| Tuesday, September 18, 2018 |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves at Mississippi State summit: Data crucial for state's growth | |
 | To Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, data is an invaluable tool for helping the state grow. Reeves delivered a keynote address on Friday at Mississippi State University's third annual data summit. The summit, held at The Mill at MSU and hosted by the university's National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, focused on how the state can use data to move forward. NPSARC works with local, state and federal agencies and with the private sector to produce data for a wide variety of uses. Reeves said that data is crucial for making strides in all areas, from agriculture and public safety to health care and education. MSU President Mark Keenum, speaking before Reeves on Friday, said the university is continuing to push to expand its capacity to produce data. |
| Mississippi State students craft future animal shelter design | |
 | Through a week-long project, Mississippi State University Landscape Architecture students created a design concept to inspire the upcoming Starkville Animal Shelter renovation and expansion. The 25 landscape architecture students presented their individual designs Friday on MSU's campus. "We're kind of getting started with this idea of a master plan for our space," OCHS Director of Development and Community Relations Martha Thomas said of Starkville Animal Shelter. "At some point, our existing space is not going to work for us, and that's why we're going through this exercise -- to explore and plan ahead." The idea to get the MSU students involved with the shelter design started with a local landscape architect, Wayne Wilkerson, who approached OCHS Board Member David VanLandingham about the idea. |
| Are today's white kids less racist than their grandparents? | |
 | Margaret Hagerman, an assistant professor of sociology at Mississippi State, writes for The Conversation: In America's children, we often see hope for a better future, especially when it comes to reducing racism. Each new generation of white people, the thinking goes, will naturally and inevitably be more open-minded and tolerant than previous ones. But do we have any reason to believe this? Should we have faith that today's white kids will help make our society less racist and more equitable? Previous research has had mixed findings. So in order to explore more fully what white kids think about race, I went straight to the source: white children themselves. In my new book, "White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America," I explore how 36 white, affluent kids think and talk about race, racism, privilege and inequality in their everyday lives. |
| MSU-Meridian sees increase in fall enrollment | |
| Since taking over as head of campus three years ago, Dr. Terry Dale Cruse has fallen in love with the MSU-Meridian campus, and with their latest 14% increase in enrollment for this year's fall semester, he has even more reason to love it. "Well, we're very excited about the increase that we've been able to see in our fall enrollment. Of course, that's reflective of a lot of hard work of faculty and staff. So, I'm very proud of our folks and the hard work they've put into creating new programs and attracting more students to MSU-Meridian," says Dr. Cruse. Dr. Cruse says, "We have the benefit of having the support and resources of the state's leading research university but still being small enough that we're able to develop strong relationships with our students. We also get to see a lot of students through the process of earning a bachelor's degree, which otherwise might not be possible if Mississippi State did not have a campus in Meridian. So, that's the most rewarding part of my job." |
| Corrections, education, retirement system ask lawmakers for millions more | |
 | Lawmakers on Monday began budget hearings with state agencies, the first step to setting next year's roughly $6 billion state budget. In all, state agencies are asking lawmakers to spend an additional $764 million for the coming year -- an unrealistic amount that lawmakers will winnow greatly. Hearings on Monday morning were marked by protesters during the Mississippi Department of Correction's presentation over 16 state inmate deaths during the month of August. In Monday's sessions so far, lawmakers heard that the state economy is perking up, albeit slower than the national economy, as is historically the case for Mississippi. State economist Darrin Webb said state real GDP growth of about 1.5 percent to 2 percent a year is expected for the next two to three years. He said the state is seeing growth in income and employment, but noted that some employment growth is in temporary jobs and relatively low paying food services. |
| Prison head tells legislators system needs help; other agencies also make budget requests | |
| A handful of protesters unfurled a banner containing the names of the 16 inmates who died in August as Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelicia Hall made her budget requests Monday to legislative leaders. Before being removed from the meeting, protesters yelled "people are being murdered" in state prisons and that "MDOC kills." While Hall disputed the allegations of the protesters, she did tell the members of the Legislative Budget Committee that conditions in the state's prisons did jeopardize the health and safety of not only the state's nearly 20,000 inmates, but also the about 1,000 corrections officers. The 14 member Legislative Budget Committee spent Monday hearing budget requests from multiple agencies. In December, the Budget Committee will release a budget proposal that will in essence serve as a roadmap for the full Legislature when it convenes in January to prepare a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. |
| McDaniel defends himself against GOP heavy hitters | |
 | With some of the state's top Republican leaders taking aim at him with claims that he insulted black voters, Chris McDaniel is dismissing that line of attack as a smear. Speaking Monday night after a campaign stop in Tupelo, the state senator from Ellisville responded to Daily Journal questions about controversy over some recent remarks. "When they can't debate the issues they have to find ways to create scandals," McDaniel said about recent statements by Gov. Phil Bryant and state GOP Chairman Lucien Smith. His suggestion that GOP leaders are deploying dirty tactics against him is consistent with the campaign themes he emphasized while answering questions from a mostly friendly audience Monday. |
| State auditor report slams state Board of Dental Examiners for mismanagement | |
| A state auditor's report slams the state board that licenses and regulates dentists for mismanagement and urges more oversight. The compliance audit of the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners details what state Auditor Shad White called alarming management practices including evidence that board staff was allowed to consume alcohol on the job. "What we found at the Dental Board is an example of particularly bad management," White said The staff at the board failed to follow proper procedures when making purchases, failed to separate purchasing duties (which can lead to fraud), held cash that should have been deposited for too long, failed to follow proper bookkeeping procedures, and accumulated excessive comp time." In July, longtime executive director Diane Howell abruptly resigned after a lengthy executive board meeting. She had been there 24 years. |
| What's next in the Jim Hood v. Robert Shuler Smith saga? | |
| While Mississippi Attorney General's Office prepared for its third trial against Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, the state inexplicably moved an inmate and key witness in a previous case against Smith to a high-security federal prison in Pennsylvania. The inmate's lawyer said he suspects officials moved his client because "the state is somewhat angry, disgruntled that he did not provide testimony that they wanted against Robert Smith." The Mississippi Department of Corrections said the move was for "institutional security," but would not elaborate what security risk the inmate, Christopher Butler, posed. Butler's relocation raises new speculation about what the next move might be from Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who is expected to run for governor in 2019, and for two years pursued charges against a top prosecutor with both a poor conviction record and a history of allegedly erratic behavior. |
| Senate committee to hold public hearing with Kavanaugh, accuser after sexual assault allegation | |
 | Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh and the woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her decades ago will testify publicly before the Senate on Monday, setting up a potentially dramatic and politically perilous hearing that could determine the fate of his nomination. Republicans, including President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), remained defiant as they scrambled to protect Kavanaugh's nomination in the wake of the allegation by Christine Blasey Ford. But by the end of the day, Senate Republicans had effectively delayed a committee vote planned for Thursday and abandoned tentative plans for the matter to be handled behind closed doors amid growing calls by members of both parties for Kavanaugh and Ford to testify publicly under oath, injecting uncertainty into the nomination. |
| Ole Miss freshman arrested, charged in weekend hit-and-run investigation | |
 | University of Mississippi freshman has been arrested in relation to an on-campus hit-and-run incident reported early Saturday morning that severely injured another student. John Walsten, an 18-year-old freshman from Metairie, Louisiana, turned himself in to University police officials on Monday, according to a press release from the university. He is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. A judge at the Lafayette County Justice Court set Walsten's bond at $15,000 during an initial appearance, the release said. The student victim, a female freshman at Ole Miss, is in stable condition at Regional One Health in Memphis, according to hospital administration. Hope Herndon, a student and friend of the victim, said the victim's family is with her in the hospital and is hopeful for a full recovery. |
| Police chief fired at Mississippi Valley State | |
 | Mississippi Valley State University has fired its police chief after he had worked for the university for 18 years. The Greenwood Commonwealth reports that Alex Granderson is one of several high-ranking officials fired in recent weeks. The university had two non-fatal shootings this year, but Granderson said he thinks the firing was unfair, saying he'd never been disciplined. Spokeswoman Brittany Davis-Green says she's not allowed to comment on personnel matters. |
| Rural education conference: 'Let's Talk Some Dirt!' | |
 | "Let's Talk Some Dirt," at least that's the title of a two day conference that's being held at the University West Alabama. In this case, the word, "DIRT" is short for "Digging Into Rural Teaching." As part of the conference almost 200 educators from across Alabama and East Mississippi are learning how to address the unique challenges that schools in rural areas face. According to the former education director for the MSU Riley Center in Meridian, who served as one of the guest speakers for the day, incorporating arts into rural education is an important key to success. "Actually it has been shown that they will grow in their achievement levels exponentially higher and faster than the average child," says Dr. Charlotte Tabereaux. "That's often because they haven't been exposed to the arts at an early age, which is because of the financial problems that their parents may have to get them to these artistic adventures." |
| Auburn University trustees approve health sciences facility in research park | |
 | The Auburn University board of trustees focused part of last Thursday's work session and Friday's meeting on matters concerning the Auburn Research Park -- specifically, the possibility of the park being home to a future health sciences facility. The board approved expanding the research park by three acres to accommodate the facility, which will be operated by East Alabama Medical Center, at its April meeting. But last week, they voted to backtrack on that decision in favor of a slightly different plan. "It became apparent that it was problematic for two reasons," real estate director Mark Stirling told the board during the work session about the three-acre site at the corner of Woodfield and Donahue drives. "One, their parking needs are a lot greater than the regular people in the park because there's a medical facility to it; but also, there's no expansion room. We did not give them more than a three-acre footprint." |
| 'Safe Mizzou:' Locking down during active threat not always best option, MUPD says | |
 | It's a myth that police will always arrive in time to prevent injuries or deaths in an active shooting situation, University of Missouri Police Department Crime Prevention Officer James Young said during a Citizens' Response to Active Threats training Monday. "Although we're called first responders, civilians are there first," Young said. It takes seconds to injure or kill someone but minutes for help to arrive. Therefore, civilians on the scene play a crucial role in stopping violence, he said. Young stressed the need for situational awareness. This means knowing where all exits are located and being aware of anything unusual. Traditional lockdown procedures of turning the lights off and hiding from intruders may not be effective, as many campus assailants are employees or students and are familiar with the procedures, Young said. |
| New analysis suggests women's success in STEM Ph.D. programs has much to do with having female peers | |
 | Having female peers -- even just a few of them -- can increase a woman's odds of making it through her Ph.D. program in the natural sciences, technology, engineering or math, says a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Based on a sample of gradate students enrolled in STEM programs at public institutions in Ohio, women in Ph.D. cohorts with no female peers were about 12 percentage points less likely than their male peers to earn a doctorate within six years. One standard deviation in the share of female students in a cohort increased a woman's chance of this "on time" graduation by about five percentage points. Much of that difference was attributable to a reduction in the dropout rate within the first year of graduate school. The findings were most pronounced in programs that are typically male-dominated. This idea isn't new. Advocates of women in STEM have long emphasized the importance of gender-inclusive environments, along with support networks of peers and mentors, in sealing the so-called leaky pipeline to the Ph.D. But the new study adds a quantitative dimension to the discussion. |
| The Coddling of the American Mind 'Is Speeding Up' | |
| Greg Lukianoff was preoccupied with political polarization---not just the divisiveness he observed, but the fallout---and specifically the effects of tribalism on college campuses. The year was 2015. "It is a very serious problem for any democracy," he and his co-author Jonathan Haidt wrote in a cover story for The Atlantic that year. In that story, "The Coddling of the American Mind," Lukianoff, a First Amendment lawyer and the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, observed that "in the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don't like," and argued that capitulating to requests to banish certain ideas from classrooms and campus events would likely increase student anxiety and depression, rather than ameliorate it. Three years later, political polarization has only increased, as has anxiety among young people. And unrest on college campuses continues. "Everything's speeding up," Lukianoff says. |
| Are Colleges Failing 'Haidt's Choice'? Betsy DeVos Says Yes. Jonathan Haidt Isn't So Sure | |
 | Jonathan Haidt didn't know that Betsy DeVos, the U.S. education secretary, would be quoting him. In fact, it was something of a surprise. Yes, the social psychologist at New York University's Stern School of Business has become a leading critic of the openness (or lack thereof) of discourse on college campuses. And yes, that was DeVos's topic on Monday, when she spoke at a celebration of Constitution Day at the National Constitution Center, in Philadelphia. But the affinity goes only so far. Haidt, whose work focuses on political diversity in higher education, says he is against government overreach in the realm of free speech and academe. What's more, he says, DeVos didn't quite get his point. For Haidt a bigger concern is also at play. For years the professor has argued that the culture wars in America are damaging to colleges. The advocacy group he helped found, Heterodox Academy, strives to support political diversity on campuses. The government doesn't need to push colleges, he says, because they're capable of changing themselves, free of interference. |
| Sessions Says Justice Dept. Has Helped Preserve Free Speech on Campuses | |
 | Attorney General Jeff Sessions made clear on Monday that the Justice Department will oppose colleges and universities that stifle free speech on campus, a cause championed by conservatives who say their voices are silenced in higher education. "Today, freedom of speech and thought have come most under attack on the college campus," Mr. Sessions said at a forum on free speech in higher education hosted by the Justice Department. "The most important time to defend a valued right is when it is being attacked or eroded." Mr. Sessions said the Justice Department has written so-called statements of interest in four lawsuits against colleges and universities over free speech-related cases, including at the University of California, Berkeley; Pierce College in Los Angeles; Gwinnett College in Georgia; and the University of Michigan. The Justice Department has sided with students in the cases who say campus policies have stifled their ability to speak freely. |
| Large 'something for nothing' crowd often overlooked | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: It's the season for storms to line up in the Atlantic and Pacific, seeming to take aim. TV weatherfolk become hyper-animated over how awful everything is going to be -- which is too often true. What's missing from the big picture is the small picture of individuals and small groups helping both in times of disaster and in everyday life. An inherent flaw in media reporting is to write large and, in so doing, fail to document the real difference-makers. By habit or necessity, journalists turn to government sources or the big-name humanitarian groups such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army. Nothing against them, but if you watch the excellent Mississippi Public Broadcasting documentary about Hurricane Katrina it's evident that the first first responders were neighbors and churches and civic clubs. They raised the first flags of hope, comforted those who had lost everything by sharing whatever they had. |
SPORTS
| State focused on slowing Kentucky RB | |
| Benny Snell Jr. believes Kentucky football is ready for 14th-ranked Mississippi State and its lauded defensive line this weekend in Lexington. After the Wildcats rolled up 528 yards on offense in a 48-10 win over Murray State on Saturday, Snell said his team is sticking to what has worked during their 3-0 start. "I'm going to run on any team," Snell said. "You could be an NFL team, it don't matter. This offense don't fear nobody. I know they're good, but this offense is good, too." Snell has rushed for 2,799 yards over his career and currently ranks third in the league averaging 125 yards per game on the ground. The junior has carried 62 times for 375 yards and three touchdowns on the year. "His talent and production kind of speaks for itself," said MSU coach Joe Moorhead. The Bulldogs limited Snell to only 18 yards on seven attempts in their 45-7 win in Starkville last year. It was Snell's lowest output during the regular season. |
| Payoff comes for Bulldogs on 'money' down | |
| The Mississippi State football team's defense continues to set the tone. Through its first two games, No. 14 MSU allowed 3.48 yards per play, which meant opponents had to run 29 plays to reach 100 yards. Louisiana-Lafayette needed only 15 plays and two possessions Saturday to reach 100 yards. But the defense's success and the offense's execution on third down -- what MSU coach Joe Moorhead calls "the money down" -- enabled it to put that early score behind it en route to a 56-10 victory at Davis Wade Stadium. MSU (3-0), which climbed two spots in The Associated Press' latest Top 25 poll, held Louisiana-Lafayette to 4-for-13 on third down (30.7 percent) and went 8-for-11 to remain undefeated as preparations begin to face Kentucky at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) in Lexington, Kentucky. |
| How Mississippi State's Keith Mixon turned his junior year around | |
| Keith Mixon sounded uncertain about his role in Mississippi State's receiving corps one week before the season started. In a one-on-one interview, the junior said he simply had no idea where he stood in the rotation. This irresolution came at the end of training camp when coaches had already started -- if not finished -- putting together Week 1 depth charts. Mixon feared he'd fallen behind in the race to secure snaps in the slot position after sitting out spring practices while rehabbing his surgically repaired ankle. His worries proved true when redshirt freshman Austin Williams earned the starting job for the Sept. 1 season opener vs. Stephen F. Austin. |
| Mississippi State's Elgton Jenkins named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week | |
| Mississippi State senior center Elgton Jenkins was named Monday as the SEC's Offensive Lineman of the Week, according to the league office. Jenkins allowed no quarterback pressures as MSU's offense racked up 607 yards of total offense Saturday in a 56-10 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. The Bulldogs amassed 331 yards rushing and averaged 8.5 yards per play. According to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins has only allowed one hurry on 84 total pass blocks through three games this season. |
| Mississippi State's Elgton Jenkins claims SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week | |
| Mississippi State senior center Elgton Jenkins earned the Southeastern Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Week award. Jenkins did not allow a quarterback pressure while paving the way for the Bulldogs' 607-yard offensive outburst, 331 of which came on the ground. It is the first weekly SEC honor for the 6-foot-4, 310-pounder from Clarksdale and is the first MSU offensive lineman to win the award since Deion Calhoun in Oct. 2017. |
| Mississippi State will be without Peters vs. Kentucky; time set for Mullen's return to Starkville | |
| Mississippi State football coach Joe Moorhead said Monday cornerback Jamal Peters will be out for his team's game against Kentucky at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) after he was injured in the 56-10 victory against Louisiana-Lafayette. Moorhead classified the injury as a lower-body injury. Peters was seen on the sideline with a wrap over his knee. "It'll be week to week. We'll see where he goes this week," Moorhead said. Moorhead said other players have bumps and bruises and will be day to day. He initially didn't name any players, but he later confirmed running back Kylin Hill is one of those players. Dan Mullen's return to Starkville will kick off at 5 p.m. on ESPN. The game will be part of a doubleheader with Ole Miss' game at LSU set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. |
| What Jamal Peters' injury means for Mississippi State's secondary | |
| Cornerback Jamal Peters hasn't had the start to his senior season that he would've liked. Saturday, it got even worse. Peters was burnt multiple times in the season opener versus Stephen F. Austin. Then he dinged his shoulder a week later against Kansas State. Most recently, he left Saturday's game against Louisiana with a lower body injury, and it's bad enough to hold him out of this week's SEC opener at unbeaten Kentucky. Toward the end of fall camp, Peters said this has been the healthiest offseason he's ever had at Mississippi State. One month later, he's week-to-week with what appears to be a knee injury. His left leg was wrapped from ankle to mid-thigh Saturday night as he walked off the Davis-Wade Stadium field on crutches. |
| MSU Notebook: Jamal Peters out against Kentucky | |
| Mississippi State will be without a key member of its secondary when it heads to Kentucky this weekend. Coach Joe Moorhead announced Monday that senior cornerback Jamal Peters will miss Saturday's game and is week-to-week thereafter. Peters was forced to the sideline in back-to-back games for the Bulldogs due to injuries. He sustained an injury to his left leg during the second quarter of Saturday's victory over Louisiana-Lafayette and was on crutches during the second half. Peters had started all three games this season. Redshirt freshman Tyler Williams (Lafayette) is listed as Peters' back-up on the depth chart. Junior Maurice Smitherman is another option MSU has at cornerback. "Coach (Terrell) Buckley does a good job during the week getting those guys work at both field and boundary corner," Moorhead said. |
| Stoops counting on Big Blue Nation to pack the house for UK-Mississippi State | |
 | Through two games this season, Kentucky is averaging just 48,678 fans per game at Kroger Field, which is more than 12,000 below its capacity. The Cats' players and coaches said they're hopeful that many more will show up for the Southeastern Conference showdown against No. 14 Mississippi State on Saturday night. "I just hope and expect to have a great crowd," Stoops said. "I'm sure we will. The Big Blue Nation has not disappointed us in these big opportunities. The team is excited about being here and being in this environment and working extremely hard this week to give ourselves an opportunity to win." Several of UK's biggest wins in recent seasons have been on the road, including at Florida two weeks ago. UK also has announced plans to stripe the stadium blue and white by alternating colors per section. |
| Mississippi State running back apparently thinks UK's Benny Snell is funny | |
| Benny Snell never lacks for confidence. He was as diplomatic and deferential as possible when discussing an upcoming matchup with No. 14 Mississippi State on Saturday. But there was still a little bit of Benny edge in there. When asked after Saturday's win over Murray State if facing the nation's No. 13 rush defense in Mississippi State this weekend is the kind of challenge he likes, Snell replied: "You could say so. I'm going to run on any team. You could be an NFL team and my college team, it don't matter. This offense don't fear nobody. I know they're good, but this offense is good, too. It's going to be fun." Bulldogs sophomore standout Kylin Hill apparently thought Snell's comments were funny and indicated as much on Twitter on Monday with 41 emojis showing Hill laughing until crying. Facing Mississippi State wasn't much fun for Snell and Kentucky a season ago. |
| Mississippi State soccer among Top 10 in first RPI rankings | |
 | History keeps coming for the Mississippi State soccer team. For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs are among the top 25 teams in the RPI rankings. The Bulldogs made their top-25 debut at No. 2 this week. Previously, MSU had climbed as high as No. 37 in the RPI during the 2017 season before closing the year at No. 45. The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) evaluates wins and losses as well as a team's strength of schedule. Only Texas A&M placed higher among SEC teams, taking the top spot. The Bulldogs have already played two top-15 teams in Auburn and Memphis. "Obviously, this is a historic day for our program, posting our highest RPI ever," head coach Tom Anagnost said. "However, it's only a step on the way to our bigger goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time." |
| Game-goers urged to use Delta State's Statesmen Boulevard | |
| As the Delta State University campus buzzes with activity ahead of the annual Pig Pickin' event this weekend, the public is reminded that the new Statesmen Boulevard is open and to refrain from parking in residential areas. The boulevard was designed to alleviate traffic congestion in the neighborhoods near the DSU football stadium. However, area residents said attendees at the game are still parking along the streets of their homes making it difficult to drive in and out of their driveways. Parking along those streets can create problems and even prevent emergency vehicles from being able to travel down certain roads. The $4.5 million project was made possible in part by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration and the Mississippi Department of Transportation with a 20 percent match from Delta State and Cleveland. "This campus connector project will have a big impact on the Statesmen community," said Dick Hall, transportation commissioner with MDOT in a previous press release. |
| Dan Mullen's $6.1M per year contract finalized | |
 | Florida coach Dan Mullen's six-year, $36.6 million contract has been finalized with the school. The contract was released by the University Athletic Association Monday per a records request. Mullen will be making an annual salary of $6,103,000. His base annual salary is $3 million. He receives an additional $3.1 million a year for media and public relations responsibilities and other expenses. Terms of the contract were agreed on in late November last year. Mullen's contract includes a $12 million buyout the UAA will be responsible for if Mullen is fired without cause. Mullen would be owed 50 percent of the buyout within 30 days of termination. The remaining would be owed over the next six years. |
| U. of Arkansas athletic director not ready to panic after Hogs' losses | |
| Two days after the Arkansas Razorbacks were routed by North Texas 44-17 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Hunter Yurachek was at the Little Rock Touchdown Club to speak about the state of the football program. "I share in your disappointment," Yurachek said after the University of Arkansas fell to 1-2, with both losses coming to schools outside of the Power 5 conferences. "I'm also disappointed in the way our football season has started this season. "But I can promise you one thing: Chad Morris, John Chavis, Joe Craddock and our other full-time coaches and the 125 players in that locker room, whatever your level of disappointment is, I promise you that their disappointment level is much, much greater. However low you think you are, they're a lot lower than you are." The Arkansas athletic director spoke Monday at the Touchdown Club at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock for the first time since taking over as the school's top athletic administrator in December. |
| Four-year-old boy struck by car during U. of Kentucky football game dies | |
| A four-year-old boy who was struck by a car driven by an alleged drunk driver during the University of Kentucky's football game Saturday has died, according to the University of Kentucky. Marco Lee Shemwell, 4, died Monday at UK Healthcare's Kentucky Children's Hospital, according to the University of Kentucky. The child was hit around 2 p.m. Saturday while he and his family were waiting to cross Cooper Drive near Scoville Drive, according to police. The driver, 18-year-old Jacob R. Heil, was driving east on Cooper and his car might have "veered off the road a little bit," Lexington police Sgt. Stephen Yoder said Saturday. Heil, a registered first-year student at UK according to university spokesman Jay Blanton, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. |
| Couple will marry at UT-Kentucky game tailgate after winning $10,000 wedding package | |
 | For a Knoxville couple, Nov. 10 will kick off more than just tailgates and parties for the Kentucky game. It'll kick off the rest of their lives together. Nikki Smith and Nate Stachey won a wedding package Monday from Tailgate Tennessee after submitting a video to a giveaway contest. The company offered a $10,000 wedding package for 100 guests to a couple who could convince the company they deserved to win. Their wedding will be held along with Tennessee tailgaters in Circle Park. Three finalists were chosen, and the wining entry was selected by a random drawing. Erik Ainge, a former Vols and New York Jets quarterback, announced the winners on his on WNM radio show Monday morning. He will also officiate the couple's wedding after becoming ordained. Tennessee Tailgate is a division of All Occasions Party Rentals. It began in 2012 after All Occasions entered a partnership with UT Athletics, which named the company the official tailgate of Tennessee football. |
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