Massachusetts added 8,500 payroll jobs in April while unemployment held at 4.7 percent; household employment has fallen, leaving mixed signals for hiring and policy.

Ashland restaurateurs Alan and Paponake MacIntosh have taken over Framingham’s Zippity Do Dog at 160 Speen Street and say they’ll keep the menu and community programs intact.

Massport’s aviation chief Ed Freni is retiring after 26 years. Sharon Williams will take over as executive director of aviation on July 1.

FIFA's slow permission process has left state‑funded World Cup watch parties in Massachusetts uncertain days before kickoff.

A woman was robbed at gunpoint in Brighton during a Thursday-night car sale; police say the suspects fled in her vehicle and are asking for tips.

City councilors voted unanimously to press the Retirement Board to raise the COLA base to $18,000 and adopt a 3% annual COLA — a change that would add about $90 a year to most pension checks amid budget pressure.

Carbone's, a 93-year Hopkinton institution run by siblings Mary Ann Lorentzen and Peter Carbone, will close on June 27 as the owners retire.

A well‑being check in the 800 block of Beacon Circle led officers to a stolen car, a loaded handgun and crack‑cocaine, police say. Two adults were arrested and a juvenile detained.

Family ACCESS, a longtime Newton child-care nonprofit founded in 1907, will close on June 25 amid declining enrollment and rising costs. Staff will keep programs running through the date while helping families find alternatives.

A Nashua woman was indicted Wednesday on felony charges in the 2025 drowning of a 17-year-old on Lake Winnipesaukee, accused of giving him alcohol before he entered the water.

Onyx Partners bought the former You‑Do‑It building at 40 Franklin St. and pledged to preserve the iconic Route 128 neon sign while renovating the site.

The widow of Endicott College Sgt. Jeremy Cole sued House of Blues and Live Nation, alleging staff overserved the driver who prosecutors say killed her husband. The complaint seeks over $50 million.

House Democrats on Beacon Hill are moving to outlaw weaponized drones and robots, with industry and civil‑liberties groups largely supporting new guardrails. The bill sets criminal penalties and reporting rules for police use.