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The San Pedro Sun

Three dead in shootout on northern Ambergris Caye
The Police Department held a press conference today Monday July 9th to disclose details relating to a shooting incident that occurred on northern Ambergris Caye in the Bacalar Chico National Park area near Rocky Point. The shooting incident is as a result of a special operation conducted by joint armed forces along the coastline of northern Ambergris Caye. During the incident three people were shot and killed. One of the victims has been identified as 18 year old Kendal Flowers of a Yarborough Area in Belize City. The other two people remain unidentified, and are described only as Hispanics. According to Police, sometime around 6AM on Saturday, July 7th, the special armed forces were on a special operation that was launched some 17 miles north of San Pedro Town. The operation was concentrated within a ten mile range from Boca Bacalar Chico south to Rocky Point located in the Bacalar Chico National Park. "The operation was launched as a result of information gained on armed groups operating in this area acting hostile to elements of the community causing them to fear for their lives and welfare. The security forces recognizing that this was our direct responsibility launched an operation to clear the area of any forces that were indeed operating in this area, armed or unarmed, as long as they were acting hostile or conducting elicit or illegal activity," said the Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard John Borland. According to Borland, the operation started at the Boca Bacalar Chico (Belize-Mexico Border at the tip of Ambergris Caye) and progressed on foot southwards concentrated within ten miles.

Flavours of Belize Cookbook launched
With over 120 Authentic recipes, from delectable soups and starters to main courses and desserts, Flavors Of Belize Features specialties of the Maya, Mestizo, Creole, East Indian, Garifuna, Chinese, Caribbean, Lebanese And the British. This Incredible cookbook also captures the influences of Belize's Rich history and culture, ingredients and cooking styles from far and wide. With Detailed recipes and beautiful photographs, your kitchen can now be home to the same delicious dishes that have made Belizean Cuisine famous around the world. "Whenever I travel, I'm reminded just how incredible Belizean Food is," says Tanya McNab, Publisher and the creative force behind the making of Flavors of Belize. "I wanted to offer every interested cook around the globe a complete, authoritative hardcover cookbook on the best of our delicious cuisine," she says. Flavors of Belize Is the perfect gift for every Belizean cook, and it makes a wonderfully unique gift for friends and family living abroad who want the taste sensations of home and to experience the best of Belize At breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ambergris Today

Three Men Dead After Armed Forces Operations Intercept Illegal Activity
Shocking news of a shootout around the northernmost isolated areas of North Ambergris Caye, near the Mexican border, were heard over the weekend as authorities came across some illegal activity taking place around the Rocky Point area. The Police Press Office has sent out this report on the incident: On Saturday, July 7, 2012, about 3:30p.m. a joint Armed Forces Operation was launched about one mile North of the Rocky Point area on Ambergris Caye, Belize, where they saw four male persons near the coastline behaving suspicious. As a result, the joint operation stormed the area where the male persons opened fire at the members of the joint operation who took cover in the nearby bushes and returned fire. The exchange of fire lasted about ten minutes after which the joint operation conducted a search of the surroundings where they found the motionless bodies of two Hispanic males. One male was described as having a low haircut, wearing a black T-Shirt, an aqua boxers, a camouflage jacket and pants, no foot wear with apparent gunshot wounds and the second male was wearing a black T-shirt, an orange boxer, a camouflage jacket and pants, a black Air brand right foot tennis shoe with two suspected gunshot wounds. The body of a dark complexioned Creole descent male was also found. He had twisted hair wearing a light blue boxer, a camouflage jacket and pants and a black pair of protege brand tennis shoes. He has since been identified as 18-year-old Kendal Flowers, of the Yarborough Area in Belize City who is known by Belize City Police and affiliated to one of the gangs in Belize City. A fourth person of Hispanic descent was seen running away from the area in the nearby bushes. A search was conducted in order to apprehend this person, but it resulted fruitless. At the scene, where the three male persons were lying motionless, the joint operations team found (1) M-16 Rifle S/N 4806071, (2) M4 Carbine Rifles S/N unknown, (7) 9mm Aguila brand live rounds ammunitions, (21) .223 REM brand, (24) .223 WCC brand, (9) .223 Aguila brand and (1) .223 LC08 brand - making it a total of (115) .223 live rounds of ammunition, (4) 30 rounds capacity empty magazine, (1) 20 rounds capacity empty magazine, (21) 5.56 expended shells, (7) .223 expended shells, (2) black bullet proof vest, (2) black BUSH NELL brand binoculars, (1) camouflage jacket, (369) grams of cannabis and (1) 9 mm empty magazine were found and confiscated by the police. Commander of the Belize Coast Guard Elton Bennett reported that the M-16 Rifle with serial number 4806071 is one that went missing from the Belize Defense Force headquarters last year.

Costa Maya Festival 2012 Presents Miss Nicaragua
The International Costa Maya Festival is happy to announce Miss Nicaragua, Ivey Jellisa Alvarez Hunter, vying for the title of Reina de la Costa Maya 2012. Ivey is 20 years old, 5'6?, and is fluent in English and Spanish. Let us all welcome Ivey to this year's International Costa Maya Festival. She will join seven other contestants from around the Mundo Maya countries, including Belize, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama Rica, at the Miss Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant (August 2, 2012) that will take place during the San Pedro International Costa Maya Festival taking place from August 2 to August 5, 2012.

Mel Spain Takes Lead of San Pedro Lions Club
"I believe in working hard and having fun at the same time�and I take this leadership position to promote more Lionistic action within our community," commented Mel Spain as she was officially sworn in as the new Lion President this past Saturday, July 7, 2012, along with her new board of directors for the club. It was a historic event for the San Pedro Lions Club as this is the first time the club has elected a female president for three consecutive terms. Lion members from Belize City and neighboring Chetumal, Mexico attended the installation ceremonies. Outgoing president Marina Kay commented on all the great work the club did during her leadership and she was especially proud of bringing back the Leos Club and involving the youth into Lionism. She welcomed Mel Spain and pledged her support to her and the club.

San Pedro Junior College Graduates 20!
Saturday, July 7, 2012, the San Pedro Junior College held its graduation ceremony at the R. Angel Nu�ez Auditorium, under the distinguished patronage of Mr. and Mrs. Alfonso Castillo. Twenty proud graduates walked down the isle as their family and guests recieved them with a standing ovation. The graduates had the previelege of receving inspiring words from guest speaker Mr. Jahmor Lopes, District Education Manager for Belize District. Ambergris Today congratulates all the graduates on their grand accomplishment.

Anita's Baby Shower
Saturday, July 7, 2012 Anita Paz celebrated her baby shower with her friends and family. The beautiful zebra decorated themed shower was full of fun and exciting games entertaining the guests. Congratulations to Anita and Manuel!

Dying Arts Of Fishermen -Heart-Shaped Fish Wire Traps #2
Besides the art of knitting gill nets, another dying art is that of the heart-shaped fish wire traps constructed along the coastline. In fact, San Pedro has gone from about 25 wire traps to about four or five at the most. For about one thousand dollars, you can build yourself a fish trap, which may yield three to four thousand dollars during one season. This all depends on the location, how hard you work your trap and of course your "good luck". First get all your building materials to erect a brand new fish trap. 1 roll chicken wire - 4 feet wide for the tail 2. I roll chicken wire - 6 feet wide for heart 3. 200 poles - about 7 & 8 feet in length 4. 2 or 3 rolls tying wire. 5. A pair of pliers

San Pedro High School Peace Corp Volunteers in the 1970's
This is a funny photo with lots of historical, fond memories. This Peace Corps volunteer in 1975 would do anything for his San Pedro High School students. He taught three subjects, coached sports, directed choir, personally built the first science lab, offered night studies, did his own laundry, decorated the church, decorated for prom, chaperoned the first prom in 1976, cooked for the musical band and he would have celebrated mass but was not authorized to do so. His name is Jerry Doetzer. This day he was detention supervisor of Chris Nu�ez, Bob Krueger, Odilia Nu�ez and Milly Castillo so Jerry climbed the post to indicate that he would keep a close eye on them. The site is presently the property of Alijua Building since SPHS was using a small wood building lent to the school by Mr. Apolono 'Tuto' Alamilla (RIP), a school benefactor. NOTE: All of today's teachers can learn a lesson from Jerry Doetzer.

San Pedro High School Peace Corp Volunteers in the 1970's
Sunday, July 8, 2012, The San Pedro High School Baseball Team gathered at the R. Angel Nu�ez Auditorium, where they all had the previledge to meet Mr. Chris Bonnet from International Sports Outreach. Mr. Bonnet had some very inspiring words and experiences to share with the team and also was very proud to know that they are the first ever baseball team in the country of Belize. The SPHS Baseball team was very honored to have received a huge donation of equipment from Mr. Bonnet. Mr. Marion Mejia (Coach and Manager), Mr. Paul Kelly and Mr. Derrick Jones shared some kind words and gave thanks to Mr. Bonnet for contribution to the team. The SPHS Baseball Team and coaches Marion Mejia, Paul Kelly, Derrick Jones, Mario Hernandez and Johnito Majerrez would like to extend a huge thanks to their partners Dave and Jo Nisbet, Mark Tatko (International Sports Outreach).

San Pedro's Island Cowboy
In San Pedro there are many different people from all walks of life, but some of them stand out more than others. We have our own unique characters on the island such as Paisano (deceased), Coconut Leo and now The Island Cowboy. I had the opportunity of meeting Michael Gillett, The Island Cowboy, and chatting with him about his unique bicycle that he rides around town with. The humble cowboy gave me a brief description on how he customized his bicycle with the help of some friends in San Ignacio, Cayo. This amazing Cowboy is known for his dress code and, most of all, his unique bicycle that he rides around town (trust me it is so difficult to ride the bike, it took me a while to get the hang of it). Many tourists and locals enjoy taking pictures and talking to him. Next time you are in San Pedro keep a look out for The Island Cowboy.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize To Get Four Seasons Resort
Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has confirmed that an agreement will shortly be signed to bring to bring a Four Seasons Resort to Belize with Arab funding. Speaking in a radio broadcast interview today Mr. Barrow said that his government has given the go ahead for the Qatar Sovereign Fund to take over the small island of Caye Chapel off the coast of Belize City and establish Belize's first 5 star luxury hotel. "We have given the go ahead. Negotiations are all but finalized and the details of the investment are being worked on between the Qatar Sovereign Fund and the Belize Bank Limited, who have the island on their foreclosed properties portfolio," said Mr. Barrow. The Prime Minister added that the developers will make an investment of US $125. million and bring much needed jobs to the area.

Flying fish management plan coming for Eastern Caribbean
A management plan for the sustainable harvesting of flying fish among the islands of the eastern Caribbean has been developed. (Photo: care2.com) BELMOPAN, Belize; Monday July 9, 2012 - A management plan for the sustainable harvesting of flying fish among the islands of the eastern Caribbean has been developed for implementation by the middle of next year according to the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM). In a release issued to report on the eighth CRFM Scientific Meeting, which took place recently in Kingstown in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the regional fisheries organization revealed that it had developed this plan in collaboration with United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission. The CRFM said once implemented, this management plan would "represent a landmark achievement for formal regional cooperation in the management of a shared fishery resource among countries of the Eastern Caribbean"

Cayo Christian Academy Community Outreach
The Cayo Christian Academy has some pictures from their community outreach at More Tomorrow Primary School and Octavia Waight Centre. Thanks, CCA!

Miss Belize Jewely Photoshoot
The Miss Belize delegates did a photoshoot where they showcased some of Eye Candy's high end jewelry. Looks nice! Congratulations again to Cayo's Destinee Arnold, the new Queen of the Jewel.

Summer Art Wave Classes
Benque's House of Culture is starting their Summer Art Wave classes tomorrow. They will be teaching entrepreneur skills for the craft industry, and tomorrow kicks off the Weaving and Basketry courses, which will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 5:00 through August 2nd. Call 823-2597 for more information. Thanks, NICH! "The Summer Art Wave Courses are here once more to enhance entrepreneur skills in the Craft Industry, starting soon during the month of July & August 2012"

Cayo Twist Ice Cream
Whether you want a float, sundae, shake, cone, or even a quart, Cayo Twist is the spot. They've got banana splits and Blizzards too! Their ice cream is great for diabetics too. They're open Thursdays and Fridays from 6:00 to 9:30, and Saturdays and Sundays from 5:00 to 9:30. Get your quarts to last you through the week.

Channel 7

Police/Coast Gaud/BDF Kill 3 In Firefight On Northern Ambergris
San Pedro may be Belize's tourist mecca, but some 20 miles up the coast in the vast, mostly unoccupied terrain of Northern Ambergris Caye - the bloodsport of what's called "kilo" fishing, and hunting is a deadly pursuit. That's where more than a few errant drug drops intended for southern Mexico have been known to wash up. And whenever there's cocaine floating in the water - those in the drug business or the "come-up-quick" business start circling like sharks. And it's reports of that kind of dangerous circling that got the Police, the BDF and the Coast Guard to spearhead an operation on Saturday. It ended in a spectacular showdown - a firefight between lawmen and outlaws - that left three of those outlaws dead - even though they were armed to the teeth - with assault rifles courtesy of the BDF. How did that happen? It's part of one of the most extraordinary law enforcement engagements in recent memory. Jules Vasquez has the story:..

Family Says Loved One Was Executed By Lawmen
And while law enforcement units are privately calling it a victory - the family of Kendale Flowers is bitterly angry. They say police executed their 18 year old loved one. We visited the area today and found angry resentment for police - in a place that death has visited far too often:.. Jules Vasquez reporting 18 year old Kendale Tulu Flowers lived here at the corner of Caesar Ridge and Fabers Road - in the public housing known as the Long Barracks. His two brothers, Meldrick and Peter " Jambwai"- also both lived here - and they were killed in 2007 and 2012, respectively - both victims of gang warfare and gun violence. They were the three sons of Shelmadine "Shemmy" Middleton - and all are now dead. Shelmadine

Delivery Man Shot In Face During Robbery Attempt
34 year-old Marty Goff, a Belize City deliveryman, is currently in critical condition at the KHMH after he was shot in the face by 2 men who were attempting to rob him. According to police, he was making a delivery at the YM Store, which is located on M&M Street. He exited the vehicle, and he was ambushed by 2 men who attacked and shot him in an attempt to rob him of his company's proceeds. He was rushed to the hospital, and 7News arrived on the scene shortly after. We spoke to a very upset resident, who asked to appear off-camera. She told us that she felt angry and upset for an innocent man - whom she has no relation to - and whose life was treated as trivial. Here's how she described what she saw: Resident "My son and my nephew went to the shop; they had just entered the yard. Seconds after that I heard a gunshot went off. I told my son to get down low; when I look I didn't see no one running or anything. A little after that I heard someone saying call the police. When I came outside I saw a helpless man on the street that was doing his job, who gets up every day.

Cumberbatch Convicted
28 year-old Knox Cumberbatch, a man who was charged with 3 counts of attempted murder, was convicted on all counts this afternoon before Justice Adolph Lucas. The 3 key witnesses were the men who accused Cumberbatch of the offenses. The only victim, who was shot, Uwani Nunez, testified that in July of 2007, he was hanging out his 2 friends on the Central Park basketball court when Cumberbatch and one of his friends got into an argument. According to Nunez, Cumberbatch left the court and returned with a firearm and shot him in the right hip. The prosecution called the victim's 2 friends who with him. They testified that when Cumberbatch attempted to ride away on bicycle, he had difficulty because of the beach sand. They said that they were able to wrestle with him, and detain him until police arrived to officially arrest him. Cumberbatch, who was unrepresented, gave a dock statement placing himself on the scene of the shooting that day, but he gave a completely different story.

Man Chopped, Left For Dead, Survives In Ditch After 20 Hours
A man is in critical condition at the KHMH tonight after he was viciously chopped up on Thursday night and left in a ditch to die. It happened in Benque Viejo on Thursday night. 40 year old Abner Segura a San Ignacio Resident and employee of Blancaneux resort had gone into Benque to have a few drinks with friends. They went their own way - and it is believed that sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 Segura was walking home when he was attacked. He was robbed on his cell phone, wallet, wedding ring and other jewelry - and he was also chopped across his hands and in his head. Then, he was thrown in a remote ditch near the Benque border. When he didn't get home that night - the family started searching for him in Cayo. But it wouldn't be until Friday afternoon at around five pm that a young girl happened upon him in the ditch. 20 rainy hours after being assaulted, he was still alive, but just barely; he had been bleeding all night and was in a very bad way. According to the family - his blood count was close to zero. He underwent surgery for the injury to the head which cracked his skull - and is in the intensive care unit. He is on a respirator and his prognosis is guarded.

Entire Family Remanded For Ammunition
43 year-old Romie Anthony, her son, 24 year-old Amir Anthony, and her 14 year-old daughter are all on remand tonight after they were taken to the Magistrate's Court for unlicensed ammunition. According to police, on last week Friday, July 6, they searched the Anthony residence at #7796 Lacroix Boulevard. When the officers checked the flooring of the house, they found three 16-gauge shotgun cartridges in a black plastic bag, and as a result, they charged all 3 family members with keeping unlicensed ammunition. They were taken before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer this morning, where they all pleaded not guilty to the charges. Due to the nature of the offense, Senior Magistrate Frazer could not grant them bail, and as a result, Romie and Amir Anthony were remanded to prison, while the 14 year-old minor was remanded to the Youth Hostel. They are to return to Magistrate's Court on August 9.

Troubleshooting Transport: Castro Takes Bus To Bus
Everyone has their own idea of what's wrong with the bus system - and a good number of them are right - because there's so much wrong. Of course, one of the things that wrong is that many of the decision-makers in the Transport Departments don't know the first thing about busses because they don't ride them. But, the new Minister of Transport Edmund "Clear the Land" Castro decided he wanted a hands on feel. Today, 7News accompanied him as he decided to tour the current runs of the bus owners who currently have licenses. It is now the time of the renewal of those licenses. It's is part of his "Undercover Boss" attempt to get a feel for what the ordinary commuter experiences with the problems the portolio now faces.

U-19 Softballers Blast Federation
Early this year, the Softball Federation of Belize invited Belize's best under - 19 softballers to try out for the national team - which would compete later this month in regional games in Nicaragua. Over 20 young women signed up for the 18 slots - and they have been participating in weekly workouts at the Rogers Stadium. That was until Saturday morning when they were notified by their coach that the trip to the tournament had been cancelled - just like that. Well, they marched straight over to our studio to tell us that they were very disappointed and very angry. Here's what they said:.. Arneek Baptist, U-19 Tryout "Our coach read a memo saying that the federation says that they don't have the amount of money to send us - they don't have $20,000.00 to waste on us, so they will not send us outside, they will leave us in Belize because they say that we are not ready. But we work out on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday." Jules Vasquez "But all of you guys showed up for work out?" Arneek Baptist, U-19 Tryout "Some people come all the way from down south, Orange Walk and all different places they come to work out, they don't give us money for passage. Do you know the amount of money we have to pay to work out in Belize for them to tell us this this morning."

Basketball On The Blacktop
The Sprite and Belikin three on three tournament for the Belize district was played on Saturday on the blacktop at the River Tavern Parking Lot. The turnout was disappointing - and it rained, but still it was an encouraging start of a promising new type of competition - in which Belize can compete internationally. 7 news was there and we spoke with the organizer and a few of the players:.. Paul Thompson - President, Belize Basketball Federation "Today as we said we have good energy. Now everyone will know what it is we were talking about when we say 3 by 3 basketball. This is a great atmosphere; I believe this is a perfect parking lot for this. I have participated in one before in the United States and this as good as it gets anywhere in the world. So everyone knows now what type of basketball game this; 3 by 3." Cassian "Russian" Flowers, Team Yabra "The caliber of ball we used to play with back then - we still have it, in the league we got edge up in age but that still doesn't matter. People can come out and enjoy themselves and face us in a competition. We are willing to compete."

Queen Of The Jewel Named
On Saturday night, the Queen of the Jewel Miss Belize Pageant was held at Bliss Institute. 9 participants competed against each other in 6 categories. At the end, Destiny Dominique Arnold was chosen by a panel of the judges as the 2012 Queen of the Jewel. Today, 7News caught up with Miss Arnold, and she described for us what it means to be the current holder of that title. Destiny Dominique Arnold, Queen of the Jewel "I became the Queen of the Jewel through hard work and dedication. We started the process maybe 3 weeks ago and we travel around the country to various locations such as Caye Caulker, San Pedro, Cayo and we went through training courses on how to walk, how to talk, how to act and now I am here." "I am now the beauty ambassador for Belize and I will represent our country in various places of the world and hopefully I can show people the beauty I see in our country and that's going to be my job for this year."

Channel 5

Military Operation kills 3 men who had stolen B.D.F. weapon
Three persons were killed on Saturday� but before you think it was the regular gang related violence in Belize City, it was not. A joint patrol of the Belize Defense Force and the Belize Coast Guard engaged in a full scale battle with armed civilians who brandished similar weapons as well as both regular caliber [...]

Belize City resident one of men killed on San Pedro
The investigation is spawning into a multi-agency effort as now the police have a clear link to the forty-two weapons that were stolen from the B.D.F.'s storehouse at Price Barracks in October 2011. For that to succeed, the identities of the two other deceased men must also be confirmed. The police have identified Kendale Flowers [...]

Robbers try to kill truck driver
And though Belize City still lost a resident to gun fire, Flower's death will not be recorded as a murder. The streets were relatively tame over the weekend but this afternoon another resident, Marty Goff of Gill Street was gunned down. Our last check with his family revealed that he is fighting for his life. [...]

Bar fight leaves man in critical condition
Goff is not the only Belize City resident fighting for his life, another man is in critical condition at the K.H.M.H. after he was stabbed over the weekend. On Sunday evening around four, Salvadoran national, twenty-nine year old Jose Azueta, was involved in a fight on Newtown Barracks when he was stabbed to the left [...]

Cumberbatch Guilty of Attempted Murder on island
Shortly after midday today, a jury of nine persons went into the deliberating room to discuss the case of twenty-eight year old Knox Cumberbatch, who was on trial for Attempted Murder. Two hours later, they returned before Justice Adolph Lucas and announced that Cumberbatch was found guilty of trying to kill Uwani Nunez, Leroy Ramos [...]

Analyst says time to "Know Your Budget"
The 2012/2013 budget will be debated shortly. News Five has spoken to an analyst who has delved into the details of the budget book. In the series presented by the analyst called "Know Your Budget", the expert says that there is key emphasis that Belize's economy is export driven. This means we depend largely on [...]

Road to Jalacte experience mudslide
The road to Jalacte Village, near the southern border in the Toledo District had to be closed after a mudslide on Sunday night. The road is currently undergoing infrastructural upgrades, being done by Cisco Construction. But one of the hills in the area that were cut through as part of the works collapsed, presumably due [...]

Phone companies ready to turn off unregistered phones
Though it doesn't really compare, a lot of people across the country may feel the digital age's earth shifting and collapsing under their feet. The super information highway is often travelled not on a desktop computer, but on a cellular phone. Conversing, texting, emailing, and paying bills are only some of the ways in which [...]

3 persons missing: 2 girls and 1 male adult
Three persons, including two young girls are reported missing. On Friday, fourteen year old Roxanne Hernandez left her grandmother's home in Dangriga and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Roxanne, who is from the Youth Hostel, reportedly packed a bag of clothes and left the house in the company of another girl. The minor [...]

Police capture Welcome with over 25,000 grams of weed
An early morning patrol in the Benque Viejo area netted cannabis amounting to fifty-five and a half pounds. On Sunday morning Benque Police were on mobile patrol in the Lomas Del Rodeo area when a pickup truck made a sudden stop and two men exited. One of men, who had a red sack in his [...]

Protecting girls vulnerable to predators
Trafficking in persons is considered a crime that often goes under the radar, but its presence in Belize has not been overlooked. Earlier this year, the country's first human trafficking convictions were recorded when two Cayo women were found guilty in separate cases for recruiting teenage girls to become prostitutes. The Anti-trafficking in Persons (ATIPS) [...]

Human Trafficking in Belize; how to legislate change
At this morning's launch, Ministry of Human Development C.E.O., Judith Alpuche, acknowledged that Belize maintained its tier two status on the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report for 2012, which means that country is making strides but there is still work to be done. The report looks at the three P's of fighting trafficking [...]

The New Miss Belize and the candidate disqualified after a fight
On Friday we introduced you to the candidates vying to be the next Miss Belize. The pageant was held at the Bliss Auditorium in Belize City on Saturday night and the winner was Roaring Creek's Destinee Arnold. It was a well attended pageant, but not everyone appreciated the outcome. There was a physical fight, a [...]

James Adderley's groundbreaking sports update
Good Evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   The torrential downpour over the weekend put a hurt on the sporting scene here in the Jewel. Much interest had been focused on the Harrison Parks cricket semi-finals showdown between Excellence of Double Head and Brilliant of Crooked Tree on Saturday but the rains [...]

LOVE FM

RESIDENTS OF CRISTO REY NOW HAVE RUNNING WATER
After two and a half months without running water, resident of Cristo Rey village in the Cayo district got relief over the weekend. On Saturday evening a replacement pump was installed and the village's water system restored. The restoration work started on Thursday a...

SAN PEDRO LIONS CLUB APPOINTS A NEW PRESIDENT
The Lions Club of San-Pedro has appointed a new President and they are optimistic and excited about plans going forward. Love News spoke by telephone with the new president, Mel Spain. MEL SPAIN, President of San Pedro Lions Club "Well it's a privilege an...

ANNUAL IGNACIO CACHO LIBRARY SUMMER CAMP IS UNDERWAY
We now join Dangriga Correspondent Harry Arzu for an event held at the Dangriga Library. HARRY ARZU, Reporter "The annual Ignacio Cacho Library Summer camp is currently underway at the Dangriga library. Librarian, Beverly Marin told Love News that the obj...

POLICE RECOVERS BODY FROM MOPAN RIVER
The body of a man that was recovered from the Mopan River in San Jose Succotz on Saturday Morning has been identified as that of Manuel Perez Lopez, a Mexican National who was employed by the Guatemalan Mechanical rides presently in Benque Viejo Del Carmen for their annual Benque Fiest...

EIGHT STUDENTS RECEIVE HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS
Eight deserving primary school leaving students will receive high school scholarships, five south side youths of Belize City will be afforded an opportunity to become proficient small craft sailors and some 60 under-privileged youths will be hosted at a grass roots Summer Camp du...

DRUG BUST IN BENQUE LEADS TO THE DISCOVERY OF CANNABIS
A drug bust in Benque has led to the discovery of a large sum of Cannabis. According to Police, they attempted to stop a silver two door Nissan Pickup truck yesterday around six thirty am in the Lomas del Rodeo Area in Benque Viejo Town but the vehicle sped off. When police...

EARLY MORNING ROBBERY TAKES PLACE IN PUNTA GORDA
An armed Robbery was reported this morning in Punta Gorda. Our Toledo Correspondent Paul Mahung has the story PAUL MAHUNG, Reporter "The armed robbery happened at the King's Service Station at the northern entrance of town at about 6:15 AM. Th...

PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE ADDRESSES ISSUES IN BELIZE
The debate on the 2012-2013 fiscal budget opens on Wednesday in Belmopan. It is anticipated to be one of the more robust debates in recent times, as the House of Representatives considers a Bill where the administration of Prime Minister Dean Barrow is proposing to spend seven hu...

CTV3

Hit and Run Accident OnThe Northern Highway Claims The Life of One Man
Last night the Northern Highway played witness to a hit and run accident that claimed the life of 56 year old Tower Hill resident Isabel Carballo. The horrific accident occurred around 8:30 last night between miles 50 and 51 of the Northern Highway between the junction of BSI and the Guinea Grass Road. When we arrived at the scene Carballo's dismantled body had already been taken to the Northern Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. At the scene of the accident a member of the fire department washed Carballo's blood from the pavement while pieces of what appeared to be the victim's brain were still visible on the highway. Reports are that the victims head was run over several times by oncoming vehicles before a driver stopped to render aid, but it was too late, Carballo was already dead. According to the driver of the vehicle he was coming from the Tower Hill Area when he came upon the body lying in the middle of the highway and immediately called the police. Investigations have revealed that Carballo was walking on the left hand side of the highway from a north to south direction when he was hit by a vehicle travelling from an unknown direction. Police investigations continue.

Fifty Year Old Gone Missing Family Fears The Worst
Fifty year old Raphael Torres left home almost three weeks ago and since then no one has seen or heard from him. According to family members, on Saturday morning at around 6:00, Torres, who is from the Louisiana Area, left home en route to Belize City. At that time he had just been hired by an individual to be their cook on board a vessel that would be heading out to sea. Torres was to return home in two weeks time but it's been three weeks and his family is unaware of his whereabouts. Lucy Novelo, Sister "Yo solo quería decir que si alguien lega a saber de el que por favor se comuniqu� con nosotros porque mi mama esta enferma y esta llorando a su hijo y ella quiere saber. Ayer que ella supo la noticia que su hijo no fue a trabajar ella quedo muy preocupada y todos queremos saber adonde se encuentra porque no sabemos de el. Mi papa esta enfermito y tambi�n el quiere saber de su hijo. Mi hermano todos lo conocen porque el le gusta tomar y así pero mi mama dice que ella todo su pensamiento que su hijo esta trabajando. Ella dice que le fue a preguntar a la se�ora donde el fue y ella dijo que mi hermano lego en donde estaba la plebe y el dijo que va a regresar y dejo su bolsa de ropa. La se�ora dice que a el lo estaban esperando y nunca regreso y la gente lo dejaron. Eso es todo lo que sabemos de el." If you have any information on the whereabouts of Torres you are asked to contact his family at telephone numbers 670-3035, 666-0031, or 653-8077 or the nearest police station.

Shots Fired In The Louisiana Area No One Is Injured
The peace and quite of the Louisiana Area was once again interrupted as shots rang out last night. We say again because on Wednesday night several gun shots were heard coming from Royal Palm and Humming Bird Street located in the Louisiana Area. At the scene police found 6 expended shells believed to belong to a 9mm pistol. Luckily no one was injured and to date all that is known is that a man dressed in dark clothing was seen in area on bicycle. Minutes after the shots rang out the individual was seen leaving the area with what appeared to be a gun in hand. That was on Wednesday and around 8:30 last night residents of the Louisiana Area this time those living along Liberty Avenue were shaken out of their wits as a barrage of bullets rang out into the night. According to an eye witness, the shooting involved two individuals who were riding separate bicycles. The first shooter was allegedly wearing a black shirt and he rode up from Boundary Road to Liberty Avenue while the second man who was wearing a white shirt was riding in the opposite direction. The witness claims the two men met face to face at the junction of Liberty Avenue and Boundary Road and that's when both men drew out their guns and fired at each other.

Supply of Electricity Interupted In The Orange Walk District
We start tonight's newscast by apologising to our daily viewers for not airing the news on Friday. As the stories were being prepared, including the budget presentation, the supply of electricity was interrupted in the entire Orange Walk District. Here at home, we were unable to continue with the preparation of the news due to faults on our backup power supply system. Those stories; however, will be aired tonight. According to the Belize Electricity Limited, at around 3:22 in the afternoon power supply was lost when a system interruption was experienced on the distribution line which provides electricity to the entire district. BEL workers identified that the supply of electricity was interrupted due to a damaged lightning arrestor within the Buena Vista Substation. Equipment within the substation was reconfigured to remove the damaged lightning arrestor from the circuit and at 7:20p.m power supply was restored to the entire Orange Walk District.

Fire Leaves Family Homeless
Tonight an entire family is homeless after a raging fire consumed their house on Saturday Night. Twenty one year old Indira Peters braved the fire in order to save her one year old daughter who was in the house sleeping. Tonight Peters and her two children are lodging at a friend's house and the only possession they have now is the clothes on their back. Reporter Hipolito Novelo has the story. Hipolito Novelo, Reporter The fire started at about 11:45pm on Saturday night inside one of the bedrooms located in the upper flat of this building located on Rio Grande Street in the Louisiana Area. The ferocious fire completely destroyed the entire upper floor made of wood. The fire then crept down to the lower flat which is made of concrete and burnt every single object that was inside. This was the home of 21 year old Indira Peters and her two children. On the night of the inferno Peters was playing dominoes on the veranda w

Barrow Presents 2012/2013 Budget
Barrow Presents 2012/2013 Budget On Friday Prime Minister Honorable Dean Barrow presented his 42 page budget speech which he titled, "Exercising Discipline While Preserving Growth". Barrow presented a BZ$937.9 million tax free budget to Parliament citing importance on national security and education with a projected deficit of BZ$75.2 million. As the title suggests, the Barrow administration plans to develop the country in a constraining atmosphere. Hipolito Novelo, Reporting On Friday morning Prime Minister Dean Barrow managed to table the country's 2012/2013 fiscal budget at the House of Representatives in Belmopan. The presentation of the national budget inevitably involved a mass of fact figures and details which made up the core of the Prime Ministers speech. At the beginning of his presentation Barrow out rightly claimed that despite the ongoing global financial and economic crisis the local economy is performing well.

Caribbean Regional HIV/ AIDS Testing Day Celebrated In O/W
The Caribbean Regional HIV/AIDS Testing Day 2012 was observed today in 20 countries as part of the worldwide activities to promote HIV testing. Regional Testing Day was initiated by the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS in 2008, with support from Scotia Bank in collaboration with the Pan Caribbean Partnership on HIV/AIDS (PANCAP). The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a profound impact on the Caribbean region, the second-most affected region in the world, after Sub-Saharan Africa, and the most affected in the Americas. AIDS is a leading cause of death among 15-44 year-olds in the region. Today the 5th annual regional testing day in Orange Walk was celebrated at the Queen Elizabeth Park where the testing centre was set up and opened to the general public. Today I visited the testing site and spoke to Medical Chief of Staff from the Northern Regional Hospital, Jair Osorio who gave us a run down on all the different tests that were available today free of cost. Jair Osorio, Medical Chief of Staff NRH "What we are having here now is the Orange Walk HIV committee that came out today in collaboration with Northern Regional Hospital, Belize Family Life Association and other organizations from the community. Here we are providing HIV testing as well as other tests. It's actually a health fair we are having. We're doing glucose testing, blood level, blood type, blood pressure checks, and weight checks. So we are trying to provide all of that free of cost to any person that is interested."

PlusTV

Shoot-out at sea, 3 dead, arsenal of weapons discovered
Three persons were shot and killed on Saturday on the open waters near the north of San Pedro. It all began when th...

Family of shoot-out victim furious with operation turnout
As we reported earlier in this newscast, one of the men killed by authorities on Saturday was Kendale Flowers. Agai...

Tournament brings out veteran and junior ballers
The Belize District leg of the Belize Basketball Federation's men's 3x3 tournaments for U18 and seniors was held th...

Recondev laying off workers
Reliable sources tell Plusnews that the Reconstruction and Development Corporation, better know as Recondev, has la...

Body of Mexican national retrieved from Mopan River
Benque police were busy this weekend as they also had to carry off the body of a man who was found floating in the ...

Man shot in the face, listed in critical condition
A man was shot in the face this afternoon in Belize City. It happened just after one o'clock at the corner of M&M S...

Man, 59, missing from Roaring Creek
A man has been missing since June 29th and his family has filed a missing persons report. 59 year old Mary Wright, ...

Missing Guatemalan found dead
A 79 year old Guatemalan farmer was found dead on Sunday. 79 year old Guatemalan Santiago, a resident of Aguacate V...

Gunmen steal vehicle from Forestry Department
We've all heard reports of the increase in the theft of government Hilux pickups. We have another government vehicl...

Robber caught on tape
A thief made off with five hundred dollars from a Punta Gorda service station, but not before making a quick cameo

Caye Caulker Chronicles

The AMAZING production crew�
The AMAZING production crew of the "Women of Caye Caulker" documentary appears in the photo below. The island of Caye Caulker owes a humongous debt of gratitude to these outstanding and selfless professional volunteers who are preserving the legacy of our Caye Caulker women for generations to come. If you pass them on the street, please say thanks. Words cannot express the pricelessness of this gift: the preservation of our island's history, in oral and video form. Volunteers, we love you!

Banned in Belize
Belize is proud to have the longest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. But in 2010, the tiny country faced a huge problem - the potential loss of the reef's UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Already under threat from coastal development, pollution and climate change, the reef's species were being depleted by bottom-dragging fish trawlers. Local fishermen operating from small boats complained they were being prevented form making a living by what many critics call the maritime equivalent of strip mining or clear-cut logging. With miles-long nets that scrape the ocean bottom, a trawling fleet can strip the ocean bare, making no distinction between food fish and any other species of plant and animal. A report revealed that 60 per cent of the reef, which is vital habitat for fish, was in poor to critical condition - and only eight per cent was in good condition. This highly destructive form of fishing also jeopardised a major source of revenue from tourism - the country's number one foreign exchange earner. More than 200,000 tourists visit the Caribbean country each year, mainly to dive or fish. In December 2010, Belize became one of the world's first nations to ban trawling in its waters. Forgoing the revenues from fees and taxes provided by trawling fleets, political and business leaders decided that long-term economic prospects were better served by protecting the barrier reef and other coastal waters by making sure that fish stocks remained healthy. The ban had the support of local fishermen, who now practice a low-impact form of fish harvesting to supply markets. Resort owners also hailed the move, recognising that the ban would protect local jobs. Since the ban was enforced an environmental organisation, Oceana, has helped to purchase two idled trawlers docked in Belize, which will be re-purposed. For this segment of earthrise, Sharita Hutton travels to Belize to meet some of the people involved in campaigning for the ban, which, it is hoped, will encourage other countries to take bolder steps towards protecting their marine environments.

Blogs

Growing Up in Central America: Belize Beaches & More
Jumping in on a girls night with native Panamanian and Belizean women teaches Rachel about the simple pleasures of growing up in Central America. Carol Gill begins the story of her Belizean childhood not with a placid tale of playing on her family's beach (yes, that would be "Gill's Beach," a stretch of sand four miles from the heart of Belize City, awarded to her grandfather for military service back in the 1950s), but with her account of surviving Hurricane Hattie.

International Sources

Corals On Ocean Side of Reef Are Most Susceptible to Recent Warming
Marine scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have linked the decline in growth of Caribbean forereef corals -- due to recent warming -- to long-term trends in seawater temperature experienced by these corals located on the ocean-side of the reef. The research was conducted on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in southern Belize. The results were revealed online in the July 8 issue of Nature Climate Change, a journal that publishes research on the impacts of global climate change and its implications for the economy, policy and the world at large. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is the second largest reef ecosystem in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere, stretching along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. In February 2009, UNC researchers Karl Castillo and Justin Ries used a large pneumatic drill to extract 13 core samples from massive starlet corals on the reef and measured the thickness of their annual growth bands in order to estimate trends in their growth rates over the last 100 years. They found a decline in skeletal growth in corals closest to the open ocean, while growth in corals from the other two reef zones -- the nearshore (located closest to the shore) and the backreef (located directly behind the reef crest) -- remained relatively unchanged. Castillo, a postdoctoral researcher in the marine sciences department in the College of Arts and Sciences who is a native of Belize, said they surmised that this decline in skeletal growth in the forereef zone was due to a recent rise in seawater temperature, but they wanted to test their hypothesis in this latest study. They gathered sea surface temperatures for the study site from 1982 to 2008 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) high-resolution seawater temperature database, which were derived from satellite measurements. They compared that dataset with seawater temperatures extracted from temperature loggers Castillo had installed at the study site in 2002.

Aquarium educator named Educator of Excellence
Jennifer Metzler-Fiorino, education curator at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, was chosen to participate in the Museum of Natural Sciences Educators of Excellence Institutes. One of 46 statewide educators, and the only select from New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties, Metzler-Fiorino will travel to the Belize Tropical Ecology Institute in Belize from July 24 to Aug.1. "I look forward to learning about the diverse ecology of Belize, working with other educators and incorporating all that I experience and learn into programs and activities at the Aquarium," Metzler-Fiorino said in a statement. She and 11 fellow educators will learn the similarities between regional North Carolina ecology and that of the tropics. Metzler-Fiorino will have the opportunity to study wildlife, the rain forest, Mayan ruins and a coral reef. The Educators of Excellence program seeks to inform and empower educators to teach students about North Carolina's ecological connections to the rest of the world. For more about the trip to Belize, go to www.naturalsciences.org to see pictures, read about the happenings and ask questions. Metzler-Fiorino is among more than 400 North Carolina science educators who have taken part in the program since 1987.


Last edited by Marty; 11/17/12 10:00 AM.