From a concrete bear in Valkenswaard that has to stop cars and terrorists to a money laundering case for the family of Bolle Jos. These are the five stories you must read this Wednesday.
The family of the most wanted drug lord in the Netherlands, ‘Bolle Jos’ Leijdekkers, was in court in Rotterdam on Wednesday. They are suspected of money laundering and are said to have benefited from his criminal profits. The sister’s lawyer complained about the efforts of the police: years of observation, telephone taps and even listening equipment behind the dishwasher.
“If she wasn’t his sister, we would have been wrong,” he said. The father denies having received an expensive watch worth 110,000 euros from his son, but crypto chats seem to contradict this. The Public Prosecution Service demanded seven months in prison against him. The cases against mother and sister have been postponed until the autumn.
Read the whole story here:
Also read
Forget gray concrete blocks at events: a 1,200-kilo concrete bear is now on the Market in Valkenswaard. The 3D-printed artwork by designer Paul Bas must stop cars and terrorists, but a lot more fun than boring blocks. “You can sit on it and play,” the creator explains.
Graduate Coby Werson dreams of an entire bear family spread throughout the city, which can be used at events such as flower parades. However, discussions with municipalities are not going well. “These are long-term processes with civil servants that we have to deal with,” says Paul Bas.
You can read their story here:
Also read
Then to Bergeijk. After ten years, the thrift store in the Aquinohuis is permanently closing its doors. Seventeen volunteers lose their workplace, much to the sadness of Aquino manager Fons van Hove. “It would have been better if Kringloop de Kempen had also looked at the human side, instead of just at the figures,” he says.
The municipality is unpleasantly surprised and disappointed about the abrupt closure without clear signals in advance. It is currently being investigated whether there can be a collection point where employees of the participation company Kempenplus can work. Fons is now looking for a new tenant who matches the warm character of the Aquino House.
Read his story here:
Also read
There is also sports news. Carla de Rooij from Veldhoven was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, but never stopped running. “It literally and figuratively kept me upright,” says the physiotherapist. Despite operations and radiation, she continued to exercise as much as possible and raised money for charities.
This Sunday she will be at the start of the Wings for Life World Run in Breda, barely two months after her last operation. It doesn’t matter how many kilometers she runs: “I’m at the start for the people who can’t walk at all. I want to help them.”
Check it out here:
Also read
Finally, maintenance work causes disruption on the A59. The section between Sabina and Noordhoek junctions towards Zevenbergen and Roosendaal is closed from Wednesday evening 9:00 PM to Thursday morning 5:00 AM.
Rijkswaterstaat advises to take into account 25 minutes extra travel time. Maintenance includes mowing, asphalt work and cleaning gutters and gullies.
Read more here:
