Today's Belize News: February 26, 2016

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Today's Belize News: February 26, 2016 #511944 02/26/16 05:48 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	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, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials The San Pedro Sun Mayor's and Minister's approaching finals After seven weeks of football action, the Mayor's and Minister's Cup is nearing the finals. With just four weeks away from the championship game, these are the results from the games played this past weekend: Friday - Belize Pro Divers 2-1 Peace Makers, Progresso Boys 4-2 Searious Warriors, Saturday - Sky Energy 3-2 San Pedro Junior College, Veterans 2-2 Jokers F.C, Sunday - Ambergris Divers 16-0 PSG, Catrachos 6-0 San Mateo. Games continue this weekend, starting on Thursday at 7PM sharp at the Honorable Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex. Second blood drive of 2016 a success A total of fifteen usable pints of blood were collected during a blood drive that took place at the Washington University of Health and Science in San Pedro Town. The event took place on Saturday, February 20th and saw blood donors making their way to the University campus, where they donated the vital red fluid. The event was a collaborative effort of Projects Abroad, The San Pedro Belize Red Cross (SPBRC), and the Belize Blood Bank. Organizers were pleased with its success. After the first blood drive of the year held in late January, Projects Abroad in Belize requested an additional one due to the poor turnout. The SPBRC was happy to accommodate such request which was outside of their usual three-month time frame. Volunteers from the SPBRC, the Belize Blood Bank, Projects Abroad and even from the hosting University showed up early to welcome the generous donors. From 9AM to 3PM, people pulled up to the medical school to contribute to the worthy cause. At the end of the day, the blood collected was transported to Belize City for storage in an effort to increase the supply at the Belize Blood Bank. This blood can then be available for anyone in San Pedro that may have an emergency. Snacks and refreshments were provided to all donors. SP Police Constables undergo training Several police constables from the island were part of a refresher course aimed at improving the service they provide to the community. The training was held from Thursday, February 18th to Saturday, February 20th, and was led by inspector Dehanne Augustine, who is attached to the Caye Caulker Police formation. Officers were educated on how to effectively respond to certain situations, and they even received training in properly recording data. According to Inspector Augustine, the training is very important as it serves to polish officers' skills so they can carry on with their daily duties in a more efficient manner. "The training once again reminds police officers of the proper procedures they should execute when encountering any situation. It is very important for them to know the procedures when dealing with minors, people with mental illnesses and also know how to record each detail of any investigation from the moment it happens. This will enhance a proper filing of data and as well keep the police on safe grounds when dealing with cases that may have judiciary intervention," said Augustine during the presentation. The training also touched on proper police behavior and ways to deal with criminal incidents. CARDI continues to work in Belize's Coconut Industry Belize's Coconut Industry continues to grow with the assistance of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and financing from the European Union (EU). Most recently, a workshop was held on Thursday, February 25th with CARDI scientists training coconut stakeholders in the "Production of Quality Coconut Planting Material". These initiatives are being organized under the EU's "Coconut Industry Development for the Caribbean" through the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC) aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of small-scale coconut farmers. According to CARDI representatives in Belize, stakeholders have welcomed this initiative for its "potential to improve income and employment opportunities, food security, and the overall development of the Caribbean coconut sector." The project creates cooperation between national and regional programs, improving access to advisory services for improved coconut production. Throughout 2016, scientists will also be interacting with key stakeholders in the coconut industry of all participating countries conducting activities related to mapping and characterization of local coconut plantations, strengthening producer and processing groups and developing appropriate technological packages for intercropping vegetables and fruits and rearing cattle and small ruminants under coconut trees. San Pedro Tiger Sharks net another home win The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) 2016 Season is heating up and hometown team the San Pedro Tiger Sharks are aiming for their third consecutive championship. With only one loss under their belt, our team remains steadfast in second place in the tournament. This past weekend, the Tiger Sharks showed their tenacity, claiming yet another big home win. Facing off were our Tiger Sharks who hosted the Belize City No Limit at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium. At the end of the first quarter, San Pedro Tiger Sharks had a 17 - 15 lead, which they increased to 37 - 27 at the second quarter. Belize City No Limit was able to shrink the lead to 7 points going into the fourth quarter, but the home team was able to secure the win, 83 - 70. San Pedro Tiger Sharks was led by Caleb Sutton who had a game high of 30 points, while grabbing 8 rebounds. Ashton Edwards netted 15 points while Andrew "Bynum" Ortiz scored 13 points while grabbing 8 rebounds and Gene Myvett finished with 12 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. With this latest win, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks now have five victories in the 2016 NEBL Season. Ambergris Today Commuting students in San Pedro Students of the San Pedro Roman Catholic School commute back to classes from RC Church after attending morning mass Misc Belizean Sources Cliff Wilson one of American Sailing Association's 2015 Instructors of the Year! Congrats to our own Captain Cliff for receiving the high distinction of being one of American Sailing Association's 2015 Instructors of the Year! This means that he is in the top rated 1.5% of the over 2,000 ASA certified instructors in the world. Way to go, Cliff! Three story tall double billboard in San Pedro So I will admit... faced with seemingly unrelenting development, at times I've worried about the overall "aesthetic" of our Isla Bonita. This morning those fears were quelled... Tropical? Quaint? Serene? I think they've nailed it. Nothing says "Welcome to our island" better than a three story tall double billboard... What's is it going to say? "The food was AWESOME - Stan from Dubuque" Sigh... Humpback whale sighting off Placencia A very rare sighting of 30+ft long humpback whale just a couple of miles offshore from Placencia. Possibly the whale became disorientated and lost, finding its way into the deep water channel leading to Big Creek port. It will be important to monitor its location and see if it is able to find its way back out to deep water and outside the reef. U.S. Embassy's Political and Economic Chief J. Nathan Bland visited Valley of Peace The U.S. Embassy's Political and Economic Chief J. Nathan Bland visited Valley of Peace recently along with representatives from UNHCR and Help for Progress. Valley of Peace, formed out of a collaboration between the Government of Belize, UNHCR, and the Mennonites, became a place of refuge in Belize in the 1980's for over a thousand people fleeing the civil war in El Salvador. Today it is a thriving community and an impressive example of a successful resettlement community. Postponed until further notice, power interruptions previously scheduled for Orange Walk & Corozal Districts 7:00am to 7:15am & 4:45pm to 5:00pm, Saturday, February 27 & Sunday, February 28. BEL Restores Power Supply following Countrywide Power Interruption Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) restored power supply to the country this morning, following an unplanned power interruption at 6:41am, due to a damaged insulator on the transmission system, near the Petville Area in the Orange Walk District. By 7:12 a.m. most of southern Belize had been restored using local generation sources. The North and West were restored between 7:38 a.m. and 7:52 a.m. while the Belize District, South and remaining areas were restored by 8:14 a.m. On Wednesday, February 24, portions of San Pedro Town and a portion of the Belize District also experienced unplanned power interruptions ranging two to three hours, as a result of weather conditions. In San Pedro, the power interruption was due to downed guy wires and in the Belize District, several high voltage lines were downed. BEL crews were promptly dispatched to assess and conduct repairs. A branch was also removed from high voltage lines, near Mile 3 on the George Price Highway. 2016 Belize Bike Rally The Harleys are rolling in as 2016 Belize Bike Rally "Meet in the Middle III" 25-27 Feb 2016 kicks off today. Bikers will be in San Pedro on Saturday at Fido's Beach Bash. See you there!! 2016 Belize Bike Rally "Meet in the Middle III" 25-27 Feb The 3rd Annual 2016 BELIZE BIKE RALLY "MEET IN THE MIDDLE" will be held in Belize City and San Pedro, Belize, Central America on 25, 26 & 27 February 2016. Kitchen, Dining Hall and Garden Opened at the San Francisco de Jeronimo R.C. School On Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development Hon. Gaspar Vega travelled to Pueblo Viejo Village in the Toledo District for the opening of a new kitchen, dining hall and garden at the San Francisco de Jeronimo Roman Catholic School. In his keynote address, Minister Vega noted the importance of the facilities in addressing the issue of childhood malnutrition, which is the highest in the Toledo District. He also made mention of his hope for more development in the area of health in Belize. Also in attendance at the opening was Mexican Ambassador to Belize H.E. Carlos Quesnel Melendez who congratulated the Ministry on its efforts to improve the conditions of child health and nutrition. The facilities were officially opened with a ribbon cutting done by Minister Vega and the Principal of San Francisco de Jeronimo R.C.School Mr. Stephen Sho. Minister Vega also toured the facilities along with the other officials from the Ministry and the primary school. Lou Bob Hodge and Dennis Mitchell TO APPEAR ONCAYE CAULKER Habanero's is proud to present the dynamic duo of Lou Bob Hodge and Dennis Mitchell Saturday Night!!! Reservations for dinner highly recommended. Come see two very talented musicians jammin on our deck!!!! Call 626-4911 to reserve!!! Walk ins always welcome if there's space!!! One of Dennis's last gigs so don't miss out!!! Harley Davidson Bikers While I was stranded at the Chetumal/Belize border earlier today,in the middle of a hightened protest, I took the opportunity to introduce myself and promote Belize to a bunch of Harley Davidson Bikers who are heading to Belize City for the Annual Belize Harley Davidson Bike Rally. The group of bikers are visiting from Cancun, Distrito Federal and other states in Mexico. They will be continuing their journey to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye with their bikes on board one of the local barges. I hope they enjoy the camaraderie ,our people and may they have a safe journey to the island. I know they will be looking out for the photos and article on the Corozal Daily so here it is! Welcome to Belize amigos Mexicanos! Corozal's District Youth Council Elections Let your voices be heard. This coming Monday February 29th is Corozal's District Youth Council Elections. Polling Areas will be all Department of Youth Services' Offices country wide. Please see flyer for the address of your DYS District Office.Corozal's office is located on the 2nd floor of Corozal Farmers Supplies and Dave's Photo studio. Polls will open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. Wine House Wine Tasting The Wine House is having a special J.P. Chenet wine tasting FRIDAY night. It'll be their 1st true wine tasting, and it starts at 7:00pm. They'll also have the icewine available. JGBB EAST COAST & MIDWEST ROAD SHOW 2016 Belize Tourism Board Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T) instructors Yesterday, Ambassador Moreno helped to welcome the 35 newest Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T) instructors in Belize!!! To date a total of 125 police officers are already certified as GREAT Instructors in addition to the 35 officers being certified this week. A total of over 9,500 children have completed the program from primary schools countrywide. The G.R.E.A.T program seeks to assist youth to identify and avoid gang membership, prevent violence and criminal activity, and develop a positive relationship with law enforcement. This is accomplished by using a skills-based approach that addresses three domains of learning: cognitive, behavioral, and affective. The G.R.E.A.T program produces attitudinal and behavioral changes through a unique combination of skills training, cooperative learning, discussion, and role playing. Students are provided with many opportunities to model and practice relevant life skills. Once students have rehearsed these skills, they will be more likely to use them in real-life situations. Paradise Theater playing this weekend: The Big Short, Krampus, Open Season Scared Silly, Carol. Channel 7 Police Identify Body Found In Lamanai Lagoon Yesterday we told you about the unidentified body which was discovered in the Lamanai Lagoon, in the remote Orange Walk District Village of Indian Church. Well, police report that they were informed about it just before 11 o'clock yesterday morning. When they arrived, they found the body of a man floating in the water. When they retrieved it, they observed that the hands and feet were tied up, and that there were bruises on the head. Tonight, police are no closer to identifying him, and because the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, it had to be buried after an on-sight autopsy. This evening, the Deputy Commander of Orange Walk Police, Inspector Nicholas Palomo, told our colleagues from CTV 3 News that his investigators only just learned the identity of the deceased to be 51 year-old Honduran Guido Urbina, a resident of Indian Church. Insp. Nicholas Palomo, Deputy OC - Orange Walk Police: "The body that was found floating on the Lamanai lagoon on yesterday's date was found to be that of one Mr. Guido Urbina. A Honduran national, age 51 and a resident of Indian Church Village. He was last seen alive on Saturday drinking along with three fellows from the village at a local village bar. All we know is that the body was found floating in the lagoon. However, a post mortem was conducted yesterday and at the conclusion of the post mortem, it was found that one bullet wound on the forehead of the person. There was an entry wound about 1 inch above the left eye and an exit wound right above the left ears. So the cause of death was a result of gunshot. Due to the advanced stage of decomposition, the body was buried at the Indian Church cemetery." Unidentified Youth Still Not Found; Presumed Down The Coast Guard Team which has been diving in the New River in Orange Walk has suspended their search for the retrieval of the body of the second young man who went missing after going swimming on Monday afternoon. The body of his friend, 21 year-old Carlos Reyes, was found on Tuesday after an intensive search. Right now, however, there is concern that this other young man may never be found and given the difficulty that the Coast Guard are having. We've been informed that because the Coast Guard's first 2 days have been met with no success, they've temporarily suspended their diving searches. We understand that the authorities are waiting for the body to surface on it's own, since it has been submerged for over 48 hours now. The Deputy Commander of Orange Walk tells the press that they have not given up on finding this still unidentified young man. Briceno's (2nd) First National Exec Meeting As Leader Today, John Briceno held his first meeting with the PUP New National Executive after been elected as party leader at the national convention 3 weeks ago. He's the new boss, and that means he's coming with his own agenda for what direction the party should be heading. As we told you, we had received credible reports that Briceno had created a senior position for Cordel Hyde within his Executive. That along with Briceno's first 100-day plan were discussed, and after the meeting, re-elected Party Chairman Henry Charles Usher briefed the awaiting press on a few items from the morning talks: "This morning we had our first meeting of the new national executive this morning. It was a very brief meeting, we had one main item on the agenda and that is the party leader's hundred day plan which he presented to the national executive for their approval and support. As part of that plan, the party leader listed a number of issues, including the reorganization of the secretariat. The reorganization and the restructuring and strengthening of the national executive and also his tour that he hopes to get done in all thirty-one constituencies within the first hundred days. Those were the main three items that he brought up and the national executive supported those positions and supported his plan." GSU Shot A Disabled Man Villagers in the West are up arms against the GSU for the alleged unjustified shooting of crippled vendor of Bullet Tree Village Roberto Chan. The incident occurred yesterday around 7 in the evening. Roberto was driving his wife and two children back home after visiting a friend in the Calla Creek Area, Cayo District. They were driving north towards Bullet Tree with their 6 year old daughter sleeping in the back seat and their 8 months old son sleeping on his mother's lap in the front passenger seat. But upon reaching an area they know to them as La Linea, they heard two gunshots and realized that Roberto was shot. The bullet came from back, went through the back of the drivers seat and hit Roberto in the right arm. Now what the GSU are saying is that they were conducting vehicular check points in that area when a Toyota 4 Runner, driven by Roberto Chan almost ran over one of their team members. However the family of Roberto Chan has an entirely different story. Here is what they said occurred. Roberto Chan, Claims unjustified GSU shooting: "I screamed and felt the shot. I told my wife to check the baby; my 6 year old and my 8 months children. I feel bad right now. My baby cry too much." PUP Says Corruption Between BTL/Mek Mi Rich On Tuesday, we told you how business man Curtis Swasey won his lawsuit against BTL and the owners of the Mek Mi Rich Lottery game. Justice Courtney Abel has ruled that the platform of lottery texting, which is what makes Mek Mi Rich profitable, was a concept stolen from Swasey, and that BTL leaked it to the directors of MMR Belize, Sunjay Hotchandani, and Andre Vega. Well, the Opposition People's United Party has come out swinging against both the Government controlled company and the Mek Mi Rich game owners. A statement from the PUP says, quote, "The People's United Party registers serious concern at what amounts to no less than a conviction of BTL, or persons acting on behalf of BTL, on charges of corruption. We are further concerned that no principal of BTL has come forward to announce an immediate investigation into the matter�Those at BTL responsible for stealing a concept and peddling it should be called out. At the very least, heads should roll." End Quote. The PUP then point to what they see as a clear political connection between BTL and Mek Mi Rich which they believe caused the breech in confidentiality that the judge has inferred. CDB's Take On De-Risking In the past few weeks you've been hearing a whole lot in the news about so called de-risking - where regional banks are ending their correspondent relationships with indigenous banks in the Caribbean. It's a legitimate crisis with far reaching implications for the business and banking sectors and yesterday at the CDB Annual Press Conference in Barbados, the Bank's senior brass said it will seriously affect economic growth:... Dr. Justin Ram - Director of Economics, CDB: "It's going to be a well-stifle uneconomic activity. Today, imagine private sectors trying to operate within the Caribbean and they can't actually get paid, or they can't actually get their funds out of the region? That's going to be a well hindrance to economic growth eventually. Either something that I believe we need to work on right now - we need to have a solution. We cannot wait." Dr. William Warren Smith - President, CDB: "This is a major threat hanging over our heads. Even at a time when we are saying that the solution for our countries as far as economic development is concerned is deeper integration and penetration into international markets. How do you do that if you can't move money back and forth from our countries to trading partners and vice versa?" Jules Vasquez: "Has anyone figured out who's the guy to talk to? I know Latin American leaders spoke to Obama himself at a summit. But has anyone figured out okay he is the guy we need to talk to?" CDB: Belize's 2015 Growth Above Average But despite the threat that de-risking poses to economic growth - the growth outlook for Belize in 2017 is above average. The CDB projects it at 2.7% - which is higher than the regional average - and higher than last year's anemic 2%. The Director of economics explained why:... Jules Vasquez: "Tell me why this relatively optimistic outlook for Belize in an otherwise down year?" Dr. Justin Ram - Director of Economics, CDB: "Well for Belize, you have to remember that last year they would have experienced some difficulty with respect to its agriculture sector. We don't see, we are hoping that some of those difficulties would not happen again this year. There is also significant investment in the public sector taking place. We see Belize making significant progress there. Driven as well by economic activity with respect to capital expenditure. We expect the agriculture sector as I said earlier to recover as well within Belize and that should be good. However, we do know that there are some risk. Remember the days of forecast and there are risk on the horizon. Most of all is respect to corresponding banking. For Belize this is real risk." Is Superbond Payment + BTL Compensation A Ticking Bomb? But the CDB report also mentions Belize's debt. At 80% of GDP, it is well above the 60% benchmark for sustainability. The report notes that in 2015 Debt/GDP ratios increased in The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Belize. Now this comes before the entire compensation payment for the BTL acquisition, So we asked Dr. Ram, with the super bond step up and the BTL payout, is Belize facing a debt bomb in the coming years. Jules Vasquez: "Is it facing a sort of debt bomb probably in maybe 2017, 2018?" Dr. Justin Ram - Director of Economics, CDB: "I don't think that there is a debt bomb on the way for Belize, but in this current environment governments need to be prudent examine their overall revenue streams to ensure that they are sustainable. But even more importantly, that be prudent in the way it spends money to ensure that expenditure is actually giving the government and the people of Belize the highest economic returns possible." The step-up in bond payments begins in 2017. American Investers Claim Land Deal Con Owning your own piece of land - that's every Belizean's dream - and it's pretty much the same for those immigrants who want a piece of the jewel. But a group of Americans have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths and that empty feeling in their bankbooks after they say a developer bilked them of their life savings and never gave them title for the property they bought. On Saturday we met six investors who paid Darin Smith of Biospharms forty thousand US dollars for a title in his sub-development - only to find out it was never subdivided. And because of that they could never get title. Now, they're suing him, but decided to go public because they say the situation is going from bad to worse. We met 6 of these disgruntled landowners at their attorneys office on Saturday:.. Ellen Tan, Disgruntled Land Owner "Well I think Larry was the one who was on the website and we've been looking for a community that's involved like living on solar and fresh water and healthy living, organic farming. So we found Biospharms on the internet and then we were writing to them and Darren Smith was the one who was emailing us and invited us to come down. In October 2003 we came down to look at the farm here. This was our life savings. Our retirement that were trying to get away from the US, so we could have a simpler life here and we put all our money in here." Assad Shoman's Take On Sarstoon Dispute Border advocate Wil Maheia has been planning another trip down the Sarstoon River, which is to take place this weekend, but once again, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is imploring him not to do it. Maheia and the Belize Territorial Volunteers want to visit the trip to the Gracias a Dios border marker, and that will once again put him and the other Belizeans who take the trip in the crosshairs of the Guatemalan navy, who keep a very watchful eye of the River. A release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautions, "while there are no public areas in Belize where Belizeans are not permitted to visit, there are areas in the proximity of our western and southern borders which are prone to generate tensions between the citizens of the two countries, and, in the circumstances, the Ministry maintains its view that it is imprudent and potentially dangerous for the organizers of excursions of this type to expose innocent Belizeans to the risk of inadvertently coming into conflict with Guatemalans be they civilians or officials." Churchill Bernard Needs Financial Help On Monday we told you about the fatal motorcycle collision on the Phillip Goldson Highway that took the life of 27 year old Kareem Arnold. The other victim in the incident was 21 year old Churchill Bernard who received extensive injuries during the crash but survived- just barely. He continues to be closely monitored at the KHMH. The reports had it that Bernard was overtaking a van when he ran head on into Arnold. Investigators said Arnold's headlights were not working which, they say, could have been cause of the accident. But while of the victims died on the spot the other continues to fight for his life. Today the mother gave us an update on his condition. Joleen Burgess, Mother of RTA Victim: "Well, he was in an accident Saturday night. He was coming from church, dropped off his little cousin and was going back to my mother for his helmet and his slippers, because he was going to play football at the church, after they have an all-day church, they usually have little games after that and then he was coming back home when I got the message that he was in an accident." Emanuel Pech: "Talk to us about the feeling the family had when they found out about it?" Joleen Burgess, Mother of RTA Victim: "Hmm, I don't wish that on anyone. Because that's a terrible feeling - you just spoke to your son and a little bit after someone calls and tell you that your son is in an accident. Words I can't really explain it." Bailey Jailed For Weapon 38 year old Eugene Bailey, a resident of 45 Holy Emmanuel Street, at the Belize Central Prison tonight after being taken to court for an unlicensed handgun. Police say that on that Bailey was on Santa Barbara Street standing next to a black Saturn car yesterday. That's when they approached him and informed that a search would be conducted on him. This search, said police, resulted in the discovery of a .38 special revolver with 4 rounds of ammunition in its chambers. Bailey was unable to produce a license for the firearm, so he was arrested and charged it. He was arraigned today on charges of keeping an unlicensed firearm and keeping unlicensed ammunition ammunition before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza. Bailey pled not guilty to the charge, but he couldn't be granted bail. He was remanded into custody until April 25. Belizeans Stranded Because Of Mexico Riot Several Belizeans got stranded across the border in Mexico last night as a result of a heated protest at Subteniente Lopez, Quintaroo. Reports from the Mexican press said that more than 100 people blockaded the highway in front of the Secretaria de Marina - or the Navy office. The blockade lasted for about 4 and a half hours until about 8 pm Belizean time. The protest was sparked by a recent move by authorities to establish a rigorous checkpoint- a measure that was taken to combat drug trafficking and the trafficking of firearms. However the checkpoint, residents of that area said, was causing long unnecessary traffic delays- a major deterrent for visitors coming to the area. This in turn, protestors said, was causing the community significant financial loss. Up to 8:30 last night, a few Belizeans were still stuck across the border. Fortunately everyone made it safely back home. Political authorities promised to meet with the angry residents later this month. Only then the crowd slowly dispersed. Bel Outage BEL is reporting tonight that there was a black out that affected majority of the country this morning. A press release from the company says that there was "an unplanned power interruption (this morning) at 6:41am, due to a damaged insulator on the transmission system, near the Petville Area in the Orange Walk District. By 7:12 a.m. most of southern Belize had been restored using local generation sources. The North and West were restored between 7:38 a.m. and 7:52 a.m. while the Belize District, South and remaining areas were restored by 8:14 a.m." Areas of San Pedro and the Belize District still had power failure until BEL technicians were able to fix downed wires on the island, and make other repairs on the mainland. Accused Drug Traffickers Arraigned Two days ago we told you about the weed bust at the boom junction. According to police reports the MIT unit was conducting vehicle checkpoints when they saw a vehicle make a U turn, throw something out of the bag and head back to the direction they came from. Police set chase and brought the men inside the vehicle to the area where they threw the object. A quick search resulted in the discovery of 4261 grams of weed. Two men were arrested for the offence of Drug Trafficking: Kareem Flowers, and Elwin Evans. However when the men appeared before the courts later that day Evans told the magistrate that he was puzzled as to why he and Flowers would be charged for the same offence when bought men were in two separate vehicles. Magistrate Carlon Mendoza informed him that to prove his case he would need to retain an attorney. Both men were granted bail in the sum of $4,500 plus surety of the same amount. They are due back in court on April 25th when they are to receive full disclosure. Jerson Grinage Arraigned Again On Monday, we told you about 22 year-old Jerson Grinage, who was stabbed in the head, but who did want to press charges against his alleged attacker. We'll, it appears that the man who is believed to have been his attacker is actually his cousin, Ervin Fitzgibbon. Both men, residents of Mahogany Heights Village, ended up in a fight this weekend. Grinage allegedly pulled a bottle opener and tried to stab him with it. Police say that Fitzgibbon answered back with a pint bottle which cut Grinage across the head. Neither men wanted to press charge, but police eventually charged both with aggravated assault. They were arraigned earlier this week and they told the Magistrate that they don't know why police would press the case when neither of them wanted a court action. They've both pleaded not guilty, and they've been released on bail of $800. FIFA Elections: A New Football King Right now, football executives from all countries around the world are in Zurich, Switzerland. They're preparing for tomorrow's 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress when they'll vote to elect a new President. They're trying to decide on a suitable replacement for Joseph Sepp Blatter, the embattled President who resigned in the wake of the biggest corruption scandal in the football world. He's been banned from taking part in any FIFA activities for 6 years by the organization's ethics committee, and right now, the football nations are trying to put the unpleasant and embarrassing event behind them. 5 senior football executives have emerged as candidates who want Blatters job now that it's vacant. The international news organization, BBC put together this story examining each of the candidates: We'll have more from the FIFA elections tomorrow. The Upgrade Of A Pueblo Viejo School Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, travelled to the village of Pueblo Viejo in the Toledo District. While there, he, the Mexican Ambassador, and other Belize Government officials opened a new kitchen, dining hall and Garden at the San Francisco de Jeronimo RC School. Here's an excerpt of his keynote speech to the participants gathered: The Deputy Prime Minister also used the platform to note the upgrades that the Government have made possible to improve the lives of residents living in the remote areas of the Toledo District: Having Fun With Children's Rights While those children who attend San Francisco de Jeronimo will benefit from those upgrades at their school, Special Envoy for Women and Children Kim Simpliss-Barrow wants to make sure that all children know about their rights. She launched a new book today with the help of UNICEF Belize called "Having Fun with Rights: A Children's Rights Activity Book". She told the gathering today at the Bliss that the publication is fun, engaging and informative: The book targets children aged 8-11 years old and is designed to make the teaching of children's rights more interactive and enjoyable. Ladyville Tech's Pageant Tomorrow the Ladyville Technical High School is hosting its 2nd ever female pageant. 7 female students will compete against one another in areas of grace, posture, charisma, intellect, talent and beauty of course. Teacher Janine Carballo is coordinator this year's pageant. She says that the event could not have been timelier as they are currently celebrating the month of self-esteem. For the past few weeks the ladies have been running around trying to get their last minute preparations before the big pageant tomorrow at 7. This is also the first time that the school is intimately involving the community of Ladyville as the pageant is being held in a public park to make more accessible. Placencia Community Policing Officers from Placencia went out on a community policing effort, where they visited a family in Seine Bight Village. That house belongs the visually impaired resident, 67 year-old Martin Moreira, and 69 year-old brother, Paul. In an effort to help the elder gentlemen, the officers cleaned up their yard and home and donated a box of groceries. The team of officers were led by Inspector Dennis Miles, and they were supported by Southern Regional Commander Sr. Superintendent Ralph Moody. Also assisting the officers were members of the Seine Bight Village council and students from St Alphonsus Primary school also in that community. Placencia Police intend to make another surprise visit soon. Channel 5 Cayo Police Investigate Shooting by G.S.U. There is an incredible story coming out of the West tonight, in which a man from Bullet Tree was shot by an officer of the Gang Suppression Unit. It happened [...] Who Stole Equipment from a BDF Base in PG? There was a serious breach of security at Fairweather Camp sometime overnight on Tuesday which resulted in the theft of various military uniforms and boots. On Wednesday morning, the Quarter [...] Lamanai Lagoon Floater Identified The partially decomposed body of a Honduran national was fished out of the Lamanai lagoon by Orange Walk police on Wednesday afternoon.� The severed remains had what appeared to be [...] M.F.A. Warns B.T.V. to Keep Away from the Sarstoon Almost exactly one year ago, thirty-seven Belizeans maneuvering the Sarstoon were detained by Guatemalan military, taken under tow and escorted to Livingston. In fact, this Saturday will be the anniversary [...] Will Cordel Hyde be New PUP National Deputy Leader? Since returning to Independence Hall as leader of the People's United Party on February first, John Briceño called his first meeting of the national executive this morning. The upper echelon [...] Party's Finances under Review by Executive While new opposition senators are yet to be named, a parliamentary caucus has been arranged for Monday during which it is expected that names will be fielded. The opposition can [...] Is There Bad Blood in the PUP South? Is there bad blood lingering among supporters of previous party leader, Francis Fonseca post the January thirty-first national convention?� Since Fonseca's defeat, Toledo East Area Representative, Mike Espat has reportedly [...] Fishermen Given a Jail Pass for Illegal Fishing Two fishermen from Chunox, Corozal District, appeared for the second time in court for illegally fishing inside a natural monument. Marvin Patt, and his cousin Edison Patt were charged with [...] Eugene Bailey on Remand for Firearm Charges But thirty-eight-year old Eugene Bailey is on remand at the Belize Central Prison following arraignment in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on two gun related offenses on Wednesday. Police found [...] OWTC Distances Itself from Fake Drivers' Licenses Fake cops and fake driver's licenses; while the Belize Police Department grapples with the issue of impersonators perpetrating crimes in the name of the law, the Orange Walk Town Council [...] Belizean Students Speak About Life & School in Barbados More than seventy Belizeans are in Barbados studying at the UWI Cave Hill Campus. They are among thousands from the rest of the Caribbean and other countries.� Now, student life [...] Children's Rights Activity Book Launched The Bliss Center in Belize City was over flowing this morning with children from various primary schools. The event was the launch of an activity book that will teach them [...] CTV3 Body Of Swimmer Lost In The New River Still Not Found Tonight marks three days since the disappearance of an unidentified male individual in the New River.On Monday evening at around 5:30, 21 one year old Carlos Reyes along with a second unidentified male jumped into the New River but never reappeared.Following efforts by the Belize Coast Guard and local divers, the body of Reyes was recovered on Tuesday at around 11:00 in the morning. But despite many hours of incessant searching by the Belize Coast Guard, the body of the second individual was not found.Today when we spoke to Inspector Nicholas Palomo, second in command at the Orange Walk Police Formation, he told us that the identity of the second individual still remains a mystery and while the Coast Guard has called off the search, local divers are still working on locating the second body. Opposition Leader Presents Hundred Days Plan To Executive This morning the newly elected National Executive of the People's United Party held their first meeting at the party's headquarters in Belize City. According to party chairman Henry Charles Usher, the main item on today's agenda was the one hundred day plan presented by Party Leader John Briceno to the executive for approval. Also included in the discussion was the restructuring of the national secretariat, the National Executive and a position for Cordel Hyde who contested the leadership position at the National Convention on January 31st.Henry Charles - PUP Party Chairman:"As part of that plan the Party Leader listed a number of issues including the reorganization of the Secretariat and the reorganization and the restructuring and strengthening of the National Executive and his tour that he hopes to get done in all 31 constituencies within the first hundred days, those were the main three items that he brought up and the National Executive supported those positions and supported his plan." BTV Plans Commemoration Trip To Gracias A Dios This coming weekend will mark one year since over 30 Belizeans were detained by Guatemalan Military while on an expedition on the south of our country.Many of you may recall that on Saturday February 28th 2015, a group from the Belize Territorial Volunteers, while on a mission trip to place a plaque at the Gracias a Dios monument, was detained by Guatemalan Military. The group consisting of near 40 Belizeans mainly from Orange Walk were taken first to a Guatemalan outpost and later taken to Livingston, Guatemala. Although the group was returned safely back to Belize, the reason for their detention is still unknown.In commemoration of the event, the BTV planned another mission trip to the Sarstoon this coming weekend, but the news of the trip did not come as good news to the Ministry of Foreign affairs and the CEO of the Ministry has advised the group to desist from making their way to the Gracias a Dios monument. Today our news team received a video from the President of the Belize Territorial Volunteers, Will Mejia, where he is expressing his disappointment in the Government of Belize. Consumer Price Index Up By 0.4 Percent The prices of goods and services purchased by Belizean households increased marginally, by an average of 0.4 percent, during the month of January 2016, according to the latest release issued by the Statistical Institute of Belize.SIB's latest statistics show that the all items Consumer Price Index stood at 103.2, up from 102.7 in January 2015. If we look at the Transport category, the report shows prices dropped by 3.3 percent despite an increase in the sub-category of Fuel.The average price of premium gasoline was up by 15.4 percent when compared to the same month last year, while regular was 7.7 percent higher. Diesel however, saw a decrease in its average price per gallon, declining by 9 percent during the period.Within the "Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages" category, the prices of food items saw an overall increase of 1.8 percent for January 2016. Higher prices were observed across all types of meats, eggs, fresh fruits, sugar and vegetables. Prices for Red Kidney beans, however, remained well below what they were in January of 2015, decreasing by 24.3 percent. Owners Of Bushy Lots Are Advised To Clean It Up As we speak the Orange Walk Town Council along with representatives from the Ministry of Health are carrying out a meeting at the Philip Alvarez Park with residents of Orange Walk Town.The meeting will serve two purposes, one�for residents to voice out their concerns to the council and two�.for the public to get a better understanding of the Zika Virus which has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. To date Belize remains without any confirmed cases of the virus and the Ministry of Health and town council intend to keep it that.If we talk about the efforts the council is carrying out to keep the community Zika free, Mayor Kevin Bernard says they are advising property owners of busy lots to clear their land��or else."It is not the onus of the Council to maintain people's private properties; you have a property, you bought a property, it is your responsibility to maintain that property, it must be kept clean and it must be kept chopped and so I appeal to all those residence that have over grown lots, vacant lots, please go in and maintain your property, it is a health hazard, it creates a lot of rodents..." Fourth Murder Victim In Orange Walk Identified Orange Walk Police have identified the fourth murder victim for the district. This particular murder marked the second to occur in the village of Indian Church.As we told you yesterday authorities were informed of a body that was floating in the lagoon. When they arrived at the scene, they observed that the body was in half after apparently being eaten by crocodiles. The victim was seen with his hands bound and it is suspected that the he was tortured.Today we can tell you that fifty one year old Guido Urbina, Honduran national was shot to the head and he was last seen alive on Saturday in the company of three men from the Village of Indian Church. Reports are that the men were all drinking at a local bar. Inspector of Police, Nicholas Palomo, spoke to us about the results of the post mortem that was conducted late yesterday evening. Increase In Fuel Price Indication Of A Broke Government Last night we told you about the increase in fuel prices announced by Government despite that sharp decrease in price per barrel of crude oil in the global market. Based on GOB calculations, due to the increase on import duties on fuel the price for a gallon of regular gasoline saw an increase of thirty seven cents and now sells for eight dollars and five cents. Diesel saw a hike of one dollar and now goes for seven dollars and sixty cents per gallon. As for Premium that saw a reduction of thirty one cents and the gallon now sells for nine dollars and seven cents.But compared to the amount Belizeans need to pay now for regular and diesel fuel�.the 31 cents reduction in Premium fuel seems insignificant. So why is GOB increasing the price of fuel when the barrel of crude in the world market is at an all-time low? That is a sign of cash strapped Government, says Leader of the Opposition John Briceno.Honorable John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition PUP:"One of the easiest way for them to increase taxes is to increase tax on the fuel, if all of us have to buy fuel we can't do better and that is what it has been happening to us, the government is desperate for money and they are going to find any which way to be able to get that monies to satisfy their appetite for the Belizean tax dollars." Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Against Trip To Gracias A Dios Late this evening the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a release in which they expressed concern in the inherent danger faced by the Belize Territorial Volunteers in their planned excursion on the Sarstoon River.According to the release, the Government of Belize is geared toward a peaceful resolution to Guatemala's claim and trips to areas such as the Gracias a Dios Monument can generate tension between the citizens of both countries which the Ministry is intent in preventing.And while the Ministry reiterates that there are no public areas in Belize where Belizeans are not permitted to visit, they say there are areas in the proximity of our western and southern borders which are prone to generate tensions between the two countries. The Ministry stresses its view that it is irresponsible and potentially dangerous for the organizers of expeditions of this type to expose innocent Belizeans to the risk of coming into conflict with Guatemalans. LOVE FM Humpback Whale Spotted in Southern Belize Recent newscasts have included the slaying of sharks and other marine life when it comes to the use of gill nets. It is viewed by many as being cruel and insensitive to our ecosystem and there is currently a petition circulating to ban the use of gill nets and long lines. Tonight, however, we bring [�] Having Fun with Rights; Special Envoy Launches Book #2 Having Fun with Rights: A Children's Rights Activity Book - it is the name of a publication that was launched this morning at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts in Belize City. Special Envoy for Women and Children, Kim Simplis-Barrow is behind this publication that came following consultations with elementary students from Hummingbird School [�] Military Uniforms Go Missing in Southern Belize Since last week we have been reporting of various incidents where individuals have been posing as police officers in an attempt to get firearms. In more bad news for security personnel, thief or thieves have made off with an assortment of BDF boots and uniforms from a storeroom at Fairweather Camp in Punta Gorda. According [�] Body Found in Lamanai Lagoon The body of a man was found floating in the Lamanai Lagoon in Indian Church Village in Orange Walk, yesterday morning. The body was found by a villager who called the police. Police arrived at the scene and found fifty one year old Honduran national Guido Urbina. Love News spoke to Inspector Nicolas Palomo, Deputy [�] Foreign Affairs Frowns Upon BTV's Planned Trip to Gracias a Dios On Saturday, Wil Maheia, of the Belize Territorial Volunteers plans to make an expedition to the Gracias a Dios monument in commemoration of the fateful day when Belizeans were detained by Guatemalan Military a year ago. Today, we learnt that the CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sylvestre Lawrence called Maheia in an attempt to [�] GSU Shooter Investigated By Police A man was shot by GSU officers last night; he has been identified as 28 year old Roberto Chan. According to members of the GSU, they were conducting a vehicle check point in an area known as La Linea when a Toyota almost ran over one of the officers and so they fired at the [�] Goods and Services Go Up with Dangriga Recording Highest Rate of Inflation The cost of goods and services increased marginally, by an average of point four percent, during last month. This is according to the Statistical Institute of Belize, SIB, which further informed that its latest figures show that All-Items Consumer Price Index stood at 103.2, up from 102.7 when compared to January 2015. The price within [�] Deaf Chorus Debuts at Arts Festival 2016 The annual Street Arts Festival is set for this coming weekend in downtown Belize City. While there will be arts in various forms on display, we spoke with Joseph Stamp Romero who highlighted the theatrical presentation that will take place on Saturday evening near the intersection with Dean Street. According to Romero, it is a [�] Sugar Production Lower than 2015 The 2016 Sugar Cane Season is in its 12th week and last week the factory at BSI managed to grind fifty one thousand two hundred and ninety three tons of cane. This produced four thousand eight hundred and thirty six tons of sugar. Two and a half thousand tons of mud was extracted from the [�] Theatre Arts in Belize Arts come in various forms ranging from painting to dance to music and poetry; there is also theatre art that has not taken much popularity in our country. Joseph Stamp-Romero has been known to be one of the key players in the theatre arts when it comes to writing scripts and directing stage plays. Romero [�]

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Today's Belize News: February 26, 2016	Marty	02/26/16 11:48 AM
Re: Today's Belize News: February 26, 2016	Marty	02/26/16 11:48 AM