Recent Belize News, 8/11/2014 to 8/20/2014, BelizeNews.com

25 Years Ago: Things We Take for Granted – Electricity and Ice

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Maestro Perrote hosts second music camp graduation in San Pedro Town
On Friday August 15th, the Angel Nuñez Auditorium saw the graduation for Maestro Carlos Perrote’s second annual music summer camp. Over 60 registered students, from six to 40 years old, showed off the skills they had learnt in the four weeks of music camp. Perrote’s lessons involved a range of instruments from guitar, bongo drums, Garifuna drums, standard drum sets, keyboard and steel pan. Proud parents and invited guests cheered on as each group presented their item, showing the versatility taught in Perrote’s program as the students exchanged instruments and jammed on.

Belize Earns A Host Of Top 100 Readers Choice Awards
The August 2014 “Scuba Diving” magazine has outlined Belize as the “Central American paradise” who “earned a host of 2014 Top 100 Readers Choice Awards.” Belize earned Readers Choice Awards for the Caribbean and Atlantic’s best overall destination, big animals, wall diving, and underwater photography. Some of the highlights from the three-page spread include mentions of our barrier reef “bowing only to Australia’s great one.” It also talks about the wall dives that can be done along the atolls, which “turn into an underwater Lollapalooza.” Also among the highlights was Gladden Spit which placed in the top 5 list for “best big animals in the Caribbean and Atlantic region.” Apart from our “big animals,” Belize was also recognized for its “macro critters.” Belize, known for some of the most authentic experiences, was also pointed out as a destination for tours from luxury yachts, to explorations through the jungle and to the archaeological sites.Capping off the notable highlights was our Great Blue Hole, which is described as a “landmark that warrants crossing off a list.”

Ambergris Today

Celebrity Spotting – Angie Harmon Vacations in Belize
Law and Order fans take note, American model and actress Angie Harmon is vacationing in Belize and she is not shy about posting her pictures on her Facebook and Twitter accounts. She is showing off how much fun she is having in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye as she swims with the sharks at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, visits the Maya archaeological site of Altun Ha in the mainland and relaxes at the celebrity getaway private island of Cayo Espanto, Ambergris Caye. Angie Harmon is an American model and actress who has starred on the series Baywatch Nights, Law & Order and Rizzoli & Isles.

Where’s the Beach? – Sargassum Problems!
It’s everywhere! It’s Smelly! And it’s a bit of an inconvenience to enjoy a swim along the beaches. Island residents have been dealing for about a month now with a smelly and slimy Sargassum Seaweed that has been lining the coastline. La Isla Bonita, San Pedro, seems to be experiencing a larger seaweed influx than usual, with deposits accumulating several feet high for miles along the coastline. And as fast as the Town Council, resort owners and beachfront residents are clearing the beach, it keeps piling up just as fast. So where is all this seaweed coming from? More than likely it is coming from the Sargasso Sea which is a vast patch of ocean named for a genus of free-floating seaweed called Sargassum. While there are many different types of algae found floating in the ocean all around world, the Sargasso Sea is unique in that it harbors species of sargassum that are 'holopelagic' — this means that the algae not only freely floats around the ocean, but it reproduces vegetatively on the high seas. Other seaweeds reproduce and begin life on the floor of the ocean.

In Love With Belizean Sunrises
We say it time and time again and we will never get tired of repeating ourselves - "We just LOVE Belizean Sunrises". It's just a spectacular experience when you take the time to wake up just before sunrise, head to the beach, sit on a hammock or go up a pier and wait for the sun to rise. It is a perfect beginning to your day as you take in the colors, the smell of the Caribbean Sea and the warmth of the sun. If you have not done this in a while, we encourage you to do so. But let us warn you - it does become addictive!

Misc Belizean Sources

San Pedro Invitational
This past weekend two of our Corozal Bay Sailing Club sailors were part of an International Regatta held in San Pedro Belize on Ambergris Caye. This regatta was a small group of sailors (only 24) five coming from outside the country. Mexico brought in 4 very hot sailors and it should be noted that 3 were young girls. The US was represented by Brice, a real honcho from Florida. Brice is blessed with lots of training and has sailed since he was barely out of diapers. So going in we knew none of our Belize sailors were not going to win but they all learned much from these much better sailors. I don't have the final tabulations in front of me but overall our Jazmine and Christopher finished the six races in the top 15. Commodore Gerard and Mr Bill worked on the finish boat with the Belize Coast Guard, lucky for the Regatta there was no water emergency. Claire Kyler Cordts and Loreta Randall will be supplying photos from the event. CBSC wishes to thank Tammy Peterson and the SPYSC for a fun filled weekend and special thanks to those members of your club for the extra training days you offered our sailors and for feeding and housing them. This is really what the youth sailing programs are all about. The kids making new friends and learning skills that they never would have without the sailing clubs of Belize.

Protest in Succotz
People of Succotz, Cayo make resounding protest by blocking the main highway with burning tires and demand the Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura be arrested forthwith. Let's hope that cooler heads prevail.

DCP Miguel Segura Arrested
Today, August 19th, Superintendent Daniel Arzu, Officer commanding Benque Viejo Police Formation arrested and charged Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura with: 1.Manslaughter by Negligence 2.Causing Death by Careless Conduct 3.Drove Motor Vehicle Without due Care and Attention 4.Driving with Alcohol Concentration above the Prescribed Limit 5.Negligent Grievous Harm

48th ANNUAL SAN JOAQUIN FIESTA (70 photos)
The organizers thank the Police Department as no incident was reported. Thanks to everyone for the huge support.

This morning, Deputy Commissioner of Police found under the sauce [our emphasis] and people of Succotz block George Price Highway
As we have mentioned in our initial report yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Miguel Segura is on suspension from duties as the #2 Police officer after he was involved in an accident which killed 54 year Consuelo Yolanda Valencia and put her taxi driver, who is also one of her family members, in the hospital in a critical condition. There are credible reports this morning that Segura was under the influence of alcohol while involved in the fatal accident. Unofficial reports reveal that Segura was driving with alcohol levels of 208 while the prescribed limit is 80. Obviously, he may have been disoriented and impaired by the high level of alcohol in his system while driving. While the alcohol test is with the Police from yesterday, Officer commanding ASP Daniel Arzu, attached to the Benque Viejo Formation would not disclose the results to the media until he receives instructions from his boss, Commissioner of Police. In speaking with George Lovell, the CEO in the Ministry of National Security, he told the media that the results will officially be released sometime today. So what about the man at the center of this sad situation? An amateur video footage that we shared yesterday when the news first broke, shows DCP Segura standing right outside of the driver’s side of his Government issued Nissan Pathfinder. With a vacant expression, he pulls out a cigarette and pulls up his police issued unbuttoned pants.

FISHING REPORT: Week of August 10th – August 16th, 2014
The tagging expedition will be going on through next week with some more anglers joining the effort. Nightly seminars, included a few with tarpon guru Stu Apte sharing his tarpon fighting philosophies, the right knot’s ( really all you need to know is the Stu Apte improved blood knot!), and Dr. Jerry Ault from The University of Miami, shared some tagging results from the Florida effort. Thanks to all that participated, you add inspiration to our fishing community. A special shout out to our dear friend, Adam Marton, who organized the event. Check out links from our El Pescador facebook page! The wind is blowing east. All the fish are in town, but it’s hot late in the day. Angler’s have been getting up early and returning early as it appears the fish are more active in the cooler morning conditions. The lodge renovation is right on track and the rooms look amazing. The girls in the kitchen are as sassy as ever and laughter is always in the air here at El Pescador. Thank you Ed for everything you do. It’s great to back.

WORKS ON THE PAVING OF THE ROAD ON NORTH AMBERGRIS CAYE HAS BEGUN!
The project, which is funded by the Ministry of Works and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, consists of paving the road from the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge up to Belizean Shores area and is estimated to be completed in an approximation of 3-4 months.

Sugar barge sinks near Corozal
A salvage operation continues in the Cerros Point area of the Corozal Bay where a sugar barge (not sure if full or empty) has apparently sank. We called the Corozal Police Department a few minutes ago and we were told that no official report has been made on the incident or if any person was hurt and the extent of the damages and losses.

Queen of the West Presentation
The Queen of the West pageant is this Saturday at 6:00pm, at the Octavia Waight Center. They had the presentation last Saturday at the Cayo Welcome Center. Pacz Tours took them all to Rio On Pools for their photoshoot. Best of luck to all contestants! "The six delegates for Queen of the West 2014-2015. They were formally presented on Saturday, August 16 at the Cayo Welcome Center."

Channel 7

Rage and Riot in Succotz!
Tonight the village of Succotz in Western Belize is going back to normal after a day of civil disobedience. Succotz was the home of 54 year old Yolanda Consuelo Valencia - the market vendor who was killed in on Saturday morning at 5:30 when Deputy Commissioner Mike Segura crashed into the taxi she was in - killing the mother of five instantly. The fact that Segura - who is from nearby Benque Viejo was driving drunk -incensed the villagers - and when they saw that police didn't charge him fast enough - they took direct action - and this morning at around 7 a.m. that meant setting tires on fire, and blocking the Benque Road. Traffic was blocked for at least a mile on both sides for over 7 and a half hours. It caused major business disruption because Benque Viejo leads to the busy Western Border crossing.

DCP Segura Faces 6 Criminal Charges, Including Drunk Driving
So, at around 3 p.m., Assistant Superintendent Arzu made his way from Succotz Village to Belmopan, where the police high command decided that Deputy Commissioner Miguel Segura should be arraigned. As you saw, there was a mob just outside of Benque, and so, taking him near to that location could be a major security concern. He was therefore whisked to Belmopan Magistrate's Court where the press had a bit of difficulty getting into the hearing. That's including other minor preferential treatment he received to try to shield him from the media.

Eyewitness: Segura Was Veering Across Road Before Crash
So that's where it stands tonight - the situation in Succotz has been defused and the mob somewhat placated. Deputy Mike Segura has been criminally charged and remains on suspension. But, of course, a mother's life was lost - and observers probably won't be satisfied until and unless there is a conviction - and, the matter is before the courts, so that is a wait and see. But, pubic sentiment doesn't have to wait and see; their verdict is in: Deputy Segura was driving drunk and endangering drivers. One eyewitness who Segura just barely missed, told 7News that seconds before the accident Segura was veering wildly across the highway:.. Eric Can - Eyewitness (translated) "I was going about 75 yards ahead of the taxi when I saw the car snaking it's way, I moved to the bush, 75% of my car came off the road and I saw the car passed and only heard the roaring of the engine and I kept looking in the mirror and saw the vehicle crossing the road side to side. Well I went up the hill and when I did, my son told me "dad, dad ,dad the car already crashed" Then I said "left that car, that car is.

Savage Home Invasion Hopkins: Wife Murdered, Husband Critical
Last night when we ended the news we told you about an outlandish killing in Hopkins Village - where a couple was beaten up and butchered during a home invasion, leaving the one dead and the other critically injured. More is known tonight. At 6:20 last night, an attacker charged into the vacation home of Dudley and Josephine Augustine, both Belizean teachers. He stabbed them both repeatedly, killing 47 year old Josephine, and critically injuring 71 year old Dudley. Family members say Josephine was found in a fighting position as though she was defending her husband. Nothing inside the home was stolen, except for the couple's vehicle - which has not been located as yet. Today, their cousin Conrad Lewis told the media what the family knows at this time:.. Conrad Lewis, Cousin of Dudley Augustine "Yesterday evening about 6 apparently 2 guys entered the premises of Dudley Augustine and his wife and murdered his wife and severely injured Dudley Augustine. They escape taking along the Trooper of the couple. They did not take anything, absolutely nothing from the premises."

Are Soldiers Roughing Up City Youths At BDF Camp
Last night on 7News, you heard the explosive allegations about the Boot Camp for at-risk city youths that the police and BDF had set up at Camp Belizario in Cayo. Well, today the Commander of the BDF General David Jones invited the media to the camp to see for themselves what's happening. We found out that discipline and punishments were given out after an all-out gang war broke out at the opening of the camp. Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster, Deputy Commander - Eastern Division "I as you can see I came here personally here to visit and I saw the program being run here and I can assure parents that their children are safe. We had couple brawls and the BDF got them under control." Lt. Col. A. Loria, Camp Commander "We got an initial 30 kids that ages range from eleven to sixteen. They were here for about a week and then another group of 14 were brought but they were a little older, they were about from sixteen to eighteen years of age.

Teenager Resuscitated After Drowning
What some might call a miracle or divine intervention others may call pure luck, but whatever you call it, a young man is alive because of it tonight. On Saturday August 16th at around 5:30 pm, 16 year old Antholyn Vellos along with 4 others were relaxing on a pier in Corozal Town. One of his female friends decided to take a swim and that was when Vellos realized that she was struggling under the strong waves and he jumped in to save her. He managed to rescue her, but soon found himself in the same situation and was going under the strong currents. His other male friend then jumped in to help him but things took a turn for the worse. Vellos was carried under while his friend was able to grab hold of the rocks along the sea wall. Agents from ThunderBolt charter service, which was docked nearby, saw the commotion and rushed to assist. They managed to get Vellos's body out of the water, but he showed no signs of life. Still, they administered CPR vigorously and after 5 minutes of that, he, sort of, came back to life! There's no other way to describe it, because after showing no vital signs, he was suddenly revived. Still, he had to be hospitalized for a few days to get all the water out of his lungs. He was released from the KHMH today.

27 Year Old From Lemonal Missing Ten Days
It's been 10 days now since 27 year old Denvo Banner went missing according to family members. The six-foot-four cricket player from Lemonal village was last seen at a victory party in the village on August ninth. After that, he said he was going to see his sister in Guinea Grass but since then, no one has seen or heard from him. It is the first time he has gone missing and his family is very concerned about his safely. They made a public appeal today. Arlene Banner - Sister of Denvo Banner "We are missing our brother from the 9th April at a victory party in Lemonal Village. One of my sister got a call from one of the villagers trying to locate him and she started to text the other family member and to no avail - nothing." Monica Bodden "His phone was ringing or was it off?" Arlene Banner - Sister of Denvo Banner "He doesn't have a phone, but he is a person if he is Belize he will visit one of us, that is not if, but or maybe. Somebody will know that he is down here definitely. That's very unusual for us - 10 days. On Facebook we have flyers out, it's on the news and nothing? I think that is really unusual."

Theft At Upscale Housing Community
A woman was robbed of over $7,000 dollars yesterday morning. The 37-year-old Belizean manager of River Walk Residential Estate on Mile 60 on the Western Highway reported that around 8:45 am she was carrying $7,600 dollars divided in two separate envelopes - one envelope contained $1,800US dollars and the other contained $2,000.US. She was moving the money from a safe in her house to another residence a few minutes away. But as she opened the safe someone approached her from behind, covered her mouth with his hand and threatened to kill her if she moved. The culprit then took the envelopes and as she was turning around to get a glimpse of her attacker, the culprit hit her in the head with an unknown object. Thereafter, the robber escaped. Police investigations continue.

First Ever Jazz and Culture Show
And tonight we have a package of highlites from Saturday night's first ever Belize Jazz And Culture Show at the Biltmore. Seasoned performers Jackie Castillo, Tricia Gabourel, and Tremett Perriot along with a bevy of newcomers were backed by a band with complete with a horn section, a rhythm section, a string section and a djembe drummer. Here are highlites: The show's producers have plans to stage it several more times around the country through the rest of this year.

FFB, An Executive Divided
What is the status of FFB Executive members Sergio Chuc and Michael Blease? Well, reports we've received are that both of them might be suspended, but no one we've been able to speak to could say that they are. Michael Blease is the General Secretary of the FFB, and those within the football community believe that he was supposed to be on a suspension. They got concerned when saw him in the office as if though the suspension has no effect. What we've been able to find out is that he was supposed to be on administrative leave while President Ruperto Vicente is out of the country. We've also been informed that over the tenure of his service to the Football Executive, many have complained that he is incapable of handling all the duties as General Secretary. And then, there's Senior Vice President Sergio Chuc, who, according to reports, was suspended by a meeting called by President Ruperto Vicente. No one knows exactly wha the charge against him is, but that suspension has been retracted, because the Congress members have intervened suggesting that it was improperly done.

Channel 5

Deputy ComPol arraigned for the manslaughter of Yolanda Valencia
In Succotz this morning, heated protestors set fire to used rubber tires along the George Price Highway. The blockade was the result of residents demanding justice in the case of [...]

Retired educator butchered during grisly home invasion in Hopkins
Hopkins Village in southern Belize is a peaceful, picturesque seafront community, a thriving but laidback tourism destination. But the community has been devastated by a seemingly senseless and brutal home [...]

COLA appeals Penner case
The private prosecution of Elvin Penner, brought by COLA representatives Geovannie Brackett and Nedal McLaren, was thrown out at the Magistrate’s Court level on July twenty-fourth. Penner walked out of [...]

Immigration Minister returns from Taiwan; still no Won Hong Kim passport
The best case scenario for the claimants would result in the summoning of Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie, along with his file containing all evidence gathered from the alleged investigation [...]

Arthur Saldivar; another black eye
Well-known attorney and political aspirant Arthur Saldivar appears to be a magnet for publicity, all of it negative, lately. Tonight, he is in trouble with the law in Placencia, and [...]

Corozal Father accused of indecent assault on his daughter
It never gets any easier to report on stories involving sexual assault, and it is particularly disturbing when minors are involved. Tonight there are two such incidents, both in the [...]

Do you think that the police can properly investigate officers at the senior level?
And our question for tonight is: Do you think that the police can properly investigate officers at the senior level? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to [...]

B.D.F. sets record straight about brawl with at risk youths at Camp Belizario
Camp Belizario, for the past two weeks, has been the site of a training facility for at risk youths. A total of thirty teenagers are presently enrolled at the camp [...]

Philip Castillo explains why the Unionsâ€™ Trust was delayed
For two fiscal years, from 1995 to 1997, increments for all public service workers were frozen. As compensation, the unions were given four hundred and eighty thousand shares in B.T.L. [...]

Unions disturbed by Government Press Release
Clearly stated in the agreement between both the unions and the government is that the monies be used to fund projects. But Castillo and National President of the Belize National [...]

Unions commence media round on B.T.L. Shares
Castillo and Palacio have been doing media rounds this week to sensitize public officers as well as the various unions and the general public about the types of projects that [...]

Where is Denvo Banner Duhaney? Is he dead or alive?
Have you seen Denvo Banner Duhaney? The twenty-seven-year-old resident of Lemonal village in the Belize District has been missing for approximately ten days and his family fears the worst. “String”, [...]

Bring it! Down to 3 finalist
It’s Tuesday and that means another round of competition in Channel Five’s latest entertainment show, If You Can Sing It Bring It. After some eight weeks of competition, it is [...]

CTV3

Custom Officer Charged For Manslaughter Five Years After Incident Occurs
A customs officer was charged for Manslaughter, get this, five years after the crime was first committed. He is 39 year old Charles Flores and was charged today by Orange Walk police for the shooting death of then nineteen year old Onorio Oba of San Victor Village. The incident took place in June of 2009. Reports are that Oba was part of a group that started a small riot when customs officers, accompanied by BDF soldiers, police and Anti-Drug Unit, attempted to seize contraband items from some people.

US Ambassador Speaks On Border Issue
Late last week the media was invited to a roundtable discussion with H.E. Carlos Moreno, US Ambassador to Belize at the Embassy in Belmopan. While the media was not allowed to record, the US Embassy provided the video that was issued on Friday. With assistance from our colleagues at Channel Seven, tonight we bring some of the Ambassador’s answers to pressing questions from the media. At the start of the discussion, the Ambassador was asked to comment on one of the most controversial matters currently affecting Belize and that is on the Belize Guatemala border Dispute. The question was posed by Amandala Newspaper’s Adele Ramos. Here is what she asked and the Ambassador’s response.

LICU Invests In Education
Today, La Inmaculada Credit Union Limited gave three deserving students a chance at completing their secondary education as they were chosen as recipients of the institutions annual scholarship program. We met all three students and their guardians today and they shared with us their excitement upon receiving the good news. Brianna Cuellar – Scholarship recipient “I feel excited and thankful to God that he gave a sign to those people to revise my paper and that they gave me the scholarship, I want to thank them so much to give me this opportunity and I’ll try not to waste or anything but to work hard. I am so grateful and giving God thanks so much for that because you know it is all because of God that it touched the heart of these people and we are so grateful for all these people that chose her and these other little children and the young ladies too right, so we know that we always have to put God in everything.”

Marco Mendez Jr. Is Named Tennis Champ
Over the weekend, the Pickwick Club was the venue for the National Men’s Singles Tennis Competition and Orange Walk was represented by Marco Tulio Mendez Jr. His dedication to the sport is taking him higher on the ladder of success and for him; the victory in the competition was an accomplishment in itself. We spoke to Mendez today about his experience. Marco Tulio Mendez JR- Single’s Men Champ “It was very hard the competition, because of the weather it was so hot but I manage to pull out and do my best. I think it was first round, semi-finals and then finals and I manage to win three more matches.” Maria Novelo – Reporter “Now tell us how long have you been playing?” Marco Tulio Mendez JR- Single’s Men Champ “I have been playing tennis since I was I think about ten years since I started playing tennis.”

Minister Hulse Visits Taiwan
Tonight Minister of Minister of Labor, Local Government, Rural Development, National Emergency Management and Immigration and Nationality, Honorable Godwin Hulse is back in Belize after visiting Taiwan for five days. During his visit, Minister Hulse met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Simon Ko, Director General of Bureau of Consular Affairs Hon. Kung Chung-chen and the Acting Minister of Labour, Dr. Hao Feng-min.

Video Of Accident Involving Deputy COMPOL Goes Viral
Tonight, Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura remains in the hot seat. That is after he was involved in a fatal traffic collision that claimed the life of a passenger travelling in a taxi. Benque Viejo Police received information of the accident which occurred at mile 71 (on the outskirts of Succotz Village) on the George Price Highway on Saturday morning around 5:40. Upon arrival, they saw a grey pathfinder driven by Segura and a taxi cab with extensive damages to their front portions. Authorities say, Segura was travelling alone from the direction of San Ignacio to Benque Viejo whilst 28 year old Yanie Evan Cu, Taxi Driver of Kontiki Area, was driving his blue Toyota Corolla on the opposite direction. Cu had at the time, 54 year old vendor, Yolanda Valencia as passenger at the front seat. As a result of the impact, Cu sustained head and body injuries and was transported to K.H.M.H where he is listed in a critical but stable condition. Yolanda Consuelo Valencia sustained fatal head and body injuries and was transported to San Ignacio Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The video that went viral and shocked the nation is in the manner in which the unscathed Deputy of Police reacted after the impact. Here’s is that clip

Deputy COMPOL Suspended From Duty
The accident involving Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura, which led to the death of one woman, has taken over social media and not in a good way. Today, following much speculations, the Police Department held a press conference with the Media this afternoon. In the beginning of the conference, police informed the media that Segura has been interdicted and suspended from active police duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie spoke more on the course of the investigation.

16 Year Old Nearly Drowns In Corozal
Tonight a 16 year old is lucky male from the Corozal District is lucky to be alive after he jumped off the Corozal pier to rescue one of his friends that fell into the sea. On Saturday August 16th, between 5:30 and 6:00pm, 16 year old Antholyn Vellos, a student of Corozal Community College and three of his friends were hanging out at the peer. While there, one of the individuals fell into the sea, and was about to drown. Vellos jumped after his female friend with the aim of assisting her, but according to family members he caught cramp in the abdomen causing him to go under water.

Family Of Ivan Cu Says Segura Must Pay
Today Belize City media got an opportunity to speak with family members of the taxi’s occupants. Azucena Ku, is the mother of the critically wounded driver, Yanie Evan Cu who gave our colleagues at 7news an interview on eye witnesses account at the scene. Pedro Cu - Father of Ivan Cu"His hand are his hip are broken, his foot is injured." Monica Bodden- Reporter"I understand that he is conscious, but he isn't talking." Pedro Cu - Father of Ivan Cu"He is talking right now, but sometimes he doesn't want to talk, he just want to sleep."

LOVE FM

Murder in Unitedville, Cayo
Here on Albert Street in Unitedville Village, Cayo District is where 36-year-old laborer was stabbed in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Accounts reaching Love News are that the deceased, Victor Vargas had gone to a wake in Georgeville Village and had recently returned to his village when the incident occurred. But following the incident, Love News has gotten two versions – one being that the was intervening in a fight that occurred and the second being that he was one of the parties involved in an altercation. We spoke to the Office in Charge of San Ignacio Police Station, Dinsdale Thompson, who says their investigation is yet to determine what led to the stabbing.

Rubioâ€™s Murder Case Continues with ‘Demon Possessedâ€™ Jamaican
died last week after being beaten. Today the man accused of his murder appeared in court. 32-year-old Jamaican National, Mark Dwayne Dallas was arraigned before Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. No plea taken and Dallas was remanded into custody at the Belize Central Prison until October 2, 2014. Before Dallas was escorted out of the Chief Magistrate court room, she asked him how long he has been in Belize and that’s when he said for 22 years. He said he is a Jamaican national and that he has been sick and is poor. He also claimed he is demon possessed. According to reports Rubio was injured during a fight un the Conch Shell Bay area. He reportedly discharged himself from the hospital and died a few days later.

Weekend City Shooting Not Fatal
Twenty two year-old Devon Bailey has been charged for the attempted murder of 31-year-old Charles Hines Jr. and 41-year-old Eldon Solomon. Just after before midnight on Friday, August 15, both Hines Jr. and Solomon were on Elston Kerr Street when they were approached by three individuals- one of whom was armed with a handgun. Police believe that it was Bailey who shot at the duo. Luckily both men are still alive as Solomon received a gunshot injury to his back and Hines Jr. sustained grazes to the head. Love News spoke to the aunt of Hines Jr., Elizabeth Howard, and Officer Commanding Precinct Two, Senior Superintendent Alden Dawson, on the shooting.

Belize and Taiwan Sign MOU to Combat Human Trafficking
Belize and Taiwan have signed a memorandum of understanding. (VO) Minister Godwin Hulse signed the memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, National Emergency Management and Immigration and Nationality of Belize, and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China (Taiwan), relating to cooperation in Immigration Affairs and Human Trafficking Prevention. The MOU seeks to promote cooperation between Immigration Agencies of both countries on the issue of transnational crimes, and in particular human trafficking, through the exchange of information and promotion of capacity building. During his visit, Minster Hulse met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Ko, as well as the Director General of Bureau of Consular Affairs Kung Chung-chen and Acting Minister of Labour Dr. Hao Feng-min. Minister Hulse also visited the New Taipei City Government and exchanged experiences about national emergency policies with an aim to exchange ideas and best practices for the further strengthening of bi-lateral relations between both countries.

Deputy Police Commissioner Interdicted Following Fatal Traffic Incident
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura is officially on suspension from the Belize Police Department. The move comes about three weeks following Segura’s promotion to Deputy Commissioner and was made following a fatal traffic incident that occurred in the early morning of Saturday, August 16. The incident has left a taxi driver seriously injured and a female market vendor dead. The top brass of the Police Force called a press briefing today to give the media a summary of what transpired and what this means for the department.

More Suspensions and Financial Irregularities in the Health System
The scandals surrounding the Ministry of Health have been many and it would appear the beat goes on. Today we can report two administrators within the Ministry have been placed on immediate suspension. This follows the discovery of more irregularities by the Audit Department. According to the Ministry, preliminary reports for the Primary Care Provider clinics in Dangriga and Punta Gorda have shown a number of irregularities.

PlusTV

Deadly accident on Highway; Deputy Commissioner of police suspended
Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura has been served with a notice of intended prosecution, after he was involved in a head on collision at mile 71 on the George Price Highway, which resulted in the death of one person...

Family of accident victims want justice
The victims of Saturday’s accident are deceased 54 year old Yolanda Valencia, a mother of three, and 28 year old Yanie Cu, the taxi driver into whose vehicle the Deputy Commissioner of Police crashed head on...

Officials respond to video of Deputy Commissioner at accident scene
The video of the Deputy Commissioner at the accident scene has been widely circulated on social media. At Monday’s press conference, three at the head table were asked if they had seen the video, in which Miguel Segura appeared callous and almost disconnected from the tragic scene.

Amandala

Stinkin’ police cover-up!!
A damning video taken moments after a fatal traffic accident in the early morning of Saturday, August 16, at Mile 71 on the George Price Highway, on the outskirts of San Jose Succotz, forced an emergency police press conference late this evening, hosted by Commissioner Allen Whylie, flanked by two top brass officials from the Ministry of National Security, in Belmopan. ComPol Whylie announced that Deputy Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura, 48, involved in the accident, had been placed on “interdiction/suspension,” which is “effective immediately.” Yolanda Consuelo Valencia, 54, died when Segura’s grey Nissan Pathfinder collided with a blue taxi that Valencia was traveling in, at about 5:35 a.m. on Saturday.

Father of 7 stabbed dead in Unitedville
A fatal early morning stabbing incident that happened in Unitedville this past Saturday, August 16, has resulted in the untimely loss of a father of seven whose life was brutally cut short after he was reportedly stabbed twice in the throat during a casual night of socializing with his colleagues. The incident – which took place a short distance away from the victim’ s house – occurred on Albert Street in Unitedville shortly before 3:00 a.m., and while relatives told the media that Victor Manuel Vargas, 38, ran several yards to seek assistance after the incident, he eventually collapsed and died a few minutes later on the verandah of a neighbor’s house. His common-law wife, Ada Lemus, who spoke to KREM News on Saturday, said that she was appalled to find out that her spouse was dead, since she initially thought that he was involved in a minor incident.

Jawmaine laid to rest
Hundreds of mourners, friends, sympathizers, well-wishers, and family members of legendary cyclist Ernest “Jawmaine” Meighan proceeded along the Central American Boulevard, after having left the Central Assembly of God Church at the St. Thomas Street roundabout in Freetown to honor Meighan after his funeral services were conducted. His casket was transported in a horse-drawn carriage, with trumpets blaring in the funeral procession, acknowledging the presence of the champion, to be buried at the Lord Ridge Cemetery. Before being buried at about 4:30 Friday afternoon, Jawmaine’s body lay in state in the church from 12:00 midday, and the funeral service started at about 1:30. At the service, he was remembered by many speakers who addressed the packed church to share their memories of him.

US Ambassador – crime situation is “quite terrifying”
Recently, Amandala demonstrated, using official statistics, that the rate of homicides in Belize City continues to show a persistent trend, with those crimes really being concentrated within 2 square miles of the City. In speaking with the Belize media at a roundtable last Thursday, August 14, US Ambassador to Belize, H.E. Carlos Moreno, described the Belize City crime phenomenon as “quite terrifying.” We spoke with the US Ambassador about public discussions on the connection between the Belize City crime crisis and the importation of gangs—the Crips and the Bloods— from the USA into Belize. The deadliest parts of the City are actually the home turf of these gangs.

Woman killed in Hopkins home invasion
Late breaking news reaching Amandala tonight indicate that a woman was killed, while her husband has been left badly injured following a deadly home invasion that occurred in the coastal community of Hopkins in the Stann Creek District earlier tonight. We understand that the female victim has been identified as Josephine Augustine, and her husband, Dudley Augustine, is currently undergoing treatment at the emergency room of the Southern Regional hospital in Dangriga. Details are sketchy at this point, however. Three weeks ago, on July 26, a home invasion that took place on Mopan Street in Belize City claimed the lives of two tacos vendors, Carlos Mayorga, 52, who died on the spot after he was shot in the chest and in the back of the head, and Alida Ascencio, 42, who later succumbed two and a half days after

Caribbean exam results show improvements over 2014
Over 3,000 Belizean students who sat the May-June examinations offered by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), at both the secondary and tertiary levels, performed better overall in 2014, compared to last year’s performance. There were 100% passes in Home Economics, Physical Education and Sports, Clothing and Textile and Music at the level of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and 100% passes in 23 subjects at the level of Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), sat by tertiary level students. Grades I to III in CSEC and Grades I to V in CAPE constitute satisfactory grades, which are considered passes.

Governments and gays
The admission by the United States Embassy in Belize that they have been financing Caleb Orozco and the UNIBAM gay agenda clarifies a couple incidents for us. The incidents which took place in two known gang areas on Belize City’s Southside may now be seen as attempts by Orozco and UNIBAM to provoke attacks against themselves in order to provide evidence of violent homophobia in Belize. In one incident, Orozco was assaulted and injured in the George Street Bloods area, and in other incidents, a transgender guest of Orozco’s, a male dressed as a female, was chased by groups of youth in a Vernon Street Crips neighborhood. The status quo in Belize before UNIBAM’s campaign to change the buggery law was one in which homosexuals had become so powerful that it was really as if that activity was de facto legal. In the last fifteen or twenty years, we can only recall two or three barely publicized incidents where homosexuals or lesbians were arrested by public officers, and these were people engaged in homosexual behavior in public places. Homosexual activity, once it is being carried on in private locations, is never disturbed in Belize. Marijuana smokers, at the seeming behest of the United States government, are targeted and hounded in Belize: homosexuals are not.

From the Publisher
At a historic press conference sometime between 1958 and 1959, in answer to a question from a foreign journalist, PUP Leader, Hon. George C. Price, said that if independence failed, he would give the northern part of the country to Mexico and the southern part to Guatemala. A lot of people who were prominent in public affairs back then are dead. On the PUP side, to the best of my knowledge, only don Hector Silva and Mr. Fred Hunter remain. On the NIP/UDP side, the only person I can think of is Compton Fairweather, and he was already living in Brooklyn, New York, though he was very much in contact with political developments in British Honduras. I mention the fact that very few of the political principals from that time are still alive because the comment by Mr. Price, sensational when it was made, is almost never recalled in the modern era for any kind of analysis. It is, of course, quite understandable why PUP officials and supporters would not wish to remember the statement, whereas the NIP/UDP side may feel that the achievement of Belize’s political independence in 1981 made that strange Price statement irrelevant.

White cop fatally shots Black youth 6-8 times
Michael Brown—the unarmed teen who on August 9 was fatally shot six times by a white police officer, including what has been described as “a kill shot” to the head—could very well be a Belizean youth, and the tragedy of his death has brought to light the fact that like Brown, an 18-year-old youth of the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson in Missouri, USA, who was to start college in a matter of two days, black youth across the USA are far more likely to face threats, attacks and killings at the hands of the police than white youth. The predominantly Black Ferguson community, as well as supporters of other ethnicities, are not taking the latest police killing sitting down, and public protests continued to escalate over his killing by police officer Darren Wilson, whose family and friends say should be arrested for what they insist is an unjust homicide.

Passenger bus and pickup collide on the Philip Goldson Highway
A Ramos Bus passenger bus of Lords Bank, Ladyville, which was travelling to Belize City from Lords Bank loaded with passengers, was involved in a collision with a pickup truck near Mile 6 on the Philip Goldson Highway at about 11:00 this morning. No one was killed, but several individuals suffered various degrees of injuries. The driver of the pickup truck was seen bloodied, and was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital along with 13 passengers from the bus. The conductor of the Ramos bus told Amandala that at about Mile 6, a red pickup truck that was traveling in the opposite direction, from Belize City to Ladyville, swerved into his lane at an accelerated speed, and to avoid a head-on collision, the driver of the bus, Edward Harris, swerved to the left and ran off the road, but the pickup still slammed into the right front portion of the bus, causing extensive damage to the pickup.

Woman killed in Hopkins home invasion
HOPKINS—Late breaking news reaching Amandala tonight indicate that a woman was killed, while her husband has been left badly injured following a deadly home invasion that occurred in the coastal community of Hopkins in the Stann [...]

2 persons missing
BELIZE CITY—Two persons have been reported missing. One of the missing individuals is from Ladyville, while the other is from Belize City. Johanna Reyes, 15, who resides at the corner of Seagull and Racoon Streets in [...]

Police launch murder investigation after assault victim dies
BELIZE CITY—Two individuals are currently in police custody as law enforcement officers try to piece together the events that led up to the death of Oscar Richard Rubio, 38, whose initial assault was apparently overlooked by [...]

OW minor, 17, charged for abetment to commit murder
ORANGE WALK—A 17-year-old minor from Orange Walk was arraigned in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court this morning after being charged for abetment to commit murder in connection with the death of Roy Bayliss, 18, of the [...]

It is difficult to find Jawmaine’s killer, police say
BELIZE CITY—Police reportedly are having difficulty finding the killer of cycling icon Ernest “Jawmaine” Meighan, who was murdered on the morning of August 9 on George Street. According to Sergeant Isaiah Sanchez of the Crimes Investigation [...]

Police nab man who tried to swallow “an undetermined amount” of crack
BELIZE CITY—A man who had a small quantity of crack cocaine and tried to swallow it when he saw the police coming in his direction was charged with possession of a controlled drug and obstructing a [...]

Repeat offender gets 7 years for burglarizing cop’s house
BELIZE CITY—A Belize City man who has three previous convictions for burglary, picked up his fourth conviction when he pleaded guilty to burglary at his arraignment before Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart this morning and was sentenced [...]

Predawn prison raid yields weapons, drugs, cellphones, money
BELIZE CENTRAL PRISON—A predawn raid conducted at the Belize Central Prison by members of the GSU, the Special Patrol Unit, Quick Response Team and elements of the Belmopan police resulted in the discovery and confiscation of [...]

Belmopan Bandits in drivers’ seat for UNCAF
BELIZE CITY—“To every cloud, there is a silver lining;” and an old Belizean saying takes it a bit further – “every disappointment da fi di betta.” While disappointments are not to be desired, it is a [...]

Battle of St. George’s Caye Regatta 2014. A new breed invading!
The Belize City Sailing Club cordially invites all Belize Sailing Association (BzSA) club members, sail boat owners, boat enthusiasts, advisors and spectators to participate in the Fifth “Battle of St. George’s Caye Regatta,” commemorating the decisive [...]

Lords Bank Sunrise - 2014 Rural Senior Female Softball Champions
BELIZE CITY—The Belize Rural Senior Female Softball playoff and championship games were all played on Saturday and Sunday in Lords Bank, where the hosts Lords Bank Sunrise prevailed in the championship series over Burrell Boom Orchid [...]

Kickoff times adjusted for opening and final rounds of Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA
GUATEMALA CITY—The Central American Football Union (UNCAF) today announced that the match schedule for the Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA, originally announced last month, has been amended. The dates, September 3-13, remain as previously announced, [...]

Belizean super-striker not home yet for practice – another “sick FFB joke?”
BELIZE CITY—The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) continues to reel following its most recent debacle, which cost the Belmopan Bandits, the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Champions, their golden opportunity to represent the country at one [...]

Patrick Jones

Men arraigned for murder and attempted murder
Two Belize City men have been arrested on separate charges of murder and attempted murder. Construction worker Devon Bailey, 22, of Racoon Street, is accused of the attempted murder of 31 year old Charles Hinds and 41 year old Eldon Solomon on Elston Kerr Street on Saturday, August […]

Man charged for shooting in public
While police are investigating the second of two shooting incidents over the weekend in Belize City, they have made an arrest. 26 year old Leon Garcia of a Victoria Street address has been charged with discharging a firearm in public. He pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Hettie Mae […]

Customs officer charged for death of teenager
Five years ago in June of 2009, 19 year old Onario Oba of San Victor, Corozal, was shot in the face while part of a group of alleged contrabandistas. They were allegedly trying to recover $10,000 worth of uncustomed goods from a team of law enforcement officials from […]

Repeat offender jailed for burglary at Broaster’s house
Deputy officer commanding Eastern Division, Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster, suffered the indignity of having his North End Estate home burgled last week. But the Police Department – with help from in-home surveillance – cracked the case in short order and arrested and charged 39 year old Richard Codd, […]

Small fire at Labour Department office in PG
A malfunctioning air condition unit is blamed for a small fire which caused minor damages to the office of the Labour Department in Punta Gorda town. According to reports, the Fire Service was called around 5:45 am after smoke was seen coming from the building. Firemen had to […]

Demonstrators shut down the George Price Highway in Succotz
Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura has been arrested and charged for traffic related offences in relation to a fatal traffic accident on the George Price Highway on Saturday morning. For over five hours today, residents of San Jose Succotz village demonstrated and closed down the George Price […]

San Jose Succotz residents demonstrate
Residents of San Jose Succotz village have blocked the George Price Highway in a demonstration calling for justice for a resident who was killed in a roat traffic accident on Saturday. They are burning tires on the highway and a passenger bus is unable to pass as is other vehicles.

Blogs

Texas BBQ & Steakhouse: Tasty Meat with a Side Of Beans & Big Texas Personality
Texas BBQ is located right next door to Pedro’s Inn, just south of town. A maybe 10 minute walk…15…from the town center. There is no sign yet…but that is coming. There’s a large, impressive looking smoker on the front porch. I was there early and it wasn’t fired up yet (with hardwoods and coconut husks) and wouldn’t be for another hour or so. Chris, with a shrug, volunteered that his pitmaster called in with a hangover. Chris plans on doing volume. Getting 2 people served and charged under 5 minutes. “Bringing a bit of Sam Walton to Belize”. If he said it once, he said it 20 times. It’s all about volume.

Belize’s Macal River – A Love Affair
When you think of having fun in the waters of Belize, the first things that come to mind are the stunning Caribbean coast, Ambergris Caye and the Belize Great Barrier Reef with the fabled Blue Hole and the world’s largest atolls. However, there are a number of aquatic adventures to be found all over Belize; amidst the inland rainforests, up on Mountain Pine Ridge and even underground. To acquaint fellow water lovers with these watery treasures, we’re beginning a series about wet and wild Belizean adventures. Here, as the first offering , is one of our absolute favourites. Ladies and gentlemen, meet: The Macal River

The SIRH is really looking great. They're almost done with all the remodeling. "The SIRH has done some serious remodeling over the last year. They have a new little sports bar, and are currently renovating their restaurant."

A simple guide to buying Real Estate in Belize
The Belize real estate market is currently hot and I’m here to answer a few of your concerns. You probably Googled this how-to guide because you either saw a Buy Belize commercial or personally visited Belize, dipped your toes in our turquoise waters, climbed the ancient Mayan ruins and ate rice and beans with our locals. Now you want to invest here and buying property is a great way. Initially it might seem like a daunting process but purchasing a land or home in Belize is not as hard as it may seem. How to buy property in Belize STEP 1: Begin the Search As with any good investment and even more so with this one, research is key. The best resources available to view current property listings in Belize include: Local realtor’s websites – Find a list of registered Realtors at the Association of Real Estate Brokers in Belize Website. Bank foreclosure listings – This is a great resource for Belize real estate deals.

10 Sexy Things To Do On Your Belize Honeymoon
Last year in December, Belize got ranked among Google’s most searched honeymoon spot in the world and we believe that it was due to Belize’s immaculate beauty and natural attractions like the great Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest Barrier Reef in the world, which is incredible for scuba diving and snorkeling; Belize’s intact and unspoiled rain forests, which are ideal for hiking, mountain biking, zip lining and horseback riding; Belize’s world class romantic resorts and hotels like Chabil Mar, the guest exclusive resort in Placencia, that offers an assortment of all inclusive romantic vacations; Belize’s abundant and diverse flora and fauna, and, Belize’s eclectic and colorful cultures like the Garifuna and Mestizo.

International Sources

Belize: Schulung in Frankfurt
Das kleine mittelamerikanische Land Belize lädt am 3. September zu einer Schulung in Frankfurt am Main ein. Bekannt ist das Ziel unter anderem für seine Tauchplätze, es gibt aber auch viel Kultur und zahlreiche Strände. Neben dem Fremdenverkehrsamt sind bei der Veranstaltung Hoteliers vor Ort. Ein Abendessen und ein Gewinnspiel runden den Abend ab. Die Schulung beginnt um 18.30 Uhr im Restaurant Main Nizza.

A Reanalysis of the 1931-43 Atlantic Hurricane Database*
A reanalysis of the Atlantic basin tropical storm and hurricane database ("best track") for the period from 1931 to 1943 has been completed as part of the Atlantic Hurricane Database Reanalysis Project. This reassessment of the main archive for tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico was necessary to correct systematic biases and random errors in the data as well as to search for previously unrecognized systems. Methodology for the reanalysis process for revising the track and intensity of tropical cyclone data is largely unchanged from that of the preceding couple of decades and has been detailed in a previous paper on the reanalysis. Accurate Environmental Forecasting's numerical weather prediction-based wind field model was utilized here to help determine which states were impacted by various hurricane force winds in several U.S. landfalling major hurricanes during this era. The 1931-43 dataset now includes 23 new tropical cyclones, excludes five systems previously considered tropical storms, makes generally large alterations in the intensity estimates of most tropical cyclones (at various times both toward stronger and weaker intensities), and typically adjusts existing tracks with minor corrections. Average errors in intensity and track values are estimated for both open ocean conditions as well as for landfalling systems. Finally, highlights are given for changes to the more significant hurricanes to impact the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean for this time period.

COPA CENTROAMERICANA ADJUSTS START TIMES
The Central American Cup, which has implications for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2016 Centennial Cup America, will be held in the United States for the first time this year, and those planning to attend or watch the games will need to take note of a few scheduling changes. The Central American Football Union (UNCAF) announced on Monday that the games will still take place on the same day as previously listed, but the start times of the games will be moved back. All first round games have been moved back by 30 minutes, while the final matches, set for Sept. 13 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, have all been pushed back by two hours. The competition is split into two groups. Competing in Group A are Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panamá, while Group B will feature Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Check below for the new schedule (all games times listed in Eastern time):

Association of Caribbean States supports development of SMEs in the region
The Secretariat of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) hosted a two-day Regional Workshop on Public Policies to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The meeting was chaired by Mr. Antonio Leone, Program Coordinator for the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA). Among those delivering remarks at the opening ceremony included His Excellency Ambassador Alfonso Munera, Secretary General of the ACS, and The Honorable Errol Mc Leod, Minister of Labor and Small and Micro Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago. Ambassador Munera in his welcoming address expressed that the development of SMEs is one of the priority areas of economic development for ACS Member Countries. He further posited that the ACS “recognizes and appreciates the valuable role that governments in the region have played as part of its drive to establish national powerful strategies, with the aim of providing comprehensive answers to the difficulties facing SMEs.”

Videos

Video: Central America, Part 3 - Belize & Mexico, 5min.
Scuba, cave diving, and lots of fun!

Video: If You Can Sing It... Bring It (August 19, 2014), 1hr36min.

Video: Blue Hole/Lighthouse Reef - August 3rd 2014, 3min.
Frenchies Diving

Video: Big Rock Falls Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Belize, 3min.
The Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve of Belize is home to several of these natural waterfalls that are spread deep in the forests and jungles of the country. Getting to them is an adventure in itself; some are just a short drive away, while others require a more intense hike deep into the forest. Either way, the prize of reaching these waterfalls and enjoying their natural beauty is very much worth it.

Video: Belize, 15min.
My Trip to Belize - El Progresso.

Video: Belize, 9min.
Liebe Grüße Janine & Holger.

Video: Specialty Deep @ "The Blue Hole" Belize (ScubaDov Dive Profiles), 5min.
In this video we look at deep diving and some of the things to consider while under the water at different depths and times throughout the deep dive. We see footage from "The Blue Hole" dive site in Belize side by side with the dive profile graph and air integrated dive computer (VT3) data.

August 19, 2014

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Craboo Treats
Today I take the time out to introduce you to, another stinky little fruit, the craboo! Craboos are small fruits, in the “Bahamian Cherry” family and can be found in Central and South American countries like Belize, Mexico, Peru and Brazil and the Eastern Caribbean. There are many variations of craboo, including green, red, and yellow- all with slight variations in taste. The craboo fruits start off as bright yellow/orange/red blossoms on the craboo tree, and slowly transition into little round green fruits, at this point they are very tart in taste, but eventually grow to be very sweet. As they ripen they turn, either yellow, reddish-brown or retain their green hue, and of course have a distinct smell. When mature enough, they fall to the ground. But not for long! Craboos are collected and enjoyed by many…including the birds.

Minister of Health presents budget for 24-hr Polyclinic services
The Government of Belize has approved the extension of services at The Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. On Thursday August 14th a host of health care authorities gathered at the clinic to discuss the recently approved government budget for the islands’ 24-hour medical facility. A time frame of two months has been declared for the services to kick-in. Extended service hours at the island’s public health care facility is an issue that islanders have been lobbying for relentlessly. In a recent interview with The San Pedro Sun Newspaper (Issue #31, Volume 24), Area Representative and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. went on record to say that the Government of Belize “[has] not stopped working, and presently the Ministry of Health has already completed the budget,[as to] how much it will cost, which hopefully will be presented to Cabinet on Tuesday (July 29th). The Prime Minister, in principle, has committed [and] he will approve this budget so that we will have our 24-hour services in the next, I say, two to three months, I believe.”

Ambergris Today

Summer Music Camp Inspires Young Island Artists
Music teacher Carlos Perrote just concluded his second annual Summer Music Camp after having held a very successful one for the first time last year.The musical camp offers mostly young students the opportunity to learn a variety of instruments and allows them to showcase their talent at a musical presentation at the end of the camp. This presentation was held last week Friday, August 15, 2014 at the R. Angel Nuñez Auditorium with parents and family enjoying a fantastic display of talent from each participating student. It was impressive to see how all the students come to master a number of instruments in such a short period of time. Some of the students have never touched a musical instrument and are impressing with their newly learned musical skills.

Belizean Fish Roe Hash
If you were born in San Pedro, visited the island, or have lived here for some time and you have not yet eaten fish egg also called roe, it is just about time to enjoy this delicacy. Not only will you enjoy it but you will also be able to say that you are a real Sanpedrano. There are several ways to enjoy fish egg- fried or baked, but in this island dish recipe, you will get to prepare it like a hash.

Miss San Pedro Contestants Enjoying Fun Activities Leading to Pageant Night
Six beautiful contestants are vying for the prestigious title of Miss San Pedro 2014. Michelle Estrella Nuñez, Ileny Linell Aguilar, Daphney Therese Panti, Janelli Felcita Ack, Doris Celine Soriano and Maria Elma Gonzalez will be taking center stage on Saturday, August 30, 2014. These lovely girls have been rehearsing arduously but have also been enjoying fun outings on the island and neighboring city Chetumal, Mexico. The official sashing ceremony for the delegates of the Miss San Pedro Pageant was held at Rum & Bean on a beautiful moonlit evening on Sunday, August 10, 2014. After that the girls have been enjoying fun activities including movie nights at Paradise Theater, dinner at the finest restaurants on the island including Rojo Lounge where they were hosted to a fun filled night with host Findley Halliday.

Misc Belizean Sources

What is a “palapa’?
We come across this question, all the time in Belize, from first time visitors to the Jewel. Tropical environments in Belize use a sustainable roofing technique to keep houses cool and shelter from rain called a Palapa, in English this is called a thatched roof. Palapas are one of the most talked about construction techniques by visitors to Belize, as it is a beautiful and practical roofing option used in this area. If you have visited Belize, you have probably stayed at one time or another in one of these roof covered resorts or villas. The typical questions about the palapas are: do the roofs leak? How does the grass or palm leaves actually stay on the roof? What happens when there are strong winds or hurricanes? “Palaperos”, men who construct these amazing roof structures, are artists. Watching them build a palapa roof, a thatched roof is truly an experience in and of itself. They are fast, have a rhythm to their work and in a day or two, depending on the size of the roof, the roof is done! In Belize, this is a skill that thank goodness is still being used in new construction.

Minister Hulse Visit to Taiwan
At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Hon. Sen. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, National Emergency Management and Immigration and Nationality, has concluded a five day visit to Taiwan from August 11th, to 15th, 2014.

Action Taken by Ministry of Health Based on Preliminary Audit Reports
The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that the audit of accounts initiated last year by the Ministry in all health regions continues with the help of the Auditor General’s office. As a consequence, we have recently been presented with irregularities that have been identified in preliminary reports for the Primary Care Provider clinics in Dangriga and Punta Gorda. Based on that report, the Administrators of both clinics have been placed on immediate suspension as a precautionary measure pending the completion of the investigations. Administrative arrangements have been put in place to ensure that services are not affected.

Channel 7

Disgraced Deputy In Fatal Traffic Accident
Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura is disgraced tonight. The #2 police officer has been served with a notice of intended prosecution for a long list of charges for his role in a traffic fatality - in which, it is being alleged, he was driving under the influence. On Saturday morning at about 5:30, Segura was driving a police issued Nissan Pathfinder to his home in Benque Viejo when he crashed head on into a taxi which was heading to San Ignacio. It happened just outside Succotz village and the female market vendor who was in the passenger seat died on impact, while the driver suffered multiple injuries. His condition has been upgraded from critical to stable - but as you'll hear from his family later on, he's far from being out of the woods.

Family Of Injured Taximan Blames Segura
But, the actions of the senior command are probably no consolation to the families, first, of the deceased market vendor, and, second, the injured cab driver. Tonight, one family is preparing to bury a mother of five, Yolanda Consuelo Valencia, while the other is tending to 28 year old Yanie Evan Cu, who was transferred to the KHMH because of the seriousness of his injuries. Today, Cu's family spoke to Monica Bodden outside the KHMH and they told her that they blame Segura for their son's condition:.. Azucena Cu- Mother of Yanie Evan Cu "He is not good, he is injured right now. Today the doctor told me that he has to be operated on today on his hand." Monica Bodden "What are his injuries?" Pedro Cu - Father of Ivan Cu "His hand are his hip are broken, his foot is injured."

Weekend City Shootings Not Fatal
There were two shootings in the city on Friday night - which left three men injured, but, luckily none of the injuries are life threatening. At around 11:30, 31 year old Charles Hinds and 41 year old Eldon Solomon were walking on Elston Kerr Street in the Collet Area when they were approached from behind by three men on foot, one of whom fired several shots at them. The attackers then ran off toward Central American Boulevard where a car was waiting for them. Hinds narrowly escaped a fatal injury, as gunshots grazed the top of his head. He has been treated and released from the hospital. And 41-year-old Eldon Edward Solomon was shot to the back - and he was expected to be released from the hospital this afternoon. Precinct two police were swift to make an arrest:..

Father Of 7 Killed In Western Stabbing
A man was killed on Unitedville Village on in the wee hours of Saturday morning. He is 34 year old father of 7 Victor Vargas, known as Nico. According to reports, at around 3:00 am, Vargas was in a fight with a younger man, a 19 year old. The teenager allegedly stabbed him in the throat. Vargas ran trying to get help, but no one opened for him, and he collapsed unto the street dead. Today his family told us it is a bitter end to a life full of conflict:.. Eddie de la Rosa, Cousin of deceased "A fight was happing right here, he lives on the other lane and was coming home. He went to a party and was intoxicated. He came to check on the fight that was happening here, but instead of parting the fight, they just stab the man. They said that the guy that killed him was with him earlier, but apparently he stayed at the bar by the entrance and the guy came and socialize with different crowd and got into an argument."

Customs Officer Charged
Today in Orange Walk - an unusual case went to court. A customs officer was charged for manslaughter for a case that occurred 5 years ago. That's June of 2009, when 19 year old Onorio Oba of San Victor village in the Orange Walk District WAS SHOT and killed. Oba was shot when Customs Officers came under attack from villagers and opened fire to protect themselves. The dispute was over a cargo of contraband which customs had seized. Well, 5 years later police say they have new evidence, which enabled them to charge customs officer Charles Flores. Flores was assigned to river patrols at the time and he participated in the initial seizure. This afternoon, he was taken to Orange Walk Magistrate's Court where he was arraigned on a charge of manslaughter. He was released and bail and ordered to return to court on fifth November. And while police claim to have new evidence pointing to Flores as the Officer with the gun, 7News has learned that at least two BDF soldiers who were on patrol with him have attested that he was in the river with them when the shooting happened in the village.

Jamaican Man Charged For Rubio Murder Claims Demon Possession
On Friday we told you all about the murder of 38 year old Oscar Richard Rubio. He is the Belize City resident who was beaten on July 30th, left in intensive care with a major head injury, and went un-noticed by police until he died from that injury last week Wednesday August 13th. Well, while police might have been late to catch up on the crime, they were relatively quick to make an arrest. Investigators have arrested and charged 32-year-old Jamaican Mark Dallas as the person who inflicted those fatal injuries. This afternoon he was arraigned before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. He was remanded until October 2, 2014.

Sr. Supt. Broaster's Burglar Gets 7 Years
On Friday, we told you how Senior Superintendent, Edward Broaster had caught the thief who broke into his house. Well, today, that man, 39 year old Richard Codd went to court where he was charged for burglary. He wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the single charge. Codd told magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart that he didn't want to waste the court's time, and that Broaster had already gotten back his items and that he, Codd, had fixed back his broken window. For the offense of burglary, Codd was sentence to the minimum jail term of 7 years. In his mitigation plea, he told the magistrate that he is sick and someone has put him under an obeah spell. Codd is no stranger to the police or the court. He has a number of convictions, five of them are for crimes of dishonesty going back to 2003.

More Bad Business In Ministry of Health
Another trough of corruption has been unearthed at the Ministry of Health and two senior administrators are suspended because of it. For months, we've been alluding to mismanagement of funds in the south - and today - the Ministry of Health announced that Administrators of the Dangriga and Punta Gorda Primary Care Provider clinics have been suspended. They are Harry Sabal for Dangriga and Kayla Hoare for Punta Gorda. The Ministry's press release says that irregularities have been identified in preliminary reports from the Auditor General for those clinics. They have been placed on immediate suspension as a precautionary measure.

Teen Alleges Abuse At Police/BDF Camp
Last week we told you about the camp that police are offering to Belize City families who have troubled teenagers in their house. It's a boot camp run by the BDF at Camp Belizario in Cayo. It can last for four to six weeks depending on whether the students are enrolled in school. But, one Belize City family today reached out to us to say one week was to long. Their 16 year old son has come back with a story of wretched and systematic abuse that's, honestly, hard to believe until you hear them out. We spoke to mother, son, and a neighbor today to hear their allegation of constant beatings at the hand of police:.. Voice of: Georgia, Mother "I called him and he said to please come for me because they beat me. I ask what happen and so he was crying over the phone and he said to please come for me because they beat me, they got me in mud and water and if they move the GSU beats them."

A Grave Mix Up
When a loved one dies, there is an extended process of grieving that follows. Visiting the grave site is an important part of that but the Gomez family's grief and sadness turned into rage when they visited their loved one's grave in Lord's Bank on Friday. They realized another grave was built and attached to their relative's grave. Keisha King, the daughter of the deceased, Marie Gomez, expressed her anger at the situation and stated emphatically that she and her family want the offending grave removed. Keisha King, Daughter of Deceased "Actually Friday evening when I went up there to take flowers to the grave I was shocked to see that situation; two grave combined as one grave. That situation is so disturbing. We have no connection and that's like a complete stranger to us. We have no idea."

Police Brass Reflect On Segura's Vile Viral Video
As we've shown you in the top of our segment, Deputy Commissioner Segura is on suspension from duties as the #2 Police officer after he was involved in an accident which killed a 54 year-old woman, and put her taxi driver, who is also one of her family members, in the hospital. There is the lingering allegation that he was driving under the influence of alcohol when it happened. We've confirmed with Assistant Superintendent Daniel Arzu, the Officer Commanding Benque Police, who is also in charge of the investigation, that the forensic testing of the blood samples taken from both Deputy Commissioner Miguel Segura and Yanie Cu are in. When we asked if he could disclose them to us, Arzu told us that he had to seek instruction from the Commissioner of Police if he had permission to release them to the press. He then advised us to call Commissioner Whylie directly. When we did call the commissioner, we couldn't get him on the phone.

COMPOL Encourages Public To Hit Record
So, a critical part of story was told by the cellphone footage recorded shortly after the incident. But, many times, there are moments captured like this on video, which never make it out in the public because officers often confiscate the civilian's recording devices and delete files. Sometimes, they try to block members of the press from doing their jobs by threatening them with deletion of their images and videos. The different media houses have all encountered something this once or twice over the years, and today, when Commissioner Whylie was asked give the department's position the recording of police officers doing their duties. He told us that he doesn't have a problem with civilans or photojournalists recording these materials, as long as they are respecting the cordoned area of the scenes:

22 Days Later Dwayne Still Missing
The mother of 24 year old Dwayne Young is desperate for answers about her son Dwayne Young who has been missing for 22 days. He went missing on July 28th after a domestic dispute and has not been seen since. Today she stopped by our studio for a second time to express her devastation and to make her plea to the public. Angelica Morrison, Mother "I want to say to the public that anyone who sees my son to call me or contact my daughter or the police because he is missing and I want to find him and I want him to come home safe. Anybody who sees him, my number is 621-0176 and my daughter's is 60 -2221. I want my son come home and he was working when this happened to him. I am tired of not sleeping, I can't even eat. Every day I have to get up to try to look for him, all in the bushes looking for my son and asking people and like no one is not telling me anything about my son. I want the police to look into it to find him because it is going for a month now and I want to find him to come home."

Is There An App for The Future?
Last week we told you about Tiffany Simpson's Mobile App Development course package entitled "Tech it Easy" which is designed to teach students how to create their own mobile applications. Well, the PUC has propelled this vision to a larger scale. The PUC is hosting a week long workshop to train youths in Mobile application development. The workshop is being held under the theme "Inspiring Solutions for Global Challenges through Innovation and Creativity". The coordinators of the workshop discussed the importance of such a workshop and the holistic approach to technology in transforming not just Belize but...the world!! Courtney Weatherburne reports:... The workshop began today and will conclude on Friday with presentations from the participants.

Home Invasion Leads To Murder in Hopkins
We've confirmed that during the course of our newscast, there was a murder which happened in Hopkins Village, in the Stann Creek District. Information is sketchy at this time but we've been told that a teacher and his wife were the victims of a home invasion, and in the course of the crime, the woman was killed. The teacher is currently receiving medical treatment, and police currently processing the scene. We'll have more on this in tomorrow's newscast.

Belizean Woman Shot and Killed In Vegas
Police from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department are searching for 27 year-old Carim Cruz, a man living in the US, after he shot and killed a Belizean American in that California City. News reports from out of Las Vegas say that early on Saturday morning, Diana Serrano and her cousin, Rasheda Lopez was at Geisha House Restaurant at around 2:30 when a man opened fire on the crowded business place, after he got into an argument and a with one of the victims, and several patrons of the restaurant. Diana Serrano was fatality shot, and died on the scene, while Rasheda Lopez was rushed to the University Medical Center.

GSU Recounts Raid
On Friday we told you how police raided the Kolbe Prison in Hattieville and came up with cell phones, with and without SIM cards in the cells of what the GSU says are key gang members. Other items found at the Kolbe Foundation are drugs, stingers and borers ("boras"). Back in the City - and also on Friday, the GSU found 87.1 grams of cannabis in Cadle Alley. The drugs are believed to be for a well-known member of the Victoria Street Bloods Gang who peddles drugs within that area.

Hon. Hulse in Taiwan
Minister of Immigration, Godwin Hulse has returned from a 5 day visit to Taiwan. The purpose of the visit was to further strengthen relations between Belize and Taiwan. Hulse signed a Memorandum of Understanding between his Ministry of Immigration and the Ministry of Interior of Taiwan relating to human trafficking and Immigration issues. Senator Hulse returned to Belize on Friday.

Channel 5

Breaking News: Murder in Hopkins
News Five has managed to confirm that there was a murder moments ago in Hopkins. Details are sketchy at this point because officers have been dispatched to the scene, but [...]

Fatal Traffic Accident on Benque Road lands Deputy ComPol in hot seat
Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura has been placed on interdiction for his involvement in a fatal road traffic accident which occurred early Saturday morning. Police were called to mile [...]

National Security Ministry calls Press Briefing in the Aftermath of the Weekend Tragedy
There is a great deal of outrage tonight surrounding a fatal traffic accident near Succotz early Saturday morning. It involved a vehicle driven by Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura, [...]

Video of Accident Scene Goes Viral on Social Media
And on the heels of outrage at that video, there are allegations that Segura received special attention on the scene. Eyewitnesses told News Five today that Segura was taken from [...]

Devon Bailey Arraigned for Friday Night Shooting
Two men were shot at over the weekend and tonight one of the alleged shooters is behind bars on remand at the Belize Central Prison after he was denied bail [...]

Unitedville Man is Stabbed and Killed…
Cayo Police are tonight on a manhunt for the killer of a resident of Unitedville who was fatally stabbed early Saturday morning. It happened at around three a.m. at the [...]

…Woman Believes Her Son is Wanted for the Murder
Police have not officially released the name of the man wanted for Vargas’ murder, but one woman from Unitedville is convinced that her nineteen year old son is the suspect. [...]

GSU Operations in the West
Also in the west, the Gang Suppression Unit conducted an eight-hour operation targeting drug dealers and peddlers in the San Ignacio area. Around five-thirty a.m. on Saturday, the unit searched [...]

Jamaican Man Arraigned for Murder of Oscar Rubio
Thirty-eight year old Oscar Rubio was taken to the K.H.M.H. by the police after he was found drunk in the Belize Constitution Park in late July and two weeks later, [...]

Lord’s Bank Family Says Grave of Loved One Defiled
The desecration of a loved one’s grave by vandals or others who are intent on unlawfully occupying precious funereal estate is an injustice that is not limited to the Lord [...]

2 Administrators in the South Put on Suspension Following Health Audit
The public health system is once again under intense scrutiny, following the suspension of a pair of administrators from the Primary Care Provider Clinics in Dangriga and Punta Gorda, respectively. [...]

Youths Converge for the Mobile App Workshop and Competition 2014
“Inspiring Solutions to Global Challenges through Innovation and Creativity.” That’s the theme of a seminar being hosted by the Public Utilities Commission in which tech savvy youths are being trained [...]

CXC Results Are In
The preliminary results of the 2014 CXC Exams, sat in May and June, are in and, while the top scorers are yet to be named, a total of three thousand, [...]

Highlights of the First Belize Jazz and Culture Show
On Saturday, the first in a year-long series of Belize Jazz Fusion Culture Concerts was held at the Biltmore Best Western Hotel, where a host of performers and musicians entertained [...]

Sporting Highlights with James Adderley
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. We caught up with Saturday night semi-final showdown in Firms Division Basketball as BWSL and the Belize Bank/Airport faced [...]

CTV3

Czl Police Launch Operation Cleanup
As part of the Northern Regional initiative, the Orange Walk and the Corozal Police Departments conducted a joint operation yesterday in sight of the San Joaquin Fiesta scheduled to commence tonight. According to Officer Commanding the Corozal Police Formation, Andrew Ramirez, Operation Cleanup has but one aim. Andrew Ramirez – OC Corozal “Orange Walk Police was here yesterday and they did some searches for wanted persons and a few minor arrest nothing much to mention about right but the most important thing of it is that the community felt an increase of police presence and they realize it was a counter anticrime effort that we did just to ensure that people came out for the San Joaquin Fiesta, that they can have movements with the family and friends peaceful and that is the main objective of that but that is a regional initiative and I would like to take time to thank Superintendent Arnold, Officer In charge for Orange Walk who has sent a number of officers from Orange Walk to assist in the operation and the operation code name was operation Clean Up.”

NEMO Members Take Part In Workshop
A Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis workshop was held today at the Agriculture Department in Corozal. The workshop was attended by members of the community from both rural and urban areas. The objective was to arm participants with the right tools on how to respond in case of a natural Disaster. Among the participants was Willard Levy, Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Organization in Corozal. Willard Levy – NEMO “Well actually what we are doing is that we are having a workshop about Damage Assessment, it is called the DANA, which means the Damage Assessment Needs Analysis, this is one of the most key committees in NEMO’s structure that does the assessments of damages after any disaster and is most important because what reports are made from that is what assistance is given to people affected in terms of agriculture, housing and households and everything.”

PlusTV

One arrested in double shooting
Police have levied charges of attempted murder, grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm on 22 year old Devon Bailey, in connection with the shooting of 31 year old Charles Hinds, Jr., and 41 year old Eldon Solomon, around 11:35 p.m. on August 15, 2014. Police responded to information they received of shots being fired on Elston Kerr Street, Belize City. Charles Hinds was grazed by gunshots to the top of his head, while Eldon Solomon was hit in the right upper back. They were socializing on the side walk in front of a house on Elston Kerr Street, when they were approached from behind by three dark-skinned men, one of whom fired several shots at them causing the injuries to Mr Hinds and Mr Solomon. The three culprits then ran up Pelican Street Extension heading towards Central American Boulevard where they boarded a waiting car and escaped. Both victims are listed in a stable condition at the K.H.M.H.

Saturday morning shooting in Belize City
There was another incident reported over the weekend, where a man was shot at the corner of Pickstock Street and Lovely Lane, Belize City. According to reports, around 5:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, Shane Garcia, aka “The Dancer,” was traveling with two cousins in a black car which stopped in the area. A gunman emerged from another vehicle and shot at Shane Garcia, catching him twice in the shoulder and to the left side of the chest. Mr Garcia has been treated for his injuries and released from the hospital.

Two more Health Care Administrators suspended
In the heat of the case of Nasley Sommerville, whose Public Service Commission hearing for the embezzlement of hospital funds was postponed to September 9th, the Ministry of Health announced the immediate suspension of two more Health Care Administrators effective on Monday. According to the Ministry of Health, “the Audit of Accounts initiated last year by the Ministry in all health regions continues with the help of the Auditor General’s office. As a consequence, we have recently been presented with irregularities that have been identified in preliminary reports of the Primary Care Provider clinics in Dangriga and Punta Gorda.” As a result, the Administrators for the Primary Health Care clinics of Dangriga and Punta Gorda, Harry Sabal and Kaila Hoare respectively, have been suspended as a precautionary measure while investigations continue. According to the Ministry of Health, administrative arrangements have been put in place so as to ensure that services are not affected. The Ministry further stated that it takes these matters very seriously but at the same time ensures that the administrators in question are given time to respond to the reports.

Patrick Jones

Family of accident victims want justice
Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura is in serious trouble, placed on interdiction and potentially facing criminal charges, resulting from Saturday’s fatal traffic accident. But the victims of Saturday’s accident – the deceased 54 year old Yolanda Valencia, a mother of three, and 28 year old Yanie Cu, […]

Youth alleges brutal beatings at reform camp
Toward the end of last week, BDF Commander Brigadier General David Jones; Deputy Officer Commanding Eastern Division Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster and Minister of National Security John Saldivar sang the praises of a reform camp organized by the BDF at its base in Camp Belizario in the Cayo […]

Health Ministry suspends administrators in southern clinics
The Ministry of Health has announced the “immediate suspension” of administrators of primary care provider clinics in Dangriga and Punta Gorda Towns pending completion of investigations into allegations of irregularities in the accounts of both clinics. These come out of the preliminary audit reports commissioned by the Ministry […]

Home invasion in Hopkins: one dead, one injured
Residents of the quiet community of Hopkins, Stann Creek district are in shock tonight after a violent home invasion claimed the life of a woman and has left her husband badly injured. The late evening incident claimed the life of Josephine Augustine. Her husband Dudley Augustine was […]

Senior Belize Minister visits Taiwan
Senator Godwin Hulse, Minister of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, National Emergency Management, Immigration and Nationality completed a five-day visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) last week. During his overseas visit, Senator Hulse met with his Taiwanese counterpart Dr. Hao Feng-min, as well as other senior Taiwanese […]

Deputy ComPol served with Notice of Intended Prosecution
Police have issued a Notice of Intended Prosecution against Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura. This follows an early Saturday morning fatal traffic accident at mile 71 on the George Price Highway in the village of San Jose Succotz, Cayo district. Segura was driving a grey Nissan Pathfinder which […]

Blogs

Sargasso Piling Up on Our Shores on One Beautiful Day In San Pedro + The Island’s Best Pizza
Sargassum, or the seaweed that is now quite plentiful in Belize, is all over the beach. And, while not all that attractive, it’s seriously fascinating stuff. There is a whole “sea” of it that is a home for all sorts of baby fish and sea creatures, it’s a spawning site…it’s basically a giant floating nursery. And it’s HUGE (even bigger than the Pacific Ocean’s Trash Vortex!) and its movement is “managed” by currents and weather. (Read more facts here.) And Rojo. Right next door is their UBER-EXCLUSIVE villa, Azul. And just this past week, they hosted one of the actors from BREAKING BAD. I’m asking if I can tell you who. The Scoop is the very soul of discretion. Or this GORGEOUS pizza. Half sausage and vegetable with homemade red sauce and then half the “Alaska” pizza. Whole buttery garlic cloves, goat cheese, huge chunks of lobster, crust that is so delicious. YUM. The fresh green onion really makes it. Best pizza I’ve had in Belize.

Chaa Creek Spa Wins World Tourism Award
The Lodge at Chaa Creek has been recognised as “Belize’s Leading Spa Resort” at the recent World Tourism Awards, an event the Wall Street Journal called “The travel Industry’s equivalent to the Oscars.” Speaking after the announcement at the awards ceremonies, held this year in Quito, Ecuador, Chaa Creek’s owners say the win is further proof of Belize’s “coming of age” as a premier tourism destination. “We were thrilled and honoured to hear we’ve received the World Tourism Award. It reflects well on not only Chaa Creek, but the Belize eco-tourism industry as whole, which is really coming of age as far offering travellers a wide variety of exceptional products and services. Spas were a rarity in this part of the world when we established the Hill Top Spa, and now guests have come to expect these sorts of quality amenities, even in the midst of a pristine rainforest setting,” Ms Fleming said.

Belize Coalition of Service Providers (BCSP)
The Belize Coalition of Service Providers (BCSP) is a national umbrella body that brings together all service sector associations. It functions as a focal point to lobby, channel and address trade in services issues and services development issues which are critical for the sector to thrive in the competitive global environment. The Administrative & Accounting Office will be responsible for assuming the accounting and administrative functions for the BCSP Secretariat and providing administrative assistance to the BCSP’s Executive Director.

Merry go round!
By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez Ring a ring a roses A pocket full of poses A tish-u, a tish-u we all fall down Are we serious about juvenile reform? Or are we playing merry-go-round? Are we buying into Jim Crow-ism And being tricked into creating more facilities for juvenile incarceration The boot camp model has long faced extinction Let’s stop playing games with our at risk population We are seeing building construction at mile twenty-one I hope that’s coming with a holistic curriculum Unlike the customary imported one, It has to be a homegrown one with monitoring and evaluation.

Power outage Stann Creek
Power interruption 8:00am to 1:00pm, Friday, August 22, Stann Creek District: Entire Hopkins Village. BEL to relocate high voltage lines on Hopkins Road and replace utility poles in Hopkins Village.

Mike Vestal – Child Predator in Belize
Each year, countless children around the world fall prey to sexual predators. These young victims are left with permanent psychological, physical, and emotional scars. When a recording of that sexual abuse is made or released onto the Internet, it lives on forever. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification. I do not comprehend the fact that anyone can come to Belize and just do as they please. In these crazy times where children are being hunted, we cannot continue to let anyone just parade into Belize as they please. When Belizeans want to go out for vacation they have to pay hundreds for a visa, get a full background check and a lot more but people can just fly or drive into Belize; mostly from the US. This is Michael Vestal, 37, Vallejo, Johnson Control technician that has been profiled not only on international TV but on a show specific to child predator (s), and he was allowed not only to come into Belize but work with children under the guise of Christianity. They have listed as now living in Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
This another option of meats besides chicken that you can use to create a delicious spicy Jambalaya. The Andouille sausage is the secret ingredient that makes this dish so mouthwatering.

See Why Your Next Dive Vacation Should Be In Belize
one of the smallest countries in Central America – packs a lot within its borders, from the hemisphere’s longest reef and the amazing Blue Hole, to whale sharks, atolls, Mayan ruins and jungle trekking. Deciding where to stay in Belize is harder than it seems – your choices range from the quaint ambience of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye to the dive-only atolls to the nature-loving South. The barrier reef off Ambergris Caye starts five miles north of the Mexican border and is so near shore that dive sites are only five minutes away. Experienced divers like to visit Hol Chan Cut: Strong tidal currents make it tricky to dive this site, but also supply food to filter feeders such as sea fans, sponges and gorgonians and to fish like grunts and mutton snappers. Divers stay close to the channel sides where irregularities in the walls blunt much of the current’s strength.

The August 17th, 2014 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

Four Arrested For Parceling A Pound Of Weed:
Three men from Red Creek and a fourth from Santa Elena were, this Thursday afternoon, arrested and charged for the possession of marijuana when a team of policemen sneaked up on them from behind as they were parceling the merchandise under a coconut tree in the back of a yard. Acting upon information received, at around 2:30 pm this Thursday afternoon, a team of policemen, comprising elements from Special Branch, Crimes Investigation Branch and the Tourism Police Unit sneaked up from behind, along a cement fence, unto a property located at #213 Red Creek, on the eastern outskirts of Santa Elena Town, where they surprised four men assembled under a coconut tree engaged in a suspicious activity with a camp fire burning nearby. The men, all Belizean laborers, were identified as Ricky Diego, 28 and Glenford “Geese” Lewis, 50, both residing on the property as well as Shane Smith, 29, who lives nearby also in Red Creek and Wayne Miralda, 34, who told the police that he lives further up the highway in Santa Elena.
Espat Takes The Rap Fined and Confined:
Four persons from Santa Elena were today arrested on a possession of marijuana charge. The youngest of the four pled guilty to the charge. He was sent straight to jail on a five year sentence along with a ten thousand dollar fine. It was shortly before 10 o’clock on the morning of Friday, August 8, 2014, when a team of policemen, armed with a warrant to search for drugs, descended upon the #148 George Price Avenue, Santa Elena residence of Nelson “Quack” Flores, 30, Belizean laborer. Present with Flores on location at the time of the search were three other persons later identified as Belizeans Alma Reyes, 36; Jose Garcia, 26; and Justin Espat, 19. Both Reyes and Espat told the police that they reside with Flores at the house while Garcia informed that he lives nearby on Coconut Street.
Editorial: We See, We Hear And We Read:
When one travels across the nation, there is no denying that unprecedented development in the nation’s infrastructure is happening everywhere like never before. The modernization of Belize City is unquestionable, Mayor Darrell Bradley, with assistance from Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Central Government are transforming the city beyond imagination. In the less than two and a half years since Mayor Bradley was elected to Belize City Hall, he and his team has done more for the city than all previous mayors combined. Amazingly, while the national development is advancing full speed ahead, it is doing so without any increase in national taxes and undue hardships to the thousands of public officers, teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen and soldiers paid by the national purse. Much unlike what is taking place in the region. We see, we hear and we read reports of massive retrenchments of public officers in sister Caribbean states. We see, we hear and we read of moratoriums on new employment of public officers in the region.
Burglary, Burglary, Burglary:
San Ignacio police are this week reporting three burglaries with no arrest. Police are of the opinion that a sneaky burglar is in town. The general public is therefore advised to guard against becoming a victim of burglary. In the first incident, Gerald Armstrong, 48, reported to police that between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm on Saturday, August 2, his house, located on Eduardo Juan Street in Santa Elena, was burglarized. While several items stolen amounted to less than a hundred dollars, the fact remains that someone invaded his privacy and in the process disrespected him. In the second incident, Wayne Bermudez, 50, year old Belizean farmer of a San Ignacio Town address reported to police that his farm house, located behind Eden Resort on the highway leading to Benque Viejo Town, was burglarized on Sunday, August 10.
Belize Earns A Host Of Top 100 Readers Choice Awards:
The August 2014 “Scuba Diving” magazine has outlined Belize as the “Central American paradise” who “earned a host of 2014 Top 100 Readers Choice Awards.” Belize earned Readers Choice Awards for the Caribbean and Atlantic’s best overall destination, big animals, wall diving, and underwater photography. Some of the highlights from the three-page spread include mentions of our barrier reef “bowing only to Australia’s great one.” It also talks about the wall dives that can be done along the atolls, which “turn into an underwater Lollapalooza.” Also among the highlights was Gladden Spit which placed in the top 5 list for “best big animals in the Caribbean and Atlantic region.” Apart from our “big animals,” Belize was also recognized for its “macro critters.” Belize, known for some of the most authentic experiences, was also pointed out as a destination for tours from luxury yachts, to explorations through the jungle and to the archaeological sites.
Marriage Reveals, Not Creates Problems:
BY: Rick Warren, Aug 3, 2014: “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.” (Proverbs 28:23 NLT) If you’re single and you’re prolonging a relationship that you know is going nowhere, don’t continue it. “But I won’t have anybody to take me out on Friday night,” you say. A bad marriage is a million times worse than not going out on Friday night! The longer you’re in a relationship, the more difficult it’s going to be to get out of it. Proverbs 28:23 says, “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery” (NLT). Size that person up quickly, particularly related to emotional health. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like, “Do you have uncontrolled anger?” “Can we talk about me?” or “Will you pick up the tab?”
Police Manhunt For Calderon Brothers Underway:
Police have detained two suspects and are on the manhunt for two more in connection with a Sunday night, August 3, chopping incident in San Ignacio Town. It was a few minutes to 10 o’clock on Sunday night August 3 when the police were called to the community hospital in San Ignacio. They were immediately directed to the emergency room where a male person was being treated for large chop wounds, one each to both knees and another to the mid section of the body. Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim, later identified as San Ignacio resident, Felix Romero, was at his mother-in-law’s house on Flamingo Street in San Ignacio when he went to open the gate for his mother-in-law to enter. Whilst at the gate he was reportedly attacked by four male persons whom he identified as the Calderon brothers: Neri and Gerson along with Leroy Supal and Joshua Concha.
Invitation To Support HRCB Fundraising Eve:
The Human Rights Commission of Belize invites you to support their fundraising event to be held in San Ignacio at the Sacred Heart Auditorium this coming Saturday August 16th 2014 starting at 7:30 p.m.. This event is being done in partnership with the Rotaract Club of San Ignacio and consists of the performance of the hilarious play "Every Rose has Thorns" written by pastor Dillon Burgin. All proceeds go towards the continuation of HRCB's human rights educational trainings and advocacy programs and the Rotaract's Club " Send a child to school scholarship program" Come out and support us.
Acne Vulgaris:
Acne vulgaris (or simply acne) is a common human skin disease, characterized by areas of seborrhea (scaly red skin), comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), papules (pinheads), nodules (large papules), pimples, and possibly scarring. Aside from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem and in very extreme cases, depression or suicide. One study has estimated the incidence of suicidal ideation in patients with acne as 7.1%. In adolescence, acne is usually caused by an increase in androgens such as testosterone, which occurs during puberty, regardless of sex. Acne more often affects skin with a greater number of oil glands; these areas include the face, the upper part of the chest, and the back. Severe acne is inflammatory, but acne can also manifest in noninflammatory forms. The skin changes are caused by changes in pilosebaceous units, skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland, changes that require androgen stimulation.
Two Guatemalan Boys On Remand For Gun and Bullets:
Two Guatemalan boys were this week captured with a gun and ammunition inside the national territory of Belize. As rangers from Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) continue the task of protecting the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, there are reports of yet another incursion into Belize by Guatemalans. The report indicates that at around 10:45 am on Monday, August 11, the rangers were on routine joint patrol with soldiers of the Belize Defense Force in the Caracol Archeological Reserve when they came upon a group of four Guatemalan male persons sitting around a fire. Upon reaching the group, two of the men escaped while the other two were captured.
Penner and Rojo on Drug Charges:
Two men are facing drug charges after being connected with a really tiny amount of illegal drugs. They were doing the stuff, police say, in the Welcome Center in San Ignacio when police, acting on information received, pulled up on them. Police first searched the Caucasian man dressed in a long sleeve white shirt with blue stripes and blue jeans pants while the other, instantly identified as Rayford “Rojo” Staine was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans pants. A search of the Caucasian man led to the discovery of a transparent plastic bag containing 0.2 grams of cocaine in his left pants pocket, while inside the other front pocket police found two grams of suspected weed. Nothing incriminating was found on Rojo. A search of the area however, inside a flower pot, led to the discovery of 1.3 grams of suspected crack cocaine.
STAR Humor
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Letters to the Editor
Public Notices

International Sources

Family presses ahead for justice in death of Calgary father Jeffrey Furgala in Belize
Family members of a Calgary man who died while in the Belize police custody in early 2013 say they’ve rejected an offered cash settlement from the country’s government and plan to proceed to trial over claims of negligence. Jeffrey Furgala, 35 was on vacation in the South American country with his girlfriend the night of Jan. 26 when he was detained by San Ignacio police over claims he was heavily intoxicated. (More details here.) But family members, including mother Fern Tiberio, have insisted that Furgala was injured earlier in the night and was suffering from the after effects when he was apprehended. She said her son was ignored after being put behind bars. Furgala was found unconscious with a bloody nose in his cell with the following morning and rushed to hospital. He was pronounced dead a few days later. Tiberio and son Chris Furgala have now steered efforts to file legal action against the San Ignacio authorities claiming negligence on the basis that he wasn’t checked on every 45 minutes as specified by Belizean law.

The decision to remove the Belmopan Bandits from the 2014-15 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League may have been the right one, but it could've been handled better.
CONCACAF's relatively new administration missed an opportunity to show it's different from the past regime with its handling of the removal of Belize's representative in the CONCACAF Champions League. The name 'Champions League' explains the concept. Pit various champions against each other...in a league. But in the past five competitions, Belize hasn't been able to put forth a representative, a streak that will continue this year after the Belmopan Bandits were removed from the competition. The confederation announced the decision in a news release sent at 6:10 p.m. ET on Aug. 12 - a week after the tournament started and nine days before the Bandits were set to host their first game of the competition. It would've been the first time in history that Belize - a tiny but growing English-speaking country in Central America just south of Mexico on the Caribbean Sea - hosted a Champions League match. In the first tournament under the current format, the Hankook Verdes played their home match in Guatemala, losing both legs by a 6-0 margin.

The CONCACAF Champions League pitch in Guyana is laughable
The debut of a team from Belize in the CONCACAF Champions League will have to wait for at least another season after confederation inspectors ruled that their pitch was unplayable. Belize Premier League champions Belmopan Bandits will be replaced in the competition by Costa Rica's Club Sport Herediano. CONCACAF inspected the playing surface at the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) Stadium on August 10 for a second time, finding that the conditions did not meet the regulations for Champions League standards. Belmopan were scheduled to play their first game in the competition, at home, on Friday August 22 against El Salvador's Isidro Metapan. It is a sad story for the Belize national federation who had been hoping to make a return to international club competition in the region. The FFB Stadium had received $1.8 million from FIFA for an upgrade. This included improved lighting, seating for 5,000, separate shower stalls and changing rooms for participating teams and referees.

IMF sees potential spillovers from PetroCaribe
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its 2014 Spillover Report released August 18 said it sees potential spillovers including “macroeconomic difficulties” into the economies PetroCaribe now helps. “Venezuela has provided financial support to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through energy co-operation agreements, under which Venezuela sells oil at market prices, but gives generous financing conditions to beneficiary countries, including long-term loans at low interest rates, and sometimes the possibility to repay in kind,” the IMF said. “The volume of oil sold to the region under various agreements (San Jose, Caracas, Integral Cooperation, and PetroCaribe) has stabilised at around 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) after 2009, with values rising to about US$10 billion in 2012.”

Vestiage Announces Support for Oceana Conservation Organization
Vestiage™, Inc. (“VEST”), the healthy-aging Company, announced today that it is now supporting Oceana, the largest international advocacy group focused only on protecting the world’s oceans. Scott Kimball, Vestiage CEO stated, “Our Company motto is ‘We Believe Life Deserves Vitality.’ It makes sense that we strongly support the protection of our planet, in particular, the lands and the oceans where our ingredients are found. Oceana is a fierce advocate and is committed to achieving policy victories on behalf of the ocean and sea life. Vestiage and Oceana, which has offices in both Monterey and Newport Beach, have a lot in common. When we launch Monterey Bay Nutraceuticals, which is planned for Q1 2015, we intend to make another announcement that will show how serious our support for Oceana is.”

10 Reasons to Live in Belize
In this infographics, Internationalliving.com, a website that covers topics that include retiring overseas, living abroad, international real estate, investment and travel share their top 10 reasons to live in Belize:

10 BEST UNDERWATER ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD
SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS Where: Gladden Spit, Belize. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and despite the intimidating name, are very docile. These gentle giants can be found at the Gladden Spit, near Placencia and Hopkins between March and June, and don't be surprised to find one of these dauntingly large creatures swimming toward you. Whale sharks are a notoriously curious species and are known to swim very close to divers. The appearance of whale sharks is timed with full moons, so be sure to consult a lunar calendar when planning your trip.

Videos

Video: Belize tree trimmer, 1min.
This is how you show folks you are good at your job, after you've trimmed the coconut and dead fronds.

Video: Diving the Great Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef, Belize, 5min.
Our first dive in the famous Blue Hole of Belize. Some people have said there's "nothing to see"....but I thought it was an amazing dive, from dropping off the lip into the haze with large sharks swimming below, the bubbles of divers below rising to the surface, and the huge stalactites and stalagmites appearing at 130 feet around the rim of the sunken cave. Swimming between them was other-worldly. We had 2 great dives afterwards too, at Half Moon Caye. We dove with Belize Diving Services, located on Caye Caulker...highly recommend!

Video: Isla Marisol Belize Dive Highlights, 24min.

Video: Highlights of the first Belize Jazz and Culture Show, 3min.

Video: THE Belize 2014, 5min.
Belize Adventures: SCUBA, snorkeling, spear fishing, cliff jumping, cave exploring, and more.

Video: National Geographic Student Expeditions Belize 2014, 4min.

Video: Zip line Belize GoPro, 4min.

Video: Zip line Belize GoPro x2, 3min.

Video: Zip line Belize GoPro x3, 3min.

August 18, 2014

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

CTV3

US Ambassador Comments on Doctor Elrington's Case
Yesterday US Ambassador to Belize Carlos Moreno held a media round table at the US Embassy in Belmopan when he was fielded with a number of questions by the media. Unfortunately none of media representatives were allowed to record the session and it was until this afternoon that the U.S Embassy made available the video to media houses. Among the many questions asked yesterday to US Ambassador Moreno was if the U.S will make a move to have Doctor Errol Elrington, brother of Minister of Foreign and Attorney General, Wilfred Elrington extradited. As you may recall Doctor Elrington is now considered a US fugitive now living in Belize after an arrest warrant was issued for him in October, 2013. Doctor Elrington is wanted on charges of racketeering, medical fraud and health care fraud after he allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid more than $400,000 for services that he never performed, and he employed an unlicensed physician who engaged in criminal sexual misconduct. So will the US seek Errol Elrington’s extradition? Here is what the US Ambassador had to say on the matter.

When Will O/W People Stadium Be Upgraded As Promised
Presently there is much discontent across the country after news broke out that the Belmopan Bandits will not be taking part in the CONCACAF Champions League which sees the participation of all Central American champions and sub-champions. As previously mentioned Belize did not meet FIFA’s requirements again, which include a FIFA certified field, infrastructure, lighting and access to changing rooms. All this was to have been set in place with the renovation of the FFB Stadium in Belmopan. But despite the close to 2 million dollars already spent on the stadium, Belize’s boys will not play in the CONCACAF, because despite the fact that FIFA gave Belize over two months pass the deadline to meet FIFA standards required for Champion's League, bottom line is the stadium was not ready. Actually if we rely on the words of FFB’s President Ruberto Vicente, we should say the field was not ready. According to him and we quote “the television companies that run the Champions League will not televise on a field that has brown spots on it."

Steady Decline In Production Of Oil In Belize
Belize Natural Energy, the only oil producer in Belize after hitting a crowning in 2011 of 146 million in profits is seeing a steady decline in production, the Amandala Newspaper reported today. And since the company started producing commercial crude oil in 2006, 1.5 billion dollars’ worth of the black gold has been sold to local and foreign markets around the world. The publication reports that an estimated volume of 9 million barrels resulted in the Government of Belize netting $424 million in receipts and landowners netting $5.3 million in royalties. But after hitting its peak in 2006, crude oil sales have been on a rapid decline. The Government of Belize now hopes that a commercial oil find in the south of the country could result in a rebound in petroleum earnings. And while BNE continues production at its two oil fields namely in Spanish lookout and Never Delay, the hope for commercial find rests with Maranco and US capital, says Andre Cho, Director of Petroleum and Geology.

Will Elvin Penner's Visa Be Revoked?
During the media round table Ambassador Moreno also spoke on another issue of national interest, the Elvin Penner case. Ambassador Moreno was asked if the US will revoke Penner’s visa as they did back in 2003 to former PUP Minister Maxwell Samuels after he was involved in an immigration scandal. While the Ambassador did not go into details on the issue, he did mention that Belize’s Government should take the matter seriously. H.E. Carlos Moreno, US Ambassador to Belize "I can't comment on individual cases. That question is probably be directed to Minister Penner or Mr. Penner himself as to whether his VISA has been revoked. As to any efforts by the US Embassy to revoke his VISA since that's a matter - it really raises questions of privacy and the institution and workings of the counselor section. I should not really comment on that. Let me add, I think that the integrity of the process whether it's in the issuance of the passport or VISA - any kind of official document that has the of a government official should be scrutinize carefully, should be treated very seriously the government in question. I say that because countries rely heavily on the authenticity and the integrity of documents that are presented to us when that traveler comes to another country and if we don't have that essential element of rule of law with respect of the integrity of these documents then I think we are in serious trouble."

LOVE FM

Tour Company Employee Robbed on Coney Drive
A manager of Chukka Tours has told police that he was robbed in the Coney Drive area yesterday evening. According to 31-year-old Derrick Hemmans, he had just come into the city from Water Caye, unloaded some supplies into a white Chevy cargo van and then drove off….but upon reaching the NAPA roundabout he was approached by a dark skinned man, who entered the van and pointed what appeared to be a .38 revolver at him and demanded money. Fearing for his life he handed over (2) black bags one of which contained a black Lenova brand laptop computer valued at $1,500.00 and the other contained $6,500.00 in cash the property of Chukka Tours. The robber also took off with Hemmans’ licensed 9mm pistol and a magazine containing sixteen 9mm live rounds, valued at $3,300.00. Police are investigating.

Espat Fined 10K and Confined for Five Years for Drug Trafficking
San Ignacio Police, upon the strength of a search warrant, conducted a search at the residence of Nelson Flores on the George Price Avenue in Santa Elena Town in the Cayo District. As a result of the search four persons were detained and charged for drug trafficking. 30-year-old, Nelson Flores, 36-year-old, Alma Reyes, 19-year-old, Justin Espat and 26-year-old, Jose Garcia were all charged for the offence of possession of a controlled drug with the intent to supply. During the search conducted mid-morning last Friday, the officers attached to San Ignacio uncovered a black plastic bag in a space between the wall and the floor board that contained loose green vegetable substance which was suspected to be cannabis. Following the discovery of the suspected drug, the four, who were present at the time of the search were informed of the offense committed and were placed under arrest. The drug was weighed in their presence and had a total weight of one hundred and twenty six point eight grams of cannabis. The four were arraigned in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court where Espat pled guilty and was fine ten thousand dollars and sentenced to five years in prison.

CXC Results Released
Today the Ministry of Education released the CXC Examinations Preliminary Results for May and June 2014. The Preliminary Results for the May-June 2014 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) shows that three thousand forty-nine candidates divided into 1,344 males and 1,705 females registered for 32 of the 35 subjects offered at the CSEC level. The candidates registered for the May-June 2014 CSEC sitting represent a decrease of 56 candidates or 1.8% compared to the May-June 2013 sitting. Candidates from 53 centres registered for 20,960 CSEC subject entries in May-June 2014 which is equivalent to 0.16 percentage points less than those registered for the 2013 sitting. Of the 20,960 subject entries, 18,878 received a grade which is about the same as 2013. Seventy-six point five percent of the 18,878 graded entries received Grades I-III which is a satisfactory level of performance at the CSEC level. The number of subject entries receiving Grades I-III has steadily increased for the past three years. Home Economics Management maintained 100% of the subject entries with Grades I-III for the past three years. Similarly, Physical Education and Sport has maintained its subject entries receiving Grades I-III close to a perfect score for the past three years. Six subjects maintained an average of 80% and above of its entries earning Grades I-III for the past three years.

Serrano Family Wants Refund From Arthur Saldivar
He is an aspiring Area Representative for the Belize Rural North area under the umbrella of the People’s United Party and he has been no stranger to the local media in Belize, whether on a positive note or otherwise. Tonight, we bring to you another story involving Attorney Arthur Saldivar and a family in Dangriga that is asking for a refund of monies paid to Saldivar for services not rendered. Here is Hortence Serrano, who is fighting on behalf of her 93-year-old, mother, who has been undergoing some land issues. As a result, Serrano and her family acquired the legal services of Saldivar to help fight the matter. HORTENCE SERRANO “I called Clinton Hernandez because I had no idea more or less about attorneys and because I see Dickie Bradley all the time on TV; I asked Clinton, do you have a number for this gentleman. He said, ‘what’s the problem’, I said, ‘it’s a land problem’. He said, ‘well the best person for you to give the job to is Arthur Saldivar because he’s dealt with these kinds of issues’ and that’s when we settled with Arthur.

Sommerville Goes Before PS Commission For Hospitalâ€™s Missing Monies
She was relieved of her responsibilities temporarily in the latter part of October last year after hundreds of thousands of dollars went unaccounted for at the Southern Regional Hospital. It is a case that has been followed closely by the local media and tonight, we can tell you that the matter is finally being reviewed via a Public Service Commission’s Tribunal. Nasley Sommerville played the role of Administrator at the Southern Regional Hospital but when an audit revealed that fraudulent cheques were cashed from the institution at the Belize Bank, she was suspended. The first hearing of the Commission was held yesterday at the Sir Edney Cain Building in the City of Belmopan. In the hearing, three persons were called to testify, those being Randolph Young, a senior auditor in the AG’s office, Maria Rodriguez, an auditor in the AG’s office as well as Barbara Nicholas, who served as an Administrative Assistant at the Southern Regional Hospital.

The Reporter

Senior police officer involved in fatal traffic accident
Police have served Assistant Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura with a notice of intended prosecution following a traffic accident that occurred shortly after 5 a.m. on Saturday in Benque Viejo. Segura, 48, was reportedly travelling alone from San Ignacio to Benque Viejo in a Grey Nissan Pathfinder and Yanie Evan Cu, 28, a taxi driver was driving a Toyota Corolla car in the opposite direction with passenger, Yolanda Consuelo Valencia, in the front passenger seat when the two vrhicles collided, killing Valencia. Cu is in a critical condition and police have taken samples from him and Segura for alcohol testing.

Belize Taiwan fight human trafficking
Belize and Taiwan have signed an agreement aimed at improving human-trafficking combat efforts. Belize Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse and Taiwanese Interior Minister, Chen Wei-zen signed the agreement in Taipei, Taiwan on Friday. Taiwan has made similar arrangements with other countries, including Mongolia, Honduras, Indonesia, Vietnam, Paraguay, the Gambia, the United States and the Solomon Islands. Chen noted that Taiwan has been listed as a Tier 1 country in the United States’Trafficking in Persons Report for five years in a row due to its good performance in the prevention and control of human trafficking.

Former Haitian president faces charges following protests
Supporters for former Haitian President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide have clashed with UN peacekeepers in Haiti. Dozens of Aristide’s supporters had set up barricades outside his home, fearing he could be arrested. UN troops fired smoke grenades to disperse the protesters after they allegedly attacked a car carrying UN staff. Aristide faces charges of money laundering, but his supporters say the charges are politically motivated. A crowd of demonstrators, said to number around 150, blocked the route to his home with rocks and burning tyres on Thursday to prevent his arrest.

Patrick Jones

GSU conducts raid at Belize Central Prison
The Gang Suppression Unit of the Belize Police Department carried out a pre-dawn raid of the Max Section of the Belize Central Prison on Friday. The operation, which started at 4 am, had the participation of members of the GSU, the Special Patrol Unit, Quick Response Team […]

Teachers undergo professional development training
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has concluded workshops for teachers in the Belmopan Area. These Professional Development Sessions are held yearly all over the country to empower teachers and give them an opportunity to earn credits to keep their Teachers’ License. The sessions were held at Belmopan […]

Under-12 footballers play exciting game in Belmopan
Inclement weather did not stop two enthusiastic under 12 football teams from hitting the field and rolling the ball to the sound of the referee’s whistle for play time on the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan. Elite Promos tried for a back to back victory against Medina […]

Bus and pickup truck collide on the Phillip Goldson Highway
There were two traffic accidents in Belize City on Friday,one of them fatal. The accidents happened within an hour of each other, one on the Phillip Goldson Highway, the other on the George Price Highway. The first took place in the vicinity of the Haulover Bridge on the […]

Man stabbed to death in Unitedville village, Cayo
A man was stabbed to death early this morning in Unitedville village, Cayo district. The victim has been identified as 38 year old Victor Manuel Vargas. According to reports, Vargas left home on Friday afternoon and that was the last time his common-law wife saw him alive. […]

Blogs

Belize National Song competition 2014
With The September celebrations just around the corner, Belizeans have been preparing for a colorful month of parades and dancing. One of the most important activities leading up to the seemingly endless festivities is the National Song Competition put on by the the National Institute of Culture History, Atlantic Bank and National Celebrations Commission. It sets the stage for the coming month, this year’s celebrations were themed “Industrious Hands, Intelligent Minds together for Belize.” The evening was filled with loads of family friendly fun and great entertainment celebrating our beautiful Belize.This was the sixth year and the party was packed with Belizeans from near and far, as many fans came from other districts to cheer on their favorite talent. Memorial Park in Belize City quickly came alive as eighteen performers wowed the crowd and the judges. We saw performances by four juniors, eight in the Belize Song category, and six in the Carnival Song Category. The Gillharry 7, also known as the G7 band from Corozal and MC Dillon Jones of Universal Radio in Orange walk were also a continuous and enjoyable part of the evening’s entertainment.

Belize: The Planet’s Best Diving Destination
Scubadiving.com has recognized Belize as one of the top diving destinations in the world along with The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Mexico, Honduras, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and Grenada. “The planet’s best places to find pulse-pounding big animals, deep walls, massive wrecks, fascinating caves and more,” reads the article entitled “Scuba Diving Top 100: Best Overall Diving” on scubadiving.com, the largest scuba diving website on the Internet. You can read the full article here.

International Sources

Actun Tunichil Muknal: the Belize cave of ancient human sacrifices
DEEP in the Belize jungle of Central America lies a cave with creepy human remains more than 1000 years old thought to be victims of ritual sacrifices. Discovered in 1989, Actun Tunichil Muknal, or ATM as it’s locally known, is not easy to reach. Brave travellers must take an hour’s ride from San Ignacio in Belize, then walk another hour through shallow rivers and jungle to reach the mouth of the cave. From here visitors have to swim into the cave and wade up the river for another kilometre past huge boulders and cavernous rooms.

Sony Pictures launches feed for Central America, the Caribbean
Sony Pictures Television Networks' new feed will bring exclusive programming features to Central America and the Caribbean, including live schedules and promotions designed specifically for the needs and preferences of the region. From 1 September, viewers and partners of Canal Sony and AXN in Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Belize, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic will receive the new Spanish signal. Sony Pictures will offer seven different feeds for Latin America. "We are always looking for new ways to connect with our audiences across the region, and our research indicates that viewers in Central America and the Caribbean share unique consumption patterns, which is why we have created this new feed to properly meet their needs," said Nathalie Lubensky, senior VP at Sony Pictures Networks Latin America. "In addition to creating a special schedule and programming, we are using this opportunity to launch events and advertising opportunities for our partners."

GOING UNDERGROUND
Want to get under the skin of Belize? Blancaneaux Lodge has launched a series of caving adventures to take travellers deeper into this Central American land. The lodge - one of Francis Ford Coppola's hotels - sits in the Maya Mountains, surrounded by rainforest and tumbling waterfalls. Five explorations to nearby caves range in difficulty, and can be undertaken by everyone from beginners to more experienced adventurers. Nervous cavers are advised to start with the Rio Frio Cave, which is blessed by plenty of natural light; while all four and a half miles of Barton Creek Cave - where pottery shards, ceramics and even Mayan remains are found - can be travelled by canoe. Cave tubing - floating through the caves in a rubber ring - is popular at Nohuch Che'en Reserve (the lodge starts its trips early in the morning to avoid the crowds). The lesser-explored Offering Cave at Noj Kaax Meen Elijio Panti National Park was once a sacrificial site, and contains tools and ceramics left by the Mayans.

Videos

Video: Entrapment plasticity of the infinity sea, 5min.
“Entrapment plasticity of the infinity sea” is a video art that deals with the notion of being entrapped and trying to survive, keep going. This situation is always changing its form as the sea is always in movement and changes its state. The images of this video were recorded on different places of the Caribbean Sea (Los Roques in Venezuela, San Andrés in Colombia, Ulila in Honduras, Caye Amberguis and Blue Hole in Belize), the Red Sea (around Hurghada) and the Atlantic Ocean (Bahia, Brazil). A mosaic of the sea and personal struggles form this imaginary trip indo the underwater world.

Video: Dangriga to Belize City Flight, 2min.
Taking off from Dangriga on our return to Belize City. Tropic Air. GoPro HERO 3+ Black. 1080p.

Video: Dennis Wolfe - Just Another Gringo in Belize, 3min.
Dennis at Fido's in San Pedro, Belize 2013.

Video: Belize Raggamuffin Tour 3rd Stop, 21min.

Video: BELIZE 2014, 5min.
Summary video of our adventures in Belize. Scuba Diving, Snorkling, Spearfishing, Cave exploring, Cliff Jumping, Hiking, and much more.

Video: Belize Misiones, 5min.
Un Poco Del Trabajo Que Hemos Realizado Como Misioneros.

August 17, 2014

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Psychology Today: Mental Health & Wellness
Well Martha, will you look at that, right in the middle of the street in broad daylight! As they get closer he nudges, not gently, the man sleeping on the street and comments: “You stink! Clean yourself up and get a job like the rest of us! and walks away (Social Stigma). The man lying on the street wakes up momentarily, having felt the blow of the foot and the man’s hurtful words, readily agrees with him; saying to himself “I am worthless, what’s the use anyway” (Self Stigma). He then finds the bottle he misplaced only hours before and takes another drink. He no longer hurts…oblivion.

WUHS preparing students to become doctors
The Washington University of Health and Science (WUHS) is entering its fourth year of operation on Ambergris Caye, Belize. Having been clouded by speculation during its initial stage, WUHS has maintained strong and determined and are now attracting more students who have enlisted in their medical program. The medical school has also enrolled several Belizean students, many of who are on some form of scholarship. According Malik Soudah, President of WUHS, the medical university is here for the long term and would like to encourage students wishing to pursue a medical degree, to enlist at the WUHS. “We want everyone to know that we are here to stay and we want to be a part of the San Pedro community. We are here to help in any way we can. We have plans for the future, which includes the possibility of opening a nursing school,” said Soudah. He also indicated that WUHS have applied to the Government of Belize (GOB) for a license to open a junior college.

Misc Belizean Sources

Commentary: Transfers in Belize government departments are rampant
By Wellington C. Ramos In Belize, the head of every governmental department has the right to transfer any of the people who work under him or her in the best interests of his or her department. However, there are many times when transfers are done by the heads of departments in Belize because their supervisors did not like the person working under them, racism, insecurity, jealousy, ulterior motives and other unjustifiable reasons. I was a member of the Belize Police Force for five years and I witnessed male police officers who were transferred because the senior ranking officers wanted to have an affair with their wives or were having an affair with a woman the senior ranking officer was having an affair with or wanted to have an affair with. Female police officers were transferred because they refused to have an affair with senior ranking police officers and police officers who were investigating a case against one of the senior officer’s friends, relatives or business owner.

Green Iguana Conservation Project
The Green Iguana Conservation Project is going strong. The San Ignacio Resort Hotel is doing some major renovations all around, but the iguanas don't mind at all. Jorge is the newest guide, and he's great. When was the last time you visited?

PlusTV

Union members clarify how trust fund will work
On the 23 of July of this year, the Government announced, through a press release, that all public service workers, teachers, and open vote workers, whose increments were frozen between the periods of 1995 to 1997, were to receive compensation...

Man dies from injury in fight
Police say they have detained two persons and are looking for another, in the continued investigation into a fight two weeks ago which has turned fatal...

Chukka Tour manager robbed
A Location Manager for Chukka Tours reported that on Thursday evening, August 14, he arrived from Water Caye and unloaded some supplies into a van and then drove off...

Hopkins land conflict resolved by court
Last week Thursday August 7^th reports coming from the village of Hopkins, Stann Creek District, were that police authorities in the area were replacing the locks of a small beach resort which housed nine people. The building was formerly owned by Luke Castillo who passed away in November of 2011...

Traffic accidents reported on major highways
There were two traffic accidents reported in Belize City on Friday morning, within an hour of each other, on both major highways. The first took place in the vicinity of the Haulover Bridge on the Philip Goldson Highway around 11:00 a.m...

Albert Street taxi driver and traffic officer clash over enforcement
On Friday afternoon on Orange Street, Belize City, there was a clash over enforcement of the right of members of the Albert Street Taxi Union to park in their designated stand...

CSEC Preliminary results released
The Preliminary Results for the May-June 2014 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) have been released. Three thousand forty-nine candidates sat 32 of the 35 subjects offered at the CSEC level. This number represents a decrease of 1.8% from last year...

Michael Gordon exhibit kicks off Image Factoryâ€™s 20th year
The Image Factoryâ€™s latest art exhibit is a tribute to a hero of the local art community. Self-taught and prolific, Michael Gordon has created more than 2,000 paintings in over 20 years of work, and between 200 to 300 of those are on exhibit for the next two weeks, beginning Friday night...

The Reporter

Fourteenth manatee killed in boating collision for 2014
A boating collision with annother adult manatee has resulted in the animal’s death. According to Jamal Galves, program director for the Manatee Conservation Project, they received an alert on Friday morning that a manatee was killed and floated up into the harbour at the Port Authority of Belize. Workers on the compound spotted the dead animal and they said they saw a calf along with the carcas in the area. The manatee rescue crew arrived at the Port around 10:30 a.m. and along with help from the Belize Coast Guard, they tried to lure the calf into a net and take it to safety. According to Galves, the crew spent hours trying to locate and retrieve the living manatee but after hours they could not locate it. Galves indicated that after examining the body of the dead manatee, it showed obvious signs of collision with a boat and had several chop wounds to the body. Galves said that one peculiar observation was that the manatee corpse was a male and that a calf travelling with male adults is not typical. Galves added that due to the fact that manatees could hold their breath for long periods of time before getting away he was led to believe that the other manatee was not a calf.

Man accidentally shoots brother and flees
A man accidentally shot his brother late on Friday night and the currently in critical condition according to police sources. According to police information, Leon Garcia allegedly shot Shane Crawford, 30 at a house at corner Pickstock and Frederick streets. Reports are that Garcia apparently believed Crawford was an intruder and fired a single shot, which caught Crawford in the buttocks and exited through his abdomen. Police are currently seeking Garcia in connection with the incident but so far have been unable to ascertain his whereabouts.

Strong presidential candidate emerges in Brazil
Marina Silva, the former Brazilian Environment Minister is expected to be named in the next few days to run for president in October. Silva would replace former presidential candidate, Eduardo Campos, who was killed in a plane crash on Wednesday. While Silva has agreed to run, Campos’s Socialist Party (PSB) still needs to officially approve the decision. The Socialists – the major partner in the opposition coalition established to run against President Dilma Rousseff – are expected to announce their decision after a meeting on Wednesday. Marina Silva and Eduardo Campos announced their alliance in October 2013. Eduardo Campos’ plane crashed into several houses in a densely-populated neighbourhood of Santos She fell out with the Workers’ Party government and left office to run against Ms Rousseff in 2010. The first round of the presidential election will take place on October 5 and will go to a second round later that month if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes.

The Belize Times

Crime – Barrow is to Blame
The cold bloodied murder of Ernest “Jawmaine” Meighan on Saturday morning in broad daylight in front of his children’s home on George Street has shocked Belizeans. Two days after, Prime Minister Dean Barrow took a plane out of Belize. Supposedly on official business, he quickly announced he was taking an extra two days’ vacation leave. He apparently does not want to be questioned about the unbelievable level of crime that occurred over the weekend, and his ongoing failure to provide security for the citizens of Belize. He cannot call another press conference so soon after last week’s fiasco over the locking up of 41 sanitation workers at the Queen Street Police Station. Gangs roam free while poor workers get arrested. Crime, like so many other burning issues continue to highlight Mr. Barrow’s gross incompetence and woeful lack of leadership. Flying away won’t cause the crime problem to go away. Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca has repeatedly offered to join the government in any effort to formulate initiates to deal with the crime problem plaguing the country. Mr. Barrow routinely spurns every such offer. He continues to pretend he has solved the violent crime problem with a few infrastructure jobs. Mr. Barrow has been at the head of the government for six and a half long, hard years.

Murdered Cycling Icon, JAWMEIGHAN, to be laid to rest on Friday
Cycling icon, 43 year old Ernest “JawMeighan” Meighan, a two time cross country champion (1997, 2001) will be laid to rest on Friday at the Central Assembly of God Church on Barrack Road in Belize City. JawMeighan was gunned down in cold-blooded fashion on Saturday – another tragic victim of the bloody violence that has taken siege of Belize City. JawMeighan had stopped by his girlfriend’s George Street home. Upon going downstairs and getting into his vehicle with an empty water gallon in his hands, an armed person sneaked on him and fired a single but fatal shot to his head. JawMeighan, a father of 7 children, was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but died on the way. The execution of this sports hero, who carried Belize on his shoulders in many prominent cycling races, shocked the nation. JawMeighan was to Belize what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls. His murder has been condemned nationwide and by Belizean in the diaspora. Reports of his killing attracted loud cries on online social network.

PUP Team 11 – Ready to Work!
The PUP Team 11 in Belmopan, led by City of Belmopan Mayoral Candidate Jose Chacon, is ready to Work! Last night the team and Belmopan Standard Bearer Patrick Andrews held a planning meeting with the zone leadership teams to plan out meeting schedules with residents. Our people are ready to work voluntarily because they see the great need for change in Belmopan. Have hope, together we will rescue our once “Garden City”. Join the Belmopan PUP movement all are welcome! For God, Family and Country!

Darrel to spend $2M on new building in poverty-stricken Belize City
Social and economic inequality, homelessness, joblessness, poverty and crime are at an all-time high in Belize City, but Mayor Bradley Darrel Bradley has chosen to continue spending big money, millions upon millions more, in more concrete. The Mayor announced this week that his Council will use two million dollars donated by the Taiwan Government to refurbish the Commercial Center, which will become the new City Hall. Just some weeks ago, a homeless man died under the blazing son in front of the same building. Bradley has been heavily criticised for his spending of $20 million on concrete streets with very poor drainage over the past months. City residents have been heard saying “we cyaant eat cement…we need jobs and safe neighbourhoods”.

Eyes wide open
By G. Michael Reid In 1751, Corbyn Morris of London proposed that “…as the preservation of the health of the people is of great importance, it is proposed that the cleaning of this city, should be put under one uniform public management, and all the filth be…conveyed by the Thames to proper distance in the country”. Almost a hundred years after that in 1846, the Nuisance Removal and Disease Prevention Act spurred what was to be a steadily evolving process of the provision of regulated waste management. The Metropolitan Board of London was the first authority that centralized sanitation regulation for that rapidly expanding municipality. In 1875, the Public Health Act was passed in London which made it compulsory for every household to deposit their weekly waste in ‘moveable receptacles’ for disposal. It was the first concept for garbage cans and dust-bins. Long, long before that however, garbage disposal was of huge importance to even the Mayans, who research shows had a fixed monthly ritual, in which the people of the village would gather together to burn and dispose of their rubbish. It seems unconceivable then, that here we are in 2014 and Belize City is still grappling with the issue of waste management. This has become a perpetual problem and year in year out it seems it is the same cry. The city cannot manage its waste and cannot afford to pay the people who clean up our city streets. Waste management of Belize is done by two primary groups; Belize Maintenance Limited (BML) and Belize Waste Control (BWC). BML workers clean the drains, sweep the streets and clean the parks thereafter bagging the waste which is collected along with regular household garbage by BWC. Working together, both companies do a relatively effective and efficient job and the city is kept fairly clean.

Editorial: THE HOUSE OF CARDS
In 2012 Dean Barrow and his UDP managed to squeak through a razor-thin victory at the polls for a second term with a two-seat majority. From a 25-6 victory in 2008, they were down to 17-14 in the House of Representatives. And were it not for turmoil and dissension in the PUP ranks, Dean Barrow would have been a footnote in history. But instead of being chastened by his virtual rejection at the hands of the electorate, Barrow in his second term has become even more pompous and arrogant. Members of his Cabinet have become even more reckless, abusive and corrupt. The man who promised good governance is presiding over the most abusive and corrupt administration. The Lands Department under his Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega is “a hotbed of corruption”. Bribery and kickbacks in that Ministry have become the new normal. But the Prime Minister does not hold his deputy accountable. He sees nothing wrong in allowing the brother of the same Deputy to monopolize the exploitation of the rosewood in the Toledo forest. He sees nothing wrong when the nephew of the said Deputy is given a fat contract by Government to pave the road to San Antonio and is fully paid even though no work was done on that road.

Knead Belize preps Lionman swimmers
Knead Belize and veteran triathlete Denise Diaz continued to prepare Lionman contenders for the swimming part of the Lionman event: the 0.9 mile swim, as they organized a 3rd open water swim meet beside the Sandlighters’ Promenade in Belize City on Sunday. Anthony Leslie clocked 8:39.10 and 9:06.15 in the 2 swims of 350 yards each, while Karate sensei Leon Guild placed 2nd in both swims, clocking: 9:30.07 and 10:00:28. Diaz completed the 350 yard swim in 8:07. She invites all contenders who may wish to test the waters and their body to the distance; as the Lionman triathlon comes up in early September.

Telemedia scorches Beacon 23-5 in female softball
Belize Telemedia scorched Beacon 23-5 by mercy rule in the 4th inning in the Belize City female softball competition at the Rogers Stadium last Friday night Telemedia pitcher Martha Rhys gave up 9 hits and walked 3 batters, while the BTL diamond made 7 errors, but Beacon managed only 5 runs, leaving 7 runners on base. Licia Ferguson scored 2 runs, Tamara Ramsey scored 2 runs and Shantell Longsworth scored a run. BTL got 18 hits off Kimani Smith’s pitching. She also walked 3 batters and the rest of the Beacon made 23 errors. Lydia Cacho and Kimani Williams led the attack scoring 4 runs apiece. Noreica Fraser, Babsy Cadle, and Martha Rhys scored 3 runs apiece, while Rebecca Jones and Earlene Belisle scored 2 runs each and Christine Jacobs and Beverly Hyde scored a run each.

Team Belize wins 1, loses 3 in regional U-23 volleyball championships
Belize’s national Under-23 female volleyball team has won one game and lost 3 at the 2nd Central American U-23 female volleyball championships, organized by the Association of Central American Volleyball Federations (AFECAVOL) at the Jorge A. Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa, Honduras from August 8-13. Team Belize took on the Goliath, Costa Rica. Belize played its best match, scoring the most points of any team against Costa Rica (52) and giving them their toughest match in the tournament. Costa Rica won in straight sets 25-20, 25-19, 25-13. For Belize Maurissa Williams had 13 points (10 kills, 3 blocks), Tichele Solis had 10 points (6 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces). The team had 20 unforced errors to Costa Rica’s 21. Next game is against Guatemala at 3 pm on Tuesday.

Letters: Impotent On Crime
I listened to a most interesting “Morning Buzz” Show on Positive Vibes on Tuesday August 12, 2014. The guest, Major Oscar Mira, a retired BDF Intelligence Officer, disclosed statistics that showed that major crime such as Murder, Robbery, Burglary, Rape, Theft and Carnal Knowledge have seen a sharp increase when compared between January to July 2013 and January to July 2014. In the previous year, there were 1,403 major crimes reported to the Police while there were 1,493 reported in 2014 for the periods mentioned. Additionally, according to Mr. Mira, there were 477 arrests in the same period in 2013 compared to 450 arrests in 2014. These statistics show an increase of 90 reported major crimes to the Police, and a decrease in arrests of 27 between the two years. Mr. Editor, a few weeks ago the impotent Minister of National Security, speaking at a Police promotion ceremony in Belmopan, tried to fooled this nation by quoting statistics on major crimes and saying that compared to last year crime was down and under control. The National Security Minister, who has disappeared in the middle of the violent siege, claimed that the media has exaggerated the situation and has painted a picture that is not real. The Minister insisted that crime is down.

Letters: Problems of an old rusty bike
I would be tremendously grateful if you kindly afford me space in your well-read newspaper to share a message to my beloved family members to heal a problem that started following the death of my husband. My granddaughter was only 12 years old when she requested for my husband’s bicycle that he used to go to work at Williamson Factory. He said to her, ‘you want grandpa’s bike’. She laughed and said ‘yes grandpa, when you die please leave it for me’. She got into college in Corozal and graduated. She obtained a scholarship to continue her education in England for three years and when she came back home she brought a dictionary for her grandpa because she knew he loved reading. Though she was no longer 12, she looked at grandpa and asked, ‘grandpa is the bike still mine?’ and he responded, ‘yes’. By then the bike was old and rusty, parked under a shed. She laughed and said one day she’ll come for it.

Wrongfully Arrested
On Sunday August 3rd, 2014 the “New Hong” Chinese Store located on St Vincent Street in Dangriga Town was robbed by two suspects between the hours of 7:20PM and 7:45PM. I was inside purchasing a pack of gum. One of the suspects entered the store, pointing a gun in the direction of the Chinese store owner and stating, “please remain calm, nobody move, just relax”. A second Chinese lady sitting at the far right corner of the counter froze in position. The robber demanded money and the store owner did not hesitate to comply with his demand. Not satisfied with what he received, the robber demanded more money and once again the store owner complied. While that was taking place, because my phone was on the counter, I tried to reach for it to put it in my pocket without making any obvious movements, however the robber saw what I was doing and asked “Weh yu di do, ah no tel yu noh move” in an annoyed tone. While peering over my shoulder I replied to him that I was putting my phone in my pocket. I then learned that there was an accomplice after the suspect holding the gun who gestured for someone to enter the store. The gun man’s accomplice walked in and was preparing to go behind the counter when the person holding the gun told him “no go fi di ting again let’s goh”. The accomplice continued to walk behind the counter but the person holding the gun again stated in a much harsher tone, “noh goh fi di ting again mein let’s goh”. The accomplice stopped but did not turn around which caused the suspect holding the gun to say “let’s goh a**hole”. The accomplice turned around after hearing that. The suspect with the gun then pointed it closer to the store owner and commanded her to stoop down and count to a hundred or she would die. Fearing for her life she immediately dropped to the ground. The robbers then fled the shop and escaped into the night.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE – Jawmeighan: A Nation’s Loss
The tragic, senseless murder of Ernest “Jawmeighan” Meighan at 11am Saturday August 9, 2014 on the bloody streets of Belize City shocked and angered an already weary and frustrated Belizean citizenry. We have become numb and cold to the seemingly endless and pointless gun violence ravaging the Southside of Belize City but Jawmeighan was not just another victim lying in his own blood on George Street. Did the young punk who busted a shot into the back of Jawmeighan’s head know who he was executing? Did he know that this was an elite Belizean athlete, a former Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic Champion? Did he know he was killing a son of the soil who carried our nation’s pride on his back on many a Holy Saturday? Did he know that he was killing a father, a son, a husband, a friend, a teammate, a hard working Belizean?

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – SOUND FAMILIAR??
I have recently finished reading “The Economic History of Belize,” an excellently researched publication by Cubola Productions of Benque Viejo del Carmen. The volume is in the Belize Collection of texts on our country brought out by Cubola, and it is copyrighted in 2012. I consider this text to be essential reading, having thoroughly enjoyed the writing of joint authors and husband and wife, Barbara and Victor Bulmer-Thomas. Barbara was born at the Melinda Agricultural Station in the Stann Creek District, and is educated to Master’s Degree level in microbiology and plant taxonomy. Her husband Victor is British. He taught at Saint Michael’s College in the late 1960’s, and is now Emeritus Professor of Economics at London University. Together they have produced a fascinating text on Belize, and one which has definitely allowed me to have many new insights about our country from an economic perspective.

An Unjust, Unbalanced, Broken Tax System Part I
A fair and balanced tax system is important for any economy seeking to grow investments…whether domestic or foreign…because it should earn government the amount it needs to provide essential services and infrastructure, while allowing private investments to make honest profit and workers to earn fair wages that can afford the basic necessities of life. Belize has not been doing so well in attracting foreign direct investments (FDI). Neither has it been meeting the Government’s needs, since we consistently depend on foreign grants to plug deficits in our national budget and workers have been clamoring that cost-of-living is fast outpacing increases in real-incomes. From 2001-2013, the World Bank estimated that Belize attracted net positive Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), however net inflows went down from US$194 million (2004-2008) to US$89 million (2009-2013), the lowest 4-year record since 1989-1993.

Man Up Herman! – GOB’s sports program is a shame
There has been an outcry of shame and disappointment at the Football Federation of Belize for their failure to have the FFB Field in Belmopan ready in time for the CONCACAF Champion’s League in which the Belmopan Bandits would have represented Belize. The result has been the disqualification of Belize’s participation and many broken hearted football fans. While the FFB President Ruperto Vicente has been selected as the main target of criticism and he has accepted it, we at the BELIZE TIMES were shocked to see the defacto Minister of Sports Herman Longsworth and his shameful attempt to point fingers at Vicente and deflect blame from himself and his Ministry. Longsworth opened his line of statement with the following: “I am extremely concerned, I am very, very disappointed. We were all told that the field would be ready. FFB told us that they would have had this field ready. We were expecting that it would be ready and I’m disappointed that it is not, I’m very disappointed.”

Belizeans denounce the bombing of Gaza
A group of Belizeans held a peaceful protest against the bombarding of the Gaza community in Palestine at the Battlefield Park on Wednesday, August 6th, 2014. Israel has poured down military strikes on Gaza, destroying telecommunications systems and power plants, and killing innocent people in their quest to take control of the area. The four weeks of violence killed more than 1,900 Palestinians and 67 people on the Israeli side. The actions have attracted huge protests and anti-war rallies across the world, and in Belize the group of concerned citizens led the anti-intervention movement. Among the protesters was former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Said Musa, who revealed a much deeper connection with the Palestinian people. Hon. Musa has Palestinian heritage. His father, Hamid Musa, was a Palestinian who was brought to Belize by his father following the illegal appropriation of their family land.

Patrick Jones

Woman dies in vehicles collision on the George Price Highway
A fatal road traffic accident this morning on the George Price Highway has claimed the life of a woman. The crash happened around 6 am in the village of San Jose Succotz. Preliminary information received say that a Pathfinder and a taxi cab collided near Mile 72 on the George Price Highway – also referred to as the Benque Road – resulting in fatal injuries to the woman, whose name has not yet been confirmed. accident2 Woman dies in vehicles collision on the George Price Highway Sources say that the Pathfinder was being driven at the time of the crash by a senior police officer who lives in Benque Viejo del Carmen town.

Blogs

La Gran Casa Azul in South Ambergris Caye: A Beautiful Rental Home with Privacy and Lots of Space
In fact, San Pedro town is a 15 minute golf cart ride away from where I was staying at La Gran Casa Azul. Nestled between mangroves and palms on each side, with a huge pool, a beautiful balcony, and a massive great room…PLENTY of space, this was a fabulous beach vacation. Just one mile from my actual home. And just a few homes south of this sign. I love having my own dock. Easy pick up if you are going on tours. I spent a bit of time in the low slung hammocks. The best place to catch the afternoon breeze.

Fairy tales and Chandeliers – Belize Wedding
All weddings are special – they really are, but there is no doubt that some are like a fairy tale and this is one of them. First there was the dress – fit for a princess As in all good fairy tales, there was indeed a Prince Charming (yes, they are both handsome, but the Prince in this story is the one on your left). Source: http://conchcreative.wordpress.com/

12 Amazingly Good Reasons Why You Should Have Your Wedding in Belize
Belize wedding requirements are simple and easy to attain The requirements for obtaining a marriage license in Belize is simple and easy and can be obtained in two steps: 1.) one of the parties must be in Belize 3 days prior to getting married and filling the license and 2.) A photocopy of passport showing picture and date of arrival in Belize will need to be presented. Belize’s beauty is extraordinary Belize is one of the last unspoiled countries in the world and offers a plethora of picturesque backdrops for your wedding. Proximity Belize is a cost-effective destination within close proximity to the U.S.A, Canada and Mexico thus all family members and friends can attend the wedding.

Finding Fun and Friends at Belize’s Cerros Beach Resort
Have you ever had an experience while traveling that kind of changed your life? Not something huge like finding your soul mate or losing a limb. Rather a tiny experience that you never would have seen coming, never would have thought would make a difference, but that you remembered forever. We had such an experience when we stayed at Cerros Beach Resort in Belize and met Bill and Jennifer Bellerjeau. So what drew me to Cerros Beach Resort in the first place? The description in my Lonely Planet Belize guidebook caught my attention. First of all, it said Cerros Beach Resort was the authors’ “new favorite spot in northern Belize.” You can’t argue with favorite. Then it described thatched-roof cabanas in local style along the shore of Corozal Bay. I’m a sucker for cabanas and ocean views. Then there was the part about the owner being a former pastry chef from Miami who makes the best ceviche and chocolate cake in the world. As you know, I love food. Oh, and then there was the price; $40 per night (rates are $40 to $60 depending on the time of year).

International Sources

Forecaster has tropical storms boxed in
For all of the computer models out there designed to help predict where tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin are heading, there remains a relatively simple way to track whether storms will, or perhaps more accurately, won’t impact the southern peninsula of Florida. In the 1970s, National Hurricane Center forecaster Paul Hebert discovered that most strong hurricanes that had struck the South Florida area in the century had passed through one of two squares that were each 335 miles wide and long. The first of these areas is more or less centered over the northern Leeward Islands and Virgin Islands, running from between 15 to 20 degrees of north latitude and 60 to 65 degrees of west longitude. The second box is located south of Cuba and east of the Belize and Mexico’s Yucutan Peninsula, running from the same latitude as the first box, and between 80 to 85 degrees of longitude.

The Maya: a 4,000 year-old civilization in the Americas
Obscured by the fame of the Aztec empire or shrouded by a veil of mystery, the cultural history of the Mayas has generally been misunderstood by the public. Maya civilization developed in a territory the size of Germany and Denmark together (nearly 400,000 km2). This vast territory shows three distinctive ecological and cultural sub-regions: the Northern Lowlands, which covers the Yucatan peninsula; the Southern Lowlands, which includes Belize, the Guatemalan Petén region and parts of Chiapas; and the Southern Highlands, which refers to the Guatemalan mountainous region. Conventionally, scholars tend to talk of three major periods in the history of Maya civilization: the Preclassic (2,000 BC – 300 AD), the Classic (300 – 900 AD), and the Postclassic (900 – 1550 AD).

Videos

Video: Diving Mexico & Belize, 6min.
Diving Mexico & Belize, July 2014.

Video: Snorkeling in Belize, 5min.

Video: Belize and Guatemala 2014, 9min.

Video: The Belize Zoo, 2min.

Video: Belize Raggamuffin Tour 1st Stop - Manatees, 21min.
Belize Raggamuffin Tour 1st Stop - Manatees.

Video: Belize Raggamuffin Tour 2nd Stop - Sharks/Rays, 21min.
Belize Raggamuffin Tour 2nd Stop - Sharks/Rays.

Video: AMAZING PEOPLE Skydiving into the BLUE HOLE, BELIZE, 9min.
Skydiving into the Blue Hole, Belize Skydiving is the only thing that makes you more special than anyone in the face of earth.

Video: This is Julio (Belize Documentary), 12min.

Video: Expo Belize Market Place 2014, 2min.
Expo Belize Market Place 2014.

Video: Belize Diving March 2014, 18min.
Diving compilation from Belize highlighting the Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, Silky, the North Wall, and some Lionfish hunting.

Video: Zipline at Belize, 5min.

Video: Mayan Jungle Highlights tour - Mexico, Guatemala & Belize, 41min.
This 8-day off-road trip takes you to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize and combines the best of culture, nature and outdoor activities.

Video: Belize Snorkeling Hol Chan, 9min.
Snorkeling in Belize sites include: Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley, The Split Caye Caulker and the inland side of Caye Caulker.

Video: Diving Mexico & Belize, 6min.
Dive Sites: Cenote Chac Mool, Mexico Varios Dive Sites, Cozumel, Mexico

August 16, 2014

Video: 2014 Carlos Perrotte Concert held in San Pedro, Ambergris CAye, Belize, 3min.

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Police Report: Sudden Death in Caye Caulker Village
On Monday August 11th,2014 at about 2:45PM based upon information received Caye Caulker Police visited one mile West of Caye Caulker Village where the lifeless body of a male person was seen floating on the waters facing downwards. The body was retrieved from the sea and later his name was learnt to be one, Drury John Craig 62 years old D.O.B. July 27th, 1952 American retired of 601 W. Ocean Drive Key Colony Beach Florida 33051. The body was then transported to the Caye Caulker health center where Doctor Alberto Beritan pronounced him dead. Initial investigation revealed that the last time he was seen alive was half an hour prior to the incident and no foul play is suspected. The body was observed to have two abrasions to the left foot. The body was transported to Belize City morgue where the body now awaits a post mortem examination. Drury John Craig was presently staying at Caye Caulker Village and was living inside his Yacht.

San Pedro business community delivers new barracks to Police Department
Also speaking at the event was the Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero. The Mayor took the opportunity to sound the alarm that more is needed for the police to be more effective in dealing with the island. Guerrero emphasized the need for more police transportation; improving other living structures for the officers and the need for a police law enforcement agency on the northern portion of the island. “We need to address these concerns because our tourism industry depends on security. There is potential for the north, but we need to address the security issue on the coast,” said Guerrero. Following the dedication of the building, which was done by Pastor Clive Welsh, the building was inaugurated by GricelGraniel (representing the business community), the Minister of National Security John Saldivar and Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr. Those in attendance were invited to tour the new building as well as for a short social. The San Pedro Sun would like to join the community in congratulating and thanking those businesses that made the police barracks a reality.

Rugby Belize introduces new sport
The sport of rugby sevens is being introduced to Belizeans with the aim of establishing rugby clubs in the country. Spearheading this initiative is Tony Gillings, who founded Rugby Belize, an organization for promoting and officiating the sport in the country. The popularity of rugby sevens has grown in the past year and will make its international debut at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rugby is a style of football that is primarily played in England. It encompasses scoring goals against the opposing team by either running with the ball in hand or kicking it. Rugby sevens is similar to rugby only that instead of 15 players per team, there are seven and the game time is shorter. “Rugby Belize plans to focus on the development of rugby sevens as a forerunner to growing a full (15-man) team, and prepare to enter Belize into the next Commonwealth and Olympic games,” said Gillings. “Rugby Sevens is very popular throughout Central America and the Caribbean, and I hope Belize will soon be participating in competitions across this region because with its festival atmosphere, nobody could do a rugby sevens event like Belize.”

UDP announces San Pedro municipal slate
The United Democratic Party (UDP) has officially announced the names of the seven candidates that will contest the municipal election on Ambergris Caye scheduled for the first week in March 2015. The names were released on Thursday July 31st during the Mayor’s weekly appearance on a local morning show. The seven contestants include both current councilors and some newcomers in politics. Mayor Daniel Guerrero (realtor) is running for a second term of office as well as councilors Gabriel “Gaby” Nuñez (contractor) and Severo “Severito” Guerrero (dentist). Joining the UDP slate are Hector “Tito” Alamilla (Postal Clerk II), Flora Ancona (Office Clerk), Gary Greif (Businessman) and Ruben Gonzalez (Accountant).

Ambergris Today

San Pedro AIDS Commission New Public Awareness Video
The San Pedro AIDS Commission has been doing a great job with their public awareness campaigns for HIV/AIDS in San Pedro. The group is very active and present at most island functions, always distributing information and rendering assistance. Here is the Commission’s most recent public service announcement video entitled “I Care”. The video talks about caring for persons who are infected with HIV/AIDS. They stress on learning about accurate information on HIV and getting tested. The San Pedro AIDS Commission cares about people affected directly or indirectly by HIV/AIDS; if you need help or any information call 663-9922.

Government Commits 24 Hour Emergency Service to San Pedro’s Poly Clinic
It is no news that the number one Island in the World and number one tourist destination in the country of Belize does not have a 24 hour emergency facility. Many have seen family members pass away and others suffering in need of urgent medical attention while the services of 24-hour medical facility is lacking. Belize’s Minister of Health, Hon. Pablo Marin, along with key members of the Ministry of Health, met with Mayor Daniel Guerrero on Thursday, August 14, 2014, to discuss 24-hour emergency service to be provided on La Isla Bonita, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. In an interview with Minister Pablo Marin, he shared the good news that the long-awaited 24-hour emergency service will be provided at the Dr. Otto Rodrguez Poly Clinic II in a time frame of approximately two months. “We are very pleased to make this announcement and share this good news with the people of San Pedro,” stated Minister Pablo Marin. “A total of half a million dollars will be invested in the salaries of the employees and two hundred thousand in renovations at the clinic.”

San Pedro Police Inaugurate New Living Headquarters
The San Pedro Police Department held a small yet very significant inauguration ceremony of their new Police Barracks (Living Headquarters) on Wednesday, August 13, 2014. The living headquarters of the San Pedro Police Department was in dire state of decomposition and with the support of the community of La Isla Bonita a new two-storey building had been constructed. Corporal Ryan Timmons was the Master of Ceremonies for the event and during the event, speeches were delivered by Henry Jemmott Deputy of the Belize Police Department Coastal Executive Unit, Coastal Executive Manager - Assistant Superintendent Luis Castellanos and Minister of National Security John Saldivar.

Misc Belizean Sources

Memorial for Jesse Cope
The Memorial for Jesse Cope will take place at Corona Del Mar, or Coconuts bar on Tuesday, August 19th, from 5pm until 7pm. Mike, Jesse's son, has had his hands full, as you can imagine, but now he can breathe a little and concentrate on celebrating his father's life and his friends in a public memorial. Please contact Nancy Scott at 622-4110 or myself at 623-9992 if you have any special requests or can bring a dish for pot luck. Thank you very much.

“CRIME IS CRIME” and “CRIME IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS”
These two captions, could not have been more appropriate as it was resounded by prominent members of our community who attended last night’s Corozal Police Public Meeting. The meeting was well attended by leaders of our community, business people, Citizen’s Coalition for a Better Corozal and a cross section of our Corozal Community, including various heads of our neighbourhood watch groups. The main objective of the meeting was to introduce our new Deputy Commanding Officer of the Corozal Police Formation, Inspector Peter Serano, the Citizen on Patrol (COP) Program in the Corozal District and give an update on crime statistics for Corozal and compare 2013 statistics to our current time period. Chairing the meeting was Assistant Commissioner of Police and Northern Regional Commander - Joseph Myvett, Officer Commanding Corozal Police – Andrew Ramirez and our new Deputy Commanding Officer, Inspector – Peter Serano. Peter Serano replaces Assistant Superintendent of Police Daniel Arzu who was promoted to Officer Commanding Benque Viejo Police Formation. We take this opportunity to congratulate our regional commander Joseph Myvett in his promotion as Assistant Commissioner of Police.

San Joaquin Fiesta
Reminder to all Belizeans and visitors to our beautiful Corozal, the Annual San Joaquin Fiesta starts tonight at 7:30 P.M. in the village of San Joaquin. The event continues throughout the entire weekend. Please enjoy, have fun and be safe.

EXCITING SAILING THIS WEEKEND!!!
15 top sailors from around the country coming to Ambergris Caye to sail, along with the San Pedro Sailing Club against USA, Mexico, Canada and Guatemala for two days of racing. Starting Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 10am -2pm at the Boca Del Rio Park Area. Come support Belize and watch the kids sail!

MUSIC SUMMER CAMP 2014 (43 photos)
Mr. Carlos Perrote and Ms. Elizabeth Hobarth organize its 2nd Annual Music Summer Camp. Many children from all ages participated in this camp...even adults took part in the fun! The students learnt to play the various instruments: from bongos to guitars and even the steel pans. The camp concluded on Friday, August 15, 2014 with its graduationg concert that had all the parents and guests cheering for more! Great Job guys!

Channel 7

Jawmeighan Laid To Rest
6 days ago Ernest Jawmaine Meighan became the first Cross Country champion to be murdered. And today, the 43 year old became one of the very, very few champions to be buried while still a relatively young man - and still a competitive cyclist. Today, family, friends and supporters filled all the seats in the Central Assembly of God Church on Freetown Road. 7News was there when the different speakers reflected on the life and accomplishments of the man called "Jawmeighan". Here's a few snippets of what they had to say: Fitzgerald "Palas" Joseph - Fellow Rider "I want to believe that the cycling races are in heaven now and hope has gone. Elbert Hope has gone, Ellis, Dangalang Thurton - all Santino's riders. Now I believe that the Belizean riders are waiting in heaven by the former riders. And Dangalang who loves and adores Jawmeighan may have spoken to the Lord and ask the Lord to please Jawmeighan to heaven because we cannot breed these guys."

Police: Jawmeighan's Murder Was A Hit
And while the cycling family and the wider community grieves for Jawmaine, the police are trying to find his killer. They have a suspect, but it is not a person well known to police - and reports suggest it could be a minor sent by a gang to kill Meighan, as he left his girlfriend's house in broad daylight on George Street last Saturday. Police today said conclusively that it was a hit set up by the George Street Gang. Here's the lead investigator:.. Sgt. Isaias Sanchez, Precinct 1 - CIB "What we have confirmed so far is that the dead of Mr. Meighan was a motive of gang rivalry. Raheem Crawford who was shot and killed on the same morning on the said date…that could have been one of the motive for the execution of Mr. Meighan. As the police had impounded a vehicle belonging to the Meighan family I guess that had brought an alarm to the friends or associates to the deceased and it could be the main motive of this incident."

Oscar Rubio's Assault Went Initially Unnoticed
Police currently have no suspect in another murder they are looking into - that of 38 year old Oscar Richard Rubio. Police didn't know he had been beaten and struck across the head until he died yesterday morning. But, that's because the officers who picked him up two weeks earlier on July 30th didn't bother to find out what was the matter. At 10:00 in the night, they responded to a call of a disturbance in the Conch Shell Bay area and found Rubio and another man laid out in nearby Constitution Park. The police who picked them up only thought they were drunk:.. Sgt. Isaias Sanchez, Precinct 1 - CIB "Police at the time of assisting both male persons, Mr. Rubio was highly under the influence of alcohol that he could not expressed himself. I understand from the officers in question when they reach at the hospital there was no kind of conversation and actually after he got medical attention he was taken to the ICU where he remained until he succumb to his injury. Police so far have concluded that Oscar Richard Rubio was in the Conch Shell Bay area where he was approached by a male person and was attacked inflicting this head injury on him. So far we have two person in custody pending investigation. We still confirming and analyzing the investigation."

Police Found Cell Phones Inside Prison
Early this morning, a team of police and prison officers conducted a pre-dawn search of the entire Kolbe Foundation Prison facility. They were looking for any illegal items from cell phones to blade instruments. Prison CEO, Earl Jones told us that the prison welcomed the operation, because it allowed for the entire facility to be searched properly. The search was successful because a small quantity of drugs was confiscated along with prison weapons known as shivs or "boras". More importantly, the officers confiscated 6 cellular phones. The phones are considered significant seizures because the officers believe that they have been used to activate crime on the street, because the prisoners are able to send instructions to their gang crews on the outside. The authorities also believe that these phones could have been used to intimidate prosecution witnesses so that different trials would fall apart.

13 Passengers Injured In Bus Accident
He's the second in command for all of Eastern Division - but that didn't insulate Edward Broaster from falling victim to crime. Yesterday afternoon his home was burglarized - but tonight the news is that the suspected perpetrator has already been caught, in less than 24 hours. Now you might say, well, Broaster has the entire police department at his disposal to catch a thief…but he said, he caught this one on his own. He takes the story from the start:.. Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster, Deputy Commander - Eastern Division "Yesterday at 1:45 I got an alarm on my phone that my house was being burglarize. Quickly I respond to my residence and officers were notified. By the time we got there the burglar had already left the residence. We check the camera and we observe the individual who burglarize the home and we launched an investigation and by 11:40 this morning we captured one Richard Codd with the stolen items from my residence and he is now facing charges of burglary." Jules Vasquez "So in under 24 hours you were able to catch the perpetrator?" Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster "Yes."

Sr. Supt. Broaster's Home Was Burglarized
He's the second in command for all of Eastern Division - but that didn't insulate Edward Broaster from falling victim to crime. Yesterday afternoon his home was burglarized - but tonight the news is that the suspected perpetrator has already been caught, in less than 24 hours. Now you might say, well, Broaster has the entire police department at his disposal to catch a thief…but he said, he caught this one on his own. He takes the story from the start:.. Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster, Deputy Commander - Eastern Division "Yesterday at 1:45 I got an alarm on my phone that my house was being burglarize. Quickly I respond to my residence and officers were notified. By the time we got there the burglar had already left the residence. We check the camera and we observe the individual who burglarize the home and we launched an investigation and by 11:40 this morning we captured one Richard Codd with the stolen items from my residence and he is now facing charges of burglary." Jules Vasquez "So in under 24 hours you were able to catch the perpetrator?" Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster "Yes."

Booth Camp Getting Community Support
We also asked Broaster about the programme the police have initiated to engage at risk teenaged males from Belize City who are being recruited by gangs. He says the community has been responding to it:.. Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster, Deputy Commander - Eastern Division "This effort has been taking significant traction Jules. We have mothers calling in every day regarding their children that are 14 - 15 that are uncontrollable and are involved in gang activities and they know this and they want their sons to be put into a discipline facility that will help them to not to recruited by the gangs and it is these days the gangs are using more and more younger persons to do their criminal activity. We want to encourage individuals who know the problem that exist on the street - know that their sons are being targeted by the gangs - know that their sons are involve in the gangs and know that their sons are vulnerable to recruited by the gangs."

Is President Vicente Under Sustained Fire?
Last night, we told you about the internal disputes which have been brewing inside the Football Federation of Belize for several months. They haven't publicized because there is the fear that the local football community will become disheartened by it, since the platform of this new executive was that there would be a change in direction from the Bertie Chimilio regime. As we told you back in September of last year, there was discord within the FFB management, in which 3 of the executives were threatened with suspension by President Vicente. We understand now that this was the result of these members criticizing Vicente's management. They made certain demands of him, that he should make changes to his management. We are told that those demands didn't come across very well to Vicente. Our information says that Vicente then made a move to get those members suspended, but his action wasn't supported by the FFB Congress, which is the highest decision maker in the sport. Caution letters were sent out saying that the members were engaging in "malicious and undermining" activities.

Chukka's Exec Robbed
Yesterday evening, a man was robbed while at the NAPA roundabout. At 5:27 31-year-old Derrick Hemmans, a Location Manager for Chukka Tours, was carrying some supplies in a white Chevy cargo van when a man hijacked the vehicle with a gun. The robber pointed the .38 revolver at him and demanded money, so Hemmans complied, surrendering a black Lenovo brand laptop computer valued at $1,500.00 along with $6,500.00 in cash - which was the property of Chukka Tours. The man also took Hemmans' licensed 9mm pistol and a magazine containing sixteen 9mm live rounds, valued at $3,300.00. Police have made no arrests.

Bze'an Indians Celebrate Independence In The City
Today India celebrates the 68th anniversary of its independence and for the first time the quite large Belize City Indian Community organized with an early morning parade through the city and a traditional Indian breakfast in the Battlefield Park. Courtney Weatherburne joined them this morning. Bhojwani says that they plan to organize an Indian day so Belizeans can experience the totality of Indian culture. There are 350 members in the Belize City Indian Community.

Clark Tried Drug Packages
39 year old Philip Clark of Frederick Street in Belize City escaped drug charges this evening after he appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton. According to police officer Jamil Scott, at 7:00 last night, he was patrolling Pickstock Street, when Clarke drew his attention. As Scott approached him, Clarke threw two pieces of aluminum foil into his mouth and tried to swallow it. PC Scott ordered Clarke to open his mouth and retrieved the foil with the crack cocaine. Clark would have been charged with possession of a controlled drug and obstruction charge but the amount of crack cocaine was undetermined (and probably undigested) so the charge was dropped. Instead Clarke was fined $250 plus the $5.00 cost for obstruction. Clark has until October 15, 2014 to pay the fine and if he defaults, he will be sentenced to 2 months imprisonment.

US Ambassador's Roundtable Discussion
Last night we told you about the media roundtable with the US Ambassador. It happened at the Embassy in Belmopan, and we weren't allowed to take any cameras or recording instruments into the session. But the embassy taped it - and said they would provide video yesterday - but like an electronic passenger stranded without a broadband visa, it didn't arrive until today. The sessions lasted about an hour and 10 minutes, and one of the most interesting takeaways were his comments on Cayo Northeast Representative Elvin Penner. Here's what we asked and what he said - again, video courtesy the US Embassy. Jules Vasquez "Will Elvin Penner's VISA be revoked?" H.E. Carlos Moreno, US Ambassador to Belize "I can't comment on individual cases. That question is probably be directed to Minister Penner or Mr. Penner himself as to whether his VISA has been revoked. As to any efforts by the US Embassy to revoke his VISA since that's a matter - it really raises questions of privacy and the institution and workings of the counselor section. I should not really comment on that."

A Summer Camp Featuring Drums
There are all kinds of summer workshop for kids. Most of them are centered around developing beneficial physical or educational skills - but one we visited today, offers participants a chance to get to make one of the oldest instruments on earth: the drum. Robin Schaffer visited the Museum of Belize as the five day camp was closing today:..

Michael Gordon's 20-Year Body Of Work
And our next story is about an artist who marches to his own drum…that's Michael Gordon, the Belize City street artist who has received international acclaim for his weird and visually arresting portraits. The Image Factory has been championing him for almost two decades, and now that a major book cataloguing his works is coming out - they're having a Michael Pin Gordon retrospective featuring 200 of his paintings. Courtney Weatherburne stopped in today..

2014 CXC Results Are In
The anxiety that overcomes students when they sit their CXC exams doesn't end when the exams are finished - it continues until the results are in. Well, some of that pressure will ease tonight as the preliminary results for the May to June sitting are in and we can say that, overall, students have performed better compared than last year. This year there was a 1.4% increase of Grades 1 to 3. In the areas of Home Economics and Management and Physical Education the grades have consistently garnered scores between grades 1 to 3 for the past 3 years.

Channel 5

Multiple Injuries as Bus and Pickup Collide
There was a serious accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway this morning. It happened between miles six and seven, where a loaded Ramos Shuttle Bus heading from Lord’s Bank to [...]

One Man Dies in Fatal Road Traffic Accident at Mile Two
The accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway happened at exactly eleven o’clock, and just a half an hour after that there was another accident on the George Price Highway. It [...]

Police Investigate Murder of Oscar Rubio
Police are currently investigating a murder in Belize City – that of thirty-eight-year-old Oscar Richard Rubio. The investigation started on Thursday, when law enforcement officers were informed of a death [...]

US Ambassador Carlos Moreno Defends US Judicial System…
Since absconding to Belize in October 2013, many questions have been raised concerning the fugitive status of Dr. Errol Elrington, sibling of Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington. In the [...]

Cycling Icon Sent Off In Grand Style
The funeral of Ernest ‘JawMeighan’ Meighan this afternoon at Central Assembly of God drew hundreds of mourners, one of the largest gatherings of funeral-goers in Belize City of late. The [...]

Police Speak on Motive for JawMeighan’s Murder
Ernest ‘Jawmeighan’ Meighan was killed on August ninth, executed with a single bullet to the back of the head. Police have maintained an intensive investigation into the slaying of the [...]

US Ambassador Speaks About Border Dispute
On Thursday, a group of journalists from across the local media participated in a round-table with U.S. Ambassador Carlos Moreno at the embassy in Belmopan. During the forum a range of issues [...]

And Says US Embassy has Supported UNIBAM
While the constitutional challenge to repeal Section Fifty-Three of Belize’s Criminal Code remains before the Supreme Court, a decision is yet to be handed down by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin [...]

At-Risk Youths from Belize City Rounded Up
The murder statistics are in, and the numbers for this year so far have officially surpassed the figures for the same period in 2013. We probably didn’t need statistics to [...]

BDF Commander Says Reform Camp is a Success
According to Brigadier General David Jones, the change in the youths in just a matter of days has been nothing short of miraculous. It’s a short term solution when one [...]

BDF Summer Camp Ends With A Bang
The Belize Defence Force is tasked with patrolling our borders and defending our sovereignty. Lately, soldiers have also been deployed on Belize City streets to assist Police in dealing with [...]

Check Out a Recap of Summerfest 2014
Summerfest 2014 took off outside of our Coney Drive studio this morning in grand fashion, as young, talented performers in all genres of music rocked the stage before an audience [...]

CTV3

Mayor Bernard To Seek Re-election
With little over 7 months away from the Municipal Elections, the political engines are starting to get revved up in municipalities all across the country. When we sat with Mayor Kevin Bernard yesterday on several subjects, we couldn’t help but ask if he will seek re-election. Here was his reaction… Kevin Bernard – Mayor, OWTC “I have been asked this question by many people and definitely my answer is yes I will be running as the Mayoral candidate for the PUP for the next election.” Maria Novelo – Reporter “And have you guys got your team together?” Kevin Bernard – Mayor, OWTC “Well, the PUP has set out its convention for I think it is the 13th of something of October we will launch our team and I can tell you that there was only one member that decided not to seek re-election and we have already been able to identify a candidate and a committee is dealing with that and so come October we will launch the PUP seven will be running again seeking re-election and definitely I believe that we will be victorious ones more come March the 15th, 2015.”

Caye Caulker Police Investigate Case Of Rape
Police are investigating a case of rape on Caye Caulker. The report was made by a British female national who was staying at the island. The San Pedro Sun reports that the female told police that on Saturday August ninth, shortly after midnight she and six tourist friends left to San Pedro Town in a skiff driven by Jaime Rosado also known as Captain Pops. According to the tourist, Rosado has taken the group on a tour the day before after which they went to a private island where they has a party and consumed alcoholic beverages. When they arrived at San Pedro it was around one in the morning but according to the tourist she remained in the skiff along with another male tourist and Rosado as she was not feeling well, while the others went into San Pedro. She adds that her friend then passed out and it was at this time that Rosado assaulted her. She says she struggled with him but he still managed to have sexual intercourse with her against her will.

Minor Charged For Abetment To Commit Murder in Roy Bayliss' Death
Orange Walk Police have charged a seventeen year old minor for abetment to commit murder following investigations into the murder of eighteen year old Roy Bayliss of the Corozal District. Viewers may recall that Bayliss was fatally shot and wounded to the right side of his face on the morning of August third. Bayliss was reportedly eating tacos at a market stall when he was shot at.

Another Murder In The Old Capital
The murder rate in Belize City is up by one more and Belize City Police have another murder to investigate. Krem News reports that today a man identified as Ricardo Rubio succumbed to injuries received last week Wednesday during an altercation with another man. The incident occurred near Red House on Vernon Street in the Conch Shell Bay area. Reports are that Rubio was lashed with a blunt object and that both Rubio and the aggressor had to be hospitalized. Rubio’s assailant however was treated and released. Rubio on the other hand succumbed from head trauma and has now become Belize's latest murder victim.

Police Look For Two Men For Fire, Ammunition and Drug Charges
Tonight, two men remain on the run and another has been charged for kept prohibited firearm, ammunition and drug trafficking after a patrol yielded successful. According to authorities, a Belizean Special Constable/Forest Ranger reported that while he and other forest officers were on patrol in the Honey Camp National Park around 2:30p.m on yesterday’s date, they searched a tent that was located on Chiwa Camp located about 2miles East of Honey Camp Lagoon. Present during the time of the search were Estevan Chay, Juan Geronimo and Martin Lopez. The search led to the discovery of a .22 homemade rifle with a magazine containing two .22 live rounds, a coffee bottle containing 64.4grams of cannabis seeds and a crocus sack containing 78.5grams of suspected cannabis.

PlusTV

Man dies from injury in fight
Police say they have detained two persons and are looking for another, in the continued investigation into a fight two weeks ago which has turned fatal. 38 year old Oscar Richard Rubio of Antelope Street Extension was involved in a fight with another man while with a friend at Constitution Park on Cemetery Road on July 30 around 10:00 p.m. The man hit Oscar Rubio to the back of his head. Mr Rubio was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) and admitted in critical condition, eventually lapsing into a coma, and died at 6:45 p.m. on August 13. A post-mortem examination has certified the cause of death as cerebral edema due to head trauma. We understand that the instigator of the fight is among those persons detained and he will face criminal charges.

Round Table Discussion with the Press, but Media can’t record
On Thursday, the US Embassy hosted the media to a round table discussion with the new man on the seat, Ambassador Carlos Moreno, which would have made it his second official encounter with the local press...

US ambassador says he will promote LGBT rights in Belize
Putting that aside, we still will provide you with an overview of some of the topics discussed at the round table discussion this morning. At the forefront of it all is the widely discussed topic of LGBT rights in Belize...

US ambassador says Errol Elrington case will be handled according to law
Switching gears to a more recent topic, we asked Ambassador Moreno to wade in on the matter concerning Dr. Errol Elrington, who is listed by United States Office of Inspector General (OIG) as being among the top ten most wanted Health fugitives...

Will Elvin Penner suffer same fate as Max Samuels over visa scandal?
Another matter that was addressed during the round table discussion is the matter concerning Ex Minister of State Elvin Penner and the infamous Passport Scandal...

Murder count reaches over 70 for 2014
Officially, murders nationwide in Belize have reached 72 for 2014, counting the deaths of Santiago Trapp in San Pedro Town and Juan Manuel Espana in Trio, Toledo District this week. We have obtained, with the assistance of our colleagues from Amandala, the Joint Intelligence Coordinating Center (JI...

Belize may be one of fasting growing economies in the Caribbean.
While Belize grapples with its murder rate, according to an article on Caribbean Journal’s Website, Belize may very well be one of the fastest-growing economies in the Caribbean in 2014...

Nasser family relieved of ammunition charges
It slipped under the radar but on July 24, 2014, the Nasser family of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, was found not guilty of possession of ammunition without a gun license due to lack of evidence presented by the prosecution...

Man charged for Publicâ€™s robbery and burglary
21 year old unemployed Kenrick Longsworth of Belize City is accused of two separate incidents in the last month...

One arrested, two wanted for firearm and drug offences
A Belizean Special Constable/Forest Ranger reported that while he and other forest officers were on patrol in the Honey Camp National Park at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday August 13, they searched a tent that was located on Chiwa Camp located about 2 miles East of Honey Camp Lagoon...

Amandala

Case adjourned for 3 alleged killers of Ramon Cervantes, Sr.
Amidst a small gathering on the streetside, three men who were accused of the sensational kidnapping and murder of prominent Orange Walk businessman and cane farmer, Ramon Cervantes Sr., 71, were escorted back to the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court at around 9:00 this morning, along with 8 other prisoners who were brought for trial. On July 9 of this year, Guatemalan national Noe Daniel Gonzalez, 22; Mateo Pott, Jr., 28, of Trial Farm in the Orange Walk District; and Angel Antonio Cardenas, 19, also of Trial Farm, were formally arraigned for Cervantes’ brutal death after his partially decomposed corpse was located in a shallow grave on a farm off the Honey Camp road on July 5, four days after he was reported missing.

Disgrace!!
Football aficionados and fans are in a state of utter disgust after the revelation that the Belize Premier League’s top football club, the Belmopan Bandits, have been shut out from the 2014-2015 CONCACAF Champions League competition due to what Football Federation of Belize (FFB) president, Ruperto Vicente, described as a lack of “beautification” of the FFB’s football pitch, caused by “procrastination” by the contractor. The unbelievable news came on Tuesday of this week when CONCACAF, the North, Central American and Caribbean football body, wrote to the FFB declaring that the FFB stadium, located near the entrance of Belmopan, had been deemed “unplayable” since the football field failed to meet the standards by not one, but three of the deadlines set by FIFA inspectors. Therefore, Belize has been booted out of the tournament and must endure the humiliation of being substituted by wildcard replacement, Club Sport Herediano of Costa Rica, who will now participate in its fourth consecutive CONCACAF Champions League competition.

Police beat youth who refused to claim weed
A Belize City man who claimed that he was beaten by police was remanded into custody for an indefinite time when he was arraigned on several charges before Magistrate Herbert Panton this morning. Five criminal charges were imposed on Samuel Bernardez, 22, a resident of Antelope Street Extension. These include two counts of wounding for an incident on Monday, August 11, in which, according to police allegations, Bernardez wounded Corporal Vidal Cajun and PC Sheldon Williams on Antelope Street Extension. Corporal Cajun also charged Bernardez with 1 count of resisting arrest and 1 count of assaulting a police officer. Bernardez is also charged with possession of a controlled drug, amounting to 1.4 grams of cannabis.

New US Ambassador meets the press
H.E. Carlos Moreno, the recently installed Ambassador of the US to Belize, hosted a media roundtable at the US Embassy in Belmopan this morning. During that session, Moreno answered questions from the media on a range of topics, including the role of the US in helping Belize protect its territory from illegal incursions by Guatemalans, the threat of an Ebola outbreak in the Americas after the US flew home two patients with the deadly communicable virus for treatment this month, and bilateral efforts to help stave off the wave of violent crimes in Belize. US government gave money to UNIBAM, but Ambassador “could not say how much Ambassador Moreno said that he had just met this week with officials of the Organization of American States (OAS), which has helped to monitor activities on the Belize-Guatemala border, and he said that the information provided to him about the incursions is “very startling.” Moreno said that he had also been encouraged to do a fly-over to see the degree of degradation on “the disputed border.”

Jamie Dawson, 35, sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter
The man who killed Maurice Neal in December 2002, when he issued five shots around a dice game table inside the Bismark Club, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for manslaughter, after Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin heard mitigation pleas from his attorney and one character witness today. Jamie Dawson, after two inconclusive Supreme Court trials, decided to take his attorney, Anthony Sylvestre’s advice when he pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter July 20, 2014, when his third trial came up before the Chief Justice.

Belize earns $1.5 billion in crude oil sales, but production decline
Since Belize Natural Energy began producing commercial crude in 2006, roughly $1.5 billion worth of crude oil has been sold on the local and foreign markets with an estimated volume of 9 million barrels, resulting in the Government of Belize netting $424 million in receipts and landowners netting $5.3 million in royalties. This is according to figures published by the Geology and Petroleum Department. No figures are currently available to indicate the profits earned by Belize Natural Energy, but we were advised that expenditure information, which would allow us to determine the extent of BNE’s cumulative profits, would eventually be available.

British tourist tells police she was raped on boat
CAYE CAULKER—A Caye Caulker boat captain was arrested and charged for allegedly raping a tourist on his boat. Jaime Rosado appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he was released on bail of $1,000 [...]

Kenrick Longsworth, 21, remanded on attempted murder charge
BELIZE CITY—Kenrick Longsworth, the son of Lavern “Anti-Christ” Longsworth, who is serving an 8-year sentence for manslaughter, was remanded to prison today on charges of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, dangerous harm, robbery [...]

Two 15-year-old minors remanded for allegedly raping girl, 13
BELIZE CITY—Two fifteen-year-old minors were remanded to the Wagner’s Youth Facility, located at the Belize Central Prison, after they were arraigned in the Belize Family Court today on a charge for a sexual offence against a [...]

Tyrone Davis nabbed in Roaring Creek
LADYVILLE—A robber who held up a pastor’s wife and her family at knifepoint at their Crooked Tree home two weeks ago was charged for the horrific aggravated burglary today after he was caught by authorities in [...]

Body found in shallow grave in Northern San Pedro
SUEÑO DEL MAR—Police say that Santiago Trapp, 56, of San Pedro, a caretaker of a property in the Sueno Del Mar area of San Pedro who had been reported missing, was found dead at about 1:30 [...]

COLA appeals decision to strike out charges against Elvin Penner
BELIZE CITY—Almost one year since the Elvin Penner passport scandal exploded on the national scene on September 19, 2013, there have been all kinds of public relations tactics on the part of the Dean Barrow administration [...]

Editorial: The real Belizean deal
It is this newspaper’s belief that it is the Belizean Diaspora which will ultimately decide whether Belize becomes a real nation-state or is dismembered by harsh geopolitical realities. In light of this belief, we are impressed with the recent outburst of energized expression from various personalities in the Diaspora, who have been responding to specific criticisms from the very impressive, Belizean-based Major Lloyd Jones (retired). When revolutions explode, seemingly out of nowhere, those who will end up dominating those revolutions are often anonymous, invisible when the first shots, literal or figurative, are being fired. In the beginning of the Haitian Revolution in 1791, the name being heard was that of Dutty Boukman: no one knew anything about Toussaint L’Ouverture. When the Mexican Revolution began in 1910, the name dominating the discourse was that of Francisco I. Madero. Today, it is Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata whom we know as the most famous Mexican heroes of that revolution. But, they emerged years after Madero.

From the Publisher
Faithful readers will note that I missed my last two column commitments, in part, I think, because of the Chrislyn Gladden and Jawmaine murders. Chrislyn was the daughter of one of Raiders’ friendly rivals from semi-pro basketball days, Stadium’s Byron “Scott” Samuels, a really nice brother. And the accused murderer was Jawmaine’s 17-year-old daughter with his common-law wife, Marinette Flowers. I can imagine Byron’s brutal trauma, my maximum sympathies, and then the cruel pain experienced by Jawmaine and Marinette. A week later, Jawmaine himself was shot and killed. These two murders devastated our community. I had a friendly relationship with Jawmaine’s late dad, Ernest “Presley” Meighan, a unique and controversial brother who died in the mid-1990s. When we began UBAD in 1969, Presley was one of C. L. B. Rogers’ “soldiers,” or became one around that time. So, we were serious street opponents.

Tell di Majah: if yuh bawn deh, yuh bawn deh
Please convey the following message to Major Jones. The Major, much like a child trying to manipulate a parent by asking the parent which child they love more, declares that he has a problem because he is not sure whether I (Lara), Ramos and Young love Belize or the mighty USA more. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be reading into this with more than just my eyes; but, there doesn’t seem to be much room for interpretation here. I can’t speak for Ramos and Young. I can only speak for myself. Simply put, whether Belizeans living abroad love Belize or the mighty USA more is irrelevant and a completely nonsensical question to ask. A born Belizean should not lose any miniscule portion of their citizenship status (and certainly not the right to run for elective office) simply because they gained citizenship in another country. I can’t state it any plainer than that. Maybi if ah rite it ina kriol… jus bekaws ah hav wan nada passport nuh mean dat ah dah nuh still wan full blooded Belizean wid all rights as citizen. If yuh bawn deh, yuh bawn deh, period. Becoming an American, for me was a choice that I made for personal reasons.

Media denied use of electronic devices at US Embassy roundtable
BELMOPAN—Last Tuesday, August 5, our newspaper received an invitation from the US Embassy in Belmopan to a media roundtable convened by US Ambassador to Belize, H.E. Carlos Moreno. In that e-mail, we were advised that only [...]

Old Commercial Center will soon be new City Hall
BELIZE CITY—For the past 22 years, the Commercial Center has stood in the heart of Market Square in downtown Belize City, but while the site exists as a landmark which boasts historical significance, natural elements and [...]

Amandala at 45 – the struggle continues
Today, Wednesday, August 13, 2014, Amandala, against all odds, turned 45. We boast of this not for ourselves, but for the Belizean people who began supporting us 45 years ago – a long time in a [...]

HIV testing lags behind target in Belize, where prevalence rate is highest in Central America
BELIZE CITY—Belize remains in the unenviable position of having the highest HIV prevalence rate in Central America. Although UNAIDS quotes Belize’s figure at 1.5% of the adult population age 15 to 49, Belize’s Ministry of Health [...]

The Diaspora dilemma
I have been following the dialogue and discourse between Major Lloyd Jones and members of the Belizean Diaspora regarding the responsibilities and political aspirations of the latter, not quite certain that I should join in the [...]

Changes in the police top brass
BELIZE CITY—Some changes have been made at the top levels of Belize’s Police Department. It has been announced that Sr. Superintendent David Chi has taken over command of Precinct 1 police and he is replaced as [...]

Belmopan market vendor says they are being forced out of business
BELMOPAN—A retiree who has been working as a herbalist at the Belmopan Market for the past 8 years has major gripes with the Belmopan City Council, which, she says, is fleecing the local market vendors by [...]

Needy heart patient, 41, seeking medical assistance
BELIZE CITY—Congestive heart failure (CHF), which mainly occurs when the heart is unable to maintain sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body, is one of those deadly conditions that can claim a patient’s [...]

The Reporter

Image Factory celebrates artist
The Belize Image Factory launched an exhibit with works from Michael Gordon to celebrate its latest book Binomiun. According to Yasser Musa, Image Factory owner the book is a compilation of works from Belizean artist, Michael Gordon who has been producing art for about the […]

Brazilian presidential candidate killed in plane crash
Eduardo Campos, Brazilian presidential candidate was killed on Wednesday when a small plane carrying him to a campaign stop crashed into a residential neighborhood. All seven people aboard the the Cessna were killed when the aircraft crashed in the city of Santos, Brazil, about 40 […]

Jawmeighan remembered; move afoot to name race after cycling legend
As preparations are being finalised to lay one of Belize’s most accomplished cycling legends, Ernest “Jawmeighan” Meighan, to rest on Friday, plans are also very much in the mind of Minister of State in Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Santiago Castillo, to have […]

BAHA holds food safety workshop
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) in partnership with the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) held a week-long workshop to train farmers on good agriculture practices. According to Dr. Miguel Figueroa, BAHA’s food safety director, the training is geared toward […]

MOH explains why no CHIKV in Belize
The Ministry of Health has given an explanation as to why there has been no reported cases of Chikungunya in Belize despite the epidemic reaching over a half million cases within the region. Kim Bautista, chief operator of the Vector Control Unit in the ministry, […]

BML owner says CitCo changed payment plans
Belize Maintenance Limited (BML)’s owner, Lawrence Ellis, said that he was supposed to receive a payment on Wednesday but was told by City Council that he would not receive a payment for the next two weeks. According to Ellis, BML and CitCo had met […]

Man’s family reports him missing, police find him savagely murdered
San Pedro police are following several leads into the death of 57-year-old Santiago Trapp, who was reported missing last week. San Pedro police have confirmed that the Edwards family reported Trapp missing after he failed to show up in town by Saturday. On Sunday, […]

BCCI and Auditor General talk PAC
Auditor General Dorothy Bradley said she is open to dialoguing with civil society on ways to raise awareness and apply pressure on the government for the reform and reconstitution of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). “I have absolutely no problem with that; I am […]

Parliamentarians meet in Belize
Belize hosted a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) workshop for the Caribbean, Atlantic and Americas region to discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of parliament in each respective member country. According to Speaker of the House of Representatives Michael Peyrefitte, the purpose of the week-long […]

CITO working towards E-government
To address rising demands for efficiency in the public sector, the Central Information Technology Office, which is the Government’s technology arm, is taking steps to upgrade current manual government processes to Electronic Government (e-government) processes. E-Government E-Government strategies, as defined by the United Nations Public […]

Get serious about cyber security! Caribbean Cyber center urges
The Caribbean Cyber Security Center is urging governments throughout the region to give cyber security legislation higher priority to safe guard countries from losing millions of dollars to cyber crimes. James Bynoe, Chief Executive Officer of CCSC, explained that in countries throughout the region there […]

Auditor General gives update on Health Audits
Auditor General Bradley said her office recently started auditing the Western Health Region and is currently still auditing the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Bradley also indicated that she still has intentions to audit the Central Health Region again. Currently, Bradley’ has a team auditing […]

Auditor General annual report almost completed
The Auditor General’s annual report for the year 2011-2012 should be prepared, completed and submitted within the next three weeks, Auditor General Dorothy Bradley said Wednesday. According to Bradley her office has almost completed that audit after having received financial statements from the Accountant […]

At-risk boys get new perspective at Halfmoon Caye
A group of fourteen at-risk Belize City youths visited the Blue Hole as part of a collective social program effort between Oceana, the Belize Audubon Society, and Wake Up Belize morning show. The initiative was a two-day trip in which the 14 boys, between […]

NTUCB on the OSH Bill
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) agrees that the proposed Occupational Safety and Health Bill may need amendments before being passed, Dylan Reneau NTUCB president said. The union and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) have both made submissions to […]

Port CEO: Work on Boulevard affecting cargo shipping
The slow paced infrastructural work on the Central American Boulevard is having a negative impact on cargo transportation to and from Port of Belize Limited, the port’s chief executive officer, Arturo Vasquez, said this week. Vasquez told The Reporter that the issue has been […]

The Grass is greener on the other side of the FFB Fence

So Belize must sit out the CONCACAF Champions League again for another year! Why? Because, again, not a single football stadium in the country is up to FIFA standards for an International match. And that is after almost $2 million has been pumped into the FFB Stadium in Belmopan between […]

Editorial

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize this week has replied to a Reporter Editorial last week in an interview with this newspaper. The NTUCB concedes that the Bill now before the House needs to be revised, but insists that having made a commitment to implement ILO Occupational Safety and […]

Bandits robbed of CONCACAF opportunity! FFB blames contractor for not getting field ready in time
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced this week that the Belmopan Bandits will not play in the 2014-2015 Champions League because of the condition of the Football Federation of Belize field in Belmopan. CONCACAF made the announcement on Sunday […]

Whistleblower legislation gets AG and private sector support
The Auditor General Dorothy Bradley and representatives from the private sector support the Public Service Union’s push for the drafting and implementation of whistleblower legislation. According to Bradley, her office’s website already provides a whistle blowing feature, in which anyone with information can send […]

What’s wrong with this picture?
Once again, an international media outlet has confused Belize’s Blue Hole, with its sister Caribbean world wonder, Dean’s Blue Hole, which is located in Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas. This time, the image of Belize’s Blue Hole appeared on msnlatino.telemundo.com, under the headline “Los Lugares Más Extraños Del Mundo”—that is to say, “The Strangest Places in the World”. The issue, however, is that the image of Belize’s “unique” Blue Hole appeared next to a caption that read: “The big blue hole, Bahamas: known as Dean’s Blue Hole, located in the west bay of Clarence, is the deepest hole in the world, about 663 feet.” Those facts clearly don’t correspond with Belize’s Blue Hole—which is little over 400 feet deep, and the gaffe is enough to upset any Belizean. Belize Tourism Director of Marketing and Industry Relations, Alyssa Carnegie told The Reporter Thursday that the BTB, via its legal council, has written the editor of the publication to have him correct the error, which would most likely mean them removing the image of the Blue Hole and replacing it with Dean’s Blue Hole.

Patrick Jones

Michael Gordon exhibit kicks off Image Factory’s 20th year
The Image Factory’s latest art exhibit is a tribute to a hero of the local art community. Self-taught and prolific, Michael Gordon has created more than 2,000 paintings in over 20 years of work, and between 200 to 300 of those are on exhibit for the next two weeks, beginning tonight. It is the start of a media blitz by the Image Factory to mark its 20th year of artistry. Gordon no-showed the pre-launch press conference which has become a Factory tradition, but his colleagues, led by Yasser Musa and Gilvano Swasey, were happy to give respect to their colleague and friend.

New deputy OC for Corozal police
Meet Inspector Peter Serrano. He was introduced to the residents of Corozal town during a public meeting on Thursday night as the new deputy officer commanding Corozal police. Inspector Serrano takes over from Inspector Daniel Arzu who was transferred last month and is now serving as the officer commanding Benque Viejo de Carmen police.

Passenger bus and pickup truck collide on the Phillip Goldson Highway
A passenger bus and a pickup truck crashed this morning on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Initial reports from the area say the crash happened around 11 am between miles 6 and 7, near the Haulover Bridge. Multiple injuries are reported, including passengers in the Ramos Shuttle bus that was heading towards Belize City when the accident happened.

Police utilize checkpoints as part of crime control operations
Persons travelling to the north for the annual San Joaquin Fiesta will encounter heavy police presence. That is because authorities in Corozal and Orange Walk have been conducting joint special operations in an effort to keep crime under control during the weekend event. According to the officer commanding […]

Crime prevention operations in Corozal
Police in Corozal are utilizing a recent donation from the United States embassy in crime control operations. The two Polaris all terrain vehicles are being used in a multi-agency border patrol initiative. Police are also carrying out daily check points among other initiatives designed to fight crime in […]

CitCo plans review of trade licenses in Belize City
Belize City businesses are asking for a change in enforcement of trade licenses by the Belize City Council. Reporting to residents at a public meeting on Tuesday night, Mayor Darrell Bradley indicated that the Council is listening to proposals from the business community to revise charges from the […]

Murder count reaches over 70 for 2014
Officially, murders nationwide in Belize have reached 72 for 2014, counting the deaths of Santiago Trapp in San Pedro Town and Juan Manuel Espana in Trio, Toledo District this week. We have obtained from the Joint Intelligence Coordinating Center (JICC) the record of reported major crimes for 2014. […]

Blogs

South Ambergris Caye, New Digs & A New Neighborhood For A Few Days: A Look Around
Ambergris is a 26 mile long caye lying just along the hemisphere’s largest barrier reef. The largest island in Belize. And this caye is loosely broken up into subdivisions (or neighborhoods) – from the far south’s Boca Ciega and Holiday Lands to the west with Grand Belizean Estates to the north end’s Bacalar Chico and Palmero Point. Here is the best map I’ve found but what I’ve REALLY learned, is that it take years to get these all straight. Sometimes the name is used all the time to refer to the area. Like Tres Cocos or Boca Del Rio and sometimes never. If you asked me an hour ago (after 7 years of living here) where the El Tesoro Area of San Pedro was? I could tell you that I had never heard of it. I’m guessing even YOU need to look at the map. The only real experts on this break down are the real estate people. For the past day or so, I’ve been exploring a new area…one I’ve walked through but where I’ve never overnighted. Until now. The Mosquito Coast. I’ve been staying at a gorgeous home on the beach…

Belize Weather: When Is The Best Time To Visit?
If you are thinking of visiting Belize, you might try to look for the best time to visit this country. However, there is no really fixed answer to this query. This is because it is always a great time to visit Belize, although visitors look for different opportunities when choosing the best vacation time. For instance, there is no exact time of the year for the best scuba diving in Belize, but if you dive with whale sharks, it is ideal to go from March to June. There are some major factors that contribute to having a more enjoyable vacation in Belize. The high season for tourists in Belize is between November and May. This is the period that simultaneously runs with the dry season, which is the best time for Belize weather. Unintentionally, according to the Belize weather bureau, this point in time also matches with North America’s winter season. This means that a lot of Americans and Canadians escape the cold looking for warmer climate. Low season in Belize runs from June to October. Most travelers strategically visit Belize at this time to take advantage of the lower rates. Most tourism businesses drop their tour and room rates from 30% to 50% to accommodate the dip in tourist arrivals.

Get Ready to Party Again! Belize’s September Celebrations Are Bigger Than Ever This Year
Belizeans love a party, it’s part of the national consciousness. But one month a year stands out as the absolute pinnacle of Belizean revelry. Yes folks, the September Celebrations are just around the corner, and this year’s nationwide fiesta is looking to be the biggest and brightest yet. For the uninitiated, Belize comes alive during the month of September as the nation celebrates its relatively recent independence from Great Britain on September 21, 1981. Independence Day celebrations on the 21st follow the St George’s Caye Day festivities on September 10th..

“Road to Nowhere” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
I’ve always enjoyed my early morning “me” time on the veranda. For those of you who are reading this blog for the first time (where have you been?) this is normally any time between 04.00 to 06.00 hours (the latter being a “lie in” morning) when I head out to the western (lagoon) facing veranda on the first floor of our house with a mug of coffee (instant, black and no sugar) and my iPad. I’m now starting to appreciate this time even more. Why? I hear you thinking (don’t worry I can’t really hear you). Quite simple actually, a house is being built on the lot adjacent to us and the sounds of construction start reverberating around our house between 06.30 to 07.00 hours. And they are working weekends too. I’m guilty of exaggerating the noise actually. It’s not really that bad. There’s been the sound of shovels digging to create the depth for a water tank. The moving, cutting and bending of rebar. The cement mixer at work. Oh, and the sound of some of the guys singing (and one of them is not too bad).

International Sources

Top Belize club expelled from CONCACAF Champions League
Football’s governing body FIFA has launched a probe into the state of the sport in Belize after the country’s leading football team was expelled from the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League. The operations of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) are currently under scrutiny after Belize Premier League champions Belmopan Bandits were removed from the league Friday, reports CMC. The decision to eject Bandits was taken after confederation inspectors ruled that the pitch at the FFB stadium was unplayable. FFB President Ruperto Vicente said FIFA has already contracted a local company to assist the federation to put its finances in order.

Belizean banquet offers biblical implications
It was a simple invitation. "We're having a fish barbecue Saturday night and want you to come." My wife, Joyce, and I were in Belize for a meeting when our friend, Liz, extended the gracious invitation. We asked what we could bring, insisting that we could not show up empty-handed. Liz finally allowed us to pick up some paper plates and cups and some soft drinks. We were looking forward to the evening but didn't really know what to expect. Little did we realize that we were about to experience an unforgettable Belizean banquet with biblical implications. We were told to arrive at 7:30, but in Belize that means anytime between 7:30-9. Being the punctual Americans we are, Joyce and I arrived at 7:30 on the dot — only to find no one else there, except two men working the grills. They had three of these big barrel grills fired up, and it was evident they were doing some serious grilling.

Taipei, Belize sign accord to fight human trafficking
Taiwan signed an agreement Friday with its Central American ally Belize on cross-border cooperation to combat human trafficking. The agreement is the ninth of its kind that Taiwan has inked with a foreign country, the others being Mongolia, Honduras, Indonesia, Vietnam, Paraguay, the Gambia, the United States and the Solomon Islands, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The latest pact was signed in Taipei by Interior Minister Chen Wei-zen and Belizean Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse on behalf of their respective governments.

You Can Visit A Cave Where the Ancient Maya Sacrificed Humans
In Belize, the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave is an eerie experience for visitors. If you’re looking for a last minute summer vacation, why not take a tropical vacation to Belize to visit a place of ritual human sacrifice? That would be the Actun Tunichil Muknal Natural Monument, where, the Daily Beast writes, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of human use dating from around 250 A.D. to 909 A.D. According to the Belize Audubon Society, the ancient Maya people believed that the cave was home to gods who controlled agriculture and rain. The name Actun Tunichil Muknal means Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre. The cave is in roughly the same condition it was in when it was discovered in 1989. From the Beast: Pottery and sacrificial tools naturally cemented to the ground or hidden around the cave’s stalagmites and layers also offer evidence. The “Stelae Chamber” boasts two stone markers, thought to be where high-level community leaders performed rituals to the gods. Sharp rock blades found nearby indicate they cut themselves to offer their own blood. Ancient bowls feature so-called “kill holes,” possibly to drain blood or allow a spirit to escape. One less sinister piece of pottery, known as the “Monkey Pot” for a primate decoration near the rim, drew attention as one among only four ever discovered in Central America.

Ten Places to Go Before They Disappear
Belize Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere. This natural system consists of seven sights, with one of the most diverse eco-systems in the world which is regrettably under threat and vulnerable. Oceanic pollution and increased temperatures are leading to coral bleaching which is why its imperative to see this extraordinary world heritage site sooner rather than later.

Swimming at the top of Maya paradise
My wife and I were staying at a beach-bungalow resort in Hopkins Village, Belize, which is about halfway down the Belizean coast. Our bungalow was a mere 44 paces from the ocean. We spent our first two days reading novels on beach chairs, napping in hammocks and swimming in the ocean. Sometime during the afternoon of our second day, my wife turned to me from her beach chair and said, “You’ll never believe this: but I’m kind of bored.” Now that is a good problem to have. So when we awoke on our third day in Belize we were buzzing with restlessness; with adventure and exploration foremost on our minds. The place where we were staying, Jungle Jeanie’s by the Sea, is a wonderful little collection of raised cabanas spread among the palm trees. It also has a common area which serves as its office and guest dining room. And it has wi-fi. So it’s the place where everyone who’s staying at Jungle Jeanie’s gathers to eat, drink and swap stories about their day’s adventures.

Videos

Video: Belize, 3min.
Agnes Irwin School SSP trip to Belize

Video: The San Pedro AIDS Commission Cares, 1min.
Here is the Commission’s most recent public service announcement video entitled “I Care”. For more information about HIV/AIDS, call us at 663-9922. We're here to help.

Video: Aurelio Martinez @ Irie Sea Breeze 12, 3min.
Aurelio Martinez on stage and performing at Belize's Sea Breeze Festival...

Video: WCU - LA Students Share their Stories, 10min.
Students of West Coast University - Los Angeles joined Hillside Health Care in our global health initiatives in 2013. In this video, the students detail their individual stories in Punta Gorda, Belize. From discovering ethical questions to understanding the necessity of cultural sensitivity and communication, the students learned about themselves and the world. Along the way, the students developed relationships with their patients and with each other. Overall, the trip abroad changed perspectives.

Video: Belize 2014, 10min.
John Knox Youth Mission Trip

Video: Walk lightly on the world.., 5min.
A video of some nice moments in Central America..from Costa Rica up to Belize.. We are one organism, we are all one..We need to be in harmony with it so it stays our home..

Video: Open Your Eyes SummerFest (August 15, 2014), 2hr17min.

Video: Sports Reach Belize Day 1, 10min.

Video: Sports Reach Belize Day 2, 7min.
This is a Sports Reach Mission trip to the Country of Belize. The Group Leaders were Robby Speer and Stan Curry. Coach Was Florida State Assistant Coach Dennis Gates. Players were Troy University Starting Forward Kevin Thomas, Troy University Freshman Aaron Ariri, Western Kentucky University wingman Nigel Snipes, Former Angelo State player Antonio Dye, Incoming freshman at Union College Wilson Smyth, Former Campbellsville University forward Phil Lowery and Last but not least Tedrick Stephens

Video: Belize Trip 2014 2.0, 10min.
This is the recap of the familia Belize Trip 2014 as two separate visits to the country are highlited in the video with still-photos and music. It was a blessed and fun time had by all who participated.

Video: Spotlite Globe: Belize (SPOTLITE - TRANS 7), 7min.
Spotlite Globe Belize

Video: Beverly 'Bunny' Rhamdas: Belizean Softball Legend!, 27min.
The third episode in a video documentary series called Belizean Legends that will profile the legendary Belizean softball player and gold medalist Beverly 'Bunny' Rhamdas who played on the Belize national selection that won the gold medal in the 1974 Central American & Caribbean Games in Santa Domingo. Rhamdas discusses her softball career in Belize with Belizean Legends host Bilal Morris and revisits highlights of the game where Belize won its first gold medal in an international sports competition, and the homecoming reception that the Belize national team received from Belizeans and government alike.

Video: Belize Nurse Shark, 3min.
Friendly nurse shark.

Video: Belize 2014, 3min.
Agnes Irwin School SSP trip to Burrell Boom, Caye Caulker, and Placencia, Belize.

August 15, 2014