Well, we’re just about a month into the hurricane season and already, Mother Nature is making her presence felt. In northern Belize, heavy rains have caused significant flooding, turning major roads into rivers and leaving some communities temporarily cut off. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development was quick to respond, sending out teams to assess the damage and carry out urgent repairs. But with months of stormy weather still ahead, the big question now is: how prepared are we for what’s to come? And what’s being done to protect our highways, especially in flood-prone areas? We spoke with Chief Engineer Evondale Moody to get some answers.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“To be honest, the ministry has began its preparation for every hurricane season from the beginning of January. So I meet with the technical staff of the ministry, we asses where we are in terms of the road infrastructure. We assess what we need to put in place in terms of materials, culverts and to be on standby incase we have emergencies we have to respond to. So we have bene on top of things as best as we can as a ministry. In respect to the works up north, we had some minor damages in San Jose where the road shoulders were eroded in two sections. However because of preparation our team has mobilized and completed about seventy percent of those works. We deployed early last week to repair the shoulders undermined by the flood waters. We also installed new erosion protection measures to prevent that incident from occurring again. It is difficult to say or task these events will happen. We don’t know where the excess rainfall will occur, however from what I have seen the concentration of rainfall over Orange Walk was very intense. So that led to the inundation of those sections of the road. However the road held up.”
Big changes are happening on Independence Hill. The iconic National Assembly Building is getting a major facelift and according to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, it’s right on track to be completed by September. But this isn’t just a touch-up. The entire building has been gutted and rebuilt from the inside out. We’re talking about a brand-new roof with insulation, redesigned chambers and gallery, fresh interior walls, and even an elevator, something the original structure never had. It’s a bold transformation, but it’s also coming with a bigger price tag than originally planned. Chief Engineer at MIDH, Evondale Moody, gave us an update on the progress and what’s still to come.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“Basically we have invested a lot in that structure. The cumulative cost we are estimating at five point six million. We have gone above what was originally estimated, honestly. But, once we got into the building we found out that there was a lot of things that needed to get done for us to make the building functional. That is the aim of the MIDH, to make it as functional as we can based on what we have available.”
Paul Lopez
“So there were things done that was not originally considered?”
Evondale Moody
“Yes, there was a lot of things done. We have a new elevator system that came into the country this week. So we are hoping to get that into Belmopan within another week. We took into consideration the Disability Act to make sure we make the building accessible. The exterior we have tried our best to maintain the original structure. But the original structure, because it has been there for so long had some defects where it had exposure. So we had to plaster some of those areas. We were also tasked with pressure washing the building. That created some issues because of the porosity of the blocks. It showed that it had some holes. So we had to find a mechanism to seal that. So we have to seal the build just in an effort to maintain the original look of the building.”
Tensions continue to simmer in Pomona Village, where a land dispute has sparked heated accusations and divided opinions. Over the past few nights, we’ve brought you reports of villagers pointing fingers at Stann Creek West Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson, his son, and his nephew Aaron Ferguson, accusing them of aggressive confrontations. But in a follow-up to Tuesday night’s story, Aaron Ferguson is speaking out, firmly denying any involvement in the alleged incidents. We want to note that these claims remain unverified, and we apologize for any harm caused to Ferguson’s reputation. Still, this is a developing story, and News Five will continue to keep a close eye on the situation in Pomona and the Rodville Developments.
After being rained out in June, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize is back on track with its much-anticipated march and rally, now set for this Saturday in Belize City. NTUCB President Ella Waight is once again calling on union members and workers from across the country to show up and stand strong. The message? Delayed, but not denied. Here’s what she had to say about the movement and why your voice matters.
Ella Waight
Ella Waight, President, NTUCB
“We are surrounding our march and rally around four national themes, which includes good governance, respect for unions, democracy now and systematic change. One of the key national teams is good governance. We would like the public to understand that all these themes are important to workers of this country and they should be as important to every citizen of this country. Whenever unions negotiate for salary adjustments or better benefits for workers we have to ensure that Belize and our government are practicing good governance. We are asking again that all workers, citizens and young people, even retirees, join our rally on Saturday. We are asking union members to wear their union colors to bring out their banners and flags because that is how we will make our point to the employers of this country that we mean business and demand the respect that we deserve. We are sending out a special invitation to those workers in the BPOs and call centers to join us on Saturday. We hear their call that they want to be organized. They want fair representation and appreciated for the work they do. But we need to see them, we need to see them out there and we are asking them to wear white so that we can say we see you and we will do our best to get you organized and protect your rights as workers, because you are important to the economy of this country.”
The NTUCB will also be conducting a youth recruitment drive on Saturday through its youth arm headed by Ashley Longford.
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize is throwing its support behind the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union, as the call for a long-overdue salary increase grows louder. UBFSU says its members haven’t seen a raise in over a decade, and that’s making it harder to keep and attract quality lecturers. NTUCB President Ella Waight says it’s time those educators are fairly compensated for the work they do.
Ella Waight
Ella Waight, President, NTUCB
“I have been checking my email constantly and I have not seen a response from any of the parties that were invited. But we are hoping that there will be a meeting soon. We are hoping to meet very soon, because this matter is important. We don’t want an impasse at the university, and it leads to some kind of serious industrial action. That is not what we want to be the result of this. We want to see that the university and union get around the table and start serious dialogue about how our members can get their salary adjustment. Having the lecturers that teach our young people that this country matters and that workers matters, not getting a salary adjustment for over ten years is not logical. It is not fair, feasible. According to the acting president, we are having a brain drain at the university. What will happen when we have no one that wants to stay at the university. Where will we send our young people. We can’t send them to the private institutions. Form the fact that we call to our national university, everyone should be concerned and should want to assist in ensuring we retain these lecturers because they are very good lecturers and would retain the national university the standard it should be an elevate it to be a better university and that can only be done if we have our lecturers fully compensated for the work they do.”
But the big question now is — will the Minister of Education agree to meet with the union this Thursday? We’ll be watching.
She built her business from the ground up, one mop, one client, one act of trust at a time. But tonight, that trust is under fire. Florina Arzu, the face behind Flo’s Pristine Services, is facing a crisis no small business owner ever wants to deal with. One of her employees, twenty-six-year-old Samara Moody, is now the subject of a police investigation, accused of stealing jewelry and other valuables from a Belize City home. Moody wasn’t just a stranger, she was on the job, cleaning a client’s bedroom under Arzu’s company. And while Arzu wasn’t there that day, the fallout landed squarely at her feet. Now, with a wanted poster out and clients demanding accountability, Arzu is left trying to protect the business she’s worked so hard to build, while confronting the painful reality of broken trust. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with that story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
A trusted face in the home is now at the center of a police investigation. Tonight, a wanted poster is out for twenty-six-year-old Samara Moody, a single mother of two, who’s accused of stealing jewelry and other valuables from a prominent Belize City household. Moody wasn’t just a visitor, she was on the job, working for Flo’s Pristine Services, a cleaning company with a client list that includes at least fifteen homes and businesses.
Florina Arzu
Florina Arzu, Proprietor, Flo’s Pristine Services
“This particular employee was hired under Flo’s Pristine [Services] for roughly six months. The particular client that the incident happened or occurred to, we were fresh with them. We were just two months in with these clients [and] they really had a close relationship with me, trying to let my business prosper, you know. They were all about having Belizean-owned businesses prosper and so, that was the reason why she hired me.”
If you’ve been following our stories, you might remember Florina Arzu, a hardworking entrepreneur we featured back in July 2023. At the time, she had just launched her cleaning business, building a reputation and a livelihood through honest work and determination. Fast forward to today, Arzu’s company has grown, offering both residential and commercial cleaning services. But now, the very foundation of her business, trust, has been shaken. A recent incident involving one of her employees has left clients questioning what happens when that trust is broken.
Florina Arzu
“Under the contract, we needed two persons to work and so Samara was a part of the team for that particular home. She was assigned to that home. The particular incident occurred two weeks ago, the twenty-seventh, I believe, and a couple items went missing. That raised the alarm, since then, we have been trying to reach out to Samara, let her come in, just return the items, to no avail. That’s when it reached the public and we have a wanted poster for her.”
When you hand over your house keys, alarm codes, and access to your most private spaces, you’re placing a huge amount of trust in someone. For many families, that trust is given to cleaning crews, people hired to care for the spaces we call home. Florina and her employee, Samara, were assigned to clean the home on a rotation basis. While she wasn’t on duty that day, Samara was. And that’s when personal items, including valuable jewelry, went missing.
Florina Arzu
“One particular item, the client [has] had for over twenty years. We’ve tried so many alternatives to reach out to her and she is not answering calls, but she does communicates through text. She officially blocked my business page, but she still reads messages off my personal phone number. Our last, my last text to her, my last messages to her was on Sunday and I was kinda doing a scare tactic on her to let her come in, but to no avail.”
Since the alleged theft, the couple has grown restless. They are demanding answers and accountability, even pointing fingers at Arzu herself, saying that as the business owner, the responsibility stops with her. It’s a tough moment for a woman who built her business on trust.
Florina Arzu
“I’ve built my business from the ground up, by myself and this affects me emotionally, mentally, but I do have to say that I do have the support of clients who know me very well and vouch for me. So that’s one of the things that keeps me going and I just want to take this as an experience. I think it’s a big lesson for my business in itself, just trying to take proper procedures and measures on how to move forward with screening, I guess. That would be my biggest approach right now is how to best approach screening because my reputation lies at hand and I don’t want my clients to ever feel unsafe in their own space.”
From pricey electronics to private documents, cleaners often come across things that require more than just a mop and broom, they require integrity. And when that trust is broken, the consequences can be deeply personal. Isani Cayetano for News Five.
Today, imagination met history at Belize City’s Imagination Factri, where author and researcher Myrtle Palacio brought the Garifuna story to life in a powerful and visually striking way. Through bold graphics on genocide, forced migration, and cultural resilience, Palacio peeled back the layers of Garifuna identity, not just to educate, but to inspire. Her session, based on her work The Primer on the People Called Garifuna, challenged participants to rethink history, embrace advocacy, and celebrate the enduring legacy of the Garinagu people. Here’s more on that impactful presentation.
Tanya Arceo, Reporting
From the painful legacy of genocide and displacement to the vibrant contributions of the Garifuna community, Myrtle Palacio’s presentation didn’t shy away from the hard truths. Instead, it called for action, urging participants to embrace decolonizing language and step into advocacy. The event opened with a welcome from cultural advocate Yasser Musa, setting the tone for a day of reflection, learning, and empowerment.
Voice of: Yaser Musa
Voice of: Yaser Musa
“This is, in my mind, intellectual logic for this book but what’s incredible to me is what she wrote in the forward thirty plus years later, her updated forward, she says “The new and updated Primer Is the outcome of secondary or library research through an extensive literature review and narrative analysis. For that, I have provided a list of references. Identifying as Garifuna and as a member of the community, I applied the Feminist Standpoint Theory and the Theory of Indigenous Anthropology, as both research techniques empower the researcher to investigate one’s own. I maintained an emic perspective throughout and remained sympathetic to the Garinagu, a viewpoint that may be a novel undertaking in the literature on ethnicity.”
Myrtle Palacio
Myrtle Palacio, Author
“It is a belief that there are more than one spiritual beings, our ancestors, our Ahary group so we believe in several, innumerable ancestral spirits, that is animism. However, aspects of Christianity has entered Garifuna spirituality, we have accepted it and a part of our spirituality, a part of our belief systems, we have assimilated it into Garifuna spiritualism.”
Graphic panels told the Garifuna story in vivid visuals, all while the sound of traditional drums filled the air with pride and purpose. The event wasn’t just a feast for the senses, it also honored key contributors in an award ceremony, with guests including representatives from NICH joining the celebration. And this is just the beginning. These striking visuals are set to tour Houses of Culture and libraries across Belize, bringing this vital history to communities and classrooms nationwide.
Tanya Arceo
“If there is one thing you wish that every Belizean and every reader would truly understand about Garifuna history or identity what would that be?”
Myrtle Palacio
“I would like I am learning I mentioned the date of seventeen ninety-nine I would like that to resonate because that is a contribution to nation building another area is teaching the educators where our men from late eighteen hundred were dying in villages just to teach that was a job that they had accepted leaving their families for months for the whole term and that contribution to nation building I want us to understand that and to understand nineteenth of November those two areas to me are very much important.”
Storytelling has always been central to the Garifuna and Creole experiences, a powerful way of preserving history, identity, and resilience. From the days of enslavement to the blending of Arawak, Kalinago, and West African cultures, these stories reflect how two peoples became one. Rooted in the island of St. Vincent and the Lesser Antilles, this shared legacy is a living memory of survival, connection, and cultural fusion, inviting us all to listen, learn, and remember.
Hailey Williams
Hailey Williams, Storyteller
“Amerindian, thirty thousand years ago a group of Amerindians including the Kalinago and Arawak’s crossed the bearing straight from Eastern Asia and made their way from Alaska to South America at fifteen hundred BC the bearing structury as a voice to other theories.”
Voice of: Giovanni Pinelo
Voice of: Giovanni Pinelo, Storyteller
“We realized that what we call colonial expansionism in some books beautiful words and I know somebody else is going to speak about words but it was about total encroachment it was about dispossessing of people, displacing them of their lands, divesting them of their heritage of their caught Genocide, the definition of genocide under the union convention speaks to the radication of a people and this was precisely what was happening.”
As the event came to a close, there was a heartfelt reminder of why these stories matter. Minister of State Dolores Balderamos-García took a moment to reflect on the power of preserving and sharing the Garifuna narrative — calling it not just history, but a vital part of who we are. Her words capped off a day filled with culture, connection, and a renewed commitment to keeping these stories alive for generations to come.
Dolores Balderamos
Dolores Balderamos, Minister of State
“There is so much of our history as I have said before that we need to fill in all the gaps and I like the idea that we have to look at our history not only from the point of view of the hunter but also from the point of view of the hunted so we must remember the victims of the colonial system in addition to reading the book from a European perspective of what the history of Belize is so we must know our history from the indigenous people, from people who have been victims but from people who have contributed so much to what Belize is today.”
Gun violence is flaring once again in Belize City. Since Friday, there have been four attempted murders across Belize City. The most recent incident was a broad daylight attempt on the life of Andre Kerr this morning.
Commissioner of Police Dr Richard Rosado told the media this afternoon that the incident was a targeted attack on Kerr by two men on a motorcycle who opened fire. Kerr was injured in the upper body and was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
“We do believe that the shooting is as a result of escalating gang tension between rival groups,” he said.
Rosado added that police have since recovered the motorcycle used in the shooting and are pursuing two persons of interest.
ComPol Rosado addressed growing public concern over the recent spike in violence, stating that “the police department and our investigators are working around the clock” to de-escalate and monitor the situation and track down those responsible.
“I am confident that we will have an arrest or two very shortly,” ComPol Rosado added.
The Belize Police Department has released new details about the violent encounter in Paraiso Village, Corozal, which recently stirred public outrage after a video showed police striking civilians, including a woman, with batons.
Police say the confrontation began on the evening of July 8th during a mobile patrol in the village. Officers attempted to stop a man on a motorcycle for not having a taillight, but he reportedly refused and rode to his family’s home.
When police attempted to detain the man at the family’s residence, his relatives allegedly obstructed the officers and attacked them.
Police reported that several family members became aggressive and attacked the officers using pint bottles, sticks, and even a metal bar. Corporal Arturo Leal suffered a cut wound to the head from a bottle, while PC Triston Arzu was struck in the head with a metal bar. PC Asael Sanchez was hit on the arm with a stick, and PC Alvarez was punched in the face. Corporal Marin was reportedly pushed to the ground, damaging his chain and holster.
Several residents of Paraiso Village are now under investigation for aggravated assault, wounding, obstruction, and damage to property. They have been identified as Miguel Salazar, 36; Hugo Poncio 43; Javier Salazar 23; Jose Luis Salazar Jr. 34; Cesar Salazar 29; Jose Luis Salazar Sr. 63; Judith Salazar 39; and Samuel Salazar 31; all residents of Paraiso Village.
Police added that all individuals were also taken to the hospital for medical checks.
A routine inspection by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has uncovered vandalism at the Haulover Bridge in Belize City. Officials confirmed that several aluminum pipes from the bridge’s safety rail have been stolen.
The ministry described the discovery as “madness,” noting that the theft poses serious safety risks for motorists and pedestrians alike.
It said, “There are no words to describe this honestly. None.”
This latest incident comes as the ministry grapples with ongoing damage to other key infrastructure. According to officials, about four kilometers of guardrails along the Coastal Plain Highway have been damaged, likely due to reckless driving, within just one year of the highway’s completion. The repair bill now stands at an estimated 1.3 million Belize dollars, a cost ultimately borne by taxpayers.
The ministry also pointed to another chronic problem: the “horrendous quantity” of roadside litter that teams are forced to clean up daily.
In its plea to the public, the ministry is urging Belizeans to take more pride in national infrastructure and to report any suspicious activity involving bridges, guardrails, signs, or other road safety features.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing at 828-5220.
“These assets are your assets,” the Ministry reminded. “Help us protect them.”
