Greater Worcester

JetBlue took to the skies in Worcester Thursday, marking the return of commercial passenger air service to New England's second largest city for the first time since early 2012.

Profits jumped while revenue fell in the most recent quarter at Unum Group.

The return of commercial passenger air traffic to Central Massachusetts is just three days away as workers prepare Worcester Regional Airport for JetBlue's launch of daily flights to Florida.

Third-quarter profits nearly doubled at The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. of Worcester due to growth in its commercial lines, the company said Wednesday.

Worcester Baseball, operator of the new Worcester-based Futures League collegiate baseball, announced five finalists in its Name Your Team contest, which launched Sept. 30.

UMass Memorial Health Care is bracing for layoffs as well as other cost-cutting measures in the face of a projected $57-million operating loss for its recently completed fiscal year.

Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday resumed his effort to publicize public investments in the wake of this year's tax hikes. In Worcester, Patrick was scheduled to announce $15.9 million in funding for a new building at Quinsigamond Community College and $14 million toward a new maintenance facility for the Worcester Regional Transit Authority.

With negotiations for a budget deal set to start Wednesday in Congress, Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday called for the doubling of scientific and biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Three Central Massachusetts organizations have won grant money that will help boost the formation and development of small businesses.

The Central Massachusetts cities of Fitchburg and Worcester received positive news recently when Standard & Poor's issued...