Athol

GAAMHA, a Gardner-based mental health services nonprofit, has promoted long-time employee and previous patient, Shawn Hayden, to president and CEO.

The move comes just under eight months after the Gardner-based firm voluntarily filed for bankruptcy, following a challenging year where the healthcare company’s former CEO was removed from leadership.

Central Massachusetts continues to see drops in the local unemployment rates as four of the region’s metropolitan areas saw lowered rates from March to April.

The Greater Worcester Community Foundation and Worcester Regional Research Bureau have teamed up to launch a new platform designed to provide data regarding the quality of life in Worcester County. 

Four Central Massachusetts organizations working to afford individuals with disabilities job training, workforce placement, and post-placement support are amongst nine awardees statewide receiving $900,000 in grants.

Central Massachusetts has experienced a decrease in unemployment rates from February to March as the four local metropolitan areas reported on by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development all saw drops. 

Just as cannabis businesses are gearing up for the holiday known as 4/20, an unofficial celebration of marijuana where dispensaries see some of their largest crowds of the year, eleven companies in Central Massachusetts received $430,000 from the first grants from the Massachusetts Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund.

Local unemployment rates throughout Central Massachusetts climbed to begin 2024, although the January figures are still lower than the rate seen at that time last year. 

The L.S. Starrett Co., a publicly traded tool manufacturing company founded 144 years ago, plans to merge with a private equity firm and become a privately-held company.

The holding company of Oxford-based bankHometown, has reached an agreement to merge with North Shore Bancorp.