Athol

Eastham’s Hometown Financial Group, Inc., parent company of Oxford’s bankHometown, and Randolph Bancorp, Inc. of Quincy have received regulatory approval for their proposed merger and announced Tuesday a target date of Oct. 7 for closing.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $1.6 million over five years to Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner to prepare high school students for postsecondary education that leads to careers in the fields of math and science.

Athol tool manufacturer The L.S. Starrett Co. reported $14.9 million in net income for the fiscal year ending in June 2022, down from $15.5 million in the fiscal year ending in June 2021.

When Shacey Petrovic stepped down as CEO of Acton medical-device company Insulet in May for personal reasons, she left Central Massachusetts without a single public company headquartered here, traded on NASDAQ or New York Stock Exchange, with a woman as CEO.

COVID-19 continues to shape the healthcare landscape across Central Massachusetts, as hospitals grapple with soaring costs and staffing shortages.

Heywood Healthcare, one of the last independent community healthcare systems in Central Massachusetts, has agreed in principle to join the UMass Memorial Health system, seeking to become part of the network with facilities in Worcester, Marlborough, Leominster, Clinton and Southbridge.

Worcester Business Journal began listing the most influential people in the Central Massachusetts economy in 2013, using various iterations of the concept to arrive at the Power 50, which started in 2018.

Seven nonprofits from around Central Massachusetts are slated to receive $7.4 million in funding from the $1.5-trillion federal appropriations package signed into law by President Joe Biden on Saturday.

In 2021, consumers had the most complaints against Central Massachusetts utilities and auto dealers.

The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts has awarded $458,500 in grants to various local organizations, the public charity announced Thursday.