South-Carolina

Greenville, Spartanburg judges vie for seat on SC Supreme Court, General Assembly to decide

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2024

Greenville, Spartanburg judges vie for seat on SC Supreme Court, General Assembly to decide

Two Upstate judges are vying for the third seat on South Carolina’s Supreme Court.

Judge Letitia Verdin, from Greenville, and Judge Keith Kelly, from Spartanburg, are two out of six candidates seeking the spot left open by Greenville native John Kittredge, who was unanimously elected to be the next chief justice. The current Chief Justice Don Beatty, a native of Spartanburg, is set to retire in the summer after he turns 72, the state’s mandatory retirement age for judges.

Out of the candidates looking to be on the SC Supreme Court, three of them are women. Right now, South Carolina represents the lone state with an all-male Supreme Court in the nation.

The Judicial Merit Selection Commission will choose three of the candidates after a public hearing on May 9 and send the candidates to be voted on by a joint General Assembly.

Who are the candidates?

The legislature can choose to diversify the SC Supreme Court by selecting one of the three women, two of whom are women of color.

Candidates include:

Administrative Law Court Chief Judge Ralph Anderson from Columbia
State Appeals Court Judge Blake Hewitt from Conway
Circuit Court Judge Deadra Jefferson from Charleston
Circuit Court Judge Keith Kelly from Spartanburg
Circuit Court Judge Jocelyn Newman from Columbia
State Appeals Court Judge Letitia Verdin from Greenville

Greenville, Spartanburg judge’s qualifications

Judge Verdin graduated from Furman University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree and went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina in 1997. She was then elected to the Family Court as a resident judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in 2008. In 2011, the South Carolina Legislature elected her to the 2nd seat of the Circuit Court and later elected her to the 2nd seat of the Court of Appeals in 2023.

Judge Kelly attended the University of South Carolina and cross-enrolled in the U.S. Army ROTC program at Wofford College, serving as Battalion Commander and graduated in 1981. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Mercer University in 1987 and returned to Spartanburg. Kelly is also a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he served on the SC House Judiciary Committee and was chairman of the Criminal Laws subcommittee.

Six-week abortion ban ruling

In 2023, the all-male Supreme Court faced criticism after reinstating South Carolina’s controversial six-week abortion law in a 4-1 ruling, with Chief Justice Don Beatty representing the lone dissent.

The ruling came after the SC Supreme Court’s lone woman justice, Kaye Hearn, retired due to state law term limits on judgeships in February 2023. When Hearn retired, Greenville’s Judge Gary Hill was elected and replaced the sole female judge.

Savannah Moss covers Greenville County politics and growth/development. Reach her at smoss@gannett.com or follow her on X @Savmoss.

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South-Carolina

Rainy Easter Sunday

Published

22 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Rainy Easter Sunday in South Carolina: April 5 forecast

Tracking Easter rain chances, then dry weather heading into next week.

Overnight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 63. South southwest wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Patchy fog between 7am and 1pm. High near 73. Southwest wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 45. North wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Light and variable wind. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81.Overnight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 63. South southwest wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Patchy fog between 7am and 1pm. High near 73. Southwest wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear,

Rainy Easter Sunday in South Carolina: April 5 forecast

Tracking Easter rain chances, then dry weather heading into next week.

Updated: 7:03 AM EDT Apr 5, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Tracking Easter rain chances, then dry weather heading into next week. A cold front brings some beneficial rain to the area starting early this morning. Rain showers likely with embedded rumbles of thunder possible until mid-afternoon. Highs in the 60s and low 70s. Lows in the 50s and 60s.Cooler start Monday morning with lows in the 40s. Sunshine and staying dry through the week with another cool down midweek. Morning frost is possible for the mountains on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Highs in the 80s by next weekend. The WYFF News 4 weather team has been independently certified for having the most accurate forecast in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market for the second year in a row.“Our goal every day, in every forecast is accuracy,” said WYFF 4 President and General Manager Blake Bridges. “Our expert weather team is dedicated to giving viewers a forecast they can trust to be right. We are also the only station in the market with our own 24/7 live radar, Live Super Doppler 4. It’s clear that WYFF News 4 is the weather leader in this market.”The certification comes from WeatheRate, an independent research firm that tracks forecasts from every station in multiple markets across the country.“Everyone knows that forecasting the weather around here is difficult with the Upstate and mountains,” said WeatheRate President Bruce Fixman. “The station that gets the forecast right more than anyone else is Chief Meteorologist Chris Justus and the WYFF News 4 weather team.”

GREENVILLE, S.C. —

Tracking Easter rain chances, then dry weather heading into next week.

A cold front brings some beneficial rain to the area starting early this morning. Rain showers likely with embedded rumbles of thunder possible until mid-afternoon. Highs in the 60s and low 70s. Lows in the 50s and 60s.

Cooler start Monday morning with lows in the 40s. Sunshine and staying dry through the week with another cool down midweek. Morning frost is possible for the mountains on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Highs in the 80s by next weekend.

The WYFF News 4 weather team has been independently certified for having the most accurate forecast in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market for the second year in a row.

“Our goal every day, in every forecast is accuracy,” said WYFF 4 President and General Manager Blake Bridges. “Our expert weather team is dedicated to giving viewers a forecast they can trust to be right. We are also the only station in the market with our own 24/7 live radar, Live Super Doppler 4. It’s clear that WYFF News 4 is the weather leader in this market.”

The certification comes from WeatheRate, an independent research firm that tracks forecasts from every station in multiple markets across the country.

“Everyone knows that forecasting the weather around here is difficult with the Upstate and mountains,” said WeatheRate President Bruce Fixman. “The station that gets the forecast right more than anyone else is Chief Meteorologist Chris Justus and the WYFF News 4 weather team.”

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South-Carolina

South Carolina vs UCLA prediction, national championship analysis, March Madness expert picks

Published

1 day ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina vs UCLA prediction, national championship analysis, March Madness expert picks

The women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament concludes Sunday as No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 UCLA battle for the national championship live on ABC and ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Head coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina are seeking their fourth title since 2017. The Lauren Betts, KiKi Rice and the Bruins are hoping to win the NCAA tournament for the first time in their program’s history.

USA TODAY Sports’ college basketball experts have analyzed all the angles and determined a path to victory for each side. Here’s everything you need to know — including how to watch, betting odds and analysis — before the Sweet 16 matchup tips off.

Stay up to date with USA TODAY’s team of journalists covering the women’s NCAA Tournament throughout the 68-team dance.

Favorite national championship storyline

Nancy Armour: Ta’Niya Latson. She transferred to South Carolina just for this moment and has made the most of it.
Meghan Hall: South Carolina getting to/potentially winning a title with no “stars.”
Heather Burns: UCLA winning its first title since 1978.
Cydney Henderson: The Dawn Staley-Raven Johnson has been special to watch, as is the Lauren Betts-Cori Close bond. Seeing the seniors close out their college careers will be something to watch.

South Carolina will win National Championship game vs UCLA if…

Nancy Armour: It has another smothering defensive performance.
Meghan Hall: It takes away UCLAs ability to move the ball and limit everyone else outside of Lauren Betts.
Heather Burns: it plays the kind of disruptive, dominating defense it did against UConn.
Cydney Henderson: South Carolina put on a defensive masterclass against UConn and the Gamecocks will walk away with another national championship if they can slow down Lauren Betts and shrink the floor.

UCLA will win National Championship game vs South Carolina if…

Nancy Armour: Lauren Betts can create space for herself inside.
Meghan Hall: It can match South Carolina’s defense for four quarters.
Heather Burns: It dominates the paint with Lauren Betts on both offense and defense.
Cydney Henderson: Three words: Feed Lauren Betts.

South Carolina vs UCLA: 1 Stat to watch

Nancy Armour: UCLA had 23 turnovers against Texas and still won. It’s going to need to tighten up against an opportunistic South Carolina.
Meghan Hall: Fast break points and second chance points.
Heather Burns: Points off turnovers: Whichever teams can score the most points in transition will win.
Cydney Henderson: Turnovers. UCLA had 23 turnovers in their Final Four win. South Carolina’s defense is stout and will look to capitalize on takeaways.

South Carolina bold prediction

Nancy Armour: Tessa Johnson is going to go off. She won’t go 0-for-3 from deep like she did against UConn.
Meghan Hall: Agot Makeer makes a championship-sealing basket.
Heather Burns: Raven Johnson, who spent a lot of her time shutting down Azzi Fudd in the semifinals, will hit at least three 3-pointers.
Cydney Henderson: Freshman Agot Makeer will have a career-high points off the bench.

UCLA bold prediction

Nancy Armour: Lauren Betts will have another big game but she won’t get enough help.
Meghan Hall: Lauren Betts scores 40 points
Heather Burns: Lauren Betts will notch her second double of the weekend and win MOP.
Cydney Henderson: Senior guard Kiki Rice has a signature game to end her college career.

March Madness Most Outstanding Player winner

Nancy Armour: Ta’Niya Latson — She was spectacular against UConn and will be hard for UCLA to contain.
Meghan Hall: Raven Johnson — Johnson is the heart and soul of South Carolina. Everything, on both sides of the ball, starts and ends with her.
Heather Burns: Lauren Betts — UCLA won in the semifinals because of her play on both sides and THE block in the final seconds.
Cydney Henderson: Ta’Niya Latson — Sunday will mark Ta’Niya Latson’s first national championship appearance, but she’ll look just at home with an offensive performance that will lead South Carolina to a championship.

South Carolina vs UCLA National Championship winner

Nancy Armour: South Carolina
Meghan Hall: South Carolina
Heather Burns: UCLA
Cydney Henderson: South Carolina

No. 1 South Carolina vs No. 1 UCLA

Opening Moneyline: South Carolina (-185), UCLA (+154)
Opening Spread: South Carolina (-1.5)
Opening Total: 133.5

How to Watch South Carolina vs UCLA in the National Championship

No. 1 South Carolina takes on No. 1 UCLA at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 5 at 3:30 PM The game is airing on ESPN and ABC.

Stream March Madness on Fubo

2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament full schedule

March 18-19: First Four
March 20-21: First Round
March 22-23: Second Round
March 27-28: Sweet 16
March 29-30: Elite 8
April 3: Final Four
April 5: National Championship

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South-Carolina

Showdown in Phoenix. South Carolina, UCLA meet for national title

Published

2 days ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

Showdown in Phoenix. South Carolina, UCLA meet for national title

The teams in the Women’s Final Four might have been a repeat of the previous year, but the national championship will be different.

South Carolina avenged the 2025 national championship loss against UConn and ended the Huskies’ undefeated campaign in the Final Four.

UCLA got the better of Texas since losing to the Longhorns in November, and continued the 30-game winning streak that transpired since with a statement win.

The epic conclusion to the season will take place at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, April 5, at 12:30 p.m. MST.

UCLA will play for its first national championship, while South Carolina will try for its fourth title and third in five years.

What the Gamecocks can do to win

South Carolina’s defense exploited UConn’s shooting struggles and ran away with an 11-1 run to end the game.

Several players have stepped up offensively throughout the NCAA Tournament. Against UConn, Ta’Niya Latson used her athleticism to float to the rim and came away with 16 points, including 10 from free throws.

Agot Makeer has been effective off the bench, averaging 14.3 points per game and using her length to impact the game on both ends.

The Gamecocks have size in 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot, but it was 5-foot-9 guard Raven Johnson who really impressed on the defensive end. Johnson matched up against 6-foot-2 forward and National Player of the Year Sarah Strong and held her to 4-of-16 shooting.

“We went to a smaller lineup just to match what they were doing out there. I mean, Raven thrives on any matchup, right?” coach Dawn Staley said.

Staley added that Johnson guarded taller players than Strong in the past, including 6-foot-5 Kentucky center Clara Strack.

“We know she’s fearless when it comes to who she’s guarding. She takes really great pride in not letting people score on her,” Staley said. “When you have a guard like that that has elite defensive skills, you let ’em be great.”

Johnson, one of the veterans on a younger South Carolina team, will play a significant role in the national championship and will go up against the best offense in the country.

What the Bruins can do to win

UCLA didn’t have the best night offensively in the Final Four, but the defense came through against Texas.

Texas cut UCLA’s 10-point lead to three late in the game, but Lauren Betts got a big block with 18.1 seconds to go on a would-be Madison Booker layup to help the Bruins advance.

Betts will undoubtedly draw a lot of South Carolina’s defensive attention, as she did with Texas, but it opens the floor for UCLA’s shooters such as Gianna Kneepkens.

“The amount she draws in on offense helps all the guards, because you can go one-on-one, but I don’t know, that’s a choice if you want to make it,” Kneepkens said. “If they double, she’ll kick it out because she’s a great passer.”

UCLA managed to get past Texas without its offense clicking, but Kneepkens played a role with two 3-pointers on five shots.

What got UCLA ahead was Betts, a 6-foot-7 center, providing an intimidating presence inside. The Gamecocks didn’t face a lot of size in the Final Four, which will require adjustments. Texas tried against Betts, but saw three shots blocked from her, while Angela Dugalic blocked two.

UCLA is new to the national championship, but it is an experienced group with six players graduating. Betts, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez have spent three seasons together.

“We want this so bad for each other,” Betts said. “The way we come out, the way we prep, the way we practice, the way we work on defense, the way we go for steals, that’s all because we just want to earn more days with each other.

“We want to make history. We want to do this for each other.”

Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.

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