SUGARCREEK TWP, Armstrong County — Lawrence Shedwick, a physician assistant, has joined the staff of Sugar Creek Rest.

He is working with Dr. Ramesh Kaul, Sugar Creek Rest’s ventilator and tracheostomy program director, who is a pulmonologist and ears, nose and throat specialist.

Shedwick is a Ford City High School and Indiana (Pa.) University graduate.

He earned his master’s degree in physician assistant studies at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, and has more than six years of experience serving under Kaul in pulmonology and critical care.

Shedwick lives in Pittsburgh.

Harmony business awarded for safetyHARMONY — Apex Surfaces, a granite fabricator, has been certified as a SHARP site by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA.SHARP stands for OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, which recognizes small businesses for worksite safety and health through an injury and illness prevention program.Of the 7 million U.S. worksites, fewer than 2,000 have earned SHARP certification.Only 52 employers in Pennsylvania have met the requirements.

Nissan unveils new Sentra compact carDETROIT — Nissan is unveiling a more sophisticated version of the Sentra compact car.The company says the new car is 150 pounds lighter than the old one, yet has more interior room. It also has a smoother, quieter engine.The car goes on sale in the fall. It will compete against the top sellers in the segment, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.The 2013 Sentra looks similar Nissan’s midsize Altima. It has a 130-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission that doesn’t shift gears. It keeps the engine running at the optimal speed for fuel efficiency and performance.Nissan says the Sentra will get 34 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Most versions will get 39 mpg on the highway.

Factory orders rose 2.8 percent in JulyWASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. companies rose in July, reflecting a surge in demand for autos and commercial aircraft. But in a troubling sign of manufacturing weakness, a key orders category that tracks business investment plans fell by the largest amount in eight months.Factory orders rose 2.8 percent in July, the biggest overall advance in a year, reflecting sizable gains in demand for motor vehicles and airplanes, the Commerce Department said Friday.