Puerto Rico News Digest For July 7, 2017

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE KILLS WOMAN

An as of yet unidentified 19-year-old woman was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after 6:30 this morning at the Juana Matos public housing project in Cataño. The victim had filed reports of domestic violence against her in the past, with the most recent one happening only yesterday. The 30-year-old male perpetrator attempted to commit suicide after shooting the woman, but was unsuccessful and was taken to hospital after being arrested by police. The killer had a record of previous domestic violence incidents.

PREPA RATE HIKE GETS POSTPONED

From Caribbean Business:

"The Puerto Rico Energy Commission (PREC) has granted the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s (Prepa) request to postpone until Oct. 1 a permanent rate hike that was slated to go into effect this month..."

MEDICAL POT DISPENSARY OPENS IN GUAYNABO

From News Is My Business:

"...Clínica Verde inaugurated Thursday a clinic at the Borinquen Towers on Roosevelt Ave. in Guaynabo. The 4,000 square-foot property entailed an investment of more than $1.5 million, and will provide a variety of six different cannabis-related products..."

PR FACES OFF AGAINST ANGOLA IN WORLD BASKETBALL

From AllAfrica:

"The Angolan under19 men's basketball team, third in group D in the first stage of the world championship in Cairo are playing this Friday at 1 p.m Puerto Rico, for the consolation phase from the 9th and 16th place..."

GUTIERREZ BLASTS RIVERA SCHATZ OVER LGBT SLUR

From Windy City Times:

"Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez ( D-IL ) responded to Thomas Rivera Schatz, Puerto Rican Senate President, who used the masculine pronoun "señor" repeatedly to describe Ana Matosantos, the only female member of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For December 21, 2015

RIVERA SCHATZ TO ANNOUNCE RUN ON TUESDAY

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"New Progressive Party (NPP) Sen. Thomas Rivera Schatz will make
a televised announcement about his political future on Tuesday. The
announcement was confirmed by his press spokeswoman, Wanda Na-
zario, who declined to confirm whether he will run for governor. “As
you know, neither the senator nor I are answering that if there is an
announcement Tuesday,” she told the STAR. Sources, however, say
Rivera Schatz, who is known as the “White Shark,” will announce his
bid for governor. The announcement will air on WAPA television..."

GOVERNMENT TO PAY CHRISTMAS BONUS

From News Is My Business:

"With an estimated $700 million in the Government Development Bank’s
coffers and a Treasury Department that reported $488.6 million in revenue
collections in November, Gov. Alejandro García-Padilla announced Sun-
day public sector employees will receive their Christmas bonuses, as esta-
blished by law. The payment represents a disbursement of $120million,
and will be made within three days, through Tuesday. The compensation
required by Law 34 of 1969, was due by Dec. 20 and the administration
made the announcement a few hours before the deadline expired..."

SEN. ROSA TO RUN FOR RESIDENT COMMISSIONER

From Caribbean Business:

With the certainty that his candidacy is something new in the political
arena, Sen. Ángel Rosa of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) has offi-
cially filed his candidacy for resident commissioner in Washington, D.C.,
for the 2016 general election. While formalizing his candidacy at PDP
headquarters in San Juan, the legislator and political analyst said his de-
cision is due to the fact that honest and capable officials are needed that
do not only offer the people someone to cheer for during the campaign
period..."

MISS PR SUSPENDED OVER MUSLIM COMMENTS

From CNN:

Miss Puerto Rico 2015 has been suspended indefinitely for posting a se-
ries of anti-Muslim messages on Twitter. Destiny Velez tweeted filmmaker
Michael Moore last week after he launched a campaign that encouraged peo-
ple to make signs saying "We are all Muslim" and post photographs of them-
selves holding the signs online. Her Twitter page has since been taken down,
and Velez has apologized. CNN obtained a screen grab of the page, and am-
ong the messages she originally sent were: "Muslims use our constitution to
terrorize USA & plant gas stations," "there's NO comparison between Jews,
Christians & Muslims. Jews nor Christians have terrorizing agendas in their
sacred books, and "all what Muslims have done is provided oil & terrorize
this country & many others!!!!!!..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For May 20, 2015

COP GOES ON SUICIDAL RAMPAGE

As reported this morning by El Nuevo Dia, a 26 year old police officer

shot two fellow officers inside a house in the Santa Rosa neighborhood

of Bayamon early this morning, and then shot himself to death. According 
to police, the as of yet unidentified officer had an argument with an ex-
girlfriend, who is also a police officer in a different location. After the 
argument, the female officer went to the house that she was sharing with 
other police  officers. The man followed her to the house, where their ar-
gument escalated. The officer then shot at his ex-girlfriend and another
police officer who was present, injuring but not killing them. The shooter 
then immediately put the gun to his own head and shot himself. The inju-
red officers were taken to Centro Médico for treatment.

UPDATE: Heriberto González Padilla, one of the officers who was shot,
died this morning in hospital. The deceased shooter has been identified
as police officer José David Carrión Gómez.

GOVERNMENT TO PRESENT BUDGET TODAY

From Caribbean Business:

The administration of Gov. Alejandro García Padilla will present 

its fiscal year 2016 budget plan Wednesday. It will total $9.8 

billion and will include about $600 million in government spending 

cuts, La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Víctor Suárez said Tuesday. He 

added that Puerto Rico will seek to access the markets for tax-

revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) at the beginning of fiscal 2016, 

or July 1, to provide the commonwealth with much-needed liquidity 

to address cash flow issues during the first few months of the fis-

cal year. Suárez warned about the need to approve both the new tax 

bill and the budget plan “to provide certainty to financial markets.”

Absent TRANs funds, the chief of staff said such measures as fur-

loughing public employees would be discussed, as “the budget and 

the cash flow are two different things.”

RIVERA SCHATZ SEEKS SUPPORT FOR RUN

From The San Juan Daily Star:

Although it is not offi cial, former Senate President Thomas Rivera

Schatz is reaching out to New Progressive Party (NPP) mayors and 

already has a jingle in support of his candidacy for governor.Sources 

said Rivera Schatz, who is known as the “White Shark” for his nonon-

sense personality, already has the support of several powerful mayors 

including Guaynabo Mayor Héctor O’Neill, but that information could 

not be confirmed. The former Senate leader spent the weekend on a jeep 

caravan around parts of the island to promote his candidacy.

P&G PLANT LEAVES PR FOR N. CAROLINA

From ABC News:

Procter & Gamble Co. says it is closing a manufacturing plant in Puerto 

Rico and laying off some 230 employees. A company statement Friday 

says the plant in the southern town of Cayey will close in the next nine 

to 12 months. Officials said the company will move operations to a plant 

in North Carolina as part of an overall restructuring.

NEW OLIVE GARDEN OPENS JUNE 15TH

From News Is My Business:

A year after the arrival of Olive Garden in Puerto Rico, Restaurant 

Operators Inc. announced Monday the company will open its second 

restaurant on the island, in Guaynabo’s San Patricio Plaza sector, 

June 15th.