Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - There's always so much going on in Puerto Vallarta and around the Republic, it can be difficult to keep up with it all. Here's a look at some of this week's news headlines from Mexico and around Banderas Bay, plus some not-to-be-missed weekend events.

Mexico's Supreme Court Rules States Must Recognize Gay Marriage

Gay marriage in Mexico is now effectively legal throughout the entire country, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling quietly issued on June 3 and made public on Friday, June 12, 2015. The court's decision makes it clear that any law that considers the purpose of marriage to be "procreation, and/or defines it as a union between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional." While the order does not abolish existing state laws banning same-sex marriages, it allows gay couples to turn to district courts individually. Judges are now obliged to grant gay couples a marriage license if they file an injunction with the court disputing the local ban. Several LGBT associations and Mexican civil-society groups have welcomed the Supreme Court's latest decision on the issue. "It's a historic step toward recognizing the rights of the sexual-diversity community," the National Council to Prevent Discrimination said in a press release. Beyond marriage rights, the Supreme Court's ruling also forbids policies that "discriminates against someone on the basis of sexual orientation."

New Live Jazz Venue Opens in Puerto Vallarta

The Jazz Foundation, a new live jazz and cultural venue, opened its doors in Puerto Vallarta on June 12. Overlooking the Malecón, directly across from La Bodeguita del Medio, The Jazz Foundation has an open design that allows customers to enjoy the view along with New Orleans-style Creole cuisine, classic Jazz Club cocktails and live performances. The project was developed and spearheaded by Puerto Vallarta resident Jorge Dau, who said that this new venue was created not only to bring a new option to nightlife on the Malecón, but also to add cultural alternatives to our city. He emphasized that the project was created because, "we want Vallarta to feel proud to have a Jazz venue that also presents different kinds of entertainment such as puppet shows and other types of artistic performances, book presentations and poetry readings, monologues and discussions, etc. We believe Vallarta has a large number of the type of people needed for this project, which we hope will bring those of us who live here together with our tourists." Located at Allende #166 in downtown Puerto Vallarta, The Jazz Foundation is open Thursday through Sunday nights from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am. For more information, call (322) 225-7894, or follow them on Facebook.

Vistana to Take Over Select Starwood Properties

About 3 percent of Stamford-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide employees, or 5,300 in all, will transfer to Vistana Signature Experiences when the new vacation timeshare company is spun off from Starwood Vacation Ownership later this year. Vistana will pay at least $30 million annually to Starwood Hotels as royalty payments for continuing use of several brands, including Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection. As part of the spinoff, Starwood is transferring several properties to Vistana which will convert them to vacation ownership structure in whole or part, including Sheraton Kauai Resort at Poipu Beach in Koloa, Hawaii; Sheraton Steamboat Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Westin Resort & Spas in the Mexico resorts of Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.

Weekend Events in Puerto Vallarta and Around Banderas Bay
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• 55th San Blas Int'l Sportfishing Tournament

• Mexico Sizzles at Daiquiri Dick's

• 'Summer Sailstice' at La Cruz Marina