BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Ribbon cutting for Jewels and More

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Jewels and More, 2618 Mahoning Ave., at noon Friday.

The company that buys and sells gold and jewelry will celebrate its grand opening with activities for all ages, including music, giveaways and refreshments. Prizes will be available for children and adults.

Income-tax filing deadline is Tuesday

COLUMBUS

Ohio Tax Commissioner Joe Testa wants to remind people that the income-tax filing deadline is midnight Tuesday. The traditional April 15 deadline was pushed back by the weekend and the Emancipation Day holiday observed in Washington, D.C.

Testa said taxpayer service agents are available by phone at 1-800-282-1780 and are working extended hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays through Tuesday.

Import action

WASHINGTON D.C.

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, and Rob Portman, a Republican from the Cincinnati area, on Wednesday applauded Commerce Department action against unfair oil country tubular good imports from Korea. Following Brown and Portman’s urging, Commerce found that Korean steel producers have been unfairly dumping these imports into the U.S. market, leaving Ohio steelworkers and steel companies at a competitive disadvantage. The senators’ Leveling the Playing Field Act helped pave the way for a positive decision in the case.

US budget deficit bulges in March

WASHINGTON

The federal government ran a budget deficit in March that was sharply higher than a year ago, largely because of a hitch in the calendar. Through the first half of this budget year, the deficit is running almost 15 percent higher than the same period a year ago.

The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the deficit in March totaled $176.2 billion, compared to $108 billion in March of last year. A big part of that increase reflected $42 billion in April benefit payments that were shifted into March because April 1 fell on a Saturday this year.

Through the first six months of this budget year, the deficit totals $526.9 billion, up 14.7 percent from last year’s six-month total of $459.4 billion.

Communications head for Uber resigns

NEW YORK

Uber’s head of communications is leaving, the latest in a string of executive departures as the ride-hailing company tries to dig out from a pile of troubles.

In a memo to employees, CEO Travis Kalanick called Rachel Whetstone a “force of nature” who was “was way ahead of the game when it came to many of the changes we needed to make as a company.”

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1232.05-2.34

Aqua America, .71 32.80 0.05

Avalon Holdings,2,390.17

Chemical Bank, .2748.05-1.09Community Health Sys.8.88-0.12

Cortland Bancorp, .2818.60.15

Farmers Nat., .1612.95 -0.30

First Energy, 1.44 31.620.17

Fifth/Third, .5224.33-0.36

FirstMerit Corp.,- 0.37

First Niles Financial, .12100.00

FNB Corp., .4814.21-0.15

General Motors, 1.5233.940.02

General Electric, .9229.77-0.27

Huntington Bank, .28 12.86-0.14

iHeartMedia Inc.,2.95 -0.15

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9285.40-0.33

Key Corp, .3417.17-0.16

LaFarge, .34- 0.00

Macy’s, 1.51 29.16-0.54

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 155.42-5.39

PNC, 2.20116.00-1.48

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60173.28-0.07

Stoneridge 17.38 -0.12

United Comm. Fin., .12 8.19-0.06

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