October 9, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Transport & National Emergency Management Minister on Official Visit to Taiwan
Belize’s Minister of Transport and National Emergency Management, Honorable Edmond Castro is in Taiwan as part of a three-member cabinet delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Honorable Patrick Faber, and including Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister, Honorable Manuel Heredia. They are there to conduct official government business and participate in celebrating Taiwan’s National Day.

2019 Oceana Belize Ocean Hero Awardees are fisher folks Guadalupe Lampella and Dale Fairweather
At the seventh annual Ocean Hero Award ceremony organized by Oceana in Belize, two outstanding Belizeans received the prestigious Belize Ocean Hero Award on Saturday, October 5th, in Belize City. This year’s winners are fisherman and sea advocate, Dale Fairweather from Placencia Village and fisherwoman and avid diver, Guadalupe Lampella from Riversdale Village in Stann Creek District. Janelle Chanona,Both were recognized for their exceptional efforts in conserving and protecting Belize’s marine resources, the environment and its creatures for future generations to come.

BEL carries out extensive maintenance works in San Pedro Town
To guarantee a robust power service in San Pedro Town, the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) deployed a large crew to conduct necessary substation maintenance and system upgrades across the island on Sunday, September 6th. Residents endured an extensively planned power outage for several hours, starting from 6AM until mid-afternoon when power was restored in phases. The island is reportedly using between 11 to 12 megawatts, meaning that it is approaching its capacity. BEL is looking at options. One of the plans includes a long-term strategy that could see the installation of another submarine cable that would not only connect Ambergris Caye but also the other nearby islands, which are also expected to develop. This new cable will be designed to accommodate each island’s projected power load based on its potential future growth.

Various Belizean Sources

Tropic Air announces scheduled tour flights from Placencia to Blue Hole
Tropic Air announces that effective November 13th, 2019 it will commence regularly scheduled air tour flights from Placencia to the Blue Hole. These new flights will initially operate on Wednesdays, will take approximately one hour, and will complement the existing scheduled Blue Hole tour flights from San Pedro, Caye Caulker and Belize City Municipal.

Forest Communities
Forest communities have immense value for sacred forests. These forests play a vital role in connecting spiritually with nature. Sacred forests have allowed forest communities to create a balance between humans and nature, protecting wildlife and ecosystems. The community spiritual leaders are a group of elders that guide ceremonies within the forests to pay respect and show appreciation for resources and services forests provide. Prayers, harmonic flute melodies, incense, food and beverages are offered to the spirits of nature. It is strongly believed that this positive energy is brought to the community to nurture sustainable livelihoods.

Caye Caulker's U13 football tournament
86 photos

Licensing and inspection of daycares
Looking for a daycare for your little one? Here are a few pointers from the Inspector of Social Services Institutions who spearheads the licensing and inspection of daycares.

REPORTED RAPES IN COROZAL
ar-old girl of Altamira, Corozal, was taken to the police station by her mother and filed a report against the child’s boyfriend. According to the police blotter, the minor was engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse with the boyfriend on Friday, September 27 at her home. This incident is not the first instance for the child as she also reported that she had engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse when she was 13 years old, with another male person. The second incident is even more disturbing as the minor was reportedly raped by her stepfather. The child was at the Western Regional Hospital where she was being treated for complications brought on by pregnancy. Police interviewed the child and found that since November 2018, up to August 2019, the child’s stepfather had been beating her and having sex with her against her will. Police are yet to indicate if the stepfather has been arrested and charged.

Tecuani and the Duende @ BBG
They are having a 'Fantastic Freaky Fundraiser at Belize Botanic Gardens' on Friday, November 1st. They'll have 2 screenings, and fun for the entire family.

West Punta Fest
The date is set for the West Punta Fest. It'll be on Saturday, October 26th, at Sacred Heart College. Come out and wish Mark a happy birthday while dancing the night away. Supa G will be there, as will Clayton Williams, Taprick, and the New Generation Band.

BTB at the Pleasant Holidays Fall Roadshow
In Charlotte, North Carolina

Channel 7

Reefs Under Attack - What's The Solution to Stony Coral?
There must be a regional emergency plan to address the threat of stony coral tissue loss disease: that was the position and consensus coming out of day 2 of a 4 day intensive regional meeting on this disease. In late August, we showed you a full feature on Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease or SCTLD for short. To recap, it was first detected in Florida in 2014 and it has wiped out almost half of their coral species on the Florida Reef Tract. Then in late June, it was confirmed here in Belize, in the Bacalar Chico marine reserve. It is spreading and mercilessly killing the corals.

PSU's Hilltop Flip Flop, Explained
Last night we told you how the PSU had done a major flip flop on the position it has taken on its Hilltop headquarters in Belmopan. Last week the Union President publicly conceded that the union's general membership has agreed to abandon the claim for the property and try to get some kind of payout for what it called "equitable interest." But, in a total reversal, the union yesterday sent a release saying it's going to put up a legal fight to hold unto the property. And, all this is based on some new document, which suddenly gives them firm legal footing, firm enough to go to court.

Cops Threw Andrew Augustine Into The Lion's Den
Last night, we told you about the abrupt end in the attempt murder case against Stephon Anderson. The DPP's Office entered a "nolle pros" against him yesterday, which means that they dropped all charges against him, for now. The cops brought the charge against Anderson because they say that he was the gunman who shot Andrew Augustine back in February 2014. But, he was freed because the Augustine took the witness stand in the Supreme Court yesterday and requested that the case be dropped. He said he forgave the alleged shooter.

A Mother's Cry Against KHMH
Last night we told you that 24 year old Jamal Elijio, one of the men who was shot last week Thursday on Santa Barbara street, had died on Sunday afternoon. Today we heard from his mother. She lives in New York City and is heartbroken both at his death and at her inability to attend his funeral due to immigration issues. But she told us that the family feels that the KHMH was negligent with Jamal's care, and that their decision to schedule what she believes should have been an emergency surgery cost her son his life. Here's more via telephone:

Mother of 9 Gets Out Of Jail After 3 Nights, Is Her Son To Blame?
A 45 year old mother of 9 is home tonight after spending the last three nights in jail. And it's all because her son, or someone put bullets in her attic. Carlyn Young was charged jointly with her 25-year-old son, Ledwin Dixon after police searched their home on Wednesday and found four live 9 millimeter rounds inside Young's attic. Both of them were denied bail. Today, in a special bail application before Justice Marilyn Williams Dickie Bradley was able to secure a five thousand dollar bail for her.

Is New Fisheries Bill the Solution?
Yesterday, the Belize Network of NGO's put out a press release complaining that the Government is putting enough priority on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing that continues to happen in Belizean territorial waters. They say that for years, and across government administrations of the 2 major political parties, there has been a draft Fisheries Resources Bill. It was created to strengthen the country's enforcement against illegal fishing, which tends to happen more frequently near the country's borders. The problem is that even with all that time to perfect it, none of the recent administrations have taken the necessary steps to pass the draft legislation into law.

Fisheries Not So Sure Of A Gillnet Ban
We also asked Wade to comment on the ongoing assessment of gill net use in Belize. The proposal by conservation groups, some fisher groups and the Coast Guard is to ban the nets, but the Gillnet Taskforce is taking a mighty long time to reach a final position. And, part of the reason is that the Fisheries Department is very much taking a wait and see approach. We asked the Director about it today and she was clearly not enthusiastic about a ban:

Fisheries On Fish Kills
We also asked the Fisheries Administrator about the New River in the Orange Walk, and all those fish kills that you've seen pictures of since it was discovered that this important waterway was polluted. The mass numbers of dead fish in the river, back when the pollution levels were at their highest, was the biggest indicator that the health of the New River was at an all-time low. Beverly Wade told us today that the government agencies and their partners on the ground continue to closely monitor the condition of the river, and that they had to investigate reports of fish kills all the way up to Libertad in the Corozal District:

The Queen Conch Quota
And, finally from Wade, we asked her about this year's conch quota. The season opened on October first and we wondered how the quote is being managed. Last year, fishers fulled up the quota from early in the year, but Fisheries still let the season stay open until the end of April. Wade says Belize has an abundant and well-managed resource:... Beverly Wade - Fisheries Administrator: "It's been an excellent start to the conch season this year. The Fisheries Department applies an adaptive management approach to its conch fishery where it monitors the production through the open season and it looks at certain indicators..."

BYM Demands that Gov't Write Off All Student Loans
On Friday, the write-off loan motion for Joshua Perdomo's 40,000 dollar student loan went back to the House of Representatives - where 17 members on the UDP side voted yes to approve it. And, today the PUP's youth arm, known as the BYM sent out a release demanding a loan write-off for all students. The release says, "the Belize Youth Movement is making a call to all the Belizean Youth to rise up and demand that their student loans be also written off.Let us demand that what is good for them is also good for everyone."

Ministers In Twain For 10/10
Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber is on an official trip to Taiwan for that friendly country's Independence Day celebrations. He's accompanied by Minister of Transport and NEMO, Edmond Castro, and Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manuel Heredia. They are there to conduct official government business, and, apparently, from the pictures we've seen, to ride around Taipei.

Vasquez Family Demands More From GOB On Mental Health
Last week we told you that the police officers who were in charge of the detention cell when 60 year old Nestor Vasquez Jr was beaten have been recommended for dismissal. His head injuries, inflicted by the mentally ill Colin Francis left him comatose and led to his death two days later. Today the family issued a statement commending police, but cautioning, quote, "even as we are pleased with the progress in the disciplinary proceedings, we still urge the Police Department not to treat this as an isolated incident.The Police Department is duty-bound to address this as a systemic problem of a culture of brutality and inhumanity within its organisation.

The Wonder of Yaoling Lee
Belize City's coffee shops: the smell of coffee brewing and the sounds of the milk being steamed and frothedan imported concept that has quickly taken its place in the city's social landscape. Locales like Spoonaz, Hano, and Taka kitchen can be cool places to hang out, but did you know that these coffee shops and restaurant can be great places to view and experience the work of new artists? Yaoling Lee is one of the artists blazing the trail of bringing art to public spaces where people meet, and eat. Here is that story.

Channel 5

P.S.U. Says It Will Not Be Moved From Hilltop H.Q.
There is more tonight from the Public Service Union in respect of its former Hilltop property. The union says it will not be moved from its Hilltop headquarters in Belmopan.  [...]

P.S.U. Says it’s Fighting for “What Rightly Belongs to Us”
Henry says that the P.S.U. has hired the services of Courtenay Coye LLP and the documents should be filed before October thirty-first. He says that the union will not vacate [...]

2 Camalote Residents Injured in Roaring Creek Accident
A resident from Camalote is in critical, but stable condition tonight at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after he was severely injured during an accident on the George Price Highway. [...]

Vasquez Family Issued Release on Decision of Police Tribunal
Last week, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams indicated that Sergeant Shawn Walton and Constables Edward Pitterson and Bernard Cayetano are being recommended for dismissal from the force, resulting from the [...]

IMF Provides Initial Report on Belize’s Economic Performance
The latest IMF report, though in preliminary stages, says that while economic recovery is underway, the pace is slowing. It reports heightened spending on wages and public investment and weaker [...]

Belize and the Region Tackle the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
Turning to a grave issue endangering the eco-system… Coral reefs world-wide are under pressure from a number of threats—climate change, pollution, coastal development, invasive species and even diseases. But about [...]

High Level of Coral Bleaching Detected; Warmer Temperatures Responsible
As you heard, the coral reef monitoring team is working with regional partners to learn more about the stony coral tissue loss disease. But that is just one problem that [...]

Fragments of Hope Restoring Belize’s Coral Reef
And on the topic of coral reef health, the Fragments of Hope has been working in several sites for many more years to re-seed devastated reef with resilient and diverse [...]

P.S.U. President Says “We Felt a Bit Disrespected”
In August, P.S.U. President Gerald Henry completed the first three weeks of his countrywide familiarization tour. Henry met with public services across the country, in government departments in every district. [...]

M.O.H. Providing Worst Environment for Public Officers
Earlier today when we caught up with the P.S.U. president, we asked him about his recently concluded tour nationwide.  President Gerald Henry visited government ministries and spoke to dozens of [...]

P.S.U. President Says G.O.B. Needs to Spend Monies on Hospitals
According to Henry, the government needs to prioritize its spending more appropriately to areas where it is urgently needed such as health.   Gerald Henry, President, P.S.U. “I always point [...]

Jamal Elijio’s Killers Remain at Large
Police are tonight still investigating a shooting in Belize City last Thursday during which three men were injured, one of whom passed away on Sunday at the K.H.M.H.   It is [...]

2 Belize City Men Plead Guilty to Burglary
Two maintenance workers caught on surveillance camera were sent to jail after they pleaded guilty to the burglary of a warehouse on Queen Street, Belize City. Sometime between last Thursday [...]

An Elderly Man is Sentenced to 7 Years for Burglary
A sixty-one-year-old man, who was caught burglarizing a gift shop, learnt a lesson the hard way when he was convicted of burglary and sentenced to seven years behind bars, even [...]

The Belize Youth Movement Issues Release following Loan Write-Off to Joshua Perdomo
The government side of the House last Friday gave final approval to the write-off of forty thousand dollars to Joshua Perdomo, the son of the Cabinet Secretary. As soon as [...]

Season 4 of KTV Latino – the Twists and Curve Balls
You have asked and we heard so KTV Latino is back and with a bang. The show opens at eight-thirty from the Bliss tonight. A pool of ten singers with [...]

Network of N.G.O.s Weighs in on Pending Fisheries Bill
The Belize Network of N.G.O.s wants the government to address illegal, unreported and regulated fishing activities as a matter of national priority.  Government is particularly being urged to enact the [...]

Fisheries Admin says Fisheries Bill Cometh
The Belize Network of N.G.O.s is calling for the passage of a fisheries bill to put in place mechanisms to protect the industry and fisher folks.  We asked the Fisheries [...]

The Delayed Fisheries Bill – What Is In It?
So, why are conservationists and their partners clamouring for the bill to be passed? Well, they say that when passed and enacted, it means that there will be stronger enforcement [...]

Conch Season is Open!
The Fisheries Department says that they are ready for the new conch season. If you’ll recall the season was closed off two months early because the quota for the queen [...]

“Working Together to Prevent Suicide”
This week Belize joins the international community in raising importance of mental health. World Mental Health Day will be observed on Thursday under the theme “Working Together to Prevent Suicide”. [...]

Amandala

PSU will battle in court over Hilltop headquarters
The Hilltop property in Belmopan that houses the Public Service Union (PSU) headquarters has been at the center of controversy ever since it was revealed that the Belmopan City Council, under the leadership of UDP Mayor Khalid Belisle, secretly brokered a sale of the property without even as much as a whisper to the PSU. Last week the purchaser of the land, Simplex Design Company Ltd., through its attorney, Estevan Perera, issued a letter to the PSU, giving the union one month to vacate the property or face an eviction action in the court.

Jamal Elijio, 24, dies after Thursday night shooting on Santa Barbara
Jamal Elijio, 24, a laborer of Belize City, died of injuries he received in a drive-by shooting at about 8:30 Thursday night on Santa Barbara Street. Elijio was with Marquin Drury, 27, a mechanic of Santa Barbara Street; and Justin Richards, 32. Drury was shot in the neck; Richards was shot in the shoulder; and Elijio was shot in the stomach. They were all rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they were admitted in a stable condition.

Despite public outcry, UDP passes Joshua Perdomo’s $40,000 write-off
“Therefore be it resolved that this honorable House approves the write-off of forty thousand four hundred and seventy thousand and eighty eight dollars as a loss to the Government of Belize,” Prime Minister Dean Barrow said, as the Joshua Perdomo write-off got its 3rd and final reading when it came back to the House from the Finance and Economic Committee. Forty thousand dollars may seem like a very small amount to a government that has become accustomed to wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars without accounting for it, but the Perdomo write-off is one controversy that will not go away so easily.

Excelsior High School’s security guard shot in school’s security booth
Rodman Welch, 33, a stevedore of Belize City, who works as a security guard at Excelsior High School on Fabers Road, is in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after an unknown gun man shot him in the face at about 10:30 last night while he was on duty at the school.

Bush fire destroys house on Jane Usher Boulevard
A bush fire that erupted behind the basketball court on Jane Usher Boulevard destroyed a 12’ x 14’ plywood house in which a man and his son lived, and they are now homeless. At the time of the fire no one was at home. The incident occurred at about 6:00 Friday evening. A resident of the area said that the bush was set on fire by children because of the mosquitos in the area, but the fire got out of control.

Stars of the future – FFB U-15 and U-17 Inter-District Championship Finals put the spotlight on future national stars
On Saturday, September 28, at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) staged the championship finals in two of its youth competitions; it was the U-15 Male Inter-District Finals between Orange Walk and Belize District, followed by the U-17 Male Inter-District Finals between Toledo and Belize District. And it was a real treat for the less than capacity filled stadium, as fans witnessed outstanding and heroic performances from some young men who are but a few years away from leading Belize to respect on the international stage.

Verdes takes over standings lead at Week 10 of PLB Opening Season
It’s been a “neck and neck” Bandits-Verdes race from Week 1 of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2019-2020 Opening Season, and the two teams remain undefeated after Week 10 games this past weekend; but for the first time this season, Verdes FC is the sole standings leader, after their seventh victory yesterday in Dangriga over winless FF Valley Pride, while the Bandits were held to a draw in Mango Creek by Altitude FC. Though they were tied in points from Week 1 right through to Week 9 (3-3, 6-6, 9-9, 10-10, 13-13, 13-13, 16-16, 17-17, 18-18, 21-21), the Bandits always maintained the top spot by virtue of their bigger “goal difference.”

CYDP Peace Cup 2019 weekend results
The CYDP Peace Cup 2019 football tournament continued on Saturday, October 5, with 4 games at the MCC Grounds. In game 1, Eagles defeated Ladyville FC, 3-1, with goals from Michael Robinson (16’) and Keron “Benny” Patnett (63’ & 85’); while David Solorzano (87’) scored for Ladyville FC. Game 2 saw Barrack Road FC with a 2-nil win over Starz Academy, courtesy of a goal each from Jamaal Ford (3’) and Dejean Thompson (64’).

Weekend Ryders Race results for Sunday, October 6
Here are the results from Race #4 of the current 5-race series. The A & B went from M&M Engineering to Mile 25 on the George Price Highway via the Chetumal Boulevard and back to Old Belize, for 44 miles; while the C-Class went up to Mile 20 and back to Old Belize, for 34 miles. Racing was held yesterday, October 6. Class-A top finishers: 1st Place – Barney Brown (Digicell, 1:59:59); 2nd Alvan Gillett (Kulture); 3rd Vallan Symns (Kulture); 4th Warren Coye (Santino’s); 5th Dwayne Wade (BzeBoyz).

Playoffs near in Belmopan 1st Division 2019 football tournament
The single round-robin is almost completed in the 9-team Belmopan 1st Division football tournament, after which the top 4 teams will go on to the playoffs. Four games were played over the weekend at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, 2 each on Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6. In the opener on Saturday, Roaring Creek United bombed Camalote Warriors, 6-1, with goals from Kenroy Williams (24’), Noah Moro (39’ & 48’) and Shemar Ingram (50’ & 69’), along with an own goal by Camalote’s Maynor Castellanos (51’ OG); while Camalote’s only goal was by Bertan Bermudez (57’).

Editorial: Unworkable contract costs in Belize City
Judge Courtenay Abel’s ruling in favor of the complainant in the case brought against the Mayor of Belize City and the Belize City Council (BCC) by former City Administrator, Ms. Candice Miller, most likely did not surprise many people. Ms. Miller had accused the Mayor, Bernard Wagner, of wrongly dismissing her for “gross dereliction of duty.” The background story is that former Mayor, Darrell Bradley, had signed Miller to a 4-year contract mere months before the previous Belize City Council was due to dissolve. Former Mayor, Bradley, is a trained attorney, and so, drawing up contracts being routine for members of that profession, the only question was how much the learned judge would award Ms. Miller.

We need to pass a law to stop people from cursing others, “black”
This story has many threads leading into it, but if you are brave and stick with me to the last, you will get my point. We are approaching October 12, a national holiday formerly named Columbus Day, so at least I will not be guilty of not being with the season. Let’s get this clear: We are a country with many races and we must do everything we can to decrease the friction that can arise in a country where so many diverse peoples share the same beautiful country. Let’s get this clear: We don’t need such a law because people with melanin are begging for such a law. We need such a law so that people who have melanin don’t have to respond to racism.

From British Honduras to Belize: one family’s drama
A novel written by the late Chrystel Lynwood Hyde Straughan (This novel, edited by Mrs. Straughan’s, nephew, Evan X Hyde, will be published in serial form in Amandala.) CHAPTER 1. Matron, as most of us called her, was my mother’s best friend. She was not the first native to be appointed to that post at the local public hospital, but she was the first who was dark-skinned and, therefore, unmistakably one of us. In colonial societies the ruling class is usually comprised of citizens of the colonizing country (in this case British and white) and over time, what has been described as an hierarchy of colour had developed when this group reproduced by mating with the black population of various shades.

PSU: Stand up and be counted!
For a union to be effective in the service of its members, it requires administrative and technical staff and space where its members can hold meetings and socialize. Recognizing the special role that unions play in the socio-economic development of a country, progressive governments in the Caribbean and elsewhere have always moved to assist unions in their development plans.

Our slow and silent death…
We have had so little time in Belize to collectively focus on living in a healthy environment and respecting our natural environment because we have been so busy weeping over the deaths of our brothers and sisters. This seems a more immediate threat, while Mother Nature plots against us as we have looted her to the point of her silent death. The earth is fighting back, and we do not even have time to recognize it and soberly deal with it, due to the immediacy of the killings at hand, the hardships of life and the never-ending scandals of corruption.

Judge rules for Candice Miller in wrongful termination lawsuit against Belize City Council
In May 2018, by a unanimous vote, the People’s United Party-controlled Belize City Council decided to terminate City Administrator, Candice Miller, for gross dereliction of duty. Miller, who was granted a new four-year employment contract just prior to the March 2018 municipal elections by the then United Democratic Party mayor, Darrell Bradley, sued the Council for wrongful termination. The Council filed a counter suit, suing Miller for the one million dollars in costs that were incurred by the council due to her failure to advise the incoming council that they needed to file a defense in a lawsuit that was filed against the Council by Belize Waste Control, one of the sanitation companies doing business with the city.

Objections to voters on voting list in Caribbean Shores and Belize Rural North go to court
Representatives of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) squared off in the Chief Magistrate’s Court over voters who had transferred or had registered for voting at addresses where they reportedly do not reside. The complainants had come from two constituencies, Belize Rural North and Caribbean Shores. The Caribbean Shores transfers were heard first and the transfer of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Edward Broaster, from the Freetown constituency to Caribbean Shores was heard.

Taiwan celebrates its 108th Anniversary
On Friday night, the Republic of China (Taiwan) celebrated its 108th Anniversary in the Kings Room at the Ramada Princess Hotel. The event was attended by the Governor Genera Sir Colville Young, members of Cabinet, the diplomatic and consular corps, members of the media and the Taiwanese community, among other invited guests.

House of Representatives meeting on Friday
The House of Representatives will be meeting in the National Assembly chambers tomorrow, Friday. Based on the Order Paper in circulation among members, the House will introduce a new Customs Regulation Bill and another bill, the Caribbean Development Project loan, for the Belize Electricity hydroelectric plant. The House will also get a report from the Finance and Economic Development Committee.

The Reporter

Verde Remains In Detention – Bail Denied
The Reporter understands that Reynaldo Verde, who awaits trial in the United States under investigation by the FBI for alleged extortion and obstruction of commerce, has been denied bail and will remain in custody in federal detention for the duration of his trial.

R.T.A In Lake Gardens – Car Crashes Into 18 Wheeler
A red four-door sedan crashed into a tow-head truck, then into a nearby lamp-post last night in the Lake Garden Area in Ladyville.

LOVE FM

Mesoamerican countries meet in Belize
The Belize Marine Fund provides grants to conservation organizations to assist them in their work of managing the country’s marine resources.

Road collision leaves two hospitalized
A road collision has two men hospitalized and a woman shaken up. The incident occurred last night in Roaring Creek Village, Cayo District. Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story.

Mesoamerican countries work to save corals
Belize boasts of having the second largest barrier reef in the world, which forms part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System also runs along Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

PSU planning to take Belmopan CitCo to court over Hilltop HQ
The Public Service Union (PSU) will file a lawsuit against the Belmopan City Council this week challenging the sale of its Hilltop property to Simplex Design Company Limited. The union decided to take legal action in light of an eviction notice issued to them by the new owners. According to the Belmopan City Council, the union was in arrears with its lease.

Empowering Women Through self-defense
The Ahmadiyya Women Association, will be conducting a women empowerment through self-defense programme on October 15. The five week training workshop will engage women in learning the basics of self-defense.

Tackling Climate Change
A team of activists from the south recently returned from the United Kingdom where they attended meetings on climate change. Climate Change has been affecting many countries around the world.

Turneffe Island Resort receives prestigious award
he world’s most distinguished travel title, Condé Nast Traveler announced the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards – and Turneffe Island Resort placed in the top ten resorts in Central America. 600,000 readers across the globe submitted a record-breaking number of ratings for their individual travel experiences.

Court finds elderly man guilty of burglary
Edwin Augustine, a park ranger, caught Leslie in the act. Augustine testified that whilst walking the grounds of the park, he heard noises coming from inside the gift shop.

BYM calls on youths to demand student loan write offs
The youth arm of the People’s United Party, the Belize Youth Movement (BYM) has made a call to Belizean youths to demand that the Government write off their student loans. According to a release, this is in light of the recent write offs taken to the House of Representatives.

Vasquez Family calls for advances in mental health care
On June 6, the actions of three police officers cost the life of Nestor Vasquez. Since then, the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams has recommended the dismissal of the officers. The officers whilst on duty had placed two mentally ill persons in the same cell including Nestor Vasquez.

Breaking Belize News

Belize slow and vulnerable in economic recovery, warns IMF
An International Monetary Fund team led by Daniel Leigh visited Belize from September 23-October 4 […]

Ancient Maya canals and fields show early and extensive impacts on tropical forests
Geographical research at The University of Texas at Austin, published in the Proceedings of the […]

Simone Biles makes history again!
A little under two months since the last time she made history, United States Gymnast […]

Reynaldo Verde denied bail
There are new developments in the Reynaldo Verde saga. Verde, has been denied bail and […]

Thieves make off with 16 laptops from Ladyville Tech
The Belize Police Department is asking the public’s assistance in locating 16 laptops that were […]

Family of Nestor Vasquez restate demands just ahead of World Mental Health Day
The family of Nestor Vasquez today issued a statement acknowledging the efforts made by the […]

Belize Youth Movement demands loan write off for all students
The Belize Youth Movement (BYM) issued a statement today demanding the Government of Belize to […]

Belize can still qualify to Nations League A and Gold Cup in 2021. Here’s how.
No points after two games. Sanctioned for failing to appear in our first match. A […]

Mexican Embassy in Belize invites Belizean businesses for meeting of Expo Pro- Agro Innovacion 2019
The Embassy of Mexico, in collaboration with the National Chamber of Commerce, Services, and Tourism […]

Deputy Prime Minister, Tourism Minister and NEMO minister visit Taiwan
Belize’s Minister of Transport and National Emergency Management, Edmond Castro is in Taiwan as part […]

Nine countries still on European Union’s Blacklist- including Belize
Nine jurisdictions remain on the European Union’s (EU) blacklist including Belize. The European Union […]

Kidnapped Mexican minor found in Belize
A 13-year-old minor that was reportedly kidnapped in Tulum, Mexico was found in Belize. The […]

Public Service Union taking battle for Hilltop headquarters to court
The Public Service Union (PSU) announced this week that it will be mounting a legal […]

Results of Digi/ Becol Basketball Tournament
he DIGI / Becol Basketball Tournament continued this weekend with games held at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium […]

Blogs

Belize in December: Festivities and Flip-Flops
Here’s why I am so ready to get back for the holidays in Belize. Snow, sleet, ice not needed. Crowded mall parking lots, blaring Mariah Carey Christmas songs, that constant feeling like you haven’t bought enough gifts? Take a break and head down to Ambergris Caye for Christmas spirit AND warm weather and sun. Here’s what happens on the island in December and some additional pictures to show how San Pedro dresses herself up for the holidays.

The Story of The Garifuna Collective
The Garifuna, also known as Garinagu, trace their origins to a group of captives stolen from West Africa and shipwrecked off the coast of St. Vincent. The group mixed with the indigenous Arawak, before the British deported them to Honduras. What started as a settlement of roughly 2000 has grown into a world population numbering over half of a million. The Garifuna now populate the coastal regions of Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Belize, and also live in communities in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans. For the Garifuna, music goes beyond entertainment. It is used for storytelling, stress relief, and healing. Most importantly, music for the Garifuna is a vehicle for community building.

4 Alternative Options to Plastic Straws
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can make a difference. Globally, we need to work on reversing the effects of the last 30 years of plastic pollution, as well as ensuring that we do better for our oceans in the future. Every individual or business has to decide where to start. It’s actually quite easy to make a switch, and every effort counts. For example, straws might seem like a trivial place to begin — but they are available just about everywhere a drink is sold. The US alone uses 500 million straws each day. The sad truth is that none of them can be recycled because they’re typically made from single-use plastic and are so flimsy that they can’t endure the recycling process. Most of these straws end up in the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes where they clog shorelines and endanger wildlife. They can easily end up being mistaken for food by marine life, which, when swallowed, can cause injury or even death.

Belize’s Hospitality Industry is Going Green
The movement for going green has been exemplary throughout the years. Many consumers and companies have taken the extra step to positively contribute to the well-being of the environment. Whether it be done through the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), purchasing organic food, biodegradable products or turning down the thermostat, these actions can make a huge difference to our planet. By adopting eco-friendly habits, not only are you doing your part to protect the environment, but it is also self-satisfying. Utilizing and maintaining conservational techniques make the planet livable for the next generations to enjoy, and it also gives us hope of a cleaner and brighter future.

International Sources

The Maya Gods of Time
Developed by Dr. Jennifer John and her husband, this site gives us another way of viewing Maya art. It showcases little animation they have detected played out in Maya art. The key to their reading is the viewer's own motion: that is how they turn a ceramic in their hands to see all the imagery, or pass in front of murals or duck between, and in and out, of carved lintels supporting temple doorways.

Simone Biles leads U.S. women gymnasts to another world team gold
With her Belizean family behind her, American National Simone Biles becomes the most decorated female gymnast in history. From the moment they arrived here, the U.S. women’s gymnasts, led by the incomparable Simone Biles, made clear they’re not letting anything stand in the way of history. In the process, Biles, the reigning Olympic and world all-around champion, became the most decorated female gymnast in history, collecting her 21st world championship medal to move past Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina. Her haul of gold medals at world championships — which now stands at 15 — was already a record. And she is expected to add to her tally over the next five days, when she’ll vie for her seventh world all-around title and compete for medals in all four event finals.

Sugar Breakthrough - Caricom Producers Upbeat After Belize Meetings
A Caribbean Development Bank-funded technical study has found that plantation white sugar can be used to replace refined sugar and, in fact, is being used in manufacturing processes within Caricom and elsewhere in the world, a finding that has changed the tone of a trade dispute among Caricom producers. Interest groups came away from a series of meetings in Belize, where the report was presented, saying the talks from October 2-4 made more progress in the past week than in the past several years in resolving the long-running stand-off between sugar producers and manufacturers over the quality of white sugar, also called plantation white. The two sides are fighting over the high volumes of refined sugar being imported into the region to the disadvantage of regional producers of plantation white.

Belize’s Maya Drained Their Swamps to Make Farmland
IN RECENT YEARS, TALK OF “draining the swamp” has gotten awful popular in the United States. Swamps and wetlands are a lot of things—critical wildlife habitat, buffers against storms, and natural filtration systems, as well as places to hide, barriers to agriculture and development, and refuges for disease-spreading mosquitoes. In short, our modern relationship with wetlands can be complicated. The ancient Maya of Central America were pretty clear about their wetlands: They were a resource, a place to cultivate crops for nearly 1,000 years through a system of wetland agriculture. A new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is showing just how complex and massive Maya wetland agriculture was. “When Europeans came to America they had a very negative view of wetlands,” says Timothy Beach, a geoarchaeologist at the University of Texas at Austin and coauthor of the study, “but to most Americans, they were like our refrigerators today. They were filled with all kinds of goods.”

Turneffe Island Resort Recognized With Condé Nast Traveler's 2019 Readers' Choice Award "Top 10 Resorts in Central America
Condé Nast Traveler today announced the results of its annual Readers' Choice Awards with Turneffe Island Resort recognized as the one of the top 10 resorts in Central America. More than 600,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers across the globe submitted a recording-breaking number of responses rating their travel experiences to provide a full snapshot of where and how we travel today. The Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as "the best of the best of travel." The full list of winners can be found here.

Videos

October 8, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Belize to assume Presidency of Mesoamerican Integration & Development Project
It has been announced that in January 2020, Belize will assume Pro Tempore Presidency of the Mesoamerican Integration and Development Project, a space led by the Foreign Ministry of the 10 countries that are members of the regional project. Belize’s Pro Tempore Presidency of the project will be for a period of six (6) months, during which time a sector leadership segment corresponding to Disaster Risk Management will be included, through which the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) will coordinate actions of the Mesoamerican Network of Integral Risk Management.

San Pedro Justice of the Peace monthly meeting
Justice of the Peace monthly meeting will be Wednesday, October 9th. Guest Speaker will be Dr. Abigail McKay, formerly with RET International who will be talking about the JP Act. All JPs are encouraged to attend and be informed, equipped, and educated to better serve with confidence. Starting at 7PM - 9PM at San Pedro High School in the Conference Room, refreshments will be served.

Second CRFM & OSPESCA Ministerial Meeting
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration hosted the Second High-Level Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) at the Best Plus Biltmore Plaza in Belize City on October 2nd, 2019. The purpose of the meeting was aimed to strengthen collaboration between the two regional fisheries organizations to improve the conservation, management and sustainable development of marine living resources of the Caribbean Sea by implementing a Joint Action Plan.

Ambergris Today

Pic Of The Week – Awesome Street Art!
Headed down south or at Caye Coffee for some fresh coffee? Then you will be greeted by this awesome graffiti on the wall. There have been several murals going up in town lately as many local businesses are sprucing up their walls and graffiti art seems the way to go! Artists have been expressing their amazing talent and this one does not fail to impress!

Oceana Announces The 2019 Oceana Ocean Hero Award Winners
Riversdale fisherwoman Guadalupe Lampella and Placencia-bred fisherman Dale Fairweather are champions for the sea.On Saturday, October 5th, Oceana formally recognized two extraordinary Belizeans as the 2019 Ocean Heroes. This year’s winners are fisherman and sea advocate, Dale Fairweather and fisherwoman and avid diver, Guadalupe Lampella.

Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Meeting On Strategic Actions For The Fisheries And Aquaculture
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, The Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration hosted the Second High Level Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector of the Central American Isthmus (OSPESCA) at the Best Plus Biltmore Plaza in Belize City on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

Various Belizean Sources

South Ambergris Caye Neighbourhood Watch Meeting
Hello friends and neighbors! It is time for our regular monthly meeting again. It is being held on October 9th, 7:00 pm at Someplace South Cafebar.

Belize Attends the 5th Korea-LAC Business Summit in Seoul Korea
The 5th Korea-LAC Business Summit, taking place in Seoul Korea from October 7th-8th, 2019, is one of the world’s largest international exchange events between the 26 IDB member countries and Korea. The objective of the forum, is to expand and strengthen commercial ties between Korea and the Latin American and Caribbean Countries, to provide a better understanding of investment and trade opportunities. The forum serves as a great opportunity for the productive exchange of ideas and information between companies working in trade and investment, transportation and infrastructure, and energy to name a few.

Corozal Football Association Opening Season Youth Standings
Club Standing as of Week 4 (06/10/2019) for Corozal Football Association Opening Season Youth Tournament 2019-2020.

BELIZE FISHING REPORT: SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2019
The average and upper size of Bonefish continues to increase as a result of catch and release only regulations implemented 10 years ago by the Government of Belize. Very good week for numbers of Bonefish on the fly.

Stingrayz Youth Exhibition
This is an event you won't want to miss. Come out this Saturday to the Caye Caulker basketball court to support the Stingrayz family and cheer on our Junior Stingrayz as they play Belize's 501 Gators. It will be an event for the whole family to enjoy. Music, food, drink, games, prizes, raffle, and of course BASKETBALL!

2019 Oceana Ocean Hero Award
On Saturday, October 5th, Oceana formally recognized two extraordinary Belizeans as the 2019 Ocean Heroes. This year’s winners are fisherman and sea advocate, Dale Fairweather and fisherwoman and avid diver, Guadalupe Lampella. Prime Minister of Belize, Rt. Hon. Dean O. Barrow is the sole recipient of Oceana’s Ocean Champion Award, which was presented in 2018 in recognition of Belize’s indefinite moratorium on offshore oil.

TOLEDO DISTRICT- MIDWAY ELECTION RESULT

Corozal Urban Birdwatch
Mark your calendars - our Urban Bird Watch 2019 is almost here!

Maya Stilt Dancers
This is a photo of Maya Stilt Dancers from the Madrid Codex (one of the three Pre-Columbian Maya books) and a recent photo of Stilt Dancers at Maya Day in Blue Creek, Belize. In this article, Prof. Genner asks the question why do communities choose to display heritage and culture? What does it mean to perform everyday practices in a community event like Maya Day?

Channel 7

On Second Thought...PSU Will Fight For Hilltop
Last week the president of the PSU, Gerald Henry confirmed that the PSU would not be fighting for its Hilltop property in Belmopan. He said it was the consensus of the general membership that they should move on and try to get compensation for what he called "equitable interest" in the property. But, a release sent out a few hours ago takes things in the other direction. It says, quote, "based on additional informationand sound updated legal advicethe council of management of the PSU has unanimously decided that the matter (concerning the property)shall proceed to court." End quote. So, we take that to mean they will fight their pending eviction in court.

Man Dies Days After Being Shot
On Friday night we told you about the drive by shooting on Santa Barbara street. Three men were shot: 31 year old Justin Richards, 24 year old Jamal Elijio, and 27 year old Marquin Dury. Richards was shot to the neck, Elijio shot to the right shoulder, and Dury received a graze to his right foot near the knee. Yesterday Jamal Elijio succumbed to the injury he sustained during that drive by shooting. We spoke to his cousin today. She told us that she was shocked by the shooting that left her cousin dead and her brother terribly injured.

Police Blank On Elijio Murder
Today police had little to add - and claim to not know who shot Elijio. Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero - Deputy Head, NCIB: "In regards to the shooing incident that occurred on Thursday, the 3rd day of October 2019, where 3 people were shot, on Sunday, the 6th day of October 2019, Jamal Eligio died at the KHMH, whilst ongoing treatment. These persons had been shot at on that date, and this person succumbed to his injuries."

Security Guard Survives Shot To The Mouth
A security guard was shot on Saturday night while on duty at Excelsior High School. 33 year old Rodman Welch Jr. was inside the booth on the compound when the gunman crept up and shot him. We went looking for answers. Courtney Weatherburne has more. Today police officers were at Excelsior High investigating Saturday night's shooting at the school compound. The victim is the 33 year old security guard Rodman Welch Jr. Fortunately he survived. The report is that Welch was on duty inside this security booth when a gunman inched the gun through the board window and shot him in the mouth.

Police Don't Know Who Shot Security
Police did not provide much information on this case either at today's press briefing. Here is what Sr. Superintendent Romero had to say. Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero - Deputy Head, NCIB: "On Saturday, the 5th day of October 2019, police responded to a shooting incident at the security booth at Excelsior High School. Upon their arrival, they were informed that a male person had been shot..."

Teenager Shot On South Creek
There was another shooting in the same neighborhood less than 21 hours later. This one happened at around 7:00 last night on South Creek Road, which is only a few blocks away. A16-year-old minor was standing in a group on Ramsey Street when suddenly, gunshots rang out from the direction of the South Creek Bridge. The young man was shot in the bicep, but it is unclear at this time who the gunman was aiming for. Here's what the Deputy Head of the National Criminal Investigations had to say about this incident in this afternoon's press briefing:

Man Forgives Shooter, Blames Cops
A man got off an attempted murder charge in court today because his accuser said he forgave him. Andrew Augustine, took the witness stand and testified that he does not want any further court action against Stephon Anderson. Augustine said that he has forgiven Anderson and it was the police's fault because they deliberately put him in harm's way. With that Crown Counsel Sherigne Rodriguez entered a nolle pros and the Anderson was free to go.

Police Have Nothing on Downtown Hit and Run
On Friday night we showed you that ugly hit and run accident at the corner of Albert and King Streets. Well, today, despite heated requests, police told us that have no information on it. It happened shortly before news time two blocks from studio at the corner of King and Albert Streets. Security footage from a nearby business shows a black pickup truck barreling through the intersection and hitting two men off a motorbike.

Fire Leaves Family of Two Homeless
On Saturday night, a bushfire threatened a neighborhood of mainly wooden structures on Curl Thompson Street. It was a bush fire that got out of control and eventually engulfed a home, residence to a man and his son. We spoke with Kenneth Mortis Station Supervisor at the Belize City Fire Department who told us that it was a fight with the bush fire as well as the wind.

Disturbing Sexual Offences
There are two disturbing cases of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. In the first case, the young girl reported to the police yesterday evening that since November 2018 to mid-August this year, her stepfather would physically abuse her, and then had sex with her against her will. What is even more troubling is that the minor is reportedly pregnant and experiencing medical difficulties. The other case happened up north, where a 14 year old girl reported to police that she had sexual intercourse with her boyfriend on September 27 at her residence. She also reported that she had sexual intercourse with another male person when she was 13 years old. Police are investigating both cases.

Devaughn Detained, Uncle Demands Human Rights
Last week Monday we told you that 42 year old Mark Clarke was shot three times while sitting on the side of New Road. Clark believes that he's being hunted because of a gang vendetta against his son. At the time police had detained Clarke's son, Devaughn Gillett, as a preventative measure against retaliation for his father's shooting. Now Devaughn Gillett's uncle is speaking up about what he calls police's abuse of his nephew's human rights through a series of detentions that the young man has had to endure in the wake of his father's shooting and the murder of his first cousin, Jebran Wagner.

Pretty Guilty In Pink
Two men pleaded guilty to burglarizing Pink Boutique after being caught on surveillance camera. The men are 35 year old Marlon Young and 41 year old Reagan Gomez.

Cops Know Who Shot Eugene
Belize City police are reporting tonight that they've made an arrest in last week's Wednesday's shooting of 42-year-old Eugene Tillett. As we told you, Tillett was walking on Ebony Street, and he was heading to Central American Boulevard. But, he didn't make it because a man quickly approached him from behind and shot him in the abdomen. Here are a few additional details which police shared with us at today's briefing:

Vicious Chopping In Trio Leaves Man Critical
So, while City cops are getting ready to arraign that man for last week's shooting, police investigators in Toledo are trying to find out who is responsible for a dangerous chopping incident in Trio Village, which left a 42-year-old man hospitalized with injuries to the neck. Last night at around 9:00, Alejandro Xol, a Guatemalan resident of Trio, was in front of a supermarket in the village. That's when a man pulled out a machete and started swinging at him. The nature of their dispute is not known, but Xol was injured to the neck. He had to be transported to the Southern Regional Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

BTEC, 5 Years Of Making Meaningful Difference
From training in the hospitality industry to business development courses for prisoners: Over the past 5 years BTEC has been providing these opportunities and much more. Today at the ITVET, the BTEC team celebrated their 5-year anniversary and spoke on their accomplishments and on the road ahead. Christine Smith, Manager, BTEC: "BTEC celebrates it's 5th anniversary, well actually on October 6th, we are having this celebration today. 5 years ago we started with our first training program which was for the BPO industry, to date we have moved into the hospitality industry doing front desk, wait staff, housekeeping, bartending..."

ICJ President Notes Belize-Guat Case
Belize's territorial dispute with Guatemala is going before the ICJ in mid - 2020, and it is one of 16 cases presently before the court. The President of the Court President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf spoke at the London Conference on International Law last week Thursday and Friday. He discussed the unique circumstances of the Belize - Guatemala case. H.E. Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusef, President - ICJ: "The last case to be submitted to the court concerned the dispute between Guatemala and Belize, concerning Guatemala's territorial insular and maritime claims..."

Area Rep Laments San Antonio Situation In House
Last week on the news - we spoke via telephone to Toledo West Area Rep. Oscar Requena about the situation in San Antonio Village. The second biggest village in the district was having water problems; three thousand people were suffering because the pump operator hadn't been paid. Now, that's what you might call a dime holding up a dollar - and he says it is symptomatic of political meddling. Hon. Oscar Requena, Toledo West: "The pump operator decided he is not pumping water, because he hasn't got paid. So he went on strike and this was confirmed by both the pump operator and the handpicked nominated chairman that he resigned and he didn't pump because he is on strike because he hasn't got paid. I say what a shame when political expediency takes precedence over the welfare of the community. It's a shame. That is politics at its worse and its worse to the detriment of the community and I say shame on them."

Instant Karma, Or Very Lucky?
A man who caught in a traffic accident on Saturday near Ontario Village in Cayo is lucky to be alive after his pickup suffered a major front end collision.

A Corrupt Corporal
32-year-old Audrey Urbina, a British Army Corporal with familial ties to Belize, is currently facing a court-martial after she was accused of arranging unauthorized travel, using 17,000 pounds of the Army's money, to go fancy vacation trips for herself and her family. She's a Class 1 Admin worker for the Army, and her job was to arrange travel for official trips and deployment for the Army. But, she allegedly abused that access, over 17 months, to book dozens of flights for her close family and friends to destinations such as New York, Belize, Guatemala City, Miami, and Frankfurt, Germany.

Channel 5

Jamal Elijio Succumbs to Injury from Drive-by Shooting
Three days after he was shot on the back, Jamal Elijio died while receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.  Elijio was standing along with his cousin Justin Richards [...]

A Watchman is Shot Inside Security Booth at Excelsior High School
Within days of taking up a job as a security officer, Rodman Welch was shot. The stevedore was eating while on duty at Excelsior High School when he came under [...]

Police Investigating Sexual Crimes on Female Minors in the West and North
There were two cases of unlawful sexual intercourse reported in the Cayo and Corozal Districts. In the west, an alarming report has been made by a young girl. Police visited [...]

A Woman is Raped in the West; Alleged Rapist is Charged
Police are investigating another sexual crime against a female. Also in the Cayo District, a twenty-four-year-old woman reported to police that just after midnight on October fifth she was in [...]

Cayo DAVCO Elections Interrupted
At Friday’s House meeting, Area Representative Julius Espat made a presentation on the political interference in the election process.  Tensions quickly heightened during a meeting on September twenty-eighth in Georgeville, [...]

P.S.U. says Battle for Hilltop to be Taken to Court
The Public Service Union is not giving up its headquarters in Belmopan so easily. Last month, attorney Estevan Perrera sent the P.S.U. a letter on behalf of Simplex Designs Limited, [...]

Bush Fire Destroys House
A house was destroyed by fire in Belize City. According to residents in the Jane Usher Boulevard area, the two persons who lived inside the house weren’t at home when [...]

A Near-Fatal Chopping in Trio Village, Toledo
A resident of Trio Village in Toledo District is hospitalized in a critical condition following a chopping incident on Sunday night in the village. Forty-two-year-old Alejandro Xol was struck to [...]

Lavender Street Fisherman Charged for Attempted Murder of Eugene Tillett
One man has been charged for last Wednesday’s attempt on the life of forty-two-year-old Eugene Tillett.  The Belize City resident was shot on Ebony Street as he made his way [...]

Minor Injured in Shooting on South Creek, Belize City
A minor is currently admitted in a stable condition at the K.H.M.H. after he was shot on Sunday night near South Creek Bridge.  Sixteen-year-old Emory Reyes was among a group [...]

Fishermen Targeted by Gunman in Van
Two fishermen escaped unhurt on Marine Parade after a gunman fired several shots at their direction. Michael Hemmans and Shelton Reyes were at the pier near Golden Bay when a [...]

Cpl Kent Martinez in Court for Partial Disclosure
This morning, Corporal Kent Martinez, the police officer accused of pulling the trigger and causing the death of teacher Allyson Major, was back before the court. Last week, he made [...]

Man is Freed of Attempted Murder after Victim Refuses Court Action
He was shot behind the ear and grazed on his neck five years ago, but today after more than five years, twenty-seven-year-old Andrew Augustine wants no court action against the [...]

Guadalupe Lampella and Dale Fairweather are Ocean Heroes 2019
OCEANA’s heroes in marine conservation work were named over the weekend. They are persons who have made an impact in working to safeguard and conserve the ocean through sustainable practices. [...]

G.O.B. Amends Contractor General Legislation to Remove Limitation
This December will mark two years since Belize has been without a Contractor General. At the end of 2017 when the government attempted to re-appoint Godwin Arzu for another term, [...]

Land Reclamation; Who Got Paid and How Much?
The Government of Belize has borrowed more than fifty million dollars to upgrade twenty miles of the George Price Highway, from the Roaring Creek Bridge to the Hawkesworth Bridge in Santa [...]

Belize Agriculture Census Yet to be Completed
In 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture commenced the Belize Agriculture Census. Some twenty enumerators were deployed out in the field to collect data. It was originally planned that the census [...]

P.U.P. Area Rep Says High Electricity Rates Crippling Small/Medium Businesses
One more issue from last Fridays House sitting, in 2018, the cost of electricity spiked twice. Later that year, Belize Electricity Limited made a formal request to the Public Utilities Commission [...]

BTEC is 5 Years Old!
BELTRAIDE’s training and employment centre called BTEC turned five years old this month. Today, the centre which specializes in preparing persons for the workforce, celebrated its anniversary. Back when it [...]

The Weekend Highlights in Sports
Good evening, I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday.   [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities...]

The Reporter

Belizean Delegation Attends Fifth Korea-LAC Business Summit in Seoul, Korea
The 5th Korea-LAC Business Summit, taking place in Seoul, Korea from October 7th-8th, 2019, is one of the world’s largest international exchange events between the 26 IDB member countries and Korea.

Strange Attack In Bullet Tree Village, Cayo
A Bullet Tree man, Christian Herrera, 27, reported to police that while walking from Santa Elena alone after 7:30 last night he was attacked by a group of men in an SUV.

LOVE FM

Man gets into car accident shortly after stealing a phone
Karma was swift over the weekend as a man who had just committed a crime became victim of a road traffic accident some hours later. We go first to our Cayo Correspondent Fem Cruz who was on the scene of the accident in Ontario Village.

PSU to take Belmopan City Council to court over Hilltop property
The Public Service Union (PSU) is making its application to go to court over the Hilltop property in Belmopan. The announcement came via a release to our newsroom this evening from the union. According to the union, they have sought legal advice and based on that advice they are preparing to file their claim in court via the law firm, Courtney Coye and Associates.

16-year-old survives being shot
Gun violence continued in the old capital last night as a 16-year-old was targeted. The minor, Emory Reyes, was walking near a bridge on South Creek Road when he was shot once to the shoulder.

Youth Ambassadors return from their trip to the US
Two weeks ago, a delegation of eleven students and one adult mentor journeyed to the US as a part of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative. Love News saw the students off on September 17, and this past Saturday, we were there as they arrived back in the country.

Will GOB comply with Belize Network of NGOs and pass new fisheries bill?
Today, the Belize Network of NGOs issued a press release calling on the Government to address illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities by introducing the proposed Fisheries Resources Bill at the next sitting of the House of Representative.

Man dies three days after being shot
One of the three men shot on Thursday night on Santa Barbara Street has died. 24-year-old Jamal Elijio was shot to the right shoulder as he was socializing with 31-year-old Justin Richards and 27-year-old Marquin Drury.

Breaking Belize News

The Belize Training and Employment Centre celebrates 5th anniversary
Today, the The Belize Training and Employment Centre (BTEC), held a ceremony marking its fifth […]

Ministry of Health investigating incidents of fainting at Belmopan Baptist High School
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is partnering with entities such as the Ministry of Education […]

Jamal Elijio passes, suspects interviewed and released
Justin Richards, Jamal Elijio, and Marquin Dury were all shot on Santa Barbara Street in […]

Ermon Tillett charged for shooting Eugene Tillett
Ermon Tillett has been charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and […]

Security guard fighting for life at KHMH after being shot in Belize City
Rodman Welch is today fighting for his life inside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Sometime […]

Fishermen run from lone gunman in Belize City
Two fishermen are lucky to be alive after they came under gunfire around 5 o’clock […]

Guatemalan man chopped to the neck over weekend
A man was chopped in southern Belize over the weekend. He is Guatemalan national, Alejandro […]

Thief in Benque runs away with ham and turkey
A family in Benque were shopping at J and J store in Benque and packed […]

Miss East Indian to represent Belize at Miss International NCIC in Trinidad
Miss East Indian Belize 2019, Arelee Parham will be representing Belize at the Miss International […]

UWI listed among world’s top universities
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, The Times of London has listed the University of the […]

Belmopan Comprehensive High School has a new principal
Dr. Ethel Mae Arzu is the new principal at the Belmopan Comprehensive High School. Dr. […]

Accused gangsters plead guilty in court
Add Edward Saldano and Tareek Goff to the list of young men admitting to being […]

Drought lands “major blow,” but CARICOM and Belize sugar will be protected
Last week key sectors of agriculture and aquaculture along with trade from across the Caribbean […]

Accused robber charged and remanded to prison
The youth charged with robbery of a man four times his age has been remanded […]

Bullet Tree resident attacked and stabbed in Santa Elena
A resident from Bullet Tree Village, Cayo reported to police that he was attacked last […]

Minor shot in Belize City last night
Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that occurred last night in Belize City. Around 7 […]

Violent behavior in minors: Is bad parenting and an enabling society to blame?
An incident involving a minor – one of several residing at the Princess Royal Youth […]

Blogs

Just a Little Belize History
It is easy to get captivated with everything Belize. You can read more blogs on our many favorite spots, places to eat, and things to do - but what is the history of Belize? We thought entice you with a short lesson on the history of Belize, and how it has become the dream location that we have come to love today. We enjoy sharing the history of Belize because it's so unique and amazing. Let's jump in!

International Sources

Sargassum mapping empowers tourists
Sargassum Monitoring compiles and maps images that show the sargassum impact across the region. One map shows beaches with sargassum and a separate map shows beaches without sargassum. With sargassum-forecasting tools still in development, the maps offer one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date snapshots of the seaweed situation in the region. The work requires extensive research and hours of time by a team of volunteers who check regional webcams, search the internet and cross-check information submitted by users. Some areas, such as Cuba and Haiti, are more difficult to monitor than others. The team also runs into difficulty when monitoring webcams are shut off, at times to hide influxes of seaweed.

Towards resilience and risk reduction for coral reefs in Central America
Insurance payments for restoring a coral reef after it has been smashed by a hurricane may seem a bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, this is one of a raft of measures being proposed for the world’s second largest reef. The Mesoamerican Reef is the largest transboundary coral reef system in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching more than 1,000 km along the coastline of four countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. It is critical to the ecological and economic health of the entire region and the Caribbean area. Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on the planet. They provide food, livelihoods and economic opportunity for millions of people. Coral reefs also protect coastal communities from storm surge flooding and wave action during tropical cyclones as well as beach erosion.

Ancient Maya canals and fields show early and extensive impacts on tropical forests
New evidence in Belize shows the ancient Maya responded to population and environmental pressures by creating massive agricultural features in wetlands, potentially increasing atmospheric CO2 and methane through burn events and farming, according to geographical research at The University of Texas at Austin published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Prior research proposed that the Maya's advanced urban and rural infrastructure altered ecosystems within globally important tropical forests. But in the first study to combine airborne lidar (light detection and ranging) imagery with excavation and dating evidence in wetlands, researchers found the Birds of Paradise wetland field complex to be five times larger than previously discovered and found another, even larger, wetland field complex in Belize.

Belize: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2019 Article IV Mission
A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments. The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

Videos

October 7, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Wolfe’s Woofer: Crutches
“Vernon, what happened to you?” Mario asked. When Vernon arrived, the Nosénada Social Club paused our weekly pool tournament to check out his new cast and crutches. “You broke your foot?” Moses asked. “No, you dummy,” Vernon said. “I just like to walk around with these two pieces of aluminum stuck under my arms and my foot in a cast.” “You too fat for them skinny little crutches,” Juan said. “You look like an olive with two toothpicks stuck in it.”

Doctor Love: Return to Sender
Dear Doctor Love, I have a little girl, and her grandmother dotes on her, buying her masses of clothes, books, shoes, and toys. My daughter is three years old, and she quickly outgrows the cute little dresses, and my MIL (mother-in-law) just buys new ones. The nearly new items that no longer fit filled a large plastic bin, so I gave the whole lot to my cleaning lady for her twelve-month-old baby girl knowing she will get good use out of them.

Various Belizean Sources

Organic fertilizer from Sargassum
Let me introduce this organic fertilizer from Sargassum. In Japan, it was proved that plant grow more and fruits tree get sweeten by sargassum -seaweed fertilizer. in Belize, we have massive reach recent year, we took time to collect, dry, grind and mix with special mulch. It is easy to use and works. If anybody interested and willing to support, call 660-8758.We sell $15 / 5lb sack. also available at Princess Kings room Japan Day Expo on 12 Oct, Saturday.

Young Entrepreneur Spotlight: Aziel Ku
Aziel Ku is a young entrepreneur from Orange Walk. He designed, produced, and runs the popular phone delivery app “Vistro”. Prior to launching his app, Aziel built a delivery network with restaurants from his local community in Orange Walk. Within a few weeks of launching, the app’s customer base grew to 8,000 users. Today the app has over 10,000 downloads and more than 2,000 uses per day. Aziel’s innovative use of technology has benefited his community by increasing food delivery service options for customers in the Orange Walk area and by expanding the customer base for local restaurants. For these reasons, we are pleased to recognize Aziel for our Young Entrepreneur Spotlight.

Los Elegidos de Dios de Alfonso Villa Rojas
A interesting book to read about the Yucatec Maya (Máasewal) religious movement known as Cruzo'ob Maya . Many Cruzo'ob Maya warrior settled in northern Belize during the Caste War .

BELIZEAN CULTURAL MUSIC: Maya Pax the sound of rebellion
Belize is a country rich in culture and music . As different cultural ethnic groups interact they borrow instruments and make a unique sound which is adapted to their culture . While most of us know about the Creole Brukdown , the Garifuna punta music and its more modern form known as Punta Rock . There are other cultural music being played in Belize . In the Yucatec Maya communities of Northern Belize who may also be known as Maya Masewal or Maya Mestizo their traditional music is known as Maya Pax and Jarana . This music for the Northern Maya of Belize have a more religious ritualistic used especially when dancing the Óok'ostaj Pool(Hoghead dance) .

MEDVIBES 2019 Award and Cultural Showcase
NICH President, Ms. Sapna Budhrani, at the MEDVIBES 2019 Award and Cultural Showcase presenting medals to some of the students of distinction from the Columbus Central University Belize.

The Reporter

Security Guard Shot At Excelsior High School
The Reporter has confirmed the identity of the person shot last night (Saturday Oct. 5th.) as Rodman Welch, 33. Welch, who was working as a part-time security guard at Excelsior High School...

Man Charged With Rape After Alleged Incident In Cayo
Police have arrested and charged Servando Mendez Jr., 22, for Rape. On Saturday morning around 1:00am a female in the Cayo District, 24, reported that she was at the home of a man who invited her...

Breaking Belize News

Verdes’ big win lifts them to top of Premier League before international break
Don’t adjust your device – that was the final result from Norman Broaster Stadium this evening, as the Green Machine took advantage of a slip-up from Premier League leaders Belmopan Bandits on Saturday evening.

BELIZE ~ MAKE HAWKESWORTH A NATIONAL MONUMENT
Hawkesworth Bridge is a one lane suspension bridge in San Ignacio, Belize. Built in 1949 and imported from Middlesbrough, England, it crosses the Macal River linking San Ignacio to its sister-town Santa Elena. It is currently the only drivable suspension bridge in Belize.

Servando Mendez Jr. charged for rape
Police have arrested and charged Servando Mendez, 22, for the crime of “rape”. According to a police report, a 24-year-old woman said that yesterday morning she was with Mendez who invited her to his home.

Shooting last night leaves security guard critical
A security guard is in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial hospital after being shot to the face last night. Reports are that Rodman Welch, 33, was on dut […]

Vehicle crashes into a home in Santa Elena, Cayo
Around 5:30 this morning, the driver of a white pickup lost control and drove across the sidewalk on George Price Highway. The vehicle ended up crashing directly into the middle of a home located beside Anthony’s Supermarket in Santa Elena.

Blogs

The Day of the Dead (Nov. 2 2019)
On the Day of the Dead, Maya and Mestizo communities across Belize unanimously get together to commemorate the life and death of their ancestors. This is done at people's homes by decorating small tables as alters and including water, flowers, fruits, candles and portraits of their deceased. Families also make sure to have delicious traditional Belizean foods such as Tamales, Bollos, Caldo de Gallina local, Chirmole and Ishpasha Atole. As for favorite alcoholic drinks, rum and tequila seem to be the popular choices. On All Souls Day, the Catholic Church holds a mass where everyone goes to pray for their loved ones who have passed away. Following the mass, a street procession takes place which leads to the local cemetery. Individuals carry with them wreaths, candles and food, which are later placed on the graves. The tombs are not only adorned but the family members pray and thank their dead relatives for being a part of their lives and wish them the best in the afterlife. Also common is the sharing of good memories and fun stories.

Belize: Salt Water Fishing for a Grand Slam
On our last full day in Belize – after two full days of diving – we went sport fishing in the shallow crystal blue waters off of Ambergris Caye. I’m not a big fisherman but both Brooke and Emily are and they had hopes of catching a Grand Slam – bonefish, tarpon and permit all caught on the fly in a single day. This is all catch and release fishing. This type of salt water fishing is done through sight casting, You have to actually see the fish or their movement in the water before casting and you want a nice sunny day. The only drawback is the potential for a serious sunburn under the tropical sun with light reflecting up off the water. I realized that potential.

Born to Fish
Growing up in Southern Belize with the Caribbean Sea as their own personal playground, it’s no surprise that the Garbutt brothers have become heavyweights in all things fish, flats and fun in Belize. Born and bred Belizean fishermen, Dennis, Eworth, Scully, and Oliver come from a long line of fisherfolk, with the Garbutt name being no stranger to the world of fishing. The brothers were raised in the quaint village of Punta Negra in Belize’s most southern district, Toledo.

Retreat to Wellness
Those of us interested in wellness often seek connectivity within ourselves and the world. We know all too well that health means balance, and the environment influences us just as much as we impact it. Fast pace lifestyles keep us in fight or flight mode all the time. Constant exposure to toxins, pollutants, electromagnetic radiation, and more leaves a craving for vacations that provide the opportunity to calm, renew, and invigorate our system – the mind, body, and spirit.

Top 5 Rums – Taste the ‘Cul-Cha’
Admit it, when you think of vacationing in a new and exotic country, more than likely, tasting and sampling a few local rums and other local liquors is on your ‘must-do’ list. Who doesn’t like to have a good time while sipping on a cocktail? Perhaps one of the most popular and iconic locally-made alcoholic drinks in Belize is rum. Belizean rum is something that every visitor is encouraged to try (of course once you are over 18 years old); and we recommend Belize’s most iconic distillery, Traveller’s Liquors Ltd. Their unique blends are perfectly aged in the finest barrels available.

The Great Blue Hole
So…what exactly is this Blue Hole? Studies have shown that it was a cave system that collapsed in the last ice ageand has always been the source of much discussion, both awe-inspiring, exotic and mysterious. This marine treasure is almost perfectly circular, with a circumference of 984 ft. and 410 ft. deep. It is located 62 miles from the mainland in the center of Lighthouse Reef. The great naturalist and evolutionary pioneer, Charles Darwin, explored Belize’s reef in 1842.

Cayo District: Belize’s Best-Kept Secret
“Oh, you live in Belize? That must be beautiful!” people say when I tell them where my husband and I relocated to from the San Francisco Bay Area. I can see their mental pictures of turquoise water and palm trees, to the soundtrack provided by Jimmy Buffet. “It is beautiful,” I say, “but it doesn’t look anything like you think it does.” That’s because we live in Cayo, the Belizean district on the western edge of this very narrow country, 60 miles and several light-years from the coast and islands, and 10 miles or less from the Guatemalan border.

Visiting Placencia soon? Check out this traveler's top 10 images from their recent trip here!!!
Shannon, from Cleveland, OH, has been coming to Belize for over 5 years. She keeps coming back for the traquility on the beaches, and says it is one her most peaceful and happy places she's ever been. Once you know Placencia, it is also very rewarding to watch and understand the small but meaningful changes that happen to this little village year after year. Most people that come to Placencia feel a bit of nostalgia for the way it looked when they first saw it; it is one of those places that tends to stick to travelers, because of the small town, warm welcome, you'll know everyone's name at your favorite spots by the time you leave. Placencia is one of the most vintage Caribbean-looking beach towns, that also happens to have a funky, artistic but come-as-you-are (a bit of grit!) feel that visitors come to experience again and again. Doesn't hurt that you will experience great beaches where you willl often be one of the only people on the beach, even in high season!

Scenes from the new Placencia Beach Club (formerly Fusion)!!
Shane and Heather recently opened the Placencia Beach Club - and can't say it enough, they did it perfectly!! The old club that was there, Fusion, was only a few years old, and they took the bones of it (and it was just starting to really show signs of neglect, we are so grateful for many reasons that Shane and Heather saved it!) Fusion was great, but Shane and Heather took the good parts and made it absolutely comfortable, sleek, and perfect. The food and drinks were great, the chairs were super comfortable, and the overall vibe and ambiance make it a can't miss. Placencia Beach Club is just north of the village; you cut off a lot of time if you are able to walk the beach there, it is a super pleasant and short walk. Here are some images to get you excited!! It is a short walk from CBC and several of our guests and us, had a blast Saturday afternoon. It is generally 13 and up, with two times a week where there is a family swim.

International Sources

104 pieces of plastic found in baby sea turtle that washed ashore in Florida
A sea turtle hatchling that washed ashore on a Florida beach and later died had more than 100 pieces of tiny plastic in its intestinal tract, according to a local nature center. The tiny turtle, which could fit inside the palm of a human's hand, was still alive when it was found near the Boca Raton coast. It later died due to the large amount of plastic in its body, Kristin Child, the environmental program coordinator for the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, told ABC News. It was likely just a few weeks old, she said.

Consumption of benthic cyanobacterial mats on a Caribbean coral reef
Herbivory is an important process in the general structuring of coral reef benthic communities. However, evidence of its ability to control coral reef benthic cyanobacterial mats, which have recently proliferated on reefs worldwide, remains ambivalent. Here, we report that the French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru), Striped Parrotfish (Scarus iseri), Rock Beauty (Holacanthus tricolor), Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus), Blue Parrotfish (Scarus coeruleus), and Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) consume benthic cyanobacterial mats on coral reefs in Bonaire, Netherlands.

Videos

October 6, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

CARICOM Sugar Stakeholder Engagement Meeting for Industry and Policy Makers held in Belize
Minister Tracy Taegar-Panton of the Ministry Investment, Trade and Commerce and Minister Godwin Hulse of the Ministry of Agriculture along with the CARICOM Secretariat hosted sugar stakeholders from across the Caribbean Community at the Best Western Plus Biltmore Plaza in Belize City yesterday, October 2nd, 2019. The engagement placed regional policymakers from the sugar industry, manufacturers and government in dialogue on the Future of the Caribbean Sugar Industry. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss matters of interest to the region’s sugar industry as it relates to trade, production and product development.

Increased dredging in South Ambergris Caye raises concerns
Dredging for sand in southern Ambergris Caye has been ongoing under the consent of The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC). In a previous interview, Mayor Daniel Guerrero stated that the sand extracted was not for business purposes, but the benefit of the community. According to concerned residents living nearby, the dredging operation has ramped up considerably with the addition of a second site. It’s believed that such sand extraction is now commercial and not just for community projects. The San Pedro Sun caught up with Mayor Guerrero who said he is aware of the second dredging site and stated that the sand is for commercial and community purposes.

Mahogany Bay Village donates to San Pedro Invaders Female Football team
As the new season of the National Amateur Women’s League (NAWL) Football Tournament approaches, the San Pedro Invaders team received a much-needed donation of $3,300 from Mahogany Bay Village Resort and Beach Club. The donation will help cover jerseys, football equipment, first-aid kits, and other items needed for the preparation of the girls. Mahogany Bay decided to donate to the San Pedro Invaders as a means of showing their support towards the community and sports. Team manager Arnold Kuylen told The San Pedro Sun that he is thankful for the donation.

LPG importation issue prompts meeting with PM and Butane Gas Company representatives
Butane company representatives met with Prime Minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow on Wednesday, October 2nd, to discuss the creation of the Belize Gas Company, which will be the only authorized entity to import butane into the country. On August 16, 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Bill. The new legislation established the Belize Gas Company, which is taking over the business from three suppliers (Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza, and Southern Choice Butane-Zeta Gas) owned by a Mexican investor.

Various Belizean Sources

San Pedro Power Outage Today
Power outage today 6am-2pm, entire island

Miss Hispanoamericana 2019
San Pedro Resident Gabriela Varela - Miss Hispanoamericana Belize is competing in Bolivia later this month. The official page has posted pictures of all delegates and the country with most likes gets an automatic placement to the finals. We need everyone's support to make Belize to the finals. Click to VOTE for Gabriela Varela.

FCD Chief Ranger, D. Harris is in Edinburgh, United Kingdom for a ten day training program
He gave a presentation on the role and challenges of FCD Rangers at the 22st Annual Meeting of the United Kingdom - Belize Association Centre for Sustainable Forests & Landscapes. The event took place at the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation.

Welcome back to the 2019 Youth Ambassadors who returned to Belize from the U.S. today!
The Youth Ambassadors Program is a U.S. Department of State Exchange Program designed to strengthen leaderships skills of youth from across the Western Hemisphere. This year, 12 talented Belizean youth ages 15 to 18 traveled to the U.S. for a three-week exchange to develop leadership skills and to learn about U.S. culture and society, focusing on community development, the environment, and entrepreneurship.

Channel 5

A road traffic accident today left two persons injured
It happened after 1 o’clock this afternoon in Ontario Village among the George Price Highway.

Andrea Polanco awarded Environmental Journalist of the Year
News Five’s very own Andrea Polanco was tonight awarded Environmental Journalist of the Year by Oceana Belize. Congrats Andrea!!!

The Reporter

Farmer Hacked to Death in Pomona
Domingo Miguel Mathias, 32, a farmer from Pomona Village, Stann Creek met a cruel death on Sunday when someone accosted him in his corn field in the village and chopped him to death. When he left home around 10 that day to go plant corn and did not return home to take his two daughters to church that evening, his common-law wife knew something was amiss and initiated a search party that led to the discovery of his mutilated corpse at around 11 that night.

Taiwanese Embassy in Belize Celebrates Ahead Of 108th National Day
The Taiwanese Embassy in Belize, led by Ambassador H.E. Remus Li-Kuo Chen and the embassy’s staff, hosted a reception at the Princess Ramada hotel in Belize city last night in commemoration of its upcoming 108th National Day, to be celebrated on October 10.

R.T.A. On George Price Hwy. Near Ontario Village
The Reporter understands that the person injured in the accident in Ontario earlier this evening was reported to San Ignacio police for allegedly stealing an iPhone and was caught on camera.

Second Chances
By: Neri O. Briceño - There is a lot I admire about the Americans and some not so much, but I can definitely think of a whole lot of countries I would prefer not to be living in, if I had the choice. The United States has essentially set up what has become an empire but one without territory. It has been able to do this not through conquest but because of its economic, military, media and democratic might.

Local Woman Producing High Fashion
Early every morning, single mother of four Patricia Molina, 42, of San Ignacio Town gets up early to get her house chores out of the way and send the children off to school so that she can start her daily routine of transforming rawhide into leather and then into fashion.

It’s All In Your Head
By: Dr. Abigail Joseph - The ear is such a wonderful organ. I am in absolute awe of it! You are probably reading this and wondering if the doc has lost her mind. Sure, you hear through them and you can wear earrings and well, that’s not a big deal. It’s a very good example to use when people say there is more than just what meets the eye.

Editorial – Friday October 4th. 2019
Emerging details of the FBI case against Sales Tax’s Deputy Director Reynaldo Verde, show that the FBI has built a strong case. The FBI now has eye-witnesses, audio and maybe even video evidence to show that Verde accepted $2,000 from resort owner Chris Willliams during a meeting between the two men at the owner’s seaside tourist resort in Corozal.

Women In The Blue Economy – Maritime Opportunities
To commemorate World Maritime Day, celebrated annually on October 4, the Belize Port Authority held its yearly expo at its mile 4 headquarters yesterday morning. This year’s theme “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community” highlighted the many contributions and the importance of women participation in the maritime sector.

Breaking Belize News

Cayo man detained for rape investigation
Authorities have detained one man from the Cayo district after a 24-year old woman reported that this morning, she was with him in a village when she was raped.

Blogs

Language and Ethnicity in Belize
The country of Belize, though small in size and population, is surprisingly diverse in many ways. Although it is the only country in Central America with English as its official language and is generally used and understood by all, other languages are alive and thriving, thanks to our unique ethnic mix. Try to imagine an early British logwood settlement populated by African slave laborers, mestizos, and native Maya, under English speaking “Masters”, trying to communicate and work together and with different regional accents…Scots, Irish, Northern English, Spanish, and Maya!! This situation could easily have turned into a true “Tower of Babel”.

Origin of the Name Belize
There exist a few espoused possibilities of the etymology of the name Belize. One logical explanation dates back to 1677 from the journal of a Dominican priest named Fray Jose Delgado. It is believed that the name was provided by the priest’s translator and originated from the Maya word “Balix”, which means “muddy waters”, a reference to the Belize River. Another possibility could be a derivation of the Maya word “Belikin” meaning “land facing the sea” referring to the coastal settlements of the ancient Maya. From the Encyclopedia Brittanica, we have another plausible explanation. The name was derived from a Scottish Buccaneer name Captain Peter Wallace.

International Sources

Biles lands new skills at worlds
American Simone Biles landed the triple-double on the floor exercise and the double-double dismount off the balance beam at the world gymnastics championships in Stuttgart, Germany on Saturday to have two new skills named after her. The triple-double — a triple-twisting double backflip — on the floor exercise will now officially be named the “Biles II” while the double-double tuck (two flips and two twists) dismount off the beam will simply be called the “Biles”.

Simone Biles nails two more amazing moves that will be named after her
The greatest gymnast of our time and probably ever, Simone Biles, has another two moves that will bear her name. The US gymnastics star was taking part in the world championships Saturday in Stuttgart, Germany, where during her floor exercise routine she landed a triple-double and then on the balance beam she nailed a double-double dismount. The triple double involves a jaw-dropping double backflip with three twists. Her dismount of beam routine was an amazing double backflip with two twists. Biles was competing in the qualifications for the team competition and the individual all-around finals on Saturday.

Modi extends $150m credit to Caribbean nations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the leaders of the Caribbean Community and Common Market during the first-ever India-Caricom leaders‘ summit at the United Nations, with a focus on fighting climate change and increasing India‘s participation with the grouping. Modi announced a USD 14-million grant for community development projects in the Caricom and another USD 150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and climate- change related projects, a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs said. The Caricom grouping has 15 members-states and five associate members.

Videos

October 5, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro’s Ms. Evelia Paz receives George Price Service to the People Award
During the 69th celebration of the founding of the People’s United Party (PUP) on Saturday, September 28th in Belize City; San Pedro resident Evelia Paz received the 2019 George Price Service to the People Award for Belize Rural South (BRS) constituency. The award was presented to Ms. Paz by the PUP Party Leader John Briceno and PUP BRS Standard Bearer Andre Perez. Perez shared with The San Pedro Sun that Ms. Paz was nominated for the George Price award for BRS for her dedication and solidarity with the PUP for many years. “We decided to nominate Ms. Evelia because she is a perfect example of a true PUP supporter. She has been supporting and dedicating her time to all party leaders like George Price, Said Musa, among others since the beginning of the party.

San Pedro Red Cross Branch conducts clean up at the entrance of San Mateo
The rainy season brings an increase in mosquitoes and with it, vector-borne diseases like Dengue or Zika. In an attempt to raise awareness to keep residential and public areas clean and free of mosquito breeding grounds, members of the Belize Red Cross San Pedro Branch (BRCSPB) conducted a community clean-up at the entrance of the San Mateo Sub-division on Monday, September 30th. San Mateo, located north of San Pedro Town has for years been plagued with improper garbage disposal creating an unhealthy environment for the families living in the said subdivision.

Three persons arrested and charged following a burglary in San Pedro Town
Two men and a woman have been arrested and charged after a residence in the Tres Cocos Area north of San Pedro Town was burglarized. Additionally , police continue to investigate another burglary at a supermarket on Pescador Drive in which the main suspects are believed to be teenagers. The Tres Coca burglary reportedly occurred on Wednesday, September 25th. According to a police report, on Thursday, September 26th, about 10:40AM, 31-year-old Paola Cobb, a Belizean manager, reported that the previous day around 4:04PM, she noticed that a door of a house in the said area belonging to a Chris Jansen from the United States of America, and which she cared for, was not properly lined up.

Bonefish and Tarpon Trust presents insights on conservation needs for Belize’s fishing flats industry
The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT) organization held an informative presentation for fly fishing guides and interested islanders at the Lions Den in San Pedro Town on Monday, September 30th. The organization presented recent findings on the evaluation of fishing flats in Belize and Mexico, conservation needs in Ambergris Caye and the importance of a sustainable approach to the management of these valuable coastal assets. The consensus of BTT is that all populations of bonefish, tarpon, and permit in the Caribbean are connected, primarily by larval dispersal. Some of the larvae spawned in one location are transported via sea currents to other locations hundreds, even thousands of miles away.

Various Belizean Sources

Ocean Academy Tourism Class
Ocean Academy students taking the elective class on Tourism participated in a field trip this week. This trip allowed students to interact with and to learn directly from professionals involved in the Belizean tourism industry. Students visited the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) office and received a well-rounded presentation about the tourism industry and the role the BTIA plays in representing the private sector. OA students also visited Bacab Eco Park. They took a guided tour where they learned best practices and techniques used by tour guides, tourism products, marketing and also about the cruise ship industry in Belize.

BDF Recruiting in Corozal Saturday
Great Opportunity for our youth. Belize Defence Force (BDF) Volunteer Element will conduct RECRUITING DRIVE in Corozal on Saturday, October 5th at the Corozal Drill Hall on San Antonio Road (just before BWS office) from 7:00 a.m.

Ms. Divali Queen Pageant
"Miss Arelee Parham, Miss East Indian 2019-2020 prepares to represent Belize in the upcoming international Ms. Divali Queen Pageant in Trinidad & Tobago. Your considerate support will be appreciated". Courtesy: COEICH

Ms Wendy Auxillou Called to the BAr
Congratulations to Ms Wendy Auxillou as she is called to the bar. Belize's newest barrister!!!! Caye Caulker is so proud!!

Annual Tourism Industry Conference 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019 at 8 AM – 4 PM, Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza, Belize City. You are cordially invited to the annual Tourism Industry Conference. "Destination Marketing & its Impact on Belize." RSVP Before October 11th to reserve your spot!

Paradise Theater playing this weekend
Stuber, Hobbs & Shaw, 101 Dalmatians, Midsommar. *In honor of the new Dalmations movie currently being remade starring, Emma Stone as Cruella ..* Finally October is here .. Let the horror movies begin.

Indigenous Resistence Day
October 12 is Indigenous Resistence Day the day when we survive one of the worst Genocides in Human history which started in 1492 with the arrival of Columbus. First they taught us to celebrate Columbus Day then they tried to beautify it calling it Día de la Hispanidad y El Mestizaje or Día de la Raza . Different ways of saying it but same idea of cultural Genocide . Instead of celebrating Columbus Day, many Spanish-speaking countries and communities celebrate “Día de la Raza”, or Day of the Race on October 12th. This holiday celebrates and honors the many countries and people that were conquered by Spain and other European explorers.

Coral Fragment Nursery Progress
Remember the coral nursery we setup earlier this year? We are happy to report that we have over 95% survival to date. The coral fragments are growing very slow but they are faced with lots of stressors. Just look at this Google Earth image and you can clearly see the amount of sediments coming from the island. They spread all over the reef even when we no longer see them from space. All of this affects the health of our reefs and the fragments at our nursery. However, our corals are surviving and will allow us to put new colonies in areas where they have been depleted.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Get checked today, early detection saves lives.

Implementation of the Partial Remission of Land Tax Arrears Programme
The Ministry of Natural Resources will be implementing The Partial Remission of Land Tax Arrears Programme (2019/2020), also referred to as the “Land Tax Amnesty Programme.” This programme allows land owners who owe land taxes the opportunity to settle or manage their tax arrears during a six-month period commencing Monday, October 7th 2019. Benefits of the programme include a 25% discount on the outstanding tax for each financial year and the waiver of interest on discounted arrears.

Aquila Development Workshop for Tour Operators
Tour Guides of Orange Walk and Corozal: You are invited to the Aquila Customer Service Training and the Aquila Storytelling Training! For the Aquila Customer Service & Frontline Destination Training, register here: https://forms.gle/sGe89gPFpU4S3KMg9 For the Aquila Storytelling for Tour Guides, register here: https://forms.gle/qW6KNb5Njp2W9SYs9.

Caribbean Studies Forum 2019
The 2019 Caribbean Studies Forum will be next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the University of Belize. It's been a year and half since the last one, and this year's theme is: Writing, Rite-ing, Righting, Wright-ing. Approaches uniting fields such as anthropology, the arts, economics, education, folk culture, geography, history, languages— including Creoles and Pidgins—linguistics, literature, medicine, music, politics, psychology, religion, and sociology are encouraged.

My visit to the Contagious Disease Cemetery in Belize City
Most people know where the Yarborough and the Lord Ridge Cemeteries are located, but how many people know where the Contagious Disease Cemetery is located in Belize City? If your answer is, you don’t know, don’t worry, because I am in the belief that most people have never heard about this cemetery and its location. I had heard about this cemetery and knew the vicinity of where it was located, but I had never visited it. A friend and I have been making plans to go visit this cemetery for a while. He knew a lady who knew the location. So, on October 2nd we finally decided to go visit what was remained of this forgotten cemetery.

Yaoling Lee, The River of Art Flows Everywhere
Mark your calendars for another exciting opening night at the Museum of Belize! Join us on Friday, October 18th, 2019 for the opening of an art exhibit by artist Yaoling Lee!! Call us at 223-4524 to let us know you are coming!

Channel 7

Ousted City Admin. Vindicated In Court
Tonight former City Administrator Candice Miller is vindicated. The Supreme Court found that Belize City Council wrongfully terminated her in May of 2018. For the past two days, we've been telling you about the trial where Miller sued the council for half a million dollars, and the council countersued for a million dollars - the value of a default judgment they say she failed to tell the mayor about. So, it's a case with huge financial implications, but also very high political stakes. Miller was brought in as City Administrator by the UDP, and her six-figure contract, signed months before 2018's municipal elections, became a battle cry in the PUP campaign leading into the elections.

"Chicken Dread" - A Dreadful Witness
And the PUP also got more bad news in the Magistrate's Court today when their objections to supposed "phantom voters" in Caribbean Shores and Belize Rural North failed. You'll remember that earlier this week, PUP operators in those two constituencies lodged a complaint in the Magistrates Court. They claimed that they could prove that voters who don't live in these constituencies were allowed to transfer to these divisions by tricking the system, allegedly with the help of the UDP standard-bearers.

Broaster the Builder?
And, so where is Edward Broaster in all this?Finally today, we got to speak with the man at the middle of all this political noise, the Deputy Commissioner of Police. For the past two weeks his name has been making headline news, and he's become banter for talk shows. But today we found the Deputy Compol - not hiding in an office at Belmopan headquarters, or out on some far flung operation; we found him doing construction work - building his house in the North End Estates housing area - in the Freetown division. We asked him how he feels now that the challenge is over, and, where he lives:

Case Of 21 Indian Students Cause Friction At Immigration
There is an intriguing story coming out of the Immigration Department tonight - and it shows major friction between the Minister of State, Beverly Williams and the Director, Diana Locke. Also, it suggest some questionable activity at one of the medical universities in Belize. 7NEWS has learned that in September, immigration charges were brought against 21 Indian students at Columbus University in Ladyville. Routine checks at the schools to make sure that the students had all their requisite permits allowing study and residence in Belize - showed that their fees had not been paid as required. It also showed that the school had possession of their passports; and that's always a red flag.

Pickup Flees In Serious Hit and Run Accident
There was a serious traffic accident a short while ago at the junction of Albert and King Streets. It happened around 6:10 when best information says two men traveling on one motorbike on Albert Street where locked down by a vehicle that ran the stop sign at King Street. They were flung unto the sidewalk - and the driver sped off towards Regent street. One escaped unharmed and the other was rushed to the hospital with what look to be substantial injuries.

Robber Remanded After Targeting Elderly Man
Alleged ruthless robber Aaron Munnings was today arraigned for the robbery of 90 year old Lewis Tillett. On Tuesday morning, the senior Citizen had just exited the Saint John's Credit Union after withdrawing two thousand dollars in cash. The robber pounced on him, threw Tillett off his bicycle, and then mercilessly beat and robbed him of two thousand dollars in forty 50 dollar notes.

Shyne Sides With Saldivar
He may not be an elected representative, but Shyne Barrow is a fixture at House Meetings. We met the Mesopotamia Standard Bearer at today's meeting and asked him about his recent bold deflation of support for aspiring UDP Leader John Saldivar. It's significant, because Meosoptamia was a lynchpin for Patrick Faber in the last major inter-party election when he won the Deputy Leadership. But, now Mesop has gone for Saldivar. It's additionally telling because you wouldn't expect Shyne Barrow to go against his own father, party Leader Dean Barrow's choice for leader.

House Moves Urgently To Amend IBC Legislation
And going now to the business of today's house meeting - as you can tell so far in the news - it wasn't very dramatic. Usually, house meetings are headline material, full of political combustion and combat, but today was housekeeping - serious housekeeping, actually. Government and to urgently amend the International Business Companies and the International Financial services Acts to meet European standard. The Prime Minister explain that Belize is trying to avoid being condemned to a blacklist - which would seriously damage the offshore services sector:

GOB Backs BEL Loan For Caye Caulker
Government also took to the house a motion to act as a guarantor for a 6.8 million dollar loan for BEL. The Loan is form the CDB and it seeks to electrify Caye Caulker by the use of a submarine cable. This would mean the send of greenhouse gas emitting diesel generators on the island.

Contractor General Legislaiton Amended
And, another important piece of legislation take to the house today was the Contractor General Amendment Bill. It's legislation to change the requirements of the contractor general's terms of service. The new law eliminates the provision that a contractor general cannot work for the government after he finishes his term of employment as contractor general. The Prime Minister explained:

Shooting on Santa Barbara
31 year old Justin Richards, 24 year old Jamal Elijio, and 27 year old Marquin Dury were shot last night on Santa Barbara Street. The men were socializing on the side of the road when they became the victims of a drive by shooting by a Kia Rio taxi. When the bullets stopped raining down on them Richards had been shot to the neck, Elijio had been shot to the right shoulder, and Dury received a graze to his right foot near the knee. We visited the scene earlier today and a neighbor told us off camera what she heard in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

Fishermen Shot At On Marine Parade
There was another shooting in the city yesterday - this one happened in the evening. Two fishermen on the Marine Parade pier were targeted. It happened at about 4:45pm. 38 year old Micheal Hemmans and 50 year old Shelton Reyes were cleaning fish on the sea wall near Marine Parade when a man exited a dark coloured van and began to fire shots at them. Hemmans jumped into the water and Reyes ran toward Golden Bay, neither of the men were shot.

Making Martime Careers Accessible
Are you a high school or university student who just hasn't nailed down your future career path? Belizean maritime agencies may have some ideas for you. We headed to the Coast Guard compound today for the 1st annual Maritime Educational Expo. A showcase for the jobs the seafarer in you might love. Cherisse Halsall reports. Today, in celebration of World Maritime Day The Belize Port Authority in collaboration with its key Maritime partners hosted the first "Maritime Educational Expo." Students from across the country were invited to learn about jobs in the maritime industry and consider the possibility of a maritime career path.

Men Convicted of Murder
Back in 2013, 40-year-old Steven Valencia, the well-known PUP activist from Cayo, was killed in a home invasion at his residence in Santa Elena Town. Well tonight, Jarod Lamb, and Marvin Neal, the men who police accused of the gruesome crime, are serving out a life sentence after they were convicted in a Supreme Court trial. At around 9 p.m. on January 24th, 2013, Valencia was at his home with his 2 daughters, who were 4 years-old and 6-years-old at the time. Two men barged in by breaking open his backdoor, and they robbed him at gunpoint of a small amount of money in front of his children.

Up in Smoke...
No one was arrested this afternoon when, between 1:00 and 2:15, a joint police operation led to the discovery of 55 mature marijuana plants measuring between 5 and 6 feet in height. The plants were located on a farm located about 1 ½ mile North West of Silver Creek Village.

The Magic of Intermagia
Sunrise Rotary is bringing its Intermagia show to Belize one last time this weekend. It's a fundraiser for the group's charitable works at St. John's Vianney, and it's also the rare show put on in Belize that has something for the entire family. Shows are Saturday at 11:00, Sunday at 2:00, Sunday at 6:00 at the Bliss Center.

Area Rep Complains About Phillip Goldson Highway
And, turning back now to the house of representatives, PUP Area Rep Francis Fonseca brought up the issue of the northern highway which is sinking in his division:

Kareem Calls On GOB
And, Kareem Musa also spoke on the adjournment. Or at least he tried to speak about the write off of the loan for Joshua Perdomo. But, the PUP missed it opportunity for debate when that motion first came to the house. Today it came back for final approval after going to the committee, and Musa tried to slyly get a second bite at the cherry - but the PM wouldn't have it. Here's how that went:..

Another Look At Albert Street Accident
And, finally tonight, we have more footage of the accident we told you about earlier on in the news. It happened shortly before news time two blocks form our studio at the corner of King and Albert Streets. Security footage form a nearby business shows a black pickup truck barreling through the intersection and hitting two men off a motorbike. The pickup is being looked for by police tonight.

Channel 5

Court Rules that Former City Admin Candice Miller was Wrongfully Terminated
The case brought against City Hall by the former City Administrator Candice Miller, came to end this afternoon around three-thirty after days of gruelling arguments and counter arguments from both [...]

Alleged Voter Registration Fraud Goes before the Chief Magistrate
Today, members from both political parties were back before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser on a series of challenges of voters registered in a division where they do not reside. In [...]

Joshua Perdomo’s $40K Loan Write-off Approved by House
The House of Representatives met in Belmopan today. One of the significant actions involved the controversial forty- thousand dollars loan motion granted to Joshua Perdomo.   Perdomo, the son of Cabinet [...]

A US $6.8 Million Loan for Caye Caulker Electrification Project
A six-point-eight U.S. million dollars loan motion was presented during the Sitting of the House of Representatives. The loan was offered by the Caribbean Development Bank and the monies have [...]

Another Home Invasion in San Lazaro Village, Woman is Attacked in her Bedroom
Tonight there is another home invasion to report in San Lazaro Village in the Orange Walk District. A woman was attacked while she rested in her bedroom, rendered unconscious and [...]

Trio Injured in Belize City Shooting
There was a shooting in the city just before eight o’clock on Thursday night which fortunately was not fatal for the victims. It happened on Santa Barbara Street where a [...]

22-Year-Old Remanded for Robbing Elderly Man
A ninety-year-old man was the victim of a broad daylight robbery earlier this week. Just seconds after Llewellyn Tillett had withdrawn money from the Saint John’s Credit Union on Basra [...]

2 Belize City Men Guilty of Being a Member of a Gang
Tonight, two Belize City men, well-known to the courts, pleaded guilty to being a member of a gang to avoid jail time. Police say Edward Saldano and Tareek Malique Goff [...]

Belize Passes Laws to Have Name Remove from E.U. Blacklist
One of the string of bills passed into law by the House, is to cause the removal of Belize from the European Union’s blacklist. In March of this year, Belize [...]

Works on Philip Goldson Highway Not Looking Good
A portion of the Philip Goldson Highway within the city’s limit is being rehabilitated. If you are entering Belize City through the north you might have some complaints about the [...]

Land Tax Amnesty Programme to be Implemented
Government announced today that the Ministry of Natural Resources will be implementing the Partial Remission of Land Tax Arrears Programme which is also known as the Land Tax Amnesty Programme. [...]

Life Slowly Returning to Normal at La Inmaculada RC School
Life at La Inmaculada R.C. Primary School in Orange Walk Town is slowly returning to normal. The school administration had to adjust its class hours as they struggled to deal [...]

COTED Wraps Up; What is in it for Belize’s Sugar?
Five days of meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development in Belize wrapped up today. CARICOM hosted the regional meetings to discuss and plan for trade, agriculture and [...]

CARICOM Countries Take Precautions for African Swine Fever
Another matter that came out of today’s conclusion of the COTED meeting, was the region’s recommendation on how to approach African swine fever. It is a virus that spreads rapidly, [...]

Deadly Banana & Plantain Fungi Threat Detected in Colombia; CARICOM Plans
Another issue that was discussed and recommendations put forward for the region to monitor is a soil fungi that devastates crops like bananas, plantains and related species.  The fungi called [...]

Shyne Barrow Supports John Saldivar for U.D.P. Leadership
The U.D.P. Leadership convention is four months away and is to be held in February 2020 at the Civic Center. Deputy Prime Patrick Faber and Minister John Saldivar are the [...]

World Maritime Expo Day with the Belize Port Authority
The Belize Port Authority held its maritime educational expo today at its headquarters at mile four on the George Price Highway. The event featured speeches, an award ceremony and several [...]

Amandala

Cocaine landed in Belize found by Mexican army
Police reported that on Monday, September, 30, an executive jet crash-landed on a stretch of road in Blue Creek, a short distance away from the Mexican border with Belize. When police arrived on the scene around 4:00 a.m., they found the wrecked plane, broken in two, its seats were intact, but no personnel or cargo were found either inside the plane, or in its immediate surroundings. According to police, an intensive search of the area was done, but nevertheless, nothing was found.

Former City Administrator Candice Miller vs Belize City Council
The lawsuit for wrongful termination that was filed against Mayor Bernard Wagner and the Belize City Council by the former Belize City Administrator, Candice Miller, got underway in the Supreme Court of Justice Courtenay Abel this week. Final arguments were made by the two sides today and Justice Abel has indicated that he will issue his ruling tomorrow, Friday, at 2:00 p.m. Miller is seeking damages for wrongful termination in the region of half a million dollars, while the Belize City Council has counter-sued Miller for one million dollars that it lost due to her alleged dereliction of duty.

Aaron Munnings, 22, charged with attacking man, 90, after he left credit union
This evening police announced that Aaron Munnings, 22, has been charged with the robbery of Lewis Tillett, 90, who was mercilessly shoved off his bicycle and robbed of $2,000 at about 2:30 Tuesday afternoon after he had exited the St. John’s Credit Union on Basra Street. Tillett was riding away from the credit union when he was accosted by the thief. The entire robbery was captured on security cameras mounted in the area.

New River contaminants kill fish in Libertad, Corozal
The pollutants affecting the New River in the Orange Walk District are being flushed out by the moving currents that have resulted from the arrival of the rains over the last few days. One of the fears of the Department of the Environment is that when the New River begins to flow again, its pollutants will wash into Corozal Bay. This week, fish kills were recorded in the New River in Libertad, Corozal District. The Department of the Environment had minimal success last month in their fight to restore life to the New River when they placed aerators at some points in the river around the area of Orange Walk Town.

Broad-day burglary on Curassow Street; police no-show for 2 hours
The home of Carmita Leslie of Curassow Street was burglarized by thieves who stole all her electronic appliances and household items, after being in her house for about 2 hours. A vigilant person in the area who saw the thieves attempting to break into the house called 911, and the operator told her that police would be coming. The burglary occurred about 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, and Leslie came home from work at about 3:30 p.m., and found her house burglarized. She called police, who arrived about an hour later.

Stars of the future – FFB U-15 and U-17 Inter-District Championship Finals put the spotlight on future national stars
On Saturday, September 28, at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) staged the championship finals in two of its youth competitions; it was the U-15 Male Inter-District Finals between Orange Walk and Belize District, followed by the U-17 Male Inter-District Finals between Toledo and Belize District.

Cricket Corner – Two young cricketers are off to India
After a few weeks of not informing you of cricket activities, here I go with some very interesting news. The Association is pleased to inform you all that two youths, Abigail Banner of Easy Does It Cricket Club from Lemonal, and Lebron Broaster of Excellence Cricket Club from Double Head Cabbage, have been selected and are on their way to Bengaluru, India to learn about cricket. This initiative is being sponsored by the Government of India. This event is scheduled for a month.

Corozal F.A. Week 3 Opening Season report
We start off by giving thanks to the Almighty Father for His continued blessing upon our tournament. This week marks Week 3. After taking a week break due to the festivities, we resumed our weekend with lots of football games. On Sunday, September 29, the Corozal Football Association (CFA) had a total of 8 games, i.e. 2 U10, 3 U13 and 3 U20. We are pleased to report that all went well; it has been three successful weeks.

Luxy Sports Bar 1st ever 10-Ball Tournament – Luis Valdez top shooter!!!
The Belize District Billiards Association (BDBA) organized the 1ST EVER single-player 10-ball billiards tournament which was sponsored and played at Luxy Sports Bar at Princess Hotel and Casino in Belize City on September 28 and 29, 2019. The tournament was open to players from anywhere in Belize and outside of Belize. Registration fee was $40.00 per player. It was a bang, as a total of 24 top shooters registered, with only one player being from El Salvador in this race-to-4 match, double-elimination format.

Stann Creek F.A. 1st Division Cup 2019 Week 4, and Smart U-13 Mundialito Finals results
The Stann Creek Football Association (SCFA) hosted Week 4 games on Friday night, September 27, in its 1st Division Cup 2019 tournament; and then on Saturday, September 28, it held third place and championship games in the SCFA Smart U-13 Mundialito 2019 tournament, which was followed by an award ceremony. All games were at the Carl Ramos Stadium.

Editorial: The result of “party before country” is collapse
When Hon. Dean Barrow became Prime Minister of Belize in 2008, he did not ride in on a record that showed he had capacity to create jobs and subdue crime. Indeed, the accepted opinion is that the record of the 1993-1998 United Democratic Party (UDP), in which he served as Deputy Prime Minister, was dismal in regards to crime, and it is a fact that they obliterated many jobs. PM Barrow did not ride in to power on a record of selflessness, self-sacrifice, in the service of this nation either. The fact is that the law firm which he co-owned provided services to Lord Michael Ashcroft, a gentleman who was squeezing the last drop out of Belizeans after he was allowed to gain majority control of BTL, the only telecommunications company in the country. PM Barrow might have argued that a person has a right to earn his bread in any legal endeavor, but working for one who seemed rapacious did not exhibit the kind of stuff and fiber that would make a great leader for our country.

Strained relations between Western Union Belize and Western Union Mexico
Dear Editor: My name is Ausencio Fermin Olivera. The attached letter is a formal complaint I wrote to the Central Bank of Belize, which did acknowledge receiving my letter. Western Union, to my mind, has completely ignored my complaint, and I wish, as indicated in the letter attached, to go public. I hope that you will consider publishing my letter in your paper in the public’s interest.

Elogio Itzab vs Father Scott Giuliani
Dear Editor, In his recent answer to my letter, Father Scott Giuliani, SOLT, has given the impression that the Inquisition never happened, that it was just one big misunderstanding, a lie that has been said so often that people tend to believe it. I did not intend to answer him on this point, since it would just become a back-and-forth, a yes-or-no, true-or-false. But then, I decided to put forth my case.

Brian Plummer on inflation
Dear Editor, Inflation is the rate at which prices of goods and services rise, and therefore, the purchasing power of the currency is decreasing. I will argue that inflation has done more harm than good and is by design. People with assets like gold, property or stocks benefit from inflation because that increases the value of their assets. Those who hold cash, which is the vast majority, dislike inflation because their cost of living increases and their cash is able to purchase less.

PSU: Stand up and be counted!
For a union to be effective in the service of its members, it requires administrative and technical staff and space where its members can hold meetings and socialize. Recognizing the special role that unions play in the socio-economic development of a country, progressive governments in the Caribbean and elsewhere have always moved to assist unions in their development plans. Thus, unions in small countries in the Caribbean such as Dominica (66 thousand inhabitants as compared to our 375 thousand) own and are housed in multiple-storey buildings with elaborate facilities for their members. PSU Belize deserves no less, and must stand and insist on no less.

Our slow and silent death…
We have had so little time in Belize to collectively focus on living in a healthy environment and respecting our natural environment because we have been so busy weeping over the deaths of our brothers and sisters. This seems a more immediate threat, while Mother Nature plots against us as we have looted her to the point of her silent death. The earth is fighting back, and we do not even have time to recognize it and soberly deal with it, due to the immediacy of the killings at hand, the hardships of life and the never-ending scandals of corruption. We also have not been able to address it because for many it is a fact that we are strictly in survival mode, as the reality on the ground is that many are barely able to eat, pay the rent, school fees, utility bills and the list of basic needs.

The Monrad Metzgen Story: Tribute to a Belizean Patriot
Most persons within their life-span set limits as to what they can achieve. One man who lived his life without limits, and whom I refer to as a ‘limitless patriot’ was Monrad Sigfrid Metzgen. He did not limit himself on what he could accomplish in life, because he was always aware that all things are possible for those who believe. Belize has had its share of patriots who have really loved their country, and have exhibited it tangibly to upkeep the pride of the country. There are some patriots, however, who have not been fully recognized for their achievements, mostly because they have not been as vocal in the opinions expressed about Belize. One such person might well be Monrad Metzgen, whom I describe as a stalwart patriot who spanned both the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. He was born in Belize in 1893 and died in 1956. During his lifetime he discovered and appreciated what it meant to be a real and sincere citizen of Belize.

Either a new beginning or the beginning of the end?
Today the Chinese people celebrated 70 years of National Day. President Xi Jinping said, “This was the end of 100 years of humiliation. The Chinese people stood up and embarked on a grand journey of rejuvenation … The country has made unparalleled achievements, and now there is no force that can shake the foundations of this nation or prevent us from moving ahead.” As I watched live from Beijing the over one million people gathered for the parades and floats, I was struck by the awesome might of the New China.

House of Representatives meeting on Friday
The House of Representatives will be meeting in the National Assembly chambers tomorrow, Friday. Based on the Order Paper in circulation among members, the House will introduce a new Customs Regulation Bill and another bill, the Caribbean Development Project loan, for the Belize Electricity hydroelectric plant. The House will also get a report from the Finance and Economic Development Committee.

Wanted poster issued for Aaron Munnings for death of Devaun Mascal
Devaun Mascal, 25, of Mile 4, Philip Goldson Highway, Belize City, and his girlfriend drove into their yard at about 12:30 Saturday morning, August 31, and he got out of his car, opened the bonnet of the vehicle and started to remove the battery cables from the battery poles of the terminals of the car’s engine. Mascal’s girlfriend got out of the car and went into the house, leaving him alone in the yard, taking off the battery cables.

Judge upholds no-case submission in Kenyon Dominguez murder trial
An accused murderer, Kenyon Dominguez, 28, who has been awaiting his day in court for the past 7 years after police charged him with the June 2012 murder of Keith Lewis, 24, walked out of the Supreme Court of Justice Colin Williams yesterday, Monday, after the judge ruled, in the trial by judge without jury, to accept a no-case-to-answer submission from Dominguez’s attorney, Kareem Musa. Police brought the murder charge against Dominguez a full seven months after Lewis was gunned down in the Lake Independence area of the city. Lewis’ shooting had all the hallmarks of a gang hit.

Brindel Munnings dies 44 days after being shot
Brindel Munnings, 44, a laborer of Police Street, was shot at about 10:00 Saturday night, August 17, while riding through an alley that runs from the Inspiration Center to Police Street in the Lake Independence area of the city. A gunman who waylaid Munnings shot him in the stomach and in the leg, and he was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a critical condition. He survived for 44 days, but died today in the living room of his house.

The Reporter

Candice Miller wins wrongful termination lawsuit
Former Belize City Administrator, Candice Miller, today won a ruling handed down by Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel in a wrongful termination lawsuit which she brought against the Belize City Council after her employment was terminated in 2018 after the new PUP council took office.

ELECTRIC CARS: PLUG IN AND SHUT UP!
By: Major Lloyd Jones (Ret’d) - Over the period September 23-24, the UN held its 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York City. The summit saw leaders from around the world converging on New York to discuss the issue of climate change and to find common but differentiated solutions to urgently address it.

Controversial Joshua Perdomo write-off approved
At this morning’s sitting of the House of Representatives, the controversial $40,000 write-off for Joshua Perdomo, son of Cabinet Secretary Carlos Perdomo was approved by a split 17-10 majority by the government.

PUP Files Court Motion Challenging Voter Registrations
The People’s United Party (PUP), led by its Caribbean Shores Area Representative Kareem Musa, filed a motion in the Court on Monday, challenging a number of voter registrations in the Belize District.

House Of Rep. Meeting – Debate Many Business & Financial Services Bills
A full agenda of several Amendments and Bills were on the tables at today’s House Of Representative’s meeting in Belmopan. As of 1 pm this afternoon (Friday, Oct. 4th.) the House Of Reps. were still in session, The items on the orders the day are several write-off motions...

3 Men Shot In Belize City
Many people in Belize City were in good spirits because there were no gun violence for the past few days, but the short lived calm in Belize City was shattered last night (Thursday Oct. 3rd.)

LOVE FM

17 representatives vote in favor of Joshua Perdomo write off
Belize’s Parliamentarians met at the National Assembly in Belmopan today. Coming back to the House were the write-offs initially presented in August 2019. During this morning’s session, the Leader of the Opposition, John Briceno rose to speak on the write-off for Joshua Perdomo.

Area Rep for Toledo West upset over no water in southern village
Earlier this week, Love News reported on an issue that was affecting the villagers of San Antonio, Toledo District. The southern village had been without water for some days. The issue was brought to our attention by the Toledo West Area Representative, Oscar Requena.

13 Million Dollar loan to BEL discussed in the House of Representatives
A motion to have the Government of Belize guarantee a thirteen-million-dollar loan was tabled this morning during the Sitting of the House of Representatives. The loan is being acquired by the Belize Electricity Limited to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and to improve on their infrastructure to provide and maintain a reliable supply

Breaking Belize News

Wendy Auxillou called to the Bar
Wendy Auxillou was today called to the Bar by Justice Sonya Young. Auxillou completed the […]

Candice Miller wins case against Belize City Council
Former City Administrator, Candice Miller today won the case in a suit she filed against […]

Ministry of Natural Resources implement Partial Remission of Land Tax Arrears Program
The Ministry of Natural Resources today informed that it will be implementing The Partial Remission of […]

2 men sentenced to life imprisonment for murder of Steven Valencia
Today, Jarod Lamb and Marvin Neal were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment with eligibility […]

Orange Walk-based fitness center hosting dance marathon to support cancer patient
Divas Under Construction fitness center in Orange Walk is hosting a dance fitness marathon in […]

BELTRAIDE’s Belize Training & Employment Centre celebrates 5th anniversary
The Belize Training and Employment Centre (BTEC), a unit of BELTRAIDE, and leader in workforce […]

Homeless for a night: Welcome Resource Center to host 2nd Annual Sleep it Out fundraiser
The Welcome Resource Center, which assists the homeless population in Belize, is raising awareness about […]

Contractor General: should he continue in Public Service?
The Contractor General Act prohibits its holder at present from holding further office in the […]

Financial Secretary, IFSC Director to meet House over financial amendments
Following certain concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition John Briceño, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight […]

Belize to assume Presidency of Mesoamerican Integration & Development Project
In January 2020, Belize will assume Pro Tempore Presidency of the Mesoamerican Integration and Development […]

House debates old motions and new bills, welcomes children
The House of Representatives today has a packed agenda as it welcomes schoolchildren from the […]

3 men shot last night in Belize City
Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that occurred last night in Belize City. Justin Richards, […]

Belizean youths complete youth ambassador program in the US
Eleven outstanding young Belizeans and 1 mentor participated in the United States Youth Ambassador Program. […]

Over $11,000 worth of household items stolen in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Authorities have charged 3 San Pedro residents for stealing over $11,000 worth of household items. […]

Blogs

Sergeant’s Caye- A Rich and Epic Story
Belize is blessed with a bounty of natural beauty. Among those are an impressive collection of offshore islands that have long been the star attraction for visitors. Like some of the more well-known islands, Sergeant’s Caye has a rich and epic story. Once a pristine white beached island, it boasted a large clubhouse, two smaller houses, three water tanks, a pier, dozens of coconut trees and even an adjacent islet called Paunch Caye.

TK-421 and the Satellite Tracker
I decided to reach out to Marisa Tellez of Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC) with a few questions to find out more about TK-421 croc and the satellite tracker. What are you looking to or have you already found with the satellite tracker? The satellite tracker is to help us and the Forest Department (FD) understand the dispersal movement and behavior of crocodiles over time and season to assist us in conservation efforts (what habitat do they utilize more so we can work towards its preservation) as well as minimize human-crocodile conflict. For example, if crocs like to gather in one area of a lagoon a certain part of the year, we can inform community members to be cautious when spearfishing or swimming in that area that time of the year

A visit to Sarteneja Village, Corozal, Belize
If you're driving or riding through the back bush of Corozal District between Corozal Town and Sarteneja, you'll wind up fording two rivers in a distinctly Belizean way – via hand-cranked ferries that run along with thick cables strung from riverbank to riverbank. This throwback to the early days of industrialization owes its existence to the low traffic density plying the roads. With too few vehicles to make building a bridge feasible, the low-tech (and low-impact) human-powered cable ferry was seen as a fine way to ensure that cars, bikes, and motorcycles could get where they needed to go (even if only two at a time).

Visiting Chuy's Art Studio in Sarteneja Village, Corozal, Corozal District, Belize
Looking for a Talented Art Studio Painter in Northern Corozal? This name might ring the bell for those who Know's Chuy, Or, for some people who might not know I will explain in a few. Chuy was born and raised in Sarteneja Village, and he has been painting for approximately 20 years. Chuy is a very talented person that does art painting of Sarteneja Village, or, whatever picture you may want to tell him to paint. He also does painting on sailing boats in Sarteneja Village. He also paints conch shells in his own way.

Cafe’s in Belize City
Coffee is the first thing most people think about every morning, and if we’re being honest, the one thing that gets them out from under the covers. Understandably, people make it a point to go to a café to get their coffee fix because they know it will be of quality and have a delightful taste. Here area few top local café recommendations in Belize City that you must try on your next visit!

Videos

October 4, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Changes in the Pump Price of Fuel Effective October 3, 2019
The Ministry of Finance announces that at midnight on October 3, 2019, the pump prices of three fuel products will change. The prices for premium gasoline will register decrease and regular gasoline and diesel will register increase as follows: Premium gasoline will decrease by 25 cents from $10.84 to $10.59 per gallon; Regular gasoline will increase by 34 cents from $9.93 to $10.27 per gallon...

Belize observes International Day of Older Persons
October 1st, is celebrated around the world as the international day of older persons, this year it’s celebrated under the theme ‘Journey to Age Equality’. This theme calls us to join international and national efforts to ensure that all persons have equal access to meeting their basic needs throughout the life course; specifically for older persons whose needs are often not considered a priority. In observance of the International Day of Older Persons, the National Council on Ageing launched its Front Ah Di Line Campaign and host the first National Ageing Expo at the Ramada Princess Hotel on October 1st.

Elections and Boundaries Department classifies on Representation of the People Act
The Elections and Boundaries Department wishes to advise the general public that the Representation of the People Act clearly outlines the process and steps that are required to be taken prior to any individual becoming a registered elector. As such, the department operates strictly within the rule of law. The Representation of the People Act states that the registering officer shall conduct investigations into the facts set out in each application. cations as an elector, that elector is disallowed.

PACT commits $1.15 million investment in Belize’s Marine Reserve Network
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) continues to be the premier donor to Belize’s National Protected Areas System. Today, PACT continued the roll out of its Conservation Investment Strategy with another investment, this time in multiple Marine Protected Areas under the management of the Belize Fisheries Department. A brief signing ceremony was held to award the $1.15 Million Dollar conservation investment.

Ambergris Today

The Roman Catholic Church Of Ambergris Caye
The island of Ambergris Caye was auctioned on the 13th of September 1869 and the successful bidder at $625.00 was James Hume Blake, a British magistrate of the Corozal District. The only land exempted from the sale was a lot given for the purpose of building a Roman Catholic Church in the village of San Pedro. At this time the village was inhabited by several Mestizo families who had fled from the Caste War in Yucatan and settled in the village which they named San Pedro. The property given to the Catholic Church was left unoccupied for many years until early in the 1900's some village men began this labor of love and unity. It is known that in 1905 James Howell Blake II built his mansion that lived to be over 100 years old and popularly known as Blake House (The site is now occupied by Heritage Bank).

Various Belizean Sources

Juan de Dios & Super Latinos Band at Banana Beach
Los esperamos este Domingo 13 de Octubre a las 8:00 pm con la presentacion de Juan de Dios El Casanova musica en vivo con Super Latinos Band!

Newly reorganized Caye Caulker Business Association
You’re invited to attend the first open meeting of the newly reorganized Caye Caulker Business Association (CCBA). The meeting will be held at 6PM this Saturday, October 5th. at the Community Center. This will be your opportunity to get to know the interim board members, ask questions and become familiar with the objectives of the organization. Also a chance to catch up with other members of the Caye Caulker business community.

2019 Corozal Relentless Free Basketball Training Camp
"Take Me Deeper" Ministries and Pastor David Vela of Waves of Faith Church Corozal would like to thank everyone who helped to make the 2019 Corozal Relentless Free Basketball Training Camp a success! We had a total of 115 youth/young adults who participated in the camp and 11 teachers/coaches from the Corozal Sports Council, Libertad, Calcutta, San Antonio, Paraiso, Corozal Methodist, Church of Christ, and Xavier Schools who came for the basketball instruction training following the camp.

New book, "So Other People Wouild be Free"
Written by Doctor Tonya Leslie, a Hicaquena. Happiness is: friends and family letting you know that your book has arrived! Thanks everyone for supporting my book! Order yours here: So Other People Would Be Also Free: The Real Story of Rosa Parks for Kids.

Tour Guide Training - Birding
Birding is becoming a major target market in Belize... Learn more and participate in the 2nd Annual Birding festival happening in Cayo at the San Ignacio Resort on October 19 & 20, 2019

CARICOM Sugar Stakeholder Engagement Meeting for Industry and Policy Makers held in Belize
Minister Tracy Taegar-Panton of the Ministry Investment, Trade and Commerce and Minister Godwin Hulse of the Ministry of Agriculture along with the CARICOM Secretariat hosted sugar stakeholders from across the Caribbean Community at the Best Western Plus Biltmore Plaza in Belize City yesterday, October 2nd, 2019. The engagement placed regional policymakers from the sugar industry, manufacturers and government in dialogue on the Future of the Caribbean Sugar Industry. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss matters of interest to the region’s sugar industry as it relates to trade, production and product development.

Business Development for the Indian Creek Mayan Arts Women’s Group
In June of 2019, Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), through the Small Business Development Centre Belize (SBDCBelize), and Ya’axché Conservation Trust (Ya’axché) signed a consultancy agreement to partner in providing business development assistance to the Indian Creek Mayan Arts Women’s Group (ICMAWG) located in Indian Creek Village, Toledo District. The partnership between BELTRAIDE and Ya’axché has allowed the organizations to join efforts in providing support geared towards community development and empowerment. In particular the Indian Creek Mayan Arts Women’s Group is receiving business development advisory services and capacity building via a tailored training program from SBDCBelize.

Caye Caulker Village Council Collaborating with Sewage Disposal Company
The Caye Caulker Village Council is please to announce that after several months, we have established a relationship with the sewage disposal company. For more information, please email us or call the Village Council Office.

Power outage 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 to affect entire San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
BEL to conduct maintenance of San Pedro Substation, relocate transmission poles, replace insulators and transformers, and repair hotspots in the area.

CANDICE VS THE MAYOR! CITY ADMINISTRATOR SUES BELIZE CITY COUNCIL!!!
Candice Miller, former City Administrator for the Belize City Council under Mayor Darrel Bradley, has taken the BZ City Council to court for wrongful termination. Miller seeks a half a million dollars for what she claims was political victimization when she was terminated weeks after the PUP took control of City Hall despite her having a contract that extended for another 2 years. The current Mayor, Bernard Wagner is counter suing Candice Miller for $1 million dollars allegedly caused by her dereliction of duty in settling a court case with the Waste Control Company. Miller says she tried unsuccessfully to bring the matter to Mayor Wagner who frozen her out immediately after taking the reigns of City Hall.

Channel 7

Another Testy Day In Court For Mayor Bernard Wagner
The marathon cross examination of Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner concluded today in the Supreme Court before Justice Courtney Abel. The mood in the courtroom was contentious as the Mayor and the attorney for his former city administrator Magali Perdomo clashed many times.  And, occasionally, their exchanges - which should be confined strictly to questions and answers - became argumentative.  At one point, in exasperation, Perdomo very audibly sucked her teeth at the mayor; she felt he was stonewalling. It made for great political theater - but did it advance the case of former city administrator Candice Miller?  Perdomo tried to prove that Miller had been wrongfully terminated - and was effectively blocked from performing her functions as administrator.

Mason's Mystery Witness Not On the Horizon
On Tuesday, we took you back to Belmopan for the continuation of the murder trial of William "Danny" Mason, and his co-accused, Ashton Vanegas, Keiron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo.  After months of long hours, Justice Antoinette Moore has listened to the evidence from the prosecution, led by DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, alleging that these 5 men all played a role in the 2016 beheading murder of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas. The only thing left is for Mason to close his case, which then triggers closing arguments from the DPP and all the defense attorneys. 

Crashed Narco-Jet's Contents Found In Mexico?
Earlier this week we told you that a Gulfstream G2 narco-jet crash landed in Blue Creek, Orange Walk, near the border with Mexico.  By the time police got on the scene, all they found were two snapped halves of the jet lying on the side of the road; No drugs, no passengers.  Following the plane landing in Belize on Monday, there was coordination with Mexican Authorities who launched a full land and air operation in an effort to intercept the drugs and narco-traffickers. Now it seems that the Mexican army has discovered the jet's cargo on their side of the border.

Man Charged For Robbing 90 Year Old
On Tuesday we showed you the shocking surveillance footage of a 90 year old man, Lewis Tillet being robbed.  A robber pounced on him just as he was leaving Saint John's Credit Union on Basra Street.  He threw the elderly man from his bicycle, mercilessly beat, and robbed him of two thousand dollars in forty 50 dollar notes which he had just withdrawn from the credit union.   Many who've seen the video commented on the very slow moving security guards at the Credit Union who did not run to their customer's rescue.

Man Shot In Hot Area of City
42 year old Eugene Tillett - a man well known to police and the courts was shot last night in front of Publics store. Tillett was walking on Ebony street heading to Central American Boulevard when he was approached from behind by a man who fired a single shot at him. Today police told us about the incident. Hilberto Romero - Sr. Supt of Police, Deputy HNCIB: "On Wednesday, the 2nd day of October 2019 police responded to reports of a shooting incident on Ebony street, upon their arrival information was received that one person was shot..."

Another Ebony Street Shooting
And police are reporting another Ebony Street shooting.  28 year old Lindsford Baldwin was shot on Tuesday night in front of his house situated at # 726 Ebony Street.  Baldwin and his sister were sitting in front of their house when a man who had entered the yard from the back pulled out a gun and fired shots at him.  Hilberto Romero - Sr. Supt of Police, Deputy HNCIB: "On Tuesday the 1st day of October 2019 at 8:00 pm police responded to a report of a shooting incident on Ebony street, upon their arrival information was received that one person was shot and taken to the Karl Heusner memorial hospital for treatment.

Burned Up In Lord's Bank
A house burned to the ground in Lord's bank this morning. No one was at home when the fire began but a neighbor alerted authorities. Police provided more details earlier today - and we spoke to a neighbor. Adrian Price - Neighbour: "When I got up this morning around 6:30 I woke up to the smell of smoke and when i peeped through the window I saw the house was engulfed with smoke no. In flames and then I proceeded to call. I made a call to 911 and they responded a few minutes later, let's say around 15-20 minutes. Then we had the fire station. Fire engine came by. Good thing that the person wasn't there."

The Vexing Case Of Mr. Verde
Switching gears now, it's been about a month now since news broke that Reynaldo Verde, Belize's #2 taxman was arrested by the FBI on allegations of extortion.  Since then, the details of the explosive allegations against him have been circulated in a 9 page criminal complaint.   The FBI says that it has a recording of him trying very hard to shake down American Real Estate Developer, Chris Williams. It is alleged Verde requested a half-a-million-dollar bribe to make William's multi-million-dollar tax arrears disappear.  Now, Verde's boss is the Minister of Finance who is also the Prime Minister.  We asked him to comment yesterday:

Will Drought Affect The Cane Crop?
Yesterday, we told you about the Sugar Stakeholders Meeting that representatives of the CARICOM member-states attended to discuss the state of the Caribbean market for sugar. This market could be the answer to the financial woes that farmers in the north have been looking for, ever since Belize's sugar lost its preferential market access in the European Union. That's their biggest concern, but the most urgent at this time is how they will recover from this year's extended drought, which has caused the country's entire agro-productive sector to lose approximately 50 million dollars .  When the state of affairs of the cane industry was brought up with the Director of Belize Sugar Industries yesterday, he told the press that he has concerns about the next cane delivery season, given that it will start in a few months.

The Macal Is A Hot Mess Too!
Twin Towns Mayor Earl Trapp has organized a Macal River clean up. For the past two days residents as well as town council members have been in the river raking up algae and litter from the river. According to the Mayor, this algae build up started in March and it has turned the river an unsightly, gooey green and the river is not flowing as it used to.  The clean-up continues tomorrow and Mayor Trapp is asking the public to assist. Here is our phone interview with Mayor Trapp. Earl Trapp - Mayor, San Ignacio: "I appeal to the public to be a part of it and I think 2 people showed up yesterday and today an additional 2, but we used the staff from the San Ignacio Town Council and we began to clear up and clean the algae that honestly, I didn't realize it was so devastating..."

And Now, The Birds?
And, in another bit of odd environmental news. Birds falling from the sky to their deaths sounds like a scene from a horror movie or even a bad omen. And well, it's the Halloween season so it's not so far-fetched right? Not quite, but, seriously, let's not get ahead of ourselves or get spooked that quickly – an Orange Walk resident did report that he found several dead birds in his yard, he even saw a few foaming from their beaks, but he was not sure what was causing it. Our collegues at CTV-3 interviewed the resident and here is his account off camera: Voice of Residence: "It was a regular morning, I got up and I noticed right in front of my door, there were 2 of them. So I said, maybe someone shot down the birds and nobody noticed and then my daughter walked outside and she said she noticed a couple more..."

Belize Facing Immigration Pressures From Central America
Last night, we told you how police crackdown on crime in the Cayo area led them to discover 2 men who have links to the notorious Central American gangs, Calle 18, and MS-13. There's a growing concern that criminals from the neighboring countries - which make up the so called northern triangle of Central America - have slowly taken up roots in Belize.  So, when the press had an opportunity to speak with the Substantive Immigration Minister, Godwin Hulse, the topic was brought up.  He said that this issue, as well as the bigger matter of Central American migration into Belize, has been made a priority for the Government:

Who Will Follow Diana Locke?
Minister Hulse also confirmed reports that Diana Locke, the Director of Immigration, is leaving the Department. Hulse said that she has reached the retirement age for public servants: Hon. Godwin Hulse - Minister of Immigration: "Well, she comes to the age of retirement, like everybody else, and so, she goes on pre-retirement leave, and when the date is up, we see what happens after that. I think there are people within the ranks, who can fill the spot easily. So, we'll see how it works."

Where's The Senate Report?
And speaking about that tough scrutiny for the Immigration Department, a final report from the Senate Special Select Committee on Immigration has still not been produced. Now, you'll remember that the Senators who sat on that publicly broadcasted inquiry, examined the Auditor General's reports on Immigration almost word for word. You'll remember that the Committee members listened to well over a hundred hours of testimony from the persons they called. These officials had to give account, under oath, of the clear instances of fraud and corruption that the Auditor General uncovered at the Immigration Department between 2011 and 2013.

Major House Cleaning Burglary In Tres Cocos, San Pedro
San Pedro Police have arrested three persons for a major burglary in the Tres Cocos area, one mile north of the island town.   It happened on Thursday afternoon when the caretaker for a home owned by a US National saw the door opened.   She went to look inside and saw that the house was ransacked, and an assortment of items called at twelve thousands dollars was missing.  

Coast Gaurdsman Faces Firearm Charges
A coast Guardsman is facing firearm charges.  54 year old  Francis Noralez Labourer of a Dangriga Town address, reported that yesterday morning, around 11:15 a.m., whilst he was at the courthouse in Dangriga Town, he had an exchange of words with a Coast Guardsman.   The Guardsman reportedly owes Norales over a thousand dollars, and Norales went to court to get it back.

Young Cricketers To India
Two young Belizean cricketers, Abigail Banner and Lebron Broaster, have been selected to participate in an Indian cricket coaching camp for boys and girls under 16 years old. The camp's objective is to build bonds amongst the youth of Commonwealth countries. Participants will be involved in training that will help them to develop their skills and knowledge in cricket. 

Channel 5

960 Kilos of Cocaine Found on Mexican Side 2 Days after Jet Crash Lands in Belize
Earlier this week, a Gulfstream jet was found damaged and abandoned near the Blue Creek community at a feeder road. It had all the seats inside so the thinking was [...]

Sex Offender Captured in Belize Offered $1 Million Cash Bond in U.S.A.
There is a development in the case of a U.S. national captured at a Ladyville apartment on September nineteenth.   The police apprehended sixty-year-old Ladd Duane Ottofy who was residing at [...]

MS-13 Gang Member Deported to El Salvador
Thirty-six-year-old Tomas Alexander Paises has been deported to his country of origin. Paises was arrested for being a member of the MS-thirteen gang and deported to El Salvador. He was [...]

The Wait Continues for Statement from Mason’s Final Witness
The case against William “Danny” Mason and four accused men continues to languish in the Belmopan Supreme Court.  A statement from a witness, a U.S. Embassy employee, for Mason has [...]

Final Submissions are Made in Claim Against CitCo
A decision will be handed down this Friday afternoon in a claim brought by former city administrator Candace Miller against the Belize City Council for unlawful termination.  Attorneys Magali Perdomo [...]

Did Reynaldo Verde Have an Accomplice?
Reynaldo Verde remains locked up in the U.S. on charges of extortion and attempted extortion having been denied bail on Wednesday. His attorney, Tyler Trumbach, says that his client denies [...]

Cheaper and Better Quality Butane to Come
On Wednesday, representatives from three butane companies namely Belize Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza, and Southern Choice Butane (Zeta Gas) met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow. On the table for [...]

Man Drowns in Belize River
On Wednesday morning, the body of Salvadoran national Raul Rivelo was retrieved from the Manatee Lookout area in the Belize River.  Rivelo’s friend, Walter Gomez, reported to police that Rivelo [...]

Shooting Victim Critical in K.H.M.H.
Forty-two-year-old Belize City resident Eugene Tillett was shot on Wednesday night on Ebony Street. Tillett was reportedly making his way to Central American Boulevard when the gunman appeared and fired [...]

Man Shot in Belize City; No Suspects So Far
There was another shooting on Ebony Street in Belize City. This one happened on Tuesday night where twenty-eight-year-old Linsford Baldwin was targetted.  Sometime after eight that night, Baldwin was along [...]

Man Charged For Robbing 90-year-old of 2K
Police say that twenty-two-year-old Aaron Munnings robbed a ninety-year-old man of two thousand dollars. Munnings was arrested and charged with one count of robbery. This charges stems from an incident [...]

Fire Guts House in Lords Bank
The day did not start and end well for Arlene Gordon, a resident of Lords Bank, Ladyville. At about seven-thirty, a fire erupted inside her house and spread quickly completely [...]

Norris Meighan Senior Guilty of Possession of Conch During Closed Season
Norris Meighan Senior, four of his sons and another man were found on the vessel ‘Carlita M’ in possession of three hundred and ninety-nine conchs during the closed season. They [...]

Erwin Lanza Pleads Guilty to Possession of Homemade Firearm
A pair of siblings from Ladyville and Belize City was before the court today on a single charge of possession of a homemade firearm. Erwin Anthony Lanza and his older [...]

CARICOM Member States Press CAHFSA on Numerous Agricultural Health and Food Safety Matters
Agricultural health and food safety in the Caribbean were the focus of discussions today at the series of CARICOM meetings taking place at the Biltmore in Belize City. Today’s session [...]

The Effects of Sargassum on the Caribbean Fisheries Industry
The spread of Sargassum has affected numerous countries in the region where tourism is a primary industry. In the margins of the ongoing CARICOM meetings, we got an update on [...]

Immigration Minister on Migrant Surge in Central America
A surge of migrants from Central America specifically El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, is pushing governments in the region and beyond to re-examine relevant policies. Migrants, including a growing number [...]

Hobbs Launches its Own Calendar
U.S.A.-based Hobbs Brewing Company started distribution of twelve ounce cans and kegs from out of Placencia earlier this year.  Hobbs’ production in Belize features two super-premium beers called the Wildcat [...]

Healthy Living: The Elderly in Belize
Recently, the more common news reports about the elderly population in Belize have been about crimes where older persons are victims. It is just one of the vulnerabilities that this [...]

LOVE FM

Police recovered some items stolen from school in the south
The San Juan Bosco RC School located in the Stann Creek District was burglarized yesterday. Love news spoke with the principal, Zabdiel Martinez, who said that the school was burglarized around the same time last year.

Danny Mason goes back to court
The murder trial involving William Mason and his associates continued today in Belmopan. The case is experiencing multiple delays as the witness that Mason has called is an employee of the US Embassy who is out of the country.

World Pediatric Project to host clinics at KHMH
World Pediatric Project is hosting its annual Pediatric General Surgery Mission Clinic at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on Sunday, October 6.

Fire Destroys house inn Lord’s Bank
Lord’s Bank village was covered by a blanket of smoke that came from a house fire just after six o’clock this morning. We spoke with Terry Gordon, former chairman of Lord’s Bank, who told us that he was called when the incident occurred.

Man shot outside his home
Eugene Tillett was not the only one shot on Ebony Street this week. On Tuesdy night, 28-year-old Linsford Baldwin was shot as he sat on the steps of his own home. Deputy Head of NCIB, Senior Superintendent

Hilberto Romero, said they have a suspect in custody. Man injured by gunshot
A 42-year-old labourer of Western Avenue was shot last night as he walked on Ebony Street, Belize City. Eugene Tillett was heading home when he was approached by a male person in a white shirt who fired one shot in his direction.

San Antonio water issue explained
Several San Antonio villagers are accusing their leaders of playing politics around the issue of water supply. This week we brought you an interview with Toledo West Area Representative, Oscar Requena who accused the Ministry of Rural Development of contracting incompetent workers on the water board.

CitCo and Miller’s case wrap-up
The case continues tomorrow before Justice Courtney Abel. Miller is suing the Belize City Council for over five thousand dollars while the Council has filed a counter-lawsuit for over one million dollars.

Man gets bail after assaulting child
A man is out on bail after going to court on a charge of sexual assault. 21-year-old Freddy Vasquez was arraigned in Belize City Magistrate’s Court.

Belizean woman, working in the UK Army accused of embezzling
A 32-year-old Belizean woman, working in the United Kingdom Army, is accused of embezzling 17,000 pounds from the army funds; that is an equivalent of about forty two thousand Belize dollars. Corporal Audrey Urbina, reportedly used her position as an Army 'class one admin worker' to book dozens of transatlantic flights over a period of 17 months.

Breaking Belize News

Young girl that jumped out of moving vehicle still not located
Last night, Breaking Belize News received reliable reports of a young girl who was seen […]

CARICOM Sugar stakeholder engagement meeting held in Belize
Minister of Investment, Trade and Commerce, Tracy Panton, Minister of Agriculture, Godwin Hulse and the […]

Reynaldo Verde investigated in two countries; PM Barrow sticks up for public officers
Deputy Director of the Belize Tax Service Department, Reynaldo Verde, continues to be held in […]

PACT commits to $1.15 million investment in Belize’s marine reserve network
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) continues to be the premier donor to Belize’s National […]

Man rents pickup truck and never returns it
A man identified as Jose Guerra reportedly rented a ford ranger double cab pickup truck […]

Ex-City Administrator challenges termination in court
Arguments continue in the trial of former City Administrator Candice Miller and the Belize City […]

P.M. offers new land for P.S.U. headquarters
This week, the Public Service Union was served thirty days’ notice to vacate the national […]

Two Belizean Youth Cricketers to receive training in India
Two young Belizean cricketers, Abigail Banner and Lebron Broaster, have been selected to participate in […]

CARICOM and Central America make common cause on fish
The fishing communities of the Caribbean and Central America are meeting this week in Belize […]

Progress and (new) problems for New River
According to Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Omar Figueroa, the New River isn’t quite […]

Hand in Hand Ministries donate another family home
Hand in Hand Ministries donated their 394th home to a family in Belize. Volunteers from the […]

Ms 13 Gang fugitive handed over to Interpol Salvador
On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the Anti-Gang Task Force (AGTF) and Interpol personnel of the Belize […]

Man charged with using a sign to promote gang related activity in Belmopan
On September 26, 2019, Lorenzo Santiago of Salvapan, Belmopan was charged for the crime of […]

Mexican media reporting huge cocaine bust near border with Belize days after suspected narco plane crash
Media houses in Mexico are reporting that Mexican authorities have discovered almost a ton of […]

Belize pledges zero emissions by 2050 but will it be enough?
Belize is one of fifteen small countries, according to Big Think writer Scotty Robertson, that […]

US Judge sets $1 million bond for fugitive found in Belize
A US judge has set a $1 million bond for wanted fugitive Ladd Duane Ottofy […]

Music Ambassador makes instrument donation
Music Ambassador Shyne Barrow handed over drums and cymbals to the St. John Vianney band […]

Belize Peace Movement commemorates the passing of Phillip Goldson
The Belize Peace Movement (BPM) wants to honor the national hero, Philip Stanley Wilberforce Goldson, […]

Suspected drug jet still making international news
The topic of the crashed jet in Blue Creek, Orange Walk on September 30th is […]

Blogs

Glovers Reef Atoll in Belize
Belize is packed with natural marine beauty. Along with the Belize Barrier Reef, which is the world’s second-largest, Belize has numerous other reefs, cayes, and atolls. It’s a veritable paradise for those who love the sea. One of these spots is the Glovers Reef Atoll. This protected marine reserve has been designated a World Heritage Site in the present day, but once upon a time, it was a frequent stop for pirates. Learn more about Glovers Reef Atoll below. The atoll was originally found and settled by Mayas who arrived from the Belize mainland, which was the heart of their empire in ancient times. As mentioned above, it was frequented by pirates back in the 1750s. One such pirate was named John Glover, and that’s where the atoll gets its name.

A Visit to Cahal Pech Maya Site
For societies all over the world, the artist plays a critical role. Through painting, pottery, hieroglyphic scribing, and many other mediums, artists act as record keepers, storytellers, and messengers. The work of the artist provides a link for future generations to better understand the past. At Cahal Pech, in Belize’s Cayo District, a recent discovery serves to illuminate the importance of artists to ancient Maya culture. In 2018, researcher Anna Novotny, with the support of Belize’s own archaeologist, Jaime Awe, and others, uncovered a large grave containing the remains of three humans, along with many artifacts of ritual significance. Notably, one of these persons was found with a conch shell resting on his chest, which had been used as a painter’s pallet.

Get to and around Belize
Belize is a country on the eastern coast of Central America, with Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and diverse jungle to the west. Offshore, the massive Belize Barrier Reef, with hundreds of islands called cayes, hosts rich marine life. Belize’s jungle areas are home to Mayan ruins and many protected areas which contain different species of flora and fauna; without a doubt, a place like nowhere else. Getting to and around Belize is very easy, with many means of transportation options and exceptional hospitality infrastructure. If you are planning to take a trip here, you can easily find a guide and see what this incredible country has to offer.

International Sources

Cuba embarks on a 100-year plan to protect itself from climate change
Irma lent new urgency to a plan, called Tarea Vida, or Project Life, adopted last spring by Cuba’s Council of Ministers. A decade in the making, the program bans construction of new homes in threatened coastal areas, mandates relocating people from communities doomed by rising sea levels, calls for an overhaul of the country’s agricultural system to shift crop production away from saltwater-contaminated areas, and spells out the need to shore up coastal defenses, including by restoring degraded habitat. “The overarching idea,” says Salabarría Fernández, “is to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities.”

EU to keep US islands on tax blacklist, drop UAE, Switzerland
At a meeting on Oct 10, the bloc's finance ministers are expected to drop UAE from the blacklist, which includes jurisdictions that have failed to cooperate with the EU on tax matters. The Pacific archipelago of the Marshall Islands will also be removed from that list, an EU document said. That would leave nine jurisdictions on the list. They are: Belize, Fiji, Oman, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu and the three US territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. Blacklisted states face reputational damage and stricter controls on transactions with the EU.

Videos

October 3, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Ediberto Javier Romero charged for the shooting of Glenford Dominguez
32-year-old Ediberto Javier Romero was formally arraigned at the Magistrate Court in Belize City on Wednesday, October 2nd, after he was charged in San Pedro Town for the crimes of Attempted Murder, Dangerous Harm and Use of Deadly Means of Harm committed against bartender 45-year-old Glenford Dominguez. Romero was also charged for the offense of Discharging a Firearm in Public. Shortly after midday, Romero appeared before Senior Magistrate, Aretha Ford, where he was represented by attorney Leeroy Banner. Ford explained to Romero that the charges before the court against him are indictable offenses.

Hundreds of Belizean wavemakers participate in country-wide effort to remove debris and garbage from waterways and coastline
On Saturday, September 28th, 2019, more than 1,500 of Oceana’s wavemakers and volunteers participated in the 29th annual nation-wide cleanup led by the Belize Scouts Association and supported by other organizations and schools to remove trash and debris from river banks, waterways and beaches. Wavemakers, armed with biodegradable garbage bags and gloves, removed trash from coastal areas of Belize City, Punta Gorda, Independence, Hopkins, Corozal, and along riverways in Orange Walk and San Ignacio.

SPTC postpones new bridge toll fees
On Thursday, September 26th, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) posted on their Facebook page new 2019 Toll Rates to cross the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge into northern Ambergris Caye. The rates were to come into effect on October 16, 2019 but did not sit well with the public. The following day the SPTC announced that they were putting the rates on hold, stating they would revisit the rates and issue an update. The San Pedro Sun visited with Mayor Daniel Guerrero, who stated that these new rates are in a ‘proposal’ stage and still under review. The new rates could come into effect at the beginning of the upcoming tourism high season.

BTIA hosts 2nd annual Innovation and Tourism Talk in Belize City
The National Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) held its 2nd annual Innovation and Tourism Talk at the Radisson Fort George in Belize City on Monday, September 30th. The aim of the workshop was for stakeholders involved in tourism to learn how to grow their business to reach larger markets by using digital platforms. From 8:30AM to 3:30PM, the workshop focused on two presentations. The first was a practical on video marketing for the promotion of tourist destinations, facilitated by C.E.O. of consultancy firm MORETURISMO Juan Miguel Moreno.

Update in reference to the shooting of Glenford Allex Dominguez
On Tuesday, October 1st, San Pedro Police officially arrested and charged 32-year-old Ediberto Javier Romero for the shooting incident which occurred on Monday, September 30th inside Daddy Rocks Nightclub. Romero was charged for the crimes of Attempted Murder, Dangerous Harm, and Use of Deadly Means of Harm as well as the offense of Discharging a Firearm in Public. He is expected to be arraigned for the charges in Belize City later today. The San Pedro Sun will have further details on this latest incident as it becomes available.

San Pedro Garifuna Council launches November Celebrations activities calendar
The National Garifuna Council San Pedro Branch (NGCSPB) has prepared their calendar of activities for the November celebrations leading up to Garifuna Settlement Day, celebrated annually on November 19th. Held under the national theme, ‘Lererun Garifuna Laguchabei Labagaridun Garifunaduau!- Garifuna Language is the Foundation of Garifuna Survival!,’ this year’s activities include education and entertainment.

Necropsy Results of Dolphin Carcass Found in Corozal Bay
On September 12th, 2019, our partners in conservation, the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD), responded to a call of a dead dolphin calf on the shores of Cerros Sands Resort, near Copper Bank Village, Corozal District. SACD arranged for a necropsy to be conducted on the dolphin by a certified veterinarian, which resulted in the determination of the cause of death to be “internal bleeding due to muscle bruises in the chest area as a result of ‘blunt trauma’”.

Ambergris Today

Digi Continues DigiLearn Project Rollout At San Pedro High School
On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, Digi continued with its rollout of its DigiLearn project by distributing brand new Dell Convertible Laptops programmed with M365 Educational tools to first and second form students at San Pedro High School in San Pedro. San Pedro High School was chosen as one of the schools to be a part of the pilot project in April of this year by the Belize Ministry of Education partnered with Digi Belize in collaboration with Microsoft. This time around both first and second form students were presented with laptops.

PACT Commits $1.15 Million Investment In Belize’s Marine Reserve Network
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) continues to be the premier donor to Belize’s National Protected Areas System. On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, PACT continued the roll out of its Conservation Investment Strategy with another investment, this time in multiple Marine Protected Areas under the management of the Belize Fisheries Department. A brief signing ceremony was held to award the $1.15 Million Dollar conservation investment.

Various Belizean Sources

HUGO PATT & TRACY PANTON JOIN TEAM SALDIVAR FOR UDP LEADER
Sources close to Hon. John Saldivar’s camp have confirmed that Hon. Hugo Patt will be 1st deputy leader and Hon. Tracy Panton will be 2nd deputy leader on the Saldivar for leader slate. This is a powerhouse line up and is sure to lead to 2020 general elections victory for the UDP. Our sources also tell us that at least 21 Representatives and their Delegates have pledged their support to the Minister of National Security, Hon. John Saldivar. Thus far we hear Frank Mena, Beverly Williams, Pablo Marin, Omar Figueroa, Angel Campus, Erwin Contreras, Gasper Vega, Edmond Castro, Sedi Elrington, Rene Montero, Shyne Barrow, Phillip Willoughby, Tony Herrera, Ivan Williams, Dennis Garbutt, Denny Grijalva, Dianne Finnegan & the Prime Minister’s successor in QueenSquare, Denise Sista B Barrow make up the 21.

Five-day training course on Sampling and Estimation
From September 30th to October 4th 2019, staff of the Statistical Institute of Belize are participating in a five-day training course on Sampling and Estimation. Participants include statisticians from the SIB’s Census and Surveys and Economic Statistics departments. This training is being facilitated by Statistics Canada through its project for the Regional Advancement of Statistics in the Caribbean (PRASC). It is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank through its Technical Cooperation program for the development of the Belize National Statistical System.

Incursion along Belize's Border with Guatemala
Last week a Belize Defense Force (BDF) on patrol in the Chiquibul were somewhere inside Belize's territory south of the Melchor Chiqubibul river area. The exact coordinates are not known as no official information has been released. The BDF patrol allegedly burned a structure on the Belize side of the border that was built by residents of a nearby Guatemalan Village. Sources say the other buildings were inside Guatemalan territory. An international team went to the area earlier in the week to assess the damage.

Paint N Splash
See you this week at from 2-4pm Thursday to paint “Beach Bonfire”.

Unexplained Bird Deaths in the North
Public Health authorities have been called to visit a neighborhood in Orange Walk Town after a family reported an odd site. Birds on the ground either dead or dying. They had been gathered in one area following the deaths. Currently, the birds have been found on Rio Hondo Street in Orange Walk Town near the Ayuso household. Residents of the town are urged to report any similar observances of bird deaths or other sick animals.

Changes in the Pump Price of Fuel Effective October 3, 2019
The Ministry of Finance announces that at midnight on October 3, 2019, the pump prices of three fuel products will change. The prices for premium gasoline will register decrease and regular gasoline and diesel will register increase as follows: Premium gasoline will decrease by 25 cents from $10.84 to $10.59 per gallon; Regular gasoline will increase by 34 cents from $9.93 to $10.27 per gallon; and Diesel will increase by 14 cents from $9.87 to $10.01 per gallon. The price for kerosene will remain unchanged at $7.37 per gallon.

Pediatric General Surgery Mission Clinic
October 6th at KHMH.

Caye Caulker Village Council update
It's been an extremely busy and sad two week for the entire island of Caye Caulker. Independence Eve, our councilors were busy preparing for the Independence Eve block party and we were all enjoying the fireworks when we were alerted of a fire on Avenida Langosta. When we got closer, everyone was devastated to find out it was Nando's golf cart rental and his father's home and apartment complex.

Aquila Development Workshop for Tour Operators
Tour Operators: You are invited! Mark your calendars for November 7th & 8th for an Aquila Development Workshop in Belize City.

Important DYK Public Notice
Thinking of renting a room, your home or property through a homesharing site like AirBnb? Remember, you must first register with the BTB before advertising on any marketing platform. If you need more information, head to our site and follow the steps listed.

Splash Half Marathon Oct. 6
Splash Dive Center’s second annual Splash half Marathon is set to take place on October 6! The event will include local and international athletes with all proceeds going toward the Seine Bight Running Club and Placencia Track & Field. The BTB is a proud sponsor of this event and of supporting a good cause!

Water Aerobics is BACK!
Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM, Banyan Bay Suites, San Pedro, Belize. Join this lively morning class to increase your strength, endurance, and flexibility. Enjoy the water’s buoyancy and resistance throughout this easy-impact aerobic workout. *New participants encouraged to Sign-up by 10am on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Classes are led by Instructor Svetlana from 11:30am to 12:15pm. $10Usd per session.

Channel 7

The Butane Cartel Calls On PM For Protection
Belize's butane or LPG industry is going through a radical transformation. As we've been reporting government has established a private-public -partnership with a group of private investors to create the National Gas Company Limited. The Mexican cartel - comprising companies like Belize Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza, ZETA Gas and Southern Choice Butane currently handle the wholesale and retail, distribution, supply, and importation. They have jointly rejected the new model. They say that it will put them out of business and leave their 350 employees jobless. They wrote to the Prime Minister on September 17th requesting an urgent meeting and they got it this morning. The media was there when they left the Prime Minister's office at a few minutes to 12:00 - and they were guarded in their comments after the one hour meeting:

PSU's Problems Too Big For PM to Solve
We also asked the Prime Minister about the situation with the Public Service Union. As we've told you the country's biggest union has been given 30 days to vacate the hilltop property which is home to its national headquarters. The Belmopan City Council sold sold the property to a mystery company called Simplex. At the time of the sale a year ago, there was great hue and cry, and the Prime Minister himself said he would intercede, but, it never worked out. Now the union concedes that it has to move on - hoping for at least some kind of payout for what it calls equitable interest.

PM Resigned On Phantom Voters, "Life Is Real"
The Prime Minister also commented on that other hot button issue: phantom voters. It's been much in the news recently after Deputy Commissioner of Police Edward Broaster - who lives in Lake I - was criticized for transferring into his friend Lee Mark Chang's Caribbean Shores Division. Today, the Prime Minister - who's seen more than a few phantom voters in his two plus decades as Queen Square Rep - was, as you might expect, very understanding of the practice as a fact of political life. As he put it, life is real:

Will Barrow Vote For Faber or Saldivar?
Prime Minister Dean Barrow will step down sometime next year - and he will be replaced by a new leader who will be elected by a majority of his party's 560 delegates and executive members. The Prime Minister has one of those votes - but for whom will he cast it? And when will he actually step down? He discussed these pressing issues today, first saying that there will not be a third horse in this two man race for leadership:

Belize City Mayor Grilled On Witness Stand For A Grueling 4 Hours
In our first segment we had the latest political news - and now we have news of politics in the Supreme Court. Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner spent four hours on the witness stand today in a grueling cross examination by Magali Perdomo. She's the attorney for former City Administrator Candice Miller, who the council terminated on the grounds of gross dereliction of duty. Now, she's suing them for wrongful termination, and claiming damages of almost half a million dollars. Today, the mayor was first questioned about public statements he made in television interviews suggesting that he wanted certain overpaid contract officers gone. He rejected suggestions that this showed he wanted to fire Miller from the day he was sworn in.

Police Have Suspect For Robbing 90 Year Old
Last night we told you that 90 year old Lewis Tillett was thrown off his bicycle, beaten, and robbed of the $2,000.00 that he had just withdrawn from his SAINT JOHN'S credit union account. It happened on Basra Street where the robber escaped but the assault and robbery were caught on surveillance camera, allowing police to identify him.

Are Dangerous Central America Gangs Taking Hold in Belize?
El Salvador's new President Nayib Bukele was elected on an all out gang crackdown - and , now, police fear that some of the dangerous gang members form that country could be running over to Belize - Belmopan in particular. Police believe they have found two of them linked to tortious central american gangs, Calle 18, and MS-13. The first report is about a Salvapan resident who was fined $3,500 for using a sign to promote a gang related activity.

Burglars Spent 2 Hours In Home Close to Police Station
Carmita Leslie's home was burglarized on Tuesday and while residents of Belize city residents almost expect to experience a burglary at some point; what isn't expected is that police stand idly by while a crime is in progress. What is interesting about this burglary is that Leslie's Currassow street home is located a stone's throw away from the 2nd largest police station in the country, Racoon street, and in the shadow of a police camera. Leslie spoke to us today and explained that what upset her most about the burglary is the apparent negligence displayed by the police.

Man Drowned While Swimming Across River
This morning around 9:30, the body of Salvadoran Ladyville resident Raul Rivelo was found in the river in the Manatee Lookout area. His friend, Guatemalan Landscaper Walter Gomez reported that on Monday afternoon, Rivelo was attempting to swim across the Belize River but he was about halfway across the river when he went under water and did not resurface.

Talking The Bi - Regional Fisheries Industry In Belize
Ministers of government responsible for fisheries from every country in the Caribbean and the Central American region met in Belize today to iron out a joint plan on how to move their industry forward. This meeting is part of the third day of a week of planned meetings organized under the CARICOM Agriculture Planners forum. We spoke to the executive director of the region's fisheries mechanism to hear more about the specific challenges being addressed in today's meeting.

ASR/BSI Still "Cotening" Hard-To-Get COTED
And while that regional body was holding its forum on fisheries, representatives of the CARICOM nations were simultaneously participating in a Sugar Stakeholders Meeting. It's part of the 5-days of meetings that CARICOM and The Council for Trade and Economic Development are holding in Belize. It's a particularly important topic for the Belizean authorities within the local sugar industry. That's because, as we've told you, the Government has been on a campaign to get Belizean sugar sold within the CARICOM market. If the CARICOM Nations agree to purchase Belize's direct consumption sugars, it immediately translates into better prices for the cane farmers who took a beating last year on the world market.

New River Improving, But May Get Worse Before Better
The Department of Environment continues to monitor the conditions of the New River. Last month they installed aeretors and were conducting tests twice daily to improve and keep track of the water quality. But have conditions continued to improve? Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment Omar Figueroa is optimistic. We caught up with him today at the Caribbean Regional Fisheries mechanism meeting and he spoke to us about the stagnation the new river experienced during the drought and how the arrival of the rains might make the rivers condition seem worse before actually improving it.

Drought Relief Coming Slower than Rains
We also got a chance to speak with Agriculture Minister Godwin Hulse on the partial state of emergency that was declared last month for the country's agro-productive sector. The extended drought has caused a total estimated loss of 50 million dollars in crops and livestock. So, to give the farmers a bit of ease, the Government is providing relief in the form of emergency funding.

Jail For Retired Pistol-Packing Pilot
He says he is a businessman and retired pilot and and, tonight, 32 year old Ediberto Javier Romero is in jail - on remand for allegedly shooting a man in the shoulder. It happened at Daddy's Rock Night Club on San Pedro on Sunday night when Romero had a misunderstanding with bartender Glenford Alex Dominguez. That led to a some shoving, and it ended when Romero allegedly pulled a firearm and shot Dominguez right in the club. Fortunately, the injury was not life threatening.

A Manatee Miracle
Many times when we report on manatees it is because a dead one has washed ashore, but fortunately that was not the case on Saturday evening when a male manatee calf was found in the Lake Independence area. Residents called Sea to Shore Alliance rep. Jamal Galvez and he and his team went out to rescue the calf. Galvez told us more this morning. Jamal Galvez, Sea to Shore Alliance: "So we went down there and saw the young calf unfortunately thrashing around in a lot of garbage that is another issue to pick up on another day and we looked in the area to see if there are any other manatees.."

Taking The Guesswork Out of Garbage
6 new solid waste transfer stations have been constructed across the country and will be operational very soon. Today Minister of state in the Ministry of Environment, Omar Figueroa, told us about the construction of the new transfer stations and his ministry's aim to consolidate solid waste to one central location. Reporter: "We've been told that the contract for the hauling of the waste disposal and the transfer stations for the northern area has already been distributed can you disclose who that has been given to, because we've heard names."

COMPOL Meets With Media (Again)
Today, the Commissioner of police flanked by senior cops from the National Crimes Investigation Branch met with the media to iron out tensions that have recently arisen. As we've reported many times, the relationship between the media and the police has often been an uneasy truce - and, every six months or so, tensions flare, and both sides have to go back to the table. Today's issues were about the timeliness of information from the police, what is categorized as major crime, and what is the police's duty to disseminate information.

Channel 5

Butane Companies Reps Meet with PM Barrow
A meeting between Prime Minister Dean Barrow and representatives for Belize Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza, and Southern Choice Butane (Zeta Gas) took place today in Belize City. The meeting [...]

Butane Companies Say Meeting with Prime Minister was Amicable
The three current importers of LPG are encouraged to bid for the bulk supply to the terminal. Speaking on behalf of the companies was Ernesto Uh of Zeta Gas. According [...]

PM Barrow says National Gas Company Here to Stay
The Prime Minister and representatives of the three current butane importing companies have scheduled another meeting though the time and venue has not been agreed upon. According to Uh, concerns [...]

G.O.B. Willing to Help P.S.U. Obtain New Land for New HQ
The Public Service Union has been ordered to vacate its Belmopan Hilltop headquarters by October thirty first. The order is by Simplex Designs Limited which has hired Attorney Estevan Perrera. [...]

Was Reynaldo Verde a Chronic Shakedown Artist?
Deputy Director of the Belize Tax Service Reynaldo Verde legal woes continues in the U.S.A.  Today, he was denied bail.  Verde was nabbed by the F.B.I. on charges of interference [...]

Regular Gas and Diesel Go Up, Premium Dips
The prices for regular gasoline and diesel will be going up at midnight at gas pumps across the country. Regular gasoline will go up by thirty-four cents and consumers will [...]

Mayor Bernard Wagner Takes the Stand in Lawsuit Brought by Former City Administrator
The case against the Belize City Council brought by former City Administrator Candice Miller adjourned around four-thirty this afternoon in the courtroom of Justice Courtney Abel. Mayor Bernard Wagner was [...]

Albert Moreira is Committed to Stand Trial for Murder of His Ex-Wife
The fate of Albert Moreira, accused of the murder of his estranged common-law wife, has been decided and he will have to stand trial at the Supreme Court. According to [...]

Eaton Belisle Guilty of 2 Counts of Manslaughter
Four years ago, a bus driver from Saint Paul’s Bank, Belize District attempted to overtake two vehicles as he headed from Belize City to the village.  He never made it [...]

Guatemalan Squatters along Border a Recurring Problem
The squatting problem along the Belize/Guatemala border by residents of El Barrio Judah in Guatemala has been a recurring issue. Pictures obtained by News Five show Guatemalans clearing lands near [...]

Prime Minister Comments on Voters’ List Padding
The problem of phantom voters and voter padding continues despite a recent countrywide re-registration, but Prime Minister Dean Barrow says that it is not something that will likely go away. [...]

PM Barrow: “Voter shenanigans if you will is like the poor it will be with us always.”
According to PM Barrow, padding of the voters’ list, which he described as ‘voter shenanigans,’ will always be with us.   Prime Minister Dean Barrow “This is how far things [...]

PM Barrow Winding Down Final Term
He is serving for three terms as Prime Minister and Dean Barrow is now winding down his last term. Today, Barrow told the media that he will not remain as [...]

Prime Minister Barrow Has Decided Who He Supports for Next U.D.P. Leader
When Prime Minister Dean Barrow steps down, the new leader of the United Democratic Party will ascend to the Prime Ministerial position. The U.D.P. has set February ninth 2020 for [...]

Fish Kill Reported in New River in Libertad Village
There is another fish kill being reported in the New River, but this time, the reports are coming out of Libertad Village in the Corozal District where concerns grow over [...]

What’s Up with the Bay?
And on the matter of the New River pollution…In the Corozal Bay, there are growing concerns about that pollution seeping further north.  Because the tributary empties out into the Corozal [...]

Minister of Environment Says Funds for New River Tests Have Been Identified
On Tuesday, the Minister of Environment Omar Figueroa told the media that they have identified the funds to be used to conduct tests in the New River.  Figueroa says that [...]

Drought Deals “Major Blow” to the Sugar Industry
Two weeks ago the government declared a state of emergency in several areas of the country as a result of the prolonged drought that has impacted the agricultural sector. Government [...]

Government Has Begun its Assistance to Farmers
The sugar industry is not the only one that has been hit by the prolonged drought, which, according to the experts is the longest in Belize since the seventies. Consequently, [...]

Hulse on Senate Inquiry Report: “I wish I knew”
On Tuesday, P.U.P.’s Julius Espat spoke on the pending results of the senate inquiry that took place between 2016 and 2017. Back then, the Senate Special Select Committee met for [...]

Immigration Director Retires
Director of the Immigration Diana Locke will be leaving her desk at the immigration department as she nears the age of retirement. Locke assumed the post in early May of [...]

CARICOM Market Flooded with Sugar from Outside the Region
Agriculture officials from CARICOM member states are meeting this week in Belize to discuss and get consensus on matters they want to advance. The meetings began since Monday and today, [...]

Sugar on CARICOM Market Must be Regulated
A.S.R.’s McLachlan says that they have had very constructive meetings with major industrial users of sugar in CARICOM, and selling Belize sugar looks promising. But, an effective regulatory approach is [...]

Regional Ministers Tackle Fisheries Sustainability and Other Issues
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, CRFM, held a joint meeting between ministers responsible for fisheries and aquaculture, CARICOM countries and country representatives of OSPESCA, a fisheries organisation in Central America. [...]

DYS Hosts Train the Trainers Workshop
Fifteen entrepreneurs are attending a training of trainers’ entrepreneurship workshop at the Department of Youth Services.  A regional consultant, who works a CARICOM initiative called CEBO, the Creativity for Employment [...]

Amandala

Mysterious jet crash-lands on Blue Creek road
In the early hours of this morning, an executive jet crashed-landed on a stretch of road in Blue Creek, a short distance away from the Mexican border with Belize. The impact of the crash landing broke the plane in half, but by the time police arrived on the scene, there was nothing or no one in the area. At a police press briefing today at police headquarters in Belmopan, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams admitted that the police had intelligence about the plane, but had deployed to an area which was about 15 minutes away from where the plane actually landed.

Jebran “Sucu” Wagner, 21, murdered on Coney Drive
At about 12:30 this morning, Jebran Wagner, aka “Sucu,” 21, a football player of Caesar Ridge Road Football Club and a resident of Caesar Ridge Road, who is originally from Dangriga, was at a party on Coney Drive along with his girlfriend, when two men went into the yard. One of the men was armed with a gun, and he shot Wagner several times. The men then ran out of the yard.

Jahnon Trapp, 28, remanded for the murder of Mirna Young, 58
Jahnon Trapp, 28, an unemployed resident of Esperanza, has been charged with murder for the shooting death of Mirna Young, 58, a domestic of Perez Street, Santa Elena, who was a mother of 6 children. Trapp was remanded after being arraigned at the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court this evening. Police said that he will face additional charges. Police said that at about 8:30 Saturday night, September 14, Young’s son, Mynor Galindo, 18, and a friend of his, Daniel Martinez, 21, of Santa Elena, were talking in their yard on Perez Street when a motorcycle drove up on which two men were riding.

Domingo Matias, 32, found dead on his farm with chop wounds
Domingo Miguel Matias, 32, a farmer of Pomona, went to his farm in an area off the Southern Highway at about 10:30 Sunday morning, and did not return home on Sunday evening. His common-law wife, Angelica Chacon, 42, a domestic, became worried because he was to come to take their daughters to church and when he did not come home at 7:30 p.m., she began to call his phone, but got no response. She, his friends and neighbors went to police to report him missing.

Cops fired for Nestor Vasquez’s death
Nestor Vasquez, Jr., 60, the brother of media personality Jules Vasquez of 7News, died after he was severely beaten by Collin Francis, 28, who is mentally challenged, while they were in lockdown in a cell in the cell block at the Queen Street Police Station on the night of Wednesday, June 5. Following the death of Nestor Vasquez, Jr., the cops who were on cell block duty at the time of the assault of Vasquez were placed on interdiction, with half-pay, and it was ordered that they be placed on disciplinary charges. The three officers are Sergeant Shawn Walton, who was the Executive Duty Officer (EDO) at the police station, and Constables Edward Pitterson and Bernard Cayetano.

SC Danny Conorquie’s mother’s labor of love keeps his name alive
On September 25, 2015, Jean Glannis Conorquie was at her workplace at Venus Store in San Ignacio when police officers visited her. One female police officer asked, her where was her son, Danny Conorquie. Jean Conorquie, who is Danny Conorquie’s mother, remembers telling the officers that he was at work at the Caracol archaeological site. “When is he coming back?” the officer reportedly pressed Conorquie. “He told me that he is coming back on Saturday,” Conorquie said she replied.

Independence 8-Ball Tournament – Belize City
The Belize District Billiards Association (BDBA) organized an 8-ball tournament for male and female in celebration of Independence Day on Sept 22 and 23, 2019 at Long Island Bar in Belize City. The results are as follows: FEMALE (12 players registered): 1st – Won by Reina Cano of Orange Walk ($600.00, 1 trophy and 1 case of Belikin Beer); 2nd – Won by Silvani Leiva ($300.00, 1 trophy and 1 case Belikin Beer); 3rd – Won by Mareli Chata of Orange Walk ($100.00, medal); 4th – Won by Breann Young ($50.00, medal).

Orange Walk U-15 and Belize District U-17 are FFB Male Inter-District Football Champions 2019
Some of the nation’s best young footballers were in action on Saturday afternoon at Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, where the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) hosted the championship matches for its National Inter-District U-15 Male and U-17 Male tournaments, that had kicked off almost four months ago with selections representing the ten “football districts” of the country, namely: Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, Belize, Cayo, Benque Viejo, Belmopan, Mid-South, Stann Creek, and Toledo. After the regular competition and group playoff stage, it was down to the final two teams playing for the championship in each category.

Belize at World Athletics Championships in Doha, Quatar
Belize is represented at the World Championship in Athletics. The International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) is having its Congress and World Championship from 25 September to 6 October, 2019. The Congress, which was an election congress, was held on 25 – 26 September, 2019. Belize Athletics Association (BAA) president, Deon Sutherland attended the congress, where President Sebastian Coe, GBR was re-elected unopposed.

Standings the same, Bandits and Verdes remain undefeated, Valley Pride still winless at Week 9 of PLB 2019-2020 Opening Season
Week 9 is in the books, as only 5 regular season weeks remain in the 2019-2020 Premier League of Belize (PLB) Opening Tournament. With the race to the top-4 playoffs taking shape, standings leaders Bandits Sport and Verdes FC are still undefeated, while newcomers Freedom Fighters Valley Pride FC are yet to gain a victory, and defending champions San Pedro Pirates FC are in danger of “drawing” themselves out of the playoffs with yet another draw this past weekend.

Editorial: Belizeans gave UDP a chance: now they disrespect us
The Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Patrick Faber, has a history of being honest about the dishonorable deeds of his party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), and he has passed off quite a few of these deeds as standard government practice. Faber is very much like our present Prime Minister, Hon. Dean Barrow, who infamously said when discussing a Vega scandal, “It is what it is”. Recently, when DPM Faber was asked about the $40,000 write-off of a student loan that had been given to the son of a prominent colleague in his party, he actually, surprisingly, spoke out against it. His lapse into the realm of honor and decency, however, didn’t last a week. He told the media, on the return to his old self, that, well, he had to conform because he was a part of Cabinet.

Pray that Sedi doesn’t lose again
I am watching this court case involving Mr. Sedi Elrington very keenly, and I di run sweat that he will take a likking. I am just tired of foreigners banging the stuffings out of us whenever, wherever we go up against them. The PUP took some drubbing, but my gudnis, dis ya crowd da some kind a punching bag when they go up against foreigners. The most terrible part of this story is that we always end up footing the bill. We have to face facts: Belizeans, we are no match for those boys out there. Ashcroft, he’s got a clean sheet against us. He wap us so bad with the UHS, we couldn’t afford to pay. In a small victory, we reportedly got the court to agree that the wonder of compound interest would get cramped a little.

Working conditions in the public service “deplorable,” says PSU
The newly elected president of the Public Service Union (PSU), Gerald Henry, Jr., has concluded his familiarization tour of government departments and ministries across the country and the union issued a report which amounts to an indictment for the conditions under which public officers carry out their functions in today’s Belize. The four-page report is dated September 20, 2019. The PSU report says that the union is “…extremely concerned by many inactions, complete lack of respect, willful neglect, hazardous environments, spiteful actions, and lack of job security shown towards most Public Officers in many line ministries and departments across the country.”

Home invasion at Pound Yard
The house of well-known Jenny Lovell, a psychotherapist and former singing star of Mass in Blues fame, was invaded by two men who went into the house, but who escaped empty-handed due to police speeding to the house after a vigilant person saw the thieves breaching the house, and called police. Lovell told us that police searched the house to ensure that the thieves were not hiding there. Nothing was stolen.

In Belize Rural North, PUP challenging 71 names on voters list
The first challenge to the names on the list of registered voters has been filed at court and this morning, representatives of the two main political parties, the governing United Democratic Party (UDP) and Opposition People’s United Party (PUP), were at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for a hearing before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser. When the parties emerged from the courtroom, the PUP’s Belize Rural North standard bearer, Marconi Leal, gave a media interview in which he outlined the reason that the PUP is challenging the names on the voters list for the Belize Rural North constituency.

Second shooting of Mark Clarke on New Road; he once again survives
Seven months after he was shot on New Road in February, Mark Alexander Clarke, 41, a laborer of Fredrick Alley, Belize City, was again shot on New Road. The gunman, who was on a bicycle, escaped into Cleghorn Street. Clarke, who was wounded in the body, was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a serious condition; doctors say that his condition is now stable.

The Reporter

Minister Of Foreign Affairs Gives Speech At U.N
On Friday September 27th. 2019, Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize, addressed the general debate of the 74th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York City, NY.

Leon Lozano & Ron Sierra Win At Film Festival in Cali
A Belizean film “My Father Belize,” won the “Short Film” and “Audience Choice” awards at the Oakland International Film Festival in California last week. The film will be featured at the 14th Belize International Film Festival in November.

LOVE FM

Sugar Stakeholders discuss regional issues
Sugar stakeholders gathered today to discuss regional issues impacting Belize’s export of sugar to the Caribbean. The main issue raised is the interference of non-CARICOM states into the Caribbean Market.

Farmers receive coupons to alleviate drought damages
Farmers countrywide will soon be receiving a coupon from the Government in an effort to alleviate the strains caused by the recent drought. During the last Prime Minister’s press conference, it was announced that a partial state of emergency would be declared.

Fish kills in Libertad; New River related?
A video showing hundreds of dead fish was sent to us this morning. The fish kill is reportedly happening in Libertad Village, Corozal District. According to the source, the video was captured this morning.

PM meets with Gas Companies
Prime Minister Dean Barrow met with representatives from the three major gas companies in Belize, namely the Belize Western Energy Limited (BWEL), Gas Tomza, and Zeta Gas. The meeting had to do with the proposal of a National Gas Company Limited.

Body found in Belize River
The body of man was hauled out the Belize River, just behind the Manatee Lookout area in Ladyville, Belize District. The partially decomposed body was later identified as 43-year-old Raul Rivelo.

Court will have the final say in Miller’s termination
Candice Miller, former City Administrator, was terminated by Belize City Council in May 2018. It is now up to the Supreme Court to decide whether the termination was unlawful or justified. Miller is suing Mayor Bernard Wagner and the Belize City Council for wrongful dismissal.

Dolphin death not associated with New River Crisis
On September 12, the carcass of a dolphin washed up on the shores of Cerros Sands, Corozal. Speculations by the residents were that the New River contaminants were associated with the death of the dolphin.

Man goes to court for San Pedro shooting
32-year-old Ediberto Javier Romero went to the court today to answer to charges surrounding a shooting that occurred over the weekend in San Pedro. On Monday morning around 12:30, police received information of a shooting inside Daddy Rocks Disco on Barrier Reef Drive.

Cleanup for the Macal River begins
The Macal River in the Cayo District is finally getting some much needed TLC. The river had been overrun with algae, stopping the river flow and also giving it a greenish appearance.

Breaking Belize News

Love and Rage: Q&A with the author
Love and Rage is a novel written by Belizean author Tricia Jones-Logan, that delves the […]

How do you solve a problem like voter padding?
After recent revelations of lists of voters exceeding the expected capacity of certain households in […]

Faber vs Saldivar – who’s back does the Prime Minister have?
They are arguably the most visible – and powerful – members of his Cabinet, and […]

Man drowns in the Belize River
A man drowned while attempting to cross the Belize River on Monday. Walter Gomez reported to […]

Celebrating Belizean women: Meet Nurse Ingrid!
Ingrid Gomez, also known as ‘Nurse Ingrid’ was born in Dangriga on December 16, 1981. […]

New River continues to suffer; more dead fish in Libertad
Belizeans are gravely concerned about the contamination of the New River in Northern Belize. The […]

Regular and diesel prices hiked; premium gas goes down
The Ministry of Finance announced that at midnight tonight, the pump prices of three fuel […]

San Ignacio & Santa Elena Town Council and residents unite to ‘Save the Macal River’ in Cayo
The organizers of the ‘Save the Macal River’ initiative continue to clean up along the […]

Belizean saxophonist, ‘Di Real McCoy’ to release 2nd album
Belizean saxophonist, Allan Martin McCoy known on stage as ‘Di Real McCoy’ is planning to […]

Itzamna Society signs provisional co-management agreement for Elijio Panti National Park
On September 26, 2019, Cayo Central Area Representative, Rene Montero facilitated the signing of a […]

Belizean student heads to Oxford University next week
A Belizean born teenager has been matriculated at the world-renowned Oxford University in England. River […]

Robber(s) burglarize San Juan Bosco R.C. School in Stann Creek
This morning, the principal and staff of San Juan Bosco Roman Catholic Primary School in […]

Introducing Hobbs – the (craft) Beer of Belize
Established seven years ago on Ambergris Caye, the Belize subsidiary of Hobbs Brewery (originally from […]

Blogs

Discover the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area while staying at La Milpa Lodge and Research Center
... One such place is La Milpa Lodge and Research Center within the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA) in north-western Belize. Just a two and a half hour’s drive from Belize City, the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area was established in 1989 as a private reserve when forested land and other natural ecosystems were threatened with deforestation and fragmentation. This 254,000-acre reserve represents approximately 4% of Belize’s total land area. It is the largest private reserve in Belize and second largest single protected area in the country.

Alaia, A Resort Like Belize has Never Seen, Rises on Ambergris Caye
Alaia Resort, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is Rising Quickly on Ambergris Caye. I don’t remember when I first heard about the plans for the Alaia Resort Belize on Ambergris Caye – it wasn’t that long ago. So last week I asked Andrew Ashcroft, Managing Principal, for a tour. The property is going up rapidly at a well-known strip of beach just south of San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye call Mar de Tumbo Beach. Previously cleared but undeveloped, it is just south of Banyan Bay Resort . This hotel is also receiving a big upgrade since it will be part of the overall development. I met Andrew early afternoon at the Banyan Bay lobby. We stopped in the model home across the street – you can go in to see both the model and take a crazy virtual reality tour. We grabbed hardhats and safety vests and set out for the HUGE building site. There are a few hundred guys working – it’s organized chaos.

Belizean Teacher is Chosen for Prestigious Global Education Program
Many people have been following along with the past two application processes for Participate Learning Belize teacher training. Here is a great update followed by an interview with the first Belizean teacher Chosen. Alex Cruz began his professional career as a teacher and an educational administrator in 2010. After nine years of experience, he decided that it was time to exceed his limits and look for a new professional and personal horizon. This is how Cruz joined the renowned cultural exchange program called Participate Learning. At the end of the recruitment process, he was selected among a large group of candidates to be a teacher in the United States for his professional and personal skills.

World Animal Day
Happy World Animal Day (October 4) to all the animal lovers of the world! There are many animals in the world but one very near to our hearts is the Green Iguanas. The Green Iguanas, known locally as "bamboo chicken", is the largest lizard in Belize and one of the largest in the world. Why Bamboo Chicken, you may ask? Sadly, the iguana has graced the Belizean table over the years, with its meat and eggs. When people ask what it tastes like, the usual answer is… chicken.

The Top 5 Caves to Visit in Belize
Cave, the most common definition,is a natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth, typically of natural origin; for us, in Belize, it’s a mythical experience, a connection with nature and a piece of history. Caves tell the history of Belize, an important part of the Mayan religion and culture. The Mayas used them as ceremonial sites, where today you can find artifacts like pottery, precious stones, andsacrificial remains. Belize hasmore than 20 amazing caves all over the country, and many of them have been featured in articles and documentaries by National Geographic and other international media organizations.

Ambergris Eats – Seafood Recipes
Travel immerses us in new experiences, cultures, and cuisines. Exploring the food scene has become a significant part of a travelers’ itinerary worldwide and has made an imprint on the smallest of destinations. San Pedro, located on the coast of Belize, is a small bustling island spanning just 71.2 km². Apart from its beauty and striking landscape, its’ flavorful and mouth-watering cuisine has captured the hearts of countless visitors. San Pedro has become the culinary capital for Belize, as it is home to the most restaurants country wide. Today the island is booming with locations that offer delightful dishes for all pallets, with seafood being a major part of many menus.

International Sources

Mayan calendar cracked? Why space breakthrough could answer age-long ‘guide to survival’
The Mayans were a civilisation known for their architecture, mathematics and astronomical beliefs, who date back to as far as 2000BC, with many of their impressive constructions still standing in the jungles of southeast Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and western parts of Honduras. This advanced population used a 260-day calendar, known as the Tzolkin, which combines 20-day names with 13-day numbers to give each day a unique name, used to determine the time of religious and ceremonial events. In recent years, the calendar gained attention after claiming to have calculated the end of the world to occur on December 21, 2012, regarded to be the end-date of a 5,126-year-long cycle. However, despite the globe still spinning, Amazon Prime’s “Mayan’s Revelations” claimed the ancient culture may have actually been more aware of nature than first believed. Abuelo Lolmay, an expert on Mayan spirituality explained why the calendar was integral to his predecessors.

Clearwater aquarium saves baby manatee in Belize
A baby manatee that was stranded is being taken care of at a wildlife rehabilitation center in northern Belize after being rescued by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Rescue Team. The male calf, that rescuers estimate to be between 2-3 weeks old, was found stranded and alone in the Belize River. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium was called and rescuer Jamal Galves arrived on the scene. "We headed over to the river area where the community observed the little one splashing around," said Galves. "After taking some time to look around the area to ensure no other manatee was near that could possibly be the mother, we started our attempt to capture the calf." Galves continues, "I quickly grabbed the calf and raced it over to the rescue truck where it was placed and prepared for transport to the rehab center."

Using past extinctions to drive future conservation
Late Quaternary extinctions of large animals have historically been understood as global phenomena, resulting from climate fluctuations or quickly dispersing human populations. However, new technologies are enabling fine-grain analyses that shed new light on individual species' varied responses to changing local conditions, new competitors and predators, and other external drivers. According to an interdisciplinary team writing in BioScience, the newly gained knowledge may be of particular value in understanding animal populations' responses to contemporary threats, as well--in particular, those posed by climate change.

Concern still persists over long term drought in the Caribbean
The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Tuesday said that while there is less concern over short term drought, there remains much concern over long term drought as the end of the year approaches. In its latest Caribbean Drought Bulletin released here, the CIMH said that the drought situation is of even more concern given that the wet season is also coming to an end. “This enhances concerns related to water availability moving into the dry season. In particular, underground water sources and large, rivers could continue to be depleted, particularly in portions of the eastern Caribbean, French Guiana and Belize.”

Videos

October 2, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

2019-2020 Queen Conch Season officially opens; know the fishing rules
Tuesday, October 1st, officially marked the beginning of the 2019-2020 fishing season of the Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas). The season closed on April 30th, and after six months, fishermen across the country are once again allowed to harvest one of the most significant sources of revenue in the fishing industry. Conch is a staple across Belize, prepared in dishes like ceviche, soups, and fritters among others. This seafood generates millions of dollars for Belize, and the season usually runs for approximately seven months or until the conch quota set for that period has been met, whichever comes first.

Government of Belize Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Republic of Serbia
The Governments of Belize and the Republic of Serbia have established diplomatic relations at the ministerial level. The signing took place in New York on September 24, 2019. Signing on behalf of the Government of Belize was Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Wilfred Elrington, and on behalf Serbia was H.E. Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. Accompanying Minister Elrington was Mr. Patrick Andrews, Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Ayesha Borland, Director of International Affairs (Policy); and Mrs. Orla Kantun-Coleman, Director of International Affairs (Cooperation).

7th draw of the season for the San Pedro Pirates against Altitude FC
In the ninth week of the 2019 Opening Season Premiere League of Belize (PLB), the San Pedro Pirates once again landed a draw. On Saturday, September 28th the San Pedro Pirates hosted Altitude F.C in an intense match at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town. With a final score of 1-1, the game marked the seventh draw for the island team for this PLB season.

Ambergris Today

Oceana Belize National Coastal And Riverways Cleanup
Hundreds of Belizean wavemakers participate in country-wide effort to remove debris and garbage from waterways and coastline On Saturday, September28, 2019, more than 1,500 of Oceana’s wavemakers and volunteers participated in the 29th annual nation-wide cleanup led by the Belize Scouts Association and supported by other organizations and schools to remove trash and debris from river banks, waterways and beaches. Wavemakers, armed with biodegradable garbage bags and gloves, removed trash from coastal areas of Belize City, Punta Gorda, Independence, Hopkins, Corozal, and along river ways in Orange Walk and San Ignacio.

Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanisms Holds High-Level Fisheries Meetings In Belize
Ministerial Fisheries delegations from countries across the Caribbean and Central America will converge in Belize this week for high-level talks aimed at solidifying partnerships at the political level, as well as setting our priority areas for attention and mutual cooperation. On Tuesday, 1 October 2019, the CRFM convened the Ninth Special Meeting of its Ministerial Council, the chief decision-making arm of the inter-governmental CARICOM agency. A priority item on the agenda of the CRFM meeting is a regional plan of action to combat Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Transport Dept. Safe Driving Guidelines
Signs inside the traffic department. Please note: The maximum allowable speed on Caye Caulker is 10 mph.

Corozal vs. Stann Creek
Football Action continues - Corozal Football Association invites all fans to come out and support our Females U17 Team this Saturday, October 5th, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at the Ricalde Stadium. Free Entrance for all.

Belize Water Services Notice to Shareholders: Dividend Cheques
BWS advises its shareholders who reside in the districts and have not yet received their dividend cheque for 2019, that these will be available for pick up commencing October 1st, 2019 at our branch offices in your district during normal working hours. Each shareholder is asked to please bring along a valid identification when picking up their cheque.

The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project's new Logo
As the Downtown Rejuvenation Project works its way towards May of 2020, our projected month for the implementation of our Eco-Museum in downtown, we would like to introduce to you our new Eco-museum logo. The logo consists of architectural symbols, and it has been designed for clarity and simplicity and to express confidence and a blend of modernity with the historic nature of our Eco-museum. This logo will be seen throughout our Eco-museum on interpretive signs and other collateral material.

International Archaeology Day Anti Looting and Graffiti Poster Competition
October is here and we all know what that means; International Archaeology Day is approaching!!! To celebrate International Archaeology Day, the Institute of Archaeology is hosting an Anti Looting and Graffiti Poster Competition.

PACT COMMITS $1.15 MILLION INVESTMENT IN BELIZE’S MARINE RESERVE NETWORK
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) continues to be the premier donor to Belize’s National Protected Areas System. Today, PACT continued the roll out of its Conservation Investment Strategy with another investment, this time in multiple Marine Protected Areas under the management of the Belize Fisheries Department. A brief signing ceremony was held to award the $1.15 Million Dollar conservation investment. This investment is expected to support the Fisheries Department in improving management effectiveness of five Marine Reserves across the Belize Barrier Reef System. Specifically, it will result in improved infrastructure and management presence at the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, Caye Caulker Marine Reserve, South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve and Glovers Reef Marine Reserve.

NEMO ADVISORY #1 - TUESDAY 1ST OCTOBER, 2019 as at 5:00 p.m. MONITORING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN
The National Meteorological Services of Belize and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) hereby informs the general public that a broad area of low pressure is located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. The area continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Any development of this system is expected to be slow to occur as it moves to the west-northwest near the Yucatan peninsula in a couple of days, and over the southern Gulf of Mexico by Friday.

Belize Manatee Tour-Guide and Boat Captains CERTIFICATE WORKSHOP 2019
Date: OCTOBER 9, 2019. Time: 7:00 pm. Venue: Chan's Meeting Room on Caye Caulker

Free eye exams today at the San Pedro Lions Club
Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) will be at the Lions Den tomorrow, Wednesday 2nd October. Free eye exams, no appointment needed, first come first serve. 8AM - 2:30PM.

Necropsy Results of Dolphin Carcass Found in Corozal Bay
On September 12th, 2019, our partners in conservation, the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD), responded to a call of a dead dolphin calf on the shores of Cerros Sands Resort, near Copper Bank Village, Corozal District. SACD arranged for a necropsy to be conducted on the dolphin by a certified veterinarian, which resulted in the determination of the cause of death to be “internal bleeding due to muscle bruises in the chest area as a result of ‘blunt trauma’”. Our SACD partners determined that the contamination of the New River was not associated with the death of this dolphin as was previously speculated by members of the public; however, various tissue samples were taken to conduct histology and toxicology analysis for determination of any toxicity build-up.

Government of Belize Establishes Diplomatic Relations with the Republic of Serbia
The Governments of Belize and the Republic of Serbia have established diplomatic relations at the ministerial level. The signing took place in New York on September 24, 2019. Signing on behalf of the Government of Belize was Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Wilfred Elrington, and on behalf Serbia was H.E. Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. Accompanying Minister Elrington was Mr. Patrick Andrews, Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Ayesha Borland, Director of International Affairs (Policy); and Mrs. Orla Kantun-Coleman, Director of International Affairs (Cooperation).

Football Action at the Calcutta Football Field - CFA Opening Season Youth Tournament 2019-2020
Week 4- Schedule. Sunday, October 6th, 2019 starting at 9:00 a.m. Come one, come all! It all happens at the Carolina Football Field.

PARTNERS FOR MEDICAL RELIEF SURGICAL MISSION
Ear, Nose & Throat Plastic Surgery. SCREENING date Saturday, October 5th. SURGERIES date Sunday & Monday, October 6th & 7th. LOCATION: Corozal Community Hospital

Making Bordeaux Mix for fungicide
In the Vaca plateau technicians train farmers to do their Bordeaux Mix which is a fungicide to control mildew and other fungus on vegetable crops.

Channel 7

PSU Ready to Move From Hilltop, But Wants Some Compensation
Last night we told you how the Public Service Union has been given 30 days to vacate its national headquarters on the famed hilltop in Belmopan. The attorney for the company who now owns the property wrote to the union saying that it has until October 30th to clear out - or they will go to court to take out an eviction notice. That attorney is Steve Perrera and he writes for Simplex, the mystery company that bought the property from the Belmopan City council late last year. In his letter, Perrera refers to a remark the union president, Gerald Henry made to the media - saying that the union plans to vacate. Well, today Henry told PLUS TV he never said that - and added that they don't plan to vacate until they are compensated for what he says is their equitable interest in the property:...

Danny Mason, Still Waiting For Mystery Witness To Appear
The murder trial for William "Danny" Mason, Ashton Vanegas, Keiron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo continued today in Belmopan, after just over 2 weeks of recess. And in that time, Justice Antoinette Moore and the Marshall assigned to her court have been doing their very best to assist Mason in getting access to his final witness. As we told you, he wants to call a US Embassy employee to testify in his defense. The difficulty is that this US Embassy employee is currently not in Belize. To get access to him, the Supreme Court has to go through the official, government to government channels, by making a formal request via a diplomatic note.

Man Dies 6 Weeks After Being Shot By Teen
44 year old Brindel Munnings died today in the living room of his Belize City home - 44 days after he was shot. His wife left him about 3:00 this morning sitting on the couch in their living room. When she awoke at around 6:00 she found him unresponsive. The family says that Munnings had barely been eating in the last few days and that he didn't have enough body weight to recover from his injuries. On Sunday August 18th Munnings was shot a few yards from his home, in an alley near the Inspiration Center.

Former City Administrator and City Hall Square Off In Court
The Mayor of Belize City, Bernard Wagner is expected to take the stand tomorrow in the Supreme Court in a case brought by former City administrator Candice Miller. It's a high stakes battle before Justice Courtney Abel; she's suing the council for just about half a million dollars for the wrongful termination of her employment contract, and the council is countersuing her for a million dollars for dereliction of duty which they claim left them liable for a million dollar default judgement. That default judgement from Belize Waste control was one of the grounds for her dismissal - and it dominated cross examinations today.

NEMO Says Watch Out For Weather System
NEMO and the MET office are r closely monitoring a weather system out in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. - and you should be paying it some attention too. It is broad area of low pressure which continues to produce disorganized showers and thunder stormß. Any development of this system is expected to be slow while it is moving to the west-northwest, near the Yucatan Peninsula. It is expected to reach in that general vicinity in 2 days, and then over the southern Gulf of Mexico by Friday. It only has a 10% chance for development during that time, and currently, it poses no threat to Belize.

Elderly Man Thrown Off Bike and Robbed Leaving Credit Union
Money comes and goes but no one expects to be robbed of it as you get it in your hand. That's what happened to a man this morning around 11:00. Lewis Tillett - who is described in a report as an elderly man - had just exited the St. John's Credit Union on Basra Street and was riding his bicycle when a man approached him, threw him off his bike and stole the $2,000 he had just withdrawn from his credit union account.

Cooler Heads Prevail At KHMH
Last week we told you about the explosive demand from the KHMH workers union. They demanded the immediate removal of Medical Chief of Staff, Dr. Beatriz Thompson. They claimed she was with wi be removed within a week! And that demand letter was sent a week ago withholding overtime payments and playing favorites with those payments. The union said it would apply for a notice of industrial action as of last week - but it seems cooler heads have prevailed.

Reckless Driver Found Guilty of Causing Two Men's Deaths
Tonight, 28 year-ole Eaton Belisle, a bus driver from St. Paul's Bank Village, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison. He's there awaiting a sentencing hearing after he was convicted of 2 counts of manslaughter by negligence in the courtroom of Justice Colin Williams. The incident happened on the evening of August 14th, 2015. Belisle was driving a white Mercedes, and he was heading home. When he arrived at an area between miles 6 and 7 on the Philip Goldson Highway, he was attempting to overtake 2 vehicles in front of him. But, he ended up in the lane of a white pick-up truck coming from the opposite direction.

Talking CARICOM Agriculture
CARICOM and the The Council for Trade and Economic Development are hosting five days of meetings to address issues of Agriculture and fisheries in the region. These meetings include sessions that foster open dialogue with the private sector and policy makers from the different member states to look at what the region has done, assess where we are, and make recommendations about the way forward. Belize's CEO of Agriculture told us what the sessions are about: Jose Alpuche, C.E.O., Ministry of Agriculture: "This morning we had a session with the private sector actually looking at the business climate..."

Hemp to the Future?
Regularly on the news, we tell you about big weed busts throughout the country. But at the same time, weed's non - intoxicating cousin hemp is being encouraged as legitimate agro business. That's what the Prime Minister announced in his Independence day address - and it raises the the question: could there ever be a commercial marijuana industry in Belize? Officials at CARICOM's Agricultural planners Forum are exploring a cost benefit analysis of our options. This afternoon's meeting included a session titled "The Business of Cannabis and Implications for Caribbean Agriculture." We spoke to C.E.O. Alpuche and a Program manager from CARICOM's secretariat and they shared their views on the commercial opportunities that may one day become an option.

No Water In Toledo's Second Biggest Village
The second biggest village in the Toledo district, San Antonio was without water today. And the PUP area representative, Oscar Requena says it's the product of chronic meddling in the water board by the ruling UDP. We spoke to Requena in Toledo today via telephone where he said the Ministry of Rural Development is to blame for thousands of residents waking up to no water:...

Why Did The Dolphin Die?
A dead dolphin was seen floating in the Corozal Bay On September 2nd. It was later extracted from the water for closer inspection. At the time the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development arranged for a necropsy to be conducted on the dolphin by a certified veterinarian. Today the DOE in a press release revealed the mammal's cause of death to be "internal bleeding due to muscle bruises in the chest area as a result of 'blunt trauma'". The necropsy also determined that the contamination of the New River was not associated with the death of this dolphin

Training Trainers At DYS
Today 15 entrepreneurs participated in day 1 of a 5-day "train the trainers" session at the Department of Youth Services. A consultant from the CARICOM based Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunities agency (CEBO) is in Belize for the entire month to facilitate the training. We stopped by to find out more about the discussion topics and why it is important to empower youth through entrepreneurship. Aida Escobar, Communications Officer, Department of Youth Services: "So about 5 years ago CEBO reached out to our department of youth services, they reached out to all the youth services..."

Putting Elders At the Front Ah Di Line
Today was observed worldwide as the international day of older persons. This year, the emphasis is on the theme 'Journey to Age Equality'. That means giving older persons equal access to accessing certain services. But equal is not identical for persons with special needs - and that's the rations behind the Front Ah Di Line Campaign - which was launched today.

PACT Invests in Marine Network
Today PACT committed a 1.5 Million dollar investment into Belize's Marine Reserve Network. A signing ceremony was held in Belmopan to celebrate the investment that was made to benefit multiple marine protected areas under the management of the fisheries department.

Philo Wants To Solve Port's Land Problems
Phillip Willoughby is the UDP Standard Bearer for Port Loyola. In January, he invited residents of the Port to come to him if they need to get their land papers straightened out. Now, if you know anything about bureaucracy in Belize, you'll know that getting land documents is even worse than trying to get a new birth certificate. Well, Willoughby has the solution, at least for his constituents.

Walking For Sickle Cell
Many Belizeans are living with sickle cell disease. It is hardest for children as the symptoms are severe and can lead to death. It is a serious illness and PG resident Rockel Romero continues to raise awareness through various community activities and through her sickle cell association facebook page. On Saturday Romero organized a walk in Punta Gorda town.

Channel 5

Parole for Reynaldo Verde?
The fate of Reynaldo Verde will be determined on Wednesday. The Deputy Director of the Belize Tax Service remains behind bars in the U.S. on charges of interference with commerce by [...]

Still No Statement from Final Witness for William “Danny” Mason
The murder trial of William “Danny” Mason and four other accused men continued to face a hitch today in the Belmopan Supreme Court. That is because the court has been [...]

6 Weeks After He was Shot, Brindel Munnings Jr. Dies
Almost a month and a half after he was targeted on Police Street in the Saint Martin De Porres area of Belize City, forty-four-year-old Brindel Munnings Junior passed away at [...]

P.S.U. Recognizes Legality of the Hill Top Purchase but is Still Not Ready to Move
The Public Service Union says it won’t be moving though it recognizes the purchase of Hill Top by Simplex Design Company Limited as legal.  In November of 2018, the P.S.U. [...]

C.E.O. Alpuche Supports Training for Cops to Deal with Troubled Minors
Today, the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Human Development, Judith Alpuche, acknowledged the need for more collaborative work with the police when it comes to detaining minors. Speaking about the [...]

Squatters Problem at Belize/Guatemala Border Re-emerges
A 2004 squatters’ problem on the Belize/Guatemala border is re-emerging. There is word that Guatemalan families have begun clearing lands in that area. More than ten years ago, about thirty [...]

FM Elrington Addresses the UN: Gives Update on Belize/Guatemala Dispute
The General Debate at the United Nations started on September twenty-fourth and has now concluded. On Saturday, Foreign Minister, Wilfred Elrington addressed the assembly; at the end of his statement, [...]

Years Later: Where is the Senate Inquiry Report?
Between 2016 and 2017 the Senate Special Select Committee met for more than forty sessions over the course of thirteen months to carry out its investigation into the Auditor General’s [...]

Chairman Says PAC Remains Non-Functional
Julius Espat is also the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, PAC. The PAC is tasked at looking at government spending and holding public officers and politicians responsible According to [...]

4 Years Later Camalote Villagers Waiting for CJ’s Judgment on Land Dispute
The Cotton Tree Village Council took the Government of Belize to court almost four years ago. The case revolves around two hundred and fifty-four parcels of lots that had been [...]

Land Consultations Scheduled for Port Loyola Residents
In Belize City, residents in the Port Loyola Constituency will be allowed to have their land woes addressed.  U.D.P. Standard Bearer for Port Loyola, Phillip Willoughby has arranged for a land consultation [...]

Kenyon Dominguez is Freed after 7 Years on Remand for Murder
After serving seven years on remand, twenty-eight-year-old Kenyon Dominguez walked free from the Supreme Court on Monday for gunning down Keith Lewis on July eleventh on Miller Street, behind the [...]

Agreement Reached; Impasse Broken between K.H.M.H.A. and Workers Union
The K.H.M.H.A. Board and the K.H.M.H. Workers Union have come to an agreement. The parties were at an impasse over several issues including the union’s demand for the removal of [...]

The Production of Hemp under Consideration in CARICOM
The production of hemp is under consideration in a number of Caribbean countries due to its economic potentials.  It is one of the more interesting topics on the agenda of [...]

What are the Implications of Hemp Production in the Region?
The paper presentation will also look at the implications as it relates to food security since countries may embark on converting land traditional used for food production to cultivate cannabis [...]

“Front ah di line” – a New Campaign for Older Persons
The National Council on Ageing wants older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and women with young children to have more access to essential services. To do this, the council [...]

An Expo for Older Persons
As you heard just now, the National Council on Ageing launched a campaign to increase accessibility to basic services for overlooked groups including older persons and persons with disability. As [...]

San Antonio Villagers without Portable Water
Villagers in San Antonio in the Toledo District have been without water for two days. Area Representative for Toledo West Oscar Requeña says that the village’s water woes is a well [...]

PACT Awards over $1 Million to be Invested in 5 MPAS
Today the Protected Areas Conservation Trust made its singular largest investment in marine protected areas in Belize. As a part of its conservation investment strategy, PACT awarded over one million [...]

CARICOM Ministers and Officials Meet in Belize on the Way Forward for the Agricultural Industry in the Region
As you heard, a week of working sessions, including ministerial discussions and stakeholder engagement in respect of agriculture in the region, is taking place in Belize at the Biltmore Plaza. [...]

NEMO Monitors Weather in Northwestern Caribbean Sea
The National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO is keeping a close watch on a broad area of low pressure that is currently located over the northwester Caribbean Sea. In an advisory [...]

The C.R.F.M. Meets in Belize: Illegal, Unreported & Unregulated Fishing Threatens Industry
Back to the regional meetings, members of the ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism met today at the Biltmore Plaza. C.R.F.M. is discussing a cadre of issues affecting [...]

The Seafood Trade in the Caribbean: Meeting Market Requirements
But where is the region in terms of accessing markets for its fishery products? Trade in fish and seafood is one of the largest areas of agriculture commodity globally; over [...]

Police on Road Safety for Motorists
There has been persistent loss of life due traffic accidents since the start of the year, but fortunately a crash on the Hummingbird Highway in Belmopan left five persons nursing [...]

The Reporter

Basra Street Robbery Caught On Security Camera
The Belize Police Department is asking the public’s assistance in identifying a man who robbed another man on a bicycle this afternoon on Basra Street.

Simplex vs Public Service Union HQ – Still In Limbo
The Public Service Union (P.S.U.) has told the Reporter it intends to stand its ground at its headquarters on Hilltop in Belmopan despite an eviction notice from Simplex Designs via its attorney.

Belizean Releases First Single in the US
A Belizean who lives in Los Angeles, California gave Belizeans a song with a catchy rhythm and lyrics they could enjoy for Independence Day while sending very subtle advice to stand up to bullies. Otty Trujillo’s first single – a Belizean Brukdong song titled “Push A Back” has reportedly already been received well and is now a hit among the Belizeans living in LA.

LOVE FM

Conch season reopens
The annual conch season in Belize runs from October 1st to June 30th and was declared opened by the Fisheries Department. For coastal fishing communities, it is a main source of revenue and as such, it is considered a big day in their fishing calendar.

NCA Launches Front Ah Di Line Campaign
The Front Ah Di Line campaign, which was launched today, seeks to ensure that specific persons are given special considerations in day to day activities. The campaign was launched by National Council of Ageing and aims to improve the lives of older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and parents with infants.

PSU told to vacate Hilltop headquarters
The Public Service Union has until the end of this month to vacate their Hilltop National Headquarters. Simplex Design Company Limited, the company which bought the hilltop property from the Belmopan City Council last year, has written to PSU through their attorney, Steven Perrera from Esteven Perrera & Company.

Man robbed outside of Credit Union
Earlier this afternoon, a man on a bicycle was robbed while coming out of St John's Credit Union on Bastra Street. (VIDEO ROBBERY VO) A nearby surveillance camera caught the entire incident.

Tropic Air to add bigger planes for international flights
One of Belize’s pioneers in the civil aviation industry is Tropic Air Limited. This week, the company announced that they are investing in a larger type of aircraft that will allow them to better serve their international routes.

Busito Passengers robbed in broad daylight
Passengers of a busito in Cayo were robbed yesterday afternoon. Our Cayo Correspondent told us more. No water in San Antonio, Toledo
Residents of San Antonio Village, Toledo District are stuck living without water for the past two days. They are unable to complete their day to day tasks.

No water in San Antonio, Toledo
Residents of San Antonio Village, Toledo District are stuck living without water for the past two days. They are unable to complete their day to day tasks.

Agriculture Census ending soon
Farmers are being urged to register themselves as the Agriculture Census that is being executed by the Ministry of Agriculture is coming to an end. The Agriculture Census is a count of all the farmers and farm activities in Belize.

CARICOM holds youth empowerment workshop
The CARICOM program dubbed “Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity” is equipping young people across the Caribbean with tools to make it in the business world.

Port Loyola residents can query land issues in the near future
Belize City residents living in Port Loyola will have their opportunity to query any land issue they may be faced with in the upcoming two weeks. Standard Bearer for the area, Philip Willoughby, told us today that members of the Lands Department in Belmopan will be journeying to the YMCA on Faber’s Road in order to answer all concerns.

NEMO Monitoring Area Of Low Pressure
The National Meteorological Services of Belize and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) are currently monitoring a broad area of low pressure that is located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea.

Breaking Belize News

Autopsy conducted on dolphin carcass found in Corozal Bay
On September 12, 2019, the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD), responded to a […]

NEMO monitors low pressure area in Central Caribbean
The National Meteorological Service of Belize and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) today informed that […]

Hobbs Brewery launches 2020 calendar
The calendar has turned to October, but over the weekend on the Placencia Peninsula, a […]

Conch season officially opens
Today, October 1st marks the opening of the conch season 2019-2020. As such, the Fisheries […]

National Council on Aging launches “Front-ah-di-line” campaign
The National Council on Aging (NCA), today, launched a new campaign today called “Front ah […]

“Ministry of Human Development on board with getting police more training,” says CEO
In the aftermath of the now-viral video showing police forcefully detaining a minor that had […]

Aspiring UDP Leader John Saldivar to launch campaign
The race for UDP Leadership continues with standard bearers and area representatives pledging their support […]

British army corporal arrested for allegedly spending army money on flights for family in Belize and abusing army access
Corporal (Cpl) Audrey Urbina,32, is being accused of fraudulently spending 17,000 Euros of army money on […]

Business Insider: Cocaine piles up in Belize as drug production rises in Columbia
A report from Business Insider published on September 27, 2019 is stating that cocaine is […]

New District Association of Village Councils for Belize district
On September 29, 2019, Biscayne Village Chairman Alphius Gillett emerged as the new President of […]

Nigerian authorities raid Lagos ‘baby factory’
Authorities in Nigeria have freed 19 pregnant women from a place described as ‘baby factories’ […]

Sucu killed for stolen boat engine?
Jebran Wagner better known as ‘Sucu’ was gunned down over the weekend while at a […]

Blogs

11th Annual Blue Water Classic Fishing Tournament
Calling all anglers! The 11th Annual Blue Water Classic Fishing Tournament is soon here! Mark your calendars for October 12 and 13th for one of the most exciting tournaments yet! The Blue Water Classic fishing tournament has been the longest-runningtournament forThe Belize Game Fishing Association. It remains a popular tournament for avid anglers both locally and regionally. Last yearthe tournament had 23 boats compete, with6 boats making their journey over from Honduras,Omoa, Puerto Cortes and Roatan.

International Sources

SUSPECTED DRUG TRANSPORT GULFSTREAM CRASHES INTO PIECES
An unregistered Gulfstream II private jet, suspected of carrying drugs, has crashed near the boarder area of Belize. According to Noticaribe the aircraft crashed into an open field next to a dirt road in Blue Creek, around the Orange Walk district. As a result of the impact, the aircraft split into two pieces. Emergency services attending the aircraft found no signs of anyone around, let alone any personal belongings or cargo inside the aircraft. Authorities now suspect the aircraft was being used to traffic drugs or other prohibited substances/items.

Drought warning as wet season ends
Weather watchers’ concerns over a lingering drought in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean have been heightened as the region races to the end of the wet season. The region’s premier weather research institute, the Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), said that while there is less concern over short-term drought, there remains much concern over long-term drought as the end of the year approaches. The wet season runs from May/June to November/December, with the dry season for the other half-year. In its latest Caribbean Drought Bulletin released here, the CIMH said that the drought situation is of even more concern given that the wet season is also coming to an end.

Owensboro man arrested in Belize is now back in Daviess Co.
An Owensboro man arrested in Belize last month is back in Daviess County. Lad Ottofy faces two counts of sexual abuse, one count of sodomy, and one count of rape. Ottofy was indicted in March on those charges. Ottofy is accused of sexually abusing several juveniles between November 2017 and December 2018. Prosecutors claim the 60-year-old man had sex with someone under the age of 12.

Concern Still Persists Over Long Term Drought In The Caribbean
The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology said today that while there is less concern over short term drought, there remains much concern over long term dry conditions as the end of the year approaches. In its latest Caribbean Drought Bulletin, the institute said that the drought situation is of even more concern given that the wet season is also coming to an end. “This enhances concerns related to water availability moving into the dry season.

Abandoned plane found in two along Belize, Quintana Roo border
An abandoned aircraft was found crashed Monday morning along the Belize, Quintana Roo border, authorities have said. The plane, a Gulstream G-5 aircraft, was discovered collapsed on a clandestine runway in an open field next to a dirt road in Blue Creek. The impact of the crash caused the aircraft to split in two. According to Belize police, no people or cargo were found on board the plane. It is speculated that the plane was carrying drugs or other prohibited merchandise, but had to deviate from its route due to the presence of authorities in Petén, Guatemala.

Corporal, 32, 'used army as her own personal free travel agency as she blew £17,000 flying family and friends on jollies and holidays'
A soldier employed to arrange official Army travel fraudulently spent £17,000 of MoD money on flights for her family and friends to enjoy 'jollies and holidays', a court martial heard today. Corporal Audrey Urbina, 32, is accused of abusing her Army access so she could have 'her own personal free travel agency' to fly 'where she liked'. Over a period of 17 months, Cpl Urbina allegedly booked dozens of flights for her close family and friends to glamorous destinations including New York, Belize, Guatemala City, Miami and Frankfurt.

Videos

October 1, 2019

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

CRFM convenes high-level Fisheries meetings in Belize
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) - Ministerial Fisheries delegations from countries across the Caribbean and Central America will converge in Belize this week for high-level talks aimed at solidifying partnerships at the political level, as well as setting our priority areas for attention and mutual cooperation. On Tuesday, 1 October 2019, the CRFM will convene the Ninth Special Meeting of its Ministerial Council, the chief decision-making arm of the inter-governmental CARICOM agency.

CONCACAF sanctions Football Federation of Belize for forfeiting game against French Guiana
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) has been sanctioned by the CONCACAF’s disciplinary committee for forfeiting a game against French Guiana in South America. The international match was part of the CONCACAF Nations League and was to take place on September 5, 2019. By forfeiting, Belize’s national football team (Jaguars) lost three points in the tournament, and FFB cannot count with the US$50,000 they were to receive for their next international match against St. Kitts and Nevis set for October 13, 2019.

Ambergris Today

Shooting At Daddy Rock Night Club In San Pedro
A shooting incident that occurred shortly after midnight on Monday, September 30, 2019 inside Daddy Rock Night Club has left one person injured and San Pedro Police have one suspect in custody. According to San Pedro Police they received information about a shooting at Daddy Rock Night Club on Barrier Reef Drive sometime around 12:30 a.m. where Glenford Alexx Dominguez, 45-year-old, Belizean Bartender of San Pablo Area was seen suffering from a gunshot wound to the left shoulder which penetrated and exited his body.

Know Your Worth
- by Seleni Perez - Have you ever felt worthless? Do yo feel like an incomplete person thought to be the black sheep of the flock, and as much as you try to fit in all you do is fall out? You are not alone; we all have that point in life where we feel misunderstood or odd amongst our peers. But that’s okay! You don’t have to be too hard on yourself to be liked or get the approval through the standards of others. Don’t allow the opinions of others define you. At this instant if I would tell you that I have never felt left out I would be lying. The truth is that at many points in my life I have tried fitting in.

US Air Force Delivers Four Ambulances And A Fire Truck To Belize
On Saturday, September 28, 2019, the United States Air Force C5 GALAXY landed at the Phillip Goldson International Airport of Belize with a huge delivery of four ambulances and one fire truck to Belize. BERT Belize, Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise and Southern Emergency Services Belize received a special donation of 4 ambulances and a fire truck courtesy the USAF through the kind generosity of Alberta Health Services, Alberta Honda, The City of Calgary, Calgary Firefighters Association, and Edmonton Riverview Rotary Club.

Various Belizean Sources

United States Air Force C5 GALAXY with huge delivery of 4 ambulances and 1 fire truck to Belize
On September 28th BERT Belize, Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise and Southern Emergency Services Belize received a special donation of 4 ambulances and a fire truck courtesy the USAF through the kind generosity of Alberta Health Services, Alberta Honda, The City of Calgary, Calgary Firefighters Association, and Edmonton Riverview Rotary Club

21st September - Independence Day Official Ceremony - Belmopan
300+ photos!

Do you have a valid San Pedro Trade License?
Trade License Holders that still owe and are operating without a valid Trade License please visit our offices at your earliest to avoid any penalties or legal action.

The Green Cross
The Green Cross also known as the Maya Cross or la Cruz Vestida is a common symbol still found in many Yucatec Maya house altars in Northern Belize. The Maya Cross is known to have pre-Hispanic origins representing the tree of life which is the ceiba. Note: The Cross is a symbol found in different cultures and each with a different meaning . So it is not sole a Christian symbol . The Spanish at their arrival were surprised to see the symbol between the Maya .

Saga Spooktacular Halloween Fundraiser
It's that time of year again. Saga's Spooktacular event is our biggest fundraiser of the year. This year we are celebrating 20 years of serving the community, so let's make it the biggest event ever. Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 11 AM – 4 PM at Crazy Canucks Beach Bar.

Conch Season Opens Today
It’s time to rejoice Conch Season on Tuesday October 1st, 2019. It marks the beginning of the 2019- 2020 fishing season of the Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas). The Conch Seasons will be closed on June 30th, 2020. Conch is a mollusk that lives in a beautifully vibrant pink shell in the shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea. Get all the fresh, tasty conch that your heart desires from October to June while the season is open.

Centroamérica Innovation & Tourism Talk 2019
A successful day learning tips and tricks about marketing for the promotion of tourist destinations.

Ageing Expo
Discover an extensive range of services and information under one roof. Entry is FREE and this event is open to all!. "Bridging the gaps to AGE Equality".

CATA, BTIA & BTB "Central America Tourism & Innovation Talk."
The one-day innovation talk held today by CATA, in collaboration with BTIA and BTB, is the second of its kind held in Belize. It is part of CATA’s effort to further strengthen the image of Central America - integrated and united with the necessary strength to face international competition to attract European tourists to the destinations of the countries that make up CATA, of which Belize is an active member.

National Coastal and Riverways Cleanup
On Saturday, September 28th, 2019, more than 1,500 of Oceana’s wavemakers and volunteers participated in the 29th annual nation-wide cleanup led by the Belize Scouts Association and supported by other organizations and schools to remove trash and debris from river banks, waterways and beaches. Wavemakers, armed with biodegradable garbage bags and gloves, removed trash from coastal areas of Belize City, Punta Gorda, Independence, Hopkins, Corozal, and along riverways in Orange Walk and San Ignacio. Most commonly collected items were plastic bags, Styrofoam products, straws, bottle caps, plastic utensils and alumimum wrappers – to name a few, including a number of unusual items such as a deceased juvenile hawksbill turtle and even balls of hair.

TEAM BELIZE XVIII Central American U-21 Men’s Volleyball Championship!!!
#2 Tyrell Lucario - Libero #3 Kevin Cortez - Setter #4 Ernest Broaster - Outside Hitter #5 Ethan Dawson - Opposite #6 Thomas Garbutt - Outside Hitter #7 Joel Creary - Middle Blocker #9 Eugen Benguche - Outside Hitter #11 Gavin Taylor - Middle Blocker #12 Kerwin Castillo - Middle Blocker #13 Kaelen Ingram - Opposite #14 Xander Bennett - Outside Hitter #16 Ryan Arnold - Setter

Channel 7

Narco-Jet Crash Lands in Northern Belize
Another mystery narco-plane crash landed this morning in Blue Creek, Orange Walk, near the border with Mexico. Except, this time it's a narco-JET - one of those fancy corporate ones, a Gulf-stream G2 valued at about $6 million US dollars. But, this is not a clear-cut case like the early September Coastal Road drug bust where police caught the foreign traffickers red handed with over 2,900 pounds of cocaine. In this case, their intel was off and by the time police got on the scene, all they found were two snapped halves of the jet lying on the side of the road; No drugs, no passengers. All the seats were also in-tact which implies that it could have been human cargo on the plane. Police have done tests on the jet and are looking at all angles. Today at the press briefing at police headquarters in Belmopan, Commissioner Chester Williams discussed the information they have so far.

House Party Ends in Murder
A house party on Coney drive ended early Saturday morning with one man murdered and another shot. Jebran Wagner was killed in front of his girlfriend and two others at the Northside party. Tonight, questions remain as to the reason he may have been targeted - because his stepfather was executed just two months ago. Cherisse Halsall reports: They called him the life of the party, and indeed 21 year old Jebran Wagner, known as Suku was living it up at a party on Coney Drive on Saturday night. He was only taking a break to catch the air with his girlfriend when two men entered the yard they were standing in, and fired 8 shots at Wagner killing him.

Police Looking At Possible Connection to Step-father's Murder
So what do police know about this murder? At today's press briefing the cops shared more details, and they named the other man who was shot. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch: "Saturday morning early police were called to an area on Coney Drive, where upon arrival they were informed of a shooting incident. They visited the K.H.M.H. where they saw Jebran Wagner, 21 years being attended to. And also along with him was Richard Leslie who also had gunshot injuries..."

Man Survives Being Shot Second Time in Seven Months
On Friday night at around 8:25, 42 year old Mark Clarke was shot three times - 7 months after he had been shot in the head. And, both shootings happened in the same area! The good news is that he survived, but the bad news is that he's being hunted because of a gang vendetta against his son. Here's more. This surveillance video shows Mark Clarke Clarke sitting in front of a building on New Road where he always hangs out - when a gunman on bicycle pulls up from behind a moving car and casually fires as many as 7 shots at close range.

PSU Gets 30 Days Notice To Leave Hilltop HQ
The Public Service Union of Belize has been given a month to vacate its Hilltop national headquarters. A letter sent on Thursday from the attorney for Simplex Design Company - which bought the property from the Belmopan City Council in late 2018. The letter tells the Union that it has until October 31st to move out. The letter notes that the union has announced on air that it is moving - but, the attorney adds, quote, "(you) have since failed to do so in a timely manner". So the letter is basically telling to get gone, quickly. If they don't, the attorney, Steve Perrera tells Union President Gerald Henry that he will take out an eviction order.

Fighting The Phantom Menace, In Court
On Friday's news, we showed you what Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber had to say about his colleague, Lee Mark Chang, who has been put on blast for allegations of facilitating voter registration fraud. As we told you, the practice known, as "phantom voters", happens when voters register in an electoral division where they don't really live. Voters get added to that division's voter's list by registering in mass numbers at what is known as safe houses. Once they get on that list, getting them removed is darn near impossible. That's because the Representation of the People's Act is very strict about disenfranchising an elector.

Elections and Boundaries Says A Clean List is Everybody's Business
And in other news about the allegations of voter registration fraud, the Elections and Boundaries Department sent out a press release late last week Friday. Their statement says, quote, "The Representation of the People Act clearly outlines the process and steps that are required to be taken prior to any individual becoming a registered elector. As such, the department operates strictly within the rule of law." Their statement goes on to explain that the registering officer has to conduct investigations into the facts set out in each application.

Farmer Chopped Up After Argument
A farmer was viciously chopped to death in Pomona village. On Sunday night at 7:00, 42 year old Angelica Chacon reported that her 32 year old common law, Domingo Miguel Mathias was missing. He went to his farm about 3/4 mile outside Pomona earlier that day - and didn't return. Here worst fears were confirmed just before midnight when a search party found him dead - chopped up in a corn field. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch: "The search party went back and sometime shortly before mid-night his body was discovered near his corn field with chop wounds and motionless..."

San Pedro Bar Argument Leads to Shooting Inside Club
Tonight, a San Pedro tour guide is facing firearms charges after he allegedly shot a man in the shoulder early this morning. It happened at 12:30 am Daddy Rocks Disco on Barrier Reef Drive San Pedro Town - when Javier Romero, allegedly confronted bartender Glenford Dominguez about a misunderstanding Dominguez had with Romero's brother. That turned into pushing and shoving and then Romero pulled out a 380 pistol and shot Dominguez in the shoulder. Police told us more:

Cops Dismissed After Vasquez Death
The police officers who were on duty and in charge of the cell block in early June at the time of Nestor Vasquez Jr's barbaric beat down while in custody at the Queen Street police station have been dismissed. Today at the police press briefing Commissioner Chester Williams discussed the decision and process behind the dismissal. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: "In respect to the officers who were placed on disciplinary charges and subsequently interdicted from duty in respect to the death of Mr. Vasquez Jr., at Queen Street Police Station cellblock, the tribunal in that matter has been heard and the officers in question were all found guilty and the adjudicator has since recommended their dismissal..."

COMPOL Explains Cops Who Roughed Up Female Child
Last week you heard from the parents of the female youth hostel escapee who was detained by police. The humiliating detention was caught on camera - 3 officers including a female police had to get involved - the teenager was punched and her hair was pulled. NCFC also weighed in but police say they did not use too much force.

Making Tourism Market-Smarter
Over the last few months, we've been showing you how the stakeholders in the tourism industry have been making big efforts to become technologically savvy. The local business owners want to ensure that travelers from around the world can at least consider Belize as an attractive option for their next vacation. And so, they've been working to create an online presence, so that their enterprises can be easily found by potential customers. But, in a world where consumers are over-exposed to digital advertisements, the Belize Tourism Industry Association wants its members to make the smartest use of their marketing strategies.

Accused Murderer Free After 7 Years on Remand
He's been on remand for 7 years awaiting trial, but tonight the 28-year-old accused murderer, Kenyon Dominguez is home free. That's after he was acquitted today in the courtroom of Justice Colin Williams. Dominguez was the man who the police charged for the murder of 24-year-old Keith Lewis. At around 6 p.m. on June 11, 2012, Lewis and 3 other men were socializing on Roches Street in Belize City. That's when a gunman approached from the direction of McKoy Boulevard. He fired a barrage of gunshots at the group and escaped quickly from the scene. Lewis' other 3 companions reacted fast enough, and they managed to escape the shooting without any injury.

High Speed Driving Leads to Flipped Truck, No One Dead
5 people are fortunate to be alive after this Hummingbird Highway accident. It happened on Saturday night at around 10:30 in front of Motor Solutions and their surveillance camera captured the massive impact.

The Message to the UN Is About the Global; Climate Crisis
Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington addressed the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. Much of his speech focussed on the many detrimental effects of climate change for the world and small national like Belize. He said we are facing a floral climate crisis:..

Permanent Rep. Young Speaks to CNN About Climate Calamities
Belize's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Lois Young was also discussing climate change this weekend. She did it with Becky Anderson on CNN International - here's that exchange:

New Fire Trucks And Ambulance
The Belize Emergency Response Team (BERT), the Southern Emergency Service, and the Corozal Branch of the National Fire Service are in possession of new ambulances and fire trucks, through the kind effort of the Rotary of Belize Sunrise. These 4 ambulances and 1 fire truck arrived on Saturday from Canada, and it was a donation from Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview, the Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Honda Dealership, and the Firefighters Association of Calgary.

Mexicans In the Wild
A joint law enforcement operation team caught two Mexicans with shotguns and ammunition in the August Pine Ridge Forest in Orange Walk on Saturday. They are Andrez Tapia Guarda and Noe Garcia Geronimo. They were seen riding a YAMAHA motor cycle on a dirt road in the middle of the jungle. Police told us more. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch: "On Saturday morning, shortly before 5a.m, whilst Orange Wlak Police was in operation in an area south-west of Blue Creek Village in the Orange Walk district they came across a male person riding on a bike with a shot gun..."

Police Looking for Moneygram Robber
A pair of thieves stole $7,000 and a gun from Money Gram. It happened on Friday morning at their Central American Boulevard office. Police told us more about this brazen hold up. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch: "Two dark complexion persons entered, one of whom was armed with a hand-gun and as a result he demanded money..."

Julius Explains Safe House Situation
PUP Cayo South Representative Julius Espat is in a cute position. A property he owns on Southern Foreshore in the Albert division - and which he rents to a UDP affiliated interest - sure has a lot of voters registered there - and we mean a lot for a non residential office space.

Kareem Discusses Phantom Voters
PUP Caribbean Shores rep, Kareem Musa also has some explaining to do. His UDP opponent Lee Mark Chang is accused of registering Deputy Police Commissioner Edward Broaster at his house. But Musa's side man known as Chicken Dread also has quite a few persons registered at his Caribbean shores home - almost two dozen. Musa explained the difference:

Channel 5

No Drugs Found on Business Type Jet that Crash Landed in Blue Creek
Just eleven days ago, a Beechcraft Super King Air Two Hundred landed on an illegal airstrip off the Coastal Road. Sixty million dollars worth of cocaine were confiscated from the [...]

Opposition Leader: G.O.B. Not Serious in Tracking Suspected Drug Planes
While police investigate this most recent jet landing, the Opposition Leader John Briceño says government is not taking the matter of taking these suspected drug planes as seriously as it [...]

Jebran “Sucu” Wagner is Fatally Shot at a Party on Coney Drive
There was a murder in the city over the weekend. Twenty-one-year-old Jebran Wagner, who lives on Majestic Alley, was fatally shot at a house party on Coney Drive. Originally from [...]

Farmer Chopped to Death; Family Speculates that Jealousy May be the Motive
There was another murder, but in southern Belize. A Guatemalan national was killed on his farm sometime on Sunday. The Pomona resident was found with massive chop wounds on his [...]

One Person Detained for Pomona Murder
Today, the Head of the National Crimes Investigation Branch ACP Joseph Myvett spoke with the media about the murder in the Stann Creek Valley. Police say that they are following [...]

Tribunal Concludes: Fate of 3 Cops in Nestor Vasquez’s Case Announced
The Commissioner of Police says that the cops, who were placed on interdiction in connection with the death of sixty-year-old Nestor Vasquez Junior, have been found guilty by a tribunal. [...]

Commissioner Says Crowd was Wrong; Police Acted with Restraint
There was outrage over the manner in which members of the Belize Police Department carried out the arrest of a teenage minor in Belize City last week. The incident involved [...]

Commissioner of Police Weighs In on Rights and Responsibilities of Children
And since that video has gone viral on Facebook, a number of persons and organizations have weighed in on what appears to be use of excessive force on a child. [...]

Marconi Leal Challenging Registration of 72 Voters
The People’s United Party is challenging the registration of a long list of voters. Last week, leaked lists of several divisions showed the addresses of some houses with mass registration [...]

P.U.P. Area Rep, Councillor Explain Voter’s List Criticism
The new voter’s lists also show several persons living at fifty-three Kelly Street/ Freetown Road.  The address is the home of Belize City P.U.P. councilor Deltrude Hilton. The documents show [...]

John Briceño: “We need to strengthen democracy in this country”
The trove of documents showing apparent voter padding raises the question if the countrywide re-registration exercise fulfilled its purpose which was to clean the voters list. The problem, evidently, still [...]

Opposition Leader Blames Elections and Boundaries Department
The Elections and Boundaries Department says that registering officers shall conduct investigations into the facts set out in each application. If the registering officer is not satisfied then the elector [...]

One Man Injured in Night Club Shooting in San Pedro
There was a shooting in the early hours of this morning at a night club in San Pedro Town. Police say that the incident started with a fight and left [...]

A Home Invasion in King’s Park
There was a scary home invasion in the neighbourhood of King’s Park, Belize City. The aggravated burglary occurred around seven-fifteen on September twenty-seventh at the corner of Nursey and Saint [...]

Another Attempt on the Life of Mark Clarke
Back in February of this year, forty-two-year-old Marl Clarke was shot to the head near Pitts Alley on north side Belize City. He survived the incident, but no one had [...]

Mexicans Busted with Firearms in the North
Two armed Mexican nationals were picked up near the border over the weekend. Police say both men had firearms and are now in police detention awaiting charges.  At today’s press [...]

Robbers Target Moneygram/I.C.B.
A Moneygram outlet at the I.C.B. office on Central American Boulevard in Belize City was robbed on Friday morning after eleven. Two armed men held up the security and made [...]

P.U.P. Holds National Party Council Meeting
On Saturday the People’s United Party’s National Party Council gathered at Memorial Park in Belize City. The party celebrated its sixty-ninth anniversary during its National Party Council and passed several [...]

Julius Espat Reappointed as Deputy Party Leader for the P.U.P.
One the resolutions passed on Saturday was the re-appointment of Julius Espat as the Deputy Party Leader for the west. Espat resigned from the post in July 2018.  He was [...]

P.S.U. is Issued Eviction Notice
Last November, the Public Service Union learnt that its Belmopan Hilltop headquarters had been sold from under their feet by the Belmopan City Council. It was acquired by a Chinese [...]

Dr. Colin Young Leaving S.S.B.
Doctor Colin Young has decided to move on from the Social Security Board. He took the post of Chief Executive Officer in January 2017, but less than three years after [...]

Innovation + Tourism Talk: Learning Tips to Expand & Grow Industry
A number of high profile strategists are taking part in Innovation and Tourism Talk, an event organized by the Belize Tourism and Industry Association.  Stakeholders involved in tourism are getting [...]

Highlights of the Weekend in Sports
Good evening, I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday   [Highlights of weekend sporting activities...]

The Reporter

Hijack & Piracy On The Highway – Busitos Robbery
An unusual type of robbery took place this afternoon on the western highway. One of the vans that run passengers from Belmopan to villages out west was hijacked and passengers were robbed at gunpoint.

Drug Jet Crash Land In Blue Creek, Orange Walk
Authorities are currently investigating circumstances involving a drug jet which crashed landed early this morning in Blue Creek, Orange Walk District. No one was found in the area.

Man Found Hacked to Death in Pomona
A man from Pomona Village, Stann Creek district was reportedly found chopped to death late last night. Domingo Miguel Mathias, 32, was reportedly found on a farm off of the Stann Creek Valley Road with chop wounds to the left side of the neck and right hand.

Man Injured in Traffic Accident in Corozal
Reports are that a man was injured sometime after 5:00 this evening when he lost control of a motorcycle he was driving near the entrance of Corozal Town.

LOVE FM

Man chopped to death in Pomona Village
The second murder to occur over the weekend was in Pomona Village, Stann Creek District. 32-year-old Domingo Mathias was chopped to death on Sunday night and dumped in a field.

Drought predicted to continue impacting Belize
For several months, Belize has been experiencing short-term drought, which heavily impacted the agriculture industry. According to the National Meteorological Service of Belize, data indicates that short-term drought is likely to continue affecting the Cayo District and portions of the south, near Savannah, through December 2019.

Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise donates ambulances and fire truck
The Southern Emergency Services (SES) and Belize Emergency Response Team (BERT) received 2 ambulances each to add to their line-up. The donation was made possible by the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise and the City of Calgary, Canada.....

Belize hosts 12th Regional Agricultural Planner’s Forum
Belize is hosting this year’s 12th Regional Agricultural Planner’s Forum. The forum began today at the Belize Biltmore Plaza and is a two-day event. It will be followed by various meetings, later this week, with different stakeholders in the agricultural sector of the Caribbean.

Officers involved in death of Nestor Vasquez relieved
Among a number of topics the Commissioner of Police discussed today, he gave an update regarding the officers who were involved in the death of Nestor Vasquez Jr.

Shooting on San Pedro leaves one injured
A shooting incident in San Pedro has left one man hospitalized. The incident is said to stem from issues the victim's brother had with the shooter.

ComPol comments on viral video of girl resisting arrest
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, has finally commented on the video that went viral, showing police officers restraining a female minor who was resisting arrest. The ComPol said that while many condemned the officers in question, he believes they were showing restraint.

Man fatally shot on Coney Drive
The second victim to gun violence this weekend was not as fortunate as Mark Clarke. 21-year-old Jebran Bernard Wagner, also known as “Sucu,” was inside a yard when a gunman opened fire in his direction.

Belize City man escapes shooting with a flesh wound
From the political arena we move onto the crime scenes of the weekend. This past weekend was a clear indication that Belize is still plagued by gun violence.

Human Trafficking or Drug Trafficking?
Was it drugs or a case of human trafficking? That is the question tonight as investigators are trying to determine what brought a Gulfstream executive jet to Blue Creek, Orange Walk.

After three years, construction of promised new schools will finally commence. Back in January 2016, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Ministry of Education announced that 35 new schools were expected to be built around the country.

New Details Concerning Detention Of Reynaldo Verde
Earlier today, GOB stated that they have received additional information on the detention of Reynaldo Verde, the Deputy Director of the Belize Tax Services Department. According to them, these details came in the form of US Court Documents regarding the charges levied against Verde.

Faber Comments On Viral Video
For the past couple days, Love News has been reporting on the circumstances that led to a video of a 15-year-old girl who was beaten and detained by police officers. The video went viral on Wednesday, and since then, we have learnt that she was a resident of San Pedro.

Business Robbed In Broad Daylight
The MoneyGram located on the Central American Boulevard was robbed in broad daylight today. The incident occurred sometime after 11am. Reports are that two men entered the establishment, posing as customers.

Breaking Belize News

Lois Young discusses “climate refugees” and call to action on climate change
Ambassador Lois Young, Belize’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Chair of the Alliance […]

ComPol: Officers exercised restraint in arresting teen
Days ago, a video of police officers trying to arrest a teen went viral on […]

Man shot in San Pedro
Just before 3 a.m. today, San Pedro police visited a night club on Main Street. […]

Mexicans busted with shotguns near Blue Creek
Two Mexican nationals have been charged with firearm related offences. They are Noe Garcia and […]

ICB robbers caught on camera?
Just before midday on Friday, two men entered the Insurance Corporation of Belize (ICB) office […]

Police: No suspect or motive in Friday night shooting
Police have no motive or suspects in Friday night’s shooting of Mark Clarke, 42. Clarke […]

Chester Williams: No drugs, only plane in Blue Creek
Sometime around 4 o’clock this morning a suspected narco carrying aircraft landed in Blue Creek, […]

Passenger van robbed
Reports to BBN is that three armed culprits robbed passengers traveling in a passenger van. […]

Oceana partners with Scouts for 29th Annual International river and coastal clean up
By BBN Staff : On Saturday, September 28, 2019, more than 1,500 of Oceana’s wavemakers and volunteers participated […]

Police officers to be dismissed following death of Net Vasquez Jr
Nestor Vasquez Jr. was beaten to death back in June by another cellmate while detained […]

DIGI/BECOL Basketball Tournament Scores & Schedule
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Breaking Belize […]

DigiLearn donate laptops to St. Catherine Academy students
Digicell Belize continues with its DigiLearn initiative. On September 27, the DigiLearn project distributed brand new […]

Bandits, Verdes keep up pace in Premier League
Belmopan Bandits and Verdes FC move closer to securing playoff slots with just six weeks […]

Suspected drug Jet crash lands in Belize
Reports are that a suspected drug jet crash landed early this morning at Blue Creek, Orange Walk […]

Woman chops woman in Placencia
Information reaching our newsroom is that there was a domestic dispute between two women in […]

Blogs

History of Belize
Belize is a small, independent country (not an island) nestled between the borders of Mexico and Guatemala and the shallow shorelines of the Caribbean Sea. Tiny English-speaking Belize was once known as British Honduras, a colony mainly known for Mahogany and Sugar production. “British Honduras” became the country of Belize, gaining its political Independence in 1981 – peacefully, and democratically. Belize is now a promising developing nation and a jewel of a tourist destination. Belize’s landmass is small, about the size of the state of Massachusetts, USA. However, its diversity is staggering, both in terrain, ethnicity, and culture. Belize boasts the largest Barrier Reef in this hemisphere, pristine coral islands, rainforest, jungle, wildlife, and varying food and customs throughout the country.

Shark Ray Alley
Once a common area for fishermen to clean their catch of the day, Shark Ray Alley is now a popular snorkeling site teeming with nurse sharks, rays and marine life. Located inside Hol Chan Marine Park, the country’s first established marine reserve, spanning roughly three square miles, this is a perfect half-day activity for all ages. A short 15-minute boat ride south of San Pedro or 30 minutes North of Caye Caulker; Hol Chan is very accessible. Upon arrival, you are in for a warm welcome! A frenzy of sharks and rays surround the boat and seagull’s flock above, all awaiting a special treat from the tour guide…not to worry it is just bait!

International Sources

Cozumel service providers protest coral reef closures
Nearly 500 Cozumel families will lose their only source of income. Tourism service providers have protested the decision to close some of the reefs around the island of Cozumel due to the presence of a disease that destroys coral. The Natural Protected Areas Commission (Conanp) announced this week that it will restrict access to much of the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park beginning on October 7 because 40% of coral is affected by white band disease, an ailment that destroys the tissue of Caribbean acroporid coral.

Bronx Community College students’ Mayan find
When Nicaela Cartagena enrolled at Bronx Community College (BCC), she hoped to become a nurse. That all changed after a visit to a Maya excavation site in Belize with other BCC students and a chemistry professor from the college. Working together, Cartagena, her fellow students and Professor Sheldon Skaggs were part of the discovery of a rare ancient Maya vase, assembled from marble shards they helped find in a burial plot at Pacbitun, Belize. The artifact provides intriguing details about the politics, commerce and power struggles that played out among pre-Colombian rulers in what today is Central America and Mexico.

Underwater manatee chatter may aid in their conservation
Listening in on manatee conversations could help restore populations of this endangered marine mammal. Each manatee has its own voice: their calls can be traced back to specific individuals, offering a way to estimate how many of them are present in a particular habitat in a given time. Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama, (UTP) propose a new method for detecting these calls from underwater recordings. Although hard to sight, manatees often communicate with one another underwater, emitting whistles, squeaks and chirps to attract mates, warn their neighbors of danger or stay in touch with their offspring. With this in mind, researchers turned to sound.

Videos