Wednesday, March 28, 2018   
 
Mississippi State starts work on College View project
Work is officially underway at Mississippi State University for a major mixed-space residential project that's the first of its kind in the state. The university held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the College View project, which will be built on a 34-acre parcel of land on the northwest edge of campus, where the former Aiken Village apartments were located before their demolition. College View is a public-private partnership between the university and Memphis-based EdR. "This project is a bridge, a connector if you will, from the city onto our campus," Keenum said. "It's going to benefit this university, no doubt, but it's definitely going to benefit Starkville. I always say what's good for Mississippi State is good for the city, and what's good for the city is good for Mississippi State."
 
Leaders break ground on MSU College View project
A new project and a new era for student housing at Mississippi State University began Monday, with the groundbreaking of the College View housing project. The $67 million project is a public-private partnership (P3) between MSU and the Memphis-based EdR development firm, which specializes in college housing. This is the first housing P3 project on any of Mississippi's public university campuses. "I am beside myself for this occasion," said MSU President Mark Keenum. "I have been looking foreword to this day for quite some time. This day, this groundbreaking ceremony, this construction of an unbelievable housing and retail development here at Mississippi State is truly a wonderful occasion for our future as a university." Delivery of College View is scheduled for fall 2019.
 
MSU Small Business Development Center seeks to help small businesses see success
Most businesses that start fail within a few years. Chip Templeton, director of the Mississippi State University Small Business Development Center, said his organization is trying to help entrepreneurs see better odds of success. "For people going into business -- if you had 10 businesses start today, in five years, only five of them would be around," he told Starkville Rotary Club members Monday at Starkville Country Club. "A few years after that, only two are around. So you see where I'm going with this -- if we can give you the tools, maybe you can make fewer mistakes and maybe that will improve. Folks who go through us, that statistic's only about 17 percent go out of business," he added. "We might talk a few people from going into business that might help that percentage -- I hope not -- but you see, you make mistakes and you can make them before or after you get going."
 
Equal Pay Activist Shares Her Message About Overcoming Workplace Discrimination To Hundreds at MSU
Lilly Ledbetter, the woman known for taking a stand and demanding equal pay in the workplace, spoke to hundreds of students at Mississippi State on Tuesday. She was the featured speaker for this year's Leo W. Seal Jr. Distinguished Speaker Series at MSU. As she shared her message, Ledbetter said her goal is to reach at least one person and help prevent them from going through the struggle she did with discrimination in the workplace. "It's an American right to get equal pay for equal work," said Ledbetter. In 2009, the U.S. Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, a law that expanded the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit.
 
Marketing expert: Meridian can transform into tourism destination
A national destination marketing guru told a group of East Mississippi community, business and government leaders downtown Meridian has opportunity to develop into a premiere destination for tourists, investors, economic development and jobs. Bill Geist, a self-described chief instigator at Zeitgeist Consulting, a destination marketing organization, said Tuesday that investments in downtown have potential to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and create an transformational atmosphere different from what exists now. "There's a palpable sense of possibility here," he told The Meridian Star after speaking at the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation's Business Before Hours program.
 
Budget work completed, session nearing end
The Mississippi Legislature finished work Tuesday on its $6.1 billion budget when legislation passed both chambers to set parameters on the state's Medicaid program. With the budget completed, only a few items remain to be finished during the 2018 session, which could end as early as today. The state House was holding final passage of the budget for the Division of Medicaid until the so-called Medicaid technical amendments bill was passed by both chambers Tuesday. House members feared that the Senate leadership, primarily Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, was willing to let the technical amendments bill die, giving the governor more authority over the Division of Medicaid. Rep. Jason White, R-West, one of the House negotiators along with Medicaid Chairman Chris Brown, R-Nettleton, said, "the focus...was to get more prevention in the whole program."
 
Lawmakers finalize 'flat' FY 2019 state budget
Legislators on Tuesday finalized the state's Fiscal Year 2019 budget, which will feature little change to appropriations for most state agencies. Lawmakers passed the $6.1 billion budget, which marks a 0.37 percent increase from the current fiscal year's budget. Two of the largest year-over-year agency general fund cuts, the Department of Finance and Administration and Information Technology Services, will be offset by a change made this session to allow the two agencies to charge other state agencies for services provided. A 2016 law had limited their ability to charge for services. Notable cuts include Institutions of Higher Learning: $266,781, or -0.04 percent.
 
Emergency vehicle bill in MSU track star's name goes to governor
George and Toni Kersh said it touched their heart when lawmakers in the House stood to honor their late daughter Tuesday in passing the Kaelin Kersh Act. "I have no words," Toni Kersh said. "Kaelin's legacy lives on and that Kaelin's life meant something to everyone in that room. We can't save Kaelin, but hopefully we can save many more lives with this law." The Kaelin Kersh Act is now on the way to the governor. House Bill 1202, crafted by Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, requires any operator of an emergency vehicle with blinking, rotating or oscillating lights to have those lights on if they are traveling at a speed in excess of 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. "Kaelin Kersh was tragically killed at a very young age," said House Judiciary B Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, who handled the conference report on the bill on the House floor. "We hope this legislation will ensure that this will never happen again. We are trying to make a difference."
 
Why the Coast rejected a plan to get a large chunk of $700M in BP money
Yes, it was the third time the Mississippi Legislature failed to pass a bill that would determine how $700 million in BP funds would be spent, but Coast business leaders said a plan presented Monday, HB 1185, isn't good for South Mississippi. By a two-thirds vote in an opinion poll, members of the Gulf Coast Business Council said they would not take a House proposal to carve 35 percent of the money BP provided to the state for damages from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, leaving 65 percent for the Coast. Next year is an election year and the members decided it is better to try again than to ask Gov. Phil Bryant to call a special session within a session and try to get a compromise bill passed this week.
 
Deadlock broken; Medicaid bill breezes to passage in both chambers
After months of political stalemate between the Mississippi House and Senate, both legislative chambers passed a Medicaid technical bill on Tuesday. And while both sides ultimately agreed on the legislation, which outlines how the agency will spend its $6 billion annual budget, the members of the Senate still declared themselves the winner of the two month political battle after they eliminated plans for a hospital-run insurance program pushed by the House.
 
New law lets Mississippi invest in bonds issued by Israel
A new Mississippi law will allow the state treasury to invest up to $20 million in bonds issued by Israel. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who has traveled to Israel several times, signed Senate Bill 2051 Tuesday. The law takes effect July 1. It will authorize Mississippi to use excess general funds to invest in Israeli bonds. Investments must be made in U.S. currency.
 
Neighborhoods press Tate Reeves for vote on community improvement
Neighborhood associations banded together with Downtown Jackson Partners Tuesday to ask why Lt. Gov Tate Reeves isn't supporting a bill that allows neighborhoods to raise property taxes. For the past four years, Downtown Jackson Partners has sponsored a Community Improvement District bill that would allow neighborhoods to raise up to six mills -- a mill being equal to 1/1,000 of a dollar -- on taxable real property located solely within the proposed district. The bills have died each session, including the latest version, Senate Bill 3045. Each neighborhood or community improvement district would have a board. A super majority of 60 percent or greater would be required to increase the millage. The additional money could then be used how the neighborhood or district sees fit.
 
Tupelo mayor stokes questions about possible Senate run
Second-term Mayor Jason Shelton has begun to discuss the possibility of entering a statewide special election for U.S. Senate to replace the retiring Thad Cochran. Late last week, the Democratic Tupelo mayor made a posting to his personal Facebook account in which he asked his social media followers for their thoughts on a possible entry into the senate race. Multiple sources with connections to Tupelo City Hall, including elected officials and administration figures, confirmed that Shelton has voiced interest in seeking the seat. "He has openly discussed the possibility," said Tupelo Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis. "It hasn't been a secret." Additionally, Shelton has made inquiries among state political circles about his potential viability as a candidate, according to sources with knowledge of those conversations who declined to be named.
 
Will Gov. Phil Bryant appoint Rep. Andy Gipson as ag commissioner?
A spokesman for Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday night confirmed the governor will likely name someone next week to become interim state agriculture commissioner to replace Cindy Hyde-Smith, the governor's choice to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. The governor's office has declined to say who the appointment will be, but numerous sources believe it will be Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton. Gipson is an attorney, Baptist preacher and farmer who is a close ally of Bryant's. Whomever Bryant chooses will serve out the remainder of Hyde-Smith's term through January 2020. The office will be up for election in the 2019 statewide races.
 
Anti-abortion lawmakers lay groundwork for Roe challenge
State lawmakers and anti-abortion groups across the U.S. have ramped up their push for restrictions on abortion, part of a strategy to get the Supreme Court to re-examine --- and overturn --- Roe V. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion. Emboldened by the Trump administration and possible changes to the make-up of the Supreme Court, more states are looking at laws that would ban abortion at a certain point in pregnancy. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) signed a bill earlier this month banning abortions after 15 weeks. If it survives legal challenge, it would be the earliest ban in the country. And it's not just Mississippi -- Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and other states have proposed bans, too. "We're entering a period where states are trying to effectively one-up each other," said Elizabeth Nash, the senior state issues manager at the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights research group.
 
Isom Center hosts Wage Gap Town Hall
Members of the Lafayette-Oxford-University community gathered Monday evening for a town hall meeting to discuss the 2017 Pay Equity and Advancement report. The report, which was compiled by members of the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women at the University of Mississippi, illustrates the differences between salaries of employees in each school, from clerical jobs to the most senior academic positions. Dr. Jaime Harker, director of UM's Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, moderated the meeting, which provided audience members with a forum to discuss the findings of the report and possible solutions for gender-based wage gaps within the university. Drs. Laura Antonow and Kate Kellum, who both worked on the report, were also in attendance. "This report was the result of several years of analysis of the 2015 data," Harker said. "At just about every level, both faculty and staff, we've seen a significant difference in wages between women and men."
 
East Mississippi Community College to offer 'Maymester' classes
For the first time, students will be able to take classes at East Mississippi Community College during the month of May. Classes for the term dubbed "Maymester" will be available online and at both the Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses. The three-weeks long Maymester classes begin May 7 and end May 24, with final exams on May 25. All of the classes meet Monday through Friday. Registration for Maymester begins April 3. EMCC Associate Dean of Instruction Gina Thompson said the extra term will provide students an opportunity to pick up an additional class. "Most of our full-time instructors are teaching classes during Maymester," Thompson said. "We had a request from the College of Engineering at Mississippi State University to offer Engineering Mechanics. We have taught this course in the spring but this will be the first time it is available during the summer."
 
Auburn veterinary students win national bovine palpation competition
Auburn University veterinary students won the national bovine palpation championship -- consisting of pregnancy diagnosis and fetal aging in cattle -- at the Student American Veterinary Medical Association's annual symposium at the University of Pennsylvania March 15-17. "I'm just incredibly proud of them. They've worked extremely hard this past year, and their achievement is a great culmination of all their work," said Dr. Julie Gard, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Clinical Sciences and the team's advisor and coach. The team was one of 11 which competed in the national competition sponsored by the Society for Theriogenology. Since 2000, Auburn's teams have placed first in 11 symposiums, the most of any veterinary medical program.
 
Paper towels out, U. of Tennessee installing 1,000+ hand dryers
There will be plenty of hot air coming from the University of Tennessee this fall and it has nothing to do with the football team. The university announced earlier this week that 1,034 hand dryers will be installed in restrooms of academic buildings across campus beginning next week in an effort to eliminate paper towel usage. The project is supposed to be finished by the time classes resume in the fall. According to a news release announcing the swap, paper towel waste results in more waste than any other item. The new hand dryers replace the paper towel dispensers and will leave restrooms easier to maintain and help the university save on paper towel and trash can liner costs. "We are excited about this opportunity to save material, labor, and disposal costs and keep campus cleaner and greener," UT Recycling Manager Jay Price said. "This will help campus get a lot closer to zero waste."
 
Felony warrants issued for UGA student who allegedly spied on men restroom stalls
A University of Georgia student who was recently fired from his campus job is facing felony charges for allegedly spying on people while they were using restroom stalls in the Ramsey Student Center, where he was employed as a facilities staff member. Desmane Lemor Thomas was terminated March 8 as the result of a UGA police investigation of two separate complaints that someone took videos or photos of them while in restroom stalls at the recreational facility, according to UGA spokesman Bob Taylor. UGA police took out warrants recently charging the fourth-year student with two felony counts of unlawful surveillance.
 
U. of Missouri System stands to get $14M in exchange for a 1% tuition cap
A deal that would provide an additional $30 million in higher education funding in exchange for a 1 percent tuition cap in 2019 received initial approval in the Missouri House on Tuesday. The University of Missouri System stands to receive an additional $14 million in a bill that would restore proposed cuts by Gov. Eric Greitens. In his proposed budget released in January, Greitens had recommended cutting $68 million from the current level of higher education funding for 2019. Critics argued the cuts were too large given the reductions higher education had seen in previous years. And those cuts came from an already reduced higher education budget, because Greitens had cut about $30 million from the 2018 budget after lawmakers passed it.
 
Social science groups condemn new U.S. Census question about citizenship
Social science groups were quick to condemn Monday's announcement by the Trump administration that the 2020 U.S. Census will include a question on the citizenship status of those being counted. Up until 1950, the question was typically included. And the U.S. Department of Commerce, which manages the Census, said the question would provide information sought by the Justice Department. Skeptics -- including many Democrats and advocates for immigrants -- believe the goal of the new question is to lead to smaller population counts in states with large immigrant populations. Leaders of social science groups are appealing to Congress to block the addition of the question. But Republican congressional leaders may be unlikely to intervene. Some states are also planning to sue over the issue.
 
Lurid Charges Against Ex-Dean Mark a Disturbing Turn in Michigan State's Nassar Scandal
The criminal charges filed on Tuesday against a former dean at Michigan State University signal a troubling new development in the investigation of how the institution responded to sexual abuse by Larry Nassar -- and suggest that a culture of misconduct runs deeper than just the former sports doctor. The state's attorney general, Bill Schuette, announced on Tuesday that he had filed charges against William Strampel, who led the College of Osteopathic Medicine for 15 years. As dean, Strampel supervised Nassar, who was convicted of molesting numerous girls and young women under the guise of giving them necessary medical treatment. Strampel faces charges of misconduct by a public official, a felony punishable by up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine; one count of criminal sexual conduct, a misdemeanor; and two counts of willful neglect by a public official, also a misdemeanor.
 
Dept. Of Education Fail: Teachers Lose Grants, Forced To Repay Thousands In Loans
America needs teachers committed to working with children who have the fewest advantages in life. So for a decade the federal government has offered grants --- worth up to $4,000 a year -- to standout college students who agree to teach subjects like math or science at lower-income schools. But a new government study obtained by NPR suggests that thousands of teachers had their grants taken away and converted to loans, sometimes for minor errors in paperwork. That's despite the fact they were meeting the program's teaching requirements. Since 2008, the Education Department has offered these so-called TEACH grants to people studying to get a college or master's degree. The deal is, they get to keep the grant money if they spend four years teaching a high-need subject like math or science in schools that serve low-income families. But, the study finds, many teachers believe they kept their end of the bargain but are now being asked to repay that money anyway.
 
In Hyde-Smith, McDaniel will face a tough, formidable opponent who can hit back
Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "State Sen. Chris McDaniel said famously last month that 'I'm looking for a fight' in either challenging incumbent Mississippi U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's re-election bid, running again for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (that McDaniel narrowly lost in 2014) if and when he stepped down, or running for lieutenant governor of Mississippi in 2019. In the days that followed, Cochran announced his decision to step down from office on April 1 -- an announcement coming well after McDaniel had already qualified to make the U.S. Senate race against Wicker. McDaniel's decision to challenge Wicker was an 11th hour decision clearly impacted by the filing deadline in the Wicker race. What, pray tell, was a big, bad swamp drainer, freedom fighter, and liberty lover like McDaniel to do if Cochran decided not to step down as predicted?"


SPORTS
 
Vic Schaefer had the blueprint to Bulldogs' success
Vic Schaefer was hired at Mississippi State six years ago and believed then he had the blueprint to turn the Bulldogs into a perennial power in women's basketball. Schaefer was coming off a national championship as an assistant coach at Texas A&M in 2012 and set out to bring that same level of success with him to Starkville. "I didn't believe I was brought here to build a top 25 team," Schaefer said. "As I told my then athletic director Scott Stricklin, I wanted to come here and build a top 10 program. There's a difference in a top 25 teams and top 10 programs. I envisioned us building a top 10 program here. I believed we could do it." But that success was certainly not immediate. Schaefer's first Bulldog team in 2012-13 finished 12th in the Southeastern Conference and were blown out by an average of 27.1 points in their league losses. "We didn't panic that first year when we went 13-17," Schaefer said. "That might be the best job of coaching I've ever done because I didn't think we'd even win three games."
 
Former Mississippi State coach Sharon Fanning-Otis is enjoying its success
Before Vic Schaefer, before the sell-out crowds at Humphrey Coliseum and before the back-to-back Final Four appearances for Mississippi State women's basketball, there was Sharon Fanning-Otis. Fanning-Otis, 65, has the distinction of being the coach who retired from the profession in the spring of 2012, allowing former Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin to hire Schaefer. You know what happened next. But she's more than that, as people from similar backgrounds often are. It's unusual to see a former coach celebrate in the new heights of his or her direct successor like Fanning-Otis has. Egos are often too big for that sort of thing. Fanning-Otis said she is too comfortable with her own history and appreciates MSU and Starkville -- where she chose to stay and live -- too much for that.
 
How Mississippi State morphed into a high-powered, NBA-style offense
The Clarion-Ledger's Hugh Kellenberger writes: "The secretary of defense is going to need a new moniker. There are those in women's college basketball who refer to Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer by that nickname, known as he is for his gameplan on that end of the floor, dating back to his days as a Texas A&M assistant. But while these Lady Bulldogs still credibly play defense, among the reasons they have advanced to the Final Four for a second-straight season is their offensive play. Which gives Louisville coach Jeff Walz a whole other reason to worry heading into the team's national semifinal game on Friday. 'You aren't going to stop them,' Walz said. 'That's one thing I can tell you for sure. There is no stopping Vic and that offense.'"
 
Mississippi State women have plenty of fuel left for Final Four
The Dispatch's Adam Minichino: " Starkville's Fantastic Four is set to take Columbus, Ohio. It will be the last push for seniors Roshunda Johnson, Blair Schaefer, Victoria Vivians, and Morgan William to lead the Mississippi State women's basketball team to a national title. Their next step will come at 6 p.m. Friday (ESPN2) when MSU (36-1) will take on Louisville (36-2) in the first national semifinal. Connecticut (36-0) will take on Notre Dame (33-3) at 8:30 p.m. Friday in the second semifinal. The winners will meet at 6 p.m. Sunday (ESPN) to determine the national champion. ...It should be a fantastic weekend. See you in Ohio."
 
Mississippi State women's basketball team peaking at right time
Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "When it comes to tournament basketball -- or baseball, or football, for that matter -- it's all about peaking at the right time if you are going to win championships. It's about playing your best when it counts most. In a way, it's about saving your best for last. The Mississippi State women, headed to a second straight Final Four, appear to be doing just that. Their collective performance at Kansas City -- convincing victories over a pair of really good teams -- was of masterpiece quality. They are playing just about as well as they can play headed to Columbus and a chance to do what they couldn't quite do a year ago. They will have to be at their absolute best to do what comes next. They are, without question, quite capable of winning it all."
 
Bulldogs fall in NIT semifinal
Mississippi State's run in the NIT came to an end Tuesday night with a 75-60 loss to Penn State. Tony Carr scored 21 and Shep Garner added 18 while breaking a school record for career 3-pointers in the victory. The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions (25-13) will play No. 2 seed Utah for the championship Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. With just one senior on the roster, the Bulldogs will return most of their team and have something positive to build off as they try to move up the rankings in the rugged SEC next season.
 
Mississippi State drops midweek matchup at Nicholls
A four-run rally in the eighth inning was not enough as Mississippi State dropped a 7-4 decision to Nicholls Tuesday night at Didier Field. The Bulldogs (13-13) were held to two hits over the first seven innings before scoring four times in the eighth inning. "We have to find a way to pitch better," MSU head coach Gary Henderson said. "Offensively, we struggled to put some things together. We had a couple of big two-out hits in the eighth inning but we struggled to hit consistently before that inning." State will return to SEC play on Thursday at No. 19 LSU (16-9) with a 7 p.m. first pitch on SEC Network. The series will continue on Friday at 7 p.m., before concluding at 2 p.m. on Saturday to also close out the Bulldogs' seven-game road swing.
 
Mississippi State's Martinas Rankin aims to impress at Pro Day
John Hevesy wanted to get ahead of this. It was in the spring and summer of 2017 when Hevesy, at the time Mississippi State's offensive line coach, was made aware that his left tackle Martinas Rankin was viewed as one of the top NFL Draft prospects at his position. Hevesy, never the fan of outside influences, wanted to make sure the buzz wouldn't get to Rankin's head and impact his preparation for the upcoming season. Rankin didn't need the message. He'd never had a buzz about his football career and didn't see the point in getting wrapped up in one now. There is now nothing bur fervor around Rankin, who will participate in MSU's Pro Day Wednesday morning after going to the NFL Combine in February. NFL.com's Mike Mayock has Rankin rated as the tied for fifth best tackle prospect in the draft; CBS Sports has him eighth. It's both proof of how far he has come and how much more he has to prove, a process that continues on Pro Day before the NFL Draft April 26-28.
 
Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel joins Aggies at Pro Day
As cameras surrounded former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in the Aggies' McFerrin Athletic Center on Tuesday, the Heisman Trophy winner announced he was retiring --- from Pro Days. Manziel took part in his second A&M Pro Day Tuesday in an effort to make a comeback to the NFL. It was also his second Pro Day of the spring; he threw passes to wide receivers at the University of San Diego on Thursday. This go-around, the Johnny Football circus at Aggie Pro Day was tame compared the music-filled, full-pad showcase he put on exactly four years ago to the day. "This wasn't really about me; it was about the guys," Manziel said of the other Aggie players on showcase. "It was a lot more relaxing." His appearance was the brainchild of Manziel and wide receiver Christian Kirk beginning in January, Kirk said. The final piece was new A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who gave Manziel the go-ahead last week.



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