Vicente Fernández To Retire After Ending A Tri-country Tour This Year

Vicente Fernández

Mexican country singer Vicente Fernández announced retirement.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 9, 2012

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - On Wednesday, Vicente Fernández, 71, "Chente" a Mexican singer, producer and actor announced during a press conference, that he will retire at the end of the year and won't be doing any future tours or concerts. He wants to finish his final concert at the Bull Fighting Plaza in Mexico City. This year, Fernández presentations include a tri-country tour to Central America, the U.S. and Europe.
Fernández known for his rancheras (Mexican style country songs) and the song "Volver, Volver" will continue to record songs after his retirement. He has been singing, performing and been in numerous Mexican movies in the last 40 years.

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12-year-old Missing Child Found, Has History Of Disappearing After Getting Suspended From School

Carlos Avila

Teen who disappeared since Monday found in Milwaukee's south side.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 8, 2012

Milwaukee - On Wednesday, Milwaukee police reported that Carlos Avila, 12, has been located unharmed in the south side of the city. Avila went missing on Monday and was last seen at 8:00 a.m. at the 1400 block of S. 34th St.
Family members reported him missing on Wednesday. Avila had disappeared before in another occassion after being suspended from school, according to police.
His family says, Avila was also suspended from school this week and was upset. He apparently disappeared for a longer period of time prompting them to contact police.
Family nor police has released any information where Avila spent several days away from home or why he had been suspended.

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Arizona Supreme Court Affirmed Lower Court's Ruling To Keep Cabrera Off Ballot For Lack Of English Proficiency

Alejandrina Cabrera

Photo: Yuma Sun

Cabrera's attorney considering filing case with U.S. Supreme Court.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 8, 2012

Phoenix - On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision that Alejandrina Cabrera should remain off the San Luis City March Primary Election ballot for lack of English proficiency. The state high court didn't release any information why Cabrera should remain off the ballot, but is expected to release their ruling later.
John Minore, Cabrera's attorney is contemplating whether to file the case with the U.S. Supreme Court. He hasn't confirmed yet, if he will continue to challenge Yuma County Superior Court Judge John Nelson's ruling on January 27, to keep Cabrera's name of the ballot for lack of English proficiency.
Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla filed a court complaint to determine, if Cabrera had enough shills of English proficiency to handle a four-year term as a council member.
Escamilla faced two unsuccessful attempts to recall him last year, which Cabrera helped to initiate after the council hiked utility rates and laid off 12 city employees due to budget cuts. 
Carbrera is one of ten candidates for the San Luis City Council race.

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Colorado Woman Skips Southern Texas Town After Ranting About It On YouTube

Sara Walls

Husband apologized for wife's unfortunate rant about Laredo.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 8, 2012

Laredo, Texas - Several days ago, Sara Walls, originally from Colorado living in Laredo skipped town and went back to Colorado after causing an uproar in the bordertown with a population of a quarter million. Last Saturday, Walls posted an 8 minute video ranting on Laredo's high crime wave, didn't like Mexican men, people driving with Mexican plates, she couldn't understand Spanish, because most people speak Spanish and they are in U.S. and should speak English, superstitions (about evil eye), wouldn't recommend White people to Laredo, the food (menudo tastes like shit) and she goes on ranting with a long list why she didn't like Laredo. The video was deemed so offensive and racist by Laredoans who became offended and condemned it.
Walls says, her husband Michael's job was transferred to Laredo about a year and half ago and has one child.
Walls in the video says, that her car was "broken into...Laredo, TX, this town sucks and thank God I wasn't born here...I just hate going out in this town. Mexican men here are disgusting." Word about her video spread in the local social media, radio, TV news in Laredo. Public ridicule created by her video, forced Walls to removed it from YouTube, after getting threats and being criticized by people living in Laredo for posting it. But, Walls video surfaced again and was reposted by someone else who made a copy.
Her husband Michael Walls even appeared on Pro 8 News and other local news oulets in Laredo trying to apologize for his wife's ranting video. He told Pro 8 News that Sara has skipped town and took her child with her and she won't be returning to Laredo any time soon.
Mayor Raul Salinas on News 92 FM radio said, Sara crossed the line of freedom of speech and engaged in hate, made remarks deemed as racist, she seemed very insecure in the video. Salinas says, that 97% of the population is Mexican-American and Laredo is a bilingual and bicultural bordertown. Laredo has very hard working people and the lowest crime rate in Texas, according to Salinas. Salinas accepted her husbands apology.
Michael continues to stay in Laredo for now and is dealing with stares, fingers being pointed at him and comments made by people. The after effects resulted from Sara's decision to exercise her right to free speech and expressing her own opinion on video dealing with life in a bordertown.
In the video, Sara, a non-Hispanic was just expressing her feelings about a city she couldn't come into grips due to a lack of understanding the culture, language used by most Laredoans, which 97% of the population is of Mexican descent, spicy food, and the city is politically run by people with close family ties.

Why Sara hates Laredo video link at: http://goo.gl/38h5y

Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas comments about Walls on the radio at link: http://bit.ly/zdHZu3

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VDLF Filed Complaint With Dane DA Claiming State GOP Legislators Kept Map Redistricting Process Secret

State Republicans kept redistricting process from public and other legislators.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 7, 2012

Madison - On Monday, Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) announced, that it had filed a complaint with the Dane County District Attorney's Office claiming GOP legislators agreed on a pact to keep the redistricting mapping process a secret violating open meetings law and the state Constitition. VDLF says, it has documents from Republican legislators to prove that GOP members in office agreed as a pact to keep the redistricting secret and ignore any public comments aimed at influencing district border boundaries.
The GOP agreement extended to their legislative aids as well.
Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) confirmed that a contract between Republican legislators was needed to keep the state remapping district process from being compromised. Seventeen state senators signed agreements of secrecy and 58 state representatives as well, according to documents provided by VDLF.
VDLF claimed, the legislature held secret meetings, solicited unlawful agreements while mapping new voting districts. They violated the open meetings laws and disenfranchised state residents and other legislators from having input as allowed by the state's Constitution, according to VDLF.
The clandestine meetings were held by Tad Ottman, Senator Scott Fitzgerald's legislative aide, and Adam Foltz, Representative Jeff Fitzgerald's legislative aide, under the direction of Attorney Eric McLeod from the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich, LLC.
In addition, Foltz wrote talking points for the meetings expressly stating that the lawmakers should ignore the public justifications given for the redistricting, because they would be different than what was explained to each of them at these private meetings.
Peter Earle, Voces de la Frontera's lead attorney stated, "It's now clear why Scott and Jeff Fitzgerald tried so hard to keep these documents hidden under their bogus claim of 'attorney-client privilege.' We now have documents that prove that the Republican leadership of the legislature was paying hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to private attorneys with the express purpose of hiding the legislative redistricting process from the public and from those legislators who had not signed secrecy agreements. This amounts to a conspiracy to violate the prohibition of legislative secrecy contained in Article IV, § 10 of the Wisconsin Constitution. The conduct is repugnant to every principle of good government."
In November 2011, Attorney Earle and VDLF, including four other Hispanic plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit claiming the Republican controlled legislature had passed a statewide redistricting plan, which cuts about 8 percent of Hispanic voting age citizens (HVAC) from the current 48 percent of HVAC in the Milwaukee south side district reducing it to a mere 40 percent. The plaintiffs want for the federal court to increase the HVAC in the 8th Assembly District to 52 percent making a Latino majority district in 2012. They also seek an injunction and to consolidate their lawsuit along with several other federal cases already filed by Democrats concerning redistricting.

VDLF complaint at link: http://bit.ly/xqiAyj

VDLF document attachments at link: http://bit.ly/ywJdwM

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Southside Aldermanic Candidate Blasts Local SOC Org. For Not Spreading Info About Prior Debate

Angel Sánchez

Photo: Facebook

The Southside Organizing Committee failed to informed community residents about Monday's local candidate's debate, aldermanic candidate alleges.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 7, 2012

Milwaukee - On Tuesday, 12th District Aldermanic candidate Angel Sánchez said, he is very disappointed and criticized Steve Fendt, Executive Director from the Southside Organizing Committee (SOC) for not informing residents through SOC's mass e-mailing database about last Monday's candidate debate at Walker's Point. Sánchez says, he contacted Fendt on Wednesday to let him know about the 12th Aldermanic candidate debate at Walker's Point and asked him to let the community know through their mass e-mailing system.
Fendt didn't make any effort to get the word out about an important debate to several thousand community active residents in the near southside, according to Sánchez.
Fendt when contacted said, that Sánchez did call him about the debate event, but that it's not his responsibility to announce everyone else's events (stuff). Fendt also said, that Walker's Point Association didn't contact him about the event on Monday or if they wanted the event announced. It's not his job to announce the events from other groups, according to Fendt.
But Fendt says, SOC and seven other groups are organizing several job session interviews for the 12th and 8th Districts Aldermanic candidates, where members of the community can attend and question candidates accomplishments, qualifications, their experience and contributions to the community.
SOC in conjunction with the Clarke Square Initiative, Council for the Spanish Speaking, Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, LULAC Council 326, Voces de la Frontera, Walker's Point Association and Walker Square Neighborhood Association are organizing two aldermanic events to maximize voter turnout this Spring, according to Fendt.
The first SOC event will take place on February 15, at 6:00 p.m. at the Council for the Speaking Murguia Campus, 1645 S. 36th St.
8th District Aldermanic candidates, Alderman Robert "Bob" Donovan, Jennifer Morales, Chez Ordoñez and Benjamin Juarez have been invited to participate.
The second SOC event will take place on February 16, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Anthony Keyser Hall, 1730 S. 9th St.
12th Aldermanic candidates, Alderman James "Jim" Witkowiak, Angel Sánchez and José G. Pérez have been invited to attend.

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19-year-old Woman Gets Light Sentence For Vehicular Negligent Homicide

Jasmine N. Lyboualong on Monday, looks back at family and friends as she is being taken into custody to begin her four year sentence.

Lyboualong, while driving drunk killed one man and injured another as they rendered aid to another person after an accident in Milwaukee's southside.

By H. Nelson Goodson
February 7, 2012

Milwaukee - On Monday, Jasmine N. Lyboualong, 19, of Brookfield was sentenced to three years in prison for negligent vehicular homicide of Michael Grabowski, 30,  and an additional year for injuring Rhiannon Patz, 29, on March 11, 2011.  Lyboualong pleaded guilty to two felony counts.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Richard J. Sankovitz also sentenced Lyboualong to six years probation.
Lyboualong had blood alcohol concentrate of 0.088, after two hours of the accident, according to the criminal complaint. The driving intoxicated stiffer felony charge, including additional charges were dropped under a plea agreement because of a flaw with the person taking the blood sample from Lyboualong and prosecutors couldn't prove she hadn't been told that blood was going to be extracted from her. The person that took the blood was not medically qualified to do so.
Both Grabowski and Patz were at the 3300 block of W. Lincoln Ave. trying to help a person that had been hit by a vehicle.
Lyboualong had three other friends with her in the car she was driving when she passed a few vehicles and then plowed into the victims. She says, that she didn't remember who she hit. Lyboualong admitted to police she had been drinking before hitting both Grabowski and Patz.

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