| Monday, August 27, 2018 |
| Mississippi State rededicates Vietnam War memorial | |
 | Bob Kirkland was nearly in tears Friday as he stood outside the Center for America's Veterans at an unveiling ceremony for the Vietnam War memorial on Mississippi State University's campus. The monument had been on MSU's campus for more than 20 years, but several of the few dozen people gathered at the event -- including Kirkland himself -- had not know of its existence for many of those years. Kirkland is a former Vietnam veteran and alumnus of MSU who played a critical role in having the memorial moved from its old, out-of-the-way location near Harned Hall to a more prominent spot behind the Center for America's Veterans on Bailey Howell Drive. On Friday, he said he was floored to see the newly-cleaned and relocated monument. "It looks great," he said. "It just means so much, I think, to the Vietnam veterans after such a hard time when we came back." |
| Mississippi State dedicates Vietnam memorial in new location | |
 | A monument honoring an often forgotten group of veterans was unveiled at its new home on the Mississippi State University campus Friday. A Vietnam War memorial formerly located between Magruder Hall and Harned Hall was moved to a more prominent, sunlit place on the patio of Nusz Hall, home of the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans. The memorial was unveiled in its new location by Center for America's Veterans Director Brian Locke and Vietnam War veteran and MSU alumnus Bob Kirkland. Several MSU student veterans were on hand for the dedication, as were several Vietnam veterans from local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts. |
| MSU Extension recruits trainers for disaster preparedness | |
 | Instructors interested in helping young people, families and communities prepare for disasters can take part in a two-day training event in December at Mississippi State University. The Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative Instructor Certification and Training Workshop will be Dec. 5 and 6 at the Bost Conference Center on the Starkville campus. The initiative is abbreviated as MyPI. Ryan Akers, an associate Extension professor in the Mississippi State University School of Human Sciences, said the program's emphasis is on individual, family and community disaster preparedness and resilience. "Every community in Mississippi is at risk for a variety of disasters," he said. MSU Extension developed MyPI and administers MyPI National in 27 states and two U.S. territories. |
| 'Famous Types' Typewriter Exhibit Coming to Mississippi State | |
 | Los Angeles native and civic leader Steve Soboroff will bring traveling exhibition "Famous Types" to Mississippi State University on Aug. 31. The exhibit features nine antique typewriters from his personal collection, all of which belonged to famous individuals such as Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, Maya Angelou, John Lennon and more. Soboroff, who serves as president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, started his typewriter collection in 2005 with the purchase of a Remington Model J typewriter that belonged to Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist Jim Murray. "Famous Types" will be on display in the John Grisham Room on the third floor of MSU's Mitchell Memorial Library from Aug. 31 to Sept. 24. The exhibit is free and open to the public. |
| New grant brings more alternate route teachers to MPSD | |
 | Mississippi needs teachers and lots of them. The entire state of Mississippi is experiencing a deficit in the number of people applying for certification to be teachers, so it's necessary for us to look at a variety of ways to get good people in the classrooms," director of graduate studies at MSU-Meridian Jeff Leffler says. The Meridian Public School District is one of those areas hit by the crisis. It's designated as a Geographical Shortage Area. That's why the Phil Hardin Foundation is providing a grant to fully fund alternate route certification courses for 15 students. "All of these people would've gotten a degree in another subject area, whether that be English, history, social work, any kind of other area," Leffler explains. They need 21 credit hours in the particular subject they'll be teaching in. MSU-Meridian fills in the gap for the education classes needed for teacher certification. |
| Pageant queen, breast cancer survivor Molly May pens inspirational memoir | |
| Brand new Mississippi author Molly May will sign copies of her inspirational memoir, "My Crowning Achievement (Beating Cancer)," just ahead of Mississippi State University's home football opener against Stephen F. Austin University. A native of Houston and an MSU graduate, May has held several pageant titles, including Miss Mississippi State University and Miss Maroon and White while a student from 2015-2017. She will appear on Friday, Aug. 31 at the MSU Theatre lobby in McComas Hall from 4-6 p.m., on Saturday, Sept. 1 at The Book Mart and Cafe on Main Street from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., and Saturday at the MSU Barnes and Noble from 2-4 p.m. May's book was published by Dogwood Press of Brandon. A portion of proceeds from every copy sold will benefit Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. |
| Repairs, enhancements top list of Starkville parks goals | |
| Starkville's parks and recreation department is looking at a range of improvements across its facilities, should aldermen approve a proposed budget with a significant increase in parks spending. The city is considering a millage increase to help fund a $21.77 million Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget, which includes $836,000 in new spending compared to the current fiscal year. Almost half of that spending, or $440,000, is expected to go to the parks department as the city continues its push to bring its recreation facilities up to par with neighboring communities. But during a budget hearing at last week's Board of Aldermen meeting, Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver said some of his constituents weren't sure what the big increase in spending would be going toward. "That's where I'm getting a lot of questions," Carver said. "That's almost half a million dollars." Parks and Recreation Manager Gerry Logan, speaking at the meeting, pointed to two projects at the Sportsplex as examples of what might would be addressed with the new funding. |
| SPD encourages vigilance as auto burglaries rise | |
| School is back in session for the fall and with a heavy influx of students and new faculty coming to Mississippi State University, local police have seen an expected uptick in vehicle burglaries. SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said since Sunday, Aug. 12, city police have received 27 reports of auto burglaries, a total which is higher than the entire month of May in 2018. Lovelady then said the seasonal increase in auto burglaries is the result of the spike in population and many of those new faces may be from areas where regularly locking their vehicle is of low importance. "That total for August is just what's been reported, because I know a number of unreported because people feel like it's their fault or there's nothing we can do but it helps us track them if we know about them," Lovelady said. |
| Second arrest made in The Block shooting | |
| Starkville police have a second suspect in custody for the Aug. 16 shooting of a man at an apartment complex on South Montgomery Street. On Friday, police arrested 19-year-old Tyler Smith, of Louisville, for attempted murder. According to a Starkville Police Department press release, Smith was arrested on a warrant stemming from the Aug. 16 shooting at The Block Townhomes. Smith's arrest came the day after that of 19-year-old Carson Clement of Eupora. While few details of Smith's involvement of the incident are currently available, an affidavit read during a municipal court appearance alleges Clement shot the victim, Bobby Spratt Jr., in the head and back while buying marijuana. |
| Area jobless numbers drop in July | |
| Unemployment rates fell in three of four area counties in July, according to the monthly labor report released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security as summer jobs ended and students begin leaving the workforce. Only in Clay County did July's unemployment rate exceed that of June -- by 0.3 percent. All four counties' jobless rates were well below the rates a year ago. With students entering and leaving the workforce at various times of the year, the 12-month moving average is probably a better indicator of unemployment in the Golden Triangle. Oktibbeha County's 12-month unemployment rate is 4.5 percent, followed by Lowndes (5.0 percent) Clay (6.2 percent) and Noxubee (7 percent). Statewide data also shows continuing positive trends. |
| Labor Day weekend heralds return of Prairie Arts Festival in West Point | |
| As sure as Labor Day weekend signals summer's closure, West Point's Prairie Arts Festival opens the fall festival season with a flourish. The 40th annual festival Saturday, Sept. 1 in downtown West Point features fine art, food, special activities and live music between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. A 5K race begins at 8 a.m. With West Point's Black Prairie Blues Festival the night before, on Aug. 31, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs' season opening home game the evening of Sept. 1, the weekend is an entertaining trifecta for the Golden Triangle. Prairie Arts Festival chair Lisa Klutts is also director of community development for the West Point/Clay County Community Growth Alliance. "The MSU ballgame doesn't start until 6:30 p.m. Saturday, so there is plenty of time to come to Prairie Arts and then head to Starkville to tailgate," said Klutts. |
| Vicksburg lands major player, 425 jobs | |
| The largest manufacturing job creation project in Warren County in more than 15 years was announced Friday, the latest economic development good news in the last three months for the community. Unified Brands will employ 425 people in what is described as a $9.5 million investment at the Ceres Industrial Complex. The commercial equipment manufacturer will consolidate three of its company locations to the former Simpson Duravent Building located on 88 Armory Road. It plans to be fully operational by January 2019 in the 300,000-square foot facility. Glenn McCullough, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, gave opening remarks in place of Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, who was scheduled to attend but was pulled away by the special legislative session. |
| Mississippi lottery bill advances, but more work remains | |
 | Mississippi could be inching closer to creating a lottery and leaving the list of six states that don't offer the game of chance. The Mississippi House voted 71-43 Friday to pass a lottery bill. That happened a day after the state Senate voted 30-20 for its own version of the same bill. However, work remains. The House made several changes to the bill, including requiring that a lottery corporation abide by longstanding Open Meetings and Public Records laws. When the bill passed the Senate Thursday, it said a lottery corporation would be exempt from the government sunshine laws. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said he wanted the openness. |
| Pentecostals: Video lottery terminals 'a bridge too far' | |
 | Lawmakers returned to Jackson on Monday for the third day of a special session to consider creating a lottery and other measures to fund repairs to roads, bridges and other infrastructure statewide. The House and Senate have swapped versions of a bill to create a lottery and another to divert state internet sales taxes and sports gambling revenue, plus $300 million in borrowing to local and state infrastructure. There appear to be two major points of debate at this stage: The House-passed lottery bill removes strict prohibitions against video lottery terminals. There is also intense haggling over whether and how to earmark $50 million of the borrowing to specific projects across the state. |
| Pot of money for education being cut, lottery won't make up difference | |
| Even as numerous House and Senate members bemoan that education might not be a beneficiary of Gov. Phil Bryant's lottery proposal, other legislation is going through the ongoing special session that could have much more of a negative impact on Mississippi's schools -- from the pre-kindergarten to university level. That legislation – to divert state funds to local governments for their infrastructure needs -- is going through the special session with little opposition. Bryant has proposed for the special session that the state enact a lottery and for the next 10 years the revenue from that lottery be spent on transportation problems on the state's highways and bridges. Rep. Willie Perkins, D-Greenwood, said during debate Friday, for instance, that he supported the lottery, but could not vote for it if its revenue did not benefit education. |
| Brandon Presley questions FCC claims of good cell coverage | |
| Brandon Presley is not a cartographer by training or occupation. But since he first became Public Service Commissioner for Mississippi's northern district, Presley has conducted almost 200 town hall meetings, traveling the roads in all of the district's 33 counties. So while he had no training in cartography -- the study of maps and charts -- he knew both from personal experience and conversations with his constituents the FCC's map of cell phone coverage in Mississippi is wildly inaccurate. A glance at the map shows cell phone coverage is available in almost 99 percent of the district, an idea that Presley calls "ridiculous." Thursday at the Lowndes County Courthouse, Presley held what he calls a task-force meeting for area citizens he has enlisted to help prove his point. |
| John McCain couldn't escape the pull of the Naval Academy, and now he'll be buried there | |
 | Few towering political figures can say their foundation was built on mediocrity and insubordination -- twin distinctions of John McCain's time at the Naval Academy. Since his birth at a naval base in Panama, there was little doubt that the son and grandson of admirals would one day be clad in sharp whites and commissioned as an officer in the Annapolis summer heat. That was the problem, he wrote in 1999, frustrated that his life seemed "preordained" to fall into the inescapable orbit of Navy service. "You have come to appreciate the value of discipline," President Dwight D. Eisenhower told the Naval Academy class of 1958, though a newly minted Ensign McCain in the crowd may have been an exception at the time. Out of 899 graduates in McCain's class, only five had worse grades. McCain, who died Saturday of brain cancer at age 81, would go on to endure more than five years of brutal captivity as a prisoner in Vietnam and serve as a Republican senator in Arizona for three decades, in a career that included two failed bids for president. |
| John McCain's Evolution on Confederate Flag, Family's Slavery Legacy | |
| Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain, who died Saturday, Aug. 25, of brain cancer at age 81, once apologized for lying to voters about his position on the Confederate flag. In January 2000, as McCain battled George W. Bush in the Republican presidential primary, a CBS reporter asked McCain if he believed the Confederate flag should continue to fly over the South Carolina statehouse. "The Confederate flag is offensive in many, many ways, as we all know," McCain replied. "It's a symbol of racism and slavery. But I also understand how others do not view it in that fashion. My forebears from Mississippi fought under the Confederate flag. They were not slave owners, and I'm sure they considered their service -- one I believe died in Shiloh -- noble." With the South Carolina primary a month away, McCain's aides panicked. |
| As Dems Campaign on Pre-Existing Conditions, 10 Republicans Move In | |
 | Ten Senate Republicans on Friday released a bill meant to guarantee the protections for patients with pre-existing conditions included in the 2010 health care law. The measure is a response to the latest legal challenge to the health law, which seeks to invalidate the law after Congress effectively ended the so-called "individual mandate" that requires most Americans to maintain health insurance coverage or pay a fine. The measure would amend the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, to guarantee that individuals with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage or charged more for it in the individual or group health insurance markets if the court agrees with the states' or DOJ's arguments. The Republican bill was introduced on Thursday by Tillis, along with Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Dean Heller of Nevada, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi. |
| U.S. and Mexico strike preliminary accord on NAFTA; Canada expected to return to bargaining table | |
 | The Trump administration has reached a deal with Mexico on a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but the two sides now need a relatively quick buy-in from Canada, which is expected to return to the bargaining table. The administration's preliminary agreement with Mexico, which includes a tightening of auto rules to increase production in North America, was struck after several weeks of talks and a marathon session over the weekend in Washington, sources monitoring the talks said Monday. The United States still has significant unresolved issues with Canada, including President Trump's insistence that Canada open up its dairy market. And time is of the essence. Mexico and the United States want to have a three-way agreement by the end of this month, to allow enough time for Mexico's parliament to ratify a revamped NAFTA before its new president takes office on Dec. 1. With various procedural requirements, the earliest U.S. lawmakers could vote on the deal would be next year, when a new Congress is seated. |
| IHL head gets up close view of Delta State University | |
| Recently appointed to the top position of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr. has been on a whirlwind listening tour around the state. Thursday he visited Delta State University and said, "They rolled out the green carpet." "I think for me to be an effective commissioner for our system I have to know as much as I can about each one of our campuses. Each campus is unique and each has different needs. I want to hear from the people on these campuses to get their perspective on how they view the university and what the (IHL) office can do to better serve them. That's why I'm here," said Rankins. Rankins toured Delta State and then held an open question and answer forum with faculty, staff and others in attendance. Most questions were in regards to finances for Delta State and other Mississippi universities. |
| MUW looks ahead to year of new president, new sports | |
| Thursday marked the first day of classes at Mississippi University for Women, and for the two featured speakers at The W's Town & Tower Luncheon, the start of the fall semester holds even more significance. Acting President Nora Miller and Athletics Director Jason Trufant spoke before a luncheon audience of 40 Thursday at Fant Library. By the time the next of the four Town & Tower events is held in December, both will have passed a significant milestone. By then, Miller, who was installed as acting president in July following the retirement of President Jim Borsig, hopes to have her title shortened. "The search for next president has been expedited and we'll begin to have listening sessions later in the semester," Miller said. "Hopefully, I'll have the 'acting' part of my title removed, but whoever the president is, the university is going to continue with the progress we have seen." |
| Mike Espy meets with students in Oxford | |
 | U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy met with students and local feminist groups in Oxford this weekend before traveling to Jackson for the opening of his campaign office. Espy visited campus Friday morning for an exclusive interview with The Daily Mississippian and later sat down for lunch in Odom Hall with a student group representing various organizations around campus. He also spoke to local members of Famished Feminists and Wise Women of Oxford at St. Peter's Episcopal Church just off the Square. Throughout his stop in Oxford, Espy repeated that he wants to use his representation to amplify student voices. "I think the opportunity to have met and discussed with so many different people their wishes and desires ... talking with students about their disappointments about graduating and not having anywhere else to go -- that's meaningful, and I'll be able to incorporate those ideas into my programs as senator," Espy said. |
| Ole Miss archives welcomes Jack Reed Sr.'s papers | |
 | The slideshow behind the lectern shuffled between speeches printed in newspapers, campaign logos and handwritten letters. On Thursday evening, the family of the late Jack Reed Sr. donated a life's worth of papers written by the department store owner turned public school advocate and civil rights activist to the University of Mississippi. The Faulkner room at the J.D. Williams Library filled to capacity as more than 100 family members, friends and supporters gathered to celebrate the latest edition to the university's archives and special collections. "Dad would have been humbled by the university's interest in the things he has had to say over the years. And he had a lot to say," Jack's youngest child, Scott Reed, said to the crowd. "And he wrote it all down. Every word of it." The collection includes letters Reed wrote to friends, presidents and his children. There are speeches he gave at church, to the boy scouts and during his run for governor in 1987. There are family photos, and, of course, there are jokes. |
| Painstaking renovations bring USM's Lucas Administration building back to iconic form | |
 | Chad Driskell says it feels good to be home -- back in his old office in the Aubrey K. Lucas Administration building at the University of Southern Mississippi. The vice president for external affairs spent two years isolated from other administrators in temporary digs at Ogletree House while repairs were underway on the administration building. While at Ogletree House, Driskell said he missed the easy camaraderie the Lucas Administration building afforded him with his other high-ranking colleagues. "It was fine functionally, but you don't have the richness of interactions," he said. "(Here), you're more likely to bump into the provost or the vice president of research or the chief financial officer. We're all collaborating in the management of the university, so there's more collegial opportunities for us all to be in the same building and interact with each other." |
| Hattiesburg: So much more to the Hub City than tailgating | |
| Sinclair Lundy has lived in several Mississippi cities, but Hattiesburg is the place she chooses to call home. "I love the Fondren area, but wouldn't want to live in Jackson again," she said. "Columbus was fun, and it's another college town. Greenwood is where I got my training for finding great things to do. But I only want to live here. It's more amazing every week." "Hattiesburg has come a long way as a university town since my days as a student here," said Andrew Wiest, a history professor at the University of Southern Mississippi."Whether you are an incoming student or just in town for the game, there are now a plethora of fun things to do from cool places to eat, live music venues, to outdoor activities from golf to kayaking. "Downtown has become a student-friendly, funky nightlife venue," Wiest said. "Midtown is getting rolling and is right across from campus. And out west is loaded with lots of eating and entertainment options." |
| Analysis: Appeal over charter school funding heats up | |
| Chancery court was never going to be anything but the first round in a lawsuit over how Mississippi's charter schools are funded. Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas ruled in February that diversions of local property taxes to charter schools are acceptable. But the inevitable appeal to the state Supreme Court is now in motion. In recent weeks, the plaintiffs, plus three supporting groups have filed briefs with the Mississippi high court asking justices to overturn Thomas' decision and rule that transfers of local property taxes violate the state Constitution. The state is asking to delay its reply until October, and a decision by the court is unlikely before 2019. |
| Spreading their wings: Auburn's aviation program sees student increase | |
 | Auburn University's aviation program has come a long way in the past several years. By overcoming a possible closure and going through multiple moves and changes, the program has roughly quadrupled its size from what it was four years ago. Entering fall semester, the program has about 350 students, a comparative jump from 2014 when it had about 88 declared aviation students, according to Auburn University Regional Airport Director Bill Hutto. "We have seen steady growth since then, but it has not been a straight-line," Hutto said, adding that growth this year was far more than in 2015 and 2016. "I do think this is the most we have ever had in the two degrees." In fall 2017, the aviation student population was about 270 students, according to aviation program coordinator James Birdsong. Of the estimated 350 students, about two-thirds are professional flight students. The remainder is in the aviation management degree program. |
| UGA and Clarke County schools launch Georgia Possible | |
 | The University of Georgia recently partnered with the Clarke County School District to launch Georgia Possible, a new three-year pilot program focused on leadership development and college readiness for Athens high school students. The goal of Georgia Possible is to develop a cohort of Clarke County high school students to better prepare them for success in the classroom while also increasing their awareness of the variety of post-secondary options available beyond high school graduation. The program was inspired by a series of meetings UGA President Jere Morehead held with Athens-Clarke County community members and is being spearheaded by a team of faculty from the school district, UGA's J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development and the Office of the President. |
| Group makes voter registration push for U. of Florida students | |
 | Outside Newell Hall, recent Florida political science graduate Gracey Jean-Bernard was on the hunt, clipboard in hand. As a NextGen community organizer, Jean-Bernard set a goal to register 1,000 new voters on the UF campus on Friday. "So far it's been 10 per hour," Jean-Bernard said. "But usually we go up to 200 for two hours, depending on how busy we get." Jean-Bernard was part of NextGen's larger goal to register 15,000 student voters during their welcome weeks at campuses across the state. NextGen set up two registration tables at UF -- one outside Newell and one in the Plaza of the Americas. It is too late to register now for the Aug. 28 primary, but the campaigns are an opportunity to harness energy for the November general election. Turnout for registered UF voters is trending upward. |
| U. of South Carolina wins appeal in free speech lawsuit involving swastika | |
 | A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the University of South Carolina in a lawsuit where student groups accused the university of violating their right to free speech. The case stems from a November 2015 "Free Speech Event" hosted by College Libertarians and Young Americans For Liberty. The event, approved by the university and held in front of Russell House, featured imagery -- such as a swastika and a sign with the word "wetback" -- that had prompted free-speech concerns at other campuses, according to the court's opinion and previous media reports. After the event, three USC students filed formal complaints against the organizations involved in the event and event sponsor Ross Abbott, who was then a USC senior. |
| 4 LSU students hit in crash on campus: Victims expected to survive; driver cited | |
 | Four students walking on LSU's campus were hospitalized Friday morning after they were hit by a vehicle during a crash, said university spokesperson Ernie Ballard III. All four students are expected to survive, Ballard said Friday afternoon. The force of a two-vehicle crash caused one of the vehicles to hit pedestrians standing on the corner of Nicholson Drive and Skip Bertman Drive, Ballard said. That intersection is just west of Tiger Stadium. He said one of the drivers, 22-year-old Jodi Simone Reed, of Houston, was issued a citation for careless operation and failure to yield. Ballard said all parties involved in the wreck were LSU students. This is the second crash involving a pedestrian in the first week of LSU's fall classes. |
| Records costs at heart of Sunshine lawsuit against U. of Missouri | |
 | For the first time, a Missouri judge is considering whether a high cost estimate for producing public records is evidence of a violation of the Sunshine Law. After hearing an hour of arguments Friday, Circuit Judge Jeff Harris didn't rule on the University of Missouri's request that he decide the $82,222 estimate to produce research animal records for Animal Rescue Media Education was legal. Harris took the case under advisement and if he rules against the university, the case will go to trial. The university is trying to end a lawsuit filed in 2016 after it gave the high estimate in response to a request for research records for 179 dogs and cats. The university set the price based on what it said would be necessary to search out the care logs and other records for each of the animals. As she began her argument, UM System attorney Kim Little admitted, in response to a question from Harris, that no other case has been decided on whether high cost estimates are an illegal barrier to open records. It is a "threshold inquiry," Harris said. |
| Retiring U. of Missouri professor's final advice: Let your students teach you | |
 | As Carol Gilles looks back on almost four decades teaching, memories stand out. After 47 years in the classroom -- 20 in public K-12 schools and 27 in the University of Missouri College of Education -- Gilles, 70, is retiring. She believes teachers should ask themselves every day what their students can teach them. "Teaching is not easy," she said, "but it is extremely rewarding." Gilles taught reading and language arts in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum. She was also a coordinator for the Teaching Fellowship Program, through which students can work as a full-time teacher and complete a master's degree at the same time. On Friday, about 50 people gathered at Traditions Lounge to celebrate Gilles' retirement. Some were her former students. |
| Student Loan Watchdog Quits; Blames Trump Administration | |
 | The federal official in charge of protecting student borrowers from predatory lending practices has stepped down. In a scathing resignation letter, Seth Frotman, who until now was the Student Loan Ombudsman at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, says current leadership "has turned its back on young people and their financial futures." The letter was addressed to Mick Mulvaney, the bureau's acting director. In the letter, obtained by NPR, Frotman accuses Mulvaney and the Trump administration of undermining the CFPB and its ability to protect student borrowers. "Unfortunately, under your leadership, the Bureau has abandoned the very consumers it is tasked by Congress with protecting," it read. "Instead, you have used the Bureau to serve the wishes of the most powerful financial companies in America." |
| Baylor accused of planting 'mole' in sexual assault advocacy groups | |
 | A Baylor University administrator infiltrated sexual assault survivors' advocacy groups and tried to shape their messaging -- then reported their strategies to other campus officials, anonymous sources have alleged to the trade magazine PRWeek. While the administrator in question, Matt Burchett, Baylor's director of student activities, did work with these student groups, both he and other university representatives have refuted claims that he was a "mole," calling an article based on the allegations "outlandish" and "inaccurate." "For one thing, a 'mole' is someone who operates secretly," spokeswoman Lori Fogleman said in a statement to Inside Higher Ed. "Dr. Burchett was above board in his role. He was not undercover nor was he duping anyone. What's more, the students were certainly free to reject his suggestions." |
| Pro-Confederate protesters clash with students at Chapel Hill | |
| The saga of Silent Sam continued Saturday as a small group of protesters hoisting Confederate flags gathered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to protest Monday night's removal of a statue of a Confederate soldier. There had been seven arrests, according to UNC officials: three for assault; two for assault, destruction of property and inciting a riot; one for destruction of property; and one for resisting an officer At a press conference Saturday afternoon, Chancellor Carol Folt said that about 100 people were at the protest and counter-protest. She said that none of those arrested were affiliated with the university. Video posted online suggested that the pro-Confederate group was relatively small, and that the group was shouted down by students and others. While some of the interactions were peaceful, scuffles broke out as well. |
| Omarosa delayed HBCU college program by insisting appointment | |
 | Omarosa Manigault Newman says she overlooked what she considered a hostile White House environment so she could tackle important issues affecting African-Americans, including an effort to revamp the federal office that supports historically black colleges and universities. Instead, Manigault Newman insisted she be appointed director of the HBCU office despite any significant higher education experience, angering black lawmakers and college presidents and leading to months of delay, according to six people with knowledge of the situation. "She wanted to be the point of contact for everyone and if it couldn't be her, it was going to be no one," a congressional aide said.. The six people McClatchy interviewed spoke on condition of anonymity to give accounts of private meetings. |
| Parent-teacher conferences undergo evolution | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: While few could disagree that there have been some monumental changes in K-12 education over the last 20-plus years, most of these changes have only impacted students and their teachers. Recently, however, many states across the nation have also witnessed an evolution in the parent's role in their child's education, namely the parent-teacher conference. Unlike the parent-teacher conferences of old, where each parent or set of parents was afforded a brief, five- to 10-minute, fast-talk feedback speech from their child's teacher; referencing standardized benchmark scores from the previous year, the child's classroom temperament and upcoming projects; today's sessions are beginning to take on a transformational tone. |
| Disparities plus uncaring GOP open door for socialism | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: The growing support for socialistic programs within the Democratic Party has many traditionalists worried. They should be. Data shows wealth accumulating ever more rapidly among the top one percent and growing ever more slowly among the bottom ninety percent. From 1946 to 1980 middle-income Americans saw greater income growth than rich ones. Since 1980, income growth for the bottom ninety percent slowed to less than one percent a year, while for the top one percent it skyrocketed. ...Policies enacted by the Trump administration are accelerating income and wealth disparities. As tax cuts make the rich richer, cuts in social programs make the poor poorer. Despite low unemployment and a booming stock market, wages for the middle class and working poor have not moved. They have actually declined when inflation is taken into account. The disruption, discord, and disdain emanating from the White House only cause more unrest. Perhaps as soon as this November, the risks of political upheaval may be realized. |
SPORTS
| Optimism abounds at Mississippi State Football Fan Day | |
| Many things were the same about this year's Mississippi State Football Fan Day inside the Palmeiro Center. Most of the same players and fans made their way inside, and the same sticky humidity dominated the room as the August sun beat down on the complex. But some things were different. In the middle of the field's center turf sat Joe Moorhead, not Dan Mullen. The new Bulldogs head coach looked like he belonged. He signed autographs for more than two hours. The event was slated to start at 3 p.m. but kicked off early, and Moorhead continued to sign well after the supposed finish time of 5 p.m. Some of the people who asked the Bulldogs to sign their posters were old, and some were young. Some attendees rolled their children through the queues in baby strollers, and some wheeled up in their own wheelchairs. One young girl even hiked through the long line on crutches. |
| Joe Moorhead will get chance to develop players at Mississippi State | |
| Saquon Barkley aside, Joe Moorhead hasn't coached many transcendent talents at Akron, Georgetown, Fordham, and Penn State. Moorhead doesn't see it as a handicap because he enjoys developing players. "This is why he chose Mississippi State. He's not that kind of coach," said Michael Nebrich, who played quarterback for Moorhead at Fordham. "He's not that kind of coach that can take five-star players and put them on the field. He's the kind of coach that wants to develop players. He wants to start them off young and develop them along the way." The MSU job will give Moorhead ample opportunity to show those skills. Moorhead's unique run-pass concepts help players perform above their perceived talent level. He also has a track record of making players better. He said the process of building a relationship with a player determines the product. |
| Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald brings new level of intensity | |
| Nearing the end of the first week of camp, Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald sensed his team needed some added motivation if it was going to push through the adversity that the heat and humidity an early August practice in the deep south brings. So as one of the Bulldogs' two senior captains, Fitzgerald arrived at the Seal Football Facility with a new level of intensity which began to spread throughout the rest of the building. "As Nick goes, we go to a certain point from a mentality standpoint," said MSU quarterbacks coach Andrew Breiner. "It started in meetings that day and I saw how the quarterback room responded to him. Then I saw him go onto the field and that intensity permeated and got us going as an offense. He has that ability to affect the entire unit and entire team." |
| Bulldogs bring back experienced O-line | |
| Mississippi State returns its starting quarterback and running back this fall. But perhaps the biggest thing the Bulldogs' offense has going for it is bringing back four starters along the offensive line. Left guard Darryl Williams, center Elgton Jenkins, right guard Deion Calhoun and right tackle Stewart Reese started all 13 games for MSU last season. In total, MSU has six offensive linemen on the roster with starting experience with 76 career starts between them. "We've got guys up front with a lot of size and athleticism with great physicality and a great mentality," said MSU coach Joe Moorhead. "Behind those five starters, you've got guys that are pushing, working for playing time and reps." That offensive line is also going up against one of the top defensive lines in the country daily in practice. |
| Former Mississippi State All-American Stan Black killed | |
| Stan Black, two-time All-Southeastern Conference safety and 1976 Mississippi State football All-American, was killed in a roadside vehicle accident on Friday just north of Canton. He was 62. From 1973-76, Black registered 196 tackles and four interceptions while totaling 590 yards in punt and kick returns. He was a key member of the Bulldogs' 1974 Sun Bowl squad that finished 9-3 and ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press poll. Black began his career at safety in 1973 and moved to wide receiver in 1974 where he had 14 receptions for 266 yards and four touchdowns. He transitioned back to safety in 1975, a season that saw him earn AP Second-Team All-SEC honors after producing 105 tackles and a team-best three interceptions. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball team announces SEC schedule | |
| The reigning Southeastern Conference regular-season champion Mississippi State women's basketball team will play home-and-home games against LSU, Ole Miss, and South Carolina as part of a league schedule released Thursday. Last season, MSU recorded its first 16-0 run through the regular season to win the its first SEC title. This season, five of MSU's eight home league games will be against opponents that played in the NCAA tournament in the 2017-18 season. "The Southeastern Conference schedule is always a grind. In our mind, it's 16 rivalry games," MSU coach Vic Schaefer, the 2018 SEC and Naismith Coach of the Year, said. "In this league, you have to be ready to play every night because if you're not you're not only going to get beat but you'll get embarrassed. We have a tough opener on the road, but thanks to our non-conference schedule we will be ready." MSU's quest to repeat will begin Jan. 3, 2019, at Arkansas. It marks the 14th time in the last 18 years MSU has started SEC play away from Starkville. |
| Mississippi State soccer team beats Memphis | |
| Five players scored goals Thursday night to lead the Mississippi State women's soccer team to a 5-2 victory against Memphis. MSU, which moved to 3-0 for the second-straight year, had only six shots on goal, but it was efficient in its ability to finish its chances. Senior Brooke McKee opened the scoring in the second minute. Freshman Zakirah McGillivary beat her defender into the box and then dropped a pass back to McKee for the strike. At halftime, McKee's shot was MSU's only attempt, but redshirt senior goalkeeper Rhylee DeCrane made five saves to preserve the 1-0 lead. MSU added to the lead with two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. In the 52nd minute, freshman Miranda Carrasco dribbled up the wing before passing to junior MaKayla Waldner at the top of the box. Waldner placed a perfect strike from just outside the box over the top of the leaping goalkeeper. |
| Mississippi State women's soccer team improves to 4-0 | |
| For the first time in program history, Mississippi State's soccer team has started consecutive seasons with four-straight wins. Zakirah McGillivary, MaKayla Waldner, and Niah Johnson scored goals Sunday in a 3-0 victory against South Alabama. "I'm pleased with the result," MSU coach Tom Anagnost said. "I'm glad we were able to get more people in the game. It's hard to win no matter what. We scored three goals though, that's great." MSU had 25 shots, which matched it best performance last season. It attempted 25 against Colgate on Sept. 3, 2017. The game also marked the second time this season MSU has held an opponent to five or fewer shots. |
| Mississippi State volleyball loses to Cal Baptist, goes 1-3 in first tournament | |
| Megan Sester and Sydney Marks combined for 24 kills Sunday to lead the Cal Baptist volleyball team to a 3-0 victory against Mississippi State in its final match at the season-opening StarkVegas Classic at the Newell-Grissom Building. Set scores were 25-16, 25-20, 25-19. Marks had 11 kills to earn MVP honors for the three-day event. Summer Avery, who had nine kills against MSU, and Tesa Oaks (17 digs) also were named to the all-tournament team for the Lancers (4-0), who are a member of the Western Athletic Conference. "This weekend was tough. It was a reality check for all of us," said MSU first-year head coach Julie Darty, whose team went 1-3 in the event. "Coming into this weekend we never thought this was going to be a situation where we get one win at our home tournament. We are going through a lot of growing pains. We are a young group, not in age but we are in young in the meaning we have not played together very much. New staff, new team, new systems, and I think we are just going to have to take some hard ones and learn some lessons from this experience." |
| Parking tickets and police escorts: SEC ref tells tales from the road | |
| When Southeastern Conference official Stan Murray arrived at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, hours before kickoff of a Texas A&M game last fall, he was looking for his designated parking spot -- Lot 62, Space 710. Failing at the daunting task, he came upon a man wearing game credentials and asked for help. "Oh, you can park anywhere," the man told Murray after learning he was an official. That turned out to be a bad idea. When Murray, who has been a replay booth official since 2016, returned to where he parked, he found two tickets. Murray will return to College Station on Sept. 8. This time he plans to park where he's supposed to. Tales from the road highlighted Murray's talk to Columbus Exchange Club Thursday at Lion Hills Center, and some focused on police escorts he and fellow refs receive at games. "I love a police escort," Murray said. "If you ever have a police escort taking you to the game, it'll spoil you." |
| Southern Miss announces 4-year contract extension for football coach Jay Hopson | |
| Southern Miss football coach Jay Hopson received a four-year contract extension on Saturday afternoon, one week before the Golden Eagles' 2018 season opener. Hopson, who has posted a 15-11 record in two seasons as head coach at Southern Miss, will be under contract at USM through January 31, 2022. According to documents obtained by the Hattiesburg American, Hopson is set to make a sum of $2 million with a base annual salary of $500,000 per year. This rate stays consistent with what Hopson was making prior to the extension, keeping him as the 108th-highest paid college head coach according to the most recent USA Today database. "Jay's leadership has brought stability to the football program resulting in winning seasons and bowl games in his first two years," Southern Miss athletic director Jon Gilbert said. |
| Receiver appointed in $100M Ponzi scheme seeks money back from Ole Miss Athletics Foundation | |
| The receiver appointed by a federal judge in the $100 million Ponzi scheme case has asked the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation to return the nearly $100,000 given by the Madison County businessman who pleaded guilty in the case. Alysson Mills of New Orleans said in her first receiver status report released Wednesday that she has issued a notice for the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation to return gifts of $49,900 in 2016 and $47,100 given by businessman Arthur Lamar Adams or his company Madison Timber Properties. She said the gifts were made with stolen money and she intends to take legal action to have the money returned to benefit defrauded investors. Mills also has issued notices to recruiters paid to entice investors for Adams' company that she plans to take legal action if they don't return money to defrauded investors. |
| UF football season ticket sales sag despite Dan Mullen's effort to sell Gators | |
| All the buzz first-year UF coach Dan Mullen tried to create during the offseason has fallen on deaf ears -- at least at the ticket window. With next Saturday's season opener at home against Charleston Southern on the horizon, a school official said the Gators have sold 58,000 season tickets, including just 14,500 of 18,500 student tickets available. This is down around 9,000 season tickets overall, based on figures provided a year ago when UF had sold 67,000 tickets by Aug. 9, including 18,500 to students. Coming off back-to-back SEC title game appearances, the 2017 Gators' reported attendance of 86,715 per game last season was 11th in the nation -- the school's 13th straight year in the top 12, according to the NCAA. UF currently is addressing another issue with its younger fan base: the sporadic connectivity with the stadium's WiFi system. The school is amid a $6.3 million project that will be fully operative by the 2019 season. |
| SC spends more in buildup of football under Muschamp: 'It's part of the evolution' | |
| Progress comes at a price. And it's a hefty one in major college football. South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp has repeatedly referred to the school's nearly completed $50 million football operations building as an "investment," the kind of investment he and his bosses believe is mandatory to be competitive in the Southeastern Conference, but brick and mortar are only part of what the Gamecocks are pouring into their football program. "When you invest in your program, you get a return," Muschamp said. Two years into his rebuilding of that program, the Gamecocks are doing just that. For the 2018 football season, South Carolina will employ 56 percent more people and spend 37 percent more money on employees devoted to the sport than it did in 2015, Steve Spurrier's final season. "There's been an evolution across college sports. Certainly football leads the charge in many ways," Gamecocks athletics director Ray Tanner told The State. |
| Texas A&M football players join bone marrow registry -- a cause close to their coach | |
 | The Texas A&M football team spent its last free day before Thursday's season opener at Bright Football Complex on Friday, taking the time to join the national bone marrow donation registry in support of head coach Jimbo Fisher's nonprofit organization Kidz1stFund. Jimbo and Candi Fisher started the fund in 2011 during his time at Florida State after their son Ethan was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder that inhibits bone marrow from producing enough healthy blood cells for the body to function normally. "I can remember plain as day," Fisher said in a video produced by TexAgs of the day his son was diagnosed. He was on his way to coach Florida State in the Peach Bowl, his first bowl game since arriving at the school. He said that Ethan came down with flu, but when he was taken to see medical professionals, they found that his platelet count was very low. The count remained low after more than a month of monitoring. |
| Why some college sports scandals don't draw NCAA penalties | |
| The question often comes up when a serious scandal hits college sports: Where is the NCAA? Why isn't the governing body of major college sports, you know, governing? Ohio State suspended Urban Meyer for three games for mishandling allegations of domestic violence against one of his assistants, but it is doubtful the school, coach or athletic director -- also suspended -- will face penalties from the NCAA. Meanwhile, 13 North Carolina football players were suspended by the NCAA earlier this month -- some as many as four games -- for selling sneakers given to them by the school. What gives? "It comes down to purpose and jurisdiction," said Gabe Feldman, director of the sports law program at Tulane University. |
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