How much would the $1.15 billion South Carolina Mega Millions winner take home?

Updated: December 26, 2024, 11:00 a.m. EST

AND TIME FOR NEWS. A LOOK AT TODAY’S NEWS. TRAFFIC AND WEATHER BEFORE YOU GO OUT THE DOOR. WE START WITH BREAKING NEWS IN EASLEY. We now know the name of a pedestrian who died after being hit by a vehicle on Christmas Day. The coroner’s office says MONA SMITH and another person were walking on Saco Lowell Road when they were struck around 1:30 yesterday afternoon. NOT A WORD ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON’S CONDITION. The coroner’s office says SMITH died at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries. Several law enforcement agencies are still investigating. The man accused of shooting Greensboro police officer Michael Horne earlier this week is expected to appear before a judge today. TERRELL MCMILLAN IS HELD WITHOUT BOND IN GUILFORD COUNTY PRISON. MCMILLAN has been charged with first-degree murder and faces multiple charges related to the vehicle pursuit that led to his arrest. The North Carolina Highway Patrol arrested the 34-year-old on Interstate 40 along the DUPLIN-SAMPSON COUNTY border about two hours after investigators said he fatally shot Officer Horne at a Food Lion on Lawndale Drive in GREENSBORO. Funeral arrangements for Officer Horne have not yet been released. HORNE HAS BEEN WITH THE POLICE SINCE 2018 AND HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE US COAST GUARD SINCE 2000. NOW THAT CHRISTMAS IS AHEAD AND THE GIFTS ARE OPEN, SAFETY EXPERTS HOPE TO GIVE PARENTS TIPS TO ENSURE THE TOYS ARE SUITABLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. OUR TANIQUA PENNIX COMES TO US NOW WITH MORE. You gave us tips all morning. SOME REALLY GOOD STUFF. THAT’S CORRECT. STEPHANIE AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONSIDER REPORTS THAT NEARLY 155,000 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 WERE TREATED IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM LAST YEAR DUE TO THESE TOY INJURIES. So here’s what you need to do. MAKE SURE ANYTHING YOU BUY IS AGE APPROPRIATE. Check the device for small parts and anything that could cause choking. Make sure battery-operated toys are safe and read these instructions and warning labels. If for any reason you are unsure about the safety of a toy, you can always check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website. GREAT ADVICE. THANKS AGAIN. OKAY, YOUR HOLIDAY CELEBRATION COULD BE EXTENDED WITH ANY LUCK, THANKS TO A BIG MEGA MILLION PRIZE. The jackpot has risen above $1 billion for the eighth time in the game’s 20-year history, lottery managers said. OUR RASHAD WILLIAMS HAS MORE. After there was no winner in the MEGA MILLION LOTTERY DRAW on Christmas Eve, I believe it is unwinnable. The jackpot has now increased to almost $1.20 billion. I FIND IT CRAZY THAT A LOT OF MONEY AFTER TAXES, THE CASH FLAT SUM OF MORE THAN $516 MILLION. SO MUCH MONEY. IF YOU FORGOT TO GET A FEW GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS, DIDN’T GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED, OR YOU JUST WANT A NEW BEGINNING IN LIFE, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. I think a lot of people are feeling bad right now. YOU KNOW? It’s like we’re still in the shadows of the post-COVID era and I think people really want a happy break. And they really want to change something in their lives. A SCENARIO WE ALL HAVE PLAYED IN OUR HEAD. What would you do with the money? I don’t even know what you would do with it. INVEST A LOT. Just try to store it, be smart about it, and make sure it lasts as long as possible. You could buy a house and then I would donate it and all the rest to a charity. I will send my parents into retirement. This is the normal thing to do. The next drawing is on Friday at 11pm East Coast, which would be a perfect way to start the new year. I wouldn’t tell anyone. YES, IT’S ON PACKAGE. Nobody will know. YES, IN GREENVILLE RASHAD WILLIAMS WYFF NEWS FOUR. So what are your chances of winning the Mega Millions lottery? ONE OF MORE THAN 300 MILLION. THIS IS OF COURSE ACCORDING TO SOUTH CAROLINA LOTTERY OFFICIALS. CHRISTMAS DAY is over, but the celebrations continue. AND THIS SPECIFICALLY CALLS FOR SOMETHING YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR INVENTORY. TODAY IS NATIONAL CANDY CANE DAY. IT FALLS ON DECEMBER 26TH EACH YEAR. Now, officials aren’t entirely sure when candy canes came into being, but we’re told that references to peppermint-flavored treats started appearing in literature starting in 1866. Candy canes were first associated with Christmas back in 1874, and today it’s the holiday THE FIRST DAY OF KWANZAA’S WEEK-LONG CELEBRATION. The event was created in 1966 as a non-religious way for African Americans to reconnect with their ancestral roots. IT IS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY FROM DECEMBER 26TH TO JANUARY 1ST. Every evening a candle is lit on a seven-branched candlestick called a kinara. EACH DAY IS DEDICATED TO ONE OF SEVEN PRINCIPLES, including UNITY, SELF-DETERMINATION, COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY, COOPERATIVE ECONOMY, PURPOSE, CREATIVITY and FAITH. Hello, good morning everyone. HAPPY THURSDAY. 650. It’s cold out there, but most of us aren’t freezing. Believe it or not, we are a little warmer. BUT 31 DEGREES. We’re freezing in Franklin. We’re freezing in Rutherfordton. ALL THE OTHERS ARE SOMETHING ON IT OR CLEARLY ON IT, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE. IT IS ACTUALLY NINE DEGREES WARMER IN PICKENS THAN YESTERDAY. This time it’s partly thanks to the clouds, or blamed depending on how you feel. BUT WITH THE CLOUDS THAT ACT AS A BLANKET AND KEEP US STARTING THE DAY A LITTLE WARMER ALL AFTERNOON, WE WILL SEE MORE CLOUDS THAN ANYTHING. YOU MAY SEE ONE SHOWERS OR TWO THIS MORNING AND LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT MOST OF US WILL STAY DRY. Temperatures will be cooler than yesterday, but still around 53 degrees. We will reach a daily high there. YOU COULD PROBABLY GET AWAY WITH SHORT SLEEVES IF YOU ARE OUT AND OUT TOMORROW. BUT MUCH, MUCH COLDER. We’ll take a look at it and your forecast for the entire weekend. YOUR FOUR DAY PLUS DAY WILL COME IN ABOUT 6 TO 7 MINUTES. Oh, I can’t wait. THANK YOU. OKAY, so it’s time to TAKE OFF the REAL CHRISTMAS TREE, right? AND THERE IS ALWAYS THE DILEMMA. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? Well, the Army Corps of Engineers is accepting real trees from December 26th to January 26th. YOU CAN DROP THEM TO THE LOCATIONS SHOWN ON YOUR SCREEN. THERE IS AROUND LAKE HARTWELL. ANGLER WILL THEN PICK THEM UP TO PROVIDE PROTECTION AND FOOD FOR FISH IN THE LAKE. Make sure you remove all decorations and lights. This goes without saying, but so do the tinsel and any paper decorations you have. MAKE SURE YOU WRITE IT ALL DOWN BEFORE DONATE IT. And we take a live look at the parking lot and shops in Greenridge. Yes, there it is. More and more cars are coming in there. Imagine it will be quite busy today as people are looking for these deals, right? As with returns, service lines are expected to be long, and many of these locations are still available today. According to Consumer Reports, some stores have relaxed their return policies while others are stricter. SOME STORES ALSO HAVE EXTENDED THEIR RETURN WINDOW AROUND THE HOLIDAYS. Whatever you return, Consumer Reports recommends you keep the receipt. If you can keep it in the box or packaging, that always helps tip the scales a bit in favor of a cheap return. AND YOU NEED TOO