The May 11th, 2014 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • The Weird Case Against Darrington Williams:
    The almost 19 month "weird" burglary case against a 46 year old Belizean Electrician from Bullet Tree Falls Village, Cayo ended on April 29 in a conviction and a 5 year jail sentence. The "weird" case against the convicted burglar, Darrington Williams, also known as Junior Williams, began on October 23, 2012 when a 28 year old man, cohabitating with his mother in Bullet Tree Falls, made the initial report to San Ignacio police. The man told the police that during the nighttime hours of October 22, 2012, he and his mother left the restaurant they operate in Bullet Tree Falls. The man headed home while the mother told him that she was going to San Ignacio Town. When the son arrived at home he noticed that the lights inside the house were on. He concluded that his mother might have changed her mind and had instead gone home. He went around the house to a back door and called for his mother. Opening the back door was Junior Williams instead of his mother.
  • Jermy Audinett Found Guilty On Drug Charges:
    A man from Esperanza Village, Cayo was today found guilty on drug charges and ordered to pay a ten thousand dollar fine. Acting upon information received on February 22, 2012, over 26 months ago, a team of Special Branch officers visited the Esperanza Village residence of Jermy Audinett, 21 at the time, unemployed Belizean, where a search resulted in the discovery of 477 grams of marijuana. The first 8 grams of weed was found in the pocket of a white � Dickies pants on a red sofa inside the house. A further search led to the discovery of an additional 433 grams of the drug in a black plastic bag under the same chair plus an additional 36 grams of weed found in a knapsack also inside the house.
  • American Man Plea Guilty For Drug Possession:
    A 20 year old American man today pled guilty for the possession of 85.5 grams of weed and was ordered to forthwith pay a ten thousand dollar fine. A team of alert policemen on mobile patrol in Santa Elena Town, at around 11:00 am, made a stop at a yard, notorious for marijuana activities, in the Trapiche Area. The team's attention was drawn to a Caucasian male person acting in a suspicious manner. He was pulled aside for a body search which led to discovery of a parcel of marijuana concealed in the waist band of the brief he was wearing. The man, identified as Jeffrey James Suisher, 20, who is in Belize on a tourist visa and residing in Cristo Rey Village, was transported to the police station in San Ignacio where the weed, weighed in his presence, registered 85.5 grams on the police scale. A quick charge sheet was prepared and the accused was rushed to court where he pled guilty to the charge.
  • Transforming Burns Avenue:
    Burns Avenue is as old as San Ignacio Town. This historic avenue has never ever undergone the magnitude of transformation it is currently undergoing. The first phase of the transformation of Burns Avenue was completed in the latter part of last year under the Tourism Municipal Development plan resulting in the total transformation of the middle section of Burns Avenue. The second phase of the project is now underway. It encompasses the total transformation of that section of the avenue from Scotia and Atlantic Banks to the Belize Bank linking it up with the first phase. The Belize Water Services Limited has completed the upgrading of mains and service connections in the area while, this week, the Belize Telecommunications Limited is engaged in likewise upgrading its underground assets in the area. Mayor John August and Councilors of the twin town informed that as soon as the utility companies complete their works and give the green light, the council will immediately take over and proceed with transforming of that section of Burns Avenue like it has never been transformed ever before in the history of the twin town.
  • Beware Of Con Artists Roaming The Community:
    San Ignacio police is today issuing a warning to the public in general and to senior citizens in particular, regarding con artists visiting homes within the community. In the latest reported incident, Mrs. Suzette Espat of #1 Church Street, San Ignacio Town reported to the police that during the mid morning hours on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, she was at home when she was visited a man who asked her to loan him an empty gallon container to purchase gasoline for his car that had ran out of fuel. The Good Samaritan reportedly went to another section of the house to get the item requested by the man. A few minutes later she returned with the empty container only to find that the man was gone. Also gone was her blue Samsung Digicell flip phone valued at $70. Quick response on the part of San Ignacio police led, within hours, to the detention of the suspect who was found in possession of the victim's telephone. The suspect, identified as Albert Young, was arrested and charged for theft.
  • Apple 'In Talks' To Buy Beats For $3.2bn:
    Technology giant Apple is in talks to buy headphone maker and music-streaming service provider Beats Electronics, according to various media reports. The reports claim Apple could pay as much as $3.2bn (�1.9bn) and a deal could be announced next week. If completed, it will be Apple's biggest ever acquisition. It is being seen as move by Apple to get a stronger foothold in the phone and music accessories business and bolster its online music offerings. The two areas are expected to see fast growth in the coming years. The Financial Times, which was the first to report the talks, cited a source as saying the firms were still negotiating the details. Beats was founded by music producer Jimmy Iovine and the hip-hop star Dr. Dre and until recently was best known for its headphones.
  • Heart Attack:
    Heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked long enough for that part of the heart to die or become damaged. A blood clot blocking one of the coronary arteries is the most common cause of a heart attack. Plaque that is made up of cholesterol and other cells can build up on the coronary arteries and cause a heart attack. Plaque can develop cracks or tears to which blood platelets stick, forming a clot. Stress may also contribute to exacerbating plaque buildup and, eventually, heart attacks. The main symptom of a heart attack is chest discomfort, which can feel like pain, a feeling of tightness or indigestion in the chest, a feeling that something is sitting on the chest, or heavy pressure. The pain may last for more than 20 minutes. Other symptoms include anxiety, cough, fainting, light-headedness, nausea or vomiting, palpitations, shortness of breath or sweating. Symptoms may fade and return. Some heart attacks, particularly those in the elderly, people with diabetes or women, may have little or no chest pain. Heart attacks in these groups may also be silent, which means there are no symptoms.
  • Did The Surge Of Water From Macal River Dams Cause Loss Of Three lives?:
    It is sad that it takes dead bodies to bring attention to the potential for disaster created by the lack of a workable dam break early warning system for the Chalillo, Vaca and Mollejon Dams. It only takes talking to people in the area to realize that there is no general knowledge of what to do if the dam breaks. It took the deaths of two students from Corozal, Egar Puck and Anahi Zepeda, who "were swept off into depths" of the Macal and drowned, to learn that BECOL releases water from the dams, which causes a rise in the water levels in the area of the bridges connecting San Ignacio and Santa Elena. According to Stephen Usher, BECOL's Vice President of Operations, interviewed after the death of the two students earlier this month, Vaca Dam releases water to generate electricity that reaches San Ignacio around 4:00 pm. But why didn't the public know that information? Just prior to the death of the students, there were two other drownings, one in the Macal River and one a little downstream at Santa Familia where the Macal meets the Mopan River. Over Easter, another drowning occurred in the Belize River, close to Santa Familia.
  • Trust Pro Certified - Four Foods That Lower Blood Pressure:
    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 67 million Americans -- approximately one in three adults -- suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure. In 2009 alone, high blood pressure was the primary or contributing cause of almost 350,000 deaths in the United States, which averages at 1,000 deaths per day. The disorder is, in essence, an epidemic in the Western world. Though high blood pressure can be triggered by stress and other external factors, a poor diet remains its single greatest cause. Therefore, consuming foods that are proven to produce significant cardiovascular benefits is a great way to prevent and treat the disorder naturally. The best of these foods are listed below. Garlic, Hot chilis, cacao, and turmeric.
  • For The Benefit Of An Entire Community:
    Belize Water Services Limited customers in the San Ignacio, Santa Elena and Esperanza service area have, for many years, been complaining of low water pressure and of late the discoloration in the water piped into their residences. The discoloration has been compounded by changes in the water flow from the upper Macal River. The company recognizes that this quality of service CANNOT continue. In seeking to address this condition, the company has been aggressively exploring possible solutions one of which is the now more frequent flushing and cleaning the storage tank which is taking a toll on those employees assigned this task. Despite last year's 7.2% decrease in water rates, the company undertook the curtailing of capital expenditure to finance the upgrading of its outdated storage and treatment facility in San Ignacio which is over 50 years old.
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