KITCHENER -- A fatal car explosion blamed on a suspected improvised explosive device, a fundraiser for a dog in need and a mother who was charged for the death of her son round out the top stories of the week.

Man killed in car explosion outside Kitchener courthouse, police believe IED involved

Waterloo Regional Police say a deadly car explosion in front of the Kitchener courthouse on Friday morning "appears to be the result of a suspected improvised explosive device."

Police have confirmed that a man died in the explosion, and that he was connected to two Kitchener residences where investigators were conducting searches: one on Hearthwood Drive and the other on Grand Flats Trail.

Police have not released the name of the man who was found dead in the car.

“I can’t speak to who created it, but it appears that the male who is deceased is responsible for this explosion," said Supt. Eugene Fenton.

'His life was taken too soon': Memorial grows for infant found dead over the weekend

A 26-year-old woman is facing a second-degree murder charge after an eight-month-old boy was found dead at a Kitchener apartment building.

Police have identified the woman as the boy's mother, while court documents have identified the her as Rebecca Leanne Dieter. She appeared in a Kitchener courtroom on Tuesday morning.

The infant was found dead in an apartment in the area of Fairway Road South and Wilson Avenue on Sunday after police went to the building for a well-being check. They were initially called to the scene for a medical incident involving the woman.

A memorial started at the apartment building on Monday and tripled in size in the subsequent days.

Tenants of Brantford apartment building say unit infested with bugs, landlord not doing enough

Tenants of an apartment building in Brantford are speaking about an infestation of bed bugs and cockroaches, and claim the landlord isn’t doing enough to keep them out.

Shawn Willard says the bugs are everywhere in his unit: by the door, under the fridge, near the bed.

“For the past six months my house has becoming nothing but infested,” he said. “I’m completely grossed out. My daughter is grossed out. I don’t sleep at night because I wake up with bugs crawling on me.

“Right away upon discovering [bug bites over body], I chucked the bed, got rid of it, and disinfected my house.”

Other tenants of the building say they’re dealing with the same problem.

The company that manages the building, Megna Property Management, said in a statement that they had brought in Apex Pest Control to spray for bedbugs.

“Every single unit has and is treated as it is brought to management’s attention,” the statement reads in part. “We cannot treat units where tenants do not inform us or do not want us in their unit.”

Mildred is on the mend! Humane Society gives update on rescued dog

The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth says it’s overwhelmed by the community support for Mildred, the senior dog who was found in a plastic bag at the side of the road near Listowel.

The 12-year-old dog was discovered in what the agency called a “very poor condition” on July 30.

The Humane Society said had she multiple health concerns, including chronic vaginal prolapse, multiple mammary tumours, dental disease, and arthritis, as well as severely overgrown toenails.

As she began the recovery process, the agency decided to name the dog Mildred.

On Friday, they released an update on her condition, saying a surgeon had removed Mildred’s overgrown/prolapsed vaginal tissue and the procedure went well, with no serious complications. They have also determined that her mammary tumours were benign.

The Humane Society says Mildred needs two more procedures. One will address her dental issues and the other will be the removal of some small mammary growths.

An online fundraiser for the pup has raised more than $15,000.

Waterloo Region sees increase in COVID-19 cases among young people, travellers

Public Health Officials in Waterloo Region provided an update on the local COVID-19 situation during a Regional Council meeting Tuesday.

They say overall the trends have been encouraging and measures such as wearing masks have been effective. But according to data gathered in July, health officials say that young people and those travelling are responsible for a high number of new cases.

“Travel-related cases made up 18 per cent of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in July. In terms of where we are seeing cases, we’re predominately seeing our news cases in the 29 and under age group,” said Dr. Ryan Van Meer with Region of Waterloo Public Health.

There have been 119 deaths due to the virus since the pandemic began.