Man arrives without job or place to stay, is expelled by governor the same day
A man who arrived in Svalbard without a return flight ticket, money, job or place to stay was expelled from the archipelago the same day by The Governor of Svalbard. The man did not succeed in obtaining funds from others to stay or for a return trip, and attempts to contact the consulate for the country where the man is a citizen was unsuccessful, Lt. Gov. Berit Sagfossen wrote in the expulsion decision. She said such incidents are rare, happening twice a year during the past two years, and sometimes it is due to tips the governor receives and other times the person reports the situation themselves.
Driver loses license for driving with frost on windshield
A person observed driving with heavy frost on the vehicle’s windshield in poor light had their driver’s license taken away by police who conducted a stop, according to The Governor of Svalbard. The governor’s office was notified about the driver at about 7 p.m. Tuesday evening. “A strict reaction is absolutely necessary when people do not provide sufficient visibility,” said said Police Chief Lt. Arnt Rennan, noting youths and other pedestrians are put at risk by such behavior.
Family of girl killed in avalanche offered 1M kr. no-fault settlement by city
The parents of Nikoline Røkenes, 2, one of two people killed by an avalanche in 2015, have been offered a one-million-kroner settlement by the city in Longyearbyen. The parents are parents are pursuing legal action, asserting they received no notice of the potential danger even though local officials determined long ago the area was at risk of major avalanches. Longyearbyen Mayor Arild Olsen said the offer is not an admission of liability. “The event in 2015 was extreme in every way and (the family) suffered a big loss,” he said. “The key point here is that the family has served notification of a lawsuit against the city and we want to be accommodating from a human point of view.” The Longyearbyen Community Council discussed the offer in a closed door-session Monday. The parents have not replied publicly.