Gerlach

GROVE CITY — Dr. Kevin P. Gerlach recently joined the staff of Grove City Medical Center.

A member of Family Healthcare Partners, he joins Dr. David Hefner in the practice of pediatrics and will be seeing patients at the Slippery Rock office at 202 Spruce Drive. Most recently, Gerlach was in private practice in DuBois and on staff at DuBois Regional Medical Center.

ST. MARYS — The 137-year-old Straub Brewing in north central Pennsylvania is starting a new tradition: canned beer.The family-owned brewery based in St. Marys began putting its brew in 12-ounce cans for the first time Monday. Straub's beer is still bottled and put in kegs in St. Marys, but its beer is being canned at the High Falls Brewery in Rochester, N.Y.Straub's sales and marketing manager, Joseph McMackin, says Straub's has seen its sales increase in Pennsylvania, especially among younger drinkers. By packaging the beer in 24-can packages, customers can take the beer with them to more activities.

ERIE — Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie is installing dispensers that automatically use a thin sheet of plastic to cover seats in the ladies rooms. All 46 women's stalls should have the dispensers by Wednesday.The dispensers are made by Brill Hygienic Products of Delray Beach, Fla.The dispensers are motion activated.

HARRISBURG — A bill to impose a 5 percent tax on the extraction of natural gas in Pennsylvania is on the move.The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted 15-11 Tuesday to endorse the bill in an effort to help balance the state budget.Under the bill, 60 percent of the revenue derived from drilling would go to the state, while smaller shares would be distributed to counties and municipalities that are home to the drilling operations, as well as state environmental cleanup programs.All but one Democrat on the committee voted in favor of the tax, and all but one Republican opposed it.

NEW YORK — Drugstore operator Rite Aid says it narrowed its fiscal first-quarter loss by closing stores and trimming costs, but expects a greater deficit for the year because of refinancing costs.The Camp Hill company lost $98.4 million, or 11 cents per share, compared with $156.6 million, or 20 cents per share, a year ago.The company says its refinancing is partly complete, but because of greater interest expenses, it will post a larger loss in fiscal 2010.From staff and wire reports