WORCESTER COUNTY NEWS
Schools rethink budgets
LEOMINSTER -- School officials in the region are carefully considering how to spend an influx of federal cash they received last week through a $26 billion federal jobs bill.
Westminster tops on Fitchburg Water's unpaid-bill...
FITCHBURG -- The five individuals or organizations at the top of the list for amounts owed to the Fitchburg Water Department for past-due water and sewer bills on a single property are on the hook for a combined total of $87,734.
Bikers can use trails at Crocker
WESTMINSTER -- The debate over mountain biking on designated trails in the Crocker Pond Recreational Area seemingly came to a close last night.
Suspect in fatal crash in Fitchburg due in court...
LEOMINSTER -- Nolan Connor, the 18-year-old Fitchburg man charged in the March car accident that killed his best friend, will be arraigned in Leominster District Court next month on minor alcohol charges stemming from an arrest Monday night, his
Keys to 105 years: God, right food, kind heart --...
LEOMINSTER -- Faith in God, good food on the table and a kind heart are the ingredients that have kept Lucia Ross alive, and living well, for 105 years.
Lancaster police, fire stations going solar
LANCASTER -- In what is being called a win-win situation, officials plan to install solar panels on both the police and fire stations by next summer to reduce the town's fuel consumption while saving money on electrical costs in the long haul.
Police: Woman's robbery claim 'bogus'
LEOMINSTER -- Leominster police uncovered major discrepancies in a woman's "bogus" story that she was robbed at gunpoint at her Malburn Street home in July, according to court documents.
Our Lady of the Lake parish bazaar set for Sept....
LEOMINSTER -- The annual Our Lady of the Lake Parish Bazaar started when the ladies of the Catholic parish threw together a casual social event to raise some money.
Homeless man tells police he was robbed of money,...
FITCHBURG -- Police are investigating a homeless man's claim that he was struck over the head and robbed on Main Street early Wednesday.
Young artist raises $475 to help wildlife
WESTMINSTER -- Selling her handmade oil paintings through the summer, 10-year-old Madison Simon raised $475 to aid animals affected by the BP oil spill.
Debris, sand to be removed from industrial plot
WESTMINSTER -- Plans are under way to clean up an industrial lot on Rowtier Drive that is piled with sand, gravel, crushed rock and other debris left by Nitro Dynamics Inc.
Teen busted again
LEOMINSTER -- The Fitchburg teen charged this spring in a car crash that killed his friend was allegedly drunk outside a house party in Leominster where he was arrested on alcohol-related charges Monday night, according to police.
Lack of members could sink Wastewater Treatment...
FITCHBURG -- The Wastewater Treatment Commission, a seven-member panel that formed in the 1970s to oversee the workings of the Wastewater Department, may disband because of a lack of membership, according to members.
Lancaster's senior tax program to be reworked, say...
LANCASTER -- Town leaders plan to make alterations to the town's senior citizen tax work-off program, so seniors who are most in need of financial help have first priority to enlist in the program.
BJ's wants shoppers to chuck beef
LEOMINSTER -- BJ's Wholesale Club's stores in Leominster and Nashua are among outlets in the Natick-based chain recalling all the 90-percent fat-free ground beef sold during the second half of June.
Man punches clerk, flees with cash
LEOMINSTER -- A man claiming to have a gun punched a convenience store clerk and demanded all the money in the cash register late Monday night, according to Leominster police.
Leominster center to focus on conditioning for...
LEOMINSTER -- In the last several years, much more attention has been paid to keeping student-athletes strong and injury-free, something Jim Herrick thinks can only be a good thing.

Local poet represents U.S. at international conference
LUNENBURG -- Local poet Frederick Farryl Goodwin never dreamed that only months after a three-and-a-half-year struggle to have his life's work published, he would be among the select few invited to read at one of the largest poetry gatherings in the
Parent: Bus stop location unsafe
LUNENBURG -- A parent went before the School Committee for the second straight week Wednesday to raise concerns about changes to the district's bus service due to cuts in the budget.
Selectmen deny application for liquor license
LUNENBURG -- The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday denied an application by the owner of Bengal's Convenience for a beer and wine license after multiple local business owners spoke out against granting the license.
Business looks to expand in Lunenburg
LUNENBURG -- Members of the Planning Board reviewed a subdivision Monday that will allow Powell Stone & Gravel Co.
Furloughs can save money and jobs
LUNENBURG -- The topic of employee furloughs has been raised in several towns throughout the year as officials looks for ways to offset declining revenue.
Residents stage Unitil protest
FITCHBURG -- Lunenburg resident Lea McDonald still gets emotional when asked to recall the 12 days her family went without power following last December's ice storm.
Local woman takes on power company
LUNENBURG -- Cathy Clark, a local real estate agent and mother of four, wasn't well known outside of the area a year ago.
Town's bond rating gets a boost
LUNENBURG -- Improved long-term financial planning and sound fiscal policies have led a major bond rating agency to increase Lunenburg's bond rating by two grades, according to Town Manager Kerry Speidel.
School improvement plan hitting goals
LUNENBURG -- The creation of a student senate, implementation of a virtual classroom, and increased common planning time for teachers are all goals being accomplished as part of the Lunenburg High School Improvement Plan, according to Principal
Construction to begin on condo development
LUNENBURG -- Residents can expect to see a lot of activity at the former site of Whalom Park beginning as early as next week, when construction gets under way on a massive condominium project that was approved by the town more than two years ago.
Businesses battle for beer-and-wine license
LUNENBURG -- A controversy arose Tuesday during a public hearing before the Board of Selectmen for a beer-and-wine license application submitted by Bengal's Convenience at 21 Main St.
Firefighters want residents to be prepared this...
LUNENBURG -- Local firefighters have scheduled an event on the anniversary of last December's ice storm aimed at better preparing residents for future emergencies.
Residents stay late to vote again
LUNENBURG -- Faced with the prospect of leaving Special Town Meeting without closing a $300,000 budget deficit, residents voted late Tuesday night to overturn a decision earlier in the evening to reject the article aimed at closing the budget gap.
Lunenburg Town Meeting voters struggle with...
LUNENBURG -- Residents failed to address the town's budget deficit as of press time during special Town Meeting Tuesday, after voting to reject the article aimed at closing the gap.
Lunenburg preparing for Town Meeting
LUNENBURG -- Wind- and solar-energy bylaws, an increase in the local meals tax and different options for closing a budget deficit are among the major items residents will vote on during Special Town Meeting at Lunenburg High School Tuesday.
Sandwich shop and store opens in Lunenburg
LUNENBURG -- A new family-owned sandwich shop and convenience store opened its doors Friday in the center of town.
Senior Center collecting items for wounded...
LUNENBURG -- Officials at the Eagle House Senior Center recently kicked off a big effort to collect items for wounded U.
New cable station seeks show ideas, fresh...
LUNENBURG -- Members of the Lunenburg Cable Access Advisory Committee are welcoming any local budding television stars to create programming for the town's new public access television channel.
Fire guts Lunenburg house, kills beloved family...
LUNENBURG -- A beloved black Labrador known around the neighborhood for his friendliness died in a fire that gutted a house at 431 Townsend Harbor Road at about 11:20 a.
State tells Lunenburg to study high-school...
LUNENBURG -- The Massachusetts School Building Authority is asking Lunenburg officials to fully explore the town's options around regionalizing with another community before it will approve a feasibility study for a project at Lunenburg High School.
Lunenburg wants to sell development rights to land
LUNENBURG -- Lunenburg officials are hoping to cash in on 115 acres of town-owned land by selling the development rights to the state, according to Town Manager Kerry Speidel.
Meeting would explore possible construction of new...
TOWNSEND -- The North Middlesex School Committee has scheduled a meeting with state education officials to discuss the possibility of getting assistance with building a new high school if the towns vote to add Lunenburg to the district's region.
Officials move to upgrade school
LUNENBURG -- Officials with the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted Wednesday to move Lunenburg High School into the "feasibility study phase" for potential funding for a future project.
Proposed hike in insurance costs nixed
LUNENBURG -- Members of the town's Public Employee Committee have voted unanimously to reject a proposal by Town Manager Kerry Speidel to have employees pay a bigger share of their health insurance coverage.
Swine flu shot clinic planned in Lunenburg
LUNENBURG -- Residents in Lunenburg and surrounding towns have the opportunity to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine during a clinic at T.

  Developers try to revive Lunenburg condo project
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