Oil workers strike expands to another Texas refinery, Tesoro workers still on picket line

Members of the United Steelworkers union walked out of the Motiva Enterprises LLC refinery in Port Arthur, while workers at three more refineries in Louisiana are poised to do the same.

Union organizers said members of USW Local 423 walked out at midnight on Friday as part of a nationwide campaign to improve safety conditions at aging refineries.

The walkout brings the nationwide total to 12 refineries and petrochemical facilities and now involves close to 6,000 workers.

Six of the striking facilities…

Honolulu gas prices edge upward toward $3 per gallon mark

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Honolulu edged closer to the $3 mark over the weekend, following a nationwide upward trend.

A survey of 214 gas stations in Honolulu on Sunday showed an average price of $2.95 a gallon, up 2.9 cents in just a week, according to GasBuddy.com, which tracks prices nationwide on a daily basis. That was almost a buck a gallon lower than a year ago, and 17.4 cents below a month ago, but the direction is clear — motorists will continue to pay more each…

14-story waterfront residential tower proposed on Rocky Point

A Sarasota developer is proposing a 14-story residential tower on Rocky Point.

Ascentia Development Group has filed plans with the city for a tower adjacent to the Westin Tampa Bay at 3015 N. Rocky Point Drive, on a 3-acre site.

The plans call for 258 residential units on floors four through 14, on top of a three-story parking garage. The units will range in size from studios to four bedrooms, according to the documents.

The site is vacant and owned by Illinois-based Bixby Bridge Capital, according…

C. Fla. to get $115.7M in new nursing home beds after 14-year state ban lifted

Central Florida will get $115.7 million in new nursing homes and expansions with a total of 717 new beds, thanks to the state lifting a 14-year ban on nursing home construction.

Statewide, Florida will get 22 new nursing home facilities and another 11 will expand, for a total value of $430 million, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. The largest project, a new 180-bed nursing home, will be built in Orange County. The most expensive is a $29.7 million in Osceola County.

The…

Schlumberger's $1.7B deal delayed as it awaits Russian approval

Schlumberger Ltd.’s (NYSE: SLB) $1.7 billion deal for a stake in a Russian energy company is not expected to close on time as it awaits regulatory approval.

The oilfield services giant plans to pay $22 a share for a 45.65 percent stake in Eurasia Drilling Company Ltd., the largest drilling and well engineering services company for onshore drilling in Russia.

The two companies are continuing to cooperate with the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service to respond to requests for information regarding…