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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

Falling in love with Caye Caulker
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, docking along the shores of Caye Caulker still has that calming, soothing effect. She’s got brilliantly colored homes along her beaches juxtaposed next to a few less gaudy ones, the trees still line her shores, and more often than not, a hammock is strung between them for a quick nap. You could walk her streets at the most leisurely pace, not once coming across a vehicle. In fact, you have to walk around sleeping dogs more often than stepping aside for a golf cart! Caye Caulker is not pretentious. She is tiny and unique, from her pretty sandy beaches and funky boats tied up to mooring spots – to the darker, yet just-as-enticing, west side where older homes, fishermen’s spots, and mangroves have taken root and made their home. Caye Caulker is really a fun date – casual if you’re up to it, and for her formal means slipping on flip flops instead of being barefoot. Her restaurants are homey, but the food within is often out-of-this-world. Her beaches shaded from her many coconut trees, the drinks icy cold and unique.

San Pedro Councilor and Mayoral Candidates Debate Plans Finalized
Plans have been finalized for the first ever council candidate debate to be held on February 16th. A mayoral candidate debate will be held on February 23rd and both debates will commence at 7pm. The debates, hosted by The San Pedro Sun and Reef Radio/TV will be held at the Lion’s Den and will be televised live on Reef TV on channel 20 and broadcast live on Reef Radio at 92.3FM. For the Councilor Candidates’ debate, the names of two aspiring candidates from each party will be submitted to the organizers as their representative, while the Mayoral candidates will be the only person to represent their party in the Mayoral Debate. In order to assure an orderly crowd the debate will be open to only those with tickets. Each candidate will be allotted equal amount of tickets to distribute at their discretion. In addition, select members of the Town Council, private sector and media will be invited. It is anticipated that close to 100 people will be in attendance. Crowd participation will be limited to applause when appropriate and alcoholic beverages will not be sold or permitted at the events. The debates will be limited to two hours and The San Pedro Sun will also have up-to-the-minute updates on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SanPedroSun.

Estel’s 2015 BBQ Cook-Off tantalizes island taste buds!
It may have been a competition for the best BBQ, but the clear winners were certainly the 120+ sets of taste buds that got to enjoy some finger-licking BBQ at Estel’s on Tuesday, February 10th! The fourth annual BBQ Ribs Cook-off saw sold-out tickets and lots of delicious ribs being enjoyed on a gorgeous Tuesday. Competitors were Kevin Urbina, Rick Saager, Jim Gochenour, Randy Blanscet, Ali Rush and Charles Worthington (the champion two years in a row). Smoky, tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs seasoned and grilled to perfection – what more could one want on a beach on Ambergris Caye?! Well, bragging rights of course! According to the judges, the clear winner was Ali Rush – who ousted Charles Worthington from his reign. A good-natured Charlie said “It was getting hard being on top!” as the crowd applauded Ali’s win. Charles still took second place, and he was followed closely behind by third place ties Rick Saager and Kevin Urbina.

Corozal Bay Regatta opens 2015 Belize Sailing Season
Sailors from across the country converged in Corozal Town on Saturday February 7th and Sunday February 8th from the first regatta of the 2015 Sailing Season. The Corozal Bay Regatta saw young sailors participating in the Optimist and Laser Pico Class from Belize City Sailing Club (BCSC), San Pedro Junior Sailing Club (SPJSC), Belize Sea Scouts (BSS), Corozal Bay Sailing Club (CBSC), Caye Caulker Sailing Club (CCSC), and Placencia Sailing Club (PSC). The Corozal Bay Regatta is the first national ranking regatta of the year. National ranking regattas determine the sailors who will participate in the National Champions Regatta (BIZ15) at the end of the sailing season. In the Optimist class, six races were carried out. Each sailor was allowed to discard their worst race score. In the end the sailor scoring the least points ranked on top. In the end Antonio Ricardez Jr. from BCSC took the win with seven points. In a close second was SPJSC’s Blanca Velasquez with eight points. Other top sailors included: Nashira Ricardez from BCSC in 3rd, Trent Hardwick from BSS in 4th, Jazmin Campos from CBSC in 5th, Glenford Barera from CCSC in 6th, Tyler Garbutt from PSC in 7th, Connor Rhamadas from PSC in 8th, Angel Mo from CCSC in 9th and Ronaldo Bo from CCSC in 10th. Other SPJSC sailors included: Rashawn Gonzalez in 19th, Leroy Azul in 21st and Danny Trejo in 24th.

SPHS celebrates Career Week
From Monday February 9th to Friday February 13th, San Pedro High School (SPHS) has been focused on Career Week. The annual event is held in secondary school across the country as a means of informing students on the many professions available in their communities. The highlight of the week long activities was the opening ceremonies, where students were treated to an inspirational speech from Attorney at Law Diana Shaw. Organized by SPHS Counselor, Alexis Guerrero, the event kicked off at 9:30AM. Principal Emil Vasquez was first to address the students, speaking of the hard decision that choosing a career is, and encouraging the students to go after what they like and not what others expect them to do. Following his speech, Guerrero took time to introduce the guest speaker for the event.

Owner of sailboat lodged on the reef allowed to leave amidst investigation
The Belize Department of the Environment (DOE) has finally released details about the incident in which sail boat Termaji, originally from France, ran aground on the reef near Caye Caulker on December 30th. The island residents of Caye Caulker village are concerned that if not moved soon, the vessel may cause further damage to the reef eco-system. It was not until Oceana in Belize joined the residents of Caye Caulker Village in calling for the removal of the vessel that the DOE sent out a press release over a month after the incident.

Ambergris Today

Miss West Indies Belize to Compete in St. Maaten
Miss Marcia Flores Moody, 20 years old arrived in St. Maaten (Martin) Island in the Caribbean on Monday, February 9, to represent Belize at the 2015 pageant for Miss West Indies and will be competing with more than 20 other countries. Miss Moody is first place in the voting category as the public favorite for this event. She requests that all her Belizean friends and supporters vote for her by going to misswestindies.org/vote-now/. You can vote for her once every day from until Saturday, February 14, when the final night of the completion will be held. She is expected to return on Monday, February 15, on American Airlines to Belize.

Closure of The Lobster Fishing Season in Belize
In a press release sent out by The Fisheries Department, the public is informed that the lobster fishing season will close on February 15 and it will remain closed until midnight of June 14, 2015. “Any person found in possession of lobsters during the said closed season will be prosecuted in accordance with Section 3(1)(b) of the Fisheries Regulations, Chapter 210 of the Subsidiary Laws of Belize Revised Edition 2000-2003.” The Fisheries Department also reminds fishers that lobster traps should be removed from the fishing grounds during the closed fishing season. During the month of March 2015, Fisheries Officials will be visiting fishing camps and coastal fishing communities to take stock of lobster traps owned by individual fishers in order to facilitate the registration of such lobster traps. The Fisheries Department will be actively enforcing the removal of traps from the waters during this period.

Misc Belizean Sources

Business Plan Development WORKSHOP
Workshop Date: February 26th, 2015, Time: 9am to 12pm. PRICE: FREE. The overall objective of this training is to equip our clients with knowledge, skills, and capabilities necessary to develop their business plan. The purpose of this workshop is to help participants understand what the elements of a business plan are. The time constraints of the session, and sensitivity of private client information, do not allow the participants or the facilitator to actually draft any component of the business plan during the workshop. However the workshop instead should be lead as a brainstorming session to allow participants to be thinking of what would be included in their specific plan. Then later they would write their business plan using the ideas generated during this workshop. Therefore the class should be very informal and mostly discussion based. The manual provides pointers, but it is up to the participants to come up with their own specifics. Trainer should actively engage the participants throughout the workshop to be sharing ideas and thinking of how each element of the business plan comes into play in their specific business. ** NOTICE ** Workshop location has been changed!! Workshops are now held at out BTEC Building on ITVet compound, Belize City.

CJC Eagles Environmental Club
There is magic all around us! All you need to do is to slow down, take some time, and enjoy all that nature has to offer! CJC EAGLEs Environmental Club participated this morning in the Belize Audubon Society's 18th Annual Backyard Birdcount. Elma Levy, Jeanette Gomez, Raul Manzanilla, Eddii Sorto, Endevora Jorgenson, Varsha Clarke

Big fish!
Remember today is a Black Friday but we wish to share this awesome Picture of Ceci Lara from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye at Isla Marisol or Cayo Doble.

Visit from Miss Audrey and her Standard One class of St. Francis Xavier School
A great visit from Miss Audrey and her Standard One class of St. Francis Xavier School today! The students were dressed as their favourite Public Service officer and enjoyed learning more about our national patriots with our current exhibit; the Belize Heroes and Benefactor's Exhibit.

TRAFFIC RULES DURING THE PAINTING AND COMPARSAS FROM SUNDAY FEB 15 TO TUESDAY FEB 17

Here are the rules and regulations for Carnaval.

San Pedro Carnaval Schedule
Don't miss out the Carnaval Fiesta! Block Party tonight at 7:30 p.m. There will be dance performances by Yaka's Elite Dancers, Miss San Pedro 2014, Michelle Nuñez and from the Ballet Folklorico de Bacalar with over 20 dancers. We will also have a performance by Guillermo and Neslen Rivero and our very own local band Rompe Raja! You definitely won't want to miss this show! QUE VIVA EL CARNAVAL DE SAN PEDRO!

UB's February 2015 Graduating Class
Congratulations to all the February 2015 graduates! Lissette Staine gave the keynote address.

Cayo's Best on Travel Channel
Congratulations are in order for 3 Cayo restaurants. Fuego, Guava Limb, and Montagna Ristorante were all on the Travel Channel's top 10 Belizean restaurants, giving Cayo the most, with 3. In related news, Guava Limb is ranked 1st place in Cayo on Tripadvisor. "Belize is becoming a trendy culinary destination with chefs using fresh seafood, herbs, fruits and vegetables to create contemporary dishes and drinks... Belize is an intriguing new culinary destination. Chefs use fresh seafood from the Caribbean, herbs and vegetables from organic gardens and tropical fruits from local markets to create culture-blending dishes."

Become a Friend of the GPC
You can become a friend of the George Price Centre. Support a great cause, and a place where 100's of cultural events take place every year. Call 822-1054 for more information. In related news, the GPC is offering Quickbooks classes next week, and every Friday this month they are showing movies on the life of Peace Pilgrim. The Cayo Coca Cola Spelling Bee will take place there on the 20th. They are also having a Kite Contest next month. "Join the GPC Friends of the Centre Programme for 2015.......Support a Worthy Cause!!!"

BUA ENDORSES VIP7 SLATE FOR SAN PEDRO
The Belize Unity Alliance is pleased to announce its endorsement of Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) slate in the elections for Mayor and Councillors for the town of San Pedro. Comments Charles Leslie Jr, Chairman of the BUA, “We are delighted to be endorsing three very strong teams this year’s Municipal elections: PNP in Punta Gorda, led by Wil Maheia, VIP in Belmopan, led by Hubert Enriquez, and now VIP in San Pedro,led by Bobby Lopez. Residents of these three municipalities have a real choice this year, and we urge voters to have the courage of their convictions, and support these outstanding candidates.” Says Bobby Lopez, “We feel confident that this time the voters will take the opportunity to elect to their Council people who are not in it for themselves. We at VIP stand for service and fairness – whether you are VIP, PNP, UDP, PUP or no Pat all, we promise that we will deal with each and every person as what they are first and foremost – a Belizean and a tax payer. We will of course also be working in partnership with the PNP and other alternative and independent parties endorsed by BUA, to combine forces for the good of our municipalities.” Charles Leslie Jr goes on the say, “In Belize, the alternative parties and independents are regional and tend to work in isolation. They typically have limited access to resources.”

BOLEDO DRAWING for Friday, February 13, 2015: 39

CARILEC Human Resources & Public Relations Conference
BEL invites HR and PR professionals to register for the upcoming CARILEC Human Resources & Public Relations Conference to be held March 15 - 20, 2015 in Belize City.

A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited
for the post of Programmer/Analyst, in the Information and Communication Systems Department.

A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited
for the post of IT Support Specialist I, in the Information and Communication Systems Department.

2 vacancies exist at Belize Electricity Limited
for the post of Administrative Assistant in the Human Resources and Purchasing and Stores Department.

Channel 7

Penner Case Called Up In The Supreme Court
It made major news last year when disgraced UDP representative Elvin Penner was criminally charged in Belmopan Magistrate's Court for the role he played in Citizen Kim passport scandal. The charges were brought through a private prosecution launched by COLA's Geovannie Brackett and Nedal McLaren. Penner was acquitted in July based on the interpretation of a law used by Magistrate Aretha Ford. Since then, COLA's attorney, Kareem Musa, has been trying to get an appeal heard. Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, agreed that it must be heard, and was prepared to hear opening arguments this morning. COLA and Musa, were prepared to start today, but Elvin Penner, who has been lying very low since this scandal broke in late 2013, was a no show. His attorney, Tricia Pitts Anderson, told the court that Penner retained her for this case 2 days ago. So, Chief Justice Benjamin was forced to adjourn the case to allow her time to get up to speed and make an adequate defence for her client.

COLA Calls Out Marco Tulio
And while the cameras were recording today, COLA President Geovannie Brackett kept it rolling by issuing a second challenge to Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez to face the media and account for himself following his criminal arraignment on the serious allegations of child molestation. Since he fled from the press two weeks ago, Mendez has not been seen or heard from since, and it is believed that only his family and his attorney know his whereabouts. Brackett told the media that, given the nature of what he's being accused of, on principle, he has no choice but make a public statement. Here's how he put it: Geovannie Brackett, President - COLA "We want to make it very clear, that COLA, by no means have any tolerance for any act against children. Or as a matter of fact we will go even further, we not only find this allegation serious or disheartening or whatever the largest word you can find, but when we hear stories of men in parliament who beat women or men in parliament who sues their position, their ministerial post, to seduce young women for scholarships or for job - we find those things very disgusting and its left for the public to decide how much will they tolerate from men in parliament.

The Passing Of Pitts, UB Student
Three weeks ago 28 year old Hattieville resident Eugene Pitts was mysteriously shot from behind at a party. The shotgun blast riddled his midsection with pellets and ruptured a number of internal organs. Just after 7 last night, after weeks in the hospital, he died from a heart attack. Police have still made no arrests and do not know what the motive of the shooting was. Pitts was a student of the University of Belize and was pursuing his bachelor's degree in nursing.

Justice For Justin
In December of 2010, Justin Jones was killed in Ontario Village at a wake. It happened in front of his common-law-wife and 14 month old baby. The young father was leaving the wake with his family when he was stabbed in the head. He died in his wife's arms. Now, over four years later, his family says they have finally gotten justice. 39 year old Godwin Santos was today convicted of murder and was sentenced to life in prison. His mother-in-law Joan Sutherland was crying what she called tears of joy today. Monica Bodden spoke with her an hour ago. Joan Sutherland, Mother-in-Law "Monica, the way I feel, nobody could understand. When they killed Allen Sutherland, my son, I was hurt, I was down to the last, but now, I could scream and I could shout and I could say thank you sweet Jesus, we got what we deserved - justice. Justice that we hardly get in Belize. So we got justice today - life imprisonment and I say thank you sweet Jesus. All day, I was a bit nervous, I sat down and I wonder, I lay down, I came home and I tried to keep myself busy, not to think that I am going to get the worse of it. But while I was doing laundry, my daughter scream out and say "princesa, I have good news" I look through the window and I said what, I said he got year true and she said no, life imprisonment. Right away washing stop Monica. I mean, it's a really good feeling."

Judge Says Shaheem Didn't Kill 69 Year Old Watchman
In March of 2011, 69 year old watchman Julian Lara was brutally murdered inside a bar on the Bullett Tree road named "The Spot." He was tied up and stabbed to death. Police said Shaheem Espat did it; he had gone into the bar to buy cigarettes just before the murder occurred. Police said they found him with blood on his shirt - which turned out to be type O - same as the deceased. But, his attorney established that type O is a very common blood type and that bloodstains could remain on a person's shirt for years. But he also gave a confession statement, so what about that? Well, Espat told Justice Moore that he never gave the statement freely and that the police had told him to help himself so he'd better talk.

Killer Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter
Another murder case came to an end today - this one in the Orange Walk Supreme Court. 27 year old Marvin Lennen Stevens pleaded guilty to manslaughter after 5 years on remand for murder. In 2009, he bashed Roberto Cal in the head with a cement block in Guinea Grass Village. After that, he took Cal's bicycle and pounded him repeatedly with it. Cal died an hour later at the Northern Regional Hospital. On Tuesday before a jury of 1 woman and 11 men, Stevens pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. Yesterday he was sentenced by Justice Herbert Lord to 15 years with 5 years and 5 months deducted from his sentence for time served.

Snow In Ladyville?
Those who have traveled to cold countries in winter know all about snow. But, for those who don't, you won't need to travel all the way to America to find it. You can plan a more affordable trip right to Ladyville where snow - or something like it - is falling from a tree! According to them, what looks like an icicle began to form on the tree from yesterday and survived even today's warm temperatures. If it sounds too odd to be true - that's the same thing we said, so I went to Ladyville this morning to see what it was all about.. Courtney Weatherbune reporting This boy is waiting patiently for what residents in Ladyville are calling melted snow - to fall in the palm of his hand. It is such a rare sight that this man stopped by just to taste it.

Killer Cop Convicted Of Manslaughter
Police Constable Alpheus Parham shot and killed detainee Alex Goff in May 2010. Goff was in the police station when it happened. Well tonight, almost five years later, Parham is awaiting sentencing after being convicted by a jury of 12 of the charge of manslaughter. Justice John Gonzalez presided over a trial where the prosecutor only managed to produce circumstantial evidence against Parham - because there were no eyewitnesses. Goff was 29 years old at the time and alone in a holding cell when he was shot to his forehead, which was fatal. One police officer testified that he saw Parham go to the back of the cell and shortly afterwards he heard the sound of a gunshot. A second police officer testified that he saw Parham go to the back of the cell and he heard an explosion, then Parham walked out of the station without saying anything to anyone. When the officers went to check what happened, they found Goff, dead with a bullet in his head.

Motorcycle Rider Knocked Down By Young Driver
A man was knocked down on Holy Emmanuel Street in the Gungulung area this afternoon. At around 12:45. 23 year old Earl Pitts was travelling on his motorcycle when he was knocked down by a 17 year old female driving a Mazda Tribute. Details are still sketchy at this time but according to Pitts family, he is pointing fingers at the driver of the vehicle. Tonight he is listed in a stable but critical condition. 7news spoke with his sister outside the KHMH. Voice of: sister of accident victim "He is in pain and right now they are taking an x-ray on his entire body, but he is a critical condition." Monica Bodden "Tell me what doctors told the family?" Voice of: sister of accident victim "They told us that one of foot is broken in 4 parts and then the other foot is broken in 2 parts and one of his hands is broken in several parts also. They say that he has to take a surgery in one of his foot to put steel in it."

Dr. Dionne's Departure
Dr. Dionne Miranda, the General Manager of Customer Services of BTL, reported to work today for her very last day in that very senior post. She tendered her resignation on Monday, and decided that after 6 years of with the company, it was time for her to leave. But her departure is abrupt and it has led to speculation as the real reason behind it. So, today, we requested to speak with Miranda, and she granted us an interview for the last time in her Church Street Office. She told us that she is moving on to her side project called Chamberlain Consulting: Dr. Dionne Miranda, General Manager - Customer Services - BTL "I'm leaving because it's time for me to pursue the things that I've been speaking to young people about all of their lives. In my sessions, in my motivational missionary tours. There are times in your life when you have to seek out what is important to you and to also fulfil your passion and I believe that it's the right time, the right age, the right moment.

Old Arcade Games Gifted
Today the Princess Ramada Hotel and casino donated 16 used arcade machines to 4 children's homes. The hotel is remodeling its bowling room and bringing in new machines, so they decided to donate the used ones to the kids. They are quite the worse for wear, but they are still working - and we found out how they will be put to use:.. They went to the Dorothy Menzies, Kings, and Liberty Children's home. One Orphanage declined the donation.

A Fugitive From the North, Caught
The Corozal man known as Jermaine Sanker has been on the run from police since the first week in December of last year. He was identified as a suspect in a number of armed robberies, and most recently, police tried to corner him, but he escaped. ON WEDNESDAY, the Commanding Officer of Corozal Police outlined for us the number of cases he is suspected of being involved with: Supt. Andrew Ramirez, OC - Corozal Police "From the 9th December last year, the name Jermaine Sanker, of a Corozal Town address was being sought by the Corozal police, on the strength of warrant in the first instance in relation to armed robbery; robbery committed with the use of firearms. We have the initial information where a 17 year old minor reported that he was accosted by three male individuals and he had identified Jermaine Sanker, as being one of the assailants in relation to that matter. Also we have another young man who was also robbed and again he had identified Jermaine Sanker. It would appear that the guy Jermaine Sanker went on a crime spree and as a result, based on him being identified, and named in the statement, we had issued a warrant in the first instance. We have acted on numerous information.

More Weed For the GSU Crew
And, as we told you last night the GSU has been active in the north. This is the six pounds of high grade marijuana known as "hydro" that was found in a corn flakes box on the Thunderbolt Water Taxi yesterday. As we reported last night, Captain Miguel Florencio DOMINGUEZ, from San Andres Corozal pleaded guilty to two counts of "Possession of Controlled drugs with intent to Supply" and was fined ten thousand dollars. And yesterday, we also told you about 26 pounds of marijuana that police found in the Collet area of Belize City. Well, there was more in the stash, apparently. Last night at 6:30pm the GSU searched a bushy abandoned lot on Neal's Penn Road. The y found a large garbage bag with 20 smaller plastic bags inside. All totaled it weighed in at 20.7 pounds - this is in addition to a find of the same amount we told you about yesterday.

Channel 5

More Swiss-leak Revelations
Tonight, there is additional information on the hundreds of millions of dollars stashed away at the H.S.B.C. Bank in Geneva. That story broke on Thursday night and in our research [...]

Eugene Pitts Dies 3 Weeks After Being Shot
The Hattieville community on the George Price Highway has recorded its first murder for this year leaving a mother to mourn the death of her only son. The Hattieville resident [...]

Cop Found Guilty of Manslaughter
A cop accused of murdering a Belize City man detained at the Caye Caulker Police Station has been found guilty of the lesser charge of murder. The verdict was reached [...]

Espat Acquitted of Murder
And while Parham will face sentencing for manslaughter, another man was acquitted of murder today before Judge Antoinette Moore. Shajeem Espat had been accused of the brutal murder of sixty-nine [...]

Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking
The captain of a boat belonging to Thunderbolt Water Taxi in Corozal was arraigned and he pleaded guilty to two counts of Possession of a Controlled Drug with Intent to [...]

GSU Cracks Down on Drugs
The gang suppression unit is currently conducting countrywide operations including in the west and the Old Capital. The success of the drug bust in Corozal was followed by the discovery [...]

Penner Appeal Starts Today
In July 2014, former minister of state, Elvin Penner was acquitted of immigration offences because of a lack of evidence before the magistrate. He was accused of facilitating the issues [...]

Former U.D.P. Minister is a No-Show
Elvin Penner was a no-show this morning and his decision to absent himself did not please the Court. An order has been issued that he is to present himself at [...]

Ashcroft Presence Still Creating a Buzz
Following a breakfast meeting between Audrey Matura-Shepherd and Lord Michael Ashcroft last Friday, there has been much speculation on the reason for the tycoon’s presence in Belize. On Wednesday, we [...]

Matura-Shepherd on U.D.P. Campaign Financing
But the issue of campaign financing also came up on Wednesday when Audrey Shepherd Matura held a press conference to discuss what she had spoken about over breakfast with Lord [...]

COLA Speaks on Parliamentary Conduct
COLA has issued a release on the formal arraignment of P.U.P. Orange Walk Area Rep., Doctor Marco Tulio Mendez, in which it has called on Mendez to make a public [...]

Wooden Structure in Belmopan Under Scrutiny
The construction of a wooden structure on reserve land in Belmopan, in the vicinity of the Assembly Building, has raised the ire of residents, as well as vendors near the [...]

Reserve Land Ends Up in the Hands of a City Hall Secretary
According to Andrews, building on the reserve contravenes a section of the RECONDEV Act which deals with green spaces.  Failure to address the matter, says Andrews, will result in the [...]

Ramada Princess Donates to Children
A number of agencies that work with underprivileged children have been gifted with gaming machines courtesy of the Ramada Princess which is upgrading and modernizing the hotel to make it [...]

Motorcyclist in Critical Condition
Tonight, twenty-four year old Earl Pitts is in the K.H.M.H. in a critical, but stable condition after he was involved in an accident.  Shortly after midday today, Pitts was on [...]

GSU Finds Weed on Empty Lot
The Gang Suppression Unit, as we told you earlier, is busy conducting anti-drug operations. Following information received, on Thursday, the GSU conducted a search in an abandoned lot on Neal’s [...]

Gospel Artists Spread Love
With Valentine’s just a few hours away, the sharing of gifts and expression of acts of love are in no shortage. But, tonight two international gospel artists are in Belize [...]

PlusTV

Elvin Penner changes attorneys for COLA appeal
The Inferior Court Appeal launched by Geovanni Brackett and Nedal McLaren, respectively President and National Security Adviser for Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA), against Cayo Northeast area representative Elvin Penner, in respect of a decision by Magistrate Aretha Ford to dismiss charges against him, after denying an application to summon Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie among others to give evidence, began Friday morning before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. However, it was just as quickly adjourned as Elvin Penner, who was not present in court, only recently retained new counsel in the case in the person of Tricia Pitts-Anderson, who replaces Senior Counsel Ellis Arnold.

Man in critical condition after early morning accident
There was a road traffic accident early Friday morning on the Hummingbird Highway, and one man has been left hospitalized in a serious condition as a result. According to police reports, 23 year old Oscar Mehia, a resident of Armenia village, was flung out of a vehicle which experienced a tire blow out. The incident happened at around 7 o’clock Friday morning when 30 year old Pedro Barrido, resident of Armentia village, was driving his pickup from Armenia to Belmopan. Along with Mr Barrido at the time were Oscar Mehia and a 13 year old boy. Police say that Pedro Barrido reported that after the tire blew out on a curve between miles 50 and 51, he lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle flipped before landing back on its wheels.

Gunshot victim succumbs to injuries
23 year old Eugene Pitts has succumbed to his injuries after being shot three weeks ago. The shooting incident happened on January 24th in Hattieville. According to police reports, Eugene Pitts was at a party on Camal Street in Hattieville sometime after midnight. Mr Pitts was reportedly near the front of the yard when a shot came from somewhere near the back of the yard. The crowd scattered and Pitts fell to the ground with a bullet in his lower back. He was taken to the KHMH where he was listed in a stable condition, however, complications from the bullet injury eventually led to Eugene Pitt’s death.

Investigation into Spanish Lookout attempted kidnapping dismissed
Due to the widely spread rumours and the paranoia that followed from an alleged attempted kidnapping of children in the Spanish Lookout area, Cayo District, the Chairman of the community Clarence Dueck appealed to Justice of the peace Harry Letkeman to investigate the reports. Mr Letkeman spoke to all parties involved and has since emailed us his findings. According to JP Harry Letkeman, he first spoke to the father of the two children involved. According to the father, his two boys, ages 8 and 10 were coming home on their bicycles from Palm Ridge School on February 9th. The boys reported that a dark SUV stopped, and the driver, since identified, got out the car and offered them a ride. The boys said they declined and road off on their bicycles. A woman, who had gone to pick up her children at the same school, said she witnessed the incident, and noted that when she approached the driver, he got into his vehicle and sped off. She immediately alerted the community and as a result the Chairman asked police to investigate the reports.

Matura: Ashcroft should meet with Unions
The press briefing took place at the CWU headquarters in Belize City, and while according to Audrey Matura-Shepherd, she did not speak in her capacity as the President of the Christian Workers Union (CWU), the unions did come up in the one hour conversation with Lord Ashcroft, as a suggestion that h...

Belmopan City Council to pay $26,000 over wooden house lawsuit
In April 2014, PlusNews covered the story of Abner Valladares and his run in with the Belmopan City Council, when he attempted to place a wooden structure on his private property on Mountain View Boulevard, a commercial area of the capital.Mr Valladares told PlusNews back then that he had gotten th...

Succotz demonstrators back at court
15 residents of Succotz who participated in a demonstration on August 19th of last year were charged with rioting and illegal gathering at the Benque Viejo Magistrate’s Court in November 13^th.The protest took place after the then Deputy Commissioner of Police crashed into a taxi, killing a woman on...

PUP scolds PM on statements about Marco Tulio Mendez case
The People’s United Party  issued a press release Thursday evening saying that they “deplore in the strongest terms the Prime Minister’s intervention to the Media yesterday February 11, 2015 concerning the charges against Hon Doctor Marco Tulio Mendez.”While addressing the media on Wednesd...

Bank leak reveals $109.6 Million from Belize stashed in Switzerland
International Consortium of Investigative Journalist released information on Leaked Swiss Banking information. This is based on a trove of almost 60,000 leaked files that provide details on over 100,000 clients of HSBC Private Bank in Geneva Switzerland between the years 1998 – 2007.The report di...

NTUCB, SSB continue sparring over Floyd Neal
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) and Social Security Board (SSB) remain at odds over the appointment of Floyd Neal, General Secretary of the Christian Workers’ Union (CWU), to the Board as a union representative. The Board, led by chairman Doug Singh, maintains that this is a conf...

Matura- Ashcroft Meeting addressed at press briefing
On Friday last week, Audrey Matura Shepherd accepted an invitation to meet with one of the most controversial names in recent Belizean history- Lord Michael Ashcroft; controversial because by the end of 2007, the then PUP government had sold several of Belize’s utilities to Ashcroft...

Bank leak reveals $109.6 Million from Belize stashed in Switzerland
International Consortium of Investigative Journalist released information on Leaked Swiss Banking information. This is based on a trove of almost 60,000 leaked files that provide details on over 100,000 clients of HSBC Private Bank in Geneva Switzerland between the years 1998 – 2007. The report di...

Teenager accused of wounding co-worker
A teenager from Lord’s Bank, Belize District, faces charges of wounding and aggravated assault. 19 year old Clyde Morris, who works at the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville, is accused of attacking his co-worker, aero-dispatacher Alfonso Assi, 21, with a pair of scissors, resulting i...

Amandala

Mek Mi Rich and BTL sued for intellectual property rights violation
Belize’s latest game show, Mek Mi Rich, which was launched last September, is now the subject of litigation in the first intellectual property rights claim that will be heard in the Supreme Court of Justice Courtenay Abel. On Monday, attorneys for MMR (Mek Mi Rich) Belize Limited, Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) and Dale Curtis Swasey, the man who brought the claim against BTL and Mek Mi Rich (MMR), had a case management conference in the chambers of Justice Abel. Swasey, who is being represented in his claim by attorney Kareem Musa, filed court papers last December alleging that BTL violated a non-disclosure information agreement the company had with him, when he gave them the idea for the lottery, which was later put into operation by MMR.

Over BZ$100 mil in Swiss bank
Belize’s offshore sector has recently been under major pressure, as international players last year forced the passage of a suite of sweeping legislation which has put the industry on edge. Today, we came across a report published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), along with a database of accounts, which, although they do not fully disclose the identities of account holders, reveals that upwards of BZ$100 million has been channeled to an overseas bank in Switzerland, the HSBC Private Bank, and many Belizeans have been asking questions after seeing the online reports on the matter. Interestingly enough, Belize ranks 5th among the 12 CARICOM countries listed, when ranked according to the total sum of money stored in Switzerland, and it ranks 3rd among its Central American counterparts.

A deeper look at the “Fatback”/”Ralphie” saga
This past Monday, February 9, we reported on the response of former PUP Minister of Home Affairs and Budget Planning, Ralph Fonseca, Sr., to allegations of skullduggery which were made by Eugene “Fatback” Webster, 55, a former employee of his late son, Ralph “Ralphie” Fonseca, Jr. – claims which he, Fonseca, categorized as “ridiculous and pure fabrication.” Amandala dug deeper into the story today, and we spoke to Webster, who is seeking what he calls the rightful compensation that he has earned after 18 years of service to the Fonsecas. According to Webster, things started to go downhill after the death of Fonseca, Jr., and Ralph Balderamos (a friend of Fonseca, Jr.), who both died in a tragic road traffic accident that occurred on September 11, 2007 when Fonseca, Jr.’s Toyota Prado SUV collided with a trailer that unhitched from a truck just outside Orange Walk Town.

12 years for killing his brother over a quart of rum!
This afternoon, Supreme Court Justice Adolph Lucas sentenced a Bermudian Landing man to 12 years in prison after the court accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter for the killing of his older brother, for which he was initially facing a murder indictment when the incident first occurred. The Crown, however, dropped the murder charge and re-indicted him for manslaughter. Jeremiah Pott, 54, had spent almost 4 years on remand for the death of his brother, Fidencio Pott, who was 57 years old when Jeremiah admitted to police in a caution statement that he beat him in the head with a spade during a fight over a bottle of rum on March 21, 2011.

Woman, 23, perishes in road accident
A young woman died and seven others were injured in a terrible road traffic accident that occurred shortly before 6:40 p.m. today between Miles 85 and 86 on the Philip Goldson Highway in Corozal. The victim, Iris Mabel Chicas, 23, of San Roman, Corozal District, was reportedly driving a grey 2006 Ford Fusion car that crashed into a cream-colored Toyota Tundra pickup in the vicinity of a slaughterhouse near the entrance to Corozal Town. According to Corozal police, Chicas – who was driving from Corozal Town towards the Belize/Mexico border – was accompanied by Ahmad Shah Amini, 28, of Miles 41/42 on the George Price Highway, who was in the front passenger seat.

Nomination Day in the twin towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio
The incumbent United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Opposition, the People’s United Party (PUP), took their war machines into the streets of the twin towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio for Nomination Day today. Both parties flexed their campaign muscles in parades that commenced in Santa Elena, then traversed the Mopan River into San Ignacio before stopping in front of the town’s police station, where nomination papers were signed upstairs in the Magistrate’s Court. Shortly after 8:00 a.m., PUP supporters began assembling in front of standard bearer Dan Silva’s office in Santa Elena. Then, as the 10:00 a.m. hour approached, the crowd began to move off. The PUP slate is led by mayoral candidate Ramon “Munchie” Quiroz, and the six Town Council candidates who were nominated to contest the elections are Sharon Codd, Omar Rodriguez, Danielle Rodriguez, Elias Rodriguez, Sheena Urbina and Shane Vasquez.

SCA girls and Gwen Liz boys are CSSSA 2015 Football Champions
The Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) wrapped up its abbreviated high school football competition yesterday with the male finals at the MCC Grounds. The female championship game was played on Saturday along with three other male games, including two by eventual champions, Gwen Liz High. In game 1 on Saturday, Wesley defeated E.P. Yorke, 2-0, with goals from Bernard Bailey. Game 2 saw Gwen Liz with the 2-1 win over SJC. Devaughn Zuniga and Naim Wilson shook the net for Gwen Liz, while Dmitri Fabro scored for SJC. Game 3 was the female championship match between SCA and Gwen Liz High, and it was SCA coming away with the 2-nil win and the championship, both goals coming from Gabriela Mendoza, a 13 year old first former.

BelCare to hold roots Football Festivals in San Ignacio & Griga
BelCare Football Youth Academy, despite the name similarity with the electricity company’s bill heading “BEL-Care,” is a completely different “ball game.” While the bill collector has a job to do in receiving payment for BEL electricity services rendered to consumers, BelCare is all about giving to the Belizean youth community. That’s because, as stated in its release last week, “BelCare Football Youth Academy (BelCare) is a non-profit/social enterprise organization that uses the power of football to educate, inspire, and empower young people to lead meaningful lives.”

C-Ray Saturday Race results for February 7
The C-Ray Cycling Club held its 5th Saturday Race on Saturday, February 7. The race started in front of Leslie’s Imports, travelled up the George Price (Western) Highway, made a right at the Hattieville roundabout, through Boom road, turned at the half-way point at Bissett Gas Station, and finished back at Leslie’s Imports. The race was open to all cyclists of the Junior, Female, Weekend Warriors, Category 4/5 and Elite Categories; one race with separate prizes. Below are the results for the 5th Saturday race: JUNIOR: 1st – Anthony Marin (Cabral/Marin Racing); 2nd – Brian Sutherland (Cabral/Marin Racing). FEMALE: 1st – Kaya Cattouse (C-Ray); 2nd –Alicia Thompson (Belize Bank Swoosh).

Athletics past and present – Gilbert Sebastian “Sabé” Nunez
An extraordinary and great personality is the best way to describe this remarkable person, known to all as “Sabé’,” but Mr. Gilbert Nunez is his real name. He got his running origins back in school days at St. Joseph Primary School in a 6-mile race at a school competition held at the Roger’s Stadium; but it was not until years later, while in the States, that he got serious about it and took up the challenge. He stated that in Harlem, while he and some friends were watching the annual New York Marathon passing, he saw all types of people from all countries and cultures, but to his dismay, no Belizean. That’s when he decided to workout hard to represent his country, so he joined a running club called Youths Function, based in Staten Island and worked out with them. Mr. Ralph Stuart was the man running the club at the time. He spent 6 years with the club and ran the New York Marathon 3 consecutive years.

Editorial: Personalities, emotions, and colors
The important thing this week on Wednesday, February 11, the day on which candidates for national municipal elections were nominated, was the color of the apparel/paraphernalia and the size of the party crowds the respective political parties were able to generate. Nomination Day is a show of strength in order to boost the morale of campaign workers and, in certain cases, intimidate the opponents. At this newspaper, we have written off the third parties in Belize, because they refuse to unite in a national organization. We did this reluctantly, because some of the people in the third parties are our personal friends, and we believe they are sincere. No one can say for sure, but it is quite possible that there are more independent voters in Belize than there are committed United Democratic Party (UDP) or People’s United Party (PUP) voters. From election to election, the committed UDP or PUP voters are a numerical constant of sorts, but the independent voters move from side to side on the political party spectrum. The independent voters are responsible for the massive swings in election results, such as that from 2003 to 2008, from PUP to UDP.

From the Publisher
The late Dr. Leroy Taegar and I spent a lot of time together in the early months of 1982. This was because he was coaching a senior basketball team I had put together named Geritol. Geritol is a story that deserves telling all on its own, but not today. Let me, however, just set the table. Col. George Lovell, for instance, played on that team. So did Wilfred “Chickiblue” Nicholas, later a big time superstar but only a rookie that season. Geritol was an earlier version of the Raiders, except that Geritol did not have the height to go with our team speed. We couldn’t clean glass all that well. In order to ignite the fast break, we were forced to press and trap on a full court basis. The referees did not like the kind of exertion this forced upon them, so they made foul calls to slow down our game. There was major politics involved in that 1982 season, which was played at both Henry Young’s Bird”s Isle and the brand new Civic Center court the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) had imported from the United States. Basketball had moved from the St. Ignatius court to Bird’s Isle for the 1976 season, and the sport had increased in popularity at the Island. But Henry Young was a known, prominent supporter of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Not only that, the Bird’s Isle court was inadequate in size and other facilities, so the Civic Center Court was a necessary upgrade which basketball’s no. l superstar, Clinton “Pulu” Lightburn, had called for and supported.

The Third World War
The Third World War Letters — 13 February 2015 The Third World War Dear Editor, Organizing to rebuild the international economic system during World War II, 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations gathered at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, for the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, also known as the Bretton Woods Conference, from July 1 to 22, 1944.They signed agreements to regulate the international monetary system. These established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which today is part of the World Bank Group. The United States of America (US), which controlled two thirds of the world’s gold, ensured that the Bretton Woods system rest on both gold and the US dollar. Soviet representatives attended the conference but later declined to sanction the final agreements, asserting that the institutions they had created were “branches of Wall Street.”

UBAD’s 46th, UEF library’s 15th
Tomorrow, Thursday, February 12, the Library of African and Indian Studies, located on the Kremandala compound at 3304 Partridge Street, Belize City, celebrates its 15th year in existence, having primarily served, since its inception, youth of Belize who cherish it as an invaluable asset in their quest to reconnect with their past and to establish in themselves a deeper sense of identity. Established by the UBAD Educational Foundation (UEF), the library brings to life the vision of the late Dr. Leroy Taegar, who was also instrumental is ensuring that this vision became a reality. Virginia Echols, an active member of the UEF for the past 15 years, said: “We’ve had our ups and downs; however, the purpose of the library is to benefit the community, and we have been steadfast in offering that space to the community.”

Royal Canadian Legion makes call on Belize war veterans
A group of 115 members of the Royal Canadian Legion, Canada’s largest veteran and community services organization, traveled to Belize aboard the Carnival Escape cruise today, as part of their annual Caribbean tour to jurisdictions which are home to the World War II veterans they support with a regular stipend as a token of their service. The group, of which 75 persons came ashore for a recognition ceremony and sightseeing tour, was headed by the dominion president Tom Eagles. Bernard Adolphus, member of the Belize Ex-Services League and a former president, said at an opening ceremony organized by the Belize City Council that the Belize league cannot thank the Royal Canadian Legion enough for the help that it has given to the veterans and widows over the years. “We are forever grateful,” Adolphus commented.

Disgruntled factions stir more internal troubles for BSCFA
Who was behind the effort to register the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) as a limited company and why? Those were two chief questions that sparked an emergency meeting at the BSCFA headquarters in Orange Walk Town this afternoon. The move was carried out at the end of January, but BSCFA Committee of Management chairman, Ezequiel Cansino, only found out about it last Friday, February 6, when one of the five BSCFA members who had allegedly facilitated the initiative brought it to his attention. It turned out that the re-registration exercise was actually an attempt to register the 55-year-old entity not as a company, but as an association under the Companies Act, and at the conclusion of today’s 3-hour meeting, Cansino told us that several errors were made when the association was re-registered.

Bullet grazes chest of San Pedro girl, 13
The quiet of the San Pedrito area of San Pedro Town was shattered at about 9:30 last night when the sound of 4 to 5 gunshots rocked the neighborhood. There was fright and panic and police responded quickly. Police conducted a search of the area, but did not find the shooters. A 13-year-old girl, however, who was in her house at the time of the shooting, was grazed in the chest. She was rushed to the San Pedro Polyclinic, She is now admitted to ward and has been listed in a serious but stable condition. Maria Escalante, 35, of San Pedrito, and her daughter were at home last night at the Spats Apartment when gunshots sounded. Escalante went to close the door, but bullets penetrated the wall and the door. She then saw that her daughter had been hit and was bleeding.

Corozal fugitive surrenders to GSU commander
Another fugitive who has been on the run has handed in himself in to police. The most recent man on the run to surrender himself to police is Jermaine Sanker, 25, an unemployed resident of the Skeleton Town area of Corozal Town. He was wanted by police for a series of armed robberies, and theft. On December 5, 2014, Corozal police had issued a warrant for Sanker on charges of aggravated robbery and attempted robbery, but he had managed to evade police and had been on the run for just over two months. However, at about 11:30 Tuesday night, he contacted Superintendent Mark Flowers, Commander of the GSU, and an arrangement was made to hand himself over.

The Reporter

Embassy of Taiwan opens cultural festival at Bliss
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on Friday night opened its “2015 Taiwan Cultural Festival in Belize” with the first of a series of activities. The feature on Friday night was a Chinese painting art exhibition, featuring unique works by young artists from that country. The display will run for through the coming week. On Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m. the embassy will showcase a 30-minute documentary entitled the “Food Culture in Taiwan” followed by a two-hour long comedy entitled “The Movable Feast”. The events are free to the public and fall under the cultural exchange between Belize and Taiwan.

GSU raids in the city yield 25 pounds of weed
GSU raids yield sizeable amounts of weed By Marion Ali, Staff Reporter Two anti-drug raids by the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) in Belize City have yielded a sizeable amount of marijuana. The first raid occurred on Thursday morning on an overgrown lot on Iguana Street Extension in the Collet division […]

Argentina oil company leaves Peru town after protests
An Argentine oil company says it will withdraw from an area of the Peruvian Amazon where it has been prospecting for gas deposits. The company, Pluspetrol, was asked to leave by the government after the death of a demonstrator in Junin province, during four days of violent protests. The demonstrators, […]

Coast Guard to get two blue water patrol boats to protect exclusive economic zone
Poised on its tenth year of existence, the Belize National Coast Guard is making strides to meet the goals of its 2020 strategic plan of action. It aims to begin, in the near future, its Beyond the Reef Blue Water Operation, a move that […]

Belize signs $60 million climate change project
The Social Investment Fund announced this week that Belize has secured a $60 million loan from the World Bank for a climate change project. The project is called the Belize Climate Resilient Infrastructure Project” (BCRIP) and is geared towards improving and strengthening Belize’s climate resilience […]

Dyed pink potatoes found countrywide Agriculture department waiting on lab test results
The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed this week that the Mexican potatoes which were dyed pink have been discovered in markets all over the country. Chief Agricultural Officer, Roberto Harrison explained that thus far, the potatoes have been spotted at major markets in all districts, with […]

Tax evasion: serious business!
Swindlers try all kinds of schemes to evade taxes and people have found very clever ways to trick the system. They cross barriers in sectors ranging from the common grocer to the well-to-do, often times in collusion with the very people whose job is […]

One Dead, several injured in Corozal RTA
One person is dead and several are injured after a road traffic accident in the Corozal district this week. According to police, sometime after 6 p.m. on Tuesday between Miles 85 and 86 on the Phillip Goldson Highway, a grey Ford Fusion car, driven by […]

Roaring Ck./Tea Kettle record 4 murders in 6 weeks

Six weeks into 2015, and Belmopan police have their fourth murder; the second homicide for the community of Roaring Creek. Around 6:50 pm, last Saturday afternoon resident, John Alexander Smith, 61, was killed; shot to death with a single bullet to the head, only feet from his home on Young […]

CitCo and Canadian Legion honour veterans
The Belize City Council, in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Legion, held a small recognition ceremony, which ended with a wreath laying to commemorate war veterans from Belize, Canada and all over the world. Mayor Darrel Bradley said that as the grandson of a […]

Belize listed among world’s most free countries
Belize has been listed among the world’s most free countries, according to Freedom House’s 2015 Freedom in the World report. According to the report, Belize is among the 90 most free countries in the world. Belize received a rating of one for political rights, […]

SSB seeks to avoid conflict of interest in union rep
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) has decided to seek legal advice following a meeting with Prime Minister Dean Barrow. The meeting was about the NTUCB’s appointment of union member, Floyd Neal to the Social Security Board of Directors. Marvin Mora, NTUCB […]

Mutiny in the BSCFA! Splinter group stages surprise coup!
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture has issued a release condemning, in no uncertain terms, a move by elements of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association to register that Association under the Companies Act. The release states that the unsanctioned move by members is a “blatant attempt to wrestle […]

Editorial
The laws governing a limited liability company and the regulations governing an organization such as the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association are so different and distinct that if one tried to super-impose a company structure on the membership association, it would result in disaster. Companies operate on the ownership of […]

Nomination day – It’s do or die!
Thursday, Ferbruary 12 went down in history as Nomination Day 2015, and all across the country in all nine municipalities, political candidates headed to their respective Elections and Boundaries Departments to establish their bis for office. Once there, potential candidates must produce two registered voters to “nominate” them for office, […]

Counterfeit bills in the City
Belize City police are advising vendors and business owners to be on the lookout for counterfeit currency after several fake bills were identified this week. According to police, they first learned of the counterfeit notes last week when they were summoned to the Michael […]

Nine super rich Belizeans have secret Swiss bank accounts
Nine Belizeans were identified as being implicated in an international tax evasion scheme this week. A report issued by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists disclosed that the names of nine Belizeans were discovered in the Swiss banking arm of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking […]

The Belize Times

Patrick Jones

St. Hilda’s Anglican School chooses representatives in Spelling Bee eliminations
St. Hilda’s Anglican Primary School in Georgeville has chosen its candidates for the zone eliminations in the ongoing push to the National Coca Cola Spelling Bee. A school spelling Bee was held in Georgeville this morning and it did not take very long for Brianna Fairweather, Shamira Moralez and Helen Adolphus to emerge as the top spellers, beating out their classmates to get a chance to represent their school in the competition. But for one of the students the joy of winning soon ended as reports to our News Stream says that the girl’s mother informed the school that she would not let her daughter take part in the competition.

Policeman found guilty of manslaughter of detainee
Next Monday, February 16, Police Constable Alpheus Parham will learn his fate after a jury of six men and six women found him not guilty of an original charge of murder, but guilty on the lesser charge of manslaughter. The jury deliberated for four hours to reach unanimous verdicts on both charges before Justice Troadio Gonzalez today. Constable Parham is accused of causing the death of 29 year old Alex Goff, a Belize City resident and detainee at the Caye Caulker Police Station on May 9, 2010. Goff was by himself in a holding cell at the station when he was shot fatally to the forehead.

Labour education seminar held in Punta Gorda
A one day seminar on labor issues was held today in Cattle Landing village in the Toledo district. Labour Commissioner Ivan Williams says the event was designed to educate the close to 75 attendees on workers’ rights and responsibilities under Belizean laws and other conventions. During the course of the seminar, feedback was also gathered to inform the Ministry of Labour and Local Government of labour problems being experienced in the Toledo district.

Elvin Penner changes attorneys for COLA appeal
The Inferior Court Appeal launched by Geovannie Brackett and Nedal McLaren into the decision by Magistrate Aretha Ford to dismiss charges against Cayo Northeast area representative Elvin Penner began this morning before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. Brackett is the president of Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, (COLA) while McLaren is the group’s national security advisor. COLA had initiated a private prosecution of Penner for alleged wrongdoing in respect of the issuance of a Belize passport to Wong Wong Hong Kim while he was in prison. Magistrate Ford had dismissed the charges against Penner after denying an application to summon Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie among others to give evidence.

Blogs

Carnaval in San Pedro: A Look Back on the Festival at the House of Culture, Lots of Pictures & This Year’s Events
Carnaval is here. The official pre-Lenten party that is celebrated in different but generally raucous ways around the world. Mardi Gras, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, it is the three days of partying up until Ash Wednesday went Lent begins. Carnaval is from the Latin “carnem levare” = take away meat and it’s an important holiday and celebration in many Catholic and Anglican countries. San Pedro is one of the last areas in Belize that still celebrates. Take a look how we do it on Ambergris Caye… A FANTASTIC way to get a sense of the history of the important holiday in San Pedro is by stopping by the new San Pedro House of Culture run by San Pedrano and Town Councilman Mito Paz. It’s hard not to tease him about this sign…you almost kick it over on the way in, it’s about one foot tall. :) Mito has done a fantastic job. And one of the biggest traditions…the comparsas. Generally groups of people in costume dancing and parading in the streets. Often men dressed as women. He’s got some FANTASTIC old pictures in San Pedro.

Tropic Air Tegucigalpa Codeshare Launch
Effective, February 17th, 2015, Tropic Air has entered into a partnership with CM Airlines of Honduras to offer same day travel between Belize City and Tegucigalpa, Honduras via both airlines’ flights to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. This service will eliminate costly overnights when travelling between Belize City and Tegucigalpa, and will serve to stimulate tourism and trade between the two countries. “Today, in partnership with CM Airlines, we are pleased to add Tegucigalpa, Honduras to our route network” says John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “Our passengers have been asking for this service for some time, and today we are pleased to make it happen”.

International Sources

Flora and fauna at cozy Belize lodge
For Fredy, one eye may have been on the road, but he also had one eye on the sky. We were birding, after all. The Hidden Valley Inn & Reserve, in the Cayo region of Belize, is home to some of the rarest avian species in Central America. Fredy is the six-cottage property's conservation officer and a wildlife expert. In short order, we pulled over to the side of the road with a jolt and disgorged from the van as Fredy urgently pointed toward the sky. "That's an orange-breasted falcon," he whispered. Hidden Valley is home to one of only 30 breeding pairs of this endangered species in the region. Serving as the backdrop for the sighting was Tiger Creek Falls, which at 700 feet is one of the tallest waterfalls in Belize and one of five located in the 7,200-acre private forest reserve in which Hidden Valley is based. Eagles, black-and-white-hawks, a stygian owl and a king vulture all turned out during our trip. We didn't spot the howler monkeys, peccaries or five species of exotic cats that also call Hidden Valley home, due mostly to our group being too big and loud to employ stealth.

Videos

Dive in Half Moon Caye, Belize, 3min. Feb 2015

Belize, Cozumel, Honduras via Gopro silver, 7min.

Bread and Butter Caye, Belize, 1min.

Pelicans dive fishing, Belize, 1min.

Belize - Ambergris Cay, 5min. un moment de détente sur L'île paradisiaque d'Ambergris Cay

Caye Caulker, Belize (tropical adventures pt2), 5min. My friends and I went swimming with sharks and stingrays on the barrier reef near Caye Caulker, Belize, Central America.

A Message From Bobby Lopez "It's Time For Change.", 2min. Bobby Lopez leads the VIP7 slate to challenge the San Pedro Town Council elections, Wil Maheia leads the PNP7 slate to challenge the Punta Gorda Town Council elections and Hubert Enriquez leads the VIP7 slate to challenge the Belmopan Town Council elections: Taking place on March 4th, 2015.

Kymani Marley & Dj Kenny LIVE Radio Interview(Belize), 4.5min.

Garifuna Music & Talk With DJ Labuga Presents Concego, 100min. On this radio program, I have one of the hottest Punta Rock artist hailing from the village of Hopkins, Belize. Concego is a multi-talented musician capable of writing and composing his own brand of music. He was born in Belize City, but his heart and soul is in Yugadan (Hopkins in Garifuna). His manager and aunt, Dell Ogaldez who lives in Chicago, oversees his professional development. Dell makes sure he travels from Belize to the States with all the needed attributes to put up a good show wherever he goes to perform. I want to thank Dell and Concego for accepting to interview him. His latest CD Puntaveli is available in the United States as well as all over Belize. Produced by Rony Figueroa Media Management by Cheryl L. Noralez www.garifunaheritagefoundation.org

PART 1 of 2: Belize SCUBA Diving on the Sun Dancer II - Jan 10 - 17, 2015, 19min. This video is PART 1 of 2 of my SCUBA diving trip in Belize. This trip was "unBELIZEable!" We saw so much marine life (e.g. turtles [hawksbill, green], sharks [Caribbean, black tip], rays [black spotted, sting], octopi, squid, seahorses just to name a few). I'm the one wearing the blue long sleeve rash guard with the shorty wet suit (short arm sleeve and short on legs). Enjoy!

PART 2 of 2: Belize SCUBA Diving on the Sun Dancer II - Jan 10 - 17, 2015, 8min.