“There is a project to change the location, because [its current location] is not the most appropriate,” President Ricardo Martinelli said of the prison’s central location on Domingo Diaz Avenue. The government notes that the new location will allow for an expanded facility and more comprehensive inmate rehabilitation.

The current women’s rehabilitation center was built for 400 inmates and now houses over a thousand.

Current location of Women’s Rehabilitation Center

Former Mayor Bosco Vallarino introduced the law in 2011 to ban alcohol sales in bars, hotels, casinos, shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cantinas and night clubs after 2 a.m. weekdays and 3 a.m. weekends.

The revised decree will eliminate the restrictions for shops, supermarkets and food establishments.

See Also: Panama Restricts Party Hours and Carrot Decree to Fix Bar Hours

The area of the blaze has been cordoned off as eight firetrucks and firefighters try to put out the flames, which have spread to other old houses on the block. More than 80 families are thought to be affected and their belongings consumed.

The cause is unknown although this is not the first fire in the area in recent months.

See Also: Fire on Street 13, Fire Destroys Houses in Santa Ana, Fire Near the Barrio Chino  and Fire in El Chorillo

Street 19 Fire, El Chorillo / PHOTO Panama Digest

Work included rebranding the institution with a new logo, high resolution copies of any art and development of a web page.

The company hired is listed as Imaginarium Studio, S. A., headed by Jean Paul Ortega, age 23 and a member of the ruling Democratic Change party. An initial Internet search shows that Imaginarium Studios does not have its own webpage in Panama, although the company was created four months prior to the March 2012 contract.

Industry experts told La Prensa that the $250,000 is generously at least seven times the going rate.

Ombudsperson Website

According to the technical specifications on the Panamá Compra website, the club house will include a play area, TV room, sauna, gym, swimming pool, bar, events space, dance floor, conference rooms and a security gate. It is more of a remodel than a new-build given that there is an existing structure dating from the 1970s.

The institution is also investing another $2.1 million in improvements to the surrounding areas, bringing expenditures of tax payer money to $4 million.

The project started in July of last year and is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and last 30 years.

La Prensa reports.

There are 382 166-ton beams along the eight-mile route, which runs from the Albrook Bus Terminal to the Los Andes shopping center. The first U-beam was installed in July 2012 on Via Transistmica.

Metro Secretary Roberto Roy said that the $1.8 billion project is 82 percent complete and work will now focus on installing rails and the overhead power system.

See Also: Metro U-Beam Installation Begins

Although the Panamanian government invited both Popes Benedict XVI and Francis several times, Panamanian Archbishop Jose Domingo Ulloa confirmed the news.

“It is difficult now,” he said. “The Holy See has said that the pope is not going to make another trip this year,” he said, adding that this does not mean that the Pope will not visit in the future, God willing.

The pontiff has already planned to travel to the XXXVIII World Youth Day from July 23 to 28 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which will be attended by a delegation of over 350 Panamanian youths and is the first mass meeting of Pope Francisco.

See Also: Pope Francis urges global leaders to end tyranny of money and Social Ministry Doesn’t Do Homeless Shelters

In an interview on TVN News, Ferrufino clarified that what his ministry could do was work with the Mayor’s Office to address this issue and says that it has contributed $55,000 to non-governmental organizations that serve the homeless and are managed by municipal staff.

He also confirmed his aspirations to be the next major of Panama City.

La Estrella reports.

This is not unusual. Beef prices for one usually experience an increase following the dry season due to the lack of pasture and overabundance skinny cows. In fact, 128 cows were reported dead in Maracas, Los Santos just last week, and cows are estimated to have lost 250 pounds each on average, which it takes them about four months to put back on.

Prime beef sells for between $2.25 and $2.25 a pound, up from $1.46, while second grade meat sells at around $2.10 a pound, up from $1.25.

Meat vendors have also seen an increase in pork prices, now available between $2.10 and $2.25 a pound.

The power will be supplied through the nearly completed Electrical Interconnection System for Central America, which connects 37 million consumers in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala along a 1,110-mile, 230 kV transmission line.

El Salvador will supply 80 percent of the 80 MW hours, and Honduras and Nicaragua the other 20 percent.

Because of the delay  in precipitation this rainy season, the Bayano and Fortuna hydropower reservoirs are dangerously low, and Panama is experiencing the worst dry spell in 15 years.