Friday, April 27, 2018   
 
City, county unemployment continues to improve
Starkville and Oktibbeha County's unemployment rates continued to fall in March, according to preliminary data from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Oktibbeha County's employment rate fell from 4 percent in February to 3.9 percent in March. The county's unemployment tied with Tippah County for 15th lowest among Mississippi counties and was the lowest in the Golden Triangle region. The county's labor force was reported to be 23,110 people, which includes everyone who is employed or seeking employment, with 22,200 reported to be employed and 910 reported to be unemployed. The city of Starkville also saw a drop in unemployment, falling from 3.5 percent in February to 3.3 percent in March. Starkville's labor force was reported at 12,590 for March, with 12,170 employed and 420 unemployed.
 
1883 Smokehouse coming to Starkville
A new barbecue restaurant is opening in Starkville this summer. The family-friendly restaurant, 1883 Smokehouse, will open in the old Penn's Fish House location at the corner of Highway 12 and Avenue of Patriots. Penn's closed in December after about three years of operation. 1883 Smokehouse is co-owned by Mark Welch, who also opened The Sturgis Smokehouse in downtown Sturgis. While the menu will have some similarities, the goal for the Starkville restaurant is to draw in a larger customer base. A retail development is coming to Academy Road in Starkville. Fair Market and Retail, a development that will feature drive-thru restaurant access and a possible coffee shop, is being headed by Johnny Fair with the Columbus-based Fair Companies.
 
Susan Tomlinson awarded Outstanding Humanitarian Award
A long-time Starkville resident and community service advocate is this year's recipient of the 2018 Volunteer Mississippi Outstanding Humanitarian Award by the Governor's Initiative for Volunteer Excellence Awards. Susan Tomlinson received the honor April 16 at the Mississippi Museum of Art during the organization's annual GIVE Awards Ceremony. Tomlinson is the founder of Starkville's Backpack Meals program that began in 2012 with assistance from the Mississippi Food Network, providing children with nutritious meals and non-perishable food items that are packed directly into their backpacks to be eaten over the weekend. The program now serves over 230 local children grades K-8 each week. She is the wife of John A. Tomlinson, and the mother of three children, Elizabeth, Tillery, and John Robert, and a member of First United Methodist Church in Starkville.
 
Dream becomes reality as The Max opens to public
In 1998, a comprehensive arts and entertainment museum in Mississippi seemed like a far-off idea, something the former Commissioner of Agriculture, Jim Buck Ross, originally imagined as a country music museum at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum in Jackson. But on Saturday, that idea becomes a reality as it opens to the public in downtown Meridian, following a private gala Friday evening. The idea becomes reality after 20 years of planning, two years of construction and $50 million in funding. Thursday afternoon, workers inside The Max scurried as they put their finishing touches ahead of Friday night's gala. By 6:30 p.m. Friday, local and state figures will walk a red carpet into the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, viewing the formal dedication and enjoying the museum's 17 exhibits and 100 artifacts. As the newest museum in Mississippi, The Max doesn't have a set collection but will continually adjust its displays, making the two-story museum a different experience with each visit.
 
Toyota to spend $170M to expand Mississippi plant, hire 400
Toyota Motor Corp. announced Thursday that it will invest $170 million and add 400 jobs at its Mississippi assembly plant as it shifts some production of the Corolla sedan from Canada. The company said it will retool the Blue Springs plant beginning later this year to make its next-generation Corolla sedan. Such changeovers are frequent at auto plants, but this one will also increase the plant's capacity. Spokeswoman Kathryn Ragsdale said Toyota now can make 170,000 vehicles yearly at the northeast Mississippi plant. Ragsdale couldn't say how much capacity would increase after production lines are replaced. The spending brings Toyota's total investment in Mississippi to $1.16 billion.
 
Toyota to invest $170 million, add 400 jobs at Mississippi plant
Toyota announced Thursday it will invest $170 million in its Blue Springs plant and create 400 jobs to build the 12th generation Corolla. This investment is part Toyota's plan to invest $10 billion in its U.S. facilities over the next five years. A sizeable chunk of that $10 billion has been committed to a joint-venture plant between Mazda and Toyota in Huntsville, Ala. Mississippi was one of several states in the running for the joint-venture plant, which in March the companies announced will create 4,000 jobs for manufacturing Corollas and a new Mazda SUV, and possibly later an electric vehicle. The state of Alabama awarded the companies $370 million in incentives. Mississippi is not offering help beyond the $323.9 million general obligation bond issue that helped launch the plant, according to the Mississippi Development Authority.
 
Toyota Mississippi adding 400 jobs
Sean Suggs, the affable president of Toyota Mississippi, looked above and around the podium at some of the plant employees – team members, as the automaker calls them – and lauded their achievements. "They're the secret sauce," he said with some of the 1,500 team members looking on Thursday afternoon as Suggs and Gov. Phil Bryant announced an expansion at the plant. Bryant took the lead, telling the team members and scores of invited guests that Toyota was investing another $170 million in the plant and hiring another 400 workers. News of the plant expansion was accompanied with another announcement. While rain earlier in the day prevented an official groundbreaking as planned, Toyota said it will soon begin work on its $10 million, 15,000-square-foot visitor and training center that will open in November 2019.
 
Viking repays over $2.5M to Mississippi after failing to meet loan terms
Almost 13 years ago, the Mississippi Development Authority reached an agreement that granted the former Viking Range Corp. $3 million to create new jobs and assist in constructing a dishwasher facility. After failing to hold up its end of the bargain, Viking, which was purchased in December 2012 by Middleby Corp., is being forced to repay the state. The company has repaid in excess of $2.5 million to date via multiple payments after it could not produce 250 jobs for five years at a facility in Greenwood, according to a report released by the state auditor's office Thursday.
 
Cigarette tax for roads? Doctors request special legislative session
At least one physician group is using the current infrastructure debate as an opportunity to renew calls to increase the state's tobacco tax. While Gov. Phil Bryant considers calling lawmakers back to the Capitol to pass an infrastructure plan, the Mississippi State Medical Association is asking that he also consider paying for it through a $1.50-per-pack cigarette tax increase. Bryant has said he'd be open to calling a special session if lawmakers could agree on any long-range infrastructure funding plan. But on Monday the governor said he wasn't aware of any agreement. Bills in the 2018 session to increase the cigarette tax died without a vote in the House or Senate, though the proposal had gained more legislative support than in past years. MSMA President Dr. Bill Grantham said trying to attach the cigarette tax increase to the infrastructure debate is a result of seeing "which ways the political winds are blowing."
 
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith endorses gun carry 'reciprocity'; some gun advocates oppose
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith has signed on as a cosponsor to a bill that would allow people with concealed gun permits to carry firearms across state lines. All states have some form of concealed carry permit, and many states accept permits from others. But the permits are not transferrable between states. The new law would mandate "reciprocity" -- a concealed permit holder in one state can carry a gun in all other states. "For law abiding gun owners with concealed carry permits, this legislation would affirm their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights in other states with right-to-carry laws," Hyde-Smith said in a statement. "This is sensible legislation that recognizes states' authority to issue firearms licenses and permits, while supporting the rights of gun owners." Mississippi's gun rights are among the most expansive in the nation.
 
Most unconventional Senate contender pushes on despite doubts about his candidacy
The main drag of the state's seventh-largest city is lined with "Sela Ward Parkway" signs to honor the Emmy-winning actress and one of the city's most recognizable natives. Ward -- affectionately known around town as just "Sela" -- is truly a household name here. But on Monday afternoon, you would have been hard pressed to find a single person walking along the Sela Ward Parkway who recognized the name of Howard Sherman, her husband and one of six Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Roger Wicker. "This (campaign) is just a matter of having people have a chance to experience me," Sherman said in an interview with Mississippi Today while he was campaigning in Pascagoula last week.
 
North and South Korea agree to 'complete denuclearization' of Korean peninsula
North and South Korea signed a declaration on Friday committing to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made the announcement during a high-stakes summit in South Korea on Friday that represented the first time a leader from the North has visited South Korea. They also agreed to formally end the Korean War of the 1950s. The meetings come before what is expected to be an even more important and difficult meeting between Kim and President Trump. In the declaration, the two nations promised to reduce military arms, cease "hostile acts," and agreed to transform the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into a "peace zone."
 
Ulysses S. Grant born in Ohio, April 27, 1822
On this day in 1822, Ulysses S. Grant, the supreme commander of the Union forces at the end of the Civil War and the nation's 18th president, was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. The advent of the Civil War led Grant to re-enlist. He promptly embarked on a stellar military career, forcing the Confederate forces to retreat to Mississippi after the Battle of Shiloh. In 1863, after another victory at Vicksburg, Grant caught President Abraham Lincoln's attention. As Lincoln's top general, the cigar-chomping Grant devised a coordinated strategy of simultaneous attacks that in time denied the South the ability to carry on the fight. A series of bloody battles in Virginia finally led Robert E. Lee, the Confederate commander, to surrender on April 9, 1865. Hailed as a national hero, Grant won the first of two presidential terms in 1868. Unhappily, he proved unable to transfer his military prowess to the political arena.
 
Portrait of the South, Served Up One Waffle House Order at a Time
In the South, there sometimes seems no place more omnipresent than Waffle House, with its yellow-and-black signs surfacing near interstate exits, dotting night life districts and showing up in wealthy suburbs and run-down rural towns alike. The ubiquity, cultivated over decades of syrup-soaked waffles and strong coffee, makes the 24-hour chain's booths and barstools a round-the-clock reflection of the South and invites every kind of story, some chronicled on Instagram, others in mug shots. "There are the drunk Waffle Houses, the late-night Waffle Houses, Waffle House as a house of freaks, but there's also this kind of nurturing, idealistic vision of Waffle House," said John T. Edge, the University of Mississippi scholar of Southern cuisine and culture, who proudly rattled off how his regular order involves three eggs, scrambled with cheese, and grits. This week, Waffle Houses hundreds of miles apart were at the center of a fatal tragedy and a national controversy.
 
First-day visitors leave lynching memorial with strong impressions
If the impressions of the first-day visitors to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery hold true, the memorial's designers achieved their intent of creating a compelling experience to spark awareness of the horrific legacy of lynching. A steady flow of people streamed through the six-acre memorial, which sits on a rise at the west end of downtown Montgomery. The Equal Justice Initiative, an advocacy legal organization in Montgomery, has researched and developed the project since 2010. The EJI also opened its associated Legacy Museum in Montgomery on Thursday. The museum explores the history of slavery and the forms of racial oppression that followed.
 
Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy to speak to Lafayette-Oxford-University community
Dan Cathy, Chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A, will be making his rounds in Oxford this Friday, participating in leadership events for the business community and the University of Mississippi. Chick-fil-A is the nation's largest family-owned business, founded by Dan's father, S. Truett Cathy. After LOU Lead Talks, Cathy will head to the Pavilion for a Leadership Lunch, presented in part by the school of business, Meek School of Journalism and New Media, the hospitality management program and Ole Miss Athletics. Dr. Chip Wade, assistant professor of finance at Ole Miss, was instrumental in arranging Cathy's talk at the university. Wade said he hopes students in attendance, especially those who are nearing graduation, will have the opportunity to see real-world applications of their various fields of study.
 
Probe into expensive ER visit medical bill leads UMMC to change policy
Amy McIntosh knew it wasn't going to be cheap, but going to the emergency room seemed like her only choice. Her 10-month-old daughter Macy was already on antibiotics for an ear infection and had woken up Dec. 23 with a concerning knot at the base of her skull. McIntosh didn't want to ignore the bump, but it was a Saturday, and her pediatrician's after-hours clinic was booked for the day. No other pediatric or urgent care clinics she called were able to see Macy. McIntosh is one of multiple parents who visited the ER at Batson Children's Hospital in recent months and were then unreasonably charged thousands of dollars -- much more than the level of care warranted. During a probe by this newspaper, officials announced changes to the hospital's billing procedures. University of Mississippi Medical Center, home of the children's hospital, prices emergency room visits based on their designated "level," depending on the complexity of the medical need and the services rendered.
 
USM lights up for suicide prevention
Students gathered at the University of Southern Mississippi to honor those who have lost their lives as a result of suicide and anyone battling depression. Lights decorated the Shoemaker Square Fountain on the campus where the Light Up the Fountain for Suicide Prevention was hosted Thursday. Shelley Griffith, a senior at USM, helped organize the event. As someone who has battled with depression, Griffith felt that it was critically important to provide a space where others could share their stories and offer support. Attendees painted candles various colors to personalize their own struggle while some painted black candles to remember those who have passed away. Those in attendance also pledged to support students battling suicide and depression.
 
Father and daughter make history graduating from JSU with honors and same GPA
Graduations are special times for families, but this Saturday will be uniquely thrilling for one family making history. A father and daughter are both graduating from Jackson State University with honors and the same grade point average. "When we started on this journey, it wasn't intentional," said Abram Muhammad. He and 21-year-old daughter Najla Muhammad are two days away from doing what no other father and daughter have done in JSU history. Both are graduating from the W.E.B. DuBois-Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey Honors College and both have a 3.8 GPA. "When we realized that we were about to make history it was something words could not express the blessings and just the honor," said the elder Muhammad. "I actually I didn't mind," said Najia. "I feel that I would be cool if we would go to college together and now that we're graduating together I think it's even better, and I hope that it will inspire other parents."
 
Two of EMCC's top administrators looking to leave
The top two administrators at East Mississippi Community College are being interviewed for the president's job at Meridian Community College. EMCC President Thomas Huebner confirmed Wednesday he is interviewing for the job. According to a press release from Meridian Community College, EMCC Vice President Paul Miller interviewed for the job Tuesday and Wednesday. Huebner and Miller are among a group of five finalists to replace MCC President Scott Elliott, who is retiring. Of the five, Huebner is the only president of a community college, with the other four being vice presidents. "I wouldn't say it's a surprise or not a surprise," said EMCC Board of Trustees President Jimmie Moore. "Me personally, not speaking for the board, I would never attempt to restrain someone from seeking something that's better for themselves and their family. That said, that two of their five finalists are from EMCC speaks highly of our institution and people recognize that."
 
Best education money can buy varies dramatically in two school districts
As the debate over public school funding rages on -- how much is adequate and from where should the money come? -- Mississippi Today reporters Kate Royals and Kayleigh Skinner visited two school districts, one considered affluent, the other economically challenged. They compared financial resources in the Madison County and Philadelphia public school districts and saw the impact that money has on the quality of education that can be offered in each.
 
Alumnus donates $1 million to U. of Alabama
A University of Alabama alumnus has given $1 million to establish a new leadership program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The gift from Jeff Levitetz, a 1980 alumnus and founder and chairman of Purity Wholesale Grocers, on behalf of the Levitetz Family Foundation to support Levitetz Leadership Program in the New College, an interdisciplinary program, was announced on Thursday. The foundation has previously funded scholarships for students in New College, which allows students to design their own majors. The Levitetz Leadership Program will fund internships stipends, scholarships, lectures, and workshops, UA President Stuart Bell said. "I thrived in that environment. It was special for me," Levitetz said as he reflected on his time in the program.
 
UGA's Lake Herrick to reopen soon for canoes and kayaks
The public will soon be able to kayak or canoe on the University of Georgia's Lake Herrick. "This fall we are going to be able to rededicate Lake Herrick and for the first time in the modern era, it will be open to limited usage," UGA President Jere Morehead said Thursday. The reopening comes after restoration of an upper pond that had helped filter pollutants before they reached the picturesque lake at the intramural fields, one of Athens' favorite spots for birders. The lake not so long ago showed "how badly we had managed an important asset," Morehead said, but "what has happened over the last few years has been really exciting." Morehead spoke at the UGA Office of Sustainability's twice-yearly "Semester in Review" event, where students report on the sustainability projects they've been working on for the past semester or past year. Awards are also handed out and names announced of students who'll be getting small grants to work on more projects.
 
Ex-employee pleads guilty to making money off U. of Kentucky equipment
A Lexington man accused of selling more than $500,000 in computer equipment stolen from the University of Kentucky has pleaded guilty in federal court. Toquoto Richardson, who worked as a data center operations engineer at UK, received more than $124,000 from 45 sales over a six-year period beginning in 2010, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Lexington. But an internal audit revealed Richardson had sold more than $500,000 in computer equipment for personal gain over 10 years, UK said Thursday. The audit determined that the equipment came from the Information Technology department, the university said. Richardson, 43, was immediately fired in 2016 when he was caught attempting to sell a computer storage controller on eBay, the online auction site.
 
'Fox & Friends' kicks off live on U. of South Carolina's campus
Fans of "Fox & Friends" showed up on University of South Carolina's campus Friday morning to observe President Trump's favorite morning show and to show off the university. "It's an exciting opportunity for us to represent the university on a national scale," said Katelyn Barber, a sophomore marketing major and a member of the school's dance team who showed up at Davis Field, where Fox & Friends is hosting its Friday show. Also in the crowd is Cocky, University of South Carolina cheerleaders and about 100 other people. The crowd held up several signs, including one that said, "Welcome back Ainsley. #usc #gogamecocks." Another touted "Fox and Friends." Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News, a USC and Spring Valley High School graduate, is co-hosting the show from the Carolina campus.
 
The $3-Million Research Breakdown
For nearly two decades, the University of Illinois at Chicago has touted the child psychiatrist Mani Pavuluri as one of its stars: She founded a renowned clinic to treat children with bipolar disorder and secured millions of dollars in coveted federal funding to help unlock the mysteries of the disease. Parents from around the country brought their children to see her. She helped boost the university as a leader in the field of child psychiatry. But as Pavuluri's reputation grew, she put some of these particularly vulnerable children at serious risk in one of her clinical trials. She violated research rules by testing the powerful drug lithium on children younger than 13 although she was told not to, failed to properly alert parents of the study's risks, and falsified data to cover up the misconduct, records show. In December the university quietly paid a severe penalty for Pavuluri's misconduct and its own lax oversight.
 
U. of Virginia restricts library access to public after white supremacist visits
The white supremacist who led a torch-lit march at the University of Virginia as a part of a weekend of racist, far-right activities that turned deadly in Charlottesville last year has returned to the campus twice in the past two weeks, prompting questions as to why the university has not barred him. While Jason Kessler purportedly did little except visit the institution's law library to study for a civil case for which he is standing trail, just his presence triggered angst among students and professors. The institution has since restricted use of the law library to just those with university identification -- at least until mid-May. But officials never told Kessler not to trespass on campus. University policy states that such a trespass warning could only be issued if a person committed a crime or broke UVA's own rules -- it is unclear, given Kessler's role in last year's events, whether he did.
 
Ex-University Leaders Face Federal Charges in Foundation Scandal
Two former administrators at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh face felony charges after allegedly funneling millions in taxpayer money to building projects for a now-bankrupt private university foundation. Richard Wells, who was chancellor, and Tom Sonnleitner, who was vice chancellor, were each charged on Thursday with five counts of misconduct in office and could face a maximum of three and a half years in prison on each charge, the Journal Sentinel reports. The charges follow a civil lawsuit filed last year by the University of Wisconsin system and a request from the Board of Regents asking that the Wisconsin Department of Justice pursue charges. Last year's lawsuit states that the two former administrators funded five foundation building projects with $11 million in taxpayer money.
 
Survey of community college presidents' views on range of issues
Enrollment concerns and finances remain the biggest challenges community college presidents say they face. And those challenges have two-year college leaders not only concerned for their students and institutions but worried about the future of the community college presidency as the sector faces increasing pressures to improve work-force outcomes and completion, according to Inside Higher Ed's 2018 Survey of Community College Presidents. The fourth annual survey, released today and conducted by Gallup, is based on responses from 177 two-year college leaders. The survey found that 71 percent of presidents regard financial matters and 68 percent report enrollment management as major challenges for themselves.
 
Decrepit roads illustrate weakness with democracy
Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: "When the state legislature voted 30 years ago to vastly improve Mississippi's highways, they passed an 18 cent gas tax. It was the most logical way to fund the program. As a result, Mississippi has had some of the best roads in the nation, a boon for economic development and public safety and convenience. But the legislature made one fatal flaw: They didn't index the tax for inflation. After 30 years, inflation has cut the real amount of the original gas tax in half. ...As our roads deteriorate, the crisis is coming to a head. ...The simplest solution is to index the gas tax and get it to a point so we can properly maintain our roads to minimize the long-range cost. But that would require our state leaders to get off the no-tax-increase-under-any-circumstance ideological rocking horse. I see no sign of that happening."


SPORTS
 
Bulldogs battle to stay hot against A&M
Mississippi State baseball has been on a roll of late, winning four straight over top 10 opponents and has played its way back into postseason contention. A sweep over then-No. 3 Arkansas last weekend coupled with a comeback victory over sixth-ranked Ole Miss in the Governor's Cup game on Tuesday have helped raise the Diamond Dogs' RPI ranking to 37th, 45 spots ahead of where they were in the middle of March. "We're just taking it one game at a time," said MSU outfielder Elijah MacNamee. "We need to keep playing like we are and have confidence." MSU (23-19, 8-10 SEC) is now 6-1 against top five teams and has an opportunity to further its postseason resume this weekend with No. 22 Texas A&M coming to town. Games 1 and 2 get under way tonight and tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Sunday's finale starts at 3:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
 
3 things to watch for as streaking Mississippi State plays Texas A&M
In case you stopped caring after March, ceased paying attention and somehow missed it: Mississippi State is in a completely different position, equipped with postseason projections as its April ends this weekend. D1Baseball this week projected the Bulldogs as a No. 3 seed at the Oregon State regional while Baseball America grouped Mississippi State (23-19, 8-10 SEC) with the publication's first four out of the tournament. Yes, this is the same team that was 14-15 overall and 2-7 in the SEC a month ago -- only now it is vastly improved at the plate and playing with much more confidence. To continue the turnaround, the Bulldogs will need to stay relatively healthy and confident while still being able to rely on quality starting pitching.
 
Elijah MacNamee big part of Mississippi State baseball resurgence
Good things come to those who wait. Mississippi State's Elijah MacNamee has had to let time pass a little longer than he'd like for success this season, but suddenly, the junior outfielder has become a big part of the Bulldogs' late-season resurgence. As Mississippi State (23-19, 8-10) gets set to face No. 22 Texas A&M (30-11, 9-9) this weekend, MSU is enjoying a hot streak that has vaulted itself into the postseason picture. MacNamee is one of a handful of Bulldogs that has turned his season around to help reverse State's fortunes. "He has been tremendous for us," MSU interim head coach Gary Henderson said of MacNamee. "He's been getting hits when it really matters and driving in go-ahead and winning runs and doing that for us. Sometimes the game is hard and sometimes you have to be patient until it comes your way. He's been able to do that. Hopefully he'll continue swinging a hot bat for us."
 
Mississippi State's Spencer Price begins long road back from Tommy John surgery
Spencer Price has been doing this long enough that he doesn't need much direction. He enters the weight room on this April Wednesday and grabs a sheet, white and laminated, from the trainer and gets to work on the workout it lists. The trainer in the gym this day, Taylor Gossman, is in and out of the room after Price warms up and gets going. Price catches Gossman near the phone controlling the sound system and asks him for the Lil' Wayne playlist. Gossman gives him a hard time before obliging; "A Milli" comes on, Price bobs his head and gets back to work. This has been his only athletic activity for a month and will stay that way for a couple more, so he might as well get the atmosphere the way he wants it. Under normal circumstances, Price would have spent this Wednesday with the Mississippi State baseball team, on its way to a weekend series in Baton Rouge as the team's closer. Instead, he's in an on-campus weight room, attacking another day in the ruthlessly long rehabilitation process from Tommy John surgery.
 
Konnor Pilkington brings workman-like approach to mound for Mississippi State
Konnor Pilkington doesn't get rattled on the mound. As the starter in the first game of Southeastern Conference series for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Pilkington knows the importance of setting a tone for the weekend. That's what the junior from Hurley did last week by giving the Bulldogs another solid outing and helping them begin a sweep over the Arkansas Razorbacks. Pilkington will open another series Friday night on the mound as MSU hosts the Texas A&M Aggies at Dudy Noble Field. "I try to give us a solid start every time we go out," Pilkington said. "Everything I do, it's more serious. Even with it being not the season we want, you still have to have the same approach and same mindset with everything." Pilkington brings a business-like approach to the Bulldogs and that's what interim coach Gary Henderson likes so much.
 
Carly Thibault-DuDonis joins family friend Lindsay Whalen at Minnesota
Lindsay Whalen is like family to Carly Thibault-DuDonis. Fourteen years ago, Carly's father, Mike, drafted Whalen when he was the coach of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. Since then, Whalen and the Thibaults have grown close and have followed each other's paths, as Whalen has become one of the WNBA's all-time greats, Mike Thibault has moved to coach the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and Carly has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Mississippi State women's basketball team. When Whalen was hired as the new women's basketball coach at Minnesota, her alma mater, Thibault-DuDonis immediately believed Whalen could do great things in her first job as a head coach. It didn't take long for Whalen to reach out to see if her longtime family friend would join her at Minnesota.



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