Fitchburg

Fifteen local artists hope to create the largest paper airplane ever assembled, taking ideas from some of Central Massachusetts' largest manufacturers and paper from historic paper-making businesses in the Fitchburg area.

The president of Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital in Boston has been named to lead UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where he will begin duties on Sept. 1, UMass announced Thursday.

UMass Memorial Health Care plans to close an inpatient pediatrics unit and a cardiac rehabilitation unit in Leominster and an urgent care center in Fitchburg.

YMCA of Central Massachusetts and Tri-Community YMCA of Southbridge are merging, the two agencies have announced.

Fitchburg-based IC Federal Credit Union has promoted its former vice president of finance to senior vice president and CFO.

Fitchburg contract manufacturer Micron Solutions decreased its net loss by 16 percent in the first quarter compared to last year despite reporting a slight dip in sales.

New York-based Advance Local is growing its presence in Central Massachusetts. The company is set to open an office for its MassLive Media division near the Worcester Common this month.

Massachusetts has chosen Worcester and Fitchburg among 10 cities to receive help in downtown redevelopment initiatives.

Daily newspapers in Fitchburg and Lowell and a related weekly publication earned a $5-million profit and a 26-percent profit margin in the last budget year.

Worcester could see millions of square feet of new development if it takes better advantage of Union Station's ties by commuter rail to Boston, according to a new report by think tank MassINC.