South-Carolina
Panthers select WR Xavier Legette from South Carolina in 1st round of NFL draft
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Panthers gave young quarterback Bryce Young another weapon on Thursday night.
Carolina selected wide receiver Xavier Legette out of South Carolina after trading up one spot in the NFL draft to No 32. Legette was the last of seven wide receivers selected in an offensive-heavy first round.
The 6-foot-1, 221-pound Legette possesses good size and speed and is coming off a highly productive season with 71 catches for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns for the Gamecocks. He had no more than 18 receptions in a season in his first four years at South Carolina prior to emerging in 2023.
Legette gives the Panthers another option to go along with Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and last year’s second-round pick, Jonathan Mingo. There’s a possibility he could also be used on kickoff returns, too.
Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Legette has the “dog mentality” he covets in players.
“He definitely has that about him,” Morgan said. “He’s a great young man, but you can tell he has that look in his eye. I think he’s not only a special player but a special person. … He’s big, he’s strong, fast and physical. He has a lot of qualities we just loved.”
Morgan said the team began to zero in on Legette after bringing him in for a meeting before the draft. Previously, the team had sent 10 members of the organization to Legette’s workout in Columbia, South Carolina, where Carolina wide receivers coach Rob Moore ran the drills.
Legette mentioned on social media before the draft that he thought the Panthers would take him if he fell to No. 33.
Turns out he was right.
“There was a good vibe there,” Legette said of the meeting.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said he likes the versatility that Legette brings after he was used in a number of roles in college.
“If you look at the versatile way the Gamecocks were able to use him whether it’s out of the backfield, jet sweeps, short crossers, down-the-field posts — there really isn’t much more we can do with receivers,” Canales said. “And he’s done it all.”
Legette was known as a physical receiver in college and plans to bring that to the next level.
“This is a grown man’s game and I feel like I’m a grown man,” Legette said.
This is second time in the past four years the Panthers have selected a South Carolina player in the first round after taking cornerback Jaycee Horn eighth overall in 2021. Horn has been very good when he’s played for the Panthers, but has struggled with injuries.
Legette used to go against Horn daily in practice a few years back.
“He is one of the reasons that I became the player that I am,” Legette said. “He made me better.”
The Panthers didn’t have a first-round pick entering the night. The team traded that pick — which turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick — to the Chicago Bears last year to move up to get Young. The Bears used that pick on quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Panthers traded the 33rd overall pick and one of their fifth-round picks to the Buffalo Bills for the 32nd pick and the Bills’ sixth-round selection.
Carolina now has one pick in each of the remaining six rounds, including the 39th overall selection.
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.
-
New York1 hour agoVideo: The Democracy of The Dive Bar
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoSweltering heat wave to grip Southern California next week
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoTop 10 ‘Hour Detroit’ Covers, As Voted By Readers
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoInjured SFPD officer released from hospital after line-of-duty shooting
-
Dallas, TX2 hours ago25,000 free Dallas teen passes available June 29 for museums, zoo and more
-
Miami, FL2 hours ago3 wildfires burn over 20,000 acres in Miami-Dade ahead of long-awaited rain
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBoston is opening outdoor drinking areas during the World Cup. Here’s how it works.
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoClaimed by Christ, Free in Him: Archbishop Golka Celebrates First Juneteenth Mass in Denver
