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Posted By: Marty Today's Belize News: August 22, 2014 - 08/22/14 10:20 AM


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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Police Report
33-year-old Gergorio Cobb, manager of Captain Morgan's Retreat reported to the San Pedro Police Station that a man refused to pay for his stay in the establishment. According to Cobb, Simon Castillo checked into the hotel for a period of seven days commencing from Friday, August 8th and ending on Saturday, August 16th. The cost of the room was $200 per night plus 19%, amounting to a total value of $1,905. Castillo gave a credit card in his name. During his stay, Castillo ordered room service which amounted to $3,847.12. Castillo checked out of the resort without informing the front desk or paying the extra charges. Cobb has requested court action. Castillo has been officially arrested and charged.

Belize Institute of Mixology offers Bartending Courses
Belize Institute of Mixology (BIM) is a locally owned Bartending teaching company. It recently held a Flair & Mixology Crash course at Sapphire Beach Resort on Saturday August 9th. Guest instructor was Mixologist Fermin Cho'c of Turtle Inn. Mr Cho'c is the winner of the annual Taste of Belize Bartending competition as well as the Sugar City Rumfest mixology competition. He learned his trade in Florida by the American Bartending School. BIM plans on offering two fully rounded courses: Introduction to Bartending and Advanced Bartending. These courses will include presentations from guest instructors in the field of wine, beer, rum, and of course flair. Each course will be for five days and will also include a doctor as guest instructor on alcohol awareness. Power point presentations and practical hands on training will ensure student participation.

Island Cup Football Tournament finals drawing near
The Island Cup Football Tournament is nearing the finals, and on Sunday, August 17th the fifth round of games were played. The Ambergris Stadium was the place to be as six football teams faced off in three grueling matches. The crowd in attendance was certainly pleased with the display of football talent. Legends and Dorados set the tone of the day with the first game. The well-seasoned Legends took the win in a 2-0 point match even though the Dorados gave a decent fight. Game two saw, San Pedrito FC face San Pedro High School (SPHS) Football Team. SPHS managed to win their first-ever game in the tournament in a 2-1 point match! The last game of the day was between the Joker FC and Vince's Warriors. Both teams wanted the win, but Joker FC snatched the victory with 3-1 score.

Ambergris Today

Belize Police Department : Wanted Person
San Pedro Police Station - Wanted Person Jason Gillette aka "Skilla" Age: 29 yrs old DOB: December 24, 1985 Belizean Laborer Wanted in connection with an Attempt Murder in San Pedro Town. This person is considered armed and dangerous if seen please call 911 or the nearest Police Station in your area or Crime Stoppers at 922.

Rugby Belize Has its First Four Clubs
The southern Districts have seemingly stormed ahead in setting up rugby football clubs in Belize, and the first four clubs have appointed organizers and are busy attracting players and volunteers through their social media campaigns. The Belize Rugby Board (Rugby Belize) has organized the country into two 'Districts' for domestic competition purposes; North includes Corozal, Orange Walk and Belize, and South covers Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo Hattieville United Rugby Football Union (part of the Hattieville United Youth Sporting Club), organized by Haddan Garbutt, is the headquarters of Rugby Belize Rugby Belize plans to have a rugby football union in every major town throughout the country by the end of 2015, with a national team for sevens in place in time to commence training for the first big international sevens competition in 2015 / 16.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Belize at Ireland Oil & Gas 2014 Summit in Dublin
2014 is a pivotal year for Ireland's oil and gas industry, with exploration of key prospects underway and a new licensing round due to commence in just a few weeks' time. The mood at the 2nd Ireland Oil & Gas Summit was one of enthusiasm and excitement, and a feeling that perhaps Ireland will soon be firmly placed on the global map of oil and gas.With more than 120 delegates in attendance from more than 80 companies and organisations, the meeting brought together an exceptional cross-section of companies and individuals with a vested interest in realising Ireland's hydrocarbon potential. IRN gathered an exceptional panel of speakers from Woodside, Providence, Nalcor Oil & Gas, Petrel Resources, Belize Natural Energy, Lansdowne Oil and Gas, Infrastrata, Fastnet Oil & Gas, and Europa Oil & Gas amongst others, who provided attendees with detailed analysis of present state of the oil and gas industry across Ireland.

Belize - Fiscal Paradise with High Level of Confidentiality
ICO Services, the international company specialized in the formation of offshore companies and offshore banking, has recently expanded their services to the American business world by launching their service of setting up a company in Belize, the only fiscal paradise in Central and South America where English is the official language. This business extension means providing access to the multiple advantages of establishing an International Business Company (IBC) which includes a high level of confidentiality, exempt for all local taxes, no capital requirements and no foreign exchange control.An IBC is the most popular type of offshore corporation as it is designed for any international business activity, does not pay any taxes in the jurisdiction where is established, provides confidentiality to its owners and is not subject to reporting requirements."According to different lists of international organizations, there are dozens of countries that can be considered as tax heavens. But these countries are far from providing the same advantages, and each is specialized in hosting one or more types of the simplest to the most complex financial transactions. In this respect, Belize is the no. 1 option for international investors who need the advantages provided only by an IBC established in Belize, where privacy is a state policy", said an ICO Services executive/official.

Superintendent Luis Castellanos accepts Freddy Gonzalez Jr's Nomination for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
and now nominates his son Luis Alberto Castellanos, Karim Maroun, Genaro Samos, Hector Blanco and Henry Jemmot.

Mechanical Rides at the the Andres Campos Civic Center Grounds
Where will your good-self lead you this weekend? - In about two weeks from today, most preschools, primary and secondary schools will be open for classes. Here is your last chance to bring out the entire family this weekend and enjoy Mechanical Rides at the the Andres Campos Civic Center Grounds - Carousel - Roller Coaster - Wheel of Fortune - Games - The rides will begin tomorrow Friday Aug 22....Don't miss out. We invite everyone from Corozal's 26 villages and Orange Walk to enjoy this weekend's events before the opening of school classes. Fun! Fun! Fun! Be safe!

Colors of Belize Art Gallery
Colors of Belize, Cayo's new art gallery, is having their grand opening Friday, August 22nd. They are located in the Busman Arnold building, and are open from 9am to 9pm."Colors of Belize is a new art gallery in Cayo. It's located in the Busman Arnold building, and the artist has some fantastic paintings on display."

Calla Creek Bridge Repair Project
4 The World Belize, which does a lot of volunteer work in Calla Creek, fixed up the bridge so the kids can safely cross. Thanks, 4 The World!"Today we replaced the missing boards on the swinging bridge in Calla Creek Village. Now all the kids can safely cross the bridge. Just in time for school to start next week. Many people use the bridge daily ."

Cayo Classifieds - Issue 30
This week's Buy and Sell Weekly."Belize's original Classified ads publication. Private Party Classified ads (people selling personal items) are now FREE. Business ads start at $15 per week with designs included. Deadline to place ads are every Saturday @ 12pm. Don't pawn it!... sell it fast with our Buy and Sell Weekly Classifieds."

NTHU 2014 Belize Visit
The Belize Educational Service Group from the National Tsing Hua University left Belize yesterday. While here, they spent most of their time in Cayo, and did a lot of volunteering at primary schools. Thanks, NTHU!"Seven days in San Antonio, our groups really got lots of things from the villagers, especially the principle Mr. Mai. They are willing to share things with us, they showed us their farm, their family members, their harvest and their smile. Though we did the wall and hold a one day camp for them,yet when a mother told us that she is really appreciate for what we had done, we thought we can do more and better. we will miss and remember this beautiful village, for its glamorous sunshine, kind people and the warm smile. Adios Familia."

Channel 7

Terror Inside A and R
At the end of last night's news, we told you about an armed robbery at A and R Store. Tonight details of that terror- filled event are known. Around 6:27 pm a man with a stocking over his face walked into A&R holding the security guard at gunpoint while his accomplice guarded the door. The man ordered everyone to lie on the floor. The store had already closed, but the employees and many of their young children were inside with them. Everyone was in a panic, as the gunman went first to the supervisor's office and stole a plastic bag with over nine thousand dollars in cash. He then turned his attention to the workers, and even their children, snatches cell phones, rings and chains from them. Then, he ordered all of them to stand up and matched them up to the second floor and ordered the supervisor to open the safe - where he stole another three thousand in cash.

Record Crystal Meth bust in Orange Walk Worth Millions
Tonight the Anti Drug Unit is proudly claiming the biggest bust of the drug Crystal Meth ever in Belize. "Meth" as it is called is short for methamphetamine - and it is a highly addictive drug widely used in the United States. In many cases, the drug itself or, more often, the chemical precursors used to make it are trafficked through Belize, Guatemala and Mexico to the US. And last night, a stash with a value of more than 2 million US dollars was found in Orange Walk - and it happened, almost by chance. An unmarked anti drug unit vehicle was in the Louisiana area of Orange Walk Town when police observed a black Toyota Camry car driving erratically on the road, veering from one side to the other.

Brother Kills Brother In OW Hunting Accident
There was a tragic hunting accident last night, which claimed the life of one man from Orange Walk Town. Around 11:00 pm, brothers Celso Moreno, who is 63 and Gumercindo Mendoza who is 52 went hunting for deer in the Yo Creek area. They split up, and around midnight, Celso thought he saw something move. Thinking it was a deer, he fired one shot form his 12 gauge shotgun. But it turns out that it was his little brother who was shot to the hands, abdomen and side of the head with a shotgun blast. He died instantly, and Police have detained Celso Moreno pending investigation.

Hon. Santino Sympathizes With Succotz Rage
Today, the Ministries of Economic Development and Works held an annual review of their ongoing road safety project. But, in the current climate, it's hard to discuss road safety without talking about the road tragedy that one of the highest ranking law enforcement officials in the country caused last week Saturday. That, of course, is the fatal accident caused by the drunk driving Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mike Segura. Today we asked Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Santino Castillo about how Segura's alleged misdeeds are viewed by the executive. Here's what he had to say about Segura and the wider topic of drinking and driving:.. Hon. Santino Castillo "Quite honestly in Belize you are innocent until you are proven guilty. However if indeed ten gentleman as it shown so far by the blood test was drinking. It's a very tragic accident. It shows that alcohol and drinking do not mix. It shows that we should not drink and drive, we should have a designated driver if that's what we are going to do and I commend the government and I commend the police for acting decisively and swiftly on the matter. The example should always start at the top quite honestly, bit I was also made to understand, I did my own research on the case, that with the pressures that the police department faces Mr. Segura might not be the only one that drinks. I understand the pressures of the job in the police department has driven a few officers to drink. That doesn't mean however they have to drive."

Dale Tillett's Family Bruise By Not Guilty Verdict
Dale Tillett Was only 19 when he was fatally wounded by a gunshot at the Palm Island nightclub on New Year's Eve 2011. Three and a half years later, the man accused of firing the gun that killed the fourth former, walked out of court a free man. The outcome of the trial without jury has left Tillett's family deeply bruised by what they feel is justice denied. But, in the aftermath of the July verdict, they didn't have any public eruption of outrage - they grieved privately that their son and brother would not get the justice they believe he deserved. Yesterday, though, after weeks of quiet agony, Dale's mother spoke for the first time. Monica Bodden has her story: Pamela Ferguson - Mother of Dale Tillett "When I got that call that my son got shot I was at work and I felt frustrated, I didn't know what to do and I just start to pray and cry."Monica Bodden reporting Pamela Ferguson remembers the early morning phone call that she received on New Year's Eve 2011.She was at work, when they had informed her that her oldest child - 19 year old Dale Tillett- was shot to the head inside the compound of the then popular Palm Island nightclub.

Hon. Elrington says General Legal Council To Be Revived
In the past few weeks on the news, we've been hearing a lot about the General Legal Council, mostly in reference to the attorney Arthur Saldivar, who we are told has more than a few complaints filed against him with that body. If you don't know what the General Legal Council is, that's not surprising because that body, which should review complaints against attorney's and hand out discipline for it, has a conviction rate very close to zero% and is mostly nonfunctional.Try to find out who's to blame for the woeful state of affairs, and you'd probably end up in court - because both the attorney general and the bar association blame each other. But when those big elephants fight, it's only the grass that gets trampled and, in this case, the grass is represented by those regular folks who pay lawyers money and don't get anything in return - not even a court appearance.

Hopkins Residents March For Slain Teacher
Since Monday evening, the community of Hopkins has been mourning the loss of one of its own after 47 year-old Josephine Augustine was killed, and her husband, 71 year-old Dudley Augustine was badly beaten by 2 men who broke into their home. Both are career educators, and so the tragedy has upset the quiet community of Hopkins Village. The residents held a demonstration this afternoon to alert the nation to their outrage, and 7News was there.Daniel Ortiz reports:Daniel Ortiz reporting Families, friends and supporters of the Augustine Couple joined the rest of the Hopkins Community for a small demonstration in their honor. All 230 persons gathered in one location, and then, they moved to the couple's home, where they had been attacked on Monday evening. There, they said a prayer for Dudley, and held vigil for Josephine.

Cayo Holdup
Last night's robbery at A&R in Belize City happened 5 hours after a couple was held up and robbed by armed thieves in San Ignacio. 57 year-old Ruben Diaz and were at their business place at around 1 p.m. when 5 Hispanic men, all armed, barged in and robbed them at gunpoint of $1,000 cash, two power saws, a converter and an assortment of food. For good measure, the men stole 3 of the surveillance cameras a 2 solar panels.Police are investigating, and they believe that the men are Guatemalans.

GSU Gets At SSG
Last night, we showed you the seizures made by the Gang Suppression Unit during operations designed to target known drug peddlers in the City. Well, the GSU reported today, they found drugs near a known associate of the South Side Gangsters, known as SSG. At around 6 yesterday evening, officers from the GSU searched members from the SSG gang on Fabers Road. The officers then searched the immediate area where these gang members were congregated, and they found a transparent plastic bag which had several smaller parcels of marijuana. It was hidden inside an empty coconut husk.

Reviewing Road Safety
It seems that this year we've reported on an extraordinarily high number of terrible traffic fatalities - but that may be just what would be called the proximity effect: the numbers seem greater because they are happening in the here and now. Actually, the Ministry of Works says the number of traffic fatalities is down. Still, we'd like to see the police figures, but, since those don't come around any more, we'll take the Ministry at its word. Today they held the annual review of the Road Safety project and Courtney Weatherburne has the story of a measured success:.. The Road Safety Project has a budget of US$8 million.

Soup Gets Off
Jason "Soup" Williams, the boss of the Supal Street Blood, was the main suspect in the gang-related shooting of 27 year old Andrew Tate and 23 year old Kariq Tzul, which happened on February of this year. 23 year-old Tariq Cadle passed away from a separate shooting, and it is believed that both men were targeted in retaliation for his murder. Police investigation was supposed to link Williams to it. He was detained shortly after, and he was accused of shooting at officers who tried to detain him near the scene of the triple shooting. Well, tonight, he's free and clear of all charges related to that incident. He stood trial before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith on 2 counts of aggravated assault, and 1 count of discharging a firearm in public. The officers he supposedly shot at on that night were Constables Jason Augustine and Elvin Nah. They testified in court that the man who shot at them near the crime scene looked like Williams. Because they couldn't give a clear and positive identification of Soup Williams as the gunman who fired at them, the charges couldn't stand up to the scrutiny of the trial. Chief Magistrate Smith dismissed them and set Williams free.

Mexican Capture More Than Form, Go For Feeling
There's a new art show up on the walls at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City. The exhibition features the works of 6 Mexican artists who are using their talents to capture human emotion on canvas:..The exhibition was inaugurated on Thursday August 12th and will remain open until September 19th.

Belize Leads Regional Body In Meetings
Belize has the presidency of SICA until December and a part of that means holding the presidency of C-CAD, the Central American Commission on the Environment, and Opresca - the Central American commission on fisheries. But, rather than just place holding the Ministry of Fisheries Forestry and Sustainable Development is setting a bold agenda of reform for the institution. We found out more at the ministerial meeting for the C-Cad Secretariat today:..Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, Sust. Dev. "Specifically look at reforming CCAD, revisiting the governance structure and the decision making framework because CCAD has had many ups and downs and after participating for two and a half years, it is my opinion that it's the government structure that really needs to revisited and strengthened."

Courts Gives 10
Last week we told you about BTL's Annual Scholarship Ceremony. Well, Courts held theirs this morning at the Radisson. Over 50 students applied but only 10 were fortunate to be rewarded the 4 year scholarship. Covenca Rodriguez Jones, senior marketing officer discussed the scholarship program while the recipients expressed how grateful they are for the scholarship. Covenca Rodriguez James, COURTS Senior Marketing Officer "Courts has been doing this from the inception, probably two years after 1997, so it's over 200 persons that have been awarded scholarships. However we been doing the ceremony on a larger scale for the past 5-6 years and from then could recall 25 recently is on the scholarship."Chandiana Samuels, scholarship recipient "I am from Belize and the scholarship will help me make my dreams come true because I want to be lawyer."

Channel 5

Major Drug Bust in Sugar City yields U.S. $2 Million in Crystal Meth
There was a major drug bust in Orange Walk on Wednesday night. Police are reporting that while on an anti-drug operation in the town, the unit intercepted a black Toyota [...]

Armed Robbery at A&R, Thieves Lock Up Employees Inside Office
A duo of armed thieves has made off with a little over thirteen thousand dollars in cash and personal items, following a late-evening heist at A&R Enterprise Limited on Wednesday.� [...]

Guatemalan Bandidos Hit Couple at El Pilar
Meanwhile, in the El Pilar area of San Ignacio Town a few hours earlier, a group of five bandits, believed to be Guatemalan nationals, robbed a couple of cash and [...]

Hunting Expedition In Orange Walk District Ends in Fatality
Orange Walk police are also reporting the death of a sixty-five-year-old man. Tagged as an accidental shooting, Inspector Selvyn Tillett says that police visited an area two miles southwest on [...]

Still No Arrests in the Murder of Josephine Augustine
While the community cries out for justice, the Police are doing their best to deliver it. On Wednesday morning, Belmopan Police captured four men whom they believed were definite persons [...]

Dozens of Hopkins Residents Take to the Streets to Protest Augustine's Murder
On Monday, teacher Josephine Augustine was brutally murdered in her home in the quiet community of Hopkins. She was beaten and stabbed to death. Her husband Dudley Augustine, a retired [...]

Charges on the Way for Former Health Administrator Nasley Somerville
The Southern Regional Hospital and Dangriga Polyclinic are being run by middle managers after two administrators have been accused of misappropriation of funds under their control. Today, News Five was [...]

Jason 'Soup' Williams Acquitted of Aggravated Assault
The aggravated assault case of notorious street figure, Jason Williams aka "Soup" began on Monday in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. And today, the charge was dismissed. [...]

Tyrone Smith Sentenced to Seven Years for Chain Snatching
Thirty-year-old Tyrone Smith was today sentenced to seven years in prison after he was found guilty of beating up a pregnant woman before snatching her purse. Smith, an unemployed of [...]

Road Safety Program Revisited One Year Later
This morning, stakeholders across the transportation industry, as well as the public service, converged on the Biltmore to evaluate the National Road Safety Program one year later.� While the focus [...]

Government Officials Comment on Segura's Traffic Mishap
The Road Safety Annual Review, ironically, comes on the heels of one of the most high profile cases involving drunk driving in recent memory.� The fatal road traffic accident on [...]

Courts Awards Ten High School Awards
This morning at the Radisson, ten high school students from across the country were awarded four-year scholarships by Courts Belize Limited.� The financial assistance comes in time for the start [...]

Mexican Exhibition Showcases Six Painters
The Embassy of Mexico is tonight officially opening a collective art exhibition entitled "AEQUITAS" at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City. The artwork of six Mexican artists: Marisol D’ [...]

Debunking seatbelt myth with Healthy Living
Frequent reports on traffic accidents in our nightly newscasts; and that's because we don't even get a chance to report on all traffic mishaps that take place. Road Traffic Accidents [...]

CTV3

Sugar Barge Sinks At Cerros Point In Corozal
Locally referred to as the 'sugar boat', and quite a spectacle when it passes the New River Banks, on Sunday night around 11:30, a Belize Sugar Industry barge transporting sugar to Belize City experienced some difficulty and sunk. It's not a frequent occurrence and so we got curious of the situation when pictures started popping up on social media. We contacted Damian Gough, Manager of Marketing and Export Operations who says that it's a risk associated with methods of transport to move sugar from factory to ship.Damian Gough - Export Operations Manager"We were made aware sometime seven o'clock that the barge was leaking unfortunately this is one of the risks associated with the method of transportation that we have to move sugar from the factory to Belize City for loading into the ship and in the risks is that it is exposed to this same of sort of incident happening, we still haven't yet determined the cause of the barge sinking but it is likely that it is as a result due to a puncture or a hole or something but we won't be able to determine that until get the barge floating and back to the repair dock for it to be dry dock and then we do an inspection of it but it is but you can track it down to the risk of the business associated by moving the sugar by this means but this is for now the only means that we have to move the sugar but I can confirm that yes indeed the barge sank and."

Weather Continues To Affect Bee Keeping Industry
When we last reported on the bee keeping industry, the news was not very positive. Honey production had fallen dramatically due to unfavorable weather conditions. In a follow up of the situation, today we learned that the weather continues to plague the small industry, but those most affected are bee keepers from the north. Extension Officer with specialty in Bee Keeping, Margarito Leiva, says the department is taking measures in rescuing the situation.Margarito Leiva - Extension Officer"I however mentioned that we were waiting for the month of July and August when it is the actual honey season wet flu so that we can probably yields the increase of honey but that did not happened it started raining in May and then it stopped and then it was totally dry you know I think it is part of the climate change in fact there is a drought watch for the northern part of Belize according to CAMI which is the Caribbean Agro-meteorologist Institute so now what really happened is that the scenario has change most of the bee colonies have stopped laying eggs, the queen ceased to lay eggs because there is no inflow of pollen which is the normal ingredient for the colony to develop brume so what the agriculture department is doing presently is that we are acquiring pollen substitute which is basically the brume, the yeast flower with soya beans milk as well, we mixed it with a little bit of honey and we try to introduce it into all the colonies so that we can increase the egg laying ability of the queen, that is basically what we are doing right now."

Another Corozaleno Detained For Drug Trafficking
A police raid and search at a residence in Xaibe yielded a drug find says authorities from the Corozal formation. Around 1:45 on yesterday's date, police conducted a search at the residence of 57-year-old Hilberto Triminius Belizean farmer of Xaibe Village, Corozal District. Upon arrival at the house Triminius was seen fleeing through the back yard leaving behind 27-year-old Hilcia Aydee Lorenzo, Guatemalan domestic of Xaibe Village, Corozal District. A search of the residence revealed nothing incriminating, however, while searching in the back yard police discovered a black plastic bag containing 412 grams of suspected cannabis. As a result, police have detained Hilcia Aydee Lorenzo and Hilberto Triminius pending charges of Drug Trafficking.

PUP Set For Convention In Corozal
Municipal Elections are set for the month of March 2015 and what we can tell you is that voters of the People's United Party in Corozal Town are soon to select their candidates to run for office.August 5th 2014 marked the opening of applications for candidates interested in entering the race with the closing date for applications set for August 18th.And the news today is that two persons applied to run for Mayoral candidate and 12 applied for councilor candidate. Thea Garcia - Chairlady"I would like to report to the general public that we have two Mayoral Candidates and we have twelve councilor candidates and the convention will be held on the 5th of October at a venue that we will later announce. We have one slate that is comprised of Mr. Ruben Cruz, Mrs. Canaima Dominguez, Mr. Rigo Vellos, Mr. Edit Palma, Mr. Josue Perez, Mr. Elizardo Vasquez and Mr. Shanon Duncan and there is another slate comprised of Mr. David Vega, Miss Zeny Perdomo, Mr. Esteban Pasos, Mr. Enrique Vargas, Mrs. Miriam Rancharan, Mr Orlando Iglesias and Ms. Yvette Riverol so those are the two slates we have and those will be the people who will run for the convention for October 5th."

Micro-entrepreneurs Learn How To Handle Their Money
Everybody learns to manage money but not everybody manages it well. Some live hand to mouth focused only on making ends meet on a day-to-day basis. Others look ahead trying to prepare for unforeseen events or irregular demands such as school fees by setting some income aside as savings. Entrepreneurs have to ensure they can purchase inputs and meet other business expenses from their incomes in addition to meeting family demands. So learning to manage money well is an important skill and that was the ultimate goal of a workshop which was held today at the LICU conference room. The topic was finance Management and according to Micro-Finance Field Officer for the LICU, Giovanni Argalles, they are not re-inventing the wheel rather they are giving support to those micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners and workers that participated.

The End Of Another Summer Program
Summer is coming to a close and for most children that means getting out of the holiday mode and back into the grind of studying their books and concentrating on school work. But for a trio of kids all under the age of 11, their summer holidays were stimulating and learning to make beading items and handcrafts using recycled materials. This year, MAMAS founder, Ophelia Novelo hosted its 9th annual summer camp for kids for a total of 6 weeks. Our news team stopped by for a brief closing ceremony at her residence and spoke to the participants and its founder on the event.

CXC Results Area Out, There Is An Improvement In Grades
Results are in and according to the analysis, students performed better in this year's Caribbean Examination Council, CXC exams. Over three thousand students sat the May-June exams. The report shows that in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate, CSEC there was 100% passes in Home Economics, Physical Education and Sports, Clothing and Textile and Music. In the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), sat by tertiary level students, there was 100% passes in 23 subjects. Grades I to III in CSEC and Grades I to V in CAPE constitute satisfactory grades, which are considered passes.The report continues indicating that 473 more high school candidates passed Math this year than last year, but the number of students who passed English was down by 99.

LOVE FM

Proposed Legislation to Affect Belize Bar Association
As we mentioned earlier, Attorney General, Wilfred Elrington spoke of legislative changes coming about regarding the way the General Legal Council carries out their role but that is not the only organisation that will undergo some changes. The way the Belize Bar Association operates is being looked at as well. According to Elrington, an attorney should not be mandated to be a member. WILFRED ELRINGTON "We are also going to make provisions for attorneys not having to be members of the Bar Association. That is a position that is obtained in Jamaica. In Jamaica attorneys don't have to be members of the bar. In Belize you had to under the present law and in Barbados. The reason for that is depending on the nature of the objective of the bar association, the bar association can play a very vital role in a society apart from the discipline of attorneys and making sure that they behave properly. The bar association can take over clients business when an attorney for example dies in the job. Many times here attorneys die and there is nobody left to take over the office and so the clients are left very stranded and the bar association can deal with that kind of thing.

General Legal Council to Be Resuscitated
Due to recent allegations being made against Attorney Arthur Saldivar by some of his former clients, Love News began looking into possible investigations or hearings that can be had as they pertain to the behavior of the Saldivar as an attorney. While the president of the Belize Bar Association was very brief in his statement to our news room, he did indicate that it is the role of the General Legal Council to look into such matters but that the cases are backlogged since the council has not had a meeting since March this year. Today, we sat down with the Attorney General, Wilfred Elrington to find out why there has been a delay in the meetings.

Prisoner Found Hanging in Holding Cell
A man reportedly killed himself while in police custody. Corozal Police say early this morning officers were making checks on the cell when they saw prisoner, 47-year-old Jesus Tamai handing from his shirt which he had tied to the cell window. Tamai had been detained for Police on Wednesday night for disorderly conduct. Tamai's body was transported to the Corozal Hospital where it awaits a post mortem.

An Armed and Dangerous ‘Skilla’ Wanted by Police
Twenty nine year old Jason, "Skilla" Gillette, is a wanted man tonight. He is wanted by San Pedro Police for an attempted murder charge. According to Police on Monday night, Gillette got into an argument with one German Zuniga in the San Mateo Area of San Pedro Town. Zuniga reported to police that Gillett took out his black and chrome nine millimeter pistol and fired four shots in his direction. Luckily for Zuniga, all the bullets missed. Police say that Gillett is considered armed and dangerous if you see him to call 911, your closest police station or crime Stoppers at 0-800-922-8477.

Soup Freed After Being Accused of Shooting at Policemen
Jason "Soup" Williams, who was charged with aggravated with a firearm on two police constables and discharging a firearm in public, was freed of those charges when they were dismissed today by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Police constable Elvin Nah and police constable Jason Augustine were the officers who reported that on the night of February 8, 2014, they heard shots being fired in the vicinity of King Street and when they responded they saw the shooter fleeing from the scene. They said that when they pursued the shooter he opened fire on them but they were able to dodge the bullets and they returned fire but they missed. Augustine testified that the shooter was someone that looked like Williams. Nah did not testify.

Armed Robbers Net Over Ten Thousand Dollars
Several employees of A&R Enterprise Limited located at Mile 1 � on the Phillip Goldson Highway were left in shock yesterday when two armed mask men entered the store by holding up the security guard. The men then proceed with their plan to rob the store. It happened at about 6 o'clock when employees were closing up. The robbers managed to steal more than ten thousand dollars in both cash and items. We were at the scene minutes after the robbery occurred and reporter Hipolito Novelo spoke to the investigating officer.a and r robbery2 HIPOLITO NOVELO "A 911 call led Belize City Police to A&R Store yesterday evening at about 6:30 during closing time. Officers were responding to a report of an armed robbery. Inside the store were several shaken up employees who witnessed the robbery. According to Head of the Criminal Investigation Branch for Precinct 4, Sergeant, Edwina Armstrong, the men pounced on the security guard, held a gun to his head and entered the store."

Man Shoots Brother While Hunting
A hunting incident proved deadly as one brother was killed on Wednesday night by his own brother. However, Orange Walk police have ruled that it was accidental. That's because 63-year-old Celso Moreno of Belize Corozal Road in Orange Walk Town reported to Police that on Wednesday night he had gone hunting with his brother, 65-year-old Gumercindo Ernesto Mendoza. Celso said they went in separate directions. He said he sighted what he thought was a deer and fired a single shot from his licensed 12 gauge single action shotgun. When he checked he saw his brother lying on the ground apparently dead. Officer Commanding Northern Division, Senior Superintendent Joseph Myvette, held a press briefing this afternoon.

Meth Bust in Northern Belize
The two men, 49 year old Ruperto Reyes, a Belizean national and 52 year old Terrero Pineda, a Cuban National, were caught with the drugs by an Anti-Drug Unit on Wednesday night in Orange Walk Town. The men were in a black Toyota car when it caught the attention of officers on patrol. The patrol unit attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver of the vehicle sped off ensuing into a high speed chase ending on Liberty Avenue. Both men attempted to flee on foot but police manage to apprehend both occupants a short distance away. Officer Commanding Northern Division, Senior Superintendent Joseph Myvette, spoke to Love News.

Canadian Family Prepares to Sue Belize Police Department
According to a story appearing in Metro News in Canada, family members of a Calgary man who died while in the Belize police custody in early 2013 say they have rejected an offered cash settlement from the Government of Belize and plan to proceed to trial over claims of negligence. Thirty five year old Jeffrey Furgala, was on vacation in Belize with his girlfriend when he was detained by San Ignacio police over claims he was heavily intoxicated. But family members, including his mother Fern Tiberio, have insisted that Furgala was injured earlier in the night and was suffering from the after effects when he was apprehended. She said her son was ignored after being put behind bars. Furgala was found unconscious with a bloody nose in his cell the following morning and rushed to hospital. He was pronounced dead a few days later.

Eleven Branches Under Helpage Meet To Look at Care of the Elderly and Its Challenges
With eleven branches countrywide under the umbrella of Helpage Belize, several volunteers and administrators from the various districts gathered today at the headquarters on Wilson Street in Belize City for a Board of Management Workshop. The workshop was a one-day session that looked at several aspects of the institution, its action plan and its current situation as it pertains to dealing with the elderly. Evan Dakers is the Chairman of the Helpage Belize and he gave us an overview of today's session. EVAN DAKERS "What we tried to do was to first of all give our member a sort of situational analysis of older persons in Belize and we draw on the study that was done by the National Council on Aging about four or five years ago which is called A Situational Analysis on Older Persons. We had a short session by a medical professional looking at the aging process and basically it tries to give our members an idea of what are some of the signs and symptoms of aging as one gets older what you are to expect. I presented an overview of Help Age Belize's policy and procedure manual. This is a manual that was recently updated, actually last year and this is the manual that sets out how Help Age as an organization operates. Following the overview of the Policy and Procedures manual we then looked briefly at Help Age Belize's strategic plan of action which covers a five year period, 2013-2018 and basically we try to pull out those key programmatic areas that we want all our branches to be focusing on over the next five years."

Another Operation for Yanie Cu, RTA Victim
Yesterday Deputy Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura, was slapped with six charges after he was involved in a fatal traffic accident on Saturday morning on the George Price Highway. Fifty four year old Yolanda Valencia lost her life as result of the accident and Yanie Cu sustained body and head injuries. Cu is currently at the KHMH receiving treatment. His mother, Asucena Cu, gave Love News an update on his condition. ASUCENA CU "Well right now he is in a lot of pain as today was the day of his surgery but while exiting the operating theater the bone from his hip fell out of place so he is still in pain. At the moment they are putting a heavy bag on his foot so that it can sustain his foot in place to do the operation again. My son told me he came out to go look for my cousin Yolanda Valencia at 5:30AM the morning to take her for work at San Ignacio along with her stuff and she is a hard working single parent mother. He also said that when driving on the highway three vehicles passed him with speed and all of a sudden when he noticed the vehicle of Segura was coming on top of him.

Collective Bargaining Agreement: Unions Get 18/23 Points Approved by Government; Membership Wants More
The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Government of Belize and the three unions, namely, the Public Service Union, the Belizean National Teachers Union and the Association of Professional Senior Services Management - it is a document that still has not been renewed as there are outstanding points for negotiation and the two parties remain deadlock on those five outstanding points. It has been over five years since this agreement is being negotiated and it remains to be concluded since of the twenty three proposals that the unions tabled, only eighteen were mutually agreed upon. Considering that the majority of points were met by the Government, one would think, 'why is it that the unions aren't compromising'. We spoke to the President of the BNTU, Luke Palacio, who says that the membership of the three unions is not prepared to give up on those five points.

Palacio Says Public Workers Trust Must Be Sustainable
With the Public Sector Workers Trust now active, the trustees are in the process of coordinating consultations to be held in October where all union members will be sensitized on the goals of the trust, how it will be used and what the plans are in making it sustainable. Luke Palacio, President of the Belize National Teachers Union, made it clear that sustainability of the trust is key and that it is critical that the funds are used just for what it is set out for. LUKE PALACIO "And so we are saying to our members we have not given up hope, we are going to continue to work for them but they must understand; there is the need for understanding that this trust must be sustainable. They need to also understand that there is nothing called free money that would be given to any individual; we need to stress those points. We believe if properly managed and that's our intention as long as we are the protectors of the trust because the trust deed speaks to the presidents of the unions and the police association for the time being to be protectors.

Teachers Union President Says Government’s Press Release Was a Smokescreen
While the President of the Public Service Union, Marvin Blades made clarifications on the use and purpose of the trust, the president of the Belize National Teachers Union, Luke Palacio expressed his opinion regarding the Government's release, saying that he believes the statements were penned intentionally as a smokescreen. LUKE PALACIO "Well definitely, we stand by that because of two things; one the correspondences that union had sent to the government at the time and letters from the government was that once the trust deed was registered and handed over to the government there would be no further questions asked.

Union President Says Funds in Public Workers Trust Are For Projects Not For Distribution
On Wednesday, July 23, Love News reported that the Accountant General had given the green light to the Government to transfer just over three million dollars to the Public Sector Workers Trust. It was an announcement from the Ministry of Finance, saying that the monies were taken out of a Government Savings Account and put into the trust, which was set up for public officers and teachers. A release sent out at the time, stated that the monies being transferred represents seven hundred and ninety four thousand, seven hundred and thirty two shares in the Belize Telemedia Limited and serves as compensation to the workers for the period April 1, 1995 to March 31, 1997 when their annual wage increments were frozen by the then administration.

Belmopan Police Gets Minor Suspected of Robbery
Belmopan Police are also boasting the capture of a wanted minor believed to be responsible for a robbery. Officers attached to the Belmopan Police Department, also detained the main suspect for the murder of 37-year-old Victor Vargas. According to reliable sources, the man appeared at the Belmopan Court house to answer separate charges. Belmopan Police had already been notified that the man is wanted in connection with Vargas's killing.

Police Nab Four Suspects in Hopkins Home Invasion But Were Forced to Release Them
Following the home invasion in Hopkins, police stations countrywide have been put on alert as the surviving victim, Dudley Augustine had described the attackers to be of Hispanic descent bearing certain injuries. Tonight, we can tell you that earlier today, Belmopan police had detained four men in connection with this incident. Love News has been reliably informed that the four men were captured in the Rivera Area in the City of Belmopan as officers were on an operation to seek wanted persons early this morning, when information led them to the four men of Hispanic descent hiding out in a house in the area.

Posted By: Marty Re: Today's Belize News: August 22, 2014 - 08/22/14 10:20 AM

More News: Scroll up from here

PlusTV

Santa Cruz Villagers take issue with land survey in the village
In the past, PlusNews has highlighted Village council land issues in the Ranchito and Xaibe Villages in the Corozal District, as well as in the village of Cotton Tree in the Cayo District. Today we take you south to the Stann Creek district. Santa Cruz village is located right at the roundabout on the southern highway at the junction with the Placencia road. It is a rapidly developing village due to its location; a stone throw away from the South's largest farm system at Maya King, and it is only a few miles from the Placencia Peninsula. Several large businesses are going up in the area and land prices are beginning to soar.Last week Sunday, August 10th, surveyors appeared in the Village and, without the knowledge or the support of the village council, began surveying two huge parcels of land in the middle of the community; land community leaders say that is desperately needed for the community's own development. The lands, according to the cadastral are areas that have been reserved for green spaces and community buildings but the survey is being done to convert the community land into private properties.

Four persons detained in Josephine Augustine murder
In Tuesday's news cast we told you about the home invasion in Hopkins that led to the murder of 47 year old Josephine Augustine. According to reports, Josephine was inside this White two story building along with her Husband Disndale Augustine when around 6 o clock on Monday evening, a person or persons forcibly entered the house and attacked them.When police arrived at the scene Josephine Augustine was observed lying in a pool of blood, with bruises on her left eye and two apparent stab wounds at the back of her neck. Dudley Augustine was taken to the Southern Regional Hospital and later transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to receive further treatment.

The Guardian

Deputy Commissioner Charged for Manslaughter
Deputy Police Commissioner Miguel Segura, the #2 cop in the Belize Police Department, is out on bail after being arraigned on 6 criminal charges for being involved in an accident which killed a woman and left another man hospitalized. The loss of life is a serious matter that he is facing, but another damning accusation he currently faces is that as a senior police officer, he was driving drunk, putting the lives of other motorists at risk. A blood sample test has confirmed that the 48 year-old cop was under the influence of alcohol above the prescribed limit.The accident happened between miles 70 and 71 on the outskirts of Succotz Village in the Cayo District. 54 year-old Succotz Resident Yolanda Consuelo Valencia was in a blue Toyota Corolla taxi, which was being driven by her close relative, 28 year-old Yanie Evan Cu. They were heading to the San Ignacio market like they usually do every Saturday so that Valencia could sell her vegetables and other goods.

Dangriga Endorses municipal candidates
On Sunday the United Democratic Party will officially endorse the mayoral and six councilor candidates that will be contesting the municipal elections on March 4, 2015. The event will take place at the Ecumenical Auditorium starting at 2 p.m. Taking up the position for mayor will be long time Educator Francis Humphreys, he will be joined by teachers Earth Lopez and Cheryl Molina along with businesspersons Yadira Diego and Alexander Joseph. Also on the slate are former cooperative officer Herbert Nicasio and youth activist Gary Francisco. Organizers of the event say the endorsement will also serve as a time for Dangriga to say thank you to the Prime Minister, Hon. Dean Barrow for efforts being made by central government to improve the quality of life of residents in that municipality. Like is being done countrywide, significant investments are being made by the government in infrastructure as well as social assistance programs in that municipality.

PG in Financial Distress
In June the Ministry of Local Government had announced that a financial controller would have been appointed to try to sort out the financial distress that the Punta Gorda Town council finds itself in. Since the announcement there have been adverts put out for the position to be filled but so far there has been no actual appointment. And the longer it takes for the appointment to be made, the deeper the council falls into financial distress.We are reliably informed that there is absolutely no accounting system put in place at the council to manage the financial affairs there. The finance section of the town is being run by a clerk and a cashier, that's it! The situation is so dire that there are no financials available for the town. It has been since April of this year that these were to have been presented but so far there is nothing. Meanwhile the monthly subvention is being consumed by debts. Under the guise of funding a municipal development project in the town, the mayor got a loan from the Toledo Teacher's Credit Union which was not approved by the ministry of local government. That now is gobbling up 3 thousand out of the 23 thousand dollar monthly subvention from central government. An additional 2 thousand dollars is also being taken out to pay other outstanding bills which include payments which need to be made to Social Security. Compounding matters is that the mayor has a personal loan with the very same credit union as well and that too is taken out before the subvention makes it into the council's coffers. By the time the finances arrive there are all manner of creditors to pay and no money to pay with.

For The World wants to expand to Belize
A Non-Governmental Organization, now operating in seven countries around the World, wants to expand its operations in Belize. Founder of For the World, Robert Keith Froom, met with his Belizean counterparts at Rumors Resort Hotel at mile two and a half on the Benque Viejo Road on Sunday evening of this past weekend.At this meeting Robert Froom admitted that his organization is highly dependent on volunteerism. A representative from Calla Creek, who was present also shared that For the World has been helpful to his village in the past.Just last week, For the World was able to organize both locals and international visitors to re-paint the bus stop at the entrance of Calla Creek, which is a village near the Belize-Guatemala border.

Silent Crime
All around the world individuals suffer from the terrorism of crime and violence, which has undoubtedly swept into our homes as a strong and unpleasant breeze. People are always complaining about crimes of shooting and murder; however, those crimes that sometimes cause the greatest effects are those silent crimes which remain unseen. These crimes are the worst for most countries around the world and they are not even acknowledged as heinous crimes. Abortion is one of these crimes. Abortion is the only type of murder whereby the perpetrator doesn't even get tried in court. It is the only crime whereby the life of the victim is not respected and justified. Abortion is a great issue affecting the world, and most importantly teenagers.

Health Hookup
Back to Basics - Germ Communication Warfare.I fear more that which I cannot see than an enemy who is within my sights. If you are eating something and a piece fell on the ground or table, some people may try to quickly salvage and it eat, claiming "fresh drop" or "5 second rule", indicating there has been limited exposure to germs so it's suitable to consume. Now what if I were to ask you this question, what if the piece of food fell on a toilet seat would you still consider eating it?" NO! Would be your immediate response, because that is just nasty. What if there was something dirtier than a toilet seat, if your hands came in contact with it, would you wash your hands before eating? YES! Would be your immediate response (I hope). Now what if I told you that most cell phones have more germs on them than a toilet seat? An article published in a medical microbiology journal studied staff phones and found that 94.5% were contaminated with some kind of bacteria.

Phony Mask
I think our young democracy made a significant stride towards maturity on Tuesday 19 August when the Ministry of National Security not only exercised calm restraint, but demonstrated full respect towards the protesters in Benque Viejo. The situation was explosive for most of the day and even became provocative when the protesters turned violent against the authorities by hurling projectiles at them. In all honestly, these Police Officers and Firemen were only doing their jobs and did not deserve to be hurt.The protest, as everyone knows, was staged against the Police Department whom the demonstrators believed was giving preferential treatment to the Deputy Commissioner who was involved in a serious traffic accident the previous Saturday morning, where a lady lost her life and a taxi driver is still in serious condition at the KHMH.

Remain Silent and perish lonely
On Saturday the 9th August, a stalwart Belizean-Ernest "Jawmeigan" Meighan, met his demise at the hands of a callous calculating murderer. A murderer, who cowardly delivered a fatal bullet to the back of the head of a Belizean cycling Icon. Ordinarily the Police have great trouble uncovering the authors of crimes in and around Belize. In this case it is especially difficult given the particular culture of the area in which this crime was committed. It has been eleven days since this heinous crime was committed in broad daylight and the Police have yet to arrest anyone. They have cited the fact that no one is coming forth with information and there are apparently no eye witnesses.Now it can be anyone's guess why a seemingly productive and law-abiding citizen was gunned down in such an indiscriminate and finite manner. Whatever the reason may be, we have a duty as citizens of this nation and an obligation to our fellow man to denounce these types of crimes.

Rice and Beans in Melchor
When we hear the word Melchor, there are a thousand things that persons can associate with the word- Rice and Beans is simply not one of them. Nonetheless Belize's most accessible Guatemalan municipality gets treated to rice and beans on a yearly basis during, perhaps the least expected occasion. Melchor is arguably the most favorite stop for Belize City residents to visit to do their shopping for clothes in preparation for the school year. After all everything is available in Melchor. There are socks, undergarments, shoes, t-shirts, flashdrives, school uniforms for almost any school and even knock-off tennis shoes for the young ones to don in the coming days of classes.

Youth Talk - Why Do We Need An Education?
They say we can lose everything in this life - which is true. So what's there that can't be taken away from us? It is the education accompanied with the knowledge that we acquire over time. No matter who gives us the opportunity to have an education, or those who support us throughout the process, it can never be taken away- and that's a given. Our role models, friends and family, are all driven by an educational background. Evidently, education is indeed an essential part of our society, and we must strive to attain it; whether it is formal or informal; because education in all forms does count. Education shapes a person into a well rounded individual. No doubt, it gives rise to the formation of critical thinking skills at a very young age without ever noticing the change. Education makes a person become influential effortlessly; therefore we can say that education is the key to success.

Old School wins in Vega Cup Tournament
The 2014 Vega Cup Tournament continued on Sunday August 17, out at the Trial Farm Village Football Field with four games on the schedule.In the first game of the day, Old School defeated San Juan FC quite handily by the score of 4-1. The goals for Old School were scored by Eliazar Itza in the 2nd and 46th minutes of play, Christopher Hendricks in the 5th minute of play and Alfred Jesse in the 50th minute of play. For San Juan FC, its only goal of the game was scored by Eliazar Mendez in the 70th minute of play.

Belize Boxing Federation to hold special meeting
The Belize Boxing Federation in collaboration with the National Sports Council of Belize will be holding a Special Meeting with all the duly elected members of the federation, members of the various boxing gyms in Belize, referees and judges on Saturday August 23, 2014, at 1:30 pm at the National Sports Council Office at Rogers Stadium.The main purpose of the meeting is to chart the way forward for Boxing in Belize and to make sure that the mechanism that was put in place according to the Boxing Constitution works.It is important that all attends and to be on time for this very important meeting.

Complex 'Admirals' squares off against Belize Bank/Airport Authority in Firms Basketball Championship
The Belize District Basketball Association Firms competition has now entered its championship rounds with the conclusions of the semi-final round on Saturday August 17, 2014.In the first game played, BWSL defeated the Belize Bank/Airport Authority team by the score of 51-46. The top scorers for the BWSL team were Lawrence Young with 9 points and 3 rebounds, Kareem Thompson with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist and Ashley Hemsley with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.

The Football Federation of Belize President's Cup
Tournament entered its semi-final round on Saturday August 16, at the People's Stadium in Orange Walk Town between San Antonio FC and Progresso FC.In the game played, San Antonio FC edged out the host team Progresso FC by the score of 2-1. Progresso FC took an early 1-0 lead in the game when Gabriel Perez scored his team's only goal of the game in the 10th minute of play. The first half of the game ended 1-0 in favour of the host team Progresso FC.It was not until in the second half of the game that the San Antonio FC was able to penetrate the Progresso's defence when Darnell Mossiah scored his team's 1st goal of the game in the 56th minute of play via a penalty kick to tie the score at 1-1.

Beacon drops BTL in softball playoffs
The Belize City Senior Female Competition playoff round continued last Wednesday August 13, at Rogers Stadium between the defending champions BTL and new entrant the Beacon in the best of three series. The series was even up at a game each and so it was a must win situation for both teams. The winner of the series would move on to the championship round and the right to face the Belize Bank Blazers the number one seed in this year's competition.And so it was to be that the BTL dynasty would come to an end in a most unexplainable situation.

Coroner's Inquest Closes Case in Incident Which Caused Death of 80-Year-Old Peter Trujeque
When there is an unnatural death in any case a coroner's inquest is held to determine whether or not someone is to be held responsible for that death.One such cold case came up before Magistrate Herbert Panton last week. 80-year-old Peter Trujeque, also known as Mr. Sosa of #14 Rectory Lane in Belize City, met his untimely death after falling from his bicycle and hitting his head on the pavement of Albert Street on Friday, December 16, 2011. According to reports, Trujeque was heading home on his bicycle when two male persons were double riding another bicycle and accidentally bumped his bicycle handle. It caused Trujeque to fall to the ground and hit his head. He was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he later died on December 21, 2011 from injuries he sustained. According to Doctor Hugh Sanchez who did the Post Mortem Examination, Trujeque died from severe brain injury as a consequence of a fracture skull.

Mark Dwayne Dallas Charged for Murdering a Drunken Man
Police have arrested and charged Jamaican national Mark Dwayne Dallas, 32, with murder for inflicting injuries upon a drunken man which led to his death. On July 30 police provided assistance to Oscar Richard Rubio, 38, and Danri Darum, 57, at the Belize Constitution Park. The men were found in the park heavily intoxicated and both had head and body injuries. Police transported them to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment. Police did not follow up until August 13 when they received a report that Rubio passed away due to his injuries. Quick investigation led them to discover that the men were injured during an altercation near the Conch Shell Bay fish market. In a drunken brawl it is alleged that Dallas struck Rubio across the head with an object.

Leon Garcia in Jail for Saturday Morning Shooting
Police have arrested and charged Leon Garcia, 26, of a Victoria Street address with one count of discharging a firearm in public. Police Constable Frank Neal reported that at about 4 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, he was sleeping at a house on Pickstock Street when he was awoken by the sound of gunshots. Neal says he looked through the window and saw a man he recognized as Leon Garcia with his right hand raised holding what appeared to be a firearm. Neal says he then heard three shots and saw fire coming from the object in Garcia's hand. Garcia then ran into a yard on Pickstock Street and headed in the direction of Fredrick Alley. It was not until Monday, August 18, that police detained and charged Garcia.

Early morning fight leads to death in Unitedville
Victor Vargas, a 38 year-old father of 7 who was living in Unitedville, Cayo, was stabbed to death early on Saturday, August 16. It is believed at this time that he may have been in an altercation a few hours before his death.Police arrived in Unitedville at around 3 a.m., where they found Vargas' body on the verandah of one of his neighbour's house. What they've been able to find out so far is that he was socializing with a 19 year-old man, and during the course of Friday night, August 15, they got into an altercation.

Vehicle stolen in Cayo
A resident from Cayo has informed The Guardian that his work truck has been stolen. Anson Bracket reports that his 1986 Isuzu truck valued at $10,000.00 was stolen at about 4:00 am on Monday of this week. Meanwhile; the Mayor of Belmopan Simeon Lopez has informed that his stolen vehicle has yet to be found and he is now awaiting a response from Insurance.

Home invasion turns deadly in Hopkins village
Hopkins Village is known as a quiet vacation spot, but on Monday, at around 5:30 p.m., a couple was assaulted inside their home during an armed robbery. The wife died inside the house, while her husband ended up being hospitalized at the KHMH.Police say that the retired educator, 71 year-old Dudley Augustine and his wife, 47 year-old Josephine Augustine were inside their vacation house when two Hispanic men got inside. The couple was viciously beaten and stabbed, and it is believed that Josephine Augustine died trying to protect her husband.

Erwin Adolphus in Jail for Old Rusty Firearm
Erwin Adolphus, 25, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison for allegedly keeping a firearm without a gun license. According to police, while conducting patrol on Bocotora Street in Belize City, officers approached Adolphus to conduct a search. Police Constable Bowman says that as he approached, Adolphus immediately said to him, "Boss, I only have wah lee gun in meh back pocket." Bowman then searched Adolphus's pocket and found an old rusty .22 pistol with no ammunition. Adolphus was detained and taken to the police station where he was charged.

Devon Bailey Remanded to Prison for Shooting Two Men
Two men were shot over the weekend and police believe the man responsible is 22-year-old Devon Bailey of Racoon Street, Belize City. According to police, officers responded to reports of a shooting on Elston Kerr Street at about 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, August 15. One unit visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they found 31-year-old Charles Hinds Jr. suffering from two gunshot wounds to the top of his head (both grazed). A second victim, 41-year-old Eldon Edward Solomon, was seen suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the right upper back. Police investigation revealed that at about 11:35p.m. Hinds and Solomon were socializing on the side walk in front of #3817 Elston Kerr Street when they were approached from behind by three male persons. One of them pulled out a firearm and fired several shots causing the injuries to Hinds and Solomon. The three persons then ran up Pelican Street Extension towards Central American Boulevard where they boarded a waiting car. Both Solomon and Hinds Jr. have been treated and released from the hospital.

Worries about Police Record for Petty Offense Resulted in Jail Time for Teenager
Rene Castillo, 19, was busted by police with 2.5 grams of weed on Wednesday morning, August 13. Being concerned about the trouble a drug possession charge on his record would cause the teenager offered PC Manuel Chub $50 to leave him and forget about the charge. Castillo gave Chub a roll of money which contained three $10 bills, three $5 bills and one $2 bill. That is $47, three dollars short. Chub informed Castillo at that time that he would now be charged additionally with attempting to bribe a police officer. It is a mistake Castillo will never forget.Castillo appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton on Wednesday afternoon, August 13. When the Magistrate heard the story he explained to Castillo that he had made things worse for himself. For a guilty plea to drug possession of 2.5 grams of weed, Magistrate Panton imposed a non-custodial sentence in a fine of $100. However, for bribing a police officer prison time is mandatory. Magistrate Panton still acted lenient in a sentence of six months in prison for a conviction of bribery.

Richard Codd Confesses to Burglarizing Broaster's Home
Richard Codd, 39, is spending the first nights of a seven year sentence behind bars at the Belize Central Prison after he pleaded guilty to burglary on Monday, August 18. The home of Senior Superintendent of Police Edward Broaster was burglarized on Thursday, August 14, and the entire play was caught on tape. According to Broaster, he received information that his North End Estate house was breached and he went to see what had happened. Upon arrival he saw that the window located on the eastern side of his white two storey concrete house was forcedopen. He went to check inside and noticed that a number of items were missing. Items missing were a DVD player, a maroon Mag light and a pair of Puma slippers. Broaster called police and after reviewing the surveillance tapes PC#1108 S. Ico detained Richard Codd for burglary. The stolen items were recovered and Codd confessed to the crime. Broaster made Codd repair the damaged window he used to gain entry into the house.

Lionfish: the delicious alternative coming to a plate�and street�near you!
This September, the dangerous but delicious Lionfish will be making a dramatic appearance in the always colorful and exciting carnival road march, a key attraction in Belize's national celebration activities. Oceana is a proud sponsor of the Soca Moca Carnival Band, who has decided to use this national platform to bring attention to a critical issue for our marine environment: the lionfish. According to organizer Audrey Bradley, "Soca Moca is boldly portraying the Lionfish in splendor but this intruder has taught us that everything that glitters is not gold! Lionfish are not native to Belize; they have a huge appetite for other fish and they reproduce at alarming rates." The chef could barely keep up with the demand for the tasty white fish; and from all ages!

Action Taken by Ministry of Health Based on Preliminary Audit Reports
The Ministry of Health would like to inform the public that the audit of accounts initiated last year by the Ministry in all health regions continues with the help of the Auditor General's office. As a consequence, we have recently been presented with irregularities that have been identified in preliminary reports for the Primary Care Provider clinics in Dangriga and Punta Gorda. Based on that report, the Administrators of both clinics have been placed on immediate suspension as a precautionary measure pending the completion of the investigations. Administrative arrangements have been put in place to ensure that services are not affected.

Queen of the West Contestants presented
The six contestants for the Queen of the West 2014 were presented at the Cayo Welcome Center in San Ignacio Town this past Saturday. The six beautiful queens, who were dressed in attire fitting for the occasion, were Carmelita Lara, Hamira Awe, Jolinda Ciau, Shantel Augustine, Sharla Flowers and Sofia Aldana. Co-master of ceremonies for the night were William Black and Melanie Usher, who introduced the queens to the public as well as informed about preparations for the upcoming September Celebrations.These contestants, have recently been observed swimming in the refreshing Rio-On Pools in the Pine Ridge thanks to Pacz Tours. The young ladies will now be showing their full skills on the 23rd of August at the Octavia Waight Center in San Ignacio Town where a Queen of the West will be declared.

READY for the Concrete Road!!! Fabers to Belcan to be Fully Concreted in Time for Carnival
Belize City residents have only good things to say about the Central American Boulevard project; however, we are in the second half of August and there is one grave concern. Will it be ready for the 2014 Carnival Road March?Work started on the C.A. Boulevard in February of this year. It was estimated to take up to 12 months for completion. Seven months have passed since stones began to break; therefore, that would mean the project should be just past the half way point and the Carnival Road March is in jeopardy. Not so, according to CISCO's Francis Woods.

St. John's Junior College Drivers Upset with New Parking Fee
St. John's Junior College students who drive to school are complaining about a new fee that they must pay in order to park their vehicle on the compound. The parking fee is $60 and students have reached out to us claiming that the fee is listed on their sheet even if they do not drive to school. The Guardian spoke to an official at the finance department who says that only students who drive to school and park on the compound are required to pay the fee. Any student who does not drive to school can disregard the fee. When a student pays the fee they receive a vehicle pass that allows them to enter and park in the spaces provided on the compound.

Senator Hulse Signs Cooperation Agreement with Taiwan to Combat Human Trafficking
At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Hon. Sen. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, National Emergency Management and Immigration and Nationality, has concluded a five day visit to Taiwan from August 11th to 15th, 2014.During his visit, Minister Hulse met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Simon Ko, as well as the Director General of Bureau of Consular Affairs Hon. Kung Chung-chen and the Acting Minister of Labour Dr. Hao Feng-min. In keeping with the friendly and cooperative relations between Belize and Taiwan, Minister Godwin Hulse signed a memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, National Emergency Management and Immigration and Nationality of Belize, and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China (Taiwan), relating to cooperation in Immigration Affairs and Human Trafficking Prevention. The MOU seeks to promote cooperation between Immigration Agencies of both countries on the issue of transnational crimes, and in particular human trafficking, through the exchange of information and promotion of capacity building.

PUC hosts App workshop - Next Google Made in Belize?
"There is no reason the next Google can't be started in Belize." -Dr. Cardinal Warde, Founder of the Caribbean Science Foundation.Forty-five young students are taking part in the Inaugural Mobile Application Development Workshop and Competition at the Ramada Belize City Princess Hotel. They are learning about brainstorming collaboratively and understanding the concepts of viability, practicality, utility, and connectivity. Bevil Wooding, Executive Director of Bright Path Foundation, is the lead facilitator of the workshop. He says, "With this new world order of mobile, you have a new set of generals leading the world�those are the application developers; the people who write the software that drive these mobile devices." Wooding, like Warde, believes the next great mobile innovation could come from Belize. He says, "By the end of this week, I trust that those participants who have signed up will become part of that growing global army; that not only shape and transform life here in Belize and across the Caribbean, but who can change the world."

The CONCACAF Champions League pitch in Guyana is laughable
The CONCACAF Champions League is back! And, as is the case with seemingly every CONCACAF competition, that means hilariously awful pitches.The latest is in Guyana, where the Portland Timbers will play Alpha United.To call that grass would be charitable, but then again, that is a cricket stadium. Soccer isn't a priority there, just an event to full up a few empty dates and maybe make a few bucks. And the players are just going to have to suffer because of it.Did you want to see passes completed on the ground? Good luck.Did you think the match might be beautiful? Welp.

The decision to remove the Belmopan Bandits from the 2014 -15 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League may have been the right one, but it could've been handled better.
Editor's Note: CONCACAF hipster Jon Arnold brings Goal readers stories and opinions from around the region in a weekly column.CONCACAF's relatively new administration missed an opportunity to show it's different from the past regime with its handling of the removal of Belize's representative in the CONCACAF Champions League. The name 'Champions League' explains the concept. Pit various champions against each other...in a league. But in the past five competitions, Belize hasn't been able to put forth a representative, a streak that will continue this year after the Belmopan Bandits were removed from the competition.The confederation announced the decision in a news release sent at 6:10 p.m. ET on Aug. 12 - a week after the tournament started and nine days before the Bandits were set to host their first game of the competition. It would've been the first time in history that Belize - a tiny but growing English-speaking country in Central America just south of Mexico on the Caribbean Sea - hosted a Champions League match. In the first tournament under the current format, the Hankook Verdes played their home match in Guatemala, losing both legs by a 6-0 margin.

Empowering Women in Rural Communities in Belize to Embrace the Future
26 women in the northern rural communities of Belize have been empowered with life-time skills training in sewing, and are now qualified as seamstresses thanks to a 10-month Vocational Garment/Sewing Training project financed by the Government of Belize at a total cost of $51,440.00 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). This means that the women from the villages of San Jose and Guinea Grass are now equipped with skills to access employment opportunities, generate income, be self-sufficient, and significantly contribute in decision-making roles in pursuit to further develop their communities and by extension the wider society of Belize.The sewing project was implemented by the Social Investment Fund as part of its mandate to work in line with the Government's poverty alleviation strategy and in this regards, SIF is committed to empowering Belizeans in rural and urban communities across Belize, remarked the Executive Director, Mr. William Lamb Jr.

Amandala

DCP Segura arraigned for manslaughter
In the aftermath of a heated protest some time earlier in San Jose, Succotz, near the Xunantunich archaeological site, in which residents who called for justice for the death of their fellow villager, blocked the roadway with debris and old tires and lit them on fire, Assistant Superintendent Daniel Arzu, the Officer in Charge of Benque Viejo police, escorted Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura to the Belmopan Magistrate's Court, where he was arraigned for causing the death of Yolanda Valencia, 54, in a fatal traffic accident that occurred while he was under the influence of alcohol early this past Saturday morning.The angered villagers were waiting to see ACP Segura appear at the San Ignacio Magistrate's Court, where he was scheduled to be criminally charged.

Patrick JonesPJ

Major drug bust in Orange Walk
Police in Orange Walk town have made a major drug bust. Two million US dollars worth of Crystal Meth was hauled in when authorities intercepted a car in Orange Walk town on Wednesday night. Police say that while on an anti-drug operation around 7:20 pm on Wednesday [�]

Workers traumatized after A&R Belize City store robbed
Workers of the Belize City branch of A&R Enterprise Limited at Mile 1 1/2 on the Philip Goldson Highway were for a few minutes held in terror by the sudden visit of armed robbers to the business late on Wednesday evening. According to police, around 6:27 p.m., as [�]

Road Safety Project in annual review
The Government of Belize has been aggressively promoting road safety in light of the excessive number of traffic accidents on the nation's highways. While the number of incidents and persons killed and injured is trending down, Belize continues to have the highest per capita instance of traffic accident [�]

Junior Minister says stressed-out police officers may be turning to alcohol
A senior member of the Barrow administration, the Junior Minister of Finance and Economic Development Santino Castillo has gone on record opining that job stress could have pushed Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura to alcohol. Segura was arrested and charged on Tuesday for a list of charges, [�]

Mexican artists exhibit in Belize
This evening at the Institute of Mexico, a group of Mexican artists opened an exhibition titled "Aequitas." It is a mix of styles and perspectives intended to speak to the fundamental truth of equality in our world. Members of the group, Carlos Generoso, Leon Alva, and Marisol D'Estrabeau, [�]

Jason Williams freed of police assault charges
Alleged gang boss Jason "Soup" Williams is a free man after charges of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm in public were dismissed at the end of a trial before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith. At the close of the prosecution's case and before Williams' attorney Michael Peyrefitte could [�]

BDF defends force used to stop fighting campers
Earlier this week we reported that at least one Belize City youth has alleged beating terribly beaten by adult soldiers in charge of the Reform School Camp at Camp Belizario in Cayo. In reply the Belize Defence Force and Police Department invited our press colleagues to visit the [�]

Ministry of Education pleased with CXC results
Last week preliminary results in the May-June 2014 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations were released. Results are mixed to say the least, but Belize can be proud of its students increasing the percentage of Grades I-III steadily over [�]

Hunting trip turns fatal in Orange Walk
There are reports of a tragic overnight fatal shooting incident in Orange Walk involving two brothers.Details are still being gathered, but preliminary indications are that the two had gone hunting and that during expedition shots were fired by one of the men, hitting the other inadvertently.The man sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head, hands and abdomen.The hunting incident gone wrong reportedly happened in an area about two miles off the San Antonio road sometime last night.

Eastern Caribbean braces for bad weather
A tropical disturbance that is moving in the direction of the Lesser Antilles will bring gusty winds and heavy rainfall to the Eastern Caribbean heading into the weekend.Hispaniola could also experience bad weather as the system which has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone, continues to move west-northwest at between 15 and 20 miles per hour.Forecasters say that when the system reaches Hispaniola and eastern Cuba, the mountainous terrain could slow down development of the disturbance; but conditions will become conducive for development again early next week.By that time it should be in the area of the Bahamas.

Blogs

International Sourcesizz

Which Hurricane Model Should You Trust?
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) did a decent job forecasting Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm tracks during 2013, with errors similar to or slightly larger than the previous 5-year means for 12 to 96 hour forecasts, according to the 2013 National Hurricane Center Forecast Verification Report, issued in May 2014. A new record accuracy for 5-day forecasts was set, though forecasts for 12 to 96 hours were slightly worse than in 2012. One possible reason for the increase in track errors in 2013 was the small number of hurricanes we had (just two.) On average, the NHC track errors steadily decrease as the intensity of a tropical cyclone increases. The average track error in an official NHC 1-day forecast in 2013 was 57 miles, and was 118 miles for 2 days, 162 miles for 3 days, 190 miles for 4 days, and 190 miles for 5 days. The official track forecasts tended to have a westward to northwestward bias of 55 - 82 miles for 3 - 5 day forecasts (i.e., the official forecast tended to fall to the west or northwest of the verifying position.)

Angola: Cabinda Governor Works in Belize Municipality
Cabinda - The governor of the northern Cabinda province, Aldina da Lomba Catembo, is paying this Thursday a two-day working visit to Belize municipality, aimed to learn about the socio-economic and political reality of the region.According to her programme that reached Angop, after the arrival, the governor will meet with the municipal administrator of Belize, Alfredo da Silva Gomes, and then leave for Miconje commune so as to check the implementation rate of the social projects underway the locality, with emphasis on the construction works of Alto Sundi Development Programme (PRODAS).

Garifuna People Are Risking Everything to Flee Their Ancestral Honduran Homelands
A horse grazes in the Traves�a town cemetery, on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Some of the tombs shine in the sun with new tiles, while others are marked by little more than rusted crosses. On one such grave - a stark box of bare concrete - lies a white wreath, which is turning brown in the sun. This is Catr�n Bern�rdez's grave, the final resting place of his American dream.Bern�rdez, 43, was Garifuna. This Afro-Caribbean ethnic community, of mixed Amerindian and African descent, is scattered across Central America, but is centered in Honduras, where an estimated 200,000 Garifuna live. With a massive wave of migration to the US currently underway, the Garifuna people are being severely depleted in their ancestral homelands.Over the past year, US government agencies have been overwhelmed by the recent influx of migrants from Central America, many of whom travel on top of a train known as "La Bestia" [The Beast]. Migrants jump the dangerous freight train, often embarking on a grueling 1,500-mile journey from the Mexico-Guatemala border to the US. The trip is marked by extortion, violence, and sexual assault. Human traffickers who control the route charge an impuesto de guerra [a war tax] to ride the train. Migrants who fail to pay are shot or thrown from La Bestia's roof.

Bankrupt Victoria businessman must pay 15% of tax debt, court rules
A Victoria businessman and former financial planner owing more than $900,000 to Canada Revenue Agency will be discharged from bankruptcy if he pays close to 15 per cent of that amount, B.C. Supreme Court has decided.Bruce Foerster will have to pay $136,000 to be discharged from bankruptcy, Master Carolyn Bouck of B.C. Supreme Court said in a decision released this week. Being discharged from bankruptcy means a person no longer has the legal obligation to pay debts that existed when bankruptcy was filed. Foerster, 57, lives most of the year in Victoria. For about the past 10 years, he has been a businessman as owner and operator of Jungle Sea Ventures Ltd. resort in Belize. As of this year, he no longer holds controlling interest but is working on marketing, client development, public relations, reservation tracking and website monitoring for the resort, the court said.

Education News 8.22.14
Dr. Ragupathy Kannan of Fort Smith, professor of biological sciences at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, was selected to write monographs on three neotropical birds for Cornell University Lab of Ornithology's Neotropical Birds Website due to his field work in Central America and his previous work with Birds of North America, another Cornell University project. Kannan's studies will cover three Belizean birds - the Montezuma oropendola, the crimson-collared tanager and the royal flycatcher, all of which are studied in Kannan's annual Maymester course, a weeklong credit class offered in May in which students travel to Belize to study tropical birds.

Videos

Video: Sports Reach vs Hoop Dreams Belize | 2014 @ The Birds Isle, 4min.
Sport Reach is missionary organization that shares the word of god through sports. The team is made up of a collection of college basketball players from around the US. The Group Leaders were Robby Speer and Stan Curry. Coach Was Florida State Assistant Coach Dennis Gates. Players were Troy University Starting Forward Kevin Thomas, Troy University Freshman Aaron Ariri, Western Kentucky University wingman Nigel Snipes, Former Angelo State player Antonio Dye, Incoming freshman at Union College Wilson Smyth, Former Campbellsville University forward Phil Lowery and Last but not least Tedrick Stephens

Video: Belize Scuba Adventures, 6min.

Video: Sweet Pain band, 3min.
Sweet Pain Band is comprised of 5 of Belize's most talented musicians. Sweet Pain Band has two lead vocalists, Jobe and Elroy. On keyboards for Sweet Pain you will find Method who is also a vocalist. On bass guitiar for Sweet Pain you will see Junimar who is Belize's top punta producer for many artist that you hear today. The Sweet Pain Band drummer is John P and the manager for Sweet Pain is Chico Ramos a punta legend in Belize located in Dangriga.

Video: Snorkeling In Belize, 5min.
Students in VMI Biology's Tropical Marine Biology course travel to Belize to experience marine wildlife firsthand.

Video: Belize Vacation, 4min.
GoPro footage from our trip to Belize this summer. Hol Chan snorkeling, Lamanai Mayan ruins, San Pedro & more!

Video: SCUBA diving Belize. Ambergris Cay., 11min.
Diving with Patojo's Dive Shop and Amigos Del Mar.

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