EP Yorke Says Farewell To A Stellar Student

Today, Edward P Yorke High School said a sombre and respectful goodbye to one of their classmates, fourth former Cayden Stewart who tragically drowned on Sunday. 16 year old Cayden was an elite academic achiever who was in the advanced studies program at his school. He was set to graduate in June - but misfortune befell him on Sunday. He drowned 10 minutes after being baptized.
Today the students assembled to send him off by singing their school song - and sent balloons aloft. As the hearse left the school, students lined up on the sidewalk to say their goodbyes, and they were joined by the high schoolers from the neighboring Nazarene High.

It was a sad scene, and yesterday the principal told me why they are doing it:

Karen Canto, Principal EP York
"We were told that the body will leave Belize City to Dangriga so we are going to do a motorcade if allowed through the campus in one gate and out the next with him, you know and the kids would be able to say their final farewell as he leaves Belize City. We have a memorial here on Friday morning, we would have wanted to do it tomorrow but it is too short notice because we want the kids to prepare for it whether it is a song or a poem it's something they want to share we will do that Friday morning by our third form building and then of course on Sunday we leave to go to Dangriga and we are working that out because It's going to be several buses for sure you know to Dangriga and then we continue honouring him because we have a group of very artistic students and they are doing a mural of him but that one will be for graduation because they need time to perfect it. So we will honour him at graduation. I spoke to his grandmother today and making sure she knew that we would continue honouring Cayden and hopefully she could be apart of that graduation because Cayden also has a little sister in first form you know so we have that set aside, his diploma, whatever we feel just to honour him so our graduation ceremony will look very different this year but its a teacher, and now a student so we definitely want to honour them both."

As you heard, Cayden's funeral will be on Sunday in Dangriga.

20 Year Old Survived For One Day After Being Shot To Head

And while that 16 year old drowned, a 20 year old who was shot yesterday, succumbed to his injuries today.
Coby Ledlon was shot around 10:30 on Iguana Street in Belize City. He was hit to the head and lived for 24 hours before he succumbed to his injuries around noon today.
Ledlon was standing in front of a gate on Iguana Street when he was approached by a gunman who shot him twice.

His family is calling for peace and has organized a candle-light vigil - which was scheduled to start a short while ago in the KHMH parking lot.

17 Year Old Had To Flee From Gunmen

And a 17 year old narrowly escaped death last night in the city - not far from where a murder had occurred on Sunday night.

Around 8:20pm, multiple shots were fired at a home on Cannondale Drive. It was the end result of an attack on the teenager who was walking home from the direction of McKay Boulevard, when he was approached by two men on bicycles, one of whom fired several shots at him as the youth ran for his life. He dashed inside his yard and managed to escape unhurt - but they sprayed the building with gunshots.

Convicted For Fatally Stabbing Her Husband

She fatally stabbed her husband during a domestic dispute - and tonight twenty-nine year old Shantel Williams is in jail because of it. Wiliams - who was charged with manslaughter for the stabbing death of her boyfriend, 39 year old Louis Adolphus, was found guilty of the charge yesterday by Justice Derek Sylvester.
The incident occurred around 1:00 am on August 2nd, at Adolphus' residence on Curassow Street. The couple had a domestic dispute over an umbrella and another woman, and it was followed by an altercation in which Adolphus was stabbed with a knife to his shoulder, near to his neck. Williams then went to Raccoon Street Police Station and told police that she had just stabbed Adolphus and that he was in need of medical attention.
A key witness for the Crown was Adolphus' brother, Emerson Dominguez, a police officer. Dominguez testified that shortly before the stabbing his brother called him and said that he had just taken away a knife from Williams and that she had armed herself with a second knife and he needed his help. Dominguez said that he could hear Williams in the background telling Adolphus that his brother will not be able to help him.
After the Crown closed its case, having called 11 witnesses, Williams attorney, Leeroy Banner, made a "no case" submission, but it was not upheld by Justice Sylvester.
Williams chose to give an unsworn statement where she claimed that she acted in self defence. She said that Adolphus struck her face with the umbrella, then he grabbed a knife, but she managed to take it away from him. She said she "feinted" Adolphus three times before she stabbed him.
But Justice Sylvester did not accept that it was a case of self defence because, he said that Williams could have walked away after she disarmed Adolphus. So he found Williams guilty.

She will be sentenced on April 29th.

Funeral Parlour Owner Guilty of Sex With Minor

Last night a funeral parlour owner was convicted of 3 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse of a 13 year old minor.
44-year-old businessman, Patrick Robinson, owner of Leiva's Funeral Parlour on #114 Freetown Road clambered into the back of a police mobile for his first night in prison after Justice Derick Sylvester found him guilty. Robinson was accused of having sex with a minor from the age of 11 to when she was 14 years old.
Robinson has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until his sentencing on April 25th.

Robinson was represented by Hubert Elrington and Norman Rodriguez while the crown was represented by Shanell Fernandez of the DPP's office.

17 Years For Raping An 8 Year Old Girl

And, in Dangriga a child molestor was sentenced today. He is Michael Eligio and he will serve 17 years in jail for the rape of an 8 year old child.
He was found guilty some time ago - and sentenced today by Justice Antonette Moore in the Dangriga Supreme Court. He was defended by Ivan Williams.
In May of 2020, he was accused of raping two sisters, girls aged 5 and 8.
He still has a trial pending for the five year old girl and that will be heard before another judge.

But, for now, he has been sent to prison to begin serving his 17 year sentence.

Report: KHMH CEO Will Be New SSB Chair

It's term two of the Briceno Administration, and you've already heard about the Cabinet changes, the senatorial appointments, and now the Prime Minister has to decide who gets the choice political plums of senior positions on statutory boards and utilities, as well as diplomatic postings.
Well, reliable sources tell us that one of those appointments has been decided on. Reports say Prime Minister John Briceno has given Chandra Nisbet Cansino the nod to be the new Chairlady of the Social Security Board. She replaces Nigeli Sosa who served since late 2020.

Nisbet Cansino - who is a registered nurse - worked for 20 years at Social Security before taking up the job as CEO of the KHMH in 2021. She is expected to bring a steady and knowledgeable hand to the board after the shock of the last CEO, Leroy Almendarez being suddenly terminated in January, leaving his deputy to take over.

PM Champions A Shared Resource At Blue Forum

This morning at the Biltmore, stakeholders from a cross section of marine and conservation interest gathered for an event called the Blue Forum.

It comes out of the commitments made under the Blue Bond - which falls under the Prime Minister's Office. In the keynote address, he focussed on the broad network of blue economy actors who work together in service of this important sector:

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"This blue forum, it's about knowledge, innovation, and action for Belize's ocean and thriving blue economy. The ocean is not just a resource, it is an economy waiting to be unlocked. The choices we make today will determine what Belize leads in this space or lags behind."

"Now, now is the time for ambition. Now is the time for fearless leadership. The blue forum is more than an event, it is a declaration that Belize is ready to shape the future of ocean governance, not just for us, but as a model for the world."

The Blue Economy, Where Conservation Meets Capital

Outgoing Director of the Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit, who is now the incoming CEO for Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, Beverly Wade discussed the competing interests of conservation and capitalism that try to find balance in the blue economy:

Beverly Wade, CEO, Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
"So, as Prime Minister mentioned in his keynote address, this forum is really to bring together varied actors within the blue space. We have done a lot in Belize, we have done a lot from a development perspective, from a conservation perspective and also to see how we can find that balance between conservation and economic growth, responsible economic growth. And what we wanted to do is to have a forum where we have all our actors here, we have stakeholders, resource users, we have the press here so that we can have the kind of frank engagements and we can account for what we have succeeded with so far. And we want to talk about some of the directions that we need to go, and we want to talk about some of the challenges. It's really a call to action, it is a call to action for us to collectively put our efforts together to help us to continue to chart a way for a successful blue economy in Belize that is really based on science, informed decision making and that we have people central to the discussions."

"I think Belize is one of the countries as mentioned earlier that have a pretty good basket of policies and frameworks. The key in my view is that we remain versatile, we remain dynamic, we have to recognise that there are more things that we need to look at. For instance, I saw on the news a few weeks ago the issue that the people in the south continue to grapple with, with regards to seashore, erosion it is time for us to look at a shoreline policy and to see now how do we now collectively and inclusively bring the science and the expertise together, bring the communities together and develop such a policy so that we can have a hymn sheet that we can all sing from. What is happening is that people are individually and properties are individually trying to find their own solutions to what is happening and so we need now a more comprehensive framework to address that."

Jade Delevaux, Senior Fellow, Natural Capital Project, Stanford
"I work as part of the people, planet, prosperity project in partnership with IDB and the Blue bond unit. We are looking at mainstreaming natural capital approaches which help us elevate nature and support people in ecosystem based development."

"So we are working on developing key performance indicators which are metrics that allow us to track how Belize is."

"So Belize has been positioning itself in innovative resolve based clients such as the Blue Bonds and the project finance for permanence and as part of those innovative finance mechanisms it needs to set up key performance indicators and targets to demonstrate that it is meeting its goals. And so we are helping to develop those metrics that not only track nature positive impacts but also people positive impacts because those nature positive financing instruments should support people."

CEO Says Cayo Rosario Development "Emotional" For Islanders

Wade discussed stakeholders trying to find "individual solutions" to coastal problems - but a cross section of the community came together in San Pedro to launch a protest on the sea against development on Cayo Rosario - a small island that sits in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. The tour guides, fishers and residents are concerned about the ongoing development at the caye, and when we asked the Blue Economy CEO today she said that the matter is an emotional issue. She explained why.

Beverly Wade, CEO, Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
"Cayo Rosario is a very emotional matter and it is totally understood that it is something that is close to - naturally - the residents' hearts. The bottom line is that there was, it was a private island and there was a development that was being proposed for it. What happened in 2021 I believe there was a revised ECP that took into consideration the concerns from the communities, the fly fishers. The density of the project, in other words, as much as possible to ensure what was being permitted there would not negatively affect the marine reserve. So that ECP there was that revised ECP. I am very happy to report that yesterday the Department of Environment held a meeting with all the regulatory agencies to chart a way forward in order for the regulatory agencies to be more coordinated and to ensure that they are in a position to carry out their obligations as it related to that ECP that was signed in 2021 and what was authorised for development but also in a position for better communication with the community and the stakeholders so that they understand every step of the way where that development is and they have an understanding that the authorities have a presence to understand that what is happening out there is exactly what is being permitted. With regard to the individual permits I cannot speak to that but I will tell you that I have known based on the meeting yesterday and I believe a joint statement is supposed to be coming out either today or tomorrow from the department of environment on the behalf of all those agencies regarding that meeting and the way forward. But what the ministry of blue economy is insisting on is that we remain vigilant with regards to our responsibilities as it relates to the development that is out there that we are well coordinated and that we are transparent."

CEO Supports The Passion of Placencia Residents

But Placencia residents didn't wait on any government agents last month when they took direct action to reclaim their beach by removing rocks that were illegally placed on a shoreline, disrupting the natural movement of sand which would cause more erosion to occur along the beach. According to the residents leading the peaceful protest the rocks were placed there without proper environmental clearance by rogue developers with beach front properties. CEO Wade says she supports the passion of the community:

Beverly Wade, CEO, Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
"The individual property had put in some measures, some structures to try and alleviate and relieve the erosion that was happening on that property. Apparently that effort was not permitted. And so the department of environment had instructed them that they should now remove what was put in there. The actual enforcement of the stop order my understanding is that there was a gap between that and it actually being done and that is where the community went down there to do it. Two things I see there: I very much appreciate the passion from the community and I think that Is what we need, in fact as Belizeans that's one of the things that I've always been proud of: we have strong ownership of our space. But I would want to encourage the communities also to coordinate and if need be to call the relevant authorities because what we don't want is the kind of situation where you have communities going in and just taking action within their own hands - and my understanding is that is what occurred there. And I go back to my original comment that I think that it is time for us to look at the issues more holistically and for us to put in that national policy to help and to address both developers, communities and all of us have a better understanding of how do we now help the situation."

What's The Solution For Coastal Erosion?

Of course that beach situation is just part of a larger problem of coastal erosion which is happening all along the southern coastline and on many cayes.

The CEO discussed the severity of the erosion occurring within these communities, and the steps they have taken so far to find immediate solutions to the issue.

Beverly Wade, CEO, Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
"I think there is frustration. You can look at frustration at all levels but the bottom line is we are dealing with something that globally everyone is grappling with. Yes there are factors that are impacting the rate of erosion in the area. But the big part of it also has to do with climate change and the government has been doing studies I know that there were studies being done through the 5C's office, through PACT through, the Adaptation Fund and so I think it is a matter of us now moving towards harnessing what the studies are saying and to see what practically can be done. Because that's the other thing about it we have to see what practically can also be done so I think that there is frustration as an individual that we are in a space that is so being impacted and we have to try and find solutions for it and even the whole idea of solutions are not easily identified as the prime minister said in his speech these are complex matters that we are dealing with and I think the most encouraging approach the most encouraging way is through collective participation, collective input for us to say that we have to look at a strategy collectively."

Can Belize's Reefs Be Restored to Full Health?

And from the coast to the reef, another pressing concern that has their attention involves coral bleaching and the overall reef health. She says while some variables can be controlled to prevent further harm to the reef, others like extreme temperatures and weather conditions are not within anyone's control. She gave us more details on that.

Beverly Wade, CEO, Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
"I think it's one of the things we are grappling with and the bottom line is that our reefs are in peril. We have come under some of the most extreme temperatures and we have also now been terribly impacted by the stony coral tissue loss diseases aside from the other normal diseases that impact reefs. And so what we have seen is that there are some resilient areas and that is one of them but our reefs on a whole we have bright spots. There are some areas we are seeing rebounding, we are hoping it's so. But I think what's more important is that we are not just sitting back and just saying oh the reef is dying and we are not doing anything. The government of Belize is committed to the total protection of 20% of Belize's reef and that is an important thing for us and we are actually looking at identifying what that 20% is by the end of this year and looking to see how we can designate those areas they are important for us because we have to ensure we have identified those areas around our reef that are important for genetics, for resiliency because we have to now have a strategy which we are also now developing a restoration strategy and policy to see how do we now respond. It's not something that we can respond to easily but the bottom line is that we are looking at how do we create that pathway for response so we are looking at that 20% of our reef to be totally protected and we are hoping that when we close on resilient bold belize which is the project for finance permanence that the prime minister mentioned in his speech earlier, that it will allow us now to bring in the kind of management that the 20% may need that's the first thing. The second thing is that we have excellent work that is being done by our partners on the ground and by the national coral reef monitoring network which is currently chaired by the fisheries department but that network is a group of dedicated experts both government and non governmental and even community experts that are working on our reef and that are monitoring the extent of bleaching and these events and helping us to put the strategy together for restoration."

Who Will Take Over Blue Bond Unit

So, it's very clear that Wade has her hands full with the Blue Economy. But with her transition over to CEO, does this now leave her former post as Director of Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit vacant? Wade says not quite but she will continue to work closely with the unit.

Beverly Wade, CEO, Blue Economy & Marine Conservation
"So there is going to be an acting director and it will be Ms Vasquez who was formerly the senior technical officer in the office, Saphira Vasquez. And she is most likely going to be the acting director but my office and my position will obviously still work very closely with the work of the Blue Bond. I think that it's an excellent opportunity for us to have the kind of synergies now with policies and ensure that the blue economy, the ministry of the blue economy and its institution are in a place that they can take up a more meaningful role with implementing these broader national policies and directives."

Thief Took The Cycle Like He Owned It

Early this morning, a thief walked up to a parked motorcycle like he owned it, and just scooted off.
Around 1:15 am, surveillance video picked up two men riding down Baymen Avenue in Belize City.
Two men on bicycles pulled up near Kenji Bakery across the street from the Meat Supply Butchery.

One of them strode up to a parked Honda motorcycle, and simply rolled off with it. Police are now looking for that motorcycle with license plate MC-8573. Anyone with information on its whereabouts can call 922.

Collapsed Culvert Forces Road Closure

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development & Housing is putting the public on notice that there will be a short-term closure of the Hummingbird Highway in the vicinity of Mile 31. That's where a culvert collapsed so work to replace it is scheduled to take place from Wednesday, 2nd April, to Thursday, 3rd April 2025.

The MIDH says a detour will be provided for motorists during the closure period. Motorists are advised to approach the area with caution and to please follow traffic warnings and the instructions of safety officers and flagmen.

Defence Attorneys Welcome New Chief

In January we told you about the new Belizean Chief Magistrate - Deborah Rogers. She took office 11 days ago and the attorneys who appear most often in her courts are signing her praises.

The Association of Defence Attorneys says, quote, "Her elevation to this esteemed position marks a significant milestone, and we are proud to see an innovative Belizean woman take on this critical role in our judiciary. We are confident that under Chief Magistrate Rogers' leadership, the Magistracy will experience much-needed improvements." End quote.

San Pedro Grenade Detonated

Last night we told you about the grenade police found in an abandoned building north of Ambergris Caye. A hand grenade was found inside one of the rooms. Well, tonight we can tell you that the grenade has been destroyed. The BDF bomb expert was called in and detonated it around midday yesterday.

Chester Making Move to Transport Soon?

Reports reaching 7news say that Chester Williams may be moving over the Ministry of Transport sooner than expected.
While there was originally a one or two month timeline being discussed - as we told you, it's clear the CEO in the Ministry of Home Affairs is trying to. Push Himont ASAP.

Well, the CEO may get her wish. Tonight sources tell us that he could be going over to Transport as early as next week. Williams did not answer our requests for a confirmation or. denial this evening.

Tracy Will Consolidate Leadership By Calling NPC

Turning now to politics, Tracy Panton is getting ready to move on with re-organizing the UDP under one leader. Even though former leader Shyne Barrow had her in court yesterday - and he continues to challenge the legitimacy of the October 20th convention which installed her as leader - Panton's leadership is moving on. It has called a National Party Council meeting for Saturday.

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