Fire on Somerville Ave. destroys two buildings
A six alarm fire on Saturday, Jan. 29 required the efforts of 100 firefighters from 10 towns to extinguish, according to the Somerville Journal. The cause of the fire was probably a pinched extension cord, said Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher, as quoted in the Journal.
Two three-story buildings on Somerville Ave., containing apartments, a hair salon, and a real estate office were affected. All 35 residents were safely evacuated, though one of the buildings "will probably be demolished," according to the Journal.
Somerville is somewhat of a densely developed city, making fires especially dangerous and potentially devastating.
Kelleher explained to the Journal the situation Somerville faces.
"This fire basically shows the severity of the fires we have in Somerville," he told the paper. "In Somerville, it's a unique situation because of the proximity of the wooden buildings."
The city has lately faced even more difficulty in confronting this issue, as financial problems have forced the fire department to operate with less equipment to save money.
Runners donate shoes for soldiers
Local residents have started a charity group called Runners for Those in Need in Iraq in an effort to collect donated goods for soldiers and citizens.
The founder of the group, Paul Collyer, spoke to the Somerville Journal, and was optimistic about the amount of donations it had already received.
"We just got a tremendous outpouring from ordinary people," he told the Journal.
Over 1,000 items were dropped off on Sunday, according to the Journal. They sought sneakers and socks, and also personal hygiene products such as toothbrushes and soap. Collyer said that soldiers often only have their heavy military combat boots and do not have lighter pairs of shoes.
About 125 new pairs of shoes were donated, according to the Journal, and the various items donated came from companies such as Reebok, schools and organizations, and individuals. A second drop-off will be planned for the spring.
Modell's robbery ends with arrests
An attempted robbery at a Medford sporting goods store occurred on Saturday, Jan. 29, and four hostages were taken, according to the Medford Transcript.
Two men were arrested at Modell's Sporting Goods after they got in an altercation surrounding the hostage taking of the store's manager and three of the employees. Another employee witnessed the incident and called police.
Medford Police Spokesman Lt. Paul Covino told the Transcript that the situation was resolved quickly and without violence.
"It went very well on our end," Covino told the paper. "The officers were able to organize the situation right away."
One of the men was an employee of the store, and both were due in court last Wednesday, Feb. 2 for a "dangerousness hearing," according to the Transcript. They are charged with armed assault with intent to rob, armed robbery while masked, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping.
