It’s been less than a month since Santa Elena welcomed a new police substation. Tonight, however, police are investigating the death of one of a resident whose body was found in the wee small hours of the morning. He is twenty-one-year-old Korrie Cruz, who was discovered at the corner of 15th and Vaca streets in San Ignacio Town around two-thirty a.m. Upon arrival, police discovered Cruz’s lifeless body in an open lot. They were alerted to the body by a passerby who made the discovery. Cruz was taken to the San Ignacio Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. It is not known whether the death is gang related or otherwise. We await further police updates.
Kenrick Longsworth, the Belize City resident convicted of the death of his three-year-old stepson, has been sentenced to fifteen years behind bars for manslaughter. He was also given an additional three years for wounding. As we have reported, on January tenth, 2020, Mark Teul’s mother found him dead inside their Lovely Lane home. He was beaten to death and sexually assaulted by Longsworth. Mark’s two siblings were also found badly beaten, but still alive inside the house. Today, he appeared before Justice Derick Sylvester for sentencing. Justice Sylvester ordered that the sentences run concurrently with each other and his four years on remand deducted by the court. The children’s mother was seen crying inside the courtroom. She left immediately after hearing the sentence handed down for the killing of her three-year-old son. Longsworth was initially tried for murder and two counts of attempted murder. He was later found guilty of manslaughter and guilty of wounding. Justice Sylvester starting point was twenty-four years in prison. He then deducted five years for the mitigating and aggravating factors leaving him with nineteen years. After his remand period was deducted, Longsworth was left with a fifteen-year sentence. Those mitigating factors are that he showed remorse and was sorry for what he did. The aggravating factor Justice Sylvester listed was that Longsworth is not a threat to society. As a result, his sentences are to run concurrently.
Earlier today, a man was sentenced to thirty years in prison for the 2022 execution of Owen Tucker. He is forty-year-old Jerome Crawford who was charged for shooting his employer, on November twenty-second, 2022, in front of his coworkers. Owen Tucker was a Belizean American national and the owner of Croc Land eco-park. Initially, Crawford was handed a twenty-five-year sentence, an additional five years were added due to several aggravating factors. Having served two years, Crawford will spend twenty-eight years behind bars. Justice Derick Sylvester noted that Crawford was of mature age at the time of the crime, showed no sign of psychological issues and displays no signs of remorse. Tucker’s, sister-in-law Marina Tucker, says that now that justice has been served, the family can finally seek closure.
Marina Tucker
Marina Tucker, Sister-in-law of Deceased
“Today’s sentencing is a step toward justice for my brother in law and the family. When those sentencing can bring back Owen, the family is relieved that the court has acknowledged the significance, the impact of this crime. I can say. Yes, thirty years. Although a little bit more would have been a little bit pleasing for the family. During the loss that we are suffering. But at the same time, the family would like to express its gratitude to those who have walked this painful journey with us. Thanks to the law enforcement officer, the legal team and the community. I believe after today’s sentence, the For me, no longer have this hanging over our head, and we can now go on with our lives.”
The Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize held a press conference today to address the public over concerns it has about the current state of the tourism industry. Earlier this week, the Government of Belize announced that it is compulsorily acquiring twenty-three acres of Stake Bank Island for a public purpose. On Tuesday, Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler indicated that cruise tourism is on the decline because Belize is not equipped with a berthing facility. Yohny Rosado lamented the decline while noting that the association expected the Briceño Administration to uplift the industry.
Yohny Rosado
Yohny Rosado, Member, FECTAB
“This is one time we can say, and even the minister admits that the cruise tourism industry are down. Every time we have press conference numbers are going up and up, I think one time it was over a million visitors through cruise ship which David and myself question. Nevertheless, we give the government the benefit of the doubt. Like everybody you have to give your partner or your enemy benefit of the doubt before you entangle in issues. We met with BTB, Mr. Evan was in the house, Mr. Enrique was in the house, and they treated us fairly enough and together we shake hands. But up to now we have not seen any improvements in the industry. The people inside FSTV are getting older, tired, and they are making less money. If it is not so, the people inside FSTV can hold their press conference and state that we are lying. We thought the new government, Anthony Mahler would help us uplift the industry. We are so wrong. The government still has a few years to be in. And the way the opposition is going, to be specific, Mr. Shyne as the leader, is very discouraging because in a good country, in a stable country you need a strong opposition to scare the government in power to do the right thing. That is why we are having this press conference, because we weren’t to let our ministers know, the government know, as long as they are not doing the right thing, FECTAB will make noise. I know I can already feel their mind that we are crazy.”
Rosado added that Belize is in desperate need of a mainland cruise port. He says that Harvest Caye was proposed as a solution to the industry, but it still does not put cruise passengers on the mainland without booking a tour. He spoke on the speed with which Harvest Caye was built in comparison to the failed Stake Bank Cruise Port project. In his commentary today, Rosado came off as a proponent of the Stake Bank project, though he made it clear in the end that his loyalty lies with Port of Magical Belize. Rosado’s position is that the Port of Magical Belize is currently the best option for a mainland cruise port.
Yohny Rosado, Member, FECTAB
“I hope Belize understand that the Federation of Cruise Tourism are outspoken because our industry is falling apart little by little, why, because the manipulation of the politicians are going the wrong way. Do you remember the Federation of Cruise Tourism have been fight for a mainland port? Do you remember that FECTAB and about hundred members at old Belize when we filled up that building when they brought us the engineers and technocrats telling us that Harvest Caye would be a success for the country of Belize and they were bringing new ships to Harvest Caye and we were fighting tooth and nail and they bring Harvest Caye to us. And what happened afterwards, where is Harvest Caye? You know Harvest Caye has one of the low rating bad reviews, because tourist don’t know, they believe they are going to Belize. They don’t know they are going to be stuck on an island. If you want to get out from there, you have to purchase a tour. Stake Bank was supposed to be successful. We and the industry, the mess that Stake Bank is giving us is a shame. But Stake Bank invested millions to have a mainland port for the cruise tourism industry for the tourist to have a good time and it failed. Why did it fail, because Mr. Feinstein was not well connected with the party in power? Because Harvest Caye was well connected? Cause it was rapidito style. Now Commerce Bight, rapidito style. Everything rapidito style out there. Now, everything out there but in Belize City where we have the majority population, where we need jobs, the people are going back out there and running out of our country to America because we are not making the life out there we are to be doing.”
FECTAB’s President, David Almendarez, also spoke at today’s press conference. He chided the Briceño administration over the Belmopan hospital land acquisition. He questioned why the Government of Belize did not compulsorily acquire those two parcels as they did with Stake Bank Island.
David Almendarez, President, FECTAB
“We just find out about the health fiasco where Mr. Petillo organized a demonstration and unu hammer he to the ground, start talk bout his mom and grandmother, unu dutty piece of politicians. One thing bout PUP, they more vindictive ten times than the UDP. So, I expect them to talk bout my granny, my ma, me. My back is tough. I nuh wah back off. I nuh fraid. You have a piece of land that sell for just under seventy thousand dollars. Seven hundred thousand and then it sell for just under seven million. Unu get the scene Belize, I don’t think unu get the cents of what Nigel told you all. We tried to invite the brother. But the pressure was tight. The same PUP the share the love, the share the pressure. Imagine Mr. Briceno with the million-dollar company, if he was the head of his company and he took a piece of land that sold for under seven hundred thousand dollars and he buy it for under seven million dollars? Do you think they would keep him? Is that a genius plan? He talented. You see how they acquired Feinstein Land, they acquired it. How they couldn’t acquire that land in public interest. The untalented people untalented fih do the public good work, but they talented for the retirement scheme for the boys. A police man, teacher and journalist will never see a million dollars in our life. If they lucky they live to a hundred maybe so. While the boys play with a mullion like dah pennies.”
Officials from regional ministries of Economy and Finance are attending the Third High-level Dialogue of the Regional Climate Change Forum in San Pedro today and Saturday. Eighteen countries are represented at the event, during which they will approve the new work plan for 2024-2025 and oversee the transfer of the pro-tempore presidency from Chile’s Ministry of Finance to Colombia’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. It also aims to formally adopt a unified regional approach to sustainable finance among these participating ministries. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
For the next day, representatives from eighteen countries from Latin America and the Caribbean are attending the IDB’s Third High-Level Dialogue of the Regional Climate Change forum in San Pedro. The event aims to bring to the fore issues that are relevant to the topic of climate change. Head of Belize’s delegation, Prime Minister John Briceño says there is urgent need for collective action against climate change.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“The collective development of a shared vision of sustainable finance among ministries of finance in the region. Establishment of the platform. As a globally recognized knowledge hub and the creation of an accountability mechanism by ministries of finance in Latin America and the Caribbean to monitor policy implementation. I believe it is safe to say That the work done on the regional level has certainly had a positive effect on the national efforts across our prospective countries Take Belize, for example. We, too, have made significant contributions to international climate action through innovative measures. We successfully implemented a homegrown investment grade blue bond transaction that mobilized private capital to restructure and reduce our national debt while financing marine conservation.”
Belize’s portfolio of ongoing climate projects is approximately sixty-seven million U.S. dollars. It includes sectors such as water, agriculture, fisheries, coastal zones and infrastructure. The IDB has supported a lot of the funding for these projects as IDB Executive Vice President, Jordan Schwartz indicated.
Jordan Shwartz
Jordan Shwartz, Executive Vice President, I.D.B
“We have joined you over recent years in expanding the tools available from multilaterals for addressing climate change, contingent credit facilities, sustainability linked bonds, debt for resilience. Or debt for nature swaps. Um, contractual clauses to suspend payments after crisis. Our CLIMA products at exchange. Ex ante commitments on mitigation to reduce payments, um, from the governments. And each of these instruments and more to come are critical to fighting climate. But I think it’s worth reiterating that innovation comes from our choices in which instruments to use when confronted with crisis. And when addressing cross border challenges such as climate change.”
Meanwhile, IDB’s Executive Director Frank Fazz-Metz said that each of these countries that is participating needs to become climate-change ready and resilient to brace for any eventuality caused by this new phenomenon.
Frank Fazz-Metz
Frank Fazz-Metz, Alternative Executive Director, I.D.B
“This decade up to 2030 is crucial for climate action. And all countries need to enhance their efforts to achieve the turnaround in cutting global emissions by scale. Today, many countries already are experiencing the consequences of climate change. I would just want to name our host, Belize, as one example, which was almost hit by hurricane barrel earlier this year. And we all know that the next hurricane can come anytime and hitting, uh, Belize. All countries therefore must transform their economies to sustainability and to include climate change in our policy. Public finance and investments regulations have a crucial role to play in this transformation.”
Fortis Belize operates three hydroelectric facilities, the Mollejon, Chalillo, and Vaca dams, on the Macal River and produces renewable energy that is sold to Belize Electricity Limited. The water used for power generation passes through unchanged and remains safe for agriculture and recreational use. The location of the dams also helps to minimize the risk of flooding to downstream communities. Tonight, we look at the company’s operations in western Belize. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Tedford Pate
Tedford Pate, Operations Manager, Fortis Belize
“As you can see in the background, we have our dam across the river. That is what creates the main storage in a hydroelectric facility. Without the water, it is impossible for us to produce power.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Tedford Pate has been in the energy sector for the past twenty-nine years. As operations manager at Fortis Belize Ltd., he oversees all activities concerning the production of hydroelectricity across three dams that straddle the Macal River in western Belize. These facilities are off limits to the average wanderer. Today, we’re taking a tour of Vaca, the newest power station built by Fortis that generates one hundred percent renewable energy.
Tedford Pate
“This one was commissioned in 2010 and here, we generate a maximum of nineteen megawatts. The plant houses two nine-megawatt generator turbines and a one-megawatt turbine. So that gives us a total of nineteen megawatts.”
The purpose of Vaca is to provide electricity during higher demand periods and in the dry season. As many as two point eight billion gallons of water are held back by this dam that is operated using a run-of-river system. Altogether, the Mollejon, Chalillo and Vaca dams can meet forty percent of the country’s electricity needs. Belize Electricity Ltd. purchases all the power that Fortis produces from the Macal River.
Omereyon Fregene
Omereyon Fregene, Manager, Energy Supply, B.E.L.
“The hydro dams don’t always have water twelve months of the year, so we have to manage that also and make sure we use it in the most efficient and optimized manner.”
Inside the plant, a narrow winding stairwell descends several floors below to a humming turbine. This mechanical device extracts energy from the constant flow of water from the river above and converts it into useful work that can be used for generating electrical power when combined with a generator.
Tedford Pate
“So as the water enters into the power plant, it passes through a series of controls for safety purposes. So we have what we call a main turbine shutoff valve and then we have wicket gates that allows the water to pass into the turbine. That then spins the turbine that is connected to the generator by a shaft, and as that spins, the generator itself produces the power. The water continues down the river to its normal flow. The power now that comes out from the generator is transmitted to the substation, as you can see in the background.”
From there, it undergoes another process, as explained by BEL’s Manager of Energy Supply.
Omereyon Fregene
“They convert that energy to electricity and once their plants have been able to convert that energy to electricity, they send that electricity through a transformer. So what the transformer basically does is, they produce electricity at a certain voltage level, the transformer takes it up to a higher voltage level so that then we can send that electricity all the way to our customers because these generation facilities, as most people would know, are mostly in remote areas.”
Vaca, much like its sister dams, sits in the far-flung reaches of Cayo District. In March 2007, Fortis Belize and BEL signed a fifty-year power purchase agreement related to electricity generation by the Vaca hydroelectric facility. Isani Cayetano for News Five.
On Monday, primary school students across the country will return to the classes they left behind for summer vacation. With only two days to go, are Belize City residents prepared to send their children back to school? News Five’s Britney Gordon visited a few stores today to answer that very question. Here’s the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Summer is officially over, which means that parents all over the country will either breathe a sigh of relief or shed tears of joy as they watch their little ones return to or begin their primary school education. But with the reopening of classes comes the stress of back-to-school preparation. Krystal Dougal, Marketing Coordinator at The Angelus Press, told us that the store has been hectic, as parents purchase last-minute school supplies.
Krystal Dougal
Krystal Dougal, Marketing Coordinator, The Angelus Press
“The past weeks, especially on Saturdays as well, we’ve seen definitely a rush, especially like this week, like you mentioned. School is opening back on Monday, so people are definitely coming in. We’ve heard customers tell us, oh, we’re just here to get last minute stuff, so there’s definitely a rush happening and stuff like that, and we cater and we make sure our shelves are stocked and everything for, to accommodate our customers, of course, yeah, we’re well prepared for that and we’re looking forward to it because tomorrow is our last day as well, opening on Saturdays from nine to two p. m.”
As the days are counted down until Monday, items such as crayons and composition books have been flying off the shelves. Although not everyone waited until the eleventh hour to gather their supplies. Six-year-old Jaliyah Rudon will be entering Infant Two at Grace Primary Schools and she is completely ready to take on the year ahead.
Britney Gordon
“Why do you want to go back to school?”
Jaliyah Rudon
Jaliyah Rudon, Infant 2 Student, Grace Primary School
“Because it’s fun do be doing homework and learning things at school.”
While pencils and folders can be picked up almost anywhere, there are very few places to purchase uniforms on short notice. But Rosenda Chen, manager at Uniform Stop, tells us that never stops the last-minute rush.
Rosenda Chen
Rosenda Chen, Manager, Uniform Stop
“Really, really busy. We have a huge always amount of last minute shoppers, but this year was a little different as we had some early birds and also customers who have requested layaway plans with us, which is working conveniently for some others. So I must say this year has been really good for us. No complaints here.”
Britney Gordon
“Do you see like a steady flow of people as school day slowly approaches or is it always this rush last minute?”
Rosenda Chen
“Always. Always. I don’t know why but we Belizeans always wait till last minute so there’s no surprise for us. We just have to be ready for the crowd.”
For single mother of four, Tanya Gongora, sending her kids back to school is bitter-sweet. While she is happy to see her daughter return to the classroom, the expenses just keep piling up.
Tanya Gongora
Tanya Gongora, Mother of Four
“I’m so glad because she’s five years old and she did great on her first term in a infant one. So she averaged at eighty-three point nine she get, so he going in a infant two. And she happy because every day she get up and go fast into thinking, can’t wait to go to school, excited and I excited for her too.”
Having recently lost her job of over a year, Gongora doesn’t know where resources for her family will come from, but she trusts that God will find a way.
Tanya Gongora
“God blessed me yesterday with a school bag for my baby, so I left everything in God’s hands.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
If you would like to assist Tanya Gongora, you can contact her at 628-9087
Softball fans who are used to attending the national tournament in Belize City, will have to travel to Sand Hill this weekend to cheer on their favourite team. The Rogers Stadium field is undergoing major resurfacing and retrofitting, following incessant rains that left it unsafe for use. The first games begin at six-thirty this evening and the tournament resumes at nine-thirty on Saturday and Sunday with fifteen teams taking part. It promises to be an exciting competition, with all teams said to have a degree of strength. Entrance to the Sand Hill Softball Field is five dollars and there’ll be fifteen games played altogether. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with the Tournament Organizer, Shane Williams about the shift from Belize City to Rural Belize for the event. Here’s that report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
For the first time, at least in recent memory, the National Softball tournaments are being played outside of Belize City. It is a necessary move to allow for resurfacing and repairs to be done at the historic Roger’s Stadium. This weekend, the National Women’s Softball Tournament will be held in Sand Hill Village. Tournament Organizer, Shane Williams told News Five that the field at Roger’s Stadium had become unsafe for the players.
Shane Williams
Shane Williams, Tournament Director, National Women’s Softball Tournament
“We had to make that decision because the Rogers Stadium is not fit for a national tournament at the moment. We had a really bad year in terms of rain and the field condition was already in subpar state due to damages from previous storms and hurricanes. The playing field is very unlevel. We had some serious injuries in the Belize City Tournament this year that we cannot allow to happen at the national level. So, we had about two weeks to prepare the field for nationals because the Belize City Tournament was playing and it played late due to weather conditions. So we only had about two weeks to prepare the field…”
Williams says the Sand Hill softball field is one of the best to hold the event and it was tested only recently when the men’s tournament was held there.
Shane Williams
“Sand Hill Village has a very good field. It hosted the male nationals two weeks ago, and it was a very good host. The village itself was a very good host for the players, so we believe that this will be one of the more memorable tournaments.”
Marion Ali
“And when do you foresee the Rogers stadium field will be ready again for more games?”
Shane Williams
“Well, that’s the good thing. Even though we have moved the tournament to Sand Hill, we have not stopped working on Rogers Stadium. We have over fifteen loads of material that have already been brought into the stadium. They are being spread out at the moment. We have 10 additional lights that will be put up over the next couple of weeks that have already been purchased. And we have some donors, B.T.B. And other donors that will be investing in the fence and we are looking at specific private company for the installation of a scoreboard that we have been looking for several years. So I would say by the time tournament is ready, which is January, the calendar opens, Rogers Stadium definitely will be ready.”
Altogether there are eight teams competing for bragging rights of National Women Softball champs and the trophy this year. They are the Esperanza Wolverines and Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy, Orange Walk’s Palmar and Elites, Belize City’s Beacon Softball Club and Wolfpack Softball Club and from Belize Rural we have Doublehead Cabbage and Belize Bank Bulldogs. Williams says it will be no walk in the park for any of them.
Shane Williams
“The defending champs are the Beacon Softball Club from Belize City and you know, they have us very solid team. They have even international players as well on that team. We have the rural who believe that this will be their year to unseat them, especially since they are hosting for the first time. So the home field advantage will definitely be with Belize, but the Bulldogs and the Double Head Cabbage Unity team. The Orange Walk teams are fairly new and from what I’ve seen in their practice, they expect to come and make some real upset in the tournament. Cayo has won the nationals multiple times before, and the same for Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy team, it’s coming back with some very young talent and Esperanza Wolverines are always contenders. So there’s no setfavorites, I would say. But this will be an exciting tournament.”
