“Drill they will,” and protest we will!! Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the media in February that the government will not change its position that it will permit drilling for oil in Toledo, inside the Sarstoon-Temash National Park, one of Belize’s onshore protected areas.

Shane Juarez, 23, who last year had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2008 murder of Mark Young, 20, will no longer be serving a life sentence. Instead, his murder conviction was reduced to manslaughter by the Court of Appeal.

Amandala has been reliably informed that the Police Department has initiated disciplinary proceedings against police sergeants Lawrence Humes, 38, Jacinto Roches, 42, and corporals Renel Grant, 33, and Nelson Middleton, 39.

Sentencing March 10.. At 5:34 p.m. today, a jury of six women and three men returned a verdict of guilty on two charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit robbery against Honduran Miguel Mayorga, 45, a painter; Belizean Cesar Junior Aldana, 25, a construction worker of Belize City; and Guatemalans Eswin Rosalez, 19, Carlos Juarez, 20, and Jose Ismael Cordova, 19, all masons (Rosalez and Juarez are from Melchor de Mencos, while Jose Cordova is from Flores, Petén... Picture Caption : (L-R) Cesar Aldana, Jose Cordova, Carlos Juarez, Miguel Mayorga, and Eswin Rosalez.

Dawn of Sunday, February 27, broke over the waters of Corozal Bay revealing 4 marker buoys bobbing excitedly on the white capped waves, as nine Pico, Lasers were being returned to the Bay from the previous day’s practice. The regatta was part of the Corozal Water Festival and Expo, organized by a committee headed by Rick Rosalez.

Notes that “no application.. received.. from the FFB for registration as a sporting organization for 2011” The Ministry of the Public Service, Governance Improvement, Elections & Boundaries and Sports reminds the general public and, especially members of the football family, that the Sports Investigation Committee continues its work countrywide. The Sports Investigation Committee is a special team appointed by Statutory Instrument 125 of 2010 in December, 2010, to review and establish the validity or otherwise of the appointment of the executives of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) members, and the validity or otherwise of the FFB election of an Executive Committee held on the 18th December. It is also investigating the validity of the decision of the FFB to disallow nominations for election to the executive by one of its members - the Belize Premier Football League (BPFL).

Notes that “no application.. received.. from the FFB for registration as a sporting organization for 2011” The Ministry of the Public Service, Governance Improvement, Elections & Boundaries and Sports reminds the general public and, especially members of the football family, that the Sports Investigation Committee continues its work countrywide. The Sports Investigation Committee is a special team appointed by Statutory Instrument 125 of 2010 in December, 2010, to review and establish the validity or otherwise of the appointment of the executives of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) members, and the validity or otherwise of the FFB election of an Executive Committee held on the 18th December. It is also investigating the validity of the decision of the FFB to disallow nominations for election to the executive by one of its members - the Belize Premier Football League (BPFL).

The Baron Bliss Harbor Regatta, a sailing race card held annually in respect of the traditional “9th of March, Baron Bliss Day” holiday in commemoration of Baron Bliss, Belize’s greatest benefactor, will this year be held on Sunday, March 6, in the Belize City Harbor, commencing at 11:00 a.m. The event is held under the patronage of His Excellency, the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, Chairman of the Baron Bliss Trust, and will be supervised under the auspices of the Belize Sailing Association (BzSA) in conjunction with the Baron Bliss Harbor Regatta Committee.

This past Saturday, 43 of the 46 cyclists who started had already completed the Elite/Open race to Hattieville and back, which was won by Brandon Cattouse (C-Ray), who crossed the line in front of a bunch of 32 cyclists in a time of 1:03:42. The sole female finisher, Shalini Zabaneh, held her own in that bunch. Byron Pope (Benny’s Megabytes) was 2nd and Erwin Middleton (Indeco) was 3rd. Top finisher among the Masters was Mateo Cruz (C-Ray), followed by Leroy Casasola (Santino’s) and Glenn O’Brien (Zamir), all in the same 1:03:42.

BNE, Maranco and three other companies apply for Orange Walk concession... While it is not the publication in the Government Gazette specified in law, the press release issued late this evening does make public the government’s intent to consider applications by five companies for vacant blocks in northwestern Belize, vacated by RSM Corporation and West Bay Limited.

It is distressing to see such a high profile person as Audrey Matura writing in such an authoritative newspaper as Amandala perpetuating the same commonly held falsehoods about Belize’s Mennonites.

I was not in the least bit surprised to read about the resignation of Mr. Hector Silva from the Order of Distinguished Service of the PUP. It was Mr. Silva after all who had cautioned the current leader of the Party, Mr. Briceño, to abide by the Party’s Constitution in the conduct of the PUP’s National Convention last October. Belizeans will recall that Mr. Briceño insisted on having an early convention to re-elect himself, even though this convention was not due until November. If the Leader will not follow the rules for himself, why would he follow it when electing standard bearers? The various endorsements he has arranged, such as Julius and Mike Espat and Arthur Saldivar, are paybacks for the support which he received when he broke the rules for himself in the first place.

The article decries the apparent rip off of the Belizean consumer by butane gas companies in Belize and seeks the intervention of the regulatory body for the protection of consumers. Mention is also made of a German company to be contracted to advise on the matter.

Lately, many of the talk shows are airing the theme of suicide, particularly among young people, as there has been a spike in attempts and actual suicides. In listening to the mental health experts, I have learned more about the phenomenon of clinical depression, its symptoms, causes, and treatment.