| Tuesday, June 26, 2018 |
| OCH rings in Mississippi State alum as new hospital CEO | |
 | OCH Regional Medical Center named Jim Jackson as its new administrator/chief executive officer. Jackson, a certified public accountant who has served as the chief executive officer at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, will succeed Richard Hilton, who announced his retirement after 35 years with the hospital in April. Jackson will assume the leadership role effective immediately on Hilton's retirement. Jackson, a Mississippi State alum, has served as the Greenwood Leflore chief executive since 2009. Starkville is familiar territory for the Jackson family. Jackson, who grew up in Greenwood, earned his bachelor of professional accounting from MSU in 1986. He is married to Laura Stanford Jackson, an MSU alumna and Tupelo native. They have three sons; one has graduated from MSU, and one is an incoming freshman. The youngest is 13. |
| OCH Regional Medical Center names new CEO | |
 | OCH Regional Medical Center announced the hiring of James "Jim" Jackson as its new CEO on Monday. Jackson comes to OCH from the Greenwood Leflore Hospital, a 248-bed, 900 employee city/county-owned hospital in the Delta. He's succeeding hospital CEO Richard Hilton, who announced his retirement in late April. OCH Board of Trustees President Linda Breazeale said the trustees selected Jackson from a field of six candidates. Jackson has worked as the CEO at Greenwood Leflore hospital since 2009. Before that, he worked as the chief financial officer from 1999-2009. He's an alumnus of Mississippi State, having earned a bachelor's in professional accounting in 1986. Jackson will begin working as the hospital's CEO effective immediately. OCH did not disclose his salary, saying that it is confidential as a contracted employee. |
| Egg Industry Center funds new research | |
 | The Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University has awarded three new research grants totaling $212,918, including Mississippi State University, for a $85,605 study on the use of robots for the collection of floor eggs in open-housing systems and the effect of the robot's presence on behavior of birds, led by Yang Zhao, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering. |
| DeSoto youngsters attend Mississippi State's Vet Camp | |
 | Photo: Four DeSoto County students were among 43 selected to attend the Mississippi State University-College of Veterinary Medicine Camp this year at MSU. The camp was held May 31-June 2. The campers were Julia Kate Huffman, 8th grade (homeschooled), Shelby Brooks, 7th grade (Hernando Middle School), Caroline Mosley, 7th grade (Hernando Middle School) Drew Kamler, 7th grade (Northpoint Christian School.) The students participated in hands-on activities each day and were able to assist with spay and neuters for shelter kittens on their last day. The competition was fierce with an an application pool of more than 300 students. |
| Small Town Newspapers Swimming Against the Social Media Wave | |
| For decades, there have been discussions throughout the industry that newspapers are on the verge of extinction. With the advent of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, a new generation demands their news posthaste and in 200 characters. The days of great journalists such as the likes of Woodward and Bernstein seem to be dwindling as social media marches forward without ceasing. Small town newspaper publishing teams continue to look for ways to cut costs while still releasing a quality product. Layne Bruce, executive director of Mississippi Press Association, says Mississippi newspapers are weathering a tough climate for community journalism and media in general. "But I don't think the problems they face are inconsistent with the issues that face small businesses and rural America, including increased competition from the Internet as a source of information and commerce, says Bruce. |
| What to Watch in Tuesday's Primaries: Mississippi | |
 | The Magnolia State missed its chance to elect its first woman to Congress earlier this month, when the three women running for the open 3rd District took the bottom three spots in the six-way primary. With no one clearing 50 percent, the top-two vote-getters advanced to Tuesday's runoff. District Attorney Michael Guest finished with 45 percent, while Whit Hughes, the former chief development officer of Baptist Health Systems, finished with 22 percent, according to The Associated Press. Guest already had the backing of outgoing GOP Rep. Gregg Harper, and he's won the support of Republican Gov. Phil Bryant since the primary. Hughes, a former Mississippi State University basketball star, picked up the endorsement of the Tea Party Express over the weekend. This is a Solid Republican race, so Tuesday's winner is almost certainly coming to Congress next year. |
| Establishment influence on the line in Democratic runoff | |
| Polls are open today in a Democratic primary runoff, a race that could serve as a testing ground for a political apparatus attempting to flex renewed strength. The statewide runoff race pits David Baria against Howard Sherman, each attempting to win the party's nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in a November general election. A Mississippi native, Baria has about a decade's worth of elected experience in the state legislature and currently serves as the minority leader in the state House. Sherman, an investor and entrepreneur from California, only moved his permanent residence to Mississippi in recent years and has embraced his status as an outsider with few links to any party machine here in the Magnolia State. The difference shows. |
| Brett Favre dusts off political cleats for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in U.S. Chamber ad | |
 | As he did for former Sen. Thad Cochran in 2014, Mississippi football legend Brett Favre is appearing in a U.S. Chamber of Commerce election ad for interim Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "I don't like to talk politics," Favre says in the ad. "But I love Mississippi way too much to stay quiet in this election. It matters a whole lot to the future of our state. That's why I'm backing Cindy Hyde-Smith ... She's got my vote." Republican Hyde-Smith is serving as interim U.S. senator after being appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to temporarily fill the seat vacated by longtime Sen. Thad Cochran. In November, Hyde-Smith faces Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel and Democratic former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy in a special election for the seat. |
| Can the GOP Hold Off Chris McDaniel in Mississippi? | |
| It's an unusual election year in Mississippi, where both Senate seats are at stake. There is talk of a doomsday scenario in which a Democrat will win a seat that has been held by Republicans for 40 years. What is striking about this narrative is that it is recited most insistently by Republicans. Central to this storyline is the specter of Alabama and last year's special election there, in which the problematic Republican Roy Moore lost a previously invulnerable seat to Democrat Doug Jones. Choose the wrong candidate, this cautionary tale warns Mississippians, and the Senate seat won by Thad Cochran in 1978, and held by the GOP ever since, could be lost -- and possibly the Republican majority with it. In the special election to replace Cochran, who resigned earlier this year at age 80 for health reasons, establishment Republicans have made it clear who the wrong candidate would be -- state senator Chris McDaniel. |
| Senatorial candidate Mike Espy says he'll 'Put Mississippi First' | |
 | On November 6, voters will go to the polls and elect a senator to replace Thad Cochran, who retired earlier this year. The lone Democrat on the ballot, Mike Espy, faces an uphill battle in a state dominated by the Republican party. The Mississippi Black Caucus of local elected officials invited Senate candidate Mike Espy to its annual conference to talk about his candidacy and issues in the race. Espy said he will be a moderate voice in a political world dominated by partisanship. "I don't care about your race, gender, religion or your sexual orientation or disability. If you're a Mississippian, I'll work with you," Espy said. Democrats in the state are hoping for a blue wave in 2018. They think a Democrat has a chance and turnout is key in this election cycle. |
| Mississippi auditor to resign, run state veterans agency | |
 | Mississippi state Auditor Stacey Pickering is resigning his statewide elected post to become head of the state's Veterans Affairs Board. Pickering, 49, says he accepted the new post Monday and will make the transition around July 15. The Laurel Republican replaces former director Randy Reeves, who was appointed by President Donald Trump as undersecretary for memorial affairs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2017. Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint a replacement who will hold the post until after state elections in 2019. Spokesman Knox Graham said Bryant "is grateful for Mr. Pickering's exceptional service to Mississippi as state auditor and knows that will continue at the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board." |
| Trump foes move toward public shaming even of low-level officials | |
 | The public shaming of high-level, widely known Trump administration officials has expanded to the divulging of personal information about rank-and-file government employees who are carrying out President Donald Trump's least popular policies. Twice in the past week, activists have posted information on employees of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency that carried out Trump's policy that required children to be separated from their parents who were arrested for crossing the U.S. border illegally. Amid national bipartisan outrage, Trump abruptly reversed course last week. The divulging of the names of the lower-level employees comes amid broader debate about shaming tactics used against Trump's senior advisers. "I think it's already more acceptable," said Kate Klonick, an expert on internet shaming and an assistant professor at the St. John's University School of Law. She warned that such grassroots tactics can spin out of control. "I have faith that it won't become normalized," she added. |
| Feud over civility in politics escalates amid Trump insults | |
 | President Trump on Monday escalated a feud with a veteran Democratic lawmaker who called for aggressive protests of administration officials, warning Rep. Maxine Waters of California to "Be careful what you wish for Max!" even as leaders in both parties cautioned against increasingly caustic political rhetoric. Trump's message, conveyed on Twitter, stood in sharp contrast to a call for civility by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose ouster from a Virginia restaurant sparked a furious debate over whether opponents should take out their political frustrations against administration officials in their private lives. The tensions have flared as part of an acrimonious standoff over immigration and the separation of migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, which has prompted some protesters to hound Republican officials outside their homes, in restaurants and at movie theaters. |
| Still no contract between UMMC and Blue Cross & Blue Shield | |
| Five days remain until the end of University of Mississippi Medical Center's contract with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. Both entities are preparing for the state's only academic medical center to no longer be in-network with the state's largest health insurer. If a deal is not reached before July 1, Blue Cross policyholders may still receive care from UMMC, which includes Batson Children's Hospital, but many will receive much higher out-of-pocket costs for services in the absence of negotiated discounts provided in contracts between hospitals and insurers. In May after the state's only academic medical center announced its intention to terminate the contract, UMMC CEO Kevin Cook said patients who have Blue Cross insurance and are already being treated at UMMC for an established diagnosis would continue to receive care at the teaching hospital as in-network patients. |
| U. of Southern Mississippi creates GOLD council for young alums | |
 | Officials with the University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association were noticing something at the events they were holding. "We saw a large age gap," Jerry DeFatta, the association's executive director said. "The majority of attendees were 55-75 years old. There were few young alumni." The lack of young alumni attending events was concerning to DeFatta. He knew something had to change. "The last year and a half, we were in a 360-degree assessment of the alumni association," he said. "We had been operating the same way for 25 years. "We felt we were missing the opportunity to connect with some of our alumni." To make up for those missed opportunities, the association recently created the GOLD Council -- "Graduates of the Last Decade." The council is made up of 11 recent graduates from cities around Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. They will be ambassadors for Southern Miss in their towns, available to connect with other university graduates from 2008 to present. |
| New $4.3M taxiway coming to Auburn University Regional Airport | |
 | The old terminal building at Auburn University Regional Airport is coming down to make way for a new $4.3 million taxiway. The existing taxiway is too close to the runway and is not stressed to handle the weight of aircraft at the airport, said William Hutto, the airport's director. "We've got to move that taxiway further away from the runway" for the airport to meet the Federal Aviation Administration safety standards, Hutto said. The new runway, which is expected to be completed in roughly six months, will be capable of handling 75,000 pounds, Hutto said. The taxiway project is 90 percent funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, Hutto said. The state of Alabama is funding 5 percent and the remaining 5 percent is consistent of equal contributions from the airport's three local partners. |
| UGA Law opens veterans legal clinic | |
 | The School of Law at the University of Georgia has opened a veterans legal clinic for Georgia residents. The clinic's purpose is to help veterans receive legal assistance they could not afford otherwise. "No veteran should be denied benefits simply because they cannot afford legal assistance. We know that the involvement of an attorney can make a tremendous difference in outcome with regard to denied or deferred claims before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs," Clinic Director Alex Scherr said. "Our No. 1 goal is to improve how former servicemen and women receive assistance from the nation they have served." The state of Georgia has the ninth-largest population of veterans in the United States. Many of these servicemen and women return home with disabilities and rely on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits. |
| U. of Tennessee officials: Faculty salaries are on the mark with peer schools | |
 | Across the University of Tennessee, the compensation of employees -- from UT System President Joe DiPietro down to campus staff -- is on par with that of many peer institutions, according to a salary report that measured pay levels at UT against the market median. UT's Executive and Compensation Committee learned the report outcomes that resulted from a study by human resources and benefits consulting firm Sibson Consulting. Among the most significant findings from the compensation study, noted UT Chief Financial Officer David Miller, is that on average the system is competitive when it comes to pay for faculty, including long-serving faculty. For instance, faculty members at UT Knoxville are at 104 percent of their market median when compared to faculty at similar schools, meaning they're generally paid more. |
| U. of South Carolina revokes Bill Cosby's honorary degree | |
 | The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees has revoked Bill Cosby's honorary degree, after the disgraced comedian was convicted of aggravated indecent assault. The vote, following a discussion closed to the public, was unanimous. "The criminal acts of which Bill Cosby has been convicted are repugnant," John C. von Lehe Jr., board chairman, wrote in a statement. "The University of South Carolina does not tolerate sexual assault and we condemn his behavior in the harshest sense. Let our message to the Carolina family be clear: sexual assault is never the survivor's fault and will not be tolerated at the University of South Carolina." This is the first time USC has revoked an honorary degree, the statement said. |
| Senate update to career-education law would give more power to states | |
 | Senate lawmakers look to be on the verge of a bipartisan agreement to update the law governing $1 billion in annual federal spending on career and technical education in the U.S. -- much of it at community and technical colleges. Members of the education committee plan to today mark up a bill to reauthorize the Perkins Career and Technical Education law just over a year after corresponding legislation sailed through the House. In recent weeks, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, White House adviser Ivanka Trump and business leaders joined a chorus of voices urging senators to prioritize the legislation after it stalled for months due to partisan disagreements. The agreement finalized by GOP and Democratic negotiators over the weekend would allow states to largely set their own goals for career and technical education, a departure from current law. |
| Campus Lawyers' Deepest Fear: the Protest or Tweet That Spins Into a Free-Speech Crisis | |
 | Every college -- public or private, large or small, residential four-year or not -- is one tweet, email, or protest away from a First Amendment tussle. That's the message many higher-education lawyers are sharing with their colleagues here at the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Campus general counsels, especially at public universities, are still on edge after a chaotic 2017 filled with high-profile protests and tensions surrounding visits by speakers who espouse views that are either hateful or offensive or are perceived that way. William E. Thro, general counsel at the University of Kentucky, has been attending the association's annual conferences for two decades. "I never, ever remember constitutional issues, broadly defined -- free speech, due process, other things -- being as prominent as they are now," he said. |
| Re-evaluating perceptions about first-generation college students and their academic engagement | |
| Popular perceptions of first-generation college students as being unsure about college and academically unprepared to succeed may not be true. New research from Campus Labs, a higher education data collection and software company, examined the noncognitive skills of first-generation students and compared them to their multigenerational peers, finding that first-generation students are more engaged and committed to their education. "Based on the literature, one would have negative assumptions and expect first-generation students to be lower in academic engagement, because the literature says first-generation students are academically unprepared," said Shannon LaCount, an assistant vice president of campus adoption at Campus Labs. "But they're right there with multigenerational students or they're scoring higher. It says to me that first-generation students are coming in with an attitude that they are academically prepared and they can handle the work." |
| More community colleges offer bachelor's degrees -- and four-year universities aren't happy about it | |
 | Starting in fall 2019, students at Ohio's Sinclair Community College will be able to enroll in a four-year degree program in unmanned aerial systems, also known as drones. They'll learn mission planning, maintenance, laws, data analytics and more. Working on drones is a new field, and the college is eager to expand its program to meet the growing demand for graduates. Just up the road, Youngstown State University offers a somewhat similar four-year degree, in mechanical engineering technology -- but tuition there is double Sinclair's. Sinclair is one of a growing number of community colleges that have embraced the practice of two-year schools conferring four-year degrees. As college costs rise and state officials look to accommodate nontraditional and low-income students, more are turning to community colleges to develop programs for industries with a lot of need -- sometimes irking officials at four-year universities in the process. |
SPORTS
| Indiana's Chris Lemonis to lead Mississippi State baseball program | |
| Mississippi State did not delay its decision to hire a new baseball coach. News of Indiana head coach Chris Lemonis taking on the same role for the Bulldogs broke late Sunday night, less than 24 hours after MSU's season ended. The university made Lemonis' hire official Monday afternoon and will formally introduce the 48-year old at a press conference at Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday at 10 a.m. "It's an incredible honor to be the head coach at Mississippi State," Lemonis said in a statement. "The tradition, fan base and facility in Starkville are second to none in college baseball. My goal is to keep the program moving forward, strive for championships and ultimately win in Omaha. |
| Two of college baseball's top programs run by Citadel grads | |
 | With Chris Lemonis named as the new coach at Mississippi State on Monday, former Citadel players will hold two of the top jobs in college baseball. Lemonis, who spent the last four years as head coach at Indiana, joins his Citadel teammate, Louisville coach Dan McDonnell, as leaders of two of the top programs in the nation. Both were assistant coaches at The Citadel under Fred Jordan, and both were members of the Bulldogs' College World Series team in 1990 under the late Chal Port. The 48-year-old Lemonis, a 1992 Citadel graduate and son of a Mississippi State grad, will be introduced at a press conference Tuesday. "Chris is a winner and has elevated programs everywhere he has coached," Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen said. |
| Mississippi State hires Chris Lemonis as next baseball coach | |
| Mississippi State has hired Indiana's Chris Lemonis to be its next baseball coach. Lemonis, 48, has led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years. He was also an assistant at Louisville when the school made three trips to the College World Series. The school announced Monday that Lemonis will replace interim coach Gary Henderson, who led the Bulldogs on a surprise run to the College World Series. He'll be introduced on campus Tuesday. |
| Mississippi State baseball hires Chris Lemonis as head coach | |
 | Mississippi State made it official Monday afternoon --- Chris Lemonis is the Bulldogs' new head baseball coach. Lemonis arrives in Starkville after leading Indiana to the postseason in three of the last four years. Prior to that, he served as Dan McDonnell's top assistant at Louisville while the Cardinals reached the College World Series three times. MSU has scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference on Tuesday to introduce Lemonis as the Bulldogs' head coach at Dudy Noble Field. Lemonis' father, Thomas, was a 1973 Mississippi State graduate in electrical engineering. Lemonis, 48, worked as an assistant at The Citadel (1995-2006) and Louisville (2007-14) before landing his first head coaching job at Indiana in 2015. |
| Mississippi State baseball hires IU baseball coach Chris Lemonis | |
| Mississippi State will hire Indiana University baseball coach Chris Lemonis, a source confirmed to IndyStar. Kendall Rogers of d1baseball.com first reported the news. Lemonis led the Hoosiers to 141-91-2 record in four seasons, including three appearances in the NCAA tournament. Mississippi State has reached the College World Series 10 times, finishing runner-up in 2013, and won 11 Southeastern Conference championships. It's a familiar feeling for IU baseball fans. Tracy Smith built up a program that had made a single NCAA tournament when he was hired in 2005, eventually leading it to its first College World Series appearance in 2013. Smith then went 44-15 in 2014 and was hired by Arizona State. But Lemonis maintained that success, allowing IU to lay claim to having the most successful Big Ten baseball program in more than two decades. |
| 3 things to know about new Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis | |
| Mississippi State announced Chris Lemonis as its new baseball coach on Monday afternoon. Lemonis, who has led Indiana's program for the past four years, replaces interim head coach Gary Henderson following the Bulldogs' run to the doorstep of a national championship series. Lemonis played college baseball at The Citadel, where he appeared in the 1990 College World Series. He earned All-SoCon recognition twice. Lemonis has a reputation as an ace recruiter due to the eight years he spent as Louisville's recruiting coordinator. Mississippi State is replacing an interim coach who just led the Bulldogs deep into baseball's postseason, so the expectations on Lemonis will be to do the same -- and more. Lemonis has reached the College World Series four times: once as a player and three times as an assistant coach. |
| Mississippi State freshman, former Brantley star Alex Wilcox dies after battle with cancer | |
 | Mississippi State freshman softball player Alex Wilcox died on Monday after battling ovarian cancer for more than two years. Wilcox helped Brantley to three straight Class 1A state championships, 2014-2016, and a runner-up finish her senior season in 2017 before signing to play with Mississippi State. She played sparingly for the Bulldogs this season, but her continuing battle against inspired a nationwide movement among players. Wilcox was 18 years old. Wilcox earned the inaugural Alabama Sports Writers Association Jimmy Smothers Courage Award in 2016. She was also the ASWA Class 1A Hitter and Player of the Year and was selected to the AL.com Super All-State team and finished second in Miss Softball voting. She repeated as all-state and AL.com Super All-State in 2017. |
| Mississippi State softball player Alex Wilcox dies | |
| Mississippi State softball player Alex Wilcox, who inspired the softball community with her courageous battle with ovarian cancer, passed away in her hometown of Brantley, Ala., on Monday evening. She was 18. "Tonight with heavy hearts we are saddened by the loss of one of our very own in Alex Wilcox," MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen said. "Alex always had a smile on her face and a positive attitude. Her inspirational battle taught us that indeed no one fights alone. We will never forget her presence in the dugout, in the classroom and in the community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Alex, her family, her teammates, her friends and her Mississippi State family." Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015, Wilcox defied the odds and continued to play softball throughout her treatments and help lead Brantley High School to multiple state championships. Wilcox signed with the Bulldogs in 2016. |
| Alex Wilcox, after inspiring fight with cancer, dies | |
| Alex Wilcox, the Brantley native whose fight with ovarian cancer put a national spotlight on a naturally shy teenager, died Monday night. She was 18. "Cancer didn't win this battle," Brantley softball coach Cindy Hawthorne said. "God needed her with him. She's a fighter until the end, as I knew she would be." Wilcox was diagnosed with ovarian cancer before her junior season at Brantley in 2016, almost a year before she signed with Mississippi State. She just finished her freshman season with the Bulldogs, where she helped spark a cancer-awareness movement. "When she signed with Mississippi State, I said then she was the face of Brantley softball," Hawthorne said. "I don't see that changing. Now hundreds of thousands across this nation know her and her story. Her legacy will live on." |
| Fifth day of weather issues creates 'most challenging College World Series' for NCAA | |
| This isn't the wettest College World Series ever, but the steady drip, drip, drip of rain has the 2018 tournament in the running for that dishonor. Heavy thundershowers Monday evening washed out Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series between Arkansas and Oregon State. Play is scheduled to resume 6 p.m. Tuesday at TD Ameritrade Park. Game 2 will move to 6 p.m. Wednesday. The start time for a third, if-necessary, game Thursday is yet to be determined, though NCAA official Randy Buhr said Monday night the optimal time for first pitch would be around 5:30 or 6 p.m., barring weather issues. Buhr, the director of championships and alliances for the NCAA, has been involved in Omaha's annual baseball bash for 16 years. "This has been the most challenging College World Series as it pertains to inclement weather," he said. |
| Texas A&M names Pat Coyle senior associate athletic director, chief revenue officer | |
 | Pat Coyle has been named senior associate athletic director and chief revenue officer for the Texas A&M athletic department, A&M athletic director Scott Woodward announced Monday. "Pat is widely recognized as a visionary business technologist in team sports," Woodward said. "He brings a unique perspective and the practical know-how we need to extend our leadership position in college athletics." Coyle comes to A&M from AmpThink, a sports venue technologies company and a technology partner to A&M. |
| Report: Former Arkansas Athletics Director Jeff Long in running for job at South Florida | |
| Former Arkansas Athletics Director Jeff Long is in the running for the vacant AD job at South Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reported Monday. The newspaper reported that former Louisville AD Tom Jurich is the preferred choice among several prominent USF boosters. Long, 57, was fired by University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Chancellor Joe Steinmetz, on Nov. 15, who cited loss of confidence from prominent boosters and UA leadership. The first chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee, Long served at Arkansas for almost 10 years after succeeding the legendary Frank Broyles. Long is also considered a candidate for the same position at Kansas. |
| Settlement for highly anticipated concussion lawsuit against NCAA | |
| It was the case that legal experts and college sports leaders were watching. The aggrieved widow of a former college football player had sued the National Collegiate Athletic Association for allegedly ignoring the signs -- repeated head trauma -- that potentially led to her husband's death. Deb Hardin-Ploetz's 2017 lawsuit stood out among the waves of concussion-related litigation filed against the NCAA because it was the first to reach a jury trial. A verdict in her favor, that the NCAA was legally responsible for the death of Greg Ploetz -- a scrappy linebacker and defensive tackle for the University of Texas in the late 1960s and early '70s -- would have likely left the association open to liability in an avalanche of other cases and drawn more attention to an issue already under fierce public scrutiny. But any hope that the Ploetz case would set groundbreaking precedent disappeared June 15, just the third day of the trial. After a lunch break, the judge announced the two sides had settled. The details of the deal remain undisclosed. |
| As states legalize sports betting, will sports media go all-in? | |
| Widespread, legalized sports gambling could change the way you watch your favorite sport. It could also soon change how the media cover sports. Since the Supreme Court in May gave states the option to allow sports betting, it seemed like a vast, untapped well of revenue had been opened. Until then, illegal sports wagering had been an industry worth about US$150 billion a year. Since the May ruling, Delaware and New Jersey have each implemented sports gambling, with Rhode Island, West Virginia and Mississippi not far behind. All of these states will be able to tax betting. Their casinos will be able to open sports books to lure customers. And leagues are lobbying for a cut of each wager, though that hasn't yet come to pass. Lost in all this has been the question of how the sports media will respond. |
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.
