Greater Worcester

Elected officials and advocates cheered the state's paid family and medical leave program Tuesday, while rising application numbers are set to play into a 39 percent hike in the program's employer contribution rate in 2024, as PFML enters its third year in existence.

The five-school University of Massachusetts system generated $8.3 billion for the Massachusetts economy in 2022, according to a Thursday report from the university.

Ski Ward, a small skiing, snowboarding and tubing facility in Shrewsbury, has surprised the skiing world by becoming the first slope in North America to open for the 2023-24 season.

Mustang Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Worcester, has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to enter into clinical trials for a drug to treat glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.

The nonprofit Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District renewed its mandate for five years, beginning on July 1.

Cataldo Ambulance Services, a business headquartered in Somerville, has purchased a 5,900-square foot building at 79 May St. in Worcester.

A report conducted by cannabis industry trade publication Marijuana Business Daily has shown that Massachusetts marijuana business ownership has less racial and gender diversity than the national industry average.

The Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League are leaving Worcester, likely for Lowell, after playing at the DCU Center in Worcester since 2018.

A-GAME Beverages, a beverage company whose board members include former Red Sox Johnny Damon and former MLB/NFL All-Star Bo Jackson, announced on Monday that Worcester drink manufacturer Polar Beverages will be the company’s Northeast distribution partner.

The unemployment rate across Central Massachusetts remained low through September, continuing a downward trend carried over from the summer months.