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As we reported, Welch was walking along with two men on Faber's Road Extension, and he was heading toward Central American Boulevard. When he arrived near to the intersection, a gunman ambushed them and fired several shots in their direction. Welch was hit several times and he died on the spot.

Convicted Human Trafficker Appeals

In February of 2012, 7news told you about 41 year-old Yolanda Garcia, a Honduran National who was convicted of human trafficking in the Magistrate's Court.

Well today, her attorney came to court requesting bail for her because he is in the process of appealing that conviction in the Supreme Court.

Mansel Thurton, who is representing Garcia, made an application today for the stay of execution - which is equated to a request for bail - to Chief Magistrate Anne Marie

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lynn Vidal, who prosecuted the case, objected to the stay on the grounds that Garcia has no ties to the country, and that if Garcia is granted bail, she will abscond because she will not risk the possibility having to go back to jail.

After listening to the submissions, Chief Magistrate Smith decided to deny the stay, and she further recommended that Mansel makes applications to the Supreme Court to expedite the process.

As we reported, Garcia was convicted on the strength of the 17 year-old complainant's testimony, who told the court that she was employed at Garcia's establishment, La Serenita Bar.

According the minor, Garcia allegedly told her that part of her job description was that she was required to have sex with customers for money.

She was sentenced to 12 months in prison and she has already served 3 months and 2 weeks.

Minimum Wage Increases By 80 cents/Hour for Agroindustry Workers

A new pair of statutory instruments sharply increases the minimum wage for those doing manual labour in agro industry. The new law says that Un-skilled workers employed in the agriculture, agro-industry or export oriented industries now qualify for a minimum wage of $3.30 per hour - up from $2.50 where it had been since 2007.

There's also an increase for domestic workers whether full-time or part-time; they go up from $3.10 to $3.30 an hour. Shop assistants employed full-time or part-time also get a twenty cent increase from $3.10 to $3.30 Manual workers not engaged in agriculture, also get an increase from $3.10-$3.30 an hour.

The increases arise from reviews by the minimum wage second task force council which scheduled the increases in 2007 and 2008 to keep up with the cost of living.

Cancer Walk Pulls Record Crowd

The annual cancer walk began 15 years ago to raise cancer awareness. Every year, the numbers seem to grow, and the rise in awareness is mirrored in the increase of participants in the cancer walk. Organizers say three thousand people participated this year - which is a sharp increase from last year's walk when they estimate that twenty five hundred persons participated.

Luverta Medina, the vice President of the Belize Cancer Society, explained what the walk is about and what it means for Belize.

Luverta Medina, VP - Belize Cancer Society
"This is annual walk, we do this every year for the past 15 years and it's a way to show support to those who are fighting cancer and those who have lost the fight. Whenever one walk is finish we begin to plan for the next walk."

"The support, the people who just want to come in and volunteer and help us in everything that we do has been overwhelming, it is enormous. Prevention is definitely better than cure. Come out and take your yearly tests. If you see something different with your body then come out and find out what's going on with you."

"This is a disease that is affecting Belize in a big way."

Eric Rhaburn, Participant in Cancer Walk
"My mom died from cancer in 1996 so it's all about support and giving back. I feel good to be a Belizean right now. Every year the thing just gets bigger and bigger."

Janika Hilton, Participant in Cancer Walk
"I feel really good. The walk was nice and I participated because nowadays anybody can catch cancer and so I didn't mind walk."

Grayson Ewing, Participant in Cancer Walk
"When you have been through what my family and I have been through, you really want people to open their eyes and understand and realize that we are affected by this disease. With the crowd, you bring awareness to it - you open people eyes and let them have an understanding that this is real. The support was overwhelming when my wife was first diagnosed with cancer. Again just the support, it's not what you do, just being there that helps a lot."

Newton Garcia, Participant in Cancer Walk
"First of all my grandmother had cancer and she passed away like 12 years ago, so I came out to support everybody who has cancer."

Reporter
"You recently been shot. First of all, why are you even out here? You are supposed to be recovering."

Anthony Leslie, Participant in Cancer Walk
"Well, it's just for the cause. It's for a very good cause. My mom passed away of cancer, so it's for a very good cause that I am doing it for."

Hon. Mark King
"We are in solidarity with all those who have cancer, and we think it's a good awareness for people to know that this is happening to a lot of Belizeans and they should participate in things like these. It could be you one day."

Reporter
"Did you walk?"

Hon. Mark King
"Of course I walked all the way."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"It was a duty and of course it was a privilege both because of the fact that my wife's illness but of course this is far bigger than my wife. This is something that's being done for all those that are presently battling with their afflictions. It's really touching, I met two persons already who are survivors but who are double survivors; who had the cancer and went into remission and had the cancer come back and had to struggle again and so it's that sort of story, that sort of narrative that is so very inspiring and makes me feel very proud of having taking part in this thing."

Organizers are already planning next year's cancer walk, and they encourage Belizeans to participate.

"Young, Green and Clean"

A competition for high schools called Young, Clean, & Green held its final event on Sunday at Old Belize. The first campaign was a country wide clean up, and after its success, an international organization Alde-baran's started the "Young, Clean & Green High School Competition."

Almost 50 percent of all high schools participated in the event, and they were tasked to create a public service announcement, a primary school booklet, a shopping bag made out of natural recyclable materials and a 3 year concept about how schools could incorporate recycling, gardening, and composting.

We spoke to representatives of the 1st and 2nd place winners to find out more about their projects.

Patricia Acosta, SCA, District Winner, 2nd Overall
"At the beginning we started a contest of who could recycle the most paper and bottles and then we promise that class a prize and so that encourage the girls to start go out. Also we got some donations and we got some garbage cans collected. We have them all over the school campus, which helped minimize loitering."

"Our school is already clean and also what they do is in 1st form is have a gardening class. That helps us to have more fresh air on our campus because we plant around the school."

"I am really happy because personally I didn't think that we would make it this far. I am really proud of our school."

Walter Garbutt, Belmopan Comprehensive, 1st Place
"It was tremendous - the effort and the cooperation of the various parties. It's a team effort that we are able to keep a cleaner campus and to make people more aware; to make our student and our community more aware of the need to have a clean, a healthy and a beautiful environment."

"When I got to Belmopan almost 2 years ago, I was not really happy with the graffiti and the garbage on the campus and today it's a complete difference, you can see very little garbage on the campus at any time during the day and after cleaning is done its almost difficult to find a few bottle covers here and there. So it's that combine effort that has contributed to what we have done today and we hope to make this project move on and make Belize a cleaner, healthier and a more beautiful place."

The competition had two rounds - district and national. The winners of the districts received $1000 and the overall winners won $7000 for first place, $5000 for second place and $1000 for third.



Changing the Climate On Climate Change Readiness

Paola Amadei, the Head of Delegation of the European Union came to Belize for an official visit - which included the signing of a financing agreement with the Government on climate change.

The project is called "Enhance adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change in national policies." The goal is to create a resilient water sector and enhance climate change readiness by establishing a climate change office.

The European Union will contribute EU 2.9 million - that's BZD 7.25 million - and GOB will contribute BZD $750,000, totaling 8 million to enhancing climate change.

It's an important project, and at the signing of the financial agreement Ambassador Amadei explained how much Belize will benefit.

Hon. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister
"The project is for the purpose of like the CEO had mention - to strengthen capacity in the climate change section and especially this project will be having activities to do with the water management in our country."

Paola Amadei, Head of Delegation of the European Union
"As we speak negotiations are going in New York for the Rio Plus 20 Conference. The EU has been active together in this particular file. There is a common understanding and commonality of views and objectives between the EU and the Caribbean."

"There are all these reasons that make this act very important for the EU, for Belize. The new joint EU/Caribbean strategy is fore coming after a long preparation will have a longer main priority. The protection on the environment and the action for mitigation and adaptation towards climate change - so all these reasons the project is indeed very important. It's part of the global climate change initiative."

The project will be implemented by the UNDP under a contribution agreement, and it will allow the Government of Belize to prepare for and manage the effects of climate change on Belize's development.