BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Athena Award

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, The Vindicator and Vindy.com are taking nominations and sponsorships through March 3 for the 25th annual Athena Award Program.

To nominate someone or become a partner go to: regionalchamber.com/initiativesprograms/athena.

For further information or a hard-copy nomination form, contact Kim Calvert, regional chamber vice president of marketing and special events, at 330-744-2131, ext. 1235 .

Gas prices down

YOUNGSTOWN

Gas price fluctuation takes a holiday for Northeast Ohio motorists as gas prices decreased by only a fraction of a cent this week to $2.077 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report released this week.

The Youngstown average this week is $2.64 a gallon.

National gas prices have increased fractions of a penny to reach the average price for regular unleaded gasoline, which is $2.28 per gallon.

Informational picket

BOARDMAN

Members of the Communications Workers of America Local 4320 hosted an informational picket Wednesday in front of an AT&T call center on South Avenue.

A union representative said the aim of the picket was to raise awareness about ongoing contract negotiations between the union and AT&T and to speak out against outsourcing of jobs.

“We’re trying to protect our hometown jobs so they’ll keep the call center in Youngstown,” said Glen Skeen, Local 4320 vice president.

An AT&T corporate spokesman responded, noting that employees are working under an extended contract.

“The contract covers good-paying U.S. jobs averaging nearly $70,000 a year in pay and benefits, with some averaging over $115,000. We’re not proposing to cut anyone’s pay, or take away their benefits. We’re continuing to negotiate with the union, and we’re confident a fair agreement can be reached,” said Marty Richter.

Home Depot hiring

BOARDMAN

Today, The Home Depot is hosting hiring events in the Youngstown/Akron area to fill 180 job openings at several stores including the Boardman, Niles and Austintown stores.

The hiring event will take place from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Boardman store, 7001 Southern Blvd.; the Niles store, 1900 Niles Cortland Road SE; and the Austintown store, 6100 Mahoning Ave.

This is part of a nationwide hiring effort as the company gears up for spring, The Home Depot’s busiest selling season.

Opportunities include cashier, sales, lot and freight positions across all departments

There will be on-site interviews for permanent part-time and seasonal positions.

Visit careers.homedepot.com/jobs-in-bloom for more information.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1236.60-0.11Aqua America, .71 30.450.07

Avalon Holdings,2.76-0.18

Chemical Bank, .2754.070.35Community Health Sys.9.11-0.12

Cortland Bancorp, .2818.00-0.35

Farmers Nat., .1613.77-0.07

First Energy, 1.44 30.795-0.53

Fifth/Third, .5227.50-0.07FirstMerit Corp.,21.610.37

First Niles Financial, .129.60-0.40

FNB Corp., .4815.700.01

General Motors, 1.5237.830.02

General Electric, .9230.32-0.20

Huntington Bank, .28 14.190.00

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.12-0.05

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9291.040.03

Key Corp, .3418.92-0.14

LaFarge, .3417.570.00

Macy’s, 1.51 32.360.07

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 155.850.23

PNC, 2.20127.720.17Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60184.68-0.48

Stoneridge 17.190.14

United Comm. Fin., .12 8.85-0.12

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