标签： Belize

The rural community of San Felipe in Orange Walk District faces an escalating public cleanliness crisis as illegal dumping transforms village entrances and public spaces into unsightly garbage zones. Municipal authorities have issued urgent appeals for civic responsibility following failed cleanup initiatives and growing environmental concerns.

Village Council officials launched a social media campaign in December 2025 highlighting the deterioration of public areas, particularly noting the negative visual impact at key community landmarks. Despite organized volunteer cleanups and municipal interventions, refuse continues to accumulate within days of removal efforts.

Vice Chairman Ricardo Domínguez revealed the root cause stems from the closure of a temporary dumping site after landowners revoked access due to perimeter littering. This closure triggered widespread indiscriminate dumping along roadways and public spaces. The village operates a subsidized garbage collection service charging merely $5 weekly, yet many residents bypass this service for illegal dumping.

Enforcement remains challenging as Domínguez acknowledged witness reluctance to identify offenders. The cycle continues despite mechanical interventions, including tractor-assisted cleanups provided through government assistance programs. Municipal ordinances permit fining violators, though implementation proves difficult without consistent community cooperation.

The environmental eyesore now threatens community pride and potentially affects external perceptions of the village, creating urgency for sustainable waste management solutions and behavioral change among residents.

The village of Caledonia is confronting a persistent environmental challenge as illegal roadside dumping continues to plague the community’s main entrance despite concerted cleanup initiatives. Local residents have expressed mounting frustration over what they describe as more than a mere aesthetic issue, warning that the accumulating refuse now presents genuine safety hazards for both motorists and pedestrians while creating a negative first impression of the village.

Docia Chan, Vice Chairperson of the Caledonia Village Council, provided insight into the ongoing struggle. “We inherited what was essentially a dump site in complete disarray,” Chan stated. “Since our election, we’ve prioritized transforming this area, recognizing that the garbage accumulation occurs at the very gateway to our community.”

The council recently conducted a comprehensive cleaning operation last Sunday, leaving the area spotless. However, by Monday, numerous garbage bags had already reappeared along the roadside. This pattern of immediate re-pollution has raised questions about potential intentional disregard for community standards.

Despite installing warning signs and repeated public appeals, the dumping persists. Chan has issued a renewed call for civic responsibility, urging villagers to dispose of waste properly. The Vice Chairperson indicated that if voluntary compliance fails, the council may escalate enforcement measures through consultation with police officials to identify and penalize offenders, potentially involving formal investigations and legal consequences for those responsible for the environmental violations.

Belize City authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation following the discovery of a deceased young man in the Belama residential area on January 7, 2026. The victim has been identified as Kevin Woodye, a 22-year-old local resident whose body was found under circumstances that have prompted both police scrutiny and community concern.

While preliminary accounts from grieving family members suggest the possibility of a sudden medical episode, potentially describing seizure-like activity referred to colloquially as “fits,” law enforcement officials have emphasized that any determination regarding cause of death remains pending complete forensic analysis. The Belize District Police Department has initiated standard investigative protocols, including the systematic collection and review of footage from security cameras in the vicinity of where the body was discovered.

Police representatives have indicated that the case is being treated with utmost seriousness, though they maintain that no conclusive evidence pointing to foul play has been established at this preliminary stage. The community awaits further updates as forensic experts work to determine the precise circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. Authorities have committed to providing additional information as their investigation progresses and more substantive findings emerge.

Medical students in Belize confront profound educational and financial turmoil following the criminal indictment of their university dean in a major U.S. healthcare fraud case. Dr. Mohammad Khamis, identified as Dean and CEO of American Northwest University (ANU) in Belmopan, faces multiple felony charges in Illinois for allegedly defrauding Medicaid and Medicare programs of over $1 million.

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Dr. Khamis operated four medical practices and pharmacies in Chicago while submitting fraudulent claims for medical services supposedly performed during periods when he was actually abroad. The services were allegedly conducted by an unlicensed student from his non-certified medical school in Bosnia.

The scandal has left Belizean students at ANU in crisis, with the university compound now locked and faculty reportedly unpaid. Students describe investing years of family savings and personal sacrifice into their medical education, only to face complete uncertainty about their academic futures.

One distressed student shared: ‘This institution was my starting point for everything. My parents fully funded my education, and now it feels like their money has been wasted. We’ve covered not just tuition but all living expenses through years of financial strain.’

Students have criticized both the university administration and Belize’s Ministry of Education for inadequate oversight, noting the institution operated without a final charter. In an anonymous collective statement, they described themselves as ‘victimized by an international fraud scheme and total lack of regulatory oversight,’ demanding immediate government intervention to secure academic records and address their precarious situation.

The Ministry of Education has acknowledged awareness of the developing situation but has not yet announced specific remedial measures for the affected students.

An eight-year-old student from Hopkins, Stann Creek District, is undergoing recovery following a traumatic traffic incident that occurred near his school premises on Tuesday afternoon. Karter Benedit, a Standard Two pupil at Holy Family RC Primary School, suffered significant injuries when a motorcycle collided with him while he was crossing the street alongside classmates.

The child was immediately transported to Southern Regional Hospital for emergency treatment. Medical professionals performed approximately 12-15 stitches to address head trauma, while also treating serious leg injuries that involved exposed back muscles. According to medical assessments, the boy narrowly avoided permanent mobility damage due to the white tissue remaining undamaged.

Dyny Martinez, Karter’s mother, recounted the harrowing experience of receiving the emergency call from school authorities. She described the urgent transfer to Dangriga hospital for specialized admission and treatment. Physicians have indicated a minimum two-week recovery period for the young patient.

Law enforcement authorities have confirmed that a suspect is currently in custody regarding the incident. This event has ignited community discussions about road safety measures near educational institutions. Martinez has publicly advocated for enhanced traffic controls, including speed bumps and increased police monitoring of motorcycle operators near school zones.

The timing coincides with announced transportation safety initiatives by national authorities. Chester Williams, CEO of relevant transportation authorities, recently disclosed that the Ministry of Transport is evaluating comprehensive measures to improve motorcycle training protocols and enforcement procedures. These developments include deploying additional traffic officers equipped with body cameras, dashboard cameras, speed detection devices, and breathalyzer technology.

In an extraordinary display of community solidarity, Ocean Academy on Caye Caulker Village has commenced its new academic term utilizing improvised learning spaces after its primary campus became unavailable for classes. The educational institution has implemented an innovative distributed learning model across multiple repurposed facilities throughout the island community.

Principal Noemi Zaiden revealed that contingency planning began prior to the holiday break, with school administrators working diligently to secure alternative teaching environments. The village council contributed crucial spaces including their community center and NEMO emergency operations room, while a former waterfront restaurant previously operating as Fantasy Dining was additionally converted for educational purposes.

“Our team has been transporting infrastructure daily – this morning alone we moved over fifty desks and chairs to prepare these spaces,” Zaiden reported. The single-story restaurant building, while unable to accommodate the entire student body, has enabled the reinstatement of in-person instruction for several classes through carefully coordinated rotational schedules.

Physical education sessions are currently conducted adjacent to the island’s airstrip, maintaining both academic programming and vital social interaction opportunities. “These touchpoints significantly impact student development,” Zaiden emphasized. “Social connectivity remains equally important as curricular concepts during this transitional period.”

The school community awaits governmental authorization to implement a more permanent solution, having already secured approximately 90,000 Belize dollars through local and international fundraising efforts. Prefabricated structures stand ready for deployment on designated land, though administrative approval remains pending despite earlier indications of scheduled meetings.

While Area Representative Andre Perez has projected construction commencement by May, Zaiden maintains focus on immediate educational continuity. “Our present concern addresses the interim period until then,” she stated. “Our students’ learning cannot be postponed.”

The principal extended gratitude to educators, parents, and community members for their sustained support under challenging circumstances, particularly acknowledging teachers’ dedication to both academic quality and student welfare. As the term progresses, the school community maintains hope for imminent approval of their constructed solution, advocating for students’ fundamental right to “safe, dry spaces conducive to learning.”

News Five has initiated contact with Belize’s Ministry of Education seeking official commentary regarding the authorization timeline.

A swift-acting neighbor became the hero of a harrowing incident in San Narciso Village, Corozal, when a residential fire broke out on the morning of January 7, 2026. The blaze completely destroyed a local home but resulted in no injuries thanks to the neighbor’s courageous intervention.

The emergency unfolded when an elderly woman confined to a wheelchair found herself trapped inside the rapidly burning structure. Demonstrating remarkable presence of mind, a nearby resident rushed to the scene and successfully extracted the vulnerable occupant before flames could engulf the entire property.

Preliminary information from the homeowner, identified as a local educator, suggests the conflagration originated from an electrical malfunction near her workstation. The area contained multiple connected devices that may have contributed to the incident, though official cause determination remains pending from fire investigators.

Additional family members arrived during the emergency and attempted to combat the spreading fire using a truckload of water, but their efforts proved insufficient against the intensifying flames. When professional firefighting units eventually reached the location, the structure had already been completely consumed by the fire.

The property owners suffered total loss of their personal belongings as the intensity of the blaze prevented salvage operations. Authorities continue their examination of the scene to establish definitive causation while the displaced family receives community support following their devastating loss.