Many of our church sanctuaries will fill with evening candlelight services, where we’ll celebrate with communion, Christmas hymns of Silent Night and O Holy Night and with prayers of hope for peace on earth and goodwill toward all.
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THE KIRBY FILE: Longest Serving State Governor Remembered from Raleigh to Cumberland County and Beyond
“Gov. Hunt was one of the finest men I ever knew,” former N.C. Rep. Billy Richardson of Cumberland County says about Jim Hunt, the late four-term governor, who died at age 88 on Thursday.
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THE KIRBY FILE: Record-Setting GivingTuesday Campaign is a Testament to Late Founder’s Vision and Legacy
“Dr. Lucile Hutaff’s letter to the board of directors in 1982 shared her vision of bringing the community together to improve the quality and spirit of community life,” Maddie Kellogg says about the 2025 Cumberland Community Foundation’s GivingTuesday campaign.
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THE KIRBY FILE: ‘Bike Madea’ Carries on Late ‘Bicycle Man’ Legacy with 2,000 Bikes, Tricycles and Scooters for Underprivileged Children
Bill Kirby Jr.’s notes from the week.
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THE KIRBY FILE: Old Saint Nick is Heading Downtown Fayetteville’s Way for Annual Holiday Parade
Retired E.E. Smith High School Marching Band director Roosevelt Pratt Jr. and The Salvation Army of the Sandhills will serve as grand marshals for the 26th Annual Fayetteville Rotary Club Christmas Parade.
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THE KIRBY FILE: Singing Christmas Tree Brings the True Message of the Holiday Season
It’s the Singing Christmas Tree (circa 1979), and it is back for a four-day, six-performance run beginning Thursday at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church on Westmont Drive in Haymount.
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THE KIRBY FILE: A Journey Back in Time, When the Old Downtown Prince Charles Hotel Was the Place to Be
“I don’t know if it will ever be like it was before,” Dick Taylor says about the 100-year-old hotel, which was managed by his late father from 1951-1965.
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THE KIRBY FILE: Phil Harris Was That Good and Faithful Servant Who Lived his Life at the Foot of the Cross
“Whether mentoring emerging leaders, offering a word of affirmation, or simply showing up with steady support, Phil lifted people up—nudging them toward courage, toward leadership, toward believing they mattered,” Rev. Christie Gravely said.
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THE KIRBY FILE: Agricultural Hall of Fame Enshrinement, Betty A. Green Says, Is About The Success of Her 4-H Youngsters
Call this a hallmark moment for Betty A. Green, the woman who dedicated so much of her life for young people in this community and beyond. But Friday, she would have us know, wasn’t about Betty Green. It was about those young 4-H youngsters she mentored along her way–those 4-H’ers who have become educators, one […]
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THE KIRBY FILE: Retired 4-H Leader Headed to Cumberland County Agricultural Hall of Fame
Bill Kirby Jr.’s notes from the week.