| Monday, January 29, 2018 |
| Carl Small Town Center's Thomas Gregory to lead state organization | |
 | An employee of Mississippi State University's Carl Small Town Center has been chosen to head up the Mississippi chapter of the American Planning Association. Thomas R. Gregory III was elected to a one-year term as president-elect of the organization this year. In January 2019, he will begin a two-year term as president. "It is an honor to be selected by my peers and colleagues across Mississippi to lead our state chapter," Gregory said. "The work we do as planners is critical to the success of Mississippi's communities, and I will work hard to promote our profession across the state." The Carl Small Town Center is part of the MSU College of Architecture, Art and Design dedicated to improving small towns across Mississippi. It has worked on a range of projects in several Gregory towns across the state since 2004. |
| New payment plans at Mississippi State may reduce student debt | |
 | Mississippi State University, beginning with the July billing cycle, is changing its payment plans in a way expected to reduce student debt and foster responsible financial management skills. The new payment plans will allow students to pay tuition, residence halls meal plans and other expenses through monthly installments. All statement due dates will move to the first day of each month. Students currently receive their monthly billing statements around the 15th of each month, and the balance is due on the 9th of the following month. Beginning in July, students will continue receiving statements around the 15th day of the month, but due dates will be on the 1st of the following month. For example, the July 15 billing statements will have a due date of Aug. 1. "I think students will feel a great incentive toward success due to the upfront investment they are making for each semester," Kevin Edelblute, MSU assistant vice president and controller/treasurer said in a news release. |
| Famous touring company brings 'Othello' to Mississippi State | |
 | One of William Shakespeare's most highly regarded tragedies will be staged Feb. 12 at Mississippi State as part of the university's 2017-18 Lyceum Series. Though composed in the early 17th century, "Othello" is a timeless examination of identity, institutional racism and deceit. To be performed in modern attire, the play is a production of the National Players, America's longest-running tour company. The curtain will rise at 7 p.m. in the Bettersworth Auditorium of historic Lee Hall. General admission tickets are $25 each; $20 for Mississippi State employees and senior citizens; $10 for youth ages 3-12 in school uniform or with institutional identification. Enrolled university students are admitted free with MSU identification. Lyceum is among many programs of MSU's Colvard Student Union. |
| Initiative taps creativity to improve learning for Meridian students | |
 | Poplar Springs in Meridian earned designation from the Mississippi Arts Commission years ago for integrating arts into each subject. Oakland Heights Elementary and Northwest Middle schools also have the Whole School designation. These endeavors have served as part of the dress rehearsal for what the Meridian Public School District, a host of community partners and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts-supported effort called Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child. The Kennedy Center selected the district as one of three nationwide in 2016 for a four-year grant to create access to the arts education to all students. Charlotte Tabereaux, educational director at the MSU Riley Center, said Any Given Child draws from Meridian's rich history of supporting the arts and commitment to public education. "Success is student achievement going up, fewer discipline problems, and higher teacher morale," Tabereaux said. |
| Regional Reading Fair held at MSU-Meridian Friday | |
 | Many students showed that there is more to a book than just reading it at MSU-Meridian Friday. Kids of all ages presented both storyboards and digital presentations for a book they read. "This is the culmination of student's hard work since the very beginning of school where they are incorporating their love for reading and the arts by creating a story board that describes the elements of the book, and there is a rubric that they must follow," says Cythia Pouncey, the Professional Development Coordinator for the East Mississippi Center for Educational Development. |
| Growers' conference set for February | |
 | The 2018 North Mississippi Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference will be Feb. 8-9 at the Magnolia Building at the Mississippi State University Agri-Center in Verona. The event, which is primarily for commercial horticulture producers, not homeowners, is $30 and admission can be paid at the door. Topics include alternative insect control in vegetables, biodegradable plastic mulches, soil health, cultivar trials, vegetable disease management, peach tree production, high-tunnel blueberry production, farmers' market tips and fertilizer calculations. |
| Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District plans job fair to recruit teachers | |
| The Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will host its first job fair to recruit K-12 teachers for the 2018-19 school year. The Jacket Job Fair, which will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 12 at Sudduth Elementary School, is a way to make the teacher recruiting and hiring process more personal for all applicants, SOCSD Superintendent Eddie Peasant said. The main goal, he said, is to promote opportunities at all schools in the district, and give both veteran teachers and recent college graduates a chance to experience the SOCSD culture. Additionally, there is a significant teacher shortage across the state of Mississippi, which is why SOCSD is making efforts to recruit and retain teachers. The district will also begin the hiring process for the SOCSD/Mississippi State University Partnership School. |
| Starkville Police Department investigating shooting at Sportsplex | |
| The Starkville Police Department is investigating a shooting at the Starkville Sportsplex that injured two people. Police responded to the Sportsplex, on Lynn Lane, at 12:36 a.m. Sunday after receiving a report of shots fired outside the main facility. On arrival, officers found two people with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to their lower bodies. The victims' condition is currently unknown, and Oktibbeha County Director of Emergency Medical Services Michael Hunt couldn't be reached by press time. A private party was being held at the Sportsplex at the time, according to SPD, though the department has so far declined to reveal details on what type of party was being held at the facility. SPD officers were working security in the venue when the reported shooting occurred, according to an SPD press release. |
| Cash registers believed to be zapping away state revenue | |
| Computerized cash registers, designed to hide total sales made by merchants, could be costing the state millions of dollars in revenue, Mississippi Revenue Commissioner Herb Frierson says. The high tech registers, known as "zappers," or automated sales suppression devices, allow merchants to hide some of their sales, thus costing the state a portion of the 7 percent tax it assesses on retail sales. "The zapper has two sets of books. Al Capone (the Chicago gangster who was convicted of tax evasion) would have loved it," Frierson said recently during testimony to legislators at the state Capitol. "It has one set of books for tax purposes and another (true set of books) if you want to sell your business." Frierson is advocating for legislation this session to make it a felony to possess or try to sell the zappers. One version of the bill already has passed the Senate Judiciary B Committee chaired by Hob Bryan, D-Amory. |
| Columbus CVB poised to accept city terms on restaurant tax | |
| It appears The Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau board is prepared to accept the city's terms for an inter-local agreement on how to distribute 2-percent restaurant sales tax funds. CVB's board will hold a special-call meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the bureau's headquarters to again discuss the city of Columbus' terms. A week ago, the CVB's board rejected the city's proposal, approving a counter-proposal that was flatly rejected by Columbus Mayor Robert Smith in a tersely-worded letter made public the following day. The city and Lowndes County Board of Supervisors are required to sign a joint resolution requesting a renewal of the current restaurant tax, which expires on June 30, to the state House and Senate Private and Local committees by its March 9 deadline for bills. |
| Bills adding penalties for crimes by gang members move ahead | |
 | An effort to broadly define gangs and impose extra penalties for crimes they commit was approved Friday for House debate. A similar bill was passed by a Senate committee on Thursday. The House Judiciary B committee passed House Bill 541 Friday morning. Efforts to advance a similar bill last year died. Described by Rep. Andy Gipson as possibly "one of the most significant pieces of legislation we pass this year in terms of public safety," the Mississippi Anti-Gang Act defines what constitutes a gang and outlines specific penalties for criminal activity committed by members. "What we lack in the state is a comprehensive piece of legislation that has crime specific to gang activity, and that's what this bill does," Gipson, a Republican from Braxton said. "Gang activity is any activity on the books that's committed by a gang." |
| Mississippi lawmakers mull more prison time for gang members | |
 | Gang members would get longer prison terms under a bill moving forward in the Mississippi House, although the effectiveness of similar strategies in other states has been questioned. The House Judiciary B Committee voted Friday to send House Bill 541 to the full House for more debate, a move that could ultimately require five to 15 additional years in prison for any proven gang member convicted of a felony. Prisoners couldn't be released early from the extra sentence. Law enforcement officials say a recent report indicating that police have found gangs in all 82 of Mississippi's counties shows the need for the measure. The report found that three gangs -- the Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords and Simon City Royals -- have a statewide presence. The Mississippi Department of Corrections says 62 percent of state prison inmates are active gang members. |
| Mississippi could let distillers sell alcohol to visitors | |
| Mississippi lawmakers could allow visitors to buy alcohol directly from distilleries, after agreeing to let visitors buy beer at breweries last year. The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved House Bill 995 , sending it to the full House for more debate. Some Mississippi distillers offer tours to promote their brands. The bill, sponsored by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jeff Smith, a Columbus Republican, lets visitors buy liquor at distilleries, but not drink those bottles on site. |
| Carrying booze could soon be OK in dry Mississippi counties | |
| Mississippians could soon be able to drive through dry counties with booze in the trunk without fear of arrest. The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday sent House Bill 192 to the full House for more debate. The measure says people could carry alcohol, wine and beer through dry areas on a state or federal highway if the containers are unopened. Right now, people can be charged for possessing alcohol in a dry county. Such charges can be aimed at bootleggers, or bolster other charges against someone an officer is arresting. |
| Opioid epidemic needs to end and so do legal fights, judge says | |
| The federal judge overseeing about 200 lawsuits against opioid makers would rather curb the opioid epidemic than referee the litigation. "About 150 Americans are going to die today, just today, while we're meeting," U.S. District Judge Dan Polster of Cleveland, Ohio, told the parties earlier this month. "And in my humble opinion, everyone shares some of the responsibility, and no one has done enough to abate it." He sees no value in depositions and trials, he said. "People aren't interested in figuring out the answer to interesting legal questions like pre-emption and learning intermediary, or unraveling complicated conspiracy theories." "The litigation costs must be killing them," said Richard Ausness, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law. "The problem is that a settlement with some plaintiffs will only cause more plaintiffs to sue." |
| Attorney: Child Protection Services deficit plan could violate federal settlement | |
| The plaintiffs' attorney in the long-running Olivia Y federal case over Mississippi's foster care system says the state could violate a court order if the Department of Child Protection Services implements a hiring freeze and delays a software upgrade to wipe out an unexpected budget deficit. Marcia Lowry of New York-based A Better Childhood said Friday she has requested a meeting with Gov. Phil Bryant and Attorney General Jim Hood. "If they go ahead with adoption of this plan, they will be in contempt of a court order," said Lowry, attorney for the plaintiffs in the case initially filed in 2004. "We don't understand what is happening with the agency." Lowry said Friday by telephone that she hadn't received a response from Bryant or Hood to her meeting request. |
| Sally Doty announces run for U.S. Congressional seat on home turf Friday | |
 | When Sen. Terry Burton, the pro temp of the Mississippi Senate, saw Sally Doty make her way onto the senate floor for the first time, he figured this day would come. "I knew she belonged," he said. Burton served as Doty's master of ceremonies for a rally held Friday at the Lincoln County Military Memorial Museum. Doty officially announced her run for the 3rd District Congressional seat in her first rally held in Brookhaven since filing her paperwork Monday in Jackson. Burton said Doty fit right in to the political arena, got to know her fellow senators and made herself available to her constituents. "She did something a lot of newly-elected senators don't do. She listened," he said. Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, said what a lot of Lincoln Countians have been thinking. "It's time to send someone from Southwest Mississippi to Washington who won't go there and forget about us," she said. |
| Sally Doty, candidate for congressional seat, visits Meridian | |
| State Sen. Sally Doty, one of five Republican candidates vying for Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District seat, visited The Meridian Star on Saturday to discuss her platform. Doty, 51, of Brookhaven, is a two-term state senator who is chair of the Energy Committee and vice chair of the Judiciary A Committee. Doty is also one of five members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, appointed by Lt. Governor Tate Reeves. She was the first woman to enter the 2018 race after Congressman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) announced he was not seeking re-election. "I would listen to the different parts of my district and what it is that they need," Doty told The Star. "I would spend a lot of time deciding what Meridian needs, what it is southwest Mississippi needs and what it is that Hinds and Rankin County needs. A lot of it would be the same, but there's a lot of differences in those counties, and I would make those items my focus." |
| Legislation would address internet access on farms, ranches | |
| Legislation was introduced this past week to promote precision agriculture and rural broadband deployment to the nation's cropland and ranchland. The "Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018," introduced by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., would direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task force to identify gaps in high-speed internet connectivity for the nation's cropland and ranchland, according to a news released issued jointly by the two senators. The measure also would instruct the FCC to develop ways to encourage broadband adoption and precision agriculture in areas where it is currently unavailable. "Precision agriculture technologies are already changing the way American farmers do business," Wicker said. |
| 2018 elections: Will a good economy be enough for the GOP to hold power | |
 | The economy is growing, the GOP-passed tax cuts are increasingly popular and take-home pay is set to spike for many workers. Conservatives are confident they have a good story to tell as the 2018 midterms cycle intensifies. Their only question: Is anybody listening? That tension was on vivid display at a gathering of the billionaire Koch brothers' political and policy network, held this weekend at a palm-studded resort surrounded by mountains in Indian Wells, California. Here, donors toasted the recently enacted tax-reform bill while network officials and Republican lawmakers touted regulation rollbacks and tax cut-tied bonuses. And as the crowd assembled on Saturday, a New York Times headline blared, "Every one of the world's big economies is now growing." But there was an undercurrent of unease when talk turned to the midterms, a reflection of the ominous historical trends, low presidential approval ratings and ultra-energized progressive base all confronting Republicans this year. |
| Brandy Williams named director of development at The W | |
| Mississippi University for Women recently announced Brandy Williams as the director of development. "I have always loved working with alumni and students at The W. I'm excited to have this opportunity to establish and grow scholarships and to connect with our alumni," said Williams. Since 2011, Williams has served as the director of annual giving in the MUW Office of Development & Alumni. In that position, she managed a portfolio of donors, implemented a student giving campaign and implemented an annual faculty and staff campaign. Williams increased student giving by 50 percent while also achieving the highest faculty and staff participation in university history. Williams graduated with a bachelor of arts from The W in 2005. She has worked for the university since graduation. She has attended the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District Conference since 2009 and the RuffaloCody CampusCall Annual Conference since 2011. |
| Nobel winner touts early learning programs | |
| Economist James Heckman, viewed as one of the nation's leading experts on early childhood education, says governments can get their "best bang for the buck" on programs that provide educational services to children under the age of 3. He also said that low quality day-care centers that do no interactive activities with children can have a detrimental impact on their development. Heckman, a Nobel Prize winner in economic sciences and director of the Economics Research Center and the Center for Social Program Evaluation at the University of Chicago, made a presentation Thursday at an event sponsored by the University of Mississippi Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning. The speech was held in the auditorium of the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson. |
| Mississippi's flagship university leaves black students behind | |
| Many of the nation's best public universities are enrolling disproportionately few African-American and Latino students. Five of the six states with the largest gaps for African-Americans are in the South (the sixth is Delaware). Mississippi leads the way, with a 40-point gap between the African-American percentage of its public high school graduates in 2015 and the African-American percentage of students enrolled at the University of Mississippi that fall. African-Americans comprised 10 percent of freshmen at Ole Miss in 2015, an 8-percentage-point drop since 2010. African-American students say their shrinking numbers at Ole Miss, on a campus that famously resisted integration, contribute to a more difficult learning environment. |
| Governor proclaims April 9 as 'Bruce Levingston Day' | |
| As a result of his celebrated performances in some of the world's most renowned concert halls, his series of critically acclaimed albums and a lifelong commitment as a supporter of the arts, Delta-born classical pianist Bruce Levingston has enhanced Mississippi's international reputation as a cultural center. In recognition of Levingston's artistic contributions to the culture and people of the state, Gov. Phil Bryant recently proclaimed April 9, 2018, as "Bruce Levingston Day" in Mississippi. "Bruce Levingston has been our greatest ambassador for the arts in Mississippi," Bryant said. Levingston, the Chancellor's Artist-in-Residence of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi and the inaugural holder of the university's Lester Glenn Fant Chair, will observe the day with a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. |
| East Mississippi Community College president weighs in on community college bill | |
| If a bill currently in the Mississippi Legislature passes the Senate, more Mississippians will have opportunities through the state's community colleges. House Bill 405 passed the House this week in a landslide 111-2 vote and as written, would establish the "Mississippi Career Tech Scholar's Program," which would offer last-minute scholarships to study needed career and technical fields at any of Mississippi's community colleges. "It provides for last dollar financial support for students, meaning that if they have exhausted their opportunities for financial aid," said East Mississippi Community College President Thomas Huebner. "If they're in that category after regular scholarship opportunities and federal financial aid opportunities have been exhausted and they still have an outstanding balance set to attend college, then this will give them the support they need to enroll at EMCC." Huebner said he was unsure what programs exactly would be allotted for in the bill, but said he assumed many of the high-need manufacturing programs already offered by EMCC would be included. |
| Diabetes researchers gathering in Auburn next month for 11th annual Boshell Research Day | |
 | The Boshell Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Program at Auburn University will hold its 11th annual Research Day Friday, Feb. 16, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. The event brings more than 175 researchers from throughout the United States together learning and sharing information about research related to diabetes and the role of obesity in its development. The day-long event includes research presentations and expert speakers and culminates with a dinner and special guest speaker. "We are especially excited about this year's guest dinner speaker," said organizer Dr. Robert Judd, a professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Judd also serves as chair of the Boshell program. |
| U. of Florida, after hitting Top 10 status, looks to Top 5 | |
 | When U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Florida in ninth place among the nation's top public universities, tied with the University of California-Irving and UC-San Diego, UF and its leadership celebrated. Then, the work continued. "What came quickly after that, within days, was our Board of Trustees urging us to continue the momentum and movement up in the rankings," UF President Kent Fuchs said. Now, UF is looking to make its way into the top five. "I really, firmly believe that the greatest asset of higher education in the United States, in contrast to, say, other nations and other levels of education, is indeed how competitive universities are in each other," Fuchs said. But the goals UF leaders are setting aim at more than beating the competition, Fuchs said. They're designed to make UF a better school, period. |
| U. of Florida mails county $300K check for white nationalist event security expenses | |
| The University of Florida has fully reimbursed Alachua County for expenses it incurred during the October Richard Spencer event, county officials confirmed Saturday. Earlier this month, county commissioners sent UF a $302,000 bill for services provided on Oct. 19, 2017. About $280,000 covered services by the sheriff's office. UF President Kent Fuchs said he was "disappointed" to receive such a bill, according to WUFT. County spokesman Mark Sexton told The Sun that the check arrived Friday. "We're very appreciative that University of Florida has reimbursed our general fund for these dollars and the county was happy to provide the services for the event," he said. Spencer, a white nationalist, spoke on campus Oct. 19. The controversial event attracted thousands of protesters and throngs of media. |
| U. of Arkansas endowment rebounds 10.8%, increase to $996M total | |
| A yearly survey of endowment market values shows the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville up two spots to rank 101st among U.S. and Canadian institutions, a rebound from a year earlier when the endowment's value decreased. The value of UA's endowment increased to more than $996 million at the close of the 12-month period ending June 30, up 10.8 percent compared with the $898.9 million market value a year earlier, according to data from the annual National Association of College and University Business Officers-Commonfund Study of Endowments. The study gathered data from 809 U.S. colleges and universities. "We attribute the rise in rankings to a combination of investment earnings and gifts that have been made toward our endowment," UA spokesman Mark Rushing said in an email. |
| U. of Tennessee alum leads effort to create Pride Center endowment | |
 | An effort is underway to generate a $3 million endowment that would ensure the long-term sustainability of the University of Tennessee Pride Center without having to rely on state funding. The Vol Means All campaign, which will officially launch at an event in Nashville next week, follows a decision by the Tennessee legislature to strip state funding from the Pride Center in 2016. The move caught the attention of alum Chad Goldman, now living in Los Angeles, who was inspired to raise nearly $9,000 last winter to donate to the Pride Center. "I think that got the attention of the leadership (at UT) and it sparked some light bulbs," Goldman said. "They were trying to figure out what to do moving forward to keep the doors open, so Chancellor (Beverly) Davenport asked me to lead up an effort to get the Pride Center endowed and create permanent funds they can operate off of." |
| Students brainstorm real-world solutions at Texas A&M tech event | |
 | More than 400 students from around the country converged on the Texas A&M campus over the weekend for a two-day event aimed at solving some of the world's problems. The free event, called TAMUHack, is a competition in which teams use technology to create products or techniques to create solutions to real-world problems in the sense of "hacking something together." The event included workshops and opportunities for the teams to work with mentors to create a massive brainstorming session. The teams camped out overnight Saturday while working in the Memorial Student Center and presented their work during a Sunday afternoon awards presentation. Sponsors for the event included Google, Microsoft and Facebook. |
| U. of Missouri Provost Garnett Stokes leaves legacy of calmly leading a campus in crisis | |
 | On a chilly November night in 2015, still in her first year at the University of Missouri, Garnett Stokes walked through a campus embroiled in national controversy. During the months that preceded that night, a wave of racially charged incidents and conversations swept over campus. Earlier in the week, University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe and MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin resigned after a series of well-publicized protests and complaints. It was a period of uncertainty for the campus, including real threats and misleading rumors. On the evening of Nov. 11, Stokes, MU's provost and executive vice chancellor, took action. With members of the news media beside her, Stokes walked through Greek Town and parts of campus to get a better understanding of what was happening. "She's very calm when we have a crisis," said Noor Azizan-Gardner, assistant deputy chancellor of diversity. "Nothing ever perturbs her." After a relatively short tenure of three years at MU, Stokes prepares for a new chapter in her academic career. Starting March 1, she will become the University of New Mexico's first female president. This is her last week at MU. |
| Should Students Be Expelled for Posting Racist Videos? | |
 | Wake Forest University announced this week that a student is no longer enrolled there after posting a video in which she referred to her residential adviser with a racial slur. Just days before, the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa expelled a student after she posted a video on Martin Luther King Jr. Day repeating and defending her earlier use of a racial slur. In both cases, the institutions came out quickly and forcefully against the students' conduct and the language in the videos. Those successive, similar situations suggest that such incidents have become more common with the use of social media and that colleges' responses to them are getting swifter and firmer. "With the ease of people posting these videos, perhaps we are more aware of these issues and can more readily respond," Lori S. White, vice chancellor for student affairs at Washington University in St. Louis, said of the two incidents. "The difficulty before was that it was tougher for us to have actual evidence that this occurred. In those instances it would have been more difficult to sanction someone, but when you have a videotape scenario, it's hard for someone to say, 'That wasn't me,' or 'I didn't say that.'" |
| How Access Codes Keep College-Textbook Costs High | |
| Along with the traditional textbooks, many college classes now require students to purchase access codes -- which cost $100 on average -- to online platforms created by publishers such as McGraw-Hill and Pearson. Homework and quizzes are hidden on the platforms behind paywalls that expire after the semester, meaning students can't resell them once they're done with the course. Publishers and some professors tout the advantages of these new digital assessment tools, pointing to their ability to streamline the academic experience by making it more efficient and customized. The fact that they're becoming omnipresent on some campuses speaks to instructors' enthusiasm for them. But as demonstrated in a new report by Student PIRGs, a collection of college student-run advocacy groups that works alongside U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, students are starting to question their merits: The access codes threaten to exacerbate the already-high cost of college materials, undermining the used-book market and reshaping the college experience. |
| 6-year graduation rates at many HBCUs lower than 20 percent | |
| In analyzing federal data for an in-depth examination of the nation's historically black colleges and universities, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that the six-year graduation rates at 21 schools were 20 percent or lower in 2015. This means that four of five beginning freshmen at those schools didn't earn a degree within six years. A handful of HBCUs are graduating more than 50 percent of new freshmen within six years. Spelman College in Atlanta, for example, led all HBCUs, with a rate of 76 percent. Others, however, are struggling. "Yes, there are some HBCUs that have low graduation rates," said Marybeth Gasman, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania who directs the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, in an email to the AJC. "And some that are in the single digits... This is problematic and a school must do better by having summer bridge programs, peer-to-peer mentoring, student success centers -- all focused on increasing retention and graduation rates." She also wrote of the connection between grad rates and family income. |
| Ocean Enterprise will change the game for South Mississippi | |
 | Monty Graham, the director of the School of Ocean Science and Technology at the University of Southern Mississippi, writes: "Some of the smartest investments happen along coastlines --- and what better coast to invest in than the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our Coast has seen its share of natural and man-made disasters, and has used resiliency and determination to come back, stronger than ever. Mississippi's maritime economy --- the 'Blue Economy' --- is already large, perhaps larger than many here in the state and surrounding region appreciate because the economic data is not complete. Best estimates put the overall economic impact of the Coast somewhere between one-third and one-half of the state's gross domestic product. That means that any investment into Mississippi's Blue Economy will ripple throughout the state. There is an opportunity at hand..." |
| Student safety needs to remain primary focus | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "While it's every parent's inclination to protect his child from harm, there are times when children have to make decisions in dangerous situations to try to protect themselves. Despite every right step that can be taken, there are always unforeseen circumstances which can put one in harm's way. Rather it's to look both ways in crossing the street or to be especially vigilant when merging with traffic, children must eventually learn to make their own decisions. These are the times when parenting is perhaps most difficult. It is, however, up to the children as they advance through adolescence to learn to make good decisions. These positive decisions can enhance their odds of not being injured, not injuring another, and improving their opportunities for an enhanced quality of life as an adult." |
| Cuts put Mississippi health care infrastructure at risk | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Our politicians these days seem to look only at the costs of health care when making policy decisions. Thus, it is no surprise legislative leaders are proposing to cut already low Medicaid reimbursements by 5% while Congressional leaders look to slash health care spending wherever they can. People with health crises have a different view. During this flu epidemic, mothers with sick babies on Medicaid have trouble getting timely access to providers. Clinics are backed up, hospital emergency rooms are on patient diversion, and too many children are really sick. ...Rural communities will suffer most. Residents there already have few choices. As one with family members currently suffering from flu, heart conditions, dementia, and pancreatic cancer, I am thankful for the precious access we have to health care in America. Seems like this is something we would want to strengthen and provide to all, not tear down." |
| When schools become big business | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "Lobbyists have been around as long as there have been lawmaking bodies. Once they were seeking favorable rules and regulations for the private economy. Today, more and more, lobbyists are seeking customers. Federal and state governments -- including Mississippi -- spend billions every year with private enterprise, increasingly handing off jobs traditionally done by government. 'Contracting out' keeps expanding. This state's lawmakers are rallying behind the banner of 'school choice' as the next big step. Some observers hail the trend; others are more cautious. Either way, the trend is real: Where government sees obstacles, entrepreneurs see opportunity." |
SPORTS
| Victoria Vivians, No. 2 Mississippi State Women Top Mississippi 69-49 | |
| Mississippi State looked every bit like one of the nation's best teams during the first quarter on Sunday afternoon. The other 30 minutes weren't nearly as good. It was rough enough that coach Vic Schaefer was in no mood for celebrating No. 2 Mississippi State's 69-49 victory over rival Mississippi. "We're just kidding ourselves if we think we can win an SEC championship with the things we have going on right now from a mental capacity," Schaefer said. "We're just not very mentally tough." Mississippi State (22-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) earned a fairly easy win despite playing large portions of the game without its two main stars -- Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan -- who spent most of the day in foul trouble. But that was no excuse for Schaefer. |
| Senior class moves to 8-0 in rivalry game for No. 2 Bulldogs | |
| Conference play can create moments of hyperbole and disappointment. Case in point: Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma referring to his team's 78-60 victory against Tulsa on Jan. 18 as the "most disgraceful effort I've seen at Connecticut in 32 years I've been here." Life is a little different in the American Athletic Conference than it is in the Southeastern Conference, but Vic Schaefer understands how and why Auriemma would make such a comment. Mississippi State's sixth-year women's basketball coach didn't refer to his team's 69-49 victory against Ole Miss on Sunday in the same manner as Auriemma did to his team's victory against Tulsa. He also didn't offer to give every person their money back, like Auriemma said he would do to the UConn fans in Gampel Pavilion if it was up to him. If Schaefer had made that offer, he would have had to make a hefty payout considering many in the crowd of 5,158 at The Pavilion at Ole Miss were wearing maroon. |
| Crowd pleasers: Mississippi State gives fans that made trip to Oxford reason to cheer | |
| For the last several years, Oxford has become Starkville north for Mississippi State fans heading to Ole Miss. Sunday's game might as well have been considered a home game for the No. 2 Bulldogs. About 80 percent of the 5,158 fans in attendance on Sunday were donning maroon to cheer on the Bulldogs on the road and they didn't leave disappointed. Despite a sloppy second half, MSU led start to finish and never sweated in its 69-49 win to move to 22-0 and 8-0 in Southeastern Conference play. "It's great to go on the road and have all of those Bulldog fans there," State head coach Vic Schaefer said. "They didn't have a problem spending money in Oxford and that's State folks. They're so supportive. This isn't about two different cities or making sure you don't spend any money at the other school. Our people don't care." |
| Vic Schaefer wants more toughness after Mississippi State beats Ole Miss | |
| Two years ago, two buses traveled from Starkville to Oxford to watch Mississippi State's women's basketball team take on Ole Miss. Last year, three buses made the trip. On Sunday afternoon, it was four buses. And it showed. The five sections in the lower level directly behind the teams' benches in The Pavilion at Ole Miss were full with fans in maroon and white. When traditional Mississippi State chants and cheers drowned out any other noise during pre-game warmups, it was obvious that the home and away roles here were distorted. Given the opposite trajectories of both programs, the scene was as predictable as the result: No. 2 Mississippi State beat Ole Miss 69-49. MSU has won nine-straight games against Ole Miss. With a win over No. 10 Tennessee in Knoxville last week in hand, MSU will visit No. 11 Missouri on Thursday night (7:30 p.m., SEC Network) and then will host defending champion and No. 7 South Carolina on Monday night. |
| Bulldogs blitz Rebels at start, coast to 69-49 win | |
| A 20-point win on its rivals' home floor wasn't enough to help Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer smile. Ole Miss could barely sniff the rim in the first quarter when MSU's smothering defense helped it to a 19-4 lead. But the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs could only add five points to the margin in a 69-49 win before 5,158 mostly MSU fans at The Pavilion Sunday afternoon. "I told y'all before the season two things would keep us from winning a championship with this team... leadership and maturity. We are lacking in both," Schaefer said. After falling behind quickly the Rebels never posed a serious threat, but the Bulldogs couldn't apply the knock-out punch they did in Starkville when they won 76-45 on Jan. 11. They started on a 14-0 run in that game. Mississippi State visits No. 11 Missouri on Thursday. |
| No. 2 Mississippi State defeats Ole Miss for ninth time in a row | |
| Mississippi State's best player sat for a majority of the game on Sunday against Ole Miss and it never really mattered. The Rebels struggled offensively and could do very little against the undefeated No. 2 Bulldogs in a 69-49 loss inside the Pavilion for their ninth straight loss against their in-state rival. It is the fifth straight loss and nine out of their last 11 games dating back to Dec. 17 at Oregon. Coming off a game against No. 10 Tennessee where the Rebels had the game tied in the second half, Ole Miss showed very little resistance to what the Bulldogs wanted to do. "We got off to a real, real sluggish start," Ole Miss coach Matt Insell said. "We were not real tough to start the game and (Mississippi State) got after us. They were real physical and we backed down to start the game. Now as we settled in I thought we played good. But you can't put yourself in a hole." |
| MSU Notebook: Defense paves the way as Mississippi State beats Ole Miss | |
| The game Mississippi State women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer has said was coming reared its head Sunday. Schaefer has cautioned in the last month there is bound to be a day or a night the Bulldogs' offense doesn't travel and his team is going to have to respond with defense. Aside from Victoria Vivians' game-high 25 points, No. 2 MSU's offense didn't look anything like it has in the first 21 games. Still, No. 2 MSU delivered a strong first quarter on defense that helped set the tone in a 69-49 victory against Ole Miss before a crowd of 5,158 at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Schaefer said the Bulldogs were "locked in" in the first quarter when the Rebels went 1-for-15 (6.7 percent) from the field. MSU capitalized to take a 19-4 lead that ultimately grew to as big as 26 points in the third quarter and didn't fall below 16. |
| Who you got: Vivians? McCowan? Or both | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Notes, quotes and an opinion or two while contemplating the fact that three-time C Spire Gillom Trophy winner Victoria Vivians is having by far her best season at Mississippi State, yet might not win that award in her senior season... It's true. Rarely in all my years have I seen a basketball player raise his or her game as much as Vivians has between her junior and senior seasons. Don't get me wrong, she has been really, really good all three seasons, but she appears a different, far superior player this time around. ...But then there is junior Teaira McCowan who averages 20.6 points, 12.9 rebounds and two blocked shots per game and changes the way every opponent approaches the game. She's a first team All-American, too." |
| Second-half shooting pushes Mississippi State past Missouri | |
| The Mississippi State men's basketball team's best shooting performance of the Southeastern Conference schedule came with impeccable timing. MSU shot 18-for-27 from the field in the second half Saturday night to beat Missouri 74-62 at Humphrey Coliseum. Quinndary Weatherspoon led MSU (15-6, 3-5 SEC) with 20 points. He also had six rebounds, four assists, and three steals to help the Bulldogs snap a two-game losing streak. Sophomore guard Lamar Peters had one of his best games of the season despite scoring only four points and attempting four shots thanks to a career-high nine assists and two steals. "I know we needed a game, so I wanted to make a difference," Peters said. |
| State men like where they stand after beating Missouri | |
| Mississippi State's Lamar Peters isn't one to be timid. On the court or with the media, MSU's freshman guard has an aggressiveness to him. When playing on the hardwood, Peters isn't scared to take the tough shot or try and squeeze a pass into a tight spot. With reporters, he's also not afraid to give you his honest opinion. That's why on Saturday night, moments after Mississippi State defeated Missouri 74-62, Peters' words were telling. He believes the Bulldogs' win over the Tigers was a sign that MSU is improving and is on an upward trend "We're way better than last year," Peters said. "I'm sure we will win more than six (Southeastern Conference) games (like last year)." MSU has the chance in the days ahead to keep proving it is an improving club. The schedule helps the Bulldogs' cause. |
| Mississippi State maintains momentum to win over Missouri | |
| Mississippi State has struggled to hold leads in several Southeastern Conference games this season. However, Saturday night was not one of those games. The Bulldogs took the lead over Missouri on the opening possession of the second half and never relinquished it in a 74-62 victory to improve to 14-1 at Humphrey Coliseum this year. "We really came out and jumped on them early in that second half," said MSU coach Ben Howland. "We had momentum, boom, right from the get-go. That was big and really good. You could see our growth as a team after having some second halves where we haven't come out like that." The was on the verge of getting away from MSU as the Tigers went on an 8-0 run late in the first half. But the Bulldogs walked into the locker room tied at 31 after scoring five points in the final 29 seconds. |
| Mississippi State shows growth with big second half in win over Missouri | |
| Mississippi State assistant coach George Brooks, who is usually more reserved on the bench than he was Monday night, raised both his arms and then continuously pumped his fists with 4:33 left in the Bulldogs' game against Missouri. That was when Nick Weatherspoon's emphatic two-handed dunk gave the Bulldogs a 10-point lead. It was a fast-break basket and it all started with Abdul Ado picking off a pass in the paint and quickly dishing to Aric Holman, who flung the ball down court to find a racing Weatherspoon. MSU entered this game losers of two straight and five of its last six, so when that sequence happened, it was easy to understand why Brooks, Ben Howland and the rest of MSU's bench erupted. The crowd at Humphrey Coliseum jumped out of their seats at that point, too, and the Bulldogs didn't give them much of a reason to sit down from there. |
| Vann Stuedeman's pitching plan falling into place | |
| Typically a coach might panic when the school's all-time leader in pitching victories graduates. Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman doesn't fit in that category. Stuedeman has made her mark as one of the sport's top pitching coaches. At MSU, she has relied on staffs with many moving parts and numerous options. This season, MSU figures to follow a similar plan as it continues to prepare for the season opener against Mississippi Valley State at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, to start the Bulldog Kickoff Classic at Nusz Park. MSU will open a 56-game schedule with 11 straight at home. |
| Making Over Dudy Noble Field: A Two-Year Project | |
| SEC baseball powerhouse Mississippi State University has never been afraid of embracing change and finding new ways to upgrade and enhance Dudy Noble Field, as the home of the Bulldogs is the midst of a two-year renovation set to be completed for the 2019 season. Multiyear renovations may lack a huge reveal, but they do allow improvements to be rolled out as soon as possible for fans. One example of that is the addition of the largest scoreboard in college baseball just in time for the 2017 season. The new scoreboard is 43.2 feet tall and 60 feet wide, covering 2,592 square feet. Leading the charge on this project is Jackson, Mississippi-based architecture firm Wier Boerner Allin Architecture and Principal Architect Michael Boerner. It is, to a great extent, a local project. "We have 21 people in the firm and 18 of us went to Mississippi State. We are definitely fans," Boerner said. |
| College baseball just means more in Mississippi and the numbers back it up | |
| When it comes to college baseball, no state is more passionate about its programs than the state of Mississippi. Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry made a strong argument this week to back that statement up. "You take the three big programs -- us, Mississippi State and Ole Miss -- and look at the total attendance for the year," Berry said Thursday in Hattiesburg. "You compare it to the big three programs in all other states and it's not even close. You're talking about a state with a little less than 3 million people (2.989) that outdraws anybody else --- Texas, Florida, it doesn't matter. You can do the research. I have. That says volumes about our state and what we think about baseball." It was Ron Polk's Mississippi State team in the 1980's that put college baseball on a new level in the Magnolia State and across the country. |
| Former Mississippi State event worker arrested for embezzlement | |
 | A former event worker at Mississippi State University has been arrested on charges she took money that people paid to park for her own use. MSU Police Chief Vance Rice says Shunta Tucker, 30, of Gulfport, is accused of taking nearly $2,500 while working as a contract worker during the last football season. Rice says an audit conducted by the school found the discrepancy and a warrant was issued for Tucker's arrest in December. She was arrested on the Gulf Coast after being stopped for careless driving. Rice says Tucker also faces drug charges with another jurisdiction. MSU police officers traveled to the coast Thursday and brought Tucker back to Starkville. |
| Where do things stand with Ole Miss and its appeal to the NCAA? | |
| Ole Miss has cleared the majority of its NCAA hurdles with the exception of its appeal. Six weeks have passed since the university submitted its notice of appeal to the NCAA. So where do things stand as of now? Well, the NCAA officially recognized the notice of appeal on Jan. 4, which meant Ole Miss had 30 days from that point to provide a written response. According to correspondence between the NCAA and the university, obtained by the Clarion Ledger through a public records request, Ole Miss must submit its written appeal no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 5, a week from Monday. Ross Bjork said the university is putting the final touches on its written appeal. Whenever that is sent, the Committee on Infractions, which handed down the initial ruling, has 30 days to file its response. |
| Women's basketball: Gamecocks top Tigers in rowdy contest | |
 | Missouri's streak against the reigning national champions and four-time Southeastern Conference title holders came to an end Sunday night in Columbia, S.C. The 11th-ranked Tigers' 64-54 loss to No. 9 South Carolina on Sunday night ended a two-game winning streak over the Gamecocks that started last year and continued earlier this month. Missouri's win on Jan. 7 was a heated affair throughout, and Sunday was no different -- a scuffle broke out in the second quarter that resulted in two Tiger ejections following a 15-minute video review. Sophie Cunningham was Public Enemy No. 1 at Colonial Life Arena, eliciting boos every time she touched the ball. She finished with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds. |
| 'I'm protecting my teammates': What South Carolina said about its scuffle with Mizzou | |
 | South Carolina women's basketball players and coaches insist there's nothing personal between them and Missouri. "Coming in, everyone was like, 'Ooh, what's going to happen?' " South Carolina star A'ja Wilson said. "Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats. ... We got the fans, we were excited. But at the same time we've got to take care of business. We've got to protect this house. This is us, this is what we do. And we treated it like any other game. It wasn't a more hyped game or anything." But all the evidence on the court Sunday evening, which ended with a 64-54 USC win, pointed to two teams that at least don't care and, at most, strongly dislike each other. That culminated in a second-quarter scuffle just before halftime in which starters shoved each other, benches cleared and two players were ejected. |
| How the 'it factor' has led to Auburn AD Allen Greene's unusual path | |
| The moment Allen Greene clinched his role as the next athletic director at Auburn the odds were certainly not in his favor. His second interview with the search committee and first together with the Parker Executive search firm wasn't off to the best start in Atlanta. Greene had every excuse to bomb the interview and never have the chance to be a significant historical footnote of Auburn University athletics. "When we had the second round of interviews, he had a major flight delay and didn't get into his hotel until around 3 a.m., you knew he hadn't had any sleep and you're thinking this is going to be interesting," said Quentin Riggins, Auburn board of trustees member and AD search committee member. Greene has never assumed things would go smoothly. Whether it was the flight, the hotel, the ride to the office in Atlanta for the interview, the weather on that particular day, the temperature of the interview room -- something was going to likely be a hurdle he'd have to overcome. No problem. Been there. Done that before. |
| Auburn athletics profitable for 3rd straight year; posts record revenue in 2017 | |
| Auburn's athletic department posted a record revenue of $147.5 million during fiscal year 2016-17 and made a $14.6 million profit, according to the university's NCAA Membership Financial Report. The annual report, released Friday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, shows financial information from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. It marks the third straight year that Auburn athletics has operated at a surplus after making a $9.2 million profit in 2014-15 and $15.2 million in 2015-16. The department was in the red the two years prior. "The financial state of Auburn athletics remains strong," outgoing athletics director Jay Jacobs told the school's official athletics website. Allen Greene, who was introduced last week, will take over day-to-day responsibilities in February. |
| Texas A&M athletics raised more than $200M in 2017, according to latest NCAA report | |
| Another in-state university's athletic department raised more than $200 million in 2017. Texas A&M's athletic department reported more than $211 million in revenue for its fiscal year that ends in August, according to its annual report submitted to the NCAA. The document, which was obtained through an open records request, shows the Aggies saw a revenue jump of a little more than $17.5 million from when it led the country in revenue in 2016. The Aggies won't be claiming that title this year. Texas, which finished second behind A&M last year, reportedly generated more than $215 million during its 2017 fiscal year. A&M saw a significant jump in the amount in spent in football recruiting. A&M spent $1.2 million on recruiting in 2017, an increase of almost $400,000 from the previous year. |
| Former Mizzou softball coach Ehren Earleywine says he was 'totally blindsided' by firing | |
| Ehren Earleywine, the former Missouri softball coach who MU unexpectedly fired Friday, told The Star in a statement Saturday that he feels "totally blindsided" and is "as confused as anyone else as to why this has happened." Missouri's softball season begins Feb. 8 in Tempe, Ariz. Earleywine said in nine-paragraph long statement that there was no singular incident that led to his termination. He said when he asked why the school was letting him go, athletic director Jim Sterk told him, "I'm not required to give you a reason." Earleywine believes Mizzou let go of him because of a "philosophical coaching difference" between the administration and himself. He had a reputation for being fiery, outspoken and hard on his players. |
| Title IX office opens investigation into Mizzou basketball's Terrence Phillips | |
| The University of Missouri's Title IX office is investigating recently suspended basketball player Terrence Phillips, according to an email obtained by the Columbia Missourian on Sunday morning. The email, sent to an alleged victim by the Title IX office -- which investigates issues of sexual violence and discrimination on campus -- was received Friday, the day of Phillips' suspension. "I am writing to inform you that based on additional information received by our Office," the email reads, "the University is proceeding with an investigation against Terrence Phillips." The alleged victim, who spoke to the Missourian on a condition of anonymity, said she filed her complaint with the Title IX office more than a year ago but asked that the office not move forward with her case. The complaint involved allegations of physical abuse. She also said she knows others who have filed complaints, too. |
| Michigan State, NCAA under fire over sex assault cases | |
 | Michigan State University and the National Collegiate Athletic Association are facing scrutiny not only over the actions of a doctor who abused scores of women, but over athletes alleged to have raped and assaulted others. The university and the NCAA are both being accused of effectively looking the other way. An investigation by ESPN published Friday has uncovered numerous cases where the university apparently knew of but did little about accusations of sexual assaults committed by its athletes. The university, according to ESPN's report, even took legal action to keep information on sexual assault cases under wraps. In 2014, ESPN sued when the university failed to comply with the state's open records laws and provided the broadcaster with redacted police records involving football and basketball players. The university proactively filed a lawsuit that defended this exclusion of information. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying that if it were successful, the case could deter others from requesting public records. |
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