| Tuesday, April 12, 2016 |
| Mississippi State's 'Car Of The Future' Unveiled In Detroit | |
 | Mississippi State University is showcasing its "Car of the Future" this week in Detroit, Michigan, during an event designed to bring together the best talent in the automotive industry. MSU researchers from the university's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems are attending the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress April 12-14, when they will reveal the university's "Car of the Future" after more than two years of work. MSU President Mark E. Keenum said he is eager for the university to share its new state-of-the-art technological advancements and promote the university's industrial research and development capabilities. |
| Mississippi State revealing 'Car of the Future' before engineers in Detroit | |
 | Mississippi State University says it will reveal its 'Car of the Future' before automotive engineers this week in Detroit. The reveal will take place during the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, which begins Tuesday. According to designers, the vehicle is the results of more than two years of work on building a lighter, greener hybrid car that can travel more than 100 miles using the equivalent of a single gallon of gasoline. Faculty, students and alumni have been working together to make the car a reality. |
| Mississippi State discusses advertising at Starkville Rotary Club | |
| MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter spoke to the Starkville Rotary Club Monday. He wanted them to know about advertising and research projects at the university. The university expanded its social media advertising. It also uses geo tagging, search engine optimization, and rooftop tagging to recruit new students. The goals are to recruit and let possible students know about Mississippi State. Salter said, "I hope that they are encouraged to give Mississippi State a look and a listen. And we believe that if they do, if we can get someone to visit our campus, we think we have a better than average chance of enrolling that student." |
| MSU Extension's Craig Hankins offers insight on spring farming | |
 | "It's going to be an interesting spring once again," said Craig Hankins, Bolivar County's MSU Extension agent, about the spring planting season. "There's been a buzz lately that cotton acres are going to be up across the board. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure, we'll just have to wait and see. ...The crop that stands out right now is corn. Corn acres in Mississippi are projected to be up 57 percent from last year's acres." Hankins said Farm Bill ARC and PLC prices could also have an effect on farmers' decisions. The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs. |
| Golden Triangle Regional Airport boards climb in February and March | |
| More people chose Golden Triangle Regional Airport to fly out of in February and March. Executive Director Mike Hainsey released boarding numbers covering the airports traffic from 2008-2016. In February, 3,142 people boarded flights at GTRA, the highest February total on the report. In March, 3,473 people flew out of Columbus, the third highest for the month over the eight year period. |
| Madison County economic development leader resigns | |
 | The executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority has resigned. Tim Coursey, who had served as head of MCEDA for more than a decade, resigned Friday. His resignation is effective immediately, according to Madison County Board of Supervisors President Trey Baxter. Monday, Coursey said he was looking to take a more hands-on approach in several ongoing business interests. Seven years ago, Coursey and his brother started Nutrient Tree, a vitamin supplement company. Coursey's brother passed away in January, and Coursey and his wife are taking the reins of the company. He's also involved in several real estate and medical business ventures. |
| Pascagoula River moves to most-endangered list | |
 | American Rivers, an organization devoted to protecting and restoring rivers in the United States, has named the Pascagoula River one of America's Most Endangered for 2016. The reason: Fear that the twin lakes proposed for key Pascagoula River tributaries, Big Cedar Creek and Little Cedar Creek, could "cause permanent damage to the river's fish and wildlife, recreation opportunities and natural heritage." The official announcement will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point. The Pascagoula is the nation's largest, free-flowing river by volume in the continental United States. |
| Epps sentencing delayed; McCrory wants to withdraw plea | |
| The attorney for former state lawmaker Cecil McCrory, who pleaded guilty to bribing then-Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps, said his client wants to withdraw his plea. "He is factually innocent of what he pleaded guilty to," said Carlos Tanner of Jackson, who is representing McCrory. It would be up to U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to decide whether to let McCrory withdraw that guilty plea. Also Monday, Epps had his sentencing postponed until July 18 because federal prosecutors are trying to determine the "net value" of the more than $800 million in contracts that involved bribes Epps reportedly received. |
| Conference needed before sales tax bill becomes law | |
 | Mississippi cities may soon receive a greater share of sales tax revenue if a legislative conference committee can produce a bill acceptable to the state's legislative chambers. Both the Senate and House have approved legislation that would increase by 1.5 percent the share of sales tax revenue municipalities currently receive. These additional funds could not be used as general revenue, however. They could only be used for infrastructure projects like water and sewer system construction and repair, or bridge and street renovation. |
| Lawmakers call for do-over on religious objections bill | |
| Some House lawmakers plan to seek a do-over on passage of House Bill 1523, the religious objections law that has had Mississippi in the spotlight in recent weeks. The bill, signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant last week and set to take effect July 1, would allow government officials and businesses to deny services, based on religious beliefs or moral convictions, to gay couples wishing to get married. Opponents say the measure would sanction unconstitutional discrimination against gay people and others. Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, late Monday sent notice of a Tuesday-morning press conference to announce the introduction of a "concurrent suspension resolution intended to suspend the rules and regular deadlines" in the House. |
| John Grisham, Donna Tartt call on Mississippi to repeal anti-LGBTQ law | |
 | Some of the most popular and most critically acclaimed authors in the country have become the latest group to oppose Mississippi's Protecting Freedom of Conscience From Government Discrimination Act. Bestselling novelist John Grisham, Pulitzer Prize winner Donna Tartt and National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward were among those who signed a statement Monday calling for the repeal of House Bill 1523. In their statement released Monday morning, 95 Mississippi authors declared, "It is deeply disturbing to so many of us to see the rhetoric of hate, thinly veiled, once more poison our political discourse." |
| HB 1523 sends entertainment biz into damage control mode | |
| On Sunday, Canadian rocker Bryan Adams announced his decision to cancel his Biloxi concert slated for Thursday in the wake of the state's controversial "religious freedom" law. Viewed by many as an open invitation to discriminate against the LGBT community, concert promoters and film insiders in Mississippi are fearful that Adams' boycott may be the first phase of a chilling effect yet to come. Jeff Rent, a spokesman with the Mississippi Film Office, said in a statement Monday that the Mississippi Development Authority cannot discuss what potential film projects may or may not be coming to the state or speculate on the future of the film industry in Mississippi. |
| Mississippi Church a Window Into National Gay Rights Debate | |
 | On many Sundays, conservative Mississippi Republican Gov. Phil Bryant can be found in the sanctuary at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, almost always in his trademark suit and boots, often among those helping pass the offering plates. In the same sanctuary -- sometimes just a few wooden pews away -- are Jan Smith and Donna Phillips, a same-sex couple who are also active in the suburban Jackson church and have a 9-year-old daughter named Hannah. The juxtaposition of beliefs at this church in the Deep South is a window into a debate in much of the U.S. that sometimes puts friends, neighbors and even fellow church members at odds. At St. Mark's, members say the conversation is usually cordial, even if there are some uncomfortable moments at a church that has roughly 1,200 members. |
| Bryant signs appointed superintendents into law | |
| Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has signed into law a bill that changes all public school district superintendents to appointees. Monday's signing of Senate Bill 2438 eliminates the election of school superintendents in all districts. Fifty-five of the state's 144 school districts elect their superintendents. The new law requires their school boards to appoint superintendents after their current terms end. That includes positions filled in the November 2015 general election. |
| Bryant signs appointed superintendents into law | |
| Making all Mississippi school superintendents appointed, long supported by a wide array of groups ranging from the Mississippi Economic Council to the state Board of Education, was signed into law Monday morning by Gov. Phil Bryant. Of Mississippi's 144 school districts, 55 are headed by elected school superintendents, 11 of which are serving school systems in Northeast Mississippi. About one-third of the elected superintendents left in the nation serve in Mississippi -- primarily in small rural systems, though, some large county districts, such as DeSoto, Madison and Lee are headed by elected superintendents. |
| High court candidate Jimmy Maxwell addresses Tupelo civic club | |
| As Jimmy Maxwell makes it around the north half of the state, the Supreme Court Justice is blending campaigning with educating. Maxwell, who was appointed to the state's highest court in December, gave the Tupelo Rotary Club a brief explanation of Mississippi's court systems, from justice court all the way up through the Mississippi Supreme Court. So as he travels around campaigning in the 32 counties of Supreme Court District 3, he mixes a lot of education with a little bit of campaigning. That is because judges are limited when it comes to reaching out to the voters. "There is not a lot we can say," Maxwell said. "Judges can't go out and talk about issues that might come up in their court. |
| Mississippi attorney general unsure if he'll sue Google | |
| Mississippi's attorney general says he doesn't yet know whether he'll go to court to force Google to comply with a subpoena or sue the Internet giant for violating state law. Democrat Jim Hood said Monday that he will examine the current practices of the unit of Alphabet Inc., saying he hopes the Mountain View, California, company will be more agreeable to talks. "I think after a time to evaluate where we are, maybe we can work with them and go forward and they will have grown up a little bit," Hood told reporters. The company won an injunction freezing Hood's inquiry, but the attorney general appealed and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday threw out Google's suit. |
| AG Jim Hood: Allegations in recently unsealed suit were false | |
| In a recently unsealed lawsuit alleging a kickback scheme with a New York firm, an official in the Mississippi attorney general's office said the state was following policy to use local counsel and "minority attorneys." The now-settled 2014 lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York claimed that Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi selected the firm, Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger and Grossman LLP, as counsel in a securities lawsuit, and in exchange, attorneys with connections to attorney general's office employees received legal fees for unnecessary work. In a statement, Attorney General Jim Hood said, "The allegations concerning the Office of Attorney General are untrue and we give them no merit. In fact, Mr. Bernstein recanted his allegations in a statement dated Feb. 19, 2015. Even the judge in the case emphasized that 'the facts alleged are exactly that --- simply allegations, the truth of which has not been proven.'" |
| Nuisance challengers irk GOP senators | |
 | Republicans don't appear to have a Dick Lugar problem this year: None of their incumbents is in apparent danger of going down in a primary to a tea party challenger, as the Indiana senator did in 2012, and as Utah's Bob Bennett in 2010. That's not to say primary season is going to be pleasant. Some of the GOP's biggest-name incumbents and front-runners still must beat back nagging challengers from the right who promise to sap energy and money from the party's efforts to fend off Democrats in the general election even if they're almost certain to lose. Still, Republicans say these are small headaches after the full-blown civil war of the past three elections. "So far we've done well -- as a matter of fact, much better than a cycle ago, where there were some close calls," said Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. |
| Here's Another Possible Headache at the GOP Convention | |
 | GOP officials are nervously fixated on a looming floor fight for the party's presidential nomination but before that drama ensues, a smaller pool of delegates and party officials must take care of some relatively little-noticed business that could also prove troublesome: drafting the Republican Party's platform. The platform is the quadrennial distillation of what Republicans believe, a tome tens of thousands of words on topics ranging from Middle East policy to farm subsidies. It's a difficult document to write under even normal circumstances. In the past, many notable Republicans and conservatives have served on the committee, including Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Officials with the Republican National Committee say they are aware that this year's platform process could be different. |
| Writers vs. Mississippi's religious freedom bill | |
 | More than 90 writers have publicly stated opposition to the recently-signed religious freedom bill, including Sherman Alexie, this year's Common Reading Experience author for the University of Mississippi. Alexie was scheduled to appear in Oxford in August at the freshman convocation. On Friday, Alexie tweeted, "I'm canceling my appearance at Ole Miss and will not make any further appearances in Mississippi until the anti-LGBT law is repealed." Square Books owner and founder Richard Howorth said Alexie's cancellation is an example of the harm that can come from this bill. Jim Dees, one of the authors who signed the statement, said the most apt description of the bill he has seen yet is that of Sid Salter of Mississippi State University, who called the bill a "solution in search of a problem." "It's going to hurt businesses in this state, which it's already started to do," Dees said. |
| UMMC changes could mean higher drug costs for uninsured | |
| Changes at the University of Mississippi Medical Center could result in higher drug costs for patients without prescription insurance. The hospital participates in several programs that offer discounted drugs to underserved patients, but a change in hospital policy will now allow only patients who see doctors at hospital-based clinics to be eligible. "This changes where patients are served to make it simpler for pharmacists to know which patients are covered," Kevin Cook, chief executive officer of the Health System, said. |
| Firm ready for market demand analysis at USM Gulf Park | |
 | In November, University of Southern Mississippi officials put together an 11-person ad hoc committee to look at the possibility of building dorms on the university's Gulf Park campus. Steve Miller, vice president for the campus, said he and President Rodney Bennett had heard from organizations and individuals along the Gulf Coast asking the university to consider dorms. Miller said the university has spent about $47,000 to hire MGT, a market demand analysis company, to look at the state of current housing options in the Gulf Coast area. The company will also begin this week to conduct student focus groups and student surveys, as well as talk to admissions and recruiting officials to get their opinions on the need for dorms. "The very important piece of this process is getting this market demand analysis done," Miller said. |
| Renowned physicist S. James Gates visits U. of Southern Mississippi | |
| S. James Gates, an internationally recognized physicist and the John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park visited with students and faculty members in the University of Southern Mississippi's Department of Physics and Astronomy Friday. He had lunch on the Hattiesburg campus, discussed his research and advances in the field of physics and career opportunities in the sciences. He was also guest speaker for the department's first Rayborn Lecture in Physics during which he discussed, among other topics, his research involving supersymmetry or "SUSY." |
| Former First Lady Laura Bush shares stories from the White House during Auburn visit | |
 | For former First Lady Laura Bush, the worries of life are all relative. "I'd like to report that now that we've left the White House and moved into our new home in Dallas, our lives are back to normal, but I think I may have forgotten what normal is," Bush said. "When you're married to the president of the United States, you don't worry too much about him leaving his wet towels on the floor, but in Dallas things are different." Bush, wife of the 43rd President of The United States of America, George W. Bush, delivered the keynote address at the 14th annual Women's Philanthropy Board Spring Luncheon on Monday at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. |
| U. of Florida looks for 'transformational' ways to marry campus and city | |
 | The University of Florida will spend a healthy amount of money and the rest of this year on a plan that weaves together the long-term future growth of the university and the Gainesville area. In a February column in the Gainesville Sun, Charlie Lane, the senior vice president and chief operating officer at UF, said the university launched the strategic development plan because ongoing efforts to become a preeminent, top 10 public university will require a "preeminent university city." UF has hired the Boston firm Dumont Janks, which has handled campus planning and design projects at Georgetown, Harvard, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins and a slew of other universities, for approximately $1 million to helm the planning process. |
| U. of Florida farmers market focuses on eating healthy, sustainable agriculture | |
| As tailgating University of Florida football fans got ready for last Friday's Orange and Blue spring game, the row of pop-up canopy tents in a field next to Lake Alice marked the site of a different type of campus gathering. There, kale and cauliflower replaced beers and brats. Acoustic guitar music drifted through the air and chefs from local restaurants gave demonstrations on healthy cooking. This was the first UF Fresh Off the Farm farmers market, the latest piece of an ongoing campaign on campus to inject more healthy vegetables into student diets and teach sustainable agriculture techniques. |
| Supporters deliver petition backing Tiger Band director Roy King to LSU president | |
 | LSU alumni are lining up in support of Roy King, the director of the Golden Band from Tiger Land, who was put on administrative leave pending an investigation last week. About a dozen people on Monday morning delivered copies of a Change.org petition with more than 1,500 signatures to LSU President F. King Alexander, which called for the marching band director's reinstatement. Alexander was not available to directly receive the petition, but the group passed it along to his staff. Copies of the petition also were sent to Gov. John Bel Edwards. Last week, King's attorney Jill Craft said King is the victim of a money grab attempt by the LSU School of Music, which wants a share of the athletic funds dedicated to the Tiger Band. |
| AG Beshear sues Gov. Bevin to stop mid-year budget cuts to Kentucky universities | |
 | Attorney General Andy Beshear filed a lawsuit Monday in Franklin Circuit Court challenging Gov. Matt Bevin's authority to cut the budgets of Kentucky's public colleges and universities without legislative approval. Beshear contends that Bevin's March 31 decision to implement a 4.5 percent spending cut for universities in the current fiscal year violates Kentucky's constitutional provision for separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of state government. The state's chief law enforcement official also said during a Capitol news conference that Bevin's actions violated numerous state laws governing budget reductions and that he would ask the courts for an expedited hearing to force the release of withheld appropriations to each university. |
| Presidential reflections at Texas A&M: Former staffers discuss Bush 41's legacy, humor | |
 | Playful smiles, raucous laughter and prideful glances characterized Monday evening as ex-White House officials Chase Untermeyer, Mary Kate Cary and John H. Sununu gathered on the Texas A&M campus to discuss a man for whom they each openly express their admiration: former President George H.W. Bush. The trio -- along with moderator and former Bush administration colleague Fred McClure, executive director of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation -- shared memories from when they served together. The 41st president and his wife Barbara were in the audience at the Annenburg Presidential Conference Center. Cary, who served as a speech writer and recently produced a documentary titled "41 On 41," noted that in recent years, interest in Bush's time in the oval office has soared. |
| Report outlines U. of Missouri impact on incomes, economy | |
 | The University of Missouri boosts the state's economic output by 25 percent, and each dollar of state support means $38.43 in economic activity over the ensuing 25 years, according to a report commissioned by The Missouri 100, an advocacy and advisory group to the UM president. The study, intended to update a similar report written in 2007, was released as state lawmakers are considering a final decision on the university's appropriation for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Missouri House has proposed cutting $8.6 million from the university and freezing it out of increases tied to performance. The state Senate has proposed cutting $1 million and providing $26.8 million in new support through performance-based increases. |
| Lawmaker supports cuts to U. of Missouri as price of ignoring past racial concerns | |
| The Missouri House should hold firm on cuts to the University of Missouri because the school has not done enough to close racial divides and promote inclusion, the Democratic chairman of the House Select Committee on Urban Issues said Monday. Rep. Courtney Curtis, D-Ferguson, and Rep. Justin Alferman, R-Hermann, spent about 90 minutes questioning interim President Mike Middleton, Board of Curators Chair Pam Henrickson and Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Chuck Henson. Curtis, a graduate of the university, has sponsored legislation creating a joint legislative committee to oversee the university. Curtis has been critical of the university and Middleton for not doing more to make the campus welcoming before the fall protests organized by Concerned Student 1950 brought international attention to the school. |
| U. of Missouri to shutter residence halls because of enrollment decline | |
| There will be two fewer residence hall options for incoming freshmen at the University of Missouri, who on Monday began choosing their dormitories. Respect and Excellence halls, constructed in 2004, will not be used unless the other open halls are filled, MU spokesman Christian Basi wrote in email. The two dormitories, which house as many as 315 students, need significant repairs, such as fixing leaking shower floors, that would be disruptive if students were housed there, Basi wrote. "We also are doing this because we need to utilize our halls in the most cost efficient and effective manner possible," Basi wrote. "For example, it's more expensive to partially fill all residence halls than it is to close two, perform necessary repairs, and reopen at a later point." MU is expecting an enrollment decline of about 1,500 students in the fall, including about fewer 900 incoming freshmen. |
| Job cuts part of U. of Missouri Operations' $5.47 million in budget reductions | |
 | University of Missouri Operations will eliminate 50 positions through attrition and layoffs as part of an expected $5.47 million budget cut for fiscal year 2017, MU Vice Chancellor for Operations Gary Ward said in an email Friday. "I do not anticipate that changes beginning July 1, 2016, will inhibit the academic mission at Mizzou, nor is it my intention for that to ever happen," Ward wrote in the email to faculty and staff. This announcement follows a March 9 memo from Interim Chancellor Hank Foley that announced a campuswide hiring freeze and a 5 percent cut to MU's fiscal year 2017 general revenue budget. The cuts at MU Operations are among those happening across campus. At a faculty forum March 10, College of Engineering Dean Elizabeth Loboa announced 11 cost-saving measures and goals intended to make up about $500,000 to $700,000 of the school's 5 percent budget cuts. |
| Student Debt Is Holding Back Millennials? Not So Fast | |
 | The conventional wisdom among student activists and elected leaders is that high levels of student debt are causing young Americans to delay key milestones like buying a home, getting married and having kids. New research paints a more complicated picture. It suggests student debt is indeed a barrier for a significant minority -- college dropouts -- but that it's generally not holding back those who earned degrees. The key findings: The likelihood of holding a mortgage, getting married and having children increase with age and educational attainment. And those who took out student debt and earned a degree are far more likely to have done those things than those who borrowed and dropped out. Perhaps more surprisingly, they were more likely to even than some who graduated and didn't borrow. |
| How academics use social media to advance public scholarship | |
 | At an American Educational Research Association panel, academics discuss the rewards -- and risks -- of using social media to advance public scholarship. When Nolan L. Cabrera, a panelist and professor at the University of Arizona, spoke publicly about a controversy over Mexican-American studies in Arizona, he said he met with the university's media relations team. They weren't sure, they told him, how his work would make the university look. "This is -- to me, a nontenured faculty member -- basically having the voice of the institution saying, 'Not only do we not value what you're doing, but we're afraid of what it will look like,'" Cabrera told the panel. While universities are stereotyped as bastions of liberalism, he added, they are actually quite conservative: they care deeply about their reputations, their sense of prestige, their ability to find donors. "I know the office of the general counsel very well," he said, "and they don't like me very much." |
| Some at Rhodes College see racist messages in 'prank' | |
| Two incidents on the campus of Rhodes College over the weekend have spurred an intense discussion about racism among students and faculty on the small private campus. A sock monkey was discovered hanging out of a dorm on Friday, the college said in a statement, and was removed after campus security was notified. Some students and faculty said they believed it was a racist symbol, although the college said in a statement that it was a dorm-room prank. Saturday morning, students discovered someone had written "Trump 2016" and "Build a wall" in chalk. The incidents occurred as Rhodes hosted several minority students through the annual Multicultural Visit Program, an overnight event for minority high school seniors to experience life on campus, according to the college's website. |
| Mississippians will suffer from legislative hissy fit | |
 | Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "...lawmakers in Mississippi felt compelled to have a hissy fit, similar to the 2014 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which ordered that 'In God We Trust' be added to the state's official seal. In total, 102 or Mississippi's 154 lawmakers and the governor affirmed their belief that it is OK to single out people for different treatment if, in the view of others, they are sinners. Even if the act is, in practical terms, pointless, it brought an immediate national lightning strike of condemnation and ridicule. That's because it is hurtful -- very hurtful -- to each and every Mississippian and to the state's future. As has been well documented, employer organizations and employers -- ranging from the highly conservative Mississippi Manufacturing Association to multinationals such as Nissan and Toyota -- don't support any discrimination of any type. The greater harm is expressed silently." |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs soar to No. 2 in national ranking | |
| Mississippi State climbed to No. 2 in the D1baseball.com national rankings on Monday after its weekend series win at previously top-ranked Florida. The Diamond Dogs (23-9-1), No. 5 a week ago, snapped the Gators' 29-game winning streak at home with 10-4 and 2-1 victories on the final two days to take their fourth straight SEC series. MSU is No. 2 in the latest Baseball America poll, No. 5 in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Miami (25-4) rose to No. 1 in all three. The two wins over Florida pushed the Bulldogs' record to 7-2 against top 10 opponents this season including a 4-2 mark against teams in the top five. State swept previous No. 9 Oregon in Starkville and took two games at Vanderbilt when the Commodores were No. 2. The Diamond Dogs will face another tough test this weekend against No. 6 Texas A&M for Super Bulldog Weekend, starting on Friday night. |
| Mississippi State's Jake Mangum named freshman of the week | |
| Mississippi State's Jake Mangum has continued his tear at the plate and in doing so was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. Mangum went 10-for-18 last week with a double, triple, three RBIs, three runs scored and two walks. He also filled in to play center field due to an injury to Jacob Robson. The Pearl native leads the league with a .437 batting average and is second with a .500 on-base percentage. Mangum also sits second in the conference with a .429 average in SEC play. |
| Mississippi's major baseball programs all receiving Top 25 recognition | |
| Mississippi's three major baseball programs are fully represented in this week's Baseball America Top 25. Mississippi State sits at No. 2, Ole Miss is at No. 8 and Southern Miss makes its first appearance at No. 25. Mississippi State (23-9) makes an impressive three-spot jump this week with Miami (25-4) holding the No. 1 ranking. The Bulldogs make the climb toward the top after taking two of three games from previous No. 1, Florida, in Gainesville last week. A pair of Coast natives played a role in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Florida. The Bulldogs host Memphis at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday before No. 4 Texas A&M (25-7) comes to Starkville Friday for a crucial three-game SEC series. |
| Talk but no action on widening the SEC's misconduct rule | |
| There are no bylaws within the Southeastern Conference or at Mississippi State that would prevent Jeffery Simmons from enrolling in the university this summer, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey does not expect the conference to change that in the near future either. Sankey, who spoke to the media for an hour at UAB on Monday, said while a year-old rule outlawing the incoming transfers of those accused of sexual assault or domestic violence has been successful, he's hesitant to extend them to incoming freshman for incidents that occurred in high school. "That's a conversation that has occurred," Sankey said. "I don't think that's the direction at this point but it's still an ongoing dialogue." |
| SEC commissioner addresses Ole Miss infractions, HB 1523 | |
| A few months have passed since Ole Miss received its Notice of Allegations from the NCAA regarding 28 combined violations in football, women's basketball and track and field. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was adamant that he doesn't want another program in the conference to receiver a notice in the near future. "I've been very clear across this league, we've got two matters right now that have produced notice of allegations across the league. We need not have more, period," Sankey said. That wasn't the only matter brought up regarding the state of Mississippi. Sankey was also asked about Governor Phil Bryant's decision to sign the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act (HB1523) into law last week, which has been a controversial topic. "The first thing I'd say is, both of our universities in Mississippi, their presidents issued statements about the fact their campuses are places of diversity and welcoming campuses to all," Sankey said. |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addresses NCAA satellite camp ban | |
| Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey opened up about the NCAA's recent ban on satellite camps and shot down the notion that the SEC, in essence, bullied its way to the ruling. Sankey, speaking in front of a group of media members at the annual Associated Press Sports Editors Southeast Region Meeting at the UAB campus in Birmingham, defended the NCAA's decision and discussed his viewpoint on the matter at length during a nearly hour-long question-and-answer segment. The camps became a hot-button issue in the last year, specifically when Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh began conducting such camps throughout the country, most notably in the SEC's backyard. |
| Ole Miss pitcher Andy Pagnozzi arrested on suspicion of DUI | |
| Andy Pagnozzi was arrested slightly before 1 a.m. Friday morning on suspicion of DUI (first offense) by the University Police Department and released at 6 a.m. The right-handed relief pitcher has posted a 5-1 record and a 3.18 ERA over 28 1/3 innings that came in nine games (three starts) this season. Pagnozzi, 19, allowed two earned runs and two hits over 2 1/3 innings in Sunday's 8-7 victory against No. 21 Arkansas, two days after his arrest. "We are aware of the matter, and from a team standpoint, it has been handled internally," coach Mike Bianco said in a statement. "We understand the seriousness of the situation and address it with fitting consequences when instances like this occur." The Oxford Eagle's Davis Potter first reported the news. |
| Georgia governor signs into law bill allowing 90 business day response to athletic open records requests | |
 | Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law on Monday a bill allowing athletic departments of public schools in the state, including the University of Georgia, up to 90 business days to respond to open records requests. Senate Bill 323 had an 11th hour house amendment concerning athletics that increased the time to respond from only three business days. "This is an economic development bill and the governor supported the inclusion of the language regarding athletics," Jen Talaber Ryan, deputy chief of staff for communications for the governor, said via email. "It simply levels the playing field with other states that also have strong athletic programs like Georgia." Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said the law "would really help us out administratively and allow us more time to facilitate the vast number of requests we receive." |
| UGA freshmen football players Julian Rochester, Chad Clay arrested on felony charges | |
| Two Georgia freshmen football players were in the Clarke County Jail on Tuesday morning after each was arrested on two felony charges. Defensive back Chad Clay and defensive lineman Julian Rochester were each charged with having a weapon in a school zone and second degree criminal damage. Georgia said in an email sent to reporters the charges were "related to possession of a BB gun and property damage." "I'm disappointed with the poor judgment of Julian and Chad," coach Kirby Smart said in a statement. "We expect full compliance with the policies of the University and of our football program from all our student-athletes. Information is still being gathered but they will be disciplined in an appropriate manner." |
| NCAA approves moratorium on new bowls | |
| The NCAA is prohibiting the creation of new bowl games for the next three years after three teams with 5-7 records were needed to fill the record number of bowls last season. The NCAA's football oversight committee last week recommended a three-year moratorium on sanctioning new postseason games and it was approved by the Division I Council. The oversight committee started a task force to study the Bowl Subdivision postseason after there was not enough six-win, bowl-eligible teams last season to fill the 40 games. Three cities --- Austin, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina --- were in the process of trying to gain approval for new bowl games. ESPN.com was first to report the moratorium. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
