Junta leaves Jimena and Tarifa macro projects out of POT

JIMENA/TARIFA (Agencies) In its latest revision of the Plan General de Ordenación del Territorio (POT) for the Campo de Gibraltar, the Junta de Andalucía has left out some of the projects that had previously been included. Principally impacted are Jimena and Tarifa, the former with a now un-backed golf resort of some €900million, and Tarifa with a similar golf project. The decision comes as the result of the financial crisis and affects major infrastructure investments of this kind. The Jimena Golf Resort tourist complex could go ahead via other means, according to Mayor Pascual Collado, as it is qualified as 'of regional tourism interest'. In any case the 700 homes in the project have not been scrapped by the Junta. Also, Collado points out that the POT establishes a series of other infrastructures, including necessary public works such as sewage and road improvements.>

Jorge and Juan's outrageous verdict in Morocco

LOS BARRIOS/TARIFA/MOROCCO/SPAIN Assumptions are dangerous things but we've assumed you've been following this story elsewhere (we have, on Sancho's Tilting at Windmills). To quote Sancho on the background: "On June 5 the two men from Los Barrios had gone fishing off Tarifa with Jorge’s son, David. They got lost in the fog, strayed to near the Moroccan shoreline, called the Spanish coastguard for help but were detained by a patrol from Morocco. Initially they were held for entering Morocco without the necessary paperwork and David was sent home. Then as a consignment of eight bales of hashish was found in the area of their rescue along with a Jet Ski they were charged with drug trafficking and sentence to three years in jail plus a fine." There's more (below) - and an outrageous sentence. As the poster says: "What if this was you?! WHERE ARE THE POLITICIANS? They are also Spanish." (We suggest you read more about this case on Tilting at Windmills.) This item is also published on CampoPulse.

Are you keeping an eye on CampoPulse?

Our partner site CampoPulse is full of news about the Campo de Gibraltar in general. We are beginning to publish our Jimena articles there as well, in preparation for moving everything over there. However, in the meantime, we urge you to have a look at the sidebar, where a selection of the latest articles are listed under the Did you miss anything on CampoPulse? heading. Preponderant among the subjects to be found on CampoPulse is the current La Línea 'congestion charge' situation, which is updated daily and that is affecting many of our readers, and will certainly do so in the future if things continue as they are. So keep an eye on CampoPulse to get the latest for your town or village. (Photo: mollymccloy.com)

Marcus von Wachtel, circus man from Jimena

News comes from Tarifa that Marcus von Wachtel (photo), a part-time resident of Jimena, where he has a house, has made contacts with the Council there to create a municipal circus school. Von Wachtel was brought up in Jimena but branched out to the rest of Spain when he decided to go into the entertainment business. He is not only involved with the circus, writing, producing, directing and creating acts for some of Spain's largest and best known circuses with international reputations, but also works in film and television as well as the theatre. (See related CampoPulse item).

Reservoirs at capacity levels release water

(Agencies) The Provincial Delegation for the Environment announced yesterday that all the area's reservoirs continue to release water through controlled sluice gates that have remained open since before the end of last year. The One at Guadarranque (Castellar - photo) does so at a rate of 30m2/second, Charco Redondo (Los Barrios) at 18m2/sec and that at Almodóvar (Tarifa), at 86% capacity, at 7m2/sec.

63% of fatal accidents in Campo happen here

(Agencies / photo: EuropaSur) Statistics show that the most dangerous stretch of road in the Campo de Gibraltar is the N-340 between Algeciras and Tarifa (See map below). These 46 kms represent over six of every ten fatal accidents on the region's roads, according to figures from 2008 and 2009. Of the last 14 traffic deaths in the area, nine occurred there. This is most notorious black spot in the province, too, where most accidents are head on collisions between cars and lorries, usually on overtaking with limited frontal visibility, and end up on the wrong side of the road.>

Civil War bomb exploded in Tahivilla

TARIFA - A farmer in the countryside near Tarifa, at El Armachal, uncovered an explosive artifact dating back to the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) while he was ploughing a field. He was not impressed or alrmed but workers on the nearby T1 wind mills called in the Guardia Civil, whose TEDAX anti-explosive unit detonated the bomb under control at approximately 1pm yesterday. This is not the first time this kind of thing happens in that area as such artifacts, containing their explosives intact, have been found before. (Photo: EuropaSur)

Lothar Bergmann (1947-2009)

Lothar Bergmann, the German speleologist and environmentalist who lived in Tarifa for many years, died on Monday after a long illness. He was well-known in the Campo de Gibraltar for his untiring defense of what he called Art of the South, his way of saying prehistoric art. Lothar lived in Tarifa for thirty years, captivated, he used to say, by the area and by his wife Paqui. The above is but a small tribute to someone we had the privilege of meeting years ago. To his wife, family and many friends everywhere, our deepest sympathy.

To see his photos of Laja Alta in Jimena, click here.

26 immigrants intercepted near Tarifa, five with high fevers

(Agencies. Photo: EuropaSur) 26 people of sub-Saharan origin were intercepted yesterday morning about 12 miles from Tarifa aboard a zodiac-type boat. On their arrival at the Red Cross station there, five of them were found to have high temperatures, which set up the emergency procedures against Swine Flu, while the rest were in good health. One of 15 women on board was pregnant and was taken to hospital for routine checks. Medical procedures took longer than usual because those with fever had to be isolated,  although tests for Swine Flu turned out to be negative.