DR1 Daily News - Tuesday, 3 January 2017

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May 3, 2000
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Property tax exemption increases
President Medina did not go to Puerto Rico
General asks to meet with President Medina
Two security guards recovering
Fugitive urged to come forward
Metro falling apart
New archbishop for the Dominican Republic
Work related accidents up on last year
More New Year traffic deaths
Man arrested for murder of local Civil Defense director*
Aguilas Cibae?as lead in baseball championship
The Nutcracker at Agora Mall*



Property tax exemption increases
The Tax Agency (DGII) reports that the property tax exemption threshold has been raised from RD$6,858,885 to RD$7,019,383, a 2.3% increase.

The Tax Agency is also reminding vehicle owners that Friday, 6 January 2017 is the deadline for renewing their vehicle?s driving permit sticker (marbete). After that date, a RD$900 penalty will be applied and long lines can be expected at the reduced number of outlets where the sticker can be acquired.


President Medina did not go to Puerto Rico
Presidency Communications and Press Director Roberto Rodriguez Marchena disclosed that President Danilo Medina did not attend the inauguration of Ricardo Rossello Nevares as the new governor of Puerto Rico as was reported on Monday, 2 January 2017.

Reports that he would be attending were based on news sources from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

However, Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado did attend the inauguration on the President?s behalf and conveyed a message of congratulations to the new governor.

http://hoy.com.do/miguel-vargas-asiste-a-juramentacion-de-gobernador-puerto-rico/
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...ello-como-gobernador-de-puerto-rico-DG5888647


General asks to meet with President Medina
Retired General Rafael Percival Pe?a says that President Danilo Medina is not to blame for the death of his son, John Percival Matos and directly accused bank owners of being responsible.

Percival said that he went to the Presidential Palace on Monday 2 January 2017 to deliver a message to the President in the hope that he would see him within five days so that he could leave the country for a medical check-up.

John Percival Matos was killed by the Police on Wednesday, 28 December 2016, after being pursued for the armed robberies carried out in La Sirena in Villa Mella, on a security truck in Bella Vista Mall and a Banco Popular branch in Plaza Lama on 27 Febrero Avenue in Santo Domingo. The series of armed robberies has left one security guard dead and several with serious injuries.

The retired general said that what he described as ?paramilitary groups? were laying siege to the country.
His letter was received by Deputy Minister of the Presidency Alejandra Liriano.

El D?a reported that the retired general is being accused of feeding his son intelligence information to help him evade capture.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...e-de-la-muerte-de-su-hijo-y-acusa-a-banqueros
http://eldia.com.do/percival-pena-ayudaba-a-su-hijo-a-eludir-captura/


Two security guards recovering
Jose de Jesus Reynoso, one of the two security guards who were injured during the raid on a Banco Popular branch in Plaza Lama in Santo Domingo on Monday, 26 December 2016, is still in intensive care but off a ventilator.

According to Marcelino Velez Santana hospital director Dr. Frank Soto, although the patient?s condition is still serious he is expected to survive. The other guard who was injured in the robbery, German Meran, is likely to be allowed home shortly.

Reynoso had to have two ribs removed and had injuries to his liver and colon but should be able to live a normal life, while Meran has a bullet wound in his elbow and the nerve has been affected.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...los-dos-heridos-en-asalto-a-sucursal-bancaria


Fugitive urged to come forward
On Monday 2 January 2017, a brother-in-law of Brayan Felix Paulino, who is linked to the gang led by John Percival Matos spoke to the National Police and asked his relative to hand himself over to the authorities to stop his family suffering.

Peter Alberto Peralta Hernandez, 33, went to the office of Noticias SIN, and said that he was transporting cement to Haiti where he was on 31 December 2016. He said that he was going there as the National Police were hounding his wife and his mother with several raids on their homes during the last week.

Peralta called on his brother-in-law to hand himself over to the authorities to stop the raids and the mistreatment his family had received over the past few days.*

His mother, Miguelina Altagracia Hernandez, complained that the Police were searching every corner of her home and breaking some of her possessions during the raids.

Peralta was met by Major Beltr? from the Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Dicrim) who reassured him that Felix Paulino?s rights would be respected.

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman, General Nelson Rosario, revealed that Brayan Peter Felix Paulino had no criminal record, had not served in the military, and was not related to any member of the armed forces. He is being pursued by the Police in a nationwide search.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...entregue-y-se-desvincula-de-banda-de-percival
http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...n-felix-paulino-no-tiene-antecedentes-penales
http://elnacional.com.do/parece-se-esfuman-demas-integrantes-banda-de-percival/


Metro falling apart
The government?s most ambitious transport system is deteriorating and the lack of maintenance of the Metro stations in Santo Domingo is affecting the public service, according to a report in Listin Diario on Monday, 2 January 2017.

The Metro system cost millions, and the extension to the second line recently received a loan of 124,400,000 euros, but the metal structures are rusting, some of the elevators and the escalators do not work and the bathrooms are dirty and in a poor state.

The floors are stained, paint is peeling off and even the signage to identify the stations is deteriorating. In 60% of the 30 Metro stations on lines one and two, there are lighting problems as the ceiling lamps are broken.

The deterioration is most noticeable in the stations of the second line, the newest part of the public transport system.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2017/01/02/448965/estaciones-del-metro-muestran-deterioro


New archbishop for the Dominican Republic
According to the Holy See, Pope Francis has appointed the metropolitan archbishop of Santo Domingo, Francisco Ozoria Acosta, as military ordinariate of the Dominican Republic in replacement of Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, who has retired.

Ozoria Acosta was born in Nagua in the diocese of San Francisco de Macoris on 10 October 1951. He was ordained a bishop on 2 September 1978, and went to Rome in 1988 to study, receiving his degree in Pastoral Theology in 1990.

Throughout his religious life he has been a teacher of Pastoral Theology at the Seminary Santo Tomas de Aquino in the archdiocese of Santo Domingo and bishop of several parishes. He has also served on several committees.
http://hoy.com.do/el-papa-nombra-a-francisco-ozoria-ordinario-militar-de-la-republica-dominicana/


Work related accidents up on last year
According to the Administrator of Labor Risks, 38,382 reports of work-related accidents were received during 2016, an increase of 12% over 2015.

Most accidents were recorded in the private sector while 6,565 were reported in the public sector. The highest number of accidents took place in the industrial workplace ? the manufacturing of food and drink products, apparel and textiles, shoes etc. In second place was commerce and vehicle repair and third place was education, then health and social services, followed by construction, transport, warehousing and communications.

The 20-29 age group was worst affected by accidents at work, followed by people between the ages of 30 and 39 and then 50 to 59-year olds. The lowest rate of accidents was reported for the under 20s.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/01/02/2016-reportaron-38382-accidentes-trabajo


More New Year traffic deaths
According to the Monday, 2 January 2017 report from the Emergency Operations Center (COE), 33 people died over the end of the year celebrations in traffic accidents involving motorcyclists in 67% of cases. This is 20% less than in the 2015-16 New Year holiday period when there were 41 deaths.*

There were 1,074 traffic accidents over the New Year holiday, up from 808 for the 2015-16 holiday period.
The New Year holiday safety operation began on Friday 30 December 2016, with two deaths reported on Saturday, 31 December 2016. However, later in the night and through Sunday, 1 January 2017 the figure rose to 33.*

This figure was higher than the Christmas period when 13 people lost their lives.

COE director General Juan Manuel Mendez announced that 7,146 people had received assistance, 283 suffered alcohol poisoning and 29 were treated for food poisoning over the three-day period.

The provinces with the highest number of accidents were Duarte (San Francisco de Macor?s), Santiago, Azua, Monse?or Nouel (Bonao), San Pedro de Macoris and Santo Domingo.

http://eldia.com.do/fiestas-navidenas-dejan-33-muertos/


Man arrested for murder of local Civil Defense director
The Cibao regional Command of the National Police has announced the arrest of a man linked to the murder of the local Civil Defense director in Esperanza, in the northwestern province of Valverde (Mao). Teofilo Radhames Martinez was shot dead in the neighboring town of Navarrete on 10 October 2016.

The arrested man was named as 32-year old Justo Ramon Duran Jimenez (Willi), who was arrested under warrant in Navarrete. According to the Police, he was identified by a witness to the crime, whose identity is not being revealed for security reasons.

Unknown assailants on a motorcycle shot at Martinez several times as he was sitting in a parked vehicle outside his home in Navarrete.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...or-de-la-defensa-civil-de-esperanza-FH5889799


Aguilas Cibae?as lead in baseball championship
After a difficult regular season, the Aguilas Cibae?as are doing well in the round robin and are leading the four-team semi-finals. Aguilas fans have enjoyed the Santiago-based team?s four consecutive victories. The Tigres del Licey team is in second place, a game and a half behind. The Gigantes del Cibao are third, with two games behind and the Leones del Escogido are fourth, two games and a half away. *

See the schedule for the games at:

http://www.lidom.com/home/calendario/


The Nutcracker at Agora Mall*
Agora Mall is presenting Tchaikovsky?s two-act ballet The Nutcracker on Sunday, 8 January 2017 in the central atrium of the Santo Domingo shopping mall. The ballet is being performed by dancers from the National Dance School. The mall also reminds families that the Three Kings will be visiting on 7, 8 and 9 January from 5pm to 8pm.

http://www.dr1.com/calendar


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