Local Folks: Kathryn D. McAvoy
Kathryn McAvoy has always had a love for the arts and helping others find their passion. Fifteen years ago, she had been driving her three daughters – Ava, Jessica and Kendall – all over the city to different art programs when she decided to combine those loves through the opening of The Performers Academy (TPA), […]
Local Folks: Sarah Kiesow
Sarah Kiesow had long been flirting with Jacksonville before finally deciding to buy her home in historic Murray Hill in 2019. Her father is from Jacksonville, she has family in the area, and she visited here as a child. Originally from Tampa Bay, Kiesow triple majored in Chinese, International Affairs and History at Florida State […]
Animal House: Michael Bricker: Animal Care & Protective Services’ New Top Dog
Florida newcomer Michael “Mike” Bricker’s optimism and positivity was as welcome as his arrival in September 2023 when he took over as the new chief at Duval County Animal Care & Protective Services (ACPS). When Bricker first arrived, he noted the shelter’s lobby donation bins were often empty. While they are now overflowing with much-needed […]
Local Folks: Anna Valent
Helping her community and being of service is at Anna Valent’s core. She knew from a young age that being involved in something bigger than herself was what she was meant to do – and she does just that. Not only professionally as the incoming executive director of Dreams Come True, but through her volunteer […]
Local Folks: Nick Patterson
Nick Patterson was just eight years old when he made the big move from Scotland to Jacksonville with his mother and twin brother. He fell in love with Jacksonville and, despite a short stint away for college, has no intention of ever leaving again. “As I started getting older and deciding whether I wanted to […]
Local Folks: Alise Morales
Jacksonville is a proud military town, and it’s proud of the military families that call it home, even if just for a short while. Although Alise Morales may not be a local from Jacksonville, she’s a local “for now” and enjoying the five years she’s spent here so far. Her husband, Joe, is active-duty U.S. […]
Animal House: FEATHER: A Second-Chance Champion
Feather is a regal, brindle-colored racing greyhound. Alone in the shelter at approximately one year old, she no history except a tattooed ear. She was assumed to have likely failed on the racetrack like countless other greyhounds and given away, but unlike the other dogs who often met worse fates, this “failed” dog became an […]
Local Folks: Bryan Arnold
Bryan Arnold’s family tree has wide roots in Jacksonville, specifically the Ortega area. He is a Jacksonville native, and his father practiced law in the city for 54 years. “All my dad’s family grew up here,” he said. “If you run across any Arnold, I’m probably related to them.” A self-proclaimed “simple guy,” Arnold has […]
