Chief Donie Lee Releases Review of Arrest of Homeless Man that Led to Officer Reprimand

Mar 172017
 
Chief Donie Lee Releases Review of Arrest of Homeless Man that Led to Officer Reprimand

This week the Blue Paper received a copy of KWPD’s investigation of the controversial arrest of a homeless man in front of the Key Plaza Publix grocery store on February 4th. The review by the Professional Standards Division resulted in a reprimand of Michael Chaustit, one of the officers involved. At the time, a legitimate story about use of force turned into an intense argument between Trump supporters and liberals on our Facebook page with the ‘blind yelling at the deaf’, about what the police should [continue reading…]

 March 17, 2017  Posted by at 1:00 am Issue #210, News 14 Responses »

Policing the Homeless: Following and Ignoring “Threat Matrix” Guidelines

Feb 242017
 
Policing the Homeless: Following and Ignoring “Threat Matrix” Guidelines

Martha K. Huggins, Ph.D…….. Policing democracy is tough. Tasked to ‘protect and serve,’ police carry out their work within a political system that often makes them an instrument of competing political and economic interests. Far too commonly, police take the fall for the irregular, shifting, and highly political expectations of government officials.  Case in point  ‘management’ of  the homeless.  “Economic development,” which of course includes building and protecting tourism, has a very specific aesthetic:  There should be no visibly homeless people in Key West’s “One [continue reading…]

 February 24, 2017  Posted by at 1:10 am * Featured Story *, ~ Column ~, Issue #207, Martha Huggins 37 Responses »

Soup Kitchen to Test Serving at Shelter

Aug 112016
 
Soup Kitchen to Test Serving at Shelter

In cooperation with the Southernmost Homeless Assistance League (SHAL), St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen will begin a test of changing the serving area for homeless to the Keys Overnight Homeless Shelter. The Saturday and Sunday only test will begin in August, with staff from the Soup Kitchen bringing and serving food prepared at the current location on Flagler Avenue to the Shelter, behind the Stock Island Sheriff’s Office on College Road. SHAL management believes the additional service may encourage unsheltered homeless persons to utilize the Shelter [continue reading…]

 August 11, 2016  Posted by at 10:21 pm Issue #179, News, Public Notice No Responses »

Homeless Medical Log Date, 1 April 2016 (I wish This Were an April Fools Joke, But it’s Not)

Apr 012016
 
Homeless Medical Log Date, 1 April 2016 (I wish This Were an April Fools Joke, But it’s Not)

FIRST DO NO HARM by Sloan Bashinsky……. Sitting in the waiting room shortly before my homeless lady Kari’s surgery yesterday morning, at Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island, I closed my eyes like I might journey in other realms, and immediately was overwhelmed with huge emotion, love and silent love tears, filling the entire hospital, it felt like to me – how I feel about Kari. Then, she was wheeled out of the surgery prep room on a gurney. I leaned down and kissed [continue reading…]

 April 1, 2016  Posted by at 12:32 am ~ Column ~, Island Voices 1 Response »

Homeless Log Date: 3 March 2016, Key West Asteroid

Mar 042016
 
Homeless Log Date: 3 March 2016, Key West Asteroid

by Sloan Bashinsky……. During this past Tuesday night’s city commission meeting, City Attorney Shawn Smith advised the mayor and city commissioners that the U.S. Department of Justice had determined there was no prosecutable offense in the Charles Eimers death in police custody case, which the blue paper broke and continued vigorously investigating and reporting through and past the city settling, on advice of defense counsel, with Eimer’s estate for $900,000, which was $100,000 under the city’s insurance policy limits. Arnaud Girard’s first of many “cartoons” [continue reading…]

 March 4, 2016  Posted by at 12:48 am ~ Column ~, Island Voices, Issue #156 1 Response »

Homeless Assistance Report, April 2015

May 152015
 
Homeless Assistance Report, April 2015

REPORT TO THE CITY OF KEY WEST Southernmost Homeless Assistance League, Inc. For April 2015 HIGHLIGHTS April saw the resignation of Randi Cohen Brown as SHAL Executive Director. The SHAL Board accepted Randi’s resignation and appointed Operations Director John Miller as Interim Executive Director. John promoted Head Monitor Mike Tolbert to the position of KOTS Manager. Elicia Pintabona has had a title change to Client Services Manager. Shelter programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, AHEC Smoking and Medical Care from both Visiting Nurses and Monroe County [continue reading…]

 May 15, 2015  Posted by at 12:30 am Issue #114, Public Notice No Responses »

Homeless in Key West: Old Man Chapman, Captain Tilly, and Peter Pan

Jun 132014
 
Homeless in Key West: Old Man Chapman, Captain Tilly, and Peter Pan

by Arnaud and Naja Girard This is the first in a series of articles on affordable housing and homelessness in Key West and the Florida Keys.  We will try to look past the anti-homeless rhetoric burning through local media and show you what is really happening on the Keys housing front. In future articles we will bring you points of view and solutions proposed by some of the most knowledgeable people on the Island. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ‘Old Man Chapman’ ”If the bank has repossessed the house, [continue reading…]

 June 13, 2014  Posted by at 12:00 am * Featured Story *, MOST POPULAR ONE No Responses »