AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a light look at the latest local news with Caroline Manson
Gilets-Jaunes
Yet more demonstrations took place in town centres and at the Peage toll-booths, 765 protestors (who was counting I wonder?) and just 4 arrests this time. Just by way of a change they tried to enter the Auchan shopping mall but all the entrance doors were closed to them while the shoppers were ‘invited not to leave’. In an act of complete vandalism they also attempted to set fire to the famous Sundial ‘artwork’ on the traffic island at Rivesaltes which has been left so weak that authorities say it is in danger of falling. The roundabout has been temporarily closed (only the A9 access road is open).
Fire near Clinique St. Pierre
Fifty seven firefighters and 15 vehicles were mobilized in an attempt to extinguish a blaze on shrubland along the banks of the River Tet on the outskirts of Perpignan. The road between Perpignan and Prades was closed to traffic for several hours and the high winds last Sunday made the work extremely difficult. The cause of the fire is as yet unknown.
Car hit by train at Salses-le-Chateau
Early on Wednesday morning a TER train travelling from Perpignan to Narbonne crashed into a car which was stationary on the track on a level crossing. The 60 year old driver of the car was killed instantly, and police suspect this was a planned suicide.
New prison to be built at Rivesaltes
Apparently we need a new prison in the region, capable of accommodating 500 prisoners, and the local authorities have now decided that the ideal spot would be Rivesaltes. Just north of the ‘Sundial’ roundabout, there is a large wasteland between the A9 and D900. The advantage is that the site is already partially laid out with access roads and cabling – how lucky for us that Ikea decided not to continue with their plans…!
Sabena takes over EAS
One hundred employees of the Perpignan-airport based aeronautical maintenance company (the big blue building) demonstrated noisily outside a court-room as the fate of their company was decided. EAS has been in liquidation for several months but of the 3 offers ‘on the table’ the employees were against that of Sabena Technics as it would mean 62 redundancies. The court decided in favour of the purchase and the CEO of Sabena was given a secure escort out of the building.
And finally ……
On January 15 the police spotted a young man loitering near the infamous ‘Les Oiseaux’ residence in Perpignan. The 16 year-old had already been arrested for dealing and was banned from the premises, so at the sight of the police, he fled the scene, leaving behind 10 doses of cocaine. 30 minutes later the police make another visit – and discover the young man is in exactly the same place – and this time when he flees he leaves 22 doses of cocaine behind. He initially denies the sale of narcotics but when the police pointed out that he was leading rather a lavish lifestyle for an unemployed teenager, he admitted it. The courts will now decide his fate.
