Amersfoort

Train traffic from Schiphol to Amersfoort was halted for a short time on Wednesday after an explosive was found near the tracks in Laren. Defense's explosives disposal team cleared it away, Het Parool reports.

The explosive experts believe it is an old explosive, likely dating from World War II. According to the police, there is no danger for local residents or the environment. 

The explosive was found near Doctor Albert Schweitzerweg by people working on the railway.

Train traffic restarted around 2:30 p.m., about an hour after it was halted. 

The body of Marloes Idzerda was found in a wooded area in Soest on Wednesday after two days of searching. The 44-year-old woman from Amersfoort disappeared on Sunday. 

Idzerda was last seen on Sunday. She was reported missing during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Her car was found on Oude Leusderweg in Soest on Sunday.

Rents in the Netherlands free sector continue to rise, especially outside the four large cities. The average rental price in the Netherlands increased by nearly 6 percent compared to a year ago, according to figures rental housing site Pararius released on Tuesday, NOS reports.

A 19-year-old man died in hospital after falling from the third floor of an apartment building on Ringweg Randenbroek in Amersfoort on Sunday morning, De Gelderlander reports.

Eyewitnesses saw the young man walking over the gallery of the apartment building on Sunday morning. They told the newspaper that he was acting strangely, coming dangerously close to the balustrade. Local residents were considering calling the police, when he fell and landed on top of a parked car.

A 35-year-old man was arrested in Amersfoort on Sunday night after he threw his bicycle at a passing ambulance and then assaulted the driver, ANP reports.

The incident happened on Utrechtseweg. The man threw a bicycle at a passing ambulance, hitting it. The paramedics stopped, thinking that they hit someone. When the driver opened his door, the man again threw the bicycle at the ambulance. When the driver approached him, he punched the driver in the face.

Princess Beatrix participated in NLdoet - a major annual volunteer action by the Oranje Fonds - on Friday. The former Queen, prince Bernhard and princess Annette, actively helped making learning and play materials and preparing the garden for spring at children's day center Onder een Dak in Amersfoort, RTL Nieuws reports.

The day center teaches kids and teens with intellectual disabilities how to deal with daily activities. 

There were no major incidents during New Year's celebrations across the Netherlands, according to initial reports from regional emergency services. So far only Rotterdam reports a sharp increase in the number of incidents.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will pay a visit to the Eemland region on October 24th. The Eem river basin will stand central during this visit. Villages and cities of different size and character are dealing with changes in this area, AD reports.

In Eemland, the population is increasing and the city of Amersfoort is expanding to the country side.  The region is facing economic and social challenges provided by agriculture and industry.

This week the police arrested three people from Amersfoort and Soest in connection with dog fighting. The police believe they form part of a criminal organization responsible for organizing dog fights, the Telegraaf reports.

The suspects are between the ages of 30 and 33 years. All three were previously in custody, also for organizing dog fights in a number of locations.

The number of electric cars in the Randstad area will grow massively in the coming years, according to a study on the purchase of electric cars done by grid manager Stedin, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and ElaadNL. This is partly thanks to the fact that electric cars are becoming more affordable, ANP reports. 

There was some panic at DierenPark Amersfoort on Wednesday afternoon when several visitors reported a man acting suspiciously, possibly with a firearm in he zoo. Multiple police units responded and access to the zoo was closed to prevent the person leaving the premises. It turned out to be a father and son with a toy gun, police spokesperson Bernhard Jens said to newspaper AD.