WASHINGTON — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that The Bon Ton Stores of York has agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty.

The penalty ends commission staff allegations that Bon-Ton knowingly failed to report to the commission immediately that some of its children's hooded jackets and sweatshirts were sold with drawstrings through the hood.

Children's upper outerwear with drawstrings pose a strangulation hazard to children under commission regulations.

Bon-Ton, which has a store in Clearview Mall, Center Township, carried about 800 jackets and sweatshirts that were part of the recall.

In agreeing to the settlement, Bon-Ton denies commissions staff allegations that it knowingly violated the law.

CRANBERRY TWP — MSA's Pittsburgh-area facilities have been recognized as Platinum Level “Fit-Friendly Worksites” by the American Heart Association.MSA, which employs about 1,300 people in the Pittsburgh region, was recognized for promoting employee nutrition and physical fitness through the company's wellness program called MSAFit.

JEFFERSON TWP — Concordia Lutheran Ministries has announced that Stephen Johnson has been elected as chairman of the board of directors and James Limbaugh as vice chairman for 2013-15.Johnson, who was chairman of the board last year as well, is the senior vice president and general counsel of CONSOL Energy.Johnson previously served for six years as a Concordia board member.Limbaugh is an attorney with the law firm of Miller Limbaugh & Conley in Allison Park. He has served five three-year terms on the Concordia board, holding offices as president and vice president.

DETROIT — Ford said Friday that it's talking to the government about the fuel economy of its hybrid cars after a report suggested they're falling short of targets.Consumer Reports said last week that Ford's new C-Max hybrid didn't meet the published fuel economy of 47 miles per gallon, averaging 38 miles per in the magazine's testing. Other hybrids — including the Ford Fusion and Toyota Prius V — have also fallen short in the magazine's tests.Ford said it followed the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines when it set its fuel economy standards. But the EPA's hybrid tests don't exactly mimic real-world driving. For example, Consumer Reports said it measures highway fuel use for a car going 65 miles per hour, but the EPA's highway test speed averages 48 mph.Ford's global vehicle development chief Raj Nair said the way owners drive their hybrids can also affect performance. For example, driving a hybrid car 75 miles per hour, instead of 65 miles per hour, can cost the driver seven miles per gallon, Nair said. Hot or cold temperatures can also affect the numbers.Nair said Ford is talking to the EPA to see if the agency needs to change the way it tests hybrids. The EPA said Friday that it is reviewing Consumer Reports' results.

NEW YORK — Best Buy shares fell on Friday after the struggling electronics retailer said it extended the window for co-founder Richard Schulze to make a buyout bid until after the holiday season.Shares fell $2.16, or 15.3 percent, to $11.96 in midday trading Friday.Best Buy said Schulze can make his offer between Feb. 1, 2013 and Feb. 28, 2013. The original proposal deadline was this Sunday.