Photo: "Winter on Grenadier Pond" by gardinergirl, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

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

Authorities are investigating Toronto's first homicide of 2010 after an inmate at the Don Jail was found dead. The incident is the third time in about two months that a prisoner in a Toronto jail, where inmates await trial or sentencing, has been murdered.

A Markham man has gone to the media, claiming to have found over 50 ants in one of four breakfast burritos he bought at McDonald's. Upon returning to the fast food location, he was offered no apology and a replacement burrito. Being the weekend, he wasn't able to speak to anyone at McDonald's headquarters, nor was he able to discuss the incident with York Region Public Health. Reading the comments on the article, it seems that most readers don't buy this guy's story, and instead think he's made it up as a means of earning snagging some lawsuit settlement cash.

Today is officially the first day that mayoral hopefuls can file their paperwork to formally initiate their candidacy for mayor of Toronto. Rocco Rossi is a keener, and will be there with papers in hand at 8:30am this morning, while Smitherman and Mammoliti will take their time. It's still not clear whether or not Pantalone, Carroll, or Giambrone will jump into the race, but it all ends when we elect the new mayor on October 25th.

Despite frigid cold weather, people lined the 401 (aka the Highway of Heroes) as the bodies of four Canadian soldiers and a journalist were transported from their repatriation ceremony in Trenton, to the coroner in Toronto. This marks the first time a killed journalist has been given the same ceremonial treatment as a soldier upon return, and the greatest single incident loss of troops since 2007.

Wintry conditions and failure by drivers to adapt to them are being blamed for some 800 calls to OPP in southern Ontario this weekend. Cars spun off roads, in ditches, and many multi-vehicle crashes kept police and tow trucks busy yesterday. The weather is also being blamed for longer than usual delays on both the Yonge-University and Bloor-Danforth TTC subway lines this morning.

A water main break caused a surge of water to flood the properties and basements of a handful of homes in the Keele and Rogers area. Fire crews brought in pumps, the hydro and gas were shut down, and the a TTC bus was brought in to temporarily shelter the families that had to be evacuated.

And here's what blogTO was up to this long weekend:

• Jen met up with clarinet-playing TTC busker John Williams.
• Lauren filled us in on who's who in the Toronto food scene - on Twitter.
• Melissa reviewed The Rebel House, Rosedale's original gastro pub.
• Jonathan looked back on the year that was, in a photo essay about abandonments in and around the city.
• Derek introduced us to the emerging and street artist gallery at 52 McCaul.
• And Kelly talked to The Score's Cabral "Cabbie" Richards, about all things Toronto.