Greater Worcester

The Worcester City Council voted last Tuesday to set a commercial, industrial ,and personal property tax rate of $30.04 per $1,000 assessed valuation for fiscal 2024, a $1.22 decrease from the fiscal 2023 rate of $31.26.

Governor Maura Healey’s Administration issued $19 million this year in funding from the state’s Workforce Training Funding Program through October, a number including more than $3.9 million in support of training for 2,500+ jobs in Central Massachusetts.

UMass Chan Medical School is reducing its workforce at its Boston biologics and vaccine manufacturing division, MassBiologics, with more layoffs potentially coming in the next 90 days.

Mallory Stanton launched her vintage decor and furniture business – first on Instagram and then with an Etsy store.

Central Massachusetts professionals are getting hired and promoted at companies including National Grid, UMass Memorial Medical Group, AAFCPAs, and Ascentria Care Alliance.

“I’ve never been as worried about health care as I am right now."

While corporate profits have surged to near record levels, operators of prominent small businesses in Worcester have not seen the same growth.

Enrollment has hit a 10-year low at all five of the state universities and community colleges in Central Massachusetts, with a considerable drop between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2023.

A former school building located at 22 Waverly St. in Worcester has been sold by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester to an Auburn-based corporation for $1.1 million.

Concerned about the tiny percentage of sports bettors who have so far used things like time or deposit limits, the Mass. Gaming Commission is working to convene a roundtable with operators, industry experts and more to talk about how they might be able to make responsible gambling tools "cool."