Azores Safety and Security Report Wednesday 9 July 2025
By our correspondent in the Azoers
Santa Clara faces Wolverhampton in one of six pre-season games
Santa Clara will play six friendly matches in preparation for the new season, including against Farense, Louletano, Portimonense and English side Wolverhampton, the I League football club announced.
In a statement, the Azorean side said that the first friendly match will be against Louletano, on Wednesday, followed by matches against Wolverhampton (July 15), from the Premier League – in which the Portuguese José Sá, Toti Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes line up -, Farense (July 16) and Portimonense (July 19).
The club, which finished last season in fifth place in the I Liga, says that “Vasco Matos’s team will have two more matches, with the opponents to be announced later”.
The team left on Sunday for a two-week training camp in the Algarve, where they will continue their preparations for the new season, which will start with two games against Varazdin, counting towards the second qualifying round of the Conference League.
The first leg between the Azoreans and the fourth-placed team from the last edition of the Croatian league is scheduled for July 24, in Croatia, followed by the second leg on July 31, at home.
To attack the 2025/26 season, Santa Clara has already secured the signings of Thauan Lara, Henrique Pereira, Douglas Borel, Anthony Carter and Brenner Lucas, and the permanent acquisition of Wendel Silva, who was on loan from FC Porto.
The Azoreans will make their debut in the 2025/26 I Liga with a visit to Famalicão, in the first round of the competition, scheduled for the weekend of August 9th and 10th.
Former American military homes in Lajes begin to be rehabilitated by the Azorean executive
More than 90 houses left vacant by the US Air Force at the Lajes base, Terceira Island, in 2015, will begin to be restored, in an investment of 11.3 million euros, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)
The work, whose first stone was laid this Monday, has an execution period of 450 days, and is expected to be completed in October 2026.
Chamber proposes expanding minibus network to seven lines in Ponta Delgada
Proposal expands minibus coverage to the parishes of Relva, Arrifes, Fajã de Baixo, Fajã de Cima, São Roque and Livramento, including connections to the airport and beaches. Restructuring of the current minibus network is expected to go to public tender in 2026.
Lagoa Pools Host “Moon Baths”
The Lagoa Municipal Swimming Pool Complex, on the island of São Miguel, will host, on Thursday, between 9:00 pm and 11:00 pm, another edition of the “Banhos de Lua” initiative, which has free entry.
“This event offers a unique experience: diving under the light of the full moon and observing the beauty of the night sky through telescopes. This is a proposal that combines leisure, science and contact with nature, in a welcoming and safe environment”, according to the organization.
“Banhos de Lua” is an initiative developed by the Lagoa municipality in partnership with the Santana Astronomical Observatory – Azores (OASA) and CEFAL – Lagoa Environmental Education and Training Centre.