| Thursday, January 18, 2018 |
| Plants, shrubs, turf likely to see damage from snow, cold | |
 | It's a little too early to know whether plants, shrubs and turf are going to be impacted by the recent cold weather and snow Northeast Mississippi has seen, but Jeff Wilson predicts there's going to be some damage. "There's no way to know until after winter's over and spring comes, but I suspect that anything that hadn't completely hardened off or gone dormant will definitely get hurt," said Wilson, regional horticulture specialist for the Northeast District of Mississippi State University Extension. Wilson cautioned homeowners to be patient once the cold weather has passed. "If people see damage on ornamental plants, don't be in a rush to trim all the damaged areas off," he said. "The fresh cuts you make will make the plant that much more susceptible to more damage when the next cold snap comes through. The plants may be ugly for a while, but wait to prune until late February or early March, when you normally would." |
| Registration extended at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Due to university closures this week, registration changes for students at MSU-Meridian are being accepted through 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. This also means new students can still register this week and returning students who haven't registered still have time. The Sonny Montgomery Advisement and Career Center staff is available to help on Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. |
| The Students Who Don't Believe College Is an Option | |
 | Overshadowed by attention to the challenges faced by nonwhite high-school graduates in cities, low-income black, Hispanic, and Native American students in rural areas are equally unlikely to go on to college. Rural students overall are more likely than the national average to graduate from high school in four years -- 87 percent, compared to 83 percent nationwide. But rural Hispanics, blacks, Native American, and other nonwhite students graduate at lower rates than the national average. The reasons are myriad, and often specific to a community or ethnic group. Rural areas are not only distant from colleges and universities; they're far from commercial centers, have few amenities -- some 6.5 million students, mostly in rural areas, still lack high-speed internet, the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway says -- and struggle to attract teachers, funding, and parent involvement, said Devon Brenner, an education professor at Mississippi State University who studies rural schools. |
| Insitu provides UAS pilots with improved situational awareness | |
| Boeing subsidiary Insitu successfully demonstrated its ground-based airspace situational awareness system for unmanned aircraft during a test flown at the Mississippi State University Raspet Flight Center. The system has the ability to detect nearby aircraft flying within and beyond a drone operator's line of sight. Remotely detecting and tracking other airspace users, the system immediately sends air traffic information back to a ground-control station---assisting operators in safely operating unmanned aircraft systems over extended ranges. "We now have integrated a significant capability that will dramatically improve airspace safety," said Dara Albouyeh, Insitu's chief engineer of certification. "This successful demonstration of our ground-based situational awareness system confirmed our ability to achieve deconfliction of the air traffic at the Choctaw County Airport and surrounding areas." |
| Crosby Arboretum to host 10th annual Forge Day | |
| Crosby Arboretum in Picayune will hold its 10th annual Forge Day on Saturday, Jan. 27. Pat Drackett, Director of the Crosby Arboretum and assistant extension professor of landscape architecture with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the event brings over a dozen local metal workers to the area. She invites anyone interested in making metal working a hobby, or just wants to watch and learn the history of it, to attend. Drackett said the idea for the event began after a number of people attending the Piney Woods Heritage Festival found the blacksmith exhibition intriguing. After seeing how popular the exhibition was, they decided to host an event dedicated to local metal workers. "This is a great event for anyone to see something unique and different," Drackett said. |
| Sales tax revenues slip in region | |
 | The region's largest retail center saw increased sales in November but numbers two, three and four -- Oxford, Columbus and Starkville -- faltered slightly, according to the latest tax revenue figures. But overall, taxes collected on November retail sales in northeast Mississippi were up in 53 of 94 towns compared to November 2016. The numbers marked a modest gain of 1.4 percent overall as towns headed into the last month of the Christmas shopping season. That small increase fueled concerns among city governments that online sales continue to sap tax revenue from local coffers. In the Golden Triangle, Starkville got $559,309 as its share of revenues from November sales. That was down 1.3 percent from November 2016. The Mississippi Municipal League and its member cities across the state continue to encourage the Legislature to either find ways to tax internet sales or provide other ways to give cities revenue options to offset the losses in revenues from sales taxes at traditional retailers. |
| City to negotiate for land for Sportsplex expansion | |
 | The Starkville Board of Aldermen has authorized the city to negotiate for the potential purchase of 51 acres of land to expand the Sportsplex. The decision came in executive session during Tuesday's board meeting. After the meeting, Mayor Lynn Spruill said the opportunity is an important one to expand the city's recreational offerings. "It's a huge opportunity to expand our presence with sports tournaments and make us very competitive with some of the nicer areas that have already seen expansion," Spruill said. The 51 acres of land are located to the south of the Sportsplex. |
| Walmart Neighborhood Market open for business | |
| Walmart Neighborhood Market, located at 105 Market St. off of Highway 12, opened for business Tuesday with a ribbon cutting and community celebration. The 41,000-square-foot store features fresh produce, a full-service deli, bakery, Grab-and-Go prepared meals, drive-through pharmacy and a full grocery department including health and beauty items, baby and pet supplies and some household goods. According to a statement from Walmart, the new store is a new prototype that only exists in a limited number of communities, featuring wider aisles and lower countertops at the deli and bakery. Greater Starkville Development Partnership President and CEO Scott Maynard said the GSDP appreciates Walmart's continued investment in the community. |
| Robert Clark, Julia Hodges tapped for Renasant Bank community board | |
| Renasant Bank on Tuesday announced two distinguished Starkville natives have been named to its Renasant Bank Starkville Community Board. The two newest members of the board are Robert Clark, who serves as president and CEO of Clark Beverage Group, and Julia Hodges, who has worked as a professor at Mississippi State University for over 30 years and is currently the university's executive associate vice president. The community board advises the board's chairman and makes recommendations regarding the bank's involvement in the community and business development. |
| Oktibbeha County looking to contract with lobbying firm | |
| Oktibbeha County is looking into a contract with a Jackson-based consulting and lobbying firm in the hopes of securing a stronger voice to seek state and federal funding. On Tuesday, Arnie Hederman, a partner with Clearwater Group, LLC went before the board to talk about his firm's services. Clearwater, according to information distributed to supervisors, specializes in federal, state and local government relations, as well as fundraising, political consulting, business development and grassroots advocacy. Austin Barbour and Michael Goode are also partners with the firm. Hederman said the firm could help, for example, in seeking funds for road projects. |
| Rosenhan reappointed fire coordinator | |
| Oktibbeha County Supervisors decided to reappoint longtime county fire coordinator Kirk Rosenhan to his post for a full year during Tuesday's meeting. Rosenhan's position seemed to be in jeopardy when supervisors voted to only reappoint him for two weeks at the first meeting of the year. District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard voiced frustrations with Rosenhan's work and questioned his dedication to the job. During the meeting, Rosenhan -- first appointed in 1988 -- acknowledged he doesn't plan to hold the position forever, and he's taken some preliminary steps to find a potential successor. "I've probably been here too long to begin with, but it's just what I like to do and I like to think I'm contributing," Rosenhan said. Supervisors unanimously appointed Rosenhan to another year, though the appointment may signal the beginning of a transition period to prepare for a new fire coordinator. |
| Starkville Walmart murder suspect had criminal history | |
| A man charged with capital murder in Starkville is a registered nurse who was arrested last month for an incident involving the same victim. William Thomas Chisholm, 41, still awaits his arraignment in municipal court after he allegedly shot dead 42-year-old optometrist Shauna Witt Saturday morning inside the Walmart store in west Starkville. Police arrested Chisholm in the store's parking lot shortly after officers arrived to the scene. Witt, who operated the eye center located in the store, had been in an "on again, off again dating relationship" with Chisholm, police said. |
| Mississippi House advances new public school funding formula | |
 | Mississippi House members chose Republicans vision of practicality and transparency in education funding Wednesday over Democrats' aims for more money and more equitable treatment of poor students. After three-plus hours of debate, the House voted 66-54 to advance House Bill 957 , a measure sponsored by House Speaker Philip Gunn to rewrite Mississippi's public school formula after 20 years of wrangling over the current Mississippi Adequate Education Program. After the vote, Gunn said the new formula offers "predictability -- what the superintendents have been asking for: understanding -- everybody can understand it. It's just going to provide a more reliable stream of funding." |
| MAEP rewrite passes House, heads to Senate | |
| The state House, voting primarily along party lines, opted to approve a new school funding formula Wednesday that will take out of state law an objective formula established by the Mississippi Adequate Education Program to determine the full funding level for public school districts. The House voted 66 to 54 to replace the Adequate Education Program with the Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Act. Eight Republicans voted against the bill while two Democrats voted for it. House Democrats offered 17 amendments to the bill, ranging from trying to add an inflation factor to trying to develop an objective formula to determine the level of funding, but they were all defeated by the Republican majority. The bill, which would impact more than $2 billion in state funds and impact every public school district in the state, now goes to the Senate for consideration. The Senate could pass the proposal and send it straight to Gov. Phil Bryant. |
| House passes MAEP education funding overhaul after partisan floor fight | |
 | After hours of floor debate, the House on Wednesday night passed an historic overhaul of Mississippi's school funding formula, on a 66-54, mostly party line vote in the GOP-controlled chamber. The education plan makes sweeping changes to the way lawmakers fund education and eliminates the 20-year-old Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which has only been funded twice since its 1997 inception. Democratic lawmakers offered up a hard-nosed defense against the bill, offering many failed amendments. Representatives also drilled House Education Chair Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, on the proposal for nearly three hours. A key question during Wednesday's floor debate was how the state would finance the new formula, which is projected to cost $53 million more in the first year of its phase in. |
| In 'once in a generation vote,' House moves to scrap education formula | |
| In his first defense of a major schools bill, newly appointed House Education Chairman Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, stuck close to talking points that a new education funding formula would be simpler and more fair for school children. Despite numerous questions and concerns from Democrats and a surprising number of no votes from Bennett's fellow Republicans, the House voted Wednesday evening to dismantle Mississippi's current education funding formula and replace it with their own version. The House voted 66 to 54 for House Bill 957, titled the Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Act of 2018. The vote was mostly along party lines, with 10 Republicans voting against the legislation because the school districts they represent would lose a significant amount of funding once the new formula is fully implemented. |
| Lincoln County supervisors unimpressed with road, bridge bills in House | |
 | The Mississippi House made a big show of passing legislation to fund transportation improvements last week, but Lincoln County supervisors are a little skeptical about the bill's structure. In a small moment of downtime at Tuesday's board meeting, supervisors voiced their concern that House Bill 722 would unevenly distribute funding across the state, blessing the coffers of less-needy counties while stiffing those with heavy maintenance responsibilities. The bill calls for cities and counties to get a 15 percent share each of $108 million in use taxes, but traps counties' funding under the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction, where it can only be spent on approved projects. "If they're going to do it that way, we won't see near what we need out of it," said District 5 Supervisor Doug Falvey. "That won't help us get our bridges built." |
| Three Republicans Now in Race for US House Seat in Mississippi | |
| Three Republicans have now qualified to run for an open congressional seat in Mississippi. Businessmen Whit Hughes of Madison and Perry Parker of Seminary filed qualifying papers Wednesday to run in the 3rd District. Michael Guest of Brandon, a district attorney, entered the race Jan. 5, one day after Republican Rep. Gregg Harper said he won't seek re-election to the seat he first won in 2008. Hughes has worked in economic development and as a hospital executive. Parker has worked as an investment banker. |
| Whit Hughes jumps into race to replace U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper | |
| Republican Whit Hughes of Madison, a former Mississippi college sports star with an extensive background in business and politics, on Wednesday became the second candidate to officially run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Gregg Harper. Soon thereafter, a third candidate, Covington County businessman Perry Parker filed to run, but was not immediately available for comment. Hughes, a veteran of many national, state and local campaigns, said he is making his first run for political office because he sees "a shrinking middle class" in Mississippi and communities "hanging by their last threads of hope" and believes he can use his economic development and business experience to change things. Hughes, 42, was a well-known Mississippi State University basketball standout, playing a key role on MSU's 1995 Sweet Sixteen team and 1996 Final Four team. |
| Brandon Presley won't run; poll shows Roger Wicker with primary lead | |
| The leading Democrat considering a bid for Senate announced he won't run as new internal polling shows incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker with a commanding lead in a possible Republican primary. Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said Thursday, "A 2018 campaign would take me away from my duties to our state and divert my attention away from issues that I feel are very important." While Mississippi is considered a strong red state, Democrats have been hopeful that a potentially messy GOP primary could open up opportunities for a steal. Democrats are hoping state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, will give a command performance of his 2014 challenge to Cochran by challenging Wicker this year. However, the odds of McDaniel running -- or being able to mount a significant challenge if he does -- continue to shrink. The latest hit came Wednesday, when Wicker's campaign released internal polling showing the incumbent with a 32-point lead over McDaniel in the Third Congressional District. |
| Overshadowed in shutdown showdown: the likely blowback from 2 million federal employees | |
 | Many Democrats and Republicans say they are willing to shut down the government if they don't get a spending deal that suits their demands on immigration and other issues. But engaged in brinkmanship, lawmakers from California and other states must also weigh the consequences to a key constituency: two million federal employees. A government shutdown would immediately cause federal agencies to furlough roughly 800,000 of these workers, some of whom were forced to temporarily forgo paychecks during the last shutdown, four years ago. Lawmakers face a deadline of midnight Friday to keep funding the government, or else trigger a repeat of 2013. Stan Collender, who has tracked budget brinkmanship for four decades, said lawmakers from certain states and districts ignore the federal workforce at their own peril. "Senators or representatives who have a large concentration of federal employees, they have to pay attention to this," said Collender, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and former editor of the Federal Budget Report. |
| Study: White House abandoning science advice at unprecedented levels | |
 | A report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists on Thursday provides a stark portrayal of how the federal government's relationship with scientists has deteriorated since President Donald Trump took office. According to the report by UCS, a non-profit group of independent scientists, the administration's skeptical views on science advisers is represented by diminished staffing at the White House and across various government agencies. President Trump is the first president in four decades to not appoint a presidential science adviser, the report said. Less than a third of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is full, with only 38 of 130 total positions filled. |
| 2017 was among the planet's hottest years on record, NASA and NOAA scientists report | |
 | 2017 was among the hottest years ever recorded, government scientists reported Thursday. The year was the second-hottest in recorded history, NASA said, while scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported 2017 was the third-warmest they've ever recorded. The two government agencies use different methodologies to calculate global temperatures, but by either standard, the 2017 results make the past four years the hottest period in their 138-year archive. The renewed evidence of climate change, driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases, comes as the Trump administration moves to open new areas for oil drilling and rolls back regulations that sought to reduce global warming. |
| Amazon names top 20 finalists in second headquarters race | |
 | Amazon named 20 finalists in the race to win its second headquarters Thursday, narrowing the pool of cities and states competing to secure an expected 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment. In general, the list clearly show's Amazon's interest in moving outside its current geographic comfort zone in the western U.S. Despite bids from Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco, the closest city that made the short list was Los Angeles, more than 1,000 miles to the south. Amazon's picks lean heavily east and south. The south did best, if you consider Washington, D.C., and environs part of it. On the list are Atlanta, Miami, Montgomery County, Md., Nashville, Northern Virginia and Raleigh, N.C. Amazon will now work with each of the candidate locations to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership, the company said. |
| U. of Alabama student dismissed after racially charged video | |
 | The University of Alabama student who repeatedly used racist language while referring to African-Americans in a series of videos posted on social media is no longer enrolled at the university and has been expelled from her sorority. In a series of videos, a young woman identified as Harley Barber, a former UA student and member of UA's Alpha Phi sorority chapter, repeatedly used racist and profane language referring to African-Americans. The videos sparked an outcry and calls for her expulsion on Tuesday and Wednesday. "In light of the racist and disturbing videos posted by one of our students on social media, I want to express my personal disgust and disappointment," UA President Stuart Bell said in a statement released Wednesday. "Like many of you, I find the videos highly offensive and deeply hurtful, not only to our students and our entire university community, but to everyone who viewed them. The actions of this student do not represent the larger student body or the values of our university, and she is no longer enrolled here." |
| Universities see major cuts in Kentucky governor's proposed budget | |
 | After Gov. Matt Bevin announced his proposed two-year budget Tuesday night, higher education leaders breathed a sigh of relief. The Republican governor's plan to cut the state's allocation to public higher education by 6.25 percent -- about $72 million a year -- was less than many had expected. But then on Wednesday morning, university presidents started delving into the 70 programs Bevin wants to eliminate from the state budget, many of them housed at state universities. The University of Kentucky estimates it will lose about $16 million from its state appropriation next year because of the 6.25 percent cut, plus an additional $10 million from Bevin's plan to eliminate state funding for specific programs. Those include cancer screening programs, the Robinson Scholars Program that offers scholarships to first-generation college-bound students from Eastern Kentucky, the University Press of Kentucky and the UK Center for Entrepreneurship. |
| Members of U. of South Carolina community respond to racist flyers with words, actions | |
 | A day after flyers with racial remarks were posted on a University of South Carolina campus building members of the Gamecocks community continued to respond. Tuesday, flyers were found taped to a display case outside the offices for the university's African-American studies program in Gambrell Hall. Although the issue was immediately addressed by a university spokesman and the student body vice president among others, more students and members of the administration got involved Wednesday. Some used words, others took action and future plans were made. They are all in response to the messages that used racially insensitive language to blame African-Americans for the election of President Donald Trump. |
| Texas A&M Bush School speaker discusses US alliances in Asia | |
 | Former White House Director of Asian Affairs Victor Cha said during a Wednesday lecture at the Bush School of Government and Public Service that although China is fast becoming a dominant force in the East Asian region, he believes the U.S. remains one of the most relevant and important states involved in the area. Cha was the first speaker to visit the school at Texas A&M for the new year, kicking it off with a discussion that ranged from the history of U.S. relations in East Asia to the complicated future ahead. Among the most timely topics Cha spoke on during the nearly 90-minute event was the crucial part played by North Korea in the region and how Kim Jong Un's unknown motives make it difficult to predict his actions. |
| Florida State President Praises Charges Against Students in Death of Pledge | |
 | John E. Thrasher, president of Florida State University, says charges filed against nine students there in the hazing-related death of a fraternity pledge are a "first step in seeking justice." "These arrest warrants strengthen our resolve to address the issue of responsible student behavior at Florida State University for the benefit, safety, and well-being of our students and the community," Mr. Thrasher said in a statement on Wednesday. The charges, for hazing causing injury or death, resulted from the case of Andrew Coffey, a 20-year-old pledge at Pi Kappa Phi, who was found unresponsive and died after a party on November 3. The university responded to the incident by indefinitely suspending its fraternities and sororities. |
| A little clarity on what MAEP and 'shall' mean | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "The odds are fairly good that the Mississippi Adequate Education Program will be replaced during the ongoing legislative session with another school funding formula dubbed the Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Act. But at least once more before the Adequate Education Program is a relic of the state's past, it deserves a little clarity. If the Adequate Education Program has taught us anything, it is that in the eyes of politicians and of the courts -- at least the Mississippi Supreme Court -- the word 'shall,' in reality, means 'maybe,' and a politician's word means, well..." |
SPORTS
| How Joe Moorhead assembled his first staff at Mississippi State | |
| It's early Sunday afternoon and Joe Moorhead is sitting on the couch inside his office with his eyes on the television mounted to the wall. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Moorhead's hometown team, are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Naturally, Moorhead would probably prefer to be home, likely with a Terrible Towel in hand, but this will do. He still doesn't have much time for relaxation, anyway. Moorhead just finished meeting with his staff. He conducted one-on-one get-togethers with members of Mississippi State's roster over the last few days. His youngest son wants to visit Humphrey Coliseum in a couple of hours for the women's basketball game. Soon after that, Moorhead needs to leave town and recruit the rest of the class of 2018 and beyond. Indeed, right now, there is plenty still happening in Moorhead's world. But officially accomplishing one weighty task last week has at least made things less hectic than they were one month ago. Moorhead's first assistant coaching staff at Mississippi State is complete. |
| Mississippi State men hope win over Vanderbilt serves as spark | |
| It's probably best not to take too much away from any one basketball game. However, sometimes it only takes a spark to get a fire going and for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, they are hopeful Tuesday night's 80-62 win over Vanderbilt was just what the team needed to get going in the right direction. MSU snapped its three-game losing streak. "This helps a lot," Mississippi State guard Quinndary Weatherspoon said following the game Tuesday. "We wanted to get off that losing streak. We wanted to get back on the winning side. Hopefully the win boosts our confidence and we can go to Alabama (on Saturday) and try to get another win and get a winning streak going." The Bulldogs had plenty to like about their Tuesday-night showing. For one, the group played the unselfish brand of basketball that head coach Ben Howland has been preaching for his team to adopt. Of State's 31 baskets in the game, 20 came off of assists. |
| Stretch run will test Mississippi State's depth | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Mississippi State's No. 3-ranked Lady Bulldogs rolled to their 19th straight victory in as many games with a 75-61 pasting of Alabama on Sunday in Starkville. Never mind that the NFL playoffs were on the tube, a crowd of more than 9,000 showed up at The Hump to see Vic Schaefer's team carve up another foe. State, which trounced Ole Miss 76-45 earlier in the week, is averaging 86 points per game, while allowing only 56 points a game. That's an average victory margin of 30, which is only surpassed in impressiveness by the fact State has drawn 6,124 fans per home game. There are any number of ways to describe how good State has been thus far, but perhaps the best is this: The Bulldogs have been so good that Schaefer has been able to red-shirt five-star guard Myah Taylor, who has to be the nation's most heralded scout team player." |
| Who is in charge of Jackson State athletics? | |
| The Jackson State athletic program is once again at a crossroads, and this time, there's no driver. On its face, the program appears to be in better shape than most in the league, with attendance at or near the top of the league in both revenue sports, football and men's basketball. The latter is enjoying considerable success on the court, sitting in first place with a 6-0 record in the SWAC. But under the surface, there is an ongoing struggle to remain competitive. The arms race when it comes to facilities and athletic budgets is real. Even within the conference, Jackson State is behind. The university administration, under the leadership of first-year JSU President William Bynum, has been running the department by proxy since removing former AD Wheeler Brown in December, using associate athletic director Genese Lavalais as a liaison between athletic personnel and the president's office. |
| Auburn expected to hire Buffalo's Allen Greene as athletics director | |
 | It's been a little more than two months since Jay Jacobs announced he would step down as Auburn's athletics director, and it appears now that university president Steven Leath has made his choice to replace him. Allen Greene is expected to be named the school's 15th athletics director, according to multiple media reports. The hire would have to be cleared by Auburn's Board of Trustees. Jay G. Tate of Rivals.com was the first to report the news Wednesday evening, and ESPN and USA Today have since reported as well. Greene, 40, comes to Auburn from the University of Buffalo, where he spent three years as the school's deputy athletics director before ascending to the lead role in 2015. Prior to his stint in Buffalo, the Seattle native spent three years (2009-12) in the SEC as the assistant athletics director at Ole Miss and seven years at his alma mater, Notre Dame, working in athletic development and compliance. He would be just the third African-American athletics director in the history of the conference. |
| UGA committee supports using $1 million for three athletic facility projects | |
 | A new, larger video board is coming to Sanford Stadium as part of the $63 million west end zone project. Stegeman Coliseum recently added a center-hung scoreboard with a new video board as part of $8 million in renovations. Now, there are plans for Gabrielsen Natatorium to get new video boards for the Georgia swimming and diving programs. The Georgia Athletic Association's Board of Directors' finance committee on Wednesday endorsed using $1 million in reserve funds to pay for three facility projects including $700,000 for the swimming video boards. The request will go before the full board at its next quarterly meeting on Jan. 30. |
| Florida's Scott Stricklin joins College Football Playoff committee | |
| Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin's job description has grown with a new important role. The second-year UF AD was named one of the six new members of the College Football Playoff selection committee that was announced Wednesday. Stricklin replaces former Arkansas AD Jeff Long as the SEC's representative on the committee. "Jeff did a wonderful job serving as the SEC representative on the committee and I hope to continue that legacy," Stricklin said. "The College Football Playoff has become a special part of our sport and the committee's job is to pick the best teams and to represent the game with integrity." Stricklin has spent the majority of his career in the SEC as the AD at UF and Mississippi State, his alma mater. He's also worked at Auburn and Kentucky on those schools athletic staffs. |
| NCAA think tank will mull associationwide rule on athletes with ties to sexual assault | |
 | As the country continues to be roiled by continued revelations of sexual assaults perpetrated (mostly) by powerful men, the National Collegiate Athletic Association will take initial steps toward considering a blanket rule on athletes with a history of such acts. While individual colleges and an NCAA conference have created policies barring athletes who have been tied to sexual violence, so far the association has resisted adopting a broader decree. At the NCAA's annual convention Wednesday, a member of its Commission to Combat Campus Sexual Violence, Cindy Aron, told a crowd that select commission members would meet in Washington next week. They will discuss, she said, a prospective associationwide policy on athletes with a history of sexual assault. Nothing concrete has yet been developed. This "think tank" will also involve higher education experts from across the country who work on sexual violence initiatives on campuses, Aron said. |
| Repeated Head Hits, Not Concussions, May Be Behind A Type Of Chronic Brain Damage | |
 | We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions. From battlefields around the world to football fields in the U.S., we've heard about the dangers of when the brain rattles around inside the skull, and the possible link between concussion and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy. A number of high profile NFL stars have developed CTE, and increasingly parents worry about how concussions may affect their children who play sports. The injury even has become part of popular culture, thanks to the 2015 film, "Concussion." But now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing the mark. A study published online Thursday in Brain, a journal of neurology, presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head that aren't concussions -- meaning there's no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that can include headaches, dizziness, vision problems or confusion -- do cause CTE. |
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