Milwaukee, WI
Article prompts Milwaukee’s Seaway Terrace Apartments to repair tenant’s heat
During Milwaukee’s frigid temperatures in early February, Steve Paradowski found himself facing a familiar problem in the apartment he moved into over 10 years ago — his heater wouldn’t turn on.
Paradowski, 68, told Public Investigator he couldn’t remember the last time both heaters in his Seaway Terrace apartment at 4601 S. First St. had worked. As soon as one was repaired, it didn’t take long before it broke again or the other one stopped working, he said.
Public Investigator called the phone number on the Seaway Terrace Apartments website, which is the same number for the Illinois-based property owners, Kinzie Realty, three times. Reporters also followed up with five emails over the next three weeks. Nobody responded.
But just three hours after Public Investigator published an article about Paradowski’s faulty thermostats and nonfunctioning heater, he said he got a call from the property manager.
“I just had a long talk with the manager,” Paradowski texted the morning of March 3. “Apparently, your article was read by the owners who contacted the manager. A maintenance man is on the way as we speak.”
That day, Paradowski said his living room heater was fixed. Two days later, maintenance fixed the thermostats that had been hanging from the wall since he moved in.
Even the closet door, which Paradowski said had been broken for nearly his entire time there, was repaired.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” Paradowski said. “I didn’t expect them to act so quickly.”
Paradowski said property manager Scott Snarski personally visited his apartment to check over the completed repairs.
Andrew Brown, a representative for Kinzie Realty, said the company never received any voicemails from Public Investigator at its Evanston offices, even though reporters used the contact information on Seaway’s website.
According to Brown, Paradowski didn’t formally request maintenance work. Tenants have to make these requests through email, phone, online, or in person before they’re logged in the company’s software, Brown said.
“There are no logged work order requests from this tenant from the past several years,” Brown wrote in an email.
Paradowski said he knows a filing a work order is required, but thought he could ask maintenance directly for help, which he’s done in the past.
But Brown said notifying maintenance staff isn’t sufficient for a request.
He said the other tenant in the story, Nailah Boyd, who also reported heating problems, has also been visited since the article’s publication, and her issues are being resolved “as rapidly as possible.”
Boyd’s thermostat had been “repaired promptly” after she submitted a maintenance request in December, Brown added.
“At the same time, it is possible that her heat was compromised, but we’re not certain,” Brown said.
Brown also pointed out that Kinzie Realty did not own the apartment building until 2018. The company owns or manages several apartment buildings in Wisconsin and the greater Chicago area.
“We’re regretful that this prior owner may not have focused on repairing property maintenance issues timely, but we can’t be responsible for their flaws,” Brown said.
Paradowski said the problems with his apartment go back farther than just the issue with his living room heater. He also took issue with Kinzie Realty taking away residents’ free storage units in 2018 and maintenance staff making a hole in his wall in 2019.
According to a notice viewed by Public Investigator, maintenance made the hole to install a sleeve for a standing air conditioning unit. Paradowski was given two choices: buy his own AC unit, or rent one from Seaway. He said he couldn’t afford either.
Though his heating issues are resolved, Paradowski said it shouldn’t have taken an article for Kinzie Realty to respond to Public Investigator. But sometimes, that’s what it takes, he said.
“It’s good,” he said. “Because I guarantee you, I’m not the only one.”
Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com.
Contact Public Investigator
Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We’ll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to publicinvestigator@jrn.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips.
MILWAUKEE – The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Milwaukee and all of southeastern Wisconsin from noon Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday, with heat index values expected to reach the upper 90s to around 100 degrees.
While the advisory is expected to end Wednesday evening, hot and humid conditions are forecast to continue through the remainder of the week.
Forecast conditions can change, so everyone is encouraged to monitor local forecasts and follow guidance from the National Weather Service.
Milwaukee County cooling sites
What we know:
Cooling sites are available throughout Milwaukee County.
For an updated list of cooling locations, heat safety information, and resources on preventing heat-related illness, visit the City of Milwaukee website or call 211.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Staying safe during extreme heat
What you can do:
Stay cool
- Limit outdoor activities, especially during the hottest part of the day.
- Spend time in air-conditioned buildings whenever possible such as libraries, shopping centers, or community centers.
- If you have an air conditioner, make sure it is installed and working properly.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
- Take cool showers or baths, or use cool, wet towels to lower body temperature.
- Fans may provide comfort but should not be relied upon as the primary cooling method during extreme heat.
Stay hydrated
- Drink water regularly, even if you do not feel thirsty.
- Avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, which can contribute to dehydration.
- Encourage children, older adults, and others at higher risk to drink fluids throughout the day.
Protect yourself and others
- Never leave children, older adults, or pets unattended in vehicles. Temperatures inside a parked vehicle can become deadly within minutes.
- Check on older neighbors, family members, and others who may need assistance staying cool.
- Many public cooling sites are located along Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) routes. Visit RideMCTS.com for transit information.
Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness
Heat exhaustion may include:
- Heavy sweating
- Weakness or fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Fainting
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Symptoms may include:
- High body temperature
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Confusion
- Rapid pulse
- Loss of consciousness
Call 911 immediately if someone is experiencing signs of heat stroke.
For additional hot weather safety information, visit the City of Milwaukee website.
The Source: City of Milwaukee Health Department sent FOX6 the information.
Milwaukee, WI
Squire Robinson leads a new generation of Milwaukee artists with his distinctly bold style
In a cavernous attic studio stands Squire Robinson.
Next to him on the ground is an unfinished painting of his. Hung above him are numerous paintings that he’s finished in the past year.
The walls are filled with works of art, crafted by the various artists who also call 100% MKE, a nonprofit arts studio and workspace at 217 N. Broadway, home.
Robinson’s art doesn’t just stand among them – it stands out.
Maybe it’s the saturated reds that prevail in each of his pieces.
Maybe it’s the bold strokes that create the even bolder figures that call his paintings home.
Either way, Robinson’s art has a tangible effect for those with the eyes to see.
“Sometimes the most important piece of art is that you feel. His art makes you feel,” Richard Badger Jr. said. Badger, who goes by the artist name Coyote Rich, is also an artist in residence at 100% MKE.
Robinson first fell in love with art through his grandfather, who painted signs for corner stores. Early memories of drawing contests with his grandfather enchanted Squire into the art world.
Later, Robinson drew comics and superhero characters, foreshadowing the powerful figures he paints today.
“My style has always been there, it’s just evolution, it grows and changes,” Robinson said.
Robinson, a 2024 graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, has always had a certain fascination with Renaissance-era paintings.
Yet despite his appreciation of the style, something was missing.
“I appreciated the technique and skill, but I just couldn’t really relate to it,” Robinson said.
For him, the lack of diversity made the style feel distant.
Black culture in art
Now, Robinson’s style flows through the powerful Black people he paints.
“I took some of that flavor and remixed it to something that is more me,” Robinson said. “My inspiration comes from Black culture, music and my dreams.”
Robinson’s own personality is vehemently present in each of his pieces.
“His art has a very strong personality behind it,” said Nelle Speerschneider, a co-founding board member of 100% MKE.
By the end of a lengthy creative process, Robinson’s pieces are saturated with color and shapes that make viewers stop and stare. For Robinson, that’s the goal.
“To me, good art is when you can just stare at it and sit with it and think,” Robinson said. “If you see my work and walk right past it, then I didn’t do something right.”
Music and the flow state
Robinson said when he is met with a blank canvas, he doesn’t begin with a person or a setting; he starts with the mood. Then, with the help of music, he lets his art flow.
“I don’t try to contain the style, it’s just all me,” Robinson said.
Music is a big deal for Robinson. So much so that he can’t paint without it. Robinson’s taste in music, from classical and jazz to his love for Kendrick Lamar, seeps into his art.
“Squire’s art makes me feel like music,” Badger said.
Robinson said music helps him loosen up and get out of a funk.
“It helps me escape and enter that flow state,” Robinson said.
He said music supports his ethereal creative process.
“Sometimes when I paint, I feel like I’m being guided by something higher than me,” Robinson said.
Milwaukee made
As a young figure in the Milwaukee art scene, Robinson wears the city on his sleeve.
“Growing up in Milwaukee made me hard in the sense of staying true to myself,” Robinson said.
At 100% MKE, Robinson offers a unique voice. “It’s nice to have his youthful and urban take in the studio,” Speerschneider said.
Badger said young artists like Robinson are vital for pushing the scene forward.
“They’re the driving force of what Milwaukee looks and feels like,” he said.
Future goals
Going forward, Robinson wants to become an art therapist, someone who uses the medium of art to process emotional challenges.
“Art has always been a way to self-express and get my own feelings out,” Robinson said. “That’s why the tone of my paintings matters the most, because those feelings are what I’m trying to evoke.”
As for his art career, Robinson says his finest work is yet to come.
“I haven’t created my best one yet.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/07/13/squire-robinson-leads-a-new-generation-of-milwaukee-artists-with-his-distinctly-bold-style/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://milwaukeenns.org”>Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>
<img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://milwaukeenns.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=168492&ga4=G-HGM4XK3QCM” style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/07/13/squire-robinson-leads-a-new-generation-of-milwaukee-artists-with-his-distinctly-bold-style/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”//cdn.parsely.com/keys/milwaukeenns.org/p.js”></script>
Milwaukee, WI
Post From Community: Laughing Liberally Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
-
Pennsylvania2 minutes agoPennsylvania man who brought gun to
-
Rhode Island8 minutes agoRhode Island State Police Task Force Arrests 2 On Gun Charges: Cops
-
South-Carolina14 minutes agoEarmarks, property tax relief continue to stall SC budget discussions
-
South Dakota20 minutes agoSpecial Interview: South Dakota AG Jackley on 10 bills, deepfakes, suppressors and the Mayday case
-
Tennessee26 minutes agoThis Tennessee school system credits AI with improving student TCAP scores. Here’s how
-
Texas32 minutes agoTexas Quietly Fixed One Problem That Used to Cost the Longhorns Games
-
Utah38 minutes agoOne of Utah’s public ski areas is for sale
-
Vermont44 minutes agoSUV drives into swimming pool at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont
