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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

Get your beach bag essentials for a fabulous day!
With so many shopping options in San Pedro Town, you are sure to score on some delightfully unique essentials. First on the must-have list, a beach bag of course! On our hunt for beach-side booty our first stop takes us to 12 Belize. Located at the second floor of the Mama Vilma Plaza on Tarpon Street, we find the beginnings to our bountiful bag. Not only do we discover a nice BIG (is better) bag, but also a super cute embroidered "dry bag" that is perfect for protecting items you don't want to get wet OR you can use it for putting a wet swim suit inside to keep other items dry, a great idea! Another must? 3 in 1 Bug Blocker! Why take chances that the skeeters are out? This lotion works as a repellent, SPF 45 sunscreen and moisturizer all in one! Perfect!

Miguel Hernandez charged for rape
41-year-old Miguel Hernandez has been arrested and charged for the rape of a minor that occurred on Thursday, October 9th. The initial report indicated that the 14-year-old minor was walking home at around 10:30PM when a grey van being driven by Hernandez pulled over and offered her a ride. But the man did not take the minor home. Instead, he drove to a store on Coconut Drive and purchased a bottle of rum, coke, ice and plastic cups and attempted to give alcoholic beverages to her. The minor refused and at which time Hernandez had sexual intercourse with her against her will.

Kelly Eugene Taylor's death ruled as 'undetermined'
The body was inspected and showed no signs of injuries or a violent attack. The body was transported to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II where he was pronounced dead by natural cause by Doctor Maria Brice�o at 7:49PM. The body has since been transported to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital in Belize City for a postmortem examination. The postmortem examination certified the cause of death as "Undetermined" due to the advance stated of decomposition the body was found in. It was also noted that the deceased had a structurally pathologic heart with severe athermanous of coronary arteries and aorta with chronic pericarditis. The US Embassy has been contacted and are making arrangements with the family. No foul play is suspected.

Views from the Alley
A quick walk-through or bike ride down the alley by the local primary school gives you quite the eyeful. I'm not talking about the graffiti on the walls, although the sight I'm hinting at is a welcome one after reading some of the 'artwork' on those cement walls. Breaking through to hit the very (southern) beginning of Barrier Reef Drive often gives you an eyeful. Docked boats, sunshine bright on the water, and sometimes, just a flat horizon. Or foamy white crests showing you where the reef is�these views are great from wherever you catch them, and for me, it starts the morning just right!

San Pedro Red Cross airs Vampire Commercial to inspire blood donation
"We wanted to do a scary fun commercial to tie in Halloween and our upcoming blood drive. Telenovela stars Josh Nu�ez and Horacio Guerrero were willing to play good guy-bad guy once more for a great cause. We also had some great set help, wonderful zombies and our very own Shirlee. Last-minute volunteer Matt Hoy ran with our vampire vision and we all worked together to create a masterpiece. The public response to our commercial has been amazing," said Norton. A blood drive will be held on Saturday, November 8th at the San Carlos Clinic on Pescador Drive. The blood drive is being sponsored by DigiCell and Tropic Air and hosted by SPRC and the Belize Blood Bank. "SPRC is working hard to increase our blood supply for locals and tourists of Ambergris Caye. Donating blood is a simple process that can save lives. A single unit of blood (475 mL or 1 pint) taken during a donation which is about 8-10% of the total in your system. Your body keeps on replenishing blood all the time, whether you give blood or not, so this amount is quickly replaced. After you donate, the blood is then delivered to Belize City by Blood Services and equally allocated there for use by Ambergris Caye," said Norton.

Preliminary results reveal three positive cases of Chikungunya in Belize
The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Health has released preliminary results which confirm three positive Immunoglobulin (IgM) antibody tests for Chikungunya (Chik V). The preliminary tests were conducted following a Chik V surveillance investigation in the Las Flores Area of Belmopan City in the Cayo District in which three individuals tested positive in a quick test. The three individually tested have confirmed that they had stayed with relatives that had Chik V in El Salvador, but it was after their return to Belize that they began showing symptoms. "Out of the 11 screened, we had three reactive, and now we are sending it for confirmation�we are finding these preliminary tests positive from Las Flores, we have a lot of people traveling to El Salvador, and as you know, Salvador has a lot of cases," said Dr. Michael Pitts, Belize's Director of Health Services Chik V is an infection caused by the Chikungunya virus which is transmitted to humans the same was dengue fever is: by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti). It causes an illness with an acute febrile phase lasting two to five days, followed by a longer period of joint pains in the extremities, pains that may persist for years in some cases. The incubation period of Chik V ranges from two to 12 days. The majority of those infected will develop symptoms including a fever up to 40 °C (104 °F), severe joint pain along with muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, rash and even partial loss of taste.

Ambergris Today

UK Band Pays Tribute to Belize with Song
They are a UK band from London that visited Belize and fell in love with the country, like everybody else who visits the Belizean Jewel. The band members got inspired from their adventures and experiences traveling throughout the country that they decided to dedicate a song to Belize. Like San Pedro, Ambergris Caye has Madonna's 'La Isla Bonita' song to identify itself with; Belize might have Wayward's song 'Belize' to go by. The song may not have the typical sounds that make up the rhythms of typical Belizean music, but it's very catchy and pleasing to the ears. It's an electronic song that is soothing, like lounge music.

House moving on Ambergris Caye
"Don't look now, but there's a house coming up behind you!"

Belize Receives $6.9Mil Grant to Protect Forest Reserves
Government of Belize and World Bank Sign Grant for "Management and Protection of Key Biodiversity Areas in Belize" Project - The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) and the Government of Belize signed a Grant Agreement on November 5, 2014 for US$6.9 million. The grant is provided by the Global Environment Facility and is being administered by the World Bank. This large grant was approved for a five-year project entitled "Management and Protection of Key Biodiversity Areas in Belize", which will be executed by the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development.

Misc Belizean Sources

Home Depot in Chetumal to open soon
The Corozal Daily spoke with the management and staff of Home Depot in Chetumal and they are officially announcing their grand opening next week Thursday November 13th.

Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic Auction Nov. 29
San Ignacio Hotel, Caracol Room. Saturday November 29th, 7pm $75 per person

Missing Person
Name : Joeth Pratt aka "China" Height: 5'5" Weight: 130 lbs Age: 38 years Ethnicity: Creole Distinguishing Marks: small tattoo under the right eye, scar on her left cheek, tattoo on her neck and arms. Joeth is a truck driver for Cisco Construction and was last seen in the Medina Bank Village Area of Toledo on Wednesday November 5, 2014. Anyone seeing Joeth is asked to please call the nearest police station or 610-1681

St. Terese RC School in Burrel Boom
Standard 5 and 6 students, teachers and parents of St. Terese RC School in Burrel Boom soaked up the history and culture of Corozal Town today. It was a pleasure to showcase and educate our fellow Belizeans on Corozal's rich history.

Corozal Youths to receive awards
The Department of Youth Services will be celebrating its annual Youth Awards for outstanding youth in different categories throughout the country of Belize. This year, we are pleased to announce that 3 of our Corozal nominations have won either 1st, 2nd or 3rd place country-wide. Vianca Neydi Bautista getting the Youth in Academic Excellence Award, Adrian Anderson getting the youth in leadership award and the Corozal Junior College Eagles receiving the environmental group award! CONGRATULATIONS!!! We will be travelling to Belize City tonight and they will be receiving their awards at the Ramada Hotel at Princess.

7th Annual Artisan Fair
The U.S. Embassy is hosting its 7th Annual Artisan Fair in Bemopan on November 18th. The fair will feature art vendors from all over Belize, and we will have a special emphasis on women entreprenuers this year. Please come out and join us!

Belize Mission 2014 (7 photos)

Channel 7

Monchie Asks Police to Investigate DPM for Conspiracy to Murder
Yesterday, we showed both sides of that explosive allegation against Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. He is being accused of being the mastermind behind the murder of Ramon Cervantes Sr, in a political conspiracy to target his son, Ramon Cervantes Jr, Vega's political opponent in Orange Walk North. That allegation comes from a phone call made to Ramon Sr.'s Widow, Vilma on October 8. The caller claimed to be Manuel Castillo, the man wanted by police for Ramon Sr's murder, who is also the main suspect in Sonia Maribel Abac's murder. The Cervantes family released the phone call to the media on Wednesday, and Vega responded with an emphatic denial in both English and Spanish. Today, the family officially handed over the telephone call to Orange Walk police. They want all allegations made in the phone call to be investigated - basically asking police to find out if the Deputy Prime Minister was involved in a murder conspiracy.

Christine's Six Figure Award Cut Down by 65%
The 2014 sessions for the Court of Appeal ended today and there were several long awaited judgments passed for both criminal and civil cases. One of the main civil cases was the case with former Secretary General of the Belize Communications Workers Union, Christine Perriott who was fired by the then owners, the Ashcroft Alliance in 2007. In 2010, she was vindicated when the Supreme Court found that she had been wrongfully terminated - and was granted compensation of over $350,000 thousand dollars. By then BTL had been taken away from Ashcroft and nationalized. The effect of that was that those who had been fighting the Alliance shoulder to shoulder with Perriot in 2007 - were now running BTL - such as her former lawyer, Lois Young Barrow who, by 2010, was BTL's attorney.

Fisheries Officer Under Suspicion Gets Transferred
On Thursday, the San Pedro Sun broke a sensational story based on a leaked internal memorandum from San Pedro police. The document dated 16th October is directed to the Head of the Fisheries Department and it directly implicates a fisheries officer for being involved in drug trafficking. The officer in question was assigned to the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve on northern Ambergris Caye. The memo says that he used his fisheries vessel to transport the beachcombers who look for wet drops on the north end of Ambergris Caye. The police say he was also caught with a drug dealer who had three pounds of marijuana and fifteen thousand dollars in cash and charged with drug trafficking. The police conclude that he poses a serious security threat to the reserve because reports say he is wanted dead by the Mexican cartel. Very serious allegations, and while the report is dated mid October - the fisheries Director says it wasn't emailed to her until Tuesday of this week. Today the CEO in the Ministry told us they have acted on it:..

Man Convicted of Stealing From His Own Brother
48 year-old Luke Antonio Nicholas is out tonight after spending 6 months in jail while awaiting trial for stealing from his own brother. His family punished him because they were sure that he did the crime, and so when he returned to court today, he finally confessed. His brother, Bruce Codrington, told police that between May 3 and May 21, 2014, someone broke into his garage in Hattieville and stole 2,150 dollars' worth of property. Police investigated the theft and eventually charged Luke Nicholas with handling stolen goods after all the items were recovered from his possession. He was arraigned in Magistrate's Court, and he was offered bail of $3,000, which he couldn't meet after pleading not guilty.

Appeals Court Tells BCB GOB Is Entitled To Costs
Today the court of appeal also handed down a judgment relating to the ongoing dispute between the Ashcroft Alliance and BTL. This one was an appeal in relation to the 50 million dollar case having to do with the Arbitration award. The issue before the court was cost because BCB holdings contended that the Caribbean Court of Justice was not clear on whether the government was entitled to costs. BTL's attorney Michael Young explained: Michael Young, Attorney, BTL "There was an appeal in relation to a major case of the government and the Ashcroft Group; the 50 million dollar case having to do with the arbitration award, this has to do with the issue of cost and as far as the BCB holdings were concerned, the order made by CCJ was not clear or in any event that the government was not entitled to its cost and so that has been the difference between the parties and it has gone to the Court of Appeal and the Court of Appeal has decided that the government is entitled to its cost in relation to that case before the supreme court and the the proceedings of the court of appeal."

Ringing Of The Salvation Army Bells Mean Christmas Is Here
For some, it is a bit too early to start preparing for Christmas. That's not the case for the Salvation Army which launched its annual Christmas Kettle Appeal today in front of the First Caribbean Bank. Every year the Salvation Army launches this initiative to raise funds for needy families throughout the country. Regional Commander for the Salvation Army Joliker Leandre spoke to us about the target he plans to meet and the impact these funds will have on families. This event is held every year on the first Friday in November.

SICA Comes Up With Regional Position On Climate Change
Today the Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries chaired a regional SICA meeting of C-CAD, the Central American Commission on the Environment. According to the CEO - much of the discussion focused on climate change and coming up with a regional position:.. Adele Catzim-Sanchez, CEO - Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, Sust. Dev. "Meeting to discuss several critical issues. Well you know the important topic on the table right now is climate change. We are working on a collective SICA country position that will be advanced at the next conference of parties for climate change that will take place in December in Lima, Peru. It's the first time that there's been an attempt to have a coordinated and consensus document that would be advanced by SICA countries as a SICA position." The ministers also discussed institutional strengthening for C-CAD and a draft strategic plan for the environment for Central American Countries. And while Belize is leading SICA, we're also the base of the Caricom Climate Change Centre in Belmopan. And heading into the world climate change talks in Peru next month - there is a report that the CARICOM countries are prepared to walk out of if rich countries are not prepared to agree on a deal that will reduce the impacts of climate change on the region.

The Bagasse Impasse Explained (Sort Of)
Last night, we showed you our interview with the CEO of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association. He discussed with us that the start of next crop season should not be affected the unresolved commercial agreement. What he did tell us is that the discussions about bagasse, that old issue that the cane farmers and the factor owners still can't resolve, is much more contentious, and it could affect the industrial relations. The last time both sides met for negotiations was October 9. The Association's CEO says that at that meeting, they got a clear picture of where BSI wants to go, which the Association is not too happy about: Oscar Alonzo, CEO - BSCFA "First of all they still keeping the formula for the payment of bagasse within the agreement and basing it on fiber. And they have indicated adamantly that that's it and it's not negotiable. We have to accept payment and not only that - that payment will no longer be for this crop, it will be for the next crop. So those are positions that we find have become much more drastic."

Teaching Kids Lessons About Health
Today primary and high school students had the opportunity to learn more about healthy practices at the Matron Roberts Polyclinic 2 Health fair. It was all about providing information on how to live a healthier - even if you're a kid. Polyclinic Administrator, Alexy Rosado told us more about the event. The theme for this year is "Good to Go From Head To Toe".

FECTAB Fuming Again - this Time Against NICH
We haven't heard from FECTAB - the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize - in a while, almost a year to be exact. That's when they held a press conference that ended with Yohnny Rosado crying - that's how emotional it was. But, since then, the organization has taken a lower profile - as the principals try to look after their business interests - which has become a priority since Carnival Cruise Line is on a mission to undersell them. But now, they say that they can't even survive in the margins of the industry because of a new policy handbook that NICH put out. They explained it all at a press conference at the Radisson this morning - and 7News was there:.. David Almendarez, Fantasea Belize "We are meeting because of the unfair conditions that we feel we the native Belize at the Nohoch Che'en Archaeological site."

BTB Says Its Been In Dialog With FECTAB
Today we asked both NICH and BTB for a comment and we got a call from the Tourism Board's Valdemar Andrade, the Tourism Board's Director of Cruise and Regional Initiatives, BTB. He told us they have been engaged in dialogue with FECTAB so he was surprised that they held a press conference when a meeting has been planned for Monday:.. Valdemar Andrade, Director - Cruise Initiatives, BTB "We had engage NICH who had then invited them to a meeting the coming Monday right here which they had not responded and so we had an agreement from them to engage in that meeting to try to find a resolution to this matter. In my opinion we don't have the benefit of that meeting and I think it would have been good for us to be able to have that meeting. I think for the mere fact that NICH schedule a meeting saying I am open to hearing your side on this matter and that we can engage and find a resolution or a solution." Jules Vasquez "They are saying that these polices were produced or the policy was produced without adequate consultation with the stakeholders and it in fact illustrates an ignorance of how things actually operates in the caves."

Cop Convicted For Traffic Offence
Today in court a police corporal and his brother were found guilty for a traffic offence. The case dates back to Boxing Day of 2012, when ASP Antonio Rosado stopped a vehicle driven by mailman Lloyd Dyer with his brother police Corporal Edward Castillo in the passenger seat. The insurance on the car was expired and when the ASP ordered them to exit the vehicle so that it could be impounded, Corporal Castillo refused the ASP's order and took over the wheel. He then ordered his brother to get back into the car and sped off. But they were eventually charged with one count each of obstruction, one count each of drove motor vehicle not covered by third party risk insurance, while Corporal Castillo was additionally charged alone with the little used offense of "rescued a person to be charged for an offense" - basically taking his brother from the scene.

PROFILE...
Tonight's teacher profile is about Claudette Reyes, a standard one teacher at St. John's Primary. After 29 years in the job, you might think that she was born to teach - but the life story of this 16th of 18 children is not that simple. She grew up tough - but learned a valuable life lesson from a mother who said if it meant spending her last dollar - she would keep her daughter in school. She tells the profile that teaching is her way of paying back for that commitment to education:.

Channel 5

Cervantes Family Hands Sensational Recording to OW Police
A recorded phone call between widow, Vilma Cervantes, and alleged murderer, Manuel Castillo, continues to dominate the news and shock the nation. In that call, Castillo tells Cervantes that a [...]

CIB Investigating Allegations, Says C.E.O. Lovell
So we're a little confused. Is the investigation into the Cervantes and Sonia Abac murders, opened months ago, now closed? If so then when was it concluded and why wasn't [...]

DPM Vega Requests Additional Police Security
And while the Cervantes family walked into the Police Station today unescorted, News Five has been informed that additional security has been provided for Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega and [...]

Tour Operators Protest New Cave-Tubing Regulations
FECTAB held a press conference this morning and as expected, there was some drama to the proceedings because archrivals were sitting at the same table united in a common cause. [...]

Tour Rivals Bury the Hatchet
A FECTAB press conference, as we have come to learn, is never quite complete without its share of histrionics.� This morning, archrivals Yhony Rosado and Vitalino Reyes, proprietors of Cavetubing.com [...]

Internal Police Memo Fingers Fisheries Officer in Drug Trafficking
On Thursday, the news broke of an internal memo from Assistant Superintendent of Police Henry Jemott, Deputy Coastal Executive Officer, to the Head of the Fisheries Department. The memo is [...]

RTA Victim Yanie Cu Receives Assistance
In August, Benque resident Yanie Cu was badly injured in a collision with a government vehicle being driven by Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura. In October, News Five ran [...]

Still No Tourism Police at Caracol
Caracol reopened on October twenty-seventh after being closed for an entire month. There was much hype about enhanced security protocols - beefed up B.D.F. presence and Tourism Police presence ramped [...]

Women and Child Knocked down on George Street
Often you hear about the irresponsibility of taxi drivers that operate 'dollar vans' in the Lake Independence area. Dangerously at times, the vans would stop in the middle of the [...]

Perriott Loses Big in Appeals Court
In 2007, Christine Perriott, former general secretary of the Belize Communications Workers Union, who was employed as a technician at Belize Telemedia Limited, was released from her job over allegations [...]

Salvation Army Launches Annual Kettle Appeal
It's that time of the year and red kettles will be popping up all over the city for the Salvation Army's annual Kettle Appeal to raise funds for its community [...]

SJCU Celebrates 68th Birthday
The St. John's Credit Union has been in existence for over sixty years and today across from its headquarters on Basra Street in Belize City, the lending institution celebrated its [...]

Cop's Drivers' License Suspended for Traffic Offence
A police corporal and his brother, who is employed at the post office, were both convicted on Thursday morning in the courtroom of Magistrate Dale Cayetano. While the men escaped [...]

Matron Roberts Hosts Annual Health Fair
The annual health fair at the Matron Roberts Polyclinic Two took place today. The fair is dedicated to encourage Belizeans to live a healthy lifestyle. As the saying goes, prevention [...]

LOVE FM

Resident of Dangriga Blames Fire Station For The Extent Of Damage To The House
A house was destroyed by fire in Dangriga. Correspondent Harry Arzu has the details. HARRY ARZU "Officials from the fire department reported that they responded at about 7:24pm to a call of a fire that was in progress in the second road side area of Dangriga. They responded quickly and began fighting the fire. After it was all over, the elevated wooden structure measured 24�30 turned to rubble. Reports indicate that the owner of the house, police officer Desmond Ramos, was on the veranda of the house when he suddenly heard a loud sound that came from inside the kitchen. Preliminary investigation from the fire department revealed that the cause of the fire resulted from a leak in the butane gas tank. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in due time and prevented it from spreading to nearby homes. The estimated cost of the house and its contents is said to be $45,000. An eyewitness who lives in the area, Peter Reyes, said that there needs to be some improvement and upgrading of the firefighting equipments."

Municipal Service Regulation Focuses On Politicizing and Hiring Country Wide
Officials of Dangriga and Punta Gorda Town Council participated in consultation sessions on municipal service regulation yesterday. Correspondent Paul Mahung reports. PAUL MAHUNG "The one day event was coordinated in Punta Gorda by Anthony Fuentes." ANTHONY FUENTES "The objective of the municipal service regulation is to ensure consistency across all nine Belize municipalities. The regulation focuses on the politicizing and the hiring process; it also focuses on ensuring that there are standards across all nine municipalities. What is occurring presently is that the committee is using these consultation to ensure that all the councils are knowledgeable to what is in the regulation. So the month of November is used for consultation. Following the consultation is the review by the 7th of December. Each town council should pass this bill and from there it would go to the house of representatives where a negative resolution will be passed. The negative resolution is for 40 days so if there is any objection to what is in the regulation then that will be able to be questioned. From the negative resolution, it will go to the house and then the bill will be passed. Today is very important for the Punta Gorda town council and Dangriga for the Mayor, Gilbert Swazo, is in the municipality.

Police Continues Investigation In Corozal Home Burglary
Armando Apolonio, 40yrs Belizean Postal clerk of Santa Rita road, Corozal Town, reported between 8:00am on Friday 31st October 2014 and 6:45pm on Thursday 6th November 2014, his house was broken into. The following items were stolen from his home: (1) Gateway mini laptop valued at $800.00bcy, (2) DVD Players a Daewoo brand valued at $400.00bcy and another brand unknown valued at $300.00bcy, A pair of gold earring circular in shape with small diamonds attached to it valued at $300.00bcy, an assortment of DVD's and Cd's valued at $150.00, (2) pack of Fruit of the looms boxers valued at $40.00bcy, (2) pack of Hanes brief valued at $30.00bcy, (2) pack of under shirts valued at $40.00bcy, (2) body wash valued at $16.00bcy, (1) LG Smart Phone valued at $150.00bcy, (2) Samsung cell phones valued at $100.00bcy; all to a total value of $2,266.00bcy. Corozal Police are investigating.

Mother And Son Charged With Drug Trafficking
Two persons were charged with drug trafficking for 205.7 grams of cannabis when they appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. They are 52 year old Rose Reneau and her son, 34 year old Mark Staine. They plead not guilty to the charge and they were each offered a bail of $5,000. Their next court date is January 8, 2015. Police reported that at about 5:20 p.m. yesterday, acting on information they received, they went to Reneau's house on Consuelo Street and executed a search. They said the search resulted in the discovery of the cannabis in a black plastic bag in the bathroom. Reneau and Staine, who were at the house at the time, were arrested and charged.

Not Guilty To Guilty; Luke Antonio Nicholas Charged For Thieft
Forty-eight year old Luke Antonio Nicholas, charged with handling stolen goods for several items that were stolen from his brother, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty when he was brought today before Magistrate, Herbert Panton. Because it was his first offense, Magistrate Panton sentenced him to the 6 months. He has served as a remanded prisoner and was released. On May 21, 2014, Nicholas' brother, Bruce Codrington, went to Hattieville Police Station and reported that between May 3 and May21, his garage , made of zinc and 30 by 30 feet in size, was burglarized. He said that items that were stolen included one drill press, valued at $1,000, one vehicle jack, valued at $400, one mechanic press, valued at $500 and 12 sheets of red galvanized zinc, valued at $150. Police conducted an investigation, which resulted in the recovery of the drill press and the zinc. Nicholas, who told the police where the drill press and zinc were, was charged with handling stolen goods. Nicholas was offered a bail of $3,00 but he was unable to meet bail. Today in court he told Magistrate Panton that he was working with his brother at the time the burglary was committed and he has promised his brother not to do it again.

Drug Trafficking Charges Rejected Against Brazilian Footballer
A judge in Rio de Janeiro has rejected charges of drug trafficking against Brazilian footballer, Adriano. Prosecutors said on Tuesday he had allegedly bought a motorbike and given it as a gift to a known drug dealer in the Rio shanty town where he grew up. But the judge, Maria Tereza Donatti, said the case was dismissed because there was not enough evidence to uphold the accusations. Adriano, 32, could have faced a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. He had denied the allegations, which first emerged in 2010. Brazilian police said he had bought the motorbike in 2007 and registered it in the name of the mother of drug dealer, Paulo Rogerio de Souza Paz, known as Mica. The bike was used for drug trafficking in one of Rio's shanty towns, or favelas, then controlled by Comando Vermelho (Red Command), a powerful criminal gang. The Brazilian striker had a successful career in Italy, winning titles with Inter Milan. But off-field problems and injuries cut his career short. He has reportedly been negotiating a comeback with second division French club Le Havre.

Salvation Army Starts Donations For Projects Next Year
This time around, every year, you'll be seeing the Salvation Army officials posted at nearly all street corners singing Christmas music and collecting donation to carry out projects for the following year. It's the Red Kettle Appeal and it was launched this morning in front of the offices of First Caribbean Bank in Belize City. According to the Regional Commander for the Salvation Army, Major Joliker Leandre, their target is one hundred thousand dollars. "Our target every year is $100,000. Unfortunately last year, we fell short of about $10,000. This year, we already have a shortage of $15,000 because one of our main sponsors of our agreement with them ends this year. However, we are very confident that God will always provide for his children. We got less of the income, but our target is still the same in terms of reaching out to the people. We cannot decrease the number of persons we can assist because funds don't come in; we have to find ways and mean to reach out to as many people as possible during this time. We have over 500 families that will receive food parcels during the course of the Christmas period throughout Belize. We also have 2,500 children across Belize city that will receive gifts and also a Christmas treat and apart from the yearly program that we run. We are relying on the public and they have proven to be faithful over the years, they have been supporting us and we have the confidence that they will do the same this year. Those who are not yet on board, we encourage them to come on board because there is room for everyone."

Students And Professors From The USA Complete Three Day Working Visit In Toledo
A number of doctoral students and professors of Prairie View University in the USA have completed a three day working visit to UB Toledo. Correspondent Paul Mahung tells us more. PAUL MAHUNG "UB Toledo campus administrator, Roy Pollonio, spoke of highlights of the working visit." ROY POLLONIO "The doctoral students facilitate all the workshop sessions covering topics such as strategies to accommodate special needs students, improving partnerships between schools and the local community and positive alternative forms of discipline. The workshop was well attended by approximately 100 teachers and intern selected from various primary schools throughout Toledo. The visit and all activities associated with the visit were indeed mutually beneficial to all of us both the team from Prairie View University and our teachers of the Toledo district. The folks from Prairie View University certainly got a cultural experience, they became more familiar with teaching methods and the challenges associated with education in the Toledo district while our teachers developed new skills, for example more awareness and skills in meeting the needs for students who are described as special needs students and also the whole important concept of improving the partnership between the schools and the local community. So it certainly, it was mutually beneficial to all of us."

CEO In Ministry Of National Security Ponders Proposal Relating To BINARQ
In a recent press conference, Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, told the media that as it relates to BINARQ- the Guatemalan Company contracted to build the Forward Operating Base at Hunting Caye- cabinet decided that Government should take over the construction. This was a result after much public outcry and after GOB ordered a stop order on all works. The project was being originally funded by the US Corp of Engineers and two options were given; either let the plan proceed as scheduled or GOB would find the monies to finish the base. The latter was chosen, but BINARQ, still interested in completing the project, began discussion with GOB. One of the conditions that GOB must obtain is that BINARQ, hire Belizeans to finish the works. Today, we got the update from the CEO in the Ministry of National Security, George Lovell.

Three Men Detained For Stolen Generator
A six thousand dollars generator was stolen from 54 year old Eduardo Aguilar and he wants it back. Aguilar reported to San Pedro police that between the hours of 1 am and 6 am on yesterday morning, his Red and Black Briggs 8 Stratton Generator was stolen from a building located on Angel Coral Street. Aguilar reported that the building was recently bought by his family and when they purchased the building, they also bought the generator that was in the building. He also stated that after buying the building they were working on it doing repairs and a wall off the building was brought down. It is suspected that the culprits who took the generator used the opportunity to gain access to the generator. Police have detained three men pending investigations.

Land Dispute Goes to Trial
The land dispute involving Bernadette Pickwood, Maude Williams and Marvin Castillo, commenced trial this morning in the court room of Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin. As we have been reporting, Pickwood feels as though a piece of land located at the corner of Chetumal and Albert Hoy Streets was unfairly taken away from her from the Lands Department and given to Williams and Castillo. After more than twenty years, Pickwood realized that works were being done on the land that she had been holding a lease for. Pickwood successfully got an injunction to stop all works and after a fail attempt of settling the matter out of court yesterday, the trial began this morning. Pickwood's attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, spoke to the media. "It doesn't mean that from now to November 27th there wouldn't be our own form of mediation. The court always encourages that and we as attorneys, we know we need to be amenable by that because while you go to the court there are certain things that you can solve and I must say that the Ministry of Natural Resources which is in between the two parties is also amenable and the other parties so we can't say how it will go but it's just a safe guard because it would be difficult that if our mediation doesn't work that my client has to fly back into the country to deal with this.

Court Of Appeals Rules Against Rene Villanueva Sr. and Jr.
Rene Villanueva Senior and Rene Villanueva Junior lost a major court battle today at the Court of Appeal. The Villanueva's borrowed monies from Development Finance Corporation to build Cahal Pech Club in San Ignacio. After some troubles, DFC sought to get their monies back and they used the courts to do so. The Supreme Court ruled partially in DFC's favor but that ruling was appealed by the Villanueva's who were today represented by Senior Counsel, Michael Young. MICHAEL YOUNG "They had borrowed some money from DFC to purchase the Cahal Pech property and then some difficulties arose and ultimately the DFC sued them for over $900,000 and that was defended by them. They were partially successful in their defense at the Supreme Court level in that the claim was for $900,000 plus thousand dollars and the court only awarded $400,000 on the basis of a defense called stopper that the DFC was not entitled to collect the whole thing. The judgment having been made against them for the $400,000 there was an appeal against that judgment because the Villanueva's felt that the whole amount should not be enforced against them because of an arrangement that had been entered between the Villanueva's and DFC. So that is what went to the court of appeal, but they were not successful in that regard. So on a whole, they were partially successful in their defense and in fact ultimately in ended up just about 50% of what the DFC was originally claiming."

San Pedro Police Investigates Burglaries on the Island
A flat screen television was stolen from inside Almond Deli in San Pedro Town. According to police reports, 24-year-old Abel Riverol reported that he had left Almond Deli located on Tarpon Street, sometime around 8 o'clock on Wednesday night. He said he had properly secured the establishment by locking the main door with a padlock. The following day he was called and informed that that the Deli had been burglarized and stolen was his 28 inch Toshiba flat screen television valued at $900. Police investigations continue.

Deputy PM Responds to Allegations of His Involvement in Cervantes’ Death
Yesterday the family of Ramon Cervantes Senior who was murdered in July, dropped a bombshell on the nation when they produced an audio recording in which the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder of Cervantes, Manuel Castillo accused Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega and senior police officers of being behind his murder. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued a press release condemning the allegations. Shortly after Cervantes' body was discovered, rumors started circulating about Vega's involvement. On July 11, reporter Arturo Cantun put the question to Vega. ARTURO CANTUN "I don't want to come across as disrespectful but there are a lot of rumors that they are pointing fingers to the DO in the death of Mr. Cervantes and while this has not been said by the Cervantes family we just want some clarity on that." GASPAR VEGA "I don't know where they came with that from. I really don't know. My conscience is clean I hear a lot of rumors that I rather not repeat because I am not the type that likes to gossip and I don't entertain gossip. I know that I am not involved in something like that. At the end of the day God knows best."

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Hon. Gaspar Vega refutes allegations
On Wednesday earlier this week hundreds of residents of Orange Walk Town and the surrounding communities gathered solemnly at the Cervantes' family farm where they expected to mourn for the slayed Orange Walk hero. Instead the Cervantes family dropped a huge bombshell when they revealed an explosive phone call conversation. The recorded conversation is allegedly between Vilma Cervantes the widowed wife of Ramon Cervantes Sr. and a man claiming to be Manuel Castillo, who makes a startling accusation. According to the recorded voice, the man claiming to be Manuel Castillo says he was not involved in the killing of Ramon Cervantes Sr. He said that the murder was a hired hit, paid for by the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize. Here is what he said. Alleged Vioce of Manuel Castillo "I will send you some evidence that. It's the _____, the _____. There is a ____ involved. There are about seven persons there in Orange Walk and on top. Do not trust the police officers because the same 'pinches' police officers, there are eight 'pinches' police officers."

Mexicans say Belizean police have not asked for cooperation in finding Manuel Castillo
Manuel Castillo has been on the run since then and police said at that time they believed that he had fled to Mexico. One would have expected that Belizean police would have touched base with their Mexican counterparts to be on the lookout for Manuel Castillo. However, according to Diario Por Esto de Quintan a Roo, a Mexican newspaper, in its headlines for this weekend, it states that Belizean police has made no attempt to get Mexican cooperation on finding Castillo. While that is the headline in the Mexican newspaper, the fact is that Castillo is posted on Interpol's international wanted list on the internet. The Cervantes family has gone on record saying that it has been suspicious of possible police involvement in the murder after police issued handcuffs were discovered on the elderly man's corpse, and if it is true that police did not try to get the Mexican authorities in on the case even though they believe Castillo is in their country, it would most likely cast even more suspicion.

Dangriga Fire Fighters and Leaking Hoses
An overnight fire in Dangriga gutted a small two story wooden structure and an eyewitness says they fire fighters need to upgrade their equipment. We hear more in this report from Dangriga Correspondent Harry Arzu. Harry Arzu - Dangriga Correspondent "This is what is left of this two bedroom house, that was destroyed by fire last night, here in this municipality. Officials from the Fire Department reported that they responded at about 7:24 p.m. to a call of a fire that was in progress in the second road side area of Dangriga. They responded quickly and began fighting the fire. After it was all over the elevated wooden structure, measuring 24 by 30, looks like this, and it's entrance turned to rubble.

Rise and Shine Telethon on November 15th
Here's a reminder that on Saturday November 15th, Rise and Shine will be holding its annual fundraising telethon to keep the programme on the air. We thank all our viewers and supporters and look forward to hearing from you on or before the date. That is Saturday November 15th.

Amandala

Elisa Hunter Perez dies in traffic accident
Nicaragua national, Elisa Hunter Perez, 31, of the Antelope Street Extension area of Belize City, died after suffering massive head and body injuries when she was knocked down by a vehicle that was transporting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Wilfred "Sedi" Elrington, from Belize City to Belmopan, at about 9:00 Tuesday morning. Hunter Perez was taken, in a critical condition, to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she fought for her life for two days, but she died at about 8:30 last night, Wednesday. On Tuesday morning, Hunter, who worked in the Mile 8 area at the Belize Recycling Company on the George Price Highway, took a bus from Belize City to Mile 8, and on arrival in the area, near her workplace, she got out of the bus and was walking across the highway when she was knocked down by an oncoming vehicle, that was travelling to Belmopan from Belize City.

Cartel vibes in Sugar City!
A memorial service for popular ca�ero, businessman and former senator, Ramon "Don Ramon" Cervantes, Sr., 71, of Orange Walk Town, who was kidnapped and murdered in early July, 2014, was held yesterday, Wednesday, at the cane field next to where he was last seen alive. While the atmosphere was somber as hundreds of supporters, mourners and concerned residents of Orange Walk Town gathered at the site to pay their respects, nothing could have prepared the attendees for what happened at the memorial: the Cervantes family played a phone recording in which the alleged mastermind of Cervantes' murder put a significant twist on the murder, for which three people have already been charged in court. The alleged mastermind, who police say is Manuel "El Pelon" Castillo, 37, who has fled the country, allegedly had a phone conversation with Ramon Cervantes' wife, Vilma, and he pinpointed a sitting politician and "eight" police officers, including a high-ranking officer, calling them by name as being the actual instigators behind the patriarch's murder, which, according to Castillo, had the involvement of a major Mexican criminal gang.

Guatemalan, Salvadoran acquitted of 2005 murder
Two foreign nationals, a Salvadoran and a Guatemalan, were freed today in the Belmopan Magistrate's Court after having spent 10 years in prison for a murder that happened in July 2004. Salvadoran national Carlos Rene Granillo, 38, and Rene Lopez Morentes, 28, a Guatemalan, were both acquitted of murder in the courtroom of Justice Antoinette Moore after it was revealed that the men had been badly beaten to coerce them into giving caution statements in the case. After the accused men made that disclosure while taking the stand, their attorney, Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson, also submitted that the statements were not given voluntarily by Granillo and Morentes due to the improper conduct of the police.

San Pedro businessman remanded to jail for allegedly raping girl, 15
Miguel Hernandez, 30, a businessman of the DFC area of San Pedro, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl, who is also a resident of the DFC area. He was taken to the San Pedro Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, where he appeared in front of Magistrate Sherigne Rodriguez, who arraigned him on the charge and ordered that he be remanded to jail until December 30. The allegation is that he gave the girl rum and coke to drink, and subsequently raped her. The incident occurred on Thursday, October 9, in the area near Corona Del Mar Hotel, located on Coconut Drive in San Pedro. On Thursday, October 9, the girl and her mother went to the police, where the girl reported that on that day, she was in the Escalante area, walking towards the beach when Hernandez, whom she knows, drove up in a vehicle and offered to give her a ride home. The girl boarded the vehicle, and he then drove to a nearby store where he bought a quart of rum and two pints of Coca-Cola with ice, and some plastic cups. He then poured rum and coke into a cup and gave it to the girl to drink. After giving her several drinks, he took her to an area near Corona Del Mar Hotel, where he raped her. The girl was taken to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where she was examined by a doctor who certified that she had been raped.

News anchor recovering from road traffic accident at the KHMH
Irene Sanchez, 22, of Orange Walk Town, a news anchor of CTV3 News Belize, is in a serious but stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she is being treated for internal injuries she sustained as the passenger in a car that was involved in a fatal road collision on Sunday, in which civilian court prosecutor Ryan Martinez was killed Police reported that they visited an area between Miles 5 and 6 on the Philip Goldson Highway where they saw a cream-colored 4-door Lincoln MKZ car with extensive damages about 20 feet off the highway, lodged in some mangroves in the vicinity of the Haulover Bridge. Upon closer inspection, they saw Ryan Martinez, 24, of Marage Road, Ladyville, and Irene Sanchez, 22, of San Lazaro, Orange Walk, trapped inside the mangled wreck. Equipment had to be used to extract them.

Dengue burdens productive population on Southside Belize City
Latest data received today from the Belize Ministry of Health indicate that up to October 2014, roughly 350 cases of dengue have been diagnosed in the Belize District, with 82% of those cases being concentrated in Belize City. A further analysis of the Belize District cases reveals that 65% of those cases were diagnosed in persons living on the Southside of Belize City, particularly locations in the Collet, Port Loyola, and Lake Independence electoral divisions. Today, we got a chance to look at detailed demographic data, which revealed that fifty-four percent (54%) of those cases were females, with the youngest patients being babies less than a year old and the eldest being persons in their 80s. However, most of the dengue cases have been affecting the productive age population, ages 15 to 44, and this year has seen a spike in hemorrhagic cases-although no deaths have been reported to date.

Rotary Belize donates house to needy family
At about 10:30 this morning, the Rotary Club of Belize built and handed over a house to a needy family: Katherine Thomas and her three sons. Thomas and one of her sons are physically handicapped and are each confined to a wheelchair. The physically handicapped son is also mentally challenged. The house, which was constructed at an approximate cost of $30,000 by the Rotary Club, was built on the family's plot of land which is located in the Jane Usher Boulevard area. Emotions were high when Katherine Thomas was wheeled in and given a tour of the house for the first time, and tears of happiness streamed from her eyes, as she was wheeled to the different areas of the house - the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. She was accompanied by her three sons. Thomas said, "I can't describe it; I just feel good that it's my home. I own a home. Due to all the help I got, I really appreciate all the help and from everyone. I can't even imagine to think I would end up with my own home."

King of the Hill (Singles) 8-Ball Tournament - Top 4
The King of the Hill (Singles) 8-Ball Tournament second round concluded, and now the top four players are ready to rack 'em up. It all started with 32 players, after which it was down to the top 10, and now there are the top 4 players closer to the top of the hill, as they continue to climb with their shooting skills. So, yes, 28 dropped off the hill, and it's going to be the best man who will reach on top on Sunday, November 9, at 2:00 p.m. at Mike's Cue Club in Belmopan. To reach the top four, it was truly competitive. Here's more: From the top 10, no player was guaranteed a spot in the top 4, as everyone appeared to be shooting the lights out. Two players made the top 4 by winning 4 of their 5 games. They are: Elder Paredes and Erwin Woodye, Jr.; so they qualified outright. Then there were four players who had won 3 of their 5 matches; and, since there was a tie in the number of matches won, a tie-breaker was put into effect with the individual racks won and lost.

FFB announces training sessions for National "A" Team
In preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qualification, which is scheduled to commence in March 2015, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) is calling the following players for training sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week, starting November 10. All players should be at the FFB Headquarters at 8:30 a.m. The players called are: Norman Anderson; Edmond Pandy; Darren Myers; Randy Duke; Darroll Lambey; Collin Westby; Eduardo Gongora; Naim Wilson; Dorwin Logan; Eridito Guillen; Marcus Lewis; Clinton Dawson; Devaun Zuniga; Geon Makin; Gerri Trejo; Jamil Cano; Jordi Polanco; Hassan Lucas; Tyrone Pandy; Ashley Torres; Devon Makin; Shannon Flowers; Trevor Lennon; Andres Makin;

Table Tennis - 6th Annual brothers HABET Team League concludes
After 2 1/2 months of intense competition, the 2014 6th Annual brothers HABET Team League finally came to an end this past Sunday, November 2, at the BES Auditorium. The competition began in the morning with the first round of the KNOCKOUT competition in all three divisions. In Division One, Brodies Ping Pang and Racqueteers met in the first semifinal, with Brodies Ping Pang advancing to the Finals with a score of 5-1. Team Cuz defaulted to Hurricane, sending Hurricane straight to the Finals. In the Finals, Brodies Ping Pang won over Hurricane, 5-3. The final result of the 1st Division was as follows: 1st Division: 1st - BRODIES PING PANG; 2nd - HURRICANE; 3rd - RACQUETEERS

Cricket Corner: Rancho's shining star
I've written a lot of articles about cricket, and who plays best. I was paging through some pictures the other day, and I came across a picture of a man that I do not remember as a cricketer, but I have seen him following Western Eagles Team of Rancho Dolores ever since I was a boy growing up. This man, an excellent man, I must say, is no other than Mr. EULALIO SMITH (LALLY SMITH) of Rancho Dolores Village in the River Valley. As I said, I have not seen him play the game; but he has sons that have played the game and were very good at it. One is VALENTINE (Tiger Jones) Smith, one of the three fastest and most powerful bowlers in the River Valley. (The next two were Alfred Banner of Surprise in Lemonal and Charles Adolphus (deceased) of Brilliant in Crooked Tree.)

Editorial: The money and the soul
Belize's first ever Ministerial Cabinet was sworn in after the March 1961 general election. The People's United Party (PUP), under the leadership of Hon. George Cadle Price, had won all 18 of the 18 seats contested for the House of Representatives. Mr. Price became First Minister. He named his Ministers. Albert Cattouse. Alexander "Sandy" Hunter. Gwendolyn Lizarraga. Wilson MacMillan. C. L. B. "Lindy" Rogers. Louis Sylvestre. Fred Hunter. Hector Silva. Santiago Perdomo. David McKoy. All have returned to the dust from which we all come, except for Fred Hunter and Hector Silva. Along with longevity comes responsibility. That responsibility involves the passing on of valuable historical information to Belize's younger generations. Fred Hunter and Hector Silva call Belize's talk shows from time to time, and their counsel is appreciated and respected. They have been doing this for years, but they have never, ever mentioned 1963, Louis Sylvestre, Emilio Awe, $750, and a contract for a feeder road in the Sibun area.

From the Publisher
After having only one Leader for a forty-year period (Mr. George Price, from 1956 to 1996), and only two Leaders for a fifty-two year period (Mr. Price was followed by Mr. Said Musa, 1996 to 2008), the People's United Party (PUP) has now had four Leaders in six years (Mr. Musa, Johnny Brice�o, Mark Espat, and Francis Fonseca). The multiplicity of PUP Leaders in recent years suggests organizational instability. In Belize's major political parties, two factors are of paramount importance at the leadership level, and these are personality and philosophy. Mr. Price's personality was a dominant one inside the PUP. Even so, in retrospect it may be accurate to say that an electoral death knell was sounded at the PUP's May 1983 national convention when there was a philosophical clash involved with the powerful post of party chairman. The PUP's entrenched, corrupt right wing won that clash over the party's new, reformist left wing. The PUP then proceeded to lose the Belize City Council for the first time in their history, in December of 1983, and then went on to lose their first general election ever, in December of 1984.

Letters: Fight dengue - form small groups to help citizens clean their yards
Dengue is a serious disease plaguing our country. This disease is thought to have spread mainly as a result of unsuccessful vector and disease inspection, as well as poor public health infrastructure, population growth, and the increase in national and international travel. The main vector of dengue is the domestic mosquito, Aedes aegypti. This mosquito breeds in artificial containers that hold water, and in areas where the water is stagnant. Dengue is seasonal and generally relates to warmer, more humid weather. Increased rainfall, humidity and temperature can influence the life cycle of the vector and virus, thus increasing the transmission potential. I know we have put measures in place to educate the public on how to eradicate the breeding of these mosquitoes. These measures include advertisements on the television as well as press conferences with representatives from public health.

Letters: A little black boy from Southside Belize City
Please allow me to address this letter to the youth of Belize. In this article, I will mention my living conditions when I grew up in the Southside Belize City, how I obtained an education, and lastly I will list 5 key elements our youth could do to improve their level of education. First I must mention that my dad was a single father with 5 children. My family once lived on Pen Road Extension in a two- bedroom board house with no light or water. Heretofore, this house is still visible 25 meters from the main road. In addition, whenever it rains the entire area was flooded and had to use pallets as our bridge. Nope, this is not the 80s I am referring to, but to be precise it was the late 90s. In 1997 my sisters and I attended Gwen Lizarraga High School since it was what my dad could have afforded.

Villager captured man accused of raping stepdaughter, 6
The stepfather of a 6-year-old girl is in police custody after he allegedly raped the girl at their home, in a village in the Orange Walk District. The little girl was taken to the Northern Regional Hospital, where she was treated. The incident occurred on Sunday. The child had been left alone with her stepfather, 37, who, after raping her, ran away. When the girl's mother returned home, she found her young daughter injured.

Fake taxi operator remanded for rape
Eric Giovanni Gonzalez, 31, a salesman of the Duck Run 1 area in Spanish Lookout, Cayo District, was remanded to the Belize Central Prison, on a charge of rape by the San Ignacio Magistrate's Court last Thursday, October 30. Police charged Gonzalez with rape on Tuesday, October 28, after he was identified by a woman, 20, as the man who raped her on the morning of June 9 in his car in a track off the George Price Highway, in the area of Rumors Resort, Cayo District. The woman reported to police that on Monday morning, June 9, she went to the junction of Joseph Andrews Drive and Bullet Tree Road in San Ignacio Town to get a taxi to go home, and got into a car that was parked at the taxi stand.

No arrest yet for the shooting of San Pedrano
No one has been arrested as yet for the shooting of Ivan Aldana, 27, of San Pedrito, San Pedro, due to a lack of cooperation by the victim. San Pedro police said that their investigation led to a man in San Pedro, who was detained, but there was no cooperation from Aldana, who did not provide any statements on the basis of which an arrest could be made, and so, the suspect was released from custody. So far no other person has been arrested or any other suspects detained. The shooting incident occurred at about 10:00 Saturday night, October 18, while Aldana was standing by a bar in San Pedrito.

BDF presses ahead with conservation posts to curb illegal activities
Belize Defence Force (BDF) Commander David Jones told Amandala today that BDF soldiers and police are already manning the newly established conservation post at Valentin near the Belize-Guatemala border, and they are pressing ahead with the construction of two new conservation posts at Caballo and Cebada-all in an attempt to curb illegal logging and other illicit activities which have been rampant inside the Chiquibul Forest. Jones expects the next phase of construction to be a challenge; however, he is hopeful that those new posts could be completed even before year-end. The major challenge stems from the fact that while there was a pre-existing road leading to Valentin, making transportation of construction materials easier, the other two sites have no access roads.

FIU case against the two Bahamians facing U.S. indictment begins in Magistrate's Court
Two Bahamian men who have been named in a United States federal indictment for allegedly being involved in a money laundering and securities fraud scheme, appeared in the Belize City Magistrate's Court today, where their trial on a charge brought by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) began. On September 12, 2014, the FIU charged Kelvin Leach, 34, and Rohn Knowles, 29, with attempting to leave Belize without declaring U.S. $6,000 in cash, which is more than the prescribed BZ$10,000 allowed by law. The two men had chartered a plane to fly them to their native Bahamas, and were apprehended at the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA). The FIU case is being prosecuted by attorneys Leni Ysaguirre and Sheena Pitts, who told the court that they intend to call nine witnesses.

Crude oil tank bursts into flames in Shipyard
A potentially disastrous fire started at a fuel storage facility at Shipyard in the Orange Walk District today due to a small electrical spark which led to a frightening experience and thousands of dollars in losses for the company. Fire officials in Orange Walk said that at around 10:00 a.m., smoke was seen billowing from a crude oil refinery tank at Belfuel Company in the Camp 6 area of Shipyard, a Mennonite community in the outskirts of that municipality. The fire that engulfed the tank, which reportedly contained about 600 gallons of crude oil, soon spread to another 600-gallon tank before moving on to a larger 10,000-gallon fuel tank, at which time firefighters from the Orange Walk Fire Service arrived on the scene to assist the employees of the facility who had been battling the blaze for some time without success.

Post-mortem says Ricardo Itzab died of traumatic shock
Late yesterday evening, a post-mortem was conducted on the body of Ricardo Alfredo Itzab, 24, who was murdered over the weekend in Concepcion, Corozal District. According to police pathologist Dr. Mario Estradabran, Itzab's death was caused by "traumatic shock due to multiple liver and left kidney injuries as a consequence of gunshot wounds." As we had previously reported, on Saturday, November 1, at around 1:30 a.m., Itzab, Miguel Gamboa and Oscar Herrera, all of Concepcion, were walking on the highway heading towards their homes between Miles 76 and 77 on the Philip Goldson Highway when they were approached from the opposite direction by a lone bicycle rider.

Controversial Petrocaribe motion won't cure illegality, Opposition PUP says
The controversial Petrocaribe Motion, which the Opposition People's United Party (PUP) says is being illegally introduced by the Barrow administration to cover what they allege is the illegal spending of nearly quarter-million-dollars under a loan agreement with Venezuela, is scheduled to be returned to the House of Representatives for ratification on Tuesday, November 18. Opposition attorneys say, though, that this will not legitimize the spending of those funds because the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act requires prior approval of any loan of $10 million or more. At a press conference held on Tuesday, November 4, the Leader of the Opposition People's United Party, Hon. Francis Fonseca, said that far from complying with the law, the Petrocaribe motion "seeks to ratify illegal borrowing and spending since September 2012," a move which he says has defeated and frustrated the intent of the act which was put in place to provide for better public finance laws.

Sexual abuse of our children
I believe any person in their right sense is disturbed by these news of little children being sexually abused in Belize. Anyone sexually assaulted, be it male or female, and even adult is rather very disturbing news, and the fact that a person is of the age of maturity does not make it any less distressful. However, we all recognize that for a child, it means a terrifying way to lose their innocence, especially at the hands of a person they trust. It seems that stepfathers are the number one culprits in these matters and thus it means that mothers need to be more vigilant and discerning when getting into these relationships simply because sexual abuse is not usually by a stranger, if ever, but by a person the child develops trust in. Now in my adult life I am amazed at how many females I know that have come forward to admit that as a child they were sexually molested. Their perpetrators range from their father, stepfather, uncle to their neigbor � But still the number one category is the stepfather. The other alarming fact for me to deal with is that they suffered this abuse at very tender ages of four or six, unlike my belief that these men would be attracted to them when they start to develop at ages twelve or thirteen.

The Reporter

Petro Caribe Fund under Fire! PUP says it's operating illegally

In a sharp rebuke to the PUP for filing a court action calculated to disrupt Government use of Petrocaribe funds for development, an official statement from the Government Press Office called the PUP a party "on the wrong side of history working against the upliftment" of Belize. It charged the […]

Judicial review on Penner delayed
The procedure for judicial review by the People's United Party against the Elections and Boundaries Department has been delayed for about a month. The petition is about the ruling of the Elections and Boundaries Chief Elections Officer to disqualify a number of persons who had […]

PUP wants to stop waste Accountabiity is important, PUP leader says
The legal claim filed against the government of Belize in relation to the use of Petrocaribe funds is about ensuring GOB's compliance with Financial Orders and Regulations, PUP leader Francis Fonseca said this week. . Fonseca said the claim is not about the past […]

CARICOM heads strategize fight against Ebola
The Caribbean Community Heads of Government have agreed to a regional response to the possible threat of an Ebola virus outbreak in member states. The CARICOM heads of government met this week in Port-of-Spain Trinidad, and formulated a plan themed "Stop Ebola There and Here." […]

Veterans celebrate 100 years!
This year marks the hundredth anniversary of World War I and this week is being recognized as Veteran Week in commemoration of those who sacrificed their lives in both World Wars I and II. The Scarlet Poppy is a symbol and tribute to all those who lost their lives in […]

BTB village arts expo a success
The Belize Tourism Board said this week that the third annual Village Arts Expo received favorable public turnout throughout the day. The event, held at the Fort George Memorial Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday November 1, gathered 175 artisans from 44 […]

Chetumal looks for trade opportunities in Belize
The Chetumal Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and the Embassy of Mexico visited Belize this week as part of a trade mission. The Institute of Mexico in Belize City served as the meeting venue onWednesday, and was aimed at identifying potential buyers for Chetumal's products […]

BTL wants Channel 5 back!
Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) is seeking the return of Great Belize Productions Limited as well as $10 million it alleges its former owners illegally used to finance the television production company and to buy shares in it. The now state-owned telecommunications company faces an appeal […]

Editorial
Early in 2012, shortly after being elected to a second term, the Government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow set out to re-organize the petroleum industry in Belize to take full advantage of the generous concessionary terms being offered by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela through Petrocaribe. Petrocaribe is an oil […]

Stunning accusations! Senior minister and police officers accused of murder and cover up
The family of the late Ramon Cervantes Sr., on Wednesday released a recorded phone conversation, purportedly made by the prime suspect in his murder, 37-year-old Manuel Mendez Castillo. The call was made to Cervantes' widow, during which the caller sought to clear Mendez Castillo […]

Woman hit by GOB's SUV dies Foreign Minister witnesses accident
Elicia Hunter, the 31-year-old woman who was knocked down by Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington's 2015 Toyota Prado, died at the KHMH on Wednesday night. Minister Elrington was in the vehicle at the time of the accident, which occurred on Tuesday morning, November 4 on […]

Scotiabank to close over 120 branches! Belize not affected
The restructuring of more than 120 Scotiabank branches announced this week will not affect Belize branch employees or customers, the bank's Belize Country Manager, Pat Andrews explained. While the bank is employing cost-saving measures in Belize, such as shortening business hours in Spanish Lookout, none […]

Patrick Jones

First offender sentenced for handling stolen goods
A Belize City man who took advantage of his brother's generosity was spared further punishment in the Magistrate's Court today. 48 year old Luke Antonio Nicholas, charged with handling several items stolen from his brother Bruce Codrington of Hattieville, Belize District, changed his plea to guilty before Magistrate Herbert Panton [�]

Police bust woman and her son with marijuana
52 year old Rose Reneau and her son, 34 year old Mark Staine, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges today. This follows their arrest when 205.7 grams of cannabis were found at Ms. Reneau's residence on Consuelo Street on Thursday. Around 5:20 pm on Thursday, police acted [�]

Dahjah Casimiro is the New Miss Garifuna Dangriga 2014/15. Ad�ga Ba
Eight energetic, creative, beautiful, and talented young ladies graced the audience at Fr. Marin Parish Hall on Saturday November 1st, 2014 in beautiful Dangriga to showcase their Garifuna culture. The tightly contested pageant was coordinated by the National Garifuna Council, Dangriga Branch Queen's Committee. The contestants had to [�]

Toledo health officials alert for Dengue and Chik-V
Ministry of Health personnel today held a press conference in Punta Gorda town to announce that there is a high alert in the Toledo district for Chikungunya and Dengue. Both disease are mosquito-borne. During the media event which was held at the Red Cross meeting room in PG, [�]

Salvation Army Red Kettle Appeal launched
The sounds of Christmas bells amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Belize City is traditionally the first signal that Christmas is approaching. Today, that signal was launched as the Salvation Army church kicked off its Red Kettle Christmas Appeal. It is the church's single largest fundraising effort and the launch of the 2014 Kettle Appeal was held this morning in front of CIBC First Caribbean International Bank on Albert Street in Belize City.

Blogs

Forecast: Busy Weekend in San Pedro
The old saying when it rains it pours is often applicable to our lives in San Pedro. There is always so much going on at once and this weekend is no exception. As much as I wanted to go to trivia last night, I passed in favor of getting extra rest for tomorrow's blood drive hosted as a collaborative effort by San Pedro Red Cross, the Cancer Society and Belize Blood Services. Also happening in tandem with the blood drive is a Pap Smear and Immunization Campaign at the Dr. Otto Rodriguez S. P Polyclinic II on November 8, 2014 - with Gobhealth Belize and Miguel Perez. To find out more about the Campaign, check the San Pedro Poly Clinic Facebook page. Another reason to take last night off is that I know the private grand opening party tonight at Caribbean Villas is going to be good and I'm not going to want to leave early. Cindy said the food will be awesome and Matt is DJing - I can't wait.

Healthier and Happier in Caribbean Belize
After years of working hard, I've traded Michigan's four seasons for Belize's two (wet & dry)�and I'm loving it. Now, I'm enjoying Belize's year-round greenness, the chance to be by the water all the time, and the joy I've found in simplifying my life. In Michigan, I worked for 20 years as a consultant for our state's educational department. Before that, I worked for Michigan State University. When I left, I gave away a closet-full of suits and I'm reveling in the freedom of wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops for nearly every occasion. No more ironing, no more dry cleaning, and no more bundling up for me!

ReefCI launch 'Belize Lionfish' at TIDE fish festival
Check us out: www.belizelionfish.com. Now you can spear them, eat them and wear them! Plus, help empower and employ local ladies.

How to pick a place to stay in Belize-or any another country...
There is nothing better (vacation wise) than showing up at a hotel, the first day of vacation, and LOVING the place you are staying. I know I have picked the right one when I immediately picture myself having coffee on the porch, checking emails at the breakfast bar, having dinner on the patio, walking around the grounds, etc. I have always been overwhelmed when I try to pick somewhere to stay in another country. I think most of us may stay where someone we know has recommended, and that is why Trip Advisor and such sites are great. But, they don't tell the whole story, and unfortunately, a lot of the "feedback" and reviews on a lot of sites are total bunk. Also, if you search for a hotel in a certain area, you might be looking at hotels in a 30 mile radius, which can have a huge impact on your experience. Here is what I have found to be the most helpful way to narrow it down, without becoming information overloaded which will happen in about 15 minutes of googling a place to stay in a certain city.

International Sources

S&P Switches to Positive on Belize Outlook
New investment in sugar and nontraditional agricultural products is raising economic growth prospects in the export sector, which will likely improve Belize's external liquidity, says S&P, affirming their 'B-/B' sovereign credit ratings on Belize and revising the outlook to positive from stable. "The positive outlook reflects our view that new foreign direct investment in Belize's export sector is raising the country's economic growth prospects and that this growth will support Belize's external liquidity over 2014-2017."

Volunteer helps monkeys and manatees
Bottle-feeding a calf doesn't sound that spectacular to Kiwis used to lamb and calf days - unless it's a manatee, and you're feeding it in tropical Belize. Victoria University graduate Anna McKenzie-Pollock spent her September feeding the sea creatures in the Central American country, while volunteering at Wildtracks, which mostly rehabilitates monkeys and manatees. The 22-year-old, who studied biology, ecology and biodiversity, is currently employed as a ranger at Wellington Zoo. She was granted paid conservation leave for her stint in Belize. The majority of animals at Wildtracks have been orphaned, injured, or are pets that have been confiscated. Whenever possible, they are prepared for a return to the wild. "I had been wanting to do something overseas, to give back to conservation, and I just love monkeys, so wanted to find somewhere I could work with them." McKenzie-Pollock worked 12-hour days sourcing and preparing food for the animals, feeding them, providing enrichment and scrubbing down manatee pools.

A 12-Year-Old's Expert Tips on How to Book a Family Cruise
Hi. I'm Charlie. I'm 12 years old, and I've taken nine cruises on five different cruise lines. You might think cruise ships are pretty much the same, but they're not. If you want your kids and yourself to enjoy a family cruise as much as possible, here's my advice. 1. Get a cabin that's on a higher deck toward the stern. Everything that's interesting for kids and families is always at the back of the ship. So get a cabin that's very close to the aft staircase and no more than three or four decks below the pool, buffet, and kids' club. If your room is at the front of the ship, you'll spend most of the day walking back and forth across the ship, and if your room is on a low deck, you'll have to wait for the elevator.

Travel Well for Less: How to Save on Accommodations
Ever wonder why someone else always seems to get a better deal for their hotel or travel accommodation than you do? Well, there are lots of ways to score discounted (or even free) accommodations these days. We've done it ourselves in both our personal travel and for our work for International Living. Ditch the hotel. An apartment in Puerto Vallarta, a villa on Belize's Caribbean island of Ambergris Caye, a hacienda-style home in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador... the list is endless. Instead of spending big on expensive hotels, think about opting for a flexible and affordable residential lodging for your next vacation. This option is particularly smart for extended families or groups as you can split the costs. And if you like the comfort and convenience of having more space and also your own kitchen (saving you even more money on restaurants) then a vacation rental is for you. Sites we've used with great success include VRBO and AirBnB.

NATURAL WONDER: THE GREAT BLUE HOLE OF BELIZE
On the south-west border of Mexico, Belize is home to 3 of the 4 atolls in the Western Hemisphere. In the Lighthouse Reef atoll, the farther west, you can find one of the most extraordinary spot on the planet: the Great Blue Hole. This is the largest natural sinkhole, with phenomenal dimensions and a singular story. This almost perfect shaped circle reaches a diameter of 300m and goes 124m deep. From a bird's eye view, it offers a spectacular sight with this incredible deep blue spot standing out against the turquoise blue of the lagoon of the Lighthouse Reef.

Videos

Video: Heather + Mark, 9min.
Video by Island Films. Location: Victoria House, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Video: Adventures in Belize, 3min.
This is a compilation of videos taken by Jason Lee during his trips to Belize. He traveled to various resorts such as Slickrock, Mystic River and Blackbird Resort. Slickrock Adventures is a private island resort located in Belize, 35 offshore on an atoll that is a Marine Reserve. Slickrock Adventures specialize in adventure sports such as sea kayaking, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kiteboarding and much more. Mystic River Resort jungle lodge, located in the jungle of Belize, 7 miles from the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, is the best place to find the perfect something - or nothing - to do. Blackbird Caye Resort is located on the Turneffe Atoll, 25 miles off the coast of Belize City, Blackbird Caye Resort is nestled within a 2-mile long private, white sandy beach.

Video: Island Expeditions Dream Makers Belize, 5min.
Leading the Way in Adventure, Since 1987, Island Expeditions is Belize's premier tour operator. Leading sea kayaking, snorkeling, SUP, whitewater, basecamp, maya ruins, zip line, trips in Belize. SHOW MORE

Video: Come Away To Belize With Me, 4min.
Jimmy And The Parrots

Video: San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, 6.5min.
Drive through San Pedro and over the bridge, new road construction. Golf carts and more golf carts, now that's how to live.Video a bit shaky due to roads. SHOW MORE

Video: Los Salones, Crown Land Since 1977, now privately owned, 5min.
This is a project that I just came across that my good friend and Belizean brother Elito Arceo and I did a few years ago- I had the privilege of spending many amazing days with Elito over the years and am so honored that he would choose to count me among his friends- This video brought back some great memories for me Elito- I remember shooting this and cutting it like it was yesterday- No one loves Belize more than me, accept maybe Elito:)