Pat Wright and Jan Johnson, co-owners of GroundSwell Pictures downtown, have selected Miller’s Brew as recipient of all box office proceeds for the 2024 Indigo Moon Film Fest scheduled for Oct. 11-14, and Kim Molnar is ecstatic.

“We are so grateful to be selected as a recipient of the proceeds from this wonderful community event,” Molnar said in a news release about the good news for the coffee shop in Haymount that provides vocational training for young adults with developmental disabilities, apprenticeship programs and community employment opportunities. Molnar is executive director of Miller’s Brew. “It means so much to us that you recognize the hard work we put in daily so that families and their loved ones with special abilities can continue to grow and thrive in the community they will live in for a very long time.” Kudos to Wright and Johnson, who are caring people when it comes to this community.
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“We are thrilled to announce the addition of a new flight service from Fayetteville Regional Airport,” Deontae Watson, airport director, said in a news release about Delta Airlines adding a third daily flight to Atlanta. “This expansion not only enhances connectivity for our residents and visitors but also stimulates local economic growth. By providing more travel options, we are making Fayetteville even more accessible and attractive as a destination. We look forward to the positive impact this will have on our community.” American Airlines will be a part of it, too, but the additional flights will begin Sept. 9.
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Jodi Phelps has been promoted from chief of staff for the city to an assistant city manager, city spokesman Loren Bymer confirms. That’s a sound decision on the part of City Manager Doug Hewett. Jodi Phelps does her job well.
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If you are an elected official representing your nation, state, county, town or city, it is incumbent upon you to be accountable to your constituents and those who voted you into office. If you are not willing to be accountable, you should never hold elected office.
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A 30-year man stabbed to death in a June 21 altercation on the 700 block of S. Reilly Road is the 10th homicide victim in the city of 2024, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. A 56-year-old man, the FPD says in a news release, has been charged with first-degree murder.
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Not quite July but suffice it to say the “Dog Days of Summer” with high temperatures is upon us.
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Watching a sunset with a gentle sea breeze is a place where you can reflect on your yesterdays and dreams for your tomorrows.
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“Ann and Moses Mathis set the standard for community giving,” Bernadette Bogertey-Harvey says about the couple who began the Christmas Bicycle Giveaway program that began in 1990 by the late Moses Mathis, aka “The Bicycle Man.” “Their Bicycle Giveaway program has been an integral part of the Holiday Season for more than 40 years. Their legacy will be continued by The Healthy Child & Adolescent Network, the new ‘Home of the Bike Giveaway Program.’ Ms. Ann gave her blessing for the board to continue what she and Moses started, and we will honor them in our efforts to ensure every child that needs a bike for Christmas will have one.” Ann Mathis died at age 78 on June 21 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The Bicycle Giveaway, now under the direction of Bogertey-Harvey, is scheduled for Dec. 7.
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“Bill, thanks for the piece on Rich Craven,” Richard Evans writes in an email about The Kirby File’s June 23 column on the Fayetteville lawyer who died at age 71 on June 10 after being involved in a June 7 automobile collision, according to Fayetteville Police, along the 100 block of S. McPherson Church Road near Westwood Shopping Center. “He was a true friend for a long, long time. It’s very difficult to process.”
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Douglas Massengill of Massey Hill Classical and Larry Parker of E.E. Smith are finalists for 2025 High School Principal of the Year, according to a news release, from Cumberland County Schools. Natasha Brown of Westover and Regina Blanding of Hope Mills are finalists for Middle School Principal of the Year. Corine Warren of Benjamin Martin, Lisa Gillespie of Mary McArthur, Antoine McGill of J.W. Seabrook, Shanessa Fenner of W.T. Brown and Shannon Booth of Sherwood Park are finalists for Elementary Schools Principal of the Year. High School Assistant Principal finalists are Pierre Cobb of Pine Forest and Jessica Black of E.E. Smith. Middle School Assistant Principal finalists are Eddie Ford IV of South View and Elan Goodman-Robinson of Westover. Finalists for Elementary Assistant Principal are Constance Thomas of William H. Owen, Hope Littlejohn of Ed V. Baldwin, Latonica McDonald of Walker-Spivey, Jernise Flood Rucker of Westarea and Teresa Rubio of Cumberland Academy, K-5. Winners will be announced in the fall.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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