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Bishop Endorses Van Beek for Eagle County Sheriff
Confirmed
In Short: Bishop Frank Caggiano endorses James van Beek for Eagle County sheriff, praising his long-standing community service.
Bishop Frank Caggiano has endorsed James van Beek for the position of Eagle County Sheriff, highlighting van Beek's dedication to the community over decades.
Caggiano's endorsement comes from a personal relationship with van Beek, which began in 1994 when Caggiano started working at the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.
The bishop emphasized that his support for van Beek is not based on campaign literature or political affiliation, but rather on the longstanding relationships built over years of service.
Van Beek's approach to his role as sheriff has been characterized by his accessibility and commitment to the public, never allowing his title to create a barrier between him and the community.
In a broader context, Caggiano also addressed the impact of recent immigration enforcement actions in Connecticut, urging support for immigrant families who have experienced fear and trauma.
The bishop called for prayers and support for immigrant families, emphasizing that the Church stands with them regardless of their immigration status or religious affiliation.
Caggiano noted that fear is real but not the final word, and encouraged the community to remain steadfast in their support for those affected by immigration enforcement.
He also highlighted the importance of the Church as a place of welcome and refuge, urging members to remember the Lord's words: 'Do not be afraid, for I am with you.'
What this adds
The endorsement of James van Beek by Bishop Caggiano underscores the importance of community service and accessibility in leadership roles.
While the crash in New York and the shooting incident in Dooly County are unrelated to the endorsement, they highlight the varied challenges faced by communities and the need for strong local leadership.
Background
Eagle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,731.
Eagle is the common name for certain large predatory birds of prey within the family of the Accipitridae. While on a genetic level, only the subfamily Aquilinae comprises "true eagles", many other species are commonly referred to as eagles, such as the bald eagle, and the term generally carries no taxonomic weight.
What's confirmed
- Bishop Frank Caggiano has endorsed James van Beek for the position of Eagle County Sheriff, highlighting van Beek's dedication to the community over decades.
- Caggiano's endorsement comes from a personal relationship with van Beek, which began in 1994 when Caggiano started working at the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.
- The bishop emphasized that his support for van Beek is not based on campaign literature or political affiliation, but rather on the longstanding relationships built over years of service.
- Van Beek's approach to his role as sheriff has been characterized by his accessibility and commitment to the public, never allowing his title to create a barrier between him and the community.
- In a broader context, Caggiano also addressed the impact of recent immigration enforcement actions in Connecticut, urging support for immigrant families who have experienced fear and trauma.
- The bishop called for prayers and support for immigrant families, emphasizing that the Church stands with them regardless of their immigration status or religious affiliation.
- Caggiano noted that fear is real but not the final word, and encouraged the community to remain steadfast in their support for those affected by immigration enforcement.
What's still developing
- The pilot of a glider involved in a midair collision in the skies above New York’s Saratoga County on Friday was found dead following a search for wreckage, New York State Police said.
- The discovery was made after state police, New York State Forest Rangers, and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office found debris in a remote area in Edinburg, police said in a statement.
- The crash prompted a sizable response from area first responders, according to Broadcastify radio traffic from the Saratoga County Fire and EMS.
- Edinburg, a town of a little more than 1,300, is located in Saratoga County and is about 54 miles northwest of Albany.
- “I am asking every parish of the diocese to include a prayer for immigrant families and for all those affected by these events at every Mass in the days ahead,” Bishop Frank Caggiano said.
- Families in Fairfield County, including those in Danbury and Stamford, “have lived through moments of real fear as immigration enforcement activity has intensified in our area,” Caggiano said in a statement.
- “I do not write to make a political statement, nor is it the place of a Bishop to dictate the particulars of civil policy that belong properly to lawmakers and to citizens acting according to their conscience,” he said.
- “To our immigrant brothers and sisters throughout Fairfield County, whether or not you are Catholic, whether or not you have ever set foot in one of our parishes, please know that the Church stands with you,” he said.
- Bishops said rigid vetting rules could prolong children’s custody stays beyond the nearly 190‑day fiscal 2026 average.
- More than 1,000 people were gathered at the site, and more than 50 shots were fired in at least two locations about a block apart in Vienna, Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy told WMAZ-TV.
- The shooting was not at a school-sponsored event, said Sherrod Willaford, superintendent of the Dooly County School System.
- Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls said the two men, ages 20 and 23, were pronounced dead at the scene with fatal gunshot wounds.