Recent Belize News, 7/21/2018 to 7/31/2018, BelizeNews.com

Nim Li Punit infrastructure improvements underway

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

2018 Copa San Pedro wraps up its third week of action
During the third week of 2018 Copa San Pedro, eight matches played out at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town. The football weekend began on Thursday, July 26th at 7PM with Island Warriors taking a solid 7-0 win over Ocean Girls. The next match saw Legends F.C winning 5-0 over Ambergris Hope’s. The tournament continued the following day with San Pedro High School (SPHS) Girls defeating Golden Warriors with a 2-1 point score. In the next match, Vince Assassins triumphed over Peacemakers with a 3-1 victory.

SP BTIA and student intern work to incorporate garbage issues into SPJC curriculum
The San Pedro chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (SP BTIA) is currently working to help the community with the important issue of garbage. The SP BTIA and the San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) have been working together on this issue and raising community awareness for waste management. Two volunteers, SP BTIA member Dr. Dianne Lawrence and a student intern from California, USA, Megan Shaw met with Assistant Dean Froylan Gilharry and Dean Gustavo Ellis to find effective ways of incorporating the garbage issue in San Pedro into the existing course curriculum.

Ambergris Today

Costa Maya Pageant Delegates Enjoy Island Charm In San Pedro
From dining under the stars on a sunset cruise on board the Yolo, swimming with the sharks and rays at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, dancing at Maxi's, shopping at Friki Tiki, sampling at the Chocolate Boutique, to dining at Elvi's Kitchen, Pineapple's Restaurant, El Patio, (and many more) the seven delegates of the Miss Costa Maya Pageant, including reigning Miss Costa Maya 2017 Michelle Nuñez, were hosted by various businesses around Ambergris Caye. Never a dull moment, they have been kept very well fed and entertained like no other place in Belize can. This week the ladies prepare for pageant night at the Costa Maya Festival that included a preliminary competition on Thursday, August 2 and main pageant on Friday, August 3. See you at Costa Maya Festival 2018!

Junior Open Water Divers Certified In Kids In Action Summer Camp
Many travel from across the world to dive the wonders that our majestic Caribbean sea has to offer, some of us who live here have never even explored it. With this in mind PADI was more than pleased to support a kid’s diving program here on the island. For two weeks they had to study and carry out dives with their instructors, working towards their Junior Open Water Diver certifications. This had them engaging with marine life, building character and self-confidence and forming a greater appreciation for the planet.

Misc Belizean Sources

BTEC successfully completes its first Childcare Training
The Belize Training and Employment Centre (BTEC), a unit of BELTRAIDE successfully completed its first ever Childcare Training. This training aimed to equip participants with necessary soft and technical skills needed to become excellent childcare providers. The training covered topics such as: professionalism, resume building, problem-solving, conflict management, communicating with children, safely caring for babies and children, recognizing signs of abuse and neglect, first aid and CPR as well as an internship at several daycare centres in Belize City.

Miss Irianna Leiva from Orange Walk was crowned Miss East Indian Belize 2018
Last night Miss Irianna Leiva from Orange Walk was crowned Miss East Indian Belize 2018. Her first place prize is a trip to Trinidad & Tobago to represent Belize at the Divali Nagar Queen pageant on November 4, 2018. She also won Miss Popularity, Miss Best Talent and Miss Best Talent Costume. First runner up was Miss Gwen Smith from Cayo who also won Miss Personality. Second runner up was Miss Briana Martin who also won Miss Photogenic. Thanks to NICH and to all our supporters

DYS Youth Empowerment Camp Finishes
The Department of Youth Services' Youth Empowerment Sports Camp has finished, and the students received their certificates at the closing ceremony. Thanks, DYS, for engaging the youth! "On Friday, 70 participants successfully completed our 2 week Youth Empowerment Camp.This is an annual Educational Sports Camp that is spear headed by DYS in Partnership with the Youth RISE project."

National Song Competition Song Entry Deadline Extended
National Song Competition Accepting Entries Until August 3rd. The National Celebrations Commission informs the public that the National Song Competition 2018 is still accepting song entries for this year’s contest. The date for the deadline of entries has been extended to allow the artists extra time to properly record and submit their original instrumental, fully recorded song, lyrics, complete the registration form with photograph to National Song Competition, Bliss Centre, Southern Foreshore, Belize City or online at www.mynationalsong.bz. This year’s National Song Competition will be held on Saturday, August 18th in Santa Elena Town, Cayo District.

Princess for Paws
Wednesday, August 1 at 4 PM - 6 PM, Palapa Bar and Grill. Come meet the beautiful Costa Maya Delegates , and help with a great cause to raise money For Saga Humane Society. Beauty Queens will be escorted by our San Pedro Walk-A-Holics!! 4p-6p Aug 1st.

Monday marked 171 years from the starting of the Maya Social War(Caste War)
This is part of our Belizean history during this period we had great Yucatec Maya(Masewal) leaders like Marcos Canul,Asuncion Ek,Rafael Chan,Santiago Pech,Maximo Perez,Gabriel Tamay and others leading the Maya struggle in Belize .

Children from Yucatec Maya descent from San Lazaro (Orange Walk) reenacting the Maya Social War
A day like today but in 1847 our Yucatec Maya grandparents rose againts the Invaders . After 300 years of oppression in July 30,1847 the liberation of our Maya people started . One of the most successful indigenous rebellions in the Americas known as the Maya Social War (Caste War) which was declare over in 1901 but the struggle continue until the 1930's . Long live the Yucatec Maya(Masewal) heroes who fought in Belize and southern Mexico .

Compost Delivered to San Pedro/ Belize City Today
Belize Soils Ltd.

Update on Re-registration of Electors Exercise
The Elections and Boundaries Department is pleased to update the public on the ongoing Re-registration of Electors Exercise. An update is hereby provided for the period 22nd to 28th July 2018. Registration Centers continue to be open in all thirty-one (31) electoral divisions country-wide to facilitate the acceptance of applications for the registration of electors. During the period, a total of Fifteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty-Eight (15, 558) applications were accepted, therefore the total number of applications received as at 28th July 2018 is Seventy Thousand and Nine (70, 009).

Decrease in Pump Price for Diesel Oil
The Ministry of Finance is pleased to announce that, as of midnight tonight, the pump price for Diesel Oil will decrease moderately. Diesel Oil will decline by 22 cents per gallon at the pump in Belize City to a new price of $10.53 per gallon. Prices in the districts will be a little higher due to additional internal transportation costs. The price decrease has come about as the order for this shipment was placed some weeks ago when world oil prices were in moderate decline. The pump prices of Premium and Regular Gasoline, as well as Kerosene Oil, will remain unchanged.

Taiwanese President to Visit Belize
The Prime Minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow has extended an invitation to the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Her Excellency Tsai Ing-wen to visit Belize, which the President has accepted. President Tsai Ing-wen is scheduled to arrive in Belize on August 16, 2018, for a three-day visit. As part of the planned itinerary, President Tsai Ing-wen is scheduled to hold meetings with Belize’s Governor-General H.E. Sir Colville Young and Prime Minister Barrow. President Tsai is also scheduled to address the National Assembly. During her visit, the President will also visit the Taiwan Technical Mission and engage with the Taiwanese community in Belize.

IDB hosts ceremony for public officers who successfully completed advanced level certification course designed to strengthen the public procurement function and build capacity
The achievements of the newest cohort of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) graduates were celebrated earlier this afternoon at a ceremony hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which commended seventeen (17) professionals in the public service who successfully completed the CIPS course in strategic public procurement and achieved the CIPS Accredited Diploma Level 4. Late last year, the IDB partnered with the Government of Belize (GOB) in the delivery of the two-part course which brought together twenty-six (26) professionals from the IDB’s Project Implementation Units, GoB’s Procuring Entities and various Ministries who attended a week-long, advanced-level procurement training, and completed a work-based assignment to demonstrate how their knowledge and understanding could be applied to a practical work-related case.

GOB's Controlled Pump Prices
Effective Date: 31st July 2018

119 Toddlers Complete Roving Caregivers Programme in Toledo & Belize Districts
One hundred and nineteen toddlers - and their parents - have completed the Roving Caregivers Programme (RCP) in the Belize and Toledo Districts. RCP is an early childhood education program for children between birth to three years old who do not have access to formal early childhood stimulation services. The educators, called Rovers, work with parents individually or in small groups, providing basic skills and information on how to stimulate their children through play, child development, and health and nutrition to ensure that the children receive better quality care and attention.

The Placencia Breeze July 2018
What’s Inside: Remembering our Placencia Friends ... pg. 3 New Rotary Scholars Announced; Seven Graduate from High School ... pg. 5 Novel Noni Fruit ... pg. 6 Kaina Martinez to Host Track and Field Games in August ... pg. 7 Croc Corner: Lobsterfest Report ... pg. 7 Fragments of Hope Updates: Recycling and more... pg. 9 Placencia's Eldest Living Woman, Emma Westby, Shares Stories of Times and New ... pg. 11 Placencia BTIA Membership Listing ... pages 15 and 18 Placencia Peninsula MAP ... pages 16-17 LOBSTERFEST PICTORIAL ... pgs. 19, 25 and 29 Placencia Peninsula Guide ... pgs. 22-23 LA Doctor and Husband Bring Medical Team to Belize ... pg. 26 Belize Ocean Club's Philanthropic Program Donation Stuns PHS ... pg. 26 People Needing Service Dogs Deserve Your Empathy ... pg. 27 Community Contacts & Info ... pg. 31 Peninsula Happenings ... pg. 32

Channel 7

Errant Explosion: Raining Rocks In Gracie Rock
It was raining rocks at Gracie Rock this morning. Residents of the small village at mile 21 on the Phillip Goldson Highway were startled when around 11:00 they heard a "boom" and then looked up at the sky and saw several big rocks being hurled at them from the nearby quarry. Fortunately no one was injured but the community center of Gracie Rock received some heavy damages. National Aggregates Limited has been extracting building material at the site for many years. Most residents actually remember growing up to the inconvenience of feeling tremors every now and again. But this was the first time something of this magnitude has occurred.

Caught Between Gangs, Nembhard Murdered
The relentless gang rivalries and turf wars in the city, has claimed its latest victim. Dean Nembhard, had just turned 22, when he was gunned down close to midnight on Friday, four days after his birthday. He was socializing with friends at a residence in the St. Martin's area when he was shot and killed. Nembhard is no stranger to the evening news: last year he was shot during a foiled armed robbery, and three months ago he was shot by gang elements. But behind his rugged past, he was a brother, a son and a friend. Here is his full story.

5 Guns In One Empty Lot?
But, police struck a blow against the gangs on Friday when they made an incredible find: five guns and 32 pounds of weed in an empty lot on Nurse Findley Crescent. That's pretty amazing police work, but, today our news director Jules Vasquez asked the Commander of Operations, Deputy Compol Chester Williams if the story of five guns in one lot doesn't somewhat stretch the limits of credibility:... DCP Chester Williams, Commander - Operations: "On Friday last, again, through our police operations in the Port Loyola area, we were able to conduct search of an abandoned lot and that search resulted in the discovery of 5 firearms namely; 1-.38 revolver and 4 9mm pistols. We also recovered 36 pounds of high grade marijuana."

Police Catch Shooter Gun-Handed
But, regardless, of how they got the guns, it is what it is is: five firearms off the streets - and that certainly doesn't happen everyday. And, similarly, an arrest and gun seizure that fell into the police department's laps on Sunday - is also the kind of thing that doesn't happen everyday. DCP Williams told us how a police patrol came upon an active shooter in broad daylight:,..

Fearless Gas Station Owner Fights Off Armed Robbers
There's a pair of terrifying gas station attempted armed robberies to report tonight - and both were caught on security camera. The most recent happened this morning at the CP Gas station at half a mile on the Phillip Goldson Highway - across from Courts. Around 7:30, the two would-be thieves, stormed into the gas station convenience store of with their faces completely uncovered; one of them armed with a handgun.

Stopped By Sliding Door, Masked Robbers Ran Off
The other gas station attempted robbery happened up the road on Friday night at the Coral Grove Puma at mile 1.5 on the Phillip Goldson Highway. At around 11:00 pm, three masked men grabbed security guard, 20 year old Bernard Humes and took him to the front of the gas station, demanding that he open the sliding doors. But he didn't have a key and they then put the gun to his head and motioned the staff inside to open up the doors. But, due either to confusion or calm, the staff inside didn't open the door. Frustrated and not knowing what to do, the three masked men grabbed the security guard's cell phone and ran off.

Mothers Complains About Sons Shot, Chester Says They Lucky To Be Alive
And because of armed outlaws like that - police are on high alert - which is a part of the reason they caught three robbers who had just robbed a security company last Thursday evening. As we reported, the trio made off with a pair of guns and police caught them in the cemetery - where the cops shot two of the alleged culprits, aged 16 and 17. Tonight, the mothers of the two minors say police caught their sons, restrained them with cuffs - and then shot them and beat them up for no reason. Here's how police answered that today:... DCP Chester Williams: "They were in a van, the police pursued the van and eventually caught up with it, and the occupants quickly alighted the van and attempted to make good their escape."

Killer Gets 6 Months (After 8 Yrs. On Remand)
He killed a man when he was just 15, and today the judge told a now 23 year old Lincoln Gomez that he only has to spend 6 more months in jail for it. Gomez had pleaded guilty to manslaughter a week ago for the 2010 killing of tour guide Glenstine Martinez. Gomez's attorney, Dickie Bradley said that he was a minor at the time of the incident and that he saved the court time by not having to go through a trial. Bradley also added that Gomez has been in prison for 8 years and 6 months.

Taxi-man’s Tale Of Torment
The machete-wielding Ocean ferry taxi man says he was just defending himself from a bully. As we told you last week Tuesday, two taxi-men, Cecil Buckley and Gerald Lewis got into a nasty brawl in front of the water taxi. Buckley came to our studio this morning to explain how it all went down. According to Buckley, Lewis has been tormenting him for some time but it all came to a head last week. He says it has nothing to do with taxi runs. Here his side of the story. Cecil Buckley, Taxi man, Ocean Ferry: "I walk come down this way to the van, I jump behind the van, I just the say hey hump what the go on and then Humphrey's say boy it look like it is you they man are after but when I look down the street this man is on the phone..."

Man Killed In Corozal Fatal
A Corozal man has reportedly died this evening, after he was knocked down this weekend. Around 6:30 on Saturday, 31 year old Armando Uitz was riding his bicycle on College Road when a Kia Sorento hit him from behind. The driver sped off leaving Uitz badly injured on the side of the road. He was critical, but late reports say he has now passed. But, at least the driver suspected of running him over has been found. The Kia Sorento and the driver are in custody. Here's more from police.

GOB and Mayas Back Before CCJ
This morning, the Government of Belize and the leaders of the Maya communities of the south were back before the Caribbean Court of Justice for another of the court's compliance hearings. The CCJ is continuing its oversight of the implementation of its judgment on Maya customary land rights. The court is trying to make sure that Maya land rights become a real system that is recognized and integrated into the traditional land ownership system at the Lands Department. But the Government has so far been unable to satisfy the indigenous Maya with the pace of implementation. They continue to complain that the state is dragging its feet, and they say that the Government and the Maya Land Rights Commission have frustrated all attempts to speed up the process. The Commission was set up by the Government specifically to implement the CCJ judgment

US Capital Energy Coming Around Again
The press also asked the Maya community's spokesperson comment on another issue brewing in Southern Belize. News broke last week that the oil company, US Capital Energy, has applied to the Government of Belize to explore for oil in a part of the Toledo District that touches lands of 11 of the Mayan villages. Back in 2012, it became very controversial when US Capital Energy got clearance to start oil exploration inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park. Their biggest adversary at the time was the NGO, SATIIM. SATIIM criticized the government for green lighting exploration in the wetlands of the Sarstoon Temash National Park, and the potential hazards to the aquatic environment of Southern Belize that the exploration could cause.

Organized Criminals Picked Up Cash Payroll
On Friday's news we had preliminary information of a large cash payroll that had been jacked on the northside. It was a calculated crime - where four men in an SUV rolled up on 35 year old Jaime Dominguez, cut him off and executed a big money robbery with ruthless precision. Police told us more:.. ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City: "On Friday just after 3pm, Project Manager for Usher Construction Mr. Jaime Dominguez had just collected $18,000 from the company and was going to an area to do payroll and whilst travelling on Apollo Street he stopped to pick up his mother. And he was driving off..."

3 Robbers With 3 Guns Stole 2 More
Police also filled in the blanks on the aggravated burglary at Belize Waste Control which we told you about on Friday. The thieves cut their way through a fence at the back of the compound which is off mile three on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Police say they came prepared - and each of them had a gun:.. ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City: "Security guards were performing duties on that Friday morning when whilst inside the compound they were held up by three male persons who had masks on them."

Neighbor Charged For Tesecum Shooting
And, police have arrested and charged a man for shooting Michale Tesecum. As we reported, the 41 year-old Tibruce Street resident was shot 19 days ago a stone's throw away from his home. Police say a neighbor allegedly did it over a petty dispute:... ASP Alejandro Cowo: "Richard O'Neal, twenty two year old Belizean of #54 Ordonez Street was charged for the crime of attempt murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm."

Taiwan Pres. To Visit Belize
Taiwan's President. Dr. Tsai Ing-Wen, will make her first official visit to Belize in two weeks. She is scheduled to arrive on August 16, and she will spend 2 days here. She will be accompanied by members of the Taiwanese Cabinet, Parliament, senior government officials, various private sector leaders, and representatives of the Taiwanese news media.

Diesel Down, But Not For Long
Last month, the pump prices of Diesel went down by 22 cents. It was a welcomed relief from the punishing fuel prices over the last few months, and the Government is announcing that it will now decrease by an additional 22 cents. The Ministry of Finance announced today that by midnight tonight, the new price of diesel in the city will be $10.53 per gallon. The price per gallon of premium gas, regular gasoline, and kerosene oil will go unchanged.

Re-Registration Slowed In Week Four
The re-registration numbers for the week 22nd to 28th July 2018 are in - and they are the the lowest yet. The Elections and Boundaries office reports that Fifteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty-Eight (15, 558) applications were accepted in the past week, three thousand less than the previous week. It is also the fewest in any of the first four weeks of re-registration. The total number of applications received after these four weeks is Seventy Thousand and Nine (70, 009). Again, that's the number at the halfway point which is below target since they hope to re-register two hundred thousand people.

Did Isabel Drink Himself To Death?
Did a man drink himself to death in Progresso Village ? That's a high probability in the case of Mexican national Isabel Martinez. Police found his body on Saturday night with a few scratches but nothing so far to indicate that Martinez was murdered. Here is more from police. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, NCIB: "Police was called to an area in Progresso Village where they observed the apparent lifeless body of an elderly Hispanic male person later identified as Isabel Martinez, 66 years Mexican cane cutter of Progresso Village who was seen lying on the side of the road apparently dead."

No Headway In The Campos Case
If you don't pay 5 bitcoins by August 1st Omero Campos dies - those are the chilling words of an email sent to the Reporter newspaper, presumably by Campos' kidnappers. The email was sent to the Reporter last Thursday. Today police said they have no information regarding those emails. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, NCIB: "Well the police has not been furnished with that email but we are still doing out investigation in relation to that."

Bze. Police Not Aware of El Nene
And so with the north still shaken by the Campos abduction, and all the drug plane movements, is it plausible to suspect that Mexican narco-cartels are moving into Belize? That may have became a legitimate question last week when Dioney Rolando, better known as "El Nene" - Sinaloa cartel player was caught on the Chactemal bridge connecting Belize and Mexico. He had tried to elude a checkpoint on the Mexican side and was caught.

Sharissa Starred in Melchor
And, in less depressing news from the north, the mundo maya region hosted this year's Mr and Miss Culture International Maya pageant in Merida, over the weekend and one of the delegates from Belize came out on top. Sharissa Dominguez from Corozal was crowned Miss Culture International Maya yesterday. Earlier today, our colleagues at CTV3 caught up with the beauty queen who shared her experience. She says that although they prepared on a short notice it was enough to come out victorious.

Patt Comes Through For Concepcion
Last month, Hugo Patt, the UDP Corozal North Area Rep., became the new Minister of Natural Resources, taking over day to day management of the Ministry from Dr. Carla Barnett. And, it seems that one of his first acts in office is to hook up the residents of the Corozal Village of Concepcion with lease titles. Now, he says that these applications, like many others, have been stagnant in the Lands Department for several years, so today, he delivered 78 new leases to applicants who've been approved for land in Concepcion.

Channel 5

2 More Confirmed Cases of Swine Flu
A fifteen-month-old infant and an adult are the latest persons to have contracted Swine Flu; both are from the Belize District. The confirmation was sent to the Ministry of Health [...]

Dean Nembhard Jr., a Man Marked for Death
Just before midnight on Friday, Dean Nembhard Junior was shot three times. The twenty-two-year-old, who just celebrated his birthday a week ago, was rushed to the hospital but a few [...]

Police Remove Weapons and Drugs from City Streets
In the fight against crime, police operations in the Port Loyola area netted five weapons and stash of weed. Over the weekend, police conducted a search in an empty lot [...]

Armed Robbers Get Away with Safe from Belize Waste Control
Armed robbers targeted the Belize Waste Control office on the George Price Highway on Friday morning. The robbers, who cut their way through a fence to access the compound, relieved [...]

Deputy ComPol Speaks on Harpy Security Robbery
On Friday, we reported on the brazen robbery of Harpy Security on Antelope Street Extension. The incident happened around six in the evening when a guard, thirty-four-year-old Dion Gentle, was [...]

Trio Lucky to be Alive after Harpy Security Robbery
And that’s what police say happened. But today they were asked about an allegation that cops shot and beat two of the three robbers while they were already detained and [...]

Guatemalan Man Charged for Human Trafficking
In the eyes of the U.S. State Department, Belize has not done the bare minimum to combat human trafficking and as such the country remains on Tier Three. The recent [...]

Corozal Resident Clings to Life Following Hit & Run on College Road
A thirty-one-year-old man from Corozal Town was transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is clinging to life. On Saturday night, he was knocked down on College Road, [...]

Police Investigate Sudden Death of Mexican National in Progresso Village
A Mexican national living in Belize for some forty-years was found dead along the roadside in the village of Progresso at about the same time that Uitz was knocked down [...]

Mayan Land Rights Case Back Before C.C.J.
The Government and the Mayas of southern Belize are back before the Caribbean Court of Justice. This morning’s session was to provide a status update to the CCJ on the [...]

M.L.A. Disappointed with G.O.B.’s Lack of Commitment
According to Cristina Coc, the Mayan Communities have expressed concerns over the lack of commitment by the Maya Land Rights Commission with regards to a work plan. She says that [...]

Taiwanese President to Make Official Visit to Belize
The president of Taiwan, Doctor Tsai Ing-Wen, will be arriving in Belize on August sixteenth and departing on the eighteenth following a visit to Paraguay, where a new president is [...]

OCEANA Belize Vs Shark Fishers Association over Use of Gillnets
OCEANA Belize has reacted strongly to a release issued by the Shark Fishers Association which holds the position that the campaign to ban gillnets threatens the way of life of [...]

Robbers Cash in on $16K Payroll
Back to the crime blotter…robbers continue to target businesses in the city. A construction company employee was robbed of over sixteen thousand dollars after three on Friday evening in Bella [...]

A Botched Robbery Leaves Gas Station Manager Injured
A pair of thieves attempted to rob C P Gas Station located on the Philip Goldson Highway this morning, but came up empty-handed. Whether it was the quick action or [...]

Man Charged for Allegedly Attempting to Kill Michael Tesecum
Police have arrested a charged a twenty-three-year-old in connection with the shooting of Michael Tesecum. The forty-one-year-old resident of Belize City narrowly escaped death on July eleventh when a second [...]

First Person Charged Under the New Gang Legislation
Albert Wagner is the first person to be charged with “Possession of a Firearm for the Purpose of Gang Activities” under the new gang legislation. And today Deputy Commissioner of [...]

LOVE FM

Harpy Robbery Suspects claim police abuse
The appearance of Deputy Commissioner of Police Chester Williams at today’s police briefing was primarily to address last week Thursday’s shooting incident, during which two minors were shot at in the Lord’s Ridge Cemetery. They were shot by the cops after they allegedly committed a robbery of two guns from a Harpy Security guard. Williams …

Marked Man Killed
A Belize City man was killed on Friday night while socializing with friends. The victim was shot at recently on Holy Emmanuel Street and he was shot before in another incident. But this time, someone finally assassinated the young man. Jose Sanchez: G Nembhard had been targeted before; this time the 22 year old was …

Gas Station Employee foils robbery
Glaring daytime robberies are becoming alarmingly too common. This morning at about 8:30, CP Gas Station at the northern entrance to Belize City was the site of a robbery that was botched by a brave Gas station employee who struggled with one of the gunmen. Assistant Superintendent of Police Alejandro Cowo briefed the media on …

Maya and GOB back in court
Maya Communal Land Rights has been a progressive and pressing issue from as far back as when there was a PUP administration. The buffer communities had sought and set legal precedence in the journey, from protest to lobbying for international support to be able to control substantial land holdings that are suspected to have untold …

Hit and Run Victim Passes Away
On Saturday night sometime after eight p.m., a man was knocked down on College Road in Corozal Town. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joseph Myvett, the critically injured man was receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. But sadly, he passed away late this evening. ACP Joseph Myvette: A male person later identified …

New Legislation for Gangs Tested
The police department is about to test new legislation built to combat a set of criminals who have had significant influence on the country’s global murder per capita ranking. Police officers in Belize City witnessed an alleged gang member shooting at someone near Lindo’s Alley. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams says that the suspect, …

Will US Capital Energy get to conduct oil exploration on Mayas’ land?
For some time now, US Capital Energy has been looking to conduct oil exploration on lands occupied by the Toledo Mayas. As far back as 2001, US Capital Energy was given a contract to conduct oil exploration. In 2015, the Mayas took the Government of Belize to court for granting concessions without their prior and …

$18,000 Heist
Many businesses have been making direct salary deposits to employee bank accounts for years. However, there are businesses that still practice paying in cash because some employees don’t have an account with any institution. Usher’s Construction Limited has eighteen thousand reasons to give up that practice in this postmodern reality we live in daily. Assistant …

Taiwan’s President Dr. Tsai Ing-Wen to visit Belize
US President Donald Trump had been courting leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Belize is not being left out of State visits as it recently had a visit from the Republic of China on Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. But the Head of State is now visiting Belize. Taiwan’s President …

PlusTV

AG’S eyes on Port Loyola
Attorney General Michael Peyreffitte is once again throwing his hat ito the political ring. General elections are to take place in 2020 and Anthony Boots Martinez has already indicated that he will not be seeking re-election. That means that the Port Loyola constitution is up for grabs and one of th...

Confirmed Positive H1N1 Cases in the Corozal District
The Ministry of Health has confirmed three positive cases of HINI Influenza in the Corozal District. The cases include two males who have recent travel history to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, while the third is a pregnant female who resides in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The positive confirmations w...

Two minors shot by cop following armed robbery
2 minors and another male person were apprehended by Belize City police officers while trying to escape the scene of a robbery they had allegedly committed. Reports are that sometime round 6:30 last night, 34 year old security guard Dion Gentle had just arrived at his office at Harpie Security on An...

Reporter receives message for Omero Campos’ family
The Reporter newspaper says that it has received an email with a message and a ransom request to be delivered to the family of Omero Campos. The email is from Campos’ alleged kidnappers. Campos has been missing since June 17th, more than a month ago, when he left his home in San Narciso , Corozal to...

Three car pileup on Hummingbird Highway
Three vehicles were involved in a pileup on the Hummingbird Highway in Belmopan last night. The incident occurred sometime around 7:30 p.m. directly in front of The Mall shopping Center. Reports are that Shannon Jones was driving a black Cadillac in the direction of Quality Poultry round about whil...

The need for armed escorts on the Sarstoon
Visitors to the Sarstoon River are now being escorted by Belize Defense Force officers during their visit to the river. In previous times, visitors were allowed to visit the Sarstoon River without the need for any authorization or armed forces escort. However, times have changed. Last week, the Beli...

Michael Modiri and Bradley Paumen back in court
Businessman Michael Modiri and tour operator Bradley Paumen were back in court yesterday. Back in 2016, Puamen was ordered to pay Modiri a sum of three hundred thousand dollars for damages and trespassing. The ruling came after the Government of Belize purportedly acquired a piece of Modiri’s land f...

Belizean man detained in Mexico for crimes against biodiversity
A Belizean man bound to China was detained in Mexico by Mexican Government Environmental officials after being caught with protected marine life. According to Mexico News Today, the man was detained at the International Airport of Mexico City after being found in possession of seahorses, sea cucumbers, and fish bladder.

Putting BDF helicopters to good use
On Wednesday we told you about criticisms the Government of Belize received over the use of BDF helicopters during GOB’s consultations with Mayan communities in the remote villages in the south. Critics insinuated that US Capital should have fitted the bill for the fuel, and not GOB, since it is in US Capital’s best interest that the villages agree to the granting of the PSA for oil exploration in the Sarstoon Temash National Park.

Robbers make off with over a thousand dollars
There has been no official report on the incident but Plusnews understands that there was another armed robbery in Belize City today. Sometime after one o’clock this afternoon, two persons were reportedly in the vicinity of Cedar Street, Belize City purchasing vehicle parts when they were approached by 3 male persons.

Amin Cooper charged for stabbing Fernando Oliva
27 year old Fernando Oliva made the news back in 2017 when he was successful in his lawsuit against Soca star, Destra. You may recall that Oliva went up on stage during Destra’s performance and was told to lie on the ground.

BDF presence at border areas
On Thursday June 21st, we told you that Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security visited Dolores Village in Southern Belize to meet with Mayan Leaders to discuss border incursion concerns. The meeting was organized after the villages of Otoxha and Dolores asked for BDF assistance in clearing the border between Guatemala and Belize. In late May, BDF personnel were sent into the Otoxha community to investigate incursion reports.

Gill netting controversy; to gill net or not to gill net
And speaking of crimes against biodiversity, Oceana Belize has constantly advocated for policies that ban the use of Gillnetting in Belize. Gillnet fishing is a method of fishing used by commercial fishermen to entangle fish in a long curtain of almost invisible net. These nets can also accidently ...

Honduran fishers caught in Belizean waters
And while on the subject of fishing, seven Honduran fishermen were arrested by Belizean authorities for attempting to fish in Belizean waters on Tuesday morning. According to Progresso Digital Media House, the arrested fishermen were identified as Ángel Eduardo Fuentes, Sergio Rafael Fuentes, Jorge ...

Over 54,000 re registered so far
For another update on the National Re-Registration Exercise; according to the Elections and Boundaries Department, between the 15th of July to 21st of July , a total of Eighteen Thousand Five Hundred applications have been accepted. The total number of applications that have been received for the f...

Military Out-post at the Western Border
Last week Thursday we told you than an inauguration ceremony was held for the Belize Border Project. The Project , which was spear-headed by BDF light engineers, began in mid-May with the purpose of improving fences and gates at the border for better security and efficiency. A second ceremony was he...

BDF Summer Camp closing
Over 90 campers took part in the Belize Defense Force Summer Camp over the past two weeks. The camp took place at the BDF base in Ladyville where campers had the opportunity to do some small boat unit training, among other activities. Our media colleagues in Belize City visited the base in Ladyville for the camp’s closing.

The Reporter

DON’T FEED THE CROCS!
The alarming emergence of reports of crocodiles being directly and indirectly fed as well as being molested for tourism attraction has prompted the Belize Forest Department to issue a public advisory on the dangers of those actions as well as charges that could follow in the event of such. According to the department, wildlife species are fully protected under the Wildlife Protection Act which stipulates that no person shall hunt or even attempt to hunt, kill or molest by any means any species of wildlife in Belize.

DPP APPEALS CALANEY FLOWERS ACQUITTAL
The Director of Public Prosecutions has filed an appeal in the case of Calaney Flowers, 31, who was acquitted of the murder of her ex-boyfriend Lyndon Morrison in 2017. The DPP’s office filed the appeal on July 25, on two grounds: that Flowers’ acquittal was unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence; and that the trial judge erred in law for not considering the statutory alternative offence of manslaughter as set out in Section 126(1) of the Indictable Procedure Act.

ROBBERS TARGET PUMA’s CORAL GROVE SERVICE STATION
There was an attempted robbery at the Puma Coral Grove Service Station on the Phillip Goldson Highway on Saturday night. (Video shows Friday night) As the surveillance video shows, at 11:04pm one man with a shirt over his head runs onto the compound.

KIDNAPPERS THREATEN DEATH FOR OMERO CAMPOS
The Reporter this morning received an email, the second in four days, from a person who is allegedly one of those who kidnapped Corozal businessman Omero Campos. Unlike the first email last Thursday which demanded 5 bitcoins for the release of Campos or he would be killed by August 1st, today’s email stated only “Omero Campos: 48 hours!” the sender in both is the same – Juan Carlos Yépez

CITCO TO RESURFACE HOLY EMMANUEL STREET
Resurfacing of Holy Emmanuel Street (Gungulung) behind the Charles Bartlett Hyde (Complex) Building has been delayed until sometime around September because of other street works in which the company interested in the project is currently engaged. Holy Emmanuel Street, which measures a little bit less than a half a mile in length from Lacroix Boulevard to the Western Highway, was resurfaced in the summer of 2012 at a cost of over $200,000. The contractor at that time was RJB Construction, which, according to then Mayor Darrel Bradley, did a “double coating of chip and seal.” But the stretch of road has deteriorated and already needs to be completely redone.

Breaking Belize News

Albert Wagner nabbed by police during Sunday morning shooting
Instead of spending his Sunday morning in church, Albert Wagner opted to shoot members of a […]

Belize Waste Control office targeted by armed assailants
On Friday morning the Belize Waste Control head office on the George Price Highway was the venue […]

119 toddlers complete Roving Caregivers Program
One hundred and nineteen toddlers – and their parents – have completed the Roving Caregivers Program […]

PM Barrow invites Taiwan’s President to Belize
Belize’s Prime Minister Dean Barrow has extended an invitation to the President of the Republic of […]

Diesel goes down
Today, the Belize Bureau of Standards informed the public of a decrease in the price of diesel […]

Hit and run victim clinging to life in Corozal
Armando Witz, 31, is lucky to be alive after a vehicle traveling at high speed knocked him […]

Would be robbers scared off by brave manager at CP gas station
Just before 8:30 this morning, Belize city police responded to a robbery at CP gas station located […]

Mexican cane cutter found dead in Progresso
Over the weekend BBN reported that a body was found in the village of Progresso in the […]

Man charged for shooting man twice his age
On the night of July 11, Michael Tesecum, 41, was shot three times to his body while […]

Construction manager robbed of $18,000 for employees’ salaries
On Friday afternoon an armed robbery unfolded in open view less than half mile away from the […]

Top brass of Belize Police Department clueless about Belizean national in Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel
It made headline news last week when Chetumal police arrested Dioney “El Nene” Rolando, a suspected […]

Ex-common-law husband attacks woman in Independence
Police are investigating a report of an aggravated burglary in Independence village on Saturday night. According to […]

Waitress robbed, brutally attacked in Stann Creek
Stann Creek police are investigating the robbery and attack of a 22-year old waitress from Hopkins […]

Thieves take skiff, engine and fishing items valued at over $38,000
Belize City police are investigating a report of a stolen skiff. Jimel Williams, 36, boat captain/tour […]

Orange Walk Mayor: Fiestarama was a huge Success!
Over the weekend, the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk was the venue for entertainment for the entire […]

Three Belize city businesses robbed last Friday
There were three reported armed robberies in Belize city over the weekend. The first robbery occurred […]

Activists launch Belize Brain Awareness Society
On Saturday, July 28, a group of activists joined together and launched the Belize Brain […]

United States to create blacklist of corrupt politicians from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras
According to a report from Elsalvador.com, the United States congress will identify officials of El […]

Taiwan’s President scheduled to visit Belize
This morning, Taiwan News reported that Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen will embark on her fifth […]

Moist weather to continue
The 24-hour forecast is for mainly moist and unstable conditions to continue. Sunny skies with […]

National Song Competition to be held in Santa Elena town
Today, the National Celebrations Commission informed that the National Song Competition 2018 is still accepting […]

Blogs

Learning about Corozal
Corozal Bay features a long stretch of beach, adding to the local town area. The beaches are well integrated into the larger town and while small, still feature soft, white sand and calm waters perfect for swimming. Positioned in Corozal District, this beach is on the North coast of Belize. You might want whether or not you are staying in the immediate vicinity. Corozal Bay stands out because it's one of the best spots for escaping the hustle of Belize's urban areas. Other nearby beaches in Belize may have the same pleasing, tropical setting as Corozal Bay, but tend to be busier because they border some of the area's most popular resorts. How to Access The Beach: The beaches of Corozal Bay are accessible throughout the town of Corozal, though automobiles should seek out public parking. For those staying in-town, local bus routes offer a convenient way to reach the beach.

Putting Their Hearts into Positive Changes for Residents and Tourists
When it comes to living in a young country, we must keep in mind that its challenges are unique, because it still carving a path into the modern world and still very “wild west” at the same time. Take a moment and imagine what Canada or the USA was like when they were only 36 years old. Both were faced with greatly different challenges than they are today. It is not easy to navigate the “obstacle course” as the country and individual areas grow, especially on Ambergris Caye, the top vacation destination in Belize. The island is definitely a grassroots place where groups of community and business members have the ability to forge new territory and “move mountains” if they choose to.

5 Know-Before-You-Go Tips for Traveling Belize
With tropical jungles, clear blue waters, stunning biodiversity and an astounding mix of culture and history, few destinations in Central America are as much fun as Belize. But before you head off on your Belize trip, you need to know what to expect. Educate yourself before you leave, so all your Belizean surprises will be good ones. If you’re like most Americans, you probably don’t carry much cash in your day-to-day life. But you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of the folding stuff in your wallet during your travels in Belize. That’s because, while credit and debit cards are accepted in most places, you’ll pay a three percent fee to use them. The fee helps offset the card processing fees merchants must pay and serves to encourage the use of cash in most establishments, as that’s what Belizean merchants prefer. Over the course of your trip, that three percent can really add up if you’re using cards for everything.

Top Belize Vacation Ideas
When it comes to Central American countries high on tourist lists, Belize may not be the first nation that comes to mind, but it is certainly a destination you should consider visiting sooner rather than later. Belize only covers a small area, but it is packed full of fun and interesting things to see and do. With something for everyone no matter the time of year, think about making this spot your next vacation destination. Read on for some ideas for activities to put on your itinerary when you travel there.

How the Welcoming People of Belize Make Me Feel at Home
I have lived in Belize over five years now, and somehow feel that I have become a little more like the people of this country than those of my own. We never really lose who we are culturally, but I do believe we assimilate to some degree. I noticed this recently when I was waiting for an international flight at the Belize airport, and I gravitated to Belizeans more than other people. I realized that I knew what to expect when I spoke to a Belizean. I could expect a smile when I smiled, a crafty sense of humor, and wholehearted helpfulness. My husband, Marcos, is Belizean and spent 17 years of his adult life with me in the U.S. His ethnicity is Hispanic, African (Creole), Mayan, Lebanese, and Chinese. This is actually a common mixture, and is indicative of the influences of different cultures in Belize. Ethnic and cultural diversity are the hallmarks of Belizean society, and provide a path to tolerance, understanding, and general goodwill. Add to this a large Mennonite population (who provide most of the dairy produce and poultry in the country) and many expats of European descent, and you have quite the melting pot.

English-Speaking Belize: The Easiest Country on the Caribbean
Belize is a country that not many people know much about. It is a young state, only independent since 1981, before which it was British Honduras. The British have had a huge influence on this small Caribbean nation, to the point where the Queen is still on the paper money. It is the only country in the region with English as the official language, and this among many other reasons makes it a comfortable and easy place to visit—or live! Belize is just south of Quintana Roo; the Yucatán peninsula so popular with visitors to Mexico, as it contains Cancún, Tulum, and Playa Del Carmen. But despite its closeness to Mexico, Belize is a very different country.

Some very tranquil, peaceful images from around the sleepy Placencia Village right now...
We are in quiet, low season right now - but Placencia is always tranquil and low key, so while the village is less crowded, it is less noticeable than the high/low seasons other places where you may experience packed beaches in high season. In Placencia, if you have to wait for a table even in high season, it is a head scratcher, and that is part of the lovely charm it has. Our team is pretty obsessed with taking pictures because there is ALWAYS something charming to see when you walk around the village - here's a taste of the beauty and tranquility over the last couple weeks from our eyes! This is most people's first view of Placencia - the tiny, modest airport - most people cannot believe that they are actually going to land the puddle jumper on the tiny runway right next to the water....

International Costa Maya Festival 2018
It’s that time of the year again, The International Costa Maya Festival begins on Thursday the 2nd, until Sunday 5th, of August. Throughout these dates there will be plenty of activities; on Thursday 2nd, it starts off with an opening ceremony by the Mayor, Mr Daniel Guerrero and Hon Manuel Heredia Jr. followed by other entertaining activities. On Friday 3rd, it`s the International Costa Maya Festival and coronation. Who will be this year`s Costa Maya; will it be Miss Honduras, Miss Belize, Miss Panama, Miss El Salvador, Miss Mexico, or perhaps Miss Costa Rica? On Saturday 4th, it’s the International performance by the Queen of Reggaeton Ivy Queen and her band performing many of great hit songs. On Sunday the 5th, the last day of all the fun will be Fiesta en la Playa (Beach parties all over town). Don’t miss out on all the fun see you there!

2018 Travel Tips
As we are in the middle of Summer, we are still planning trips to travel and have some fun. No matter where we go, there are always some things we need to consider before travelling. We decided to put together a list of Travel Tips for you to consider. When deciding you want to travel, it’s important that you will actually be able to – so it should be a priority if it is something you really want to do. Therefore, save up and ask questions! Savings play an important role in our lives as it is, but travel savings is another story. Be cost-conscious when going abroad to a foreign country or even exploring in your own backyard. Determine how you will spend and what you will spend on. Consider your current expenses VS. the extra cost of travelling to see if you can afford to take the trip.

San Pedro Town - The Colorful Capital of Ambergris Caye
San Pedro, Belize is perhaps the most famous location in the country due to it being featured in the hit 1986 Madonna song "La Isla Bonita" which was written about this lovely seaside town. Indeed, portions of the video for the song were filmed on location in San Pedro. Belize vacations are just not complete without a visit to San Pedro. Originally a small fishing village, it now has a year-round population of about 20,000 people but receives tens of thousands of visitors every year. San Pedro is located on the southern tip of Ambergris Caye, which makes it an excellent base of operations for activities like windsurfing, sea kayaking, kite surfing, fishing, snorkeling, sailing, and scuba diving on the reef. Because of this proximity, San Pedro is renowned for its amazing seafood restaurants, many of which serve fish and other delicacies caught earlier the same day. San Pedro also has several lovely beaches.

The Beers of Belize
Something about the hot sun and balmy weather in Belize makes this jewel of a country the perfect place to enjoy a cold brew. And yes, while imported beers from around the region are available, no visit to the country should be considered complete without sampling some of the beers of Belize. There is only one domestic brewery in Belize: Belikin Beer, which is based in Belize City and uses the iconic Temple of the Masonry Altars from the ancient Maya site of Altun Ha as its logo. Indeed, "Belikin" is the Maya term for the Belize River which provides all of the water for the brewery. Belikin's motto is "Onli Eena Belize" which is Creole for "Only in Belize," as the company is immensely proud to be entirely owned and operated by Belizeans. Founded in 1969 by Sir Barry Bowen, Belikin makes a wide variety of Belize beers, including:

San Ignacio, Belize
San Ignacio and its sister town of Santa Elena across the river compose the second-biggest urban population in Belize and serve as the cultural and economic capital of Cayo District. During the early years of the British colonial administration, San Ignacio was very sparsely populated and used primarily for logging mahogany trees and producing chicle. Over time, it grew in size and attracted people from all the different cultures in Belize, which is why it is one of the most diverse urban settlements in the country today. San Ignacio is situated on the banks of the Macal River just across from the ancient Maya ruins of Cahal Pech. One of San Ignacio's principal attractions is its open-air market just adjacent to the river that draws in farmers, artisans, and craftsmen from all across the region who use the market to sell their wares and swap gossip.

Belize in November: Weather, Places to Visit & Activities
November might be a month of increasingly cold nights across Canada and the United States, but the average daytime high in Belize is a beautiful and sunny 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius). The clear blue skies, balmy temperatures, and exciting festivals going on throughout the month of November make it the perfect time to visit. On your November vacation in Belize, you can enjoy activities such as:

Common Languages Spoken in Belize
Belize is completely different than all of its neighbors in Central America because English is the official language of Belize. All government communiques, road signs, and official documents in the country are written in English, but in practice, most residents of Belize speak Kriol as their first language. In addition, most Belizeans are fluent in two or more languages. Sometimes spelled Creole, Kriol is much more than just a dialect of English. Although Kriol is relatively easy to parse when written, it can be difficult to understand for people who only speak standard English. However, most people in Belize can speak standard English and use it when communicating with visitors from other countries. Another important language spoken in Belize is Spanish. Just over half the country speaks Spanish on some level, although some of it is "Kitchen Spanish," a simplified version of the language that also includes some Kriol words. Spanish is widely spoken by Mestizos, many Maya people, and visitors and temporary residents from neighboring countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

Favorite Belize treats - the Fry Jack!
While nobody will ever recommend these as part of a healthy diet, one of the most delicious and ubiquitous foods served in every Belizean house is the fry jack. Fry jacks are a staple Belize food that are in the shape of triangles (or, occasionally, squares or circles) of wheat dough that are deep-fried until they become golden brown in color and pillowy soft. Most locals eat fry jacks at part of a traditional Belize breakfast and served with refried beans, eggs, cheese, and meat where toast would be used in the United States or Canada. Simply put, no Belize vacations can ever be considered truly authentic without at least sampling some fry jacks. Much like potato chips, it's hard to stop at just one as fry jacks are delicious. If you're enjoying some Belize travel, be sure to try the fry jacks!

Top things to do in Crooked Tree
Crooked Tree Village is considered one of the earliest inland European settlements in Belize. The small Belizean Creole village has approximately 1000 inhabitants and is an inland island surrounded by lagoons and a creek. Crooked Tree is located near Belize City and due to its ecological importance and abundant wildlife, it is a popular destination for eco-tourists from around the world. Some of the best things to do there include learning about the Creole culture, birdwatching, canoeing, and nature walks.

A Tasty Win At “Taste Of Belize” 2018
Congratulations to Rojel Ian Lisbey, who took home a first place win as the “Junior Chef of the Year” at the “Taste of Belize 2018” culinary competition held July 21st at the Belize City Ramada Princess. Organised by the Belize Tourism Board, the annual event showcases Belizean cuisine and generates friendly competition between Belize’s best chefs and cooks, with competition winners often going on to compete in the regional “Taste of Caribbean” event. (This year’s “Taste of the Caribbean 2018” held in Miami last June, saw a team of Belizean chefs winning a silver medal in overall competition, and three bronze medals in several categories.)

International Sources

CARICOM Youth Ambassador from Belize, Kylah Ciego – who is she
We spoke with CARICOM Youth Ambassador from Belize, Kylah Ciego, during the recently held Forum on Youth Development and Population that was hosted at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana. Kylah told Communications Officer Jascene Dunkley-Malcolm about some of her interests as well as the projects that she has going as a CARICOM Youth Ambassador. Check out their conversation in the video below:

A Journey Down The Hummingbird Highway, Belize
Of the four major highways in Belize – the Northern, the Western, the Southern and the Hummingbird – the Hummingbird Highway is the most beautiful. Over the years, this roadway has changed from dirt track to a well-paved highway. The Hummingbird takes you from the intersection of the Western Highway outside of Belmopan all the way to Dangriga on the coast. You pass through many small villages, and it seems like every home has either a Coke or Belikin Beer sign advertising cold drinks and hot barbecued food. For me, the excitement begins as I climb the mountain roads skirting the spectacular Maya Mountains. Everywhere you look there are ranges of palm trees, appearing like rainforests.

Videos

Kids in Action Summer Camp, min. Here is a short video of some of the students of the Kids in Action Summer Camp diving at Bottom Time! - video courtesy of Scuba School and Family Dive Center

Hicks Caye Belize - Jack Crevalle, 3.5min. First Jack from Hicks Caye in Belize

Hicks Caye Belize - Tarpon, 4min. First Tarpon hook up in Hicks Caye Belize.

Xunantunich, Exploring the Mayan Ruins, 6min. In this episode we are guided through Xunantunich. I had to get used to following around guides in Belize. Usually I am the guide. These ancient ruins are kept in great condition. We saw some workers excavating and repairing things. Some of the temple parts are actually fake and made as a cover for the original parts.

Youtube Link for the game Verdes FC vs Wagiya FC, 52min.

Benque Marimba arrives in Taiwan, min. the children of the west Today (7/22) arrived in Taiwan, Welcome song. Welcome them to Taiwan

Enno Grahl in Belize, 40min. Unser Gast Enno besuchte mit seiner Frau Bruni Belize Anfang 2018. Der, von Enno erstellte, Film zeigt Eindruecke Ihrer Rundreise.

Belize Time, 2min. More adventures on the Carey On!

July 30, 2018

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Six months after Vildo’s Westby alleged arrest in Mexico, Belize Police remain tight-lipped
It’s been over six months since news broke that Vildo Westby, the prime suspect in Felix Ayuso’s murder was detained by Mexican authorities in Las Choapas, Veracruz Mexico on December 8, 2017. However, the Belize Police Department (BPD) will not officially confirm this information. Ayuso’s sister Carmen Eiley told The San Pedro Sun she doesn’t understand why it is taking BPD so long to extradite him to Belize. “We did our part in helping them find him, and now they have to do theirs,” she said. “I’m always checking so I can confirm to you that he is still detained in Las Choapas, Mexico.”

Doctor Love: Old age and family discord
Dear Doctor Love, My husband and I have been talking to my mother about moving into our spare room and giving up her house. Her health is failing and as it is becomes difficult for her to be alone the rising costs on the island are eating away at her small savings. I already do most things for her and my husband does what he can to keep her house fixed, but her moving in with us is a very good solution as she gets older. The problem is my youngest sister. She accuses me of trying to get my hands on our mother’s money when she sells her house.

Misc Belizean Sources

MISS CULTURE INTERNATIONAL MAYA QUEEN 2018
On Saturday, July 28, the country of Belize was well represented at a cultural pageant in Merida, Mexico by delegates from northern Belize. The MISS CULTURE INTERNATIONAL MAYA QUEEN 2018 was won by our very own Sharissa Dominguez.

7th Annual Hunger Awareness Ride
BEL’s annual commitment to Dara’s Feeding Program continues with a $2,000 donation and our Megawatts Cycling Club participated in the 7th Annual Hunger Awareness Ride on July 29, 2018. The program provides breakfast and lunch for school children in Belize City who are in need.

Kids in Action 2018
Another year more kids 2018 !! KIDS RULE !! Thanks to ALL who make it possible!! The kids will cherish forever!!! BESTEST WEEK EVER !!

A milpa in the village of Santa Clara Corozal at a back yard
In Maya milpa is Kool . Our Maya Tatitos believe that the Aluxoob are called into being when a farmer builds a little house on his property, most often in a maize field (milpa). Also the alux will help the corn grow, summon rain and patrol the fields at night, whistling to scare off predators or crop thieves. The Aluxoob are guardians of our milpas . Today many Mayero elders in Northern Belize continue having a little milpa in their back yard with corn,Calabaza,beans etc and along with it some medicinal plants . Is the way of the Maya Masewal .

The Reporter

3 Cases of Swine Flu Detected in Corozal
The Ministry of Health via a press release issued late yesterday evening confirmed the detection of three positive cases of the H1N1 influenza in the Corozal District. The confirmations were received yesterday afternoon from the Ministry of Health’s Central Medical Lab in Belize City. The confirmed cases include two males who recently travelled to Merida, Yucatan Mexico, while the third is a pregnant female who resides in Chetumal, Quintana Roo.

Businessman Robbed of $19K
Jamie Dominguez 35, a Belizean Project manager of Usher’s Construction Limited was robbed of over sixteen thousand dollars in payroll money by a group of armed bandits on Friday evening. Dominguez reported to police that on July 27th at around 5:10 p.m. he left his worksite in Belama Phase Two and was headed to the Bella Vista area in Belama to pay his workmen. On his way to the area he says he picked up his mother Maria Dominguez 59.

Police Identify Murder Victim
Police have officially released the identity of a man who was shot dead at around midnight last night in the Lake Independence area of Belize City. The victim who recently celebrated his 22nd birthday this past Monday has been identified as Dean Nembhard. He was reportedly shot to the left side of his head, under his right eye and to the center of his chest around 11:55 p.m. on July 27th.

Three Walk off Murder Charge
Today July 27th, 2018 Supreme Court Judge Colin Williams in Belize City ruled that three men – Orel Leslie, Brandon Baptist and Tyrone Meighan were not guilty of the 2012 murder of ex-Belize Defence Force soldier James Noralez. In the session which lasted a little over two hours and fifteen minutes, Judge Williams questioned the credibility of statements given by the the prosecution’s main witness as well as the altering of statements by investigating officers and signs of evidence tampering.

Breaking Belize News

Hit-and-run leaves man seriously injured
A hit and run traffic accident that occurred yesterday evening around 6:25 has left a man seriously injured. According to police, they responded to a report of a road accident on College Road, Corozal and when they arrived at the scene, they saw Arnando Witz, 31, on the roadside with head injuries and a damaged beach cruiser bicycle. […]

Body found in Progresso, Corozal
BBN has confirmed that a dead body was found in Progresso Village in the Corozal District. According to reports, the body was found yesterday evening. […]

San Ignacio and Santa Elena Basketball Association to host Youth Summer Camp
The San Ignacio and Santa Elena Basketball Association is hosting a Youth Summer Camp that is scheduled from Monday, July 30 to Friday, August 10, 2018. The event will be hosted at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio Town. […]

BBN’s Person of the Week: Kim Simplis Barrow
Kim Simplis Barrow is Belize’s Special Envoy for Women and Children. Barrow is also a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics since 2008 as well as the Founder and Director of the Lifeline Foundation. The Lifeline Foundation raises thousands of dollars annually to aid disenfranchised children. […]

Blogs

Eat Like a Local: Belize Food Tours is a MUST-DO!
As soon as you get off the plane on the island, you’ll find a town where locals and visitors live together (even if you are there for a few days or a few weeks.) And everyone has an opinion where you should go…favorite restaurants, best breakfast tacos, favorite spot for a Belikin beer. But your time is limited. And…the number of meals are too. Sure you can test out everything…but you might find yourself eating 6 meals a day. Or you can stick to sites like Tripadvisor…but I find those don’t necessarily reflect the real favorites. So here is the PERFECT SOLUTION! Belize Food Tours. A few hours in San Pedro center. Your tour guide born and raised in Belize with a thorough history of Ambergris Caye – from Caste War refuge to coconut plantations to fishing village. And can walk and talk and TASTE you through the many influences on the DELICIOUS, UNIQUE, DELICIOUS cuisine of Belize.

International Sources

Behind the Campaign to Save Coral Reef Tourism
More than half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years as ocean temperatures and pollution levels have risen around the globe. But corals can come back from the dead, a possibility that has caused many scientists, governments, and travel companies to kick into high gear and reverse the trend of reefs becoming watery graves. The travel industry’s first hurdle in saving coral reefs worldwide is to show travelers that the reefs haven’t been completely destroyed, a narrative some argue mainstream media has helped to perpetuate. While the industry stages an awareness campaign for the reefs, many brands in recent years have also reignited the movement to ban single-use plastics, which harm coral. Estimates vary but The Nature Conservancy, an Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit organization, claims that coral reef tourism is worth $36 billion globally each year. That number doesn’t include the billions of dollars reefs also generate for other industries, like fishing and pharmaceuticals.

Videos

OCEAN RESCUE – PLASTIC POLLUTION, 7.5min.

Yucatan Squirrel, 1min. It is diurnal and mainly arboreal. It is most active in the early morning. It eats soft fruit, nuts, and seeds; when these foods are not available, it subsists on flowers, buds, and shoots. I took this short video at Nim Li Punit Archeological Site In Toledo , Belize.

Moonrise in Corozal, 10sec.

Belize Snorkeling, 3min.

Belize Skateboarding 2016, 1min.

Snorkeling Hol Chan Marine Reserve Belize Case Caulker, 5min.

2018 Belize Vacation, 14min. We rented a car and drove from Belize City to San Ignacio where we climbed Cahal Pech and Xunantunich. We drove back and took a boat from Belize City to Ambergris Caye where we went on a few snorkeling trips including to Geoff's Caye. We spent our final few days on Caye Caulker where we spent time at the split and snorkeling even more. We saw sharks, rays, turtles , eels, octopus, and a plethora of fish.

Divers EyeView of the Great Blue Hole in Belize, 7min.

Belize Exposed Eel, 2.5min. 1st day, 2nd dive - Eel outside his hole.

THE GREAT BLUE HOLE - Scuba Diving Belize, 4.5min. We had the pleasure of checking another one off of the bucket list: The Great Blue Hole. What an amazing experience. Located off of the coast of Caye Caulker in Belize, we woke up at 5am to go on this unforgettable experience.

BELIZE Episode 1: Ambergris Caye, 6min. This is the first day or two in Belize for my wife and I. We had a great 2 week trip here recently. I will have 6 episodes, one each day. Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize, pretty much dedicated to tourism. We stayed at a place called Coco Beach which was very nice. We went to Secret Beach, which wasn't so secret. Then we enjoyed the town of San Pedro.

UNREAL ISLANDS IN BELIZE! - THE BEST DAY IN BELIZE, 14min. This was probably the best day of the entire Belize trip. We went on a boat tour and visited 3 incredible Cayes (Islands), The most impressive one was King Lewey's island resort. Definitely try and do this boat tour if you are visiting Placencia!

Premiere League of Belize | Verdes FC vs Wagiya FC, 1hr.

July 29, 2018

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Wolfe’s Woofers: Carpet
“There’s not much carpet used in Belize,” I told Mario. “That’s why I had to special order this from the U.S. Putting down the padding and the nailing strips that hold it in place is easy but once that’s done the really hard part starts.” “What do you mean?” “You have to stretch the carpet so it doesn’t leave any rolls or bumps.” “Isn’t it break time?” Mario asked. Mario, my friend and sometimes handyman, never misses a chance for break time.

Belize versus Barbados Friendly Game to be hosted on Ambergris Caye
It’s official! An international friendly football match between Belize and Barbados is scheduled to take place at Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town on Saturday, August 4th. The friendly match is aimed at preparing the teams for the upcoming Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) tournament. Among the players selected to represent Belize are San Pedro’s Jesse Smith, Mario Chimal and Asrel Sutherland.

Misc Belizean Sources

Funeral Services for Mr Emmanuel Gabourel Sr. today
There will be no wake for Mr Emmanuel Gabourel Sr. Funeral services will be held on Sunday 29th July at Nuestra Señora De La Asuncion Church at 11am followed by the burial at the grave site. There will be a repass after the burial at Hibisca Restaurant for those wishing to join the family. A boat will leave Belize City from the dock on Marine Parade (before u reach Princess) on Sunday 29th July at 9am for anyone wishing to attend the funeral service. Also, anyone wishing to assist the family financially can contact Joylyn at 6040413. Anything at all will be greatly appreciated!

Miss Costa Maya Delegates at The Truck Stop Trivia Competition
It was time for some friendly family fun competition last night as the pageant delegates were invited to play a game of Family Feud!

Belize Birding Festival
The Belize Birding Festival will be happening the last long weekend of October at the NATS grounds. Belizing.com put together a fan page for the event. "Home to more than 600 species of birds—including the keel-billed toucan, harpy eagle, blue-crowned motmot and endangered jabiru stork and scarlet macaw—Belize is a bird-watcher's Eden. The country is so forested that birders can sometimes spot up to 50 species in a single excursion. This year, the first Belize Birding Festival is being held at the National Agriculture & Trade Showgrounds in Belmopan on October 25-28. The four day event will include different speakers, vendors and art exhibitors, guided tours, and other special events."

Yo Creek Sak Xikin Poktapok Team COmpetition
Shot to the hoop competition. 2nd place: Nelson Blanco. Third place: Kaylor Novelo. Ball setter: Leander Campos. Congratulations!!!!!

Breaking Belize News

Elderly man accused of trafficking 17-year-old minor, using her for sex, police say
Belmopan police are investigating a report of sex trafficking in More Tomorrow Village, Cayo District. According to reports, Valentine Pop, 60, is accused of bringing a 17-year-old minor from Melchor, Guatemala and using her for sex. […]

Taiwanese doctor plans to build free hospital in Belize
Asian media outlets are reporting that Taiwanese doctor, Liu Chao-hui, is planning to build a hospital in Belize. This hospital will reportedly provide free medical care to Belizeans. […]

4 armed men rob accountant of over $16,000 in payroll funds
According to reports, yesterday afternoon around 3:20, accountant Jaime Dominguez,35, left his workplace Usher Construction Ltd. en-route to Bella Vista, Belize City to deposit payroll funds at the bank. However, on his way to the bank, Dominguez picked up his mom, Maria Dominguez,59, at her house and when he attempted to drive off, a gray Ford Explorer overtook him on his left-hand side and cut off his driving lane. […]

Belize City police investigating the murder of Dean Nembhard
Early this morning, BBN reported that Dean Nembhard, 22, was shot several times last night in the old capital.Since then, Belize City police have launched an investigation to find out who shot him. According to reports, last night around 11:55, police went to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and saw Nemhard with a gunshot wound to the left side of his head, a shot wound under his eye, and another to the chest. […]

Grayson Cadle needs your help
The general public is asked to support a barbecue fundraiser today for Grayson Cadle, 21. Readers will recall that earlier this month he was burnt inside his home at the corner of Mahogany and Mopan Streets in Belize City when a butane tank exploded. […]

Man shot dead in Belize City last night
The latest victim of gun violence in the old capital is Dean Nembhard, a man who just celebrated his 23rd birthday on Monday. He was shot several times in the Lake Independence area of Belize City at around midnight. […]

International Sources

In a Mexican cave and found the paintings of the Maya
Neither the age of the paintings, nor their exact value has not yet been determined, but scientists have called the discovery the most significant of its kind in Mexico. Images are on the section length of 15 meters and a height of 5 meters. “This is not the only cave paintings in the Yucatan, but it is the most important because there are a lot of elements: birds, mammals, crosses, geometric shapes, human forms, and among them — palm print front and back”, — said the author of the discovery, a Mexican archaeologist Sergio Grosjean Abineri.

A British couple hitching on a yacht that turned into a tale of horror
This old story keeps popping up... For the crew of the small wooden boat heading to the fishing grounds off the coast of Guatemala, it must have been a sickening discovery. Floating in the Caribbean waters less than 200 yards from the shore were the bloated corpses of two young Westerners, a man and a woman. They had been bound, tortured and weighed down with heavy engine parts. Their identities were unknown. It was July 8, 1978, and 5,000 miles away in Manchester, we knew nothing except our deepening concern about the fate of my brother Christopher Farmer, a 25-year-old newly qualified doctor, and his lawyer girlfriend Peta Frampton, 24. They had set off together at the beginning of December 1977 to fulfil their dream to see the world. For seven months they had kept their promise to keep in touch as they travelled through Australia and the Pacific islands to Los Angeles and then through Mexico to Belize. In the age before the internet, Chris made regular phone calls home and Peta sent wonderfully detailed letters to her mother, who lived across the road from us.

Videos

Grace & You - Lasagna featuring Grace luncheon meat and macaroni and cheese, 24min.

2018 Anniversary Cruise Belize, 3min. This was our stop in Belize while on the Carnival Miracle. We went to Caye Caulker and snorkeled with sharks.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WATER TO SPLASH!! THE SPLIT IN BELIZE CAYE CAULKER, 1.5min.

NICARAGÜA vs BELIZE - Voleibol de Playa (F)- Juegos Centroamericanos y Del Caribe Barranquilla 2018, 17min.

July 28, 2018

BTB German Familiarization Trip 2018

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

U.S Embassy in Belize introduces new Chargé d’Affaires Keith Gilges
Following the departure of Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Adrienne Galanek, the United States Embassy in Belize, on Thursday, July 26th introduced Galanek’s successor, Keith R. Gilges via their official Facebook page. Gilges, a career Foreign Service Officer, assumed the position on Tuesday, July 24th, and has expressed his excitement to be in Belize and continue strengthening the relationship between Belize and the United States of America.

Additional over-the-water establishments in Boca del Rio raising concerns
The recent rise of docks for over-the-water restaurants and bars along Boca del Rio beach has business owners and residents in the area concerned. The general complaint is that the new over-the-water structures are congesting the waterfront that at one time was an attractive beach. They’ve called on the local authorities to intervene, but said authorities claim the issue is out of their jurisdiction. In the meantime, more docks are rumored to be coming in the near future. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) says that they are against the construction of too many piers on the eastern side of the island, but that the final decision lies in the hands of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Mayor Daniel Guerrero stated in the past that he wants fewer and shorter docks and smaller buildings around the beach.

Re-registration process continues; Caye Caulker lobbies for extension
The national voter re-registration process commenced on July 1st and to date more than 54,000 Belizeans have re-registered countrywide. Elections and Boundaries, the department in charge of the process says that the procedure has been successful so far. However, in the Belize Rural South Constituency, Caye Caulker residents are not happy that they only had from July 16th to the 23rd, making it difficult for many Hicaqueños to re-register. A petition for an extension has been addressed to Elections and Boundaries, who is considering a second date for the island.

SP BTIA welcomes new Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit Reymundo Reyes
As early as April 2018, members from the San Pedro chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (SP BTIA) along with stakeholders have met with members from the Ministry of National Security and High Command in an effort to improve safety measures on Ambergris Caye while ensuring the quality of life for residents and protecting the tourism product on the island. Positive results have come from discussions with the Minister of National Security Hon. John Saldivar, CEO of the Ministry of National Security George Lovell, Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie, Deputy Commissioner Chester Williams, past Officer in Charge of Coastal Executive Unit Superintendent Henry Jemmott, representatives from the Belize Coast Guard, the Belize Defence Force, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and members of the San Pedro Town Council.

Ambergris Today

Three Positive H1N1 Cases In The Corozal District
The Ministry of Health can, at this time, confirm three positive cases of HINI Influenza in the Corozal District. The cases include two males who have recent travel history to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, while the third is a pregnant female who resides in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Belizean Arrested In Mexico For Trafficking Endangered Marine Life
According to Mexico News Today, Mexican Government Environment officials have arrested a Belizean national after entering Mexico bound for China with protected marine life. The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection says that a judge ordered the legal detention of a Belizean citizen destined for China. The man was detained at the International Airport of Mexico City after being found in possession of seahorses and sea cucumbers. According to reports the person was also found carrying fish bladders. The illegal products were discovered after an inspection at the airport. The man was arrested after police detected the smell of fish. Upon inspection of his suitcase, federal inspectors found two bags containing 88 dried seahorses along with two bags of sea cucumbers and two bags of fish bladders.

Misc Belizean Sources

GREAT Bullet Tree Falls Summer Camp
The Bullet Tree Falls GREAT Summer Camp is next week. You can contact Corporal Medina at 610-0875, or email the registration form. GREAT is a project to educate and engage youths, You can also donate to their cause. Thanks, SISE Police Formation!

Tek Time fi Read! Book Festival
Reading gives life more life! Bring along the entire family! Belmopan Civic Center, August 4, 9am-5pm

Belizean Patriot: Zebedee Augustus "Sonny" Pitterson
Unsung hero and philanthropist Zebedee Augustus "Sonny" Pitterson (1931 - 2014) had raised himself up from humble beginnings to become one of the most successful Belizean businessmen in the City, operating Sunnyside for 55 years. In 1952, the first of Sonny’s businesses, Sunnyside Saloon, opened on West Canal, specializing in pastries. Opened with savings of $68, Sunnyside quickly established a second branch on Racecourse Street on the lower flat of Pitterson’s home, and emerged as a competitor to Dit’s Saloon on King Street. Shrugging off the disaster of Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (during which he lost almost everything and yet was able to shelter and feed 33 people and mix 900 sacks of flour, by hand, to make bread for the hungry populace in the aftermath of the hurricane), and fires caused by overheating ovens in 1995 and 2002, Sunnyside Bakery has stayed alive. Mr. Zeb will always be remembered as a stalwart of the people who protected them from arbitrary increases in the price of bread. On one occasion the Belize Bakers Association had decided to raise the price of bread from $1 to $1.50, but Mr. Zeb was adamantly opposed to the raise, saying the people could not afford the increase.

San Pedro Fish kill likely due to depleted oxygen levels
So this happened last night to greet us in San Pedro this morning. A sizable fish kill that washed up on the beaches in southern Ambergris Caye. Grunts, sprat, juvenile permit and more - hundreds if not thousands of fish. What is very disturbing is seeing the bug-eyed aspects of many grunts, which I understand is due to exposure to waters with low oxygen content. Any way we look at it, our sargassum situation is bad and we need to collectively throughout the region reduce our effluent/sewage/ nutrient releases into the sea as a start and a means to reduce the rapid proliferation of sargassum. Thanks to Volney and Cynthia for taking the pics.

Moments on YOLO, International Costa Maya Festival

R.I.P. Emmanuel Gabourel Sr.
Man, words escape me. Mr. Gabourel has been a fixture on Caye Caulker for decades. He was one of the most competent plumbers on the island and fixed washing machines that no one thought would ever work again. To top it off, he was one of the best darts players on the island. Most of all, he was our dear friend. Deepest condolences go out to his family.

Central Medical Lab Confirms Positive H1N1 Cases in the Corozal District
The Ministry of Health can, at this time, confirm three positive cases of HINI Influenza in the Corozal District. The cases include two males who have recent travel history to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, while the third is a pregnant female who resides in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The positive confirmations were received this afternoon from our Central Medical Lab in Belize City. The Ministry has activated its Northern Regional and National Surveillance Teams to immediately start managing these cases and to plan next steps forward. Initial visits and rounds with frontline personnel also concluded earlier in the week.

Peace in the Parks ... Today, July 28th, 2018!
Bouncy Houses, Cancer Screenings, Raffles all day, Live Performances, a Basketball Tournament, Massages & Manicures, Food on Sale, and much much more! Come out to Yabra Green on Saturday July 28th, 10 am - 4 pm and help contribute to #ASafeBelize Hosted by : RESTORE Belize, Ignite Ltd., Special Envoy Belize, YATA & Ncfc Belize and in partnership with Belize Family Life Association! Come out and enjoy!

CAYE CAULKER BTIA- GM UPDATE
We had 21 in attendance including CCBTIA (BoD) & Special Guest INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS At The GM we informed Our Members & Public of what the CCBTIA accomplished in the past and plans to accomplish today and in the near future. CCBTIA Strategic Plan includes the Objective and Champions. We are open to suggestions from our members. Feel free to email us or message us on Facebook. The Communication Objective has now been shared among the other four board members. CCBTIA thanks Stacey Badillo and wishes her every success in her endeavors.

Odetes Home Center celebrates 20 anniversary
Odetes Home Center celebrated their 20 anniversary right here at Corozal. They had dj music, jumpers for kids, raffles all day long, sales on motorcyles, clothes, kitchen items and lots.

Postponed until further notice: power outage previously scheduled for Belize City
on Sunday, July 29 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Belize Water Services informs customers along a portion of the Philip Goldson Highway that there will be an interruption and low water pressure in the water supply on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, starting at 11:00am
The area to be affected by the water interruption is from Haulover Bridge on the Philip Goldson Highway to San Cas Plaza. The areas to be affected by low water pressure are West Landivar, Buttonwood Bay, Bella Vista, and Belama Phase 1 to 4. This interruption and low water pressure is necessary for the installation of a new water main. Customers are being advised to have an adequate amount of water stored to last for the extended time. Due to the upgrades, customers may experience discoloration in their water supply when water is fully restored.

OCEANA responds to Shark Fishers Association on gillnets ban
In the interest of transparency, we are sharing a copy of a press release we have just been sent. We have responded to the sender with two questions: a) a clarification of how many of their members of shark fishers as they mention “hundreds” of shark fishers. For context, we have been informed that only 73 Belizeans are licensed to catch sharks. Secondly, we have asked this association to indicate if they are interested in hearing our position and what we are proposing to move forward. We made this invitation in good faith because the policy changes we advocate for are to support sustainable fisheries management efforts and to ensure all fishers will always be able to fish. Gillnets are not the only way to catch fish. The fact that only 6% (169 of 2716 licensed Belizean fishers) use them speaks volumes.

International Costa Maya Festival Secret Beach Lunch with the Mayor and Town Councillors
Thanks to Secret Paradise Beach Bar & Grill for Hosting

Channel 7

Presence of H1N1 Confirmed in Northern Belize
The H1N1 flu virus has been detected to Belize. After causing more than 6 deaths in Quintana Roo, three positive cases have been detected in the Corozal District. The Central Medical Lab confirms that the cases comprise two males who recently travelled to Merida, while the third is a pregnant female who lives in Chetumal. The positive tests were received this afternoon and the Ministry of health says it has activated its Northern Regional and National Surveillance Teams to immediately start managing these cases and to plan next steps forward.

Accused Killers Get Off A Second Time
Accused murderers Orel Leslie, Tyrone Meighan and Brandon Baptist have been acquitted for a second time of the shooting death of James Noralez. In a trial without jury, Justice Collin Williams found that the DPP's Office did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that on November 23, 2012, these 3 men killed Noralez. In October 2015, retired Justice Troadio Gonzalez found them not guilty after presiding over their very first trial. DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal appealed and the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.

Cops Say He Threatened To Kill His Mother, But Brian Brown Bailed
It caused a huge uproar yesterday when police went to arrest the notorious Brian Brown at his home on Jimmy Dyer Street off Faber's Road. Brown's home has a ten foot concrete fence, and when police showed up there, those in his camp - including minors - started to hurl projectiles at police - who ran to take cover. After that, the cops released white smoke, jumped the fence and dragged brown out of his house in a sheet. The George Street figure was arrested because his mother gave a statement saying he was threatening to kill her.

60 Year Old Accused of Sex Trafficking Teenaged Girl from Melchor
Today we learned about a 60 year old - who's facing human trafficking charges for prostituting a 17 year old girl he brought over from Melchor. 60 year-old Valentine Pop, a resident of Cool Shade Farm in More Tomorrow Village, is facing 2 counts of human trafficking, for which he was remanded at the Belize Central Prison. But, but as soon as he is able to make the necessary arrangements, he'll be released on Supreme Court bail.

Organized Criminals Pounce on Paymaster, Snatch 15K
Organized criminals struck again this evening in Belize City. Around 4:00, four men in a tinted gray Ford explorer stole the payroll for a construction site in the Bella Vista residential community. It's no random crime, because the robbers knew who was moving with the payroll in the residential community which does not have a police presence. Apparently, they trailed the employee who was delivering the payroll, and once he reached the location to pay the workers, a gunman approached him with a firearm and made off with fifteen thousand dollars in cash.

Police Shot Two Teenaged Robbers While Running Down Guns
Last night we had the late breaking story of how police ran down a trio of robbers in the Lord Ridge Cemetery. The three males had just robbed a security guard on Antelope extension of two pistols. Here's what happened. At around 6:20, 34 year old security guard Dion Gentle had just arrived at his workplace, the Harpie Security office on Antelope Street Extension. He had two 38 revolvers and a radio in a bag. That's when two men pounced on him - one put a gun to his head - and the other took the bag. They ran off - but there's a fixed police presence right in that area. Two alert constables on foot patrol saw the trio of men dashing through the cemetery and pursued them. But, the robbers didn't stop so the police fired on them, hitting two of them in their legs.

Stealthy Criminals Slip Into Waste Control, Steal Gun & Safe
And while the police worked hard to get those stolen guns off the street, within hours, another one was in circulation. At around 4:30 this morning, a group of very organized criminals slipped into the compound at Belize Waste Control and did some major damage. First they cut a hole through the fence, and then subdued the armed security guard and stole his Luger 9 millimeter pistol. They ripped out the alarm, cut off the power, disabled the backup generator and then stole a small safe from the office. The safe contained about five thousand dollars in cash.

Cedar Street Snatchers
And robbers were also prowling on the southside this afternoon. 7News has received reliable reports that customers at a scrap parts junkyard on Cedar Street were robbed by armed men. Just after 1:00l, two persons were buying vehicle parts when three to four men held them up and stole over a thousand dollars in cash - along with jewelry and cell phones - amounting to a total of about 7 thousand dollars.

Regional Agriculture Ministers in Belize
When it comes to Belize's regional integration, you always hear talks about CARICOM, and indeed, we enjoy a very good relationship with the Caribbean region. But as it relates to the Central American region, well, the relationship, although healthy, leaves room for work. It is with that in mind that Belize is hosting this year's second biannual meeting of Central American Agricultural Council of Ministers, C.A.C for short. Minister of Agriculture Godwin Hulse is acting as the protem chairman for this regional meeting which forms a part of the Central American Integrated System, SICA. Earlier this week the visiting ministers were given a tour of some of Belize's primary agricultural production.

Eight Years For A Life
29 year-old Jermaine Moody, the construction worker from San Pedro who was found guilty of manslaughter for the death of 31 year-old Moses Coc, will spend 8 more years in prison for his killing. That's the sentence that Justice Adolph Lucas handed him today after consideration of all the factors in the case. The judge actually sentenced him to 12 years in jail, but 4 years were subtracted from that sentence because of the time he spent on remand awaiting trial. The judge also took into consideration the fact that Moody had no criminal record, and that he cooperated with police when he was arrested and charged.

Mexican Media: Notorious “Nene” from Sinaloa Is Belizean
On Wednesday evening, Chetumal police arrested a Belizean whom they say is a major player in Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel. He is Dioney Rolando, better known as "El Nene." It is believed that he answers to Zurisaday Villasenor Mendez, the alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in the area. Villasenor was famously held in Belize for guns and ammunition four years ago, but was granted bail, never to be seen again. According to reports from Mexican news outlets, around 10:00 on Wednesday evening, "El Nene" was in a blue Nissan pickup along with four Mexicans.

Sports For Summer
School is out, but the National Sports Council has kept kids busy this summer with a summer program. It has been taking place for the past two weeks at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City. Some 180 kids from ages four to 15 participated in the summer program. But it wasn't just all fun and games. The Sports Council got some help from professional Belizean athletes to give the kids some valuable insight into the sport. We attended the closing event today and learned more about the program.

HIV In Colour On Canvas
The National Aids Commission today hosted a ceremony to thank their partners for contributing to National test day on June 29th. It was a successful test day with about 1700 persons coming out to be tested, including a fair number of men. So this morning at the Inspiration Center, the commission gifted 6 of their partners with paintings created by some talented youth. Here's more: Enrique Romero, Executive Director, National Aids Commission: "The public - private partnership is very important if we are going to fill gaps in financing left by the withdrawal of Scotia banks partnership..."

Dara, Go Deh Dreddy
Goodwill gestures may come and go, flickering across the screen as good publicity today, and forgotten tomorrow. But not so for Dara Robinson's Feeding Program - it's been going strong and steady for years and If you want to contribute to, you can participate in this Sunday's 7th annual Hunger Awareness Ride. Dara came over to our studio to tell us more. If you don't want to participate in the ride but still want to help, you can take over food items and school supplies. Dara also has a Lucky Dube concert coming up next week Sunday August 5th at the Birds Isle. Proceeds from that event will also go to the feeding program.

Keeping Calm In The City In A Storm Of Retaliation
And, finally, tonight, the city hopes it will see some peace this weekend after a three year old was killed in last weekend's gang wars. A lot of that depends on Roy Bennett. Baby Etana Bennett was his daughter and he was, presumably, the target of the shooters who instead injured his wife and child. Now, this is a man who has lost two brothers to gun violence: Tyrone and Faron Felix, and his sister, Freesha. How do you talk or think peace after so much loss?

Channel 5

3 Confirmed Cases of H1N1 in Corozal
The Ministry of Health has confirmed three cases of H1N1 Influenza in the Corozal District. The confirmation was received this afternoon from the Central Medical Lab in Belize City. A [...]

Tyrone Meighan, Orel Leslie and Brandon Baptist Acquitted of Murder, Again
Not guilty! That was the verdict delivered late this afternoon in the murder case against Tyrone Meighan, Orel Leslie and Brandon Baptist for the 2012 murder of B.D.F. soldier James [...]

Police Bust a Trio of Robbers in Lord Ridge Cemetery, Two Minors are Shot
A trio of brazen robbers, including two minors, succeeded in robbing Harpy Security on Antelope Street Extension, just after six o’clock on Thursday evening. The security company is located a [...]

Brian Brown Granted Bail after Appearance in Court
Today, Brian Brown was hauled to the Magistrate’s Court in Belize City and arraigned for five charges including damage to property and wounding following a raid at his house on [...]

Suspected Murderer of Samuel Cosme Remanded to Prison
Thirty-three-year-old Reainard Randey Ferguson is at the Belize Central Prison tonight. He was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford today for the murder of forty-three-year-old Samuel Cosme. No plea was [...]

Grief Therapy for Surviving Family Members of Slain Children
Murders and other violent crimes are continuously being committed against innocent children. While the tragic stories fade from the headlines, the pain—emotional and psychological—continues to impact surviving family members and [...]

Agriculture Ministers Across Central America Meet to Discuss Animal Health
Since assuming the pro tem presidency of the Central American Integration System at the end of June, the Government of Belize has taken up a number of responsibilities as it [...]

Local Farmers and Producers Onboard with SICA Agriculture Initiative
According to Hulse, Belize’s agro-productive sector is fully onboard with the SICA initiative. The visiting ministers were also given a tour of facilities in the Spanish Lookout and stopped in [...]

An Agriculture Survey to Determine the Number of Farmers and Their Produce
A countrywide survey is being conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture to gather information on the number of farmers actively partaking in the agro-productive sector, as well as the crops [...]

NSC Concludes Summer Sports Camp
Some two hundred young children have been enjoying their summer vacation at a sports camp in the city. The camp presented the young athletes with the opportunity to harness their [...]

Painting the HIV Picture in Belize
The National AIDS Commission partnered with six young artists to each create an original piece of HIV thematic art at the national testing day in June. The art pieces were [...]

More Men Than Women Tested on National Testing Day
The first national testing day was held in Belize on June twenty-ninth. Free HIV tests were offered in public spaces across the country to encourage people to find out their [...]

Showtime Sports Features Boxing Champ’s Charity Work in Belize
Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will take to the ring in a boxing match on Saturday night to defend his title against fellow unbeaten fighter Robert Easter Junior. Both athletes [...]

Dara Rides for Hunger
Local philanthropist Dara Robinson is hosting his seventh annual hunger awareness ride this week. Robinson is inviting everyone to come out and give to a worthy cause. If you are [...]

LOVE FM

Belize makes strides in agriculture sector
The Minister of Agriculture says that Belize has been making some strides in the agriculture sector. The government has embarked on a census that seeks to map the entire agriculture sector in the country to record accurate data on agricultural production. One of the more important objectives of this program is to promote biosecurity, which …

Minister of Agriculture says sugar cane farmers must improve quickly sugar prices fall
The sugar industry in Belize is facing grave challenges as the EU market shifts its focus and world market prices continue to fall. The payment to farmers is significantly lower this year than in previous, but it was not unexpected. Improvements have been made in best practices and adopting new technologies. American Sugar Refinery’s Belize …

National Aids Commission engages new partners to continue its work on HIV/AIDS
The National Aids Commission recognized partners who helped make the organization’s first National Testing Day possible. The event was held in June and according to Enrique Romero, the Executive Director of the Commission, the event was successful thanks to their support. He adds that it is a good indication as the Commission moves forward in …

Members are key in Rotary success
Another organization that is recognizing the work of its partners is the Rotary. Rotary International’s President Barry Rassin has wrapped up his visit. He was in Belize as part of the International President’s tour for the Rotary year that started July 1st, 2018 and ends on June 30, 2019. In his press conference held on …

Reregistration is politics and Castro is Clearing the Voters list
“Your Right to Vote Depends on it” is the slogan for the re-registration of electors exercise that started at the beginning of July. It’s important to clean the list for 2020 as politicians need to know what matters to their constituents. In some areas, politicians are taking up the challenge to get people to re-register …

Charges made for Haulover Murder
When Samuel Elias Zelaya Cosme’s body was found near the Haulover Bridge, no one could provide a motive for his death. The police were aware the construction worker was last seen in the company of a woman. So the police initiated a search for her, but it turns out she is not a suspect. …

Police say Brown threatened to kill his mom and sister
On Thursday, the police raided the home of the GSG’s Brian Brown in the Faber’s Road Extension Area of Belize City. The police used smoke grenades, and assaulted the home from all angles. They simultaneously stormed the front and back doors and also a window at the rear of the house to apprehend Brown. …

Belize hosts Central American Agriculture Council Ministers’ meeting
Belize has been appointed the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Central American Agriculture Council (CAC) for the next six months. The CAC is a division of the Central America Integrated System (SICA). Today, The Government of Belize hosted the regional CAC Ministers’ meeting in Belize City and ministers with the responsibility for Agriculture met to …

Three cases of N1H1 confirmed in Belize
The Ministry of Health confirms that there are three cases of H1N1 Influenza in the country. In a release issued shortly before six o’clock this evening, the Ministry states that the three cases were confirmed in the Corozal District and include two males and a pregnant female. The results were confirmed at the Central Medical …

Amandala

“I will kill you,” cops say Brian Brown told family
Brian Brown, 41, a businessman of Belize City, is in custody on charges of threat of death and aggravated assault, and will be taken to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to be arraigned for the offences. During his arrest this morning at about 11:30, police said, he struggled with them in his house, and he had to be wrapped in a sheet so that he could be subdued.

Reainard Ferguson, 33, charged with Samuel Cosme’s stabbing murder
The body of Samuel Cosme, 39, was found with a number of stab wounds on Monday morning on a feeder road near Haulover Bridge. Not many details were initially revealed by police, except that his shorts, slippers, and a hat were found a distance away from him, and his red pickup truck was also found abandoned on the opposite side of the road. Cosme, who was a construction worker, was last seen by his family on Mahogany Street Extension on Sunday, and he told them he was going to Lords Bank to meet with some coworkers. It had also been reported that police were looking for a woman who they believe was with him at the time of his death.

Second death in ADO bus accident was that of a Belizean
In yesterday’s Amandala, we reported on an accident in which an ADO bus that was carrying 40 passengers, including the Belmopan Trojans basketball team, was involved in a collision with another vehicle at about 5:00 on Monday morning, July 23, in Bacalar, Mexico, 45 minutes away from Chetumal. The bus, which was travelling from Cancun to Vera Cruz, reportedly attempted to overtake another vehicle and crashed into a pickup on the side of the road, which had broken down. The team escaped with minor injuries, and it was reported that one person, a Mexican who was an ADO bus employee, was dead.

After argument, taximan chops taximan
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police, Alejandro Cowo, disputes between taximen aren’t unheard of, especially at the taxi stand near Ocean Ferry Water Taxi on North Front Street. Cowo said there’s a constant battle for taxi jobs at the stand. Unfortunately, on Tuesday, one of these arguments escalated into a chopping incident that resulted in the wounding of Gerald Lewis, 58.

Cost of imports keep rising
The Belize Institute of Statistics report for June 2018, indicates that imports were up 10.5%, when compared with June 2017. The value of the total imports for the month was $170.8 million, which is $16.2 million more than the $154.7 million worth of goods imported in June last year. The BIS attributes the increase in the cost of imports to “a sizeable growth in the quantity of diesel fuel imported, coupled with significantly higher world market prices for fuels compared to June of 2017.”

Michael Modiri takes Bradley Paumen to court, over court-ordered compensation
Bradley Paumen, an American businessman and owner of Dark Knight Cave Tours, and Michael Modiri an Iranian-American businessman who owns land that is adjacent to Paumen’s property, have been feuding and litigating for some time now. In April 2016, Supreme Court Justice Shona Griffith ordered Paumen to pay $300,000 to Modiri for trespassing on his land, on which Paumen had built an access road, after an ill-advised government acquisition.

FFB hosts National U-13 Elite Championship this weekend in Belmopan
With limited funding from FIFA, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) is hosting a National U-13 Elite Championship 2018 this weekend at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan, featuring U-13 selections from all the football “districts” in the country. The original idea was for a full length country-wide youth tournament over a few months at least, but FFB Vice President Marlon Kuylen revealed this evening that, even this abbreviated tournament is costing upwards of $40,000.00 due to the transportation and hosting costs of the teams over the three days of the tournament, which will run from tomorrow, Friday, until Sunday.

Kelsey Balderamos and Emma Hoare to Colombia to represent Belize in Beach Volleyball at 2018 CAC Games
Kelsey Balderamos and Emma Hoare departed Belize today to Barranquilla, Colombia to compete in Female Beach Volleyball at the XXIII Central American and Caribbean Games Barranquilla 2018, where 37 nations are competing in 47 different sport disciplines. The Volleyball competition will take place from Saturday, July 28 to Wednesday, August 1 at the Puerto Colombia beaches.

Poor & Famous Culture Club’s summer activities for youths
Poor & Famous Culture Club is a non-governmental organization focused on the future of our young kids by instilling positive goals for a bright future. In this year’s summer program, our kids have participated in football and basketball games, as well as trips to villages in the Cayo District every weekend. We have also held Beach Cruiser bike races in the neighborhoods of the Collet and Port Loyola area.

Over-40 apologies; scores without games
“Once bitten, twice shy,” and we promise not to get caught like this again. In our last report on the National Over-40 football competition, on page 22 of Tuesday’s Amandala, July 24, 2018, we erroneously reported on games that were actually not played; and we sincerely apologize for that error. Being out of town for the weekend, we followed the Over-40 web site reports, and the scores recorded appeared as game results.

Editorial: Pressure
The United Democratic Party (UDP) government of Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean O. Barrow, received several hundred million dollars in loans at highly concessionary rates from Venezuela a few years ago, when things were still going pretty well for the Bolivarian Republic. Mr. Barrow’s government chose to invest the Venezuela money in domestic infrastructure instead of investing in the youth and people of Belize. The decision to go with streets, roads, roundabouts, bridges, and auditoriums, was a sensible one, short term, because it immediately created jobs at the base of Belize’s socio-economic pyramid, and the infrastructure investment decision no doubt contributed mightily to the UDP’s success in the November 2015 general election, which the UDP won fairly comfortably, as opposed to their very narrow victory in the March 2012 generals.

From The Publisher
Nestor “Net” Vasquez, Sr.’s professional longevity is truly astonishing. Presently In his mid-eighties, Vasquez is the most powerful Belizean executive at Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL). Maximum respect is due him. There are a few Belizeans who will understand the nuances of my Tuesday column this week, but there are more than two generations who have almost no idea of the personalities involved with the establishment of the now ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) in September of 1973, and all the machinations surrounding that establishment. The Liberal Party, organized in 1972, was one of the most shadowy parties in Belize’s modern political history. There were five public faces in the party. These were Dr. Manuel Esquivel, a physics teacher at St. John’s College; Net Vasquez, Sr., an accountant whose most important client was the wealthiest merchant in Belize – Santiago Castillo, Sr.; Harry Lawrence, a businessman who had taken over the editorship of The Reporter; Paul Rodriguez, who had studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood and was the editor of The Reporter prior to Lawrence’s assuming the position; and Curl Thompson, a senior public officer who had been elected President of the powerful Public Service Union (PSU).

Slavery in Belize, a rebellious affair …
Dear Editor, One of the prevailing opinions on slavery in Belize has been that slaves and masters labored and fought shoulder to shoulder. As Emory King said: “Slavery in Belize, A Family Affair”! This was put together so wonderfully that we can hardly stop singing, “It was the Tenth Day of September… Hip. Hip.”. We are encouraged, ehem required, to celebrate the Battle of St. George’s Caye. It has been interpreted as a historic moment where the strong bond of slaves and whites, and everyone in between, supposedly came together to give to birth to the nation. However, throughout the period of enslavement, the settlers, and the ruling elite (which later included Free Coloreds as slave owners) knew they could never say how loyal our African ancestors were to them.

The fires around power line posts
Dear Editor, Through this medium I would like to lodge a complaint about those who check the power line posts on the road sides. We have a farm on the Northern Highway near the San Luis Cutoff, right before you enter San Jose Village. We noticed some guys checking the posts and a while later, the brushes around there were on fire. Since the bush around there is pretty dry, the fire spread quickly, engulfing the area in thick smoke, spreading panic among the few animals we have there. Luckily, they are few.

TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE BELIZE DIASPORA VOTE!
It is such a refreshing thing to see that this Belizean diaspora issue has taken front stage of Belize’s political scene, and that there are many other Belizeans abroad who have taken ownership of this issue since it had been pushed to the forefront of Belize’s diaspora political debate by the work of BREDAA since 2013 in its initiation of the “Belize Diaspora Vote.” That was the brainchild of Mrs.Muriel Laing Arthurs, who had urged the BREDAA Chairman, Nuri Akbar to take it to the Belizean people abroad. This was after a resistant Belizean group of “Anti-Belizeans Abroad Rights” chanted her down in the support of the Belizean people abroad when the Belize Prime Minister, Dean Oliver Barrow, tried to resurrect the Seventh Amendment at Parish Hall in Belize City in consulting with the Belizean people on the matter.

All about their breed
Belizeans, knowing how eager local lawyers are to step up with their services to defend persons accused of violent crimes, had to be shocked when they learned that two men accused of the most horrific crime, murder, had languished in jail, did not have their cases heard, because no lawyer would defend them. In his July 21 story (Amandala), Rowland Parks reported that he was told that “the accused men could not find attorneys to represent them, because ‘no one wanted the job, even if they were paying,’ and a murder trial cannot proceed without the accused person or persons being represented by counsel.”

Two brothers die in car accident
Just before 6 o’clock last night, reports were circulating of a fatal car accident that occurred near Punta Gorda Town. This morning it was confirmed that two brothers — Jaime Archer, 28, a security guard, and Anthony Archer, 27, a laborer, both from Forest Home Village, died as a result of the accident. The accident occurred between Miles 12 and 13 on the San Antonio Road near the San Marcus junction. Initial police investigations revealed that Jamie and Anthony were travelling in a gray Toyota Corolla car away from Punta Gorda, towards the dump, with Darian Romero, 20, a laborer, and Jerry Cruz, 17, who are both also from Forest Home Village, when the driver lost control of the car, which then overturned.

MoH recalls heart medication Valsartan
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health issued a press release saying that they have been alerted to a “precautionary product recall” from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on drugs containing Valsartan, which is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. The release mentions that the recall was prompted by the discovery of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the recalled products. Lab tests have shown that NDMA poses a potential cancer risk. This recall is taking place all over the world, with countries in Europe and Asia recalling the medications from earlier in the month.

3 recaptured prisoners sentenced
Three men who escaped from a Corozal Police Station detention cell on the night of Wednesday, April 17, and were all recaptured and charged with escape from lawful custody and damage to property, were sentenced today in the Corozal Magistrate’s Court by Magistrate Patty Arana. The men, Marvin Pec, 28, a laborer of Consejo Shores; Johnny Matus, 19, a laborer of San Narciso; and Austin Sutherland, 29, of South Corozal Town, had pleaded guilty to the charge of escape, and not guilty to the charge of damage to property.

Cost of living rising
The Belize Institute of Statistics’ (BIS) monthly consumer price index survey, for June 2018, showed that, “on average, Belizean households experienced a 0.6 percent increase in the cost of regularly purchased goods and services when compared to the same month last year.” BIS says that the greatest factor in the increase was transportation costs, which were up 4.5% over June last year. Transportation costs went up largely because of the increase of the cost of fuel. The price of regular gasoline was up 14.4% over June last year, the price of premium gasoline was up 10.5%, and diesel costs were up 20.6%. The cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages decreased marginally, down 0.4%, mainly “due to decreases in the average prices of several meat products, including beef steak, pork chops and pigtail.”

The Reporter

Exports Down at Half-Year Mark
Belize has made less money from exports for the first half of 2018 when compared to last year, according to the latest data released by the Statistical Institute of Belize. The SIB’s External Trade Bulletin, released on Wednesday, showed that Merchandise exports for

Caye Caulker Man Stabbed
The last time he was in the headlines, it was in 2017 when the Supreme Court ordered Soca star Destra to pay him $14,000 in compensation for bursting his bladder on stage after she jumped on him. Now, the extremely bad-lucked Fernando Oliva,

Senate Special Select Committee Report Soon?
The Senate Special Select Committee, established to investigate incidents of corruption highlighted in the Auditor General’s Special Report on the Immigration and Nationality Department, is about to finish the first draft of its report after a year of public hearings. Committee Chair Senator Aldo

Scotiabank Gives the Gift of Education
In commemoration of the 12th anniversary of its scholarship programme and its 50th anniversary in Belize, Scotiabank gave away 20 scholarships to students from Region One of Belize City, formerly known as the Southside, this week. The bank held a brief handing over ceremony

WHY WE HAVE TO GO TO COURT
By Alejandro Vernon, Belize has to go to the International Court of Justice at the Peace Palace at the Hague because like in every matter from the domestic to the national to the International, where a conflict arises there is a Court that can deal with it to the satisfaction

Prayers Answered for Fantasy 5 Winner
One week ago, Corozal resident Esquiliano Putil and his wife were worried about how they would pay their eldest daughter’s sixth form fees when the tamales-making business they operate did not yield enough revenue. His daughter encouraged him to purchase a Fantasy 5 ticket on

Thousands KILLED BY SARGASSUM
A major fish kill was reported early on Thursday morning near the Banyan Bay Resort on San Pedro Ambergris Caye, where residents were shocked to see thousands of dead fish of various species washed up along the shoreline. The incredible occurrence is starting

NOTORIOUS ‘DON’ CAUGHT BY COPS
Police have apprehended a man wanted for a few days now for threatening to kill his mother. Brian Brown, a notorious street figure who is no stranger to the law, was picked up around 11:00 on Thursday morning at his house on Faber’s Road in Belize City. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams told the media on Thursday afternoon that they received a complaint from Brown’s mother twodays ago and that since then, Police had made several attempts to apprehend him.

GOOD SAMARITAN TURNED MURDERER, CHARGED
Police reported late Thursday evening that they had charged Reainard Randey Ferguson, 33, for the crime of murder. They believe he is responsible for the vicious murder of Samuel Elias Zelada Cosme, 44. At the press briefing on Thursday, Police revealed that they were able to trackdown Ferguson, a resident of Neal Penn Road in Belize City, through the assistance of the community, but particularly with the assistance of the woman whom they had been seeking for questioning since the murder.

EDITORIAL – JULY 27th. 2018
Belizeans who do not take the time to read may be forgiven for being fearful or deeply skeptical of the proposal to take the Belize Guatemala dispute to the International Court of Justice. It is natural for people to experience doubt and apprehension on a matter so important to the future of the people of Belize. But once you begin to read up on the history of the claim all that apprehension goes away and one is left with the firm conviction that Guatemala does not stand a chance.

GOB to Receive $300,000 for Health Sector
This week the Government of Belize received a commitment of US$150,000 in project funding for completing its targets under the second phase of

‘KIDNAPPER’ CONTACTS THE REPORTER
At 3:52am Mexican time – 4:52am local time on Thursday, the Reporter newspaper received an email with a message and a ransom request

CANE FARMERS SAY SUGAR IS SWEET…But Payment is Sour!
This week, cane farmers in Belize’s sugar belt received their second payment for cane delivered and sugar produced between December 2017 and July 2018,

HONDURANS SAY COAST GUARD ‘KIDNAPPED’ FISHERMEN
A senior official of the Belize Coast Guard has refuted claims made by Honduran fishermen who released an amateur video which was

Brothers Die in Tragic RTA – Two Still Critical
Two brothers, Jamie and Antony Archer, both residents of Forest Home just outside of Punta Gorda Town, died when the car they were

CitCo Provides for Needy Families through Christian Partnership
For three days this week, the Belize City Council engaged in a pantry program that benefited some 500 of Belize City’s neediest families. It

Taxi-man Hospitalized After Chopping Near Swing Bridge
A man chopped another in the heart of Belize City on Tuesday afternoon but Police have not been able to file charges so far because the victim has not filed a Police report about the incident, despite the fact that he suffered huge chop

Breaking Belize News

Belize confirms 3 cases of H1N1 Influenza virus in Corozal District
Belize has three confirmed cases of Swine Flu in the Corozal District. The cases were confirmed […]

OCEANA responds to Shark Fishers Association on gillnets ban
This afternoon, Breaking Belize News reported on a statement issued by the Shark Fishers Association […]

Belizean man with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel detained in Mexico
On Wednesday night, Mexican authorities detained Belizean Dioney Rolando also known as ‘El […]

Shark Fishers Association opposes banning of gill nets in Belize
Today, the Shark Fishers Association of Belize issued a release sharing their official stance on […]

National AIDS Commission gives paintings to partners
This morning the National AIDS Commission (NAC) distributed paints made during the National Testing Day […]

Police catch 3 robbers in an act; shoots two during escape attempt
Belize City police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred last night. Around 6:20 PM, Dion Gentle,34, a […]

Belizean busted in Mexico with endangered species of marine life
According to a report from Mexico News Today, a Belizean was arrested by Mexican environment […]

Belize Zoo keepers learn new techniques from Midwestern University Vet School
This week, the Belize Zoo welcomed Dr. Ivy Thomas-Alcala and a delegation from the Midwestern University […]

Police to charge taxi man for chopping incident in Belize City
Belize City police are investigating a chopping incident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon on North Front Street. […]

Blogs

Fighting Crime on Ambergris Caye
It’s with a heavy heart that I write this post, but I believe it’s necessary to keep my readers informed on crime. As many of you know, recently, Ambergris Caye residents were shocked to hear about a robbery and shooting of a long time US expat resident. Folks were even more saddened to learn of the victim’s death not long after. There was a witness but the person is understandably frightened and has left the country for personal safety. Properly protecting a witness is a very expensive endeavor and currently beyond the financial ability of the Belize Government. The few people that might find themselves in this precarious situation stand to benefit from recent changes to GOB legislation allowing for witness testimony to be done via video conference with face shadowed and voice altered.

Conservation Tidbits: Awesome nature news around Belize
Manatee advocate Jamal Galves, AKA Manatee Man was one of five Latin American conservationists to receive the National Geographic Photo Ark EDGE Fellowship this year. The Fellowship is designed to support on-the-ground conservation efforts to help save species featured in the National Geographic Photo Ark. Jamal won his fellowship for his work with the Antillean Manatee (IUCN Red List: Endangered). The two scarlet macaw chicks that were rescued from poachers in the Chiquibul rainforest on June 6th are making a remarkable recovery. Foster parents are feeding the baby birds, ensuring their weight gain and proper development. On June 15, 2018, the Belize government signed the Forests (Protection of Mangroves) Regulations 2018, which came into effect on June 23, 2018. The new Mangroves Regulations place greater emphasis on the management and conservation of mangroves in critical areas on the mainland and on the cayes of Belize.

Videos

Biggs Da CEO-Thief Nor Barrow (Punta Music Belize), 3min.

Belize, 7min. Adventures in this beautiful Caribbean country visiting Caye Caulker, San Pedro, and San Ignacio.

Snorkeling at Caye Caulker in Belize, 4min.

Orange Walk Town Council want you to come to Orange Walk Fiestarama 2018, 28min.

Gayla's Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of the work of Roney Jobel Art, 19min.

Musical guest Fun Friday - PMO, 21min.

Global Exchange Network, 30min.

The Tyler Savery Foundation Update, 63min.

7th Annual Ride for Hunger, 21min.

Belize Scuba & Snorkeling Day 1 - 2018, 10min.

Police Check Point, 60min.

July 27, 2018

This is the official lineup of local and international musicians and dance groups that will be performing live at the 2018 International Costa Maya Festival!

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

After drifting ashore on Ambergris Caye, Jamaicans eager to get home
After landing on the shores of Ambergris Caye on Thursday, July 19th, three Jamaican Nationals remain stranded in Belize and hope to return home soon. The trio, 50-year-old Noel Samuels, 23-year-old Romeo Lewis and 44-year-old Karma Beckford spent eight additional days in San Pedro Town, housed at the international boat terminal behind the Honourable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex. They are desperate to get temporary travel documents to return to Jamaica and say they have received little assistance from Immigration authorities or the Honorary Consulate of Jamaica in Belize. The San Pedro Sun was informed by the Jamaican Consulate on Thursday, July 26th, that getting the travel documents will take a few more days. However, after arriving in Belmopan, they would take care of the trio until they are able to travel.

Ambergris Today

Belize Forest Department Warns About Safe Wildlife Tourism Encounters
We hereby remind the public, tour operators and businesses that per the WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT (CAP 220), “No person shall HUNT or ATTEMPT TO HUNT (defined as kill, take or molest by any means) any species of wildlife set out in the Schedule”. Both species of crocodiles in Belize are listed under the aforementioned Schedule. It is, therefore, illegal to kill, capture, feed, pet, or otherwise interfere with any crocodile or its eggs. It is also illegal to be in possession of any crocodile parts such as skin, meat and/or teeth. It is also illegal to carry out any form of trade of any crocodile or crocodile parts.

Belize Awarded US$150,000 For Advance In Access To Quality Health Care
Belize achieves substantial progress in the health of their most vulnerable populations – women and children The Ministry of Health receives award of US$150,000 dollars for having met the objectives of the second operation of the Salud Mesoamerica Health Initiative project.

Misc Belizean Sources

2nd Annual Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic
It’s that time of year again, The Grand Caribe Deep Sea Classic Fishing Tournament is back! We are excited and looking forward to our second annual international tournament to be held the weekend of August 10th – 12th. This year we have even more cash and prizes, totaling to over $50,000, thanks to our many sponsors. The weekend-day event is scheduled to kick off with a briefing night followed by a Captain’s and Angler’s dinner on Thursday August 9th starting at 6pm. Then the big event starts on Friday August 10th at 7am at our dock and end on Sunday August 12th at 2pm, where awards and prizes will be given out. The deadline for registration is Thursday August 9th at 10pm.

Congratulations to the young female athletes making up Belize's National U-15 Female Team
The Football Federation of Belize proudly presents the National Under 15 Female National Team that will be competing at the 2018 U-15 CONCACAF female championship games at Orlando,Florida from the 4th-14th of August 2018. We wish our Baby Jaguars the best of luck.

Information Day in Benque Viejo Town
Today, the Department of Youth Services in collaboration with the St. Martins Credit Union held an information Day in Benque Viejo Town. This initiative is part of an ongoing one week Financial Literacy/ Enterprise Summer Program where youths from Benque and surrounding areas are being trained to make more informed decisions with their finances. Today’s activity was opened to the wider public where they had the opportunity to learn more about the services the department offers, the history of the credit union movement and its services, and most of all the public had the opportunity to open their accounts as an encouragement to start saving with an intent and not by accident. @ Benque Viejo, Cayo, Belize

Women’s Empowerment Brunch
Kiah Pastor, who'll be vying for the Miss Belize Universe crown next month, will be hosting a Women's Empowerment Brunch this Saturday at the George Price Centre. It's completely free. Thank you, Miss Pastor, for hosting such an essential event. "Belmopan Active Youth and Dear Teenage Girl Presents to you: Women’s Empowerment Brunch, Under the theme “Your current situation, is not your final destination”"

Calla Creek Environmental Summer Camp
The 2018 Environmental Agents of Change Summer Camp starts on Monday, August 6th, and there's still time to register. The DYS, Calla Creek Village Council, and the FCD are teaming up to make this amazing Summer camp happen. The attendees will learn about sustainable development from many different guest speakers, and will perform some clean-up campaigns. Contact the DYS for more information.

Caye Caulker Airstrip Paving Completed
These were taken Thursday. I didn't get over there Wednesday, but I believe they finished paving Wednesday. I understand they are going to be installing in ground runway lighting, so I imagine that is the next step in the process...just a guess. I'll try to stop and talk to someone tomorrow.

It’s a major problem throughout the entire Caribbean - Sargasso!
Caught these images of dead sardines caught in the bed of sargasso along the beach at Banyan Bay this morning.

Peace in the Parks ... THIS SATURDAY, July 28th, 2018!
Bouncy Houses, Cancer Screenings, Raffles all day, Live Performances, a Basketball Tournament, Massages & Manicures, Food on Sale, and much much more! Come out to Yabra Green on Saturday July 28th, 10 am - 4 pm and help contribute to #ASafeBelize Hosted by : RESTORE Belize, Ignite Ltd., Special Envoy Belize, YATA & Ncfc Belize and in partnership with Belize Family Life Association! Come out and enjoy!

Safe Wildlife Tourism Encounters
In the past months, the Belize Forest Department has received alarming reports of crocodiles being directly and indirectly fed as well as being molested for purposes of tourism attraction. The direct and indirect feeding of crocodiles is a dangerous practice as it increases the risk of crocodiles becoming accustomed to human interactions and relating people with food. This can result in unfortunate injuries to humans or domestic animals. Indirect feeding of crocodiles includes practices such as throwing food scraps or any other form of garbage in areas where crocodiles are known to be present.

SBDC Customer Service Workshop
SBDC Belize and the SPTC held its Customer Service workshop for business owners and managers, today, July 26, 2018, where a total of 7 participated. Thanks to SBDC Belize and those that participated.

Welcome to Belize to our new Chargé d’Affaires, Keith R. Gilges!
"I am excited to be in the 'Jewel' and am looking forward to getting to know the country and to meeting as many Belizeans as possible over the next three years." "I will work to continue and deepen the already warm and productive relationship between the United States and Belize."

Work begins with preparation of a wall for the Summer Art Wave's Graffiti Art Workshop
Taking place this weekend!!!

"Keep Corozal Clean and Safe" initiative
This news shack wishes to express our most sincere gratitude to Mr. Eliser Rivero of Thunderbolt Water Taxi and Veterinarian, Dr. Andrew Charles for donating two plastic drums to our "Keep Corozal Clean and Safe" initiative. The wooden posts, paint, cement, accessories and labour have been donated by this news shack. The two drums were set up at the Thunderbolt Municipal Dock and we immediately got rid of the two rusty and unsightly metal drums. We would like to ask our entire business community to kindly donate the plastic drums and we will do the rest. We are targeting for 10 more drums by September 2018. The drums are a big help to our community. Call us at 602-2126 or inbox us through this medium. Please help!

Buena Vista Street in San Ignacio to be affected next Monday
Belize Water Services advises motorists travelling in San Ignacio Town, that starting Monday, July 30, 2018, due to project works to be done at the BWS Reservoir, Buena Vista Street will be reduced to one lane traffic going into San Ignacio from the San Ignacio Hotel to the Police Station for access to Downtown San Ignacio and the Hawkesworth Bridge. BWS apologizes for any inconvenience this will cause to our customers.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend
Payback is a Mother, Anchors Up, Hot Summer Nights, Overboard.

Channel 7

Stopped to Help Him Get Out Of The Mud, Got Him Into A Grave
44 year old Samuel Cosme was found dead early on Monday morning. He was killed by multiple stab wounds, his body lying next to his vehicle at mile five and half on the Northern Highway. Tonight police have charged the man who they believe killed the Honduran Construction worker who lived in the Gungulung area. He is 33 year old Reainard Randey Ferguson from Neal Penn Road. Today police told us it was a crime of opportunity as the suspect came upon Cosme and a female companion when they needed help to get his Ranger pickup out of the mud:

Brian Brown Arrested For Death Threat To Mom, Causes Commotion
Notorious George Street figure Brian Brown is in police custody tonight pending threat of death and other charges. He's accused of threatening to kill his own mother. But it wasn't easy detaining him - this morning after 11:00, Brown and those in his well fortified compound put up a fight. That caused a huge commotion on Jimmy Dyer Street which is off Faber's Road Extension. Now the residents and police have very different versions of what happened. We start off with the Brown's disgruntled common law wife as she explains how police dragged her and Brown down the stairs. She also shared a short video which you will see in the interview. It shows her on top of the roof asking the police why they want to detain Brown. Here is her side of the story.

Police Say It Was a Textbook Detention
Well, the police have a different take on the entire ordeal. They say they played it by the books against belligerent residents. Today at the weekly police press briefing, Commander of Operations Chester Williams detailed the police's version of events and applauded the cops for finally bringing Brown into custody. DCP Chester Williams, Commander - Operations: "The police received a complaint from the mother of Mr. Brian Brown and we had been in search of him for the past two days.."

Moving Forward With the Lessons Learned from Baby Etana
And while the Brian Brown arrest dominated today's news - what's more pressing for police is keeping the peace on Gill Street - where 3 year old Baby Etana Bennett was killed on Sunday morning and Eric Tillett was shot on Tuesday night. Etana was shot to her temple as she slept with her parents, an especially ruthless and indiscriminate killing - and Williams says it is deeply hurtful to him personally and a call to action for the security forces:...

Police Have Teenaged Suspect For Shooting Eric
And while Baby Etana was killed on Sunday morning on Gill Street - by Tuesday night, there was another shooting, this time it was 26 year-old Eric Tillett. Police had already set up a checkpoint on Gill Street, but that was still no deterrent for a gunman who hid in the bush out of the police's sight, and ambushed Tillett and his girlfriend when they arrived at their Gill Street home. As we reported, they pulled up at around 8:30 on Tillett's motorcycle. They were about to enter their yard, when the gunman burst out of the abandoned lot next door, and fired a single shot at Tillett, injuring him him to the left calf.

Sharp Cops Caught A Gunman On a Downtown Move
Alert police work may have thwarted another broad daylight armed robbery in downtown Belize City today. Williams told us how police tracked down a suspicious character and found a gun on Orange street:... DCP Chester Williams, Commander - Operations: "This morning the police were able to recover one firearm off the streets that occurred in Albert Street area. Police were in pursuit of a person who was seen looking suspiciously and the person managed to elude the police and when police searched an area, they came across one 9mm pistol..."

50 Years Later, Hon. Boots Finds The Woman Who Saved Him From Perishing In Fire
Anthony Boots Martinez tuned 55 a few days ago on July 15th - and he said that standard retirement age also marks the date of his retirement from electoral politics. We'll wait and see what that really means on the ground - but it suggests that he was in a reflective frame of mind this morning when he got a most unexpected call from his ministerial colleague, Beverly Williams. She told the honorable Boots that she has a lady he just had to talk to. We accompanied him on the trip to meet the remarkable Sonya Austin. Jules Vasquez reports on the moving reunion:... Jules Vasquez reporting: This is the public Boots Martinez you may be used to - brash, intemperate, argumentative. But this morning, this elderly Ladyville resident and our cameras saw something we hadn't seen before, a tender and thankful side of Boots - and, yes, behind those glasses, there were real tears.

Hon. Bev Filled In The Blanks
And Martinez has his colleague Beverly Williams to thank for the reunion. She's the matchmaker who filled in a 50 year gap in information with a phone call this morning. She told us how it went:.. Hon. Beverly Williams: "Miss Sonia visited me last week, as most constituents do and I was speaking to her and she kinda told me. She asked me not to say anything. She didn't want to appear like an exploiter. Somehow I just blurted it out. I thought it was something that Minister [Boots] should know and I didn't know it was going to have this effect, but I'm glad that Minister has closure as he says and that Miss Sonia finally met Minister."

Modiri and Paumen Back In Court
The dispute between the Franks Eddy neighbors Bradley Paumen and Michael Modiri hasn't made the evening news for some time, but they're back at it tonight. That's because Modiri has gone back to the Supreme Court to try and collect on the 300 thousand-dollar-award that Justice Shona Griffith says Paumen owes him. You may recall that these 2 landowners are landlocked, and they can't get access to their respective properties without stepping on each other's toes. That's a big problem for Modiri, since Paumen was running his million-dollar cruise tourism operation, Dark Night through Modiri's land.

Municipal Bus Dispute Goes to Court
2 weeks ago, we told you about the letter that attorney Godwin Haylock wrote to the Belize City Council. His father, the owner of Haylock's Bus Service, wants Mayor Bernard Wagner and his administration to rescind the "permit" that City Hall gave to bus owner Phillip Jones, to run the Belama to Belize City route. Haylock's Bus Service is the only company that has a road service permit to carry passengers between Belama and Belize City. That was granted by the Transport Board, which attorney Godwin Haylock asserts is the only body which can give permits to bus operators. Haylock's bus insists that the permit that City Hall gave to Phillip Jones is unlawful.

Police Caught Three robbers, Shot Two Of Them, Got Two Guns
And, before we got to break - we have an update on the police operation ongoing right now in the Lord's Ridge Cemetery. Police have foiled the robbery of a security firm on Antelope street. Apparently, it happened right near the Operation ACT caravan, and the police were quick to respond. They followed the three suspects into the Lord's Ridge Cemetery where two of them were shot in the legs - and all three are detained. Two guns stolen from the security operations - both 38 revolvers - have been recovered. Police remain in the cemetery at this hour gathering evidence.

Top Cop Teaches Tailoring
The Department of Youth Services is hosting a 6 week training program at the Yabra Community Center where they are teaching young men and women in the community a set of different crafts like sewing, cosmetics, expressive arts, barbering and information technology. All this with the ultimate aim of making them more financially independent. Communications Officer for the Department of Youth Services Renata Samuels told us more about the cosmetics aspect of the summer program. The police department also chipped in to support the program. They donated sewing machines and provided a teacher.

Girl Guides Summer in Mesop.
Today the Girl Guide's Association of Belize in collaboration with the Scouts Association and the St. Ignatius Church culminated a three week summer program aimed at teaching entrepreneurial skills to kids between the ages of 6 to 13 years. Over 11 schools were represented in the summer program that was held at St. Ignatius Primary School in Belize City. Today the program closed off with a children's business fair, where the kids got to put into practice the knowledge they gained during the summer program.

What Is Moya Doing in Mesop?
And she's not just the girl guides guru, former Belize City Mayor Moya has recently been raising eyebrows with reports that she has a political interest in the Mesopotamia division. But, it's going to be tough since Moya is now UDP persona non grata - and the PUP seem to have no interest in her as a candidate. So what's she doing in Mesopotamia? Today we caught up with her at the children's business fair and asked if this event was a preview of her political campaign. Here's what she had to say:

Restore Belize, Making Parks Peaceful
"A Belize that is safe for children," that is the theme under which Restore Belize hopes to host this Saturday's Peace in the Park event at Yarborough Green. It is an event organized as part of Restore Belize's ongoing efforts to make vulnerable places in the community safer to live. We learnt more from Communications Officer for Restore Belize Robin Schaffer.

Taximan Chopping Was Cabbie Confrontation
Police have finally gotten a complaint from the taxi-man who was chopped up by one of his fellow cab drivers. It happened two days ago in front of the Ocean Ferry Water Taxi. Police said it was a typical cab driver dispute:... ASP Alejandro Cowo: "There was a chopping incident earlier that Tuesday, just about 3:30. The matter was just reported to the police a while ago, hence the reason that your request was not met because the guy finally visited the station a while ago and made a report. He was Mr. Gerald Lewis. He was at North Front Street Ocean Ferry taxi stand when he had a dispute with another taxi operator..."

Cops Don’t Know who Was Driving Corolla
Police say they don't know who was driving the Toyota Corrolla that crashed on the San Antonio road two days ago and killed two brothers, Jamie and Anthony Archer from Forest Home. Two other men were in the car and they are both critical. Police told us today that samples have been taken:... ACP Joseph Myvett: "So far the police are unable to determine who the driver is, as the other two occupants, Darian Romero and Jerry Cruz both remain in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital."

Cops Lock Down Cemetery
The police department - including operations commander Chester Williams are finishing with the processing of a crime scene in the Lord Ridge Cemetery at this hour. As we told you, the police caught three men who had just robbed a security firm on Antelope Street. They shot two of the suspects in their legs and another had been detained. Two guns - both 38 revolvers - were recovered. We'll have more on this tomorrow.

Is Disruption of Marijuana Trade Fueling Robberies?
And so those criminals allegedly stole two guns after police took three off the city streets in the past two days. And that's the way it goes, it seems that every action by the police has an equal and opposite reaction from the criminal element. Our information suggests that's what's been happening with big marijuana busts on the police side, and a spike in business robberies on the criminal side. You might not know it, but marijuana sales fuel the underground economy - and when the supply is disrupted, those who live outside the law become desperate. We asked Deputy Williams about it:…

Channel 5

Mayhem on Fabers Road as Police Raid the House of Notorious Brian Brown
Before noon today, the police raided the gated-house of the notorious Brian Brown off Faber’s Road Extension. It is the third such operation to be carried out at the residence. [...]

Brown Was Wanted for Threatening the Life of His Mother
As you heard, relatives and friends say that Brown was shot to the abdomen, but Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, says that he was never injured by lethal or [...]

Law Enforcement Crackdown Attempts to Stem the Bloodshed in Port Loyola
There has been an explosion of gun violence in the Port Loyola area of late. Ongoing conflict between rival gangs has ended in shootings and two murders, including the horrible [...]

Punta Gorda Police Continue to Investigate Double Fatality on San Antonio Road
The family of Jamie and Anthony Archer continue to grieve the tragic deaths of the two brothers. The siblings were heading to Punta Gorda when their car ran off the [...]

Reainard Ferguson Charged for the Murder of Samuel Cosme
Investigators believe that thirty-three-year-old Reainard Randey Ferguson killed Samuel Cosme. He is accused of fatally stabbing Cosme whose body was found on a dirt road off the Philip Goldson Highway [...]

Michael Modiri Has Court Freeze Bradley Paumen’s Shares for Non-Payment
Businessman Michael Modiri and tour operator Bradley Paumen have been going at it inside and outside the courts. This morning, Modiri won yet another legal round before Supreme Court Justice [...]

Haylock Bus Takes Belize City Council to Court Over Belama Bus Route
An application for judicial review filed by Attorney Godwin Haylock for Haylock Bus Service Limited was rejected today by Justice Shona Griffith. Haylock Bus Service claims that the Belize City [...]

Belizean Linked to Sinaloa Cartel Arrested in Chetumal
A Belizean, believed to have links to the Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested on Wednesday night across the border in Mexico. Online reports say that Dioney Rolando, who goes by the [...]

1 Man Detained for Eric Tillett Shooting
Twenty-six-year-old Eric Tillett narrowly escaped grave injury on Tuesday night when a gunman pounced on him while heading home on Gill Street. According to police, Tillett and his girlfriend were [...]

Taxi Man Chops Taxi Man Over Cab Fare
A chopping incident in downtown Belize City on Tuesday afternoon has resulted in cabdriver Gerald Lewis receiving multiple injuries to the body. The incident, however, was not reported to police [...]

Police Teach Sewing on the South Side
The Belize Police Department, through its Community Policing Unit, is teaching south side residents how to sew. Yes, you heard it right – the police partnered up with the community [...]

Hemodialysis Programme Negotiations Continue
The Ministry of Health says that it should know by the end of this week whether the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital and La Loma Luz Hospital have accepted the new [...]

Will More Persons Be Added to Dialysis Programme?
Once the Ministry of Health finalizes the facilities which will offer the hemo-dialysis services, the next step is to determine who gets on the list. C.E.O. Ramon Figueroa was ask [...]

Visiting Mission Concludes 3-Day Food Pantry & Schoolbag Programme
A Belizean American family is working along with the Belize City council to bring relief to hundreds of children in the south side. Brenda August-Leonard, through a Florida-based organization has [...]

Ministry of Health On Top of Meds Recall
Earlier this week, we reported on a common drug that is being voluntarily recalled because the drug contains a chemical that may expose patients to cancer risk. The drug valsartan [...]

DYS Trains Women in Cosmetology
The Department of Youth Services has a six-week cosmetology training taking place at the Yabra Community Center. The training will see the ladies get a level one certificate which they [...]

Healthy Living: Make Life Deposits to Save Lives
We’ve seen the pleas regularly online. We’ve even seen few on this station, families of ill persons begging strangers to donate blood. There is one way to prevent you and [...]

LOVE FM

Police take Guns and Smoke Grenades to Belize City Home
The police have a term they like to use to call anyone with interactions with the law as “known to the police.” Well one man who has been known to the police over his lifetime is Brian Brown. Brown is considered a kingpin of GSG, the George Street Gaza. His home on Jimmy Dyer Avenue …

Dangerous Real Estate : Gill Street addressed by Police
Gill Street resident, Eric Tillett was shot on Tuesday. Prior to that, a gunman shot into the window of the Felix family home and shot Alva Moody and killed three year old Etana Bennett. The police say it’s the work of rivaling criminal elements in the area and they are doing their best to quell …

Rotaract, an important arm of Rotary
Education is a key focus of many Rotary Clubs across the world. Belize’s Rotarians have also embarked on several projects in this area and also collaborate with the Ministry of Education. As part of his tour in Belize this week, Rotary International President Barry Rassin is visiting some of these projects in Belize City. His …

Driver of accident that killed 2 still not identified
Last night we reported about an accident involving four men from the Forest Home area of Punta Gorda. The accident which happened just outside of Punta Gorda totaled a 4-door Toyota Corolla and killed brothers 28 yearold Jamie and 27 year old brother Anthony Archer. The police gave an update on the case today and …

Scotia Bank hand scholarships to Belize City students
Scotia Bank handed out scholarships to school children as it celebrates its 12th anniversary of its Scotia Bank Education Foundation. The children attended a short ceremony late this afternoon at the Scotia Bank Belama Branch. Malenie Landaverde, the Manager of the branch spoke more about the program. Melenie Landaverde, Manager Scotiabank Belama Branch: This year …

Children being taught entrepreneurial skills
The Girl Guides Association of Belize, Scouts, and St. Ignatius Primary School are collaborating together to provide a summer camp for children from ages six to thirteen of the Mesopotamia constituency. The Mesopotamia Summer Camp is a three-week program which commenced on July 9th and will be coming to an end on Friday. Love News …

Let peace reign!
A wave of crime has been taking place in Belize that has robbed its citizens of their sense of security. As a result, several organizations have embarked on initiatives to restore peace and order. The latest initiative is Peace in the Parks. Love News spoke with Robin Schaffer, the Communication Officer at Restore Belize, about …

Hundreds of fish found dead along the Southern coast of San Pedro
Hundreds of dead fish lined the Southern beaches of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye this morning. The fish were seen floating above beds of sargassum. Some reports identify the fish as Grunts, Sprat and juvenile Permit fish. In pictures that surfaced on social media, residents are seen with their buckets picking fish along the beach. It …

Global Fund pulls chunk of funding from Belize
Since 2003, Belize has received ten million US dollars in grant funding to address the HIV/AIDS situation from the Global Fund. Presently, the National Aids Commission, which serves as the Country Coordinating Mechanism for the Global Fund grant, is concluding a project that commenced in 2016. The project focuses on HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, a …

Police offer sewing classes to women
Despite, the big stick approach to policing, crime is still on the rise. As a result, the police department has embarked on several alternatives to crime initiatives in the hopes of reducing lawbreaking. Robert Mariano, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, is offering sewing classes to women of the Port Loyola area. Love News spoke to …

“No to the ICJ” campaign kicks off tomorrow
Eight organizations make up the “No to the ICJ” Movement and tomorrow they plan to officially launch their campaign. Derek Aikman, the National Coordinator of the movement said the event kicks off with a parade which starts at five thirty from Cinderella Plaza. The parade will make its way to Battlefield Park where a rally will take place …

Breaking Belize News

Belize City man threatened to kill family; Police arrest him as a result
Today, Belize City Police arrested Brian Brown. Brown is being accused of threatening to kill his […]

Man shot while walking with his common-law wife in Belize City
On Tuesday, July 24, 2018, Eric Gillett of Belize City reported to police that while walking […]

Police makes arrest in murder of Samuel Cosme
Belize City cops have made an arrest in the murder of Samuel Elias Zelaya Cosme, 39. […]

New US Chargé d’ Affaires arrives in Belize
Today, the United States Embassy in Belize via it’s official Facebook page announced the arrival of Keith […]

Belize Forest Department: Illegal Croc feeding for tourism purposes is against the law
The Belize Forest Department informed today that they have received alarming reports of crocodiles being […]

Tropic Air increases flights between San Pedro and Belize City
Today, Tropic Air announced that it is increasing service between San Pedro (SPR) and Belize […]

Rotary’s President concludes visit to Belize
Rotarians across Belize were excited to host Rotary’s President, Barry Rassin and his wife, Esther […]

Cost of living went up in June 2018
Yesterday, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) released its consumer price index survey for the […]

Statistical Institute of Belize: Exports down in June 2018
For the month of June, Belize imported goods valuing $170.8 million, a 10.5 % increase […]

Blogs

Tropic Air increases flights between San Pedro and Belize City
Tropic Air announced today that, effective August 1, 2018, it is increasing service between San Pedro (SPR) and Belize City Municipal (TZA). There will now be 15 daily roundtrip flights, with departures as often as every 30 minutes. Flights will now begin earlier (6:30AM), and end later in the day (6:00PM). “Our business customers have been asking for earlier and later departures, as well as greater frequency on this important domestic route,” said John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “With more aircraft being added to our fleet, we now have the ability to offer them greater flexibility to make the most of their day.”

International Sources

Local doctor helps cure blindness in Belize
A local doctor, with the help of Fairbanks residents, helped to cure blindness in Belize. "We guaranteed one cataract surgery for every rider, so that was 100 percent - exactly what we said it was going to be," said Dr. Katherine Johnson. Dr. Katherine Johnson is one of the lead providers of ophthalmology at the locally run Mountain View Medical Center: Eye Center. Every year she doesn't just help Fairbanks residents improve their sight, but she travels to a remote location to help cure blindness for the Gift of Sight non-profit organization. "We went down to Belize, went down to an origination down there who is on ground has a clinic and an operating room"

World's top 10 places to snorkel
Here's some worldwide hotspots to get your snorkel on. HOL CHAN MARINE RESERVE, BELIZE: The colourful coral's there, as are the multi-coloured parrotfish, but the key attraction in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve is the unimaginatively-named Shark-Ray Alley. No prizes for guessing what swims through here in large numbers, although they're ably accompanied by teams of splashing humans on day trips from Ambergris Caye.

Videos

West Fest 2018 - Police Department Profile, 2min. The promo video for the upcoming West Fest is out, courtesy of Belizing.com. The proceeds will go towards acquiring resources for the SISE police department. The first of many West Fests will be on September 15th, at the Macal River Park. They have an incredible amount of raffle prizes. "We are proud to be hosting the first ever West Fest on September 15, 2018. All proceeds will be used to purchase resources for the San Ignacio/Santa Elena Police Department, in hopes of improving the quality of safety in our community..."

Reinland Meats commercial, 1/2min.

Caribbean Chicken Commercial, 1/2min.

Belize - El Pescador July 2018, 4min.

Exploring the beauty of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, BELIZE, 4min. Established in 1987, Amigos Del Mar is a SSI and SDI resort facility which specializes in full-service diving, instruction, snorkeling, and fishing expeditions and is ideally situated in the heart of San Pedro Town. Our boats provide a convenient complimentary pick-up service at most of the island's major hotel docking establishments.

Great Belize Television’s Channel Five Wins CBU’s People’s Choice Award, 1.5min.

Belize 2018, San Pedro Ambergris Kaye, Belmopan, San Ignacio, 3.5min. Good times in Belize. June 2018. San Ignacio: San Ignacio market, Cahal Peche Mayan ruins Belmopan: Cave tubing, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Secret beach

Belize 2018 EPI LTCC, 5min. A month in Belize, with Savannah Amos and Melissa Hadley. Lake Tahoe Community College Co-labs with Ecology Project International to give college students the opportunity to survey and study the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Central America. An adventure into the Jungle of Belize to track and survey the Jaguars. Followed by a week snorkeling from Calabash Caye Research Island, 20 miles off the coast of Belize.

Talk Ah Di Town July 26, 2018, 40min.

Morning Matters with Bredda David, 60min.

DuPont’s in Belize 2018, 3.5min. From the Mayan ruins in San Ignacio to the beaches in Ambergris Caye

Beneath the Sea in Belize, B V I and Abaco, 24min. A trip beneath the sea in three wonderful diving areas of our Caribbean Sea.

On the road fron Dangriga to Belize City, 3min. Some impressions of the landscape on the road from Dangriga to Belize City.

Belize - 2018, 10min. My dive trip in Belize - 2018

THE BELIZE BARRIER REEF - SHARKS, MANTA RAYS & SEA TURTLES, 13min.

TRAVEL VLOG - Belize Part 1 - Belize Bird Rescue [Jun 2018], 3min. I travelled to Belize so I could do a 5 week internship at Belize Bird Rescue. It was a life-changing experience, I met some great people and learned a lot about avian rehabilitation! Belize Bird Rescue do amazing work to rescue, rehabilitate and release birds back into the wild, as well as providing a permanent home for unreleasable birds.

INSIDE STORY From Blighty to Belize 1977 QRA Edition, 50min. First transmitted in 1978, this programme focuses on the day to day lives of the British troops guarding the Belize/Guatemala border and their celebrations on Christmas Day, 1977. It’s a very different life here than the squaddies are used to, but it’s not quite a ‘Caribbean holiday’. They struggle to come to terms with the daily routine, the boredom, missing their loved ones and meeting the basic needs of life such as ensuring there is enough fresh food to eat. First shown: 12 May 1978

I Got The Voice Season 3!!, 2hr11min.

July 26, 2018

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Three more delegates arrive for Reina de la Costa Maya 2018!
At 5:20PM, Maya Island Air touched down with three more beauties aboard: Miss Costa Rica, Miss El Salvador and Miss Belize! Costa Rica’s Adriana Alvarado, El Salvador’s Naydin Renderos and Belize’s Marcia Moody were all smiles and waves as they alighted the plane, greeting their chaperones and the media gathered to photograph their arrival. After the requisite arrival photos, they boarded the classic red Ramon’s Village Resort golf carts and whisked away to their rooms.

Reina de la Costa Maya 2018 delegates begin arriving on Ambergris Caye
Miss Mexico, Miss Honduras and Miss Guatemala have all touched down on Ambergris Caye ready to begin preparations for the Reina de la Costa Maya pageant. Arriving first on the 9:40AM Maya Island Air flight was Cynthia de la Vega, of Mexico. She welcomed Miss Honduras Mary Cardona – who arrived shortly after, and alongside reigning queen Michelle Nuñez, the delegates awaited Miss Guatemala at the Maya Island Air waiting lounge. They posed happily for photos, snapping away their own videos and photos for Instagram, Snapchat and even Facebook.

Ambergris Today

Belize Represented In Beach Volleyball At The 2018 Central American And Caribbean Games
Kelsey Balderamos and Emma Hoare departed Belize on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 to Barranquilla, Colombia to compete in Female Beach Volleyball at the XXIII Central American and Caribbean Games Barranquilla 2018, where 37 nations are competing in 47 different sport disciplines. The Volleyball competition will take place from Saturday, July 28 to Wednesday, August 1, at the Puerto Colombia beaches.

Misc Belizean Sources

June 2018 External Trade & Consumer Price Index
For the month of June 2018, the results of the Statistical Institute of Belize's monthly Consumer Price Index survey showed that, on average, Belizean households experienced a 0.6 percent increase in the cost of regularly purchased goods and services when compared to the same month last year. The All-Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 105.0, an increase from 104.4 in June 2017 (see Figure 1). For the first six months of the year, a year to date inflation rate of 0.02 percent was recorded. The total value of Belize’s domestic exports for the month of June 2018 was $35.9 million, down 7.3 percent or $2.8 million from the $38.7 million recorded for June 2017.

NEMO Conducts Training in Partnership with United Nation’s Emergency Task Team
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), in partnership with the United Nations’ Emergency Task Team (UNETT) in Belize, is conducting a three-day training covering various aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Emergency Management from today, Tuesday, July 24 to Thursday, July 26, 2018 at Dream Valley Belize in Teakettle Village, Cayo District. Areas covered in the first two days (today and tomorrow) include the basics of gender equality in the context of Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change adaption in the execution of Emergency Management duties, Emergency Care for the vulnerable in times of disaster. On Thursday, the training will focus on Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) aimed at improving capacity in providing sector reports as part and parcel of the national report to meet international standard.

Belize Welcomes Miss Mexico
Miss Mexico to reperesnt at International Costa Maya that will be held at San Pedro On August 3-5th. This morning the BTB introduced her with a warm welcome this morning at the Northern Border. Everyone that saw her took photos and felt happy to be in Belize. Are you ready for the 26th Annual International Costa Maya Festival?! Bring out the entire family to experience an amazing weekend of pageantry, dances and live musical performances, on "La Isla Bonita!"

The National Channel TV Commercial Casting Call
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF A TV COMMERCIAL SHOOT? HAVE SOME FUN AND EARN SOME CASH. JOIN US SATURDAY AND MONDAY AT OUR CASTING CALL.

Jacinto Pat
Jacinto Pat was a batab (Yucatec Maya indigenous intendant) from the town of Tihosuco. He was leader and initiator - along with Cecilio Chi and Manuel Antonio Ay - of the denominated War of Castes (1848-1901). According to the Encyclopedia of Quintana Roo, Pat is an ancient Mayan surname that means "invent", "create", "make things with mud or wax". Before the Spanish invasion, this family ruled the Maya province of Ekab, had great power and presence on the island of Cozumel. Ah Naum Pat was the halach uinic of Cozumel, and when the invaders arrived many inhabitants of that island moved to the Yucatan peninsula, more than 70 families with this surname lived in Cochuah, especially in Tihosuco. In the book The Conspiracy of Xinum, the Yucatan writer Ermilo Abreu Gómez says that the Maya who were in the service of Jacinto Pat called him Tatich and shared with them the products and profits of the land.

Live Music with Tull!
clock Thursday, July 26 at 6 PM - 9 PM, Iguana Juan's Restaurant & Bar. Join us as we welcome back one of San Pedro's favorite musicians, Tull, as he returns to La Isla Bonita for a limited engagement! Don't miss this one night only event at Iguana Juan's!

Costa Maya Delegates are here!
Official welcome dinner took place last night at Pineapples Restaurant at Ramon’s Village! Welcome to La Isla Bonita!

Belize achieves substantial progress in the health of their most vulnerable populations – women and children
The Ministry of Health receives award of US$150,000 dollars for having met the objectives of the second operation of the Salud Mesoamerica Health Initiative project. Belmopan. July 25, 2018. Access to quality health services for the most vulnerable women and children in Belize has improved in the last four years. The results of the second operation of the Salud Mesoamerica Health Initiative (SMI) (2012-2017) show important advances in access to quality health care for the most vulnerable 20% of the country's population. Among the main achievements is the increase in the number of women who choose to use family planning methods after childbirth, growing from 7 percent in 2013 to 90.3% in 2017. Likewise, the number of women who received medical attention in the first seven days after delivery increased from 41.7% in 2013 to 75.4% in 2017.

Here are a few more highlights from our Rotary International President Barry Rassin and Esther Rassin’s visit to Belize
We are also honored to host our 4250 District Governor Jose Interiano and his wife Ena whom have joined us to celebrate Rotary in Belize. It’s been a most memorable few days with more to come. Thank you sincerely to all who have supported and helped us along the way.

Great Career Opportunity in the Tourism Sector - NOW HIRING!
El Pescador Lodge and Villas located on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is seeking a General Manager (GM). The GM will serve as lodge host, accommodating all guest requests and issues. The GM provides overall daily leadership and guidance to the Senior Managers as they strive to achieve the highest quality of service standards. Maintaining excellent overall team morale is essential to accomplishing El Pescador’s service goals. The GM must be friendly, trustworthy, reliable and an excellent team builder with strong interpersonal skills. Ability to multitask independently and to respond to all situations in a calm and professional manner is a must. The position requires a high level of responsibility; applicants should possess strong communication and management skills.

CHANGE OF DATE - SUN SPLASH KARATE CONNECTION
Corozal - CHANGE OF DATE - SUN SPLASH KARATE CONNECTION WILL NOW BE HELD SUNDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 2018 at the Rainbow Beach/Park. For Booths or other info please call 622-6548. Sponsored by the Corozal Town Council.

Power outage scheduled for Sunday, July 29 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to affect a portion of Belize City
ntire Lake Independence area including Morning Glory Street, Mahogany Street between Central American Boulevard and Sittee Street, St. Jude Street, Hondo Street; Mopan Street, Nargusta Street, Sarstoon Street, Courtney’s Crescent; Mahogany Street between Casuarina Street and Holy Emmanuel Street including Black Orchid Street, Jasmine Street, Periwinkle Street and Hibiscus Street; Marigold, Fern and Croton Lanes; Tibruce, Carnation, Heart, Scaber, and Venus Flytrap Streets; Partridge Street, Casuarina Street, Western and Electric Avenues; Violet, Police, Sunflower, Gordon, Canondate, Hyde, Raleigh, Jones, Diego, Balan and Riverside Streets; Mokay Boulevard, Complex Avenue; Cumberbatch, Gladden, Brown and Giles Streets; Lacroix Boulevard, Rootsville; Central American Boulevard, portion Cemetery Road, Daker Street, Coffin Street, Elston Kerr Street, Rosalie Street, Antelope Street Extension, Iguana Street Extension, Pelican Street Extension, Raccoon Street Extension, Sister Mary Benedict Street, Neal Pen Road Extension, Arlington Drive, Trinity Street, Unity Street, Louise Bevans Street, Freedom Street, South Creek Road, Ramsey Street, Muhammed Ali Street, Benbow Street, Rudan Street, Neal Pen Road, Haynes Street, Kraal Road, Supal Street, Boots Crescent, Monroe Street, Matura Street and Doris Brooks Street. BEL to connect new high voltage power lines, relocate existing high voltage power lines, and install structure for high voltage power lines.

FCD Belize Establishes 3,500 seedling nursery
Members of the FCD Youth Environmental Group, Department of Youth Services and Jade of Arenal joined in the Vaca Forest Reserve to assist in the establishment of a 3,500 seedling nursery. These seedings will eventually be planted in the reserve.

Channel 7

Two Brothers Killed In PG Fatal
Last night we had the late breaking story just outside of Punta Gorda Town, where a car overturned, resulting in multiple casualties. Well, we can report tonight that there were 4 men in the vehicle, and 2 died from massive injuries they suffered when they were flung from the car. It happened just before 6:00, 10 miles outside of Punta Gorda Town. That’s where they found this flattened 4-door Toyota Corolla car, extensively damaged. It appeared as though the vehicle flipped several times before coming to a complete stop. 28 year-old Jamie Archer, his 27 year-old brother Anthony Alfonso Archer, 20 year-old Darian Romero, and 17 year-old Jerry Cruz had all been flung from the car and were unconscious on the side of the road. But, when we told you about the accident last night - the report was that only three men were involved.

After Etana, Another Gill Street Shooting
3 year-old Etana Bennett was shot early on Sunday morning while she slept with her parents inside their Gill Street home. She succumbed to that gunshot injury to her temple, after clinging to life for almost 40 hours. Her death has caused major public outrage because another innocent child has become a casualty of a gang war that she had nothing to do with. In response, police stepped up their presence on Gill Street to try and contain any further acts of aggression or retaliation. So, with police erecting a checkpoint in the area, it should have been safe. But, last night a shooter went back there, and attempted to kill 26 year-old Eric Tillett.

Outrage After Etana Murder
Today, the National Committee for Families and Children expressed its outrage condemning the killing of baby Etana. Their release states, quote, “The NCFC is deeply saddened and outraged by this report! We extend our deepest condolences to the family of this child…. according to Article 19 of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC), every child has the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, in body or mind. These recurring incidents are therefore clear violations of this right of children. We reiterate that children are innocent beings and should never be subjected to these types of situations.” End quote. The NCFC release ends by commending the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Human Development for their commitment to provide support to the grieving family.

Attempted Robbery In Downtown Area
There was an attempted robbery today, near downtown Belize City. It happened on Dean Street at the main office for BPMS - or Belize Package and Mail Service Company. That’s right next to Channel 7, but the company employees wouldn’t discuss what happened. All we know is that two robbers went in on bicycles, and ended up running off and leaving the bikes behind. They did not steal anything - and police - who have blanketed the downtown area for the past four weeks - responded in large numbers. We saw four police mobiles there at one point.

Cash Crisis In Cane Country
Tonight, cane farmers in the north are saying that they’ve received “a terrible blow” with what is known as the “second payment” for sugar. As might have been expected, with world sugar prices crashing, the payment is very low - and farmers are saying they won’t be able to pay their loans, and may have to abandon the industry. It’s a cane crisis all right - and today our colleagues at CTV-3 heard from both the millers and the producers - here’s what they had to say to each other about the prices and the future:…

From Fatness to Fitness
For those on the heavier side, openly talking about your weight can be a bit uncomfortable and even embarrassing. And besides , confronting your weight problem means the fried chicken, meatpies, cheeseburgers and desserts have to go…and that is hard. Well, a group of Southside women are putting all that junk away and reclaiming control of their lives. They are members of the “Keep Bouncing” workout class. It is a mixture of fitness and healing for these women. Courtney Weatherburne was out bouncing with the group this morning at 5:00 and here is her story. Every morning at 5:00 these ladies push it through an hour long workout. They are part of a workout class called the “Keep Bouncing Crew”.

Belize Meets and Exceeds Health Targets
Amidst all the bad news of crashing cane prices, and babies being murdered, there’s the feeling of darkness covering the land….but, we do have a bright sport for you tonight. It’s in the health sector where Belize has been awarded for making important advances in access to quality health care for the most vulnerable 20% of the population. We’re talking about women and their new born children and the IDB says that Belize has been able to meet and surpass ambitious targets in the timeliness, coverage, and quality of health services for this key demographic. A ceremony was held today in Belmopan to underscore this outstanding accomplishment. Here’s more from the health specialist:…

The Art of POK-TA-POK
Today we visited a village in the Orange Walk district that is attempting to revive a centuries-old game, and a dying Mayan tradition. It is an ancient sport called POK-TA-POK played with a 6 to 7 pound rubber ball. The hard part is players can only use their forearms and thighs to pass and hit the ball - into hoops. It’s tougher than basketball or football - and we’ll bet that neither LeBron James nor Neymar would have any success at it. And that’s what makes the team from Yo Creek named "Ek Balam”, or Black Jaguars so special. Today at their training grounds, they told us more about the sport and their efforts to revive this dying tradition. Before there was football, before there was basketball, one ball game dominated this part of the western hemisphere. It is an ancient sport intertwined with myth, religion, and war. It is the ancient Mayan ball game called Pok-Ta-Pok and it was played in Belize, over a thousand years ago. Evidence of this can be seen at several Mayan archaeological sites spread across Belize.

Export Earnings Down, Again
The Statistical Institute of Belize has released its latest figures on Belize’s Consumer Price Index and Trade for June 2018. The CPI report says that consumer prices, meaning the regularly purchased household goods, were up by 0.6% for last month. The biggest contributor to household expenses last month was the 4.5 percent increase in Transport costs, which was due to the significant rise in prices for all types of fuel Lubricants which were up by 10.3%. International airfare prices were also up by 3.6% when compared to last year June. The average prices for the purchase of motor vehicles increased by almost 3%, and vehicle maintenance and repairs were up by 4.9%. Food and non-alcoholic beverages continued to see a moderate reduction, compared to June last year. Meats like beef, steak, pork chops and pigtail saw a decline in prices per pound, while several fruits and vegetables went up. Of particular interest is that the price per pound of red kidney beans went up by 14.4%, and potatoes went up by 15%.

Regular Gas Price Inches Upwards
Gas is going up, well, sort of. According to Belize Bureau of Standards the new GOB's controlled pump prices that go in to effect tomorrow, remain the same. Premium gas stays at $11.60, diesel remains at $10.75, and Kerosene remains at $8.21. The only gasoline product that is going up is regular gasoline, which is going up by 4 cents per gallon; from $10.89 to $10.93. This notice was published by the Belize Bureau of Standards about three hours ago and as we told you it goes into effect tomorrow July 26th.

NEMO And UN Discuss Gender in A Crisis
The National Emergency Management Organization NEMO is talking about gender equality among other things. NEMO in partnership with UN Emergency Task Team (UNETT), is currently holding a three day workshop with stakeholders at Dream Valley in the Teakettle Village of the Cayo District. One of the main topics of discussion is gender equality in the context of Disaster Risk Management, climate change adaption in the execution of duties and emergency care for the vulnerable in times of disaster. All this, under the premise that women bring unique experiences and valuable skills that could benefit disaster risk mitigation and preparedness. NEMO's national and district committees and other stakeholders are attending the three day workshop.

Fisheries Dept. Supports Gillnet Use?
On February 15th, it was announced that a Task Force was being assembled to, quote, “reduce Harmful Effects of Gill Nets on Marine Life.” Well, almost 6 months later, the members appointed to that body will convene for their first session tomorrow afternoon in Belmopan. Members of the Task Force include commercial fishers, sport fishers, the Belize Coast Guard marine protected area co-managers as well as officials from the Department of Fisheries and PACT. Groups such as Oceana and enforcement agencies like the Coast Guard have maintained that a phase out of the nets would support Belize’s efforts at sustainable fisheries management.

Channel 5

A Deadly Accident on the Southern Highway Claims the Lives of the Brothers Archer
Two brothers tragically lost their lives on Tuesday night on the San Antonio Road in southern Belize. Jamie and Anthony Archer were travelling along with two other persons heading to [...]

U.S. Capital Energy Applies for New Oil Concession
U.S. Capital Energy is back in the news tonight because the company has applied for a new Production Sharing Agreement to carry out oil exploration in and around a specific [...]

Alistair King Claims Villagers Support U.S. Capital Oil Exploration Goals
Two villages which have not taken a position on the matter are Crique Sarco and Dolores. The villagers are expected to inform the Government on Thursday. Today, News Five spoke [...]

MLA Refutes AG Office, Says G.O.B. Coercing Villagers Into Supporting U.S. Capital
But the Maya Leaders Alliance, which represents the governance of the indigenous community, refutes the position of the Attorney General’s Office. According to spokesperson Cristina Coc, government is, for all [...]

Usage of G.O.B.’s Helicopter for Consultation Sparks Controversy
When the Government team headed south, a B.D.F. helicopter was used to transport nine persons to three remote villages: Graham Creek, Dolores, and Hicatee or Machakilha. The fact that King [...]

Great Belize Television’s Channel Five Wins CBU’s People’s Choice Award
Now for good news…Great Belize Television’s Channel Five has won its first award for this year’s Caribbean Broadcasting Awards Competition. Polling more than fifty-five thousand votes online, ‘Triple Joy’ a [...]

Man Shot on Gill Street in Wake of 3-Year-Old’s Murder
Tensions remain high tonight in the Gill Street area of south side Belize City, following the murder of three-year-old Etana Bennett. The toddler was sleeping along with her mother and [...]

Armed Robbery at Butane Depot in Corozal
There was a robbery at a butane depot in Corozal. Two men, armed and hiding their identity, assaulted the watchman on duty just before eight o’clock on Tuesday night. Forty-eight-year-old [...]

Decade Old DoE Debt Continues to Haunt BGA
There is legal trouble brewing in the banana belt. News Five has confirmed that an outstanding debt, going back almost eleven and a half years, is owed to the Department [...]

Convicted and Fined for Up to 10 Grams of Weed? Here’s How Your Record Can Be Expunged
In 2017, a law was passed, making the possession of up to ten grams of marijuana legal. According to Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, the amendment to Misuse of Drugs Act [...]

Michael Peyrefitte Wants to Represent Port Loyola for the U.D.P.
During our interview with the Attorney General, Michael Peyrefitte, we asked him about this decision to re-enter the political arena. As we have been reporting, Peyrefitte is aspiring to be [...]

Sugar Prices at an All Time Low Shake Up the Lifeblood of the North
The effects of the low second payment to farmers, is being felt across the north. On Tuesday, the Belize Cane Farmers Association said the payments throw the industry in crisis. [...]

B.S.I. Has Its Eyes on CARICOM to Open New Markets to Sell Sugar
According to B.S.I., the opening of new markets is key to the future of the industry. The company is providing about eleven to fifteen thousand tons of sugar to the [...]

Specialised Training for NEMO
The National Emergency Management Organization, in partnership with the United Nations’ Emergency Task Team in Belize, is conducting a three-day training on a number of aspects in Disaster Risk Reduction [...]

Free Medical Clinics for Belize City Residents
A medical mission from the U.S. is in the city providing a host of medical services to residents. The Louisiana and South Carolina Volunteering Mission is operating at the Wesley [...]

MoH Announces Successful Phase 2 of Salud Mesoamerica Health Initiative
The Ministry of Health and the Inter-American Development Bank shared some good news today. They say that access to quality health services for the most vulnerable women and children in [...]

LOVE FM

NEMO holds Disaster Management Training
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), in collaboration with the United Nations’ Emergency Task Team, is presently conducting a three-day workshop on Disaster Management Training. UNICEF’s Country Representative, Dr. Susan Kassede spoke of the importance of the training. Dr. Susan Kassede – UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE: It will ensure that front line persons responsible for coordinating and …

Is there a relationship between aneurysm and headaches?
A brain aneurysm is a bulge of a blood vessel in the brain which can rupture. In some cases, the rupture of a brain aneurysm can be fatal. However, Kaylia Nunez survived the rupture of two brain aneurysms and she is on a campaign to create awareness so that persons do not have to suffer …

Sugar payments not too sweet for farmers
Sugar is not as sweet, as no one is making any profits from sugar this year. That’s the word coming from the Belize Sugar Industries (BSI), as the payments, so far, are under the production costs incurred by producers. The company has released the figures for the estimated second payment price, and it’s causing some …

Rotary International President Barry Rassin speaks of world tour
The Rotary International President Barry Rassin continues his tour of Rotary Clubs in Belize. On Tuesday night, Rassin, who is accompanied by his wife Esther, was hosted at a reception dinner where they were joined by Rotary members from across Belize. They were also joined by District Governor, Jose Interriano and his wife Ena, along …

Government makes strides in dialogues to gain entry into the CARICOM sugar market
There is much work ahead for sugar stakeholders if the sugar industry is to remain viable on the global market. As we have reported before, ASR/BSI and the government have been working on opening new markets for Belize’s sugar. This year, BSI has increased its production of Direct Consumption Sugar (DCS) and is targeting the …

Second shooting on Gill Street leaves third person hospitalized
Gill Street and the surrounding area continue to be dangerous from last week Thursday when Raymond Arnold, a resident of the area was shot and killed. Over the weekend, three year old Etana Bennett was killed and her mother shot while they slept in their Gill Street home. The National Committee for Families and Children …

Orange Walk Town recorded the highest inflation rate
The Statistical Institute of Belize released its latest figures for June which show an increase of point six percent in the price of goods and services. The All-items Consumer Price Index went up from 104.4 in June 2017 to 105.0 in June 2018. The category that recorded the largest inflation rate was transport with a …

Breaking Belize News

Armed robbery at BWEL in Corozal; Robbers beat security guard
Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred last night at the BWEL Butane Gas Depot […]

San Ignacio man arrested and charged for drug trafficking
Yesterday around 6:30 p.m., police were conducting a checkpoint at mile 60 on the George Price […]

Regular gas goes up again!
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) has just issued new gas prices that will kick in […]

Ministry of Health to receive US$150,000 for progress in the health of most Belize’s vulnerable populations – women and children
The Ministry of Health today announced that it will receive an award of US$150,000 dollars […]

National Committee for Families and Children calls on public to cooperate to bring justice for baby Etana
Today, the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) issued a release expressing their sadness […]

Gun and ammo found on Reggae Street, Belize City
Yesterday, a police search conducted on Reggae Street, Belize City led to the discovery of a […]

BTB announces winners of Taste of Belize 2018
On Saturday, July 21st, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) held its annual Taste of Belize […]

NEMO disaster risk training underway
Breaking Belize News had reported of a three-day training hosted by the National Emergency Management […]

Fatal traffic accident claims the lives of 2 brothers
Police are investigating a traffic accident that claimed the life of 2 brothers yesterday evening. […]

Teen runs away in Independence Village; Police seek help finding her
Police in Independence Village have asked the community for help finding Novalee Mendez, a 16-year-old girl […]

Elderly couple robbed at gunpoint in home
Stann Creek Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred yesterday morning. According to reports, […]

American minor accused of robbery arrested while fleeing to Belize
A 14- year-old American minor accused of a robbery in Virginia, USA was busted on […]

Man shot in the foot in Belize City
Belize City police are investigating a shooting incident that occurred last night. According to reports, […]

FCD completes Bio Cultural project in Vaca Reserve
Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) today informed that with funding from the Global Environmental Facility […]

Update to fatal accident in Toledo: Two brothers dead
Last night we reported that there was a fatal accident on the outskirts of Punta Gorda […]

Blogs

Why locals and Tourists should visit Corozal
Corozal played an important role as a trading center throughout Mayan history, and settlement in modern day Corozal started in the mid-1800s as Mestizo refugees fled fromCorozal played an important role as a trading center throughout Mayan history, and settlement in modern day Corozal started in the mid-1800s as Mestizo refugees fled from neighboring Mexico. Today, Latin culture and language has persisted in the community, and a large portion of Corozal’s 10,000 residents speak Spanish. The entire town was annihilated during a hurricane in 1955, and the town has since been rebuilt. Buildings are well-maintained and most of the action happens in the the town’s central park, a place where locals convene. Services available in town cater mainly to Corozal’s residents, including a small bayfront farmer’s market, local eateries, shops, and a couple of banks.

Videos

Los Hijos del West Perform in Taiwan, 33min. The Los Hijos del West are having a great time playing in Taiwan. They start at around 2:30 into the video. Definitely worth a watch. They play Hotel California, one of their staples. "We present daily and although our schedule varies from day to day,every country present offers amazing cultural performance at the Dongshan River Water Park; A huge amusement park on its own. The main objective in inviting many countries is a special treat to the Yilan County community members so that they can have an enriching summer time appreciating and getting to know other countries and their cultures. We hope you enjoy this presentation from yesterday July 24th,2018. Priviledged to be representing Belize. With love from Yilan,Taiwan. Los Hijos del West Quintet"

IDB & Belize 25 Years, 5.5min. 25 Years of Sustainable Development

Flighthouse Zipline Harvest Caye Belize, 12min. Join us as we face our fears and do the amazing Flighthouse Zipline in Harvest Caye, Belize. There are four total ziplines. The last zipline is the famous superman zipline across the beach over 1300 ft and 40MPH! SO MUCH FUN!!!

Preserving the Maya Heritage - Sak Tunich Belize, 9min. Mr. Magana, the founder of Sak-Tunich Maya Site, strives to promote and preserve the Maya heritage through traditional Maya ceremonies and his Maya family project. We were invited to witness a couple's timeless moment exchanging vows at Xunantunich Archaeological Site and to also visit Sak-Tunich in San Antonio Village. Here is a short documentary for our experience with Mr. Magana at Sak-Tunich.

Expo Belize Market Place 2018, 1min.

Orca Belize, 1min. Watch the 23ft skiff back away from the Killer Whale!!!

Inter - American Development Bank / Min. of Education - Salud Mesoamerica, 36min.

The launch of the Belize Brain Awareness Society, 34min.

Artist Paint Night - Mim's Bistro, 21min.

Position on ICJ Referendum, 44min.

The Peace in the Park - S Belize that is Safe for Children, 26min.

Belize VolleyBall Association - XX Central American Women's Volleyball Championship, 36min.

DandE's Frozen Custard & Sorbet - San Pedro, Belize, 1.5min. DandE's utilizes a continuous flow machine to create their gourmet frozen custard from a base of imported high-grade whole milk base made in Pennsylvania. For those looking for plant-based options, look no further... Mango, Caye Lime, and other fruit options are available. These are made from real fruit puree, so the sorbet options are (in my opinion-Klayton) better than the milk options, the Mango was by far the best.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Belize 2018, 13min.

UnBelizable - SCUBA Diving Belize 2018, 3.5min.

Harvest Caye | Belize, 14min. Norwegian Cruise Line's private island off the coast of Belize, Harvest Caye. You have to pay for all food, drink, and activities other than the pool, sun chairs, and the beach.

July 25, 2018

JOB VACANCY AT PRINCESS CASINO FREEZONE

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Island players drafted for Belize’s U-15 Female National Team
On Monday, July 23rd, the Football Federation of Belize issued the names of players that will form Belize’s Under-15 Female National Team to participate in the upcoming Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) U-15 tournament. Among the selected players are San Pedro’s Dennisa Mairena and Tanya Teul (no image available). The FFB selected the players from various football tournaments held across the country. The other players on the team include Georgelli Acosta, Shenda Casimiro, Shadette Lino, Rhea Gordon, Khalydia Velasquez, Jazanni Rodriguez, Aliya Herbert, Alahnie Bainton, Bernadine Zuniga, Roshany Narvaez, Tiana Rowley, Evania Sarceno, Jyselle, Conorque, Keonda Kayaba, Carlene Tillet, Janivi Quiroz, and Sulma Aguilar.

Teams bring intensity in second week of 2018 Copa San Pedro
The 2018 Copa San Pedro Tournament continued this weekend at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town. Eight intense matches took place over three days. The first set of matches were played on Thursday, July 19th starting at 7PM, with Talal F.C going against Boca Bombers. It was a tight match that ended in a 3-4 victory for Boca Bombers. The next match saw Los Catrachos F.C winning against Ambergris Hopes with an 11-1 score. The tournament continued the following day at 7PM, with Ambergris Combined winning 1-0 over Golden Warriors in the female category. In the next match, Young Strikers took an easy 3-0 victory G-Strikers.

Ambergris Today

Blood Pressure And Heart Medication Valsartan Product Recall
Belmopan. July 24th, 2018. The Ministry of Health has been alerted to a precautionary product recall from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Valsartan, a medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. The recall is due to the presence of an impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), found in the recalled products. Laboratory test results show that the impurity may cause cancer. Not all Valsartan medicines are affected but a few have been identified in Belize.

Rotary Club Of Belize Sunrise To Host Teacher Training Conference
The Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise, the Rotary Club of Seven Springs (USA), and Pathlight International (Belize) this week concluded a series of two-day Teacher Training Conferences (TTC) held in the Cayo, Orange Walk, and Stann Creek Districts. With Belize struggling to improve student literacy and limited formal training for educators, this project was identified as an area where assistance through Rotary could have positive, sustainable, and far-reaching impact with teachers and consequently improved learning capabilities for students.

$10,000 Scholarship For Junior Chef Of The Year At Taste Of Belize
An impressive display of Belizean culinary ingenuity and mixology took place over the weekend as part of this year’s Taste of Belize, the BTB’s signature culinary competition. The event was held on Saturday, July 21, 2018, at the Ramada Belize City Princess. Approximately 20 Master chefs, 5 Junior Chefs, 4 Pastry Chefs and 6 Bartenders from throughout Belize participated in this year’s event. The Master Chef received the signature BTB Taste of Belize Award. All winners received numerous cash prizes.

Misc Belizean Sources

Blood Pressure and Heart Medication Valsartan Product Recall
The Ministry of Health has been alerted to a precautionary product recall from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Valsartan, a medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. The recall is due to the presence of an impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), found in the recalled products. Laboratory test results show that the impurity may cause cancer. Not all Valsartan medicines are affected but a few have been identified in Belize.

Belize Diabetes Association Corozal Branch Bingo
Do love you bingo? Do love winning thise games and get big pots? Support The Belize Diabetes Association Corozal Branch Bingo day game. Wenesday August 8, 2018 @ 1:00pm at Jam Rock. Come join us for a fun afternoon.

Belize Water Services Limited Annual General Meeting
Belize Water Services Limited will hold its Seventeeth Annual General Meeting at the SCA Multipurpose Mercy Center on Marine Parade, Belize City on Friday, 24th August 2018, commencing at 7:00pm. An AGM pack has been sent to all Shareholders. Those shareholders who cannot attend may, if they wish, appoint a Proxy by completing the Appointment on Proxy Form included in the AGM pack. Shareholders may also submit the enclosed Response and Question Forms by 5:00pm on Wednesday 22nd August, 2018.

Belize's Budding Young Environmentalists Take To The Jungle For A Weeklong Learning Adventure
The health of Belize's environment has received another yearly booster shot with the arrival of 24 young Belizeans for a week of hands-on environmental education at The Lodge at Chaa Creek's annual Eco-Kids Environmental Education Summer Camp. Chaa Creek's founding owners, Mick and Lucy Fleming, said sponsoring the yearly educational adventure at their Macal River Camp is, "an investment in the future." "We started the Eco-Kids summer camp in 2001 with the belief that instilling a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world in young people while giving them the skills and confidence to protect it is the best way to prepare for the environmental challenges of the future," Ms Fleming said.

Belize Tourism Board Hosts Another Successful Digital Marketing Summit
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) hosted its annual Digital Marketing Summit earlier this month, which featured presentations from TravAllianceMedia executives. Led by TravAllianceMedia presentations from Vice President of Global Sales, Maura Lee Byrne, and Director of Sales for Mexico and Latin America, Maria-Antonieta Aguirre, the fourth annual summit was a huge success for the BTB. During their presentations, Byrne and Aguirre focused on the Travel Trade Trends and the importance of education based on the Travel Belize Specialist Program. As for TravAllianceMedia’s relationship with the BTB, the company currently operates their official Travel Belize Specialist Program in Travel Agent Academy, which launched six months ago.

Re-Registration of Electors-Registration Centers
The public is hereby notified that the below-mentioned list of Registration Centers will be opened to facilitate the registration of electors from Monday, 2nd July to Friday, 31st August 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Suicide Prevention Training
The Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation has once again teamed up with Galen University to offer another round of Suicide Prevention Training for youth and community workers. The two-day basic workshops will take place in Toledo, Orange Walk and Corozal between August 6-14. See flier for details. Spaces are limited!

Minister of Health visits Valley of Peace health center
Today the Minister of Health, Hon. Pablo Marin along with the Director of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero visited the Valley of Peace health center to listen to the concerns expressed by Dr. Candy Azueta...and the Community Health Worker, Darline Scott on how the Ministry can assist to improve on the services offered.

Ministry of National Security Issues Statement on the Death of Baby Etana Bennett
he Ministry of National Security records with sadness the death of baby Etana Bennett which occurred in Belize City on July 23, 2018. The Ministry extends its sincere condolences to the family and assures the public that everything will be done to bring the perpetrators of this senseless and callous killing to justice. The murder of any human being is painful, but it is especially painful when a child becomes the innocent victim of rivalry between gangs.

Teen Week 2018
Teen Week 2018 is here, August 6th -10th, bigger and better than ever! Limited spaces are available. Incomplete application forms will not be considered. Deadline for submissions is Thursday, August 2nd. Pick up application forms at our PG Youth Center today!!!

Paint N Splash
See you this week at from 2-4pm Thursday to paint these beautiful Hibiscus!.

It is Tree Tuesday and we are featuring the Cohune tree (Attalea cohune)!
The majestic Cohune palm trees have many uses in Belize. The nuts are loved by many animals including the gibnut and agouti – animals that are helping the dispersal of the seeds. Oil is also extracted from the nuts. The heart of the palm is extracted and cooked. The leaves, growing over 30 feet in length, are used to make roofs for thatch houses. We are monitoring Cohune palm trees to understand how fast they grow and regenerate leaves. Have you eaten the heart of the Cohune palm tree?

2018 MARTIAL ARTS SUMMER CAMP
Kids enjoying the last day of the Martial Arts Summer Camp, the first of many organized by Sports Coordinator Kent "Bob" Gabourel and Councilor Hector Alamilla.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY IN COROZAL
The Board of Management of Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico (ESTM) announces the following vacancy:- 1) SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER Qualifications: Minimum Associate's Degree required, but Bachelor's Degree preferred. Pedagogical training and teacher experience required. Knowledge and experience in Secondary Education required. Knowledge of the Education Act and Education Rues required. Good organizational skills needed.

Bullet Tree Community Cleanup
The Bullet Tree Falls Sustainable Summer Camp had a community clean-up campaign this weekend. They also had a clean up yesterday at the Bullet Tree swim spot. Betta No Litta! They are imploring everyone to leave only footprints. "Today was an important day of our “1st No-Plastic, No-Styrofoam Kids Summer Camp, 2018”. We held the community cleanup activity, through which we seek to create awareness in our children and their families, that we are all responsible for keeping our village clean. That we should not expect anyone else to come clean it up for us; and most importantly, so that children can see that most of the garbage being generated in the village and thrown on the streets, in the culverts and drains are SINGLE-USE PLASTIC AND STYROFOAM.

Cayo Corn Festival
The Cayo Corn Festival is finally happening! The first one will be on Saturday, August 11th, and will be on Burns Avenue. It'll be a cultural festival celebrating Cayo. Lots of corn based foods will be on sale. There will be live music, and the New Sensation Band will be performing. "The cultural Maya ‘Mano and Metate’ Presentation along with a variety of corn meals prepared by different women in our community. If you have the best corn food or drink then visit us at the Cayo Welcome Center and enter our Corn Festival competition where First prize is $700 and Second prize: $300. Live music by the most versatile band in the land ‘The New Sensation Band’ and of course Ice cold Belikin Beers, stout, Lighthouse, landshark, Guinness and Coca-Cola.

Great Opportunity! The Rowe Fund program helps you finance your education in the U.S.
Established in 1948, the Rowe Fund grants interest-free loans to Latin American and Caribbean F-1 and J-1 visa holders completing their last two years of undergraduate or graduate studies in U.S. universities. This supplementary financial aid, of up to US$15,000, helps cover a portion of your tuition and/or living expenses. Learn more at: www.oas.org/en/rowefund or Email Us at: rowefund@oas.org. APPLY NOW!

Emancipation Day activities

Channel 7

Baby Etana, Another Casualty of Gang Warfare
3 year old Baby Etana Bennett died yesterday evening after 4:00 - not too long after our interview with her mother, Alva Moody. The family truly believed that baby would make it since she survived the first surgery to remove the bullet from her temple. But her little body could not hold up for the second surgery. We spoke to baby Etana's grandmother about her devastating end. Sharon Faber, Etana's Grandmother: "We got a call from the hospital and they say they want to see the mother, then my daughter call me back and said the baby didn't make it, she passed away."

Taxi-man Dispute Leads To Chopping
There was a taxi-man throw down this afternoon in front of the Ocean Ferry Water taxi terminal - just off the swing bridge. Two taxi-men got into a brawl. One pulled out a machete and chopped the other. It was a big scene and the police came to break up the brawl - reportedly firing warning shots in the downtown area. Eyewitnesses say it all started because of a quarrel over an airport run. Andy Richardson, Chief Security - Ocean Ferry: "I just saw when Buckley went into the terminal." Reporter: "Buckley is a taxi man?" Andy Richardson: "He is a taxi man driving for Ocean Ferry and Mr. Gerald, he is from that side and then when Buckley came inside, I saw Mr. Gerald came behind and start a wrestling inside and I took them outside..."

Guilty of Murder for Killing Customs Officer Common-Law
It made headlines three years ago when Orvin Wade stabbed his common law, 25 year old Keisha Buller, a customs officer, to death. Well, tonight, Wade has been pronounced guilty and is awaiting a sentence from Justice Antionette Moore who delivered her verdict yesterday. The murder happened in July of 2015 in Benque Viejo. The prosecution's main witness Gertrude Humes - Keisha's grandmother - saw it all unfold. She testified that she was in her room when she heard an argument between her granddaughter and Wade. When she came out of her room to see what was the ruckus, she saw her granddaughter dash out of a a room bleeding.

Cosme’s Murder Motivated By Jealousy?
Sometime after five yesterday morning police discovered the lifeless body of 44 year old Samuel Elias Cosme around mile five and a half on the northern highway. In last night's news, police said that they were looking for a female whom they believe was last seen in his company. Cosme, a resident of an address off Holy Emanuel Street, was found yesterday morning with multiple stab wounds to his chest, abdomen and to the back and left side of his hand. His empty red pickup truck was also discovered a short distance away from his body. So, what is the nature of the female suspect's involvement? Well, when we spoke to the family today they declined to comment on camera.

Belizean Died In ADO Accident
Yesterday we told you about the fatal ADO bus collision near Bacalar, Quintana Roo - about 60 miles from Chetumal. As we told you, a Belizean basketball team was traveling on the bus when the collision occurred. According to reports, the bus driver saw a lumber truck on the road but he didn't realize that it wasn't moving. The lumber truck had apparently stopped as a result of mechanical problems. That led to a massive explosive collision. The passengers, including the Belizean team suffered minor injuries. However, the basketball team weren't the only Belizeans that were inside the bus at the time of the incident. A family of four from Corozal was sitting on the left front side of the bus directly on the path of collision. One of them, Alvaro Ascencio, was flung through the window as a result of the impact and his mangled body landed several feet away. CTV-3 heard more from his family today.

Wife Stabbed Him In Chest, Man Tells Court He Deserved It
3 months ago, we told you about 19 year-old Renesha Alvarez, the Belize City resident who was remanded for allegedly stabbing her common-law husband, 19 year-old Herman Solis in the chest. He almost died, but today Solis appeared before Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer and told the court that he no longer wanted to press charges against her. He dropped a line which left the courtroom stunned. He said, quote, "I want to drop the charge, because I deserve what I got." End quote. Alvarez was taken back before the Magistrate's Court late yesterday evening. The Chief Magistrate intended to examine whether or not she should be granted bail, since she's been on remand for a little over 12 weeks now. But, before that could happen, Solis, approached the bench and asked to address the court - which is when he said he deserved what he got.

Phillip Willoughby, On His Own In Port
Last night we told you about Phillip Willoughby - the aspiring UDP candidate who has been made to resign immediately from NEMO because he's running for politics. So now he faces a four month run-up to a hotly contested convention and doesn't have a job. Today we met him at his Port Loyola Summer Camp and asked him if he was forced to resign:... Jules Vasquez, reporter: "You have resigned basically forthwith, in the next three days you will have officially resigned from NEMO. Explain to me, this is almost three months away from your original date of resignation - of departure - which was October?"

The Fuss over Fiestarama Is Over
Last night, we told you about the business dispute between the Orange Walk Town Council and the National Sports Council over use of the People's Stadium. It's the place where the Town Council has hosted their Annual Fiestarama event for a number of years, but the National Sports Council was attempting to deny them access because they didn't pay their rental bills for last year's use. Both sides agree that the Town Council owed the National Sports Council for the People's Stadium use from last year. But, they couldn't agree on the total figure. On one hand, the Orange Walk Town Council disputed the total charges that the Sports Council calculated as their bill. On the other, there was the Sports Council which maintains that the charges are easily justifiable, and that Mayor Kevin Bernard broke his contractual obligations to pay last year's bill.

Three Involved In Serious Accident Outside PG
Late breaking news is that there was a terrible traffic accident outside of Punta Gorda this evening between Dump and the town. Three persons were flung from this car which was severely mashed up - and appeared to have flipped many times. Initial reports say one person died and two were seriously injured. We'll have more details on this tomorrow.

Woman’s Head Goes Through Windshield
Also today in Ladyville there was a non-fatal head on collision between a Ford Ranger pickup and a Mercedes Sedan. It happened near Marage Road and the female passenger in the Mercedes reportedly ended up with her head through the windshield. She sustained major head injuries and was reportedly carrying a child in her hand. She was taken to the KHMH. The crash occurred because one of the vehicles was swerving to avoid a vehicle which was turning unto the highway.

Praise and Pantry for CITCO Summer
Praise and pantry, that is what the Belize City Council together with S&B Ministries from West Palm Beach, Florida are bringing to children of South Side Belize City. S&B Ministries has been running this back to school praise and worship pantry program for the past 5 years but this year is the first time that they have partnered with the city council to do a more targeted campaign and reach out to deserving children in three city constituencies. We learnt more from City Councillor Dr. Candice Pitts and Founder of S&B Ministries Brenda August. Dr. Candice Pitts- Councillor, Responsible for Women and Children foreign Affairs: "Today the Belize City council is partnering with S&B Ministries, which is a Christian based organization out of Florida, to provide the praise and worship pantry program. Today is the first of the three day program..."

The King Of Rotary Comes Calling
If you watch the news with any regularity, you'll know all about the good humanitarian work that the 10 different Rotary clubs in Belize do for the general public. They are often on the frontlines of some goodwill gesture for needy Belizeans. But, what you may not know is that those Rotary Clubs, Rotaract, and Interact, all make up a part of Rotary International, which has a presence in over 200 countries, in the form of 36 thousand different clubs. The President of Rotary International, Barry Rassin and his wife, Esther, are on a few-days visit to Belize as part of his annual Presidential Tour. And that's a big deal for the Belizean rotarians because it's the first time in 56 years that the highest ranking official in Rotary International has come to visit.

The Deputy Played Sheriff In Hollywood
Today's Rotary International Event gave us an opportunity to ask the Deputy Prime Minister Faber about his recent visit to Hollywood. He went there along with the Belize Film Commission, the National Institute of Culture and History, and the Consulate General of Belize to meet with the major players from Hollywood's film making industry. It's an important marketing tool for Belize where the local industry personalities get to make connections with those major players, and to pitch Belize as a film friendly jurisdiction. The Belize Delegation got a chance to meet with representatives from a number of Hollywood media groups, as well as Belizean dignitaries, and professional athletes.

A Pair of Pistols
This morning around 11:30, police found a pair of pistols. Personnel from the GSU and the Special Patrol Unit did searches in the Reggae Street area of Port Loyola. They found the weapons wedged under a sheet of zinc in a pile of garbage. Police continue to investigate this new case of found property.

Health Warning About Blood Pressure Med
The Ministry of Health today issued a cautionary notice about a potentially harmful product called Valsartan, which is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. The release says that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has made a precautionary recall of the product. The recall was made because of the presence of an impurity which is found in the recalled products. According to laboratory tests the impurity may cause cancer. Of course, not all Valsartan medicines are affected. But some, according to the Ministry, have been identified in Belize.

Channel 5

Shooting Victim Alva Moody Opens Up About the Murder of Her Three-year-old Daughter
The life of three-year-old Etana Bennett was cut short just after five o’clock on Monday evening, as we reported in our newscast. The child clung to life for almost forty [...]

Ministry of National Security puts out a release on the death of Etana Bennett
While the police on Monday did not confirm that the murder of three-year-old Etana Bennett was a result of gang rivalry, higher up in the Ministry of National Security, a [...]

Woman Detained for Samuel Cosme’s Murder
News Five has confirmed that a woman is in police custody tonight in connection with the fatal stabbing of forty-three-year-old Samuel Cosme. The woman, believed to be the main suspect, [...]

Corozal Resident Died in Fatal RTA in Quintana Roo
Today, there is confirmation from relatives and friends that the man who perished in a fatal traffic accident in Quintana Roo, Mexico was a resident of Paraiso Village in Corozal. [...]

Second Payment for Sugar Cane is Low; B.S.C.F.A. Says the Industry is in Crisis
The final price for sugar is in and the estimated value for the 2017-2018 crop is not sweet news for farmers who will be paid an estimated forty-five dollars and [...]

B.S.C.F.A. Branch Chair Wants Dialogue with G.O.B. and the Millers
The projected prices for raw sugar sold to the European Union and on the world market have been on a downward trend. A decrease in profits was expected, despite the [...]

Cooler Heads Prevail, Fiestarama Impasse Over
A deal was struck and a contract signed between the Orange Walk Town Council and the National Sports Council this afternoon. Mayor Kevin Bernard along with his deputy mayor and [...]

Fiestarama Will Be Held at the People’s Stadium
According to National Sports Council Director, Ian Jones, the agreement does not allow the Sports Council to collect commissions paid from any other revenues during Fiestarama. Jones says that the [...]

Politics Was Not Involved Says, DPM Patrick Faber
Since news hit the press late last week, Mayor Kevin Bernard claimed that the Sports Council’s decision to revise the prior Fiestarama agreement was politically motivated. Prior to the meeting [...]

Ervin Wade Found Guilty of the Murder of Keisha Buller
Ervin Wade has been found guilty of the murder of twenty-five-year-old Keisha Buller. The verdict was delivered by Supreme Court Justice Antoinette Moore on Monday in Belmopan. Buller, who was [...]

Blood Pressure and Heart Failure Meds Recalled
A common drug used to control hypertension and help prevent heart failure is being voluntarily recalled in more than twenty-two countries because the drug contains a chemical that poses a [...]

Philloughby Explains His Departure from NEMO and his Ambitions for Port Loyola
Former councilor Philip Willoughby is one of four U.D.P. candidates contesting a November convention in Port Loyola to become the party’s standard bearer. The four-way political race has taken some [...]

Philloughby Says “Check the Stats” on His Election Performance
Willoughby will face-off against Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, former Deputy Mayor Dean Samuels and Ac. Shane Castillo. Neither of those names are known for previous door-to-door campaigns within the Port, [...]

CitCo Launches Summer Pantry Program
The Belize City Council, under its ‘social infrastructure’ platform, launched a summer pantry programme today at the Swift Hall in Belize City to assist the neediest families with basic supplies [...]

Diabetes Camp for the Kids!
For the remainder of the week, about thirty-two diabetic patients from several districts will be participating in a camp. The camp is being facilitated by the Belize Diabetes Association with [...]

A Summer Camp for the Children of Port Loyola
His presence in Port Loyola may be purely political, but today, as part of his ongoing campaign, Philip Willoughby hosted a summer camp in the Jane Usher and Cumberbatch Field [...]

DPM Faber attended the fourth annual Belize Film Commission/Hollywood Luncheon
DPM Patrick Faber recently returned to Belize, having attended the fourth annual Belize Film Commission/Hollywood Luncheon. This past Saturday, the Consulate General of Belize in Los Angeles hosted Hollywood executives [...]

Rotary International President, Barry Rassin, Visits Belize
Today, a welcome ceremony was held to commemorate the official visit of Rotary International President Barry Rassin. Rassin arrived in Belize with his wife on Monday as part of his [...]

Rotary, a Serious Partner in Developing Belize
Also at the head table today were Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner and Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber. While he is not a member of Rotary, DPM Faber says that [...]

KTV the Remix: Who Will Make the Cut to the Disco Round?
Tuesday night is finally here and it’s time for the Remix, Season Two. So get ready to boogie down to the sounds of disco music, the theme for tonight’s show. [...]

LOVE FM

Award Winning Radio Drama makes waves in Conservation Messages
Conservation work, whether it’s about marine or terrestrial ecosystems, means finding innovative ways to reach users of those resources. As eco-tourism becomes more attractive as an income earner and climate change adds risk to the fishing sector, the need to manage the use of this invaluable resource becomes significant. Community meetings and focus groups are …

Willoughby speaks about political aspirations
After a defeat at the polls back in March, former City Councilor Philip Willoughby was employed by the National Emergency Management Organization. Willoughby had expressed a desire to seek higher office and submitted his name as a candidate for the United Democratic Party in the Port Loyola Division. On July 11th Willoughby sent in his …

Woman Shot and survives
There was a shooting incident in Toledo over the weekend. The victim was with two friends on the street when she was shot. Quick police work led to the apprehension and arrest of two suspects. Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Myvett gave the details to the media. ACP Police Joseph Myvette: One Renita Jackson along …

Fiestarama saga is settled
Orange Walkenos are happy tonight as the annual Fiestarama will proceed as planned. That is the final verdict after Minister of Sports Patrick Faber met with Orange Walk Mayor, Kevin Bernard and the Director of the National Sports Council, Ian Jones this afternoon. Following the rather short meeting, both parties reached an agreement that has …

Minister of Culture Patrick Faber speaks of visit with Hollywood Execs
The Minister of Sports and Culture, Patrick Faber recently returned from the USA where he attended a luncheon with Hollywood executives and investors. The event was the 4th Annual Belize Film Commission/Hollywood Luncheon in Southern California. The Belize Film Commission said the event presented an “opportunity for Belize to show itself in the best light …

Rotary International President begins tour in Belize
Rotary International President, Barry Rassin is on a visit to Belize. Rassin is the first International President to visit Belize in the last 56 years. He is in the Jewel as part of his tour for the Rotary Year that started on July 1st and will end on June 30th, 2019. Rassin and his wife …

Ministry issues alert of blood pressure and heart medication recall
The Ministry of Health has issued an alert on the recall of blood pressure and heart medication. This follows an alert to a precautionary product recall from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Valsartan, a medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. The recall is due to the discovery of an impurity …

Members of basketball team happy to be home
Members of the Belmopan Trojans basketball team are safely back home. The team had participated in the Copa Cancun basketball tournament when the passenger bus they were in collided into a parked truck. Love News caught up with one of the players, Denzel Brown who said he is thankful that no one on the team …

Mission team helps needy families
Sisters and Brothers in Christ Ministry, a Christian organization, based in Florida has been providing Belizean families with food supplies for the past five years. This year the ministry is collaborating with the Belize City Council to provide food supplies and back to school items to families in need. Love News met up the group …

Prisoner on the run
An inmate escaped from the Belize Central Prison sometime around ten o’clock this morning, but his freedom was short-lived as he was recaptured within fifteen minutes. Prison officials at the Kolbe Foundation told Love News that the Guatemalan national who is behind prison walls for illegal fishing was a part of a cleanup crew. He …

Pott walks out of court a free man
Twenty-four-year-old Abimael Pott, who was charged with murder and had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, went home today after Justice Colin Williams, in a lengthy decision commuted his sentence to time served. Justice Williams put the starting point of his sentence to twelve years and he subtracted four years from it because Pott had pleaded guilty …

Re-registration picking up pace
The re-registration process was off to a slow start; however, the number of citizens participating in the re-registration exercise has grown significantly. To date, the number of applications accepted is fifty-four thousand four hundred and fifty-one. During the first week, there was a total of sixteen thousand, six hundred and seventy applications; the second week …

Amandala

Child, 3, dies after gun attack on Gill Street
This evening, news coming out of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is that 3-year-old Ethany Bennett had succumbed to her gunshot injury around 5:30 p.m. In the early hours of Sunday morning, a gunman went to #6 Gill Street and fired a barrage of shots at the house. Sleeping inside the plywood house at the time were Roy Bennett, 30; his common-law wife Alva Moody, 28, a clerk at Central American Boulevard Plaza; and their 3-year-old daughter, Ethany Bennett. While Roy Bennett escaped injury, Moody and their daughter were hit. The 3-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of her forehead and was admitted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a critical condition, while Moody was shot in her buttocks, right lower thigh, hand and abdomen.

ADO bus with Belmopan basketball team crashes
The Belmopan Trojans basketball team recently travelled to Cancun in order to defend their title as champions in the 2018 Copa Cancun basketball tournament. Unfortunately, early this morning, their ADO bus with 40 passengers was involved in a collision with a car in Bacalar that left one person dead. Around 5:30 this morning, the ADO bus, which was travelling in a southern direction from Cancun to Veracruz, attempted to overtake another car, but crashed into a green Ford pickup truck that had reportedly broken down on the side of the highway.

Samuel Cosme, 39, found stabbed to death near Haulover Bridge
This morning at around 5:30 police found the body of Samuel Cosme, 39, a resident of Mahogany Street, with stab wounds on a feeder road near Haulover Bridge, just outside Belize City. About 300 yards down the road, police observed blood. They then found gray short pants, a blue cap, and a pair of slippers. About 400 meters further down the road, police found an abandoned red Ford Ranger pickup with Belize City license plates. Opposite the pickup, Cosme’s body was found with stab wounds in the chest, abdomen, back, and left side of his arm.

PUP loses San Pedro municipal election petition case
The People’s United Party (PUP) mayoral candidate for San Pedro Town, Andre Perez, and his team of 7 councilor candidates challenged the results of the March 7 municipal elections in an election petition case that sought a court order to void the entire election results. However, in an oral ruling this afternoon, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin said that while there were clerical errors in the process, those were not enough to have altered the results of the election. The Chief Justice denied the relief sought by the PUP San Pedro team and affirmed the results of the election of United Democratic Party (UDP) incumbent mayor, Daniel Guerrero, and his team of 7 town councilors for San Pedro Town.

Giovanni Gottlieb confirms “demand” for CB Governor “to go”
Panamanian lawyer Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb emailed Amandala on Thursday, July 19, 2018, and in that email he stated, “Regarding your article (of Tuesday, July 17, 2018, titled ‘Panamanian attorney wants CB Governor Joy Grant fired’), I am available for an interview in order to confirm our demand to the Prime Minister to fire Governor Joy Grant. — Best Regards, Dr. Giovanni Caporaso, Caporaso & Partners Law Office, OPM Corporation.” Gottlieb was referring to our headline story of the above-mentioned date, which reported on a letter ostensibly written by Gottlieb in which he accused Central Bank governor Joy Grant of “ineptitude,” and asked Prime Minister Dean Barrow for her “immediate dismissal” on behalf of the account holders, who feared that their money, along with the reputation of Belize and its financial center, “is on the line.”

San Pedro-based Edward Aguilar called to the Belize bar
The Supreme Court of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin convened around 9:00 a.m. today to hear the evidence in the fixed date claim of Edward Aguilar, a young Belizean attorney who has the distinction of having been admitted to practice law at Gray’s Inn, in the UK and also in the CARICOM nation of Trinidad and Tobago, and now at the Belize Bar. The evidence for Aguilar’s claim was presented to Chief Justice Benjamin by attorney Michel Chebat, S.C. Other attorneys who submitted supporting affidavits were Christopher Coye; Lisa Shoman, S.C.; Stacy Grinage; and Ellis Arnold, S.C, all of whom attested to his good character based on their personal knowledge of him.

Costa Rica shuts down Belize in fourth quarter, to win FIBA AmeriCup qualifying triangular
There were high hopes, and great confidence about the possibilities for our Belize National Basketball Team that hosted the FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Central American pre-qualifying triangular this past weekend at the Civic Center in Belize City. Drawing from our foreign based talent along with a healthy mix of youth and experience in our home based players, the Belize team made a great effort to overcome a game, though smaller, El Salvador squad on Friday night, 71-67; but ran into a brick wall in the fourth quarter of the championship match against a tough Costa Rican defense on Sunday night, scoring only 8 points in the fourth, and eventually losing by a 57-52 score.

Over-40 reg. season down to last 2 back matches
Two back matches were played over the weekend, and two more remain to complete the regular season of the 2018 Football Federation of Belize (FFB) National Over-40 competition. At the MCC Grounds on Saturday evening, division leading San Pedro Veterans were held to a 1-1 draw by home standing Lake Medina’s H.J.; and yesterday, Sunday, at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, it was the visiting Mango Creek Veterans with the 1-nil win over Belmopan Veterans.

FBL games and revised schedule at Swift Hall
Making way for the FIBA AmeriCup qualifying triangular last weekend at the Civic Center in Belize City, the Firms Basketball League had games only on Thursday night at Swift Hall, cancelling their previously scheduled Saturday games. In the FBL opener on Thursday night, July 19, at Swift Hall, it was a blow-out, as Infotel easily disposed of Providers by a 102-52 margin. Top scorers for Infotel were Kirk Burgess 24 pts 24 rebs 7 assts, Andre Martinez 17 pts 8 assts, Russel Humes 13 pts 7 rebs, and Vince Lamb 10 pts; while Providers were led by Justin Bailey 18 pts 16 rebs 5 assts, and Rene Myvett 12 pts 7 rebs. And in the nightcap, it was Tuff E Nuff, 86-74, over BDF.

Premier League Opening Season kickoff, and upcoming international matches
The Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2018-2019 Opening Season kicked off with one Week-1 game only yesterday afternoon at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, where defending champions, Belmopan Bandits SC were held to a scoreless draw by home standing Belize Defence Force FC. There are still the same 8 clubs participating in the PLB Opening Season, but the unusual one-game start of the new season is to accommodate the mid-week CONCACAF League match next Tuesday, when the Bandits will be travelling to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to face FC Motagua. This will allow Belmopan Bandits to rest this coming weekend, while the other six clubs will be active in the other three Week-1 games.

Editorial: Ideology
Today we want to talk to you about a topic which is dangerous in Belize. The topic of ideology is dangerous in Belize, because ideology is a discussion which causes the Guatemalan oligarchy/military to become jumpy. And anything that causes the Guatemalan oligarchy/military to become jumpy, immediately becomes of great concern to the State Department of the mighty United States of America. Sometimes we describe specific people as having a conservative ideology. Conservatives are people who are happy with the way things are, no matter what, the way things are being referred to by scholars as the “status quo.” Conservatives argue that there are good and justifiable reasons why the status quo, at any given time, exists. The status quo is where a society reached after a period of time, conservatives say, and there is something inherently good about the status quo.

From The Publisher
Visiting my parents on Saturday afternoon, I was telling my father about the recent dramas involving Dean Russell Lindo, his law firm, and his business estate. My father and I agreed that there was no Belizean in public life whom we ever knew who was smarter than Dean Lindo, an economist, attorney, and politician who, incidentally, is my mother’s first cousin. For the record, and with respect, it should also be pointed out that, in his prime, Dean Lindo was an excellent sportsman, an accomplished performer in football and cricket, besides being one of the most prominent Belizeans where the financing/equipping of racing sloops and dories was concerned. A week or so ago, I wrote about what I thought were the two most significant game-changing alliances in Belize’s modern political history. The second of these alliances took place in 1973 and involved Dean Lindo in a very big way. In the early months of 1973, Opposition power brokers, organized by the late Rev. Gerald Fairweather, a Belizean who was an Anglican priest who had established residence in Brooklyn , New York, were bringing the pieces together which would form the United Democratic Party (UDP) in September of 1973.

The consequence of the preposterous question
Those who are standing firm on the “No to the ICJ” position, say that Foreign Minister Sedi Elrington was “handed” the compromis, and he was excited, over-eager, when he signed it. Former Prime Minister, Said Musa, was surprised when he learned what Sedi Elrington had signed. Briefly, just for a reminder, Musa, in his book, “With Malice Toward None,” asked: “Since Guatemala is the one that is claiming, why were they not required to define their claim with specificity before the compromis was signed?” Musa said that Guatemala had been given too much room to manoeuver. He said that the PUP had already “boxed in” Guatemala. He said the UN, in 1975, had “already circumscribed the scope of the Guatemalan claim to Belize when it declared that Belize was to become independent with all its territory and with security.”

Chopping in Dangriga leaves one man dead
Around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, police visited the Southern Regional Hospital, where they saw two men suffering from chop wounds. The men were identified as Anthony Picart, 53, and Calvin Figueroa, 29, both of Dangriga Town. Initial investigations revealed that the men were socializing with others on St. Vincent Street when they got into an altercation. Although the nature of this disagreement is unknown, Picart reportedly took a machete that was attached to his bicycle and chopped Figueroa on his upper left arm.

23-year-old woman shot in Punta Gorda
On Friday, a little before 9 p.m., Renita Jackson, 23, was shot in the right hip while sitting on the corner of Far West Street and Church Street in Punta Gorda Town. According to police, two men whose faces were covered with rags approached Jackson and fired several shots in her direction. One of the bullets hit her in the hip and exited from her inner right thigh. Police don’t know if she was the intended target, as there were two associates of hers who were near her when the shooting occurred.

After 3 years, Troy Hyde, 30, charged with murder, offered bail of $15,000
On Friday, July 20, after she heard that Crown Counsel Janelle Tillett offered no objection to an application for bail for accused murderer Troy Hyde, 30, and having heard Hyde’s case history from his attorney Tricia Pitts Anderson, Madam Justice Antoinette Moore granted him bail of $15,000. Hyde, who has been on remand for the 2015 murder of Kareem Lopez, 28, aka “Robbery”, is to attend the court of Madam Justice Marilyn Williams on September 18 and on any other day on which he is ordered to reappear until the case has concluded.

Raymond Arnold, 34, fatally shot on CA Boulevard
Around 7:15 last night, Raymond Arnold, 34, a stevedore, was on his way home to Rivero Street after work when he was fatally shot. Arnold, in the company of another stevedore, had been riding his bicycle on Central American Boulevard from the direction of Port of Belize, where he is employed, when the shooting occurred. As Arnold was riding, another man on a motorcycle approached from behind them and fired two shots. The two gunshots struck him in the right upper chest and left lower abdomen.

The Reporter

BELIZEAN DIED IN ADO BUS ACCIDENT
The Reporter Newspaper has been able to confirm that a Corozal resident died in the accident involving the ADO bus, on which members of Belmopan’s Trojan basketball team were travelling. Alvaro Ascencio was flung out of the bus and died on impact.

FISTFIGHT ENDS IN VICIOUS CHOPPING
A man is receiving medical treatment after he was chopped several times on the arm sometime after 3:00 pm in Belize City. The actual chopping happened in front of the Ocean Ferry (formerly the Marine Terminal) at the foot of the Swing Bridge in Belize City.

BABY ETANA, VICTIM OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE, DIES AT KHMH
We are saddened to report that baby Etana Bennett, 3, was pronounced dead at the KHMH shortly after 4:00pm on Monday. The child received a gunshot would to the head in the early hours of Sunday morning ...

Breaking Belize News

Final cane price estimate very low; cane farmers to receive second payment from BSI-ASR
Today, the ASR Group issued a release informing cane farmers that on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, […]

At least one confirmed dead in fatal road traffic accident in southern Belize
BBN has just received reliable reports of a fatal road traffic accident outside of Punta Gorda […]

NEMO conducts disaster risk reduction training
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), in partnership with the United Nations’ Emergency Task Team (UNETT) […]

Fiestarama is on at the People’s Stadium!
For weeks we have been reporting on a stalemate between the Orange Walk (OW) Town Council […]

Taxi man hospitalized after machete attack in Belize City just now
BBN has just confirmed that two taxi men on North Front Street in Belize City […]

Alifa Elrington and two others appointed as magistrates
There was no press conference to inform the public and it never made the news, but […]

Orange Walk Town Council calling on Deputy Prime Minister to solve Fiestarama issue
With mere days left to Fiestarama, the Orange Walk Town Council will be attending a […]

A tool to assess businesses
Today, Export Belize, a unit of the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), is hosting […]

Ministry of National Security Issues Statement on the Murder of Baby Etana Bennett
Today, the Ministry of National Security issued a statement expressing its sadness on the death of […]

After 7 years locked up, man freed of murder charge
Yesterday, Orange Walk resident Abimael Pott, 24, was released a free man after he had served […]

36-year-old woman raped in Caye Caulker
Police in Caye Caulker Village are investigating a rape incident that happened yesterday. According to reports, […]

Medication to treat high blood pressure & heart failure recalled due to cancer-causing ingredient
The Ministry of Health today informed that it has been alerted to […]

BTL requesting shareholders to update contact information
The Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) is informing all shareholders that they are currently updating all […]

Belize Vision Center clarifies fake accusations of malpractice
Yesterday, the Belize Vision Center (BVC) issued a release informing the public that a ‘fake’ […]

Phillip Willoughby to contest candidacy for UDP in Port
Former City Councilor, Phillip Willoughby began working with NEMO shortly after his party lost the […]

4-year-old baby shot on Sunday dies at KHMH while undergoing treatment
After two days of fighting for her life against a gunshot wound, baby Etana Bennett […]

Belize City Police investigating the murder of Samuel Cosme
Police are investigating the murder of Samuel Cosme, a Belize City resident. According to reports, […]

Update to accident in Mexico: Two dead and 13 received minor injuries
Yesterday we reported on an accident in Bacalar, Mexico, during which the lives of 13 Belizean […]

Belize City Council launches pantry for over 300 residents
The current elected officials of the Belize City Council were swept into office on March 7th on […]

No decision made yet on Arthur Saldivar says PUP Chairman
Numerous media outlets have reported that attorney-at-law, Arthur Saldivar, has again been denied of the opportunity […]

Blogs

Weekend In San Pedro And Then Moving On Up…
It’s been a HOT week in Belize (I can probably repeat this sentence, sometimes adding “wet”, for the next 3 months). With my friend Jamie visiting, I’ve been getting a bit more out and about. Trivia at the Truck Stop Thursday. Lunch and chocolate on Friday. Yoga on Sunday. And then checking in to a brand new rental spot Monday morning. Here are a bunch of pictures that I took so you can tag along. My friend Jamie was with me for my very first visit to Belize. August 2006. And Wild Mango’s was one of our first lunches. It remains a favorite. The food is great. And so is the view. Right next store- I mean you HAVE TO GO IN – is the delicious Belize Chocolate Company.

Tamarinds: a deliciously unexpected surprise
Brown, hollow-sounding, unassuming pods; at a glance, one would probably eye it curiously then grab a more familiar fruit. Those in the know however, will fill as big a bag as they can, already envisioning some tasty snacks, juice, cooking paste or perhaps even medicine! The tamarind fruit is so versatile and a real treat to our taste buds. The tamarind fruit grows on the branches of large, shady trees, turning from green to brown. A seasonal event, children often scale the branches to snip off the pods as soon as they start turning, hoping for some delicious treats. Inside the crackly shells, pulp-coated seeds await extraction. The most popular use – at least in my house growing up – was to soak the pulpy goodness overnight in water, then straining and squeezing. After adding sugar, we’d be drinking a deliciously unique, tart and refreshing juice.

Breakfast and a Deep Fried Dock Day
We were long overdue for a dock day so a few of us decided to do a late Sunday brunch on the beach at Nook. A few more followed by joining us on the lounge chairs on the Sandbar dock. Of course, that led to lots of beverages, hours of crazy conversation, much laughter, and deep fried pickles. I was thankful for our super server setting up shade so two of us did not get deep fried. The other five were doing some full-out tropical tanning bed time. It was a hot sunny day and time felt like it was standing still. The temperature was hovering around 85°F (29°C) with a bit of a breeze from the east. Even though we have had a few showers, the whole island did not get wet and rainy season still has not really “arrived.” My editor says it’s times like this that she misses the cooler summers of Canada. Not worth going back for because of the harsh winters, but cool summer evenings are sometimes such a relief from the “fry an egg on the street” kind of heat.

International Sources

East Point firefighter gives back to Belize
A member of the East Point Fire Department returns to America Aug. 5 after a philanthropic effort sparked by a trip to a garage sale. Firefighter Krishna Craig journeyed to his native Belize in northeastern Central America in April. Among his travel expenses was the shipping fee for 200 pounds of clothing and shoes contributed by the East Point community. “It felt amazing to be able to donate so many items,” Craig, of Belize City, said in a statement. “Many of the people in the village remembered me as a child, so for them to see me as a career firefighter and giving back to the community that raised me means everything.”

Fish body shape holds key to make fishery management cheaper, easier
A simple body-shape analysis can reveal what part of the ocean a fish came from, according to a new study from Smithsonian scientists working to develop better tools for managing small-scale fisheries. The researchers found that body-shape analysis reliably discriminated between yellowtail snapper caught at Caribbean fishing grounds just 5 kilometers apart—and it did so more accurately than two more costly and technology-intensive techniques. Small-scale fisheries feed and employ millions of people around the world. Individually, these fisheries remove modest amounts of fish from the ocean, and they are not usually as closely managed as industrial vessels. Cumulatively, however, their impact on the oceans is profound. In 2010, for example, artisanal fisheries in Honduras caught nearly 10,000 metric tons of fish—more than twice the catch of industrial fleets in the same country.

Videos

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL President - visit to Belize:…, 80min.

From the Almost Daily Shush come's Patrick Peyrefitte to Fiestarama 2018!, .5min.

, 2.5min. Great video about why Belize is the jewel of Central America. It highlights Cayo, as it should. They interview Cayo hospitality entrepreneurs Jorge Chi and Marvin Ramirez, who explain why Cayo is the best. "Forget Tulum and Cancun, Belize is the place to go for picturesque beaches, well-preserved Mayan ruins and a thriving culture that will leave you fascinated"

Tarantula, 1/2min.

Leaf Cutter Ants, 2min. Leaf Cutter trail in Belize - Nov 2017

Rendezvous Caye, Belize, 2min. Celebrating Jessica’s birthday on Rendezvous Caye, Belize. With Sea Charters Belize.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve wild Dolphin encounter off of Caye Caulker Belize, 1.25min. My Family and I where snorkeling over the Hol Chan Marine Reserve's garden area when we where buzzed by a group of Dolphins!

Ambergris Caye, Belize - World’s tropical theme park (Isla Bonita Yacht Club), 3.5min. In a world of polluted air and water and images, a pristine place remains. Belize is a place where fresh air carries the fragrances of pine, flowers and sea. Belize is a place where smog and toxins do not intrude. Belize is small in population but vast in diversity; this English-speaking country specializes in leisure or non-stop environmental adventure. You can have it all–snorkel, dive, fish, explore, or play amateur archaeologist. Consider Belize the world’s tropical theme park!

Shark, snook, tuna and bonefish in Belize Fishing Adventurer, 19min.

The Magical Blue Hole, 12min. Ich habe meinen Job gekundigt und mich von der Schweiz abgemeldet um meiner Passion vom Reisen nachzugehen und das Leben zu geniessen. Ich mochte die verschiedenen Kulturen kennenlernen und nicht einfach nur Sehenswurdigkeiten abklappern.

Snorkeling Laughing Bird Caye, Belize, 6min. We were fortunate enough to experience the amazing turquoise water at Laughing Bird Caye on a really nice day. While it was a long and painful trip to get out to this island, about forty minutes, the experience when we got there made it worth it.

Belize City to San Ignacio, 11min. Tropic Air Flight from Belize City to San Ignacio, Belize.

Shaaaaaark! Diving Tackle Box, Belize, 3min. And just like that there was a shark…and another… and another. Our first dive in San Pedro, Belize was in a place called Tackle Box. We went with Ecologic Divers and our master diver was amazing. So were the sharks we encountered. There is so much life in this area of Belize, the corals, fish and sharks made our dive in this place amazing.

Diving - Nurse Sharks and more - San Pedro - Belize 2016, 6min. Endlich habe ich das Tauchvideo von San Pedro, Belize fertig stellen konnen. Dort findet man jede Menge Ammenhaie, die gar nicht scheu sind. Viel spass bei dem kleinem Video über das Tauchen von San Pedro aus.

Kids In Action, confined and open water dive., 2.5min.

Confessions from the Northern Maya of Belize, 2min. This little trailer talking about the history of the Yucatec Maya of Orange Walk District and the Maya Social War(Caste War). El Pueblo Maya del Norte de Belize se levanta . This video was done by Saint John's collage to document the Guerra Social Maya(Caste War) in Belize for a exhibit . The testimonies are from the Maya of Orange Walk . The Maya of Orange walk and Corozal belong to the Yucatec Maya group

July 24, 2018

Casting Call for Both Miss Earth Belize and Miss World Belize

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Eliza Carr is the 2018 Taste of Belize Master Chef!
20 Master Chefs took the competition floor, but only 1 walked away with the title of Belize’s Master Chef 2018. Eliza Carr, one of only two females competing, managed to impress the judges with her culinary creations in each round, and when the final bite of dessert had been tasted, she was declared the winner. Held on Saturday, July 21st inside the King’s Room at the Ramada Belize City Princess Hotel & Casino, the Taste of Belize is one of the Belize Tourism Board’s signature culinary spectacles aimed at recognizing and promoting Belizean cuisine. Aside from the Master Chef competition, there was also a Pastry Chef, Bartending and Junior Chef Category as well. With mystery basket ingredients like callaloo, chicken and chocolate, or turmeric, red snapper and cassava, or flank steak, plantains and coffee, the Master Chefs were challenged to bring their best game in terms of creativity, flavor and originality.

Action Twenty 24 hosts successful summer camp
The sixth annual Action Twenty 24 summer camp brought fun to over 80 island children ages 6 to 13 from Monday, July 16th to Thursday, July 19th in San Pedro Town. The camp, which teaches children sports skills and promotes Christian-based values, took place in the mornings at the Honourable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex from 9AM to 11AM and at the New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist Primary School from 2PM to 4PM. This year a total of 18 volunteers from the United States of America hosted the camp.

Caye Caulker airport almost ready; Tropic Air to resume flights in November
There has been significant progress in the renovation of the Caye Caulker airstrip. Previously expected to be ready by mid-June of 2018, different factors, such as the weather, have delayed progress. The airstrip has been closed since October of 2017, when local airlines, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, suspended services to the island due to unsafe conditions. But the recent notable improvements have triggered Tropic Air to announce the opening of flights to La Isla Cariñosa beginning November 15, 2018.

Ambergris Today

PUP Loses San Pedro Election Petition In Court
On Friday, July 20, 2018, the Supreme Court of Belize Kenneth Benjamin rejected the People’s United Party’s (PUP) petition of the results of the Mach 7, 2018 Municipal Elections in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Chief Justice dismissed the PUP’s request that the election be declared void and that the U.D.P.’s Daniel ‘Danny’ Guerrero and his slate were not duly elected. He agreed with the PUP there there were irregularities that occurred during the election, however they were not large enough to influence the elections results.

Misc Belizean Sources

SBDCBelize Customer Service Seminar
If you are a manger of or a small business owner, then this training is for you. This training is a part of the support strategies for MSMEs in an effort to strengthen small business and allow them to grow.

Corozal - SEA FOAM - GILLNETS - GARBAGE
Large amounts of sea foam or spume were being pushed out towards the east of our Corozal Bay this morning. Initially the white packs of foam appeared to be, from a distance, garbage floating over our Corozal Bay, so we immediately ran out to investigate. Sea foam is said to be created by the disturbance of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms. Eventhough, we were relieved that it was just sea foam, we were disappointed to witness several floating devices holding what appears to be various gillnets on our bay. One was close to the entrance of the "Chorro" across the park in-front of the old Social Security Building.

BWS Annual General Meeting
BWS invites all shareholders to it's Annual General Meeting to be held at SCA Multipurpose Mercy Center, Marine Parade, on August 24, 2018 7:00pm.

NACHAN CAN OR NACHAN KA’AN
NACHAN CAN OR NACHAN KA’AN is the Halach Uinik of the Kuchkabal of Chactemal . Chactemal or Ch'aak temal means “Place of the Red Wood or where the red trees grow ” in the Yucatec Maya language . Its territory included part of southern Quintana roo(Mex) and northern Belize reaching to what is today Guinea Grass being its capital today Santa Rita temple in Corozal . He is also the father of Zazil Ha who married a Spaniard called Gonzalo Guerrero who became Maya and became part of our culture and our struggle . When the Spanish came they ask the lord of Chactemal to give tribute to Spain, Nachan Can answer was that his only tribute will be “turkeys in the shape of spears and corn in the shape of arrows" .

Taste of Belize 2018 Winners!
An impressive display of Belizean culinary ingenuity and mixology took place over the weekend as part of this year’s Taste of Belize, the BTB’s signature culinary competition. The event was held on Saturday, July 21st at the Ramada Belize City Princess. The following are the results of the competition in the four main categories.

Update on Re-Registration of Electors Exercise
The Elections and Boundaries Department is pleased to update the public on the ongoing Re-registration of Electors Exercise. An update is hereby provided for the period 15th to 21st July 2018. Registration Centers continue to be open in all thirty-one (31) electoral divisions country-wide to facilitate the acceptance of applications for the registration of electors. During the period, a total of Eighteen Thousand Five Hundred (18,500) applications have been accepted, therefore the total number of applications received as of 21st July 2018 is Fifty-Four Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty-One (54,451).

Police Cadet Annual National Camp
Two hundred and thirty (230) participants between the ages of 10-17 are being housed this week at the Toledo Community College for the Police Cadet Annual National Camp. Our Department participated in the opening ceremonies yesterday 22/07/2018 and returned today 23/07/2018 to conduct presentations on our Department and the work we do nationally. DYS salutes the Police Department for a camp well organized and for the positive work they continue to do with young people.

Youth Hangout and Information Sharing Day
Saturday, June 28, 9am-1pm. Hon. Louis Sylvestre Sporting Arena in San Pedro

B.D.F Summer Camp

Empowering young people through sports!
Orange Walk Sports Council - empowering young people through sports! On Friday, the Department Of Youth Services gave a talk to bring awareness to bullying and team building. We are inviting all kids to come out as the camp continues this week!

First Regional Summer Camp for Youths Engaged in Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Belmopan Police Department is hosting their first regional summer camp for Youths Engaged in Agriculture. The camp will last for two weeks and will have participants from the Cayo and Belize Districts. The Belize District participants will attend from July 23rd to July 27th, while the Cayo District group will attend from July 30th to August 3rd. The objective of the summer camp is to make agriculture more appealing to the youths, recognizing it as a vital career, especially with an ageing population of farmers. The camp also serves as a means of keeping youths engaged in positive activities, reducing incidences of crime committed by youths.

Miss East Indian "Capture Cultural Rhythm"
COROZAL ORGANIZATION OF EAST INDIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE (COEICH) Presents Mis East Indian "Capture Cultural Rhythm" at the Andres Campus Civic Center this Saturday, July 28th at 7:00 P.M. Tickets:- General Admission $5 - Reserve $10 & $15. This news shack apologizes for the quality of the flyer. We can't see the names of the candidates or the phone number of the members to buy the tickets from. Please support our East Indian Culture. It is an integral part of our northern culture and lives. Contact Miss Millie to get tickets with her number at 622-5679 or at her home number.

Poaching camp
Poaching in the Chiquibul is becoming more organized. Recent camp shows containment area for wildlife caught. No one in Belize knows the extent of wildlife losses due to illegal wildlife trafficking.

Channel 7

Toddler Shot As She Slept, Mother Injured
A family of 3 was shot at while they were asleep in their Gill Street home in the early hours of Sunday morning. Fortunately they all survived but the couple's 3 year old baby is in a critical condition at the KHMH tonight. Baby Etana was shot to the head, and her parents 30 year old Roy Bennett also known as "Talla" and 28 year old Alva Moody are praying that they will get to see their child healthy again. It is another case where the innocent got caught in the middle of ongoing gang warfare. Roy Bennett is part of the Felix family - and has already lost two brothers and a sister to violence. In fact, his sister was killed 5 years ago on the same bed where his daughter and common law were shot on Sunday morning.

Baby Etana Is Critical
Baby Etana's mother Alva Moody was discharged from the hospital this afternoon. We spoke to her this evening and she gave us a firsthand account of what happened early Sunday morning. Alva Moody, Shooting Victim: "Three of us were asleep but I didn't hear any gunshots until the last two gunshots. We were still asleep and I wake up, shake the baby and see if she okay but she talk and afterwards we took her out in the living room to check her to see if she was okay. Then I saw the side of her head was bleeding and then same time I notice I got shot too because my belly was bleeding."

Police Looking For Answers And Suspects
Now, as we mentioned - there are likely deep undercurrents of a gang dispute fueling this vicious and indiscriminate attack on a sleeping family. Today police told us what they know so far about the background: "Some of the people in the neighborhood believed the shooting of the Felix family house may have been related to Mr. Arnold, in the sense that they are being targeted by specific group of young men. Is that what your investigation is revealing?"

Females Being Targeted in Retaliation?
And while that shooting happened early Sunday morning, by Sunday night - another female was shot - possibly in an act of retaliation. At 8:15, 21 year old Monica Ferguson was at a home on Arlington Drive standing in the doorway while her boyfriend stood on the verandah. A man ran into her yard and is believed to have fired directly at her. It could be a case of a woman being targeted because a woman and little girl had been shot 16 hours earlier. We asked police about it today:... ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City: "Last night just after 8:30pm. This happened at Arlington Drive. A female was along with her common-law-husband outside in their yard when they were approached by a male person. The female identified herself as Monica Ferguson. A 21 year old Belizean from #24 Faber's Road..."

Mahogany Street Man Found Sliced To Death Long Way From Home
And while those shootings injured three females, it's two men who got killed this weekend. The most recent murder victim was discovered after dawn this morning- at mile 5 and a half on the Northern Highway. The body of Samuel Cosme from Mahogany Street was found in an abandoned area around 6:00 AM. He appears to have been sliced up. Police told us more:... ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City: "Some time this morning, just after 5:30am, Ladyville police acting upon information, visited a road that is near the Haulover Bridge just before entering Belize City and about 300 yards inside the road, police found suspected blood on the street..."

Machete Melee Leaves One Man Dead
And the weekend's other murder came out of a chopping which happened on Sunday in Dangriga Town. Around midday Calvin Figueroa and Anthony Picart got into a machete war - which left both men badly injured. Picart died last night at the western Regional, while Calvin Figueroa is in a serious condition at the KHMH under police guard. Police told us what they know so far. ACP Joseph Myvett, Head - NCIB: "Dangriga police were called to the southern regional hospital on Sunday 20th July, shortly before 12:30pm where they observed 2 persons with multiple chop wounds to the body...."

Killer at Large For Raymond Arnold Murder
The cops also discussed last week Thursday night's murder of Raymond Arnold. He's the stevedore who was gunned down while riding his bicycle on Central American Boulevard. Arnold was traveling with another stevedore when a man rode up on a motorcycle and shot him from behind to the chest and abdomen. He died within hours at the KHMH. Today, we asked police about his murder, and here's what the cops had to say:

Re—Registration Continues At Steady Pace
In its third week, re-registration continues at a steady pace. From the 15th to the 21st July, 18,500 persons applied to be registered. That's slightly down from the previous week's 19,281 applicants, but still higher than the 16,670 that came out in week one. So far, Fifty-Four Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty-One (54,451) persons have applied to be re-registered. That's a fair number, but not a high one. We haven't got a division by division breakdown, but from observation, re-registration rates in the city continue to lag, and seems to be at a generally higher rate in areas outside Belize City.

Phil’s Forthwith Resignation
Last week we told you that UDP political aspirant Phillip Willoughby was being made to resign from NEMO if he wanted to pursue has candidacy in a Port Loyola convention. And so he did, Willoughby submitted his resignation, with a nice three months' notice taking him up to mid-October, when he would slide into a November convention. But, sources tell us that cozy plan got shot down - and Willoughby was made to resign forthwith. So, he sent his CEO Ruth Meighan a letter today saying he's resigning at the end of this week.

Convicted Killer Goes Home After 7 Years In Jail
In 2011, he killed a teenager in a schoolyard brawl when he was just 17 - and tonight, after beating a previous murder conviction and a sentence of life imprisonment, Orange Walk resident Abimael Pott is at home, a free man. That's what Justice Colin Williams ordered after considering his sentence for two months. Pott was originally charged for murder but, back in May 2018, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Today, in a lengthy decision, Justice Williams commuted his sentence to time served. He said the sentence should have been 12 years, but took off 4 years because Pott pleaded guilty. Because there were no aggravating factors, Justice Williams subtracted another 2 years from the remaining 8. He then noted that Pott spent 7 years on remand, which actually exceeded the remaining 6 years by 1 year.

Court Found Lemoth Killed, But Without Intent
And in a somewhat similar case, accused murderer 29 year old Justin Lemoth was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter today. Justice Adolph Lucas delivered the verdict today. Lemoth was initially charged with the 2014 murder of 17 year old Richard Waight Jr. Justice Lucas said that the Crown, represented by Senior Crown Counsel Shanice Lovell, did not prove that when Lemoth stabbed Waight he had the specific intention to kill. Waight was fatally stabbed to his chest with a knife during a fight on a basketball court in Hattieville in April 2014. Lemoth gave a statement from the dock in which he said he made a stab motion because someone threw a stone at him and another person stomped at him.

Belizeans In ADO Bus Accident In Mexico
A team of Belizean basketball players were on an ADO passenger bus that was involved in a major collision about 60 miles north of Chetumal this morning. The team was coming from Cancun when the bus crashed head on into an open bed lumber truck. According to reports in Mexican media, there were 40 passengers on board and one of them died. Reports allege that the bus driver and conductor abandoned the scene. The team is the Trojans from Belmopan which had just participated in the Copa Cancun tournament and were heading home.

BWEL Truck Runs Off Road
One man is reported to be seriously injured after a BWEL truck ran off the old Northern Highway near Boston Village this afternoon. Details are scarce so far - but reports say three men were in the vehicle when it ran off the road, snapped a lamp-post and ended up in the bushes. Now, while the butane tank on the bank may suggest that it was a volatile cargo - we are told the tank posed no fire risk because it was empty and was simply being transported to be used at another location.

LPG Explosion at Tomza In Guate City
But, the perils and the volatility of butane, or liquid petroleum gas - as it is properly known - were brought into sharp focus this weekend in Guatemala City when there was a terrible fire at a Tomza gas depot. It happened early on Sunday morning when the propane gas plant burst into flames in a series of violent explosions that caused panic on the nearby residents of zone 12 in the Guatemala city. News outlets from Guatemala report that persons fainted at the sight of the giant explosion - which launched gas tanks into the air one after the other like rockets or missiles. According to reports some two thousand four hundred gas cylinders exploded during the ordeal.

Woman Shot In PG
At the top of the news, we told you about the weekend shooting which has left a 3-year-old baby girl hospitalized in a critical condition, and her mother recovering from a gunshot injury to her her hand. And then there was another woman who was shot twice to her feet while she was standing on her common-law husband's verandah. All that happened in the city, but a fourth woman was also shot, this one in Punta Gorda. She's Renita Jackson, and police say that she was standing on Church Street in PG on Friday night at around 9 o'clock. She was in the company of 2 other persons, when 2 men rode up on bicycle and opened fire on them. She was injured to her right hip.

Daylight Shooting on Regent Street In City
And back in Belize City, 22 year-old Royan Mendez, a Yabra Road resident, was shot at by men who police believe he knows. That happened on Saturday afternoon at around 3:00, and police say that he and other family members were standing in front of Sunshine Pre-School, on Regent Street, when 2 men approached him. The cops told the media what they know so far about the failed attempt on wood-carver's life: As soon as Byron Jeffords and Charles Robert Myles are arraigned for aggravated assault, we'll tell you about it. Jeffords has been in the news a number of times as a shooting victim.

Robbers Brazen In Belmopan
Police are also investigating an armed robbery at the Belmopan business place known as Diversified Life Solutions. That happened on Last Friday afternoon at around 1:00, when armed robbers assaulted the on-duty employee and demanded all the money that was in the cash pan. Police told us more: ACP Joseph Myvett, Head - NCIB: "On Frdiay July 20th shortly after 1:10pm, Belmopan police was informed of a robbery at Diversified Life Solution's office on Mahogany Street in Belmopan City. Upon the police's arrival the cashier reported to them that shortly after 1p.m., the office was approached by two dark-complexion male persons wearing peak caps; one of whom was armed with a firearm..."

Patchakan Weed Bust
A man from the Village of Patchakan in the Corozal District was busted for attempting to traffic weed. He is 24 year old Dean Renald Bruhier. Police told us how they caught him packing a knapsack stuffed with pounds of weed:... ACP Joseph Myvett, Head - NCIB: "On Saturday 21st July, shortly before 9pm Corozal police was on mobile patrol on Seventh Avenue in Corozal Town when their attention was drawn to a male person riding a black motorcycle..."

His Worshipping
Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner today received some awards from a group of American kids that are in Belize for a 10 day culturally intensive trip. They are part of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement from Louisville, Kentucky and Detroit Michigan. The brief awards ceremony was a gesture of gratitude for the mayor's involvement in the project. The mayor and the vice president of the campaign told us more. The city council said they will continue this partnership and intends to organize youths in Belize to reciprocate the trip in the US.

Fantasy Five Win Couldn’t Have Come At A Better Time
A San Narciso villager had his luck transformed when he landed on the winning combination of numbers for the Fantasy Five jackpot. He is Esequiel Yupit and he says that this was only third time playing the game. But the third time proved to be the charm, and his big win came just as his family was going through some financial difficulties. On the verge of tears he told us his story off camera: Yupit's take home from the jackpot is $198,900 after a 15% tax take. The next Fantasy Five Jackpot has been started at $200 thousand.

A Camp To Teach Life Lessons About Diet and Fitness
Over 400 million people in the world live with diabetes, a figure which includes many children. That's why the Belize Diabetes Association is hosting its 8th annual juvenile diabetes summer camp where kids receive interactive lessons about living life with diabetes. We found out more. 35 children registered for the program which will be ongoing this entire week. To learn more about how you can become a part of it you can visit the association's office at the corner of the Central American Boulevard and Mahogany Street or call their number at 203-3333.

A Camp For Young Farmers
And from a Diabetes Summer Camp to one where kids can learn to grow food that will ensure they don't get diabetes! We're talking about agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture and the police department are trying to get kids interested in life on the farm through their summer camp. 200 Southside Youth from the city along with kids from the Cayo district are participating in the two week camp beginning today. They will learn about vegetable production, pig and tilapia rearing, cheese and ice cream production, horse husbandry, grafting and budding. In a release it states "The objective of the summer camp is to make agriculture more appealing to the youths, recognizing it as a vital career, especially with an ageing population of farmers.

Belize Gets Silver in B-Ball Tourney
Belize won a silver medal at this weekend's FIBA Americup Qualifiers. The three country tournament was played this weekend at the City Center. The Belize team lost to Costa Rica 57 to 52 in the gold medal game. Turnovers and terrible shooting by the Belize side proved to be the difference maker in this contest. So, Costa Rica left with Silver and went undefeated with a 2 and 0 record, while Belize went 1 and 1, and El Salvador still got bronze although it lost both its games.

The Fight Over FiestaRama
If you are a resident of Orange Walk, you'll know all about Fiestarama. It's an annual event held by the Orange Walk Town Council, in which all types of entertainment are presented for Belizeans all across the country to come out and enjoy. The Town Council foots the bill to organize it, and they say that whatever profits they make goes directly into works for the municipality, and community projects for the residents, such as school fees for children from needy families. It's hosted every year at the People's Stadium in the Town, but up until this evening, there was uncertainty about whether or not it would happen this year. That's because the PUP Town Council was in a contractual dispute with the National Sports Council.

Channel 5

The Felix Family Home is Ambushed and Showered with Bullets; a Wife and Daughter Are Seriously Injured
Just before news time, a Felix family member told News Five the tragic news that a three-year-old girl has succumbed to gunshot injuries to the head. She reportedly died at [...]

Man Chopped to Death in Dangriga; Was it Self-Defense?
A chopping incident between two men in Dangriga has left one person dead and another hospitalized. Anthony Picart was chopped multiple times to the head and body; he underwent surgery [...]

Samuel Cosme Found Fatally Stabbed
There was a second murder over the weekend. Ladyville police are investigating the fatal stabbing of Belize City resident, Samuel Cosme. The forty-three-year-old was found brutally murdered early this morning [...]

Police Say Rivero Street Resident was Killed on His Way Home From Work
A thirty-four-year-old stevedore was shot and killed on Thursday night as he rode his bicycle from work at the Port of Belize Limited. Raymond Arnold, a resident of Rivero Street [...]

Another Woman is Attacked and Shot in Spate of Weekend Gun Violence
A shooting on Sunday night, a short distance away from Faber’s Road, has left a twenty-one-year-old woman hospitalized with injuries to both feet. Monica Ferguson was in the company of [...]

Third Woman Shot in Punta Gorda
Two Punta Gorda residents have been arrested and charged for a shooting in that southern municipality in which a third woman was injured over the weekend. Police believe that on [...]

National Sports Council Says OW Town Council Owes Them Cash
Orange Walk’s Fiestarama is scheduled to take place this coming weekend at the People’s Stadium, but an impasse between the National Sports Council and the Orange Walk Town Council has [...]

OWTC and NSC to Negotiate Fiestarama Contract
But one person who is not satisfied is Orange Walk Town Mayor Kevin Bernard. In an email, Mayor Bernard reminded Jones that “Fiestarama is a municipal fundraising event and revenues [...]

Over 54,000 Belizeans Re-registered
The Elections and Boundaries Department has released its latest figures relating to the number of electors who have made it to re-registration centres around the country. In the past week, [...]

Belmopan Basketball Team on Bus Involved in Fatal RTA in Quintana Roo
A basketball athlete from the Belmopan Trojans team is tonight hospitalized in Chetumal after the passenger bus the team was traveling in collided into a truck near Bacalar, Quintana Roo. [...]

He Pleaded Guilty, Was Sentenced but Now Abimael Pott is a Free Man
Guilty of causing the death of nineteen-year-old Shamir Gonzalez, this morning twenty-four-year-old Abimael Pott walked out of the courtroom of Justice Colin Williams feeling like a free man. Pott was [...]

Charged for Murder, Justin Lemott Found Guilty of Manslaughter
Justin Lemott was found guilty for causing the death of seventeen-year-old Richard Waight Junior. The twenty-nine-year-old was originally charged for the murder of Waight but today he was found guilty [...]

Armed Thieves Hit Belmopan Business
On Friday afternoon just as the lunch hour expired, armed thieves ambushed a well-known business on Mahogany Street in Belmopan. The cashier at Diversified Life Solutions Office was beaten to [...]

Patchakan Resident Charged for Trafficking 9.5 Pounds of Weed
Up north, Patchakan resident Dean Renald Bruhier was stopped and searched at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Fifth Street, Corozal Town on Saturday night just before nine o’clock. Inside [...]

Things Settling Down with New Administrator at City Hall
It’s been just about three weeks since the Belize City Council hired a new city administrator. Stephanie Lindo-Garbutt assumed the post left vacant for months following the suspended and thereafter [...]

Campaign for Black Men Achievement in the U.S. Comes to Belize
Mayor Bernard Wagner and the City Council hosted some twenty-one young African American men from the United States, who are part of the Campaign for Black Men Achievement in the [...]

Mayor Bernard Wagner Awarded by Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky
City Council is working along with Ambassador Shabazz with the tour across the city. At today’s event, Mayor Wagner also received a prestigious award from one of the chaperones on [...]

The Best of the Best at Taste of Belize
Over the weekend, the Belize Tourism Board held its signature Taste of Belize competition where twenty master chefs, five junior chefs, four pastry chefs and six bartenders from across Belize [...]

The Weekend Sports: Costa Rica Beats Belize in International Basketball Tournament
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities….]

LOVE FM

3 year old killed and mother shot
Early Sunday morning, shots rang out inside the Felix family yard on Gill Street in Belize City. The Felix family matriarch had protested against violence for years -three of her children were killed. Feesha Felix was killed several years ago by a bullet that went through her bedroom window in 2013. This time her older …

Orange Walk Town Council and National Sports Council to iron out differences over the People’s Stadium
Fiestarama 2018 is happening as scheduled this coming weekend. That has been confirmed by Orange Walk Town Mayor Kevin Bernard who indicated that the Council and the National Sports Council (NSC) reached a settlement late this afternoon over the rental of the People’s Stadium. As we have reported, the event was placed on hold after …

2018 Taste Of Belize Champs announced
The Master Chef winners of the 2018 Taste of Belize competition are Eliza Carr of Hamanasi, who secured first place. In second place is Cesar Gomez of Mahogany Bay and in third is Michael Acal of Chef Rob’s Gourmet Café. The winners took part in the Belize Tourism Board’s Taste of Belize Competition that was …

Belizean Basket Ball team members injured in bus collision in Mexico
Members of the Belmopan Trojans basketball team were in an accident when the ADO bus they were on board collided into a parked truck in Mexico. The ADO bus had left Cancun this morning and was destined to Veracruz. The incident is reported to have happened in the area of the highway along Felipe Carrillo …

Woman wanted in connection with Murder
But a few miles away, before sunrise, a Belize City resident was killed. This morning a body was discovered this morning after five thirty about seven hundred yards on a dirt road near the Haulover Bridge. The body was later identified as that of a Belize City man, Samuel Elias Zelada Cosme, a construction worker. …

Shootings in the City
Earlier on the newscast we told you about the shooting on Gill Street, which is only one hot-spot that the police is having to douse. When one area flares up, it’s usually results in other shooting incidents in other parts of the City. Assistant Superintendent of Police Alejandro Cowo briefed the media on two …

Attorney says it is possible to fight Revenge Porn
2017 was the year social media and Facebook became rampant for revenge porn as a page was opened called Belizean cheaters. It was used to shame people by sharing their nudes. Attorney Lisa Shoman says it has happened once again via a link to hundreds of images. She has taken on the task of …

Yupit hits the jackpot
The winner of Saturday’s Fantasy Five jackpot claimed his prize today. Esequiel Yupit, a father of three who lives with his family in the Corozal District, won two hundred and thirty-four thousand dollars. Yupit’s winning numbers are 24, 25, 9, 12, and 8. An elated Yupit told the media how he learned he won all …

Belize Diabetes Association saving lives through education
Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not make enough insulin to help the glucose from the food one eats to get into the body’s cells. Diabetes can lead to serious health problems in cases where it is not managed properly. These include heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and amputation of a limb. …

Rotary International President, Barry Rassin on tour in Belize
Rotary International President, Barry Rassin and his wife, Esther arrived in Belize today. The visit is part of his presidential tour for the Rotary Year which commenced July first, 2018 and ends June thirtieth, 2019. The tour forms part of efforts to strengthen the public image of Rotary and Rassin’s visit to Belize will see …

The Reporter

DANGRIGA MAN DIES FROM CHOP WOUNDS
The Reporter has been able to confirm that a laborer from Dangriga Town, Anthony Picart, 53, has died as a result of wounds he received while socializing with a friend on Sunday. Police were called out to the Southern Regional Hospital on Sunday afternoon and observed two men with multiple chop wounds to the body.

BODY FOUND NEAR HAULOVER BRIDGE
Police have reportedly been able to identify the body of a Hispanic male found near the Haulover Bridge on the Phillip Goldson Highway early this morning. The deceased was seen with multiple stab wounds and was reportedly clad only in underwear.

BUS ACCIDENT INVOLVING MEXICAN BASKETBALL TEAM
At around 4:00am this morning, an ADO bus carrying members of the Trojans basketball team from Belmopan was involved in a massive collision about an hour outside of Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Several members of the team have been hospitalized, while one person identified as a Mexican national has been reported dead. We’ll have more information as soon as official details are released.

Breaking Belize News

Belizean-American firefighter collects items to donate to Belizeans
Belizean American firefighter, Krishna Craig is collecting items to bring to Belize next week. […]

Department of Youth Services host Financial Literacy Summer Program
The Benque Viejo Department of Youth Services (DYS) today commenced their Financial Literacy Summer Program. […]

Over 54,000 Belizeans have re-registered
The Elections and Boundaries Department today issued an update on the ongoing Re-registration of Electors […]

Orange Walk Mayor calls on Sports Minister to intervene for use of People’s Stadium
Last week, Breaking Belize News reported on an on-going issue in Orange Walk Town between […]

Police youth cadet camp commences
Yesterday, the opening ceremony for the National Belize Police Youth Cadet Annual Camp 2018 was […]

Police Department and Ministry of Agriculture to host regional summer camp for youths
The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Belmopan Police Department is hosting their first […]

NEMO to conduct Emergency management Training
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), in partnership with the United Nations’ Emergency Task Team […]

Corozal resident wins Fantasy 5
The latest lucky winner of the Fantasy 5 Lottery is a resident of San Narciso, […]

Senate Special Select Committee draft report near completion
Following a year’s worth of public hearings, the Senate Special Select Committee is almost finished […]

Belizean basketball team involved in fatal traffic accident in Mexico, 1 Dead
An ADO bus transporting the Belmopan Trojans Basketball Team was involved in a fatal accident […]

National basketball team places 2nd in tournament after loss to Costa Rica
Last night Belizeans at home and at the Belize Civic Center were disappointed after our national […]

Blogs

BTB Digital Marketing Summit 2018
On Friday July 13th, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) held its annual 4th Digital Marketing Summit at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City. The event, themed “Performance Driven”, gave the opportunity for large companies, small businesses, and individuals alike to learn about a variety of topics within the digital aspect of sales and marketing, such as current travel trends, brand differentiation, and how to remain afloat and stay on top of the constantly shifting digital environment. The Summit consisted of four panel categories: Online Content, Travel Trade, Social Media, and Digital Strategy and showcased prolific speakers from renowned companies such as Google, Lonely Planet, MeltWater, travAlliancemedia and regional airline company Tropic Air, to share their expertise and advice on effective ways to achieve success using online tools.

International Sources

Mysterious masses of seaweed assault Caribbean islands
In retrospect, 2011 was just the first wave. That year, massive rafts of Sargassum—a brown seaweed that lives in the open ocean—washed up on beaches across the Caribbean, trapping sea turtles and filling the air with the stench of rotting eggs. “It presented immense challenges,” says Hazel Oxenford, a fisheries biologist at The University of the West Indies in Cave Hill, Barbados. Before then, beachgoers had sometimes noticed “little drifty bits on the tideline,” but the 2011 deluge of seaweed was unprecedented, she says, piling up meters thick in places. “We’d never seen it before.” Locals hoped the episode, a blow to tourism and fisheries, was a one-off. But a few years later “it came back worse,” Oxenford says. Now, the Caribbean is bracing for what could be the mother of all seaweed invasions, with satellite observations warning of record-setting Sargassum blooms and seaweed already swamping beaches.

Masses Of Seaweed Threaten Fisheries And Foul Beaches
In Barbados, Hazel Oxenford says sargassum is more than a headache, it's a national emergency. Oxenford, a fisheries biologist at the University of the West Indies, says the seaweed piles up on the shoreline there 10 to 12 feet high. Even worse, she says, masses of the weed cover the water near the beaches. "It creates tremendous problems for the natural ecosystems," she says. "We've had significant loss of endangered sea turtles that have actually drowned because they can't get to the surface because the sargassum above them is so high."

Videos

FUNNY VOICE OVER - Diving Belize Mexico Rocks, 15min. Diving with family and friends with the Dive Bar in San Pedro, Belize.

Plant-based Pancakes & More @ Juice Dive - San Pedro, Belize, 2min. When exploring all of the restaurants in Belize, we had never found one that we could fully say fits the Grassfed philosophy until we met Justin Solis and his family, owners of The Juice Dive in San Pedro, Belize. The Solis Family has roots in Belize, so it was a no-brainer when they decided to come back and build a dedicated base for clean food, fresh fruit juices, and the empowerment of healthy lifestyles. Their work is untouched throughout the entire country, true trailblazers. From plant-based pancakes, vegan chips and guacamole, or a shot of turmeric juice to start your day...The Juice Dive has it all!

Podcast about Sargassum on "All Things Considered" on NPR, 4min.

Table Rock Jungle Lodge, 14min. We stayed at the incredible Table Rock Jungle Lodge, one of the best belize resorts in our opinion. Belize hotels run the gamut but Table Rock was luxurious and quiet and incredibly friendly.

Chem Ha Cave, 18min. William discovered the cave in 1989 while hunting a gibnut (agouti paca) with his dogs. He shares with us his knowledge and enthusiasm for the land, its natural history, and its Mayan history. The hike to the cave is as educational as exploring the Mayan Cave.

Diving in Belize, 4min. Diving the coral reef in Belize. The reef drops from 30ft to 3000ft in just over 100feet of distance. Pretty awesome stuff!

Kids Of Belize, 5min. Another amazing 2 days on our Belize trip for school! We went to a school and brought them much needed school supplies.

Restoration Works on 200 year old St John's Cathedral Church, 24min.

Legal Opinion on Re- Registration Process, 31min.

Drumming Session, 23min.

Talk Ah Di Town July 19, 2018, 31min.

DuPont’s in Belize 2018, 3.5min. From the Mayan ruins in San Ignacio to the beaches in Ambergris Caye

Belize South Water Caye, 5min.

Big Rock Falls Adventure with Belize Caving Expeditions, 2min. A Trip to Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve with Belize Caving Expeditions.

Canary Cove, Belize - Summer 2018, 1min.

Belize: Cave Tubing through the Mayan Underworld, 24min. The most belize adventure vacations activity is, surprisingly, cave tubing. The Yucatan Peninsula is made up almost entirely of limestone and that means caves carved by water. In central Belize, you can float down rivers through several caves. We arranged this trip through Table Rock Jungle Lodge where we were staying.

Xunantunich, 8min.

NSHS Biology Belize Adventure 2018, 2.5min. NSHS Biology Belize Adventure 2018

ORANGE WALK TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL 2008 GRADUATION, 43min.

July 23, 2018

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Island visitor sponsors Do The Right Thing Pedestrian Crossing summer program
Tourist Ross Otte from Houston, Texas, USA has officially become the full sponsor for Do The Right Thing Pedestrian Crossing summer program currently taking place in San Pedro Town. The summer program is led by activist Philip ‘Fawda’ Henry and Adilee Mckoy, with the goal of educating island children on social issues. Otte decided to fully sponsor the summer program because as a way of giving back. “When I was a child I needed help and I met people like Henry and Mckoy who helped me to become a successful person, so it’s mostly a way to giving back to help out these children that stole my heart. I believe that sports and counselling will keep them out of the negative things in life,” he said.

Caye Caulker Fire Department receives donation of two LifeVacs
The Caye Caulker Fire Department has received yet another crucial donation to boost their emergency response services on La Isla Cariñosa. They were the recipients of a set of LifeVac units, a non-powered suction rescue device used for resuscitating a victim when their airway is obstructed, courtesy of LifeVac, a medical company out of Springfield Gardens in New York City, New York, United States of America (USA). The LifeVacs are expected to further prepare the Caye Caulker Firefighters and enhance their ability to save lives. Miguel Matus, head of the Fire Department in Caye Caulker, has been a vocal advocate for the safety of the island, its residents and visitors. He has been sourcing supplies in order to better respond to emergencies, and after contacting the folks at LifeVac he was met with an overwhelmingly positive response.

Doctor Love: Torn
Dear Doctor Love, My husband and daughter have turned our house into a war zone. She and her dad have always been best buddies until this past year, when she turned fourteen. She began wearing make-up and more revealing clothes and staying out past curfew. He makes her take off the lipstick, sends her to her room to change into what he thinks is more appropriate and grounds her when she is late. Then they fight for days. I hate being in the middle. He feels we need to present a united front and just tell her how it will be and she says she is just behaving like a normal teenage girl.

Misc Belizean Sources

Budding Entrepreneur put out of business
About 8:45 p.m, on the 21.7.2018, Corozal police saw a budding entrepreneur, 24 year old Dean Renald Bruhier, 24-year-old of Patchakan Village on his company motorcycle. The business man had his signature camouflage knapsack with him. At the business end of 7th Avenue and 5th Street, officers audited the mobile institution and confiscated 7 parcels of cannabis weighing a total of 4,265grams. Bruhier’s clientele will have to find a new supplier of his services as he was arrested and charged with Drug Trafficking.

BELMOPAN ROBBERY
About 1:15 p.m., on 20.7.2018, Police visited Diversified Life Solutions located at No. 17 Mahogany Street, in Belmopan City where 19 year old Junior Santiago, a Belizean Western Union Operator reported that about 1:05 p.m., while at his workplace, two men armed with a handgun demanded that he opened the office door. They stole $4200.

Mom and daughter shot while sleeping
On 22.7.2018 about 2:25 a.m., the Bennett family was asleep in their Gill Street home when someone walked into the yard and fired several shots at the house. Roy Bennett, his wife Alva Moody and daughter Ethany were sleeping inside a room when the shots were fired. Alva was shot to the buttocks and thigh and also grazed to the abdomen. Three year old Ethany was shot to the right side of her forehead. Ethany Bennett is in a critical condition. The police say they are investigating this incident.

Celebrating Holy Cha Chaac
500 years after the Maya of Northern Belize continue with their Maya spirituality . The Maya people of San Jose & San Pablo in the Orange Walk district celebrating the Holy Cha Chaac .

The Reporter

BELIZE’S BASKETBALL TEAM WAS TIRED, AND LOST TO COSTA RICA
Some sad faces are in Belize tonight and probably the coming week since Belize’s National Basketball team lost to Costa Rica 52 to 57 in a low scoring match that was probably one of the worst games the team has played in as long as many can remember. Belize had many fans rooting for the team at every basket, with a lot of OOo’s and awww’s when they missed many shots. The team seemed a bit tired, and may not have recovered physically from the win against EL Salvador on Friday night., so maybe that is the reason for the loss.

“MAJOR CRIMES”, DOWN, BUT ARE BELIZEANS ANY SAFER
Earlier this month, the Ministry of National Security issued a release saying that major crimes have been trending down this year. The Ministry emphasized that its statement came out following a meeting with the business sector including the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Belize Chinese Association, and the Belize National Teachers Union, where those parties expressed concerns that the crime situation is spiraling out of control.

COROZAL MAN CHARGED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A routine stop and search led police to a drug trafficking bust of over four kilograms of marijuana. Police were on mobile patrol in Corozal Town around 8:45 p.m. yesterday when they noticed a man on a motorcycle with a camouflage backpack and decided to stop him at the corner of 7th Avenue and 5th Street.

TODDLER & MOTHER SHOT WHILE IN BED
A three-year-old girl and her mother were shot early this morning while they slept. Police say that Alva Moody, 23, of Gill Street, and her daughter were in bed along with her common-law husband Roy Bennett when someone walked into their yard and opened fire on their house.

Breaking Belize News

Re-registration 2018 – Voters list filtered or polluted?
The national re-registration process is currently on-going countrywide in Belize. The process began on July 1, and the latest statistics indicated that as of July 14, 35,951 Belizeans had re-registered in Belize. […]

Re-registration, a National Process!
The national re-registration process is on-going countrywide. Belize’s Elections and Boundaries Department have established registration centers in every electoral division in Belize. The process is a national one for all Belizeans to register anew to be able to participate in any referendum or election in Belize. […]

Two alleged murderers released on bail
On July 20, 2018, alleged murderers Travis Navarro, 24, and Troy Hyde, 30, were released on bail by Justice Antoinette Moore. Navarro is accused of killing Rajiv Gonguez, 21, on North Front Street, Belize City, after Gonguez reportedly went to pick up a neighbor at the Brown Sugar Market Place in May 2013. […]

Destra Garcia quietly settles lawsuit with Belizean fan for injuries he sustained during a 2015 performance
Reliable sources have confirmed to Breaking Belize News that Destra Garcia has quietly settled her lawsuit with Fernando Oliva, over injuries he sustained during her performance at a concert in Belize. The inside source explained that after Oliva’s attorney made an application to have the judgment won in Belize enforced in Trinidad, Destra’s legal representatives brokered a deal which included a non-disclosure agreement […]

House Republicans propose bill to ban raising gay pride flags at US Embassies around the world
Republican Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, United States of America is leading the charge among members of the ‘Grand Old Party’ (GOP) to propose a bill that would prevent U.S. Embassies around the world from flying gay pride flags. The bill also proposes to ban all other flags from being flown with the American flag, not just the rainbow flag. […]

Ministry of Human Development hosts leadership workshop
The Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation, and Poverty Alleviation last week hosted a training for mid-level managers in the ministry. Eighteen mid-level managers participated in the week-long training which equipped them with the skills needed to improve their leadership and supervisory skills. […]

Law Student takes CARICOM to Court
Please take notice that in a significant and historic move for justice, Mr Jason Jones, President and Co-founder of the Association of Caribbean Students for Equal Access to the Legal Profession (ACSEAL) has initiated legal proceedings in the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) against the Council for Legal Education (CLE), […]

SEA and Belize Audubon Society host Boat to Boat outreach
Today, the Southern Environmental Association (SEA) in collaboration with the Belize Audubon Society (BAS) conducted Boat to Boat outreach within the Southern Barrier Reef Complex in Southern Belize. Over sixty fishers in Managed Access Area 3 learned to fill catch logbooks. […]

Fair weather to continue
A moderate easterly airflow prevails over the area. Mostly sunny skies are expected today. The wind will blow from the East at 10 to 20 knots. The sea state will be choppy. […]

Three year old girl shot in the head, her mother shot multiple times
Ethany Bennett, a three-year-old baby girl, was shot in her head early this morning in Belize City. According to reports, she was sleeping with her parents inside their Gill Street home sometime after 2 a.m. when a man walked into their yard and opened fire on their house. […]

Blogs

Colors fest 2018 was held at Corozal Rainbow Beach
It was the second annual Colors Beach Festival Foam # Paint # Water. COLORS BEACH FESTIVAL | Foam + Paint + Water was held on Saturday July 21, 2018 @ Rainbow Beach. This event is several DJ's come and party all night djing. While paint-foam-water is being thrown at the audience. Music By: DJ Callie - DJ Kenneth - Generation 2 - DJ Infinity - DeeJay Dev + Special Guest NO FEAR DJS & DJ ODYSSEY 15$ were presold tickets and 20$ at the gate was charged for tickets. Colors fest was one of the fun night to see everyone dancing and getting painted. They even threw glow in the dark sticks to hyoen the croud. There were inclusive bar aea for drinks.

Videos

Lionfish are invading Belize & we need your help!, 2min. Our team at the Belize Reef Conservation project are helping protect the future of reefs through constant and active Lionfish population control, spearing and collecting the specimens during diving conservation work. The team are also helping the local restaurants drum up demand for Lionfish so local fishermen can join in the cull and sell on their catches to chefs to make tasty fish fingers, tacos and ceviche!

Highlights, Belize vs Costa Rica, 1min.

Scuba Diving Belize 2018, 25min.

Belize Diving - Turneffe Atoll - Day 1 and 2, 10min.

Belize Diving - Turneffe Atoll - Day 3, 7min.

Belize Diving - Turneffe Atoll - Day 4, 8min.

Belize Diving - Turneffe Atoll - Day 5 and 6, 11min.

Flighthouse Zipline - Harvest Caye, Belize, 3min.

Belize Snorkeling Excursion, 8min. This video was taken while snorkeling in Belize while on a Carnival cruise.

Belize Cave Tubing, 17min. Belize Cave Tubing with Ian and Micayla on our cruise in 2013.

Shark stealing our fish, Belize January 2017, 1/2min. Spear fishing for lionfish in Hopkins, Belize. A nurse shark came along and stole a meal.

EPIC!! EPIC!! Night fishing round 2 at Suenos Del Mar, 13min. This place is located far north of the Island it take us 1 hour and a half to reach it was a night like no other we really catch some nice size snappers.

Belize vs Costa Rica - FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Pre-Qualifier, 3hr.

San Pedro Tour Operators Association, 3min. Last day of knowledge review...lets go diving

July 22, 2018

BELIZE BASKETBALL TEAM WIN vs EL SALVADOR, IN Nail-Biting FINISH – AT THE CIVIC

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Gary Greif to contest Minister Heredia’s BRS seat
Early this month, the governing United Democratic Party (UDP) released a list of candidates aspiring to run in the 2020 General Elections. Island residents were surprised to learn that among the candidates was San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) Councillor Gary Greif who will be contesting the Belize Rural South (BRS) constituency. The seat is currently held by four-term Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr. Greif says that his main platform in representing BRS in Belmopan is to seek empowerment for the SPTC and the Caye Caulker Village Council, and for them to have more autonomy in their respective affairs. Greif told The San Pedro Sun that as Area Representative, he will work for his constituency and demand from Central Government what the islands need. He spoke about the fees collected for each dock on the island, believing that jurisdiction should be given to both San Pedro and Caye Caulker to use this income for the betterment of its residents. Greif stated that he will push for most, if not all, government departments to have offices on the island, in particular, the Department of Environment. He is a strong advocate for the environment and sustainability and is against projects that could destroy it. “The process by which these projects are vetted and approved must change,” said Greif. “There must be representation from the community in the approval process.”

Environmental authorities justify project at Cayo Rosario; islanders oppose
Ambergris Caye residents are extremely concerned following the approval of a tourism project on Cayo Rosario off the north-west coast of the island. Tourism stakeholders, fishermen, and residents have been opposing the development on the 10-acre island, as it sits within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Despite widespread outcry warning the Government of Belize that such a project could have a huge impact on the fly fishing industry that provides a livelihood for many Belizeans, dredging was approved on Cayo Rosario, with the justification that it poses no threat to the marine reserve, and that the size of the development has been significantly scaled down. Initially, the plan for the proposed project included some 90 over- the- water structures, and several other buildings on the island itself. It is alleged that the National Appraisal Environment Committee (NEAC) asked the developers to scale down the project. A few changes were made and the over-the-water structures were cut down to 54, but on the island itself, the plan is to build 50 additional buildings, a club, spa, restaurant and two docks. There also a beach reclamation project that will require dredging.

Wolfe’s Woofers: Futbol
“You must be hungry this morning,” my friend George said, as I picked up the bags of food and cups of coffee in the deli. “No. I lost a bet last night shooting pool so I have to buy breakfast for the guys. I made the shot but scratched on the eight ball.” I took the food out to the deck of the Holiday Hotel and distributed it to the other members of the Boca del Rio Eight Ball team. Just before we started to eat, George came from the deli and joined us at our table.

Misc Belizean Sources

Here are some current photos, just taken Saturday morning, of the continued paving of the Caye Caulker Airstrip
I appeared they had used all of this mornings hotmix by the time I got there and they were loading the trucks to take them back to BC. I do not know if they bring more than one barge of hotmix over/day. I will head over there later this afternoon (after the Bristish Open is over ;-P ) and see what's going on.

2018 Taste of Belize
Congratulations to the winner of the 2018 Taste of Belize competition, Eliza Carr of Hamanasi! 2nd place went to Mahogany Bay's Cesar Gomez and 3rd place went to Michael Acal of Chef Rob's Gourmet Cafe!

2018 Taste of Belize
Congratulations to the winners of the Pastry Chef and Junior Chef competition at the BTB Taste of Belize 2018! Pastry Chef Winners: 1st Place: Einar Marin, 2nd Place: Tiffany Dawson and 3rd Place: Eliza Quetzal Junior Chef Winners: 1st Place: Rojel Ian Lisbey, 2nd Place: Dolores Gillett and 3rd Place: Ernestina Acal!

One man stabbed in Caye Caulker
Police in Caye Caulker are investigating a stabbing incident that left 27-year-old Fernando Oliva injured with a cut wound to his left upper arm. According to an official report, police visited the Caye Caulker Polyclinic on Saturday, July 21st, and observed Oliva a Belizean salesman suffering from a stab wound. Initial investigation revealed that Oliva was in front of the China Town Hotel on Estrella Street when he was stabbed by a known male person. After being treated by medical authorities on the island, Oliva was later transported to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City where he remains in a stable condition.

Corozal Bay Area Fire Fighters
The Corozal Bay Area Fire Fighters were out today practicing there regular routine practices for emergency fire practice at Rainbow Beach. Today, they had to practice how to fight a fire by groups aiming at areas when its on extremely hot. The organizer of the group said that it is nessecary for this regular routines because if another fire happens in the future, they know what to do. We use this area because it is on the water side and the beach is an open area for our workers to have more experience outing off a fire. And, we use the water to refill the truck. Today, the fire truck was used to fill out the engine for practice and used to aim on areas when a fire is happening. At the end of the practice the engine is filled back for any fire to happen in the future.

The Reporter

WESTERN UNION ROBBED
Two men robbed a Western Union branch in Belmopan last night, making off with over $4,000. The men went to Diversified Life Solutions located at No. 17 Mahogany Street, Belmopan City where, around 1:05 p.m., one of them armed with a gun, held up Juninio Santiago, 19, who was working in the store.

WOMAN SHOT IN TOLEDO
Police are investigating a shooting incident that happened in Toledo last night where a woman was shot to the lower body. Police say that Renita Jackson, 23, of Punta Gorda Town, was sitting at the corner of Far West Street and Church Street along with her common-law husband and another person when two men with rags covering their faces approached. The men fired several shots, one of them hitting Jackson in the right hip and causing an exit wound to the inner right leg.

“SEE YOU NEXT WEEK”, SAYS SPORTS COUNCIL
The National Sports Council is reserving comment on the $5,000 it is charging the Orange Walk Town Council to host Fiestarama at the People’s Stadium until next week. Director of the National Sports Council, Ian Jones, said that the council will be issuing an official press release sometime next week. Currently, the $5,000 fee and the 10 percent charge from the monies made at the gate is still in effect. The town council said that it has been having issues with the sports council since last year, but that the parties worked out the problems and Fiestarama, one of the largest events on the municipality’s calendar, went on without any problems

Breaking Belize News

Two men arrested in PG for keeping gun and ammo without license
Punta Gorda Police arrested two persons yesterday around 11:50 PM for keeping a gun and ammunition without a license. According to reports, police conducted a search on a white Ford Ranger pick up at the corner of Main Middle Street and Queen Street in Punta Gorda Town where they found a gun and ammunition under the passenger’s seat. […]

Man stabbed in Caye Caulker Village this morning
Caye Caulker police are investigating a stabbing incident that occurred at 3 this morning. According to reports, police went to the Caye Caulker Clinic and saw Fernando Oliva,27, with a cut wound to the left upper arm. Police investigation revealed that Oliva was in front of the China Town Hotel on Estrella Street when he was stabbed by a man he knows. […]

Police find weed, gun, and ammo in Belize City
esterday a police search conducted in Belize City led to the discovery of marijuana, a.38 revolver, and ammunition. On the south side of the city, police discovered a total of 2,984 grams of cannabis, a .38 revolver and five .38 live rounds. […]

Woman shot in Punta Gorda Town
Police are investigating a shooting incident that occurred last night in Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District. According to reports, around 8:55 last night, Renita Jackson, 23, was sitting at the corner of Far West Street and Church Street with her common-law husband and another person when two men on bicycles approached them. […]

Belize defeats El Salvador 71-67 in FIBA Americup 2021 Central American pre-qualifiers
Last night Belize’s national basketball team squared off with El Salvador’s national basketball team at the Belize Civic Center for the FIBA ( International Basketball Federation) Americup 2021 Central American Pre-Qualifiers. Belize went on to defeat El Salvador in a final score of 71 to 67. […]

Thieves rob over $4,000 from Western Union Office in Belmopan at gunpoint
Belmopan police are investigating a robbery that occurred yesterday. According to reports, around 1:05 pm, a Western Union operator who works inside Diversified Life Solutions in Belmopan was at his workplace when two men entered. […]

Heritage Bank coming soon to Spanish Lookout
On July 12, Heritage Bank made history when it became the first bank to open its doors to the residents of Santa Elena town. At the historic opening, it was also announced that Heritage Bank is planning to open a branch in Spanish Lookout, Cayo. Spanish Lookout boasts booming economic activity and commerce with grocery, hardware, auto part stores and the best ice-cream in Belize. […]

Belize~ Independiente y Soberana
Recientemente, Google reemplazó la línea solida de la frontera entre Belice y Guatemala con una línea de puntos, esta acción quedará marcada en la historia como uno de los esfuerzos más irónicos por revertir la independencia y soberanía de Belice. Resulta irónico que los mapas de Google son virtuales y ese tipo de maniobra se puede lograr con un simple clic en el mouse de una computadora […]

Belizean businessman busted in Melchor holds Guatemalan Citizenship
Yesterday, Breaking Belize News reported that a Belizean businessman was busted in Melchor, Guatemala with guns, ammo, and an assortment of currencies from different countries. Belizean Francisco Javier de la O Duarte and Guatemalan Aolibama Mengibar were arrested on Tuesday night when Guatemalan authorities conducted a raid in Melchor. […]

Two men and a minor charged for the murder of American National Cliff Kirk
Police have upgraded the charges of the three persons from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye who shot and robbed American National, Cliff Kirk, 60, on July 5, 2018, at his home in San Pedro Town. As BBN had previously reported, Christian Espat, 22, Nigel Williams, 25, and a minor, 16, had already been remanded to prison for aggravated burglary, dangerous harm, and attempted murder but since the victim passed away while undergoing treatment, the 3 persons will be arraigned again and their charges will be upgraded to include murder. […]

Blogs

Ministers Try to Explain Approved Project in Hol Chan Marine Reserve; ACCSD Issues Statement
I’ve been posting quite a bit about the recently development plan at Cayo Rosario on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye. There have been quite a few statements in the news this week attempting to give justification and the Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development sent out a press release in response. The bottom line is THIS IS A MARINE RESERVE. And that there should be NO over-the-water structures in Hol Chan Marine Reserve and NO dredging in the protected shoals. This island – currently less than 5 acres. In the middle of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It looks like this… Last week, the Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development (ACCSD) launched a social media campaign in opposition to over-the-water structures and dredging on Cayo Rosario within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. A new logo and website, DefendCayoRosario.com, were shared by individuals, groups and businesses in Belize and around the world to support the Tour Guides, Tour Operators, Fishing Guides and residents of Ambergris Caye who unanimously say NO to destructive development in the reserve.

Videos

10 reasons why Belize is Central American’s hidden gem, 2min. Forget Tulum and Cancun, Belize is the place to go for picturesque beaches, well-preserved Mayan ruins and a thriving culture that will leave you fascinated.

Rainbow beach Color fest, 7min.

Taste of Belize!, 12min.

C.H.A.R.M Mother/Daughter Retreat, 2min. Helping mothers and teen daughters integrate an enjoyable, fulfilling and thriving relationship in Belize

Hawksbill Belize 2018, 2min.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle on Wall in Belize, 6min.

2018 Belize Silk Cayes Snorkel July 17, 1min. Short Snorkel after our dives. Spot where the local fishers clean their catches.

2018 Belize Silk Cayes Dives July 17, 1min.

El Salvador vs Costa Rica - FIBA AmeriCup 2021 Pre-Qualifier, 2.5hr.

The Garden Show Season 2, 23min.

Taste of Belize Master Chef/ Bartending Winners, 14min.

Master Chef Competition - Desserts, 12min.

Taste of Belize- Master Chef & Bartending Competition, 1hr20min.

July 21, 2018