by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. If suddenly, you found yourself in charge of running the City of Key West, you would
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IN THE PHOTO: DENNIS REEVES COOPER PH.D AND BILL O'REILLY. Dr. Cooper founded Key West The Newspaper in 1994 and published the paper for 18 years, until he retired in 2012. In 2001, Key West Police Chief Buz Dillon had Cooper arrested and jailed, alleging that Cooper had violated an obscure state gag law when writing about a police investigation. The journalist-arrested story hit the national news and Bill O'reilly called and invited Cooper to appear on his show on Fox News. Dillon was also invited to appear, but refused the invitation. O'Reilly suggested that Dillon was "hiding under his desk." The ACLU also called and offered to sue the City of Key West on Cooper's behalf. Subsequently, the gag law was declared unconstitutional and the City settled out of court for $240,000. Also, the arrest was a factor in the creation of an independent police oversight board-- the Citizen Review Board (CRB)-- by Key West voters in November 2002. By that time, Buz Dillon had been unceremoniously fired.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------More Articles By Dennis Reeves Cooper prior to November, 2014.
by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. Before the Florida Keys meant sun, sea and Jimmy Buffet, they were famous for mosquitoes– dense,
Read MoreCommentary by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. How smart do you have to be to serve on the Monroe County School Board?
Read Moreby Dennis Reeves Cooper……. Several weeks ago, we published a story about Key West Assistant City Manager Greg Veliz’ criminal
Read Moreby Dennis Reeves Cooper……. Anyone who might want to make a list of the most famous people who have ever
Read MoreJournalism as a Contact Sport Commentary by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. If you are convicted of a felony in Florida, you
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by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. The Christmas holidays. A wonderful time of the year, wherever you are. But celebrating Christmas in
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In September 1897, one of the most famous exchanges of letters between a newspaper reader and a newspaper editor in
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Commentary by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. Well, there’s another financial scandal at the Monroe County School District. More than $20,000 has
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by Dennis Reeves Cooper……. I sat down this week with City Manager Jim Scholl to talk about the state of
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