ERIE — GE Transportation has a $94.3 million contract to supply 50 freight locomotives to Indonesian railway PTKAI.

The Erie Times-News reported that while orders for most North American customers are built in Texas, the locomotives to be delivered in 2015 and 2016 will be built at the company's Lawrence Park Township plant near Erie.

Scott Duke, president of Local 506 of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, which represents about 3,200 workers at the Erie plant, said every order helps, but one that helps the local plant “is huge.”

WASHINGTON — The deficit for the just completed 2014 budget year was $483 billion, the lowest of President Barack Obama's six years in office, the U.S. government reported.It's the lowest since 2008 and, when measured against the size of the economy, is below the average deficits of the past 40 years. The deficit equaled 2.8 percent of gross domestic product.By comparison, the deficit for 2013 was $680 billion, or 4.1 percent of GDP.Here's an easier way to understand why the new numbers are good news: The government borrows 14 cents for every dollar it spends; six years ago, it was 40 cents.

WASHINGTON — The economy was strengthening in most regions of the country in September to early October, helped by gains in consumer spending, manufacturing and commercial construction.The Fed report said six of its 12 regions — Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Dallas and San Francisco — reported “moderate” growth. Five others described growth as “modest,” and one — Boston — described activity as mixed.