North County

Fitchburg State University President Richard Lapidus will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

Precision Optics Corp. in Gardner, an optical instrument manufacturer for the medical and aerospace industries, has received a third large production order from an aerospace defense company. The new order totals $680,000, and the products are intended to be produced in fiscal year 2024.

The Moderna Charitable Foundation has granted $54,000 to Fitchburg State University to fund a research fellowship program aimed at increasing the retention and graduation rates of traditionally underserved populations.

Clinton’s Museum of Russian Icons changed its name to The Icon Museum and Study Center to reflect a broader mission and emphasize the museum's role in scholarship.

Gather Provisions of Northborough received a $35,000 loan from the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce in partnership with TD Bank.

Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner received a $2,249,709 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III - Strengthening Institutions Program to help improve academic readiness and workforce preparation for students.

The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts in Worcester has provided a total of $1,063,451 to 10 community nonprofits working to address broad health issues.

MassDevelopment, the state’s development finance agency and land bank, broke ground on a new 30,745-square-foot public safety center in Devens.

Mount Wachusett Community College has opened its nursing simulation lab expansion, providing students with more hands-on experience in clinical settings.

Natick-based Electric Hydrogen (EH2), a company manufacturing equipment to create hydrogen from water using renewable electricity, has raised $380 million in series C financing, which it will use to accelerate manufacturing to meet customer demand.