57-year-old Man With Disabilities Lost Home Help Services When Border Region Behavioral Health Center Worker(s) Failed To Complete SSA/SSI Required Review For Medicaid Benefits

A Texas 57-year-old man in Laredo lost his home help services on December 31, 2023 after it was learned that his designated SSA organizational representative payee, which is the Border Region Behavioral Health Center case worker(s) failed to complete the required Medicaid SSI review to continue to get benefits for home help services.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 2, 2024

Laredo, Texas - On Tuesday, Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) learned that Joel Quiroga, 57, from Laredo had lost his Social Security Administration (SSA)-Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which provides disability benefits for home help services. Quiroga suffers from a large percentage of blindness and hearing disabilities (deaf), but must wear a hearing aid. He is required to receive a home care provider to help him at home during the day. (His SSA benefits were not disrupted, only his SSI benefits was stopped.)

On January 1, 2024, the home help services (homecare giver) stopped, after Quiroga's eligibility for SSI Medicaid benefits expired on December 31, 2023. Apparently, Border Region Behavioral Health Center (BRBHC, located at 1500 Pappas Street in Laredo, Texas) case worker(s) who was responsible to complete Quiroga's SSI Medicaid disability benefits review as the SSA organizational representative payee failed to do so, according to the Texas Health and Human Commission, who on December 3, 2023 notified the BRBHC that they had "Failed to meet the requirements of completing a Social Security Administration qualifying quarter," and that Quiroga was not eligible for benefits.

A BRBHC case worker attempted to salvage Quiroga's SSI benefits review requirement by scheduling a phone interview with the SSA/SSI on December 29th, but by then it was to late for Quiroga to qualify for the SSI Medicaid benefits for home help. It would take between 3 to 4 months for Quiroga to reqaulify for SSI. If a BRBHC case worker would have walked-in Quiroga to the SSA in order to renew his SSI claim, he would have most likely regained his SSI benefits by early January 2024.

HNNUSA has also learned that Quiroga had lost his SSI benefits in 2015 while BRBHC was the SSA organizational representative payee and he has been with the BRBHC formerly the Border Region MHMR for at least 29 years.

BRBHC, a non-profit tax exempt contract agency of the State of Texas  provides services to four Texas counties, Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg and Starr with a  budget of $28M and employs 360 workers and serves at least 9,313 clients. BRBHC is a designated as a local Mental Health Authority and a Mental Retardation Authority, according to its website.

The BRBHC executive director in Laredo is Maria A. Sanchez and its BRBHC Board of Trustees are, In Webb County: Commissioner Rosaura "Wawi" Tijerina; Roberto Vela, Chairman; Geraldine Leven, Board Secretary and Lupita Zepeda. In Zapata County: Commissioner Robert Garza. In Jim Hogg County: Judge Juan Carlos Guerra, Treasurer; Sheriff Erasmo Alarcon and Captain Reyes Espinoza. In Starr County: Rosie Benavidez, Vice-Chair; Dr. Jessica Vera-Rios and Cynthia Garcia Fuentes.

The question remains, if BRBHC failed to renew Quiroga's SSI benefits as the designated SSA organizational representative payee twice, how many other BRBHC clients have also lost their SSI Medicaid benefits? A Texas State and federal audit of BRBHC is warranted in this case.

Update: According to Border Region Behavioral Health Center sources in Laredo, Joel Quiroga began to get home care services paid by Medicaid SSI on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 after his benefits were restored.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: Donations accepted/se aceptan donaciones: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ej92t

The Southside Of Milwaukee In Wisconsin Experienced Multiple Gunshots On The 1st Hour Of 2024

Southside of Milwaukee experienced multiple gunshots on the 1st hour of 2024.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 1, 2024

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The Milwaukee Police Department reported that shot spotters in the Southside of Milwaukee detected multiple gunshots on New Year's Eve (12/31/23) and the 1st hour of the New Year in 2024.

The Clarke Square neighborhood in Milwaukee sounded like the Gaza War zone in the 1st hour of the New Year in 2024.

According to the Milwaukee Police Department, the 1st hour (12:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.) of the New Year in 2024, the shot spotters detected  206 instances that a gunshot was fired (each instance could total from several to up 15 or more gunshots in a certain area where the shot spotter is located in Milwaukee), which hundreds of gunshots were reported fired throughout Milwaukee including the Southside. Additional gunshots were detected after 1:00 a.m., according  to shot spotters in Milwaukee.

So far, no shooting injuries were reported by police in the 1st hour of the New Year.

The Milwaukee Police Department main social media venues X, formerly Twitter and Facebook (FB) page including the Milwaukee Police District Station 2 FB page in the Southside of Milwaukee didn't post any prior warnings about the hazards of discharging firearms and penalties incurred for illegally discharging a firearm within the City limits during New Year's Eve 2023 and the early hours of the New Year in 2024.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: Donations accepted/se aceptan donaciones: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ej92t

57-year-old Santa Boriqua Claus Cash Bond Set At $50K For Distributing, Transporting And Selling Coquito With Alcohol Content Without A License In Milwaukee County

Nicolas has been incarcerated at the Milwaukee County jail facility since December 26 in connection with distributing, transporting  and selling coquito with alcohol content without a license, according to an official with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue who asked to remain anonymous because he/she wasn't authorized to talk about the coquito alcoholic criminal case.

By Zorillo Network U.S.A., A Global Satire News Source

December 31, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On December 26, Nicolas Boriqua, 57, aka, "Santa Boriqua Claus" was arrested by Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputies after crashing in a UFO vehicle near the Marquette interchange in Milwaukee. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Boriqua unconscious on the side of the highway. Deputies also recovered dozens of sealed bottles of coquito with alcoholic content with a valid sales tax stamp.

Deputy investigators immediately contacted the Wisconsin Department of Revenue after it was learned that Boriqua was allegedly distributing, transporting and selling coquito with alcoholic content without a license.

Coquito is a traditional coconut based homemade cocktail that contains alcohol and is usually made during the December holidays.

In Wisconsin, it's illegal to sell any homemade alcoholic beverages without a license.

Boriqua has been held at the Milwaukee County jail since December 26 on a $50,000 cash bail that has been set for his release. Boriqua is considered a flight risk, according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

If convicted of the State misdemeanor A criminal charge, Boriqua could be placed on HUBER for 9 months, a work release program at the Milwaukee County House of Corrections.

Boriqua is scheduled to appear at a Milwaukee County court for a preliminary hearing on January 3, 2024.

Wisconsin MAGAs Stage Vigil At Chávez Plazita Hoping Trump Remains On Presidential Ballot In 2024

MAGAs in Wisconsin are hoping that their staged vigil can prevent the ouster of Trump from the State primary presidential election in 2024.

By Zorillo Network U.S.A., a Satire Global News Source 

December 29, 2023

Madison, Wisconsin - On Friday, Zorillo Network U.S.A. (ZNUSA) learned that Mario Herrera, aka, "La Maria" and Dawn Maldonado, aka, "La Convicta" have allegedly organized a clandestine MAGA (Make Amerikkka Great Again/Keep Amerikkka Great) vigil through the New Year 2024, hoping that the Wisconsin Election Commission and the State Supreme Court doesn't remove Donald J. Trump, 77, from the 2024 presidential primary election in the state for his alleged insurrection attempt on January 6, 2021. 

So far, the Colorado Supreme Court on a 4-3 decision and Shenna Bellows the State Secretary of Maine have decided to remove Trump from their presidential primary election ballot in 2024 citing the 14th Amendment's "insurrection ban".

In Wisconsin, both Herrera and Maldonado have been seen in their knees at the César E. Chávez Plazita, 900 block of S. César E. Chávez Drive in the Southside around midnight (according to nearby video surveillance camera footage) trying to get the late Civil Rights leader Chávez life-size bronze $50K statue to grant them a Latino MAGA miracle for 2024 by continously rubbing their hand palms on the statue. Seems that Herrera and Maldonado have mistaken the Chávez bronze statue for Aladdin's lamp.

Herrera and Maldonado had gone underground along with their following of Latino MAGA cult looneys after Trump was defeated by sleepy Joe Biden (D) in 2021. In the 2018 Wisconsin Election, Governor Tony Evers (D) defeated former Governor Scott Walker (R). Evers also won reelection defeating Tim Michels (R) in 2022. Herrera was supporting former Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch (R) for Governor, but she lost the primary election to Michels. 

Recently in Wisconsin, the State Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision ordered for Governor Evers to redo the election maps for 2024, thus allegedly ending the Republican Gerrymandering control to illegally fix election maps to their own advantage.

On Thursday, the Wisconsin State Election Commission rejected a petition filed by Kirk Bangstad to ban Trump from the Wisconsin presidential primary election in 2024. According to the State Election Commission decision, Bangstad's petition to ban Trump from the 2024 election was filed with the wrong State officials, so Bangstad is taking legal action and Bangstad's petition to ban Trump will most likely be taken up in a state court.

In brief, Mario Herrera, 34, aka, "La Maria or La Mari" was the former Hispanic Outreach Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Herrera resigned his position from the Republican Party shortly after failing to get Latino support for former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) and also failed to get Latinos to vote for Trump (R) in November 2020 to win Wisconsin. Trump lost Wisconsin to Joe Biden (D).

Dawn Maldonado, 52, aka, "Damaris Perez, La Convicta" who according to Racine County court records in Wisconsin was criminally convicted for two misdemeanor counts for theft of up to $1,000/false representation in 2000. Maldonado is also the founder and operator of Bylyngo Translating and Interpreting LLC in Milwaukee. Bylyngo LLC, seems to depend on the same clientele for business that Trump was attempting to deport in his first term, with anti-immigrant policies.

Undocumented Felon Jóse de Jesús Juárez Delgado, 36, Wanted In Milwaukee For Two Misdemeanors, Retail Theft Under $500 And Bail Jumping

An arrest warrant was issued for Juárez Delgado on October 13, 2023 in Milwaukee County for failing to appear in court to face two misdemeanor counts for retail theft intentionally taking under $500 and bail jumping, according to Milwaukee County court records. Another bench arrest warrant was also issued on July 2023 for violating a harassment restraining order-domestic abuse and bail jumping in Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 25, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On October 13, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Jóse de Jesús Juárez Delgado, 36, for failing to appear in a Milwaukee County court to face two misdemeanor counts for retail theft for intentionally taking under $500 and bail jumping. The misdemeanor criminal charges were filed on September 14, 2023. 

If convicted on both misdemeanor counts, Juárez Delgado is facing up to 9 months in jail and up to $10,000 in fines for each count.

On September 1, 2023, Juárez Delgado was sentenced to 3 years probation in Waukesha County after pleading guilty to one felony count for theft-movable property of $2,500 to $5,000 and was ordered to pay $6,200 in restitution to the victim, Bernie González of Waukesha.

When contacted by Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA), González confirmed that Juárez Delgado has not paid any restitution since, he was ordered to pay in September. 

According to the criminal complaint, Juárez Delgado 

scammed González, a local Waukesha resident into signing a driveway repair contract under DBA Construction Solutions, LLC, a company name that was previously dissolved in 2017 and no longer existed in the state. González paid Juárez Delgado at least $4K to do the repairs, which the suspect never did.

Juárez Delgado who uses DBA Construction Solutions, LLC (dissolved in September 16, 2017) is known to hire crew employees to do construction work, but never pays them and has committed other similar scams and has a $400K judgment against him from another victim, according to Waukesha County court records.

On August 8, 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) filed a judgment against Juárez Delgado for $6,240.10 for not paying unemployment compensation for his workers.

January 30, 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue filed a tax warrant against Juárez Delgado for $14,639.84, which is still open. 

On October 29, 2014, the DWD also filed a judgment for $798.98, which still has an open penalty warrant against Juárez Delgado for workers compensation.

On July 10, 2023, a Milwaukee County bench arrest warrant was also issued for Juárez Delgado for failing to appear in court to face two misdemeanor counts for violating a harassment restraining order including domestic abuse, and disorderly conduct including domestic abuse. The misdemeanor criminal charges were filed on March 31, 2022, according to Milwaukee County court records.

If convicted, Juárez Delgado is facing 6 months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines for violating harassment restraining order, and is facing no more than 90 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: Donations accepted/se aceptan donaciones: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ej92t

48-year-old Hispanic Male Located Deceased By Milwaukee County Transit Southside Bus Stop Route 80 The Day Before Christmas

48-year-old Hispanic male located deceased by Milwaukee County Transit Southside bus stop route 80

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 25, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Sunday, December 24, 2023, the Milwaukee Fire parademics (EMS), police and the Milwaukee Medical Examiner's Office responded to a sick/injured person at the 600 block of W. Historic Mitchell Street around 12:05 p.m. and located a deceased 48-year-old Hispanic male by the Milwaukee County Transit bus stop route 80 on the Southeast corner of W. Historic Mitchell and S. 6 Streets.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office declared the 48-year-old man deceased at 11:41 a.m. at the scene. The death of the unidentified Hispanic male has not been determined, according to the Medical Examiner's Office.

Update: The 48-year-old deceased male has been identified by family members as Alejandro Espinoza, originally from Mexico City, Mexico. According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Alejandro Chillan Espinoza had a history of alcohol abuse and an unopened bottle of vodka was found by Espinoza.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: Donations accepted/se aceptan donaciones: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ej92t

City Ordinance 231032 Approved By Milwaukee Common Council And Signed By Mayor Cavalier Johnson Targets More Than 66K Lead Service Lines For Replacement

More than 66K of lead service lines (lead toxic laterals) in the City of Milwaukee will be replace at no cost to homeowners and business property owners. 

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 18, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On December 12th, the Milwaukee Common Council anonymously voted to approve a substitute ordinance relating to lead service line replacements sponsored by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, Co-sponsored by Ald. José G. Pérez and Ald. Jonathan Brostoff. The lead service line (LSL) replacements, which 40% are located in the predominately Hispanic community in the Southside of Milwaukee and 60% are located in the Northside will eliminate the property owner cost share for residential properties with 1-4 dwelling units that are subject a replacement required, according to ordinance 231032 (https://tinyurl.com/36v93ce7), that was signed into law by Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

Home owners will receive notices from the City about the planned replacement of the LSLs and the owners have ten days to return the authorization forms to allow the Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW)-Water Works Division to remove the LSL from the owners property at no cost.

Now, the property owners will be able to save up to $8,000, if they had to get a private contractor to remove the LSL on the private property side.

The DPW-Water Works will remove designated LSLs by full blocks in the City, so they can low cost effective remove them.

The City received $30M from the federal bipartisan infrastructure law to help pay for lead service line (lead laterals) replacements.

Robert Miranda from FLAC released the following statement to Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA), "Welcomed News," says Freshwater For Life Action Coalition (FLAC). The Legislation approved by the Milwaukee Common Council and signed by Mayor Cavalier Johnson last week is much welcomed news, says FLAC. Eliminating the costs to remove lead service lines for residential property owners was priority issue number one for the group who started Milwaukee's lead lateral removal campaign in 2015.

"FLAC welcomes this news, and so does the Get The Lead Out Coslition (GTLO). We want to congratulate the Mayor, the entire Milwaukee Common Council and most certainly State Senator Lena Taylor", said Robert Miranda, spokesperson for FLAC.

Freshwater For Life Action Coalition (FLAC) initiated 8 years ago (2015), the Water Quality Task Force with former Milwaukee Alderman Ashanti Hamilton and Jim Bohl. Called for LSLs to be removed at no expense to the homeowner. FLAC had resolutions created calling for lead poisoning transperancy and moratorium on partial lead lateral removals and since then have put pressure on the Common Council to get to this point. 

"While the mainstream media, specifically the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will not recognize this was a grassroots campaign, the people in the community know who got Milwaukee here," continued Miranda. 

FLAC says there is still work to do, but this was a big victory for the community.

Editor's note: HNNUSA has been the only Hispanic news source in Milwaukee that has continuously reported on the FLAC and GTLO campaign and plight to remove the LSLs in the City of Milwaukee.

To check if your home or business is connected to a freshwater lead service line (lead toxic laterals) at: https://city.milwaukee.gov/water/WaterQuality/LeadandWater/Lead-Service-Line-Records

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: Donations accepted/se aceptan donaciones: https://tinyurl.com/3y8ej92t