Asheville Graduates Celebrated, MANNA Rebuilds, and Outdoor Adventures Await

Good morning, this is your Asheville Local Frequency for Saturday, May 10, 2025. Today marks a significant milestone for hundreds of students across our area as both A-B Tech Community College and UNC Asheville hold their spring commencement ceremonies. A-B Tech's ceremony at Harrah's Cherokee Center downtown will feature North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, who's making a special appearance to recognize graduates affected by Hurricane Helene. A-B Tech President John Gossett will preside, with EducationNC Senior Advisor Nation Hahn delivering the commencement address. The college will livestream the event on their YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person. Meanwhile at UNC Asheville, more than 390 graduates will receive their diplomas in Kimmel Arena today. The graduating class represents an impressive average GPA of 3.40, with Psychology and Business being the most popular majors. The ceremony will also honor Professor Evelyn Chiang with the Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching award, and former state representative Bruce Goforth will receive an honorary degree for his service to the community. For those looking to enjoy the outdoors today, Buncombe County Parks has announced that Lake Julian Park, Hominy Valley Park, Collier Cove Nature Preserve, and North Buncombe Park are all open, though some disc golf holes at Lake Julian remain closed as recovery efforts continue. In cultural news, anticipation is building for the fifth Asheville Amadeus Festival coming later this month, featuring co-headliners Chris Thile and Time for Three. This beloved festival celebrates our region's vibrant arts scene. Yesterday, MANNA FoodBank held an emotional farewell ceremony at their longtime Asheville location, which was severely damaged during Hurricane Helene last September. The nonprofit has been awarded $7 million in grants to support their move to a new, larger facility in Mills River. Despite the challenges posed by the hurricane, MANNA quickly resumed operations, serving over 8,000 families in the first two weeks after the storm, demonstrating the resilience that has become characteristic of our community. This has been Asheville Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.