Photo: "Improper parking" by andyscamera, member of the theGentries Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

There are commuter slowdowns on GO Transit to the west after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a train [CityNews]. Out in the east end, the TTC is trying to chip away at the backlog of frustrated passengers after signal problems affected the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Yesterday morning it took my 54 minutes to get from Dufferin & Dupont to Union Station, arriving late for an appointment and making me wish I'd just sucked up the $10 parking charge, a few bucks in gas, and a little road traffic headache.

Last week, the findings of a the second phase of an audit of propane facilities in Ontario were quietly made public online. 30 facilities had serious problems that posed immediate danger [Star], including some in the GTA. It is time to fire up the barbecue, but no one wants a repeat of the massive explosion that happened last year, and it's reassuring to know that inspections are closing down unsafe facilities.

Troubled youth are still bringing loaded guns to schools in Toronto. A 16-year old student at C. W. Jefferys Collegiate, who has already been charged for weapons offenses, was caught with one yesterday [Sun], providing further evidence that we're doomed as a species.

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The late, well-respected Torontonian "Honest" Ed Mirvish has been recognized and his good name once again made part of the downtown core's Entertainment District. Yesterday the City of Toronto renamed a short stretch of Duncan St (at King St.) "Ed Mirvish Way" [NP] and Mayor Miller got a few wet ones on the cheek.

The case of the missing 8-year old Woodstock girl has gone south of the border [CBC], with popular US TV show America's Most Wanted posting her photo and info to their web site. With the help of viewers, the show has helped locate some 60 missing persons.

Another popular, reputable restaurant has bitten the dust due to the recession. Perigee, in the historic Distillery District, has thrown in the towel and closed its doors [G&M].