June 29, 2017

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

SPTC 5-a-side Football Tournament heads into playoffs
After seven weeks of action, the San Pedro Town Council’s 5-a-side Football Tournament is nearing its playoffs. The seventh set of games took place on Wednesday, June 21st to Saturday, June 24th, and as usual, large crowds came out to the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex to support their favorite players and teams. On Wednesday, June 21st, two U-15 and three male division games took place. In the Under-15 category, San Pedrito Strikers triumphed over Los Catrachitos, 2-1, while Caribeña Strikers won 1-0 over San Pedro Pirates. The male results were: Jokers FC 3 vs Terror Squad 1, Rookies 5 vs Peacemaker 3, and Tropic FC 6 vs Boca Bombers 3. Due to Dia de San Pedro festivities, games have been postponed to Wednesday, July 5th at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex, starting at 7PM.

Graduations galore on La Isla Bonita!
Over the past week, graduation ceremonies across the island highlighted three Standard Six classes and two preschools. As Standard Six Students celebrated their academic achievement in completing eight years of primary school, preschoolers celebrated their entrance to primary school. San Pedro Roman Catholic School, Holy Cross Anglican School, New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist School, Little Angels Preschool, and ABC Preschool.

Bowen and Bowen Ltd introduces Belikin Light!
There is a brand new beer in the Belikin Family. ‘Belikin Light,’ was introduced on Tuesday, June 27th at the Belikin Brewing Company installations in Ladyville, north of Belize City. The newest member in the line of Belikin Beer products is low -alcohol and calorie. Along with a light, balanced flavour, it is expected to become the perfect choice for the consumer with an active lifestyle. The first batch of Belikin Light is expected to reach Ambergris Caye by Saturday, July 1st.

NEMO holds first Official EOC Meeting for the Hurricane Season
In an effort to increase preparedness during the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) hosted a meeting with all 13 committees under the San Pedro’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The group convened on Friday, June 23rd at the Belize Rural South NEMO Branch office on Coconut Drive for the first meeting of the Hurricane Season. It was aimed at reviewing the state of readiness and fine-tune the EOC’s plan of action that would be activated in the event of a storm or extreme rain.

Ambergris Today

The Newest Member Of The Belikin Family... Belikin Light
After almost fifty years of success with Belikin, the Belize Brewing Company continues to grow with the introduction of Belikin Light. The new member of the Belikin family was introduced at a press conference on Tuesday, June 27 at the Tap Room at the Belize Brewing Company, Ladyville. Belikin Light is the new light beer option in the Belize Brewing Company portfolio. With its low calorie count, Belikin Light’s great drinkability makes it the perfect choice for the consumer with an active lifestyle. Belikin Light will be sold at the same great price as Belikin Beer and Stout. The bottle will also have a refund value of $0.25 cents like other Belikin beers.

San Pedro Beauty Named Miss Costa Maya Belize 2017
Mr. Michael Arnold, National Director for Miss America Latina Belize, proudly announces Michelle Estrella Nuñez as Miss Belize Costa Maya 2017. Michelle is from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and she aims to become the first Sampedrana to capture the Costa Maya crown. The 26 year-old, 5’6” (1.68m) beauty was a past Miss San Pedro (2014). She also represented Belize last year at Miss America Latina del Mundo in Mexico, where she not only captured the award for Best Original Costume but also gave Belize our highest and thus far only placement in this pageant. She placed 4th Runner-up (out of 19), besting delegates from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Spain, among others.

Misc Belizean Sources

Vildo Westby Wanted regarding Feliz Ayuso murder
Nearly five months after the brutal murder of island activist Felix Ayuso on February 1, 2017, San Pedro Police have released a wanted poster for Vildo Westby, believed to be connected to Ayuso's death.

Ongoing Consultations for the Development of a National Trade Policy: Meeting with the Private Sector in Belmopan
The Directorate General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) launched Belize’s Trade Policy Framework which was approved by Cabinet in July 2016. The Framework provides government’s commitment and policy guidance for formulating Belize’s first comprehensive National Trade Policy. Under the leadership of a Trade Adviser provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat, work is now ongoing to develop Belize’s first comprehensive trade policy. It is in this context that the DGFT has launched national consultations country-wide, with a view to gathering reactions and recommendations from all relevant stakeholders in the public sector, private sector and other non-state actors including those in the productive sector. Several consultative meetings were convened with stakeholders since the process was launched on 14th March, 2017.

Ride Across Belize
Corozal show us your support for those riding for worthy causes.

DANZA DE LA CABEZA DE COCHINO “ OK´ OSTA POL KE´ K´EN ”
Entre los mayas es común que sus celebraciones festivas y tradicionales tengan una esencia pagano-religiosa, ya que aunque la celebración de “la danza de la cabeza de cochino”, es una lúcida danza de aspecto más bien satírica y divertida, esta se realiza frente a la iglesia del pueblo durante las fiestas patronales.

Belize Archaeology Symposium
Opening night of the Belize Archaeology Symposium was quite a success. The Museum of Belize was there to share in the excitement.

May 2017 Trade, GDP & CPI, Labour Force Survey
CONSUMER PRICES UP 0.7% IN MAY 2017. Latest statistics released by the Statistical Institute of Belize show that the All-Items Consumer Price Index for the month of May 2017 stood at 104.4, an increase from 103.7 in May of 2016. The prices of goods and services regularly purchased by Belizean Households were, on average, 0.7 percent higher in May 2017 than they were in the same month of 2016.
IMPORTS DOWN 4.8 %, DOMESTIC EXPORTS UP 28.9% IN MAY 2017. IMPORTS: For the month of May 2017, Belize imported goods valuing $161.3 million. This represented a 4.2 percent or $7.1 million drop from the same month in 2016, when imports totalled $168.4 million. Decreases across various categories led to the overall reduction in Belize’s import bill. EXPORTS: The total value of Belize’s domestic exports for the month of May 2017 was $72.6 million, up 28.9 percent or $16.3 million from the $56.3 million recorded for May 2016. Sugar was the most dominant among the major exports during the month of May 2017, as revenues from that commodity contributed more than a half of total export earnings.
GDP: ECONOMY GROWS 2.1% IN FIRST QUARTER 2017: PRIMARY AND TERTIARY ACTIVITIES UP, SECONDARY ACTIVITIES DOWN. Preliminary first quarter estimates by the Statistical Institute of Belize show that, for the first three months of 2017, the country’s level of economic activity increased by 2.1 percent when compared to the same period in 2016. The total value of goods and services produced in Belize was $748.2 million, up $15.4 million from $732.8 in the first quarter of 2016.
UNEMPLOYMENT RISES MARGINALLY TO 9% IN APRIL 2017 DESPITE 3,000 NEW JOBS. Results from the Statistical Institute of Belize’s most recent Labour Force Survey showed that the national unemployment rate in April 2017 stood at 9 percent, a marginal increase from 8 percent in April 2016, when the country recorded its lowest unemployment rate in almost a decade. This rise in the rate of unemployment recorded was notwithstanding the net addition of more than 3,000 new jobs, as persons joined the labour force at a faster rate than that at which new jobs were created.

SBDC Workshop: Quick Books 101, Part 3 of the Accounting Series
Presented by: Mr. Jorge Gentle, Business Adviser, SBDCBelize, Beltraide. Location: Beltraide Conference Room, 14 Orchid Garden Street, Belmopan. Workshop Date: July 6th, 2017. Time: 8am to 3pm. ONLY 15 SEATS. Cost: $60.00, Includes lunch and refreshments. This course is designed for individuals who have background knowledge in accounting or have taken Part 1 and 2 of the Accounting Series. This course was created for anyone who wants to learn QuickBooks. Whether you signed up simply to learn QuickBooks or are a complete newbie to the software does not matter. We will teach you the software from beginning to end so that anyone, regardless of experience, learns all that they need to know to successfully use the program.

2nd Annual Health Fair for San Pedro
Saturday, July 1, 10am -3pm, Lion's Den

Caye Caulker Lobster Fest
Start of the Caye Caulker Lobster Fest weekend, come out and see the ladies as they compete to be the next Miss Caye Caulker Lobster Fest on Friday night.

NOISE ABATEMENT REGULATIONS
In relation to the current debate on the “entertainment strip” in the area of Newtown Barracks in Belize City and the issue of NOISE POLLUTION being experienced for some time now by residents in the surrounding area, the Department of the Environment (DOE) supports the Mayor of Belize City and the Belize City Council in enforcing legislation that exists to ensure that there is a balance between the economic development of Belize and a healthy environment for all. As a Government Department that stands by its motto “Balancing Development and the Environment”, the DOE believes in the economic/commercial development of the community, but not at the expense of the very same citizens we are here to develop and protect. This specific area in question has been a challenging location for the DOE on the issue of noise pollution. Noise abatement legislation have been on the books for quite a long time now, in the form of the Pollution Regulations of 1995 and the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act. The Pollution Regulations speak to “permissible levels” of noise and the pre-requirement of “soundproofing” of establishments producing noise. There are measures that can be put in place to reduce the level of noise so it does not affect the quality of life of surrounding neighbourhoods.

Trafficking in Persons Report: BELIZE: TIER 3
The Government of Belize does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore, Belize remained on Tier 3. Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including the identification of two trafficking victims; and the investigations of 10 trafficking cases and two continued prosecutions initiated in a previous year. However, the government did not begin any new prosecutions or convict any traffickers. The government did not investigate or prosecute any public officials for alleged complicity in human trafficking-related offenses, despite reports of a significant level of official complicity. Despite the government’s raids on commercial sex establishments, few trafficking crimes were uncovered due to limited intelligence-gathering, inconsistent application of formal victim identification procedures, and suspected complicity among some law enforcement officials.

Missing dog
Panda is missing. He was seen in the Buena Vista area by a neighbor with three men and a big rope around his neck. If anyone sees him, please message me. There is a $500 REWARD for his return. Panda has white markings on his chest and his right eye has a cataract. He weighs about 175 lbs. we are in Cayo.

FREE concert with APEX
The Belmopan City Council is collaborating with the US Embassy for a FREE concert with APEX, a trio group and they will be performing at the OLOG Parish Hall on Friday, June 30th at 7:00 pm. All are invited to attend this FREE and open to the public event.

No Protections for Threatened Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage Site
The Belizean government has failed to implement promised protections for the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage site, according to a WWF assessment published today, leaving the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere under threat from offshore oil drilling and damaging coastal construction. Seismic testing for oil was attempted just one kilometre from the World Heritage site as recently as October 2016. Coming less than a week before the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee begins in Krakow, WWF, as part of the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, assessed progress on a number of protections identified by UNESCO as essential to the reef’s long-term survival. The Belizean government committed to UNESCO in 2015 that the necessary measures to ensure the reef’s protection would be implemented by December 2016. “Seven months on, Belize has not delivered on its promise to protect the Belize Barrier Reef. Instead this remarkable ecosystem – vital to both wildlife and the country’s economy – remains under threat. We urge Belize’s government to act immediately to safeguard the reef for future generations,” said Nadia Bood, Mesoamerican Reef Scientist at WWF in Belize.

Protein Banks for Livestock
Farmers along the buffer zone of the Vaca Forest Reserve promote agro-ecological systems by establishing protein banks as an alternative supplement for livestock. We are grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture for the planting material.

BTB Virtual Tradeshow
The BTB Virtual Trade Show expo will bring together over 25 local stakeholders ranging from our local hoteliers, tour operators, wedding planner, Transportation Company and associations who will be meeting “virtually” with international buyers (Travel Agents, Tour Operators/Wholesalers, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) and Press) from North America, Europe, South and Central America. To date we have over 110 registered buyers from all these regions.

Streets of Belize City: Nurse Seay Street
Vivian Wilhelmina Myvett Seay (1881–1971) was born in British Honduras. She was a British Honduran nurse, social reformer and activist. Seay, Creole and of the middle class, attended the Anglican Church school and earned her teaching credentials in the pupil-teacher program. Here are some quick facts about Seay:

Channel 7

Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco Says They Never Vetted Any Documents
Last week the Senate Select Committee called Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco to testify. Her name is called about 94 times in the Auditor General's reports and the Senators called her back today to discuss a lot of administrative irregularities exposed in the reports. One topic they did bring up again was her comment that she didn't closely inspect the files she accepted as a frontline immigration officer. She said that it was not her duty to spot fraudulent documents being submitted as part of applications for visas and nationalities. Well, the Senators wanted her to explain why she didn't see that as part of her responsibility, and she made some surprising claims. According to Pacheco, no one at the Immigration Department did any kind of verification of whether documents were authentic or not. The Senate didn't exactly accept that explanation, and here's how they challenged her on that:

Boots "Bex" Because He Was Called To Testify But Sent Home
There was supposed to be one more witness for the day. UDP Minister Anthony "Boots" Martinez was summoned by the Senate Select Committee to testify, and he was no doubt more than willing to come forward because he wanted to respond to the allegations that Alvarine Burgess made against him. A few weeks ago, Burgess went before the Senate and said that back in the days when she was an immigration agent, she went to "Boots" Martinez, where she paid him several thousand dollars in bribe money so that he would write recommendations for Chinese visa applicants, guaranteeing that the visas would be approved. He told us that she is telling a lie, and most likely would have repeated those comments for the Senate's record, but he didn't get the chance. The Committee inexplicably decided that they couldn't take his testimony today.

PC Florencio Rash Hauled Before a Police Tribunal
Last night we showed you footage of a cop, identified as PC Florencio Rash, laid out on the ground at the Belmopan bus station. The video quickly went viral on social media, provoking howls of outrage. Well since then the Police Department has confirmed that Rash was under the influence of alcohol at the time the video was taken, and disciplinary measures have been initiated against him by Belmopan police. This afternoon, we spoke to the man who's about to take charge of the Professional Standards Branch, Assistant Commissioner Chester Williams, about the incident and the disciplinary actions against PC Rash - who falls under ACP Williams because he is assigned to Eastern Division South..

SIB: Unemployment Up
The Statistical Institute of Belize has released the latest unemployment figures, and they show that a higher unemployment rate. The Labour Force survey of April 2017, showed that when compared to April of 2016, there were over two thousand more persons unemployed. Statistician Curwen Arthurs explained: Curwen Arthurs - Statistician I, SISB: "With last year's rate of 8% which one of the lowest in almost a decade, it was expected that rate would have raised, increased since then; experiencing such a low rate. So this time around we saw that the rate increased marginally by 9% and this was because the labour force was growing at a pace a bit faster than persons were actually gaining jobs. If we look at the rates by district, we see that only the Belize and Stann Creek district had rated higher than the national rate of 9% with Stann Creek having the highest rate at 13.1% and Belize having the second highest rate at 10.9%. "

SIB: Economy Grew
And there are probably more jobs because the economy grew in the first quarter of 2017. That's an improvement over last year, when it contracted. Statistician Jefte Ochaeta outlined the findings: Jefte Ochaeta - Statistician I, SIB: "In the months of January to March of 2017 we see an increase of 2.1% in the economy where Belize produced goods and services totalling 748.2 million dollars which an increase of 15.3 million dollars of basically 2.1% from the same period in 2016. I can tell you that this 2.1% was mainly contributed by an increase in agriculture sector where the agriculture sector is contributing 1.6% to the 2.1% increase."

Economy Grew On Strength Of Sugar Output
The economy usually shows good growth in the first quarter - and that is owing in no small part to cane harvesting and sugar production - which are at their peak during that time. Ochaeta says that with Citrus, Petroleum and Flour down in the secondary sector, Sugar production was up by almost a third: Jefte Ochaeta - Statistician I, SIB: "When we look at the specifics of the secondary industries we see here that there was an increase in the sugar production. Why is this? Well mainly due to the fact that there was better quality in the cane due to favourable weather conditions, the dry condition in weather help the purity and the quality of the sugar cane and also the quality assurance and improved factors that the factory has placed to work. So those really helped the sugar production, plus the addition of the sugar refined by our factory in the west."

Bad News For Bowen: Beer and Soda Production Down
Notably, production of beer and soft drinks was down for the second successive quarter. That's Bowen and Bowen's market, and Ochaeta said the beverage producer is being affected by imports: Jefte Ochaeta - Statistician I, SIB: "There was a decrease in beverage production of almost 5%. This is due that because we observed that we had less being produced, we had about 47,000 less gallons of beer being produced. Similarly we had 216,000 less litres of soft drinks being produced. What's affecting our production? Basically we saw an increase in the import of soft drinks and also beer, imported in 2016, it's affecting the producer. Additionally in the secondary industry, there was a decreased in flour production by 6% which also affected by flour imports."

Overnight Arrivals Up, But Hotel Occupancy Isn't
And the folks at Belikin aren't the only ones singing the blues due to a disruptive marketplace. Overnight tourism interests are also feeling the bite - but not from imports, most likely from AirBnB. The online service which lets you turn that spare room in your home into a lodging for guests accounts for a drop in occupancy rates - even though more overnight tourists are arriving. Jefte Ochaeta - Statistician I, SIB: "What happened is we had more persons coming into the country however, the hotel sector where the overnight visitor would be going reported a decrease in the hotel room occupancy rate by 5%. So that means that less revenue was generated from hotels from our traditionally hotels where our traditional visitors would be visiting, that means that the dynamics of our visitors has changed. Our visitors are now going into other kinds of budget services for accommodations, so that's why we saw a decrease in the hotels and restaurants services."

Imports Down, Exports Up
Turning now to external trade, imports were down while exports were up. And that, again, is due mostly to a strong out-turn for sugar. Here's more: Tiffany Vasquez - Statistician, SIB: "Total domestic exports for the period January to May 2017 amounted to 237.6 million dollars; this is an increase of 21.8% or 42.6 million when compared to January to May of 2016. This notable 21.8% growth in domestic earning was the result of positive performances for most of Belize's major exports. Sugar continues to be Belize's top export earner at 94.9 million dollars, up 58% or 34.8 million."

Exports to The US Declined In First Quarter
And while exports were up - notably, there was less being exported to the United States - which looks to Belize for Citrus concentrate. Here's why: Tiffany Vasquez - Statistician, SIB: "Domestic exports to the US fell by 10.8 million dollars over the period to 30 million largely due to the drop in orange concentrate sales. On the other hand exports to the EU rose by 12.2 million to 35 million, going to greater exports of sugar, orange concentrate, banana and orange oil to that region in the period January to May 2017. Further earnings from Belize's exports to CARICOM grew 4.3 million to 33 million due mostly to increased revenue from crude petroleum and boosted black eyed peas sales."

Managing Business In A Natural Disaster
Today BELTRAIDE and the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System, abbreviated in Spanish as "SELA," hosted officials from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to talk about continuing business after natural disasters. The workshop was tailor-made for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to learn about natural disaster risk management. Participants were advised on how to prepare their businesses for natural disasters, and to ensure that their livelihoods are safeguarded should a major disaster occur. We spoke to Beltraide representative Shari Williams, as well one of the presenters, Yves Davila, about the event...

Son of "Sabe" In Jail
Sebastian Nunez is no stranger to the news - and many times that he's been on here, it's because he's accused of a crime. But that hasn't happened for a while - and when we ran a story the other night saying he was wanted he came here quickly to say police were after his son, not him. Well that son was sent to jail - where he turned 18. Nunez went to visit him but was told the teenager was in a confinement area. Then he went back two weeks later, and his son was still confined. Today, Sebastian "Sabe" Nunez told us that his young son may have a long rap sheet, but he's being subjected to too much:

DOE Backs Up The Mayor and City Council On Noise Pollution
Last week, the mayor made waves when he declared that City Hall would finally start adhering to the letter of the law, and stop granting 4:00 AM extensions to bars and nightclubs that weren't soundproofed. He was talking mainly about the "entertainment strip" on Princess Margaret drive extending from the BTL Park to the Hour Bar. It adjoins a residential area, and after a town meeting, the mayor decided that residents had endured too much. Well, even though his city council is very divided on the issue because of the loss of revenue, and of social life, the Department of the Environment today let it be known that it has the Mayor's back.

A New Belizean SITCOM
No Matta What: it was the first hit Belizean drama series in the early 2000's. Characters like Tomasa, Lisani and Jaime certainly captivated the Belizean audience and their stories reflected the joys and struggles of life in the city. Well, the producers of this drama series hope to get you hooked on their new show called "Livin mi Life". It's their first attempt at a Belizean sitcom. Today, the Owner and Manager of 13 Productions who also produced "Livin Mi Life" dropped by our studios to tell us about this new series. 2 of the actors also told us what to expect from the character they play.

Chester's Last Southside Meet And Greet
As we mentioned earlier in the news, ACP Chester Williams will be vacating his position as Officer Commander of the Eastern Division - South, and moving over to Belmopan to take charge of the Professional Standards Branch. Today, Williams participated in his last community meet and greet. We have covered dozens of these on the news, and today in the Jane Usher area; we spoke to Williams about his final week in the neighbourhoods of the Southside: ACP Chester Williams - OC, Southside Police: "Indeed it is my final meet and greet as the officer commanding eastern division south and the feedback from the people that we have encountered for today has been positive in the sense that they are saying they are happy for the policing in the area, the patrols are visible, every so often they see the patrols pass by. Some of them are saying that they wish it was not my last, that is expected (laugh) right and I could understand where they are coming from but the time has come for me to move on and I am preparing to make my way to Belmopan as of Monday of next week."

Will The Gang Truce Hold In the Vidal Era?
Williams also gave us an update about the state of the gang truce which he and community activist Dianne Finnegan orchestrated earlier this year. Williams's transfer has caused some distress for some members of the Southside gang community, who fear the tactics of his replacement, former GSU Commander, Mark Vidal. Williams told us that he has spoken with gang leaders about upholding the truce, and has urged them to continue to work alongside the police. Here's what he had to say about that meeting... ACP Chester Williams - OC, Southside Police: "Just yesterday myself and Ms. Finnegan met with the gaggle of guys and we discussed with them basically what is expected that my departure does not mean we go back to the old but rather that we remain on course to continue to do good, to continue to respect their lives and the lives of others. I explained to them the importance of their lives to their families and that every life does matter including theirs and regardless of what people may say to them or say about them, they must always keep their heads up high and focus on what lies ahead of them and that is to ensure that they remain alive for the betterment of themselves and their families."

Williams' First Duty At Professional Standards
ACP Williams still has a couple more days as the Southside Police Commander, and apparently still has a few more things to strike off of his to-do list. Williams told us about his plans for final two days in Belize City and his expectations for his transition over to Professional Standards... ACP Chester Williams - OC, Southside Police: "If you go to my office you will see my office is peel, I have packed and prepared to leave, I'm just awaiting Mr. Vidal taking over, he should be coming in on Friday to take over, I'll be handing over to him on Friday morning and after Friday I'll no longer be the officer commanding eastern division south. I should be taking over from Mr. Lino, professional standard's branch on Monday and then I'll assume command of that unit so tomorrow we're having an event at the Racoon Street Police Station, media is invited. We'll be having a farewell slash appreciation event, I want to show appreciation to some officers who have been there with me and as well as to the media."

A Real Ride For Charity
Since 2004, the management and staff of the Social Security Board have been holding the Ride Across Belize fund raising event. Participants from various organizations and businesses take part in a cross country ride to raise awareness and fund a worthy cause. This year's proceeds will go to two organizations, the first is the Adopt a Child with a Disability, which provides therapy to youths with various disabilities, and the Urban Schools Gardening Programs, which teaches school children about subsistence farming as well as provides them with healthy meals. We spoke with the event's organizer, Chandra Cansino, as well as a representative from the Adopt a Child with a Disability program, about the importance of initiative...

Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco Says They Never Vetted Any Documents
Last week the Senate Select Committee called Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco to testify. Her name is called about 94 times in the Auditor General's reports and the Senators called her back today to discuss a lot of administrative irregularities exposed in the reports. One topic they did bring up again was her comment that she didn't closely inspect the files she accepted as a frontline immigration officer. She said that it was not her duty to spot fraudulent documents being submitted as part of applications for visas and nationalities. Well, the Senators wanted her to explain why she didn't see that as part of her responsibility, and she made some surprising claims. According to Pacheco, no one at the Immigration Department did any kind of verification of whether documents were authentic or not. The Senate didn't exactly accept that explanation, and here's how they challenged her on that:

Boots “Bex” Because He Was Called To Testify But Sent Home
There was supposed to be one more witness for the day. UDP Minister Anthony "Boots" Martinez was summoned by the Senate Select Committee to testify, and he was no doubt more than willing to come forward because he wanted to respond to the allegations that Alvarine Burgess made against him. A few weeks ago, Burgess went before the Senate and said that back in the days when she was an immigration agent, she went to "Boots" Martinez, where she paid him several thousand dollars in bribe money so that he would write recommendations for Chinese visa applicants, guaranteeing that the visas would be approved. He told us that she is telling a lie, and most likely would have repeated those comments for the Senate's record, but he didn't get the chance. The Committee inexplicably decided that they couldn't take his testimony today. He granted us an interview complaining that the Committee wasted his time and offered him no explanation:

Channel 5

Left Waiting by Senate, “Boots” Derides “Circus” Inquiry
The public hearings of the Senate Special Select Committee resumed today with Immigration Clerk Ady Pacheco reappearing before the senate panel.  We will have highlights of that testimony later on, [...]

Minister States Burgess’ Accusations are “Hearsay”
The Minister characterizes Burgess’ statements as “hearsay” without any basis or foundation. But when questioned about whether Burgess’ testimony is not helpful, he contended that the Committee ought to limit [...]

A Few Recommendations for Visas, But Martinez Says There’s Nothing Wrong
According to the Minister, he has regularly recommended both constituents and acquaintances for a variety of Government services during his time in office. In the case of visa requests, that [...]

Ady Pacheco Defends Peter Dahlstrom Decision
Immigration officer Ady Pacheco was the sole witness this morning. She was thoroughly grilled by the members of the Committee on various cases and scenarios resulting in improper granting of [...]

How Did San Pedro Harmouches Get So Much Help?
Pacheco was also questioned about the case of the Harmouch family of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, who appeared to recruit a powerful ally in area representative Manuel Heredia Junior. [...]

No News On Missing Passports
The Auditor General’s Report details many instances of persons being granted passports illegally.  But the Audit Department’s search uncovered thousands of blank passports that were simply reported as missing or [...]

Green Card for Boots?
Minister of Transport Edmond Castro had his U.S. diplomatic and personal visas revoked a few weeks ago for unconfirmed reasons, though his alleged involvement in the Immigration scandal is considered [...]

Intoxicated Corporal Punished, But What Help for Stressed Cops?
Police Constable Florencio Rash has been internally charged by the Belmopan Police for the offence, Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline. He was taken before a Disciplinary Tribunal, where he [...]

Police Name Suspect in Killing of Felix Ayuso Jr.
San Pedro Police are looking for a man wanted in connection of a murder that occurred six months ago. Twenty-eight-year-old Vildo Westby is said to be armed and dangerous and [...]

Departing Chester Says City Gang Truce Will Survive
ACP Chester Williams is recognized for minimizing the bloodshed in the Old Capital, specifically as it relates to gang-related violence. Earlier this year, Williams and his team of mediators, including [...]

Jane Usher Hosts Chester’s Final “Meet and Greet”
In his final meet and greet session today, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was in the Jane Usher Boulevard area not only to bid farewell, but to get a [...]

Chester Thankful for the Memories
As of Saturday, July first, Eastern Division South will have a new commander. Superintendent Marco Vidal takes over from Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams. Vidal is the former head [...]

S.I.B. Tracks More Economic Activity, But Also More Unemployment
Prices for goods and services shot up considerably in May of this year when compared to the same period last year. Consumers were hard hit on the pocket due to [...]

It’s Time to Ride Across Belize with S.S.B.
Since 2004, the Social Security Board’s staff has been supporting non-profits and other local projects doing community work by work raising monies to help fund worthy causes. The annual ‘Ride [...]

New Enforcement at “Party Strip” Not About Politics; D.O.E. Agrees
We have been reporting that the Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley is at the center of a controversy involving residents and business owners in the vicinity of Newtown Barracks.  Despite [...]

Area Resident Valerie Woods Says Enforcement Has Delicate Balance
Among those present at last Wednesday’s meeting was Valerie Woods.  Not only is she a P.U.P. senator from Caribbean Shores, Woods also resides within proximity of the Pickwick Club.  Her [...]

CTV3

Boots Categorizes The Senate Hearings As A Circus
The hearings of the Senate Select Committee resumed today with a third, consecutive full day of interrogation of the former Assistant to the Officer in Charge in the Nationality Section, Ady Pacheco. While we have the highlights of her testimony, the day didn’t escape some controversy because apparently a second UDP Minister was supposed to have testified in her place. Minister of Human Development, Anthony “Boots” Martinez, showed up at the National Assembly building this morning reportedly at the invitation of the Committee. But apparently there was some miscommunication as Martinez was told upon presenting himself that it wasn’t his turn just yet.

What Cabinet Discusses Is Secret Says Boots Martinez
While the media had Minister Boots in front of the cameras he was also asked about the decision by Cabinet to monitor Ministers like him and political agents who were issuing recommendation letters for visa applicants. The question: why did the Cabinet feel it necessary to take this measure has yet to be answered by any members of Cabinet, even by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Today Boots used the usual line that Cabinet matters are classified, to avoid providing answers.

Was Boots' Visa Revoked?
One final matter brought up in the Boots interview is the allegation that Edmond Castro is not the only UDP Minister who has had his U.S. visa revoked. There have actually been reports that Boots has had his travel visa cancelled, but today he claimed that not only does he maintain his diplomatic visa, but that the U.S. has invited him to apply for residency.

2016/2017 Crop Ends On Friday
After 30 weeks of milling, the 2016-2017 sugar cane crop season will officially come to a close on Friday June 30th, the announcement was made today by the Sugar Industry Control Board and the Sugar Cane Production Committee. This decision was taken after a meeting among all stakeholders of the Sugar Industry on June 23rd. Viewers may remember that back in November at the start of the season, there was major controversy between the Belize Cane Farmer’s Association and the mill on the proposed estimate for the quantity of Cane delivered to the Mill for the crop season.

US State Department Classifies Belize As Worst Traffic Offender In Central America
The US State Department has issued its 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report - and similar to the past two years, Belize remained as a tier 3 country, classified as the worst trafficking offender in Central America. According to the report - which was released on Monday- “The Government of Belize does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so and therefore remains in Tier 3” and even states several times in the report that "Trafficking-related complicity by government officials is common, including those at high levels."

Addy Pacheco Grilled By Senate
As we mentioned earlier in the newscast, Immigration officer Ady Pacheco was back before the Senate Committee today, for a third interrogation session. In the seven months of Senate hearings, no other person has made as many appearances, and there is a reason she has. Her name shows up in the report dozens of times for accepting, processing and recommending visa, nationality and passport applications which the Auditor General says should never have been processed, and today she was heavily criticized for her work at the Immigration Department.

LOVE FM

Public Advised to Take Caution When Seeking Medical Attention
In light of yesterday’s report we made surrounding Jose Luis Espat Uc and his declaration of being a medical doctor, the Director of Health Services, Dr Marvin Manzanero cautioned the public to be wary when seeking medical attention. DR MARVIN MANZANERO “I think it is misleading we would have to address it I think on […]

Health Director Says Its Nothing Personal with Jose Espat Uc
Since we aired the story yesterday on Jose Luis Espat Uc and the question as to whether he is a legitimate medical doctor, he has contacted Love News threatening to sue the station and saying that he is being attacked and targeted by various entities due to his activism on corruption in Belize, particularly in […]

Cyber-Bullying Gets Regional Manual to Combat
A regional manual to tackle cyber bullying is being developed by agencies across the Caribbean. A meeting with regional stakeholders was held today in Belize which encompassed effective ways how to deal with cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is when someone is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, or otherwise targeted by another person using the digital technology. […]

PlusTV

Body of Marky Mendez found by hunters
The body of 24 year old Marky Mendez was found on Monday night. Two hunters were in an area near the Warie Head Bridge on the George Price Highway; that’s after Teakettle Village, past the S Curve when heading from Belmopan to San Ignacio. The hunters were looking for live game but instead came a...

Penner arraigned for death of man in traffic accident
Elvin Penner was arraigned this afternoon at the San Ignacio Magistrate’s court. Three charges were brought against him for the June 23rd death of Kenrick Myvette . Those charges are manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, and driving a motor vehicle without due care and att...

Manhunt for Amir Cho; wanted for murder of 90year old
Police are looking for 26 year old Amir Ricardo Cho for a murder that happened in August Pine Ridge, Orange Walk district. Cho is believed to be one of two men who entered the store of 90 year old Pedro Pol on June 15th , almost two weeks ago. They robbed the store but not before tying up Pol and be...

Apparent drunken uniformed police officer caught on video
A video of a police officer, apparently taken at a taco stand somewhere in the country, was posted to face book. The video shows what appears to be a heavily intoxicated and uniformed officer, lying on the cement street with his hat and handcuff beside him on the ground. When police were asked to co...

Three Belize City men charged for drug trafficking
Three persons have been arrested for drug trafficking in Belize City. According to police reports, GSU conducted operations on Monday morning within the Raccoon Street Extension. That is where they found 34 year old Anthony Crawford, a stevedore of Belize City, 20 year old Frederick Arthur Smith, B...

Tow Tow robbed in Belize City
There was an armed robbery on Sunday afternoon in Belize City. It happened sometime around 12:30 p.m. at Tow Tow Store on Mahogany Street. According to police reports, 27 year old Belizean businesswoman Wanlan Fan, was in her store at the time when a male person with a rag over his face entered. Th...

Four detained for drug trafficking in Corozal
Corozal police have detained four persons to be charged for drug trafficking. On Monday evening, just before 4:30., police were conducting mobile patrol in Corozal Town and followed a green Toyota Corola taxi . According to police reports, they saw two male persons exit the taxi at a restaurant. Th...

Ministry of Education Cyberbullying Forum
Today the Ministry of Education opened a two-day forum to revise a Cyberbullying manual before it can be adopted in Belize. Facilitators included a representative of International Telecoms Union based in Barbados as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry from the University of Florida. Teache...

PUP leader campaigns in Twin Towns leading up to Municipal elections
Municipal elections are to be held in March of next year. Already, the two major political parties are mobilizing and last week, Leader of the PUP, John Briceno, was on the ground in the Kontiki area of the Cayo North constituency. Briceno spoke about his party’ s readiness for the upcoming electio...

24 Belizeans receive scholarships to study in Taiwan
24 Belizean students have been awarded scholarships by the TaiwanICDF (Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund) Scholarship Program and the Taiwan Scholarship Program 2017. Both scholarship programs provide each scholarship recipient with a round trip ticket, accommodations, tuition fe...

Breaking Belize News

Unemployment inches up says SIB
Unemployment rose from 8 percent in April 2016, to 9 percent in 2017, according to the latest Labour Force Survey, released by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). The data showed that there were over 2000 more unemployed people than there were last year, […]

Belizean team dominates regional programming competition
LXJ Code Belize, a team of programmers from Corozal Junior College, has taken first place in the (Caribbean Organization of National Telecommunications Organizations (CANTO) C.O.D.E 3.0 Virutal Hackaton, which was held from June 17-25,2017. The team, Luis Aguilar Jr, Joseph Roches and Michael Sabido, bested many Caribbean […]

Boots US visa revoked?
With the revocation of Minister Edmund Castro’s personal and diplomatic visas, there has been widespread speculation that some of his other Cabinet colleagues have had similar experiences. A local newspaper had claimed that Minister Anthony Boots Martinez also had his visas cancelled. Well today […]

19 Belizeans awarded Taiwan Scholarships
The International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) is dedicated to boosting socio-economic development, enhancing human resources, and promoting economic relations in a range of developing partner countries. They also offer humanitarian assistance and provide aid in the event of natural disasters or international refugee […]

Reward offered for stolen vehicle
A reward of $1000 is being offered to recover a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was stolen from the Sit and Sip parking lot on Saturday, June 24, 2017 around 4am. The vehicle is a dark gray Saturn vue 2008. The owner is asking the public […]

Man falls from roof of two-storey building in Placencia and dies
A man fell off a two-storey building in Placencia this afternoon. The man has been identified as Ralston Williams, 32, a construction worker of Santa Cruz Village, southern Belize. Williams was pulling up an aluminum pipe when it touched a high tension wire nearby […]

Gian Espadas charged for drug trafficking
On Monday, BBN reported that Gian Espadas was caught with 12 pounds of weed. Yesterday, Espadas appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court where he was charged for drug trafficking. Espadas pled not guilty to the charges and was released on $8,000 bail. He […]

Boots shows up to testify
Today, Port Loyal Area Representative, Anthony “Boots” Martinez appeared before the Senate Select Committee. However, he would not testify because the committee indicated that they were not ready for him. Boots in an interview with the media indicated that the hearings are a […]

Western Dairies celebrates World Milk Day, launch of Ice Cream Ideal
Earlier this month, Western Dairies celebrated global World Milk Day on June 2. Western Dairies in Belize joined in the celebration with the WD milking cow visiting schools and sharing milk with students. In Western Dairies locations countrywide, the event was also celebrated with […]

Special-Ed student graduates in Stann Creek district
Special Education student Reynaldo Pop graduated last Thursday from United Community Roman Catholic School in San Roman, Stann Creek. Pop marched up proudly to receive his primary school diploma. Pop continues to be an example for other special-ed students that want to continue to […]

Police need public help to find murder suspect
A 90-year-old shop keeper from August Pine Ridge was robbed and beaten by two Hispanic men almost two weeks ago. Pedro Pol was tied up and badly injured. His family took him to the hospital and he later succumbed to the injuries. The villagers caught […]

WWF says Belize Barrier Reef not protected
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued a release stating that the Belizean government has failed to implement promised protections for the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage site. According to the WWF, GOB is leaving the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere under threat […]

Gateway Youth Center summer camp 2017
The Gateway Youth Center is partnering with leading NGOs, businesses and government agencies to start a collaborative discussion about improving the summer experiences of youths in the Belize District. The Belize Family Life Association (BFLA), Conscious Youth Development Program (CYDP), Feinstein Group of Companies, […]

BDF graduate from Helicopter Conversion training
The Belize Defense Force (BDF) will hold a graduation ceremony on Friday to honor four pilots and 13 technicians who have successfully completed a Helicopter Conversion training. The Graduation Ceremony will take place at the Belize Defence Force Air Wing Base, Williamson Hanger Complex, […]

Westrac Ltd School Restoration program
Westrac Ltd’s Belize Schools Restoration Program is almost completed. Westrac is proud of the changes made in this project and the effort given by the members of the Rotaract Clubs of Belize. Attached are photos from the work done at St Michael R.C. School […]

Orange Walk residents invited to free concert tonight
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through the Banquitas House of Culture and the Embassy of The United States of America Arts Envoy to Belize will be staging a free concert tonight in Central Park, Orange Walk. They are inviting the public […]

Blogs

Macarons in Belize, courtesy of French bakery Delices de France
You’ve probably heard of them…seen them in artful stacks, photographed and filtered just right for Instagram. ‘What are those beautifully colored pastries?’ you must have wondered. They are called Macarons, and are now available at Delices de France in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. Delices de France is the first of its kind, authentically French bakery, churning out gorgeous pastries and breads for our lucky taste buds. Since it opened in March of 2017, locals and visitors alike line up for their chocolate croissants, baguettes, luscious petit fours, tarts and so much more. Their latest addition is sure to have fans going ga-ga!

Hurricane Earl….nearly a year later….. San Pedro bounces back
On August 4th, 2016, Hurricane Earl landed a devastating blow to the island of Ambergris Caye. Thankfully there were no deaths or major injuries, but nearly every dock, dive shop and restaurant located over the water was damaged or completely destroyed. I had been in Placencia when Hurricane Earl hit. Having been on the southern peninsula, we were fortunate to have lost only one small dive shop and dock with virtually very little additional damage. Nearly a year later, as we walk these beaches, it’s amazing to see the transformation since the damage from Hurricane Earl. Docks have been rebuilt, beaches have been reclaimed with beautiful white sand and seawalls that protect the beaches from erosion. Ramon’s Resort has rebuilt their dive shop and beautiful walkway along the beach. Xanadu Resort has added palapas and extended their beach. At the time, it was very difficult to imaging this little island would recover after the extensive damage. Thanks to the unbelievable hard work of everyone involved…….here are a few shots of the morning walk……even better than before!

International Sources

Rescuing the Vanishing Sounds of Central America’s Garifuna People
In Tiny Belize, Old and Young Artists Unite to Reclaim a Musical Heritage. What reggae is to Jamaica and samba is to Brazil, Garifuna music is to my country of Belize, a small Central American nation wedged between Guatemala and Mexico. This vibrant music was brought to Belize by the Garifuna, or Garinagu, people, descendants of shipwrecked African slaves and Carib and Arawak Indians who were uprooted from their homeland in the Caribbean island of St. Vincent in 1796 and later settled in small communities along the coast of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Not so long ago, this music was in danger of extinction, because its master practitioners were growing old and dying off, and the music was being lost to younger generations of Belizeans.

Former Belize Minister Charged with Manslaughter
Former Government Minister Elvin Penner has been charged in the death of a motorcyclist last weekend. Penner appeared in court yesterday afternoon and was granted $5,000 bail on charges of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, and driving without due care and attention. His SUV collided into a motorcycle ridden by security guard Kenrick Myvette last Friday night on the George Price Highway in the Cayo District. Myvette succumbed to his injuries early the next morning. After his arraignment, Penner said he was saddened that Myvette’s family now had to live without him.

ISA Celebrates StandUp Paddle Inclusion at 2017 Central American Games, Held in Nicaragua
The International Surfing Association (ISA) has expressed its joy following the announcement that StandUp Paddle (SUP), the Olympic Federation’s fastest growing discipline, will be added to the sports programme for the 2017 Central American Games, alongside Surfing, following the ISA application for the inclusion of both disciplines. The occasion will mark the first time that SUP has featured at the Central American Games, and is testament to the ongoing work being done by the ISA to develop and grow the discipline. The ISA is the only international federation to have ever applied for inclusion of SUP racing and succeeded in having it included in Olympic Movement Games, including in the Pan Am Games.

Videos

June 28, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

No Worries quickly responds to their capsized boat
On Thursday, June 22nd, a ‘No Worries Tours’ boat capsized outside of the reef near Mexico Rocks Marine Reserve. Fortunately, the three divers were underwater when the incident took place around 10:20AM. Due to the swift response, no one was injured. In their report to the Belize Port Authority (BPA), No Worries indicated that one of the star-board engines on the vessel had failed, causing the boat to flip over. “We made sure that our patrons were rescued, and after doing so, we went to retrieve the boat. We then made a full statement at the Belize Port Authority. The tourists were not on the vessel when the incident occurred, as they were diving,” said a representative of No Worries.

Xcalak Championship game and Over 40 League held at Ambergris Stadium
The Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town was the venue for two exciting football matches on Saturday, June 24th. The first game was for the Xcalak Championship, between Jokers F.C and the San Pedro Pirates F.C. This was followed by a match in the Over 40 League, between the San Pedro Veterans and Mango Creek Veterans. While the San Pedro and Mango Creek Veterans tied 0-0, Jokers FC triumphed over the San Pedro Pirates to win the Xcalak Championship. The League will be back on the island on Saturday, July 8th for another round of games. The San Pedro Sports Committee thanks all the teams for participating and continues encouraging football fans to always come out and support.

Reina de La Costa Maya 2017 Presents: Miss Belize, Michelle Estrella Nuñez!
Our fifth contestant in the 2017 Reina de La Costa Maya pageant is none other than Michelle Estrella Nuñez for Miss Belize! The exciting announcement by National Director of Miss America Latina Belize, Michael Arnold, was made on Tuesday, June 27th. Michelle is from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and she aims to become the first Sampedrana to capture the Costa Maya crown. The 26 year-old, 5’6” (1.68m) beauty was a past Miss San Pedro (2014). She also represented Belize last year at Miss America Latina del Mundo in Mexico, where she not only captured the award for Best Original Costume but also gave Belize its highest, and thus far only, placement in this pageant. She placed 4th Runner-up (out of 19), besting delegates from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Spain, among others.

Misc Belizean Sources

APEX Music is making its debut in Belize
Thank you to Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence for such a warm welcome! Over 100 primary-level students joined our interactive workshop this morning, and Foreign Minister Elrington warmly welcomed the musicians to Belize!

Street Repairs in San Pedro
While we are experiencing a lot of street repairs, we remind the driving public that barriers and detour signs are placed at locations to protect the workers and other road users. It is not only illegal to ignore or move barriers and signs but also dangerous. Please respect the barriers and thank you for your co-operation.

Nominate your Ocean Hero today!
Oceana is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2017 Oceana Ocean Hero Award. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the protection of our oceans. Please include a brief summary of your reason(s) for nominating your candidate(s). Their impact can be local or national in scope. The award is open to individuals throughout Belize with interests in the ocean.

MISS LOBSTER FEST PAGEANT ON CAYE CAULKER FRIDAY!

The Board of Governors of Belize Humane Society has passed the following motion concerning the captivity of Big Red and other wildlife at Harvest Caye
We have also sent a letter outlining our concerns to Prime Minister Barrow, Ministers Hulse and Figueroa (as Ministers responsible for environmental concerns), Belize Tourism Board and Norwegian Cruise Lines. We encourage our supporters to also make their views known, so that we can protect our wildlife from this type of exploitation. Our motion reads: "The Belize Humane Society opposes holding our Belizean wildlife in captivity at Harvest Caye or any other similar tourism facility. In particular, we call on the government to ensure that all wildlife currently held at Harvest Caye, including the Scarlet Macaw known as "Big Red", be released to a a bona fide wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization such as Belize Bird Rescue. All decisions for the future of these animals should be made based on the best interests of the animal and overall conservation efforts. We also believe that failure to do so puts Belize's reputation as a responsible steward of the environment at risk, which has serious implications not only locally but internationally as well."

BELIZE DEFENCE FORCE WILL HOLD GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR HELICOPTER CONVERSION TRAINING
The Ministry of Defence wishes to inform the public that the Belize Defence Force (BDF) will hold a Graduation Ceremony to honour four (04) Pilots and thirteen (13) Technicians who have successfully completed a Helicopter Conversion Training. The Graduation Ceremony will take place on the 30 June 2017 at the Belize Defence Force Air Wing Base, Williamson Hanger Complex, commencing at 0900 hrs. The Helicopter Conversion training started on the 11 July 2016 and concluded on 26 June 2017 and covered a wide range of helicopter related subjects and practical exercises.

EU FUNDS CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) SECTOR
The Ministry of Economic Development & Petroleum and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports have signed a contract with GFA Consulting Group of Germany for BZ$2.6 million for a TVET Capacity Building and Professional Development Training Programme. The GFA Team has mobilized to Belize to begin the inception phase of this 18-month contract with their partners, Sequa of Germany and the University of the West Indies. This Training Contract, funded by the European Union under the Banana Accompanying Measures 2013, has as its objective to increase the capacity of TVET Management and Instructors in the northern Toledo and Stann Creek Districts to deliver quality training to students. This will support the implementation of the Belize Education Sector Strategy, which has identified improving the quality and relevance of TVET as an appropriate vehicle for ensuring that a greater number of graduates gain appropriate employment in work related to their qualification, or progress to further education and training.

Mr. Rosendo "Papi" Graniel passes away
Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to extend its sincere condolences to the Graniel friends and family on the passing of Mr. Rosendo "Papi" Graniel. Mr. Graniel was a fishing pioneer in San Pedro where he contributed in the development of San Pedro town. May his soul rest in peace.

Farmer's Deli in Corozal Today
Come today in front of the Corozal House of culture to see what the Farmer's Deli has to offer. Meat, bread, sauce and more. 9am tomorrow, see you there. click below to see the past event.

Belizean writers and aspiring writers, you've gotta check this out!
Six whole days in San Pedro doing nothing but write, write, write, receive coaching from award-winning writers and New York based literary agents, learn about publishing, write some more, attend yoga classes, meditate, etc, etc. Did I mention it will be right here in Belize, in San Pedro??? Please share and spread the word. If you are interested in this event, you're might be staying at the hotel. even if you are a resident of San Pedro.

2nd annual Ancient World Week
Registration is on for the 2nd annual Ancient World Week coming in July. Learn about the Maya in Northern Belize with archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology (NICH) and Northwestern University. Call 422-0071, message or visit us to register. Participation is free!

Fast Internet service is here in Corozal by BeeLine Internet
Beeline has arrived!! Providing FAST, RELIABLE Internet service to those living in: * Corozal Town * Santa Rita * Paraiso * Xaibe * College Road * San Andres and Corozal Bay. Contact us today for more information. ****.NO INSTALLATION **** NO RENTAL OF EQUIPMENT **** NO HIDDEN FEES Sign up with us today and get FREE NETFLIX or ROKU PLAYERS.

Noche Cultural: Homage to Los Chicleros
The Benque House of Culture is having a special cultural homage to the Chicleros, including testimonials about the life of a chiclero and stories about the industry. Los Hijos del West will be playing. It'll be at the Chiclero Park on Saturday, July 1st, and it starts at 5:30pm. "Gearing for Noche Cultural - Homage to Los Chicleros, an industry that bloomed during the Golden Years in Benque Viejo Del Carmen! Make it a date at the Chiclero Park, July 1st, 2017 starting at 5:30 p.m."

Belikin Light
Belikin has started making a light beer. They had a big launch party with Chef Sean doing his magic. They have a video from the celebration. Belikin Light has a lower calorie count, and the alcohol content measures 3.8%. When's the chocolate light coming out?

Youth Empowerment Camp 2017
The 2017 Youth Empowerment Camp will be on July 17th and 18th at Sacred Heart Junior College. Contact the Cayo DYS office at 804-0540 for more information. Thanks, DYS! "Summer is here once again, the Department of Youth Services San Ignacio and Santa Elena are now Recruiting youth ages 12 - 24 for our 2017 Youth Empowerment Camp which will be held at Sacred Heart Junior College on July 17 - 18"

PLACENCIA LOBSTER FESTIVAL 2017!
Amidst the enticing aroma of sizzling lobsters, bask on the golden beach of Placencia peninsula as the sweep of the Caribbean Sea breeze provides coolness under the tropical sunrays. Experiencing the 2017 Placencia Lobster Festival (June 23rd – 25th) is an adventure that encompasses all aspects of Belize: culturally-inspired foods, performances, friendly people and of course spectacular natural views.

APEX Music on AltunHa!
Thank you, Institute of Archaeology

Dia de San Pedro Calendar of Events

Dia de San Pedro
Join us as we pay tribute & honour the patron saint of San Pedro. A night of cultural dances, mariachi music and live entertainment. Wednesday, June 28th @ 8:00 pm

Channel 7

Teakettle Family Gets Closure After Loved One Found Dead, Now They want Justice
Teakettle Resident Markey Mendez had been missing for 5 days - but his family knew he was dead, and finally tonight, they have closure after a search team found the 24 year old's body yesterday evening around 6:00. It was found not too far from his home - near the old Warrie Head Bridge. An on-site post mortem revealed that Mendez had been shot to the head. Although the family is relieved that they found their loved one's body, they are very much broken by his murder and want police to find the man who did it. I was at the scene when they carried Mendez's body out.

Penner Criminally Charged, Asks Forgiveness From Victim's Family
On Friday night, Elvin Penner knocked down and killed 41 year-old Unitedville resident Kenrick Myvett, while trying to overtake another vehicle on the George Price Highway. Well, this afternoon, he was arraigned at the San Ignacio Magistrate's Court on the criminal charges of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, and driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention. After his arraignment, Penner granted the entire press an interview, something which he certainly hasn't done after his tumble from grace in 2013. Daniel Ortiz takes a look at his day in court:

Castro Company Gian Espadas To Court
Yesterday we told you about Gian Espadas. A week and a half ago he was caught alongside Wasani and Jafari Castro transporting 89 cases of contraband beer. While that matter was settled out of court, Espadas made an appearance in the Magistrate's Court today after being charged with drug trafficking. Police arrested the 22 year old on Sunday after intercepting him in a vehicle with about 12 pounds of marijuana. He pled not guilty to the charges, and was released on $8000 bail. Espadas also had to hand over his passport and agree not to leave the country without the court's permission. The case was adjourned until September 1st.

Wanted For Killing 90 year Old Shopkeeper
12 days ago, Pedro Pol, a 90 year old shopkeeper from August Pine Ridge was robbed and beaten by two Hispanic men. When his family found him tied up on the floor of his small shop, Pol was severely injured, and by the time he got to the hospital, less that two hours after the incident, he was dead. Police have identified at least one of the men responsible for the heinous crime, and are asking for the public's assistance in locating him. They are looking for 26-year-old Guinea Grass resident Amin Ricardo Cho. Cho is a Belizean of Hispanic descent and stands at about 5' 5''. If anyone has seen him or has any information about his whereabouts, they are asked to contact the Orange Walk Police at 322-2022, call 911, or inform your nearest police department.

Cop Caught KO'd On Camera
A police constable is feeling the full wrath of social media after a most unfortunate scene caught on camera. PC 1319 Florencio Rash attached to Precinct One in Belize City was caught apparently knocked out on the pavement at what looks to be the Belmopan bus station - his police regulation hat and handcuffs strewn on the ground. He is in front of a food stand - and appears that he may have been sitting before he passed out. Rash is seen quickly regaining consciousness, and then trying - with little success - to pick up the cuffs - which he then nonchalantly tosses into the police hat. Rash then struggles to his feet, where he starts to walk forward, and the cell phone video grapher cuts it there.

GSU Gets Weed, Man Pleads
Yesterday on Raccoon Street, a GSU patrol saw a man dash through the back door of a house and throw a bag over the fence. The officers stopped and apprehended the man, along with two others in the house. They retrieved the bag which contained about 3 ounces of marijuana from the neighboring yard. The three men, identified as Anthony Crawford, Bruce Reneau and Fredrick Smith were arrested and charged with drug trafficking. The trio appeared in the Magistrate's Court today, where Smith took the blame and pled guilty to the charge. According to reports, Smith initially intended to plea guilty for the lesser charge of possession, which the prosecution had already agreed to accept. However, when Smith was read the original charge of trafficking, he mistakenly said that he was guilty. The plea was recorded, and Smith was fined $10,000, which he has until December to pay or spend three years in prison.

Putting A Target On Cyberbullying
As technology and the internet continue to play larger roles in our daily lives, ensuring the safety of everyone online is becoming a higher priority. Already cyber bullying has presented itself as a huge threat to the well being of students, as well as adults using social media. So far, Belize, does not have any concrete legislation to protect people from cyber crime, but as need grows, different organizations and governmental entities are working to change that. Today the Ministry of Education hosted a workshop to develop and implement a Regional Cyberbullying Manual. We spoke Sylvester Cadet, one of the consultants of the project, about why it is so needed...

Hon. Briceno Says Even Without Increased GST, Belizean Still Paying More
On this newscast you've heard the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister say an emphatic "no" the the IMF's recommendation that the rate of GST be increased to 15%. And while that may be consoling, the Leader of the Opposition says don't be fooled - you are still paying increased taxes in other ways. He had these remarks at a Corozal municipal convention: Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition: "The Prime Minister had not raised GST. He raise environmental tax, the cost to buy US. These things have a direct impact on any and everything that you buy."

Hon. Briceno Says We Live In A Country of Two Sets Of Laws
The Opposition Leader also commented on the recent case involving the sons of Minister Edmond Castro. He says that it appears we live in a country of two sets of laws: Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition: "People believe that there is almost two types of justice in this country; one for the UDP ministers, their families and their cronies and one for the rest of us." "Look at the recent developments - we have the Castro brothers. Their vehicle has no license plates, they have no permits to show that have the permission to drive this vehicle."

BDF's Chopper Pilots Ready
Last year in September, we showed you how the BDF's Pilots were getting training to fly the 3 Helicopters that they currently own. They are preparing to provide the Belize military with their own air support, and the BDF announced today that the trainees are now graduates. On this coming Friday, The Ministry of Defense will hold a graduation ceremony to recognize 4 BDF pilots and 13 technicians who have completed the helicopter conversion training.

Car Their Caught, But Stolen Car Still Missing
Tonight a desperate Belize City car owner is asking for your help to recover her 2008 Saturn Vue. Here's how it was stolen: the owner Linda Turner was at the Sit and Sip bar on Saturday morning. Now, according to court reports, she didn't have a key for the vehicle so she took out the battery when she went to Sit and Sip. But a resourceful car thief came along, slapped his own battery in and zoomed off. Police have caught the alleged car thief, 21 year old Jahleel Goodger a Belize City Car Washer who is in jail tonight, spending his first night on remand after being denied bail for stealing the SUV valued at $17,000.

Belikin, One More Beer Being Brewed
Ask anyone sober or drunk and they'll tell you there's no shortage of beer offerings at the corner store or at bars and nightclub's. But the folks at the Belikin Brewery - who already bottle 6 beers - think there's a market niche that hasn't been filled. It's for a light beer, targeting the health conscious market who are watching their calorie intake. And, so, enter Belikin Light beer, which is being introduced to the market at the beginning of July.

Belize Fails Trafficking In Persons Test, Again
The US State Department has issued its 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report - and just like the last two years, the Americans say Belize is the worst trafficking offender in Central America, and comparable only to Haiti and Suriname in the Caribbean. According to the report - which was released yesterday - "Belize is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor." It adds that in tourist areas, mainly US tourists seeking child sex "exploit child sex trafficking victims." It adds that "Sex trafficking and forced labor of Belizean and foreign women and girls, primarily from Central America, occur in bars, nightclubs, brothels, and domestic service."

European Union Helps ITVETS
The Ministry of Education is hoping to increase enrollment and interest in ITVET'S and the European Union is helping. Along with the the Ministry of Economic Development, they today signed a $2.6 million contract for a T-VET Capacity Building and Professional Development Training Programme. It is funded by the European Union under the Banana Accompanying Measures 2013 - and the German firm called GFA Consulting Group will carry out the 18-month contract. We found out at the contract signing in Belmopan that it's about finding a match for the marketplace:

Football Strategic Plan On Hold
As we showed you last night, the Football Federation of Belize is again in disarray after they had to abort their congress on Sunday. That Congress was supposed to elect a new president and it failed - the second congress in a row where that has happened. It was also supposed to approve a new budget which it did not. A look at that budget leaked on Facebook shows a top heavy FFB spending 63% of its money on administration, $593,000 of that going to salaries. President Marlon Kuylen defends the works he has done pointing to a strategic plan which cannot be implemented now because the FFB is basically in a frozen state:...

Channel 5

Charged Elvin Penner “sorry” he didn’t see cyclist coming
Former Minister Elvin Penner is home tonight on bail; this afternoon he was arraigned for manslaughter by negligence of Kenrick Myvette, a motorist who was killed on Friday night. Penner [...]

Mark Mendez found dead; family says goodbye as hunt begins for killer
It had been expected, but the loss of twenty-four year old Mark Mendez of Teakettle, Cayo District, hurts no less for his family and the village. The five-day saga that [...]

Mom forgives Akeem Guzman’s killer but wants to know why
Police are looking, but no one has been detained for the murder of twenty-one year old San Ignacio resident, Akeem Guzman. Guzman was shot once to the back by a [...]

What happened to Corporal Florencio Rash? Internal probe coming
The images of a seemingly drunken cop captured by video and posted on social media has been trending all day. The cop, dressed in uniform, has been identified as Police [...]

Amin Cho of Guinea Grass sought for shopkeeper’s murder
Police are also turning to the public for assistance in locating a man believed to be responsible for the murder of Pedro Pol, an elderly shopkeeper from the village of [...]

City Mayor weighs entertainment and residents’ concerns along ‘party strip’
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley has found himself in quite a pickle, following a leaked memo last Thursday in which he single-handedly served notice to bar owners operating in the [...]

Darrell Bradley defends “reactive” policies
On Friday afternoon, the Belize City Council held a caucus meeting to address the issue of the entertainment strip.  News Five understands that a majority of the councilors who attended [...]

Area resident Valerie Woods says don’t stop the party, just be responsible
According to Valerie Woods, a resident in the immediate vicinity of the Pickwick Club, while the problems they have been facing are indeed bothersome, it wasn’t expected that the mayor [...]

CitCo not to blame for proposal to change Carnival route
The annual carnival road march is at least three months away and there is already controversy brewing as a result of a proposal to reroute the parade from the Princess [...]

Castro associate Gian Espadas charged for 12 pounds of weed
Gian Espadas, friend and associate of the Castro Brothers, was charged with drug trafficking today. Twenty-two-year-old Espadas, a UB student of Belize City, was arraigned on a single charge of [...]

Mayor endorses fellow councilors; says it’s about the work
The United Democratic Party is gearing up for the upcoming municipal elections in Belize City.  Eight councilor candidates are so far officially in the run for local government in March [...]

Works Ministry says it will stick to final evaluation for Felix Castillo’s land
On Monday, we brought you the exclusive story of Felix Castillo, whose land in the Santa Elena area Government took over, along with other landowners, for purposes of building the [...]

Negotiations open but funds are limited, says C.E.O.
The use of the land, according to Gentle, is not a primary concern for the compensation payment. C.E.O. Gentle reiterated the Government’s willingness to continue negotiations and avoid a trip [...]

A school manual to fight cyberbullying
With an estimated one in three of all internet users in the world today being below the age of eighteen, children and young people are facing increased safety risks when [...]

The Beer of Belize in a lighter form
Beer drinkers across the country, here’s something to excite your taste buds.  Belize Brewing Company is rolling out a new beer from its production line, just in time for the [...]

KTV the Remix: First live show tonight
You don’t have to wait too much longer… because the show you have been anticipating is finally here. Start your summer with us as KTV Remix premieres tonight at the [...]

CTV3

Wanted Poster Issued For Man Suspected To Have Murdered 90 Year Old August Pine Ridge Resident
The Orange Walk Police Department has issued a wanted poster for the man who they believe murdered ninety year old Pedro Pol approximately two weeks ago in the village of August Pine Ridge. He is twenty six year old Amin Ricardo Cho, a resident of Guinea Grass Village. Cho is of Hispanic descent, measures about five feet five inches in height, and has brown eyes and sharp nose.

Another Black-eye For Belize Police Department.
This past week was celebrated as Police week and throughout the country officers planned various activities geared at regaining the confidence of the public and clearing the department’s image which does not actually stand out with the community at the moment in sight of a series of scandals involving rogue cops. But while the department has been working overtime to build that relationship with the community, tonight it is facing another embarrassment following a video which went viral on social media today starring an officer in uniform seemingly intoxicated on the streets of Belmopan.

Oppositio Leader Weighs In On IMF Recommendations
Ten days ago, an IMF team concluded an official 10-day visit to Belize conducting what is called an Article IV consultation. The visit was followed by the release of a preliminary statement in which the global financial institution warned that despite having renegotiated its external debt, Belize’s economy continued to face serious challenges. The IMF indicated that growth in 2017 is projected to average just under 2 percent in the medium-term, due to declining productivity, competitiveness, public investment, and further decrease in oil output. That projection is below the mandatory 3% which the Government has committed to the bondholders. Among the key issues raised by the IMF is that Belize needs further fiscal consolidation for long-term sustainability.

PUP Prepares For Municipal Election
Last night we showed you the spirited launching of the Oppositions municipal team for Corozal Town led by 5-time Mr. Belize winner Rigo Vellos. This is the first municipal slate in the entire country, and according to PUP leader Hon. John Briceno who travelled to Corozal Town to endorse the candidates, his Party is making extra efforts to have teams set in place in every other municipality.

Opposition Leader Says COMPOL Must Go
PUP Leader Hon. John Briceno also took the time to respond to a number of issues that have been on the front burner lately, commencing with the swift release of the Castro brothers after they were detained for traffic violations and for assaulting a police officer in Belize City. Briceno said that the actions of the Police when it comes to wrong doing by UDP Ministers or their families and close friends continue to show that there are two versions of laws in Belize.

LOVE FM

Pacheco to Reappear Before Senate Select Committee
Immigration Clerk One, Ady Pacheco, is expected to reappear before the Special Senate Select Committee tomorrow morning. This will be Pacheco’s third appearance before the committee. She is the one who received the incomplete Wong Hong Kim file from former minister Elvin Penner. During her testimony last week, Pacheco said she did so because she […]

Flash Flood Leaves Minimal Damages As Affected Communities Receive Aid
Residents in low lying areas in San Ignacio and Bullet Tree Village are recovering from the damages caused by a flash flood on Saturday June 24. Officials of the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, were in the affected areas to conduct an assessment on Monday. Al Westby, Central Regional Coordinator told us today the damages […]

Video of Cop Goes Viral; Internal Investigation Underway
A video of a police officer lying on the ground and apparently under the influence has gone viral on Facebook. 28-year-old, police constable 1319 Florencio Rash is in trouble tonight after a video surface of him lying on the ground near the Belmopan bus terminal. He was in his uniform and appears to be under […]

Belize Votes In Favour of OAS Resolution on Venezuela
At a meeting of the Organization of American States on June 19 in Cancun, Mexico, the motion to have several friendly Caribbean countries mediate in the Venezuelan crisis was shot down after the proposal did not meet the approval of the majority. It was a shocking outcome as even the Miami Herald has asked, “How […]

Former Gov’t Minister Entangled In Yet Another Controversy
San Ignacio Police say former Government Minister, Elvin Penner will likely face charges for manslaughter after he knocked down and killed 41 year-old Kenrick Anthony Myvette, a resident of Unitedville. The accident happened shortly before seven o’clock Friday night. Police say that Penner told them he was heading towards San Ignacio in his dark green […]

Young Akeem Gunned Down on Flamingo Street
Police in San Ignacio Town are investigating the fatal shooting of 21-year-old, Akeem Guzman who was gunned down on Sunday morning while on Flamingo Street. Hipolito Novelo reports. GERALDINE JONES-FLORES “You could see that something was bothering him and he said everything was okay and I asked him where he was coming from at that […]

PlusTV

San Ignacio man shot in the back by masked man
A San Ignacio man was shot in the back and killed early Saturday night. Sometime around 12:50 a.m., 21 year old Akeem Guzman arrived at a friend’s home on Flamingo Avenue, San Ignacio Town. He had just arrived and was speaking to a minor while sitting on a crate at the corner of the yard. According...

Teakettle Residents block highway to get police attention in missing man case
On Saturday afternoon, billowing black smoke could be seen over the George Price Highway in the village of Teakettle. That’s because frustrated residents placed burning tires across the highway, blocking traffic for about half hour until police arrived and cleared the highway. The reason? To get the...

Elvin Penner served with NIP in fatal traffic accident
Former Minister of Immigration, Elvin Penner, was served with a Notice of Intended prosecution after he knocked down and killed a man on Friday night. According to Penner’s account to police, just before 7 o’clock that night, he was driving his Green 2000 Ford Excursion from Belmopan to Cayo on the...

Man knocked down in Roaring Creek
There was another accident this morning on the George Price Highway in Roaring Creek Village. An elderly man, Lucio Ochoa, was riding a bicycle shortly before eleven this morning on the highway in his village when he was hit by a white pickup truck. The driver of the pickup, Rosalio Moralez, told po...

Accident in PG
There was another traffic accident reported this weekend. On Friday evening, a white Toyota Fore Runner was seen near the Punta Gorda Town junction. It appears the driver lost control of the vehicle and somehow ended up in a watery ditch off the road. There has been no reports of injuries in this in...

Corozal businessman robbed of over 50 thousand dollars
A Corozal businessman was robbed of over 50 thousand dollars on Friday evening. 34-year-old Avinash Deshmukh, Indian National and store manager of Corozal Town, reported that on Friday, 23rd June, at around 1:20 p.m., he flew from Ranchito Village via 1:30 p.m. flight to San Pedro Town, leaving his ...

Woman stabs boyfriend twice
There is a report of a stabbing in Stann Creek. According to reports, 28 year old Thompson Orlando Guttierez told police that he and his common law wife, 24 year old Lucia Chan, were having an argument when Can stabbed him to the back and chest. Police say they have detained Can pending charges. ...

Amandala

Special treatment for Elvin Penner
Former UDP Minister of State, Elvin Penner, 45, is under a dark cloud again after reportedly causing the death of a motorcyclist while trying to overtake a minivan on the George Price Highway at about 7:00 p.m. on Friday. According to information provided by police, sometime before 7:00 on Friday night, Penner, who was travelling from Belmopan to San Ignacio Town, attempted to overtake a red Pontiac Montana minivan near the Running W Office between Central Farm and Esperanza. When he was side by side with the minivan, Penner saw a red and black motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction. Penner reportedly swerved to the right, to avoid colliding with the motorcycle, but his vehicle hit the left side of the minivan.

Bert Vasquez’s Supreme Court trial begins on Wednesday
–Bert Vasquez, 35, who has been on remand at the Belize Central Prison for the murder of Jasmine Lowe, 13, who was killed in June 2012, in the Cayo District, is waiting for his day in court to answer to that murder charge. In the meantime, he will have to answer to other charges brought against him. This Wednesday, he is scheduled to go on trial in the Supreme Court of Justice Adolph Lucas where he will face a three-count indictment for forcible abduction, harm and aggravated assault. The allegation against Vasquez is that on May 13, 2011, he forcibly abducted a 16-year-old minor and took her to an area of Vista Del Mar in Ladyville. He is being defended by attorney Oscar Selgado, while the Crown’s evidence will be led by Crown counsel, Sheringe Rodriguez.

Freddy Blanco, 22, gets 17 years for shooting death of girlfriend
After being on remand for 6 years for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Nelsi Chuc, 21, in August 2011, Freddy Amir Blanco, 22, was yesterday given a 17-year sentence by the Supreme Court judge, Justice Herbert Lord, at his trial during the Northern Session of the Supreme Court in Orange Walk Town yesterday. However, the six years he spent on remand was deducted from the time he is to spend in prison, so he will only serve 11 years in jail. Police said that in August 2011, Amir Blanco, then 16, was with his girlfriend, Chuc, and another woman, smoking cannabis in a cane-field in August Pine Ridge in Orange Walk when they became involved in an argument over who smoked the most marijuana.

Akeem Alexander Guzman, 21, fatally shot on Flamingo Avenue
The Cayo District has recorded yet another homicide, the fourth within the last nine days. The latest victim has been officially identified as San Ignacio resident, Akeem Alexander Guzman, 21. According to reports, Akeem went to visit a friend on Flamingo Avenue in San Ignacio Town a little before 1:00 on Sunday morning. They were socializing, when a single shot rang out, hitting Guzman, who was in a sitting position, in the back. He was quickly transported, to the San Ignacio Community Hospital, where he took his last breath. Initial police investigations reveal that a masked man, dressed in full black, emerged from nearby bushes and opened fire on the men.

Gian Espadas, 22, busted with 12 pounds of weed
Belize City resident, Gian Espadas, 22, who was busted with 12 pounds of cannabis at about 11:00 this morning in West Landivar, Belize City, has been taken into custody and charged with drug trafficking. This is Espadas’ second major run-in with law enforcement personnel in just over a week. Just 8 days ago, he, along with two sons of Minister Edmond Castro, was busted in Orange Walk with 89 cases of contraband beer, valued at $6,200. Incidentally, Espadas was released from the custody of Customs officials and police when the Castro brothers made arrangements for out-of-court settlement for the contraband goods.

Dissatisfied villagers burn tires in bid for more police action in case of missing man
Teakettle residents, dissatisfied with the efforts police have made to find a missing villager, made a giant blaze on the George Price Highway this morning, Saturday, June 24. Mark Menzies, 23, was reported missing after he left home around 11:30 Wednesday night and did not return. The villagers piled tires on the highway, and lit them, slowing down traffic on the highway for about an hour. The Belmopan Fire Service and the Belmopan Police were called to the scene, to put out the blaze and clear the debris off the highway. Motorists who were in a haste to get on with their business were able to divert to a dirt road to get around the village and back on to the highway.

INTEROFFICE BASKETBALL – “In the Paint”
Interoffice basketball defending champs, Belize Bank Bulldogs won their season opener against Belize Telemedia Limited last Friday night at the St. Martin de Porres Swift Hall Auditorium by the final score of 82-78. Roscoe Rhys led his team with 22 points on 7 of 17 shooting from the field, while teammates Quincey Lopez and Roderick Williams contributed 18 pts and 15 pts, respectively. The Bulldogs jumped out to the early 23-16 first-quarter lead, and was able to essentially control both ends of the court for most of the game. Jason Vasquez of BTL was the game high scorer, hitting for 23 pts on 9 of 17 shots from the field. Lennox Bowman made his presence felt by totaling 16 pts 4 rebounds, while Chadwick Ysaguirre had 11 pts 5 rebs.

Smart Mundialito semifinals completed; Finals this Sunday at MCC
The 6th Annual Smart Mundialito 13 & Under football tournament had its knockout semifinal games on Saturday, June 24, at the MCC Grounds, after 12 participating teams had completed a full round-robin of competition, with the top 4 teams pairing off in the semifinals. It was high drama in both games on Saturday, as game 1 featured a first time playoff entrant, #4 seed Heights FC (19 points) from Mahogany Heights, and #1 seed Hattieville Riverside Boys (25 pts), a former champion who were undefeated in regular season; and game 2 that would see the reigning champions, #3 seed City Boys (22 pts) going up against #2 seed Ladyville Rising Stars (23 pts), who were also undefeated in regular season.

Rural Softball completes 1st round; All Star Game this Sunday
The Belize Rural Female Softball Tournament 2017 competed the first round of its double round-robin regular season yesterday with 3 games played in Flowers Bank. There are seven (7) teams participating in the tournament, namely: Lords Bank Sunrise (Lords Bank); Unity (Double Head); Orchid Girls (Burrell Boom); Easy Does It (Flowers Bank); Power Outage (Crooked Tree); Beverly Hills Flames (Lords Bank); and Arrows United (Bermudian Landing). In game 1 yesterday, United defeated Power Outage, 15-5, behind winning pitcher (WP) Herlette Clarke; while the losing pitcher (LP) was Yvette Flowers. Game 2 saw Lords Bank Sunrise shutting out Beverly Hills Flames, 10-0. WP – Karen Hilton; LP – Alberta Bailey. And in game 3, it was Orchid Girls, 14-7, over Easy Does It. WP – Valorie Vernon; LP – Margaret Hendy.

No quorum, no elections; Marlon Kuylen remains Acting President after failed FFB Congress
It was a different plot from last year, but a similar ending at the 2nd floor of the Princess Ramada Hotel in Belize City over the weekend, where the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) twice attempted to convene its 10th Ordinary Congress, where elections for President and a Vice President were items on the agenda; and twice it was unsuccessful. No quorum was reached; and so, no elections could be held. Therefore, Acting President Marlon Kuylen will continue in that post until further notice. On Saturday, with everything in place, and CONCACAF representative Marco Leal in attendance, only 4 members appeared, where 5 members were needed to make a quorum. The meeting was therefore aborted until Sunday morning; but again a quorum could not be reached.

Editorial: Step up, Ras
October 12 of this year will mark 525 years since Christopher Columbus, an Italian in the employ of the king and queen of Spain, entered the so-called New World in the name of Spain and of European Christianity. Led by Spain, various European nations began to seize the lands of the native peoples of the Americas (people who used to be called “Indians” but are now referred to as “Indigenous” populations), and then the Europeans began to enslave Africans and transport them across the Atlantic Ocean to develop the lands which the Europeans had seized from the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. In the official narrative which is taught to Belizean children, the Christian schools say that when British pirates began to settle in Belize in the first part of the seventeenth century, there was no one here. All the Mayan buildings and sites which have survived in Belize from the Rio Hondo to the Sarstoon, however, prove that there were Indigenous peoples who lived and worked here before the so-called Baymen came, and so the question would be: when did those Indigenous people leave, or was it that they went into hiding when they saw the Baymen.

From the Publisher
About three weeks ago, Maurice Jones brought the 77-year-old photograph to me which is reproduced on this page. He said that one Nick Sanchez had given it to him. I didn’t get a chance to find out any details about Nick Sanchez, because I was so busy trying to identify the legendary football players/athletes in the photo. The writing on the photo says it is from 1940, but there is some confusion as to how many of the players are from the famous Crimson football team, because this is also supposed to be an All Belize selection. It is distinctly pointed out that Louis Guild, who is second from right in the back row, is actually from the Police team. But there is no other such distinction made. (When I discussed this with my dad, he was positive(?) Louis Guild never played for the Police, and he mentioned that Jim Stephen was MYA.) In the row of five players who are kneeling, second from left is Emilio Sanchez, who later became Jamaica’s national boxing coach for many years.

Intersex rights lobby at OAS opposed by Latin American legislators
There has been no official report coming out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Belize’s participation last week in the 47th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in neighboring Mexico—an event which has been making international headlines because of the enduring impasse on the crisis in Venezuela, in the backdrop of which the OAS had to suspend its meeting to adopt a resolution on a proposed mechanism to help end the deadly political unrest in the country known to be one of Belize’s most influential diplomatic allies. Whereas the split in the CARICOM vote at the OAS General Assembly resulted in the defeat of a US-backed motion for OAS intervention in the Venezuelan crisis—with Belize and 5 other CARICOM nations voting “yes,” but 6 others abstaining and 2 flatly rejecting the proposed resolution—the issue has overshadowed other matters addressed at the event. The church community here in Belize has nevertheless taken note of a less publicized development in Mexico in the run-up to the OAS meeting.

Convicted murderer arraigned for attack on court reporter
Four months after he attacked freelance court reporter Anita Nembhard-Flowers, convicted murderer Byron James was brought to court to answer to a charge of harm. James, 31, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The allegation against James is that on Thursday, February 16, 2017, the same day he was convicted of the murder of Frank Vasquez, as he was being led away along with other prisoners he rushed over and attacked Nembhard-Flowers, who was photographing the prisoners. James hit her in the face, causing a wound to her nose. Nembhard-Flowers was treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where Doctor Aline Gonzalez classified her injury as harm.

http://amandala.com.bz/news/video-surveillance-footage-aided-police-arrest-kashief-gallego-murder/
The man who allegedly pumped three bullets into the back of Jermaine Franklin, 36, last Wednesday evening at a video store on King Street, hid his face from court reporters’ cameras as he was led from the court’s holding cell to the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser to be arraigned on the murder charge. Magistrate Fraser read the charge to Kashief Gallego, 25, which stated that “…on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 you caused the death of Jermaine Franklin by unlawful means, in Belize City, in the Belize Judicial District…” After reading the charge, Magistrate Fraser asked Gallego if he understood what she had just read to him. Gallego, an unemployed resident of East Collet Canal Street, replied that he understood.

Court of Appeal ruled that Gilbert Henry’s constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated
There is a legal maxim that says, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” At the close of its June session last Friday, the Court of Appeal handed down an important decision in Criminal Appeal No. 15 of 2012 between Gilbert Henry and The Queen. On September 14, 2008 Gilbert Henry was in an altercation with Ellis Taibo that resulted in him stabbing Taibo in the chest. He was charged with the usual indictable offences of attempted murder and dangerous harm. When the trial came up some four years later, in 2012, a jury returned a verdict of not guilty of attempted murder, but guilty of dangerous harm.

Breaking Belize News

Belikin launches new light beer
Belize Brewing Company, which produces Belize’s most famous beer, Belikin, held a brief ceremony this morning at its brewery in Ladyville, Belize to announce the launch of its new line of beer, Belikin Light. Belikin Light will hit stores countrywide starting July and the […]

Northern Regional Hospital gets operating theater
Picture: Corozal Daily After more than a year, the Northern Regional Hospital has received a new operating theater. Yesterday a ceremony was held to open the new urgently needed building. CEO in the Ministry of Health, Ramon Figueroa and former Cabinet Minister, Gaspar Vega […]

Belizean completes 100 mile race in United States
The Westen State Endurace Run website revealed that Belizean National, Kim Espat, 32, completed a hundred mile race over the weekend in the United States. Of the 369 runners, Espat came in 48th overall and ranked 36th of all the male runners. He crossed […]

Elvin Penner charged for manslaughter
Police have confirmed that former Immigration Minister, Elvin Penner has been charged for manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, and driving without due care and attention. Penner’s vehicle collided into a motorcycle on Friday night on the George Price Highway near Running W in […]

Video of intoxicated police officer goes viral on social media
Today, a video of an intoxicated police officer was posted on social media. The officer has been identified as PC Florencio Rash. Rash is seen near a bus terminal in Belmopan City with his cap and handcuffs on the ground. According to reports, Rash was […]

Corozal cops bust 4 men with weed
Corozal cops have detained four men for trafficking drugs. At around 5 yesterday evening, Corozal cops were conducting a mobile patrol in Corozal Town when they saw a green Toyota Corola Taxi. Two men then exited the vehicle at an unnamed restaurant and shortly […]

More motorcycles stolen
Aside from the motorcycle stolen from Pelican Street in Belize City, cops in the old capital are investigating two other stolen motorcycles. Juan Jose Martinez, reported that between 23.06.17 at 10:00 p.m. and 25.06.17 at 6:00 a.m., his black 2014 Skygo brand motorcycle valued […]

Belize City cops investigating stolen motorcycle
Belize City cops are busy investigating the theft of a motorcycle on Pelican Street Extension. The owner of the motorcycle, Kendrick Flores, yesterday told cops that between the hours of 4.00 p.m. on Sunday and 5.30 a.m. on Monday the theft occurred. His 2015 white and red Sky go Brand […]

Tow Tow robber only jacked $200
On Sunday we told you about the midday robbery of Tow Tow Grocery shop on Mahogany Street in Belize City. We reported that the establishment was robbed by one armed person with a rag over his face. Well today police issued a report revealing that […]

Police say Teakettle man was murdered
The badly decomposed body of a man was found last night near the old Warrie Head bridge near Teakettle Village, Cayo. Police has confirmed the body to be that of 24 year old Mark Mendez who was reported missing last week. The post mortem examination […]

More allegations against Johnny Valencia?
Johnny Valencia, Monsignor Romero Primary School Principal who is already charged with sexual assault of a minor, is facing yet another accusation of the same. Belmopan police say that they are investigating a report where another child came forward claiming that Valencia sexually assaulted her, […]

Belize City burglars get 12,355.00 in assets and gun
A burglary in Belama Phase 3 of Belize City yielded $12,355.00 in valuables. Nidia Dominquez of Rhamdas Street reported that sometime between the hours of 6:25 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Monday her four-bedroom bungalow house was broken into. According to police accounts, burglars made off with […]

Western protestors will be charged says police
Belmopan police are preparing to charge those involved in a protest in Teakettle village where villagers burned tires as a sign of discontent with the police. Senior Superintendent of Police Howell Gillett, explained that police intend to lay charges on as many as 20 […]

Bullet Tree Village still without running water after the freak storm
The Department of Rural Development (DRD) informs residents of Bullet Tree Village that there will be no access to potable water throughout the course of the day. According to a DRD press release, the pump house is currently experiencing high voltage, and as a […]

Belize and Cuba establish closer ties
Belize and Cuba will establish closer ties in the months ahead, Minister of State for Economic Development, Oil, Investment and Trade Tracy Taegar-Panton assured Cuban Ambassador Lissette Perez during a meeting on Monday. Taegar-Panton confirmed that Belize will take part in the upcoming […]

Elvin Penner to be charged for manslaughter today
At yesterday’s press briefing, Deputy Officer Commanding San Ignacio Police, Assistant Superintendent Daniel Iche told the media that former minister of government, Elvin Penner will be charged for manslaughter today. According to Iche, Penner was at fault since he was overtaking. The fatal traffic […]

Body of Markie Mendez found by hunters in Teakettle Village
Confirmed reports are that the body of Markie Mendez was found last night in Teakettle Village. The body was found by a group of men who were hunting near the old Warrie Head Bridge in Teakettle. Mendez had been missing since last week. On […]

Blogs

Turtle Inn, A Coppola Resort in Placencia, Belize: More Beautiful than I Ever Imagined
I’ll let my pictures (and the gorgeous ones from the website) do the talking but MAN is this place as close to perfection as I can imagine. The grounds are lush and beautiful – as if you were wandering a secret garden in Bali. At every turn a statue or flower that begged to be photographed. A beautiful private beach with 3 floating docks for sunning, 2 big pools, burnished hardwood carvings, perfect palapas, stone walls and carvings, gorgeous antiques. Almost a jungle lodge on the beach. In the most perfect way. THE FLOWERS! I had to meet the gardeners…

Sun, Sand, Sea and Lobster in Placencia
Placencia Lobsterfest lived up to its expectations. It delivered three days of entertainment by the sea as vendors set up their booths to prepare the tastiest of lobster dishes and promote their services and products. It’s three days that you spend in the popular peninsula of Belize, enjoying the sights and sounds of the celebration. Of course the taste of the delectable spiny lobster is the big draw. Lobsterfest in Placencia is one big beach party that takes place for three days. It’s filled with plenty of lobster to eat, music to whine to, sun to soak, water to wade in and fun to enjoy. People from all over come for food, but end up staying for the entertainment.

The Most Fun I Ever Had Not Winning
“The Most Fun I Ever Had Not Winning” turned out to be my vacationing friend John McHenry’s tag line of the night. He was in town speaking on behalf of the board for Holy Cross School graduation and wanted to get together. I had declined his Friday night offer to meet for a drink after dinner as I was enjoying some quality me time and I was also saving myself for Saturday night on the town and the big lobster festival street party. When I mentioned the block party as an alternate plan I was surprised to find out that John did not know about it. By his response I could tell that he thought it was a small local neighborhood thing. He soon found out otherwise when we walked from our meeting place out front of Fido’s to the very packed Central Park area. After several years of attending San Pedro Lobster Fest, it was fun to see the party through the eyes of someone who unexpectedly ended up there. Surprisingly in all the years John has been coming here he has never celebrated the opening of lobster season in Belize.

July 1, International Reggae Day
“This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rocksteady. We have managed to bring media on board in 35 cities in multiple regions for a 24-hour reggae party. Among the new cities coming on board this year is Beijing, China. We are very excited about this as it joins other new partners from Vietnam, Australia, South Africa, Madagascar, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Ibiza, Belize and three cities in Brazil. The total number of participating cities move from 25 last year and three the year before,” Andrea Davis told the Jamaica Observer. While earlier years of IRD were focused more on the building of the product in Jamaica, it is all about spreading the wings of the event. There are a number of events from parties, yoga sessions, and concerts to a panel discussion taking place worldwide to celebrating the day. In Jamaica, the day will be celebrated on local media, as well as an IRD conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in St Andrews.

International Sources

A new parrot taxon from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Amazona gomezgarzai could well be in northern Corozal or Sarteneja.... Parrots (Psittaciformes) are a diverse group of birds which need urgent protection. However, many taxa from this order have an unresolved status, which makes their conservation difficult. One species-rich parrot genus is Amazona, which is widely distributed in the New World. Here we describe a new Amazona form, which is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula. This parrot is clearly separable from other Amazona species in eleven morphometric characters as well as call and behavior.

Belize Slapped With Worst Rank In Latest Human Trafficking Report
The U.S. State Department yesterday slapped the worst tier status on the Central American CARICOM nation of Belize as it released its annual Trafficking in Persons report. Belize is the only Caribbean country with a tier 3 status again this year, which means its government does not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) and is making no significant efforts to do so. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 is arguably the most important anti-trafficking law ever passed. The TVPA and its subsequent reauthorizations, define a human trafficking victim as a person induced to perform labor or a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion.

Brexit threatens to clip the wings of UK butterfly exporter
The flapping of a butterfly’s wings can unleash a typhoon halfway around the world, chaos theory says. But what if the typhoon of Brexit ends up crippling butterflies instead? That is the concern of Richard Lamb, general manager of the Stratford Butterfly Farm in Stratford-upon-Avon, which bills itself as “the UK’s largest tropical butterfly paradise”. It has its own zoo-like attractions, which the company says draws about 150,000 visitors a year. It also supplies butterflies for similar parks around the world. Last year, Stratford sold £1.2m worth of pupae, around 750,000, about half in the EU. “We’re a good business,” Mr Lamb says. Stratford opened 32 years ago and Mr Lamb, a conservationist and noted lepidopterist (a butterfly and moth expert), has worked there ever since. A large proportion of the pupae Stratford sells, including for export, are sourced from farms across the tropics, including one the company owns in Belize. The business specialises in the best-selling Blue Morpho, a large and colourful butterfly with an unusually long adult lifespan of about six weeks.

In Search of the Maya World: From Central America to Philadelphia
Last month I set out on a trip through Central America with a small group of Road Scholars in search of the mysterious Maya World. Little did I know at the time that there are so many connections between Maya culture and Philadelphia. The first archeological site on the itinerary was Lamanai (“Submerged Crocodile” in Mayan language), situated in a tropical forest on the banks of the New River Lagoon in Belize. The Mayas used waterways to trade with each other and we accessed the site by motor boat. Lamanai was a large, ceremonial center, built in layers by succeeding generations in the Pre-Classic Period (2,500 BC – 250AD). The Jaguar Temple and the Masks Temple with its impressive sculptures are some of the highlights of this site. The steep climb to the top of the High Temple, one of the largest of this period, was well-worth it for the panoramic view of the jungle and the lagoon. Unlike the Egyptians, the Mayas did not necessarily bury their rulers in these pyramids. Maya temples were built mainly to honor their rulers and their gods; special offerings of jade and shell ornaments were recovered at this site. Cahal Pech, another ceremonial center in Belize, is known for being one of the earliest in the region. Its 34 structures consist of two small ball courts, palaces and temples with stelae (stone monuments) and altars.

Patent Application for Snapchat Scuba Mask
Cruise ship company Royal Caribbean has submitted a patent application for a dive mask that will allow Snapchat spectacles to used underwater. The 'Seaseeker' mask allows a pair of Snapchat spectacles to be slotted in and out of an underwater housing, allowing the wearer to record their underwater experience for up to 30 minutes at a maximum depth of 46m (150ft). ‘The Seaseeker will enable all adventure-seekers to get a front-row seat to the thrilling adventures found underwater in a way that has never been possible before,’ said Jim Berra, Royal Caribbean's SMO and SVP of marketing. ‘Snapchat continues to be a favourite channel for curious travellers and is the ideal platform for this first-of-its-kind undersea exploration.’

Videos

June 27, 2017

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Finn + Martini wins big at San Pedro Lobster Festival
The 2017 Lobster Season officially opened on Thursday, June 15th, bringing back the Caribbean Spiny crustacean to the restaurants’ menus on the island. The opening of the season marks the occasion for the anticipated Annual Lobster Fest which sees a week-long Lobster Crawl. Persons participating in the crawl this year were encouraged to get their Lobster Fest Passport stamped at the participating establishments, for a chance to win the ultimate vacation package for two to the 2018 Lobster Fest. The festival will culminate on Saturday, June 24th with a grand block party at the Central Park. Starting at 6PM, the party will feature booths providing a variety of lobster dishes and refreshing cocktails throughout the evening. There will also be music entertainment from the Pannerifix Steel Band, among other local artists. During this last day of the festival, the winner of the ultimate vacation package for two persons for next year’s festival would then be announced.

San Pedro Town Library to host several summer camps
As the 2016-2017 school year draws to an end, the San Pedro Town Library (SPTL) is hosting several free educational and recreational summer camps. With the first camp quickly approaching, SPTL Library Assistant Marlene Coral is encouraging all parents to register their child/children. The first camp will take place on Monday, July 3rd through Friday, July 7th, from 1PM to 3:30PM. Every year, the SPTL, in conjunction with the Belize National Library Services and Information System (BNLSIS), hosts their annual summer camp under a theme relevant to Belize. This year, BNLSIS has selected ‘endangered birds’ as the main theme, and campers will learn about the yellow-headed amazon parrot, ocellated turkey, and jabiru stork. The camp will be a combination of lectures and fun activities, such as arts and crafts, coloring, and word games. On Tuesday, July 4th, The Belize Audubon Society will be leading a special presentation, which will include a bird walk through the library and a reading of the story, ‘Sunny—The Yellow-headed Parrot”.

Call for Nominations – Ocean Hero 2017
Being an ocean hero can mean many things but mostly, it means deciding that you are ready to take action to help to protect our marine environment for people and creatures of today and for future generations. Over the past six years, Oceana in Belize has been proud to recognize several Belizeans for their contributions to the sustainable management and protection of our marine environment. Last year on Saturday, October 1st, at a ceremony held at the Mexican Institute of Belize, Oceana recognized two Belizeans as Ocean Heroes 2016 for their selfless commitment to Belize’s marine environment, biologist and zoologist Janet Gibson and founder of ­ Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE), Wil Maheia. Oceana is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2017 Oceana Ocean Hero Award. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the protection of our oceans.

Coral Reef Ed-ventures hosts “Finding Dory” movie night
The Coral Reef experts are already on the island gearing up for the 18th Annual Coral Reef Ed-ventures summer program scheduled for Monday, June 26th. The free, fun educational camp focuses on marine ecology, and is a collaboration between students from Smith College in Massachusetts, USA, and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. To kick off the fun, members of the program held a movie night on Tuesday, June 21st at the Lion’s Den at 7:30PM. The turnout was satisfactory, with mainly children showing up, eager to watch the funny Blue Tang fish in action. As the kids sat down getting comfy to start watching the movie, moderators served popcorn and juice.

Ambergris Today

Belize Signs Agreement With Global Technology Giant Microsoft
At the last Annual General Meeting of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (April 27th 2017), Prime Minister of Belize Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow announced GOB’s plan to combat government inefficiency and corruption using digital technology. Microsoft intends to help the Central Information and Technology Office (CITO) develop and deliver on its National Digital Transformation Improvement plan by: consolidating all its existing agreements into one holistic agreement for improved control and better pricing, helping the CITO team towards developing and adopting a cloud strategy and policy, and deploying a solution that will provide a single platform for a more connect, cohesive, collaborative government.

Finn & Martini And El Jefe Shine At San Pedro Lobsterfest
After only a week from the opening of the lobster season, restaurants from around the island gathered at Central Park to showcase their best lobster dish and best drink. With no time to waste, and as the crowd got bigger, judges made their way from booth to booth to sample all the decadent lobster servings. Pleasing the judges pallets the most, Finn & Martini along with El Jefe were awarded with Best Lobster dish and Best Drink of the evening.

Misc Belizean Sources

Dia de San Pedro 2017
Check out the Calendar of Events for the Dia de San Pedro 2017 festivities, starting this Thursday, June 29! Dia de San Pedro is officially on June 28th, and the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC), along with The San Pedro Town Council put together a series of activities to celebrate this grand occasion. The annual week-long event honours St. Peter (San Pedro), the Patron Saint of Fishermen of the island, and San Pedranos, along with those who have adopted the island as their home, come together annually to thank their patron for another bountiful year.

Festival of Hope Belize 2017 Coming to San Pedro in July

Jingle on the Block, Caye Caulker
Kindly come out and support our children. June 30, 10am corner of Estrella Street and Avenida Mangle.

Hey beautiful Caye Caulker Tour Guides
We have a meeting Wednesday evening at 730pm. At the community center. It's very important to attend, forms will be distributed and we will be going through new regulations. If you'd like to pay your dues before hand please bring your bank receipt. That would be great. The bank account is on our CCTGA page, just scroll down to find it.

Second annual 5km Run / Walk Seine bight
Come out and support the Seine Bight Reservoir to Museum Foundation for our second annual 5km run / walk to the future site of the museum in Seine Bight on August 19th! Details are below. If you or a business you know is interested in becoming a sponsor of our event, please message the Foundation here or email Sarita Garcia, the chair, at [email protected].

Brooklyn Brothers Bagel Shop win alcoholic drink category
Congratulations Linda! Last night, the Brooklyn Brothers Bagel Shop Took 1st place in the nonalcoholic drink category. Everyone loved your Tropical Mermaid punch.

University of Belize Class of June 2017 - Belmopan
300 photos....

Operating theatre at Northern Regional Hospital reopens
Operating theatre at Northern Regional Hospital re-opened today after two years of ongoing upgrades and repairs. An evident need for the health region!

Belize Audubon Society Reef Protector Workshop
Highlights of our last Reef Protector Workshop. Field activities are a big part of our Reef Protector program. At our last meeting, our group had some time in the field learning about beach profiling and practicing for their upcoming Half Moon Caye Natural Monument Trip.

Shooting Stars Academy End of the Year Showcase 2017
To all our fans, parents , friends & the community in general..The Shooting Stars Academy invites everyone to its end of year showcase..All are cordially invited..

Corozal Student represents BELIZE in PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
BTL wishes Jo-Elisa Clarke a safe journey as she represents Belize at CANTO 33rd Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition. Jo-Elisa captured 1st place in the 2017 Video Competition and won herself an all-expense paid trip for two to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic plus a tablet. As part of her prize, BTL has contributed US $1000. We hope that Jo-Elisa’s experience will be memorable and wish her continued success in the future.

"CARLOS BUSTILLOS" comedy show at Princess Casino
It's always a Laugh Out Loud weekend at the PRINCESS CASINO FREEZONE, Corozal this Friday, June 30th and Saturday, July 1st, 2017. Everyone is cordially invited to enjoy the musical comedy show of "CARLOS BUSTILLOS" starting at 10:00 p.m. Come and enjoy!

3rd Annual Soca Fete 2017
REMINDER: IT'S THIS FRIDAY COROZAL...Official launch of our Carnival Season. Supporting this event means we will have bigger and better carnival groups & bands and parade. A COROZAL CARNIVAL COMMITTEE EVENT!

This Day In History
June 26th, 1820 - First sitting of the Supreme Court of the Colony.

Channel 7

Former UDP Politician Penner Kills Man In Traffic Accident
The Cayo District had another traumatic weekend with the murder of a 21 year old, the worry over a 24 year old who is missing and presumed dead, and a fatal accident which killed a 41 year old. We start with the accident - because the man accused of knocking down and killing 41 year old Kenrick Myvette is one of the most notorious politicians in recent history. It's Elvin Penner and Myvette's family believe that after causing the death of their loved one on Friday night, police gave him special treatment - an injustice added to their loss and grief. Daniel Ortiz found out more today:..

21 Year Old Killed In Cayo
And while that happened just outside of Santa Elena on Friday night, just after midnight on Saturday a 21 year old was killed. Akeem Guzman was ambushed by a masked man dressed in all black at about 12:50 am on Sunday. He had left home at midnight and 1told his mother he was going to visit a friend. He was doing just that, and stooping in front of the friend's fence when a gunman appeared from behind and let off a single, fatal shot. His mother accepts that her son was no angel, but she says they didn't need to shoot him in his back. Here's the story:

Missing Man In Teakettle Feared Dead, Angry Residents Start Tyre Fires On Road
There was uproar in Teakettle village this weekend - residents set tires ablaze on the highway on Saturday afternoon. It was all in an attempt to bring everyone's attention, especially the police, to the missing 24 year old resident Marky Mendez. He has been missing for 5 days. His family hasn't seen or heard from him since Wednesday night and they have lost all hope of finding him alive. All they want now is to find his body- wherever it was stashed. So far family and residents have been searching the area and have found clues that can help in the investigation. Courtney Weatherburne was in Teakettle today and has more details.

Police Will Charge For Tyre Fires
Now although the Mendez family and villagers are going through a hard time right now, police say that those responsible for the tire fire will have to answer to charges. Today OC Gillett told us that everyone is entitled to express their discontent with police work but they took it a bit too far. Here is how OC Gillett put it. Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett, OC, Belmopan: "On our arrival we observed some 20 disgruntled people and we were able to remove the tyres and then removed the debris from the area and we were able to quell whatever."

Castro Bros. Associate Caught Moving Major Marijuana Weight
An associate of the Castro brothers is in big trouble with police tonight. Yesterday, just before 11 in the morning, the Mobile Interdiction Team was patrolling the West Landivar area when they received a radio transmission notifying them of a suspicious vehicle in the area. The MIT unit then intercepted a gold Kia Spectra driven by 22 year old Gian Espadas. The officers searched the vehicle and found a large black plastic bag on the floor of the passenger side containing about 12 pounds of marijuana. Espadas was arrested and charged for drug trafficking.

Indian Businessman Robbed Of Tens Of Thousands In Ranchito
An Indian businessman was robbed of a huge amount of cash on Friday. It happened at an unlikely place - the Ranchito airstrip in the Corozal District. Last Friday, Avinash Deshmukh, a Corozal Town store manager, drove to Ranchito Village and took the 1:30 flight to San Pedro. After arriving in San Pedro, Deshmukh visited one of his stores where he collected $54,000 worth of wholesale and retail proceeds. Deshmukh then took the 5 o'clock flight back home. After landing in Ranchito, Deshmukh was walking to his vehicle when he noticed another car parked behind his Toyota 4-Runner. As he hopped into the 4-Runner, two men jumped out the vehicle behind him and held him up at gun point. The assailants took his backpack containing the money, and struck him in the back of the head before leaving.

Cops Got Back Stolen Gun In PG
Punta Gorda isn't a hotspot for gun seizures, but today after a search on Panama Street in Punta Gorda, police found a pistol along with nine rounds of 9mm bullets. The firearm was reported stolen in November 2016 after a robbery at the Rosia Shop in PG.

Embarrassment For FFB As Congress Gets No Quorum
On Friday we told you that the stage was set for a massive boycott of the FFB Congress by a majority of member associations. And that's just what happened on Saturday when the Football Federation rented a big room at the Princess for a very small turnout - too small for a quorum. 7News was there on Saturday, and Sunday - here's the story:... Jules Vasquez reporting: Paramilitary police guarded the stairway at the Princess on Saturday morning. I was told the media was not permitted upstairs and while I did try to plea my case I was told that unless my name was on the list of delegates I could not go up.

President Kuylen Talks About Rebellious Directors
So - once again - the FFB - Belize's richest and largest sports Federation - is in a very unsettled state. And to make it worse, three of the Directors have turned against the president. As we showed you last week three members of the management team signed a letter saying Acting President Kuylen could not offer himself for president while being the acting president. Yesterday he discussed the difficulty going forward with that management team:...

Elderly Man Knocked Down In Roaring Creek
An elderly man was knocked off his bicycle in Roaring Creek but according to latest reports he survived and is receiving treatment at the hospital. We stumbled on the scene as we were heading to Teakettle. The driver of the truck who knocked down the elderly man told us that he tried his best to avoid hitting the man. We start off with an eyewitness and followed by the interview with the driver of white pickup truck. Here are those comments.

Valley Of Peace Principal Remains Under Scrutiny
Police are investigating another complaint against Monsignor Romero Primary School Principal Johnny Valencia. As we told you he has been charged for sexual assault in relation to the 13 year old student's complaint. But another girl has come forward to say she too had a similar experience with Valencia. Police say as soon as they get more information on this other case other charges will be brought against Valencia.

Making Curricula Credible
In the last few months the Ministry of Education has been making moves to integrate online learning into secondary school curricula. Last month Minister of Education Patrick Faber hosted representatives from the Ministry of Education in Antigua and Barbuda for a conference on introducing e-learning into our high schools. Today the Ministry has taken another step in that direction by launching the Curriculum Writing and Content Development Project, an undertaking that will see high school teachers from around the country rework course materials to be suitable for online learning. We spoke to Dr. Sheldon Samuels, the Ministry official spearheading the project, about the importance of the move...

Another Significant Other Stabbed In The South
At the end of May, we told you about a wife who fatally stabbed her husband. Well, again in the south, but this time in Dangriga, a woman stabbed her husband, but he lived. On Friday bight, Dangriga police responded to a domestic dispute between 24-year-old Lucia Can and her 28 year old common-law-husband Thompson Orlando Guttierez. According to reports, the couple were having an argument when Can became angry and stabbed Guttierez in his back and chest. Police have detained Can, and charges are pending.

Northern Regional Gets New Surgical Theater
The Northern Regional Hospital processes hundreds of patients every week, but, for long, it has been without a suitable operating theater. Today, after clamoring for a over a year, the newly refitted theater was opened. And it was an opportunity for a long missing politician to make a super-rare public appearance. Gaspar Vega showed up and gave a speech. The Hospital is in his constituency, so it was only appropriate. Here's what he and the CEO in the Ministry of Health said at today's opening:...

Belizean Distance Runner Completes Hundred Mile Run
A Belizean distance runner was the first - that we know of - to run a hundred mile race. According to reports on FACEBOOK, Kim Espat completed the Western States Endurance Run. And he didn't just run it, he finished it! Espat came in 48th overall and 36th among men out of a total of 369 runners, in a time of just under 23 hours.

In Cayo, The Waters Were Sudden
Heavy rain in San Ignacio and Sent Elena caused localized flooding in that Western town over the weekend. Area Representative for Cayo North Omar Figueroa explained what the flood was like on Saturday... Hon. Omar Figueroa - Cayo North Area Rep: "Yesterday around midday, we got hit by what can only be described as a freak storm. We had an excessive amount of rain fall in a very short period of time. This produced a lot of water and you know when you have water in hilly terrains, these water will eventually find itself to lower grounds. We had a lot of water going through the streets and going through yards and going through houses in San Ignacio and in Bullet Tree and of course creating a lot of damage. Water became held back in a lot of areas so you had these huge pools of water and people of course had to deal with it."

Police Show Off In The Streets
And we close tonight with the event that culminated police week. It was an all-formations police parade through the city - a show of policing prowess and numbers.

Channel 5

Elvin Penner to be Charged with Manslaughter for Fatal RTA
Former Minister Elvin Penner has been in the headlines for immigration illegalities, but on Friday, he was in the driver seat of a vehicle which hit and caused the death [...]

Akeem Guzman Shot Dead at Friend’s Home
The murder count continues to go up in the west where a wave of violence has flared up in recent times. There have been five murders so far in two [...]

A Teakettle Family’s Anguish: is Markie Menzies Dead?
Also in the west, Belmopan Police have solved the three homicides reported in their jurisdiction so far this year. But they may possibly now have another murder on their hands. [...]

Frustrated Residents Set Tire Fire, Warned by Police
Teakettle residents whom we spoke with today still showed traces of fear and frustration on their faces. That boiled over on Saturday, when about twenty disgruntled residents, fed up with [...]

Football Federation Divided: Mass Boycott Stymies Congress
The Football Federation of Belize remains deeply divided tonight. Its tenth congress scheduled for the weekend, did not proceed even though executives from CONCACAF were in Belize to provide oversight [...]

Sergio Chuc Drops CAS Appeal as CONCACAF Withdraws
Former First Vice President Sergio Chuc has been sidelined from the F.F.B. for over a year.  Since the deadlock between himself and Ruperto Vicente for presidency of the federation in [...]

Ethics Committee to be Established as F.F.B. Infighting Continues
All the infighting and turmoil within the F.F.B. has allowed interim president Marlon Kuylen, himself a candidate for presidency, a few more months at the helm of the organization.  But [...]

Will Government Pay Landowner for Occupation by Bridge?
The new bridge across the Macal River in San Ignacio is almost complete. It will be temporarily opened to vehicular traffic this week and then closed for final touches before [...]

G.O.B. Wants Settlement But How Much Can They Pay?
Neal told us that his client has basically been ignored by Government for several years, even as the Mining Unit forced shutdown of the quarry, costing him his livelihood. While [...]

Gian Espadas Caught with 12 Pounds of Marijuana
Twenty-two-year-old Gian Espadas flew under the radar last week when close friends Jafari and Wasani Castro made headlines for a weekend escapade that involved an unlicensed vehicle, as well as [...]

Businessman from Corozal Gets Robbed at Airstrip
A store manager from Corozal Town was robbed over the weekend by two men who waylaid him at the Ranchito airstrip up north. Thirty-four-year-old Avinash Deshmukh went on a quick [...]

Western Communities Hit by Flash Floods
The rains over the weekend, specifically in the west, cause flashfloods in Bullet Tree and nearby areas in the Cayo District. The waters rose up to eight inches inside homes [...]

NEMO Restores Water to Bullet Tree
The waters receded rapidly, but it did cause a problem. Since Saturday, the Bullet Tree Village has been without water at the pipes. The torrential rains over the weekend damaged [...]

Northern Regional Hospital set to Operate
The Northern Region Hospital today officially opened its newly renovated operating theatre. For two years, medics were using an interim facility that didn’t allow the team to do the extent [...]

UB Graduates 530; New President and Mayor Bradley Speak
On Saturday, five hundred and thirty students graduated from the University of Belize with diplomas at the Bachelor’s, Associate’s and Certificate levels in areas of Education and Arts, Management and [...]

Writing ACE Curriculum for Online Study
This morning, stakeholders in the Adult Continuing Education sector began the first day of a workshop geared towards curriculum writers.  The idea is to convert as many as fourteen courses [...]

Team Belize Fights Hard in Poker Run
On Friday, we introduced you to the 2017 Team Belize representing poker enthusiasts in the country at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The group of twenty players [...]

Softball and Mundialito Football Top Sports Monday
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities…]

CTV3

CZL Businessman Robbed Of More than $50,000
There was a brazen robbery of a Corozal Town businessman in Ranchito Village in the Corozal District last Friday June 23rd afternoon. Avinash Deshmukh, an Indian store owner, was robbed of a large amount of money at gunpoint, just after he disembarked a plane at the Corozal airstrip. Deshmukh was carrying a back pack with $54,000 which were proceeds from his business in San Pedro Town. He told authorities that as he opened the door to his vehicle, a silver in colour 4-runner that had been left parked at the airstrip, he was held up by two male persons, one who was armed with a handgun. The men came out of a grey 4-Door car that was parked behind his vehicle. The armed assailant pistol whipped Deshmukh, forcing him to hand over the bag with cash.

Guinea Grass Resident Accused of Dropping Drugs Inside Police Mobile
A woman from the Village of Guinea Grass is tonight facing the long arms of the law after she allegedly dropped five grams of crack cocaine in the police mobile. Orange Walk cops were on mobile patrol on Friday June 23rd when they stopped and searched a male person traveling on a motorcycle at around 12:20pm. Traveling along with the individual was 21 year old Nuri Mairani Lopez who while being escorted to the station was seen dropping an object on the floor of the police vehicle. The item was retrieved and turned out to be a transparent plastic bag containing 5 grams of Crack Cocaine. Mairani was detained for drug trafficking.

LOVE FM

Flash Floods Inundate Bullet Tree Roads
Over the weekend, residents of San Ignacio and Bullet Tree Village were greatly affected by flooding. The National Emergency Management Organization NEMO responded swiftly and Minister Edmund Castro and Cayo North Area Representative Omar Figueroa visited the affected families. OMAR FIGUEROA “And so we had a lot of water going through streets and yards and […]

Football Federation Election Stalled
The Football Federation of Belize’s tenth Congress was not held over the weekend because it did not have the quorum needed. At least four District Associations and the Premier League had written to the FFB informing that they would not attend. Without them, the FFB did not meet the quorum needed to carry through with […]

Tensions High within the FFB
The tensions within the FFB this time around stem from the decision to deny Sergio Chuc from running for the federation’s presidency amidst allegations of bribery, corruption and conflict of interest. Chuc has appealed that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports and asked the associations to boycott the meeting. Marco Leal, Director of […]

Love FM’s Richard Merrill Passes Away at 76
American national, Richard Merrill came to Belize from Mississippi, USA, in the early 1990s and immediately cemented himself in the media and broadcasting industry particularly with Love FM. Merrill, passed away over the weekend at the age of seventy six in Corozal Town where he had relocated following his retirement. Merrill had been an integral […]

Teakettle Villagers Demand Deeper Investigation Into Missing Man
Residents of Teakettle Village are still searching for 24 year old Markey Mendez who went missing since Wednesday of last week. They had staged a protest over the weekend in an effort to demand more from the police. We start the story however with when Mendez disappeared. The young man’s mother, Verna Mendez told Love […]

Gian Espadas Nabbed with 5,450 Grams of Marijuana
22-year-old Gian Espadas is back in the news. Espadas who was prominently featured in the news a week ago as one of the men who was along with the Castro brothers while they were on their escapades, was today charged for drug trafficking. Police say this morning, members of the Mobile Interdiction Unit were conducting […]

Short Supply of Medication Soon to be Resolved
With social media being the platform that many persons use to lodge their complaints and dissatisfaction on certain matters, we do manage to sift through the issues of national concern and follow up on them with an aim to bring clarity to the situations. One such concern that recently came up is the shortage of […]

Northern Regional Gets Refurbished Operating Theatre
An operating theatre was officially opened this morning at the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk Town. It is a facility that was very much needed considering the high volume of cases in that jurisdiction. Dr Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services told Love News that it was done via government funding. DR MARVIN MANZANERO […]

Is Jose Luis Espat Uc Practicing Medicine Illegally?
For some time now we have been observing comments made on social media by aspiring politician, Jose Luis Espat Uc regarding his profession. On one known occasion, he had noted on television that he is a neurosurgeon and that he had resigned from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Love News got an opportunity today to […]

UNIBAM Lashes Back at Evangelical Churches
Last Friday we told you of the disgust expressed by the National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) over the hoisting of the LGBTI flag on the US Embassy’s compound. The association which represents more than two hundred and fifty churches in the country noted in their release, quote, “These rogue views continue to be pushed […]

The Reporter

Penner served with NIP following fatal accident
Elvin Penner, former minister of Government, was served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP), by San Ignacio Police after he knocked down a Unitedville resident, who later died from the injuries he sustained. The accident occurred at around 6:56 p.m., on Friday on the George Price highway in front of Running W Brand Meats. The victim is 41-year-old Kenrick Anthony Myvette. According to police, Penner claims that he was driving his 2000 Ford Excursion from Belmopan to San Ignacio and upon trying to overtake a vehicle, a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction suddenly veered in front of him.

Media and NICH hold workshop
Media personnel gathered at the Government House in Belize City on Friday for a one-day workshop and open dialogue with the National Institute of Culture and History(NICH), to construct a better working relationship between the two entities. The event was a joint collaborative effort between NICH, the Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR), and the Institute of Archaeology (IA). The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the media’s role in heritage preservation and promotion in Belize by releasing the necessary information to the public at large.

Woman stabs man during domestic dispute
A woman from Dangriga town is detained pending charges of ‘attempted murder’ for stabbing her common-law husband multiple times on Friday. Police sources have confirmed that 28-year-old Thomas Orlando Gutierrez was stabbed to his left lower back and left upper chest by his common-law wife, 24-year-old Lucia Can on Friday.

Breaking Belize News

Police bust Castro associate with 12 pounds of weed
Police confirmed today that Gian Espadas, 22, was busted in the West Landivar area today with 12 pounds of marijuana. Espadas, who was also involved in the contraband bust along with Minister Edmond Castro’s sons not even two weeks ago, was arrested and charged […]

Forbes: Highest paid celebs make more than Belize, Liberia and Gambia combined
Forbes Magazine, the American business and finance focused publication, in its latest list of the world’s highest paid celebrities estimated that the top 100 celebrities on the list raked in more than the combined GDP of Belize, Liberia and Gambia. According to Forbes, the […]

Ocean experts test new cruise-ship goggles in Belize
Royal Caribbean, which brings cruise-ships to Belize weekly, has partnered with Snapchat to provide cruise passengers with waterproof cameras that will allow them the opportunity to capture stunning underwater images while on vacation. Royal Caribbean debuted the new scuba-mask with built in Snapchat Spectacles this week […]

Gun stolen at Bacab
On Saturday, June 24 at around 6:23 a.m., James Wolverson, 36, manager at Bacab Eco Park visited the Ladyville police precinct and reported that the day before around 3:50 p.m. on Friday, he was at work when he decided to use the restroom and […]

Three arrested for illegal weapon in Teakettle
According to police reports, last Friday at about 3:10 p.m., police conducted a search at the residence of George Alexander Lopez, 60, in Teakettle village, Cayo for illegal firearms and ammunition. A small wooden house with zinc roof measuring about 15×15 in size was […]

NEMO Minister assesses situation in San Ignacio after flash flood
By BBN Staff : Yesterday, Sunday June 25, Minister of National Emergency Management Edmond Castro was in San Ignacio where he teamed up with Cayo North Area Representative, Omar Figueroa and San Ignacio-Santa Elena Mayor, Earl Trapp, to assess the impact of a flash flood which affected […]

$4,000 worth of goods stolen from D-Max in Belize City
On Saturday, June 24, around 1:05 a.m., police visited an area on Marine Parade, Belize City near the SCA Auditorium where Luis Ochoa, 36, of Ladyville reported that sometime between 8:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, his grey Isuzu Dmax was […]

Indian businessman robbed of $54,000 in Corozal
Avinash Deshmukh, 34, an Indian store manager of Corozal town reported that last Friday he flew from Ranchito Village to San Pedro Town on the 1:30 p.m. flight, leaving his silver 4-Runner secured in the parking lot. The flight arrived in San Pedro around […]

PG police recover gun stolen in 2016 robbery
Punta Gorda police have recovered a stolen gun from their town. Over the weekend, a police search led to the discovery of a .9mm pistol on Pampana Street. No one was in the area and the gun was labelled as ‘found property’. The gun […]

Man knocked down in Roaring Creek
An elderly man was knocked down a short time ago in Roaring Creek, Cayo, by a pick up truck. The man remains on the ground. His condition has not yet been ascertained. Police are currently on the scene. We will be updating this story […]

Teakettle villager missing; villagers irate
On Saturday afternoon, villagers from Teakettle temporarily blocked the George Price Highway in that village. According to reports, a villager has been missing for six days and the community believes the police are not making it a priority to locate the missing man. Officer […]

No charges against Penner yet
Disgraced Minister of State, Elvin Penner, is scheduled for arraignment this morning in the San Ignacio magistrate court following a fatal road traffic accident on Friday night. Penner, however, has not yet been detained and his charge sheet has not been prepared, according to […]

Sunny skies ahead
The 24-hour forecast is for mostly mostly sunny skies with cloudy spells expected today and cloudy at times tonight. A slight increase in moisture is expected over the next 24 hours as a weak tropical wave approaches the area. Showers or thunderstorms will be […]

Belize~ Tribute to Richard Merrill
By Richard Harrison: Richard Merrill was Belize’s very own “Harry Carey” of everything Belizean on radio….having been for many years like the morning coffee of sporting, environmental and cultural activities throughout Belize…a cheer leader….a picker-uper. Goooooood morning Belize!! he would shout early in the morning, as if […]

Blogs

A visit to Spanish Lookout, Cayo
Spanish Lookout is a settlement in the Cayo District of Belize in Central America. According to the 2010 census, Spanish Lookout has a population of 2,253 people in 482 households. Spanish Lookout is a community of Mennonites in Belize. The Mennonite community in Spanish Lookout is quite modern: they use cars and other modern conveniences and the overall impression of the settlement is rather like rural North America than Central America or the Caribbean. The citizens of this community speak Plautdietsch as their mothertongue. Most also speak English and Spanish. It is largely an agricultural community with some light industry, furniture making, prefabricated wood houses and the only oil field in production in Belize.

International Sources

Belize: Remembering Mr. Peters’ Boom and Chime Band
Not too long ago there were “boom and chime” bands all over Belize, a speck on the Central American map just below Mexico. If you were lucky enough to get down there before 2010 you likely heard the country’s top boom band, led by the iconic accordionist/singer Wilfred Peters, batting out peppy, booty-swinging tunes at parades, festivals, parties and miscellaneous jump-ups. You’ll still hear budding boom and chimers here and there, but seven years ago the last of the genre’s old-time heavy hitters bit the dust when Peters slipped away at 79 to that big dancehall in the sky. Peters’ chief sideman was a drummer who beat one side of his drum with a mallet to make a booming sound. The other side had a metal rim, which the drummer hit with a hollow metal stick to make a chiming sound. Hence, “boom and chime.” Their songs featured the country’s homegrown and still popular mish-mash of African, Latin and Caribbean music called “brukdown” (slang for “broken down calypso”). It goes back centuries to the days when Belize – formerly British Honduras – was home to escaped slaves, out-of-work pirates (during hard times on the Spanish Main), Black Caribe Indians kicked off the Grenadines, Maya refugees from the Caste War in Mexico, Garifuna farmers evicted from an offshore island, people whose faces were on “Wanted” posters in a half-dozen languages and others who came to timber camps in the country’s steaming hot jungles to chop down forests of precious mahogany trees.

‘Above and Beyond’ the Horizon
During his opening speech at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new expansion at Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan, Belize on June 17, 2017, Ministry of Health Chief of Staff, Dr. Rene Godoy, affectionately renamed the mission responsible for the construction project to ‘Above and Beyond’ the Horizon. Beyond the Horizon is an annual collaborative training exercise between U.S. Army South and partner nations in Central and South America. This year’s exercise took place in Belize where one of the scheduled engineering missions was to provide an extension to Western Regional Hospital’s emergency room and build a new housing for an on-site incinerator. However, as it became clear during the ribbon cutting ceremony, the assigned crew managed to accomplish far more than originally planned.

Training and Inspiration are Reciprocal during Beyond the Horizon
Reciprocal was the word of the day at the St. Matthew’s Government School ribbon cutting ceremony June 12, 2017 in St. Matthew’s, Belize. Reciprocal training between military members from the U.S. and Belize, and reciprocal inspiration between the task force members who worked on the school, and the students who will occupy it. The ribbon cutting ceremony marked the conclusion of a three-month construction project completed by Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative exercise between U.S. Army South, the Government of Belize and Central American partner nations working with local and international NGOs to provide humanitarian services throughout Belize.

U.K. Unveils Memorial for African, Caribbean Soldiers Who Served During World Wars
he U.K. recently unveiled a monument in remembrance of the thousands of African and Caribbean soldiers who fought and died in the service of the kingdom during the First and Second World Wars. The monument, formed of two 6-feet (1.8m) long obelisks, is sculpted from Scottish whinstone and weighs just under 5 tons, according to the BBC. Described as the first of its kind in the U.K., the monument carries the names of the African and Caribbean regiments in both wars. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said, “Britain owes an enormous debt to the African and Caribbean service men and women who fought alongside their British-based peers during the First and Second World Wars.

Belize to Increase Links with Cuba
Belize will increase its links with Cuba, assured Belizean State Minister for Economic Development, Oil, Investments and Trade Tracy Taegar-Panton during her meeting Monday with Cuban Ambassador Lissette Perez. Taegar-Panton confirmed that Belize will take part in the upcoming 35th edition of the International Havana Fair between October 30 and November 3. In May, Belizean First Prime Vice Minister Patrick Faber visited Havana, and had a meeting with Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes and Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca.

Videos

June 26, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

SHOOTING INCIDENT IN SAN PEDRO
Police are investigating a shooting that occurred early this morning in the Boca Del Río area of San Pedro Town. According to the official police report, the victim has been identified as 33-year-old Andrew Harris, a resident of the same location. Harris, who is originally from the Corozal District, was reportedly walking home with some friends around 5AM when he was apparently shot twice to his left upper leg. He is in a stable condition and police continue investigating.

Wolfe’s Woofer: Longevity
“Hey, Mr. Dennis.” It was Mario, my sometimes yard man coming from the water taxi with a suitcase. He came up on the deck and took a seat at my table. “Where were you last week? I asked, after ordering a beer for him. “I tried to reach you all week to come over and paint the porch.” “I had to go home to Orange Walk to my Grandpa’s funeral.” “I’m sorry for your loss,” I said. “That’s sad.” “Not really. Grandpa was already ninety-eight years old and he had a good life.” “That’s the way it was with my Grandad,” I said. “He lived to be ninety-three. He left behind three children and a whole lot of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

Letter to the Editor: Bad Cops
Dear Editor, I’d like to commend two sets of individuals that acted in the best interests of our community the other day. The incident that gave rise to my admiration was the unfortunate occurrence where some bad cops tried to intimidate and extort money from a visitor to our shores. This was a terrible act of dishonesty and put all of us, not only we of the island, but all of Belize in an unfavorable light. It made the world think that we are not a nation of laws or an orderly society. The whole story is far from that conclusion; and why I have taken this time to commend the actions of two sets of people. First I’d like to commend the unfortunate victim in all of this. Thank you for believing in the true nature of San Pedro and believing that those cops were not representative of either the island or the police force. Thank you for standing up and having faith that the people you have met and interacted with during your stay on the island reflected the true nature of the Belizean people, and thank you for the faith that you showed that we would not let this injustice stand in our community.

Doctor Love: Potential New Boyfriend
Dear Doctor Love, There’s a bar that I’ve been going to for the last year or so. It’s one of the more popular bars and has good music and different events in the evenings and such. The cute bartender and I have been friends for a while and we’ve gone out with friends to other bars and had a fun time. Finally, last week we hooked up, after we ran into each other and ended up having lunch, so it was not at his work. I like him and would like to see where it goes. But should I stop hanging out at the bar? It is a fun place and my friends all go there, so it would be hard not to continue going. Am I still allowed to hang out? /s/ Potential New Boyfriend

Misc Belizean Sources

Team Belize making progress at the WSOP in Las Vegas
On Saturday nine players representing Team Belize entered the first start day of the Monster Stack tournament at the 2017 WSOP. A total of 2676 players from across the globe attempted to survive the first 10 hours of poker in this first day. At the end of the night, only 759 players survived including six of Team Belize's players. This means that they will return to play on Monday for Day 2 of the tournament. Today, on the second start day ten players representing Belize are hoping to outlast thousands of other players as well.

Team Belize in Las Vegas UPDATE 3!
On Saturday nine players representing Team Belize entered the first start day of the Monster Stack tournament at the 2017 WSOP. A total of 2676 players from across the globe attempted to survive the first 10 hours of poker in this first day. At the end of the night, only 759 players survived including six of Team Belize's players. This means that they will return to play on Monday for Day 2 of the tournament. Today, on the second start day ten players representing Belize are hoping to outlast thousands of other players as well. Here are some photos of today's players (in blue) and those who survived on Saturday. (in red).

Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge 2017
We just added an amazing opportunity courtesy of PGTV. Starting today, for each $5.00 you donate, your name will be entered in an opportunity drawing to win a full day tour of Toledo cayes and fishing trip with Wil Maheia for a party of 4. Drawing will be on September 16th, 2017 at the Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge 2017 event. Winner need not be present. Leave us a contact email or phone. Tour can be schedule with 2 weeks notice for a day after September 16 and before Easter Monday 2018. What a great opportunity to support a great cause!!! Please donate.

Belize Tourism Industry Association San Pedro Chapter
San Pedro BTIA members, and those interested in learning more about our chapter are invited to our monthly membership meeting on Wednesday, June 28th at El Divino Restaurant, 7PM.

Belizean Society of Composers Authors Publishers (BSCAP)'s Nationwide Copyright Tour
UPDATE: Correction made to tentative schedule for future tours.

Man ambushed on the way to meet a friend
Ar 12:50am on 25/6/17, 21 year old Akeem Guzman, a resident of San Ignacio had just reached Flamingo Avenue to meet a friend when he was shot in his back. The suspect is described as masked man dressed in full black clothing who was waiting in a nearby bush. As a result of the ambush, he received a single wound and he was taken to San ignacio hospital where he succumbed to his injury at 1:40 a.m.

National Junior Road Championship Race
Today our team took part in the National Junior Road Championship Race and came out on top! A big congratulations to Nashen and Gian for making us proud and always representing us well. Nashen Ysaguirre- 1st Place, (2017 National Road Champion). Gian Lino -4th place, (2017 Junior Cross Country Champion). One team, One Family...One Goal."

Lobsterfest: What a night!
A big thank you to all of the hard working businesses that put so much love and enthusiasm into their booths last night! Each year we are amazed by the creativity and dedication all of you give to make this event such a success! Thank you!

Rewriting the history of the mayas of northern Belize
On June 17th The Northern Belize Maya Association met at Banquitas House of Culture in Orange Walk Belize to discuss the first step in rewriting the history of the mayas of northern Belize as it should be told from the perspective of the people of Belize. As a result the 1st annual Marcus Canul recognition day will be observed on September 2nd 2017 in the town of Orange Walk, commencing at 9:00 a.m. Keep posted for more details to this historic event in Belize"

Jazz Fest Closing Ceremony
The 2017 Belize International Jazz Fest had its closing ceremony at the Cayo Welcome Center, and it was the best fest yet!  A wonderful night with a wide range of music from more than 10 groups.  2 stages meant virtually constant music.  Ascenthium rocked the night.  The World Culture Band delighted the crowd. Moreno Son ended up stealing the show.  Within seconds of finishing their sound check, they harmonized, danced, had fun, and jammed in perfect unison with their distinctive Cuban music.  Panerrifix also played, as did Hitalo, who played with Deborah Gilharry at Ka'ana on the Friday before the closing concert.

Tolacca Wins 2017 Grill Master Challenge
Congratulations, Tolacca Smoke House! They won the Benny's Grill Master Challenge...again! This is their 2nd year in a row winning! Way to represent Cayo! "For the second year. Tolacca Smoke House brings home the grill master challenge 2017. We would like to thanks our staff, loyal customers and benny's. The title stays in the west another year! Stay classy and eat in. "

Placencia Lobsterfest, 2017 - delicious lobster dishes everywhere!
Congratulations to the #Placencia Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) and the Placencia Village Council on a successful LobsterFest!

The Reporter

Man murdered in San Ignacio
A San Ignacio resident was executed by a masked gunman on Flamingo Avenue in that municipality early Sunday morning. The victim, identified as Akeem Guzman, was shot to his back at around 12:50 a.m Police sources have indicated that Guzman had just arrived at a friend’s house to visit when his killer, dressed in full black clothing, emerged from out of the nearby bushes and fired the deadly shot. The victim was transported to the San Ignacio community hospital, where he succumbed to his injury at 1:40 Sunday morning.

Teakettle villagers stage protest against police
With the break of dawn on Saturday, black plumes of smoke and fire rose into the sky as tires burnt across the highway in Teakettle village as a sign of protest against police, cutting off traffic. Sources from the village have confirmed that the bonfire was a way of showing displeasure with the police investigation into the disappearance of a young man for four days from the village. The villagers are accusing the police of not assisting with the search for the missing man, despite their call for assistance. While Belmopan police have not issued any report on the young man’s disappearance, they have confirmed that he is missing and that authorities are assisting in the search for him.

Breaking Belize News

Tow Tow robbed!
Tow Tow Grocery shopping in the Lake Independence area of Belize City was robbed at gunpoint today. The incident happened just before midday when an armed assailant stormed the premises and demanded cash. No one was hurt and he escaped the area. © […]

Trump says Mexico is world’s 2nd deadliest country
Last week, U.S. President, Donald Trump, turned his attention to a country with whom we share our northern border. He tweeted, “Mexico was just ranked the second deadliest country in the world, after only Syria. Drug trade is largely the cause. We will BUILD […]

Women, men, obsession and murder : “If you are not for me, you will not be for nobody else”
By Lisa Shoman: I was planning on a lazy Sunday morning indulging in my favorite morning ritual – freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee pressed coffee and cookies and a good book. I certainly was not planning a rant – but then I decided to skim the news […]

Man shot in San Pedro
Aside from the shooting murder in San Ignacio, there was another shooting incident in San Pedro today. However, the victim, Andrew Harris, 33, was only shot to the leg and remains hospitalized. Further details have not yet been provided by police but we will provide […]

Early morning murder in San Ignacio Town
BBN has received reports about a murder that happened in San Ignacio Town early this morning. According to reports, Akeem Guzman, 21, had just arrived to visit a friend on Flamingo Avenue, San Ignacio Town when he was shot on his back by a […]

Blogs

2017 San Pedro Lobsterfest – Great Food and Music & Eating My Body Weight in Lobster
Last night was the culmination of the 2017 San Pedro Lobster Festival – the zenith of 11 years of festivals that we’ve held on this island to celebrate the opening of lobster season in Belize. And I was asked to be a judge of all the lobster dishes submitted by the 19 different restaurant booths. Along with representatives from the Belize Tourism Board, the San Pedro Town Council and various blogs and publications, fresh-faced and excited to eat and drink. 2 hours later, it was a different story – fresh faced no more – but with all the music and dancing and the fabulous atmosphere, it was a burden worth bearing.

Corozal Candle Light Walk Peace for Unity 2017
This once peaceful district has also seen an increase in violent crimes and robberies, some including extortion by police officers. Crime is one of the biggest solution Belize has in our daily life's. Crime is one of the highest rates which is escalating by the number. Locals in Corozal are not that happy about the what has been happening around town and around the country. On Saturday June 24, 2017, locals from Corozal was invited to attend " A call For Peace A call For Unity" candle light walk that was held in Corozal Central Park. This event was organized by the Mayor of Corozal, Town Council's, Vice President of the Rotarct and attend by Rigo Vellos. It commenced at 7pm where everyone had gathered to here about the local's concerns about the towns crime, violence, robbery, and more on how to mange it at a low rate.

International Sources

How to get the cheapest flights according to an expert
Jack Sheldon is the 29-year-old brain behind Jack’s Flight Club – a newsletter sending its 89,000 subscribers breathtakingly low deals on flights from the UK and Ireland. The Texan native moved to London six years ago and swiftly built a reputation among his friends for always finding the cheapest fares. He decided to share his skills by launching his service – which scans for the best discounts, hidden offers and error fares – last September. He’s not the first to do this, of course – sites like Scott’s Cheap Flights do exactly the same – but Sheldon’s strong point is that his deals are all from the UK and Ireland. “I’ve always loved to travel and found that you could always find a cheap place to stay or find cheaper food but flights were always the place where you spent the most,” he told The Independent. Not any more – his personal best is a £18 return fare from London to Belize on American Airlines (which, he admits, is “exceptionally rare”). http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40396449

Prince Harry 'wanted out' of Royal Family
Prince Harry was once so disillusioned with being part of the Royal Family that he decided he "wanted out". Having considered giving up his title, he finally decided he should remain and "work out a role for myself". Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, the prince - who is fifth in line to the throne - said being in the Army was "the best escape I've ever had". And he said the royals "don't want to be just a bunch of celebrities but instead use our role for good".

The Belle of Belize | JoyJah
I recently watched the new Beauty and The Beast movie and what an awesome job the directors did! Belle is my favorite Disney Princess, yes I’m all grown up now but Disney Princesses never get old. I also love Ariel because I secretly may still want to be a mermaid! I mean, what girl didn’t?! Plus the Caribbean crab, Sebastian, would probably make me feel right at home! Any who, back to Belle. I love Belle because of her story and persistence. People pretty much disliked her for no valid reason; simply because she was different. It seems like we have our very own Belle in Belize. Over the past year, Joyjah has caught the attention of many Belizeans, especially young girls. After watching Beauty and the Beast, I thought about Joyjah and her story which she shares on her social media platforms. In her interview with Open Your Eyes, she said, “I always knew that I wanted to be a model… I got bullied a lot because I was different from everybody else, I was the mixed kid, I have freckles and big curly hair.” But today, Joyjah is famous for some of the same things she got bullied for.

Videos

June 25, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

BEL Reports on 2016 Performance to Shareholders at Annual General Meeting
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 to report to shareholders on the Company’s performance and achievements for the year 2016 as it pursues its Vision to become A Model of Excellence. BEL outperformed its 2016 financial targets, following four consecutive years of stellar performance, with net earnings of $27.3 million. Shareholders were rewarded for their confidence in the Company with dividends declared of $0.29 per share or $20.3 million. After five consecutive reductions, electricity rates increased marginally. However, the prudent management of energy purchases from Independent Power Producers (IPP) was critical to maintaining low electricity rates. Local renewable sources were utilized for 56% of the electricity provided by BEL in 2016 and the aim is to increase to 80% by 2025. The Company will continue its ongoing negotiations with potential IPPs, in its efforts to maintain low electricity rates.

San Pedro Police Department celebrate Police Week 2017
Under the theme, “The Police and the Community working in partnership for a safer Belize”, San Pedro Police Department (SPPD) have been observing Police Week 2017. Along with other police departments across Belize, they have been involved in several community activities. On Sunday, June 18th, SPPD kicked off their Police Week activities at Sagebrush Church with a prayer service. Sagebrush held a special presentation to commemorate Father’s Day, and several police officers enjoyed the church’s sermon and hospitality. On Monday, June 19th, SPPD visited Reef Radio, where they participated in the morning talk-show, and spoke on the importance of Police Week. As part as their clean-up campaign, police officers took to Boca del Rio Park on Tuesday, June 20th, and painted over graffiti. Later that day, Sergeant Jermaine Pook, Corporal Allan Woods, Sergeant Derrick Saldano and Sergeant Macedonio Sanchez visited several island schools to talk about what it takes to join the police force.

Misc Belizean Sources

Team Belize at the WSOP Monster Stacks in Las Vegas
It's only two hours into the over ten hour day of poker. All players are still in the game and the remainder of the team are railing the players offering their support. Over 3000 players have started on the first start day the Monster Stack event. Here's a look at our Belizean players in action. Included in the first group are: Vijay Vidani (Corozal), Bob Hotchandani (Belize City), Mick Fabro (Belize City), Drew Miller (San Pedro), Jason Southwell (San Pedro), Anthony Michael (Belize City), Edmond Chee (San Pedro), Geev Abadi (Belmopan), Ryan Lambert (San Pedro).

Miss YWCA Belize 2017
"Empowering women in a changing world!" These beautiful contestants in the recent Miss YWCA Belize 2017 pageant have been empowering women all their lives so why not in this contest too! Congratulations to Queen Smith and these role models!

Lobsterfest in Placencia has commenced. Here'the scbedule

Pantempers Anniversary Concert
The Pantempers Steel Orchestra is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and they are kicking off their silver tour at the Cayo Welcome Center next Saturday, July 1st. Happy anniversary!

The Bi-National Watershed Alliance selects new Chairman for the Belize side
We congratulate Mr. Ismael Trapp of Esperanza Village for taking over this position, representing ten communities

The Reporter

Belize participates in International Food Festival in Taiwan
The Belize Trade and Investment Development Services (BELTRAIDE), is currently representing Belize in Taipei, Taiwan at the 2017 International Food Show. Belize is attending the event under the theme, “Raising the Bar in Belize, the Success of a Gourmet Chocolatier”. It features the Belize Chocolate Company – a distinguished, domestic brand. The small delegation is led by senior manager of Investment Development of BELTRAIDE, Brian Lin, with support from Diane Haylock, Belize’s Ambassador to Taiwan, and Chris Beaumont of the Belize Chocolate Company.

Breaking Belize News

Sergio Chuc’s call to boycott football federation elections succeeds
The fear of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) came true today as the scheduled Annual Congress was cancelled due to a boycott called by Sergio Chuc. Sergio Chuc, FFB presedential candidate who was barred from running in the election, […]

Kashief Gallego charged for King Street murder
Kashief Gallego, 25, was on Friday charged for the murder of Jermaine Franklin. Franklin was gunned down on Wednesday evening as he bought a DVD at Teddy’s DVD rental on King Street in Belize City. Gallego, who resides not too far from the murder […]

Pakeman back on duty at the Government Press Office
Dorian Pakeman, the Director of the Government Press Office, is back on duty after being freed of the charge of causing death by careless conduct. A no case submission was ruled by the Magistrate Court in May 2017 due to lack of evidence. In […]

Belize backs failed US motion on Venezuela at OAS
Belize is among the members of the Organization of American States, which backed a failed motion by the United States to have a “group of friends” mediate the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. Belize was one of the six Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations that […]

Domestic dispute ends in woman stabbing common law husband
A domestic dispute on Friday night in Dangriga has left one man with multiple stab wounds. According to police reports, Thompson Orlando Guttierez, 28, “was seen with a stab wound to the left lower back and a stab wound to the left upper chest area.” Police […]

Boycott cancels FFB annual congress
The fear of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) came true today as the scheduled Annual Congress was cancelled due to a boycott. FFB members from the Premier League of Belize along with the member district associations of Orange Walk, Corozal, Belmopan and Cayo, […]

Road to Bullet Tree impassable
Today, BBN reported of heavy rains in the Cayo District due to a freak storm. The road to Bullet Tree Village and the San Ignacio Hospital is impassable and the area flooded is before the entrance to Santiago Juan Layout. Fire engine and Police […]

Villagers block Highway in Teakettle Village
Reports to BBN is that tires are being burnt on the George Price Highway in Teakettle Village. BBN understands that a man from the village has been missing for 4 days and are accusing the police of not assisting with the search or trying to find […]

Intense lightening and heavy rainfall in San Ignacio due to freak storm
A freak storm passing through the Western Cayo District brought with it much rainfall and some heavy gusty winds, particularly in the San Ignacio area. An image downloaded from the weatherbug google app shows that the San Ignacio area and Western Cayo were subjected to very intense lightening. The […]

Police confirm accident involving former Minister Penner
Police have confirmed an accident involving former minister Elvin Penner, in which Penner’s truck, a red mini-van and a motorcycle c

Fatal road accident involving former minister
Reports to BBN indicate that shortly before 8:00 last night, there was a road traffic accident involving a van and a biker near mile 63 on the George Price Highway, Cayo. The biker was injured and transported to the San Ignacio Hospital.

Blogs

The Price is Right! San Pedro Lobsterfest Edition
That’s right – you read correctly. We had our very own Price is Right here in San Pedro! As part of San Pedro Lobsterfest 2017, The Truck Stop put on their very own version of the Price is Right! It took a lot of creativity and construction, but they pulled it off! For those wanting the opportunity to be called on stage, there was a sign-up sheet. After you signed up you were given an official name tag! It worked just like on TV – the four contestants were shown an item and they had to bid on it….but it was a little different because they used white boards to write their answers on. But just like on the real show, there was a “Barker Beauty”. Brittany Lynn Cory did the most amazing job of presenting all of the fabulous prizes!

International Sources

Garifuna Exchange on the Fight for Land: Honduras and Belize
A delegation of six Garifunas from Belize are scheduled to travel to the Honduran Caribbean coast on Sunday to learn about Garifuna struggles and victories for land repossession, reparations and other ancestral fights. The event, titled “Honduras: The Fight for Reparations,” is scheduled to last for 12 days and was organized by the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras, OFRANEH, and Witness for Peace, WFP, an organization promoting solidarity between peoples in the Americas. WFP characterize such cultural exchanges as being an opportunity to “meet with leading experts on policy issues, learn from activists working for peace and spend extended time in communities working for justice.”

Videos

June 24, 2017

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Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

SPTC says Southern Ambergris Caye dredging is to benefit community projects
For the past months, dredging for sand has been taking place in southern Ambergris Caye under the approval of The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC). According to Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the sand is not for business purposes, but for the benefit of the community. It will be used in the cemetery, parks, schools, and in a beach reclamation project on the eastern coast of town. However, an apparent oil slick is raising concerns on the environmental impact the dredging has on the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Guerrero said that it is possible that there could be a small oil slick in the area, but they will look into the matter. He then veered his attention into the purpose of the dredging, and indicated that all schools on the island will benefit with some sand, particularly those that are affected during the rainy season. “The sand will not only make these schools more accessible for students when it rains, but we hope that it also helps in alleviating the situation with the mosquitos,” said Guerrero. “There are people who may criticize the dredging, but we need sand for our cemetery, parks, schools and our beaches.”

Costa Maya Festival Presents: Miss Mexico Ximena Cardoso Gutiérrez
The International Costa Maya Festival® committee has announced another yet contestant vying for the title of Reina de La Costa Maya 2017-2018: Miss Mexico Ximena Cardoso Gutiérrez. 24 year-old Gutiérrez stands tall at 5’9”, with green eyes and blonde hair. She has a degree in International Affairs, and enjoys reading, traveling, biking, exercising, modeling, yoga, family time, and shopping.

Kent Gabourel wins Weekend Warriors’ ACC cycling criterium
Kent “Bob” Gabourel of the Kulture Megabytes team won the Weekend Warriors A category cycling criterium, held in collaboration with the Anglican Diocese on Albert and Regent Streets of downtown Belize City on Sunday, June 18th. Gabourel’s teammate Alicia Thompson won the Female category race; while Clarence Tesecum won the Weekend Warriors’ B category, and Steve Gill won the Weekend Warriors’ C category.

Actress Christina Ochoa joins Earth’s Oceans recycling project in Belize
Earth’s Oceans Foundation, a non-profit organization, is embarking on a project in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye to rid the island of plastics, while providing opportunities to the local population. The foundation is teaming up with a group of talented persons in hopes of making a greater impact. One such person is science communicator and actress Christina Ochoa. She has become the organization’s spokesperson and is eager to start bringing awareness to Belize and beyond about the importance of protecting the earth’s oceans and its natural resources. Ochoa indicated that she had been planning a trip to Belize not necessarily for pleasure, but to see how she could be of assistance in any community projects. “Earth’s Oceans helped me to organize my visit to Ambergris Caye so I could see the state of Belize’s Barrier Reef, and at the same see the situation on the island first hand to then raise awareness,” said Ochoa. Ochoa has been involved in similar projects in other parts of the world like Australia at the Great Barrier Reef, the Canary Islands and California, where young people have been tremendously impacted with these environmental projects.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs launches Diaspora Website
On Friday, June 16th, the Government Press Office revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched its new website, www.diasporaofbelize.org. Not only will this website serve as an information hub for Belizeans living abroad, but it will allow them to get more involved with what’s happening on the mainland. Established and administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Belizean Diaspora Program was approved by the Government of Belize in September 2009. As the major focus of this program was for the registration of Belizeans living abroad, a registration drive was also launched in August 2010 to add members to the Belizean Diaspora Medical Brigade, along with the Belizean Diaspora Law Enforcement and Defense Brigade.

Ambergris Today

UB To Honour 530 Graduates During Its June Commencement Exercises
The University of Belize will honour 530 Graduates during its June Commencement Exercises to be held on Saturday, 24th June, 2017, and Sunday, 25th June, 2017 at the City of Belmopan and Punta Gorda Town respectively. The ceremony will commence at 10:00 am at the UB Gymnasium in Belmopan while in Punta Gorda it will commence at 2:00 p.m. at the Toledo Community College Auditorium. The keynote address in Belmopan will be delivered by the Mayor of Belize City, His Worship, Mr. Darrell Bradley. Belizean Educator Dr. Elizabeth Cardenas will be the keynote speaker for the Punta Gorda ceremony.

Misc Belizean Sources

Minister of Transport Discusses Cooperation with Singapore Delegation
Minister of Transport Hon. Edmond Castro headed a team from his Ministry which met yesterday, June 22nd in Belmopan with a Singapore delegation led by Mr. Yap Ong Heng, Senior Advisor of the Singapore Ministry of Transport and Special Envoy of that country’s Minister of Infrastructure. The delegation is in Belize to strengthen transport cooperation with Belize and explore cooperation initiatives that could be executed under the recently signed air services agreement, also known as “open skies agreement”. The Signapore delegation also included the First Secretary (Maritime) of the High Commission of Singapore in London, Mr Yao Yikai; and Assistant Director of the Ministry of Transport of Singapore, Mr Justin Kua.

Seventeen Youths Pass-out of National Youth Cadet Service Corps Program
On Thursday, 22 June 2017, the National Youth Cadet Service Corps held closing exercises for Intake XVIII at its campus at Mile 21.5 on the Western Highway. Seventeen young men passed-out of the program, having received training in behavior modification, life skills, academics, agriculture, woodwork, spiritual development and basic foot drills. Ten of the “Challengers” were awarded certificates of completion for participating in the entire ten month cycle which began in September 2016, while three were singled out for special recognition. Eighteen year old Selvyn Kelly received the Outstanding Cadet award, thirteen year old Johnny Gamez was Most Improved, while fifteen year old Alton Castillo had the Best Drills.

NEMO Minister and Corozal Southwest Representative Inspect Flood Mitigation Works
Minister of National Emergency Management Hon. Edmond Castro was in the village of Libertad yesterday, June 22, 2017, along with Area Representative for Corozal South West Hon. Angel Campos. They were there to inspect flood mitigation works being carried out with equipment from the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). The works include the clearing of existing drains and digging of new ones where needed. This is part of a countrywide flood mitigation program that has been going on prior to the start of the new hurricane season. With the hurricane season having now commenced, Hon. Castro says NEMO is trying to cover as many vulnerable areas as possible before they are affected by seasonal flooding.

Ministry of Natural Resources Strategic Planning Session
The Ministry of Natural Resources strategic planning Session with The Minister of State, Hon Carla Barnett, Chief Executive Officer, Sharon Ramclam-Young, and heads of Department for the Ministry.

SAN PEDRO BURGLARY
On 22.06.17 about 3:35 p.m., 51-year-old Fernando Giacoman, a naturalized Belizean and owner of Coco Cabana Restaurant and Bar located 4 miles North of San Pedro Town reported that several Atlantic Bank cheques amounting to a total value of $7,629.80 went missing from his office. Police are looking for two persons as the investigation continues.

Barrier Reef Drive closed Fidos- Central Park Fri, Sat
The public is informed that the section of Barrier Reef Drive from central park to Fido's, will be closed from 6:00pm Friday june 23rd and remain closed all day Saturday the 24th.For the Lobster Fest block party. Reopening Sunday the 25th after clean up is completed. Please be advised that no vehicles will be allowed to enter the closed off section and any parked vehicles will be removed. Thank you and hope everyone has a great time at the Lobster Fest 2017.

Tribute for Hardrock and to All Belizean Life Lost to Gun and Domestic Violence
INVITING ALL BELIZEANS AT HOME AND ABROAD TO PARTICIPATE AND PLEDGE YOUR SINCERE SUPPORT TO OUR Tribute for Hardrock and to All Belizean Life Lost to Gun and Domestic Violence. Let us Live in Peace and Stop Rest in Peace! 46TH DAYS OF HEALING is set for July 16th. It will start with a Peace Rally and March from infront of Hardrock's house on the Blvd, through the City Streets and will end up on the ABS Court on Iguana Street for a Candlelight Vigil and Free All Day Event of Positive Music, Sports and Entertainment and more. LOVE AND SHARE THIS POST!

"AYO DA" TO DANA MARTINEZ & HER DANCE OF LIFE!
The lost of the legendary Garifuna Belizean dancer and artist Dana Martinez in the Los Angeles Belizean Community has been irreplaceable. Since her death and departure from the Belize artistic scene both at home and abroad, Belizean dance performances has never been the same. Dana brought a new vibe to Belizean dance and performance. She incorporated like no one else did Garifuna dance rhythms into Caribbean art forms that would even make Bob Reneau blushes.

PORTRAIT OF TERRYL GODOY'S "MAN AT WORK"!
The 1990s was when Belizean artist Terryl Godoy brought back a kind of eclectic artistic style seen only first by the legendary Belizean artist, Phillip Lewis. A kind of walk about artist who was capturing the colorful scenes of Belize City's busy street life in art form. Terryl visibility was daring and he showed no shyness about it, setting up station wherever a scene comes to view that haunted his artistic mind. Also called, "Man at Work", Godoy was a very young emerging Belizean artist of his time that came up after the departure of Belizean artists extraordinaire George Gabb, Belisle, and Phillip Lewis from the Belizean artistic scene. He appeared to have had no one to consult with as an artist about his work and he explored his craft in solitude confinement across the vibrant Belize City neighborhoods that were already beginning to change.

NURI AKBAR & THE CALLING!
As a childhood friend in Belize City Derrick Estrada had more freedom than most of us who grew up in the same neighborhood and in very strict homes like myself in the late 1960s. But remembering him and his shy personality since then makes me realize that boys like him had appeared distant in many ways. Though for me there was always this wonderment why my sheltered background at the time prevented me from knowing him better. It later appeared after we both became teenagers in the late 1970s, and my family's departure from the neighborhood that divided us from connecting, that we were to meet again in more maturity. There was a sense of reluctance still even though we would chat occasionally at the Belize Islamic center on Racecourse Street that had become like a educational pub for some of Belize's most brilliant minds.

NEMO EOC CONVENES ON SAN PEDRO (AMBERGRIS CAYE) TO REVIEW STATE OF READINESS
Three weeks into the hurricane season, all branches of the National Emergency ...; and the outgoing Coordinator for that area, Timrose Augustine, who is now stationed in Belize City. There was representation from all 13 committees that make up the OEC. Minister of National Emergency Management Hon Edmond Castro congratulates and thanks all persons involved for their commitment and service to the People of Belize as NEMO continues to lead the way in preserving life and property.

Donation Drive for Dianny Enriquez
Some friends of the Enrique family is conducting a donation drive to assist in medical bills for Dianny Enriquez, please make a donation at Costa Maya with Seni Smith or feel free to contact me. Any contribution would greatly be appreciated at this time.

Graduation at Louisiana Government School
Would like to big up all graduates from the Louisiana Government School. It was indeed a pleasure and honor to see these young men and women get their primary school certificate. Louisana School and its staff have done well over the many years and it is an honor to always work with them as this school has consistently served our people. I also want to big up the parents for their dedication to their children and the sacrifice and role they play in ensuring their kids get an education. Kudos to all. It was a good ceremony.

Come see the Maya Ball Game in Succotz on Sunday 25 June, 2017!

PACT and the University of Belize (UB) partner for Scholarships
PACT and the University of Belize (UB) partner to provide scholarships for the 2017-2018 Academic Year. PACT will be providing 5 scholarships at the Baccalaureate level for a total value of BZ $50,000.00. Additionally, scholars will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the work of PACT and other environmental NGOs through internships within the Protected Areas Management network and other partner organizations. UB will provide Book Grants, mentoring and will supervise the progress of the scholars over the course of the program. In addition to Natural Resource Management, eligible programmes of study have been expanded to include: Information Technology, Biology, Tourism Management and Business Management among others.

Belize Audubon Society Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Summer Camp!
It's that time of the year again!! Remember to reserve your space for this year's Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Summer Camp! Limited Spaces available (First come First Serve basis) Join us as we explore these World Heritage Sites!! There are 3 dates available 15th, 22nd and 23rd July! Spread the word!

U.S. Embassy donates three boats and equipment
Today, the U.S. Embassy handed over maritime assets to include three boats and equipment, valued at approximately US$449,000, to the Belize Police Department. All three vessels were seized by Belizean authorities and now refurbished and equipped to fight criminal activities. The handover ceremony occurred at the Belize Coast Guard Compound in Belize City. Chargé d' Affaires, a.i., Adrienne Galanek and Police Commissioner Allen Whylie, delivered remarks at the handing over ceremony. This project is expected to help increase the Government of Belize’s ability to combat, deter and disrupt narcotics trafficking and illegal activities in the waters of Belize. It places state-of-the-art equipment on rugged boats designed for rapid deployment required to interdict illegal activities in Belize waters. As part of the project, the Police Department has partnered with the Belize Coast Guard to facilitate training for the boat captains and engineers.

"A Call For Unity Peace Walk" in Corozal
Saturday night in Corozal will be having its "A Call For Unity Peace Walk". Commencing at 7pm people will gather at Central Park.

SHJC 2017 Graduation Ceremony
Congratulations, SHJC graduates! SHJC had their 2017 commencement ceremony. Lots of happy students. FB picture link.

This Day In History
1820 June 23rd - King George 1V. proclaimed at Belize. General review of the Militia, the Officers of which had a grand banquet.

Noche Cultural - Homage to Los Chicleros
Gearing for Noche Cultural - Homage to Los Chicleros, an industry that bloomed during the Golden Years in Benque Viejo Del Carmen! Make it a date at the Chiclero Park, July 1st, 2017 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Channel 7

US Donates Go-Fast Drug Interdiction Vessels To Police
In the past few weeks, there's been so much controversy about Coast Guard vessels donated by the US Government. That's after the Defense Minister John Saldivar started using them to ferry around his basketball team. The US publicly frowned at that practice, forcing the Prime Minister to declare, "that sort of use, is now absolutely and completely off the table." So that's now the law for the police department which today received its own mini-fleet of high speed vessels from the US. Our 7News team was at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Belize City for the handing-over ceremony, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Top Cop Answers For The Case of Chester and The Castro Boys
That handing-over session from this morning allowed the media to grill Police Commissioner Allen Whylie about the many police incidents making news in the past 2 weeks. First on the list was the case of the UDP Minister Edmond Castro's sons, and how the police resolved it. The Castro boys were allegedly caught driving without licenses, and they allegedly assaulted the police. That allegedly led to them being beaten by police, and both the Southside Police Commander and their defense attorney assert that they settled the incident with the understanding that the boys would go free without any charge, and that they wouldn't press charges against the officers who allegedly abused them.

Compol Comments On Rogue, Tourist-Threatening Cops on San Pedro
The Commissioner also commented on a constable and a special constable from San Pedro who were charged for allegedly extorting an American Tourist, threatening him with a gun to the head, and eventually robbing him. 28-year-old Timothy Braun reported to police that last Thursday evening, he was in downtown San Pedro smoking a cigarette. 3 uniformed police personnel pulled up and accused him of smoking marijuana. He insisted that he wasn't, but the officers handcuffed him, placed him on their golf cart, and drove him to a dark area along the Boca Del Rio. That's where one of the officers allegedly put a gun to his head and told him that if he didn't give them all his money, he would end up in the river. He took them to his rental apartment, and they allegedly stole $500 US.

When Will Police Finalize Case of Richard Allen Garcia?
We also pressed the Commissioner for an update on case of Richard Allen Garcia who was shot and killed by Police in Corozal village of Chunox. It happened 14 days ago, when, according to police, he aggressed armed officers with a machete, forcing them to defend themselves by using deadly force to stop him from hurting them. Chunox villagers reject that completely, saying the police had been drinking, and did not use justifiable use of force and harm.

COMPOL Keeps it Real With His Expectations
So, with all the negative police publicity, the Department didn't exactly get glowing press during Police Week. It's supposed to be all about highlighting the good work that the 2,300 officers do every day, but these high-profile police controversies focussed on bad or controversial deeds. The Commissioner didn't lament that today; he said he's a realist: Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police: "In deed we would love to be able to do police week on an annual basis. Through the years it was not properly financed and what we did last year when we decided that we wanted to make serious effort in having police week, we ensured that we put it in the budget. Once it was in the budget then it allowed for the financing, it allowed for the purchasing for the various medals and all the different arrangements that were required."

When A Cop Is Named As the Mastermind In A Hustle
And our final story from the Police Commissioner before we go to break is about his Hattieville Commander, Assistant Superintendent Rochelle Chan. Last week, he had to go before the Senate Select Committee to defend his reputation after Alvarine Burgess accused him of being a major player in the visa hustling business. Burgess told the Senators that Chan recruited her to get visas for Chinese Nationals by bribing Minister of Government for recommendation letters which assured that visas would be automatically approved. Chan responded saying that she is lying and that she made up the entire story to ruin his reputation. So, what does his police boss think about a senior officer brought into such a controversy? Here's how the COMPOL put it:

Alleged King Street Killer Charged
Today, 25 year old Kashief Gallego, a resident of the Waxhouse area in Belize City, was charged for the murder of Jermaine Franklin. Gallego allegedly shot Franklin inside Teddy's DVD store on King Street on Wednesday at 6:20 and fled. Police pulled security video from surrounding businesses and caught him later that night. Gallego is known to hang out right around the corner from where the murder occurred. He was remanded into custody until August 23.

Teenaged Lover Who Killed 27 Year Old Mother, Pleads Down
And while Gallego's murder case is just starting, another one is wrapping up. Today, Freddy Blanco appeared in the Supreme Court before Justice Herbert Lord to change his plea after being in custody for almost 6 years. In September 2011, when he was only 16, Blanco was charged for the murder of Nelsi Chuc, a married, 26 year old mother of a seven year old - with whom he was having an affair.

NEAB Says Gay Flag At Embassy Is a Case Of Obama Leftovers
It took them two days to muster the spiritual indignation, but the National Evangelical Association of Belize has finally blasted the US Embassy for raising the rainbow flag. In a statement issued today, NEAB, quote, "expresses its disgust at the US Embassy flying the LGBT flag at the Embassy in Belmopan." From there the statement goes ad-hominem, suggesting that US President Donald Trump would not approve. They say, quote, "These rogue views continue to be pushed by leftover appointees of the Obama Administration at the US Embassy and are not in line with the views and convictions of the Belizean populace. It is our hope that this event will expedite the appointment of a new US Ambassador under the new US President." end quote.

MIT Finds Drug Vessel Abandoned
The Mobile Interdiction recovered an abandoned drug vessel yesterday. The un-marked, abandoned vessel was found at the north end of the Placencia Peninsula near Riversdale. The water bottles on board were from Honduras, and it was found with four barrels of fuel and two outboard engines, which is typical of drug trafficking vessels. But it had been abandoned and there was no cargo on board, suggesting that whatever illicit substance was being carried was transferred for transshipment north.

Five Associations Say They Won't Come To FFB Congress Could Get
The Football Federation's 10th. Congress is scheduled for tomorrow morning but, tonight, no one's quite sure if the meeting will even go ahead. That's because four of the District Associations and the Premier League have written to the FFB saying they will not participate. Without those five bodies - the Congress will not have the required quorum. The associations are objecting to the FFB decision barring Sergio Chuc and others from offering themselves as President. But, the FFB is doing its best to force these associations back into the fold.

Lifeguard Training For Greater Water Safety
During easter-time, and the warm months of April and May, we regularly report on so many unfortunate drownings - especially involving younger persons. The fact is that many go swimming without the ability to truly handle themselves in changing water conditions. And that's where lifeguards come in. They are the safety providers and life-savers in the case of an emergency in the water. True, they might not be a familiar sight in Belize, but the YWCA is hoping to change that with its annual lifeguard training where they encourage young Belizeans to train in this neglected area of public safety. Lifeguards from Gateway YMCA in St. Louis, Missouri, are providing the training this year, and I went to visit with them this afternoon:

NICH Invites Media To Consult
The media is always covering workshops, but today we were the ones being hosted at one. It was held by NICH agencies, The Institute for Social and Cultural Research and the Institute of Archaeology. The idea is to get the media on board with 2016's National Culture Policy so that we can make the public more aware of what is called the Belize Cultural model. Selene Solis explains: Today's session at the House of Culture was for media houses from Northern Belize, Belize District and the Cayes, and another will be held tomorrow for media houses in Western Belize, Belmopan and Southern Belize.

Murderer Who Assaulted Journalist Charged
He's a convicted murderer who assaulted court reporter Anita Nembhard in February. On February 16th - the same day he was convicted of murder - Byron James was was among the prisoners being taken from the holding cell at Magistrate's Court to go back to jail. He stepped out of the line of prisoners and lunged at Nembhard, striking her in the face. At the time she was taking photos of the prisoners. She made a complaint and requested court action, but police took months to bring a charge - and only after the DPP intervened.

Getting And Job, And Learning To Keep It
The Youth Apprenticeship Program offers many young Belizeans a chance at learning new skills and acquiring a job that they would not have access to otherwise. But in order to hold down a job, you need the be able communicate properly and work well with others. RET International is helping the participants of the Youth Apprenticeship Program do just that. Over the last week, RET has been conducting Employability Training to teach the participants important skills needed in the work place. The course ended today, and we went to the graduation ceremony where we spoke to the RET International's Program Coordinator about the training session...

Police Officers Honoured
Yesterday, almost 300 police officers were honored, for long, exemplary and outstanding service in a ceremony at the police academy. It's a moment of great pride for these career cops who've given their lives to law enforcement. And, plus, it's a chance for them to dress up in those crisp white ceremonial uniforms and march across the parade square like the recruits do. ACP Robert Mariano - himself an honoree - put it in perspective for his fellow officers:...

Whylie Wants More Honors For Cops
And if it seems like a whole lot of officers being honored, the truth is that it's been years since the Department last held a ceremony like this. Today the Commissioner told us that he wants it to be an annual, or at least bi-annual celebration:

Police Host Sports Day
And to put a cap on police week for us, we stopped by the Eastern Division Sports day at the Yabra Green. That's where police did everything from running a marathon, to playing competitive dominoes, to running five-on-five basketball - where even the commissioner participated. As for the much hyped media - police showdown on the basketball court, it didn't happen because, unlike the police, we in the media have to work on weekdays. The media asked repeatedly for it to be moved to Saturday - to no avail.

Castro + Campos Conjuntos
Villagers in Libertad won't have to worry about flash floods catching them like it did last year. This is after NEMO deployed heavy equipment to clear a troublesome drain. Now, this is routine work that should be done before any rainy season - but area rep. Angel Campos and the NEMO Minister Edmond Castro did their best to make it into a major event:

Channel 5

ComPol Condemns Extortion Case by Cops on Ambergris Caye
Police Week concludes on Saturday with a massive parade through the streets of Belize City to culminate seven days of community-based activities.  While the department celebrated the professional achievements of [...]

Police Department Has Not Lost Morals
The department has seen a number of officers being investigated for infractions committed while in uniform. ComPol Whylie, however, maintains that the actions of a few rogue cops do not [...]

Chunox Case Open, But Castros Get Away
The shooting death of Richard Garcia in Chunox Village two Fridays ago involved a group of four officers who were responding to a request made by a villager to evict [...]

Rochelle Chan Remains Innocent; Police Promise to Act on Senate Inquiry Recommendations
Assistant Superintendent Rochelle Chan testified before the Senate Special Select Committee last Wednesday, refuting allegations made concerning his purported role in the visa ring involving Alvarine Burgess.  Despite being able [...]

Kashief Gallego to Court for Jermaine Franklin Murder
Twenty-five-year-old Kashief Gallego was charged with and arraigned for the murder of thirty-six-year-old Jermaine Franklin. Gallego appeared unrepresented in court today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Due to the nature [...]

Orange Walk Man Pleads Manslaughter for Death of Girlfriend
Twenty-two-year-old Freddy Amir Blanco pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the September 2011 killing of his lover Nelsi Chuc in August Pine Ridge. Back in 2011, Blanco was arraigned for murder [...]

U.S. Hands Police Refurbished Boats
The United States of America has formally transferred three boats and equipment valued at close to a million Belize dollars to the Belize Police Department.  The vessels were previously seized [...]

Police Awarded; Police Week to Become Regularized
On Thursday evening in Belmopan, quite a few outstanding police officers were recognized for individual professional achievements over the years.  It has been two years since the last Police Week [...]

Chester Williams among Long-Serving Awardees
Top Cop and the Regional Commander of Eastern Division South, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was also an awardee at Thursday’s ceremony in Belmopan. Aside from being recognized for [...]

Southside the Big Winners at Police Sports Day
Police Week culminates on Saturday with a parade through the principal streets of Belize City. The march is a spectacle with many features, including a clear distinction of the different [...]

NICH and Media Hold a Conversation about Culture
Culture is defined in Bella Carib’s 1998 song “Proud A Mi Kulcha” as, “the concepts, habits, skills, instruments and institutions of a given people, in a given period.” The National [...]

New House of Culture for San Ignacio, But Why Was Town Hall Demolished?
In San Ignacio, there is outrage over the demolition of the historic San Ignacio-Santa Elena Town Hall at the corner of King and Hudson Streets in the town center. Reports [...]

Why “National Colonial Museum” is a Misnomer
The National Cultural Heritage Bill is headed back to the House of Representatives next week Friday.  It is meant to provide a framework for the preservation of historically and culturally [...]

Team Belize Invades Las Vegas to Play Poker
It is an annual series that attracts thousands of poker pros and poker enthusiasts from across the globe. These players descend on Las Vegas, Nevada specifically during the summer months [...]

Apprentices Receive Specialized Training for Employment
Approximately seventy-one young Belizeans were successfully engaged by RET International Belize, which provided them with employable and entrepreneurial skills.  The initiative is as a result of a partnership with the [...]

New Lifeguards Trained by YMCA
In recent months, we have reported a number of drowning incidents across the country. Despite the fact that Belize is surrounded by bodies of water and is dotted with rivers, [...]

PlusTV

Man shot and killed at Teddy’s music store in Belize City
There was a murder on King Street in Belize City on Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. It happened at Teddy’s Music and DVD Rental and the victim has been identified as 36-year-old Jermaine Franklin of Belize City. Police already have a suspect in custody. ASP Alejandro Cowo, Officer in charge...

Jorge Lemus’s death being investigated as homicide
Police are now officially investigating the death of Jorge Lemus as a homicide. The postmortem examination certified death due to cardiac thrombosis due to brain hemorrhage due to polytraumatism (head, neck & chest trauma). This past Saturday, Lemus’ body was found in a drain that runs along th...

PM speaks on Castro’s troubles with sons
Today the media got a chance to catch up with Prime minister Dean Barrow to ask him for his comments on various issues. One of those issues is the bad press that Minister Edmond Castro has had over the past few months, the most recent being his sons being caught with contraband in Orange Walk and ...

Dorian Pakeman back at job as Press Office Director
Another matter the PM addressed is the Dorian Pakeman issue. As you may recall, Pakeman had knocked down and killed 45 year old mechanic Dean Dawson. There were reports that traces of cocaine were found in Pakeman’s blood and also allegations that the victim’s samples were tampered with to try and ...

Pacheco questioned on Kim Barrow’s brother- in- law’s nationality
Yesterday, at the Senate Select Inquiry into the Auditor General’s report on Immigration departments of Visa, passport, and nationality sections, Addy Pacheco was asked about the nationality certificate for Swedish national Peter Dahlstrom. This case was mentioned in the nationality report and red f...

Addy Pacheco says she was intimidated by Ministers
Another matter brought up in yesterday’s Senate Inquiry was the fact that Addy Pacheco received the Won Hong Kim file directly from Minister Penner. That application file was lacking several key components. According to the Auditor Generals’ report, Addy Pacheco was interviewed on the matter in whic...

Pacheco says she saw Alvorine Burges at Immigration several times
Chair of the Senate Select Committee, Aldo Salazar, had made it clear that he was not convinced of the accuracy of the testimony as given by whistleblower Alvorine Burgess. Burgess had testified regarding her role as an agent in the processing of visa applications; a role for which she was paid for...

Minister of Education says no tolerance for pedophiles in education system
Last week, we reported on the case of the Valley of Peace Primary School principal who was arraigned for sexual assault of a minor. That minor is a standard 6 student at the school. As we told you, the child reported to police that she was feeling ill and went to the principal’s office where he alle...

Two San Pedro cops arrested for armed robbery
Last week we reported on a San Pedro tourist’s allegations that uniformed San Pedro police robbed him at gun point. As we said, police were investigating the matter and have now charged two of their own. They are PC Denfield Nelson Ramos, charged with Theft, Extortion and Aggravated Assault with a D...

Arson in Toledo
Toledo police are investigating a case of arson. According to police reports, on Wednesday night at about 10 p.m., 23-year-old Clarentina Coc of Graham Creek Village, Toledo heard a noise outside and when she went to check, she saw a man setting her thatched roof on fire. Coc told police she recogn...

Police preparing charges for driver of weed carrying cattle truck
Yesterday we told you about the huge drug bust in Belmopan where a cattle truck with Belizean license plate made its way into Belize from across the Benque border. Police intercepted the vehicle in Ontario Village and searched it. They found a secret compartment under the pan of the truck and disco...

Over 280 Police officers awarded at ceremony
An awards ceremony was held today, June 22nd, at the Police Training Academy in Belmopan in honor of over 280 police officers. The officers received medals in recognition of their excellent years of service. There were five categories of awards handed out today: the long service good conduct medal w...

Top 25 PSE performers awarded
The annual PSE awards ceremony was held in Belize city on Wednesday. The top 25 performers in the Primary School Examinations were acknowledged with certificates as well as $1000 scholarships to high schools of their choice. Minister of Education Patrick Faber spoke more about the award ceremony. &#...

Amandala

Gunned down as he bought Terminator 3
Jermaine Franklin, 36, a construction worker, was making preparations for a movie night at home when he was gunned down on Belize City’s southside. Sometime around 6 o’clock on Wednesday night, Franklin, a resident of Fabers Road Extension, visited Teddy’s Music and DVD Rental, located on #16 King Street. The DVD he bought, Terminator 3 – Judgment Day, remains in a bag on the counter of the video store because before he could remove it, a man walked into the store and opened fire at him. Franklin ran outside the store but collapsed in front of the establishment. He had been shot five times in the head and neck.

“Kissing” principal arraigned for sexual assault
A 13-year-old standard 6 female student at Monsignor Romero RC School in Valley of Peace has accused her principal, Johnny Valencia, of sexually assaulting her. In the presence of her parents, the minor told police that on the morning of Monday, June 12, she wasn’t feeling well and so she decided to rest her head on a desk inside the library. She alleges that while she was in the library, Principal Valencia came up to her, grabbed her by the shoulders, kissed her, and touched her buttocks. However, the child pushed him away.

San Pedro cops allegedly extort US$500 from tourist
We are in the middle of Police Week, a time when the police highlight their good deeds and do a lot of public relations work to garner public support for their efforts to combat crime, but this did not deter a few rogues in their ranks from going on a rampage in San Pedro (La Isla Bonita). Reports from La Isla Bonita indicate that two cops extorted money from a tourist, Timothy Braun, on the island on Thursday night, after putting a gun to his head. Fearing for his life, the tourist gave them $500 USD. ASP Henry Jemmott was understandably ashamed when he got the report. The very disappointed Commander of San Pedro police led an intense investigation into the extortion, which led to the arrest of two policemen: PC Denfield Ramos, who was charged with theft, extortion and aggravated assault with a firearm; and Special Constable Orlando Mendez, who was charged with theft and extortion. A third policeman who was held was exonerated from all charges.

Price of regular gas passes $10 again
At midnight last night, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline, the most common type used by motorists, shot past $10 for the second time this year, with the first price increase being a result of the implementation of further tax levies at the pumps. However, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight told Amandala that since the tax increases of April 1, implemented to raise additional revenue to finance the Government’s budget, no further tax measures have been implemented. On April 26, the price of regular gasoline went up to $10.26 a gallon, the highest so far this year. Premium gasoline hit its peak price of $11.04 on May 11. Since then, there has been a price ease at the pumps, with the price of premium gas down to $10.53 and the price of regular gasoline down to $9.87.

Lois Lightburn passes at 82, funeral Saturday
We regret to announce the passing of Lois Nathalia Hyacinth Lightburn. Lois Lightburn was born on August 17, 1936 to William “Bill” Lightburn and Rosita Moody. She was the second of their three children, and Rosita’s five children: James Lightburn, Lois Lightburn, Carl Michael Lightburn, Camilla Leslie and Barbara Leslie. Lois had three daughters: Alva and Natalie Jeffries and Andrea Vernon. She enjoyed being a grandmother to Ryan Rogers and Bria Cross and doted on her two grandchildren.

St. Joseph RC girls (Belize Dist.) and Holy Family RC boys (Stann Creek Dist.) are National Primary School Basketball Champions 2017
The National Primary School Basketball Championships took place last Thursday, June 15, at the SJC Gym in Belize City, where female and male champion teams from all six districts of the country converged to participate in an all-day tournament. The 6 female and 6 male teams were divided into groups of 3, and a round-robin first round of competition determined the top 2 from each group, who then went on to the semifinal knockout round, and then the championship finals.

ITT National Championship Boom Circuit results
The Cycling Federation of Belize (CFB) had a somewhat low turnout for its Individual Time Trial (ITT) National Championship Boom Circuit on Sunday, June 18; but is expecting greater participation in this weekend’s Road National Championship, which takes place on Sunday, June 25. Here are the results for finishers in the ITT National Championships last Sunday: Elite/U23/Masters (20 miles): 1st place – Tariq Flowers (Benny’s Megabytes, 43:37); 2nd Nissan Arana (Westrac Alliance, 44:05); 3rd Giovanni Lovell (Digicell-4G Elite, 45:09); 4th Shane Jones (Westrac Alliance, 45:36). Masters Category – 1st Robert Liam Stewart (unattached, 45:59); 2nd Stephen Bisset (unattached, 52:42).

Cricket Corner – Easy Does It lost the first to Summer Fever; and Excellence chased Berlan away
Blessed greetings to all! Under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, the Harrison Parks 2017 Cricket Competition continues in high gear, thanks to our kind sponsor, Bowen and Bowen. On Saturday, spectators and listeners heard and saw three-time champ Easy Does It lose the first game in the semifinals against young upstart, Summer Fever. Before continuing, please be reminded that during the regular competition, Summer Fever had lost the two games, home and away, to Easy Does It. Will time repeat itself? Read on, and find out how the game played and finished. Easy Does It took to bat first, and at the fall of the first wicket, 28 was scored. Then the second fell for 68. It started to look good for the champs; but the bowling changed, and wickets started to fall in this order: 3 for 72; 4 for 75; 5 for 85; 6 for 95; 7 for 96; 8 for 97; 9 for 100. All for 101. The super hands of Jermaine Baizar took a toll on the Easy batsmen by taking 5 big wickets. Malcolm Reynolds scored 23, followed by Alexander Reynolds with 22 for their team, Easy Does It.

Belize exits CONCACAF Women U-20 Qualifiers in Nicaragua
Our Belize National Women U-20 squad was expected back home today from Nicaragua, after losing, 10-0, to Costa Rica on Tuesday in the CONCACAF Women U-20 Qualifiers. According to reports gleaned from Futbol24.com, they had lost the Group 1 opener on Sunday to hosts Nicaragua, 5-1; so that puts Belize out of contention in the Qualifiers. Nicaragua and Costa Rica from Group 1, who complete Group 1 play against each other later today, will then join the top 2 teams from Group 2, El Salvador and Honduras, in the classification stage, where the winners of one group play the runners-up of the other group, with the two winners then qualifying as the Central American representatives for the final CONCACAF Women U-20 tournament in 2018.

Editorial: Division and conquest
Two different articles by Adele Ramos, the Assistant Editor of Amandala, in the Tuesday, June 20, 2017 issue of this newspaper which do not appear to be related to each other, certainly are related in the broader scheme of things Belizean. In a page one article, Ms. Ramos writes: “The IMF continues to press the Government of Belize to increase consumer taxes, particularly by upping the rate of the General Sales Tax (GST) from 12.5% to 15%.” In a page two article, Ms. Ramos writes: “Cyril Fuller, the stevedore who last week wrote the Christian Workers Union (CWU) demanding that the president, Dale Trujeque, and the negotiating team which has been in talks with Port of Belize Limited as a part of a drawn-out collective bargaining process, step away from the negotiating table, claims that he has been threatened via an intimidating text message from a member of the negotiating team.”

From The Publisher
When I was a child, one of the worst punishments my mother could inflict on me was to order me to go “sit in a corner.” Life would go on around you as per normal, while you were immobilized, imprisoned in space in broad daylight. After a while, you would wonder if your mom had forgotten about you and your punishment. Remember now, there was no time limit: theoretically, you could have remained in that corner forever, so that as time went along your mind would begin to play tricks on you. When would this end, when would this end …. Around 8:30 on Sunday morning, Father’s Day, an over-enthusiastic young police constable essentially ordered me to go sit in a corner. This humiliation came out of the blue, as we would say. The police had set up a checkpoint at the corner of Vernon and Mayflower Streets. Personally, I hate checkpoints in the city, especially during working hours. This was not working hours, but it was a Sunday morning, God forbid.

A “test designed to discriminate”
Dear Editor, Belize’s education system is designed to create an elite, and a majority failing underclass. Albert Einstein said, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will lives its whole life believing it is stupid.” This is what is happening to the majority of our youth in the education system. It is difficult to implement change in the education system of Belize and the Caribbean because the decision makers are beneficiaries of the present system. They blame the individuals for their inability to progress in the current education system. Teachers also get the blame for poor student performance. The system is doing what it was designed to do – create a ruling elite and a majority servile class.

Dangriga youth pioneers Hope Run – wants Belize youth at Penn Relays
The 1st Annual Hope Run due to be held in Dangriga on July 8 is the brainchild of Dangriga youth, Kyle Castillo, 24, who is currently studying marketing in Jamaica. Castillo told Amandala that his exposure to the Caribbean has helped him to see what athletics has been able to do for people, and so he decided, with the help of family and friends, to launch his own initiative—the Hope Run Project—here in Belize. “The project itself was developed to highlight our athletes and lesser known causes simultaneously… The only currency we can offer to the causes is exposure. For the students themselves, our end game is to get them out and get them exposed to the Penn Relays,” Castillo said.

RIGHT TO THE POINT: What really is a common-law union?
Belize is under a common law system and one that many do not understand or know. But I dare say many do use the word “common law” very openly and easily, but I wonder how many appreciate what it is. There is the well-known “common-law” wife or husband, which is what I seek to address in today’s writing. Just as a background, it must be known that Belize operates under a common law legal system, which it inherited from its “motherland” – England. If I had to find a simple way to explain common law, I would say it is a system of law originating in England, which unlike the civil law system, is based on the unwritten laws derived from English customs and court decisions which then in and of itself form a body of law. By saying it is unwritten, I simply mean it is not codified into statute (legislation), yet the decisions that developed over the centuries are found in the cases decided over the years. Without going into a class of the English legal system, I would say that under the common law system the lack of formality of codifying the law into statutes helped to allow the law to evolve and develop, unlike statutes that makes a strict provision that must be followed.

Six Belize delegates to learn from the Garifuna land struggle in Honduras
This Sunday, the 25th of June, a delegation of six people from Belize will travel to the Caribbean coast of Honduras where they will participate in an organized exchange focused on the Garifuna struggles and victories for collective territories, reparations and ancestral rights. Belize delegates include community members from the Garifuna coast of Yugadan/Hopkins; the communally-held lands of St. Vincent Block/Serru/Cerro in Peini; the Rastafari-led multi-ethnic land reclamation efforts of Harmonyville in Cayo; and from the Black-owned independent media house Kremandala in Belize City. People-to-people visits have taken place between Belizean and Honduran peoples across maritime borders for centuries and today, cultural and social exchanges are constant. In recent years, organized convergences have focused primarily on groups sharing stories and specific strategies to protect the rights of Black and Indigenous peoples.

Customers dissatisfied with BTL’s new network
It was with much fanfare that Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) switched on its new 4G LTE network last December. The new network was supposed to have ushered in a new, faster, and much improved telecommunications experience for its customers. That has not been the case, and the new BTL network has been a continuing nightmare for BTL’s customers. One customer told Amandala that her texting has been problematic: sometimes the texts reached the recipient as late as three days later. She berated her friend, asking “why doesn’t she answer her texts,” but the friend’s phone records showed that she had not received any texts from that person during that period.

Under-5 deaths most common in southside Belize City
Belize City’s southside has been known to be one of the locations hardest hit by violent crimes and particularly homicides, but what many people may not know is that it is also the location with the highest child mortality rate in Belize at 22 for every 1,000 children born there, well above the national rate of 12. A 276-page report launched by UNICEF this morning, looking at the situation of women and children in Belize, unveils the situation of children across numerous indicators; however, key areas in the report focus on the welfare of children, such as early childhood mortality and their nutritional status – whether they are eating well enough to support their wholesome development and a good start in life.

They came on a cruise, and they are now in jail
At about 8:45 Tuesday morning, the cruise tour of three men from the West Indies who came to Belize to tour Harvest Caye on-board the cruise ship, the Norwegian Escape, was terminated in Harvest Caye. Derson Frank, of St. Vincent; Renaldo Kerron Roberts, of St. Vincent; and Jamal Nathus Celise, of St. Lucia, were arrested and charged with two counts of drug trafficking after the ship’s authorities found over two kilos of cocaine in the room they were occupying. On Wednesday, they were taken to the Independence Magistrate’s Court, where they were arraigned and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until August 30.

Ady Pacheco on “Citizen Kim”
Won Hong Kim never set foot on Belizean soil. Yet the South Korean national received a Belizean nationality certificate and a Belizean passport. At the time Mr. Kim came into possession of these sacred Belizean documents, he was lodged in a prison in Taiwan over an embezzlement scandal. How could this happen? Ady Pacheco, an Immigration officer who has worked with the department for more than two decades, appeared as a witness before the Senate Select Committee today to explain how Kim was able to breach the system. Pacheco was named in the Citizen Kim saga because, according to the Auditor General’s audit of the Immigration Department, she accepted Kim’s application even though she knew it was incomplete.

Swiss want “automatic exchange of financial account information” with Belize and 40 other states
Following a meeting last Friday, June 16, the Swiss Federal Council—described as a 7-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of the Swiss Confederation and serves as the collective executive head of government and state of Switzerland—announced that it is seeking to establish agreements for the automatic exchange of financial account information (AEOI) with Belize and 40 other states and territories. Some of the other countries and territories listed are Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Cayman, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Israel, Columbia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Uruguay.

The Reporter

US Embassy furnishes Anti-Drug Unit with 3 vessels
Officials from the United States Embassy handed over three newly-refurbished vessels to the Anti Narcotics Unit of the Belize Police Department during a ceremony today. The donation was handed over at the Coast Guard base and is valued at approximately US $449,000, through the Central […]

Seventeen youths pass out of Youth Cadet program
Seventeen youths who were enlisted in the National Youth Cadet Service Corps program have completed the course, which began last September. Of the 17, 10 received certificates for having successfully completed the entire 10 months of training. The youths received training in behavior modification, life […]

Belizean youth gunned down in LA
Eddie Lino, 22, a man of Belizean parentage, was gunned down in Los Angeles, California on Sunday evening. The incident occurred at the corner of Denver and 58th Street. It is reported that Lino was walking when a car approached him and someone from inside […]

Why was Maynor Portillo shot?
Police are investigating the circumstances that lead to the shooting death of 20-year-old Santa Elena resident, Maynor Portillo. Police found Portillo dead after 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 16 on the eastern side of the Novell’s Convention Center, with a gunshot wound to the head. Portillo’s family […]

“Belize has week medium term outlook,” says IMF
High public debt, decreasing economic performance, and a lack of strict fiscal consolidation policies, are some of the reasons that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently called Belize’s medium term financial outlook “weak.” The IMF, following it’s 2017 Article IV mission to Belize, issued a statement on […]

US embassy raises LGBT flag again; no protest on perimeter
The hoisting of the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) flag atop the flagstaff at the US embassy, along with the United States flag on Wednesday, drew more people this year to witness it, but except for one senator present, it had no government official in […]

Mayor Bradley weighs in on minimum wage increase
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley is not expressly opposed to raising the minimum wage in Belize, but says that an increase should only come after careful planning. Bradley, speaking on the recent “Raise the Minimum Wage” march, held by Belize Leaders for Social Justice (BLSJ), […]

Yellow Man barred from Senate hearings! But keeps his job as Macebearer
Brian “Yellow Man” Audinett can no longer attend the ongoing Senate public inquiries, but will remain Mace Bearer of the National Assembly, following his assault on several media workers at the National Assembly several weeks ago. On Wednesday, Clerk of the National Assembly, Eddie Webster, […]

DJ Hard Rock’s suspected killer caught
After 3 weeks, the man believed to be behind the cold blooded assassination of Andrew Ian Bennett Sr., the beloved DJ known as Hard Rock, has been detained and charged for murder. David Richard Arnold, 25, was apprehended at a bus stop in Ontario village, Cayo at […]

Fabers Road needs help
The 2017 rainy season got off an active start, and drivers traveling on Fabers Road are learning that the road needs repairs and quickly. Specifically the area of Fabers Road turning off Central American Boulevard near Sister Clara Muhammad Primary school, down to the police substation, has […]

“More than just a sign,” says Mayor Bradley
Belize City Mayor Darrel Bradley, explained this week that the City Council’s latest Belize sign, placed in the Battle Field Park, is more than just a sign but a part of a greater plan for Belize City. The council held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new […]

BCCI forms alliance with regional chamber
To assist its members with increasing their businesses, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry is forming an alliance with the Chamber of the Americas (COTA). Kim Aikman, CEO of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Gil Cisneros, CEO of the Chamber of the Americas […]

Three remanded for murder of 16-year-old girl
The close-knit community of Santa Familia village, Cayo is reeling after last Friday’s barbaric attack on a young couple left 16-year-old Emy Guerra dead and boyfriend Eliseo Bacab recovering from serious injuries sustained during the vicious attack. On June 16, sometime after 10:00 p.m., Bacab, 22, was […]

Police confirms drug bust at Harvest Caye port
After a week, police have issued official confirmation that there was a drug bust on board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship which was docked at the Harvest Caye Port in the Stann Creek District. Although the incident occurred on Tuesday, June 13, police were tight lipped and […]

Elderly Toledo man drowns while taking bath at river
On Monday evening an elderly man from Santa Elena village in the Toledo district drowned after he went to swim at a river located a short distance away from his home. On Monday at about 1:20 p.m., police were called out to the village where officers observed […]

Breaking Belize News

US Embassy hands over over $400,000 US in boats and equipment to police
Today, the U.S. Embassy handed over maritime assets which consisted of three boats and equipment, valued at approximately US$449,000, to the Belize Police Department. All three vessels were seized by Belizean authorities and now refurbished and equipped to fight criminal activities. The handover ceremony […]

750 students graduate from Gang Resistance training in Cayo
By Zoila Palma: Yesterday, a total of 750 primary school students graduated from the Gang Resistance Education and Training ( GREAT) Program in San Ignacio Town. Officer Commanding San Ignacio Police, Supt. Richard Rosado indicated that “This is a testament to the formation’s commitment to the expansion […]

The saga for Belgian couple continues – BTIA Cayo reaches out
Yesterday, BBN reported that a Belgian couple, Allan Dropsy and Jagoda Cwojdzinska, claimed San Ignacio Police took their passports and stole $550 cash from them. After the story was posted, BBN was contacted by the Belize Tourism Industry Association, Cayo Chapter (BTIA-Cayo) and they […]

Dr. Jose Mena wins Physician of the Year
By Margaret Mena: On June 16, 2017, my father, Dr. Jose Mena, won Physician of the Year for Ochsner Health System. Josie, as I fondly call him, is the best father a girl can ask for. He is kind, loving, and funny in his own cute, five […]

MIT bust 72 pounds of weed
On Wednesday morning around 10:30, the Police Mobile Interdiction team bust a huge amount of weed totaling 72 pounds in Ontario Village, Cayo. The drugs were reportedly being smuggled. Thirty seven parcels of weed were packed into a compartment in a cattle truck. The […]

Mek Wi Teach Yuh how fi beg
By Giselle E. O’Brien: Once upon a time, when time was time Monkey chew tobacco, and spit out white lime… There were once two families of mice. The father of the first family, Mr. Charlie Price, had long curling whiskers. He owned the biggest cheese factory in […]

9 Bus drivers convicted for traffic offenses in Orange Walk
The following persons (drivers) were charged for the offences listed below by Officers of the Department of Transport. Name of Driver Bus Company Offence (s) 1 Shane Pollard Maria’s Bus Company “Carried excessive passengers on a public service vehicle” 2 Alfredo Rodriguez […]

Santa Familia villagers demand removal of police officer
A sixteen-year-old villager was brutally murdered last Friday night in Santa Familia Village, Cayo. Emy Guerra and her boyfriend were attacked at the football field. On Wednesday night, villagers met to discuss their concerns about the escalating crime situation in their village. Villagers were […]

Police issue official report on downtown Belize City murder
Jermaine Franklin, 36, was killed on Wednesday night in downtown Belize City. On Wednesday around 6:00 p.m., police visited King Street in Belize City where they found Franklin on the street dead in front of Teddy’s Music and DVD Rental. Investigations revealed that Franklin […]

GOB Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed yesterday between the Government of Belize (GOB) and Microsoft Service at an official ceremony held in Belize City. This agreement marks a new step in a long-term relationship between Belize and global technology giant (Microsoft LLC) to […]

Belgian tourists plea for assistance; claims passport and money stolen by San Ignacio police
Two Belgian tourists contacted BBN today to plea for assistance from the Government of Belize, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any relevant authority. Allan Dropsy and Jagoda Cwojdzinska, the two Belgian tourists, are asking for any assistance that they can get. Dropsy told […]

Blogs

Romantic Dining at Aji Tapa Bar and Restaurant
Whether you are travelling, or call Ambergris Caye your home, chances are that you’re looking for that perfect spot to have a fabulous date