From The Standard's “Rolling News” Desk At the corner of Reach Street and Highway 12, the crew at Northport Tire proved once again no job is too big—or too hilariously tiny—for them to tackle. Here we see Larry, the shop’s owner, wielding two industrial-sized jacks to hoist what can only be described as the cutest enclosed mobility scooter in Durham Region history. Onlookers report the vehicle weighs about as much as a strong breeze, but Larry insists: “ Safety first—big jack

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: As temperatures drop, community organizations, in Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County, are working together to make sure no one has to face the cold alone. Through a renewed partnership with A Place Called Home (APCH), emergency shelter and support services will be available across the region, this winter. The 2025–2026 Out of the Cold Program will operate from December 1st, 2025, to March 31

Translated: The inward experience, beyond words enough to fully explain, saturated with a sense of Higher reality! The third and fourth weeks of Advent, commemorated on the next two coming Sundays, are focused on the inward experience of Joy and Love from God made possible by Jesus' birth here on earth. Without God giving, without Christ coming, there would be no atonement, aka. no substitutionary death by Jesus for us, so no opportunity to accept His gift of exchange and be

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: A comprehensive review, of how the Township of Scugog communicates with residents, is setting the stage for potential improvements in outreach, storytelling, and public engagement, though council has opted not to endorse the recommendations at this time. The findings were presented as part of a detailed report, from, Director of Communications and Strategic Projects, Lori Bowers. This was included on

RACHEL SNODDON Moto Solutions UXBRIDGE: Students in the automotive program at Uxbridge Secondary School will now have access to industry-standard brake machining equipment thanks to a recent donation from Moto Solutions, a Canadian supplier of professional automotive and heavy-duty shop equipment. The company has donated a fully serviced Ammco 4000 Brake Lathe package to the school’s technology department, giving students the opportunity to train on equipment commonly used

By Shawn Lackie It’s easy to take cheap shots at a person or a situation. We seem to be overrun with bad news or salacious stuff we just can’t turn away from. Train wreck anyone? So I thought, what about talking about the positives in this profession. There are lots of them, but it would seem, it’s easier to turn over rocks and see the slime underneath and make a big deal about that. Trust me. There are many good people in this business. People who care, people who want to ma

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: A trio of recent “Your Voice, Your Fairgrounds” pop-in sessions left many local residents feeling frustrated and underwhelmed after the long-awaited consultations offered little more than sticky notes and suggestion boards. The three drop-in events, which were held over the past week in Port Perry at the Library and Vos’ Independent grocery store, as well as at Greenbank Hall, as part of the Townshi

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES/NORTH DURHAM: As the holiday season approaches, communities across the City of Kawartha Lakes are gearing up to welcome Santa Claus, with festive parades and family-friendly events. From Fenelon Falls to Sunderland, towns and villages are alive with the holiday spirit, offering something for everyone to enjoy. These celebrations kicked off, on Saturday, November 29th, with Fenelon Falls Santa

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard BROCK: The 2026 Operating and Capital Budget for the Township of Brock was adopted, following a formal presentation on Monday, November 24th, and Council deliberations on Wednesday, November 26th. In accordance with provincial legislation, under the Strong Mayor Powers framework, the budget was deemed adopted at the conclusion of the November 26th meeting. The 2026 budget encompasses: a 2 percent increase, d

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard KAWARTHA LAKES: Residents, business owners, and visitors are being invited to help shape a new Municipal and Tourism Wayfinding Strategy, a plan designed to make it easier for people to navigate the municipality and find key destinations. The strategy will evaluate current signage, identify gaps, and establish a consistent, user-friendly approach across Kawartha Lakes. This involves everything from municipa

BRANDON CLARK The Standard NORTH DURHAM: After a comprehensive procurement process, the townships of Uxbridge and Scugog have announced progress on the construction of a new Animal Shelter, with a total project budget of $3.8 million. The 6,457-square-foot facility will include designated spaces for dogs and cats, outdoor exercise areas, quarantine and isolation rooms, maternity spaces, and other amenities. A sod-turning event took place this Tuesday afternoon at 5500 Lakeri

BRANDON CLARK  The Standard SCUGOG: The Township of Scugog received an update on regional road safety initiatives during a regular Council meeting last Monday. The presentation was delivered by Steven Kemp, Manager of Traffic Engineering and Operations, and Amanda Spencer, Senior Project Manager of Traffic Safety for the Region of Durham. The delegation provided an overview of Durham’s Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan, which aims to eliminate fatalities and serious injuri

By Shawn Lackie I had to laugh at a recent headline, in one of the on-line, so-called expert, sites, regarding Real Estate. The BIG NEWS was, “Underbidding” was back and prevalent in many GTA neighbourhoods. Underbidding? Since when did THAT become an issue? Like, when someone is asking $1.2 Million for a property and you have the temerity to offer them $1.1 Million? Excuse me, but isn’t that what used to be considered the norm? A seller lists a home for X dollars. The buyer

Hope is always tied together with the answer to a question, problem or need. In the big question, what Jesus did for us, was take upon Himself the punishment for the sin invasion which had affected humankind. Much of our difficulty and sense of not being enough in life comes in the struggle to be “better.” Certainly, in some senses we get it, like not being addicted to something, or putting on airs, which comes from comparing ourselves with others or what we think we should b

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard SCUGOG: Programming at Blackstock Arena was briefly disrupted last week after a small fire broke out, on the exterior of the Church Street facility, on Monday, November 17th. At approximately 5 p.m., Scugog Fire, supported by Uxbridge Fire and Durham Regional Police, responded to reports of a fire on the building's outside wall. The blaze was quickly brought under control. Early assessments indicated while t

BRANDEN CLARK The Standard UXBRIDGE: The Township of Uxbridge recently received a report from its Integrity Commissioner outlining findings that Ward 5 Councillor Todd Snooks violated the Council Code of Conduct by engaging in unwelcome physical contact with township staff. The report, prepared by Principles Integrity, found that Councillor Snooks engaged in three separate incidents of unsolicited touching involving female township employees. According to the Commissioner, t

You may have heard someone say the fairgrounds is only used three days per year, and the land is too valuable to sit unused for the rest of the year. In reality, this 23 acre municipal park is used for assorted recreational activities daily, by joggers, walkers, dog walkers, parents looking to give their children a place to run around, and folks simply seeking some open space and solitude. In addition to the annual Labour Day Weekend fair, the Port Perry Agricultural Society