On Wednesday, Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa, Director of Public Health & Wellness, alerted mayors across all municipalities about the concerning findings. Back in 2019, the Government of Belize, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), launched the “First Ever Wellness Parks” initiative, installing eight sets of workout equipment in various municipalities. However, due to the high levels of lead found in the paint, it’s crucial to remove and safely dispose of this equipment as soon as possible. The detection was made using a special analytical tool that measures the fluorescence properties of a sample. It works by shining light on the sample and then measuring the intensity and spectrum of the light that gets emitted.
Joaquin Urbina
Dr. Joaquin Urbina, Assistant Professor, U.B.
“This device can be placed directly on the surface of the paint, and you can get a reading within under a minute. And so, the values that were obtained were further validated using a more complex device available at Mercer and it can really confirm the numbers that we got from the XRF test that we did on site. So the validation part was absolutely important because that is what is used as a standard to then officially report the values of the lead in the paint. I must, you know, recognize the work that Mercer University has done along with the University of Belize. The University of Belize is premiere university in the country and as the premiere university, our mission, or part of our mission, is to ensure that any type of scholarly work is going to serve as a way to inform decision making at the national level. So this particular study does exemplify the importance that academia plays in guiding decision making for the government.”
The Embassy of Taiwan wants to make it clear that while they funded the exercise equipment back in 2018, they weren’t involved in actually buying it. They take this issue very seriously and are committed to working closely with Belize’s government agencies to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again in future projects.
Efforts are in full swing to rebuild the historic Queen Street Baptist Church, which played a significant role in Belize’s history. Tragically, the church was destroyed by a fire on the morning of February 21st. Rebuilding won’t be easy, though, as the estimated cost for a new concrete structure is over two million dollars. Despite this setback, the school has adapted to continuing its daily operations without the space they once had for their feeding program and reading classes. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali with the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Five weeks after a fire destroyed the historic Queen Street Baptist Church on Eve Street, church services have been moved to one of the school’s classrooms. This arrangement might continue for quite some time, as the cost to rebuild the church is a hefty two point two million dollars.
Lloyd Stanford
Lloyd Stanford, Pastor, Queen Street Baptist Church
“We have a classroom right in the lower flat of the school and we turned it into a makeshift church and we’re having wonderful attendance and fellowship there. Last Sunday we had about fifty people in that little classroom. In my original release I gave an approximate cost of two point two million dollars. And that is looked at and we get into the actual estimate and plans and so forth, we will see how that will play out. The suggestion that we have right now is that we rebuild as it was but with some modern changes and so forth. That work is ongoing as we work on drawing up a plan.”
The plan is to rebuild the new church just like the old one, but with a lift for easier access for people with mobility challenges. However, they might need to cut costs if necessary. Pastor Lloyd Stanford has reached out to his congregation and the wider community for help with fundraising and donations for a block drive. He knows it’s going to be a slow process and will likely happen in phases.
Lloyd Stanford
“What the membership looked at when we met with the board of trustees, it will be as it was. That’s what it is right now. When we look at it, there might be some adjustments to it, where we have the classrooms on the lower flat and the church on the upper flat.”
Marion Ali
“How close are you to the two point two million dollars?
Lloyd Stanford
“We are very far; we’re very far. We’re in the making of all of this. We have a letter that we circulated across the world and people are encouraged to make a deposit to the bank that is in that letter and people are doing that.”
Steve Ozaeta has taught at Queen Street Baptist School for the past twenty years. He mentioned that the fire deeply saddened many of the students, but now they’ve bounced back.
Steve Ozaeta
Steve Ozaeta, Teacher, Queen Street Baptist Church
“It did affect them emotionally. I’m sure it affects them physically as well.”
The students have now moved their reading room to an upstairs classroom in the school building. The feeding program is also running from the same building.
Steve Ozaeta
“We have made a makeshift kitchen in one of the classrooms by putting a partition so we have the stove and refrigerator in there and the cook is cooking some of the best that Queen Street Baptist can offer.”
Besides the damage to the school’s furniture and interior, Ozaeta also lost some personal items he kept there for the kids’ benefit. He’s now asking for help to replace those appliances. Additionally, there’s a need for a teacher’s bathroom.
Steve Ozaeta
“I lost a lot of personal things that I used in my classroom such as my water cooler which is essential for the kids when it gets hot. I lost an inkjet printer. I provided all the children’s headphones so they could plug into the computers so they could listen to the sounds for reading. I would love if somebody could assist me with the headphones. For the bathroom the teachers are using the children’s bathroom so the children’s bathroom is for everybody.”
Ozaeta extends his heartfelt thanks to the Central Bank of Belize and Cellular World for their generous donations of several computers and the equipment needed to clean up the soot left after the fire. Marion Ali for News Five.
Last week, a meeting was held at the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security to discuss the salary system for Belize’s military. This has been a concern for soldiers for several years. Today, we asked Brigadier General Azariel Loria about the outcome of that meeting. He shared that steps are being taken to adjust military salaries to match those of other security services in Belize.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F.
“There were some concerns that were not addressed which encompass, primarily, the pay scale and other allowances, among other things. Rations is not a concern anymore. In previous years, it used to be, but now it’s not a concern for us. We have enough sufficient rations to…”
Marion Ali
“But the type of rations I think was what was the concern, what they were given.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“Yes, the type of rations and we’re addressing it. Furthermore, we’re accessing the British rations too as well. So that shouldn’t be a problem. We have the rations that should have the adequate calorie content, protein contents, carbohydrates so that they can perform his job to the best of his ability.”
Marion Ali
“So, what’s the update coming out of the meeting as it pertains to their salaries?
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“That is something that the ministry will be prioritizing and we will know more in the coming days, but that was discussed and the priority of the minister was to tackle or adjust that head on.”
Marion Ali
“Were there any assurances given that it will be adjusted on par with the other security forces?
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“It’ll be prioritized. We do not know, but that is what we intended to do, to ensure that it’s adjusted and ensure that it’s fair across the board.”
Today, the Community Rehabilitation Department received a generous donation of ninety-five thousand dollars’ worth of information and communication technology equipment. This donation was made under the PACE Justice Project, funded by the European Union in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program. So, what’s all this ICT equipment for? The department is launching an adult probation unit that offers alternative sentencing for low-risk and first-time offenders. We got more details from the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Human Development.
Adele Catzim-Sanchez
Adele Catzim-Sanchez, C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development
“The importance of today is that the ICT equipment is part of a larger project. It really reflects the need for us to improve the support services we provide for low-risk offenders. It is part of a project we call PACE Justice and it is a regional project in the Caribbean and Belize was selected as one of the countries to participate in the project and the objectives are to provide legal education to people so that they can better navigate the system, to reduce the backlog of cases that goes through the court and to ensure that first time offenders have community and rehabilitative service so that they don’t reoffend and at the same time not clog up the justice system by putting people or incarcerating people in prison. It will be for CRD. We will be hiring new people, new community rehabilitation officers to work in the adult probation unit. So we are in the process of setting up that unit. This equipment will help us to make sure we can manage our client database, make sure that we can communicate better with all our partners, including the court, the justice system and the community development organizations, cause we will need community participation to make sure this works well. If we are doing probation we will need to monitor where our clients are. If we are doing restorative justice we will need to ensure our young people can do community service instead of going to jail or Wagner’s Facility.”
We also spoke with Michael Lund, the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program. He gave us more insight into their mission to reduce the court system backlog through alternative sentencing options like probation. Here’s what he had to say.
Michael Lund
Michael Lund, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP
“This is a year long collaboration we have had not only with the ministry of human development but also with the justice sector at large, the courts, the police, the prisons, and the lawyers that we have supported in a range of efforts to improve the system, including the backlogs. I think the efforts to reduce the backlog was the Adult Alternative Sentencing Act of last year. Operationalizing that is creating this unit which is the adult probational unit that is being created. This IT equipment will help operationalize that unit. You are able to move away from writing papers, shuffling papers, but digitizing your work and moving more efficient. But it is also reducing the backlog by not sending low-risk, first time offenders all the way through the court system into overcrowded prison, but handling it much early and up front. So, it does not even become a case.”
What began as a friendly fitness competition among women’s teams from the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defense Force, and the Belize Coast Guard wrapped up this afternoon with the Belize Coast Guard team claiming bragging rights. Since Wednesday, the women have been competing in six different fitness challenges, all scored by a points system. News Five’s Marion Ali has the final scores.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The Coast Guard team of eight women has earned the bragging rights at the 2025 Wonder Women competition. Over the past few days, from Wednesday to today, they tackled and conquered six different fitness challenges. It wasn’t an easy feat, but their hard work and determination paid off.
Diana Velasquez
Petty Officer Diana Velasquez, Belize Coast Guard Team Captain
“Two weeks before this event, one of my strong swimmers got malaria, so she was completely out. We had to take her out. Then Sunday before this weekend, another strong member got dengue. So she was totally out. So we had to bring in a swimmer to replace her because it had to be eight per team, so we had to bring in a swimmer to replace her, but this person didn’t train at all, so she was just brought in just to specifically do the swim run. Apart from that, one of my other strong six went and pull her hamstring, so she totally couldn’t do all of the events. We just brought her in for this morning’s march on shoot because our other team member was injured from during the training.”
“It was an amazing event, amazing. The past three days have been nothing but remarkable. The women across the security services really came out and did their best. They did their all. You can hear the noise; you can feel energy here at the Coast Guard headquarters. And every event was a challenge. The teams really gave it their all.”
The Coast Guard team racked up an impressive six hundred and seventy points over the past three days, narrowly beating the Belize Defense Force by just ten points. Both teams have every reason to feel incredibly proud of their efforts, including the BDF team trained by Major Roberta Usher.
Roberta Usher
Major Roberta Usher, B.D.F. Team Captain
“We did exceptionally well. We put the training in and we came out here and we performed to the best of our ability, and I’m proud of all of them.”
Marion Ali
“Can you share a little bit about the behind-the-scenes training? How long was it, what was the most challenging for you and maybe the kinks or the most difficult part over the three-day period here?”
Major Roberta Usher
“Well, training-wise, the girls have been together about two and a half months. I was currently working in the west at the battalion there, so I was not with them the entire time. Only when I was off then I had the opportunity to come train with them, but they were together twice a day training just basically the three days of events, over and over. I think every day produced its own challenges. Day one, we excelled on A.P.F.T. The swim is not our strong suit, but overall, I think the competition was really close this year with everybody. We were neck and neck everyday with the Coast Guard.”
Azariel Loria
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F.
“It’s not something easy. It’s something grueling and it takes a lot from our women. I’m very proud of what they did, but we must do better and what this event in particularly enforces in us it in camaraderie.”
Interestingly, Roberta Usher’s sister, Jane Usher, trained the Belize Police Department’s team. Despite the competition, it didn’t affect their sisterly bond one bit.
Jane Usher
A.S.P Jane Usher, Director of Training, Police Team
“We each go hard for our own teams. We will put our best out there – everything on the line for our team. But at the end of the day, we will cheer each other, we will support each other. We have the benefit of training together. I don’t want to say that she gave away B.D.F secrets or anything like that. She certainly did not, but she definitely supported me in helping me to prepare a training schedule because we’re not really that experienced in this competition. So it’s definitely to our advantage and the friendly rivalry, the competition, the training partner, the support, having someone out there pushing you, even from the other team, it’s very motivational.”
Corporal Jennifer Linares shared that it took more than eight weeks of intense training to get ready for the competition.
Jennifer Linares
Cpl. Jennifer Linares, Captain, Team Police
“We try to do our personal workout, but then afterwards we did this for 10 weeks before the competition. They give us the time so that we can train and be part of this competition.”
The Police team got five hundred and sixty points over the three days of competition. News Five will present a documentary on the event shorty. Marion Ali for News Five.
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has a delightful new addition. Meet Grace, a one-month-old Tapir calf who was separated from her mother during a wildfire in La Gracia. A local farmer found her and brought her to safety. After a week of care at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic, Grace is now in quarantine at the Belize Zoo. She’s set to make her grand debut on International Tapir Day in April. Today, we got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the zoo to see what’s next for Grace. Here’s News Five’s Paul Lopez with the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
“Today we are at the Belize Zoo to me one of its newest members, a tapir calf named Grace. Grace was rescued in the La Gracia Community. Reports are that she was separated from her mother because of wildfire.”
Newborn tapirs sport a cute brown coat adorned with white spots and stripes. These markings act as natural camouflage, helping them blend into their surroundings and stay safe from predators. Over time, these spots and stripes gradually fade away, usually disappearing within five to six months. This is Grace’s makeshift habitat behind the scenes at the Belize Zoo, where only her. We arrived just in time to see Grace’s caretakers in action during her feeding time, a routine they follow every three hours, day and night. Grace eagerly drinks down two bottles of specially formulated milk at each feeding, ensuring she grows up healthy and strong. Doctor Celso Pott, the Managing Director at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, oversees her care.
Celso Poot
Dr. Celso Poot, Managing Director, Belize Zoo
“You know that Tapir’s have a special place in our heart, in Belize’s heart. It is our national animal. April was in the house of many people, many kids came to the zoo to celebrate April Birthdays. So when we rescue a Tapir it is always a significant achievement for us. We have had two baby tapirs in the zoo before, so we have experience in raising tapir calf’s.”
Grace spent a week at the Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic before moving to her new home at the zoo. As a young calf, she needs human care, which means she’ll form a close bond with her caregivers. This strong connection makes it challenging to return her to the wild.
Dr. Celso Poot
“Tapir’s stay with their spotted skins or marks for at least six months. They stay with their mom for a year or a year and a half learning how to be a tapir. So, when you have a calf like this coming to us at two weeks, a month old, we have to teach them. You just witnessed the bottle feeding. We use to bottle feed every two hours, now we are bottle feeding every three hours. It is half litter of milk replacers. So they become dependent on us and it is very unlikely that Grace would be released back into the wild.”
But there’s no need to worry. Grace is now part of a loving tapir family at the zoo. She gets all the care and attention she needs, including those essential tummy and back rubs after every feeding. These gentle strokes help Grace relax completely. She slowly folds her rear legs and then flops onto her side, enjoying the pure bliss of being pampered.
Dr. Celso Poot
“At this age she is doing very well, very healthy, very feisty. She is always looking out for the food she is getting, the milk replacer. We also provide her with little enrichments. So you have the balls in there that she could kick around, bounce around, provide her with light fruits. So she is doing very health, very highly likely that she will survive.”
Paul Lopez
“People may want to know, when they may be able to meet baby Grace?”
Dr. Celso Poot
“As with all animals we meet at the zoo, intakes, we have to make sure they pass the quarantine period, that they are healthy and going to survive. In terms of Grace we have a big day coming up, global Tapir day, April twenty-seventh, so hint, hint.”
This week, we step into the ring to explore the journey of Kadejah Gentle, a rising Belizean American MMA fighter who’s redefining what it means to fight with passion and perseverance. Determined to make a name for herself, Kadejah’s story is one of relentless drive, overcoming challenges, and breaking barriers in a sport where women are still fighting for equal recognition. From dreaming of WWE stardom to mastering MMA, she’s proving that strength and determination know no gender. Join Sabreena Daly for this week’s look On the Bright Side.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the toughest and most competitive combat sports out there. Unlike traditional fighting styles, MMA fighters need to master multiple disciplines, including striking arts like Muay Thai and boxing, grappling techniques from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, and powerful moves from Judo and kickboxing. To reach the professional level, fighters need more than just raw talent—they need exceptional endurance, technical skill, and relentless discipline. In the ring, she’s known as Killer Kay, but her real name is Kadija Gentle, and her jabs are anything but gentle. This determined Belizean American MMA fighter is on a mission to make a name for herself in the sport. Living in the U.S., Kadija is driven by ambition and an unstoppable desire to leave her mark in the ring.
Kadejah Gentle
Kadejah Gentle, MMA Fighter
“I’m super passionate and although I’m at the point I’m at now, I feel like I got here way faster than expected. That just comes from my drive and my commitment to do better and be my best self in whatever I do. I would say another thing that drives me is just being an inspiration to people and just being a great role model, being a good person and being a great example especially because of where I come from. There are not a lot of outlets, especially being a woman, so that’s something that I really want to use my platform to shed some light on and show that we can do these things too. There are these people out here.”
Gentle originally dreamed of making it big in WWE—World Wrestling Entertainment. But her passion took a turn when she discovered other martial arts. Drawn to the intensity and discipline of combat sports, she switched her focus to MMA Fighting, pouring countless hours into perfecting her skills. Success in MMA takes more than just talent, it demands discipline, mental toughness, and relentless training. To compete at the highest level, Gentle endures grueling workouts she calls fight camp.
Kadejah Gentle
“Initially I started wrestling, and was working toward a childhood goal of mine to be a part of the WWE, to be a professional wrestler. Once I found they had wrestling in my highschool, i said okay all this is going to do is help me get to my goal. It ended up leading me to discover new things and new ambitions and new things I wanted to accomplish. So from there it just lead me to the path I’m on now. I always consider myself to be on what’s called a never ending camp, never ending fight camp. Because it’s something that I consider to be my career and what I want to be my career. I’m always training, I train six days a week. And leading up to a fight, it’s nonstop training for those six days. And the time off really from training is pretty much just a week. Sometimes we don’t even take that week off because we want to go back to the gym right away. You just want to get better. But the training camp is pretty much nonstop. And since I am working towards this goal, I’m just always in the gym, I’m just always training, always staying active. So I’m always on that path to being prepared and always prepared. And that’s just the mindset you have to carry, if you want to be at that high level.”
Women’s MMA in the U.S. and Belize are worlds apart. In the U.S., female fighters enjoy top-notch training facilities, plenty of media exposure, and increasing chances to compete internationally. On the other hand, MMA in Belize is still in its infancy, with limited resources, training centers, and media coverage. This makes it much tougher for aspiring fighters like Kadejah Gentle to make a name for themselves.
Kadejah Gentle
“There’s definitely, that number has definitely increased over time, from when I first started. Women being more exposed as not just like female athletes, but just as athletes, it shows that there’s a space for everyone in this and the women can be just as badass and just as dominant as the guys can, you know what I mean? Like there’s female alphas out there for sure and I feel like I’m one of them.”
Sabreena Daly
“As a female, do you still encounter challenges?”
Kadejah Gentle
“Oh yeah, for sure. Definitely being a female of a smaller stature, there’s definitely still that line that people try to cross. Like, let me see if I can try this type of thing. But once you’re assertive, and once you’re very comfortable in your skin and know who you are, and just stand 10 toes down, people respect that. So that gets cut out of the way very quickly. It’s something that you kind of get used to over time, unfortunately. But you just know how to handle those things once they do arise.”
Gentle, who proudly embraces her Belizean and Guatemalan roots while living in the US, is a shining example of women breaking barriers in MMA. With a fight record of 7-5, she has proven herself as a formidable competitor. Her impressive achievements include being a World Champion and a three-time National Champion, with titles such as the 2023 IKF Classic Champion, 2023 WKA National Champion, 2024 WKA National Champion, and 2024 IKF World Classic Champion. Gentle’s success demonstrates that women can excel in combat sports, challenging traditional gender norms and inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams without fear. Representation in MMA is vital—not just for visibility, but for empowering women to claim their space and show that strength and resilience have no gender boundaries.
Sabreena Daly
“What type of emotions do you feel when you’re in that ring? What goes through your head?”
Kadejah Gentle
“Oh, my gosh. Honestly, a lot of it is just muscle memory and reaction because it just feels like a blur most of the time because everything’s just like moving so fast-paced. But It’s like, you feel excitement, you feel nervous, you feel fear, you feel all these different things. But ultimately, it’s like, at the end, once you’re done and you’re accomplished, going through all those emotions, and even better, winning, it’s just a very satisfying feeling, accomplished feeling. But ultimately, you still know that there’s always more work to do. But in that moment, it’s just kind of like a sigh of relief.”
A fire broke out this afternoon on Mayflower Street in Belize City. The fire destroyed a wooden and zinc structure. Shana Tillett, one of the residents, was notified of the fire while at work and returned to find her home burnt down.
Firefighters were seen on the grounds trying to control the fire.
The family suspects that the fire may have been accidentally set by a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia. According to Tillet, the family had taken him in in an effort to help him.
The family of more than six has lost everything in the blaze. Those wishing to assist can contact Shana Tillett at 602-4520.
As we reported, authorities discovered the remains of the drug plane, which was deliberately set on fire after landing on a makeshift airstrip in the remote Toledo District near the Guatemalan border. The aircraft, suspected of being involved in smuggling, landed earlier this week in the Graham Creek area. A village council official, we understand, is also being detained after communication equipment was found in the official’s residence.
Of the two police officers, we are told that one is attached to the Anti Narcotics Unit while the other is a sergeant in the Special Patrol Unit.
Commander of the Belize Defence Force Brigadier General Azariel Loria told News 5 that “It is a law enforcement activity. The Belize Defence Force is in support because of the type of assets that we have.” Loria added that they have secured the remnants of the plan. “There are a few more details that I cannot share with you at this point in time, and I would refer you to the police department when it comes to that,” he added.
“We need to do quite a bit of investigation when it comes to that and get to the bottom of it. I think that there was one major figure that was detained and is, I don’t know if he has been arrested at this point in time, from one of the villages down in the south, which could lead us to more.”
He said that it is a drug trafficking network that law enforcement agencies are trying to dismantle. “By the detention of this person, I don’t want to share the details, and I would prefer for the Commissioner or somebody from the police department to go into those details, but I think we will have the potential to solve and, in so doing, dismantle the network down in the south.”
