AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life News Daily news prior to today Today's Belize News: April 22, 2018

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Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

ECI Development unveils first Marriott branded property in Belize
On Thursday, April 19th, the ECI Development group announced plans to bring the Marriott Hotels' signature brand to Belize. During a private event south of San Pedro Town, the project was revealed as a 203-unit hotel, combined with as many as 70 branded residences. In attendance were representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development, San Pedro Mayor Daniel Guerrero, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr., Vice President of Marriott Hotel Brand Rahul Vir and other invited guests. "We are thrilled to bring the Marriott Hotels' brand to Ambergris Caye, one of the Caribbean's most beautiful island destinations with famed access to the Belize Barrier Reef and dive sites," said Michael Cobb, Chairman, and CEO of ECI Development. "We are particularly excited about the opportunity to deliver top-quality lodging and residences in this special place with a beloved global brand."

Misc Belizean Sources

Jairo Romero has been found, he is safe
Thank you SP Police Formation and San Pedro residents and everyone who prayed, shared his picture and was on the lookout. Let's keep an eyes open for our little ones!

FIRST PARROTHEAD BEACH BASH IN BELIZE!
PLEASE JOIN US for music and fun and the FIRST PARROTHEAD BEACH BASH IN BELIZE! Come for all 3 days or DAY PASSES are available. Also special rates for Belizean Citizens. You can purchase your tickets through our website www.parrotheadbeachbashbelize.com or come by on either of the days! And NO - you do not have to be a Parrothead! Just love listening to good Trop Rock music and contributing to Education in Belize.

This sweet pup needs a home!
Don't forget Brutos is still looking for a home. We are fostering him and polishing his doggie manners so he is the best dog for his new home. Please pass by to visit him.

Belize Law-Making Forum 2018
The Attorney General's Ministry in conjunction with the Office of the Prime Minister held the Belize Law-Making Forum 2018 at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza in Belize City on April 19th and 20th 2018 under the theme "Sound Policy for Better Law". The purpose of the Forum was to create a training platform for public officers who play a role in developing policies that are intended to underlie proposed legislation. The Forum's core learning objectives include:

Ariel Rosado Foundation's scholarship program
BEL supports the Ariel Rosado Foundation's scholarship program annually and contributed $3,000 to today's fundraising ride. Thanks to our Megawatts Cycling Club for riding in support of the cause!

Mind & Me Launch Party
Mind & Me has announced the date and place for their launch party. It'll be on Saturday, May 19th at Casa Sofia in Unitedville. If you want to see Night Quest before the launch, he's mixing at the Festival of the Sun and Moon next Saturday in San Pedro. Night Quest mixed last month at the Moon Vibes beach rave, and he was superb.

Hip Hop Festival
The Hip Hop Festival is tonight at the Victor Galvez stadium. It'll be a sports oriented event, and will be family friendly. "All are invited to attend a Family Friendly Festival at the Victor Galvez Stadium on Saturday, April 21st, 1pm -9pm. Entrance is FREE! This event is being organized by a missionary group. Activities such as: Basketball clinics Children's Activities Football Family Games Volleyball And Much More"

Wildtracks Update: Field notes from Fireburn and the North East Corridor
As part of Belize's newly created North East Corridor, Fireburn lies in an area of extensive, contiguous forest that supports wide-ranging species such as white-lipped peccary and jaguar that cannot exist when forests become patchy and fragmented. The forest is also important for supporting birds of prey...meet one of this year's new arrivals - a young ornate hawk eagle. Rudy Castellanos and his post-release tracking team keep an eye on the reintroduced howler monkeys in Fireburn. Adept at moving through the forest, and equipped with a long lens for capturing ID photos of monkeys high in the canopy, they are also able to capture photos of the other wildlife of the area with minimal intrusion. This isn't the only large avian offspring located this year with the help of wildlife reports from the Fireburn community...the other baby is even larger, and much more unexpected....but I'll leave you guessing on that one for a few more days!

The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project
The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project has selected several buildings for reconstruction and renovation in downtown Belize City. The project are: Yarborough Water Front Development ( already Started with Basketball Court), Anglican Cathedral Church (repairs), Government House Property (repairs and new HOC building), Cockburn Lane Property (new building), Court House ( repairs), Paslow Parking Lot (new building), and The Human Development Building on Albert Street (new building). The Yarborough Water Front Development Project has started already with Component A. The next project in the pipeline will he the rebuilding of the Human Development Building scheduled to start as early as May. Below, you will find a short history of the previous building.

Happy Birthday to Nojoch Chiich Anselma Yam who today she is 103 years old
his Maya elder from Patchakan Village Corozal is like a book of knowledge on our Yucatec Maya traditions of northern Belize

The Reporter

Fatal traffic accident in OW
A man lost his life in a traffic accident early this morning in the Orange Walk district. It happened around 3:00 a.m., while Ever Hosmel Uk, 25, of Guinea Grass village, Orange Walk, was driving a GMC flat bed truck on the Phillip Goldson Highway with a wooden building measuring 24′ by 32′ from Orange Walk to Belize City. As Uk reached mile 41, a Toyota Hilux travelling in the opposite direction crashed into the house. The impact caused extensive damage to the left upper portion of the Hilux and caused severe head injuries to its driver, Daniel Urbina, 25, a student of Palmar Village. Urbina was taken to the Northern Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A passenger travelling in his pickup, Rony Pech, 22, of Yo Creek village suffered minor injuries.

Man dies of injuries previously suffered in accident
A man who was injured in a traffic accident earlier today has died of his injuries. American/Belizean, Edward Lachendro, 65, a resident of Sittee River village, Stann Creek, reportedly died shortly after 3:00 this afternoon. Lanchero was receiving medical care at a private hospital in Belize City, after the motorcycle he was driving had a mishap on the Hummingbird highway earlier today.

Fatal shooting on Rectory Lane
A fatal shooting occurred late last night on Rectory Lane and police have not yet identified the victim. Police say that they were alerted to the scene around 11:00 p.m., and saw the dark-skinned person lying face-up, motionless on the street. The man had two gunshot wounds to the head. Police discovered that the man was walking on Rectory Lane when three other persons approached him from behind and one of them pulled out a firearm and shot him twice in the head. Police have no suspects.

Former US First Lady, Barbara Bush to be laid to rest today
Funeral services for Barbara Bush, the matriarch of a Republican political dynasty, is underway in Texas. Mrs. Bush, only the second woman in US history to have had a husband and son elected President, died Tuesday at the age of 92 at her home in Houston. She had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. She decided against seeking additional medical help earlier this week after she had been hospitalized a number of times. Her husband of 73 years, former President George H.W. Bush, entered the church with his son, former President George W. Bush, who wheeled him in.

Two accidents reported; one in Boom, one on GP highway
Two traffic accidents have been reported - one on the Burrell Boom road and the other on the George Price highway. The accident on the Boom road happened a few miles past the Hattieville Prison and involved a fuel tanker and a car. The other accident happened between miles 46 and 47 on the George Price highway and involved a delivery truck and an SUV. The SUV reportedly turned over several times and landed off the road on the grass after the impact.

Body of man discovered, says unconfirmed report
Unconfirmed but reliable reports say that Coast Guard personnel have discovered the body of a man. The discovery, according to sketchy reports, was made somewhere between Middle Caye and Alligator Caye. The Reporter Online News will have the details of this latest discovery as they are provided to us.

Body found at sea identified as that of missing man
Police have confirmed that a body was found earlier today at sea; and they have identified the corpse as that of Leonel Velasquez, who was missing. Coast Guard personnel found Velasquez' body between Middle Caye and Alligator Caye this afternoon.

Breaking Belize News

Body of man found in sea
This afternoon, the body of a man was found near Alligator Caye. The body is believed to be that of missing Paraiso Villager, Lionel Velasquez. [�]

U.S. Human Rights report highlights corruption and aggression toward media
The U.S. Department of State's recently published 2017 report on Human Rights Practices doesn't note any major human rights violation but does cite several instances of aggression against the media as well as allegations of corruption by ministers of government. [�]

BBN Person of the Week- Alberto Palma
Alberto Palma is a successful entrepreneur and community activist in Santa Elena, Cayo, today, but his inspiring journey from humble beginnings was not without its challenges. Palma, BBN's person of the week, recently shared his experiences with us. [�]

US Embassy meet with new Belize City Council team
This week, Charge d' Affairs, Adrienne Galanek of the United States Embassy in Belize met with Mayor Bernard Wagner and the new Belize City Council. The purpose of the meeting was to foster relationships with various organizations that will be beneficial to the municipality. [�]

Elderly man robbed in Belize city
Belize City police are investigating the armed robbery of a retiree that occurred yesterday morning. Gregorio Neftaly Requena, 68, reported that around 10:15 a.m., yesterday while he was at the Salvador body works shop on Amara Avenue, two men armed with knives approached him and robbed him of his wallet containing $1,000 and other important documents. [�]

Violent protests claim 10 lives in Nicaragua
Officials have confirmed that 10 people have died as a result of violent clashes between civilians and police in Nicaragua this week. Nicaraguans are protesting a new Social Security law passed by President Daniel Ortega's government. The law increases employer and employee contributions but decreases the overall pension amount by five percent. [�]

Belize holds Law-Making Forum 2018
The Attorney General's Ministry in conjunction with the Office of the Prime Minister held the Belize Law-Making Forum 2018 at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza in Belize City yesterday and today under the theme, "Sound Policy for Better Law". [�]

Security guard charged for raping student in Belize City
Police have formally arrested and charged Ryan Neal for 'Grievous Harm' and 'Unlawful Sexual Intercourse' yesterday. Neal is being accused of raping a 14-year-old high school student of Belize City where he was employed as a security guard. [�]

Orange Walk student dies in fatal traffic accident
Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident that occurred this morning on the Philip Goldson Highway. According to reports, the incident happened around 3 AM. [�]

Mayor gifts regional credit union president key to the city
As a symbol of friendship, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner presented Hally Haynes, president of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions, the key to Belize City during a ceremony at City Hall this week. [�]

Blogs

Weekend Update: The Road to Secret Beach, Cayo Rosario and Another Marriott Resort
Ten years ago, there was no way to get to the west side of Ambergris Caye by truck or golf cart - it was boat only. But developers obtained a large chunk of "land" - some rock, some land and much mangroved lagoon - and started Grand Belizean Estates. Plots of land on the west side of the island for relatively low prices. An area where there were no utilities - no power, sewage and water - for the foreseeable future. A few homes have been built - they can be counted on 2 hands - but the coast line has become wildly popular. One of the top spots for visitors these days - Secret Beach. The road was built 7 or 8 years ago - piled up to cut across the waterway - and has been heavily used. It has never been smoothed or repaired�UNTIL NOW. All those jagged ruts and jolting rocks, puddles that fill during the rainy season and create small lakes�I hear that it is being smoothed. Yesterday, I took a picture of the newly graded road. And today I'm heading out that way to get the FULL scoop.

Corozal Community College Held their Victory Parade in Corozal
Corozal Central Park was the center of attraction on Friday April 20, 2018, as 100's of Belizeans from all over Corozal town and Belize to witness the Corozal Community College Victory Parade 2018. Corozal Communtiy College victory Parade 2018 kicked off with a parade through the main streets of Corozal town at 5:30pm. It was a celebration of color, rhythm, talent and passion and spirits were high as participants headed in the recalde Stadium in Corozal stadium for the main event. Many had already filled the stadium when the Marching band arrived. The victory parade was to give back to the public a reward ceremony. During the event a short ceremony was made and the field performanced was done. The victory show concluded at 8pm.

International Sources

Ex-Flying Eagles star Salawu eyes Belize league crown
Former Nigeria U20 midfielder Rilwan Salawu has told ScoreNigeria.com.ng that he is looking forward to help his Belize team Belmopan Bandits win the league title back-to-back. The Nigerian-American said he will be delighted to feature in CONCACAF Champions League again after helping his team top the league. The playoffs to determine the champions which will involve the top four teams starts this weekend," he told SCORENigeria "My target is to help my club win the league title back-to-back so I can play in CONCACAF Champions League for next season. "We finished first in regular season and we are going to start the play-off weekend."

Will the Commonwealth be Relevant in the Future?
It is Queen Elizabeth who has been at the heart of this post-Empire organisation going, but what lies in store for the Commonwealth after her? "The Commonwealth is turning the corner - it's not quite round it, yet but it's turning," a leading official involved with the 53-country organisation, which gets more brickbats than praise, said to me at the end of the past week's two-day summit and forums in London. That just about sums up the most optimistic view possible on the current status of this strange post-empire body which, if it owes allegiance to anything or anybody, seems to do so to Queen Elizabeth who turned 92 on Saturday. She has been the organisation's head, and has held it together, since her mid-20s. Just last week, she secured agreement from the summit that Prince Charles, 69, her eldest son and heir to the British throne, will in due course take over from her.

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