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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Footballers compete in Xcalak Tournament
What better way to celebrate an anniversary than to have two days dedicated to fun festivities? That's what our Mexican neighbors in Xcalak did for their 116th Anniversary. Residents of San Pedro Town traveled across the vivid turquoise waters on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th to join in the fun. The games were played in twenty minute increments for each half, and the first game saw Jokers FC against Nuxpak, where Jokers swept the score board with a 2-0 victory. In the second game, Los Catrachos played twice against Xcalak, defeating the home team in penalties. Up next, Chetumal faced San Jose and won. Lastly, Corozal FC was eliminated by Xcalak. At the end of the tournament, Los Catrachos claimed the first place victory and Jokers FC took home third place, with both teams bringing home lavish trophies and bragging rights.

Shooting victim remains in stable condition
Leonel Anderson, a San Pedro Town resident is in stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after he was shot on Wednesday, June 1st. Anderson, a local bartender, was shot sometime around 8:30PM at the entrance of the San Pedrito Area in what appeared to be an attempted armed robbery. No arrests have been made so far, however, the San Pedro Police have confirmed that three persons of interest are in custody while investigations. According to police, they responded to reports of a shooting and proceeded to visit visit Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, where Anderson was found with apparent gunshot wounds to the leg. At the scene of the crime, police were able to retrieve an amount of cash believe to have been part of the attempted robbery. But due to the fact that the victim did not make an official statement, police are unable to disclose the official cause of the shooting incident. "

San Pedro Town Public Library News!
The San Pedro Town Public library will be hosting a book sale on Saturday, June 6th at the Central Park to raise much-needed funds. The library seeks to replace the current computer used at their circulation desk, as well as upgrade other equipment. Since numerous books are not shelf-worthy, the library hopes to sell sufficient books to clear space. By the following week, the library hopes to set up the media center for patrons and users. Early Childhood Development Classes with Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad has also collaborated with the library to start a program on Monday, June 6th for children, age's three to four, and who are currently not enrolled in pre-school. The program is free of cost and opened to children from the San Pedrito and San Mateo Area. The program focuses on early childhood development, and aims to help children that were unable to attend pre-school in order to learn basic skills in preparation for primary school.

Presenting the 2016 Island Academy graduates!
As the school year comes to a close, The Island Academy (TIA) was the first to hold their graduation ceremonies. On Friday, May 27th, TIA celebrated their 21st commencement exercise, with a total of six graduates. They proudly marched center stage to the sound of Pomp and Circumstance, awaiting their Primary School Diplomas. The graduates were: Natalie Winger, Cody Romsa, Mariano Calderon, Mia Gonzales, Lucy Verralls, and Ethan Ancona. The ceremony was held at the TIA campus, where students, family and friends of the graduates gathered to celebrate the student's academic achievements. Founder of TIA, Lady Dixie Bowen, gave a short speech to formally welcome the audience. Before the graduation ceremonies, teachers awarded top students from each grade level from Infant One to Standard Five, in various categories that included: remarkable reader, creative writing guru, citizenship, and excellence in academic subjects.

Belizeans Detained in Guatemala for illegal entry
The news of eight Belizeans detained by the Guatemalan Navy on Thursday, May 26th put Belizean officials at the Embassy of Belize in Guatemala City on high alert. The group of Belizeans were taken to Guatemala City where they were processed for illegal entry by immigration officials. The eight Belizean nationals, all fishermen, have been identified as Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Batun, Isidro Tamai, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez, and Ernesto Meighan. According to the Guatemalan Navy, they were detained when they were found disembarking from their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach in the department of Izabal in Guatemalan territory. The report adds that seven of the eight individuals had in their possession Belizean fishing licenses, but no boat registration to navigate in Guatemalan waters.

Ambergris Today

A Walk through Food and Culture - Belize Food Tours
I'm gonna quote my daughter and say "Belize Food Tours - Best idea EVER"! My curiosity got to me when Dora and Felipe came by with a goodie box filled with surprises and a special invite. No, I could not wait until the tour to find out what this was all about. So, we scheduled their very next available date and met them over at Lily's for some ceviche and some chitchat. Our iTravel Belize Family had the pleasure of joining Belize Food Tours on their very first tour, one of three tours offered for the time being on their website. The tour started at Central Park and made it's way through an ancient Mayan burial ground; ok, what used to be according to the team's research. I'm totally not going to spoil this tour for you so if that's what you were expecting, I'm sorry. You're going to have to take the tour and see it, taste it, and hear it for yourself! As a proud Sanpedrana, I can tell you this, the tour took me back to my childhood and had me chocked up at a number of stops. I'm so proud to see our culture being showcased by such a lively group of talented Belizean entrepreneurs. You want to see San Pedro through the eyes of a local? You want to experience the heart of our little island through food? You want some grins and giggles to remember? Go take a walk with the people on our map at Belize Food Tours!

Public Service Day was observed in San Pedro yesterday
With information booths that were set up at Central Park. Public Service Workers from the Fire Dept., Traffic Dept., Labor, Customs, Library, Post Office, BAHA, Election and Boundaries, Treasury and the Poly Clinic were on hand to engage with island students who were eager to learn about what each department does. Lots of fun and goodies for the children.

Get Ready to Wine with Alison Hinds at Costa Maya Festival 2016
Just when everybody was starting to ask if there was going to be a San Pedro International Costa Maya Festival this year, the festival committee steps up to announce the participation of Soca Queen Alison Hinds as a featured entertainer. Costa Maya Festival 2016 has been set to take place from August 4 to August 6 with three days of high-powered entertainment. Saturday, August 6, will be infused with a Latin flavor as grupo Super Lamas, from Veracruz, Mexico, will set the stage for live entertainment with its top hit and local sensation 'Yo Quiero Chupar'.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Alison Hinds!!!
At the International Costa Maya Festival on Friday 5 of August!


Watch Super Lamas Only at the International Costa Maya Festival!!!
On Saturday 6 of August!

Thunderbolt Water Taxi
Summer coming fast! Stay cool and have some family fun by visiting one of our best kept secrets- Sarteneja village. We make daily stops on our way to and from San Pedro and Corozal. (7:30am and 3:00pm)

SBDC Workshop: Quick Books 101-Intuit (Accounting Part 3)
Location: Beltraide Conference Room, 14 Orchid Garden Street, Belmopan. Workshop Date: June 9th, 2016. Time: 9am to 4pm. This course was created for anyone who wants to learn QuickBooks. Whether you signed up simply to learn QuickBooks or are a complete newbie to the software it does not matter. We will teach you the software from beginning to end so that anyone, regardless of experience, learns all that they need to know to successfully use the program.

Captain Roberto Smith & Wendy Auxillou-Othman
On the water taxi ride back from Belize City today I found myself sitting next to this seafaring legend. For those who do not know, Captain Roberto Smith captained the famous cargo boat the Winnie Estelle which plied the waters around Belize for many decades. I'll post a link to some stories about the Winnie Estelle in the comments section. Captain Roberto has lived in Belize from when it was still British Honduras. The entire taxi ride we reminisced about old island life when the only way to get to Ambergris and Caye Caulker were on the Elsa P, the Mermaid, the Carib Gypsy, the Caribbean Queen and on to the first water taxi service to Caye Caulker run by Chocolate...

Belize to reduce environmental pollution in emerging tourism sites with IDB assistance
Belize will reduce environmental pollution by improving solid waste management practices in emerging tourism destinations with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A $10 million IDB loan will finance investments to improve solid waste transport, recovery, and final disposal in towns and villages in Belize's Northern (Orange Walk and Corozal) and Southern (Stann Creek and Toledo) Corridors as well as in Belmopan, the capital city. The five-year program is expected to provide all of Belize's major tourist destinations with access to a sanitary landfill, up from 50% in 2015. Additionally, the number of households whose solid waste is disposed in such facilities will more than double to 75,000, and the percentage of solid waste separated for recycling in Belize will rise up from two percent to five percent.

Sarteneja Nazarene Primary School says thank you to Ms. Christiane de Rouin
"Education month is gone just like teacher's day, but this morning we received a great surprise. ALL staff members got a gift from Ms. Christiane de Rouin. Thanks so much, we feel great knowing that people like you are out there supporting us and education. As a retired educator you know exactly what we as teachers go through. Thanks so much Chris on behalf of the staff."

Power interruption 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday June 4th - Entire Corozal and Orange Walk Districts.
B.E.L. to relocate mobile substation to facilitate maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk and San Pedro.

Placencia Lobster Fest 2016
Just weeks away! Contact us for Lobsterfest information and assistance with Tropic flights, shuttles, accommodations, tours and more!

BEL Vacancy
A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited for the post of Software Developer in the Information & Communication Systems Department.

Power interruption 11:00am to 2:00pm, Saturday, June 4: entire San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
BEL to relocate mobile substation to facilitate maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk & San Pedro.

A Cultural Explosion
This Saturday 7PM at the Bliss Centre

Garifuna entrepreneurs in Hopkins
Today I was pleased to be in a community where they truly utilize their invaluable beach resource. While in Hopkins I saw Afro descendants (Garifuna) people being entrepreneurs, this was impressive because I am from a Afro descendant (Garifuna) community that has the same resource and just a few miles away, but the results are different. They must be something that is causing our my community not to develop. Respect to Hopkins on keeping my culture alive and continue developing .

"Beauty of the Chiquibul"
During the month of May, 1201 students from ten Primary Schools learnt of the "Beauty of the Chiquibul". Environmental Educator, Mr. Justin Pook Jr. seen here with students from Saint Vincent Pallotti of Unitedville Village.

Channel 7

Grey Gone Ghost
Last night we told you about the murder in Belmopan where 45 year old Lionel Gillette also known as "Grey" was found dead at his home in the Rivera area of Belmopan. Reports are that Gillette was killed on Tuesday night and it's his sister who found his body yesterday afternoon. As we told you, a post mortem had to be conducted immediately because of the body's state of decomposition. Gillett was shot 3 times with a nine millimeter pistol and today the family told us that they have no idea who would want him dead. We traveled to Belmopan to get more answers. Courtney Weatherburne has the story: Lionel Gillette lived here on his farmland for about 10 years. He enjoyed planting and taking care of his land and his labour paid off, with this lush and full mango tree alongside these flourishing coconut trees. He lived a comfortable and modest life with his dog as his companion. But yesterday afternoon that life was shattered when Gillette's body was found outside his house.

Have The Cops Conceded The Canal Side?
Last night we also had late breaking news on a barrage of gunshots fired on west canal, not far from our studio. Information to us was that around 6:00 pm, two men from a northside gang were seen on West Canal - which is George Street turf. And with street hostilities high - it seems that being in the wrong place at the wrong time can get you killed! And an unknown gang related shooter let that be known by issuing a spray of what turned out to be warning shots. Those in the area say 12 to 15 shots were fired, and the interlopers got the message, they jumped in their car and went speeding up west canal, right into a waiting police checkpoint. Today, Southside Commander Chester Williams told us more - and we asked why couldn't police do more:... ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "There were 2 persons in a vehicle hanging out in the area of Prince and the Canal side. It is basically enemy turf actually and apparently they were spotted by the personnel from the George Street area who then went and fired shots, not at them but within the area to scare them to get them out of the area. The persons upon doing so were intercepted by the police and they are in custody at this time because they are wanted for a shooting over at North Side."

Southside Commander Declares SSG Not Involved In GSG Boss' Murder
And Commander Williams also had news for the gang combatants: the Southside Gang is not responsible for the murder of Gerald Shiney Tillett. This extraordinary declaration comes after an unprecedented shootout on the highway last Saturday - where Southside Gang members were targeted and one of them killed. Rural police says it was the work of George Street gangsters avenging the death of Shiney Tillett. Today, Williams addressed that:... ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "I want to dispel something right here, right now, and I want to categorically state that for some reason some people think that the shooting death of Gerald Tillet had to do with Southside. I want to say clearly that from what we have been made to understand, Southside particularly the Wallace brothers and the Underwood brothers have absolutely nothing to do with Gerald Tillet's death. From what we have been made to understand, there is no connection between Gerald Tillet's murder and those individuals. I believe that the police have the person who is responsible for that murder at prison. I would want those person who are trying to be out there to avenge Gerald Tillet's death, to understand that the wheels of justice has begun, allow it to take its course better than to be out there lurking after people and trying to kill people innocently for what they did not do."

Guns And Lots Of Ammo Taken Off Streets
And while Williams is trying to verbally dissuade any further gang retaliations, police are also doing their operational work on the ground. This morning south side police had a successful gun seizure operation. Based on intelligence, members of the South Side Police Station visited an empty lot in the Banak Street/Magazine Road area this morning. They found two firearms along with an assortment of ammunition. ACP Williams, told us more. ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "What happened this morning is that we had operations as we normally do, and the operations was geared at going after persons who we know to be involved in gang activities. Marion, to go back to what you asked earlier, it was an operations based on intelligence. These two firearms are the product of good intelligence on the part of the Special Branch Unit here in Eastern Division south. That operation this morning yield one 9mm pistol with 38 live rounds and we have 1.38 special revolver with 50 live rounds. Its a good catch on the part of the officers who did the operation this morning."

Judge Says Cops Didn't Kill Tyson Rodriguez
In 2013, 27 year-old Tyson Rodriguez died while in police custody, and the cop accused of killing him, Police Sergeant Julio Shal is free of that charge tonight. And why? Well, The judge was not convinced that the Prosecution provided enough evidence to show that Rodriguez died from any unethical and extrajudicial means employed by this officer. You'll remember the case from November 2015, when Rodriguez was detained by Placencia Police. There had been a brutal robbery of a Canadian couple a few days before on the peninsula. They were beaten on the beach, taken to their house, tied up, their home was raided, and their car was stolen. Police found the car all the way in Corozal - 200 miles away. Rodriguez was arrested, reportedly after a beatdown by the Xaibe villagers, and he was taken back to Placencia. That's where the details get murky because Police Sergeant Shal, supposedly took him to an area on the Placencia Beach, where Rodriguez would cooperate and show them where some of the stolen loot from the Canadian family's home was hidden.

BDF Private Accused Of Sex With Child
30 year old BDF Private Kenneth Gary Swazo, will face trial at the Supreme Court for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14 year old girl. At a preliminary inquiry today, Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith committed him to stand trial in the October session of the Supreme Court. The facts of the case say that in September of 2015, Swazo took the girl who had just graduated from Standard 6 to Gulf Hotel where he had sex with her. The allegation is that Private Swazo was the Program Coordinator of a BDF Camp in March 2015 when he met the girl. At the PI, Private Swazo told the court that he has documents and witnesses that can prove he was not even at the camp where it is alleged he met the minor. He told the Magistrate that he will be calling as many as 4 witnesses to prove his innocence.

Five More Molestation Charges For Kishane
Kishane Mcdougal, a man who had also been charged with sexual molestation of 13 year-old girl, was brought back to court today. Viewers may remember that he was arraigned last year on one count of unlawful sexual assault of the child. Well, he was arraigned on 5 additional counts of unlawful sexual assault of the same girl when he appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. His attorney, Herbert Panton, submitted that because no disclosure has been provided yet for the first count it should be struck out. But the prosecutor pointed out that Mcdougal has been charged with 5 more counts and they are all indictable offences.

Handful Protests Against Hon. Castillo
Since John Saldivar's defeat at the Deputy Party leadership convention last Sunday, there has been a wave of unrest within the UDP. That's because Hon. Patrick Faber won, despite having little support from his cabinet colleagues, each of whom commanded a total of 15 delegates. But many of those delegates secretly defected and voted for Faber while their minister of area rep or standard bearer was supporting Saldivar. That's politics, but Belize Rural central UDP Ingrid Hernandez says she was fired because of this accusation. So today a handful of Ladyville protestors came out with placards addressed to Hon. Beverly Castillo. Some of them read "You got to go!" The plan was to protest in front of the State Minister's office in Ladyville but they did not get a permit, and so were stopped by police. However their spirits of defiance remained intact.

Woman Claims She Was Fired For Faber
Now in relation to the small protest this morning, it was done in a show of solidarity with UDP delegate Ingrid Hernandez, who now finds herself without a job. But Hernandez herself was not present during the demonstration. She distanced herself from the activity today and says she had nothing to do with organizing it. That's because, despite her dismissal, she says she remains faithful to the wider UDP family. Ingrid Hernandez, Got fired: "How it was done to me, I felt victimized, because here I am supporting this party, giving my all, my hundred percent and because of a speculation or an assumption I was fired and I am very hurt about it to this present moment. But what I got to say to the nation of Belize is that despite of what happened between me and Beverly Castillo, I will always remain a supporter of the United Democratic Party. I love my Prime Minister, the Hon. Dean Barrow and he is a good Prime Minister. So no matter what, I will always be in support of the United Democratic Party. But at this point I am still upset, because if the way the strategy has been done."

Court: Rahsida Didn't Steal Rum Proceeds
She was accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from her employer, but 26 year old Rashida Sedacey is free and clear of those charges tonight. The former employee of Traveller's Liquors was charged with 124 counts of theft for monies amounting to over $80,000. But today, all charges were dismissed today by Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith for want of prosecution. The prosecution wanted to give additional disclosure but Sedacy's attorney, Darrell Bradley, submitted that the time for that had already passed. It was alleged that Sedacy had stolen the money in 2014, when she was the cashier at Traveller's.

Jacked Majil
There was a big money robbery of a sales representative for Majil's Mexican Products, which is located in the Santa Rita area of Corozal. It is believed that armed robber got away with over $50,000 in cash. Information reaching 7News is that the heist happened at around 3:25 yesterday afternoon. 23 year-old salesman, Edwin Aguilar, and his driver arrived at their company's headquarters after making deliveries and collecting company monies. He had only just jumped out of the truck when an assailant, armed with a chrome handgun, ambushed him, pointed the gun to the back of his head, and demanded the day's proceeds. Fearing his life, he handed over a red knapsack, with over $50,000 in cash and cheques, all of which were the day's sales. The armed thief then ran away and jumped into a getaway vehicle which was parked nearby.

Hot Mix Replaces A Hot Mess On Lake I Blvd
For the past year and a half, Belize City drivers have been using the new bridge which connects Philip Goldson Highway to the George Price Highway. This bypass is welcomed, but the road to get there on the Southside has been a nightmare. Well, the nightmare is over, because today, we found contractor RJB Construction finishing up the hot-mix paving of the Lake Independence Boulevard. But, it's more than just a road, it's a gateway to a whole development plan for the area. Here's what the coordinators told us today: Daniel Ortiz: "In your opinion, did we get value for money in this particular project?" Christy Mastry - General Manager, BIL: "Yeah, definitely. We definitely got value for money. It's a fairly extensive scope of work. All the drainage had to be put in place. The drainage anticipates not only just the drainage for this road, but the 45 acres adjacent and some of the water shed coming off of Western Highway. That also had to be engineered, so we have very large culverts in certain areas, we have very large box drains in other areas and we have connectivity to the existing drainage that coming off the Western Highway..."

Cops Calling Kenworth
Police in Belize Rural North want your help to find Kenworth Castro who they believe is hiding out in Belize City. He is the key suspect in the burglary of Juan Antonio Vasquez's home. The thief got away with 1600 dollars in cash as well as assorted jewelry. Kenworth Castro was last seen in the village of Trinidad in the Orange Walk District and is wanted for questioning.

Belizean Fishers in Guate, The Other Side
Last week we told you about the tale of the 8 Belizean fishermen who were captured in Guatemala. Authorities there said the men had Belizean fishing licenses but no boat registration. On Tuesday night they were deported back to Belize. And while any Belizean detained in Guatemala will make news, the Guardian newspaper today reports that the Belizean fishermen may actually make their living in Guatemala. The newspaper claims that the men would fish in Belizean waters and then go back to Guatemala to sell their products. There are fewer regulations restricting fishermen in that country. This would allow fishers to able to sell undersized sea products with ease. The men who were detained in Guatemala are Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Batun, Isidro Tamai, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez and Ernesto Megan - most of them form Sarteneja. Recently, a trio of Belziean fishermen were caught with illegally harvested conch in Honduras.

Pedagogues Can Play Around Too
Today, Primary school "Teachers" across the country got to show off their moves and skills as they hit the stage at the Bliss Center for performing arts. It was a part of the culmination of the Festival of Arts activities organized by NICH. Several teachers from schools all over the country competed for the championship and their students were there to cheer them on. We spoke to the Youth Development Officer of NICH, who told us more about today's event. The Festival of Arts closes tomorrow with the much anticipated National High School Talent Competition.

Edward Broaster, Movie Director?
And we'll close shortly with the infant's showcase of the festival of the arts, but first to another kind of artistic creation�can you say Edward Broaster, movie director? Well, the Rural area's top cop has directed his first short film - he also wrote and produced it. Now don't get it wrong, it's not coming to a theater near you - after all , the entire thing was shot on cell phones. But it is a compelling narrative all too familiar to law enforcers: a young child recruited by gangs to smuggle drugs. In this case it's between Ladyville and Belize City - and the victim is a child who is enticed to smuggle weed in their schoolbag because�who would search a child? Broaster told us it's very much based on a true story:... ACP. Edward Broaster, OC, Eastern Division Rural: "This story is a true story that was related to us by a parent and we felt compelled, because of being touch by the story that we need to share this story with the public and like I said we want to bring awareness to the parents out there that this might be your child, so you need to take care and look out for your children."

Channel 5

Lionel Gillett Executed; His Home is Ransacked
Taxi operator, Lionel Gillett was found dead at his mobile house in a secluded area of Belmopan on Wednesday afternoon. His family went to his home when he did not [...]

Small Group Protest Firing of 2 Women by Bev Castillo
A small protest was held this morning near the office of Area Representative Beverly Castillo. A group of women was denied a permit to protest but still gathered to decry [...]

Brazen Shooting on West Canal
There was a brazen late evening shooting on West Canal on Wednesday during which a pair of Belize City men were targeted by rival gang members in the area.� Fortunately, [...]

ACP Chester Williams Says SSG Not Responsible for Shiny's Murder
Is the murder of Gerald 'Shiny' Tillett related to the Saturday afternoon murder of Michael Wallace?� There seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether or not there [...]

San Ignacio Police Investigate Alleged Arson in the West
Just after seven on Wednesday night, Ego Rio Bar in Santa Familia Village, Cayo District was gutted by fire. San Ignacio Police and Fire Departments responded to a call in [...]

Woes in the Bus System Exposed
The transportation industry in Belize is in terrible shape, and that's putting it kindly. Terminals are deteriorating and so are the buses. Schedules are iffy at best and there are [...]

Transport Operations Officer Says Road Service Permits Must be Reviewed
But is it a situation where the Department is just overwhelmed? Is the lack of supervision, oversight and regulation the cause of the transportation woes? It's likely, but Galvez says [...]

Belize City Man Faces 6 Counts of Sexual Offenses
Twenty-two year old Keshane McDougal, the brother of a cop, is facing slew of additional charges for unlawful sexual intercourse. When he appeared in court this morning, his attorney, Herbert [...]

B.D.F. Soldier to Stand Trial for Sexual Abuse of Minor
In another case of sexual abuse, Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has committed Belize Defence Force soldier, Kenneth Swazo, to stand trial at the October session of the Supreme Court. A [...]

CEMO Gives Update on Readiness for Disasters
The hurricane season opened on Wednesday and as it usually does, the City Emergency Management Organization, CEMO, held a press conference to update the public on its readiness to deal [...]

National Transport and Evacuation Committee Response to an Emergency
In any response to an emergency, the National Transport and Evacuation Committee will play a very critical role. It is one of thirteen national committees, and is comprised of representatives [...]

Rowan Heads for College Abroad
For quite some time, we have followed the adventures of Rowan Garel; his ascent to the summit of Victoria Peak, his mission to walk across Belize and his dive into [...]

Festival of Arts Visual Arts Exhibition
The performing arts section of the annual Festival of Arts traditionally gets much of the attention, with talent from schools throughout the country showcased in front of judges. But there's [...]

Mayor Bradley says Sewage Situation Alarming
In April, News Five brought you the shocking story of raw sewage being pumped into the Haulover Creek on North Front Street. We say shocking because it was, to us [...]

Tour Guide Up In Arms After Being Suspended from Altun Ha
A freelance tour guide and artisan is up in arms tonight after she was suspended from selling her arts and craft and setting foot on the Altun Ha Archeological Site [...]

National Fisherfolk Month is Launched
June is being celebrated as Fisherfolk Month in Belize. To kick-off the celebration, an open day was held on Wednesday at the B.T.L. Park where related agencies and conservation groups [...]

Promotion Self-Employment in Belize City Youths
A city council initiative to promote self-employment has resulted in the handing over of twenty weed whackers to a group of enterprising Belize City youths.� The brainchild of councilors Michael [...]

Healthy Living: Why You Should Become a Blood Donor
June fourteenth is World Blood Donor Day. Everywhere people are encouraged to give blood selflessly to improve health conditions or save lives. Additionally, the Day is used to build awareness [...]

CTV3

MOH Issues Advisory On Bush Fires
Today the Ministry of Health issued a release advising the general public of the risk to a person's health due to bush fires. According to the release there has been a recent increase in the amount of bush fires due to the intense heat. The smoke in these fires is made up of tiny particles and gases and when these are inhaled, they can cause asthma attacks and other serious conditions. People with heart disease may also suffer from chest pains if exposed to intense smoke. It also has the potential to irritate eyes and trigger prolonged coughing spells. Individuals with chronic lung conditions and asthma in particular are advised to avoid areas with intense smoke if possible. In the event that one cannot avoid the smoke, the use of masks or wet rags may provide some alleviation.

Hard Times At The Free Zone
Today a report coming from 'Novedades Quintana Roo' a Mexican Newspaper reiterated the reports that have been circulating for months�.the Commercial Free Zone in the Corozal District is facing difficulties at this point in time. The report states that that sales are continuously decreasing in the zone due to a devaluation of the Mexican currency. According to reports, the dollar is currently being traded up to a rate between 17 and 17.50 pesos, tumbling somewhat between fifty and sixty percent. Carlos Parra Jimenez, member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce of the Commercial Free Zone, stated that despite the fact that the high season no longer picks up as it usually does, all two hundred eighty five merchants who are presently installed at the Free Zone are counting on the summer vacation for sales to increase.

Was Majils' Robbery An Inside Job?
Tonight Corozal Police have two persons detained and are looking for two others in relation to yesterday's robbery at Majil's Mexican Products located in the Santa Rita Area of Corozal resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars. While last night details were hard to come by, tonight we can tell you that the robbery played out at around 3:25pm just minutes after the salesman of the company, 23 year old San Andres resident Edwin Aguilar and his driver 51 year old Alfredo Magana arrived in the area after carrying out deliveries down south. Reports are that Aguilar he had just exited the delivery truck when a dark complexion male, armed with a chrome hand gun approached him from behind�.pointed the firearm at the back of his head and demanded the money.

Palmar Resident Concern About Probable Contamination About The New River
Wilfrido Cantun, a resident of Palmar Village in Orange Walk is tonight very concerned as he suspects that a portion of the New River which runs near his land has been highly contaminated for more than two weeks and has created a foul smell in the area. But while Cantun is aware that this is not the first time the area is facing this type of problem, he is troubled by this situation due to the fact that the fishes that were once found in that particular area have all died. Wilfrido Cantun: "Ya tiene casi como dos semanas que el rio cambio de color, usualmente es como un caf� y ahora esta como un verde feo y no ves actividad de pescado y aqu� yo pescaba sardina y muchas otra clases de pescado y ahora no hay nada de pescado el agua esta terrible y mal olor, todo el tiempo cuando envenenaron ven�an los p�jaros bajando pod�as oler como dulce pasa dos o tres d�as y esa situaci�n es m�s grave porque ha tardado m�s y ya va m�s de dos semanas que esta as� el rio."

LOVE FM

No Casualties Reported Following Barrage of Bullets Released on West Canal
There was a shooting on West Canal in Belize City yesterday evening involving two persons in a vehicle and other individuals of the George Street area. No one was injured in this incident but it is a story with a twist as the men who are believed to be the targets in yesterday's incident were [�]

Contraband Cigarettes Hidden Among Loaves
Three men are detained at the Belmopan Police Station pending charges after police intercepted a truck delivering bread and discovered contraband goods. This morning the bread was searched and between the crates of bread were a number of cartons of cigarette. Officer in Command in Belmopan Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett spoke to Love News about [�]

McDougall Charged for Additional Unlawful Sexual Encounters with Minor
Kishane McDougal, who was arraigned last year on one count of unlawful sexual assault of a 13 year old girl, was charged with five more counts of unlawful sexual assault of the same girl when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. His attorney, Herbert Panton, submitted that because no disclosure has [�]

5-Year Old Murder Case of Samuel Price Adjourned
The trial of 30-year-old Shane Gillett, charged with the murder of 84-year-old Samuel Price, the brother of former Prime Minister George Price, was adjourned until Tuesday, June 7 for his attorney, Leeroy Banner, to give his closing address. Price, who lived alone at mile five and a half on Phillip Goldson Highway, was killed on [�]

Woman Freed of 100+ Counts of Theft After Accused of Taking Money from Travellers Limited
Twenty-six year old Rashida Sedacy, charged with over 100 counts of theft for monies amounting to over eighty thousand dollars was freed of all charges when they were dismissed today by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. The charges were dismissed for want of prosecution. The prosecution wanted to give additional disclosure but Sedacy's attorney, [�]

Lionel Gillett Was Murdered at Home
Belmopan Police continue their investigation into the murder of 45-year-old taxi driver, Lionel Theodore Gillett. Gillett's body was found in West Belmopan sometime after one o'clock yesterday afternoon. The body was in an initial state of decomposition and had an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen, another behind the left side of the back and [�]

San Ignacio Police Investigates Arson
A man lost his business to a fire last night in Santa Familia Village, Cayo. Last night Manuel Humes was alerted that his business place, Ego Rio Bar was on fire. Humes and those in the area were unsuccessful in extinguishing the fire and was not able to salvage anything. The head of Crime Investigation [�]

Education Ministry Works at Improving Schools Up North and Standardizing Tuition
The brunt of the workload for the Ministry of Education comes around this time when students are preparing to move onto another level of learning as there are several initiatives that the ministry has undertaken including the three hundred dollar subsidy for the secondary students who apply as well as scholarships, assistance rendered to students, [�]

Police Sergeant Walks Off Murder Charge
About two and a half years ago, the body of Tyson Rodriguez was found floating in the river on November 22, 2013. Rodriguez was no stranger to law enforcement officers. As a matter of fact, he had reportedly escaped from police custody in Placencia some hours prior to his death. But the statements given by [�]

Firearm Believed to Be Used in Recent Robbery Found
In an operation carried out this morning, officers came across two firearms in the south side division of Belize City. Assistant Commissioner of Police spoke of the operation. CHESTER WILLIAMS " ACP Williams says that there intelligence had revealed who the owner of the firearms is but they were unable to make an arrest although [�]