Local

Q&A: Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson discusses his first 100 days in office

By Anika Parr and Alexandra Tse | May 15

The Daily spoke with Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson on April 22 about new initiatives, his open office and challenges that come with being mayor.

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Local

Suspect in Cambridge shooting on Monday participated in Tufts’ MyTERN program

By Amelia Sammons | May 13

Tyler Brown, the suspect in custody for a Monday shootout in Cambridge, was part of the Tufts University Prison Initiative’s education and reentry program until February, according to social media posts and a statement from the university.

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Local

New 26-bed homeless shelter set to open in Somerville on May 19, following court decision

By Anika Parr | April 23

The Massachusetts Land Court upheld Somerville’s efforts to create a 26-bed, low-barrier shelter at First Church Somerville on April 6. The new shelter, hosted by the Somerville Homeless Coalition, is set to open on May 19.

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Local

Somerville schools brace for up to $1 million in budget cuts amid city deficit

By Alexandra Tse | April 17

On March 26, Somerville Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rubén Carmona asked the district to prepare for a funding reduction of up to $1 million to account for a projected $5.3 million city budget deficit. The reduced city budget — attributed to a slowing economy and federal funding cuts — will affect multiple city departments, including the school district. According to the Somerville Educators Union, these reductions would put the school budget “well below level-service.”

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Local

Somerville hosts sustainability-focused community design workshop for new school building

By Josh Litvak | April 16

The City of Somerville hosted a community design workshop Monday evening at East Somerville Community School to discuss sustainability considerations for a proposed new school building at 115 Sycamore Street. 

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Local

Tensions flare as Medford mayor and City Council trade jabs over lawsuits against city

By Evan Vezmar | April 9

At their Feb. 24 meeting, the Medford City Council unanimously passed a resolution to request a comprehensive litigation report from Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and her administration of all lawsuits the city has been served since 2019. With the city facing one of its most high-profile legal challenges in the form of a federal lawsuit over the Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance, the resolution has caused a clash between councilors and the mayor.

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Local

Recent eagle death suspected to be linked to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides

By Anika Parr | April 9

On March 11, a bald eagle known as FAE, which nested near Lower Mystic Lake on the Arlington-Medford border, passed away. While the cause of death is still being determined, wildlife experts suspect second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, commonly referred to as SGARs.

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Local

Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee presents new educational plan to city

By Owen Chin-Rust and Evan Vezmar | March 24

The construction plan for Medford’s new high school is in full swing following the presentation of its educational plan in January. Written by the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee, the plan envisions improved learning spaces and programming for students, faculty and community members.

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Local

Somerville holds public hearing on future of Out of the Blue Community Arts Gallery at the Armory

By Alexandra Tse | March 13

The Somerville City Council’s Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee held a public hearing on March 4 at City Hall regarding a petition submitted by 52 registered voters about the future of the Out of the Blue Community Arts Gallery. During the hearing, artists and community members urged the city to allow the long-running gallery and its tenants to remain in the Center for the Arts at the Armory building.

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Local

Here’s how the Medford community is responding to ICE fears

By Evan Vezmar | March 9

As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence ramps up in cities across the country, the Medford community has been organizing resources and systems to anticipate activity within the city. While the City Council has enacted several ordinances to curb ICE powers, including the Welcoming City ordinance from early last year, community movements have stepped up efforts to recruit members and establish networks should ICE activity become more apparent.

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Local

Greg Jenkins, director of Somerville Arts Council, fired after 25 years of service

By Josh Litvak | March 9

After 25 years leading the Somerville Arts Council, Executive Director Greg Jenkins was fired by Mayor Jake Wilson’s administration in February. The leadership change comes as part of Wilson’s government restructuring at the start of his mayoral term, but it has rattled the city’s arts community and prompted public responses from Wilson, the Arts Council board and local elected officials.

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Local

Seth Moulton discusses Senate campaign with the Daily

By Evan Vezmar and Katherine Kelton | March 6

On March 1, the Daily sat down with U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat who is currently challenging two-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming Senate race.

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Local

State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven announces state Senate campaign at Medford/Tufts station

By Julian Glickman | March 5

State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, who represents Somerville in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, announced a bid for state Senate in front of the Medford/Tufts station on Monday.

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Local

Tufts students propose Somerville ordinance to fight off-campus housing rush

By Will Pinto | March 5

The rush for Tufts sophomores to secure off-campus housing for the following year and the lack of restrictions on lease signing dates have led many desirable housing options to be taken shortly after students return to campus. Three seniors are hoping to fix that.

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Local

Medford aims to improve transparency with Community Outreach Task Force

By Nandeesh Jain | March 3

The City of Medford announced the launch of a Community Outreach Task Force to enhance communication between city officials and residents. The initiative will create a group of neighborhood ambassadors from seven of Medford’s neighborhoods: Haines Square, Hillside, Lawrence Estates, North Medford, South Medford, West Medford and Wellington.

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Local

East Somerville Community Bites relaunches to combat food insecurity, support immigrant-owned restaurants

By Alexandra Tse | February 25

Seeing the struggles of immigrant-owned businesses and an increasing number of food-insecure residents in East Somerville, Rev. Jordan Harris of the Connexion United Methodist Church saw an opportunity to address both issues at once by founding the East Somerville Community Bites program.

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Local

Somerville community ramps up discussions for ArtFarm public park design

By Anika Parr | February 23

The City of Somerville hosted a community meeting on Feb. 9 about the latest design updates to the ArtFarm public park. The park’s construction is set to begin in 2027 on top of the Poplar Street pump station — a stormwater management structure currently under construction — to provide a community space for Somerville residents in the Brickbottom neighborhood.

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Local

Medford residents sue city to block divestment ordinance

By Josh Litvak | February 20

Two Medford residents have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to strike down the city’s newly enacted Values-Aligned Local Investments Ordinance, which requires the city to divest public funds from companies involved in weapons manufacturing, fossil fuels, private prisons and entities accused of human rights violations. The lawsuit sets up a legal and political battle over the limits of municipal authority and the role of local government in international affairs.

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Local

Somerville to decrease budget by $5 million, residents share priorities in community hearing

By Jones Millstone-Rivo and Katherine Kelton | February 19

The Somerville city budget is expected to be reduced by nearly $5 million this year due to a slowing economy and federal funding cuts.

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Local

Inside Tufts, local responses to historic January snowstorm

By Angela Palma and Jessica Michael | February 17

Medford and Somerville were hit with more than 20 inches of snow in late January, marking the largest snowfall in the area since 2022.

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