2 Vacancies On Beacon's Assessment Review Board; 3 of 5 Members Are Realtors; Mayor Set To Reappoint Realtor Tonight

/

Update 10/9/2025: “Assessment Review Board Vacancy Not Promoted; Discussion of Ethics Complaints; Both Appointees Confirmed”

Two vacancies have opened on one of the most important boards in the City of Beacon that impacts property owners and their potential property taxes: the Board of Assessment Review. A well publicized open call for those vacancies has not been made by the City of Beacon, and it was not declared who was not returning to the board. A reappointment of a board member whose is a realtor, the profession of which is a debatable conflict of interest and is discussed in guidance provided by New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance, is on the table for an appointment by Mayor Kyriacou at tonight’s City Council Meeting, which will be passed by the Mayor if there is no objection from City Council.

According to the presentation made by Ben Swanson at last week’s Workshop Meeting, there are 2 appointees up, one of whom is on the board already. Ben stated: “Michele Rios [of Berkshire Hathaway] has served 2 terms. This would be her 3rd term. She has been on the board 10 years starting in 2014. She has a long real estate career as a licensed agent and broker spanning 20 years or thereabouts. So, she has a a great background for this board.”

Ben continued with the second appointee, David Ross: “David has a distinguished career in fine arts management. He's worked throughout the country in executive administrative roles with various art institutions. We think he's a very impressive candidate and he's willing to spend the time on this board as well. We're excited to bring his application to your attention as well.”

What Does The Board Of Assessment Review Do?

Mayor Kyriacou explained during last week’s 9/29/2025 City Council Workshop that the Board of Assessment Review “is one of the three statutory required ones [Boards]: The Planning Board, the Zoning Board, and the Board of Assessment Review.”

He continued: “Their job is is mostly focused around May when you have the new assessments come out and there's a grievance process and they will hear grievances. That's the non-litigation process that the City does. And then if it ever goes past that, it goes past it. But their job is primarily in that month of May. And I'm just appreciative that we've got people willing to do it.”

When people challenge their assessments to commercial or residential property and win, the City of Beacon will at times pay them back the difference. Property assessments are based on many factors, including related “comps,” which are the most recent prices of properties sold near the property in question. With the hot market in Beacon, having bidding wars is common, as well as offers of cash coming to disrupt a buying process. Some realtors are more aggressive than others at navigating this phase which can result in driving up property prices.

The Board has 5 positions on it, and 3 of them are realtors.

Who Else Is On The Board?

According to a screenshot taken by the WayBack Machine, a public database of years of archived screenshots, the realtor Ron Donofrio was the fifth name on the Assessment Review Board that has been removed. Ron was appointed in October 2020 for a 5 year term.

It was announced that there were 2 vacancies on this board. However, it was not disclosed as to who was stepping off the board, or whose term was ending or up for reappointment. Last week, A Little Beacon Blog emailed Mayor Kyriacou, his secretary Ben, and Council Member Molly Rhodes asking who was leaving the board, but none of them responded.

Ron Donofrio is also listed at the Highlands Current website as a current Assessment Review Board Member with the current City Council as of October 2025.

Checking the Board of Assessment Review page today Monday, there are 4 names listed. Prior, there were 5 names listed. According to the WayBackMachine, as of May 15, 2025, Ron Donofrio was the 5th name that is no longer listed on the City of Beacon’s website as of today. Ron is a realtor in Beacon and was appointed on October 19, 2020 by Mayor Kyriacou.

Other Board Members include:

John Stella, Board Chair
According to a memorandum presented by Ben, Secretary to the Mayor, on December 14, 2022 in favor of John Stella's reappointment, John "retired from IBM and then worked as a Realtor in the area. John spent the past 15 years on the Board of Assessment Review, 12 of which were as Chair. He also served as Chair to the City's Parking and Traffic Safety Committee for 14 years. Additionally, he served as Vice President of the Beacon Board of Education. He also served as an Volunteer Firefighter for 60 years "and is now exempt," according to the memorandum.

John Berry
According to a memorandum presented by Ben, Secretary to the Mayor, on January 3, 2024 in favor of John Berry's reappointment: “Mr. Berry is a resident of the City of Beacon and is currently retired. He has a lengthy background of community service to Beacon, specifically in previously having served as a pack leader for a local Boy Scout Troop, previously having served as Chair of the Beacon Democratic Committee, running for Mayor in 2003, and by currently continuing his long-standing service on Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review.”

Robert Palisi
Robert Palisi’s memorandum for recommendation cannot be found online at this moment, but he was recognized as the Grand Marshall of the Parade of Green in 2023. According to his Grand Marshall recognition, Robert is a lifelong resident of the City of Beacon who started his career at Shaw Motors (then became Healey) with his father. He then worked for Ward's Auto Body, and then Secor Auto Body. In 1979, he started his own family business, Palisi Auto Body & Auto Glass on Main Street in Beacon, which moved to a "newly constructed state-of-the-art auto body shop on West Main Street," in 1984 says the parade flyer.

"Bobby is also a partner in Fulton Avenue Realty Restoration Company, which over the last 28 years, has done a multitude of building renovations and constructed several new houses in and around the City of Beacon."

Michele Rios
Michele Rios is a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway. When this article surfaced, encouraging the City Council to pause her reappointment in order to reconsider having realtors on the board, Michele responded via Facebook Comments with insults and a threat to ALBB.

She also stated that there were 2 realtors on the board. However, there were 3 realtors on the Board, when Ron Donofrio was within his term, which may have ended October 2025.

Comments Of Interest

The Assessment Review Board is one where people in the community must appeal to fellow members of the community for financial matters. Fear of retaliation should not be a factor, but for some is.

To show an example of character, the comments of the language and logic used by this board member up for reappointment are below in the order of their publishing:

According to the bios presented above, there were 3 realtors on Beacon’s 5-member Board of Assessment Review as of this year: John Stella (Chair), Ron Donofrio, and Michele Rios.

Questions Raised From These Proposed Appointments

  • Should realtors be on the Assessment Review Board?

  • Should Beacon have a Board to hear grievances about realtors in the buying/selling process in residential or commercial property transactions?

According to Guidance provided by the New York State’s Department of Taxation and Finance, the issue of real estate agents or brokers being on assessment review boards is taken into consideration as a potential conflict of interest. While it does not prohibit it, the guidance does suggest a ratio of 1 to 3.

“Section 1524 specifically requires that persons appointed by the legislative body of a local government to the board of assessment review have a knowledge of property values in the local jurisdiction. In most instances, a real estate broker would certainly meet this requirement. It has been and continues to be the opinion of this office that there is no incompatibility arising from the appointment of 1 real estate broker to a 3 member or assessment review.

“The obvious intent of section 1524 is to provide property owners with an opportunity to obtain an independent review of their assessments by a body which did not participate in the assessment in the first instance and which consists of members knowledgeable in real property values. However, care should be taken with respect to the overall balance in the composition of the board of assessment review.”

How To Voice Your Opinion About A Mayor’s Appointment

While the Mayor makes an appointment, the City Council must support it. If they do not, then more consideration is given. To make sure your voice is heard or seen, email each City Council Member and the Mayor. One should not fear retaliation if they are a commercial or residential property owner.

MOLLY RHODES
Councilmember, Ward One
Pronouns: she, her, hers
mrhodes@beaconny.gov

JEFFREY DOMANSKI
Councilmember, Ward Two
Pronouns: he, him, his
jdomanski@beaconny.gov

PAM WETHERBEE
Councilmember, Ward Three
pwetherbee@beaconny.gov

GEORGE MANSFIELD
Councilmember, Ward Four
gmansfield@beaconny.gov

AMBER GRANT
Councilmember, At-Large
Pronouns: she, her, hers
agrant@beaconny.gov

PALOMA WAKE
Councilmember, At-Large
Pronouns: she, her, hers
pwake@beaconny.gov

Lee Kyriacou, Mayor
mayor@beaconny.gov

Ben Swanson, Secretary to the City Mayor
cityofbeacon@beaconny.gov




Vimeo.com Restored ALBB's Account After 2 Appeals and Social Media Bumps

/

After 2 appeals and several Instagram mentions calling out Vimeo's reliance on AI to terminate years of content without any human review, Vimeo responded positively to ALBB's appeal requests. Vimeo not only restored our account, but restored the video with the message from Pastor Howard-John Wesley. As a refresh, Vimeo is a video-sharing platform that ALBB uses as an alternative to YouTube in order to bring you videos that can be embedded in articles, but in a less invasive way than YouTube does.

Vimeo’s appeal email said:

Hello,

We're writing to inform you that after receiving your appeal, our team conducted a second review of Pastor Howard-John Wesley's Response To Federal Order of Flags Half Staff For Charlie Kirk and have determined it did not violate our Acceptable Use Policy. Therefore, the content has been restored.

We appreciate your patience throughout this process, and will use this decision to improve this experience for others.

ALBB’s initial response to the restoration was published on Instagram: “Thank you Vimeo . There is light and hope in this world. Thank you for taking the time to have a human review the content that got my entire account banned within 2 minutes by AI. Thank you for your second look. Appreciated. 🎥📸”

Spirit of Beacon Day 2025 Committee Announces Theme, Parade and Vendor Table Lineups!

/

The 2025 Spirit of Beacon Committee Chair Ali T. Muhammad announced to the City of Beacon’s City Council the theme of this year’s Spirit of Beacon Day: “This year we're focused on the youth. Every year the spirit of Beacon Day is focused in the spirit of youth development, youth growth. Forty eight years ago when they started this, we know that there was a lot of tension in this community. People came together to ease that tension.”

Crediting inspiration to Whitney Houston’s song, the theme is: “Children Are The Future; Let Them Lead The Way.” Don’t be surprised if this song is in your head for the rest of the day. That is, until the school marching bands and the Marching Cobra’s knock it out with their beats!

The Vendor Table Lineup has been announced, and it’s fresh with new businesses, a collection of faith-based groups at the Salvation Army yard this year, and new food vendors, including Chocolate Studio (making an appearance up-block from their storefront near the Dummy Light), Big Vinny’s Bakery, Midnight Ferry from Newburgh, Pat’s Kitchen, Candi Cloud Confections, Brie & Boujee and others. St. Rocco’s and the Masjid Ur Rashid will be cooking as usual from their home-bases, and other organizations may be selling food from their tables as fundraisers.

The Parade Lineup has been announced as well.

Any updated Vendor or Parade Lineups will be re-published here at at Spirit of Beacon website as they happen. Tap on either lineup photo to enlarge it.

10am Streets blocked off in Spirit of Beacon Table Perimeter.

11am Spirit of Beacon Day Opens! Vendor Tables Open.

11:30am Volunteers of the Year Ceremony

12pm Parade lineup (those in the parade go to Rte. 52 (Yankee Clipper Diner).

1-2pm Parade starts!

5pm Spirit of Beacon Day ends.

STRIPED! Fishkill and Teller Avenues Finally Striped After 20 Years Of Planning And Securing 95% Funding

/

Fishkill and Teller Avenues have reached the final phase of “The PRoject” that has been 20 years in the making to upgrade piping and road infrastructure in that area.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

After 20 years of planning, the last year of which drivers in Beacon have been navigating through detours, rough roads and construction crews risking their lives so that people can have smooth, safe roadways in Beacon, the striping has finally begun getting painted onto Fishkill and Teller Avenues, as well as some outlier areas.

In its description of The Project, the City of Beacon reminded the community that this project came through “after more than 20 years of planning, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and regulatory approvals.” The Project was estimated to be $9 million and was 95% funded through federal and state transportation grants.

It began in June 2024, and encountered a few bumps. Toward the end on July 17th, 2025, the City of Beacon announced: “Approximately 20% of the new sidewalk on Teller and Fishkill Avenues will be torn out and replaced. The concrete used in these sections last fall was substandard and caused the sidewalks to flake and spall even though they were just installed last year. The replacement of these sections is being done by the contractor at NO ADDITIONAL COST to the City. This sidewalk work will take about two weeks. Starting in mid-August, all of Teller Avenue and Fishkill Avenue between Main Street and Blackburn Avenue (across from Memorial Park) will be milled and paved. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we get through this generational upgrade to these critical streets.”

The original project area covered Teller Avenue from Wolcott Avenue (Route 9D) to Main Street and Fishkill Avenue from Main Street to Blackburn Avenue. Improvements included in this project were:

  • Replacements of all existing sidewalks with new 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalks.

  • Installing new curbing.

  • Replacing drainage structures throughout the Project area.

  • Repaving and re-striping the roadway during its final phase.

Safety enhancements included:

  • Adding a Leading Pedestrian Interval signaling at the intersection of Teller Avenue/ Fishkill Avenue and Main Street. A woman was killed at that intersection while walking to cross the street. She was a grandmother who was hit by another grandmother driving from school kid pickup.

  • Installing 2 raised pedestrian crosswalks near Memorial Park (“speed tables”).

  • Reconfiguring the intersection at Teller Avenue and Wolcott Avenue as a “T” intersection, with the George Washington monument moved to the north side of Teller Avenue.

  • BONUS: The City was negotiating to extend the sidewalk replacement work further from Blackburn Avenue towards the Town of Fishkill border, if funding allowed.

Assistance For Passports, Veterans, Social Security And More Offered By Pat Ryan's Bus At Beacon Farmer's Market

/

Photo Credits on this page: Katie Hellmuth

Parked at the Beacon Farmer’s Market this week next to the live music tent was the Representative Pat Ryan C.A.R.E.S. (Constituent Advocacy Resources Empowerment Services). The concept of the van is to help people navigate federal agencies and get attention if they are being neglected. “You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops or navigate bureaucratic red tape to get the assistance you deserve and the federal benefits you earned,” says Rep. Ryan on the program’s website.

Sunday’s van pop-up was staffed by Constituent Advocate Karen DeSimone and District Aide Brandon Gonzalez. There purpose was to answer questions from constituents about accessing federal agencies. They came equipped with Release Forms that once signed, can authorize Rep. Ryan’s staff members to begin taking action for the constituent to get their issue resolved.

If a passport has stalled in process, or Veterans benefits hard to reach, this program helps remove the clog. Said Thomas from Port Jervis on the program website: “I had spent 30 months trying to get my Social Security benefits and had gotten nowhere. After contacting Congressman Ryan's office, I was put in touch with Destiny H., who interceded on my behalf and got me results. I cannot thank her enough and am totally sincere when I say that her help changed my life.”

The program helps with Social Security, Passports, Veteran Benefits, Grant Funding, IRS Help, Flag Requests, and more. On this day in Beacon, Karen and Brandon answered questions about Social Security, and how one could contact the Veteran’s Office.

Said David from Beacon on the program’s website: “The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a historic Hudson Valley service organization, experienced an unexpected automated action from the IRS that if not resolved quickly, could have had very negative consequences. I immediately contacted Congressman Ryan's office for advice and support. The Congressman's staff promptly responded to our request for assistance, contacted the IRS Tax Advocate Services on our behalf, and advocated for our need to expedite review and resolution with professional skill. We greatly appreciate the response we received. Thank you!”

At market, Karen encouraged people to contact the Representative’s website, or herself or Brandon directly with questions:

Karen DeSimone, Constitute Advocate: karen.desimone@mail.house.gov 845-443-2930
Brandon Gonzalez, District Aid: brandon.gonzalez@mail.house.gov

Flash Flood Warning For Thursday - Friday As Weather Pattern Shifts, Says Governor Hochul

/

Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

A fallen tree at Hammond Plaza in Beacon, NY
Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

The shifting weather from extreme heat of this week to heavy rainfall beginning Wednesday night is extending to Thursday and into Friday, said NY Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday in a press release. Trees began falling over in Beacon and Newburgh by early Wednesday evening.

Governor Hochul has directed State agencies to prepare for heavy rain and the potential for localized flooding as parts of the state are forecast to be impacted by periods of heavy rain, which includes the Mid-Hudson region (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.)

These regions could see over 3 inches of rain again beginning Thursday and is expected to be a "slow moving weather event with the most severe impacts occurring where the storm ultimately sets up,” the release said. Cooler temperatures and lower levels of humidity are expected, however.

A tree down that landed in a building in Newburgh. Avoid all exposed power lines.
Photo Credit: Councilmember Giselle Martinez

Branches down in Newburgh, hitting houses and landing in the street.
Photo Credit: Councilmember Giselle Martinez

“State agencies are on standby for heavy downpours and localized flooding and will be monitoring the situation in real-time to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers in the path of the storm," said Governor Hochul.

Residents are encouraged to get weather alerts for their county by texting 333111 and typing in their county name. Weather alerts can be found at alerts.weather.gov.

Stay charged out there. Your devices. Not your sewer line. Wishing you clear passage in your sewer line and adjacent storm lines. For Plumbing insight, see here.

For Home Repair services, see ALBB’s Business Directory.

Flags Flown At Half-Staff For The Week In Honor Of Amalio Lombardi, Excavation Worker

/

At Mayor of Beacon Lee Kyriacou’s order, flags will be flown at half-staff for Amalio Lombardi, age 61 of Goshen, who was fatally killed in an accident during excavation of Rte. 52 in Beacon in between Lanks Auto and Hedgewood Home For Adults as part of the Fishkill/Teller Avenues infrastructure projects, as reported by ALBB earlier today. ALBB has learned that Amalio worked for 12 years alongside his co-workers, and was union, according to a source who spoke to ALBB.

In a press release written and published by Beacon Police Chief Tom Figila to the Beacon PD’s Facebook page, and shared on the City of Beacon’s Facebook page, Chief Figlia said as part of his update: “the City's administration extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lombardi. Mayor Kyriacou ordered that the flags be lowered to half staff for the remainder of the week in honor and memory of Mr. Lombardi.”

When the robo-alert went out to the people of Beacon, the announcement only contained information about the road being opened back up again, and thanked everyone for their patience. In neither robo-call was the fact that someone had succumbed to their injuries in a tragic work-related accident.

After the first robo-call, people of Beacon immediately wondered if an employee of any of Beacon’s departments was injured, and what kind of injury it was (ie: hit by a car on that busy road, fell off the cliff, etc.). Confirmation as to the detail of the accident needed to be reported on.

When Mid-Hudson News announced the fatality, ALBB followed with the detail, and the Beacon Police Department'’s Press Release came after that.

“I was on the other side of the road closure, and had to drive back several miles to get to where I was picking up my child,” one reader told ALBB. “I only learned the gravity of the situation from your article.”

Patrick Moore told ALBB readers: “I drove by maybe 30 seconds after it happened. The worst thing I have ever, ever seen. I worked for 9 years as a firefighter outside of Austin, TX. I have never seen anything like this. So sad and thoughts for family and the workers there yesterday.”

“I was there when they were turning cars around,” another reader told ALBB. “I asked what happened and they told me there had been a death. This must have been what happened.”

This has been an emotionally charged topic for co-workers of the deceased, friends and family. Some in the Beacon community expressed surprise that the work continued after the accidental incident. Said Andrè S Omally at ALBB’s Facebook: “Drove by saw these guys out there working 20mins later; Beacon PD/FD and EMS rushing towards there. smh very sad RIP.”

After Mid-Hudson’s News’ article published, ALBB headed down to get photos of what would be a very basic article documenting the incident. “I was surprised to see an active job site, where the crew was back to work as if nothing happened,” said Katie Hellmuth, writer of the article. “When a neighbor and I saw employees walking by, we were all stunned."

Comments at Facebook about this incident have been wild and unexpected. It seems unimaginable that the driver of the excavator was still driving after this accident, as he must have been very upset and scared. ALBB has not confirmed if it was him, or if someone replaced him. Hopefully he was allowed to stop driving so that he and other employees could seek emotional support about what had just happened.

UPDATE 7/29/2025: A comment has been left below on this article based on the above statement. That comment is republished here for confirmation:

As the spouse of someone on that crew, I'd like to set several records straight!

1) They did NOT continue working "as if nothing happened" - they were absolutely devastated and to make the road usable for the general public again took EVERYTHING in them to do.

2) No....the driver of the machine was NOT expected to keep driving. Someone did, in fact, come from a different job to take his place. The person who took his place was ALSO very upset by this news, and took everything in himself to do what needed to be done.

By the end of the day, the road was filled back in. The excavator had been digging a long hole in the middle of the road. The Beacon community mourns for all of the employees there as well as the deceased. Condolences to their families and friends.

After this article published, the City of Beacon’s Facebook account commented, without confirming the writer’s identity: “The reason the crews stayed and worked after the incident was due to the fact that there was a large hole in the middle of the road that couldn't be left open. Rather than raise questions about the crews working after the incident, you could have interviewed one of them and highlighted the absolute resolve and courage it took them to get back in their machines and close the road responsibly when all of them were traumatized by this.”

The City of Beacon should know that this writer was not about to step into an active construction site with an excavator moving. “One employee spoke and gave their statement,” said Katie. “I was not about to chase him for more.” The name of the excavation company has not been released, so we cannot call to follow up.

Said Jessica Hansen, Traffic Control Supervisor at Local 234 on Facebook: “Don’t you know the public thinks all the work done magically fixes itself and doesn't need crews to fix anything. We are just in their way and an inconvenience.”

So far, ALBB is leaving comments on, and advises people to restrain themselves to sending condolences and prayers. Over the years, our readers have asked that comments be left on so that they can see the true nature of people.

Construction Co-Worker Crushed To Death While Working On The Road On Rte. 52

/

Condolences to the family, co-workers and friends.

A construction worker who was part of the crew digging up the road on Rte 52 in Beacon at Conklin Street near Lanks Auto was fatally injured late this morning. According to someone familiar with the situation, the construction worker may have passed out, fallen, and then was crushed by the machine. “We lost a co-worker of 12 years today,” said one person.

The City of Beacon sent out an alert at 12:02 saying: “Fishkill Avenue will be closed from approximately Dallis Place (near Hedgewood Home For Adults And Assisted Living) to Conklin Street due to a workplace accident. Please avoid travel until further notice.”

Mid-Hudson News was the first to report the confirmed fatality at 2:12pm, and said that the accident happened “just after 11am,” and that Beacon Police were investigating. It is unknown at this time if OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) was called to or came to the scene to investigate.

According to a neighbor who spoke with ALBB, crime scene tape was wrapped around the street. Residents were blocked from driving into their driveways. Some had to park around the corner and walk to their homes.

As of 3:59pm, the crime scene tape was gone, and the machine was actively digging out the street again, with several workers surrounding it. At least one City of Beacon Police vehicle was blocking and re-routing each end of traffic. The City of Beacon’s Highway Superintendent Michael Manzi was at the scene.

At 5:26pm, the City of Beacon issued an alert saying: “The section of Fishkill Avenue from Dallis Place to Conklin Street has been reopened from the earlier closure. Thank you for your patience.” There was no mention of the death of the construction worker.

Also at 5:25pm, the Chief Figlia of Beacon Police Department issued the following press release published on the Beacon Police Facebook page:

“Fatal Construction Accident on Fishkill Ave”

“On July 28, 2025 the Beacon Police Department, as well as EMS and Beacon Fire Department, responded to a report of an accident at a construction site on Fishkill Ave. between Conlin St. and Dallas Pl. Upon arrival, it was determined that Amalio Lombardi, 61 of Goshen, had been stuck by an excavator and passed away at the scene. An investigation of the incident is ongoing. The work being done was part of an infrastructure improvement project for Beacon, and the City's administration extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lombardi. Mayor Kyriacou ordered that the flags be lowered to half staff for the remainder of the week in honor and memory of Mr. Lombardi.”

Related Article: “Flags Flown At Half-Staff For The Week In Honor Of Amalio Lombardi, Excavation Worker”

Murder on Rombout Avenue - Retired Beacon Police Officer Charged With Murdering His Roommate

/

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. As details emerge, they are updated here in the sequence of how they were released.

On Monday evening at approximately 9pm at the home of 86 Rombout Avenue, a 911 caller believed to be Edison “Eddie” Irizarry, who is a 52 year-old a retired City of Beacon Police Officer who was a new roommate to Casey Cuddy, age 58 (aka Wilbur Cuddy), “had threatened him with a shotgun, and Irizarry claimed to have fired three rounds at Cuddy,” according to reporting from MidHudson News. Casey Cuddy did not survive.

According to the City of Beacon Police Department’s Press Release the following Tuesday morning, “the City of Beacon Police Department received a call from an individual reporting that he had shot his roommate on Rombout Ave. Upon arrival it was determined that one of the individuals involved was a retired Beacon Police Officer. That individual was immediately detained and, in order to maintain the highest integrity, the entire investigation was turned over to the New York State Police.” The Press Release was published to Facebook, and Comments turned off.

From the Beacon Police Press Release, it was not clear where Eddie was initially detained to. A witness of the detainment confirmed to ALBB that Eddie was handcuffed and “gently put into” a Beacon Police vehicle without incident on Monday night. New York State Police arrived to the scene shortly after, ALBB was told by a witness of the detainment.

MidHudson News reported that Eddie was arrested the following Tuesday morning. “He was arraigned before Beacon City Court Judge Rebecca Mensch and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail,” MidHudson News reported. Times Union reported that Eddie was booked on Tuesday, as confirmed by booking records, and held without bail.

Beacon Police Chief Tom Figlia continued: “In order to maintain the highest integrity, the entire investigation was turned over to the New York State Police. The City of Beacon Police Department is cooperating and will continue to cooperate, fully and completely with the State Police Investigation. Since it is a State Police Investigation, the City of Beacon Police Department cannot release any further details and all additional requests for information should be made to New York State Police.”

As of Tuesday evening, New York State Police confirmed that the caller was Eddie: “On July 21, 2025, at approximately 9:02 p.m., the City of Beacon Police Department responded to a private residence on Rombout Avenue following a 911 call placed by Edison Irizarry, 52, of Beacon, NY, who stated he had shot his roommate. Upon arrival, officers located 58-year-old Casey Cuddy also of Beacon, NY, deceased inside the residence from an apparent gunshot wound.”

According to community members, Casey and Eddie were roommates in the house beginning April 2025. ALBB has received confirmation from multiple local sources that this house was divided into 2 apartments, where Casey lived in one unit, and another group of people lived in the other unit. It was only recently that Eddie moved in as roommate to Casey, who also goes by “Cuddy” to neighbors.

By Tuesday evening, Casey’s white passenger van, which has a poster perched in the passenger seat that reads “Boycott,” remained parked in the driveway with yellow caution tape around the perimeter of the house. Parked next to the van that Tuesday evening was a New York State trooper car with an officer inside.

An investigator looks at the sign in the van of Casey Cuddy, who was killed by his roommate, Eddie Irizarry. The poster read: “Boycott Everything.”

Sean Breault, who witnessed the arrest of Eddie, told ALBB: “The poster in Cuddy’s van read ‘Boycott Everything.’ He was active in protests. I watched the detective go through his van and I have an image of the sign. Cuddy was into boating and biking here in Beacon and was never anything but kind. Deescalation did not seem to be a tactic this retired officer was willing to use.”

That Tuesday evening at dusk, people in the community drove and walked slowly past the house, which is located in a residential area around the corner from South Avenue Elementary School. Community members say that Casey could often be seen outside in his yard and was a communicative person with his neighbors.

By Tuesday evening, the Beacon Police issued another statement when sharing an update made by New York State Police. The Beacon Police Department wrote: “We share this as part of our obligation to keep the public informed but we also take seriously our obligation not to release any information which may hinder their [New York State Police’s] investigation. As such, we will continue to direct all requests for information to the State Police. We also thank them for their hard work in this investigation and would like the thank the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance last night as well. Importantly, we extend our deepest condolences to those impacted by this incident.”

New York State Police confirmed on Tuesday evening the charges against Eddie:

  • Murder in the Second Degree (Class A -1 Felony)

  • Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (Class C felony)

  • Criminal Possession of a Firearm (Class E Felony)

New York State Police confirmed that a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 25, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

The Highlands Current reported that Eddie retired from the Beacon Police Force in July 2021, and was recognized in a photo by the Beacon Police Benevolent Association (PBA) union. The PBA said at that time: “The PBA would like to congratulate Officer Edison Irizarry on his recent retirement from the Beacon Police Department. Officer Irizarry served the City of Beacon for 17 years, and prior to that served his country as a United States Marine. Officer Irizarry held many roles during his time with the Beacon Police, including a Field Training Officer and Detective. Best of luck in retirement and your future endeavors.”

After 6 Hours, 911 Service Is Restored; Verizon Fiber Optic Transmission Line At Fault

/

After 6 hours, 911 service for Dutchess County has been restored. A Verizon fiber optic transmission line is cited as being the cause of disruption. Dutchess County made the announcement of the failure of service via an emergency break-through alert on phones, but made the restoration announcement via social media and email channels. Alternative land lines were provided for people to use in the meantime.

“Dutchess County’s announcement said: “Dutchess County Emergency Response has announced full 9-1-1 service has been restored. Dutchess County’s 9-1-1 services were interrupted today from approximately 3:00pm until 9:00pm due to an issue with a Verizon fiber optic transmission line. Verizon crews from Poughkeepsie and Kingston worked to restore the lines, with full restoration completed by 9:00 pm.

“Incoming emergency calls were re-routed to 7-digit landline numbers without incident during the outage. “

911 Emergency Service Goes Down In Dutchess County - Alternative Number Provided

/

After last night’s flash flooding in areas of New York, the 911 Emergency service has gone down in Dutchess County, which was broadcast via alert on some cell phones.

Two alternate phone numbers were given: 845-486-6547 and 845-486-6546.

If Dutchess County sends out an alert that 911 service is restored, then this article will be updated.

Electric Company Settlement $50 Check: Phone Number Not Working For Those Who Lost Check

/

After reading ALBB’s article: “Open The Mail: There May Be A $50 Settlement Check In It From Columbia Utilities Power,” multiple readers are writing in to ALBB saying that they did not realize this was settlement money, and lost or ripped up the check.

One reader, Owen, said that the phone number provided by the settlement to get a new check issued is not working. ALBB tried the phone number, and indeed, it does not work. Owen said when they tried: “The card has a phone number but there is no menu option to request replacement check. They are making difficult to actually pay out the settlement which means the money gets returned to them.”

According to multiple readers, cards were sent to those who did not cash the check. One reader submitted the content for the card, which contains the phone number that does not work.

-- Text from card--

NOTICE OF OUTSTANDING SETTLEMENT CHECK
Town of Sangerties, et al., y Columbia Utilities Power, LLC, et al.

Last Name: xxxxxxxxxx
Claim ID: xxxxx

Dear Class Member,

We mailed you a settlement award payment on April 1 2025, and our records indicate that your check has not been cashed. The settlement award check has a 90-day void term, meaning you will not be able to cash it after July 17, 2025. If you still have the check, please deposit it into your bank as soon as possible. If you have not yet received the check or need a new check sent to you, please contact our office so we may re-issue it. You must contact us no later than July 17, 2025, or your funds will no longer be available.

Missing check? Contact the Settlement Administrator toll-free at (844) 804-4105

A website also exists for the settlement, which lists the same number.

Applications Open For Non-Veterans For Free Home Repairs From Rebuilding Together HV Income Based Program

/

Applications are open for the Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley program which grants qualifying people free critical home repairs necessary to maintain a safe and healthy living environment, including, but not limited to: major accessibility modifications; plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical system repairs; stair, roof, porch and other critical structural repairs. Mobile homes are only eligible for accessibility ramps through this service.

Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficiency improvements for neighbors in need, including but not limited to seniors, persons living with disability, families with school-aged children, and active or retired armed services members. These services are provided at no cost to the homeowner.

One qualifying requirement is that the assessed full market value of the home must fall below a designated amount. Qualifying houses in Beacon may be difficult, as the market has increased assessed home values even for homes owned by elderly people. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Rebuilding Together to see if there is talk of increasing or lifting that assessed value limit.

The application can be found online here. The application period is from June - September 2025 to find qualifying people for the 2026 repair season.

The application period for Veterans is year-round and can be found here.

The application period for the Handyman Service is year-round and can be found here.

ICE Alert: Newburgh, Tuesday 8am 7/8/2025: Bankard + South Lander; Liberty + Washington

/

ICE Sighting in Newburgh at the intersection of Bankard + South Lander, which is a residential area. Ice reported to be moving “very fast” and was later seen on Washington + Liberty.

Sources have verified that ICE is active this Tuesday morning (7/8/2025) in Newburgh and are moving “very fast.” This photo of two men with traditional tan ICE vests on and ball caps, who are standing next to a white passenger van, is at the intersection of Bankard and South Lander.

This area is primarily residential apartments and townhouses. The blue building in the background is the Continental, an old hotel that is no longer in business, a source tells ALBB. One block over is Big Mouth Coffee Roasters, where the coffee roaster has a second location (they also have a retail location on Main Street in Beacon). They are unrelated to this ICE Alert, but mentioned for proximity.

ICE was also seen this morning at the intersection of Liberty and Washington which is a mix of retail shops and restaurants and apartments.

On July 1st, there was verification of a person taken from a residential urban street in Middletown. If you know of other verified locations and dates of people taken that you want to amplify, you may submit information to ALBB via our Contact Us page.

Characteristics of ICE Behavior

ICE Activity tends to happen in the morning between 5-8am and again at the end of the work day from 5-8pm. On Sundays, they are known to target churches at 12pm noon time. In Beacon, they struck on Soccer Saturday morning. Video was acquired of an ICE agent identifying himself. Both adult players of pickup soccer were wary, and parents of toddler soccer were on high alert.

Community members are encouraged to keep their eyes out for ICE, and report to their trusted sources. When possible and safe, take photos of ICE agents, their vehicles and license plates. Some ICE agents may be very proud of their work, and may proudly identify themselves to you if you nicely approach them to ask who they are, like this mom did. New York State has a “one-party consent law.” If you are the one consenting, you can record.

Some members of the Beacon community have formed a Signal chat, where photos of possible sightings are submitted and dismissed if they are regular people doing regular things.

Reports of vehicles have included white passenger vans, and dark vehicles with all tinted windows. License plates usually look like normal license plates. ICE agents have usually been white men, but white females have been appearing in ICE raid videos across the country as well.

ICE agents (or people who say they are ICE agents) are usually not affiliated with local police. If you feel threatened or harassed by a person identifying themselves as ICE, you can call your local Beacon Police, and tell them that a person won’t leave you alone, is harassing and stalking you.

If someone comes to your door, looking for you, you are strongly advised not to open the door. Do not run from your home. Stay inside and call your local trusted community member friends. They may be able to mobilize and come to your home to be a loud witness presence outside near the ICE people.

Possibly local police, depending on what municipality you live in. Consider calling the Beacon Police via 911 so that it gets on the public scanner. If you call the Beacon Police directly, your call will not be on the scanner.

Demand to see a judicial warrant. If they have one, tell them to slip it under the door. From there, the judicial warrant must be signed by a judge. If it is signed by a person saying their are an ICE agent, this does not count. If you flee out of your home, the person saying they are ICE may physically grab you without presenting a warrant.

Keep your camera near you and on video at all times. While it is very scary to have someone pounding on your door asking you questions on repeat, stay calm and make your safety phone calls.

Related Links:

How To Verify A Person Circling A Neighborhood Who May Be ICE (How-To Video)

ICE Spotted Again In Beacon On Soccer Saturday - "Community Is Watching," Neighbor States (With Video)

ICE Has Been Questioning Brown People In Beacon At Least 1.5 Months; At Least One Other Person Taken

Details From The Friday, June 20th ICE Raid In Beacon & The Taking Of The Neighbor

Stay safe everyone.