BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Information sessions

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning Youngs-town Community Action Partnership, 1325 Fifth Ave., has scheduled the dates and times of its information sessions for its Employment Skills and Training Program of 2017. They are 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Monday; 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday; 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

Muransky nominated

CANFIELD

Farmers National Banc Corp. has a new nominee for election to its board of directors, Mahoning Valley businessman Edward W. Muransky.

Muransky serves as chairman of the board of The Muransky Companies, a multifaceted business management company; chairman and chief executive officer of Southwoods Health; and chairman and chief executive officer of Chestnut Land Co., the largest franchisee of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels operating locations throughout the U.S. The newest addition under the direction of The Muransky Companies umbrella is Rise Pies Handcrafted Pizza, which has locations in eight states. The Lake Club in Poland rounds out the Muransky Companies portfolio.

Ribbon cutting

FOWLER

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Fowler Grind at 10 a.m. today.

The Fowler Grind, 3457 Youngstown-Kingsville Road, is a locally owned and operated coffee and espresso bar that uses locally sourced products, organically grown when available, in its smoothies and baked goods.

Brewed coffees come from O’Neil’s Coffee in West Middlesex, Pa., The Harbor Perk in Ashtabula and The Stonefruit Coffee Co. in Youngstown.

Workers’ comp rate

Columbus

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Board of Directors on Thursday voted to keep the overall average rate level for Ohio private employers steady for the policy year that begins July 1. Average rate levels for private employers have been reduced by 28.2 percent since the end of 2010 and are at their lowest level in 40 years.

The actual premium paid by individual private employers depends on a number of factors, including the expected future claims costs in their industry, their company’s recent claims history and their participation in various programs.

Pipeline costs

BISMARCK, N.D.

North Dakota officials appear poised to go after the U.S. government – and thus U.S. taxpayers – to recoup more than $38 million in state expenses related to months of protests against the Dakota Access pipeline, though a longstanding offer from the project’s developer to pay up is still on the table.

The matter might not be that simple. Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that promotes government accountability, says accepting money from a private-sector business in an industry it regulates would present the state with an ethical dilemma.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1235.360.22

Aqua America, .71 31.15-0.56

Avalon Holdings,2.87-0.05

Chemical Bank, .2753.940.25Community Health Sys. 9.42 -0.16

Cortland Bancorp, .2818.610.00

Farmers Nat., .1614.100.40

First Energy, 1.44 31.10-0.49

Fifth/Third, .5226.680.23

FirstMerit Corp.,21.610.37

First Niles Financial, .1210.000.00

FNB Corp., .4815.570.17

General Motors, 1.5237.08-0.01

General Electric, .9229.74-0.02

Huntington Bank, .28 13.92-0.01

iHeartMedia Inc.,2.100.67

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9291.62-0.11

Key Corp, .3418.470.14

LaFarge, .3417.570.00

Macy’s, 1.51 30.410.09

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 158.24-1.34

PNC, 2.20125.680.45

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60169.38-0.62

Stoneridge 19.10-0.12

United Comm. Fin., .12 8.640.12

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