Lori marz Court of First Instance examined the election application deemed null and void in the election station # 30. Last week the committee refused to register the mayor of Vanadzor. The committee justified his decision based on the RA law about “Local Referendum”. Due to one of its clauses, the distrust towards the Community leader is exceptional and it belongs to the aldermen.

The residents of Zitankov village, 74-year-old Hripsime Poghosyan and 18-year-old Benjamin Poghosyan, were taken to the Gyumri hospital with the diagnosis of botulism. As it turned out the first symptoms of the infection were felt 20 hours after eating canned green pepper.

The Gyumri Municipality has captured the forestlands belonging to the forestry, claims Ashot Valesyan, chief head of the forestry. In Mr. Valesyan’s words, an illegal deal was concluded; the municipality usurped over 2000 hectares forestlands of Severski district. As a result of this illegal bargain, the forest management won’t be able to realise planting.

The heirs of the Drambyans, living in Gyumri, are in peril; they may be exiled from their dwelling. Today Ashot Qalashyan, the head of the department of the Gyumri Municipality controlling the issue of illegal buildings and lands, demands Irina Abajyan, the heiress of the Drambyans to vacate house 26 on Alexnadrovski.

The pupils and teachers of village Poqr Ayrum have to walk a long way every day in order toe reach school. The problem is that Mets Ayrum and Poqr Ayrum are considered one village, as they have one district municipality, one school, one kindergarten and one hospital which are all located in Mets Ayrum. But the distance between the villages is three kilometers.

The 15th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian army is still being celebrated in Gyumri. 45 army officers have been awarded the medal “Armenian Land keeper”.

Due to previous night's heavy snowfall the roads in Shirak region have become impassable. No cars have been able to pass along the roads leading to Jrarat, Bavra, Isahakyan, Sarnaghbyur, Hovuni, Sepasar, Dzithanqov, Voghji, Talin, Lanjik, and Zarinja.

Today the teachers of the Gyumri school N15 have gone on strike. Only five teachers have decided to keep working. According headmaster Hamazasp Khachatryan, the teachers demand their salary which they have not received for a year.

The problem of drinking water still remains one of the main concerns of Ararat Marz. Alik Sargsyan, head of the region, says that they have already planned large-scale work in this respect which they intend to realize in 2007 – 2009.

In the Court of the first instance of the region of Shirak judge Edward Manoukyan continued to hear the case against Ararat Mouradyan. Let us remind you that Ararat Mouradyan (b. 1966 in Voskehat) who has three under age children is accused of exploiting people.

The village of Drakhtik, region of Gegharqouniq, which has 1200 residents, is mainly populated by refugees. The main occupation of the residents is cattle breeding.

On December 2 the new inter-community 12.5-km highway Gavar-Gegharqouniq was opened with the presence of Minister of Agriculture David Loqyan.

Though the state budget will not allot money for the construction of new flats in Gyumri in the forthcoming 1 – 2 years, a new house-building program will be realised in Gyumri in 2007.

The eighth festival of the game “What? Where? When?” was organized in Gyumri. It had participants both from the regions of Armenia and from Artsakh. Representative of the International Association of Intellectuals Clubs Sergey Vivatenko was invited to festival

Eleven-year-old Amarastam Mikayelyan got drowned in the two-meter puddle in Gyumri. The rescue service was unable to save the boy who remained in the puddle for 2-3 hours.

Over hundred homeless families of Gyumri may be deprived of their temporary dwelling places on the eve of winter. At present the families live in country district behind the Shirak Hotel.

For the last few years the number of premature children born in Shirak region has increased. Before the 1988 earthquake the index did not exceed 5%. At present it is more than 10%.

According to statistics, the majority of young families in Shirak region have only one child. 649 children have been born during the current year in Gyumri. The majority was the first or second child of the family.

Today RA Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan equipped 40 schools of Gyumri region with laboratory and didactic materials.

Today at about 12:00 Gevorg Avetisyan, born in 1985, was taken to surgical hospital of Gyumri after Galoust Gyulbekyan with a bodily injury.

Today there was a shooting in Gyumri. The incident occurred in the territory of the station. According to our preliminary data, there is one wounded man.

There are still 4000 homeless families in Gyumri who were deprived of their houses because of the earthquake. There are also families who have sold their houses for this or that purpose. Many refugees face that problem. The priorities of the new housing program are not cleared out yet. Nevertheless, according to preliminary data, the program will solve the housing problem of about 500 families.

On September 11 the regional police station of Shirak marz got a signal informing them of the existence of a bomb located at school 37 in Gyumri.

The regional department of the Gegharqounik region of «ArmHydroMet» informs that the rains of the last few days have restored the relative humidity of the air which is necessary for the flora and the fauna.