Alex Pirie, board member of The Welcome Project, presented Centro Presente with several books about community-building in the face of discrimination.~Photo by Lauren Ostberg

Lauren C. Ostberg

A Somerville-based immigrant rights group celebrated recent labor and legislative victories at their annual picnic last week.

Centro Presente worked with five employees of a Popeye’s Chicken franchise in downtown Boston. After nearly a year of going without payment, the workers received $9,748 on the morning of July 1, the day of a scheduled press conference.

It was just one of the victories Centro presente celebrated Saturday, as they recognized student activists and the Welcome Project, another Somerville immigrant advocacy group.

By Tom Nash

For the second time in a month, Somerville aldermen are asking the state’s two U.S. senators help keep revenue flowing to cities struggling through an economic downturn.

At the board’s first full meeting since passing next year’s budget, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston said lobbyists for online travel agencies were working on Capitol Hill to hinder state’s and localities from collecting their share of hotel taxes.

A Dorchester man was arrested July 6 after he allegedly broke into a car in Somerville to steal a GPS device and an abuterol inhaler.

Stephen Jackson, 22, of 784 Washington St., Dorchester, allegedly broke into a car on Packard Avenue around 2:49 a.m.

Governor Deval Patrick this week signed into law a bill banning the commercial use and sale of a wood floor finishing product linked to a deadly 2004 Somerville home fire.

State Senator Pat Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat, sponsored the bill in response to a string of home fires caused by the extremely flammable finishing product.

A motorcycle accident Friday night left a 29-year-old woman dead and a 37-year-old man in serious condition, according to police.

Sinead M. Lovett, a preschool teacher from Braintree, was thrown from the motorcycle as Richard Migliacci, of Somerville, swerved around traffic, witnesses said.

Drug-unit cops conducting routine surveillance in East Somerville followed a person they knew from previous investigations to a pair of percocet dealers July 9, police said

Dennis Ryan, 32, of 24 Spring St., Everett, and Charles Ryan, 55, of 75 Myrtle St., allegedly met the man and sold him four pills of the prescription painkiller.

By Tom Nash

For the second time in a month, Somerville aldermen are asking the state's two U.S. senators help keep revenue flowing to cities struggling through an economic downturn.

At the board's first full meeting since passing next year's budget, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston said lobbyists for online travel agencies were working on Capitol Hill to hinder state's and localities from collecting their share of hotel taxes.

~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Alex Gomes, 21, of 298 McGrath Highway, was arrested Thursday morning on McGrath Highway on outstanding warrant charges.