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Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Tigersharks wins first game in playoffs
With a win in the first of three playoff matches, the San Pedro Tigersharks are eying the big prize. They faced off against the Belmopan Bandits on Saturday May 24th at the Rafael Angel Nuñez Auditorium in San Pedro Town. Having won all home games in the season, the Tigersharks were ready to defend their home-court. The San Pedro Tigersharks stepped up on court with starters Michael Adams, Winston Pratt, Tyron Edwards, Darwin Leslie and Ashton Edwards. The Bandits also put out their best, starting with Arnold Li, Carswell Adams, Christian Rodriguez, Stephen Williams and Dorian Jones. But the visiting start-up squad came under sustained attack from the home team as the Tigersharks took control of the game from the onset. A couple of shots by the Edward brothers and Pratt were enough to give the Tigersharks a big lead to end the first quarter with a score of 26-12. But the underdogs were not prepared to give up to the mighty Tigersharks. A change in strategy saw Williams and Jones making an impressive appearance for the Bandits, and the duo slashed the lead and headed to halftime with a score of 39 to 30, still in favor of islanders.

SPRC Honors Moms and Dads
It was a day dedicated to the hard working moms and dads of the island on Friday, May 23rd at the San Pedro Roman Catholic (SPRC) Primary School. The family day entailed activities that incorporated parents and in particular, fostering the union of children and their fathers. On the agenda was a lot of games, dances, musical performance and most importantly, family bonding. According to Vice Principal, Patricia Lopez the family day is an event whereby the students can show appreciation to their parents for the education they are being provided with. “The students look forward to family day because they can show their parents what they have learned in school. The students also get to spend quality time with their parents in a relaxed environment without the stress of ‘home’ or ‘school’,” said Lopez. As part of the activities, students and teachers focused particularly in honoring the fathers, as they are often under underappreciated. “Fathers do play a key role in a child’s education and that’s what we want to show today that all fathers are important.”

Former Minister Marcial Mes dies in traffic accident
A traffic accident claimed the life of a former Belizean parliamentarian over the weekend. He is 65 year old Honorable Marcial Mes, a two term Minister of government. The traffic accident occurred around 1:15 AM on Monday May 26th near the community of Yemeri Grove in Toledo District. According to preliminary reports from the Toledo District, the former People’s United Party (PUP) area representative for Toledo West was driving from Punta Gorda Town to his home in San Marcos Village. Near the village of Yemeri Gove, located some seven miles out of Punta Gorda Town, Mes lost control of his green Rav4 SUV. Inside the vehicle was another man, later identified as Mario Caal, also of San Marcos Village. As a result, the two injured men were transported to the Punta Gorda Town Community Hospital where Hon. Mes was pronounced dead on arrival. Caal is listed in a serious condition and is undergoing treatment. Mes was a successful two-term Parliamentarian who served as a Junior Minister and later as a Minister in the Said Musa administration of 1998 to 2008. He served as Minister of Rural Development and Culture from 1998-2001, Minister of Rural Development 2001-2003, and Minister of Human Development, Local Government, and Labour from 2003 to date 2007. In January of 2007, Mes was briefly suspended from his duties as the Minister of State in the Ministry of National Development, due to a charge of a hit-and-run accident but the case did not go to court and Mes was restored to his post.

Cell Phone found
A cell phone was found on Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street) during lunchtime yesterday. It seems to belong to a visitor on the island. If you or someone you know (perhaps a guest at your hotel) is looking for a phone, this may be the one. Kindly call 226-2070 and describe the phone to claim it.

Ambergris Today

Daredevil Boys Captured on Video Jumping Across San Pedro Rooftops
When you see this video, you will have one reaction and many others will have a different one. “This is pretty cool,” someone might say while others might say, “Oh my God, these children are crazy!” Some might immediately start blaming their parents, while others will praise such daring acts. But there is great concern as these children were seen jumping from rooftop to rooftop from buildings in downtown San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. They were tempting fate and putting their lives at risk. There is no doubt that these kids were prompted to do this due to curiosity. Curiosity is the mother of inventions. Curiosity is also what prompts young people to investigate and ask many questions and learn many things. But curiosity also killed the cat. Indeed this kind of curiosity you are witnessing can lead to serious consequences. Kids are known to have caused big fires due to their curiosity in experimenting with matches, lighters, and other such objects.

San Pedro Junior Sailing Team Sweeps Placencia Regatta
According to the sailing kids, the San Pedro Junior Sailing Club has been "rigging hard and sailing hard" and are so happy with their success in the past regattas. Since the beginning of the season they have won the last four regattas in Corozal, Buttonwood Bay, Belize City and now Placencia. Their next regatta will be in their hometown island of Ambergris Caye, followed by one at St. George’s Caye and then they are off to the nationals. The San Pedro Regatta is scheduled for July 5th and 6th. The Sailing Club members and their parents hope to see as many residents possible at the hometown San Pedro Regatta showing their support for the island’s winning team. The children practice very hard and their discipline in the sports is proof of their success.

Teen Talk: The Fear of Rejection and Overcoming It
Having a fear of rejection is a very common thing. Nobody likes being rejected so we tend to try and do fewer things that you think would get us rejected. This is a problem because it stops us from doing certain things we want to do. People can get rejected from many things like a job, asking for help, a date, or the scariest – someone you like. So how do we get over this fear? Well, we must first understand rejection and why it’s so scary. If you think about it, it’s basically just someone telling you,”No.” Nothing too harsh; it’s not like that the word “No” will murder you in your sleep. I have recently stumbled upon a game that is called Rejection Therapy where the point is to try and get rejected once a day. There is a challenge posted on the website for people to try and do this for 100 days; I am taking up these challenges. I highly recommend trying this because it is a good way to get over your fear of rejection. It will also challenge your brain because you will have to think of a new way to get rejected each day.

Misc Belizean Sources

Night of GREAT performances at the George Price Center
No where to go this Thursday?? The Belmopan International Women's Group will be offering a Night of GREAT performances at the George Price Center...starts at 6:30...complimentary snacks!! Drinks will be on sale! Come out and sing, dance, laugh and support the work of the BIWG!!

Tropic Air Increases Flights To Cancun
Tropic Air today announced that it will be adding two additional round-trip flights between Belize International (BZE) and Cancun International (CUN) Airports starting November 1, 2014. These flights will be on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and will be in addition to the current daily flight. More importantly, these two new frequencies, will allow for the first time, our European visitors to connect southbound (same day) to Belize in Cancun. Passengers will be able to transit in Cancun from Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Amsterdam and get to Belize without cumbersome overnights. The current daily flight already allows for similar connections to be made northbound without overnighting.

Secret Passages Exhibit at Soul Project
The Secret Passages exhibit will be opening this Friday evening, May 30th, at the Soul Project. DJ Check My Move will be mixing at the event, starting at 8pm. "This new exhibit features works of collage by people from all over the world visiting Belize. Collage is a very interesting medium. In collage, the artist assembles existing print material into a new format, a new picture. The artist creates a new context for the text or images selected, as they appear in the collage in relationship to one another."

Belize Zoo Conservation Camp
The Belize Zoo is gearing up for this year's Conservation Camp. It starts on June 30th. Kids between the ages of 12 and 17 can learn all about nature and zoology while having a great time at the Tropical Education Center. Call 822-800, or email [email protected] for more information. "The Zoo is getting ready to host Conservation Camp 2014! Students ages 12-17 are invited to join the Zoo's education team for a week of activities geared toward gaining knowledge and appreciation of our natural world. Night walks, canoeing, wildlife studies, acting, and forest hikes are just some of the many exciting activities planned this year. Camp runs from June 30th to July 4th. Facebook message us, call the Zoo at (501)-822-8000, or email [email protected] for more information. There are only 25 spaces left, so hop to it!"

April 2014 External Trade & Consumer Price Index
Here are S.I.B's latest releases: April 2014 External Trade Bulletin, April 2014 Consumer Price Index, First Quarter 2014 Gross Domestic Product.

Rotary Scholars Graduate
6 of the Rotary Scholars are graduating, and one will be awarded the Paulita Bedran Scholarship. Thanks, Rotary! "The Rotary Club of San Ignacio will celebrate the graduation of 6 of our Rotary Scholars on May 29th. The top scholar over the last 4 years will receive the Paulita Bedran Tertiary Scholarship to help continue their education."

Western Ballaz Fan Video
The Western Ballaz are travelling to Belize City to play the No Limit this Friday, after having lost last week 66 to 52. Adma Chuc from Adma's Photography has complied a fan video, and if you've attended some home games, you might be on it. She has also uploaded pictures of every Western Ballaz player, so if you have a favorite, you can see some quality stills. Go Ballaz. In related news, the Belmopan Bandits host the Tiger Sharks on Friday. Go Ballaz! "This video is dedicated to all Western Ballaz Fans, we made it this far with your support."

Caribbean Export Food Portal
The Caribbean has been a player in the Specialty Food market for more then twenty-five years. The awareness and interest in Caribbean products have been growing internationally especially in major urban market centres in the US (New York City – tri-state Metro market, Boston, Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago) and in the EU in particular the UK. The presence of Caribbean migrants in these places along with the increasing number of tourist visitors to the region have assisted in the promotion and sale of these products whose appeal is linked in a substantive way to their product development, creativity and exotic nature. Typically, the easiest way to define a specialty product is by knowing what it is not: a basic food staple that the consumer buys for every day eating from a grocery store. That means that specialty foods are a step above what the consumer normally eats as part of the everyday diet. There is a broad umbrella for what can be considered part of the specialty foods market. Typically, specialty foods refer to a type of gourmet food products many of which could be more expensive than what consumers find on grocery store shelves; specialty foods are instead a step above what the consumer normally eats as part of the everyday diet. They should not be confused with ethnic foods, which are generally characterized by low price and high quantity, because specialty foods are generally high price, low quantity food. However, there can be some overlap between both.

Its EXPO season once again!
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) will be holding its renowned EXPO Belize Market Place 2014, at the ITVET Grounds on Freetown Road in Belize City on September 13th and 14th, 2014. You are invited to showcase your products or services at this year’s Expo. The primary contact for your company should have received an email a few minutes ago with username and password that will enable you to log on to identify yourself as member to request your EXPO booth and receive the deep discounts that only members enjoy. Please be reminded that each member is allowed a maximum of 6 booths and these are on a first come first serve basis. There is a new area added to the map referred to as table spaces. These are only for micro businesses.

National Song Competition 2014
Calling all Artists and Song Writers... Please take note!!!

Ministry of Health Commemorates World No Tobacco Day 2014
Government of Belize Press Office

2014 Belize Festival of Arts
Belize Annual Festival of Arts to be held from June 3rd to June 14th. Schedule of activities below.

Channel 7

Denys Barrow Tells Vernon, "Pay Up!"
About an hour or so before news time, a Supreme Court bailiff was at Trevor Vernon's house in Burrell Boom marking his belongings to be confiscated because he didn't pay the entire sum owed to attorney Denys Barrow. Viewers may remember that Barrow successfully defended Edmond Castro against Vernon accusation that Castro violated the Cabinet code of ethics for those well-known Belize Airport Authority cheques. Vernon lost, and had to pay the five thousand dollar cost of Castro's attorney Denys Barrow by yesterday. As we showed you yesterday, Vernon showed up to pay half of the cost in coins. When those money bags stuffed with coins were all counted up, he had paid $2,489.50 – ten dollars and fifty cents short of half of what was due. Well, as was his right because of the short of payment, Denys Barrow applied to the court and got a writ of execution granted against Vernon. The bailiff executed the writ this evening, and went to Vernon's house and started a valuation process on his belongings to ensure that the debt owed can somehow be collected if Vernon is unable to pay the rest of the money.

Man Charged For Murder After Killing Car Thief
Tonight, 43 year-old Charles Herrera, aka Bundy, a taxi driver from Lavender Street, is in jail after he was taken to court for the murder of 25 year-old Ezekiel Hernandez Medina. As we told you, Medina was found early on Monday morning, and his body was already starting to decompose. He was later identified, and after police investigated, Herrera was detained and later arrested and charged with murder after he reportedly confessed to the crime. Herrera was taken to Magistrate's Court today, and before his arraignment, he told court reporters that on the day in question, he caught Medina trying to break into his car. Herrera said that when he confronted Medina about the attempted theft, Medina pulled out a knife and attacked him. He said that in self-defense, he managed to take away the knife and he stabbed Medina 3 times in the upper right side of his back. When they retrieved his body, Police investigators found a screwdriver in Medina's hand and a plastic bag which contained a flash light and a knife.

GDP Sees Negative Growth In First Quarter
The Gross Domestic Product or GDP, it's the total market value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given time period. And, generally, it is the most relied indicator to see how a country's economy is doing. Much political grist was made in February when the Statistical Institute of Belize pegged GDP growth for the 2013 calendar year at less than 1%. Well, there's more to be made now, after the Institute released its initial GDP and inflation figures for the first quarter of 2014 today. Here's what the number say: Jules Vasquez Reporting The GDP experienced negative growth in the first quarter, tumbling to -0.4% - only the second time on record that the first quarter has seen negative growth: Glen Avilez - Director, SIB "We see a slight dip in the economy in the first quarter when compared to the same period of last year of roughly 0.4%." Avilez outlined the three main sectors driving the contraction: Glen Avilez "The central reasons or the main reasons for the contraction in the first quarter is attributed to three sectors, agriculture, mining - that is oil, manufacturing being the result of the poor performance in agriculture."

Dismissing Dr Bain
Since news broke last week about the termination of Professor Brendan Bain from the University of the West Indies, there's been a firestorm of controversy, with organizations in Belize and Jamaica coming out against the decision. Well tonight, we'll tell you a bit about those who support UWI. The first comes from the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP). They maintain that Professor Bain's testimony in the Orozco UNIBAM challenge is not consistent with the goals of PANCAP in trying to reduce stigma and discrimination. They say that quote, "Professor Bain has undermined the public health and human rights goals of PANCAP." Professor Rose Marie Antoine, a Commissioner on the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, says that the reason that it became important for Professor Bain to be terminated is because, quote "it is about a program leader publicly undermining the very program and principles he was mandated to support."

Get An Injunction Against Thy Neighbor
In February, we told you about the dispute where residents of the Palm Grove Estate, at mile 4 on the Northern Highway, were opposed to a contractor building an apartment complex in their neighborhood. As we told you, the small community consider Palm Grove as private property, and they've been trying to fight this development because they're afraid that if they open it up to outsiders, the security of their homes and their families will be put at risk. Well, as we showed you, Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley wasn't listening to them, and he ok'd the development. Since then, the residents have kept at it, trying to stop the private company, Keas New Road Limited. Today, that meant turning to the courts for an injunction to block the further construction of the complex. That injunction hearing went before Justice Courtney Abel today for the first time since the Palm Grove residents started to agitate against them, the media got a chance to speak with a representative of the company. Here's what the attorney said:

Police Say Cops Who Shot 19 Year Old Liable To Criminal Charges
There's a 19 year old recovering from a gunshot wound in the Western Regional Hospital and the 6 shotgun pellets that were removed from his back were fired by police. A Cayo patrol shot Elston Arnold in Unitedville on Monday morning and left him for dead. Today the Police Department issued a sheepish press release saying, quote, "Police have launched an investigation into this matter where officers if found guilty will be liable to both criminal and internal charges." End quote. Sources tell us the police department was late in catching up on the shooting because the police left Arnold on the ground where he was shot and did not report it.

Stole A Car But Forgot His Bicycle In The Trunk
39 year-old Jason Jeffries, an unemployed of Lacroix Boulevard, is out on bail tonight after he was taken to court for allegedly trying to steal a man's car. Carlos Aquino, who resides at 2 St. James Street, reported to the police that yesterday at around 12 a.m. he parked his car in front of his house and he forgot to take the key out of the ignition. He said that at about 5 a.m. he was awakened by the sound of his car starting and when he went outside he saw Jeffries behind the steering wheel. He said he pursued Jeffries as he drove off and caught up with him. He yanked Jeffries out of the car and went to make a report. While Aquino was at the police station Jeffries arrived and he was taken into custody and charged. Jeffries said that he went to the station because he had left his bicycle in the trunk of Aquino's car!

New CEO For Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development
At the very end of the news On Friday night, we told you that CEO in the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development Wendel Parham had left the ministry – we have since learned that he was terminated. Tonight, we have confirmed that well-known consultant Adele Catzim-Sanchez will replace him. Catzim-Sanchez is seen as a high profile acquisition for the Ministry because of her well rounded background, and solid, independent reputation.

Environmentalist Warns of The Perils of Puerto Azul
Last week Friday, we told you about Ministers Manuel Heredia Jr and Erwin Contreras who travelled to at the French Riviera to represent Belize at the Puerto Azul Experience Party in Cannes. As we've told you, the Italian development company is advertising on their website that the Puerto Azul Development is a large scale, super exclusive resort intended for the Northern 2 Caye at Lighthouse Reef. Supposedly, the resort will be very high end with 350 rooms, a golf course, a 250 boat marina, and its own small airport. But, as we've also told you, conservationists say that this proposed development is an environmental disaster. That was reiterated today by Roberto Pott, a representative of the conservationist organization, Health Reefs for Healthy People Initiative. He told us that the first he heard of the project was in October of last year, and this reincarnation of the project since that time, hardly seems more feasible than last time.

CDB Earmarks Major Loan For Belize
The Caribbean Development Bank today announced the approval of a 29 million US dollar loan to Belize. The press release says the loan will fund the upgrade of 9.81 kilometers – which is about 6 miles - of the Philip Goldson Highway. The release doesn't say where those six miles are but adds, quote, "this upgrade is expected to reduce congestion as well as improve safety on the highway which passes through the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts." It refers also to the Haulover Bridge and says, quote, "A key aspect of the project will be the implementation of climate adaptation features during the upgrade and rehabilitation phases in order to reduce climate change vulnerability of the road and bridge." 111, 000 US Dollars of the loan will be used to get women involved in the road works. The release says the Ministry of Works and Belizean contractors will "address gender equality and social inclusion in current and future construction projects."

Cancer Care Symposium Focuses On Menâ™s Health
This year, the Annual Cancer care Symposium focused on Men's Health, namely cancers affecting men, principally Prostate and colo-rectal cancer. One of the keynote speakers was a prostate cancer survivor – Michael Finnegan and he used his time on the stage not to inspire the audience with his story of survival, but to get everyone's blood flowing: Hon. Michael Finnegan - Cancer Survivor "Cancer likes when it keeps us in a little corner, and we creep up in bed, and we cry, and lash out. It wants us to behave just like how everybody in here looks right now, sad. I would want everybody get up and begin to give hugs to one another before I continue. Shake hands and get to know who you don't know. Let's stand up and hug each other." Dr. Milton Harrison Arthurs - Gastroenterologist "Women outnumber the men by almost 7 to 1, and this is intended to be a presentation focusing on men's health, and in particular, cancer, and we're not seeing the men. I know they're not in jail. They're not out there serving in the army. Where are they?"

Their Prerogative
We're used to seeing all kinds of Mexican art at the institute of Mexico in Belize City. But tomorrow, the Institute is debuting the work of four new Belizean artists. It's their first show and we found three of them getting ready today. We asked them about the pre-show jitters: The show opens tomorrow night.

Quandary Over SATIIM Judgment
Tonight, there's a bit of a quandary that's surrounding the decision from Justice Michelle Arana in the case where SATIIM and the Buffer Communities were trying to stop US Capital Energy from drilling inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park. As we told you, both SATIIM and US Capital were claiming victory in that case, and since then, depending on who you ask, the judgment supposedly swings one way or the other. But, now, there is a perfected order from the court, which was recently issued. We've not seen the order ourselves, but those we've spoken to suggests that it shows clearly that the case was decided in US Capital's favour. Now, a perfected order is supposed to be a distillation of the findings of the court, a simplification of how the case was decided, and it's done after attorneys for all parties have had an opportunity to read, digest and interpret it. It is then signed off on by all the attorneys, and then presented back to the court where the judge weighs in and puts the final touches.

Report: Multiple Manatees Killed
A dead Manatee was seen floating in the sea behind Brodies warehouse in the Foreshore area of Belize City today. When we observed it this evening, the sea mammal appeared to have a cut wound – the kind we've seen many times from boat propellers. Now, normally this wouldn't be news, but persons in the area tell us this is the third dead manatee they've seen floating over a short period of time. So we'd caution boats in the very busy harbour to please be mindful of the very docile marine mammals.

The Problems of Touring With a Turtle Shell
And while we may lament the loss of that manatee, the Garifuna Collective finds audiences that aren't cool with their main percussion instrument, the turtle shell. They travelled today and had to get a special permit for the shell., The man who plays it Mohobub Flores told us how it freaked out one Canadian concert goer: The Collective got their turtle shell permit from the Fisheries Department.

More News: Scroll up from here

Channel 5

Breaking News: Body of a man found in Los Tambos, Cayo
This just in to our newsroom. San Ignacio Police are currently processing a scene in Los Tambos in the outskirts of Spanish Lookout where the body of a man was [...]

4 cops under investigation; one is likely to face criminal charges for shooting of a Unitedville youth
Four police officers are tonight under investigation and it is likely that one will be charged criminally for the shooting of a Unitedville youth. Nineteen year old Elston Arnold was [...]

Domestic violence lands couple in K.H.M.H.
Tonight, there is little information on the motive behind an incident of domestic violence which has left two persons in critical condition at the K.H.M.H.  Fifty year old Erwin Smith, [...]

More on the Central Health Region audit
Last week, News Five took a look at a comprehensive audit of the Central Health Region. The report detailed many cases of apparent financial misappropriation, financial misrepresentation and financial misallocation. [...]

Taxi operator is charged for the murder of a Dangriga resident
  One man was viciously attacked and stabbed to death; the body of twenty-five year old Ezekiel Hernandez was found on Monday morning. This afternoon, forty-three year old taxi operator, [...]

Attorneys hound Trevor Vernon for payment
On Tuesday, Trevor Vernon made a bold statement when he delivered two pillow-cases full of shillings to the law firm of Barrow and Company. The payment, twenty-five hundred dollars, is [...]

SIB reports slight economic dip in first quarter of the year
The latest figures released from the Statistical Institute of Belize indicate that there has been a slight contraction of the economy when compared to last year’s economic performance in the [...]

Ministers Heredia and Contreras at the glamour and glitz of the Cannes Festival
Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia, as well as Minister of Economic Development, Erwin Contreras were photographed at the Cannes Film Festival in France last week. They are now back in [...]

Former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding saddened by termination of Professor Bain
The Bain debate continues unabated, with heated arguments for and against the firing of the UWI Professor last week Tuesday. Bain has received tremendous support from many organizations, and today, [...]

UWI Professor says Bain publicly undermined the program he was mandated to support
There is also much support for the decision to terminate Professor Brendan Bain, and not all of it is coming from the gay lobby. One of Bain’s colleagues at UWI, [...]

ITVET Toledo and the Ministry of Education at an impasse over removal of manager
This morning at the Toledo District Education Center, instructors from the local ITVET, as well as Belize National Teachers’ Union President Luke Palacio, along with ITVET’s Board of Governance met [...]

ITVET Toledo manager’s employment is under the Public Service Commission
According to Vernon, following the ministry’s decision they will proceed with the investigation and it is anticipated that Genus’ employment falls under the Public Service Commission’s Handbook.   Via Phone: [...]

8 year old missing; Mother says he was taken by her ex-husband
The mother of an eight year old student of a Presbyterian primary school in Belize City is tonight appealing that her son be returned home. Erica Bardalez today told News [...]

Garifuna Collective goes on tour
Late last year, the Garifuna Collective was on tour in Europe promoting their recent album, Ayo, which pays tribute to musical legend, Andy Palacio. The group made a big splash [...]

LOVE FM

Taxi Man Murdered – Motive Unknown
The family of Norman Stanley Thompson are in mourning as they are faced with his murder that occurred on the south side of Belize City in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Thompson, a taxi driver of a West Street address was shot twice to the head whilst he sat in the driver’s seat of his green Geo Prism taxi cab. Love News visited his common-law, Sherette Willoughby, who told us that the last time she saw her was on Friday evening around four o’clock. SHERETTE WILLOUGHBY “I saw Norman about after four in the evening, he had come to bring meat pies and stuff for the baby and then he went to continue work. As for his activities from then up to the point of three o’clock in the morning on the 24th, when the police came and wake me to tell me that they found his body in his car, shot twice in the back and to take them to locate his parents that was as far as I got. The police just said that he had two shots in the back and it seemed to them like a robbery but they have to wait until the investigation is over so that we could get a clear picture on what had happened but so far I have not had that picture as yet. He is a taxi man that works on call. He would not go there naturally without someone calling him; however that would have been a call taxi job but to me I feel like it was a lure, a setup because they only took the phone; the money in the wallet was intact; that’s what the police said. So, they only took the phone.

Killer Bees Uncovered on Mahogany Street
The Belize Police Department, the Belize City Council and residents of Mahogany Street and surrounding areas have joined efforts in carrying out a positive initiative in the vicinity. Several abandoned lots have been identified and all parties are working together to clean the lots. They started with an abandoned lot at the corner of Flamboyant Street and Mahogany Street where they came across a nest of killer bees. Hipolito Novelo has the story. “Today City Council and Mahogany sub-precinct, we have observed a property that has been abandoned for a long while now which is situated on Mahogany Street and Flamboyant Street, this property has housed a lot off illegal drugs and guns and so forth and I was told by a neighborhood watch committee that I have from around here that this area was used where someone had been raped long time ago. So as a result of that we decided to team up and give the property a little clean up and remove the bees. According to the agriculture people there, the experts, they are saying that they had remove the queen and so by removing the queen nothing can happen and I am glad that they have removed it.” Several other lots have been identified in the area and those, we understand, will be cleaned up by next month.

Story of Car Theft Gets Twisted
Thirty-nine year old Jason Jeffries, an unemployed of La Croix Bouevard, was charged with the theft of a red Mazda car when he appeared today before Chief magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Jeffries had pled guilty to the charge but a plea of not guilty was entered because he said that the owner, Carlos Aquino, gave him permission to drive the car. Jeffries was offered a bail of 500 dollars and his case was adjourned until July 22. Aquino, who resides on St. James Street, reported to the police that at around 12 a.m. May 27, he parked his car in front of his residence and he forgot to take the key out of the ignition. He said that at about 5 a.m. he was awakened by the sound of his car starting up. He said that when he ran outside he saw Jeffries behind the steering wheel and as Jeffries drove off he pursued the car and caught up with it. He said he managed to remove Jeffries from the car and while he was at the police station making the report Jeffries arrived and he was taken into custody. Jeffries said that he went to the station to get his bicycle that he had put in the trunk of Aquino’s car. Jeffries said that he saw Aquino in the car and Aquino appeared intoxicated and he decided to offer Aquino assistance by driving him home. According to Jeffries, while he was driving Aquino home Aquino suddenly got mad and grabbed him in his shirt and threw him out of the car.

American National Overdoses in San Pedro
A US national reportedly overdosed on pills yesterday in San Pedro. According to reports 46-year-old Susan Ruth Kaup who was a medical student was found in an apartment on the island. We understand when Police went to the apartment they saw a doctor trying to resuscitate Kaup who had taken a large number of pills. The woman reportedly called her father in the US to tell him what she was about to do. He in turn called a doctor to check on her but when he got to the apartment it was apparently too late. Kaup was taken to the Poly Clinic where efforts continued to revive her however they proved futile as she died shortly after. Police say they do not suspect foul play.

Taxi Driver Arraigned for Ezekiel’s Murder
Forty-three year old Charles Herrera, a.k.a. “Bundy”, a taxi driver of Lavender Street, was charged with the murder of Dangriga resident Ezekiel Medina when he appeared today before Magistrate Dale Cayetano. Herrera was remanded into custody until July 31. On Monday, May 26, at about 5:23 a.m., police, acting on information they received, went to the corner of Partridge Street and Lavender Street and saw Medina lying dead on the ground with three stab wounds to the upper right side of his back. Medina had the name, Ezekiel, tattooed on his upper left arm and EH tattooed on his right leg above the knee. He wore a yellow polo shirt and a pair of black and white pants. Herrera said he caught Medina breaking into his car and Medina attacked him with a knife and he took the knife away from Medina and stabbed him with it.

Annual Cancer Symposium Focuses on Men
The cancer society of Belize held its annual symposium today. It is an event held each year in the effort to highlight cancer prevention, care and treatment as well as bringing awareness to the various forms of cancer and their causes. Love News attended a portion of the symposium and had the opportunity to speak with the President of the Belize Cancer Society, Laura Tucker-Longsworth. LAURA TUCKER-LONGSWORTH “Today is our annually cancer care symposium; the Belize Cancer Society has for a number of years now make this a highlight of our cancer awareness month where we target health professionals; we bring them together along with people interesting in the community to review and look at different topics that’s really important in terms of providing services not necessary cancer care services but health care services to those persons who may become impacted by cancer. What we are particularly looking at is how do we engage our health professionals in adopting a different way of health care delivery services that we do not end up with missed opportunities; when somebody enters the door, enter a primary health care setting like Cleopatra White, a clinic in Orange walk or Dangriga, public facility where they treat that person as a whole person. When last have you been screened; whether it’s for a fever or cold; when last have you been screened? Do you have a family history of cancer? How are you doing with your diet and so on and that’s the purpose. We want to really stimulate discussion and interests in really getting all of us engaged in not only wellness check but also in early detection screening.”

PlusTV

Through Jesus Christ, You Can Also Stand Healed
We leave you with some words of inspiration from Acts 4:10-11: “Know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the rock you builders rejected, which [...]

19 Year Old Shot in the Back by Police
19 year old Elston Arnold resident of Unitedville, Cayo district, is still recovering from a surgery to remove multiple gunshot pellets from his back after being shot by police on Monday morning. The family is saying that the actions of the police are unjustifiable. According to Elston Arnold he and three other friends were coming [...]

A Detective Constable Detained by his Very Own
The Belize Police Department has another case of alleged unlawful behaviour of Police Officers. In the Stann Creek District, Detective Constable Perfecto Tush attached to the Special Branch office at the Intermediate Southern Formation has been detained by his very own after he allegedly pulled his service firearm at civilians in Red Bank over the [...]

Taxi Man Arrested for Murder of Ezekiel Hernandez
25 year old Ezekiel Medina Hernandez was stabbed to death on Monday morning around 5:30 at the corner of Partridge and Lavender Streets. But information has emerged which suggests that his presence in the area may not have been entirely benevolent. At the scene police recovered a bag containing a knife and a flashlight as well as a screwdriver, [...]

Puma Gas Station in Havana Robbed
More than a $1,000 was robbed from a Puma Gas station in Havana when a lone gun man, caught on camera, held up the establishment. Our Dangriga Correspondent Harry Arzu has more on this report. Harry Arzu- News Correspondent from Dangriga According to reports, this establishment, located on 22 Havana Street here in Dangriga, has been [...]

Apparent Suicide in Belize City
A Belize City man apparently killed himself by hanging over the weekend. Police have released no details but 57 year old Maurice Tingling, a.k.a. “Pappy Bal“, named among to residents of the Majestic/Pinks Alley area, and alarm rose when he was not seen around after Friday night. One person we spoke to off-camera says they [...]

Eight Persons Arrested Over Pen Gun
Eight young men are behind bars after they were caught with a pen gun. At 12:40 on the morning of May 25th, the Orange Walk Police Quick Response Team searched a group of young men gathered under a tree in Yo Creek Village. Authorities did not find anything [...]

Patrick Jones

Belize Media Group pays tribute to Maya Angelou
American author, poet and civil activist, Maya Angelou died this morning in North Carolina at age 86. Maya was known for using her writings to provide eloquent and powerful commentary on race, gender and living life and was an inspiration to millions of people including myself. We are saddened to learn about the death of this wonderful person and on behalf of the Belize Media Group, we send our sincere condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.

The National Garifuna Council elects new Executive Members
The National Garifuna Council (NGC) held its 30thAnnunal Convention at the Chülühadiwa Garinagu Monument Site from May 23rd to 25th in beautiful Dangriga. The National Garifuna Council is managed by a Board of Directors with representatives from the branches in Dangriga, Hopkins, Belize City, Belmopan, Georgetown, Seine Bight, Punta Gorda, Libertad, and San Pedro Town. The convention is the highest body of the Board. A new executive for the Board of Directors was elected on Sunday: President, Robert Mariano; 1st Vice President, Sandra Miranda; 2nd Vice-President, Francisco Zuniga; Secretary, Gwen Nunez Gonzalez; Asst. Secretary, Orlando Augustine; Treasurer, Marietta Enriquez; Asst. Treasurer, Pamela Zuniga.These members serve a two-year term. The Miss Garifuna Belize Cultural Pageant and the Solidarity Mass for 2014 will be hosted by the Dangriga Branch and next year’s convention will be hosted by San Pedro Branch.

Family appeals for help in locating eight year old boy
A Belize City mother is desperately searching for her 8 year old son. Richard Antonio Chacon was last seen on Tuesday, May 20. That was when the boy’s father, who is estranged from the mother of the child, picked him up from the grandmother’s house in the Racoon Street extension area of Belize City. Richard’s mother had gone to Honduras to seek medical treatment, leaving Chacon in the care of her mother. It was while the boy was with the grandmother that the father, Jose Antonio Chacon, reportedly took Richard and neither of them has been seen or heard from since.

Teachers affected by high school merger meet with BNTU
For the last month or so there have been reports that the Ministry of Education intends to merge three Southside Belize City high schools – Maud Williams High School, Sadie Vernon Technical High and Excelsior High School. But the Ministry has kept quiet thus far and as the school year draws to a close, many questions – including that of the fate of the more than 50 educators affected – remain unanswered. On Wednesday evening there was a meeting hosted by the Belize National Teachers’ Union’s Belize City branch at its headquarters off Mercy Lane. President of the Belize District Branch of the Union, Kathleen Flowers, said that they have begun the process of dialogue with the teachers and the Ministry. The purpose of the meeting, said Flowers, was to find out the facts and what the teachers know, so that the Union can help them achieve due process.

Palm Grove estate residents seek injunction against apartment complex
Residents of the Palm Grove estate, a small development enclave located at Mile 4 1/2 on the Philip Goldson Highway, want a ten-unit apartment complex being built by Keas New Road Limited in the area to be stopped for illegality. The problem is, the developers have largely addressed the concerns the residents raised, and have complied with all legal requirements, including permissions and permits from authorities. But the residents are still adamantly opposed, and so they have followed the advice of Belize City Mayor and attorney Darrell Bradley, and taken the matter to court, seeking an injunction to block the building of the complex. The first hearing took place today in chambers before Justice Courtney Abel. Representative for the residents Stephen Heusner and attorney Senior Counsel Dean Lindo declined an on-the-record interview, saying they preferred to wait until the matter was heard next Friday, June 6.

Police and residents clean up abandoned lot with bees’ nest
Abandoned and overgrown properties in Belize City are everywhere. In addition to being a nuisance for the Belize City Council, they have become handy hiding places for drugs and firearms to be stashed until they are claimed by police as “found property,” and even actual crimes such as rapes and robberies. One such property is located along the major thoroughfare of Mahogany Street at its junction with Flamboyant Street, and the nearby Police Department Precinct 2 Substation, working along with the Council’s employees and neighborhood residents organized into a watch committee, set to work cleaning up the area today. But they ran into an unexpected problem: a hive of bees. Sergeant Brent Hamilton, the Officer in Charge of Precinct 2 Substation says they removed the queen of the hive, causing her subjects to become disoriented. But they planned to clear out the entire area today, including cutting down the overgrown trees in the yard.

Charles Herrera charged for murder
25 year old Ezekiel Medina Hernandez was stabbed to death on Monday morning around 5:30 at the corner of Partridge and Lavender Streets. But information has emerged which suggests that his presence in the area may not have been entirely benevolent. At the scene police recovered a bag containing a knife and a flashlight as well as a screwdriver, and observed a trail of Hernandez’s blood leading back to a nearby vehicle. The owner of that vehicle, 43 year old taxi operator Charles Herrera also known as “Bundy,” has claimed that he found a person identified as Hernandez breaking into his vehicle parked in front of his residence.

Two sides to alleged car theft case
There was a strange matter brought to Magistrate’s Court today. 39 year old Jason Jeffries of LaCroix Boulevard is being accused of theft of a vehicle valued at $2,000. According to St. James Street resident Carlos Aquino, he caught Jeffries inside his red Mazda Protégé vehicle around 5:00 a.m. on May 27 after hearing it starting up from inside his house. He had parked the vehicle in front of his residence after coming home around midnight but forgot to retrieve his car keys. Aquino claims that he saw Jeffries in the driver’s seat and as soon as Jeffries saw him he drove off. Aquino set chase and then Jeffries stopped the vehicle allowing Aquino to catch up.

Cancer Care Symposium looks at men’s health
A one-day symposium hosted by the Belize Cancer Society and its partners at the Radisson today took a look at cancers common to men and ways to reach out and address issues related to men’s health and cancer. Prostate and colorectal cancers are especially on the rise among men, particularly, for prostate cancer, in those of African descent, as shown in a recent study where African men in Trinidad and Tobago are three and a half times more likely to catch the disease than those of Indian descent. But with the macho culture prevalent among males preventing serious visits to the clinic, how does the health sector reach that half of the population? President of the Belize Cancer Society, Nurse Laura Longsworth says the health service system basically forgets about males after the vaccination scheme instituted for all children from birth to 5 years. She says there must be means of educating and making services available to men at risk for these cancers.

Economy slowing according to SIB statistics
The monthly review of economic and social statistics from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) is out and the news is not particularly good. The gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2014, January to March, is down by 0.4%, mainly due to decreased output in agriculture, mining and manufacturing. The big three of sugar, citrus and bananas are down as is petroleum, while tourism and smaller productive sectors like construction, shrimp production, beer production and even electricity production are up. The year-over-year inflation rate, known as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), is up 1.4% for the month of April, with increases in prices for some foods, transport, home rentals and butane (LPG). There are some decreases, particularly in diesel fuel and gasoline. Belmopan saw a 1.3% increase, in the middle between Dangriga’s high of 2.5% and Orange Walk’s low of 0.5%.

‘Pen gun” lands men in prison on remand
The Belize Police Department’s Quick Response Team is currently undergoing operations designed to rid streets of Orange Walk Town and surrounding villages of bad elements, firearms, ammunition and drugs. On Monday, May 25, the QRT team searched a group of young men gathered under a tree in Yo Creek Village. Authorities did not find anything incriminating on any of the eight persons but when they search the area, they found a black Pen Gun.

Blogs

“The Secret Garden ( Sweet Seduction Suite) in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
I think I may have stirred myself from what has been a fairly dormant spell for me. I haven’t been totally inactive but I think it would be fair to say that I have been lackadaisical. By the way, I just love this word. It conjures up images for me of Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins. I know that she never said the word in the film but if she had I’m sure it would have been ‘up there’ with “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (about now you are now switching to Google to find out if I spelt it right!). I mentioned in yesterday’s edition that Rose and I (more Rose than me, I have to acknowledge) have been giving some serious thought as to how we are going to landscape our garden. There are also a number of other things that we are keen to ‘get on the go’ so yesterday morning when out on the veranda with my mug of black coffee and the iPad I curtailed my reading of The Times online and my general daydreaming. Casting the iPad (gently of course) to one side I got myself a pad and pen and did what many of us do when we are planning something. Yes, that’s right, I started a list!

International Sources

Global Tropical Cyclones Shifting Poleward as the Climate Warms
Over the past 30 years, the location where tropical cyclones reach their maximum intensity has been shifting toward the poles in both the northern and southern hemispheres at a rate of about 35 miles (1/2° of latitude) per decade, according to a May 2014 study published in the journal Nature. Tropical cyclones include tropical storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. "Historical intensity estimates can be very inconsistent over time, but the location where a tropical cyclone reaches its maximum intensity is a more reliable value and less likely to be influenced by data discrepancies or uncertainties," said NOAA/University of Wisconsin lead author Jim Kossin in a NOAA press release. The researchers used data only from 1982 - 2012, the era when accurate global satellite data makes a full study of tropical cyclone intensities most feasible. Causes of the poleward shift: The poleward shift in tropical cyclones was likely due to observed changes in vertical wind shear and tropical cyclone potential intensity over the past 30 years, which changed the regions most favorable for tropical cyclone development, the researchers said. Wind shear has been decreasing closer to the poles, and the potential intensity has been increasing (the potential intensity of a tropical cyclone depends upon the sea surface temperature underneath the storm and the amount of atmospheric instability, with warm air near the surface and cold air aloft giving higher instability and potential intensity.) Interestingly, these shifts were primarily observed in the Western North Pacific Ocean and the Southern Hemisphere's ocean areas.

Belize oil exploration campaign on deck
Belize authorities have received an EIS for oil exploration in the center of the country, BNamericas has learned. BCH International plans to ...

Why cruise ship activities are a waste of my holiday time
WHEN it comes to cruise ship activities, I’m missing out. Instead of playing $US1500 ($A1622.94) Powerball Bingo, I watched my cabin steward make a frog out of a bath towel. Instead of attending the Sunglow Make-Up seminar, I sat on a balcony and stared down at the waves. I hate to admit it, but I have missed Latin Beats with DJ Sir Charles. I didn’t sing at Superstar Karaoke. I never stayed up for the midnight Texas Hold-’em meet-up at the Jackpot Casino. I skipped Bodacious 80s Fun, Foot Print Analysis and trivia. Mainly, I’ve been wandering around trying to find my room and showing up for dinner. I’ve been sitting in chairs on the deck. I went ashore for part of a day in Belize. That’s pretty much it. After three days, I haven’t yet gone swimming in the pool or down the giant waterslide. Haven’t had a Quartz Lift Facial or gone to Game Show Mania. I’m actually not sure where the days have gone. Cozumel. Belize City. Honduras. It’s a blur. But I am sleeping quite well at night, the soft hum of the cruise ship motor a lullaby. If cruise ships did not have all these things to do, we would certainly complain. What would a cruise ship be if not for Snorkel With Lunch excursions? It has to offer Ionithermie Detox & Inch Loss seminars and the Giant Jenga Challenge or risk the wrath of longtime customers. But maybe cruise ships should also have other classes. The Art of Napping. The Zen of Doing Nothing in Particular. IPhone Detox.

Myrtle Beach area men face charges they stole $6.4 million from Sprint through fraudulent billing Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/28/3472342/myrtle-beach-area-men-face-charges.html#storylink=cpy
Two Horry County men are facing charges in federal court in San Antonio that they stole $6.4 million from the Sprint-Nextel wireless company through a series of fraudulent billings, and then used the proceeds to buy luxury automobiles and a home on an island in Belize. Darrell Doyle, 50, and Jason Boyd, 37, each face five felony charges of wire or mail fraud as well as felony conspiracy and money laundering charges. All told, the charges could put both men in prison for life. The men were arrested last week and released on $50,000 bonds during a detention hearing last week in Florence. In addition to the prison sentences, both men face fines of up to $20 million and the possible forfeiture of their property to pay back the $6.4 million. Among that property, according to court records, is a 2013 Mercedes automobile, a 2008 BMW automobile, the men’s personal residences, an oceanfront condominium in North Myrtle Beach and the home in Belize, located in the La Casa Pura Vida development.

Prof Bain's Endgame?
Having allowed his supporters to peddle the fallacy that his sacking was an attack on academic freedom and free speech, we can now only wonder at the intent of Professor Brendan Bain. For by failing to declare the larger contextual truth, Professor Bain is helping not only to deepen the poles between protagonists in the gay-rights debate but distracting attention from, and potentially weakening, a project to which he has made an invaluable contribution: the delivery of care to people living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. Professor Bain is a pioneer in the field. Until his firing a week ago by the University of the West Indies (UWI), he ran Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) Network, a regional agency that operates under the umbrella of the university, but is funded mostly by foreign donors. Having retired as an academic, his job at CHART, stripped to the core, was essentially as an administrator. There is, however, confusion - deliberately or otherwise - among Professor Bain's supporters.

Jamaica’s ‘unique’ brand of homophobia
Angeline Jackson, executive director of Quality of Citizenship Jamaica, an organization that advocates on behalf of lesbian and bisexual women and transgender Jamaicans, was walking with a friend in a town outside of Kingston, the country’s capital, in 2009 when two men robbed them. Jackson, now 24, said during a Capitol Hill reception on May 21 that U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) attended, that the two men who were stepbrothers forced her to perform oral sex on them at gunpoint. The two men raped Jackson’s friend before bringing them to one of their mother’s homes two hours later. Two female police officers came to Jackson’s home after she told her mother about the alleged incident. She said one of them told her that she “should leave this lifestyle and go back to church.” “I looked at her,” said Jackson as she spoke during the Capitol Hill reception. “I was like, you mean the same night that this has just happened to me this is the response that you give me as an officer of the law.”

Videos

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Tom Guinan vacation

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Video: Belize Tour Snorkeling whale sharks, 1/4 min.
Snorkeling with Whale Sharks with Robert's Grove Beach Resort in Placencia Belize!

Video: Night dive off Ambergris Caye Belize, 1min.
Took this short video of an octopus while night diving in Ambergris Caye Belize. Amazing how her colors change.

Video: Belize 2014, 4min.
The Grove visited Belize this last week for the fourth year in a row. Here's a short video detailing our experiences and the impact we encountered on this year's trip.

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The Beauty of Belize - Real Estate Marketing for The Placencia Resort, Residence, Golf Course and Marina Petit pays d'Amérique centrale, le Belize, ex Honduras britannique, est un paradis tropical, recouvert de forêts luxuriantes donnant sur la mer des Caraïbes. Le Belize est une destination connue pour les amateurs de l'écotourisme. La côte, les îles et les récifs de corail raviront les amateurs de plongée. Il rassemble une mosaïque de cultures fascinantes, populations créole, maya et métis.

Video: Blue Creek Cave, Belize, 3min.
This video is about Blue Creek Cave, Belize- May 23, 2014 Our tour guide was Silvano Sho, a local man who lived by the creek. The Maya name for the Blue Creek is “Hokeb Ha,” or “Where the water enters the earth”. Blue Creek is an extremely large cave that begins near the village of Santa Cruz, where the river rushes under ground, resurfacing five mile later near the village of Blue Creek. The cave is classified as a wet cave with dry routes.

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Isidore zaldivar

Video: Tiburones Nodriza, 4min.
Cayo Ambergris, Belize