Posted on Tue, Aug. 01, 2006

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Medicaid will pay for cancer screenings

More than 50,000 South Carolina Medicaid recipients are eligible for colorectal cancer screenings through a program administered by the Health and Human Services Department.

The screenings will be available to all Medicaid recipients ages 50 to 64. Patients as young as 40 could eligible for the tests if they are in a high-risk group.

Colorectal cancer accounts for about 12 percent of all cancer cases in South Carolina and kills about 900 residents a year. The federal Centers for Disease Control estimates that colorectal cancer deaths could be reduced by 60 percent if everyone older than 50 had a preventive screening procedure called a colonoscopy.

• Moore hires new campaign manager

State Sen. Tommy Moore said Monday he has hired a new campaign manager with deep ties to South Carolina to lead his gubernatorial bid against Republican Gov. Mark Sanford.

Chris Carpenter, 38, was to begin his new job today. Carpenter has been involved in campaigns with former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes.

Born in Worcester, Mass., Carpenter moved to South Carolina in the fourth grade. He graduated from Sumter High School in 1986 and Wofford College in 1990.

Moore has been without a campaign manager since Tim Shock left in March for personal reasons.

GEORGETOWN

• Expert: Stanko was insane at time of killing

Stephen Stanko is a psychopathic genius with an IQ of 143, but he was insane when police say he killed his live-in girlfriend and assaulted a young girl, an expert witness testified Monday, the day before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his capital murder trial.

The hearing was held after the prosecution filed a motion to limit such testimony during a possible death penalty phase of the trial.

If a jury were to find Stanko, 38, guilty, there would be a separate proceeding in which the panel would deliberate on whether to recommend death or life in prison.

Stanko is accused of killing Laura Ling, 43, and sexually assaulting and beating a 15-year-old girl. He also is charged with killing Henry Lee Turner, 74, of Conway, whose body was found about 24 hours after Ling’s slaying.

Both the prosecution and defense agreed Stanko is able to stand trial.

CLEMSON

• Trustees vote to sell university land

Clemson University trustees approved a resolution Monday to sell 257 acres of university property in Myrtle Beach the university said it had no plans to use.

The minimum price, the board said, would be $18 million, but it could go higher in a competitive bid process.

The property is adjacent to, and east of, U.S. 17 Bypass, near the former Air Force base.

The board voted to place $15 million from the sale in an endowment to support the Clemson University International Center for Automotive land acquisition, improvements, endowed chairs, scholarships, fellowships and operating expenses.

Contributing: Staff writer Jim Hammond and The Associated Press