Rio sewage cleanup for Olympics rejected
Rio de Janeiro’s pledge to clean up the blighted waters where the 2016 Olympic sailing events are to be held has suffered another setback: A prominent Brazilian sailing and environmental organization declined a city contract to help clean up sewage- and trash-filled Guanabara Bay.
The Instituto Rumo Nautico said in a statement posted on the website of its co-founder, former Olympic sailor Lars Grael, that the organization’s board unanimously rejected the offer at a meeting on Monday.
Under the terms of the project, the state government would have given the NGO $6. 3 million to help remove garbage from the competition areas using so-called ecoboats that scoop out floating trash as well as barriers meant to prevent floating trash from reaching the bay. Normally a bidding process is required for such contracts, but this deal would have dispensed of that.
Much of the sewage in this city of 12 million still goes untreated and garbage pick-up is spotty, so tons of raw sewage and trash flow into Guanabara Bay, as well as Rio’s lakes, lagoons and even its celebrated beaches. Baseball: MLB preseason, N.Y. Mets vs. St. Louis, FSTN, 11 a.m. Baseball: MLB preseason, N.Y. Yankees vs. Detroit, ESPN, noon Baseball: MLB preseason, Boston vs. Minnesota, MLB Network, 6 p.m. Baseball: Kansas at Oklahoma, SportSouth, 6 p.m. Baseball: South Carolina at Mississippi State, ESPNU, 7 p.m. Baseball: MLB preseason, Oakland at San Francisco, MLB Network, 8 p.m. Basketball: NBA, Miami at Cleveland, TNT, 7 p.m. Basketball: NIT championship, Stanford vs. Miami, ESPN, 8 p.m. Basketball: NBA, Phoenix at Golden State, TNT, 9:30 p.m. Boxing: Raul Hidalgo vs. Julian Ramirez, FS1, 9 p.m. Golf: LPGA, ANA Inspiration, Golf, 11 a.m., 5 p.m. Golf: PGA, Houston Open, Golf, 2 p.m. Hockey: NHL, Boston at Detroit, NBC Sports, 6:30 p.m. Tennis: Miami Open, ESPN2, noon, 6 p.m.
Knoxville police say they are closing the rape case involving former Tennessee cornerback Riyahd Jones because the woman has decided not to prosecute.
Police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said Wednesday investigators received notification that the woman didn’t want to prosecute. DeBusk said “the case is in the process of being closed.”
Police said in Feb. 9 that Jones was a suspect in a rape investigation, though no arrest was ever made and no charges were filed. The police report said that a woman had indicated the incident occurred on Feb. 5.
Jones announced via Twitter on Feb. 2 that he was leaving Tennessee’s football program and intending to transfer. He didn’t play any games for Tennessee in 2014 after appearing in two games in 2013.