Tuesday, April 3, 2018   
 
Steve Parrott named chief information officer at Mississippi State
Steve Parrott, a Mississippi State alumnus with 34 years of information technology experience, is the university's new chief information officer. Parrott had served as interim CIO since July 2017. He succeeds former CIO Mike Rackley, who retired last year. Parrott will oversee 126 full-time staff positions within the Enterprise Information Systems, Information Technology Infrastructure and User Services departments. These departments provide support for the university's enterprise platforms, hardware and infrastructure support and end-user support. ITS is working to install new technologies in classrooms, increase wireless nodes on campus and upgrade user platforms.
 
World Neighbors, Mississippi State gear up for International Fiesta
For 28 years, people in the Starkville and Mississippi State University communities have had an opportunity to show off their own cultures and explore those of others. The 28th annual International Fiesta is scheduled for Saturday, with people from across the globe planning to share their cultures through food, performance and crafts. The fiesta will be held on the Drill Field on the MSU campus and will begin with the flag parade at 11 a.m. followed by welcomes from MSU President Mark Keenum and Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill. The event ends at 3 p.m. International flags will also fly on Main Street in the week leading up to the event. The International Fiesta is presented by the MSU Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and the Starkville World Neighbors Association.
 
Meridian Public Schools: Success of 'Any Given Child' will be measured in time
Meridian community leaders had lofty expectations for student achievement and outcomes when they completed the application in February 2016 to partner with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through the Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child initiative. The Meridian Public School District, the Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts and other community partners have joined with the Washington, D.C.-based Kennedy Center for the second year to receive $100,000 over four years to support arts integration education resources, consulting and other partnership efforts. Charlotte Tabereaux, education director at MSU Riley Center, and other leaders with the local Any Given Child effort met with the program evaluators extensively last week to discuss efforts, goals, and opportunities.
 
Severe storms possible for Golden Triangle
Officials with the National Weather Service office in Jackson are warning Mississippians across the state of be aware of the potential for severe weather during the evening hours on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. The NWS says the storms will cross the state line late Tuesday afternoon and some may become severe during this time, as a broken line of storms and a cold front shifts east across the region. NWS meteorological intern Tony Hurt said the primary threat for the Golden Triangle area will be damaging wind gusts. While Hurt said the tornado threat will likely be low, he said it is still possible. To the west of the Golden Triangle, golf-ball-size hail will also be a possibility.
 
Forecasters say strong storms possible in Deep South
The National Weather Service says much of the Deep South is at risk for strong storms on Tuesday. The Storm Prediction Center says northwestern Mississippi is part of an area that faces an enhanced risk of severe weather starting Tuesday afternoon. The threat of storms extends as far north as central Ohio. Other parts of Mississippi plus Alabama, Louisiana and parts of Georgia face a reduced threat that will continue through Tuesday night into early Wednesday. Forecasters say gusty winds are likely, followed by falling temperatures as a cold front crosses the region.
 
Starkville High announces two STAR Students and Teachers
Two students at Starkville High School made near-perfect scores on their ACT, and were selected as the school's Student-Teacher Achievement Recogniton (STAR) students. Also the STAR students Pepito Thelly and Sean Mackin got to each pick a teacher to be honored with them. Mackin selected math and science teacher Vijay Parchane, while Thelly selected English teacher Anita Johnson. STAR Students are named by the Mississippi Economic Council based on ACT scores and grades. Both Mackin and Thelly are undecided on their college plans, although Mackin said he had applications at institutions such as Harvard, Northwestern and Stanford. Mackin has also been named a Mississippi State University Presidential Scholar.
 
Starkville Community Market begins Tuesday
The Starkville Community Market will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Firestation Park on the corner of Lampkin and Russell Street. The Starkville Community market will continue every Tuesday from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. until August. Markets will begin every Saturday on May 5 from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. "We cannot wait to start up the Community Market this year," Greater Starkville Development Partnership special events coordinator Paige Watson said. "We have so many great vendors from within and around our area that are going to have great produce and items for all who come." The Starkville Community Market will feature vendors selling locally grown and crafted food and products including fresh produce, live plants and artwork. On the Saturday markets, there will be cooking and gardening demonstrations, how-to sessions, kids activities and live music.
 
State budget stabilized during 2018 session
The state budget, which was cut more than $360 million during the past two years, was stabilized during the 2018 session that ended last week. The budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, passed in the just-completed 2018 session, is $22.4 million or 0.04 percent more than the amount appropriated for the current fiscal year. "We were able to prioritize the core function of government," Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said. Reeves said most agencies received near level funding during the 2018 session. But Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, said the budget is another warning sign that the approximately 50 tax cuts passed in the last six years are having a negative impact on state revenue collections.
 
Diversity is 'Blessing' for Mississippi, New Ag Leader Says
The new Mississippi agriculture commissioner says diversity of race and culture makes the state stronger. Former state Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton was sworn in Monday as the state's eighth commissioner of agriculture and commerce. Gipson is an attorney, farmer and Baptist pastor. He says Mississippi's diversity has been "a problem" in the past but he believes God has designed that diversity "for blessing, not for cursing." Gipson succeeds fellow Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is moving to the U.S. Senate.
 
New Ag Commissioner Seeks Unity Among State's Farmers
Former state Representative Andy Gipson is taking his oath of office to become Mississippi's eighth commissioner of agriculture and commerce. One of his first priorities in office is to tour the state's farms both large and small. Gipson says he is dedicated to learning more about the variety of soils and the people who maintain them. "We're gone travel to every corner of the state probably over a 12 to 15 week period this summer during the growing season as we see agriculture in work and process. And then, we are going to assemble the facts that we find and expand the opportunities for the economic growth of agriculture in this state," said Gipson. Gipson will serve the rest of the four-year term started by Cindy Hyde-Smith. The governor will set a special election in parts of Simpson and Rankin counties to fill Gipson's former House seat, and the winner will serve until January 2020.
 
Report urges school districts to be more transparent on testing
A new report suggests when it comes to state tests, Mississippi needs to be more transparent about what it measures and how often students take them. Mississippi First, a nonprofit advocacy group, worked with four undisclosed school districts to examine the amount of time students spend on state and district mandated testing, what factors may increase the amount of time spent on testing, and what teachers think about the topic. The districts range in demographics such as enrollment and accountability rating and were granted anonymity to ensure honest responses, according to the report. Mississippi First is a nonprofit advocacy organization for public schools and focuses on expanding charter school options and pre-kindergarten programs.
 
Inside a Private Prison: Blood, Suicide and Poorly Paid Guards
On the witness stand and under pressure, Frank Shaw, the warden of the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, could not guarantee that the prison was capable of performing its most basic function. Asked if the guards were supposed to keep inmates in their cells, he said, wearily, "They do their best." According to evidence and testimony at a federal civil rights trial, far worse things were happening at the prison than inmates strolling around during a lockdown. The case, which has received little attention beyond the local news media, provides a rare glimpse into the cloistered world of privately operated prisons, at a time when the number of state inmates in private facilities is increasing and the Trump administration has indicated that it will expand their use.
 
Ousted road manager has family ties to PEER Chairman Bennett
The Harrison County Board of Supervisors has parted ways with road manager Russell Weatherly. The board called it a resignation, but one supervisor said it was a firing and he wouldn't go along with it. "I think it was retaliation for that PEER report," said Supervisor Marlin Ladner when asked why he voted no on the motion to accept the resignation. "I didn't agree with the way it was handled. It was in executive session and I wasn't even here." The resignation comes about three months after the Legislature's Performance, Evaluation and Expenditure Review Committee issued a report critical of the way the county was managing its Road Department. Supervisor Beverly Martin, just before the PEER review was released, said she believed it had been sought by Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, because supervisors wouldn't appoint his wife, Tricia, to the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport board. Bennett, who is Weatherly's brother-in-law and the chairman of the PEER Committee, denied he had a hand in the report.
 
Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton enters U.S. Senate race in Mississippi
Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton says he will run in the Nov. 6 special election for the U.S. Senate being vacated by Thad Cochran. Shelton made the announcement live Tuesday morning exclusively on WTVA. "Friends, thank you so much for the encouragement to enter the senate race," Shelton said in a Facebook post. "Now it is time to get to work and I need your help and support. Together, we can win in November!" The Democrat becomes the fourth candidate to announce plans to enter the race. Cochran officially resigned the seat on Sunday. The term runs through January 2020. Multiple sources tell the Clarion Ledger that Shelton's decision to run is not the result of recruitment efforts from State Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, or national Democratic organizations. These same sources say Schumer and national Democrats seem content to wait and see if a strong Democrat emerges.
 
What Chinese Tariffs Targeting American Crops Will Mean For Farmers
On Monday, the Chinese government announced tariffs on 128 American products, including food. Pork will be taxed 25 percent, and wine, dried fruit, and nuts are now subject to a 15 percent duty. The announcement comes in response to the tariffs President Trump recently imposed on steel and aluminum. Trade officials from each country are negotiating, and it's not yet clear how long the duties will be in effect, or what the lasting impact will be for American producers and growers. But for businesses who already have shipments in transit, there are immediate effects. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke with someone whose business is already feeling the tariffs directly. Jim Zion, managing partner at Meridian Growers in Fresno, Calif., distributes almonds, pistachios, and pecans to markets like China.
 
Ex-Ole Miss student files lawsuit against university
A suspended Ole Miss student has filed a federal lawsuit against the university. The former student claims the university discriminated against him for having sex with another student, who was not suspended. The former Ole Miss student, known by the pseudonym Andrew Doe, is demanding a trial by jury in this lawsuit against the University. The male student in the lawsuit said not only are the allegations of sexual misconduct false, but he could not continue his education at the University and it is listed on his educational records. "It's shocking," attorney Michael Working said. Working, who has represented clients in some very high-profile cases, said this lawsuit is shocking because of who isn't accusing him of sexual misconduct. Working is not involved in the lawsuit. "The woman that they alleged to be the victim in this case at every stage of the proceeding repeats throughout that she is not a victim," Working said. "That she was a willing participant."
 
Former Ole Miss student sues university over sexual misconduct allegation
A former Ole Miss student has filed a federal lawsuit against the university and the state College Board alleging he was a victim of gender discrimination from his long-term suspension for what he calls a false sexual misconduct allegation. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Jackson, uses the pseudonym Andrew Doe for the expelled student. Doe's lawsuit said he was disciplined for having sex with the female while she was under the influence of alcohol, but she wasn't disciplined for having sex with him while he was under the influence of alcohol. His lawsuit seeks a jury trial for damages as well as an injunction to prevent the university from including the discipline in his school records. State College Board spokeswoman Caron Blanton said they are aware of the lawsuit but don't comment on pending litigation.
 
Accounting school at UM adds two new graduate degrees
Beginning this fall, the University of Mississippi's Patterson School of Accountancy will offer two new graduate degrees: the Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics (MADA) and the Master of Taxation and Data Analytics (MTDA). The programs are an advancement in the school's professional partnership with KPMG LLP, the nationally ranked "Big Four" audit, tax and advisory firm. The MADA program is an award-winning curriculum developed in 2016 by KPMG and the Ohio State University's Max M. Fisher College of Business and the Villanova School of Business. The Patterson School acquired the programming a year later and will be the only university nationwide to offer a degree in the field of taxation and data analytics (D&A). The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning's board of trustees approved planning for three new courses in conjunction with the degrees as well as approving makeovers of existing courses to cater to the data analytics environment.
 
Advertising manager embezzled thousands from Coast community college, sheriff says
A Gulfport resident is accused of embezzling $11,600 while she worked at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Christina Lee Mullins, 34, is scheduled for trial in Aug. 6 on the felony charge. She worked for more than nine years at MGCCC, most of that time as a continuing education specialist, according to the school. A routine audit revealed inconsistencies that led to her arrest in November 2016, MGCCC said in a statement. "Because of MGCCC's accounting processes, the irregularities were quickly discovered," the statement said. She is accused of embezzling the money from January 2012 to December 2014. Mullins left her job in June 2015 and now works as digital sales director at WXXV-TV.
 
Charles Barkley donates $250,000 to Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi
Charles Barkley, retired Hall of Fame basketball player, Emmy Award-winning studio analyst and author, recently donated $250,000 to the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi to empower a new African-American history initiative for high school students throughout Mississippi and Alabama. The Community Foundation partners with EVERFI, a leading education technology company, to provide the Community Digital Scholars Program that empowers teachers in Northwest Mississippi to bring critical skills and education to fourth to 12th graders. Topics include financial literacy, STEM readiness, diversity & inclusion, entrepreneurship, and health and wellness. "The course will engage tens of thousands of students in the Mississippi Delta region at no cost to students, their schools or school districts," said Tom Pittman, President of the Community Foundation.
 
NIH director talks funding, research with U. of Florida students
Dr. Francis Collins has been with the National Institutes of Health for 25 years -- exactly 25 years today. He spent the day at the University of Florida, participating in a Q-and-A panel and meeting with College of Medicine students, faculty and staff members. Collins, director of the NIH since 2009, spoke to a standing-room-only audience at the Harrell Medical Education Building about sustainable research support and the future of medicine. "There are all kinds of things that we can go faster on," Collins said. "We can develop that universal influenza vaccine that goodness knows we need." He predicts a cure for sickle cell disease will be discovered by 2023, and he said the NIH and other government institutes should collaborate to solve complex problems like the nation's drug abuse crisis. "It didn't happen overnight, and it won't get solved overnight," Collins said of the crisis. Dr. Michael Good, dean of the College of Medicine, said students and faculty had been excited to hear Collins' take on the nation's direction on research.
 
No joke: U. of Florida launches parking ticket amnesty
University of Florida President Kent Fuchs, who has had a string of online April Fool's Day jokes, on Sunday announced that the university would look to create an amnesty program to forgive parking citations issued for the past year. The announcement created confusion among students, many suspecting it was a joke. But it's not. UF's department of transportation and parking services launched a weeklong program called "Food For Fines," which forgives citations in exchange for five items off the UF's Field and Fork Pantry list. The offer is open everyone -- not just students, faculty and staff. AnaLee Rodriguez, a UF marketing specialist, said the message delivered on April Fool's Day was intentional to create buzz about the program. "That is awkwardly the whole point," she said. "We were talking about the program and President Fuchs was really adamant and wanted to bring us into his annual April fools (joke). But we wanted to do something good as well." "It's kind of a prank on April Fool's itself," Fuchs said.
 
Kentucky Budget Includes Tenure Measure, Cuts Funds for University Press
The Kentucky General Assembly late Monday reached agreement on a budget plan with many provisions (including cuts to operating budges for higher education) opposed by many academics in the state. The budget now goes to Governor Matt Bevin, who is expected to approve it. Beyond the cuts, two measures have drawn particular concerns from academic leaders: One measure would limit tenure protections when colleges discontinue programs. The other measure kills all state funds for the University Press of Kentucky. At the University of Kentucky, President Eli Capilouto, Provost David Blackwell, and Katherine McCormick, chair of the Faculty Council, sent a joint letter to the campus Monday night. In it, they said that they did not seek any changes in tenure policies.
 
Engineering school at U. of Missouri launches new program
A new undergraduate degree program focused on one of the most highly sought and lucrative career options in engineering could bring as many as 50 new students to the University of Missouri College of Engineering. That's the estimate made by Jinglu Tan, chair of the Bioengineering Department, for the biomedical engineering bachelor's degree program set to launch in the fall. The program will be developed from coursework that is now one of the most popular areas of specialization within a general biological engineering degree. "I think we will be able to attract bright, new students," Tan said in an interview. According to a news release about the program, jobs in biomedical engineering grew by 72 percent from 2010 to 2018, strong growth is expected to continue and the median entry-level salary is almost $62,000 per year.
 
Lessons for Facebook from an academic social network
Have you heard of HASTAC? Founded in 2002, the Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory is thought to be one of the oldest academic social networks on the internet. Created two years before Facebook and a year before MySpace, HASTAC (pronounced "haystack") helped to define what social networking online could look like. HASTAC's users can create blog posts and start discussions, as well as post job ads and opportunities. Each user has a profile page and can contact other users through the site. Trending posts on the HASTAC homepage this week include calls for research papers and conference scholarships, an invite to a virtual meet-up for graduate students, and blog entries on topics such as "20 Things Higher Ed Can Learn From the Parkland High School Kids." And yet, unlike other social networks that followed it, HASTAC has managed to remain scandal-free.
 
The hidden crisis on college campuses: 36 percent of students don't have enough to eat
Caleb Torres lost seven pounds his freshman year of college -- and not because he didn't like the food in the dining hall. A first-generation college student, barely covering tuition, Torres ran out of grocery money halfway through the year and began skipping meals as a result. He'd stretch a can of SpaghettiOs over an entire day. Or he'd scout George Washington University campus for events that promised free lunch or snacks. Torres told no one what he was going through, least of all his single mom. "She had enough things to worry about," he said. Now a senior and living off-campus, in a housing situation that supplies most of his meals, Torres is finally talking about his experience with the hunger problem on America's college campuses: a quiet, insidious epidemic that researchers say threatens millions of students every year.
 
Howard U. Sit-In Could Be the Start of Something Bigger
Student protesters at Howard University, who are entering their fifth day of occupying the campus's executive offices, say they won't leave until their demands for change are met. Among the demands: improved campus housing, the resignation of the university's president, and a more forceful response to sexual assault. Side by side, the windows and doors of the main administration building are lined with testaments to students' experiences at Howard. The demands were based on the results of a student survey, and so are specific to Howard, a leading historically black institution, but they also mirror complaints of students at other HBCUs. Just over a month ago, another HBCU faced a similar flash point of student concerns. At the top of the list were strikingly similar issues: housing and sexual assault.
 
MPB radio, TV told to prepare to go it alone
Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "Let's hope not. Tucked into Section 12 of House Bill 1593 was a directive to Mississippi Public Broadcasting: '...Initiate a planning process to transition from receiving any state general funds beginning in Fiscal Year 2022.' What a nutty, nutty, nutty idea. ...It’s simply amazing (or disgusting) that officials who spend so much time bloviating about how dedicated they are to public education and public safety see a statewide radio and television network that also has a solid presence on the internet -- 100 percent devoted to public education and public safety -- as not worth the tiniest fraction of a $6.1 billion budget."
 
Thad Cochran leaves legacy of historic milestones
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, writes: "I have been fortunate to know Thad Cochran and his family for most of my life. We share the same small hometown of Pontotoc, where we were both born at the Rayburn Clinic. Years later, as a young college student, I knocked on doors asking people to elect him to Congress. That election in 1972 was merely the beginning of an exceptional public service career that has spanned more than 45 years. After six years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Thad Cochran would go on to fill the seat left vacant by James Eastland in the U.S. Senate. Since then, Sen. Cochran has become an instrumental figure in the upper chamber, rising to some of its most powerful positions -- Chairman of the Agriculture Committee and Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, to name just two. As he embarks on this well-earned retirement, I am grateful for the unwavering commitment he has shown to the people of Mississippi and for the remarkable opportunity I have had to work with him in the Senate."


SPORTS



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.
Mississippi State University  •  Mississippi State, MS 39762  •  Main Telephone: (662) 325-2323  •   Contact: The Editor  |  The Webmaster  •   Updated: April 3, 2018Facebook Twitter