Today's Belize News: April 21, 2018

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Today's Belize News: April 21, 2018 #530019 04/21/18 06:59 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. 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, and other specials The San Pedro Sun Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System remains in UNESCO Danger List; Land Development to blame The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released its Coastal and Marine Land Use and Tenure Analysis Report for 2017, highlighting the areas of concern in the ecosystem as well as other important findings. The report was aimed at producing an updated coastal-marine land tenure inventory for Belize (within a 1-3 km inland area of interest and cayes (excluding Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve), that includes ownership, tenancy (e.g. lease) and other arrangements for the use of the lands. It was created via multiple data collection tools, such as conducting research, analysis, and synthesis of data, which produced qualitative and quantitative findings leading to an informed conclusion and recommendations. The World Heritage Committee in its 2017 decision to retain the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS) on the Danger List, stressed the urgency of addressing development issues within the BBRRS. San Pedro Tour Guide Association hosts a successful meeting San Pedro Tour Guide Association (SPTGA) held an informative members meeting at the Lions Den on Wednesday, April 18th. Various speakers were present at the meeting addressing attendees on different policies and regulations tour guides must follow within Belize to avoid fines or facing jail time. At 7 PM, SPTGA President Billy Leslie welcomed and thanked everyone for their attendance. The meeting officially began with the first speaker of the night, Corporal John Arana who addressed the attendees on the importance of possessing a tour guide license and renewing it immediately after expiration. He further spoke on the penalties, which included a fine of $1000 and up to three months jail time. In addition, the company employing the unlicensed tour guide will also be charged a larger fine of approximately $5,000 and up to one year jail time. Authorities won't confirm if Cayo Rosario tourism project has been approved The Department of Environment (DOE) cannot confirm if the tourism development proposed for Cayo Rosario has been approved. Cayo Rosario is a 10-acre privately owned island west of Ambergris Caye, packed with mangroves and teeming with wildlife. According to an online publication, the project was approved in the second week of April and calls for 80% of the project to be constructed off the island as over-the-water structures. San Pedro residents are highly against the project, concerned about its potential environmental hazards, and the fact that the island is part of the finalized expansion of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Ambergris Today Belize Fisheries Department - Extension For Issuance Of Fishing License The Belize Fisheries Department hereby reminds the PUBLIC that it will cease the issuance/renewal of fisher folk and vessel licenses for the year 2018 by April 30, 2018. This is an extension from the date that was stated in the Press Release for the opening of the renewal process in January. Furthermore, fishers are also advised that they must be in compliance with the following: Marriott Hotels Announces Debut In San Pedro, Belize ECI Development announced yesterday, April 19, 2018, plans to introduce the Marriott Hotels' namesake brand to Belize with a project designed for customers seeking a relaxed Caribbean lifestyle. The project will grace Ambergris Caye with an investment of US$43Mil and offer 175 studio and two-bedroom condominium homes in a stunning white-sand beachfront setting. San Pedro Mayor Daniel Guerrero welcomed the project with open arms stating that he is happy ECI and Marriott will implement eco-friendly and environmentally responsible operations on the island. "We share in the excitement and we want to express our commitment and support, both from a local and national level, to ensure that today's event will mark the beginning of a future success story." Misc Belizean Sources Minister of National Security Tours Belize Coast Guard Facility The Minister of National Security Hon. John Saldivar today, April 20th, toured the improved Belize Coast Guard facility at Southern Long Caye in the Belize District. The new facility provides increased efficiency for the troops stationed there and increases their capabilities to aggressively patrol our Belizean waters. Southern Long Caye serves as an important point of control for illegal and criminal activities on our high seas. Since the establishment of this base, a number of illegal activities have been detected and deterred by the Belize Coast Guard. Weekend Events in Corozal - Don't Miss Out: 1) CEMJC 10th Anniversay Celebration & Inauguration of Auditorium - Friday, April 20th - 4:00 P.M. - School Grounds - Private Event 2) Corozal Community College Victory Motorcade and Presentation - Friday, April 20th - 5:00 P.M. - Round House at Miami Beach 3) Movie Night Sponsored by Justice For Babies - Friday April 20th - 6:00 P.M. - Coronation Park across from House of Culture - Free Event 4) Live Musical Comedy Show with "EL BOX" - Friday, April 20th - 10:00 P.M. - Princess Casino Free Zone - No Cover Charge 5) Earth Day Waterway Cleanup - Saturday, April 21st - Old Social Security Building or in front of LANOs - 7:00 a.m. - Volunteer 6) Sarteneja Tour Guide Association Meeting - Saturday, April 21st - 2:00 P.M. - S.T.G.A Office - Private Event 7) Live Musical Comedy Show with "EL BOX" - Saturday, April 21st - 10:00 P.M. - Princess Casino Free Zone - No Cover Charge Power outage scheduled for entire San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and Bomba Village from 6:00am to 7:30am on Sunday, April 22 BEL to complete urgent repairs of jumpers for submarine riser structure on the transmission system Celebrateing Earth Day Today, we celebrated Earth Day by planting a beautiful #jacaranda tree with Belmopan Comprehensive School students, Belmopan City Council, Belize Forest Department, and our program alumni! Special thanks to our Facility Maintenance team for making this possible! Channel 7 The Cable Crackdown is Coming Next week is intellectual property rights week - and while that might sound like just another perfunctory observance, this year there is some urgency to it. And that's because the enforcement of intellectual property rights is about to bring sweeping change to what you watch on cable television. The Government of Belize and cable operators are under serious pressure to put an end to the signal piracy which fills up your cable lineup with 200 plus channels. That means two things: they'll have to pull a lot of channels, plus your cable bill will be going up, because the channels they offer will now have to be legitimately bought from the rights holders, no more piracy. As we've reported, HBO executives recently came to Belize and met with the Belize Cable Television Operators Association. They demanded that the Cable operators pull their channels which include HBO, HBO Family, HBO Signature, Cinemax and others including SHOWTIME, Encore and Starz. Grave Concerns for Corozal Man Lost In Southern Seas Tonight, there are grave concerns for the health of Corozal resident Lionel Velazquez after he went missing at sea on Wednesday. For the past 2 days, the Coast Guard has been out on the sea looking for the 28 year old Paraiso villager who went over board on Wednesday evening while on the way to his job at the Turneffe Island Resort. The management of the resort have confirmed via a press release that on Wednesday afternoon, their vessel, Eagle Ray, departed the dock at the Radisson Hotel with a captain and 7 employees, Velasquez included. At around 7 that night, when the Eagle Ray was passing through the shipping channel into open waters, Velasquez fell overboard. Fellow passengers witnessed the accident, and alerted the captain immediately. They circled back for him, and searched the surrounding waters. CJ Has Problem With DPP As Bar President Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal was elected as the new President of the Bar Association 2 months ago, and it appears the Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin, is of the view that her new post places her in a conflict of interest. The issue flared up because, as the President of the Bar, she is legally required to sit as a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. This is the body which oversees the appointment of judges and attorneys to important posts within the public service. Other members on the Commission include Solicitor General Nigel Hawke, the Chairman of the Public Services Commission, and Chief Justice Benjamin, who is the Chair. 7 Shots Fired, No One Hurt Last night during the news we got reports that shots had been fired on the southside. It happened on Euphrates Avenue, and fortunately no one was hurt. It happened at around 7:00 when a group of men were playing basketball on the neighborhood court. Two men with caps pulled down low rode up on bicycles and fired three shots at an off duty policeman, and four more shots at the other persons on the court. 7 shots total, but no one was hit as everyone scrambled for cover. Belizean Fisherman Still Held In Guatemala 2 days ago, we told you about the Belizean fisherman, Iginio Canto Bacab, who was intercepted by the Guatemalan Navy along with 2 Guatemalans trying to smuggle out-of-season lobster into Guatemala. As we told you, he is facing criminal charges in Livingston, Guatemala, and, tonight, best information suggests that he remains in the custody of the Guatemalan authorities. We've been trying to get information about the latest developments in his case, and sources tell us that he was supposed to have had a court hearing today. We could not find out the result of that at newstime. High Schooler Says Security Guard Had Sex With Her on Campus There is a very disturbing allegation of a sex crime tonight. A 14 year old high schooler says the school security guard had sex with her on campus. It is alleged to have happened at a high school on the City's southside. The girl says that on Monday, April 9th., at 3:30 pm, the 27 year old security guard called her to the third floor of the school where he had sex with her in a classroom. She was examined by a doctor two days ago where she was certified to be carnally known and her injuries were classified as "Grievous Harm".Yesterday morning she went to the police station with her father to make a report. Man Charged For Rape Of Cayo Student Last week Friday, an 18 year old student from the Cayo District was raped. At 8:00 at night, she was hitchhiking from Belmopan to Camalote Village when a Hispanic man on a motorcycle gave her a ride. But instead of taking her to Camalote, he took her down the Valley of Peace Road and raped her. He then left her near the West Star gas station. Yesterday, Belmopan police arrested and charged 24 year old William Carabantes for rape. The Bio-Degradable Solution Yesterday we showed you two different food and hospitality businesses that are eliminating styrofoam by using biodegradable and reusable items. But, where are these environmentally friendly items available and for what price? We found that Belize has an Eco-Friendly company that has been importing container-fulls of environmentally friendly products for years. Sahar Vasquez has more: Sahar Vasquez reporting" Eco- Friendly Solutions is a Belizean company that imports and distributes biodegradable items like cutlery and bags. You may not know them by name but It is almost certain that you have seen their products at the Le Petite bakery or on shelves at some stores. Hon. Saldivar At New Coast Guard Base National Security Minister John Saldivar was at Southern Long Caye in BELIZE's southern waters today to tour the newly upgraded Coast Guard facilities at that location. He was accompanied by CEO Felix Enriquez; and Coast Guard commander Rear Admiral John Borland. This new facility is positioned to allow the coast guard to patrol Belizean waters more aggressively. It's important because Southern Long Caye serves as an important pivot point for control of criminal activities on Belizean waters. A press release says that since its establishment, this base has helped to coast guard to detect and deter a number of illegal activities. 9 Pounds of Cannabis in Hattieville Yesterday, the GSU found over 9 pounds of weed behind a home in Hattieville. At around 2:00 in the afternoon, the GSU searched the home of a target where nothing was found. But searches behind the home in an abandoned bushy area led to the discovery of 2 parcels of marijuana wrapped up in plastic. They weighed in at 9.2 pounds. The weed was deposited as found property. Octogenarian Killed in Road Accident An 82 year old was knocked down and killed yesterday on the Stann Creek Valley Road. Around 1:50 in the afternoon, 24 year old Shamir Leslie was traveling from Belmopan to Placencia about to approach the Xaibel gas station - 6 miles out of Dangriga - when he knocked down 82-year-old farmer of Big Falls, Toledo Pedro Cucul. Cucul was crossing the road to catch a bus. He died on the spot. US Human Right Report Criticizes Corruption in Belize The US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor today published its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017. The report does not single out Belize for any great or excessive abuses, but notes, quote, "The most significant human rights issues included allegations of unlawful killings by security officers, which the authorities investigated and prosecuted; allegations of corruption by government agents; allegations that several killings were motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity; trafficking in persons; and child labor." End quote. DPM, Lodge Brother 16 Belizean Lodge Brothers - including the Deputy Prime Minister, Patrick Faber were in Jacksonville Florida last week for a meeting of the Steadfast Masonic Lodge. The delegation was led by Ashton Longsworth saying, quote, "Worshipful Master Longsworth and Most Worshipful Grand Master Walter Gulley Jr have committed to community projects that will aid and assist…citizens of Belize while trying to help in the alleviation of social ills in the country." End quote. The release continues, quote, "The Grand Master also recognized the Civic and Fraternal achievements of Sir Knight Patrick Faber and expressed to the Fraternal congregation that anyone who has made it to the ranks of Deputy Prime Minister Of his country deserves to be recognized." End quote. High Schoolers Rally Against Violence For this entire week, the students, the faculty and staff of the Wesley College in Belize City have been celebrating their Violence Prevention Week. It's an initiative by the school and the students where they take a stand against all the violence and murders that have been happening countrywide, but especially in Belize City. Some of the students live in these neighborhoods where, at any given time, rival gangs are warring over turf, or feuding over "old beef." The reality Of Guatemalan Fishers in Belizean Waters Earlier in the news we told you about Iginio Canto Bacab, who was intercepted by the Guatemalan Navy trying to smuggle lobster into Guatemala. Reports in the press there suggest he was arrested by the Guatemalan navy within Belizean waters. While that is a definite affront - for those who know the area it isn't in the least but surprising. For years, the Guatemalan navy and fisherfolk have been acting like the entire Sarstoon is for their benefit and enjoyment. And now that a Belizean fisher has been caught - allegedly running a red with out of season lobster - it makes for a glaring contrast with the Guatemalan fishers who are in Belize's waters - on the north side of the Sarstoon - almost daily, freely catching fish. Reparations for The Ras Last night you may have seen our interview with Ras Ruben, a committed Rastafarian who believes Belize should be doing more to investigate and make use of the cannabis plant. Proponents say it has a whole host of uses from clothing, to shelter, to medicine, and for Rastafarians, it is a also a sacrament and a means of meditation. So, now that the possession of 10 grams has been decriminalized - is that a welcome break for the Rastas who use marijuana as part of their religious devotion. Ras Ruben told us that they need an apology for all the years of persecution:.. Channel 5 How to Spend 130 Thousand Dollars on a "Free" Concert Back in February, the Belize City Council, then controlled by the United Democratic Party, hosted a free concert at the B.T.L. Park marking the anniversary of its remodeling. The event [...] The Woes of the Municipal Airstrip Millions of dollars, as much as seventeen, were spent on the overhaul of the Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airstrip which was launched with much fanfare in November 2016. But a [...] Corozal Man Fell Out of Boat, Now Missing A thirty-year-old mechanic from Paraiso Village in the Corozal District is missing at sea since Wednesday and his family fears the worst. This afternoon, Anna Leticia Revolorio came to News [...] Search Continues with Eagle Eyes of Coast Guard Efforts to locate him were immediately conducted by the captain to recover Velasquez, while a 'man overboard' distress signal was radioed in to the resort. According to a release issued [...] Belizean Fisherman Iginio Canto Bacab Remains in Custody in Livingston As of news time, Belizean fisherman Iginio Canto Bacab of Caledonia, Corozal District, remains in custody in Livingston, Guatemala, charged with illegal capture of lobster. His hearing is set for [...] Economist Weighs in on Referendum Result The popular magazine The Economist has weighed in on the results of Guatemala's referendum on Sunday. Nearly ninety-six percent of participating voters agreed to filing a case at the International [...] P.M. Barrow, O.A.S.' Almagro Meet in Washington The Organization of American States has had a central role in finding a solution to the territorial dispute. As we have been reporting, Guatemala held its referendum on Sunday and [...] Another PAC Meeting Canceled During the Budget debate in March, member of the Public Accounts Committee Patrick Faber made note that the last three meetings of the Committee to that point had been canceled. [...] Barranco Loggers Demand Answers for License Refusals From the deep south comes a story of unfair treatment in one of Belize's oldest and most well-known villages. Five residents of the village of Barranco say they have applied [...] Concerns Leading Up to the Cycling Federation's Elections Elections at the Cycling Federation of Belize are scheduled for next Saturday, but there is growing concern that all is not above board. The federation is currently led by former [...] Honduran Visitor Has Rough Experience: Stabbed and Robbed A Honduran national visiting Belize was the victim of a vicious attack on Thursday night. Reports are that just before midday police were called out to a bus stop in [...] Bail for Dumped Shotgun Ignatius Williams today obtained bail on a charge of possession of a prohibited firearm in the Supreme Court. The twenty-four-year-old, a repeat alleged offender originally from Dangriga, was seen by [...] 2 Teens' Sex Attackers Charged Police have made arrests in two separate cases of rape and unlawful sexual intercourse. Twenty-four-year-old William Daniel Carabantes faces charges of rape after a report by an eighteen-year-old female to [...] Cuba Has New President but Castro Legacy to Continue The news around the world on Thursday was the installation of the new Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. He became Cuba's first leader sans the Castro surname in over fifty years. [...] Cuba to Continue Aid to CARICOM What does a new leader mean for the CARICOM region which depends heavily on Cuba for health, education and other forms of aid? According to Ambassador Lissette Perez, the regional [...] Relations with Washington Remain Cool Ambassador Lissette Perez also spoke about the Cuba-U.S. relations in light of a new leader. She said that while Cuba remains open to relations with the U.S., they will not [...] UWI University Singers in Belize for Major Anniversaries The University of the West Indies is celebrating its seventieth anniversary with a bang. University Singers are in Belize to mark the occasion with the UWI Belize Open Campus. The [...] The Search for Next Miss Belize Begins The Miss Universe Organization started the search for its Belizean beauty ambassador to represent Belize in the 2018 Miss Universe Pageant. The auditions, which started today and continues on Saturday, [...] LOVE FM New Cuban President to maintain friendly relations with Belize Not much is known about Cuba's new president's plan to tackles the challenges facing the country. The 57-year-old father of two was elected president of Cuba on April 19 after Raul Castro, who led the country for 10 years, stepped down is expected to continue in the same vein as his predecessor. Cuban Ambassador to Belize, � Senate Special Select Committee meets The Senate Special Select Committee met last week in an effort to begin compiling its report on the Senate hearings that lasted more than a year. The Committee first met on October 12, 2016, and its last hearing session was on December 6, 2017. The Committee was tasked to investigate the findings of the Auditor � Marriott Hotel coming to Belize Earlier this week, ECI Development announced plans to bring Marriott Hotels' namesake brand to Ambergris Caye. Chairman and CEO of ECI Development Michael K Cobb said that they are excited about the opportunity to deliver top-quality lodging and residences on the island. ECI plans as many as 70 branded residences as a part of its � Department of Youth Services giving at-risk children hope The Mayflower community has been labeled as one of the gang-infested neighborhoods. As such, those in that community are well acquainted with the ongoing gun violence. The Department of Youth Services is hoping to help the children escape that life-style and in so doing avoid becoming another tragedy. In this regard, they have opened the � Cuba has a new President and he is not a Castro Miguel D�az-Canel is the new president of Cuba. He replaces Raul Castro who took over the leadership of the country from his ailing brother, Fidel Castro. It has been noted that Diaz-Canel is the first person who is not a Castro to lead Cuba. Even though D�az-Canel was born after the revolution, he is a � AG shares details on the 8th Summit of the Americas Yesterday, the Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte shared with the media what transpired at the Eighth Summit of the Americas held recently in Peru. Attorney General Peyrefitte along with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington and Belize's Ambassador to the United States of America and the Organization of American States, Daniel Gutierrez attended the summit. The � Participants comment on Law Forum Today was the final day of the forum held by Impact Justice. Yesterday, we told you that the Belize Law-Making Forum is being held under the theme "Sound Policy for Better Law" which brought together several stakeholders from different ministries. These ministries will now be involved in the drafting of the laws in order to � Will Belize have a better turn-out for its referendum? On Sunday, Guatemalans voted yes to have the decades-old Belize-Guatemala Dispute be decided by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Guatemala's referendum was marked by a low turn-out. Belize's Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte told Love News he is hopeful that Belizeans will turn out in numbers to participate in our referendum, whenever a date is � 133K for 'free' concert Before the March 7 Municipal Election, the then UDP Belize City Council held what it described as a free concert for the public. They brought in international artists like Cecil and Baby Sham. While the public did not pay an entrance fee or anything of that sort, the money to pay for it all came � Boat Mechanic lost at sea The search continues for 28 year old Lionel Velasquez who is believed to have fallen overboard a boat as he was headed to work on Wednesday. According to reports, Velasquez, who is a boat mechanic, left with others from the Radisson dock, headed to Turneffe Island. Twenty minutes into the journey, those on board the � Belize's Human Rights Report highlights corruption in Police Department and Government The US State Department has released its 2017 human rights report. So how did Belize do? Here is Dalila Ical. According to the State Department's report, the areas of particular interest for Belize include quote, "allegations of unlawful killings by security officers, which the authorities investigated and prosecuted; allegations of corruption by government agents; allegations that several killings were motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity; trafficking in persons; and child labor," end of quote. School security guard charged for sexual misconduct with student A fourteen year old has accused a man of unlawful carnal knowledge. According to police, the teenage girl and her father reported that on April 9, around 3:30 in the afternoon, she was her high school in Belize City when the security guard employed there called her to the third floor of the building. 82-year-old knocked down and killed in Stann Creek A traffic incident has claimed the life of an elderly man in the Stann Creek District on Thursday afternoon. According to police, shortly before two o'clock 24-year-old Shamir Leslie of Placencia Village was traveling from Belmopan to Placencia, along with two other persons in a grey Mitsubishi Outlander. Ministries learn about data gathering Today was the final day of a training held by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in partnership with the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). Earlier this week, we told you that SIB hopes to improve its data gathering by implementing a register-based statistical system. The register-based statistical system will be shared amongst ministries that are also involved in data gathering in the hopes of producing more efficient information at a reduced cost. PlusTV Guatemala says "yes" to going to the ICJ On Sunday April 15, 2018, Guatemala held its national referendum on whether or not to take the Belize Guatemala territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice. Not surprisingly, the huge majority of those who went to the polls voted "Yes". However, while it is considered a successful "Go ... Government of Belize congrats Guatemala on its referendum process Today, the Government of Belize sent out congratulations to the Government and people of Guatemala on conducting their referendum. A statement from GOB says, **"The Government acknowledges the results as a step further toward permanently settling the age-old dispute. This act of civic expression in ... Belize has set NO date for referendum Belize has not set a date for its referendum as yet, but according to the Vice President of Guatemala, Jafeth Cabrera, Belize's national referendum will be held in May of this year. Cabrera told the Guatemalan media that he was informed of this by Belize's Foreign Minister, Wilfred Elrington at the... Murder in Ranchito A man was shot and killed as he tried to foil an attempted robbery. The victim was 38 year old Ivan Emmanul Sosa. The incident happened at Pasadina bar in Ranchito Village early Sunday morning as the proprietor was closing up the building. A masked male person stood at the door and pointed what app... Jason Bellencio gunned down in Belize City There was a murder in Belize City on Sunday. The victim has been identified as 30 year old Belize City resident Jason James Bellencio . Bellencio was shot shortly before 6 p.m. as he walked on Lovely Lane in Belize City . He was shot multiple times, with several bullet wounds to his head and back. ... Two men stabbed in San Pedro Two men were stabbed during a bar fight in San Pedro Town over the weekend. Police reports are that sometime after 9 o'clock on Saturday night, Hector Lopez was stabbed to the right side of chest and received a cut wound on his upper lip. Juan Carlos Alvarado was also injured and received three cut ... Female Hitchhiker raped in Camalote area An 18 year. old female student from Camalote Village was raped while hitch hiking from Belmopan City to Camalote Village. The female student reported to Police that on Thursday of last week, she was hitch hiking from Belmopan to Camalote Village when she was picked up by a Hispanic male person in Ro... Squatters served with Eviction notice Residents in the East Piccini Extention of Belmopan scheduled a meeting for 6 p.m this evening to take further action on the squatting issue in their area. In our last newscast on Friday, we extensively covered the illegal squatting taking place within reserved areas near the Mount Pleasant Creek in the Belmopan Heights area. Our drones covered the area and to our surprise most of the southern part of the buffer is gone and in its place are cleared lands where construction of wooden homes are happening. Dangriga Business robbed A Dangriga business was reportedly robbed over the weekend. A 33 year old business woman from Dangriga Town reported to Police that on Friday at around 4:30 pm she was inside her shop with her 2 daughters when she observed a dark skinned male person at the burglar barred window. The individual asked for a twenty five cents bag of water. One of the proprietor's daughters reportedly went for the water from the freezer. Three fugitives still on the run The three prisoners who escaped from the Corozal jailhouse last Wednesday are still at large. As we reported, the three men escaped by apparently sawing through the metal bars. The fugitives are Marvin Pec, Johny Matus, and Austin Sutherland . Today, police say they have not been able to locate the men so far. Man knocked down on highway critical A young man is in critical condition at the KHMH after a suspected hit and run in Burrell Boom, and his family is asking for public assistance. Plus News understands that Christian Charles was knocked down in Burrell Boom around 4:30 a.m. yesterday while heading home from a social gathering. His brother, Kareem Myvette, spoke to us over the phone and told us what the family believes happened to Charles. Prime Minister Barrow to Meet with IMF and OAS Prime Minister Right Hon Dean Barrow departed the country today. The PM went to attend meetings with the International Monetary Fund and Organization of American States. The Prime Minister will return to Belize on Saturday, April 21st, 2018. During the Prime Minister's absence, the Hon. Hugo Patt will act as Prime Minister. This is the second time in as many weeks that Minister Patt is holding over for the PM while he is out of the country. Last week when the media met up with Minister Patt, they had asked him about his holding over for the PM for the first time and if he would be holding over again the next time the PM went out. Here is how that went. NEMO Minister Tours Humana Projects and Infrastructure Works in Toledo Minister of National Emergency Management Organization, Honorable Edmond Castro, was on a two day tour in the Toledo District alongside Humana People to People which is executing a number of projects throughout the district. The Minister's tour started off with a quick briefing in Punta Gorda, followed by a visit to Humana's Clothing Store and then a visit to 11 different communities in the District. Included in the 11 villages were Santa Teresa where they inspected a tower and solar-powered facilities to provide communication for five villages. DOUBLE MURDER NEAR CAYE CAULKER There is a double murder near Caye Caulker Village to report on tonight. Police visited a three story building on Caye Lagos four miles South of Caye Caulker Village about 3 a.m this morning, where they found the lifeless bodies of Gabriel Escalante and Mark Seawell, both from Ladyville Village. Initial police investigation revealed that Gabriel Escalante and Mark Seawell were socializing on the third floor of the building with an unknown male person about 11:30 pm on Friday night when the incident happened. Illegal Squatting in Belmopan, creek buffer chopped down Illegal squatting has intensified in Belmopan within the past few months. One particular Belmopan neighborhood is up in arms as several homes have sprung up within reserved areas near the Mount Pleasant Creek in the Belmopan Heights area . The creek runs behind the last street, Doyle's Delight street, in East Piccini Extention . Homes in the area are supposed to be protected from potential flood waters by a thick buffer of trees that used to line the creek.

Entire Thread
Subject	Posted By	Posted
Today's Belize News: April 21, 2018	Marty	04/21/18 12:59 PM
Re: Today's Belize News: April 21, 2018	Marty	04/21/18 01:00 PM