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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7 and Channel 5
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Lucio Salazar charged for alleged murder of Jeremy Baptist
Police on Ambergris Caye charged one man for murder on May 23, 2013. He is 23 year old Lucio Salazar, a fisherman of a San Juan Area address in San Pedro Town. The charges arose from an investigation that was launched following several reports gathered by police that 25 year old Jeremy Baptist was shot and his body disposed of. It's a strange case and one of the few such case seen in Belize in which police has brought murder charges against someone without having a body. According to Superintendent of Police Luis Castella�os, sometime on Monday May 20th, they received a missing person report and following an investigation, they received several reports that Baptist was in fact murdered and not missing. Castalla�os explained that investigation so far suggest that Baptist was at a function at the residence of 49 year old Peter Moses Campos in the San Juan area of San Pedro Town when he was apparently shot, killed and his body transported in a boat. Police say the body has not been found.

May 23, 2013 is World Turtle Day!
On May 23, 2000 the American Tortoise Rescue launched an annual celebration of all turtles - sea turtles, land turtles and rivers turtles. 2013 marks a very important milestone for Belize since the hawksbill sea turtle has been protected since 1993 or 20 years! In fact 2012 marked the 10th anniversary that all sea turtles have been protected in Belize. These two milestones are great accomplishments by the government and people of Belize and everyone is asked to respect and celebrate these historic events. Sea Turtle Release (7)Turtles have been extremely important in the history of Belize. In the 1700s when Belize was first being settled sea turtles were kept in turtle corrals on St. George's Caye. Look on the back of the $5 dollar bill and you will see a map that identifies turtle corrals around the island. Turtles were an important source of protein to the early settlers, and likely became Belize's first fishery export. Turtles can remain alive on their backs for weeks, so on the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to England there was available a fresh source of meat for the sailors transporting logwood and mahogany. You all probably heard about the important of these two industries in early Belize but may not have realized the important roll sea turtles played at this time.

Police Department Receives Two New Vehicles for Northern Region
Minister of National Security, Hon. John Saldivar, this morning handed over two (2) new Mahindra Pickup Trucks to the Police Department. Receiving the vehicles on behalf of the Police Department was Deputy Commissioner Elodio Aragon, who then handed them over to the Officer Commanding the Northern Region, Senior Superintendent Joseph Myvette. He was accompanied by the newly appointed Officer Commanding the Orange Walk Formation, Superintendent Dennis Arnold; and the Officer Commanding the Corozal Formation, Superintendent Andrew Ramirez. As Deputy Commissioner Elodio Aragon noted, one of the vehicles is being assigned to Orange Walk, the other to Corozal. "These vehicles are really needed in the North because of the wide amount of ground they have to cover, the Police Officers. And as we begin to improve upon our services to reach out to our communities, these vehicles will come in handy for officers to be able to get out there and to look into reports that arise from out of these rural areas. So these vehicles will play a key role to assist and improve upon the efficiency of the Police Department," he commented.

Queen Conch Fishing Season Closed from May 23 - October 1
The Belize Fisheries Department hereby informs all fishers and the General Public that in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 54 of 2012 Senator, the Honorable Lisel Alamilla - Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development has declared the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) fishery closed to fishing, harvesting or capture of the species on Thursday 23rd May, 2013. The fishing community is especially advised that all conch fishing activities shall legally cease as of this date until the opening of the next fishing season on 1st October, 2013.

12 infants die as a result of infection outbreak at KHMH
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) authority is reporting that 12 infants have died at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the month of May. It is an alarming statistic and according to both the KHMH and the Ministry of Health, an investigation has been initiated. While the investigation is ongoing, the NICU will remain closed until hospital authorities have determined that it is safe. "[The 12 neonatal deaths] constitute an unusually high incidence and investigations are underway by the hospital's quality assurance team to determine whether this is an outbreak of hospital-based (nosocomial) infection and if so, what is the source. All of the neonates affected were premature births, and therefore more susceptible to infection and complications of prematurity. All twelve were delivered at the KHMH and referred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for further management. One died within 2 days of birth, while the other 11 died within 7-27 days of birth," stated a KHMH press release.

Ambergris Today

Kim Simplis Addresses Infection Outbreak at the KHMH
The Special Envoy for Women and Children would like to express condolences to all the parents and families of the new-borns who passed away as a result of an infection outbreak at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The news of 12 neonatal deaths recorded at the Neonatal lntensive Care Unit (NICU) during the month of May alone is both tragic and alarming.

Making MEGA Cinnamon Rolls at Sail Away Cafe!
Dorian's Angels were invited to Sailaway Caf� to try out one of their newest items on their breakfast menu, Mega Cinnamon Rolls! Although we are not expert bakers, we were very excited to lend a helping hand and make delicious cinnamon rolls. YUM! First step was to roll a sheet of yeast-leavened dough, after which melted butter was evenly spread on top. Perlita was quick to add more ingredients; she sprinkled on sugar and cinnamon powder and then rolled up the dough. The large roll was then cut into huge individual portions, placed in a baking sheet and put to bake.

US Air Force surgeon helps Belizean boy get 'new hand'
An Air Force surgeon deployed here performed surgery on a 4-year-old Belizean boy May 2, to improve the usability of the boy's hand. The boy, Isai Carrillo, underwent surgery Thursday, May 2, 2013, to correct syndactyly, otherwise known as hand fusion, in his right hand. The surgery took three hours and consisted of separating the fused unit into fingers using skin grafts from his abdomen. The hand that was once fused now has three fingers. This operation will give the boy more of a pincher mechanism, said Lt. Col. Matthew Talarczyk, a plastic surgeon from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Belize Conch Season Closed Until October
The Belize Fisheries Department hereby informs all fishers and the General Public that in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 54 of 2012 Senator, the Honorable Lisel Alamilla - Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development has declared the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) fishery closed to fishing, harvesting or capture of the species on Thursday, May 23, 2013. The fishing community is especially advised that all conch fishing activities shall legally cease as of this date until the opening of the next fishing season on October 1, 2013.

Misc Belizean Sources

FACTA and You - Know the Facts
Know the Facts: Good read. Click for pdf from Corozal Daily

Ka'ana Belize Launches New Online Interactive Map Experience
Ka'ana Resort, a boutique, eco-luxury resort on the Western border of Belize, is pleased to announce the introduction of their brand new online interactive map experience. Continuing the property's commitment to offering once-in-a-lifetime traveler experiences, the new interactive map combines vivid imagery with advanced technology to capture the attention of online users considering a trip to Belize and a stay at the resort; giving them the chance to virtually experience their vacation before actually taking it. The interactive map experience, accessed from the resort's website, takes visitors to the site on a journey that mimics what their actual travel experience would be like. The site is a single-page with three different maps: World, Region, and Resort. In the World section, flight paths and times are displayed based on which city the user clicks, including flight path animations. The Region and Resort sections both allow the user to check out different areas by clicking points on the map that pop up sliding image galleries with brief descriptions of each location.

SHC Teachers' Day Trip
The Sacred Heart College teachers celebrated Teachers' Day with some zip lining and cave tubing at Nohoch Che'en. It was well deserved, and looks like they had some fun.

SHJC and UNG Hike Lamanai
Some Sacred Heart Junior College students met up with some students from the University of North Georgia who were studying abroad in Belize, and visited Lamanai. "The following day, on Sunday May 12th, the university students traveled to the Lamanai Maya Site in the Orange Walk District, one of the main sites in the country and the largest in northern Belize. There, the North Georgia students were met by students of Sacred Heart Junior College (SHJC) from the Cayo District. Speaking to The San Pedro Sun, Vicky Novelo, Director of Student Services at SHJC, explained the purpose of the interaction between the two groups of students. 'Our students usually partner with other students from the US while here in Belize on different projects, mainly in the Cayo area. The trip to Lamanai was more recreational and mainly to allow interaction and an exchange. The interaction gives our students some exposure as to what other students from the US come to do in Belize. It exposes them to doing more than just the academics and so it gets them involved in extracurricular activities that hopefully they can develop later on when they graduate,' explained Novelo."

Public Service Information Day
Yesterday in Belmopan, they had Public Service Information Day, where many different booths from Belizean agencies were set up. "Institute Of Archaeology is represented by Mr. Antonio Beardall and Ms. Sylvia Batty, at the Public Service Information Day 2013 under the Belize Tourism Tent."

Culinary Arts at the Soul Project
The Soul Project might have a small menu, but the food they have is amazing. The tostadas are good, and the tacos are fantastic. Cayo really has a great line up of places to eat and play at.

BBG Professional Gardener Program
The Belize Botanic Gardens are gearing up for another Professional Gardener's Training Program. It will start on July 1st, and they are taking applications until June 12th. If you are interested, you can email them at [email protected] or give them a call at 834-4800.

Belize Zoo Fan Video
This is a great fan video about the Belize Zoo. "The Best Little Zoo in the World,The Belize zoo is a great adventure. If you can only do one thing while you are in Belize then go to the Belize zoo. The animals in the Belize zoo are rescued or hurt not captured for display. The Belize zoo needs our help to continue its work saving and rehabilitating animals and birds. Make sure you check out this cool little place, if you have kids and you want an adventure for them then bring them here and let the jaguar lick their forehead.. it is really cool. When we go back to Belize next year we will return the the Belize zoo again it's so worth while."

Channel 7

A Captive Jaguar Escapes In Southern Belize
There's a jaguar on the loose in South-western Belize tonight - and the Forestry Department is hoping it can trap the cat before the night is over. The jaguar is domesticated and was kept as a pet by the Pollack family in the Ringtail area of the Cayo district. Ringtail is a village at mile 40 on the Hummingbird Highway near the Blue Hole. The Polacks were authorized by the Forestry Department to keep the animal as a pet - but it escaped "several days ago." According to Chief Forest Officer Wilbur Rosado, it has been spotted foraging in the area where it had been held. Sabido says that because it is domesticated, the jaguar cannot hunt and won't wander far; they expect it to come back to its home area looking for food. Multiple traps have been set, and the Forestry Department has called on the same persons who helped re-capture Max the Jaguar to catch this one. Viewers will recall that Max escaped from the Fosters in the Belize district near Democracia in October of 2010, and was caught and put down - only after he killed a neighbor.

Man charged For Jeremy Baptist Murder - Body Still Not Found
Last night we told you about the worrying disappearance of Jeremy Baptist. Well, tonight, he is presumed dead and police have charged a man for his murder - even though his body hasn't been found. We'll tell you about that shortly, but first with the assistance of the San Pedro Sun, Daniel Ortiz has the story from San Pedro. Daniel Ortiz reporting Tonight, Police continue to look for clues which could lead them to find the body of 25 year-old Jeremy Baptist, the San Pedro resident who went missing on Sunday. But for San Pedro Police, this they are not optimistic that they will find him alive. Baptist was last seen at a party in the San Juan area with his common-law wife and baby. He dropped them home at around 10:30 p.m., went back to the party , and later that night, police had to respond to a shooting report. Voice of Supt. Luis Castellanos - OC, San Pedro Police "Police responded but they didn't find anything at the time and there after information started to come in that someone had been shot and as a result we started to investigate. We have not recovered the body of Baptist but the information is more suggesting that there is a possible murder." With the fact of the missing person's report from Baptist's common-law wife, and strong eyewitness reports, police believe that he was killed in that shooting, and then taken away by his assailants to be disposed of.

Despite Alibi Claims, Man Charged For Castillo Shooting
Last night, Kareem Gillett's family came on the news to protest the fact that he was about to be charged for the attempted murder of 33 year-old Peter Castillo. They had alibi's and claimed that he had been beaten by police. But none of that mattered to investigators who marched him to court today. Gillett was taken before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith who read him the charges of attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm with a firearm upon 33-year-old Ministry of Works employee, Peter Phillip Castillo. No plea was taken from Gillett, and due to the nature of the offenses, he was denied bail and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until June 21, 2013. Castillo reported to police that, on Saturday Morning, he left his house on Jane Usher Boulevard, and while walking on Faber's Road, he was approached by two men, one he knew as "Fifty Cents", the other as "Patchen".

Former KHMH CEO Criticizes Successor
Last night, you heard the CEO of the KHMH say that he found out about the rash of newborn deaths in the Pediatric Intensive care Unit from watching the news. And that's why an internal investigation is underway to find out what went wrong that could have caused so many successive deaths without a decisive response. But, according to the former CEO, his successor's explanation just won't cut it. Dr. Alvaro Rosado says that the shutdown of the unit came way too late, and to find out what went wrong, the hospital needs much more than just an internal investigation. Dr. Alvaro Rosado - Former CEO, KHMH "Well first of all I must state that the media had approached me before asking me for comments and I had refused because I said it was unfair to the administration for me to comment before they did their investigation. Now that the investigation has started although with all fairness to the Chairlady she said that it would continue. I get the impression that this is the beginning of the end and that this is almost the begin of the end of the investigation and it bothers me because I don't think that the answers and the information that was given was really information that is pertinent. I think the first thing that needs to be answered is - How did the bug get into that Neonatal unit? NICU is supposed to be most secure, sterile area of the hospital.

Man Left Critical, Nurse/Sister Alleges Medical Malpractice
Tonight there are bold allegations being made against a Southern Regional Hospital physician. The family of 62 year old Joseph Kuylen is accusing the surgeon of negligence - after Kuylen underwent a surgery which they claim was not properly completed. Joseph Kuylen was hospitalized on the 8th of May after experiencing an intestinal rupture. A colostomy was performed and his family says it was left unfinished, which caused a massive infection. Since then Kuylen's health has deteriorated and he was transferred to the Karl Huesner Memorial hospital - where he is presently on a respiratory machine after undergoing 3 other surgeries. Two of his sisters spoke to us - one of them is a licensed intensive care nurse and they told us of the many cautions that were ignored. Voice of Alva Rosado - Sister of Joseph Kuylen "He was taken in to Dangriga Hospital by his wife around 9:30 on May 8th and they did an X-ray and found out that he had ruptured something in him and they took him to surgery after 11 and he stayed in surgery till about 2:00. Unfortunately I was not in Dangriga and when I got back in the night around 7 i stopped at the hospital and I stayed there until visiting hours was over with his wife.

Crocodile Craziness On Castle Street
From time to time on the news we've reported on crocodiles turning up in the outlying areas of Belize City, such as Collet or Belama, places that used to be swamp 20 years ago and where all the swampland critters still haven't moved out. And that's why we were surprised early this morning in Belize City when we got a call at around 6:00 am, saying that a crocodile had turned up on Castel Street. That's just off Douglas Jones, where the memory of any swamp was erased almost a hundred years ago. So what's the croc doing in that neighborhood? That's probably the same thing he was asking after an unforgettable morning of croc craziness on Castle Street. 7news was there. Monica Bodden reporting This croc had every reason to be angry he was tied up inside a backyard on Castle Street. That's after he squirmed through this drain - you can still see the disturbed area where the broad bellied reptile struggled to get through. Derek 'Mighty' McKoy - First stumbled upon Croc "It came out the drain, it came from the left side across the street and it went into the smaller ditch but he couldn't under the bridge so that is where he got stuck. We pulled him back way and threw a rope around it and pulled it up."

Man Shot In House In Unitedville
Early this morning -just after 2:00, a house in Unitedville Village came under fire and Oswald Young was shot to the chin. Young was in the living room sleeping in a chair facing the door, when three shots ripped through the door. And though he was injured in the chin, Young's injuries were not serious; he was treated and released and his injuries were classified as wounding. Police have detained two Belize City men pending investigation.

Conch Season Closes
Conch season was declared closed today and all conch fishing activities are to legally cease until it re-opens on 1st October, 2013. The advisory for Restaurant owners and the General Public is that they have a grace period of 8 days to consume and dispose of all Queen Conch in their possession. So that's until Friday 31st May, to consume or sell all the conch ceviche, soup and fritters that you presently have. Anyone found with Conch after next week Friday will be criminally charged. If you know anyone violating this, you are urged to call the Fisheries Department at: 224-4552 or 223-2623.

New Members OF E & B
The new, and old members of the Elections and Boundaries commission were sworn in today by the Governor General in Belmopan. They are returning member and Prime Ministerial appointee, Phillipa Griffith Bailey, new member and Prime Ministerial appointee, Naima Barrow, returning member and opposition representative Derek Courtenay, and another returning member and opposition representative Mr. Orlando Espat. They have been appointed as members for a period of five years with effect from 1st May, 2013. Their appointments were approved by the Senate on the 7th May. The Chairman of the Commission is B.Q Pitts Sr, who was appointed in May 2012 for five years.

Belizean Chairs Commonwealth Book Prize; Laments Decline In Caribbean Writing
In a society where reading is a fast-fading past-time, and there are less than a handful of bookstores, news of the Commonwealth Book Prize probably doesn't tank very high. Except that this year, a Belizean has been chosen to chair the selection committee. He is Godfrey Smith, who's written only one book, the well-received George Prize Biography - which won a regional prize. That caught the attention of Commonwealth Foundation and they gave him the nod to hold the prestigious chair. His work started in January and ended in April where he read through over 20 novels that had been shortlisted. Bearing in mind that the prize is only for first time novel writers, he said it was an eye opening experience:.. Smith travels to the Hay Festival in Wales next week where the overall winner will be announced. Regional Winners have already been selected. Books eligible for the prize are from commonwealth countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Canada, the Caribbean and the Pacific. As for young, hopeful Belizean writers, the Commonwealth foundation is working with the Caribbean literary festival to organize training for the Caribbean.

PROFILE:Tajohn Gillett
Tonight's profile features a valedictorian, Tajohn Gillett of Nazarene High School. He grew up in Pink's Alley, which can be a tough neighborhood. He explains how he resisted the urge to become a dropout to become an example for his siblings

Grace Primary Celebrates Roots In Open Day
This morning, a portion of Amara Avenue in Belize City was locked down because Grace Primary was having an open day fair. Students were encouraged to explore the cultures of their parents and grandparents, while displaying their abilities in entrepreneurship. 7News stopped by and took in some projects that the students came up with, which are authentic and artistic in nature: Mirna Shepherd - Principal, Grace Primary School "Well we're having an open day and we decided to do a street fest fashion. When we did the entrepreaneaurship in early part of the school year we did the street fest and it came off as successful so we thought that we would like to do our open day in this fashion too. We're focusing on the past and the present, we entitled it a 'blast from the past'. We're looing at the whole aspect of entrepreanearuship right from infants all the way up to standard 6. We look at how things used to be done in the past to how it is done presently and we look at all different aspect, the business, the home setting, social environment - everything we try to cover. We put a lot of effort into it, first it seemed as something that was not connecting but now that it is out there on the street it seems to have connected."

Channel 5

Murder on island but body is missing
Twenty-five year old Jeremy Baptist went missing on Sunday night. He had been socializing at a party and never returned to this family. Something went awfully wrong on that night and this afternoon another resident was charged for his murder; but Baptist's body has not been located. Police, have however, recovered a vessel which they [...]

Are all sepsis deaths at hospital related to killer bacteria?
Twelve deaths occurred inside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital's Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in one week. It has been confirmed that the enterobacter cloacae bacteria killed seven of the twelve newborns. The NICU remains closed and the services offered from that unit have been moved to another part of the hospital. But there [...]

COLA blasts K.H.M.H. and ministry for infant deaths
There is indignation over the deaths of the babies in the neonatal intensive care unit, and the public is calling for an independent investigation.� One local non-governmental organization today did not vacillate in its outrage.��� Citizens Organized for Liberty Through Action's president Geovanni Brackett sent out a fiery press release saying, "Minister, Doctors, Director, C.E.O. [...]

Businesswoman gets prison time for unpaid Income Tax
A well-known Belize City businesswoman will spend the next six weeks behind bars at the Belize Central Prison. When the Income Tax Department ran its ad campaign warning that non-payment would result in jail time, it wasn't kidding, and now Loretta Palacio of Total Business Solutions has found that out the hard way. Palacio was [...]

Fifty Cents tried to kill Animal
Belize City may lack paint, but its citizens that wind up before the courts normally have creative nicknames. Inside the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, Fifty Cent, not the well known rapper, was charged for trying to murder Animal. Specifically, twenty-six year old Kareem "Fifty Cent" Gillett was charged for the attempted murder [...]

N.T.U.C.B. turns a green eye; unions against destruction of resources
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize has issued one of its angriest statements. It relates primarily to the malpractices to the use and management of our natural resources and says it is outraged on the scandalous but also tremendously and utterly outrageous continued raping of the Rosewood stock down south, the bulldozing of the [...]

Visually impaired youth to swim the blue hole
In March 2011, Rowan Garel became the first visually impaired person to make it to the summit of Victoria Peak.� It was an exhausting two-day climb that challenged the twelve year old's physical endurance.� Rowan's body was pushed to its capacity and despite the extreme trial he overcame that challenge.� A year later, he took [...]

Public Service Day travels to Belmopan
The public service of Belize is in the news tonight, and it has nothing to do with salary adjustments or protests. It's actually that time of the year when the largest employer in Belize takes time out to showcase services offered and accomplishments made. So to celebrate the annual Public Service Information Day, government employees [...]

Doctor hopes K.H.M.H. does the right thing
The ongoing crisis at the national referral hospital due to the unusually high number of baby deaths in the first two weeks of the month of May has sparked the ire of the entire country because the first case of the hospital-based bacteria was initially detected back in February. Other deaths were also recorded in [...]

Expanding Coney Drive, the new business district
There is a massive project underway at the junction of Coney Drive and Princess Margaret Drive and chances are that if you ask passersby exactly what the plan is, like we did, four out of five wouldn't have a clue. One person we asked today told us he thinks a roundabout will be built there. [...]

Mayor Bradley is back from East Africa
Mayor Darrell Bradley is just back from a ten day trip to Uganda, Africa where he participated in a local government conference hosted by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. That body works to promote and strengthen effective democratic local government throughout the Commonwealth and to facilitate the exchange of good practice in local government structures [...]

LOVE FM

Public Service Awareness Day In Belize
Public officers in Belmopan are observing public service awareness day. Correspondent Fem Cruz has the details. FEM CRUZ "Today is being celebrated as Public Service Information Day. Public Service Information Day is a day set aside where ministries and departments showcase th...

BTIA Wraps Up Logo Competition
The Belize Tourism Industry Association Orange Walk Chapter launched a "Name & Logo Competition" in last month as part of the initial stages of development for the project entitled "Creating Market Linkages for the Tourism, Hospitality, Agriculture and Business Sectors of th...

PACT Gives 50K To Belize Fishermen Association
The Belize Fishermen Cooperative Association (BFCA) has received a grant of fifty thousand dollars from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, PACT. With the money, BFCA will now be able to carry out their project entitled "Improvement of Marine Biodiversity through Empowerment of Fishers&...

Conch Season Officially Closed
The conch season officially closes today. The Fisheries Department says although the fishing, harvesting, and capturing of the queen conch is officially there is a grace period of eight days for restaurant and the general public. Any person found in possession of the Queen Conch after the eight d...

Belize Tourism Board Seeks To Improve Visitors' Experience
The Belize Tourism Board today launched a project to improve the experience visitors have when they visit the Altun Ha Maya site. Reporter Natalie Novelo is there and has the story. NATALIE NOVELO "Love News is at the Altun Ha Maya site where a visitor satisfaction survey program fo...

Villager Shot While Sleeping In His Living Room
There was a shooting incident this morning in Uniteville in the Cayo District. According to information received, one Oswald Young was shot once on the chin after a barrage of bullets was shot at the house he was in at the time. Love News understands that a group of three men from the village sho...

Afternoon Armed Hold Up Investigated In Northern Belize
An afternoon arm hold up in the center of Orange Walk town had left a female store proprietor traumatized. LOVE NEWS understands that around four this afternoon a loan Hispanic man entered Espa�a Clothing store on Park St. Armed with a black gun and held up the proprietor....

Police In Search of Escaped Detainee
Tonight Orange Walk Police are looking for twenty four year old Nimrod Tillett, a detainee who is now an escapee. Tillett escaped from police custody two days ago while he was being treated at the Northern Regional Hospital. Why Tillett's escape was not reported before was because police tr...

Elections and Boundaries Commission Sworn In
A swearing-in Ceremony was held this morning at Belize House in Belmopan City, for members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission. His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, swore in Phillipa Griffith Bailey, Naima Barrow, Derek Courtenay, and Orlando Espat, who have been appoin...

Eight Foot Croc Encountered In Residential Area
The last two reported encounters between wildlife and humans did not end well for the animals. First it was a monkey that was savagely beaten and tortured by a group of students in Orange Walk. Next it was a crocodile cruelly tormented and then killed in San Pedro by another set of youths.&...

Former Hospital CEO Comments on Babies Deaths In Neonatal Unit
On Wednesday the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital's Administration informed that of the 12 neonatal deaths inside its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was caused by the bacteria called Enderobacter Cloacae. The hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Francis Longsworth, along with its ...

Fisherman Arraigned on Charge of Attempted Murder
Twenty-five year old Kareem Gillett, a.k.a. "Fifty Cents", a fisherman of Vernon Street was charged with attempted murder when he appeared in court today. Gillett was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. No plea was taken from him and neither could the...

CTV3

DPM's Nephew Receives Payment For Rehabilitation Of San Antonio Road
When Mayor Kevin Bernard and his team took over town hall back in March of 2012, it was discovered that on January 31st 2012, Imer Hernandez, the nephew of Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, was paid $50,000 for the upgrading of San Antonio Road by the previous administration. The voucher paid out to Hernandez showed that he was paid $50,000 for work to be commenced for the rehabilitation of San Antonio Road. The total value of the work to be done stood at $351,000. If you live in Orange Walk you definitely know of which road we are talking about and that work was never carried out in the area by Hernandez's company despite him receiving partial payment of $50,000. Now, here is where the story gets interesting because documents recently obtained by CTV3 News show that back in 2011, the Social Investment Fund awarded a contract valued at $539,507.13 to Imer Hernandez Development Company Limited, for the Ministry of Works and Solid Waste Management. Out of that amount, $179,951.55 was paid out to the company in 2012 for the rehabilitation of San Antonio Road which is yet to commence. Carmelita Perez reports. Carmelita Perez - Reporting Ermelinda Novelo is just one of the many residents that have had to deal with the dust created by the deplorable conditions of San Antonio Road. Regardless of the request made by several residents living in the area, work on the road, which falls under the jurisdiction of National Government, is yet to commence.

Doctor Parks Talks Hard To Pablo Marin And His CEO
Amidst the recent scandal of the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital where it has been reveled that seven of 12 babies died as a result of Enterobacter cloacae infections, the Deputy Director of Health Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Dr. Marjorie Parks retired yesterday but before she left office she sent out a strong message to her Ministry's top brass in a speech delivered last week at the National Nursing Conference held in Corozal. In presence of the Minister Of Health Hon. Pablo Marin Parks spoke out against the political interference in the nursing profession. She stated and we quote "The position of Principal Nursing Officer, the highest in the Nursing hierarchy in the Government Service has traditionally; been prestigious�The PNO provides policy direction and guidance to the nursing profession. This situation was changed in 2008 when almost all decisions for nursing and nurses were taken over by the political directorate at the Ministry of Health. Even the Nurses and Midwives Council of Belize, a statutory body, which since 1923, has been effectively regulating the practice of nurses was not immune to political intervention. Under a system of micromanagement and unwarranted victimization many nurses have been deprived of their benefits for any real or imagined infraction against the powers that be."

Residents Of San Felipe Head Out To The Polls
Round three of the 2013 Village Council Elections will take place this Sunday. Here in the north particularly the Orange Walk District four villages will see the election of a new Village Council including San Felipe. The affairs of the community are presently overseen by a UDP Village Council. But the team running under the umbrella of the People's United Party is hopeful that this coming Sunday residents of San Felipe will make a change. Martin Ramos - P.U.P Coordinador San Felipe "Primeramente quisiera mencionar algunos de los proyectos que tenemos en cuenta que este UDP que ya estado en tres a�os no hicieron absolutamente nada. El centro comunal es un desastre all� entran hasta los caballos no hay puertas, no hay ventanas es un desastre lo que es el centro comunal, necesitamos renovar el centro comunal, el parquecito de San Felipe que est� all� yo creo que como uno o dos sillas le quedan todas las sillas est�n quebrados, no hay limpieza en la aldea, nosotros nos vamos a encargar en trabajar en estos puntos, otro punto importante que vamos a trabajar inmediatamente ganado porque estamos hablando que estos muchachos que vamos a trabajar

BTB Orange Walk Chapter Selects New Logo
A few weeks ago we told about the "name and logo competition" launched by BTIA Orange Walk Chapter for talented Belizeans who wished to form part of the designing of the logo and a name for the quarterly tourism publication the BTIA Orange Walk Chapter will be launching in June. The tourism organization was one of the 15 proud recipients of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Grant awarded by La Inmaculada Credit Union under the institution's SSEDDAT Two Program in which it received more than $16,000 in funding. The funds will be used particularly for the quarterly tourism publication over a period of nine months for both the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. Today the names of the winners were officially announced and we caught up with Jasmine Zetina who told us more on the results of the competition. Jasmine Zetina, Information Officer BTIA "The deadline for submission for the entries was last week Monday the 13th of May, and this Monday we selected the winners and we got eleven Belizean submitted their entry and they were very interested and out of the eleven we selected three entries, first prize was won by Dianna Ovando from Branch Mouth, Cayo, second prize by Dorcas de Paz Orange Walk Town and third prize won by jasmine Gongora from Yo Creek Village here in Orange Walk. First prize Dianna Ovando won three hundred dollars, second prize winner Dorcas De Paz won two hundred dollars and third prize was fifty dollars won by Jasmine Gongora."

Former PUP Chairman Seeks Re-election
He served as Chairman of August Pine Ridge for 17 years, from 1967 to 1984 and now after 29 years Santiago Manuel Solis is seeking re-election. Solis is running for the post of chairman under the P.U.P team. Today he told us why he is seeking a comeback after so many years. Santiago Manuel Solis - Candidate for Chairman A.P. Ridge. "Mis Planes es hacer yo pienso, todo lo que yo pueda a mi alcance con la ayuda de mi gente tratar de regresar August Pine Ridge adonde yo lo deje hace 40 a 50 a�os." Irvin Aragon - Reporter "Cuando dices regresar a August Pine Ridge cuando era, nos estas tratando de entender cuando eras el Chairman anteriormente?" Santiago Manuel Solis - Candidate for Chairman A.P. Ridge. "Yo fui Chairman en el a�o 1967 al 1984 cuando me retire de Chairman y yo deje mis hechos en la aldea de August Pine Ridge tales como el parque, el centro comunal, y una parte constru� abajo mi mandato como chairman de la cl�nica de hoy d�a siempre existe." Irvin Aragon - Reporter "Dejaste hace 40 a�os que te ha motivado para hacerte chairman una vez m�s despu�s de 40 a�os?"

Dealing With The Intense Heat And Bushfires
The intense heat that Belizeans have been experiencing over the past months has been unbearable and right about now you might be clamoring for rain. But apart from the heat Belizeans countrywide including Orange Walkenos, have had to deal with the constant eruption of bushfires which poses a health risk. Last year the Orange Walk Fire Department battled approximately 225 forest and bush fires. This year that number increased by a large margin namely because of overgrown lots. Kenneth Mortis - Officer Commanding the Orange Walk Fire Department. "This year we have set a record we have been responding to four or five fire call per day and it is not only in the day time hours we been responding well after sunset sometimes two or three in the morning. How it starts it is a mystery some of them is mother nature and some of them we learned that during the clearing of the land people want to cut and burn, some of them it is just the idle process by who pretty much want to burn copper to try to make a living, any way you look at it the heat is on and as far as the fire department is concerned we will continue to do what we are paid to do and that is to out fires and response to all calls possibly that we can respond to."

No More Conch Until October 1st 2013
Conch Fritters, Conch Soup and Conch Ceviche, these are just some of the delicious plates we Belizeans love when it's conch season. It is one of the most popular fisheries products other than the lobster which together contribute over 90% of the total value of exported seafood products in Belize. Today the Belize Fisheries Department issued a press release informing all fishermen and the general public that in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 54 of 2012 Senator, the Honorable Lisel Alamilla - Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development declared the Queen Conch fishery closed today. The fishing community is especially advised that all conch fishing activities shall legally cease as of this date until the opening of the next fishing season on 1st October, 2013. The Belize Fisheries Department further advises restaurateurs and the General Public that a grace period of 8 days, which ends on Friday 31st May, 2013, is being given to allow persons to consume and dispose of all Queen Conch in their possession. Any person found in possession of the Queen Conch after Friday May 31st 2013 will be charged and prosecuted in a Court of Law in accordance to the Fisheries Regulations.

Getting To Know More About The Public Service
Today public officers from all sectors of the governmental departments held an open day at the Corozal Central Park to educate children as well as the wider public on the work of the Public Service. Members of the Police Department, Customs and Excise Department, and the General Sales Tax department were among the many public officers that took part in today's open day which kicked off with an official ceremony highlighting the importance of the Public Service. Irvin Aragon - Reporting Public Service Information Day, as it is referred to, was organised in efforts of educating students and the wider public on the key functionalities of the public services in Belize. Different sectors, ranging from the Police Department to the Education department, took part in today's open day organized by the Ministry of Public Service and Elections and Boundaries by putting up a booth which presented viewers with information of the department. Our first stop was here at the Custom and Excise Department.

Members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission Were Sworn
Members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission were sworn in this morning during a ceremony at the Belize House in Belmopan. His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, swore in Mrs. Phillipa Griffith Bailey, Ms. Naima Barrow, Mr. Derek Courtenay, S.C., and Mr. Orlando Espat, who have been appointed as members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission for a period of five years with effect from 1st May, 2013. These appointments were approved by the Senate on May 7th, 2013 as required by section 61A of the Constitution. Ms. Naima Barrow, Attorney-at-law, of the law firm of Barrow and Company, is a new member of the Commission. The other three members have been reappointed for a second term. The Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission is Mr. Bernard Pitts, who was appointed in May 2012 for a period of five years. The Elections and Boundaries Commission consists of a Chairman and four other members, two of whom are nominated by the Leader of the Opposition.