Middle Peninsula Business Development Partnership will cease operations as of Nov. 30, program director Candie Newman said.

The MPBDP board regretfully made the decision to shut down, Newman said "due to lack of local support, not due to lack of requests for assistance."

Since 2000, MPBDP has assisted 1,800 people representing 447 businesses to help create over 600 jobs for the local economy, Newman said, and the program provided over $1 million in loans to 37 enterprises.

"MPBDP has been an extremely successful program for over 10 years," Newman said. "It has been a pleasure to work with the entrepreneurs and organizations of the Middle Peninsula."

In a related announcement, Newman said MPBDP recently completed its final eight-session small business training series. Graduates of the last, 20-hour course were: Corwin Rainier, Cyber Star, Gloucester County; Sherry Stikeleather, Gloucester; Thomas Shermer, Home Sweet Home Renovation & Repair &a...