Last month, Key West Police Officer Michael Beerbower avoided going on trial for allegedly
battering a handcuffed suspect by agreeing to probation and a one-month suspension without pay.
Apparently, that deal has been interpreted by the Key West Police Department as 20 days without pay— and
Beerbower is serving the "time" in pieces, rather than all at once. He has been, or will be, suspended on the
following days: May 14, 15, 16, 17, 28, 29, 30, 31, June 10, 14, 15, 16, 24, 28, 29, 30 and July 9, 10, 11, 12.
If you notice that the water you're using is leaving white calcium deposits on your cooking
utensils, don't be alarmed. The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) is temporarily bypassing the
water-softening process while the water treatment facility in Florida City is being upgraded. All of the
water piped to Key West comes from well fields near Florida City. The water-softening equipment is
undergoing an upgrade, FKAA officials said. The upgrade will be completed by mid-July, they said.
In a story last week about Key West police officers allegedly slamming a blind man to the ground and carting him off to jail, we reported that Sgt. Alan Newby, who heads the KWPD's internal affairs unit, had not responded to a letter from an attorney asking questions about the incident. That was an error. Newby did respond to the letter, but told the attorney that he could not answer any questions because the City considered the case in litigation.