--What is the mystery object pictured above? It was spotted off Willow Avenue in Somerville early Friday, and Big Fat Whale was there to capture the thing in motion. [Big Fat Whale]

--Tensions among racial groups in the Fire Department and tensions between the firefighters' union and the panel that is supposed to overhaul the department have collided. After the firefighters' union demanded that its members resign from the panel, a black firefighter refused to resign. He has the support of other minority firefighters who believe the firefighters' union isn't supporting them. [Boston Globe]

--The Christa Worthington murder trial is back in the news. A black man, Christopher McCowen, was convicted for killing Worthington, who was white. Three jurors claim that other jurors made statements about McCowen's race that could have influenced their decision, so a judge is bringing the jury back to testify, and McCowen may get a retrial. [Boston Herald]

--Uh-oh. Massachusetts might lose a seat in the House of Representatives if the census results don't look good. [WBZ]

--Cambridge College just gave its president, Mahesh Sharma, the boot because he had been allegedly dipping into funds to pay his nephew's college tuition and buy rugs. [Boston Globe]

--Thursday night, a pipe burst at the Central Square YWCA, causing three floors to "partially collapse into the main building," according to the Cambridge Chronicle. No one got hurt, and, after the women were briefly displaced, they were able to stay in their rooms. [Cambridge Chronicle]

Image of the Somerville Mystery Object by Big Fat Whale from photos tagged "Bostonist" on Flickr.