Xavier McKnight
Senior Producer
Sarasota, FL
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Xavier T. McKnight II is the Senior Producer of WWSB-ABC7.
He is a native of Covington, GA, and received his Bachelors of Arts Degree with a focus in Journalism and Mass Communications from Savannah State University in December 2018.
Xavier joined the ABC7 family in February 2019 when he was initially hired as a Digital Content Producer.
He was promoted to a news producer position in September 2020, and ten months later in July 2021, he was promoted to his current role as the Senior Producer.
Xavier also serves as the producer and host of the Football Friday Night segment that airs on ABC7 News at 11 on Fridays during the high school football season on the Suncoast.
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On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence visited Tampa as apart of the Trump administration’s ‘Faith In America’ campaign.
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Future Hall of Fame NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski is ending his retirement and returning to the gridiron.
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Woodlawn is the first black cemetery in the Sarasota area and the JROTC students first began to restore the luster of this historic site in 2017
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The School District of Manatee County has announced that two graduates from high schools in the county were selected in Monday’s Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.
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After receiving complaints about graffiti on the footbridge at 60th Avenue West, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) went to clean up the graffiti and are look to clean up more if possible.
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Sarasota County Schools will be serving alongside organizations such as All Faiths Food Bank to provide families in need with food resources like groceries during the summer.
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James Livingston, 88, and his wife, Sharon, 81, were found dead in their home Friday morning by first responders. The entire home had elevated levels of carbon monoxide, forcing fire crews to wear masks and respirators to navigate the home.
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Police say a woman’s body was found in the water near Mound Street and Osprey Avenue and this time no foul play is suspected.
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According to the Manatee County School Board, the commission in Tallahassee approved a five-year revocation of certificate, five years of probation, a $2,400 fine and an ethics course upon his return for Lincoln Memorial Academy principal Ed Hundley.
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Police say 20-year-old Juan Ortiz-Rivera was caught on surveillance video burglarizing several unlocked cars. Police say they caught him in the act Tuesday night as he was trying to break into several cars in downtown Sarasota.
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Officials say hydrochloric acid was spilled in a janitor’s closet. The school had to be evacuated and more than 40 students were taken to the hospital complaining of difficulty breathing.
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The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. and there has been at least one trauma alert issued.
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FWC received a call from a resident who spotted a lethargic manatee in the creek. The animal is suspected to be an adult female manatee with a water craft injury that has not yet healed on its own.
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Deputies have released motorcycle helmet camera video from a crash earlier this year in Pinellas County which shows the dangers of when some motorcyclists choose to drive recklessly.
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The crash first happened at U.S. 41 and River Road but the van involved continued south on U.S. 41, getting into a second crash at U.S. 41 and Pan American.
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There were live lines across the road following the crash, closing the east and westbound lanes.
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A physical disturbance on the 19000 block of Midway Boulevard led to the death of a Charlotte County resident.
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Richard Cox has been charged with grand theft auto, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and resisting an officer.
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Officers with the Sarasota Police Department (SPD) Street Crimes Unit collected 38 pounds of unused, expired and unwanted prescriptions drugs during the National Drug Take-Back Initiative with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
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On Thursday, FWC biologists completed a necropsy of a female rough toothed dolphin and they found two plastic bags and a piece of a balloon in its stomach.
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EMS and fire personnel were called to a home on the 13000 block of Tamiami Trail in North Port around 4:30 a.m. on August 24, 2018 for reports of a deceased person.
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There has been a car accident on Fruitville Road at Cattleman that is an active scene.
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Chief meteorologist Bob Harrigan discusses the latest on Friday’s severe weather storm watch.
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Holmes Beach in Manatee County has been officially closed down due to inclement weather.
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All athletic fields in Sarasota County have been shut down for the day due to inclement weather.
De Soto National Memorial has shut down for the remainder of the day due to the severe weather.
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A brush fire has closed down Rustic Road and Knights Trail in Nokomis to the public.
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Tampa International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) have announced that numerous flights have either been delayed or cancelled due to inclement weather.
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The Skyway Bridge is now closed to all traffic due to severe weather and high winds.
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A 26-year-old man has been arrested and is now facing a charge for impersonating a law enforcement officer.
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A disabled, local veteran is getting some relief from the heat thanks to a Sarasota Business and a nomination from a local nonprofit.
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The Wells Fargo Bank on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard was robbed around 2:30pm on Tuesday. Employee described a man who came in, demanded cash, then fled in a waiting vehicle.
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A multiple vehicle collision on I-75 south near Exit 179 Toledo Blade in Sarasota County currently has a right lane blocked and traffic is very heavy.
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Everyday, about 200 Sarasota County School District buses take more than 18,000 students to and from school with a a goal to make sure every student arrives there safely.
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The Florida Senate will take up one of the highest-profile issues of the 2019 legislative session tomorrow.
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Sarasota County Schools has just been given quite the honor from one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
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It happened around 12:30pm. Deputies say the pilot, 48-year-old Josef Bakker, who recently received his pilot license, was flying over the Intercoastal Waterway while his co-pilot, 41-year-old James Rahming, took photos of boats.
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There is a car crash at Exit 205 on Clark Road in Sarasota that is an active scene.
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Deputies arrested a 25-year-old man in Manatee County at Firkins Automotive parking lot after receiving reports of a stolen vehicle on Wednesday evening.
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Damien Chanfrante of Punta Gorda was arrested Wednesday and charged with eight counts of supplying alcohol to minors. He’s currently being held in the Sarasota County Jail.
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There has been an accident on I-75 northbound at Clark Road in Sarasota County that is an active scene.
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There has been a major crash on University Parkway at Desoto Road that is an active scene.
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