North County

An unusually large share of coronavirus deaths in Worcester County — nearly four out of five — have taken place in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, according to state data.

After a small spike in confirmed Worcester County coronavirus cases at the end of July and the start of August, the number of positive tests is again on the decline, falling for the last two weeks.

On Aug. 5, Revolutionary Clinics in Fitchburg announced Mark Vlachos as its new director of cultivation. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, Vlachos spoke to WBJ about what his job actually entails, and how he went from studying classics to managing cannabis cultivation facilities for various companies around Massachusetts.

The real estate property housing a Price Chopper grocery store in Gardner has sold for the second time in seven months, this time at a 30% mark-up from late last year.

Housing authorities in Central Massachusetts, which are charged with overseeing affordable housing, have taken in nearly $2 million in federal funds to help lower-income residents stay in their homes despite the economic upheaval related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The recession has erased roughly 24 years of job growth in the Worcester area. Some neighborhoods, particularly in Worcester and Fitchburg have been hit especially hard, with unemployment rates estimated at 30% or more.

Rye & Thyme, an upscale comfort food restaurant stationed in the heart of Leominster’s downtown, will not reopen following a closure began in March due to the coronavirus, Niche Hospitality Group of Worcester announced. Instead, it will be replaced by the third location of The Fix Burger Bar, as soon as this fall.

A 7.5-acre trash and recycling facility in Fitchburg has sold to a waste-to-energy company with a facility in Millbury.

The Colonial Hotel in Gardner allegedly held two events last weekend exceeding Massachusetts state guidelines meant to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

After imposing a cumulative $800,000 in fines last month, the Cannabis Control Commission slapped a $120,000 fine Thursday on a cultivator and manufacturer that sold vaporizer cartridges that exceeded allowed state limits for ethanol to marijuana retailers and dispensaries in late 2018 and early 2019.