Brandon Bowser announced today he is running this fall for the District 9 (Allston/Brighton) city-council seat now held by Mark Ciommo.

Ciommo defeated Bowser in 2017 to retain the seat.

Bowser, an educator at the Edison School, says he is running because: Read more.

The Globe reports on the "vote farming" among elderly people in Chinatown, says city elections officials just want to fix the problem without blaming anybody.

Over in East Boston, District 1 council candidate Stephen Passacantilli is appealing for votes by telling residents they live in a hellhole: Read more.

Brandon Bowser of Allston has registered his campaign for the District 9 City Council seat (Allston/Brighton) currently held by Mark Ciommo.

City Councilor Mark Ciommo (Allston/Brighton) today tore into a medical-marijuana dispensary proposed for 144 Harvard Ave., stopping just short of accusing its proponents of being liars who would let kids down pot-laced gummy bears and lollipops. Read more.

Anticipating voters will approve the recreational use of marijuana, city councilors voted today to ban pot shops and medicinal marijuana dispensaries from opening closer than a half mile to each other.

City Councilor Michael Flaherty (at large) had originally sought a one-mile restriction, but offered a half mile as a compromise. Read more.

The City Council almost voted today on a zoning change that would prohibit both medical marijuana dispensaries and potential recreational pot shops from being closer than a mile to each other. Read more.

The Globe reports councilors Matt O'Malley (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury), Mark Ciommo (Allston/Brighton) and Michelle Wu (at large) all want to replace Bill Linehan as council president.

Fans of council intrigue, of course, remember that Linehan got a second go at the council presidency (the holder of which makes assignments to council committee and gets to stand up on the brutalist president's rostrum in the council chambers) two years ago thanks to one of Wu's first decisions after her election.

City Councilors Tim McCarthy (Hyde Park, Roslindale, Mattapan) and Mark Ciommo (Allston/Brighton) say the past month suggests the city needs better equipment for clearing city streets in the winter.

The two say that despite valiant efforts of city DPW workers, all the snow led to "gridlock and dangerous conditions" across the city and that residents continue to struggle just to get up and down their own streets.

City Council President Mike Ross, joined by councilors Mark Ciommo, Charles Yancey and Chuck Turner, said today they were prepared to vote against a proposed firefighters contract unless firefighters make significant concessions.

Menino and Flaherty have at it again in a debate that starts tonight at 7 p.m. on Channel 2, NECN and WBUR.

Over in Brighton, Ciommo and Selvig have at it again in a debate tomorrow in a debate that starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Brighton Elks, 326 Washington St.