JUST a few months after one of the four osprey chicks introduced to the Pego-Oliva marshes was electrocuted a second bird has met the same fate. The female named Marina was found in Valencia’s l’Albufera nature park, eight months after being released into the wild. Her body was found (in a paddy field) thanks to the GPS tracker all the birds are equipped with. The autopsy last week confirmed the cause...
VALENCIA has consolidated its position as the busiest cargo port in the Mediterranean, registering traffic of 81 million tons in 2019, an increase of almost 6%. Closest rival Barcelona saw a small reduction in traffic to around 68 million tons as the gap between the two giants widened. Valencia has the potential to expand significantly further if the proposed new terminal goes ahead. This would create an...
WORK to repair the roof of the Sant Bertomeu Church in Javea started last week after being classified as an urgent requirement. The work required had been signed off last year and is aimed at stopping the continual leaks and damp gradually ruining the historic old building. The worst affected parts are the top of the interior, the sacristy roof and the communion chapel while the bell tower is cracked in...
GANDIA is updating the cities parking and traffic regulations which have been on the statute books for two decades and are starting to look decidedly out of date thanks to technological and other advances. The main one of these is probably the proliferation of electric scooters, which will no longer be allowed on pavements in the town. They can still use roads which have a 20 kmph speed limit as well as...
A Valencian court has sentenced a man to nine months in jail for leaving his three-year-old daughter in his car while he went to a bar. She had been left alone for at least 45 minutes when passers-by heard her distressed calls. They were able to get her out as the car had been left unlocked, something which would have placed the girl in greater danger. It is understood that the man’s sentence has been...
SERRANO ham and smoked salmon were among the high-value items a gang of shoplifters were caught stealing from supermarkets in Calpe at the end of last week. The three accused were unaware they were under surveillance by the Guardia Civil, who observed them going from various outlets to a waiting car, unloading goods. When they were stopped and searched the Guardia found a bag with a hidden pocket that had...
A young man aged just 24 died of an apparent heart attack while playing paddle tennis in Castellon (Valencia) last week. The CICU emergency centre was alerted in mid-evening that the man appeared to have gone into cardiac arrest. Two ambulance crews attended the scene and performed CPR for around an hour but were unable to recover any vital signs. An autopsy is being carried out to confirm the cause of...
L’ALFAS del Pi is to become the first municipality in the Alicante province to prescribe exercise as an official medication. Health Councillor Marisa Cortes announced the plans this week following consultations with local health professionals. Known as the physical activity prescription project, it will be mainly aimed at those who are unwell primarily due to inactivity as well as some with problems such...
THE Safety and Sports Department in Vila Joiosa have increased controls at municipal sports facilities to crack down on illegal drug use. Sports Councillor Jose Ramon said that sports facilities were one of the places where adults and children commonly mixed and there was a danger of youngsters being exposed to drug use, either directly or indirectly. The Citizen Security Department has said that they will...
THE “Guardian” newspaper back in the UK has named Valencia’s Cabanyal district as one of the ten coolest neighbourhoods in Europe. The travel writers were looking for less touristy parts of places that have a high number of visitors and highlighted the authenticity, cosmopolitan atmosphere and original architecture in the old seaside barrio. They also said that “the new shops and bars that are...