Sheetz beer battle continues

Sheetz may yet be able to sell beer at its Pennsylvania stores. The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of a previous court decision, which said Sheetz couldn't sell takeout six-packs from its convenience store and cafe in Altoona because the beer could not be consumed on the premises. That ruling overturned the collective wisdom of the state Liquor Control Board, which had granted Sheetz the license to sell beer.

Court turns over new leaf

Pennsylvania's 500 tobacco farmers, mostly in the eastern half of the state, could receive $11 million from three tobacco companies now that a North Carolina court has ruled the companies wrongly delayed payment into a trust fund meant to compensate leaf growers for a reduction in cigarette demand. The companies -- Philip Morris USA unit, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Lorillard Tobacco -- had argued that they didn't have to make payments into the fund, established in 1999, following the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004. The North Carolina decision is subject to appeal.

Keeping things green

Community College of Allegheny County has joined with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 95 to create a course that teaches engineers how to maintain green buildings. Upon completing the 30-hour course, which begins Sept. 20, engineers will receive a Green Building Sustainability License. A second 30-hour course, on solar panel installation, will begin Oct. 17.

Alcoa researches in Russia

Alcoa will open a research facility in Russia as part of an agreement the aluminum producer signed with Russian aerospace company United Aircraft Corp. Alcoa said it would supply materials, design concepts and manufacturing technologies for United's next generation of civil aircraft.

Mortgage defaults hit banks

Surging mortgage defaults whacked U.S. banks and thrifts in the second quarter. Profits fell 3.4 percent to $36.7 billion, and reserves to cover loan losses soared 75 percent from a year ago, regulators said yesterday. Earnings results for financial institutions from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. showed that higher expenses for noncurrent loans, along with lower interest from investments, hurt profits in the April-June period. The increases in noncurrent loans -- 90 days or more past due -- and set-aside reserves to cover losses were the biggest in 16 years for banks and thrifts.

Also in business ...

PSC Metals of Cleveland announced a definitive agreement to acquire Wooster Iron & Metal, a scrap processor with operations in Aliquippa, and four Ohio towns. Terms were not disclosed ... Education Management LLC reported a fiscal fourth-quarter net loss of $1 million on revenue of $374.7 million, vs. a net loss of $21.2 million on revenue of $292 million a year ago. Total enrollment increased 19.6 percent to 78,700. Enrollment at schools owned for one year rose 18.4 percent to 77,900.