South-Carolina
Former SC Education Superintendent Dr. Barbara Nielsen dies
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The first woman ever elected to serve as South Carolina’s Superintendent of Education has died.
Dr. Barbara Nielsen, who served two four-year terms as education superintendent from 1991 to 1999, died Tuesday, current Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver said in a statement.
“Today South Carolina has lost an education champion, and I have lost a dear friend and mentor. Barbara believed fiercely in the God-given potential of every student and dedicated her life to equipping them to reach it,” Weaver said. “As a teacher, administrator, and State Superintendent, she was tough but fair, and she never lost faith in the hope found in a great education.”
Gov. Henry McMaster called Nielsen’s death “a profound loss” for the state. He said she was “a true pioneer and an inspiration to many.”
“Her commitment to modernizing and reforming our education system transformed the lives of thousands upon thousands of our children. To honor her legacy, I will order the State House flags lowered to half-staff on the day of her funeral,” McMaster said in a statement.
Weaver said that even in retirement, Nielsen never stopped fighting for students and teachers.
In 2023, Nielsen chaired the state’s 17-member Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force. The panel was tasked with finding ways to recruit and retain teachers in the state.
During a presentation of a report released in June of 2023, Nielsen said being a teacher is “not an easy job,” saying it was very different from when she went to school and was very different even when she was the state superintendent.
“Our professionals that work in our school need to be respected, they need to be recruited, they need to be retained, and they need to be supported,” Nielsen said at that presentation.
While superintendent, Nielsen pushed for key legislation on education reform, most notably the state’s 1998 Education Accountability Act and laws that established the state’s first statewide full-day kindergarten program and that allowed for the creation of charter schools in South Carolina, the Department of Education’s website states.
Before serving as state superintendent, Nielsen worked in education for thirty years as a teacher, an administrator, and an educational consultant, her bio states. She graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio and received a doctorate degree in educational administration and planning and a master’s degree in guidance counseling from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
“Her wit and wisdom will be greatly missed, but her shining legacy lives on forever in the lives of the students and state she served,” Weaver said.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available Tuesday evening.
Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.
An 87-year-old businessman in Columbia, South Carolina says he has no plans to retire.
Leonard Fabrizio works as a retailer at Brittons of Columbia, a locally-owned men’s clothing store.
“I’m not the type of person who can sit around by myself,” said Fabrizio. “I just enjoy the interaction and that’s the big thing, is the interaction with people. It’s always been the drive in this business for me, said Fabrizio.
Fabrizio’s retail career began as a college student when he worked at J.C. Penney. He has watched Columbia grow and has owned a store and managed several others.
His advice is to “Be patient. It takes time to build a business. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s rewarding. It’s fun. But you have to have compassion for the business.”
Fabrizio recently celebrated another birthday alongside those who have supported his career.
(WPDE) — June 9 marked International Batten Disease Awareness Day, shining a light on a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
It primarily affects children and causes harmful waste material to build up inside the cells of the brain and nervous system.
One South Carolina family used the day to raise awareness as their 2-year-old son, Sam Stockton, lives with CLN2 Batten disease.
Sam was diagnosed at 16 weeks old, and his family says they travel every other week for enzyme-replacement therapy while also searching for clinical research opportunities.
Through Hope for Sam, the family is working to spread information about Batten disease and support other families facing rare diseases.
“Just the more you know about rare diseases, I never knew that over 300 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. And that means there’s less access to care because people aren’t researching it and not as many people have it. So the more information that’s out there, we feel is the better,” Jordan Stockton said.
There are 13 known types of Batten disease, and there is no cure. Researchers estimate the disease affects about two to four out of every 100,000 births in the United States.
The Stockton family says they have found support through the Batten Disease Support, Research and Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the disease while providing resources.
More information and donation details are available at this link.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Contestants in the 2026 Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina’s Teen competitions will showcase their talents on Thursday at the Township Auditorium.
Miss South Carolina’s Teen’s Got Talent is set to begin at 5 p.m., followed by Miss South Carolina’s Got Talent at 7 p.m.
READ MORE | Miss South Carolina kicks off with preliminary rounds
The talent competitions are part of the weeklong Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization competition, which brings delegates from across the state to Columbia to compete for scholarships and the opportunity to represent South Carolina on the national stage.
READ MORE | Miss South Carolina’s Teen preliminary round begins
Contestants competed in fitness, evening wear, and onstage question preliminaries on Wednesday, while Miss South Carolina’s Teen contestants completed their preliminary competition on Tuesday.
Preliminary winners include:
Preliminary Fitness Award winners:
- Jenna Huggins, Miss Clemson
- Lindsay Jones, Miss Charleston
- Reagan McMahon, Miss Chapin
Preliminary Evening Gown Award winners:
- Mary Kimball Osborn, Miss Palmetto
- Chelby Drafts, Miss Golden Corner
- Reagan McMahon, Miss Chapin
Teen Preliminary Fitness Award winners:
- Alissa Claire Rhodes, Miss Fox Creek High School’s Teen
- Kamryn Mathis, Miss Greer High School’s Teen
- Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
Teen Preliminary Evening Gown Award winners:
- Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
- Cleo Floyd-Johnstone, Miss Ballentine’s Teen
- Kursten Long, Miss Newberry’s Teen
The Miss South Carolina’s Teen finals are set for Friday night, while the Miss South Carolina finals will take place Saturday.
Watch the 2026 Miss South Carolina Competition LIVE at 8:00 PM on Saturday, June 20. Tune in on WACH FOX 57 in Columbia, ABC 4 in Charleston, ABC 15 in Myrtle Beach/Florence, and My40 in the Upstate.
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