News in Brief – Costa de Almeria

Kitten season ANIMAL rescue centres are currently overwhelmed with kittens who are ready to go to loving homes, or soon will be. This particularly applies to Maz’s Canine and Feline Rescue (634304498) in the Albox area, as well as PAWS-PATAS (www.paws-patas.org) whose shelter is located between Los Gallardos and Turre.

AVE advance THE central government’s Sub-delegate insisted that Almeria receives more funding from Madrid than any other Andalucia province and was third in line nationally.  He also announced that €655 million would be spent this year on the Murcia-Almeria high-speed AVE train, with advances on all sections apart from Pulpi-Lorca.

Big business THE Policia Nacional arrested 47 people in Almeria on drugs-related charges during the first three months of this year, confiscating half-a-ton of hashish and 600 kilos of marijuana.  They also located 24 indoor plantations and 685 illegal power connections as well as 12 firearms and €116,000 in cash.

Easy boarding A DOZEN bus-stops in Almeria City are being remodelled to make them entirely accessible and safe for all members of public.  City hall’s Mobility councillor Maria del Mar Garcia Lorca also pointed out that the €30,000 modifications improved manoeuvrability for drivers when arriving at the bus-stops and leaving.

Women doctors THE National Statistics Institute (INE) showed that 1,407 women doctors practised in Almeria province last year compared to 1,384 men. Almeria is the only province in Andalucia where women medics outnumber their male counterparts, with INE’s 2020 records revealing a regional balance of 22,374 males and 20,712 females.

More jobs ROQUETAS town hall has engaged 13 new employees thanks to a recently-signed municipal contract with the AVS security firm. Eight of the new staff will be working as security guards and five as telephonists and receptionists, each on a year’s contract that will be extendible to four.

Special thanks GADOR celebrated Labour Day on May 1 with a homage to its municipal workers in recognition of all their years of hard work and dedication.  There was also special gratitude from the mayor for their efforts and “extraordinary performance” during the State of Alarm and afterwards.

Road reopens THE Alhabia section of the A-1075 has now reopened to traffic following emergency work carried out by the Junta’s Infrastructure department.  The road had to be closed due to heavy rain at the end of last year and the effects of Storm Filomena in early January. 

Arabic out  TELEVISION presenter and journalist Merced Mila, together with other prominent media figures, has criticised the regional Education department’s decision to stop the Arabic classes at El Ejido’s Official School of Languages. Arabic is one of the UN’s six languages, she argued, and spoken by 300,000 people.

Straight through THE hazardous above-ground level crossing at El Puche has now been substituted by a €25.3 million section of underground track.  Direct communications between Almeria and Granada will resume once the new track has been tried out and passed all safety tests, the central government’s Sub-delegate announced.

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