Baker-Polito Administration to Lift COVID Restrictions May 29, State to Meet Vaccination Goal by Beginning of June

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that the Commonwealth is on track to meet the goal of vaccinating 4.1 million residents by the first week of June and all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective May 29. The Commonwealth’s face covering order will also be rescinded on May 29. The Department of Public Health will…

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BusinessTalk with Julissa Colon, special programs coordinator for the Gateway to College program at Holyoke Community College

BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien continues his series of discussions with members of the magazine’s 40 Under Forty class of 2021. This week, his guest is Julissa Colon, special programs coordinator for the Gateway to College program at Holyoke Community College. The two discuss the many ways this program helps those who have left traditional education set…

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Eversource ConnectedSolutions Earns 2021 Program Pacesetter Award

In recognition of its efforts to help customers reduce energy use and save money through demand response programs, Eversource’s ConnectedSolutions demand-management program received the 2021 Program Pacesetter Award from the Peak Load Management Alliance (PLMA). The energy company was recognized for surpassing enrollment goals and setting a high bar for energy-demand-management programs. Read the source…

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Fresh Paint Springfield Mural Festival to Return June 5-13

Fresh Paint Springfield, the mural festival that began in 2019 in downtown Springfield and transformed large, exterior walls into art, will be returning to Springfield on June 5-13. This year’s festival will feature new murals in downtown Springfield and in Mason Square. “The city and I are happy to continue to support our mural festival…

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EPA Selects Six Projects in Massachusetts to Receive $3+ Million for Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment | U.S. EPA News Releases | US EPA

EPA has selected the Westmass Area Development Corporation for a $461,510 Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Grant funds will be used to clean up Mill Building #44 and other storage buildings in the Ludlow Mills Complex in the Town of Ludlow. Mill Building #44 site is in the south-central portion of the complex along the Chicopee River…

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UMass ADVANCE Announces Mutual Mentoring Grant Recipients

UMass ADVANCE is pleased to announce the selection of four new teams for mutual mentoring grants, which support UMass faculty who come together to build inclusive communities over the 2021-22 year. UMass ADVANCE mutual mentoring groups are funded up to $6,000 a year.  Priority mentoring areas for these competitive grants include projects aimed at helping…

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URGENT Notice for All Businesses Regarding the MA Unemployment Insurance Solvency Fund

The ERC5 has been working closely with the Unemployment Insurance experts, Unemployment Tax Control Associates (UTCA), to alert our members, the business community in general, and our Legislators of the 1,600% increase to the Commonwealth’s Unemployment Insurance Solvency Fund.  This deficit in the Solvency fund was not based on an employer’s claim experience but rather…

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