Chamber seeks nominations for awards through Sept. 21

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Chamber seeks nominations for awards through Sept. 21

Nominations will be accepted through Sept. 21 for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen and Small Business of the Year awards.

The Distinguished Citizen Award is presented to a chamber member or an employee of a member firm who has achieved professional excellence and contributed time, talents and energy to improve the community.

The Small Business of the Year Award will go to a privately owned member firm with 50 or fewer employees that is located primarily within Luzerne County. Nominations should include accomplishments in business, community service and any other significant achievements.

Winners will be honored at a dinner event to be held in November.

Wholesale prices jump

A sharp rise in gasoline costs drove up wholesale prices last month by the most in more than three years. But outside energy and food, price gains were mild.

The producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, jumped 1.7 percent in August, the Labor Department said Thursday. The increase was mostly because gas prices soared 13.6 percent, the biggest gain in three years.

Food prices rose 0.9 percent, driven up by steep increases in the cost of eggs and dairy products.

Excluding the volatile food and gas categories, core wholesale prices rose only 0.2 percent, below July’s increase.

Airfare prices increase

Led by Southwest Airlines, several airlines are raising prices again.

Southwest raised fares Wednesday by $10 per round trip on about 10 percent of its routes. United Airlines expanded the increase later in the day to cover most of its U.S. flights.

Delta Air Lines said it matched United’s price hike. American Airlines said that it raised prices on some routes, US Airways and JetBlue Airways said they matched Southwest’s increase, and Virgin America eventually matched the broader United increase.