Truck catches fire at gas station
The driver of a pickup truck had his trip to Sudbury cut short around noon Monday when he began experiencing transmission and engine troubles on Highway 11, north of Orillia.[...]

Murder trial date uncertain
BARRIE — A murder trial that is expected to delve into the details surrounding the death of a 20-year-old Orillia woman is winding its way through the courts at a slow speed. Roy Niemi, 33, is charged with first-degree murder and indignity to a body.[...]

Adequate support lacking: mom
Anna Milligan’s son was 18 years old when his head was smashed into the concrete floor of a Hamilton prison. A case of mistaken identity — leaving the handsome young man with a severe acquired brain injury — altered the course of his entire life.[...]

HIV case back in court
BARRIE?— A Barrie lawyer says her client who is infected with the HIV virus should not be held in jail just because she had sex with an unknowing man.[...]

Foxfell to pay city back over five years
Giving Foxfell Friends Co-operative five years to pay down development charges will not “burden” Orillia taxpayers, says one councillor.[...]

Would-be thief sought in purse snatching
Orillia OPP are looking for witnesses to an attempted purse snatching that occurred in January. A 60-year-old woman was walking on Front Street between Colborne and Elgin streets on Jan. 19 at about 4:45 p.m.[...]

RIDE checks spotless
Barrie OPP investigated a total of 49 incidents on the weekend, including 13 calls to 911 dialled in error, three collisions and 16 other traffic-related occurrences. RIDE checks throughout Oro-Medonte Township on the weekend had police stop more than 350 vehicles.[...]

Mild weather gets people outside
A warm, sunny winter day encouraged Gilbert Duquette and Diana Ruhe to go for a stroll Monday at Couchiching Beach Park.[...]

Water-main upgrades coming to Argyle Ave.
A portion of Argyle Avenue will see water-main replacement and asphalt resurfacing for a tendered sum of $390,477. At Monday’s council committee meeting, city politicians awarded the contract to Cascone Contracting of Orillia.[...]

Date set for Sunshine City Festival
A date has been set for the Sunshine City Festival. The event will celebrate the 100th year since Stephen Leacock’s Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town was published. The event will take place Aug. 17 to 19, during the same time as the annual Classic Car Show in downtown Orillia.[...]

Non-profit would run shelter
Orillia’s proposed youth transitional housing and shelter will be owned and operated by a non-profit organization, council committee decided Monday night.[...]

Shop class rolling in the dough
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orillia will receive $6,400, but a small group of Grade 12 students received much more. “This was a terrific experience for the kids,” said Dave Detta, automotive shop teacher at Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School.[...]

Site still an option
Orillia declared a continued interest in the FLSmidth property at Monday’s council committee meeting. City politicians discussed the matter in closed session prior to the public meeting. In open session, committee chair Coun.[...]

Old wives sure could spin tales
I am not really superstitious, but sometimes weird things happen that shouldn’t have happened at all. Rather than take a chance, you would be wise not to test fate and use a bit of caution like I do.[...]

Search on for new Kings lacrosse coach
The Orillia Kings junior B lacrosse club is on the hunt for a new head coach for the 2012 season. Starting their second season at Rotary Place, the team needs to replace last year’s head coach, Dave Ree.[...]

Hawks win in upset
The Wagner Lawncare Orillia hawks atom B girls’ rep hockey club sent the Toronto Leaside atom B Wildcats packing with an action-packed two-game sweep in the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League (LLFHL) central east division quarter-final playoffs this weekend.[...]

Tax holiday over?
Foxfell Friends Co-operative may not see a continued deferral of city development charges on its Rachael Road affordable housing complex.[...]

Gondolier hoping to ply his trade on local lakes
A newly minted gondolier is hoping to bring his unique trade to the waters of Lake Couchiching. Lorne Fernhout, from Bradford, moved to Venice four months ago to acquire a handmade gondola-like boat, called a sandolo buranello da barcariol.[...]

Twin Lakes makes history
The Twin Lakes senior boys’ basketball team came within six points of doing the impossible on the weekend. In a hard-fought final, the home team lost the 68th Orillia Blackball tournament championship 57-51 to Governor Simcoe Secondary School from St.[...]