| Wednesday, August 15, 2018 |
| Construction begins on 10th Maroon Edition Habitat for Humanity home | |
 | Lou-Quan Lucious and her three children will have a home of their own on Chisholm Drive, thanks to Starkville Habitat for Humanity and volunteers from Mississippi State University. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Lucious' home, the 10th annual MSU Maroon Edition House, Tuesday morning. During the ground-breaking ceremony, MSU President Mark Keenum said the program began 10 years ago as a reading program, allowing all incoming freshmen to share an experience together by reading the same book. "We also wanted them to have a shared service experience as well, and what better experience for them to share than to be able to help someone have a new home, and that's what makes me very proud of this occasion and continuing our partnership and relationship with this wonderful Christian organization, Habitat for Humanity," Keenum said. Keenum also donated $5,000 check on behalf of MSU for construction of the home. |
| 10th Annual Maroon Build Kicks Off | |
 | A family in Starkville will soon have a new place to call home. Mississippi State University held a groundbreaking Tuesday for the school's 10th annual Maroon Edition Habitat for Humanity house. MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum drove in the first nail during the ceremony. Mississippi State students will be volunteering to help get the project done. |
| Mississippi State lands $100K grant for downtown makerspace | |
 | Mississippi State University will expand its ability to help young entrepreneurs launch businesses and, leaders hope, keep them in Mississippi, thanks to $100,000 grant to create a new makerspace in downtown Starkville. The university announced the $100,000 United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Grant on Monday at an event that featured both of Mississippi's U.S. senators in the College of Businesses' Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach. Eric Hill, MSU's director of entrepreneurship said the new makerspace, which the E-Center has been pursuing for three to four years, is expected to open by the end of September. It will be open to students, faculty and area residents. The makerspace will be located at East Main Street, between Aspen Bay and Moe's Original BBQ. |
| Our View: MSU E-Center's downtown Starkville location could serve as a beacon for entrepreneurship | |
| The Dispatch editorializes: On Monday, Mississippi State University held an event to announce its plans for a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agricultural designed to build on the university's entrepreneurship program by providing a place where new start-ups can develop, build and test prototypes of their products. It's called a "makerspace" and represents the next logical step in the university's entrepreneurship program, which began on the second floor of McCool Hall on campus in 2009 and has since grown to 12,000 square feet in that building while adding a business incubator facility at the Thad Cochran Research Park. Yet in another respect, this makerspace will serve another important function. ... The "makerspace" will be an immediate aid to current entrepreneurs, but its presence downtown is a nod to the future inventors who may catch the fire of creativity as a result of the work being done there. |
| Wildlife photographer Steve Brandon recounts following 'Great Migration' in Serengeti | |
| Steve Brandon has shot wildlife on all seven continents, but aside from some pesky insects, he hasn't killed anything. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have trophies, which come in the form of his prized wildlife photographs. Monday, Brandon shared his latest wildlife adventure -- photos from his two-week African safari -- at the Starkville Rotary Club meeting. Since retiring from his position as vice president for international operations at Monster.com in 2002, Brandon, with his wife Patsy, have been roaming the continents taking photos, then returning home to share their adventures with various civic clubs and organizations. Monday's visit to the Starkville Rotary Club was one of many he had made to the group over the past 16 years, but as he spoke of his trip to Africa and shared the photos and stories behind the photos, it was clear this trip was special. |
| Starkville man arrested for burglary at The Balcony | |
| A Starkville man with a history of burglary offenses is in jail after police received a call of a suspicious person at The Balcony apartments on Monday. The Starkville Police Department responded to the call Monday night at about 7 p.m. at The Balcony apartments in the 200 block of South Montgomery Street and arrested 47-year-old Ocie Hoskins after a brief investigation. Hoskins was charged with residential burglary and is currently being held in the Oktibbeha County Jail with bond set at $10,000. The arrest on Monday is not the first time Hoskins has been accused of burglary. In April 2007, he was indicted on seven counts of burglary and pleaded guilty to four counts of commercial burglary in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court. At the time of his arrest on Monday, Hoskins was out on parole. |
| City to begin Pleasant Acres infrastructure project in October | |
| The city of Starkville is about to begin the first in a line of projects geared toward replacing the city's aging water and sewer infrastructure, and the residents of Pleasant Acres were the first to hear the city's most recent game plan. On Tuesday night, roughly 50 people attended a community meeting to hear about the project at the Starkville Church of God, located across the street from their neighborhood. "It's going to be the first neighborhood we really go in at look at a complete upgrade of the sewer and water infrastructure," said Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker. "That should make y'all's lives a little bit easier and the folks are going to put Pleasant Acres in a good stance in terms of utilities." Starkville Utilities General Manager Terry Kemp said roughly 100 homes will be impacted by project, and he was pleased to see the turnout on Tuesday night. |
| State Floral coming to Midtown Starkville | |
| State Floral is joining the other businesses and apartments in the new Midtown Starkville development on the corner of University Drive and Montgomery Street. State Floral is still under construction and is expected to open in 45 to 60 days. State Floral owner Allison Siddall she has owned a floral and event planning for the last two years, but this will be her first brick-and-mortar store. Developer Jeffrey Harless, of Harless and Company out of Tuscaloosa, said State Floral will join Orangetheory Fitness and a second Starkville Strange Brew Coffeehouse on the first floor and 66 one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments on the upper floors. Harless said State Floral will occupy 2,000 square feet of the ground floor of Midtown Starkville, and six businesses total will open in the development. |
| MDA delegation learns more about Vicksburg during visit | |
 | A state delegation of economic development officials recently had the opportunity to learn more about Vicksburg and what Warren County has to offer. The delegation, which included Mike McGrevey, deputy director of MDA, and Jamie Miller, deputy director of Governmental Affairs and Chief Innovation Officer, spent half a day at ERDC and met with representatives of numerous laboratories. "The delegation learned that in Vicksburg and Warren County all entities are aligned to support economic and workforce development," Pablo Diaz, president and CEO of The Partnership, said. "You can't just get up and replicate ERDC. You can't just replicate access to the Mississippi River, combined with a Class I railroad." |
| NRA endorses Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi Senate race | |
| The National Rifle Association picked sides Monday in Mississippi's special Senate election, throwing its support behind Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Mrs. Hyde-Smith was appointed to the seat when Republican Sen. Thad Cochran stepped down after serving four decades in the Senate. She is running in November to finish remainder of Mr. Cochran's term in a nonpartisan jungle primary that also features Republican Chris McDaniel and Democrat Mike Espy. "Cindy Hyde-Smith is an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment and will work to ensure that our constitutional rights are protected," said Chris W. Cox, chairman of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. "Hyde-Smith will protect our right to keep and bear arms in the U.S. Senate and vote to confirm Supreme Court justices who respect the Second Amendment." |
| David Baria: 'My Son Will Feel Pain' When He Looks At Mississippi's Flag | |
| The people of Mississippi have "a duty to acknowledge that hatred and racism remain alive and well in America today," Mississippi State Rep. David Baria, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. He said that Mississippi's flag, with the Confederate battle flag in its canton, emboldens hate groups. The comments came exactly one year after white supremacists carrying the Confederate flag and the flag of the Third Reich marched violently in Charlottesville, Va., injuring dozens and killing Heather Heyer, 32, who was part of a group of anti-racism counter-protesters. Baria called it "one of the darkest chapters in American history." The flag is personal for Baria; his son, Max, 10, is mixed race. "My son will feel pain when he looks up at our flag. He just doesn't fully know why yet," Baria wrote. |
| Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton has plan for internet in Mississippi | |
 | Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton believes every resident of Mississippi should have access to high-speed internet. He talked about his push for the expansion of internet in Mississippi during a wide-ranging interview preceding an appearance before the Hattiesburg Rotary Tuesday. Britton also touched on the recent rate increase the commission gave to Mississippi Power and an upcoming hearing that will look at customer service at Arnold Line Water Association. But the Southern District' commissioners main focus was his desire to see electric power associations get the legal right to offer internet service to everyone in the state. "Having high-speed internet is no longer a luxury --- it's immediately important for all Mississippians," he said. "Can you imagine a business located where they do not have internet?" |
| State workers in South Mississippi embezzled millions -- and still owe, audit shows | |
 | A former state official in Biloxi and two women whose actions shut down Head Start programs in Harrison County are among 17 former state workers from South Mississippi who collectively owe the state tens of thousands of dollars. Most were accused of embezzling money or property, misappropriating funds or misusing government funds. Some are in prison and some are awaiting trial. The 17 from South Mississippi showed up in the state auditor's annual report, released Tuesday, on the status of cases involving money owed from criminal conduct, incorrect expenditures of public funds and payment for missing equipment. Pending repayments in South Mississippi mostly involve criminal acts of state workers who were employed in Harrison, Jackson and Pearl River counties. |
| Auditor's report shows missing funds being repaid | |
 | Nearly a dozen current and former Ecru town officials have paid back more than $220,000 owed to the state in the last year. The payments were detailed in an annual exceptions list, released recently by State Auditor Shad White. The annual report lists all instances of misappropriation of public funds over the last year, as well as efforts to collect money owed to the state and local governments. In August 2017, the state issued informal demands to seven former aldermen and two current aldermen for a total of $13,414.15 in misused public funds. The individual amounts ranged from $72.33 to $2,784.34. The following month, former city clerk Gretchin Moody and former police chief Paul Blaylock were indicted for fraud and embezzlement and ordered to repay a total of more than $390,000. |
| As speaker, Jim Clyburn says he would 'transform' Democratic Party | |
 | As speaker of the House, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn says he would be a "transitional" leader but not "custodial." The South Carolina Democrat says he would work to "transform" the Democratic Caucus to make the party more appealing "to young African Americans who still feel ... take(n) for granted." "I would manage not just resources but expectations," the Columbia lawmaker said, "manage dreams and aspirations." Surrounded by allies and supporters at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's annual policy forum in Tunica, Miss., last weekend, Clyburn spoke more frankly and openly than he had before about how he would approach the top job in the House's leadership. |
| Top takeaways from a groundbreaking election night for Democrats | |
 | A hodgepodge of states that voted in primaries on Tuesday revealed a surprising amount about the state of Democratic politics these days. In the Northeast, Democratic voters in two states made history: In Vermont, by nominating the nation's first transgender candidate for governor, and in Connecticut by positioning the first African-American woman to represent the state in Congress. The first Somali-American will almost certainly be headed to Congress from the Minneapolis area, and another Muslim, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) will stand for statewide office this fall. In the Midwest, the party opted for more traditional candidates to try to win the governorships in two 2020 battleground states, Wisconsin and Minnesota. |
| Kentucky Governor Compares State Workers to Drowning Victims: 'You Just Need to Knock Them Out' | |
 | Gov. Matt Bevin, Republican of Kentucky, drew swift criticism from top state Democrats on Tuesday for his remarks that state workers who oppose pension reform are like drowning victims getting in the way of their own rescue. "I'm being fought, in some instances, by the very people that we're trying to save," Governor Bevin said on Tuesday on the "Brian Thomas Morning Show," a conservative talk show based in Cincinnati. "It's like saving a drowning victim, Brian. It's like somebody --- they're fighting you, biting you, pulling you under. You just need to knock them out and drag them to shore. It's for their own good and we have to save the system." Kentucky's public pension system is among the least funded in the nation, according to several analyses. It ranked second to last, ahead of only New Jersey, according to a report this year by the Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonpartisan think tank. |
| UMMC, Blue Cross find agreement | |
| Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center have found a way to untangle their contract dispute. On Tuesday evening, the state's only academic medical center and the largest insurer announced they had reached an agreement. "University of Mississippi Medical Center facilities are fully participating in-network providers," Blue Cross and UMMC said in a joint statement released Tuesday. The dispute primarily centered around UMMC hospitals in Jackson and Grenada, but also affected UMMC affiliated clinics, like the Children's of Mississippi specialty clinic in Tupelo. Partnerships with North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo and recent affiliation with OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville were not affected. |
| Alcorn 3rd on Value Colleges' Top 50 Best Value HBCUs list | |
 | Alcorn State University in Lorman has been recognized again as one of the nation's top historically black colleges and universities. The University is ranked third on the Top 50 Value Colleges' Historically Black Colleges & Universities 2018 list. Alcorn is the highest ranked Mississippi school on the website's list. Value Colleges is a website that offers researched, straightforward, and practical answers to commonly asked questions about value and affordability when making college decisions. |
| Two Mississippi Valley State University officers complete police academy | |
| Two Mississippi Valley State University officers are now ready to protect and serve after successfully completing the Law Enforcement Training Academy at Mississippi Delta Community College. Officers Svante' Brown of Greenwood and Henry Manuel, Jr. of Moorhead were among 24 cadets to graduate from the Academy Aug. 2 in Moorhead. "Both of these young men started as security, and I saw the potential in them," said MVSU Director of Public Safety Chief Alex Granderson. They have the will, the drive and the attitude for this profession. It's hard to find good candidates for law enforcement in this day and time, but I'm very blessed to have them on my team." During the graduation ceremony, Manuel was recognized for earning 3rd place and Brown for earning the 5th place Top PT (Physical Training) award. Both officers were also recognized for successfully completing the Warrior Challenge and for running five miles in under 50 minutes. |
| Auburn University airport projects moving forward | |
 | The Auburn University Taxiway Alpha project is still on schedule for a December completion, according to airport director Bill Hutto. The four-phase project began in June with the demolition of the old terminal building and other nearby structures located off Airport Road to make way for the new $4.3 million taxiway. Construction on the new Delta Air Lines Aviation Education Building is on track and is anticipated to be complete in early October, Hutto said Monday, with move-in to take place throughout October. The building will be available for classes beginning in spring semester. Some aviation classes will remain on Auburn's main campus, but a majority of junior- and senior-level classes will be located inside the new education building at the airport, Hutto said |
| 5 new things on U. of South Carolina's campus for fall 2018 | |
 | When University of South Carolina students return from summer jobs or internships, they may find campus to be a bit different than they remember. The changes include where students live, eat and how much they pay to attend school. Here are the five biggest changes coming to USC for the fall 2018 semester: new restaurants at Russell House, new student housing, more expensive education, tax credits for students (or parents) and more professors offering free textbooks. USC's Russell House student center will have 11 new or updated restaurants on the first and second floors. The $9.5 million renovation adds a Panera Bread, Carolina Creamery, Pei Wei by P.F. Chang's and more. Longtime Russell House tenants Chick-fil-a, Horseshoe Deli and Southern Kitchen are getting a facelift and updated menus. |
| New Topic on Campus: Civil Discourse 101 | |
 | Colleges across the U.S. are teaching students, parents and alumni how to talk politics without going on the attack in an effort to counter growing polarization and nastiness in political discourse. The new Project on Civil Discourse at American University's School of Public Affairs will coordinate student-led discussions through classes, dormitories and clubs. Students will reflect on their debate styles and talk through hypotheticals like whether to engage or kick out party guests who say hateful things. Wake Forest University is using an intimate approach: Dinner parties for 10 to 16 people at a time. After pilot sessions with parents and alums in 45 cities over the past year, it is aiming to get 1,000 undergraduates and another 2,000 parents and alums to the dinner table this school year. |
| Accreditors pressured to apply more scrutiny as for-profits look to change tax status | |
 | Grand Canyon University enrolls nearly 20,000 students at its Phoenix campus, has among the fastest growing online enrollments in recent years and this past spring qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association's men's basketball tournament for the first time. But as a for-profit institution, Grand Canyon could not accept charitable contributions, apply for federal research grants or take part in NCAA governance, the school's president and CEO Brian Mueller told investors last year. So when the university's accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, said in 2017 that it would adopt new guidelines governing outsourcing of various university functions, Grand Canyon jumped at an opportunity to pursue a corporate restructuring that it would allow it to operate as a nonprofit entity. Grand Canyon's corporate overhaul comes as a number of for-profit colleges have pursued similar deals. |
| Researchers, Posing as Students, Quizzed Campus Officials About Sexual Assault. How Did They Do? | |
 | Just how much do Title IX administrators and campus-security officers know about handling sexual assault and debunking rape myths? A fair amount, according to a new University of New Hampshire study, but not as much as they should in some cases. The study involved a mystery-shopper approach, in which female faculty members and graduate students called up hundreds of Title IX and campus-safety offices. Introducing themselves as students doing a class project on campus rape, they quizzed administrators about Title IX's requirements. They asked about how to report a sexual assault, how investigations work, and who is a "mandatory reporter" of sexual misconduct. Correct answers to those questions might differ depending on each campus's policies, but administrators should be able to provide the information upon request. |
| Despite rhetoric to the contrary, news politicians disagree with isn't 'fake' | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: As traditional news media outlets continue to struggle in business models that are no longer fully relevant to the digital age in which we live, work and consume news today, the rise of the "fake news" attacks have only served to further weaken the legitimate news gathering and reporting entities on which the internet and social media depend. The hard truth is that if traditional newspapers, broadcast news operations, and even new digital news gathering operations that have yet to gain enough market share to pay the freight on their overhead go out of business and disappear, the American public will be left with something far less than news -- "fake" or otherwise. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State special teams striving to be the best | |
| A new NCAA rule went into affect this year allowing football teams to add a 10th on-field assistant coach. First-year Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead opted to hire a special teams coordinator and was able to convince former South Alabama head coach Joey Jones to take on that responsibility. Jones had an active role with the Jaguars special teams and had those units ranked No. 2 nationally in the ESPN special teams efficiency rankings. He wants to make that same type of impact with the Bulldogs this fall. "Our goal is to be the No. 1 special teams in the SEC," Jones said. "That is a very important facet of what we are doing. We want to be the best and we have to approach every day like that." |
| Mississippi State embraces change with new coordinator | |
 | Bob Shoop is Mississippi State's fifth defensive coordinator in five seasons. That lack of continuity in a football program usually isn't ideal, but the 51-year-old Shoop said he's been pleasantly surprised to discover that Mississippi State's veteran-laden defense hasn't grown jaded by the constant changes. Instead, he said, an unintended consequence is this group is much more football savvy than an average bunch of guys in their early 20s. "The negative is really a positive," Shoop said. "They know the game. They can talk the game in a meeting room. It's not like talking to a high school kid, it's like talking to a veteran football player. We have those types of discussions." |
| Injury developments highlight Mississippi State's second full week of camp | |
 | Mississippi State started its second full week of practice on Monday. As the calendar inches closer to September, the intensity on the field increases. Injuries have been a topic of emphasis this fall. On that front, linebacker Willie Gay Jr., offensive lineman Tyre Phillips and linebacker Alec Murphy were all off the field Tuesday. Gay Jr. and Phillips were out for the second consecutive day. Murphy has been sidelined since last week. Defensive lineman Marquiss Spencer had been sidelined for about a week as well, but he made his return Tuesday morning. He appeared to be a full participant in position drills. Sophomore quarterback Keytaon Thompson made it back onto the field after one day's absence as well. |
| Former EMCC standouts Brian Cole, Chauncey Rivers eager to return to action for Mississippi State | |
| Brian Cole and Chauncey Rivers came to Mississippi State as proven commodities. Both had been in Division I football before, Cole at Michigan and Rivers at Georgia, before coming together for a season at East Mississippi Community College. Yet, they were forced to redshirt, on equal plane with those overwhelmed with their first look at college football. The experience of an academic redshirt is different from that of the traditional redshirt, and Cole and Rivers shared that experience with The Dispatch. |
| Mississippi State soccer looks to carry strong mentality into season opener | |
| Tom Anagnost isn't speaking in code when he uses words like "strong mentality." The second-year Mississippi State women's soccer coach used those words to characterize his team's performance Saturday in a 1-0 exhibition victory against Marquette. The result came a day after MSU dropped a 2-0 decision to Wisconsin in its exhibition opener. In that match, Anagnost didn't feel the Bulldogs showed their "identity" and committed too many mistakes to win the closed scrimmage, which was originally scheduled for Thursday night but was postponed to 8 a.m. Friday. Makayla Waldner knows the mind-set Anagnost wants. The junior forward hopes MSU can deliver the same attitude it displayed against Marquette when it plays host to Southern Mississippi at 7 p.m. Thursday in its regular-season opener at the MSU Soccer Field. |
| Mississippi State volleyball sets open scrimmage for Wednesday | |
| Julie Darty isn't going to make excuses. The first-year Mississippi State volleyball coach also isn't going to allow her players to use their relative inexperience as a crutch. Of the 11 players new to MSU, four are transfers and seven are freshmen. Some coaches might use those facts to downplay her team's chances for success. Darty isn't buying it. "The standard is pretty high, and we came in and set the standard high," Darty said. "We made sure they understood what the standards were. They're policing each other and holding each other to those standards." Halfway through the preseason, Darty likes what she has seen from her team as it prepares for its season opener against Mississippi Valley State at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, in the StarkVegas Classic at the Newell-Grissom Building. |
| Reporting Title IX offenses required in contracts for Texas A&M football coaches | |
 | Contracts for Texas A&M's assistant football coaches contain a clause that specifically names failing to report a Title IX offense to the proper channels as a fireable offense, according to five contracts obtained by The Eagle through an open records request. The addition, which was not in the contracts of former A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin's assistants, was made by the university. It was a group decision of university leadership based on issues that have occurred around the country and not in response to anything that occurred on campus, a university official said. The decision to add the clause came before A&M initiated a review of its Title IX practices involving sexual assault, the official said. On the first day of the Aggies' training camp, Fisher said issues like Ohio State's resonate throughout the college football coaching community. |
| How donated tickets led to Tennessee's first minor NCAA violation under Jeremy Pruitt | |
 | An act of generosity resulted in the first minor NCAA violation for the football program under coach Jeremy Pruitt's watch. A UT athletic department staff member donated single-game football tickets for a Knoxville Catholic auction that raised money for the school's academic programs and classroom technology. That infraction was among six violations that UT reported during the first half of 2018. Each is considered a Level III infraction, a minor violation that doesn't typically carry major punishment. The women's basketball program was flagged twice for recruiting violations, making it the only program with multiple violations. And a box of popcorn and a bottle of water led to a violation for the men's basketball team. |
| Maryland says football staff made mistakes treating player before his death, apologizes to family | |
 | University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh and the school's athletic director, Damon Evans, acknowledged Tuesday that team athletic trainers failed to properly diagnose and treat football player Jordan McNair during a workout last spring, and apologized to the player's family for the school's role in his death. Loh said the staff failed to recognize that McNair was suffering from exertional heatstroke and did not follow prescribed medical steps to treat it. Loh said trainers never took the player's temperature and did not ice his body to lower its temperature, steps experts have said would likely have saved his life. Instead, McNair died in a hospital 15 days later. Loh spoke at a news conference in College Park immediately after meeting with McNair's family. He said the university "accepts legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes that our training staff made on the fateful workout day of May 29." |
| Admitting Significant Mistakes, Maryland Accepts Responsibility for Football Player's Death | |
| Training-staff members made key mistakes at the University of Maryland at College Park football practice that preceded a player's death this year, and the president, Wallace D. Loh, on Tuesday said the campus was accountable. "The university accepts legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes that our training staff made on that fateful workout day of May 29," he said at a news conference, echoing what he said he had told the parents of the student, Jordan McNair, on Tuesday morning. Loh's statement is significant as he's drawn criticism for the university's response to the death. Though a review of coaching practices is underway, Loh said he knew enough to recognize that some policies "do not conform to best practices." |
| Sports betting heating up at Mississippi's casinos | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Three months after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting and little more than two weeks before the SEC football season opens, you can place sports bets at five Mississippi casinos. Several more Mississippi casinos are busily preparing sports betting operations and expect to offer sports wagering before the beginning of the college and professional football seasons. The Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi and Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, two MGM Resorts International properties were the first Mississippi casinos to offer sports game on August 1, the 26th anniversary of legal casino gambling in the state. The IP Casino Resort in Biloxi and Sam's Town followed two days later. The Horseshoe Casino in Tunica began booking sports bets Monday. Several more casinos are expected to be approved for sports betting at the Mississippi Gaming Commission's regularly scheduled meeting Thursday in Jackson. |
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