The entire state is in the midst of what appears to be a higher-than-usual influenza epidemic, but state officials said there is no need to declare a public health emergency as Boston Mayor Tom Menino did yesterday.  Read more

If the primary goal of supportive statements from US Sen. John Kerry and other top Democrats was to clear the field for Congressman Ed Markey in a special election to replace Kerry after he takes the oath as President Obama’s secretary of state, the moves have yet to publicly bear any fruit. Other Democrats continue to consider a run for the Senate seat, including Congressmen Stephen Lynch and Michael Capuano and state Sen. Ben Downing (D-Pittsfield).  Read more

Adam Myerson: Professional cyclist and coach lives and loves Dot and the Red Line. Photo by Jon Safka/Cyclingphotos.ca“There are so many bad Boston tribute tattoos out there,” says Adam Myerson, a 40-year-old Fields Corner resident who has adorned a large part of his leg with colorful scenes from the Dorchester leg of the Red Line.

Myerson, a professional cyclist and fitness coach, is the president of Cycle-Smart, Inc. He decided to get the tattoo last year and turned to an old friend, the owner of Fat Ram’s Pumpkin Patch in Jamaica Plain. Ram helped Myerson flesh out the design of the tattoo— which was first brought to the wider public’s attention last year through the popular website universalhub.com.

Myerson already had a lot of tattoos, but wanted a Boston tribute tattoo that was “less universal” and more tied into his experience. He didn’t want to get a typical tribute such as a Red Sox or Bruins logo or the Boston skyline.

“And then I realized, I’m in love with the train,” said Myerson who grew up in Brockton, but spent much of his time in high school riding his skateboard in Boston and taking the BAT bus to Ashmont to ride the train.  Read more

Stephen Murphy on Monday cruised through another election for City Council president, with his colleagues on the 13-member body voting unanimously to hand him the title a third time.
District 4 Councillor Charles Yancey initially voted for himself during the roll call, and then asked for the vote for Murphy to be unanimous.

The vote came at the council’s first meeting of the year. Members also unanimously voted to retain Maureen Feeney, the former District 3 councillor who represented Dorchester between 1993 and 2011, as city clerk.  Read more

The advisory group charged with vetting a new student assignment plan is near the finish line, from which they will hand off their proposal to Superintendent Carol Johnson and a School Committee with new leadership.  Read more

Two men were ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail at their arraignment Wednesday after police say they found nine weapons, 1,000 rounds of ammunition and 250 grams of cocaine in individually wrapped packages in a raid at their 12 Rill St. home, according to Boston Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

Estuardo Castillo-Guzman, 43, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of ammunition and trafficking cocaine. Amilcar Castillo, 45, was charged with trafficking cocaine, following the raid around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.  Read more

UMass Boston will test a new public address system on Friday morning (Jan. 11) at 11 a.m. The system— which will amplify pre-recorded messages for different types of emergencies using loudspeakers— is designed to reach the entire campus, but not go into the neighborhoods. Still, the university has alerted neighbors on Columbia Point and Columbia/Savin Hill, just in case the sound carries further than expected. There will be at least two test messages conducted in the coming weeks, officials say.

Hi-Fi Pizza seized, shut down in afternoon raid. Photo by Bill Forry

UPDATE (Fri., Jan. 11)— A spokesperson for the state's Dept. of Revenue says that a seizure order at Hi-Fi Pizza — imposed after a lunchtime raid on Tuesday— has been released after the owner "successfully worked out a payment agreement."  Read more

This Friday and Saturday the Boston Teen Acting Troupe (BTAT) will present the multi-awarding satirical comedy “Art” at Boston College High School’s Bulger Performing Arts Center. Originally written in French by Yasmina Reza, the English-language version by Christopher Hampton went on to win multiple awards, including the Tony for Best Play of 1998.

Though all the actors are BC High students and the play is presented on the school’s campus, the production is not sponsored by the school.  Read more

Stephen Murphy, a city councillor since 1997, and president the last two years, knows something about timing. He once compared the contest for the presidency to a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

“The first person that sticks their head out of their rabbit hole gets blasted,” he remarked to the Boston Phoenix in 2001.

The same goes this coming year for a possible race for the mayor’s office if its current five-term occupant is still ambling about, if with some difficulty. Thomas Menino hasn’t said if he’s running for another four years at City Hall; he’s focused instead on returning to full strength after lengthy end-of-the-year stays at Brigham and Women’s and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.  Read more

Residents from one of Bowdoin-Geneva’s most well-known addresses— Hendry Street— gathered last Friday evening for a holiday party that was billed as a celebration, in part, to mark what neighbors say have been marked improvements in their quality of life since a troubled property was condemned last year and cleared of criminal elements.  Read more

Polar Plunge 2013: The scene at Tenean Beach on Jan. 1, 2013. Photo by Jackie Gentile

If you don’t think swim trunks and winter boots are a fashionable combination, then you haven’t chilled yet with folks at the Brian Leahy Memorial Polar Bear Plunge. Families, pets, young, older, and those in between were among the brave souls who dove in at Tenean Beach earlier today.  Read more