| Thursday, December 14, 2017 |
| Mississippi State prepares for energy savings this Christmas holiday | |
 | Mississippi State University is preparing for its holiday energy-saving plan for the Christmas holiday. The university says the plan will be put to use by the end of the day on Wednesday, December 20. "The Christmas break affords us the opportunity to significantly reduce our energy consumption, allowing the use of the avoided operating expenditures to be put towards other university needs," the university stated on its website. "Please join with us in doing everything you can to reduce our energy use during this time." The school provided several tips including turning off computer, lights, radios and other energy-consuming devices. |
| Mississippi State senior: 'Have a plan and stick to it' | |
 | A Brookhaven woman juggling chemistry, biology, psychology and Spanish successfully at Mississippi State University has been named to the university's prestigious Society of Scholars. Lindsey Winborne, the daughter of Stan and Sandy Winborne, is one of just 23 Bulldog seniors to receive the invitation to join the honors organization, which recognizes top students each semester who have shown they have the wits and gumption to succeed while taking courses in the arts, sciences and humanities. The 21-year-old is leaning toward pediatrics as her career choice because she loves children and medicine. She's already been accepted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine. She starts in August. At State, the former BA Cougar is in the Chi Omega sorority and previously served as vice president. She's an MSU Foundation ambassador and a mentor for the ACCESS program. |
| SOCSD accepts Partnership School bid despite cost concerns | |
 | The Starkville Oktibbeha Board of Trustees on Tuesday accepted a bid from West Brothers Construction to build the SOCSD/MSU Partnership School, although board members are still skeptical of the final project costs. After working with project architect Bruce Wood and the Columbus-based construction company, the board accepted a bid that was $582,970 less than the $26,302,000 base bid trustees did not accept at their November meeting. The original bid was roughly 1 percent higher than the architect's project estimate and does not include furniture/equipment at the school or $2 million already awarded to complete dirt work at the site. To lower construction costs, Superintendent Eddie Peasant said, the majority of changes come from using different, less-expensive materials, which would not damage the overall integrity of the project. |
| Community partnerships, technology discussed at police chiefs conference at The Mill | |
| About 100 police chiefs from across Mississippi converged on Starkville Tuesday for the beginning of the Mississippi Association of Police Chiefs winter conference. The city is hosting the conference for the first time, at the Mill at Mississippi State University, after several years of lobbying from Police Chief Frank Nichols. "It's always been that we didn't have a facility big enough," Nichols said. "Now that we have this beautiful facility at the Mill, I've been trying to get this conference here for two years." The conference began with several executive training seminars for the chiefs. One, hosted by David May from Mississippi State University, focused on police research partnerships, addressing the benefits and challenges of such partnerships. He said they can help invoke positive change in a police department, as his research has with the Meridian Police Department. |
| Planning & Zoning commissioners OK lot divisions for industrial park | |
| The Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission approved the division of land for a planned industrial park in Oktibbeha County into three lots during its Tuesday meeting. Commissioners voted 5-0 on the matter. Commissioner Tom Walker, who represents Ward 3, was absent from Tuesday's meeting. Commission Chair Michael Brooks, of Ward 4, did not vote because he presided over the meeting. The measure commissioners approved Tuesday divides the eastern tract of land in the nearly 400-acre industrial park into two lots, the boundaries of which are set by a road that's planned to run from east to west through the property. Saunders Ramsey, with engineering firm Neel-Schaffer, said the western tract of land is being kept as one lot, as a site for potential larger projects. |
| Former circuit clerk arrested for simple assault | |
| Former Otkibbeha County Circuit Clerk Glenn Hamilton was arrested Wednesday for an alleged simple assault. According to a release from the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office, Hamilton was arrested at the 3800 block of Douglastown Road, in northeast Oktibbeha County, at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Details of the incident that prompted the arrest are currently scarce, but the OCSO release notes that charges originated in Oktibbeha County Justice Court. Hamilton was processed by OSCO and released. |
| Jimmy Doug Shelton remembered as caring man, skilled lawyer | |
 | Northeast Mississippi is a little less colorful, following the passing of Jimmy Doug Shelton. Shelton, 80, died suddenly Wednesday morning, Dec. 13, at his residence in East Tupelo from an apparent heart attack. Better known in recent years as the father of Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton, the colorful character and accomplished defense attorney was known simply as "Jimmy Doug." While most saw the public persona of a gruff (at times) Southern lawyer, his caring and giving personal side was not as well-known. "He was the poor man's lawyer in Tupelo for decades," said Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley. "There's no telling how many families and downtrodden received free legal service from Jimmy Doug simply because of his big heart." Born in 1937, he was a graduate of Tupelo High School and Mississippi State University. He received his law degree from the Jackson School of Law. As an attorney, he tried more than 1,000 jury cases during a career that began in 1967 and spanned almost four decades. |
| Local lawmakers differ on education funding | |
| Area legislators at an education town hall meeting in Columbus Tuesday evening responded to a range of questions about education with conflicting solutions, all of which involved either cuts or increases in spending on schools. "Let there be no (mistake)," District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus) said. "Education is under attack in this state." About 100 people turned out for the town hall, organized by the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce's Education Committee. Audience members wrote questions for the legislators, and various answers were greeted with applause or mutters of annoyance. The meeting was streamed live on Facebook, where it had 485 views by the end of the event. |
| Study: Mississippi physicians generate $8.2B in economic activity | |
 | Mississippi physicians' multibillion-dollar economic contribution to the state is the subject of a new report just weeks before the 2018 legislative session begins. Released Wednesday by the Mississippi State Medical Association and the American Medical Association, the report shows 4,670 physicians across the state each support an average of 11 jobs for a total of 51,305 jobs. They also generate 7.8 percent of the state's economy or $8.2 billion. Gov. Phil Bryant has touted health care as an economic driver in the state, suggesting Mississippi can both improve health for people and the economy simultaneously. The annual America's Health Rankings report released this week, which ranked Mississippi last for overall health, indicated there are 106 primary care physicians for every 100,000 people in the state, compared to a national average of 150. |
| Medicaid, costs and quality, big issue of 2018 legislative session | |
| Mississippi lawmakers are gearing up to address the sunset this legislative session of the state's heavily debated Medicaid program, which provides health insurance to more than 760,000 Mississippians. This tasks the Legislature with reauthorizing the Division of Medicaid through what's called the "Medicaid technical amendments bill." It's an opportunity for lawmakers to reexamine the program and make significant changes. Dr. Steve Demetropoulos, a Coast-based emergency care physician and chairman of the Medical Care Advisory Committee, presented his committee's recommendations to the Senate Medicaid Committee Wednesday. Demetropoulos argued in favor of spending money on the front end, mostly on items aimed at improving Mississippians health, to save money on the back end in avoided medical costs. |
| 18 attorneys general ask FCC to delay net neutrality vote for fake comments investigation | |
 | Eighteen attorneys general on Wednesday called on the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to hold off on the upcoming net neutrality vote pending an investigation into fake comments. In a letter, the attorneys general asked Chairman Ajit Pai and the commissioners to "take immediate action" regarding the fake comments. The letter is signed by attorneys general from Virginia, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Washington and Vermont. The letter comes after a separate letter from the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said as many as 2 million comments regarding net neutrality filed to the commission were falsified. |
| McDaniel says Alabama election results not factor in whether he challenges Wicker | |
| State Sen. Chris McDaniel of Elllisville said he would decide in January whether to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Tupelo in the Republican primary. McDaniel, who nearly upended Mississippi's senior U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in 2014, said the results of Tuesday's special Senate election in Alabama where Republican Roy Moore was upset by Democrat Doug Jones will not have an impact on his decision. Moore, like McDaniel, is viewed as a conservative anti-establishment Republican. "The Alabama race was an anomaly," McDaniel said Wednesday. "The allegations (against Moore) were so troublesome that it changed the entire trajectory of the race." McDaniel, a three-term state senator from Jones County, said earlier this year he would make a decision on whether to challenge Wicker in the fall. But this week McDaniel, 46, said it would be January. |
| What does the Alabama Senate race mean to Mississippi? | |
 | As Democrat Doug Jones achieved the unthinkable in Alabama Tuesday night -- winning a vacant U.S. Senate seat while knocking off Republican anti-establishment firebrand Roy Moore -- Mississippi's own anti-establishment darling Chris McDaniel fired off a Facebook message to his 185,000 followers. "The swamp is stronger than you imagined," McDaniel wrote. "How hard are you willing to fight?" That message was quickly shared among several GOP operatives in the state, who are closely gauging whether the Republican state senator will launch a 2018 primary challenge against U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. The Roy Moore loss in Alabama, while not a shining moment for the anti-establishment movement, may not at all discourage McDaniel. Political pundits have cautioned those in other states to take what happened in Alabama with a grain of salt, and by Wednesday, the message of anti-establishment types converged with those warnings. |
| Election leaves Alabama-shaped hole on Senate Armed Services Committee | |
| Tuesday's election of Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate means aerospace powerhouse Alabama is due to lose a strong voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee for the first time in 20 years. Known as the "Cotton State," Alabama's economic engine is aerospace. And its interests were represented on the SASC by Republican Jeff Sessions from 1998 until President Donald Trump appointed Sessions as U.S. attorney general, and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange took his seat in the Senate and on the committee. "It's going to be a loss to our state to lose our seat on the Armed Services Committee, because Hunstville is so dependent on that," Strange said Wednesday. "So I'm hopeful that those interests will be represented." |
| Republican civil war erupts anew | |
 | Democrat Doug Jones' victory in Alabama -- far from settling the score between the McConnell and Bannon wings of the Republican Party -- instead touched off another round of internecine GOP infighting over who's to blame for the party's loss in one of the most conservative states in the country. From the outset, the race served as a proxy war between the tight-lipped Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a paragon of the party establishment, and Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist who has dedicated himself to disrupting everything McConnell represents. Now, both sides are blaming the other for Tuesday's loss, with each painting the results as a case study in the other's political ineptitude. Though the president has continued to flout Republican leaders, feuding with McConnell publicly on his Twitter feed, he has also signaled that he will not join Bannon's efforts to unseat several Senate incumbents, privately offering his support to Mississippi's Roger Wicker, Wyoming's John Barrasso, and Nebraska's Deb Fischer. |
| Ole Miss students make dresses for girls in need | |
| Some students at Ole Miss are helping less fortunate girls by providing handmade dresses. As part of a theater class, Donna Buckley has been teaching her students the basic techniques of sewing. She says she always wanted to participate in a sewing outreach program and she learned of a local program which provides clothing to less-fortunate children around the world and in Mississippi. That program is called the Little Dresses Ministry at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Oxford. The church has been making dresses for almost five years and has distributed more than 300 pieces of new clothing to young children. Now, the Ole Miss students are helping with the effort. The |
| Patricia Bennett named dean of MC School of Law | |
| Following a year as its interim leader, Patricia Bennett will serve as the new dean at the Mississippi College School of Law. MC board of trustees approved Bennett's hiring by a unanimous vote on Dec. 7. Her appointment becomes effective in January. In August, Bennett also will become the Mississippi Bar's 113th president and serve one year. "We know that she will be a gracious ambassador for the Mississippi Bar as its next President and for Mississippi College and her law school," MC Law Dean Emeritus Jim Rosenblatt said in a news release. MC Law, one of two law schools in the state, enrolls nearly 400 students. Bennett will continue to focus on priorities such as admissions, improving bar passage rates and enhancing career placement activities. |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College starts the hunt for a new college president | |
| The next president of Copiah-Lincoln Community College will be someone already on staff. Who that will be remains a mystery to even the people who will make that hiring decision. Ronnie Nettles plans to retire in June, so the college's Board of Trustees must choose a new president. The executive board committee announced at a Dec. 7 meeting that it will limit the search to the school's current faculty. That means only existing employees are eligible for consideration for the position. The session's main topic of discussion was whether the board should approve a recommendation set forth by the Executive Board Committee on how to approach the selection of a new school president. This proposal elicited a volley of questions from board members, with several trustees asking whether promoting from within was a wise decision. |
| Pearl River Community College raises its minimum wage: 'This is a big step' | |
 | Pearl River Community College is increasing the minimum hourly wage at the college to $10 next month. The move will affect 38 workers there who were making less than $10 an hour. The proposal was approved by the PRCC Board of Trustees at its meeting Tuesday. The $10 hike will increase the minimum wage at the college from the federal rate of $7.25 an hour. The raise will cost the school about $55,000 for the remainder of the 2018 Fiscal Year. Many of the employees affected work in PRCC's physical plant. PRCC President Adam Breerwood said he sees the increase as an investment in the college's workers and a commitment to the community. "Many of these employees go above and beyond to make this campus one of the best looking in Mississippi," he said. "These are hard-working individuals who live, shop and spend money in our local communities. We want to employ and retain outstanding people." |
| Economic development, Hinds CC aim to make community work ready certified | |
| Vicksburg and Warren County have all the assets that are attractive to companies seeking to do business, including officials with the Continental Tire Plant being built in Hinds County, but it needs one more element for a serious economic development program --- a trained work force. And that's something local economic development and Hinds Community College officials want to change. "We live in the best place, I believe in the world," said Dr. Robin Parker, assistant dean of Career and Technical Education at Hinds Community College. Parker's comments came at the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday, which also included a panel discussion about the program. |
| Some Communiversity programming plans unveiled | |
| Several speakers at a Wednesday morning update meeting told local government and business leaders the Communiversity is being built to train workers for the jobs of tomorrow. To that end, East Mississippi Community College is in the midst of creating a curriculum to help prepare the facility to train the region's workforce for the jobs that are already here, and those still to come. The Communiversity is a manufacturing-focused education center, operated by EMCC, that's currently under construction on Highway 82, just west of PACCAR and a short drive from the college's Golden Triangle campus in Mayhew. The $42.6 million facility is being funded with local, state and federal dollars. EMCC President Thomas Huebner said the college is working with its accrediting agencies to prepare new programs for the Communiversity. |
| Itawamba CC film students work with pros to produce 'Mississippi Minute' | |
| While their classmates likely enjoyed a relaxing day of winter break Wednesday, some Itawamba Community College students were up and ready to work at 5 a.m. as they continued production on a short film called "Mississippi Minute." The film students gathered at Mugshots in Tupelo early Wednesday to shoot several scenes for the film. Patrick Gallagher, a seasoned actor, worked with the students, starring in the film as a New Yorker who travels to Mississippi. The film follows him as he teams up with a local to search for a woman in Tupelo. "It's great working with students," Gallagher said. "It stops a little bit of that jadedness. ... It's nice being around that kind of enthusiasm." |
| $1 million gift from LaRussa Fund to benefit Auburn student entrepreneurs | |
 | Auburn University student entrepreneurs working to bring business ideas to life will soon receive a boost from a $1 million permanent endowment from Benny M. LaRussa Jr., a 1982 graduate of Auburn's Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, and his wife, Lynn. The couple recently created the LaRussa Catalyst Fund within the Harbert College. Their endowment will be matched as part of 1982 graduate Raymond Harbert's dollar-for-dollar "challenge match" initiative, increasing the total support to $2 million. As part of his $40 million commitment that resulted in the naming of the college in June 2013, Harbert offered to match endowment gifts up to $15 million. The funding will support the Tiger Cage Accelerator and Incubator and the development of a summer accelerator program, which will help Auburn student entrepreneurs fine-tune their business concepts, perform customer discovery, validate business models and attract investors. |
| U. of Alabama picks new finance vice president | |
 | A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill administrator has been named the next vice president of financial affairs for the University of Alabama. Matthew M. Fajack is scheduled to begin Feb. 15, pending approval by UA System board of trustees. He replaces Lynda Gilbert, who announced plans to retire this spring after leading the division for 12 years. Fajack has been the vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 2014. He also served in similar position at the University of Florida and Kent State University. "We are very pleased to welcome Matt Fajack to the University of Alabama team," UA President Stuart R. Bell said. "His professional expertise and administrative experience will be important as we continue to move the flagship forward and advance our strategic plan." |
| Windgate Foundation Donates $40M for Art District at U. of Arkansas | |
 | The University of Arkansas announced Wednesday that the Windgate Charitable Foundation has donated $40 million to Campaign Arkansas for the creation of a new Windgate Art & Design District in south Fayetteville. "This is a tremendous step forward," UA Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz said in a news release. "Through this partnership with the Windgate Charitable Foundation, the University of Arkansas will be able to achieve nationally competitive standing in the arts, which will in turn place the state of Arkansas on the map as one of the most innovative leaders in the global arts community. As a land-grant institution, we are charged with serving the public interest through outreach," he said. The district aims to expand the reach of the university's art school, which was established in August thanks to a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. |
| U. of Kentucky housing, dining rates increasing about 3 percent next year | |
 | Most University of Kentucky housing and dining rates will go up about 3 percent next fall, mostly because of contractual obligations between the university and its private housing and dining partners. The UK Board of Trustees approved the rate increases Tuesday. Other costs, including tuition, won't be decided until after the 2018 legislative session, when the state's budget for the next two years will be decided. Annual housing and dining cost increases have been built into UK's budget ever since it hired two private companies to build and operate those services on campus. Education Realty Trust has built about $500 million in new dorms since 2012, and their contract included yearly rate increases. That's also true for Aramark, which took over UK's dining operations in 2014. |
| UGA fall commencement to take place Friday | |
 | The University of Georgia will welcome its newest alumni on Friday as more than 1,700 undergraduates and 1,100 graduate students walk in the university's fall commencement ceremonies. The undergraduate commencement starts at 9:30 a.m. in Stegeman Coliseum; tickets are required. The graduate ceremony, which doesn't require tickets, will follow at 2:30 p.m. University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley will deliver the fall undergraduate commencement address. Samuel Peraza, who will receive his bachelor's degree in public relations from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, is the student speaker for the undergraduate ceremony. n the interest of public safety, the commencement ceremonies will follow the Southeastern Conference Clear Bag Policy. Because Commencement falls on a Friday, a routine UGA workday, parking patterns on South Campus near the coliseum will be adjusted. |
| LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette to receive $25,000 to research teacher prep | |
 | Louisiana's Department of Education says two universities have been chosen to lead a network that will research teacher preparation efforts in the state. Louisiana State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will co-chair the Louisiana Educator Research Consortium. The two universities will direct research and seek grants for the consortium. Members of the consortium will be chosen from among teacher preparation programs around Louisiana. The work is to begin in January. Each institution will receive $25,000 in grant funding to launch the work. |
| Report: Dropout rates remain high at Tennessee colleges, especially among black students | |
 | Even as Tennessee is being praised for opening college doors through Tennessee Promise and other programs, there are signs that some of higher education's biggest and most persistent hurdles still keep many students from succeeding. Enrollment and retention have ticked up at community colleges, according to a report released Wednesday by the education advocacy group Complete Tennessee. But dropout rates remain alarmingly high, especially for poor and minority students. "While we have seen some improvements in postsecondary attainment, our most vulnerable citizens are still struggling to earn the credentials necessary to compete for in-demand, local jobs," said Kenyatta Lovett, Complete Tennessee executive director. Tennessee's struggles aren't unique. Colleges nationwide have faced similar challenges. |
| U. of Missouri endowment tops $1 billion mark | |
 | When Mark Wilkins, a 1990 graduate of the University of Missouri, said Wednesday why he created a scholarship in the name of former admissions director Georgeanne Porter, he had a hard time getting out the words. His voice choking, Wilkins described himself as a scared 17-year-old from Waynesville --- a town of about 3,000 people in Pulaski County -- scared by the prospect of attending a school with more than 22,000 students. Porter, whose husband Gil Porter was a professor of English, befriended him after they met when Wilkins was volunteering with a student group. They became friends for life and he visited her for the last time earlier this year, just before she died in August at age 68. "The least that I could do was to set up another endowment and a scholarship fund in her name to perpetuate the things that she gave to me -- human beings helping other human beings to be the absolute best that they can be, to live up to their potential," Wilkins said. Wilkins' gift, along with others received recently and the rapid rise in stock market values this year, have helped push MU's endowment pool to more than $1 billion for the first time. |
| Some tax-bill provisions opposed by higher ed dropped in conference negotiations | |
 | Senate and House negotiators meeting this week to craft compromise tax-reform legislation plan to exclude from a final bill some controversial proposals affecting students and colleges, according to multiple reports. Lawmakers from the two chambers of Congress agreed to drop provisions that would treat graduate student tuition benefits as taxable income and repeal student loan interest deductions. Both provisions were included in House tax legislation passed last month but left out of a bill that narrowly cleared the Senate Dec. 2. Another provision of that House bill that was reportedly excluded in negotiations would have eliminated interest-free private activity bonds, an alarming prospect for the many private colleges that use the bonds to save on construction of new campus facilities. |
| Proposed Tax on Graduate Students' Tuition Waivers Appears to Be Dead | |
 | A legislative provision that would have effectively taxed tuition waivers used by graduate students to offset their educational costs will not be in the final tax package in Congress, Bloomberg reports. A House-Senate conference committee met on Wednesday to discuss the compromise bill, which Republican leaders hope to put on President Trump's desk as soon as possible. Sen. Steve Daines, Republican of Montana, told Bloomberg: "Folks who are in grad school will feel pretty good about the final result." The provision appeared in the House's version of the tax bill, but not the Senate's. Nonetheless, several House Republicans voiced opposition to the waiver last week, sending a letter urging congressional leaders not to include the provision in the final tax bill. |
| House GOP pushes innovation and deregulation with Higher Education Act overhaul | |
| The Republican-led Congress's early attempt at rewriting the federal Higher Education Act uses incentives and deregulation to encourage new twists on college, including competency-based education, short-term programs and nonaccredited providers. Experts continue to absorb details about the complex bill from Republican leaders on the U.S. House of Representatives' education committee, which on Tuesday voted to pass a 590-page version. Some applauded the innovation push but worry about the bill's lack of "guardrails" that seek to keep low-quality offerings in check. "We're trying to not look at all the negatives, but rather be heartened by the fact that they're having the right conversations," said Lexi Barrett, senior director for national education policy at Jobs for the Future. Likewise, the Business Roundtable, a CEO-led group that has the ear of the majority party in Congress and the White House, praised the bill. |
| No One Likes to Talk About Them, but Deferred-Maintenance Costs Won't Go Away | |
| Ask college presidents about the health of their institutions, and they're happy to rattle off enrollment figures or capital-campaign progress reports. Ask about how deferred-maintenance costs on their campuses are piling up, and they get a little quiet. That's because most colleges are crowded with aging buildings that will need to be replaced, renovated, or retrofitted, and the millions of dollars needed to tackle such projects are hard to come by when other urgent priorities beckon. Philanthropy is not a good solution to long-term maintenance issues. Big donors can be coaxed to give money for new buildings, but they seldom want to make significant gifts to renovate old ones. In lieu of a comprehensive solution from the state, the College Futures report suggests several alternatives to make good use of precious space and resources. |
| Teens: Pretty Sober, Except For The Marijuana And Vaping | |
 | The number of teens abusing drugs is lower than it's been since the 1990s, according to a national survey. "In particular, we see a tremendous decline in the portion of young people using cigarettes," Dr. Lloyd Johnson, a study researcher at the University of Michigan, said at a press conference on Thursday. "The changes we're seeing are very large and very important." But there are a couple of key exceptions. "[One] is marijuana. It hasn't gone up, like in older populations, but it hasn't gone down, and it remains worrisome," Volkow says. "Another concern is we see very high and very fast uptake of electronic vaping devices." The survey, called Monitoring the Future, and conducted by the University of Michigan, has asked roughly 50,000 8th-, 10th- and 12th-grade students every year since 1991 about drugs and sex and attitudes on subjects ranging from race and ethnicity to career plans. |
| To be a fly on wall as museums opening planned | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Wouldn't it be fun to be a fly on the wall and be privy to how the decision was made that President Donald Trump would fly from his Palm Beach, Fla., resort to Jackson to spend roughly 30 minutes touring a 200,000 square-foot-building housing two museums and talking to a small group of about 150 while eschewing the opportunity to talk to the much larger crowd outside. Until about 8 p.m. Thursday, less than 48 hours before the much anticipated ceremonial opening of the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum on Saturday, everyone, including the staff of the Department of Archives and History, assumed the president would participate in the outside public event. Perhaps it always was the plan for the president to speak to just a select few. But the assumption was that if he took all the trouble to fly to Jackson that he would speak at the public event." |
| Moore fallout: Chris McDaniel can't catch a break | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel just can't catch a break. McDaniel appeared to have his 2018 U.S. senatorial hopes pinned to Republican candidate Roy Moore's fate in Alabama last night, and to Moore's majordomo, Steve Bannon. What will he do now, after Moore failed and voters in a state nearly as red as Mississippi elected a Democrat to the Senate? McDaniel (and Bannon) have some major soul searching to do, and some pragmatic calculations to make. ...In a Facebook post [Tuesday] night, McDaniel said: 'The establishment strikes back. But tomorrow is a new day. Don't lose hope.' But it doesn't appear the 'establishment' struck. Moore was a Dumpster-fire of a candidate if ever there was one. The anti-establishment movement failed. And failed miserably." |
SPORTS
| Teaira McCowan dominates on, off court for No. 5 Mississippi State | |
| You can feel the intensity when Teaira McCowan fixes her gaze on you. Mississippi State women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer has talked about that focus in McCowan's first three seasons in Starkville. The veteran coach has said his 6-foot-7 junior center usually rises to the occasion when she senses a challenge or she is going up against another strong post player. This season, Schaefer has said several times how important it is for McCowan to be engaged and productive, especially since she is MSU's only returning post player who has seen significant minutes in the past two years. On Wednesday night, McCowan was focused on and off the court. The result was a dominating effort that helped McCowan control the paint and the post-game media session. McCowan scored a career-high 35 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead No. 5 MSU to a 90-79 victory against No. 9 Oregon before a crowd of 5,445 at Humphrey Coliseum. |
| Teaira McCowan Leads No. 5 Mississippi St Over No. 9 Oregon 90-79 | |
| Teaira McCowan completely dominated the first half. After the break, Victoria Vivians took over. Mississippi State might not be quite as deep as it was last season during its run to the NCAA championship game. But the Bulldogs' stars proved they're more than capable of carrying the team during a marquee matchup. McCowan scored a career-high 35 points and Vivians added 30 to lead No. 5 Mississippi State over No. 9 Oregon 90-79 on Wednesday night. "Tonight we were pretty good, especially offensively," Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. "I just think we're hard to deal with offensively. I think people are having a hard time guarding us right now." |
| Mississippi State's Victoria Vivians continues to raise her level of play | |
| Oregon women's basketball coach Kelly Graves sees something in Mississippi State he hopes his players can develop this season. "They're playing with a little more swagger," Graves said. "I think last year they didn't know how good they could be. Right now, they know." If one MSU player epitomizes that confidence, it is senior Victoria Vivians. The Scott Central High School standout has been the face of the program ever since she arrived in Starkville. The 6-foot-1 guard has led the Bulldogs in scoring in each of her first three seasons. She has done it by shooting less than 40 percent from the field in each season. This season, though, Vivians is showing different dimensions to her game. The result is a more confident and focused player who is proving to be a bigger handful for defenders. Vivians showed a national SEC Network audience how much her game has grown Wednesday as she scored 26 of her 30 points in the second half to lead No. 5 MSU to a 90-79 victory against No. 9 Oregon. |
| McCowan feasts in Mississippi State's win over No. 9 Ducks | |
| Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer approached Teaira McCowan prior to Wednesday night's game against No. 9 Oregon and assured her she could have as many points and rebounds as she wanted. The 6-foot-7 McCowan spent the next 40 minutes turning her coach's words into actions. She delivered a career-high 35 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in the fifth-ranked Bulldogs' 90-79 victory. "When she's engaged and focused like tonight, man she's a monster and you just can't deal with her," Schaefer said. "But I need that daily, weekly and monthly. I need that every night." McCowan finished 15 of 18 from the field and 12 of her rebounds came on the offensive end. She had 19 of the Bulldogs' 29 boards on the evening. |
| Mississippi State showed why it is still elite in win over Oregon | |
| There has been plenty of talk so far this season about what Mississippi State doesn't have because of what graduated from the squad that last season that advanced to the national championship. Vic Schaefer, even, has often pointed it out -- overall depth and size at power forward, mainly. Lost in all that chatter is what the Bulldogs actually do have: three of the top players in the nation at their respective positions. And that proved to be plenty good enough on Wednesday night for No. 3 Mississippi State in its 90-79 win over No. 9 Oregon at Humphrey Coliseum. It's apparent that MSU's stars have elevated their game this season, but another positive sign for the Bulldogs was their role players. With its star power and role players' solid performances, MSU proved it is still one of the elites. |
| Behind closed doors, good coaching candidates can fall flat in interview process | |
 | When Dan Mullen decided to leave Starkville for Florida, Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen already had four or five good candidates in mind for the vacant position. Cohen interviewed multiple candidates including Pruitt but decided on Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead in part because of a stellar in-person interview experience. "We interviewed some coaches I think are going to be outstanding coaches at the (Power 5) level, but they probably weren't the greatest fit for us at Mississippi State right now," Cohen said. At Mississippi State, Jared Benko, the athletic department's CFO, and Bo Hemphill, deputy AD of development, both assisted Cohen with in-person interviews. The Mississippi State AD wanted their perspectives on how the potential hires could impact alumni donations and the overall financials of the athletic department. When the school started focusing on Moorhead, the big question was how a coach with little ties to the South could succeed at MSU. |
| Doctors: Nick Fitzgerald healing faster than expected | |
| Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald already was on track to participate in spring practice. Recently, though, the junior received some good news from his doctors. Fitzgerald's father, Derrick, told The Dispatch doctors said Nick Fitzgerald's ankle is healing quicker than they expected after he dislocated it in the Egg Bowl. Nick Fitzgerald is on track to rehabilitate in the next few months so he will be able to participate in spring practice. Derrick Fitzgerald told The Dispatch after the Egg Bowl that Nick "woke up from surgery cracking jokes." Since then, Nick's mother, Annetta, and Nick's girlfriend have spent time in Starkville helping him get around because the boot he is wearing on his foot prevents him from driving. The road to Fitzgerald being active for spring practice, the first for new coach Joe Moorhead, will come in stages. |
| What Mississippi State's defensive players want from Bob Shoop | |
| At some point during the next few weeks, Mississippi State will formally introduce new defensive coordinator Bob Shoop at a press conference. He will talk about his experience. He will likely outline his plan for the Bulldogs' defense. He may establish some goals for the Bulldogs. All of that is standard. But what does Mississippi State's defensive players want from him, their fifth defensive coordinator in as many years? Nose guard Jeffery Simmons made it clear when answering that question that he would buy-in to whatever Shoop wants to implement, but his preference is for the Bulldogs to maintain their aggressive style. "I want a defense that is ready to attack people and get after it," Simmons said. |
| Super Bulldog Weekend rescheduled | |
| Mississippi State has moved the dates for Super Bulldog Weekend to April 20-22. The Bulldogs' annual spring homecoming was initially slated for Apirl 6-8 but was rescheduled in an effort to allow Joe Moorhead and the new football staff more time to spend with the players. The spring football game will now take place on April 21 and the baseball team will host Arkansas that weekend. The softball team will also be in action hosting Florida. Reserved baseball tickets that were initially purchased for the Super Bulldog Weekend series against Ole Miss will now apply for the Arkansas series. |
| Kentucky's Mitch Barnhart named chair of SEC athletics directors | |
| University of Kentucky Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart has been named chair of the Southeastern Conference Athletics Directors, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Wednesday. "Mitch's experience as a proven leader makes him uniquely qualified to head our group of athletics directors during this particularly important time in the history of intercollegiate athletics," Sankey said. "He commands the ability to identify solutions to problems and to navigate complex issues with a diverse group of strong leaders from our various institutions. I look forward to working with Mitch in his new role." Barnhart, who is in his 16th year as Kentucky athletics director, was selected by a unanimous vote of his fellow SEC athletics directors during a meeting on Tuesday in Birmingham. |
| New contract agreed to, Gus Malzahn looks toward 'bright' future at Auburn | |
| Gus Malzahn said before the start of the season that he believed the next three or four years would be the team's best during his time at Auburn. On Wednesday, the fifth-year head coach said he believes that even more now than he did then. And ever since he agreed new long-term contract to remain with the Tigers on Dec. 3 -- terms have not been released, but the deal will reportedly be worth $49 million over seven years -- Malzahn has really had a chance to look toward securing that "bright" future. It starts with keeping his coaching staff in place, something it appears he will be able to do after a nervous few days last week, when offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey reportedly interviewed for the head job at South Alabama and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was among the top candidates for the vacancy at Tennessee. |
| Antone Davis email: Wife of former Vols coach Butch Jones spread false info about me | |
 | Former Tennessee football coach Butch Jones' wife, Barb, spread false information pertaining to the departure of Vol For Life Coordinator Antone Davis, Davis alleged in an email he sent to his bosses on Nov. 2. Davis gave two-week notice of his resignation in a letter to former athletic director John Currie dated Oct. 30. Barb Jones described Davis' departure as a firing, Davis claimed in an email to Reid Sigmon, Tennessee's executive associate athletic director. "I want you to know that I have been contacted by three different people that have stated that Barb Jones, Butch's wife, has told some parent(s) of our current-student athletes that I was fired because I was leaking information to the media," Davis wrote to Sigmon in an email obtained by USA TODAY Network-Tennessee through a public records request. "This is absolutely untrue and it is exactly the type of thing I feared would happen." |
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