Neal,
You're a contractor, I'm not. I'm not saying he needs a structural engineer to determine if it can be removed, but based on the original pictures I sure can't tell why the beam goes out beyond the wall above. I would speculate that it is supported by a post down to the basement floor at the end. Knowing what is going on inside the wall is crucial in determining whether it can be removed or not. Or what restructuring is required to remove it.
You're a contractor, I'm not. I'm not saying he needs a structural engineer to determine if it can be removed, but based on the original pictures I sure can't tell why the beam goes out beyond the wall above. I would speculate that it is supported by a post down to the basement floor at the end. Knowing what is going on inside the wall is crucial in determining whether it can be removed or not. Or what restructuring is required to remove it.