Admissions to the Newport Mansions topped 880,000 in 2012, marking the best attendance in more than a decade, according to the Preservation Society of Newport County. more

Public accounting firm Sullivan & Co. LLP has merged with BlumShapiro, the largest New England-based accounting, tax and business consulting firm, effective Jan. 1. more

The University of Rhode Island has received roughly $2.5 million from the estates and bequests of URI alumni brothers John and David Parker, the University of Rhode Island Foundation announced Tuesday. more

As part of a renewed focus on the Michigan area, Flagstar Bancorp Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of CIT Bank for CIT to acquire $1.264 billion in commercial loan commitments from Flagstar. more

(Updated, 2:45 p.m.) Sebastopol, Calif.–based Safari Books Online has purchased the PubFactory Electronic Platform, a product developed by RDW Group Inc. subsidiary iFactory, the companies announced Thursday. more

The Rhode Island Blood Center and Dunkin’ Donuts will kick off National Blood Donor Month and the “Give a Pint, Get a Pound” program on Jan. 7. more

Consumer sentiment climbed last week and U.S. companies added more workers than projected in December, showing the world’s largest economy picked up even as lawmakers were embroiled in budget disputes. more

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s department of chemistry and biochemistry received a $339,000 award from the National Science Foundation, the school announced Thursday. more

The foreclosure inventory in Rhode Island rose 0.2 percentage points year over year in November to 2.9 percent, according to CoreLogic. This means that 2.9 percent of all homes with a mortgage in Rhode Island were in one aspect of the foreclosure process. more

The Smaller Business Association of New England is calling for nominations for the 2013 New England Innovation Awards. more