| Monday, February 5, 2018 |
| Hottest ticket in town: Fans gear up for record-setting Mississippi State, South Carolina game | |
 | In his first year as Mississippi State's women's basketball coach in 2012, Vic Schaefer didn't pay much attention to attendance. "Back then, I didn't care if they just left the doors open, to be honest," Schaefer said Friday. He had other things to worry about, mainly building the kind of team fans would actually want to see. On Monday, Schaefer's No. 2 ranked Bulldogs will take on seventh-ranked South Carolina, which beat MSU in last year's National Championship game and has denied the Bulldogs SEC Tournament titles in each of the past two seasons. Bulldog fans -- and, in fact, the entire women's game -- have had this rematch circled on the calendars since the Bulldog and Gamecocks walked off the floor in Dallas last April. "When you have a sell-out two weeks in advance, when student tickets sold out in eight minutes, when you go to StubHub right now and a $5 general admission ticket is selling for $230, I think's a pretty anticipated matchup," Schaefer said. |
| Vic Schaefer wants to shatter Mississippi State attendance record | |
 | Mississippi State is on pace to break its single-season attendance record for women's basketball. Head coach Vic Schaefer not only wants to break the record but shatter it as the second-ranked Bulldogs prepare for their final four home games in Humphrey Coliseum. "Our whole team deserves 10,000 people in the Hump every night," Schaefer said. "I don't care what night it is, they deserve it. They're fun to watch and they're good enough." The previous school single-season record was set at 92,914 during the 2015-16 season. Schaefer has challenged his fan base to finish with an attendance of 110,000 for the year. If it reaches that benchmark, Schaefer will personally donate $10,000 to the local Boys & Girls Club. "I want to shatter the record," Schaefer said. Schaefer will not have any trouble reaching the first game towards that goal. MSU's national championship rematch with South Carolina on Monday night has been sold out for several weeks, the first advanced sellout in program history. |
| Mississippi State honors accomplished alumni | |
 | Mississippi State University through the years has had its fair share of notable graduates and last Friday, the spotlight was put on several for their accomplishments after leaving the university. The MSU Alumni Association 2018 awards banquet saw Burnsville native R.L. Qualls named as the university's national alumnus of the year. Qualls, who is now retired, previously served as president and CEO of Baldor Electric Company. Jeff Davis, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, said the organization honored Qualls for his loyal lifelong connection to MSU and for his success as a banker, business executive, educator and author. "Of some 140,000 living alumni, Dr. Qualls is a distinguished selection for alumnus of the year," Davis said. Along with the award given to Qualls, each of MSU's eight academic colleges honored one graduate during the ceremony for outstanding professional, community and personal success. |
| Mississippi State 'Halo Project' supercar pushing the limits | |
 | Mississippi State University is pushing the limits of automotive engineering through the development of a self-driving, all-electric sport utility vehicle. Engineered by a team at MSU's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, the "Halo Project" supercar is designed to showcase MSU's expertise in automotive engineering and the latest automotive technology. It utilizes an on-board NVIDIA supercomputer that allows the vehicle to navigate on- and off-road terrain without human intervention. "When a car company produces a high-end vehicle that showcases all of its greatest technology, built to celebrate a brand's engineering prowess, that vehicle is called a halo car. This new project is MSU's halo car," said Matthew Doude, CAVS associate director and Halo Project lead, said in a news release, explaining the project's name. |
| A common bond: MSU-Meridian criminology students aim to serve | |
 | Three Mississippi State-Meridian students with a common heritage as members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians also share a bond in their desire to serve others. Rodgrick Anderson and Danita C. Willis, who each earned a criminology degree at Mississippi State's Meridian campus in 2012 and 2015 respectively, want to help their fellow Native Americans touched by alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Breanna "Bree" Vaughn, who is currently a criminology major at the university, is interested in learning "why people do what they do." All three are passionate about encouraging younger tribal members to use education as a way to better themselves and to make better life choices. |
| 'Living historian,' Ulysses S. Grant impersonator to lead inaugural Ballard lecture at MSU | |
| A "living historian," Ulysses S. Grant impersonator and educational consultant will lead the inaugural Dr. Michael B. Ballard Lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Mississippi State University. During the 2:30 p.m. event in the Grant Presidential Library at MSU's Mitchell Memorial Library, Curt Fields will don Civil War attire and present "Ulysses S. Grant: The Man Behind the Uniform." The lecture is free and open to the public. Guests are welcome to tour the recently opened Grant Presidential Library and Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana before and after the event. "Mike Ballard was one of the nation's leading Civil War historians, and he wrote the revised history of Mississippi State University," Ulysses S. Grant Association Executive Director and MSU Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History John Marszalek said. |
| Mississippi students could soon have more exposure to computer science | |
| The Mississippi Department of Education is following the lead of Southern states like Virginia and Arkansas by expressing a commitment that all students should have exposure to computer science by 2024. It's an ambitious plan in a state where 40 percent of residents lack access to broadband services, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Education officials say Mississippi can't afford to wait. We cannot be global citizens; we cannot move this state forward if we don't prepare our students," Associate State Superintendent Jean Massey, who is spearheading the initiative, said at a recent state Board of Education meeting. The Research and Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University has also partnered for the initiative. Shelly Hollis, a project manager for the unit, has led the coordination work. |
| Jana Berkery joins College of Business fundraising efforts | |
 | Starkville native and alumna Jana Berkery is the new assistant director of development for the College of Business and its Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy at Mississippi State University. Berkery joined the MSU Foundation in 2013, and most recently served as director of the university's annual giving program. Berkery graduated from MSU in 2005 with a degree in sports communication and a minor in marketing. She began working at her alma mater in 2011 as coordinator of annual giving for the Bulldog Club athletic fundraising organization. Berkery joins Zack Harrington, a veteran fundraiser and fellow alumnus who is the college's director of development. Together, they will work to secure major gifts for this large, more than 100-year-old academic unit and its Adkerson School of Accountancy. |
| Worth the drive: Urban Bush Women to bring energetic dance to MSU Riley Center | |
| Vibrant, passionate dancing imbued with the experiences of African-American women will reach out from the stage of the MSU Riley Center in Meridian as Urban Bush Women perform on Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. "I wanted a company that brought forth the vulnerability, sassiness and bodaciousness of the women I experienced growing up in Kansas City," said Founding Artistic Director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. The modern-dance troupe, based in Brooklyn, always has a purpose behind its art. It always tries, as its mission statement puts it, "to bring the untold and under-told histories and stories of disenfranchised people to light through dance." |
| Honey producing pollinators still facing fatal problems | |
 | Pollinator insects play a major role in just about every ecosystem. Without insects to pollinate crops a large number of the crops relied upon for food would be lost. There are several types of insects categorized as pollinators, such as butterflies and bees. Of all of the pollinators, however, honeybees are often considered the most important. Honeybees play a major role in Mississippi's agriculture. According to Dr. Eddie Smith, Mississippi State University's Pearl River County Extension Agent and County Coordinator, honeybees play a key role in large-scale agricultural crops as well as home gardens. According to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, in Mississippi alone, honeybees can be attributed to over $200 million in annual profits. |
| The Meteorologist Taking D.C. Weather Forecasts By Storm | |
| "Weather affects absolutely everybody, even if you're somebody who doesn't leave the house," said ABC News' StormWatch7 chief meteorologist Bill Kelly, who joined the team in October. "It still affects you because you're running your heater and your heating bill gets higher." Kelly celebrates his 20-year work anniversary this summer. The award-winning meteorologist found his passion in a geography class in 1994 when he wondered what happens when a cold front catches a warm front. Kelly landed his first job in Eureka, California before graduating from California State University, Sacramento, and went on to get his meteorologist credentials at Mississippi State University. |
| City receives presentation on possible annexation | |
| The Starkville Board of Aldermen received a presentation on the completed phase one study area of the possible annexation of the city during their work session on Friday. President of Slaughter & Associates Urban Planning Consultants Mike Slaughter presented the proposed annexation area for phase one. The possible annexation area would increase the population of Starkville from about 25,100 residents to 38,144 residents. The map Slaughter provided for the board was a map broken down into four proposed areas to add to the existing city. The largest portion of the annexation would include areas to the east and south, including the Mississippi State University campus. |
| Mayoral election contest trial delayed to April | |
| The trial for Johnny Moore's challenge of last year's Democratic primary results has been pushed from its scheduled Monday start to April 9. The Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk's office confirmed the continuance, though an order from Judge Barry Ford wasn't yet available on Thursday. Moore is contesting his six-vote loss to Lynn Spruill in a June Democratic party runoff on the grounds of numerous election irregularities, including issues with accepted and rejected ballots. Spruill has served as mayor since taking office in July. |
| Rep. Jeff Smith: Governor was source of lofty industrial claim | |
| When Rep. Jeff Smith (R-Columbus) told listeners on the Gallo radio show on Jan. 25 that a major aerospace project that would create 4,000 jobs was expected to come to Mississippi, economic development officials from one end of the state to the other were caught flat-footed. "Our office started getting tons of calls right after the story ran on the Gallo show," said Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins. "We didn't know anything about it. So we checked around with power providers and other people in the state. We even called our government agency (the Mississippi Development Authority) asking if this was a project. Nobody knew anything about it." Smith's bombshell came near the end of the segment as Smith was talking about the bond packages he expected to work on as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves easily tops statewide campaign fundraising | |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is ready for his next political run if campaign money in hand means anything. Mississippi's statewide elected officials and legislators filed campaign finance annual reports this week. Reeves, who is eyeing a 2019 gubernatorial run, raised $1.2 million and spent $173,000 in 2017. Much of that spending was on temporary staffing and printing of campaign materials. He also donated $2,000 to the campaign of newly elected Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer. Reeves' total cash on hand is $5.4 million, by far the most of any politician in Mississippi. |
| Transportation proposal would cut income tax for higher fuel taxes | |
| Most of the proposals of the legislative leadership thus far to pump more funds into the state's crumbling transportation system deal with grabbing money from the state's cash-strapped general fund instead of creating new sources or revenue. This past week, House Transportation Chair Charles Busby revealed he has a proposal to increase the motor fuel tax to pay for transportation needs while reducing the state's income tax. Busby's proposal could be taken up in the coming days in the House Ways and Means Committee or perhaps his Transportation Committee. Busby, R-Pascagoula, and other members of the legislative leadership have been grappling for many years with how to find additional revenue for what most agree is a deteriorating transportation system. Legislators have been reluctant thus far to increase taxes to fund the needs. |
| Rep. Donnie Bell wants workforce development study committee | |
| State Rep. Donnie Bell, R-Fulton, wants to make sure public school districts are providing the right curriculum for vocational education students. Bell, chairman of the Workforce Development Committee, has passed legislation out of the House to create a committee to study and report back to the Legislature before the 2019 session recommendations regarding the curriculum for vocational-technical education students. The legislation has passed the House and is pending in the Senate. "The committee will look at the curriculum required for vo-tech students to graduate," Bell said. Bell said such a study is important for the public schools and their students and also for companies that are more likely to hire students who do not pursue a college education. |
| Abortions banned after 15 weeks by House | |
| The House of Representatives passed a 15-week abortion ban by a wide margin Friday afternoon, setting the stage for Mississippi to become the first state to ban the procedure three weeks into a woman's second trimester. Defending the legislation, Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, said prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks still gives a woman plenty of time to decide whether she wants to keep the child. The bill passed the House by a vote of 79 to 30, largely along party lines, and support is likely to be similarly strong in the Senate, which also has a Republican majority. "If it passes, I can guarantee there will be a constitutional challenge to this," said Rep. Adrienne Wooten, D-Jackson, who spoke out against the bill. |
| Abortion Is a Focus of Early Action in Legislative Sessions | |
 | Republicans who control a majority of the nation's statehouses are considering a wide range of abortion legislation that could test the government's legal ability to restrict a woman's right to terminate pregnancy. The Mississippi House passed a bill Friday that would make the state the only one to ban all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. In Missouri, lawmakers heard testimony earlier in the week on a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. Abortion is a perennial hot button issue in statehouses across the country. Republican-controlled states have passed hundreds of bills since 2011 restricting access to the procedure while Democratic-led states have taken steps in the other direction. The early weeks of this year's state legislative sessions have seen a flurry of activity around the issue. It comes as activists on both sides say they expect the U.S. Supreme Court to soon consider a question that remains unclear: How far can states go in restricting abortion in the interest of preserving and promoting fetal life? |
| Analysis: Senators argue over state tax diversion to cities | |
| Democratic Sen. Hob Bryan of Amory is generally regarded as one of the smartest people in the Mississippi Capitol, even by those who oppose him ideologically and those who roll their eyes at his occasional finger-pointing, vein-popping rants about public policy. The 65-year-old attorney earned his law degree at the University of Virginia. He has served in the state Senate since January 1984 and was a primary author of the current school funding formula that was put into law in 1997. He has a deep understanding of the complexity of the state tax structure and other issues. But he can also revert to a preschool level of word choice while holding forth against proposals that he considers bad ideas. |
| Medicaid: Lawmakers tame cost cutting going into negotiations | |
| Mississippi is determined to decrease its Medicaid spending, despite lawmakers having little control over health care costs. One proposed Medicaid technical amendments bill, which will reauthorize the division, would allow the managed care companies that insure roughly 70 percent of Medicaid patients to pay providers at negotiated rates, as opposed to those set by the Legislature. Presumably, the companies would negotiate rates with Medicaid based on the quality of care of the providers. The idea is to incentivize better care, including preventative care, for Medicaid patients. Healthier patients with fewer medical needs will lead to decreased health costs in the future, providers and health care analysts agree. This is just one way officials believe the Legislature could help Medicaid operate within its state appropriation and avoid an annual deficit request -- $26.4 million this year. |
| School choice out of favor: Lincoln County locals dislike voucher system | |
 | The Mississippi Senate is working through a piece of legislation that could drastically broaden the state's school voucher program. The proposal, Senate Bill 2623, would provide an increasing number of vouchers that students can use to attend non-public schools. The measure would initially limit vouchers to one-half of one percent of the state's nearly half a million public school students, or 2,400 children. During its second year of implementation, the threshold would climb to one percent of the student population, or 4,800 children, and that number would hypothetically keep rising each year. Bobby Moak -- chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party and a Bogue Chitto attorney -- believes SB 2623 is fundamentally flawed, because it uses public funds to finance private education. Superintendent Mickey Myers does not anticipate the voucher program causing much harm to the Lincoln County School District, but he said that any reduction in public school funding would be "a concern." |
| House member revives equal pay proposal | |
| The state House voted overwhelmingly Friday to amend a bill to mandate gender pay equity. Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, offered a pay equity amendment to a bill dealing with placing restrictions on how municipalities could oversee labor issues within their borders. While the amendment passed 84 to 32, the overall bill is still pending on the House calendar. Debate on the bill was stopped to give Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, time to rule on whether another gender pay equity amendment (this one to give municipal governments more authority to mandate pay equity) was proper under the legislative rules. If the bill with the amendment in it passes next week, it will advance to the Senate. |
| Rep. Trent Kelly has comfortable edge in congressional campaign contributions | |
| With a contested Democratic primary in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District set to occur in June, Randy Wadkins maintains a healthy fundraising lead over his opponent Carlton Smith. Wadkins, 52, a University of Mississippi chemistry professor and Iuka native, has been a declared candidate since last spring and has generated almost $55,000 in campaign contributions, according to the latest reports filed by congressional candidates with the Federal Elections Commission. Regardless of which Democrat prevails, that candidate will face a steep and formidable challenge in the general election. Republican incumbent Trent Kelly, 51, began this year with more than $67,000 in cash on hand. Since this election cycle's start, Kelly, of Saltillo, has generated more than $378,000 in contributions and is likely to see heavy increases in his contribution totals as he navigates into a contested election. |
| Ex-law enforcement officials assail GOP memo challenging Carter Page's Russia ties | |
 | Former federal law enforcement officials heaped criticism on the declassified memo released Friday by House Republicans that accuses the FBI and Justice Department of abusing their surveillance powers. The memo produced by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) alleges that the FBI obtained the warrant to eavesdrop on an adviser to then-candidate Donald Trump on the basis of a dossier of unsubstantiated intelligence about the campaign's Russia contacts without disclosing to the ultra-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the dossier was financed with $160,000 from Democrat Hillary Clinton's rival presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The application itself is classified and may never be seen by the public. But one former high-ranking federal law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the fact that the electronic eavesdropping of former campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page was renewed for three 90-day periods last year "suggests that not only was the original warrant legitimate, but also that they collected something else" that was incriminating. |
| Nunes 'abused' his power on intelligence committee, former CIA director says | |
 | The former director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Sunday blasted a Republican memo alleging abuses of power by the FBI and the Justice Department. John Brennan accused Rep. Devin Nunes (R.-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, of selectively releasing information to accuse law enforcement officials of improperly obtaining a warrant to monitor the communications of a former Trump campaign adviser. "It's just appalling and clearly underscores how partisan Mr. Nunes has been," Brennan said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." "He has abused the chairmanship of [the Intelligence Committee]," Brennan said. |
| Early Facebook and Google Employees Form Coalition to Fight What They Built | |
 | A group of Silicon Valley technologists who were early employees at Facebook and Google, alarmed over the ill effects of social networks and smartphones, are banding together to challenge the companies they helped build. The cohort is creating a union of concerned experts called the Center for Humane Technology. Along with the nonprofit media watchdog group Common Sense Media, it also plans an anti-tech addiction lobbying effort and an ad campaign at 55,000 public schools in the United States. The campaign, titled The Truth About Tech, will be funded with $7 million from Common Sense and capital raised by the Center for Humane Technology. Common Sense also has $50 million in donated media and airtime from partners including Comcast and DirecTV. It will be aimed at educating students, parents and teachers about the dangers of technology, including the depression that can come from heavy use of social media. |
| MUW's 'Meet the Author' welcomes 'Delta Jewels' writer Monday | |
| Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alysia Burton Steele, author of "Delta Jewels: In Search of my Grandmother's Wisdom" (Center Street, 2015), will be the next writer featured in Mississippi University for Women's "Meet the Author" series. The University of Mississippi assistant professor will be on The W campus at 5 p.m. Monday in the J.C. Fant Memorial Library's Gail P. Gunter Multipurpose Room. The series brings regional authors to Columbus to discuss their work, sign books and engage with students and community members. Fant Memorial library, together with The W's Department of History, Political Science and Geography and the Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy present the series that hosted authors Miriam David and Karen Cox this past fall. |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies Speaker Series set for Monday at MUW | |
| On Monday, Dr. Jill Hamilton Clements, assistant professor of English at The University of Alabama, Birmingham, will be on Mississippi University for Women campus as part of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Speaker Series. The presentation is free and open to the community and begins at 6 p.m. in 117 Parkinson Hall. Hamilton Clements will present "Crossed Bodies, Blessed Flesh: The Performance of Memory in Anglo-Saxon Funerary Inscriptions," which examines stone funerary monuments and their relationship with rituals surrounding death in early medieval England. Hamilton Clements works primarily on Old English language and literature, with research interests in medieval views of death and dying, practices of commemoration and early medieval law. Her current book project, "Writing the Dead in Anglo-Saxon England," examines the interplay of dead bodies and texts in Anglo-Saxon commemorative genres and in religious and heroic poetry. |
| William Winter Institute leaves Ole Miss | |
| This week, the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation announced its move from the University of Mississippi to Jackson. The move is part of a restructuring effort in the university's nationally recognized facilitation and training programs in race relations and civil discourse. The Winter Institute has been a part of the Ole Miss campus since 1999. According to a press release from the university, the William Winter Institute will become a separate nonprofit organization headquartered in the state capital. The decision to leave the university was made by the institute's board of directors. Katrina Caldwell, the vice chancellor for diversity and community engagement, will lead the university in continued efforts to research and educate others about civility and race relations. Caldwell says she views the relocation as a great opportunity for the institute. |
| Mississippians Mark Clyde Kennard's History and Legacy at USM | |
 | A group of professors at the University of Southern Mississippi is hoping a new marker on campus honoring Clyde Kennard will strengthen the community's commitment to social justice and equity. Kennard's Freedom Trail marker is being unveiled today on the lawn outside of the building where he first attempted to enroll at the then-all-white college in 1955. Although never admitted, some say he was a catalyst for the desegregation of the school 10 years later. "He was persistent in his pursuit of education. And that kind of persistence to understand how important education is to your life, is one thing that resonates historically with the African American population," said USM Professor Sherita Johnson. |
| New president will be first woman to lead Copiah-Lincoln Community College | |
| A southwest Mississippi community college has chosen an insider as its new president. Trustees Thursday voted unanimously to name Jane Hulon as the eighth president of Copiah-Lincoln Community College. She'll become the first woman to lead the college, taking over July 1 from Ronnie Nettles, who is retiring. She attended Jones County Junior College and holds a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Hulon earned a doctorate from Mississippi State University. |
| Pearl River Community College ranked No. 1 community college in state, No. 28 in U.S. | |
 | Pearl River Community College is the No. 1 community college in the state of Mississippi and the 28th best community college in the country, according to TheBestSchools.org. The leading higher education-career website selected the 50 best community colleges in the nation based on a comparison of many studies. College's reputation was also taken into consideration. PRCC President Adam Breerwood says the honor is just a reflection of the school's dedicated and hardworking staff. "This recognition is a reflection of the hard work of our dedicated faculty and staff, Breerwood said. These outstanding educators have worked diligently to change the lives of our students and their effort has transformed our institution into a nationally recognized college, I am proud of every member of the Pearl River family for this incredible accomplishment." |
| Auburn given highest free speech ranking from nonprofit group | |
 | The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education bestowed its highest campus free speech rating on Auburn University this week. "Auburn worked with FIRE to revise, among others, its policies on campus demonstrations and internet usage," according to a press release from FIRE. "In doing so, Auburn has attained a 'green light' rating, which indicates that its written policies do not imperil student or faculty free speech." Auburn is one of 38 universities in the United States to earn the "green light" rating. It's the first school given that distinction in 2018, and the only one in the state of Alabama. "The primary function of a university is to discover and disseminate knowledge by means of research and teaching," said Lady Cox, assistant vice president for student engagement at Auburn. "Auburn University supports the right of students, employees and visitors to speak in public and to demonstrate for or against actions and opinions with which they agree or disagree. Freedom of expression is vital to the shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge." |
| White nationalist Matthew Heimbach plans to launch lecture series at the U. of Tennessee | |
 | A white nationalist group is planning to host a talk at the University of Tennessee later this month, although the university said the group misrepresented its intent when setting up reservations. Matthew Heimbach, co-founder of the Traditionalist Worker Party, which is recognized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, said his talk on Feb. 17 titled "Problems in Appalachia, From Opioid Addiction to Poverty" will launch a series of similar talks at other universities in three states. Someone called the university last month to reserve space at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture using the name of a local church as the host, said Vice Chancellor of Communications Ryan Robinson. After making the initial reservation, the requester called back to change the name of the contact person to that of an out-of-state resident with ties to a racial separatist group. |
| U. of Tennessee study: Coal job losses to keep hurting Appalachia, beyond | |
| Coal isn't back -- though it may hold steady near today's level -- but the long-term decline of mining in Appalachia will have a ripple effect on related businesses, health, education and regional population, according to a new study. While coal has boom-and-bust cycles, its long-term trend has been downward, said Matt Murray, University of Tennessee economics professor, associate director of the Boyd Center for Business & Economic Research and director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. "We may see some further declines, but I think the coal industry is close to bottoming out," he said. "So the worst is behind us. I think the real impacts are in those small number of communities that still have some coal activities going on." |
| U. of Missouri campuses show strong application growth | |
 | Enrollment at the University of Missouri's Columbia campus should begin to rebound in the fall as applications have already exceeded the total received in the spring of 2017. Through Monday, MU had received 17,583 applications for admission from high school students who will be freshmen in the fall, compared to 16,373 for all of last year and 17 percent more than through the same date in 2017. Applications from transfer students are also up over last year's to-date figures, with 904 applications from students enrolled elsewhere, compared to 806 at this time last year. If the same share of applicants enroll in the fall as enrolled in fall 2017, the incoming class of first-time freshmen would be more than 4,400, the first sign of growth after two years of decline. |
| Community colleges emphasize their missions beyond career training, including transfer | |
 | For the last few years, community colleges have seen an increase in pressure to focus more on career and training education. The two-year institutions are being asked for more certificates, apprenticeships and other nondegree credentials that will push students into skilled professions quicker. Last week, President Trump stressed the need for more vocational schools and suggested that community colleges change their names and shift their focus to offering mostly work-force programs. But there's another side of the community college coin that doesn't receive as much acknowledgment from policy makers: transfer. "The bottom line is that we need community colleges to align their programs with job opportunities," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute. "But that pathway is often through a bachelor's degree program." |
| Fraternities as Charitable Powerhouses? One University's Numbers Suggest Otherwise | |
 | Many of Pennsylvania State University's fraternities logged barely any community-service hours and raised little money in philanthropy in 2017. Fifteen of the 39 active chapters that are part of the Interfraternity Council, the umbrella under which most social fraternities fall, tallied fewer than one community-service hour per member over the entire calendar year. Five other fraternities tallied fewer than two volunteer hours per member. In terms of philanthropy, a handful of fraternities raised an average of $0 per member. The Penn State numbers challenge the argument that fraternity advocates often make: that despite the negative attention surrounding alcohol abuse, hazing, and sexual assault involving fraternity chapters, they are largely focused on service and philanthropy. |
| Research suggests that colleges broaden students' political views | |
| Numerous studies over the years have documented that professors, on average, lean left. And their political inclinations toward liberalism exceed those of the American public. But what hasn't been documented (aside from periodic anecdotes) is a claim made by many on the right: that liberal professors indoctrinate or intimidate students to share their beliefs. New research suggests that college is a time when students gain appreciation of multiple perspectives. The research finds that, after one year in college, many students view both liberals and conservatives more favorably than when they arrived on campus (and by about the same margins). The researchers suggest that this shows that college -- or at least the freshman year -- isn't a time when students are indoctrinated, but is actually a time when they meet people with different views and come to respect them (regardless of whether they end up changing their own views). And the researchers believe the reason for their findings isn't about what goes on in the classroom, but is based on interactions with fellow students. |
| Problem solving with preparedness offers best outcomes for students | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "As students matriculate through their K-12 school experiences, there are sure to be a number of instances where problems arise. Rather it's an academic dilemma, an athletic challenge or a social conflict, there are many opportunities for students to encounter situations that require problem solving. Early learning steps may include social adjustments where one acclimates to sharing, taking turns and not speaking out without permission. These first rungs of the ladder of academic success are critical for students to lay the foundation needed to develop the academic merit and maturation necessary for future endeavors. While some parents may lament the challenges faced as their young children struggle with behavior compliance, it is a critical first step." |
| Early intervention with disadvantaged children has high ROI | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Gov. Phil Bryant kicked off a recent seminar at the Civil Rights Museum auditorium featuring Nobel Prize winning economist Dr. James Heckman. An expert in the economics of human development, Dr. Heckman spoke on 'Making the Case for Investing in High Quality Early Childhood Education in Mississippi.' The Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning at the University of Mississippi is hosting internationally known speakers to illustrate how investments in high quality early childhood education yield a high rate of return. Dr. Heckman's research shows a 10% to 13% average return on investments (ROI) in high quality programs for disadvantaged children age zero to three. ...Dr. Heckman said the key to growing a skilled, flexible workforce in Mississippi is by building skills and not just technical skills. He said research shows developing 'social and emotional skills' from birth to age three sets the stage for development of other skills. He added that 'the family is the cornerstone of effective skill development.'" |
| Bryant, Trump, McConnell, Reeves, McDaniel and a Mississippi political pickle | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "Normally, any politician with a pulse salivates at the prospect of an appointment to a vacant U.S. Senate seat. But in the parallel universe of current Mississippi politics, the top choices for a potential vacancy don't appear to want it, and the powers that be don't appear to want the guy who's just itching for it. The consensus inside the Beltway and on High Street is that longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran will soon step down for health reasons, prompting a temporary appointment. This would appear to pose a political pickle for Gov. Phil Bryant and the Mississippi GOP, President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell." |
| State support critical to sustaining programs that grow Mississippi's economy | |
| Commissioner of Higher Education Glenn Boyce writes: "Mississippi legislators believe in public higher education in Mississippi. They believe in our mission and support our work. We all know the very difficult decisions they have had to make with limited state revenue and competing priorities. Limited state revenue impacts all state agencies and the services they are able to provide to Mississippi citizens. Growing the economy, and subsequently state revenue, gives the budget writers more to work with and helps all state agencies, not just the university system. Mississippi Public Universities help grow the economy in a number of ways, including preparing students to enter the workforce, conducting research that helps businesses grow and supporting entrepreneurs as they launch their businesses." |
SPORTS
| National title rematch tonight in Starkville | |
| South Carolina simply had Mississippi State's number last season. The Bulldogs only lost five games a year ago and three of those defeats came at the hands of the Gamecocks. MSU finished second to South Carolina for the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship, SEC Tournament title and national championship. "It's been one-sided," said MSU coach Vic Schaefer. "In the six years I've been here, we've never beaten them but have had some really good games. Probably at the end of the day in each one of those games, they had the better team. We lost to them three times last year and that proves they had the better team." The second-ranked Bulldogs (23-0, 9-0 SEC) get a shot at some redemption tonight as they host No. 7 South Carolina (18-4, 7-2 SEC) tonight at 6 on ESPN2 in front of a sold-out crowd at Humphrey Coliseum. "I'm excited about (tonight) and our kids being able to play in front of a packed house," Schaefer said. "It should be a great atmosphere for both teams in a meaningful game." |
| Will this time be different for Mississippi State against South Carolina? | |
| Mississippi State has reached unprecedented heights under Vic Schaefer, but the Bulldogs have never defeated South Carolina in his tenure, and that fact has often prevented the program from reaching its major goals. After 11-straight outcomes featuring the same result, will this time be different? Well, the lead-up to No. 2 Mississippi State's highly-anticipated game against No. 6 South Carolina at Humphrey Coliseum Monday (6 p.m., ESPN2) certainly is. For starters, this is the rematch of last year's national championship. It's the first advance sellout in program history. Student tickets were gone in eight minutes, the school announced. Schaefer predicted many will flock to Humphrey Coliseum to see his team in-person for the first time. He will probably be right. So, for the uninformed, a quick recap. |
| SEC showdown: Mississippi State fans set to pack home arena for big league battle | |
| Monday night the Humphrey Coliseum will see Mississippi State fans partying like the early 2000's. Those were the days for Bulldog fans everywhere when they packed the Hump to see some of the best men's hoops teams in school history. It was not uncommon for many games during those years to be hard sellouts where students wrapped around the outside concourse waiting to get in hours before tipoff. This time, it's the women who are selling the tickets, however. Monday night's top 10 matchup with No. 9 South Carolina (18-4, 7-2 Southeastern Conference) has been sold out for a couple of weeks and a crowd of over 10,000 is expected. The student allotment was claimed within 10 minutes last Monday and even some of the most popular Bulldog athletes across the landscape at MSU will be on the outside looking in. It's a milestone that has not been reached in State women's hoops history. Then again, coach Vic Schaefer is accustomed to that sort of thing. |
| Teaira McCowan dominating for No. 2 Mississippi State | |
| Teaira McCowan's first workout at Mississippi State was supposed to be simple. Associate head coach Johnnie Harris wanted the 6-foot-7 recruit to work on one of the most fundamental moves a post player can make: the drop step. Harris gave a few instructions, stepped back and waited for McCowan's first move. The freshman responded with a blank stare. "She was extremely raw," Harris said. "But she had all the tools." A little more than two years later, Mississippi State's patience and McCowan's work ethic are paying off -- big time. The junior is averaging nearly 20 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks a game as the anchor for the No. 2 Bulldogs, who have a 23-0 record, including a 9-0 mark in the SEC, heading into tonight's showdown with No. 7 South Carolina (18-4, 7-2). |
| Mississippi State's Blair Schaefer proves labels don't apply | |
| Too small. Too slow. Too short. Blair Schaefer has heard those words plenty of times in her career. But the 5-foot-7 guard didn't grow into an integral piece of the No. 2 Mississippi State women's basketball team because she listened to what other people thought about her. Instead, Schaefer attacked the game with an approach that dared others to be tougher than her or to take and to make more big shots in smaller windows. That's why it was fitting to hear SEC Network's Paul Sunderland follow Debbie Antonelli's refrain of "too small, too slow, too short" to describe what some thought about Schaefer with "too smart, too tough." The comments came Thursday night after Schaefer took a charge on Missouri's Jordan Frericks to force a turnover in the waning seconds. The charge was part of a season-high 20 point night in which Schaefer delivered a trademark gritty effort to lead No. 2 MSU to a 57-53 victory against Missouri. |
| Mississippi State claims third consecutive SEC win | |
| Mississippi State seems to be finding its stride after losing five of its first seven Southeastern Conference games. The Bulldogs have reeled off three-consecutive wins, including a 72-57 victory over Georgia on Saturday which saw MSU lead from start to finish. "We prepared for this game really hard, we had about three walk-throughs," said MSU guard Lamar Peters. "We just kept preparing. I think everybody was just locked in. We had good preparation heading into this game with everybody working hard at practice and it resulted in a team W." Peters provided the biggest punch for State with a season-high 20 points. The sophomore shot 9 of 17 from the field including a pair of 3-pointers and also added four steals and two assists. |
| Mississippi State beats Georgia, wins 3rd straight SEC game | |
| Lamar Peters scored a season-high 20 points to lead Mississippi State to a 72-57 win over Georgia on Saturday night. Quinndary Weatherspoon and his brother Nick Weatherspoon added 14 points for Mississippi State while Aric Holman chipped in 12 points, all of which came in the second half. The Bulldogs (17-6, 5-5 SEC) have now won three straight SEC games. Georgia (13-9, 5-5) received 13 points from Yante Maten and Tyree Crump while Pape Diatta added 12 points. Georgia was without sophomore guard Jordan Harris. Harris has been suspended indefinitely, per a release from the University of Georgia. After a 2-5 start in the SEC, Mississippi State has now won three straight league games for the first time since last January. The Bulldogs are now 15-1 at home and 3-1 in SEC home games. |
| Resurgent Mississippi State wins third-straight game | |
| With a headband on and a bounce in his step, Lamar Peters loudly recited lyric after lyric during pre-game warmups as music blared at Humphrey Coliseum. "Focus," Peters said. "I was just more focused today." It showed after the game started, too. Peters maintained a high energy level throughout Mississippi State's 72-57 win over Georgia on Saturday. Peters led the Bulldogs with 20 points and four steals. Mississippi State (17-6, 5-5 SEC) has now won three straight games and improving to .500 in the SEC was significant for postseason aspirations that are much more realistic now than they were just a couple of weeks ago. Not coincidentally, Peters has started in four straight games. |
| Lamar Peters' speed paves way for Mississippi State men | |
| Lamar Peters' speed isn't a secret. The Mississippi State men's basketball coaches know about the quickness of their sophomore guard. Game film makes it clear to the rest of the teams in the Southeastern Conference. On Saturday, MSU's coaches told Peters to put that speed to use against Georgia. Peters obliged the request with a 20-point, four-steal outing that lifted MSU to a 72-57 victory at Humphrey Coliseum. Peters said his coaches told him he was "quicker than all their guys." He proved that to be the case in a 32-minute effort by going 9-for-17 from the field to lead MSU (17-6, 5-5 SEC) to its third-straight win. |
| The better Bulldog: Lamar Peters has big day to help Mississippi State beat Georgia | |
| It didn't take Lamar Peters long to get going for Mississippi State on Saturday against Georgia. Just 21 seconds into the game, MSU's sophomore guard was zipping into the paint putting up a successful layup to give his team an early 2-0 advantage. It wasn't the last time Peters' quickness haunted the Southeastern Conference's other bunch of Bulldogs. Peters led the way with a season-high 20 points as Mississippi State continued its recent resurgence with a 72-57 win over Georgia at Humphrey Coliseum. The victory was MSU's third straight. It evened the team's SEC record at 5-5. It improved the overall mark to 17-6 and, as has been the case over the last several weeks, Peters was the straw stirring the drink. "He has been great the whole time," MSU head coach Ben Howland said of Peters' last few games. |
| MSU Notebook: State surpasses last season's win total | |
| With Saturday's 72-57 victory over Georgia, Mississippi State has already surpassed its win total from a year ago. MSU has now won three straight SEC games to improve to 17-6 overall and 5-5 in the league. It is the first time State has won three consecutive conference games since January 2017. "I think we're really growing to be a good team," siad MSU coach Ben Howland. "They're playing for each other, you can feel it. That's just so fun to watch. I'm sitting there as a spectator at times thinking 'this is phenomenal'. Everybody is pumped and pulling for each other. We have a chance to be pretty good." |
| Andy Cannizaro, Mississippi State looking to win ultimate prize | |
| Andy Cannizaro likes to recruit to both sides of Mississippi State baseball history. Cannizaro tells recruits early and often that MSU has been better for longer than any other Southeastern Conference program. He relates stories from MSU's 36 appearances in the NCAA tournament, its seven trips to the Super Regionals, and its run to the championship series of the College World Series in 2013. Cannizaro also recruits to the other side of MSU's history: the lack of a national championship. He has made his entire program focus on that goal. Last season, Cannizaro dealt with an abbreviated timeline after he replaced John Cohen, who became director of athletics, as MSU's coach on Nov. 5, 2016. In his first full offseason as coach, Cannizaro has made it clear to everyone winning a national title is the program's only goal. |
| Bulldogs' closer Spencer Price out for the season | |
| Mississippi State suffered its first pitching casualty even before the 2018 season gets underway. Junior closer Spencer Price is expected to miss the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Price led the Bulldogs with 31 relief appearances, a 2.91 earned run average, 14 saves and limited opposing hitters to a .197 batting average last spring. The 6-foot-2 right-hander from Olive Branch finished his first season at MSU with a 4-1 record, 40 strikeouts and 19 walks in 34 innings of work after transferring in from Meridian Community College. |
| Mississippi State's Vann Stuedeman wants to see a little more from everyone | |
| Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman has given her current team a unique way to make up for the graduation of All-Southeastern Conference performer Caroline Seitz. Seitz led the Bulldogs with nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 2017. Her offensive absence will be the most notable presences when MSU opens the season against Mississippi Valley State and Omaha at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Friday in the first two games of day one of the three-day Bulldog Kickoff Classic at Nusz Park. "Forty-four RBIs is a large number for us," Stuedeman said. "We have asked each position starter to drive in five more runs this season. That has been the practice point. Find a way to get five more runs home. You can't replace a player like Caroline. We will do the best we can." |
| #SBW18: Mississippi State Unveils Super Bulldog Weekend Schedule, April 20-22 | |
 | A Mississippi State spring homecoming tradition returns April 20-22 with the 33rd annual Super Bulldog Weekend on the MSU campus. Fans will get a glimpse at new football head coach Joe Moorhead's 2018 squad with the Maroon and White spring game on Saturday, April 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT in Davis Wade Stadium. Admission to the spring football game is free. The Bulldogs return 17 starters from a team that won nine games and culminated 2017 with a TaxSlayer Bowl victory. Coach Andy Cannizaro's Diamond Dawgs welcome Arkansas for a pivotal three-game set at new Dudy Noble Field with first pitch times at 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Meanwhile, coach Vann Stuedeman's MSU softball team hosts national runner-up Florida at 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday from Nusz Park. Additional details on Super Bulldog Weekend will be announced at a later date. |
| Mississippi State fans embraced the other Jeremy Pruitt and now he's coming to Starkville | |
| A 30-year-old cook from Ohio will arrive in the Golden Triangle for the first time in his life on Saturday, but to some Mississippi State fans, he is already a legend. And he's an unlikely one at that. Really, it's like an SEC folktale that even the Brothers Grimm could have never dreamt. Consider: this guy named Jeremy Pruitt lives approximately 650 miles from here, is a die-hard Ohio State fan and -- before a couple of months ago -- knew of MSU mostly just from its 2014 Sports Illustrated cover and Dak Prescott. That latter part completely changed because Dan Mullen left Mississippi State for Florida. And because of Twitter. |
| A Crescent City institution: Longtime voice of the Saints is retiring | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "When the erudite and so, so friendly Jim Henderson became the play-by-play broadcaster of the New Orleans Saints, Archie Manning was his first sidekick as the color commentator. This was 1985. Says Manning, 'Jim and I never had a bad day together. Actually, I don't know how you could have a bad day with Jim, who's such a good guy and such a consummate professional.' ...The 70-year-old Henderson, a New York native and former junior high English teacher, Thursday announced his retirement from broadcasting. New Orleans and the Saints have lost an institution. Whether his sidekick was Archie Manning, or the late Hokie Gajan, or, most recently, Deuce McAllister, Henderson told Saints listeners what they needed to know in an articulate, knowledgeable, easy-to-listen-to manner. He's a pro. And he is retiring at the top of his game. Replacing Henderson with the Saints will be like replacing Jack Cristil at Mississippi State. It will take some getting use to -- and that's an understatement. |
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