Soltalk June 2019 | Page 20

Church attack Vandals have stolen items from the Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación church in Torrox. They are also reported to have desecrated the building and stolen the key in an attack last month. Church officials condemned the incident, adding that the stolen items were purely decorative and have no monetary value. Police suspect A Guardia Civil officer from Granada is amongst 50 people detained following an anti-drugs operation in Málaga and Cádiz last month. Raids on May 15 were the culmination of an investigation which began last August. The gang is believed to have brought in drugs by sea and then distributed them across Europe hidden in lorries. Vélez fire Fifty people were evacuated from their homes in Vélez-Málaga early on May 13 after fire broke out in calle Molino de Cristo. Fire crews attended the blaze which started in a garage and damaged eight vehicles. No-one was injured in the incident although fire crews experienced danger from the thick clouds of smoke coming from the underground storage area. Lost overnight A 34-year-old woman accompanied by five teenagers were found safe and well last month after being reported missing overnight near Nerja. The alert was raised by their families after they failed to return from a walk along the course of the Chillar river. Their whereabouts was discovered early the next morning by a rescue helicopter and all were reported to be fit and well. Employment grants Málaga’s provincial government, the Diputación, is inviting applications for grants from employers prepared to hire older, long-term unemployed workers. A similar initiative last year resulted in placing 50 people in work for at least two years across the province. Full details have been published in the province’s official bulletin and applications will be received until the budget of €800,000 is exhausted. Pitch renewal Nerja Town Hall has accepted a bid from Kaoka, Obras y Servicios SL to upgrade the municipal football pitch. The project has a budget of over €245,000. This will include replacing the artificial turf and supplying new perimeter railings. Fewer Blue Flags this summer The province of Málaga has been awarded eight fewer Blue Flags to fly on its beaches and marinas this year, although the town of Nerja has once again won none at all. The certification has been awarded since 1987 by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to tourist facilities and operators which meet stringent standards including quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services and general environmental management. This year, Spain is permitted to display 669 Blue Flags, 28 fewer than last year but enough for the country to maintain its position as world leader. Amongst the provinces, Valencia won the most (150), followed by Cataluña (120) and Galicia (119). The 98 flags awarded to Andalucía put it in fourth place nationally. The FEE said that 53 beaches across the country were denied Blue Flags for failing to comply with legislation, 23 because of the poor quality of their bathing water and 14 for failing adequately to treat urban waste. Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Oliver, said the drop in the number of flags was “not a drama” but a fact which would lead to improvements. The requirements, she added, are “very demanding” and underline the need for the preservation and care of tourist amenities. Along the east coast, Vélez-Málaga will fly flags at Benajarafe, Torre del Mar and La Caleta Paseo beaches, while the beach at Algarroba Costa and Ferrera beach in Torrox have also been awarded the accolade. In addition, the marina at Caleta de Vélez is one of five ports in Málaga which have again been awarded a Blue Flag. On Granada’s Costa Tropical, Playa Calahonda has regained the Blue Flag which it lost three years ago for economic reasons, while flags have been retained at Torrenueva and at Playa Granada in Motril. 80,000 bees invade Granada home A couple in the small town of Pinos Puente north-west of Granada had a problem this spring. They were unable to sleep because of an unidentified buzzing noise in their bedroom. After three months of sleepless nights, they decided they needed help and, having previously seen large numbers of bees in the area, they called on specialist beekeeper Sergio Guerrero to investigate. But when he arrived on May 12, he had a shock - even for someone experienced in handling the insects. Behind a bedroom wall, he discovered a colony, estimated to be 80,000 bees strong, which had been growing for the last two years. Sr Guerrero said he was surprised that the couple had been able to share a house for so long with their noisy neighbours. Experts say the bees will have been encouraged by the large numbers of 18 wild flowers in the area and by the high temperatures of recent summers which have extended the bees’ reproductive period. Sr Guerrero says he has been asked to deal with more problem swarms than ever this year, suggesting the population is in good health. It took seven hours to remove the bees using a special suction system which meant that all the insects were extracted safely. They were later released in the countryside at least 800 metres from the nearest population centre to seek a new home. While Granada’s bee population appears to be thriving, bees have been on a decline worldwide in recent years. Some species were added to the endangered list in 2017 and 2018 in an effort to protect and revive their numbers.