Greater Worcester

Gov. Maura Healey signed a law Wednesday that bans the sale of puppies and kittens under eight weeks old, as well as the roadside sale of animals, her office said. 

This increase in funding is the first year-over-year increase since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a decision with massive implications for the state's effort to build more housing, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the zoning reform law does not run afoul of the state Constitution.

The bill intends to protect Massachusetts from another crisis like the Steward Health Care bankruptcy saga, which led to the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer.

The largest driver: immigration, estimated at 90,217 incoming immigrants between 2023 and 2024.

Marlborough-based Boston Scientific has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire California-based medical equipment manufacturer Bolt Medical.

“After a thorough and thoughtful review, we determined that closing this location was necessary to align our resources with the needs of the broader market,” Blaine Bringhurst, president of Market 32/Price Chopper, said.

Fidelity Bank has named its first new president in nearly 10 years, promoting executive employee Joseph Silva to the Leominster-based institution’s leadership role. 

Weight-loss tech company Allurion Technologies has expanded its board of directors, appointing Jason Richey on Dec. 30 as the Natick publicly traded company’s ninth member.

The party is over for Party City, as leases for the company's five Central Massachusetts locations are heading to the auction block.