Diversity & Inclusion

Nearly six years after voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana and almost four years since legal sales began, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law the first major step of its kind by state government to bolster the nascent industry and tear down obstacles that its participants face.

On Aug. 1, Holy Cross eliminated the $60 application fee for students from Worcester Public Schools, the college announced Wednesday.

Framingham State University announced on Thursday that it will receive $1.7 million over three years to fund a residency program in the city’s public schools from the Boston-based Massachusetts Service Alliance, a nonprofit state affiliate of the federal agency, AmeriCorps.

With their first Worcester branch set to open next month at 81 Gold Star Blvd., Chase Bank, the consumer banking division of New York City based JPMorgan Chase, told WBJ that it plans to open three additional branches in the Worcester area.

Lancaster human-services nonprofit RFK Community Alliance, has hired Jessica Pepple to be the organization's first chief diversity and culture officer.

Worcester insurer Fallon Health has named an executive from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, as well as a real estate and finance leader, to its board of directors.

A compromise bill aimed at helping to grow the legal cannabis industry and making it more equitable emerged just before midnight Sunday after nearly a month of negotiations and quickly passed through both the House and Senate.

Friday, Aug. 5, is the last day to nominate someone deserving of recognition for Worcester Business Journal’s 14th annual Outstanding Women in Business awards.

As Gov. Charlie Baker signed a ban on school or athletic event discrimination based on hairstyles, Deanna Cook was taken back to the first time she got detention as a high school sophomore because her braids did not conform to her school's policy.

Clark University received a $2-million grant from AmeriCorps, a national organization based in Washington D.C., to support teachers in the Worcester school’s master’s program for teachers who train in schools throughout the city’s Main South neighborhood.