News Nearby: Somerville IKEA Site Sale on Horizon?

Here are some of the stories in the Melrose region making headlines this week:

Somerville

Mayor: Announcement About IKEA Site Coming Soon: IKEA, which owns a large parcel of land in Assembly Square, will "make an announcement very soon about who they're selling to," Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said Wednesday night at a Ward 4 ResiStat meeting.

IKEA first bought land in Assembly Square in the 1990s, and the Swedish company's plans for the location were a longstanding subject of speculation in Somerville until July, when the furniture giant announced it was not building in the city.

Arlington

: A man came into the police station at about 11:20 a.m. Monday to report that he had lost $53,000 in an Internet scam.

In early August, he received an email from a party telling him that he had won $750,000 but to claim his prize he had to send money to numerous locations – in Wisconsin, London and Nigeria. Over the next month, he sent $53,000 to these locations in sums from $3,000-$27,000.

The man had not had any contact with the party since early September. Police gave him an identity theft packet for informational purposes. His banks had already been contacted.

Stoneham

Stoneham Victim in Child Sex Crime Linked To Wakefield Day Care Business: A Wakefield husband and wife are facing numerous charges in connection with an illegal day care service that subjected at least 13 children - one of them just days old - to horrific sexual abuse that was recorded on video. 

On Thursday, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone announced the indictments of Wakefield residents John Burnbine, 49, and his wife, Marian Burbine, 46.

The two were proprietors of the Waterfall Education Center, which reportedly offered home-based services to clients ranging from day care to group care and tutoring and babysitting. The business reportedly had some employees as well, although Leone indicated that no complicity has been found at this point among them. 

Malden

JRM Responds to Trash Collection Complaints Before City Council: Officials from JRM Hauling and Recycling and the city's Department of Public Works were on-hand to field concerns about trash collection during Tuesday night's council meeting.

Councillor Jim Nestor, who initially proposed the discussion with JRM general manager Peter Gamache and DPW director Robert Knox in November, opened Tuesday's discussion by referencing over 560 resident complaints about trash service compiled in under the past five months.