The March 1st, 2015 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • BDF CORPRAL AND WIFE SENTENCED:
    A couple from Billy White village was separately sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. The incident happened on Thursday, 22 December, 2011, when personnel from the Special Branch department conducted a house search at the residence of Gerald August, 34 year old Belizean BDF Corporal. Present at the time along with August was his wife, Loida August, 24 year old Belizean Domestic of the same address. During the search police found a black Pietro Beretta .9 pistol with the serial number tampered with, which was found inside a box with clothes. Upon further checks of the house, police led to the discovery of six Sellier and Bellot 12 gauge cartridges under the sewerage bowl behind the kitchen area along with one 5.56 magazine with twentyseven (27) 5.56 rounds of ammunition and 3 metal clips each containing ten live 5.56 rounds in a black plastic bag that was buried 6 inches and covered with two pieces of board.
  • Mckoy Five Years Behind Bars:
    Today the trial for a 17 year old San Ignacio man concluded as he was found guilty inside the San Ignacio Magistrates court.The magistrate at the time, Narda Morgan, sentenced him to 5 years imprisonment. The incident occured on Friday, 13 December, 2013 at about 11:30 when police was conducting their mobile patrol on Flamingo Street in San Ignacio. Police notice a dark male person who they identified as Carlton Mckoy, 17 year old Belizean laborer of San Ignacio. Police then exited the mobile patrol and approached Mckoy who was walking towards a shop and upon entering the shop he throw something behind the counter.
  • Public Health Notice: Measles Advisory:
    The Ministry of Health has been advised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of an outbreak of Measles at the Disneyland Resort in air droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Although Measles remains prevalent in many parts of the world, Belize has been free from the disease since 1991. In order to maintain our Measles free status, the recommended and most cost-effective public health approach is to advise persons to get vaccinated with the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
  • La Ruta Maya Belize Canoe Race:
    The annual Ruta Maya Canoe Race brings together professional and amateur paddlers from Central and North America and Europe every March. Picture Above, government telephone company team at 2012 race. The annual La Ruta Maya Belize Endurance Canoe race is the longest race of its kind in Central America. One hundred and seventy miles of paddling on the Belize River over the course of 4 days. The race gets underway in San Ignacio Town Cayo District just under the Hawksworth Bridge. Between 90 and 100 teams from Belize, U.S.A., Canada, Japan, the U. K. and other countries participate. Starting at 7 in the morning, the paddlers are challenged by rapids, low areas that require them to physically carry their canoes for short distances as well as winds as they near the Caribbean Sea.
  • History Of The Cross Country Cycling Race:
    The idea for the race originated with Belizean Monrad Metzgen, who on a trip to one of the villages on the Northern Highway in 1928 was struck by the number of bicycles Belizeans used to attend weekly cricket games in the Belize Rural area. He pitched an idea for a sort of cycling "expedition" to San Ignacio, testing the cyclists' ability to cope with a then-badly built Western Road (now George Price Highway), to the Governor, who immediately pledged support and offered a cup as a prize to the winner of the race. Other prominent Belizeans Monrad Metzgen spoke to, including medical officer Lieutenant Colonel James Cran, Matron L.M. Roberts of the Public Hospital, Royal Bank of Canada local manager Charles Beattie and Frans Dragten all donated money and trophies to the cause.
  • Western Ballaz Rolls to Remain As The Only Undefeated Team:
    On Saturday night, the Cayo Western Ballaz (3 - 0) took the league's only undefeated record way down south to take on the winless Toledo Diplomats (0 - 3) at the Julian Cho Technical High School. Despite some delays, the game commenced at 10:15 p.m., with the visiting team claiming the spoils, securing a 96 - 80 victory in Toledo. Cayo Western Ballaz was led by Richard Troyer, who set the NEBL scoring record with 43 points on 71% shooting from the field, and 5 - 5 from the charity stripe, while also setting an NEBL record with 8 three pointers in the game. He finished the game with a double-double, adding 13 boards to his stat line, while dishing out 2 assists and tallying 2 steals.
  • Guatemala Ex-President Alfonso Portillo Freed From US Jail:
    Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo has been released from a U.S. prison after serving a nearly six-year sentence for taking $2.5 million in bribes from Taiwan and laundering funds through U.S. banks, a prison official confirmed Wednesday. Portillo was sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert Patterson in New York last May. At the time, he had already served more than four years in jail since his arrest in 2010.
  • Grace Primary Anglican School Students explore Belize's Barrier Reef System on a visit to Hol Chan Marine Reserve:
    It is only when we look through the eyes of the next generation that we understand the importance of protecting what we have today. The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage transported 35 students of Grace Primary Anglican School from the concrete classroom to the underwater classroom of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, which is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System on Wednesday, February 25. A glass bottom boat opened up the underwater world of the Belize Barrier Reef to the awe-filled students, whom for many the trip was the first to Belize's offshore.
  • Communal Livestock Holding Facility Handed Over To Cattle Producers In The Belize District:
    A Communal Livestock Holding Facility in Willows Bank was officially handed over to cattle producers in the Belize River Valley area at a ceremony held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Through the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA), the European Union in collaboration with the Government of Belize and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) financed a three-year project "Enhancing Belize's Resilience to Adapt to the Effects of Climate Change".
  • Principal-Hate At Arms Of Love School:
    At the Arms of Love Primary School in San Ignacio Town - the charge is of maladministration not sexual misconduct. The parents say the Principal is deliberately difficult and they want her removed. A month ago, parents kept their kids home in protest. Since then, the ministry has gotten involved and the District Education officer. Luis Carballo, thePrincipal Education Officer of the Cayo District said that the allegations against her was the way that she treated the parents and teachers. And, parents are concern because of the way the principal has been treating their children, that she shouts at them, sometimes pull them or argues with them or in a way that they feel it's not necessary.
  • Bipolar Disorder:
    Bipolar disorder, also known as bipolar affective disorder (and originally called manicdepressive illness), is a mental disorder characterized by periods of elevated mood and periods of depression. The elevated mood is significant and is known as mania or hypomania depending on the severity or whether there is psychosis. During mania an individual feels or acts abnormally happy, energetic, or irritable. They often make poorly thought out decisions with little regard to the consequences. The need for sleep is usually reduced. During periods of depression there may be crying, poor eye contact with others, and a negative outlook on life. The risk of suicide among those with the disorder is high at greater than 6% over 20 years, while self harm occurs in 30-40%. Other mental health issues such as anxiety disorder and drug misuse are commonly associated.
  • Central American Karate Championships:
    The Belize Karate Federation, the national organization of Sport Karate Clubs, today began welcoming member nations of Central America to the Twentieth "CARMELA DIAZ" Central American Karate Championships CCONDEKA which kicks off tomorrow in San Ignacio, Cayo District. Arriving this morning from Venezuela is global Karate Advocate and Karateca Mrs. Carmela Diaz who, along with Central America's top female Karateca Selenia Campos, will conduct a workshop tomorrow morning on the evolving role and opportunities for Women in Sport. Carmela Diaz has made her mark over the decades for lobbying to get Karate as an Olympic sport which it will be as of the 2020 Olympics.
  • Lin-Wood Rotary Interact Club of New Hampshire, U.S.A partners with the Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo to renovate the Pedro Guerra Mena Park:
    The Lin-Wood Rotary Interact Club from New Hampshire, U.S.A. visited Belize this week to conduct their International Service Project at the Pedro Guerra Mena Park in Benque Viejo del Carmen Town, and Mary Open Doors in San Ignacio Town. On Sunday, February 22, 2015, the Lin-Wood Rotary Interact Club partnered with the Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo to renovate the Pedro Guerra Mena Park in the New Area of Benque Viejo del Carmen. The Interact Club provided the materials needed to restore the park while the Rotaractors of the Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo volunteered their time to assist with the park's restoration. The children's playground was restored to its original state, the installations in the park were painted, and the grass was mowed. In the coming weeks, new swings (seats) will be installed so that the children can once more enjoy the swings.
  • STAR Humor
  • Your Weekly Horoscope and Lucky Numbers
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Public Notices