| Tuesday, October 24, 2017 |
| Grisham Master Teacher Joanne Beriswill gives lecture | |
 | Joanne Beriswill, the Mississippi State University John Grisham Master Teacher for 2017, gave a lecture at the Mitchell Memorial Library Monday. In her lecture, Beriswill, an associate professor in the MSU Department of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development, discussed her personal teaching strategies for both graduate and undergraduate courses. Beriswell said one of her favorite teaching tools was the attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction (ARCS) model. "If I were on a desert island with one teaching strategy, I would take (John) Keller's ARCS model with me, because it is that powerful," Beriswill said. "It's powerful enough that it helps me get my nephews and nieces to take the garbage out. I can get different people to do things for me when I need it done. I can get my students to wake up and pay attention. It is the be all-end all." |
| Inequity in Mississippi as clear as black and white | |
 | A stark contrast in opportunities for children of different races is illustrated in the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT policy report released Tuesday. Disadvantages for black kids in Mississippi begin at birth -- more than 16 percent of African-American babies across the state are born underweight, the worst rate in the nation. This year, considering the climate surrounding immigration, threats to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and President Donald Trump's promise to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, the report focuses on the state of immigrant families. Mississippi KIDS COUNT representative Heather Hanna acknowledged the state's relatively small immigrant population and cited the data that stands out for Mississippi: poor outcomes for black children. "We need better coordination across the system to make sure children are not following through the cracks," said Hanna, an assistant research professor in Mississippi State University's Social Science Research Center. |
| Mississippi National Guard unit being deployed in 2018 | |
 | About 4,200 Mississippi National Guard soldiers will be mobilized starting in 2018, including a nine-month deployment to Kuwait. A guard news release Monday says the soldiers are from the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, based in Tupelo. The brigade will go to Fort Bliss, Texas, in the spring and then to Kuwait for Operation Spartan Shield. The guard says the operation is to "deter and react to possible threats within the Middle East." Its Mississippi battalion headquarters in McComb, Senatobia, Starkville, Amory, Monticello and Meridian. It also has a battalion based in Kansas City, Kansas. |
| Biofuel Company Announces Plans for Mississippi Refinery | |
| A British company aims to build a refinery in southwest Mississippi that will turn wood into the equivalent of diesel or jet fuel. Velocys announced Friday that it has signed an option for a 100-acre (40-hectare) site in Natchez. The Natchez Democrat reports Velocys plans 40 refinery jobs paying an average of $100,000 yearly, and could indirectly support another 100 forestry jobs paying $40,000 on average. Mississippi Development Authority Chief Economic Development Officer Billy Klauser says the company could invest several hundred million dollars. |
| Mississippi education superintendent says department improving purchasing methods | |
| Mississippi's state superintendent of education says her department is tightening accounting and purchasing procedures, weeks after it was accused of illegally issuing some contracts without taking bids. State Superintendent Carey Wright, speaking Monday at a luncheon sponsored by the Capitol press corps and Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government, said it's possible that State Auditor Stacey Pickering has correctly accused the department of illegal activity, but said it's too early to draw any conclusions. "I'm open to whatever he's saying is happening," Wright said. |
| State superintendent hopes to ramp up pre-K effort | |
 | Carey Wright said one of her goals when accepting the position of Mississippi superintendent of education four years ago was to place more of an emphasis on early childhood education. On Monday, she said during a luncheon meeting of the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/capitol press corps that progress is being made toward improving early childhood education. During the 2018 legislative session, Wright and the state Board of Education will be requesting an additional $6 million for early childhood education. The state currently spends $4 million to finance 14 early childhood collaboratives across the state where local school districts and other day-care providers work together to provide educational opportunities for pre-kindergarten students. With an additional $6 million, about 20 collaboratives could be added. She said students who participated in the collaboratives created through legislation passed earlier this decade have excelled in the early grades. |
| Pre-K key to lifting Mississippi educational outcomes: Superintendent | |
| For three years, Mississippi has enacted a sort of stopgap known as the third-grade reading gate to prevent the social promotion of children with reading deficits. The argument goes that students, who advance to the fourth grade without proficient reading skills are more likely to struggle in school, earn less over a lifetime or drop out. That's the reason more than 2,000 third-graders were held back last year after failing to pass the state's mandated literacy test, according to data analyzed by The Hechinger Report. But state Superintendent of Education Carey Wright says the battle to improve educational outcomes in Mississippi, long ranked toward the bottom of national academic indicators such as the Nation's Report Card and Education Week's Quality Counts report, must begin before students reach the schoolhouse. Wright on Monday told attendees at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum that learning gaps are present on day one of kindergarten. |
| Amid audit criticism, Ed Dept. enacts contracting changes | |
 | In the wake of two scathing audits released by the state auditor's office, Mississippi Department of Education officials are highlighting the changes put in place to fix deficiencies in accounting and procurement procedures. In September, State Auditor Stacey Pickering accused the Mississippi Department of Education of purposefully attempting to circumvent state laws regarding contracts and procurement in a report released by his office. In September, the Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER Committee) concluded that department entered into multiple contracts in fiscal years 2014-2016 "having apparent similarities in scope of work and for amounts that collectively exceeded bid thresholds, rather than competitively bidding contracts for such services." At a state Board of Education meeting last week, education officials outlined the new policies and procedures the department has implemented in the last year to make sure the department is following the rules when it comes to procuring contracts. |
| State settles with GM over ignition switch | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced Monday that the state will receive more than $1.47 million from a $120 million multi-state settlement with General Motors. The settlement resolves an investigation into allegations that GM failed to disclose problems with ignition switches installed in 2.1 million automobiles in the United States. The defective switches, under certain conditions, unexpectedly shifted from the "run" position to "accessory" or "off," causing vehicles to stall. In addition to shutting down the engine, the defect also disabled power steering, power brakes, and airbags. Although GM became aware of this defect as early as 2004, it took no action to notify consumers of the danger until 2014 when it issued the first of several vehicle recall notices. A list of the affected vehicles and the recall notices is included below. |
| Sen. Cochran 'has never mentioned retirement,' chief of staff says | |
| Sen. Thad Cochran, who has faced scrutiny about his future while battling health issues, has not mentioned retirement, his chief of staff said on a statewide radio program Monday. Cochran's chief of staff Brad White chastised critics, citing health issues "that are common to men his age" and saying political operatives have spread misinformation about the senator's health "to promote their own selfish agenda." "The bottom line is, today, the senator's never mentioned retirement, he's always expressed his desire to get better and return to work as soon as possible," White said on the Paul Gallo Show. "We're having, as a staff, to balance managing his desire to get back to work and getting back to a regular schedule while working with his doctors to make sure we don't do anything that would negatively impact his recovery. And that's going to take time." |
| High stakes as Trump heads to Hill | |
 | President Trump and Senate Republicans will huddle Tuesday on Capitol Hill in hopes of finding something that has eluded them all year: party unity. Republicans are in broad agreement about the need to pass tax reform, but are struggling to get on the same page as they begin what is likely to be a grueling debate over legislation. Leading voices in the GOP have said that success on a tax bill could decide whether Republicans sink or swim in next year's elections, raising the stakes for everyone involved. Still, Tuesday's meeting is likely to be awkward. Two senators who have ratcheted up their rhetoric against Trump in recent weeks, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), are likely to be in the room. |
| Food fight? After spats on Twitter, Trump's having lunch with Senate Republicans | |
 | Like a feuding family that still shares a dinner table, President Donald Trump will join Senate Republicans at lunch Tuesday in the ornate Mansfield Room at the U.S. Capitol. Pass the gravy and a side of awkward. But any discomfort is expected to dissipate quickly, thanks to a dish every Republican senator can savor: A tax rewrite. That's expected to be Trump's main topic. The House later this week is expected to pass legislation that will push the effort forward, and the next, more crucial, step will involve filling in details. While there's been no shortage of fusillades launched from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue or the other, the shared desire among Senate Republicans and the White House to secure a legislative victory and enact a sweeping tax overhaul is expected to paper over any differences. |
| Lobbyists Get Boost From Fiscal, Defense, Immigration Fights | |
 | Stalemate in Congress over mega-ticket agenda items, such as a replacement for the Obama-era health care law, hasn't upended K Street business this year. The once-raging health care debate has yet to produce an enacted law as a replacement. But it has fueled business along the lobbying corridor, just as a tax overhaul is taking the spotlight in the final quarter of the year. Republicans in Congress may unveil their tax bill as early as next week. Appropriations, budget, immigration and defense are also among the top drivers of policy work for lobbying organizations, according to disclosures recently filed with Congress covering the third quarter, from July 1 through Sept. 30. Though the two biggest clients on K Street, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Realtors, are not on pace to spend more this year than they did last year, key health interests are spending more now. The drug industry's Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, better known as PhRMA, has already exceeded its federal lobbying tab from last year in just the first three quarters of this year. |
| MUW's Fant Memorial Library's Makeover Is Complete | |
 | The revamped library is the most important academic building on the Mississippi University for Women campus. Once all of the technology gets installed, it will be the smartest building on campus. Campus leaders want the state of the art library to be a place where students want to be, come to collaborate, and study. "It has a coffee shop. It has terrific furniture for studying. It's got space for collaborations on class projects and group projects. It's got a multi-purpose meeting room here. It was designed to be the hub of activity, both academic and co-curricular on the campus," says Mississippi University for Women President, Dr. Jim Borsig. The library showcases what learning looks like in the 21st century. |
| 5th sexual assault reported at Ole Miss this semester | |
| Another sexual assault was reported at the University of Mississippi. Police said the latest assault happened early Saturday morning at Stockard Hall. No arrests have been made, but university police have identified the suspect. This is the fifth reported sexual assault this semester. Police have not connected the crimes. |
| USM's University Forum Series to Feature 'Undocumented' | |
 | A firsthand account of the life of undocumented immigrants in America is the next topic of discussion in the fall 2017 University Forum series at the University of Southern Mississippi. Princeton University professor Dan-el Padilla Peralta will share his perspective on being an undocumented immigrant in America in his presentation, "Undocumented," which forms his acclaimed book, Undocumented: A Dominican Boy's Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League. This program is set for October 24 at 6 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus. The University Forum is presented by the Southern Miss Honors College. |
| Trick-or-Treat on U. of Alabama sorority row set for Tuesday | |
 | The Alabama Panhellenic Association will host its annual Trick-or-Treat on Sorority Row for the Tuscaloosa community at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the University of Alabama campus. The event continues until candy runs out or 8 p.m. The free event is for children 12 and younger. Costumes are encouraged but masks will not be allowed. Children can visit the lawns of sorority houses on Magnolia, Colonial, and Judy Bonner drives, where members from the Alabama Panhellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council and the United Greek Council will distribute candy. Sorority Row will be accessible only on foot. No cars, bicycles, skateboards or hover boards will be allowed. Also, no pets will be allowed, other than service animals. |
| Alabama partners with manufacturing industry council for statewide certifications | |
 | Manufacturing is big business in Alabama, where a new partnership seeks to strengthen the relationship between community colleges and industry. Earlier this month Kay Ivey, the state's governor, announced that the Alabama Community College System is teaming up with the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council to offer industry certifications. Alabama will be the first state to offer the council's certification across its public colleges, state officials said. A significant number of people in the state -- about 22 percent of the state's work force -- are in manufacturing and transportation, said Jeff Lynn, vice chancellor of work force and economic development for the community college system. Yet more coordination was needed, he said. "Around the state, I didn't see a steady, strong work-force pipeline plan," said Lynn. |
| Year before Gruver's death, LSU was told frat's pledges hazed, 'sleeping in ... puke' | |
 | Less than a year before Phi Delta Theta was tossed off LSU's campus for its involvement in the death of Maxwell Gruver, LSU received a couple of distressed messages from people worried about the fraternity's wild partying ways and threats against pledges. The allegations led to an investigation by LSU which yielded a five-week interim suspension of activities. In October 2016, an LSU parent and alumni of LSU's Greek system, wrote university officials about disturbing behavior she witnessed at a Phi Delta Theta tailgate, according to public records, which did not include her name. A week later, a "concerned student" anonymously wrote LSU to warn administrators about threats of hazing from Phi Delta Theta brothers. LSU President F. King Alexander has vowed to root out dangerous behavior in Greek Life. |
| In the Face of Racism, U. of Florida Chief Says All You Need Is Love | |
 | In the throes of an increasingly familiar face-off between white supremacists and college leaders, W. Kent Fuchs, the University of Florida's president, leaned on a word that is seldom heard from a public college administrator: Love. More than once, Mr. Fuchs told students, faculty, and staff members that they could best combat the hatred espoused by Richard B. Spencer, the white supremacist who spoke on Thursday at the university, by loving one another. In a video posted on Twitter, he urged students to speak loudly about "our values of love." Later, he tweeted, "Love and good deeds always overcome hate and evil." Under similar circumstances, public college leaders tend to mine the familiar lexicon of antiseptic inclusivity. "Tolerance" and "values" are two favorites. But Mr. Fuchs, who holds degrees in divinity and engineering, used plain, emotionally laden language more evocative of the 1960s protest movement and the ministry than the administrative suite. This wasn't an accident. |
| U. of Arkansas Announces Search Committee For New Law School Dean | |
 | The University of Arkansas on Monday announced the appointment of Todd Shields, dean of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, to chair the search committee for the new dean of the UA School of Law. The committee will seek a successor to Stacy Leeds, who has led the school since 2011. She will continue as dean until at least June 30 and then will remain at the school as a professor of law and in her role as interim vice chancellor for economic development. The committee plans to begin reviewing applications this fall. Applications submitted by Nov. 30 will be given full consideration. Appointed in 2011, Leeds came to the UA from the University of Kansas School of Law, where she was interim associate dean for academic affairs, professor of law and director of the Tribal Law and Government Center. |
| U. of Kentucky law plays cameo role in John Grisham's new book | Lexington Herald Leader | |
 | Three students realize that they've swatted out nearly three years in a grubby for-profit law school where the only people making good money are the administrators and the web of companies that own the schools and funnel students into catastrophic levels of debt. How can they escape? This is a John Grisham novel, so they will escape, via a plot so intricate Grisham himself had to flow-chart it out to make sure all the unlikely pieces fit. And the heroes, and their families, will be in peril until the very last pages. Grisham said in a telephone interview that he set "The Rooster Bar" (Doubleday, $28.95) in 2014, "the apex of the for-profit law school scam." Disabusing law students of their illusions is nothing new: At Grisham's first day of law school at Ole Miss in 1978, his professor said that the goal was to flunk out half the class. "And they did," Grisham said. But Grisham attended a public university. |
| Intellectual property about striking a balance, not just patents and profits | |
 | Hongbin Ma says he really doesn't care about the money he's earned from his invention. "I care about the product." That product is a coffee mug that instantly cools a beverage to a drinkable temperature and then keeps it there for several hours. Ma, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at the University of Missouri, is working on the second generation of the mug right now, and he's pretty excited about it. As an employee of the University of Missouri System, Ma is required to disclose his inventions to the university and assign the rights to the university, according to the collected rules and regulations. This means that if the university markets his invention and licenses it to a third party for development, any revenue generated must be shared by him and the UM System. Ma says he's happy with that and thinks it's fair. He doesn't know how to file patents to protect his inventions, so having the university go through that process for him was very helpful. |
| Likely end of Perkins Loans sets off scramble by aid administrators | |
| When a student encounters a serious financial emergency midsemester, such as a family medical emergency or sudden loss of income, Heather Boutell has often turned to the Perkins Loans. Boutell, director of financial aid at Bellarmine University, in Kentucky, said despite the additional debt, students are happy to find additional resources to keep them in college. "It makes a difference for them to be able to stay in school," she said. Most other aid programs can't be tapped midsemester in the same way. But that flexibility -- and the ability to fill gaps in aid at the beginning of the year -- will likely vanish after this year, barring last-minute action by Congress. The Perkins program expired at the end of September, after a two-year extension in 2015. And despite broad support in both parties in the House and Senate for extending Perkins for another two years, the chances appear slim. |
| How Much Does the Government Really Need to Know About College Students in America? | |
| The promise of big data versus the menace of Big Brother. That's the storyline of an unlikely, behind-the-scenes battle being waged over a plan to help Americans know their odds of graduating on time from a particular college, and how much money they will likely earn when they do. The fiercely contested debate pits the advantages of collecting this seemingly basic information against the risk to hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers -- immigrants brought to the United States by their parents and protected from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that is now in limbo. The proposal to let the government monitor students' progress through their higher educations -- known as student-unit record-keeping---has significant ramifications for universities and colleges. Some would look better if more accurate success rates were made available to students. Some would look worse. |
| How an Ivy got less preppy: Princeton draws surge of students from modest means | |
 | The gatekeepers at Princeton wanted to shed, once and for all, the reputation of a tradition-steeped university that caters mainly to the preppy and the privileged. So they recruited from far more high schools, tapped the endowment for more financial aid and took more steps to welcome newcomers from poor and working-class homes. They even began checking family finances before deciding whom to admit. The point was not to exclude those in need but, possibly, to boost their chances. The result: In little more than a dozen years, Princeton University tripled the share of freshmen who qualify for federal Pell Grants to 22 percent this fall. The grants, targeting students from low-to-moderate-income families with significant financial need, are a key indicator of economic diversity. |
| Congress must heel rogue financial watchdog | |
| Thomas Miller, a professor of finance at Mississippi State University and a senior affiliated scholar with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, writes for The Hill: "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a new rule focusing on alleged 'debt traps' caused by payday loans. It is hard to know exactly what is in this 1,590-page rule, but it includes a 'Full Payment Test' requiring lenders to 'determine whether the borrower can pay the loan payments and still meet basic living expenses and major financial obligations both during the loan and for 30 days after.' Will consumers who need a loan to cover basic living expenses until their financial condition improves now be denied a hand up? If so, this rule is disastrous for the very people it allegedly protects. How can such an abusive rule emerge? Simple. The CFPB wrote this rule based mostly on feelings, beliefs and political aspirations -- not on evidence." |
SPORTS
| Why Mississippi State isn't much of an underdog at No. 24 Texas A&M | |
| Let's make a couple of things clear regarding Mississippi State's upcoming game against No. 24 Texas A&M. Mississippi State isn't ranked in the top 25 polls. Mississippi State won't be playing at home Saturday. Texas A&M is. Then there was Dan Mullen's likely-accurate take on Monday about Texas A&M. "With the exception of about 17 minutes of this season, they would probably be a top-10 team," Mullen said. "If not, a top-five team right now." So, then why is that oddsmakers have labeled the Bulldogs as anything from only a 1.5-point underdog to a 1-point favorite this week? Well, that's because Mississippi State (5-2, 2-2 SEC) should beat Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1) in prime time (6:15 p.m., ESPN). |
| Bulldogs learn from past road problems | |
| Mississippi State is hoping the third time will be the charm. While the Bulldogs are 2-0 and outscoring SEC opponents 82-14 at home this season, it's been an ordeal on the road. MSU was blown out 80-13 in losses at Georgia and Auburn. The Bulldogs will venture out on the road for the third time in conference play this weekend when they travel to Texas A&M. "In the road games we've kind of gotten out of character," said MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. "We've had a lot of penalties, a lot of false starts and just haven't handled the environment very well. But I think a lot has changed since those two games. The offensive line and the whole offense in general is clicking and moving the ball pretty well." |
| Mississippi State seeks 1st win at Texas A&M under Dan Mullen | |
 | Mississippi State has only made two trips to College Station, Texas, under Dan Mullen and both have involved disappointment. In 2013, MSU lost 51-41 with sophomore Dak Prescott playing his first game since the loss of his mother, Peggy. The 2015 season saw similar results with a 30-17 win for the Aggies. Kyle Field has just become a tough place to play with over 102,000 people on hand to make the 12th man a reality. The stadium will be packed again Saturday as A&M (5-2, 3-1) hosts a key SEC West battle against the Bulldogs (5-2, 2-2). "It's a great environment," Mullen said of Kyle Field. "There's a lot of history and great tradition. It's another great venue that the conference has that makes the SEC so special." |
| MSU Notebook: Mullen, Sumlin meet again | |
| Dan Mullen was battling Kevin Sumlin before the latter ever landed his current job at Texas A&M. Mullen and Sumlin squared off during Mullen's first two seasons at Mississippi State when Sumlin was still the head coach at Houston. Sumlin's Cougars, led by quarterback Case Keenum, edged MSU on homecoming 31-24 in 2009 before the Bulldogs were able to return the favor the following year in Houston, 47-24. Things have been back and forth between the two since Sumlin arrived in College Station too. Sumlin owns a 3-2 record since the two started matching wits in the SEC. "He always has great athletes out there on the field and big play-making guys," Mullen said. "When you're playing them in a game, you'd better be ready to play for four quarters because they can always score in a hurry and tend to have tremendous athletes on the defensive side of the ball. If it gets into a track meet, they have some really athletic guys they put out there on the field on both sides." |
| Mississippi State's Calhoun, Sweat selected for weekly SEC awards | |
| Mississippi State had a pair of players picked by the SEC office on Monday as players of the week. Junior right guard Deion Calhoun was chosen as Offensive Lineman of the Week while junior defensive end Montez Sweat was selected Defensive Lineman of the Week for their performances against Kentucky. Calhoun scored 93-percent during the game with three pancake blocks. Sweat set new career-highs with seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Calhoun and Sweat are the second Bulldogs to be selected for those awards this season. |
| Aggies aiming for better results against Mississippi State quarterback Fitzgerald | |
 | You don't have to remind Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin that Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald ran 74 yards for a touchdown on the team's first play from scrimmage in last season's 35-28 loss to the Bulldogs. That was the first of 51 plays involving Fitzgerald, who accounted for 391 total yards and four touchdowns. Fitzgerald guided Mississippi State to a 14-0 lead and the Bulldogs never looked back. "I think everybody knows that Nick Fitzgerald is a problem, that's the best way for me to put it," said Sumlin on his radio show Monday night. A&M, even with a 33-14 loss at Alabama, had been ranked No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings heading into the Mississippi State game. But the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Fitzgerald almost single-handedly upset the Aggies. |
| UMass-Mississippi State scheduled for 11 a.m. kickoff | |
| Mississippi State's next home game against Massachusetts on Nov. 4 has been slated for an 11 a.m. kickoff on SEC Network. The Bulldogs are undefeated at Davis Wade Stadium this season and outscoring opponents 166-24 there. MSU won the only meeting against UMass 47-25 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro last season. The Minutemen are currently 1-6 on the year and play Appalachian State this weekend. |
| Two Mississippi State soccer players pick up SEC honors | |
| For the first time in program history, two members of the Mississippi State soccer team have earned Southeastern Conference weekly honors in the same week. Junior Brooke McKee (offensive) and senior Catalina Perez (defensive) earned Player of the Week accolades from the conference office on Monday. McKee scored three of the Bulldogs' four goals in their last two games, two in Thursday's 3-0 victory at Georgia and one in Sunday's 1-1 tie with Ole Miss. She has a career-best eight goals this season. Perez made 10 saves in the two matches, including her fifth shutout in the win at Georgia. She's ninth in the SEC with a 1.00 goals against average. |
| Perhaps some Kentucky players want more passes, but Stoops wants balance -- and zero drama | |
| A 45-7 loss brings out its fair share of emotional responses. Sometimes those emotions spill onto social media. That's pretty much what happened this weekend with a couple of Kentucky football players. And that's pretty much going to stop, Coach Mark Stoops promised at his weekly news conference to discuss the Cats' loss at Mississippi State the weekend before and their upcoming game against Tennessee. "We want it to stay in house," Stoops said of any disagreeable social media posts. "We'll get it corrected. Very easy fix. We had a discussion yesterday. We'll talk about it as a team today and it'll be gone." When asked how that discussion will go, Stoops replied: "About like you'd think." On a Snapchat post, wide receiver Blake Bone called for UK to throw the ball more often and nearby quarterback Stephen Johnson seemed to approve. |
| McElwain: Florida players, families have received death threats | |
 | Many in Gator Nation are angry, frustrated and spewing hate over the way Florida's season has played out so far. And Jim McElwain is seeing and feeling the ugliest side of it, the UF head coach said Monday. McElwain said death threats have been made against some Florida players and families by disgruntled fans. "I think it's a pretty good lesson for the way things are," McElwain said. "There's a lot of hate in this world. A lot of anger, and yet, it's freedom to show it. The hard part is, obviously, when the threats are against your own players. Death threats to your families. The ill-will that's brought upon out there. I think it's really a pretty good testament to what's going on out there nationally. A lot of angry people. In this business, we're the ones who you take the shots at, and that's the way it is." McElwain would not go into specifics as to how the threats have been made and who exactly has received them. |
| UGA administrators, players call Carla Williams deserving of AD job | |
 | Carla Williams physically sat in the seat to Greg McGarity's right at the Georgia athletic board of directors meeting in May on St. Simons Island just as she figuratively stood by him during important moments in the past seven years. From coaching hires to coaching changes to athlete wellness to the more mundane daily operations of the athletic department, Williams played a significant role in the decision making. "While she would not admit to any responsibility here publicly, I can assure you, behind the scenes, there's a hard-driving force and Carla has her fingerprints over everything in this program...," McGarity, Georgia's athletic director, told the board then. "She doesn't get the credit she deserves, but she knows how important she is to all of us." A moment McGarity knew was coming sooner or later happened when Virginia hired Williams over the weekend. Georgia's deputy athletic director was formally introduced Monday afternoon as Virginia's new athletic director. |
| Former Auburn track coach sues university for discrimination, assault and battery | |
 | A former Auburn University assistant track and field coach is suing the school's board of trustees for discrimination and alleges another member of the coaching staff physically assaulted him in 2015. Adrian Ghioroaie-Panait, now an assistant coach at the University of Toledo, filed the lawsuit last week with the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Defendants in the case are listed as Auburn's board of trustees and Henry Rolle, assistant head coach of track and field. This is the latest issue involving coaches in the embattled Auburn athletic department. Head softball coach Clint Myers resigned in August, after claims surfaced that he allowed his son, former assistant coach Corey Myers, to have relations with players on the team. Last month, the men's basketball program came under fire when associate head coach Chuck Person was named in an NCAA-wide federal corruption investigation. |
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