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Posted By: Marty Today's Belize News: June 3, 2016 - 06/03/16 11:59 AM


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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Footballers compete in Xcalak Tournament
What better way to celebrate an anniversary than to have two days dedicated to fun festivities? That's what our Mexican neighbors in Xcalak did for their 116th Anniversary. Residents of San Pedro Town traveled across the vivid turquoise waters on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th to join in the fun. The games were played in twenty minute increments for each half, and the first game saw Jokers FC against Nuxpak, where Jokers swept the score board with a 2-0 victory. In the second game, Los Catrachos played twice against Xcalak, defeating the home team in penalties. Up next, Chetumal faced San Jose and won. Lastly, Corozal FC was eliminated by Xcalak. At the end of the tournament, Los Catrachos claimed the first place victory and Jokers FC took home third place, with both teams bringing home lavish trophies and bragging rights.

Shooting victim remains in stable condition
Leonel Anderson, a San Pedro Town resident is in stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after he was shot on Wednesday, June 1st. Anderson, a local bartender, was shot sometime around 8:30PM at the entrance of the San Pedrito Area in what appeared to be an attempted armed robbery. No arrests have been made so far, however, the San Pedro Police have confirmed that three persons of interest are in custody while investigations. According to police, they responded to reports of a shooting and proceeded to visit visit Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, where Anderson was found with apparent gunshot wounds to the leg. At the scene of the crime, police were able to retrieve an amount of cash believe to have been part of the attempted robbery. But due to the fact that the victim did not make an official statement, police are unable to disclose the official cause of the shooting incident. "

San Pedro Town Public Library News!
The San Pedro Town Public library will be hosting a book sale on Saturday, June 6th at the Central Park to raise much-needed funds. The library seeks to replace the current computer used at their circulation desk, as well as upgrade other equipment. Since numerous books are not shelf-worthy, the library hopes to sell sufficient books to clear space. By the following week, the library hopes to set up the media center for patrons and users. Early Childhood Development Classes with Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad has also collaborated with the library to start a program on Monday, June 6th for children, age's three to four, and who are currently not enrolled in pre-school. The program is free of cost and opened to children from the San Pedrito and San Mateo Area. The program focuses on early childhood development, and aims to help children that were unable to attend pre-school in order to learn basic skills in preparation for primary school.

Presenting the 2016 Island Academy graduates!
As the school year comes to a close, The Island Academy (TIA) was the first to hold their graduation ceremonies. On Friday, May 27th, TIA celebrated their 21st commencement exercise, with a total of six graduates. They proudly marched center stage to the sound of Pomp and Circumstance, awaiting their Primary School Diplomas. The graduates were: Natalie Winger, Cody Romsa, Mariano Calderon, Mia Gonzales, Lucy Verralls, and Ethan Ancona. The ceremony was held at the TIA campus, where students, family and friends of the graduates gathered to celebrate the student's academic achievements. Founder of TIA, Lady Dixie Bowen, gave a short speech to formally welcome the audience. Before the graduation ceremonies, teachers awarded top students from each grade level from Infant One to Standard Five, in various categories that included: remarkable reader, creative writing guru, citizenship, and excellence in academic subjects.

Belizeans Detained in Guatemala for illegal entry
The news of eight Belizeans detained by the Guatemalan Navy on Thursday, May 26th put Belizean officials at the Embassy of Belize in Guatemala City on high alert. The group of Belizeans were taken to Guatemala City where they were processed for illegal entry by immigration officials. The eight Belizean nationals, all fishermen, have been identified as Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Batun, Isidro Tamai, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez, and Ernesto Meighan. According to the Guatemalan Navy, they were detained when they were found disembarking from their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach in the department of Izabal in Guatemalan territory. The report adds that seven of the eight individuals had in their possession Belizean fishing licenses, but no boat registration to navigate in Guatemalan waters.

Ambergris Today

A Walk through Food and Culture - Belize Food Tours
I'm gonna quote my daughter and say "Belize Food Tours - Best idea EVER"! My curiosity got to me when Dora and Felipe came by with a goodie box filled with surprises and a special invite. No, I could not wait until the tour to find out what this was all about. So, we scheduled their very next available date and met them over at Lily's for some ceviche and some chitchat. Our iTravel Belize Family had the pleasure of joining Belize Food Tours on their very first tour, one of three tours offered for the time being on their website. The tour started at Central Park and made it's way through an ancient Mayan burial ground; ok, what used to be according to the team's research. I'm totally not going to spoil this tour for you so if that's what you were expecting, I'm sorry. You're going to have to take the tour and see it, taste it, and hear it for yourself! As a proud Sanpedrana, I can tell you this, the tour took me back to my childhood and had me chocked up at a number of stops. I'm so proud to see our culture being showcased by such a lively group of talented Belizean entrepreneurs. You want to see San Pedro through the eyes of a local? You want to experience the heart of our little island through food? You want some grins and giggles to remember? Go take a walk with the people on our map at Belize Food Tours!

Public Service Day was observed in San Pedro yesterday
With information booths that were set up at Central Park. Public Service Workers from the Fire Dept., Traffic Dept., Labor, Customs, Library, Post Office, BAHA, Election and Boundaries, Treasury and the Poly Clinic were on hand to engage with island students who were eager to learn about what each department does. Lots of fun and goodies for the children.

Get Ready to Wine with Alison Hinds at Costa Maya Festival 2016
Just when everybody was starting to ask if there was going to be a San Pedro International Costa Maya Festival this year, the festival committee steps up to announce the participation of Soca Queen Alison Hinds as a featured entertainer. Costa Maya Festival 2016 has been set to take place from August 4 to August 6 with three days of high-powered entertainment. Saturday, August 6, will be infused with a Latin flavor as grupo Super Lamas, from Veracruz, Mexico, will set the stage for live entertainment with its top hit and local sensation 'Yo Quiero Chupar'.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Alison Hinds!!!
At the International Costa Maya Festival on Friday 5 of August!


Watch Super Lamas Only at the International Costa Maya Festival!!!
On Saturday 6 of August!

Thunderbolt Water Taxi
Summer coming fast! Stay cool and have some family fun by visiting one of our best kept secrets- Sarteneja village. We make daily stops on our way to and from San Pedro and Corozal. (7:30am and 3:00pm)

SBDC Workshop: Quick Books 101-Intuit (Accounting Part 3)
Location: Beltraide Conference Room, 14 Orchid Garden Street, Belmopan. Workshop Date: June 9th, 2016. Time: 9am to 4pm. This course was created for anyone who wants to learn QuickBooks. Whether you signed up simply to learn QuickBooks or are a complete newbie to the software it does not matter. We will teach you the software from beginning to end so that anyone, regardless of experience, learns all that they need to know to successfully use the program.

Captain Roberto Smith & Wendy Auxillou-Othman
On the water taxi ride back from Belize City today I found myself sitting next to this seafaring legend. For those who do not know, Captain Roberto Smith captained the famous cargo boat the Winnie Estelle which plied the waters around Belize for many decades. I'll post a link to some stories about the Winnie Estelle in the comments section. Captain Roberto has lived in Belize from when it was still British Honduras. The entire taxi ride we reminisced about old island life when the only way to get to Ambergris and Caye Caulker were on the Elsa P, the Mermaid, the Carib Gypsy, the Caribbean Queen and on to the first water taxi service to Caye Caulker run by Chocolate...

Belize to reduce environmental pollution in emerging tourism sites with IDB assistance
Belize will reduce environmental pollution by improving solid waste management practices in emerging tourism destinations with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A $10 million IDB loan will finance investments to improve solid waste transport, recovery, and final disposal in towns and villages in Belize's Northern (Orange Walk and Corozal) and Southern (Stann Creek and Toledo) Corridors as well as in Belmopan, the capital city. The five-year program is expected to provide all of Belize's major tourist destinations with access to a sanitary landfill, up from 50% in 2015. Additionally, the number of households whose solid waste is disposed in such facilities will more than double to 75,000, and the percentage of solid waste separated for recycling in Belize will rise up from two percent to five percent.

Sarteneja Nazarene Primary School says thank you to Ms. Christiane de Rouin
"Education month is gone just like teacher's day, but this morning we received a great surprise. ALL staff members got a gift from Ms. Christiane de Rouin. Thanks so much, we feel great knowing that people like you are out there supporting us and education. As a retired educator you know exactly what we as teachers go through. Thanks so much Chris on behalf of the staff."

Power interruption 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday June 4th - Entire Corozal and Orange Walk Districts.
B.E.L. to relocate mobile substation to facilitate maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk and San Pedro.

Placencia Lobster Fest 2016
Just weeks away! Contact us for Lobsterfest information and assistance with Tropic flights, shuttles, accommodations, tours and more!

BEL Vacancy
A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited for the post of Software Developer in the Information & Communication Systems Department.

Power interruption 11:00am to 2:00pm, Saturday, June 4: entire San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
BEL to relocate mobile substation to facilitate maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk & San Pedro.

A Cultural Explosion
This Saturday 7PM at the Bliss Centre

Garifuna entrepreneurs in Hopkins
Today I was pleased to be in a community where they truly utilize their invaluable beach resource. While in Hopkins I saw Afro descendants (Garifuna) people being entrepreneurs, this was impressive because I am from a Afro descendant (Garifuna) community that has the same resource and just a few miles away, but the results are different. They must be something that is causing our my community not to develop. Respect to Hopkins on keeping my culture alive and continue developing .

"Beauty of the Chiquibul"
During the month of May, 1201 students from ten Primary Schools learnt of the "Beauty of the Chiquibul". Environmental Educator, Mr. Justin Pook Jr. seen here with students from Saint Vincent Pallotti of Unitedville Village.

Channel 7

Grey Gone Ghost
Last night we told you about the murder in Belmopan where 45 year old Lionel Gillette also known as "Grey" was found dead at his home in the Rivera area of Belmopan. Reports are that Gillette was killed on Tuesday night and it's his sister who found his body yesterday afternoon. As we told you, a post mortem had to be conducted immediately because of the body's state of decomposition. Gillett was shot 3 times with a nine millimeter pistol and today the family told us that they have no idea who would want him dead. We traveled to Belmopan to get more answers. Courtney Weatherburne has the story: Lionel Gillette lived here on his farmland for about 10 years. He enjoyed planting and taking care of his land and his labour paid off, with this lush and full mango tree alongside these flourishing coconut trees. He lived a comfortable and modest life with his dog as his companion. But yesterday afternoon that life was shattered when Gillette's body was found outside his house.

Have The Cops Conceded The Canal Side?
Last night we also had late breaking news on a barrage of gunshots fired on west canal, not far from our studio. Information to us was that around 6:00 pm, two men from a northside gang were seen on West Canal - which is George Street turf. And with street hostilities high - it seems that being in the wrong place at the wrong time can get you killed! And an unknown gang related shooter let that be known by issuing a spray of what turned out to be warning shots. Those in the area say 12 to 15 shots were fired, and the interlopers got the message, they jumped in their car and went speeding up west canal, right into a waiting police checkpoint. Today, Southside Commander Chester Williams told us more - and we asked why couldn't police do more:... ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "There were 2 persons in a vehicle hanging out in the area of Prince and the Canal side. It is basically enemy turf actually and apparently they were spotted by the personnel from the George Street area who then went and fired shots, not at them but within the area to scare them to get them out of the area. The persons upon doing so were intercepted by the police and they are in custody at this time because they are wanted for a shooting over at North Side."

Southside Commander Declares SSG Not Involved In GSG Boss' Murder
And Commander Williams also had news for the gang combatants: the Southside Gang is not responsible for the murder of Gerald Shiney Tillett. This extraordinary declaration comes after an unprecedented shootout on the highway last Saturday - where Southside Gang members were targeted and one of them killed. Rural police says it was the work of George Street gangsters avenging the death of Shiney Tillett. Today, Williams addressed that:... ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "I want to dispel something right here, right now, and I want to categorically state that for some reason some people think that the shooting death of Gerald Tillet had to do with Southside. I want to say clearly that from what we have been made to understand, Southside particularly the Wallace brothers and the Underwood brothers have absolutely nothing to do with Gerald Tillet's death. From what we have been made to understand, there is no connection between Gerald Tillet's murder and those individuals. I believe that the police have the person who is responsible for that murder at prison. I would want those person who are trying to be out there to avenge Gerald Tillet's death, to understand that the wheels of justice has begun, allow it to take its course better than to be out there lurking after people and trying to kill people innocently for what they did not do."

Guns And Lots Of Ammo Taken Off Streets
And while Williams is trying to verbally dissuade any further gang retaliations, police are also doing their operational work on the ground. This morning south side police had a successful gun seizure operation. Based on intelligence, members of the South Side Police Station visited an empty lot in the Banak Street/Magazine Road area this morning. They found two firearms along with an assortment of ammunition. ACP Williams, told us more. ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "What happened this morning is that we had operations as we normally do, and the operations was geared at going after persons who we know to be involved in gang activities. Marion, to go back to what you asked earlier, it was an operations based on intelligence. These two firearms are the product of good intelligence on the part of the Special Branch Unit here in Eastern Division south. That operation this morning yield one 9mm pistol with 38 live rounds and we have 1.38 special revolver with 50 live rounds. Its a good catch on the part of the officers who did the operation this morning."

Judge Says Cops Didn't Kill Tyson Rodriguez
In 2013, 27 year-old Tyson Rodriguez died while in police custody, and the cop accused of killing him, Police Sergeant Julio Shal is free of that charge tonight. And why? Well, The judge was not convinced that the Prosecution provided enough evidence to show that Rodriguez died from any unethical and extrajudicial means employed by this officer. You'll remember the case from November 2015, when Rodriguez was detained by Placencia Police. There had been a brutal robbery of a Canadian couple a few days before on the peninsula. They were beaten on the beach, taken to their house, tied up, their home was raided, and their car was stolen. Police found the car all the way in Corozal - 200 miles away. Rodriguez was arrested, reportedly after a beatdown by the Xaibe villagers, and he was taken back to Placencia. That's where the details get murky because Police Sergeant Shal, supposedly took him to an area on the Placencia Beach, where Rodriguez would cooperate and show them where some of the stolen loot from the Canadian family's home was hidden.

BDF Private Accused Of Sex With Child
30 year old BDF Private Kenneth Gary Swazo, will face trial at the Supreme Court for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14 year old girl. At a preliminary inquiry today, Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith committed him to stand trial in the October session of the Supreme Court. The facts of the case say that in September of 2015, Swazo took the girl who had just graduated from Standard 6 to Gulf Hotel where he had sex with her. The allegation is that Private Swazo was the Program Coordinator of a BDF Camp in March 2015 when he met the girl. At the PI, Private Swazo told the court that he has documents and witnesses that can prove he was not even at the camp where it is alleged he met the minor. He told the Magistrate that he will be calling as many as 4 witnesses to prove his innocence.

Five More Molestation Charges For Kishane
Kishane Mcdougal, a man who had also been charged with sexual molestation of 13 year-old girl, was brought back to court today. Viewers may remember that he was arraigned last year on one count of unlawful sexual assault of the child. Well, he was arraigned on 5 additional counts of unlawful sexual assault of the same girl when he appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. His attorney, Herbert Panton, submitted that because no disclosure has been provided yet for the first count it should be struck out. But the prosecutor pointed out that Mcdougal has been charged with 5 more counts and they are all indictable offences.

Handful Protests Against Hon. Castillo
Since John Saldivar's defeat at the Deputy Party leadership convention last Sunday, there has been a wave of unrest within the UDP. That's because Hon. Patrick Faber won, despite having little support from his cabinet colleagues, each of whom commanded a total of 15 delegates. But many of those delegates secretly defected and voted for Faber while their minister of area rep or standard bearer was supporting Saldivar. That's politics, but Belize Rural central UDP Ingrid Hernandez says she was fired because of this accusation. So today a handful of Ladyville protestors came out with placards addressed to Hon. Beverly Castillo. Some of them read "You got to go!" The plan was to protest in front of the State Minister's office in Ladyville but they did not get a permit, and so were stopped by police. However their spirits of defiance remained intact.

Woman Claims She Was Fired For Faber
Now in relation to the small protest this morning, it was done in a show of solidarity with UDP delegate Ingrid Hernandez, who now finds herself without a job. But Hernandez herself was not present during the demonstration. She distanced herself from the activity today and says she had nothing to do with organizing it. That's because, despite her dismissal, she says she remains faithful to the wider UDP family. Ingrid Hernandez, Got fired: "How it was done to me, I felt victimized, because here I am supporting this party, giving my all, my hundred percent and because of a speculation or an assumption I was fired and I am very hurt about it to this present moment. But what I got to say to the nation of Belize is that despite of what happened between me and Beverly Castillo, I will always remain a supporter of the United Democratic Party. I love my Prime Minister, the Hon. Dean Barrow and he is a good Prime Minister. So no matter what, I will always be in support of the United Democratic Party. But at this point I am still upset, because if the way the strategy has been done."

Court: Rahsida Didn't Steal Rum Proceeds
She was accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from her employer, but 26 year old Rashida Sedacey is free and clear of those charges tonight. The former employee of Traveller's Liquors was charged with 124 counts of theft for monies amounting to over $80,000. But today, all charges were dismissed today by Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith for want of prosecution. The prosecution wanted to give additional disclosure but Sedacy's attorney, Darrell Bradley, submitted that the time for that had already passed. It was alleged that Sedacy had stolen the money in 2014, when she was the cashier at Traveller's.

Jacked Majil
There was a big money robbery of a sales representative for Majil's Mexican Products, which is located in the Santa Rita area of Corozal. It is believed that armed robber got away with over $50,000 in cash. Information reaching 7News is that the heist happened at around 3:25 yesterday afternoon. 23 year-old salesman, Edwin Aguilar, and his driver arrived at their company's headquarters after making deliveries and collecting company monies. He had only just jumped out of the truck when an assailant, armed with a chrome handgun, ambushed him, pointed the gun to the back of his head, and demanded the day's proceeds. Fearing his life, he handed over a red knapsack, with over $50,000 in cash and cheques, all of which were the day's sales. The armed thief then ran away and jumped into a getaway vehicle which was parked nearby.

Hot Mix Replaces A Hot Mess On Lake I Blvd
For the past year and a half, Belize City drivers have been using the new bridge which connects Philip Goldson Highway to the George Price Highway. This bypass is welcomed, but the road to get there on the Southside has been a nightmare. Well, the nightmare is over, because today, we found contractor RJB Construction finishing up the hot-mix paving of the Lake Independence Boulevard. But, it's more than just a road, it's a gateway to a whole development plan for the area. Here's what the coordinators told us today: Daniel Ortiz: "In your opinion, did we get value for money in this particular project?" Christy Mastry - General Manager, BIL: "Yeah, definitely. We definitely got value for money. It's a fairly extensive scope of work. All the drainage had to be put in place. The drainage anticipates not only just the drainage for this road, but the 45 acres adjacent and some of the water shed coming off of Western Highway. That also had to be engineered, so we have very large culverts in certain areas, we have very large box drains in other areas and we have connectivity to the existing drainage that coming off the Western Highway..."

Cops Calling Kenworth
Police in Belize Rural North want your help to find Kenworth Castro who they believe is hiding out in Belize City. He is the key suspect in the burglary of Juan Antonio Vasquez's home. The thief got away with 1600 dollars in cash as well as assorted jewelry. Kenworth Castro was last seen in the village of Trinidad in the Orange Walk District and is wanted for questioning.

Belizean Fishers in Guate, The Other Side
Last week we told you about the tale of the 8 Belizean fishermen who were captured in Guatemala. Authorities there said the men had Belizean fishing licenses but no boat registration. On Tuesday night they were deported back to Belize. And while any Belizean detained in Guatemala will make news, the Guardian newspaper today reports that the Belizean fishermen may actually make their living in Guatemala. The newspaper claims that the men would fish in Belizean waters and then go back to Guatemala to sell their products. There are fewer regulations restricting fishermen in that country. This would allow fishers to able to sell undersized sea products with ease. The men who were detained in Guatemala are Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Batun, Isidro Tamai, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez and Ernesto Megan - most of them form Sarteneja. Recently, a trio of Belziean fishermen were caught with illegally harvested conch in Honduras.

Pedagogues Can Play Around Too
Today, Primary school "Teachers" across the country got to show off their moves and skills as they hit the stage at the Bliss Center for performing arts. It was a part of the culmination of the Festival of Arts activities organized by NICH. Several teachers from schools all over the country competed for the championship and their students were there to cheer them on. We spoke to the Youth Development Officer of NICH, who told us more about today's event. The Festival of Arts closes tomorrow with the much anticipated National High School Talent Competition.

Edward Broaster, Movie Director?
And we'll close shortly with the infant's showcase of the festival of the arts, but first to another kind of artistic creation�can you say Edward Broaster, movie director? Well, the Rural area's top cop has directed his first short film - he also wrote and produced it. Now don't get it wrong, it's not coming to a theater near you - after all , the entire thing was shot on cell phones. But it is a compelling narrative all too familiar to law enforcers: a young child recruited by gangs to smuggle drugs. In this case it's between Ladyville and Belize City - and the victim is a child who is enticed to smuggle weed in their schoolbag because�who would search a child? Broaster told us it's very much based on a true story:... ACP. Edward Broaster, OC, Eastern Division Rural: "This story is a true story that was related to us by a parent and we felt compelled, because of being touch by the story that we need to share this story with the public and like I said we want to bring awareness to the parents out there that this might be your child, so you need to take care and look out for your children."

Channel 5

Lionel Gillett Executed; His Home is Ransacked
Taxi operator, Lionel Gillett was found dead at his mobile house in a secluded area of Belmopan on Wednesday afternoon. His family went to his home when he did not [...]

Small Group Protest Firing of 2 Women by Bev Castillo
A small protest was held this morning near the office of Area Representative Beverly Castillo. A group of women was denied a permit to protest but still gathered to decry [...]

Brazen Shooting on West Canal
There was a brazen late evening shooting on West Canal on Wednesday during which a pair of Belize City men were targeted by rival gang members in the area.� Fortunately, [...]

ACP Chester Williams Says SSG Not Responsible for Shiny's Murder
Is the murder of Gerald 'Shiny' Tillett related to the Saturday afternoon murder of Michael Wallace?� There seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether or not there [...]

San Ignacio Police Investigate Alleged Arson in the West
Just after seven on Wednesday night, Ego Rio Bar in Santa Familia Village, Cayo District was gutted by fire. San Ignacio Police and Fire Departments responded to a call in [...]

Woes in the Bus System Exposed
The transportation industry in Belize is in terrible shape, and that's putting it kindly. Terminals are deteriorating and so are the buses. Schedules are iffy at best and there are [...]

Transport Operations Officer Says Road Service Permits Must be Reviewed
But is it a situation where the Department is just overwhelmed? Is the lack of supervision, oversight and regulation the cause of the transportation woes? It's likely, but Galvez says [...]

Belize City Man Faces 6 Counts of Sexual Offenses
Twenty-two year old Keshane McDougal, the brother of a cop, is facing slew of additional charges for unlawful sexual intercourse. When he appeared in court this morning, his attorney, Herbert [...]

B.D.F. Soldier to Stand Trial for Sexual Abuse of Minor
In another case of sexual abuse, Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has committed Belize Defence Force soldier, Kenneth Swazo, to stand trial at the October session of the Supreme Court. A [...]

CEMO Gives Update on Readiness for Disasters
The hurricane season opened on Wednesday and as it usually does, the City Emergency Management Organization, CEMO, held a press conference to update the public on its readiness to deal [...]

National Transport and Evacuation Committee Response to an Emergency
In any response to an emergency, the National Transport and Evacuation Committee will play a very critical role. It is one of thirteen national committees, and is comprised of representatives [...]

Rowan Heads for College Abroad
For quite some time, we have followed the adventures of Rowan Garel; his ascent to the summit of Victoria Peak, his mission to walk across Belize and his dive into [...]

Festival of Arts Visual Arts Exhibition
The performing arts section of the annual Festival of Arts traditionally gets much of the attention, with talent from schools throughout the country showcased in front of judges. But there's [...]

Mayor Bradley says Sewage Situation Alarming
In April, News Five brought you the shocking story of raw sewage being pumped into the Haulover Creek on North Front Street. We say shocking because it was, to us [...]

Tour Guide Up In Arms After Being Suspended from Altun Ha
A freelance tour guide and artisan is up in arms tonight after she was suspended from selling her arts and craft and setting foot on the Altun Ha Archeological Site [...]

National Fisherfolk Month is Launched
June is being celebrated as Fisherfolk Month in Belize. To kick-off the celebration, an open day was held on Wednesday at the B.T.L. Park where related agencies and conservation groups [...]

Promotion Self-Employment in Belize City Youths
A city council initiative to promote self-employment has resulted in the handing over of twenty weed whackers to a group of enterprising Belize City youths.� The brainchild of councilors Michael [...]

Healthy Living: Why You Should Become a Blood Donor
June fourteenth is World Blood Donor Day. Everywhere people are encouraged to give blood selflessly to improve health conditions or save lives. Additionally, the Day is used to build awareness [...]

CTV3

MOH Issues Advisory On Bush Fires
Today the Ministry of Health issued a release advising the general public of the risk to a person's health due to bush fires. According to the release there has been a recent increase in the amount of bush fires due to the intense heat. The smoke in these fires is made up of tiny particles and gases and when these are inhaled, they can cause asthma attacks and other serious conditions. People with heart disease may also suffer from chest pains if exposed to intense smoke. It also has the potential to irritate eyes and trigger prolonged coughing spells. Individuals with chronic lung conditions and asthma in particular are advised to avoid areas with intense smoke if possible. In the event that one cannot avoid the smoke, the use of masks or wet rags may provide some alleviation.

Hard Times At The Free Zone
Today a report coming from 'Novedades Quintana Roo' a Mexican Newspaper reiterated the reports that have been circulating for months�.the Commercial Free Zone in the Corozal District is facing difficulties at this point in time. The report states that that sales are continuously decreasing in the zone due to a devaluation of the Mexican currency. According to reports, the dollar is currently being traded up to a rate between 17 and 17.50 pesos, tumbling somewhat between fifty and sixty percent. Carlos Parra Jimenez, member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce of the Commercial Free Zone, stated that despite the fact that the high season no longer picks up as it usually does, all two hundred eighty five merchants who are presently installed at the Free Zone are counting on the summer vacation for sales to increase.

Was Majils' Robbery An Inside Job?
Tonight Corozal Police have two persons detained and are looking for two others in relation to yesterday's robbery at Majil's Mexican Products located in the Santa Rita Area of Corozal resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars. While last night details were hard to come by, tonight we can tell you that the robbery played out at around 3:25pm just minutes after the salesman of the company, 23 year old San Andres resident Edwin Aguilar and his driver 51 year old Alfredo Magana arrived in the area after carrying out deliveries down south. Reports are that Aguilar he had just exited the delivery truck when a dark complexion male, armed with a chrome hand gun approached him from behind�.pointed the firearm at the back of his head and demanded the money.

Palmar Resident Concern About Probable Contamination About The New River
Wilfrido Cantun, a resident of Palmar Village in Orange Walk is tonight very concerned as he suspects that a portion of the New River which runs near his land has been highly contaminated for more than two weeks and has created a foul smell in the area. But while Cantun is aware that this is not the first time the area is facing this type of problem, he is troubled by this situation due to the fact that the fishes that were once found in that particular area have all died. Wilfrido Cantun: "Ya tiene casi como dos semanas que el rio cambio de color, usualmente es como un caf� y ahora esta como un verde feo y no ves actividad de pescado y aqu� yo pescaba sardina y muchas otra clases de pescado y ahora no hay nada de pescado el agua esta terrible y mal olor, todo el tiempo cuando envenenaron ven�an los p�jaros bajando pod�as oler como dulce pasa dos o tres d�as y esa situaci�n es m�s grave porque ha tardado m�s y ya va m�s de dos semanas que esta as� el rio."

LOVE FM

No Casualties Reported Following Barrage of Bullets Released on West Canal
There was a shooting on West Canal in Belize City yesterday evening involving two persons in a vehicle and other individuals of the George Street area. No one was injured in this incident but it is a story with a twist as the men who are believed to be the targets in yesterday's incident were [�]

Contraband Cigarettes Hidden Among Loaves
Three men are detained at the Belmopan Police Station pending charges after police intercepted a truck delivering bread and discovered contraband goods. This morning the bread was searched and between the crates of bread were a number of cartons of cigarette. Officer in Command in Belmopan Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett spoke to Love News about [�]

McDougall Charged for Additional Unlawful Sexual Encounters with Minor
Kishane McDougal, who was arraigned last year on one count of unlawful sexual assault of a 13 year old girl, was charged with five more counts of unlawful sexual assault of the same girl when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. His attorney, Herbert Panton, submitted that because no disclosure has [�]

5-Year Old Murder Case of Samuel Price Adjourned
The trial of 30-year-old Shane Gillett, charged with the murder of 84-year-old Samuel Price, the brother of former Prime Minister George Price, was adjourned until Tuesday, June 7 for his attorney, Leeroy Banner, to give his closing address. Price, who lived alone at mile five and a half on Phillip Goldson Highway, was killed on [�]

Woman Freed of 100+ Counts of Theft After Accused of Taking Money from Travellers Limited
Twenty-six year old Rashida Sedacy, charged with over 100 counts of theft for monies amounting to over eighty thousand dollars was freed of all charges when they were dismissed today by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. The charges were dismissed for want of prosecution. The prosecution wanted to give additional disclosure but Sedacy's attorney, [�]

Lionel Gillett Was Murdered at Home
Belmopan Police continue their investigation into the murder of 45-year-old taxi driver, Lionel Theodore Gillett. Gillett's body was found in West Belmopan sometime after one o'clock yesterday afternoon. The body was in an initial state of decomposition and had an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen, another behind the left side of the back and [�]

San Ignacio Police Investigates Arson
A man lost his business to a fire last night in Santa Familia Village, Cayo. Last night Manuel Humes was alerted that his business place, Ego Rio Bar was on fire. Humes and those in the area were unsuccessful in extinguishing the fire and was not able to salvage anything. The head of Crime Investigation [�]

Education Ministry Works at Improving Schools Up North and Standardizing Tuition
The brunt of the workload for the Ministry of Education comes around this time when students are preparing to move onto another level of learning as there are several initiatives that the ministry has undertaken including the three hundred dollar subsidy for the secondary students who apply as well as scholarships, assistance rendered to students, [�]

Police Sergeant Walks Off Murder Charge
About two and a half years ago, the body of Tyson Rodriguez was found floating in the river on November 22, 2013. Rodriguez was no stranger to law enforcement officers. As a matter of fact, he had reportedly escaped from police custody in Placencia some hours prior to his death. But the statements given by [�]

Firearm Believed to Be Used in Recent Robbery Found
In an operation carried out this morning, officers came across two firearms in the south side division of Belize City. Assistant Commissioner of Police spoke of the operation. CHESTER WILLIAMS " ACP Williams says that there intelligence had revealed who the owner of the firearms is but they were unable to make an arrest although [�]

Posted By: Marty Re: Today's Belize News: June 3, 2016 - 06/03/16 12:00 PM

PlusTV

Murder in Oasis area of Belmopan
There was a murder in Belmopan and the victim has been identified as 45 year old Lionel Theodore Gillett, businessman and resident of Belmopan. Gillett's body was found this afternoon, Wednesday June 1st, sometime after 1 p.m. at his farm in the Oasis area of the city. Police say that Gillet was f...

Belizean fishermen deported from Guatemala Tuesday night
The Belizean fishermen who were detained by Guatemalan authorities for alleged "illegal fishing" in Guatemalan territory were returned to Belize on the night of Tuesday May 31. The eight fishermen had been detained by the Guatemalan navy lastThursday night for illegal entry into Guatemala when they ...

Transport Department changes hands; new man promises change
Crispin Jeffries is standing down as Chief Transport Officer at the end of this week. Today, his replacement, current operations officer for the Transport Department, Tirso Galvez made his public debut at this morning's press conference at City Hall. Galvez inherits a Department beset with many of t...

Accused "con man" charged with theft
A driver for the Ministry of Health says he is out more than 3 thousand dollars after a man who purported to sell him a vehicle absconded with his money and later allegedly destroyed the vehicle. Sandhill village mechanic Reginald Coleman pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft before Magistrate Deb...

Statement on Belize in Declaration of the 8th Summit of Heads of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
The 8th Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of State and Government was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from May 31 to June 1 2016 on the theme "Repositioning the ACP Group to Respond to Challenges of the Sustainable Development". Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Wilfred...

Carl Gordon back in the news for theft
Carl Gordon was arraigned before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza for handling a computer tablet and other electronic items belonging to Sherlene Anderson. Anderson's mother was apparently at home alone and allowed Gordon to enter to the house to give her a foot massage. The daughter later realized that th...

Trial for accused in Blue House Bar murder
33 year old Dairon Hamilton was committed to stand trial for the murder of Wilmer Cisneros. That incident happened at Blue House Bar in Ladyville about a year ago but on Tuesday, at the preliminary inquiry, Hamilton learned that he will go to trial. Hamilton, a former security guard at the Bar, al...

The Guardian

Patrick Faber, UDP Deputy Party Leader
On Sunday, UDP's from all walks of life from across the country, converged on the ITVET Freetown road campus to be a part of a process to elect a new First Deputy Leader. Two men in the persons of Honorables Patrick Faber and John Saldivar were in the contest to fill the position and they each equated themselves well. As early as 6 am movements could be seen on the ground with both camps making early preparations. The tents were being assembled; tables, chairs were set in place, signage were put in place, refreshments and food were being prepared .The all important human resources were being placed on the ground for what had all the makings of being a hotly contested race. The actual campaign leading up to Sunday's election started about two months ago when just before our National Convention, our then First Deputy Leader Hon. Gasper Vega announced that he would no longer be seeking office for that position and that is why there was the need for a Special Convention to fill that vacant position. Both gentlemen hit the ground running. The campaign that started two months ago may have started from even before both gentlemen got into Electoral Politics.

8 Belizeans deported from Guatemala
Belizeans Jeffery Nasario Gongora, Manuel Jason Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Vilber Batun, Isidro Benito Tamai, Jorge Ruiz Tamay, Bartolo Jimenez and Ernesto Megan are back in Belize after being detained in Guatemala. Belize's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Friday May 27 that the 8 men, all Belizean fishermen were detained by the Guatemalan Navy after they were found disembarking from their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach, Izabal, Guatemala. The Guatemalan Navy reported that seven of the eight persons had Belizean fishing licenses but they did not have a ZARPE which is a Guatemalan port authorization document. (Punta Manabique is a peninsula that juts from the Guatemalan mainland 21 miles immediately opposite Punta Gorda Town.)

Hon. Erwin Contreras participates in Regional Meetings
The Hon. Erwin Contreras, Minister of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce participated in the 36th Session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) from the 23rd to 27th May 2016 in Mexico City. These 5 days of knowledge exchanges were aimed to spur progressive structural change in Latin America and the Caribbean, based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals. The regional and global dimensions of the agenda for Sustainable Development were also discussed. In order for the productive structure to be changed, the experts surmise that there has to be an increase in the participation of the knowledge and innovative-intensive structures, economic growth and the creation of jobs with rights; as well as the protection of the environment by fighting the effects of climate change. For this to happen, new institutions and political coalitions are needed at the global, regional and national levels.

Patrick to be appointed Deputy Prime Minister
After several weeks of robust campaigning, the United Democratic Party has a new Deputy Party Leader. The contest featured two equally matched and prepared candidates in the persons of Honorable John Saldivar and Honorable Patrick Faber. Five hundred and eighty nine delegates were made accessible to the two candidates and after the polls closed on Sunday May 29, five hundred and eighty five votes were cast. After the counting Honorable Patrick Faber had garnered eighty eight votes more that Honorable Saldivar making him the victor.

BAHA reports Bovine Rabies outbreak
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Belize Livestock Producers, has informed all livestock farmers to vaccinate their cattle against the ongoing Bovine Rabies outbreak. A press release from BAHA informs that the disease is currently being detected in the Cayo District and is expected to affect herds in the Belize River Valley, as suspected cases have also been detected in areas along the Macal River. The spread of the disease can be halted if livestock farmers vaccinate their cattle against rabies. Some eight different cattle coming from six different herds have been exposed to rabies, with seven coming from the Cayo District and one from the Orange Walk District. In mid January of this year we had reported a rabies outbreak, and now more positive results have been coming from places such as Arenal.

Members of Benque Viejo Police recognized
Several members of the Benque Police formation have been recognized for their outstanding efforts. Officer in Charge of Benque Viejo Police Superintendent Daniel Arzu held his monthly General meeting on Friday of last week where an inspection of his rank and file was conducted. Thereafter; he awarded several officers for a job well done for the month of May 2016. Sergeant number 107 Jaime Ferrufino and his Quick Response Team, who did a lot of drug interdiction and other operational activities, were recognized for their brave efforts. As a result of the work from Jaime Ferrufino and his team there was a sharp decrease in crime. Also recognized was Police Officer number 1404, L. Neal, who was awarded as Officer with the most arrests.

Channel 5 paid Satiim to take them to Sarstoon
On Friday viewers of Channel 5 were treated to yet another episode in the well orchestrated drama at the Sarstoon. Channel 5, who has continuously reported in such a manner as to create ill will against the government of Belize and the work of the government struck again. This time they dragged along Amandala and Krem News. What we find very interesting is the fact that there was no other television media on the expedition. Why? Well because Channel 5 foot the entire bill! They paid a SATIIM boat, or should we say paid for gas, for a Satiim boat and went about the business of trying to instigate problems at the Sarstoon.

Will PUP Deputy Leader Abelardo Mai be charged in death of Julia Arana?
Fifty Nine year old Julia Arana, the Trial Farm Resident who was knocked down by Jose Mai, the PUP Area Representative for Orange Walk South, has passed away. The post mortem has been performed, but the medical examiner has not found a direct link between her injuries and her death. As readers would remember, Julia, mother of the well-know elite cyclist Nissan Arana, was knocked down in Trial Farm Village by Mai who was driving his beige Toyota Hilux pick-up. That happened on the evening on Friday, April 1, and she was hospitalized for an extensive period of time at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Her health had improved, and the doctors allowed her to go home on Mother's Day, March 8. Well, on Sunday, at around 10 a.m., her health suddenly deteriorated at a rapid pace, and her family tried rushing her to the Northern Regional Hospital. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead on arrival.

PUC inspires Innovation through Raspberry Pi
The first ever Raspberry Pi Jam, organized by the Public Utilities Commission, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, concluded with great success as high schoolers from all across the country embraced computer science and innovation on a scale that has never happened before. Simply hearing the name, a reader might be misled into thinking its some sort of food to eat, but the Raspberry Pi is a computer with all its major components easily disassembled. It makes for a great teaching tool, to allow interested persons to study and explore the inner makings of all computers and how they work. It may be easier to think of it as a smart phone or a laptop computer that has been taken apart and unscrewed so that persons may see what is on the inside. However, instead of that laptop computer or phone being essentially broken and useless after such disassembly, a Raspberry Pi computer is designed for this purpose exactly.

PUP trying to create discontent in the UDP
Even before the convention was over the PUP rumor mill started churning to try and fabricate a story of some sort of splintering of the UDP. It seems that the special assignment was placed in the hands of the well known PUP Political Pundit and Psuedo Intellectual Glenn Tillett. We don't know what his official post in the PUP is, or if he has one (we know he is a delegate). However what we will say is that the gentleman can give Rod Sterling who wrote and hosted the Twilight Zone a good run for his money. The gentleman appears to have a lot of free time on his hand because as we understand it he is unemployed or as some people may prefer to say UNEMPLOYABLE. So he hangs out on Facebook for most of the day where he posts and comments some strange things. We don't know out of which bottle this modern day Jeanie pulled out his latest story, but he has been posting about some feud he claims is brewing inside the Dean Barrow led cabinet and by extension the entire UDP. One may be wondering why I said pulled out of a bottle. Well I said so because his story appears to be and we paraphrase Chris Martin "UNDER THE INFLUENCE."

Statement on Belize in Declaration of the 8th Summit of Heads of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
Recalling the Resolution at the 103rd Session of the ACP Council of Ministers, we strongly reaffirm unequivocal support for Belize's sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to on-going tensions along the border of Belize caused by the Republic of Guatemala's persistent territorial claims. We call on the Government of the Republic of Guatemala to respect the borders of Belize as established in the 1859 Treaty, and move with urgency to agree on protocols for the use of the Sarstoon River on the southern border of Belize. We urge both governments to refrain from the threat or use of force, to respect international agreements, and to move with expedition to hold national referenda with the goal of submitting all Guatemala's claims to the International Court of Justice for final resolution. We renew our call on the international community, including the European Union, to support the efforts of Belize and the Republic of Guatemala to seek a peaceful, final and just resolution to Guatemala's claims, and in particular to support the facilitation work of the Organization of American States through its Office in the Adjacency Zone.

26 weed-eaters for 26 city residents
Twenty six residents of Belize City are the proud owners of weed-eaters after the Belize City council decided to make donations to them to either start a new business or continue with an existing one. The initiative saw each councilor donate two weed eaters to deserving persons while the Mayor Darrell Bradley donated 4. The weed-eaters were being held by the Belize City council and formed part of a larger number of weed-eaters which they had acquired to do maintenance of city streets after the BML contract came to an end and was not renewed. The equipment had been acquired by the council however they are not appropriate for the heavy usage that is required of them so the decision was made to assist city residents who are into maintenance work.

Inquiry determines Blue House security guard to face murder charge
A preliminary inquiry conducted before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith on Tuesday, May 31, concluded with a committal for Dairon Hamilton, 32, to face a charge of murder in the Supreme Court for causing the death of Wilmer Antonio Cisneros, 42, on April 25 at Blue House Bar in Ladyville. Prosecutor in the case, Inspector Egbert Castillo, presented 25 statements gathered by Ladyville police as well as seven different pieces of documentary evidence; including, the post mortem examination results from Dr. Mario Estradabran, a medical report, a warrant for the arrest of Hamilton and a number of pictures of the deceased. Hamilton was unrepresented in court and challenged none of the prosecution's evidence.

Zachary Knox finally able to appear in court
Zachary Knox, 19, allegedly fired shots at Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams on Thursday, May 12, when a high speed pursuit paused near the North Creek "One Man" Bridge. He was apprehended shortly after by police but had not been able to appear in court for an arraignment. Knox had been in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital since the incident with no official reason why. Relatives claim that he was beaten severely by police and had to battle to stay alive. His mother says she is waiting for an official medical report before she takes her complaint to the authorities and the public. On Friday, May 27, Knox was escorted by police to the Belize City Magistrates Court where he was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm upon ACP Chester Williams and use of deadly means of harm upon Mark Vernon.

Darwin Prado out on bail for attempted murder charges
Darwin Prado, 19, is out on bail after an application was presented to Supreme Court Justice Herbert Lord on Thursday, May 26. Prado was represented in court by attorney Ellis Arnold. There was no objection to jail by the prosecution and Justice Lord offered bail in the sum of $15,000. Prado was charged for his role in the shootout that resulted in the death of Lionel Rhamdas, 21. According to police investigation, on Friday night, May 13, Casey Lozano, 23, his brother and two other friends were socializing inside the yard of Lozano's Family home on Marage Road. Three gunmen then approached them and opened fire on the group. One of the four hanging out at the Lozano home immediately fired back, and in the aftermath, a total of about 20 shots went off. When the violence ended, Lionel Rhamdas lay dead with a weapon near him.

Tyrone Reyes pleads guilty to assault with a fake firearm
Tyrone Reyes, 18, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison for allegedly robbing a corn tortilla vendor with a fake firearm in the Mahogany Heights area. According to a police report, officers responded to reports of a robbery in progress in the Tiger Sandy Bay area at Mile 31 on the George Price Highway where they met Jose Delgado, a tortilla vendor of the Mahogany Heights community. He told police that while selling tortilla from out of his vehicle, a male approached him and ordered tortillas. When he asked for the money, the individual pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a firearm. Delgado said he grabbed the firearm and that was when his attacker punched him in his face and fled the scene.

Shane Gillett on trial for murder of Samuel Price
The prosecution has wrapped up its case in the trial by judge without jury for Shane Gillett, 30, who allegedly murdered 84-year-old Samuel Price, brother of Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price. Crown Counsel Porsha Staine- Ferguson called eight witnesses to testify in the courtroom of Justice Adolph Lucas. On Saturday, April 16th, 2011, Price's grand nephew, who usually goes to his home located at Mile 5 � on the Northern Highway stumbled upon his lifeless body inside the bathroom. Police investigators said that the senior citizen is believed to have been bludgeon to death. He was found slouched in one of the bathrooms over a tub with apparent signs of violence to the head. Price had fractures to the skull and swelling to the brain. His eye socket was shattered and his kidney was damaged from a hit to the body. At the time of his death, Price lived alone at a secluded area called Tarpon Cove located at Mile 5 � on the Northern highway. Police said that his home had been targeted in the past by robbers and they believe this was a case of burglary turned murder.

Olympic Committee to hold annual Olympic Day Run
The Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association will be having its annual Olympic Day Run on Sunday, June 56 2016 commencing at 6:30 a.m. starting from in front of James Brodie on Regent Street, Belize City. The run is being held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Belize Olympic Committee, and also under the management of the Belize Athletic Association. The annual Olympic Day Run is the major attractions of national Olympic Committees in observance of Olympic Day which is observed worldwide on June 23rd. It was on June 23rd, 1894, that the modern Olympic Games were born. In the open/masters category for aged 20-44 years, the route will be from in front of James Brodie on Regent Street turn left in front of Mule Park/Belize Bank into Albert Street then onto Albert Street West, where runners will turn right onto Cemetery Lane. At the end of Cemetery, runners will turn left onto Yarborough Road and continue down Regent Street back to James Brodie and Co. for 2 laps.

Ladyville Evangelical School girls and Hattieville Government School boys won Belize Rural primary schools football competition
The Belize District Primary Schools Football Competition for Zones, 1, 2, 3, and 4 took place on Wednesday 25th May, 2016, at the Football Field in Ladyville Village. In the girls' competition, Ladyville Evangelical School, Belize Rural Primary School, Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School from Maskall, Burrell Boom Methodist School and Lucky Strike Government School. In the girls' championship game, Ladyville Evangelical School defeated Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic School by the score of 1-0. The goal for Ladyville Evangelical School was scored by Dahlee Dyrell. In the first game played in the girls' competition, Ladyville Evangelical School defeated Belize Rural Primary School by the score of 1-0. Dahlee Dyrell scored the only goal of the game for Ladyville Evangelical School.

Toledo District now has Softball Association
The first ever Toledo District Softball Association was formed on Monday 23rd May, 2016, in the Toledo District. The General Meeting to form the association was held at the Julian Cho Technical High School in Jacintoville Village, where the elections of officers for the association was carried out by Ms. Jerjett Guti�rrez, 2nd Vice President with responsibilities for Junior softball of the Belize Softball Federation. Elected to serve as President was Peter Castillo. His committee will consist of Vice President- Carla Garcia, Treasurer- Maricela Menjivar, Secretary- Christina Garcia, and the members are Kera Polonio, Jenny Tanner, Edwardo Garcia, Catherine Burns and Jackeline Garcia.

Belize Softball Federation to hold Umpires Training
The Belize Softball Federation has announced that it will be holding an Umpires Training for intermediate and advance umpires from August 4-8, 2016. The Training will be conducted by the Chief Umpire of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Softball Division Robert Stanton and will include both theoretical and practical work. The federation envisions that this will be the spring board for umpires who have been involved in the game at the advance level for the past five years to move towards the International Certification for Umpires.

Social Media as a Malady
Different social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tumblr are each known to connect people in some creative form. However, the problem that arises with social media is the inability for individuals to disengage themselves from it, which in turn simply forms it into a detestable malady. The social network, Facebook, is known to be a disease that many of us carry as it allows users to simply seek attention from society in any way possible. Many people use Facebook as a means of communication to keep in contact with family abroad, close friends, or business peers. However, many others use Facebook to persecute other individuals as they seek to fulfill their desire to improve their social status by being recognized. The negative effects of the malady, Facebook, has only increased the number of these vile attacks online. Over the past week I've observed how perpetrators varying from kids to young adults have engaged in outrageous mischief simply to gain recognition amongst their Facebook friends. This mischief includes simply posting up videos online of others fighting in great rage.

Conch earnings under threat by foreign NGO
Belizeans earned approximately $33 million last year from conch and lobster exports. This is a significant amount of money and, unlike shrimp, the vast majority of it is harvested by small scale fishers. Unfortunately, the earnings of these hardworking folk is under direct threat from a United States based NGO that wants to band the importation of queen conch into that country. For years the WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals have been lobbying for the queen conch to be placed on the list of endangered species under the United States' Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration made a decision not to do so in 2014. The organization has not backed down and in February of 2016 it notified the Secretary of Commerce of their intention to challenge the 2014 decision in court. News of WildEarth Guardians' lawsuit raised concerns in Belize and the entire Caribbean region since CARICOM states export approximately $370 million worth of conch meat a year to the United States. It goes without saying; then, that this was a huge topic on the agenda of the 7th Annual Meeting of the CARICOM-US Trade and Investment Council in Washington D.C. last week.

Month of recognition for Belizean Fishers
Belize is celebrating the month of June as Fisherfolk Month with a calendar of activities to show appreciation and provide assistance to fishers across the country. The great American author Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "anyone can be a fisherman in May". The majority of Belizeans have gone fishing at some point in their lives. Fishing is a therapeutic recreational activity and in a country with the wealth of marine resources like Belize it is always a memorable experience. Recreational fishers speak of the sun glistening off the pristine waters of the jewel. They remember the excitement of the first bite and the thrill when the catch becomes visible near the top of the water. These adventures are always set in perfect weather; bright sun and ever present breeze. At some point, a break is needed for swimming. The beverages are cold and the laughter loud. This is fishing as most of us know it.

Fox's Quest
I personally am relieved that the convention for First Deputy Leader for the United Democratic Party is over and done with. In the final days before the event the tone in the ads was turning, let's say, inimical, to keep my own tone down. I would want to believe that it is the producers of these ads, and not the candidates themselves, who were getting anxious, and the slip was showing. I personally don't have a penny invested in that dollar, and I express these thoughts simply as a long time Party sympathizer. Since the results of the convention were made known Sunday evening, it has become obvious that emotions are running high between the two camps, higher than it has ever been within the Party's hierarchy since the five years of 1993 to 1998. I don't think it will reach the level of rift as what is occurring within the PUP even to this day, four months after their leadership convention. And while there are indeed several UDP supporters who have expressed disillusionment in the social media with respect to the outcome of Sunday's contest, in reality that reaction was expected for a race as important as this one. It is the future of the UDP which is at stake, after all.

Belize City ready for 2016 hurricane season
The Belize City Council held a press conference on Wednesday June 1 where it announced that it is ready for the hurricane season which officially opened on that day. In making his introduction, Mayor Darrell Bradley explained that hurricane shelters have been inspected and those that needed to be repaired were repaired and those that did not meet the requirements were taken off the list. As it stands there are 13 designated shelters in the city. Of those shelters 5 are on the north side and 8 are on the south side. Mayor Bradley stated that the shelters have been approved for up to category 2 hurricanes, for any storm above that the shelters will not be suitable and evacuation orders need to be adhered to. As far as other preparations go for the season, Bradley explained that they have in place updated contact information for all players in emergency management. They have also reviewed their plans for transportation and evacuation routes. Additionally the council has engaged in education campaigns through outreach programs to schools. The council has also planned for a symposium to be held on June the 8 and 9th.

Hurricane Season 2016: twelve named storms predicted
Renowned hurricanologists Philip Klotzback and William Gray predicted that there is a good chance for twelve named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes this year. They believe that the current weakening of El Ni�o is likely to transition to either neutral or La Ni�a conditions by the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. In terms of the local picture, the published data indicates that there is a 33% chance that one or more named storms will track within 50 miles of Belize but there is only a 6% chance of a major hurricane coming that close. On the other hand, there is a 39% chance of a named storm coming within 100 miles of Belize, and an 18% chance that a hurricane would come that close. Chief Meteorologist, Dennis Gonguez says that vigilance is key this season.

Belize City ready for 2016 hurricane season
The Belize City Council held a press conference on Wednesday June 1 where it announced that it is ready for the hurricane season which officially opened on that day. In making his introduction, Mayor Darrell Bradley explained that hurricane shelters have been inspected and those that needed to be repaired were repaired and those that did not meet the requirements were taken off the list. As it stands there are 13 designated shelters in the city. Of those shelters 5 are on the north side and 8 are on the south side. Mayor Bradley stated that the shelters have been approved for up to category 2 hurricanes, for any storm above that the shelters will not be suitable and evacuation orders need to be adhered to. As far as other preparations go for the season, Bradley explained that they have in place updated contact information for all players in emergency management. They have also reviewed their plans for transportation and evacuation routes. Additionally the council has engaged in education campaigns through outreach programs to schools. The council has also planned for a symposium to be held on June the 8 and 9th. This symposium will also feature disaster simulation exercises to ensure that they are prepared for a disaster. He added that the City Council has planned for the hurricane season and they are organized having ensured collaboration with all relevant agencies to mitigate any disaster. He appealed that the public also become engaged in the effort of hurricane preparedness.

Benque and Melchor Police get to car thief
A Belizean taxi driver is relieved after his vehicle was the recovery in Guatemala just a few hours after the crime was committed in Belize. While thankfully no one was injured in this latest car theft, it reveals a certain pattern of behavior and organizational resilience by the perpetrators. Esdras Chaneck, a 21 year old Belizean Taxi driver of Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town reported that about 2:25pm on 25 May 2016 he was working with a rented Green in color 1999 Toyota Corolla four door taxi car with license plate BVO D-00744 when the course of his business day was dramatically changed. Upon arriving by Latin Belize situated on the George Price Boulevard Chaneck stopped to pick up two male Hispanic persons. One was dressed in blue jeans with grey button up shirt and had on a grey cap whilst the other had on a white undershirt with a 3/4 grey in color short pants. Both were between the ages of 19 to 25 years. They both got into the vehicle and sat in the back of the taxi and asked him to drop them off in San Ignacio Town. Upon arriving in San Jose Succotz Village a female person was picked up and she asked to be taken to San Ignacio Town as well.

Five persons injured by accident in Cayo
Five Belizeans were injured on Wednesday evening of last week by a single traffic incident. On Wednesday May 25, 2016 about 4:30 pm San Ignacio Police received information of a road traffic accident on the George Price Highway across from Rumors Resort near San Ignacio Town. As a result police visited the area where they observed a gold in color Saturn car with license plate BC- 49764 facing an east to west direction; in a ditch with its front portion extensively damaged. About 30 feet away on the other side of the road was an extensively damaged GMC green pickup with license plate C-04657, facing in a west to east direction. Initial investigations reveal that about 4:25 pm on that same day, the car BC-49784 driven at the time by William Sanchez, a 29 year old Belizean Immigration Officer working at the Western Border and a resident of George Price Highway in Santa Elena Town, was travelling from an east to west direction (from San Ignacio to Benque Viejo). He was travelling behind the green GMC Pickup C-04657 when, according to William Sanchez, he saw the brake lights of the pick-up light up, which caused him to brake as well.

Reginald Coleman charged for running racket
Mark Arnold, 49, a driver for the Ministry of Health, visited the police station on Monday, May 30, and reported that in March of this year he purchased a white 1998 Mitsubishi Montero from a man he knows as "Mr. Garbutt" but the man made off with the vehicle after he turned over the money for the purchase. According to Arnold, he visited the Department of Traffic and Enforcement to get the vehicle transferred into his name. He then handed over $3,500 for the vehicle and they agreed to meet at Garbutt's house since they were in separate vehicles. Garbutt would drive home and hand over the keys to Arnold. They headed over to the address Garbutt said was his home by taking different routes. Arnold arrived at the address but Mr. Garbutt did not. According to Arnold, he then made several calls to Garbutt's phone but he got no answer. That was over two months ago.

Calaney Flowers claims she did not hit Lyndon Morrison's cycle to cause his death
"Everything happened very fast," said Calaney Flowers, former Atlantic Bank employee accused of running over her ex-boyfriend, Lyndon Morrison, and his new girl, during her ten minute dock statement in court on Tuesday, May 31. Flowers said in court, "Lyndon and I share a son, Triston Morrison. He is four years old. On the night of August 28, 2012, I was having a normal conversation with Lyndon at the Chinese shop. I reminded him of the money that he was to give me for our son to buy something for him that he needed. I was the first one to have left the Chinese shop. I drove up Mahogany Street, then I made a left into Central American Boulevard, then I crossed Belcan Bridge. I crossed the first pedestrian ramp. It was when I was approaching the speed bump, when Lyndon cycle zoom in front of me. It passed by on the right side of the street on Freetown Road. It was going very, very fast. The next thing I knew, there was a crash and the cycle was on the street."

Drug style execution in Corozal
Delmar Javier Guerra; a 44 year-old resident of San Joaquin, Corozal with the ominous street nickname, "El Diablo"; was gunned down and killed in Paraiso Village. At this time, there are no motives revealed, but the suspicion is that Guerra, who had reported ties to the criminal underworld in the north, was killed by other persons who may have cross-border ties with personalities from Mexico. At around 5 p.m. on Thursday, Guerra showed up at a house in Paraiso Village where he regularly goes to do his laundry. It's a usual part of his routine, and residents believe that he couldn't have been on his guard, expecting enemies to try to make an attempt on his life. Before he could get out of the van he was driving, two shooters on motorcycles, wearing long-sleeved shirts and motorcycle helmets approached the vehicle and opened fire.

Businesswoman charged for operating without cash register
Sandra Sol, 38, businesswoman from the Down Town Plaza facility is facing tax evasion charges after General Sales Tax agents accused her of operating without a cash register. Allegations are that she has been running a business, Sun Digital Photo, at #27 Albert Street without the issuance of any kind of receipts. Furthermore, GST agents found no programmable cash register at her establishment. Due to these infractions, she was charged with two tax offenses. Sol was unrepresented when she appeared before Magistrate Deborah Rogers on Friday, May 27. She was charged with failure to issue GST receipts and one count of failure to utilize a programmable cash register. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. Magistrate Rogers adjourned the matter for June 30, which is the day set for disclosure to be provided to her. The penalty for the offenses she faces carries a fine of up to $5,000 for each count.

Michael Wallace hit called from the prison
Twenty two year-old Michael Wallace went to visit his younger brother at the Prison on Saturday, May 28. On the way back home, he became a victim in a street style slaying after 2 vehicles cut him off, allowing for gunmen to shoot up the car he was driving. Michael Wallace, and his older brother, 29 year-old Richard, went to the Belize Central Prison to visit their under-aged brother who is on remand for a charge of murder. Reports to us say that while at the prison, there was communication from inside the prison that the men who live in the gang area known as 'Southside' had come to visit. That communication reportedly came from a rival gang to the Southside gang. At around 2 p.m., the Wallace brothers, and their friend, Edward Flowers, left to head back home in Belize City. At around mile 9 on the Western Highway, while the 3 men were driving along in a white Nissan Altima car, 2 vehicles, one of them a Chevy trail Blazer and the other a white Infinity SUV cut them off on the road. As soon as the two vehicles forced Richard Wallace to stop, occupants from both vehicles jumped out and started firing at the 3 men who were inside the car.

Police United to represent Belize in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Tournament
The Police United FC of Belize, winners of the 2015 Opening Season, will represent Belize in the 2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Tournament. The management of the team travelled over the weekend to Miami, Florida, USA, where the pick took place on Monday 23rd May, 2016. The Police United FC is currently in Group E for the first round of the tournament. The team will play four games in the first round on a home and away basis. The other teams in Group E along with the Police United FC are CF Pachuca from Mexico and Club Deportivo Olimpia from Honduras. Verdes FC was the last representatives from Belize that participated in the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament.

UB Black Jaguars lead in Belize Rural Softball Competition
The Belize Rural Softball Association competition continued on Sunday 29th May, 2016, out in Lord's Bank Village with two games on the schedule. In the first game played, the league's leading UB Jaguars blasted Exotic Girls from Hattieville by the score of 12-2. The winning pitcher was Karlene Williams and the losing pitcher was Iceny Baptist. In the second game, Orchid Girls from Burrell Boom won handily over the host team Sunrise of Lord's Bank by the score of 14-3. The winning pitcher was Therese Baptist and the losing pitcher was Karen Hilton. The competition will continue this coming Sunday 5th June, 2016, with four games on the schedule. In division A games that will be played out in Hattieville commencing at 1:00 p.m. UB Black Jaguars will go up against Orchid Girls and in game two, it will be Sunrise of Lord's Bank against Exotic Girls of Hattieville.

Belize City Primary Schools Football Competition fast coming to a close
The 2015-2016 Belize City Primary Schools Football Competition is fast coming to a closed. The competition continued on Monday 30th May, with four games on the schedule. In the first of two games in the girls' competition, Belize Elementary School and Unity Presbyterian School played to a 0-0 draw. In game two, Wesley Upper School and St. John Vianney School played to a 1-1 draw. The goal for Wesley Upper School was scored by Leyah Clay while the goal for St. John Vianney was scored by Jaydi McKenzie. In the first of two boys' games, St. John Vianney School blanked Wesley Upper School by the score of 3-0. The goals for St. John Vianney were scored by Rafael Franklin (2) and Ken Galvez.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Accused Samuel Price killer maintains innocence
Justice Adolph Lucas heard closing addresses today in the trial of 30 year old Shane Gillett, charged with the murder of 84 year old Samuel Price, the brother of the former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. George Price. Samuel Price was killed at his home, [�]

Judgment due in Calaney Flowers murder case
After hearing closing addresses yesterday, Justice John Gonzalez has set a date in next week to give his verdict on 29 year old Calaney Flowers who is charged with the murder of Lyndon Morrison, the father of her 4 year old son. Morrison was [�]

3 grand fine for not displaying GST certificate
Display your General Sales Tax (GST) certificate, or face a 3 thousand dollar fine. The auto business Mike's Spare Parts must heed that lesson today after being taken to court by the Government unit. Appearing on behalf of business owner Luis Urbina, who is [�]

Man faces more sex charges
22 year old Keshane Shaquille McDougal and attorney Herbert Panton thought he would be dismissed of a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse made against him in March. But the pair were surprised in court when they learned that five additional counts of the charge [�]

Soldier to be tried for unlawful sexual intercourse
Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has committed 30 year old private of the Belize Defence Force, Kenneth Gary Swazo, to stand trial at the October session of the Supreme Court set to commence on October 4, 2016. Swazo, a Dangriga resident, is accused of taking [�]

Cashier walks from theft charges
An emotional Rashida Sedacy, former cashier for Travellers Ltd., today learned she no longer faces 117 counts of theft. Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith dismissed all charges from the 26 year old after attorney Darrell Bradley rebutted the prosecution's attempt to introduce additional evidence in the [�]

Delegate from Belize Rural Central says position terminated over convention
Supporters of a woman who claims she was let go by area representative Beverly Castillo briefly congregated outside her constituency office in Ladyville this morning. It is alleged that at Sunday's convention to elect a first deputy leader, 2 members of the Rural Central [�]

Belize: Too Many Men Giving Up?
An epidemic of mammoth proportions is spreading across Belize�..men who are giving up on life and sitting on the street corners and drains in almost every city, town and village�.drinking themselves to death. While small pockets of alcoholics are nothing new to Belize cities and [�]

Blogs

Capturing Family Bond at Grand Caribe
My first big wedding I photographed was theirs� and we keep in touch since then. We were talking about family portraits, forever, and finally, we decided this is the best moment to do it� We didn't planned with details.. just went with the flow.. so, the dad, danced with his girls on the beach, the girls we having around resort, we found some flowers and was dad's idea to pick them for his girls hair� we created moments and I did my very best to capture their family bond. - See more at: http://www.photographyinbelize.com/blog/#sthash.HmCqTiye.dpuf

Clever Incomes Mean More Leisure Time in Belize
Diana Snyder first visited Belize as an anthropology student. "My first thought as I exited the plane was that someday I would live in a place as beautiful as this," she says. Today she does. Her home is on Ambergris Caye-the country's largest island, set amid the blue Caribbean waters. "I don't know which I value more-the slower pace of life or the spectacular beauty of living on a tropical island," says Diana, who spends about two hours a day running her online business�and the rest having fun. "I wake up every morning after eight full hours of sleep to the sound of booming surf and birdsong. My first thought is of coffee, instead of email. "My day starts with yoga, followed by coffee with friends, then a couple of hours on the laptop. Afternoons are for gardening, going into town, managing a vacation rental apartment I added last year, diving, fishing, sailing, or biking up the beach.

Eating Our Way Around Town With the New Belize Foods Tour
Chef and food writer James Beard could not have said truer words than this quote, "Food is our common ground, a universal experience". For the inaugural Belize Food Tour, it definitely rang true. What a great way to spend a Saturday, eating our way around San Pedro Town with the new Belize Foods Tour. The foodies were out in full force and ready to taste new things and for some, a few old favorites. On Saturday afternoon, a group of us got to know each other and the island one bite at a time - it was a great experience. My friend (and part time at team taco as Editor/fact checker) Aimee, my plus 1 for the event, and I met for the tour at 11:30 in Central Park. It was a brilliantly bright hot day and we were ready for some pit stops, light walking, and to try out some new things. I was interested to see where our 8 places to visit would end up being. Although I have tried many off the beaten path places having lived right downtown twice since 2006, I knew I was missing some. I had hopes that today's tour would fill my hunger for something new to crave close to home. This dyslexic girl decided to practice her math and figured a 3 hour tour meant everything would be fairly close and we would have roughly 15 minutes at each place with approximately 7.5 minutes walking time in between. As it turns out, we ended up doing 7 places in good time and that was the perfect amount.

Giving in San Pedro: How You Can Help Local Kids in June or "Eat & Win"
June is a big month for festivals in San Pedro - What better times to enjoy your favorite food AND give back to the community? Let me tell you about three very worthy causes, all focused on children, that are being highlighted in June on Ambergris Caye. Blue Water Grill & The San Pedro High School: The owners of Blue Water Grill, Kelly and Mukul Kanabar, are both amazing restaurateurs and huge contributors to this community. Through their donations program at the restaurant Blue Water Grill and picking a new project each month, they have touched hundreds, probably thousands of kids in San Pedro. Finn & Martini, BelizeKids.Org and Camp Basil Jones: BelizeKids.Org is a fundraising operation starting up on the island that is really just a new name/entity for some amazing work that has been done over the years by the owners of Canary Cove. They want to expand their efforts to help the kids of Ambergris Caye and involve the community. The Community & The Inspiration Center: June 18th there is a big fundraiser for another extremely worthy cause, Belize's only organized help for children with disabilities, the Inspiration Center. Businesses from across this island are banding together to donate and raise money.

International Sourcesizz

19 Pics That Show What Shyne's Life Is Like in Belize
It appears Shyne is living quite the lavish life in Belize. The rap star currently resides in his native land, the central american nation on the Carribean seas, where his father, Dean Barrow, is the Prime Minister. Now-a-days it seems like life is more of a vacation for Shyne as the rapper's Instagram is filled with seaside pictures, beautiful women and the occasional visit from a celebrity. Although not allowed to enter the U.S. stemming from his 10-year sentence and conviction on two counts of attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment, the rapper appears to still be living a dream. Following the 1999 incident in which Shyne shot guns in defense of Diddy at an NYC club, the rapper was released from jail after eight years and deported indefinitely. Occurring because a fight had broken out, the incident at the club left three people injured. Shyne was 22 at the time. The story attached to the rapper's legacy has given him even more of a historical relevance in our genre. That's why the Bad Boy 20th anniversary reunion couldn't have went down without him. Shyne made an appearance via satellite during the second night of the first two shows at the Barclays Center in May. No word if he will pop up again for the full length Bad Boy Reunion Tour kicking off in August.

Videos

  • 2016 Belize Tarpon Tagging Expedition, 3min.

  • Green Sea Turtle at Half Moon Caye Belize, 1min.

  • BELIZE BAND-GEVGELIJA 1.6.2016, 2.5min.

  • Belize 2016 Night Dive, 2min.

  • A View of Xanadu Island Resort, San Pedro Belize, 2min. Take a view of Xanadu Island Resort from up above and see the beauty that lies in this little piece of paradise right here at San Pedro Belize.

  • Belize - Snorkeling #1, 17min.

  • Belize - Snorkeling #2, 17min.

  • DIVING THE BLUE HOLE BELIZE, Lighthouse Reef, min.

  • LA VOZ KARAOKE 2016 - WEEK 7, 144min.

  • Hol Chan Channel & Turneffe Atoll Belize, 3min. Snorkeling and SCUBA diving in Belize for our honeymoon.

  • Jaguar Temple. Lamanai. Belize., 7min.

  • Belize 2016, 3min. Locations include - San Pedro, Belize City, Benque, Guatemala, Belmopan.

  • Belize Underwater 5-26-16, 3min. South Silk Caye, Belize.
  • © Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board