By H. Nelson Goodson
February 23, 2012

Racine – On Wednesday, the Fire and Police Commission decided to continue with the process of selecting the next police chief. The five-member Commission drew protests and accusations of racism when it decided last Monday to reopen the search for a new chief after two minority candidates were left as alternatives to replace the chief. The search for a new chief began in November and has cost the city at least $23,000, according to city officials.
Community members, several non-profit organizations, the NCAAP and the Racine Police Association cried foul and accused the Commission of discrimination for trying to search for a White candidate after two minority candidates were left to compete for the job.
The two minority candidates were left out of 11 candidates who applied for the chief position. They were identified as an Hispanic, Lt. Carlos Lopez and the other Afro-American, Deputy Chief Art Howell. Both Lopez and Howell are well qualified for the position and are high ranking veteran officers in the Racine Police Department.
The Commission was force to reverse their decision by pressure from Racine Mayor John Dickert, the city attorney and other city officials, including aldermen. The Commission will now have to pick either Lopez or Howell to replace retired Chief Kurt Wahlen.

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By H. Nelson Goodson
February 22, 2012

Milwaukee – On Friday, the Milwaukee County Ethics Board referred a complaint to the District Attorney’s Office alleging that Supervisor Peggy Romo West used County time to campaign and wore a campaign t-shirt while riding inside a County vehicle during the Labor Day parade in 2011. Apparently, Supervisor Romo West for the 12th District has not received any notice from the Ethics Board notifying her of the pending investigation and complaint being referred to the DA’s Office for review.
The Ethics Board could have dismissed the complaint, but referring it to the DA’s office indicates there in enough probable cause to proceed with the Ortiz complaint. Romo West has retained an attorney and believes she has done nothing illegal.
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. has made several attempts to contact Supervisor Romo West concerning the Ortiz Ethics Board complaint, but Romo West has declined to comment.
Ortiz also would not comment, confirm or deny, that she received a notice as well from the Ethics Board concerning the Romo West complaint findings.

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Photo: HNG

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 21, 2012

Milwaukee – On Tuesday,  Primary election results showed that in the Milwaukee Aldermanic 8th District, Alderman Robert “Bob” Donovan, 55, (Incumbent) and Benjamin Juarez, 29, an educator will faceoff and in the 12th District, Alderman James “Jim” Witkowiak, 62, (Incumbent) and José Pérez, 43, a business owner will also faceoff and move on to the April 3, General Election.
Donovan has been an alderman for 12-years and Witkowiak for 17-years.
Witkowiak says, it was the lowest voter turnout he has ever experienced in years. He thanked all his supporters for coming out and making it count and looks forward to continue his quest to get re-elected on his track record. Former Alderman Angel Sánchez, 42, who ran in the 12th District came short from gaining enough votes to stay in the aldermanic race.
Sánchez said, that at least ther are about 65,000 residents, including 15,000 registered voters. It’s unfortunate that about 3% or 1,123 voted in the 12th district.
Sánchez later gave his endorsement to Witkowiak.
Pérez on Tuesday night was celebrating his win with family members, which gave him a spot to face Witkowiak in the general election. Pérez said, that he was grateful for all the support the community has given him during the last several months. He is looking forward for the general election in April and says, he will continue to knock on doors to get the vote out. 
Both the 8th and 12th Aldermanic Districts have a majority Hispanic voting-age population and where the predominately Latino community resides in the south side.
The Milwaukee Election Commission said, that there were few problems with the new Wisconsin Voter ID Law.
In other election results, Carolina Maria Stark, an attorney and a Fire and Police Commissioner who happens to be a Latina will faceoff Judge Nelson Phillips III (Incumbent) in the Milwaukee Circuit Court Branch 17.
City of Sheboygan voters ousted Mayor Bob Ryan in a recall election and elected Terry Van Akkeren as Mayor. Akkeren will take office on March 15 and will finish Ryan’s term, which ends in 2013. Ryan became the first Sheboygan Mayor to be recall.

Election results:

Milwaukee 8th Aldermanic District

100% of Precints reporting

Bob Donovan (I)       935   60%   
Benjamin Juarez       309   20% 
Jennifer Morales       252   16%
Ches Ordoñez              63     4%

12th Aldermanic District

100% Precints reporting

José Pérez                     550     49%
James Witkowiak (I)     399     36%
Angel Sanchez              174    15%

Milwaukee Circuit Court Branch 17

Carolina Maria Stark         19,221      35%
Nelson Phillips III (I)          18,514      34%
Christopher Lipscomb Sr.   16,775      31%

City of Sheboygan Mayor

Terry Van Akkeren         6,004       53%
Bob Ryan (I)                    5,247      47%

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Photo: HNG

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 21, 2012

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico – On Monday, Governor Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz from the state of Nuevo León announced during a press conference that a reward of $10 million pesos (U.S. $769,231) has been offered for information leading to the arrest of 30 Zeta members who escaped from prison. The Zeta inmates escaped last Sunday after massacring 44 Gulf Cartel members being held at the Apodaca prison. The inmates were killed by man made weapons, according to the Nuevo León Attorney General’s Office. Most were federal prisoners awaiting charges.
The Zeta inmates are believed to have been aided by prison guards and members of the Apodaca prison administration. At least 18 guards connected to the escape have been arrested, including suspending the authority and detaining the Apodaca Prison Warden, Gerónimo Miguel Andrés Martínez; Ernesto García Guerrero, General Commissioner for the Prison System Administration; Juan Hernández Hernández, Deputy Warden for the Apodaca Prison and Óscar Deveze Laureano, Chief Apodaca Security Officer.
The Nuevo León Justice Department in conjunction with the Mexican Federal Police and the military have launched a statewide dragnet to search for the fugitives considered armed and dangerous.
The escaped Zeta inmates were identified as:

1 – Jonathan Israel Flores Guerrero
2 – Jaime Román Rodríguez Rincón
3 – José Ricardo Barajas
4 – Édgar Gabriel Hernández Pérez
5 – Erick Hernández Ascanio or Ascencio
6 – Gerardo García Rodríguez
7 – Óscar Manuel Bernal Soriano
8 – Juan Cristóbal Flores Alcorta or Cristóbal Flores Peña or Cristóba Flores López
9 – Manuel Bernardo Mendoza Gaytan or Bernardo Mendoza Gautan
10 – José Francisco Gutiérrez Galván
11 – Héctor Rousvel Huerta Tinoco or Héctor Rosbel Huerta Tinoco
12 – José Hernández Cruz
13 – Francisco Javier Puente Macías
14 – Adán Sáez Saenz
15 – Darío Rosas López
16 – José Isidro Cruz Villarreal or Isidro Cruz Villarea
17 – José Manuel Pérez Loera
18 – Rogelio Chacha Quintanilla
19 – José Antonio Montiel Hernández
20 – David Alberto Segundo Villa
21 – Édgar Adrián Isaguirre Gutiérrez
22 – César Eduardo Sandoval Padilla
23 – Jesús Manuel Santiago Ordaz
24 – Aldo Alejandro Ríos Flores
25 – Horacio Silva Garza
26 – Juan Francisco Arguello Pastrana
27 – Rubén Méndez Gastelum or Rubén Méndez Gastelo or Rubén Méndez Castelo
28 – José Luis Guzmán Muñoz
29 – Cristofer Avad Blanco González
30 – Miguel Alejandro Pérez Cárdenas

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By H. Nelson Goodson
February 20, 2012

Bay View – On Sunday, Alderman Tony Zielinski from the 14th Aldermanic District posted on Facebook that AK Food Mart at 2305 S. Howell Avenue is one step closer to get a Class “A” Malt license. The license, if approved by the Milwaukee Common Council would allow the owner, Jesse Singh to provide beer at his corner grocery store.
Singh, a native of India in the last year has remodeled the inside and outside of the AK Food Mart. On Thursday, Zielinski held a community public meeting at the Bay View library where at least 21 residents and business owners from the area attended. Alderman Zielinski confirmed that most of those attending voted to approve for Singh to get the beer license, except one who abstained.
Singh for almost three years had been struggling to get a beer license, but had earlier confronted opposition by Alderman Zielinski and area business owners that led to a beer license refusal by the Common Council Licensing Committee. Shortly after, another new tavern a block away got a license in 2009, which south side residents supporting Singh cried foul and alleged discrimination.
In mid December 2009 during a public hearing in the City Licensing Committee, Alderman Zielinski used the Southeast Side Comprehensive Area Development Plan (SSCADP) adopted by the Common Council to influence the denial of granting a Class “A” Malt license to AK Food Mart. The SSCADP plan was considered discriminatory and would lead to racial and economic disparity in the south side.
At that time, Zielinski supported  Michael J. Maierle, Urban Planner for the Department of City Development reason to deny Singh a beer license. Maierle testified in the licensing meetiing and said that “the corner streets of S. Kinnickinnic, W. Lincoln, and S. Howell Ave. are a key focal point for Bay View ongoing redevelopment and retail effort, and plans recommend improving this intersection with public and private investment. Non of these community redevelopment strategies is furthered by granting a malt alcoholic beverage to a second store in such close proximity to another. Granting a license wouldn’t improve the goal of the plan.”
South Side residents claimed that using the Near South Side Area Advisory Plan discriminated minority owners and was being used as a tool to deny and deprive other small business licenses.
At that time, Singh had been operating the grocery store for almost 18 years. The Southeast Side Comprehensive Area Plan was a key factor to deny a beer license to AK Food Mart business, according to the Licensing Committee meeting.
Trendy business owners including Lulu’s Cafe, and other area estate owners had invested millions of dollars on S. Kinnickinnic and W Lincoln. They opposed the sale of cheap beer and referred to AK Food Mart as not fitting with the development plan in the area. Hispanics and non-Latino small business owners in the south side were facing the same consequences.
Singh owns a primary development economic corner where both the AK Food Mart and a Mexican restaurant are located.
Shortly after Singh was denied a beer license in 2009, Zielinski without informing area residents about a liquor and beer license application managed to approved a license for a new trendy bar called “Tonic Tavern,” which was under construction a block West of AK Food Mart at the address 2335 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. and W Lincoln Ave. In that same 2300 block, the Highbury Pub, Grand Cafe Centraal, and Dee’s Wine Shop had liquor licenses to sell both alcohol and beer.
Paul Jonas, owner of the Tonic Tavern happened to be the brother of Sarah Jonas, owner of Lulu’s Cafe who strongly opposed granting AK Food Mart a beer license.

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By H. Nelson Goodson
February 19, 2012

Florence, Arizona – On Saturday, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, 43, confirmed that he is gay after Friday’s reported scandal by the Phoenix New Times about accusations of threatening a 34-year-old ex-male lover with deportation, if he exposed their prior relationship. Babeu’s ex-lover has been identified as José Orozco, which Babeu’s attorney alleged is an illegal immigrant whose visa had expired. Babeu and his attorney apparently are challenging Orozco’s legal status.
In a statement, “Yesterday, a tabloid article made a number of false allegations about me. Only one was true: I’m gay,” Sheriff Babeu said Saturday.
Sheriff Babeu had been hiding his sexual preference for years and is currently making his bid for the U.S. Congress. He also quit as co-chair of the Arizona GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign when the allegations came to light about threatening to deport Orozco to Mexico. Orozco claims, he is in the U.S. with a multiple ten year visa and met Babeu in 2006 through a gay dot com website.
Babeu tried to keep the relationship quiet due to expected consequences that could follow, if constitutents discovered he was gay. But, Orozco decided to expose their prior relationship that was kept in the shadows after being threaten. Babeu denied he had ever threaten to deport Orozco.
Sheriff Babeu is a strong advocate for Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration enforcement law and is a conservative republican.
Several semi-nude photos of Babeu appeared in a dating gay website suggesting he is currently looking for a relationship, but Babeu is saying, those photos were sent to an individual for private use and not to be posted on the Internet.
Babeu confirmed, that despite coming out of the closet as being gay, he will continue his quest and bid to become a U.S. Representative for the 4th Congressional District in the state of Arizona. His congressional bid campaign has been jilted and staffers are trying to salvage Babeu’s campaign. Also, Babeu’s attorney sent a legal letter to Orozco to stop him from accessing campaign computers. Babeu is alleging that Orozco had unauthorized access to his campaign computers and e-mail accounts.
Orozco’s attorney says, that his client is now living in fear of being deported.

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Sheriff Paul Babeu

José Orozco

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 18, 2012

Milwaukee – On Saturday, Alderman James “Jim” Witkowiak from the 12th Aldermanic District who is running for re-election accused challenger José G. Pérez of conducting a smear campaign and making false claims about Witkowiak’s character and reputation. Witkowiak says, he is proud to serve, live and has a reputation of helping to increase Latino bussiness growth in the district within the last 16-years as an alderman.
In contrary to what Aldermanic candidate Pérez has been claiming, Witkowiak wrote in Facebook that he will continue to work and protect the rights of Hispanic business owners and for minority contractors to compete for city contracts. He supported the new 370 city contract ordinance that increased minority accessibilty to public work contracts from 18% to 25%. Which, Pérez as a City Devlopment worker, including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce failed to say anything when the 370 ordinance was being discussed, debated and passed, according to Witkowiak.
Witkowiak was not specific about what Pérez allegedly was claiming as misleading in Facebook.
Last Thursday, Pérez during a south side public forum said, that he opposed the 370 ordinance and would work for an alternative measure that would increase the percentage even more in the minority bidding process for city contracts, if elected. The 370 city contract law will be evaluated every year, according to Witkowiak.
Witkowiak affirmed that he will continue to support the DREAM Act and for immigrants to have an opportunity to higher education. He helped stop the Milwaukee Opportunities Restoring Employment (M.O.R.E. 2009 ordinance), which would have effected Latino construction business owners receiving public works contracts, that created hardships to implement.
On Saturday when contacted, Pérez said, that he has no time to engage in any type of smear campaign against anyone and denied Witkowiak’s claims. Pérez confirmed, that he is concentrating strongly on knocking on doors and getting his supporters to the polls for the February 21 Primary Election.

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James “Jim” Witkowiak

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 17, 2012

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico – On Thursday, Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa unveiled a “No More Weapons” billboard near the bordertown Córdova-Américas International bridge.
Calderón Hinojosa said, that a strong effort to keep U.S. weapons from entering Mexico has been launched and is pushing for the U.S. government to do the same. The U.S. government agencies in Arizona, including the AFT and U.S. Attorney’s Office in the state are being investigated for letting numerous straw buyer weapons to cross over into Mexico during the “Fast and Furious” weapons initiative. Most of the weapons ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Some of the weapons became unaccounted for the U.S. Department of Justice probe found. Several of the weapons were used to kill two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, one in the U.S. and other in Mexico.
Calderón Hinojosa says, the Mexican government has arrested more than 30 most wanted drug cartel leaders in Mexico and 140 thousand weapons, including 84 thousand high power weapons.
The billboard was made by the National Secretary of Defense (Sedena) from three tons of crushed illegal U.S. weapons. It will be displayed at the border crossing into Ciudad Juarez from El Paso, Texas.

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By H. Nelson Goodson
February 17, 2012

Long Beach, CA – On Thursday, police responded to a shooting at the Glenn M. Anderson Federal Building, 501 W. Ocean Blvd. around 5:30 p.m. and found two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations division agents shot inside the ICE offices. An agent supervisor, Ezequiel Garcia, 45, got into a dispute over job performance evaluation with Kevin Kozak, 51, who is an upper level supervisor. Garcia took out his weapon and fired six times at Kozak, striking him in the upper torso, hand and legs. Then, a third supervisor agent Perry Woo shot at Garcia. Garcia was fatally wounded and died at the scene, according to the FBI.
ICE later confirmed that it was a workplace shooting incident ending with one dead and another agent shot. Agent Kozak is expected to survive.
Woo was put in administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. ICE is conducting an internal investigation and the FBI, including the Long Beach police are also doing their own investigations as well.

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By H. Nelson Goodson
February 16, 2012

Comayagua, Honduras – On Thursday, Security Minister Pompeyo Bonilla said, that the dead toll could be higher than reported earlier during a blaze on Wednesday at the Comayagua Prison. Forensic investigators are estimating that the dead toll could be more than 400 inmates, according to Bonilla.
Authorities suspect that the cause of the fire was contributed to an electrical short circuit or an inmate might have started the blaze inside the prison around 10:50 p.m. The fire began in cell block 6 and most of the fire was contained in cell blocks, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Most of the inmates reported killed succumed to smoke, others were trapped in locked cells and weren’t able to escape the blaze. Some of the inmates could be heard screaming from pain while being burned alive, while others were able to break through a roof and escaped the blaze.
Several surviving inmates told authorities, that a mattress was set on fire inside cell block 6 and fire spread quickly. Prison officials are also following reports that some of the inmates had escaped during the chaos.
It took firefighters four hours to control the fire.
The prison had more than 853 inmates at the time of the fire and had a capacity for 250. About 475 inmates were accounted for, 21 others were reported injured and were transported to several nearby hospitals for treatment. At least 356 inmates were reported killed, according to prison officials. But, other reports state that 900 inmates were being held at the prison.
Hundreds of family members gathered outside the prison to try and get information about their relatives being held and serving time at the prison.
An estimated 60% of those held at the prison had not been charged or convicted of a crime. They were being held under an antigang law initiative, which allowed police to detain men and women without charging them for exhibiting tattoos believed to be gang related.

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Photo: Reuters