| Friday, March 2, 2018 |
| Memphis company to build $67M collegiate housing at Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State University will get a new housing development thanks to a Memphis-based company. EdR -- developer, owner and manager of collegiate housing -- announced Feb. 28 it has started the construction of a $67 million on-campus residential building at Mississippi State University as part of a private/public partnership with the school. The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning approved the exterior design plans for the "College View" development at its Feb. 15 meeting. According to the board book for the meeting, the expected completion date for the housing project is August 2019. |
| Abortion physician lecture at MSU stays civil | |
 | A controversial lecture at Mississippi State University went off mostly without a hitch Thursday night. Dr. Willie Parker, a physician who has provided abortion and other health services to women in Mississippi and other states, including at Mississippi's sole abortion clinic, presented a lecture titled "Abortion and the Christian Case for Choice." The MSU Gender Studies Program presented the lecture in recognition of Women's History Month. Parker's lecture was presented under heavy security, with all attendees passing through a metal detector on the way into the hall, and a strong MSU Police presence. The audience remained well-behaved throughout the lecture, with the exception of one attendee who shouted at Parker to "repent" before being escorted out of the hall. MSU President Mark Keenum also released a statement on both Parker and Bennett's lectures, acknowledging the controversy some speakers could cause and dispelling the notion of either lecture being funded with taxpayer dollars. |
| Multi-use development planned for Cotton District | |
 | A multi-use development is in the works for the Cotton District area in Starkville. The former gas station property directly across from Bulldog Burger Company, which was previously used as an extra parking lot for the restaurant, has been demolished to make way for a "huge multi-development facility" complete with apartments, retail space and a multi-story parking garage, according to city sources. Buddy Sanders, Starkville community development director, said the project manager is Jackson Wallace, who is the president and chief operations officer for Integrated Multifamily Services. Let's talk about chicken salad for a minute, because a Chicken Salad Chick will also be opening their doors in Starkville. Starkville resident and Cappe's Steak and Seafood Owner Eric Hallberg is partnering with Cameron and Diana Parker to bring the franchise to Starkville. Hallberg has not yet announced the location and opening date. |
| Effort to rewrite MAEP blocked by Senate | |
 | Legislation to rewrite the Mississippi Adequate Education Program school funding formula was killed Thursday when senators voted by a 27-21 margin to send the proposal back to the Education Committee. The surprising vote kills for this session one of the priorities of the legislative leadership. A disappointed Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves blamed the 19 Democrats in the Senate who all voted to kill the proposal, called the Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Act. But in reality, it was eight members of his Republican caucus who determined the fate of the legislation when they joined in the effort to recommit the bill. Northeast Mississippi senators voting to send the proposal back to committee were Chad McMahan, R-Tupelo; Nickey Browning, R-Pontotoc; Russell Jolly, D-Houston; J.P. Wilemon, D-Belmont; Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point. Gary Jackson, R-French Camp, did not vote. |
| Senate Republicans break ranks to kill historic school funding overhaul | |
 | Eight Republicans crossed the aisle Thursday to help kill a landmark overhaul of Mississippi's school funding formula on which GOP legislative leaders have worked for two years. After the vote, Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves blamed the press and a "block vote" by Democrats for the bill's failure. He only addressed the nearly one-quarter of his 33-member GOP caucus who helped kill it in passing. "You'll have to talk to them about how and why they chose to vote the way they did," Reeves said. Another four Republican senators were either absent or did not vote Thursday. The vote was 27-21 to recommit the bill. Republican Sen. Chad McMahan of Guntown said he voted to kill the bill because his constituents back home didn't support it. |
| Legislator wants state to pay for each member to have two personal staffers | |
| A House lawmaker has a million -- or more -- dollar idea. He wants the state to pay for each representative to have two personal staffers. Rep. Abe Hudson, D-Shelby, filed House Bill 373 to change House rules to allow for two personal staffers. The proposal would cost more than $1 million. If 120 of the members, not counting the speaker and president pro-tem, were to have one paid staffer member at a salary of $15,000, the cost would be $1.8 million. The amount would be double that for two staffers. Hudson's bill says these two employees shall serve as personal staff to the individual member and at the will and pleasure of the member. Hudson's bill was assigned to the House Rules Committee and the Appropriations Committee. Neither one has taken up the bill, and it appears likely that there will be no action on it. |
| 3rd District Congressional candidate: 'Let's focus on the rural' | |
 | Women gained the right to vote in August of 1920 but, nearly 100 years later, Mississippi has yet to elect a woman to Congress. A 36-year-old Magee native wants to change that. Morgan Dunn and her husband, Chris, have deep roots in Magee, just southeast of Jackson. Having grown up and raising three children in rural Mississippi, Dunn said she wants to run for the open Third Congressional District in Mississippi and focus on issues affecting rural communities. "Seventy-five percent of the United States is rural but only 20-to-25 percent of the United States live in the rural areas," Dunn said in an interview with The Star. "If someone doesn't pay attention, we'll get left behind." The seat, which will be vacant after another Republican, current representative Gregg Harper, retires, has eight different contenders. |
| State Rep. Michael Evans joins crowded race for U.S. House | |
| Democratic State Rep. Michael T. Evans of Preston has qualified to run for the 3rd District U.S. House seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Gregg Harper. Evans, a poultry farmer and retired firefighter, has served in the state House since 2012, representing parts of Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba and Winston counties. He is known for fiery, humorous and colloquial floor and stump speeches. "I've got 10 minutes I've got to kill up here, and we didn't do 10 minutes worth of work in the Legislature this year worth telling you about," Evans said in a 2016 Neshoba County Fair stump speech that had folks in stitches. Evans in a statement on Thursday said he "stands with those who value Second Amendment rights and the sanctity of human life." He said if elected, he would make Mississippi's deteriorating roads and other infrastructure a priority in Washington. |
| Sherman on Senate run: Sela (Ward) and Mississippi have given me a home | |
| Howard Sherman of Meridian, husband of Emmy-winning actress Sela Ward, issued his first statements about his surprise run for U.S. Senate on Thursday. Sherman, with no formal announcement on Wednesday, filed to run as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Roger Wicker. Sherman will face Democratic state Rep. David Baria of Bay St. Louis in a June 5 primary and at least one other little-known candidate, Jensen Bohren. Sherman, a venture capitalist and philanthropist, in a statement said he and Ward and their two children have enjoyed their farm near Meridian for more than 25 years. "Sela and Mississippi have given me a home, so I'm excited to apply my experience and what I've learned in the private sector to impact the state's 'kitchen table' issues," Sherman said. "We should have better healthcare. There should be more jobs. Our kids should have reasons to stay here after finishing their schooling, and there needs to be greater opportunity for all." |
| Farm Republicans revolt against Trump's steel 'tax' | |
 | Another White House surprise, another Republican revolt. GOP lawmakers from farming states sharply warned President Donald Trump Thursday that his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will cost Americans consumers -- and could be devastating for him at the polls. Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, the Republican chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, struggled to find words to describe his emotions after being blindsided by Thursday's news that Trump would impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports that sent stocks spiraling amid fears of a trade war. "These are the people who voted for the president," Roberts said. "These are his people. One county in Kansas even voted for him 90 percent and they're not going to be happy at all about this." |
| Alumni share their UM experiences ahead of Black Alumni Reunion weekend | |
 | The 2018 Black Alumni Reunion at the University of Mississippi kicked off a four-day weekend yesterday with a wide range of activities including an alumni and student networking panel and a standup comedy show, underscoring this year's expanded programming. The Black Alumni Reunion, which takes place every three years, draws as many as 800 attendees from across the country and is deliberately designed to feel less like a conference and "more like a family reunion," according to class of 2017 graduate Kalah Walker. "As a current San Francisco resident, being in Mississippi will bring up some interesting memories and perspectives, many of which I am thankful that I no longer have to deal with," Walker said. "Being a black woman in Oxford, Mississippi, wasn't the most comfortable adventure, but I was well-supported by my peers while I was there." Given the university's tense history, being black at Ole Miss came with its own set of difficulties for some. |
| Southern Miss needs Hattiesburg's help with coliseum upgrades | |
 | University of Southern Mississippi officials will be meeting with Hattiesburg City Council members in the coming days to discuss a Southern Miss appeal to have the city of Hattiesburg contribute financially to upgrades at Reed Green Coliseum. President Rodney Bennett made the request at a special-called City Council meeting Thursday. "The University of Southern Mississippi needs your help," he said. "I am here to ask the city to help the university with much needed improvements to Reed Green Coliseum. "I am here asking for your help because, quite frankly, we do not have any other options for assistance." The coliseum opened in December 1965 and has had no significant improvements since then. Recently, the university added video boards and painted the interior bowl, but in its 52 years, upgrades have been few. |
| Cuban diplomat makes historic visit to USM | |
 | A high-ranking Cuban government official made a trip to the University of Southern Mississippi Thursday. Miguel Fraga, first secretary of the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C., spoke to students at the College of Arts and Letters. It was the first visit by a Cuban diplomat to USM since the U.S. resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba three years ago. Fraga made the case for stronger relations and called for an end to the 50-year-old economic embargo against Cuba. "We really believe that relations with goodwill and respect is what the majority of both countries want," Fraga said. "Unfortunately for the last 60 years, we did not have the opportunity to sit down, to talk and we need to do it." |
| How do colleges help Pine Belt students choose a major | |
| Brooklyn Mills is happily ensconced at the University of Southern Mississippi in a master's program in educational research and assessment, but it wasn't too long ago she never thought she'd get there. As an undergrad, she changed her major three times. Mills started out in psychology with the goal of getting into an occupational therapy program. (Mills' family wanted her go into a medical field.) But then she failed a science prerequisite. "It crashed around me," she said. "It was a failure. So I changed my major to special education, but I didn't fit in there very well." Choosing a major is hard, and at most schools, students have to make a decision almost as soon as they enter -- when they're as young as 18. At Southern Miss, there are more than 140 undergraduate majors to choose from. Mistakes can get made. But universities and colleges in the Pine Belt do as much as possible to help students make the right choice. Career and major fairs, one-on-one advisement and personality assessments are just some of the ways schools try to help students choose the major that will work for their future. |
| Prepare for record crowds at Black Spring Break 2018; and no, the name is not changing | |
 | It's supposed to be a "three-day event on the grounds of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center," but it's more than that. Way more than that. It is Black Spring Break, and in 2017 it brought about 60,000 to 70,000 visitors to the Coast, creating traffic jams for miles and miles and sold-out hotel rooms as far west as Slidell. With a concert that includes A-listers like Lil' Wayne, 2Chainz and Rick Ross, festival organizers predict it's going to be bigger than ever, possibly attracting people in the range of six digits. If that's the case, what's going to be different about Black Spring Break 2018? And no, the event's promoters are not changing the name. |
| Auburn's Tiger Giving Day donations provide full funding for 23 of 31 projects | |
 | Auburn University's recent 24-hour, online fundraising event, known as Tiger Giving Day, attracted more than 2,400 Auburn University alumni and friends, whose giving benefited the 31 projects featured. Of these projects, 23 were fully funded, some by as much as 310 percent. The remaining projects all achieved at least 50 percent of their goal. All projects can be viewed at www.TigerGiving.org. One of the unique projects featured was the planned Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center's effort to purchase a custom, Auburn-themed Steinway piano. Donors who gave more than $50 were given the opportunity to "Sign the Steinway"---the chance to use a blue or orange pen to permanently sign their name on the piano. |
| U. of Tennessee president promises another year of low tuition increases | |
 | University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro, during his annual State of the University address in Nashville Wednesday, promised another year of record-low tuition increases in 2018. "In 2017, we marked the third straight year of holding a tuition increase at or below 3 percent," DiPietro said, speaking from the Nashville Public Library. "That had never happened before since the UT System was established in 1968. In 2018, we will do it again." Last year's tuition increase of just under two percent was made possible through savings in recurring funds, a good year of state funding and growing enrollment. UT plans to build on that work in the coming year, DiPietro said in his roughly 20-minute address. DiPietro also spoke about system-wide research and UT's role in helping solve the opioid crisis. |
| Vanderbilt's Nicholas Zeppos increasingly propels his voice into national issues | |
 | A decade into his time as chancellor at Vanderbilt University, Nicholas Zeppos has become the voice of a campus in flux. In the last year and a half, Zeppos hasn't shied away from taking public stances on some of the most controversial topics facing the country. He's issued bold support for immigrants, opposed tax law changes and encouraged students in their protest of school shootings. That marks a significant change for Zeppos, who has sometimes sought a middle road. But with 10 years under his belt as the top leader of the university -- he was appointed March 1, 2008 after years as the chief academic officer -- Zeppos said he finds himself in a place where he must preserve what Vanderbilt has built. |
| U. of Missouri balances budget cuts, emergency preparation with spotlight on campus safety | |
 | The Feb. 14 massacre at a Florida high school reignited the national debate on how schools can better prepare for threats to campus safety. At many colleges and universities, a dedicated head of emergency management is responsible for planning how to handle campus crises. There used to be one at the University of Missouri. Now, emergency planning is shared by two people who already have other duties. Members of the Campus Safety Committee say that goes against best practices. But MU administration and campus police say they are prepared to protect the more than 40,000 faculty, staff and students even without a full-time emergency management coordinator."A large campus like this with so many people, with so much real estate and so many different things going on, it seems to me that thinking about emergency and safety planning is a full-time job," said Brian Houston, chair of the Campus Safety Committee. "The duties of emergency preparations have not been compromised," MU spokesman Christian Basi said. |
| Duke University blocks students from picking their roommates freshman year | |
 | Duke University has removed from students what has become one of the most significant aspects of matriculation at many colleges: picking a first-year roommate Beginning with the Class of 2022, the roommate-selection process will be entirely governed by the university, with assignments largely made at random -- a shift, officials said, meant to stem the recent movement of students self-selecting peers with similar perspectives and backgrounds to their own, fueled by social media connections made before arriving on campus. While many students and higher education professionals applaud the Duke decision, others fear that forcing two people of particularly dissonant backgrounds -- a gay student or a student of color paired with one who holds bigoted views, for instance -- could lead to fear, but not much meaningful interaction. |
SPORTS
| Unbeaten Bulldogs hungry for another SEC title | |
| No. 2 Mississippi State has already achieved a lot this year, going 30-0 and winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship. But that's not enough. Now MSU turns its focus toward winning another title at the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. "We're focused but at the same time we're still hungry because we haven't achieved our overall goal yet," said MSU guard Roshunda Johnson. After receiving a double bye as the tournament's top seed, the Bulldogs will meet No. 9 seed Kentucky at noon today on the SEC Network. The Wildcats won 71-64 over Alabama on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals. |
| All-too-familiar foe stands in way of Kentucky keeping postseason streak alive | |
 | The scouting report is likely so fresh that Kentucky won't even have to go over it in much detail. That's the only good news for UK as it prepares to face unbeaten and second-ranked Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Kentucky, which topped Alabama in the second round at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday, will meet the league champion Bulldogs for the third time in 19 days when they face off on Friday. Mississippi State, with 6-foot-7 center Teaira McCowan, hasn't had much trouble ousting Kentucky in the two previous meetings, including an 85-63 win in Lexington on Sunday and a 74-55 home win on Feb. 11. A third straight loss to the Bulldogs would snap a Kentucky streak of eight straight appearances in the SEC Tournament semifinals. It also will end the school's run of eight straight NCAA Tournament trips. |
| Mississippi State players analyze Teaira McCowan's top blocks | |
| When asked in January about one of her jaw-dropping blocks against Ole Miss, Teaira McCowan shrugged and said, "I didn't realize how hard I had hit it until it flew off my hand. So, I just impressed myself." Can you blame her? That specific block was probably her best, but McCowan's shot-swatting ability in general is typically captivating and absolutely fun -- even her teammates are awestruck. Mississippi State's first-team All-SEC center has mastered the art of blocking a shot this season. Wait, no. She has actually transformed the play into an art. It's not just the block. It's the reaction from Mississippi State's bench. It's the idea that the opposing player actually thought she was going to convert the layup. And it's McCowan's facial expression -- sometimes there is no expression, sometimes there's shock and sometimes she makes a quick cutthroat gesture. |
| What to do in Nashville for SEC tourney | |
| The Mississippi State University Women's Basketball team will compete in the SEC Women's Tournament this weekend at Bridgestone Area in downtown Nashville, which offers a plethora of activities for fans making the trek to cheer on the Bulldogs. Visit Music City Sales Coordinator Mary Rowe said Bulldog fans traveling to Nashville for the tournament should base their trip around the downtown and Broadway area of Nashville. "Bridgestone Arena is right there on Broadway, which is the main downtown strip in Nashville," Rowe said. "There are tons of restaurants and hotels in that area, and anything downtown would be walking distance from the Bridgestone Arena." Aside from the tournament, Rowe suggested visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame, touring RCA Studio B, listening to songwriters perform at The Bluebird Cafe and The Listening Room Cafe, viewing the multiple art galleries in Nashville, attending a show at the historic Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry, or visiting the homes of past-presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson. |
| Vic Schaefer makes championship prediction come true | |
| The Dispatch's Adam Minichino writes: "Vic Schaefer talked about winning championship when he arrived in Starkville in 2012. There weren't many, though, who believed the former Texas A&M associate head coach when he said with confidence titles could be won at Mississippi State. Those dreams turned into reality last month when MSU completed a 16-0 run through the Southeastern Conference to win the program's first regular-season title. ... MSU's first SEC champion has intensified the talk about championships. Does MSU have the depth to withstand the rigors of three games in three days to win a SEC tournament title? Can MSU then win six more games to win a national title? Does MSU have the same magic to beat Connecticut again? The answer is a resounding yes." |
| Mississippi State heads to Houston for Shriner's College Classic | |
| No. 21 Mississippi State has struggled so far along its 12-game road trek to start the season. The Bulldogs are 3-5 entering the final leg of the trip, which takes them to Houston's Minute Maid Park to participate in the Shriner's College Classic. MSU takes on Louisiana-Lafayette tonight at 7, No. 24 Houston Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sam Houston State on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Ragin' Cajuns come into the weekend at 3-5 while the Cougars are 5-2 and the Bearkats are 6-2. No. 7 Kentucky and No. 12 Vanderbilt are also playing at the event. |
| Bulldogs need frontcourt help to win at LSU | |
| Aric Holman's junior year has seen him develop into one of the Southeastern Conference's most productive forwards. Through Tuesday he was the conference's 11th-best rebounder (6.5 per game), ninth-best shot blocker (1.5 per game) and was just outside the top 20 in scoring after 44 points in his first four February games. Flanked by an improving freshman forward Abdul Ado, it was enough of frontcourt presence for MSU to best use its deep corps of guards. Mississippi State desperately needs that back. That same frontcourt has performed well below average in MSU's last two games, an overtime win over South Carolina and a 22-point home loss to Tennessee. MSU (21-9, 9-8 SEC) will need more at noon Saturday (SEC Network) at LSU (16-13, 7-10 SEC). The need is most notable in scoring. |
| Q&A: Mississippi State's Joe Moorhead on establishing a championship culture | |
| New Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead began developing his coaching style from the lessons he learned while growing up in Pittsburgh. Moorhead, 44, grew up watching his parents make concessions so that he and his brother and sister could become the first-generation in their family to go to college. His father sometimes forced to work two or three jobs in order to make it a reality. "He and my mom both made a lot of sacrifices to make sure that that took place," he said recently. It was there among his parents in that blue-collared town where Moorhead developed the qualities he believed would make him a good football coach: discipline, accountability, attention to detail and selflessness. As Mississippi State prepares to kick off spring practice, the Sentinel caught up with Moorhead to get his thoughts on the job and what he expects from his team. |
| Baker, Buckley happy they're staying at Mississippi State | |
| After coaching a defensive line that featured All-Southeastern Conference selections Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat, Brian Baker had every reason to want to return as Mississippi State's defensive line coach. There was no guarantee that privilege would come after Joe Moorhead replaced Dan Mullen as the head coach of MSU's football team. On Wednesday, the introduction of MSU's new defensive coordinator and safeties coach Bob Shoop, linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, and special teams coordinator Joey Jones doubled as a re-introduction of two men Moorhead retained from the previous staff: defensive line coach Brian Baker and cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley. |
| LSU football staff pay cracks $6 million mark | |
 | LSU has joined the $6 million club. The school is paying its assistant football coaches $6.405 million, joining at least three other programs in cracking the $6 million mark: Ohio State ($7.06M), Clemson ($6.585M) and Georgia ($6.42M). The school's new staff pay figure was acquired from contract information for the last assistant hired, safeties coach Bill Busch. Busch is making $375,000 in salary as part of a two-year contract he signed last month, according to a copy of the deal. The Advocate obtained the contract Thursday through a public records request. LSU's total assistant pay was $5.915 million last year, second behind Alabama's $5.995 million. The Crimson Tide's 2018 staff cumulative pay figure is not yet known. Coach Ed Orgeron makes $3.5 million yearly, pushing the total pay figure to $9.905 million. |
| LSU to begin renovating football operations building in early summer | |
 | LSU football coach Ed Orgeron and staff will go old school early this summer when year-long renovations begin on the Tigers' football operations building. Until the project is finished in time for the 2019 season, football operations will be housed on the third floor of Tiger Stadium in the new South Stadium. The football operations building originally opened in 2005 after the coaching offices were located for decades on the ground floor in the north end of Tiger Stadium. Though the indoor practice field and weight room will still be available for use, the renovations will drastically update nearly every area of the facility and add 25,000 square feet. Some of the updates include a new nutritional facility for all student-athletes, a new lobby entrance to include LSU Football Hall of Fame and new LSU Experience Room that will offer an immersive experience into LSU football. |
| Tennessee paying Jeremy Pruitt's strength staff $250K more than Butch Jones' | |
| Tennessee didn't pinch pennies when it came to funding Jeremy Pruitt's strength staff. The Vols have $905,000 dedicated in salaries to the football team's strength coach personnel. "The person besides the coaches that has the most contact with our student-athletes on a day-to-day basis is the strength and conditioning coach and the staff," Vols athletic director Phillip Fulmer said in an interview with USA TODAY Network-Tennessee. "That's huge in what we're doing in any program." Craig Fitzgerald, the team's director of strength and conditioning, is making $625,000 annually. He's working under a three-year contract. Fitzgerald left the same position on the Houston Texans' staff to join Pruitt's staff. He has been the strength coach for Penn State, South Carolina and Harvard. Fitzgerald's salary will put him in small company. In 2017, Iowa's Chris Doyle was the only strength coach who earned more than $600,000, according to USA TODAY's salary database. |
| One main reason for drop in Kentucky basketball attendance | |
| Attendance for the University of Kentucky's 18 men's home basketball games in 2017-18 averaged 21,875. Barring a monstrous turnout for Syracuse's home finale with Clemson, that will almost certainly lead the nation. Yet Kentucky's average home attendance is down 1,586 a game from last season. The current year ranks third on the list of least-attended home seasons since UK began playing in Rupp Arena in 1976-77. In an era of big-screen, high-definition televisions, willingness to pay high prices to come sit on uncomfortable bleachers in the upper deck of Rupp Arena has lessened. With myriad entertainment options available to college students that didn't exist even five years ago, the Rupp student sections were sometimes sparsely filled. But the numbers suggest that when the games were played -- what days and what time -- is the main culprit that explains the decline in UK attendance this season. |
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