Greater Worcester

There was more optimism among Central Massachusetts business leaders heading into 2014. There's even more heading into 2015. Here are the results of this year's Economic Forecast survey, along with out predictions for the year ahead and our report card on how our predictions for 2014 turned out.

Community Healthlink and UMass Memorial Health Care are among 10 organizations sharing $1.3 million in grants under a new program administered by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.

Hanover Insurance Group of Worcester has been assessed a $6,004 penalty for alleged environmental violations stemming from a 2012 inspection.

Generex Biotechnology Corp. of Worcester, a developer of drug delivery technology, said it has entered into an agreement with Canadian medical marijuana development firm CannScience Innovations Inc. to license its drug delivery system for delivery of medical marijuana products.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has been awarded $1.1 million in federal grants to help revitalize the nuclear power industry, the school announced Monday.

National Grid will more than triple its solar-power generation capabilities in Massachusetts with an additional 16 megawatts of energy at 19 sites to be built in the next year, the utility announced Monday.

In a move that will have funding and tourism implications at historic sites throughout Central Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Congress has voted to create a new national park in the Blackstone River valley.

Salter School, which has a campus in West Boylston, will pay students in health-related programs $3.75 million to resolve allegations of misrepresenting job placement numbers and using deceptive enrollment tactics, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Friday.

Edwin B. “Ted” Coghlin, the long-time president of Coghlin Electrical Contractors of Worcester and a major force in the resurgence of Worcester Technical High School, is being lauded and remembered for his contributions to the community where he grew up and attended college.

In an 8-3 roll call vote Tuesday night, Worcester city councilors inched closer to a single-tax rate, setting the fiscal 2015 property levy for businesses at $31.73 per $1,000 assessed valuation.