| Tuesday, April 17, 2018 |
| Clydesdales, Family Celebration to ring in Super Bulldog Weekend | |
 | One of the biggest weekends in Starkville will kick off with events sure to get the city in the spirit. On Friday, downtown Starkville will celebrate the accomplishments of one of the most storied classes in Mississippi State Women's Basketball history. A Women's Basketball Family Celebration will be held Friday afternoon, with attendees asked to gather in front of City Hall on Main Street at 4:30 p.m. The event will commemorate MSU's second-straight Final Four run and will be the second-straight Family Celebration held in downtown. Mayor Lynn Spruill, MSU President Mark Keenum and the MSU Spirit Band will be in attendance. |
| The Catfishing of America | |
 | Driving into Belzoni, Mississippi, it's hard to miss the large orange sign welcoming visitors to the "Catfish Capital of the World." Belzoni, and the surrounding Humphreys County, assumed the "catfish capital" moniker in the 1970s, during American catfish farming's heyday. The industry blossomed in Humphreys and throughout the Delta after local farmers essentially managed to rebrand the whiskered swimmers -- with their reputation for being bottom-feeders -- into a farm-raised delicacy. The industry's boom was also timely in that it coincided with a wave of industrial offshoring and advancements in automation that began wiping out factory jobs in the area. Catfish farming played a significant role in keeping the Delta's economy afloat. "That's essentially when the textile industries left Mississippi -- in the '60s and '70s. That labor is what rolled into these processing plants," says Jimmy Avery, director of the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. |
| E-Cigarettes and Vaping on Rise Among Children | |
 | Mississippi health experts say the number of high school students using e-cigarettes and vaping is on the rise despite years of working to reduce tobacco use. Professor Robert McMillen is with Mississippi State University's Social Science Research Center. Even though the products have been out only five years, he's concerned about the long term effects. "Blood was examined of teenagers who used these products. They had elevated amounts of certain carcinogens and other toxins in their blood," said McMillen. McMillen says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate the devices, which make it easy for kids to get them. Police in Madison County recently issued a warning after some teens vaped cannibis oil and had to be hospitalized. |
| Research: Drunk People Are Better at Creative Problem Solving | |
| Professor Andrew Jarosz of Mississippi State University and colleagues served vodka-cranberry cocktails to 20 male subjects until their blood alcohol levels neared legal intoxication and then gave each a series of word association problems to solve. Not only did those who imbibed give more correct answers than a sober control group performing the same task, but they also arrived at solutions more quickly. The conclusion: drunk people are better at creative problem solving. |
| Speaker Philip Gunn touts conservative groups' support of transportation proposal | |
 | House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, said national conservative groups have endorsed his plan to decrease Mississippi's tax on personal income and increase the levy on motor fuels -- gasoline and diesel -- to pay for transportation needs. Part of the speaker's plan is to lower the income tax -- funds that normally go for education, health care and law enforcement -- by about $160 million over a four-year period and increase the motor fuel tax by 8 cents per gallon over a four year period. Gunn said during a meeting of the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/capitol press corps luncheon Monday that the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Tax Foundation -- both conservative nonprofit national research organizations -- had endorsed his plan. "This is solid tax policy," said Gunn of his plan. |
| Philip Gunn defends fuel-tax swap in jab at Tate Reeves | |
 | House Speaker Philip Gunn once again defended the latest House road and bridge funding proposal -- including a swap of cuts to income taxes and increases in the fuel tax -- from criticism from the right and the left on Monday. "There is no good policy reason I can think of that these are not good ideas," Gunn, a Republican, said. "We are moving dollars from one area to another without any net tax increase. I think if you look at it from every angle, you would have to agree, it's good policy." But fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has panned any fuel tax increase as not conservative, even with an equal swap of income tax cuts. And others have said switching from income to fuel use taxes would be "regressive" or more onerous for lower-income people. |
| Mississippi Speaker: Conservatives Should Support Tax Swap | |
 | A Mississippi legislative leader says conservatives should support his plan to finance road and bridge work, arguing that a shift from income to fuel taxes will aid the state. House Speaker Philip Gunn says Gov. Phil Bryant's closure of more than 100 bridges proves Mississippi needs to act quickly. Gunn spoke Monday a forum sponsored by the Capitol press corps and Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government. |
| Drivers face more than 100 bridges slated for immediate closure | |
| In less than 24 hours, more than 100 bridges that connect many rural and suburban Mississippi commuters to their jobs in larger cities could be closed around the state, Mississippi Department of Transportation officials said on Monday. The announcement came the same day MDOT crews closed a locally owned bridge along Springridge Road in Raymond, located along a route Byram commuters use to get to and from the Jackson metro area. The Hinds County bridge is one of many throughout the state included in Gov. Phil Bryant's state of emergency proclamation last week that orders MDOT to immediately close city and county bridges judged deficient by federal National Bridge Inspection Standards and the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction, or the state could potentially lose federal funding. |
| Poll: Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mike Espy tied; Chris McDaniel distant third | |
| A new poll on Mississippi's pending U.S. Senate races shows Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mike Espy and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith neck and neck in the pack of two Democrats and two Republicans for the special election to replace Thad Cochran. It shows Hyde-Smith leading in a potential runoff between her and Espy. The poll of 1,000 likely voters was conducted by Triumph Campaigns for Y'all Politics on April 10-11. Alan Lange of Y'all Politics said the poll was not weighted but instead showed "all our cards laying face-up." Provided crosstabs indicate results are not greatly skewed by gender or other demographics. |
| Chamber of Commerce makes play in Mississippi Senate race for Cindy Hyde-Smith | |
 | The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is out with a new six-figure ad meant to back newly appointed Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) in her fall bid for reelection, which will pit her in a tight race against state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R), among other opponents. The early effort is indicative of the Republican establishment's push to rally around Hyde-Smith, who was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant (R) to fill Sen. Thad Cochran's (R) vacant seat. The chamber's new ad, which will run on broadcast television as well as cable and satellite, is a biographical spot meant to introduce voters to Hyde-Smith, the state's former agriculture commissioner. It plays up her farming roots and her "strong conservative" record, while connecting her with Bryant and his administration. |
| Sally Doty's $53K trails others; senator's contributions filing missed deadline | |
 | Brookhaven state senator and congressional candidate Sally Doty missed a campaign finance disclosure deadline over the weekend, and her self-reported cash total puts her near the bottom of the pile of well-funded competitors. Doty, who is fighting to represent Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, said her campaign has $53,819, putting her in fifth place against the other six Republicans in the race. One candidate -- Seminary's Perry Parker, a former stock trader and Wall Street businessman -- has raised $342,042, six times Doty's total. "It's a challenge, being from a smaller area, to try to match those more populous and, honestly, wealthier areas of the state," Doty said. "Also, I was tied to the Legislature for three months, and I really felt it was inappropriate to approach some of the people I wanted to while we were in session." |
| Relatively unknown Clinton lawyer appointed Hinds County circuit judge | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed a Clinton attorney to serve out the term of retired Hinds County Circuit Judge Bill Gowan. Joseph Anthony Sclafani will assume the position April 23. Sclafani, a resident of Clinton, has been in private practice with Brunini, Grantham, Grower, and Hewes, PLLC, since 2003. His areas of practice include appellate, commercial litigation, product liability and mass tort, and premises liability. Gowan retired at the end of March. Sclafani will serve out Gowan's term, which ends Jan. 1. Sclafani said via a telephone interview that he will be a candidate in November for a full four-year term. Sclafani is a 1999 graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law where he finished first in his graduating class. Before heading to law school, he obtained a bachelor's degree in history from Mississippi College. |
| Federal judge weighs special master to review seized Trump-Cohen records | |
 | A federal judge signaled Monday that she is unlikely to grant President Trump's request to let him unilaterally determine what material seized last week from his personal lawyer is privileged, but she indicated that she may appoint an outside attorney to assess the records in an effort to carefully navigate the high-stakes case. The investigation of Michael Cohen -- which has pitted the president against his own Justice Department -- took another unexpected turn Monday with the courtroom revelation that one of Cohen's legal clients was Fox News commentator Sean Hannity. The connection between the two men inserted another high-profile, polarizing Trump ally into the drama surrounding the criminal investigation of the president's longtime lawyer. |
| U.S. and U.K. Warn of Cybersecurity Threat From Russia | |
 | The United States and Britain on Monday issued a first-of-its-kind joint warning about Russian cyberattacks against government and private organizations as well as individual homes and offices in both countries, a milestone in the escalating use of cyberweaponry between major powers. Although Washington and London have known for decades that the Kremlin was trying to penetrate their computer networks, the joint warning appeared to represent an effort to deter future attacks by calling attention to existing vulnerabilities, prodding individuals to mitigate them and threatening retaliation against Moscow if damage was done. "When we see malicious cyberattacks, whether from the Kremlin or other nation-state actors, we are going to push back," Rob Joyce, a special assistant to the president and the cybersecurity coordinator for the National Security Council, said in joint conference call with journalists by senior officials in Washington and London. |
| In new sign of trade battle, China slaps U.S. sorghum producers with 179 percent deposit | |
| China announced temporary anti-dumping measures Tuesday on U.S. sorghum, potentially hitting U.S. growers and exacerbating the brewing trade war between Beijing and Washington. China's Ministry of Commerce said that starting Wednesday, Chinese importers of U.S. sorghum, used by the Chinese for animal feed and brewing alcohol, will be required to put down a 178.6 percent deposit in anticipation of anti-dumping tariffs. The deposits could discourage imports of U.S. sorghum, hurting American producers. The news came a day after the United States banned U.S. firms from selling parts to Chinese phone maker ZTE for seven years. |
| Ole Miss promotes sustainability with ninth annual Green Week | |
 | Green Week on campus begins today and will end on Earth Day, April 22, nine years after its inaugural event. The University of Mississippi has recognized Green Week since 2009 under leadership of the Office of Sustainability, which seeks to "expand awareness of local and global environmental issues, increase participation in sustainable behaviors and promote appreciate of our natural resources through education." To commemorate the occasion, the Office of Sustainability has coordinated with the Associated Student Body, Department of Facilities Planning, Department of Transportation and the Landscaping Department to put on a variety of events including luncheons, farmers' markets and a keynote address by environmental poet Camille Dungy. |
| Ole Miss student wins top scholarship for public policy work | |
| A University of Mississippi junior will receive a Truman Scholarship. Ole Miss says Jaz Brisack is the 15th student from the university to win the award. Brisack, an honors student and Oxford native, has had an article on labor union organizing published, won a creative nonfiction award at the Southern Literary Festival, and was named the university's outstanding freshman. She plans to seek a master's degree in creative writing and work to organize unions that will make workplaces more democratic. |
| USM's Marine Education Center opens in Ocean Springs | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory held ribbon cutting ceremonies Monday for the $16.1 million Marine Education Center in Ocean Springs. In technical terms, the facility serves as the educational and outreach center for the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. The state-of-the-art center, nestled within the coastal marshlands, serves as a living classroom for everyone involved. "It's a place where both students and the public will gain and understanding of how the Gulf of Mexico affects daily life," said Monty Graham, Southern Miss School of Ocean Science and Technology director. "We set out to set an example on how to work with nature rather than working against it," said Chris Snyder, Marine Education Center director. |
| Black Spring Breakers say they did not feel welcome in Biloxi | |
 | Many visitors at Black Spring Break took to social media to show what a good time they were having. But not all the posts were positive, and some said they did not feel welcome on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Police were more visible than ever after last year's record crowds sparked a new traffic plan that closed one lane of U.S. 90 in both directions for 9 miles. Law enforcement officers and their vehicles were parked in and patrolled the closed lanes. The city estimates about 30,000 people attended Black Spring Break. The hotel occupancy rate went from 90 percent full to more than 3,000 rooms available because of the threat of severe weather and "a number of declined credit cards," according to the city. There were no major crime incidents over the weekend, but business at Edgewater Mall was temporarily halted Friday night when gunshots were reported. |
| Mississippi to review amount of state testing in schools | |
| The backlash from parents, educators and lawmakers against high-stakes testing and the time it takes away from other educational instruction has prompted state Superintendent of Education Carey Wright to establish a study group charged with reviewing how much students are tested at the state and district levels. Wright said Monday that House Education Chairman Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, and Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, will serve on the task force, which should start meeting this summer. "We have heard concerns from parents, lawmakers and educators about the amount of testing on the state and district levels and the time spent on test preparation in schools," she said in a statement. |
| Jane Goodall shares her love of nature at spring symposium at Auburn | |
 | When Jane Goodall began her research of chimpanzees in 1960 in what is now Tanzania, she had no idea that it would be her life's work. "I thought maybe three years," she told reporters Monday at The Hotel at Auburn University, adding that anthropologist/paleontologist Louis Leakey thought she might study chimps for a decade. "I didn't think beyond it. I lived in the moment." Fifty-eight years later, Goodall is a household name, known for her groundbreaking research of chimpanzee behavior -- most notably, that they make and use tools. Goodall spoke as part of the 16th annual Women's Philanthropy Board Spring Symposium and Luncheon at Auburn University. She recounted tales of the curious mind she possessed even as a young child, told about going to college at Cambridge, and the development of the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots and Shoots program, which encourages students to do something good for the world around them. |
| U. of Florida professor wins Pulitzer in history | |
 | University of Florida professor Jack Davis was meeting with graduate students Monday afternoon when his office phone began to ring. Then his cellphone started ringing. Then the text messages started arriving. "I was, to be honest with you, a little annoyed by them," Davis said. The ringing didn't stop. Thinking someone had died, he checked the texts on his cellphone. They were congratulating him on his 2018 Pulitzer Prize. "I was literally speechless," said Davis, a history professor. Davis won the Pulitzer in history for his book "The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea." It was published in March 2017 by Liveright and W.W. Norton. The book is a four-part examination of the history of the Gulf of Mexico written for a general audience, he said. |
| U. of Arkansas Turns to Wood In Building Projects | |
 | Roger Boskus has a busy moonlighting gig. He's a partner at Miller Boskus Lack Architects in Fayetteville, the architecture firm of record for the 27,000-SF library storage facility that the University of Arkansas is building off Government Avenue. The facility is the first in Arkansas that will be built with cross-laminated timber panels. CLT is a new construction material in the United States, but it has been widely used in Europe and elsewhere. The first panel at the library storage unit was installed Feb. 7. Since then, Boskus has been a tour guide for the facility, which is scheduled to be completed this summer. "It is the future of construction," Boskus said. "It's the right thing to do." |
| U. of Tennessee police: False rumors of shooting on Knoxville campus spread on social media | |
 | Like a game of "Telephone," a conversation about a cartoon rapidly morphed into a false rumor of a shooting planned at the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus on Monday, a case that police said showcases how quickly baseless claims can spread on social media. About 10:30 a.m., UT police began receiving "numerous references and phone calls" regarding false rumors that a shooting would occur at noon at the Student Union building, UT Police Chief Troy Lane said at a news conference. Lane spoke as he stood in front of a whiteboard where he had mapped out the connections between four people whom investigators believe started the rumors. "I had to write it down because it's fairly convoluted -- a lot of moving pieces," he said. |
| U. of Missouri Residential Life restructured for students, employees living on campus | |
 | Students living and working in the University of Missouri's residence halls next year will see organizational changes to their Freshman Interest Groups, student adviser positions, payment options for desk attendants and non-freshman on-campus housing. With the adjustments, the number of FIGs offered next year will decrease by about 20 to 25 groups from 75 this year, non-freshmen will have the opportunity to live together in Defoe-Graham Hall, resident hall desk attendants working under MizzouMade contracts will receive compensation only in the form of free lodging, and all student advisers will work under the uniform title "resident adviser." |
| Universities work to offer complete Wi-Fi coverage on campus | |
 | Gaming consoles, tablets, smart speakers, minifridges that text you when you run out of beer -- these are just some of the internet-connected items students are now bringing with them to their residence halls. Not every device is for entertainment, however -- phones, tablets and laptops might (at least sometimes) get used for academic purposes. But with so many Wi-Fi-enabled devices, colleges are struggling to keep up with students' expectation that wireless internet should be free, fast and everywhere. With such high demand for bandwidth, how can institutions avoid scenarios where students trying to work are slowed down by their neighbors playing video games? At Elon, the institution has created two Wi-Fi networks -- one for primary devices like mobile phones and printers, and a second just for smart devices and gaming consoles. "We used to hand out a thousand ethernet cables each year; now students don't need them," said Christopher Waters, chief information officer at Elon University. The institution is midway through converting all its residence halls to wireless only. |
| Labor Department answers questions on academic employees and overtime | |
| The Labor Department answered some outstanding questions about academic overtime pay last week, putting such compensation officially out of reach for adjuncts teaching online, among other workers. The department has already determined that adjuncts who teach face-to-face classes are generally not eligible for overtime. But questions remain about online or remote instructors and postdoctoral fellows who do work other than teaching, for example. While higher education's largest association for human resources professionals lauded the guidance, faculty groups said it was more of the same for chronically underpaid part-time instructors. "I'm not surprised at all," said Rudy Fichtenbaum, president of the American Association of University Professors and a professor of economics at Wright State University. |
| The Future of College Looks Like the Future of Retail | |
| Online learning has come a long way since the turn of the millennium. It certainly hasn't displaced traditional colleges, as its biggest proponents said it had the potential to, but it has gained widespread popularity: The number of students in the U.S. enrolled in at least one online course rose from 1.6 million in 2002 to more than 6 million in 2016. As online learning extends its reach, though, it is starting to run into a major obstacle: There are undeniable advantages, as traditional colleges have long known, to learning in a shared physical space. Recognizing this, some online programs are gradually incorporating elements of the old-school, brick-and-mortar model -- just as online retailers such as Bonobos and Warby Parker use relatively small physical outlets to spark sales on their websites and increase customer loyalty. Perhaps the future of higher education sits somewhere between the physical and the digital. |
| Sad to hear Senator Wicker singing praises of President Trump | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "With apologies to Lloyd Bentsen, Mississippians have watched the career of Roger Wicker for a while. Roger Wicker is no Donald Trump. It has been disheartening to watch and listen as Wicker, now senior U.S. senator from Mississippi, positions himself more and more in the president's pocket and less and less in line with the thoughtful and sincere conservatism that had defined his career. ...It was 1988 when Bentsen, the Democratic nominee for vice president, snarled at Dan Quayle, the Republican nominee, that Quayle didn't measure up to the stature of former President John F. Kennedy. Likewise, Roger Wicker doesn't measure down to the stature of our current president." |
SPORTS
| Dak Prescott, Mississippi State greats return for spring game | |
 | Dak Prescott and other MSU greats will be on hand this weekend as guest captains for this year's spring game. The school announced Prescott, former Thorpe Aware winner Johnthan Banks and current Oakland Raiders lineman Gabe Jackson will be on campus. The spring game is set to begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at Davis Wade Stadium. First-year head coach Joe Moorhead has been pushing fans on social media to break a school spring game record. Admission is free. |
| HailState Hoops to be Honored During Super Bulldog Weekend | |
 | A historic season by SEC champion and NCAA national finalist Mississippi State women's basketball will be celebrated during Super Bulldog Weekend presented by Stand Up Mississippi. On Friday, a celebration of the 2017-18 season will be held in downtown StarkVegas starting at 4:30 p.m. The Bulldogs will ride on a fire truck down Main Street to City Hall, where a ceremony recognizing the team's accomplishments will be held. The Bulldogs then head to Dudy Noble Field where Vic Schaefer will throw out the first pitch prior to the Diamond Dawgs’ 6:30 p.m. series opener against Arkansas. The CSpire Gillom and Howell trophies will be presented to Victoria Vivians and Quinndary Weatherspoon, respectively, prior to the game. |
| Bulldogs celebrated at women's basketball awards banquet | |
| Monday night was a time for celebration, a time for tears, a time for laughter and a time for reflection. It was a night that has become an annual event for Mississippi State women's basketball fans and the team they followed. Monday's Hail State Hoops Banquet was another success for coach Vic Schaefer and his team as the Bulldogs honored the support staff and the fans after another record-setting year. "People have told me that this was the greatest team in Mississippi State history," Schaefer said. The Mill hosted the event once again this year to a capacity crowd. MSU fans were treated to the awards banquet for the team, the final senior remarks from four outgoing players, Schaefer final thoughts on the team and a highlight video. |
| Bulldogs hand out awards to cap historic season | |
| Mississippi State handed out awards and celebrated a historic 2017-18 season Monday night as it held its Hail State Hoops Awards Banquet at The Mill at MSU. Victoria Vivians, Teaira McCowan, Jordan Danberry and Blair Schaefer took home two awards each. Vivians and McCowan were named Co-Most Outstanding Players following All-American seasons. Vivians, the No. 8 pick by the Indiana Fever in last week's WNBA Draft, led the Bulldogs in scoring with a career-best 19.6 ppg. Coach Vic Schaefer also presented Dr. Janice Nicholson with the Fan of the Year Award. |
| Mississippi State men look for another top five golf finish at Old Waverly Collegiate | |
| Mississippi State will look to claim another top five finish Tuesday after rallying in the second round of its home tournament, the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship on Monday. State was spurred on by a clean round from sophomore Garrett Johnson, who shot 1-under for the round and didn't bogey a single hole at the Par 72, 7,000-yard Old Waverly Golf Course. "I felt like over all we battled all day in some tough conditions," MSU coach Dusty Smith said. "Garrett's second round was huge for us. With the conditions and hole location in the second round, to not make a bogey is a huge round for our team." The Bulldogs closed their first round in sixth place after shooting 8-over. After posting the field's second-best second round score, a 2-over, they jumped into fourth place for today's final round. |
| SEC commissioner discusses conference concerns | |
 | Greg Sankey agrees with Nick Saban on the subject that high school football coaches should be allowed to work summer collegiate camps. That was one of an array of topics the SEC commissioner discussed Monday afternoon on the campus of Samford University during his annual appearance at the Associated Press Sports Editors regional meeting. "We do not believe in the removal of the high school coach in the process," Sankey said. Sankey also discussed the FBI probe into college basketball, an investigation that resulted in multiple suspensions in the SEC this season. "I think there's an appropriate level of concern and attention given what's happened around men's basketball," Sankey said. |
| Greg Sankey: SEC continues to have 'healthy dialogue' regarding in-stadium alcohol sale policy | |
 | Auburn celebrated the grand opening of "Plainsman Patio" on March 13 at Plainsman Park, giving the university one of the few athletic venues within the SEC that permits the sale of alcohol. The SEC currently prohibits the sale of alcohol in general admission seating areas, though some league schools have taken steps to make alcohol more accessible in venues in recent years. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday while speaking at the APSE Southeast Region meeting in Birmingham that he and SEC member institutions continues to have "healthy dialogue" regarding the league's current policy and whether changes should be made moving forward. "We've had some of that (dialog) continue," Sankey said. "We've seen some adjustments." |
| Will SEC follow NCAA and abolish its prohibition on alcohol? It's not that 'easy,' says Greg Sankey | |
 | The NCAA this week is likely to abolish long-standing legislation outlawing alcohol sales at its championship events. In the Southeastern Conference, meanwhile, prohibition reigns. The NCAA Division I Council is set to vote on a proposal to eliminate a policy that has long kept booze out of championship events. The governing body for college athletics has used a waiver the past two years to sell alcohol at various championships, including the College World Series. Such a waiver would no longer be needed if the council approves the proposal at meetings Tuesday and Wednesday in Indianapolis, which is expected. The potential decision only furthers the growing push from some SEC schools -- LSU included -- to lift the league's ban on stadium-wide alcohol sales. Commissioner Greg Sankey on Monday insisted that it won't be "easy" to overturn such a "decades-long tradition that's been in place," he said. |
| Could alcohol sales take place in future for football games at Neyland Stadium? | |
| SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday he expects the conference's stance on alcohol sales at stadiums to be subject to ongoing debate and dialogue. Debate on the rule has been ongoing since last year, and the topic of alcohol sales probably will come up at the SEC spring meetings in May in Destin, Fla. "We had a healthy dialogue among our members (last year). We've had some of that continue," Sankey said at the Associated Press Sports Editors Southeast Region conference. "From a stadium-wide standpoint, there are those who think that, let's just take all the restraint off at the conference level," Sankey added. "But that's not unanimous, and I'm not sure it's, right now, a majority position." Alcohol is mentioned at various points of a 316-page Neyland Stadium renovation planning document dated last September. The document notes the possibility of selling alcohol in general seating areas in the future and touches on infrastructure needed to make that a possibility. |
| A-Gap: The future will include alcohol sales at SEC games | |
| One day you'll be able to go to a Southeastern Conference game and enjoy a beer. Actually, you already can at many venues -- provided you've purchased a ticket (and perhaps the accompanying seat license) that allows you into the private "club" space. Or you visit the outfield at many SEC baseball stadiums (contrary to rumor, that is in fact not ice-cold Coca-Cola the Ole Miss students are tossing into the air to celebrate home runs). It's no longer elitist if the former is happening, or like at Auburn and Texas A&M, a $5 ticket gets you entry into the beer garden area. It's where we're headed, even if SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is not willing to leap to that conclusion. "From a stadium-wide standpoint, there are those who think that let's just take all the restraint off at the conference level," Sankey added. "But that's not unanimous, and I'm not sure it's, right now, a majority position." There are several obvious reasons to at least allow schools the option (which is what Alabama AD Greg Byrne is proposing). |
| What really happened between Hugh Freeze, Alabama and the SEC | |
| If Nick Saban had gotten what he wanted, Hugh Freeze would be in Tuscaloosa this week helping Alabama prepare for its annual A-Day spring game. It's what the former Ole Miss coach wanted, too. The Southeastern Conference, though, wasn't in favor of that happening. Alabama was one of at least five SEC schools that had contact with Freeze about on-field jobs this offseason. Saban wanted to hire Freeze as a co-offensive coordinator and position coach, sources told AL.com. However, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey encouraged Alabama not to hire a man as well known for the personal shortcomings that led to his Ole Miss resignation as he is for his success as a coach. It's the primary reason why Saban, the highest-paid and most powerful coach in college football, couldn't add Freeze to his staff this offseason, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. |
| Problems in the classroom for students suffering even mild concussions, study finds | |
| The devastating effects of repeated concussions on college athletes have been well documented -- brain disease that can lead to mood changes, concentration problems and even suicidal tendencies. What researchers haven't captured much -- until now -- is how milder brain injuries can do the same (to a degree). Athletes and veterans may not present overt symptoms from more minor brain injuries, but that damage can still interfere with their academics, a new study from the University of Montana and the University of Vermont has found. These students might have memory loss, issues focusing in class or vision problems -- and might not even know it. The findings were published this month in Scientific Reports, a branch of Nature Research Journal. The study adds to the growing debate over when veterans should allowed to enroll again in active duty, and when and if athletes should be cleared to go back on the field after a blow to the head. |
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.
