Puerto Rico News Digest For September 6, 2016

HIGH WINDS KILL MAN IN GUAYANILLA

From Caribbean Business:

"Authorities say heavy winds associated with a tropical wave moving through the
Caribbean region have killed a man in the island’s southwest region. Police said
Monday that winds ripped off a tree branch that hit 31-year-old Alvin Torres as
he cleaned a property in the coastal town of Guayanilla. Forecasters said the tro-
pical wave south of Puerto Rico was generating winds of up to 40 miles per hour
(mph)...The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday that shower and thu-
nderstorm activity associated with the wave had been decreasing. However, “stro-
ng winds, possibly to tropical storm force, could still be occurring in association
with this system” over Puerto Rico and Hispaniola Monday and Tuesday..."

NATL GUARD LANGUAGE CENTER OPEN THROUGH 2017

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced last week that the effort he
has led since 2014 to prevent the closure of the English Language Center opera-
ted by the Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) at Ft. Allen in Juana Díaz "appe-
ars to be on a successful path.” The English Language Center was scheduled to
be closed starting in fiscal year (FY) 2016, which ended June 30, but Pierluisi’s
efforts resulted in the Language Center continuing to operate..."

PR DEMANDS EPA CLEAN UP TOXIC LANDFILLS

From Washington Examiner:

"Puerto Ricans, disgusted with the Environmental Protection Agency's "willful
dereliction" of its oversight of the island's toxic landfills, are demanding that the
head of the agency close them, saying they have lost faith in an EPA deputy in
charge of the territory. The citizens' advocacy group Puerto Rico Limpio, which
means Puerto Rico Clean, is clamoring in a letter for EPA Administrator Gina Mc
Carthy to enforce federal laws by closing the "toxic landfills." Their Sept. 1 letter
spells out a "shocking pattern of willful dereliction of federal responsibility" by E-
PA Regional 2 Administrator Judith Enck, who in newly released documents was
dismissive of the group's concerns, saying the agency took care of the problem
over the last decade..."

PR BANKRUPTICES UP 8.14% IN AUGUST

From News Is My Business:

"The number of bankruptcy cases filed in Puerto Rico was up 8.14 percent year-
over-year in August, when 929 cases were filed. So far this year, 7,038 petitions
have been filed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, representing a 4.25 percent jump
when compared to the same period last year, information provided by research
firm Boletín de Puerto Rico showed..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For January 15, 2016

GOV'T TO MAKE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

From News Is My Business:

"The government of Puerto Rico is making budget adjustments amoun-
ting to some $254 million, which is about half of the shortfall in revenue
collections the Treasury Department anticipated late last year. In a news
conference at La Fortaleza, Luis Cruz, executive director of the Office
of Management and Budget, confirmed a reduction in the budgets for
agencies offering health, security and education services. The govern-
ment will also not be making payments to the Commonwealth retire-
ment system and will clawback about $119 million in revenue that was
supposed to be directed for payments on the Puerto Rico Infrastructure
Financing Authority debt..."

MAYOR OF GUAYANILLA RESIGNS

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Guayanilla Mayor Edgardo Arlequín Vélez finally resigned his post after
being suspended on March 6, 2015 and less than a month after being sen-
tenced to four years in prison for sexual misconduct and using his post for
benefits, according to Inter News Service. Popular Democratic Party (PDP)
spokesman Ángel Raúl Matos said the resignation will become final once
the municipal legislature formally accepts it..."

COCAINE FOUND IN BUSHES IN ISABELA BEACH

From Military.Com:

"Federal authorities announced Monday that they discovered more than
$4 million worth of cocaine stashed in bushes along Puerto Rico's north
coast as they find more drug shipments but with smaller payloads in the
U.S. Caribbean. Some 340 pounds (154 kilograms) of cocaine were found
at a popular beach in the town of Isabela, according to U.S. Customs and
Border Protection. One man was arrested. It's one of the largest seizures in
recent months..."

PUERTO RICANS WIN POWERBALL PRIZES

From Caribbean Business:

"In Puerto Rico, the winning tickets for four $100,00 prizes were purcha-
sed at La Borinqueña in Caguas, La Milagrosa store in Camuy and the
other two in Plaza Loíza del Norte Shopping Center in San Juan, said
Armando Pérez Cruz, assistant director at the Electronic Lottery of Pu-
erto Rico. The winners of the $50,000 prizes made their plays at Cabre-
ra Services Station in San Juan and the San Gabriel Pharmacy in Caro-
lina..."

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DROWNS IN DORADO

From Yahoo! News:

"Authorities in Puerto Rico say a cruise ship passenger from California
has drowned along the U.S. territory's north coast amid rough seas. Au-
thorities say the 71-year-old from Angeles was swept away Thursday
along with his brother-in-law in the popular beach town of Dorado..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For March 23, 2015

WEEK STARTS OFF WITH THREE MURDERS

As reported this morning by El Nuevo Dia, three murders were reported
overnight. A man who is as of yet unidentified was found lying dead on
401st Street in Country Club, Carolina. He had apparently been shot to
death, and 20 shell casings were found nearby. Peter Santos Quiñones,
age 26, was gunned down in front of a business in Guayanilla at 5:15
this morning, while an unidentified man was found dead in the Adelaido
Collazo sector of Rio Grande at 6:40 AM. The latter victim was also
seemingly shot to death.

ILLINOIS SURFER DIES IN RINCON

From Pantagraph.com:

A Bloomington man has been identified as the 35-year-old tourist
who drowned while surfing in Puerto Rico. Police say Bryan Wright,
35, of Bloomington, formerly of  Heyworth, died Wednesday while
on vacation last week with  friends in Rincon, Puerto Rico. He lost
his life while surfing, but officials did not release specifics about the
accident, except to acknowledge the surfer fell off his  board in rough
seas.

MUNITION FOUND ON CULEBRA BEACH

From Yahoo! News:

Authorities say residents of an outlying Puerto Rican island have found
an unexploded munition on a beach once used as a bombing practice area
by the U.S. Navy. Island police say they were alerted Sunday to a 2-foot-
long munition found on a rocky stretch of popular Zoni Beach in Culebra.

PIERLUISI CONVENES JONES ACT FORUM

From  Caribbean Business:

Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced that, given the
increased concerns being expressed by his constituents about the
Jones Act in light of Horizon Lines’ withdrawal from the Puerto
Rico market, he will convene a forum in Puerto Rico to discuss
the situation. For that reason, Pierluisi sent a letter to the Customs
and Border  Protection (CBP) commissioner and the Maritime
Administration (Marad) administrator, inviting senior officials
from each agency to attend. The resident commissioner will also
invite representatives from each of the Jones Act carriers that pro-
vide service to Puerto Rico. Officials from the local government,
business leaders, manufacturers, farmers, economistsand others
have  been invited as well.

Puerto Rico News Digest For March 16, 2015

ATHLETES INJURED DURING SHOOTOUT

Photo: Puerto Rico Police Dept.

From Yahoo News:

Two competitors in a Puerto Rico Ironman triathlon were injured by
gunfire exchanged between occupants  of two cars as they sped past
the bicycling part of the Sunday event in an  upscale area of the U.S.
island's capital. Puerto Rico police identified the  wounded compe-
titors as Wisconsin woman Liz Boivin, 26, and island  resident
Miguel Arroyo Ramos, 49.  Boivin was hit in the left calf while
three bullets struck Arroyo in the  left side while they raced on bi-
cycles through the San Juan district of  Miramar. The triathlon in-
volves biking, running and swimming.

OIL TAX HIKE WENT INTO EFFECT SUNDAY

The increase in the crude oil tax to $15.50 per barrel, colloquially 

known as "La Crudita", went into effect yesterday across Puerto Rico. 

Immediate rises in the price of gasoline were expected and have 

already been seen. But, as of Sunday afternoon, many gas stations 

across the island were still selling fuel at the "old price". However, 

across the board gas price hikes are inevitable and will likely start 

to be seen more consistently over the next few days.

GUAYANILLA MAYOR DENIES SEX ALLEGATIONS

From The San Juan Daily Star:

The suspended mayor of Guayanilla, Edgardo Arlequin Vélez,  on 

Thursday expressed hope he will be vindicated in the end  after the 

Special Independent Prosecutor (SIP) Panel suspended him last week 

from the mayoral seat for allegedly sexually harassing a municipal 

female employee. “All these  actions against me were based solely 

on statements by another party,” Arlequin Vélez said in a written 

statement. “I flatly deny the facts alleged against me. My family is 

accompanying me right now firmly and with serenity and  gratitude, 

and the people overwhelmingly have expressed solidarity with me. 

At the end of the process, I will prevail and continue to serve my 

people as usual.

TREASURY COLLECTIONS UP FOR FEBRUARY

From News Is My Business: 

The Puerto Rico Treasury Department collected $709.3 million in 

February for the General Fund, a figure that was up $39.4 million, 

or 5.9 percent when compared to the same month last year, and $6.5 

million, or 0.9 percent, below estimates. One of the main revenue 

drivers was $319 million collected in income taxes, which exceeded 

February 2014 collections by $35 million. All components of this 

category reflected increases when compared to February 2014.

WOMEN'S NAVY TENNIS TEAM TO PLAY IN PR

From Navy Sports:

The Navy women's tennis team (11-6) will open a three-match spring 

break trip in Puerto Rico on Monday against Augustana College (S.D.)

at 12:30 PM (ET). The Mids and the Vikings will meet in Palmas del 

Mar on the southeastern coast of  Puerto Rico. The Mids have won 

three straight matches and are coming off a 4-3 win over Delaware 

on Thursday. Navy has also recently defeated Towson, 5-2, and Marist, 

5-2.

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