Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.
Government reveals its blueprint to combat spiraling cost of living
Government this morning presented its plan to combat the rising costs in basic food items which are hitting Belizeans where it hurts the most … in the pockets. But as News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports, the work of the Basic Commodities Commission is ambitious and the real test will come in the actual monitoring of food prices.
John Sadivar, Member, Std. Committee on Basic Commodities “The standing committee’s main function is to monitor the prices of certain basic commodities and intervene where necessary to prevent, or at least minimise price increases in these very basic commodities.”
Kendra Griffith, Reporting
This morning the recently established Standing Committee on Basic Commodities held a press conference to lay out government’s solution to the increasing rise in food prices.
John Saldivar “Rising prices are not the fault of government. However, while we know that the crisis is not of our making, we cannot shy away from the fact that it is the government of Belize’s duty and obligation to use whatever is reasonably within our means to protect our people from this global scourge.”
Minister of Governance Improvement and Committee Member, John Saldivar, named three factors for the skyrocketing prices, particularly the continued increase in the cost of diesel.
John Saldivar “The world does not expect to see a reversal of these trends in the near future. We can therefore conclude that the days of cheap food that has been enjoyed throughout the world are for all intents and purposes over. So what are we doing about the crisis?”
Government’s primary response to that question is to bolster the offices which deal with price control and basic supplies. As such acting director of the Belize Bureau of Standards, Jose Trejo, has now been named Comptroller of Supplies. In addition, G.O.B. has also given two new vehicles to the newly merged Business Bureau of Standards and the Supplies Control Unit, which has delegated five officers to enforce price control regulations.
John Saldivar “I think as of last week we’ve had these new bodies in place, so we would want for the public to give us time for them to start getting their activities done and getting their program underway.”
Jose Trejo, Comptroller of Supplies “The activities are ongoing right now in terms of our inspections and where a grocer violates the price control he stands a high probability of being penalized. It’s the law, the law is the law. In terms of the price control, it’s two thousand dollars and two hundred dollars for any subsequent day that the price is above the control price.”
And while they sanction unscrupulous businesspersons, Saldivar says they also intend to reward “honest grocers”.
John Saldivar “We are going to ask participating grocers to be a part of this Honest Grocer Programme and in exchange we are going to be advertising their business through public radio to let people know that this is where you can go and the scales are going to be correct, the poundage is going to be correct, the price is going to be correct, the quality and standards are going to be correct, and there will be a benefit in terms of free advertising for those grocers who wish to participate in that.”
Other measures include strengthening the policy unit in the Ministry of Agriculture with the acquisition of two economists, and establishing a National Commodities Commission.
John Saldivar “The chairpersons of that commission will be Senator Godwin Hulse and Mister Alan Slusher.”
Godwin Hulse, Co-Chair, National Commodities Comm. “We are at this point just in the throes of working out the terms of reference. Cabinet decided to come up with this, suggesting that on the private sector side I be the Co-Chair and the public sector side Mister Alan Slusher who is not yet in the country and there are some private sector members which would include rice producers, Grain Growers Association, beans producers and other people. On the public sector side there are going to people representing the various ministries and the ambassador for foreign trade, the honourable Bert Tucker. So the focus should not be how we could feed we. We are not three hundred million people; we are three hundred thousand people and it’s never going to enhance agriculture if we feed us only there’s not enough consumers. So we have to look out and then set up the mechanism where there is always going to be food for Belizeans as part of that overall larger production. In that area there is a requirement for loans at special rates, removal of duties and a whole host of things to get the productive section op and going and I think that is the broader context in which the commission will be looking.”
Tonight, producers, consumers, and distributors are hoping that by working hand in hand with government, they will all see some reprieve.
Kevin Herrera, General Mgr., Belize Chamber of Commerce “Everybody is feeling the pinch. That is the problem. Price controls and that type of thing is never a simple process. In fact, I think most people hate it. But I think it’s something that we have to deal with, but I believe that government has an obligation to look very closely at the real cost of produce and those operating within the system and not be setting these price controls arbitrary. And that has been the cry of the producers that I have spoken to.”
Jacob Neufeld, Director, Circle R Rice “We feel a little discouraged, but in reality we have to face the facts. I think we need to work along with them but like I said before, we feel a little bit discouraged but I think we can iron things out and we can work along, work ahead.”
Today Saldivar hinted that some more relief will come when government presents its budget later this month. Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.
The standing committee says it intends to closely monitor the price of rice, beans, flour, bread, poultry, butane, cooking oil and corn and intends to continue negotiating with the producers of those products.
City resident evicted from land, house dismantled
Since Monday night through to this morning, the dwelling of George Betson at mile two on the Northern Highway was dismantled at the instructions of Supreme Court Marshals and the Police Department. The removal of the house follows a Court of Appeals ruling made two weeks ago that Betson had no right to the land since he did not have a valid lease. Betson’s battle over the two hundred and fifty by one hundred foot piece of land dates back as far as 2001 when he lost his lease to Rupert Marin. Betson fought the cancellation and Supreme Court Justice, Lugole Awich initially ruled in his favour, but the Appeals Court overturned that ruling two weeks ago in Marin’s favour. Under his lease, Betson had access to the land for a maximum of twenty-five years, but was given three years within which to construct a permanent structure on it. Today he admitted that he did not adhere to that stipulation, nor did he obey the Court of Appeals order to vacate the premises.
George Betson, evicted from land “I didn’t really did that but however, I fill, I had here filled. They fill on top of my fill to impress like I haven’t did anything. But this place was filled and they fill on top of what I already had here.”
Marion Ali
“I think the lease stipulates clearly that you should show some developmental work on the property.”
George Betson “I did what I could have did and filling is very expensive.”
Marion Ali
“You never thought of approaching a bank and maybe ...”
George Betson “When I put the first five truck load a stuff right here the water just grazed over the top like that.”
Marion Ali
“I’m asking if you never ...”
George Betson “I never approached no banks.”
Betson said he was never aware of the Appeals Court decision and only received a formal eviction notice on Saturday when Court marshals delivered the document. He says he believes that because he has occupied the place since 1973, his rights have been denied. That claim is based on an agreement he had made with the Lands Department in 2000 to purchase the land and pay for it in installments. That arrangement, however, was cancelled two months later. And tonight Betson is looking for a place to sleep. His attorney, Hubert Elrington and Marin’s attorney, Magali Marin, were both unavailable for comment.
Chester Williams turns up information on his accusers
Senior Superintendent Chester Williams is back in the news tonight. Williams, who is off the beat until the merits of his transfer and suspension are resolved, has turned up vital information in which he claims that he has been framed by his own. It is a story that has many twists and turns and according to information reaching News Five, on Monday, Williams made an official complaint to the police requesting a thorough investigation into his case.
Williams claims he was named by top brass in the police in the presumed murder of Jermaine Fuentes that purportedly occurred in 2002. The allegation is that the senior superintendent was behind a death squad in the police force that killed Fuentes and put his remains near the Coastal Road. Fuentes, also known as Jermaine de Paz, disappeared in January 2002 after he was accused of a string of high profile murders.
In his complaint to the police, Williams claims the remains unearthed from a shallow grave near a river bank on the coastal road, show consistent signs that a post mortem had been conducted, suggesting that the remains were placed in the grave to set him up. It is also known that Williams has provided a copy of a statement to the D.P.P. made by one of his accusers who admits he accused the senior superintendent because he feared for his own life.
Williams is requesting that police investigate how the human remains got to the grave on the Coastal Road, who were involved in what he calls a “conspiracy,” and he further requests that court action be taken for the fabrication of evidence against him.
Williams’ woes began back in March when he was first transferred to what he considered a lower level job and then suspended from the force after he was named in the investigation of the Fuentes murder. Williams has claimed that the actions against him are politically motivated and is challenging his transfer before the Services Commission, while the matter of his suspension is before the Supreme Court.
Commissioner of Police, Gerald Westby today confirmed to News Five that Williams has in fact submitted the complaint and that it will be investigated.
Two walk free of murder charge for lack of witnesses’ testimony
Two men walked away from the Supreme Court free men this morning when a chief witness in the case claimed amnesia and two others disclaimed they knew anything of the incident. The two, twenty-five year old Pedro Guzman Junior and thirty year old Henry Baptist Junior were charged for the murder of twenty year old Hershel Brown. Brown was fatally stabbed around seven p.m. on July sixth, 2004, while he stood on a bridge between the towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena.
In the Court of Justice Herbert Lord, one of the witnesses, forty-two year old Dean Brackett, who had given a statement to the police, took the stand, could not remember the incident and testified that he suffers from amnesia because he has had a drug problem for twenty years and is under medication. The second witness, thirty-nine year old Fernando Juan, who had previously told police that he saw Guzman stab Brown, submitted a written statement to the court disclaiming any knowledge of the incident. To compound matters for the prosecution, a third witness, Wilbert Wilshire who in his statement said that Guzman confessed to killing Brown, also changed his story and told the court that he has no knowledge of the incident.
Without the testimony of the witnesses, the prosecution was unable to proceed with the case.
Police officer behind bars for Carnal Knowledge
Tonight a police officer is behind bars at the Hattieville Prison, charged with Carnal Knowledge. Magistrate Sharon Frazer denied Constable Horace Portillo bail after the prosecution objected on the grounds that the offense has become prevalent, that the defendant might interfere with the witness, and that the offense is of a serious nature. The incident in question occurred last Wednesday at Portillo’s house on Seagull Street. According to the police, the twelve year old primary school student admitted to having sex with the police officer after her father threatened her. The penalty for carnal knowledge of a minor is twelve years imprisonment.
Police seeking family of dead accident victim
And in other news from the police, authorities say they need help in locating the family of a Honduran man who died shortly after he was admitted to the San Ignacio Hospital. Police report that while on a joint patrol with the B.D.F. on Sunday night in the Succotz area, they found a man on the right side of the Western Highway intersection, lying face down and bleeding profusely. The man had large cut wounds on his forehead, under his chin, on the right side of his neck, on his lower lip, and on the right forearm. He was identified as twenty-five year old Jerson Renan Paguada Hernandez of the San Martin area in Belmopan. He was taken to the San Ignacio Hospital and succumbed to his injuries just before midnight while undergoing treatment. According to the police, the man uttered twice: “an accident” when police attempted to get information from him.
And in an update to last night’s report about twenty-five year old Ever Carter, who was detained for kicking his mother in the chest, police have brought charges of Damage to Property on the young man for an unrelated incident in the village of Libertad. Carter is accused of damaging the front and back window of a house in the village when the person he was looking for did not answer his call. The boat captain was accompanied by two others when the incident occurred last Friday night.
Project Belize kicks off at Anglican schools in the city
At this time of year, schools are closed and children are enjoying their well deserved summer holidays. But this week, those between ages ten and fourteen at four Belize City Anglican schools are engaged in an uplifting programme called Project Belize. Today News Five’s Marion Ali visited one of the schools to learn more.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Saint John’s Anglican Primary on Euphrates Avenue is one of the institutions where the team of one hundred and forty volunteers from Peacework International and their local counterparts, Price Water House Coopers, are conducting camps. Because the project promotes entrepreneurship among youths, head of the delegation, Courtenay Pace, says they have consciously incorporated several business-oriented sessions.
Courtenay Pace, Organiser, Peace Work “We have a combination of academics related to business, entrepreneurship and ethics, incorporating soccer and recreation in that as well. Also, the volunteers here are working on construction projects turning the libraries into an all purpose resource centre here at the schools. To help them learn that they can start a business, that you don’t have to have a huge business, that you don’t have to necessarily be the prime minister of the country. But you might have a hotdog stand, things like that to try and bring out their ideas.”
But while the volunteers are tapping into the young minds for business ideas, to keep the children’s attention, they have sought to make learning a fun experience.
Courtenay Pace “In the resource centres we’ve done some construction, actually taken down walls and installing air conditioning units within those centers to make the rooms a little bit bigger and more conducive to learning, trying to make the environment bright and exciting so the kids may be very interested in learning. We’ve added some technology into the rooms, laptops that the teachers can utilize to use powerpoint instruction, visual aids on the screen so that the kids can actually learn to use some of the new technology in the school. So the teachers are sort of gaining resources for themselves to use in the classroom. Right behind me is the major playing field at the school so we’ve been using this field for soccer. Everybody’s aware of all the rain we’ve had over the last few days so the field got pretty much destroyed. So we have a grader out here trying to change the level of it and drain the water off.”
School Principal at Saint John’s Anglican, Patricia Johnson, welcomes the idea and the assistance.
Marion Ali
“Before now how did you used to carry on those lessons without...?”
Patricia Johnson, Principal, Saint John’s Anglican Primary “They were mainly in the classroom. They were mainly but now they would go up here and there would be Bunsen burners, there would be things that they will need to make the lesson more enhancing and provide first hand experience.”
Marion Ali
“So this will carry you all a long way.”
Patricia Johnson “It will carry us a long way and then they had also in addition to that agreed to fill the school yard. This is much needed because of the weather and the condition of the ground. So we are very, very grateful for whatever was given to us.”
The other schools benefiting from the project are Queen’s Square Anglican, Queen Street Baptist and All Saints Anglican. Marion Ali for News Five.
The cost of carrying out the project at all four schools amounts to approximately two hundred thousand dollars.
Gann’s Rest House gets much needed assistance
The homeless situation in Belize has always been a cause for concern. But with the ongoing facelift to revitalise downtown Belize City, addressing that sensitive challenge has a priority. Today, efforts to reopen Gann’s Rest House to provide shelter for the city’s homeless started with the first of several donations. The task is a major one and both the Salvation Army, which will run the programme, and the Belize City Council agree that homelessness is an issue that simply can no longer be ignored.
Major Errol Robateau, Regional Cmdr., Salvation Army “We are restarting it actually it was closed for about two or three years. I came back and met it closed and we had a lot of problems including the stripping of the building and we’ve had to refurbish it and right now we’re trying to get it open again.”
Marion Ali
“So, how many people are you catering for?”
Major Errol Robateau “For twenty, capacity. That will be the maximum we can hole because of the layout of the place.”
Marion Ali
“So, how will these people be selected? Belize City has very much more than twenty homeless people.”
Major Errol Robateau “Well, it’s good you asked that question because there have been people who have been trying to get rid of their people from their homes and I want to make it clear that we are not taking anybody from any home. We are concentrating on those who are already out there and we are working with the City Council where that is concerned.”
Marion Ali
“The ones that are based mainly at Battlefield Park?”
Major Errol Robateau “Yes, in the park. Right now we are in the process of collecting items and these items will be used specifically for the people who stay here. We still are in need of quite a number of stuff. Right now we are concentrating on the inventory actually. We have given the City Council a list and they have been helping us. We have also gotten help from the CBC Company, the cable company in King’s Park and together we were able to get many of the stuff. We have to receive everything because there was nothing here.”
Wayne Usher, Councillor, Belize City Council “We have teamed up with the Salvation Army to get Gann’s Rest House moving as part of our procedures for finding safer accommodations for the homeless in downtown Belize City. It is part of this initiative to find suitable accommodation for them.”
Marion Ali
“It’s rather imperative that you get that off the ground as quickly as you can right because that project is a little bit behind time?”
Wayne Usher “That is true because the infrastructure downtown is coming on stream. I think it should be finished by the end of this month. We are trying to let the two things roll out at the same time because the homeless situation cannot just remain as it is even if we are uplifting downtown, we have to include them and we must find a humanitarian way, a sustainable way and an acceptable way of having these people in a safer environment.”
Zenaida Moya, Mayor, Belize City “We have Miss Gladys Waight who has already indicated from New York that she can send down barrels of food items as often as we need it so that’s one. We have Mister Jack Charles from Extra House who already is working with us every two weeks to feed the homeless. Gann’s Rest house will be a part of that and he has committed to it. We also have the Ministry of Human Development. Homeless, the whole situation with this fall under their mandate. The Belize City Council is spearheading this effort, however, because the homeless that we’re dealing with falls within Belize City proper. Unfortunately, within the past few months, at least two or three homeless have been killed; one simply for helping out another individual. One recently was found, another person I think a little before was burnt to death. I think that was in the Neal’s Pen Road area. The point is that he was simply sleeping as we were made aware. These people, they at times can become unnecessary victims of undue violence geared towards them, sometimes simply by idle minds. We need to get them out of the place, get them to become respected individuals once again.”
The programme at Gann’s Rest House is set to begin in September and will cater to the first group of twenty homeless persons.
Revellers prepare for Carnival Season 2008
This afternoon at the House of Culture, the Belize Carnival Association officially unveiled its logo and launched the 2008 carnival season. And while all the bands and revellers are looking forward to an active August and September, today Association President, Patrick Thompson, revealed that they almost didn’t have a carnival season.
Patrick Thomson, President, Belize Carnival Association “I must say we were in a lot of trouble and that was the reason why we went to NICH.”
Kendra Griffith
“What was the trouble?”
Patrick Thompson “Well, I guess as all the bands weh wah tell yoh financial problems.”
Diane Haylock, President, NICH “They came to me some months ago and were basically saying that there would be no carnival and we said that is not, that is absolutely not something we can allow to happen. And so as the organisation is really responsible for culture in this country—for arts and culture—I basically decided well, let us see what NICH as an organisation can do to ensure that this organisation does not die. In fact, one of our mandate is to strengthen, to provide institutional strengthening and support to artistic and cultural organisations and so we saw it as something that fit right within our niche; to give this organisation the support to get back on its feet. Carnival season this year will be smaller than it normally is in the sense that there won’t be the same level of activities, but I can guarantee you carnival come mass camp and come the actual carnival day itself will not be smaller than previous years.”
Patrick Thompson “First in August on the nineteenth, we have the lotto pick where the groups will select their position in the road march. That will be held right here at the House of Culture. On the twenty-seventh we have mass camp which is for the junior groups only. On the twenty –eighth we have mass camps for the senior bands. On the thirtieth we’ll have the carnival motorcade which is through the streets of Belize and then we go on to the big day which is the sixth of September starting at four in the morning with the juvy—a lot of people out here I know wah deh een deh—and the carnival road march kicks off at one p.m. that same day, the sixth, leading off from the corner of Faber’s road and Central American Boulevard.”
Marina Welcome, Jump Street Posse “We got practice for Jump Street start tomorrow on the block, so be there three o’clock tomorrow, rain or shine, be out there. Jump Street Posse wah deh.”
NICH President Diane Haylock also announced that the Belize City House of Culture is now the official home for the Belize Carnival Association.
Arthur victims rebuild, fear floods of coming tropical wave
The floods of Tropical Storm Arthur caught residents of southern Belize unprepared. Residents say they have never seen the waters rise so high and today News Five’s Ann-Marie Williams and cameraman Rick Romero retraced steps they made a month ago for an update on how the victims are rebuilding.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
It’s exactly one month since the June first floods inundated southern Belize. Areas hardest hit were the Valley community, Hope Creek and Sittee River. Today we visited with three families to see how they have been coping.
When we last saw Polita Evelyn of Valley Community we found her trying to clean up her backyard and house which were literally under mud, water and stones from the nearby river. Today she has cleaned up her environment beautifully with no help she says, from the powers that be.
Polita Evelyn, Valley Community resident “The help, we neva really have di help. Well, thanks to my church brothers well really come out and give me the assistance weh I mi really need. The cleaning up, right now we have the garbage weh we need fi dispose ah. We woulda really like need fi si di garbage truck come by fi pick up the garbage.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“So you’re saying the truck hasn’t come by since the flood a month ago?”
Polita Evelyn “Yes, wah month ago. I still have my garbage to the back. Well, I mi ask Mister Bill fi mi come by, the public works man, fi mi come by and use di excavator fi just pull off the stone dehn weh mi deh behind my house but he seh as soon as ih fix di road, finish get the road up, ih mi wah come back yah come deal wid mi. so far I si busses di run so I guess di road dehn fix but I noh si nobody come—not even clean out di drains. Look at di drains how dehn stop up. As soon as ih rain, di water come right back up again and flood out my yard. I think the public works woulda really need fi come and come check di drains dehn, clean dem out. I si wah, dah no backhoe, but one ah di machines come by and scoop up di stuff dehn. Look weh ih do, scoop it up and put it right deh. We not even have wah drive way fi come inna the yard.”
Evelyn is still waiting on the chairlady of the village to make good on her promise, that of repairing her washing machine which was snake-infested due to flood waters.
Polita Evelyn “I only understand that dehn mi wah got wah technician come round and round and check fi si weh ih coulda do about di things dehn cause dehn can’t replace dehn but dehn could help fi fix dehn. My one, si my machine to the back and my refridge on the veranda.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“You told me that you’ve gotten one to help you in the meantime.”
Polita Evelyn “Well, thanks to my son who allowed me to have my machine and the refridgerator because we need fi store up wi meat. We noh have no grocery store nearby weh we could seh well go and just get wi food everyday, everyday, everyday. So we need fi stock up we food.”
Filberto Roches and his wife Veryle, lost their two year, nine month old son when baby Jayden was swept away from his father’s grasp as he sought refuge in throat-deep waters in Hope Creek. Today, life is not the same.
Filberto Roches, Lost Son in Flood “I have many nights I can’t even sleep because I think about the way how he went or let go from me and dah something that I know that I noh wah really get over right now or couple months from now. But I pray and hope that someday.”
Roches vows he’s not going back to live where the tragedy struck.
Filberto Roches “The Senator, which is Eddie Webster, they say that they’re going to build some houses six, seven feet high but I told them it doesn’t really matter how high you put it. You can put it as high as you want but I ain’t going back to live down that side. I have two losses down that side already.”
For Veryle, her baby’s death was a tough one. She was away in Guatemala City attending to her sick mother when she heard the bad news.
Veryle Roches, Lost Son in Flood “It mi hard because I mi deh far away from home and di roads mi flood so I couldn’t reach home at the same time so I had to wait until di floods mi gone. And ih hurt because I neva deh yah at the time fi si ah at the last.”
Anne-Marie Williams
“You thought that you would have made a difference.”
Veryle Roches “Yes. Ih just feel hurt dat I neva really deh round. Which in I couldn’t really do nothing bout it. ih just feel bad that I neva deh yah at the time.”
Sadie McKenzie was at home at the time in Sittee River Village when she saw the river wild rushing in to her view. A calmer McKenzie says she’s blessed.
Sadie McKenzie, Sittee River Resident “It’s kind of hard, it’s tiresome and everything but we are trying to cope with it.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“You had a lot of stuff out here in the yard when we came the last time. How difficult was it to clean and move everything back?”
Sadie McKenzie “It was really difficult but I had some good friends, Emerita and Delerita, they came from Dangriga and they helped me. Me and my husband and another guy that was here with us, he took his time and scrub off all those sofa, put them on the street to dry because the street carry a heat. We got them almost dry.”
Signs that life has returned to normal for the most part in Sittee River are evident. The windows of Paradise Mini Store are opened, the street is cleared of debris, the waters have long receded, and dogs that were only visible from treetops now roam free. The Red Cross is out making provisions for free pit latrines to residents.
Charletta Cassanova, Member, Disaster Team, Red Cross “Matching the houses with who needs the latrine, graded from one to four. One means that they have none; total loss, two: they only have the foundation, three: they have the siding or four: that they need the roof. So that’s the way how we are doing it and mapping names with houses and numbers; putting numbers to the names.”
Ann-Marie Williams “Just when residents of Hope Creek and Sittee Rive thought they were out of the woods, a tropical wave which threatened over the weekend brought back bitter memories, forcing many of the residents to pack and seek shelter.”
Sadie McKenzie “I was in Dangriga. While I was going to town I saw all this water on the road and I call back my husband and I told him to pack up the things; build stand and put everything up because it seems like we’re gonna get the flood again. When I came from Dangriga I saw that he had everything up and I said well if the flood comes we don’t have much to lose this time because we know what could happen.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“You were scared?”
Sadie McKenzie “Well, I don’t think so. I’m not scared because I study the prophecies and it tells us that these things will happen in the last days so.”
Lorenza Trejo, Hope Creek resident “This weekend it started to rain from Thursday so Friday everybody get frightened and they start to look fi shelters. The chairman tell us that we supposed to go by the center but nobody want go dah di center because di center dah just like if yoh stay home. Di water raise three quarter way di last time when we had di flood so everybody scared no. but we have eight families who gone da di shelter. So now di people no want go dah di center, everybody want mek dehn open IT-VET but when we ask fi open IT-VET, dehn no want do it.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Why not?”
Lorenza Trejo “I noh know what dah di reason, what dah di problem, why dehn noh want accept us in di center but we really need fi mek dehn open di IT-VET.”
Teresita Bul, Hope Creek Resident “I was trying to put my things up because we si dat how di flood di come up lee bit higher. I di try and save some clothes fi mek I put it up then I mi gone pan wah bucket an di slip off ah di bucket.”
And broke her hand. All because she was scared she would have been trapped. The waters in Hope Creek rose to three feet as a result of the rains last weekend. Ann-Marie Williams for News Five.
Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Service says that more showers and thunderstorms are expected tonight, the result from an approaching tropical wave. This will produce accumulations of up to three inches of rainfall over central and southern Belize. As much as four inches of rain are expected to fall in the hilly terrains of the Stann Creek and Toledo districts which will contribute to rising water levels in the already flooded Sarstoon, Temash, Moho, Rio Grande, Bladen, Monkey, Sittee and other tributaries in the South.
To add to the bad news, forecasters also report that an area of low pressure now emerging off of the coast of Africa into the far eastern Atlantic could be in the Caribbean by the weekend.
Government this morning presented its plan to combat the rising costs in basic food items which are hitting Belizeans where it hurts the most … in the pockets. But as News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports, the work of the Basic Commodities Commission is ambitious and the real test will come in the actual monitoring of food prices.
Since Monday night through to this morning, the dwelling of George Betson at mile two on the Northern Highway was dismantled at the instructions of Supreme Court Marshals and the Police Department. The removal of the house follows a Court of Appeals ruling made two weeks ago that Betson had no right to the land since he did not have a valid lease. Betson’s battle over the two hundred and fifty by one hundred foot piece of land dates back as far as 2001 when he lost his lease to Rupert Marin. Betson fought the cancellation and Supreme Court Justice, Lugole Awich initially ruled in his favour, but the Appeals Court overturned that ruling two weeks ago in Marin’s favour. Under his lease, Betson had access to the land for a maximum of twenty-five years, but was given three years within which to construct a permanent structure on it. Today he admitted that he did not adhere to that stipulation, nor did he obey the Court of Appeals order to vacate the premises.
Senior Superintendent Chester Williams is back in the news tonight. Williams, who is off the beat until the merits of his transfer and suspension are resolved, has turned up vital information in which he claims that he has been framed by his own. It is a story that has many twists and turns and according to information reaching News Five, on Monday, Williams made an official complaint to the police requesting a thorough investigation into his case. 
Tonight a police officer is behind bars at the Hattieville Prison, charged with Carnal Knowledge. Magistrate Sharon Frazer denied Constable Horace Portillo bail after the prosecution objected on the grounds that the offense has become prevalent, that the defendant might interfere with the witness, and that the offense is of a serious nature. The incident in question occurred last Wednesday at Portillo’s house on Seagull Street. According to the police, the twelve year old primary school student admitted to having sex with the police officer after her father threatened her. The penalty for carnal knowledge of a minor is twelve years imprisonment. 
At this time of year, schools are closed and children are enjoying their well deserved summer holidays. But this week, those between ages ten and fourteen at four Belize City Anglican schools are engaged in an uplifting programme called Project Belize. Today News Five’s Marion Ali visited one of the schools to learn more.
The homeless situation in Belize has always been a cause for concern. But with the ongoing facelift to revitalise downtown Belize City, addressing that sensitive challenge has a priority. Today, efforts to reopen Gann’s Rest House to provide shelter for the city’s homeless started with the first of several donations. The task is a major one and both the Salvation Army, which will run the programme, and the Belize City Council agree that homelessness is an issue that simply can no longer be ignored.
This afternoon at the House of Culture, the Belize Carnival Association officially unveiled its logo and launched the 2008 carnival season. And while all the bands and revellers are looking forward to an active August and September, today Association President, Patrick Thompson, revealed that they almost didn’t have a carnival season.
The floods of Tropical Storm Arthur caught residents of southern Belize unprepared. Residents say they have never seen the waters rise so high and today News Five’s Ann-Marie Williams and cameraman Rick Romero retraced steps they made a month ago for an update on how the victims are rebuilding.
