Two hundred and fifty-four lots in Cotton Tree have been given to residents of Port Loyola. The Village Council has reacted by taking government to court saying that G.O.B. has violated the law by usurping the autonomy of the Council. Today, Port Loyola Area Rep., Minister Anthony “Boots” Martinez, says that government acquired the land […]
Kim Simplis-Barrow is featured prominently in a recent publication of Harper Bazaar’s Interior Magazine, a spread which reportedly costs over a hundred thousand dollars. The fashion and lifestyle periodical has a subscription of primarily Middle Eastern readers and it is arguable that the audience is not comprised of visitors to Belize. The costly feature has […]
The Inspiration Center opened its doors to special needs children across Belize in March. While the modern facility has been celebrated as a premium care giving center, the women of the People’s United Party are asking for full financial disclosure, particularly for monies raised during various telethons and other fundraisers held abroad prior to the […]
As women celebrated Mother’s Day, the life of a twenty-eight year old mother was viciously taken in the presence of her two year old daughter. It was a callous crime because Janice Vargas, who was shot at her place of work in Punta Gorda, was also four months pregnant. There are signs that she prevented […]
Three Honduran men set out to sea last Tuesday heading to Placencia but they never got to their intended destination. Their vessel apparently experienced mechanical problems and the trio drifted for six days. The Coast Guard was put on alert and after midnight, the trio was spotted by a local fisherman in the area of […]
At a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Health last Friday, media personnel were informed that each media house could ask only two questions. Calling a press conference to show how transparent and accessible the ministry is, and then telling the press how many questions they can ask is disrespectful at best. That session […]
Minister of Health, Pablo Marin, might worry about pesky health-related matters like a lack of basic medication, no money to hire doctors and no money for properly equipped ambulances…but politician and area rep for Corozal Bay, Pablo Marin, doesn’t have those worries. His most pressing concern this weekend was probably how best to hand out […]
There have been about thirty fatal traffic accidents since the beginning of the year and on Saturday there was another traffic fatality to add to the growing list. A promising S.J.C. sixth form student was killed near mile eleven on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Evan Garnett Junior was driving his car heading home to the […]
Less than two weeks ago, an officer was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of firearm and ammunition offenses. Tonight, Police Constable Brandon Hertular, accused of burglarizing the residence of Shirley Chicas during a home invasion in March 2012, has been found guilty. The decision was handed down this morning by […]
Last Friday, twenty-one year old Wilfred Ramirez attended the funeral of Julian Willoughby, an associate of his who was slain during a hail of gunfire the weekend before. While mourners gathered to pay their respect to the fallen youth, Ramirez was nearby armed with a sawed-off shotgun. He was caught red-handed shortly thereafter at the […]
The ongoing controversy within the Ministry of Health has become somewhat cloudy. Ministry of Health C.E.O., Peter Allen, continues to insist that patient safety is top priority. So does the Pharmacist Association. Both parties say there is the need for stronger regulation where pharmaceuticals are concerned, and both blame the other for a lack of […]
One other area where there is significant discord is the testing of pharmaceuticals which are brought into the country. The Ministry of Health insists that proper testing protocols are in place, and in fact are being strengthened. The Pharmacists’ Association, Chief Pharmacist Sharon Anderson and Director of Health Services Michael Pitts have all indicated that […]
Early in the newscast, we told you about two persons who lost their lives in separate incidents. But in the City, two persons were injured in unrelated shootings over the weekend. Just before five on Friday evening, a fifteen year old student was shot to the right foot as he played with some friends in […]
Du Di Rait Ting is a program by the Community Policing Unit of the Police Department that gives recognition to young persons, who are exemplary students within their respective schools and communities. For the rest of the week, several students countrywide are being recognized for their stellar performances at school. In Belize City today, two […]
Also being recognized today was Rasha Dawson of Gwen Lizarraga High School. Eighteen-year-old Dawson is a fourth form student in the business program at the high school. Following an accident twelve years ago, she lost her right leg and now relies on a prosthetic limb to get around. Despite her physical challenge, Dawson has been […]
On Thursday, January thirtieth, forty-three-year-old Sittee River resident Ana Foster left home to go visit her son. She never reached his home. Early the next morning her lifeless body was found in an orange orchard in the village. She had been raped and murdered. One man was detained shortly after, though that information was never […]
This morning, the Ministry of Health launched its blueprint for the effective and efficient integration of health services. It’s entitled the Belize Health Sector Strategic Plan, and the focus is to build a primary care network which is sustainable, and which results in a greater impact on the health of the population. The Plan also […]
The nurses of Belize are rarely in the spotlight, seldom singled out for criticism, praise or controversy. But there is no doubt they are a very vital component of our health system – some might say the foundation. There’s no Doctor’s Week that we know of, but there is a week dedicated to nurses. It’s […]
Good evening I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday. Week 13 in the NEBL season saw the Corozal Heat show up at Sugar City Friday night with only 6 players suited up to face the OW Running Rebels. Both teams come in with identical records of 2 wins 10 losses. Marcel Richards gets Corozal […]
A brazen, mid-morning robbery took place at the Scotiabank Branch in Belmopan when numerous customers were conducting business. It happened like this. The robber, who is well known to the law, stood dutifully in line. As soon as the customer in front of him had handed over a deposit of thousands of dollars to the […]
After weeks of sustained fire by the Pharmacists’ Association of Belize, the Ministry of Health called a press conference this morning to allow C.E.O. Peter Allen to answer serious allegations being made against him. In essence, it appeared to be a show of unity for the embattled C.E.O., who has been of all sorts of […]
The decision to allow three other persons, including Danini Contreras, to approve Customs entries of pharmaceuticals was made on the strength of one email. That email was circulated on April eleventh by Procurement Manager, Arik Lima. It has been reported that in his email, Lima stated that Chief Pharmacist Sharon Anderson was on strike and […]
In October 2013, Administrator of the Southern Regional Hospital Nasley Sommerville was placed on suspension for suspected embezzlement of funds. A subsequent audit revealed that almost three hundred and seventy thousand dollars was siphoned off from the hospital’s Maternal and Child Health account over two years. Sommerville is to appear before the Public Services Commission. […]
That seems like woes aplenty, but there’s even more. News Five has been able to confirm that member of the K.H.M.H. Board of Directors, Maude Sylvester, resigned on Thursday. She is the second K.H.M.H. Board member to resign recently. We are told that the resignations are directly connected to the K.H.M.H.’s Director of Finance, Carlos […]
So where does Minister Pablo Marin stand in all this? C.E.O. Peter Allen is his hands on guy, his right hand, so to speak. Well, despite the myriad administrative and technical problems in the ministry, and despite the damning condemnation in the Auditor-General – Marin has his C.E.O.’s back. Reporter “Do you still maintain […]
