Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Somerville Chief of Police Shumeane Benford have confirmed that Luis Carlos Ramos Teixeira, age 27, of Brockton has been charged with rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over fourteen.  The defendant, a Lyft driver, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a female passenger over the weekend.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued an air quality advisory, effective today, for Bristol, Essex, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester Counties. Due to elevated ozone levels, air quality in these nine counties is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to air pollution.

An aerial ladder and a ground ladder are seen raised to the second and third floors of 268 Powderhouse Boulevard. ~Photos courtesy of SFD.

Update from the Department of Fire Services:

Fire Officials: Extinguish Candles Before Leaving the Room or Going to Sleep

The fire that broke out in an apartment building on Powderhouse Boulevard last night is not suspicious and most likely started with an unattended candle, said Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen, Jr, Somerville Police Chief Shumeane Benford, and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine.

Hollie and her Little Sister at a college football game. Photo courtesy of Hollie Fletcher

On August 17, Hollie Fletcher, of Somerville, will take on the Falmouth Road Race to support youth across Cape Cod and the Islands. Running on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands, part of Massachusetts’ leading one-to-one mentoring program, she is raising funds and awareness to help youth to thrive with a caring adult in their corner.

Adult Family Care (AFC), a program of Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, recently received the highest-level accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). AFC earned a three-year Accreditation of Case Management for LTSS (Long Term Supports and Services). 

By Dennis Fischman

When a writer sets a mystery within a particular religious community, it takes a lot of attention to make the book succeed. The author must convey what it’s like to live in that community in a way that lets outsiders in. (For me, that’s one of the reasons to read the mystery: to learn about a way of life I wouldn’t have access to any other way. Knowing what’s normal there is a necessary step toward seeing what’s out of place, and therefore a clue to the mystery.)

August 7-9

The feel-gloom event of the summer is back. This week, Somergloom Festival turns five, and they are celebrating with three nights of heavy riffs and an eclectic lineup of gloomy artists, featuring SUMAC, Body Void, The Keening, Morne, and more!