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Specials and Events
Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials
The San Pedro Sun
9-year-old fighting for life after sustaining third degree burns
Doctors in the US are trying their best to save the life of a nine year old girl from San Pedro Town who was burned over the Easter Holiday. Katerin Michel Perez was accidentally injured on Friday, April 3rd at her home in a fire that burned 53% of her upper body. With the help of a few islanders and Yvette Burks from the Burn Victim Mercy Fund, Perez was airlifted to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. While there has been no formal report, The San Pedro Sun understands that the incident happened shortly around 7:30PM on Friday April 3rd in the DFC area of San Pedro Town. According to multiple sources, Perez was being treated for lice with gasoline applied to her scalp when she happened to pass near a lit stove. The fumes from the gasoline ignited the young student, who quickly became engulfed in flames. Despite immediate attempts to assist Perez, she was severely injured.
Letter to the Editor: Dianne Lawrence
Re: DigiCell text to customers:
"As of April 7th, BTL will NO LONGER correct TopUP error. Kindly encourage your customers to write down the correct number before sending credits."
Is this legal? Or is this theft? In essence, this new policy means that:
1. The clients who gives a wrong number is out of luck once the credit ($$$) is sent
2. The vendor is out of pocket if he/she sends credit ($$$) to a wrong number
To implement your company's new policy, vendors are to instruct customers on writing the correct phone number legibly. Belize Bank did this last year with deposit and withdraw slips and trained us all to 'stay in the spaces'. But if Belize Bank send the money to someone else's account, the error is reversible. Should money transferred in error remain in the wrong account, it is theft. AND furthermore, the bank teller is NOT responsible for the loss.
Ambergris Today
Leonardo DiCaprio Want to Change the World with New Eco-Resort in Belize
It had been known for years that Hollywood superstar and renowned environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio had purchased Blackadore Caye, located about 7.5 miles just west (behind) Ambergris Caye, Belize. Heck! Leonardo has been vacationing incognito at the luxury celebrity resort Cayo Espanto since 2005, but his plans for the island had been unknown until recently.
Today, Belize is buzzing in the Hollywood community (and the world) as the A-List celebrity announced this past week that he is creating a multi-million dollar eco-resort on the 104-acre Blackadore Caye that will push the boundaries of green design, architecture and sustainability. He bought the island for US$1.75 million.
U.S. Naval Hospital Ship to Visit & Provide Medical Services in Belize
The U.S. Naval Hospital Ship, USNS COMFORT, will visit Belize from April 9-18, 2015 and other ports in Central and South America and the Caribbean this spring. The USNS COMFORT works hand in hand with a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies to train personnel in conducting civil-military operations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, while providing medical, dental and veterinary care, and engineering support to local populations.
As part of the events scheduled for Belize, USNS Comfort personnel will partner with Hattieville Government School and Independence High school to provide a variety of outpatient medical, dental, preventive medicine, and health education services. These locations will be open to the general public for one free medical or dental service each day.
Misc Belizean Sources
Belize's Joan of Arc
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez. I grew up on Matlock and Perry Mason
SWAT, Hawaii 5-0 and Miami Vice
Never knew Belize had any magistrate that was this precise
Ninety-eight percent success rate in prosecution
Notwithstanding no one has questioned any of her decisions
Ninety-eight percent success rate in extradition cases
Before Denys Barrow she was doing all government's big suit cases. Magistrate Merlene Moody has seventeen-plus years in the magistracy
Years of experience over Annemarie
At one time she was acting DPP
Until she was persecuted by the PUP
Being a professional from Manatee
She does her job professionally with dignity
No one can question her integrity
No politician can say she compromised her chastity
Flatly refusing to partake in the promiscuity
Permeating in the judicial fraternity.
Caye Coffee available Online
Caye Coffee Roasting Co. Ltd. just announced that their Online Web Store is NOW OPEN and anybody from around the world can order their favorite blend of Belize's local coffee. Click on the link to visit Caye Coffee Online Store
Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow to Attend the Summit of the Americas
The Office of the Prime Minister informs the general public that the Hon. Dean Barrow departed the country today, Tuesday, 7th April, 2015, for an official visit to Panama City, Panama, to attend the Summit of the Americas from 10th - 11th April, 2015.
On 9th April, the Prime Minister will be making a presentation to the II CEO Summit under the theme "Bridging the Americas: Productive Integration for Inclusive Development", which precedes the actual summit.
While in Panama, the Prime Minister will also be participating in a SICA-US Summit.
The Office of the Prime Minister would also like to inform that the Hon. Wilfred Elrington will be representing Prime Minister Barrow in a CARICOM-US Summit in Jamaica on 8th April 2015. Thereafter, Hon. Elrington will be travelling to Panama to join Prime Minister Barrow at the Summit of the Americas.
UNDERWATER SEISMOLOGY
For those who do not know Seismology is the science that studies earthquakes and related phenomena and is used in oil exploration. In the old days, on land, holes were drilled at intervals and pots (geophones) were placed at specific intervals and then you would shoot the holes. That meant blasting the holes with small explosives in a precise sequence and recording the seismic wave that is reflected through and by the substrata. These waves were recorded on LONG rolls of paper (logs) and studied in detail by geologists to predict the presence of formations likely to produce oil. Most likely the source of the seismic wave has been upgraded and there are certainly no longer long rolls of paper. Instead there are computers and programs to aid the geologist is his search for oil.
Seismic data acquisition of sedimentary layers in a seabed beneath a large body of water such as an ocean has traditionally been used to acquire images of underlying oil fields to facilitate the recovery of oil reserves. Such data acquisition enables offshore drilling sites to be established by indicating possible locations in which to extract oil. Seismic data acquisition involves generating seismic waves from a source and receiving or "listening" to a reflected or returning wave that carries information about the medium through which it has passed.
Southern District of New York Charges
Official Indictment sheet: FFB Vice President was detained in Houston while trying to attend the games that the Jaguars were playing. Days later, more than the 72 hours, he was taken to the Southern District of New York where he and others "known and unknown" are accused of trafficking and intention to ship illicit substances.
The case of the United States of America versus Rawel Pelayo, also known as Berto has been growing for at least four years. It accuses Pelayo and others quote "known and unknown of intentionally and knowingly did combine, conspire, confederate and agree together and with each other to violate the narcotics law of the United States." Unquote.
Count one of the indictment alleges that Pelayo and the others that they have identified imported five kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. That's a small amount for trafficking. However, following that allegation the indictment further states that on December thirtieth, 2010, Pelayo, also known as Berto, participated in a discussion with others during which he discussed a plan to sent a quantity of cocaine to New York.
BEWARE OF HER (SCAMMER) CON-ARTIS OR BETTER KNOWN AS LADY D or dorothy truitt or dorothy daniels OR DOROTHY GUY
ITS OVER SHE USE TO OWN LITTLE BELIZE RESTURANT los angeles california / SHE ALSO OWNER OF Dorothy PartyRentals IN COROZAL TOWN SHE DON'T EVEN SEND FOR THE MONTHLY INTERESTS I TOOK HER OUT OF HER MESS WITH MY LAND PAPER THAT I PUT UP 4 HER TO HELP HER OUT AND I ALSO WANT ALL MY OVER DRAFT WAT SHE HAVE 4 ME THAT ! MY HARD WORK MONEY TOO WAT SHE OWE ME ALSO FRIENDS please tell her i need my money ! ! ! how could SHE sleep at night KNOWING AFTER WAT SHE DONE TO ME JACQUELINE USHER AFTER BEING GOOD TO HER I PUT OUT MY all 4 HER I COULD NOT BELIVE SHE WAS LIKE that she is in COROZAL TOWN BELIZE CENTRAL AMERICA driving around like she donot own no one.
Donation to FCD
FCD thanks all the students from Sewanee University, Tennessee for conducting a fundraising event on Indiegogo that raised USD$1,545.00 for the ongoing efforts in the Chiquibul Forest. We are extremely grateful to all the 30 individuals that contributed to this conservation cause in Belize.
Channel 7
The Return of Rawell
Two years ago it made national headlines when Rawell Pelayo - the senior vice president of the FFB, was intercepted by US Authorities in Houston when he was on his way to the Gold Cup. The information at the time was that he faced very serious charges for narcotics smuggling - and that the US Authorities had been waiting for him for some time. But, tonight, 21 months later, Rawell Pelayo is home in Orange Walk. He was deported from the United States today and was taken to the GSU office at the Queen Street Police station this afternoon. After a standard hour and a half processing - which all deportees go through - he was released to his family, a free man. He didn't want to grant an interview and would only give a brief comment:..
Rawell Pelayo, Deported to Belize
"I will give you all an interview later on, but right now I need to get to my family, because I haven't seen them for a while."
Jules Vasquez
"How do you feel being back?"
Rawell Pelayo, Deported to Belize
"Good. I am happy to be home. Nothing like Belize. I will save the interview for when I meet you."
After that he was off to Orange Walk.
Cross Country 2015 Crowned Justin Williams
On Saturday, Belizeans rejoiced when 25 year old Justin Williams claimed the garland "for country." Williams is a Belizean American with strong ties to home who came in fourth two years ago - but was determined to win in 2015. To do so, he had to get a little brotherly help. 7News camera man Codie Norales was out on the road from beginning to end - and here's what he saw:..
Daniel Ortiz reporting
100 riders, including 25 foreigners, took off from the BTL Park for the ceremonial ride out of the city for the 87th Running of the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Class.
Over the last 10 years, Belize as a country, has seen only 3 natives capturing the garland, and so, Belizeans at home and abroad were waiting with abated breath wondering if one of their own would win this one. The defending Champion, Mexican Juan Pablo Magallanes, was not in the line-up today. There were 6 former champions competing. These were Darnell Barrow, Giovanni Choto, Shane Vasquez, Michael Lewis, Chris Harkey, and Bill Elliston.
11 Month Old Died of Head Trauma, Family Says She Fell Down The Stairs, Neighbors Say Otherwise
An 11-month-old baby is dead with a fractured skull and there are conflicting stories about what led to her demise. On Wednesday morning around 8 police found baby Mia Lopez dead - lying face up on a sofa in her parents' home on Curl Thompson Street. The 21 year old mother Karen Perez told police that she was taking care of her baby when little Mia began to cry and gasp for breath. Shortly after Mia became motionless. She was rushed to the KHMH but was pronounced dead on arrival. The postmortem shows that baby Mia died due to multiple skull fractures from blunt force trauma to the head.
When we spoke to the parents today, they told us that baby Mia had fallen down the front steps 5 days before and hit her head. They insisted that it was an accident and refused to give an interview. Now, when we spoke to a neighbor, we got another version - the neighbor told us that it wasn't an accident and that the baby was being constantly abused. The neighbor also said that social services have already came to take the baby away but that they were somehow reunited. And what are the police saying?
Female Coast Guard Shoots Male Counterpart in Head
Tonight 37 year old Coast Guard officer Kurt Hyde is in the KHMH - after surviving a shot to the back of the head which exited through his cheek. The person accused of doing it is a female Coast Guard, 24 year old Keyren Tzib. It happened at around 9:50 on a vessel just 100 yards away from the Coast Guard Headquarters. A team of BDF officers, the Coast Guard and Port Authority officials were returning from a patrol on San Pedro and that's when Tzib shot Hyde. There are many questions as to what led Tzib to shoot Hyde but police don't have those answers as yet.
Supt. Hilberto Romero, O.C., - CIB
"Police personnel visited the coast guard base, where they saw some blood inside a vessel. Investigation revealed that one, Kurt Hyde had been shot to the left side of his face, he was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. An investigation was conducted into that matter, several statements were recorded, tests were done and at the conclusion of that investigation, Keyren Tzib, a member of the coast guard, was arrested and charged for the crimes of attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. The investigations show that they were returning from a mission from San Pedro. Thereafter, the investigation revealed she pointed her weapon at the officer and fired one single shot."
Stepfather Remanded For Stepson's Death
Before the Easter Holidays, we told you about 42 year-old Patrick Castillo Sr., the man accused by his family of allegedly chopping his 20 year-old stepson, Jose Maderos, to death. That violent incident unfolded in front of an entire family, and tonight, Castillo is at the Belize Central Prison after he was formally charged with murder.
Castillo was arraigned today before Magistrate Ladonna John on the charge of murder, and an additional charge of wounding, which he allegedly committed against his 13 year-old step-daughter. Due to the nature of the offence, no plea was taken, and he was remanded to the Central Prison until June 8.
Hibiscus Home Burned
A family is homeless tonight after their home burned down yesterday. It happened at 6724 Hibiscus Street yesterday morning at around 8:00. The owners of the house were not there when the fire started but when they arrived at their home only blackened remains were scattered in the yard - they lost everything. They believe it was arson and told Courtney Weatherburne about it today:..
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
We found 58 year old Robert Tracey sitting on this broken refrigerator in his yard - which also serves as his outhouse - surveying the damage after the fire that destroyed his house.
Tracey has been living here for over 34 years and the life he once knew was shattered overnight.
Robert Tracey, "Lost everything in fire"
"When I come home to sleep, there was no house."
Courtney Weatherburne
"You live here alone right?"
Robert Tracey, "Lost everything in fire"
"Alone. Not alone - me, my shadow, my spirit and the holy father."
Underwood Was Run Over And Killed
There were two fatal accidents over the Easter holiday. The second one happened just after 11 on Friday night in Sandhill. 41-year-old Marlon Longsworth was driving a Ford Ranger pickup when he hit 27 year old Victor Underwood who he says suddenly jumped unto the road. This happened near a well known bar at mile 21 on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Today Ladyville police discussed the accident:..
Underwood succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the KHMH. Police have served Longsworth with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.
A Drowning In Landing
Another young life was lost this weekend - this time in a drowning. 17 year old Christian Valentin - a Belize City resident was swimming in Bermudan Landing on Holy Saturday afternoon when he suddenly went under water. Police told us about the effort to recover his body:
Insp. Frederick Gordon - Rural Executive Officer
"Over the weekend here, we had one drowning incident on Saturday the 4th of April. Sometime around 12:30pm thereabout, police received information that a Christian went swimming where the old Bermuda Landing ferry was, the person merged and a couple hours later his body was recovered and taken to the Karl Heusner where it now await post-mortem. The investigation reveals, from the statement of a person that he was along with, that he went into the water to bathe and he just jumped into the water and we understand that he couldn't swim. The same fellow went to save him but during the course of him trying to save him, the guy tried to pull him and apparently he got released and the person submerged under the water and he did not surface."
Boat Explosion Victim Romy Badillo Receives Skin Surgery In Guate
And in a follow up on another fire�.Last week Thursday, we showed you the vessel which spontaneously exploded and forced 3 experienced boatmen to jump overboard to avoid serious injury. It left the boat captain Romy Badillo with severe burn injuries - and when we left you on Friday he was sin the intensive care unit. Tonight, we've learned through the family's facebook updates that that the surgery in Guatemala to remove burnt skin tissue was a success. He is still hospitalized at this time after suffering 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 75% of his body and severe inhalation of toxic fumes.
According to police, 34 year-old George Gonzalez, 59 year-old Boat Captain Romaldo Badillo, and 41 year-old Wallace Flowers, all of Belize City, suffered varying degrees of burn injuries. After speaking with the men, the officers found out that 52 year-old Steven Bradley placed his 31 foot skiff into the water, and they intended to go to St. George's Caye.
Leo-D Has Big Plans For Belize
Years ago we reported that Hollywood leading man Leonardo DiCaprio had bought an island in Belize - that's Blackadore Caye. Well, on Friday, he told the New York Times that he has major plans to turn Blackadore into a model of environmental restoration. DiCaprio describes Belize as, quote, "heaven on earth," and says that in 2018 he will open "Blackadore Caye, a Restorative Island." He tell the Times that Blackadore Caye has suffered from "overfishing, an eroding coastline and the mangrove deforestation," and he and the developer will fix it.
According to the article, the villas on Blackadore Caye will be "built atop a massive platform that stretches in an arc over the water, with artificial reefs and fish shelters underneath." The times reports that "a team of designers, scientists, engineers and landscape architects, some of whom have spent more than 18 months studying Blackadore Caye, will monitor the resort's impact on its surroundings." DiCaprio says he wants to quote "change the world." You can find a link to the entire extended article at 7newsbelize.com.
PM to Panama For Summit
Prime Minister Dean Barrow left the country today to attend the 7th Summitt of the Americas in Panama.
PM Barrow will make a pre-summit presentation titled "Bridging the Americas: Productive Integration for Inclusive Development",.
And while in Panama, PM Barrow will also be participating in a SICA-US Summit.
PM Barrow returns on Monday, 13th April, 2015 and During his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega is acting Prime Minister.
How To Half Marathon, Bob Lightburn Style
The Bob Lightburn Half Marathon used to be a fixture of Holy Saturday - not as famous as the cross country but famous in its own way - not least because of its namesake Bob himself who blazed a trail for runners in the 50's.
On Saturday right after the cross country started heading for Cayo - they headed for the Burdon Canal Bridge in a 13.1 mile half marathon. We were there and spoke to the winners:...
Regrettably we could not find the overall winner Albert Davis who is a 19-year-old student of St. John's Junior College.
He clocked a time of 1:22:52 on the 13.1 mile run.
Cross Country Champ Justin Williams, In His Blood
But we did speak to Justin Williams - the winner of the 87th. Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Justin is the elder son of Callyman Williams - a former rider well known in the cycling community. But Justin's family tree also goes way back into cycling history with the Miguel's - the most storied cycling dynasty in Cross Country history. Today we spoke to him about that family history and how it led him to the line on Saturday:..
Justin Williams, Cross Country Champion
"We grew up in a Belize community in LA, so every is always talking about it. My dad who brought us out here when we were kids. One of my first memory as a kid we being in Belize on my Uncle Dwight's motorcycle. We've been out here a lot and the culture us just embedded in us. When people ask how does it feel to be a Belizean? We don't know any different. We are Belizeans - that's the way we grew up. Our dad always doing the cross country and us always hearing about the cross country - our uncle always winning the cross country. People always coming at our house on Sundays after long rides. We use to have barbeques at our house after long rides and all our uncles and my dad friends arguing about who won this and won that - it's just something we grew up with."
Channel 5
Rawell Pelayo Is Back in Belize
Former F.F.B. executive Rawell Pelayo is at home tonight in Orange Walk a free man. He was deported by U.S. marshals on a flight back to Belize earlier today and [...]
Keyren Tzib Charged For Shooting Senior Officer
On Easter Monday, at the end of a joint maritime operation of Belize's armed forces, twenty-four year old Coast Guard Seaman Keyren Tzib approached the vessel's captain, thirty-seven year old [...]
Veteran Boatman Explains Explosion
On Thursday night, we left you with the story about a boat that caught on fire in the hanger area near the Belize City Municipal Airstrip. Four men were heading [...]
Fire Department Investigates
In speaking with News Five today, Stephen Bradley said the skiff, Miss Din, was regularly maintained since he bought it twelve years ago. Bradley also pointed out that a new [...]
Belize City Man Found Dead in Seine Bight
The body of a Belize City man was today retrieved from the lagoon in Seine Bight on the Peninsula. Eighteen year old George Richard Maskall was last seen by relatives [...]
3 Structures Torched by Arsonists
There was a string of three arsons across the country over the Easter weekend, the most tragic being the deliberate destruction of a Garifuna spiritual temple in Barranco Village.� Since [...]
Police Investigate Infant Death
A toddler is dead and police are investigating the cause of the death of the eleven month old baby. Karen De Jesus Perez reported to police that sometime around seven-thirty [...]
Belize City Family Homeless After Fire
Earlier in the newscast, we reported on two cases of arson in the village of Barranco in the south. Well, there is another incident in which a small house was [...]
2 More Fires in Toledo
There were two other fires in the Toledo District�one in at a school in Big Falls and the other in Blue Creek. In the wee hours of Monday, a fire [...]
RTA Near Edgewater Leaves One Dead
Twenty-seven-year-old Victor Underwood perished in a fatal road traffic accident which occurred along the Phillip Goldson Highway at the start of the Easter weekend.� He would be the first of [...]
Family Claims Possible Negligence by K.H.M.H.
According to Underwood's brother, while he concedes that his sibling was at times difficult to deal with; his death may have been the result of negligence on the part of [...]
Patrick Castillo Arraigned for Murder of Stepson
On Wednesday, April Fools' Day, forty-two year old security guard, Patrick Castillo Senior, viciously chopped his stepson, Guatemalan Jose Maderos, to death. It was a bloody scene which left a [...]
Teenager Drowns Near Bermudian Landing
A teenager lost his life over the weekend in a drowning accident in the Belize River Valley.� The seventeen-year-old was reportedly spending his Saturday afternoon with a group of friends [...]
Looking at Food Safety on World Health Day
Today is being celebrated as World Health Day under the theme of Food Safety. It's not a topic that we often think about, but it's a very serious matter for [...]
PM Barrow Travels to Summit of the Americas
The Summit of the Americas takes place this week on Friday and Saturday in Panama City, under the "Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas." The event [...]
British Soldiers Undergo Intensive Training in Belize
British soldiers are a regular sight on our roads, especially in the west as they train in the rough of the Mountain Pine Ridge. Belize actually provides an ideal training [...]
Your Weekend Sports With James Adderley
Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday on a Tuesday. Hope you had an enjoyable Easter Weekend. For certain you were thrilled with the results of the [...]