News
Health centre
Political control of Andalucía passed to the
Partido Popular in December, and Nerja’s
PP mayor, José Alberto Armijo, says this will
finally signal the construction of a new
health centre in the town. In the 16 years
since the deal for a new facility was first
agreed, the proposed construction site has
changed three times. Sr Armijo has already
had meetings with health officials in an
effort to push plans forward.
Málaga murder
A man in his early 20s has been detained in
Málaga suspected of murdering his 70-year-
old father in the city, before using public
transport to flee the scene. Police quickly
alerted the transport authority as well as the
management of an hotel which he is known
to have frequented. He was arrested shortly
after arriving at the hotel in calle Calvo and
was confirmed as being an habitual
psychiatric patient.
Beach project
A €29,000 project to conduct an impact
study into plans to stabilise Ferrara beach in
Torrox has been awarded to a Málaga firm.
Work on this second and final stage of the
main project is expected to start this month
and take 11 months to complete. Under the
plans, about 1,800 metres of the shoreline
will be protected from losing sand in severe
weather.
“Retrograde” Málaga
in Netflix movie
Tourism authorities in Málaga have
complained about the “retrograde”
image of the city as portrayed in a new
Netflix film. The comedy-thriller
“Murder Mystery” features an
American couple, played by Jennifer
Aniston and Adam Sandler, travelling
around Europe.
However, when they arrive in Málaga,
they are greeted by a gypsy wearing a
flamenco dress, a man with a guitar
and a travel guide dressed in a red shirt
and yellow jacket, the colours of the
Spanish flag. The guide from
“Gonzales Tours” then ushers them
onto an old bus to continue their
journey, despite all Málaga transfer
coaches now being comfortable and
air-conditioned.
Critics add that the tour company
name should be spelled “González,” for
accuracy. However, perhaps none of
this is surprising as no scene of the
movie was shot in Spain; it was made
in Montreal and Italy.
Murder Mystery still
they were, “more surprised than
indignant.” Spokeswoman Fátima Oliva
described the image as “retrograde,”
adding that the producers seem to have
used memories of Spain as it might
have been 50 years ago.
“It’s a very old fashioned idea of life
here,” she continued, “with a gypsy at
the airport and all that. Málaga has 37
museums and has become an
important cultural tourist destination.”
The Board has now invited the
production company, Happy Madison,
to visit the city to find out “the reality
of Málaga and the Costa del Sol.”
Illegal taxis The Costa del Sol Tourist Board said
Increased vigilance by plain clothes police
patrols at Málaga airport has led to the
immobilisation of 66 illegal taxis during
May and June. Drivers of vehicles not
authorised to carry paying passengers are
fined €1,380 plus costs, with their vehicles
impounded until the payment is made. In
the case of repeat offenders, the penalty can
rise to €2,750. Caves offices targeted
by thieves again
PP Spokesman
Nerja’s mayor, José Alberto Armijo of the
Partido Popular, has appointed Jonathan
Méndez to be the party’s local spokesman.
Méndez was a town councillor between
2007 and 2011, and was then President of
the Association of Nerja Business Owners
for two years. The mayor said the
appointment was intended to “revitalise” the
image of the party in the municipality.
Happy ending
A lifeguard and an off-duty police officer
saved a three-year-old from drowning last
month. The child was pulled unconscious
from a community pool in Torre del Mar by
the lifeguard who administered CPR while
the officer brought his patrol car to take the
youngster swiftly to Vélez-Málaga Hospital.
The child reacted well to resuscitation and is
reported to have made a complete recovery.
The administrative offices at the Nerja
Caves complex in Maro has been the
target of thieves for the second time in
six months. The attack comes as the
Caves are celebrating the 60th
anniversary of the grotto’s discovery.
The latest incident came during the
night after Pastora Soler had sung to a
packed house as part of this summer’s
International Festival. Police say the
break-in showed similarities to the
previous attack in January when two
safes were removed and around
€37,000 inside them was stolen. The
destroyed safety deposit boxes were
later found by a hill walker just 200
metres away.
Staff at the complex believe the thieves
timed their attacks for early Sunday
mornings in the knowledge that cash
from Saturday’s box office takings
would not be deposited in the bank
18
until the following Monday. Security is
understood to be under review with
the company tasked to enforce it.
Caves managers say that there have
never been any thefts from the offices
in the 60 years since the caverns were
discovered in 1959, but now, the offices
have been targeted twice in six months.
It is unclear how much was taken in
the latest robbery.
Climber dies
A 55-year-old rock climber died in
Maro on July 14 after falling from the
cliffs into the sea, where he drowned.
He and two companions were in a
group from Granada who were
descending the rock face near the 15
metre high waterfall when the accident
occurred. The victim became
entangled with ropes and diving
equipment, and his body was later
recovered from the water by the
emergency services.