Athol

When they looked in their email a few weeks ago and found subpoenas from U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling's office looking into their relationships with marijuana businesses, leaders in communities across Central Massachusetts, and the rest of the state, were surprised.

Five towns central Massachusetts towns hit hard by foreclosures after the 2008 recession stand to benefit from a multi-agency program that aims to rehab blighted properties, incorporating energy efficiency measures, and to sell the newly-efficient homes to low- and moderate-income families.

A former Athol Savings Bank employee will serve one month in prison for stealing more than $100,000 from customer accounts.

Half of Massachusetts cities and towns have enacted or are considering a ban on recreational marijuana businesses, towns like Uxbridge and Athol have gone in the other direction.

The moment the ballot initiative passed in November 2016 allowing for recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, economic development officials across the state should have been sharpening their pencils.

Check out which professionals are on the move in Central Mass.

According to Massachusetts labor and workforce officials, Greater Worcester added 1,600 jobs in February, and the area's unemployment rate fell from 3.9 percent in January to 3.6 percent.

A former Athol Savings Bank employee pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling $108,000 from customer accounts.

Leominster Credit Union has promoted Barbara Mahoney, its senior vice president of human resources, to chief operating officer.

Women continue to be vastly outnumbered by men at Central Mass. public companies, though improvement has been found in some areas.