Here's what's happening in and around Worcester today
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
+8:30: 82 new cases in Worcester, 2,071 total. Press conference video (31:20)
+8:30: 18 cases identified at Worcester’s Albion rooming house
+8:30: Central Mass. city and town cases as of Thursday
+8:30: Social media postings tipped off Worcester officials to outbreak at Walmart
+8:30: Worcester closes city dog parks until further notice
+8:30: WCCA-TV's Daily Breaking (19:53) -- Hank von Hellion, Managing Director, Worcester PopUp & Olivia Scanlon, Managing Director, Worcester BrickBox
+8:30: State totals: 2,101 long-term are deaths, 3,562 total, 1,940 new cases, 62,205 total, 275,647 tested. Story
+8:30: Nearly 9 in 10 Americans worry economy will collapse: poll
+9:00: More than 70,000 in Mass. file for unemployment last week
+9:00: More than 3.8 million Americans applied for unemployment last week
+8:30: Worcester Together fund tops $5.8M, $1.1M in grants given
-'Those are not just numbers. Those numbers are people. They have families, they have loved ones, they have lives, they have stories,' Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. (2:08)
-76 new cases in Worcester, 1,986 total. Press conference video (39:35)
-Cases for every Central Mass. city, town as of Wednesday
-Worcester pastor reverses course, limits 9 parishioners (2:18)
-Related: Worcester church holds in-person service, believed to be first in state to break with guidelines
-City forces Worcester Walmart to close after 23 employees test positive
-Delta has been flying out of Worcester with just 1 passenger for past month
-UMass Memorial doctors find success using alternative to traditional ventilator
-Worcester Palladium cancels, postpones over 30 events
-Pandemic cancels Worcester Public Schools’ proms
-Worcester may open 2nd round of Small Business Resiliency Grants Friday
-Radio Worcester's Voice of Business (47:28): Tim Murray, Jeff Turgeon, Ed Manzi and Naomi Sleeper
-WCCA-TV's Daily Breaking (13:14): Colleen Sullivan, Barbers Crossing in Leicester
-State totals: 1,982 long-term care deaths, 3,405 total, 1,963 new cases, 60,265 total, 265,618 tested. Story
-U.S. economy takes biggest hit since Great Recession
-Day cares face permanent closures
-Death toll at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home increases to 82
-There may be more than 15K ‘excess deaths’ linked to coronavirus in U.S.: study
-Nationwide meat shortage poised to get worse
-Researchers testing vaccine that could be ready soon (:26)
-Six reasons your $1,200 check may not be in the mail
-As beer sales soar, these brands are winning booze battle
-Help To Retire offering remote consultations to those nearing retirement (1:00)
-Good news (brought to you by Bertera Nissan): Wahlburgers donates more than 300 lunches to Worcester area firefighters, police and EMS personnel
In Other News
+8:30: Who's open for take out or delivery (updated)?
-Latest weather: Take a wild guess ... :(
-1 in custody after ShotSpotter activation on Providence Street in Worcester
-Worcester man gets 11 years for dealing heroin, cocaine
-Yet another Worcester restaurant set to reopen for take out, delivery
-George's Coney Island reopens for take out. BirchTree Bread reopens
-Worcester's crazy intersections like you've never seen them before
-Police substation to open this week at Union Station in Worcester
-Check out this amazing video of Tuesday's sunset viewed from Old Stone Church in West Boylston (:50)
-Fentanyl seized in Mass Pike traffic stop
-ABC sets ‘Disney Family Singalong: Volume II’ for Mother’s Day
-Homes (brought to you by Ross Mortgage): What will $1,400 a month get you in Worcester?
In The News
>WEATHER: High of 71 today in Worcester (3:36)
>TOP OF THE NEWS
+4:00: As Robert Stoddard slept, thieves made off with 9 valuable paintings, including recovered Avercamp
+4:00: Related: Stolen Dutch master painting back in Worcester after nearly 47 years — to be shown at Worcester Art Museum
+4:00: Man arrested after pursuit through Worcester Common
+4:00: WPI lays off 24 employees, citing rising costs and federal uncertainty
+4:00: Radio Worcester (9:25): At airport, 44 acre solar farm planned and American Eagle flights return
+4:00: Holy Cross baseball falls to North Carolina in NCAA regional tourney opener
+4:00: 210 Sports' Friday 4: Handshakes, USA Hockey, Touch the trophy, and Wienie racing
+Noon: It's Friday! Check Dining Out and Bars & Bands before making plans
+Noon: Table Hoppin': Bella Pizzeria brings Brazilian pizza to Worcester
+Noon: New shows & movies to watch this weekend
+Noon: New movies on demand — "Fight or Flight," "The King of Kings" and more
-Counterfeit ticket scam leads to parents missing Worcester high school graduation
-Related: Worcester Technical High School graduation (1:23:13)
-Facing eviction, Worcester's Boston Market owner plans a rebranding instead
-Worcester police arrest suspect in connection with shooting near University Park
-D.O.J. retracts investigations of 8 police departments. What about Worcester?
-Renters find relief at Worcester legal clinic to clear their eviction records
-Providence & Worcester train derails in Rhode Island neighborhood
-W.R.T.A. adds new accessible vans to paratransit fleet
-Bullet found in parking lot of Auburn Middle School; school had been dismissed
-Traditional food and music on tap at Middle Eastern Festival
-100 FM The Pike (9:38): Middle Eastern Festival
-Mass. Attorney General issues guidance on rights during I.C.E. enforcement
-Radio Worcester's The Rundown (26:00): Banned from City Hall — The boundaries of protest
-Radio Worcester Roundtable (48:22): Fallout from the State of the City protest
>DINING OUT (brought to you by Patsie Dugan's): Red Lobster menu changes — Under $20, hush puppies, Happy Hour deals
-ICYMI: Police investigating death of college student in Worcester
-Work begins on $120 million downtown Worcester housing development
-Vandal leaves offensive messages on sign outside Worcester middle school
-See the rest of the day's Worcester news
>HOLDEN (brought to you by Lamoureux Ford): June Among Friends senior newsletter
-Jazzed Up Duo 5:30 to 8:30 Saturday at Val's
-Lamoureux Ford offers huge discounts! (2:53)
-May & June Senior Center events
>THE BURBS (brought to you by North End Motor Sales): Joann Fabrics officially closes in Shrewsbury
-Join the inaugural Shrewsbury Pride 5K Run/Walk
-Struggling Quabbin Reservoir towns make public appeal for more state funding
-James Ettamarna, Christine Watkins will join Sutton Select Board
-West Boylston ballot features races, override
-New senior center director introduced in West Boylston
-Clinton Select Board restricts recycling center to residents only amid surge of use by outsiders
-The Item's calendar of events
>BARS & BANDS: The Mayor's Live Music List for Friday
>SHOWTIME: Things to Do: James Oliver Band, M'bolo, Jay Sully and more ...
-Shakira, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn concerts at Fenway Park canceled after sources say staging fell apart (3:44). Article
-"American Idol" winner David Cook to headline annual Pet Rock Fest
-Summer@Music Worcester returns with 3 different concerts
-Worcester students eye "Origin" as part of ArtsWorcester Future Arts Workers
-WCCA-TV's Mayor's Forum No. 53 (28:26): Dr. Tasia Cerezo, Meryl's Safe Haven
-Unity Radio's Cannabis 101 (31:48)
>OBITUARIES: Tribute to Worcester man who expanded his family's trucking business
>SPORTS: TODAY! What to know before Bravehearts Home Opener
-Bravehearts Opening Night giveaway. Next home game: 6:30 Today. Get tickets here
-Bravehearts fall to Starfires, 10-6
-Vrabel's vibes, Drake Maye's relationship with Josh McDaniels (6:47)
-Jordon Hudson's raunchy sexual innuendo from viral Bill Belichick getaway revealed
-Holy Cross baseball to face No. 1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill Regional
-Related: Crusaders celebrate resilient journey to NCAA Tournament
-WooSox beat RailRiders, 3-2
>CARS: Ford recalls more than 1 million vehicles due to rearview camera issue
>NATIONAL: Blatten, Switzerland buried following glacier collapse (2:13). Photos
-4-year-old Mexican girl faces deportation amid medical crisis
>TRAGIC: Teen dies from playing social media "tackle game"
>NEW ENGLAND: Major traffic trouble on the Mass. Pike begins today (2:07). Article
-Around 40 people arrested during I.C.E. operations on Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard
-Karen Read trial (21:07): The prosecution rested its case — our experts grade it
>COLLEGES: Celebrate the Holy Cross Class of 2025
-WPI graduate commencement (:27)
>TRAVEL (brought to you by Fuller RV & Rental): What American tourists should know about "terrorism" threat in Italy
>BUSINESS: Central Mass. nonprofits snag portion of $6.7 million for small business training
-LPL Financial Research: Can earnings catch up to this stock market rally?
-Most employees would invite family or a friend on a work trip
>SHOPPING: Shoppers are exploiting retail return policies
>HEALTH: Mental health organizations in Mass. struggle with federal funding cuts (:57)
-Doctor on Hepatitis A after exposure warning issued at Mass. eatery (3:10)
>FOOD: Coke or Pepsi? Best-selling sodas in America in 2024 revealed
>TV/STREAMING: Worcester plays strong supporting role in episode of "The Walking Dead"
>MOVIES: Trailer for new Pete Davidson horror movie, "The Home" (1:58)
>CELEBRITY: Sarah Silverman reveals A-lister who saved her after "SNL" firing
>ANIMALS: Lonely puppy who wasn't moving slowly comes back to life (1:44)
>HISTORY: Then & Now: Burke Square, Main and Ripley streets, Worcester
>GOOD NEWS: Woman's gas stop turns into 6-figure lottery win
-Meanwhile, in Utah, 7-year-old boy drove his little sister to get McDonald's
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Classifieds
>HELP WANTED
+Multiple positions, Nancy Chang Restaurant
+Police officers, town of Leicester
-Worcester Area Director (part-time), Matthew 25
-Part-time bartender, Patsie Dugan's
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