The owner of a Quality Inn on the Revere/Saugus line is suing the Boston Public Health Commission for the money it says it's owed for holding all of its rooms for three months in 2021 for Mass and Cass denizens who Boston never actually sent there once Revere and Saugus officials erupted in anger on learning of the plan. Read more.

GBH reports the death of Mel King, director of the New Urban League of Greater Boston, state representative, candidate for mayor, educator and namesake of the Mel King Institute.

Continuing Mel King's Legacy, Fighting Racism and Economic Inequality.
Our Nelson Mandela.

Felix Arroyo opened up a vacancy as Suffolk County Register of Probate when he retired earlier this month. The first person to officially signal he's running for the office, by registering a campaign with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, is Vincent Procopio of Saugus.

Saugus is not in Suffolk County, but unlike candidates for district attorney or register of deeds, registers of probate don't have to live in the county they want to serve. The job entails overseeing a state-funded office for handling wills and the like. It pays $174,000 a year.

Scott Van Voorhis took a look at residential construction permits issued in Boston so far this year and finds only a couple hundred have been issued, compared to more than a thousand in the same period last year.

City Councilor Liz Breadon (Allston/Brighton) today proposed banning local pet shops - including one in her district - from selling guinea pigs, which she says are beginning to overwhelm local animal shelters, and which are now even showing up on Boston streets as strays. Read more.

Boston is currently seeking handy volunteers who can help residents get small appliances and other items to working again, rather than simply tossing them in the trash. Read more.

Three years ago, the streets, trains and parks of the Boston area were largely empty, as people stayed home as the pandemic exploded. Photographers across the region, though, did venture out to chronicle the newly formed voids.

Looks like we have competition for fretting about whether or not we're really world class. The Chicago Sun-Times reports one city alderman (like one of our city councilors, only with more ald) is backing a pilot proposal to have city crews plow certain sidewalks rather than relying on recalcitrant property owners because that's just what a world-class city would do. Like Boston. Read more.

Shana Cottone, who helped organize bucket-banging screamers outside Mayor Wu's house, announced last night she's been fired from the BPD sergeant's job from which she'd been suspended for more than a year. Read more.