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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

Tourists fall victim to credit card fraud on Ambergris Caye
For over a year, tourists to Ambergris Caye have been claiming that they have been victims of credit card fraud. The matter simmered down after those operating the scam got wind that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture was alerted and hadasked for the intervention of the Financial Intelligent Unit (FIU) and local police. However the credit card fraud operatives are back at it again. Recently, two victims have gone public with their cases. According to the visitors, the only common place they both used their credit cardsat was at a local golf cart company. The victims first posted their experiences on TripAdvisor and indicated that the fraudulent charge apparently came from Ethan's Vege Store. "While there (on Ambergris Caye) we paid cash mostly and only used our credit card two times, once with a reputable cart company and once with a reputable tour company. Now looking at my credit card statement I see that I have charges for over $300 for Ethan's Vege Store with the transaction date the day after we returned to California. We can't think of anything else that would have cost over $300US, especially not groceries. Ethan's also charged a smaller amount of $26 first, which is apparently what credit card fraud people do the 'test the waters' so to speak," said one of the tourists from Belmont California USA.

Santa Elena Football Complex and Facilities to be updates
Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL), a public sector agency of the Government of Belize (GOB), is undertaking the design, construction and management of capital projects in Belize with particular emphasis on sporting and other multipurpose facilities. Investment project was initiated on January 21st, 2014 with contract signature for consulting services and architectural designs for infrastructure at the Santa Elena Football Complex and Facilities. BIL, along with technical support from MOW, is working closely with the Local Government Representative for the area. The investments to be financed as a prerequisite to any commencement of the civil works, and relevant to this consultancy, include a feasibility study, inclusive of public and one-on-one consultations with the community and relevant stakeholders, socio/environmental studies as related to any environmental management, approved design plans, bidding documents inclusive of all cost estimates, and operational recommendations for the Santa Elena Football Complex and Facilities.

Mountains of garbage on Marina Drive is "plain nasty" and "unacceptable" says the Mayor
There are major concerns being expressed regarding tons of garbage dumped on Marina Drive in the southern portion of San Pedro Town, specifically the section between the DFC subdivision and the town's municipal marina. It is an issue that the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) said they are equally concerned about. The council indicated that garbage disposal remains a major challenge for the local municipality. In fact, the amount of garbage generated by islanders is in the millions of pounds per year, some of which is not properly disposed of. "I went to the area on Monday (January 20th) and we took pictures so that we can share with our residents via social media because we want to show them the challenges we are faced with. It is shameful that we have residents dumping garbage there. The sight is unpleasant, plain nasty and unacceptable," said Mayor Guerrero when questioned about the concern.

Pickin' & Grinnin - Who are these HAPPY people?
Each year American country musician Jerry Jeff Walker fans migrate from across the globe to San Pedro for the legendary Camp Belize concerts and island merriment. One thing is for sure, these gregarious fans are certified music junkies! When they are not attending one of the four concerts Walker puts on over the two week period, they are busy making music of their own! Pickin' Parties pop up daily at local bars, such as Lola's, Wet Willy's, Crazy Canucks, Country Caba�a and Average Joes. And if they aren't behind an instrument like a guitar or ukulele, you can find them behind a mike singing "SherryOkie" at the Road Kill Bar.

Ambergris Caye Educators join Belize District Teachers Protest
The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) is continuing their initiative for a salary adjustment and on Friday, January 17th, hundreds of teachers converged in Belize City for the second teachers protest demanding the Government of Belize to adhere to their concerns. Attending the protest were teachers from San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker Village who walked in solidarity for the cause. The protest commenced at Constitution Park and ended at the Battlefield Park. The countrywide strategy began on Friday, January 10th, when teachers from Corozal and Orange Walk District banded together in protest. According to the BNTU, the protest was not only to demand a salary adjustment but for overall social justice. Since 2008, BNTU has been demanding better working terms, including a raise in pay. On October 9, 2012, GOB and BNTU signed an agreement to open negotiations, and since then, the GOB has agreed to a salary adjustment but not exactly the amount the teachers were hoping for. BNTU expressed disdain towards the GOB's decision to not meet the teachers' minimum requirement and as such they continue fighting for what they believe is a just cause.

Ambergris Today

Manelly's Brings Marquesitas to San Pedro
There's a new afternoon treat in town that is creating a huge buzz on the island! People are going wild for Marquesitas! Both lovers of the delicious Mexican treat, the Angels, of course, are not going to miss out on it. A quick call to Manelly's Ice Cream Parlor and the Angels arranged a private "Marquesitas Session". They met with Ivan Staines who was the intuitive one to bring the Marquesitas stand to the island. What are Marquesitas you might ask? Well, they are crispy rolled up wafers stuffed with Dutch cheese or/and other delicious fillings. Not only did we want to try these delicious treats but we also wanted to get in the fun of making them. Ivan wasted no time in getting the Angels in the kitchen to help him make the sweet batter for the wafer. Angel Perlita stepped up to do the mixture and followed directions very well into making the perfect batter. A little sugar, flour, vanilla and some other secret ingredients, mixing, sifting and a elbow grease, in no time we had prepared a good batch of marquesita magic.

Daniela Salazar Celebrates Quincea�os
Celebrating her Quincea�os (15th Birthday) last week in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, was lovely Daniela Salazar. She celebrated with close family and friends at a private party held in her honor inside Jaguar's Temple Night Club. Daniela is daughter of Ilsa and Hector Salazar; she was officially presented to society by her cousin Andrea Nu�ez, grandmother Isabel Salazar and uncle Gabriel Nu�ez. Daniela turned 15 on January 12. Congratulations!

Misc Belizean Sources

CHAMBER RESPONDS TO REMARKS MADE IN THE HOUSE BY HON. PATRICK FABER
The Chamber has heard Hon. Patrick Faber's comments in the House yesterday and is compelled to clarify our press release of January 17, 2014. In that release, we advocated for a phased-in approach to increases in teacher's wages, based on responsible financial management principles. Belize has excellent teachers, mediocre teachers, and teachers who should seek another profession. The object of a merit-based increase is to motivate our teachers to consistently improve, which will only serve to better our country and our future generations. In these times of widespread poverty and illiteracy, we can no longer afford to skimp on education. This is why the Chamber, in supporting the teachers' request for a wage increase, and being mindful of the limitations of the public purse, suggested that any increase be phased in over a number of years, and must be merit-based.

MASS CRUISE TOURISM IN SOUTHERN BELIZE
Why we continue the fight against Norwegian Cruise Line. "It's a done deal!" "You can't win against a big rich company like NCL!" "You can't fight the Government!" We have all heard these words before, both in Belize and around the world. They are the words of people who are counting on average citizens to shut down their brains, shut up their mouths and bow down to their masters. At tonight's public consultation these same people-Norwegian Cruise Line and their paid agents-will try to impress you with a large crowd and a lot of noise. Why? Because that's what you have to do when you don't have the facts on your side. All we ask from the Department of the Environment, the National Environmental Appraisal Committee and those citizens attending this consultation is to look at the facts behind the Harvest Caye cruise port and decide for yourselves whether it will make life better for you, your children and your grandchildren.

SIRH's First Signature Dish Cook-Off
Deliciousness of the day. The San Ignacio Resort Hotel had their first Signature Dish Cook-Off, and those dishes look amazing. Congratulations to Samuel Salam, who won with his Lobster a la Mia. Can't wait to try it. "San Ignacio Resort Hotel's First Signature Dish Cook-Off. Testing our talented Kitchen staff in a creative and fun way!"

Kazoku Shotokan Karate Classes
Was 'getting into shape' one of your New Year's resolutions? Karate is one way to get into, and stay in shape. Cayo's Kazoku Shotokan Karate Dojyo is offering classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:30pm. For more information, contact Rito Fernandez, the Vice President of the Belize Karate Federation, at 604-0462, or email [email protected]. Have fun, get in shape, and learn a valuable skill all at the same time.

U Janal Aj Maya: Traditional Maya Cuisine
U Janal Aj Maya, which means 'Food of the Maya,' has been released. It was written by Aurora Garcia Saqui, one of the famous Garcia Sisters from San Antonio. While you can visit San Antonio and get a copy, it's also on Amazon: "Nothing is better than a home-cooked meal that is wonderfully flavoured with native plants, and served with love"

CACHE AGM
The Community of Artists for Cultural and Historical Endeavours is having their AGM tonight at the Benque House of Culture. "Act now and become a member of a dynamic organization that has been promoting the Arts, Culture & History since 1991 in Benque Viejo. Join CACHE! Volunteer your time with us and impact the communities social and cultural life. Be a part of History in the making... an AGM will be held on Friday January 24th, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. This can be your first opportunity to interact and engage with other active members."

Wanaragua Book Launch
The Waranagua book launch was last week at the National Heritage Library. Artist Pen Cayetano, whose family created the book, was in attendance.

Kim Simplis Barrow brings motivational message to girls in the south
The national information campaign on the commercial sexual exploitation of children made its latest stop this afternoon in Punta Gorda town. Hundreds of school girls from the Toledo district gathered at the Sport Complex in PG to hear a message from the Special Envoy for Women and Children Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow. The message from Mrs. Barrow to the girls was simply that their body is precious. On Wednesday, the "My Body Is Precious" tour stopped in Dangriga town where hundreds of girls got to hear a personal message from Mrs. Barrow.

Elvin Penner returns to the House of Representatives
After missing three House of Representatives meeting since the passport scandal broke last September, the Honorable the member for Cayo Northeast, Mr. Elvin Penner was back in the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday. The House met in a special session and Penner made an appearance. Prior to the scandal and his subsequent firing as a junior minister, Penner sat on the backbench behind the Honorable the Prime Minister. On Wednesday, Penner was isolated to the far right hand side of the backbench on the government side of the House. In effect the opposite side of the back bench where he was seated prior to the scandal.

Police in Cayo investigate separate carnal knowledge cases
There are two reported cases of carnal knowledge involving teenage girls in the Cayo district. The latest incident is reported to have happened on Saturday night in San Ignacio. According to police reports, a 15 year old student went to the police station in San Ignacio along with her mother and reported that around 6:45 pm on Saturday a man she knows took her to his house in a van. The girl says that while at the man's house, he had sexual intercourse with her. Police say that a medical examination was conducted on the minor where the doctor confirmed that there were signs of sexual contact. Police in San Ignacio are now looking for the man in the van, pending investigations.

High School student hurt in road traffic accident in Corozal
A traffic accident this morning on the Phillip Goldson Highway in the Corozal district has left two people injured and others shaken up. Reports are that the incident happened after 8 am today and involved a passenger bus belonging to Armstrong Bus Service and an SUV. The vehicles were traveling in opposite direction, the bus carrying students towards Corozal town. Reports from Corozal say that the blue Cherokee swerved into the lane of the passenger bus. To avoid a head on collision, the driver of the bus reportedly swerved off the right hand side of the road ending up in a cane field.

Channel 7

PUP Says 76 BAA Cheques Are From Castro
Tonight, the heat is mounting on Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport Edmund Castro - after the PUP released 76 cheques they say were issued at his request from the Belize Airports Authority to various individuals, institutions and businesses. All in all, the cheques, totaling some 116 thousand, 155 dollars and 19 cents, and issued between December 28, 2012 and September 11, 2013 show a pattern of the Minister of State using the Airports Authority as a kind of political piggy bank. Indeed, it is an old practice with politicians and statutory boards, but it's never been revealed before and not in such lurid details. We say lurid because 10 of the cheques were issued to his son, Jafari a few to his driver Norman Middleton, a few to a business associate, a few to Castro himself, and many to schools and businesses. And while some - such as those to schools or even chicken, butane or beverage companies can be justified as legitimate political work, it's tough to find the same justification for the 10 cheques issued to his son, Jafari. Or for that matter the over four thousand dollar cheque paid to Cellular Plus.

Belize Bank Employee Charged For Theft Of Quarter Mil.
Rosalva Kotch is an administrator at the Belize Bank in Dangriga - but tonight she is the suspect in a major case of theft from the bank. The 34 year old was taken to Dangriga Magistrate's Court yesterday and charged for 256 counts of theft from the Belize Bank Dangriga branch. The allegation is that she stole 271 thousand dollars over a period from January 2008 to December 2013. We called the Belize Bank Headquarters today, but were told only the President could comment and he was in a meeting. We need to stress how unusual it is for a bank to actually bring criminal charges against an employee. Typically so as not to startle depositors - these matters - which do happen - are dealt with internally, the employee is terminated and usually some discreet re-payment plan is agreed to. But, in this case the quantum or the severity of the allegations may have forced the bank's hands in going public.

Cruise Consultation In Independence Is Incendiary, Illuminating
Since April of last year there has been a campaign in the south from private tourism interests who are trying to resist multinational cruise company Norewegian Cruise Line from building a port to call near to the Placencia peninsula. The campaign has been creative, but after months of small encounters between the two, both entities met under one roof in Independence Village for a public consultation meeting for the Environmental Impact Assessment on the proposed port to be built on Harvest Caye. NCL is at the final stages to getting the project off the ground, but those private interests and concerned environmentalists are determined to fight to the very end. 7News was embedded in that meeting last night where sparks flew. Daniel Ortiz has this report: Daniel Ortiz reporting About 320 residents of the South gathered at the Independence High School Auditorium last night. They listened intently to the presentations made by the representatives of Norwegian Cruise Line and their environmental consultant.

After Meeting, Both Sides Claim Victory
And while that bubbles in the south, on a parallel track in the Belize District, the Barrow Administration has given the green light to Mike Feinstein's Stake Bank Project. A bill introduced yesterday in the house is named the Stake Banks Cruise Docking Facility Development Bill. The Prime Minister explained how it will work:.. Stewart Krohn - President, BTIA Placencia "You were here just like I was; the opposition was virtually unanimous. Out of all the hundreds of people that were here only one person spoke up directly in favor of the project and he read from a script that was obviously written by somebody else. I think its clear, the people here and the people of the south realize that this project - nobody ask for it, nobody needs it - there is the new development at Stake Bank that just today was approved and endorse by the national Assembly - that is the way to go. It's clear, there is absolutely no need for this cruise port at Harvest Caye for a million different reasons that we've gone over many times before." Daniel Ortiz "Did you expect such a negative feedback from the public?"

Government Greenlights Stake Bank Project
And while that bubbles in the south, on a parallel track in the Belize District, the Barrow Administration has given the green light to Mike Feinstein's Stake Bank Project. A bill introduced yesterday in the house is named the Stake Banks Cruise Docking Facility Development Bill. The Prime Minister explained how it will work:�

SCHOOL BUS CRASHES INTO SUV
This morning, about 50 students from the Belize Adventist High School in Calcutta village had a major scare when their school bus had a head-on collision with a Jeep SUV between miles 70 and 71 on the Northern Highway. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but 7News understands that the driver and a female student who was flung from the bus suffered minor injuries. It happened this morning at around 7:00. An Armstrong bus was carrying the students to their school compound in Calcutta, Corozal when the bus slammed into the jeep. The driver the bus, the driver of the SUV and the student who got hurt were all taken to receive medical treatment. The principal of Belize Adventist High School told our colleagues at CTV3 News that classes were cancelled for the other 49 students who were on the bus during the accident.

Vehicle Flips On Hummingbird, Scary Scene, No One Hurt
7News arrived on the scene of another accident at Mile 28 on the Hummingbird Highway at around 9 o'clock this morning where 3 men also walked away from a delivery truck which ended up on it's right side. The received minor injuries, and as Daniel Ortiz found it, the 3 men are very lucky:

Chamber Swipes Back At Hon. Faber
Yesterday in the House of Representatives, Patrick Faber laid it on the Chamber of Commerce. That's after the Chamber sent out a release saying it supports the teachers for a raise. Faber said why don't they raise the minimum wage, and let the business community stop gouging consumers. That's a double ouch, and today the Chamber fired back. The Chamber says it has to clarify, that it supports a phased - in, merit-based increase. It seems to backtrack, somewhat, saying, quote, "We cannot support the notion of an across-the-board public sector wage increase." As to his cutting remarks about the minimum wage, the Chamber says, quote, "our response is that businesses that are good corporate citizens pay a disproportionate amount of taxes, leaving a diminished amount of resources with which to create jobs and pay employees." It adds, quote, "those disproportionate taxes cause the citizens of Belize to pay higher prices on goods and services because they directly and severely impact the cost of doing business."

The Kidnappers Called Back!
For the past 2 nights, 7News has been telling you about the kidnapping which happened in Copper Bank, Corozal. The captors managed to get with $15,000 in cash, but it seems that this amount wasn't enough. Supt. Andrew Ramirez, the officer commanding Corozal Police, confirmed to our colleagues at CTV3 News that the assailants made contact with the family today demanding more money. Viewers may remember that when the 4 men stole the money, they took Eduardo Nah's cell phone and gave him a chip which they would use to contact him. They did so today. Corozal Police have been busy today tracking down leads, trying to find out who these individuals are, but they have not made any progress as yet.

Gladden Gets Three For Drugs
40 year-old Ernest Gladden, a fisherman of Victoria Street is spending a 3 year sentence in prison after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking today in Magistrate's Court. According to police, they searched his house and found 0.19 ounces of marijuana in one parcel, 11 ounces in another parcel and a final 4.89 ounces in a third parcel. Police arrested and charged him with 2 counts of drug trafficking and one count of drug possession. He was arraigned today before the Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith, where he pleaded guilty. He had outstanding finds for a separate drug possession conviction, and so he was sentenced to 3 years in prison, and he must pay 2 additional fines of for $10,000 each drug trafficking conviction. If he defaults, he risks another 3 years in prison.

How To Discount Gift Certificates
Last night we closed our story on Caribbean Shores Area Representative Santino Castillo with a hanging question: how do you get discounts on gift certificates? He said he had steered all the business from the Christmas cheer programme to his family's stores, which we said was a conflict of interest. He said that in fact, he was doing government a favour since he gave a substantial discount - and sold the items at cost. But, how do you get a discount on a gift certificate, or buy at cost since all the items have to be bought at shelf prices? Well, during the news Castillo sent a text message explaining that if the government bought $90,000.00 in gift certificates from SAVE-U, he gave them 10% more in total value, bringing it up to 99 thousand dollars. Castillo says that translates into giving customers 10% off, being able to reach more people or giving each person more money per certificate. He says, his discount to government was more than 10%.

"Down Di Lane, Eena Di Drain!"
The timeless truism says that progress brings problems - and nowhere is that on more ample display than Belize City. The cementing of 100 plus streets in less than a year has been truly remarkable, but a few important things like drains have suffered. One man who knows that too well is contractor Charles Bucknor. He said the drains at the property he rents on Vernon street at the corner of Youth For The Future Drive have been backed up - and sent water rushing into the apartments, damaging his electrical appliances. Bucknor says the drain is backed up with over six feet of gunk:..

Making Moves With Mayan Artifacts
Tonight, 36 year-old Godswell Flores, a Belize City food vendor is out on bail after he was allegedly caught with 2 statues which the authorities believe to authentic Mayan jade artifacts. A woman police officer spotted Flores on Tuesday afternoon on Freetown Road and detained him because he matched the description she was given of a man wanted by police for questioning in connection with at shooting incident. When she searched him, she found a black knapsack which contained a small jade figurine and a large jade mask. The officer immediately recognized the possible importance of these items and escorted him to the Queen Street Police Precinct where he was charged with failure to produce a license to possess or have in custody or control any ancient monument for the two items.

Bad Roads Make For Good Business
2013 was one of the rainiest years on record - particularly the last half of the year. And then, the extraordinary rains in November and December wrecked streets and roads across Belize, and while the Ministry of Works has been scrambling to patch up potholes, car owners are trying to get their creaky cars road worthy once again. Anyone who knows someone with a car has heard the story of front end damage or suspensions wrecked due to too many potholes and soaked highways. The folks over at West Trac have heard it too. They're one of the biggest car parts vendors in Belize and today Neil Wolfe, the Manager at West Trac told Monica Bodden that their sales have gone up in the past 7 months. Neal Wolf - Manager, West Trac "Overall our sales have increased slightly during the last 7 months. It could be due to the roads." "We do sell a lot of suspension parts like shock observers, ball-joints, tie rod ends and wheel bearings. That's one thing that tends to go bad especially when you have a lot of rains and you drive through high water."

Man Busted With Weapon
Yesterday afternoon, Ladyville police caught a man with an unlicensed weapon. They searched a house on Jackson Avenue where both occupants dashed out. Police pursued the suspects and caught one of them only. He was searched and they found a "Thunder 9mm pistol" marked Industria Argentina with a magazine containing (17) .9mm Luger brand ammunition. He was later identified as 25 year old Edilberto Madrid, tattoo artist of Roaring Creek village, Cayo. He told police he was born in Belize, moved ot Guatemala, and then came back, and is trying to head to the US. Police say they don't believe him.

Reds War In O. Walk
We've been reporting regularly on the land dispute in the city involving a UDP city council park and a private landowner with UDP connects trying to chisel in on the public parcel of land. That one has since been resolved in the public interest, but now there's news of another similar type of case in Orange Walk. This one is a little more dynamic because the house of the UDP in Orange Walk East is divided in the run - up to a hotly contested convention in that area. And that's where Orlando Burns comes in. He's the former UDP Standard Bearer who's using PUP friendly media to allege suspicious moves with a public basketball court. He suggests dubious motives on the part of his former political ally and the title for the basketball court. And he also suggests that the family of the new aspirant for the East Elodio Aragon Jr could be trying to chisel in on the land.

Oh No He Didn't!
Here at 7News, we listen to a lot of speeches by politicians. And sometimes, we hear some stuff that's just crazy. Usually we chalk it up to the temporary insanity or altitude sickness that can accompany ascension to high office, but this week two of them really caught our attention.

Channel 5

NCL Project gets the thumbs down at consultations
The Norwegian Cruise Line proposed port on Harvest Caye has been somewhat on the backburner lately, but for tourism stakeholders and residents in the south, it is certainly up front [...]

�But is project a done deal?
The discussion was tense on Wednesday because the proposed NCL tourism port is such a big deal for all involved. But perhaps the situation has been exacerbated by a perception [...]

P.M. Barrow blames both Castro and Board of Airports Authority on distasteful checks
On Wednesday, the House meeting lasted more than five hours, and a lot came out of it. We brought you the meat of the day on Wednesday, but tonight we [...]

Chamber of Commerce say the Castro cheques are clear examples of corruption
In various sectors, there is open concern that the government has not signed to an OAS anti-corruption convention called the MESICIC which stands for the Mechanism for Follow-Up on the [...]

A Freudian slip from Gappy; he predicts who will be in government next time around
The 2013-2014 sugar cane crop season starts on Friday. It's long delayed, and conditions are not optimal. To make it worse, it is raining today in the north. Still, the [...]

Faber says industrial action by B.N.T.U. is the worst kind of tough love
Teachers will hold a protest march and rally in San Ignacio on Friday. As it has been since it started, the peaceful industrial action is a source of frustration for [...]

Chamber says Minister spoke out of turn; good teachers need to be rewarded
You heard the Minister lash out at the teachers for taking time off for industrial action and at the Chamber of Commerce for daring to support salary adjustment for the [...]

Both Penner and Barrow came under fire by Former Prime Minister, Said Musa
Corruption was very much at the forefront of Wednesday's House meeting. The Castro checks situation was front and center, but with Elvin Penner's sudden and unexpected resurrection, he came under [...]

Bus collides into a jeep�a number of students are injured
A bus full of passengers travelling from Orange Walk collided with a jeep before it could get to its destination in Corozal. The bus careened into a nearby cane field [...]

Chamber of Commerce responds to jabs made by Minister Faber
At Wednesday's House Meeting Minister of Education Patrick Faber took jabs at the Chamber of Commerce saying that instead of writing release in support of teachers the private sector body [...]

BGYEA is mobilizing for the weekend
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has referred to the Ministry of Natural Resources a hotbed of corruption. And he is not alone in that opinion. The Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association [...]

Godsman Flores charged for being in possession of Mayan artefacts
  Thirty six year-old Godsman Flores, a food vendor of Church Street in Belize City, appeared in court this morning for Failure to Produce a License to Possess or have [...]

Roberto Gilharry freed of Handling Stolen Goods
  Also before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, thirty-seven year old Roberto Gilharry walked from a charge of handling stolen goods. � The matter was initially before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith, [...]

Ernest Gladden busted with cannabis
In a police sweep of a house on Victoria Street, the Quick Response Team found four hundred and fifty-five point one grams of suspected cannabis which is the equivalent to [...]

Roaring Creek tattoo artist caught with unlicensed firearm
A tattoo artist from Roaring Creek was arrested on Wednesday in Ladyville. Edilberto Madrid was along with another person in a small wooden house located on Jackson Avenue when police [...]

Ras Indio back in Belize for upcoming concert in Orange Walk
Award winning Belizean reggae artist Ras Indio is recognized for his conscious music and prolific production. He is a composer, songwriter and singer who has travelled around the world and [...]

CTV3

Hard Talk Between Faber and Belize Chamber Of Commerce
Also in the House of Representatives yesterday, Minister of Education Patrick Faber raved about the education achievements to date from the Government, before delving further to criticize the stance from the Belize Chamber of Commerce, who supports the teacher's salary adjustment movement. Apparently, Faber was offended by the support teachers garnered from the private sector entity and said in the house that it's none of the chambers business to intervene and challenged that private sector workers get a raise as well. Here is that clip. Patrick Faber- Minister Of Education "You know, the Chamber, Mister Speaker, but out a release that I don't understand. I think it baffles me. They are saying that the teachers deserve a raise and they support the teachers getting a raise. Well for the record, this administration, nobody in here-I don't think the Prime Minister or any of his ministers-have ever said that we don't think that the teachers deserve a raise; so let's put that to rest. In fact, in his New Year's message and in those negotiations, we have agreed that a raise will be given. We just don't agree on the thirty percent and the reason why we noh agree on that thirty percent is because we can't afford it.

P.M Says There Is No Corruption In Castro's Recent Cheques Scandal
And unto more pressing issues with the Governments dishonored Ministers, Prime Minister Barrow was asked of checks paid out by the Belize Airports Authority to Minister of State in the Minister of Transport, Edmund Castro. This is after Leader of the Opposition; Francis Fonseca revealed a total of 60 checks to the House of Representatives. This move prompted the PM to react with a swift counter-response stating that in his view it was not 'Corrupt' but was 'Ill-advised and wrong". Here's how that played out. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition "There are cheques here made out to him. Cheque number zero-zero-four-nine-five-four in the amount of nine hundred dollars to Edmond Castro�Belize Bank cheque Airport Authority to Edmond Castro. Cheque number zero-zero-four-nine-five-seven in the amount of four thousand dollars to Edmond Castro. Belize Airport Authority cheque number zero-zero-five-zero-six-six in the amount of five thousand one hundred and fifty-six dollars and fifty-five cents made out to Edmond Castro. Man this is absolute nonsense Mister Speaker, absolute nonsense, and that is just a sampling man.

Students Escape Unhurt In What Could Have Been A Deadly Traffic Accident
This morning our news room was flooded with calls of a traffic accident on the Philip Goldson Highway. The incident involved a student bus and a jeep Cherokee. Luckily, no fatalities were recorded but left the passengers shaken. Reporter Victor Castillo was at the scene and filed the following report. Victor Castillo - Reporting Around 7:00 this morning, this bus carrying 50 students from the Belize Adventist High School was en-route to the high school in Calcutta Village Corozal when it became involved in what could have been a deadly traffic accident. As you can see, the bus, belonging to Armstrong Bus Service, landed in a nearby cane field while this jeep Cherokee which was traveling in the opposite direction and allegedly swerved into the lane of the passenger bus became a mangled wreck as a result of the collision.

Crop Set To Commence Tomorrow Numerous Large Portion Of Sugar Roads Still Not Fixed
Tomorrow the long awaited start to the 2014 Sugar Cane Crop season should go into full effect as the Belize Sugar Industries Limited will open it gates to farmers from 10:00 in the morning. This will happen while cane farmers are still struggling to take out their product from the cane fields due to the extremely bad conditions of the sugar roads. While the Ministry of Works is presently carrying out works on the sugar roads, it will be quite some time before all roads are brought up to driving standards to say the least. These and other economic concerns were brought up yesterday at the House of Representatives by Orange Walk South Area Representative, Jose Abelardo Mai. But Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega lashed back saying that despite the challenges with the road and weather, the sugar crop season will commence, come rain or shine. Jose Mai, Orange Walk South Area Representative "I heard a statement that fifty percent of the sugar roads would be completed by Friday. Well that is far from being realistic Mister Speaker. I was in the area yesterday, in my constituency-which is the second largest sugar cane producing branch-and it is far from the truth. There is no doubt in my mind that the Ministry of Works is trying to do its best, but I think that there are things that still can be done. Mister Speaker, the rate of repair must be accelerated. The sugar industry cannot afford further delay and I will tell you why. Mister Speaker, we have a hundred and twenty day crop to deliver one point two million tonnes of sugar cane this year. This is the largest crop since the project of BELCOGEN came in; in 2009-2010, we had similar one point three million tonnes. Today the farmers have one point two million tonnes. The milling capacity of seven thousand five hundred a day, definitely there will be cane left out this year."

Accident In Centre Of Corozal Town Leaves Three Injured
A traffic accident in the heart of Corozal Town sent to women and a half month old baby to the Corozal Community Hospital. At around 9:40 yesterday morning police visited 5th Avenue where they observed a white Toyota Tacoma Pick-Up with Corozal license plate parked in front of a food stall facing a northerly direction and a grey Mercedes Benz Car with Belmopan license plate parked on the right hand side of the street with damages to its left front portion. Reports are that the pick-up, which was driven at the time by Angel Patt, 34 year old Belizean Construction worker of Santa Rita Area, Corozal Town, was traveling on 3rd Street South from an east to west direction and upon making a right turn into 5th Avenue, fell into a drain. In his attempt to get the pick-up out of the drain Patt accelerated the vehicle. And the vehicle did come out of the drain but as it did so it slammed into the grey Mercedes Benz at the same time hitting Janira Gamboa, 21 year old Belizean sales clerk of Concepcion Village, Corozal District, who was holding her new born and Solemi Novelo, 17 year old Belizean unemployed of Concepcion village, Corozal District. The pick-up also caused damages to the food stall belonging to Gloria Itzab.

Despite Involvement In Passport Scandal Penner Still Receiving Perks
Months after being fired from Cabinet, the infamous Cayo North East Representative Elvin Penner made an appearance at the very first House of Representatives meeting yesterday in Belmopan. As you may be aware, Penner remains in the spotlight as the mastermind of the biggest Immigration Scandal in Belize's history as information surfaced that he facilitated a Belizean Passport for Won Hong Kim who did not even step foot in Belizean territory when his passport was issued because he was incarcerated in Taiwan. Since the news broke, Prime Minster Barrow has stripped Penner of his government portofolio, but that's where it ended. He did not face criminal charges, despite credible evidence of his participation and up to date, is still receiving his full salary plus all the perks and extras that any elected Minister would receive. Well, yesterday after the House Meeting, the media spoke with Prime Minster Barrow on Penner's status and reappearance at the House of Representatives. Let's just say, the PM remains unfazed.

Kidnappers Get In Contact With Their Victims, They Want More Money
Tonight the nightmare for, 32 year old Eduardo Nah and his common law wife 25 year old Roxanie Cruz, the couple who was kidnapped by four armed masked men as they arrived at their home in the Village of Copper Bank on Monday night, continues. Today when we contacted Officer Commanding the Corozal Police Formation Andrew Ramirez for an update on the case he told us that the kidnappers have contacted the couple demanding what is believed to be a large sum of money. We understand that police are looking closely into the matter and are presently interrogating persons of interest. As previously mentioned, on Monday night the couple was abducted by four armed Hispanic men. They were taken to a cane field between Progresso and San Estevan in the family's dark grey Toyota 4 Runner. Right there and then Nah had to hand over $15,000 to his abductors in order for him and his wife to be released. Before being released the kidnappers did inform Nah and his common-law-wife that they would be contacted for more money, hence why they were given a chip to a Digicell phone. We understand that police have been doing their work in tracing the number.

Guadalupe Park In O/W East Is Now Privatized
The controversy surrounding the land where the East Sports Centre on Aurora Street and the parcel of land adjacent the centre continue to be of interest. Since the East Sports Centre Committee brought to light their difficulties faced when trying to acquire the land documents for the sports centre, the circumstances surrounding the land next to it, a land that should be government property and a community park, came to light and took the forefront in this matter. We have presented an official document that shows that the parcel has been privatized since 2012, but there are allegations that the information gathered may be erroneous. Therefore, we dug further into the story to find out more on the parcel of land and here is what we found. Dalila Ical - Reporting The documents we obtained and which is registered in the Lands Registry department shows that parcel ID: 4- 102- 2215 was first registered on October 17th, 2011 in the name of Elodio Aragon. The Status indicators section state it is "Absolute Title, Private Land, Active Parcel, Freehold". On January sixth 2012, that title was then transferred to Adin Glen Aragon.