In the News: brewing growth in Marlborough; MA election security improvements after November

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The brewing industry’s rapid growth in MetroWest over the past few years has reflected the overall growth of the industry. 

But for awhile, one of the larger MetroWest communities – Marlborough – went without a brewery as they continued to open in smaller surrounding communities such as Hudson and Westborough. 

But now that’s changing. By the end of this year, it’s expected there will be three breweries operating taprooms in the city, with a fourth planning to open in the spring of 2019. Marlborough is about to become a destination for craft beer fans throughout the state.

That is intentional, said Meredith Harris, executive director of the Marlborough Economic Development Corp. Last year, the corporation took out advertisements in beer magazines, offering incentives in the form of small business loans and help with permitting, to try to attract a brewery or two to downtown."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180908/beer-entrepreneurs-take-liking-to-marlborough

"Massachusetts has received millions of dollars in federal funding to bolster election security, but most of it will not be spent until after the November election. 

The Bay State has received $7.9 million from the federal government, which election officials plan to spend on voting equipment, voter registration systems and cybersecurity, according to documents shared with Wicked Local. About 81 percent of the money, however, will be spent after the upcoming midterm election. 

State officials, nonetheless, say the federal dollars -- while helpful -- are not vital to running a safe and accurate election. 

“We were already spending money and resources from our existing budget on cybersecurity, so we were not dependent on the federal funding for 2018,” wrote Debra O’Malley, spokeswoman for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office. “This additional funding will be used to add to our existing preparations and for future elections.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180908/state-to-spend-millions-on-election-security---after-november

MA election security improvements scheduled for after November