FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE
Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.
Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials
The San Pedro Sun
Honduran national, Johana Samantha Mendez Barrios murdered in San Pedro
The San Pedro Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in solving the murder of 22-year-old Johana Samantha Mendez Barrios. The Honduran national was killed during an alleged aggravated burglary incident in the early hours of Tuesday, February 16th at an apartment building located on Bonefish Street, in the Boca Del Rio Area. Initial reports indicate that Barrios was attacked sometime between 5AM and 6AM upon arriving home. She sustained a single cut wound to the neck and was immediately taken to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Police have since processed the area and have launched a full murder investigation. The deceased has been transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City awaiting a postmortem examination. According to police reports, Barrios had been out socializing with friends before coming home. When she arrived, she noticed someone inside her apartment. An altercation ensued, leading to Barrios being fatally injured by her attacker. When police arrived at the scene, they learned that the victim had been taken to the polyclinic where she later succumbed to her injury. According to Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit Superintendent Sandra Bodden, no other signs of injuries were noticed on her body besides the single cut wound to the left side of her neck. Following protocol, Police contacted the Embassy of Honduras to inform them of Barrios' death, before publicly disclosing any information.
Murder in the Boca del Rio Area
San Pedro Police have confirmed to The San Pedro Sun that a female has been murdered in the Boca del Rio Area. The incident occurred early Tuesday, February 16th at an apartment building on Bonefish Street. Police have not released the name of the Honduran national, but have indicated that she was killed during an aggravated burglary incident. Police have since processed the scene and are currently in the process of transporting the body to the Karl Huesnuer Memorial Hospital in Belize City for a postmortem examination. Due to her nationality, Police will be informing the Embassy of Honduras in Belize before releasing any official statement. The San Pedro Sun will post a more detailed story as the day progresses.
Ambergris Today
Flashbacks - The Quiet Beach of a Fishing Village
A Quaint Fishing Village, Paradise, Isla Bonita, Belize's No. One Tourist Destination- these are some of the descriptive words that have been used to describe Ambergris Caye and San Pedro. The peacefulness of the island and the pristine beaches are the main characteristics that make San Pedro what it is.
The small mahogany skiffs and wooden dories were regularly hauled up the beach, on dry land, for maintenance or a good cleanup. The sandy beach areas lent themselves for children to socialize and play games. Maintenance of the beach was done by the villagers who planted palm trees such as coconuts and laid sand bags to prevent erosion. Way back in the background you can see the Elsa P, a small cargo vessel that brought all the merchandise from Belize City to Pedro. It was quiet; it was quaint; it was peaceful; it was simply San Pedro.
25 Years Ago - The Good Old Days...Catholicism and Ice Comodity
* Back in the GOOD OLD DAYS life was very simple in San Pedro. In those days the small population of San Pedro was 95% Catholic
* Back then ice was something very special - scarce, but special.
I love the good old days because they made me who I am today.
It can safely be said that back in the 1950's almost all of San Pedro was Roman Catholic. There was one Catholic Church, a large wooden building measuring about 24' X 50' with some 20 benches that could seat about 160 persons. With a population of about 500, the adult community filled up the church to capacity for the six o'clock morning mass and it was about half full for the eight o'clock children's mass. The Catholic elementary school had an enrollment of 90 to 100 children all of whom were required to attend mass once a month whenever the priest visited the Island.
Catholic traditions included Sunday mass, processions, novenas, the Holy Rosary and the big events included Confirmation, Baptism, First Holy Communion, Easter, Christmas midnight mass and New Year's Eve mass.
Twenty-Two-Year-Old Honduran Woman Killed in Aggravated Burglary
The San Pedro Police Department has released the name of the 22-year-old Honduran national who was murdered in the early morning hours of Tuesday, February 16, 2016. Johana Samantha Mendez Barrios, waitress at Compadres Bar, was murdered during an aggravated burglary in the Boca del Rio Area.
Police were called to the Basil/Paris Apartments around 5:30a.m. where the reports states that they found Johanna with a cut would to the left side of the neck. The police officers assisted her to the San Pedro Dr. Otto Rodriguez Poly Clinic where she died undergoing treatment for her injuries shortly after 6a.m.
Her body was transported to the Karl H. Memorial Hospital in Belize City for a post mortem examination while the San Pedro Police look into leads as to the burglary and murder or Barrios. Police have little leads but are looking at video footage of nearby businesses to try obtain stronger leads to the case.
Over Five Hundred Speared at Lionfish Derby in Caye Caulker
The island of Caye Caulker was the place to be this past Saturday, February 13, 2016, for the Lionfish Derby organized by Oceana Wavemaker Lynne Couch-Harris and the Barrier Reef Sports Bar. This was Caye Caulker's first Lionfish Derby, an event supported by Oceana Belize with assistance from Frontier, Blue Ventures and the Belize Game Fish Association. The tournament's purpose - to spearfish these invasive fish that have been targeting juvenile fish on our reefs and effectively been decimating native fish populations in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The good news? Lionfish is delicious!
It was an amazing turnout being Caye Caulker's first ever Lionfish Derby, drawing crowds to the beachside that wanted to see all the participants coming in with coolers full of Lionfish. An impressive 548 Lionfish were removed from the reef, from the smallest measuring at 10cm to the largest that measured an impressive 15 inches. Prizes were awarded for the most lionfish caught while diving, most lionfish while free diving, the largest lionfish and the smallest lionfish. Congratulations to all the winners and kudos to Oceana Belize and organizers for successful event.
Spear Into Action at Belize's Annual Lionfish Derby
Experts state that there is no stopping them now, but hoping to at least slow them down, marine biologists and Oceana Belize have been intensifying efforts recently to spearfish them out of certain areas that harbor fragile reefs and figure out how they became a threat so quickly and so successfully in our oceans. So how are we combatting them? -The Lionfish Derbies are the most successful and fun way. The first annual derby was hosted in Caye Caulker by Barrier Reef Sports Bar, Frontier, Oceana Belize, Blue Ventures volunteers and the Belize Game Fish Association to motivate and award participants who are helping in prohibiting the breeding of the Lionfish.
The derby will be hosted at different locations around the country each year with the first one held in Caye Caulker. Fishermen and divers who gather from all over Belize head out to sea in the early morning hours to come back around 3p.m. for the official weigh-in. While some admire the count of fish at the weighin, others enjoy demonstrations on handling and cleaning the venomous fish, filleting as well information on research on the lionfish by Oceana, Forntier and Blue Fentures. The derby awards participants for the biggest and smallest catch, youngest spearfishing group and most Lionfish caught. There is also the gourmet approach where locals and tourists get to enjoy the fresh caught Lionfish in some of the most delicious Belizean inspired dishes. There are plenty of chefs participating in cooking demonstrations and tastings for all those who wish to sample the exotic fish.
Pic of the Week - Attacked by Iguanas in Belize and Loving It
"When your husband gets attacked by iguanas!!" comments @loveatraveler on her Instagram post. This fun picture was taken at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel that houses the Belize Iguana Project. The program is instrumental in providing a great field of research and education to the people of Belize and around the world. Since its inception, the Green Iguana Project has been entirely self-sustained, relying solely on the contributions and donations of concerned visitors and patrons.
Over Five Hundred Speared at Lionfish Derby in Caye Caulker
The island of Caye Caulker was the place to be this past Saturday, February 14, 2016, for the annual Lionfish Derby held at the Barrier Reef Sports Bar. San Pedro's, neighboring island of La Isla Cari�osa was selected as host of the first annual Lionfish Derby, an event organized by Oceana Belize, Frontier, Blue Ventures and the Belize Game Fish Association. The tournament's purpose - to spearfish these invasive fish that have been targeting juvenile fish on our reefs and effectively been decimating native fish populations in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The good news? Lionfish is delicious!
It was an amazing turnout being Caye Caulker's first ever Lionfish Derby, drawing crowds to the beachside that wanted to see all the participants coming in with coolers full of Lionfish. An impressive 540 Lionfish were removed from the reef, from the smallest measuring at four inches to the largest that measured an impressive 15 inches. Prizes were awarded for the most lionfish caught while diving, most lionfish while free diving, the largest lionfish and the smallest lionfish. Congratulations to all the winners and kudos to Oceana Belize and organizers for successful event.
Misc Belizean Sources
Paint Party Events
Hi Splashers, don't forget to sign up for this weeks paint party at Crazy Canucks! Come join us this Thursday at the crazy canucks where we will be painting "Tranquility beach". The cost is $25.00 U.S. per person and there's a slightly discount for members. See you there! February 18, 2016, 2:00 PM.
CARICOM
First Plenary Session of the 27th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is taking place this morning
Book Launch "A walk through Dangriga"
On Monday 15 February 2016, the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) launched a publication entitled A Walk Through Dangriga. It is the third publication in the Walk Through series which features key
landmarks and heritage sites in the various municipalities of Belize.
Mayor Francis Humphreys and Ifasina Efunyemi, two well-known educators in Dangriga, were the co-authors of the manuscript. The book was edited and produced by the Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR), a branch of NICH.
A Walk Through Dangriga traces the development of historic locations and sites of memory within the town. The information was compiled using oral history, documentary sources and accompanied by photographs dating from the late 1890s to the present.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr. delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the importance of community history, both for educational and tourism purposes.
Belizeans, particularly students, teachers, and tour guides, are invited to purchase a copy of the publication at their nearest bookstore.
Research featuring the other municipalities of Belize remains on going.
CARICOM must wage relentless campaign against threat to banking sector - PM Dean Barrow
The threats to the Region's banking sector via the phenomenon of de-risking could have "cataclysmic ramifications" for the Caribbean, and a "relentless" campaign must be waged against it, Chairman of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Belize, the Hon Dean Barrow warned on Monday.
At the opening ceremony of the Twenty-Seventh Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Placencia, Belize, Prime Minister Barrow used much of his address to focus on the correspondent banking scenario and what it portended for the Community. The matter is a key agenda item of the two-day Summit, and a Meeting of Finance Ministers was held earlier on Monday to craft a Regional response. A Committee of Ministers of Finance on Correspondent Banking, chaired by Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Hon. Gaston Browne will lead the response to this issue. The Committee is supported by leading Regional institutions including the Committee of Central Bank Governors (CCBG), the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB) and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
The threat relates to the possible loss of access to the international financial markets by mainly the Regional indigenous banks. Several international banks, mainly in the US and Europe, have signalled to client banks in the Region an unwillingness to continue carrying their business. The so-called 'de-risking' by the global banks threatens to impact several critical services including remittance transfers. International trade, the facilitation of credit card settlements for local clients are among the other effects the Region faces.
The Maya Wedding Re-enactment at Santa Rita
BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY at Hotel Maya and Tony's Hotel or call 660-6614. The Maya Wedding Re-enactment at Santa Rita Site is Saturday February 20th, 2016.
Don't forget that there will be two additional performances. Bring out everyone and let's all enjoy our mayan history and culture.
Time: 7:00 P.M.
Presenters: Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College.
"El baile del Cochino - Hog head Dance".
Ek Balam - Potapok Mayan Ball Game.
Admission: Reserve $20, Adults $10, Children 14 years and under $2.
Power interruption 8:00am to 2:00pm, Monday February 22, Placencia Village
The portion of the village from Atlantic Bank downward, including Placencia Rd, Placencia Sidewalk, Paradise St, Dodo St, Leslie St, Westby St, Dukunu St, Bile Up St, Tablayta St, Sere St, Sunset Pointe and Henry Young Island. BEL to remove guy wires from property and install distribution structure in the area.
Belize Fishing Report Feb. 1 - Feb. 13, 2016
A big thanks to Teagan, my 8 year old assistant, who helped me with the pin ceremony each evening! Rarely does a cold front make it far enough south to impact our fishing, but this one lasted about a week and we could see signs of fish leaving the shallow water in favor of the deeper warm water. We had to look a little deeper to find the fish as the water cooled.
Ambassador Carlos Moreno meets with Professor Anabel Ford
Ambassador Carlos Moreno recently met with Professor Anabel Ford, director of the El Pilar Program of the MesoAmerican Research Center at UC Santa Barbara, at the launching of her new book,The Mayan Forest Garden, in which she advocates for sustaining Mayan indigenous farming techniques and food sovereignty.
Prime Minister's Opening Statement XXVII Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
February 15-17, 2016, Placencia Hotel
Colleague Heads,
Mr Secretary-General,
Ministers,
Officials,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is my privilege and pleasure to welcome you to our country and to the Placencia peninsula.
We think this an idyllic spot. The Maya mountains, part of their world-famous eponymous Biosphere, are in back of us; and to the front is our Caribbean Sea, shared patrimony of CARICOM and SICA and emblematic of the proud duality that Belize is heir to.
I hope that the legacy features of these surroundings will act as aid and inspiration to our deliberations.
And very important deliberations they are.
For while that is always the case whenever we meet, I may be forgiven for thinking, and hope to make clear, that our issues and challenges are particularly pronounced at this time.
Let me therefore begin by considering the general economic climate in which we currently find ourselves.
There has been a failure of the world economy to recover properly from the shock of the financial crisis that began in the last part of the first decade of this new century. That failure, for the majority of us in CARICOM, has meant slow growth, increasing difficulties with our public finances, and tremendous strains on our capacity to satisfy the life-improvement aspirations of our people. And it is worth noting that even in the few countries that have shown substantial enough expansion, much of the net effect has been depreciated by population increases. On the bright side, though,there appears to be what we hope will be a sustained resurgence in our region's all-important tourism industry. This would be a welcome offset to the continued volatility in our commodities sector.
Caye Caulker Lionfish Derby
On Valentine's Weekend, Belizeans showed their love for reef by participating in the first annual Caye Caulker Lionfish Derby. Thanks to their efforts and in less than "warm" conditions, 540 lionfish were removed from the reef. Lionfish caught ranged from four inches in lenght to 15 inches--that's more than a foot long! The event, organized and supported by the Barrier Reef Sports Bar, Frontier, Oceana, Blue Ventures and the Belize Game Fish Association, included collecting research data and sampling. Prizes were awarded for the most lionfish caught while diving, most lionfish while free diving, the largest lionfish and the smallest lionfish. For more than two decades, these invaders have been targeting juvenile fish, effectively decimating native fish populations in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.With no natural predators, rapid reproduction rates and a voracious appetite, lionfish numbers are exploding�and that means bad news for the ecosystems we depend on. The good news? Lionfish is delicious. Once deprived of its venomous spines, lionfish can be prepared like any other fish. To beat them, we've got to eat them! Kudos to all!
Southern Peten cooperation agreement
Southern Peten is divided in five municipalities (Melchor, Dolores, El Chal, Poptun and San Luis). Today Asociacion Balam and FCD renewed a 4 year cooperation agreement with alcaldes of these municipalities with the aim of supporting socio-environmental pillars at the community level.
Howard University Gospel Choir
Today the Howard University Gospel Choir will be arriving in Belize for an Arts Envoy program in San Ignacio, Belmopan, Dangriga, and Belize City. Tune in to Love FM's morning show tomorrow morning for more information on their visit to Belize and keep an eye on our FB page for opportunities to hear them perform in Dangriga and Belize City!
About the choir - Formed on the campus of Howard University in 1968, the Howard Gospel Choir (HGC) is a body of students, alumni and community members dedicated to using the gift of music to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. As the first college choir of its kind in the world, HGC is a trailblazer for all gospel music ministries on collegiate campuses across the globe.
With a legacy of over four decades committed to excellence in music ministry, this musical aggregation has bred and shared with many of the most prolific people of this century. The choir also travels extensively throughout the United States and most recently has headlined numerous tours to the European countries of Denmark, Italy, Montenego, Slovakia and Sweden.
With such a rich legacy of excellence, the Howard Gospel Choir, a beacon light in the Howard University community, will continue to fulfill its calling to the world using Christ centered music as a means of healing, restoration and empowerment.
The choir is currently under the direction of Reginald Golden, a Howard University alumnus from Cleveland, OH.
Channel 7
Honduran Woman Murdered On San Pedro
Early this morning, San Pedro police recorded their first murder of the year when they found a woman bleeding from the neck at the entrance to an apartment complex in the San Juan area. The 23 year old worked as a waitress at a local bar and investigators believe that Honduran Johana Samantha Mendez's killer waited for her at the entrance to her apartment. So who would want her dead and why? Emanuel Pech travelled to San Pedro to look for answers:
Investigators in San Pedro are still grappling with the case of 23 year old Johana Samantha Mendez Barrios a Honduran National who was fatally stabbed early this morning. The incident occurred around 5 am here at the Parish Apartment Complex in the Boca del Rio area. The owner of the complex who refused to speak to us on camera said that she has known Johana for the past two years; since she started renting with her. In all her years of knowing Johana she said she always appeared to her as a friendly person who kept to herself. So who would want her dead? That's what authorities are trying to find out.
American Killed In PG
Another American was murdered over the weekend and police say it was a planned attack. It happened on Saturday night at around 9:25 in Hopeville, Punta Gorda. 69 year old Thomas Paul Rackowski was at his home reading that night when 3 persons entered through this screen door. They attacked Rackowski and stabbed him 4 times - twice to the neck and twice to the chest. They all ran off but Rackowski dragged himself to the phone and called the police. He was rushed to the Punta Gorda Hospital then was later transferred to the KHMH where he died last night. When we spoke with police this evening they told us that this wasn't a burglary or any random home invasion because nothing was stolen from the house. Police say Rackowski was the target. They have 2 men and 1 woman detained in connection with the murder. Police are looking at several angles - one being that Rackowski had some long standing dispute with these people. When we spoke to one of his very good friends who lives in PG as well, he told us he didn't know of any issue he had with anyone. His friend describes him as very helpful and nice. For a little background, Rackowski is from Boston Massachusetts and came to live in Belize in 1973. He never married and had no kids. His family is flying in from the US this week to plan a service for him. We will keep following up on this case.
Mother Of Drowned Teenaged Tourist Wants Answers
Last night we told you about the teenaged tourist that drowned in the Sibun River.
15 year old Tomari Jackson celebrated his birthday in Belize, and was in a group of 33 American Students between 14 and 15 years old from the North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. They were swimming at Tiger Sandy Bay near mile 31 on the Western Highway - when Jackson disappeared. And now the story is making news in Georgia. This is the story we picked up from Fox 5 in Georgia:
Jackson's mother has told an Atlanta Newspaper that she still hasn't been told how her only child died.
He was in first form and his mother says he was also a Boy Scout who knew how to swim. His mother questions why he wasn't missed until the chaperones did a headcount when they had all gotten out of the river.
Another Charged For Weekend City Shooting
Last night we told you about five teenagers shot in the city in three separate incidents between Friday night and early Sunday morning. Well, arrests have now been made for two of those shootings.
Today, 23 year old Deon Brackett was charged for the attempted murder of Raheem Akeem Bailey, who was shot on Allan Pitts Crescent on Friday night.
This morning, Brackett who walked from a murder in 2013, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Since he is accused of a firearm offence, no bail could be granted to Brackett who was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until April 18, 2016.
CARICOM Heads Meet
In last night's news, we had live excerpts from Placencia of the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting's opening ceremony.
It's a rigorously scheduled, 3-day session held to be held at the Ocean Club Hotel. Belize's Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, is presidens over the session as the current interim chair of CARICOM - a rotating position he will hold for the first half of this year.
And while we had live clips last night, tonight Daniel Ortiz has the full story from the meeting's first evening:
Daniel Ortiz reporting:
The beautiful Beach Side of the Placencia Inn was the location for the opening of the Twenty-Seventh Inter-Sessional Meeting of The Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.
The 15 Heads of Government of all the CARICOM Nations - except only one who was in transit - walked in together. Though they were being led this time by Chairman and Host Prime Minister Dean Barrow, but these were his equals, each a head of government. They were favorably impressed by Belize's hospitality for this meeting.
CARICOM SG Lays Out Agenda
That was last night, and early this morning, the delegates and ambassadors showed up for the real work to start at the plenary sessions.
The heads of Government moved from one meeting to the next, with hardly any breaks in between, and we understand the last meeting is still going on right now.
Before diving into the day's activities, the Secretary General of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, sat down with the press for a short briefing on what is supposed to happen over the next 2 days:
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque - Secretary General, CARICOM:
"I think everything is well in place. We had a good opening ceremony last night. You saw the 3 speeches, in particular that of our chairman and Prime Minister Dean Barrow and our outgoing chairman Prime Minister Stuart and the tone has been set for the discussions that will take place today. The formal sessions of the meeting, the discussions actually will start in the next few minutes and of course at that point we will go through the agenda. In my briefings with the Prime Minister I think we are well set to have a good discussion and a few very critical issues of interest to the community.
The Way Ahead For Solving The De-Risking Crisis
Today, we also got a closer look at the proposed plan of action on de-risking that the finance technicians from the CARICOM member states have drafted for deliberation. As we told you, yesterday's meeting ended with the finance ministers recommending that part of the action plan for this crisis is to engage the UN and make a comprehensive presentation on the effect de-risking is having on the Caribbean as a whole.
Well, one of the Ambassadors, Dr. Patrick Antoine, who is a chief financial advisor to the Government of Grenada, sat down with us this morning. He outlined what he thinks the CARICOM members should consider while collectively engaging the financial regulators in a manner similar to Prime Minister's trip to Washington 2 weeks ago.
First though, the Secretary General briefed us on the recommendations coming out of yesterday's finance Meetings:
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque - Secretary General, CARICOM:
"In deed. The meeting will be making some specific recommendations to the heads of government on a course of action and I believe once the heads have considered them, then can determine how we go forward. I am not at liberty to disclose now, because it has to be presented to the heads first. But yes, very concrete plan of action how we go forward."
CARPHA Executive Director On Regional CARPHA Threat
While down in Placencia, we also spoke to the Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). He's in Belize to make a presentation to the CARICOM membership on the Zika disease and the serious health threat it poses to CARICOM.
He discussed the role that CARPHA plays in the region's fight to manage a potential epidemic to this disease:
Dr. C. James Hospedales, Executive Director - CARPHA:
"This is a mosquito borne virus which aedes aegypti mosquito transmits the same zika, chikungunya and dengue. So from the time last year we realize that this was potential risk to the region. The first thing you do is to step up the monitoring mechanisms that you have try to detect it early if it comes in different countries. Getting out a lot of public information and education, to stop mosquito breeding and stop mosquito biting especially if you are pregnant, especially if older folks with lots of chronic health problems - you don't want to get one of these viral diseases. Scaling up the laboratory testing available to member's states. Coordinating the response. A lot of different agencies are wanting to work with us in the Caribbean. So that's part of our role."
Reporter:
"In other parts of the region there have been cases of Zika. In terms of within the Caribbean itself, what has the response to that or the detection been like?"
Antigua Wants To Go CCJ
Right now, the final appellate court in Belize is the Caribbean Court of Justice, the highest court in the land.
But, it might be easy to forget that up until a few years ago, the CCJ's role in Belize's judiciary was filled by the Privy Council.
Well, today, we spoke to an Ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda, where all final appeals still go to the Privy Council. He told us that he's at the CARICOM meeting to tell the leaders that his country is about to embark on a referendum campaign to change their final appellate court from the Privy Council to the CCJ:
H.E. Dr. Clarence Henry, Antigua & Barbuda's Amb. To CARICOM:
"I am just appointed a month ago to head the national coordinating committee responsible for preparation of the campaign towards the adoption of the CCJ as Antigua & Barbuda's final court of appeal. In deed so far, the campaign has been going very well. We launched in earnest on 10th March and it will be followed on the 11th by youth forum and a business breakfast to bring together the private sector on Antigua & Barbuda and there will be a number of town hall meetings, focus group meetings. This particular campaign hopefully will lead up to a national referendum sometime later this year. As you are aware Antigua & Barbuda is one of those Caribbean countries that must undertake a referendum in order to migrate from judicial committee of the Privy Council as part of our constitutional requirement."
Senior Cop Carjacked
A Benque Viejo carjacking will surely go down as one of the boldest ever. Why? It took place in broad daylight and the truck was stolen from a senior officer in the Police Department. On Sunday, Assistant Superintendent Selwyn Tillett, Officer Commanding Orange Walk Police was held up at gun point in Benque Viejo.
Around 11 am on the same day, Tillett was driving his son in law's white 2014 Mazda pickup and while he was parking the vehicle in front of his house he was approached by two Hispanic men, and one them pointed a gun at him demanding the vehicle keys. He told him in Spanish, "hand over the vehicle, we're not playing!"
The vehicle was found by Guatemalan police around 10:30 yesterday morning in an area known as Camalote - about 10 miles from Melchor. The vehicle was intact and only had damages to the door locks. The passenger window had to be broken and Police started the pick-up with the spare key and drove it to the Melchor Police Station. The vehicle has since been driven to the Melchor police station while investigations continue.
Police And Those Interviews
Today was day 1 of a police media workshop. Officers from Eastern Division Southside organized a training to teach officers how to give a proper interview. About 12 officers participated and of course the media was invited to give a few very useful tips. Public Relations Officer Douglas Hyde told us more about the workshop.
Now apart from sharpening their English and public speaking skills - another element of the workshop was to try and build a stronger more productive relationship with the media - Hyde spoke to us about the importance for both the police and the media to understand each other's roles.
Police will organize a number of other training sessions.
New Drainage Solution For City
The municipal drainage project is a 21 million dollar IDB funded project focusing on the drains on the northside of Belize City. It started in late 2011, and should finish by the end of next month. Major work has been done to strengthen or create at least 4 canals, and to build large drains and sidewalks in the Belama Area. The longest canal was built under Cinderella Plaza. It connects to the existing canal on Douglas Jones Street - but stretches it all the way to the sea by Princess, going through Calle Al Mar. IT's a canal that's five foot wide by five feet deep and runs for 540 meters. Today the Ministry of works engineers along with personnel from the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, and The Department of the Environment toured the drainage project, and we tagged along. Here's the story of what they did at Cinderella Plaza:..
Rolando Chan, Project Manager, Flood Mitigation:
"We had an existing stretch which was from Freetown towards the creek and then the new section was from Freetown towards the sea, going through Baymen Avenue, Kelly Street Calle al Mar, across Barack Road and then towards the sea. From Freetown towards Calle al Mar towards the sea. That is the new infrastructure that we place in which is a 5x5 section and that was done by Median Construction."
Jules Vasquez:
"How will that work when there is a spring tide, a very high tide."
Rolando Chan, Project Manager, Flood Mitigation:
"When the high tide comes, the water from the sea comes towards the canal into the canal and flows towards Haulover Creek."
MOW To Citco: We Won't Pave It
And while there is a spectacular new drain running under Cinderella Plaza, up above you wouldn't know because the street is in deplorable condition. Last week the Mayor of Belize City told us that the Ministry of Works would finish up the paving - and today the Ministry told us that's not what the fine print says - and they won't do it:...
Rolando Chan, Project Manager, Flood Mitigation:
"Well the last time it was mentioned or Mayor Bradley mentioned that it's our responsibility. We just want to make clear that this is not our responsibility. It is still under Belize City Council, not under Ministry of Works, nor Flood Mitigation. Just a clarification on that."
Jules Vasquez:
"Is it that the Mayor misspoke or that he had not read the technical documents which you have read?"
Phillip Willoughby, City Councilor:
"No. Like I said at every turn after meetings are concluded I brief the mayor on what the status is and like I am banking on that, that if there us sufficient or adequate funding remaining from the project then why not put it there. But if that does not materialize then the city has to incur the cost of to fix the Cinderella Plaza area."
But, The Bike Path...
But one thing the Ministry of Works did do for city hall was create a bike path on Juliet Soberanis Street in Belama Phase one. True, it's only by signage and street paint, but it's a nice touch, except hardly anyone pays attention to it. We asked the engineers about it today:...
Rolando Chan, Project Manager, Flood Mitigation
"The idea is to allow the cyclists to have their own stretch. They can ride their bicycles freely. But as we can see a lack of communication with residents or let's say public awareness that residents they just park right occupying the bike path. So it's something that I think Belize City Council will have to inform the public the reason why we have these bike paths."
Tomorrow, we'll go deeper into Belama, to Phase 4, where creating drains basically in swamps was a major engineering challenge.
Channel 5
CARICOM Heads of Government Discuss Threat of Zika Virus
The looming threat of the Zika virus and its potential impact on the Caribbean was the subject of a presentation earlier today, before an audience of CARICOM heads of government [...]
Day 1 of Intersessional Meeting of Regional Heads of Government Concludes in Placencia
The opening ceremony for a gathering of CARICOM heads of government in southern Belize, complete with cultural presentations showcasing the ethnic diversity of the Jewel, was held in Placencia on [...]
A Waitress is Brutally Murdered in San Pedro
There are two murders to report-one in Punta Gorda and one in San Pedro. Tonight, the body of Honduran national Johana Samantha Mendez Barrios lies inside the morgue at the [...]
An Elderly Man Succumbs to Stab Wounds, Three Suspects Detained
And while San Pedro Police hunt for a killer, their counterparts in Punta Gorda are looking for evidence to identify three. On Saturday night, American National Thomas Rockowski was at [...]
Ministry of Works Engineers Tour Belize City Canals
Today, stakeholders from the Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Project conducted a tour across the drainage network in the city - from the Douglas Jones Canal to the Maheia Canal on the [...]
Engineers Say Mayor Bradley Has Cinderella Plaza All Wrong
While the site inspectors assess the success of the project works, the Belize City Council has come under fire for sections which have been left in a terrible condition - [...]
The Fight for Baby Nina is Headed to Guatemala
On Friday, media crews camped outside the Belize Family Court until dark, waiting for a determination on the fate of Nina Barrera Perez. The custody and jurisdiction woes of baby [...]
Deon Brackett is Remanded to Prison for Attempted Murder of Raheem Bailey
A Belize City man has been remanded for the attempted murder of Raheem Bailey last Friday. Bailey was the first of five persons injured during four separate shootings in the [...]
Chief Magistrate Reviews Light Sentence of Repeat Offender
Tonight, a sentence handed down by Magistrate Deborah Rogers is under review by Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith, after it was learned that forty-two-year-old Cecil Franklin, no stranger to the [...]
Grieving American Students Return to North Cobb High School
On Monday, as a post mortem examination was being conducted on the body of Tomari Jackson, his classmates from North Cobb High School traveled back to Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.� The [...]
Who Wants to Win a Wingle?
From day to day we're called to various Police Stations and substations for any matter of reasons - from hunting information to donations and training courses. But we've never before [...]
Sister Cecilia Home Receives Donation from CPBL
Today, the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly in Belize City was the recipients of twenty-five chairs courtesy of Citrus Products of Belize Limited in the south. Today at the [...]
