“The building owner has met with the City’s Buildings Department, Fire Department, and Law Department to discuss next steps in the recovery process. As of today, the City has officially turned the building back over to the landlord and property owner for all further handling and coordination. Before any individual, including tenants, can enter the structure, a structural integrity report must be completed. This assessment is required to determine whether the building is safe for re-entry. Tenants must contact the building owner or the owner’s designated representative directly for guidance regarding entry and all ongoing updates,” the city announced in a statement.
Many residents, organizations, and community stakeholders have stepped up, dropping off carloads and boxloads of clothing, shoes, and personal items and volunteering and offering their time and resources to help those who have been displaced get back on their feet. But more help is still needed (see flyer below).
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
The City of Mount Vernon is calling on our community to help sort and organize clothing donations at the Doles Center. Your support makes all the difference. Please feel free to share!
Candace Owens, the most-downloaded podcaster in the world, recently claimed that a foreign-backed assassination plot was orchestrated against her. It is an explosive allegation — one that any functioning democracy should treat with gravity, not ridicule. But instead of investigation or inquiry, the response from the political establishment and major media was immediate dismissal. That instinct to mock rather than examine threatens our collective right to free speech, a core value we must all defend.
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Owens’ claim comes at a moment when she has been publicly challenging some of the most powerful people and institutions on the planet. She has been one of the loudest voices questioning the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Charlie Kirk, demanding transparency and pointing to inconsistencies that mainstream outlets have largely avoided. She has also been aggressively exposing what she describes as a global network of political elites, intelligence actors, and high-level figures connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s network — a network she argues includes individuals in the United States, Israel, and France, including President Emmanuel Macron. These are her claims, and she has been presenting them as part of a broader pattern of corruption and protection among global power brokers.
According to the investigative platform Veratace, the site posted what it claims are leaked text messages allegedly involving Mary Barr Daly, the former senior DOJ official and daughter of former Attorney General Bill Barr. In these purported messages, Daly is said to have written that “we need to blackmail Candace faster,” implying an effort to apply pressure or intimidation tactics against Owens. None of these texts have been independently authenticated, and no government agency has publicly confirmed their legitimacy. However, the allegation itself — that a former high-ranking Department of Justice official could be involved in discussions about coercing or targeting a private citizen — is serious enough that it raises profound concerns about the weaponization of institutional power and the broader implications for free speech.
Candace Owens’ fear is not manufactured — it is documented in her own words. In a recent show, she revealed that she assembled what she called a “life-insurance package” containing text messages, emails, videos, and private legal documents, and distributed it to eight trusted individuals ranging from investigative journalist Max Blumenthal to Andrew Tate. She said plainly that if anything happens to her, those documents will be released. What triggered this? Owens is one of the only figures on the right, besides Tucker Carlson, seriously investigating the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
She has obtained inside information from the accused shooter’s family, contradicting the official narrative that the suspect confessed. She uncovered messages showing Kirk had privately distanced himself from Israel and expressed frustration with specific donors. And she revealed that 24 hours before his death, Kirk told three separate people that he believed he was going to be killed. Owens says the people attacking her have been trying to bankrupt her and destroy her family, and she now openly admits she fears for her life. Her willingness to activate a “dead man’s switch” underscores how dangerous she believes the truth has become — and how far powerful actors will go to silence the voices they cannot control.
You don’t have to accept every element of her argument to understand the danger it poses to powerful interests. When a media figure with a massive audience begins pulling on threads that connect governments, intelligence agencies, international scandals, and political elites, it is not surprising that she becomes a target. History shows repeatedly that those who challenge entrenched systems of power — especially systems involving sexual exploitation, blackmail, or intelligence leverage — face forms of retaliation that are designed to silence them permanently.
Owens alleges that high-ranking foreign sources informed her of an operation designed to eliminate her. She says she has documentation, communication trails, and details she intends to release. Whether these claims ultimately prove true or not is a separate question. The immediate concern is that these types of allegations were dismissed reflexively by the same institutions that claim to defend truth and transparency.
A free society does not laugh off accusations of political retaliation. A free society demands answers. And I know from personal experience that retaliation is not hypothetical. When I exposed corruption in Mount Vernon, former Mayor Richard Thomas didn’t challenge me politically — he attacked every part of my life. My wife, a detective for the Mount Vernon Police Department, was unjustly suspended for ten months. My family business was harassed. City departments were weaponized against us. People were pressured to lie and say I threatened them so police could arrest me. The mayor’s own brother falsely accused me of pointing a gun at him. These were orchestrated, intentional acts meant to silence me, and I share this to remind us all that standing up for truth can come at a personal cost.
Suppose a small city government can mobilize its entire infrastructure to try to destroy one journalist. In that case, it is naïve to assume that global actors would not do worse to someone with millions of followers who publicly challenges their influence, secrets, and legitimacy.
The deeper issue is not whether every detail of Owens’ story is verifiable today. The deeper problem is why so many Americans instinctively believe that silencing a dissident is impossible. The truth is that Americans have been conditioned to trust power even when power has repeatedly shown itself to be corrupt. We say we believe in free speech, but in America, it has become performative. It applies only to speech that stays within acceptable limits — speech that does not threaten the legitimacy of governments, global alliances, or institutions with the ability to retaliate.
When Owens began discussing Charlie Kirk’s assassination, she crossed one line. When she started naming people connected to Epstein’s network, she crossed another. When she began alleging ties between U.S., Israeli, and French actors in the protection of global elites, she crossed a third line — the line where speech becomes dangerous not because it is false but because it challenges power.
The reaction to her claims highlights how media outlets often prioritize protecting powerful interests over free speech, revealing a lack of accountability that threatens media integrity and public trust. Whether Owens’ allegations are proven or not, the refusal of the establishment to investigate underscores the urgent need for citizens to critically examine how institutions respond to dissent and challenge the erosion of free speech protections.
The question now is not just what happened to Candace Owens.
The question is what has happened to us. Our society’s willingness to accept censorship and dismiss dissent threatens the very foundation of our civil liberties. We must recognize that defending free speech is a shared responsibility that requires vigilance and courage from all of us.
America is on the edge of a significant tax transformation, and Black America cannot afford to misunderstand it. The FairTax Act of 2025 eliminates federal income taxes, payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, and the IRS itself. In its place comes a national sales tax, a monthly rebate for every household, and a new method for funding Social Security that carries significant long-term consequences. As usual, the public conversation around this bill has become louder than it is accurate. But outcomes — not emotions and not party loyalty — are what matter.
One of the most apparent immediate advantages is the increase in take-home pay. When federal income and payroll taxes disappear, every worker sees more money in their paycheck. That is not symbolic; it is substantial, especially for Black workers who often live in income brackets where every deduction has a real impact. Gig workers, contractors, barbers, beauticians, delivery drivers, and small business owners stand to benefit from finally taking home what they actually earn. In communities where liquidity can determine whether families stay afloat or fall into crisis, this change shifts the day-to-day financial reality.
Another overlooked advantage is the monthly rebate included in the bill. This rebate is not welfare. It is a structural mechanism that refunds the tax paid on essential goods up to the poverty level. For many Black families, particularly those raising children, the rebate provides a financial buffer that covers much of their basic monthly spending. It ensures that the first portion of every family’s consumption is effectively tax-free, neutralizing the argument that the sales tax automatically punishes low-income households.
One of the most significant hidden opportunities in the FairTax system is that used goods are not taxed. People who understand wealth already know that buying used assets — from cars to equipment to appliances — avoids the steep depreciation that drains wealth. Under the new system, it also avoids the federal tax entirely. This is an opening for Black families and Black entrepreneurs to reduce costs, prevent debt traps, and build businesses with dramatically lower startup expenses. Buying used is no longer a sign of struggle, but a financially intelligent strategy.
While the bill offers real advantages, it also poses a vulnerability that Black America cannot ignore. The FairTax Act eliminates payroll taxes but does not eliminate Social Security. Instead, it moves Social Security into the general federal budget, breaking the direct link between what workers contribute and what they receive. Once that happens, Social Security no longer has a protected funding stream. It becomes dependent on political bargaining, annual budget negotiations, and the strength of the economy. During recessions, when sales tax revenue drops, Social Security could face funding gaps. During partisan battles, Congress could underfund it or delay payments. The risk is not hypothetical; it is grounded in the way Washington has historically treated programs without dedicated protection.
This matters profoundly for Black America. Black retirees rely more heavily on Social Security than any other group in the United States. Many Black workers do not have pensions, retirement accounts, brokerage portfolios, or inherited wealth to supplement their income. Social Security is the backbone of retirement for millions of Black elders. If that system becomes unstable, those elders become unstable. Their housing becomes unstable. Their healthcare becomes unstable. Their ability to remain independent becomes unstable. The risk is not guaranteed, but it is real — and it deserves serious attention.
This is precisely where Democrats have an opportunity to shift from performative outrage to productive negotiation. Rather than rejecting the FairTax Act entirely, they could demand structural protections for Social Security before any version becomes law. The most powerful reform would be the creation of a Social Security investment deduction — not a tax, but a direct contribution into the program. Every American would contribute as an investor, and every American would benefit as an investor. Unlike the current payroll system, where the money disappears into general Treasury spending, a Social Security investment deduction would go directly and exclusively into the Social Security program. It would be transparent, trackable, and protected. Workers would see their own contribution grow and know that their money is being used for its intended purpose rather than diluted across unrelated federal obligations.
Such a reform would permanently stabilize Social Security, insulating it from political manipulation and economic downturns. It would also allow Black workers — who often lack access to wealth-building tools — to participate in a system grounded in ownership rather than political promises. Democrats could further strengthen retirement security by pairing the investment deduction with optional supplemental accounts that allow workers to accumulate tangible, inheritable assets. If Democratic leaders claim to be the guardians of vulnerable communities, this is the area where they should plant their flag. This is the place to negotiate. This is where meaningful reform is possible.
State enforcement is another area that deserves attention. With the IRS eliminated, states become responsible for collecting and enforcing the new national sales tax. This shift is both a relief and a risk. It ends the problem of disproportionate federal audits on low-income Black taxpayers, but it does not guarantee fairness from state governments. Some states have long histories of uneven enforcement, discriminatory oversight, and political hostility toward urban communities. Moving power from Washington to state capitals does not automatically produce justice. It simply changes who holds the authority. What ultimately determines whether this bill helps or harms Black America is how we respond to it. If the extra take-home pay becomes an opportunity to save, invest, build businesses, and strengthen household stability, then the bill becomes a tool for economic mobility. If families use the rebate to shore up essential spending and avoid predatory financing, the impact will be positive. If we embrace the tax-free used market and avoid high-depreciation purchases, we keep more of our income and gain more financial control. But if we continue prioritizing consumption over accumulation, ignore the warning signs around Social Security, or fail to hold state governments accountable for fair enforcement, then the risks will outweigh the advantages.
The FairTax Act is not automatically good or bad for Black America. It is a structural shift that creates new incentives and new responsibilities. It removes certain burdens that have historically drained wealth from our communities, but it also exposes areas where discipline, awareness, and political vigilance are necessary. The tax landscape in America is changing. The only question now is whether we prepare for that shift or react to it after the consequences arrive.
Yonkers is the third-largest city in New York State, and its mayor, Mike Spano, just sent a signal that should make New York City pay attention to regional economic strategies. When he publicly invited NYC businesses to relocate or expand in Yonkers, he wasn’t looking for a headline. He was stating a truth that cities with strong economies understand and ideological administrations often ignore: businesses respond to incentives, not speeches. Entrepreneurs respond to cost, not political branding. Markets react to stability, not theatrics. And at the very moment New York City prepares to swear in a mayor who proudly calls himself a democratic socialist, the logic behind Spano’s message becomes even sharper.
Business leaders across the five boroughs have already expressed concerns about the incoming administration’s direction. Small business owners are uneasy about proposals such as city-run grocery stores. Real estate leaders warn that regulatory uncertainty is already slowing down investment conversations. Retail groups point out that rising costs could destroy thin-margin businesses. Whether one agrees with these anxieties is irrelevant. They exist. They are real. And they represent feedback from the very people who create jobs, sign paychecks, lease space, and sustain New York City’s tax base.
Spano is responding to that feedback with clarity. While New York City leans harder into ideological messaging, Yonkers is leaning into predictability. While New York City talks about taxing and constraining its producers, Yonkers is offering itself as a place where businesses can operate with confidence. While activists celebrate policy experiments, Spano is positioning his city as a location where rules remain consistent and growth is encouraged rather than punished. None of this is partisan. It is practical governance based on cause and effect. Cities that focus on economic outcomes will grow. Cities that prioritize rhetoric over results will decline.
We recently came to the same conclusion about Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. His leadership style—steady, pragmatic, and in constant communication with the business community—is fundamentally different from the confrontational tone emerging from Mamdani’s political circle. Jenkins understands that development requires stability. Investors do not build in regions where leadership treats them as adversaries. His approach is a significant reason Westchester continues to attract new projects, while New York City risks becoming inhospitable to future growth. The difference between Jenkins and Mamdani is not ideological preference. It is measurable in outcomes.
Spano’s message also aligns with a more profound truth that New York City continues to overlook: most Fortune 500 CEOs who work in Manhattan already live in Westchester. Their families, schools, social circles, and tax footprints are already north of the city line. This means the psychological barrier to shifting operations—or opening a second headquarters—in Westchester is significantly lower than political pundits want to admit. Executives are far more likely to invest and expand where they already reside than where they feel politically targeted. When the people making billion-dollar decisions already reside in your county, you don’t have to convince them to leave New York City—you only have to give them an economic reason to stay and expand.
And this is precisely what Mamdani’s rhetoric risks becoming: the excuse.
Spano’s message fits into a broader trend forming across Westchester. While New York City experiments with sweeping ideological shifts, the suburban region is positioning itself as the calm alternative. Companies do not wait for laws to change before making decisions. They respond to anticipation, to tone, to signals about the cost of doing business. Economic decisions always happen before political ones. When companies begin exploring relocation or expansion in places like Yonkers, White Plains, or New Rochelle, the long-term effects immediately begin shaping employment, commercial property values, municipal budgets, and neighborhood futures.
This dynamic matters deeply for Black New Yorkers. Economic turbulence hits our community first and hardest. When companies relocate or slow hiring, Black workers are the ones who lose opportunities. When commercial corridors decline, it is Black neighborhoods that see vacancies. When tax revenue shrinks, it is programs serving marginalized communities that sustain the deepest cuts. This is why governance cannot be judged by how it sounds, what ideology it affirms, or what political tribe it impresses. It must be judged by what it produces. Outcomes—not intention—determine who benefits and who pays the price.
Spano’s invitation to businesses is not an attack on New York City. It is a warning rooted in economic logic. If a government increases the cost of doing business, fewer businesses will stay. If it creates regulatory uncertainty, investment will slow. If it elevates ideology above pragmatism, the results will expose that mistake. New York City can deny this reality or confront it. Yonkers and Westchester already have.
The combination of Ken Jenkins and Mike Spano—one overseeing the county’s economic environment, the other running its largest city—forms a powerful alternative for companies uneasy about Mamdani’s rhetoric. White Plains already functions as the business hub of Westchester and the largest corporate center outside Manhattan. Yonkers brings population density, workforce access, transit connectivity, and expansive redevelopment opportunities. Add the fact that the region’s highest-earning executives are already Westchester residents, and the competitive threat to New York City becomes undeniable.
If Mamdani continues signaling policies that appear hostile to producers and investors, he will accelerate a migration that is already quietly forming. Companies will not announce dramatic exits. They will simply expand elsewhere. They will hire elsewhere. They will invest elsewhere. They will pay taxes elsewhere. In time, that shift weakens the very foundation of what New York City claims it wants to protect.
If New York City refuses to adjust its posture, it risks being outpaced not by Florida or Texas, but by its own neighbor just twenty minutes north. Jenkins and Spano understand a truth NYC leadership has forgotten: outcomes determine prosperity. Rhetoric does not. If New York City ignores that truth, it will face declining investment, shrinking jobs, and increasing instability, losing its economic edge to regions that prioritize results over words.
There is no emotion in that conclusion. Only math. Only logic. Only outcomes.
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, the Mount Vernon City School District, and the Westchester County Department of Social Services held a press conference on Monday at 1:00 PM at Mount Vernon Honor Academy, formerly named Holmes Elementary School (195 North Columbus), to discuss their collaborative disaster relief efforts.
City, school district, and county partners provided updates on the coordinated response to support residents severely impacted by the recent fire and outlined how we can continue to come together as a community during this challenging time.
Judge dismisses cases against ex-FBI Director James Comey and NYS Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James, without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled at a later date
The criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James Monday, were dismissed by a federal judge on the grounds that interim US Attorney Lindsey Halligan was wrongfully appointed to her position and “had no lawful authority” to present the indictments of either of President Trump’s longtime adversaries.
Attorneys for Comey and James argued that Halligan needed Senate confirmation after Attorney General Pam Bondi used up her 120-day interim appointment on Erik Siebert. Siebert resigned after President Trump publicly criticized him for not bringing charges against the former FBI director.
“I agree with Mr. Comey that the Attorney General’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid. And because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment,” U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie wrote in her ruling, finding the indictment should be tossed because the appointment of former Donald Trump personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan was invalid and she’d lacked the authority to present a case to a grand jury.
Both indictments were dismissed without prejudice, which typically means that the cases can be brought again. However, the ruling by senior US District Judge Cameron Currie comes after the expiration of the five-year statute of limitations against Comey, meaning the case against him cannot be reopened.
Comey pleaded not guilty in October to one count of false statements and one count of obstruction of a congressional proceeding related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, amid what critics call Trump’s campaign of retribution against his perceived political foes.
James, who successfully brought a civil fraud case against Trump last year and leads multiple lawsuits challenging his administration’s policies, pleaded not guilty in October to charges that she committed mortgage fraud related to a home she purchased in 2020.
Prosecutors said she falsely described a property she purchased in Norfolk, Virginia, as a second home instead of an investment property to obtain a lower mortgage rate. James said she purchased the property for her great-niece and allowed her and her children to live in the house rent-free.
“I am heartened by today’s victory and grateful for the prayers and support I have received from around the country,” James said in a statement following the ruling. “I remain fearless in the face of these baseless charges as I continue fighting for New Yorkers every single day.”
Abbe David Lowell, the lawyer for New York Attorney General Letitia James, said the court’s order “acknowledges what’s been clear about this case from the beginning. The President went to extreme measures to substitute one of his allies to bring these baseless charges after career prosecutors refused”.
This case was not about justice or the law; it was about targeting Attorney General James for what she stood for and who she challenged. We will continue to challenge any further politically motivated charges through every lawful means available.”
Unlike the case against Comey, the allegations against James appear to be well within the statute of limitations should the Department of Justice try to pursue the case again.
The orders make Lindsey Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed. Monday’s order will likely prompt an appeal process that could lead to three other prominent acting US attorneys — New Jersey’s Alina Habba, Sigal Chattah of Nevada, and Bill Essayli of Los Angeles — leaving their posts.
After both Comey and James were indicted, Bondi attempted to ratify Haligan’s appointment, but Judge Currie rejected that attempt to fix the issue after the fact. She concluded Halligan’s appointment violated laws that limit the ability of the DOJ to install top prosecutors without Senate confirmation.
“The implications of a contrary conclusion are extraordinary. It would mean the Government could send any private citizen off the street — attorney or not — into the grand jury room to secure an indictment so long as the Attorney General gives her approval after the fact. That cannot be the law,” she wrote.
The NAACP, particularly its New York State Conference, condemned the indictment and has rallied in support of James, with leaders calling the charges politically motivated and baseless. They believe the charges are a result of a personal vendetta and are an attempt to silence and punish her for speaking out against injustice. The Slogan: “Hands off Tish” is the central message of this support. The NAACP uses the slogan to call for the charges to be dropped and for federal interference in New York’s state attorney general’s office to cease, as detailed on Instagram and YouTube.
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement after a federal judge dismissed charges by the Justice Department against New York State Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling the prosecutor in both cases was unlawfully appointed.
“The court’s decision today sends a clear message to Donald Trump and his administration that the Justice Department cannot become a weapon to exact political revenge. Whatever the technicality used to toss out these cases, it’s clear that these charges were based on one thing: retribution. Attacking a Black woman who holds elected office by questioning her ability to earn money or own property has become a tired tactic by the right — one the court clearly saw through. While we should never have been in a place where the sitting President can seek to rise above the law to scrutinize those who chose the country over loyalty, this ruling is proof that safeguards still exist in our system.”
Mount Vernon showed up and showed out for their fellow residents who were displaced by Sunday’s fire on Cottage Avenue. Just days before most will be celebrating what they are thankful for, Mount Vernonites once again showed they are one community, dropping off carloads and boxloads of clothing, shoes, and personal items. Not for photo ops, not because they are running for office and need your vote, but because we are all one community. As a Mount Vernon resident, it gives me pride to report what you rarely read about when it comes to Mount Vernon. Many stepped up and exemplified the very definition of public service, volunteering and offering their time and resources to help those who have been displaced, get back on their feet.
As many know, more than 100 families lost their homes in a devastating fire early Sunday morning. What wasn’t damaged by fire was destroyed by water. And while celebrating all that has been done, I write this to encourage everyone to step up because much more is needed. I started and ended Sunday’s episode of People Before Politics Radio, talking about the fire and those who were displaced, and many listeners asked what they could do to help.
Donations are being accepted at the Dole Center, located at 250 S. 6th Avenue in Mount Vernon, and volunteers are still needed to help sort the items. If you’re unable to drop off items in person, consider Instacart, Uber, or shipping donations directly to the Dole Center.
****UPDATE**** Black Westchester received calls that the following items are also urgently needed:
Women’s Plus Sizes, Men’s Clothes, and Sneakers sizes 10, 11, 12, and 13. Will keep updating the list of needed items as we receive them.
Many of those who have stepped up did not wait for news cameras and were not trying to make headlines, and there are too many to name here, so instead, I celebrate them all collectively here for showing the true spirit of Mount Vernon.
It’s very apropos that this happened before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is about more than just turkey; Thanksgiving is about both giving thanks and helping others. The holiday’s name itself embodies these two core themes of gratitude and generosity. It is a holiday centered on gratitude, community, and family connection. It involves acts of service, donating to those in need, and sharing with family and friends. As you get with your family this year and count all the things you are thankful for, remember that one of the most powerful ways to express gratitude is by helping others.
Black Westchester thanks those who did not count it robbery to donate, volunteer, and do whatever else they can to support these families as they are rebuilding, and encourages everyone to do whatever they can. As I go to spend time with my family and reflect on my blessings, I wanted to express my appreciation to those who serve as an opportunity to extend their abundance to those in need.
If Sunday’s fire showed us anything, it’s that one single incident can dramatically change any of our lives, highlighting both our vulnerability and resilience. So let’s all step up even more and help our neighbors get back on their feet.
First, we sit down with Mount Vernon City Comptroller Darren Morton to break down the financial future of Mount Vernon. With the city facing deep fiscal challenges, Comptroller Morton joins us to talk transparency, accountability, and what it will take to stabilize Mount Vernon and protect its residents moving forward. If you care about taxes, services, budgets, and the direction of our city, you do not want to miss this.
Then, in a deeply emotional and critical segment, we welcome Kenneth Chamberlain Jr., fourteen years after White Plains Police killed his father, Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. We ask the real questions: What have we learned? What has actually changed? And why do these stories still repeat themselves in Westchester County and across the nation?
This conversation is about justice, reform, healing, and truth — and the work that still remains. Join Damon K. Jones, AJ Woodson, and Larnez Kinsey tonight as we bring you not just news, but context, accountability, and community-centered analysis you can’t get anywhere else.
LIVE from 6 PM to 8 PM on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X powered by Black Westchester Magazine.
While very few details were available, Black Westchester has received multiple reports of a 5-alarm fire early Sunday morning at 30 Cottage Avenue in Mount Vernon. At approximately 2:39 a.m., the Mount Vernon Fire Department received reports of smoke inside a residential building at 30 Cottage Avenue. Units arrived on scene at 2:44 a.m. and observed heavy smoke showing from the 7th floor at the front of the building.
“We’ve been here since 2:30 this morning,” Mount Vernon Fire Commissioner Kevin Holt said in a video statement posted from the scene. “We have all hands on deck, multiple agencies from around Westchester County are assisting us. This fire started as a kitchen fire, and it got into the cockloft of the building and spread throughout the whole building.”
Witnesses tell BW that every time it looks like the fire is under control, it starts to rekindle again. Multiple agencies were called to assist, including the FDNY. A second alarm was transmitted immediately as crews began fire attack operations. Mutual aid was requested from Pelham and Greenville to support suppression efforts. As conditions intensified, additional alarms were transmitted:
Third Alarm — New Rochelle responded
Fourth Alarm — Yonkers responded
Fifth Alarm — Larchmont and Hartsdale responded
During this time, White Plains and Eastchester provided coverage for Mount Vernon firehouses to maintain citywide emergency readiness.
“This is an old-age style pre-war building, and there are no standpipes. So of course, that makes it a little more difficult,” Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said on the scene.
See the pictures submitted by our readers.
The fire impacted the entire 7th floor, stretching from Cottage Avenue to Park Avenue, and resulted in over 100 residents being displaced. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Five Mount Vernon firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries. MVFD personnel will remain on-site throughout the day conducting suppression, overhaul, and safety operations. Two civilian injuries were reported. Firefighters rescued two women using ground ladders, and both were transported to Jacobi Medical Center for treatment.
The mayor and the Red Cross are on the scene to help the dozens of residents who have been displaced. The Doles Center is currently serving as the primary intake site for displaced residents.
“Donations being accepted at the Doles Center here,” Mount Vernon Councilmember Cathlin Gleason said in a Facebook post. “Winter clothes, coats, toiletries, new undergarments. Please also think about our firefighters and police who have been out all night and our city administration. Red Cross and Office of Emergency Management coordinating efforts. Pray for all the families displaced.”
“Families that have been impacted are being serviced over at the Doles Center here in Mount Vernon so that they can get some warmth, some beverage, fill out the paperwork that is necessary, so that we can begin getting them housing vouchers and food vouchers and assistance,” the mayor said.
He says it is a heartbreaking situation that many residents and their families now face displacement just days before Thanksgiving.
“It’s sad, you know, always at the holiday time, not just in Mount Vernon but elsewhere. Things like this happen, and it’s just very sad. As families are preparing for holidays, tragedies like this happen, and it’s a sad time,” said Mount Vernon Councilmember Derrick Thompson, who lives next door to where the fire broke out.
the American Red Cross, The Doles Center, Allen Memorial Church of God in Christ, Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church and The Church of the Ascension provided immediate support to displaced residents and first responders. Superintendent Dr. Demario A. Strickland, the Mount Vernon City School District, community organizations, and faith-based partners all provided continued assistance.
The fire remains active as of Sunday afternoon.
If you have pictures or videos of this fire or anything else going on in your neighborhood, you want to share, send them to BlackWestchesterMag@gmail.com
Stay tuned to Black Westchester and keep refreshing this page for more on this developing story. We will be updating it as more information becomes available.
Two homicides occurred on the same day in Mount Vernon
Two murders occurred in Mount Vernon on the same day: a shooting close to the Bronx border and a deadly stabbing at a rooming house.
The Mount Vernon Police Department (MVPD) announced Saturday night that they made an arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred on Friday, November 21, 2025, at approximately 8:30 a.m. on the 100 block of Stevens Avenue.
Police officials tell Black Westchester they received a phone call reporting a menacing incident at the location. Upon arrival, officers encountered the suspect and located the 68-year-old male victim inside the residence, suffering from a stab wound. The victim was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in stable condition, where he later died from his injuries.
The suspect, Astillo Sylvain, 32, of Mount Vernon, who lived at the same location as the victim, was arrested by Patrol Officers while on scene. Following an investigation by the Detective Division, Sylvain was charged with Manslaughter in the First Degree. Sylvain was arraigned on Friday in City Court and ordered held without bail at the Westchester County jail, renamed Norwood E. Jackson Correctional Center after the first Black Commissioner of Corrections, shortly after he died in 1995. Sylvain is due back in court on Wednesday, November 26th.
The circumstances that led to the stabbing were not immediately known as of Saturday night. This remains an active investigation, and no further details will be released at this time
The city has provided very few details about the Friday night homicide, other than that they are actively investigating the killing that occurred in the area of Eastchester Lane and Mundy Lane, where one individual has been pronounced deceased.
Officers and detectives are currently processing an extensive crime scene spanning Eastchester Lane, South 9th Avenue, and South 11th Avenue. Residents in the surrounding neighborhood should expect a continued police presence as the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with additional information on either incident is encouraged to contact the Mount Vernon Police Department Detective Division at 914-665-2510. All calls will be kept confidential. Anonymous tips can also be sent through MVPD’s “Text-A-Tip” by texting MVPD and your tip to 847411.
