WORCESTER – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into the Worcester Police Department (WPD) announced over two years ago, on Nov. 15, 2022, has concluded.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate met in formal sessions on Thursday, Nov. 14 to vote to pass an economic development legislation package that includes a provision that will clear the way for Worcester Interim Chief of Police Paul Saucier to become the city’s next permanent chief.

In the last publication of The Scarlet on October 25, 2024, an article titled “Free Buses are Bad, Actually” argued why the Worcester Regional Regional Transportation Authority (WRTA) should start reinstituting fares on city buses: The fare revenue would fund increased bus frequencies, closer aligning the WRTA with its goals.

The U.S. economy is in a good place overall, Susan Collins, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said at the Worcester Regional Research Bureau’s annual meeting on Wednesday.

WORCESTER — The U.S. economy is in a "good place" and Worcester's economic revitalization the past decade has come from a variety of factors, Susan M. Collins, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said Wednesday.

While we continue to wait for a conference report on the economic development bill (with Downtown Vitality funding, fingers crossed), the Gateway Cities Innovation Institute is hard at work preparing new research and organizing fall events and conversations.

WORCESTER – The Worcester Regional Research Bureau (WRRB) released a report on Thursday, Sept. 5, titled “Mass. Exodus from Civil Service: Examining Worcester’s Proposal to Exempt Police Leaders Amidst Statewide Shifts.” The 30-page report examines municipal police departments requesting exemptions from the Massachusetts Civil Service Law.

The Worcester Police Department has had a tough couple of decades. There are many causes for the scandals and millions in lawsuit settlements for various types of misconduct, but leadership tops the list.

A lot of the conversation in Worcester lately centers on traffic violence. Leaders have labeled what is happening in the city “a crisis.” The Research Bureau has just published a report, Toward Safer Streets – Identifying Risk Factors for Non-Motorists in Worcester, that provides data for the city to use.

Parking in Worcester. Paul Matthews, Executive Director & CEO, Worcester Regional Research Bureau and report author, Josh Boucher, join Hank to talk about the past history of parking in Worcester and what the past means for the future.