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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, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

BFD: ILLEGAL HUNTING DUE TO RISING WATERS IN THE BELIZE RIVER VALLEY AREA
The Belize Forest Department has received multiple reports and complaints of illegal hunting and killing of wildlife in the Belize River Valley Area as a result of the flooding situation. Concerned residents in the Belize River Valley communities have reported to authorities numerous cases of game violations within a relatively short period of time. They report that several persons have been conducting illegal and excessive hunting since the rising floods, especially indiscriminate hunting of wildlife stranded in highland areas. Residents are concerned that these actions will threaten their local wildlife populations of game species such as: deer, white lipped peccaries, gibnut and other game species. The Forest Department recognizes that in the wake of Hurricane Earl, rising floodwaters are displacing many wildlife species from their natural habitat, and some indiscriminate individuals have seen this as an opportunity to capture or kill wildlife. When natural disaster strikes, it is often easy to prey on wildlife during their displacement but this reaction can jeopardize not only the survival of wildlife species recovering from the natural disaster, but entire wildlife ecosystems, local communities and people's livelihoods as well.

NEMO HURRICANE EARL RELIEF OPERATIONS SITUATION REPORT #1
NEMO response to the aftermath of Category 1 Hurricane Earl continues with focus primarily on providing immediate relief to the affected people, the restoration of critical lifeline facilities, operational normalcy at all ports, and assessments of agriculture, fisheries, transportation, utilities, communication, infrastructure, housing, cultural, and environmental situation. 2. PEOPLE IN SHELTER. 164. San Pedro and Caye Caulker- 9 persons in San Pedro High School; Belize City- 78 persons in Unity Presbyterian, St. John's Vianney, Queen Square is closed; and St. Luke; Cayo. Teakettle-16 persons; More tomorrow- 15 persons; St. Matthews- 31 persons; and Cotton Tree- 15 persons.

Funds to be disbursed to fire victims
It's been over a month since a devastating fire struck San Pedro's town core, leaving 98 people and 8 businesses affected, 11 structures completely destroyed, and 7 partially destroyed. The fire reportedly caused over $1 million in damages and losses. Although fire victims have been patiently waiting for their fair share, Eiden Salazar of the San Pedro Red Cross stated that the fire victims are not being disregarded. Initially, the funds were going to be distributed on Tuesday, August 2nd, but Hurricane Earl delayed the disbursement. Beside the setback of the weather, the process is almost complete. In addition, a formula has been designed to determine disbursement on a case to case basis based on evaluation. "The funds will be based per family, and those who lost their buildings. In our assessment, we will discuss what criteria we will use, as well as what percentage will be given out to the fire victims," said Salazar. Salazar confirmed that the final assessment will take place this weekend, and checks should be distributed by Monday, August 8th.

Two Tropical Waves being monitored in the Caribbean
Two Tropical Waves entering the Atlantic Basin are keeping meteorologist on high alert. As of Friday, August 5th, a tropical wave is causing thunderstorms over the Leeward Islands, while another tropical wave is quickly approaching the Lesser Antilles. While neither storm is defined yet, meteorologists will be monitoring their development over the next few days as they move westward into and across the Caribbean Sea. According to the National Hurricane Center, the first tropical wave (96L) extends along 53W/53W from9N-19N moving west near 20 knots per hour (kt). 96L has a well-defined 700 millibars (mb) trough (the minimum or lowest point in a cycle). This wave is brining scattered moderate to isolated strong convection from 15N-19N between 52W-56W.

The Blackadore Development Group provides update on EIA
After hosting their first public consultation in January of this year, followed by a media tour, the Blackadore Caye Development Group in charge of the project has released an update regarding a follow - up public consultation. According to the group, the second consultation on its restorative project is underway, as its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is currently undergoing some fine tuning. The Blackadore Development Group has been closely working with local stakeholders who are acquainted with Blackadore Caye, a private island west of Ambergris Caye. According to Public Relations Representative Dionne Chamberlain, the biggest concern identified after the first public consultation, was the lack of communication with the people who would be impacted by the project. "We have worked diligently to remedy this and have met with over 100 people from May to the current date," said Chamberlain. The next public consultation is being planned before the end of August, and once the date has been officially set the general public will be advised through the respective communication channels. "We will also provide a link to access the EIA once it has been uploaded to the DOE Website, and at the same time we will advise where people can obtain physical copies of the EIA," explained Chamberlain.

Ashcroft demands BTL Payment in US dollars; Belize economy in crisis
In August of 2009, the Government of Belize (GOB) nationalized the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) from a group of companies controlled by British Billionaire Michael Ashcroft. Immediately, a foreign arbitration was filed against Belize claiming between $300 and $600 million. This led to seven years of litigation and court battles that for the most part favored the Ashcroft Group. As a result the economy of the country is now being threatened, as Ashcroft has demanded that GOB must pay $70 million in foreign (US) currency towards the once and for all settlement of the BTL acquisition. However, the Central Bank of Belize has warned that if such request is approved, the country's status could be dramatically affected to the extent of devaluation.

Teachers participate in CPD workshop
In effort to encourage teachers to complete their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) hours, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has designed numerous workshops for educators across Belize. Each year during the month of August, teachers are required to accumulate 120 CDP hours within a five year period. The objective of these workshops are to improve the quality of the education system, and allow educators to develop themselves professionally. As the sessions are divided into early childhood, primary, and secondary levels, the workshop commenced on Monday, August 1st. Teachers from San Pedro Town met at San Pedro High School to be trained on oral language development, and in the second week, behavior management strategies for the classroom will be taught. The workshops were created based on the teacher's needs, while some reflect the needs of the district. Under the mandatory workshop category, educators must participate in a number of programs to improve development strategy planning. Said strategies are then implemented during the new school year.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Rescued baby manatee and how you can help!
Washed up by the storm - meet today's latest arrival - a very young manatee, carried several hundred meters by the storm surge on Wednesday night, to be deposited in someones back garden on the outskirts of Belize City. Thankfully, she was found during the post-hurricane clean-up, rescued by Jamal Galves and is now safe and settling in at Wildtracks. Many thanks indeed to the team from the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) for their assistance with transport - you guys rock!! Tomorrow will be the day for good photos. Tonight, we are just making her welcome. Please consider supporting her rehabilitation...she has a long way to go before she will be ready to go back to the sea

Tres Pesados Slam 2016
Congratulations to Team Super Fly for capturing the top prize of the 8th Annual Tres Pesados Slam 2016!

BEL offers electricians
BEL is offering the services of licensed electricians, to conduct inspection and repairs of damaged service entrances caused by Hurricane Earl. Call 0.800.BEL.CARE (0-800-235-2273) for more information.

Caye Caulker cargo run
The ssminow will be going to Belize city on monday augs 8 to bring cargo if interested call 635 9353 or 602 0024 for more info thks

BEL Continues Restoration of Power to Belize District
At 3:00 p.m. today, power supply has been restored to 93% of the country and 87% of customers in the Belize District, where the majority of damages were sustained to Belize Electricity Limited's (BEL) power system. BEL's teams resumed works early this morning and are focusing on completing restoration to areas without electricity, scheduled as follows: �Remainder of Ladyville, including Vista del Mar: 6:00 p.m., Saturday, August 6 �Bella Vista to Vista del Mar junction: 9:00 p.m., Saturday, August 6 �Burrell Boom junction to Sandhill: 9:00 p.m., Saturday, August 6 �Haulover to Ladyville: 9:00 p.m., Saturday, August 6 �Hattieville and surrounding areas: 9:00 p.m., Saturday, August 6 �Burrell Boom junction to Belize River Valley: Update to be provided tomorrow �Sandhill to Bomba: Update to be provided tomorrow

BEL is offering the services of licensed electricians
To conduct inspection and repairs of damaged service entrances caused by Hurricane Earl. Call 0.800.BEL.CARE (0-800-235-2273) for more information.

Belize Electricity Limited advises customers who have damaged service entrances due to Hurricane Earl, that they can apply to BEL for help
BEL is offering the services of licensed electricians, contracted by the Company, to conduct inspection and repairs of damaged service entrances. Interested customers must apply and agree to pay the cost in three (3) monthly instalments added to their next electricity bills. BEL reminds customers that service entrances, which are required for safe and proper connection to BEL's electricity supply, are the property and responsibility of customers. Interested customers may call 0.800.BEL.CARE (0-800-235-2273) for more information.

Belize at Rio Olympics
Belize is at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Best of luck! "Great show put on by the host country."

Hurricane Earl Flood Pictures
Hurricane Earl came to Cayo.  Nobody was hurt, luckily, but some trees were knocked down, and it flooded some on Thursday.  Daniel Velazquez captured some amazing photos of the flooding, and the people of Cayo out enjoying the amazing post-hurricane weather.  Be safe. Damon Russell got some good pictures too, as did Miriam, and Sera. The Cayo Welcome Center got some good pictures. "after a crazy night, went into town did some photography of Hurricane earl flood and had some beers, ran into a old Peace Corps friend, from 20 years back."

LAMANAI UPDATE
Progess! We hope to share news about reopening early this coming week. A HUGE thank you to Mr. Errol Cadle of Lamanai Eco Tours and his team of volunteers for all their hard work

Unusual color in Red-Lored Amazon
Meet the glorious Gloria; she was recently brought into our care after being confiscated. She is a Red-Lored Amazon but as you can see she has interesting and unusual pigmentation throughout her feathers. This comes from a terrible diet which deprived her of essential vitamins needed to be healthy, and to be able to see; because of vitamin A deficiency she is unfortunately blind. She will hopefully regain some, if not all, of her vision as well as full healthy plumage through nutrients and time. She is very calm, a big eater, and loves naps. She also likes to play, and decorate her cage with her food!

Channel 5

Hurricane Earl Tears through Belize City
Hurricane Earl drenched Belize on Wednesday night packing ferocious winds of up to eighty miles per hour. The hurricane made landfall after midnight near Belize City and moved westward.� The [...]

City Council Moves Quick to Clean Up after Hurricane Earl
Today, the Belize City Council mobilized immediately after the hurricane and began cleanup efforts in the Old Capital. Debris, trees, zinc from roofs and other objects are littering the streets.� [...]

Search and Rescue Teams Active as Belize City gets Battered by Storm
City folks began bracing up for the storm since Wednesday morning. Visitors evacuated the islands.� Hundreds moved to shelters in both the north and south sides of the city. More [...]

Sugar Barge Crashes into Historic Monument during Storm
The weather system also caused three barges to run aground near the Belize City harbor. This morning, the B.S.I. vessel collided near the Baron Bliss Lighthouse and remained there until [...]

Hurricane Earl Wreaks Havoc in Vista Del Mar
Also hard hit were communities north of Belize City, including Vista Del Mar and Ladyville. Who would have believed that a category one storm, and barely that, could have wreaked [...]

Belize River Valley Residents Show Fortitude in the Wake of Earl
The Belize River Valley also experienced the downpour of the hurricane and residents are not bracing for impending floods. Like in other communities in the path of Earl, damages were [...]

PM Says Care Packages & Housing Assistance for Hurricane Victims
Today, Prime Minister Dean Barrow called a press conference to update the public on all things Earl - from the damage caused in various sectors to the appeal for relief. [...]

Beneficiaries will be Handled through NEMO
Prime Minister Dean Barrow explained that while Area Representatives across the political board will be used for input, no money will be given to them to disburse. All beneficiaries will [...]

Senator Carla Barnett on Accessing Aid Relief from International Partners
Barnett explained the process and plan which will be immediately implemented to ensure that Belize has the ability to access aid relief from our international partners. � Carla Barnett, Senator [...]

Massive Flooding Expected in the Aftermath of Hurricane Earl
Even as Belizeans work to recover from the impact of a storm which was much stronger than expected, there is more bad news to contemplate. There's water heading our way [...]

Hurricane Surge Litters the City with Sludge and Garbage
At new time tonight, here at Channel Five we remain without electricity even while most of Coney Drive has been powered up, which means that we are in the twenty [...]

Recovery Efforts Underway in the Old Capital, but CitCo Needs Your Help
According to Mayor Bradley, the area of Southern Foreshore, particularly near the House of Culture, has been recognized as one of several locations in need of urgent rehabilitation.   Darrell [...]

Belama Phase 3 Devastated by Hurricane Earl
The task of rebuilding is humongous in Belize City. Teams have been deployed to affected areas. This morning, we headed to Phase Three of the sprawling community of Belama where [...]

The Iconic Bird's Isle is No More
Iconic Belize City landmark Bird's Isle, long since a popular venue for sporting activities and entertainment, is tonight no more.� The prominent location in the Yarborough community was brought to [...]

Auditorium is Flattened by Hurricane Earl, but Family Plans to Restore
With irreparable damage having been done to the original structure, are there any immediate plans to restore Bird's Isle to its greatness?   Isani Cayetano "Now on a long term [...]

Another Cop is Arraigned for Sexual Assault
News Five has been able to confirm that a Police driver from Roaring Creek, Adison Gillett, has been charged for allegedly sexually assaulting a fifteen year minor.� He was taken [...]

Cop to be Charged for Assaulting Another
Belmopan Police are also investigating an incident which occurred on Thursday night in which Police Corporal Derin Mariano, assigned to the Mobile Interdiction Team, was badly beaten by another MIT [...]

Salary Adjustments for Public Officers and Teachers on the Backburner
Despite the unexpected power challenges raised by the passage of the indomitable Earl, News Five has been continuing its comprehensive coverage of the storm and its impacts in the short [...]

IMF Recommendations a Real Possibility Given Belize's Economic State
And here's another impact you may not have been expecting, and one which certainly won't sit well on top of the expenses brought by Earl. Remember that letter from the [...]

Agriculture Industry Devastated by Hurricane Earl
Earl wasn't just a storm which brought high waters, tore off roofs, damaged homes and panicked a nation. It also devastated our agriculture industry which has already been facing real [...]

Corn Farms and Vegetable Production Adversely Affected
And while the crushing impact on our banana industry is bad enough, it gets much worse.   Jose Alpuche, C.E.O., Ministry of Agriculture "Corn has been severely impacted, especially in [...]

Impact of Earl on Central Bank Reserves
Waight isn't generally a politician and so, most times, can be trusted to tell it as it is. The Prime Minister, a consummate politician, sings a more pleasant tune. But [...]

Belizeans to Get Help from NEMO, Not U.D.P. Area Rep
So with all that said, the government will step in, right? Belizeans remember in late 2015 when a tropical depression flooded the south side and brought U.D.P. politicians with relief [...]

Was the City Council Prompt in Efforts to Restore Normalcy?
Was the City Council prompt in addressing the issue of debris and sludge when NEMO announced an all-clear on Thursday morning?� Some would argue that the response wasn't fast enough.� [...]

The Impact of Hurricane Earl on Tourism Industry
Like in agriculture, there was good and bad news in tourism. The good news is that all tourists in the country prior to the storm were placed in safe accommodations [...]

Relief Efforts in the City
The Belize City Council has embarked on a massive cleanup campaign of the Old capital. Agencies such as the Red Cross are joining in the effort, giving a helping hand [...]

A look at the Destruction of Hurricane Earl on San Pedro
In the prime tourist destination, San Pedro, the popular Costa Maya festival has been cancelled. The influx of persons expected to attend has dropped dramatically so the festival has had [...]

Potential Health Hazards Post Hurricane Earl
The entire country of Belize is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Earl. The damage country wide is minor for some and major for others. But there are few [...]

The Reporter

Serious accident near BEL power plant near Mile 8, GP highway
A serious accident has occurred near the Belize Electricity Limited's (BEL) light plant near Mile 8 community at around 7:30 tonight on the George Price highway. Reports are that a yellow Ford Ranger ran into the back of a black Ford Edge SUV. The injured driver of the Ranger was rushed by another passenger vehicle to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), as the ambulatory service had not yet arrived at the scene. Police have cordoned off the area to process the scene and motorists are urged to take precaution when approaching the area.

Two drown before Earl passes through
Two persons died of drowning this week, within a day of Hurricane Earl's passage through the centre of Belize. The day before the storm made landfall, the body of Jonathan Josue Montes Diaz, 18, a Salvadoran of Cohune Walk Area, Belmopan, was retrieved at around 3:30 p.m., from the Bobadilla area of the Mopan River in Benque Viejo town. Police found his badly decomposed body floating in the river and because of the state of decomposition, the post mortem examination had to be conducted that same night in the water, which determined his cause of death as drowning. Meanwhile, police were summoned the same Tuesday afternoon to Duplooy's Jungle Lodge at Mile 5 on the Chaa Creek Road in Cayo, where they found the body of Irlan Oliver Mesh, 21, a cook at the lodge.