Fewer Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the job market is sustaining recent gains. more

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a U.S. Department of Defense Office, has selected the Cranston Public Schools as a finalist for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. more

Karen Balch has been named vice president and regional manager at Navigant Credit Union, where she is responsible for overseeing daily operations at branches in Woonsocket, Smithfield and Glocester. more

John Capone has been hired as senior counsel for the intellectual property team at Duffy & Sweeney. more

Helen I. Medeiros has been promoted to commercial-lines-account manager at Partners Insurance Group LLC. In her new role, Medeiros will assist producers with the marketing and underwriting of business accounts and will coordinate customer service with her assigned clients. more

Brian Timm has been hired as a senior project manager at DiPrete Engineering. more

Jan Cooney has been named director of admissions at St. Mary Academy-Bay View. more

Joe Friedman has been named local sales manager for WLWC-CW28 TV. more

Peter Forsstrom has been named a digital designer at RDW Group Inc. Fors-strom has more than 10 years of experience in video production, Web design and flash animation. more

John Bulman, a founding partner of Little Bulman Medeiros & Whitney PC, was recently elected to the board of governors of the American College of Construction Lawyers. Bulman, whose practice areas include construction law, business-dispute resolution and neutral arbitration, and mediation services, originally joined the college as a fellow in 2006. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. more