CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Verizon store, 2030 MacKenzie Way, gave away 20 backpacks July 26 as part of the TCC (Verizon) eighth annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway.

One million backpacks have been distributed to students across the country in the eight years of the event.

Round Room, the nation's largest Verizon Authorized Wireless Retailer, said its TCC and Wireless Zone stores have donated 140,000 backpacks full of school supplies during the event.

Each backpack was filled with various school supplies including pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders and glue.

WASHINGTON — Americans increased their retail purchases by 1.2 percent in July, with solid gains in appliances and clothing, restoring sales to their level before the viral pandemic erupted in March.Sales at retail stores and restaurants have now risen for three straight months, after enormous plunges in March and April, when the pandemic suddenly shuttered businesses and paralyzed the economy.Still, much of that spending has been fueled by government relief spending that had put more money in people's pockets but has since expired. Economists expect a potential drop in spending and a weakening of economic growth.Retail sales include only about one-third of all consumer spending. The rest involves services — from haircuts and gym memberships to movie tickets and hotel rooms — all of which were hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic and have yet to recover.