BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Grant proposals sought

YOUNGSTOWN

Awesome Foundation Youngstown announced a call for proposals for its inaugural $1,000 micro grant for projects in the city Tuesday.

In June, a group of Youngs-town State University faculty, local entrepreneurs and community leaders founded the Youngstown chapter of the Awesome Foundation.

Each chapter operates independently, defining what it considers “awesome” projects that can be novel or experimental, evoke surprise and delight, and inspirational in their community.

The application process is simple. Visit www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/youngstown/ and submit a proposal.

Travel, salaries or living expenses are not eligible for funding. Projects based in Youngstown take priority. Questions can be sent to youngstown@awesomefoundation.org. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. Sept. 8.

Merger approved

CANFIELD

Farmers National Banc Corp., the holding company for Farmers National Bank of Canfield, and Monitor Bancorp Inc., the holding company for The Monitor Bank, on Tuesday announced the shareholders of Monitor have approved the agreement and plan of merger providing for the merger of Monitor with FMNB Merger Subsidiary II LLC, a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Farmers.

All regulatory approvals for the merger have been received, and Farmers and Monitor expect to complete the merger on or about Tuesday.

Taking nominations

COLUMBUS

Nominations are being accepted for the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, ODNR.

For more than 50 years, the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame has been the state’s top honor for individuals who have improved the quality of life in Ohio through natural resources management, environmental education or scientific achievement.

Selection criteria and a nomination form are available at ohiodnr.gov/HallOfFame. Online nomination forms must be submitted no later than Sept. 5.

The online form may also be printed and mailed to ODNR Communications, 2045 Morse Road, Building D-3, Columbus, OH 43229. Printed forms also must be received no later than Sept. 5.

Job openings surge

WASHINGTON

U.S. employers posted a record number of open jobs in June, a sign that the solid hiring of recent months will likely continue.

Job openings jumped 8 percent to 6.2 million, the highest on records dating back to 2000, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Hiring fell, however, and the number of people quitting their jobs also dropped.

The data suggest that employers have plenty of jobs to fill but are struggling to find the qualified workers they need. Typically, employers would offer higher pay to entice more applicants, accelerating wage growth. But the government’s jobs report for July, released Friday, showed that pay gains haven’t picked up yet.

Staff/wire reports