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Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Wick-Ed Candles bring exotic scents to life
One young man's school project has given him the opportunity to start a business of his own. When 18-year-old Hector Trejo was tasked with developing a product to be presented at the 2014 Corozal Junior College Business Expo, he decided to create something unique to his San Pedro community that would also be in high demand in the business market. Just what is that makes Wick-Ed Candles so unique? Well the candles are made of 100% soybean wax and are environmentally friendly. Each candle is hand crafted and takes about half an hour to prepare. To add that island touch, the candles come in a coconut shell, with a sea shell for a pedestal. They come in a variety of 'Wick-Ed' scents including Brazilian Sweet Orange, Clean Cotton, Butter Run, Cinnamon Bun, Coconut Cream, Midnight Jasmine, and Vanilla Cream. All are utterly heavenly!

Hol Chan gears up for the 9th annual Reef Week from May 10th to 17th
On Tuesday May 13th, Hol Chan Marine Reserve officials will release Ellen, the stranded sea turtle that was brought from Placencia in March, into its natural habitat. This will be witnessed by a contingency of media personalities, aimed to create awareness of the importance of protecting the endangered Loggerhead sea turtle in Belize. On Wednesday May 14th, primary school students from Caye Caulker and San Pedro Town will participate in the annual Reef Week Trivia Competition. Schools from both islands have been invited to submit the names of two students for the competition. The competition will test the participants' knowledge about the reef. Activities will then continue on Thursday May 15th with the annual Marine Fair starting at 9:30 AM at the San Pedro Central Park. The main highlight of the Marine Fair is the "Art from Trash" and Nature Photograph competitions with the participation of students from San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker Village. In addition, several organizations have been invited to set up educational booths to target the local populace about the work they do to help protect the reef and the environment.

Dennis "Chinky" Palacio murdered on Seaweed Street
On Saturday, April 26th at about 11:30PM, police visited the residence of 84-year-old Belizean Businessman of Seaweed Street in the San Juan Area where they saw the body of a dark complexion male person dressed in a white T-Shirt and Khaki 3/4 short pants identified as 43-year-old Dennis "Chinky" Palacio, Belizean Laborer of San Juan Area, San Pedro Town lying face down with four gunshot wounds: one wound to the left side of the lower back, two wound to the right upper back near the shoulder and one wound to the right finger.

Tropic Air announces addition of King Air Aircraft to its fleet
King Air Tropic 3The King Air is a pressurised, air-conditioned, high-speed, twin-engine, jet prop aircraft. Its pressurised cabin is designed for high altitude and high-speed (250 mph) flights. "Its two abreast seating in a 12 passenger configuration will also allow for the higher level of executive seating that our passengers are asking for" said John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. "We were pleased to introduce the modern glass cockpit Cessna Caravan to Belize, and now we are pleased to once again raise the bar of air comfort for our passengers with the King Air"

Ambergris Caye registers second murder for 2014
43-year-old Dennis "Chingy" Palacio, a laborer of San Juan Area of San Pedro Town is the second murder for the year 2014 on Ambergris Caye. The incident occurred on Saturday April 26th, sometime around 11:20PM on Seaweed Street, not too far away from Palacio's apartment room and a short distance away from the San Pedro Police Station. While neighbors said they believe that Palacio's death is drug related, Berry said the victim was no stranger to local police. "Palacio was known to police since he always had run-ins with the law. However at this time we do not have any information to suggest that his death is drug related." Palacio's shooting death is just one of three shooting incidents in a span of three days on the island. "We are very much concerned about these shooting. We hear gunshots everyday in the San Juan Area and it is something that worries us. While I cannot go into details at this time, we are working with the Police in looking at ways to address these issues," said the Mayor of San Pedro Town, Daniel Guerrero.

Ambergris Today

North Ambergris Caye to Have Paved Road Soon!
The San Pedro Town Council is working diligently at repairing roads for the entire island and is currently being assisted by the Ministry of Works in upgrading the roads on Northern Ambergris Caye. Belize's Ministry of Works provided the Town Council with a grader and truck to work on improving the streets on the island. A total of 80 linear yards of white mal (dust from crushed rock - clay like texture) is being placed from Grand Caribe to Indigo Resort. Deputy Mayor Gabriel Nu�ez confirmed to Ambergris Today that the Town Council is in the process of signing agreements for the road of North Ambergris Caye to be paved; paperwork should be finalized in the next couple of weeks.

Belize Tourism Board Announces New Board of Directors 2014 - 2016
Belize Tourism Board's Board of Directors 2014-2016: *Einer Gomez, Acting Chairman * Herbert Haylock, Belize Tourism Industry Association Representative * Doug Thompson, Belize Hotel Association Representative * Gaspar Guerrero, Local Airline Sector Representative * Neil Bradley, Cayes & Outer Islands Representative * Glen Eiley, Southern Region Representative * Rosendo Urbina Sr., Northern Region Representative * Gamayel Babb, Legal Expertise * Christy Mastry, Project Management and Planning * Tracy Panton, CEO, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation

Italian Fashion Designer Roberto Cavalli Visits Belize
You know when word of Belize has gotten around in the elite social circle of celebrities when Roberto Cavalli arrives in Belize! Yes, the mega Italian fashion designer from Florence, who is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans arrived in Belize over the weekend and is vacationing somewhere in the country. Only a select few know of his whereabouts. Of course his post on Instagram created quite a stir amongst his followers in Belize and fans of his designs/products. Many are very excited to learn that the picked Belize as a vacation destination.

Mother Beats Daughter over Naughty Facebook Posts - My Reaction
- by Ryan Acona - A disciplinary method that is loved by some people but despised by many is spanking. It is sort of an old fashioned method but still used a lot in certain countries. It is becoming less popular here in Belize, but there are still some parents who practice it. The reason parents spank their children is because they believe it will teach them discipline and will put their child on the right track. Although, in my opinion, it is a quick fix for a problem that should be dealt with differently. In a recent response to a video about a mother who beat her daughter for posting a 'dirty' photo onto her Facebook wall I talked about how the video made me sick because the mother beat her daughter over 70 times with a belt. Now, there were many people in the comments of the original video and my video commentary who agreed with the actions of the mother. In my opinion, I don't believe we should beat other humans unless it is self-defence and definitely we shouldn't beat a child to scare them into doing as you say.

Pic of the Week: Everything is Better Under a Palapa in San Pedro
Featured in this week's Pic of the Week is the palapa at Rojo Beach Bar, in North Ambergris Caye. There is always something going on at Rojo Beach Bar as it has garnered the popularity of being a very social spot both day and night. Their cocktails are amazing, food is superb and the staff is one-of-a-kind!

Flashbacks: Where is the end of San Pedro Town?
If you are wondering where the end of the town is you would have to go all the way up north to Boca Del Rio Bridge, cross it and then continue up north to as far as Tranquility Bay Resort. This is how expanded San Pedro Town is. However, many years ago this Flashback pic indicates the end of the village of San Pedro. A post was planted right in the middle of Barrier Reef Street in front of Milo's Hotel and the San Pedro Cemetery. This was and still is a cul de sac and beyond that was Paradise Hotel. The post indicated to the few drivers in San Pedro that they could not drive beyond this point. Notice how respectful and cooperative the people of San Pedro were- one single pole in the middle of the street and that was enough to stop traffic. Take note that there is space for a large vehicle to pass through, but they didn't. This is only part of the story. Take note of the grass on the street, the snow white sand, the absence of the majestic Belize Bank, the almost total absence of vehicles and people walking on the middle of the street. This "was" San Pedro- unsophisticated, romantic and inviting.

25 Years Ago: Fearless Men of the Sea in Ambergris Caye Part 2
My next guest is a man who challenged the sea for as long as he lived and truly left a mark in the annals of San Pedro. He was born and raised near the sea and by choice he made the sea his living. As a young man, Alan Forman was a fisherman like most of the young men in San Pedro. Alan learned the art of hand line fishing, trolling, and casting the nets and even the seine. Being a neighbor to my dad, Alan was an avid companion on our short trips outside the reef to do sport fishing. This was particularly so during the month of May and June during the summer vacations. It was on these trips that I learned to bait a hook and troll for barracuda. There are two ways to catch a loggerhead turtle or green turtle and even the hawksbill turtle. The first way is to strike it with a harpoon as I saw Alan do many times. The next and more thrilling was is to dive for it. Alan waited on the bow of our boat as my dad followed the turtle. He waited for the turtle to surface for air and as it was going down, he dove head on and captured it and maneuvered it to the surface. Once close to the boat my father fastened a rope to the front fin and then tied the second one. Both men then pulled the turtle inside the boat.

Misc Belizean Sources

FISHING REPORT: Week of April 20th- April 26th, 2014
Wow, the fishing was good, with tarpon eating often and permit available and biting daily. Pretty good weather all week helped the cause, as did a contingent of talented anglers here at the lodge. We had great fun with the Rio Fly Line and Smith Optics folks who were down testing gear and shooting some promotion photos and video.

JOB OPPORTUNITY EPI BELIZE PROGRAM MANAGER 2014
About Ecology Project International (EPI) EPI is an international non-profit organization dedicated to addressing critical conservation issues through field-based partnerships between local experts and high school students. We engage adolescent youth from local communities and visiting youth from other regions in applied conservation as they learn about and help protect threatened species and habitats. Through EPI's programs in the U.S. and Latin America, teens are inspired and empowered to engage in conservation efforts at home and worldwide. About this position The Belize program manager is responsible for the oversight of all aspects of EPI's Belizean educational programming and operations. The Belize program manager ensures the successful delivery of a field-based, academically rigorous, environmental education program for Belizean and visiting international teenage students. The program manager will also develop in-country programs to allow for continued engagement with Belizean alumni. S/he will provide program leadership and strategic vision (both programmatic and development), and will work in conjunction with EPI's program operations director and other senior staff to ensure a fiscally and legally sound program.

Corozal is NOT your garbage dump
We took this photo of an illegal dump site located about 1/8 of a mile from the northern border along the Philip Goldson Highway in Santa Elena and about 300 yards from the Corozal Free Zone fence. As far as we know, this particular area has been used as a dump site for some time now. We are sure those in authority have driven past it, as it is very obvious and unsightly. It is riddled with trash, especially Mexican beer bottles and the rest of it labeled with Mexican trash. It is a shame that the first and last impressions you get leaving our beautiful town is this eye-sore at the border. We ask the health department and the proper authorities to please take care of this unhealthy and unsightly garbage situation now.

Prime Minister Departs Country
The Office of the Prime Minister informs the general public that the Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow will depart the country today, April 28th, 2014 to accompany his wife, Mrs. Kim Simplis-Barrow for her medical checkup.

Cayo International Film Festival
The Cayo Film Festival was this weekend, and it was another impressive cultural event at the Cayo Welcome Center. They screened the documentaries from the Belize Documentary Film Field Course, along with Kurse a di Ixtabi, it's documentary, Creative Kaos, and many more. "Check this out! First ever CAYO FILM Festival. Great job Daniel Velazquez! Short films from Richard and Carol Farneti Foster and Ilana Lapid's NMSU's Creative Media students are being shown - as well as other films like Charles Britt and Roni Martinez' Scarlet Six project, Isabelle Paquet-Durand's wildlife medicine clinic, and Matt's feature-length "Curse of the Ixtabi". So...incredibly...cool. "

Western Ballaz vs Tiger Sharks
Cayo came out in force for the Western Ballaz on Saturday night. The SHC auditorium was packed with fans wanting to see another great game. They got what they wanted. The Ballaz came on strong, having a 10 point lead for some of the first half. The Tiger Sharks slowly came back during the second half, and in the last few minutes they took the lead. The Western Ballaz lost, 75 - 70, but the fans really made it the best game of the league so far. Thanks to Adma Photography for the great pictures. More pictures are on the way.

National Tapir Day at the Zoo!
Friday May 2nd at 10:30am

Belize's refugee children
By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez Lord hear my prayer for Belize's children They are refugees of several wars For which few can prepare or defend them Hailing from predatory environs trying to consume them Violence, incest, drugs, pedophiles and people trying to rape them Born to unskilled parents to fend for them Who scarcely have time to play with them Some don't have the know how to read to them Lord, hear my prayer for Belize's children! Young female teachers trying to teach at risk young men and women The underserved and poverty stricken The ministry has to equip teachers with new techniques to engage them To get past the trauma and trust issue affecting them The dons and cartels are recruiting them Courting, enticing and vying to get loyalty from them No wonder our country is such peril and mayhem Lord, hear my prayer for Belize's children

National Training Program for Protected Areas Management
UB's Environmental Research Institute has teamed up with the Protected Areas Conservation Trust to have another National Training Program for Protected Areas Management. The first class, Research and Monitoring 1, starts tomorrow. Thanks, PACT! In related news, PACT is doing a call for concepts for large grants right now.

FCD Chiquibul Telethon
Friends of Conservation and Development, which helps preserve the Chiquibul National Forest, is having a telethon to raise funds to help with their efforts at keeping it pristine. It'll be on Saturday, May 17th. Check out the dark video they put together for it. They need more patrols and better equipment to protect it from the motley crew of poachers, xateros, loggers, miners, and oreros.

Power interruption
8:00am to 12:00noon on Tuesday, April 29: Mile 8 to Mile 35 Philip Goldson Hwy and all villages along Old Northern Hwy including Ladyville, Lord's Bank, Harry Flowers Estate, Los Lagos, Maxboro, Sandhill, Double Run, Salt Creek, Crooked Tree, Grace Bank, Gardenia, Biscayne, Santa Ana, Saint Anne, Corozalito, and Maskall. BEL to install lightning arrestors on distribution system along Philip Goldson Highway.

Are you swimming in debt and don't know how you're ever going to pay it off?
Well, you're not alone. If you're looking for some easy ways to cut down your debt then you probably need to follow on some of these advices: 1. Create a Budget: The first step to solving your debt problem is to establish a budget. You can use personal finance tools or make your own simple Excel spreadsheet that includes your monthly income and expenses. Then scrutinize those budget categories to see where you can cut costs. If you don't scale back your spending, you'll dig yourself into a deeper hole. 2. Pay the most expensive debt first: If you have credit card debt, sort it out from highest to lowest, then tackle the card with the highest rate first. By paying off the balance with the highest interest first, you increase your payment on the credit card with the highest annual percentage rate while continuing to make the minimum payment on the rest of your credit cards. Limit your credit card debts to a minimum. I have seen many of my friends here in Belize fall victims to credit card overspending.

BELIZE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2014
resident's message says Belize Chamber of Commerce (BCCI) was founded in 1920 and that it represents, directly or indirectly, over 900 businesses. Membership report shows a bar chart that indicates total membership in 2013 at around 280. The President was Ms. Kay Menzies, past president Mr. Emil Mena, V.P. Industry Mr. Alen Reimer, V.P Commerce Mr. Alberto Young and V.P. Services Mr. Rishi Mungal. Secretary Ms. Ashanti Marin, Treasurer Mrs Claudette El Ters, and councillors Mr. Daniel Gutierrez, Mr. Nikita Usher, Mr. Carlo Habet, Mr. Israel Marin, and Mr. Douglas Bowen. CEO was Mrs. Kim Aikman with a staff of 14 persons. Guest speaker was Mr. Alvin Henderson, who is managing director and shareholder of Royal Mayan shrimp farms. His speech was tagged "Defining Belize's Competitive Space in a Global Marketplace".

Leading Belize eco resort Green Globe certified
"We are honored to be re-certified and recognized by Green Globe as a leading Belize Eco-Resort," said Cathy Alchin, General Manager at Xanadu Island Resort, situated on the beach in San Pedro, Ambergris, Belize. "Our efforts to preserve and uplift Ambergris Caye and the community of San Pedro are at the core of what makes Xanadu Island Resort a favorite among eco-conscious travelers." For years, Xanadu Island Resort has demonstrated a firm commitment to sustainable operations and environmental awareness. Construction of this eco-resort began in the summer of 1998. These days, owners Judy and Ivan Sheinbaum are highly excited about the achievement of their paradise. "Though our many initiatives and upgrades we have reduced our impact on the environment to Green Globe`s highest standards," commented Judy Sheinbaum. "We signed on to Green Globe to ensure that we are utilizing best practices globally, and setting benchmarks for continual environmental improvements year after year."

Channel 7

Raul Jr. Crashes; Girlfriend And Son Dies
A mother and child are dead tonight - victims of a terrible traffic accident this evening on the Northern Highway. It happened at around 4:30 when Raul Magana Jr was driving a Toyota Landcruiser at mile 27 in Biscayne. He was headed to Belize City and had a blowout, which caused him to lost control of the vehicle. It flipped violently - landing in a ditch on the side of the road. His girlfriend Elisa and his 4 year old son Raul Jr were killed by the impact on the spot. Magana survived and was conscious on the scene. He was taken to the KHMH where he is receiving treatment at this time. An eyewitness told us off camera what she saw:.. Voice: of eyewitness "We heard that the vehicle tire burst and the vehicle lost control, it spin around about 3 times and after that he lost control and vehicle flipped. When the vehicle flipped, the lady and the baby fell out."

Man Who Lived In Attic Killed On San Pedro
And while those are the late breaking details of that double fatality on the Western Highway, we have two murders to report tonight. The first one happened at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night, where 43 year-old Dennis Palacio was killed in a street-style execution on San Pedro. Police have no leads at this time, and are hoping that members of the public come forward to assist them in their investigation. But while that is the aftermath of Palacio's murder, our news team went out to the island to find out what may have motivated it in the first place. Daniel Ortiz reports: Daniel Ortiz reporting At about half hour before Midnight on Saturday, 43 year-old Dennis Palacio, aka "Chingy", was killed on Seaweed Street in the San Juan area.

Family Dispute In PG Ends In Murder
And the weekend's second murder happened in Punta Gorda town. It was the result of a family dispute. 69 year old Norman Benguche Jr was stabbed three times in his back, allegedly by his step son 24 year old David Branson. It happened on Sunday morning at around 9:30 while Benguche was having breakfast on the verandah of his house. Branson picked up a knife that was on the table and stabbed the man - nearly three times his age - three times in the back. Branson was rushed to the PG Hospital in critical condition. He died at 10:30 am. Branson is being held pending charges for murder.

Vill Coup? US Capital Sympathizer Removed As Alcalde
For months, we've been reporting on the controversy surrounding the activities of US Capital Energy - which wants to drill for oil inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park. You might have thought that there was universal opposition to the company, but it's not so clear cut and right now there is a mighty struggle for control of the political landscape of the southern villages. Tonight we'll show you 2 Alcaldes and a chairman from the buffer communities who are in support of the oil company. We'll get to that shortly, but first, opponents of the oil company have been on a take no prisoners campaign for the past week to eject those village leaders who got too chummy with US Capital. The first leader who became a target of that agenda was Valentin Makin, the first Alcalde of Conejo Village. According to a release from the village sent by SATIIM, The charge against him is that he "betrayed his community" when he signed a letter on behalf of the entire village saying that they granted "unequivocal free, prior and informed consent for US Capital Energy Belize Ltd to continue its work and drilling on Maya Customary Lands." We're told that the community invoked Maya Communal Law and forcibly removed him because he wasn't representing the best interest of the village. In his place, they elected Eufemio Makin, to replace him as the new First Alcalde and the new leader. Today 7News got an opportunity to speak with Valentin Makin, and he told us that the only letter he signed was for the company to upgrade their main road, which he didn't see as anything he wasn't supposed to do. He told us that he is in the process of seeking legal advice because he believes his removal from office was unlawful.

2 Alcaldes + 1 Chairman Says SATIIM Is Not Their Lead Speaker
That opportunity to speak with Valentin Makin and the other Alcalde came after they had a sit-down meeting with the Prime Minister today at Old Belize. Those who attended reported to us that the meeting with the Prime Minister went well, and they had a productive discussion on many issues facing the communities of the south. Another topic that they wished to earnestly discuss was that Greg Ch'oc has reportedly been misleading the public when he suggested that he represented Mayan Communities and their best interests. Here's how they explained why: Joaquin Cucul - Resident, Conejo "Since Satiim was organized about 19 years ago nothing has been done in the village of Conejo. The village of Conejo is separated right now, so will he stand up and say that he is fighting for the Maya people. He is not fighting for us the Maya people; he is fighting for his own self."

Village Leaders Well-Oiled?
And in our last piece of news from the Mayan Communities in the South, the Alcaldes who spoke with us today say that they are in support of US Capital Energy because the company has been helping their villages improve their standards of living. They explained that the drilling in the South will also help to improve their lives with the access to jobs: Daniel Ortiz "Do you have any kind of ties to US Capital which would suggest that your opinion is not objective?" Joaquin Cucul - Resident, Conejo "I just want to clear - this is the situation: we are seeing development of this company started, so we are appreciating it, but since Satiim is there for such a long time and there are no developments, only separating the people. We don't like that anymore, so we need development and we need jobs. If Satiim would give us jobs for 19 years I don't think this would be a bigger problem. Mr. Ch'oc is delaying the Maya people of getting jobs."

Former Government Minister Passes
Former PUP Minister and commissioner of police, Maxwell Samuels passed away today. It happened this afternoon around 3:20 pm at the Belize Healthcare Partners where Samuels had been hospitalized over the weekend for a pulmonary embolism. According to family member he had a blood clot from his leg had travelled up to his brain causing a coma. He died of that embolism this evening. After a long term as Commissioner of police form 1981 - 1986, Samuels had a successful career as a politician where he represented Belize Rural North - and was an undefeated three term representative - the only person to do so in that division. He served variously as Minister of Immigration, Communications, Transport and Public Utilities. He was also deputy leader of the PUP for 10 years starting in the mid 90's.

Mayor Still Undecided On Political Future, And So What If He Is
On Friday night's newscast - you heard the Prime Minister say that the door had officially been closed on any possibility of Darrell Bradley running for mayor. That's because the deadline to submit names to that had long passed - and Bradley still hadn't made up his mind. So what's Bradley's reaction to that? Well, like the man himself, it's complicated. But today, he had a surprisingly candid interview with 7News where he said, basically, his mind still isn't made up - and so what if it isn't?.. Mayor Darrell Bradley "Whether or not I am going to run for mayor again, the jury is still out - I don't know. That is the reality and that's the honest response: I don't know. If you are telling me now that there was a statement made in relation to the door is close, then the door is close. That is the leader of this party and he makes those decisions, I don't. You ask me if I want to run for mayor, yes I want to run for mayor, but there are certain problems in relation to the structure of a municipality which I have elucidated which causes me a division and I told Jules this earlier. When you are dealing at City Hall, one of the things that kind of frustrate me substantially is that you are trying to push behind all of the problems that came before you and you are trying to pull the city forward in terms of a clear vision. That's a very frustrating job.

BTL And Belize Communication Worker's Union: 1st New CBA In 15 Years
For the first time in 15 years, BTL's management and its union, the Belize Communication Workers have signed a new collective bargaining agreement. And it was a negotiation that went very smoothly, and with a minimum of agitation. At the end of it, the union even heaped praise the controversial new chairman of the executive committee Anwar Barrow. All that tells you that it was a win, win, win for the BTL workers - who, it is generally agreed, have some of the best benefits in Belize. And, they just got more. At a press conference today to sign and celebrate - Barrow outlined what was agreed to in the new deal:.. Anwar Barrow, Chairman - Executive Committee "Including in the benefits to be received under the terms of this new CBA is a 4% increase in salary each year for the next 3 years and increase in certain subsistence and lodging allowances and increase in the burial grant allowance, a new paternity grant, but most importantly an increase in the company's contribution to the employees' pension scheme and the provision of 4G service to all staff members."

PM And Wife Head To Texas For Medical Check-up
And while his son Anwar is holding things down at BTL -Prime Minister DEAN BARROW has departed for Houston on personal leave. An official release says that he is going on personal leave to accompany his wife, Kim for a medical checkup. He returns on Sunday, May 4th., and during his absence, John Saldivar, will act as Prime Minister from 28th April to 2nd May, which is when Deputy Gaspar Vega returns and he will act as Prime Minister until May 4th.

Security Guard Remanded For Weapon
He may be a security guard, but 34 year-old Mauricio Perez is at prison tonight after he was taken to court for allegedly having an illegal firearm in his possession. According to police, on last Tuesday, they went to his work place. He's a security guard, but according to police, he didn't have licenses to carry a 9mm pistol with 7 live rounds of ammunition. That's what they reported caught him with, while he was on duty. Perez was charged with keeping an unlicensed firearm, and keeping unlicensed ammunition. He was arraigned before the Chief Magistrate where he pleaded not guilty, but was remanded to prison. He'll he be taken back to court on June 17.

Man Sentence To 2 Years For Touching 8 Year-old
38 year-old Edelmiro Oliva is at prison tonight after he was convicted of indecent assault in the Magistrate's Court. His 8 year-old female victim testified that on July 18, 2013, her baby sitter went out, and Oliva took the opportunity when they were alone to touch her inappropriately. Oliva, who was represented by attorney Simeon Sampson, took the stand and denied the crime after reviewing all the evidence against him, Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith found him guilty and sentenced him to serve 2 years in prison.

Lucas Magnus Gets Voters Minimus Support
Luke Espat, he's one of the most colourful characters in Belizean business and politics. But when he threw his hat into the ring as a a political candidate in Cayo Central, even his own cousin Julius Espat told him, "stand down, primo." But the man called Lucas Magnus didn't listen; he felt this was his time - and that the door had been opened in Cayo central where he expected to have an endorsement as the PUP standard Bearer. He declared his candidacy early, in August for a convention that was months away. Things were going well until former three term Cayo Central Rep, and the PUP Sherriff of Cayo Dan Silva declared his candidacy. Smart money says Luke should have pulled out right there. But, ever the fighter, he hung in - going against conventional political wisdom - all the way to a showdown yesterday in Cayo. It was the convention for Cayo Central and 7News was there for all the hype:.. Jules Vasquez reporting After 5:00 pm -t he line still going strong In terms of signage, shirts and slogans, Luke Espat had out Dan Silva by far. But like the slogan says Dan is still the man, and as unimaginative as that may have seemed it had appeal to the voters who gathered outside Santa Elena RC School.

Mayor Wants You Labor on Labor Day
Thursday is Labour Day - a holiday for all you hard workers. But - for the third year running Mayor Darrell Bradley wants you to work! It's called "Labour for Belize" one of the flagship programmes of his council where scores of people, firms and companies sign up to do community work on that holiday. He explained today that it's about giving back:.. Mayor Darrell Bradley "We are trying to do service projects on this day, but we are also trying to raise awareness about ownership of our city. The city will work, but it will only work if every single person really takes ownership of their responsibility to make the city work and to clean up their space. We work in Belize City, we live in Belize City, but this is our home and we need to come together as a community at times like these to really partner to show that we are invested in the space and to show that we want to uplift the space, so part of it is public awareness. Its not nice spending a holiday when you could be in your bed picking up trash, but its showing that because you love the city."