A ceasefire has been brokered between two Belize City gangs with a history of enmity that has seen many lives lost on both sides of that bitter rivalry. On Wednesday evening, the Leadership Intervention Unit, headed by William Dawson, brought together members of the PIV and Backa Lands gangs to iron out a peace treaty. […]
An armistice between those feuding groups in Lake Independence is nothing new. In fact, over the years, we have covered several initiatives undertaken by the Belize Police Department, through the Mahogany Street Precinct, where both gangs have come together at Christmas time to give back to the community. So will a truce between Backa Lands […]
Fifteen-year-old Niccanor Fermin became the latest victim of gang violence when he was executed and dumped in an overgrown area near the entrance to Vista del Mar on Wednesday morning. Police were alerted to shots being fired in the area sometime around ten a.m. and when they responded to the scene, they discovered the lifeless […]
Several months ago, Fermin’s mother had reached out to the Belize Police Department, as well as the Wagner’s Youth Facility to secure a scholarship opportunity for her son. While that did not work out, Director William Dawson did come into contact with the young man. William Dawson, Leadership Intervention Unit “In the past three […]
The Department of Youth Services is critical in providing the kind of assistance that is needed to intervene in the lives of young men who choose a life of crime. DYS has been working closely with the Leadership Intervention Unit to help these at-risk youths. This afternoon, Director Kevin Cadle announced that a Memorandum of […]
On Independence Day, a stabbing incident in Hattieville ended the life of coast guard seaman Elston Morter. His friend, Marcel Gill was also stabbed and remains hospitalised. Today, police formally arrested and charged B.D.F. soldier Leon Perez for the crime of murder. The incident stems from a traffic accident that occurred on September twenty-first. Gill […]
We’ve been reporting on the physical and emotional toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has been having on frontline healthcare workers. Personnel from the COVID-19 units would go hours on end caring for patients – some to their last breath – and then have to do it all over again the next day. The mental health […]
In the COVID-19 Unit at the K.H.M.H., there are twenty-six nurses, seven patient care assistants, six attendants and about ten to twelve doctors who work on a shift basis. Nursing Supervisor Kereen Birch hones in on the struggles that these frontline healthcare workers have been going through and Nurse Casilda Bowman shares how this will […]
Earlier this week, News Five received reports from Crooked Tree Village of staffing issues at its health center. During an interview with the Deputy Regional Health Manager for the Central Health Region, Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa, we asked her about the struggles of dealing with COVID in rural Belize District. Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional […]
The Ministry of Health and Wellness has spoken at length about COVID-19 health measures, such as wearing your mask, washing your hands and physical distancing, as means of preventing the spread of the virus. While Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa reemphasizes what needs to be done by residents to protect themselves from COVID-19 and its variants, she […]
This year, for the first time, Belize is commemorating International Sign Language Day, which is being held under the theme, “We Sign for Human Rights.” It is observed annually on September twenty-third and today, News Five spoke with some of the actors about the importance of inclusive language in Belize. Duane Moody, Reporting There […]
The Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN) held its third annual side event in the margins of the Seventy-sixth Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The event was chaired by Her Excellency Rossana Briceño, spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize. The conversation focused on acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 on women and […]
Twenty-six persons were issued certificates of completion, having successfully participated in a first-of-its-kind autism program. Among the participants were teachers and parents who acquired much needed information on how to care for a child who falls within the spectrum. News Five was there for the award ceremony. Here’s that report. Christy Castillo Almeida, Founder/Executive […]
A virtual public consultation is ongoing for the Port of Belize Expansion Project. The initiative proposes to expand the port with a modernized cargo area and bulk cargo facility. Additionally, the expansion will include a cruise terminal and a berthing facility that proposes to accommodate onshore docking for larger cruise and cargo ships. To facilitate […]
During the question and answer segment, presenters were asked if the Port of Belize Expansion takes into account the transportation master plan. Here is the response. Allen Herrera, Nextera Environmental and Engineering Consultancy “Yes it does. To put it in a word, it does. The transportation master plan for the country addresses road transportation, […]
During his Independence Day address on Tuesday, Prime Minister John Briceño announced that over a hundred starter homes are being built to assist single mothers who are first-time homeowners. It’s a campaign promise that falls under the People’s United Party’s Plan Belize manifesto, but can the Briceño administration make good on its word? Prime […]
Together We Rise – it’s the name of an education pilot project also being rolled out by the Briceño administration to provide intervention programs at four secondary schools in Belize City. Here’s more from Prime Minister Briceño. Prime Minister John Briceño “Today along with the Minister of Education I am also pleased to announce […]
Tonight on COVID Chronicles, we bring you the story of forty-three-year-old Keith Yearwood, a COVID hospitalization survivor. Yearwood, a diabetic, was rushed to the COVID Unit at the KHMH when he began experiencing difficulties breathing. His cases were among the most severe. He told News Five’s Paul Lopez what it was like spending two days […]
