South-Carolina
Sahnya Jah brings lessons learned with South Carolina women’s basketball to Arizona
Sometimes it’s worse to keep something quiet than to air it publicly. Such was the case with Arizona forward Sahnya Jah and her suspension while at South Carolina.
Dawn Staley suspended Jah on Feb. 8, 2024, citing “conduct detrimental to the team.” Nothing further was reported in the media about the reason for the suspension, although Staley said that Jah could work herself back onto the team.
As it turns out, it was a relatively inconsequential matter. Jah missed several classes. Staley held her accountable. Both have moved on, but Jah learned some valuable lessons from the legendary head coach that she brings with her to Arizona.
“Everything is not a joke,” Jah said. “She taught me a lot of things, not just on the court, but also off the court—like time management, be on time to things, how you carry yourself—and I really, really do appreciate that.”
She’s drawing on those lessons while she writes a new chapter, but she’s not ruminating on them.
“Don’t let your mistakes define you,” Jah told the fans who joined for the Wildcats’ open practice earlier this month.
Barnes was not concerned about the issues at South Carolina because she has a longstanding relationship with Staley and Arizona assistant coach Bett Shelby has known Jah for years.
“I knew Jah before from recruiting,” Barnes said in June. “I had a really, really good relationship with Dawn, so I talked to Dawn about it, and I just knew it was the right thing to do. And you have to remember even before that, Bett Shelby goes back with Jah like four years. Jah was committed to West Virginia before Bett left. So there is a really longstanding relationship with her, her family, everything, so we’ve known Jah.”
Barnes recruited Jah when she was in high school, but Arizona was a long way to go for the No. 40 player in the 2023 class. Jah is originally from Alexandria, Virginia. She earned WBCA All-American honorable mention her senior season while playing for Montverde Academy in Florida.
“It takes our freshman to go away somewhere and then kind of spread their wings and they’re like, ‘Oh, okay,’” Barnes said.
In addition to the sophomore being more adventurous now, Shelby being on staff was definitely an advantage when recruiting Jah this time around. It wasn’t just about that, though. Jah came back to academics when she talked about her reasons for choosing the Wildcats. It’s a reason that several transfers have given in recent years.
“Honestly, it was the academics and the academic support,” Jah said. “When I came on a visit here and I seen the support system of how they really care about their students, student-athletes, academic wise, it was very trustworthy.”
On the court, Jah gives the Wildcats more depth in the frontcourt. It was a huge issue last year when the team suffered defections and injuries that whittled the roster to three post players and eight players overall. Guards Helena Pueyo and Skylar Jones were often called into frontcourt duties when foul trouble became a problem for the bigs. The loss of Esmery Martinez after last season also needed to be addressed.
Barnes believes Jah’s addition will allow the coaches to be more creative in how they use Montaya Dew.
“She’s gonna really do well here,” Barnes said. “I’m just watching her workouts and we haven’t had an athlete like her and Montaya in that position for a while. The four is a very important position for us. It’s what all of our offense goes through. It’s the top of our press. It’s the person that’s on 90 percent of on-balls. And we lost a good player in Esmery. So getting these young players that we can develop, that can be very special, it’s fun. I think you guys are gonna see that. And I think the size of Jah and Montaya, they can be a three, four, they can switch, they can do a lot of things defensively, I think it’s gonna be a really good combination.”
Jah averaged just over nine minutes per game in the 16 games she played for South Carolina last season. She went for 3.1 points per game on 36.2 percent shooting. She had 2.0 rebounds and 0.6 steals.
The sophomore played mostly with the returning starters during the team’s open practice. She hit several shots from the elbow during the halfcourt scrimmage.
Jah and her teammates will begin their season with an exhibition against West Texas A&M on Friday, Oct. 25. The game will tip off in McKale Center at 6 p.m. MST. Unlike in previous years, both exhibitions will be streamed this season. Steve Quis and Joan Bonvicini will have the call on ESPN+.
South-Carolina
Mica Miller case: FBI conducts search of South Carolina pastor husband's home
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The FBI searched the home of the South Carolina pastor whose wife, Mica Miller, died by suicide in April.
FBI spokesperson Kevin Wheeler confirmed to Fox News that they conducted an authorized search at the home of John-Paul Miller in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Friday.
Local outlet Fox Carolina reported that “evidence response teams” were seen going inside the home, wearing gloves.
SC PASTOR’S WIFE MICA MILLER TOLD POLICE SHE WAS BEING TRACKED BEFORE HER SUICIDE: DOCS
The Millers’ friend, Alicia Young, told Fox News Digital that at least 25 FBI agents were at John-Paul’s home for five hours collecting evidence. The evidence collection included removing fingerprints off the doors.
Young said that John-Paul had left the residence just two minutes prior to FBI agents arriving “and they found and served him at Starbucks.”
“He was not allowed to go to his house while they were there, and he is in their custody for questioning,” she said.
MICA MILLER 911 CALL REVEALS FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE HER DEATH AS NC AUTHORITIES CHALLENGE ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI for comment.
Mica, 30, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office previously confirmed.
The case received national attention, with the couple’s strained relationship being brought to the forefront. The pair was separated, and Mica filed for divorce two days before she died, according to FOX 8 Greensboro.
SOUTH CAROLINA WOMAN MICA MILLER’S HUSBAND SAYS HE TRIED TO ‘RAISE HER FROM THE DEAD’ DURING EULOGY
Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigators also determined that John-Paul “and a female that he is allegedly romantically involved with” were not in Robeson County at the time of Mica’s death.
“Investigators learned through interviews that John Paul Miller was at an athletic event in Charleston on the day of Mica Miller’s death. John Miller’s vehicle was observed traveling on Hwy 17 Bypass, in Horry County at 2:22 pm on April 27, 2024,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. “The investigation confirmed that John Miller was accompanied while traveling to and from the event in Charleston, SC.”
Local authorities have adamantly pushed back against claims that Mica’s death was a homicide, saying evidence of a suicide was “clear and convincing.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital in July, Mica’s sisters said that their sister was “in the middle of war.”
“Mica was in the fight for her life. She was in the middle of war,” Mica’s sister, Anna Francis, said. “She was ready to go to war.”
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“We would like someone else to take over or take another look to see what really happened. Because we don’t believe that everything that happened has come out,” Mica’s sister, Destinee Barrientos, said.
Fox News has reached out to John-Pauls’ attorney for comment.
South-Carolina
Nearly $1B in school bonds is on the ballot in Lancaster, Chester and York counties
Voters in three of South Carolina’s Charlotte metro counties will decide the fate of nearly $1 billion in school bond referendums this election. School districts in Lancaster, Chester, and York counties are looking to expand capacity and enhance security features in campus buildings.
Meanwhile voters in Chesterfield County are being asked to renew the county school district’s penny sales tax to help fund upgrades to athletic facilities, general renovations, and expanded classroom and cafeteria spaces.
Lancaster
The largest of the referendums on the ballot is in Lancaster, where the county school district is seeking $588.15 million, mostly for the construction of four new school buildings. The district serves almost 16,000 students in 22 schools; it is looking to add an elementary school and a high school to fast-growing Indian Land (which would use $315.6 million of the bond funds); a new elementary school in Lancaster ($113.45 million); and a new elementary school in Kershaw ($95 million).
An additional $37.6 million is earmarked for districtwide facilities upgrades, while $26.5 million would pay for security, safety, and facilities upgrades in the Buford community.
The tax impact on voters, should the referendum pass, would be about $65 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value of an owner-occupied home, and per every $10,000 of assessed vehicle value. That tax would bump to $92 per year $100,000 of assessed value of non-owner-occupied residential properties.
Chester
In Chester, voters will decide on $227 million that would fund a pair of new high schools and upgrades to another.
The new high schools would replace the current buildings in Chester and Lewisville. The upgrades would be made at Great Falls High School.
The money raised by the referendum would cover most of the costs of the projects. According to information published by the district, the referendum would pay $99.1 million towards the new high school in Chester and $100.15 million towards the new high school in Lewisville. The remaining $16.8 million to complete both projects would be paid for by the district’s capital funds – which would pay for a theater and a gym at each location.
The tax impact, according to the district, would be $230 annually per $100,000 of assessed home value, plus $34.50 for every $10,000 of assessed vehicle value. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 and a vehicle valued at $10,000, therefore, would pay an additional $264.50 per year in taxes, if the bond referendum passes.
That is a big if, however. Chester voters have denied three successive bond referendums, in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
District spokesman Chris Christoff said that following the 2022 referendum, voters stated that they had felt the district was trying “to do a little too much at one time.” In response, the district launched a series of listening sessions this past spring.
“We asked, if we were to pursue a fourth referendum, what would you want to see,” Christoff said.
A follow-up survey asked whether voters understood the capacity, security, and facilities conditions issues in the district. According to the district, about 80% of the roughly 1,000 respondents said they better understood what they would be voting on, which is a scaled-down slate of projects that no longer include athletics expansions or work to the district career center.
If the referendum fails this round, Christoff said, the district will spent about $20 million of its own capital funds to replace the roofs at Great Falls and Chester high schools, plus other funds to buy additional modular classrooms in Lewisville – the fastest-growing area of the school district, he said.
Chester County School District serves about 5,500 students, which is up from about 5,100 students in 2018-19.
York
The smallest referendum on the ballot for Pee Dee voters this election is a $90 million bond that would pay for a new middle school and expansion and renovations to a learning center in York County School District 1, in York.
According to the district, four elementary schools and one middle school are between 80% and 90% capacity in a district that continues to grow along with the Charlotte metro. As of March, almost 2,400 new homes in the City of York are on tap from development plans in place, according to the district
Therefore, the district maintains, a new middle school is needed to meet that growth as elementary students age up.
The district also wants to renovate its Pinckney Street Learning Center/York One Academy to become an early childhood center.
The tax impact on voters would be $36 additional per year for every $100,000 of assessed home value; $54 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value on second or rental properties; and $945 per year for every $1 million of assessed business property value.
South-Carolina
‘Not the worst of the worst’: Richard Moore set for execution in South Carolina on Friday
Moore’s attorney describes a formerly addicted man who is now a devout Christian, a good father and a changed man. Only the governor can stop the execution now.
The last Black man on South Carolina’s death row to be convicted and sentenced by an all-white jury, according to his attorney, is set to be executed for killing a convenience store clerk during an alleged robbery in 1999.
Richard Moore is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Friday for the death of James Mahoney. If it moves forward, that will make Moore the second inmate executed in the state in a five-week period following a more than decade-long break in the death penalty in South Carolina. Moore also would become the 21st inmate executed in the U.S. in 2024.
Not only does the death sentence imposed by an all-white jury raise serious questions about whether Moore got a fair shake in the South Carolina court system, his attorney argues that Moore was unarmed when he walked into the convenience store and wasn’t even there to rob it.
“This isn’t the worst of the worst,” his attorney, Lindsey Vann, told USA TODAY. “This isn’t the premeditated cold-blooded killing you think of when you think of the death penalty.”
Moore said recently that he prays for forgiveness from Mahoney’s family.
“I hate it happened. I wish I could go back and change it,” a tearful Moore said as part of his request for clemency to the governor. “I took a life. I took someone’s life. I broke a family.”
Here’s what you need to know about Moore’s execution, who he killed and why Moore’s trial judge, two jurors and the former director of South Carolina’s corrections department all believe he deserves clemency from Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.
What was Richard Moore convicted of?
Moore was convicted of fatally shooting James Mahoney on Sept. 16, 1999, at Nikki’s Speed Mart in Spartanburg, a city in northern South Carolina.
At trial, prosecutors told jurors that Moore confronted Mahoney with the intent to rob Nikki’s, even though he was unarmed, according to coverage of the trial from the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
It was Mahoney who drew a .45-caliber gun, after which Moore overpowered and disarmed him. Moore then shot a customer, Mahoney drew another gun, and a shootout ensued, prosecutors said. Mahoney was killed and Moore was hit in the left arm, the Greenville News reported.
Moore ended up leaving the store with $1,400 in cash after dripping blood on Mahoney while stepping over him, and then tried to buy crack cocaine at a nearby home, prosecutors said.
Moore’s attorney argues that he wasn’t robbing the store and a confrontation only arose after Moore was pennies short of being able to pay for his purchases and refused to leave the store.
The jury convicted Moore of murder and sentenced him to death.
He has previously been scheduled for execution twice. It was first scheduled in 2020, but South Carolina didn’t have the lethal injection drugs to carry it out. It was then scheduled for 2022, when Moore was set to be killed by a firing squad, but his attorneys were able to delay it after challenging the constitutionality of the method.
Who is Richard Moore?
“Richard is a devoted Christian father, grandfather, and friend to many, who has reformed his life in the 25 years since his arrest,” his attorney, Lindsey Vann, wrote in his clemency petition. “Like anyone who grows in their walk with Christ, Richard recognized the sins of his past and has sought forgiveness for his mistakes and how they hurt others.”
Moore’s two children, who are now in their 30s, said in a clemency video that he has been a good father to them despite being behind bars since then were 4 and 6 years old.
“I have only ever known my dad as a great father,” his daughter, Alexandria Moore, said in Moore’s clemency request to McMaster. “That’s the only picture I have of him, as giving me copious amounts of love, he has never made me feel anything but incredibly loved and special and I’m grateful for that.”
Moore has taken up painting in prison and likes to do landscapes, Vann said.
Back when the crime happened, Vann said in the clemency petition that Moore “was a man who loved his family and wanted to support them, but who also struggled with a drug addiction that had plagued him since his teenage years growing up outside of Detroit, Michigan.”
She said that addiction cost Mahoney’s life and Moore’s freedom but that Moore “was finally able to break free” of his addiction in prison and has led a good, clean life behind bars.
“We − neither Richard nor his counsel − do not seek to minimize the immense grief and suffering the Mahoney family has experienced over the past 25 years,” she wrote. “His life was cut short and his family lost him forever. But Richard’s death will not undo that harm. Instead, it would remove a loving and supportive presence from the lives of his family and loved ones.”
During the penalty phase of Moore’s trial, prosecutor Trey Gowdy told jurors that Moore had repeatedly assaulted multiple women over the years and had previously been convicted on weapons and burglary charges in the 1980s.
Michelle Crowder testified that Moore punched her in the neck in 1991 and kicked her repeatedly in the head and back as he tried to steal her purse. He then severely beat her fiancé, who had come to her rescue, she testified.
“He’s had chance after chance after chance,” Gowdy said. “James Mahoney had no chance.”
Other voices requesting reprieve for Richard Moore
Among those who believe Moore’s life should be spared in favor of life in prison include his trial judge, two jurors and the former director of South Carolina’s corrections department, according to Moore’s clemency package to McMaster.
“I hope that Governor McMaster will give Richard sort of the rest of his life to continue to pour into the lives of others,” said Jon Ozmint, who believes in the death penalty and is the former director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, which carries out the state’s executions.
“He’s a changed man,” Ozmint said.
Retired Circuit Court Judge Gary Clary, who imposed the death sentence, also asked McMaster to grant clemency.
“Over the years, I have studied the case of each person who resides on death row in South Carolina,” he wrote. “Moore’s case is unique, and after years of thought and reflection, I humbly ask that you grant executive clemency to Mr. Moore as an act of grace and mercy.”
Who is James Mahoney?
Mahoney’s family has not responded to a request for interviews made through the state’s Attorney General’s Office.
They testified in court during the penalty phase of Moore’s trial that the 42-year-old Mahoney was a doting uncle and an avid NASCAR fan.
“I miss his future with us,” Kathy Pinson, Mahoney’s younger sister, said through tears. “I miss the holidays. I miss him coming over on Sundays … to hear him knock on my back door and say, ‘Hey sis, what’s for supper?’ I’ll never hear that again.”
When is Richard Moore’s execution?
Moore is set to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. ET Friday at at the Broad River Correctional Institute in Columbia, South Carolina.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Moore’s request for a stay of execution on Thursday.
The last means of a reprieve for Moore lies with McMaster.
Contributing: Tom Langhorne, Terry Benjamin II
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