| Monday, November 13, 2017 |
| Mississippi State's campus earns 3rd straight national honor | |
 | For the third consecutive year, Mississippi State University's campus is being nationally recognized as part of the Professional Grounds Management Society's 2017 Green Star Awards competition. It is one of four honor award recipients in the University and College Grounds (Mid-Size) category for exceptional grounds maintenance. The other three are Baylor University, Mount St. Mary's University and University of Texas at Dallas. Florida International University was the grand award winner in that category. MSU's Campus Landscape employees tend 1,500 acres of the Starkville campus. |
| New Mississippi State website addresses Mississippi's food access issue | |
 | The Mississippi Food Insecurity Project recently launched a new website that can shed light on the factors that lead to food insecurity in Mississippi. A cooperative effort of Mississippi State's Department of Sociology and the university's National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, the MFIP website provides current USDA food insecurity data for all 82 counties in Mississippi, along with related socioeconomic factors, food assistance data, local food activities, food store availability and health data. The website also features an interactive map that allows for easy scanning of this information. "It's a really great website because it has hundreds of variables that people can explore," said Leslie Hossfeld, MFIP director, lead principal investigator and sociology department head at MSU. |
| Mississippi State University Shows Appreciation To The Heroes | |
 | Mississippi State University's campus was overrun Friday morning by men and women in uniform. Friday morning service members gathered to be honored in a Veteran's Day ceremony but most of all they gathered to remember those who served and died in the line of duty. Friday's ceremony featured special guest appearances by; Assistant General and Chief of Staff for Mississippi National Guard Mike Nabors, Representatives for Veterans of Foreign Wars and cadets from the Army and Air Force ROTC Programs. MSU has made this a week long celebration with several on campus activities. |
| Symphony orchestra returns to Lee Hall Saturday with Criss Christmas concert | |
| Under the baton of Mississippi State Department of Music Head Barry E. Kopetz, the Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Orchestra will perform its annual Criss Christmas Concert Saturday on the Starkville campus. Sponsored by the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association, the 7:30 p.m. program in historic Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium begins with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K 467." Considered one of Mozart's most demanding works, the concerto will feature MSU Professor Rosangela Yazbec Sebba on piano. A Steinway Artist, Sebba is among the select ranks of some 1,600 highly esteemed musicians from around the world who have chosen to play exclusively on pianos produced by internationally renowned piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons. |
| Review: The Complete Poems of A.R. Ammons: Vol. 1, 1955-1977; Vol. 2, 1978-2005 | |
 | "The Complete Poems of A.R. Ammons: Vol. 1, 1955-1977; Vol. 2, 1978-2005," nearly a decade in the making, this immense two-volume retrospective painstakingly edited by Robert M. West, associate professor of English at Mississippi State, "aims to offer authoritative texts" of every published poem by the prolific and illustrious Archie Randolph Ammons (1926-2001). In her introduction, Helen Vendler notes that Ammons "defined himself explicitly as an American poet writing of American places and American people." His early poems were marked by scientific obsession, not surprising in the context of postwar America, but quite different from his late-'50s contemporaries, the beats and confessional poets. West rounds out this monumental body of work with 127 published but previously uncollected poems. Ammons "insouciantly filled up his page any way he liked," writes Vendler, and West beautifully reproduces it all here. |
| Mississippi State experts: Follow healthy eating habits during holidays | |
 | Strategic planning and reliance on whole foods in holiday meals can help keep healthy eating habits from falling by the wayside. David Buys, health specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said consumers can combat nutritional nightmares by making measured, realistic changes. "People don't plan to fail. They fail to plan," Buy said. "When we don't plan for meals, it leads us to convenience and comfort foods." MSU Extension nutrition specialist Brent Fountain also advocates for thoughtful planning. "If you're going to a Christmas party in the evening, adjust what you eat earlier in the day," Fountain said. Fountain said variety is another component of good health. Vegetables and fruit provide volume without excess calories. |
| On-farm water storage can help ease drought risk | |
 | Are on-farm water storage reservoirs for crop irrigation economically feasible? The answer, says Dr. Brian Williams, Extension assistant professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University: "It depends." There are a couple of considerations, he said at the Water Resources Management Forum held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Mississippi Agricultural Economics Association. "One is the land you have to take out of production for the reservoir; the other, on the flip side, is the risk management benefit -- irrigation can give you more consistent, and often higher, yields." While Mississippi is a rainfall-rich state, says Williams, who grew up on a Nebraska farm where water wasn't so plentiful, "about 70 percent of the rainfall here occurs in the winter and spring, but in the summer, when you need it for your crops, you often don't get it. With on-farm storage, you can capture rain and store until you need it for crop irrigation." |
| Baptist, NMHS systems open to affiliating with Starkville hospital | |
 | Leaders from North Mississippi Health Services and Baptist Memorial Health Care said they are open to affiliating with OCH Regional Medical Center. Both the systems had submitted proposals to purchase the Starkville hospital, but Oktibbeha County voters came down against a sale in a Tuesday referendum. "We hope North Mississippi Health Services is one of the systems OCH intends to contact regarding their interest in an affiliation," said Shane Spees, president and chief executive officer of the Tupelo-based system. "If so, we look forward to listening to OCH's understanding of the needs of the community and what OCH sees as opportunities for growth." Both systems have close ties to the Golden Triangle region. NMHS has hospitals in West Point and Eupora. Baptist Memorial has a hospital in Columbus. |
| Museums designed to represent entire state | |
| The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will open Dec. 9 in downtown Jackson. The opening of the two museums, funded with $90 million in state money, will culminate the celebration of Mississippi's 200th year of statehood. While the two museums will be a welcome addition to downtown Jackson, Katie Blount, director of the Department of Archives and History, stressed that much work was put into the projects to ensure they are not just Jackson museums, but Mississippi museums. "We have worked very hard on that. We have worked with people all over the state," she said recently in the auditorium of the imposing 200,000-square-foot building that houses the two museums. |
| Analysis: Mississippi budget practices receive mixed grades | |
 | A nonpartisan group that evaluates state government budget practices is giving mostly midlevel marks to Mississippi. The Volcker Alliance was formed four years ago by Paul A. Volcker, a former board chairman of the Federal Reserve, with the goal of making government more efficient. The alliance issued a report Nov. 2 called "Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting," which evaluates all states' budget practices for fiscal years 2015 through 2017. Each state receives a report card, with A as the highest grade and F the lowest. Mississippi received mostly B's for its three-year averages. |
| Report: Immigrants add millions to state economy | |
| Israel Martinez opened his first business when he was 21, less than five years after moving to the United States from Mexico with no money in his pocket. In the last 10 years, he has owned and operated three businesses in Mississippi, and there's no end in sight to his entrepreneurial spirit. Martinez is one of 4,208 immigrant business owners who accounted for 3.5 percent of all self-employed Mississippi residents in 2015 and generated $107.3 million in business income, according to a report released by the American Immigration Council. The report outlined the impact immigrants, both documented and undocumented, have on Mississippi's economy. |
| What is the perfect education funding formula? Experts can't agree | |
| Three education advocates and a state senator each agree the current school funding formula needs work but differ on what needs to change and why. Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, Nancy Loome, Grant Callen and Sanford Johnson discussed the pros and pitfalls of how public schools are funded in Mississippi and what to expect in the upcoming legislative session during a panel at Millsaps College on Friday. Loome is executive director of education advocacy group The Parents' Campaign; Callen is executive director of school-choice advocacy group Empower Mississippi; Sanford is deputy director of education research and policy group Mississippi First. |
| The Opioid Files: More Than 100 States and Cities Are Suing Drug Companies | |
| A few years ago, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was worried about a friend's son who served two tours in Iraq. After being injured overseas, he became dependent on prescription painkillers and eventually developed a heroin addiction. But then, his friend's son got into law school and showed signs of sobriety, so Hood offered him an internship in his office. A few days into the internship, he didn't show up. "We called his wife, and she went home to check up on him," Hood says. "He was dead of an overdose." Shortly after that, in 2015, Hood became the first state attorney general to sue a prescription drugmaker for their role in the opioid epidemic. Since then, more than 100 states, cities and counties have filed similar lawsuits, with a new one popping up almost every week. |
| Democrats smell opportunity in the South after Virginia rout | |
 | National Democrats are seeing glimmers of electoral hope flickering across the deep red South for the first time in years. Fresh off sweeping victories in Virginia, and eyeing a possible historic upset in Alabama, the party is looking ahead to a political environment next year defined by both energized liberal base voters and discouraged conservatives. That, combined with an intraparty GOP war, has liberal leaders taking a new look at Senate, gubernatorial and House races in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Mississippi, in addition to next month's contest in Alabama. Count Republicans as highly skeptical. They're quick to note how often they hear Democrats talk about a return to the region, and how seldom it works. "I hope they spend $100 million trying to win the South," said Haley Barbour, the former Mississippi governor and Republican National Committee chairman. |
| Roy Moore says he will file lawsuit against The Washington Post | |
 | Senate candidate Roy Moore said in a speech Sunday night that he intended to file a lawsuit against The Washington Post regarding the story it published Thursday in which he was accused of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl. Moore spoke at Huntsville Christian Academy in an event closed to the media. Moore again vehemently denied the allegations in The Post story, which interviewed four women who described romantic or sexual encounters with Moore when they were teens and the Republican nominee was in his 30s. Moore also adamantly said that he had no intention of dropping out of the race nor of being forced to leave the race. |
| Honors Forum welcomes Seetha Srinivasan to MUW | |
| On Thursday, Nov. 16, the Forum Series hosted by the Gordy Honors College at Mississippi University for Women will feature Seetha Srinivasan, director emeritus of the University Press of Mississippi. In her talk titled "Fault Lines: Living in Two Cultures," Srinivasan will discuss the challenges, frustrations and rewards of becoming part of the American mainstream while retaining one's ethnic identity. A native of India, she has lived in the United States since 1967 and in Jackson since 1969, where she and her family have been active members of the Hindu community. Srinivasan served as president of the Association of American University Presses and in 2002 was awarded the AAUP Constituency Award for Outstanding Service to the University Press Community. She also serves on the executive board of ProLiteracy, the largest adult literacy organization in the country. |
| Sexual harassment during Derby Days sparks new drama at Ole Miss | |
| In IX, a new play written by University of Mississippi senior John Brahan, a routine fraternity hookup mushrooms into something far more destructive after a female student blacks out, has sex and her best friend reports it as a rape to the Title IX office, which is federally mandated to handle any allegations of sexual misconduct on campus. Brahan, majoring in Theater Arts and Public Policy Leadership, wrote the play for his senior thesis. It is being produced on campus through Monday by the student-run Ghostlight Reperatory Theatre. Brahan also has written a comparative analysis of sexual misconduct policies among SEC schools. Although the play is framed with he said/she said views of the night and its fallout, the meat of the drama, and the play's title, come from the Title IX investigation and how it impacts each student. It is not a flattering portrait. |
| USM Chief Communication Officer Honored by Regional Public Relations Organization | |
 | Jim Coll, Chief Communication Officer at The University of Southern Mississippi, has been honored by the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) as a Senior Practitioner. The honor, which was bestowed on seven public relations professionals in the region this year, honors SPRF members who are "recognized by their peers as veteran public relations professionals with high ethical standing." SPRF is a network of public relations professionals from Alabama, North Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi who share a common interest in the public relations profession. Coll has worked as USM's Chief Communication Officer since December 2010. |
| Alcorn State to offer 2 new academic programs next fall | |
| Students interested in training athletes and expanding their knowledge of history can now enroll in Alcorn State University's two new degree programs. The Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning recently approved the offering of a new Master of Arts in History degree and Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training degree for Alcorn State. Both programs will begin enrolling students in Fall 2018. Alcorn Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Donzell Lee says both programs will appeal to students with an interest in careers in education and athletics and want to remain in the state after graduation. |
| U. of Alabama VP Carl Pinkert plans to step down at end of year | |
 | The University of Alabama's vice president for research and economic development plans to step down at the end of the year, and the university has formed a search committee to find his successor. Carl A. Pinkert announced he will step down effective Dec. 31. Pinkert was named vice president for research on Nov. 1, 2013. A year later, the role was expanded to include coordination of economic development efforts at UA. Pinkert said it was premature to discuss his future plans on Friday. Pinkert came to UA from Auburn University where he had served as associate vice president for research since 2009. Pinkert's career includes stints at the University of Rochester, the University of Missouri and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The University of Alabama announced late last month it was beginning a national search for Pinkert's replacement. |
| U. of Alabama added as member of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | |
| The University of Alabama was recently accepted into a nonprofit consortium of more than 100 North American universities focused on research and training in the atmospheric and related Earth system sciences. UA was one of six new member institutions added in October to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, or UCAR. "Joining UCAR will provide greater opportunities for our researchers to team together with outside agencies to provide forward-thinking solutions and leading-edge education in the area of atmospheric research," said Carl Pinkert, UA vice president for research and economic development. The consortium manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research with sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Through its community programs, UCAR supports and extends the capabilities of its academic consortium with training, resources and tools, access to atmospheric data, support for students, and collaborative experiments, workshops, and conferences. |
| Tennessee colleges and universities concerned over GOP tax plan | |
 | Colleges and universities in Tennessee are raising concerns about proposed Republican tax plans, which, if passed, could include a tax on the endowments of private colleges and tuition waivers for graduate students. The proposed changes were presented in a House plan Nov. 2. A Senate version of the legislation, presented Thursday, includes the same excise tax proposal on large private college endowments but does not include the provision that would treat graduate student tuition waivers as taxable income. The American Education Council estimated earlier this month that if everything asked for in the House version of the legislation passes, it would increase the cost to students of attending college by more than $65 billion between 2018 and 2027. Criticism of the Senate plan has been slower though the tax on endowments has remained a sticking point in higher education. |
| Texas A&M to host panel focusing on future of NAFTA | |
 | The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M is set to host an event focusing on the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement next week. Wednesday's program, which is co-sponsored by the Bush School's Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs and the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics and Public Policy, follows Trump administration criticism of NAFTA. The public event, titled "NAFTA 2.017: Strengths, Weaknesses and Ways Forward," will begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature four speakers: A&M President Michael K. Young, U.S. trade negotiator for NAFTA Carla Hills, senior fellow for Peterson Institute for International Economics Caroline Freund, and Alejandrina Salcedo, director of the Real Sector Research Area, Banco de Mexico. |
| U. of Missouri frats feeling heat as some schools impose harsh penalties | |
 | When he was on stage Friday to open the discussion of a consulting report on Greek Life at the University of Missouri, Dean of Students Jeff Zeilenga pointed to recent issues at Penn State, Louisiana State and Florida State universities as examples to avoid. "We don't want that to happen on this campus and we want to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our Greek communities," Zeilenga said. Left unmentioned by Zeilenga is that MU came dangerously close to having fraternity alcohol-hazing deaths several times in the fall of 2016. Brandon Zingale, a Kappa Alpha order pledge, had a blood alcohol level of 0.41 on Sept. 28, 2016, when he arrived at the Boone Hospital Center emergency room 10 hours after taking his last drink. Zingale, who left MU, is now suing the fraternity and its leaders for negligence. It was the second alcohol-poisoning incident at Kappa Alpha within a month. By December 2016, there had been 16 such incidents in 16 months. |
| Two years after protests, new leadership looks to send Missouri on upward trajectory | |
 | Two years ago, the world was watching Columbia, Missouri. University of Missouri minority and graduate students demanded change. Pressure built as news media, alumni, the football team and the schools' deans added their voices, culminating in the resignations of the chancellor and UM System president. The pressure continued and, in some ways, still does. But the landscape is changing. Since the fall 2015 protests, new campus and system leaders have worked to improve inclusiveness. Students have a more acute sense of their ability to effect change. MU is laboring to repair a battered connection with the state. Turnover in top leadership "has created a new culture and new expectations for persons who work within our university," said soon-to-depart Dean Judith Miller of the Sinclair School of Nursing, one of four deans remaining from fall 2015. "I think that the values that these leaders share include respect as a central value." |
| Senate tax plan would add new taxes on college royalties | |
 | Senate Republicans' tax reform proposal has added a new worry for many colleges watching the progress of legislation in Congress: taxes on income unrelated to their core academic mission, including licensing royalties, which are significant at many institutions. The proposal broadens the unrelated business income tax -- a tax on the activities of an exempt entity unrelated to its charitable mission -- to apply to a broader range of activities by colleges. The Senate plan makes two key changes to the tax, known as UBIT, that are serious concerns for colleges. It would apply the tax to royalties generated from a university's name or logo, income that is currently exempt. And the Senate bill would require colleges with more than one business activity unrelated to their core academic mission to count them separately for tax purposes, a change with serious repercussions for those institutions, higher ed groups say. |
| Report: declines in enrollments of new international students; study abroad participation increases | |
| After years of growth, enrollments of international students at American universities started to flatten in fall 2016, and a downward trend in new enrollments appears to be accelerating this academic year, with nearly half of universities surveyed (45 percent) reporting a drop in new international students this fall. Those are the headline findings of two international enrollment surveys released today: "Open Doors," a comprehensive annual survey of more than 2,000 colleges and universities that reports international enrollment numbers on a one-year delay, and a "snapshot" survey of about 500 institutions that reported on their international enrollment numbers for the current semester. The institutions that responded to the snapshot survey reported an average decline in new international students this fall of 7 percent. |
| Reading between the lines | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "Most Americans are familiar with the three R's when referencing what historic subjects were of primary focus in schools. While these three R's -- reading, writing and arithmetic -- as an emphasis set may be considered vintage, the reality is that even in the 21st century, students still lack that first and, perhaps, foremost 'R.' According to 'Math is hard but reading is harder,' the nation has narrowed emphasis by consistently comparing students' mathematical processing competencies against other nations to the detriment of reading proficiencies. ...Education is paramount for student success; however, more importantly, reading with proficiency and comprehension is essential for equality to ever be attained between children within varying socioeconomic access levels. " |
| Reeves' fiscal plan risky for teachers and retirees | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Jeff Amy with the Associated Press in an excellent analysis of the Mississippi's economy said, 'State spending this year is roughly $800 million behind where it would have been if spending had kept pace with inflation since 2010.' He said some of the shortfall comes 'from hundreds of millions in tax cuts.' Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves liked that. 'For us to have enacted the largest tax cut in state history and still expect that we're actually going to collect flat revenue year-over-year,' Reeves told Amy, 'I think that says an awful lot about the direction that we're trying to send our government in being fiscally responsible and fiscally prudent.' Uh, the historic tax cuts have yet to fully kick in. Nevertheless, Reeves' comment is bad news for community colleges, schools, universities, and agencies hoping tight budgets will go away. But, it is terrible news for teachers and state retirees." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State-Alabama game tops cable ratings | |
| Mississippi State's ESPN game against Alabama on Saturday night was the most-watched cable football telecast this season, according to overnight ratings released on Sunday. The game, a 31-24 victory by the top-ranked Crimson Tide, pulled in a 3.8 rating. That means that 3.8 percent of all televisions were tuned to some portion of the game -- roughly equivalent to 4.5 million households. It's also the highest-ranked SEC vs. SEC game of the season. The season opener between Alabama and Florida State on ABC is the season's highest-rated game with a 7.3 rating. |
| State was great; Alabama was better | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "With 14 minutes, 13 seconds to play on a cool, crisp Saturday night in Stark Vegas, Mississippi State took a 24-17 lead over Alabama. And we need some added perspective here, because that sentence doesn't begin to tell how deep a hole Bama appeared to be in. State had dominated for much of the previous three quarters. The game did not seem nearly so close. State was winning the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was making play after play, both with his right arm and with his legs. Aeris Williams was running through the Tide defense, which was missing four linebackers with injuries. That's right: four. Furthermore, Scott Field had become a virtual noise factory, louder than ever and that is really loud. You could not hear the guy next to you even when he was yelling. As they had in a 37-7 victory over LSU back in September, the Bulldogs seemed as if they were riding the crest of sound waves." |
| Chloe Bibby makes impact in Mississippi State women's team's first win | |
| Chloe Bibby has never lacked for confidence on a basketball court. That confidence came in handy when she decided to leave Australia to play basketball in the United States. In her debut, Bibby showed her game has a chance to transfer to her new country quite nicely. Bibby scored 13 points and provided a big defensive presence Friday night to help the No. 7 Mississippi State women's basketball team beat Virginia 68-53 in the season opener before a crowd of 6,811 at Humphrey Coliseum. "There is always some nervousness when you start with a new team," Bibby said. 'The big thing is letting the game to come to you. Once you make some plays, it makes you feel at ease. We had a great crowd, and they made this a lot of fun." Humphrey Coliseum was rocking all night. |
| Weatherspoons part of unselfish play in Mississippi State's opener | |
| Mississippi State fans finally got to see the brother tandem of Nick Weatherspoon and Quinndary Weatherspoon together on a basketball court. If the first act is any indication of what lies ahead, fans will like what they see. Quinndary had 17 points and Nick had 11 in MSU's 96-68 victory against Alabama State before a crowd of 6,811 at Humphrey Coliseum. "For my first college game, it was wonderful," Nick said. "The crowd really got into it, and that gave everybody a lift. I think we showed everybody a little bit of what might be coming. This is an unselfish basketball team. We are ready to do some things." MSU coach Ben Howland hopes the program turns the corner in his third season. Recruiting has been on the uptick, but it will be up young players like Nick Weatherspoon to help MSU get back to postseason play for the first time since 2012. |
| How Greg Byrne is helping Alabama behind the scenes | |
| Most in Mississippi were asleep when Dan Mullen was hired. Respecting then-Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley's wishes, Greg Byrne waited until after Florida played Alabama in that 2008 SEC championship game to contact Mullen regarding Mississippi State's job opening. Three days later, there they were. After a preliminary phone conversation that Sunday, Byrne and the other two members of that Mississippi State search committee -- John Cohen and Scott Stricklin -- met Mullen at an Embassy Suites in Atlanta. The meeting started at 9:30 p.m. and ended five hours later with Byrne offering Mullen the job previously held by Sylvester Croom. "A pretty short time into the meeting, I was like 'I really like this guy' and liked his plan," said Byrne, who was Mississippi State's athletic director from 2008 to 2010. "Finally, about 2:30 in the morning, we made the offer to him. We said 'Let's sleep on it for a few hours' and got back together at 6:30 in the morning and had said 'Let's make sure we're still on the same page at 6:30.' We were, and the rest is history." |
| 'Disastrous' situation for LSU, season ticket holders possible with GOP tax proposals | |
 | While Congress sets its focus on overhauling the nation's tax code, one provision of plans introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate could have unexpected and far-reaching implications for LSU fans. LSU officials say that potentially as much as $50 million for the university's heralded athletic programs could be lost if Congress eliminates a little-known tax deduction that helps bring in millions to pay for its highly-ranked football, baseball, basketball and gymnastics programs, among others. "It could be disastrous -- for not just us, but every athletic department in the country," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said. LSU officials say that the university brings in up to $50 million each year through the ticket-linked donations. It's impossible to know how many might scale back their giving if the deduction is eliminated, but they fear the worst. |
| Arkansas freshman QB Cole Kelley arrested | |
| Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Cole Kelley was arrested early Sunday by Fayetteville Police on charges of suspicion of DWI, careless driving and violation of the implied consent law. Kelley was released on $935 bond for the misdemeanor charges at 11:46 a.m. He has a Rule 8.1 hearing this morning in Fayetteville District Court and is scheduled to appear in the same court on Dec. 15. Kelley and the Razorbacks returned from Saturday's 33-10 loss at LSU on Saturday evening. Kelley, 20, played the final two series in the game, completing 3 of 10 passes for 36 yards. His final pass from the LSU 25 was intercepted in the end zone. Kelley is the first known Arkansas football player arrested since fullback Hayden Johnson was charged with public intoxication and being a minor in possession of alcohol last October. |
| Stand or kneel? Protests discussed at UGA | |
 | Players kneeling during the national anthem at a NFL game may not be protected speech under the U.S. Constitution, but they're also a time-honored American way of getting a message across, panelists said in a recent free-speech forum at the University of Georgia. "Often the most effective way to get the message across is to be offensive," said Sean Young, legal director of the Georgia American Civil Liberties Union, likening football players' protests to such civil rights protests of the 1950s and 1960s as sit-ins. President Trump has tweeted that NFL owners ought to fire players who kneel in protest against social injustices during the national anthem before games, and some owners have threatened to bench players who kneel. But those aren't First Amendment violations, because the NFL and Akima are private organizations, said UGA law professor Sonja West. At UGA, football players aren't on the field during the national anthem. |
| Tennessee fires Butch Jones as football coach, Brady Hoke named interim | |
 | The Butch Jones era is over after five seasons in which he restored Tennessee's program to respectability, only to watch it regress this year after back-to-back nine-win seasons. Under Jones, the Vols didn't achieve the success they experienced in the 1990s. Jones struggled to win consistently within the SEC, especially against rivals Florida, Georgia and Alabama. "We're standing here right now because we haven't won enough," athletic director John Currie said at a news conference Sunday evening. UT announced Jones' firing on Sunday following a 50-17 road loss to Missouri a day earlier. The Vols (4-6, 0-6 SEC) are in danger of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2013, Jones' first season. |
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