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County’s falling unemployment rate plateaus

Unemployment in Williamsport decreased by almost half a percentage in the month of October, showing the metropolitan area’s trend of a recovering workforce is beginning to plateau out. The Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area clocked in a 7.7 percent adjusted unemployment rate in October for an area labor force of 52,700 people. That tallies out to a reported 4,100 people, or 0.6 percent, without jobs in the area’s labor force were seeking employment—down by 300 people from September, according to seasonally adjusted data. “The big monkey wrench is the COVID-19 ...

Rep. Wheeland appointed to Penn College Board of Directors

Rep. Jeff Wheeland, R-Loyalsock Township, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors by House Speaker Bryan Cutler. Wheeland succeeds Rep. Garth Everett, who is retiring from his seat representing the 84th District in the state House. Everett served on ...

Penguin to buy Simon & Schuster

BERLIN — German media giant Bertelsmann said Wednesday that its Penguin Random House division is buying rival Simon & Schuster in a megadeal that would reshape the U.S. publishing industry. Penguin Random House, already the largest American publisher, will buy the New York-based Simon & Schuster, whose authors include Stephen King, Hillary Clinton and John Irving, from TV and film company ViacomCBS for $2.17 billion in cash. “Simon & Schuster strengthens Bertelsmann’s footprint globally, and (particularly) in the U.S., its second-largest market,” the Guetersloh, ...

Patrick W. Wilson named chief operation officer

In 2019, the Little League International board of directors approved the commissioning of a plan to evaluate and strengthen the organizational structure of Little League International. At this year’s annual meeting, the board approved the initial step in this plan with the announcement of ...

Small businesses share in grant funds

Lycoming County commissioners approved two additional rounds of funding for small businesses from the county’s $10.2 million share of COVID-19 funding. A total of 91 businesses are to receive grants of different amounts from the $883,200 total. The county still has about $2 million of COVID funding left to allocate by the end of the year, according to Commissioner Rick Mirabito. About $1 million of those dollars is expected to go to fire companies, municipalities and the county. The following businesses receiving funding are: • A Kut Above Katering, $120 • Agranetics, LLC, ...

US jobless claims rise to 742,000; millions to lose aid

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose last week to 742,000, the first increase in five weeks and a sign that the resurgent viral outbreak is likely slowing the economy and forcing more companies to cut jobs. The worsening pandemic and the arrival of cold weather could accelerate layoffs in the weeks ahead. Of the roughly 20 million Americans now receiving some form of unemployment benefits, about half will lose those benefits when two federal programs expire at the end of the year. “The risk of ...