Chandler eyes 2018 Senate agenda that moves past scandal | “We have education ahead of us, we have housing, a very important issue because we’re so short on housing in Massachusetts,” Worcester’s Harriette L. Chandler said recently. “We have a lot of legislation to get through and we need the governor to work with us, we need the House to work with us, and we need to work together.”
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Worcester Railers / Rich LeBlanc
Ryan Lannon, who grew up in Grafton, now laces up his skates for Atlanta Gladiators — after four games as an inaugural Worcester Railer.
Grafton’s Lannon, an inaugural Railer, hopes to have an extended ECHL comeback up his sleeves | Ryan Lannon said his parents are used to him telling them he’s going to do something a little, well, unexpected. Like, for example, when he said in September he wanted to come out of retirement four years after his last game as a professional hockey player to join up with the expansion Worcester Railers. “Their first instinct was I was going to coach. When I told them it was as a player, they kind of laughed and smiled. It’s not the first crazy thing I’ve told my parents.”
Sun Spots with Hitch [Vol. 227]: Petty, Gaffney and the big chill | Before erstwhile “People’s Councilor” Michael T. Gaffney’s mysterious and abrupt self-evacuation from the Worcester political scene, the irrepressible upstart had spent most of the past few years fashioning a confounding and confrontational relationship with Mayor Joe Petty. But after abandoning his re-election bid and slinking away from the public eye, Gaffney has left a significant void in the city’s collective consciousness. Hitch isn’t the only one longing for the good, old days.
Minimum wage hikes have minimal effect on teen jobs, report says | Researchers from the left-leaning MassBudget said that “the most carefully designed studies” have found “little to no effect” on teen employment from minimum wage increases — like the increase to $15 an hour by 2022 that activists are hoping will be on the 2018 ballot.
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Ray Mariano / For Worcester Sun
Nurses, from left, Janet Scanlon, Patti Wright and Anne Castonguay in the NICU.
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Monica Eaton-Cardone
Guest commentary
STEM education vital to fill millions of job openings by 2024 | STEM employment growth is double that of other jobs, and 93 out of 100 STEM careers had wages above the national average. IT expert Monica Eaton-Cardone calls for expanded STEM education to improve career opportunities for women.
Inbox [Dec. 27]: News and notes from Rotmans, Vystar Corp. and Webster Five | Have news you or your group would like to share? Let us know by emailing it to info@worcester.ma. Be sure to include a link to the full release on your site or Facebook page so we can include it and send Sun members your way.