| Wednesday, March 7, 2018 |
| Reflecting On The Career Of Mississippi's Champion, Senator Thad Cochran | |
 | Political leaders and colleagues, past and present, are reflecting on Senator Thad Cochran's long career in national politics. The senior senator on Monday, announced his plans to resign from the Senate. Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum started working with Senator Thad Cochran in the late 80's, on a two-year assignment to help him with a farm bill. "That two years became 18 years and then from there, I served him over a decade as his chief of staff. He taught me a lot about how to conduct myself as a human being." The two are still very close. "He is someone that personifies high integrity. He's someone in his entire career that has always worked, I think, very hard in serving his constituents and he's just someone who has respect for everybody." |
| $7 million transportation grant announced for Mississippi State | |
 | U.S. Senator Thad Cochran on Tuesday announced a $7 million federal transportation grant for Mississippi State University to develop an approximately two-mile multimodal corridor on Hightower Road. The 2017 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Mississippi State proposed this multimodal project to help alleviate gridlock and improve safety for students, faculty, visitors and Starkville residents," Cochran said. Congress annually appropriates funding for TIGER grants, which are awarded on a competitive and matching fund basis, and are directed toward projects that are expected to have a significant economic impact. Since 2009, Mississippi has received nearly $100 million in TIGER funds. |
| Senator Cochran announces $7-million grant for Mississippi State | |
 | U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, announces Mississippi State University to receive $7-Million TIGER Grant. The Federal Transportation grant will be used to develop a nearly two-mile multimodal corridor on Hightower Road. The 2017 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The discretionary grant will allow Mississippi State to develop Hightower Road Corridor Project, a north-south passage that incorporates sidewalks, bike lanes, transit shelters, traffic signal improvements, and street lighting on the eastern perimeter of the university campus. |
| $7 million in federal money to be given for Mississippi State road project | |
 | The federal government is providing a $7 million grant for a road project at Mississippi State University. It's for work on a two-mile project on Hightower Road. MSU can use the money for sidewalks, bike lanes, transit shelters, traffic signal improvements and street lighting on that road on the east side of campus. The funding is from the U.S. Department of Transportation. |
| Mississippi State Starts Construction On Campus Mixed-Use Development | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) began construction on a mixed-use university village on Feb. 28. A groundbreaking for the project is expected to take place this spring. Memphis, Tenn.-based Education and Realty Trust (EdR) -- a collegiate housing management and development firm -- has partnered with MSU on the project. The official decision and announcement was made on Feb. 15 when the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning made the decision and public announcement to move forward on the project. The multi-use development will be dubbed, "College View." McCarty Architects of Tupelo, Miss., and Hanbury Architects of Norfolk, Va., have been chosen for the project, with Montgomery Martin Contractors of Memphis, Tenn., serving as the general contractor. The commencement of construction came after an extensive feasibility study was conducted by MSU and EdR. |
| USPOULTRY Foundation student recruiting grant awarded to Mississippi State | |
| A $22,816 student recruiting grant has been awarded to Mississippi State University from the US Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY Foundation). The grant will be used to recruit students interested in the poultry industry and was made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Sanderson Farms. The cheque was presented by Pic Billingsley, director of development and engineering for Sanderson Farms and a member of the USPOULTRY board of directors, to Dr Mary Beck, professor and head of the Poultry Science Department. Joining in the presentation was John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY. "We need bright young people who will become the managers and leaders of the poultry and egg industry of tomorrow," said Billingsley. "They are our future, and there are many opportunities for them throughout all phases of our industry. We are pleased to support student recruiting at colleges and universities through the Foundation." |
| MSU-Meridian students find Russian pen pals | |
 | Some local college students are making friends across the world. The Exploring Diversity Class at MSU-Meridian took part in a pen pal project, where they wrote letters to Russian students who are learning English. The students sent out the letters earlier this year, and Tuesday they got to check out their responses from their new pen pals. The goal of this project was to connect the students and educate them about the cultural differences they may have. "One of the conclusions was kids are kids everywhere, and they were able to find a lot of similarities in the things that the Russian kids like. Movies, the food, out of school activities and things like that," explained Dr. Ksenia Zhbanova, a professor at MSU-Meridian. |
| Starkville OKs Pride parade, reversing decision | |
 | The second time was the charm for Starkville Pride's request to hold a Pride parade later this month. Mayor Lynn Spruill broke a 3-3 tie, after Ward 3 Alderman David Little abstained, to rescind a Feb. 20 vote that denied the grassroots lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) support group's parade request. Starkville Pride had requested to hold a Pride parade downtown on March 24. Save for Little's abstention, the vote fell along the same lines as before, with Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk, Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker and Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller voting to rescind the Feb. 20 decision. Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn voted against the measure. Bailey McDaniel, an organizer for Starkville Pride, said she was "shocked" by Little's decision to abstain and excited that Starkville Pride will be able to move forward with its parade. |
| Starkville approves Pride Parade, reversing earlier vote | |
| The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to allow the city's first gay pride parade, a stunning reversal of its vote to block the parade two weeks ago. None of the aldermen changed their vote, technically speaking. Ward 3 Alderman David Little abstained, allowing Mayor Lynn Spruill, who has been a vocal advocate of the pride parade, to break a 3-3 tie and cast the deciding vote. "I feel like I've had a lot more time in the last few weeks to ponder this," Little said. "...I believe the city of Starkville's interests are best served by moving forward beyond this and pressing forward on other positive matters facing our community. That being said, while I maintain my principal decision I abstain on my vote." Although Spruill remained impassive for much of the debate Tuesday, after casting her tie-breaking vote, she cracked the slightest smile. |
| Aldermen OK request for city's first LGBTQ pride parade | |
 | In a packed City Hall with standing room only, the Starkville Board of Aldermen on Tuesday night approved a special event request for the city's first gay pride parade. The city approved a motion from Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk to rescind the previous denial and approve the 2018 Pride Parade with in-kind services to be held on March 24 without sponsorship of the city of Starkville. Sistrunk said Starkville Pride's application for a special event request was an attempt to be consistent with how the city treats groups of people, and to not treat this application any differently. She said the board wasn't mindful of this event being something new for the city, which came as a "growing pain" for its residents. "I do think the last two weeks have given us time to consider several different things related to this application," Sistrunk said. "I think we are now in a position where we can make a more measured and reasoned vote tonight." |
| Mississippi town OKs gay pride parade after first saying no | |
 | Leaders of a Mississippi college town voted Tuesday to permit a gay pride parade, reversing a previous denial and moving to defuse a lawsuit alleging discrimination and free speech violations. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill broke a 3-3 tie to allow the parade to go forward, after an alderman who previously had opposed the parade abstained, saying the city needed to move past the dispute. Aldermen had voted 4-3 to reject the application last month. The parade will be held March 24. Starkville has a recent history of public contention over lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. In 2015, aldermen repealed a resolution that made Starkville the first city in Mississippi to denounce discrimination based on sexual orientation. The same day, aldermen also repealed a city health insurance policy that allowed employees to insure same-sex partners. Gay marriage was legalized later that year nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| Starkville Mayor breaks 3-3 tie vote to approve Pride Parade | |
 | The second time proved to be the charm for the LGBTQ Mississippi community organization Starkville Pride. After being denied permission to hold the first ever Pride Parade in Starkville, the organization got the go-ahead to put on the parade in the city during Tuesday's Board of Alderman's meeting. The alderman voted 3-3 to approve the Pride Parade, with Ward 3 Alderman David Little electing to abstain from the vote. The tie was broken by Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill's vote in favor of the event. "Proud to be in Starkville," Starkville Pride Director and Founder Bailey McDaniel told the Clarion Ledger. "I'm just glad to be a 22-year-old again. I think this is a really good learning experience and this sets a precedent for activists in younger generations. I've been fighting for four years and the culmination of that was in that vote." |
| Starkville Police Department hopes to expand force | |
| Starkville Police Chief Frank Nichols wants a larger police force. That's the message he gave the Starkville Rotary Club at its weekly meeting Monday during a "state of the police department" address. Nichols, who has worked for Starkville Police Department since 1992 and was appointed chief in 2014, said the growth of Mississippi State University and the greater Starkville area, along with talk of annexation, means more work for his department. "Starkville's getting bigger, and so is the university," he said. "So with that being said, the police department has to get bigger too." He added that, like other police departments around the state, SPD has trouble recruiting and especially retaining younger officers, who move from department to department. |
| Oktibbeha supervisors seeking new board attorney | |
| The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors is officially seeking applicants for its empty board attorney post. Supervisors authorized advertising for the position at Monday's meeting, which was its first since the passing of Jack Brown. Brown, 72, had served as the board's attorney since 2000. He died Feb. 24. The county will accept applications until the end of business on March 16,and hold interviews at 9 a.m. March 19. The decision came at the end of Monday's board meeting, on a 3-0 vote with District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery, District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard and District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams voting in favor. Board President Orlando Trainer and District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller were absent from Monday's meeting to attend a conference elsewhere. |
| Currie's bill would set nation's earliest abortion limitations | |
 | A Mississippi lawmaker who wrote a bill that would set the earliest abortion ban in the country is feeling victorious. Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, said the House would concur with small changes the Senate made Tuesday to House Bill 1510, the Gestational Age Act, which prohibits abortions 15 weeks after a pregnant woman's last menstrual period. Senators voted 35-14 Tuesday to pass the bill, making small changes that lessen penalties for performing abortions. "They changed a little bit of the language, took out some of the penalties. It's still going to be against the law," Currie said. "We'll take their version in order for it to continue to live, we don't want it to die." Gov. Phil Bryant is indicating he will sign the bill if the House concurs on the Senate's changes. |
| Senate passes most restrictive abortion bill in the country | |
| The Senate passed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, meaning Mississippi is almost one signature away from having the most restrictive abortion law in the country. That signature belongs to Gov. Phil Bryant, who has consistently expressed interest in tightening Mississippi's abortion laws. After Tuesday's 35-14 vote for House Bill 1520 in the Senate, Bryant said he looked forward to signing the bill should it meet approval in the House of Representatives, where it's currently headed for concurrence. "As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child. House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal, and I look forward to signing it if and when the House concurs," Bryant said. Currently, no state in the country restricts abortion earlier than 20 weeks gestation. A precedent-setting piece of legislation such as House Bill 1510 likely faces a stiff legal challenge. |
| Mississippi governor says he supports 15-week abortion ban | |
| Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is indicating he will sign a bill that would set the earliest abortion ban in the United States. Senators voted 35-14 Tuesday to pass House Bill 1510 . If the House agrees with changes made by the Senate, the bill would go to the Republican governor. "As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child," Bryant said Tuesday on Twitter. "House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal." Sen. Deborah Dawkins, a Democrat from Pass Christian, pointed to science, calling abortion a medical procedure, "that's it." "To me, it's a medical issue not to be interfered with by the Legislature," Dawkins said. |
| Mississippi Senate passes nation's most restrictive abortion ban | |
| After a heated floor debate, the Senate on Tuesday passed a bill 35-14 to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, bringing the state one step closer to enacting the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Mississippi's only abortion clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, performs abortions up to 16 weeks. Clinic owner Diane Derzis said if the bill is signed --- and "(Gov.) Phil Bryant has never seen an abortion bill he didn't like" -- her clinic will be forced to turn away women who seek abortions after 15 weeks and refer them out of state. "I'm not surprised," Derzis said after the Senate vote. "We will be planning to sue." Derzis said the bill is unconstitutional, considering the 1973 landmark U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which affirmed a woman's right to abortion, and also the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, which found states could not place an "undue burden" on women seeking abortions. |
| Stacey Pickering: Glaring accounting problems could cost Mississippi taxpayers | |
| State Auditor Stacey Pickering said Mississippi government has some glaring, systemic accounting problems it must address to protect taxpayers from fraud and abuse and keep the state's credit rating healthy. Pickering released the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the state for fiscal 2017. He said the report is a couple of months late because of problems with state agency accounting. He said $21 billion in corrections was required to balance the books from problems the audit found. A major issue, Pickering said: "We implemented a government-wide accounting system without spending a dime on training ... It's only a matter of time before we reach a critical mass of affecting our financial health and welfare." |
| AG Jim Hood wants restitution for child pornography victims | |
 | Attorney General Jim Hood joined 54 attorneys general in calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to quickly pass the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2017 (S.2152), which would establish guidelines for restitution and ensure that victims receive timely and meaningful restitution. Currently, a child pornography victim must pursue every case in which a defendant was found to possess that child's image in order to receive restitution. Digital images of each child victim are trafficked worldwide, and there may be thousands of defendants found to possess each victim's images. Further, victims may only receive a small amount of restitution in each case. |
| Mississippi is new headache for GOP in the South | |
 | Sen. Thad Cochran's (R-Miss.) impending retirement has opened a new path for Tea Party firebrand Chris McDaniel to reach the Senate --- a prospect that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) desperately wants to avoid. McConnell and other Republican leaders are worried about a reprise of last year's electoral debacle in Alabama, when another conservative insurgent, Roy Moore, capitalized on voters' discontent with the Washington establishment to win the Republican primary, only to lose a Senate seat the GOP was expected to keep. McConnell favored Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) appointing himself to fill the vacancy created by Cochran's retirement, but that hope crumbled Tuesday when Bryant ruled it out. Republican lawmakers worry that anti-establishment conservatives could seize on antipathy toward McConnell in particular and Congress in general to gain political momentum and open the door for Democrats in runoff and general elections. |
| Shelby Expected to Assume Appropriations Panel at Prime Time | |
 | Sen. Richard C. Shelby, the expected next chairman of the Appropriations Committee, will slide into the role with much of the grunt work already done. With a slimmed-down legislative agenda, no major policy initiatives on the horizon and spending levels for fiscal 2019 already agreed to, the timing is good to focus on the elusive goal of clearing the 12 yearly appropriations bills. The Alabama Republican is also expected to take control of the subcommittee that oversees funding for the Pentagon, a coveted spot that has a heightened profile given the substantial increase in military funding available over the next two years. In most ways, it's a win-win for the 83-year-old senator. But despite the smooth landing, the pressure on Shelby will be immediate. The Appropriations panel will have just six months to wrap up work on the spending measures before the start of fiscal 2019. |
| Area manufacturers weigh in on tariffs | |
| Bryan Hawkins has no qualms with President Donald Trump's plans to levy across-the-board tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Hawkins is the founder and CEO of Hawkeye Industries, which was founded in Tupelo in 1995. Hawkins called Trump's tariff plan a measured approach that will strengthen the U.S. steel and aluminum industry. Two large manufacturers with a big presence in Northeast Mississippi said through company spokespersons that they were opposed to the tariffs. Cooper Tire, which employs some 1,600 people at its Tupelo manufacturing plant, said the tariffs would make manufacturers less competitive. Toyota Mississippi, which employs more than 1,500 at its manufacturing plant in Blue Springs, said it buys the majority of its steel and aluminum in the U.S. But it opposes the tariffs as well. |
| McConnell pans Trump tariff plan that could lead to retailation against bourbon | |
 | Back off the bourbon. And stop trying to annoy Mitch McConnell. That's the message from two powerful Kentucky interests --- distillers and McConnell, the Senate's most powerful leader. Slapping new taxes on bourbon and other products is the European Union's way of threatening official Washington should the White House go forward with its plan to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel. McConnell is not only Senate majority leader but also the senior senator from Kentucky, a state known for its fabled bourbon distilleries. McConnell left no doubt -- and issued a veiled warning -- Tuesday to the White House, that he sides with those in his party who fear Trump's action could spark a global skirmish. |
| Ole Miss celebrates Women's History Month, including keynote address from #MeToo movement creator | |
 | The university is hosting panels, speakers, a leadership retreat and more to celebrate Women's History Month to honor and explore the role of women throughout history. "It's always useful to have at least a month to focus and say, 'Hey, what's happening with women's contribution to culture and history?" said Jaime Harker, director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies. "For us, it's really just a great opportunity to remind people that (women's history), just like black history, is not just one month but all year." "What you're witnessing right now are a bunch of social movements that are unfolding where people are finding their voices and they are finding their voices through the bravery of (Tarana) Burke," said Theresa Starkey, associate director of the Isom Center. This year's keynote address will be delivered by Burke, who created the #MeToo movement. |
| Here's How To Prevent The Next School Shooting, Experts Say | |
 | After Parkland, there have been many calls to make schools a "harder target" -- for example, by arming teachers. But there's a decent amount of research out there on what actually makes schools safer, and most of it doesn't point to more guns. Their topline message: Don't harden schools. Make them softer, by improving social and emotional health. "If we're really talking about prevention, my perspective is that we should go for the public health approach," says Ron Avi Astor at the University of Southern California, who also helped draft the plan. A public health approach to disease means, instead of waiting for people to be rushed to emergency rooms with heart attacks or the flu, you go into the community.Instead of waiting for people to, again, be rushed into emergency rooms, you go into the community with preventive resources. You do your best to lower the background levels of bullying and discrimination. You track the data and perform what is called "threat assessments" on potential risks. |
| The CDC Can't Fund Gun Research. What if that Changed? | |
 | America doesn't have good data on guns. Blame the Dickey amendment. First introduced in 1996, the legislation didn't ban gun investigations explicitly (it forbade the use of federal dollars in the advocacy or promotion of gun control), but Congress that year also cut the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by the exact amount it had previously devoted to firearm research. It's had a chilling effect on the field ever since. (While some states and private foundations are conducting peer reviewed studies on gun violence, the federal government has been AWOL.) That means policymakers in Washington have little information about what causes gun violence, how it can be prevented or reduced, and who is most at risk. But that could change. |
| Auburn University vet clinic performs record surgery on tiny pup from Seattle | |
 | When Jennifer Glover's puppy, Luna, was diagnosed with a heart condition on her nine-week birthday, the Seattle resident was referred to surgeons and cardiologists at the best clinic in town. It just happened to be a town on the other side of the country. "Seattle has millions of people, so you'd think that they have a lot of experience," Glover said. "But when I met with the surgeon, even though he was the most experienced surgeon in the area, he had never laid his hands on a puppy even twice the size of Luna. "He wanted to put off the surgery until she got a little bit bigger. But that brought risks, because the longer we waited, the more complications that she could have." Left untreated, most dogs that have PDA will die within one or two years from congestive heart failure, Glover explained. Doctors at Auburn's vet school perform PDA surgery on three or four different animals each year, said Dr. Harry Boothe, a soft tissue surgeon who was part of the team that operated on Luna. |
| Lady Antebellum members to deliver UGA commencement address | |
 | University of Georgia alumni Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of multi-platinum trio Lady Antebellum will deliver the spring undergraduate Commencement address 7 p.m. May 4 in Sanford Stadium. "We are excited to welcome Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood back to their alma mater," said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. "They are multi-talented musicians who have impressed the world, and the University of Georgia is very proud of all they have accomplished. We look forward to their inspiring comments." Georgia natives, both Kelley and Haywood received bachelor of business administration degrees from UGA in 2004. Denise Spangler, the Bebe Aderhold Professor in Early Childhood Education in UGA's College of Education, will deliver the graduate Commencement address 9:30 a.m. May 4 in Stegeman Coliseum. |
| Man who shot self at White House was on U. of Florida Child Protection Team | |
 | Four days after he fatally shot himself outside the White House, a Florida man's apartment sat untouched by investigators on Tuesday. His roommates had not been questioned by police and didn't even know that he had died. An open, empty handgun case sat on the unmade bed of Cameron Ross Burgess in the Gainesville apartment he shared with two others on a tree-lined street just a few blocks from the University of Florida campus, where he worked helping abused children. There were nine rounds still inside the gun case. Justin Ford was distraught when told of his roommate's death by an Associated Press reporter, saying he had been texting Burgess for days about rent with no answer. He said he also hadn't heard of the shots fired outside the White House. Burgess worked as a clinical case manager at the University of Florida's Child Protection Team, a unit that responds to child abuse over a wide area of central Florida. |
| Major changes to Kentucky scholarship program get first approval as concerns linger | |
 | A bill that would dramatically change Kentucky's main scholarship program jumped its first legislative hurdle on Tuesday, despite numerous questions from legislators on both sides of the political aisle. House Bill 247 -- a major initiative of Education and Workforce Secretary Hal Heiner -- would expand the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship to more students in high school, allowing them to use the money to pay for dual-credit courses that count toward high school and college degrees. KEES money could also be used to pay for workforce training programs or materials students might need in apprentice programs with private employers. Financial aid advocates worry that expanding the number of high school students who receive KEES and the types of education programs they can spend it on will eventually mean less money for aid programs that help low-income students. |
| U. of Missouri Interfraternity Council halts all new member activities in response to hazing allegations | |
 | The University of Missouri Interfraternity Council announced on Twitter on Tuesday it is pausing all new-member activities until March 19 in response to hazing allegations. IFC Vice President of Public Relations Matthew Oxendale wrote in an email that no specific fraternities will be named because of an active investigation. The investigation is a collaborative effort between national fraternity headquarters and MU's Office of Student Accountability and Support, Oxendale wrote. During the investigation, the council will work with the local chapters and national headquarters to review new member programs to "ensure activities are positive, educational and comply with all policies," according to the statement. MU spokesman Christian Basi said that the university appreciated IFC's commitment to student safety. |
| Higher ed groups want end to student aid restrictions for applicants with drug convictions | |
 | If Republicans and Democrats can agree on one priority for reauthorizing the law governing higher education, it's cutting down the lengthy application for federal student aid. Student advocacy groups hope that a FAFSA simplification push will include eliminating a question about drug convictions while receiving federal aid -- and a corresponding section of federal law denying aid to students with such convictions. At least one Democrat on the Senate education committee plans to reintroduce legislation soon to eliminate the question, a statutory remnant of some of the most punitive steps taken by Congress during the War on Drugs. Data from the Department of Education show that about 1,000 students each year lose full or partial access to Title IV aid because of a drug-related conviction. Organizations supporting the change, however, argue those numbers don't capture how many students never apply for aid because they expect they won't qualify. |
| Study finds sharp decline in foreign language enrollments | |
| Foreign language enrollments dropped 9.2 percent from fall 2013 to fall 2016, according to new data from the Modern Language Association. The drop is the second largest since the MLA started tracking such information in 1958. Decades of increases ended after 2009, the MLA found. Since 2009, enrollments are off more than 15 percent. These findings, a report from the MLA says, suggest that the declines reported in 2013 were "the beginning of a trend rather than a blip." In recent years, many smaller language programs have found themselves targets of elimination at private colleges without significant endowments and at regional public universities that are lacking in consistent state support. Just this week, the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, as part of a retrenchment of many liberal arts programs, announced that it was eliminating its majors in French, German and Spanish. |
| After 46 years on Capitol Hill, Cochran's legacy is courage, compassion, character | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "To say that I like, appreciate and admire U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran is a gross understatement. I think the majority of Mississippians -- rich and poor, black and white, Democrat and Republican -- share my affection for the senator. Quiet, thoughtful, extremely intelligent, and possessed of that rare ability to disagree agreeably, Cochran broke the mold of loud, bellicose Southern demagogues and effectively conducted his 46 years of service to the people of Mississippi on Capitol Hill as what Time Magazine cogently called in 2006 'the quiet persuader.' ...Age and failing health finally took their toll on Thad Cochran. It's time for him to come home. But his courage, compassion and character endure and he deserves our thanks for his service." |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs break in new stadium with 9-1 win | |
| A crowd of 7,179 filed in Tuesday night to get their first glimpse of the new Dudy Noble Field. They saw a victory as well. Mississippi State students and alumni alike packed the renovated version of the Left Field Lounge and grandstands on a chilly evening to see the $55 million stadium that is now considered the crown jewel of college baseball. "It's amazing," said Starkville Academy baseball coach Brooks Roberts, who attended the game in right field. "It has a very minor league park feel to it, but still has enough of the tradition leftover to know you're still at Dudy Noble. It's going to take a little time to get adjusted to the newness of the outfield, but there's no doubt it'll be the premier college baseball stadium in the country." That sentiment was echoed by Joe Dier, who served as MSU sports information director from 1986-2013 and has been attending Bulldog baseball games since the 1970s. |
| Home Sweet Home: Bulldogs win first game in new stadium | |
| No matter what happened Tuesday, it was going to be a special day for the Mississippi State baseball program as the new Dudy Noble Field opened its doors for the first time. However, the Bulldogs made sure the game itself fit the festive occasion. MSU partied all night long as the Bulldog bats came to life and the pitching staff put a stranglehold on the hot bats of New Mexico State. In the end, State broke in its new home turf with a 9-1 victory in front of a large midweek crowd of 7,179. "You can't open up a new stadium with a loss," Mississippi State junior centerfielder Jake Mangum said. "We came out and played well." Starting pitcher Cole Marsh set the tone for the MSU win. The transfer from Mississippi Delta Community College, making his Bulldog debut, threw five strong innings and allowed just one run. He walked one and struck out three. |
| Mississippi State opens new Dudy Noble Field with a win | |
| The bamboo already surrounded Hobie Hobart's box in right field, but pieces of wood, a power drill and construction screws remained on the floor an hour before Mississippi State's home opener Tuesday at the new Dudy Noble Field. "I haven't done a whole lot of permanent work yet," Hobart said. It will take time for Hobart's widely popular Right Field Tiki Lounge to look like it did in the past when ESPN often cut to it and featured it during televised games here. Lights. Signage. Smoke from a grill. Can it look that way again? How much space does he have? That's what Hobart wanted to learn before he started decorating. "I'm going to wait to see what I can do," Hobart said. "It's a beautiful stadium, no doubt. It is shiny, but it's shiny like a cast iron pot -- we have to season it up real well. I've got to season my spot up." A crowd of 7,179 flocked to see the new Dudy Noble Field for the first time. After spending the first month on the road because of construction, Mississippi State finally played a home game and beat New Mexico State, 9-1. |
| Pressure is off MSU Lady Bulldogs, who now have to focus on the NCAA Women's Tournament | |
 | Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "The Bulldogs must flush this one and prepare for the NCAA Tournament. State should remain a No. 1 seed and will surely play its first two games at home. The guess here is that State will be directed to the Kansas City regional as the top seed. We shall see. That's where ESPN's Charley Creme had the Bulldogs after Sunday's loss, joining UConn, Louisville and Notre Dame as No. 1 seeds. (South Carolina was a No. 2). The Bulldogs have earned that. Thirty-two straight wins, playing in the SEC, merits a No. 1 seed and a special place in Mississippi sports history. Obviously, State wants far more..." |
| Q&A: Mississippi State's Luke Getsy on Joe Moorhead and leaving Packers | |
| Luke Getsy is only 34, but Mississippi State's new offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach isn't short on experience. He spent the previous four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he was first a quality control assistant before he was promoted to wide receivers coach in February 2016. He left Green Bay, Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers for Starkville. Joe Moorhead was a major reason why Getsy made the move. Getsy played quarterback under Moorhead at Akron before coaching under Moorhead as a graduate assistant. Getsy won't be asked to call plays at MSU --- Moorhead will do that --- but he is tasked with guiding a group that failed to have a receiver produce more than 300 yards last season. Getsy spoke with the Clarion Ledger's Will Sammon about his relationship with Joe Moorhead and leaving the Packers. |
| Former Rebel Marcus Johnson learning from Mississippi State's Joe Moorhead | |
| Marcus Johnson was a four-year letterwinner on the Ole Miss offensive line from 2001-04 and was a second-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson spent five years in the NFL before joining his former college coach David Cutcliffe's staff at Duke. The Coffeeville native coached the Blue Devils for seven seasons but jumped at the chance to come home when he was offered the offensive line job at Mississippi State in December. "Man, it's great to be home," Johnson said. "In the months that I've been here on the road (recruiting) and in Starkville, I'm finding so many familiar old faces from old high school coaches that I know to guys that I played with that are coaching in high school. Whether it's Ole Miss or Mississippi State alumni in a high school, somebody knows you. It's been awesome." It has been rare in recent years for Rebels and Bulldogs to switch allegiances to join a coaching staff but the allure of learning alongside Joe Moorhead in his offense was an opportunity Johnson could not pass up. |
| Where is athletic director Ross Bjork in his search for Ole Miss' next basketball coach? | |
| Ole Miss' men's basketball team is heading to the SEC Tournament where, barring the unlikeliest of runs, the Rebels' season will end before the week does amid a cloud of uncertainty as it pertains to the future. Ross Bjork is working on providing clarity. Ole Miss' athletic director has a head start in his search for the Rebels' next coach after Andy Kennedy resigned Feb. 18 in the midst of the program's first losing season since 2006. Saturday's loss to Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale secured a last-place finish in the SEC for the Rebels, who enter the tournament on a three-game losing streak. So where does the search stand? "Right now, we're active," Bjork said by phone Tuesday while traveling to St. Louis, where Ole Miss will face South Carolina in the tournament's first round Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network). |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
