May 25, 2010

Ricola is celebrating its eightieth birthday. The successful local herbal candy manufacturer with a global presence has been based in Laufen in Baselland since its founding in nineteen thirty. Products are still manufactured locally and ninety percent of Ricola’s products are exported.

The family-owned company reported turnover of over three hundred million swiss francs last year. Ricola enjoyed modest growth of nearly four percent last year despite the economic downturn, according to a company spokesman.

Source: 20 minuten

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Police in France, Germany, and Switzerland working together broke up a burglery ring allegedly responsible for hundreds of break-ins in the trinational area. French police made eighteen arrests just north of Strasbourg in what Colmar's prosecutor called the biggest blow agaist organized crime in the last few years.

Most of those in custody were members of one of three families with some children being arrested too. Police confiscated several luxury cars and watches and cash worth 650,000 francs.

Source: bazonline.ch

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The university of Basel continues to see a boom in matriculating students. Basel records the highest increase in student numbers anywhere in Switzerland and saw fifty percent more registered students over the past decade. More students resulted in more jobs as nearly one hundred additional staff were hired last year to reach a total of over four thousand employees.

Nearly twelve thousand undergraduate and graduate students were registered at the Uni Basel last fall. Just over two thirds are from Basel and one fifth are foreign students.

Source: bazonline.ch

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Police director Gass called the vandalism on Frei Strasse last week a whole new dimension of violence according to an interview in today's Basler Zeitung. There will be discussions this week on how the police could better respond to such incidents.

Gass wants more police presence in the city's hotspots and could imagine using mobile police stations like at the Herbstmesse. Gass said the vandalism occured so quickly that the police response was too slow to do any good.

Source: bazonline.ch

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Basel authorities are cracking down on street musicians and performance artists. A new law limits performance times to the hours of eleven am to eight pm. Artists have to pack up even earlier on Saturdays and street performing of any kind is illegal on Sundays.

Police reserve the right to remove street musicians and performers if their presence hinders pedestrian or tram traffic. Basel authorities say that the large crowds drawn by the open-air performances also block free passage into shops.

Source: bazonline.ch

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Last Friday night at the EuroAirport, EasyJet Passengers on a fully-booked flight to Berlin were never told that their flight had been cancelled. Passengers were informed of a two hour delay during check-in, but as that came and went, several found out about the cancellation using their cell phones.

When they went to get help rebooking and look for a place to stay, it turned out that all the EasyJet personal had already gone home, leaving Swissport workers to deal with the very angry travelers.

Source: bazonline.ch

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The fourth biannual Bebbi Bryys was awarded to Erik Julliard last week. The prize is awarded by the City to local personalities who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to Basel.

Mr. Julliard produces the Basel Tattoo, the only drumming event of is kind in Switzerland and worldwide second in size only to the Edinburgh Tattoo. A hundred thousand visitors are expected for this year’s tattoo and tickets sold out in forty eight hours. Basel’s director of tourism says the event fits Basel perfectly with its image of quality, tradition, vitality and modernity.

Source: Baslerstab

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Over the weekend, the police and fire departments in Basel-Land rescued a snake and a cow. The meter long grass snake had gotten stuck in a lightwell at an apartment in Münchenstein. A snake expert went with police to free the snake, which was released back into the wild a few hours later.

The calf fell Sunday morning into a ditch and could not climb out on its own. Firefighters using just their muscle were able to push and pull the uninjured animal back up out of the ditch.

Source: bazonline.ch

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