Gas prices rise in R.I., reversing trend

For the first time in 10 weeks, gasoline prices in Rhode Island have increased, according to a survey yesterday by AAA Southern New England. Self-service regular gasoline averaged $2.679 a gallon, up 2 cents from a week ago but a penny less than a month ago. Rhode Island is 13 cents below the national average. A year ago at this time, the average price in Rhode Island was $2.539 a gallon. The range in the latest AAA survey for unleaded regular is 17 cents, from a low of $2.629 to a high of $2.799 a gallon.

Hexagon Metrology makes sole supplier deal

Hexagon Metrology Inc., of North Kingstown, and Mycrona of North America Inc., of Elgin, Ill., have announced an exclusive distribution agreement. Hexagon will be the sole supplier for the entire range of Mycrona manufactured multi-sensor vision measuring machines for the United States, Canada and Mexico. The products will be private-labeled under a Hexagon Metrology brand and badge name.

Smithfield Peat earns safety recognition

Smithfield Peat Co. Inc., of Smithfield, was among 19 mining operations recognized for outstanding 2006 safety records in the annual Sentinels of Safety awards program, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Mining Association. In the “Small Bank or Pit Group,” Smithfield Peat was recognized for achieving 9,986 employee work hours in 2006 without a fatal injury or an injury that resulted in lost workdays.

Philips Lifeline takes over aid service

Philips Lifeline has acquired Health Watch, a privately held provider of personal emergency response systems. Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties has partnered with Philips and begun the transition from Health Watch equipment to Philips equipment. The transition will be completed by the end of October. Philips’ 24-hour-a-day service gives seniors and the disabled an aid to maintain living at home, providing an alert system to a monitoring center for assistance. Two-way voice communication allows a trained operator to establish the nature of the problem so that appropriate action can be taken.

Raytheon gets $994.3-million Navy order

Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon Co., the world’s largest missile maker, has won a $994.3-million order from the U.S. Navy to build computer systems for DDG 1000 ships. The award allows the company to begin production of a system it has been developing since 2005 under a separate $2.7-billion design contract, Carolyn Beaudry, a spokeswoman for Raytheon said in an interview Friday. The equipment is the total computing environment for the DDG 1000 ships, including management of sensors, radar, ship control and recognition of friendly or hostile vessels. Work under the award will be completed by December 2012, the U.S. Defense Department said. Work on the system is done by Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business, which has a unit in Portsmouth and accounted for $4.22 billion in sales last year, or 21 percent of Raytheon’s total revenue of $20.3 billion. Raytheon has assigned about 2,500 employees in Tewksbury and Andover, both in Massachusetts, Portsmouth and elsewhere to the DDG 1000 program.

RE/MAX to market TD Banknorth products

Portland, Maine-based TD Banknorth and RE/MAX of New England have agreed to collaborate in marketing the bank’s portfolio of mortgage lending and retail banking services to consumers through real-estate agency’s offices and agents. As part of the agreement, RE/MAX offices and TD Banknorth lenders will jointly market to RE/MAX clients the range of financial services available through the bank.

Belo partners with online media marketplace

Dallas-based Belo Corp., owner of The Providence Journal Co., and Mochila Inc. yesterday announced a strategic partnership whereby Belo will become a premier content syndication partner in the Mochila marketplace. In addition, Belo has made an investment in Mochila to help drive its future growth. Mochila is the first global online media marketplace for text, video and photo content for publishers, editors, content creators and advertisers. Belo will now offer its local content for syndication and distribution via the Mochila marketplace. This will create a new opportunity to monetize and expand the reach of Belo’s content. Mochila’s marketplace offers millions of articles, photos and videos from some of the largest, most-recognized media brands in the world. Through the partnership, Mochila expands its content inventory and enables Belo to deepen user engagement on its online properties. Belo also owns other media companies across the country.

N.H. launches electronic prescription tool

In an effort to improve patient safety, control costs and reduce medication errors, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Citizens Health Initiative, created by Gov. John Lynch, have launched a statewide electronic prescribing, or ePrescribing, program for every physician office in the state. The system enables a licensed practitioner to generate a prescription electronically and then transmit it to a pharmacy. Through this new program, Anthem is offering physicians access to free ePrescribing software, a free mobile pocket PC and a discounted wireless telecommunication plan that will enable them to access real-time patient eligibility, formulary and medication history information from any internet enabled PC, or anywhere a cell phone signal is available. Physicians with these tools can write and renew prescriptions anytime, anywhere, for all of their patients, not just Anthem members.

Ferry case settled in Portland, Maine

The city of Portland, Maine, must pay the former owner of the Scotia Prince ferry $1.2 million in a legal dispute involving a city-owned waterfront terminal, an arbitration panel ruled Friday. Scotia Prince Cruises Ltd. had sought $164.5 million, claiming that mold growth, water leaks and ventilation problems at the International Marine Terminal destroyed it business. It abandoned its Portland-to-Nova Scotia route in 2005 after operating seasonally from 1970 to 2004. The city and the company took the case to the American Arbitration Association, whose ruling is final. Portland City Manager Joseph Gray said the ruling is a relief and upholds the city’s claims that it did all it could to fix the problems at the International Marine Terminal.