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UCFC revenue

YOUNGSTOWN

United Community Financial Corp., parent company of Youngstown-based Home Savings Bank, reported net income of $9.5 million in the second quarter of 2018, up 16.6 percent from the same quarter last year, the company announced Tuesday.

Loans grew 3.1 percent for the quarter, and customer deposits grew 2.2 percent.

"We are pleased with the quarterly performance results and the ongoing progress on our strategic initiatives focused on loan, deposit and revenue growth," said Gary M. Small, company president and CEO. "Each market and business unit is showing improvement, and our client base is expanding. Loan growth, outstanding credit performance and a well-managed expense base continue to be strong points for the organization. Deposit growth over the past year has been outstanding and remains a central focus for the team."

On Tuesday, a quarterly cash dividend of $0.07 per common share was declared payable Aug. 10 to shareholders of record at the close of business July 27.

Shepherd job fair

HOWLAND

Shepherd of the Valley is hosting a job fair for environmental services staff at its Howland community location, 4100 N. River Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Jobs are available at the Boardman, Howland, Niles and Poland communities.

Open interviews will be conducted. All available jobs can be viewed at shepherdofthevalley.com. If possible, apply online ahead of time or bring a resume.

For information, contact corporate recruiter Kelly Kenyhercz Hall at 330-530-4038, ext. 2043, or email her at kkenyhercz@shepherdofthevalley.com.

BWC announcement

WARREN

Ohio Star Forge, 4000 Mahoning Ave. NW, will host officials with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation today for an announcement regarding millions of dollars headed to the Youngstown area, according to a news release.

BWC is distributing its $1.5 billion rebate to employers across the state throughout July.

Gambling licenses

HARRISBURG, PA.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said nine casino owners in the state applied for licenses to operate casino-style gambling online ahead of Monday's close-of-business deadline to get a license at a discount of $10 million, the Associated Press reported.

Pennsylvania last year became the fourth state to legalize online gambling, joining Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.

Applications came from the owners of Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem; Hollywood Casino in suburban Harrisburg; Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh; Mount Airy Casino Resort in northeastern Pennsylvania; Valley Forge Casino Resort, Harrah's Casino and Parx Casino in suburban Philadelphia; and SugarHouse Casino and Live! Hotel and Casino in Philadelphia.

Owners of Pennsylvania's remaining four casino licenses have another 30 days to apply, but they'll pay a premium of $12 million.

Staff/wire reports