🌱 WSCC Commencement Ceremony + Marietta-Based Photographer Goes Big

Hello again, hello! It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Patch newsletter. Follow along to find out everything you need to know about what's happening around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Hazy sunshine. High: 78 Low: 55.
• Friday: A shower in the afternoon. High: 79 Low: 60.

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Here are the top three stories today in Marietta:

1. About 400 graduates received their degrees and certificates from Washington State Community College last week as it held its 50th annual commencement ceremony. Chuck Sulerzyski gave the commencement address at the ceremony and Mackenzie Smith was honored to give the student address. The 2023 class was very diverse, including veterans and College Credit Plus high school students; a total of 99 students graduated with honors. (WTAP)
2. Earlier this week, the Marietta Rotary Club awarded 10 graduating seniors with $2,000 scholarships to go toward their future educational endeavors. Of the 10 students who were awarded, two of them were from Marietta High School. One of the winners was Keegan Bills, who received the Bill and Joe Wesel Memorial Scholarship in memory of two Rotary Club members who passed away. (Marietta Times)
3. Bruce Wunderlich turned his love for photography into a career that has touched the state of Ohio and even across the country. Wunderlich got into photography in the late 70s from a class in high school, building on his craft ever sense. What started off as photography for his school's newspaper grew into being publicized in Ohio Magazine, Ohio Travel Magazine, and even viral postings that have his photographs being requested in California. Wunderlich played a significant role in the return of BWD Magazine and currently offers historic photo walks of downtown Marietta. (WTAP)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Marietta:

Thursday, May 18

• Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce Networking Luncheon At The Belpre Church Of Christ (11:30 AM)
• Open Sew/Machine Basics At BB2C Makerspace (5:30 PM)

Friday, May 19

• Breaking In The Vault At The Vault (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Marietta College's softball team has placed six of its athletes on the All-OAC team for this past season. Congratulations to these student-athletes for the tremendous accolade following a great season and just before the NCAA Regional Tournament. (Marietta College via Facebook)
• Marietta Main Street is sharing its "Meet the Artists" Series, where you can meet the artists working for the upcoming Post Street Mural Gallery Project. Artist Liz Davenport, a relative newcomer to Marietta, creates art inspired by the fear and unknown of what is coming next; you can find more of her artwork on her Instagram @davenportliz. (Marietta Main Street via Facebook)
• Next weekend will be The Historic Marietta Tour of Homes on both Saturday and Sunday. You can purchase either single-day tickets or weekend passes and you will have access to see all of the homes listed; tickets are available here. (Visit Marietta Ohio via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (May 23)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! I'll see you around.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.