BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Online filings

COLUMBUS

Secretary of State Jon Husted announced Wednesday that 100 percent of all filings needed to start or maintain a business in Ohio may be submitted online.

Additionally, business owners may submit all Uniform Commercial Code statements and certified search requests online.

The announcement completes an effort that began in 2013, when Husted launched Ohio Business Central to modernize operations and better serve business owners.

Three out of four Ohio businesses are started using Ohio Business Central, and 274,196 filings have been processed online since 2013.

July housing sales

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown/Columbiana County Association of Realtors and the Warren Area Board of Realtors recently reported July housing sales.

In Mahoning County, there was a 13.5 percent year-over-year drop in closed sales to 224. Pending sales in the county were up 52.4 percent to 352.

In Columbiana County, closed sales were up 22.4 percent to 93. Pending sales were up 51.2 percent to 127.

In Trumbull County, closed sales were down 8.3 percent to 176, while pending sales were up 48.8 percent to 250.

Corporate chiefs flee Trump; he disbands panels

NEW YORK

With corporate chieftains fleeing, President Donald Trump abruptly abolished two of his White House business councils Wednesday – the latest fallout from his combative comments on racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Trump announced the action via tweet, although only after one of the panels had already agreed to disband earlier in the day. A growing number of business leaders on the councils had openly criticized his remarks laying blame for the violence at a white supremacists rally on “both sides.”

The embarrassing decision came as the White House tried to manage the repercussions from Trump’s defiant remarks a day earlier.

Driver of trailer indicted in 10 passengers’ deaths

SAN ANTONIO

A federal grand jury has indicted the driver of a tractor-trailer crammed with people illegally entering the United States in a purported human-smuggling operation that led to the deaths of 10 people.

James Matthew Bradley Jr. was charged Wednesday with five separate counts, including conspiracy to transport immigrants for financial gain resulting in death.

At least 39 people were inside the trailer discovered in the early morning of July 23 outside a San Antonio Walmart. Eight people were found dead and two others died at area hospitals.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1239.241.74

Aqua America, .71 33.83 0.05

Avalon Holdings,2.10-0.05

Chemical Bank, .2746.87-0.61Community Health Sys.6.940.05

Cortland Bancorp, .2817.35-0.45

Farmers Nat., .1613.65 0.00

First Energy, 1.44 32.69-0.01

Fifth/Third, .5226.83-0.19

FirstMerit Corp.,– –

First Niles Financial, .1211.150.00

FNB Corp., .4813.11-0.02

General Motors, 1.5235.750.21

General Electric, .9225.11-0.03

Huntington Bank, .28 13.000.00

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.95 0.25

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9292.11-0.62

Key Corp, .3417.980.07

LaFarge, .34– –

Macy’s, 1.51 20.13-0.16

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 158.810.62

PNC, 2.20130.11-0.23

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60158.000.51

Stoneridge 16.43 0.05

United Comm. Fin., .12 8.990.00

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