This news synopsis will be more brief than usual for a couple weeks due to a short period of time constraint.

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Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

WEEKLY WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR BELIZE
Valid: Sunday, June 24 until Monday, July 2, 2012

Tropical storm Debby in the NE Gulf of Mexico will remain nearly stationary during the next 72 hour. It will then begin a slow NE’ly motion later on Wednesday and Thursday morning, moving across northern Florida and into the SW Atlantic by late Thursday through Friday. A trough of low pressure near the surface will extend from the center of Debby to the Yucatan peninsula and Belize through Wednesday. Meanwhile, an upper level low will drift westwards to the NW Caribbean and Belize by next Monday morning. No tropical cyclone is expected to develop or move through the Caribbean over the next seven days.

Weak pressure gradient will persist over the southern Gulf of Mexico and the NW Caribbean during most of this week, with a low pressure system remaining in the vicinity of Belize and Yucatan through Friday. Some residual moisture will continue to stream into the NW Caribbean from the Pacific this week, while an upper low vortex forms over the SW Caribbean and makes it way towards the NW Caribbean over the weekend and on Monday.

Daytime heating and instability will induce more outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms over Belize and coastal waters during most of this working week and the coming weekend. However, the rainfall is not expected to be as intense and persistent as was experience last week. We will see more hours of sunshine over most districts this week.

Daily rainfall accumulations will range from 0.50-1.00 inch on Sunday through Friday over most districts, but especially in the interior. Rainfall amounts will be higher in the hilly terrain of the Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo Districts. Daily rainfall totals on Saturday through Monday will be ranging from 0.25-0.50 of-an-inch, especially in the South and along the coast. Folks in low lying areas should remain vigilant!

CLICK HERE for the full Belize Weekly Weather Report

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

Belize Hotel Association General Meeting & membership
You are cordially invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Belize Hotel Association being held on Tuesday, June 26th at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza at 1:30pm. The CEO of the Ministry of Tourism & Culture -- Tracy Taeger-Panton, will address the audience about plans for promoting Belize around the world. Plus, you will learn the many ways that BHA promotes and supports every BHA member to build more business and increase your profits. Everyone has a favorite thing about their BHA membership, but perhaps there are some other benefits you weren't so clear about. BHA membership is the smartest investment you can make in growing your hotel business. We are dedicated to driving demand for your rooms and keeping your hotel “top of mind” for thousands of travelers and travel professionals around the world, but especially in our largest travel market, the U.S. and Canada. Discover the excellent value you gain from being a BHA member and compare all of these benefits to your other options. We know you will agree with us that BHA membership delivers more value to Belize hotels than other advertising and membership offers.

Inspiration Telethon to raise funds for the Inspiration Center
Special Needs Children....from Spina Bifida, MS, Cerebral Palsy, and many more Birth Defects, our country has many children that will be able to benefit from the Inspiration Center. Check out the video

Are disabled citizens being left behind in San Pedro?
Are San Pedro taxi drivers discriminating against disabled people? That is the first question that comes to mind when a wheelchair dependent person visited with The San Pedro Sun to complain that he is being ignored by most taxi drivers. Edbin Caballeros, a Boca del Rio resident, has been confined to a wheelchair for almost two years now and there is one problem that has him upset; taxi drivers will not pick him up and he feels that he is being discriminated against. 33-year-old Caballeros believes that the reason taxi drivers would not pick him up is because he would require a little more time and patience due to his wheelchair. “Sometimes when I want their service they would say “I am busy” and then about ten feet away from me, the taxi would go and park,” explains Caballeros. A very somber and emotional Caballeros explained that he is not asking cab drivers for a free ride, all he wants is a service and to be treated with respect. “I am not asking them for a free ride; all I am doing is requesting a service which I am willing to pay for. If because of my wheelchair I need to pay eight dollars, and the normal people pay seven dollars, then I am willing to pay the additional dollar. All I want is for them to be considerate and picture themselves in my position. Most of them honk their horns at normal people, offering them taxi service, but not to the wheelchair man. I want them to have a little bit of dignity upon themselves and to treat me with respect and like any other person requesting a service,” said Caballeros. According to CARE Belize, the organization that assists disabled/handicapped people in Belize, San Pedro Town is not the only place where disabled people are discriminated against. CARE Belize explained however, that in 2011, the Government of Belize (GOB) signed on to the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which clearly outlines that all governments should ensure that disabled people’s rights are respected...

Fourth Annual Tres Pescados Slam Tournament Announced
The 4th Annual Tres Pescados Slam Tournament is set for August 23-25th, 2012. As in previous years, the event will be a three-day catch and release fly-fishing tournament for the grand slam species bonefish, permit and tarpon. We will have both a Pro division and an Amateur division. The team structure will be the same as last year, with all Pro Teams guided by a licensed Belize Tourism Board fly fishing guide, and all two person Amateur Teams without a guide. The Amateur division is open to all. This year will see some changes in the format of the tournament. New prizes, venues and donations will hopefully make this year the best one ever. We still have sponsorship slots available. El Pescador and Simms Fishing Products have secured the Presenting sponsorship positions leading the way for another great tournament in 2012. Many teams from last year and new teams have already signed up. The field of teams may be limited so enter early. This event is a 100% non-profit, volunteer tournament with all proceeds paid out or donated. Deadline for all entries is July 1st, 2012. For more information on sponsorship or team entries, please contact Wil Flack at 226-FISH or 629-6599 or email at [email protected]

Boxing in SP features Belizean and Guatemalan boxers
On the night of Friday June 22th, a large multitude came out to enjoy a night of boxing. The Rafael Angel Nuñez came alive with eight boxing matches featuring Belizean and Guatemalan boxers. During the course of the night, there was also a special presentation by the San Pedro Karate School, whose students displayed some of their techniques to the audience. Lively spectators filled the bleachers chanting for each boxer as they were called inside the ring before the fights. After the official opening, which including the rendition of both countries’ national anthems, all eyes were on the fighters in the ring. In the international fights, Belize featured boxer such as Raymond Smith, Max Williams, Sherman Galvez and Mohamed Harmouch, while the Guatemalan team featured Jeffrey Mazoza, Juan Reyes, Nerry Vega and Mayco Tello. Other Belizeans fighters that also took part in local fights were Harold, Brinton Flowers, Orwin Franco, Cesar Lemus, Horace Cadle, Alex Neal Michael Severanes, and Kenyan Righ. The Result for the fights is as follows:

Girlfriend shot and watched 20 year old boyfriend murdered
The weekend street violence started on Friday when Edmond Panton was shot and killed on Mex Avenue shortly after four o’clock. That murder was followed by another just after midnight on Saturday. Twenty year old Myrick Gladden was shot and he succumbed within an hour at the K.H.M.H. He was with his girlfriend and a [...]

Shooting at the basketball court
Hours later, at around four-forty-five on Saturday morning, shots rang out once again on the South Side of Belize City, injuring nineteen year old Nigel Augustine. Augustine was on the Dog Pound Basketball Court along with Ellis Ortiz when two male persons wearing masks and dressed in full black approached them. Both men pulled out [...]

Teachers and students protest against crime in Benque
The anti-crime protests that started in San Ignacio last week sparked another further west and in the City. In Benque Viejo Del Carmen, the B.N.T.U. joined students from seven schools who took to the streets this morning. The message from the hundreds was that they want to live in a safer Belize. News Five’s Andrea [...]

Was another child molested in the West?
There is another allegation of sexual abuse of minors in the west. Residents in Benque Viejo are angry that an alleged child predator is free after he was detained for a day. But is he still in Belize? The residents say that the day after he was released the suspect, who is highly connected, disappeared. [...]

1st round of negotiations of Superbond with bondholders to be held next week
On the financial front, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, will be presenting the national budget to the House of Representatives this Friday. The PM says we can expect an austerity budget; there is already a thirty million dollar deficit from oil revenue shortfalls. According to a report by Reuters news agency, the government has set aside [...]

Belize City Primary Schools protest against crime
Last week residents of the twin-towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena came out in full force to protest on the eve of the arraignment of alleged predator of young girls, Bert Vasquez, who is also the suspect in the murder of Jasmine Lowe. This morning in Belize City, another demonstration was held. Three schools [...]

Bicyclists rob gas station attendant and supervisor
Just before four p.m. on Sunday two masked bandits targeted Esso Superstation on Cemetery Road near the Pound Yard Bridge. Twenty-six year old Supervisor Anorio Coc says that while inside the station, three men rode up to the gas station on separate bicycles, brandishing firearms. Two of the assailants robbed Coc of an undisclosed amount [...]

Rape and Robbery of U.S. Citizen in Dangriga
An aggravated burglary turned into a case of rape of a U.S. National in Dangriga Town. The fifty-four year old U.S. citizen reported that sometime around three Saturday morning, she was sleeping when two men wearing stockings over their heads and rags over their faces gained access into her home. One of the assailants tied [...]

Bailey won’t get bail for Attempted Murder
A Raccoon Street resident has been arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred two months ago. Forty-one year old Larry Sutherland was shot on April twenty-first and the suspected gunman is twenty year old Devon Bailey, who appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer this morning. Bailey was charged with Attempted Murder, Use of Deadly [...]

Residents carrying illegal weapons taken to prison
Two illegal firearms were taken off the streets on Sunday and so were the men carrying them. Thirty year Kareem Bennett and twenty-seven year old Chris Reynolds were both remanded to the Belize Central Prison after being charged for separate incidents. Bennett was arraigned in the court of Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart for Kept Firearm [...]

UB Professor says sex predators never caught on 1st offence
Last Wednesday, the long arms of the law caught up with twenty-eight year old Bert Vasquez, the Belize City man who faces a murder charge for Jasmine Lowe and eleven counts of common assault, one count of abduction and one count of aggravated assault on eleven minors in the west. But prior to those charges, [...]

Swift action by GSU leads to arrest of gun toting robbers
On Saturday shortly after two o’clock in the morning, a team of GSU officers were conducting an operation when they came across two men who reported that they had just been robbed on Barrack Road by two persons on bicycles. One of the victims claimed that he was hit on the face by an armed [...]

Cops clean up streets during Police Week
The Community Policing Unit has embarked on a project that entails the Broken Windows Theory which is a concept in which the upkeep of the environments may stop vandalism and crime. This morning, police took on neighborhoods in the city where violence-prone areas have been targeted for rehabilitation. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports from Euphrates [...]

Lord’s Bank resident wins September Celebrations Theme Competition
A winner has been selected in the annual Theme Competition for the September celebrations. In 2011, the competition had record participation with a hundred and sixty entries, but there’s a new record this year as one hundred and ninety-five themes were submitted. Topping them all was Lord’s Bank resident, Emogeen Young Ramclam, who is a [...]

James Adderley captivating weekend moments in Sports
Good Evening, I’m James Adderley. Welcome, this to this portion of Sports Monday. Twenty-eight of Belize’s Elite cyclists congregated at La Democracia on the Western Highway yesterday for the start of the 13th National Road Championship as presented by the Belize Cycling Association including the defending champion, Byron Pope who goes in holding the record [...]

Maestro Reyes School of Knowledge Bids Farewell
“Pomp and Circumstances” filled the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church on Saturday, June 23, 2012, as nine proud students of Maestro Reyes School (MRSK) triumphantly marched up the aisle to receive certificates in elementary education. This year’s graduation was extra special as it was the very last graduation for Maestro Reyes’ School of Knowledge. Kieran Nuñez gave the valedictory address which was followed by a very emotional principal’s address by Mr. Leonel Reyes. In his speech Mr. Reyes expressed his gratitude to all the community for its unending support throughout his teaching careers (24 years as teacher/principal at San Pedro RC School and 21 years as teacher/principal at MRSK).

Santiago Castillo Caravan Give-Aways in San Pedro
The SanCas Caravan was in San Pedro and Caye Caulker this past weekend giving away products and cash to unsuspecting residents. Staff members of Santiago Castillo Limited visited homes in La Isla Bonita in search for San Cas grocery items. If they found 10 or more items in their pantry or fridge, they prized residents with a free hamper full of products from the company! It’s is a way for the company to give back to customers who use their products and are loyal to the brands they carry. To the surprise of the Ambergris Today family, the San Cas Caravan stopped at Nuñez Nest residence where Mrs. Ligia Nuñez was awarded with a gift basket for having a bit over the required 10 San Cas products.

Belize's Ministry of Health Confirms Cases of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease
The Ministry of Health confirms the presence of a few clusters of a mild, self-limiting viral illness in children consistent with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Cases are mainly from Belize City. The Epidemiology Unit can confirm just fewer than one hundred cases of this contagious viral illness which is not be confused with Foot and Mouth Disease or Mad Cow Disease. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat and blisters that may appear on the mouth, hands, feet and sometimes on the buttocks, with complete recovery within one week. Treatment includes fever reducers, pain relievers and soothing liquids and cases can be managed at any health facility countrywide. The disease is spread through coughing, sneezing and poor hygiene. The public is reminded to practice proper hygiene, frequent hand-washing and cough etiquette to help prevent the spread of this and other communicable diseases. The Ministry will continue to monitor the disease and duly advise the public.

Old Timer Or Modern Sanpedrano? Num. 17
YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER SANPEDRANO IF On July 15, the first day of the lobster season, you went, “Wow! when you learned that one fisherman delivered only fifty pounds of lobster but yet he earned a whopping $1,000.00. YOU KNOW YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER SANPEDRANO IF On the first day of the lobster season you used to be extremely excited about the fact that you were going to make a big delivery of your catch and that you would make a lot of money.YOU KNOW YOU ARE A MODERN DAY SANPEDRNO BECAUSE The first day of the season is as normal as any ordinary day. There is not much excitement because you know your catch is small.YOU KNOW YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER SANPEDRANO IF You only knew of two ways of eating lobster and it is by boiling them and then you hash and panfry. The other way was by making a delicious soup with them- a soup called ‘chechak’ which uses the red recado seasoning and coconut milk. YOU KNOW YOU ARE A MODERN DAY SANPEDRANO IF You have learned a whole variety of ways of preparing lobster dishes. You are talking about the two old traditional ways plus curry lobster, lobster in coconut cream, baked lobsters, lobster ceviche, lobster burgers, lobster kabobs, and more.

Wet Willy’s is Back with Something Good!
Have you been to Wet Willy’s lately? It’s not the same place that you remember as the new owners are making the fun at the end of the famous dock more family oriented by day and with plenty of fun and entertainment at night. One piece of kitchen equipment that is making a world of difference at Wet Willy’s is a smoker which chef Stephen Kilshenstein is a pro at using to slowly cook meats and creating some delicious food that sets the establishment apart. With a brand new kitchen...