Fitchburg

Four cities in Central Massachusetts have been chosen among 20 across Massachusetts to be part of a new statewide program to help with coronavirus vaccinations in underserved communities.

Fitchburg State University will freeze undergraduate tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year, the school announced Tuesday.

The Worcester-Fitchburg Building Trades Council has elected Jorge Rivera, a 20-year union member, as its new president, the council announced on Monday, making him the first Latino to head the group. 

IC Federal Credit Union in Fitchburg has named Chris Hendry, former senior director of external affairs for UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton, as its new president and CEO, the credit union’s board of directors announced Tuesday.

Several Central Massachusetts firms are among the recipients of nearly $4.5 million in grants from MassDevelopment aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of taxi and livery services in the face of the evolving for-hire transportation market.

In December 2019, no one could have predicted what was to come in 2020. Still, the major trends and news items for the year largely stayed on track. Of the 10 predictions made by the WBJ Editorial Staff for the year, seven came true.

The MBTA announced Thursday it would cut back on commuter rail services beginning in January in response to a huge decline in ridership as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Fitchburg State University will make $100,000 worth of upgrades to its nursing simulation lab thanks to a grant from the Worcester-based George I. Alden Trust.

Warehouses and distribution centers have been popping up throughout Central Massachusetts over the last year. In the last few months, online retail giant Amazon has added several locations throughout the region and appears poised to take over the high-profile location for the soon-to-be-demolished Greendale Mall.

Roy Nascimento, CEO and president of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, joins The Weekly Business Report to discuss the results of the chamber's survey showing in-depth how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the business communities in Leominster, Fitchburg and the rest of North Worcester County.