Top 10 Medford Stories of May: Housing Director Resigns, Carroll's Opens, Credit Union Robbed

Here are the top 10 most-read stories in Medford from May:

Robert Covelle agreed to resign from his post as Executive Director of the Medford Housing Authority in exchange for a $31,500 severance package. Covelle had been under pressure to resign since an audit revealed projects went out without being put out to bid, and allegations he hired friends and family for jobs and contracts.

The Carroll brothers, Tom and Maury, had been working to get their new restaurant open since October and it finally opened May 3. It features a 140-seat dining room and 40-seat bar with views of the Mystic River.

A federal affidavit reveals the sophistication and experience of an alleged drug smuggling ring that authorities say delivered drugs over the border from Canada to New York, then to a man in Medford. Between 2009 and 2010, the conspiracy was responsible for smuggling about 1600 kilograms of cocaine, 600 pounds of marijuana and $5 million in cash into the U.S., the affidavit said.

An alleged bank robber was spotted by the teller he robbed as they both waited in line at Dunkin' Donuts in Medford Square Wednesday morning, according to a police report. The run-in occurred only two days after the robbery and just down the street from the Members Plus Credit Union where it occurred. Jason Souza, 29, of Charlestown was arrested near the intersection of McGrath Highway and Mystic Avenue in Somerville on a warrant charge of unarmed robbery Thursday, according to Medford Police.

5. Medford Woman Charged with Offering Sex at Somerville Massage Parlor: A 25-year-old Medford woman allegedly tried to give a massage to the "genital area" of an undercover cop at a Somerville massage parlor and offered to have sex for $500, according to a Somerville police report. Natalia Silva, of 10 Lincoln St. in Medford was arrested May 9 at a massage parlor in Somerville at 503A Medford St. in Magoun Square, according to police.

Controversial team t-shirts earned men's crew members at Tufts University a suspension from the athletic department, but it was overturned by the school's president Thursday. In a letter posted on his website, Anthony Monaco said he did not want to infringe on free expression. The team members went against team policy when they purchased and wore the shirts, but they have since apologized, Monaco wrote.

7. Police: Man Used Medford Library Computer to View Child Porn: A Medford man used a computer at the public library to view and print pornographic images of young boys, according to a police report. James Judge, 57, of 106 Fellsway West was arrested Monday at Medford Public Library on charges of distributing material of a child in the nude, distributing material of a child in a sexual act and possession of child pornography, according to court records.

The soon-to-be mother's contractions were only a few minutes apart, and Medford fire Captain Tom Brennan thought there was a good chance the baby wouldn't wait until they arrived at Massachusetts General Hospital. "I knew if we made it we’d be lucky," Brennan said Wednesday. They didn't get very far -- only the Fellsway -- when the paramedics told Brennan to stop the ambulance. “They said, ‘the baby’s not waiting,’" Brennan said. "So I stopped the ambulance, got dad out of the front and we rolled up our sleeves and went to work."

A development company is looking to build a 163-unit apartment complex near Meadow Glen Mall on the Mystic Valley Parkway, according to Medford's Office of Community Development. Criterion Development has proposed the 4-story complex, which would include a ground floor parking garage, two court yards and a "club house" at 3780 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford's Director of Community Development Lauren DiLorenzo said Tuesday.

10. Planners Envision $720 Million Poured into Green Line Extension by 2016: The planning agency responsible for mapping out transportation projects in the greater Boston area envisions over $720 million being spent on the Green Line Extension by 2016, according to a recent report. A draft version of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization's Transportation Improvement Program report, released earlier this month, outlines the projected spending on the extension from 2013 to 2016. The project plans to extend the MBTA's Green Line from Lechmere station in Cambridge to the intersection of Boston Avenue and College Avenue in Medford, with six stations in between.