Developer Gary Martell had his crew tear down the former People's Federal Savings Bank on Centre and Park streets in West Roxbury this morning, in preparation for the 21-unit condo building he still needs BPDA approval to build. Read more.

All that rain at the beginning of the week means the Charles River has now reclaimed all new land that had sprung up along Millennium Park in West Roxbury after months of dry weather.

Compare to the view from that spot on Aug. 26: Read more.

This was the view down the Charles River at the Millennium Park kayak launch in West Roxbury today.

Here's roughly the same view yesterday, before the afternoon deluge - when you could still walk to the very middle of the riverbed without getting your feet wet - in part via a path made by all the people walking through land plants in what would normally be the river. Read more.

A West Roxbury man had bail set at $25,000 at his arraignment today on gun and drug charges for the five illegal guns, seven high-capacity magazines, bullets and "white powder" police found in his home after he showed up at the West Roxbury VA hospital Monday with a gunshot wound to his hand, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports. Read more.

Friday, one day after a contractor demolished the old Keith House on Centre Street, ISD issued a stop-work order rescinding the permission it had granted Tuesday for the work.

Developer Gary Martell tore down the house, built in 1839, to make way for a 21-unit condo building he wants to build. He also plans to tear down the former People's Federal Savings Bank building next door, although he has yet to receive permission from the BPDA to actually put up the condos.

A contractor for local developer Gary Martell's CAD Builders this morning tore down the Greek-revival Keith House on Centre Street to make way for a 21-unit condo building - assuming the project is approved by the BPDA - just two days after ISD issue a demolition permit. Read more.

Walk out onto what used to be the middle of the Charles River at Millennium Park these days and you'll see not just sand and mud and land plants growing everywhere, but the shells of what our local wildlife photographer Mary Ellen says are Chinese mystery snails. Read more.

The Charles River at Millennium Park is still really shallow, but after yesterday's rain, it's a bit wider than it was last week, as Mary Ellen shows us.

It's got to be frustrating to be a Millennium Park beaver these days: There's just not enough water to dam up along the Charles, but especially in Sawmill Brook, which no longer empties into the Charles because it no longer flows. This morning, Mary Ellen spotted this once eager beaver forced to waddle across mud and what's left of the water.

Update: Mary Ellen posted video showing that the little guy was able to get a bit of a swim in.