It's a holiday weekend for most workers.  Government offices and the post office will be closed and most businesses give their workers the day off, but they don't have to because it's not considered a statutory holiday.  As a result, you'll find a lot of stores open, perhaps with modified hours.

And the long weekend means a lot of travel for a lot of people.  OPP Sergeant Dave Woodford has been busy on his Twitter account today, sending out his top five Dos and Don'ts for the holiday weekend.  He says he's still seeing too many people talking or texting while driving, too many people speeding and following too closely and not enough people wearing seatbelts and using child safety seats properly.  He also wants travellers to make sure trailers are properly secured and their lights are working.  Also allow plenty of time to get where you're going.

Holiday Monday coming up for many people.  Known as the Civic Holiday in much of Ontario, it's a little more personal in these parts, where we call it Simcoe Day, in honour of the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada -- John Graves Simcoe.  But Bruce Beacock at the Simcoe County Archives says Simcoe was a lot more than that.  He was ambitious road builder, responsible for the two major north/south and east/west routes in Ontario we know as Yonge Street and Dundas Street.  Anticipating problems with the United States, Beacock says Simcoe established a Great Lakes naval force and moved the capital from what is now Niagara on the Lake to what is now Toronto.  Simcoe also played a huge role in the abolition of slavery.

To learn more about John Graves Simcoe and his legacy, with Simcoe County Archivist Bruce Beacock, click on the arrow below.

The Barrie Baycats have taken a three games to none lead in their Intercounty Baseeball League playoff with the Mississauga Twins.  They beat the Twins 10-2 last night in Mississauga.  The Baycats can sweep the series with a win Saturday afternoon in Mississauga.  If necessary, game five will be played Sunday night in Barrie.

Three year old Jessie Chmile is back home after being checked out at hospital after that long night in the family cornfield near Bradford.  The wee one wandered away just after seven o'clock last night and wasn't found until after five o'clock this morning, curled up and a little chilly. More than a hundred police officers, firefighters and paramedics used helicopters, ATVs and dogs in the search, which was not an easy task in a field where the cornstalks are as high as ten feet, and the object of their search was only three feet tall.

Grisly discovery this morning in Cartwright Park, near Cundles Road and St. Vincent Stret in Barrie.  A local resident called police after finding a grey tabby cat in the park, dead, having been stabbed in the eye with a pocketknife.  Police have been unable to identifty its owner or its attacker.  Anyone with information that may help in the investigation is asked to call polcie, Crimestoppers or the SPCA.

Three people were arrested and a marijuana grow-op shut down in Barrie yesterday.  Police raided a home on Silver Maple Crescent in the south end.  Marijuana plants worth $2500 were seized.  The accused have been charged with a number of drug-related offences.  A fourth occupant of the house is under investigation.

Weather kept the Barrie Baycats and Mississauga Twins from taking the field last night for game three of their Intercounty Baseball League playoff.  They'll play tonight instead.  Barrie has a 2-0 lead in the series.

One-legged runner Rick Ball, of Orillia, won a gold medal in his class last night at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Toronto.  Ball was invited by Athletics Canada to compete with able-bodied runners in the Men's 10-thousand Metre event.  he finished in 37 minutes, 53.51 seconds, two seconds faster than the mark he set earlier this year in Ottawa.  Ball currently holds the fastest time in the world for single leg amputees for the 10 kilometres, the half-marathon, and the marathon. The Orillia runner’s next major event, as he works his way toward the 2012 Paralympic Games, is the Army Run in Ottawa in September.

Hundreds have attended the funeral in Bradford for Sapper Brian Collier, who lost his life last week in Afghanistan. Fellow soldiers were visibly shaken as his coffin was carried into Holy Martyrs of Japan Church. His family rememebred the 24 year old as a great gift from God who lived life to its fullest. Collier will be laid to rest this afternoon at Holy Martyrs Cemetery on the 9th Concession.

An Ontario Superior Court judge has given the go ahead for a billion dollar class action suit against the former Huronia Reguional Centre on behalf of former patients and their families.  It alleges residents at the centre were emotionally, physcially and psychologically abused and traumatized at the centre, which was closed in March of last year .

OPP drug enforcement has done some early harvesting collecting about a thousand marijuana plants from four plots between Severn Township and The City Kawartha Lakes.  They don't usually get around to this until later in August an September, but as is the case with many of the 'legal' crops, the warm, wet spring as led to the plants maturing earlier than usual.

Brewers in Austria have started adding cheese to some beers.  They say it enhances sexual performance.  Says one beer drinker, "my wife can't complain anymore about my spending the night at the pub!"

Looking for work?  A survey of managers by CareerBuilder Canada finds your body language during an interview can hurt your chances of landing the job.  Failure to make eye contact, forgetting to smile and bad posture won't help you.  Neither will crossing your arms over your chest and fidgeting with your hair.  CareerBuilder suggesting you keep calm before the interview by leaving plenty of time to get there, avoiding caffeine and taking deep calming breaths.  Also practice your interview with family and friends, in front of a mirror.

Saying some traditions cannot be frozen in time as society changes, lawmakers in Catalonia, have made it the first region in Spain to ban bullfighting.  They say fewer and fewer people are going to the arenas each year to watch toreros in a battle of wits with the bulls.  But the catalyst for the ban was a petition asking the bullfights be stopped on grounds they constitute cruelty to animals.  Those opposed to the ban say it's madness at a time of economic crisis noting that millions of tickets are sold every year to bullfights.  There are spinoff industries, as well.  Among them, the manufacture of the elaborate suits worn by the bullfighters.

An Ontario Supreme Court justice is expected to give the go-ahead today for a class action suit on behalf of former residents of the Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia.  Thousands of former residents and their families have complained of systemic neglect and abuse at the centre, which closed more than a year ago.  At the time, it was the oldest institution in Ontario for people with a developmental disability.

That time of year when utility companies update their equal billing plans with customers, determine how far over or under their projections were and set new monthly payment amounts for the coming year.  More than 100-thousand Enbridge Gas customers are feeling the pinch.  One customer says she got a bill for more than 12-hundred dollars, which is what her total annual bill usually amounts to.  Another customer said he's been paying 80 dollars in equal billing instalments for the last year, but his latest bill is for 847 dollars.  So what's going on?  Enbridge says it upgraded its computerized billing system last fall and things went a little wonky.  Some customers didn't get bills for months and others were overcharged for things like water heater rentals.  The long and short of it is, Enbridge didn't realize that a lot of customers were being undercharged.  Now, the phone is ringing off the hook and the company is making arrangements with customers to spread their July adjustment payments over several months without being subjected to any late payment charges.

Pakistani officials say there were no survivors when a passenger plane crashed into a hillside early today. There were 152 people on board. The crash happened on the outskirts of Islamabad on a flight from Karachi. The pilot was trying to land the plane at the time. It's not clear if weather was a factor in the crash. It's the middle of the monsoon season in Pakistan.

A medical condition may be to blame for the death of a man yesterday at Lfontaine Beach, west of Midland.  Believed to be in his 50s, his body was pulled from the water around 2 p.m..  His name nad hometown have not been released.  The man's name and hometown have not been released.

Thinking of cheating on your wife?  Men's Health Magazine has a list of 14 reasons why you shouldn't. Among them:

• You're about to be with the kind of woman who wants to be with the kind of man who would cheat on a woman
  
• Someone will always find out
  
• When you get caught the law is on your wife's side. Men's Health noting she'll be entitled to half of what you own, and the other half is likely to be fuel for a spectacular bonfire in the driveway

Nissan is reaclling more than 51-thousand of its Cube hatchbacks sold in Canada and the United States.  The concern is the potential for fuel spillage in a rear end collision.  A special protector will be attached to prevent leaks.  Nissan will be contacting Cube owners August 30. 

Never mind driving and texting, a 16 year old Owen Sound boy has been charged with careless driving for texting while riding his bike.  Police say hit the back of parked car and flew into the back window smashing it.  He was treated at hospital for a few scratches and released

There's been a dramatic rise in traffic deaths on OPP patrolled roadways this year: 163, compared to 154 to this point last year.  July has been particularly bad with 46 fatalities.  There were 28 for all of July last year.  OPP Commissioner Julian fantino says the carnage is disturbing, especially after two years of declines.  As a result , he says OPP officers will be cracking down on what he calls the big three risk factors: aggressive driving, non seatbelt use and impaired driving.

They may be unpopular and they may be confusing, but Ontario's environment commissioner says scrapping the eco-fees is not a good idea.  Gord Miller admits the program isn't perfect and he puts the blame for the confusion on retailers who he says invented the concept of eco-fees.  As a result, he says consumers considered the fees a recycling tax, which he points out was not the case.  Miller goes on to say that use and disposal of hazardous materials carries an unavoidable cost that we'll pay for one way of the other: through a taxpayer funded recycling program, eco fees or a degraded environment.

It's 20 feet high, 23 feet long and nine feet wide..and that huge rocking horse outside of Munro's Furnishings off Highway 400, just south of Barrie, is a record breaker.  Guinness World Records has confirmed Munro's has created the World's Largest Rocking Horse.  It took a month to contruct and three days to assemble last fall.  Munro's will unveil a plaque, as well as a contest to name the rocking horse, in late August.

Anxious moments for the pilot of a small plane Monday afternoon near Lefroy.  South Simcoe Police say the plane crashed into the roadway at the end of a private ladning strip near the 6th Line and 20th Sideroad .  The pilot, who was the lone occupant the plane, was not hurt.  Cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

A second dog belonging to Curtis Barry of Bradford has been found.  The collie/retriver was picked up by a motorist before noon last Monday near Disette and Bridge Streets, the day Barry disappeared.  The dog was dropped of at the OSPCA in Aurora then transferred to Georgina.  There's been no sign of Barry, despite exhaustive air, land and marine searches.

Funeral Arrangements have been finalized for Sapper Biran Collier, the 24 year old Bradford native who was killed last week by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.  Visitation will be Wednesday between 2 and 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at Holy Martyrs of Japan Church on Essa Road in Bradford.  The funeral service will take place in the church on Thursday at 11 a.m.  Details of the processional route have yet to be finalized.

A Barrie man has been charged in connection with the death last week of 55 year old Roy Edward Hales of Janice Drive in Barrie.  Police were called to a home at 47 Janice Drive last week after reports of a sudden death.  An autopsy has confirmed the cause of death to be from blunt force trauma.  Police have determined that Hales had been involved in a physical confrontation on the weekend of July 17/18.  He died of his injuries a few days later.  A 31 year old man has been charged with manslaughter, robbery, possession of property obtained by crime, breach of recognizance and breach of probation.  Police expect to be in the home for the next several days gathering evidence.

The resume might have looked good, but the job prospects aren't for a woman who dropped off her resume at a women's clothing store at 498 Bayfield Street in Barrie on Saturday.  Police say the store manager accepted the paperwork then went to do some work in the backroom but watched on the store's security camera as this wanna-be-worker left the store with several items without paying.  Police used the address on the resume to locate the suspect, then they watched more surveillance video from the day before, starring the same woman picking out the clothing she wore for her interview.  It hadn't been paid for either.  A 40 year old Barrie woman has been charged with two counts of theft under 5-thousand dollars.

Two counts of attempted murder have been added to the list of charges laid against a Keswick man after a five hour stand off with York Regional Police early Saturday.  Police were called to a Bayview Avenue address about a man inside with a gun.  They say shots were fired in the direction of two officers who were watching over the area while waiting for other officers to arrive.  The man eventually surrendered without incident.  Among the other charges laid against the 41 year old are careless use and unauthorized possession of a firearm and mischief over 5-thousand dollars.

Five new names will be added this fall to the Ontario Sports Legends Hall of Fame.  Former Toronto Maple Leafs greats Dave Keon, George Armstrong, Howie Meeker and Bobby Baun will be inducted September 9, along with Toronto Blue Jays doctor, Ron Taylor.

Never mind running out of phone numbers, we may be less than a year away from running out of internet addresses.  Of the 4-billion that have been available, only 232 million remain.  The rise of smart phones and other internet connected devices gets the blame.  If it goes unchecked, it could lead to broken applications and more expensive net connections.

Work on shoring up the canals around the Holland Marsh is underway.  A new canal is being dug along South Canal Bank Road and the soil taken from there is being used to fill the existing roadside canal.  Next year, it's hoped work can begin on on dredging along Canal Road to the north.  The main reason for diversion is to protect against the prospect of a major storm and flooding   Road safety is also top of mind; car accidents along the canals have claimed 12 lives over the years.

Foul play is not suspected in the death of an elderly man yesterday at Wasaga Beach.  Emergency services were called to Mosley and Old Mosely Streets around 10 o'clock yesterday morning after reports a man had collapsed.  Efforts to revive him were unsucessful.  He's been identified as 62 year old Paul Vozoris of Wasaga Beach.

Zero tolerance is coming to young drivers in Ontario. Starting this Sunday, drivers 21 years of age and under caught with even a hint of alcohol in their system will have their licence lifted for 24 hours. They could also be nicked for as much as 500 dollars in fines and, depending on the amount of alcohol present, could lose their licence for a month. Anyone caught three times will lose their licence for good. This will go for all drivers in that age bracket not just the newly licenced ones. Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne cites the high rate of fatal collisions involving impaired drivers. In the last ten years, she says, 235 drivers under the age of 21 have been killed.

The body of a kayaker reported missing near Collingwood more than five weeks ago has been found. Swimmers made the discovery Sunday morning in Nottawasaga Bay near 18th Street. Allan Swan Jr. had left his parents' Collingwood home around midnight June 18. He had intended to kayak back to his cottage at Wasaga Beach. Autopsy will be conducted today at Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie in hopes of determining his cause of death.

The Barrie Baycats scored six times in the 3rd inning Sunday en route to an 11-3 victory over the visiting Mississauga Twins. With the win, the Baycats take a two games to none lead in the the first round playoff series. They have outscored the Twins 17-3 in the set. Game three is Wednesday night in Mississauga.

At around 10 on Sunday morning, July 25th, the OPP told ROCK95 News about some severe traffic issues going on in Cottage Country. At around 8:30 am, a fatal accident happened at Highway 400 and Exit 168, which is between Mactier and Port Severn. Making it very tricky for traffic: There are no real detours available in the immediate area of the accident scene. If you're cottaging in the Parry Sound region and are planning on heading south, be prepared for delays.