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Here's what's happening in and around Worcester today:
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
+6:00: Central Mass. hospital beds fill with COVID patients
-TODAY! An extra day of testing in Worcester before Christmas
-Positive tests continue to increase in Worcester schools
-Worcester Public Schools prepare for winter break
-Omicron less likely to put you in the hospital, studies say
-Hospital presidents issue an urgent plea to the public
-Radio Worcester's Worcester Wednesday with Mayor Petty (14:56): COVID, Christmas, coming together and school safety
-ICYMI: U.S. Army creates single vaccine effective against all COVID & SARS variants, researchers say
-Mass. officials report nearly 8,000 new cases, 33 additional deaths as positivity rate climbs to 7 percent
-FDA authorizes Pfizer pill to treat COVID as Omicron spreads
-Airline passengers more likely to get COVID because of Omicron
-Cruise ship sees 55 passengers test positive
-NHL announces players won’t be allowed to go to Olympics
-China orders lockdown of up to 13 million people in Xi’an
-Etiquette expert offers tips for tricky holiday change of plan conversations
In The News
-Latest weather: Wind chills in the teens today in Worcester, 1 to 2 inches of snow possible overnight
+6:00: Worcester police turn to public for help in search for missing 14-year-old
+6:00: Gourmet donut shop to open new location in Downtown Worcester
+6:00: Worcester Planning Board OKs site plan for redevelopment of former Boys Club at Lincoln Square
+6:00: Ray Mariano: My Christmas gift list for Worcester leaders
+6:00: Radio Worcester (11:12): Worcester NAACP President Fred Taylor talks School Committee district representation
+6:00: Adoption Option: WARL gives thanks for support
+1:00: The Mayor’s Live Music List for Thursday
+1:00: 5 Things You Need to Know Today in Worcester - December 23rd
+1:00: Worcesteria: A wish for the New Year – We all deserve to be seen
+1:00: West Brookfield driver arrested after police find gun from 1800s
+1:00: These are the most streamed Christmas songs on Spotify by state
+1:00: More tinsel, less tension: How to weed out the stress of the holiday season
-Body of missing man with dementia found in Lake Quinsigamond (:21). Article
-11 people hospitalized, including 8 UMass Memorial employees, after crash involving parking-garage shuttle. Video (:51)
-Related: Photos of the scene. Video from the scene (:11)
-Food: Worcester bakery sold to sisters, employees
-Phantom Gourmet visits Central Mass. restaurant (5:15)
-Atlantis Raw Bar could open by New Year's Eve in Worcester
-Cooking is more than a job for chef at Samuel Slater’s
-"More questions than answers": Actress's parents found dead in Worcester home (1:51)
-Related: Actress Alicia Witt's Worcester parents were sick and remained very private, neighbor says
-Girl, 11, hit by driver along Pleasant Street in Worcester
-Tuesday: Pedestrian struck, seriously injured on Mill Street in Worcester
-Worcester UFO sighting from 1976 recalled by residents 45 years later
-Holiday travel expected to be heavy Thursday on roads, at airports
-Worcester parents concerned over alleged gun incident at Doherty High
-Pair arraigned for manslaughter in Superior Court after fatal crash
-Worcester’s Women to Watch in 2022
-NEW Wachusett Wine & Spirits podcast (30:19): Whiskey Wednesday Christmas
-A musical holiday treat from Mauro and Peter DePasquale (1:58)
-Listen Up: Favorite New England music videos of 2021
-Health: UMass Medical School professor leads research on potential Type 1 diabetes treatment (2:14)
-Tribute to Father George Ridick, Worcester native, All-American basketball player at Assumption and priest for 45 years
-ICYMI: First look at plans for 80 apartments at former Boys Club at Lincoln Square
-Judge who ruled City of Worcester broke the law again considers forcing city to pay damages
-Reminder: Worcester trash and recycling to be on normal schedule the next 2 weeks
-See the rest of the day's Worcester news
-The Burbs (brought to you by North End Motor Sales): Shrewsbury resident writes children’s book with daughters
-Need help disposing of your Christmas tree? Troop 107 in Grafton can help
-Leominster library brings back its food for fines program to help those in need
-Sports: Holy Cross 'Sader Stories (22:35): Football National Signing Day recap
-Patriots may get key players back against Bills
-Enter to win a Patriots hoodie, courtesy of North End Motor Sales
-Brown scores 34 points as Celtics beat Cavaliers, 111-101
-Cars: Happy Holidays from Bertera Nissan (2:04)
-Take a look at new 2022 Four Winds RV now in at Fuller RV in Boylston
-Business: WBJ's Economic Forecast: Health care's overwhelming problems
-U.S. economy grew at 2.3% rate in Q3, up from earlier estimate
-Colleges: Pandemic-induced supply chain woes could lead to opportunity this holiday season, says Holy Cross prof
-National: 2021 on track to surpass last year as nation's deadliest
-Plane crashes on top of occupied home in California
-New England: Husband of Massachusetts' first woman governor dies at 67
-Foundation pays off mortgage for fallen trooper's family
-Tragic: Madagascar boat accident kills at least 83 people
-Shopping/Deals: Here’s how much the gifts from "12 Days of Christmas" would cost today
-Homes: Rents for single-family homes are rising 3 times as fast as they were a year ago
-TV/Streaming: Netflix’s non-English shows paid off big in 2021
-Celebrity: ZZ Top sells music catalog for $50 million to BMG, investment firm
-Animals: 150-pound Great Dane falls in love with tiny kitten (3:37)
-Good news (brought to you by Bertera Nissan): Mom does good deeds to honor son who died at 1 month (2:34)
-Meanwhile, in North Carolina, deer breaks into county courthouse
Latest obituaries | | Wednesday highlights | | Today's horoscope | | Local Sports
In The News
>WEATHER: Mark Rosenthal's 7-day forecast (:40). High of 60 today in Worcester
>TOP OF THE NEWS
-Man charged with kidnapping girl in Webster (1:58). Article
-Man fleeing police in Worcester crashes into State Police cruiser, Worcester police say (1:07). Article
-Restitution suspended on ex-Worcester firefighter Kenneth Baxter
-Worcester biopharmaceutical firm to lay off 81% of staff
-Worcester ranked third worst market in U.S. for housing renters: Forbes
-Life-saving A.E.D.s donated to Worcester Little Leagues (1:23)
-Worcester County Wonders: The rapture of 1844 that never happened and the rock the remains
-More than $165,000 raised for Safe Homes gala
-Radio Worcester (9:35): Earth Day Neighborhood Cleanup in Worcester
-Radio Worcester Roundtable (45:58): City violence and upcoming State of the City address
-Radio Worcester (15:55): Eric Batista discusses Worcester gun violence & city plans
-Faces of Worcester: Sean Harris, Director of Community Engagement, Quinsigamond Community College
>DINING OUT: Phantom Gourmet's Great 8 Unique Restaurant Locations (5:02)
-ICYMI: Worcester’s city employee salary database for 2023: see the city’s top earners and more
-51-year-old amputee playing baseball at Quinsigamond Community College after accident ended trucking career (2:21). Article
-Worcester public housing community receives high inspection score, despite complaints
-GoFundMe created to benefit family of Worcester shooting victim Bob Nuah
-See the rest of the day's Worcester news
>HOLDEN (brought to you by Lamoureux Ford): TODAY! Spring composting 8 to 2:30 Saturday
-Holden ready for Main Street resurfacing
-Lamoureux Ford salutes the UConn Huskies (:54)
-Eagle Scout project refurbishes church lounge
>THE BURBS (brought to you by North End Motor Sales): Following January approval, Auburn steakhouse sold to town for new firehouse
-TODAY! Sustainable Grafton presents Earth Day on the Common
-Fire-damaged Church of Nativity in Northborough ready to rebound
-Sutton Athletic Booster Club to host cornhole tournament fundraiser
-Westborough company expanding its business of saving energy
-Sterling Recreation summer programs
-Remembering "gentleman farmer" John Davis
-Urban farming firm with ties to Clark leases warehouse in Leominster
>BARS & BANDS: The Mayor's Live Music List for Saturday
>SHOWTIME: 100FM The Pike (6:38) — Breakdown Lane
-Taylor Swift breaks Spotify records for most-streamed album, most-streamed artist in a single day
-Shakira is bringing her world tour to Boston
-Mark Cecil's epic fable "Bunyan and Henry" leads back to Worcester
-"Beyond the Frames: A Musical Celebration" set for Mechanics Hall
-Ted Conna: A new kind of green space for a changing city
-Unity Radio (55:04): Standups and Standouts
-WCCA-TV's This Is Worcester No. 198 (28:09): Geoffrey Killebrew, President, F.A.M. JAM! Event Group
-WCCA-TV's This Is Worcester No. 199 (28:13): Bruce Stebbins, Commissioner, Cannabis Control Commission, and Ruben Seyde, Delivered, Inc.
>OBITUARIES: Tribute to longtime local Social Studies teacher
>SPORTS: Celtics to face Heat in first round of NBA playoffs
-Boston Bruins first-round playoff series schedule released
-Red Sox beat Pirates, 8-1
-Crusader Quarterly with Kit Hughes
-Community remembers longtime high school tourney director, Oxford educator Roger Bacon
-WooSox beat Durham, 12-5
>CARS: Bertera has the all-star team to help you find your next Nissan car or truck (:39)
-Tesla recalls nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks
>NATIONAL: Planes nearly collide on runway at Reagan National Airport
-Married teacher caught naked in car with student -- who makes a run for it in his underwear
-Tragic: 9-year-old girl dies after being injured in massive 6-alarm fire
>NEW ENGLAND: Recapping week 1 of the Karen Read Murder trial (12:27)
-Video shows coyote chasing woman, dog through neighborhood (1:35)
>COLLEGES: Announcing 2 finalist candidates for WPI's next provost
-Anna Maria AMCAST (26:43): Spring Semester Hockey
-Holy Cross B.J.F. Society debates Crusader mascot, TikTok ban
>TRAVEL (brought to you by Fuller RV & Rental): Top 20 travel destinations for summer 2024, according to Google Flights
>BUSINESS: Remote work can kill your career
-W.B.J. hires New School graduate as reporter covering health care, D.E.I.
-Self-leadership: The key to unlocking your company’s full potential
>SHOPPING: When will your local Dollar Tree start selling $7 items?
>HOMES: New procedure more effective than weight loss drugs like Ozempic, study says (1:15)
>HEALTH: Syphilis in newborns soars — Group advises more pregnancy screenings
-Exercise changes the brain in a way that helps heart health, especially for people with depression
>FOOD: Wendy's giving away free French fries every Friday for rest of 2024
>TV/STREAMING: New shows and movies to watch this weekend
>MOVIES: New movies on demand — "Dune: Part Two," "Immaculate," and more
>CELEBRITY: Christina Applegate reveals she turned down "RHOBH" offer
>ANIMALS: Wounded puppy seeks forever home in Massachusetts
>HISTORY: "Candlepins for Cash" was a strike for Boston area television viewers
>GOOD NEWS (brought to you by Bertera Nissan): Nurse gives shoes off her feet to a patient who needed a new pair
-Meanwhile, in Italy, mayor offers free goats to anyone who can catch them
Latest obituaries | | Friday's highlights | | Today's horoscope | | Local Sports
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