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Specials and Events

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

Belize receives funding to train guides in Birding
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has provided $2.6 million to be divided between the governments of Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay and the Bahamas as part of an initiative to promote Birding. As part of the project, tour guides will be trained in proper birding techniques and practices to promote ecotourism activities in their respective countries. The project was launched on Wednesday, June 18th at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City with representatives from the participating countries and IDB present. Belize Audubon Society will be overseeing the project, and Executive Director, Amanda Burgos was present to speak on the importance of the project. “The IDB bird-based tourism project is an opportunity to form stronger linkages between protected areas systems and the tourism sector. This project will demonstrate the economic value of our protected areas to local communities through job creation and other economic enterprises associated with an improved tourism product,” said Burgos.

Actress Denny Mendéz spotted in San Pedro
The San Pedro Sun has spotted actress and former Miss Italy Denny Mendéz vacationing on Ambergris Caye along with fiancé Oscar Generale (producer). Denny is enjoying the fine hospitality of Victoria House Resort. The newly engaged couple was spotted on Monday June 23rd taking an evening stroll on the dock of the resort and sharing laughs. Generale proposed to Mendéz last month at the annual Cannes International Film Festival with the help of friends John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston. Rumor has it the couple is considering tying the knot here on La Isla Bonita! One of Denny’s most noteable roles was in Oceans 12 (alongside Clooney, Pitt and Damon). Generale’s numerous producing credits include Casino Jack.

San Pedro Red Cross hosts HIV Prevention Workshop
On Friday, June 20th, the San Pedro Red Cross hosted an HIV prevention workshop as part of a “Street Beat” activity held at the San Pedro Lobster Festival on Saturday, June 21st. The workshop was held at El Divino Restaurant from 9AM to 4PM and was aimed to educate community members on HIV so that they can in turn educate others. Of the 11 people that participated in the workshop, eight were teens. San Pedro Red Cross members Shirlee Arnould and Mike Memeo officiated the workshop. Both had been previously trained at the Belize Red Cross Youth Agents for Change “Street Beat” Training and Activity back in December 2013. Throughout the workshop, participants received vital knowledge on how HIV is contracted and on ways to prevent the spreading of the disease. The group also shared common misconceptions of HIV. Participants had an open discussion on the stigma people with HIV suffer.

Ambergris Today

Carlos Moreno New U.S. Ambassador to Belize Presents Credentials
On Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at the Belize House, the Governor General of Belize, His Excellency Sir Colville Young received the letters of credence of the new United States of America Ambassador to Belize, His Excellency Carlos Moreno. In his presentation, Ambassador Moreno expressed his desire to work with the Government of Belize on “matters of mutual interest, issues relating to youth, culture, education, health and commerce”. He further stated that there is great potential for continuing strong relations between the two countries. The Governor General welcomed the Ambassador and thanked him for his kind words of friendship and cooperation. He also expressed particular interest in building relations as it relates to youth.

Hollywood Producer Oscar Generale Vacations in Ambergris Caye with Former Miss Italy Denny Mendez
The Hollywood producer, nicknamed the “King of Product Placement”, Oscar Generale, was recently caught vacationing on La Isla Bonita, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize with his beautiful girlfriend Denny Mendez. The couple was spotted romantically walking down the beach by Victoria House. Denny Mendez and Oscar Generale got engaged on May 22, 2014, at the Cannes Film Festival and it is rumored that the couple wants to wed here here on our beautiful Isla Bonita. Denny Mendez is a Dominican-born Italian beauty queen turned model and actress who was Miss Italy 1996 and represented Italy in the 1997 Miss Universe pageant. Denny has become a sensation in the modeling world, adorning the fine wears of Alberta Ferretti, Ferre and Roberto Cavalli, to name a few. Denny career followed into the likely path of acting and has landed multiple roles in Italy, as well as Ocean’s Twelve (starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon).

Misc Belizean Sources

Dia de San Pedro Fishing Rodeo 2014
Sunday 29, 2014. Fishing time 6:00a.m. To 5:00p.m. Scale will be open until 6:00p.m. for more information call Jennie at 651-3850.

The U.S. Embassy Belmopan is now harvesting a free, renewable, sustainable and high-quality resource… rainwater
The rainy season is upon us and the final preparations are being made on the new water catchment system. The 10 tanks hold up to 1500 gallons of rainwater which will be utilized throughout the year for non-potable purposes. The project was launched this year in May. With an average yearly rainfall of 80” in Belize, we expect to capture an estimated 30,000 gallons per year. We are excited to see this project come to life at Embassy Belmopan. In addition to being environmentally responsible, conserving water will promote savings in utility costs and provide an excellent back-up source of water for emergencies. What are you doing in your homes and communities to conserve and live more efficiently?

Diamante service industry night at Fidos
July 5th at 9pm. No speeches, no promotions, no strings attached. Just free beer for an hour.

National Youth Orchestra rehearsing Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and Pirates of the Caribbean
Last Saturday at the Pallotti School of Music, Belize City. We are preparing for a concert with MUSAID on August 27, 2014 at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. (5 photos)

Channel 7

Pregnant Mother of Two Perishes In Fire: the Timeline
Early this morning, a pregnant mother of two perished when the building she was living in caught on fire. Witnesses say she refused to jump to safety because she was pregnant. 24-year-old Jacqueline Arteaga lived upstairs of Kimmie's Club on Newtown Barracks. At 4:15 am a fire started and she was trapped inside. The story of how she met her death in the sea front apartment is the tragedy of tonight's news, but we begin first with the troubling part of the story: and that is the fire Department's response: was it adequate, and could more have been done to save property, or even her life? We have video of the earliest moments captured by a friend of the newscast and area resident, Leo Matute – and Jules Vasquez starts building the timeline from before the fire truck arrived: Jules Vasquez Reporting This is the fire at 4:48 am – it's already in free burn and the fire truck hasn't come yet. The Kimmie's building is engulfed as electrical wires crackle. Dawn hasn't broken yet, and the strong easterly wind is driving the flame unto the adjoining three story, Giovanni Smith building – which is also wooden.

The Ruinous Aftermath of a Deadly, Costly Fire
And that loss of life is the real tragedy in this costly blaze. Property can be replaced or rebuilt, but Jacqueline Arteaga's life cannot be returned. There are many questions surrounding her death in that apartment atop a nightclub. Today, Daniel Ortiz tried to find answers: Daniel Ortiz Reporting At 9 this morning, 5 hours after started, the Fire Department was still on the scene trying to ensure that the fire was completely extinguished. Police blocked off the section of Barrack Road in front of the remains of the buildings. Investigators from both the fire and police departments were on the scene until 4:30 this evening, still canvassing for evidence. Important evidence, important because in this fire, a person perished inside the burning wreckage of Kimmie's Bar. 21 year-old Jacqueline Arteaga was inside one of the rooms in the upstairs flat of the building, and when the blaze engulfed the entire structure, she was trapped. She was the only person out of 4 who didn't make it out in time.

Auditor General Prelim. Report Finally Leaked To Media: Some Eye-Catching Stuff
And changing subjects now – we turn to the Immigration scandal. Two weeks ago COLA had a press conference disclosing the major findings of the Auditor General's Investigation into irregularities at the Immigration Department. Well today, on the eve of what may be their last stand in the private prosecution at Belmopan Magistrate's Court, they released the document to the media. It is a 27 page document dating back to March of this year. We looked at the interesting parts of the preliminary report: Jules Vasquez Reporting The preliminary report from the Auditor General notes on the very first page, that they quote, "encountered challenges regarding lack of cooperation." It says the Director Immigration Maria Marin quote, "demonstrated blatant disrespect for my office" End quote. It goes unto say that she quote, "found ways to evade requests for the accessing or records", and when asked, quote, "she stated that the records were with the minister," end quote. On page 5 the report notes that quote, "Minister Elvin Penner signed several nationality certificates that were not recorded on the nationality register."

Unemployment Down, But Only Slightly
The latest unemployment figures were released today by the statistical Institute of Belize. It's called the Labour Force Survey and it's done every year in April and September. This year's survey sampled employment patterns from within a workforce of 151,317 persons. The survey found that sixteen thousand of them are unemployed – which is down slightly from last year April. The Deputy Director explained: Dr. Leopold Perriott - Deputy Director-General "In April 2014, there were 16,730 persons unemployed in the country of Belize. This is down from 17,375 persons in April 2013. So, the unemployed persons are down very slightly. The national unemployment rate is 11.1% as of April 2014, and that's down very slightly from April 2013. In April 2013, the unemployment rate was 11.7%. So, there is a slight decrease in the unemployment rate. The highest unemployment rate was recorded in the Belize District at 14.3%, which is up substantially from April 2013. In April 2013, it was 11.6%. The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Toledo District as 4.1%; this is substantially down. In 2013, it was 8.0%, and so, it's down dramatically, but that's due mainly to people dropping out of the labour force, dropping out from the unemployed persons, just become not in the labour force. For the Creoles, it's 16.3%, which basically is what it was in April 2013. The Garifuna, the rate has gone up to 18%, from 12.8%, the Mestizo, 9.1%, down a little bit from 10%. It's virtually the same. The Maya, the rates have fallen dramatically, 4.5%, and I alluded to this. Perhaps, what happened was that the labour force, people just left the labour force and basically gave up. The unemployment rates for women is 19.4%, the unemployment rate for men is 5.9%, and this is basically what has been happening over the years."

S.C. Smith On Office Of Prime Minister's Defence of Awich
Last night we told you about the extraordinary press release on the controversial tenure of Justice Samuel Awich from the Prime Minister's Office. What made it unusual was the suggestion that contempt of court could be invoked by the DPP. Well today there was a lot of blowback on this – and the opposition led the way with a statement condemning the Prime Minister's release. IT calls the PM's release "bullying and intimidation" and says it is "ugly, divisive and unacceptable." This morning we spoke to the PUP's National Campaign Manager – who is also a big part of the anti-Awich legal movement, Godfrey Smith. His words were very similar to those on the press release: Godfrey Smith - Defends Bar Association's Resolution "I think it is embarrassing to the Prime Minister. I think it is irresponsible for what was said in that statement to have been said. I think it is wrong to use such a high office to issue not so veil threats of criminal action against individuals who speak out, who exercise their freedom of expression, to speak out about a particular issue like the continued tenure of the judge based on a bar Association resolution which went to the process strictly to the process of extending the judge. And I think again, the open threat - not veiled at all - that a course of action will be taken to effectively deal with the Bar Association, I think is something that can be characterised as a modus operandi of the Office of the Prime Minister. And it is divisive and, as I said, scandalous, embarrassing to that high office and plain wrong."

Opposition Leader on Office of PM: "Absolute Craziness"
The case was fully argued and the Supreme Court decision will be handed down at some point in July. Keeping it on Awich, this evening, the Leader of the Opposition made himself available to the media to discuss his party's position on the PM's statement. In that statement, reference was made to the 18 persons who attended the meeting of the bar – calling it a puny minority. The Leader of the Opposition referred to the statement generally as "crazy": Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition "It's absolute craziness, at a time when people all across the country are calling on Mr. Barrow and his government to deal with the corruption in his Government, and to deal with Mr. Penner. That is the individual he should be talking to the DPP about, providing evidence and providing, ensuring that there is a successful prosecution of that individual. Instead, he's threatening and trying to intimidate the Bar Association of Belize. So, it's absolute nonsense; it's craziness. I understand in the release that the Government put out - the Prime Minister put out, he talked about a minority, and a puny number of people representing the lawyers of Belize.

Man Convicted For Firearm Offence
And going now from high court controversy to low court convictions, Twenty-nine year old Darren Dawson, a Brodies employee, was sentenced to 5 years today by Chief magistrate, Anne Marie Smith after she found him guilty of discharging a firearm in public. It happened around 5:30 p.m. on May 27, 2013. The main witness, Police Sergeant Keith Clarke, testified that he was standing on the back verandah of his house when he saw Dawson fire shots at another man on Neal Pen Road. The investigators retrieved 14 expended shells from the scene.

Conorquie Was Electrocuted Trying To Steal Electricity
Police have confirmed that 33-year-old Ernest Lincoln Conorquie died of electrocution. As we told you last night, he climbed a lamp-post beside his house on Rivero Street on Sunday night trying to steal electricity when he got a shock and fell into a drain. He was found dead in the drain on Monday morning. Police say a post mortem shows that he was electrocuted.

PSE Tops In Bze District Honoured
Two weeks ago, we showed you the top performers of this year's Primary School Exams. Today was finally the day when the Ministry of Education honoured the top 25 performers in the Belize District. Education Minister Patrick Faber told the media that he's encouraged by this year's results: The Ministry will hold award ceremonies for the best performers in the western, northern and southern regions tomorrow.

Hon. Faber On PSE Errors
In the north, Louisiana Government School's Jose Arciga should be front and centre. He's one of the top finishers in his district, but due to an error the original test results didn't even have him in the top 30. Today, when the Minister of Education was asked about it, he reiterated that the scores were preliminary, and every year there are few errors which are ironed out. He says that the Ministry allows a grace period for any challenge to the scores: Hon. Patrick Faber - Minister of Education "Every year we do have queries. I don't want anybody to run away with the idea that this is not normal. In fact, if you look at the press release - the release that came along with the grades of the Primary School Exams, not only this year - it says preliminary. The reason why we say preliminary is because we give the time period for the grades to be queried.

Hon. Faber On Teacher Redundancy
And while we had the opportunity we asked Patrick Faber about the consolidation of certain subject areas of study among three Belize City High Schools: Sadie Vernon, Maude Williams and Excelsior. As we've reported, all these 3 schools will pool their resources to streamline resources and maximize subject offerings. As a part of the streamlining, 12 teachers from the different schools were declared redundant. Today, when we asked about it, he said that it was a tough decision which had to be made: Hon. Patrick Faber – Ministry of Education "You will recall that we had a press conference on this, and that we made it quite clear that no teacher would be let go based on lack of qualification or qualifications even though at the time, I did lament that indeed the majority of the teachers teaching at these three schools in fact were not professionally trained. But that was not the reason on which we based our decisions. In fact what we did, we looked at the curriculum that is being offered and you saw that in great detail at the press conference and we tried to fit as best as we could the teachers of the sixty-one of them into the delivery of that curriculum. That as you now know caused the issue of us having to displace, as you put it, twelve teachers. But as we said these schools were in fact overstaffed from the beginning. I remind people. Sometimes, we want the system to be fixed, and we're shedding tears now and crying for - and I don't want to be unkind to the teachers because of course, they are probably very good at what they do in some respects, and every dedicated. But, if you are not trained, and if fact, if you're in this position where you're assisting the process of developing education and making it better, then we can't make omelettes if we don't break a few eggs. So, I want to remind people of that. When we talk about change, sometimes, change brings with it some unpleasantries.""

CWU and CPBL Sign Agreement
This morning in the Pomona Valley, the Christian Workers Union and Citrus Products of Belize Limited signed a collective bargaining agreement. According to a release, the agreement covers just under 100 workers at the peak of the citrus season at the processing plants operated by CPBL. Seen here signing are CWU General Secretary Floyd Neal, CWU President Audrey Matura-Shepherd, CPBL Chief Financial Officer Kent Herrera and CPBL Chief Administration Manager Nikita Usher.

Nessie Young Has Young Girl Money
She may be in her 70's but Nessie Young has young girl money, after she walked away with the Fantasy 5 Jackpot of $353,000 today. Today, she told us she never expected to win when she bought her ticket with the numbers, 3, 10, 19, 25, 30 – which are just a few of her favourites: After taxes, she'll get to keep 300 thousand and fifty dollars. Nessie Young's husband, Henry is the former UDP Minister and founder of Bird's Isle. At its next drawing, the Fantasy 5 jackpot reverts to $150,000 dollars.

Channel 5

Pregnant woman perishes in a massive fire in the City
A twenty-three year old mother of three tragically perished this morning in a massive fire which completely destroyed two large buildings on Newtown Barracks in Belize City. Jacqueline Arteaga, three [...]

2 businesses gutted to the ground – origin of fire under investigation
Following this morning’s blaze, the owners of both Kimmie’s Bar and Business Computer Systems looked through the wreckage to see if anything could be salvaged. That seems unlikely, because the [...]

Bucket brigade saves Hunter Lane house from burning down
While all attention was on the main blaze which engulfed the buildings and killed one young woman, there was much drama being played out in Hunter’s Alley beside and behind [...]

Opposition Leader blasts the Prime Minister for attacking the Bar
A release from the Office of Prime Minister Dean Barrow late Tuesday evening has stirred a hornet’s nest in the Bar Association. The release targets current and past presidents of [...]

Francis Fonseca says action of PM typical of U.D.P. government
While Fonseca vouched for the characters of all three attorneys named in the Prime Minister’s response, he says that the behavior is typical of government.  According to the Leader of [...]

Former Bar President says PM release is a distraction from real issue
  As we told you, former President of the Bar Andrew Marshalleck is specifically named in the release. Today, he told us that the release is just a red herring [...]

Andrew Marshalleck says appointments in judiciary are of concern
Three persons are named in the Prime Minister’s release – Eamon Courtenay, Andrew Marshalleck and Jackie Marshalleck. But whether or not that was an attempt to get personal, Marshalleck remains [...]

Attorney says PM’s attack is wrong in every way
Attorney Godfrey Smith also weighed in on the release from the Office of the Prime Minister, and he wasn’t bashful about it. Smith says that the PM deciding to enter [...]

Joblessness decreased in the City, but increased in the districts
The latest figures on unemployment were released this morning by the Statistical Institute of Belize. It shows a nominal drop in joblessness compared to the same period last year. The [...]

Attorney speaks on application before the court for appointment of Justice Awich
It is not often that judges’ names are bandied about in the public forum, largely because they are considered sacrosanct. Speaking on the conduct of those judges is a walk [...]

Belize City man electrocuted
Police are reporting a case of electrocution in the city. Despite warnings by the utility company against the practice of illegal connections, thirty-three year old Ernest Caniquie of Rivero Street [...]

Leroy Samuel Ruiz pleads guilty to fishing without a license
Twenty-seven year old Ladyville fisherman, Leroy Samuel Ruiz is in plenty trouble with the law; this morning he pleaded guilty to fishing in the Glovers Reef Marine Reserve without a [...]

Stabbing in the south leaves 2 men critical
In the south, two men ended in the Punta Gorda hospital following a stabbing incident. Twenty-four year old Eden Mejia was involved in a confrontation with twenty-six year old Jordy [...]

The National P.S.E. Awards
Young Ashton Tillett from Crooked Tree set the standards high this morning when he was honored as this year’s top scorer for the Primary School Examinations. It was not by [...]

Education Ministers speak on errors in P.S.E. results
As we said earlier, twenty-five primary school students from across the country were honored at today’s national P.S.E. Award ceremonies in Belize City. And that included Jose Arciga from Louisiana [...]

Minister says school boards determined 12 terminated teachers
Minister Faber was also asked about the plight of teachers who were dismissed as a result of the merger of three Belize City high schools.  It’s an unfortunate situation says [...]

If You Can Sing It Bring It!
If you can sing it, bring it…  our sensational new entertainment show premiered as promised on Tuesday night with recorded auditions of those artists who dared to step up to [...]

More News: Scroll up from here

CTV3

US Ambassador Arrives In Belize
US Ambassador to Belize Carlos R. Moreno has arrived in the country to take office for three years. He arrived on Saturday June 20th and today he presented his credentials at the Belize House, where the Governor General of Belize, His Excellency Sir Colville Young, received the letters. The new US Ambassador to Belize was born in Los Angeles on November 4th, 1948, and is married to Christine Moreno and has two children Keiko and Nicholas. He served as an Associate Justice on the California Supreme Court from 2001 to 2011. From 1998 to 2001, Ambassador Moreno served as a United States District Judge in the Central District of California, nominated to the bench by President Clinton.

BSCFA Falls Under Non-complaince
There is news emerging from the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association today after they were once again audited by the Fairtrade officials of FLOCERT. The association was found with eight non-compliances but officials at the association refrained from commenting on the matter today. By checking compliance with Fairtrade Standards, FLOCERT ensures that relevant social and environmental standards are met and that producers receive the Fairtrade Minimum Price and Premium. If the association does not meet compliance certification, their benefits may be withdrawn by Fairtrade. We will have more on this story in tomorrow’s newscast.

Six Year Old Kidnapped In Benque Viejo Del Carmen
A Jasmine Alert was sent out today for 6 year old Jermany Yoni Cancinos of Benque Viejo Del Carmen. This morning around 8:30 they received a report from the father of the six year old Guatemalan girl where he reported that his child was taken away by a female from her school at the Sevent Day Adventist in Benque. Reports are the child was taken in a blue Kia by force. Of note is that the Jermany’s parents are separated and she was living with her father who has custody. Police have interviewed a few students and the father of the child and have contacted the Guatemala Authorities who shared light on the situation. ASP Dinsdale Thompson, Officer Commanding Benque Viejo Police says the abduction reveals that it stemmed from a family dispute. ASP Dinsdale Thompson, Officer Commanding Benque Viejo Police “What we got from them is that the young lady who came to the school and took the child away is relative to the mom who is in the U.S at this present moment, she is not in Guatemala or in Belize. Where the child is we don’t know at the present moment and we do not know who has her.

Chikungunya A Threat To Belize
The Ministry of Health announced today that they will be holding a press conference on Thursday regarding the emerging threat of Chikungunya disease, which is now quickly spreading throughout the Caribbean. Reports show that the virus has recently spread to 17 countries in the Caribbean, including Haiti and Cuba, where the number of chikungunya cases now tops 189,000, according to the Pan American Health Organization. And as of last week, 80 cases of chikungunya have been reported in 13 U.S. states.

Weight Loss Products To Be Pulled Off The Shelves, Says MOE
If you are one of those persons who rely on weight loss products to lose those extra pounds, then we suggest you pay keen attention to the following report. Several weight loss and health products are currently being pulled off the shelves, according to the Ministry of Health. A release states that the Ministry has received public notification from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on products that consumers are not advised to purchase. These items include; Dr. Ming’s Chinese Capsule, 7 Days Herbal Slim, Sliming Diet Berry Plus, Asset Extreme, SlimEasy Herbs Capsule and Meizitang Citrus. FDA laboratory confirms that these products contain Sibutramine, a controlled substance removed from the market in October 2010 for safety reasons.

Orange Walk Town Council Hold Neighborhood Meetings
By and large there have been a number of complaints and concerns from the public as it relates to the development and upkeep of the town. There is a platform for these matters to be tabled that is offered by the Town Council itself. That platform is neighborhood meetings that the current council has been holding even before entering office. They are about to hold their 26th meeting on Thursday and Deputy Mayor Ian Cal says it is one of the first of twelve meetings they plan to hold in this year in each zone within the town. Ian Cal – Deputy Mayor “We are holding neighborhood meetings in different areas in town, one to hear from the residence and to get their feed back to their concerns, suggestions even complains and we as a council don’t have all the answers so we believe it is important to keep in contact with the public, that is something we campaigned on, something that we promised the residence that we will do and we have been doing it.”

US Embassy Holds Training For The National Forensic Science Service Department Of Belize
The Belize Police Department has been riddled with challenges including lack of or limited resources, public relations, or worse, corruption. But perhaps one of their weakest links is the lack of capacitated scenes of crime investigators that has led to countless criminal cases to be thrown out of court and limited successful prosecutions. This may change to some level, or at least that is the hope, after all scenes of crime technicians in the country complete an intense one year training on Forensic Crime Scene Investigation. The Training is being hosted by the National Forensic Science Service Department and the US Embassy. The Executive Director of the International Crime Scene Investigators Association, Hayden Baldwin, will facilitate the course. Baldwin has an impressive resume after working as Master Sergeant at the Illinois State Police, Supervisor and Head of Crime Scene, trained at the La Salle University in Mandeville LA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Crime Scene International. With the assistance of our colleagues from Krem in Belize City, we bring you what Baldwin says the technicians will be focusing on during the course in this morning’s launch.

LOVE FM

Retired Woman Claims Fantasy 5 Jackpot
A 76-year-old woman of Belize City claimed over three hundred thousand dollars this morning at the office of Brad’s Gaming Company after scoring the five winning numbers in the Fantasy 5 Jackpot Game. Love News met up with Nessie Young today where she shared with us her sentiments on her win as well as how it came about for her. RENEE TRUJILLO “What are you feeling right now?” NESSIE YOUNG “I don’t feel anything because I can’t believe it. I just choose the numbers at random, numbers I used to like to buy when it first started. I used to win three or four pieces. One time I won the four numbers and I couldn’t believe it.” RENEE TRUJILLO “When did you find out?” NESSIE YOUNG “This morning after I had my breakfast, I decided to call and ask the place what played, then I said, ’Let me go look at it to make sure’.” RENEE TRUJILLO “So, you said you had one ticket, which was numbers you selected and that the other one which was a quick pick. The winning ticket was the quick pick or your selected numbers?” NESSIE YOUNG “The one I selected.”

Mechanic Remanded for Aggravated Assault
Thirty-eight year old Ainsworth Dawson, a former auto mechanic for the Police Department, was remanded to Belize Central Prison today after he appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith and was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, threat of death and harm. Dawson pled not guilty to the charges. He was remanded into custody until July 29. The incident occurred on June 22 in Ladyville. According to the allegation, Dawson pointed a 16 gauge shot gun at his wife and threatened to kill her. It is further alleged that Dawson choked her until she lost consciousness. She was taken to the hospital where the doctor who examined her classified the injury to her neck as harm.

5 Years for Discharging Firearm in Public
Twenty-nine year old Darren Dawson became an inmate of Belize Central Prison today when he was found guilty of discharging a firearm in public and was sentenced to five years by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. The main witness, police sergeant Keith Clarke, testified that at around 5:30 p.m. on May 27, 2013, he was standing on the back verandah of his house on Neal Pen Road when he saw Dawson firing shot at another person with black handgun. He said Dawson was dressed in a white t-shirt and black short pants. The police retrieved 14 expended nine millimeter shells from the scene. Dawson testified and claimed that at the time of the incident he was at home watching television. But under cross examination he said that he told the police that it was he who was being shot at.

Senior Counsel Points Out Flaws in Judicial System
This morning, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith on behalf of BCB Holdings filed an application in the Supreme Court to Challenge a decision made by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission in regards to a complaint made against Justice of Appeal Samuel Awich in 2012. The nature of the complaint is in regards to allegations of misbehavior and inability by Awich. Smith says that the Commission should have submitted the complaint to the Belize Advisory Council which was not done. Here is how he explained it. GODFREY SMITH “In 2012 a complaint was made to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission about Justice Awich. The complaint was that the Judicial and Legal Services Commission ought to exercise its powers under the Belize Constitution to consider whether there was a sufficiently serious allegation of misbehavior and/or inability against Justice Awich and if it found that there was a sufficiently serious case made out, to refer the matter to the Belize Advisory Council who would then investigate whether or not the judge ought to be removed. The Judicial and Legal Services Commission did not refer the complaint, it in effect, dismissed the complaint and said the complaint was premature and misconceived because it raised complaints against the judge while he was a Supreme Court judge and the judge is now a Court of Appeals judge.

COLA’s Disclosure of Evidence Scheduled in Private Prosecution Against Penner
The Executives of Citizen Organized for Liberty through Action, COLA, will appear in the Belmopan Magistrate Court to continue their private prosecution against Former Minister of State Elvin Penner. Tomorrow COLA’s Attorney, Kareem Musa, will have to disclose all their evidence they have to Penner’s attorney in order for the Magistrate to decide whether or not they case is arguable. In past weeks, COLA had been complaining that they were being stonewalled by Government officials from obtaining necessary documents. However they got their hands on what they say is the Interim Auditor General Report on the Passport Scandal. At first COLA was hesitant in distributing the report to the media until today. We got and copy of the report dated March 19 2014. Investigations commenced on October 29 2013 and the audit team was slated to cover the years April 2011 to September 2013.

PlusTV

Where is the Cotton Tree Village Border?
Earlier this week,  the Attorney General of Belize and Area Representative for Pickstock , Hon. Wilfred Elrington,  made some interesting statements about the village of Cotton Tree, claiming that the village itself is exclusively located on the right hand side of the road when travelling in a Northerly direction....

Man Electrocuted While Stealing Electricity
33-year-old Ernest Lincoln Caniquie died earlier this week in Belize City. According to police reports, sometime between the hours of 10:00p.m. on Sunday night and 6:00a.m. on Monday morning,  Caniquie climbed the lamp post  at the corner of Rivero Street and Rivero Street Extension. Police say he was trying...

Stabbing Incident in PG
Two persons are recovering from multiple stab and chop wounds in the Punta Gorda Hospital. 24-year-old Eden Mejia was chopped seven times to his arms and head while 26-year-old  Jordy Flores also had cut wounds to his arms and head. According to police reports,  Jordy Flores and Eden Mejia...

Top PSE Scorers Awarded
The top 25 national performers and those of the Belize District were today honored by their peers, families and the Ministry of Education. It is an annual tradition with all the pomp and circumstance required, and it reminds that among all the bad things in this world there is...

PSE Score Glitches Fixed?
The Ministry of Education has come under fire for glitches in its scoring of the Primary School Examination that left some students wondering what their grades actually were. The scores released are preliminary, and as of last Friday which was the deadline for queries to be made, those with...

Young Woman Perishes in Belize City Fire
This morning just before 5:00 a.m. fire broke out in the Newtown Barracks area. When the last embers had been put out approximately three hours later, two buildings were completely destroyed and a third severely damaged. Sadly, there was also loss of human life.  A female bar worker and...

PUP condemns Office of Prime Minister’s Press Release on Bar Association
Yesterday we told you about the press release issued from the Office of the Prime Minister. That press release was in realtion to the Bar Association’s condemnation of the controversial continued tenure of Justice of Appeal Samuel Awich. The release says that  “the attacks, using the Belize Bar Association...

Man Given Five Years for Discharging Firearm
Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has sentenced 29 year old Darren Dawson to five years’ imprisonment for discharging a firearm in public.  On May 27, 2013 around 5:30 p.m. Dawson allegedly fired shots from a black 9 mm. pistol toward another man on Neal Pen Road. The incident was witnessed...

Collective Bargaining Agreement Between CPBL and CWU Signed
Audrey Matura Shepherd is the new president of the Christian Workers Union (CWU). As we told you yesterday the NTUCB has officially reinstated CWU into its fold and CWU  is now moving forward. Today a long standing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Citrus Products of Belize Limited (CPBL) ...

Patrick Jones

National PSE award ceremony honors top students
The top 25 national performers in the 2014 Primary School Examination (PSE) and those of the Belize District were today honored by their peers, families and the Ministry of Education. It is an annual tradition with all the pomp and circumstance required, and it reminds that among all […]

Man given five years for discharging firearm
Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has sentenced 29 year old Haynes Street resident Darren Dawson to five years’ imprisonment for discharging a firearm in public. On May 27, 2013 around 5:30 p.m.Dawson allegedly fired shots from a black 9mm pistol toward another man on Neal Pen Road. The incident […]

Domestic dispute lands husband in jail
This afternoon a former auto mechanic for the Police Department was remanded when a domestic incident went too far. On June 22 38 year old Ainsworth Dawson allegedly pulled a 16-gauge shotgun on his own wife, threatened to kill her and then choked her into unconsciousness. He claimed […]

Judicial and Legal Services Commission challenged over Justice Awich
Today a two-day trial concluded between Dean Boyce, the British Caribbean Bank, and the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. The names are familiar and so is the legal scenario. Since he was on the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel Awich has been dogged by accusations of lagging judgments and […]

Pre-dawn fire kills woman, destroys several buildings
This morning just after 4:00 a.m. fire broke out in the Newtown Barracks area. When the last embers had been put out approximately three hours later, two buildings were completely destroyed and two others heavily damaged. Sadly, there was also loss of human life, as a female bar […]

Statistical Institute updates on country indicators
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) held another in its series of press conferences, this time covering in addition to the monthly consumer price index and trade statistics news on life expectancy for Belizeans and the twice-yearly labour force survey. Compared to April of last year, unemployment is […]

Chopping incident in PG leaves two men hospitalized
A Tuesday morning fight in Punta Gorda town has left two men hospitalized, one of them in serious condition in Belize City. 24 year old Eden Mejia sustained a large cut wound to both of his shoulders, left wrist, almost severed fingers on his left hand, a cut […]

Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association face challenges with Fair Trade funds
Just when things looked they were going good for the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, today there are reports of irregularities that could lead to criminal investigations. It all surrounds the BSCFA’s participation in the International Fair Trade System. An audit conducted this year turned up 8 […]

Corozal students graduate from GREAT program
The Gang Resistance Education and Training, GREAT program today celebrated another graduation of young people who have completed training. Thirty students graduated today in Corozal and now joins over five thousand boys and girls from around the country who are certified GREAT participants. During the course of the […]

Woman dies in early morning fire in Belize City
An early morning fire in Belize City today has gutted two buildings and claimed the life of a woman. 23 year old Jacqueline Arteaga was trapped inside the burning building which housed Kimmie’s Bar on Newtown Barracks. The charred remains of her body was found by firefighters after […]

Blogs

Lobsterfest’s Grand Prize Winner, Breakfast to Die For, A Walk South & And A New Bar…
Yesterday the Grand Prize Winner for the 2014 San Pedro Lobsterfest was announced. The prize is…well…amazing. Ridiculous in fact. I stopped into the Seaduced Tour office and saw the prizes fanned out on the table. (Check out the full list at the end of the post.) Hotel stays at Ramon’s, Xanadu and more. Tropic Air tickets to the island…lots more. And the lovely lovely LOVELY Rose, new resident of San Pedro, was the lucky winner! Go Rose! She moved here just last September with her equally talented husband Bob. He’s the writer (a real writer!) of my favorite San Pedro blog – Bound for Belize. (I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if she got this giant pile of certificates home, promptly laid them out on the couch and rolled in them. It’s totally what I would have done.)

The Flor de la Feria Talent Show is this Saturday June 28th 2014
The Flor de la Feria Talent Show is this Saturday, June 28th, at the Cancha Marshalleck. On Sunday, they’ll have a sporting event for the ladies.

International Sources

A top ten list no one wants to be on but seven are located in the wider Caribbean
Drawing on the latest report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Britain’s Guardian newspaper has published a list of the world’s top ten most populous cities in each country, ranked by the most up-to-date available homicide rates per 100,000 people, with the top five and seven of the top ten located in the wider Caribbean. The list comprises the most populous cities in each of 137 countries and is not necessarily the capital or the city with the highest murder rate in the country. However, somewhat unexpectedly topping the list is Basseterre, the capital of the twin-island federation of St Kitts and Nevis, with a 2011 murder rate of 131.6 per 100,000 – over two-and-a-half times that of Kingston, Jamaica, at number ten. The full list as published by the Guardian is as follows: 1: Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis (murder rate: 131.6 in 2011). 2: Caracas, Venezuela (murder rate: 122 in 2009). 3: Guatemala City, Guatemala (murder rate: 116.6 in 2010). 4: Belize City, Belize (murder rate: 105.1 in 2011). 5: Tegucigalpa, Honduras (murder rate: 102.2 in 2011). 6: Maseru, Lesotho (Murder rate: 61.9 in 2009). 7: Cape Town, South Africa (Murder rate: 59.9 in 2007). 8: Panama City, Panama (Murder rate: 53.1 in 2012). 9: San Salvador, El Salvador (Murder rate: 52.5 in 2012). 10: Kingston, Jamaica (Murder rate: 50.3 per 100,000 people in 2011).

Airman supports task force in Belize
Senior Airman Mario Acevedo is one of the busiest airmen assigned to the U.S. Southern Command-sponsored New Horizons exercise in Belize. As the lodging representative, he makes room assignments, tracks personnel accountability and works with the host nation hotel to make sure things such as laundry, dining and housekeeping practices are meeting government standards. Acevedo, a services journeyman deployed here from the 820th RED HORSE Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, also plans morale trips, barbeques, movie nights and sports and fitness activities. He also issues packaged meals to more than 560 personnel, delivers breakfast to two engineering constructions sites in Belize City each morning and assists with switching out Belizean security guards at the end and beginning of their shifts. "I've enjoyed it," said Acevedo, who hails from Tucson, Arizona. "The best part of the deployment is working with a great team." Acevedo joined the Air Force four years ago. His great-grandfather and his grandfather served in the Navy, and his father served in the Army. "It was kind of a 'keep it in the family' thing," Acevedo said. "I wanted to do something that was noteworthy, and I had an urge to serve my country."

Development funds to help Belize farmed shrimp industry get ASC certificate
The Belize Shrimp Growers Association expects eight farms, representing 89% of shrimp farms and more than 95% of total production, to enter assessment later this year ....

10th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Achievements
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, hosted the 10th Annual Scientific Meeting from June 10 to 17, 2014. Thirteen CRFM Member States: Anguilla, Belize, Grenada, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands, participated in this year’s meeting. The meeting benefitted from technical support provided by Professor John Hoenig, Consultant, Professor of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Nancie Cummings, Fisheries Expert at US National Marine Fisheries Service; Professor Hazel Oxenford from the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, UWI, Cave Hill campus; and Dr. Paul Medley, International Fisheries Consultant from the UK.

Using the Right Sunscreen Can Protect You and the World's Reefs
Summer is here and it’s got the temperatures to prove it. One excellent way to cool down during the summer months is to take a cool dip in a body of water. But have you ever thought about what is washing off of you and into the water as you cool down? Whether you are at a lake or at the beach, you need to be mindful of what you are putting into the water. You wouldn’t throw trash into the water, so why would you put harmful chemicals in the water through your sunscreen? While sunscreen is wonderful for protecting your skin, it can be really terrible for the environment.

Videos

Video: VACATION BELIZE 2014, CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES, 22min.
Blessed to be able to take a much needed vacation aboard the Carnival Magic. Out of the thousands of pictures and lots of video I put together a summary of our Belize, Sharks and Rays excursion with Splash Wave. It was great!

Video: 1962 Belize-Guatemala dispute comments by a Williams ?, 3min.
Member of the Opposition in British Honduras and Belize

Video: Belize, 9min.
Scott & Jessie vacation in Belize 2014

Video:Elegant Flair Dancers, 10min.
Elegant Flair was founded in September of 1989 by Ms. Lorna Smith and Ms. Pat Warren, Associate Director. The group is comprised of fifteen men, women and children, who perform high energy dancing, set to a combination of powerful drumming and up-tempo band music. The movements are a blend of Punta Rock, Calypsonian Socca which is a cultural blend unique to Belize's ethnic population, as well as those of traditional African origin. Elegant Flair is well respected in the Caribbean and American Community. This group continues to be a strong force, dedicated to providing high quality shows that takes the audience away in a swirl of culturally based entertainment. Our goal is to facilitate a process of awareness that can encourage enlightenment and understanding of the differences and uniqueness that allow us to create hope and give respect to each other and the world through our music and dance.

Video: Lobster Lovers at San Pedro Lobster Fest 2014, 2min.
Another successful San Pedro Lobster Festival is in the books as an entire week of celebrations at select restaurants offering special lobster dishes and great entertainment kicked off last week with the opening of lobster season in Belize.

Video: Srta Flor de la Feria Slideshow, 6min.
The Flor de la Feria Talent Show is this Saturday, June 28th, at the Cancha Marshalleck. On Sunday, they'll have a sporting event for the ladies. "Talent Show to select Srta. Talento this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. It's a family event, so bring all members of your household! Sunday however, we have a much bigger sport event. At 4:00 p.m. Srta. Flor de la Feria 2013 will blow the whistle and the candidates will start a runathon from the town hall all the way to the football field where they will be doing a series of events: a 5 aside match egg & spoon sack race fill the bottle needle and thread easy dizzy who will stand victorious and get most points? Join us and see who wins Srta. Talento and Srta Deporte!"

Video: Victoria House Luxury Beach Resort - Belize, 3min.
Luxury Beach Resort Victoria House on the Ambergris Caye in Belize. This video shows the wonderful property from the air.

Video: Fruits of Belize, 6min.
Living in Belize now, Addie (9) and Ryland (8) wanted to share some of the fruits of their labor with their friends and family back home. So, we set out on a tour to show you some of the edible fruits in our little village of Placencia, Belize.

Video: Blue Hole - Belize 2014, 3min.
This video is about my trip out to Blue Hole National Park - Belize 2014

Video: If You Can Sing It... Bring It - Auditions (June 24, 2014), 60min.
BRING IT is Channel 5's newest show. BRING IT will be a battle between Belize's top vocal talents. We KNOW they can SING IT..but now they must BRING IT!

Video: Hurricane Ernesto arrives in Belize, 10sec.
Sitting out Hurricane Ernesto on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Video: Fire on Newtown Barracks, Belize City, 7min.
Fire destroyed Timmy's Bar and another building and claimed one life on Newtown Barracks, Belize City on Wednesday, June 25, 2014.

Video: Javier Alegria, 2min.
Javier Alegria, a Belizean biology student and aspiring conservationist who will be joining our first ever Ridge to Reef Expeditions through the financial support of many generous individuals on our indiegogo campaign, joined us at TIDE this week to give back. He gave lessons to curious high school science students from his community about sea turtles and manatees, and how we can protect them. After the lessons, the students joined him on a beach clean up which he also organized. We have reached the half-way point with our indiegogo campaign to provide Javier with a full scholarship to participate in the first Ridge to Reef Expedition

Video: Travellers Liquors Introduces Baron Gin in Belize, 1.5min.
Travellers Liquors Ltd. of Belize just recently introduced their newest product in a line of great liquors by the distillery, the Baron Gin. It's been commented being an exquisite Gin that you will think that you are drinking an imported Gin.

Video: HOL CHAN MARINE RESERVE AMBERGRIS CAYE BELIZE DIVE 2014, 13min.

Video: Monkey Falls - San Ignacio, Belize, 1min.
Hostel host took us to a secluded waterfall outside of town to do alittle swimming and waterfall jumping. This is Monkey Falls - San Ignacio, Belize

Video: You betta Belize it!, 6min.

Video: Belize 2014, 14min.
from Jody Tyner