Black Owned Spanish Journal, Inc. Stopped Publishing Weekly Newspaper Print In Milwaukee After 45 Years

The Spanish Journal weekly newspaper print hasn't been published since late November 2024.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 13, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The Black owned Spanish Journal, Inc., which has published the weekly newspaper for the last 45 years allegedly stopped publishing its weekly newspaper print in late November, according to Latino community sources. Also, members of the Latino community including other local media sources and HNNUSA noticed that the Spanish Journal newspaper print was no longer available at its distribution locations throughout the Southside of Milwaukee. 

Multiple attempts to contact Reed Welch, its Vice-President and current Editor-in-Chief of the weekly newspaper print, and Steed Welch, the President of the Spanish Journal, Inc. by Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) were unsuccessful and HNNUSA could not confirm, if the Spanish Journal weekly newspaper print will be published in the near future.

The Spanish Journal began publishing its weekly newspaper print in 1979 under the late Victor L. Welch who passed away on June 1994 at the age of 55 in Milwaukee. Welch was a well known African-American businessman who provided a weekly Spanish and bilingual newspaper print in Milwaukee that lasted for more than 4 decades. (Brief history of the Spanish Journal at link: http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2023/11/h-nelson-goodson-from-hnnusa-has.html)

So far, the Spanish Journal website, hasn't had a new post, since December 2023 and its Facebook page has had no new posting since last August 2024.

According to Milwaukee County court records, on October 8, 2024, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue filed a delinquent tax warrant against the Spanish Journal, Inc. for $7,673 (judgment lien date 4/26/2024), which remains unpaid to date, according to court records.

On February 20, 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue filed a delinquent tax warrant against the Spanish Journal, Inc. for $16,898.15 (judgment lien date 9/7/2022), which was paid in full, according to court records.

18-year-old Christian Brandon Martin Extradited To Wisconsin From Iowa And Booked At The Milwaukee County Jail For The Homicide Of Nelson Manuel López Correa, 15

Martin is scheduled for an initial hearing on Thursday for the homicide of López Correa in Milwaukee County.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 11, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Christian Brandon Martin, 18, was extradited to Milwaukee from Iowa and booked at the Milwaukee County jail. Martin was wanted for the October 28, 2024 cold blooded homicide of Nelson Manuel López Correa, 15, in the Southside of Milwaukee.

Martin allegedly shot López Correa once in the side of the head (the 9mm shot entered the left temporal scalp and exited on the right temporal scalp) at the 1600 block of W. Forest Home Ave. while talking to a female that used to date Martin .

Martin was charged in Milwaukee County on November 8, 2024 with 1st-degree intentional homicide including use of a dangerous weapon. If convicted, Martin is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Buchanan County Sheriff's Office released the following press release regarding Martin's arrest in Iowa on November 29th.

MEDIA RELEASE

On Friday, November 29, 2024 at approximately 11:55 pm, a Buchanan County Sheriff's Deputy observed a vehicle speeding near Main Street and Branard Street in Brandon.  Subsequently, the Deputy made a traffic stop.  During interaction with the vehicle's occupants, Deputies detected the odor of a controlled substance and obtained and ran the driver and passenger's personal information.  It was learned that one of the passengers had an active arrest warrant out of Wisconsin.  Accordingly, Sheriff's Deputies arrested Christian Brandon Martin, 18, of Milwaukee, WI.  Martin was arrested on an active arrest warrant out of Milwaukee County, WI for an original charge of first degree Intentional Homicide (class A felony).  Martin had been charged in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred on Monday, October 28th in Milwaukee.  In that incident, a 15-year-old boy died as a result of the shooting.  Martin was transported to the Buchanan County Jail and held for extradition to Milwaukee.  Further charges are pending for controlled substance violations in Buchanan County related to the traffic stop.

62-year-old Kevin W. Lychwick Charged With 1st-degree Intentional Homicide For The April 2024 Death Of Carlos J. Maldonado, 56, In Waukesha

Maldonado's body was found by a passerby in a wooded area in October with a gunshot wound under leaves near Frame Park, according to Waukesha police.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 9, 2024

Waukesha, Wisconsin - On Monday, Kevin W. Lychwick, 62, of Waukesha was charged in Waukesha County with 1st-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse for the alleged April 2024 homicide of Carlos J. Maldonado, 56, of Waukesha. Maldonado's body was discovered by a passerby on October 30th under some leaves in a wooded area with a fatal gunshot wound at the 1500 block of E. North St. in the  City of Waukesha near Frame Park.

If convicted,  Lychwick is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole for 1st-degree intentional homicide and up to 12 years and 6 months, and up to $25,000 in fines, or both for hiding a corpse.

Maldonado and Lychwick lived in the same apartment complex, but don't know, if they knew each other, according to police.

Maldonado's family had reported him missing back in April. 

Police later recovered the alleged homicide weapon (firearm) and ballistics matched the bullet recovered from Maldonado's body, which had been fired from the Lychwick's firearm.

According to police, two days after Maldonado's body was discovered near Frame Park, Lychwick left the city and went to the Appleton area where he rented a storage unit. After 30 days, Lychwick returned to Waukesha and police were able to get a search warrant and found the firearm used in Maldonado's homicide.

When Maldonado went missing in April, the Waukesha County Court had issued an active arrest warrant on April 15, 2024, when Maldonado failed to show up in court to face several misdemeanor charges filed on February 7, 2024 for disorderly conduct (domestic abuse), and battery (domestic abuse), according to the Waukesha County Court records.

On May 9, 2024, the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office filed a misdemeanor charge against Maldonado for bail jumping and a second arrest warrant was issued for Maldonado on May 13, 2024, according to Waukesha County Court records.

Maldonado is originally from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico and moved to Waukesha in 2019 and worked as an assembly operator at Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Willie L. Hines Jr. To Retirement As Secretary-Executive Director Of The Housing Authority Of The City Of Milwaukee, Effective December 31, 2024, The Mayor's Office Confirmed

Hines Jr. to retire as the Secretary-Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, the mayor's office confirmed.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 6, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Friday, the Milwaukee mayor's office confirmed that Willie Hines Jr., 60, the Secretary-Executive Director of the Housing Authority City of Milwaukee (HACM) will retire at the end of 2024 and will get $11K per month from the City of Milwaukee pension fund.

The HACM Board of Commissioners on October 30, 2024 approved a resolution authorizing staff to finalize a contract with CVR Associates, Inc. to manage and operate HACM's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. The vote helps ensure the 60-day transition period aligns with the start of the new fiscal year, according to HACM.

Previously, Hines had been accused of failing to resolve some of the issues that tenants at the HACM had complained about, such as bed bugs infestation at some of the developments that 15,000 tenants reside at, according to Common Ground, a non-profit organization that exposed most of the issues along with tenants on March 26, 2023. (http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2023/03/common-ground-group-wants-hacm-non.html)

In August 2024, 5 HACM tenants from College Court filed a lawsuit against Hines including HACM for failure to get rid of the bedbug infestation at the development. (Milwaukee County court case number 2024CV006939)

Also, a federal audit by the U.S. Department of Housing of Urban Development (HUD) found that $2.5M was unaccounted for and Hines couldn't account where the federal money was spent on.

Since 2022, Common Ground and HACM development residents have called on City of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson to replace Hines, but Johnson has not listened and refused to remove Hines from the helm of the HACM. 

Also, the Milwaukee Common Council had failed to push for Hines removal including most of the HACM Board who serve as a rubber stamp for Hines.

The HACM Board of Commissioners approved Mayor Johnson's appointment of Hines on March 10, 2022 to the HACM, as secretary-executive director. Hines was a former Chair of the HACM Board (1998-2014).

Hines allegedly had plans to stay HACM until March 2025 to retire, so he could get a taxpayer pension of $137,000 per year.

HACM employees are also covered by the City of Milwaukee retirement pensions.

In early August 2024, Common Ground, a advocacy non-profit organization and HACM residents in a open letter to Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson wrote, Mr. Mayor, your friend and campaign contributor has mismanaged HACM for the last 25 years. Hines has been at the helm of HACM since 1997—as Board Chair, the #2 staff, and now the #1! From the beginning, federal officials warned that he "does not seem to possess the requisite qualifications." Under his watch:

• Federal officials found $3 million of missing money and our social security cards piled in hallways, resulting in a forensic audit.

• HACM was forced to outsource its largest program, Section 8 rent assistance—the program he was responsible for as Associate Director 2015-2022.

• Federal officials gave HACM a score of zero out of 25 for "Financial Management." 

• Properties have enormous crime rates with thousands of police calls. 

• We residents have suffered emotionally and physically for years.

Despite these problems, the HACM Board has never conducted a Performance Review of Hines' work. In fact, his incompetence has been rewarded. He has gotten promotions, received raises, and is now paid $252,000/year, which is $82,000 more than Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson's salary. 

College Court tenants Class Action lawsuit (PDF) at link: https://tinyurl.com/y52xavah

Dr. Anthony Cruz, President of MATC Spoke About The New 5-year Strategic Plan For The Technical College At The UMOS Interfath Luncheon In Milwaukee

Dr. Cruz, President of MATC made a presentation about the new 5-year strategic plan for the technical college at the UMOS Interfath Luncheon in Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 3, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, Dr. Anthony Cruz, President  of the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) gave presentation of the new 5-year strategic plan for the technical college. Dr. Cruz mentioned multiple strategic points of interest to help develop a plan for the next 5 years, which will guide the future direction of the technical college and invited those attending the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) Interfath Luncheon to participate in multiple roundtable focused groups by sharing their perspectives as Latino community stakeholders at MATC.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) was able to ask Dr. Cruz after his presentation, if the new 5 year strategic plan would include an internal independent investigation to address multiple allegations made by multiple MATC Latino/a instructors, a counselor and former students including a student at the October 22, 2024 MATC Board meeting exposing that a hostile work environment existed at the technical college and certain team administrators were practicing retaliation against those filing legitimate complaints, including harassment, discrimination and lack of promotion opportunities from part-time to full-time instructors for Latinos and Blacks at MATC? Also, why was MATC hiring and assigning a non-bilingual instructor to teach a bilingual Economics course, while publicly advertising it as a bilingual course? (Video of testimony to the MATC District Board at: https://youtu.be/Lm_ImpZGXn4)

Dr. Cruz did not answer or commented in regards to the HNNUSA questions at the UMOS luncheon.

During his presentation, Dr. Cruz did mention that MATC was looking for additional bilingual and qualified instructors.

Also, José Martínez, the President and CEO of UMOS, provided the welcoming and closing remarks including allowing audience comments at the luncheon.

In history: The MATC Times 360 dot com reported in 2015, that in the fall of 1988, the first bilingual help for Hispanic adults at MATC started. In 1990 the office was established to primarily work with ELL students including Spanish-speaking and South Asian students. The Latino community in Milwaukee and the United Migrant Opportunity Services were also instrumental in advocating for the bilingual programs at MATC. In 1968, the federal government help fund the creation of the bilingual programs throughout the nation gaining support by Latino majority communities.

Editor's note: H. Nelson Goodson, is a Milwaukee Southsider and a Civil Rights and Immigrant Rights advocate and a reporter/journalist for more than 40 years in Milwaukee including Wisconsin.