Coalition for Women in Business to meet

MERCER COUNTY — The Coalition for Women in Business will meet at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Bob Evans, 115. S. Hermitage Road, Hermitage, hosted by restaurant manager Liz Morgan.

The working-women’s support group is free and open to the public. The CWB holiday brunch will be 8 to 10 a.m. Dec. 15 at Legacy Banquet Center, 1946 Mercer-Grove City Road (Route 58). There is an optional ornament holiday gift exchange. The holiday event is $10 per person. To RSVP for either or both events, contact Kandis Suhar at 724-983-0400 or kandis.wildesuhar@wfadvisors.com

Northwest Savings rolls out mobile banking

NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA – Northwest Savings Bank has introduced Business Mobile Banking, which allows business customers to do their banking from a cellphone or a mobile communications device.

Customers can perform such functions as view recent transactions, check balances and pay bills. Customers of Mobile Business Banking customers must also be online banking customers. Northwest Savings Bank operates 171 community-banking locations in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Florida. 

Penn State bills on way as state funds in limbo

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State mailed out second-semester tuition bills on Friday with rates unchanged from the fall even as state funding remains in legislative limbo.

A school spokeswoman says it’s a risky move because state lawmakers have yet to approve funding for Penn State and three other state-related institutions. The Senate has approved $334 million targeted for Penn State, though it’s unclear how the full Legislature may act. Lawmakers are trying to resolve differences on a bill to legalize and tax table games at the state’s slot-machine casinos. Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers says the school may have to take a second look at spring tuition if the university gets anything less than the Senate-backed dollar amount.

The other schools awaiting state funds are Pittsburgh, Temple and Lincoln.

Retailer rue21’s stock soars in IPO debut

NEW YORK — Shares of rue21 Inc. soared Friday in the retailer’s first day of trading.

Most of rue21’s merchandise is priced below $40 — great for consumers tightening their belts. The Warrendale, Pa. retailer operates more than 500 stores, including one at the Shenango Valley Mall in Hermitage, in 43 states and has plans to add 100 more next year.

Rue21’s stock, which trades under the ticker symbol “RUE,” rose $5.15, or 27 percent, to $24.15 in afternoon trading. Its initial public offering of about 6.8 million shares priced at $19 per share, above the $16 to $18 per-share range expected by underwriters, raising $128.6 million.