By THE STAR STAFF The island Education Department (DE), through its Office of the Commissioner of Safety, held a strategic meeting on Thursday with coordinators and alternate coordinators of emergency management from all educational regions, as part of the preparations for the start of the hurricane season. The working session, held at the DE’s Office of Security and Emergency Management, brought together about 20 key officials responsible for activating the educational syste

House Government Committee Chairman Víctor Parés Otero inspected the facilities of the Monacillos Transmission Control Center this week with the objective of verifying that grid operator LUMA Energy is prepared to handle the impact of tropical storms and hurricanes. By THE STAR STAFF San Juan District 4 Rep. Víctor Parés Otero, who chairs the Government Committee in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, inspected the facilities of the Monacillos Transmission Control Cente

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo By THE STAR STAFF San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo said Thursday that the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) has not yet reimbursed him for expenses incurred as a result of the drinking water crisis affecting the capital city. Meanwhile, PRASA reached an agreement with the Municipality of Bayamón to reimburse $499,636 for the delivery of drinking water to communities affected by the service outage. However, that figure contras

A new law empowers the Natural and Environmental Resources secretary to grant special non‑sport hunting permits to farmers whose crops and land are being damaged by wild hogs. (pr51st.com) By THE STAR STAFF In a move aimed at strengthening protections for agriculture, food security and public health, Puerto Rico has enacted House Bill 641 into law to address the rapid spread of wild hogs across multiple regions of the island. The measure, now Law 102‑2026 and authored by Rep.

By THE STAR STAFF Superior Court Judge Anthony Cuevas Ramos late on Tuesday dismissed the lawsuit filed by Sen. Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz against the Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres seeking to compel the release of information regarding cases archived within the Division of Public Integrity and Comptroller Affairs. “In this case, Senator Hernández Ortiz filed the instant petition without demonstrating that he holds any of the roles within the legislative bodies that

Aguas Buenas Mayor Karina Nieves Serrano By THE STAR STAFF Aguas Buenas Mayor Karina Nieves Serrano demanded on Wednesday that grid operator LUMA Energy intervene immediately to address constant failures at the substation that supplies power to the municipality. “The residents of Aguas Buenas deserve stable and reliable electric service,” Nieves Serrano stated in written remarks. “It is unacceptable that every time a failure occurs at this substation, a large portion of the m

Robert F. Mujica Jr., executive director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico has ordered the island’s two mayors organizations to stop implementing two laws that expand municipal procurement and taxation powers, warning that the measures violate the certified Fiscal Plan and could jeopardize federal funding. In a letter sent Monday to Camuy Mayor Gabriel Hernández Rodríg

By THE STAR STAFF Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez seeks to promote the expansion of operations at the Antonio Rivera Rodríguez regional airport in the offshore island municipality of Vieques with the aim of attracting international flights, new routes, airlines and aircraft with more capacity. “The Vieques regional airport has received several recent refurbishments that have made possible the possible expansion of air operation

Steps Beach in Rincón is home to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, known for its parrotfish populations and hawksbill turtles. (puertorico.com) By THE STAR STAFF Rincón Mayor Carlos D. López Bonilla announced a $1.1 million investment this week to upgrade and expand recreational infrastructure along the municipality’s coastline, a project timed with the start of the summer tourism season. “Rincón is the Surfing Capital of Puerto Rico and the most visited tourist destination in

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes By THE STAR STAFF A mid confusion sparked by information circulating Wednesday about the recertification process for the Nutritional Assistance Program, known locally as PAN, the island Family Department reiterated that participants who continue to meet eligibility requirements will keep receiving their benefits without interruption. The agency said it has resumed the regular annual recertification process mandated by the federal governme