CITY OF PEEKSKILL

Man Charged After Viral Video of Police Beating 

Damar Fields, the homeless man with emotional issues seen being tased during a Dec. 3 arrest, was charged by Peekskill Police on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Fields was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, public lewdness, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration.

Police claimed that Fields committed the offense of public lewdness at about 2:35 p.m. at Riverfront Green by intentionally exposing his genitalia in a lewd manner in a public park where children and adults are known to be present. In addition, Fields allegedly possessed a glass pipe containing a residue consistent with burnt crack/cocaine.

A misdemeanor complaint accused Fields of intentionally and physically resisting arrest, attempting to grab toward the officer’s gun belt, attempting to punch at officers, tensing his arm muscles in a fixed position, and refusing to comply with multiple lawful orders to comply.

“Due to the defendant’s violent actions and refusal to obey lawful orders, the defendant was only placed under arrest when multiple officers arrived on scene,” the complaint stated.

The misdemeanor complaint lists the name of the officer accusing Fields of criminal charges, but does not indicate if he was the first officer seen on video tasing and kicking Fields and later placed on administrative leave.

Fields was set to be fingerprinted and arraigned on charges at the Peekskill City Court on Dec. 18, but his case was adjourned to Jan. 8, 2026. The judge is slated to be Lissette Fernandez.

On the same day, Fields is also slated to face charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance (crack) from a Sept. 6 arrest on the 500 block of South St. Court records stated Fields had a substance appearing to be crack cocaine residue in the front pocket of his hoodie, which a field test later yielded a positive result for the presence of cocaine. Fields pleaded not guilty.

A Peekskill police officer was placed on paid administrative leave following the video of Fields’s Dec. 3 arrest going viral on social media. Chief of Police Adam Renwick said that after reviewing the initial body camera footage, he made the decision to formally refer the incident to the Westchester county District Attorney’s office for an independent investigation.

Several activists have called for officers involved in the arrest to face charges, including at a rally held across City Hall on Dec. 18.

– Eric Harvey

Lead Water Levels in Peekskill Schools Deemed Unacceptable

A recent report from the New York State Department of Health on acceptable levels of lead in drinking water included Peekskill as one of the districts with unacceptable levels.

All New York State public schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) are required to test all potable water outlets for lead and take action if lead levels exceed 5 micrograms/liter (μg/L). Lead is a common contaminant found in drinking water, and schools must properly test the water on a regular basis to ensure minimal exposure. 

Under state regulations, any school that records lead levels above the legal limit must immediately shut down the affected water outlets, provide free alternative drinking water, implement a remediation plan, and conduct follow-up testing to ensure the problem has been resolved.

A positive test does not mean all water in a school building is unsafe, but that specific outlets exceed the allowable limit and require corrective action, according to the state. The state lowered the acceptable amount of lead that can be in school drinking water in 2022 from 15 parts per billion to 5 parts per billion.

School district officials did not return an email request for comment.

– Jim Roberts

Questions Raised About Accuracy of 400 Main Street Soil Report

During a presentation to the Planning Commission on Dec. 9, questions were raised about the accuracy of a soil testing report of the site at 400 Main St.

Developers are seeking approval to construct a five-story, 36-unit luxury apartment building, replacing the existing structure at the bottom of Main Street and the beginning of Water Street.

The architect for the project, Joe Thompson, had offered a soil report done in 2022 by the previous owner of the building that concluded in its summary there was no contamination detected. Con Edison finished remediation of an adjacent property that hosted a gas storage station until 1966.

However, Planning Commission Chairman Jeff Stern pointed out the soil report summary was incorrect. “There was a mistake in their report,” Stern said. “There are three contaminants that exceed DEC levels. Their conclusion says that nothing exceeded DEC levels, but that’s not true.”

Thompson said he would report back to the Planning Commission. “We’ll follow up with them on what those reports mean. We’ll circle back with that testing company — we’ve got some homework to do.”

Planning Commission consultant Liz Axelson added, “There are a lot of concerns about the accuracy of that report.”

– Jim Roberts

School District Begins 2026-2027 Budget Season

The Peekskill City School District commenced its budget season for 2026-2027 at the Board of Education meeting on Dec. 16 with a presentation by Assistant Superintendent for Business Cynthia Hawthorne.

Early planning for the 2026-27 budget lists an increase of 1% over the 2025-26 budget for a total of $133,057,933, as well as a 1% increase over the 2025-26 tax levy for a total of $46,494,862.

The preliminary budget for teachers’ retirement system is listed at 8.25%-8.75% compared to the previous school year’s 9.59%; for employees’ retirement system, it is listed at 17.6% compared to the previous year’s 16.50%. Health insurance is listed at 5% percent compared to the previous 3.9%.

The budget’s allowable levy growth factor is the consumer price index or 2% (the lesser of two) and the trend is currently projected at about 1.0200. The tax base growth factor is 1.0039 compared to last year’s growth factor of 1.0102. 

Hawthorne said budget development technically starts in April and May when the budget is adopted and presented for a public vote, followed in June by all planning purchase orders for the budget beginning, then printing out purchase orders within the district office in July.

A second budget workshop will be held on Jan. 27 with a summary of major revenues and expenditure components and an update to the budget gap/property tax cap.

– Eric Harvey

School Board Receives New Security Aides Contract

The new contract between the Peekskill School Security Aides Association and the district in effect through the 2028-29 school year was presented to the Board of Education at the Dec. 16 meeting.

Each year of the new contract provides 2% raises in salary. Step 16 and step 10 employees will also receive a $500 increase each year.

Medical insurance premiums for full-time employees will increase by 0.5% each year, rising to 11% in the 2028-29 year. The district will pay $1,345 per unit member to the Peekskill Faculty Association Welfare Fund annually.

For members who retire before Aug. 31, 2027, the district will contribute $7,000 per year toward the cost of the district’s individual health insurance premium. The contribution for those who retire after Aug. 31, 2027, will be $5,100 with an increase to $5,202 after July 1, 2028.

Longevity bonuses will increase to $1,800 after six years; $2,300 after 12 years, and $3,000 after 18 years.

– Jim Roberts

Peekskill MBK Members Attend Youth Leadership Summit

The Westchester County Youth Bureau, in partnership with the Lower Hudson Valley My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance, the Obama Foundation, and SUNY Westchester Community College, hosted the 2025 Youth Leadership Summit on Dec. 9 focused on overcoming obstacles and fostering leadership and empowerment for youth of color.

The event featured inspirational messages from education, community, and sports leaders, student-led panel discussions on personal branding and the impact of social media on youth culture, and a panel of MBK alumni and members of WCC’s Black and Hispanic Male Initiative who shared their post-high school experiences.

Attendees, referred to as fellows, came from Peekskill, Greenburgh, Mount Vernon, Port Chester, Newburgh, New Rochelle, Ossining, Southern Westchester BOCES, White Plains, and Yonkers.

The Lower Hudson Valley My Brother’s Keeper Alliance is a consortium of municipalities, local educational agencies, and nonprofit organizations that have accepted former President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge. Since 2018, Westchester County and the Youth Bureau have partnered with 14 local MBK programs to improve life outcomes for boys and young men of color.

TOWN OF CORTLANDT

Man Convicted for Attacking MTA Officer also
Charged in Buchanan Domestic Dispute

A 46-year-old man convicted of assaulting an MTA police officer at the Croton-Harmon train station also faces charges for a domestic dispute in Buchanan that happened the same week he was found guilty of attacking the officer.

John Sicotakis, 46, was convicted by a Westchester County jury on Dec. 17 of second-degree assault, a class D felony, and second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, a class A misdemeanor. 

On Sept. 28, 2024, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Sicotakis was found asleep, alone on the platform of the Croton-Harmon Metro-North station by an MTA PD officer. The officer performed a welfare check to ensure Sicotakis’s wellbeing when Sicotakis then became irate and threw personal items from his backpack onto the platform.

As the officer began to write Sicotakis a littering ticket, Sicotakis grabbed the officer’s wrist. He was then placed under arrest, at which point he started throwing kicks and punches at the officer, attempted to bite the officer, told the officer that the officer was dead, and said he was going to kill the officer.

While awaiting trial, Sicotakis was re-arrested on Dec. 12 at 1:20 a.m. as part of an unrelated domestic incident in Buchanan. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor. 

Sicotakis was remanded to the Westchester County Jail pending a sentencing hearing, which was scheduled for Jan. 23, 2026.

– Jim Roberts

Peekskill, Cortlandt Among Top Housing Communities

Welcome Home Westchester (WHW), a multi-stakeholder pro-housing advocacy effort, released its Housing Policy Scorecards for all 43 cities, towns, and villages in the county at Pelham Village Hall on Dec. 12. 

The Top 10 Model Westchester Communities for Housing Reform include the City of Peekskill and the Town of Cortlandt.

“Westchester, like our entire region, faces a significant housing shortage that can only be addressed by taking a comprehensive look at our local policies,” said Kate Slevin, executive vice president at WHW partner organization Regional Plan Association. “This report card is an important step toward understanding where communities are making meaningful progress and where additional action is needed to ensure every municipality contributes to solving our shared housing challenges.”

Communities were rated on producing a housing action plan, creating a Green Fast Track, promoting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and transit-oriented development (TOD), establishing a “Core Curriculum” for land use board volunteers’ in-service training, and using the state-provided tools to become a pro-housing community.

Harckham Hosts Monthly Coffee and Conversation Event in Montrose

New York state Sen. Pete Harckham hosted a coffee and conversation gathering on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library, where two dozen participants raised questions and shared ideas and opinions on several topics.

Harckham’s office stated the event opened with Harckham providing an overview of the 2025 legislative session in the State Senate, where he serves as Chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee. To date, 31 bills sponsored by the state senator were passed into law in 2025, bringing his total since entering the Senate to 156 laws, releases said.

Harckham highlighted his efforts to increase school funding for the Hendrick Hudson School District, which a release said has grown by $11.3 million or 179% since he took office in 2019. Overall, Senate District 40 has received $252 million in additional school aid during this time.

“These events give people a chance to speak with us directly and ask questions about the work we’re doing, both in Albany and here in our local communities,” Harckham said in a release. “Residents are looking for answers and support, and these conversations help us better understand their needs. A big thank you to the Hendrick Hudson Free Library for hosting and welcoming everyone to this event.”

The topics discussed included the recent repaving and upcoming improvements of local state roadways, high utility bills, doing away with annual car inspections, uses for Indian Point once it is fully decommissioned, obtaining justice for child victims, supporting renewable energy projects statewide and support for the Medical Aid in Dying Act. One participant thanked Senator Harckham for his office’s help in restoring her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the release said.

Harckham also addressed the recently enacted federal budget bill and its “projected negative impact on New York.” According to the release, the state is expected to lose an estimated $13.5 billion annually in healthcare funding due to Medicaid cuts, potentially leaving 1.5 million New Yorkers uninsured, which would more than double the state’s current uninsured rate. The cuts are also expected to lead to hospital closures and the loss of approximately 63,000 healthcare jobs. Additionally, reductions to SNAP may result in 300,000 residents losing their benefits, the release said.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY

Jenkins Announces Funding for Youth Bureau ‘Invest in Kids’ Program

Peekskill Youth Bureau is one of more than 63 programs across 45 agencies that has been awarded funds for the Invest in Kids 2026-28 program.

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced on Dec. 17 that $3.1 million has been allocated in the 2026 budget to fund the county’s Invest in Kids program, administered by the county’s Youth Bureau.

The program focuses on assisting “at risk” youth, ages 21 and under, in 11 urban communities, including Peekskill, Ossining, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, and Tarrytown. The county has expanded consideration to youth residing outside the 11 municipalities due to recent demographic and socioeconomic shifts that have been identified throughout the county.

The county says awardees will provide innovative, positive youth development services and opportunities and support in citizenship and civic engagement, community, economic security, physical health, and emotional well-being and education.

“Despite an extremely challenging budget season created by the current federal administration’s refusal to invest in our communities, as County Executive I remain committed to protecting the programs that residents rely on most,” Jenkins said in a release. “By allocating $3.1 million to Invest in Kids, we are ensuring that critical funding continues to support those most in need, like the vulnerable youth in our community.”

Reserve Park Space Starting Jan. 2 for 2026 Picnics

Westchester County Parks will begin accepting group picnic reservations for the 2026 season on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. 

“Demand for summer weekends is especially high, and many of our picnic areas and pavilions are reserved quickly as soon as booking opens. To secure your first choice of location and date, we strongly recommend making your plans as early as possible, ” said Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Kathy O’Connor.

County parks where reservations are accepted for picnic areas and outdoor pavilions include these local spots: Blue Mountain Reservation, Peekskill; Croton Gorge, Cortlandt; Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson; and George’s Island Park, Montrose.

Reservations may be made by calling the Parks Department’s Permit Office at (914) 231-4575, Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

STATE OF NEW YORK

Levenberg Lands $310,000 in State Funds for 95th Assembly District

State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg secured $310,000 in state grants in the most recent New York state budget. 

They include: Rehabilitation Through the Arts ($50,000); Copland House ($45,000 for programming); Neighbors Link ($45,000); Yorktown Central School District ($30,000); Town of Cortlandt ($30,000 for composting program); Riverfest ($30,000); Second Chance Foods ($25,000); Riverkeeper ($20,000); Haldane Central School District ($20,000); and Philipstown Behavioral Health Club ($15,000).

Levenberg represents the 95th State Assembly District, which includes Peekskill.

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