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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials


The San Pedro Sun

Senate hearings into immigration scandal continues
The Senate Special Select Committee continued its public hearing into the Auditor General's special audit report on the immigration scandal on Wednesday, February 15th. Although former United Democratic Party (UDP) Deputy Mayor Eric Chang declined to attend the hearing, former Immigration Department Finance Officer Teresita Castellanos and Port Commander George Reynolds were present. The session began with Castellanos disclosing a written statement before the Senators. When given the opportunity to share her perspective, she described the department as the "belly of the beast"-noting it as a place of hustling and corruption. "The department headed by the Acting Director, Maria Marin, and her small team - including myself [as] the Administrative Officer - made many attempts to stop the rampant malpractices that plagued the department. The job to fix the problem was too difficult to accomplish; the reason being was there was not the support from our ministry. We considered - and I will read verbatim because I have to say what I have to say today - we considered ourselves orphans of the Ministry of Labour, Local Government and it ended with the Immigration Department. The department became important when a document needed approval; we became infamous with scandals, but even so the support was just not there. Yes, the culture was there� is there�.

January 2017 San Pedro Crime Report released
Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit, Assistant Henry Jemmott has issued a crime report for January 2017. The report focuses on crime activity, statistics, and law enforcement measures in comparison to the previous year. According to the report, major crime in January 2017 has declined, with only burglaries on the rise. January 2017 saw two burglaries, two robberies, one case of unlawful sexual intercourse, and no murders, rape, or thefts (above $5,000). This meant an 11% decrease in crime when compared to January 2016, where there was one murder, one rape, two robberies, three burglaries, one case of theft, and one unlawful sexual intercourse. According to the statistics, 48 other crimes were reported in January 2017. There were seven thefts (under $5,000), one theft of motor vehicle below $5,000, two counts of assaulting a police officer, three counts of aggravated assault, six common assaults, four damage to property, six counts of harm, nine cases of using insulting/indecent words/threatening words, three breach of protection order/trespassing/harassment, and seven wounding cases recorded.

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Street Art Festival 2017

Community Outreach and Cookout : The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project
You are Invited!! If you have any pictures that depict our History and Culture from a bygone era, please feel free to bring them so that we may digitize them and archive them for future generations. March 18, 11am-4pm at the House of Culture, Regent Street Belize City. The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project is having its second Community Outreach and Cookout at the House of Culutre. The purpose of our Cookouts is to draw in the members of the community into a property that has been off-limits to them for most of the history of the property. The aims is to create an immersive, inclusive and positive atmosphere of history and culture where all visitors from far and near will feel comfortable and willing to participate in the rejuvenation and recreation of our Government House Property.

This Day In History
On February 25th, 1817, the Inhabitants, at a public meeting, opposed the landing of one hundred and twenty-seven revolted negroes who arrived from Barbados on the 16th, per Brig "Franciis and Mary"; they are sent to Moho Caye and afterwards to Sierre Leone. Source: Honduras Almanack 1829

The Reporter

Season for Sea Cucumbers remains closed for 2017
Fisherfolk are advised that the Sea Cucumber season will remain closed for 2017; hence anyone caught fishing for or have in their possession the product is in violation of Section 11 of Statutory Instrument #67 of 2009 of the Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Department says the reason for the extended closure is "to undertake a more comprehensive assessment of the stocks to strengthen management measures for the conservation and sustainable utilization of this species." Sea cucumbers have become a marine product in high demand because of its popularity in Asia. A few years ago, however, the Department had seized a large quantity of the product after it discovered it had been illegally acquired.

Two men fined $10,000 for illegally entering protected area
Two men have been fined a hefty sum of $10,000 each for 'illegal entry into a protected area', after they pleaded guilty to the charge in the Dangriga Magistrate's Court this week. Carlos Palacios, 35, and Donald Wewe, 47, were charged under the National Protected Areas System Act of 2015. If they fail to make payment, they will be imprisoned for one year. Authorities apprehended the two men during a routine patrol within the Mayflower Bocawina National Park in the Stann Creek district last year. The pair was also found in possession of 27 pieces of lumber and a chain saw - items often times linked to illegal logging. The department issued a press release stating that "recognizing that the complexity of illegal logging and illegal timber-trafficking requires greater collaboration of all stakeholders. �Officers and rangers of the Mayflower Bocawina Environment and Development Group have stepped up patrols and monitoring to stem the illegal forestry activities."

More severe storms expected to hit Caribbean in 2017
Countries that make up the eastern Caribbean have been advised to to prepare for harsher weather conditions and hurricanes this year, due to climate change. During a regional discussion in Dominica, Crispin d'Auvergne, St. Lucia's chief sustainable development officer said a 2008 environmental study showed that while St. Lucia sees an average of one to two Category 4 or Category 5 hurricanes per year, it is likely to increasing numbers of hurricanes of the same strength each year. He used another study to show how rainfall in the Caribbean is expected to increase by 25 to 50 percent in the next 50 year - something that he says will become the new norm.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Man shot in Belize City
We have received reports of a shooting that happened around 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Faber's Road in Belize City. All indications are that an individual sustained injuries as a result.

GOB can't find Vega
Months after the Government of Belize announced that it would sue Andre Vega to recover monies he owes, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte said that they haven't served him with the summons, because they can't find him. In 2016, it came to light that the Government paid Vega, who is the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, $400,000 in compensation for land, which already had an owner. One Sharon Pitts received a similar compensation. Peyrefitte told the media this week that the government intends to collect the monies from Vega, and that they have process servers out looking for Vega; however, they haven't been able to locate him thus far.

US charges former Guatemala Vice President with drug trafficking
Yesterday, the United States Embassy in Guatemala issued a statement asserting that the United States government will seek the extradition of former Guatemalan Vice President Roxana Baldetti and ex-Interior Minister Hector Mauricio Lopez Bonilla on drug trafficking charges. According to the statement, Baldetti and Lopez Bonilla were indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday and each faces a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and knowing that it would be imported to the United States.

Sea Cucumber season closes for 2017
The Belize Fisheries Department issued a press release today informing that in accordance with Section 11 of Statutory Instrument No. 67 of 2009, under the Fisheries Act Chapter 210 of the Laws of Belize Revised Edition 2000-2003, the Fisheries Administrator hereby informs all fishers and the public that the season for the extraction for all species of sea cucumber will remain closed for 2017. Thus, no person should fish or have in his possession any sea cucumber.

Fair weather to continue
The 24-hour forecast is for mostly fair and dry conditions to continue with sunny skies today and partly cloudy skies tonight. The wind will blow from the east to southeast at 5-15 knots. The sea state will be light chop to choppy. High temperatures are expected as follows: In the coast, 86 degrees Fahrenheit; 94 degrees Fahrenheit inland and 82 degrees Fahrenheit in the hills.

Blogs

A New Bar, A VIP Cocktail Party: Shaken Bar at Mahogany Bay Village
Mahogany Bay is the largest development that Ambergris Caye has ever seen. Located about 2 miles south of town on relatively newly claimed land and canals, this project is ambitious�and then some. I first visited the village in June of 2014 - when they opened their very first public space, Rum + Bean Coffee. Almost three years ago! And I got a taste of the aesthetic (LOVE) and the plan (overwhelming!) Now, each time I stop in - for one of the numerous openings or events - I am nothing short of stunned. The businesses! The speed of construction! The cohesive, gorgeous furnishings. I am a person who might be accused of having too many opinions. But when it comes to Mahogany Bay? I'm almost left speechless. Each and every time I head down there I have to stop for a second� Are these 200+ Curio by Hilton hotel rooms set to open in the next year - these plans for Coastal Living homes - beach clubs and numerous restaurants - a village unto itself�Am I actually in Belize?

International Sourcesizz

San Ignacio - Belize - Burns Avenue
Onze eerste kennismaking met Belize, San Ignacio vlakbij de grens met Guatemala. Een fijn en in onze beleving authentiek stadje dat een mooie uitvalbasis vormt om de omgeving te verkennen. De multiculturele inwoners zijn enthousiast, vriendelijk en behulpzaam. San Ignacio kent weinig bezienswaardigheden, maar de hoofdstraat en de brug tussen buur-stadje Santa Elena, zjjn de moeite waard.

Scientists discover a large Mayan jade pendant with carved inscriptions
In a rare find, scientists have discovered a large piece of carved jade that once belonged to an ancient Maya king, inscribed with a historical text decribing its first owner. The jewel - a jade pendant worn on a king's chest during key religious ceremonies - was first unearthed in 2015, in Nim Li Punit in southern Belize. The T-shaped pendant is remarkable for being the second largest Maya jade found in Belize to date, said Geoffrey Braswell, a professor at University of California, San Diego in the US.

Este colgante de jade puede cambiar nuestra visi�n de los Mayas
Un colgante de jade de origen maya hallado en Belize, �nico por contener un texto hist�rico, puede cambiar el conocimiento cient�fico que se tiene de esta civilizaci�n de la Am�rica precolombina. La pieza, usada en el pecho de un rey durante ceremonias religiosas clave, fue descubierta en 2015 por el arque�logo de la Universidad de California San Diego Geoffrey Braswell, en el yacimiento de Nim Li Punit. Esta custodiada en el Banco Central de Belize, junto a otros tesoros nacionales. Tras su examen minucioso, Braswell public� recientemente un art�culo en la revista de la Universidad de Cambridge Ancient Mesoam�rica, detallando el significado de la joya. Un segundo art�culo, en el Journal of Field Archaeology, describe las excavaciones.

The Prettiest Resort in Belize Also Has a Stunning Private Island
When we're traveling abroad, we often opt for the full 'home away from home' and splurge on the suite. They're big, extravagant, and usually the best thing the hotel has to offer. That said, suites also tend to be exclusive and cost a pretty penny to keep it that way. So what if we told you that there's a resort in Belize where every single room is a suite, and that it's not even the best part... Situated in Placencia (just a short 35-minute flight from Belize), each 'room' at Belize Ocean Club Adventure Resort has its own living room, kitchen, dining area, private bedrooms and bathrooms, and even balconies with either lagoon or ocean views. Outside your door lies a beach, pool, and plenty of activities, but the best part that you've been waiting for? It has its very own private island.

Videos

  • A tribute to the life of the late Felix Ayuso via a video presentation during the opening ceremony of El Gran Carnaval De San Pedro, min. Long live the tradition and long live the king of Carnival Felix Ayuso!

  • Carnaval Fiesta!, 55min. A tribute to Felix Ayuso!

  • Belize 2017, 3min.

  • Belize 2017: Our Heart | Their Harvest, 7.5min.

  • Hidden Valley Inn, Belize, Central America, 1.5min. 10 Estate Rooms and 2 Estate Suites, located in 7,200 acres of PRIVATE Reserve in the Mountain Pine Ridge area of Belize. This intimate Eco Resort offers quality accommodations, world class dining, finest service in a natural environment unspoiled by man. You have cascades of waterfalls to choose from, flora and fauna that is very unique to the area.

  • Un-Belize-able!, 5min. In January 2017 to start off my year of adventure, I went to Belize through the wonderful program EF College Break, along with about 50 other people i had not met, and of course my best friend and had the best adventure/experience of my life. I made me realize how entitled some people are, but also how thankful I am for the life I've been truly blessed with.

  • Belize Snorkeling, 2min.

  • 360� The building made from rubbish, Belize ⎸ 360 Honeymoon, 2.5min. In deepest, darkest Belize - the southern state of Toledo, if you get a bus far enough, you may eventually bump into the Atkinson family. They're a band of Brits who've 'escaped to the wild' and set up a homestead next door to the enchanting Mayan ruins of Lubaantun. But more than just build a few cabanas and growing some bananas, they embarked on a truly staggering, monumental project. These lovely nutters have decided to build an 'earth ship'; a building made completely from rubbish. Tens of thousands of bottles let the light in, tires, plastics of every description are packed into the earthquake-friendly walls to make a structure that's like a big breathtaking wedding cake. If you didn't know, 'Earth Ships' are a thing. An architect called Michael Reynolds is to blame, and these beautiful fortresses of trash are cropping up all over the place. But the Atkinsons' is the only one in Belize to date. You can find them and their progress on Facebook as 'Chaos Oasis'.

  • H&R - Belize 2016, 5min.

  • White fronts on soft release at BBR, 1.5min.