Local gas prices inch closer to $4

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline at area self-serve pumps rose to another weekly record, climbing 10 cents to $3.83, AAA East Central reported. The price matched yesterday's national average price. The average price in the region yesterday was $3.818, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Giant Eagle expands drug plan

Giant Eagle said yesterday that beginning today it would expand its prescription drug program by offering 90-day supplies of more than 400 generic drugs for $10 per prescription. The grocer said additional drugs being added for either $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply include the generic versions of Pravachol, Paxil and Prozac. Giant Eagle launched its generic drug program in late November 2006, a week before Wal-Mart expanded its generic prescription plan to Pennsylvania.

Airlines' payrolls still growing

U.S. airlines' payrolls grew in March for the 14th straight time compared with year-ago levels, but the tally dropped from the prior month. U.S. passenger airlines employed about 414,800 workers in March, 1.6 percent more than the same month in 2007, but down from February's tally of 418,300, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics said yesterday.

A silver lining at Bear Stearns

JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s chief executive officer confirmed yesterday that the bank would be keeping nearly half of the employees at Bear Stearns Cos., the struggling investment bank that JPMorgan agreed to buy in March. "We're retaining 45 percent of the Bear Stearns staff," CEO James Dimon said. Last week, Mr. Dimon said JPMorgan had offered jobs to 6,000 of the 14,000 Bear Stearns workers, and found positions outside the company for another 1,500. Mr. Dimon has said the acquisition will result in job cuts at JPMorgan .

Also in business ...

The Pittsburgh Technology Council gave $22,500 in cash awards to the Phase 2 winners of its EnterPrize Business Plan Competition. JoinSourcesLLC, TuitionChoice and Bossa Nova Concepts each won $7,500 in the competition, which covered 13 counties in the region ... Werner Co., of Greenville, Mercer County, said it has purchased the assets of Green Bull Inc., including manufacturing operations and equipment in Louisville, Ky., for an undisclosed price. Green Bull's products include ladders, workstations and scaffolds.