A story we ran earlier in the week on recovery efforts in San Pedro utilized a shot of fishermen harvesting a post-Keith boatload of lobster. But the picture may have been misleading. While the lobsters may be plentiful, most commercial fishermen at Caye Caulker no longer have the means to catch them. Jose Sanchez, Reporting […]
At the opening of yesterday’s newscast we spotlighted that most basic of political exercises: angry citizens descending on their elected representative to get themselves a bigger slice of government’s pie. Tonight we look at a process that is not all that dissimilar. The only difference is that the pie is much bigger and those at […]
Police still have yet to make any arrests in the kidnapping and murder of Therese Blake Ayuso. Ayuso had just returned home from picking up her four year old daughter from school when the mother and child were abducted by two men who were apparently waiting for her by her garage. Reports are that Ayuso […]
Meanwhile, police strongly suspect that a body found on October sixth near San Pedro, may be that of American Buddy Smith. Smith was one of five crew members who went missing at sea after the catamaran they were traveling in got caught in Hurricane Keith and overturned. Because of the advanced state of decomposition, however, […]
On yesterday’s newscast we reported that even though the state of emergency had been lifted by NEMO, the communities of San Pedro and Caye Caulker wanted to retain their nighttime curfew. Today we find it’s not quite that easy. Cabinet Secretary Robert Leslie told News Five that a curfew is only constitutional when imposed under […]
Frustrated motorists have found that things are looking a little better this evening on the Northern Highway. A Ministry of Works spokesman told News Five that two eighteen inch culverts have been laid between miles three and four and this has eased the water pressure and raised the road enough to allow small vehicles to […]
On July twenty-eighth we ran an interview with Hattieville inmate Randolph Miller. Miller had just been taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after he was allegedly beaten by Carl Davis, an officer at the Department of Corrections in the presence of other officers. Miller, who had escaped from the Hattieville prison, had been recaptured […]
Caye Caulker is an island known for its self-reliance, and that quality has been severely tested in the aftermath of Hurricane Keith. But sometime even the strongest communities need a helping hand, and as Jose Sanchez discovered this morning, those hands–as well as the arms, legs and hearts–are working overtime. Jose Sanchez, Reporting The Belize […]
For the most part, the recovery from Hurricane Keith has proceeded about as smoothly as these things can: People who suffered losses are getting back on their feet, cleaning up and trying their best to rebuild. But while most victims of Keith are getting on with their lives, some say they’ve been forgotten. News Five’s […]
Floodwaters are slowly receding on the Hondo, Sibun, Belize and New Rivers, but it will be a while until levels return to normal, particularly with heavy rains predicted for the weekend. For some residents of the village of Lord’s Bank, however, it was good just to see dry land for the first time in over […]
A barge will journey out to San Pedro and Caye Caulker Thursday carrying twenty portable generators, while a truck will hit the roads of the Belize and Orange Walk districts with blankets and plastic sheeting for needy residents. The materials were this morning donated to NEMO’s National Emergency Co-ordinator Anthony Sylvester by Japanese Ambassador Masashi […]
While hurricane relief has been dominating our relationships with foreign financial institutions, there are many projects in the pipeline that have nothing to do with Keith. Today the Interamerican Development Bank announced the approval of a 9.8 million U.S. dollar loan, which will improve the delivery of health care. The funds will go toward bringing […]
The Belize Defence Force will be receiving continued assistance from the government of the United Kingdom. The Ministry of National Security announced that for the current financial year, Britain will be providing a total of eight hundred and sixteen thousand Belize dollars in aid. Much of that will go for training of BDF personnel as […]
On Thursday night Belize Telecommunications Limited will hold its twelfth Annual General Meeting and, for many reasons, it is expected to be the stormiest in years. One issue sure to spark interest is BTL’s attempt to bar its customers from using new technologies, which allow low cost voice transmission over the Internet. Although the monopoly […]
It’s the wealthiest urban area in the country, but Keith inflicted his greatest damage on San Pedro’s poor. Two and a half weeks after the wind and water wreaked havoc; San Pedro and the rest of Ambergris Caye are slowly cleaning up. This morning I returned to the island to see how things are going. […]
The sound reverberated like thunder through both sides of downtown Belize City Monday night and people rushed to the Swing Bridge like mosquitoes to a newly arrived tourist. It was around seven-fifteen and what normally would have been a picturesque fleet of fishing boats rocking calmly at anchor was instead the scene of a disaster. […]
Their first donation to Belize’s hurricane relief effort, a hastily written cheque for twenty-thousand dollars, was simply the amount saved by canceling the embassy’s national day party scheduled for October tenth. On Monday, however, the government of Taiwan reached much deeper into its bank account when Ambassador Charles Tsai presented a draft for four hundred […]
With recovery efforts proceeding well, Cabinet today decided to lift the state of emergency, which has been in effect since October fourth. This means that all remaining curfews have been lifted as well as bans on the sale of alcohol. The National Emergency Management Organisation, NEMO, has expressed its thanks to all those individuals and […]
Floodwaters in the north and west, while still well above normal, are slowly receding in most areas. But residents are keeping a watchful eye on the sky as more rain is predicted for later in the week. In the meantime, authorities continue to tally the damage in rural areas, particularly to agriculture. Today News Five […]
Until Belizean farmers get back to full production, much of the food consumed by hurricane victims will come out of tins. Today one of the nation’s biggest food importers made sure that those working to rebuild would not have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting Some of those […]
Christmas may be two months away, but already the Belize Arts Council is getting prepared for yet another entertaining season. Whether you know how to play an instrument or not, if you are interested in participating in this year’s concert, classes begin next week Tuesday. Luis Chan, the national music coordinator, says they are inviting […]
With villages in the Belize and Orange Walk districts waiting for floodwaters to recede, and rebuilding efforts proceeding feverishly at San Pedro and Caye Caulker, the post hurricane focus has now shifted to longer-term economic recovery. Late last week Budget Minister Ralph Fonseca and Central Bank Governor Keith Arnold traveled to Washington, D.C. for discussions […]
In news of more immediate aid the LG Electronics Corporation, a huge South Korean industrial conglomerate, has donated twenty thousand dollars to relief efforts. The cheque was presented on Friday to Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Briceno. Meanwhile, the government of Japan has agreed to supply emergency materials in the form of generators, plastic sheeting and […]
Closer to home, residents who must commute between Belize City and points north are forgiven if they view news of hurricane relief with something less than enthusiasm. I’ve given up trying to make the trip in my own vehicle, but News Five’s Jose Sanchez today spoke to many people who are still trying. Jose Sanchez, […]
The University of Belize will be securing some much needed support for it’s engineering program. This is the result of becoming a founding member of FUTECA, the Fundacion Universitaria Technologica en Centro America. The foundation was formed on October ninth and tenth at a meeting held in Antigua, Guatemala, attended by U.B. President Dr. Angel […]
