🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Miami, FL
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas transferring to Miami without being put in portal after dispute
In a potentially precedent-setting confrontation, a college football player is transferring even though his former school declined to enter his name into the portal.
Xavier Lucas, a cornerback who played this season for Wisconsin, is transferring to Miami, according to his attorney, after Wisconsin refused to enter his name into the portal because he had signed a revenue-sharing contract with the school.
Lucas announced in December he planned to enter the portal, and he then said on social media that Wisconsin would not enter his name into the database.
His attorney, Darren Heitner, told Yahoo Sports that Lucas will join Miami anyway.
“NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately,” the NCAA said in a statement.
According to Yahoo, Wisconsin would not allow Lucas to enter the portal after he signed a two-year, revenue-share agreement last month.
The pact grants the school the rights to use the player’s name, image and likeness and disallows other schools to do the same.
Heitner said on X that the agreement was contingent on the approval of the House settlement, “which has yet to receive final approval,” and contingent upon Lucas attending classes no later than spring 2025.
According to Heitner, Lucas already has unenrolled from Wisconsin.
Wisconsin “has not paid any monies to him and so he owes no reimbursement to the Institution,” Heitner said.
Lucas saw playing time at Wisconsin as a freshman, recording 18 tackles and an interception after signing as a four-star recruit out of American Heritage High School in South Florida.
According to Yahoo, Heitner said that Lucas requested a transfer while home over the holidays because his father suffered a “serious, life-threatening illness.” NCAA protocol states schools are supposed to enter names into the transfer portal within two business days.
Wisconsin has not yet commented on a face-off that challenges when players can transfer and a school’s enforcement of revenue-share agreements.
If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.
RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pizza in Miami
The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.
What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.
Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.
“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.
Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.
They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.
According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.
Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.
“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”
Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
-
Montana2 minutes agoGovernor Gianforte Announces Montana Ranks as Top 10 State for Job Growth
-
Nebraska8 minutes agoRoanoke County teen heads to national rodeo finals in Nebraska
-
Nevada14 minutes agoNevada’s modern boomtowns are these fast-growing cities, study said
-
New Hampshire20 minutes agoNH Forests: A Story of Revival and the Challenges Ahead: Business NH Magazine
-
New Jersey26 minutes agoNJ Spine Doctor, Daughter, Granddaughter Killed In Plane Crash, Police Say
-
New Mexico32 minutes agoMcCauley Springs Fire Reaches 100% Containment
-
North Carolina38 minutes agoMassive great white shark spotted off NC coast. See where its headed
-
North Dakota44 minutes agoNeighbors, not competitors
