Galan G. Daukas, former executive vice president of wealth management at Washington Trust Bancorp. Inc., resigned his position, effective May 20. Gaukas will be succeeded by Mark K. Gim, according to a bank filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. more

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has award $2.5 million in grants to the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. to help “protect children and families from the hazards of lead-based paint and from other home health and safety hazards,” HUD announced Friday. more

The R.I. Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission has awarded eight grants totaling roughly $54,500 to eight local historic preservation programs, the commission announced Friday. more

Workers in Rhode Island’s three most-frequently employed occupation groups earn less than needed to afford the average two-bedroom apartment in the Ocean State, according to HousingWorks RI’s spring affordable housing report. more

Rhode Island is expected to increase the number of restaurant jobs this summer by 15.6 percent, the fourth-highest projected rate of increase in the United States, according to National Restaurant Association projections. more

More than 100 Rhode Island residents, business owners, state officials, local planners and lawmakers gathered at the Statehouse on Thursday night to kick off RhodeMap RI, a year-long project to create statewide economic development and housing plans that link with strategies for future development, transportation, land use and the environment. more

Medical technology maker Covidien PLC’s board of directors has approved the separation of its Mallinckrodt pharmaceuticals business from the rest of Covidien, the company announced Friday. more

Orders for U.S. durable goods increased more than forecast in April, pointing to gains in business investment that will help manufacturing rebound in the second half of the year. more

U.S. investigators looking into the May 17 Connecticut commuter-rail crash haven’t yet found a clear cause. The fact a broken rail became the most immediate suspect speaks to years of deferred maintenance that have left trouble spots throughout a Washington-Boston network that carries more than 700,000 people a day and dates to the 1800s. more

Rhode Island’s economic outlook ranked No. 45 among the 50 states according to the 2013 ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index released by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Rhode Island’s No. 45 rank represented a slip from last year’s report, in which the Ocean State ranked No. 43. more