Monday, February 26, 2018   
 
Educators talk career connections, dropout prevention at annual summit
Northeast Mississippi school leaders came together Friday morning to talk dropout prevention and reflect on improvements in the region's high school graduation rates shown in the latest data released by the state department of education. Twenty-five of the 32 school districts covered by the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi, an arm of the CREATE Foundation, were represented at this year's Dropout Prevention Summit. The annual event brings educators together to look at best practices for increasing graduation rates and reducing the number of dropouts. The summit also featured Mimmo Parisi, executive director of nSPARC at Mississippi State University. According to Parisi, who tracks Mississippi dropouts, more than 50 percent of students leave high school to enter the workforce, but they aren't reaching their full potential in the labor market because they lack a diploma and skills or training needed to reach a higher-paying job.
 
Mississippi State researcher recognized for work in psychology
The creator of a nationally recognized laboratory in Mississippi State University's Department of Psychology is being recognized as an APS Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science. E. Samuel "Sam" Winer is a licensed psychologist and assistant professor. Citing the development of an "innovative and clever method" to study how people regulate their emotional experiences, Mitchell Berman, head of MSU's Department of Psychology, said Winer's research has received national and international attention among emotion researchers and has "important implications for better understanding disorders of emotion, such as depression and anxiety." Since joining MSU in 2012, Winer has received approximately $825,000 in grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and more than $1 million in total funding, including grants for projects on which he has served as co-investigator.
 
MSU Student Association hosts journalist Lisa Ling Monday
Award-winning journalist Lisa Ling will speak at Mississippi State on Monday as part of the MSU Student Association's Global Lecture Series. The event, taking place in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public. Though admission is free, tickets are required and will be available in Colvard Student Union Monday or at the door. Tickets are limited to two per person. Ling, currently the executive producer and host of CNN's "This is Life," will share how her compelling stories from around the world play an important role in positive social change. Ling is co-author of "Mother, Daughter, Sister, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood" (National Geographic Society, 2005) and "Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home" (HarperCollins, 2011), which she penned with her sister, Laura.
 
Mississippi State, MUW choral groups to perform Black History Month concert
The Choral Activities unit of Mississippi State University's Department of Music is sponsoring a Monday concert in celebration of Black History Month. Free to all, "Reflect and Rejoice: Celebrating Black History Through Music" takes place at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church in downtown Starkville. The evening program will consist of a selection of choral repertoire reflective of the gospel and spiritual heritage of African-American communities, both past and present. MSU's select women's choir, or Schola Cantorum, will perform, along with soloist and MSU voice lecturer Khary Wilson and the Women's Chorale from the Mississippi University for Women. Stephen Middleton, retired MSU history professor and an expert in African-American history, also will provide an inspirational message.
 
MSU-Meridian to hold grad school fair Tuesday
Mississippi State University-Meridian will host a graduate school fair on Tuesday from 4-6:30 p.m. for people interested in an advanced degree from the university. Representatives from MSU's graduate school in Starkville will be on campus to answer questions and assist applicants through the graduate admissions process. The fair will be in the Kahlmus Auditorium on the university's College Park Campus Representatives from advising and financial aid will also attend to assist prospective applicants. Door prizes, refreshments, and a chance to win a $60 grad school application waiver will be provided. There will also be demonstration of the interactive technology that allows students to participate in classes from a remote location.
 
Campus party, Hail State Giving Days slated for Mississippi State's 140th birthday
Mississippi State University will celebrate its 140th birthday Wednesday, Feb. 28 and mark the start of the annual online philanthropy event known as Hail State Giving Days. HSGD officially begins at 10 a.m. on MSU's birthday and concludes at 5 p.m. the following day, March 1, for a total of 1,878 minutes in commemoration of the university's founding as a land-grant institution. All alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends are invited to celebrate the occasion by attending the official campus party hosted by the MSU Alumni Association and presented by Renasant Bank. Free and open to all, the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. come-and-go event will be held in the Colvard Student Union's Dawg House with a special appearance by Bully. A giant cake provided by Aramark, along with ice cream, drinks and a photo booth will highlight the event. Also, treat bags with HSGD goodies will be available for attendees that make a gift during the event.
 
Life on the farm leads to lives of success for Rowe family
James Robert Rowe was raised in agriculture and he brought up his six children by working hard, long hours just like he did. They each took those lessons to heart to be successful adults. Because of the Rowes' passion for education, they formed an endowment scholarship to help mirror that success for students. "Mainly it was our mother's desire to have us all graduate from college," said James Darnell Rowe. "From 1977 to 1996, there were only three or four semesters when one of us wasn't in school. Four of us have secondary degrees from Mississippi State. In the immediate family, there are nine degrees from MSU." The siblings, which also include Loston Rowe, Rita Jackson, Demetric Rowe, Lisa Rogers and Candais Lynette Hale, started the James Robert and Betty Rowe Endowed Scholarship for MSU's College of Agriculture.
 
Symphony concerts Friday will have family appeal
Children and adults alike have much to look forward to as the Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Association Family Concerts approach. On Friday, March 2 the symphony orchestra will present several daytime concerts for school children and a longer program for families at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium on the Mississippi State campus. Barry E. Kopetz conducts. The evening event will include Franz Schubert's "Symphony No. 3 in D Major D. 200," and excerpts from Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," Antonin Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Felix Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto, Movement 1" and Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite Finale." It will also feature a performance by Catherine Patriquin on tenor saxophone. Three daytime programs for Starkville students will be tailored to the target audience, with sing-alongs to numbers including "Simple Gifts" and "Bought Me a Cat."
 
Lyceum Series wraps season with TAO 'Drum Heart' March 7
TAO, the internationally acclaimed group of Japanese performance artists, brings its high-energy percussion show to Mississippi State Wednesday, March 7. "Drum Heart" is the title of the special event that concludes the university's 2017-18 Lyceum Series season. The program begins at 7 p.m. in Bettersworth Auditorium of historic Lee Hall. General admission tickets are $25 each and may be purchased in advance at http://events.msstate.edu/tickets or the Center for Student Activities office in Suite 314 of the Colvard Student Union. Mississippi State employees and senior citizens may purchase tickets for $20; $10 for youth ages 3-12 in school uniform or with institutional identification. Enrolled university students are admitted free with MSU identification.
 
Major garden expo returns to Starkville
The Everything Garden Expo, presented by the Oktibbeha County Master Gardeners, will return to the Mississippi Horse Park on March 24 and 25. Jane Loveless, chairman of the two-day event, said almost 60 vendors will be selling plants, tools, garden art and other items. An antique tractor show will be part of the event on the first day. Children's programs and activities both days will ensure there is something for everyone. Doors will open at 7:45 a.m. on March 24 and close at 6 p.m. Sunday hours are from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $5. Children 6 and under are admitted free. Proceeds will be used to award scholarships to deserving students pursuing careers in agriculture. "Visitors can stroll the venue leisurely, selecting seminars and activities that most interest them," Loveless said. "We have enlisted some of the South's most noted program leaders to hold educational seminars on a broad spectrum of issues from controlling fire ants, to growing vegetables in boxes, and everything in between."
 
A real 'Night at the Museum' at Mississippi State
Ancient bones, giant spiders, outer space and human skulls were all on tap for Science Night at the Museum on the Mississippi State campus Feb. 15. The family night filled with discovery let visitors from toddlers to retirees explore a host of "ologys" -- geology, paleontology, entomology, meteorology, anthropology and archaeology among them. Not to mention astronomy, physics, veterinary science, and a free movie, too. Presented by the MSU Museums and Galleries Committee, Science Night tours and hands-on activities in the Dunn-Seiler Geology Museum in Hilbun Hall and Cobb Institute of Archaeology shared the faculty's enthusiasm for science, research and revelations.
 
Brookhaven High School senior gets full ride to Mississippi State
Christopher Robinson is shining up his cowbell. The Brookhaven High School senior recently learned his college career won't cost him a dime. He is one of 10 students chosen from 975 applicants for a Mississippi State University Presidential Scholarship. Robinson, the son of Robert and Brenda Robinson of Brookhaven, practiced by conducting a mock interview with his parents. He memorized all the reasons he wanted to go to State so he'd be ready if the panel of judges asked. His biggest plus, besides his grades, was his attitude. He decided he'd tackle the interview the way he tackles life -- just be himself. "That works out the best," he said. Robinson scored a 34 on his ACT and holds a 4.0 GPA at Ole Brook where his class load has included AP English Composition I and II, AP chemistry, AP biology, AP physics, AP calculus, and AP microeconomics.
 
Mississippi State, EMCC talk active shooter safety | Starkville Daily News
In light of the fatal school shootings in Kentucky and Florida earlier this month, it's important to realize the possibility of an incident. With Mississippi State University located in Starkville and East Mississippi Community College's Golden Triangle campus not far from town, the SDN reached out to officials from both institutions to discuss their protocols should an incident occur. Mississippi State Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said the university's administrative team had met with MSU President Mark Keenum Monday to discuss the university's plans to fully comply with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant's Dec. 19, 2017 executive order, meeting the June 1 deadline. Gov. Bryant's order made completion of the "Active Shooter Situations: What Should You Do?" course mandatory for all state employees.
 
DOE awards $10.6M to ROGUE to engineer energycane, Miscanthus to produce oil for biodiesel, biojet fuel
The US Department of Energy has awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6-million, five-year grant to transform two of the most productive crops in the US into sustainable sources of biodiesel and biojet fuel. The new research project Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane (ROGUE) kicked off on 25 February with a team meeting held in conjunction with the 2018 Genomic Sciences Program Annual Principal Investigator Meeting in Tysons, Virginia. ROGUE will engineer energycane, a bioenergy crop derived from sugarcane, and Miscanthus to produce the oil that is used to create biodiesel and biojet fuel. ROGUE is a collaboration amongst researchers from Illinois as well as Brookhaven National Lab, University of Florida, and Mississippi State University, with support from the DOE Office of Science.
 
Gay Parade Permit Sparks Major Debate in Mississippi
At first, the plan to hold a gay-pride parade here didn't seem like such a big deal. Such festivals aren't that unusual even in the traditionally conservative Deep South, and Starkville, "Mississippi's College Town," made a name for itself as the first community in the state to pass a resolution denouncing discrimination against people for sexual orientation. But when organizers applied for a permit, they ran into a roadblock: A majority of Starkville's aldermen voted it down, transforming what had been envisioned as a relatively small-scale event into a constitutional confrontation over free speech and equal rights. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled decades ago that while authorities can regulate a parade or march, they can't wholly deny permits, saying that infringes on free-speech and equal-protection rights.
 
Officials, friends mourn death of longtime attorney Jack Brown
Longtime Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors Attorney Jack Brown died at OCH Regional Medical Center on Saturday at the age of 72 after a hard-fought battle with cancer, but local leaders and friends say his legacy will live on. Brown, who served as board attorney for nearly two decades up until his death and practiced law for almost five, is survived by his three daughters and six grandchildren. Brown's daughter, Oktibbeha County Prosecutor Haley Brown, called her father a "dynamic man," who spent his life defending those who needed help and ensuring the best interests of Oktibbeha County were met by its government. "I am the person I am today because of my father," Haley Brown said. "I wanted to follow in his footsteps and be a lawyer ever since I could remember because of him. He was my greatest teacher, counselor and confidante. There will never be another person like Jackson Brown."
 
Bond revoked again for attempted kidnapping suspect
An attempted kidnapping suspect is in jail for the third time in a week after local law enforcement found him after a Friday afternoon manhunt. Starkville Police Department and Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office began a manhunt in downtown Starkville on Friday afternoon for John B. Arnold, 45. Starkville Police Department announced at about 5:50 p.m. that Arnold was in custody. SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady confirmed to The Dispatch that Arnold had removed an ankle bracelet with a GPS monitor he was ordered to wear as a condition of his bond, sparking the manhunt. According to SPD, an OSCO deputy located spotted Arnold near Greenfield Street. Arnold was taken into custody without incident.
 
Commissioner Mike Tagert predicts I-269 opening by fall
Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert told Southaven business leaders this week that several highway projects affecting them continue moving forward and at faster than expected speed. Tagert, speaking to those attending the Southaven Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon at the Landers Center, said the I-269 construction work continues to be expedited, adding it was his belief the completion of the connector from I-55 to the Tennessee state border now could be done by the fall this year. "We're projecting it to be open from I-55 to the current roadway probably in August or September of this year," Tagert said. "We will then have that full connectivity between I-55 and I-40 (in Tennessee). This project is opening about a year ahead of schedule as it was planned to be open in the fall of 2019." The Transportation Commissioner again touted the I-269 work as one of the top highway projects in Mississippi.
 
Mississippi casinos take less from gamblers in January
Casino revenue took a nosedive across Mississippi in 2018's first month, falling sharply along the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River. State Revenue Department figures released last week show gamblers lost $151 million statewide in January, down almost 9 percent from January 2017's $166 million. Receipts fell 7 percent to $92 million at the 12 coastal casinos. The 16 river casinos posted winnings of $59 million, down almost 12 percent from $67 million in January 2017. That was the worst monthly total since May 2011, when floods forced some river casinos to close. Revenue has fallen at river casinos every year but one since peaking in 2006. Statewide revenue is down 2 percent over the last 12 months.
 
Civil Rights leaders, politicians tour museum, say the work continues
In May 1961, U.S. Rep. John Lewis was arrested in Jackson for his work as a Freedom Rider. This week he returned once more to tour the recently-opened Mississippi Civil Rights Museum where his own mugshot is part of an exhibit, and said the experience brought him to tears. "To walk through the museum and see Medgar (Evers), to see Fannie Lou Hamer and others that I've spent time with, the way people suffered...people took us into their homes, into their churches, they believed," the Georgia congressman told a crowded room during a discussion Saturday morning. "So thank you." U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson and Cedric Richmond, D-La., Mississippi Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker joined Lewis for a panel discussion to celebrate the museum. Organized by a private group called Friends of Mississippi Civil Rights, the celebration kicked off Friday night with a gala where Lewis and other leaders of the movement were honored for their work.
 
AG Jim Hood says bills pending in Legislature would protect big companies from wrongdoing
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says bills remain alive during the 2018 session designed to limit his ability to file lawsuits, primarily against large corporations that he says have harmed the state and its citizens. Certain elements of the business community, backed by some in the Republican Party, have long opposed the practice of Hood and past Mississippi attorney generals filing lawsuits against large corporations, often with the aid of private attorneys who fund the lawsuits and receive sizable rewards if they prevail, but nothing if they lose. Hood has said he uses outside counsel in a limited number of lawsuits, because he has a small legal staff and his agency does not have the funds to pursue what often is complex and expensive litigation to recoup funds owed to the state by giant corporations.
 
Politicians using taxpayer funded ads? Bill would restrict practice
The hip-hop beat thumps and the song repeats "Get yer game on, get yer get yer game on" as captions in the video identify each of Mississippi's three elected transportation commissioners in their offices. "Well let's go," Central District Commissioner Dick Hall says as the three don MDOT emblazoned ball caps. The screen cuts away to list MDOT Travel resources: a website, a smart phone app and a 511 call line to check traffic. Finally, the elevator fades back in, and Hall asks, "Wait a minute. Have you got the tickets?" If you live in Mississippi, chances are you've seen this and numerous other ads with state elected officials telling you about their programs or accomplishments. And typically, you're paying for those ads with your state or federal tax dollars. Senate Bill 2482 would prohibit any candidate for public office in Mississippi from "appearing in publicly funded advertisements during the year of statewide elections." It would cover ads on radio, internet or television, newspapers, magazines, billboards or placards that are funded by federal, state or local government funds.
 
Senate changes poverty definition in its version of school funding bill
Senate Education Committee members will consider another version of the school funding bill on Tuesday that changes the calculation of poverty. Sen. Gray Tollison, a Republican from Oxford and the chairman of the committee, sent the strike-all amendment to committee members late Friday. The new version of House Bill 957 would calculate each district's funding for low-income students based on a three-year average of the poverty rate. The current version of the bill funds low-income students based on each year's poverty rate as determined by the U.S. Census, a calculation opponents have said does not accurately represent the makeup of the district. It is unclear how that change would affect the estimated funding of school districts or the numbers handed out to lawmakers in recent weeks by school finance group EdBuild.
 
Local legislators weigh in on new education formula
Senate discussion about House Bill 957, or the "Mississippi Uniform per Student Funding Formula Act," will begin next Wednesday, Feb. 28. If passed, it will replace the Mississippi Adequate Education Program as the state's formula for distribution of education funding. MAEP, which went into full effect in 2002 and was considered landmark legislation at the time, is now considered inadequate, according to Lafayette County's Sen. Gray Tollison (R). District 12 Rep. Jay Hughes (D) is one of the legislators who says he is unclear about the details of the bill, because of the nature of decision-making regarding the document. "There is not an elected official who knows what's going on with education reform, because it is all decided behind closed doors," Hughes said. "It's whatever the leadership decides." Tollison, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, says HB 957, which will not go into effect until 2021, will allow the state to appropriate funds in a more effective way.
 
Coordinating prescription refills is about to get easier
For some patients in Mississippi, being prescribed several medications means three, four or more trips to the pharmacy each month. That could change under a bill that legislators sent to the governor last week. The legislation would require insurance companies to cover partial subscription refills for the purpose of synchronizing medications. If someone received one medication from their doctor on the first of the month, a second on the 15th and a third on the 20th, the patient would have three separate refill dates. A pharmacy may have to give a patient a 15-day supply to get the medications synced, but some insurance companies have denied reimbursement for those scripts.
 
Mississippi considers bill to protect service dogs for veterans
A proposed bill in the Mississippi legislature could grant accessibility rights to service animals for veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, allowing them access to public places traditionally reserved for service animals for blind or disabled people. House Bill 944 would allow veterans to bring their service animals, defined as a dog or a miniature horse, into hotels and businesses. Currently the state protection extends only to people who are blind or hard of hearing. Pam Baranello, the military veterans coordinator at Meridian Community College, said she was surprised service dogs weren't already protected in Mississippi. "Isn't that done already," she asked. Baranello acts as a liasion between military veterans, active duty service members, spouses and the Air and Army National Guard members attending MCC and Veterans Affairs, distributing scholarships, promoting tutors and giving veterans the assistance they need to go to school.
 
Southaven, Horn Lake tax levies get House passage
Southaven and Horn Lake city officials received good news from the Mississippi House of Representatives this week about taxes. The full House approved separate measures that extend the repeal dates to July 1, 2022 for a hotel-motel tax in Horn Lake and the restaurant tax in Southaven also known as "Penny for the Parks." The two DeSoto County communities lost revenue last summer when the House refused to extend a local option tax opportunity both had counted on. Southaven had received funds from restaurant sales up until June 30 to cover improvement projects in the Parks and Recreation area, money that totaled as much as $1.9 million annually. Horn Lake had been able to get funding from a hotel-motel tax for economic development and to encourage tourism to the community, money that added $300,000 annually to that city's coffers. House Bill 1472 was passed and sent to the Senate Tuesday on a vote of 93-21 to allow Horn Lake to be able to receive a $2 per-night, per-occupied room levy to the books to fund economic development for the city.
 
Days before deadline, Chris McDaniel unsure about U.S. Senate race
A Mississippi state lawmaker who lost a bitter U.S. Senate race in 2014 says he will "get into a dark place and pray" about whether to run this year. Republican Chris McDaniel has only a few days to decide: candidates' filing deadline in Mississippi is March 1. McDaniel, a third-term state senator from Ellisville, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he's considering three races: U.S. Senate this year, lieutenant governor in 2019 or U.S. Senate in 2020. "I'm looking for clarity," McDaniel said of his process of introspection. "I just get into a dark place and I pray a lot."
 
Rumors in state House have Philip Gunn replacing Thad Cochran
Speculation in the Mississippi House is that Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, is in line to be appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to replace U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Multiple members of the House -- both Republican and Democrat -- say there were members of the House positioning themselves to replace Gunn, who some say could resign before the current session is scheduled to end on April 1. "It is no secret that Sen. Cochran has been in poor health for sometime," said Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, who served as Cochran's state political director in 1980. "My understanding from reliable sources is that he will take retirement sometime after March 1. "Then the same reliable sources tell me Speaker Gunn is in line to be appointed to the Senate seat. Then, it will put the House in the position of having to choose another speaker." "This bottom line is that Thad Cochran is still the U.S. senator," said Nathan Wells, Gunn's chief of staff. "This is just speculation. Anything can happen in a month, a year, two years."
 
Republican resistance to Trump gun proposal grows
President Donald Trump's gun control proposal is already running into Republican resistance, as conservatives from across the country suggested in interviews Friday that they will not line up behind their leader on this issue. Trump has outlined a wide-ranging series of proposals to combat gun violence in the wake of a massacre at a Florida high school that killed 17 last week. One measure: "raise age to 21," he tweeted this week. That move to raise the age for buying certain weapons has support from a number of Republican lawmakers. But conservative officials and activists are signaling significant discomfort with that idea, which is opposed by the powerful National Rifle Association. Chris McDaniel, a deeply conservative Mississippi state senator who is eyeing higher office: "Although I support President Trump, I respectfully disagree with him on this issue. If an individual is old enough to serve in the military, to fight and die for our country, then obviously his Second Amendment right to firearms should not be infringed."
 
Bryant to soon have all 12 appointees to IHL Board
Gov. Phil Bryant is on the verge of being able to do something no Mississippi governor in the modern era has done -- make all 12 appointments to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Before the 2018 session's scheduled conclusion on April 1, Bryant is slated to announce four nominees to the board that oversees Mississippi's eight public universities to replace four members whose terms expire in May. When those four Bryant appointees assume their posts, he will have all 12 appointees to the constitutionally created board that is considered one of the most influential in the state. Bryant is in the unique position to have all 12 appointees because of changes made by voters to the state Constitution in 2004.
 
Music by Women Festival to begin Thursday at The W
Mississippi University for Women will host its second annual Music by Women Festival Thursday through Saturday, March 1-3. This international event is dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women composers historically as well as the present day. As part of the festival, there will be 12 concerts spread throughout the three days, all free and open to the public. The concerts will take place at 10 a.m., noon, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Between the concerts, there will be concurrent lecture recitals and papers presented. The public must register to attend these sessions. All events will take place in Poindexter Hall on The W's campus. "This is a great way to start celebrating Women's History Month, by listening to the wonderful music of women composers," said MUW Department of Music Chair Julia Mortyakova.
 
Ole Miss police investigate sexual assault
Ole Miss police are investigating a reported sexual assault. The university issued an alert about the incident, which was reported around 3:30 a.m. near Residential Hall 3. Officers also responded to the emergency room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. The university said the suspect has been identified. No further information was released.
 
Grammy-nominated Matthew Shepard tribute plays two dates in Mississippi
Craig Hella Johnson vividly remembers when University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was found dead in 1998, an anti-gay tragedy that sparked outrage around the nation and eventually led to federal legislation targeting hate crimes in 2009. "I'll never forget it. It just pierced like a knife," Johnson recalled. He said the sense of grief, rage and hopelessness stuck with him, and eventually in 2012 he began writing Considering Matthew Shepard, a three-part oratorio (a musical performance comprised of an orchestra and choir). The show, which premiered in 2016, will be performed two consecutive nights in Mississippi, first at the University of Mississippi's Ford Center on Feb. 27, then at the University of Southern Mississippi's Mannoni Performing Arts Center on Feb. 28.
 
Alcorn State alumni parade marches through Tupelo
Hundreds of parade watchers braved high winds to gather along Main Street Saturday afternoon to watch three high school marching bands and the Alcorn State University's Sounds of Dy-No-Mite band march to the BancorpSouth Arena from Milam Elementary School. The parade culminated the ASU Alumni's Midwinter Conference, which began Monday and wraps up today in the All-America City. "We have alumni from all over the country here in Tupelo; last time we had such an event was 2004, and our attendance is at maximum capacity," said ASU alumni member Oliver Johnson. "The parade is our way of celebrating the community and our university's heritage, especially during Black History Month, and especially to give our youth a chance to see an HBCU band." On Robins Street, led by a cavalcade of law enforcement officers on motorcycles and a fire truck, the parade began with an "alright, alright, alright" from kids of different ages, as part of the Partlow Drummers and Drummettes of Tupelo's catchy drum routine.
 
Runner discovers two dead dolphins on the Coast in Long Beach
Three dead dolphins were discovered on the Coast in two days. Two of them were found within a mile of each other in Long Beach Saturday. Officials tell WLOX this discovery tells a lot about what's going on in the water. Runner Susan LaRosa made the discovery Saturday. She said it's not something she's used to seeing. "Usually I'll see like dead fish, jellyfish, and things like that," LaRosa said. Dr. Mobi Solangi, the Director of the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies, said dolphin deaths are not uncommon. However, he said seeing this many deaths in such a short time early in the season is concerning. "We are going to send all these tissues for toxicology, pathology, to Mississippi State University," Solangi said.
 
Salt Life president to share story at Auburn University's Entrepreneurship Summit
Successful entrepreneurs see possibilities where others might not. That's why 1988 Auburn University business alum Jeff Stillwell perked up when a colleague told him about four fishing buddies who started a business selling branded T-shirts and car window stickers at sporting goods and fishing tackle stores near their home city of Jacksonville, Florida. Salt Life, they called it. The co-founders had kept their day jobs and were still generating more than $1 million in sales, but Salt Life was, as Stillwell recalls, "a little bitty fishing brand with a name that was so good. I thought it could be a lifestyle brand." Within three years of acquiring Salt Life, Stillwell and his team grew annual sales from $6 million to more than $20 million. As the company's president, Stillwell has guided the brand's evolution from fishing-only to inclusion of surfing and diving.
 
Spokeswoman: Temp in some LSU buildings at 76 degrees, normal in dorms, classrooms
While an air conditioning problem at LSU came to light Thursday, a school spokeswoman said Friday the impact is limited. Air conditioning units are operating normally in classrooms and dormitories and at 76 degrees elsewhere, said LSU spokeswoman Rachel Spangenthal. The comments came one day after the school said in a "Dear LSU Community" email that air conditioner problems across campus could take weeks to repair. The announcement set off alarms, especially with Baton Rouge experiencing unusually high temperatures for February. Ernie Ballard, another spokesman for the school, said in an email that Thursday's message was not a press release but a message to students who had been experiencing air conditioning issues. Spangenthal said the chilled water system and its cooling towers are on the school's $500 million list of deferred maintenance.
 
U. of Arkansas fraternity sued over sexually explicit photos
A lawsuit filed Friday claims Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity should be held responsible for sexually explicit photographs taken without consent and then distributed to an email network for University of Arkansas, Fayetteville fraternity members. The woman suing the national organization -- Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Inc. -- and the UA fraternity chapter -- Gamma Chi Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha -- remains anonymous in the lawsuit filed in Washington County Circuit Court. Court documents state the allegations by "Jane Doe" are "of a highly sensitive and personal matter" and that there "is a high risk of retaliatory harm." UA investigated the fraternity, and the lawsuit claims that an internal report by the fraternity chapter "is inconsistent with the events as evidenced in the inquiry conducted by the University." UA spokesman Mark Rushing in an email said it would be inappropriate for the university to comment on the lawsuit.
 
Arkansas 'looking into' social media photo purporting to show student in blackface
Officials at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville are looking into a photo shared on social media on Saturday that purported to show a student wearing blackface, a university spokesman said Saturday. A screenshot from a Snapchat post was shared on Twitter with a caption indicating the student in question goes to UA. The photo shows a white male in apparent blackface. It includes the caption, "I hope this offends someone," and a "Wakanda Forever" filter referencing the newly released Black Panther film. Shortly after 1:45 p.m., Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz wrote on Twitter that UA "supports an inclusive community today and every day that welcomes and supports a diversity of people, ideas and perspectives. These are the core values we share despite insensitivity displayed by any individual," the message read, though it didn't directly reference the blackface post in question.
 
UGA reports 96 percent career outcomes rate for class of 2017
University of Georgia research shows that 96 percent of recent graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduating. The UGA Class of 2017 was hired by 2,925 unique employers, including Fortune 500 companies, across all 50 states and in 37 countries. Of the full-time employed graduates, 72 percent accepted employment within Georgia. Top employers for the Class of 2017 include AT&T, Chick-fil-A, IBM, Georgia-Pacific and UPS. "Our state benefits from being home to so many successful companies; companies that want to hire our students," said Jill Walton, UGA's executive director of corporate and foundation relations. "UGA is committed to serving our state through educating tomorrow's leaders." This year, the Career Center was able to collect data on 88 percent of 2017 graduates, 26 percent higher than the national average, which helps provide a more accurate snapshot of UGA students' employment status.
 
Parents unite to combat college hazing at South Carolina gathering
There were a lot of tears Friday, when the parents of 15 children came together for the first time. The tears flowed, in part, because none of the parents wanted to be there. They traveled from across the country to South Carolina's Upstate for a weekend retreat for parents who have lost their children in college hazing incidents. The meeting was organized by Cindy and Gary Hipps, whose son Tucker died at Clemson University in 2014. After years of talking to other parents whose children had died in similar situations, the couple decided to bring them together to talk about how they can insure other parents don't face the same trauma. "This was originally planned for April, but we changed it to this date so more parents could be here," said Cindy Hipps. "It came together rather quickly, we only had six weeks of planning."
 
U. of Missouri says it complied with Sunshine Law in suit over cost of records request
The University of Missouri "complied in good faith with the Sunshine Law" when it asked for more than $80,000 to fulfill a request for research animal records, attorneys argued in court filings seeking a judgment in the university's favor in a lawsuit challenging the cost. Animal Rescue, Media and Education sued the UM System in 2016, calling the charges excessive and intended to discourage records requests the university is bound by law to fulfill. The filing for summary judgment Thursday came a day before the deadline for final motions to dispose of the case before it is set for trial. The case could become a precedent for Sunshine Law disputes over the amount public organizations charge for documents and the manner in which they are handled.
 
Public expresses more confidence in 'higher education' than in 'colleges or universities'
College and university leaders have been consumed since last summer with trying to understand public attitudes about them, as surveys and studies have delivered evidence of growing skepticism and doubts about the value of what consumers and society get from higher education. Gallup injected yet more data into the mix Friday, with a new survey that both reinforces the idea that higher education has seriously alienated white male Americans without a degree and underscores that people think very differently about the topic depending on the words you use. The new Gallup survey, conducted last month, asked the polling organization's standard question about whether Americans "have confidence" (and how much) in various institutions. It was one such Gallup survey last summer (along with a parallel survey from the Pew Research Center) that drove a powerful narrative suggesting that Republicans view higher education much more skeptically than Democrats do, and that people from the two viewpoints are troubled by different things.
 
The Perils of Trashing the Value of College
Margaret Spellings, the president of the University of North Carolina system and a former U.S. secretary of education, writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education: "In 1829, as the North Carolina legislature debated an expansion of public schooling, a concerned citizen dispatched a letter to The Raleigh Register. 'Gentlemen, I hope you do not conceive it at all necessary that everybody should be able to read, write, and cipher,' he wrote. Such luxuries might be defensible for future lawyers and doctors, 'but if a man is to be a plain farmer, or a mechanic, they are of no manner of use, but a detriment.' This question of who gets educated -- who deserves the time and resources to learn -- is not new. Nor is the desire to distinguish between practical knowledge and idle exploration. The University of North Carolina's 1789 charter calls for 'all useful Learning,' a caveat that stresses higher education's need to serve worldly ends. But like those booksmart farmers and mechanics, we live in an age when yesterday's abstract knowledge is becoming tomorrow's practical necessity."
 
Echoes of student voices must be heard
Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "Schools for students in K-12 settings are designed for parlaying information to the students, directing the students, guiding the students and presenting to the students. It is imperative, however, that society also recognizes that those very same students have voices, opinions, points-of-view, talents, skills and experiences. This composite skill set affords them the opportunity to be heard, in addition to the adults in the audience. Given the decades of unending attacks of students in school settings across this country, the echoes of student voices must be heard. It is this most vulnerable population which has been suffering in silence. They attend class each day wary of whether it will be their school which next makes its mark on national television, whether they will become victims and how they should respond if such an atrocity were to occur. The tragedies affect not only those immediately impacted, but the after-shocks resonate with students across the nation. Nearly every student can identify with a particular child whose instructional setting was forever changed by an act of terror."
 
Reeves' BRIDGE Act would endow his governorship
Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Love him or hate him for it, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves stays true to his autocratic ways. He dropped his complex $1.1 billion 'Building Roads, Improving Development, and Growing the Economy (BRIDGE) Act' on the Senate one day last week and passed it the next. He also stuck in the bill provisions that would allow him expanded autocratic power as Mississippi's next Governor. In addition to the imaginative funding it would provide, the bill would shift certain authorities from the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to the Governor. The big money in the bill, estimated at $800 million, comes mostly from diverting money from the state rainy day fund into a new 'Economic Development and Bridge Repair Fund' under the control of the Governor, not MDOT. The Governor would get to choose which bridges to be repaired from a list prepared by the State Aid Engineer, but would have total discretion to choose projects that 'support economic development.' Notably, most of the money going into the fund would not be available to spend until the next Governor takes office."


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State's John Cohen keeping his focus on the future
John Cohen has had to do a lot of on-the-job training during the 16 months as Mississippi State's director of athletics. But nothing could have prepared Cohen for the dilemma he found himself in earlier this week as his hand-picked successor as the Bulldogs' baseball coach Andy Cannizaro was abruptly forced to resign amid an affair with a former university employee within the athletics department. Instead of dwelling in the past, Cohen and the athletic department has chosen to focus on the program's future. "We've had an unfortunate week and we're going to move on, get better and do all the things necessary to make sure Mississippi State is in a good position to be successful," Cohen said speaking to the Tupelo Kiwanis Club on Friday.
 
Unbeaten No. 2 Mississippi State women rout Kentucky 85-63
Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer circled many areas of the stat sheet to note how the No. 2 Bulldogs did the little things against Kentucky to achieve perfection. Their next challenge is keeping it going as the team to beat in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Teaira McCowan had 20 points and 20 rebounds to match a career high, Victoria Vivians added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Mississippi State routed Kentucky 85-63 on Sunday to become the first SEC team to finish the regular season unbeaten in 20 years.
 
Mississippi State and Kentucky both make history on Senior Day
Mississippi State achieved perfection on Sunday in Memorial Coliseum. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with 30 wins, zero losses and a perfect 16-0 Southeastern Conference record. They were the first team from this league to go an entire season without a blemish in 20 years. But even after the 85-63 victory over Kentucky to seal the deal, star junior Teaira McCowan downplayed it a bit. "Nothing's perfect, but we're doing good, I guess," smiled McCowan, who was a dominant force inside against the Cats, finishing the afternoon with 20 points and a career-high tying 20 rebounds. After facing the Bulldogs twice in as many weeks, Kentucky could face them again as early as Friday in the SEC Tournament. Mississippi State earned the top seed and will take on the winner of Thursday's game between No. 9 seed UK and No. 8 seed Alabama.
 
Mississippi State men knock off South Carolina in overtime
As it claws its way to outside chance to reach the NCAA tournament, Mississippi State's men's basketball team is not one that can tolerate a bad day. Saturday had the looks of one in every way imaginable. Then Eli Wright entered the game. He took over the game for about eight possessions -- and didn't take a shot for the rest of the game. MSU didn't need him to; he had already started the fire MSU needed. Wright scored all eight of his points in between the 10- and six-minute marks of the second half -- all of them on layups or the free throw resulting from being fouled on said layup -- and gave MSU what it needed to overcome a brutal start. The spark was even good enough to survive a South Carolina game tying buzzer-beater and the ensuing overtime as MSU (21-8, 9-7 Southeastern Conference) beat the Gamecocks 72-68.
 
Bulldogs get gut-check win in overtime
With four seconds remaining in regulation, Mississippi State allowed South Carolina point guard Hassani Gravett to dribble down the court and bury a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to tie the game at 62. But a battered Bulldogs' team that had battled back from a 13-point deficit rose to the occasion once again during overtime to claim a 72-68 victory and a season sweep over the Gamecocks. "That was a gut-check win for us against a hard-nosed, really well coached team in South Carolina," said MSU coach Ben Howland. Saturday's victory was the third straight for MSU, who has now won seven of its last 10 to remain in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament with a 21-8 overall record and 9-7 mark in conference play.
 
Mississippi State's depth and defense help it beat South Carolina
There were Eli Wright's three straight and-ones that trimmed South Carolina's lead. There was Nick Weatherspoon's 3-pointer that gave Mississippi State its first lead since the opening minutes. There was Tyson Carter's 3-pointer to start overtime. There were Lamar Peters' five straight points after that. And then, there was Quinndary Weatherspoon's steal and two free throws with one minute left in overtime to seal the Bulldogs' win. Mississippi State doesn't beat South Carolina, 72-68, at Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday without its five guards -- it needed all of their respective performances. After a wild and physical game, Mississippi State (21-8, 9-7 SEC) kept its NCAA Tournament hopes alive in another game that exemplified its impressive defense, toughness and grit.
 
Mississippi State beats South Carolina 72-68 in OT
Lamar Peters had 19 points, including five in overtime, to lead Mississippi State past South Carolina 72-68 on Saturday. Tyson Carter and Quinndary Weatherspoon had 13 points apiece for Mississippi State (21-8, 9-7 SEC). Nick Weatherspoon also had 10 points for the Bulldogs before fouling out in the second half. Quinndary Weatherspoon hit two free throws with 6.8 seconds left in overtime to clinch the win for Mississippi State. Peters also had five assists and four steals. He was 6 of 16 from the field and was 5 of 6 at the free throw line.
 
MSU Notebook: Bulldogs wins first OT game with Ben Howland
Overtime has been kind to Mississippi State during its series against South Carolina. The Bulldogs improved to 4-0 all-time against the Gamecocks in overtime following Saturday's 72-68 victory. MSU improved to 61-52 overall in overtime games including 26-18 at Humphrey Coliseum. Ironically, Saturday was just the Bulldogs' first OT win with Ben Howland at the helm. Howland entered the weekend 0-3 in overtime including a loss at Missouri earlier this month.
 
Mississippi State guards lead way in tough win over South Carolina
Before this basketball season even began, Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland said he thought his backcourt was the strength of his team. Perhaps that group hasn't flexed its muscle any more all year long than it did on Saturday as MSU's guard play provided the punch the Bulldogs needed to win a heavyweight fight over South Carolina by a score of 72-68 in overtime at Humphrey Coliseum. "What a gut-check win for us against a very tough, hard-nosed, really well-coached team in South Carolina," Howland said. The victory continued to give Mississippi State (21-8, 9-7) hope of securing the school's first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 2009. There is still work to be done on that front, but on Saturday, in a physical, grinding affair, it was the performances of State's guards that kept the dream alive.
 
South Carolina's 'downfall all year' played big role in Mississippi State loss
South Carolina's relative hot streak came to an end Saturday with a 72-68 overtime loss to Mississippi State in Starkville. The Gamecocks, after consecutive wins over Auburn and Georgia, dropped to 15-14 overall and 6-10 in the SEC. Coach Frank Martin was quick to point out afterward how sloppy offense impacted the game's outcome. The Bulldogs scored 22 points off USC's season-high 21 turnovers, including a Lamar Peters steal and layup with 1:42 to go in regulation that put the Bulldogs up five. The play was one of Gravett's eight turnovers. That was the bad for the junior point guard. The good was carrying the scoring load for the Carolina backcourt. Carolina's defense is back up to No. 25 nationally in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings. The poor on-ball defending that showed up in the previous MSU matchup -- an 81-76 Bulldog win that included a combined 35 points from Nick and Q. Weatherspoon -- didn't fully travel to Starkville.
 
Joey Jones on coaching at Mississippi State: 'Chills running up and down my spine'
No, he hasn't mentioned to other coaches what happened the last time he was in Starkville. Though, they have mentioned it to him. The date was Sept. 3, 2016, and Joey Jones led his South Alabama Jaguars to a 21-20 win over Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium. It's the only win over a Power 5 conference in program history. "I'm standing on an SEC practice field," he said. "I have chills running up and down my spine right now because I feel like it is a dream come true. I played in the SEC, but never coached there." Jones is the third Bulldog assistant coach to join Joe Moorhead's staff. The Bulldogs added associate head coach and tight ends coach Mark Hudspeth and pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andrew Breiner.
 
Eagles player Fletcher Cox credits Mississippi roots for football career
Super Bowl champion Fletcher Cox says he credits his Mississippi upbringing and schooling for his successful football career. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle appeared Friday at the Mississippi Capitol, where he signed autographs, posed for photos and spoke to lawmakers. In a speech periodically interrupted by cheers, the 27-year-old told state House members that his football coaches at Yazoo City High School and Mississippi State University helped to pave his way toward an award-winning career. "The coaches at Mississippi State, those guys say, 'Hey, not only do we want you to be a great football player, but we want you to be a great young man,'" Cox said. "Things like that helped me throughout my career."



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