Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

Greater Worcester

  • Patel family set to open West Boylston marijuana dispensary this fall

    Monica Benevides September 30, 2020

    Campfire Cannabis, a new camping-themed recreational retail outfit, is expected to open in West Boylston this fall, after receiving final licensure from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission on Sept. 10.

  • Thumbnail

    Baker takes further steps to reopen economy

    State House News Service September 30, 2020

    Indoor performances and recreational activities such as laser tag can resume next week in Massachusetts communities with lower COVID-19 transmission rates, and many businesses will also be permitted to increase their capacities, Gov. Charlie Baker…

  • Thumbnail

    Greater Worcester unemployment rate improves to 10.3%

    Grant Welker September 30, 2020

    The unemployment rate in the Worcester area improved to 10.3% in August, down from 14.9% a month earlier, according to new data Wednesday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Thumbnail

    Worcester committee supports deal for development around Polar Park

    Grant Welker September 30, 2020

    The Worcester City Council's economic development committee unanimously approved on Tuesday a recommendation that the full council support a development agreement for a key site outside Polar Park.

  • SBA export support grant applications available through Wednesday

    Monica Benevides September 29, 2020

    Wednesday marks the deadline for manufacturers and other businesses to apply for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s State Trade Expansion Program grant program, the federal agency announced on Monday.

  • Thumbnail

    Natick developer will plead guilty to Worcester fraud charges

    Monica Benevides September 29, 2020

    Natick contractor James E. Levin will plead guilty to fraud charges associated with the redevelopment of a multi-family Worcester home, according to court documents detailing the plea agreement.

  • Thumbnail

    Report: Health care even more dominant in local economy

    State House News Service September 29, 2020

    Health care employers in Massachusetts added more workers between 2008 and 2018 than any other industry, nudging the field's share of statewide employment upward to nearly one-fifth, according to a new report.

  • Thumbnail

    Admin: Low-income jobless aid fix requires change in law

    State House News Service September 29, 2020

    After lawmakers urged the executive branch to intervene to help low-income workers who fell short of accessing additional aid, the Baker administration said that it cannot implement the changes sought without federal and state legislative action.

  • Healey alleges law firm took more than $90,000 in kickbacks

    State House News Service September 28, 2020

    Attorney General Maura Healey has filed suit against a Massachusetts law firm alleging it accepted of tens of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks, but the firm denies the charges against it and says there was no quid pro quo.

  • Thumbnail

    FERC gives quick okay for compressor station startup

    State House News Service September 28, 2020

    Federal regulators gave energy giant Enbridge the green light on Thursday to start service at the Weymouth natural gas compressor station, removing the final hurdle to the facility's operation less than two weeks after an emergency shutdown prompted…

Sign up for Enews

Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts significantly reduce the environmental review time for new housing projects?
Poll Description

In an effort to increase the pace of new housing development in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed streamlining the environmental review process for certain new housing projects, with the goal of reducing the time spent on the process from about one year to 30 days. Environmental reviews are a hallmark of community planning, to ensure new development doesn't negatively impact surrounding properties or natural resources, even though the process does add significant time and often cost to projects. Healey's proposal comes after Massachusetts fell behind the national average in new housing production, despite adding 90,000 new units since she became governor in 2023.

New England already averages the longest timeline in the nation to build a single-family home once the developer has been giving the authorization to move forward with construction, according to U.S. Census statistics compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. In 2023, single-family homes in New England averaged 13.9 months from permit to completion. The South Atlantic states have the lowest average of 8.9 months while the region that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana is the second quickest at 9.4 months. The second-longest average after New England is the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania region, which takes 13.2 months.

More Information

Most Recent