Community Corner

Mom Mourns Special-Needs Son Who Died In Milwaukee Fire

Quickly: Your 5-minute read includes Kenny Chesney show postponed again, fasting for climate justice and a hockey championship celebration.

A 25-year-old man with special needs was the fatal victim of a house fire in Milwaukee over the weekend.
A 25-year-old man with special needs was the fatal victim of a house fire in Milwaukee over the weekend. (Scott Anderson/Patch)

METRO MILWAUKEE, WI — Norma Garcia has devoted much of her adult life to Rafael Gonzalez, her only son, with special needs. Now, she has the heart-wrenching task of planning his funeral.

Gonzalez, 25, was the fatal victim of a home fire near 15th and Oklahoma in Milwaukee on Saturday, according to a Fox 6 News report.

“I miss him, my son,” Garcia told the news channel.

Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Moises Gomez, another family member, said Garcia and her son had been planning to move to a better home before the current residence caught fire. Gonzalez was found in a bed under a stuffed animal, the Fox report states. His mother believes he became scared and got back in bed instead of going outside.

“She said that her son was everything,” Gomez said. Read more from Fox 6 Milwaukee

Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Kenny Chesney Show Postponed Again

Milwaukee-area country music fans will have to wait another year to see artist Kenny Chesney around here. The artist said Monday he will postpone his “Chillaxification” tour until 2022.

Chesney was originally scheduled to appear at American Family Field on April 25, 2020, then the concert was changed to May 8, 2021 — and now to a 2022 date to be determined. Read more from FM-106.1

Metro Milwaukee Headlines:


"This is important because this is such a dangerous, unpredictable virus."

— Retired Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Ruth Miller, as she received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine at North Division High School on Monday.


SPORTS TALK: The University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s ice hockey team captured the program’s sixth national title over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Badgers’ men’s basketball team has been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after a Sunday loss to top-seeded Baylor.

WEATHER IN A WORD: Rainy

LET’S MAKE PLANS: Pabst In Cow County USA: A virtual program planned for Wednesday will touch on how the Pabst family farms helped shape life in southeast Wisconsin.

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