Today's Belize News: December 2, 2017

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Today's Belize News: December 2, 2017 #527446 12/02/17 07:10 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,404 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials The San Pedro Sun San Pedro BTIA local branch holds general meeting and elects new board The San Pedro chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) held their annual general meeting on Wednesday, November 29th at Fido's Courtyard. The meeting was attended by several members of the local chapter, along with its board members headed by San Pedro BTIA Chairwoman Tamara Sniffin, as well as BTIA Executive Director, John Burgos, other representatives from the BTIA and special invited guests Valentino Shal and retired Police Superintendent Rudolph Orio. The meeting touched a wide range of topics, from sustainable tourism to marketing, membership and tourism security. At the end of the gathering, elections were held and a new board was installed. San Pedro Co-Ed Softball Tournament begins on Ambergris Caye The San Pedro Co-Ed Softball Tournament officially started with a marathon at the Hon. Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex in San Pedro Town this past weekend on Sunday, November 26th. Participating in the opening marathon were three teams, San Pedro High School (SPHS), Xtreme and RCGO, who enjoyed a fun day of competitive softball. The official softball tournament will begin on Sunday, December 10th at 9:30AM. Softball enthusiast and Islanders are invited to come out and enjoy a softball day at the Hon. Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex. Orange Walk celebrates 7th Annual Tacos Festival The seventh annual Tacos Festival, one of Belize's most anticipated tasty celebrations, took place on Sunday, November 26th at the Banquitas House of Culture in the northern town of Orange Walk. The food festival showcased a wide variety of tacos in different styles and tastes, attracting thousands of Belizeans from across the country. The festivities also included cultural presentations and live performances by local artists. Vendors at various booths tried their best to impress the crowd, as well as the judges, who at the end of the day would choose the top three winners for the best tacos of 2017. Wil Lala retires as U.S. Warden, Tamara Sniffin honored to replace him Illegal dredging activities reported on the west coast of Ambergris Caye; DOE to investigate Concerned San Pedro residents have reported sightings of an alleged illegal dredging site around an islet on the western coast of the island by a local businessman. According to the allegation, the person in question also has intentions of selling the islet to a resort near the area. The islet, which seemed to have been abandoned, happens to be the private property of a local developer. A reliable source told The San Pedro Sun that the owner of the islet is already looking to pursue a lawsuit against the said businessman if he continues his activities on and around the small island. The source also added that the culprit has been using the names of the leaders from the local authorities in order to get away with his activities. Belikin Beer's 2018 Calendar officially unveiled in Belize City The 2018 Belikin Beer Calendar was officially released at a launch party on Saturday, November 25th at Belize City's Ramada Princess Hotel and Casino. Hundreds of the calendar fans attended the launch party, eager to get a signed copy of the anticipated calendar and the opportunity to meet the featured models. The event also included live performances and an after party that went into the wee hours of the night. At 6PM, for a fee of $10, attendees gained access to the party and their own copy of the calendar. All 12 featured models greeted their fans, signing their pages, and even taking pictures. Calendar holders were thrilled with the finished work of Belikin's annual calendar, and are already speculating what the 2019 calendar might bring. Ambergris Today Miss Centroamerica Belize Places Second In International Pageant Our lovely country of Belize is gaining more experience in the pageantry world and the lovely ladies who proudly represent us to the best of their abilities are doing a mighty fine job. This past week Khristal Jones represented the Jewel at the Miss Centramerica pageant in Managua, Nicaragua and brought home the second place title. Khristal made an online post where she explained some of her experience in Managua and stated briefly that she faced a few challenges due to the language barrier but despite that she pushed through, made friends and managed to make it to the top finalist and won the title of Miss Integraci�n Centroam�rica. San Pedro Dance Academy Performs At Dance X 2017 The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture in collaboration with the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) held a Dance Expo from November 22 to the 26. Dance X was taken to Orange Walk, Dangriga, San Ignacio and Belize City. The San Pedro Dance Academy was invited to perform at the Bliss Institute of Performing Acts where they performed two dances, "La Pollera Colora" choreographed by Renan Azcorra and modified by Yakarelis Hernandez and "Rio" choreographed by Yakarelis Hernandez. The Dance Academy received a certificate of appreciation for the performance on Saturday, November 25, 2017. Misc Belizean Sources R.I.P. Ms. Ofelia Alamina Miss Feli passed away yesterday around noon after close to 91 years on this Earth. Funeral arrangements are still being finalized, but it is expected that the funeral will take place on Monday here on Caye Caulker. Our deepest condolences go out to Rose Marin and the extended Alamina family. BELIZE DEFENCE FORCE SOLDIERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA The Ministry of Defence informs the public that since the deployment of the thirty-five soldiers (35) to Dominica on 01 November 2017, their contribution to the repairs of schools and other infrastructures has been invaluable. So far, they have refurbished two school buildings, repaired the Catholic Cathedral of Dominica, constructed a temporary fence at the Windsor Park Cricket Stadium, renovated the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) building, repaired the roofs of the Veiella Police Station and the Museum in Kalingo Territory. United States Embassy in Belize Donates Equipment to the Belize Police Department The Belize Police Department continues to be the beneficiary of assistance with training and equipment from the United States Government through its embassy in Belmopan. Belize has been gifted fourteen (14) Afix Tracker Systems to be installed in key locations at Police Stations country-wide. The United States Embassy has also provided the training for over 30 Police and Scenes of Crime Officers from all the districts, on how to use and operate these systems. The Afix Tracker System, an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), is a biometrics system commonly used by law enforcement agencies around the world. It allows for finger and palm prints recovered from crime scenes to be digitally captured and then compared to fingerprint records from a data bank in the AFIS system. The system is equipped with a fingerprint and palm print live scan system and a mug shot camera, which allows for digital finger and palm prints and photos to be digitally captured in real-time from arrested persons. Casting Auditions for the Mexican Film "Tragic Jungle" Dec. 2 & 3, Chetumal, 9am-5pm Senior National Volleyball Teams Fundraising Scrmmage Dec 2, B.E.S.Multicomplex Building Team Origin from the Corozal Junior College (CJC) participated in the Beltraide Hackaton 2017 They were victorious in securing First Place. Yes, you heard it! 1st PLACE. They created a platform called YouTility which would serve the purpose of facilitating two way communication between the utility service companies and the general public. This platform will allow clients to pre-register for a utility service; access utility bills along with historical records; submit a report of an issue with a utility service with the user's geo-location; obtain answers to basic questions using a Smart Bot. The utility service companies will have access to a Web app with a dashboard that will provide a means of pushing notifications and news to the clients as well as a map of all reports coming in from the users. Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is looking forward to continue developing the platform. Congratulations to CJC for fostering innovation and team-work! Team Origin: Carl Galvez, Michael Sabido, Risela Magana, Tsungwei Wu. A special thank you to the two teachers, Mr. Omar Riverol and Mrs. Nydia Young. They really worked very hard with the students after school hours, into the night and weekends. The Big Ferry is back in the water! It even got a paint job. I am sure it will move much faster now! The Ministry of Works is working overtime to complete the work on the top of the ferry. They are optimistic that by end of day Sunday, it will be fully operational and back to normal hours. Very exciting news for our villages in the North. The New River Stop will reopen to the public 7 days a week beginning on Monday morning, December 4th again. We are excited to get back at it! The MOW even scraped the Corozal side all the way to the last bump leaving town after the curve. Support a Worthy Cause Grand BBQ Sale at the Purple Office next to Atlantic Bank in Corozal this Saturday, December 2nd from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All proceeds will go to Jarbi Alvarez who was involved in a traffic accident but needs further medical attention due to some complications. Tickets are available for only $7.00 a plate. Walk for a Green Belize 2017 The DOE has uploaded pictures from the 2017 Walk for a Green Belize. A huge thanks to everyone and all the businesses involved! In related news the Cayo BTIA is having a highway clean up tomorrow from Kontiki to Benque, and it starts at 8:30am. All are welcome. SHJC and UB Head to ATLIB Finals The Sacred Heart Junior College Scorpions Male team and the University of Belize Black Jaguars Female team are heading to Belize Saturday for the ATLIB basketball finals. Have fun, and do your best. The best are from the West! Belize's Wonder Women! Mrs. Julietta Burrowes-Lewis For the month of December we are proud to announce that Mrs. Julietta Burrowes-Lewis is our Belize Wonder Woman! Julietta Burrowes-Lewis began piano lessons at the tender age of five at Pallotti Music School and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God in Florida. Julietta has been teaching music to children and adults alike since the age of 15. She has accompanied on piano and directed numerous children's and adult choirs including the Belmopan Choral Society. Belize, ICF Olson Launch AI Travel Experience Gam "The Hunt for the Crystal Maiden" lets players "choose your own adventure" by enabling them to determine their journey through Western Belize, whether to further explore animals, jungles or people. ICF Olson calls this game the "first of its kind in the travel industry" that elevates the traditional tourism campaign by enabling people to determine what they want to see and explore. Guardian of the Chiquibul Three kilometers east of the Guatemala border, the forest fell silent. Four hours earlier we had left Tapir Camp - the entrance to the Chiquibul forest - via a newly cut trail off the Caracol Road, to trek to the Cebada region of the Chiquibul and document a sinkhole re-discovered by the Friends for Conservation and Development's (FCD) Karst Management Unit (KMU). FCD co-manages the Chiquibul forest which represents 7.7% of Belize's national territory and the KMU is tasked with surveying the Chiquibul's cave system, the largest in Central America. Under cloudy skies the six of us - two members of the KMU, three FCD rangers and myself - shouldered our packs, shifted loads, buckled straps and began the gradual uphill hike to the new sinkhole. During the first few hours of silent walking we saw brocket deer, great curassows and crested guans, howler monkeys lounging in the canopy, macaws, parrots and parakeets flying overhead. Underfoot were coral snakes, lizards, leaf cutter ant columns and spider webs - lots of spider webs. We heard rustling, hissing, grunts and the ever present chainsaw-like whine of cicadas, first in the distance than washing past like a wave before retiring into the forest expanse. Worlds AIDS Day It's Worlds AIDS Day and what better way to celebrate it than to congratulate our dear friend, which we miss so much, Mr. Felix Ayuso, on being presented with the Narciso Franklin Caliz HIV Unsung Hero Award, recognizing his remarkable passion in advocating for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Congratulations amigo Felix Ayuso! San Pedro Town is grateful for all your work and efforts in spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS. Government of Belize to Host Stakeholder Consultation for the European Development Fund National Indicative Programme The Ministry of Public Service, Energy and Public Utilities will be hosting a stakeholder consultation for the European Development Fund National Indicative Programme (EDF-11) on the 4th of December 2017 at the Western Regional Conference Room. The consultation is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at midday. The overall objective is to discuss implementation modalities and programmes to raise the living standard of the Belizean population and meet Belize's Sustainable Development Goals for 2020 and beyond. BWRC's 5th Annual Gala The Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic had their 5th annual Gala fundraiser, and once again, the food and atmosphere made for a wonderful night. More pictures on Dropbox. Pictures on fb. Food for the Soul Luncheon Bauce Foods is having a luncheon at the Soul Project on Sunday. You can order chicken parmesan or buffalo chicken cheese steak. Let them know ahead of time if your interested in a delicious lunch. It's only $10, and the subs come with yucca chips. "Come join us for an afternoon full of delicious food and local wines! :) Bauce Foods is happy to present our hot sub sandwiches made with our homemade Italian bread. Join us Sunday December 3rd at the Soul Projetct from Noon until 4pm. 3rd National Entrepreneurship Convention The U.S. Embassy was a proud sponsor of the 3rd National Entrepreneurship Convention held yesterday under the theme 'Connecting Ideas, Creating Opportunities.' Ms. Deborah Lingwood, the Embassy's Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, along with Ms. Bryn West, Political Officer, joined over 200 participants at the conclusion of BELTRAIDE's month-long schedule of activities celebrating Belizean entrepreneurs. As part of the Convention, Ms. West also participated on a panel addressing the ways to strengthen Belize's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Embassy congratulates the six teams who participated in the hacakathon as part of entrepreneurship month, especially the winners, Team Origin from Corozal Junior College! Channel 7 Two Charged For Beheading, Accused Has Killed Before Belmopan police have again moved quickly to wrap up a high profile murder case - this time it's the beheading of Hilton Wade. Late this evening, Cotton Tree residents Raphael Mencias and Elroy Grinage were arraigned in Belmopan Magistrate's Court. Mencias was charged for murder while Grinage was charged for abetment and conspiracy to commit murder. We are told police have solid evidence linking the pair to the murder including bloody clothing, shoes, and a motorbike that may have been used to transport the head from the murder scene. Best information suggests that it may have been a property dispute, because Wade was illegally occupying a structure and had made it his home. He may have been killed as a means of ejecting him from the property where he was squatting. Former Chamber President Hulse Questions BCCI Should the government pay the 90.6 million dollars to the Belize Bank? All across Belize, views are very divided on this - and the sense we get is that most regular folks just don't know. Indeed, it's a complicated situation with no easy answers - not even for the PUP - who still haven't said how its parliamentarians will vote! But for the UDP - with the exception of the Prime Minister - it's almost a matter of doctrine now: they cannot pay the 90 mil. And that's why the party has publicly bristled at the statement from the Chamber of Commerce. That private sector umbrella group blamed both political parties and said that the UDP should honor the debt. That's a complete reversal from 2007 when the Chamber membership vowed to stage a shutdown and withhold business tax payments if the then Musa government used public funds to pay Universal's private debt. BDF Commander To Investigate Lt. Col. Roches We've been reporting on the case of Lieutenant Colonel Charlton Roches for over a month. The Ministry of Defence called in the Auditor General to investigate whether there had been any shady money dealings between the BDF and Roches's private company, Belize Jungle Experience. The Auditor did raise some serious questions - and now, finally, the BDF Commander is appointing his own team to investigate. The Force Orders issued yesterday say that the Acting Commander has directed 7 persons, including 5 BDF staff and two ministry of Defense staff to, quote, "conduct an investigation to an alleged incident involving Lt Col C Roches." The team is led by Lt. Col. Loria. 11 Year Old Knocked Down Trying To Cross Busy Hwy An 11 year old boy was knocked down yesterday evening in Belize City - at a busy area of the highway. It happened between miles 3 and 4 near DK Supermarket. Emmett Burgess was crossing the Phillip Goldson Highway to meet his Grandmother. But, he never made it across; the child was hit by an oncoming vehicle. He is listed in a stable condition and reportedly broken his arm. The driver, 29 year old Ralph Burns from Lords Bank has been served with a notice of intended prosecution. Cab Driver Guilty of Sexual Assault On Teen Hire A 44 year old cab driver will spend the weekend in jail while he awaits sentencing for sexual assault on a teenaged girl who hired his taxi. It happened in January of this year when a 15 year old girl, testified that she hired Galindo to take her to a guest house in the city where her mother works. But, on the way there the girl testified that he touched her on the thigh 3 times. The girl said Galindo told her not to say anything otherwise he will have her mother fired. The girl's mother testified that her daughter came to her crying and told her what Galindo did. Conch Babies On Board Bus A Sarteneja fisherman will have to pay an almost ten thousand dollar fine after he was caught with undersized conch and undersized lobster tails. Yesterday Police stopped a Chell bus at a check point on Phillip Goldson Highway. where and found 3 white pigtail buckets with lobster and conch. Asveldo Flores said they were his - and police turned him and the shellfish over to the Fisheries Department. They counted 353 undersized conch and 7 undersized lobster tails. Today in court, he was fined a total of $9,610 by Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. In addition to that Flores owes the court $1,565 for a conviction of possession of conch during closed season dating back to 2015. He was ordered to pay half of that outstanding fine before he could be released from custody. PSWT Says Come Again Last night, we told you about the latest developments in the dispute between the 600 retired public officers, the Public Service Union, and the BNTU. The retired public officers want the Union's Public Sector Workers Trust to relinquish management and control of 7.8 million dollars in backpay. We reported last night that the retired public officers and representatives got an injunction to stop the Trust and their loans programs on Monday. That's the information that the claimants themselves shared with us, and if indeed that was the outcome, it would have been huge, since the Trust was supposedly being forced to stop spending the money. Well, by midday today, the Public Sector Workers Trust fired off a press release insisting that the claimants, and by extension this news station, got it all wrong. US Donates To Immigration Dept, Since the start of the Senate Hearings, all the news about the immigration department has been about unearthing years and years of shady dealings in fraudulent nationality documents. Well, tonight there is some good news, or let's say lighter news. The US Embassy yesterday donated 6 MIDAS mobile readers to the department. The readers cost about $72,000 Belize. A release states " The mobile readers will be used to capture immigration information at established and informal border entry/exit points." BDF Did Good In Dominica At the beginning of last month, we told you how the Ministry of Defense deployed 35 BDF soldiers to Dominica to help with the rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the island country. Well, the BDF is reporting tonight that in the 30 days that the soldiers have been there, they have put in major work for the Dominicans. They have refurbished two school buildings, and they've repaired the Catholic Cathedral of Dominica. The soldiers have also constructed a temporary fence at the Windsor Park Cricket Stadium, and they've a renovated the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency building. The BDF platoon has also repaired the roofs of the Veiella Police Station and the Museum in Kalingo Territory. They have also assisted in the transportation of construction materials to different parts of the island, and they've provided cost estimates for various rebuilding projects. Competition Of The Coast Guard Warriors And while those BDF soldiers in Dominica continue to put in back breaking work, for the last 4 days, officers from the Coast Guard and the BDF have been competing in a strenuous show of physical prowess. They were competing in the 4th annual Coast Guard Best Warriors competition, an event designed to push the participants to their limit to see who are the toughest soldiers. The competition came to a close today, and we stopped by to speak with one of the officiators about how it went: Cmdr. Elton Bennett - Vice Commandant. Bz Coast Guard: "This year's coast guard best warrior competition was the highlight of our calendar and for this year. It started off on the 28 of November which is Coast Guards anniversary celebrating 12 years. We had the best warrior competition, 6 teams participating. We invited 2 teams from the BDF and that went well. We certainly appreciated the presence of the BDF, raised the level of the competition of the Coast Guard. So we covered 6 events and in the period of 4 days." Rowan's Nomination Needs Your Support Rowan Garel became a household name when he was just a kid, climbing the Victoria Peak as a blind 12 year old. And that was just a start for the consistently impressive young man. And now he has a chance to be the Caribbean Adventure Ambassador. He has been nominated for that prestigious title and we spoke to him today via phone in New Jersey where he is attending university about this honour:.. Sahar Vasquez reporting: In his short lifetime, he has accomplished more than most. He climbed Victoria's Peak, walked across Belize, dove the Blue hole and those are just a few of his many accomplishments. But what makes these accomplishments even more impressive is the fact that he did these things without the ability to see. Tourism Promises Strong Fourth Quarter Two days ago we told you about the sluggish growth of the economy in the third quarter. But, government is counting on a strong fourth quarter in the tourism sector to end the calendar year showing modest growth. But, can tourism deliver? Yes, the official numbers are up - but the word on the ground is not as optimistic. We asked the president of the Belize Hotel Association, Ted Tejada what the fourth quarter will or can do for the economy:.. Ted Tejada - President BHA: "This year for the first time ever we are having Air Canada start their flight to Belize. Last year we had WestJet from Toronto. This year they expanded the route from Calgary to Belize. Now they are also having the Toronto flight and now Air Canada is adding another flight from Toronto to Belize. We also have Southwest that started last year and the numbers of these airlines are telling us that they are performing close to 80% occupancy. That means that there is more people coming to the country." Inspiration Information The Inspiration Calendar and Agenda is more than just another organizer, it's a celebration of children with diverse abilities, and a way to provide funding to the center that supports them. The 2018 edition was launched today by the Special Envoy For Women and Children, Kim Barrow and McNab Visual Strategies. The Executive Director of the Inspiration Center told us what's inside:.. Joycelyn Lopez, Executive Director, Inspiration Center: "What the calendar does is highlights the abilities of our children because if you look at the artwork it brings out their personality and if you look at the photos, some of them are like Wow! You know, so it really focuses on their abilities and when the time comes to do the calendar and just to do the artwork, to work with them it is always an interesting and joyful experience be a use you get to see how the kids bring out their talents." Courts Comes through With Big Check For Unsuspecting Customer We're 24 days away from Christmas, and Courts is already in the festive mood of giving with their holiday raffle of thirty thousand dollars cash. They announced the lucky winner today. But instead of simply giving him the money, the staff decided to play little prank on him. Our news team was there to see it unfold, and Daniel Ortiz has that story: During his lunch break from work, Paul Ruiz walked through the front doors of Courts' Belize City Headquarters. He came to pick up his prize from a raffle he won. He was told that he won a microwave, but little did he know, that was a ruse. What he actually won was a cash prize of $30,000, and he was about to be given a cheque for that amount. The employees at Courts wanted to capture his genuine surprise and delight, so they told him to come pick up this "microwave": On The First Day Of Christmas, Mayor Gave The Gift of Gab So, while Courts was giving away those big bucks to Paul Ruiz, Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley was busy playing tour guide to a group of senior citizens living at the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly. It's part of City Hall's 12 Days of Christmas, and their objective is to spread a little Christmas cheer in the run-up to the holidays. We stopped by and saw tour guide Darrell Bradley in action. He told us that he enjoyed the company of the senior citizens: Darrell Bradley - Mayor of Belize City: "This is part of our 12 days of Christmas. So, one of the things that the City Council did last year is that we created a program where that for 12 consecutive work days, starting the 1st going into 12 days we are going to have different acts of charity that the city council does or staff does for various members of our community." AIDS Day: The Right To Health Today is World Aids Day, observed under the theme "The Right To Health." All over the world health activists are spearheading various activities to highlight the day and generate HIV and AIDS awareness while downplaying stigma. In Belize City that meant an awareness fair and free HIV Testing at the Battlefield Park. We found out more. Arthur Usher, National Aids Commission Communication and Programs officer: "Well we have a very wide range or programming today. We have an official ceremony which will also commemorate those who have been working in the field and giving them an unsung hero award. We also have partner agencies like UNFP, the department of youth services, and the Ministry of Health. We have local artists doing live displays throughout the day and again it is an interactive event. We have games and all this information so that people can really come out and enjoy the day but at the same time get educated about HIV." Everybody Do The Yoga The second annual Yoga Festival will be taking place at the Harbour View Greens in Belize City this weekend. The festival has a lot to offer not just to experienced yoga practitioners, but also for beginners and newbies. Organizer Michelle Williams told us more. The festivities start at 6 am tomorrow and tickets are available at the gate. A Market For Corozal Farmers Today in Corozal, a new Wholesale Farmer's Market was inaugurated. It was financed by the European Union through funds from the Accompanying Measures for Sugar. The idea is to encourage diversification of the agricultural production base in the Orange Walk and Corozal districts - to get away from simply that mono-crop of sugar - because world prices are going down. Agriculture Minister Godwin Hulse says the new market will offer an opportunity to farmers:.. Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture: "People buy and sell produce. Produce come from people also, from the farmers which my ministry represents, people growing, people toiling in the sun, people putting their sweat and blood and having to bring those produce and for the most part in this country a middle man grabs it and he makes all the money..." Channel 5 Two charged in beheading murder of Hilton Wade A duo suspected of having participated in the gruesome decapitation of fifty-six-year-old Hilton Wade, in Cotton Tree Village on Wednesday, has been charged with murder.� Wade's alleged killers are also [...] Chamber of Commerce says debt must be paid, come what may The matter of the Universal Health Services debt, and what the Government intends doing about it, continue to dominate the news. Prime Minister Dean Barrow's scathing response to the Belize [...] Businessmen balk at new taxes, time for reform A no vote in parliament, says Usher, raises repercussions beyond the U.H.S. debt. A default would trigger a 'risk premium' on the international financing market for borrowing by both Government [...] Don't shoot the messenger! That said, is there concern from the business community that the relationship between Government and private sector could be damaged? Chamber President Nikita Usher agreed with us that the tone [...] Third parties weigh in, with strong condemnation The Belize Progressive Party is calling on Belizeans to persuade their area representatives to vote in favour of satisfying the U.H.S. debt and on civil society to make a demand [...] Investigative team named to look at B.D.F. audit Weeks after it came to light that there was alleged hanky panky in the B.D.F. Lieutenant Colonel Charlton Roches is being investigated by a team of fellow Belize Defense Force [...] Child survives hit and run in Belize City An eleven-year-old boy is hospitalized at the K.H.M.H. after he was knocked down in front of DK Supermarket on the Philip Goldson Highway. A vehicle stopped and a driver signaled [...] Taximan convicted of molesting minor in vehicle After almost a week in trial, Belize City taxi-man, Nestor Gallindo, a Salvadoran national, was found guilty today of committing an aggravated assault upon a fifteen year-old minor on January [...] G.S.U. nails two-time deportee for not reporting Belizean Akeem Garnett, a deportee and resident of Amara Avenue, Belize City was today in court to answer to a single charge of failure to comply with the requirements for [...] Local government officials to be trained on UNCAC Saturday next, December ninth, is the one year anniversary of Belize's becoming a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The Government has been tasked with laying the groundwork, [...] Safeguarding the right to health on World AIDS Day World AIDS Day is observed every first of December in honor and memory of those who have battled and are still battling against the deadly scourge of H.I.V./AIDS. This year’s [...] Who's the Best Warrior of them all? A week of grueling activities undertaken by law enforcement officers concluded today with the most demanding challenge that tested the wherewithal of the participants. Both the Coastguard and the B.D.F. [...] Security forces headed to border A sixty-mile bike ride to the western border in the Toledo District is being organized for members of the security forces and civilians alike. It's a first-of-its-kind initiative which will [...] B.N.T.U. says GOB must pay UHS debt Still on the matter of the U.H.S. loan, News Five spoke today with the president of the Belize National Teachers' Union, Elena Smith. Her organization has adopted a preliminary position [...] Inspiration Center looks forward to 2018 The Inspiration launched next year's agenda and calendar today in Belize City. Celebrated under the theme "See Me, Hear me�I have the right to equality," the agenda and calendars are [...] Twelve days of CitCo Christmas charity The countdown is officially on to December twenty-fifth, that most wonderful time of the year as the song goes. But for many, especially after a year of tragedy, it will [...] Belize City lights its Christmas Tree! And keeping it on the Christmas theme, at news time this Friday evening, downtown Belize City is glowing just a little brighter, as the Belize City Council and Bowen and [...] Relax with weekend yoga festival The second annual yoga festival is happening this weekend. The event, which brings together local and international yoga instructors, will have two all day sessions of different types of yoga [...] Paul Ruiz has thirty thousand reasons to celebrate Christmas Paul Ruiz is thirty-thousand dollars richer tonight. The Courts customer bought a whirlpool washer and stove and got tickets to enter into a Courts &Whirlpool thirty-K raffle - and he [...] Women can do anything - even govern! "Women Can Govern" - it's not only a statement of fact, but now it is also a book. Building People Movement has published a book that looks at the development [...] Fu We Flavaz is new kid on restaurant block With Yhony Rosado and Tom Greenwood, tour operator David Almendarez has become a musketeer against the ills of the tourism industry. But he is also a big dreamer and risk-taker, [...] LOVE FM BNTU: Judgment Must Be Honored A Sitting of the House of Representatives has been scheduled for Friday, December 8. It is then that parliamentarians who present themselves will either vote yes or no or abstain from voting with regards to the ninety point six million dollar UHS debt owed to the Belize Bank Limited. The CCJ ruled that the Government [�] What position will NTUCB take concerning the $90 Million? The Belize National Teachers Union falls under the umbrella union, National Trade Union Congress of Belize, NTUCB. According to BNTU President Elena Smith, the NTUCB will be deciding on its position with regards to the debt owed to Belize Bank Limited. The decision will be made during its monthly meeting tomorrow. Elena Smith, BNTU President [�] VIP urges GOB to Settle the Debt The Vision Inspired by the People is urging the Government of Belize to settle the UHS debt owed to the Belize Bank Limited. In a release, the VIP warns that quote "any failure by Government to pay its debt will only multiply the cruel financial burden on Belize." End of quote. The VIP believes that [�] BNTU's President sets the Record Straight Last night other sections of the media reported that an injunction was granted against the Public Service Workers Trust and the Belize National Teachers Union. A release from the trust says the claimant in the case had, in fact, sought an injunction from the court to restrain the unions and or the trustees of the [�] Victims of Anti-Discrimination will soon have some Legal Recourse An Anti-Discrimination Bill is in the making. It is the brainchild of Laura Tucker Longsworth, Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission. According to Tucker Longsworth, the bill will address discriminatory practices in the workplace and provide victims some legal recourse. The cabinet paper has been prepared and now begins the lobbying, Tucker Longsworth told Love [�] Two Men charged with the Murder of Wade Police have charged two men in connection with the murder of 56- year-old Hilton Wade. They are 29- year- old Raphael Mencias and 36 -year- old Elroy Grinage. Mencias was charged with murder while Grinage was charged with abetment and conspiracy to commit murder. Both appeared in court today and were remanded until March 2, [�] Minister of Finance Holding Up the Commercial Center's Renovation The Commercial Center was scheduled to be renovated; however, no progress has been made in that regard. The building which is located downtown Belize City has become an eyesore. Mayor Darrell Bradley explained that the Belize City Council is eager to move ahead with this project, however, the only delay is the Minister of Finance, [�] CitCo wants Memorial Park to Pulsate with Activities The Memorial Park has been remodeled with kiosks, which is a partnership between the Belize City Council and the Belize Tourism Board. Mayor Bradley explained that the intention is to attract businesses so that the park will pulsate with activities. Darrell Bradley - Mayor of Belize City "One of the challenges we have had both [�] CitCo: Getting into the Christmas Spirit The Belize City Council today started its twelve days of Christmas initiative. Today, December first, and for twelve working days after, the City Council staff will be doing twelve acts of charity in the City, says Mayor Darrell Bradley. This year the Council kick-started the event with a city tour for the elderly which was [�] Security Forces participate in Torch Run The annual law enforcement torch run began today in Punta Gorda. Paul Mahung spoke with the coordinator. Paul Mahung, Love FM "The law enforcement torch run is coordinated by Inspector Elroy Carcamo of the Belize Police Department." Elroy Carcamo, BPD "Law enforcement torch run is a fundraising and sensitization event that commenced in Belize since [�] Man Found Guilty of Sexual Assault Forty-four year old Nestor Galindo, a taxi driver originally from El Salvador, was found guilty of sexual assault today by Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. She remanded Galindo into custody until Monday, December 4, for sentencing. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on January 2, 2017. The complainant, a 15-year-old girl, testified that she hired Galindo [�] Man ordered to pay $9,610 for illegal Possession of Fish Twenty-five-year Sarteneja fisherman Asveldo Flores, was fined a total of nine thousand six hundred and ten today by Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford after he pled guilty to possession of undersized conch and undersized lobster tails. At about 2:30 p.m. yesterday Police stopped a Chell passenger bus at a checkpoint on Phillip Goldson Highway. One of [�] Police destroy a Large Quantity of Drugs Police have destroyed over three hundred pounds of marijuana. The drugs were destroyed on Thursday by Belmopan Police. Officers destroyed thirty-one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven point ninety-eight grams or a little over seventy pounds of cannabis, twenty-four cannabis plants, point six grams crack cocaine, eleven point two grams cocaine, and one board pipe. Under [�] BDF help to Rebuild Dominica Last month thirty-five BDF soldiers went to Dominica to assist in the rebuilding efforts. An update says so far they have refurbished two school buildings, repaired the Catholic Cathedral of Dominica, constructed a temporary fence at the Windsor Park Cricket Stadium, renovated the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) building, repaired the roofs of the [�] US Embassy Donates to Immigration Department On Wednesday, the US Embassy handed over six MIDAS mobile readers worth approximately seventy-two thousand dollars to the Immigration Department. The equipment was handed over by Steven Davis of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Specialist at the US Embassy. The donation was received on behalf of the Government of Belize by [�]

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Subject	Posted By	Posted
Today's Belize News: December 2, 2017	Marty	12/02/17 01:10 PM
Re: Today's Belize News: December 2, 2017	Marty	12/02/17 01:11 PM