North County

After announcing their decision to merge in September 2020, Lancaster-based nonprofits Doctor Franklin Perkins School and RFK Children’s Action Corps finalized their agreement and will move forward under a new name, according to a Thursday press release.

After a spike during the summer, the percent of the labor force that is unemployed in the Worcester metropolitan area dipped to 5.4% in September, one of the lowest rates since the beginning of the pandemic.

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corp., the economic development branch of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce in Fitchburg, announced on Tuesday it was providing a microloan to Homestead Market in Winchendon.

Massachusetts-based, vertically integrated cannabis company Local Roots opened an adult-use dispensary in Marlborough last week, with plans for a ribbon cutting and grand opening this Friday and Saturday, the company announced on Wednesday.

Advanced processing manufacturer Accumet Engineering, Inc., currently based in Hudson and Westford, plans to consolidate its operations in a planned 39,375 square-foot facility in Devens, using a $4.14-million tax-exempt bond from MassDevelopment.

The City of Gardner received a $4.1-million grant from the state’s MassWorks program to revitalize its Main Street, according to a Monday press release from Mayor Michael Nicholson.

Sean Smith, owner of 873 Cafe Tavern in Ashby, has received a $75,000 loan through the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation.

The changing face of retail is having a profound impact on Massachusetts’ real estate and development landscape.

Fueled by communities near I-495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Central Massachusetts region grew 8.1% in population from 2010 to 2020, outpacing both the state (6.0%) and nation (6.5%), according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Decennial Census of Population and Housing.

Indian Hill Music, a regional nonprofit center for music education and performance, announced it will move its headquarters from Littleton to a brand new facility in Groton, and will change its name to Groton Hill Music Center.