Fitchburg

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

Two years of pandemic-related enrollment declines are sure to have considerable impacts on colleges, but educators say the problem could be more long-term.

Fitchburg State University’s downtown revitalization project, ReImagine North of Main, received a $417,270 grant from the Gov. Charlie Baker Administration.

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corp., the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, has approved $35,000 in financing for two small businesses in its region.

Leominster restoration company SERVPRO will pay $67,000 in fines to settle claims of illegal asbestos work at a Fitchburg elementary school, according to a Monday press release from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.

The state plans to allocate $171 million for construction projects on 25 bridges in Central Massachusetts, according to an initial list posted by Gov. Charlie Baker.

The United Way of Central Massachusetts has been awarded $4.5 million, to be dispersed over two years, through the federally funded Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Rebound grant, the nonprofit announced Thursday night.

UTZ Quality Foods, a snack food manufacturer with a Fitchburg facility, is becoming more energy efficient, thanks to a project run by Unitil Corp., a New Hampshire-based natural gas company.

Community Legal Aid, Inc., a free legal aid provider for residents in Central and Western Massachusetts, has named Worcester attorney Leticia Medina-Richman as its first chief operating officer, according to the CLA website.

Worcester and Fitchburg have received just over $1 million in Transformative Development Initiative Equity grants for their respective neighborhood revitalization efforts.