Today's Belize News: June 19, 2020

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Today's Belize News: June 19, 2020 #543053 06/19/20 06:26 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,400 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials. The San Pedro Sun Taiwan Donates Medical Equipment to Belize as the Fight against COVID-19 Continues As the world is still struggling with the severe repercussions of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan continues to demonstrate its good will and friendship to the Belizean people by donating 200,000 surgical masks, 10,000 N-95 Masks, 500 infrared forehead thermometers, 2,000 protective clothing, 4,000 isolation gowns, 2 automatic nucleic acid (PCR) analyzers, 720 PCR testing kits, and 10,000 nasal swabs to support the Government of Belize in its endeavors to contain COVID-19. This donation is valued at BZ$1 million. Various Belizean Sources Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location Friday, June 19th Meal Pick ups. Location: Barrier Reef Sports Bar & Grill. Times: Village: 11:00am - 11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am - 12:30pm. Ambergris Caye Fishing Guide Association meets THE AMBERGRIS CAYE FISHING GUIDE ASSOCIATION committee met yesterday and have decided to help out its members who are currently in a dire situation due to the pandemic which we are experiencing at the moment and have been without work for the past three months! So through this medium and also we will be calling personally all of our 85 active members aswell , we are notifying all our members that there will be a general meeting at the hol chan assembly hall at 6:30 pm on Friday 26th of June, which at the same time we will be handing out food packages to all our members! Public Consultation on the Upgrade of the Philip Goldson Highway Join the Belize Department of the Environment - DOE for a live stream of a Public Consultation on the Upgrade of the Philip Goldson Highway. Questions can be submitted during the live stream via the Belize Department of the Environment - DOE and Government of Belize Press Office Facebook pages, Zoom https://zoom.us/j/97666916410 or Whatsapp 628-9052. Rules will be announced before and during the public consultation. Release by four NICH staffers that were laid off The "protection and promotion of all forms of tangible and intangible culture" is vital to our country and a major contributor to the lives of Belizeans and our foreign visitors. Our country is experiencing an unprecedented health and financial crisis due to COVID19 and many Belizeans have lost their jobs while some are struggling to meet daily needs under greatly reduced wages. We were not under the illusion that NICH would be spared, but to ensure that the Arts and Culture remain a vital part of our economy, we were prepared to endure the financial storm. Commercial garbage waste pickup changes in Corozal Town Special Notice to all our Business Operators in Corozal Town. Kindly be informed in the change of schedule for the collection of commercial garbage and waste. Notice by the Corozal Town Council The CTC is offering a 20% Discount on Property Tax payment this Monday 22nd June and Tuesday 23 June, 2020 Take advantage of the savings you can make my making your payments on these dates. Online payments can also be made. Our Offices are open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. visit us or call 480-20772 for more information. Artist of the Day - Alex Jordon Howard Presently Alex offers his service as a fitness trainer however, he plans to become an entrepreneur, owning his own business. He has been dancing since he was a young teen and has gained dance and stage experience over the years. He pulls on these honed skills and is now a trained dancer always willing to share and motivate others. Alex's dancing roots was with the Nu Generation Dance Company (NGDC), which was Belize's premiere Hip Hop company. There, he quickly became a lead dancer. Alex was with the NGDC for over 5 years... Multi talented artist Beverly Orio Our Art & Soul series showcases another talented Corozal artist. We are literally brimming with talent! This week we are delighted to feature multi talented artist Beverly Orio. Beverly arrived to Belize in 1982 and like many others, never left. She is a jeweler, painter, seamstress, hat maker, sculptress and the list goes on... Married to Corozaleno Fred Orio; Beverly continues to create beautiful one of a kind peices, always challenging herself to come up with new designs. Flood Report & Forecast June 18, 2020 REGION 7 -Flood levels on the Blue Creek Sub catchment of the RIO HONDO at Blue Creek, Santa Cruz, San Antonio, San Roman, and Douglas continues to fall slowly. The NEW RIVER at Tower Hill and Caledonia is above normal and steady. REGION 9 - On the MACAL RIVER, reservoir levels remain below the spillways at Chalillo, Mollejon and Vaca facilities. At San Ignacio, levels are below the low-level bridge and slowly rising. The MOPAN RIVER at Benque Viejo Town is above normal and slowly falling. On the BELIZE RIVER, levels at Banana Bank and Double Run are normal and steady. The CROOKED TREE LAGOON is below the causeway and falling. Dams open spillways With the consistent rains over the country in the past 24 hours, the spillways at the dams on the Macal River became active today. Chalillo started mid-morning followed by Vaca just after midday and then Mollejon a short while ago. BECOL continues to update the National Emergency Management Organization and the National Meteorological Service of the water levels at all three facilities and encourages downstream communities to listen to official advisories from the relevant authorities. Update on Flooding in St. Matthew's Village The George Price Highway at Mile 38 1/2 in St. Matthew's Village is now open to vehicular traffic. Vehicles can now safely traverse between Belize City and Belmopan. Channel 7 Approach To Beaver Dam Bridge Washed Out, Western Belize an Island It's a disaster, the likes of which hasn't been seen in 18 years, a washout of mile 38 on the George Price Highway - that undermined the approach to the Beaver Dam bridge and severed a main vein in Belize's transport infrastructure, cutting off east from west, and stranding commuters traveling between the old capital and the new. Work to reconstruct the split started just after 10 this morning with engineers from the Ministry of works racing to salvage the material that raging floodwaters were carrying away. Cherisse Halsall was on the scene. Fighting Floodwaters In South And West And while busloads of commuters wait to find out when they'll be able to return home, they're still better off than many flood victims who've had to be evacuated from theirs. That's according to the Minister of Transport and N.E.M.O. Edmond Castro who this afternoon gave us the rundown on the areas currently fighting floodwaters. Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of Transport: "N.E.M.O. We already got the pre-assessment in terms of people that need to be, vacate their homes. This time it's a little bit worse than two weeks ago. So, we have flooding in the St. Matthews area, we have flooding in Cotton Tree, We have flooding below, We have flooding out in the South on the Hummingbird Highway...." Tropical Depression Caused Torrential Rains So, now that we've given you a snapshot of how the torrential rains from 2 days have affected the country, we also went seeking answers from the weather experts about what caused it and how long the rains will last. This evening, the Deputy Chief Meteorologist from the National Met Service told us via telephone that all this rain was mostly caused by a tropical depression, which passed over Central Belize late on Tuesday night. Here are his comments on that unnamed storm, which is now causing all this headache: Fisheries Admin. Explains Lobster Price Earlier this week we told you how lobster fishermen are hurting. That's because the season opened on Monday - but the Co-op is only paying $15 dollars or less per pound for the prized shellfish. That's less than half of the $30+ dollars that they got last year. And what accounts for the vast difference? Well, you don't need to look any further than COVID-19. The global pandemic has caused the global price for this luxury food to take a nosedive. Basically, there's low demand for lobster in New York, and that's hurting suppliers from Caye Caulker to Glover's Reef. Police Association Elects Female-Centric Exec. Last night we showed you footage from the elections from the police association. In what may be a record turnout, over one thousand cops voted at precincts and stations throughout the country for the 7 person executive to head their welfare body. And, by 09:30, the winner was apparent. The slate led by Sergeant Jane Usher had won any a landslide. Usher and her slate were elected with almost three quarter of the total votes. It's and impressive win, and today, the two who topped the polls, Usher - who was second with 729 votes and Sergeant Jermaine Hyde who was first with 734 votes spoke to the media about their mandate, and the job they've been tasked to do: US Charg� d'Affaires Speaks About His Trip For Urgent Medical Care 13 days ago, US Charge d'Affaires Keith Gilges returned to Belize. That's one month after he had left for non life-threatening but urgent medical care. Today, in his first interview since returning the US's most senior diplomat in Belize told us why left, and what it's been like since his return. He spoke via zoom video conference from the Embassy compound in Belmopan where he is finishing up a 14 day quarantine: When Will consular Services Resume? Sounds Like�No Time Soon Gilges is scheduled to end his quarantine tomorrow with his first public and official appearance, which will be an ambulance donation at the PGIA - assuming the western highway is passable by then. And while he's eager to get out of quarantine, most Belizeans are just eager to know when the embassy will re-open for routine consular services. Students who plan to study in the US and are hoping to get there in time for the fall semester, and those who need to travel are among the many who are waiting for the embassy to open. Gilges did not have any good news for them: Charg� Says Americans Inquiring About Belize Tourism Re-opening And "as soon as possible" is how soon some US citizens are wanting to get back to Belize. Gilges discussed the tourism inquiries his embassy has been getting: Jules Vasquez: "What do you think is the appetite for tourism in the US market? Because opening the airport and opening it to flights is one thing but having people willing to fly at this fragile and unpredictable time in the world is another thing altogether. Charg� Welcomes Deep Dialogue About And, many of those Americans are eager to take a break from what has become a very stressful time in the states. Between COVID-19 - whose first wave still isn't even near ending in the US - and the George Floyd protests, the US of A is like a pressure cooker right now. And, of course, the long history of racial oppression, and police violence against black Americans in that country keeps the pressure going up. Gilges said he sees this as an opportunity for real change: Fired NICH Staff Stikes Back On Monday, NICH laid off 12 of its staffers, 6% of the total staff. In a release the Institute explained that its government subvention for June was cut by 40% - and, with that, it had to commence layoffs, which include prominent senior staffers such as former Theatre Director, Karen Vernon, former Coordinator of NICH's Film and Media Arts Unit Suzette Zayden, and former Creative Industry Development Officer. Jackie Castillo. Now, the former staffers say that their disappointment at the handling of their terminations is an understatement. UDP Looking At a July Convention COVID may have overtaken national life, but this is still an election year - and the UDP still hasn't picked a leader to lead it into the next election. WE don't have to remind you about the ruling party's abortive leadership convention at the start of this year. Reports now are suggesting that the Party has decided on a date for its next leadership convention. Drug Plane Hovered Near Hondo Earlier this week we told you about the drug jet that landed in Mexico, close to the Rio Hondo, and very close to Belizean territory. It had been trying to land in Belize, but turned up in Mexico. By the time the Mexican law enforcement got there, all the drugs were gone, and they only found another of those old HS-125 jets. Yesterday the police commissioner told us that they are aware that the planes keep tracking over Belizean airspace: FFB Fight Continues Two days ago, we showed you the press conference held by Earl Jones, the General Secretary of the Football Federation of Belize. He was responding to a group of football stakeholders who are trying to remove FFB President Sergio Chuc and his executive members from office. They say that he isn't doing a good job as the top football executive. As we've told you, Chuc and his executive team will be seeking re-election at the next FFB Congress, which is scheduled for July 4th. During his 1st term in office as President, we've heard very little complaints about Chuc's leadership. Cop Commits Suicide We don't often report on suicides, but tonight is one of those exceptions. 27 year old Police Constable Jerman Millian was found hanging in his room early this morning. He is attached to San Ignacio Police Station - and was on interdiction for 8 counts of carnal knowledge going back to September of last year when he was accused of having unlawful sexual relations with a 13 year old. He was to have appeared in court today for the Preliminary inquiry into this case - we are told. Flood Warnings in Effect As we showed you at the top of the news, flooding and highway washouts on the Hummingbird and George Price highways have cut off the west and left it like an island. Tonight, NEMO's latest advisory says Flood warnings remain in effect for Cayo, Belize, Stann Creek and parts of Toledo district. The public is being advised to avoid travel on secondary roads in the rural areas, and in particular, on the George Price Highway between Belize City and Belmopan, which is projected to be opened between 10:00 p.m. and midnight. Channel 5 A Portion of the George Price Highway Caves Due to Pressure of Flood Water Staggering rainfall that lasted for some twelve hours caused intense flooding overnight in the western and southern parts of the country.� By this morning, sections of the George Price Highway [...] Families Displaced by Flood Waters The water levels at the Macal River and Mopan River rose significantly; while the Belize and Sibun River was beginning to rise this afternoon. A number of families were displaced [...] Flooding Disrupts Traffic on Hummingbird Highway Heading south, on the Hummingbird Highway, the water levels rose to dangerous levels. Construction work had to be halted and commuters heading into the Belmopan area could not make their [...] Accident & Emergency Wing of the Western Regional Hospital Flooded The Accident and Emergency Wing of the Western Regional Hospital was also flooded today in the capital. This morning, images surfaced on social media of water flushing through that portion [...] Flash Flood Affects Buena Vista Villagers In the west, flash floods also affected the area near Iguana Creek where the water was rising.� Near the village of Buena Vista Village, roads there were rendered impassable by [...] Opposition Leader Says Dean Barrow's Signature Accomplishments Breaking Apart This afternoon, Opposition Leader John Brice�o said that his party is reaching out to all affected families in order to provide some sort of assistance to get them back on [...] John Brice�o Questions PM's Wisdom on Treasury Notes Offer On Wednesday, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight confirmed to News Five that Belize applied for a loan through the IMF at the eleventh hour and is at number eighty-eight on the [...] John Brice�o Says G.O.B. Kicking the Can Down the Road Opposition Leader John Brice�o also criticized the government's move to request from bondholders�to defer and capitalize the August interest payment of the superbond.� If the bondholders agree to the capitalization, [...] Four Terminated NICH Workers Respond to the Firings! Four of the recently laid off employees of NICH are tonight responding to their firings announced on Tuesday of this week. NICH laid off twelve members of staff on the [...] U.D.P. Leadership Convention Will Take Place on July 12th In political news, there is now word that the U.D.P. leadership convention will take place on Sunday, July twelfth, less than a month away. The previous, very lavish convention in [...] NEMO & Village Council Sound Off on Bella Vista Flooding! Back to the flooding�another community further south also experienced heavy flooding. Reports coming out Bella Vista on the Southern Highway are that several homes began to experience flooding as early [...] Flooding Continues in Northern Villages! So, as you heard so far there is flooding along the George Price, Hummingbird and Southern Highways. But moving north, there has been flooding for over two weeks.� Several villages [...] A Tropical Wave Caused the Heavy Rains! If you're wondering what pushed all the rains over Belize in the past twenty-four hours, the National Met Service says it is just a tropical wave. These usually cross the [...] National Met Service Says Some Sun But Also More Rains to Come! If you're wondering if that is it for the floods, the Deputy Chief Meteorologist says you may want to be vigilant and keep informed with the latest weather updates. But [...] Jane Usher is New President of Police Association At nine-thirty on Wednesday night, the final ballot was counted and Sergeant Jane Usher emerged victorious as the new president of the Belize Police Association.� Her slate of fellow officers [...] Jermaine Hyde Tops the Polls to Become Vice President Newly-elected vice president, Sergeant Jermaine Hyde, topped the polls with the most votes garnered.� Despite the accomplishment, he says that it was all team work and described the campaign effort [...] P.L.B. and F.F.B. Candidates Come Forward with Football Concerns The Premier League of Belize is holding elections for a new executive committee this Saturday in Belize City and, much like any other form of electoral politics; allegations are being [...] New Blood at F.F.B. or Same Ol' Same Ol'? Former financial officer Doctor Eugene Cleland is offering himself as a candidate for vice president of F.F.B.�� He is Onan McLean's running mate.� He too admits that there have been [...] Healthy Living: Helping Students Cope with Back to School Two weeks ago, we reported the increased anxiety levels recorded by mental health and medical professionals in Belize. �This week, our senior students have all reason to be anxious as [...] LOVE FM Floods affect various areas of the Cayo District Going even further west, our Cayo Correspondent Fem Cruz went to find out how the residents were being impacted. Here is his report. Major flooding damages George Price Highway The rains and the spillover of the dams - it is the perfect recipe for the floods out west and parts of the south. As we noted the flooding scenario began as early as six to seven o'clock this morning. Cops burglarize woman's home A woman of Cotton Tree Village, Cayo District reported that her house was broken into and ransacked by police officers. According to Maude Blancaneaux the incident occurred at around 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon when she left her house to go out with her two children. Breaking Belize News Dam spillways active as flood threat continues For what may be the first time ever, spillways above the three hydroelectric dams on the [�] NEMO says George Price Highway may be open to traffic around 10:00 p.m. Photo Credit: Astrum Helicopters The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) informs that a flood warning remains [�] Belize Electricity Limited prepares for possible hurricane season power disruptions Today, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) assured customers that the company is taking all steps possible to [�] Major highways affected by heavy rains The Ministry of Works has issued a notice to the general [�] Inter-American Development Bank rolls out Beyond Tourism Innovation Challenge In response to the damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has done to tourism within Latin [�] World Health Organization welcomes preliminary results on using dexamethasone to critically COVID-19 patients Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it welcomes clinical trial results from the [�] National Hydrological Service issues flood warning advisory; levels at Vaca and Chalillo dams above spillway The National Hydrological Service issued a flood warning advisory today. Moist and unstable weather conditions [�] National Institute of Culture and History responds to terminated staff release, wishes them well The National Institute for Culture and History (NICH) has responded to accusations made by four [�] Ministry of Works advises that access to portions of George Price and Hummingbird highways have been cut off The Ministry of Works issued an advisory that due to the heavy rains during the [�] UDP leadership convention set for July The United Democratic Party's (UDP) disrupted and delayed convention to elect a new leader to [�] NEMO issues flooding advisory, urges citizens to stay home The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) informs the nation that due to excessive rainfall occurring [�] Worldwide Crocodile Day commemorated Annually, June 17 is celebrated as World Wide Crocodile Day. The day is set aside [�] Santa Martha bridge impassable Several sources have confirmed to BBN that the Santa Martha bridge in Cayo is currently [�] George Price Highway caves in near St. Matthews Reports to Breaking Belize News (BBN) are that a portion of the George Price Highway [�] Blogs When will Cruise Tourism return to Belize? Though August 1 was previously announced by Carnival, hopeful passengers are still on standby to book their next cruise. "I wish I could give you a date (for a resumption of cruising), but we can't, because it's a regulatory matter," says Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald. "I learned a long time ago not to try to forecast regulatory dates." The CDC has issued a no-sail order for cruise ships operating in U.S. waters that will expire on July 24, but is expected to be extended. Meanwhile, authorities in many other countries from Canada to Australia have put cruise tourism on hold for the time being. Additionally, capacity restrictions, deep cleaning, social distancing and other preventive measures are just a few actions expected. 10 Reef Safe Sunscreens you should be using while in Belize Your flights are booked and you cannot wait for your Belizean adventure. And as you begin to pack, there is one thing you will definitely need for your Caribbean escape - sunscreen! But which should you buy? The seemingly harmless, often white and milky liquid that you apply on your face for sun protection isn't actually all that good for the environment-especially the ocean. Sunscreens containing the ingredients oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene are believed by marine scientists to contribute to coral bleaching, a phenomenon that causes coral polyps to expel algae that live inside their tissues. International Sources Belize creditors organize committee to address payment moratorium request Investors holding Belize's sovereign US dollar-denominated 2034 bonds said in a statement late Thursday they formed a creditor committee to address the government's request for a six-month interest payment deferral due to the economic strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. Acknowledging the impact of the pandemic on its tourism-led economy, the committee said that it looks forward to discussing the situation and the economic pressures that are constraining its capacity to "service full coupon payments in the near term." Videos Flooding damage around the country Wednesday, 7.5min. A portion of the George Price Highway caves in near Saint Matthew's Village. Flood waters under Sibun Bridge, .5min. Footage sent to us by a viewer shows flood waters rushing under the Sibun Bridge. Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School Graduation Mass, 60min. Hummingbird Highway near the Sleeping Giant, .5min. As the rains continue countrywide, floods prevail and have covered certain parts of the highway. Travelers are asked to drive carefully during this time. Work on George Price Highway where road caved in, 7.5min. Adorable baby puffer fish drifts over the coral in Belize, 40sec. Puffer fish come in many shapes and sizes. Some, as in this case, are tiny little creatures that are no bigger than a quarter. The First Yucatec Maya museum in the Corozal District, 8min. U K�uchil Maaya �uchben Ba'alob (A place for old things Maya) in Cristo Rey Village. A little Chat with Nojoch Mak Faustino who Yam is a retired educator and a member/spiritual advisor for the NGO To'one Masehualoon.