fall, the Boardman auto dealership will be the exclusive sponsor of four technicians as they complete an associate’s degree in Automotive Technology at Stark State University in Canton.

The two-year program began Aug. 29.

The students’ tuition will be paid for by the dealership and each student is responsible for keeping his/her GPA at a 2.5 GPA to stay in the program. The program allows students classroom instruction and on the job training.

ITC ruling praised

WASHINGTON

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat of Cleveland, both applauded the International Trade Commission’s positive ruling for Ohio Steel Companies. The ITC determined that the U.S. steel industry has been unfairly injured by hot-rolled steel imports. This ruling will result in new antidumping and countervailing duty orders against these countries’ steel imports.

Companies with Ohio facilities affected by this case include: U.S. Steel of Lipsec and Lorain; Nucor of Cincinnati, Marion and Orrville; ArcelorMittal of Cleveland, Columbus, Marion, Pioneer, Richfield, Shelby and Warren; and AK Steel of Coshocton, Mansfield, Middletown, Walbridge and Zanesville.

In ’15, Americans got long-awaited raise

WASHINGTON

In a long-awaited sign that middle-class Americans are finally seeing real economic gains, U.S. households got a raise last year after seven years of stagnant incomes. Rising pay also lifted the poorest households, cutting poverty by the sharpest amount in nearly a half-century.

Higher minimum wages in many states and tougher competition among businesses to fill jobs pushed up pay, while low inflation made those paychecks stretch further. The figures show that the growing economy is finally benefiting a greater share of American households.

The median U.S. household’s income rose 5.2 percent in 2015 to an inflation-adjusted level of $56,516, the Census Bureau said Tuesday.

Britain develops new plastic money

LONDON

The times they have a-changed: Britain’s new money is plastic.

The new 5-pound ($6.60) bill introduced Tuesday is strong polymer and can handle a trip through the washing machine without shredding like the paper cash it’s replacing.

It’s got the latest anti-counterfeit and security features, and Bank of England officials insist it will be cleaner, safer and stronger than paper money.

The portrait on the new fiver depicts wartime leader Winston Churchill.

Some 440 million of the new notes will be phased in, to be followed in the coming years by new 10-pound and 20-pound plastic bills.

Paper 5-pound bills will be usable until May 5.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .129.52-0.26

Aqua America, .71 29.73-0.46

Avalon Holdings,2.99-0.04

Cortland Bancorp, .2815.52-0.38

Farmers Nat., .1610.73-0.01

First Energy, 1.44 32.70-0.58

Fifth/Third, .5220.22+0.01

FirstMerit Corp., .6821.610.37

First Niles Financial, .129.300.00

FNB Corp., .4812.29-0.18

General Motors, 1.5230.94-0.24General Electric, .9229.85-0.64

Huntington Bank, .28 9.88-0.12

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.450.22

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9266.53-0.53

Key Corp, .3412.32-0.30

LaFarge, .3417.570.00Macy’s, 1.51 34.68-0.59

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 120.84-2.02

PNC, 2.0489.92-0.98

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.40206.92-5.36

Stoneridge 17.61-0.18

Talmer Bank, .20 23.34-0.36

United Comm. Fin., .10 6.82-0.05

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