Voracious tiger in your wallet

If you're looking for relief, you won't find it at the region's gasoline pump. The average price of a gallon of unleaded regular jumped 16.4 cents this week to $2.976, AAA East Central reported. The average price nationwide is $2.919. A year ago, the average price in Western Pennsylvania was $2.121.

Heinz weighs investor request

The H.J. Heinz Co. said it has not yet taken a stand on a request by an activist investor group seeking representation on the Pittsburgh company's board of directors, contradicting a statement by the Trian Group Master Fund, led by billionaire Nelson Peltz. The investors, who own 5.4 percent of Heinz shares, said they requested board representation but were turned down. Heinz said it was reviewing the request. Shareholders will vote on the board's make-up at the annual meeting scheduled for Aug. 30.

Dick's slashes CEO's bonus

Dick's Sporting Goods paid Edward W. Stack, chairman and chief executive officer, 41 percent less last year than it did the year before, mainly by cutting his bonus to $1.04 million from $2.6 million in 2004. The base salary for the top executive at the Findlay-based retail chain stayed flat at $650,000, while other compensation for items such as country club dues and 401(k) matching contributions rose from $59,066 in 2004 to $249,126 last year, according to regulatory filings.

Also in business ...

Mylan Laboratories said it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market Cilostazol tablets, the generic version of Otsuka Pharmaceutical's Pletal tablets. The drug is used to treat a condition that causes the narrowing of arteries that supply blood to the legs ... LifeCare Hospital of Pittsburgh is set to announce today the opening this summer of a regional 40-bed long-term acute care hospital. LifeCare currently operates a facility in Wilkinsburg ... Calgon Carbon Corp. said it completed the sale of its solvent recovery business to a subsidiary of Sequa Corp. Terms weren't disclosed.