Milwaukee's Casa Vieja Celebrates 5th Annual Fiesta 2010

Samuel Rodriguez, aka, "El Apache" and Rodrigo Diez posed during the annual fiesta

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 5, 2010

Milwaukee - The Casa Vieja "The Old House" a South side night club, 1600 block of S. 10th St. held their 5th annual Club Fiesta oudoors with D.J.'s and live Salsa music with local bands. The Feista began at noon and ends at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Rodrigo Diez, owner of the Casa Vieja said, a lot of people attended, despite occassional rain, which passed by 9:00 p.m. Everyone is having a great time, especially when there was no cover charge to enjoy the music.
The Casa Vieja Fiesta coincides with the annual Labor Day, Bandera a Bandera Puerto Rican festival in Chicago's Division Street. 
Food from Honduras was served at a reasonable price. More than 1,000 people attended during the day and continued to party until late.

D'CalleSon band at la Casa Vieja Fiesta in Milwaukee's South side.  Photos by HNG

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Federal Judge Ruled Mistrial In Romero's Immigration Marriage Sham

Fernanda Romero

Photo: U.S. Marshal Service

Judge set next hearing for January in the ongoing Romero marriage immigration sham case

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 4, 2010

Los Angeles, CA - A federal judge on Friday ruled a mistrial in the Fernanda Romero immigration sham marriage case after a jury resulted in deadlock and couldn't reach a verdict. The judge set a hearing date for January to discuss the case further. The U.S. Attorney's Office hasn't decided if they will retry the case.
Suspected immigration marriage sham cases are handled, investigated and heard in an immigration court.
During the case Romero while in tears said, she married Kent Ross for love, but in 2007 when immigration officials did a surprised check on them, they found Ross was staying at a different location.
In May, both Romero 28, and Kent Ross, 28, pleaded not guilty to federal charges that they were married to get Romero legalize in the U.S. Federal charges allege that Romero paid Ross $5,000 in 2005 to marry her, so she could stay in the country.
U.S. Customs and Enforcement (ICE) found that Romero never lived with Ross as required when she applied for naturalization. Instead, she moved in with Markus Klinko a photographer, her then boyfriend. Romero recently broke her relationship with Klinko, who inspite informed ICE and provided proof she was in a phony arranged marriage with Ross. Romero was seeking legal residency in the U.S., according to ICE.

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27 Zetas Reported Killed By Mexican Marines Near Mier City In Tamaulipas Mexico

Mexican Marines stand guard at an alleged Zeta warehouse near Mier city. Photo: Vanguardia

27 members of the Zetas killed during confrontation with Mexican Marines near Mier city. Photo: Narco News

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 3, 2010

General Mier, Tamaulipas, Mexico - On Thursday, the Mexican Secretary of Defense (Sedena) announced that 27 alleged members of the Zetas Cartel had been killed during a confrontaion with Mexican Marines from the 7th Division. A military airplane was flying through near Mier city, when the pilot spotted two men outside a warehouse at a remote ranch. The pilot reported the suspicious activity and the Marines were dispatched to the El Troncón ranch.
As Marines neared the targeted area for investigation around 11:00 a.m., numerous men began to fire at the Marines. The Marines returned fire and 27 suspects were reported killed at the scene and two Marines were reported injured. The confrontation lasted 90 minutes. Three people who had been kidnapped by the suspects were rescued.
Authorities confiscated 25 weapons, several granades, 23 vehicles including two painted as military vehicles, and thousands rounds of ammunition.
The ranch was being used as a Zeta commando training camp.
The Coroner was called around 4:00 p.m. to recover 27 bodies, according to Sedena.

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U.S. DOJ Files Lawsuit Against Arizona Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio For Lack Of Cooperation In Civil Rights Probe

Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff sued by feds

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 2, 2010

Phoenix, Arizona - On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit naming Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the county jail and Maricopa County as defendents. The DOJ claims in an "unprecedented" move, Sheriff Arpaio has deliberately ignored requests to make jail records and documents available to the justice department. In June 2009, the DOJ had requested the documents when it began an investigation into civil rights violations and allegations Sheriff Arpaio and his deputy sheriff's were discriminating against Latinos.
Arpaio had until August 17 to turn in documents and records, and his attorney negiotiated an extension with the feds. Arpaio was given an extra week to comply.
The DOJ is looking into allegations, Arpaio's department discriminated, engaged in illegal searches and seizures, created policies for only English speaking only at the jail, which led to discrimination against inmates with limited English.
In early August, the DOJ notified Sheriff Arpaio that he had failed to comply with a federal investigation into the department's civil rights violation probe. Since March 2009, the Maricopa Sheriff's Department has been under a federal investigation for "allegations of unlawful searches and seizures, discriminatory police conduct and failure to provide basic services to individuals with limited English proficiency," according to DOJ records. The DOJ requested at least 51 files and Sheriff Arpaio had only comply in releasing few documents.
In 2010, the county budget included about $113 million in federal funds allocated to various departments and Supervisors were worried the feds might stop funding the county, if Arpaio doesn't comply.  
Arpaio has refused to fully cooperate, because the feds had not made information available to him about what they are actually looking for.
Last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ended their 287g agreement with Maricopa County Sheriff's Department. The 287(g) program, one of ICE's top partnership initiatives, allows a state and local law enforcement entity to enter into a partnership with ICE, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), in order to receive delegated authority for immigration enforcement within their jurisdictions.
Although, Sheriff Arpaio continued immigration enforcement through delegated authority by an Arizona immigration enforcement state law. In 2007, Arizona enacted the Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA), prohibiting an employer from knowingly or intentionally employing an unauthorized alien and establishing penalties for employers in violation.

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Milwaukee Rally 2010 Kicked Off 4 Day Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Event

H. Nelson Goodson, Co-founder of the Independent Riders of Milwaukee

September 2, 2010

Milwaukee, WI ( HNNUSA) - On Thursday, the Harley-Davidson 4 day Milwaukee Motorcycle Rally kick-off the event. Wisconsin Statefair grounds and Milwaukee Area dealerships having their events as well with live music, food and biker merchandise vendors. Entrance to events is free.
H. Nelson Goodson, Co-founder of the Independent Riders of Milwaukee began partying early and checking out the vendors and ladies riding their Harley's.
Motorcycle event organizers expect more than 100,000 bikers to participate during the 4 day event.

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Democrats Open Coordinated Campaign Office In The South Side Of Milwaukee

Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee at the Domocratic Coordinated Campaign Office in the South side of Milwaukee

Photos: HNG

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 1, 2010

Milwaukee - On Wednesday, former Viginia Governor Tim Kaine was in Milwaukee's South side to help open the Wisconsin Democratic Party Coordinated campaign office (DPCO). The DPCO opened at 808 W. Historic Mitchell St. and democrats have similar campaign offices in city and throughout the state. The South side is predominately Hispanic.
Congresswoman Gwen Moore was another guest speaker as well. Moore encouraged those attending to work hard and bring another victory for the Democratic party as Wisconsin did to help elect the first African-American President Barack H. Obama.
Kaine, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee came to Milwaukee to help promote and push for Mayor Tom Barrett (Dem) to win the governorship in Wisconsin. Kaine said, Wisconsin is one of 10 states, the Democrat Party will be spending large amounts of funds and resources to campaign, getting out the vote and advertising to assure a Democratic governor win.
He criticized News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdock, the owner of Fox News and Wall Street for donating $1 million to the Republican Governors Association (RGA). The donation is legal. Members of the RGA support Arizona Governor Jan Brewers anti-immigrant state law SB 1070. At least 22 states have been working to enact a similar law, but a federal judge blocked major parts of the law making it useless. The federal block of SB 1070 stalled implementation of similar laws in other states. Under the Arizona law, officers have right to request the legal status of people during an investigation of domestic to other offenses, if the person is illegally in the state or U.S.
Rep. Colón said, Democrats have supported immigration reform, but have not done nearly enough to make it happen as they should.
Major corporations can now donate an unlimited amount of funds to political campaigns, the U.S. Supreme court ruled.
Governor Jim Doyle (Dem) is not seeking re-election and South side 8th Assembly District Representative Pedro Colón (Dem) has decided not to run again in 2010. Colón became the first Hispanic to get elected as state representative in Wisconsin.
This election year, the Republican party has become unpopular for not supporting federal unemployment compensation extensions for more than 3 million of unemployed Americans. A majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate approved the measure, including several Republicans.
Republicans have alienated a large majority of Hispanics who traditionally had voted Republican due to years of anti-immigrant rhetoric.

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Man Taken By Ambulance To Get Checked After Being Discovered Unconcious

Firefighters talked to a man found knockout at a rear sidewalk adjacent to a South side laundromat

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 1, 2010

Milwaukee - On Wednesday, a man was taken by an ambulance to get checked, he was found unconscious by firefighters. Firefighters of No. 26 Engine in the South side were able to wake him up and talked to him.
The attendant at the Blue Kangaroo laundromat at the 2900 block of W. Greenfield Ave. called the police and then she was transferred to the fire department emergency line to report an unconsciuos man.
The unidentified man just walked up to the rear sidewalk of the parking and decided to pass out. Customers tried to get him up, but the man wouldn't respond.
At about 3:41 p.m. a firefighter was seen dumpinhg out several cans of malt liquor beer. EMS personnel from a private ambulance service responded to the call and took the man. The man apparently began kicking the rear doors of the ambulance as it left the parking lot.
The laundromat has posted signs saying, No Soliciting - No Loitering.

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