Jim Ryan, CEO of Ryan Companies US Inc., died Thursday after a 10-month battle with melanoma. Ryan, 66, had helped transform his family’s Minnesota-based construction business into one of the nation’s leading real estate design-build development firms, with Iowa offices in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport. Visitation will be 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday and a funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday. Both will be at the Church of St. Therese in Deephaven, Minn.

The U.S. economy shrank at an annual pace of 5.7 percent in the first quarter, a less severe drop than initially reported, the U.S. Commerce Department said today. Last month, the government initially reported that the gross domestic product — the broadest measure of the nation’s economic activity — fell at an annual rate of 6.1 percent. The revision fell short of economists’ expectations of a 5.5 percent drop, according to a consensus estimate from Briefing.com. The improvement from the 6.1 percent pace of contraction estimated last month reflected a narrower trade deficit and a smaller reduction in stockpiles than previously estimated. Today’s preliminary GDP report is the second of three estimates on first-quarter growth, Bloomberg reported.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped by 13,000 last week, the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits declined to a seasonally adjusted 623,000 in the week ended May 23 from a revised 636,000 in the prior week. It was the second straight week in which initial claims fell.

The U.S. Small Business Administration will offer government-guaranteed loans beginning July 1 to eligible businesses selling automobiles, recreational vehicles, manufactured homes, boats and motorcycles. The program will run through at least Sept. 30.

Historic East Village Inc. will have a raffle, games and a cookout from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. today to support its Save the Gas Station fund. Cost is $15, with raffle tickets extra. Prizes will be provided by East Village businesses. You must be 21 or older to attend.

Volunteers from Aviva USA, the city of West Des Moines and the Arbor Day Foundation will plant 200 trees beginning at 2 p.m. Monday along E.P. True Parkway, north of the Younkers parking lot at Jordan Creek Town Center. Aviva provided $50,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation to support the activity, which will feature Aviva COO Chris Littlefield, West Des Moines Mayor Steve Gaer and Kevin Sander of the Arbor Day Foundation.