2009 – Page 71

Drivers who have outstanding traffic fines will be forced to pay up, whether they like it or not. The Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) has announced that it will implement a new plan aimed at preventing Dominicans from obtaining any legal document until all their fines are paid. AMET director General Rafael Bencosme Candelier said that …

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The Santo Domingo Metro had another hiccup last night when a fuse overheated and blew up. The fault brought the system to a halt for about 20 minutes, causing irritation and discomfort among passengers. This is the second time the Metro has stopped running for a short period of time. In September the Metro service …

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Dominicans in Costa Rica and in the DR have taken offense at comments in the Costa Rican newspaper Diario Extra where journalist Mario Ugalde writes negatively about Dominicans living in the country. Ugalde comments specifically about a sector of the city of the capital San Jose known as “Tierra Dominicana,” where there is a large …

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She disappeared 10,950 days ago and today Dona Beatriz Batista has become a minor celebrity in Montellano, Puerto Plata. The elderly woman, who disappeared from her home thirty years ago has been visited by hundreds of locals, looking to piece together a bit more about her past. Details of her disappearance and her life are …

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All he wanted was a swim, but tragically 11-year old Gregory Castillo’s spirit of adventure cost him his life. Yesterday on his way back from school the young boy decided to take a dip in the sea, off the 10th kilometer of the Malecon. At about 2pm, Castillo began to drown and his younger sister …

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Who could have ever imagined a musical genre associated with brothels and bordellos, and labeled “musica de guardia” (soldiers’ music) or “musica baja” (lowlife music) playing at the White House? Well, this was the case last night, when Dominican bachata group Aventura took bachata where no other music group thought it would ever go. Last …

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Sacramento Kings owner Joe Maloof issued a serious warning after NBA basketball star forward Francisco Garcia was injured during a workout with an exercise ball. The ball blew up in a freak accident and he broke his wrist. He will require surgery and is expected to be out 4 months. The balls have been banned …

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A symbol of national pride, Marco Diaz has once again put the name of the Dominican Republic in the headlines and on the map. Diaz swam the Clean Half Marathon in Hong Kong and established a new record for the race, completing the course in 3 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds. “I am very …

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President Leonel Fernandez has ordered an investigation following allegations by lawyer Marino Vinicio “Vincho” Castillo, who heads the National Ethics Commission. Castillo is claiming that the cost of the Monte Grande dam was overvalued by more than US$29 million. It was reported in yesterday’s news that the Brazilian company Andrade Gutierrez had placed a price …

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Political scientist Cesar Perez is challenging National Ethics Commission director Vinicio Castillo to step up to the plate and denounce everyone who is engaged in corruption in the current administration. Perez is criticizing Castillo, who recently said that President Leonel Fernandez was “too benign” and that he had “an unprecedented level of tolerance”. He added …

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