Wild parsnip – Warning
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health officials are cautioning people about a rapidly spreading noxious weed.
Popping up more and more is the Wild parsnip around the Kingston area and Health-care officials are concerned about its rapid spread because the sap from the plant contains chemicals that can cause severe burns to people and pets.
City crews regularly mow areas adjacent to trails and roadsides, municipal parks and public areas in order to keep wild parsnip in check, however officials say it can take several years to eliminate it once it becomes established.
Last month, a dog in the Westbrook Meadows area suffered burns to its back and required more than $600 in medical treatment after coming in contact with a patch of wild parsnip near it’s home.

Funeral arrangements – Vince Maloney
On Monday night Kingston lost longtime local political activist, union organizer and supporter of social justice, Vince Maloney.
Maloney served as reeve of Pittsburgh Township from 1983 to 1985, was a candidate and longtime volunteer for the local New Democratic Party and served on the executive of the Kingston and District Labour Council.
Maloney died late Monday evening at Providence Manor after a short illness. He was 94.
Funeral arrangements take place today at the Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home at 49 Colborne St. from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. with a A mass of Christian burial to be held at St. John the Apostle Catholic church at 88 Patrick St. tomorrow at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or a charity of your choice.
Domestic – Kingston
A  37-year-old man was arrested and taken into police custody after a domestic dispute became violent Tuesday night.
The accused and his wife became involved in an argument Tuesday evening. During the argument, police allege, the accused struck his wife, pushed her onto a couch and continued to assault her using a belt. When the victim attempted to phone police, she was prevented by the accused. The woman then was able to flee to a neighbour’s home to get help.
Police responded to the couple’s residence and, after investigating, arrested the accused for assault and assault with a weapon.
Police did not release the man’s name in order to protect the identity of the victim.

City Buses FREE for High School Students
It’s time to think about back to school and many  high school students have already picked up their Free City Bus passes for September!
The city’s complimentary bus pass program included only Grade 9 students when it began in 2012, but it has grown to include grades 10 and 11. The newest version, which includes Grade 12 students for the first time, is a one-year pilot program.
The use of city transit has increased since the program added Grade 11 students up 161%  From September 2014 to March 2015,
The program, however, is a costly one. A June report to city council estimated that lost revenues to the city caused by adding Grade 12 students would be about $100,000 per year.

Deadly Weekend
Ontario Provincial Police say the recent long weekend was one of the deadliest in recent memory.
They say 16 peopled died on roads and waters they patrol across the province.
Nine died in road crashes, six drowned and one person died after a canoe capsized.
Police say most of these deaths were preventable. (The Canadian Press)

Ottawa Taxi Drivers
A group of Ottawa taxi drivers say they are going undercover to video-tape Uber drivers because the city isn’t doing enough to crack down on the operation.
Ottawa Taxi Drivers was formed about two weeks ago by five cabbies who plan to send videos of Uber drivers to the city’s by-law department.
Group member Roy Noja says the cabbies have filmed three Uber drivers so far after ordering a ride, filming the trip and taking down the driver’s name and licence.
The group has posted one video on YouTube and is planning another blitz this weekend.

Federal Election Debate
The leaders of four federal parties will meet in Toronto tonight for their first debate ahead of the October 19th election.
Prime Minister Harper, N-D-P Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, and Green party Leader Elizabeth May will meet at 8 p-m Eastern Time.
The two-hour encounter is hosted by Maclean’s magazine, which says the format will avoid canned speeches.
The leaders’ debate will be carried on CITY T-V and OMNI stations across Canada as well as C-PAC.

Hydro -Quebec US
About 60 Hydro-Quebec workers are headed to Rhode Island to help get power restored.
America’s smallest state was hit by severe thunderstorms on Tuesday that left more than 100-thousand homes and businesses in the dark.

Theatre Shooting Tennessee
Police in Nashville, Tennessee shot and killed a man armed with a hatchet and a pellet gun after he unleashed pepper spray at people inside a movie theatre.
Police say 29-year-old Vincente Montano was fatally shot as he tried to escape out a back door.
Authorities say Montano’s psychological problems were so major, he was committed for psychiatric treatment at least four times.

MADD- PEI President Resigns
The C-E-O of Mothers Against Drunk Driving says he’s shocked and disappointed that the volunteer president of a Prince Edward Island chapter of the organization is charged with impaired driving.
David Griffin, who spent 45 years as a police officer, resigned after he was charged in June with impaired driving.
Andrew Murie says in his 18 years as C-E-O of MADD, he has never dealt with anything like this.

WestJet Union Vote
Canada’s second-largest airline remains union-free.
The almost 13-hundred pilots of WestJet have rejected a bid for unionization.
The Calgary-based airline says a non-union workforce gives it a competitive advantage, adding collective bargaining would have boosted labour costs and led to service disruptions.

Missing Malaysia Plane
There are mixed signals on a piece of aircraft wing that washed ashore last week on the French island of Reunion in the western Indian Ocean.
Malaysia’s prime minister says it’s from a Malaysia Airlines jetliner that vanished 17 months ago with 239 people aboard, including two Canadians.
However, French, American, and Australian officials are stopping short of confirming the piece is from the missing plane.