Orange Walk District - Greater Belize Media

From Sugar City to Future City? Orange Walk Eyes Big Leap

Known affectionately as “Sugar City” for its long-standing role as Belize’s top sugar producer, Orange Walk Town is now setting its sights on something even sweeter—city status. With rapid growth and development over the years, Mayor Ladrick Sheppard believes the town is well on its way to becoming Orange Walk City, possibly within the next decade. And if he has anything to say about it, he’ll be right there to help make it happen. Sheppard, who’s already serving as mayor, says he plans to run for three more terms, and if successful, he hopes to be part of the conversations that could officially elevate Orange Walk to city status.

Ladrick Sheppard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“This town would want turn into a city. For that to happen, we would need a little more amount of people and then the closest village that is adaptable and I think Hon. Munchies [Cervantes] has – I thing that’s his biggest area and it would adapt to Trial Farm. When that becomes a reality, I’m pretty sure Orange Walk is going to become a city. There is an east section of Trial Farm and there is a west section of Trial Farm, an area called Black Water. So eventually, like I said, I’ve been circling around there and I’ve been seeing it. Some of the people there would love to have the services of the town, but again, this is something that the village people – since they have a village council, there is a chairman there in charge of the village. This is something that they, the people would want and if they want this to say we are ready to pay property tax; we’re ready enough to go ahead and get the essential services that all people from the town are receiving, then that will be but I don’t know if I’m gonna be the Mayor then. I am preparing to stay as a five-term mayor. That’s my goal and my dream – to be mayor for five terms. So this is my second term, and I would have three more terms to go. I might be here.”

Motorcyclist Killed in Orange Walk Collision

Juan Carlos Castellanos tragically lost his life in a traffic collision on Tuesday night in Orange Walk Town. The accident occurred around 9 p.m. as Castellanos was riding his motorcycle along Tate Street. He collided with the side of a freight truck.

The 50-year-old truck driver reported that he was making a left turn onto Munoz Lane when Castellanos struck the right side of the truck. Castellanos was immediately taken to the Northern Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The truck driver is currently in police custody.

Fireman Arrested in Orange Walk for Drug Possession

Police have arrested a 40-year-old man from the Orange Walk District on two counts of possession of controlled drugs.

On Tuesday, October 29, around 6:15 p.m., officers executed a search warrant at the home of Nelson Balan, a Belizean fireman. Upon their arrival, Balan was observed fleeing into a room and discarding two transparent plastic bags. These bags were retrieved and found to contain suspected cannabis.

A subsequent search revealed two additional small plastic bags with suspected cannabis and one bag containing suspected cocaine. The suspected cannabis weighed 24 grams, while the suspected cocaine weighed 0.72 grams. Nelson Balan was arraigned and fined $1,200 BZD, along with $5.00 in court costs.

Drunk Driver Charged For Killing 19yo in Crash

Police say that 53-year-old Gustavo Cardenas from Douglas Village caused the untimely death of 19-year-old Kristian Beaza. Baeza was killed on Sunday night near the San Roman junction on the Philip Goldson Highway in a road traffic accident.

Investigators say that Cardenas was drunk and driving without a license at the time of the crash.

Cardenas rear-ended Beaza’s motorcycle, launching him off the bike and onto the pavement, where he sustained multiple injuries that proved fatal. Beaza was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.Cardenas was charged with causing death by careless conduct and manslaughter by negligence. He also faces charges for driving without a license, driving under the influence, and failing to provide a specimen.

This is not Cardenas’ first fatal accident. In 2003, he was behind the wheel of a Jeep Cherokee that collided head-on with a van, killing two men, one of whom was police officer Lincoln Kellyman.

Armed Thieves Escape with $10K

Police in Orange Walk are looking for three men who robbed a store and escaped with $10,000 in cash. The masked assailants targeted the store on San Andres Street. Security footage of the incident shows two of the suspects wearing long-sleeve hoodies, while the third wore a bright yellow construction jacket. Two of the suspects were armed with handguns.

The men barged into the store, confronting a customer at the counter and forcing him to the ground at gunpoint.

One of the armed men stood watch while the other two targeted the cashier. The second thief reached over the counter and grabbed the bag full of cash.

Can BSI’s Plan Fix Sugar Supply Issues?

Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) is addressing rising consumer concerns about limited sugar availability in supermarkets. For weeks, shoppers have faced restrictions of one or two pounds per purchase. This occurs despite BSI’s previous assurances of ‘no actual sugar shortage.’

Shawn Chavarria, Financial Manager at ASR/BSI, confirmed that as of this week, there are approximately 7.5 million pounds of white sugar and 2.2 million pounds of brown sugar in stock, sufficient to meet demand for the next three and a half months. Despite this, some retailers are still imposing limits.

Chavarria told News 5 today, “Somewhere along the supply chain, sugar is not consistently reaching the intended customers.” Investigations indicate that sugar smuggling may be worsening the perceived shortage.

To combat this issue, BSI has proposed introducing pre-packaged retail sizes for sugar. “That product will be much more difficult for anybody to try to smuggle,” Chavarria claimed. He noted that this packaging format has received positive feedback in the CARICOM market.

However, implementing retail packaging will require changes to the existing price control system. BSI is seeking government support to liberalise prices for packaged sugar while maintaining regulations for industrial sugar. If approved, packaged brown sugar could be priced around $1 per pound, and white sugar at about $1.10.

Orange Walk Woman Turns 109 Years

While Belize celebrated its 43 years of independence, Orange Walk resident Efigenia Cal celebrated her 109th birthday. Born on September 21, 1915, Cal has seen over a century of change. She was married at the age of 15 and raised nine children.

“My birthday passed just this Saturday. I turned one hundred and nine,” Cal said during an interview with News 5.

Reflecting on her life, Cal shared memories of her late husband, Emiliano Cal, who died at the age of 35. When asked about her health, she remarked, “I feel bad; I get pain; my knees and feet hurt sometimes.”

Her granddaughter, Maria Carrillo, expressed her gratitude for having her grandmother in her life. “It means a lot for me because she’s been so long with me. I care for her and mind her.” Carrillo noted that Cal enjoys a diet rich in callaloo, spinach, beets, and sweet potatoes.

“She could do the work. For example, I’m a sell vendor, and I sell corn and tamalitos… And then she helps me. She grinds it. And she peels the corn. She bakes by herself. So far, I don’t have to bathe her; she bathes herself, cleans herself, and eats by herself,” Carrillo added.

While Carrillo feels a mix of pride and concern, she stated, “One of these days she has to go… but she still has faith and is strong.”

18-Year-Old Dies in Collision with Cow in Orange Walk

A tragic road accident in the Orange Walk District has claimed the life of 18-year-old Alvin Guardado. Guardado, a labourer from Blue Creek, was reportedly driving in an area between San Felipe and August Pine Ridge, known as “El Rancho,” when he crashed into a cow. He was severely injured, including a large open wound to his forehead.

Guardado was rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital by ambulance. However, despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The incident happened on Monday night.

Guardado’s father explained that his son was on his way home after visiting his girlfriend.

Bat-tastic Study, Belizean Scientist Explores Bat Behaviour to Strengthen Conservation Efforts

During the sixteenth “Bat-a-thon”, a group of 80-some researchers converged at Belize’s Lamanai Archaeological Reserve in early May to study close to 80 species of winged mammals—bats.

Gliselle Marin, a PhD biology student at York University in Toronto, is the only Belizean participant of the study in northern Belize.

Marin, who sports bat-themed earrings and a bat tattoo, emphasised the unique behaviours and adaptive abilities of bats, which she believes are crucial for understanding broader ecological impacts. “When I actually started working with them and realising we have close to 80 species of bats,” she says, “I was like, ‘Okay, it’s kind of crazy that I’ve been in science my whole life and was never taught that we have this diversity of bats in Belize.’”

Marin’s research focusses on the dietary flexibility of bats, analysing bat faeces to determine their food sources. This allows a better understanding of how habitat fragmentation affects the diet and overall survival of bats.

As Belize faces increasing deforestation and climate challenges, Marin’s grassroots conservation efforts act as a bridge to local knowledge through scientific research.

For Marin, the core message is straightforward: Everything is interconnected—people, bats, and the forest. “We’re as special as everything else around us,” she says.

Animation Boot Camp for Women Heads North

In July, the Ministry of Investment, through its Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, teamed up with the Taiwan Technical Mission and the National Women’s Commission to launch an animation bootcamp for women and teens. That initial opening was held in Belize City to provide the participants with in-person and online training. This is with a view to creating opportunities for them to learn basic digital skills in graphic art and animation to be able to produce short, animated movies and attract employment. The event moved to Orange Walk on Thursday, and News Five’s Marion Ali filed this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Thirty women in Orange Walk who have expressed interest in animation and art have an opportunity over the next few days to learn to hone their skills in this area with a view to create their own livelihood by putting their training to work. They are taking part in an animation boot camp at Orange Walk Technical High School. The project is part of the government’s effort to push for an orange economy, using creative assets to contribute to economic activity and growth. Spearheading the six-day training is Jeavon Sanker.

Jeavon Sanker, Trainer, Women’s Animation Bootcamp

“There are huge opportunities for our country’s economic development. I also have friends in other countries that have animation studios, for example, Trinidad, Martinique, Jamaica, and they talk about projects being outsourced to them in the Caribbean from other countries, all the way from America. A lot of times people – and I have worked on a lot of projects as well from people abroad, and they like working with me. Guess why? It’s affordable to them. You see the exchange rate, they love the exchange rate and that doesn’t mean we’re not getting paid good. Yes, we’re getting paid good, but the thing is, we have the opportunity to tap into a market.”

If the event is successful, it could improve the unemployment rate for women who currently need jobs, as Prime Minister John Briceño alluded to.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“When you look at the statistics, it is over forty percent of women that are not working. So could you imagine that if you can harness, if you could unleash that power, that talent that you have, those that are staying home because of different reasons – they have to take care of their children, so there’s no daycare centers that you can take your children. But if you could imagine that we could unleash that talent that you have and put it and invest it in the economy, Belize can double its economy in less than ten years. And what you’re doing here with the orange economy and animation and using technology means that in many instances you do not have to leave the home to be able to have a job that can empower you economically. Presently with the call centers there are a number of people that are working from home. Animation could be one of them.”

The project’s implementation came with financial support from the Taiwanese government, and Ambassador Lily Li-Wen Hsu says that already, it has made some positive impact.

Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize

“I understand this is this series of program has been held in other places of the nation, and it’s already a boom for many, many young women and that interested in animation. So I’m very excited that this program today comes to Orange Walk. This collaborative initiative is between the Taiwan I.C.D.F., the Office of the Prime Minister, and Ministry of Investment, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and the National Women’s Commission. And it is part of our ongoing bilateral Taiwan Belize Women’s Empowerment Project that has been running for more than two and a half years.”

Marion Ali for News Five.