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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


Ambergris Today

Toucan Gift Shops Donate Motorcycle to San Pedro Police
Gus Tabony was accompanied by his staff of Toucan Gift Shops at the San Pedro Town Hall this morning, Tuesday, August 9,, 2016, to present the Council a new Honda motorcycle. On hand to accept the donation was Mayor Daniel Guerrero who indicated that the motorcycle will be presented to the San Pedro Police Department to assist them in their patrolling of the island. Mayor Danny, extended his gratitude to Mr. Tabony after he had reached out to him for assistance.

Miss Belize Pageant Activities Kick Off
The journey to the Miss Belize Pageant includes 14 delegates and a plan to put Belize on the beauty map in a new way. It has been nearly 10 years since a delegate from Belize graced the Miss Universe Pageant stage. September 10 will mark a turning point, when a panel of judges will select a young woman to represent Belize in the world's premiere beauty pageant. Opal Enriquez, National Director of Miss Belize Universe, is pleased with the lineup of young women who will vie for the crown. "These young women are accomplished, intelligent and beautiful, " Enriquez said. "Belizeans can be proud to have such a strong group contestants-any of whom would represent us well on an international stage." As the delegates prepare for the pageant, producers are documenting the process in a miniseries titled "Beauty and Belize."

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Senator Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett Sworn-in as Minister of State
This morning in a brief ceremony at the Belize House in Belmopan, Senator Hon. Dr. Carla Barnett was sworn-in as a Minister of State by the Governor General H.E. Sir Colville Young. The Honourable Senator will now assume responsibility as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance for which the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow holds overall responsibility. On the occasion of her swearing-in, the newly appointed Minister of State said: "I've been asked to perform in a position that is really important at this time; and my hope, my expectation, my commitment is to do the best that I can along with the full team in Cabinet to ensure that we do what needs to be done at this time."

Panerrifix Steelband Summer Jam Session #2
We have been honored and privileged to work with T.J. Budna King from Antigua & Barbuda as a part of our Fun-tastic Summer Development Program - with the Benque Marimba Youths! Join us Friday August 12th, at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Hall for a Jam Session as guest performers for the Pannerifix Steel Band! Make it a date! Entrance fee $5.00 A bus will be available for interested travelers (round trip) Benque to Belmopan, inbox us for more details.

Caleb Orozco court case decision
Today will be the decision of section 53, at the Belize Supreme Court at 10am. Finally after 3 plus years the court has decided that end of term meant 36 months later. For me this case spoke an inconvenient truth, that is there is no urgency when everyday citizens seek redress about their fundamental rights.There are over 30 other cases in the system that has been languishing. If we are are to value the ideals of our constitution, our practice of respect of those ideals will have to reflect in the substance of our action. I am relieved that we have a decision date tomorrow, but I remain cynical about a system that willingly throws the ideals of our constitution under the bus. This in my mind only happens when citizens support such action through the practice of collective silence.

Belize Screen on the Green this Thursday in Belmopan
HAPPENING THIS WEEK! Get out of the house and take a break from hurricane Earl cleanup and repairs! Join us this week for Belize Screen on the Green this Thursday in Belmopan. We will be screening the movie, "Billy Elliot" at the Governor General Field. Movie starts at dark, free popcorn and drinks as always! About the movie- The life of 11-year-old Billy Elliot, a coal miner's son in Northern England, is forever changed one day when he stumbles upon a ballet class during his weekly boxing lesson. Before long, he finds himself in dance, demonstrating the kind of raw talent seldom seen by the class' exacting instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson. With a tart tongue and a never-ending stream of cigarettes in her hand, Mrs. Wilkinson's zest for teaching is revived when she sees Billy's potential.

TOURISM IN BELIZE BOUNCES BACK AFTER HURRICANE EARL !!
The Tourism Industry in Belize has once again proved to be resilient, and through continuous team efforts between the private and the public sector, Belize continues to be your vacation getaway, just one week after Hurricane Earl! On Thursday August 5, the ALL CLEAR was declared shortly after 9AM, and the government departments, residents, business owners, and visitors busied themselves with the herculean task of cleaning up the debris and destruction that Earl left in its wake. Water and power supplies were up almost immediately making this process a lot quicker and easier. Press briefings from the Tourism Ministry, the day after the storm, stated that there was significant damage to the docks on the islands and some beach erosion. However, hotels suffered very little infrastructural damage and tourism is back to business as usual. Other destinations like San Ignacio, Cayo, Placencia, Dangriga, and Hopkins fared much better and they continued to receive guests before and immediately after the storm.

Industry Conference/Tourism Awards Postponed
Hurricane Earl has now passed, leaving our industry in a state of recovery. We were glad to learn that everyone is now safe, and we can now work together to rebuild what has been lost. In light of these circumstances, we would like to inform the industry that both our Annual Tourism Industry Conference and our National Tourism Awards, which were scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 13th are being postponed until further notice. We will keep everyone informed once a new date has been determined. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Continue to stay safe. Sincerely, Karen Pike, Director of Marketing and Industry Relations.

Toucan Gift Shops donates motorcycle
Mr. Gus Tabony and his staff of the Toucan Gift Shops visited the Mayor and the San Pedro Town Council with a great surprise! Mr. Gus presented the Mayor with a brand new Honda motorcycle. The Mayor had previously requested assistance for a motorcycle for the San Pedro Police Department and Mr. Tabony stepped up to the plate. Thank you Mr. Gus Tabony!

Soul Project's Community Art Space Mission
Great article from a traveller who loved the Soul Project. The cultural hub of Cayo. Always be part of the creative collective. "This time the creative collective spoke to us. Fed us. We sat in some place we'd never been before, and soaked up the creative energy. Music filled the room, art adorned the walls, and ideas bounced around inside my head. So much creativity, and I took in as much as I could. Once in a while it's okay to sit back and let other people show you what they can do. More than that, it's necessary to step back and let the collective entertain you for awhile. The energy flows back and forth, all around, and full circle.

Our future drum makers
We have a feeling tiny drums are going to be a big hit! Thanks Stann Creek House of Culture

We can almost HEAR the beat!
Creole Drumming & Rhythm workshop at SISE House of Culture.

Storm damage around Tapir Camp and Visitor Center, Chiquibul National Park

Channel 7

William Mason Talks From Behind Prison Walls
For the past 3 weeks, you've been hearing a lot about William Danny Mason, the man who police believe to be the mastermind in the beheading murder of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas. So, a lot has been said about him, but what does he have to say? Well, today's midweek issue of the Amandala featured an interview with Mason via telephone. It's a rare opportunity, since, Mason is currently on remand while he awaits Supreme Court trial. In it, he names Rural Eastern Division Commander Edward Broaster as a senior cop who allegedly reached out to him for donations. But, as you would remember from last week, Broaster told the media that he never spoke to the man except for when he investigated Mason for complaint of land fraud. He also said that he found the ripoff report web site in which a number of Canadians say that he is a conman. But first, for context we re-air a short clip of our interview with Danny Mason, so that you can be sure that the man speaking to the Amandala reporter is indeed him:

Broaster Rejects Any Connection To Mason
And while that's what Broaster said last week, today Broaster called a press conference just to make it clear that Mason had no reason to call his name. Here's how he put it. Here's what he said this afternoon:... ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "Danny Mason and I had no informal nor formal communication. I had no messenger as it pertains to any donation what have you. Like I said, I think it was a week ago when I briefed the media. 3 weeks prior to the death of the pastor I received a message through Mr. Chan from Danny Mason wanting to meet and I refused to meet with him and I never met with him and I have never solicited any donations whatsoever from Mr. Mason through any individual." "There has been no communication between myself and Danny Mason." Reporter: "Is there any indication as to why he wanted to meet with you at this time?" ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "As far as what I was told Mr. Chan was telling me that he wanted to donate some cycles and so on to their precinct and so on and I had no intention of accepting any donation from Mr. Mason."

Luis Carter Charge Upgraded To Murder
Four weeks ago, we told you about 23 year old Luis "Wizz" Carter, the San Pedrano accused of shooting his one time association Dwayne Hyde. Well Hyde died from those injuries last week, and, tonight, Carter's charge has been upgraded to murder. Carter went to the Supreme Court today to apply for bail for attempted murder but that had to be withdrawn when Prosecutor for the DPP, Rene Montero Jr informed the court that he spoke with the arresting officer who had already served Carter with his new upgraded charge sheet from attempted murder to murder. Carter's attorney, Anthony Sylvester wasn't so sure and was hesitant to withdraw his application. But presiding Justice John Gonzalez told him that he does not believe the prosecutor would try to deceive the court with false information and with that Sylvester relented, and the application for bail was not heard.

Belizean Got His Throat Cut In Arenal
A Belizean was murdered in Guatemala on the weekend. It happened on the Guatemalan side of the village of Arenal, of which half is on the Belize side, half in Guatemala. 25 year old Mario Cunil was socializing at a bar in Arenal with his Guatemalan friend when he got into a confrontation with another patron. Cunil's throat was slashed and his Guatemalan friend who tried to help Cunil was injured as well and he died yesterday. So, it is a double murder - and Belziena diplomat Said Guerra has been dispatched to assist the Belizean family in getting their loved one home. Our records show that in 2011, Cunil, was charged with drug trafficking for 4 pounds of cannabis and was sentenced to 3 years in jail.

Dr. Carla's In Cabinet
There's one more minister of state in a very crowded cabinet room. Senator Dr. Carla Barnett was sworn-in by the Governor General H.E. Sir Colville Young today. She now assumes responsibility as Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Ministry of Finance. The Prime Minister has said hse was brought in specifically to identify and secure relief funding for Belize in the wake of Hurricane Earl. We counted five ministers and ministers of state at her swearing in. Dr. Barnett has served as the Deputy Secretary General of Caricom and the Vice President of the CDB.

Distributing Hurricane Relief
Yesterday the Human Services Department went to shelters around the city giving out warm food and mattresses. Today, it was city residents' turn to get their supplies. Teams went into different communities handing out cereal, water and cleaning supplies to those who are back at home or at least trying to rebuild their houses. The Counseling Coordinator in the Human Services Department told us more about their relief efforts. Onando St. Bernard, Counselling Coord., Human Services: "We are here in the Belama area at this phase 4,3,2,1. Since Thursday we've been out distributing food packages, cleaning supplies and also now mattresses. Food supplies, we've probably distributed over 100 packages, but that's just for Belama. There are other teams in other parts of the city such as Collet and Lake Independence, where they are distributing the same things, food packages, cleaning supplies and mattresses. Looking at the food packages, you have basically the canned goods, corn flakes, cereals, things like that.

Notorious Tyrone Meighan, Taking A Chance At Change
If you live in Belize City, or you watch the evening news regularly, you know very well about brothers Ellis and Tyrone Meighan. They're believed to be two of the most feared personalities of the Ghost Town Gang. They've made the news being charged and acquitted for a number of crimes, or because of the constant police attention, which they have complained of as being harassment. Older brother Ellis Meighan granted us a number of interviews earlier this year, but whenever the press encounters Tyrone, he's usually dodging, or being hostile and confrontational with the camera operators. Today, however, he granted his first ever interview while he was out with Eastern Division South cops while they were out on a humanitarian mission. The cops were at the city hurricane shelters to provide lunch to those residents stuck there because their homes were destroyed by the storm. Daniel Ortiz was at the shelter, and he spoke with Meighan. He took a look at the two faces of the most feared man in the streets:

75 Year Old Claims GSU Roughed Him Up
On last night's news, you heard about the latest seizures and arrests from the Gang Suppression Unit. But once story they didn't report on was of 75 year old Winfield Garnett. The Pen Road resident says he got home yesterday morning to find that the GSU were searching a property int the yard where he lives. They told him to wait outside while they conducted the search - but he says he simply stepped into the shade. That's when he says the officers roped him in just like the young men in the yard - but unlike them, he wouldn't just take it kneeling down. Here's how he explained the encounter and the aftermath:�

High Water Over Low Lying Bridge In Cayo
As we showed you last week, the Macal River over-ran its banks on Thursday - and since then water levels in the west have remained high. It didn't force the closure of the Roaring Creek Bridge, but NEMO confirms that the wooden bridge in San Ignacio is seriously damaged and remains closed. It is classified as impassable and no one should ATTEMPT TO CROSS it. Also, the Hammock Bridge in Calla Creek was destroyed by those floodwaters. We note that Earl also caused a bridge in Melchor to wash away.

Hurricane Earl's Damage Not Enough To Trigger CCRIF Insurance
But, even with that damage and the many more instances of Earl related wreckage we have shown you, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility says, quote, "The preliminary runs of CCRIF's loss model indicate that the Tropical Cyclone policy for this country did not trigger and therefore no payout is due." Belize pays one million dollars annually into this insurance scheme which is "designed to cover damages from wind and storm surge but not rainfall." The report notes that at midnight on Thursday 4th August, Hurricane Earl made landfall about 5 mi SW of Belize City, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The report notes Structural damage to houses, businesses, government and private buildings. But, they conclude dryly, that, quote, "Preliminary runs of the CCRIF loss model generated some government losses due to wind and storm surge damage in Belize. However, the modelled loss was below the attachment point of the country's Tropical Cyclone policy and therefore no payout is due." End quote.

Cops Reach Out With Relief
Earlier we showed you the Ministry of Human Development teams out distributing relief items to those needy residents affected by the storm. Well, Eastern Division Police, BATSUB soldiers, and even emergent UDP politician Shyne Barrow were out at the shelters giving out food to the Belize City residents trapped in the hurricane shelters. Our news team was there when Eastern Division South police handed out their donation of food, and we spoke with the Assistant Police Commissioner About it: ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South: "As you know we just went through a storm during which the lives of many persons were altered particularly on the south side of Belize City due to the fact that their homes, to some extent, has been damaged and in some cases have been destroyed totally. We don't think that it would have been wise for us to do meet and greet in a time like this because we know people are still recovering and people are in a state of distress. So we decided to do something for the community still and we decided on the meet and feed. Furthering this initiative, I partnered with the guys from the streets, we have Mr. Underwood from Southside and we have Mr. Meighan from Banak Street.

BTL Chooses Red Cross
Although Human Services, the police and many other organizations are doing their best to reach out to all storm victims, they can only do so much and that is why more help is needed. It is in that spirit that BTL donated $50,000 to the Belize Red Cross and Hand in Hand Ministries. Today at a short handing over ceremony, Chairman of the BTL Executive Committee Anwar Barrow explained why this donation was important. The recipients also discussed how crucial this contribution will be to their hurricane response programs. Anwar Barrow, Chair., BTL Executive Committee: "Today BTL is handing over $100,000; $50,000 is going to the Red Cross Organization which they're going to use for direct hurricane relief efforts to people who have suffered tremendous losses. A lot of the resources are going to go directly through prepaid cards to victims so that they can use that cash to buy supplies that they need. We are also contributing another $50,000 to Hand In Hand Ministries for the rebuilding of homes and that is going to start in September. We're going to be rebuilding homes for needy families and BTL employees are also going to be a part of that program in actually constructing the homes."

NEMO's Stats
And finally tonight, we have the latest 6:00 PM update from NEMO. There are still 170 persons in Shelters as follows: 91 in Belize City, 16 In Cayo, 28 in Hattievile and four in Orange Walk. So far NEMO has assisted 1,580 households or about 8,000 persons. That's 1200 households assisted in Belize City, Belama, Vista Del Mar, Ladyville, Lords Bank and Sand Hill. Old Northern Highway communities: La Democracia, Gracie Rock, Hattieville, Western Pines and Freetown Sibun. There were 123 Households assisted in Stann Creek and 226 households in Belmopan and the surrounding communities. 23 households have been assisted in Orange Walk and 10 in San Pedro & Caye Caulker. NEMO has issued 4,716 food packs, 3,603 gallons of water, 2,300 gallons of Clorox, 946 mattresses and 284 rolls of plastic sheetings or tarps. NEMO reports that BATSUB, BDF and UNICEF have been assisting persons in shelters. The Belize Red Cross, and USAID are supporting NEMO with field operations.

Channel 5

Melissa Ferguson is Still Detained
Melissa Ferguson remains in the custody of the National Crimes Investigation Branch tonight, as officers await a directive from ACP Joseph Myvett, Head of the NCIB, on whether to charge [...]

Companion of Mason Says She Saw Pastor Lue at Intelco Hill Home
The gruesome murder of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of his head on Friday, July fifteenth shocked the nation. Police have remained circumspect in their revelations, [...]

Ferguson Tells Investigators She Didn't See Anything Happen
According to Ferguson - more specifically according to what Ferguson has told her attorney and allegedly investigators, she didn't begin to realize that something was happening until her husband showed [...]

R.E.D. Police Deny Close Ties to Mason
William “Danny” Mason has become the proverbial bogeyman hiding in the closets and under the beds of Cabinet Ministers, high-level politicians and high-ranking Police Officers. Even securely behind bars at [...]

A.C.P. Broaster Says He Knew Mason Was Shady and Kept His Distance
News Five also managed to contact Hattieville Commander Rochelle Chan who explained to us that he met Mason only once while conducting an investigation concerning an employee at his ranch [...]

4 Charged for Vicious Home Invasion
Four persons were in Court today for the very vicious beating of a young woman in Dangriga on Sunday afternoon. According to reports, and evidence, three women pushed their way [...]

Belizean Killed in Guatemala
An investigation is ongoing on the overnight murder of a Belizean in Guatemala. News Five has confirmed that Mario Estuardo Cunil, a resident of Arenal on the Belizean side, was [...]

Do Mason and Ferguson Have Incriminating Evidence Against High Level Officials?
And tonight's question is: Do you believe William Mason and Melissa Ferguson have incriminating evidence against ministers and high level officials? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones [...]

Gang Leaders Turned Humanitarians
All hands are on deck in the ongoing recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Earl that caused untold destruction around the country.� In the city, where the brunt of [...]

Is Melissa Ferguson Prepared to Spend Time for Murder?
Melissa Ferguson is preparing to spend her second night behind bars, with no indication to us at this point if she will be charged in relation to the kidnapping and [...]

"Wizz" Faces Murder Charge
Twenty-three year old Luis Carter is now facing a murder charge for the killing of Dwayne Hyde, who succumbed to his injuries weeks after being shot on San Pedro. Carter, [...]

NEMO Keeps Watch on Belize River Valley
In the Belize River Valley, communities are preparing but hoping that flooding will not further affect their livelihood. Water levels are up and at least one village, May Pen, is [...]

Senator Carla Barnett Sworn-in As Minister of State
The newest member of cabinet took the oath of office this morning. Following the passage of Hurricane Earl, the Prime Minister announced the appointment of Senator Carla Barnett as the [...]

Iconic Bliss Sustains Significant Damage from Earl
The Bliss Center for the Performing Arts and the House of Culture in Belize City sustained significant wind and water damages during Hurricane Earl last Wednesday.� The ground floor of [...]

NICH Provides Status Report on Archaeological Sites in Wake of Earl
A number of archaeological sites, including Altun Ha and Lamanai, were also closed due to the severe weather system.� The ancient Maya sites were largely unaffected by heavy winds; nonetheless, [...]

National Song Competition Kicks Off this Weekend
The National Song Competition, the premier event that kicks off the annual September Celebration, will be held at the Memorial Park on Saturday.� A total of twenty-one songs will be [...]

Belizeans Featured in Rio 2016
Three Belizean athletes are participating in their very first Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero-Renick James in Judo; Katy Sealy, in the hundred meter hurdles and Brandon Jones in the [...]

CTV3

Will Belizeans Be Able To Cross Santa Elena Border Without Stamping Passports?
An excursion that will be taking place over the weekend will challenge Belizean immigration laws at the Santa Elena border, which requires all Belizeans to have their passport stamped upon leaving and entering the country. Orange Walk residents Geovanni De la Fuente and Rene Cuello, are of the conviction that Belizeans should be able to move through Belizean borders without having to get their passport stamped when leaving and entering the country. Today both men visited our morning show, Despierta Belice and explained the rationale behind their standpoint. Geovanni De la Fuente: "I find it strange when going to this area where you find the Casinos, not the Free Zone, but the the Casinos, I find it strange that the Immigration authorities at the Santa Elena Border that they insist that you have to stamp, now I don't understand the rational or the reason for wanting a Belizean to stamp his passport when you are going to the Casino area, the casino area is not located in Mexico and it is not located in the Free Zone and so I join with my friend here and one of his first priority is to establish t the Belizean people...."

Orange Walk Town Council Releases Fiesta Rama Report
After an entire weekend of fun-filled activities that took place at the People's Stadium as part of the annual Fiestarama event, the official financial report for this year has been calculated and released by the Orange Walk Town Council. The report shows that after all expenditures were covered, the total profit amounted to nineteen thousand five hundred sixty one dollars and seventy five cents. Kevin Bernard - Mayor, Orange Walk Town Council: "This year despite of the weather and the turn out I terms of the businesses that participated, we had lesser businesses participation we still were able to generate a descent profit for this weekend event and you would know as well that this year we only had a two day event even though the grounds were open from Friday we only had the gates collected and we only had it on Saturday and Sunday..."

Barnett Sworned In As Minister Of State In The Ministry Of Finance
This morning Senator Carla Barnett was sworn as a Minister of State by the Governor General His Excellency Sir Colville Young during a brief ceremony held at the Belize House in Belmopan. Barnett will now assume the responsibility as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, led by Prime Minster Dean Barrow. Barnett's ascension to Minister of state was announced by Prime Minister Barrow during a press conference last week to discuss damages caused by hurricane Earl. As mentioned previously by PM Barrow, Minister Barnett's primary responsibility will be to assess total damages caused by Earl and negotiate for international assistance.

China Taiwan Assist In Hurricane Relief
As the works continue to restore normalcy in our country following the passage of Hurricane Earl early on Thursday morning, the government of Belize is seeking international aid to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars in lost. Hurricane Earl brought with it strong winds that ripped roofs off buildings, uprooted trees and caused widespread power outages around the nation, and the inundation caused by heavy rains caused damage to approximately two thousand homes in the Belize District alone, not counting damages caused to homes in the Cayes. Today the Republic of China through its embassy in Belize announced that the Government of China Taiwan has donated a total of one hundred thousand US dollars to the government of Belize for post Hurricane relief. The donation was made to help rescue and relief efforts in disaster-affected areas and assist the affected people in getting their lives back to normal as soon as possible.

Royal Tomb Discovered At Famous Maya Ruin
The first ever royal tomb site of Xunantunich and one of the largest of Belize was found by international Archaeologists working on the ancient Mayan city. The royal tomb was found by chance by the group of Archeologists excavating in the Maya temple. Inside were the remains of an adult male between 20 and 30 lying on his back believed to be an ancient ruler of the Mayan City. According to a report in the Science magazine, "Business insider", specialists that have viewed the ancient tomb believe that its discovery will shed light into the legendary 'snake dynasty'- a family that ruled the Maya empire some 1,300-years-ago, and used a snake-head emblem as their symbol.

OWTC Requests Assistance From MOE To Carry Out Summer Program
At the top of the newscast we told you about the Fiestarama 2016 Financial Report and how this year's profits has been earmarked for the upgrading of streets. That leaves no finance for the council's annual Youth Summer Program. But the Mayor of Orange Walk is not giving up so easy and has sent a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting for assistance to carry out the program. However, the council is yet to receive a response. Kevin Bernard - Mayor, Orange Walk Town Council "I must tell you that while I would have loved to carry out this summer program, I think that we need to get that support from our ministry and from the government, we have written the minister of education through the ministry of education that, last year he was able to assist us with five thousand dollars and we were hoping that this year we would have gotten it...."

LOVE FM

Senator Carla Barnett Sworn in as a Government Minister
Senator Dr. Carla Barnett has been sworn-in as a Minister of State by Governor General, His Excellency Sir Colville Young. Senator Barnett will now assume responsibility as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance for which Prime Minister Dean Barrow holds overall responsibility. Dr. Barnett is quoted as saying, "I've been asked to perform [�]

99% of Electricity Restored Countrywide
As we have been reporting over the last few days, the Belize Electricity Limited has deployed dozens of linesmen and technician to restore power to the various affected areas by Hurricane Earl which made landfall in the late hours of August 3, 2016. This morning the Chief Executive Officer for BEL, Jeffrey Locke was on [�]

European Union Donates to Hurricane Relief
The European Union has extended their hand of friendship and assistance to Belize in the aftermath of Hurricane Earl. Today, it was announced that the organization is making about one hundred and thirty thousand Belize dollars available for the rebuilding efforts. The money is referred to as humanitarian funding to assist the most affected populations. [�]

Taiwan Gives Belize $200K for Rebuilding after Hurricane Earl
The Government of Taipei has reached out to Belize Government as the works to rebuild and repair continue after Hurricane Earl caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to homes, structures, agriculture and infrastructure. The one hundred thousand US dollars donation was given to aid in the relief efforts in the affected areas to [�]

Mason Speaks with Local Reporter, Saying He Is Being Framed
William Donny Mason remains at the Belize Central Prison on remand after the head of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas was found in the pan of his pickup truck on Friday, July 15. Over one week ago he reached out to the Amandala newspaper and with that, Reporter Micah Goodin returned his phone call to the Belize [�]

Broaster Speaks of His Involvement with William Mason
Today ACP Broaster held a press conference to deny the allegations made by Mason. EDWARD BROASTER "The reporter of this story wants to associate me with Danny Mason. This is the closest I've ever been to Danny Mason, today. Danny Mason and I had no informal nor formal communication. I have no messenger as it [�]

Melissa Ferguson Remains Detained by Police in Belmopan
Melissa Ferguson - she is a person of interest as she has been in hiding for the last eighteen days from the local authorities. Yesterday, when she finally made a public appearance and went to the Belmopan Police Station in the company of her attorney, Richard 'Dickie' Bradley, it was widely expected that she would [�]

NASA Measures Hurricane Earl's Rainfall
It has been six days since the passage of Hurricane Earl in Belize which started as a tropical wave on the African Coast and made its way to the Caribbean Sea. During its passage to Belize, the Dominican Republic was affected with heavy rains where six deaths have been attributed to it. After passing through [�]

Orange Walk Resident Awarded Obama's YLAI Program
Orange Walk resident, Hernan Urbina will be traveling to the US in a few weeks to be a part of the 2016 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI). The US Embassy in Belmopan had announced in May of this year that they were accepting applications from persons between the ages of 21 and 35 for the [�]

There is Money in Seaweed for Fishers
Seaweed mariculture is an avenue being explored as a way for fishers to increase their income. Recently at the 4th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) held in St John's Newfoundland, Canada, Julianne Robinson from The Nature Conservancy explained how Belize's waters can offer more than just fishing income to support those living in coastal communities. [�]

Amandala

William Mason speaks to Amandala from prison
"These guys are trying to frame me and I have a lot of information about them," cried the imprisoned William Donny Mason in a telephone interview from prison last Monday with Amandala. According to Mason, ACP Edward Broaster, the Officer Commanding Eastern Division Rural, has on numerous occasions solicited donations from him via Assistant Superintendent Rochelle Chan, who is the Officer Commanding the Hattieville Police Station, which falls within Broaster's jurisdiction. Last Monday, Broaster told Amandala that he only became aware of Mason in 2014 after problems of dishonesty surfaced between Mason and one Armead Logan over a property that Logan owned. According to Broaster, at the time, he conducted a further investigation into the character of Mason, which led him to a Canadian website that alleged Mason's involvement in illicit activities.

Murder at the Michael Finnegan Market
At about 6:00 Saturday morning, less than 48 hours after Hurricane Earl devastated Belize City, the lifeless body of Carl Trapp, 51, a worker who was sometimes the watchman for the Hyde's Supermarket at the Michael Finnegan Market, was found on the walkway of the building. Trapp, a resident of Camalote in the Cayo District, was seen with multiple stab wounds in the left side of his chest, on the side of his face and below his ear. He was lying in pools of his blood. Trapp was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Alvin Hyde, Jr., the owner of Astar Hyde Supermarket, spoke to Amandala on Saturday morning at his businessplace shortly after the body was found. Hyde said that Carl Trapp was his cousin and they were great friends. Trapp, Hyde said, lived in the building and helped him secure the building at night.

Barrow wants to defer teachers', public officers' pay raise
The punishment meted out by Hurricane Earl may extend beyond the devastation the storm has visited upon Central Belize. Amandala has been reliably informed that the presidents of three unions - the Public Service Union, the Belize National Teachers' Union (BNTU) and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers (APSSM) - have been contacted to attend a meeting with Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow, who intends to ask teachers and public officers to defer the third tier of their salary adjustments, which became due in July. The salary adjustment of 3% had not been paid because union officials were still consulting with their membership. The parties met with Financial Secretary Joseph Waight last week, when they also resurrected calls for the Government to revisit cost savings and revenue efficiency mechanisms in order to help ensure that the pay raise is sustainable-rather than triggering an eventual wave of retrenchments and/or wage freeze for teachers and public officers.

Melissa Ferguson surrenders to police
After eighteen days on the run, a wanted fugitive, Melissa Ferguson, is currently in police detention. It is difficult to determine Ferguson's age because the age stated on her Belize driver's license, which lists her as being 56, is inconsistent with the information in her Canadian passport, which suggests that she is actually 48. Shortly after 11 a.m. today, Monday, Ferguson (it is not known whether she is Belizean or Canadian), joined by her attorney Dickie Bradley, turned herself in to Belmopan police. Ferguson, also known as "Mila Mason," was listed as a person of interest by investigators five days after the head of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas, popularly known as "Pastor Lue," was discovered wrapped and stored in a bucket in the pan of her boyfriend's vehicle. The vehicle was parked almost three blocks away from the former Barrio Fino bar in Belmopan at around 8:30 p.m. on July 15.

3 women invade woman's house and put bad beating on her - in front of her children!
A disturbing video circulating on Facebook has led to the detention of three women. In the video, gone viral, three women are seen parking their beach cruiser bicycles and storming into a woman's house, where they assaulted her. The victim, whose children were seen screaming uncontrollably in the video, witnessed their mother's clothing being torn from her body as she was slapped, punched, and pulled in the hair repeatedly. Footage shows the children fleeing from the scene of the incident. The victim, who initially was heard telling the trio not to enter her house, was pinned to a wall, where she was hit repeatedly.

Her mom is from Belize, so says star USA gymnast Simone Biles
Young Belizean fans, especially females, will be thrilled to learn that the star of the USA gymnastic team at the Olympics in Rio, Simone Biles, has embraced her Belizean roots, as evidenced in the below NBC interview done in March of this year. Her "mom" that Simone refers to in the interview is actually her biological grandmother. According to an NBC report today, her adoptive parents, "Ron and Nellie Biles are indeed Biles' biological grandparents, but adopted Simone and her sister Adria in 2001. Simone and Adria's mother, Ron Biles' daughter, struggled with drugs and alcohol."

Results of Belize District semifinals in Belikin National 8-Ball Tournament
Good day, gentlemen! Allan McCoy here again with the results of the semifinals for the Belikin National 8-Ball Tournament taking place at the Belize District level. On Monday, August 1, Team Long Island defeated Team Police at Long Island Bar with a score of 5-0. On Tuesday, August 2, Team Lakers defeated Team Micheladas, 3-2. Due to the hurricane that impacted the nation on Wednesday leading into Thursday morning, the two matches slated for those days were cancelled. On Friday, August 5, all clubs were informed via text or phone calls that the two games would be played on Saturday, July 6. Team Police then hosted Team Long Island at their home, Lion King. Because of the sweep at home, Team Long Island only needed one more win to move on to the finals.

Overall results and standings of C-Ray Youth Summer Series 2016
The 3rd Annual C-Ray Cycling Club's Youth Summer Series concluded this past Sunday, July 31. After five consecutive Sundays of racing, participants accumulated points based on their finish positions in their respective age categories to determine an overall winner at the end of the five weeks. Results are below: Winners received C-Ray T-shirts, trophies and medals, school bags and stationeries, Power-ade, a pastry snack, cycling jerseys and other goodies. Special thanks to all the sponsors of this year's series: The Stationery House Retail Outlet, Smart, Jex Trophies, Bowen and Bowen, M&M Engineering, Belize City Council, KV Events Planning, Cattouse Trucking, the Amandala, and Yapurlandia, who all donated in kind. Also, thanks to my family and friends who volunteered their time to assist in making this year's series a success.

SSBA Basketball Tournament tips off in San Ignacio on August 26
The San Ignacio & Santa Elena Basketball Association (SSBA) will be hosting its annual basketball tournament, starting on Friday, August 26. The tournament will be held at Falcon Field and Victor Galvez Stadium in San Ignacio Town. The five categories are: Under 19, Under 23, Seniors Over 35, and Females. Interested persons can contact Elvis "Tigre" Usher at 605-3390 to register a team, or you can send us a message on our San Ignacio and Santa Elena Basketball Association Facebook page. Registration fee for all divisions is $300.

Excellence goes to Finals
Hello, cricket fans! Just a short note on results of the game played between Excellence of Double Head and Western Eagles of Rancho Dolores. Excellence floored Western Eagles, 180 to 77. For Excellence, Sydney (Brooksie) Martinez scored 44, and Keenan Flowers took 4 wickets. For Western Eagles, Jonathan Benjamin scored 29, and Dirk Sutherland took 5 wickets. It is a burning loss for the Eagles, who keep trying for a championship. Better luck next year, boys! Don't give up! Your turn will come! Congrats to the young team for playing so well! Excellence now waits for the winner of Easy Does It vs Berlan next week.

Editorial: Full circle
We drove slowly around the Southside of Belize City this afternoon around 4:30 pm. It was a time of reflection for us, sober reflection. We saw no joy in the streets of the Southside, though we assumed many citizens were indoors watching the Olympics on television, talking on the telephone, playing games, making love, and so on and so forth. Many years ago the Southside was our stomping grounds, and our people were vibrant, confident, and aggressive. As Belize entered the 1960s, it was becoming clear, or at least so we thought, that the British were willing to leave the settlement/territory of Belize for us to control, and while there were some influential Anglophile Belizeans who had their own reasons for being opposed to the substantial changes which self-rule implied, most Belizeans in Belize City, the capital city and population center, looked forward to our post-colonial future. On the Southside, which was majority black, there was the feeling that our ancestors had built Belize, and we now deserved to take over.

From the Publisher
I'm glad that G. Michael Reid chose to answer my column of a couple weeks ago, but I'm disappointed that he could not find it in himself to address the issue of Ralph Fonseca. I had raised the Ralph issue in the very beginning of the column in question, because G. Mike was on Ralph's payroll, and his specific assignment, during the first Said Musa term, was attacking Evan X Hyde on what was known as FM 2000. (This radio station became what is called "Positive Vibes" at some point in 2008.) At the same time that these attacks on myself at FM 2000 were being carried out in order to increase Ralph's influence among the People's United Party's (PUP) faithful, Ralph was using the United Democratic Party (UDP) newspaper to launch weekly, vicious attacks on the University of Belize (UB), which was under my chairmanship from its foundation in August of 2000 until 2004. The UDP newspaper editors who orchestrated the attacks on the university and myself were Dale Trujeque and Herbert Panton, but Ralph gained access to them through his very good friend from their Bowen & Bowen days - Hon. Michael Finnegan, the UDP Mesopotamia area representative.

Letter to the Editor: It was only a dream �
Dear Editor, Prompted by a dream I had the other night, I was reminded of what was referred to as "Theatre Of The Absurd" during the post-World War II era and on through the 1960's. Characterized by trite and commonplace dialogue, meaningless platitudes and generalized blather costumed as profundity, these plays, as written by primarily European playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ianesco, Jean Genet and others, were a reaction to the breakdown of social and political life as seen in rising crime rates and corrupt political processes. But back to my dream�. So there I was -in my dream- sitting in a darkened movie theatre watching the same old familiar actors recite their same old familiar lines when I realized that this was also a re-run of something I had seen before. There they all were, lined up like Penguins and dressed identically in their white tropical Guayabera uniforms with one frighteningly intoning, "We will continue to borrow, we will continue to spend," while another weighs in with "Not guilty, your Honor!"

Rare 'Whale Fall' Spotted by Deep-Sea Scientists
A rare sight was recently captured by scientists aboard a deep-sea exploration vessel: the skeleton of a fallen whale. Researchers say these bony remains provide a feast of nutrients for sea creatures, including bone-eating "zombie worms." Newly released video footage from the Exploration Vessel Nautilus shows the whale bones on the seafloor, in what researchers term a natural "whale fall." "Coming across a natural whale fall is pretty uncommon," a Nautilus researcher said in the video. "Most of the ones that have been studied have been sunk intentionally at a certain spot." The ecological impacts of a whale fall are far-reaching. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), whale carcasses provide a "sudden, concentrated food source and a bonanza for organisms in the deep sea." Scavengers arrive on the scene first, consuming the soft tissue over the course of a few months, and the remaining detritus can enrich the ocean floor sediment for more than a year, NOAA said.

In Ladyville, Hurricane Earl's tale of destruction
Shortly before 8:00 o'clock on Wednesday night, the lights of Ladyville flickered twice before they died, leaving a thick shroud of darkness as the gusty winds of Hurricane Earl began to howl. The category 1 storm that had been churning in the Caribbean Sea for almost one week was now poised to strike Belize within a few short hours. In the darkness, the silhouette of people carrying bags and other personal items was unmistakable as they made their way to the Ladyville Community Center which had been designated as a hurricane shelter by the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). The hours appeared to be ticking away quickly, as hurricane force winds began to pound Ladyville. Frightened cries for help began to dominate the airwaves as the entire country was on a hurricane vigil. Some villagers who were reluctant to leave their houses became trapped, as Earl's powerful winds stripped some houses of their roofs, exposing the occupants to the raw, naked power of nature.