| Thursday, August 23, 2018 |
| Classes begin at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Faculty and students are excited for the brand new semester at MSU-Meridian. This year is featuring the second semester of an MBA program, the offering of alternate route certifications to help fill vacant positions within the Meridian Public School District, and more. "We're doing blended learning that enhances the flexibility for non-traditional students, meaning that they can come face-to-face, they can complete the same class online, or they can do a mix of the two over the course of the semester," says Terry Dale Cruse, the head of campus at MSU-Meridian. "so I think that that's providing more opportunities for students to take classes here than before." This is also the first semester with the Bulldog Free Tuition Program, which enables active service members with the Mississippi National Guard to qualify for free tuition. "To give those students the opportunity to get an undergraduate education for free, it's incredible and so we're really excited about that," Cruse says. |
| Back to school at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Photo: Tania Hanna, assistant clinical professor in elementary education, goes over the syllabus on the first day of fall classes at MSU-Meridian. The deadline to apply for fall semester is August 29. For more information call the Sonny Montgomery Advisement and Career Services Center at (601) 484-0229. |
| Decorating Ideas: Mississippi State University Dorm Decor | |
 | What's posh, pink, and fluffy? We'll tell you, it's a dorm room at Mississippi State University. The room was decorated by two freshmen: Maggie Roberson, a biological science major from Hattiesburg, Mississippi and her roommate, Madison Wadsworth, undeclared, from Auburn, Alabama. Together, the girls were able to add a bit of their own unique style to a shared living space. How the two became roommates is a very modern story involving social media. Specifically Snapchat. Maggie Tells Teen Vogue, "We met through mutual friends about a year ago. We stalked each other on social media and communicated on Snapchat before we actually met in person!" "We met for lunch at Spot of Tea in Mobile, AL," she continues. "Our moms joined us for lunch and we just hit it off! Great food and conversation for sure!" |
| Traffic signal ordered for intersection where Kaelin Kersh was killed | |
 | MDOT Northern District Commissioner Mike Tagert confirms there will be a traffic signal added to the intersection where Mississippi State University student Kaelin Kersh was killed. The intersection at MS Highway 182 near Old Mayhew Road is where Kersh's car was hit. An MHP trooper was traveling at close to 100 mph without lights or siren when he struck Kersh's car killing her and injuring two others. This year the legislature passed the Kaelin Kersh Act which requires law enforcement traveling over 30 mph to use lights and siren. In June, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety was ordered to pay the victims the maximum amount allowed under state law. Tagert says the design is still being finalized as part of a bigger project happening in the district. |
| Starkville Police Have a Breakthrough in Labor Day Cold Case | |
 | We're nearing the twenty-eighth anniversary of the Labor Day murders, a case where two Starkville women were killed. But Starkville Police may have found the missing piece of this near thirty-year old puzzle, thanks to the latest in DNA technology. It's thanks to patience and proper preservation of evidence that is making all this possible. When you see the old footage, you get an idea of how far back this case goes. For some, however, the memories are as vivid today as they were when the Labor Day murders happened in Starkville. |
| Eupora man arrested for shooting at The Block | |
 | Police say a Eupora man has been charged with attempted murder following a shooting last week at a Starkville apartment complex that injured one person. On Wednesday night, the Starkville Police Department said 19-year-old Carson Clement had been arrested on a felony warrant stemming from a Thursday, Aug. 16 shooting at The Block Townhomes in the 600 block of South Montgomery Street. Clement was transported to the Oktibbeha County Jail from Muscle Shoals, Alabama and his bond was set at $250,000. SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said Clement will have an initial appearance in Municipal Court on Thursday unless he bonds out. Earlier in the week, SPD also confirmed the victim was airlifted to University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson with gunshot wounds and is currently in stable condition. |
| No charges for officers involved in fatal Lowndes shooting | |
 | A grand jury elected not to press charges against officers involved in a deadly chase in March 2017. Court and law enforcement officials confirmed to The Dispatch Wednesday that several law enforcement officers -- including two Lowndes County Sheriff's Office deputies -- are not facing criminal charges for the death of 45-year-old Pryor Spencer Bailey IV, of Starkville, who died after exchanging gunfire with multiple law enforcement officers on March 27, 2017. The incident began when Bailey did not pull over for a Mathiston police officer who tried to stop him for a suspected DUI. Bailey drove from Webster County to Lowndes County and almost into Alabama before he drove over spike strips laid by Lowndes County deputies, causing him to wreck the vehicle. When Bailey exited the car, he and law enforcement at the scene began exchanging gunfire. Bailey was killed at the scene. |
| Louisiana, Mississippi Top Nation in Worst West Nile Illness | |
 | Louisiana and Mississippi are leading the nation in the number of people who have become the most seriously ill from West Nile virus this year. State health departments are warning residents to take precautions against mosquitoes, which spread the virus. Dr. Paul Byers, Mississippi's state epidemiologist, said Mississippi is "always" among the states with the highest rates for West Nile virus. Regardless of whether we report the disease in your county ... we want everybody to take those appropriate precautions," Byers said. The CDC reported eight deaths so far this year: two in South Dakota and one each in Louisiana, Iowa, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. About one in five infected people becomes ill, and the virus spreads to the nervous system in about one in 150, according to the CDC. |
| Australian firm to invest $20 million in Greenville plant, create 68 jobs | |
| Crop protection company Nufarm Limited has purchased a 104,000-square-foot plant from the city of Greenville as part of a $20 million investment that will create 68 jobs over the next four years. Headquartered in Australia, Nufarm is one of the world's leading manufacturers of herbicides and pesticides and specialty seeds. The Greenville plant will be a repackaging and shipping facility, not for manufacturing. The Mississippi Development Authority gave the company $350,000 for a spur to the Columbus and Greenville Railway. The Washington County Economic Alliance is providing $200,000 toward the construction of the spur. |
| Area legislators talk lottery possibility ahead of special session | |
| A special legislative session is officially set to begin Thursday and the possibility of a statewide lottery is back on the table following a proclamation by Republican Gov. Phil Bryant and the recent revelation that House Speaker Philip Gunn does not intend to block lottery legislation if it receives the necessary support from his Republican colleagues. On Tuesday night, Bryant rolled out the call for what could become the Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act, along with a framework for a state lottery and the distribution of settlement funds from BP following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. The lottery proposal will first require action from the Senate and looming uncertainty as to what the legislation may look like and how funds would be earmarked still has policymakers playing the waiting game. |
| Divvying up BP oil spill settlement funds could be tacked on to special session | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant could ask legislators in this week's special session to decide how to divvy up money the state is receiving as part of the settlement for the 2010 BP oil spill after they work on a plan to find additional revenue for the state's and local governments' growing infrastructure needs. The primary reason the governor called for the special session -- set to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday -- is to try to reach an agreement on addressing transportation needs on both the state and local levels. A solution to the infrastructure issue has eluded legislators for multiple years. As expected, the official call Bryant issued late Tuesday proposes diverting use tax revenue from education and other state services to transportation and enacting a lottery with its revenue dedicated to transportation. Bryant has said he also would like legislators to address the BP settlement funds in the special session. Clay Chandler, a spokesman for Bryant, said the governor "likely" would add BP after transportation issues are considered. |
| Fate of BP money could be decided at Mississippi special session this week | |
 | Republicans appear to be close to a deal to pay for millions of dollars in road and bridge repairs across the state, but whether they'll decide what to do with $600 million in BP economic damages in special session of the Legislature that begins Thursday isn't so clear. Gov. Phil Bryant said last week in a tweet that BP money would be part of the session, but it wasn't in the official proclamation Tuesday. Bryant's office later told the Associated Press that the settlement could be dealt with after a road and bridge bill was finished. Wednesday afternoon, the Governor's Office called a press conference with Bryant, Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, just before the start of the session, to talk about the road and bridge bill, another sign the Republicans were in agreement. Rep. Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, was optimistic even before Bryant's tweet. "Every one of our state leaders appears to be comfortable that there is even at least a chance we might get all of this done in one day," he said Wednesday. |
| What cities, counties want out of the special legislative session | |
 | City, county and business officials throughout the state have a vested interest in Gov. Phil Bryant's special session on infrastructure spending. The session, which begins Thursday, has gotten the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who said legislation should include transferring some taxes on internet sales. Reeves also reportedly remains open to the use of money from sports betting and a state lottery for the state Department of Transportation. House Speaker Philip Gunn, who personally opposes a lottery, said he won't block a lottery proposal from passing his chamber "if the votes are there" among Republicans. Shari Veazey, executive director of the Mississippi Municipal League, which advocates for legislative policies that benefit cities across the state, released a statement on what she hopes is accomplished: |
| Majority-black, Democratic counties hurt most by bridge closures, analysis shows | Mississippi Today | |
| The bridge crisis, which Republican leaders seek to address this week during a special session, disproportionately affects majority black counties and counties that typically vote more with Democrats than Republicans, according to a Mississippi Today analysis. Republicans, who enjoy supermajorities in both the House and Senate and hold the governor's office, have been meeting privately to determine how and if to send state funds to counties that cannot afford to reopen bridges that have been closed since April. No black or Democratic legislators have been at the negotiating table this summer, according to key Democratic and black legislative leaders. Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland and chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has kept him updated on the negotiations, but Simmons says he has not been in any meetings between Senate leadership, House leadership, and governor's office staff since the regular session ended in March. |
| Chris McDaniel pummels GOP establishment -- with a phone book | |
| State Sen. Chris McDaniel has met the enemy and it is, well, just about everybody. It's a given that he doesn't much care for Democrats and liberals. They are, after all, in his words "dangerous to our way of life." Gov. Haley Barbour and other lobbyists get him worked up, too. And, he has no use for big government and what he sees as its free-spending ways. In fact, he named just three sitting senators -- Republicans Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky -- whom he could work with. The rest? "I'd just as soon trust the first 100 members of the phone book than I would the Senate," he told a crowd of about 30 in a forum sponsored by the Harrison County Republican Women on Tuesday at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Jefferson Davis Campus in Biloxi. "I say that jokingly but I'm dead serious. ... Bring 'em home. All of them." |
| Majority Whip Steve Scalise to headline GOP event at Hilton Jackson | |
| U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., is headlining the Mississippi Republican Party's Victory 2018 Lunch this coming Monday at the Hilton Jackson. "We are excited to host the Majority Whip of the US House of Representatives here in Mississippi on for a Victory 2018 luncheon benefitting the MSGOP's United Republican Fund (URF) program," MS GOP Chair Lucien Smith said. "The URF plays a key role in our Party's effort to effectively support our candidates and continue winning elections." A private foundation reception begins at 10:30 a.m. Monday, followed by a private photo reception at 11:20 a.m. The lunch begins at noon. |
| Mississippi congressmen react to guilt of Trump associates Manafort, Cohen | |
| On August 21, within minutes of one another, two men who had been close to President Donald Trump either pleaded or were found guilty on felony charges. In one case, a Virginia jury found Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, guilty of tax evasion and bank fraud. Separately, a longtime lawyer and fixer for Trump, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty in New York to tax evasion, falsifying submissions to a bank and campaign finance violations. Mississippi's congressional delegation consists of five U.S. House and Senate Republicans who have supported Trump and his agenda. The only Democrat Mississippi has on Capitol Hill has been a vocal critic of the president. Mississippi Today asked each member of Congress from Mississippi to give their reactions to those developments. |
| Trump and White House grapple with response to Cohen, Manafort convictions | |
 | President Trump was in a foul mood on Tuesday as he boarded the short flight to his rally in West Virginia and incensed by the wall-to-wall news coverage of his former associates who were convicted in federal courts hours earlier, according to three advisers who were not authorized to speak publicly. "Feisty," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) recalled of Trump, in an interview about her trip alongside him. "He's a fighter, and I think he feels, at least yesterday, besieged and not too happy about it." Later, Trump seemed slightly deflated as he spoke to the thousands of supporters gathered before him in Charleston, the capital of a state that he won by more than 40 points, the advisers said. Inside Trump's orbit, there is a debate: Some confidants see this week as an unsettling inflection point. Others see yet another round of problems that are vexing but not a danger to break Trump. |
| Mississippi to test limits of Medicaid work requirements | |
 | The Trump administration is facing a key test with Mississippi's Medicaid program as the state seeks permission to be the first ever to impose work requirements without expanding Medicaid under ObamaCare. Already one of the poorest states in the nation, advocates say work requirements for "able-bodied" beneficiaries could decimate the health coverage that tens of thousands of residents depend on. While the administration touts state flexibility and has already approved work requirements in Medicaid expansion states, there could be far reaching practical and political consequences for approving them in Mississippi. "If the objective of work requirements is to lift people out of poverty, it's hard to make that case when the income levels are so low," said Patricia Boozang, senior managing director for consulting firm Manatt Health. Mississippi first submitted its application in January, shortly after the Trump administration encouraged states to seek work requirements. |
| A Rebirth for Alabama Democrats? Not So Fast | |
 | When Doug Jones won a Senate seat in Alabama last December, many Democrats celebrated the outcome as a watershed, while Republicans saw it as a blip. Who turns out to be correct will depend on when their answers are graded. Less than a year after Alabama surprised itself by electing its first Democratic senator in a quarter-century, Republicans are primed to reassert what they regard as the state's hard-won political order. And the Democrats, though emboldened and enchanted by Mr. Jones's victory, are only beginning to rebuild the long-atrophied political muscles they need to compete. "This year, you're not going to see a giant blue wave coming across the state of Alabama," Mr. Jones said in an interview. "But there are opportunities in the state where we can make some strides." |
| Kroger phasing out plastic shopping bags by 2025 | |
 | If you hated Kroger's yellow bags, take comfort: Soon you'll never have to see any plastic Kroger bag again. As part of the Cincinnati-based company's zero waste campaign, Kroger announced today that it will phase out the use of all single-use plastic bags by 2025. Stores in the company's Seattle-based QFC chain will go first; the company said they expect to complete the transition next year. "As part of our Zero Hunger/Zero Waste commitment, we are phasing out use-once, throw-it-away plastic bags and transitioning to reusable bags in our stores by 2025," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger chairman and CEO, in the announcement. Some estimates suggest that 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the U.S. every year. With this change, Kroger will become one of the first major retailers to move away from plastic bags. |
| Construction, renovation projects to dominate USM campus life this fall | |
 | You'll see a lot of construction at the University of Southern Mississippi during the fall. On the south end of campus, renovations continue at Joseph Greene Hall. The $13 million project is preparing the building to house the College of Health. And on the north end, a new $7 million volleyball facility is being built. "It will be a state-of-the-art facility," said Jon Gilbert, director of athletics at USM. "It will have a really nice entrance there on 4th Street. Aesthetically, I think It will fit with our campus very well, so we're really excited about the opportunities that that building will bring to this entire community." Some work is also being done at The Rock, including the installation of a new and improved sound system. |
| Southern Miss sustainability team to collect 4,000 pounds of cardboard | |
 | When several thousand Southern Miss students move into their dorms Friday and Saturday, they'll be unpacking hundreds of thousands of cardboard boxes. Melissa Olsen and Leslee Potvin, who comprise the university's Office of Sustainability, will be on hand to make sure those boxes are recycled. Their objective this year -- collect 4,000 pounds of cardboard. "I think one of our main goals is to encourage the campus to lessen its environmental impact," Potvin said. Recycling is crucial to the Office of Sustainability's mission. The office is responsible for the university's commitment to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible. "We have close to 5,000 recycling bins on campus," Potvin said. "Every residence hall, every office has a recycling bin." |
| Hotel Indigo's first Mississippi location puts Hattiesburg on global map | |
| Hattiesburg's history began with two things: timber and trains. Those industries figure prominently in the state's first Hotel Indigo, a worldwide chain of boutique hotels. Each hotel is individually tailored to its location. In addition to trains and timber, Hotel Indigo in Hattiesburg features images of Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center and the University of Southern Mississippi. Each room has a train photo emblazoned on the foyer wall, a photo of timber magnate WSF Tatum and Elam, a golden eagle that represents Southern Miss. The rooms also feature artwork of what Hattiesburg looked like before it became a bustling timber town as well as the Southern Miss administration building named in honor of president emeritus Aubrey Lucas. |
| Tulane University closing its Biloxi campus | |
| Tulane University announced Wednesday it will close its Gulf Coast campus in Biloxi next year. The fall courses will start next week but the university said it is suspending admissions for the spring. "We're not sure when the doors actually are going to close," said Patricia Oates, director of the Mississippi Coast Campus. "Could be spring. Could be summer." The university said in a press release that classes at its School of Professional Advancement in Biloxi will be offered at least through the spring semester, "and potentially longer, depending on Tulane's analysis of the needs of its currently enrolled students." Tulane blamed steadily declining enrollment over the last seven years for the closing. There are now 92 students for fall classes. |
| Largest, 'brightest' freshman class starts year at U. of Tennessee | |
 | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus re-awakened Wednesday with the start of fall semester classes for about 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, according to Amy Blakely, assistant director of media and internal relations. Included in this year's student body is the largest freshmen class UT Knoxville has had in its recorded history -- more than 5,150 students. And it represents the "brightest student class" in the university's history in terms of grade point average and ACT scores, according to Interim Chancellor Wayne Davis. Students streamed across campus throughout the morning, hustling in and out of buildings, over the Pedestrian Walkway, and past construction zones with some stopping to hug or shake hands with friends and swap summer stories. |
| UGA will erect memorial to slaves whose remains were found on campus | |
 | The University of Georgia has released a "finalized" design of a memorial for slaves and former slaves buried at the site of one of its buildings, but a faculty committee will continue to study how the university should respond to the broader issue of slavery's role at UGA and the university's treatment of more than 100 burials unearthed during a construction project. The memorial will be installed on the front lawn of Baldwin Hall, near the intersection of Jackson and Baldwin streets on UGA's historic North Campus. Construction will begin soon, and a dedication ceremony will be scheduled this fall, the university announced Tuesday. Much of the granite for the memorial, about 35,000 pounds, will be donated by an Oglethorpe County quarry owned by the African American family of a UGA administrator, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives Michelle Cook. |
| U. of Florida officials scramble after first-day flooding | |
 | More than 50,000 students filled the University of Florida campus on Wednesday for the first day of classes. While the day went smoothly for most, those dealing with financial aid and registration issues faced a minor inconvenience. Criser Hall, which houses UF's offices for financial aid and registration, was closed due to extensive flooding which affected the power grid in the building. According to UF spokesman Steve Orlando, flooding started before 7 a.m. on Wednesday due to a broken valve in a second-floor bathroom, which caused water to cascade down the staircase. The building could be closed through the end of the week, Orlando said. "Financial aid affects thousands of students," Orlando said. "They need their checks and we are trying to get them to them as fast as we can." |
| FOI advocates: U. of South Carolina illegally delays release of public records | |
 | The University of South Carolina has violated state law by not turning over public records requested by The State in a timely manner, according to S.C. law and open-government advocates. The State submitted a public records request on March 23 seeking a list of addresses, sale prices and current uses for all properties that USC, its foundations and other affiliated entities own. For records that are less than two years old, state agencies have 10 business days to say whether they intend to grant the request and 30 calendar days after that to fulfill the request, according to the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. For records that are older than that, agencies have 20 business days to respond to the request and 35 calendar days after that to fulfill the request, according to the law. As of Wednesday, it has been 109 business days since the initial request, and 137 calendar days since the 10-day response deadline. USC has not provided the records. |
| Chancellor lauds progress at U. of Missouri in first-year anniversary talk | |
 | The evidence the University of Missouri is achieving the ambitious goals for the Columbia campus set by the leaders hired in 2017 is found in the student retention rate, which set a record when classes opened, Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said Wednesday. After giving a half-hour address looking back on his first year as the top officer on campus, Cartwright spoke to reporters about what has been achieved. During the address, he told the audience of about 200 gathered in the MU Student Center that he wasn't going to announce any major new initiatives but was focused on implementing projects announced last year. When classes opened Monday, the university reported that the student retention rate was 87.3 percent, a record. "I don't think people realize how difficult it is to raise first-year retention rates in any substantial way," Cartwright said. "That is a huge increase on the scale." |
| MU Extension to restructure, refocus efforts, Missouri chancellor says | |
 | MU Extension is being restructured to focus on three critical issues: education, the economy and health care, University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander Cartwright announced Wednesday. A new Office of Extension and Engagement will open in spring 2019, Cartwright said in his State of the University speech in front of a packed audience of students, staff and faculty in the MU Student Center. Cartwright has been chancellor for one year. "This office challenges the way we think about and foster deeper outreach," Cartwright said, "And it highlights our effort to connect the full breadth of the university's resources and knowledge to the people across the state." Every college and school, MU Health Care, Mizzou Athletics and the Mizzou Alumni Association, among others, will play a role in the new office, the chancellor said. Cartwright emphasized MU's relationship with Missouri's rural communities. |
| Researcher says Betsy DeVos misrepresented her work to justify repeal of student loan rule | |
 | A prominent researcher says Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education misrepresented her work in attempting to justify elimination of an Obama-era student loan rule fiercely opposed by for-profit colleges. The gainful-employment rule would cut off federal aid to vocational programs -- most of them at for-profits -- whose graduates consistently don't earn enough to pay back their student loans. The department earlier this month said it would rescind the rule, arguing in part that its debt-to-earnings standards were unreasonable. DeVos cited a 2008 paper from Urban Institute fellow Sandy Baum and Saul Schwartz, a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, that was skeptical of one of those benchmarks. But Baum said in a post on Urban's website Wednesday that their work if anything supported stronger gainful-employment standards, not elimination of the rule. Baum's comments appear to discredit the only evidence offered by the department that research undermined the rule's debt-to-earnings metrics. |
| Betsy DeVos considers allowing schools to use federal funds to buy guns | |
| Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering allowing states to use federal grant money to buy guns for schools, people familiar with the matter said. Two people said the question has been raised inside the department as to whether states are allowed to use money available through Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants to buy firearms. Unlike other federal grants, this one does not expressly prohibit such purchases. Allowing schools to use federal money to buy firearms would fuel anger among those who say the response to school shootings should be fewer guns, not more. But it could find support among gun rights advocates who say that having firearms in schools would make them less likely to be targeted. |
| U. of Memphis offering scholarships to high school students who go through mentoring program | |
| The University of Memphis is offering scholarships to high school students who complete a mentoring program to help them through the application process. Students who participate don't have to attend the U of M, but if they do, they'll receive $500 a semester for their first year. The donor-funded program aims to enroll 30 students from Shelby County each year, with plans for growth, as long as resources continue to be available. The anonymous gift for the program was $50,000. The students will receive ACT tutoring to increase their scores so they won't require remediation courses in college, which eat up tuition dollars without earning any credit. In Shelby County Schools in the 2016-17 school year, just 9.6 percent of students tested high enough on the ACT to avoid remedial classes in all four subjects. |
| 'Gag Clause' at Purdue Global Raises Alarms About Faculty Rights | |
 | Professors at Purdue University and leaders of the American Association of University Professors are questioning the expansive nondisclosure agreement that Purdue University Global is requiring its faculty members to sign. The four-page document prohibits instructors from discussing nonpublic matters about the institution, potentially including even aspects of teaching like "methods of instruction" and "course materials." Greg Scholtz, director of the academic-freedom, tenure, and governance department at the AAUP, called the agreement "breathtakingly inappropriate" for higher education and said it was unlike anything he had ever seen in his work, which is focused on nonprofit institutions. The nondisclosure agreement also includes a one-year noncompete clause similar to those used in private industry. Among other restrictions, it prohibits instructors from inducing anyone known to have confidential information to leave Purdue Global or work for a competitor. |
| Mississippi unemployment at record low | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Our nation is going through a period of record low unemployment rates. Unemployment in July was 3.9 percent nationwide and 4.8 percent in Mississippi. Although only a few states had higher unemployment rates than Mississippi, by historical standards, Mississippi has never experienced such a low level of unemployment in its entire history. Even better, for the first time since the Great Recession, total employment is actually going up. Compared to a year ago, we have 10,000 new jobs. I am reminded of columns I wrote in the 1990s when NAFTA was passed. Textile plants were shutting down like crazy. People believed that without protectionism our unemployment would skyrocket. But it didn't happen. The market responded. People found other jobs. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs go through 'mock game' at Davis Wade Stadium | |
 | With the first preseason camp of the Joe Moorhead era coming to a close, Mississippi State went through a "mock game" practice Wednesday evening inside Davis Wade Stadium. Wednesday's rehearsal essentially gave players a chance to get game-like work in ahead of the first game week of the 2018 season. The team also went through the Dawg Walk as well as their pregame warm-up routine. The game format featured situational work on offense, defense and special teams with two 15-minute running quarters and the travel squad going against the non-travel squad. |
| Vic Schaefer's Bulldogs set non-conference slate | |
 | Coming off back-to-back national finalist finishes, Mississippi State will open its women's basketball season on Nov. 6 at home against Southeast Missouri State as part of the Bulldogs' 13-game non-conference slate. Among MSU's non-conference opponents are seven teams that advanced to the postseason, including five that made the NCAA Tournament and four conference champions. "Each year it becomes increasingly more difficult from a scheduling standpoint, and this year was probably our most difficult," said MSU coach Vic Schaefer. The Bulldogs have not lost a regular season non-conference game since falling at Texas 53-47 on Dec. 2, 2015. |
| Athletic Directors Striking Delicate Balance With Schedules | |
| Ask athletic directors what they are trying to accomplish when they build a nonconference football schedule and the objectives are mostly the same: Come up with a slate of games that allows the school to meet its competitive and financial goals. What are those goals? The answers vary widely. One thing is sure: In the College Football Playoff era, the emphasis on strength of schedule is greater than ever. But while fans clamor for more matchups between top teams, much of what goes into scheduling is only tangentially related to the potential quality of the game. The Associated Press spoke with five ADs about what goes into their scheduling, including Scott Stricklin, Florida (2016-present) and Mississippi State (2010-16). As members of the Southeastern Conference, the Gators and Bulldogs each play eight league games. What they want out of their four nonconference games is very different. |
| LSU to sell beer in new premium area on the ground level of Tiger Stadium | |
 | Beer will now be sold in a premium area on the ground level of Tiger Stadium, LSU announced Wednesday afternoon. The area, called "The Chute," will be available when the Tigers open the 2018 season at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 8, according to a news release from LSU. Admission is $20 a person and includes two beverages. Additional beverages are $6 each. Anyone 21 or older can access the area with the game ticket, LSU's release says, and people can watch the game and highlights on a "giant-screen HD video board and numerous HD televisions." "The Chute" opens two and a half hours before kickoff each week and will close at the beginning of the fourth quarter. "This will be a great addition for Tiger Stadium and for our fan experience," LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva said in the release. |
| UT, City of Knoxville: Student-athletes under arrest or investigation will get no special treatment | |
| University of Tennessee and City of Knoxville officials met recently to discuss how to handle the arrests and investigations of UT student-athletes. "The City and UT agreed that UT student-athletes will be treated exactly the same as any other student who comes in to contact with law enforcement. As a matter of protocol, (Knoxville Police) Chief (Eve) Thomas will inform UT (Police) Chief (Troy) Lane whenever any faculty member, member of the staff, or student is arrested or under investigation. That notification would occur when the investigators feel the timing is right and the investigation would not be compromised," according to an email from Eric Vreeland, senior director of communications for the city. The gathering was prompted by the lead Knoxville Police Department investigator, Tim Riddle, testifying during the A.J. Johnson rape trial that ex-Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch's "courtesy calls" to then-Vols football coach Butch Jones compromised the investigation and gave Johnson time to clean up evidence. |
| Texas A&M officials: Plan now for Thursday night football season opener | |
 | Not only will the Texas A&M football team step into the spotlight for the first time under Jimbo Fisher in one week, the university is also prepping for that kickoff to happen on a Thursday alongside a full day of classes. Holding a season-opening football game and a full day of regular classes means both fans and community members will have to keep parking and alternative transportation options in mind throughout the day. And, as always, traffic in Aggieland is an inevitability. Both game day visitors and residents are asked to prepare in advance for getting to and around campus that day. Kickoff for the Aug. 30 game against Northwestern State -- the first non-Thanksgiving Thursday night regular-season game since 2005 -- is at 7:30 p.m. at Kyle Field. |
| Worker hurt at Razorback Stadium; electrician believed to have 'touched a hot wire' | |
| A construction worker injured at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium was taken by ambulance to a hospital Wednesday morning, police said. The man was alert after sustaining an injury while on a ladder doing ceiling work involving lighting in the third-floor lobby of the Frank Broyles Athletic Center, said David Robertson, a detective with the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Police Department. "I believe he touched a hot wire," Robertson said. "He was thrown off the ladder, caught by another individual." The estimated $160 million stadium renovation project is considered the most expensive ever on the Fayetteville campus, with the stadium expected to be ready for fans by Sept. 1, the date of the Razorbacks' first home football game. |
| Ohio State suspends Urban Meyer, Gene Smith | |
| As the hours passed, it became clear that the Ohio State board of trustees' meeting to determine Urban Meyer's future as football coach would not be a perfunctory one. For more than 10 hours, the board debated Meyer's handling of domestic-abuse accusations against former assistant coach Zach Smith. It turned out that the board and university President Dr. Michael V. Drake were weighing the actions of athletic director Gene Smith as well. Both Meyer and Smith were judged to have erred in their handling of the matter sufficiently to warrant suspensions. "I want to apologize to Buckeye Nation," Meyer said at the news conference Wednesday night. Asked if he believed he deserved a three-game suspension, Meyer paused before saying, "I trust and support our president." |
| As Football Scandal Unfolds at Maryland, Professors Fear Lack of Athletics Oversight | |
| Jordan A. Goodman was researching last week on a shoulder of Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico, when his phone buzzed. It was another message to the distinguished physics professor from a colleague about the unfolding athletics scandal at the University of Maryland at College Park -- his alma mater and the institution where he has taught for decades. "You can run," he said later, "but you can't hide from this stuff." In the aftermath of the death of a 19-year-old football player, Goodman is among the Maryland faculty members wrestling with their position in the sprawling operation that is the modern research university. They feel defined by a public scandal over which they have little command, and they are frustrated that the university's communications seem reactive to media reports, not pre-emptive. They wonder how they'll talk about the tragedy with their students. |
| Study: Students with high GPAs can successfully balance academics and enjoying sports | |
| Purists who think college students need to devote all their time to academics are in for some bad news. A new study suggests that students with the highest grade point averages exercise "strategic indulgence" when it comes to following college athletics -- they're adept at balancing study time with a game-day party, without jeopardizing their success in the classroom. Researchers found that students with high and low GPAs didn't differ much in their willingness to engage with college sports, but that students with higher GPAs were much more sensitive to academic conflicts and much more ready to watch games when they posed less of a burden to studying. The researchers wrote that the findings contribute to a "more holistic portrayal" of academically successful students -- that students who thrived in the classroom avoided sports-related pleasures when needed, but when they did indulge, it was "strategically, rather than impulsively." |
| Resort sports betting begins Aug. 30 | |
| The area's first sports betting location, the Sportsbook at Timeout Lounge, will officially open Aug. 30, according to a recent release from Pearl River Resort. The Sportsbook will be located at the Golden Moon Hotel and Casino in Choctaw. Sports betting will also be available at Pearl River Resort's sister property, Bok Homa Casino. According to the release, the casino will offer traditional sports wagering including all professional league sports and major collegiate events. On Thursday, May 31, 2018, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Council unanimously approved amendments to the Choctaw Gaming Commission Regulations. These amendments were brought to the Tribal Council after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Profession Act) on May 14. |
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