2025-04-08 - Channel 5 Belize

House Burned by Mentally Ill Family Member Still Under Investigation

Late last month, a house on Banak Street was destroyed by a fire, leaving one woman without any possessions to her name. The owner of the house, Shana Tillet, suspects that the fire may have been started by her mentally ill nephew, however, the source of the fire remains under investigation. We asked Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Officer, for an update on the incident. Here’s more on that.

Reporter

“For the Banak Street fire and with the person who was arrested, did you guys assert a cause? Like, how did he start the fire?”

Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Officer, National Fire Service

“We didn’t get to speak to the person at Banak Street. We were still hoping to see that we could actually interview him.”

Reporter

“Is he still in police detention?”

Gladstone Bucknor

“I’m not sure about that one as yet.”

Reporter

“But you received reports that he was mentally challenged?”

Gladstone Bucknor

Yes. He was mentally challenged. Yes.”

Shana Tillett, Homeowner

“ I was at work and I came home because they call and said fire. The house burn down. So when I reached the whole ah this burn down, the whole ah that di look fi go and round deh. But my nephew was upstairs. He not supposed to be up there. He kind of crazy. He stay up here. But I noh know when ih mi di do ova deh and da that up there it start from. Look like ih smoke ih cigarette and ih throw it and ih burn the place. And my daughter lived downstairs, di sleep and neem know the whole top the burn down and she deh downstairs.”

Salaries Eat Up 95% of Youth and Sports Annual Budget

As we’ve been reporting, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is now led by Minister Anthony Mahler and Minister of State Devin Daly. Just three weeks into their new roles, they’re already making significant changes. One major focus for Mahler and Daly is figuring out how to better utilize their seven-and-a-half-million-dollar budget. Right now, a staggering seven million dollars of that goes to salaries, according to Daly. He shared more about this on the Open Your Eyes Morning Show today.

Devin Daly, Minister of State, Ministry of Youth

“We have mainly focused on Belize City, trying to assess the problems here in the city and then our plan is in the next week and a half to visit the other districts, but the reality is we have accessible to us, about seven and a half million between youth and sports. However, seven out of that seven and a half million is on salaries. We are using five hundred thousand between youth and sports to really bring program work and also the upkeep of facilities and utilities and all those stuff. So that is the meat of the problem. So I don’t really believe that any tax payer would be satisfied with getting that amount for real sports and youth work within this country. So I am a firm believer that no matter how good the team is or how efficient the methodology is, if we are not solving the right problem the project will eventually fail.”

Is the DYS Meeting Needs of Majority Youth Population?

To make the Ministry of Youth and Sports more efficient with its limited budget, ministers Daly and Mahler might need to downsize staff, given that ninety-five percent of the annual budget goes to salaries. An initial assessment of the Department of Youth Services raised several questions about the effectiveness of their programs. Daly shared more insights into this matter.

Devin Daly, Minister of State, Ministry of Youth

“It is about a hundred and twenty something staff. But over the years there has been a lot of displacement of staff. What we have been understanding is that whenever as staff is maybe transferred or moved and that position is not filled then it displaces the staff below them. So, what we have been doing, in the past week and a half, Minister Mahler and the CEO, we have been meeting with the directors and CO to really understand what is the work that DYS does, because I think it was a grey area for the public too. So, we have been canvassing and finding out what is the data to support the work that you have been doing and having them assess themselves. Do you think this is working? Do you think this is touching the fourteen to twenty-nine age group which translates to two hundred and eighty, almost three hundred thousand out of our population? So, changes will come, and I know sometimes in our culture we can be hesitant to change. But we are not here to displace anybody who is here doing there work. And we are not in these departments everyday. So this exercise is being led by the directors.”

Paul Lopez

“So are we looking at, with consultations from the directors, to declare some posts redundant for greater efficiency?”

Devin Daly

“We are still going over every position. There will be some changes, but we are trying to work with the staff that has been there. Overall what we want is a booming youth department.”

New Board to Be Appointed at NSC

In sports news, the National Sports Council is set to welcome a new board of directors. There’s also talk about a possible merger with the Department of Youth Services. Daly shared insights on these exciting developments aimed at bridging the gaps in sports and youth development.

Devin Daly, Minister of State, Ministry of Sports

“Being in the seat I am in now; I now understand that as a government our job is twofold. We are supposed to make sure that facilities, which are a part of development is upkept to a certain standard, and we are supposed to work with the federations to ensure the competition and development side of youth and senior sport is carried out. So, one of the things dear to me is that we have to make sure we keep these facilities to a standard, and we have to apply pressure and resources to the federations to ensure that they are carrying competition in the facilities we provide. You can’t have competition without facilities and facilities will just be facilities without competition and development.”

Paul Lopez

“Have you done an assessment of the National Sports Council in a similar way with DYS, to ensure that the operations there are aligned with the fresh mandate, the vision that you and Minister Mahler bring?”

Devin Daly

“Yes, we have already done that, and it complements with a new board that will be revealed shortly.”

Paul Lopez

“Can you reveal who the new director will be?”

Devin Daly

“We have not selected a new director. The current director is currently on leave.”

Paul Lopez

“So she is on leave and perhaps while she is on leave that selection will be made?”

Devin Daly

“Not saying that. We are still around the table finding out if we want to go in that direction or a different direction.”

Francisco Cuellar is New BAPDA President

The Belize Association of Persons with Diverse Ability (BAPDA) has elected new board members following the passing of former President Kenrick Theus. On March twenty-second, the association held elections to choose a new leadership team. Francisco Cuellar, who previously served as vice-president, was elected as the new president. We had the chance to speak with Cuellar today about his new role.

Francisco Cuellar, President, BAPDA

“I took up the post. I was vice president, and Mr. Theus was president. So it is an honor for me as president because now I will fight for people with disability and diverse ability like myself. Nothing much has been happening in the country of Belize. We just passed the Disability Bill, now we have a new minister. The election happened, so we starting a new process. Everything is new, so the transition will happen but it will take time. I promise to work hard for people who are disabled, mental, sickle cell to register as a member. We are looking at data. We don’t know data concerning people living with disabilities. My vision is to make all buildings disability accessible. They have ramps, elevators, buildings with two, three floors don’t have ramps or elevators so people with wheelchairs cant climb up. They have to climb on steps so that is the transition I want to fight. Even with the hurricane season on us, we don’t have proper shelters for persons with disabilities, like persons who are bedridden without proper shelter. So we are working on it as we speak.”

Was Sunday’s Fire in an Abandoned House Caused by Squatters?

According to the Belize District Station Officer Gladstone Bucknor, Sunday’s fire on Hunter’s Lane in Belize City was an abandoned building that squatters were using to stay in. He told reporters today, “The first building appears to be abandoned, but it’s under investigation. We believe squatters were staying there.”

Bucknor stated that the fire department was alerted at around 2:30 in the afternoon, and three fire trucks responded to the scene.

The fire damaged a neighbouring apartment building. Bucknor said the blaze severely damaged the ground floor of a nearby apartment, home to two families. “The first floor was completely destroyed, and the ground floor received significant heat and water damage,” Bucknor added.

A nearby resident, Joan Lightburn, told News 5, “The house was abandoned over there. It was right opposite us. And as I say, we just – I just felt the heat.”

Bucknor added that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Devin Daly: “Changes Will Come” to Department of Youth Services

The Ministry of Youth and Sports is facing questions over the effectiveness of the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and whether it is meeting the needs of young people. Minister of State Devin Daly revealed that there is a budget of $7.5 million shared between youth and sports. Of that figure, $7 million is spent on staff salaries, leaving only $500,000 to “really bring programmatic work and also to upkeep our facilities, utilities and all those stuff.”

Daly said this morning on Open Your Eyes that the department employs about 120 people. He explained that there have been ongoing staff displacements, with vacant positions leading to additional strain on existing staff. “Whenever a staff member is moved or transferred and the position is not filled, it displaces the staff below them,” he said.

Daly said that he has been meeting with directors alongside Minister Anthony Mahler to review the department’s work. “We have been canvassing and finding out what is the data to support the work that you have been doing and having them assess themselves. Do you think this is working? Do you think this is touching the 14-29 age group?”

According to Daly, there is a need for changes but reassured that they were not aiming to displace staff. “Changes will come, but we are not here to displace anybody who is here doing their work,” said Daly.

Dire Wolf Cloned Back to Life After Going Extinct for 12,500 Years

A species of wolf that vanished around 12,500 years ago has been brought back to life as the” “world’s first successfully de-extincted animal,” according to Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company.

Scientists at Colossal Biosciences successfully created three dire wolf pups by manipulating the genes of grey wolves using ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technologies.

Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO, called this “a massive milestone.” According to CNN, the pups are currently housed on a secure 2,000-acre site, where they are being monitored.

The dire wolf, a formidable predator that once roamed North America, is closely related to the modern grey wolf.

Colossal’s team used DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to recreate the animal’s genome. The result is a hybrid species that resembles the extinct dire wolf, with distinct features such as a wider head and thicker fur, according to CNN.

While some experts question whether the pups can truly be considered dire wolves, Colossal remains focused on the broader implications for de-extinction and conservation efforts.

The technology used could eventually aid in saving endangered species by enhancing genetic diversity.

Man Sentenced to Almost 26yrs for Sexual Offences Against Minor

This morning in the High Court, Justice Nigel Pilgrim handed down a lengthy prison sentence to Jeffery Pott, a resident of Corozalito Village, after he was convicted of three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

Pott, who previously lived in Belize City, was found guilty of having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl twice in 2021 and 2022, and again when she was fourteen.

He will serve nearly twenty-six years in prison for these crimes.

PAHO/WHO Pushes to Eliminate Mother-to-Child HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in the Caribbean

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a major project focused on eliminating the transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B from mother to child across the Caribbean. The initiative, named “Strengthening the EMTCT Plus Strategy within the Maternal and Child Health Framework,” was unveiled during a regional webinar attended by over 250 stakeholders from the Caribbean.

This project is being supported by the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and addresses a concerning rise in syphilis cases in the region. According to PAHO, congenital syphilis has shown an increase of 40% from 2016 to 2022. PAHO’s regional advisor for HIV, Sandra Jones, outlined the project’s focus on strengthening health systems, improving diagnostics, and enhancing surveillance.

In a statement issued on Monday, PAHO’s Caribbean Subregional Programme Director, Dr Juan Manuel Sotelo, said, “The elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B is a key pillar of the broader elimination agenda and a top priority for PAHO. By addressing this challenge head-on, we are moving closer to a Caribbean where every mother and child can thrive and live free from these infections.”

Sotelo added that this project is part of a collective effort in the Caribbean Region. He said, Diseases do not respect borders, so if we want to eliminate these transmissions, we must work together.”