Focus - Page 2 of 26 - Providence Business News

NEW NEIGHBOR: Centreville Bank is preparing to move into the Lauderdale Building on Westminster Street in downtown Providence, a few doors down from Chase Bank and The Washington Trust Co.  PBN PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

Banks doubling down on downtown branches

Financial Services 06/05/2026

Bristol County Savings Bank cut the ribbon on its new full-service branch at 5 Exchange St. in downtown Providence in March, placing another community...

HELPING HAND: Lindsey Ricci, a real estate agent at eXp Realty LLC, says the RI AnchorHome program gives prospective homebuyers an extra boost in securing financing.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

R.I. treasury deposits fuel lower mortgage costs

Financial Services 06/05/2026

Rhode Island’s real estate landscape, with rising home prices and limited availability, is pushing the dream of homeownership out of reach for many residents. In...

A BIT EMPTY: Charles Cullinan, Bryant University Accounting Department chair and professor, teaches a class at Bryant in Smithfield in 2025. Industry leaders are concerned about the lack of accounting students moving through the pipeline. PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

R.I. lawmakers get closer to tackling CPA shortage

Education 06/05/2026

When Connecticut rewrote its certified public accountant licensing rules last fall to expand pathways into the profession, the effects showed up almost immediately, says...

SITE INSPECTION: Jesse Reiblich, left, a University of Rhode Island professor in the marine affairs department, walks near the disputed property line along Roger W. Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett. He is joined, from left, by Nathan Vinhateiro, science director at the URI Coastal Institute, and Melva Trevino, assistant professor in URI’s fisheries, animal and veterinary sciences department.  PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

R.I. shoreline rights in legal limbo of sorts

Focus 05/22/2026

When Rhode Island passed a 2023 law strengthening shoreline access, some advocates felt a sense of relief as state and local authorities took a...

HOLDING COURT: Attorney Mark Mandell, right, has donated $4 million to create a trial advocacy center at the Roger Williams University School of Law. The center will help train law students and practicing lawyers on skills needed in the courtroom. With Mandell is Gregory Bowman, dean and professor at RWU’s law school.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

New RWU center will focus on trial training

Education 05/22/2026

Faced with fierce competition, law schools are investing heavily in recruiting top-notch students. Now, administrators at Roger Williams University School of Law believe they’ll set...

AWARENESS MANDATE: A state law that went into effect on Jan. 1 requires all hotel employees and short-term rental operators to receive training on how to spot signs of human trafficking among guests. As of now, there are no penalties for noncompliance.  PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

New R.I. law aims to curb human trafficking

Focus 05/08/2026

Hotels and short-term rental operators in Rhode Island are being required to do their part to prevent human trafficking. In fact, it’s the law. As...

TESTING BOUNDARIES: Brown University biology professor John Sedivy, director of Brown’s Center on the Biology of Aging, will help lead a research team running a clinical trial to see if the drug censavudine can slow the human aging process.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Brown researchers testing HIV drug for anti-aging traits

Education 04/24/2026

More than 90% of adults over 65 have at least one chronic condition and about 80% have two or more, according to the Centers...

PLAY AREA: State Rep. David J. Place, R-Burrillville, would like to create a “regulatory sandbox” for biotech firms in the state where a waiver of certain regulations could be approved for activities such as testing, but the proposal has faced pushback from some state agencies. Place stands outside the CCI building in Providence, where some life science firms are located.  PBN PHOTO/MATTHEW MCNULTY

Biotech ‘sandbox’ bill raises oversight concerns

Focus 04/24/2026

With Rhode Island making a push for the state to become a burgeoning hub for life sciences and biotechnology firms by building lab space...

DOULA SESSION: Rachelle Friesen, co-president of the nonprofit Doulas of Rhode Island, speaks to a gathering at Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket as part of the group’s statewide “Meet the Doulas” awareness campaign.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Demand for doulas in R.I. rises after insurance change

Focus 04/24/2026

What a difference a few years have made for doulas in Rhode Island. Doulas provide physical and emotional support to expectant mothers, before, during and...