Today's Belize News: June 27, 2017

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Today's Belize News: June 27, 2017 #524290 06/27/17 06:26 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,393 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. 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 Finn + Martini wins big at San Pedro Lobster Festival The 2017 Lobster Season officially opened on Thursday, June 15th, bringing back the Caribbean Spiny crustacean to the restaurants' menus on the island. The opening of the season marks the occasion for the anticipated Annual Lobster Fest which sees a week-long Lobster Crawl. Persons participating in the crawl this year were encouraged to get their Lobster Fest Passport stamped at the participating establishments, for a chance to win the ultimate vacation package for two to the 2018 Lobster Fest. The festival will culminate on Saturday, June 24th with a grand block party at the Central Park. Starting at 6PM, the party will feature booths providing a variety of lobster dishes and refreshing cocktails throughout the evening. There will also be music entertainment from the Pannerifix Steel Band, among other local artists. During this last day of the festival, the winner of the ultimate vacation package for two persons for next year's festival would then be announced. San Pedro Town Library to host several summer camps As the 2016-2017 school year draws to an end, the San Pedro Town Library (SPTL) is hosting several free educational and recreational summer camps. With the first camp quickly approaching, SPTL Library Assistant Marlene Coral is encouraging all parents to register their child/children. The first camp will take place on Monday, July 3rd through Friday, July 7th, from 1PM to 3:30PM. Every year, the SPTL, in conjunction with the Belize National Library Services and Information System (BNLSIS), hosts their annual summer camp under a theme relevant to Belize. This year, BNLSIS has selected 'endangered birds' as the main theme, and campers will learn about the yellow-headed amazon parrot, ocellated turkey, and jabiru stork. The camp will be a combination of lectures and fun activities, such as arts and crafts, coloring, and word games. On Tuesday, July 4th, The Belize Audubon Society will be leading a special presentation, which will include a bird walk through the library and a reading of the story, 'Sunny-The Yellow-headed Parrot". Call for Nominations - Ocean Hero 2017 Being an ocean hero can mean many things but mostly, it means deciding that you are ready to take action to help to protect our marine environment for people and creatures of today and for future generations. Over the past six years, Oceana in Belize has been proud to recognize several Belizeans for their contributions to the sustainable management and protection of our marine environment. Last year on Saturday, October 1st, at a ceremony held at the Mexican Institute of Belize, Oceana recognized two Belizeans as Ocean Heroes 2016 for their selfless commitment to Belize's marine environment, biologist and zoologist Janet Gibson and founder of � Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE), Wil Maheia. Oceana is pleased to announce nominations are now open for the 2017 Oceana Ocean Hero Award. This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who go above and beyond to ensure the protection of our oceans. Coral Reef Ed-ventures hosts "Finding Dory" movie night The Coral Reef experts are already on the island gearing up for the 18th Annual Coral Reef Ed-ventures summer program scheduled for Monday, June 26th. The free, fun educational camp focuses on marine ecology, and is a collaboration between students from Smith College in Massachusetts, USA, and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. To kick off the fun, members of the program held a movie night on Tuesday, June 21st at the Lion's Den at 7:30PM. The turnout was satisfactory, with mainly children showing up, eager to watch the funny Blue Tang fish in action. As the kids sat down getting comfy to start watching the movie, moderators served popcorn and juice. Ambergris Today Belize Signs Agreement With Global Technology Giant Microsoft At the last Annual General Meeting of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (April 27th 2017), Prime Minister of Belize Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow announced GOB's plan to combat government inefficiency and corruption using digital technology. Microsoft intends to help the Central Information and Technology Office (CITO) develop and deliver on its National Digital Transformation Improvement plan by: consolidating all its existing agreements into one holistic agreement for improved control and better pricing, helping the CITO team towards developing and adopting a cloud strategy and policy, and deploying a solution that will provide a single platform for a more connect, cohesive, collaborative government. Finn & Martini And El Jefe Shine At San Pedro Lobsterfest After only a week from the opening of the lobster season, restaurants from around the island gathered at Central Park to showcase their best lobster dish and best drink. With no time to waste, and as the crowd got bigger, judges made their way from booth to booth to sample all the decadent lobster servings. Pleasing the judges pallets the most, Finn & Martini along with El Jefe were awarded with Best Lobster dish and Best Drink of the evening. Misc Belizean Sources Dia de San Pedro 2017 Check out the Calendar of Events for the Dia de San Pedro 2017 festivities, starting this Thursday, June 29! Dia de San Pedro is officially on June 28th, and the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC), along with The San Pedro Town Council put together a series of activities to celebrate this grand occasion. The annual week-long event honours St. Peter (San Pedro), the Patron Saint of Fishermen of the island, and San Pedranos, along with those who have adopted the island as their home, come together annually to thank their patron for another bountiful year. Festival of Hope Belize 2017 Coming to San Pedro in July Jingle on the Block, Caye Caulker Kindly come out and support our children. June 30, 10am corner of Estrella Street and Avenida Mangle. Hey beautiful Caye Caulker Tour Guides We have a meeting Wednesday evening at 730pm. At the community center. It's very important to attend, forms will be distributed and we will be going through new regulations. If you'd like to pay your dues before hand please bring your bank receipt. That would be great. The bank account is on our CCTGA page, just scroll down to find it. Second annual 5km Run / Walk Seine bight Come out and support the Seine Bight Reservoir to Museum Foundation for our second annual 5km run / walk to the future site of the museum in Seine Bight on August 19th! Details are below. If you or a business you know is interested in becoming a sponsor of our event, please message the Foundation here or email Sarita Garcia, the chair, at [email protected]. Brooklyn Brothers Bagel Shop win alcoholic drink category Congratulations Linda! Last night, the Brooklyn Brothers Bagel Shop Took 1st place in the nonalcoholic drink category. Everyone loved your Tropical Mermaid punch. University of Belize Class of June 2017 - Belmopan 300 photos.... Operating theatre at Northern Regional Hospital reopens Operating theatre at Northern Regional Hospital re-opened today after two years of ongoing upgrades and repairs. An evident need for the health region! Belize Audubon Society Reef Protector Workshop Highlights of our last Reef Protector Workshop. Field activities are a big part of our Reef Protector program. At our last meeting, our group had some time in the field learning about beach profiling and practicing for their upcoming Half Moon Caye Natural Monument Trip. Shooting Stars Academy End of the Year Showcase 2017 To all our fans, parents , friends & the community in general..The Shooting Stars Academy invites everyone to its end of year showcase..All are cordially invited.. Corozal Student represents BELIZE in PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BTL wishes Jo-Elisa Clarke a safe journey as she represents Belize at CANTO 33rd Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition. Jo-Elisa captured 1st place in the 2017 Video Competition and won herself an all-expense paid trip for two to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic plus a tablet. As part of her prize, BTL has contributed US $1000. We hope that Jo-Elisa's experience will be memorable and wish her continued success in the future. "CARLOS BUSTILLOS" comedy show at Princess Casino It's always a Laugh Out Loud weekend at the PRINCESS CASINO FREEZONE, Corozal this Friday, June 30th and Saturday, July 1st, 2017. Everyone is cordially invited to enjoy the musical comedy show of "CARLOS BUSTILLOS" starting at 10:00 p.m. Come and enjoy! 3rd Annual Soca Fete 2017 REMINDER: IT'S THIS FRIDAY COROZAL...Official launch of our Carnival Season. Supporting this event means we will have bigger and better carnival groups & bands and parade. A COROZAL CARNIVAL COMMITTEE EVENT! This Day In History June 26th, 1820 - First sitting of the Supreme Court of the Colony. Channel 7 Former UDP Politician Penner Kills Man In Traffic Accident The Cayo District had another traumatic weekend with the murder of a 21 year old, the worry over a 24 year old who is missing and presumed dead, and a fatal accident which killed a 41 year old. We start with the accident - because the man accused of knocking down and killing 41 year old Kenrick Myvette is one of the most notorious politicians in recent history. It's Elvin Penner and Myvette's family believe that after causing the death of their loved one on Friday night, police gave him special treatment - an injustice added to their loss and grief. Daniel Ortiz found out more today:.. 21 Year Old Killed In Cayo And while that happened just outside of Santa Elena on Friday night, just after midnight on Saturday a 21 year old was killed. Akeem Guzman was ambushed by a masked man dressed in all black at about 12:50 am on Sunday. He had left home at midnight and 1told his mother he was going to visit a friend. He was doing just that, and stooping in front of the friend's fence when a gunman appeared from behind and let off a single, fatal shot. His mother accepts that her son was no angel, but she says they didn't need to shoot him in his back. Here's the story: Missing Man In Teakettle Feared Dead, Angry Residents Start Tyre Fires On Road There was uproar in Teakettle village this weekend - residents set tires ablaze on the highway on Saturday afternoon. It was all in an attempt to bring everyone's attention, especially the police, to the missing 24 year old resident Marky Mendez. He has been missing for 5 days. His family hasn't seen or heard from him since Wednesday night and they have lost all hope of finding him alive. All they want now is to find his body- wherever it was stashed. So far family and residents have been searching the area and have found clues that can help in the investigation. Courtney Weatherburne was in Teakettle today and has more details. Police Will Charge For Tyre Fires Now although the Mendez family and villagers are going through a hard time right now, police say that those responsible for the tire fire will have to answer to charges. Today OC Gillett told us that everyone is entitled to express their discontent with police work but they took it a bit too far. Here is how OC Gillett put it. Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett, OC, Belmopan: "On our arrival we observed some 20 disgruntled people and we were able to remove the tyres and then removed the debris from the area and we were able to quell whatever." Castro Bros. Associate Caught Moving Major Marijuana Weight An associate of the Castro brothers is in big trouble with police tonight. Yesterday, just before 11 in the morning, the Mobile Interdiction Team was patrolling the West Landivar area when they received a radio transmission notifying them of a suspicious vehicle in the area. The MIT unit then intercepted a gold Kia Spectra driven by 22 year old Gian Espadas. The officers searched the vehicle and found a large black plastic bag on the floor of the passenger side containing about 12 pounds of marijuana. Espadas was arrested and charged for drug trafficking. Indian Businessman Robbed Of Tens Of Thousands In Ranchito An Indian businessman was robbed of a huge amount of cash on Friday. It happened at an unlikely place - the Ranchito airstrip in the Corozal District. Last Friday, Avinash Deshmukh, a Corozal Town store manager, drove to Ranchito Village and took the 1:30 flight to San Pedro. After arriving in San Pedro, Deshmukh visited one of his stores where he collected $54,000 worth of wholesale and retail proceeds. Deshmukh then took the 5 o'clock flight back home. After landing in Ranchito, Deshmukh was walking to his vehicle when he noticed another car parked behind his Toyota 4-Runner. As he hopped into the 4-Runner, two men jumped out the vehicle behind him and held him up at gun point. The assailants took his backpack containing the money, and struck him in the back of the head before leaving. Cops Got Back Stolen Gun In PG Punta Gorda isn't a hotspot for gun seizures, but today after a search on Panama Street in Punta Gorda, police found a pistol along with nine rounds of 9mm bullets. The firearm was reported stolen in November 2016 after a robbery at the Rosia Shop in PG. Embarrassment For FFB As Congress Gets No Quorum On Friday we told you that the stage was set for a massive boycott of the FFB Congress by a majority of member associations. And that's just what happened on Saturday when the Football Federation rented a big room at the Princess for a very small turnout - too small for a quorum. 7News was there on Saturday, and Sunday - here's the story:... Jules Vasquez reporting: Paramilitary police guarded the stairway at the Princess on Saturday morning. I was told the media was not permitted upstairs and while I did try to plea my case I was told that unless my name was on the list of delegates I could not go up. President Kuylen Talks About Rebellious Directors So - once again - the FFB - Belize's richest and largest sports Federation - is in a very unsettled state. And to make it worse, three of the Directors have turned against the president. As we showed you last week three members of the management team signed a letter saying Acting President Kuylen could not offer himself for president while being the acting president. Yesterday he discussed the difficulty going forward with that management team:... Elderly Man Knocked Down In Roaring Creek An elderly man was knocked off his bicycle in Roaring Creek but according to latest reports he survived and is receiving treatment at the hospital. We stumbled on the scene as we were heading to Teakettle. The driver of the truck who knocked down the elderly man told us that he tried his best to avoid hitting the man. We start off with an eyewitness and followed by the interview with the driver of white pickup truck. Here are those comments. Valley Of Peace Principal Remains Under Scrutiny Police are investigating another complaint against Monsignor Romero Primary School Principal Johnny Valencia. As we told you he has been charged for sexual assault in relation to the 13 year old student's complaint. But another girl has come forward to say she too had a similar experience with Valencia. Police say as soon as they get more information on this other case other charges will be brought against Valencia. Making Curricula Credible In the last few months the Ministry of Education has been making moves to integrate online learning into secondary school curricula. Last month Minister of Education Patrick Faber hosted representatives from the Ministry of Education in Antigua and Barbuda for a conference on introducing e-learning into our high schools. Today the Ministry has taken another step in that direction by launching the Curriculum Writing and Content Development Project, an undertaking that will see high school teachers from around the country rework course materials to be suitable for online learning. We spoke to Dr. Sheldon Samuels, the Ministry official spearheading the project, about the importance of the move... Another Significant Other Stabbed In The South At the end of May, we told you about a wife who fatally stabbed her husband. Well, again in the south, but this time in Dangriga, a woman stabbed her husband, but he lived. On Friday bight, Dangriga police responded to a domestic dispute between 24-year-old Lucia Can and her 28 year old common-law-husband Thompson Orlando Guttierez. According to reports, the couple were having an argument when Can became angry and stabbed Guttierez in his back and chest. Police have detained Can, and charges are pending. Northern Regional Gets New Surgical Theater The Northern Regional Hospital processes hundreds of patients every week, but, for long, it has been without a suitable operating theater. Today, after clamoring for a over a year, the newly refitted theater was opened. And it was an opportunity for a long missing politician to make a super-rare public appearance. Gaspar Vega showed up and gave a speech. The Hospital is in his constituency, so it was only appropriate. Here's what he and the CEO in the Ministry of Health said at today's opening:... Belizean Distance Runner Completes Hundred Mile Run A Belizean distance runner was the first - that we know of - to run a hundred mile race. According to reports on FACEBOOK, Kim Espat completed the Western States Endurance Run. And he didn't just run it, he finished it! Espat came in 48th overall and 36th among men out of a total of 369 runners, in a time of just under 23 hours. In Cayo, The Waters Were Sudden Heavy rain in San Ignacio and Sent Elena caused localized flooding in that Western town over the weekend. Area Representative for Cayo North Omar Figueroa explained what the flood was like on Saturday... Hon. Omar Figueroa - Cayo North Area Rep: "Yesterday around midday, we got hit by what can only be described as a freak storm. We had an excessive amount of rain fall in a very short period of time. This produced a lot of water and you know when you have water in hilly terrains, these water will eventually find itself to lower grounds. We had a lot of water going through the streets and going through yards and going through houses in San Ignacio and in Bullet Tree and of course creating a lot of damage. Water became held back in a lot of areas so you had these huge pools of water and people of course had to deal with it." Police Show Off In The Streets And we close tonight with the event that culminated police week. It was an all-formations police parade through the city - a show of policing prowess and numbers. Channel 5 Elvin Penner to be Charged with Manslaughter for Fatal RTA Former Minister Elvin Penner has been in the headlines for immigration illegalities, but on Friday, he was in the driver seat of a vehicle which hit and caused the death [...] Akeem Guzman Shot Dead at Friend's Home The murder count continues to go up in the west where a wave of violence has flared up in recent times. There have been five murders so far in two [...] A Teakettle Family's Anguish: is Markie Menzies Dead? Also in the west, Belmopan Police have solved the three homicides reported in their jurisdiction so far this year. But they may possibly now have another murder on their hands. [...] Frustrated Residents Set Tire Fire, Warned by Police Teakettle residents whom we spoke with today still showed traces of fear and frustration on their faces. That boiled over on Saturday, when about twenty disgruntled residents, fed up with [...] Football Federation Divided: Mass Boycott Stymies Congress The Football Federation of Belize remains deeply divided tonight. Its tenth congress scheduled for the weekend, did not proceed even though executives from CONCACAF were in Belize to provide oversight [...] Sergio Chuc Drops CAS Appeal as CONCACAF Withdraws Former First Vice President Sergio Chuc has been sidelined from the F.F.B. for over a year.� Since the deadlock between himself and Ruperto Vicente for presidency of the federation in [...] Ethics Committee to be Established as F.F.B. Infighting Continues All the infighting and turmoil within the F.F.B. has allowed interim president Marlon Kuylen, himself a candidate for presidency, a few more months at the helm of the organization.� But [...] Will Government Pay Landowner for Occupation by Bridge? The new bridge across the Macal River in San Ignacio is almost complete. It will be temporarily opened to vehicular traffic this week and then closed for final touches before [...] G.O.B. Wants Settlement But How Much Can They Pay? Neal told us that his client has basically been ignored by Government for several years, even as the Mining Unit forced shutdown of the quarry, costing him his livelihood. While [...] Gian Espadas Caught with 12 Pounds of Marijuana Twenty-two-year-old Gian Espadas flew under the radar last week when close friends Jafari and Wasani Castro made headlines for a weekend escapade that involved an unlicensed vehicle, as well as [...] Businessman from Corozal Gets Robbed at Airstrip A store manager from Corozal Town was robbed over the weekend by two men who waylaid him at the Ranchito airstrip up north. Thirty-four-year-old Avinash Deshmukh went on a quick [...] Western Communities Hit by Flash Floods The rains over the weekend, specifically in the west, cause flashfloods in Bullet Tree and nearby areas in the Cayo District. The waters rose up to eight inches inside homes [...] NEMO Restores Water to Bullet Tree The waters receded rapidly, but it did cause a problem. Since Saturday, the Bullet Tree Village has been without water at the pipes. The torrential rains over the weekend damaged [...] Northern Regional Hospital set to Operate The Northern Region Hospital today officially opened its newly renovated operating theatre. For two years, medics were using an interim facility that didn't allow the team to do the extent [...] UB Graduates 530; New President and Mayor Bradley Speak On Saturday, five hundred and thirty students graduated from the University of Belize with diplomas at the Bachelor's, Associate's and Certificate levels in areas of Education and Arts, Management and [...] Writing ACE Curriculum for Online Study This morning, stakeholders in the Adult Continuing Education sector began the first day of a workshop geared towards curriculum writers.� The idea is to convert as many as fourteen courses [...] Team Belize Fights Hard in Poker Run On Friday, we introduced you to the 2017 Team Belize representing poker enthusiasts in the country at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The group of twenty players [...] Softball and Mundialito Football Top Sports Monday Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities�] CTV3 CZL Businessman Robbed Of More than $50,000 There was a brazen robbery of a Corozal Town businessman in Ranchito Village in the Corozal District last Friday June 23rd afternoon. Avinash Deshmukh, an Indian store owner, was robbed of a large amount of money at gunpoint, just after he disembarked a plane at the Corozal airstrip. Deshmukh was carrying a back pack with $54,000 which were proceeds from his business in San Pedro Town. He told authorities that as he opened the door to his vehicle, a silver in colour 4-runner that had been left parked at the airstrip, he was held up by two male persons, one who was armed with a handgun. The men came out of a grey 4-Door car that was parked behind his vehicle. The armed assailant pistol whipped Deshmukh, forcing him to hand over the bag with cash. Guinea Grass Resident Accused of Dropping Drugs Inside Police Mobile A woman from the Village of Guinea Grass is tonight facing the long arms of the law after she allegedly dropped five grams of crack cocaine in the police mobile. Orange Walk cops were on mobile patrol on Friday June 23rd when they stopped and searched a male person traveling on a motorcycle at around 12:20pm. Traveling along with the individual was 21 year old Nuri Mairani Lopez who while being escorted to the station was seen dropping an object on the floor of the police vehicle. The item was retrieved and turned out to be a transparent plastic bag containing 5 grams of Crack Cocaine. Mairani was detained for drug trafficking. LOVE FM Flash Floods Inundate Bullet Tree Roads Over the weekend, residents of San Ignacio and Bullet Tree Village were greatly affected by flooding. The National Emergency Management Organization NEMO responded swiftly and Minister Edmund Castro and Cayo North Area Representative Omar Figueroa visited the affected families. OMAR FIGUEROA "And so we had a lot of water going through streets and yards and [�] Football Federation Election Stalled The Football Federation of Belize's tenth Congress was not held over the weekend because it did not have the quorum needed. At least four District Associations and the Premier League had written to the FFB informing that they would not attend. Without them, the FFB did not meet the quorum needed to carry through with [�] Tensions High within the FFB The tensions within the FFB this time around stem from the decision to deny Sergio Chuc from running for the federation's presidency amidst allegations of bribery, corruption and conflict of interest. Chuc has appealed that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sports and asked the associations to boycott the meeting. Marco Leal, Director of [�] Love FM's Richard Merrill Passes Away at 76 American national, Richard Merrill came to Belize from Mississippi, USA, in the early 1990s and immediately cemented himself in the media and broadcasting industry particularly with Love FM. Merrill, passed away over the weekend at the age of seventy six in Corozal Town where he had relocated following his retirement. Merrill had been an integral [�] Teakettle Villagers Demand Deeper Investigation Into Missing Man Residents of Teakettle Village are still searching for 24 year old Markey Mendez who went missing since Wednesday of last week. They had staged a protest over the weekend in an effort to demand more from the police. We start the story however with when Mendez disappeared. The young man's mother, Verna Mendez told Love [�] Gian Espadas Nabbed with 5,450 Grams of Marijuana 22-year-old Gian Espadas is back in the news. Espadas who was prominently featured in the news a week ago as one of the men who was along with the Castro brothers while they were on their escapades, was today charged for drug trafficking. Police say this morning, members of the Mobile Interdiction Unit were conducting [�] Short Supply of Medication Soon to be Resolved With social media being the platform that many persons use to lodge their complaints and dissatisfaction on certain matters, we do manage to sift through the issues of national concern and follow up on them with an aim to bring clarity to the situations. One such concern that recently came up is the shortage of [�] Northern Regional Gets Refurbished Operating Theatre An operating theatre was officially opened this morning at the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk Town. It is a facility that was very much needed considering the high volume of cases in that jurisdiction. Dr Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services told Love News that it was done via government funding. DR MARVIN MANZANERO [�] Is Jose Luis Espat Uc Practicing Medicine Illegally? For some time now we have been observing comments made on social media by aspiring politician, Jose Luis Espat Uc regarding his profession. On one known occasion, he had noted on television that he is a neurosurgeon and that he had resigned from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Love News got an opportunity today to [�] UNIBAM Lashes Back at Evangelical Churches Last Friday we told you of the disgust expressed by the National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) over the hoisting of the LGBTI flag on the US Embassy's compound. The association which represents more than two hundred and fifty churches in the country noted in their release, quote, "These rogue views continue to be pushed [�] The Reporter Penner served with NIP following fatal accident Elvin Penner, former minister of Government, was served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP), by San Ignacio Police after he knocked down a Unitedville resident, who later died from the injuries he sustained. The accident occurred at around 6:56 p.m., on Friday on the George Price highway in front of Running W Brand Meats. The victim is 41-year-old Kenrick Anthony Myvette. According to police, Penner claims that he was driving his 2000 Ford Excursion from Belmopan to San Ignacio and upon trying to overtake a vehicle, a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction suddenly veered in front of him. Media and NICH hold workshop Media personnel gathered at the Government House in Belize City on Friday for a one-day workshop and open dialogue with the National Institute of Culture and History(NICH), to construct a better working relationship between the two entities. The event was a joint collaborative effort between NICH, the Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR), and the Institute of Archaeology (IA). The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the media's role in heritage preservation and promotion in Belize by releasing the necessary information to the public at large. Woman stabs man during domestic dispute A woman from Dangriga town is detained pending charges of 'attempted murder' for stabbing her common-law husband multiple times on Friday. Police sources have confirmed that 28-year-old Thomas Orlando Gutierrez was stabbed to his left lower back and left upper chest by his common-law wife, 24-year-old Lucia Can on Friday. Breaking Belize News Police bust Castro associate with 12 pounds of weed Police confirmed today that Gian Espadas, 22, was busted in the West Landivar area today with 12 pounds of marijuana. Espadas, who was also involved in the contraband bust along with Minister Edmond Castro's sons not even two weeks ago, was arrested and charged [�] Forbes: Highest paid celebs make more than Belize, Liberia and Gambia combined Forbes Magazine, the American business and finance focused publication, in its latest list of the world's highest paid celebrities estimated that the top 100 celebrities on the list raked in more than the combined GDP of Belize, Liberia and Gambia. According to Forbes, the [�] Ocean experts test new cruise-ship goggles in Belize Royal Caribbean, which brings cruise-ships to Belize weekly, has partnered with Snapchat to provide cruise passengers with waterproof cameras that will allow them the opportunity to capture stunning underwater images while on vacation. Royal Caribbean debuted the new scuba-mask with built in Snapchat Spectacles this week [�] Gun stolen at Bacab On Saturday, June 24 at around 6:23 a.m., James Wolverson, 36, manager at Bacab Eco Park visited the Ladyville police precinct and reported that the day before around 3:50 p.m. on Friday, he was at work when he decided to use the restroom and [�] Three arrested for illegal weapon in Teakettle According to police reports, last Friday at about 3:10 p.m., police conducted a search at the residence of George Alexander Lopez, 60, in Teakettle village, Cayo for illegal firearms and ammunition. A small wooden house with zinc roof measuring about 15�15 in size was [�] NEMO Minister assesses situation in San Ignacio after flash flood By BBN Staff : Yesterday, Sunday June 25, Minister of National Emergency Management Edmond Castro was in San Ignacio where he teamed up with Cayo North Area Representative, Omar Figueroa and San Ignacio-Santa Elena Mayor, Earl Trapp, to assess the impact of a flash flood which affected [�] $4,000 worth of goods stolen from D-Max in Belize City On Saturday, June 24, around 1:05 a.m., police visited an area on Marine Parade, Belize City near the SCA Auditorium where Luis Ochoa, 36, of Ladyville reported that sometime between 8:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, his grey Isuzu Dmax was [�] Indian businessman robbed of $54,000 in Corozal Avinash Deshmukh, 34, an Indian store manager of Corozal town reported that last Friday he flew from Ranchito Village to San Pedro Town on the 1:30 p.m. flight, leaving his silver 4-Runner secured in the parking lot. The flight arrived in San Pedro around [�] PG police recover gun stolen in 2016 robbery Punta Gorda police have recovered a stolen gun from their town. Over the weekend, a police search led to the discovery of a .9mm pistol on Pampana Street. No one was in the area and the gun was labelled as 'found property'. The gun [�] Man knocked down in Roaring Creek An elderly man was knocked down a short time ago in Roaring Creek, Cayo, by a pick up truck. The man remains on the ground. His condition has not yet been ascertained. Police are currently on the scene. We will be updating this story [�] Teakettle villager missing; villagers irate On Saturday afternoon, villagers from Teakettle temporarily blocked the George Price Highway in that village. According to reports, a villager has been missing for six days and the community believes the police are not making it a priority to locate the missing man. Officer [�] No charges against Penner yet Disgraced Minister of State, Elvin Penner, is scheduled for arraignment this morning in the San Ignacio magistrate court following a fatal road traffic accident on Friday night. Penner, however, has not yet been detained and his charge sheet has not been prepared, according to [�] Sunny skies ahead The 24-hour forecast is for mostly mostly sunny skies with cloudy spells expected today and cloudy at times tonight. A slight increase in moisture is expected over the next 24 hours as a weak tropical wave approaches the area. Showers or thunderstorms will be [�] Belize~ Tribute to Richard Merrill By Richard Harrison: Richard Merrill was Belize's very own "Harry Carey" of everything Belizean on radio�.having been for many years like the morning coffee of sporting, environmental and cultural activities throughout Belize�a cheer leader�.a picker-uper. Goooooood morning Belize!! he would shout early in the morning, as if [�] Blogs A visit to Spanish Lookout, Cayo Spanish Lookout is a settlement in the Cayo District of Belize in Central America. According to the 2010 census, Spanish Lookout has a population of 2,253 people in 482 households. Spanish Lookout is a community of Mennonites in Belize. The Mennonite community in Spanish Lookout is quite modern: they use cars and other modern conveniences and the overall impression of the settlement is rather like rural North America than Central America or the Caribbean. The citizens of this community speak Plautdietsch as their mothertongue. Most also speak English and Spanish. It is largely an agricultural community with some light industry, furniture making, prefabricated wood houses and the only oil field in production in Belize. International Sources Belize: Remembering Mr. Peters' Boom and Chime Band Not too long ago there were "boom and chime" bands all over Belize, a speck on the Central American map just below Mexico. If you were lucky enough to get down there before 2010 you likely heard the country's top boom band, led by the iconic accordionist/singer Wilfred Peters, batting out peppy, booty-swinging tunes at parades, festivals, parties and miscellaneous jump-ups. You'll still hear budding boom and chimers here and there, but seven years ago the last of the genre's old-time heavy hitters bit the dust when Peters slipped away at 79 to that big dancehall in the sky. Peters' chief sideman was a drummer who beat one side of his drum with a mallet to make a booming sound. The other side had a metal rim, which the drummer hit with a hollow metal stick to make a chiming sound. Hence, "boom and chime." Their songs featured the country's homegrown and still popular mish-mash of African, Latin and Caribbean music called "brukdown" (slang for "broken down calypso"). It goes back centuries to the days when Belize - formerly British Honduras - was home to escaped slaves, out-of-work pirates (during hard times on the Spanish Main), Black Caribe Indians kicked off the Grenadines, Maya refugees from the Caste War in Mexico, Garifuna farmers evicted from an offshore island, people whose faces were on "Wanted" posters in a half-dozen languages and others who came to timber camps in the country's steaming hot jungles to chop down forests of precious mahogany trees. 'Above and Beyond' the Horizon During his opening speech at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new expansion at Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan, Belize on June 17, 2017, Ministry of Health Chief of Staff, Dr. Rene Godoy, affectionately renamed the mission responsible for the construction project to 'Above and Beyond' the Horizon. Beyond the Horizon is an annual collaborative training exercise between U.S. Army South and partner nations in Central and South America. This year's exercise took place in Belize where one of the scheduled engineering missions was to provide an extension to Western Regional Hospital's emergency room and build a new housing for an on-site incinerator. However, as it became clear during the ribbon cutting ceremony, the assigned crew managed to accomplish far more than originally planned. Training and Inspiration are Reciprocal during Beyond the Horizon Reciprocal was the word of the day at the St. Matthew's Government School ribbon cutting ceremony June 12, 2017 in St. Matthew's, Belize. Reciprocal training between military members from the U.S. and Belize, and reciprocal inspiration between the task force members who worked on the school, and the students who will occupy it. The ribbon cutting ceremony marked the conclusion of a three-month construction project completed by Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative exercise between U.S. Army South, the Government of Belize and Central American partner nations working with local and international NGOs to provide humanitarian services throughout Belize. U.K. Unveils Memorial for African, Caribbean Soldiers Who Served During World Wars he U.K. recently unveiled a monument in remembrance of the thousands of African and Caribbean soldiers who fought and died in the service of the kingdom during the First and Second World Wars. The monument, formed of two 6-feet (1.8m) long obelisks, is sculpted from Scottish whinstone and weighs just under 5 tons, according to the BBC. Described as the first of its kind in the U.K., the monument carries the names of the African and Caribbean regiments in both wars. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said, "Britain owes an enormous debt to the African and Caribbean service men and women who fought alongside their British-based peers during the First and Second World Wars. Belize to Increase Links with Cuba Belize will increase its links with Cuba, assured Belizean State Minister for Economic Development, Oil, Investments and Trade Tracy Taegar-Panton during her meeting Monday with Cuban Ambassador Lissette Perez. Taegar-Panton confirmed that Belize will take part in the upcoming 35th edition of the International Havana Fair between October 30 and November 3. In May, Belizean First Prime Vice Minister Patrick Faber visited Havana, and had a meeting with Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes and Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca. Videos National Digital Transformation Goals, 5.5min. On Thursday, June 22nd, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow and the General Manager for Microsoft Services, Latin America, Mr. Angelo Chirico, signed a memorandum of understanding to meet the government's National Digital Transformation Goals. In addition to addressing issues of corruption and inefficiency, the digital transformation will reach and make more accessible services to the diaspora. Belize - summer 2017, 3.5min. lamanai - san ignacio - belize city - ambergris - caye caulker. RCL passes up NCL Dawn leaving Belize 11/16 Garden Villa Suite, 3.5min. COROZAL RESIDENTS MARCH FOR PEACE, 4min. MUNDIALITO 2017 KICKS OFF, 4.5min. THE NRH INAGURATES NEW OPERATING SUITE, 7.5min. University of Belize June Commencement Exercises, 33min. The University of Belize honoured 530 Graduates during its June Commencement Exercises held on Saturday, 24th June, 2017, and Sunday, 25th June, 2017 at the City of Belmopan and Punta Gorda Town respectively. The new graduates received diplomas at the Bachelor's, Associate's, and Certificate levels from the Faculties of: Education and Arts-(190); Management and Social Sciences-(151); Science and Technology-(117); and Nursing, Allied Health, and Social Work-(72). Of the total number of graduates 326 (61.5%) are females and 204 (38.5 %) are males. Prof. Emeritus Clement Sankat delivered his first address as President of UB. Keynote Address by Mayor Darrell Bradley, 20min. Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley, delivered the Keynote Address at the graduation ceremony in Belmopan. President's Remarks by Professor Emeritus Clement Sankat, 32min. Professor Emeritus Clement Sankat delivers his remarks at his first graduation as President of the National University. Belize September 2009, 24min. Scuba diving UNICEF Belize, 28min. Caye Caulker to Belize City International / Maya Island Air Cessna 208, 16min. Maya Island Air flight from Caye Caulker CUK to Belize City Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport BZE with a Cessna 208 Caravan. INSANE SNORKLING IN BELIZE, 8min. Amazing day today! Keep along with my journey in Belize!