ONA -- The West Virginia office of American Benefit Corp. in Ona has received an investment from the state's venture capital fund.

ABC provides third-party administration and health care management services to employers across the state, including schools, municipalities and labor unions. The West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust is a pubic venture capital fund that was created by the state Legislature to promote and expand the state's economy.

"From a financial standpoint, ABC is positioned to take advantage of the growth opportunities in the health care industry," Andrew Zulauf, executive director of the trust, said in a press release. "We look forward to working with ABC to pursue opportunities to grow revenue and its employment base."

ABC is preparing to expand its presence in the industry on both a statewide and national level, Charles Eastwood, its president and CEO, said in the release. The Ona office at 3150 U.S. 60 employs 49 people.

Bon-Ton Stores to shutter store in Ohio

YORK, Pa. -- Department store operator The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. said Monday it will close a store in Ohio that employs 65 workers early next year.

The 191,000-square-foot Elder-Beerman store is located in Centerville.

The company said it will offer employees at the Centerville store the opportunity to apply for jobs at other Elder-Beerman stores in the Dayton, Ohio, area.

Peabody ordered to pay $174,000 over Ill. mine

ST. LOUIS -- An administrative law judge has ordered Peabody Energy Corp. to pay nearly $174,000 of $230,000 proposed fines tied to questioned safety at a southern Illinois mine that federal regulators had claimed continues to endanger workers.

Calling the penalties for one of the world's biggest coal producers "appropriate," Gary Melick issued his ruling last Thursday following an expedited hearing in June. The hearing was sought by the Labor Department's Mine Safety and Health Administration over its concerns about the Willow Lake mine near Equality, Ill.

St. Louis-based Peabody has defended its record at the mine, which is run by its Big Ridge Inc. subsidiary. A Peabody spokeswoman said the company likely would comment later Monday about the violations and fines that date to December 2008 at the 450-worker mining operation.

Melick, with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission that decides disputed mining violations, tossed out roughly $56,000 in proposed fines on five alleged violations, mainly involving questioned inspections by Big Ridge and an instance of leaving battery-operated equipment turned on.

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