Photo: "Branchcicles" by Paul Henman, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

The case of Jordan Manners' shooting death is underway. We learned that Manners lay, dying, for 45 minutes in a school hallway, that the shooting was "planned and deliberate," and also that much of the evidence the Crown plans to present will be unpleasant. Of course, I'm not sure in what shooting death case the evidence would be "pleasant."

The Province and the Salvation Army reached an agreement to keep Toronto's Grace Hospital open for business. Was the Health Minister moved by today's by-election in the hospital's riding? Or just by the opportunity patients of Grace have to die in comfort and with dignity?

Speaking of the by-election, the NDP's Cathy Crowe is pushing hard to claim the seat while Glen Murray works just as hard to keep the seat Liberal red. And then there's the PC's Pamela Taylor, running strongest in the riding's north where Rosedale residents lean blue. So if geography rules the race, does that mean Murray has the edge as he's the most competitive from top to bottom of the riding? Or are Toronto Centre voters fed up with the Liberals?

Are Rambo & Brittany's days numbered? That all depends on whether or not a judge agrees with Animal Services' assessment that the pair of dogs are, indeed, pit bulls. I don't know if they right or not, but I do know Animal Services is going to sound like the bad guy in this case.

Want ice time and a city arena? Better brush up on your calculus to figure out where you fit in scheduling requirements. And if you're part of a girls hockey association, be prepared to fight for your time. A dispute over time at the North Toronto Memorial Arena led to a day-long "presentation" at city hall yesterday. Passions ran high and just about the only thing everybody agrees upon: it shouldn't have gotten to this point.

Longtime Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion is about to be 'immortalized' on wine labels. Joseph's Estate Winery is set to release Hazel's Heritage Reserve with two different private labels, one featuring the hockey playing mayor and the other a fisherwoman mayor. The bobblehead versions of the mayor.

In sports news, the Raptors won (just), the Leafs lose Komisarek for the season (but newcomer Phaneuf says build the bandwagon anyway) and new TFC coach 'Preki' says forget about the past.