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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

Official inauguration of the much anticipated San Pedro Police Barracks

Vacation Rentals on Ambergris Caye
Due to the recession and past over-development 2014 has seen only a net increase over 2012 of approximately one hundred rooms/units. However with the uptick in the economy, we are seeing nearly 300 more rooms under construction with about 100 of these to be opened in time for the high season this December. Most of the new units are north of the river and are on the high end of the amenity scale. Some of the older condos are seeing a decrease in the number of rooms in the rental pool, as long-term owners who bought the units as an investment are now retiring and occupying their units. For 2014 I found 1,896 units on the island. A unit is a guest accommodation that can range from a single room to a five-bedroom villa.

Jazz in Belize
Belizean music fans will now have opportunities over the course of the next 12 months to enjoy the genre. The first show of the Belize Jazz Fusion Culture Concert Series, (a year-long sequence of shows featuring a list of standards and contemporary musical renditions fused with Belize’s cultures in jazz style), is scheduled for Saturday, August 16th, 2014 at the Biltmore Best Western Hotel’s Riverwalk Room starting at 7:00 p.m., promises to be a treat. Billed as The Belize Jazz ‘N Culture Show, the 2 hour showcase features an ensemble of 2 guitarists, 2 keyboardists, a full drum section (including a Kriol drummer), a 4 member horn section (saxophones, flute, trombone, trumpet), a 2 member string section (violin, cello), all backing eight vocalists (4 senior, 4 junior). The show is being produced under the aegis of the Music Industry Association on Belize by the Belize Music Agency in partnership with the Belize Music Development Foundation and the Belize Society of Composers, Arrangers and Producers. One of the project’s objectives is to raise the standard of Belizean musical performance through the regular presentation of well-rehearsed shows to our music cognoscenti. A second objective is to train aspiring musicians in a structured setting and create a path for their possible ascension to professionalism.

Police Report: Caye Caulker resident charged with Rape
On Saturday 9th August, 2014 at about 5:50 a British national tourist who was staying at Caye Caulker Village on vacation from United Kingdom, England visited the Caye Caulker Police station and reported that on Saturday 9th August, 2014 shortly after midnight she and six tourist friends left a private island at Caye Caulker Village en route to San Pedro Town in a skiff driven by one Captain Pops. Complainant stated that the said Pops had taken them on a day tour on Friday 8th August, 2014 and thereafter they went to a private Island where they had a party and they consumed alcoholic beverages. Complainant stated that upon their arrival at San Pedro Town at about 1:00am the Captain parked the skiff near a pier but she along with a male tourist and the Captain remained inside the boat as she felt sick. The other tourists left the skiff and went within San Pedro Town. Complainant stated that shortly after the male tourist went unconscious due to alcohol consumption or drugs and that is when Captain Pops approached her and assaulted her sexually. A struggle ensued between them and as a result “Pops” had sexual intercourse with her against her will inside the boat. She had multiple scratches and bruises all over her body and complained of pain to her lower abdomen.

San Pedro Police Youth Cadet attend 17th National Youth Cadet Corp. Summer Camp
Police Constable Juan Choc Community Officer and Woman Police Constable Veralina Rivas have just attended the 17th National Youth Cadet Corp. Summer Camp that was held from July 19th to 26th in Benque Viejo del Carmen with eight local San Pedro cadets and the other cadets from around the country. The cadets that attended from the San Pedro group were: Derwayne Meigha, age 11 Zailan Reneau, age 12 Francis Auila, age 10 Jake Anderson, age 10 Luis Edwards, Age 10 Daylon Meighan, age 9 Jamal Polanio, age 10 Jabel Martinez, age 11. The camp involved lectures on decision making and peer pressure as well as exercises in team building. They experienced field trips to ancient ruins Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, Spanish Lookout’s Western Dairies and the cave system Che Chen Ha. They practiced foot drills and earned badges such as fitness award, family living award and citizenship award. Badges are needed to get promoted within the ranks of the cadet program. They were also separated into different groups to interact with different children to learn about different cultures.

Ambergris Today

Belize City Youths Dive Into the Wonders of Belize
Belize City Youths Dive Into the Wonders of Belize with Visit to the Great Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments Nature is often used as a part of social programs to help youth from becoming engaged in at-risk behavior. In a country like Belize, this type of approach has proven both effective and essential. Within that context, between August 10th and August 11th 2014, through the joint efforts of the Wake Up Belize Morning Show, OCEANA and the Belize Audubon Society, fourteen (14) boys from some of Belize City’s toughest neighborhoods made their first trip to the Lighthouse Reef Atoll to visit picturesque Half Moon Caye and the iconic Great Blue Hole.

Belize Earns A Host Of Top 100 Readers Choice Awards
The August 2014 “Scuba Diving” magazine has outlined Belize as the “Central American paradise” who “earned a host of 2014 Top 100 Readers Choice Awards.” Belize earned Readers Choice Awards for the Caribbean and Atlantic’s best overall destination, big animals, wall diving, and underwater photography. Some of the highlights from the three-page spread include mentions of our barrier reef “bowing only to Australia’s great one.” It also talks about the wall dives that can be done along the atolls, which “turn into an underwater Lollapalooza.” Also among the highlights was Gladden Spit which placed in the top 5 list for “best big animals in the Caribbean and Atlantic region.” Apart from our “big animals,” Belize was also recognized for its “macro critters.” Belize, known for some of the most authentic experiences, was also pointed out as a destination for tours from luxury yachts, to explorations through the jungle and to the archaeological sites. Capping off the notable highlights was our Great Blue Hole, which is described as a “landmark that warrants crossing off a list.”

Misc Belizean Sources

The Annual Belize Expo 2014
Register your Booth today - The Annual Belize Expo 2014 - Coming in September - Sponsored by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Ministry of Education to create training program for call center industry: Promises of 2,000 BPO jobs in 2 years!
The Ministry of Education has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Trade and Investment to create a training program for the fast growing call center industry. This will lead to 2,000 new jobs over the next two years!

Garvey, Fard Muhmmad and Selassie
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez In 2010 Prince Ermias Sahle Haile Selassie Visited Belize City and a Rastafarian brother was kissing his feet reverently He pulled his feet and said ‘astagfiruallah’ repeatedly When someone asked please translate those words for me He explained they meant God forgive me And then explained that his grandfather was a practicing Muslim Then in the interim everyone was dumb stricken Garvey was influenced by Duce Muhammad And said if the Garveyites were to chose a religion The resounding consensus was that they were to be Muslims I urge you too, my brother, to let go of fanaticism Let's looks look at the lives of these men and learn their lesson In everything there is some good due to divine wisdom We are all connected by Abraham, the father of monotheism

A tribute to Orlando Carrasco Sr by Chris Considine for his memorial service on Caye Caulker
A tribute to Orlando Carrasco Sr by Chris Considine for his memorial service on Caye Caulker August 9, 2014 ORLANDO CARRASCO SR. WELCOME TO YOU ALL I FEEL BLESSED IN TWO WAYS TODAY. ONE THAT YOU'VE ASKED ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY AND TWO: THAT I KNEW ORLANDO CARRASCO SR. IT WAS INDEED ONE OF THE GREAT HONORS OF MY LIFE. WHEN I THINK OF MY FRIEND ORLANDO, THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO BELIEVE FOR JUST ONE MAN ************* A COCONUT HARVESTER...IN BELIZE AND ON THE COAST OF MEXICO, IT WAS HOW YOU MADE A LIVING BACK THEN A LOBSTERMAN AND FISHERMAN.......FROM A TIME WHEN A BARRELFUL WAS ONLY WORTH A COUPLE DOLLARS...A MAN WITH FORESITE THAT HELPED TO ORGANIZE THE CAYE CAULKER CO-OP THAT CHANGED SO MANY LIVES ON THIS CAYE....

SAN JOAQUIN FIESTA
Friday August 15th is the Inaugural Ceremony along with the Coronation of Miss San Joaquin Fiesta 2014 and a Cultural Presentation by Raices de Yucatan - Retoños de Belice comes alive. At 10:00 p.m. dance with "Techno Band" along-side DJ Gaby & DJ Star. Come out and enjoy with the entire family. Techno Band will be performing its latest songs & the duo DJ Gaby & DJ Star will be blazing the night with their amazing state of the art light show.

Corozal Town Council Website

The Corozal Town Council has a website that you might find very useful. There are sections for the Mayor's message, the councilors, mission, code of ethics, finances, the local planning working group, departments, and a contact form. Corozal.com is very pleased to promote this helpful website and we encourage all in Corozal to take advantage of the information.

There is also a Corozal Town Council Facebook page where you can find pictures of current projects and information. Be aware there is a Corozal Town Council Facebook page that does NOT seem to be official.

Corozal Recyclables "Green" Park Competition
Corozal Town Council announces a Recyclables "Green" Park Competition, September to December, 2014 Students need to utilize recyclable/reusable items to create artwork and structures for a designated, environmentally friendly park. Great prizes for participating schools. Competition will run from September to December, 2014. For more information:

Channel 7

Feast of Finger Pointing For Champion's League Foul Up
The CONCACAF Champions League is the most prestigious event for top football clubs in North, Central American and the Caribbean. But every year, the Belize Premier League’s top football Club has to sit it out because there’s no FIFA certified field in Belize. But, this year was supposed to be different – because of the two million dollars spent to renovate the FFB Stadium in Belmopan. But, the project failed to meet the standards set by FIFA inspectors, and so Belize now faces the embarrassment of being replaced by a Costa Rican Team in the Champion’s League. The decision came down yesterday, and the team to take the place of the Belmopan Bandits will be Herediano, which participated in the tournament for the last 4 years. They’re making their fifth appearance, while the Bandits must brood over another missed opportunity.

Sports Minister Blames FFB
Vicente said he would implore every high office to intercede on the FFB’s behalf – including the Prime Minister. But, he won’t have much luck going to the Minister of State with responsibility for Sports, Herman Longsworth. Today, Longsworth told us squarely that the FFB is to blame:.. Hon. Herman Longsworth "I am extremely concerned, I am very very disappointed. We were all told that the field would be ready. FFB told us that they would have had this field ready. We were expecting that it would be ready and i'm disappointed that it is not, i'm very disappointed." Reporter "Does the blame fall on the FFB?"

FFB President Vicente On Defensive
And while Sports Minister Herman Longsworth is putting the blame on the FFB - President Ruperto Vicente is not having it. We put this question directly to him today, but he deflected, saying that it’s his efforts, which have brought Belize closer to the Champions League than ever before: Ruperto Vicente “I've never shied away from responsibily, I take responsibility in this case is to ensure that we have a facility that is adequate enough and ready for our teams to participate in Champion's League. I have done my best. I have taken the monies that FIFA give to Belize, and I have said to FIFA we need a good stadium, we need good lighting, we have lights right now. We need good locker rooms, we have air conditioned locker rooms, we have twelve showers, five bathrooms. We need good bleachers, well numbered, properly numbered, we have that. We need a good pitch and we presented all of that to FIFA. I have done my part, I have done what I believe would have gotten us into Champion's League and i've fought with CONCACAF. When CONCACAF said in May Belize would not participate, I stood up and I said to CONCACAF, if you don't give us the opportunity, I will not participate in any other tournaments this year.

Commercial Center To Get Major Renovation
If Belize city can ever be said to have a skyline, the Commercial Center at the foot of the swing bridge would have to be a part of it. Over the years, the hulking structure has gone from one of those famous bloated contract white elephants to a part of the municipal administrative superstructure, in other words, a bunch of ragtag city offices with vendors on the ground floor. But, change is on the way…Today, ground was broken for the renovation of the Commercial Center. It’s is part of a large scale initiative named “The House of Culture and Downtown Redevelopment project” funded by the Taiwanese government. Mayor Darrel Bradley held an on site press conference to outline the grand scale and vision of the project. Courtney Weatherburne has the story:.. Courtney Weatherburne "We are all familiar with the commercial centre in downtown Belize City, 22 years after it was first built is run down and delapidated. Thing is you probably never notice how run down its become because it has become such a permanent part of the landscape, but the mayor wants to change that reality by transforming the center into a rubust eye catching metropolitan center"

Ecuador Foreign Minister Wants Friendship With Belize
The Foreign Minister of Ecuador Ricardo Patino led a 13-person delegation to Belize for a one-day visit today. As the second smallest country in South America, Ecuador is looking for partners with similar interest. But when we say Ecuador is small, that’s only in a South American context. For example, they are building 8 hydroelectric dams and a 12 billion dollar refinery. That’s big money business, but today their Foreign Minister explained why they came to partner with Belize:… Ricardo Patino, Foreign Minister, Ecuador "We know about the great development that Belize has had in the last years and we want to deepen our relation with out brother countries such as Belize. Which is why we would like to develop relations with smaller countries in Latin America and the Caribbean because we sure this is the only way that we can all develop together. We can work together in tourism, in trade, in many other subjects. We know that you have teaching centers of English as a foreign language, so we would like for our teachers, our Ecuadorian teachers to come here and study in your centers so they can teach English back home. We would like to invite the people of Belize maybe for next year if they could come to the university and see and be apart of the all development we are having there and the students can also study in our university."

Why Did He Break Hon. Dolores' Glass?
It didn’t make the news yesterday, but someone broke the glass door of Dolores Balderamos-Garcia’s law office on Queen Street on Tuesday morning. No one knows for sure why a man broke the glass but – it happened just feet from the police station, and police detained a man shortly after. 22 year-old Jorge Jimenez was charged with damage to property, and he was arraigned today before Magistrate Herbert Panton. He pleaded not guilty, and was granted bail of $500. He will have to return to court on October 21.

Jailed For MS-13 Tattoo
Tonight, Victor Gama, a Fresh Pond Resident, is at prison tonight after he pleaded guilty to displaying gang signs in public. On Monday, just before midday, Police Constable Shane Pook was on foot patrol in Burrell Boom when he saw Gama. When the officer searched him, he saw that the top 3 buttons of his shirt were undone. When he took a look, he recognized the MS-13 Gang insignia tattooed on Gama’s chest. The officer then arrested and charged him with displaying gang insignias in public. Gama was arraigned before Magistrate Herbert Panton today, and he pleaded guilty to the charge. He told the court that he got the tattoo while he was drinking. Magistrate Panton then sentenced him to serve 6 months in Prison.

German Vega Vehicle Flipped
German Ignacio Vega, brother of the Deputy Prime Minister, Gaspar Vega, is making news tonight after his company’s truck had a traffic mishap on the Western Highway, just outside of Belmopan. It happened at around 7 this morning when the driver of the truck, which was loaded with groceries belonging to the German Vega and Sons Company, was travelling between Mile 46 and 47. He lost control of the vehicle after a blow-out, and ran off the road. The vehicle then ended up overturning in a ditch. This caused a major bottleneck in the traffic moving through the Belmopan area.

Diabetes Prevention Better Than...
Yesterday, we told you about the Caribbean Diabetes Initiative and the Belize Diabetes Association of New York which has teamed up to send 23 specialists to Belize for 3 days of clinics and a symposium. But they aren’t here to heal the diabetes afflicted as much as they are to preach prevention. Courtney Weatherburne found out more:… Courtney Weatherburne "In the 2013 study conducted by the International Diabetes Federation,over 24000 Belizeans suffer from diabetes. It is an alarming figured and what is even more unsettling is that the numbers are growing. Lisel Hope, the president of the Caribbean Diabetes Initiative explains that education is key to arresting the epidemic." Lisel Hope, President of the Caribbean Diabetes Initiative "We really want to help the people of Belize with diabetes at even those at risk for diabetes. So we're here to help inform, educate the community about the risk factors for diabetes and actions that they can take to prevent diabetes from happening. And also those who already have diabetes we hope to help them manage their diabetes. In addition to that we are here with medication, so we hope to treat and screen people maybe you don't even know they have diabetes. Lastly we would like to also help work with the healthcare providers by providing educational seminars for them as well."

Minor Guates With Gun In Chiquibul
Two Guatemalan minors were found with a rifle in the Caracol Archeological Reserve on Monday. A joint B.D.F and Friends for Conservation Development patrol came upon 4 men sitting around a fire in the reserve at 10:40a.m. As the team approached, two ran away but they were able to capture the 2 others. They found a .22 rifle loaded with a magazine and thirteen live rounds as well as a plastic bag containing forty .22 live rounds. Both minors ages 15 and 17 of Nuevo Nacimiento of el Paraiso Petén, Guatemala were charged for keeping and firearm and Ammunition without a Gun License.

Family Robbed In Belmopan
Terror struck a family in Belmopan on Tuesday when they were robbed of over $10,000 in valuables at gunpoint. At 3:00 pm, 28-year-old Rory Guity along with his family went to take an afternoon swim at the river near the Rivera Area but just as they were getting ready to leave, they were approached by a gun man who pointed a gun to Guity’s wife’s head who was holding her 3-month-old son. The man told her to hand over all valuable items and they did. The Guity’s were robbed of $10,300 worth of items including cellular phones and jewelry. Police are seeking three men from Roaring Creek Village as investigations continue.

BNE Gets New General Manager
The Belize Natural Energy Charitable Trust welcomed their new general manager Victor Alegria on Monday. Alegria replaces Sharon Ramclam who left for the Ministry of Natural Resources where she is the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture. Alegria has a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Belize and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of South Florida.

Tried To Bribe Cop For Weed, Ended Up In Jail
19 year-old Belize City resident Rene Castillo would only have had to pay a fine if he only fessed up to having a weed joint on him. But, he decided to try and bribe a police officer out of being charged for it, and he’s now at the Belize Central Prison because of that. The encounter happened this morning at around 9:20 on Pelican Street, a stone’s throw away the Raccoon Street Police Headquarters. Police Constable Manuel Chub saw him walking on the street, and decided to stop and search him. The officer found 2.5 grams, a negligible quantity which is less than an ounce – of weed, and the officer intended to charge him with drug possession. Castillo tried to convince him not to bring the charge, and he offered to pay the officer $50, because he’s never been in trouble with the law before.

New Deputy DHS Appointed
The Ministry of Health has had a vacancy for a new Deputy Director of Health Services. It’s a very senior post and the Public Service Commission has been interviewing qualified persons. And that’s why it raised eyebrows yesterday when an inter departmental mail was sent out from the Ministry of Health saying that Dr. Marvin Manzanero had gotten the job. The email congratulates him and announces that it is effective yesterday. It raised eyebrows because the as far as anyone knows, the Public Service Commission was still reviewing candidates and making deliberations. They meet again next week.

What Is Yoga Dance?
Ashanti Garcia a 24 year old yoga instructor, is hoping to break barriers and bring something new to Belize with her 1st annual Airbender Yoga Dance Show. The show is scheduled for the end of August, and Ashanti is making a call to performers to join the Yoga Dance Show. Now, if you don’t know what yoga dance is – neither did we(!) and so we sent out intern Robin Schaffer stopped into her studio to find out what it’s all about. Ashanti Garcia – Owner, Airbender Yoga "We have this evolution of meditation with his called moving meditation and that is also slow but then you have other styles of yoga like ashtanga and vinyasa and this is constant movement going from one pose to the next with the breathe moving, moving, moving. So you choose which style suits you best and the you bring that to the table for performance."

Teaching Road Safety To The Young
You only have to watch the news regularly enough to know that road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Belize. Standard safety measures such as putting on seat belts are widely ignored and drunk driving, sadly, is a kind of aberrant cultural practice. With all that, it’s not surprising to learn that Belize traffic fatality rates are the highest in the region. The road safety unit is trying a number of approaches to curb this, from highway upgrades to public education campaigns. This week, they’ve been holding workshops for teachers held under the Road Safety Curriculum Consultancy Project. The sessions will equip teachers with the skills to educate their students about the importance of road safety measures. The facilitator explained that even if the students aren’t old enough to drive the lessons are important:

Sports Camp For Albert
For the second year in a row, children in the Albert Division were able to partake in a sports summer camp funded by the national sports council. The summer camp catered to about 120 children, all of whom received certificates today for football, basketball or softball. They also received school bags with supplies, and sense of pride in participating:… Kaydion Pelayo –attended summer camp “I feel good that I complete it. I learned that you should have respect and responsibility.” Reporter “What are some of the techniques that you learned during playing football?" Kaydion Pelayo “I learned around the world and how to juggle.”

Channel 5

Search for Kevin Carcamo Turns Up Blood in Freetown Sibun…
There are new developments to report on tonight in a mysterious case involving the disappearance of forty-three-year-old Kevin Carcamo.  The Hattieville chairman, a linesman employed with Discoverseis, went missing on [...]

Woman Vicious Stabbed By Common-Law Husband…
A victim of domestic violence was stabbed at her workplace this morning. Suzette Pavon is an employee of Bowen and Bowen; she was cut at least once to the neck [...]

Man Charged for Murder in Kimmie’s Bar Arson…
  In June, a twenty-three year old mother of three died in the flames which destroyed Kimmie’s Bar, located on Newtown Barracks in Belize City. Today, the man police believe [...]

Police Seek Suspect in Crooked Tree Home Invasion…
The harrowing experience of fighting for dear life in a desperate attempt to ward off a knife-wielding intruder is a memory that will forever remain etched in the consciousness of [...]

Was Nunez Unfairly Detained by Police?
Charlys Nunez, who also goes by the name Ninja, is known for his dancing skills having competed in many of Channel Five’s entertainment shows such as Duets, Superstar and Masters [...]

Imer Hernandez Gets Another Contract…$2 Million!
On Wednesday at his press conference, Prime Minister Dean Barrow boasted at length about the infrastructure projects being carried out across the country. He spoke about works in all districts, [...]

Couple Charged for Arthur Saldivar’s I-pad…
  An Orange Walk couple who owns a bakery in Ladyville were today in the Belize Magistrate’s Court where they were read a single charge of handling stolen goods. Fifty-four [...]

Justice Stakeholders Hold Mediation Forum…
The Supreme Court is advancing mediation as an option to reach early settlement in civil case matters.  The court believes that mediation is a win-win situation since it would reduce [...]

Measures in Place to Deal With Cases Backlog…
The Bar Association of Belize has been most critical about the delay in judgments for cases, primarily blamed on an overwhelming backlog. Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel says mediation will [...]

Mediation Association on the Way…
Like any other organization that’s serious about its work, the mediators who are trained in civil matters are seeking to structure themselves as one unit. Like attorneys, these mediators want [...]

G.O.B. Plans To Open Technical Institute…
The Government of Belize has stated that very shortly it will be looking at the training call centre employees to feed a fast-growing business processing outsourcing industry. But G.O.B. is [...]

Barton Creek caretaker charged for unlicensed firearm…
The San Ignacio police formation on Wednesday conducted a search at the home of Rojelio Hernandez who is a caretaker of Upper Barton Creek. In the ceiling of the upper [...]

Belizean Sergio ‘Yeyo’ Thompson Fights in Chetumal…
Mexican boxing sensation Sergio Thompson, popularly known as Yeyo, is taking on Adones Aguelo in a big ticket bout on Saturday in Chetumal.  Thompson, whose father is Belizean, has an [...]

Lord Rhaburn To Be On Commonwealth Heritage Track…
Belizean cultural music made it today at an incredible sixteen-day pop-up festival celebrated at the River Clyde in Scotland where the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games are coming to an end. [...]

Costa Maya Delegates Touch Down in Belize…
Delegates from Central America and Mexico are now in San Pedro for the annual Reina de la Costa Maya Festival. The pageant is one of the main events of the [...]

More News: Scroll up from here

CTV3

Belizeans Ask For Death Penalty While Other Countries Are Abolishing The Act
The last weekend proved to be the deadliest for the year in Belize as authorities were left to investigate four deaths and the circumstances surrounding seven other persons being injured. In Orange Walk Town alone, only a few weeks back, insecurity gripped the community following the discovery of the bodies of Ramon Cervantes Senior and Sonia Abac and those cases are still open. To further compound the crime in the country, reports include the arrests of dirty cops for their involvement in homicides, bribery or police brutality, leaving an already anxious community even more unconvinced of Belizean authorities’ ability to curb crime. Add to that, a justice system that has proved lax and with a very low conviction rate. The situation can very well be described as critical and has led to a surge of commentaries from Belizeans on the social media calling for the death penalty.

BAHA Holds Seminar For Officials
The Belize Agriculture and Health Authority is holding a five day training on good agricultural practices this week in Belize City. The workshop is being facilitated by representatives of the Joint Institute for Food and Safety Applied Nutrition, JIFSAN, a cooperative relationship between the University of Maryland the US Food and Drug Administration established about 16 years ago. The organization aims to advance sound strategies to improve public health, food safety, and applied nutrition using risk analysis principles through cooperative research, education, and outreach programs. One of responsibilities is to conduct international training programs in food safety with support of the FDA. In an interview with Love FM, Dr. James Rushing, Manager of the International Training Programs at JIFSAN elaborates more on their work with BAHA officials this week.

Southern Border Between Mexico And Belize To See Hike In Security
The southern border between Mexico and Belize will see an increase in security to prevent the entry of contraband, cattle, drugs and firearms this is according to an article published by the Mexican media. According to the manager of the office of the Public Security Secretariat, Juan Pedro Rodriguez Mercader, they have been working with the Department of National Defense, the Mexican Navy, the Federal Police, the National Migration Institute, the Attorney General of the State, the State Police to provide permanent monitoring of the 120 kilometer border, communities and banks of the Rio Hondo.

Cadets Take Part In Summer Courses
With just a couple of weeks away for the opening of the new school year, the Corozal Police Youth Corp. is winding down on its summer programs. Today cadets sat in an important session with Julio Uk, Coordinator for the Build Belize Program in Traffic Safety. Corporal Hernan Carcamo, attached to Community Policing at the Corozal Police Formation, told more about today’s session. Caporal Hernan Carcamo - Community Policing “Well today we are having a program for the Cadets, they are taking a program with Mr. Uk he is in charge for Belize and today they are taking a program in regards to traffic safety.” Victor Castillo– Reporter “When we are talking about traffic safety, how will this benefit the students?”

P.M Leaves The Country While DPM Is Just Back From Taiwan
Leader of the Nation, Dean Barrow left the country today on Government business in addition to two days personal leave, says a release issued from his office today. The PM is expected to return on Saturday, August 16th. In his absence, Deputy PM Gaspar Vega will act as PM. As mentioned, Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega will hold over the post of Prime Minister while the Honorable Dean Barrow is out of the country. We must note that the DPM is just back from a week-long official visit to the Republic of China, Taiwan. While in Taiwan, Vega met with Taiwanese President His Excellency Dr. Ma Ying-Jeou who pledged to continue building the already strong bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Orange Walkena Accused of Allegedly Putting A Hit On Her Common-law-husband
Yesterday in the court of Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith, Orange Walk resident, 29 year old Indira Mejia was charged with abetment to commit murder after police say that she put out a hit on her common-law husband, Brian Clare. For context, the incident unfolded last week Wednesday around 1:45 while Claire was driving his pickup on Partridge Street. Police report that two men on bicycles pulled up and fired several shots at Claire, one of which hit him on the right arm. Clare, police say, was prepared for the attack as he took out his licensed firearm and fired two shots at his assailants but they both escaped unharmed. Sergeant Roberto Novelo of the Criminal Investigative Branch of Precint 2 in Belize City says that Mejia along with another individual were charged for the alleged hit on Clare. Here is that clip courtesy our colleagues at 7News!

July Saw A Peak of 13 Murders
Mayhem hit the Old Capital over the weekend with three murders and several shooting that left numerous persons injured. And the recent statistics released by the Belize Police Department prove that the road we are travelling on is no easy one. Since the start of the year, Belize has seen 70 murders and a total of nearly 1,500 major crimes recorded according to statistics from the Joint Intelligence Coordinating Center of the Police Department in Belmopan. According to data provided to the Amandala newspaper, July saw a peak of 13 murders, the same amount of murders recorded in July 2012; Belize’s deadliest year on record. This figure nearly doubles last year tally recorded murders of 7 for that month. The JICC report states that nationally, two more murders happened between January to July 2013 compared to the first seven months of this year.

Corozal Police To Hold Public Meeting
Having the general public informed and up to date with the current affairs and changes of the department is of outmost importance to the Corozal Police Formation in order to keep a good working relationship with the community. Bearing that in mind, Superintendent Andrew Ramirez, Officer in Charge of the Corozal Police Department has set a date for a general public meeting in that municipality. At the top of the agenda is the official presentation of the department’s new Deputy Officer in Command. Andrew Ramirez – OC Corozal “As part of the town that I want to have on Thursday, which is long overdue again, I want to make that one of my main priority and main objective of having the meeting to introduce my new deputy, I want also to take the opportunity because of the citizen on patrol program that is being run loud at the national headquarters level, Corozal is part of the national police department, we want to have Mr. Rudolph Urio, former superintendent of police, who will explain the program at length, the requirements to join and by that I want to extend for those who am, members of the community including village council chairmen that they should come to this meeting which should be very informative in relation to the citizens on patrol and come and be part of the special constable program because after you get training on citizens on patrol program after six months then you will be sworn in as special constables.”

Hattieville Chairman Still Missing
Twenty three days after his reported disappearance, the whereabouts of Chairman of Hattieville Kevin ‘Ras’ Carcamo remains unknown. Carcamo was last seen in the Freetown Sibun area on Sunday, July 20, where he was working as part of a seismic operation being carried out by Discoverseis Geophysical Services but did not return with the team. And today, The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage issued a release concerned about Carcamo not being found yet. The release states that ‘ the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of Carcamo gives rise for grave concern about workers’ safety and protocols involved in seismic surveys by oil companies operating in Belize,’ end quote. Under the current Petroleum Act Regulation, the issue of workers safety, rights and benefits are not addressed adequately …and employers are not obligated to provide health or life insurance to the workers who are employed as casual workers, despite the dangerous nature of their work.

PlusTV

Man charged for breaking Area Rep’s door
Despite promising compensation, 22 year old Jorge Jimenez was taken to court on Wednesday, on a charge of damage to property. On August 12, he apparently broke the glass front door at the Belize City office of attorney and Belize Rural Central area representative Hon...

Creek-side robber in Belmopan
28-year-old Rory Guity of Belmopan City reported that around 3:00p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, he went swimming at the creek located in the Rivera Area, on the outskirts of Belmopan City, with his family. Around 5:00 p.m...

Patrick Jones

Accused murderers back before Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court
A trio of men charged for the murder of Orange Walk residents Ramon Cervantes, Sr. were back before he Magistrate’s Court today. Twenty-two year old Noe Gonzalez, twenty-eight year old Mateo Pott and nineteen year old Angel Antonio Cardenas were escorted to court under heavy guard. They […]

Diabetes Association hosts symposium
The Belize Diabetes Association, the separate but affiliated Belize Diabetes Association of New York (BDANY) and the Caribbean Diabetes Initiative have teamed up to promote diabetes awareness via a three-day symposium which kicked off today in Belize City. Approximately one in every seven Belizean adults and a total […]

Music agencies launch Jazz Fusion Culture concert series
The best music comes from talented, creative minds who have all the resources and backing they need to let their art shine. To date, Belize has managed to produce home-grown talent despite the corresponding lack of professional development offered to their more illustrious international counterparts. A group of […]

Man charged for breaking area representative’s door
Despite promising compensation, 22 year old Jorge Jimenez was taken to court today on a charge of damage to property. On August 12, he apparently broke the glass front door at the Belize City office of attorney and Belize Rural Central area representative Dolores Balderamos Garcia on Queen […]

Gang tattoo leads to jail for Burrell Boom resident
He says he was drunk when he decided to get an MS-13 tattoo, a pictorial representation of Central America’s toughest gang. But that decision today cost 22 year old Victor Gama six months of his life in prison, as he chose to plead guilty to a charge of […]

Foreign Ministers of Belize and Ecuador meet in Belize City
Belize is always on the lookout for ways to improve its relations with countries from around the world. Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington hosted his counterpart from Ecuador, His Excellency Ricardo Patino. Elrington says the two countries are signing two agreements: one of basic technical cooperation […]

Revamped Commercial Center to join key functions of City Government
The Belize City Council today revealed plans to wed two of its most significant properties in the downtown area of the Old Capital. Following on from major upgrades to the Battlefield, BTL, and Memorial Parks and extensive street works across Belize City, the Council has joined in with […]

Girls reported missing in Toledo and Cayo
Two teenage girls have been reported missing, one in Toledo and the other in Cayo. In the case of the Toledo incident, 15 year old Sophia Trapp is reported to have left her home in the Water Supply area of Punta Gorda town on Saturday, August 9 […]

Belize City Council holds public meeting at Battlefield Park
The Belize City Council hosted a public meeting on Tuesday night at the Battlefield Park. During the meeting, Mayor Darrell Bradley and his councillors update residents on major issues affecting the City, including the sanitation contracts and renovation of the Commercial Center. Last night’s meeting was the first […]

Orange Walk Town Council says Fiestarama was a success
The Orange Walk Town Council is reporting that it made a profit of $26,779.64 from this year’s Fiestarama and Business Expo. The three-day event was head at the beginning of August and saw the attendance of thousands of people. A financial report released by the Orange Walk […]

Blogs

Belizean Pico de Gallo Recipe
Pico de Gallo is a healthy snack that is extremely easy to make. This “meal” is synonymous with Mexican cuisine but if you have ever been to Belize you will notice that it is everywhere! This is because it is so quick and easy to make and we have an abundance of fresh vegetables. I’ve noticed the way people make this salsa differs from place to place, country to country. From the picture above, you can see that I add carrot, it is to sweeten the mix – I LOVE it! But you be the judge, check out the recipe, prepare it for yourself and let me know what you think. It’s how I believe it is mostly made in Belize and of course, how I prefer to make it. Tip: If you marinate Shrimp or Conch in lime juice and add it to this salsa…VOILA, you have ceviche!

Talented Belizean Artists took to the stage at the 2014 Belize National Song Competition
The festivities started off on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 when talented Belizean artists took to the stage in hopes of winning and taking the title for their respective divisions of music. The National Song Competition is broken into three Divisions; Junior Belize Song, Senior Belize Song and Carnival Song Divisions. There was a really good cross section of artists from all over Belize, some are new artists and some are experienced artists. The artists really came out singing at their very best and some surely entertained in style, showcasing Belizean patriotic costumes to heighten the mood and feeling of their songs. Here are some of the photos from the night, courtesy of Will Moreno Photography

International Sources

Scuba Diving Magazine Top 100 Reader's Choice Award
This Central American paradise earned a host of 2014 Top 100 Readers Choice awards, including top 5 nods for the Caribbean and Atlantic’s best overall destination, big animals, wall diving and underwater photography. You might think you’re diving in the Pacific: Belize has three of the Western Hemisphere’s four coral atolls and the second-longest barrier reef on the planet. Bowing only to Australia’s great one, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef stretches for 700 miles along Central America’s western Caribbean coast. It’s protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is home to 500 species of fish and 65 stony corals. Gorgeous drop-offs lining the offshore atolls and cays are riddled with the dens of loggerhead turtles, green moray eels and a host of small stuff. And on the mainland, this tiny country packs enough big adventures to satisfy your inner explorer.

Registered Nurse Quits Her Job To Teach Fly-Fishing Off The Tropical Shores Of Belize
Some women are afraid of change. Others thrive on it. And if you have wanderlust like Lori-Ann Murphy, you seek it out. Lori-Ann was a fourth-generation nurse who had started working in hospitals when she was just 14. To many, nursing is a secure job, but it’s also one that fit Lori’s restless temperament perfectly. Hospitals everywhere need nurses, so whenever she got the itch to move, she would look for a job in the Southwest desert, or the Rockies, or wherever the Southern California native had never lived. “The length of time I spent in any one place varied,” she says. “On the short side, I’d stay until my curiosity was satisfied; longer stays usually meant I had something to keep me there: coursework, a nursing contract, a boyfriend (several), or even a husband (two).”

Gap year case study: marine conservation in Belize
Edward Warburton, 19, visited Belize on a fisheries conservation project organised by Blue Ventures. He is now studying business management at Swansea University It would have been easy to join friends on their gap year travels in South America or to do a ski season in the Alps, but as I love nature and enjoy scuba diving I wanted to join a marine conservation project. I chose Blue Ventures as it had a really informative website and a permanent presence in Belize and Madagascar. These were clearly proper long-term conservation projects and we were useful labour. My parents said they would match whatever I raised towards the cost of the internship which cost about £4,500 including flights for the six-week expedition. That might sound expensive but it's very good value when you consider that a day's diving costs around £200. I took a job in a hotel to raise my half of the money. I was a bit worried about setting off into the unknown on my own but Blue Ventures answered all my questions over health, money and safety which reassured me. I flew to Belize City and successfully caught a bus to our base, the fishing village of Sartenaga. There were 15 of us on the expedition, including the three British staff. Most of us were aged 18-25 and we all got on really well.

The Cave Where Mayans Sacrificed Humans Is Open for Visitors
The Mayans are lauded for their achievements—their art & architecture, intricate calendar, and developed culture. But there was a grimmer side to the civilization: human sacrifice. It’s a journey even Indiana Jones would have to brace himself for: an hour-long rainforest hike, a swim across an ice-cold stream into the narrow mouth of a cave, and then a slippery descent into the dark, cavernous depths where bats, spiders, and ancient scorpion-like amblypygi lurk in the nooks. But, more than a thousand years ago, these creepy crawlies were practically friendly company compared to the cave’s human occupants, who used the remote location to carry out grisly, murderous rituals. Today, brave adventurers willing to travel more than a mile underground in less than ideal conditions to reach Belize’s Actun Tunichil Muknal cave (ATM) will find many ancient treasures at the end of their journey.

Moody teacher, A&M-CC student sponsored for exploratory voyage in Caribben Sea
A Moody High School educator and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi doctoral student will serve as ambassadors of a research vessel exploring the least-studied areas of the Caribbean Sea. From the coast of Belize to Jamaica, teacher Jason James and Kelly Pennoyer will shadow scientists and engineers aboard the 64-meter exploration vessel Nautilus and help map a 677-mile stretch from Thursday to Sunday. Citgo, which sponsored James and Pennoyer for the voyage, streamed a live interview Wednesday at the Texas State Aquarium with Nautilus science communication fellow Nell Herrmann, and a third sponsored ambassador, Dr. Nikos Kiritsis, of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The perimeters explored for the Mesoamerican Reef Project have never been mapped before, Herrmann said during the interview from the vessel. "Two to three of the coral species found after seven dives are possibly new to science," Herrmann said.

Shark Pictures: A Toothy Grin, Baby Pictures, and a Prickly Snout
The toothy maw of a great white shark has populated the terrified fantasies of many a beachgoer. But these intelligent predators have been hammered hard by people over the years. Targeted for the shark fin trade, illegally hunted, and caught as bycatch in abandoned fishing gear, great white shark populations have been in decline for decades. There is some hope, though. Protections at the state and national levels have helped relieve the pressure on great white shark populations. Recent studies have noted an uptick in white shark numbers along the West and East Coasts of the U.S.

Sitting Atop Tikal in Guatemala
In the heart of the Guatemalan jungle, hidden by lush vegetation stands Tikal – an impressive Mayan complex just waiting to be explored while travelling around the world. As you approach the towering pyramids, you will probably first encounter the sheer noise made by the local community of howler monkeys that have made Tikal their home. You will then notice exotic birds taken flight above the jungle canopy before stumbling on your first towering pyramid. Tikal means “place of voices” and as the largest Mayan site known and studied, it offers enough history and archeology to spend a day at leisure. The most-striking features of this Mayan complex is by far its towering steep-sided temples that rise to heights of more than 45m.

Videos

Video: Will Football Federation of Belize stadium meet FIFA requirements, 2min.
Plusnews understands that FIFA officials were in Belize over the weekend doing inspections of the FFB stadium, to see if it is up to standards for the upcoming game in the CONCACAF Champions league tournament which began on August 5th

Video: Belize Trip - Jake and Caleb, 17min.
Jake and Caleb head to Belize in Central America. They show their trip there, places they went, and things they did. They got in some nice training while they were there, so sit back and enjoy their adventure!

Video: This Time Tomorrow, 15min.
After going on a mission trip to Belmopan, Belize, I took all of the footage I had gathered and made an edit out of it. there are some glitches in the transitions but those occurred during the exporting and no matter how many times I tried, they wouldn't go away. The title stems from what i kept thinking in the day before and day of the journey ("this time tomorrow I"ll be in the air..." "This time tomorrow i"ll be on the ground...." and so on). The music is cited in the credits.

Video: Black Orchid Resort in Belize, 9min.
Our charming jungle resort rests on the bank of Belize Old River on the outskirts of scenic Burrell Boom Village, just 30 min from Belize City and 15 min from the Belize International Airport. Modern, well-appointed rooms offer comfort & convenience in an exotic tropical rainforest setting. Black Orchid Resort is the perfect retreat for those who want to slow down, chill out, and relax. But if you prefer adventure -- diving, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, exploring Mayan ruins or discovering nature and wildlife, Black Orchid Resort can be your home base. Please watch our video to discover even more about one of the most popular resorts in Belize! It's very easy to reach our resort from USA, Canada and Europe.

Video: Tarantula attacks my GoPro in Belize!, 1/2min.
Tarantula attacks my GoPro in Belize on a walk thru the Jungle.

Video: Scuba Diving in Belize, 6min.
This video is about Scuba Diving with Uncle Benji.

Video: Belize familia pilon, 4min.

Video: La Isla Bonita Telenovela 1min Trailer, 1min.
Make Belize Films just released the one minute trailer of the fist episode of La Isla Bonita Telenovela which is the first Belizean soap opera to be fully produced in the country with a full Belizean cast. A red carpet release event has been scheduled for September 5, 2014, at the Paradise Theater in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.