Newton

Channel 4 reports a bronze plaque on the statue of Johnny Kelly in Newton has been stolen.

Just yesterday:
Bronze plaques on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall stolen.

MassDOT announced the reopening of the Green D Line as of 2:30 PM this afternoon after setting an original expected date of Monday.

The MBTA reports that in four days, workers:

• Pumped all the water out of the swimming pool-sized hole;
• Installed a 250 foot, 18 inch in diameter, concrete drainage pipe to prevent wash-outs in the future;
• Erected a retaining wall comprised of concrete blocks;
• Re-built the earthen rail bed beneath the tracks;
• Restored power to the overhead wires and tested the signal system and tracks

There'll be a little ceremony/press conference at 2:15 at Reservoir station, after which Transportation Secretary Jeff Mullan and acting T General Manager William Mitchell will board a trolley and not be swallowed up by a sinkhole as they take the ceremonial first ride on the new trackbed.

MassDOT provided this photo of workers busy repairing the flooded-out Riverside track bed yesterday. Compare to the photos from the height of the nor'easter. The state expects to have service restored by Monday.

Sun shines on sinkhole: Compare today's photo by the T to yesterday's.

What a difference a day makes. However, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo says he cannot yet give a definite answer on when the Riverside line can be re-opened. "Flood waters continue to flow through the site, and work crews cannot even begin to start rebuilding the rail bed until the water recedes."

Jo photographed what appears to be a bobbing raft but is actually a picnic table being submerged by a rising Charles River at Norumbega Park in Newton today.

William Ricker stopped to watch an impromptu fountain formed by an overflowing sewer on Coffey Street in Dorchester on Sunday:

Meanwhile, Penny Cherubino provides photographic proof that not even Copley Place was immune from the power of a nor'easter.

Photos opyright Jo and William Decker, respectively.

The Mass. Department of Transportation posted this photo of the raging sinkhole that erupted under Green Line tracks between Chestnut Hill and Newton Center this morning, forcing commuters onto shuttle buses until the T can repair the damage.

Dorchester woman arrested on variety of charges after incident this morning.

Wicked Local Newton reports local police are trying to put their foot down and catch a heel walking around town with no shoes on.

National Grid outages at 11:30 p.m.: Does NStar have something similar?
Reports are coming in of power outages across the area, like mid-Cambridge, Tremont Street downtown and Newton Centre.

And Georgy Cohen reports Somerville Police had to help her and other riders off an 89 bus that hit a downed tree and power line.

Thanks to William Ricker for the link to the National Grid map.

Wicked Local Newton reports a police officer found himself confronted with a gunslinger on Elm Street yesterday - who turned out to be packing only plastic. The local man, dressed like a cowboy and with what seemed to be a gun in his pocket, went into "Western Movie Gunfighter's Style Stance" when one officer approached. But he wasn't fast enough on the draw for another officer, who tackled him.

Wicked Local Newton reports a knock-down, drag-out fight at Tommy Doyle's on Watertown Street on Jan. 24, in which fists, stools and blood all went flying.

Bread & Lily lets customers know via a tweet that it has shut its doors for good:

Due to economic factors, Bread & Lily is no longer in business. Our location in Newton Highlands is avail for lease. Thx for your patronage.

Doug Haslam reports how a photo he took today of a stupid sidewalk on a Newton Corner bridge that never gets plowed in the winter wound up on the screen of new Newton Mayor Setti Warren - who promptly got the sidewalk plowed.

Via Dan Kennedy.

The Supreme Judicial Court today upheld a Newton man's sentence of five years of probation for armed home invasion despite a state law that seems to state rather unambiguously he should be sent to prison for 20 years.

Paul Levy posts video of a visit to a henhouse in a neighbor's backyard.

Wicked Local Newton reports an atheist student at Newton South High School won the right to make up two tests he failed in an honors literature class because he refused to read the "Bible as literature" passages on which they were based. School officials say they're not pushing religion but using excerpts from the Bible to help students learn "the cultural traditions and allusions found in much of Western literature."

Spotted in the parking lot at the Chestnut Hill Star.

At least for Newton Mayor-to-be Setti Warren, who was busy getting ready to go on "Greater Boston" on Channel 2 when the president called to congratulate him, Wicked Local Newton reports.

The amazing cartveyor.

Armed with a $5 coupon, we trekked to Chestnut Hill today to check out the new Star Market (question for Shaw's/Star: Why do you want to encourage people in 02131 to travel to Rte. 9 when you've got perfectly serviceable Shaw's in West Roxbury and Hyde Park?).

Wicked Local Newton recruited some kids tonight to trick or treat at the houses of the two people running for Newton mayor; they report Ruth Balser gave out much better candy.

No, that's not quite true, Paul Levy reports: They do warn you that fare evasion is a crime so you better pay your damn fare:

I have to give the MBTA something for truth in advertising. It describes this capital improvement project (or one like it) as follows: This project will install new LED information signs on the platforms and lobbies of busy subway stations. These signs will provide visual equivalent of audio information on train arrival times and destination information.

In that sense, the signs are the visual equivalent of the public address system on this line, which for years has also failed to give audio information about delays or train arrivals.

Ian Lamont reports the publisher of Newton Magazine, Brookline Magazine and MetroWest Magazine, has thrown in the towel and ceased publication.

Because they work. Wicked Local Newton reports a Newton resident actually wired money to Ghana to help somebody there obtain "two trunks full of gold." Police did not report the amount the resident lost.

Wicked Local Newton reports a woman and her son are in the hospital in critical condition after eating a dish that included some wild mushrooms the woman picked near their yard.

Wicked Local Newton reports on a white guy with long hair, driving a car with an Obama sticker, who tried to force a woman into his car at Centre and Church Street - and who's since driven by her a couple of times, beeping and waving at her.