GANGS TURN AVENUE INTO WARZONE
65th Infantry Avenue Closed For Three Hours
As reported by El Nuevo Dia, Police had to close off a stretch of 65th
Infantry Avenue in Rio Piedras as gang members from Monte Hatillo
public housing project and the Berwind apartment buildings across the
road traded gunfire on Wednesday night. No deaths or injuries have
been reported as a result of the gunfire. A local school had to be eva-
been reported as a result of the gunfire. A local school had to be eva-
cuated yesterday due to threats of further violence in the area. Police
believe that the latest outburst of violence came about due to the recent
murder of Héctor Nussa Román, who was the stepbrother of the alleged
head of drug sales in Monte Hatillo. Shootings in the area are sporadic,
but have been happening for years.
CARRAIZO GOES TO TWO-DAY RATIONING
Puerto Rico's water utility, AAA, has announced that water levels at the
Carraízo reservoir -- which serves Trujillo Alto, Carolina and parts of San
Juan -- is now high enough that water rationing for areas served by Carraí-
zo is being cut back to two days without water and one day with water. The
change begins today, after several weeks of water users being restricted to
two days of running water a week. About 160,000 AAA customers would
be affected by the change. Recent rains have swollen Carraízo's level to 37.
14 meters. Users of the La Plata reservoir are still also under "phase two"
water restrictions, with water off for two days at a time.
PREPA DEAL CAPS RATE HIKE AT 8¢
From The San Juan Daily Star:
The hike that Puerto Rico consumers will see in their electricity bill, which
must be approved by the Energy Commission, is not going to be higher than
the eight cents estimated in a five-year business plan prepared by the Puerto
Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) following an agreement reached with
the Ad Hoc Group of bondholders. PREPA Chief Restructuring Officer Lisa
Donahue said the final rate structure will be determined by the outcome of
talks with the other PREPA creditors -- banks and the utility’s insurance com-
panies. Those talks are expected to be completed by Sept. 18, which is when
the forbearance agreement between PREPA and its creditors is expected to
expire. TheAd Hoc Group represents 35 percent of the debt.
ARECIBO INCINERATORS GETS FINAL PERMIT
From News Is My Business:
Energy Answers confirmed Wednesday that the Puerto Rico Environmental
Quality Board has granted the final permit to build a facility for the processing
of non-hazardous solid waste at the Cambalache Sector in Arecibo. The review
process of this permit began in 2012 under the administration of Gov. Luis For-
tuño and included two separate public hearings and extended periods of time for
comment in writing, ensuring broad public participation in the permitting pro-
cess. “The periods for written comments exceeded by far the established regu-
latory requirements and what is usual and customary for a facility handling so-
lid waste as proposed,” the company said.
USDA DESIGNATES 17 TOWNS DISATER AREAS
From Caribbean Business:
Although Puerto Rico has received much-needed rain in the past week, primari-
ly due to Tropical Storm Erika and a tropical wave, the U.S. Department of Agri-
culture has declared an additional 17 municipalities in Puerto Rico as natural di-
saster areas due to the ongoing drought conditions. These additional municipali-
ties are: Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Bayamón, Cataño, Ceiba, Coamo, Comerío,
Dorado, Guaynabo, Loíza, Naguabo, Naranjito, San Juan, Santa Isabel, Toa Al-
ta, Toa Baja and Vega Alta.
