73 counted dead in Jamaica as police, military sniff out alleged Shower Posse leader, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, wanted in the US on narcotics and firearms charges

“Kreamy,” ex-campaign UDP manager, says his party denied him due process... Minister asks Liquor License Board chair, Wilmot Simmons, to resign

CitCo drops planned increase; says some vendors still owe fees... The Belize City Council appears to be rapidly backtracking on a proposed fee increase to be paid by the 76 market vendors at the temporary compound at Pound Yard on Cemetery Road, which it had said last week was necessary to help pay the rent to Hotchandani Holdings Limited (HHL), owner of the property.

According to police reports, Nubia Vannessa Urbina, Internal Auditor for Speed Net Company (Smart), reported that on April 27, 2010, she was informed by Kevin Bernard, Fixed Asset Accountant at Speed Net, that there were monies not deposited on April 15, 2010, by Lourdes Acosta, a Customer Service Representative of the Dangriga branch showroom, as required by company policy regulations. Police are looking for Acosta pending investigations.

7 of 17 petroleum concessions granted same day.. Williams says he has no interest in oil contract... A listing of the existing petroleum contracts reveals that 7 of the 17 contracts – including the concession for Princess Petroleum Ltd. granting access to 200,000 acres onshore and 1.8 million acres offshore Belize - were all sealed on the same day, October 12, 2007, under the Said Musa administration of the now Opposition People’s United Party (PUP).

41 polls were to have been held in all six districts, but the number was reduced to 35 as all six elections in the Toledo West constituency had to be postponed, according to chair of the Election and Boundaries Commission, Alberto August, at the request of convalescing area representative, Hon. Juan Coy, as a result of last week’s traffic accident in which he and his police brother-in-law were injured and his wife Brigida died. The affected villages are San Pedro Colombia (Coy’s home village and the largest in Toledo); Golden Stream, Indian Creek, Medina Bank, San Miguel and Silver Creek.

Oceana, COLA insist ban on offshore petroleum exploration needed to avert inevitable catastrophe in Belizean waters... Oceana rep suggests consultations and petition drive

Someone stoned his taxi, the youth refused to run, and the driver attacked him with a machete... The police report that Lord was walking on North Front Street, Belize City, and upon approaching the intersection of Queen Street and North Front Street, in front of King’s Music Store, he was attacked by the taxi driver who inflicted the fatal chop wounds.

Shalini, 2010 champion, with arms raised in exultation... There were no big surprises in yesterday’s 21st Annual SOL Female Cross Country Classic, where last year’s runner-up and recent Central American Games silver medalist Shalini Zabaneh of Team Sagitun made her move early in the 71.7-mile race from San Ignacio to Belize City, and rode solo the rest of the way from Black Man Eddie, to take the garland as well as the Queen of the Hills check and a bunch of station prizes along the way.

2 charged with robbery and wounding... On last Tuesday a concerned neighbor who lives through Pink’s (Majestic) Alley came by our offices and provided us with a disturbing picture of one Derrol Smith, a resident in the government apartments in the Pink’s Alley area.

The victim, a retired senior citizen, Clifton Grant, 80, of #5 Oleander Street in the St.Martin area, was reportedly beaten by his son, 26, on Friday, May 14, at around 2:00 p.m.

At 7:30 Friday night, according to the police report, Figueroa and Myers were said to be fighting on Vernon Street and according to police, Myers stabbed Figueroa several times. Figueroa died on arrival at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

Paul Jex, 23, a construction worker of # 46 Cran Street, Belize City, one of several suspects in the murder of Aubrey Dwight Lopez, 30, of Belmopan, was formally arraigned in Magistrate Sharon Frazer’s courtroom to face a charge of murder for the brutal and senseless execution of Lopez, beloved teacher, nationally known basketball superstar, and basketball coach.

Compol snaps under strain of Police Assn. letter for justice in Cpl. Gavin Sanchez’s murder...Police Assn. letter calls Sanchez’ death an outright case of murder