IN BRIEF

From staff and wire reports

May 14, 2011 Last Updated: May 14, 2011 02:48 PM Business

Zeckzer

CRANBERRY TWP — The Moraine Trails Councils of the Boy Scouts of America in Butler is hosting Distinguished Citizens Award dinner on May 25 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North.

Ken DeFurio, president and CEO of Butler Health System, has been named Distinguished Citizen for 2011 by the Boy Scouts, and will be honored at the dinner.

To buy dinner tickets, visit www.morainetrails.org.

Concordia names new food managerJEFFERSON TWP — Scott Zeckzer of Cranberry Township was named general manager of food service for Concordia Lutheran Ministries.Zeckzer oversees all Concordia food service facilities except Concordia of the South Hills. He studied management marketing at the University of Pennsylvania and most recently was proprietor/area manager for Boston Markets. Prior to that, he was regional manager for 17 restaurants located in five states. He also owned North Park Lounge Deck House in Cranberry Township for eight years.Zeckzer and his wife, Bess, have four daughters..

Mars man wins journalism awardWARRENDALE — Mars resident Ryan Gehm, assistant editor with SAE International's Automotive Engineering International magazine, is a 2011 Golden Quill winner in the “Science/Technology, Magazines” category.The Golden Quill Awards are presented by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania and recognize professional excellence in written, photographic, broadcast and online journalism.Gehm was honored for his article, “Emergency Steer Assist from Continental supports obstacle-avoidance maneuvers.” The article, which ran in the July 20 print issues of AEI, offers a firsthand account of the safety technology in action on the supplier's test track.SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries with its headquarters in Warrendale.

Housing authority gets high scoresThe Housing Authority of Butler County has been awarded high performer status for both Section 8 and public housing programs for fiscal year 2011 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.The authority's Section 8 housing program earned an overall rating of 96 percent. The public housing program earned a score of 90 out of a possible 100 points.

HR association to host annual forumBUTLER TWP — Butler Human Resources Association and the Butler County Chamber of Commerce are holding the annual Human Resource Forum, “May You Live in Interesting Times: Understanding (and Surviving) Today's Fast-Changing World of Employment and Labor Law,” Wednesday at Succop Theater at Butler County Community College.The forum will run from 8 a.m. to noon, featuring a business expo, a keynote speaker and breakout sessions on human resource topics.Cost is $15 for members and $20 for guests. For more information about the forum or the expo, or to register, call the chamber at 724-283-2222, or by e-mail to Jennifer@ButlerCountyChamber.com.

Young professionals gathering in SRSLIPPERY ROCK — The Butler County Young Professionals, the Grove City Young Professionals and the Slippery Rock Business Association is holding a spring mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at B&J Coney Island, 635 Kelly Boulevard in Slippery Rock.To register, call the chamber at 724-283-2222.

Energy prices push up wholesale pricesWASHINGTON — Companies paid more for raw materials and factory goods in April, mostly because energy prices jumped for the seventh straight month.The Producer Price Index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, rose 0.8 percent last month, the Labor Department said. That's slightly above the 0.7 percent gain in March. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, the core index increased 0.3 percent, the same as in the previous month.Over the past 12 months, the index has increased 6.8 percent, the biggest gain in nearly three years. Outside of food and energy, prices rose 2.1 percent, up from a 1.9 percent gain in March.

The board of directors of MSA has declared a second quarter dividend of 26 cents per share on common stock, payable June 10, to shareholders of record on May 23. The board also announced a dividend of 56-Z\v cents per share on preferred stock, payable June 1, to shareholders of record on May 23.