| Wednesday, April 25, 2018 |
| MSU Extension's Equine Assisted Therapy Programs host expo | |
 | Participants in the Mississippi State University Extension Equine Assisted Therapy Programs showed off their horse riding skills to friends and family at an expo Monday night at the Mississippi Horse Park. The programs benefit children of all ages with different disabilities and conditions, including but not limited to autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, learning disabilities, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, visual and hearing impairments, cardiovascular accidents and strokes, brain injuries, amputations, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy. "Last night was a special night for the kids to be recognized for their hard work and determination," director Cassie Brunson said. "It's always inspiring to me, and the expo is a chance for everyone to witness what I see on a weekly basis." |
| Meridian business student receives MSU Spirit of State award | |
 | A Mississippi State-Meridian student recently received the university's premier student recognition for exceptional personal contributions to campus life. Mariam Khmaladze of Meridian is among 14 MSU students honored. The senior business administration major was recognized as MSU-Meridian's 2018 Spirit of State Award recipient during a recent ceremony on the Starkville campus. Now in its 13th year, the Spirit of State Awards program, organized by the university's Division of Student Affairs, formally honors those who have made a positive impact on peers and the broader campus community through organizational involvement, service to the institution and personal actions promoting school spirit and tradition. "In the 13 years I've been with Mississippi State, I've never met a student that embodies the characteristics of this award more than Mariam," Hill said. |
| More Indian American Early Career Academics Emerge as NSF CAREER Winners | |
 | Additional Indian American academics continue to emerge as National Science Foundation early career development award, or CAREER, winners. Following West Virginia University assistant professor Antar Jutla being named a recipient, faculty members at Cornell, Mississippi State and U.C. Irvine have also been named award recipients. At Mississippi State University, Neeraj Rai was named a CAREER Award recipient. Rai is an assistant professor in MSU's Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering. He was named a recipient for his work in developing efficient catalysts and processes that convert biomass into chemicals, fuels and other sustainable materials, according to an MSU news release. This is the second national-level win for Rai in the past eight months. The Department of Energy also honored Rai with the DOE Early Career Award. |
| MACA awards scholarships, names Hall of Fame inductees | |
 | During its annual meeting in Starkville, Miss., the Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association awarded scholarships and inducted two members into its Hall of Fame. The scholarship recipients are two Mississippi State University students: Tyler Towles, who graduated from Deer Creek High School in Mississippi in 2011 and Ben Sperry, who graduated from Citrus High School in Inverness, Fla. in 2010. Towles received a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences, Integrated Pest Management from MSU in 2016. He since has been in the school's master's program with the Department of Entomology. He recently was propelled into the PhD program with the research program he was worked on for the past two years under Angus Catchot. Sperry received a bachelor's degree in Plant Science, majoring in Crop Ecology and a minor in Soil and Water Science from the University of Florida. He later received a master's degree in Agronomy, specializing in weed science from UF. He is now working on a PhD in Agronomy at MSU under the direction of Dan Reynolds. |
| Spray Cleaner System Will Deactivate Dicamba | |
| Monsanto has partnered with Adjuvants Unlimited to create a new sprayer system cleaner that will deactivate dicamba. The companies will bring this product to market in 2018 through partnerships. "We have been testing this new technology in university trials and it has proven to be very effective at cleaning sprayer systems that have contained dicamba tank mixed with additional herbicide ingredients," says Dan Reynolds, professor of weed science at Mississippi State University. "We have seen a significant reduction in the presence of dicamba when utilizing this technology as part of the labeled sprayer cleanout process." This past year there were more than 3.5 million acres of estimated damage from dicamba in soybeans -- tank contamination was one of the culprits of this off-target damage. |
| Waypoint Residential Acquires the Claiborne at Adelaide, an 82-Unit Senior Living Facility in Starkville | |
| Waypoint Residential, a vertically integrated real estate investment firm focused on the U.S. rental housing sector, announced that it has acquired The Claiborne at Adelaide, an 82-unit senior living facility located in Starkville, Mississippi. This acquisition is Waypoint's second investment in the senior housing sector. "Mississippi State University is an important demand driver and growth engine for the area. The Claiborne at Adelaide's setting in this vibrant college town makes it especially attractive to residents, as graduates and faculty often retire in Starkville to maintain their connection to the university," said Jeremy Pemberton, Chief Acquisition Officer. "Our in-depth student housing expertise uniquely enabled us to analyze Starkville's market dynamics and the synergies created by the university's presence, which was a significant factor in our decision to invest in a smaller market." |
| 1883 Smokehouse coming to Starkville | |
| A new family-friendly barbecue restaurant, 1883 Smokehouse, will open its doors in Starkville this summer. 1883 Smokehouse, co-owned by the owner of Sturgis Smokehouse in Sturgis, will be open in four to six weeks in the previous Penn's Fish House location on the corner of Highway 12 and Avenue of the Patriots. Owner Mark Welch said 1883 Smokehouse's menu will be similar to Sturgis Smokehouse's menu, but there will be some changes. "It's basically the same, but it's a casual steakhouse at night, and it's going to have the largest salad bar in Starkville," Welch said. "It's going to be six feet long. We're really hitting on pork chops, ribeye steak sandwiches, filets and catfish at night." |
| Shadrack White: Mississippi Justice Institute fights for fairness | |
 | Shadrack White says his work with the Mississippi Justice Institute is about fighting to protect the rights of others. White, director for the institute, spoke to the Starkville Rotary Club Monday about what his organization does. "We're a nonprofit organization, and we represent people in court when their rights have been taken away," White said. As an example, White pointed to a case MJI is currently involved in on behalf of two men who want to start a taxi company in Jackson. He said the city of Jackson has placed strict regulations on starting new cab companies in the city, such as having at least eight taxis to start, requiring that an office be located in the city, having a dispatcher on duty 24 hours a day and other requirements. Those requirements would make it impossible for the new company to start, and MJI has represented them in their case against the city. |
| Regional hospitals earn A's, B's for patient safety | |
 | Northeast Mississippi hospitals scored A's and B's on the latest round of patient safety grades. Gilmore Memorial Hospital in Amory, Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth and Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford received A grades from the Washington, D.C.-based Leapfrog Group, which analyzed data for 2,500 U.S. hospitals. North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo, OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville and Baptist Memorial-Union County in New Albany earned B grades in the spring report released Tuesday. Across Mississippi, Leapfrog analyzed data from 31 hospitals. St. Dominic's in Jackson was among the nine hospitals receiving A grades. Ten hospitals received B grades, including Northwest Mississippi Medical Center in Clarksdale. University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and Forrest General Hospital and Merit Health Wesley, both in Hattiesburg, were among the six hospitals receiving C grades. |
| Leapfrog lowers OCH safety grade to 'B' | |
| Some area hospitals saw improvement and others saw a slight drop in ratings by a health care industry mainstay that analyzes hospital safety across the country. The spring 2018 safety grades for the Leapfrog Group were released on Tuesday, providing the public with the organization's take on hospital safety, staffing and procedures. OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville saw its Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade fall from an A in the fall of 2017 to a B in the spring of 2018. While OCH Regional Medical Center's rating fell, the score is still a drastic improvement from the D grade the county-owned hospital received from the group for both the spring and fall of 2015. The Starkville-based hospital performed above average in several categories, but Leapfrog rated the hospital's performance below average for several subcategories. This included issues with surgery related to serious breathing problems; practices to prevent errors such as doctors ordering medications through a computer, communication about discharge and, finally, doctors, nurses and hospital staff as it related to specially trained doctor care for ICU patients. |
| Meridian invests in economy and culture to The MAX | |
| The Queen City's long-awaited homage to the state's rich artistic history, roughly 20 years in the making, is now four days away. In Meridian, one of Mississippi's gateways from the east, planners behind the two-story, 60,000 square foot Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience -- or The MAX, as it's called -- recently shared a preview of the nearly finished product, which will seek to both attract drivers off Interstate 20 as well as to plant seeds of inspiration for local, young creatives chasing the legacies left by state heroes including Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, B.B. King and many others. On Saturday morning at 9, Meridian Mayor Percy Bland will lead the ribbon cutting ceremony at The MAX, kicking off a series of lectures, workshops and demonstrations over the weekend and the following week. |
| Report: Public Employees' Retirement System won't reach current funding goals | |
 | A new study of the Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) shows the state will not reach its minimum goal of being 80 percent funded by 2042. In fact, as of June 2017, the PERS funding ratio was sitting at 61.1 percent. And that's an increase over 2016, when the funding ratio was just 60 percent. The report released Tuesday by the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER Committee) is titled 2017 Update on Financial Soundness of the Public Employees' Retirement System. According to the PEER Report, the latest projects show the Public Employee Retirement System's funding ratio is more likely to be around 70.1 percent by 2042. To fix this, the PEER Committee offers several suggestions. |
| Poll: Dem leads Republican by 5 points in likely match-up for Mississippi governor | |
 | Mississippi's Democratic attorney general holds a slight lead over the state's GOP lieutenant governor in a potential gubernatorial match-up. A new Mason-Dixon poll found that 44 percent of people said they would support Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood, compared to 39 percent who said they would support GOP Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. Hood also leads Reeves in name recognition and favorability, according to the poll. Seventeen percent of respondents said they are undecided between the two potential candidates. Neither has filed yet for the 2019 race, but both are expected to run to replace Gov. Phil Bryant (R), who is in his second and final term. |
| Jason Shelton makes first formal campaign pitch | |
| Kicking off his campaign for the U.S. Senate in front of a hometown crowd, Jason Shelton stressed his roots in Northeast Mississippi while pledging to serve as a voice for the entire state. Three weeks after announcing his intent to enter a special election to replace Thad Cochran, Shelton's campaign held a fundraiser and his inaugural campaign speech at the Tupelo Furniture Market Tuesday night. This campaign kickoff comes on the heels of a busy weekend that saw Shelton make stops from Starkville to the Gulf Coast to meet voters and pitch his candidacy. Declaring Tuesday only the first day of his campaign, Shelton told the Daily Journal he is working right now to establish wider name recognition before compiling a more detailed platform on national issues. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith incorrectly says she has President Trump's support | |
 | A Republican appointee who's trying to hold onto a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi sent a fundraising appeal Tuesday saying she's supported by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. But, Trump and Pence have not endorsed Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith -- or anyone else -- in the special election. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant appointed the former state agriculture commissioner to temporarily succeed longtime Sen. Thad Cochran, 80, who retired April 1 because of health concerns. Hyde-Smith's campaign spokesman, Jordan Russell, said "the wrong draft" of the fundraising email was sent. He said it should have said Hyde-Smith believes Trump and Pence will support her. |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith email falsely claims Trump, Pence support for Senate | |
 | A fundraising letter from Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith says that President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence support her, but to-date neither has endorsed her and the White House has reportedly expressed concern over her candidacy. Hyde-Smith campaign manager Jordan Russell said her statement in the letter is a "drafting error" in an email generated by an outside vendor hired by the campaign. "It should have read, 'I believe I will (have the support of Trump and Pence),' not 'I have,'" Russell said. Supporters of Republican candidate Chris McDaniel -- who has urged Trump to endorse him, or at least not endorse Hyde-Smith -- cried foul over the letter. Trump and Pence have endorsed incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in his re-election bid but have so far not endorsed or announced public support for Hyde-Smith. Her supporters say they still expect a Trump endorsement for her. |
| Education funding top issue as Delta towns get update on legislative session | |
| As a way to keep residents informed about this past legislative session, state Rep. Orlando Paden, D-Clarksdale, hosted a community forum here comprised of Democratic state officials, congressional leaders, and public policy advocates to reflect on hot button issues like Medicaid, women's rights and equal pay, and infrastructure for roads and bridges. But the talk of a rewrite of the state's K-12 education formula was a recurring theme throughout the panel discussions at the Coahoma Community College pinnacle on Monday night. "I'm supposed to update y'all on what good things happened with K-12 education so it'll be very short compared to (the other speakers)," said state Rep. Jay Hughes. |
| Restaurant tax: Smith, Younger agree on reducing restaurant tax floor | |
| Monday, in its first meeting since the 2-percent county wide restaurant sales tax that funds the Columbus Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau died in the Legislature, the CVB board elicited a compromise from local legislators the board hopes will revive the tax and ensure the future of the bureau and the projects it supports. After hearing testimonials from a restaurateur, a hotelier and a volunteer who works closely with the Columbus Air Force Base -- each extolling the importance of the tax and the CVB -- Board Chair Dewitt Hicks harvested commitments from Rep. Jeff Smith and Sen. Chuck Younger to support a version of the tax that would include a $100,000 floor, which would require all restaurants/businesses with gross annual sales about that threshold to collect the tax from customers. In previous years, the tax has been collected only from businesses that make at least $325,000 from those sales. That effort was not without disagreements, however. |
| Congress approved testing food aid reforms; impatient House GOP won't wait for results | |
 | Four years ago, the Republican-dominated House okayed spending millions on experimental programs to aid low-income Americans in finding work and no longer depending on the nation's food aid program. It promised to evaluate whether the experiment was a success in 2019, and so far, there are indicators the programs have had positive effects. Yet House Republicans today are moving quickly to revamp the food aid program nationwide, less than a year before reports on the effectiveness of experimental programs are available. The proposed changes could make millions ineligible for aid if they don't follow stricter work requirements. No studies are available yet on how increased work requirements benefit taxpayers in these programs. |
| Supreme Court to consider Trump's travel ban and the president's authority | |
 | The Supreme Court for the first time Wednesday considers a major initiative of the Trump administration, reviewing whether President Trump's travel ban is a necessary step to protect the country from terrorism or an illegal and unconstitutional fulfillment of campaign promises to ban Muslim immigrants. Lower courts have struck down each of the three iterations of the president's proclamation, the first of which was issued just a week after he took office in January 2017. But the conservative-leaning Supreme Court may be Trump's best hope, and it gave the administration a boost by allowing the ban to go into effect in December while considering the challenges to it. |
| U.S. Must Keep DACA and Accept New Applications, Federal Judge Rules | |
 | In the biggest setback yet for the Trump administration in its attempt to end a program that shields some undocumented young adults from deportation, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the protections must stay in place and that the government must resume accepting new applications. Judge John D. Bates of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia said that the administration's decision to terminate the program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, was based on the "virtually unexplained" grounds that the program was "unlawful." The judge stayed his decision for 90 days and gave the Department of Homeland Security, which administers the program, the opportunity to better explain its reasoning for canceling it. |
| Ole Miss student becomes first to win prestigious Truman scholarship in 8 years | |
 | A small, copper-colored chain with a wire hanger-shaped pendant dangles around her neck. Her long, red hair drapes over her shoulders, and her hands rest on her knees as she cradles a tall cup of iced tea. She is donned in a tan button-up shirt and a knee-length skirt embroidered with patterns of bright blue and green beads. Her name is Jaz Brisack, and she is the university's 15th Harry S. Truman Scholar. A junior general studies major, Brisack considers herself a student activist and has been involved in many organizations, both on- and off-campus. Her accomplishments include being president of College Democrats and volunteering at the "Pink House," the only clinic in Mississippi that provides abortion services. Brisack's copper-colored necklace is a visceral reminder of why she is so involved in the community. Brisack was homeschooled and comes from a family of politically active educators. |
| UMMC steadily improving patient safety, latest Leapfrog scorecard shows | |
| University of Mississippi Medical Center says its making strides to improve hygiene and patient safety at its main campus, and the latest scorecard from a national hospital watchdog agrees. The Leapfrog Group gave UMMC a C grade in its Spring 2018 report card, up from a D last fall. UMMC officials were jolted when Leapfrog gave the hospital an F in the fall of 2015. That was just as Dr. Michael Henderson, UMMC chief medical officer, was coming on board from Cleveland Clinic Health System in Ohio, where he helped improve patient safety dramatically. Henderson said the latest Leapfrog score "is validation of the great work the employees here are doing. The credit goes to those at the front-line who have to do this work." |
| What does Southern Miss have to do with the Olympics and World Cup? | |
 | The Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl -- all major international sporting events that present a wide range of policing and security challenges for their host countries. Now, the University of Southern Mississippi's National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security is training officials to prepare for some of the biggest challenges in securing such events. "Major sporting events are targets because of the high visibility of such events, the number of people attending and the media attention," said center Director Lou Marciani. With criminal groups waiting to capitalize on increased border traffic, large crowds and the potential for violence and terrorism presented by such events, the training is more crucial than ever before. Marciani has just returned from Lyon, France, where the center worked with INTERPOL's Project Stadia on a three-day training with officials from 24 foreign countries. The training is the second in a series of six the center is presenting with INTERPOL. |
| Meridian Community College names EMCC president as fifth finalist in president search | |
| The Meridian Community College Board of Trustees named Thomas Huebner, current president of East Mississippi Community College, as a fifth finalist for the presidency of the institution. The announcement was made by MCC Board Chairman Alex Weddington in a news release Tuesday morning. Huebner has accepted an invitation from the board to interview for the position on Wednesday, May 30, Weddington said. He will be the final interview of the finalists, according to the news release. Others already scheduled to interview are Paul Miller, vice president at EMCC, April 24-25; Ted Lewis, vice president at Pellissippi State College, Knoxville, Tennessee, May 8-9; Don Burnham, vice president at Holmes Community College, May 15-16; and Scott Alsobrooks, vice president at Pearl River Community College, May 22-23. Huebner declined comment at this time. |
| MCC presidential search: Paul Miller says college has capability to grow Meridian | |
| Paul Miller touted his administrative and instructional experience at several community colleges across the state, focusing on how his vision for Meridian Community College makes him an ideal candidate in the search for the school's next president. The community college is looking for a successor to Scott Elliott, who is retiring this summer after leading the school for 20 years. Several forums are planned over the next month to hear from the candidates. The first forum, held Tuesday in the McCain Theater at MCC, featured Miller. "There is such a spark in downtown Meridian with the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience," Miller told the audience. "(MCC) is in a position to provide the next phase of growth in Meridian and Lauderdale County." Miller, with 30 years of professional community college experience, is the vice president of administration and instruction at East Mississippi Community College. He has worked with EMCC since 1999. |
| Connect Career Expo brings nearly 3,000 jobs to area students | |
| Hundreds of high school and college students gathered in Tupelo on Tuesday hoping to find some type of employment opportunity, whether a summer job, internship or full-time position. The Community Development Foundation hosted its first Connect Career Expo at the Tupelo Furniture Market in an effort to connect students with industries and companies across the region. Nearly 3,000 potential job opportunities were available exclusively for graduating seniors from 15 high schools in Pontotoc, Union and Lee counties as well as current college students at Itawamba Community College and Northeast Mississippi Community College. There were 40 booths comprised of employers, staffing agencies and universities, such as Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi. |
| Racial disparities in school discipline are growing, federal data show | |
| Black students faced greater rates of suspension, expulsion and arrest than their white classmates, according to federal data released Tuesday, disparities that have widened despite efforts to fix them. The findings, drawn from the Civil Rights Data Collection, come as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering curbing the department's role in investigating racial disparities in discipline. Those probes reflected efforts by the Obama administration to scrutinize schools with unexplained disparities in their discipline rates. A report from the Government Accountability Office released this month had similar findings, concluding that black students, boys and students with disabilities were overrepresented in disciplinary action. |
| Campus construction projects move forward at Auburn University | |
 | The spring 2018 semester is nearing its end, but construction at Auburn University is in full swing all across campus. Auburn's Facilities Management department addressed the ever-evolving campus landscape in a construction update the university published this month. The report includes snapshots of major projects slated for completion this year. The Charles C. Miller Poultry Science Research and Education Center for the College of Agriculture is 85 percent complete, according to the report. The Gavin Engineering Research Facility renovation project for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is 80 percent complete. The $24 million Leach Science Center addition is 28 percent complete. The new building will house instructional and research labs, study spaces, departmental offices and support facilities for the College of Sciences and Mathematics. |
| U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise will deliver LSU, LSU Law commencement addresses | |
 | U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, will be the keynote speaker at Louisiana State University's 2018 commencement ceremony. Scalise, the U.S. House Majority Whip, is the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He graduated from Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie and went on to earn his bachelor's degree in computer science with a minor in political science at LSU. Scalise will also deliver the main address at the LSU Law Center's commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. June 1 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Scalise was severely injured after a gunman opened fire June 14 on a congressional baseball team practice at an Alexandria, Virginia, park. Police shot and killed his attacker, and Scalise later returned to the Capitol on Sept. 28. |
| PETA protests dog research at U. of Missouri | |
 | People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is taking aim at University of Missouri's use of dogs for muscular dystrophy research, but the university says the animals are treated humanely and its goal is to end suffering for people diagnosed with the disease. About 10 members of the animal rights group, many with pet dogs in tow, launched a protest at noon Tuesday on the Francis Quadrangle. PETA campaigner Tricia Lebkuecher said the event, held on World Day for Animals in Laboratories, seeks to bring awareness and an end to what they say is unnecessary suffering. The university study is led by professor Dongsheng Duan, who said in October 2015 his team was "on the cusp" of finding a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. University spokesman Christian Basi said in the months that followed, the research made great strides and has entered human trials. |
| Nikki Haley, Tim Scott to headline Clemson commencement | |
 | Clemson University has landed not one, but two, high-profile speakers for this spring's graduation ceremonies. Clemson said Tuesday that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott will speak at separate commencement ceremonies May 10 and 11. "It is an honor to have Ambassador Haley and Senator Scott address our graduates and inspire them as they get ready to embark on their next journey," Clemson president Jim Clements said. "As South Carolinians and graduates from institutions in our great state, their remarkable success stories exemplify how our students can use their education to make a positive difference in the world." Haley, a former S.C. governor and 1994 Clemson graduate, will speak to graduates of the colleges of business and education at their May 10 commencement. The next day, Scott, who graduated from Charleston Southern University, will deliver two graduation addresses. |
| Study questions whether 'high impact' practices yield higher graduation rates | |
 | "High-impact" educational practices widely promoted and adopted to improve learning by college and university students and increase graduation rates have not led to those expected outcomes, according to new research in The Journal of Higher Education. The study found the effectiveness of 10 such practices -- first-year seminars, writing-intensive courses and collaborative assignments, among others -- recommended by the Association of American Colleges and Universities questionable and worthy of re-examination, at least as a tool to promote completion. The research is based on data from 101 institutions that participated in the study by Sarah Randall Johnson, associate director of institutional research at Harvard Business School, and Frances King Stage, professor of higher education at New York University. Some of the institutions make extensive use of the practices, others minimal use and others no use at all. |
| Why the End of Greek Life at Penn State Is 'Still a Distinct Possibility' | |
 | Over the past year, Eric J. Barron has gone on a national crusade against hazing and alcohol abuse in Greek life. The president of Pennsylvania State University was driven to action after the tragic death last year of Timothy Piazza, a fraternity pledge who died after binge drinking and falling down stairs. Barron went as far as to say that "the end of Greek life at Penn State" could be on the horizon if fraternities and sororities didn't get their act together. It was with that sense of urgency that Barron convened a meeting of more than 50 presidents, provosts, and student-affairs professionals on Monday and Tuesday. Attendees discussed combating hazing, collecting and publishing data about Greek organizations, and reforming the pledging process, among other things. The conference occurred amid recent turmoil at Syracuse University, where racist videos of fraternity members surfaced last week. |
| All about streets: Where are the great streets in your community? | |
 | Consultant and columnist Phil Hardwick writes in the Mississippi Business Journal: "Depending on the perspective, there are good streets and not-so-good streets. And then there are great streets. This writer has a bias toward streets that are canopied. In Mississippi, that means streets that have treetops over them. Some streets in Ocean Springs, Jackson and Laurel come to mind. This column is about great streets as defined by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), an organization whose stated purpose is to help people create and sustain public places that build community." |
| Chris McDaniel seems to think state voters are incapable of separating truth from fiction | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "Okay, so the latest political tantrum from state Sen. Chris McDaniel operates on this narrative -- he 'demands' that Mississippi television stations stop running ads funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which make the claim that McDaniel is a trial lawyer. McDaniel wants to be called 'a civil defense attorney' while his opponents have labeled him 'a personal injury trial lawyer.' ...McDaniel claims that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is misrepresenting his legal career. But the candidate's own Hortman, Harlow, Bassi, Robinson & McDaniel law firm's website page lists the following 'practice areas' in which McDaniel claims expertise: 'General litigation, insurance defense, personal injury, commercial litigation, constitutional law (civil rights), education law, consumer products litigation, mass tort litigation, and complex multi-party litigation.' By most reasonable definitions, personal injury, consumer products litigation, and mass tort litigation would qualify under the expertise of a trial lawyer." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State beats Ole Miss in Governor's Cup thriller | |
| Ole Miss catcher Nick Fortes stood up and stuck his left hand out to his side, signaling for the intentional walk. The crowd booed the decision, wanting to see the hometown boy, Mississippi State center fielder Jake Mangum, take an at-bat with the game on the line. Luke Alexander didn't see it. As soon as the intentional walk signal was given, he dipped his head to the dirt in Trustmark Park where an on-deck circle would be and, "said some stuff to myself. "The way I look at it, it's disrespect and it pissed me off," Alexander said. "Jake's the best hitter in the SEC and he has been for three years now, but I saw that as disrespect and I took it into my at-bat." The junior from Belmont, playing against the school his father Nick attended, took a 1-1 low and away fastball to right field for a double, scoring pinch runner Jordan Anderson to tie the game and Mangum from first to win it, 7-6. Mangum checked up in between first and second base to watch Alexander's ball hit the ground -- not out of doubt, just for certainty's sake. |
| Alexander the great: MSU shortstop delivers once again in walk-off fashion against Ole Miss | |
| Standing in the on-deck circle in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday night, Mississippi State's Luke Alexander watched on as Ole Miss intentionally walked Jake Mangum, who represented the winning run in the annual Governor's Cup game. It didn't sit well with Alexander. "It (ticked) me off," Alexander said. "I know (Mangum) is the best hitter in the SEC and has been for 2 years, but the way I looked at it was disrespect to me, saying I wouldn't be able to get it done. I just took that into the at-bat." Alexander took that anger and used it to smash a walk-off double into the right-centerfield gap at Trustmark Park as MSU defeated No. 6 Ole Miss 7-6. It was Alexander's second walk-off hit against the Rebels in less than three weeks. He also hit a game-ending homer against the Rebels on April 8. "I've been dreaming about (getting walk-off hits) since I was 4-years-old starting baseball," Alexander said. "For it to actually happen against our rival, Ole Miss, it's just a surreal moment." |
| Mississippi State's Luke Alexander walks it off again against Ole Miss | |
| Mississippi State's Luke Alexander won't be welcome in Oxford anytime soon. The Belmont native hit a walk-off two-run homer to beat Ole Miss and secure the series in Starkville two weeks ago and added to his heroics Tuesday night. Alexander's two-run double in the bottom of the ninth rallied MSU past the sixth-ranked Rebels again 7-6 to win the Governor's Cup for the third straight season. The Rebels return to action hosting LSU for a three-game series starting Thursday at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network while the Diamond Dogs welcome No. 22 Texas A&M to Starkville this weekend for three games beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. |
| Mississippi State walks off with the Governor's Cup | |
| If Mississippi State's 7-6 walk-off win over Ole Miss in the Governor's Cup felt like a heavyweight bout, it's because it was. We already knew how good the No. 6 Rebels are. But this week, and particularly this game, we learned just how resilient these Bulldogs are. And we learned it before Luke Alexander laced his game-winning, two-RBI double into right center to give Mississippi State its fourth-straight win over a top-10 opponent. To wit -- after a 15-15 start in which they won not a single SEC series, the Bulldogs are 8-4 over their last 12, with five of those eight wins coming against top-10 RPI opponents. "We've stuck with our approach," Bulldog center fielder Jake Mangum said. |
| No. 6 Ole Miss blows late lead in Governor's Cup loss to Mississippi State | |
| Ole Miss' struggles continued against its in-state rival Tuesday. Luke Alexander's two-run double gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 walk-off win in the teams' annual Governor's Cup at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The win was Mississippi State's third straight Governor's Cup victory and its eighth in the teams' last nine meetings dating back to 2016. Ole Miss (32-10) got back-to-back RBI doubles from Chase Cockrell and pinch-hitter Michael Fitzsimmons in the top half of the frame to take a one-run lead, but the bullpen couldn't hold it. Marshall Gilbert's leadoff single and an intentional walk of Jake Mangum put two on for Alexander, who was hitless before sending Parker Caracci's 1-1 offering to the gap in right-center to plate both runners for his second straight game-winning against Ole Miss. |
| Jake Mangum -- the Rebel killer -- does it again | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Mike Bianco answered my question before I finished it. '(Jake) Mangum's beaten us enough over the years,' Bianco said. 'Somebody else was going to have to do it tonight.' Somebody else did. Luke Alexander's double to right centerfield scored the tying run and the go-ahead run in Mississippi State's thrilling 7-6 victory over Ole Miss before 8,515 fans in the annual Governor's Cup game at Trustmark Park. And guess who scored the winning run? You guessed it: Jake Mangum. ...When Mangum crossed the plate, it ended a thoroughly entertaining and well-played college baseball game and gave the unranked Bulldogs a 3-1 advantage in the season series." |
| Arizona State on Mississippi State's football schedule in 2024-25 | |
| Mississippi State's future football schedules will have a lot of Pac-12 flair. The Bulldogs announced Tuesday that it will have a home-and-home series with Arizona State during the 2024-25 seasons. MSU will travel to Tempe on Sept. 7, 2024 and the Sun Devils will come to Starkville on Sept. 6, 2025. The Bulldogs had already scheduled home-and-home games with Arizona for the 2022-23 seasons. Mississippi State has never met Arizona State on the gridiron and have not met a Pac-12 opponent since it played Oregon in 2003. |
| ASU football signs home-and-home deal with Mississippi State | |
| Arizona State has announced a home-and-home football series with Mississippi State for 2024 and 2025. These will be the first football games between the two programs. This agreement locks up all the open non-conference spots on ASU's football schedule through the 2026 season. The ASU-MSU games will be played on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Sun Devil Stadium and on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. "This football agreement with Mississippi State University provides us with yet another strong future series with a Power 5 opponent, this one from the SEC," Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson said in a statement. "This series complements our future series with LSU, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, and BYU." ASU is 0-5 in games played against teams in the SEC. |
| Part of Ole Miss student section reopened after incident at baseball game | |
 | Ole Miss campus police ask students to behave at future baseball games following a recent incident. The university said students were reportedly throwing rocks at Georgia baseball players during last weekend's series. The students were sitting in the terrace section, which overlooks the visiting team's bullpen. Security had to clear and shut down that section after the students ignored warnings. The terrace section is planned to be open again for this weekend's series against LSU only if no other incidents occur. Athletic Director Ross Bjork said that if another incident occurs the school and even the SEC could get involved. |
| Arkansas track & field fills a vacancy, hosts national meet | |
| It's relays weekend in the United States. The Penn Relays, which started in 1895, are being held in Philadelphia. The Drake Relays, which started in 1910, are being held in Des Moines, Iowa. Another major relays meet will make its debut this weekend at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The Arkansas men's and women's track and field teams will host the inaugural National Relays Championship on Friday and Saturday at John McDonnell Field. "It's something a little bit different, but an idea we've had for a couple years now and it's coming to fruition," Arkansas men's Coach Chris Bucknam said. "So we're going to give it a shot and see how it works. We hope it becomes an annual event and we can host it every year." |
| AD Allen Greene: Contract extension talks between Bruce Pearl, Auburn 'ongoing' | |
| It sounds as if Allen Greene wants Bruce Pearl to remain the Auburn men's basketball coach for a long time. Auburn's first-year athletics director declined to go into specifics when asked about the multiple reports stating that he and Pearl have discussed a contract extension as well as pay raises for his assistants, but did say Tuesday that "those types of things are ongoing." Pearl has two years remaining on the original six-year, $14.7 million contract he signed in 2014. His salary of $2.5 million this year was the 27th-highest nationally and sixth-highest in the SEC, according to USA Today. Auburn filled out his coaching staff last week, hiring former player Wes Flanigan to join returning assistants Harris Adler and Steven Pearl. |
| Adidas Executive Who Led U.S. Revival Is Stepping Down | |
| Adidas AG is losing the executive who oversaw the German sportswear company's U.S. turnaround. Mark King, 59, is stepping down as president of Adidas North America, and will be replaced by Zion Armstrong effective July 1, the company said. Armstrong, 43, has worked with King as general manager of the unit since June 2015. King will continue to act as an adviser in the coming years. After more than a decade running the golf business, including the TaylorMade brand, King took over North America at a time when Adidas was struggling. It had lost its way in the U.S. as Nike and upstarts such as Under Armour Inc. gobbled up its market share. King pushed the German company to compete more aggressively to outfit colleges and universities. King’s time has been marred by Adidas being caught up in a federal corruption probe into college basketball. |
| New Plan to Reform College Basketball | |
| A special National Collegiate Athletic Association commission on college basketball today recommended that the so-called "one-and-done" phenomenon, in which athletes play for a single season before going professional, not be allowed. It also called for a process of certifying agents and harsher enforcement in the wake of an alleged widespread kickball scheme. The goal to end "one-and-done" would require action by the National Basketball Association. The panel also wants to create a system for those college basketball players who seek to be drafted into the NBA but who are not selected to return to college. The report says that "radical changes are long overdue. We the commissioners believe that this is a final opportunity to turn the course of college basketball in the right direction." |
| Hoops panel says ban cheats, end 1-and-done | |
| The Commission on College Basketball sharply directed the NCAA to take control of the sport, calling for sweeping reforms to separate pro and college tracks, permit players to return to school after going undrafted by the NBA and ban cheating coaches for life. The independent commission, led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, released a detailed 60-page report Wednesday, seven months after the group was formed by the NCAA in response to a federal corruption investigation that rocked college basketball. Ten people, including some assistant coaches, have been charged in a bribery and kickback scheme , and high-profile programs such as Arizona, Louisville and Kansas have been tied to possible NCAA violations. |
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