The world premiere of the new live-action film “Moana” took center stage at the renowned Hollywood Bowl, a cherished landmark in Southern California, as the cast and crew gathered to celebrate the occasion.

Leading the film is Catherine Laga’aia, who takes on the role of Moana in this adaptation of the story that became a beloved animated film a decade ago. Alongside her is star Dwayne Johnson. The dynamic duo has been on a whirlwind promotional tour around the globe, culminating in this highly anticipated premiere at the iconic venue.

As the event unfolded, Johnson took a moment to share his thoughts on the special night.

“I won’t forget this night, George, and I say that sincerely,” Johnson remarked. “I urged everyone to consider what’s possible beyond what’s been achieved before. Here we are at the Hollywood Bowl, with 5,000 attendees and the LA Philharmonic orchestrating the film’s score live—it’s truly incredible, man.”

The premiere event was further enhanced by musical performances that set the stage for the evening’s screening.

Laga’aia shared her thoughts on this, her first premiere.

“I feel bad because I don’t understand the scale of these things because I’m so new to the industry,” she said with a smile. “This is my first premiere, I don’t know any different. I’m just kind of assuming this is what everything looks like. I’ll have to talk to Dwayne and ask, ‘Is this normal?”

Those involved with the film said they worked to represent cultural authenticity throughout the production.

Rena Owen, who plays Gramma Tala, credited the original animated film for setting a high standard.

“I have to acknowledge the animated film because it set high bars for all of us,” she said. “It gave us a mountain top to just jump from.”

Auli’i Cravalho, an executive producer on the film and the original voice of Moana, praised Laga’aia’s role in carrying the story forward.

“It’s not very often a young Pacific Island woman is able to take the helm of a film,” Cravalho said. “I am Moana and I’m still Moana and it takes nothing away from me for the passing of the baton to Catherine.”

“Moana” is rated PG and will be in theaters everywhere on Friday, July 10.

A small town in West Virginia has become embroiled in a heated debate after its entire police force was dismissed without warning. This dramatic move, coming shortly after the police chief’s resignation, has led to public outrage, accusations of government overreach, and increasingly loud calls for greater transparency.

“Effective immediately, the Mayor and City Council have dismissed all members of the Barrackville Police Department,” read an announcement shared by the department on their official Facebook page on Tuesday.

The message continued, expressing profound gratitude for the unwavering support, trust, and encouragement received from the Barrackville community throughout their tenure. Serving and safeguarding the town was described as both an honor and a privilege.

The news left the local residents in disbelief and signaled the sudden dissolution of the modest police department. This incident unfolded just months after officials had celebrated a new chief’s appointment with the aim of revitalizing the force.

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In December 2025, the department announced Zachary Freeburn’s appointment as its new full-time chief of police, highlighting his graduation from the West Virginia State Police Academy, his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and his advanced Drug Recognition Expert certification.

“We look forward to continuing to rebuild and strengthen our department to better serve our community, and we are excited to once again have a full-time officer leading our agency,” the department wrote at the time.

Less than seven months later, that effort had unraveled.

Last week, the department announced that Freeburn had resigned “effective immediately.” The agency said Sgt. Hunt would serve as officer in charge while assuring residents that police operations would continue.

“Until further notice, Sergeant Hunt will serve as the officer in charge of the Barrackville Police Department to ensure the continued operation of the department,” the department said, adding that questions about the leadership transition could be addressed at the next town council meeting.

Instead, the department itself was relieved of duty days later.

A letter Freeburn wrote before the department was dismissed offers his account of why he stepped down.

The letter, which was shared with WBOY and intended to be read at the July 7 town council meeting before it was canceled, alleges that shortly after the newly elected town council took office, he was called into a closed-door meeting where he was told a council member would directly supervise the police department and implement operational changes.

Freeburn wrote that he objected because he believed those directives violated West Virginia law governing municipal police departments. He said that when he attempted to discuss the proposed changes, he was told, “If I give you a directive you follow it… I am in charge and what I say goes.”

He described the situation as creating what he believed would become a hostile work environment and said those concerns ultimately led him to resign.

In the letter, Freeburn also wrote that one of the biggest complaints he heard from residents was a lack of transparency at town hall. He said he chose to resign so the issues could be brought into the open, expressing hope that residents would finally receive “the transparency that they have been asking for.”

The letter notes it was written before the announcement that the entire police department had been relieved of duty.

Former Barrackville Police Sgt. Hunt, who has been publicly identified only by his last name, told WBOY that he discovered the police evidence room had allegedly been entered when he arrived at the department Tuesday morning.

Hunt alleged town officials had previously discussed conducting an inventory of the department without officers present. He also claimed that during a meeting with Mayor Tom Straight and members of the town council, Councilmember Alex Neville acknowledged taking a set of police keys.

According to Hunt, after he accused town officials of entering the evidence room, he and another officer, who together made up the department’s entire sworn force, were immediately relieved of duty. Hunt also said he informed town officials that he intended to seek whistleblower protections.

News Media has not independently verified Hunt’s allegations.

The controversy appears to have been brewing even before the department was dismissed.

Following Freeburn’s resignation, a Barrackville resident launched an online petition urging the town council to reinstate him, arguing that he had been “forced to resign due to what many residents believe was unnecessary overreach by the newly elected Town Council.”

The petition calls on town leaders to reconsider the circumstances surrounding the resignation, restore public confidence through transparency and reinstate Freeburn as police chief.

“Our Police Chief quickly earned the trust, respect, and appreciation of our community through his professionalism, leadership, integrity, and commitment to keeping Barrackville safe,” the petition states. “Although his time serving our town was brief, his impact was undeniable.”

Organizers also urged residents to attend the July 7 town council meeting to voice their concerns. The meeting was later canceled.

In a Facebook post, the Barrackville Town Council announced the meeting had been canceled because of “a lack of sufficient information regarding items listed under unfinished business.”

The cancellation has only fueled questions from residents, many of whom flooded social media demanding answers.

“Time to do some deep background on the city council. The truth is not being told,” one commenter wrote beneath the police department’s announcement.

Another resident joked, “Who is gonna look over the 5 residents in Barrackville now?”

Barrackville, a town of about 1,200 people in north-central West Virginia, is located about 25 miles southwest of Morgantown.

Marion County Sheriff Roger Cunningham previously told WBOY that the sheriff’s office will continue responding to calls in Barrackville, as it routinely does throughout Marion County, ensuring residents continue receiving law enforcement services despite the town no longer having an active police department.

Town officials have not publicly explained why the entire department was relieved of duty or responded to the allegations raised by former officers.

News Media has reached out to the Barrackville Police Department, Straight, members of the Barrackville Town Council and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for comment. News Media has also contacted the West Virginia Municipal League seeking clarification on the authority of municipal officials over police department operations under state law.

For many in the entertainment industry, the road to Hollywood is as unique as it is winding. Kirk Fox, whose multifaceted career includes notable roles in “Parks and Recreation,” “Jury Duty,” and “Reservation Dogs,” as well as the recent release of his novel “Palmdale” in June, found his unexpected muse in an unconventional arena.

That muse was tennis.

In a candid conversation with the California Post for their “California Roots” series, Fox revealed, “Tennis was the agent for my first 10 movies.” His initial foray into the film world was not through casting calls or agents, but rather through the connections he forged on the tennis court.

One of his most memorable Hollywood stories involved teaching tennis to Lawrence Kasdan, the esteemed director. “Kasdan was preparing to shoot ‘Wyatt Earp,’ and during our lessons, he asked if I could ride a horse,” recalled Fox. He humorously recounted his confident but misleading reply, “Like the wind.” Reality soon caught up when, on the set, Kasdan realized Fox’s equestrian skills were not quite as promised. To ensure his safety during filming, Kasdan placed him on a much smaller horse, a courteous gesture that kept his tennis pro – and budding actor – from injury.

Fox, who hails from San Diego, where he played tennis at UCSD, also found a very different sort of side hustle from tennis. 

“Everyone I was teaching tennis to wanted me to look into something, so you can call it whatever you want,” Fox explained. “I think at the end of the day, we’re all private investigators. I don’t know anyone that’s not investigating something.”

Years later, Fox channeled his amateur P.I. work into his debut novel, “Palmdale.” 

“It’s about a private investigator who’s teamed up with his daughter that he hasn’t seen in a long time,” Fox said. “And they’re investigating a body that was found in Palmdale, and we traced it back to Bel Air. It’s very noir. It’s a lot of Humphrey Bogart, Mickey Spillane. It’s gritty, it’s dusty.”

Fox wrote some of what ended up in “Palmdale” decades ago, and is now writing a sequel set in San Diego. 

“Every day I write, I just never finished anything,” Fox said. “So I’m still scratching that itch. And I write all my stand up.”

That’s right. Along with acting (Fox will next appear in Sterlin Harjo’s “Reservation Dogs” follow-up “The Lowdown” on FX), he took up stand-up comedy and has now “gone up more than 6,000 times.” 

“My first show was November 10, 2002 at the Comedy Store,” Fox recalled. “I was deep in my 30s and I needed something to do at night.” 

That gig bombed. “I will say it was the last time I talked about religion,” Fox said.

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