Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee's public housing leader, Willie Hines, to retire at end of year
MILWAUKEE — The Office of the Mayor confirmed to Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin that Willie Hines, the secretary-executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) will retire at the end of the year.
Hines was appointed to the position in March 2022. He previously served as HACM’s associate director. Before joining HACM, he was president of Milwaukee Common Council and an alderman. However, his leadership term at HACM has been at the helm of controversy.
There have been several public calls for him to resign amid frequent resident complaints about unsafe, unhealthy and even “uninhabitable” living conditions.
Auditors are investigating potential fraud within HACM, after finding several million dollars in “variances” in its bank account.
According to HACM’s website, it oversees more than 4,000 affordable housing units for low-income households, elderly residents and disabled adults. HACM also provides housing assistance via its Housing Choice Voucher Program to another nearly 6,000 households in the city.
Common Ground, an advocacy group, called Hines’ resignation an “essential” part of its campaign to reform HACM, saying in-part:
“‘Today is a momentous day for Milwaukee,”’ says Kevin Solomon, Associate Organizer for Common Ground. ‘David beat Goliath. Thousands of low-income housing residents and Common Ground banded together for over 2 years to challenge entrenched and powerful interests, and fight for better living conditions. We overcame skepticism, doubt, secrecy, and special interests. And we won.’
“Common Ground has accomplished an essential objective in our ‘Tenants United’ campaign to reform the Housing Authority: Willie Hines is resigning as Executive Director. ‘The next step is for the HACM Board to conduct a national search for a new, competent, service-oriented director to clean up the mess,’ says Jennifer O’Hear, Common Ground’s Lead Organizer.
“‘Common Ground knows how to take on dominant, unaccountable power—and win,’ says Rev. Will Davis, Pastor of Invisible Reality Ministries and Member of Common Ground’s Executive Team. ‘We saw injustice and knew we had to work with the residents to change things.’
“‘Nobody believed us tenants at first. It was our word against Hines’,’ says Roye ‘Chris’ Logan, Resident President of Mitchell Court. ‘After we made clear that our concerns are real, we were told we would never get rid of Hines. But guess what? We are Common Ground! We never give up, and we never go away.’”
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.
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Milwaukee, WI
Post From Community: Laughing Liberally Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
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