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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

Charged with the murder of Jose Beltran, Luis Campos is set free
After being behind bars for three years, 26-year-old Luis Campos walked free from the charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of 42-year-old taxi driver Jose Rigoberto Beltran. Beltran was killed by a single gunshot while inside his taxi vehicle on April 28, 2015. Campos along with three other men (Mark Arzu, Alfredo Trapp, and Santos Garcia) were jointly charged for Beltran's death, but unexpectedly on Friday, May 11th after appearing in the court of justice before Supreme Court Justice Francis Cumberbatch, a 'noelle prosequi' was entered by Crown Counsel Killeru Awich on instruction from the Director of Public Prosecution, Cheryl Vidal. The formal notice means that the case has been abandoned by the plaintiff and therefore the Crown does not wish to proceed with the trial due to lack of evidence.

Scotiabank donates computers to Holy Cross Anglican School
The San Pedro Pirates Football Club held a press conference at the Ambergris Stadium VIP room in San Pedro Town, on Thursday, May 10th. During the conference, members of the media and invited guests were introduced to the new board of directors of the island football club. Shortly after 4PM, Hector "Tito" Alamilla Jr., Councilor in charge of sports, welcomed everyone and explained the purpose of the conference. "The owner of the football club has approached us for administrative help with the club, and we have accepted the offer. We want to make the San Pedro Pirates a championship team that can represent Belize and why not - [we have] a state of the art stadium that can host top foreign teams," said Alamilla. He then introduced the new board of directors, which include Emeliano Rivero as President, Rocio Rivero as Secretary, Tony Maldonado, and Hector Alamilla Jr. as Managers, Eiden Salazar is in charge of Public Relations and Felipe Sansores as Marketing Agent.

San Pedro Pirates F.C introduces new board of directors
The San Pedro Pirates Football Club held a press conference at the Ambergris Stadium VIP room in San Pedro Town, on Thursday, May 10th. During the conference, members of the media and invited guests were introduced to the new board of directors of the island football club. Shortly after 4PM, Hector "Tito" Alamilla Jr., Councilor in charge of sports, welcomed everyone and explained the purpose of the conference. "The owner of the football club has approached us for administrative help with the club, and we have accepted the offer. We want to make the San Pedro Pirates a championship team that can represent Belize and why not - [we have] a state of the art stadium that can host top foreign teams," said Alamilla. He then introduced the new board of directors, which include Emeliano Rivero as President, Rocio Rivero as Secretary, Tony Maldonado, and Hector Alamilla Jr. as Managers, Eiden Salazar is in charge of Public Relations and Felipe Sansores as Marketing Agent.

Disputed San Pedro Municipal Elections Trial Begins in Supreme Court
After the first court hearing on the controversial results of the 2018 San Pedro Town Municipal Elections on Wednesday, March 28th between the San Pedro United Democratic Party (UDP) and the San Pedro Peoples United Party (PUP) at the Supreme Court in Belize City, the case was scheduled to be heard on Monday, May 14th and Tuesday, May 15th. On Monday at the first hearing, witnesses from both parties and government are expected to be present and speak on the information that has been submitted. A verdict is expected to be delivered the following day. Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, PUP party leader Honourable John Brice�o has stated that they will accept and respect whatever decision is made.

Illegal Guatemalan encroachment continues to threaten the Chiquibul Forest
The illegal encroachment of Guatemalan peasants into the Belize Chiquibul National Park continues to escalate as new findings have confirmed agricultural activity up to 2.7 kilometers within Belizean territory. The protected area is situated in the Cayo District in western Belize and borders Guatemalan territory. The latest discovery was made by Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) south of the national park in an area known as Cebada, revealing plantations of beans, corn, and bananas allegedly planted by Guatemalan farmers from nearby villages along the Belize-Guatemala border. It is alleged that after Guatemalans voted 'Yes' on the referendum to take the territorial dispute with Belize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), many of the residents along the border have been informed that Belize is now Guatemalan territory, and that works are underway for them to start occupying parcels of land in the Chiquibul area.

Reef Fair 2018 Promotes Education and Conservation of the Reef and Marine Ecosystem
As part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Reef Week 2018, a Reef Fair was held at the Central Park in San Pedro Town on Thursday, May 10th. The Reef Fair saw various organization educating students and residents on the protection and conservation of marine life. Groups present at the fair included Oceana Belize, Reef Angels, Blue Ventures, American Crocodile Education Sanctuary, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development, Belize Forest Department, San Pedro House of Culture, La Isla Bonita Elementary, Department of the Environment, and Ricklee Rescue and Response. At 9:30AM, the Reef Fair began as booths opened to the public highlighting topics such as the importance of protecting and preserving the Barrier Reef, as well as different wildlife and marine ecosystems. Students also had the opportunity to play games to win prizes, testing their knowledge about environmental topics. Throughout the fair, refreshments were served by the Hol Chan staff.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Tour Operators Address Concerns To BTB
The San Pedro Tour Operator Association held a meeting on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, at the Sunbreeze Conference Room where they presented their financials to its members and discussed concerns with representatives of the Belize Tourism Board. The Director of Cruise and Destination Planning, Mrs. Noriko Gamero was also present at the meeting where she address issues and concerns brought up by the SPTOA. Some of these issues included unlicensed tour operators, the lack of law enforcement/prosecution amongst other issues.

Youtuber Reports He Found Peter Pan's Neverland In Belize
The Jewel, Belize, is gaining lots of attention as a well-known Youtuber is reporting that he is found Peter Pan's Neverland in Belize. Sounds funny right, but for many Disney diehard fans this is one pretty awesome piece of news and to the Belize Tourism Board this is awesome exposure to our little country. Youtuber Matthew Patrick has his your tube page names GameTheorist where he has a lot of videos on theories of games and several Disney inspired videos. This time around he chose Peter Pan's Neverland and has put together a video where he strongly believes that the Turneffe Atoll in Belize is Neverland.

San Pedro Is Ready To Play Some Serious Futbol
The San Pedro Pirates Futbol Club yesterday, Thursday, May 10, 2018, made a special announcement of the introduction of a new managing team, coach and coaching staff which they are positive will lead them to victory in the upcoming Premier League of Belize (PLB) soccer competition. President and owner of the San Pedro Pirates, Emiliano Rivera has formed a committee with members how have various skills in different areas of the sport. He is joined by his wife as secretary of the club and by Tony Maldonado and Hector Alamialla as Co-Managers, Felipe Sansorez as Marketing Manager and Eiden Salazar in Public Relations. Pirates have participated in two season of PLB reaching as far at the top four teams in the competition. The new managing committee is promising a stronger soccer team for San Pedro that is more disciplined, serious, prepared, trained and community minded.

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Finals of the PLB cancelled
The championship game which was to be played on Saturday,12th May, 2018 at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium has been cancelled after results of the appeal match between Verdes FC and BDF FC. As stated on document attached, the game of 29th of April,2018 will be replayed. Also note that Bandits SC has qualified for the Finals of the PLB Closing Season and will be awaiting for the winner between Verdes FC & BDF FC, replay match date and time to be announced.

An apprentice of Dr. Elijio Panti: Silverio Canto "Teacher Sil"
Are the Maya dead? Did they disappear? Those are some questions that academics have debated over the years. However, I consider Silverio Canto as part of the answer to the question. Silverio is living proof of the continuity of Maya lineages and identity in Belize. A celebrated community activist, teacher and church leader, he continues to practice many Maya traditions in our piece of heaven. One of the apprentices of Don Elijio Panti, Silverio has a wealth of knowledge about herbal healing. His knowledge about Maya traditions extends from herbal medicine, to the teaching of the Yucatec Maya language and the practice of sacred Maya ceremonies. Mr. Canto's awareness of traditional practices has attracted the attention of many scholars and students who visit him to learn about "we", the Maya. He has featured in many documentaries and has shared some of the contemporary practices of the living Maya. Currently, Mr. Canto owns and manages a restaurant where he sells Belizean food. His family greets their customers with a smile in a pleasant environment. His business not only identifies with Maya practices but is also an example of the economic opportunities in our community.

Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle: The Belize Edition Summer Issue
In January of this year, McNab Publishing released a brand new travel magazine called Carribean Culture and Lifestyle: The Belize Edition. The magazine focuses on Belizean travel, culture, and lifestyle. Today, the Belize City based publishing house released another edition of the CCL magazine, this time with different destinations and cultural pieces. We visited this morning's launch and found out more about the new issue.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Conducts Diplomatic Briefing on ICJ Referendum Public Awareness Campaign
Today, May 11th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Diplomatic Briefing on Belize's Public Awareness Campaign in preparation for the referendum on the referral of the Belize-Guatemala Dispute at the Ministry of Agriculture Conference Room, National Agriculture and Trade Show Grounds in Belmopan. The presentation was delivered to representatives of the British High Commission, embassies and international and regional organizations resident in Belize. Representatives of the diplomatic community were given an overview of the Belize Public Awareness Campaign Plan of Action by His Excellency Alexis Rosado, Ambassador of Belize to Guatemala.

Notice to all Justices of the Peace
The Attorney General's Ministry informs that all Justices of the Peace, including Senior Justices of the Peace, must contact the Ministry to verify their JP status before July 31, 2018. This exercise is being carried out in preparation for the upcoming re-registration process by the Elections and Boundaries Department. All Justices of the Peace are required to provide some form of proof of their status. Those who fail to verify their status will no longer be able to use their JP title. Persons can either visit the office of the Attorney General in Belmopan or contact the office via email at [email protected].

Ten commandments of no to the ICJ
The Belize Progressive Party (BPP) as a part of its 8867 territorial integrity pillar and its 'No to the ICJ' Campaign, has developed its ten commandments, which it is releasing as a part of its accelerated public awareness initiative on the subject. 1. Thou shalt not sacrifice one single solitary square centimeter to the enemy � Belize was 8,867 sq miles yesterday, is 8,867 sq. miles today and shall be 8,867 sq. miles tomorrow and the day after, ad infinitum! 2. Thou shall not cast on the water thy birthright for a gamble in a foreign land of uncertain devices � We have inherited this beautiful and precious jewel of a country from our forefathers and we must not under any circumstance run the risk of losing it to a game of chance!

Channel 7

PUP Citco Suggests Disgruntled Ex Employees Behind "Domestic Terrorism"
"Domestic Terrorism" - that's what the Belize city council is calling the attempt to set Sharlene Rudon's vehicle on fire. Rudon is the Human Resources manager at the council and the person who signed the majority of the termination letters that went out on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, someone threw a molotov cocktail at her Ford Escape parked in front of her home - fortunately it did not catch - and the vehicle received only slight damage. It's a very disturbing event - and last night at minutes before newstime the City Council put out a very strongly worded statement, saying, quote: "It was clearly a deliberate and dangerous act of arson, and there can be no doubt that it is directly related to the recent restructuring of the Council which has resulted in the termination of five employees.... The Council condemns this reprehensible act which we view as no less than domestic terrorism, carried out no doubt by an agent or agents acting on behalf of one or more of the persons terminated."

Former Citco Employee Rejects "Terror" Narrative
Today we asked Cecil Jenkins for his response to the statement - which casts a very serious allegation on him and the other 5 persons who were terminated. Jenkins said it is a reckless and baseless claim which damages his reputation:... Cecil Jenkins Sr., Terminated from City Hall: "Jules when they're painting you as a domestic terrorist, those things can condemn your life on a whole. Anyone of us, on behalf of me, if they say something like that incriminating you like that, your professional ways of dealing with people. You going to walk to another business, and apply for a job, how will they look at us? I can attest that I Cecil Jenkins have nothing to do with any kind of arson to Miss Rudon or to condemn anyone's life. Whosoever has done such an act I believe that such things should have never happened? I hope that no one is taking what we're going through for their own purpose. I condemn such act and I don't believe in things like that. I am a believer of the law..."

Deputy Mayor Stands By Firings
Jenkins was the former Sanitation Manager - until he was sent home on Tuesday. As recently as December 2016, he had been awarded Employee of the Year in his department. Similarly, the terminated Shanna White was employee of the year for 2016 and 2017 in the Parks and Playgrounds unit - until she was sent home. Today we asked the Deputy Mayor to defend the firings:... Jules Vasquez, reporter: "How do you answer the criticism specifically from the CWU that you guys did not observe due process in dealing with their members?" Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City: "I would have to check with our HR professionals to really give you an idea of what the due process was or if it was or wasn't. I believe it did. I know that people are really, heavily looking at the dismissals, but there is another part of the restructuring. There were actually human resources that were move from one unit to the other unit as well, because that also forms part of restructuring - trying to get people in areas where they can provide value, where they weren't maybe doing it before."

Fired Workers Believes In Union Leader
But the Christian Workers Union which represents two of the six employees does have that moral authority. Today Cecil Jenkins told us he is confident in the union and the impartiality of its President Mose Hyde:... Reporter: "Do you retain full confidence in your union?" Cecil Jenkins Sr., Terminated from City Hall: "Jules I have high respect for the Mose Hyde, I believe that he is an honorable man regardless if he is the brother of Cordel Hyde or the brother in law of Mayor Wagner, but on the 4th of May, the union members executive body had a meeting with all members of the Belize City council at 1:30 that afternoon..."

Killed Trying To Catch Chain-Snatcher
A Las Flores man was killed trying to recover a woman's stolen chain. This morning around 2:00, 23 year old Luis Monge and his friends among other La Cabana club-goers were finishing up their night of partying. It was closing time. While they were outside, a man in the crowd snatched a woman's gold chain and ran off. Monge and his 19 year old friend Dennis Monterrosa chased after the chain snatcher. There was a struggle among the men and that is when the robber stabbed Monge to his arm. Monterrosa was cut to his head. Monge was rushed to the hospital but he didn't make it. Police recovered the knife from the scene. Police also have the alleged robber detained. He was caught on the scene after police fired a warning shot to break up the fight. We should note that this suspect was recently charged in a high profile robbery in Belmopan. Our information is that Monge leaves behind two children.

Wife Not Satisfied With Alleged Killer's Story
A guilty conscience is a terrible thing. As we told you last night police charged 45 year old Albert Jones for Alaine Garcia's murder. Now normally there has to be a dead body for it to be a murder but in this case Jones allegedly admitted to killing Garcia. He told police he confessed because Garcia was 'haunting him' and it was just weighing on his conscience. But although Jones has been charged, Garcia's common law wife of 15 years, Kellyn Neal is not satisfied. She says Jones' story does not add up. Neal asks how did Jones kill Garcia, chop him up and then dump his body parts in a pond by himself and in broad day light? Neal shared more about her questions and concerns. Kellyn Neal, Common-Law-wife: "At first I felt satisfied because it is not usual that someone would confess to a murder. But after getting the details of what happened and putting everything together it. I am pleased that someone confessed but it is not adding up because I don't see how that person could have confessed to that and how he alone could have killed Alaine..."

Alleged Killers Gets Off
He was one of the four accused in a sensational broad daylight murder on San Pedro in 2015 - but, tonight, 26 year old Luis Campos is free after another "nolle pros". He was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder of 42 year old San Pedro Town taxi driver Jose Beltran. Today Crown Counsel Killeru Awich entered the "nolle pros" motion on instruction from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Vidal. The reason? A lack of evidence. Three other men are still charged for the offence. They are Mark Arzu, Santos Garcia and Alfredo Trapp. Police found Beltran dead in his taxi van on April 28, 2015. He had been tied up and shot in the head. Police believe that he was killed because his assailants wanted to use his vehicle to carry out a crime. Campos was represented by attorney Leeroy Banner.

GOB Falls To Ashcroft Alliance Again
For 3 days now, Justice Courtney Abel has been listening to arguments on the last court fight over money connected to the half a billion dollar settlement over BTL. The judge is being asked to determine who should - and shouldn't - have been paid over 114 million dollars out of the entire amount. The Government controlled company, Sunshine Holdings Limited, is claiming that the amount should have been paid to them, and that the Barrow Government wrongly paid it to the former owners, Dean Boyce and the Trustees of the BTL Employees Trust. When it was an Ashcroft Company, Sunshine held over 11 million shares in BTL. All that changed in 2009, when the Government nationalized the telecoms company. In one fell swoop, the Government acquired all of those shares, and it also took over Sunshine itself.

Men Charged For Beating Pott, Lawyer Says Injuries Arise From Crash
Tonight, Demetrio Pott remains in critical condition at the KHMH and today in Corozal town, three men were charged for causing his injuries. Carlos Westby, Deltran Perez, and Leodigario Chan were charged for dangerous harm of Demetrio Pott, while Westby and Chan alone were charged for wounding Pott's brother, Adan. It happened on April 27th. When the Pott's crashed into a vehicle in Trial Farm and the three men allegedly beat them down. Today outside Corozal Magistrate's Court, their attorney said it's the impact of the accident, not any beating which has Pott on life support in the hospital.

Family Of Fourteen Homeless After Fire
Tonight a family of fourteen is without a home. Early this morning the family's home on Iguana Street was destroyed by a fire. The residents all managed to escape unharmed but they lost everything. The fire department responded quickly but it seems they were not able to stop the fire from spreading, not because the blaze was too big, but because the fire truck had an unforeseen mechanical issue. Assistant Fire Chief Matura told us that the failure was not something they could have predicted. Benisford Matura, Assistant Fire Chief: "We arrived at number 7007 Iguana Street and found a two storey structure totally engulfed in flames. The upper flat was engulfed in flames. We got into operation and started to extinguish the fire but our unit experienced a mechanical failure with the pumping and could not discharge the second unit's water on the fire, so hence the reason we had to use only one unit to extinguish the fire."

Foreign Affairs Briefing Friends On ICJ Process
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today held a diplomatic briefing today with the diplomatic corps on their plan of action for the Public Awareness Campaign leading up to Belize's ICJ referendum on the Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute. It took place at the Ministry of Agriculture's Conference Room at the Show Grounds in Belmopan. The briefing was held with representatives of the British High Commission, embassies, and international and regional organizations resident in Belize. At the head table were Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington, CEO Pat Andrews, and Alexis Rosado, the Belize Ambassador to Guatemala. They were given an overview of the Belize Public Awareness Campaign Plan of Action.

Belize Security Team Invited To Israeli Exhibit
As a jewish nation at odds with many of its Islamic neighbors, Israel has made an industry of exporting its security expertise. And now some of that may be coming to Belize. According to a release from the Israeli Embassy in Mexico, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edward Broaster, BDF Captain Roberta Usher, along with Lieutenant Ray Good from the Coast Guard all attended the sixth seminar on Homeland Security and Cyber Emergency Management in Mexico. The release says the group was able to see the latest technologies in cyber security and defense from 25 different Israeli Companies. The group ended by having a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to Belize Jonathan Peled.

Murder Victim's Relative Speaks
Earlier in the news, we told you about 23 year-old Luis Monge, who was stabbed to death at the end of their night of partying at the La Cabana Bar in Belmopan. He and his 19 year-old friend tried to chase down a chain snatcher. They ended up in a struggle with the assailant, and he was fatally stabbed in the arm. Now, he has a grieving family, blindsided by his sudden demise. Our colleagues, Our Colleagues from Plus TV News spoke with his cousin today, and here's what she had to say:

A Magazine Showcasing and Celebrating Tourism
In January of this year, McNab Publishing released a brand new travel magazine called Carribean Culture and Lifestyle: The Belize Edition. The magazine focuses on Belizean travel, culture, and lifestyle. Today, the Belize City based publishing house released another edition of the CCL magazine, this time with different destinations and cultural pieces. We visited this morning's launch and found out more about the new issue. Tanya McNab, McNab Visual Creative Director: "Traditionally we had been introducing the magazine once a year and we found that before you know it, it becomes a bit dated. It is not as current, businesses change, things change, and so we thought that if we were to do something that was produced every three to four months that we would be able to put out better content, more relevant more up to date, and things like that so we said it is traditionally not what we do but we are going to try. It has been a learning curve for us in producing so quickly but we are getting there."

PUP Senator Questions Immigration Split
Earlier in the news, we showed you our interview with Eamon Courtenay as he emerged victorious in the latest lawsuit between the Ashcroft Alliance and Sunshine Holdings Limited. The press also asked him for comments as PUP Senator on a recent law that was passed. It splits the Immigration Department into 2. One section will be in charge of granting Nationality and Passports, and another section will be responsible for "immigration and border management". Courtenay gave his opinion that this change will weaken the checks and balances at the Immigration Department. As viewers will remember vividly, that department has been wracked with scandals which culminated last year in the 13 month long Senate Hearings on Immigration. Here's how he questioned whether or not the Government was listening to a major complaint from the public servants who testified in those hearings:

Senator Showdown In Albert?
And while Senator Courtney is not aspiring for elected office, the two other PUP senators seem as if they may be vying against each other. Persistent and credible reports out of the PUP are that Senator Valerie Woods is contemplating a run against the PUP caretaker for the Albert Division, Senator Paul Thompson. It's not yet confirmed and Woods has not submitted her name - but we know she has been canvassing heavily for support within the party. Woods grew up in the Albert division. For his part, Thompson might have expected some protection from a challenge since he was the campaign manager for the PUP City Council slate which pulled off a huge upset in the March 7th elections. But, that seems unlikely - as there are elements within the PUP leadership who are pushing for him to be replaced by a woman candidate. Compelling, but still, it's all speculative and today, the divisional Chairman Oscar Arnold wouldn't say much:..

Micah Makes Up
At the end of April, PUP City Councillor Micah Goodin made news when he came out and blasted his Mayor, Bernard Wagner on Facebook. Goodin went on a rant, threatened resignation…the whole nine yards. And, now, in a familiar pattern he has posted an apology for his rash words - saying he supports the mayor…no doubt only chapter one, in a city council soap opera, with Goodin as the conductor. Today, the Deputy Mayor said it's a case of no harm, no foul:…

Deputy Mayor On Candice Firing
And while the Goodin matter was ironed out in-house - the case of the terminated City Administrator Candice Miller will have to be resolved in court. Miller's four year contract was terminated for "gross dereliction of duty" - and she has challenged that in an interview with 7NEws. So, why was she terminated? Today the Deputy Mayor said it's because of the actions of the previous mayor:... Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City: "Think that the previous mayor acted irresponsibly as well and he put the microscope on duly on the ex-city administrator, because agreeing to 4 year contract passes the time of the council doesn't give the new council coming in to really evaluate what's going on or what was happening with the city administrator. You signed a contract even before another one was expired. That's just irresponsible. So he put her on duly under the microscope."

Candice Says Contract Not Unusual
And we did ask Miller about that - the timing of her contract, renewed for four years in September of 2017 , just 6 months before an election. Here's how she explained it: Candice Miller, Former City Admin.: "Mayor and then I get it. It's not parked while I am at my office." Jules Vasquez, reporter: "Now much has been made about this contract that Mayor Bradley had overstep his moral authority. He was within his legal authority, but to tie the life of another council into this city administrator was unfair to the incoming council. So it was treated as something that was corrupt and what would be called exceptionable - he shouldn't have done that."

Hopeful Hoops
And finally tonight, taking a break from all that politics, the Ahmadiyya Basketball League Belize is having its finals on Sunday. They've gone large by renting out the civic center for the event. And that's because they're expecting company: two bus loads of Mexican fans coming to support their team. We learned more from the organizers today:… The event runs from midday to four on Sunday and the public is invited.

Channel 5

Ain't No Sunshine: Gov't Company Shut Out of B.T.L. Compensation
After three days of litigation, Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel issued a comprehensive judgment against Sunshine Holdings Limited's claim for compensation, in respect of shares it owned in Belize Telemedia [...]

G.O.B. Now on the Hook for Money Owed to S.S.B.
The case was comprehensively lost, but did Sunshine really lose anything? Not according to Justice Abel. He found that the company had been fully relieved by its owner, the government, [...]

Is B.T.L. Litigation Over?
So at long last, is it over? The now nearly nine-year saga of Telemedia's acquisition by government started in August of 2009 and effectively concluded with the settlement in 2015. [...]

Deputy City Mayor Defends Terminations as Part of Restructuring
The Belize City Council has broken its silence on the dismissal of six employees earlier this week, including City Administrator Candice Miller.� While the writings were on the wall for [...]

CitCo Ready for Litigation over Firings
Sacking Candice Miller, whose contract as city manager extends to 2021, and several of her colleagues from City Hall, has likely exposed the Belize City Council to litigation.� Those lawsuits [...]

Council Concerned over HR Director Vehicle Firebombed
The torching of Human Resources Manager Sharlene Rudon's vehicle continues to be investigated as a criminal matter.� The Ford Escape SUV was scorched by a firebomb on Wednesday night while [...]

In Belmopan, Stolen Chain Leads to Fatal Stabbing
A Roaring Creek resident is tonight in police custody, following an early morning murder in Belmopan. Reports are that as police were closing up shop at La Cabana Night Club, [...]

Homeowner Blames Fire Service for Lost House; Firefighters Say Illegal Connection Overloaded
An early morning blaze completely destroyed a wooden home on the south side of Belize City. But tonight the question is - did those fourteen persons, nine adults and five [...]

Fire Service Working to Maintain 'Dated' Fleet
Deputy Fire Chief Benisford Matura has spoken on the dated fleet of trucks - and how it slowed them down from carrying out the kind of fire-fighting needed to save [...]

SUV Burns on North Creek
Sometime after midnight on Thursday, an SUV belonging to Melanie Staine was observed on fire on North Creek in Belize City. The Fire Department was called out to extinguish the [...]

Micah Goodin Apologizes; CitCo Back Together
An olive branch, in an attempt to mend a somewhat broken relationship between Councilor Micah Goodin and Mayor Bernard Wagner, has been extended via an online apology on Thursday.� The [...]

Pitts' Pique a Matter for Central P.U.P.
So how does the council feel about Doctor Candice Pitts who took a somewhat similar aim at her own party after being asked to step aside in Port Loyola in [...]

Government Ready to Meet with Teachers on Collective Bargaining Agreement
The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Government of Belize and three of the unions is a matter that is still on the table.� The Public Service Union, the Belize National [...]

G.O.B. Accepts ex-Contractor General's Reports
On Thursday, the DPM also gave us an update on the Contractor General. If you'll recall, Godwin Arzu's contract was not renewed and his replacement has not been announced.� Arzu [...]

Thinking of Summer with Arts Camp
On Thursday, the Belize District Art Showcase opened at the Mexican Institute in Belize City. The two-week exhibition features art pieces from students in pre-school, primary and high schools. The [...]

The Problem with Split Immigration Department
Earlier this year, amendments to the Immigration, Belizean Nationality and Passports Acts passed through the National Assembly. Collectively, they proposed to divide the functions related to immigration and nationality services, [...]

Diplomats Meet with Foreign Affairs on Referendum Campaign
The countdown is on to next April's referendum in Belize on the referral of the Belize-Guatemala Dispute to the International Court of Justice. The public awareness campaign is being stepped [...]

Appeal Reversed for B.D.F. in Football Dispute
An unorthodox decision by the Football Federation of Belize Appeals Committee is throwing a wrench in the Premier League of Belize Championship Finals. Last week, we reported about a protest [...]

Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle Magazine Launched
Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle launched its second edition today. The magazine, published by McNab Visuals, will be used to promote travel and culture locally and regionally. �It goes to print [...]

Best Youth Athletes Converge for Championship
The National Sports Council held its annual national track and field championships at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City today. Over two hundred students, the best of the best [...]

LOVE FM

City Hall bosses concerned over safety of staff
But it seems that the troubles at City Hall are many. On Wednesday night, the vehicle of the Council's Director of Administration, Sharlene Rudon was set on fire. While Rudon and her family managed to intervene in time to save the vehicle, the incident has raised concerns at City Hall. In a statement issued Thursday �

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to hold basketball tournament
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is having its basketball finals this Sunday at the Civic in Belize City. Basketball teams from Belize and Mexico will converge to prove that they are the best team of their category. President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Naveed Mangla shared why you should attend Sunday's game. Naveed Mangla, President of the �

Patrick Faber has his eyes on the UDP Leadership
Patrick Faber says he still has hopes to lead the United Democratic Party. The Deputy Prime Minister is also the Deputy Party leader of the UDP and he has his eyes set on the leadership. Since Prime Minister Dean Barrow will not seek re-election, he will step down as Party Leader giving way to a �

Education Minister will meet with teachers
Minister of Education Patrick Faber says he will meet with the Belize National Teachers Union to discuss new concerns as part of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The parties have not been able to conclude the negotiation for a new CBA and the BNTU has written to Minister Faber requesting a meeting. Yesterday Faber told �

Ain't no sunshine for Sunshine Holdings as Justice Abel dismisses case
Today Justice Courtenay Abel dismissed a claim brought by Sunshine Holdings Limited against the Government of Belize and the BTL Employees Trust. The claim is connected to the half a billion dollars settlement that GOB had to cough up for the nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited. It's a very interesting, complex and as Justice Abel �

Nepal Citizens flagged as high risk
On Tuesday, two citizens of Nepal, a country in Southeast Asia landed on a Copa flight at the Phillip Goldson International Airport. These two persons were deemed as potential security risk however they still managed to set feet on Belizean soil. We understand that three persons from the Immigration Department are being investigated for allegedly �

PlusTV

Belize City Man Shot While Sleeping
There was another shooting in the Jane Usher Area of Belize City. According to reports, 50 year old Merrick Lambey was sleeping on the sofa in his living room when a male person entered through his front door and fired about 5 shots in his direction. Police told us more at this morning's press brief...

Dennis Matura walks from murder charge
24 year old Dennis Matura has been freed of murder charges. Matura was accused of the Aril, 2012 murder of Michael James Garbutt who was gunned down execution style on Albert Street. It was a broad daylight killing, where Garbut was shot as many as five times, including a bullet to the head. The s...

Albert Jones confesses to murdering missing man
A Hattieville resident, 45-year-old Albert Jones Senior, is on remand tonight after police say he confessed to the murder of a man who has been reported missing. Jones was arraigned this evening for the murder of Alaine Garcia, a Mechanic and father of Hattieville Village. Now, Garcia has been ...

CITCO Director of Admin's vehicle torched
The vehicle of the Belize City Council's Director of Administration, Sharlene Rudon, was torched on Wednesday night. Rudon told police that sometime around 11 p.m., her car was parked in front of her King's Park home when someone lit it fire. Rudon is the person who signed the termination letters of...

PATRICK FABER ADDRESSES CITCO TERMINATIONS
And still on the subject of termination of City Council Employees, yesterday, the Belize City Council issued an official press release stating in part, quote, 'after more than two months reviewing of the departmental structure, with the desired objective of fostering efficiency and effectiveness, t...

Drugs were coming from Guatemala to Belize city
Yesterday we reported that San Ignacio Police intercepted a blue Great Wall Wingle rental pick up in Teakettle Village carrying a total of 26.429 kg of Cannabis. Upon seeing the cops, the driver of the vehicle attempted to evade the police and collided into a hill. The occupants of the vehicle jumpe...

FABER SPEAKS ON CHIQUIBUL ENCROACHMENT ACTIVITIES
Yesterday we reported that FCD rangers discovered a complex array of clear encroachment activities in the area of the reserve better known as South Cebada. The rangers reportedly came across fresh survey lines, plantations of beans, corn, and bananas planted by Guatemalan farmers. Rangers were also ...

Belize City Man Shot While Sleeping
There was another shooting in the Jane Usher Area of Belize City. According to reports, 50 year old Merrick Lambey was sleeping on the sofa in his living room when a male person entered through his front door and fired about 5 shots in his direction. Police told us more at this...

Dennis Matura walks from murder charge
24 year old Dennis Matura has been freed of murder charges. Matura was accused of the Aril, 2012 murder of Michael James Garbutt who was gunned down execution style on Albert Street. It was a broad daylight killing, where Garbut was shot as many as five times, including a...

Albert Jones confesses to murdering missing man
A Hattieville resident, 45-year-old Albert Jones Senior, is on remand tonight after police say he confessed to the murder of a man who has been reported missing. Jones was arraigned this evening for the murder of Alaine Garcia, a Mechanic and father of Hattieville Village...

CITCO Director of Admin's vehicle torched
The vehicle of the Belize City Council's Director of Administration, Sharlene Rudon, was torched on Wednesday night. Rudon told police that sometime around 11 p.m., her car was parked in front of her King's Park home when someone lit it fire. Rudon is the person who signed the...

PATRICK FABER ADDRESSES CITCO TERMINATIONS
And still on the subject of termination of City Council Employees, yesterday, the Belize City Council issued an official press release stating in part, quote, 'after more than two months reviewing of the departmental structure, with the desired objective of fostering efficiency...

Drugs were coming from Guatemala to Belize city
Yesterday we reported that San Ignacio Police intercepted a blue Great Wall Wingle rental pick up in Teakettle Village carrying a total of 26.429 kg of Cannabis. Upon seeing the cops, the driver of the vehicle attempted to evade the police and collided into a hill. The occupants...

FABER SPEAKS ON CHIQUIBUL ENCROACHMENT ACTIVITIES
Yesterday we reported that FCD rangers discovered a complex array of clear encroachment activities in the area of the reserve better known as South Cebada. The rangers reportedly came across fresh survey lines, plantations of beans, corn, and bananas planted by Guatemalan...

Who's footing the bill for Teacher's Day celebrations?
A National Teacher's day celebration is scheduled for May 18th at the new Belize Civic Center, but who will foot the bill? Teacher's day is celebrated annually on different levels using a cycle of celebration. On the first year, teacher's day is celebrated on the school level,...

LA RIVERA' COMMUNITY WANTS SQUATTERS REMOVED
Over the past few weeks, Plus News has been following the Mount Pleasant Creek Squatting issue in Belmopan. The issue caught the eyes and ears of the nation and many Belizeans took to social media to voice their concerns. After the issue raised national concern, the Belmopan City...

INDEPENDENCE VILLAGE LAND ISSUES
Land dispute issues are also brewing in Independence Village between its community members and the Village Council. According to reports, villagers of Independence Village are infuriated following a village council meeting that went 'south' last night. According to information reaching Plus News, during an Independence Village Council meeting on Wednesday night, villagers questioned Village Council members about a De-reserved area of land located between Independence Village and Punta Gorda junction.

TWO BUSES STOLEN FROM ROMERO'S CHARTER SERVICES
Last week Friday we reported that a stolen bus overturned on the Southern Highway. While information was sketchy at the time, Plus News now understands that the overturned bus was the property of Romero's Charter Service located in Cattle Landing village. However, the over turned bus was not the only bus stolen. A second bus was also stolen from the Charter Service Company that same Thursday morning.

Police update on Eric Mendez house shooting
On Tuesday we told you that 20 year old Eric Mendez had been arraigned on the charge of attempted murder. Mendez is the accused gunman who shot Tyrone Stevens several times on Sunday while Stevens went to a store to purchase. Yesterday we reported that while Mendez is on remand at the Hattieville prison, gunmen opened fire on his home in the Jane Usher area on Monday night and it is believed to be directly connected to the Tyrone Stevens case. Police told the media what happened on Monday night.

More Drugs; more guns
The war on drugs is a daunting one and seems to have intensified following the decriminalization of marijuana late last year. This morning, police conducted a search on 19 year old Alexander Steven Castillo and found 464 grams of compressed cannabis in his school bag. Castillo was then taken to his home where cops found more weed under his mattress...

JOINT COMMISSION DEFINES BILATERAL AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ROAD MAP
Yesterday the Belize Guatemala Joint Commission met for the second time this year in Guatemala City. The meeting was headed by the Ambassador of Belize in Guatemala H.E. Alexis Rosado, the Ambassador of Guatemala in Belize H.E. Georges de La Roche; and Mr. Manuel Washington Abdala, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the OAS for the Belize-Guatemala affairs.

BELMOPAN LION'S CLUB OFFERS FREE OPTOMETRY EXAMINATIONS
For the past 4 days, the Lions Club in Belmopan has been partnering with Optometrists from the Southern College of Optometry in the U.S. to offer eye examinations to residents of Belmopan and surrounding villages. The eye clinic began on Monday morning at the Lion's Building in Belmopan and concluded earlier this evening. Plus News Spoke to Mike Thomas, a member of the Lion's Club in Belmopan who told us more about the Clinic.


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CitCo's HR and Admin Director's vehicle firebombed
Last night, Sharlene Rudon, the Belize City Council's Director of Human Resources and Administration, awoke to a most frightening reality: she looked outside and saw flames on her 2008 Ford Escape, valued at $17,000. The vehicle was parked in front of her residence on a street in the Kings Park area. Fortunately for Rudon, she, her brother and her neighbors were able to extinguish the blaze that had started on the front portion of her SUV. Neighbors suspect that the culprit is a man, with his face covered, who they saw jump into a waiting vehicle and speed out of the area.

Councilor Micah Goodin makes Facebook apology to Mayor Bernard Wagner
Last Monday, city councilor Micah Goodin unleashed a bitter attack on Belize City mayor Bernard Wagner, but this afternoon, Councilor Goodin appeared to have a change of heart and decided to throw his support behind Mayor Wagner in the wake of the council's termination of City Administrator, Candice Miller. In his preferred medium, Facebook, which he has recently reactivated, Councilor Goodin writes: "We may not see eye to eye on many things, but I stand by my Mayor in the termination of City Administrator Candice Miller."

CitCo terminates 5 employees as it enters "restructuring phase"
Five Belize City Council employees were terminated on Tuesday, as Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner began to steer the council into what has been described as its restructuring phase. Two of the terminated workers are members of the Christian Workers Union (CWU) and their termination brought a swift reaction from the newly elected CWU president, Mose Hyde, who spoke out against the termination on his KREM Radio/TV Wake Up Belize yesterday morning.

Albert Jones, 45, Hattieville fisherman, charged with the murder of missing man
Albert Jones, 45, a fisherman of Hattieville, was charged with the murder of Alaine Garcia, 35, when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. She explained to him that she would not take a plea because the offence was indictable. She also explained to him that she could not offer him bail because of the nature of the offence. Jones was remanded into custody until August 10.

Elections and Boundaries' 8-million-dollar budget for re-registration
It has been about twenty years since a re-registration of voters has been done in Belize, and today, the Elections and Boundaries Department held a press conference to discuss the upcoming re-registration that will commence on July 1, 2018. Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer, announced that they have allotted an 8-million-dollar budget for the entire process. Tamai said that the budget includes the costs for staffing, especially since some 300 additional persons will be needed; costs for the equipment necessary to verify that each applicant qualifies; and the cost of the new voting IDs, which will be equipped with security features (the laminated IDs will no longer be issued).

Juan Bol, the Maya boy from San Jose, Toledo, who made it to the top
Juan is a humble youth from San Jose Village who was always determined to be the best at whatever he decided to do. After graduating from PG Methodist Primary School, Juan enrolled at Toledo Community College and commuted sixty miles daily to attend his classes. Incidentally, his commute would be 20 miles less if a connecting shortcut bridge to the village would finally be repaired by the PUDP government. But despite this obstacle, Juan arose at 4 a.m. daily to attend class with his fellow students. After this four-year routine of studying and traveling to Toledo Community College, Juan graduated with excellent grades, B+ - A-. However, he was forced to take a hiatus from pursuing higher education due to lack of finances.

Cricket update
Greeting from the Belize National Cricket Association (BNCA)! The Sir Barry Bowen Harrison Parks Cricket Competition 2018 took a break over the past weekend, May 5 & 6, in order for the BNCA to host the Florida Academy Cricket Club (FACC) team. Over the weekend (May 5 & 6), several 20/20 matches were played. On Saturday morning, an Over-50 match was played; and in the afternoon, the FACC team played against the Belize Senior Team (selection of players from various teams).

National Amateur Women's League Week 4 results
Week 4 games were played over the weekend in the National Amateur Women's League 2018 tournament, and there were a lot of goals scored across the country. There are four teams each in the North and South zones, and they are playing a home-and-away round-robin within each zone, after which the top two teams from each zone will come together for the home-and-away semifinals. Two games each were played on Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6. On Saturday at the People's Stadium in Orange Walk, home standing Gladiators bombed Millennium United from Belize City by a 6-1 margin.

OWFA Semifinal game decision
Attention! Attention!!! After consulting with the Football Federation of Belize (FFB), Match Commissioner and the Orange Walk Referee Association, the Orange Walk Football Association (OWFA) has decided that the United Ballers FC vs Trinidad FC second leg semifinals game will be completed on Friday, May 11, at Louisiana Football Field, starting at 7:30 p.m. It will be a "closed game," meaning NO FANS ALLOWED!! The game will be played from the beginning of the second half.

Hold everything!! BDF wins appeal; BDF vs Verdes to be re-played
Just when it seemed like we were once again going into a weekend in suspense, and the status quo remaining with the championship game set between Belmopan Bandits SC and Verdes FC at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium on Saturday night, we received a call around 7:30 p.m. tonight from PLB General Secretary, Wilhelm Miguel, confirming information we received a few minutes earlier from a BDF source, that the FFB Appeals Board had over-ruled the PLB Disciplinary Committee decision, and found in favor of the BDF FC request to have their semifinal game 2 against Verdes be re-played. It is not clear yet if the game will be re-played in its entirety, or from the point in the match, around the 37th minute, when the Laws of the Game relating to the penalty was violated.

The tourism economy: pelvis over cerebrum
Before Belize was flung open to tourism in the mid-1980s and 1990s, it was already the case that our society had a lot of poor people in urban settings. Often when we speak about our poverty in Belize, we hesitate to confront the starkness and brutality of the human condition of poverty. We don't want to say that people are hungry, much less that people are starving. In a home which is poor and hungry, the physical sexuality of the child, especially the female child, becomes an economic commodity, a commodity increasing in value as the child enters puberty. The sexuality of the child may be classified as an economic commodity in a poor home or community because there are adult predators of various sorts who are willing to pay money in order to exploit, violate actually, the sexuality of the child. In a poor home or community, which is suffering from hunger, money from any source means food, which amounts to the easing of pain.

From The Publisher
When I returned to Belize from school in mid-1968, as a black-conscious writer in a society where sympathizers of white supremacy controlled the printing technology, I had to begin learning about printing presses. After a few years, I became convinced that the Germans made the finest printing presses on planet earth. Norman Bouloy's Heidelberg presses worked like music. (At Bouloy's Benex Press, incidentally, is where I met the late Edward Brown, who was a quiet printing genius in his own way.) I raise the point about German printing technology because, as the years went by, I became more and more impressed with their engineering and technology, so that I began to feel that if it had been merely a case of German engineering and technology versus British engineering and technology in the twentieth century's two world wars, we "British subjects" in British Honduras might well have become German subjects.

To Fire or Not to Fire
Dear Editor: I must be the first to confess that there is much that I do not like about the United States, but will also be the first to confess that there is much I love about it. The Americans have managed to build a First World superpower in a relatively short period of time over their short 200-plus years of existence. They have done this through innovation, hard work and a vision of where they wanted to be in the future. Their leadership had their eyes on global influence and they did everything to push their national interest to achieve that. The US has always, and that's even before this current administration's public pronouncement, placed American interests first. Those who have not seen this are blind. While there may be those who disagree with this, I will save that conversation for another time.

Slay the wicked!
Dear Editor, The Bible is a book for all times. Whether it was the massacre of Muslim men, women and children at Ayyadieh in 1191, the American Civil War of 1881, Belize's Independence of 1981 or the Robotic Wars of 2150; these events have all been accurately foretold in the pages of this good book. While there are other religious writings such as the Quran and the Talmud that deserve equal respect, the Bible works well for the majority of us here in Belize. Unfortunately, many people dismiss the Bible as a collection of fables and disconnected verses. They say it only talks about ancient times when people walked around in robes with colorful rags on their heads, traveled in horse-drawn chariots and that sort of thing. So they are amused.

The respected David Gibson writes
Dear Sir, You are correct in your observation that the event of 1798 does not constitute an element-force of arms/right of conquest- of Belize's legal arguments to title under international law. The significance of the event is that it represents the last attempt by Spain to assert control over territory it had permitted for usufruct purposes to the British, first to the Belize River, then to the Sibun. The issues of uninterrupted and effective occupation, recognized by the ICJ Statute 38(1) as customary international law, are substantially more important for Belize's legal arguments, as are those for validity as a boundary delimitation treaty of the 1859 Boundary Convention, and the right of the Belizean people to self-determination.

Guatemala, Belize, and the ICJ: The Big Picture
I am addressing this brief message to ALL Belizeans, wherever they may be and irrespective to which of our three political parties they belong, or, like myself, owe allegiance to none. Belize's going to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in any case with Guatemala is NOT the option Belize should adopt. The people of Belize must resoundingly tell both the UDP Government and the PUP Opposition on Wednesday, 10th April, 2019 - NO. Why? 1. Guatemala, as against Belize, has assembled the best team in the world of renowned, world-class and tried and tested international lawyers, historians and international politics specialists its extensive war chest has purchased. Guatemala has been in a state of calculated preparedness for many years. And, I state this from a position of knowledge. Belize does not have that advantage. Belize, should it make the irrevocable error of going to the ICJ, would be employing mere bows and arrows against an adversary equipped with an arsenal of ballistic missiles. This is not about David and Goliath, but the unfair world of realpolitik.

The referee didn't teef
Everyone who gives a daam about football knows what transpired in Broaster Stadium in a playoff game between Verdes and BDF a couple weeks ago, so we don't need to rehash. Okay, a penalty was called and it vanished into thin air. The BDF is a fine team. If they had gotten past Verdes, they could have beaten Bandits for the title, though the odds favored the boys from Belmopan. The BDF team is really very good right now. If the penalty had been allowed, as it could have been, or retaken, as it should have been, and BDF had scored, Verdes could have, would have had to, up their attack. They could have won 4-1, which would have given them the title shot. The obvious call was for a replay of the game, since the penalty was not retaken. The football committee has explained why they let the score of the game stand, which meant elimination for BDF.

Ruling on Bakassi shows clear path
Some Belizeans have suggested that the ICJ's ruling on the Bakassi should make Belizeans fear going to court with Guatemala. In 2002, the ICJ ruled that the contested territory of Bakassi (257 sq. miles), belongs to Cameroon, not Nigeria. I understand Nigeria's gripe. Cameroon does look opportunistic. But the verdict is consistent with the Europeans' law. The Wikipedia says that in 1981 the two countries went to the brink of war over Bakassi and another area around Lake Chad, at the other end of the two countries' common border. More armed clashes broke out in the early 1990s. In response, Cameroon took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 March 1994.

Reconnecting with childhood friend & ABC news anchor, Kendis Gibson!
The Gibsons lived a house away and behind from yours truly's family home on Cairo Street in Belize City in the 1970s. The family of seven boys came from a proud and respectable Belizean parenthood: father Alrick Gibson was Belize's most skillful and constructive cabinet maker of all time. Their mother, Mrs. Hortense Gibson, provided unconditional love and upbringing for her boys who could not have had any better of a guardian. She molded them with the kind of respect that has made them into the persons they have become today. Kendis Gibson stood out as the youngest of the brothers, and it was obvious from his upbringing among his older siblings that he showed immediately a passion for reading and was always seen on the stairs of their home with a book. A few of the brothers were boys my age, and we played some serious football and basketball games together sometimes on the rocky Cairo Street, and in the yards of our homes. We competed hard against each other.

Almost 6 years later, enforcement of Draconian gun law leads to a constitutional rights violation claim
Yesterday in the Supreme Court of Justice Shona Griffith, a constitutional challenge to what has been described as "the Draconian gun law" was heard. Following the two-and-a-half hour hearing, Justice Young informed attorney Anthony Sylvestre, who appeared for the claimant, and Crown Counsel Briana Williams, who appeared for the Attorney General of Belize and detective corporal Adrian Lopez - who are the defendants, that she would hand down her judgment on June 14. The civil lawsuit has its genesis in a raid that was carried out at a home on Lacroix Boulevard, in the Lake Independence area, in July 2012, by Gang Suppression Unit police.

CitCo votes to terminate City Administrator Candice Miller
The Belize City Council voted yesterday, Wednesday, May 9, to terminate the services of City Administrator, Candice Miller for dereliction of fiduciary duties to the Council. Miller was placed on a one-month suspension after it was discovered that she had signed some cheques that the incoming People's United Party (PUP) Council found to be highly questionable. However, before the one-month suspension, with its full salary benefits, was completed, Miller engaged the services of attorney Magali Perdomo to legally challenge the suspension, contending that it violated the principles of natural justice.

Guatemalan plantations found in the southern part of the Chiquibul National Park
On May 8, the Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) had reported on some plantations belonging to Guatemalan farmers that were found in the South Cebada area of the Chiquibul National Forest. According to Rafael Manzanero, executive director of FCD, the plantations that were found mainly consisted of corn crops, but also included beans and bananas. There were also recent survey lines. Manzanero stated that it was Guatemalan environmentalists who had alerted them about the illegal activity in the area. He said that they have received information that it is possible that there have been rogue Guatemalan leaders who have told farmers that they can own land in Belizean territory. Manzanero said that the Guatemalan environmentalists are trying to find more information on this, as it puts their local farmers at risk.

Demetrio Patt, 47, in coma after being beaten with baseball bat after RTA
Demetrio Patt, 47, a laborer of Caledonia, Corozal District, and a father of 5 children, is presently in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Patt was beaten in the head by two men after a vehicle collision on the Trial Farm Road, Orange Walk District, on the night of April 27. Information we've received is that Patt was driving his vehicle from Orange Walk to Corozal when he became involved in a minor collision with a car. When Patt came out to see what had happened, two men came out of the other vehicle and beat him in the head with a baseball bat.

The Reporter

Fatal stabbing in Belmopan!
A man was stabbed to death and another was injured early this morning in Belmopan. The incident occurred on Zultana street in the Las Flores area around 2:30 a.m., and claimed the life of Luis Alfredo Monge, 23, a bartender of Moho Blanka street, Las [�]

Fire on Iguana Street
A house fire occurred earlier this morning on Iguana Street in the Collet area of Belize City. The fire was reported sometime around 7:30 a.m., and two fire trucks reportedly arrived at the scene shortly after but had to connect to a pump in the [�]

Security guard shot while sleeping on his sofa
Police have increased their patrols in the Jane Usher area of Belize city after a string of recent shootings there,� including an incident in which a security guard was shot to his foot while sleeping in his sofa at home on Thursday morning. According to […]

Traffic accident on George Price highway claims one life
A man lost his life in a traffic accident on the George Price highway in a three-vehicle crash on Monday morning. It happened shortly before 10:00 a.m., when Miguel Ayala was heading towards Belize City from the direction of Belmopan in a gold pickup truck. […]

Father 42 is charged with incest against teen
A father finds himself behind bars after being accused of incest. The 42-year-old fisherman, whose name and identity cannot be revealed, was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on Monday. The father appeared unrepresented in Court 1 before Senior Magistrate, Aretha Ford. Senior Magistrate Ford explained […]

Memo claims Belizean man confessed to execution-style killing of US sheriff
In what may the first such case involving a Belizean in the USA, Trenton Trevon Lovell, 29, who will have to stand trial for the 2016 killing of Lancaster Sheriff Steve Owen, is being accused of having perpetrated an "executive-style" killing of the law enforcement […]

Guatemalan social media rhetoric against Belize condescending and racist
The responses of Guatemalans to the article, "Climate change activists should strongly resist Guatemala's unfounded claim," which was published in last week's edition of the Reporter and shared on social media, expose the condescending and racist thinking still held by some of those who live […]

NGC addresses pressing concerns
Garifuna communities in Belize have voiced the need for respect of their ancestral lands and have identified unemployment, educational and career development, health and wellness, and the disconnect they say they have felt with leaders of the Garifuna community as some of the most pressing […]

Crime constraining tourism growth and earnings
Although Belize continues to boast unprecedented records in tourism arrivals, with an increase of 25% in overnight tourism and 5% in cruise tourism for the first quarter of 2018, studies indicate that the crime situation in Belize and the rest of the Caribbean court is […]

GOB to spend $34 million on airport link road
The government of Belize signed a contract this week valued at BZ $34,274,306.17 for the construction of the Airport Link Road. Minister of Works, Rene Montero signed the contract over to CISCO Construction on Monday, for works to begin immediately after the sign date. Funds for the […]

"Guatemalan incursions worse since referendum," says FCD
The April 15 Referendum in Guatemala on taking the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has increased the level of Guatemalans illegally entering Belize and plundering its resources, according to Friends of Conservation and Development (FCD). FCD, the organization that co-manages the Chiquibul Forest […]

Hepitatis A virus emerges in communities along the western border, MOH on alert
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is working to sensitize communities along the western border, in particular in Bengue Viejo and Arenal, after the ministry noted several cases of Hepitatis A were detected in school aged children. According to the MOH, the virus was first detected […]

An Academic Performance Index For Cayo Primary Schools
The purpose of this brief article is to report on research activity that was designed to collect base-line data to support my argument on the need for a primary school accountability system to be established in Belize. Currently the MOE conducts two […]

Myth vs Fact: increasing public awareness to save Belize's iconic American and Morelet's crocodiles
Dangerous. Pests. Vermin. Man-killers. Useless. These are some of the words used to describe crocodiles given the many false beliefs and misguided facts about these creatures, generally created by media sensationalization or lack of educational outlets to provide THE FACTS. Such negative perception has led to […]

Editorial
Working class Belizeans who have had to put up with police brutality will welcome the recommendation of the United NationsSubcommittee on Torture which is requesting that the Government of Belize set up an independent commission to monitor the use of torture and cruel treatment of persons in police custody. The […]

Cable cost to rise
While Belizeans have seen the cost of various goods and services rising consistently in recent months, the cost of cable will also be going up as early as June 1, to assist cable service providers in managing the cost of becoming compliant with international copyright […]

Voters, get ready to re-register
If you want to have a say in the outcome of the next General Elections or whether or not Belize should settle its territorial differendum with Guatemala at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), then you will need to re-register. The Election and Boundaries Commission […]

Citco fires six employees in one day! CWU fighting for two
Two months after he took office, Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner has terminated the services of six of his employees, chief among whom was the City Administrator, Candice Miller who was placed on one month’s suspension for “dereliction of (fiduciary) duties”. In a terse press […]

Honduran police seize 700 lbs of cocaine destined for Belize
Police in Honduras, this week, reported seizing a shipment of over 700 pounds of cocaine worth more than US $5 million on a Panamanian ship, which was destined for Belize. According to La Prensa, a Honduran newspaper, the Panamanian vessel set sail from Colombia a […]

Jail house blues for KTV Champ, Belizeans arrested for money laundering
Five Belizeans have been remanded to prison in El Salvador pending trial for attempting to smuggle over US $66,000 in undisclosed cash through the country. The five Belizeans: Marlon Alberto Valle, Jessy Grabiel Ojeda, Lilian Racquel Salazar, and Deymy Vanessa Rodr�guez, plus Rongcang Chen, were remanded because […]

Culprits torch City Council’s Human Resources Manager’s vehicle
One night after she signed termination letters on behalf of the Belize City Council for five of the Council’s employees, someone tried to destroy the vehicle of the Council’s Human Resources Manager, Sharlene Rudon. The attempt happened around 10:30 p.m., on Wednesday, while Rudon was […]

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Foreign Affairs Ministry conducts Diplomatic Briefing on ICJ Referendum Campaign
Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Diplomatic Briefing on Belize's Public Awareness Campaign in [�]

Murder investigation launched after fatal stabbing in Belmopan
Belmopan police are investigating a stabbing incident that claimed the life of a man. According to [�]

Notice to all Justices of the Peace
The Attorney General's Ministry informed today that all Justices of the Peace, including Senior Justices must [�]

Football games nullified, playoff finals uncertain as BDF wins controversial penalty protest
No football games will be played this weekend in the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Closing [�]

BTL ranked #1 for mobile data download speed
Belize Telemedia Ltd. (BTL), via a press release, announced that it has been ranked number [�]

Belize Makes History: Our Participation at the Annual Pennsylvania Relays
Posted; Friday, May 11, 2018. 4:00 p.m. CST. According to an article in Caribbean Life News (CLN), late last month Belize made history [�]

Dennis Matura, another accused murderer walks free
A man accused of a murder on one of Belize city's busiest street is now [�]

Man confesses to murder after allegedly seeing victim's ghost
In February of this year, Hattieville resident, Alaine Garcia, 35, was reported missing. He had [�]

Orange Walk man beaten badly now on life support
Orange Walk police are investigating the brutal beat down of a man from Trial [�]

Belmopan man stabbed to death trying to stop chain thief
This morning at around 2:00 a.m. a man was stabbed in Belmopan and bled to [�]

Young Belizean environmentalist wins another award
Popular Belizean blogger and environmentalist, 12 year old Madison Edwards just won another award. Edwards [�]

Heineken buys shares in Belize Brewing Co.
. Today, Heineken International B.V. (HEINEKEN) announced that it has acquired a minority share in [�]

Blogs

Corozal Rotaract held there mothers day event at Mothers Park
Last week Saturday I mentioned to the public that the Corozal Rotarct began a volunteer work to rennovate the Mother's Park in Corozal. The group manage to finish the project for the public to use. Donation was made by the Town Board and others donators. On Thursday, the Corozal Rotarct held there Mother's Day event jointly with the Mother's Park Rennovation Ceremmony that began at 6pm. During the Mother's Day event Corozal Rigo Vellos opened the ceremmony to thank the mothers who joined the event at Mothers Park. During the event mothers were given a basket for them to enjoy. And, first three mothers who came on the microphone was given a free gift.

A view from Rain Beach, Corozal
Rainbow Beach is located on North part of Corozal. Rainbow Beach Park attracts many from around Belize. Many come here just to hang around, play volleyball, bbq with the family, play football, birthday parties and more. It is open to the public to use in Corozal. The water is not that salty as you may think. It mixes with the river water and creates a fresh water. But, this park is not only for this use, theres also a excersise bars that used for those that want excersise in the park. Rainbow park is a large place to come out and bring your dogs to play.

The sweet celebration of chocolate in southern Belize
Humble in appearance yet heavenly in flavor, cacao AKA chocolate, has been celebrated in the Toledo District since 2007. This southern area of Belize is recognized for its superior cacao beans that are not only a significant export product for the area but a national treasure when it comes to Belizean chocolatiers. Always held over the Commonwealth Holiday weekend (mid-May), what began as the Toledo Cacao Festival later evolved into the Chocolate Festival of Belize. This funky looking pod that almost resembles a squash and yields flavors that only dreams are made of is more than worthy of the three-day celebration in Punta Gorda Town! Each year this delicious festival grows and attracts hundreds of visitors from around Belize and beyond. This year, the event committee is changings things up a bit with a Pre-Chocolate Bash on the evening of May 18th with the energetic music of the X-Band.

International Sourcesizz

Anderson, Diagne to travel to Belize with Sports Reach program
Western Kentucky men's basketball players Josh Anderson and Moustapha Diagne will participate this month in a cultural exchange basketball trip to Belize through the Sports Reach sports ministry program. Anderson and Diagne join a list of WKU standouts who have traveled abroad with Sports Reach, including Justin Johnson, Nigel Snipes, T.J. Price, George Fant, A.J. Slaughter and Steffphon Pettigrew. Participants on this year's trip, which runs May 16-26, are scheduled to play six games against teams from the Belize National Elite Basketball League, along with a few local all-star teams from across the country.

THOMPSON AWARD FINALIST: Lexie Rhoton, Rye Cove
For the past two summers, Rhoton has volunteered to serve as a counselor for kids from underprivileged backgrounds at Camp Hope in Church Hill, Tennessee. This summer, Rhoton will embark on a mission trip to Belize with a group from different churches in the Scott County area. Located on the eastern coast of Central America, Belize is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and dense jungle. Residents speak a variety of languages, including Belizean Creole and Spanish. "I was invited on this trip by a friend in a youth group, and I was all-in from the start," Rhoton said. "It's always been a dream of mine to travel out of the country and help people with different backgrounds and personalities. I'm very excited." Rhoton has been researching the diverse culture and living conditions in Belize. She's ready to be immersed in a new land where the missionaries must bring their own water supply and adapt.

Tourism contributes 8% of the world's carbon emissions
Deep down we all know that flying is bad for the planet, but too often the lure of some sun, sea and a cheap airline ticket can sometimes push that thought straight out of our heads. But new research from the scientific journal Nature Climate Change has discovered that the tourism industry now contributes 8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions - a startling stat we can't ignore - and it isn't just plane trips that are the problem. Researchers found that between 2009 and 2013, the global carbon footprint from tourism increased four times more than predicted and among the 160 countries they looked into, transport, shopping, hotels and food were the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas.

Videos

  • Good Morning San Pedro, May 11, ReefTV covering the Cayo Rosario issue:, 60min. Elito Arceo interviewed along with call in's to the station. (starts about 15 minutes into the show)

  • Luther Page 2018 NEBL Belize Highlight Tape, 3.5min.

  • BELIZE'S anual agriculture show 2018, 3min.

  • , 40sec. Nani Namu invita a todas las madrecitas a que salgan este sabado, el 12 de mayo en el estadio Louis Sylvestre Sports Complex.

  • Belize Now | May 11, 2018, 31min.

  • You Better Belize It 2017, 37min. Dive trip, Mayan ruins, Blue Hole

  • Diving & Marine Conservation in Belize, 6min. GoEco's Diving & Marine Conservation volunteer project in Belize.

  • Snorkeling in Belize, 4min. Watching manatees, baby sharks and other fishes, snorkeling in Belize near Caye Caulker.

  • Belize - Glimpses of Our 15 Days There 2018-02 1st - 15th, 11min. Some clips from each of the 15 days we were in Belize. Starting at the international airport in Belize, we rented a 4X4 for 5 days and drove to San Ignacio. From there we took a tour to Tikal and then visited various locations on the mainland, including more Mayan sites, the Belize Zoo, the community of Shipyard, the countryside, etc. for the first week. Then we ferried to Ambergris Caye (pronounced "key", unlike my video dialogue) and Cay Caulker for snorkeling etc.

  • Tapir looks at my trail camera in Sittee River, Belize, May 2018, 10sec. I brought a trail camera to our house in Sittee River, Belize, and got this video of a tapir the other night in the jungle out back...next subject we're going for is the jaguar.

  • Pelican grabbing fishes at Silk Caye, Belize, 1/2min. A pelican eating right near the barrier reef at Silk Caye, Belize, off of Placencia.

  • Belize Barrier Reef Snorkeling, 4min. Snorkeling in Belize on a boat set off from Caye Caulker

  • Belize City Defenders vs San Pedro Tiger Sharks, 80min. Belize City Defenders 86, San Pedro Tiger Sharks 83


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