AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson
Motorbike protest in Perpignan
Around 500 ‘bikers’ gathered in Perpignan this Saturday to protest against a new restriction which came into force at the beginning of February. 2-wheel vehicles no longer have the right to squeeze between two columns of cars when a traffic jam forms on the road. In fact, this was never actually authorised but just ‘tolerated’, and will now no longer be ‘tolerated’.
Coronavirus update
Since the end of January the number of coronavirus contaminations in the P-O has dropped by two thirds. The incidence rate is at its lowest level since the start of 2021 and the number of new contaminations is dropping sharply – with just one in 25 people testing positive during screening tests. Despite this positivity, the head of infectious diseases department at Perpignan hospital says that a fourth wave is ‘inevitable’ and the situation in the hospital remains ‘under tensions’ with 24 patients currently in intensive care.
Series of road accidents
Wednesday was a busy day for the traffic police due to a series of unrelated accidents. Firstly, at 7am a vehicle careered off the D914 at Argeles-sur-Mer and caught fire. The driver suffered slight injuries. Later, 2 cars were involved in a side impact on the D900 near Salses-le-Chateau and two women had to be evacuated. Finally, at 3pm witnesses near Sainte-Léocadie spotted a car overturned on its roof, and managed to extricate the driver before being joined by the emergency services.
Unusual house fire
Firefighters were called out to a house fire in Saint-Cyprien last week. Works were being carried out on the facade, which had been covered in paint stripper, and sparks from a grinder being used then ignited the product and the whole wall was set ablaze. Fortunately, the occupants were able to get out safely but have had to be relocated.
Stepmother sent to prison
A woman who became sole carer to her step-daughter when the father was sent to prison has today been sent to prison herself, for killing the child. The little girl died in Perpignan hospital, having been shaken severely by the step-mother – 50 other bruises were found on the girl’s body. The girl had been the subject of 14 reports to social services and on the morning she died, investigators had knocked on the door of the house in Trouillas but had been refused entry.
Lorry driver dies in tragic accident on A9
A tragic accident occurred on the A9 motorway near Maureillas-las-Illas, when two HGVs collided. Witnesses stated that the cabin of one lorry hit the trailer of the second. Firefighters from Le Boulou intervened and one of the drivers was taken to hospital, the second driver died of his injuries.
And finally…
It seems that during the pandemic, as well as cleaning cupboards and baking bread, people have been writing books. A local publishing company, Cap Bear Editions, has received nearly 70% more manuscripts than usual. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the market is going to be flooded with best-selling novels as the publishing company also states that the number of published works remains the same.
