Greater Worcester

The Harr automobile dealerships have been a part of Charles Ribakoff's life since his father bought the company in 1948. In that time he has moved up through jobs in various dealerships to management roles, and eventually he bought the business from his father 15 years ago. Now, it's his time to pass along the company.

The economic futures of cities and towns in Central Massachusetts can either be enhanced or undermined by a single element: water.

Affordable Interior Systems, Inc. of Leominster, Quest Diagnostics of Marlborough, and Pall Life Sciences of Westborough were among 18 companies from across the state honored by MassEcon this week for their contributions to the economy.

Joanna Geraghty reaffirmed JetBlue's commitment to Worcester during a speech Thursday morning in which she called for city's business community to push for improvements to Worcester's airport.

The Worcester City Council has delayed its planned tax classification hearing to set the city's fiscal 2015 property tax rates a week due to an error in supporting tax tables.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Jamaheja, Inc. of Worcester $10,312 for allegedly violating the Wetlands Protection Act on property located in Southbridge.

Worcester's bonds have received a strong rating, indicating a “very strong capacity for payment” of the city's financial commitments, according to a release from Fitch Ratings.

Nichols College in Dudley said it will raise tuition by 2.9 percent for the 2015-2016 academic year, but will hold the line the following year, marking the college's second tuition freeze in three years.

The Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) said it will divest of three of its seven outdoor facilities while leaving open the possibility of expanding its four remaining properties in the future.

The Beechwood Hotel will undergo what it calls a “major” multi-million-dollar refurbishment that its owners say will upgrade the Worcester facility into a “modern, state-of-the-art, upscale boutique” hotel with the goal of making it the “most luxurious” west of Boston.