BUSINESS DIGEST || Auto sales down

Auto sales down

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning Valley auto sales were down 12.2 percent year-over-year in June. Auto dealers in the Valley sold 4,611 new and used vehicles, down 139 from 5,250 sold last June.

Through June, there have been 27,988 auto sales, down 1,770 from 29,758 sold this time last year.

Dollar General in Salem opens doors

SALEM

A new Dollar General store is open at 1297 E. Pidgeon Road.

According to a news release, the store’s layout is designed to make shopping simple. Seasonal products are displayed in the center, departments are clearly marked with signs and coolers are at the front of the store.

“Dollar General is committed to delivering a pleasant shopping experience that includes a convenient location, a wide assortment of merchandise and great prices on quality products,” said Dan Nieser, Dollar General senior vice president of real estate and store development.

Dollar General stores typically employ between six and 10 people. Search for job openings at dollargeneral.com.

Sales-tax holiday

COLUMBUS

Ohio will have a sales-tax holiday from midnight Aug. 3 to 11:59 p.m. Aug. 5, the department of taxation announced. During that time, these items will be exempt from sales and use tax: clothing priced $75 per item or less; school supplies priced $20 per item or less; and school instructional material priced $20 per item or less.

Items used in a trade or business are not exempt.

For information, visit tax.ohio.gov and look at the department’s Sales Tax Holiday Frequently Asked Questions page.

Nominations for ATHENA Award

HERMITAGE, PA.

Lawrence Mercer ATHENA is accepting nominations through Aug. 10 for its sixth annual ATHENA leadership-awards celebration. The ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Five Fillies Farm in New Wilmington, Pa.

Two award winners – ATHENA Leadership and ATHENA Young Professional Leadership – will be announced, and all nominees honored. The awards honor women who advance the cause of female leadership.

For more details or to submit applications, visit lawrencemercerathena.com.

Lake Erie wind farm a go with restrictions

CLEVELAND

A proposed six-turbine wind farm on Lake Erie has been recommended for construction by the staff of the Ohio Power Siting Board, with certain restrictions, including one on the turbines in which developers will have to get approval on a plan to monitor the impact on birds and bats to run them at night when it’s not winter.

The director of sustainable development for the nonprofit Lake Erie Energy Development Co., or LEEDCo, is confident about getting that done.

Plans call for the turbines to be 8 to 10 miles northwest of Cleveland. Construction on the $125 million project would start in 2021.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., 46.881.07

Aqua America, .20 36.21 0.31

Avalon Holdings,2.170.06

Chemical Bank, .2855.87-0.01

Community Health Sys, .213.160.10

Cortland Bancorp, .1123.60-0.61

Farmers Nat., .0716.45 -0.05

First Energy, .36 36.660.23

Fifth/Third, .1628.82-0.09

First Niles Financial, .059.750.00

FNB Corp., .1213.44-0.03

General Motors, .3839.470.51

General Electric, .1213.430.06

Huntington Bank, .11 14.750.03

iHeartMedia Inc.,— —

JP Morgan Chase, .56103.720.73

Key Corp, .1119.57-0.11

LaFarge, 2.01— —

Macy’s, .38 36.89-0.25

Parker Hannifin, .76157.080.28

PNC, .75135.581.19

Simon Prop. Grp., 2.88172.501.43

Stoneridge 35.71 -0.26

United Comm. Fin., .06 11.280.23

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