Rhaburn clarified that the patient, who we later confirmed with the Orange Walk Fire Service, was not an active firefighter but a volunteer from years ago. He believes that whoever is spreading these false claims has a personal vendetta against the hospital. While this negative publicity isn’t what they want, Rhaburn emphasized that the hospital takes great pride in the quality of service they provide.
Felix Rhaburn, Regional Health Manager, N.R.H.
“We pride ourselves in what we do here. And we definitely, try to guard our reputation. The negative effects of misinformation on professional institutions. I mean, especially when. The information is coming from questionable characters. So just remain diligent of getting the right information, and we also will remain diligent in executing our duties here. We definitely sit and have reviews after these incidents because many of the time we can modify some of our policies and good practices. which would mitigate these occurrences. So we definitely sit and review each of these.”
News Five checked with the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to find out what level of treatment, if any they could render to the patient upon his arrival from Orange Walk. Their response is that they are investigating the incident and have no further comment at this time.
The People’s Constitution Commission was supposed to submit its final report this week, but that’s been delayed. Chairman Anthony Chanona requested a second extension to delve deeper into the review. Today, Minister of the Public Service Henry Charles Usher confirmed that the extension has been granted, but no additional funds will be provided. The Commission is working with a budget of one point five million dollars and is tasked with delivering a report to the Prime Minister based on public consultations and recommendations for amending Belize’s Constitution.
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
“The Chairman, after meeting with the commission, made a request to the Prime Minister for another extension. However, the legislation did not contemplate that. So, we had to go to the house yesterday to introduce and to read through three readings, an amendment to the section dealing with the extension so that we could give one final extension, which was approved by the house. It needs now to be approved by the Senate. Well, that extension goes up to May of 2025, for the final report to be submitted to the Prime Minister. The Chairman has advised the Prime Minister that he does not need any more money all he’s asking for is more time to have the stakeholders respond to the raw data and for them to put together the final report.”
On Monday, we reported on the Belize City Council’s ambitious six-million-dollar plan to fix the damaged streets across the city. While this project is desperately needed, the council was initially unsure where the funding would come from. Despite this, work has already started. Repairs on Thomas Street, which has been in disrepair for about eight months, are now underway thanks to a collaboration between Belize Telecommunications Limited, Belize Water Service, and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. In an interview today, Mayor Bernard Wagner explained why the repairs took so long to begin.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“That street was never to be rehabilitated It was a decent street prior to it being dogged up by BWS. It was a decent street that was in our plan to rehabilitate that street. We have people living in worse conditions than on St. Thomas Street at that point in time. So we didn’t even have that as a planned street to rehabilitate, but one of the utilities companies, brought on by certain elements went out ahead without approval from us, dug the street up and that is when it went into a real sort of state that we had to know stepping on, then we stepped in and along with the BWS, Digi, and MIDH, we were able to. It’s a street that has been funded by the city. It’s just that they are paying up front and we, we, um, offset over a period of three years, but at the end of the day, it’s a street that is still being funded by the city with the, with the exception of course of MIDH who really contributed close to three hundred twenty-five thousand towards it.”
Reporter
“So the utility companies are putting in roughly?”
Bernard Wagner
“Three twenty-ve. Each company has committed to three hundred and twenty-five thousand. Again, it’s a sort of collaborative effort. But so as not to really bring any stresses on, the council’s cash flow. over one year period, we said we’ll spread it over a three-year period instead.”
What used to be known as the NICH parking lot off Regent Street in downtown Belize City has been officially renamed the David Fonseca Parking Facility, in honor of the city’s first elected mayor. This parking lot is set to be a lifesaver, not just for everyday parking woes but also for the busy holiday season, like the fast-approaching Christmas. The facility is equipped with surveillance cameras, electric charging ports, and a scanning system for payments via prepaid parking cards or coins. It’s expected to not only generate revenue for the Belize City Council but also breathe new life into a part of the city that’s been slowly fading. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The new William David Fonseca parking lot has officially replaced the old NICH parking lot in downtown Belize City. Located between the Court building and the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts off Regent Street, this facility cost the council just under four hundred thousand dollars. It can accommodate thirty-four vehicles at a time, providing much-needed safe parking in an area where it’s been scarce. This is expected to revitalize activity in this part of the city.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“It will enhance off-street parking in the downtown area. It’s a safe area, it is manned by cameras fully automated, all the sort of modern, smart solutions are integrated into the system. People visiting areas across the city – this is our urban setting – they are always driving around looking for parking, safe parking areas. People have that appetite. Romac’s Parking Lot has been doing great in this area and so this will enhance Romac’s. There is always need for more parking.”
Present to unveil the plaque honoring the late Mayor David Fonseca was the Minister of the Public Service, Henry Charles Usher. Usher, a close friend of Fonseca, shared this special moment with Fonseca’s wife now serving on his Fort George Committee.
Henry Charles Usher
Henry Charles Usher, Friend of Former Mayor
“It was an honor of mine to be here to be a part of the opening ceremony for this parking lot named in honor of William David Fonseca, a good friend of mine, a good friend of Fort George, a longtime supporter and committee member in the Fort George Division under the Right Honorable Said Musa. Ms. Yolanda Fonseca, his wife continues to be a committee member in Fort George.”
Yolanda Fonseca drew attention to the significance of the area where the parking lot is located and pointed to the buildings and what they represent in one area she called the Freedom Zone.
Yolanda Fonseca
Yolanda Fonseca, Wife of David Fonseca
“Look at our justice system, it stands proud and tall, that stands against internal injustice from tyranny and those who want to come against our humble democracy, but it doesn’t stop there. In my mind, this is a zone. This zone here is specifically Freedom Zone. Just, just look at it. We have financial freedom, we have the banks, we have spiritual freedom, we have the church, we have good governance. Good governance is freedom beyond you can really imagine. They’ve just established a statue of our national father, George Cadle Price.”
Anyone who uses the parking lot will pay three dollars an hour. Marion Ali for News Five.
Mayor Wagner expects the Belize City Council to recoup the money spent on the new parking lot within two and a half years. He also highlighted the need for more parking lots around Belize City, seeing it as a great opportunity for the Council to generate significant revenue. Wagner suggested that abandoned lots could be transformed into safe parking areas.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“Based on our projections, we could earn revenues in the neighborhood of $4.5 per week. And so, if you quantify that across a month, you’re looking at close to $18,000 and over an year, you’re looking at close to $200,000 in revenue from this parking facility. If we do 10 of these all across the city, you could do the math, but we need the collaboration with the ministry of natural resources. We did an exercise where we identified 40 abandoned lots in the city and we had, um, sent that to the ministry to have them see how they could acquire those abandoned lots, um, to turn them from just being nuisance to society and turn them into productive spaces.”
Tonight, we’re turning our attention back to a casino in San Pedro Town. Lastweek, News Five had an in-depth interview with Mayor Wally Nunez about allegations that up to two hundred golf cart permits were issued to Caribi Bleu Casino. This evening, we have video footage of the council’s Vehicle Master List, which only shows the number of vehicles registered after permits are issued. Despite this, we accepted the mayor’s invitation to document the list. As our investigation into Caribi Bleu Casino deepens, News Five now has video evidence showing the casino illegally operating an ATM that dispenses U.S. currency. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
In our last investigative report on Caribi Bleu Casino in San Pedro, we grilled Mayor Wally Nunez about claims that the casino’s owners were granted two hundred golf cart permits. Issuing that many permits to a single establishment seems outrageous, and Mayor Nunez firmly denied the allegations.
Wally Nunez
Wally Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro Town
“That is not a fact.”
Today, the San Pedro Town Council gave News Five a look at its Vehicle Master List, which shows a whopping fourteen thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven registered vehicles on the island. The mayor’s aide mentioned that the list needs updating since some entries are inactive. We then searched for any vehicles registered to Caribi Bleu Casino, and sure enough, we found results under Caribi Bleu Limited. It turns out they have twenty golf carts registered and insured as of May twenty-eighth, 2024.
Wally Nunez
“The company applied for the renewal of some permits they had, which was twenty golfcarts. That was approved even while Monetas was there, which was twenty golfcarts for the resort.”
It’s important to note that the Vehicle Master List only shows how many vehicles are registered under a person or company, not how many permits were issued to them. Despite our visit to the San Pedro Town Council’s Traffic Department, our recent trip to Caribi Bleu Casino left us with more questions than answers. We discovered that numerous golf carts were being stored in a neighboring building the casino is developing. Video footage from early October shows golf carts neatly parked on the cramped first floor. However, today that same floor was almost empty, except for a few old gaming machines. A spokesperson for Caribi Bleu Casino claimed that no golf carts were parked inside the building, but our initial video tells a different story.
What’s even more suspicious is that there’s an ATM inside the casino dispensing U.S. currency. According to the Exchange Control Regulations Act, you need authorization from the Central Bank to deal in foreign currency. In a covert operation, someone used their card at the casino’s ATM, entered their PIN, and within seconds, two U.S. bills popped out. News Five has confirmed that Caribi Bleu Casino doesn’t have Central Bank authorization for this machine. The law states that anyone who doesn’t comply with the Exchange Control Regulations Act can be fined or face jail time. Additionally, under the Payment Systems Act, you can’t operate an ATM without a license from the Central Bank, and that license must be clearly displayed inside the establishment. Tonight, many questions remain unanswered. Where does the U.S. currency for the ATM come from? Did the Gaming Control Board do its homework before giving Caribi Bleu Casino its license? And has there been any compliance check to ensure they’re following regulations and anti-money laundering laws? We’ll keep digging to find the answers. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
Today, Cellular World Belize held an exciting live forum all about the latest in technology and the hurdles that come with it. Key speakers from Dell and Epson were on hand to share their industry know-how and explore new business opportunities in Belize. Earlier, News Five’s Britney Gordon was at the conference to get the scoop on these hot topics. Here’s her report.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Technology is moving at lightning speed! In just the past few years, tools like artificial intelligence have revolutionized industry, pushing both consumers and technicians to keep up with the rapid changes. Cellular World Belize hosted a lively forum today to dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape. The General Manager of Cellular World shared more insights with us.
Joel Cervantez
Joel Cervantez, General Manager, Cellular World
“Besides also being the leading company in electronics we decided to bring to Belize both Dell and Epson. Why? One, Epson who sells these printers and the eco tanks, which we are seeing and noting for our different, in the education department especially, for families, you can purchase it at a much lower price and the inks are much cheaper. And with Dell. We are a gold partner with Dell, and as such, what is happening for the future in the next era in artificial intelligence and cyber security? How can they partner with us? What is it that we can offer along with our products? Laptops, computers, and all that. This is for us to make give awareness to the Belizeans. And once again, we want to take that lead and we are doing so.”
The forum was a collaboration between Cellular World, Epson, and Dell. At the forum, representatives delved into the big issues facing the tech industry and shared tips on how technicians can tackle these challenges head-on. Dell representative, Byron Urbina explained what the key areas of concern were.
“The main topics are, for example, cyber security. Belize, as the rest of the countries in the region, are facing a new era of cyber-attacks and the idea is to present how Dell is presenting the products and how Dell is helping to prevent that kind of attacks. And the second topic is artificial intelligence, how our products are bringing international intelligence in every aspect of the design of the product, from the hardware design, or even in the monitoring and intelligent monitoring, and help to the end user to be aware of the all AI power from Dell to the hardware.”
The teams also brainstormed ways to grow their business and let Belizeans know about the variety of products they offer. Rashmi Ranmarine, Regional Account Manager at Epson, highlighted that Belize’s consumer market is a perfect match for their products.
Rashmi Ranmarine
Rashmi Ranmarine, Regional Account Manager, EPSON
“Epson is a Japanese company, and one of the key pillars of this Japanese company is to be more environmentally conscious, to reduce our carbon footprint by the year 2050. I’ve realized that in my research, that Belize is very also environmentally conscious, and I think it’s a great fit in terms of how we can support each other as two different entities in making I thought it was just an exciting opportunity to be here and to show that side of Epson.”
Cellular World employees will also be receiving training to strengthen the technical support they are able to offer to Belizeans.
Joel Cervantez
“We will have training programs for our employees and we need to be ahead of the game. AI is real, cyber security is real, and unless we go and be at the forefront, then we cannot offer that to our customers if we are not trained ourselves. And as leaders in electronics, in cyber security and all that, that wewant to be. We have to do that first.”
The International Miss Earth Pageant has wrapped up, and Belize’s own Morgan Miles is back home. This pageant gives young women a stage to voice their concerns about environmental and social issues. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon caught up with Miles as she returned from the Philippines.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
When people think of pageantry, they often picture stunning dresses and high heels. But for those in the know, pageantry is all about having a platform. Every contestant vying for the Miss Earth 2024 crown is championing an important environmental cause. Today, Belize’s own Morgan Miles returned from the Philippines after a month of competing.
Morgan Miles
Morgan Miles, Miss Earth Belize
“I think one of the things that I definitely took over there was my heritage and my pride that I have for Belize. Belize is so culturally diverse and there is just so much hidden jewels and hidden adventures and things that Belize has to offer. And so I took especially my advocacy conservation and sustainability over there and I got to share that with everyone over there on the international stage and that was just mind-blowing.”
While the Miss Earth Pageant might not have the same global fame as some other pageants, it champions equally important causes. Contestants are all about promoting green living, sustainable development, and a cleaner future. Morgan Miles, Belize’s representative, has always loved the outdoors, with hobbies like fishing and canoeing. She never saw herself as a pageant queen, but she stepped out of her comfort zone because she truly believes in the platform she represents.
Morgan Miles
“My passion for the environment and sustainability and conservation has all really come together and kind of created one with the pageant because me, by profession, I am a sustainable farmer. I own Fat Farmer, where I supply different health foods, restaurants, and hotels with packaged whole chickens. And then I also stand for conservation in the fly-fishing industry in Belize. So I really want to bring more awareness of these things and why there’s a need for it, not only in Belize but worldwide.”
Joining her on this incredible journey was Mia-Paige Miles, the Director of the Miss Earth Belize Pageant and Morgan’s sister. She shared that one of the most rewarding parts of the experience was seeing her sister shine as her true self on an international stage.
Mia-Paige Miles
Mia-Paige Miles, Director, Miss Earth Belize
“So, seeing Belize on an international stage, our small country, Belize, represents itself very largely when we go abroad. So seeing Morgan, especially both personally and professionally, seeing her on the stage showing her advocacy was something that hit close to home. And I’m glad that we could have shared that with everybody.”
Morgan’s reign will last for a year, and during this time, the team hopes the Miss Earth Pageant will keep growing and draw in more supporters. Even though she didn’t win the coveted title, Morgan is determined to use her platform to inspire other young girls to get involved in conservation and believe they can be the change they want to see.
Morgan Miles
“I think just being a role model now that I am is something that blows my mind, continues to blow my mind daily. I myself never thought that I would have been a pageant queen, but I really put myself out there and I just want to encourage a younger generation, the youth, to be who you are. Stand up for you, who you are. If you believe in conservation, sustainability, these are the things that we need to start portraying more. Bring out your inner personality, inner you, and just show off the least of the best of your ability.”
Tropical Storm Sara is brewing and could start moving westward next week. If it forms, it’ll be the eighteenth named storm of this Atlantic Hurricane Season. Right now, it’s expected to head towards the Gulf of Mexico, but we’re still not sure how strong it’ll get or its exact path. The National Emergency Management Organization is ready, and today, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner mentioned that CEMO is also keeping a close eye on Sara’s progress and power.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“Our city emergency NEMO. and the Met Office and we are closely monitoring, the track of this system here. But we stand ready as a city. We hope it never comes to fruition. We never want to be impacted by any hurricane or disaster. Because the fact is that, it really sets you back as a country, and especially as a municipality that has its own struggles.”
This morning at the Belize Institute of Management’s conference room, a new grassroots movement made up of fourteen standard bearers from across the country was introduced to Belizean voters. The group, called the Belizeans Justice Movement, is led by Orange Walk resident Friday Pfizer. During a press conference, Pfizer shared the story behind the movement, emphasizing that they don’t see themselves as a third party, even though they’re stepping into the political arena ahead of the next general elections.
Friday Pfizer, Belizeans Justice Movement
“It came about roughly since 2016. 2016, I decided to tour the entire country because knowledge is power. You need to know so that you can express and you can let people know what it is that is needed, and what I gathered from everybody, every district, every village has their own little problem, but everybody cries for one thing, social justice. That is what is needed and I did it because simply, I just want to know my country. I want to know my people, and when you know someone you get to find out what their needs are, and if you can help in any kind of way, personally I can’t, but with a group of men and women who are not politicians, who are servicemen and women, we can make the change.
Condace Lowe
Condace Lowe, Belizeans Justice Movement
“I was raised in the country of Belize, so I consider myself as a Belizean. So I have a lot of friends and friends and family throughout the country, so they do know who I am. I stick to my principle and I stick to what I believe in for our country. What I believe in this country is that we are lacking in a lot of things. And therefore, I was introduced to this group, hearing their mission, hearing their vision and all of that, and it’s in line with what I want to see the country to progress. I am from Corozal District, I’ve been helping with my community there, especially with the homeless. They understand me and I help them out; not only for the homeless, but also for the less fortunate people.”
