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More than 71,000 seek unemployment benefits last week

Staff report Ohioans filed 4,911 initial unemployment claims the week of Feb. 15-21, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday. That number was 1,994 fewer than the previous week. Approximately 1,016 of those have been flagged to ensure they are not fraudulent. Ohioans filed 66,262 continued unemployment claims last week, which was 544 fewer than the previous week. The total number of claims filed last week was 71,173. Ohio’s unemployment rate in December was 4.5%. The national unemployment rate in December was 4.4%. Ohio’s labor force participation ...

Car wash group takes on more suds

A locally owned car wash operation with 13 locations in Mahoning, Trumbull and Geauga counties unveiled its new name this week. The former Auto Spa Ohio chain has rebranded to become Super Suds Auto Spa. Company representative Abigale Blashinsky said Wednesday the move “represents a long-term strategic vision to unify all locations under one bold, recognizable identity.” While Auto Spa Ohio LLC has been locally owned and operated for more than 25 years, Blashinsky said that only the name has changed. “This transition is about the growth and clarity of our brand with deep ...

Regal Cinema property sells for $2.3 million

BOARDMAN — The Cafaro Co. purchased the Regal Cinema South property on Tuesday in a $2.3 million transaction with the international theater group, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s Office. The theater, built in 1986, will continue to operate as a Regal Cinema holding. According to Cafaro spokesman Joe Bell, Regal Cinemas is now leasing the building and 5.4-acre site. “This is part of a consideration that (Regal is) doing for their other location here at Eastwood Mall Complex,” Bell said. “They're in the midst of an extensive renovation of the theater here in ...

NILES — One Hot Cookie, a regionally based cookie and dessert destination, will open a location inside the Eastwood Mall. The anticipated opening is in April. In a news release Wednesday, the company said the move marks a fresh start for the brand under the leadership of new owner Heather Huff. A local resident and combat Army veteran, Huff is a familiar face to the company; she served as a dedicated store manager for two years before purchasing the business outright in December 2025. For Huff, setting up shop in Niles was a decision rooted in community and the changing retail ...

Primanti takes last bite in Boardman

Staff report Primanti Brothers ended its 10-year run in Boardman as the Pittsburgh-based restaurant chain shuttered its South Avenue eatery Monday. Within the past year, the company has closed seven locations and rescinded plans to open a restaurant in the Harrisburg, Pa., area. Over the weekend, Primanti Brothers closed sites in Camp Hill, Pa., and Lancaster, Pa. “Thank you, Boardman. This location is now closed — but we’d love to see you at any of our many other Primanti Bros. restaurants,” said a sign on the business’ door. The Boardman location, which opened in ...

Warner Bros gets a higher offer from Paramount in heated fight for the storied Hollywood studio

NEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. Discovery said Paramount has raised the price of its takeover offer to $31 per share, potentially setting the stage for a fresh bidding war with Netflix over the future of the Hollywood giant. Paramount’s offer had previously stood at $30 per share since December — when the Skydance-owned company launched its hostile bid to challenge a deal Warner struck with Netflix to sell its studio and streaming business for $27.75 per share. A Warner Bros. Discovery buyout would reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape — bringing HBO Max, cult-favorite ...