Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) held its 2025 Commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at the Harrah’s Cherokee Civic Center in downtown Asheville.

Dr. John D. Gossett, President of the college, conferred 400 diplomas and degrees upon graduates participating in the commencement services.

More than 900 degrees and diplomas were awarded for the 2024–25 academic year, including Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Fine Arts, Associate in Engineering, and Associate in Applied Science, among a wide range of disciplines.

The event was honored by the presence of distinguished guests, including NC Governor Josh Stein. In his remarks the governor acknowledged the remarkable resilience of the A-B Tech Class of 2025, especially considering the difficulties presented by Hurricane Helene and the Covid-19 pandemic. Education NC Senior Advisor Nation Hahn delivered the commencement address.

Several graduates achieved notable milestones:

• 150 high school students earned associate degrees through the NC Career & College Promise dual enrollment program.
• Eight women from the Western Correctional Center graduated with honors in Social and Human Services Technology.

Individual success stories include Dan Nielson, a 54-year-old veteran who overcame PTSD to earn a Medical Laboratory Technology degree, and Itzel Briseida Moreno-Angeles, recognized for her community involvement and dedication to her education.

About A-B Tech Community College

A-B Tech offers more than 130 degrees, diplomas and certificates, as well as a wide range of workforce training and continuing education programs. A-B Tech includes the main Asheville campus, A-B Tech Enka (home of the A-B Tech Small Business Center and Business Incubation Program, Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and N.C. BioNetwork), A-B Tech Madison, A-B Tech Woodfin, the Goodwill Center and the ABCCM…

Read the full article here

The post A-B Tech 2025 Commencement appeared first on Urban News Now.

My life was shaped by farm trucks, dairy cows, uncles, aunts, grandparents, a loving, storytelling mother, and … my Daddy.

When told that The Urban News this June was to feature “men,” I tossed my normal political eye aside, because there was only one man worth writing about.

You see, my Daddy hated politics and politicians. Maybe that’s why I was personally so curious about both as I grew up. But that’s not this column’s focus. I’m writing about a man who lived his life at a hands-on level … trying various ways to make survival money until he lucked into a temporary job as a substitute postal carrier (then worked his way up to acting postmaster). This was a career that meant a secure wage supporting his family of four and a chance to exercise his friendly rapport with an entire community.

For example, I recall his personally delivering late-arrival packages on his way home from work on Christmas Eve, or boxes of baby chicks that missed the carrier schedule and might otherwise starve or freeze over the weekend.

His rapport with people meant that anyone from our church back then would tell you what a singer he was—with a bass voice that filled the church. And anyone on my high school girls’ basket-ball team would remember him lovingly as “Papa Holder.”

And it is this man I was writing about in the following excerpt from a letter to a friend just after he died, accompanied by a passage from my personal journal.

***

We buried Daddy with an assortment of totems. Chris (my 19-year-old son), Ray (my second husband) and I planned our own little farewell and had a private moment before the casket was closed the night before the funeral. We gave Daddy his Christmas presents—Christmas having embodied the true delight of his soul.

These included a remote-control dog from Chris, a frog that did back-flips from us, and a supply of peanut brittle (his favorite treat). I also put into his hand a napkin with…

Read the full article here

The post Three Miles South of Garner appeared first on Urban News Now.

The Asheville Downtown Improvement District (ADID) began to roll out services this spring, officially launching on June 2, 2025.

Targeted services supplemental to those provided by the city are being delivered throughout the downtown area within the defined district boundary. Services include enhanced cleaning, maintenance and hospitality programs designed to help keep downtown Asheville welcoming, cared for, and economically resilient.

ADID Community Ambassadors will maintain a visible presence throughout the district seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Core Services

• Daily litter and debris removal on sidewalks and streetscapes
• Supplemental storm drain clearing
• Graffiti removal and inspection of streetscape fixtures
• Pressure washing and spot cleaning of public spaces
• Maintenance and reporting for public spaces
• Supplemental restroom cleaning and monitoring
• Basic landscape and planter care
• On-call rapid response for emergency cleaning and maintenance needs

Working in Partnership

ADID services will complement, not replace, city services. The public should continue to report non-immediate requests and concerns through the Asheville App. Ambassadors are trained to identify and escalate issues to city partners where appropriate. The city and ADID will coordinate to ensure an aligned and efficient approach to service delivery.

The launch of these supplemental services follows City Council’s establishment of a Municipal Service District in June 2024, applicable to the budget year July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. A competitive process followed, with ADID selected as the service provider. A contract was executed in early 2025. ADID is managed by the Asheville Downtown Association in partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Nexstreet, with strategic oversight provided by a diverse board of directors representing property owners, businesses, residents, and community…

Read the full article here

The post City of Asheville Community Ambassadors appeared first on Urban News Now.

By Charlene Crowell –

$4.2 million restitution still owed consumers after nearly a year.

For more than a decade, consumers have lauded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for its myriad accomplishments that have brought transparency and fairness to the financial marketplace. Earlier this year, a survey commissioned by the Center for Responsible Lending found that 82% of Americans believe it is important to regulate financial services to ensure they are fair for consumers.

Research, regulation, investigations, and litigation were among the effective tools CFPB used to return more than $21 billion to over 200 million defrauded consumers.

At the same time, the anti-regulatory interests that opposed CFPB’s creation never stopped trying to weaken, defy, or eliminate the agency. Now with a president and Congress actively embracing a deregulatory stance, the combination of pro-business presidential executive orders vigorously pursued by executive appointees have wreaked financial harm on consumers and compromised the agency’s mission.

From slashing CFPB staffing by 70%, halting both investigations and pending litigation, to reversing regulations on overdraft and credit cards, in recent days a third anti-consumer move announced the agency would not enforce regulation of “buy now, pay later” credit. In sum, today’s agency actions no longer reflect its name or mission.

Yet the fight to neuter CFPB is still not done. It is now moving monies—denying or delaying millions that consumers are rightfully owed, and sending billions of dollars earmarked for victim compensation to the US Treasury instead.

A pending, real-life case illustrates the harm wrought by such moves, and the financial injustice that results.

This February, several state attorneys general began restitution inquiries owed by Prehired, LLC. Earlier, CFPB determined…

Read the full article here

The post House Committee Votes to Strip CFPB’s Victim Compensation Fund appeared first on Urban News Now.

Join V-logger Jennifer L. Watson on a tour across America as she hunts down vortexes, spirits, haunted spots, and cosmic weirdness.

Each episode of School Of Magick On the Road is full of magick, mystery, history, and amazing stories.

Watson recently visited North Carolina, where she explored Linville Gorge. The valley is said to be an energy vortex, a place where the earth’s energy is so strong, it can heighten intuition and even cause strange experiences. Next, she went underground into the Linville Caverns, where the eerie stillness and mysterious formations made us question what’s real.

Experiencing Magickal Energy at Wiseman’s Overlook

She also traversed Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge, where the high-altitude energy is electric, followed by a trip to the absolutely breathtaking Wisemans Overlook.

Watson interviewed Byron Ballard, Asheville North Carolina’s Village Witch.

From energy vortexes in Sedona to voodoo rituals in New Orleans, witchcraft in Salem, and spiritual portals in the desert, School Of Magick On the Road explores the powerful places where magic, mystery, and manifestation converge.

Each episode blends travel, spirituality, and metaphysical education—featuring rituals, haunted sites, ancient wisdom, lay lines, energy healing, UFO lore, sacred ceremonies, and psychic insights.

Whether you’re a lightworker, witch, psychic, or curious soul, Watson’s channel is your immersive guide to tapping into spiritual energy hot spots, exploring the metaphysical side of travel, and reconnecting with the unseen forces of the universe.

Watch School Of Magick On the Road at www.youtube.com/@SchoolOfMagickOnTheRoad.

Read the full article here

The post Watch School Of Magick On the Road appeared first on Urban News Now.

Former 106 & Park hosts Rocsi Diaz and AJ Calloway have issued heartfelt apologies to fans after their unexpected absence from the highly anticipated reunion segment at the BET Awards.

The reunion brought together a number of familiar faces from the beloved music countdown show, including Bow Wow, Terrence J, and Free, creating a nostalgic celebration for longtime viewers.

Rocsi Diaz took to Instagram to explain her absence, expressing sincere regret to her fans. “I’m so sorry if I let you down,” she wrote. “Just know I tried everything possible to be a part of the 106 & Park reunion. It really meant a lot to me to be there with my fellow host. 106 was by far the best thing that’s ever happened in my life.”

AJ Calloway also shared a message, revealing travel issues prevented his attendance. “When you’re on a plane and your phone blows up because you missed a huge night for the best and livest audience in the world! I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it tonight—I’m literally still in the air,” he posted. “I tried, honestly, but it didn’t work out.”

Despite their absence, the reunion was filled with memorable moments. Comedian Druski delivered laughs with a skit reenacting Ginuwine’s iconic performance of “Pony” on the show, and the return of former hosts created an electric energy onstage. Fans continue to hope for a full-circle moment in the future where all hosts can reunite.

Speaking of 106 & Park, The Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage has just announced an exciting addition, “106 & Sea”. Which will serve as a nostalgic celebration featuring 106 & Park legends AJ Calloway and Free. As the beloved music video countdown show marks its 25th anniversary, fans will get a rare chance to relive the magic, live and in person.

Rocsi Diaz and AJ Calloway Apologize After Missing 106 & Park Reunion 
was…

Read the full article here

The post Rocsi Diaz and AJ Calloway Apologize After Missing 106 & Park Reunion appeared first on Urban News Now.

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted Tuesday on federal charges alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center while Newark’s mayor was being arrested after he tried to join a congressional oversight visit at the facility.

Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced the grand jury indictment in a post on X.

“While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve,” Habba said.

McIver, a Democrat, had been charged in a complaint by Habba last month with two assault charges stemming from the May 9 visit to Newark’s Delaney Hall — a 1,000-bed, privately owned facility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center.

McIver disputed the allegations as baseless and defended her presence at the facility as part of her authorized role as a member of Congress.

Her lawyer, former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, said in a statement that they would challenge the allegations “head-on” in court.

“The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is — political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,” Fishman said.

Habba said two of the counts carry a maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. A third has a maximum sentence of one year. She characterized the charges as “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.”

The indictment is the latest development in a legal-political drama that has seen President Donald Trump’s administration take Democratic officials from New Jersey’s largest city to court, tapping into the president’s immigration crackdown and Democrats’ efforts to respond. The prosecution of McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member…

Read the full article here

The post US Rep. LaMonica McIver indicted on federal charges from skirmish at New Jersey immigration center appeared first on Urban News Now.

The cognitive dissonance of MAGA-white America is a thing that should be studied.

Imagine adhering to the Great Replacement Theory — a belief system that, at its core, insists that white people have an inherent right to dominate a region — while also denying the reality of white supremacy.

Anyway, Charlie Kirk has an opinion again, or whatever.

President Donald Trump has deployed military personnel, including thousands of National Guard troops, to Los Angeles against the wishes of its mayor, California’s governor and the Los Angeles Police Department in order to quell what officials have described as sporadic violence during largely peaceful protests — and Kirk wants Trump to do more of that because he’s deathly afraid white people are being replaced.

“They all hate Christendom,” the TurningPoint USA founder said of anti-ICE protesters who are taking a stand against the invasive, inhumane, discompassionate, due process-skirting tactics of the Trump administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “They hate Western civilization. They hate what we have built. This is a global movement of freaks.”

“I think President Trump should fully deploy the military in the streets,” Kooky Kirk Kontinued. “Do it and do it fast. We’re not going to allow Floyd-a-Paloosa to happen again. Civilization is on the line.”

So, if I call Charlie Kirk and every MAGA American like him a white nationalist or white supremacist, I’m just using accurate terminology, no? After all, Kirk is, out of his own white supremacist and white nationalist mouth, equating “Christendom” and “Western Civilization” with whiteness, and crediting white people with every advancement of the civilization they “built.”

And if you’re still not convinced…

“This is the Great Replacement Theory,” Kirk said. “Remember, we talked about — they want to…

Read the full article here

The post Charlie Kirk Pushes ‘Great Replacement’ In Rant Against Protesters appeared first on Urban News Now.

Taraji P. Henson is clearing the air around the claims that she and Oprah Winfrey are at odds. 

While on “The Breakfast Club” on Friday, June 6, to promote her new Netflix film “Straw” the 54-year-old actress addressed the rumors that there is some kind of rift between her and Winfrey that began during press for “The Color Purple” musical starring Henson and produced by Winfrey in 2023.

When co-host Charlemagne tha God brought up the rumors and how many thought Henson may have been discussing “The Color Purple” musical producers when she began to speak out about pay disparity in Hollywood, Henson was quick to retort, “You know they have bosses right?” 

“When have you ever seen me drag another woman, particularly a Black woman, ever? I’m 10 toes down for us,” she continued. “I think it was just a campaign so that this Black movie wouldn’t do well.” 

Henson noted that during the film’s theatrical run, there were even reports that her purported feud with Winfrey negatively impacted its box office performance.

“You know that’s BS right?” she said.

The film was a historic success, raking in $18 million domestically on opening day, making it the largest Christmas Day opening in over a decade and the second-largest Christmas Day opening of all time. While the performance did slow down after, the film still managed to earn $60.6 million before it left theaters.

Winfrey herself has even denied the rumors. While on the red carpet for the 2024 Golden Globes, the media mogul said there “was no validity” to the claims.

“Me and Oprah, I just have a love and a fondness for her,” Henson explained during her interview on “The Breakfast Club.” “She just texted me the other day, commending me on a job well done in ‘Straw.’ That was all fictitious, to draw a wedge between me and her.”

“I went to her defense right…

Read the full article here

The post Taraji P. Henson addresses rumors of an alleged feud with Oprah Winfrey: ‘You know that’s BS right?’ appeared first on Urban News Now.

U.S. immigration authorities arrested and interrogated a German national who is a legal permanent U.S. resident at Boston Logan International Airport on March 7, according to the man’s mother and his partner. Days later, he was transferred to a federal detention facility.

Fabian Schmidt, 34, is now being held at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement online database. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In an emailed statement Monday, an assistant commissioner of public affairs at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said: “If statutes or visa terms are violated, travelers may be subject to detention and removal.”

“Due to federal privacy regulations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot disclose details about specific cases,” said the assistant commissioner, Hilton Beckham.

Astrid Senior, Schmidt’s mother, said she and her son moved to the U.S. from Germany in 2007 and received green cards in 2008. He lives in New Hampshire and renewed his legal permanent resident status last year, she said.

Senior said she has no idea why her son is being detained by U.S. immigration officials. She said her son, who once lived in California, faced misdemeanor charges roughly a decade ago. He has no active legal or court issues, Senior said. 

“I feel helpless. Absolutely helpless,” Senior said.

Senior and Schmidt’s partner, Bhavani Hodgkins, confirmed the family has retained a lawyer to work on his case. The lawyer, David Keller, did not immediately respond to an email and text message requesting more information Monday.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump’s administration has ramped up border enforcement and moved to tighten immigration policies. Schmidt’s case raises questions about how federal immigration officials will treat people who are permanent legal residents.

The news of Schmidt’s arrest and detention was first reported by WGBH, a Boston area public…

Read the full article here

The post German national with U.S. green card detained at ICE facility, family says appeared first on Urban News Now.