BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Economic services

NILES

The city has entered into a contract with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber to provide customized economic development services.

Under the terms of the one-year, $30,000 contract, the chamber will provide to Niles specific services that focus on economic development, under the leadership of Sarah Boyarko, the chamber’s senior vice president of economic development.

Those services include identifying new properties (land and buildings) to market, customizing a consultant familiarization tour to bring greater national and international exposure to the city.

Biomedical industry grows 59 percent

CLEVELAND

The biomedical industry in Northeast Ohio has grown 59 percent from 2000 to 2016 while other industries remained relatively flat, reports the quarterly Cleveland Plus Economic Review released Monday by Team Northeast Ohio.

Northeast Ohio experienced rapid growth in the biomedical industry, with $2.3 billion invested in more than 400 start-ups since 2003. As the sector advances, there is opportunity for continued job growth.

Team NEO publishes the Cleveland Plus Economic Review quarterly for the 18-county region, including Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana.

Police say newly freed gang member killed Calif. officer

LOS ANGELES

A gang member who was recently freed from jail killed his cousin and stole his car Monday, then shot and killed a California police officer and wounded his partner before being wounded himself, authorities said.

Whittier Officer Keith Lane Boyer died and Officer Patrick Hazel was wounded when they answered a report of a traffic accident in the eastern Los Angeles County suburb.

A motorist pointed out the location of the car that had rear-ended his vehicle, and the officers approached the driver.

Study links drop in teen suicide attempts to gay marriage

CHICAGO

Teen suicide attempts in the U.S. declined after same-sex marriage became legal, and the biggest impact was among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids, a study found.

The research found declines in states that passed laws allowing gays to marry before the Supreme Court made it legal nationwide. The results don’t prove there’s a connection, but researchers said policymakers should be aware of the measures’ potential benefits for youth mental health.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for all U.S. teens. Suicidal behavior is much more common among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids and adults; about 29 percent of these teens in the study reported attempting suicide, compared with just 6 percent of straight teens.

Storms, tornadoes damage homes

SAN ANTONIO

Severe storms that pushed several tornadoes through parts of Central Texas ripped the roofs from homes and damaged dozens of other houses and apartments in San Antonio and toppled auto-carrier cars of a freight train near Austin, authorities said Monday.

No major injuries were reported from the storms, which officials estimate damaged at least 150 structures, most of them homes in the San Antonio area, late Sunday and early Monday. The National Weather Service has confirmed at least six tornadoes touched down, though not all in populated areas.

Staff/wire reports