Today's Belize News: December 12, 2017

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Today's Belize News: December 12, 2017 #527641 12/12/17 06:43 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 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 IDB and Government officials discuss improved sustainability for tourism Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Chief for the Environment, Rural Development and Disaster Risk Management Division, Mr. Pedro Martel visited Belize this past week to discuss with top government officials and private sector representatives, ways of improving sustainability of tourism investments in addition to coastal resilience and adaptation measures. Accompanied by IDB Country Representative, Cassandra T. Rogers, Mr. Martel met with officials from the Ministry of Economic Development; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation; the Belize Tourism Board; the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute and, the Belize Tourism Industry Association during a three-day visit, December 6-8. Additionally, the IDB delegation, together with officials of relevant ministries and the Belize Tourism Board, visited key tourism investments, financed by the IDB, including the Belize City Memorial Park, the San Pedro Water Taxi Terminal and Municipal Pier, and the Cayo Welcome Center. Mr. Martel was also the keynote speaker at the Belize Tourism Industry Association's (BTIA) 32nd Annual General Meeting. Little Angels Preschool delights audience with annual Christmas Show The students from Little Angels Preschool delighted dozens of parents and guests at their annual Christmas show on Thursday, December 7th. Held at the Lions Den, the energetic toddlers presented various well-organized dance routines that brought out the holiday spirit. According to little angels' principal, Marina Kay, the annual event serves as a fundraiser for the preschool. As such, food, snacks and refreshments were on sale during the event. At 7PM, the first number jump-started the event with students taking the stage to perform 'I'm a little snowman.' This performance was followed by Rudolph and the Hokey Pokey Ranger. Ambergris Today Alberto Nunez Laid To Rest After Island's First State Funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor people of national significance. This honor was bestowed to Don Alberto "Beto" Nu�ez, who was the fifth Mayor of San Pedro Town and who served for two terms. Don Beto, as he was popularly called, died on December 8, 2017, at the age of 83. Members of the San Pedro Police force provided the Guard of Honor and Pall Bearers were members of the San Pedro PUP Marshals. The Belize flag covered and decorated the coffin and a PUP flag led the procession from the Seventh Day Adventist Church to St. Peter's Cemetery. Love FM's Christmas Parade Spreads Christmas Cheer It's Christmas time and San Pedro knows how to celebrate during this festive season. Without a doubt one of the biggest parades that the island has seen this year took place on Sunday, December 10, 2017, as hundreds of island residents and tourists lined up the streets of San Pedro to witness Love FM's Christmas Parade. Love FM gathers groups, organizations and businesses that wish to participate in the fun and puts together a fun-filled parade full of lights, music and entertainment. This year saw the participation of the San Pedro Town Council with Santa Claus joining them in the fun and leading the parade. They were followed by the San Pedro RC School Marching Band and Majorettes and ABC Pre School with their fun mascots such Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Donald - absolute highlight for the children. One Step Closer For Law On Moratorium On Offshore Oil In Belize On Friday, December8, 2017, Belizean parliamentarians gave bi-partisan support for the legislation that places an indefinite moratorium on offshore oil in Belize's marine territory, including territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zone. The Petroleum Operations (Offshore Zone Moratorium) Bill, 2017 has now been referred to the Senate which is scheduled to meet next Wednesday, December 13. Once passed by that legislative body, the Bill will be signed into law by the Governor General of Belize. Misc Belizean Sources Christmas Parade - with Happy Sharks! What a fabulous San Pedro Christmas Parade we had this year! Huge turnout on the streets of San Pedro. This is a big event put on annually by radio and TV station Love FM - News and Music Power. During this parade, we were proud to introduce our amazing Marine MARCLub members (kids from several local schools) who helped design and create the HammerCart with our research and outreach assistant Cynthia Xiu (who created the marine club). The students also insisted (and occasionally fought) to become our mascots. And in fact this was our mascots' first big presentation to the broader San Pedro - and through TV - to the Belizean public. We could not get over HOW MANY people - kids especially - wanted to hug our mascots Betto/Betty the Bull Shark and Hammy the Hammerhead and wanted to take pictures with them. Get ur delicious Rumpopo from my daddy, Captain Rob!! He has all day everyday! $20, $30 and $50 bottles!! Treat ur tastebuds. Every year, daddy makes his famous, delicious, mouth watering Rumpopo. This year is no different! Taking orders for Satuday 11th November...$20 per quart, $30 per liter and $50 for elephant foot!! Captain Rob's Rumpopo, bringing the love of the Christmas season to your home!!! Comment below or inbox to place orders, thanks! Pics from a whirlwind trip to Belize Only a week left for the Belize Hawk Watch! Over 13,000 raptors counted and nearly 3500 Hook-billed Kites. Welcome home our CTO Caribbean Adventure Ambassador - Rowan Garel! At W. Goldson International Airport A view from Children's Park Corozal CSAM member Carlos Carrillo working on his mural at the Market in Corozal These murals are a welcomed addition to our Corozal landscape and character. Well done Carlitos!! Belmopan Water Outage Tuesday Belize Water Services hereby informs customers in Belmopan that there will be an interruption in the water supply, Tuesday, December 12, 2017, starting at 10:00pm. The area to be affected is the entire Belmopan City. This interruption is necessary to conduct electrical maintenance. Customers may experience low water pressure and/or discoloration when water is restored. Residents in these areas are being advised that water supply should return to normal by Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 2:00 am. If they experience water supply problems after that time, they should immediately call BWS' hotline at 0-800-CALL-BWS (0-800-225-5297) to report it. Christmas Bird Count 2017 We start off with a bang this Friday! Cockscomb CBC pre-count meeting is Thursday at 7.30pm at Cockscomb Basin. It is fine if you did not start your birding year right, here's your chance to end it right! Official inauguration of the New San Ignacio & Santa Elena House of Culture Look out for the official inauguration of the New San Ignacio & Santa Elena House of Culture (NICH), this Wednesday Dec.13th, 2017 at 9:30am in San Ignacio Town, Cayo! Caye Caulker Airport Progress They have done several test holes and placed survey markets all the way down both sides with measurements written on them. No activity since they finished the surveying a week ago. CCBTIA and National BTIA has both requested update and you can imagine no update. BELIZE HOTEL ASSOCIATION HOSTS 2017 BIANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Belize Hotel Association held its Biannual General Meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 from 1:00PM- 4:00PM at Mahogany Bay Village in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Present were members and Board of Directors of the BHA , other Tourism Stakeholders, partners and guests. Also in attendance was Ms. Karen Pike, Director of Marketing, of the BTB and Mr. John Burgos, Executive Director of the BTIA. Belize Bureau of Standards Office Hours The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) in the Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce hereby informs the public that its offices will be closed for business on December 14th, 2017 between the hours of 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and during the entire day of December 15th, 2017. The Bureau apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause. For further information please call our office at 822-0446 or 822-0447. Pediatric Bracing Mission 2017 Special Thanks to the San Ignacio Welcome Center and Faye of the Inspiration Center for hosting our Pediatric Bracing Mission 2017. There are so many children in this area that would otherwise have to travel to the city to receive these services .We look forward to our continued partnership in 2018. TTSI PRESENTS " BULLIE QUEEN TANYA CARTER LIVE" Saturday, December 16th 2017 inside Thirsty Thursday's live singing her hit MILLION Tanya Carter! Perdomo passes on in San Pedro He was always smiling very happy person. Rest In Peace Perdomo.. "JOSE DE LA CRUZ" LA VOZ DE PAPEL at the PRINCESS CASINO FREEZONE Everyone is cordially invited for another Laugh Out Loud weekend with the live musical comedy show of "JOSE DE LA CRUZ" LA VOZ DE PAPEL at the PRINCESS CASINO FREEZONE, Corozal this Friday, December 15th and Saturday, December 16th from 10:00 p.m. Come out! Laugh and have a wonderful time and get a chance to win. No cover!!! Corozal Christmas Parade Our annual Christmas Parade will be better and brighter. Come out this Sunday, December 17th at 6:00 P.M. at our Corozal Central Park to enjoy a colourful night of Christmas cheers. Come out with all the family and bring out any item or gadget that lights up. Let us light and brighten up our town this Sunday. Please tell your friends to bring any item or gadget that either glows or lights up so we can brighten up our town this Sunday. Benque 2017 Posadas Empiezan The 2017 Benque Posadas will be starting this Friday, December 15th, at 8:00pm. There will be marimba music. "You are cordially invited to join us for the first night as we host the Benque Posadas, December 15th, 2017. Join the Street Procession/ Pilgrimage after Mass at 8:00 p.m. leading to the House of Culture with live marimba music, Mary, Joseph and the pilgrims! Photos of the Verdes FC vs Bandits SC Finals Game 2nd leg of the Verdes FC vs Bandits SC Finals Game, The game ended in favor of Verdes FC winning by Aggregate at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan City Saturday December 9th 2017. FCD's Environmental Youth members meet with Guatemalan youth With support from the British High Commission Office in Belize a two day binational youth exchange activity was conducted. FCD's Environmental Youth members and youth from four Guatemalan communities met in Chiquibul to discuss an environmental coordination mechanism. Channel 7 Security Guard Murdered - Family Says He Was Targeted A 61 year old man was killed at his workplace over the weekend. Security guard Baltazar Sarmiento was on duty at the Buca Shell Gas Station on the Phillip Goldson Highway - when he was attacked and shot in the head. Police believe it was burglary, but Sarmiento's son says his dad was targeted. Courtney Weatherburne has more. For Maikor Sarmiento, having his dad with him for his high school graduation is one of the most precious moments in his life. Now, Maikor has to constantly revisit that memory to try and block out the horrid reality of his father's murder. Con-Man Has Hit Eight Businesses Police say that a con-man is making the rounds to local merchants and duping with a smooth game. He's hit 7 or 8 businesses in Belize City - and that's after doing the same in San Ignacio and Orange Walk. Here's what he does: he tells business owners that he's come to collect on behalf of one of the large wholesalers - and he presents them with bogus paperwork to that effect. The business pays, but it doesn't go to their supplier, because he pockets the money. Tonight, police are warning business owners to check with their suppliers before issuing that cheque: Fire Touched Finnegan Market Area Unexpectedly A clothes vendor at the Hyde's mini market is asking for help after her stall and all her belongings were destroyed by fire. It started on Saturday afternoon - right after the busiest time at the adjacent Michael Finnegan market. As amateur video shows, the fire started right at the edge of the street: Courtney Weatherburne reporting: In a matter of minutes, this small market stall was gutted by flames. Helpless passersby just looked on. The tenant, Pearl Usher was standing nearby as all her clothes turned to brittle blackened rubble. Pearl Usher, Clothes Vendor: "One of my friends tell me Pauline your place is on fire, but then I didn't believe because she lies to run joke. So I came and check and see the place was on fire for true." Cops Make Arrests For Big Money Jacking Police have charged two men who they say were responsible for a 12 thousand dollar robbery last week. 28 year old Leon Weir and 18 year old Louquan Flowers were caught on camera last week Wednesday when they robbed 45 year old businesswoman Zeneida Allen. She was at an apartment building at 4 Fullers Lane when a group of men barged in and one of them struck her on the face with a stone. Another man then snatched a bag containing $8,800 in cash that she was sitting on. They also grabbed an I-phone, a Tory Burch designer wallet and a Jeep Compass vehicle key. Police were nearby and set chase after the men - leading to a shootout on Euphrates Avenue. Tomza Thieves Caught In A Hurry The Gas Tomza mini depot at mile one and a half on the Western Highway sits in an isolated area, and for that reason, it has been targeted by thieves more than twice. And it happened again last week Thursday. Two men lured the female clerk outside and held her up with a knife. They then dragged her inside and ransacked the office to find money. They made off with almost $1,500 dollars in cash. But, this time police were quick to catch the robbers. Today the head of CIB, ASP Cowo told us it's because of the use of those new "Cat" phones that police were able to get the word out quickly and catch one of the suspects a mile away near the Lord Ridge Cemetery:.. War Of Words Over Workers Trust Continues Last week Thursday, we showed you the press conference that the Public Sector Workers Trust, the Public Service Union and the BNTU held. They wanted to answer questions about the state of affairs with the Trust. That's after the 600 retired public officers sued them over management and control of just under 8 million dollars in back pay and won. Well, just a few hours before the start of tonight's news, the claimants, who brought the lawsuit against the Unions and the Trust on behalf of the retired public officers, called a press conference to respond. They want to clear up some areas they feel the other side has deliberately clouded up. One issue is their interpretation of the judgment. We pick up the conversation where their attorney detailed the exact orders of the judgement: Police Cautious In Exploring Sexual Assault Case Last week, a 25 year old Orange Walk woman came forward to say that in April, her manager had forced her to perform indecent acts on him. Police today said it is an investigation they are proceeding with cautiously:... ASP Alejandro Como, OC - CIB: "No arrest has been made. I know that the matter is still being investigated. It is something that we have to investigate in-depth. It is not something that you just go with what is one person is saying, so we have to really in all angles that everything is covered before any arrest is made." Police Plan To Charge "Cellie" For Sodomy In another uncommon report of a sex crime, Police say they are getting ready to charge a prison inmate for sodomising his cellmate. As we reported, the 21 year old prisoner told police that on November 24th and 29th his cellmate forcefully sodomised him. He told police that on the first occasion his cellmate chocked him and he went unconscious - and woke up to find he had been raped. The same thing happened five days later - but this time it ended in a fight. A medical examination confirmed that the rape had caused an injury which was classified as harm. Today, police said they will charge the cellmate:.. Family Says Wanted Westby Captured In Mexico, Cops Clueless Last week Friday, news broke in Belize that a man wanted for a San Pedro murder had been found in Mexico. Vildo Westby - who is wanted for killing 44 year old Islander Felix Ayuso in February, was reportedly captured in Mexico on the strength of an Interpol Alert from Belize. The San Pedro Sun quotes Ayuso's family as saying that they got a tip from someone in Las Choapas, Mexico near Veracruz to say that he was hiding out. Family members tell the Sun they travelled there "which led to the successful apprehension of Westby," and that a $13,000 reward had been given to the person that tipped them off. So far, so good - meaning the only question left is when he would be deported to Belize. But today the police told us they have had no official confirmation that he has been caught:.. Chuc Found Dead On Road - Not Foul Play Police Say A man was found dead in Cayo yesterday morning - but police do not suspect foul play. At 6:30 in the morning, 34 year old Israel Chuc was found lying face down on the right side of the road. Police say they saw no signs of violence - and added that he had just been to the hospital:.. ASP Alejandro Cowo, OC - CIB: "Police visited the Branch Mouth where they found him lying apparently dead. He was observed with some injuries to the neck; however, we understand that he had previously visited the hospital complaining about some injuries on himself. We believe that no foul play is suspected in his death. At present the post mortem will be conducted today so we are awaiting the post mortem results. But there are no other injuries on the body that we can observe that can lead to any other believed to be any homicide or any murder." LOO Laments Loan Timing Turning now to politics, we couldn't get everything from Friday's house meeting unto the news. One of them was a loan motion from the Government of Taiwan for 40 Million US dollars. We've been reporting on that for weeks now - it's the usual program of assistance - and that 40 million US is for four years. But the Leader of the Opposition questioned the timing:.. No Funding For Western Region Expansion And while some sparks flew on that one, there was hardly an eyebrow raised when the Health Minister casually mentioned that major funding to rehabilitate the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan had fallen through. In 2015 when the rat in the incubator story burst out - the media was told that the old hospital would soon get an upgrade through a 30 million dollar European Union project. Well, that won't happen again. It seems the Ministry let the money slip away:... Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health: "Talking about the hospital that we wanted to do in Belmopan. Yes, the funds were there with the EU, but it was EU funds. It happened that there was some kind of problems from the EU that we couldn't get the funds anymore. So that hospital is not going to be done right now. We had some funds we have already approved through SIF - 1.4 million for us to do an extension to the hospital here in Belmopan." Coast Guard SEA Cadets Called Up You've heard about Police and BDF cadets, and now another arm of law enforcement, the Belize Coast Guard, has launched its new cadet program. It's called the SEA Cadet & Mentorship Program, and they invited us today to find out how it will work, and what positive influences they hope to have on the children who sign up. Here's what they had to say about the benefits of this program: The program was inaugurated today, but it will actually start on January 9. That's when the first mentorship sessions will begin. Participating children are between the ages of 9 and 12. Capital Kids and Cops Cattle Ranching In other news about positive engagement between law enforcement and youths, Belmopan Police had kids playing cowboy over the weekend. The cops took a group of capital kids to the Cayo farm of Joseph Friezen for day's outing. They got to experience farm life, and learned a bit about cattle rearing. The children participated in activities such as roping a calf, and branding it. They also learned how to administer bovine injections, and they were given a lesson on how to recognize the different breeds of calf. Cops Say No To Toy Guns And keeping it on kids and cops, today police sent out a public caution to parents: be very careful when buying toy guns this Christmas. Those can include airguns, or imitation guns. Senior Superintendent Bart Jones said that play guns can cause real trouble:... No Gold Yet For Belize When we left you on Friday, Belize had only gotten one bronze medal a the Central American games, but the count as of this morning shows that it has now gotten two silver medals and two bronze - and during the course of today there were more. The latest figures show that Belize has now gotten three silver and three bronze for a total of 6 medals - which is way at the back of the pack. Guatemala leads with 173. But, hope springs eternal and, today the Table Tennis delegation left to Nicaragua for the games. The team comprises Taye Parkinson, Deveah Hukmani, Terry Su and Kelly Liu. Competition starts on Wednesday in Nicaragua. Weighty Weed In Cayo San Ignacio police conducted a pre-dawn operation on Saturday and caught a 17 year old minor with 70 grams of weed. Police also found 6 pounds, or 2.7 kilos of weed. The drugs were labeled as found property. "Mex" For Crack And on Caye Caulker a fisherman was arrested and charged for drug trafficking - but this time it was crack cocaine. Police searched 56 year old Walter August, known as Mexican and found 15 grams of crack cocaine on him. Honoring Civil Aviation Greats On last week Friday's news, we showed you how The Civil Aviation Department opened up their fancy new second floor for the viewing of their multimillion-dollar radar system. We got to show you the highlight, but because of the length of the news, we didn't get a a chance to show you how the International Civil Aviation Day ceremonies went. Channel 5 Security Guard Murdered; 2-Week Break in City Snapped For a period of two weeks since November twenty-fourth, there were no murders recorded in the city, but shortly after midnight on Friday, the lifeless body of Baltazar Sarmeinto Ponce [...] In San Ignacio, Israel Chuc Dies Suddenly In the case of the lifeless body of thirty-four-year-old Israel Chuc, a resident of Santiago Juan Layout in San Ignacio, police do not suspect foul play. Chuc's body was discovered [...] Inmate to be Charged with Raping Another The sexual assault of an inmate, an alleged rape that occurred at the Belize Central Prison, is being investigated by police and it is expected that the perpetrator of that [...] Accused in Gas Tomza Robbery Deny Involvement in Court An Ex-B.D.F. soldier, along with a night division student at Gwen Lizarraga High School, were arraigned this morning in connection with the robbery of Gas Tomza on the George Price [...] Fire Hits Market Stall The Michael Finnegan Market, formerly known as Queen's Square Market, was the scene of a fire over the weekend.� On Saturday afternoon, a stall that was being occupied by fifty-two-year-old [...] C.J. Needs More Time for Court Judgments The overwhelming backlog of cases that have inundated Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin continues to weigh down on his ability to mete out justice in a timely manner.� When the Bar [...] Retired Public Officers Say: Where Are Our Increments? On Thursday, representatives of the Public Sector Workers Trust, along with attorney Anthony Sylvester, came forward claiming a legal victory against a trio of former public officers who filed a [...] Court Restrained P.S.W.T.'s Loan Scheme, But No Challenges to Trustees Senior Counsel Magali Marin-Young refuted the claims made by trustees at Thursday's press conference, laying the facts of the case before the media this evening.� She says that the claims [...] Accounting for Hundreds of Thousands in 'Investments' In the lawsuit filed by the three pensioners, the question of loans amounting to four hundred and thirty-one thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars disbursed to various unions and associations [...] Cops Close in on Fake 'Money Collector' With Christmas fast approaching, Police say that business owners must be on the lookout for a fake money collector. That's because there is a person going around targeting shops in [...] Has Vildo Westby Been Captured? Police Await Confirmation On Friday, we reported that an arrest had been made by Mexican authorities in connection with the brutal slaying of San Pedro resident Felix Ayuso back in February.� While Vildo [...] Fuller's Alley Home Invaders Captured A trio of men, including thirty-three-year-old Leon Earl Weir, Luwan Flowers and Edward Saldano, has been charged for a daring aggravated burglary in Fuller's Alley in Belize City last week.� [...] Coast Guard Introduces Sea Cadets The Sea Cadets - they are the young new faces on whom the Coast Guard hopes to make an impression. After years of planning, the Coast Guard is taking fifty [...] 1 Year Later, UNCAC Process Up to Date; Everyone Needs to be Involved On December ninth, 2016, Belize took a historic step by signing its accession to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, UNCAC.� By doing so, it became the hundred and eighty-second [...] A Final Look Back at Senate Special Select Committee's Wild Ride After more than three hundred thousand dollars spent in the course of twelve months and forty-plus sessions, the Senate Special Select Committee's work, at least publicly, is done. It has [...] Why is Yok Balum Cave Closed? Friday's final meeting of the House of Representatives for 2017 passed by with not excessive fanfare and fuss, as the parliamentarians got through a relatively light schedule around the stroke [...] Finally, Medals for Athletes, 'Ballers at Central American Games Over the past two weeks, we have been showing you the teams representing Belize at the Central American Games in Nicaragua. It took Belize a few days to get on [...] Gimme 5 - Daughter Accepts Mom's Grand Prize Channel Five's twenty-fifth anniversary as a television station came last year. But last week our longest-running program other than this newscast marked a similar anniversary too. That's right; it has [...] Christmas at Stella Maris It is the season for giving and the children at Stella Maris Primary School had a day of fun-filled activities complete with gifts from Santa Claus at the Radisson. The [...] PLB Champions Verdes Rules Sports Monday Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities�] LOVE FM Orange Walk Police Investigate Armed Robbery Yesterday afternoon Orange Walk Police responded to a robbery in progress at a store on San Antonio Road. The robbers fled before police arrived on the scene. According to the owner, 45-year-old Jianbo Wu, two men disguised in green safety vests and other clothing barged into the store, pointed a black handgun at him and [�] Breaking Belize News Armed robbery in Orange Walk town Orange Walk police are faced with a case of armed robbery in that jurisdiction. Yesterday [�] Police cannot confirm accused Belizean killer detained in Mexico It has been widely rumored that Mexican authorities nabbed the man wanted in connection with [�] Man who allegedly raped cell mate to be charged Last week we reported that a 21 year old prisoner at the central prison in [�] Clint Geban and Leroy Brown charged for robbery Last Thursday there was a report of an armed robbery at a butane gas depot [�] Police have no suspects in weekend murder We had previously reported on the murder of a watchman on duty over the weekend. [�] Cool and dry conditions to prevail The 24-hour forecast is for fair, cool and dry conditions to prevail with cloudy skies [�] Blogs Never Seen so Many Walkaholics at Once - Start of Love FM Christmas Parade I messaged my friend Jack and told him if he had any cart worthy errands over the next 2 days to let me know. He answered back a while later and mentioned the start of the Love FM Parade at Wayos beach bar. So in spite of having just settled down with my smart TV, I told him I would be chauffeur but not likely stay. So I got my warm gear on, drove south of town to pick him up and deliver him to Wayos to catch the parade line-up and of course, I stayed. Thankfully it was noticeably warmer on the beachside than the lagoon side of town. There were so many people to catch up with and a few new ones to meet. We mingled and watched decorated carts lining up. Soon it was time for the group shot, which was Jacks reason to go. LoveFM's Christmas Parade Floods the Streets of San Pedro with Kids, Candy and Holiday Cheer I'm in disbelief. Disbelief that Christmas is 2 weeks away. Where did 2017 go? And more disbelief that last night was LoveFM radio's SEVENTH annual lighted parade through the streets of San Pedro. I think I have written about and photographed each and every parade. Seven years - and yet I'm haven't aged a day. A Christmas miracle! Here are the better pics from this year. Movement and flashing lights and darkness? It's this amateur photogs worst nightmare. But hopefully you can get a sense of how magical this event is - and how happy happy happy it makes the kids on this island. International Sources Murder investigation after British woman dies in Belize A British woman is feared to have been murdered in Belize where she had been volunteering at a children's home. The body of Michele Anison, 46, of North Staffordshire, was discovered in her apartment with multiple stab wounds. She had been living in the village of Ladyville for about two years. Police investigating the death said that there were no signs of forced entry to the flat, and that her car and personal documents, including her passport, were missing. She was last seen alive five days earlier, and was found with stab wounds to her neck and chest. FUERTE MOVILIZACI�N CAUS� EN CHETUMAL LA FUGA DE UN TIGRE DE BENGALA Incredulidad y m�s tarde terror caus� la ma�ana de este lunes la presencia de un tigre de bengala que merodeaba la zona baja de la ciudad de Chetumal. El avistamiento del tigre reportado en las redes sociales gener� gran movilizaci�n de autoridades policiacas y protecci�n civil que constataron y verificaron que s�, que el felino andaba libre. La fiera fue ubicada en un domicilio de la calle Guadalupe Victoria, a espalda de la iglesia Perpetuo Socorro, en la colonia Barrio Bravo de esta capital. Seg�n datos preliminares el tigre de bengala de aproximadamente 200 kilos hab�a burlado su cautiverio, liberando las cadenas que lo somet�an, salt� al predio contiguo, ocult�ndose entre la maleza y unas matas de pl�tano. Videos Wildtracks Update, 1/2min. Whilst we normally post about the Wildtracks rehabilitation programmes on Facebook, we don't often post about the wider Wildtracks activities. As we launch the National Primate Conservation Planning initiative, however, we are very enthusiastic in wanting to share the steps in this exciting strategic planning process with you! With two endangered primate species in Belize - the Yucatan black howler monkey and the Yucatan black-handed spider monkey (we've now standardised these names across our activities based on regional and scientific acceptance), and with decreasing available forest habitat and increasing forest fragmentation, it is time to look at what needs to be put in place across Belize to ensure the long term viability of both these species. Belize Now \| Friday, December 8, 2017, 32min. Belize celebrates Anti-Corruption Week, Corozal Town gets a new farmer's market, Police receive new fingerprinting system, and Belmopan students are growing their own food. 1. Belize celebrates Anti-Corruption Week 2. Corozal Town gets new farmer's market 3. Belmopan Police Department heads Small-Scale Farming in Schools Project 4. US Embassy in Belize donates Afix Trackers System to the Belize Police Department 5. Office of the Music Ambassador and Beltraide launch online site for Belizean musicians 6. Ministry of Energy host stakeholder consultation on EU grant for energy sector development Afix Tracker Systems Gifted, 3min. On Monday, December 4th, the Belize Police Department was officially gifted fourteen (14) Afix Tracker Systems from the United States Embassy in Belize. The United States Embassy has also provided the training for over 30 Police and Scenes of Crime Officers from all the districts, on how to use and operate these systems. Opening of new Corozal Market, 4.5min. Officials, residents, and vendors gathered in the Finca Solana area in Corozal Town on Friday, December 1st to celebrate the opening of a new market. The market was financed by the European Union under its Accompanying Measures for Sugar (AMS) 2013 Programme. An objective of the AMS 2013 is to foster diversification of the agricultural base in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts and to minimize the overall macroeconomic impacts on the communities. Small Scale Farming in Schools Project, 5min. Back in October of this year, we reported that the Taiwan Embassy in Belize donated $5000 to the Small Scale Farming in Schools Project, headed by the Belmopan Police Department. Well, that project is underway and Belize Now visited a couple of the participating schools. According to the Belmopan Police Department, it is expected that around twelve hundred students will be impacted by the project. Bruk it Down Jenny - Family Dynamics at Christmas, 28min. Travel the World - Belize,54 min. Today, Londonman11 takes us through the exotic landscape and major tourist destination Belize, located in Central America. The Great Blue Hole of Belize Underwater Video Unedited, 52min. Full unedited video of great blue hole dive in belize. check out minutes 12 through 17 for the best of it. Huge shark at 19:00. This is how a pig is killed in Belize, 2min. Lionfish hunting in Belize, .5min. Conversation with the UNICEF Belize Representative Dr. Susan Kasedde, 13min. UNICEF Headquarters speaks with Susan Kasedde, UNICEF Representative in Belize, about UNICEF's work in the country, Belize Trip December 2017, 2min. Our trip which included Mountain Pine Ridge, 1000 Foot Falls, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, San Ignacio Market, Black Rock Lodge, Nina's Place, Blue Hole, and St. Herman Cave Smart Christmas Promotions 2017, 24min. Caribbean Adventure Ambassador 2017, 34min. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DISCUSSION IS THE AMENDMENT TO THE MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT, 9min. the Governor General signed the amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act into law, decriminalizing the possession of 10 grams of marijuana or less. Since the amendment was made after more than four years, there have been many outburst from Belizean citizens both affirmative and negative. However, there is also a great misconception when it comes to the term 'decriminalization' as it is being confused with that of 'legalization'. ROBBERS TARGET CHINESE STORE IN ORANGE WALK�, 5min. Tonight there is another armed robbery to report on here in Orange Walk Town, the fifth in just a few months. This time it was Andson Supermarket located on San Antonio Road who fell victim to armed assailants who made off with close to five hundred dollars in cash over the weekend. Norma Ruiz reports. THE HONORABLE JOHN BRICENO SPREADS SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER, 5min. Christmas Day is only two weeks away, however, the spirit of the season is up and in full swing here in Orange Walk Town, where Santa Clause is already making his yearly rounds by sorting out children who belong to his 'nice or naughty' list. Over the weekend, Santa paid a visit to the children from the Orange Walk Central as Honourable John Brice�o in collaboration with the Orange Walk Central Executive Committee hosted their annual Children's Christmas party. WCB at Rock the Reef, 3.5min. The World Culture Band represented Cayo at the Rock the Reef concert on Saturday. There are many videos from the event, including another of the WCB. Traveling To San Pedro, Ambergris Caye From San Ignacio In Western Belize Nov 2017, 18min. Coconut water in Belize!!!!, 1/2min. First coconut water ever!!! Christmas Celebrations with Santa in San Pedro Town Belize 2017, 3min. Tonight we celebrated the Christmas spirit with friends, kids, and of course Santa. This fun event was held at The Truck Stop and was fun for all. I hope you enjoy the video and that I get to meet you when you come to Belize. Cheers and Happy Holidays! Funky Dodo Backpackers Hostel Hopkins Village Belize 2017/8, 2min. A short tour of the Funky Dodo Backpackers Hostel in Hopkins Belize Christmas in Town Live from San Ignacio, 125min. John Legend performs Redemption Song by Bob Marley at this year's Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony, 4min.