| Friday, September 7, 2018 |
| Chicken Salad Chick expected to open this coming January | |
 | In Starkville, Cappe's Steak and Seafood, at 105 Eckford Drive, was closed by owner Eric Hallberg in July, and that building is for sale. Starkville Properties has the 2,091 square foot building listed for $450,000. Hallberg is focusing on Cappe's in the Park -- located on Technology Boulevard -- and a new restaurant venture coming in 2019. With all the construction on Highway 12, you might have missed Hallberg's new project: Chicken Salad Chick, 602 Highway 12, is expected to open this coming January. Hallberg is partnering with Cameron and Diana Parker to bring the Auburn, Alabama franchise to Starkville. Cappe's in the Park, 60 Technology Blvd. in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, will continue serving blue plate specials as usual Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. |
| City sets timetable to complete Critz Street traffic study | |
 | Love them or hate them, the planters and traffic-calming devices on Critz Street will soon be removed following the completion of the city's traffic study in the area. Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller said the devices will be removed on Sept. 19, weather permitting, which gives residents about two weeks to remove any donated plants. "The timetable was for the course of the summer and we just wanted to see, one, how traffic responds to the devices and, two, how the public responded to the devices and just give people an opportunity to engage and help us in the decision-making process," Miller said. The planters, which were aimed at slowing down traffic through Critz Street, were introduced in June and met with mixed responses from the community. Miller said City Engineer Edward Kemp is nearing the completion of a report about the planters and traffic calming devices. |
| State auditor addresses goals, spectrum of duties | |
| For Shad White, the State Auditor's Office is a job where he can feel like he's making progress every day. White, who was named the state auditor July, visited Mississippi State University on Wednesday to speak about his time so far on the job and his goals for the office. MSU's College Republicans hosted White. As state auditor, White said his office's primary mission is to audit any entity that uses public money to ensure it's being used properly. That can involve things such as property audits, where an investigator will check an entity's physical inventory to be sure it has all of the items it says it has or investigating a reported misappropriation of public money. In just the month-and-a-half he's been on the job, White said he's already seen a number of interesting cases. |
| Legislators to headline SDN Town Hall on Sept. 13 | |
| Area lawmakers will gather on Thursday, Sept. 13 to discuss issues from the recent special legislative session as part of a Town Hall event hosted by the Starkville Daily News. The slate of speakers will include lawmakers representing at least some part of Oktibbeha County, including State Rep. Gary Chism, a Columbus Republican; State Rep. Rob Roberson, a Starkville Republican; State Rep. Cheikh Taylor, a Starkville Democrat; and State Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, a West Point Democrat. The format of the Town Hall will allow each legislator to give their takeaways from the special legislative session, which included the approval of a state lottery and the allocation of BP settlement money. |
| Trump coming to Mississippi for rally, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Roger Wicker | |
 | President Trump plans to have a Make America Great Again rally in Mississippi on Sept. 14 and campaign for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "We are delighted to announce the next scheduled stop on our national midterm campaign tour with a Make America Great Again rally in Jackson ....," Michael Glassner, chief operating officer for Donald J. Trump for President Inc. said in a statement. "With only 60 days from now until election day, President Trump looks forward to visiting the great state of Mississippi to urge Mississippians to get out and vote for Cindy Hyde-Smith in November. The president will also update Mississippi patriots on the great success of his tax cuts, immigration enforcement, veterans reforms, and more." The event is planned for 6:30 p.m. at the Mississippi Coliseum, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. |
| Mississippi Democrats hope for 'right storm' in November election | |
 | If African Americans outperform their turnout in Mississippi like they did last year in Alabama when Democrat Doug Jones recorded a stunning upset in a Senate special election, Democrat Mike Espy will need only 22 percent of white voters to win the Senate special election here. In the December Alabama special election, African Americans accounted for more than 29 percent of the electorate even though they make up less than 27 percent of the total population. Democrats in Mississippi would welcome a similar over performance this November as they try to elect two U.S. senators. The only problem with that possible statistical path to victory developed by the Espy campaign is that in 2012 Barack Obama garnered the support of only 10 percent of white Mississippi voters -- the lowest percentage in the nation, according to exit polling. |
| How Black Women Are Organizing to Energize Voters This Fall | |
 | Meeting on the campus of Jackson State University on a recent Friday afternoon, dozens of black women came together to strategize about the upcoming midterm elections, opening the gathering with a freedom song. "The revolution done signed my name," they moaned, invoking the names of the ancestors whose strength has willed them to persevere: Harriet Tubman. Shirley Chisholm. Aretha Franklin. Two were like them, daughters of Mississippi: Ella Jo Baker. Fannie Lou Hamer. "All of us who are in the room right now are midwives for transformation," said Rukia Lumumba, daughter of the late Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, and co-founder of the Electoral Justice Project. The impact of such targeted work is evident. Black women went to the polls in record numbers last December to elect Doug Jones as the first Democratic senator from Alabama in 25 years. |
| Governor and lieutenant governor call for teacher pay raises | |
| Mississippi's governor and lieutenant governor said Thursday that they will support teacher pay raises in the 2019 legislative session, months before state elections, although they didn't provide a specific proposal. The Republicans expressed support in a series of tweets, saying a reduced deficit in the state-federal Medicaid program allows breathing room in the state budget. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves also proposed raises for state Child Protection Services workers. "I believe we can invest those resources in Mississippi's future, our children. It's time to raise salaries again for teachers and boost pay for CPS caseworkers next year!" said a tweet from Reeves' account. "Great idea, Lieutenant Governor. I'm all in," Gov. Phil Bryant's account replied two minutes later. |
| Gov. Bryant: Transgender People Do Not Deserve Hiring Protections | |
| Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant joined 15 other Republican leaders across the country in signing a brief that asks the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not protect transgender people and that employers have the right to fire them for their gender identity. The amicus brief comes after lawyers from the Alliance Defending Freedom asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In the ruling, the court decided a Michigan employer---a devout Christian---violated an employee's Title VII protections by firing her after she disclosed that she was transgender and transitioning. Title VII bars employers from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Bryant was one of three Republican governors to sign onto the amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to deny such protections to transgender people. Bryant's office did not return a call for comment. |
| Mystery builds over anonymous Trump official's identity | |
 | The hunt for the identify of the senior administration official who penned a scathing and anonymous op-ed in The New York Times picked up steam on Thursday, as dozens of high-ranking Trump officials issued statements denying they were behind it. A day after President Trump called the op-ed describing efforts to impede some of his decisions an act of treason, conservatives in Congress said they were exploring the possibility of investigations, legislation or hearings to learn the author's name. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said he did not see a role for Congress in finding the anonymous official. The statements from Cabinet members and other officials denying authorship are likely to appease Trump, who often speaks about his desire for loyalty. However, the denials are unlikely to slow the frenzied speculation over the identity of the individual who described efforts among some staff to "thwart" the president's "worst inclinations." |
| Before the Trump op-ed, another mysterious anonymous author lit up Washington | |
 | The cover of the political novel in 1996 was quite simple and spare. Red on the top. White on the bottom. A drawing of a frightened donkey, his eyeballs turned upward at the title: "PRIMARY COLORS." But the book's plot -- about a Southern Democratic governor vying for the presidency, obviously based on Bill Clinton -- lit up the Washington and Manhattan publishing scene for the two other words emblazoned on the book jacket: "by ANONYMOUS." It is perhaps Washington's most reliable turn-on: Anonymous. An anonymous leaker. An anonymous whistleblower. An anonymous novelist. The novel's plot and characters seemed so pointedly aligned to the realities of the Clinton campaign that readers were desperate to know whether the author was a campaign insider or a close Clinton friend committing friendship treason. |
| August Jobs Report: Economy Adds 201,000 Jobs And Unemployment Steady | |
 | The U.S. economy added 201,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department said on Friday, continuing its nearly eight-year streak of monthly gains. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at a very low 3.9 percent. The jobs data topped economists' estimates: Bloomberg had put the median projected gain at 191,000 jobs, while the MarketWatch median forecast stood at 200,000. Wage growth -- and more specifically the lack of vigorous pay raises -- continued to be an issue in the report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with average hourly earnings nudging slightly upward to 2.9 percent annual growth from July's 2.7 percent. |
| President Rodney Bennett delivers good financial news about Southern Miss, with a 'but' | |
 | Faculty and staff at the University of Southern Mississippi recently received an email from President Rodney Bennett that contained some good news, but it was tempered. Bennett updated the university's finances, which were subject to nearly $8 million in state cuts in 2017. "As you may recall, the past year has been one of the most challenging in terms of having to meet large budget reduction targets in a short amount of time...," he wrote. "I am pleased to share that the University of Southern Mississippi has made tremendous progress toward righting our ship.... Although exact numbers are still being calculated and audited, we expect to be able to close FY 2018 with a surplus in Education and General funds, which will allow us to increase institutional reserves and improve our overall financial position." The effect of state cuts was felt in almost every department when Bennett announced in November that 20 staff employees would be laid off, select unfilled faculty positions would be eliminated and reductions would be |
| Rick Young resigned from EMCC due to apparent 'lack of confidence' in his leadership | |
| Rick Young's decision to step down as interim president at East Mississippi Community College came as result of a perceived lack of confidence in his leadership from board members, according to the resignation letter presented to the EMCC Board of Trustees during Tuesday's meeting. Young returned to EMCC as interim president following the resignation of Thomas Huebner, who left to become president at Meridian Community College in June. "My decision is based on a perceived lack of confidence and trust in my ability to provide competent leadership for our college at this time," the letter stated. "My perceptions are based on the way internal and external matters important to EMCC are approached and handled by some of our board members." Young also wrote he believed he did not have the support of some faculty members. |
| MHP: No injuries to Co-Lin Wolfpack in minor bus accident on I-55 | |
 | No injuries were reported Thursday when a bus carrying members of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College football team collided with a 18-wheeler as they were both merging into the same lane on I-55. Cpl. Kervin Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol said the crash happened about 10:30 a.m. around the 61 mile marker near the Hazlehurst exit. It occurred in a construction zone as vehicles were merging into one lane. After the crash, the team continued its trip to Booneville to play Northeast Mississippi Community College Thursday night, said Natalie Davis, director of public information and sports information for Co-Lin. "We are so very thankful that no one was injured and the damage to the vehicles was minimal," said Co-Lin President Dr. Jane Hulon. "Our main priority is student safety." |
| 'It's Lit': Jackson schools, Tougaloo team up to give high-potential students a head start on college | |
| On a recent Friday morning at Tougaloo College, the classroom was quiet as students huddled over their laptops and googled salaries of their dream jobs. The room was filled with a smattering of future nurses, archaeologists, NBA players and others who collectively erupted into gasps as they typed salaries for those careers into an income tax calculator and learned how much Uncle Sam would take out of their paychecks. The exercise was part of a college and career readiness class the ninth graders at the Early College High School program in the Jackson Public School District. Launched as a partnership between the district and Tougaloo College, the inaugural class has 44 students who can graduate from high school with an associate's degree or up to two years of college credits. |
| U. of West Alabama continues to grow | |
 | The University of West Alabama in Livingston has been educating students for 183 years. But over the last decade, the school has added big numbers to it's enrollment, both on campus and online. "We have really taken off with our enrollment, both with our on campus and online," said Dr. Ken Tucker, the president at UWA. "We're really, really proud of that. We're also proud of our team. We have such an outstanding team that works together and cares about our students." Tucker says he'd like to see enrollment continue to increase both on campus and online. He also says UWA is very excited about opening the new charter school on campus and is touting its workforce development and economic development missions to continue to served rural areas of Alabama and Mississippi. |
| Two former LSU students plead no contest in hazing death of Max Gruver | |
 | Two former LSU students pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor hazing in the alcohol-related death of freshman fraternity pledge Max Gruver, whose mother said was ready to "spread his wings and soar" when he arrived at the university a year ago. Sean-Paul Gott and Ryan Matthew Isto agreed to cooperate with East Baton Rouge Parish prosecutors and testify at the July 8 trial of a third ex-LSU student, Matthew Alexander Naquin. Naquin is charged with negligent homicide -- a felony -- in Gruver's death Sept. 14, 2017. A fourth former LSU student charged with hazing, Patrick Andrew Forde, has pledged his cooperation and truthful testimony at the trial, state District Judge Beau Higginbotham was told Thursday by prosecutor Morgan Johnson and Forde's attorney, Kris Perret. Johnson said a decision will be made later on whether to prosecute Forde. |
| After missteps and criticism, UGA to honor memory of slaves on campus | |
| Last spring, as student leaders at the University of Georgia prepared a resolution urging school officials to honor slaves who helped sustain the campus, they met with a senior member of President Jere Morehead's staff. Jessica Douglas, one of the students, said the message from the administration was clear: What you're doing could harm the university's reputation. The proposed resolution pressed the university to acknowledge the institution's ties to slavery and called for the placement of a permanent campus monument that honored the slaves and their contributions to the university. The resolution also called for a separate memorial to be installed at Baldwin Hall, which had been constructed in 1938 on top of a slave burial site. Michelle Garfield Cook, the university's vice provost for diversity and inclusion, said the guiding principle from the start was to treat the individuals whose remains were discovered with dignity and respect. |
| Retiring med school dean tripled research funding, brought simulation center to U. of Tennessee | |
 | As dean of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, it's not unusual for Jim Neutens to work well into the evening. But one evening stands out in Neutens' mind as he reflects on his years as dean. The cleaning crew had arrived and started to tidy up. But the man who'd emptied the trash was an unfamiliar face. He stopped at the door with a question. "I'm new on the job," he said to Neutens. "I've worked at a couple hospitals too. What makes you guys any different than anybody else?" "Do you have children or grandchildren?" Neutens asked. "Did you go through a phase answering questions like, 'Why is the sky blue?'" The two laughed. "I didn't answer those questions very well," the man replied. "Well," Neutens said. "Our physicians do that everyday. They say, 'I got asked these questions today. I better have some answers tomorrow.'" Those UT Medical Center physicians are teaching medical students and residents every day. |
| Texas A&M University System touts cybersecurity efforts | |
 | The Texas A&M University System's Security Operations Center works to protect the System from an estimated 1 million attempted cyberattacks per month, according to a three-minute video made available Wednesday that outlines the center's work. Executive director Dan Basile said his team sees and works to thwart attempts from "almost every country in the world, including the United States, China and Russia. You name a country, and we've probably seen an attack from it." Basile said an attempted cyberattack could mean a host of different things. "It could be a group trying to steal usernames and passwords. It could be trying to steal malware for research information, or trying to trick someone into giving up some of their personal information or passwords," he said. |
| Circuit judge says no to guns on U. of Missouri campus | |
 | The University of Missouri's rule prohibiting concealed guns on campus, whether being carried by a person or locked in a personal car, does not conflict with state law, Circuit Judge Jeff Harris ruled Wednesday. The ruling is only a partial victory for the university. Harris left open the question of whether the Missouri Constitution's provisions protecting gun rights mean the rules are invalid. "We are pleased with the court's ruling on the state statute issue and will be working toward the trial on the remaining issue," UM System spokesman Christian Basi wrote in an email. In a case initiated by Royce Barondes, a professor of law, Harris rejected arguments that a law protecting state employees from prosecution for having concealed guns in their cars while they are parked on state property does not conflict with a university rule against guns. |
| New enforcement of existing U. of Missouri parking rule causes confusion | |
 | Some people who park on the University of Missouri's campus may have noticed they received a ticket this week for a ramp parking violation. MU Parking and Transportation has decided to start enforcing a rule that has been in place but hasn't always been enforced. "It's a process that we didn't enforce regularly before, but now that there's a demand for certain parking spots and parking garages, the parking enforcement felt that they needed to make it clear that this is the policy," MU spokeswoman Liz McCune said. The parking rule in question states that parking garage ramps belong to the floor that they begin on, according to McCune. If a student's parking permission allows them to park on the fourth floor of Virginia Avenue Parking Structure, for example, they can only park on the flat portion of the fourth floor and the entirety of the inclining ramp toward the fifth floor; they may not park on the ramp leading down to the third floor. |
| Do Chief Diversity Officers Help Diversify a University's Faculty? This Study Found No Evidence | |
 | When Baylor University began considering the creation of a chief-diversity-officer position a few years ago, many of James E. West's colleagues said the role could help diversify the institution's faculty. That got West, an economics professor, thinking: What influence does an executive-level diversity position have on faculty demographics? West, whose work focuses on higher education, and three Baylor colleagues tried to find out. In a working paper submitted to the National Bureau of Economic Research, West and his colleagues analyzed the faculty diversity of 462 research institutions in United States before and after they hired chief diversity officers. The paper, which the authors say is the first study of the topic, also looks broadly at faculty hiring and student demographics. |
| Purdue Global axes faculty confidentiality agreement | |
 | Purdue University Global will stop using a contentious confidentiality agreement that critics say requires academics to waive their rights to course materials they create. The nondisclosure agreement also prohibits ex-employees from hiring former Purdue colleagues for a year -- or from bad-mouthing Purdue once they're gone. Inside Higher Ed and other outlets last month reported on the agreement after the American Association of University Professors posted a link to four pages from an employee handbook. AAUP has since circulated an online petition urging universities to "Say no to NDAs and forced arbitration in higher education." AAUP has said the agreement violates its 1940 Joint Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which says instructors "are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results." It called the four-page agreement "especially restrictive," saying it allows the university to be the arbiter of who owns the rights to instructional materials. |
| U. of Memphis Drops Out-of-State Tuition, Adopts Non-Resident Fee | |
| The University of Memphis is keeping it simple when it comes to tuition. Beginning in the fall of 2019, all students will pay base tuition, with non-Tennessee residents and international students paying an additional fee. At its meeting Wednesday, Sept. 5, the U of M board of trustees voted to adopt a four-tier tuition structure: in-state, national, international and online. The move will help keep tuition rates low for Tennessee residents, but also will help the U of M compete with other universities to attract more out-of-state and international students. The most tuition increase will be felt by international students enrolled in the law school -- a 14 percent increase if they take the standard 12-hour semester. "But that's not a market we play in. In fact, we only have one [law] student who is considered an international student," said U of M CFO Raaj Kurapati. |
| U. of Memphis student admits to hitting parking lot employee, gets charged with aggravated assault | |
| A University of Memphis student faces criminal charges for allegedly running down a parking lot attendant, sending the man to the doctor with lacerations and a back injury. Matthew Jordan, 22, was charged with aggravated assault after he waived his Miranda Rights and admitted to officers that he struck the man with his vehicle. The incident occurred on Sept. 4, while the victim was writing parking tickets in a lot on Poplar, according to the affidavit of complaint. Jordan, the man said, was looking for a parking space, got upset and called him names. Jordan was driving down a row of cars when the victim said he stepped in front of Jordan's vehicle to flag him down. Jordan slowed down, but did not stop and hit the man, the affidavit said. Jordan told police he thought the victim had time to get out of the way and that he sped up and hit the brakes to get the victim off his vehicle. |
| How a Democrat could finagle a win in Mississippi | |
| Columnist George F. Will writes in The Washington Post: Time was, there was no other American place quite like it. Fifty-six years ago -- a long time in adaptable America's adjustment of its behavior to its creed -- this university town was a few weeks from the U.S. Army's arrival to assist the matriculation of James Meredith. Today, at a restaurant on Courthouse Square, Democrat Mike Espy is tucking into one of the state's signature products, farm-raised catfish -- as Bill Clinton's first agriculture secretary, Espy got the Army to serve it to soldiers often -- for fuel as he campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat. |
| Will Mississippi quit electing transportation commissioners? | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: Chances are good that next year will be the last time Mississippians elect their three transportation commissioners. Talk of overhauling the Mississippi Department of Transportation's governance is not new, but it appears to be growing momentum, similar to the recent decades-in-the-making change from elected to appointed school superintendents. I'm told by several sources that MDOT restructuring was a key issue in House-Senate negotiations that delayed the recent special legislative session on infrastructure funding. ...Mississippi is the only state that still elects transportation/highway commissioners by popular vote. Many legislative leaders and the occasional governor have talked of changing this for many years. But it has proved to be an uphill road, full of political potholes (see what I just did there?). |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's Joe Moorhead loves to be prepared | |
| Joe Moorhead loves being prepared. The Mississippi State football coach stays ready for just about any situation by maintaining a binder filled with quotes. The sayings are sorted by topic. One from President Abraham Lincoln highlights one of Moorhead's core principles: "Give me six hours to chop down the tree, I'll spend the first five sharpening the ax." Moorhead likes the quote because it stresses preparation. He finds it useful to break the monotony of four weeks of preseason camp without any games. To accentuate the message, Moorhead brings an ax to practice. In the preseason, the ax was lodged into a tree section to the side of the field. "After stretch in practice, we bring it out to the 50(-yard line) and have someone throw the axe on there," Moorhead said. "Whoever wants to grab it." |
| K-State still unsettled at quarterback | |
 | Mississippi State may not know which quarterback it will be facing on Saturday until Kansas State's offense takes the field. The Wildcats are still undecided between sophomore Skylar Thompson and junior Alex Delton, each of which started four games under center last season. Thompson started last week's opener against South Dakota, completing 8 of 14 passes for 61 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding 58 yards on the ground. Delton hit on 5 of 14 throws for 91 yards and a pick to go along with 78 rushing yards. "I don't think that we have played up to our capabilities," Delton said. "As an offensive unit, we weren't as crisp as I would like, so right now, when we watch film or do anything, we know we have to be better than last week. We have to be sharper, we have to pay more attention to detail, and that's what we are taking in this week. We know what Mississippi State can do defensively, so we know we have to be sharp and we have to execute." |
| Kansas State faces quarterback questions as Mississippi State looms | |
| Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder probably felt pretty good about having two quarterbacks with starting experience this year, especially the way both performed at times last season. After Skylar Thompson and Alex Delton struggled against South Dakota, though, that confidence is a bit shakier heading into Saturday's showdown with No. 18 Mississippi State. Thompson was 8-for-14 for 61 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Delton was 5-for-14 for 91 yards and another interception against a school from the Football Championship Subdivision. "Both of them did some decent things and both of them struggled and made mistakes," Snyder said this week. "Both of them are going to make a significant difference in the outcome of our football season. It is still one game at a time, and we have to improve things. They are like everybody else, and we need to repair issues that we have. They're correctable mistakes, and that's easy to say." |
| Kansas State offensive line to pose challenge for Mississippi State | |
| Nick Fitzgerald scratched his head while searching for a word to describe Kansas State's playing style. "How do I put that? I'm lost for words," the senior quarterback said. "They're very base. We're not going to see a lot of exotic defenses, but they're very fundamentally sound. They know their roles, and we're not going to find them out of place." On the other side of the ball, meanwhile, defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said the Wildcats are unique to prepare for. Unlike most teams in college football, Kansas State has not fully adopted the spread offense. Shoop expects to see a lot of quarterback runs, formations with two running backs and formations with two tight ends. Bill Snyder, the 78-year-old Kansas head coach, is an old-school skipper. Here's what Shoop thinks of his offense. |
| Brian Cole transitions to bigger defensive role for Mississippi State | |
| Brian Cole's path to Mississippi State was already a winding one even with no considerations for what he does on the field. The Saginaw, Michigan, native went from the in-state Wolverines just to be one of the first casualties of the Jim Harbaugh era in Ann Arbor; he landed at East Mississippi Community College, where he earned a second chance at MSU. Through it all, Cole has changed positions -- changed sides of the ball, even -- and added another position. Through all of the change, he is finding the best way to make an impact. Cole was physically ready to play last season while he sat as an academic redshirt -- he made that clear in practice. That fact is now clear to everyone, as he starts at Star (nickelback) and kick returner for No. 18 MSU (1-0). He will do both 11 a.m. Saturday (ESPN2) against Kansas State (1-0). "He's a very gifted player. Very athletic, long, physical and he's a great nickelback," safety Mark McLaurin said. |
| Mississippi State's Joel Baldwin recounts anxiety prior to earning scholarship | |
| Last month, Joel Baldwin received a text from Chris Boniol, the Mississippi State football team's senior special teams advisor, instructing him to get to the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex at 3 p.m. before a 3:30 team meeting. Baldwin didn't know why he was being summoned early. Boniol put Baldwin's mind at ease with a few minutes of football talk before telling him coach Joe Moorhead wanted to see him in his office. Ten minutes later, Baldwin's anxiety turned to elation when Moorhead informed the long snapper from Tupelo and his family Baldwin was going to receive the team's 85th and scholarship. Baldwin admitted her was nervous when Baldwin told him he had to meet Moorhead, but Boniol told him not to worry because Moorhead just wanted to talk to people. Baldwin believed him and made the trip down the hall to Moorhead's office, where he was met with a hand shake and a "pretty intense" look on Moorhead's face. |
| Saturday is first home game with U. of Tennessee's new no smoking policy | |
| Saturday is the first Vols home game since the University of Tennessee, Knoxville adopted a no smoking policy for everyone on campus earlier this year. The policy bans all smoking -- including cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapes -- in all locations on campus. It also prohibits smoking in vehicles on all university property. Jeff Maples, the senior associate vice chancellor for finance and administration and member of the task force that revised the smoking policy, said he doesn't expect things to change immediately. And several students said they were certain of it. "We recognize that gameday is truly a unique situation," Maples said. "Our main focus for our campus on gamedays is to ensure the safety and security of our patrons." Maples said there is no one assigned to specifically enforce the policy on Saturday, but said the university has worked to make people aware of the policy. |
| Tim Tebow still believes in college football | |
 | Tim Tebow said he still believes in the power of good in college football despite its scandalous offseason. Tebow was in Gainesville for a Food4Kids charity event on Thursday. The former Florida Heisman-winning quarterback helped pack boxes at an area warehouse with food that will be distributed to area students from kindergarten through high school. Offseason scandals at Ohio State and Maryland marred the reputation of college football, with coaches at both schools suspended as a result. Of the 40 power football conference teams that hosted college football games in week one, 30 had attendance declines from the prior year, according to a Yahoo.com story. At Florida, attendance for its week one opener against Charleston Southern was 81,164, down from 88,121 in its opener against UMass two years ago. Last year, Florida opened the season in Arlington, Texas, against Michigan in the Advocare Classic. But Tebow is confident that college football will bounce back. |
| Nearly $10 million bet legally in first month of Mississippi sports gambling | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Sports gamblers wagered $9.8 million at Mississippi casinos from Aug. 1 through Sept. 3, the Mississippi Gaming Commission says. "We did not really have any expectations, but these seem like positive numbers," Allen Godfrey, executive director of the gaming commission said. The Beau Rivage in Biloxi and the Gold Strike in Tunica on Aug. 1 became the first two Mississippi casinos to offer sports betting. Since then 18 more casinos have opened sports books. Mississippi levies a 12 percent tax on gross casino gaming revenue. In the recently concluded special session, lawmakers added a measure that allows sports betting revenue to be used to help fund transportation needs. That $9.8 million sports betting figure includes both winning and losing bets, so it is not the amount that will be taxed. The figure on taxable revenue will come later this month. |
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