Most-read stories of the week: Granddaughter saves grandpa, vaccine mandate lawsuit, high school weapon call

'It just came like a rocket': Granddaughter springs into action after large rock smashes through windshield

A softball-sized rock smashed through the windshield of a Minto councillor’s pickup truck, sending him to hospital with severe facial injuries but he says it could have been much worse if his granddaughter didn’t spring into action.

Town of Minto councillor, Ed Podniewicz, was on the way to the hospital in Palmerston last month to have his granddaughter's hand injury checked out. He said a transport truck travelling ahead of him swayed toward the gravel road shoulder, and without warning, a rock came barreling through the windshield of Podniewicz’s truck.

“It just came like a rocket,” Podniewicz said. “Next thing I experience, I turn to my granddaughter, and I go, ‘What the hell just happened?’”

Podniewicz put his truck in park – not knowing the severity of the situation. When he turned to his 16-year-old granddaughter, Autumn, he was covered in blood.

Former municipal employees launch $125M lawsuit over vaccine mandates

Several former municipal employees from municipalities across Ontario, including locally, have filed a $125.9M class action lawsuit in connection to the Province of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which the plaintiffs claim were unconstitutional.

In a statement of claim signed on Feb. 16, the plaintiffs – who are represented by Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati – say “the sending home on unpaid leave, and/or firing of the plaintiffs, for declining COVID-19 vaccines, were and continue to be unconstitutional and of no force and effect.”

The plaintiffs are all former municipal employees from various municipalities and municipal commissions who are mainly “first responders and essential workers in policing, fire-fighting, ambulance, paramedic, transit, sanitation services and other essential services in Ontario.”

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages, pursuant to section 24(1) of the Charter for violations of their Charter rights and constitutional and common-law torts inflicted on them in the amount of $50,000 for each defendant under tort of intimidation, $100,000 against each defendant under the tort of conspiracy to deprive them of their constitutional rights $100,000 each in the tort of constitutional violations in violating the plaintiffs’ pre-Charter constitutional rights.

Kitchener, Ont. man who killed stranger with a crossbow dies in prison

A Kitchener man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection to the killing of 60-year-old Michael Gibbon with a crossbow has died in prison.

On Tuesday, Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) confirmed 36-year-old Eric Amaral died in custody while serving his sentence at Warkworth Institution.

According to CSC, Amaral died on Monday.

“The final determination of the cause of death will be made by the coroner,” Mike Shrider, the regional manager of communications with CSC said in an email to CTV News. “CSC does not believe that this particular death is linked to COVID-19; however, this incident is still under investigation, and CSC is reviewing the circumstances.”

At the time of death, Amaral was serving an indeterminate sentence, which started on April 6, 2017, for offences including second-degree murder, assault causing bodily harm, and pointing a firearm, CSC said.

Eric Amaral is shown in an undated Facebook profile picture. (Facebook)

'I was pretty shaken up': Police respond to weapons call at Brantford high school

Brantford Police say a suspect has been taken into custody after a Brantford high school was placed on hold and secure. Police cruisers swarmed North Park Collegiate just after 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police tweeted that the school had been placed on hold and secure “out of an abundance of caution,” later saying in another tweet it was due to a "weapons-related threat."

“We were all shock up, we didn’t know what happened we didn’t know what was going on,” a Grade 11 student told CTV News.

“I was in the washroom and I had three cops come in and they told me to put my hands up and I did that. I did everything they asked for, pretty much, and they ended up escorting me out,” another Grade 11 student said. “I was pretty shaken up.”

Students told CTV News they were under desks in their classrooms awaiting instructions on what to do next.

North Park Collegiate seen on Feb. 2, 2023. (CTV News/Krista Sharpe)

Man charged with second-degree murder after family dispute in Guelph

Guelph Police say a man has been charged with second-degree murder after another man was found dead on Tuesday.

Police said they responded to a report of a family dispute at 3:15 p.m. at an address in the south end of the city on Hands Drive. When they arrived, police said a 68-year-old man was found dead inside the home.

Police said the accused was still at the house when they arrived.

Guelph police said a 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with second-degree murder. Court documents revealed that 32-year-old Jaspal Sidu has been charged with second degree murder. He appeared in front of a Guelph judge on Wednesday and remains in custody.

Police said the two men are related to one another but would not confirm their exact relationship. A neighbour told CTV News, the two were father and son – both said to be kind people.

“[He] was just a lovely man. His family was lovely, his son was very helpful in the neighbourhood,” said neighbour Diane Jones.

A Guelph police cruiser is seen parked in front of a home in Guelph's south end. (Krista Sharpe/CTV Kitchener)