The June 15th, 2014 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • Mother And Sons Arrested For Drugs:
    Monday, June 9, 2014: The sharp nose of a police dog picked up the scent of marijuana through a floor covering, a wooden floor, a plastic bag and a covered plastic container , and it landed a mother and her two sons in problems with the law. It was shortly after 12 noon on Thursday, June 5 when a team of four policemen along with Tungee, said to be one of the sharpest police dogs in the Canine Unit, descended upon an upstairs wooden house on 5th Street in San Ignacio Town to conduct a search for drugs. Within minutes of entering the house, Tungee alerted its handler of the presence of drugs by sitting on a spot in the living room. When the marley floor covering was lifted, police found an unfastened board covering a cavity in the floor from which the police retrieved a black plastic bag with two covered plastic containers both loaded with marijuana. Present at the time of the search was a 78 year old grandmother, in the company of Martha Alicia Ralda, 46, and her two sons, William Ralda, 22 and his 17 year old brother.
  • Policeman Charged For Attempt Murder:
    Three policemen and a special constable driver, members of San Ignacio Police Quick Response Team (QRT) all facing criminal charges, are on interdiction from active duty. The lives of Corporal #443 Ricky Valencia, Constables #1330 Maxwell Valerio and #1010 Jesus Marroquin along with Special Constable, driver, Ernesto Budna began changing at the break of the new day on Monday, May 26, 2014. Patrolling the George Price Highway the team drove up to Blackman Eddy Village and turned at the junction with the road into Spanish Lookout at the Iguana Creek. On the way back to base they came upon a group of four men in Unitedville on their way home from a wake in the village.
  • Editorial: Life Is Dynamic:
    Life is in constant evolution. Nothing lasts forever, this is the nature of the phenomenon we call life. This week former educator/ politician, Mr. Eulogio Cano tell us that Sacred Heart Roman Catholic High School started 54 years ago in a room downstairs the Stork Club, the busiest and most popular bar in San Ignacio Town in that era. Today, it is not permissible to open and operate a bar anywhere near a school much less a high school where students are more mature. Our gun laws were once slack until the senseless spate of gun violence showed its ugly head especially on the south side streets of the old capital. This development necessitated the passage of stringent, some might say, draconian gun laws. Today, the gun violence has somewhat abated. Some among us are now calling for the slacking of the gun laws. We change with the current time fit prevailing circumstances and conditions. Such is life.
  • Ashton Tillett Is This Year's Top PSE Performer:
    The results of this year's Primary School Examinations are out recording Ashton Tillett from Crooked Tree Government School, in the Belize District, as this year's top performer. Today's announcement sparked an outburst of joy, first on the school compound in Crooked Tree and later thoughtout the entire Village. We join in congratulating Ashton on this great achievement and wish him all the best as he proceeds on to the high school of his choice which we understand is Edward P. Yorke. Ashton Tillett The
  • Three Men Injured In Bar Brawl:
    A brawl in a western village bar has left two men wounded and with criminal counter charges again each other. The report of a stabbing incident in Billy White Village Cayo was received by San Ignacio police at around 5:00 am on Saturday, June 7. A team of policemen, under the command of Sgt 651 S Bowden, rushed to the village and first to the home of Gumercindo Pop where they found Pop, visibly drunk, with stab wounds to the head, chest, shoulder and back. Pop told the police that he was at a bar in the village earlier that morning when and argument erupting resulting in him being attacked by brothers Santos and Roberto Chacon and a 15 year old boy.
  • World Cup 2014 Kicks Off With Colourful Ceremony:
    The 2014 Fifa World Cup officially got under way on Thursday with a colourful opening ceremony before hosts Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in the first match. A cast of 660 dancers paid tribute to the country's nature, people and football with a show around a "living" ball on the Arena de Sao Paulo pitch. The final act saw a performance of official World Cup song "We Are One" by Jennifer Lopez and rapper Pitbull. The month-long tournament sees 32 nations compete in 64 games. Many fans took to the streets to sing and chant their support for Brazil as excitement built in the hours before the tournament began.
  • Father's Day Canoe Race:
    The Father's Day Canoe Race co-sponsored by the Black Orchid Resort and SeaSure Real Estate is set for Sunday, June 15th, 2014. The race will start in Flowers Bank Village at 9:00am and will end at the Black Orchid Resort in Burrell Boom. The first canoes should be arriving around midday. This race will have all categories, Male, Female, Mixed, Masters, Juniors, Pleasure and Intramural, it's opened for anyone to participate. Registration can be done the morning before the race starting at 8:00am, however, early registration is accepted. The registration form is available on our website at www.bcanoe.bz. Race Registration fee is $50.
  • Malaria:
    Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a type of unicellular microorganism) of the genus Plasmodium. Commonly, the disease is transmitted by a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which introduces the organisms from its saliva into a person's circulatory system. In the blood, the parasites travel to the liver to mature and reproduce. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever and headache, which in severe cases can progress to coma or death. The signs and symptoms of malaria typically begin 8-25 days following infection; however, symptoms may occur later in those who have taken antimalarial medications as prevention. Initial manifestations of the disease-common to all malaria species-are similar to flu-like symptoms, and can resemble other conditions such as septicemia, gastroenteritis, and viral diseases. The presentation may include headache, fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, hemoglobin in the urine, retinal damage, and convulsions.
  • Sacred Heart College - 50 Successful Years:
    Sacred Heart College will be holding graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2014 on Saturday, June 14 in the auditorium on the school compound. This is a significant year in the history of Sacred Heart College as it will simultaneously celebrate the golden anniversary of the first graduating class, the class of 1964. Invited to deliver an address in celebration of this historic occasion is Mr. Eulogio Cano from the Class of 1964. We had a chance to speak with Mr. Cano earlier this week and what he told us was quite interesting. He told us that Sacred Heart Roman Catholic College began in 1960 through the efforts of Fr. Osmond Peter Martin (retired Bishop) and Fr. Facundo Castillo. It started with an enrollment of 31 students of which 19 graduated in 1964. The first classroom was housed downstairs of the Stork Club on Hudson Street, in front of Blue Angels Night Club where it remained for an entire year. In the second year however, with the addition of a second batch of students starting first form, the school moved across the street to more spacious accommodations in a building where the Hudson Chinese stores is currently located. It later moved to the Sacred Heart Primary School compound where they remained until graduation.
  • Brazil World Cup: Clashes At Sao Paulo and Rio Protests:
    Police clashed with protesters in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and several other host cities on Thursday as the World Cup got under way in Brazil. Officers used tear gas on crowds in Sao Paulo hours before Brazil's team beat Croatia 3-1 in the opening match. Several people were also injured after scuffles broke out in Rio de Janeiro. Protesters are angry at how much the government has spent on preparations for the World Cup and the Olympics, which Rio will host in 2016. There were violent clashes in the city of Belo Horizonte, where England will play Costa Rica Earlier, striking airport workers in Rio de Janeiro blocked a road outside the airport, demanding a wage increase and a World Cup bonus. The strike was to have lasted for 24 hours but union leaders called it off early for legal reasons.
  • World Cup Schedule:
    Full schedule of group games (until the knockout round starts).
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