Greater Worcester

The Central Massachusetts Business Confidence Index fell slightly in March, as business owners expressed concern over the rising cost of labor and inflation.

As the Massachusetts cannabis industry battles declining cannabis prices, lawsuits, and a number of other growing pains, a new business association has emerged.

Dressed in white lab coats, nearly 200 physician assistant students and providers on Thursday pitched their potential to help solve a health care workforce shortage that could worsen given the challenges facing Massachusetts hospitals owned by Steward Health Care.

Worcester nonprofit Latin American Health Alliance is one of 20 BIPOC-led organizations receiving $2.9 million in grants from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to help fund efforts to address substance use in their communities disproportionately affected by increases in overdose. 

EPA officials suggested the money could go toward a range of uses under the umbrella of clean energy.

"Every overdose death is preventable, and overdose prevention centers are a commonsense, evidence-based tool we can use to save those who are struggling," 1199SEIU Executive Vice President Tim Foley said.

Efforts to turn a former Worcester hotel into a permanent supportive housing development have received a boost from the federal government.

Inspired by the hit ABC television show “Shark Tank”, the competition had collegiate entrepreneurs make a pitch for their businesses in front of a live studio audience.

Juniper Biomedical has raised $3 million in capital from a seed funding round, as well as the National Institutes of Health, to support its advancements in neuromodulation technology. 

Clark University has been granted $2 million in gifts from four Worcester foundations to amplify and drive learning and research within the university’s Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design.