North County

(Updated Friday at 6:15 p.m.) A plan to consolidate two patient-care units at Clinton Hospital is meeting with opposition from the union that represents its nurses.

Four public institutions of higher education in Central Massachusetts are collaborating to guarantee qualifying students four years of post-secondary schooling for $30,000.

After years of failed proposals by other developers throughout the state, New England Studios in Devens became the first film studio to open doors in March 2014, and the owners had high hopes for attracting major movie productions to Central Massachusetts.

Webster First Federal Credit Union (WFFCU), which is based in Worcester, is merging with Boston-based Industrial Credit Union (ICU), the two institutions announced.

In a back room of the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, teams work at cataloging and digitizing the organization's collection of American printed artifacts. It's just one example of a group of Central Massachusetts nonprofits that use business ventures to round out grant and foundational funds as part of their revenue mix.

With its customers hampered by prolonged train delays and cancellations that began during the recent wave of snowstorms, the company that runs the Massachusetts commuter rail system said Thursday it will operate at full service by March 30.

Biomedical firm New England Peptide (NEP) will expand its Gardner facility to create additional research and production space, the company announced Tuesday.

Fitchburg-based IC Federal Credit Union will hold a grand opening for its new Worcester branch at 947 West Boylston St. next month. The office opened Thursday.

Optical instruments maker Precision Optics of Gardner reported a 3-percent year-over-year drop in revenue for its most recently competed quarter, but cited increased interest in the company's products.

It was a company that was flying high until, rather suddenly, its numbers began taking a southward dive.