Greater Worcester

Walkability along Worcester's commercial district has been a mixed-bag, but officials are working to make the area more attractive to pedestrians.

The former director of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT) Worcester Office was sentenced in Worcester Superior Court Wednesday to two years in jail, although he will not do time as the sentence was suspended by the judge.

Providence & Worcester Railroad has entered into an eight-year collective bargaining agreement with the Transportation Communications International Union (TCU), which will include a compounded annual pay increase of 24 percent over the eight years for its workforce of clerical and dispatch employees, the union said.

UMass Memorial Health Care's (UMMHC) credit rating outlook was lowered Friday from stable to negative by Standard & Poor's Rating Services following weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings.

A $1.3 billion capital bond bill sailed through the Senate last week in a unanimous vote after senators tacked on dozens of local earmarks adding about $120 million to the borrowing bill's bottom line.

Whitinsville-based UniBank has selected Charter Business to provide it with wide area network fiber service and high-speed internet to support online services and other technology initiatives, according to a statement from Charter Communications.

The Patrick administration is awarding nearly $14 million in grants to support new building projects for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, schools, and communities across the state, including 21 in Central Massachusetts.

Worcester-based Polar Beverages has entered into a new distribution partnership with the maker of energy drink Xenergy, the company, Las Vegas-based Xyience Xenergy, announced this week.

Lutheran Social Services of Worcester said it will change its name to help expand its reach and shift its direction without changing its core values.

President Obama held Worcester Technical High School up as an example of the success that can come from partnerships between the private sector and public schools Wednesday afternoon at Worcester Tech's 2014 commencement.