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  • Education Reform: Can Better Leaders Fix Belize’s Schools?

    Education Reform: Can Better Leaders Fix Belize’s Schools?

    As countries across the globe rethink how to prepare young people for rapidly evolving work and social landscapes, small developing nations like Belize are testing targeted solutions to fix longstanding gaps in their public education systems. A new collaborative pilot program launched this month in southern Belize centers on a simple, transformative idea: sustainable education reform starts with empowered, well-trained school leaders, not just changes to curriculum or classroom policy.

    The initiative is led by BUILD, a Belizean training and development organization founded by Dangriga Area Representative Dr. Louis Zabaneh in 2014. Working in formal partnership with Belize’s Ministry of Education, BUILD is rolling out a 16-week master-level certification course focused on competency-based education (CBE), an approach that prioritizes hands-on skill mastery over rote memorization and traditional test-based assessment. The pilot is open to primary and secondary school leaders from the southern districts of Stann Creek and Toledo, with the first cohort comprising 50 participants split evenly between the two regions, based out of BUILD’s Dangriga operations.

    Dr. Zabaneh outlined BUILD’s decade-long track record of delivering accessible, community-focused training across Belize in remarks at the program’s launch. Prior projects have ranged from entry-level job interview preparation and emotional intelligence workshops to specialized vocational training in partnership with the Taiwanese Embassy and the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), including popular cell phone repair courses, and advanced training for educators on sustainable human development. This new pilot marks the organization’s first foray into high-level, systemic education transformation work.

    Unlike one-off professional development workshops that fade quickly after completion, the certification program is built for long-term impact. Over 16 weeks, participants receive ongoing one-on-one coaching, structured mentoring, and hands-on support to design and implement CBE-aligned projects tailored to the unique needs of their own schools. Program facilitator Dr. Consuela Godfrey explained that the core goal is to build lasting leadership capacity, rather than just deliver theoretical information. Trained leaders will not only be able to implement CBE frameworks at their institutions and track progress, but also guide and give constructive feedback to their own teaching staff to drive continuous improvement, Godfrey said.

    The program’s phased approach places school leadership first, with plans to expand to broader teacher training once leadership capacity is established, keeping student outcomes at the center of all reform efforts. Dangriga Mayor Robert Mariano expressed strong public support for the initiative, noting that community-wide benefits will follow from investing in local school leadership. He called the launch of the pilot in Dangriga a point of pride for the southern Belize community, emphasizing that the program will directly benefit Belizean residents working to achieve their personal and professional goals.

    To make the program accessible, BUILD has partnered with multiple stakeholders to offset program costs for participants, making the certification far more affordable than it would be otherwise. Dr. Zabaneh noted that this collaborative partnership model will serve as a blueprint for future expansion, bringing together public and private stakeholders aligned on the shared goal of improving educational outcomes for all Belizean students. After the first cohort completes their training and implements their school projects this semester, program organizers will track student and school outcomes over the following semester to measure impact, refine the program model, and lay the groundwork for long-term, systemic improvement across southern Belize’s education system.

  • Government and IDB Join Forces to Boost Employment

    Government and IDB Join Forces to Boost Employment

    In a major step to strengthen Belize’s labor market and expand economic opportunity for its citizens, the government of Belize has teamed up with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to roll out a new targeted employment support program. The collaborative effort officially kicked off on August 25, 2026, with the opening of a three-day strategic planning workshop held in Belmopan, the nation’s capital.

    Stakeholders from across key public institutions joined IDB representatives at the workshop, including leaders from Belize’s Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour, and the Central Executing Unit. Together, the participating groups are mapping out implementation frameworks, aligning on operational goals, and establishing clear roadmaps to ensure the program delivers tangible results for job seekers across the country.

    Tanya Santos, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Executing Unit, emphasized that the program’s success hinges on three critical pillars: cross-agency coordinated planning, clearly defined role and responsibility distribution, and robust end-to-end project management. She also took the opportunity to acknowledge the ongoing work of Labor Commissioner Rissela Dominguez Patt and the entire national Labor Department, highlighting their sustained efforts to upgrade and expand public employment services across every region of Belize.

    The new initiative builds on existing efforts to reduce barriers to workforce entry and boost long-term employability for Belizeans, with the IDB bringing technical and financial support to scale up the government’s employment-focused agenda. The three-day workshop is expected to produce a finalized implementation plan that will guide the rollout of program services in the coming months.

  • Drought Warning for Belize As El Niño Threat Looms

    Drought Warning for Belize As El Niño Threat Looms

    As climate change amplifies extreme weather patterns across the globe, small Caribbean nations are already facing growing risks that demand urgent action. Belize, a country heavily reliant on climate-sensitive agriculture and stable freshwater access, is now bracing for a potentially severe drought driven by a strengthening El Niño event, with climate scientists warning that delayed preparations could lead to far-reaching economic and food security disruptions.

    Dr. Cedric Van Meerbeeck, a climatologist with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), explained that El Niño’s atmospheric dynamics typically suppress moisture levels across much of the Caribbean, leading to below-average rainfall. While the most intense dry conditions are often concentrated in the eastern and southern Caribbean and Guyana during early stages of an El Niño event, northern Caribbean territories including Belize will also face abnormal dryness as the event progresses through the year.

    Contrary to initial assumptions that drought impacts will emerge immediately, Dr. Van Meerbeeck noted that the most severe consequences will not materialize until deep into the upcoming dry season, which begins between November and January across the region. The cumulative effect of below-average rainfall during the current wet season has already left reservoir levels and soil moisture well below the historical average needed to carry the country through the dry months. As precipitation fails to replenish these water stores during the dry season, water scarcity will worsen steadily, creating the conditions for extreme drought.

    Already, northwestern Belize has been identified as an early drought hotspot, with elevated risk persisting through at least the end of September. For the nation’s thousands of smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture, the reduced soil moisture threatens to cut crop yields significantly, particularly for producers without access to irrigation systems or other water management safeguards. Dr. Van Meerbeeck added that without adaptive measures such as mulching to retain soil moisture, current dry conditions will not only cut near-term harvests but may also impact agricultural output into early 2027.

    CIMH has called on national and regional policymakers to review the institute’s long-term forecast and implement proactive mitigation measures immediately, rather than waiting for drought conditions to escalate. Climate experts emphasize that for Belize, where agriculture accounts for a substantial share of employment and GDP, and food security remains a core public priority, early action to protect water stores and support vulnerable farming communities can reduce the worst impacts of the coming El Niño-driven dry season.

  • Move Over, Facebook: ‘Yerisoh’ Gains Thousands of Users in Days

    Move Over, Facebook: ‘Yerisoh’ Gains Thousands of Users in Days

    In a remarkable turn of events for Belize’s local tech ecosystem, a new Kriol-language social media platform called Yerisoh has exploded in popularity, drawing thousands of users in just 48 hours and sparking a nationwide wave of national pride that has overshadowed global giants like Facebook and TikTok.

    Developed by 33-year-old self-taught local coder David Godinez, Yerisoh was built to give Belizeans a dedicated digital space to celebrate their unique identity through shared content including humor, traditional recipes, local music and everyday life moments. Godinez described the project as ‘Belize distilled’ — a small, unique corner of the internet built exclusively for the Belizean community to showcase what makes their culture distinct.

    “I thought it would be cool to have our own sliver of the internet,” Godinez explained in an interview. “My Belizean people are the most beautiful people, and I just wanted to build something that lets us showcase that through music, food, all the jokes.”

    The platform’s interface follows a familiar text-focused format similar to X (formerly Twitter) and Threads, with custom features that encourage users to create posts called ‘yeris’, share local cuisine recipes and discover regional music. Sign-up only takes a few simple clicks, lowering the barrier to entry for users of all technical backgrounds. In less than two full days post-launch, Yerisoh crossed the 3,000 user mark — a milestone that even caught the attention of Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceño, who has since created an account.

    The momentum has also extended beyond Belize’s borders: Belizean communities living in the United States have flocked to the platform, pushing it up iOS and Android app store rankings across the country. Godinez said the outpouring of public support has been far beyond what he expected, with the developer often finding himself scrolling the app just to laugh and share content from other users.

    For Godinez, the support from all corners of the community, including the Prime Minister’s participation, has been a tremendous honor. While Yerisoh is not intended to be a political platform, the developer says he hopes to open a channel for constructive dialogue between government leaders, including members of the cabinet, and ordinary Belizeans.

    “Having a dialogue is so important,” Godinez noted. “Truly an honor to have the support from the highest office in the land, and I would love to be able to work with the government to keep the platform connecting people.”

    Yerisoh is currently available for free download on both iOS and Android devices. Godinez is continuing to roll out updates and improvements to the platform, and has encouraged Belizeans at home and abroad to keep supporting the local project as it grows.

  • Rescuing Belize’s Forgotten Recordings Through Digitization

    Rescuing Belize’s Forgotten Recordings Through Digitization

    Belize’s rich, centuries-old musical legacy — which spans iconic local genres from brukdong to punta rock and holds the cultural identity of generations of Belizeans — is on the brink of being lost forever, as decades-old analog tapes and physical recordings slowly degrade, while many early recordings were never preserved at all. In response to this growing cultural crisis, the Belizean government has launched a landmark national initiative: the Belize Music Archive and accompanying Music Archive Lab, a project dedicated to rescuing these fading sounds, documenting the stories behind the music, and safeguarding them for future generations.

    For Belize, music is far more than casual entertainment. It is a living repository of collective memory, a celebration of indigenous and community traditions, and a core pillar of the nation’s shared identity. Much of this irreplaceable history has already vanished, and what remains continues to face the dual threats of physical degradation and long-standing underdocumentation. Officials emphasize that proactive intervention is critical to halting further loss.

    “Belize’s recorded music is an essential pillar of our national cultural heritage, history, and collective memory,” stated Francis Fonseca, Belize’s Minister of Education and Culture, during the official launch. “For generations, Belizean artists and musicians have captured our people’s languages, traditions, lived experiences, and creativity through their work. In recognition of how vital this legacy is to protect, the government of Belize — through the Ministry of Culture, the National Institute of Culture and History, and the Belize Archives and Records Service — is formally establishing the Belize Music Archive, a national initiative focused entirely on preserving and protecting our recorded musical heritage.”

    As part of the project, archival researchers are working to digitize existing recordings held across a wide range of aging analog formats, from vintage reel-to-reel tapes to decaying broadcast cassettes. Beyond digitization, the team is also conducting active field work to track down undocumented artists and unarchived recordings that have never been cataloged or stored properly.

    Ivan Duran, director of the Belize Music Project, which is leading the on-the-ground work for the archive, explained the urgent motivation behind the initiative. “All Belizeans recognize that music has always been central to Belizean society, and it shapes who we are as a people more than almost anything else,” Duran said. “Tragically, much of this history has already been lost: some musical traditions were never recorded at all, and many early broadcast recordings were never saved after airing on radio stations. This initiative exists to make sure we do not lose any more of our shared cultural story.”

    One of the earliest and most important contributions to the new archive comes from Clifton Hall, a former audio engineer who spent decades working behind the scenes at Radio Belize, carefully curating and preserving the recordings that helped unify the nation. Hall spent years refining his craft to deliver the highest quality sound of Belizean musicians to radio audiences across the country, but his work was always driven by a larger goal: to make sure the music of his era would outlive him.

    “My priority was always to deliver the best possible listening experience to audiences, which meant working closely with musicians to refine their recordings until they were as strong as possible,” Hall explained. “Through all that work, I always believed we needed to preserve the music and art that Belize creates, so that future generations would be able to understand and learn what life was like in our time.”

    Despite these early individual efforts, much of Belize’s mid-20th century recorded music has already disappeared. Gina Scott, a research specialist with the Belize Music Project, noted that many older recordings were deliberately erased and tapes reused, simply because decision makers at the time did not recognize the long-term historical value of the recordings.

    “For a long time, we as a community did not fully recognize the inherent value of our own cultural work, so we did not treasure the recordings and materials we had the way we should have,” Scott explained. “That means we no longer have access to a lot of irreplaceable content. For example, I spoke with a former director about The Blue Notes, a popular group that recorded at Radio Belize every week in the 1950s. They would record on the same tape every Wednesday, erasing the previous week’s recording to make space. When you multiply that practice across decades of groups and hundreds of tapes, you lose huge chunks of history. One of our biggest challenges now is filling in as many of those gaps as possible with what we have left.”

    Today, archivists are in a race against time to rescue what remains before more recordings degrade or are lost permanently. As part of its public outreach, the Belize Music Archive is calling on all private individuals who hold old Belizean recordings in their personal collections to come forward and contribute to the archive, so that these sounds, personal stories, and voices can be preserved for generations of Belizeans to come. Shane Williams, reporting for News Five.

  • Can Foreign Coaches Transform Belizean Football?

    Can Foreign Coaches Transform Belizean Football?

    In a landmark move that signals the start of a new chapter for Belizean football, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) has announced the appointment of two high-profile foreign football leaders to top technical and coaching roles, as the small Central American nation looks to overhaul its football ecosystem from grassroots youth development to the senior national squad.

    Veteran Jamaican football strategist Vin Blaine, who earned global recognition for his transformative work restructuring Jamaica’s national women’s football program, has stepped into the newly vacant Technical Director position on a two-year contract. Joining Blaine is Peruvian football legend Martin Dall’ Orso Patri, who takes the helm as head coach of Belize’s senior men’s national team.

    The leadership shakeup comes months after previous Technical Director Phillip Marin, a native Belizean, stepped down earlier this year to accept an equivalent role with the Barbados Football Federation. Filling that gap with an experienced foreign developer, FFB leadership says, is a deliberate step to drive systemic change across every level of the sport in the country.

    Speaking at an official press conference announcing the appointments this week, FFB President Sergio Chuc explained the federation’s decision to tap Patri for the top national team job, noting the Peruvian already has deep, proven experience in Belize’s domestic football landscape. With CONCACAF Nations League kicking off in late September, Chuc emphasized that Patri’s existing familiarity with local players and competition dynamics made him the ideal candidate to hit the ground running. “He has coached multiple domestic top-flight championship teams here, and has come out a winner every time,” Chuc said. “That track record is all we needed to confirm he was the right choice for this moment.”

    For Blaine, the new Technical Director’s mandate stretches far beyond the senior national squad: his core mission is dual-focused: immediately raise the competitive standing of Belize’s national teams across all age groups, while building a sustainable long-term legacy by upskilling and mentoring local coaches to support the development of the country’s untapped young talent.

    Two weeks into his tenure, Blaine says he has already had the chance to observe domestic youth matches across multiple age groups, and he has been encouraged by what he has seen. “I’ve watched games featuring the under-13 boys and under-15 girls, and I’m really pleased with the amount of natural talent we have here,” Blaine shared.

    Blaine’s development plan prioritizes structured training camps for young prospects, with regular weekend sessions already launched for boys’ and girls’ youth groups. He added that referee development is already progressing smoothly under existing leadership, allowing his team to focus its energy on the most critical gap: bringing local coaching standards up to a modern, competitive level. “The key is equipping our local coaches to nurture the young talent we already have,” Blaine explained. “I’m looking forward to the next two years, and seeing how far we can push this program forward.”

    The dual appointments mark one of the most ambitious overhauls of Belize’s football leadership in recent memory, with the federation betting that international expertise paired with local knowledge will finally unlock the sport’s potential in the country, both for the upcoming Nations League campaign and for decades of future development.

  • Straughn: Customs on guard against drugs, guns

    Straughn: Customs on guard against drugs, guns

    Barbados is stepping up its efforts to counter increasingly advanced smuggling operations targeting its borders, as the country’s Customs Service works to block the entry of illegal firearms, narcotics and other contraband that threaten public safety and economic order. Finance Minister Ryan Straughn outlined the government’s priorities during a Tuesday press briefing held at the Barbados Customs and Excise Department to mark the agency’s 121 years of operation. During his address, Straughn emphasized that border protection stands as one of the three core mandates of the Customs Service, alongside collecting critical state revenue and enabling the smooth flow of legally authorized cross-border trade. The minister acknowledged that the agency is facing growing, more complex challenges, as smuggling networks continuously develop new, undetectable methods to move prohibited goods into the country. “While we have already rolled out the most advanced detection technology currently available and will continue investing in new tools to upgrade our capabilities, human expertise remains irreplaceable in the fight against smuggling,” Straughn told attendees. “That is why we are pairing ongoing technology investments with continuous skills training for our frontline officers, to strike the right balance between tightening border security and keeping legitimate trade moving efficiently.” Straughn also clarified the strict legal framework governing firearm imports into Barbados, noting that no weapons are produced domestically in the country, nor are any manufactured across the wider Caribbean region. All firearms entering the country require official authorization, he added, which is exclusively issued by the Commissioner of Police. Any unlicensed firearm import is automatically classified as an illegal act, on par with smuggling controlled narcotics including cocaine and crystal meth—substances that have seen a dramatic surge in trafficking across the Americas in recent years. The Finance Minister’s remarks came just one day after newly appointed Comptroller of Customs Lynette Padmore announced the agency’s latest major contraband seizure: 12 unlicensed firearms, 15 ammunition magazines, approximately 900 rounds of ammunition, plus large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and other banned items. Straughn also warned that smuggling activities impose broad collateral costs on legitimate business, particularly at the country’s commercial port facilities. He used a hypothetical example to illustrate the disruption: if an illicit weapons shipment is hidden inside a legal cargo consignment at a port shed, law enforcement must halt all adjacent operations to respond, delaying clearances for hundreds of law-abiding traders waiting to process their goods. “This is why these enforcement efforts matter so much,” Straughn explained. “All law enforcement agencies, from Customs to police, must carry out their full duties to ensure every shipment adheres to national regulations, and that protects the vast majority of actors who follow the rules.” The minister also highlighted the critical need for full compliance with import declaration rules, stressing that inaccurate or intentionally misleading filings carry consequences that go far beyond lost government revenue. For example, he noted, hiding crystal meth inside a shipment declared as over-the-counter vitamins creates cascading harms: it risks bringing dangerous illicit substances into local communities, fueling addiction rates, and creating urgent public health crises across the island. “Compliance is non-negotiable, because we refuse to see our communities face a growing addiction crisis driven by illegal drug trafficking. This is a top priority for our country, and proper declaration protocols are the first line of defense against these threats,” he said. In closing, Straughn reaffirmed that the Barbados Customs Service will maintain its balanced approach, continuing to invest in both technology and officer training to improve contraband detection while working to keep regulatory burdens low for legitimate traders moving goods across the border. The agency will also continue its close partnership with other law enforcement bodies to coordinate counter-smuggling operations and stem the flow of banned goods into the country.

  • Nine months behind bars for repeat offender

    Nine months behind bars for repeat offender

    A chaotic scene unfolded at a Bridgetown magistrates court in Barbados shortly after a 35-year-old homeless man with a lengthy criminal record received a nine-month Dodds Prison sentence for stealing more than BDS$5,000 worth of cash and personal goods from an American tourist. James Jonah Josiah Sandiford, who pleaded guilty to three separate offences connected to the August 19 incident, launched an immediate public protest of the sentence, attempting to break free from escorting officers before being quickly moved to the courthouse cells.

    Court documents confirm Sandiford confessed to stealing a collection of items totaling BDS$5,020 from tourist Caleb Applewhaite, including a BDS$500 beach bag, a US passport valued at US$150, a Barbados driver’s license, BDS$1,200 in local cash, US$850 in American currency, 12 keys, three lip balms, and a pair of earphones. He also admitted to taking a BDS$1,000 key fob owned by local car rental firm Go Car Investment Limited, and to physically assaulting Applewhaite during the theft encounter. A day after the incident, he was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine paraphernalia found during his booking.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Victoria Leacock laid out the full sequence of events for the court, detailing that Applewhaite and his girlfriend had visited the popular Hot Pot leisure spot, bringing a beach bag from their car which they left resting on a pallet near the pool area. Sandiford was one of three other people already at the pool when the pair arrived. When Applewhaite entered the water to swim, Sandiford left his poolside spot, walked over to the pallet, and pretended to retrieve his own belongings before knocking over the tourist’s bag, slipping the stolen items into a black plastic garbage bag, and leaving the area. When Applewhaite noticed his bag had been moved and checked its contents, he discovered the theft and followed Sandiford to confront him. Leacock told the court that Sandiford responded to the confrontation by threatening Applewhaite with a pair of scissors, leaving the visitor fearing for his safety.

    Applewhaite immediately reported the crime to local police, providing a full description of the perpetrator. Law enforcement located Sandiford the following day in the Black Rock area of the island and took him into custody. Officers discovered the cocaine misuse apparatus in his trouser pocket during a routine search. In custody, Sandiford cooperated enough to lead police to a wooded area in Goodland where he had discarded the black plastic bag holding most of the stolen property, including Applewhaite’s passport and bank cards. None of the stolen cash was recovered.

    Sandiford, who has a criminal record stretching back to 47 prior convictions with the most recent coming in August 2025, told the court that his long-standing cocaine addiction drove him to commit the theft, and he offered a formal apology for his actions. Framing himself as an outpatient of Barbados’ Psychiatric Hospital, Sandiford told the court “I get real prickle and I real sorry. I did want money to smoke. I carry de police to get back de bag wid de passport and the other things. I asking for little help to go to Psychiatric Hospital or Verdun House,” referring to local substance abuse treatment facilities.

    However, Acting Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick rejected the request for court-ordered treatment outside of prison, noting that the Dodds Prison system already offers evidence-based drug treatment programming for incarcerated people. “You can get professional help at the prison. There is a drug treatment programme up there,” Frederick told the defendant, before handing down the nine-month sentence for the main theft charge. He urged Sandiford to engage with the available treatment programming: “Whatever is necessary up there, take part in and make sure you make yourself a better person.” Following the sentencing for theft, Sandiford was convicted, reprimanded, and discharged on the separate assault and cocaine possession charges, leading to the immediate emotional outburst and physical struggle with correctional officers inside the courthouse.

  • Mottley admits error in circus approval, defends water zoning safeguards

    Mottley admits error in circus approval, defends water zoning safeguards

    In a public update delivered Tuesday from the Alleynedale Pumping Station, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has openly acknowledged a critical misstep by the nation’s Ministry of Environment: granting approval for the Suarez Brothers Circus to host operations at the protected International Botanical Gardens without mandatory consultation with the Barbados Water Authority (BWA). In plain terms, Mottley did not mince words about the mistake, stating, “I am not going to fool you and tell you that the botanical garden was wrong when they gave permission, because they were wrong.”

    She went on to emphasize that the agency in charge of the site had a clear obligation to coordinate with the BWA before signing off on any activity at the location, given its status in the country’s drinking water protection network. “They should have known that they should not have given permission for anything to operate on the site there without talking to the water authority,” Mottley added.

    While the Prime Minister conceded that an error had occurred, she moved quickly to defend Barbados’ broader regulatory system designed to safeguard the nation’s critical water supply. Mottley argued that the BWA’s timely intervention to reverse the incorrect approval demonstrated that the system of checks and balances built into the framework functioned exactly as intended. “We want to find out where the mistake was made and what it is. I cannot tell you where the mistakes were made just so without telling you that the system worked,” she explained. “We have checks and balances in our regulatory system in this country, and when one or two of them do not function, the others must still be able to function, and this is exactly what happened here.”

    Mottley also revealed new details about the timeline of the miscommunication that preceded the planned circus opening. Four full days before the circus was scheduled to open its gates, the BWA sent a formal email to organizers explicitly stating that permission to operate at the site had not been granted, with the rejection written in all capital letters for emphasis. This official rejection came just two hours after organizers had received preliminary informal approval to move forward, Mottley said. When the BWA recognized the earlier misstep, it moved immediately to correct the record, even notifying organizers that the organization would not supply water service to the site. At the time of that notification, the BWA was not yet aware that the circus planned to have staff and performers sleep on the property, a detail that Mottley said only worsened the violation of site rules.

    Against this backdrop, Mottley questioned the judgment of circus organizers, who ultimately moved forward with opening the attraction despite the clear rejection from the water authority. “Why they would have opened on a Saturday when the Barbados Water Authority made it absolutely clear four days before that they could not get water is beyond my comprehension or understanding,” she said.

    Beyond addressing the circus controversy, Mottley used the briefing to push back against widespread public speculation and misinformation surrounding two other high-profile government projects: the new Geriatric Hospital and a development in the Vineyard area of St. Philip. Responding to claims that the Geriatric Hospital had been sited in the nation’s most restricted water protection zone, Mottley rejected the claims as factually incorrect, noting that the facility has always been located in Zone C, not the fully restricted Zone A. Technical officials in attendance at the briefing confirmed this assertion, noting that the zoning classification for the hospital site has remained consistent under both past and current government zoning frameworks.

    Mottley also addressed unfounded claims about the Vineyard development in St. Philip, noting that the vast majority of the parish falls within the less restricted Zone D classification. Dismissing the claims as deliberate misinformation meant to sow public confusion, she said, “For those who want to create mischief, I can only say that they may feel that they have reasons to want to create mischief. I do not know what they are, but I will stick to the facts. The government is not bad, and the government would never have chosen a Zone A area to build a hospital.”

    To clear up lingering public confusion about the country’s water protection zoning system, Mottley walked through the classification structure in detail. She explained that Zone A is a strict exclusion zone that prohibits all high-impact development, while Zone B functions as a pathogen exclusion zone and critical groundwater recharge area. Zone C is designated as a chemical exclusion zone, Zone E covers non-contributing recharge areas, and Zone F applies to desalination facility zones. Mottley noted that carefully controlled development is allowed in zones B and C as long as projects meet strict environmental criteria, but no non-conservation activities are permitted in Zone A.

    She tied this explanation back to the circus controversy, noting that the government specifically designated the International Botanical Gardens site as a protected green space precisely because of its strict water protection restrictions, which rule out most commercial activities. “Am I clear that there could have been no circus activity or any type of that activity at the belt? That is why this government chose to make that the International Botanical Gardens, because we know that we cannot put certain things there,” Mottley said. “That is why for the last 18 months we have been keeping it clean and flat so that it does not become a public nuisance.”

    Closing out her remarks, Mottley dismissed the claims swirling around the Vineyard development as nothing more than political posturing, noting that baseless speculation tends to spike ahead of party conferences and general election cycles. “I am not sure where that rumour came from, but I suppose there are certain times of the year that we see politics, one before annual conferences and one before an election,” she said. “I am not going to get into the silly season or the miniature silly seasons that take place on an annual basis.”

  • Dolly Parton, Amerikaanse countrymuziekicoon, is niet meer

    Dolly Parton, Amerikaanse countrymuziekicoon, is niet meer

    Beloved American country music icon Dolly Parton, whose decades-long career shaped the genre and won global acclaim for her masterful songwriting, larger-than-life public persona, and radical generosity, has died at the age of 80. Her publicist confirmed Tuesday that the legendary entertainer passed away peacefully at her home in Nashville, Tennessee.

    In a video statement posted to Parton’s official Instagram account, her nephew Bryan Seaver shared the news with fans, saying: “Dolly lived her life in the light, and now she is in the arms of Jesus, no doubt welcomed by Carl [her late husband], her parents, and countless other loved ones waiting for her in heaven.”
    Seaver also reflected on Parton’s far-reaching impact beyond her discography, noting: “Dolly opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every background and every continent. Through her example, we all learned to believe anything is possible. She never saw a door she couldn’t open, and the barriers she broke made history and changed our world forever.”

    Over a career spanning more than six decades, Parton composed hundreds of original songs, including timeless genre-defining classics such as *Jolene*, *9 to 5*, and *Coat of Many Colors*. Her work earned her a level of critical acclaim and public affection matched by very few modern artists. Born into humble circumstances in a log cabin in rural East Tennessee, Parton rose to global superstardom, defined by her signature towering blonde wigs, glittering stage outfits, and sharp, warm self-deprecating humor that endeared her to audiences across generations and musical genres.

    Parton’s first performances were in her local church, where her grandfather served as a preacher. By age 13, she had already graced the stage of Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry, where Johnny Cash introduced her as “a little girl right here from East Tennessee.” One of 12 children growing up in a working-poor household — where her father left school to work on a farm and struggled with literacy — Parton never forgot her roots. Later in her career, she founded the Imagination Library, an educational charity that mails free books to children from birth across the United States and around the world, opening doors to literacy and opportunity for millions of young people.

    This commitment to giving back only deepened public love for Parton. Following the announcement of her death, fans around the world reacted with heartfelt grief, sharing personal stories of her widespread appeal, consistent warmth, and lifelong habit of quiet generosity. Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced via social media that he has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff for one week in honor of Parton’s life and legacy.

    Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where Parton was inducted in 1999, reflected on her enduring impact: “Dolly Parton’s legacy is not fame — it is humanity. She rose out of poverty to become Tennessee’s most cherished ambassador. She shared her wealth for the good of all of us, and poured her soul into every note she ever sang.”

    Throughout her career, Parton earned 55 Grammy Award nominations and took home 10 Grammy wins, making her the fourth most-nominated female artist in the award show’s history. Her influence extends far beyond country music, having opened doors for women in the industry, inspired countless artists across genres, and left an indelible mark on global culture through both her art and her philanthropy.