Puerto Rico News Digest For March 28, 2016

MAN MURDERED IN DORADO OVERNIGHT

A murder was reported this morning at about 2:23 AM on Road PR-165 in

Dorado. Police found a bullet-riddled body inside a white 2001 Mitsubishi 

Mirage at kilometer 22.6. The man is yet to be identified, but is white with 

black hair and was wearing a black shirt and pants when he was killed. PR-

165 was shut down during an investigation, but was reopened to traffic by 

6:30 AM.

SEC CERTIFIES ALEXANDRA LUGARO

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Independent gubernatorial candidate Alexandra Lúgaro was officially certi-
fied by the State Election Commission (SEC), SEC Secretary Walter Vélez
announced Wednesday morning. “The Endorsements and Petitions Valida-
tions Unit has finished evaluating all of the requests and the candidates have
been duly certified,” Vélez said in an interview with Wapa Radio. Vélez said
Lúgaro picked up her certification Tuesday afternoon at SEC headquarters in
the Hato Rey sector of San Juan..."

NPP CANDIDATES DISAGREE ON FINANCIAL BOARD

From Caribbean Business:

"The president of the New Progressive Party (NPP), Pedro Pierluisi, welco-
med Gov. Alejandro García Padilla’s announcement that he will convene a
meeting with the island’s candidates for governor to unite in rejecting the Re-
publican-proposed financial oversight board...The other gubernatorial hope-
ful from the NPP, Ricardo Rosselló, said Sunday that “the commonwealth’s
financial crisis is not solved calling for a united front” and reiterated he does
not want to create the false premise that he agrees with the governor’s position..."

TONY FINAU WINS PUERTO RICO OPEN

From ESPN:

"Tony Finau won the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour
title, beating Steve Marino with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff at
windy Coco Beach. The 26-year-old Finau won with his third straight bir-
die in the playoff on the par-5 18th, blasting out of the back bunker to 3
feet. "I think I'm still a little bit overwhelmed," Finau said. "It probably
hasn't all sunk in." Marino was just off the back edge of the green in two,
but left his putt from the fringe 4 1/2 short and missed his birdie try to the
right..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For September 2, 2015

CARRAIZO RATIONING COULD END SOON

After several days of moderate to heavy rain, first from Tropical Storm
Erika, and then from a tropical wave which affected the island yesterday,
water levels at Carraízo and La Plata reservoirs have seen significant gains.
Carraízo has gone up by 20 centimeters overnight, with today's level stand-
ing at 37.17 meters. AAA/PRASA, Puerto Rico's water utility, has indicated
that if Carraízo's  level reaches 41 meters, water rationing for its area would
likely end. La Plata, however, would need to reach 51 meters to get to its op-
timal level; it currently sits at  36.65 meters. Yesterday's tropical wave left
up to 4 inches of rain on parts of Puerto Rico.

PRASA DEBT PAYMENT EXTENDED

From The San Juan Daily Star:

La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Víctor Suárez said Banco Popular agreed to ex-
tend to Sept. 15 a $90 million payment owed by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct
and Sewer Authority (PRASA) that was due Monday. However, he could
not say when PRASA will go to the market with a $750 million bond issue
it will use in part to pay the line of credit with Banco Popular. “When con-
ditions are ripe, we will go,” he said. STAR sources, however, say that Bank
of America Merrill Lynch will probably cancel the bond issue altogether.
Meanwhile, Suárez refused to reveal whether multinational companies will
assume a greater burden as part of the five-year fiscal adjustment plan, whose
presentation was pushed back to Sept. 8.

FL SENATOR MARCO RUBIO TO VISIT PR

From Caribbean Business:

Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Puerto Rico
this week, his staff said Tuesday. Spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas told The
Associated Press that the Florida senator will meet with supporters on Friday
in San Juan. Rubio's one-day visit will coincide with that of Democrat Hillary
Clinton.  He is scheduled to attend a fundraiser before the rally.

TRUMP GOLF COURSE TO BE AUCTIONED

From News Is My Business:

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Enrique S. Lamoutte-Inclan signed off Monday an 

order approving the auction of the Trump International Golf Course in Río 

Grande. Bidding will start at $2 million in November, with a final sale hear-

ing slated for December, court documents showed. The property, also known 

as Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, filed for Chapter bankruptcy protection 

in July, citing $78 million in liabilities and $9.2 million in assets.

COP ARRESTED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING

From Fox News Latino:

An officer of the San Juan Municipal Police was arrested by U.S. federal
authorities on charges of human trafficking for her attempt to bring a Do-
minican citizen from the island of Antigua into Puerto Rican territory ille-
gally. The U.S. attorney in San Juan, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez, said Tues-
day in a statement that police officer Luz Zoraida Rojas was arrested on
Aug. 28 after paying $1,000 to an undercover cop - who pretended to be
an immigration official - for trying to introduce a Dominican male from
Antigua into Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico News Digest For March 9, 2015

WOMAN KILLED IN HIT AND RUN INCIDENT

A 53 year old woman died last night after having been
struck by a vehicle while crossing Road 5 near the
Virgilio Dávila public housing project in Bayamón. The
victim was hit around 10:00 PM Sunday night by an
unidentified car, the driver of which fled the scene.
Police are asking for the public's help in identifying
the car and driver, and are encouraged to contact the
Bayamón police department's homicide division with any
relevant information.

ALEX CEJKA WINS PUERTO RICO OPEN

From ABC News:

Alex Cejka won the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday for his first
PGA Tour title, making a 15-foot birdie putt on the first
hole of a five-man playoff. The 44-year-old Czech-born
German won in his 287th start on  the PGA Tour. A four-time
European Tour winner, he birdied four of the first six holes
and finished with a 3-under 69 in rainy, windy conditions at
Trump International-Puerto Rico.

"I'm speechless," Cejka said. "I'm glad it's over. It's been
a grinding week, tough week. The first victory is always the
toughest. ... These guys are good. I mean this is the slogan.
At least I can say I played the PGA Tour for a long time and
I won. So that's a good sentence I can use when I retire."

PR FLU CASES CONTINUE TO RISE 

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Health Secretary Ana Ríus reported Thursday that influenza
cases in Puerto Rico are on the rise. For the week of Feb.
21 to Feb. 28, some 256 cases of infl uenza were reported,
for a cumulative total of 6,556 cases in the year. Ríus  de-
clared an influenza epidemic in early February.

JOHN OLIVER TALKS ABOUT US TERRITORIES

Comedian John Oliver talks about voting rights in US territories,

including Puerto Rico, on his HBO show.