Good morning, Worcester.

Beacon Bank named Sean A.

Gray as its new CEO on Tuesday (effective immediately) amid a succession plan to retire Paul A. Perrault; Gray will serve as a consultant for one year while leading the bank’s operations across 11 branches, including four in Worcester, with $2.5B in local deposits.

Amazon is hosting a meeting today at the DoubleTree hotel in Westborough (5 to 7 p.m.) to discuss its plan to launch drone deliveries from its Otis Street facility, with potential service to Worcester and neighboring towns if regulated by the FAA.

Massachusetts heating oil prices surged to $5.98 per gallon on Sept.

14 (a nearly 70% increase from last year), marking the highest level since Oct. 2021. Experts linked the rise to high crude oil and diesel costs amid global conflicts, and households are expected to pay about $548 more this winter.

Dr. Ben Gerber will teach an electronic health record course at Hallym University in South Korea this fall (with his wife Rebecca exploring library resource opportunities).

The three-month visit aims to boost ongoing UMass Chan and Hallym collaboration in AI research and chronic disease management.

The spring MCAS tests showed little improvement for Worcester students, with high school scores falling 7 to 16 percentage points compared to 2019.

Worcester Public Schools said 14 schools require assistance while 4 earned recognition — prompting targeted support for learning gaps.

WPI researcher Solomon Mensah has received a three-year $532,935 NIH grant to let undergraduates explore how sepsis triggers blood clotting through course projects, individual research, and capstone work.

The funding will boost hands-on learning at WPI in Worcester.

US Rep. Jake Auchincloss visited UMass Chan on Sept.

21 to tour research labs and discuss NIH funding cuts affecting biomedical breakthroughs. He leads the bipartisan effort for the Cures in Care Initiative + aims to speed up clinical trials for rare diseases.

The Red Sox named Chad Tracy as the permanent manager after a strong turnaround and extended Craig Breslow's contract through 2030.

Tracy previously managed the Class AAA Worcester Red Sox, boosting local leadership at the major league club.