Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline


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

Saga's 'Paws and Princesses' fundraiser held at Palapa Bar
On Wednesday, August 2nd, the eight beautiful delegates for Miss Costa Maya represented their countries with vibrant colours and sounds in a National Costume preliminary competition at the Palapa Bar and Grill. The event was part of a fundraiser benefiting the San Pedro Saga Humane Society, which received much support from the girls and both visitors and island residents alike. Patrons enjoyed an evening full of music, raffles, delightful presentations by the contestants and even the opportunity to mingle and get pictures with the friendly beauty ambassadors.

Governor General approves re-registration process to be held in 2018
The national re-registration exercise scheduled for July of this year has been postponed until July 2018. The unexpected re-schedule comes as Governor General Sir Colville Young signed a statutory instrument and proclamation to push back the exercise until next year. The document was officially published in the Government Gazette on June 30, 2017, stating the extension of the timeline of the re-registration process. To officially validate the re-scheduling of the exercise, the Governor General cited section 3 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 9 of the Laws of Belize. According to the law, this section of the Act states the following: "Provides that the Governor General may at any time by proclamation published in the Gazette, either generally or in respect of any division, after, vary or extend all or any of the dates on which of the periods within which and action is to be taken under the specific law.

Miss Belize Michelle Nu�ez is Reina de la Costa Maya 2017-18!
A night of beauty, glamour and cultural pride initiated the 2017 International Costa Maya Festival on Thursday, August 3rd at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex. Eight lovely ladies representing the Central American countries and Mexico vied for the title of Reina de La Costa Maya 2017-18. At the end of the largest pageant held in Belize, it was Miss Belize's Michelle Estrella Nu�ez who charmed the judges and captured the crown and title. After a year's unexpected hiatus, the Costa Maya festival is back, and bigger than ever. The night started shortly after 8:30PM, with an entertaining show of color, music and dance. Taking center stage were Miss Belize Michelle Nu�ez, Miss Costa Rica Glennys Medina Segura, Miss El Salvador Iris Yazmin Guerra, Miss Guatemala Lesly Fernanda Flores Sagastume, Miss Honduras Andrea Nicolle Salinas Godoy, Miss Mexico Ximena Cardoso Gutierrez, Miss Nicaragua Danielle Nicole Hodgson Joseph and Miss Panama Maria Fernanda Jaspe, who were ready to give a show of a lifetime. Following a short dance performance, Master and Mistress of Ceremonies, Eiden Salazar and Tanya Arceo officially introduced the contestants.

Ambergris Caye to soon experience the fastest internet connection in Belize
After the service is completely installed, Ambergris Caye will boast the fastest internet connection in the country, with up to 130Mbps of speed for home and business. According to personnel from BTL, everything is on schedule and works have started from Northern Ambergris Caye heading to the southern part of the island. They also indicated that customers have been notified that as of September 1st the company will be turning down the existing High Speed Internet service in San Pedro Town as it transitions into the new service. They advised customers to make the transition to the new service in order to avoid losing internet connection. It has been revealed that Diginet will offer bandwidth as low as 5Mbps and up to 130Mbps. BTL believes that with the installation of this long-term infrastructural solution, the company will be able to offer more reliable broadband speeds to Ambergris Caye and then to the rest of the country. It is expected that Diginet will provide Belize with a truly reliable connection to the rest of the world.

MarAlliace highlights coral reef health during movie night social
Coral reefs play an important role in the marine ecosystems across Belize, and as such, need to be protected. To further promote the importance of protecting our fragile reef, MarAlliace hosted a movie night on Thursday, July 27th, featuring the Netflix award-winning documentary "Chasing Coral". Held at MarAlliance's office on Coconut Drive at 6:30PM, concerned residents attended the screening, then participated in social discussion after watching the documentary. "Chasing Coral" was directed by Jeff Orlowski and produced by Larissa Rhose as an exposure piece on the destruction of coral reefs. The documentary was filmed over three years, with over 500 hours of underwater footage from over 30 countries.

Ambergris Today

Casting Call For Miss America Latina Belize 2017
Interested ladies who meet the following requirements are asked to apply: � Be between the ages of 18-27 � Never having been married or given birth � Be of good character and reputation � Be attractive physically and in personality S Interested contestants are asked to send a letter of interest

Tropic Air Suspends Service To Chetumal, Merida & San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Tropic Air announces today that it is suspending scheduled flights to Chetumal, Merida, and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The dates of the last flight to/from those destinations are as follows: Chetumal, Mexico: Friday, September 1, 2017 Merida, Mexico: Friday, September 1, 2017 San Pedro Sula, Honduras: Saturday, September 2, 2017

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Voluntary National Review on Sustainable Development
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration (MAFFESDI) presented Belize's Voluntary National Review on Sustainable Development at a High Level Political Forum hosted by the United Nations at their Headquarters in New York on July 19, 2017. These national reviews are expected to serve as a basis for the regular reviews by the high-level political forum (HLPF). Regular reviews by the HLPF are to be voluntary, state-led, undertaken by both developed and developing countries, and shall provide a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders. The VNRs aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The VNRs also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize multi-stakeholder support and partnerships for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

BELIZE: An Intimate Portrait
Andr� Lopez' picture book about the culture of Belize is finished, and is available for digital download. Part of the profits will go towards Rotary projects in Belize. It has a comprehensive set of pictures from all over Belize. "Discover the incredible ethnic diversity of Belize. Visit a deaf school and music school. See the amateur excitement of men and women rodeoing and horse racing. Become intimate with the living Maya, their dance dramas, and the Maya ball game of Pitz. Celebrate the Joys of Independence and the Responsibilities of Freedom during the September celebrations. Come and politic and learn why "...you can't be a good winner if you aren't a good loser..". Know that there are no great cathedrals in Belize, but rather an unlimited supply of humble, welcoming houses of prayer, and follow a good Friday Passion-Play as emotional as any in the world. Meet the people who give the nation its heart and pulse. The easy reading 22 page Appendix will provide you with all the practical information needed to enjoy Belize, including a chronological history of Belize, and a narration about the Garifuna whose culture UNESCO proclaimed a Masterpiece of an Intangible and Oral history. Familiarize yourself with all the special and religious Holidays, and find out why the Belizean Flag is the most unique flag in the world. Mark your calendar for every festival and event from January through December. Learn about the country- wide annual Cancer Walk, and a plethora of other useful information."

Belmopan Day
Belmopan Day is on Saturday, August 5 at Mae Gordon Park. Lots of surprises! See you there!

The Placencia Breeze August 2017
Pg 3 From the Fire Hearth - Sustainable Seafood Pg 5 Fishing Tournament Registration Pg 6 Placencia Rotary Summer Olympics Pg 7 Croc Corner Pg 9 "Chasing Coral" Pg 10 A Visitor's View Pg 11 Seine Bight News Pg 15 & 18 Placencia BTIA Members Pg 16 & 17 Placencia Peninsula Map Pg 19 Miramar Membership Spotlight / Sports Camp Pg 20/21 Placencia Peninsula Guide Pg 22 PHS News Pg 23 Hurricane Preparedness Pg 26 Community Corner Pg 27 In Memory of Mr. Villamar Godfrey Pg 28 19th Placencia BTIA Saltwater Fishing Tournament / Placencia Rotary News / Police Cadet Kids Camp Pg 29 Where in the World is the Breeze / BHA Board of Directors Pg 30 Placencia Peninsula Happenings Pg 31 Calender of Events

San Pedro Sun looking for reporter
We are willing to train the right candidate. Could that be you?

Caribbean Soca Artist Alison Hinds touched down on the island earlier today
She will be performing live at this year's International Costa Maya Festival on Friday, August 4th!

The Costa Maya Pageant National Costume Competition
Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama - The eight contestants of the Miss Costa Maya Pageant partook in the preliminary competition held at Palapa Bar and Grill. They presented and modeled their national costumes to the crowd that had also gathered to support Saga. The Humane Society held a fundraiser for the animal shelter.

New Conservation Post in the Chiquibul National Park
On Monday, August 31st, the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence officially inaugurated the Caballo Conservation Post in the Chiquibul National Park, in an area north of the Caracol Archaeological Reserve. The Conservation Post will be manned by rangers from the Forest Department and Friends for Conservation and Development with support from the Belize Defence Force and the Police Department. The Caballo Conservation Post will provide for the advancement of law enforcement in the northern part of the Chiquibul National Park, where illegal deforestation, hunting, and logging threatens the health of the ecosystem and where other illegal activities pose a risk to tourism and other economic development.

BTEC and the Mental Health Association of Belize holds Mental Health Facilitator Training
The Belize Training and Employment Centre, in collaboration with the Mental Health Association of Belize and in partnership with the National Board of Certified Counselors - International (NBCC- I) held a two day Mental Health Facilitator Training. The training had participants from a wide cross-section of agencies both public and private. The Mental Health Facilitator training is designed to improve access to mental health care in a given community by educating and training community members from diverse back-grounds. The training was geared towards increasing awareness to some of the issues of mental health and providing front-line persons with resources that will allow them to offer assistance in the initial stages before referral to a trained counselor.

Go Fund Jerry Ingram
"He ruptured his pupil, causing severe inflammation of the retina and a crack on the eyeball which will need to be repaired via surgery. Currently, he is lacking vision and will need a lot of medical treatment to save his eye and his vision. All of the nerves which send signals to the brain are damaged and his eyeball is dislocated and holding on into the socket by one small tendon."

The eight lovely ladies competing in the 2017 Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant outdid themselves during the Cultural Costume Segment!

Spay and neuter Clinic in Corozal
Hi there pet lover and owners. Here is a poster for a spay and neuter Clinic to be held next Friday, you will find a contact number there too, please call and inquire if you and your wonderful pet are eligible for the clinic. Again thanks for all your support and I wish you and your pet(s) all the best. Dr. Charles.

2017 Costa Maya International Festival
This 4-day festival features delegate beauties and musical artists from Belize and its regional neighbors.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend:
Everything Everything, Alien: Covenant, How to be a Latin Lover, The Mummy.

Channel 7

Living In The Memory of Hurricane Earl
Exactly one year ago around this time, Belizeans were just waiting in their homes and shelters for Hurricane Earl to make landfall. Although everyone braced for impact, Earl - the strongest category one storm any Belizean has ever felt - had no mercy and ripped through the Belize district- and then went on to Cayo and Stann Creek where he damaged crops. Belize City and Ladyville residents were the hardest hit with major damage to homes caused by storm surge which ranged from three to six feet, and winds estimated to be as high as 90 miles per hour. Today Courtney Weatherburne re-visited a few of residents to see if they have reclaimed their lives after Earl.

US Embassy Jeep Rakes Down Lamppost On Newly Paved Road
No one was hurt in a major lamp-post collision today at on the northern highway. A 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, property of the US Embassy lost control at mile 7 and careened off the newly paved road. Police say the driver - a female - received only minor injuries after the airbags deployed. But one of the newly installed aluminum lamp-posts didn't fare off as well. It was yanked out of the ground by the massive impact and was left strewn across the road. This impact destroyed the front end of the Jeep.

Burst A Bladder in Belize, Broke An Ankle In Bermuda
A month ago, the Trinidadian Soca Superstar, Destra Garcia, made headlines all over the Caribbean. That's when she was ordered by the Belize Supreme Court to pay compensation to Belizean Fernando Oliva for jumping on top of him and bursting his bladder. Well, press reports out of Bermuda say that she had an accident of her own, for which she will have to get surgery. She was performing last night in Bermuda for the Cup Match Summer Splash. She shared the stage with Sean Paul, and during her performance, the stage gave way and she feel through. This video, circulating on social media, shows her talking to the crowd, when she suddenly falls through the stage.

Another Shake-Up At Civil Aviation?
In 2014, we reported on the scandal at the Belize airports Authority where it was uncovered that as many as 76 cheques had been issued to family, affiliates and constituents of the former minister, Edmond Castro. That led to a massive shakeup at the Belize Airports Authority, where the Board was purged, the manager sent home and the Minister of State stripped of responsibility for that portfolio. Well, tonight reports say that the whistle has been blown again on unspecified financial irregularities at the BAA. While there are rumors of a shakeup, today when we spoke to General Manager, Nick Ruiz, he said he was in his office as usual - and expected to remain there. He would only say that he has been in meetings with his Minister Manuel Heredia and Ministry's CEO - and that he has spoken to the Prime Minister on the phone about an issue having to do with the departure of the former accountant in June.

Alleged Robber VS. Alleged Fondler in OW, No Charges
Last night we told you about a very bizarre story coming out of Orange Walk. One man was shot and one vehicle was damaged after two men had an encounter that ended badly. 37 year old Tiburcio Fernandez says his passenger 22 year old Abdi Aban held him up with a knife and tried to rob him, while Aban says Fernandez propositioned him for sex, and tried to fondle him. Both agree alcohol was involved in their Tuesday afternoon outing.

Accused of Killing A Friend, Errol Smith Gets Bail
He was charged with manslaughter after he beat his friend to death in Santa Elena but tonight Errol Smith is out on $5000 bail. Justice Denis Hanomansingh offered bail on the condition that Smith does not interfere with the witnesses for the Crown; that he reports to San Ignacio Police Station every Friday; and that he attends San Ignacio Magistrate's Court on every other adjournment date until the matter is disposed of. Smith is accused of beating his friend Marlon Peters badly. Peters survived but died a week later. Smith was represented by attorney Petagay Bradley who held brief for attorney Arthur Saldivar. Crown Counsel Christelle Wilson represented the respondent.

Land Documents Show Disturbing Pattern
A week ago, we told you about those leaked documents out of the Lands Department which call into question the manner in which family members of former minister Gaspar Vega became the owners of land in the Spanish Creek area of the Belize District, and Ramsey Caye. Now, Vega has been dogged by allegations that he was showing special treatment to his family, which allowed them to gain plentiful landholdings. He was forced to resign from the Cabinet when a land compensation scandal involving his son, Andre was exposed. Well, these documents, which have landed on our news desk, suggest that there was an unusual pattern of acquisition which ended up benefitting Vega family members. For several days now, we've been inspecting the 118 files, and there is one specific set of transactions that caught our attention.

A Pound of Placencia Cocaine
The police are reporting finding about a pound of cocaine in Placencia. Last night around 9:15 police searched an abandoned building on the South Side of the village where they found a plastic bag with 214.7 grams, or about half a pound of cocaine, and another with 267 grams, which is more than half a pound of crack-cocaine. No one was found in the area and the drugs were deposited as found property.

UNIBAM Plans To Celebrate Pride In Belize
PRIDE is a gay rights observance celebrated in major cities throughout the world. And starting this weekend it's coming to Belize. UNIBAM, along with partner organizations such as Our Circle and PETAL, will be hosting an official PRIDE Week. Activities aimed at promoting awareness and acceptance will be hosted throughout the country. PRIDE Week's coordinators hosted press conference to talk about the importance of hosting events like this... Caleb Orozco - Executive Director, UNIBAM: "I'll start by saying this, what inspired the idea of a pride week? It was a lot of dialogue but mainly our circle suggestion that August 10th 2016 was an historical day not only for the LGBT community but also for our history as Belizeans that a marginalize group finally got their rights acknowledged in court, more precisely if our community is to ever be inspired to defend the indignities and violence that they experience as individuals and a citizen, then we need to then have something to hold on to. So pride week is about building the moral of our community and building the principle or advancing the idea the inclusiveness and respecting diversity matters in our citizenry as Belizeans."

UNIBAM On UWI Professor Brandan Bain Winning His Case
Orozco also spoke to us briefly about a recent Jamaican Supreme Court decision regarding former UWI Professor Brendan Bain. Earlier this week we told you that Bain won a $32,000 US dollars wrongful termination lawsuit against the University of the West Indies after he was fired for his supposed "anti-gay" testimony against UNIBAM in 2014. The court found that Orozco, who says he has read the testimony, told us what he thought of the decision...

BTV Bex About Re-registration Delay
A re-registration exercise is 10 years overdue - and now it's going unto 11 years. The re-registration exercise is to clean up the very messy voters' list. Now it should have been held in July, but the Barrow administration has chosen to postpone it to next year. But, today the Belize Territorial Volunteers held a press conference to voice their concerns about the latest push back. Here's what they had to say... Wil Maheia, Leader - Belize Territorial Volunteers: "Really and truly it's the BTV (Belize Territorial Volunteers) that has the meeting just now. Yes it's at the BPP headquarters, but it's a Belize Territorial Volunteers meeting and basically the discussion was we had two learned attorneys in here and we were discussing the possibility of basically of maybe challenging the extension that the GG [Governor General] signed recently for re-registration and postponing it basically until 2018 and again..."

Third Party - Ready For Municipals?
While we were on the topic of re-registration, we asked Maheia, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Belize Progressive Party, about the party's plans for the municipal elections, and whether they have any candidates ready to challenge to PUP and UDP... Reporter: "The municipal elections, your other hat. Will the BPP be putting up any slates in any of the municipalities?" Wil Maheia, Leader - Belize Territorial Volunteers: "Yes, I am wearing my BPP hat right now, I use this opportunity to appeal to Belizeans countrywide if you want to see a serious change in this country, this is your time to get on board with the BPP and offer yourself to be a candidate, because if we get qualified candidates we will run in the municipal elections. But again, more important for us is the fact that there is a clean voters list."

Wholesale Weed All Over City
Police are making finds of whose quantities of weed all over the country. First, in the city: yesterday on Partridge Street Extension they found 416 grams - which is just under a pound of weed, along with a bag containing (47) .223 live rounds - the type used in assault rifles. And then, on Oleander Street they found 228 grams - which is half a pound in an abandoned lot. And then on Periwinkle Street, they found 347 grams, or three quarter pound of cannabis. All these are found in the Saint Martinis Area and no arrests were made.

Weed At Wilt's Field
And the GSU made tis own find - this one in the Port Loyola area. Last night at around 8:00, the unit found 299 grams or about two third of a pound of weed along with (15) 9 millimeter live rounds in a cement structure by Cumberbatch field. The drugs and ammunition were deposited as found property.

Cannabis In Cave
And, in Belmopan Police found 6.8 pounds of weed in plastic bags. The officers found them in a cave system in Teakettle Village late this evening.

A Placencia Pusher?
And, in Placencia, a resident was busted with 110 grams, or about four ounces of weed on Wednesday. Police searched James Tillett and the weed was on him. Tillett was arrested for drug trafficking. The 27 year old Tillitt pleaded guilty and was fined $1,100.00 dollars.

A Plan For Tourism
Today the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation hosted a consultation for stakeholders to discuss updates made to their National Tourism Policy. The Ministry has been working with various organizations both within and outside the government to form a plan that will facilitate positive tourism growth. We spoke to the Ministry's CEO, and the main consultant about the policy... Yashin Dujon, CEO - Ministry of Tourism: "The national tourism police is an exercise to actually formulate a national policy and updated national tourism policy for the country that will govern the growth and development the tourism moving forward. The policy is based on sustainable tourism principles, so focusing on the social economic and environmental values that we use in the tourism industry on a daily basis and also integrating culture and management into the way forward for us."

Daniel Rode On The Storm
As the top of the news, we make the one year anniversary of that wretched Hurricane Earl. Now, we take a look back at the hours before the storms landfall - and the hours in the aftermath. Daniel Ortiz was riding the storm - and here's what he saw:... FILE: August 4, 2016 Daniel Ortiz reporting Just after our newscast, we set out just after 8 p.m. to take a tour around Belize City. Immediately outside of our office, the rain was already pouring down. Across Swing Bridge, we found a homeless man under assault from the downpour, and out by Marine Parade, some 20 minutes later, the tropical storm force winds were evident in the trees.

UB President Will Lead Central American Council For Higher Education
The President of the University of Belize, Clement Sankat has assumed the Vice Presidency of C-SUCA, which is the Council of Central American Higher Education in Central America. He will hold that post for this Academic year, and then take up the presidency in the following Academic year. CSUCA is the Council of Higher Education Institutions in Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. President Sankat will chair his first meeting on September 7-8, 2017 in Managua, Nicaragua.

Channel 5

Bail Set for Accused in Sexual Assault Case
Fifteen thousand dollars for groping and kissing a teenage minor, that's the bail amount that was set in the Supreme Court earlier today when thirty-two-year-old Freddy Espinosa appeared before Justice [...]

Who Do Police Believe in Orange Walk Shooting/Traffic Accident?
Police are trying to puzzle out a strange incident reported on Tuesday afternoon involving three men from Orange Walk. There was a traffic accident reported in front of M-1 Sugar. [...]

Taxes Cause Suspension of Tropic Air Flights to Mexico, Honduras
Tropic Air has suspended three of its international flights to Chetumal and Merida in Mexico and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. About five years ago, the domestic airline further expanded its [...]

Could Flights Make a Comeback?
According to Greif, the airline company is constantly looking for new routes and combinations to work. He says that if the current tax structures change, the company will revisit the [...]

The Impact of Hurricane Earl One Year Later
On August third, 2016, residents across the central and northern areas of the Belize District braced themselves in anticipation of Hurricane Earl which made landfall in the early hours of [...]

City Wants to Personalize Your License Plates
The Belize City Council, as part of its revenue generating initiative, is selling personalized license plates to motorists.� The move has generated quite a buzz among car owners across the [...]

Mayoral Aspirant Philip Willoughby Defends Record
This afternoon, we spoke to councilor Philip Willoughby in the 'Pink Jungle' area of Pickstock, where he was donating garbage containers to residents of the hutments, as he did in [...]

Council Must Build 'Softer Social Side'
According to mayoral aspirant Phillip Willoughby, the slings and arrows of his opponents do not bother him, as he is concentrated on bringing even more services for residents of the [...]

UB President Leads Central American Universities
President Clement Sankat of the University of Belize has assumed the Vice Presidency of Consejo Superior Universitario Centro Americano or what is known in English as the Central American Higher [...]

Safe Space for Basketball
The CASSA program, Creating A Safe Space Agenda, is wrapping up its third year. The project has been running now in its third year at YWCA where kids from high [...]

The Y to Put on Summer Exhibit
Over two hundred children are participating in the YWCA's annual summer program. It started in July and will wrap up next week. The YWCA says that the children will be [...]

Alina Rodriguez Gives Back with Books
Over seventy children at the YWCA were treated to a book fair today. The children received free books through the 'Alina Gives Back' foundation. It is a small non-profit started [...]

From Gangsters to Businessmen
Today at the ITVET, as many as twenty-five gang members from across Belize City filed into the classroom where they spent the better part of the day learning how to [...]

Teaching the Belize Plumbing Code
A train the trainer workshop for plumbing instructors for the ITVETs countrywide and field supervisors for Belize Water Services Limited began earlier this week and will continue through to August [...]

For Belize LGBT's, Pride is Showing
Next Thursday, August tenth, marks a full year since Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin struck down Section Fifty-Three of the Criminal Code outlawing sexual acts other than consensual heterosexual intercourse, between [...]

Leslie Says U.D.P. Will Not Underestimate 2018 Election
After two terms of David Fonseca as the first directly elected mayor of Belize City, the United Democratic Party has been on a run of four successive terms in office [...]

Dion Leslie Thrives Out of Media Spotlight
With less than a month to go before polling opens for the U.D.P. municipal convention, mayoral candidates Dion Leslie and Philip Willoughby have been actively campaigning on the ground and [...]

Who Will Be La Reina De La Costa Maya?
In just a few minutes, the twenty-fifth annual La Reina De La Costa Maya Pageant will begin on La Isla Bonita San Pedro. Eight delegates from across Central America and [...]

Healthy Living Tries Interventional Radiology
It's a minimally invasive technique that is becoming increasingly popular in healthcare. And for the past two years it has been offered at the country's main public hospital. It's called [...]

CTV3

Orange Walk Sports Council Accused of Mal Pago
Thirteen Orange Walk men are tonight up in arms and claiming that they have not received full payment for works done throughout last week at the Orange Walk People's Stadium. The men are pointing fingers at the Orange Walk Sports Council who they say hired them to reconstruct the fence at the stadium. Today we spoke off camera with one of the workers and he told us that at the end of last week, the contractors responsible for the project informed them that they would only be receiving half of their payment and that the other half would be given to them the following Monday when they reported to work. According to him however, when they reported to work on Monday July 31st, no one was at the job site and they were informed that the project had come to a halt, even though they had been hired to work on the fence for an entire month.

Dave Cannon Seeks Support Of San Pedranos
Almost a month has gone by since the tragic death of thirteen year old Faye Lin Cannon in San Pedro Town on Monday July 3rd, after having suffered sexual and physical abuse, allegedly at the hands of her adoptive mother and Step father, Anke and David Doehm. Today while Belizeans are still up in arms and demanding justice for Faye Lin, her adoptive father, Dave Cannon issued an official statement on the death of his daughter. The statement published yesterday by the San Pedro Sun starts by thanking citizens of San Pedro Town for the support shown in finding out the truth about what happened to Faye and for clamoring for justice for the teen.

BTV/BPP Considers Legal Pressure For Re-registration Process
On Tuesday the Belize Progressive Party slammed the Barrow Administration for refusing to carry out a re-registration exercise that would clean up the voters' list. The last re-registration was done in 1997, which means one was due in 2007 and the other in 2017, but both were postponed, with the first due to nearing elections. In the case of the exercise this year, the Government is saying it simply cannot afford it. The Belize Territorial Volunteers, whose leader is also the Deputy leader for the BPP, today came out in support. They held a meeting at the BPP's office to discuss what they can do to put some pressure on the Government.

Guatemala Congress Approves Plan For Referendum On Taking Belize To The ICJ
And it seems that in Guatemala, there has been a heightened pace towards the holding of a referendum. This week their Congress approved a proposal to authorise the electoral body to start preparation for a referendum to be held before the end of the year. The proposal was supported by 102 votes, while 14 objected. Those in objection raised concerns about funding, the electoral body has reported that they have secured 300 million quetzales for the process. The decision by the Congress was celebrated by Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, who in a statement said that the topic of Belize has been a priority for his Government and that the Congress' decision is an important step towards a definitive solution to the dispute.

New Day Care Opens In Corozal Town
Child rearing has its growing challenges in modern society. With the traditional practice of stay home moms being replaced with working moms, finding proper care for children at the toddler stage is at times a tedious and difficult process. For one mom in Corozal, the struggles of finding good care for her young ones pushed her to open a private day care facility known as Bright Beginning Day Care in the town, which aside from setting a high standard, seeks to provide the needed care services that as a parent she always wanted.

BPP Worried About Referendum
While on the topic of the voter's list, Maheia expressed concern that if Belize proceeds to holding a referendum on whether to take Guatemala's unfounded claim to the International Court of Justice, Belizeans should be concerned that the voters will come out of the same padded list. Wil Maheia, Belize Territorial Volunteers: "Again this all adds up into pressuring the people to lets go to ICJ to settle this thing and they are saying ICJ is the only way when even within our own government, our own little Belize right here we are talking about discussions and negotiations and mediations before you go to court right so we now that we have not exhausted all the possible negotiations that could happen to settle the dispute even before going to court we should concentrate on that instead on trying to ram it down to the Belizean people throat to go to court because that is what they are doing right now..."

LOVE FM

Mayas Want A Place in the Tourism Policy?
There was a vast representation of the stakeholders in the tourism sector at the presentation of the National Tourism Policy. Among them were representatives of the Maya Leaders Alliance. Spokesperson for the Alliance, Cristina Coc says they are quote, "intimately concerned with the various national policies where it concerns the Maya lands� people�and their development," [�]

Tropic Air Grounds Flights to Multiple Destinations
Tropic Air has announced the suspension of its routes to Chetumal, Merida and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The last flight to Chetumal and Merida is scheduled for September 1, and September 2 for San Pedro Sula. The company issued a press release explaining why the decision was made. Tropic Air says the decision was made [�]

Teen Pregnancy Rises in the Southern Belize
The social challenge of teenage pregnancy remains relevant in Belize as several organizations are fighting to have young persons educated on the consequences of early sexual activity. After sitting down with Joan Burke-Skeen of the Belize Family Life Association, our reporter, Renee Trujillo produced this report. Recently, the Ministry of Education took a firm decision [�]

Sankat to CSUCA For 2017/2018 Academic Year
The President of the University of Belize, Clement Sankat has assumed the Vice Presidency of Consejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano, CSUCA, or the Central American Higher Education Council. His appointment will be effective for the July, 2017 to June, 2018 academic year. He will then assume the Presidency for the following academic year. Sankat, takes the [�]

TAA Wants Alcaldes to Be Listed
In a statement issued on Monday, the Toledo Alcalde Association called on the government of Belize to regularize the Alcaldes jurisdictions and to publish the list of Alcaldes in the Gazette, which it has been failing to do. The statement titled, "Response to the Government of Belize's Discriminatory Acts against the Maya People," was released [�]

No Protection for Witnesses in Daniel Sosa's Murder
Two persons were inside the vehicle of Hilmar Alamilla when 24 year old Daniel Sosa was shot and killed on Saturday morning. The two young men are the two most important witnesses in the case against Alamilla who has been charged for murder and is on remand. When Alamilla was taken to court he was [�]

Guat National Out on Bail After Fondling Minor
Thirty-two year old Guatemalan national Ferdy Espinosa, an employee of James Brodie and Company who was remanded into custody on a charge of sexual assault, was released on a bail of $5,000 that was offered to him today by Justice Denis Hanomansingh. The bail was offered on the condition that he does not interfere with [�]

Smith Gets Bail on Manslaughter Charge
Twenty-nine year old Errol Smith, a laborer of Santa Elena, Cayo District, who was remanded into custody on a charge of manslaughter, was released on a bail of $5,000 that was offered to him today by Justice Denis Hanomansingh. The bail was offered on the condition that Smith does not interfere with the witnesses for [�]

VIA - An Alternative to Pap Smears
The Pap Smear Test dates back to the nineteen twenties and was named after a Greek doctor, George Papanicolaou (PA-PA-NI-KO-LAO). It is a test designed to detect cancerous cells inside a woman's cervix. Less than a century later, an alternative was found known as the VIA or the Visual Inspection using Acidic Vinegar. In Belize, [�]

NEMO and Village Leaders Meet to Talk Disaster
The National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, met with village leaders of southern Belize with the purpose to establish the roles and responsibilities of those leaders during a disaster. More than fifteen leaders of villages in the Stann Creek and Toledo districts attended the one day conference which featured presentations from the regional commander Keith Emmanuel. [�]

BFLA Commends Government on Sex Education In Schools
Yesterday we told you of the training of trainers' workshop being held this week at BTEC surrounding adjustments made to the HFLE Curriculum for the upcoming academic year. It is a bold move by the Ministry of Education after they came under pressure in 2012 over the contents of the HFLE Teachers' Manual that was [�]

Willoughby Unfazed by Lack of Support
Yesterday Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley publicly endorsed City Councilor Dion Leslie in his bid for the UDP Mayoral Candidate. After two terms Bradley decided to step aside due to personal reasons but is still holding on to the hopes of one day becoming an area representative. And while he attempts to make that dream [�]

Overlooking Willoughby's Contributions to CITCO
Certainly, the mayor's support for Dion Leslie will negatively affect Phillip Willoughby's bid for the post. But what made Darrell Bradley support Leslie instead of Willoughby? Well yesterday, he gave reasons why; reasons that Willoughby does not agree with. DARRELL BRADLEY "He has been right there by my side over the last five and a [�]

Robber Kills Guatemalan Salesman
A Guatemalan man has died after he succumbed to gunshot wounds he sustained on Saturday during a robbery, and police are looking at another case of murder. Police say that 39 year-old Josue Ambrocio Arizandieta was in Belize City along with 45 year-old Walter Lopez on business. The men are salesmen for a Guatemalan company [�]

Trial Set for 2016 Murder of Delvin Parham
Valentine Baptist, charged with the murder of Delvin Parham, has been committed for trial in the October session of the Supreme Court. Baptist was committed for trial after a preliminary inquiry was held today in the court of Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Senior Magistrate Fraser asked Baptist if he had any witnesses he wished to [�]

Guatemala Congress Says Referendum Is A Go
About two years ago, in 2015, prior to the elections in Guatemala, the issue of holding a referendum on whether to go to the ICJ surrounding the Belize/Guatemala matter was taken before their Congress. The proposal, however, was shot down by their Congress due to Belize's amendment to the threshold of its referendum laws. Today [�]

Making Breastfeeding Sustainable
There was not much fanfare or publicity on the celebration of Breastfeeding Week but it did begin yesterday and will run up until Monday, August 7 under the theme "Together We Can Make Breastfeeding Sustainable". The Ministry of Health noted on their social media page that they are celebrating in collaboration with the Pan American [�]

Training the Trainers for 2017/2018 Curriculum
Yesterday we told you of the training sessions being conducted in Belize City with selected educators from across the country. The training sessions are being done through the Ministry of Education and have to do with the revised curriculum for three particular subjects. Love News spoke with John Newport of the Quality Assurance Development Services [�]

Mayor Dispels Rumors of Mass Termination
A couple a days ago, reports emerged suggesting that about twenty people were fired from the Belize City Council. Yesterday Mayor Darrel Bradley clarified that the people laid off were temporary workers whose time had come to an end due to the completion of a project. DARRELL BRADLEY "We haven't done any mass terminations what [�]

Readdressing the City's Entertainment Strip
If Councilor Dion Leslie goes on to defeat Phillip Willoughby in the August 27 UDP Convention and subsequently garners the hearts and votes of Belize City voters, what will be one of his instant focus as the mayor. Yesterday the Mayoral aspirant was asked about the famous Belize City party strip and the reported interest [�]


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

The Guardian

Gold panning continues in Chiquibul, two charged
The Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) are reporting that 2 Guatemalans were caught panning for gold inside the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. They were spotted on Saturday, July 29, at around 7 a.m., by an early morning patrol of FCD rangers. 40 year-old Thomas Gomez, and 37 year-old Domingo Pana, both from Narajon, Dolores Peten, were caught sleeping in a makeshift camp about 6 kilometers inside the Chiquibul. That's in the Ceibo Chico area, well inside Belizean territory, and so the men were detained, and their camp was searched. The officers found 6 live cartridges for a 16-gauge shotgun, and a black plastic bag which contained marijuana. The rangers also found an assortment of tools known to be used for gold panning. They searched for the weapon that goes with these cartridges, but the officers couldn't find it.

Mayor Darrell Bradley will not seek re-election
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley has ended days of speculation on whether or not he will be contesting the upcoming municipal elections. Speaking to the media on Tuesday August 1, the mayor indicated that he will not be seeking the seat again. He however said that he does remain an ardent supporter of the United Democratic Party and continues to be a member of the UDP. Speaking candidly about his decision, the Mayor said that when someone signs up for positions like being mayor it must be with a hundred percent focus. He added that there were personal reasons which led him to make the decision of not running again. He said that he has had conversations with various people both within and outside the party and has come to the conclusion that a person's major priority has to be family as well as personal and professional goals. And while he is stepping aside, he was emphatic to say that he is not leaving politics and still aspires to serve in the House of Representatives.

Angel Orellano wanted for Belmopan murder
Belmopan police have released a wanted poster for 22 year-old Belmopan resident Angel Antonio Orellano, aka "Weche". They believe that he may be connected with the murder of 21 year-old Samuel Mendez, a resident of the Capital City. Police say that at around 7 o'clock on Monday morning, July 31, Mendez was working. He was cutting a yard on Costa Rica Street when a man ambushed and shot him several times in the upper body. The injuries he suffered were severe, and they claimed his life before the authorities could arrive and render aid. Eyewitnesses say that he tried to escape from the gunman, but he couldn't and after he got shot, he tried to get help from residents nearby. Unfortunately, he collapsed a short distance away from the location he was shot.

8 streets being paved in Bella Vista
Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley has announced that the Belize City Council will be asphalting 8 streets in the Bella Vista area of the city. He says that it comes as part of the council's public-private sector partnership which in the past has seen 20 percent of streets in the city paved. Bradley says that in this latest venture there was a meeting with residents of the area where it was agreed that they will be paying their property tax in advance and that money will be used directly to pave the streets on the western side of the community. He said a contractor who lives in the area has agreed to do the work at cost. That cost is amounting to 180 thousand dollars. The work to be done will include the improvement of drains, installation of culverts, rebuilding of driveways and the connection of drains to canals in the area.

Corn seed donated
Honorable Elodio Aragon Jr., the tireless representative of Orange Walk East was busy in his constituency late last week and early this week. Apart from doing his usual rounds in the villages which fall under his responsibility, he has been visiting farmers there as well. The purpose of his visit to farmers is to present them with corn seeds which he managed to secure from the Ministry of Agriculture. These seeds are quality, high yield and pest resistant which make them quite suitable for farming in these villages. These corn seeds produce a variety of corn which can be replanted and obtain the same yield as the first crop. A pound of these seeds can cost up to $14.00 bcy.

Sporting camps close off in Belmopan
Closing ceremonies were held on Saturday for four of the sporting camps that were being sponsored by Area Representative the Hon John Saldivar, the Ministry of Sports and the Belmopan City Council. The sporting events were held during last week, to the delight of many youngsters from the surrounding areas. The joint activities of tennis, softball, chess and football closed off on Saturday. Deputy Mayor Ralston Frazer, Councilor Angel Pastrana along with Sport Council coordinator, Angie Reyes and the different facilitators were present at the closing on Saturday.

Cops save three teens from raging Macal river
Police in San Ignacio have recognized the valiant efforts of two of its officers as they conducted a daring rescue from rapid flowing waters of the Macal River in the village of Cristo Rey in the Cayo District. At about 3:00p.m on Saturday July 29, police were alerted to three young men who were stranded on a log in the Macal River. They were paddling in the river when the waters overpowered them causing the canoe to crash into some logs and sink. The young men identified as Kevin Requena, 17; Leighi Aldarado 15, and Bryan Oliva 17; all Belizean students of Santa Elena Town were then stranded on the logs and were unable to make it on shore.

Department of Transport addresses apparent Reckless Behaviour by Bus Driver captured in Amateur Video Recording
The Department of Transport has been made aware of, and has viewed an amateur video recording circulating on social media, which captures what appears to be reckless behaviour on the part of a driver for a bus company which operates on a road service permit issued by the department. The bus in question is owned by J and J Bus Line which originates in Benque Viejo Del Carmen. The video, captured from inside a bus belonging to another company which operates on the same route, appears to show the driver of the J and J bus deliberately and consistently impeding the other bus from overtaking.

Lisa and Julius in the ring!
A little over a week ago when Lisa Shoman penned an article about WOMEN IN POLITICS. BETTERS with SMART MONEY started to place bets and take odds that one of the CAVEMEN of the PEOPLE'S UNITED PARTY would get his club and come out swinging. We perhaps all knew, it was coming, but had no idea exactly who would be swinging the club. However we were sure this fallout had the potential of getting really nasty. Lisa is second to none when it comes to getting nasty on an issue, especially if that issue is being played out on social media. For context we have quoted a few of the things she published in her essay. We have also editorialized a few of her statements based on what we gathered from her essay. Below are a few of the things she wrote.

New LOVE sign at Guava Park
The Guava Park located in Belama phase 1 has a new sign which according to the designers will help create peace and happiness to those who visit. On Tuesday August 1, Mayor Darrell Bradley, attorney Steve Perera and businessman Jose Ketz unveiled a LOVE sign in the park. According to Perera who's brainchild the sign was, this most recent one was made to create a feeling of love within the community. He said it will be used for families and couples to forge better relationships taking photographs in front of it. He said that other signs which include two BELIZE signs and a postcard type frame were geared for tourists. The LOVE sign is geared to help create a closer community and offer a sense of happiness.

of this and that
Apparently there is a consolation prize for failure, within the PUP. Or at least that was what we gathered from the interview, the PUP Party Chairman Henry Charles Usher gave to Love Fm Correspondent/PUP Activist Mr Harry Arzu. He spoke to Harry on the Sunday following a poorly attended Municipal Convention held in Dangriga to elect the PUP's slate for the upcoming Municipal Elections. It was a contested convention and so one would have expected a huge turnout. However the PUP only brought out 589 people even though they had 10 candidates vying for 7 slots on their ticket. That number would translates to each of those 10 candidates pulling out about 59 people. Apparently that type of turnout is considered a good turnout in the PUP.

Professor Brendan Bain compensated for "Damage for Defamation" in Unibam case
Brendan Bain made regional news in May 2014 when he was fired from his job at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Bain at the time acted as the director of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network. Prior to being fired, Professor Bain had given his expert opinion as testimony in the UNIBAM trial in the Belize Supreme Court going on at the time. The University came under pressure from various groups and activists that held the belief that his opinion was "anti-gay". As a part of his testimony, Bain expressed that the movement would be a deterrent not only to the health of participating homosexuals, but also to the economy of Belize. He continued that the adverse physical and psychological effects of some of their practices would become rampant.

Closure of the shark fishing season
On Monday August 31 the police department received 6 motorcycles from businessman Glen Wilson. The donation, valued at 15 thousand dollars was handed over to commissioner of police, Allen Whylie. Wilson who owns Offshore solutions told the media that the donation came as a result of himself trying to improve the mobility of the police department to have officers be able to patrol in areas where vehicles are unable to go and where foot patrols are not very effective.

6 motorcycles for police department
On Monday August 31 the police department received 6 motorcycles from businessman Glen Wilson. The donation, valued at 15 thousand dollars was handed over to commissioner of police, Allen Whylie. Wilson who owns Offshore solutions told the media that the donation came as a result of himself trying to improve the mobility of the police department to have officers be able to patrol in areas where vehicles are unable to go and where foot patrols are not very effective.

8 streets being paved in Bella Vista
Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley has announced that the Belize City Council will be asphalting 8 streets in the Bella Vista area of the city. He says that it comes as part of the council's public-private sector partnership which in the past has seen 20 percent of streets in the city paved. Bradley says that in this latest venture there was a meeting with residents of the area where it was agreed that they will be paying their property tax in advance and that money will be used directly to pave the streets on the western side of the community. He said a contractor who lives in the area has agreed to do the work at cost. That cost is amounting to 180 thousand dollars. The work to be done will include the improvement of drains, installation of culverts, rebuilding of driveways and the connection of drains to canals in the area.

Youths engaged in Agriculture in Belmopan
Another one week Summer course in Agriculture was launched on Monday July 31 at the main pavilion of the National Agriculture Show Grounds near Roaring Creek Village in Belmopan. Some 75 kids from surrounding villages such as Armenia, Camalote, Cotton Tree, Frank's Eddy, Las Flores, Roaring Creek, St. Mathews, Teakettle and Valley of Peace are participating to increase their learning in agriculture. Since 2016, the Department of Agriculture and Police have joined forces to engage the youths in agriculture. Noel Leal, Assistant Commissioner of Police was present and greeted the youngsters on behalf of the Commissioner of Police. He said that the program may be expanded next year to include youths from San Ignacio and the Belize River Valley. Chief Agriculture Officer Andrew Harrison was also present and promised the youths that during this week they will be engaged with fun activities such as visiting the Spanish Lookout Area to learn on how poultry and milk are produced.

Tension tightens between Cane Farmer's Association and Belize Sugar Industry
The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) and the Belize Sugar Industry (BSI) signed a commercial agreement in 2015 after much back and forth. At the time of that signing the BSCFA had splintered into three associations each individually signing with BSI. Through the contract, BSI and BSCFA entered into a cane purchase agreement that basically agrees that BSI accepts the cane from farmers of the BSCFA. Since 2015 it has been relatively smooth sailing for the two organizations until this year when BSI came up with a plan to invest 22 million dollars into the production of higher value- value added sugars. This decision has come with some conditions which two of the three associations who deliver cane to BSI have agreed to but which BSCFA is having problems with.

Elections from the eyes of Embassy of Venezuela
After years of political and economic upheaval in the South American country since 2015, over 8 million registered voters took to the polls to establish a new constituent assembly on July 30, 2017. In 2015, opposition legislators took control of the national parliament and since then, the Nicolas Maduro administration has been under attack from international media as well as opposition supporters. According to Miguel Castillo, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of Venezuela, the turnout at the polls was 41.5% of registered voters but that did not deter the voting from being called "illegitimate" and "unconstitutional".

Cannabis found in washing machine
On July 31, 2017 at about 3:45 p.m., Strike Team precinct 2 personnel conducted a search on Nutmeg Street in Belize City which led to the discovery of 25 parcels of cannabis hidden inside a washing machine. The drugs were weighed and amounted to 3.1 kilograms.

The fittest female BDF and Coast Guard officers
On Friday, July 28, 2017, Defence Minister Hon John Saldivar joined Charg� d' Affaires from the US Embassy Adrienne Galanek and Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis (Belize Coast Guard) as they presented awards to members of the Belize Coast Guard and Belize Defence Force who were victorious in the 2017 Annual Wonder Woman Challenge which took place in May. They handed out medals and gifts to the groups who took first, second and third place in the competition.

A historical perspective of May Pen Village at the opening of New May Pen Bridge
I received a call from Ruth Staine-Dawson asking if I could give a historical account of May Pen leading up to the opening of our new bridge. She actually wanted my mom, Rosenda McCulloch to do the presentation since she lived in May Pen since before my birth. � In 1786, a group of over 2,100 people displaced from their homes on the Mosquito Shores decided to come to the settlement of British Honduras. � A free colored woman by the name of Ann Pattnett and her children, John and Lucy, came with them. � In the year 1792, Ann was given a Spanish Grant approved in Yucatan Mexico, for all the parcel of land on the South of the Belize River from Muscle Creek to Flowers Boundary and on the Northern Banks of Belize River from Black Creek to Lime Walk Creek extending North to Crooked Tree Lagoon.

Motorcycle accident at Chaa Creek intersection in Cayo
On Monday, July 31, 2017 at 7:00 a.m., police responded to a road traffic accident between miles 60 and 61 on the George Price Highway in the Cayo District. Upon arrival, they observed two motorcycles with damages to the front portions. Initial investigations reveal that Oscar Erlindo Aguirre, a 23-year-old Belizean Security Guard of Benque Viejo del Carmen Town, Cayo District, was riding his motorcycle heading to San Ignacio Town. Upon reaching the Chaa Creek intersection, he saw a red motorcycle being driven by Kevlin Elmer, a 25-year-old Belizean Tour Guide of Santa Elena Town. Elmer was driving in the opposite direction and upon reaching the junction, he made a sudden turn into his lane which caused a head-on collision.

Security guard kills copper thief
On July 30, 2017 at 3:35 a.m., police officers visited the Independence Poly Clinic where they saw the lifeless body of a male person. The body was seen with multiple pellet wounds to the upper part of the back and behind the head. The person was pronounced dead on arrival. Initial investigations revealed that about 11:48 p.m., security guard Gerardo Coc, 60 years old, was on duty at Aqua Mar Shrimp Farm between mile 40 and 41 on the Southern Highway armed with a licensed 16-gauge shotgun when he saw two male persons advancing towards him with a machete. He took out his shotgun and the trespassers began running away. Coc fired a single shot in their direction, causing the injury of one of the men who fell to the ground. He was transported to the Independence Poly Clinic where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Freightliner tractor dislodges in La Loma Luz Boulevard
On Monday, July 31, 2017 at about 6:00 p.m., Roberto Marcias, a 47-year-old Belizean Truck driver of Orange Walk, reported that while driving a freightliner tractor truck on the La Loma Luz Boulevard heading towards the Benque Freezone, he felt the container dislodge and the truck landed on the passenger side.

Gun taken off the streets in St. Martin's
On July 31, 2017 at about 4:15 p.m., personnel from the Strike Team Precinct 2 conducted a search at a vacant lot in the St. Martin's De Porres Area which led to the discovery of a black 9 mm pistol hidden under some bushes containing 7 live 9 mm rounds.

Life sentence prisoner busted with marijuana
Bryan Herrera, a 29-year-old prison inmate already serving a life sentence, could be facing more prison time after he picked up a charged for drug trafficking while incarcerated. Allegations are that on Friday, July 28, 2017, he was found in possession of 39 grams of marijuana inside his cell. By late Tuesday evening, August 1, 2017, Herrera was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate's Court for the charge of drug trafficking. He appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser where he was unrepresented.

Loitering charges do not stand up in court
A Honduran man living in Belize for 15 years was taken to court on July 31, 2017 on a single charge of loitering. Lucky for him, the charge did not stand up in court because the facts of the case just did not substantiate the charge. That man is 37-year-old Ismael Leon. He was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on a single charge of loitering.

Man accused of burning minister's vehicle to Stand Supreme Court Trial
Allen Martinez, a 30-year-old man who was accused of setting the vehicle belonging to Minister Patrick Faber on fire, will have to stand trial at the Supreme Court for the offense of arson. The vehicle, a grey Mazda valued at $55,000, was set on fire on October 12, 2016 in Lord's Bank village. In court on Thursday, July 27, 2017 where Martinez was unrepresented, he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. The Chief Magistrate concluded, after surveillance evidence was brought against Martinez, that the case needs to be committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

Road traffic accident leaves men hospitalized
On Monday July 31, 2017 at about 5:00 p.m. acting on information received, police visited the Branch Mouth Road in San Ignacio Town. Upon arrival, they saw a pickup truck and a utility truck wedged in a head on collision with the driver of the utility truck still inside. Initial investigations revealed that Arcelio Castillo, a 79-year-old Belizean of Santa Elena Town was driving the pickup truck heading towards San Ignacio Town when, upon reaching the intersection of Branch Mouth and Joseph Andrews Drive in San Ignacio, he took a left turn. That turn caused him to collide into the truck which was being driven by Elias Lucas Ochoa, a 41-year-old Belizean of Roaring Creek.

Bail for man found with weed
A Belize City man, 29-year-old Hershel Usher, was charged with drug trafficking after the Mobile Interdiction Team busted him inside a home in possession of 356 grams of cannabis. The bust was made on Friday, July 28, 2017 at his residence on Roches Street in Belize City. According to a police report, PC Itza and Cpl. Ferguson executed a search on July 28, 2017 at a house on Roches Street, the home of Hershel Usher. Upon their arrival, Usher and 23-year-old Kevin Cacho were met inside. When asked if they had anything to declare, Usher declared to have � pounds of cannabis inside a bag. He gave the bag to the officers who took out a total of 3 parcels out of the bag.

Bert Vasquez sentenced to 10 Years
Businessman Bert Vasquez, who was accused in 2011 of forcible abduction and aggravated indecent sexual assault against a 16-year-old at the time, was sentence to 13 years in prison for the charges. He was sentenced by Judge Adolph Lucas to 10 years for the abduction and 3 for the sexual assault but will only be serving 10 years since the sentences are set to run concurrently. Vasquez's sentence has been effective since his court date on July 28, 2017.

Passenger robs van driver
On July 26, 2017 at 7:32 p.m., police visited the Western Regional Hospital where they saw Adan Perez, a 33-year-old bus driver of Armenia Village, Cayo, suffering from four stab wounds; one to the right side of chest, two to the right side of the abdomen, and one under the right arm.

Teenagers to court for handling stolen goods
Two teenagers charged in connection with a stolen $5,000 Meilun motorcycle were arraigned in court before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on a charge of handling stolen goods. They are 18-year-old Eugene Castillo of Mahogany Heights and a 17-year-old of Western Paradise village. Allegations made against the duo are that on July 28, 2017, they dishonestly assisted in the retention of a motorcycle, the property of Clifford Welch.

No bail for man found with cocaine
Keenan Anthony Flores, a 23-year-old Dangriga man visiting his girlfriend in the city, was allegedly found with a large amount of cocaine over the weekend. According to police, on Saturday, July 29, 2017, acting on information, members of the Mobile Interdiction Team visited Tibruce Street in the St. Martin's area. Upon arrival, they saw a blue GMC parked in front of a wooden house. PC Martinez approached a man that was standing in front of the yard and asked if that man resided at the house to which he claimed to occupy the lower flat.

3 months in jail for man who uses weed to calm his mind
Aaron Flowers, tour guide, gets 3 months in prison for marijuana he claims he was using to relax. He appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on Friday, July 28, 2017 where he pleaded guilty to possession of 6.6 grams of cannabis which he was seen trying to dispose of when he noticed police.

Friend shoots friend in the head
Hilmar David Alamilla, 42, a well-known Orange Walk businessman, has been arrested and charged by police for the murder of his good friend, 24 year-old Daniel Sosa. Police have released very little information on their investigations into the shooting. That has left a lot of room for rumors to spread like wildfire about why Alamilla fatally shot his friend. Eyewitnesses say that Alamilla, Sosa, and 2 other friends were socializing for almost the entire Friday night of July 28. They reportedly were partying together at the D' Gym Sports Bar and Grill until the dawn hours of Saturday.

Nisani Garcia acquitted of 2014 murder charge
A Dangriga man who was accused of murder was acquitted of the charge on July 26, 2017 in the Dangriga Supreme Court before Justice Denis S. Hanomansingh. He is Nisani Garcia who was accused of the murder of Hansel Garcia which occurred on April 23, 2014 at about 8:00 p.m. At his acquittal, Garcia was represented by attorney Tricia Pitts.

Belize City man charged with San Elena burglary
On July 28, 2017, San Ignacio police were on a mobile patrol on the George Price Highway in Santa Elena Town where they intercepted Selvin Linarez, a 19-year-old resident of Belize City, who was in possession of a cash pan and a safe. Investigation revealed that the Atlantic Insurance office situated on George Price Highway was burglarized. Estevan Cano, an insurance agent, reported that the insurance office was broken into and the cash pan containing $788.90 was stolen.

Shooting in San Pedrito leaves Belize City man hospitalized
On July 31, 2017 at 6:45 p.m., San Pedro Police visited the San Pedro Polyclinic where they saw Lloyd Martinez, a 29-year-old Belizean maintenance worker of a Police Street Address in Belize City. He was being treated for gunshot wounds to the mid-section of his body.

Charged for murder of Carlos Pop Xol
Carlos Pop Xol, a Guatemalan businessman, was fatally stabbed on April 20, 2017 near the village of Jalacte in Toledo. Since then, there were no charges brought against anyone for the murder until recently. Punta Gorda Police has investigated the murder and has now led to the arrest and charge of Elmer Javier Carillo, a 27-year-old naturalized Belizean.

Belmopan Bandits in Nicaragua for Scotiabank CONCACAF competition
The Belmopan Bandits, the national football champions of Belize, is currently in Esteli, Nicaragua, where it will represent Belize at the 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF championship play. The Belmopan Bandits will play game one of its home and away match with the CD Walter Ferretti Football Club on Thursday 3rd August, 2017, at 8:00 pm.

Conscious Youth Development Programme 2017 Peace Cup to commence on August 28
The Conscious Youth Development Programme (CYDP) has announced that its 2017 Football Peace Cup will commence on Sunday 28th August, 2017. Interested teams can register to participate in the up- coming competition at the offices of the CYDP at 117 North Front Street in Belize City. It is noted that the first 14 teams to register will participate in the Peace Cup.

bandits
The Cayo Softball Association commenced its playoffs round of the 2017 Raymond Garbutt Softball Competition, which is being sponsored by the Hon. John Saldivar, on Sunday 30th July at the Softball pitch in Roaring Creek Village. In the first game of the playoffs, Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy, the number one seed defeated the Esperanza Wolverines the number four seed by the score of 12-2. The winning pitcher was Leandra Guy and the losing pitcher was Olivia Miralda.

City softball senior women's competition enters playoff round
The Belize City Softball Association Senior Women's Competition commenced its playoff round on Monday 31st July, 2017, at Rogers Stadium between the number 2 seed the Belize Bank Bulldogs and the number 3 seed Beacon. In the first game played in the best of three format playoff, the Belize Bank Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the 6th inning to upend the upstart Beacon by the score of 3-1 to take the first game. Beacon took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th inning before its defence fell apart when it committed 3 costly errors that allowed the Belize Bank Bulldogs to score.

Words of Life with Pastor Barry Fraser
Our theme this week is "Invest in Hope." The Missionary and Apostle Paul, in Romans 5:5, declared: "Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts, through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Previews OF COMING ATTRACTION
I think that the UDP Administration of 1984-1989 got a bad rap in being labelled "arrogant". At that time I was more involved in campaigning than I am now and I knew several of the new Ministers personally and I never did regard them as being arrogant. Absent- minded, maybe, since a lot of supporters claimed that the new House members would forget a lot of favors being asked of them. At one time I even suggested to my buddy, Lot Aragon, to please carry a small notebook around in his pockets to jot down the hundreds of requests made by constituents on a single weekend.

What is the Belizean Dream?
We have all, at some point in time, heard the phrase, "The American Dream" but is there a "Belizean Dream"? Well... Do Belizeans dream? I dream. My friends dream. My two brothers, they have dreams. So I'd say yes. Belizeans dream. And if we can borrow from the idea of the American Dream, then when we talk about the "Belizean Dream", we are talking about the national ethos of the Belizean people. We are talking about the common factors in our individual dreams; the set of ideals we share as a country such as liberty, rights, opportunities for prosperity and success, as well as higher standards of living and quality of life. I've asked several of my friends and family members this question over the last 30 days.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

">Governor General signs statutory instrument to differ voter re-registration until next year
The Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young, has signed a Statutory Instrument to differ voter re-registration until next year. The Governor General signed the SI, empowered by Section 3 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 9 of the Laws of Belize, [�]

Policeman involved in motorcycle accident
BBN has received information about a motorcycle accident that happened about 6:25 pm yesterday evening in Camalote Village. We understand that 24 yr old, PC Edgar Coh attached to the Roaring Creek police station was on his way to work on his motorcycle when the accident occurred. PC [�]

Father accidentally kills baby daughter
According to confirmed reports to BBN, shortly before 8 tonight, Steven Hochfteter accidentally ran over his 18 month old daughter. Hochfteter was reversing his pickup truck out his yard in Spanish Lookout and did not see his daughter who was behind the truck. The [�]

BELTRAIDE to launch first ever Talent Fair
Through its technical units of BelizeINVEST and the Belize Training and Employment Centre (BTEC), BELTRAIDE announced its first ever Talent Fair 2017. The event will held at the BTEC Enterprise Room on the ITVET Compound on Freetown Road in Belize City on August 17, 18 [�]

Armed robbers take weapon, jewelries, phone & wallet from Belize City man
Last night, Charles Gonzales ,64, Belizean construction worker of Belize City reported that while he was socializing at the Corner Youth for the Future Drive and Ebony Street, he was approached by three men. One of the men, had a chrome in color object resembling a [�]

Police find crack and cocaine while searching abandoned building in Placencia
Yesterday evening, police conducted a search in an abandoned building located on the South Side of Placencia Village which led to the discovery of a black plastic bag which contained (214.7) grams of cocaine and a transparent plastic bag which contained 267.2 grams of crack-cocaine. [�]

16-year-old girl missing from Billy White Village, Cayo District
According to police reports, Melissa Jeanette Hernandez ,16, of Billy White Village, Cayo District is missing. Hernandez is of fair skin complexion, 5 feet in height, slim built with straight brown hair, light brown eyes, and has a scar behind her left leg. Hernandez was [�]

Fair weather prevails; tropical systems monitored
The 24-hour forecast is for mostly fair and warm weather to continue with sunny skies today and partly cloudy tonight. The wind will blow from the east at 10-20 knots. The sea state will be moderate. High temperatures are expected as follows: In the coast, [�]

Belizean student tops Islamic studies in Ghana, Africa
Stephen Gabb, 24, a Belizean National living and studying in Ghana, Africa, has done well in his studies to become an Ahmadi Missionary. Information is that Gabb ranked third place in his studies with an average of 80.9%. He posted to Facebook, "Only through [�]

William "Chichi" Fonseca passes
William "ChiChi" Fonseca passed away yesterday at his home in Belize City. Fonseca was a career educator who retired as the Chief Education Officer in 1979 when he became visionary impaired. However, that same year he became a founding member and the honorary president of [�]

Tropic Air suspends service to Chetumal, Merida & San Pedro Sula, Honduras due to increase in GOB departure taxes
This morning, Tropic Air issued a release announcing that it is suspending scheduled flights to Chetumal, Merida, and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. According to the airline, the dates of the last flight to/from those destinations are as follows: Chetumal, Mexico: Friday, September 1, 2017 [�]

NEMO hosts Village Leaders Conference in Southern Belize
Over the past weekend, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) held a Village Leaders Conference in the south of Belize to review and reinforce the roles and functions of those leaders in times of disaster. Main presenters at the conference included, Southern Regional Coordinator, [�]

Woman succumbs to injuries received in road traffic accident
On Saturday, July 15, Roaring Creek police responded to a road traffic accident on the George Price Highway that occurred between miles 39 and 40 (near St Mathews Village), where upon arrival Police saw a James Bus parked almost off the highway towards the [�]

Bizarre incident in Orange Walk leaves one man injured with a gun shot
Yesterday around 5:33 pm, police responded to a scene on M-1 Sugar, Orange Walk District where they saw a Grey Dodge Grand Caravan about 25 feet off the road. Police investigations revealed that Tiburcio Fernandez ,37, and Abdi Aban ,22, were traveling at high speed [�]

New conservation post inaugurated in Chiquibul Forest Reserve
On Monday, July 31, 2017, the Caballo Conservation Post became the 6th Conservation Post (C.P) in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and was inaugurated by Minister of Environment, Omar Figueroa and CEO in the Ministry of Defence, Felix Enriquez. The Caballo Conservation Post was proposed by Friends for Conservation and Development [�]

Guatemalan President says taking Belize to the ICJ is top priority of his government
Yesterday BBN reported that the Guatemalan Congress voted to hold a referendum on the Belize/Guatemala Territorial Claim. In a final count of 102 to 158, the Congress supported the decision to hold the referendum to determine if the border dispute with Belize should be [�]

Blogs

The Jabiru in Belize
The Jabiru (latin name jabiru Mycteria) is one of two storks found in Belize, belonging to the Ciconiidae family of birds, the other being the wood stork. It became a protected species in Belize in 1973 , which meant it was illegal to hunt it, and as a result it maintains one of the healthiest breeding populations in Central America. It is one of the largest birds in the western hemisphere at roughly five feet high. As it soars through the air with its eight-foot wingspan it almost looks like a prehistoric pterodactyl. The jabiru possesses a huge black beak which is approximate a foot long. This beak is expertly designed to catch food which consists primarily of fish and reptiles and there is a pouch in their throat that allows them to filter the fish they catch from the water. This beak incidentally is straighter in the male of the species. The black featherless neck is topped with a white tuft on the head that looks much like a mohawk, and a bright red necklace at the base of the neck, adorns the rest of the otherwise white plumage. The legs which are extremely long are also black.

A Mid-Summer Holiday, Off the Grid, On the West Side of Ambergris Caye
As i mentioned in the last post, family is here! They spent just over a week on the reef side of the island (in a HUGE 3 bedroom condo way up at Sapphire Beach Resort) for 8 nights. Ocean views, strong AC, pools, internet and a long beautiful, very well tended beach. It was perfect for a family of 5 - and only 3 miles north of our home. (Note: This resort is also about an hour drive by golf cart to town�but for a huge 3 bedroom condo, the price is fantastic!) The last few days of the vacation was spent off the grid - on the west side of Ambergris Caye at Cayo Frances Farm & Fly. Where the electricity is made by the sun and the water gathered during rain showers (or when that runs out - which it did with 11 people showering - from lagoon by the RO machine).

International Sourcesizz

Diputados aprueban consulta popular por diferendo con Belice
Guatemalan Deputies approve popular consultation on dispute with Belize... Los legisladores aprobaron la realizaci�n de una consulta popular para determinar si este pa�s centroamericano eleva a la Corte Internacional de Justicia (CIJ) un hist�rico conflicto territorial que mantiene con Belice, inform� el Poder Legislativo. El llamado a consulta popular fue aprobado por 102 de 158 congresistas, con el aval ahora el Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) debe realizar los preparativos para la consulta popular, que forma parte de los acuerdos alcanzados entre Guatemala y Belice para resolver el a�ejo conflicto que ha dejado varios campesinos guatemaltecos muertos y mantiene tensi�n en la frontera no delimitada.

Guatemalan Gov't Requests National Unity in Dispute with Belize
Guatemala''s President Jimmy Morales today requested full backup of the country to solve territorial dispute with Belize. Guatemalans must decide in popular referendum to take or not the case related with Belmop�n to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give a definitive solution to the continental maritime insular dispute, declared the Head of State. He explained that Congress will have to send the passed agreement to Supreme Electoral Court (SEC) that is going to put a date to make the referendum. He stressed that in 2008 there was a signature agreement in which both countries expressed their will to come to ICJ to solve the dispute.

Cafe at Far Eastern presents the "Taste of Belize"
Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei launched the "Taste of Belize" this summer, featuring guest chef Jennie Staines Pinelo from Belize to take diners on a flavorful journey to Belize from July 27 to August 13. Chef Jennie will prepare a wide selection of authentic Central American specialties to stimulate the diners' taste-buds and give them a chance to win the grand prize in a lucky draw when they dine during the event period. Caf� at Far Eastern has cooperated with the Central America Trade Office, the Embassy of Belize, EVA Air and Aviana Airways to present the prizes, which include Taipei-Belize round-trip tickets and a special Belize hamper (market value: NT$4,000). Moreover, Caf� 50, Taiwan's highest buffet restaurant located in the Banqiao district of New Taipei City, will join and launch the same promotion from August 2 to 8. Guest may call (02)7711-2080 for reservations at Caf� at Far Eastern and (02)7705-9723 for reservations at Caf� 50.

Videos

  • Early lunch for a snake, 2min.

  • Science and Society Meeting in Hopkins Village, Belize, 3.5min.

  • Rio Blanca, Toledo, Belize, 4.5min. My Dad took me to see a beautiful waterfall I hope you enjoy it too.

  • And Miss Belize Michelle Nu�ez takes the crown!, 1min.

  • Miss Costa Maya Pageant 2017, 3.5 hours.

  • Belize Action Community (BAC) is hosting 40 youths in a summer camp, 20min.

  • Expectations for the future work of the City Council., 41min.

  • Statistical Institute of Belize - Risk Factors for Chronic Kidney Disease Survey, 40min.

  • The Cultural Segment of the Reina de la Costa Maya was spectacular!, 7.5min.

  • Belize's Bird Island featured on Thrillist!, 2min.

  • THE SCARLET ADVENTURES: IN PRODUCTION, 13min. THE SCARLET ADVENTURES is conceived, written, produced and directed by Jeffrey Pergament and is an adult cartoon in the style of Fritz the Cat and The Secret of Nimh, as if Once Upon A Time in Mexico merged with Goodfellas, Tequila Sunrise and DePalma's Scarface by way of the Yucatan Peninsula to Belmopan, Belize and swept by a hurricane to Key West, Florida and Cayo LaVida is on the cover of the LIQUIDISLAND CD Album, GO YOUR WAY. How did the scarlet macaw get to be the cover bird on the LIQUIDISLAND CD Album? That answer, of course, is in the Epilogue.

  • Vacation in Belize - March 2017 - Day 1 - Chaa Creek Resort, 8min. Our first 2 days in Belize where we spent the night at the Chaa Creek Resort located in the Cayo District. We stayed in the camp part of the resort in a casita. Our first activity in Belize was horse back ridding to the farm which was excellent. Thank you Teddy for giving us this incredible tour!

  • Secret Beach San Pedro, Belize, 4min.


  • Link Copied to Clipboard
    March
    S M T W T F S
    1 2
    3 4 5 6 7 8 9
    10 11 12 13 14 15 16
    17 18 19 20 21 22 23
    24 25 26 27 28 29 30
    31
    Cayo Espanto
    Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
    More Links
    Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
    Who's Online Now
    0 members (), 314 guests, and 0 robots.
    Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
    Forum Statistics
    Forums44
    Topics79,199
    Posts500,011
    Members20,460
    Most Online7,413
    Nov 7th, 2021



    AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
    BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
    BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
    BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

    The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
    and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

    Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5