Puerto Rico News Digest For January 26, 2016

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL SHUTS DOWN CASINO

From Caribbean Business:

"The casino at the Intercontinental San Juan Hotel, in the Isla Verde sector
of Carolina, closed down operations Monday, the hotel’s management ann-
ounced. It is the ninth casino to close in Puerto Rico in the past five years.
“The operations at InterContinental San Juan Hotel are not affected by this
decision and all aspects related to such will proceed without interruption,”
reads a short statement by the company. “It has been public knowledge that
the casino industry in Puerto Rico has declined in recent years and the casi-
no at the InterContinental San Juan Hotel has also been affected by the si-
tuation,” it added..."

PRISON INMATE MEALS AT RISK

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"New Progressive Party (NPP) Rep. Ángel Muñoz Suárez on Friday deman-
ded concrete answers from designated Corrections Department Secretary Ei-
nar Ramos regarding “the chaotic state the island’s prisons are in, including
the possibility of suspending meal services to more than 20,000 prisoners in
the system.” The NPP lawmaker added that he will be introducing legisla-
tion in the lower chamber so that an immediate investigation can take place
into how the agency’s budget is being used, “particularly regarding where
the assigned funds to purchase foods are going.” The government owes so-
me $11.8 million to Trinity Services LLC, the company that has supplied
food for the past 13 years to the island’s prisons..."

GOVERNOR PARDONS MARIJUANA CONVICT

From Fox News Latino:

"Puerto Rican authorities on Monday released the only citizen remaining 

in jail for smoking marijuana after Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla granted 

the convict a conditional pardon. Jeremy Ruiz Tomassini, 24, had been im-

prisoned for 15 months in the Guerrero de Aguadilla jail after being sen-

tenced to four years behind bars for smoking pot near a school. In October 

2014, and amid a full debate regarding decriminalizing marijuana, Ruiz's 

conviction sparked numerous protests by those arguing that his sentence 

was disproportionate to the crime and would ruin his life..."

7 ARRESTED OVER COCAINE ON CRUISE SHIP

From The Daily Star:

"U.S. authorities say they have arrested seven people after finding 24 po-

unds (11 kilograms) of cocaine aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship just 

before it was to set off on a cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico. U.S. Cust-

oms and Border Protection said Monday that a dog doing cabin inspections 

aboard the MS Jewel of the Seas found the drugs on Sunday..."

FIRST RED LOBSTER TO OPEN IN DECEMBER

From News Is My Business:

"Puerto Rican firm Restaurant Operators Inc. announced Monday that cons-
truction on the first Red Lobster restaurant in Puerto Rico will begin in May,
through an investment of $2 million. The eatery will open in December 2016
at the Plaza Las Américas shopping center in Hato Rey. The new 7,000 square
-foot restaurant will generate 125 new jobs, ROI executives said. The future
Red Lobster will open in the area formerly occupied by Banco Santander, and
will have the capacity to host 230 guests..."