Will it be a battle of the exes in South Carolina? Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is considering running for his former seat in Congress. And so is his ex-wife, Jenny Sanford.
Mark Sanford said late Saturday he might run for the seat coming open in January when Representative Tim Scott takes over for Senator Jim DeMint, who is resigning. DeMint announced earlier this month he would step down in Januaryto become president of the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. Current Gov. Nikki Haley then picked Scott to finish DeMint’s term.
Mark Sanford is a former two-term governor who was a rising GOP star before he vanished from South Carolina for five days in 2009. Reporters were told he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but he later acknowledged he was visiting his mistress in Argentina. He’s now engaged to the woman, Maria Belen Chapur.
Sanford’s ex-wife Jenny Sanford also has said she is considering a run for the seat.
WITH 12 NC DEATHS, FLU SEASON OFF TO A BAD START
Have you gotten a flu shot this year? North Carolina health officials say it's the worst flu season in a decade, with 12 flu-related deaths reported so far. State Health Director Laura Gerald says it's unusual to see so many deaths this early in the season. She strongly encourages anyone over six months old to get a flu vaccination. Officials say the flu is especially dangerous for pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, very young children and the elderly. Nine of the 12 people who died were older than 64. If you do get a shot, it’ll take about two weeks to develop immunity. More info: http://flu.nc.gov/
4th MAN CHARGED IN CLEMSON KILLING
A fourth man has been charged with killing a Clemson University student two weeks ago. 18-year-old Lester Mosley Jr. of Central was arrested Friday night at a motel in Toccoa, Ga. Authorities had been looking for him since Dec. 10, when a group of armed invaders burst into an off-campus home in a gated subdivision and killed 23-year-old Steven Grich. On Saturday, Mosley was denied bond. He and the other men are charged with murder, armed robbery, burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators believe the four intended to steal a large amount of marijuana but only a few grams were taken.
SPORTS
UNC Charlotte’s men’s basketball team came up just short Saturday afternoon at Time Warner arena, falling to Florida State, 79 to 76. It was only the second loss of the season for the 49ers, against 11 wins.
North Carolina pulled out an easy win Saturday night, beating McNeese State, 97 to 63. P.J. Hairston scored a career best 20 points to lead the Tarheels.
In Philadelphia last night, Drexel beat Davidson 69 to 58.
In college football’s New Orleans Bowl Saturday, Louisiana-Lafayette beat East Carolina 43-34. Lafayette’s Terrance Broadway passed for 316 yards and ran for 108 to lead his team. For the Pirates, Shane Carden passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns. But one of his passes was intercepted in the fourth quarter, as East Carolina drove for the potential go-ahead score.