John Heim, an original member of the Butler Area Sewer Authority, announced Tuesday his retirement from the board.

Heim has spent 30 years on the authority board, many of those as chairman, helping to develop and run the waste treatment system.

“I would like to thank Mr. Heim for being a first-class gentleman,” said Jerry Patterson, authority chairman.

Board member Van Peterson agreed.

“Thanks to a gentleman and a scholar,” he said to Heim.

Heim will continue on the board until his replacement can be found.

PITTSBURGH — A company cited by a federal agency over the deaths of two welders killed when an oil storage tank exploded near a Western Pennsylvania gas well says it does not concur with proposed federal workplace safety fines.The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that Huntley & Huntley in Monroeville should pay a penalty of $70,000 for the July 23 blast at a Cheswick well site.Huntley President Keith Mangini said Tuesday that the company does not concur with OSHA's final findings, but says it intends to have further dialogue with the agency to get a better understanding of the assessment.

HARRISBURG — Gov. Ed Rendell says the state is prepared to offer the financially troubled manufacturer of snack foods line Tastykakes a $1 million loan.Rendell said at a news conference Tuesday that Philadelphia-based Tasty Baking hasn't yet taken him up on the offer because it's a portion of what they will need. The company announced last week that several factors led it to consider its options, including a potential merger or sale.

HARRISBURG — The grocery store-based wine vending machines that were taken out of service because of technical problems last month may soon be placed back into operation.The Beaver County Times reported Monday that about a half-dozen of the 30 machines are expected to be restarted on a trial basis, and if that goes well, the rest will also resume sales.

LOS ANGELES — Struggling entertainment site MySpace said Tuesday that it is cutting nearly half of its staff worldwide, or about 500 people, after an extensive revamp in October overhauled its look and allowed it to be run with fewer people.Mike Jones, the chief executive of MySpace, said cuts are “tough but necessary” and would put the site on a path to profitability while making it more nimble and entrepreneurial.MySpace declined to say how much the cuts would save. A previous round of cuts in June 2009 eliminated 30 percent of its work force, or about 420 jobs.