State of state’s economy topic of meeting

Local journalists and economists will explore the state — and future — of Rhode Island’s economy at the annual meeting of the Public Relations Society of Southeastern New England, on Wednesday at Providence Piers/Conley’s Wharf, Providence. WJAR-TV morning anchor Frank Coletta will moderate a panel that includes Providence Journal business editor John Kostrzewa, Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council executive director John Simmons and University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro, who also produces the Consumer Confidence Index. The meeting begins with cocktails from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the program. To register, visit prsasene.org. The cost is $50.

Casino environmental impact study begun

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts is preparing an environmental impact report on its plans for a casino and the placement of land in Mashpee and Middleborough in federal trust. The Cape Cod Times newspaper reports that the report is expected in the next two months. It is required before the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs will rule on the tribe’s land-trust application. A preliminary environmental report in September said the tribe is proposing a full resort casino in Middleborough, with a second phase of development that includes a water park. That assumes the tribe will be able to offer Class III gambling that includes slot machines and table games, now illegal in Massachusetts. But the tribe claims it does not need state approval to offer only so-called “bingo slots.” If it were limited to that, the tribe would plan a scaled-back facility.

Passenger traffic down at Maine airport

Traffic has dropped for a second month at the Portland International Jetport in Maine after 16 consecutive months of growth. Monthly passenger traffic at the airport peaked at 200,000 in August, but it has been downhill in the two months since then. Last month, 151,384 passengers used the airport, compared with 159,678 the year before. The declines would have been more severe without the arrival of low-cost carriers JetBlue in May 2006 and AirTran Airways in June 2007.

Britain-based company buys Textron unit

Marking its exit from the pump and power-transmission industries, Providence-based Textron Inc. has completed the sale of its Fluid & Power business unit to Clyde Blowers Capital Fund II LP. Clyde Blowers is a United Kingdom-based worldwide leader in the areas of clean energy technologies for coal-fired power plants, materials handling, intermodal transport and logistics and pumping solutions. Clyde Blowers has over the past 15 years built a global portfolio of 42 companies in 21 different countries employing approximately 2,500 people with combined sales in excess of $1.4 billion.

Bank’s investment division adds technology

Westerly-based Washington Trust Wealth Management has selected Smartleaf Inc. to provide overlay technology for use across its three investment-management divisions: Weston Financial Group Inc., Washington Trust Investors, and 1800 Asset Management. The Smartleaf technology will enable Washington Trust Wealth Management to implement a program that combines proprietary models, third-party managers, mutual funds, fixed income and exchange traded funds to create and maintain a combination of each division’s strengths without additions to staff. Each day, the Smartleaf technology analyzes every portfolio against the target allocation and generates trade recommendations with written explanations of rationale for portfolio managers. The trades are tax-, transition-, expense- and dispersion-sensitive.

Robot firm obtains $2-million appropriation

Bedford, Mass.-based iRobot Corp. has announced that Congress appropriated $2 million to further develop the company’s Warrior 700, a powerful and rugged robot for use in danger zones and inaccessible areas. The machine will perform a variety of missions, including providing video, audio and sensor readings to combat troops and local law-enforcement SWAT teams. The robot will feature an advanced digital architecture and a multi-mission chassis that supports up to 150-pound payloads. Its payload-positioning system allows radical changes in the robot’s center of gravity for unprecedented mobility in rough terrain, while still suitable for use in an urban environment. The first production units of iRobot Warrior will be available for purchase in the third quarter of next year. Melissa Wagoner, a spokeswoman for Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said that projects such as iRobot’s “will enhance Massachusetts’ role as a leader in the defense industry.”

Biomass plant projects suffer setback

A new study suggests there aren’t enough wood chips in northern New Hampshire to justify all the biomass plant projects being proposed. The state Division of Forests and Lands commissioned the study, along with the North Country Council, an economic development group in Coos County. Officials say the conclusions give a more realistic picture to those pinning their hopes on biomass plants that would provide North Country jobs while selling electricity to other areas. Mel Liston, president of Clean Power Development, which is working on a biomass plant in Berlin, said the study matches what his company found in its own research, which is why he has scaled back the plant from 45 megawatts to around 25.

Injunction filed against owner of dams

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office has obtained an injunction against the owner of two Taunton dams accused of not complying with various safety orders. Under the court order, Jefferson Development agreed to immediately hire an engineer to help remove a rotting section of Morey’s Bridge Dam. Coakley’s office had sought an injunction against Jefferson Development requiring the owner of the Morey’s Bridge Dam and a temporary dam to fix various problems and to pay civil penalties. The court order does not mention the second dam, but both sides are still negotiating a settlement.

Historic garage, marina to mark anniversary

Reynolds Garage & Marine of Hamburg Cove in Lyme, Conn., is making plans to celebrate its 150th anniversary next year. The Reynolds family is preparing a series of events to commemorate 1859 when Ephraim Otis Reynolds first created transportation service for the carriage-riding public. The current auto dealership has a marina that began in the 1930s, ferrying supplies to the Reynolds General Store, and has evolved into one of the largest marine sales and service facilities in the Northeast. Plans for the anniversary include a pictorial history book about the business, an exhibit of family memorabilia at the Connecticut River Museum, an art contest, a bass-fishing contest and an old-fashioned 4th of July picnic.

President named for Stride Rite’s Keds unit

The Keds unit of the Lexington, Mass.-based Stride Rite Group of Collective Brands Inc., which is headquartered in Topeka, Kan., has appointed Kristin Kohler Burrows as president. Burrows, who has extensive footwear and apparel experience with fashion and sports lifestyle brands including Fila, Asics, Converse and Jessica Simpson, among others, will lead the reinvigoration initiatives for the Keds, PRO-Keds and Grasshoppers brands. Burrows will begin her new job Monday and report to Gregg Ribatt, president and chief executive officer of the Stride Rite Group. She will head up all functions of the Keds team including product design and development, sales, marketing, merchandise planning and operations.