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Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
transcript of our evening television news script. Many interviews on our newscast
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88-year-old Lord Rhaburn: How I Survived A Hit And Run (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
Interview with Lord Rhaburn
On August 22nd - 88 year old Gerald Lord Rhaburn was knocked down in front of his home in a traffic accident both inexplicable and deeply troubling. But, it's also a miracle that he survived.
This evening, he finally felt well enough to tell Jomarie Lanza his story - here it is:
He says it's a miracle that he is still alive and sitting before us today. The Musical Legend's life was threatened on August 28th, while coming back home from a night out at Tropicana. He was the victim of a hit and run in front of his own house here on Coney Drive, and today he gave us a recount of how it happened.
Lord Rhaburn, Music Legend
"Well, I was getting out of the car. All I saw was some bright lights like a couple of feet away. And I get knocked. There are some things that I cannot disclose on the media right now, my main concern is that who so ever knocked me down either meant to kill me or they were drunk or something. The point is that they didn't pick me up, they just gone."
"They left me down there like a dog. And I don't think that is the way to go. Luckily, my, my, my son-in-law was right nearby and he came and picked me up along with the taxi driver. But the problem is, now that I understand when the traffic police came here that they have everything under control and find the people and find the missing car and everything and they took a statement from me. And for me, and they left."
"I believe before they came here they knew everything. But I don't know why this masquerade they are masquerading around and around. Tell me one thing and mean something else. They phoned me and told me that they impounded the car and arrested the person. You know, and yet I haven't seen that person come to me face to face to tell me why he knocked me down. I have to assume 2 things, right? Either he meant to do it or they were drunk or something."
"Or was smoking something and they knocked me down."
Rhaburn says days after he gave his statement to the police, his relatives were the ones to locate the vehicle that hit him and the person they believed was behind the wheel. He says that he had lost his confidence in the police and their investigation because of their lack of urgency, especially given his years of service in the music industry.
Lord Rhaburn, Music Legend
"I sacrificed my whole life in music. Now, my face is never disfigured. I am a man that loves my nose. And I see. When I look in the mirror now, I got a mark on my nose and a part of my lip. Inside the mouth. All these things are a problem with the kind of work I do yet nobody comes to say sorry or anything to me. I do everything for my people and the country."
"I started that way from I was 8; I have been entertaining in music. So I got like 8 decades of music. And like, when you are relating something that is in your head to get it out, you're going to knock me down and slam me down on the street like a dog and just walk away, drive away and don't come and say anything. And now playing a lot of games with my life."
"My face is disfigured and I am taking some other tests. I have tests still pending."
The incident has not only threatened his life but also his music career, and though he is at home resting and recovering still, after three operations, Rhaburn says that the show must go on, and hopes that he will still be able to make his performances.
Lord Rhaburn, Music Legend
"I will perform if I have to drop down. I am Mister September. I lay down in my bed and I wonder about it, like why me, why this. Want to know what happened to me and this and that and I kind of thing. And I can't answer them and I can't say I'm taking care of it and the police are taking care of it and they because I had confidence in the police but they don't have none. I am just a dog, they knocked me down and now they think they could dilly dally around the bush on this and so go through having fun."
Police have not yet arrested or charged anyone for the hit and run.
September Splash: Tropical Disturbance Will Produce 2 to 4 In/Rain (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
Interview Transcript
But first, a tropical disturbance that's heading straight for Belize is expected to produce some heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours. No, it's not a tropical depression or a tropical storm - but it will produce 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in the next 24 hours along with intense thunderstorms and lightning tonight along with gusty winds and rough sea conditions.
Here's more about this heavy weather from the Chief Met Officer:
Ronald Gordon, Chief MET Officer
"The system is expected to produce significant rainfall across the country."
"In my calculation and based on the forecast models, the axis of this wave will cross the country early tomorrow morning between midnight and 6:00 in the morning. However, the effects of the wave, the rainfall will begin affecting the country from later this evening into tonight, intensify throughout the night into tomorrow morning."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you able to say where the showers will be most concentrated, what part of the country?"
Ronald Gordon, Chief MET Officer
"The GFS global forecasting system is indicating that the central and northern parts of the country will see the bulk of the rainfall, while another model shows rainfall more concentrated over the south, therefore, that gives us some level of uncertainty. So the best thing for us to say is for the entire country to be prepared for intense rainfall."
Intense rainfall. But will it stretch into Saturday - which is carnival day in the city?
We asked Gordon:
Ronald Gordon, Chief MET Officer
"Decreasing on Saturday. So the good news for, the activities on Saturday that, is that the rainfall will not be as heavy, as it will be tonight and tomorrow."
"However, on Saturday, it is still early Saturday morning, in particular, the forecast indicates that we will have another rainfall. I cannot say for certain if during the particular event, or carnival road march, so to speak, it's gonna be raining, but we do know that there will be moisture lingering behind. It should be west of us by then, but we see moisture lingering behind."
Flash Flood Alert As Tropical Disturbance Closes In On Belize (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
Interview Transcript
And that rain is also going to affect the water levels in Belize's rivers- which are already high.
That's why today's flood forecast declared a "Flash Flood Alert" for certain areas of the Belize District and
watersheds coming off the Maya Mountain Range.
Tienelle Hendy the Principal Hydrologist told us more about what to expect:
Tenielle Hendy, Chief Hydrologist
"We do see this Sibun river reaching bank-ful stage. And we also have, looking at the Mopan River. But based on our 24 hour outlook that we have, there is a caution to, to residents in, in the south of the country for them to monitor the water level areas, their levels in their area."
"In terms of flash flooding, we are seeing some elevated levels in the northern or north eastern part of the country, in terms of the Maskall area, we are seeing where there's a lot of, water channeling its way in that area. So we put out a flash flood alert. And the alert means that flooding is possible to be prepared. For the 24 hour lookout, we are looking at the Rio Hondo, the Belize Mopan, Macal rivers, all the rivers coming off the eastern slopes of the Maya mountains. We see those having elevated levels going into tomorrow morning. But we're just saying to to monitor them, not to be, frantic about it, just to monitor the water levels as we are showing elevated levels in those areas."
Jules Vasquez
"But are there known areas where you have to be, especially on the lookout?"
Tenielle Hendy, Chief Hydrologist
"Yes. Jules, there are areas that you need to be specifically, a little bit more vigilant. It's a bit further away from what we call the urban areas. So it would affect the, the rural areas, in the Toledo District, in the Stann Creek district."
Flood Forecasts will be issued regularly for public safety.
$500 For 3lbs Of Tomatoes? (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
500 dollars for three pounds of tomatoes? That's what an Orange Walk vegetable vendor will have to pay after BAHA determined that he was selling produce smuggled over from Mexico.
This morning, BAHA personnel called police to go with them to check "Gabis vegetable stand" on the Belize Corozal Road and Pasadita street. He was found with 3 pounds of Mexican tomatoes and was fined $500 dollars. The owner paid it immediately.
In April BAHA announced that importing agricultural products without the necessary permit is illegal and that the possession of illegally imported agricultural products is prohibited. Anyone caught with illegal products will be fined and/or prosecuted.
Vicious Fight Erupts After Mas Camp Display (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
There was a vicious fight between two women last night. It happened in the Fairweather Street after the Mas Camp revelry.
It shows one of the women being flung to the pavement and sustaining head injuries as the other woman kicked her while she was down.
The video was posted online and the Commissioner of Police - who is away - posted a reply lamenting the event. He says, "this matter will be dealt with by the police. It's sad to see how lawless some in our society have become. When the women are fighting the man stand(s) there watching, videoing and encouraging them to keep fighting until it reaches the stage where the girl could have been killed. Where is their sense of empathy? Then we wonder why some of our children today are so violent. Nonetheless, we must send a strong message, those involved in the fight will be charged and the those standing guard videoing and encouraging will be charged for Incitement. I hope they will learn a lesson from this." End quote.
We'll let you know when they get charged.
Public Safety Prioritized For Carnival (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
That event underscored the dangers of carnival -too much liquor, too much competition, and too much energy make for a dangerous cocktail.
The chair of the National celebrations committee, Francis Fonseca told us today that they are running a tight ship when it comes to citizen security this weekend. He says that they are working hand in hand with the police to ensure that a strong police presence is maintained throughout the carnival.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
"Well I wasn't aware of the fight last night but of course absolutely that's something I can tell you we spend a lot of time at the national celebrations commission talking about the security and safety of all of these events that's why we have the Belize police department and the Belize defense force represented on the commission. We have of course our traffic officers and all of these, the Belize city council everybody represented there the mayors association. Because that is critically important we want people to enjoy the celebrations I mean the celebrations is all about people it's all about them having fun celebrating Belize and loving Belize so we always hate when one or two individuals spoil it for other people because of as you rightly described it drinking and drunkenness and that sort of thing so you know we absolutely discourage that and we have made it very clear to the police department and other security officers and enforcement officers whenever we see that we must resolve it immediately to make sure that families and children can enjoy the September celebrations peacefully so it's a serious issue and we are addressing it as much as we can."
He Ran Up 1,200$ On OW Woman's Missing Credit Card (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
He ran up a bill of over a thousand dollars in groceries on a stolen ATM card - and tonight Andrew Smith is in jail waiting sentencing for two counts of card theft.
Smith went on a spree at Marage Store on Albert Street and Twins Supermarket on St. Thomas Street swiping a total of $1,270.42 dollars off her stolen Belize Bank Credit Card. Smith - who is a stevedore - pleaded guilty but told the Magistrate that he did not steal the card. He claims he was set up by three men who purchased the items and made him use a card they claim belonged to a family member.
The card was stolen from an Orange Walk woman, Lucilla Garcia, who lost her purse with all her cards after visiting Golden Bay Store two weeks ago. By the time she visited the Belize Bank in Orange Walk to cancel her card, that's when she found out that it had been swiped at those two stores.
And how did police find Smith? Well, Dibary store called police when he went in there attempting to purchase a cell phone with Garcia's ATM Card.
Where Will Patrick And Tracy Sit? (posted on Thu Sep 5, 2024)
Turning now to politics - a house meeting has been announced for next week - the first after the usual summer recess.
And, this'll bring the UDP's internal crisis to a head very quickly - because two of its representatives are deemed to have resigned from the party. So where will they sit in the House Chamber? Jules Vasquez tried to figure that out:
In 2011 when the UDP deemed that Marcel Cardona had constructively resigned from the ruling UDP,
this is where he was placed, at the far end of the opposition back bench with the dubious label "non affiliated".
As the news noted at the time:
News Anchor
"We note that this is a designation that has never been used in the history of our Parliament."
Well, we'll know by next Friday if it will be used again. A communique has gone out for a house meeting on the 13th,
And the UDP has declared that Tracy Panton and Patrick Faber are no longer members of the UDP. Shyne Barrow says he has written to the House Speaker to tell her as much. Precedent suggests that it's the speaker's decision:
Dean Barrow, Former PM
"We made our representations to the speaker in terms of pointing out that Mr. Cardona has issued press releases and said various things indicating that he no longer supported the government, And we left it at that, so as to where he was seated entirely a decision of the Speaker."
So will Tracy and Patrick end up at the back end of the opposition bench in a political nether zone?
Patrick Faber, 5 Term Collet Rep
"Why do you think that the speaker will encourage the current leader? And where will we be put other than right on the opposition benches?"
Jules Vasquez:
"At the back on the second bench tho."
"And we could still talk just as much and do what we want. Matter of fact, Sister B is in the front and that doesn't matter. Where they put you to sit down clearly does not matter. We can still raise the kind of awareness against the wrongdoing of the government."
Jules Vasquez:
"But you all will not be recognized as UDP's. Formally."
"That's his position, that would be his position. That does not make me, does not make Tracy any less of UDP. In fact we're telling you because many were hoping that this press conference would announce a breakaway, some third party. We are UDP's and we will not be taken out of our own party weh we put blood sweat and tears eena." (Applause)
And that's the spirit of defiance they'll take into next Friday's house sitting - but it will be hard to match Cardona's level of outrage on those heady days in 2011:
Marcel Cardona
"PM, listen, for the record, the people of Orange Walk East elected me, and if you want me out, call elections now! Call elections now! You have the power! Call it now! Call elections now!" (Shouting ruckus (walks out).
Stoned in the head for what he said - will the UDP hecklers be waiting for Tracy and Patrick too? It's unlikely, but we'll know in 8 days.
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