The news will be a bit brief for the next week or so due to time constraints
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Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials
The San Pedro Sun
San Pedro Fire Relief continues
The humanitarian spirit continues on Ambergris Caye as the community unites to help the victims who were greatly affected by the devastating fire that took place in the early hours of Monday, June 27th. As a result, The San Pedro Town Council, along with many volunteers are heading a massive clean-up campaign in the immediate area.
While the clean-up efforts are underway, other volunteers and island Non-profit Organization are ensuring that the affected families are fed, clothed and sheltered. Even organizations around the country have joined in the efforts to assist the fire victims.
More volunteers are still needed, especially at the San Pedro Lions Den with the distribution of items, as well as at the NEMO station, which is located at the SPTC Conference Room located at the back of SPTC building. Everyone is informed that the NEMO station will be operating for approximately three days with twenty-four (24) hour assistance. For more information the SPTC can be contacted at 226-2198. The Southern Ambergris Caye Neighbourhood Watch has set up an easy and fast way to donate through their webpage: https://sacnw.org/wp/product/fire-victim-assistance/. Any monetary donations received will be forward to the San Pedro Lions Club chapter.
Belizeans Honoured by the Queen
Receiving the insignia of a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George was Mr. Michael Bowen for services to business and industry. Mrs. Eleanor Hulse and Mrs. Dilicia Feinstein received the insignia of an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Mrs. Hulse for services to education and Mrs. Feinstein for services to business and the community. The insignia of a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was given to Ms. Emelda August for services to nursing; Mrs. Sarita Westby for services to education and the community; Mr. Juan Nunez for services to education and sport; Dr. Aaron Lewis for services to science; and Mrs. Janet Gibson for services to environmental protection.
Lobster Festival Block Party brings the crowd!
San Pedro Lobster Festival Block Party-40After winning the Belize Tourism Board Award for best festival in Belize, San Pedro's Lobster Festival pulled out all the stops for its 10th Annual Lobster Fest Block Party. For nearly two weeks, visitors and residents alike had been enjoying some lobster 'crawling' in honor of the crustacean, indulging in all kinds of tasty lobster dishes and themed activities around the island. The celebration culminated in grand fashion at Central Park with a well-attended block party. Gaily decorated booths were being visited as early as 4PM on Saturday, June 25th by hungry lobster aficionados seeking tasty treats. From the classic whole grilled lobsters and lobster dips, to gourmet twists such as lobster empanadas and tacos, sliders, kebabs, wontons, pizza and so much more, it was a true celebration of the Panulirus Argus!
After walking past the beautifully decorated venue entrance, which featured some historic photos and information booths and posters, hundreds of revellers made their way to the food and drink booths. To the soothing Caribbean sounds of the Pannerifix Steel Band, they sampled and tasted the best lobster dishes available. Some bought commemorative t-shirts or tickets for a 50-50 draw benefiting the San Pedro Food Bank, while others danced to the tunes being played.
Misc Belizean Sources
Congratulations to the new cadets!
These are our two Officer Cadets who are currently studying in Quebec Canada at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, for a 4 years Junior Officers Training and Education Program Course. OCdt Giovanni Torres is in his second year and OCdt Yascal is on his last year. They are also along with 6 other countries besides Canada on this course. Keep up the hard work and represent the Belize Defence Force in a professional manner.
"San Pedro Fire Relief" run from Thunderbolt
The Management of Thunderbolt Water Taxi announces that Thunderbolt II will be making a special trip to San Pedro Ambergris Caye tomorrow June 29th at 8:00 a.m. from the municipal dock in Corozal Town. Send as much sundries as you can!
Anyone wishing to send donations to the San Pedro Fire Victims can make deliveries 1/2 hour before the boat departs tomorrow or preferably at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon at the municipal dock. This trip is a special one and will not stop in Sarteneja but Thunderbolt will continue to make FREE deliveries (until further notice) on its regular run departing at 7:00 a.m. each morning and stopping at Sarteneja.
Packages MUST be marked "San Pedro Fire Relief" "San Pedro Lions Club" c/o Thunderbolt.
NEMO NOTICE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC
The Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), activated by the NEMO - San Pedro, would like to emphasize and advise that all financial aid for the San Pedro Fire victims is officially being channeled through the San Pedro Lions Club - Fire Relief Fund and the San Pedro Branch of the Belize Red Cross. The official bank account is ATLANTIC BANK number 211-382-902.
We are therefore asking all members of the public to discontinue from creating individual fundraising profiles, since it will only open the door for confusion and unaccountability.
The EOC has been working very closely with all the NGO's, social partners, tourism stakeholders, local and national governmental organizations to ensure that all efforts are being properly coordinated. This is to ensure that all those affected by the unfortunate fire are being given equal assistance.
We take the opportunity to thank all those businesses, NGO's, social partners, tourism stakeholders and other organizations and individuals who are working closely with the San Pedro EOC in this humanitarian effort.
For further questions or information, please call the EOC Command Center at telephone number: 226-4458.
Commentary: Belizeans will vote no to the ICJ unless our government takes certain steps
By Wellington C. Ramos.
Many Belizeans like myself believe that the Guatemalan claim handed down to our country by Great Britain after we attained our independence on September 21, 1981, is an undue burden handed down to us by the British. It was and still is in my opinion the British responsibility to settle this dispute with Spain or Guatemala. They were the ones who landed, settled and created the country we know as Belize today. It is reported in the news this week that they possess $900 billion in total assets compared to Belize and Guatemala. Combined with this, they also have one of the most powerful militaries in the world. They had several opportunities to settle this dispute with these two countries but failed to take advantage when they could have, especially in the Godolphin Treaty.
We must demand from the British that they provide us with defence until this dispute is fully settled and a treaty is signed between them and Guatemala or us with Guatemala. Guatemala is saying that, in the 1859 treaty, Britain agreed to fulfill an obligation but did not. They can compensate Guatemala to fulfill that obligation from the money they obtained when they exploited all the logwood and mahogany out of Belize. Once Guatemala is compensated, they will have no other choice but to end their claim and all these hostilities against our people and nation.
International attention focused on vulnerability of Belize barrier reef
A World Heritage Committee draft decision released on 10th June by UNESCO signaled a possible decision to retain the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System on the list of world heritage in danger. Several deadlines to meet required indicators outlined by UNESCO in the desired state of conservation report (DSOCR) have been missed despite the government of Belize's affirmation of its resolve in ensuring the continued protection of Belize's Barrier Reef System and its seven World Heritage Sites in December 2015.
The committee's draft decision notes, inter alia, that the announcement of an offshore oil ban in World Heritage Sites still needs to be translated into a legislative instrument and that the adequacy of the one-kilometer buffer zone needs revision to secure the protection of the property's outstanding universal value (OUV).
The 21 member countries of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will gather in Istanbul, Turkey, in two weeks' time to debate the status of some of the most extraordinary natural places on the planet, including the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.
"If adopted by the World Heritage Committee next month, this decision would send a message that more needs to be done," said WWF's reef scientist and climate change officer in Belize, Nadia Bood.
Convictions: Supplies Control (Prices) Regulations
The Belize Bureau of Standards in collaboration with the Police Department (Corozal and Toledo Formation) hereby informs the general public that the following establishments have been prosecuted and charged for violations to the Supplies Control (Prices) Regulations:
---J-Mart Supermarket, Corozal District - Failure to Indicate Prices of Goods. Contrary to section 15 of Supplies Control Prices Regulations. $150.00 Corozal Magistrate Court
---PG Shop, Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District - Failure to Indicate Prices of Goods. Contrary to section 15 of Supplies Control Prices Regulations. $500.00 Punta Gorda Magistrate Court
Relocation of Lands and Surveys Belize City Office
The Ministry of Natural Resources & Immigration hereby informs the general public that the Lands and Surveys Belize City Office will be RELOCATED.
EFFECTIVE JULY 4, 2016 THE LANDS AND SURVEYS BELIZE CITY OFFICE WILL BE RELOCATED TO CORNER OF CENTRAL AMERICAN BOULEVARD & GEORGE PRICE HIGHWAY, BELIZE CITY.
AFTERMATH & CLEAN UP OF MASSIVE FIRE IN DOWNTOWN SAN PEDRO
The community of San Pedro stands strong and united after the Massive fire left 88 individuals homeless. After the impressive efforts of forming a bucket brigade to out the fire and also doing the impossible, they are out once again helping with the clean up of what is left.
Thank you to all the volunteers that have been at the site since early morning to help with the clean up. We also extend a huge thank you to all those businesses and people preparing food for the volunteers and the fire victims.
Two Medical Officers from Ministry of Health and Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital will Attend the "2016 Workshop on Chronic Disease Control" in Taiwan
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to announce that two medical officers from Ministry of Health and Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital are invited through the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to attend the "2016 Workshop on Chronic Disease Control", which will take place in TaiwanICDF in Taipei City, during July 20th- August 2nd, 2016.
The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in Belize are quite high, which mainly contribute to the development of chronic disease, ex: diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, etc. Also the hypertension and diabetes patients are the high risk group of kidney disease. And the "Renal Failure Prevention Project" between Belize and Taiwan has been implemented from February 10, 2016. The purpose of Renal Failure Prevention Project is to treat the patients at the early stage to prevent the exacerbation and lead to effectively reduce the socio-economic cost of the whole society.
Belizeans Honoured by the Queen
Eight distinguished Belizeans were honoured for their dedicated and outstanding services to their community at a ceremony held today at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. The insignias were presented by the Acting Governor General of Belize H.E. Mr. Carlos Perdomo on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen.
Receiving the insignia of a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George was Mr. Michael Bowen for services to business and industry. Mrs. Eleanor Hulse and Mrs. Dilicia Feinstein received the insignia of an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Mrs. Hulse for services to education and Mrs. Feinstein for services to business and the community. The insignia of a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was given to Ms. Emelda August for services to nursing; Mrs. Sarita Westby for services to education and the community; Mr. Juan Nunez for services to education and sport; Dr. Aaron Lewis for services to science; and Mrs. Janet Gibson for services to environmental protection.
Animal Health Fair
The BWRC, CAWS, and the Animal Medical Center are teaming up to bring a 2 day animal health fair to Spanish Lookout on July 5th and 6th. They'll have deals on spaying and neutering on the 6th.
"Everyone invited! Great animal information and fun planned. Dog training seminar, in the evening and food and fun for the family throughout the day! Looking for your next pet? Come check out the puppy play booth! come and sign up for the low cost spay/neuter clinic on July 6th!"
Cayo Market Upgrade - June 2016
They are upgrading the Cayo Market overlooking the Macal river.
Queen of the West 2016 Search
The SISE Town Council is looking for contestants for the 2016 Queen of the West. Call them at 804-2035 for more information. Good luck!
"THE SEARCH IS ON!
The SI/SE Town Council is seeking candidates for :
"Queen of the West Competition 2016."
REQUIREMENTS:
Age: between 18 - 24
Minimum of High School Diploma
Must be a Belizean
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
SI/SE TOWN COUNCIL 804-2035
Councilor Fernandez 627-9690
Karen Fernandez 620-1710"
St. Peter's Boat Procession and the Blessing of the Boats
Everyone is invited to attend the St. Peter's Boat Procession and the Blessing of the Boats on June 29th @ 7:00 am
Open Air Mass
The San Pedro Catholic Church invites you to a special Open Air Mass with Bishop Christopher Glancy on June 29th @ 6:00 pm in front of the St. Peter statue.
Channel 7
Chopped Child Dies, Banner's Charges To Be Upgraded
Tonight we have confirmed the first casualty in the violent attack that took place in Yo Creek Village last Friday. A total of six persons fell victim to a one man's deadly chopping spree. But none got it worse that 13 year old Danny Choc. He has been on life support ever since arriving at the KHMH in a critical condition. This afternoon, Doctors confirmed him dead, according to his stepfather.
Choc was placed on life support after he was hacked to death by 35 year old Larry Banner. The blade of the machete according to authorities had smashed his skull and damaged his brain. There are several conflicting stories as to what happened inside the house of Adela Choc, but one of them says that 13 year old Danny, jumped to his younger brother's defence, when the deranged man began his merciless attack. His mother was also injured in the process, however she remains at the hospital in a stable condition. As for Banner, he will now face additional charges. He was arraigned in court yesterday on charges of attempted burglary and maim. Murder will now be added to that.
Is Mental Illness A Public Safety Threat?
Now one of the arguments that has been playing out since the beginning of this incident is the mental health of 35 year old Larry Banner, which is questionable. According to his family Banner is schizophrenic. One of the symptoms of this disease is hallucinations. But when we asked police yesterday they couldn't really confirm, although he had a history of mental instability. In court yesterday the magistrate ordered a psychiatric evaluation on Banner, but that diagnosis is still pending.
Now the cases of the mentally deranged, while not uncommon to Belize, is a very complicated matter to say the least. So today we spoke to several professionals in the field of mental health in hopes of clearing the waters a bit, and find out just what could have gone so wrong to trigger the mass chopping.
Eleanor Bennet, Coord, Mental Health Services, MOH:
"We have dealt with situations like this before. Not often, but we do meet people who, because of their mental illness and drug use, are very violent. What happens in those cases is that we always get the help of the police. Once that service is done and there's a threat, usually the police would bring them to the clinic for treatment.
Fire Follow-Up
Last night, we told you about the raging fire which destroyed 11 buildings, damaged another 6, and left 88 San Pedro Residents homeless. Well, as this photographs show, the authorities and the community have been working as quickly as they possibly can to clean up the block between Pescador Drive and Buccaneer Street.
It's been over 30 hours since the blaze destroyed the homes, and since then, support has been coming from local and international sources.
Smart donated $2,500 dollars cash and pledged to match all donations made by their customers who use their credit balance to simply text in how much they would want to contribute. That amount will then be deducted from their credit balance.
But, as we told you, the main relief effort on the ground is coming from the non-profit organizations on San Pedro. Yesterday, the Mayor told us how he and NEMO worked to organize them to maximize the recovery effort:
Cops Saved Drowned Child, But His Prognosis Is Not Encouraging
Last night we told you about the trio of Belize City police officers who had saved an 11 year old boy from drowning. Those officers, Christian Cawich, Jesse Lopez, and Anibal Castellanos, received certificates for their bravery.
Well, while the cops did act heroically to get him out of the water, the story does not have the happy ending we might have thought. A police press release said the minor is recovering - but it turns out, he's not. In fact, the boy's father tells us that his son is in a very critical condition. He says his son is experiencing multiple organ failure and his prognosis is not encouraging.
The child jumped off a pier on Marine Parade and did not resurface. A passing police patrol was summoned and the officers jumped in to find him. Police found him underwater and tried to resuscitate him. A police report says he was with a 14 year old female cousin - but neither of them could swim.
Shop owners Charged For Running Red On Controlled Prices
If you frequent the grocery store, you'll know that all kinds of malpractice happens behind the counter, from scales that aren't accurate to prices that just don't gel. Well, the Belize Bureau of Standards has convicted four storeowners for shady commercial practices. Stores in Corozal, and PG were convicted of not displaying the prices of controlled items - like rice and sugar. Unethical store owners often do this so that they can secretly sell above the controlled price - once you take the product up to the cash register. Well, J Mart Supermarket in Corozal did it and they got fined $150.00, while PG Shop in Punta Gorda Town got fined $500 for the same.
Also in PG, Brad's Store, And Jose Maria Store were selling controlled items at prices above what's allowed so they were fined five hundred dollars as well.
No doubt this is just a drop in the bucket, but the Bureau says it is doing tis monitoring and other cases are in the pipeline.
The Perils Of Children And Unsupervised Internet Usage
School is out for summer, and the kids are already enjoying their long break. While there are tons of summer programs and jobs for them to do, most of them will stay home on their computer for the entire vacation. It might seem like just a harmless pastime but in reality, it can be toxic. Today at a Cyber Security training, Courtney Weatherburne found out about the two different faces of the internet.
For most working adults, browsing the internet is about staying informed and connected whether that's checking the current news on Facebook, reading up on Twitter feeds, or researching for work and business.
Clevand Thomas, International Telecommunications Union, Caribbean Area Rep.:
"We all recognize the importance and the benefits of using technology and the internet, economic, social or otherwise. We've seen many countries using technology for development throughout the Caribbean region, Belize no exception, recognized in the ICT as a key pillar for development."
But behind the great rewards of the internet, there is an underworld, a dark virtual portal that many explore. It's a world of secrets and sex. Millions of nude pictures and sex videos are sent, shared and viewed over the internet and thousands of explicit conversations are conducted on various social media. And frighteningly, kinds are among those navigating this minefield of objectionable content. That topic was addressed at today's Cyber Security Workshop at St. Catherine's Academy.
Ahmad's Get Back Electronic Items
Last night we gave you a short snippet of the police press conference on the Ahmad family raid. The conference was held in Belmopan yesterday evening and neither the Special Branch Commander Marco Vidal nor the Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie gave us much information. But there was one grave and quite frightening generalization as it relates to the Islamic terrorist group ISIS. Commander Vidal first gave his account of what happened on the day of the search and provided a bit more context to the investigation.
Marco Vidal, Special Branch Commander:
"Upon executing the operation all persons whose homes were searched and who were detained were told the parameters of the search and the purpose for which we were there. They indicated that they will not answer any questions on the advice of their attorneys and we respect that. They were allowed to go thereafter and that was the process on having their release."
Reporter:
"How long were they in custody before they were allowed to get their attorneys involved?"
Sugar Season, It Was A Good Year, Not a Very Good Year
On Sunday night at 9:00 pm, Orange Walk Town residents may have heard the siren at the Tower Hill Factory sound to mark the end of the 2015 - 2016 cane season. The mill closed at 8:53 pm - bringing an end to a season that saw reduced prices, bad weather and slightly less sugar production than the year before. But there was more cane taken to the factory - a record volume in fact, it was just lower in quality. BSI Financial Controller Belizario Carballo gave an overview:
Belizario Carballo - CFO, ASR/BSI:
"This crop was I would say good, in terms of production, despite some of the adversities that we faced during the crop. We were able to from that cane produced 134,000 tons of sugar - metric tons, which is less than what we did last crop. Last crop was a record production of 142,000 tons on sugar. So this year with more cane, because last year we did 1.2 million tons of cane. This year we did 1.3 million tons of cane.
Mother Please For Missing Son With Bipolar Disorder
34 year old Belize City resident, Tylon Gladden, has been missing for over 4 days and the family is worried sick that something bad might have happened to him. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder some years ago and according to his mother he was taking medication for it. But since he came home from work on Friday, no one has seen him. They have made a police report, but nothing has come of it. Today the desperate mother came to us to make a public appeal in hopes of finding her son.
If anybody knows anything about the whereabouts of Tylon Gladden you can reach his family at 227-3942 or 636-7221 or contact the nearest police station.
Belize Telecoms Case to CCJ
Last year around this time, we told you about the outcome of an appeal at the Court of Appeal which the telecommunication company, Speednet, better known as "Smart", brought against the Public Utilities Commission. The telephone company was complaining that the Government regulator was overcharging them for licensing 238 channels used to conduct their business, such as phone calls text messaging, and data.
Well, the phone company was not satisfied with the outcome, and they took it to the final appeals court, the Caribbean Court of Justice.
That case was heard today at the seat of the CCJ in Port of Spain, Trinidad. That's where Smart's attorneys, Eamon Courtenay, and Andrew Marshalleck sought to show the court that the judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court misjudged the very technical case.
The PUC's attorney, Fred Lumor, tried to convince the judges that once again, after an hour of arguments, they failed to make their case, and that the additional 792 thousand dollars in fees that Smart is being charged for their licenses is justifiable. With video provided by the CCJ, here's an excerpt of the arguments and counter arguments that both sides made:
Customs Caught Cannabis
The Customs Department has been keeping a close eye on the Blue Creek Road for drug trafficking activities, and over the weekend they made a weed bust. They found a bag on the side of the road containing about five pounds of marijuana - which is believed to have been smuggled in from Mexico. The weed was thrown from a Mazda pickup by a man who raced away from the checkpoint. It was a joint BDF Customs checkpoint. The road leads to an unregulated border crossing and is believed to be a drug trafficking corridor.
NGC Calls Out For Kaina
Yesterday, the National Garifuna Council of Belize sent out a strongly worded press release denouncing the Belize Athletic Association for not including Belizean athlete Kaina Martinez in the Roster for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Last week we spoke to Martinez who expressed her dissatisfaction and strongly disputed BAA's claim that she did not submit all relevant information in due time. The National Garifuna is demanding that they rescind their decision and immediately engage Martinez as a candidate to represent Belize at the Olympics. Sandra Miranda, the National President of the Garifuna Council told us more.
Sandra Miranda, National President - Garifuna Council:
"After being so good, performing so well at the Central American Games in Salvador, you would expect that Kaina would be selected to represent Belize. I would think that the Athletic Association is encouraging Belizeans to perform at athletic events and forward to the Olympics. So we were appalled at that decision, for this Belizean female and Garifuna athlete. She has made us proud as Belizeans and as Garinagu, so it was very appalling and disappointing. I don't want to say anything about the person selected, because I don't know much about her. But my issue is encouraging our Belizean athlete so that they can have something to look forward to."
Queens Honors Distributed
Britain may have exited the European Union, but Belize isn't leaving the commonwealth anytime soon so the tradition of the Queen's Honours continues in full swing. Today eight Belizeans received those honors from Acting Governor General Carlos Perdomo.
Michael Bowen, the President of Bowen and Bowen received the highest honour with the insignia of a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George for services to business and industry.
Eleanor Hulse - the wife of Natural Resources Minister Godwin Hulse, and Dilicia Feinstein from Benny's received the insignia of an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was conferred upon Emelda August for services to nursing; while Sarita Westby received hers for services to education and the community; Mr. Juan Nunez got his for services to education and sport; while Dr. Aaron Lewis got his for services to science; and Mrs. Janet Gibson received hers for services to environmental protection.
The "No's" Had It
On Friday, we had coverage of the social security sponsored debate on the question of whether or not Belize should go to the ICJ. Well, audience members were asked to participate in a before and after poll - and the results show that most in the audience and online were swayed against going to the ICJ. Going in 39% favored going to the ICJ, and 37% were opposed. Coming out, the same 39% were in favor with 53% opposed.