2007 – Page 14

Diario Libre writes that Dominican-born Atlanta Hawks rookie power forward Al Horford has been to visit Toronto Raptors point guard T.J. Ford at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. Ford was on the receiving end of a vicious hit by Horford during a game on Tuesday night. The incident occurred as the six-foot guard Ford charged hard …

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Latest reports indicate Santiago is the province most affected by Tropical Storm Olga. The damage was caused by the opening of the Tavera-Bao Dam floodgates, probably to prevent a dam break, at midnight without warning those in the path of flooding. This released more than 5,000 cubic meters/second of water and caused a major swelling …

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Tropical Storm Olga did not realize that the hurricane season had ended on 30 November, and came at the Dominican Republic with torrential rains and strong gusts of wind. The Emergency Operations Committee (COE) reports in its first bulletin on the storm that 6,000 persons were evacuated and 24,595 persons had to be relocated due …

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International airports operated as normal during and after the passing of Tropical Storm Olga, with the exception of Puerto Plata’s International Airport where three flights after 11pm had to be cancelled due to the high winds. Airport operations resumed in the early morning. Some damage is reported to on the beach storefronts in Cabarete, on …

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The Ministry of Education has ordered all schools to close for an “indefinite” period due to Tropical Storm Olga. Deputy Education Minister Fausto Mota Garcia told reporters that he was following orders from Minister Alejandrina German, who was in Argentina yesterday. Students taking final exams were advised not to worry, as the exams will be …

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The government and the International Monetary Fund have reached an agreement on their positions on the 2008 budget. A major part of the agreement was to increase the funding of subsidies (propane and electricity) to RD$26.0 billion pesos. According to the Minister of Hacienda, Vincente Bengoa, the IMF disagreed with the appropriations that the government …

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While the Dominican economy has grown by 8% during the current year, according to Temistocles Montas, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, there has been little growth in the manufacturing or business sector. The conclusion was presented by Lisandro Macarrulla, the head of Private Business Council CONEP, and economists Jose Luis de Ramon and …

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The Transport Reorganization Office (OPRET) has handed over the plans for much of the new Metro system to journalist Huchi Lora. During a ceremony held at Lora’s residence, lawyers and OPRET officials signed over the plans (seven boxes, models and bound documents). Dominican Journalists Association president Mercedes Castillo, lawyer Laura Acosta, and Huchi Lora’s daughter …

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The Chamber of Deputies has approved the proposed legislation to give all government employees a 14th check in June 2008. The idea is to help pay for the cost of their children’s school supplies for the 2008-2009 academic year. Some modifications were made to the original bill. Instead of full salaries being paid to high-ranking …

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The Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus) has called on the Executive Branch to put an end to the policy of providing legislators with their infamous “little barrels”, a sum of money deposited for their exclusive use to help their communities. The so-called Legislative Social Fund has received harsh criticism from all sides since the monies …

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