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Posted By: Marty Today's Belize News: October 19, 2014 - 10/19/14 11:09 AM


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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

Traveller's Liquor presents The Belizean Rum
On September 3, 2014, Traveller's Liquors unveiled The Belizean Rum, their newest gold rum. Inspired by the beauty of its country of production, The Belizean Rum celebrates the natural wonders of this magnificent land with labels depicting the Great Blue Hole, Xunantunich Maya Archaeological Site, the Paslow Building and the beautiful Jaguar. It is a premium rum, blended from the most mature and finest aged barrels available at Traveller's Liquors. But even better is its claim to be tasteless, a perfect pairing to any mix you desire. Thanks to the generosity of Traveller's Liquors San Pedro branch manager, Miguel Perez we were able to get some "samples" of the product. I'm talking six 200 ml "pencils" or, as Miguel calls them, "mosquito foot". I think Miguel was trying to kick off our weekend early. Oh well, let the party begin!

San Pedro Red Cross receives donation from Hell Fighters
On Tuesday, October 14th, the San Pedro Red Cross (SPRC) were recipients of a generous donation made by the Hell Fighters Footsoldiers. The donation was made in the form of a check of $1,500BZ, which was handed over in a small ceremony at Ramon's Village Resort.Hellfighters Donate to Red Cross-2 The Hell Fighters consist of Maricela Badillo, Patricia Sabido, Nori Martinez, Betty Badillo, Leonor Marroquin, Ruth Orellana, Ismael Badillo, Roberto Sabido, Francisco Gongora, Bernabe Badillo, Isaias Magana, Victor Peralta, Avimael Chuc, Dennis Sabido, Mariano Contreras, Rigoberto Chuc, and Jose Camal. Upon a recommendation from the Mayor of San Pedro Daniel Guererro, they decided to raise funds for SPRC. To raise the money, the Hell Fighters manned a food booth during the Costa Maya International Festival.

Murder victim identified as Samuel Dawson
San Pedro police are currently investigating the murder of 44-year-old Samuel Dawson who was stabbed inside his apartment located in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro Town. Dawson, a Hispanic construction worker, was found dead by police on Saturday, October 18th at around 7:45AM after receiving a distress call from a co-worker. Dawson was apparently stabbed twice in the throat which caused him to bleed to death.

Minor raped in San Pedro: Culprit not yet found
San Pedro Police are investigating yet another rape incident in San Pedro that occurred on Thursday, October 9th. According to a police report, a 14-year-old female minor accompanied by her mother, who is not being named to protect the child's identity, visited the San Pedro Police Station and reported that she had been raped. Initial investigations revealed that the teenager was walking to the Escalante area at around 10:30PM when a grey van being driven by a Hispanic male pulled over and offered her a ride. The teenager further stated that the man drove to a store on Coconut Drive and purchased a bottle of rum, coke, ice and plastic cups. The man then took the teenager to an area by located on Coconut Drive and had sexual intercourse with her against her will. The victim did not mention to the police whether she was intoxicated at the time of the incident, or what happened afterwards.

Male individual found murdered in San Pedrito area.
San Pedro Town police have confirmed that a male individual was found murdered this morning at approximately 7:30AM today, Saturday October 18th. The victim, a Hispanic construction worker, was apparently stabbed to death in an apartment located in the San Pedrito area. Police continue their investigation and The San Pedro Sun will report more as information becomes available.

Traffic congestion still a major problem on the island- resident proposes solution to the SPTC
Wind said that with the amount of movement within the pedestrian zone, San Pedro will be in need of up to 30 bicycle taxis especially during high season from Christmas to Easter. In addition it is a new way to create a tourist related, quality income employment on the island. Wind shared his suggestion with the Mayor and invited him onboard just such a tricycle to experience what it would feel like around town. According to Mayor Guerrero, Wind's idea is "workable" one that could be incorporated with other suggestions. "We have put his idea on the table for discussion. It is something that is positive and it is in line with some of the initiatives we have planned for this municipality that will alleviate the traffic problems," said Guerrero who admitted that traffic-related issues remains one of the major challenges for the municipality. "We initially agreed in favor of certain decision that would have alleviated the traffic problems, but we have to do it by phases. When we first announced those plans, people felt we were coming down hard on them, and so we have taken a decision to do things by phases instead of all at once. The proposal that Mr. Wind has put forward is a positive one and is something we will study carefully to see how we can try to make it work along with the plans that the municipality has in place. We see that it can also be a source of employment, and so all that will be taken into consideration," explained the Mayor.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Telethon for Chiquibul
We have 7 rangers...on a daily basis, we have to make the decision to check on the gold panning, or the poaching of scarlet macaws, or checking on the milpa incursions along the Western border...' To donate to ensure more rangers can be put in place: ONLINE: Donate online at www.fcdbelize.org/donate CALL: BTL: 08007264377 (Intl: 501-227-4323). SMART: 6516565, 6516724, 6516587 DEPOSIT: Atlantic Bank Acct: #100249795

Support the Sarteneja Homestay Group
Sarteneja homestay group is much more than a collection of guest houses. They offer warm and friendly accommodation combined with a true experience of Belizean village life. Why stay in a hotel when you can eat, laugh and live with real Belizean people?

Belize Cancer Society Corozal Branch
The Belize Cancer Society Invites you to a mass to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month that will be held today 19 th October at Luz de Evangelio Church in Halls Layout Area. Mass will begin at 930 am! Please join us and pray for those in need!

C.A.A.T.S
On October 16th and 17th, the Coroal Town Council in partnership with C.A.A.T.S, a non profit organization facilitated the spaying and neutering of 171 cats and dogs in Corozal Town for it's residents for free. This new biannual evet will significantly reduce the number of strays; therein, reducing the number of dogs to be put to rest by lethal chemicals. The Corozal Town Council feels as though the humane treatment of animals is paramount in the social development of our society. (41 photos)

A section of the new concreted 7th Avenue
(Philip Goldson Highway) in Corozal Town from the foot of the Social Security building to the junction of 6th Street South is now OPEN to vehicular traffic. The section from the junction of 6th Street South to the junction of 5th Street South remains closed as work continues to be carried out in that area. Keep an eye for other streets that remain closed to vehicular traffic. Also look out for the DETOUR signs around town, that will lead you in or out to the main highway. Note that we have done our own investigation as no official word has been forthcoming from the Ministry of Works or the Corozal Town Council. We have called and left several messages to both authorities.

PlusTV

Ebola Scare Prompts Press Conference
Belize had its first Ebola related scare when Plus TV broke the news on social media on Thursday night. Cruise ship, Carnival Magic, had as one of its passengers a woman who handled some of the samples taken from the Dallas Ebola patient who died. The US Center for Disease control (CDC) had told hea...

Government reveals measures to deal with Ebola threat
Earlier in our news cast we told you about the big Ebola scare and the two days of uncertainty that we must monitor, before we can consider ourselves out of the woods...

BDF hosts press conference on National Security concerns
The BDF held a press conference on Friday, the first of its kind since Danny Conorquie was murdered at the Caracol site on September 25th. National Security issues have come into the public domain since that day, hard and furious...

Coast Guard responds to fisherman’s distress call
On Friday at approximately 2:30 pm, Coast Guard responded to a distress call by Fishermen operating in the Turneffe area. Information received was that a fisherman was suffering from chest pain, not breathing properly and his neck was inflamed...

Murder trial scrapped after main witness not located
32 year old Karim Barona is free despite being accused of murder. His trial for the murder of 41 year old Elvis Rhamdas began on Thursday before Justice Troadio Gonzalez in the Supreme Court...

Fisherman charged with rape
Police have charged the man they say forcibly raped a woman on October 12. Twenty-seven year old Jaime Andrews, a fisherman of Lavender Street, Belize City, was charged with rape when he appeared on Friday before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith...

Accused drug trafficker receives bail
On August 20, Orange Walk Police recovered some 54.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine �or “crystal meth” from a suspicious black vehicle traveling in town.�30 separate packs located in a red cooler and a carton box were recovered...

Another protest concerning San Martin Primary School
There was another rally or protest at San Martin School on Friday led by BelizeCan President Patrick Menzies. Mr Menzies called for a shutdown of the school on Friday, because of what he calls aseries of "Anomalies" in the case of the sodomy of a five year old. If you recall, medical examination...

18th Days of Healing goes to Victoria Street
This weekend the Community�Days of Healing initiative returns with an activity on Victoria Street,�one of the many places in Belize City which�has seen unprecedented human warfare. We spoke to organizer Perry “Sticks” Smith on Friday. Perry Smith – Organizer,�Days of Healing [Paraphrased] Th...

Pick up your cross; literally
Take up your cross and follow me. Those were Jesus's words to his disciples, and while it is a figurative statement, we saw the literal manifestation of that in the Capital City over the past few days. Belmopan residents may have seen different people pulling a cross on the streets of the Capital ...

The Reporter

PM hasn't seen letter from social partners
Prime Minister, Dean Barrow said that he has not seen the letter addressed to him and sent on Wednesday which, was signed by the three senators representing the social partners concerning the delay in appointing the 13th senator. Barrow said he was certain that the letter warranted a response and said he would do so but he hasn't been in his office in Belmopan all week long and had not had a chance to see the letter as yet. According to the letter, signed by Senator Mark Lizarraga who represents the private sector, Senator Ray Davis who represents the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) and Father Noel Leslie who represents the Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association. The National Assembly has already debated, considered and passed the law but the implementation is pending, awaiting only the order from the Prime Minister.

Heavy rain in Nicaragua
Twenty-two people have died in Nicaragua during several days of heavy rains. Nine of them were killed in the capital Managua when a wall collapsed during a torrential downpour. In other areas of the city, emergency crews evacuated families from areas at risk from mudslides. A government spokeswoman said they would join thousands of people housed in temporary shelters because of downpours since September. The spokeswoman said the authorities had decided to evacuate all families who were considered to be living in critical areas of the city vulnerable to flooding and mudslides. Rescuers workers search for bodies in Managua after a wall that separates the neighbourhood from another collapsed.

BDF and Guatemalan officials partner in Conorquie murder case
The Belize Defense Force (BDF) has been communicating and sharing information with their Guatemalan counterparts and a suspect has been identified in the murder of Danny Conorquie, Brigadier General David Jones, BDF commander said on Friday. Jones indicated that through collaboration among the BDF, Belize Police Department and relevant Guatemalan authorities they are getting closer to identifying Conorquie's killer. Jones said they have singled out a particular village and have been able to narrow down suspects. According to Jones, as part of the joint Belize-Guatemala Commission last weekend, Guatemalan officials pledged to assist in the investigation of Conorquie's murder. Jones added though, that he did not believe that Guatemala has been doing enough to deter their civilians from making incursions into Belizean territory. Jones also indicated that Guatemala has agreed to strengthen their efforts in this regard.

Patrick JonesPJ

Murder in San Pedro town
Police in San Pedro town, on Ambergris Caye, have identified the latest murder victim in the municipality as 44 year old Samuel Dawson. The body of the construction worker was found this morning inside his apartment in the San Pedrito area. He had been stabbed multiple times to the throat. According to reports received, Dawson's body was discovered by one of his co-workers who summoned police to the area.

Belizeans pledge financial support for protection of Chiquibul Reserve
Today in Belize City there was a unprecedented level of cooperation between the business sector, the environmental community and ordinary Belizeans to help raise funds for the expansion of the Friends for Conservation and Development park ranger program in the Chiquibul National Park and Forest Reserve. The Chiquibul Protection Telethon has raised some $202,347 in pledges from Belizean citizens. This was augmented by a $120,000 donation from the government of Belize to support five rangers. The estimated cost of recruiting, equipping and otherwise supporting a ranger is $24,000 annually.

Don't miss the chance to help protect the Chiquibul
The Chiquibul Protection Telethon for the Friends of Conservation and Development is currently in progress at the Memorial Park in Belize City. The purpose of the telethon is to raise the complement of park rangers to 24. At an estimated cost of $24,000 for salaries, equipment, training and insurance for one of the toughest jobs in Belize, the NGO needs nearly $600,000 for the program. You can make a difference by going to http://www.fcdbelize.org/donate to make a donation. Why the Chiquibul Telethon: The Chiquibul Forest comprises the Caracol Mayan Site, the Chiquibul National Park and the Chiquibul Forest Reserve

Ex-Peace Corps volunteer writes book on Belize
The Peace Corps has been active in Belize since its founding under President John F. Kennedy. At a critical time in this nation's history, when it stood on the threshold of independence, a young volunteer originally from Eugene, Oregon, came to Belize from Sierra Leone to train track and field coaches and build a national athletics program. 40 years later, Ted W. Cox, now retired and owner of a restaurant in Corvallis, Oregon, is back, and this week presented a book he wrote about his experiences in the then-British Honduras between 1971 and 1973. Called "When British Honduras Became Belize: A Peace Corps Memoir," the book takes readers back to a time when Belize had no modern synthetic track, hardly any resources, but still produced sporting legends.

Blogs

Helping the Hopkins Belize Humane Society: An Almost Super Human Bunch
Earlier this week, I traveled down to Hopkins, Belize to help out with the local Humane Society. I'd been following some of their efforts on Facebook, and I'd helped at a free vet clinic in Sarteneja, Belize that was organized by Hopkins Humane Society (HBHS). A tough but amazing experience. These guys are a small group - care but not a shelter - and under the leadership of Clara Lee (a super human Mississippi lady who comes to Hopkins multiple times a year), this organization is doing AMAZING, life-changing things. This is Clara Lee. Do not let the pretty face and Southern Belle accent fool you. She takes care of business. In a way I've never seen down here before. Like in 2014, they sponsored free spaying and neutering for over 1100 dogs and cats. That is about the same as the human population of Hopkins Village. ALL medical care they give is free. ALL. I volunteered to help at a clinic this past week. Visiting vets from outside of Belize, coming here and donating their time and expertise. Pairing up with Belizean veterinarians - this time Dr. Mia Canton - we planned to hit Dangriga and Hopkins and then they were continuing on to San Ignacio to provide free medical care there.

International Sourcesizz

Find paradise at Belize's top beaches
Belize is unlike many other Caribbean destinations, where it's easy to isolate the best beaches of a particular island. The mainland coast of Belize is a tangle of mangroves, which is about as far as a person can get from ideal beach conditions. Not to worry, Belize has literally hundreds of cayes (pronounced keys, as in Key West). These offshore cayes, or islands, are where beaches of all sizes can be found, although almost all have to be accessed by boat. While the country has a handful of mainland beaches, these cayes are where beach lovers should be concentrating their search for the ultimate Belizean beach holiday Ambergris Caye lies off the northern waters of Belize and is the largest of hundreds of islands in the area. Ambergris Caye is Belize's tourism superstar, combining the laidback with the sophisticated for a chic-barefoot elegance vibe. The largest town on the caye is San Pedro, where some locals and tourists take a plunge into the sea right off the dock. The best beaches are to the south and north of the island. As beautiful as these stretches of the sand are, most beachgoers find the sand upstaged by the vivid turquoise blue of the sea. Many of the waters directly off the best beaches are choked with sea grass and while sea grass is ecologically vital, it creates less than optimum conditions for swimming. Select resorts have been permitted to remove the sea grass and some of the best beaches lie directly in front of the swankier resorts. All beaches on Belize are public, so travelers shouldn't feel intimidated about staking their spot on the sand. Some of the best beaches on Ambergris Caye are the beach at Ramon's Village and the beach at The Villas at Banyan Bay. There are also plenty of operators on the beaches offering tours and providing gear for snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing.

Johnny Depp's Bahamas hideaway, Leo DiCaprio's Belize bolt-hole and Mel Gibson's Fijian escape: These are the private islands of the rich and famous
Leave the luxury five-star resorts to mere mortals. To holiday like the truly rich and famous, it simply has to be a private island. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made headlines earlier this week for shelling out more than $100 million (�62 million) for 700 acres on Kauai's North Shore and that whopping price didn't even buy him the entire island. But there are a number of wealthy names who have purchased their own private paradise - and most for well below what Zuckerberg paid. Leonardo DiCaprio: Blackadore Cay, Belize The Wolf of Wall Street star paid $1.75 million for this island off the coast of Belize back in 2005. It is located close to the barrier reef and famous Great Blue Hole, a popular diving spot. DiCaprio is said to have plans to develop the island into an eco-resort.

Ebola: Belize authorities put hundreds of American Carnival Cruise passengers in danger
A Carnival cruise ship had two tourists and passengers on board that were considered Ebola risks. Initial reports said they were awaiting permission to enter Belize to transfer to the Phillip Goldson International Airport where an air ambulance was waiting to take them back to the United States. Prime Minister Audrey Wallace was the first line of contact with the US state Department on the super sensitive issue, and she explained the status of the two passengers at a press conference today: Audrey Wallace, CEO of the Belize Prime Ministers Office told the media. "We are not dealing with an Ebola patient. The passenger in question is a healthcare provider who works at the Presbyterian Hospital which treated an Ebola patient. The passenger had no signs or symptoms of illness. Now the passenger in question had voluntarily entered quarantine on the ship and has not been allowed to step foot in Belize."

'We're a floating petri dish': Panic onboard the 'Ebola cruise'
When a woman who had worked in an Ebola laboratory was found to be travelling on a Caribbean cruise ship, panic ensued, writes Nick Allen and Rob Crill. It was supposed to be an escape to the Caribbean sunshine for a week of partying, relaxation, and sipping champagne while watching gorgeous sunsets from the decks of a luxury cruise ship. But four days after the Carnival Magic set sail from Galveston, Texas rumours began swirling that all was not well on board. The ship, complete with a swimming pool, an array of water slides, and a giant cinema screen, inexplicably stopped off the coast of Belize and the whispers began. "The rumours were going round - we were stuck in the mud. Someone's been kidnapped," said one passenger. As the theories got wilder over the clink of cocktail glasses at the bar, no-one imagined they were actually about to be at the centre of an international Ebola scare.

Native reconnects with her Florida
It was Kelly's first bow hunt in two years after taking target practice the day before. Once a successful light-tackle fishing guide and bow hunter in Fort Myers, the native Floridian relocated to the island of San Pedro, Belize in 2012 to run a fly-fishing shop with partner Wil Flack. While her skills with the long rod on the Belizean flats improved enough to catch and release four permit, Kelly spends most of her time tying flies and helping customers select tackle. "I miss guiding," Kelly said. "I led a lot of people to their first and biggest fish. When you have a 5-year-old girl squealing, 'That's my first fish!' that touches your heart and I miss it." Kelly also missed hunting and was thrilled when Drummond invited her to his ranch in the Big Bend region during her recent vacation to the United States. "I shot my first deer when I was 11 years old," she said. "From there it was an evolution. What don't I know how to do? It took me a while before I shot my first deer with a bow, but I was by myself. I wasn't guided."

Snapshot: Actual Internet Download Speeds From Across The Caribbean, September 2014
Just over four months ago, May 2014, we launched a new Snapshot that presented actual (real life) upload and download speeds from across the Caribbean. In that exercise, data for 28 countries was highlighted, which also established a baseline for future comparison. In light of the dynamic nature of the Internet globally, and even in the Caribbean, where Internet Service Providers are continually fine-tuning their networks and services, and consumer behaviour among Caribbean Internet users is also changing as the market base grows, this exercise might need more frequent updating. Unlike the previous article, where both upload and download speed data was presented, in this instance, we will focus on download speed, and compare the new results with those recorded in May.

Videos

Video: Underwater Belize, 13min.
A compilation of some of the best moments during my dive trip to Glover's Atoll, Belize in May 2014. Some of the most epic bucket list moments for me. Enjoy

Video: belize ruins, 5min.
Visiting ruins in Belize. Shore excursion from our Royal Caribbean cruise "Navigator of the Seas" August 2014.

Video: Following a turtle in Belize, 3min.
Diving with a curious and peaceful turtle in Caye Caulker, Belize.

Video: Diving the Great Blue Hole, Belize, 5min.
depth of the hole: 124 m; max. diving depth: 41.2 m.

Video: Mexik� Guatemala Belize 2012, 34min.

Video: Harlem Shake - University of Belize, 3min.
University of Belize Harlem Shake Turneffe Reef Style 2013 Belize.yess..GoPro film. Students from the Natural Resource Management program doing a Harlem Shake on the shores of Calabash Caye in the Turneffe Atoll. CHANGE QUALITY TO 720 dpi --. Join our diving in Light House Reef Atoll and Turneffe Reef Atoll and see in the beginning few minutes about birds in the Light House reef and then down to t.

Video: Belize World Class Diving, Turneffe Atoll, 13min.
Belize World Class Diving, Turneffe Atoll Turneffe Atoll is the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in Caribbean; and, in spite of its economic and conservation value, Turneffe is the o. Turneffe Atoll is the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in the Western Hempisphere. The marine life at Turneffe Island makes the scuba diving. The Turneffe Atoll - Island at Risk focuses on the improper development, overfishing, and lack of protection that threaten the future of Turneffe Atoll. Turn. Video by Rupert Murray Sound by Jana Winderen The BLUE Marine Foundation has commissioned documentary filmmaker Rupert Murray to make a film exploring the or.

Video: HEIDI KLUM AT 26 IN BELIZE, 4min.
WILD ON. 1999

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