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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

Presentation of Credentials to the Governor General of Belize
Ambassador of the Philippines His Excellency Catalino R. Dilem Jr. and Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) His Excellency Benjamin Ho presented their credentials to the Governor General of Belize His Excellency Sir Colville Young today at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. Ambassador Dilem stated that his country continues to enjoy a friendly and fruitful relationship with Belize and they look forward to strengthening that relationship through trade and other areas. Ambassador Ho expressed his Government’s deepest gratitude and appreciation to the Government and people of Belize for their friendship and stated that the endeavors of Taiwan are to continue to promote interests of mutual benefit to both countries.

San Pedro Taxi Driver charged for Drug Trafficking
On Sunday July 20th at 11:00p.m., police visited the residence of Juan Menjivar located in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro Town investigating a shooting incident which had allegedly occurred on Saturday July 19th in the DFC area of San Pedro. At the house, police met a 15-year-old male of Hispanic descent of San Pedrito area and 30-year-old Juan Menjivar who produced his licensed black 9 millimeter SIG SAUER SP 2022 with eight 9mm live rounds in the magazine. Further searches of the house led to the discovery of over $10,000.00 in US and Belize currency, eight (8) liters of Hennessy and 3 brown parcels containing 1,413 grams of cannabis.

Those loud Black Howler monkeys
Did you know that there are 15 species of Howler monkeys? Belize is a great place to observe one of those species: the Black Howler Monkey. They are native to South and Central American forests, and are among the largest of the New World monkeys. Famous for their loud howls, which can travel up three miles through dense forest (!!!), howlers are great to observe in their natural habitat! The Community Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing is the right place to go for that fun experience! Nearly 13,000 acres of national park forms part of the Meso-America Biological Corridor in the Belize River Valley area. The sanctuary is located about 26 miles outside of Belize City and nestled deep in a forest that has been voluntarily protected.

BTB makes donation to San Pedro Red Cross for fire victims
On Thursday, July 17th, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. made a donation to the San Pedro Red Cross (SPRC) on behalf of the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) to aid the victims of the Sunday, July 6th Boca del Rio fire. The Minister’s donation was made in the form of a check of $5,000 which is to be shared to the property owners affected by the fire. In addition BTB employees also made a personal donation of clothing, food products and toiletries to be given to those that lost everything in the fire. Receiving the donation was SPRC members Eiden Salazar, Laurie Norton, Shirlee Arnould and Frank Panton. “We are glad to have received the donation and will ensure that it is put to good use.

Ambergris Today

Tourist Arrivals in Belize Continue To Go Up!
For the first half of this year, cruise passenger arrivals are at 527,037 visitors showing an increase of almost 37%. Overall, Belize saw over 142,000 more visitors in 2014, when compared to the first half of 2013. The month of June alone recorded the highest increase with 120.2% more cruise passenger arrivals when compared to June, 2013. March has seen the most arrivals with 115,227 cruise passengers. There have been 57 more cruise ship calls in 2014 than there were in 2013 through the same time period.

Pic of the Week: She’s The One – Wedding Engagement in Ambergris Caye
Wedding Photographer Jose Luis Zapata found the perfect scene for this photo shoot where he captured the Canadian couple Dan and Kjersti during their engagement shoot in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. “This couple thought that San Pedro, Belize was the perfect place to get engaged,” commented Jose Luis who was hired to capture this special moment in the lives of Dan and Kjersti.

Flashbacks: When Tupac and Snoop Dogg Visited San Pedro, Belize
Quite a few people will remember these Flashback pictures taken in the early 1990’s when the late rapper Tupac, Snoop Dogg (now Snoop Lion), Mc Hammer and Suge Night vacationed in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. They were international celebrities in their prime of popularity at the time. Just coming out of winning his murder trial in 1993, Snoop Dogg and the group came to Belize to blow off some steam. Very few celebrities who visit the island will come out to interact with the locals as a normal visitor would do. Of course they are celebrities and do not like to be hounded by too many people when they are trying to have a relaxing time during their vacations. But Snoop, Tupac, Mc Hammer and Suge managed to make a big impact on the island residents as they really interacted with the people, hung out at local restaurants and bars, walked down the streets like they were locals and even enjoyed a few games of basketball with the local boys at Central Park.

Prepare a Delicious Conch Mango Ceviche
Sweet and Sour is a most popular way of preparing food. Well, we discovered and tested out this new way to prepare the popular ceviche here in San Pedro. Here is the sweet and sour version in the hors’dourve/appertizer category - Conch Mango Ceviche. The regular conch ceviche is already delicious and everybody loves it, so here is the opportunity for you to love it up even more and spice it up with some sweetness. You will immediately develop a taste for it and a liking that will last way beyond the summers.

Belize Solid Waste Management Authority
The Belize Solid Waste Management Authority invites the community of San Pedro to visit their booth at Central Park and learn how to manage your waste. Friday, July 25th the business community is invited to Sunbreeze Hotel for a dialogue meeting.

Misc Belizean Sources

Employment Opportunity
The Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) is a statutory body of the Government of Belize mandated to perform functions and duties related to: 1) Trade Development and Promotion 2) Investment Generation and Promotion 3) Enterprise Development and Facilitation BELTRAIDE operates within the portfolio of the Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development, and Consumer Protection. BELTRAIDE is seeking the services of a suitably qualified and experienced person for the post of Human Resource & Administration Director.

Ambassadors from the Philippines and the Republic of China (Taiwan) Present Credentials to the Governor General of Belize

Mayor Daniel Guerrero was invited for a social gathering over at Mahogany Bay Village
Where he welcomed the attendees (realtors and potential investors) to San Pedro.

Ambassador Moreno travelled to Big Creek
This past weekend to visit the Southern Partnership Station, Spearhead Vessel, currently stationed in Belize. Southern Partnership Station 2014 is a U.S. Navy deployment focused on subject matter expert exchanges with partner nation militaries and security forces. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet employ maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships that foster regional security in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

Summer Art Wave
The Corozal House of Culture in collaboration with the Corozal Community Hospital developed the Community Mural Project. Today our active youths began painting the mural at the hospital; depicting healthy living and a healthy community.

Belize Youth Movement Corozal on the Go!
Successful Cleaning up Campaign conducted this past Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bacadilla Park, South End. More events are planned by the BYM Corozal. Youths are welcome to join. "Youths Moving Forward with New Visions for a Better Corozal. Keeping Corozal Clean!!! (5 photos)

An important read for the sugar cane farmers
We bring you Part I series of V regarding various methods used to calculate the price of bagasse. The ongoing standoff between American Sugar Refining,the principal shareholders of Belize Sugar Industries Limited (BSI), and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association seems to have entered a new round: one in which there seems to be a great degree of uncertainty over what price should be tagged onto bagasse. On one end, the farmers are saying that the price should be somewhere between $3.00 and $10.00 per ton of cane. The company, after having finally accepted, the universal fact that bagasse is a by-product,is understandably trying to keep their costs as low as possible. The company, within the last few weeks, has opted to divulge its methodology via a full-page advertisement in the newspapers and radio talk shows. There has also been one telling interview with BSI’s Chief Financial Officer, Belizario Carballo, on LoveFM’s sister station, Estereo Amor, in which he said 2013’s bagasse payment ought to be .51 cents per ton of cane. BSCFA has, of course, responded, saying that .51 cents is way too low.

Delmar Sutherland, re-known soccer player from Ranchito Village, Corozal silently passes at the Corozal Community Hospital
The Corozal Daily expresses its deepest condolences to the family of the late Delmar Sutherland. May he rest in Peace and be remembered in his Glory.

Channel 7

Friday Night Fire on Prince Street Leaves 3 Families Homeless
Tonight, 3 families, including 4 children are homeless after their residence on Prince Street was destroyed by fire on Friday night. But, the fire caused a scare in the general downtown area because at the particular location where the fire started, there were 4 houses clustered in the same yard. That yard is less than a block away from Albert Street, the commercial section of Downtown Belize City. Couple that with the fact, that we've seen block-burners in this exact area before, and that made the fire all the more dangerous. That blaze broke out at around 8:30 p.m., just down the street from our Channel 7 studios, so we were on the scene shortly after. Daniel Ortiz has the timeline: Daniel Ortiz reporting The fire raged at this two-storey house on Prince Street, while the firemen got their hoses going. Even with civilian assistance, the first hose was not enough to douse the flames. Another firefighter then climbed up his ladder and tried to get closer and smother the blaze. The air around him was thick with ashes, still, he laboured on undaunted. That direct assault lasted for about 2 minutes, but then the water pressure dropped; and the fire was untamed.

Fire Department: Blaze Started By Child Playing With Fire
The Fire Department is particularly concerned about this fire because they've determined that it was an accident, where a minor is believed to have been playing with fire, which got out of control. That's the second time in two weeks that this has happened; the other case was in Hattieville. So, when we caught up with Station Manager Orin Smith today, he had a strict warning for parents. Sharday Arnold - Fire Victim "Around 8:40 I was in my room, I got a phone call from my aunt and after the phone call I was combing my hair - I was fixing to go out with my sister and at that time I began to smell smoke, so I assume that it was my metal fan. I plug it out of the wall but then I still continue to smell smoke. At that time I heard footsteps outside of my door, so I open my door and I saw my roommate two kids to my left and they were like aunty we need water. So I ask what do you need water for and I look to my right and their father came out of the room and he was crying asking for water. I look passed him at that time and I look into the room I saw that the entire wall was engulfed in flames, so my instinct was to run downstairs to get assistance from my ex-boyfriend who lives downstairs. So I went there and he came upstairs with a bucket and then the kids came down when he was going up. But when he got upstairs, I don't know if it was electrical wire or something pop and at that time the flames started to spread, so people just started to come out of the house and just waited for the fire engine to reach to extinguish the fire."

Crackdown on Quality of Life Crimes Causes Community Uproar
There has been public outcry from the community and the families of the victims of the recent spike in gang related crime and violence in Belize City. The police have been harshly - and some would say unfairly - criticized for letting things spiral out of control. So, police have taken a pro-active step - but one that's not winning them many fans on the street. It's a crackdown on petty crimes. The idea is not a new one: it's been tried successfully before in larger cities where it's called the "Broken Windows Theory." The idea behind it is that if you leave a broken window and don't fix it, pretty soon, the door will be broken, and then, eventually, the whole house will be falling down. So, it's law enforcement that's trying to fix the big problems, by starting with the small, often overlooked, ones. But what happens when the small ones have been left so long that they've become a way of life? That happened on Friday night when over 10 people were picked up for breaking the traffic laws because they weren't using bells and lights. Now, you might be saying, bells and lights on bicycles - in 2014? That's like, so 1980's, right!? So on Friday night, it was like a throwback party - except no one was dancing or laughing.

Pedro Police Find Stash of Cash, Weed and Contraband At Cabbie's Crib
San Pedro police followed up on a man who discharged a firearm in public and ended up finding a stash of cash, weed and contraband. Last night, police got a report that a town taxi man had fired his licensed pistol in front of a bar. License or not, that is an offence, and police went to search his home in the San Pedrito area. They found 30 year old Juan Menjivar and a 15 year old male relative in the house and recovered the loaded Sig Sauer pistol without incident. But a search of the premises then turned up more than $10,000.00 in US and Belize currency, (8) liters of Hennessy and 3 brown parcels containing 1.4 kilos - or about three pounds of weed.

Man Found Drowned At Fish Farm, Police Investigate
Ladyville police are awaiting the results of post-mortem which was conducted on Thomas Garcia, who was found in one the ponds belonging to the Fresh Catch Tilapia Farm, located in La Democracia Village. At this time, it's an apparent drowning, but police are following up to ensure that it is. Garcia, a 58 year-old Guatemalan National of Cotton Tree Village in Cayo, was found floating face-down in the pond, and his body was nude. Today, we spoke with police about what information they have so far: ASP Chris Noble - Rural Executive Officer "On Friday, we did get that information sometime after 7p.m. to say that a gentleman had been found in one of the ponds in the tilapia farm. The body was located and we had people go up there to look into it. The gentleman is an employee of the farm and we're expecting the results of a post mortem later today. We, at this stage, are very young into it, we did some work over the weekend into it and we hope that we could put closure to it by day's end."

Worries Mount As Hattieville Village Chairman Missing
And while the discovery of his body is the worst news for Garcia's family, police are hoping that they will find missing Hattieville Resident Kevin Carcamo in good health. Carcamo, who is the Chairman of the village, went to work early yesterday, and he hasn't been heard from since. The rural executive officer spoke to us about what information investigators have at this time: ASP Chris Noble - Rural Executive Officer "They came to us late last night, early this morning several things have been done to attempt to locate him. We are hoping that the gentleman is located alive and in good health. He works for the company in that area and that requires going into the bush. We believe that there might not be cell service in that area, so we have sent personnel into the area that is working with the BDF, the K-9 Unit and ourselves, along with villagers and the company he works with."

Man Caught In Accident Dies As They Try To Pull His Vehicle Out
2 men died this weekend, one of them in the bizarre and freakish aftermath of an accident. Police say that just after midnight last night, they visited an area of the North Ring Road where they saw this silver Mitsubishi Sport Utility Vehicle, owned by 62 year-old retiree Alfonso Manzanero. Manzanero was driving his vehicle and lost control just a short distance from his home. He ended up landing in a ditch, and that's when 3 men allegedly offered to help him. They reported to police that while they tried to pull Manzanero's vehicle out of the drain, their Ford Pickup instead lunged forward and knocked him down when the towing chain snapped. He suffered injuries to the face, abdomen, knees, legs and hands. He was taken to the Western Regional Hospital alive, but he passed away while undergoing treatment.

Hard Talk In Sugarland
As we've reported, the sugar cane season turned out ok after all - even after a much-delayed start. But, sugar cane farmers still aren't happy; they scheduled a meeting with their association to discuss bagasse. As we've told you, the agreement for amicable industrial relations ended, two weeks ago, and by that time, the cane farmers and the factory owners were supposed to have arrived at a signed agreement for a bagasse payment. That never happened, but the factory owners have since moved from a flat out no to an offer of 51 cents per tonne of sugar delivered. The association's negotiating team took that offer to the membership yesterday, and 7News was there for that marathon 5 and a half hour meeting in San Roman, Corozal. Daniel Ortiz reports: Daniel Ortiz reporting 910 cane farmers and their families gathered for their AGM, the first since the 2013/2014 crop season finished. One of the main items on the agenda was an update from the negotiating team on the bagasse dispute.

OW Farmers Angry About Audit Revelations
And earlier this month, we told you how some of the employees of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers swindled the association of approximately $78,000 dollars. As we reported, an audit of the association's finances revealed that one of the supervisors had been paying herself and other employees' bonuses on each pay cheque. It was quite a lucrative scheme, and they got away with it for over a year, until it was revealed by a spot-check audit. Yesterday, the management of the cane farmers association revealed the details to those 910 cane farmers, and they were understandably upset that they had been ripped off by their own: Alfredo Ortega - Vice-Chair, COM, BSCFA "In any place whenever funds are misused it is not taken lightly by the members. I think that we have come with a clear presentation to them based on the audit report that we have. There will always be people who will jump here and there based on certain things that are there, but we are coming clear to them. We are not hiding anything. We have presented the names of the people who were involved and what we are looking forward to is to recuperate the funds that were not used properly from these people who are involved in the situation."

Cervantez Jr Not Satisfied With Compol's Comments
One of the cane farmers who attend the meeting was Ramon Cervantes Jr, the politician son of the slain Ramon Sr. We asked him to react to last Wednesday's interview with Police Commissioner Allen Whylie. Specifically the part about those police officers who's names were called early in the investigation of Cervantes' abduction, torture and murder. Here's what Cervantes Jr had to say: Daniel Ortiz "Are you satisfied with his response?" Ramon Cervantes Jr., Son of Deceased "Not really, I am not satisfied." Daniel Ortiz "The matter with these officers - how certain are you guys, the family and friends that those handcuffs - how certain are you that those were found when your father's body was found?"

IDB President In Belize
President of the IDB Luis Alberto Moreno is in Belize and he met today with Prime Minister, Dean Barrow. It is their second meeting in less than two months; they met in Miami at the end of May. According to a release, Moreno confirmed the IDB's commitment to partner with the Government of Belize on a number of projects. This year IDB spending in Belize is focusing on the education and transport sectors for a total of $30 million US dollars. The first is the "Education Quality Improvement Program" - a 10 million US dollar project approved by the IDB in June. The second project is for the rehabilitation of sections of the George Price Highway to bring it up to international standards, while ensuring better climate change resilience. That is expected to be approved in November.

Smart Students At SPISE
Earlier this year we told you about 3 gifted Belizean high school students, selected to attend SPISE, a prestigious science camp in Barbados. Well, it started on July 19th and and SJC 4th form graduates, Siian Rancharan, Mishek Musa and Digna Ramirez of Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico have joined 18 of the best young science minds from the region at the Cavehill Campus of the University of the West Indies. The camp is called the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering, and it includes a four-week session of university-level math and science. At the end of the program, the students will demonstrate their projects and present their business plans. It will end on August 16th. The camp hopes to groom the next generation of science, engineering, business and technology leaders in the Region.

Songsters Take It To The Stage
The September festivities are about 2 months away, but the National Celebrations Commission is making sure that the songs you'll be jumping up to in the streets for Carnival 2014 are the best. They're doing it by holding their annual National Song Competition, but this year, they're doing things a bit differently. Starting from Last week Thursday, they've been holding knock-out rounds in the Northern, Western, Southern and Central Parts of the Country. Those who make past the knock-out round, gets to compete in the finals. On Saturday night, the Commission Hosted the Central preliminaries at the BTL Park, and 7News attended. Here's a few highlights from that competition: The Northern knock-out round was held in Orange Walk on Last Week Thursday, while the Western knock-out was held on the San Ignacio on Friday. The Southern knock-outs happened on Sunday, and though we've requested the results of these competitions from NICH we haven't gotten them.

New Ambassadors Present
Today, the Ambassadors of Taiwan and the Philippines presented their credentials to the Governor General in Belmopan. The Philippines Ambassador is Catalino R. Dilem Jr, and the Twainese Ambassador is the already much publicized Benjamin Ho.

More News: Scroll up from here

Channel 5

Massive Search Underway for Missing Hattieville Chairman
At this time a search party is combing the area of Freetown Sibun near Hattieville looking for Chairman Kevin Carcamo. Carcamo is employed as a linesman by an oil company [...]

Alfonso Manzanero: Was He Killed Or Did He Die In Fatal Mishap?
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of sixty-two-year-old Alfonso Manzanero, a retiree of Belmopan, has raised more questions than answers for his grief-stricken family.  On Sunday morning, Manzanero was reportedly [...]

Deadly Road Traffic Accident Claims Life of Cristo Rey Resident
There was another fatal road traffic accident early Sunday morning, this one in the Orange Walk district. Forty-three year old Remijio Botes was allegedly killed instantly when he lost control [...]

Guatemalan Caretaker Drowns In Tilapia Pond at Fresh Catch
A caretaker of Cotton Tree Village lost his life at the start of the weekend when he drowned inside a fishpond at Fresh Catch Farm in La Democracia on Friday [...]

3 Families Displaced In the Wake of Weekend Fire
A fire swept through a wooden house on Friday night; in its wake three families were left homeless. All indications are that the blaze erupted in the upper flat of [...]

Cane Farmers Meet to Discuss B.S.I.’s Bagasse Payment Proposal
There is no sign of flexibility in the current bagasse impasse between B.S.I. and the B.S.C.F.A.  Cane farmers met in San Roman, Corozal District, on Sunday to decide on a [...]

B.S.C.F.A. Discusses Missing Money
Between the end of 2012 and April 2014, several employees of the B.S.C.F.A. collaborated to steal money from the association. They did it by targeting the payroll system and paying [...]

San Pedrano Juan Menjivar Slapped With Slew of Charges
The long arms of the law caught up with a minor and another resident of San Pedro. It all started with a shooting and ended with an arrest for drug [...]

Giovanni Ramirez, In Jail for Robbery, Charged for Stabbing Inmate
Last week Wednesday, a prison inmate was stabbed in the prison grounds but it was not fatal. After concluding the investigation, another inmate, twenty year old Giovanni Ramirez was charged [...]

Charges of Wounding Withdrawn Against Nathalia Wade for Beating Up Husband
Last Friday, thirty-nine year old Keith Staine came to News Five studio with a bruised-up face and forty-five stitches to the head. Staine claimed that his wife, forty-four year old [...]

Weekend Shootings in Belize City
Gun violence in the city continued over the weekend, but luckily no one was injured in either of the shootings. Around ten-twenty p.m., the thirty-four-year-old driver for Election and Boundaries [...]

IDB President meets with PM Barrow in Belize
  In other news…Inter-American Development Bank’s President Luis Alberto Moreno was in the country briefly today. He met in Belmopan with Prime Minister Dean Barrow during which the bank’s activities, [...]

Ramon Cervantes Jr. Voices Displeasure with Investigation into Father’s Murder
Three men have been charged for the kidnapping and murder of seventy-one year old Ramon Cervantes Sr., and Police are actively hunting for another man, Manuel Castillo. The body of [...]

Cervantes Family Seeks Justice for Belizeans
The heinous, cold blooded murders of Ramon Cervantes Sr. and Sonia Abac have shaken the community of Orange Walk, and are grim wake up calls that safety and security in [...]

Sportscaster James Adderley Returns with Sports Monday
Good evening I’m James Adderley and here’s the sporting news.   Belize opening game Thursday at the UNCAF U-20 Football Championship was very disappointing as our boys took a 6 [...]

The Reporter

New Belize City Centre to cost $25 M
Construction of the new Belize City Centre facility is expected to cost $25 M to build and will take between 20 and 24 months from the time it is scheduled to start in early 2015. Anthony Thurton and Associates (ATA) obtained the contract a […]

Union and BCCI propose amendments to OSH Bill
Both the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) have proposed amendments to the tabled Occupational Safety and Health Bill. According to BCCI President Arturo Vasquez, the chamber has submitted a total of between 50 […]

Cervantes family believes police investigation fell short
The family of Ramon Cervantes Sr., of Orange Walk is still reeling from the kidnapping and brutal murder of their loved one two weeks ago but reports are that they are not pleased with the way the police investigation has evolved. Someone close to […]

ComPol maintains Penner file still incomplete
Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie told reporters on Wednesday that the Elvin Penner case file on the passport/visa scandal is still incomplete and that investigations are ongoing. Whylie, therefore, maintained that due to the ongoing investigation he cannot turn over the Penner files to anyone […]

Vector Control unit gets new vehicles
The vector control Unit of the Ministry of health received 11 vehicles this week to increase the units’ operational capabilities in urban and rural communities. The vehicles, Toyota Hilux 4×4 pickup trucks, were handed over at the Belize Diesel and Equipment Company Limited’s compound in […]

PM hosts third annual business forum
Prime Minister Dean Barrow held his third annual Business Forum on Thursday in which members of the private sector met with the public sector to discuss ways to strengthen Belize’s business climate. Mike Singh, chief executive officer in the Ministry of Trade and Investment […]

Desiree Phillips on goals as new OCED
Desiree Phillips, new the new officer commanding Eastern Division, said her main focus after assuming her new role is to boost the moral of officers, rebuild community trust and focus on crime reduction. “We will continue to remain steadfast but there is a lot […]

Gino Peck promoted
Gino Peck, the police corporal who earlier this year was found guilty of two counts of keeping unlicensed and prohibited firearms and ammunition, this week received a promotion to the rank of sergeant. On Wednesday afternoon, Peck was one of 166 police men and […]

Belmopan Mayor Simeon Lopez’ vehicle stolen
Belmopan Mayor, Simeon Lopez, lost his vehicle on Tuesday afternoon when someone he did not authorize opened the SUV and drove off with it. According to Mayor Lopez, he discovered the vehicle missing from in front of his office after he had completed an […]

Thursday morning murder
A 28-year-old man was killed around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday after being shot several times near the Raccoon Street extension. According to Sergeant Ismael Westby, of the Crimes Investigation Branch Precinct Two, Lionel Sampson was walking along Gravy Street toward the Raccoon Street extension […]

KHMH staff get special A&E training

Four members of the Accident and Emergency staff at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital began special A&E training in Wisconsin, USA, this week. Dr. Rigo Montejo, Dr. Marta Habet, Nurse Shirlee Samuels (Sister) and Nurse Joelito Obligado started participating in high fidelity simulations and close observership with instructors on Monday, […]

Renan Briceño not guilty of murder

Renan Briceño, the man accused of shooting and killing a 19-year-old at Palm Island in 2011, was found not guilty in the Supreme Court by Justice Troadio Gonzalez Wednesday. According to Gonzalez, the prosecution led by Crown Counsels Shanice Lovell and Portia Staine failed to prove that Briceño was the […]

Every now and then the State of Belize pauses to pay tribute to an extraordinary Belizean, who in some way has influenced the course of Belizean history. Such a person was the late Fred Martinez of Orange Walk, former Belizean Ambassador to Guatemala, and prior to that, Chairman of the […]

BSI gives cañeros ultimatum Company says farmers have up to August 1st to decide
The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association has two weeks to accept the formula proposed by Belize Sugar Industries for bagasse remuneration before the offer expires, announced Chief Financial Officer for BSI, Belizario Carballo Jr. BSI wrote to the cane farmers this week informing them that […]

KHMH CEO’s contract denied! Another audit underway!
The Board of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, KHMH, has decided that it will not grant a request made by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Gary Longsworth, to extend his contract for another year after it expires in October this year. In an interview with […]

Smith family released from prison! Family says they might sue the police department
Alrick Smith, 52; Sandra Casey, 47; Leon Smith, 22; Tamika Smith, 19; Ishaida Brooks, 20; and a sixteen year old minor have been released on the order of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal after charges of keeping an unlicensed gun and ammunition […]

Boy finds body while playing in church yard

A boy playing in the open lot adjacent to the school on Wilson Street, discovered the lifeless body of Oscar John Lambey, 28, at around 6 a.m. on Friday, July 18th. Police confirmed that the body had four stab wounds to the upper part of the torso. They believe Lambey […]

Vulgar sexual comment prompts violent attack
A man saw his head bashed in by a 2 by 4 stick after hurling an in-descent sexual comment to Ernest Meighan. Meighan, a 57-year-old fisherman and machine repairman of Queen Charlotte Street in Belize City, appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton in Court 3, […]

Patrick Jones

Ramon, Jr., questions officers’ involvement in kidnapping/murder
Son of the late Ramon Cervantes, Sr., Ramon “Monchie” Cervantes, Jr., registered his disappointment with Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. This comes after the top cop told reporters last week that police were instructed by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to lay charges against […]

Cane farmers reject paltry bagasse payment
At Sunday’s special general meeting in the Corozal District, over 900 caneros told their management to reject an August 1 deadline set by producers Belize Sugar Industries Limited (BSI) to accept what they consider a paltry offer on the payment for bagasse. The BSI/ASR offer is for 51 […]

Stephen Okeke wants copyright compensation for use of his sculptures
Do you know who created and assembled the Drums of My Fathers Monument at the entrance to Dangriga Town? If you guessed Stephen Okeke, you’ve been paying attention. But there are many who do not know that, because the many pictures, videos and other footage of the monument […]

Fire Service says housefire caused by child’s play
Fire broke out in Belize City on Friday night in an area that has become used to such hazards. A yard on Prince Street, between Albert Street and East Canal, became a hazardous scene that brought hundreds of Belizeans out of their beds just after 8:30 p.m. A […]

Prisoner charged for prison yard stabbing
20 year old Giovanni Ramirez faces further charges related to an alleged attack on a fellow inmate of the Belize Central Prison. He pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer and sent back to prison until September 19 when his case resumes. Around […]

Troubled couple ordered to keep the peace
A domestic dispute resulted in charges at the Magistrate’s Court for a Ladyville woman, but the complainant says he is willing to pick up the pieces and try again. Security guard Nathalia Wade, 44, pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding and using threatening words before Senior Magistrate […]

Barranco villagers submit applications for farm land
Residents of Barranco village in the Toledo district are awaiting approval of formal application for land to be used for agriculture purposes. Over three dozen applications were delivered to Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture Gaspar Vega last week by the chairman of Barranco village Joseph Palacio and […]

Blogs

A Day At Tiny Ranguana Caye off Placencia, Belize…This is All I Need!
Unlike the Northern Cayes (Ambergris, Caulker, etc.), the barrier reef, as you move farther south, is no longer visible from the shore. To get out to the crystal blue shallow waters of the little cayes and the barrier reef, it’s a bit of a boat ride. Saturday morning – I made last minute arrangements to hop aboard the dive boat at the Inn at Robert’s Grove to head out to their private caye. ..PRIVATE CAYE! for some snorkeling and picnic lunch. We pulled up as close as we could to the dock and the mooring post. The dive master told me that a few months ago, this dock was in the water. But with the unusual high winds of this spring/summer, all the sand has piled onto the leeward side of the island.

3 Delightful Day Trips in Belize you can’t miss!
Fortunately, Belize has such a variety of awesome day trips that visitors can choose from a menu of a la carte activities and mix and match day excursions to create their own rich, totally satisfying holiday adventures. So, in the spirit of “I’ll take one from column A, one from column B, and finish off with a treat from the desert trolley”, here are three sumptuous choices from Belize’s smorgasbord of activities. 1. Picnic at an ancient Maya temple. 2. Canoe down the Macal River. 3. Exploring San Ignacio Town.

SALAD BAR – COBB SALAD
Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put into a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Divide the lettuce among 4 large individual serving bowls. Arrange the cheese, meats, eggs, and avocado, like the spokes of a wheel, on top of each salad. Scatter the tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and pass the remaining dressing at the table.

QUEENS GROUND
All docks and beaches are “public” here on the island. They are considered “Queens Ground”. Anyone and everyone may access any dock. You do not have to purchase items at a bar or restaurant to use them. “The Truth” was told that last weekend some people were asked to leave a dock since they were not buying food or drinks at the bar and restaurant.

International Sources

Ever Wondered Why the World is a Mess?
By Roberto Savio. While the Third World War has not been formally declared, conflicts throughout the world are reaching levels unseen since 1944. Of course, for the large majority of people throughout the world, news about these conflicts is just part of our daily news, but another share of our daily news is about the mess in our countries. This is so complex and confusing that many people have given up the effort to attempt any form of deep understanding, so I thought it would be useful to offer ten explanations of how we succeeded in creating this mess. 1) The world, as it now exists, was largely shaped by the colonial powers, which divided the world among themselves, carving out states without any consideration for existing ethnic, religious or cultural realities. This was especially true of Africa and the Arab world, where the concept of state was imposed on systems of tribes and clans. Just to give a few examples, none of the present-day Arab countries existed prior to colonialism. Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, the Gulf Countries (including Saudi Arabia) were all parts of the Ottoman Empire. When this disappeared with the First World War (like the Russian, German and Austro-Hungarian empires), the winners – Britain and France – sat down at a table and drafted the boundaries of countries to be run by them, as they had done before with Africa. So, never look at those countries as equivalent to countries with a history of national identity.

Drones on a Different Mission
Belize has made a great effort to protect its coral reef system — the largest in the Western Hemisphere — by establishing more than a dozen protected areas. But patrolling large stretches of ocean and coastline and enforcing fishing regulations takes time, people and boats. Or drones. In June, the Wildlife Conservation Society began training operators from the Belize Fisheries Department to use two drones to help track illegal fishing activities. The drones went into use just at the start of lobster season. This is only the beginning, said Julio R. Maaz, community fisheries coordinator for the conservation society in Belize, who hopes the drones will prove a cost-effective way to “monitor our national waters.” And it is just one example of the growing use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, in conservation. video Video: Studying Birds, With a Drone’s HelpMAY 6, 2013 The military use of armed drones is well known and contentious. But the use of much smaller unmanned planes, closer in size to the remote-controlled planes hobbyists fly, is spreading into all sorts of areas, particularly when they are equipped with cameras.

CDB providing USD10 m loan to Belize’s DFC
The capability of the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in Belize to provide financing for priority sectors in that country has been given a boost by a loan of USD 10.5 mn from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Among the DFC’s lending objectives are the improvement of home ownership, human development and the development of Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs are fundamental to the economic landscape of Belize and are estimated to account for a significant share of economic activity and employment generation. However, they are usually faced with a number of challenges including limited access to, and the cost of financing. The CDB loan will allow the DFC to provide finance for these MSMEs as well as student loans, credit for low-income housing and also for energy efficiency/renewable energy projects. The DFC was originally established in 1963 to expand and strengthen the economy of Belize by providing funding on affordable terms to individuals or groups seeking to develop key economic sectors, who would otherwise be unable to access resources from other sources on reasonable terms. DFC is wholly owned by GOBZ. About the Caribbean Development Bank

China.org.cn names Belize a top Dive Destination in the World
There is not an article on Belize that is published on the Internet that doesn’t mention the great blue hole…the blue hole remains the most majestic and awe-inspiring attraction in Belize. This time the great blue hole was listed on www.china.org.cn, a popular Chinese web portal on the Internet. The article entitled “Top best dive site in the world” describes the great Blue hole as follows: The Great Blue Hole is a large submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. Formed during the last ice age, the hole is circular in shape, over 300 meters across and 124 meters deep. As a part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve, a World Heritage Site of the UNESCO, the hole features crystal-clear water, multi-colored stalactites and stalagmites, Caribbean reef shark and other rare fish species. Just imagine diving in the blue clear water with sharks, parrotfish and octopuses swimming beside you in this natural wonder! Location: 2 hours away from Caye Caulker Island or San Pedro by boat Depth: 124 meters Visibility: 15-30 meters

Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels Part of UCF Summer Program
Thirteen University of Central Florida biology students swam among nurse sharks, sea turtles, eels and lionfish this month as part of a hands-on summer abroad course. The students spent a week studying more than 60 species in the depths of the Glovers Atoll, about 35 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The atoll is considered one of the most diverse sources of coral reefs in the Caribbean, providing a nursery for sharks and turtles among other creatures. “I am a firm believer that study abroad and other intensive experiences are essential for truly engaging our students and preparing them for 21st century jobs,” said Biology Professor Linda Walters, who led the group. “It is expected that marine science undergraduates have field and research experience to make them marketable for graduate school or the workforce.” The two-credit hour course included some classroom instruction at UCF and then a flight to Belize, where the group stayed at a remote facility in the atoll. The entire team snorkeled each day to observe and photograph dozens of species that call the atoll home. In the evenings they discussed the tropical marine biodiversity they had encountered and the impact of threats to the world’s oceans, such as climate change, overharvesting and acidification. They also collected data, completed some analysis and put presentations together on what they learned.

SCUBA DIVING BELIZE WITH THE BEST: CHUCK & ROBBIE’S DIVE SHOP
When I was perusing Trip Advisor and other dive sites for recommendation for reputable divers in Belize on Ambergris Caye, time and time again, I would read the same thing: “Robbie” “Chuck and Robbie’s” Then: “Robbie is the best!” and “Can’t wait to dive with Robbie again.” I thought I would ask around to my dive friends and I actually know a gal that lives on Ambergris Caye that is also a travel writer, Erin De Santiago of Our Tasty Travels, so I thought I would ask her what she thought. Again, the same thing: “I use Chuck and Robbie’s — Robbie is a friend of mine and his instructor got me through my certification after I had not done it in 10 years which was after I had a horrible experience trying to certify in Mexico the first time.”

Videos

Video: Do u wanna dance - lil june, 2min.
Mellowvision: Videographed at the Belize CayeFest on July 6th. 2014 @ the Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles Ca. Lil June is a Punta Rock Artist -A Garifuna Belizean- In this video he performs one of his hit -DO YOU WANNA DANCE-

Video: Training of Facilitators - Belmopan, Belize, 7min.
ROAD: Youth for Road Safety

Video: "HERE WE GO AGAIN" -RAS INDIO-, 3.5min.
Ras Indio is a Belizean Reggae artist who live in Belize. He travels to Los Angeles frequently . .. Here is a Mellowvision clip from a show which he did @ the Belize Cayefest on Jully 6th. 2014 -Ras Indio-

Video: Bird on a Mission: Mr. Blue meets a Frigatebird, 4min.
It's not often that you can find a cool bird to sing about, but this frigate bird off the coast of Belize gives Seanie Blue the perfect opportunity to show off a small part of "Wildbird," the song about a bird who thinks it can use music to bomb the world to its senses. This short piece is less than four minutes of the 33-minute version of Wildbird, and was sculpted into existence by Ariel Francis and Blue a year ago. the plan was to get an illustrator to animate the entire song, but until that happens snatches of it can be presented in similar videos. Shot by Blue in the waters near Caye Caulker, using a Go Pro supplied by Matt Hoffman on a recent tour of Tikal and Belize. The original jazz version of this song was written by Seanie Blue and Helena Protopapas (aka Nicholas Smith-Jones) with Peter Fox and Sandra Bishop, and this version is part of a radical makeover by Blue and Francis featuring the works of David Huron (on how expectation determines the emotions evoked by music), and by Daniel Levine (on the brain's abilities to shape both the listening experience and the memory of that experience), and by Aniruddh Patel (on how language influences music in the brain). One of the surprising findings of this project was the discovery that Mr. Blue can actually sing on key!

Video: Belize Kids and Boats Idyllic Days | Homestead Kids, 3min.
What are some of the things kids do while living in Belize? Here are a few scenes of what the love doing during the days that are not so busy in Belize. Mind you - most days are quite busy, but the days off are nice and peaceful. This beats sitting in front of a tv or computer playing mindless video games or something like that. The kids love paddling their outrigger canoe and jumping out of it into the warm Caribbean water. If not in their outrigger, they love sailing with Papa in the sailboat. The old sail is pretty worn out, but still pushes the boat along in the wind. Idyllic days for any kid.

Video: bonefish Belize, 4:15min.

Video: The Hospitality Tour: Ile de Caye Caulker au Belize, 1min.
Florie voyage du Mexique à l'Argentine avec un projet: partager ses compétences en gestion hôtelière pour un lit et cela en collectant les meilleures pratiques des hôtels en matière de développement durable pour Hopineo.org

Video: Mr. Peters On Belizean Music, 6min.
In rare interview with Belizean Journalist Bilal Morris in 2006, the Belizean musical legend, the late Mr. Peters who popularized the Belizean genre of music called Brukdong speaks about Belizean music and some of the challenges that are facing traditional Belizean musical art forms like Brukdong and its lack of appeal to a younger generation of Belizean musical artists of today. Mr. Peters and a Belizean Soca artist called Swaappy, speaks out about the threat that traditional Belizean musical art forms faces in the rise of a foreign pop music invasion in Belize since the 1990's.

Video: Belize Missions Report 2014, 75min.
This video provides information about our 2014 Mission Trip to Belize.

Video: A Week in Belize, 24min.
A weeks worth of adventure, amazing people, and an inside look into international missions.

Video: Red Snapper Being Filleted in Belize, 1min.

Video: Red Snapper Being Filleted in Belize Part 2, 1min.

Video: More Squid off Karpata dive site, Belize, 1min.
Watch closely & you can see some color changes, July 3, 2014.