Ex-Boyfriend Arrested in Murder of USC Professor

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- Police have arrested a suspect in the murder of a University of South Carolina associate professor who was found dead inside her home Sunday morning.

Hank Hawes, 37, was arrested at the hospital Sunday and charged with murdering 36-year-old Jennifer Lee Wilson. Hawes was hospitalized over the weekend after attempting to commit suicide, according to The State.

Police say they believe Hawes and Wilson were once a couple but were not together at the time of the alleged murder. Wilson was stabbed multiple times; police believe she was murdered several hours before her body was found.

Authorities say they were initially called to Wilson's home Saturday afternoon to investigate an argument, and found the slain victim when they returned to the property on Monroe Street around 11 a.m. Sunday, after a call from a concerned neighbor.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

SC State University President to Visit Tanzania

(ORANGEBURG, S.C.) -- South Carolina State University President Dr. George E. Cooper is scheduled to travel to Tanzania as part of a program by President Obama to expand academic opportunities of African students.

According to a statement posted on the university's website on Monday, Dr. Cooper will make the goodwill trip later in the week as part of a contingent comprising of other education officials. The group is scheduled to deliver more than 700,000 student textbooks and other learning materials to the Tanzanian government, and also visit several secondary schools in Dar es Salaam.

Officials will also meet with representatives from the University of Dar es Salaam to discuss possible academic partnerships with S.C. State University.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Medicare Benefits Larger Hospitals: Report

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- A new report shows rural hospitals in South Carolina  are struggling to maintain business amid a growth in larger and more specialized hospitals, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.

The study by Medicaid/Medicare shows half the beds in 30 rural hospitals in the state were filled on an average day between 2007-2009, as more patients opted for hospitals that offered more than basic services. Between those years, occupancy dropped by eight percent and 10 of the 13 smallest hospitals reported losses.

According to the report, a significant factor is the distribution of Medicare. The top 12 largest hospitals in the state receive approximately 65 percent of Medicare claims from the state, while seven percent go to hospitals in rural areas. Therefore, officials say that although larger hospitals are footing the bill for the equipment and facilities to perform procedures like heart surgery and cancer care, they are also receiving the biggest Medicare reimbursements.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

SC Attorney General Endorses Huntsman for President

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson endorsed Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman for president on Monday.

Huntsman announced that Wilson would make his endorsement in Columbia, S.C., on Monday morning.

Huntsman is expected to outline his plans for lowering the jobless rate in New Hampshire on Monday.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio 

Woman Found Dead in Home

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- The Columbia Police Department is investigating the death of a woman whose body was found inside a Columbia home on Sunday.

Officials say police responded to a tip, and when they arrived at 3721 Monroe Street at 11 a.m., they discovered the woman's body amid signs of struggle at the residence. Police are investigating the death as a homicide.

The woman's name has not be released and further details are expected at a news conference Monday. Anyone with information on the homicide are asked to contact Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio