| Tuesday, September 25, 2018 |
| Commissioner of Higher Education Al Rankins to tour university campuses | |
 | Mississippi's commissioner of higher education, Dr. Al Rankins, will conduct a listening tour in east Mississippi this week. Rankins will have an open meeting Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Columbus at Mississippi University for Women's Fant Memorial Library multipurpose room. He'll visit the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville Thursday. The forum is set for 3:30 p.m. at Mitchell Memorial Library in the John Grisham Room. Rankins will be in Meridian Friday at 10:15 a.m. for an open forum at MSU-Meridian's downtown campus, on the second floor, room 2130 of the Rosenbaum Building. |
| Voter registration drives to be held on Mississippi college campuses | |
 | Student leaders at Mississippi's eight public universities are holding voter registration drives in the coming days to encourage their fellow students to get out and vote. The deadline to register to vote in November's general election is fast approaching. The deadline to register in person is Oct. 8. The deadline to register by mail in Oct. 9. The Student Body Presidents' Council, which is made up of student body presidents from the eight universities, is organizing the registration drives to promote the vote among students. The drives coincide with National Voter Registration day, which is Tuesday. The Student Body Presidents' Council has been working with local circuit clerks to train volunteers to assist students with registration. |
| Local Airports Expected To See Big Rush For Upcoming Weekend | |
 | It's the game everyone is waiting for and this weekend thousands are expected to pour into the Golden Triangle. We're talking about Mississippi State versus Florida. While we know traffic on the highways will be heavy, so will the traffic at local airports. "We've got Mississippi State fans coming back and Florida fans coming in too so all of the flights are full, the ramp is going to be full with all of the business jets and general aviation planes too, so we're looking forward to a really busy weekend," said Mike Hainsey, Golden Triangle Regional Airport executive director. Hainsey said they've been preparing themselves for the big weekend. Hainsey said many of the people who'll be making their way to the Starkville this weekend will come through these gates, including the players and coaches from the opposing team. "The team will come in on Friday afternoon, they will come in on a charter plane here in the GTR and then go to their hotel from there," said Hainsey. |
| John Lundy: From the Delta to the U.S. Capitol | |
 | John Lundy grew up on a farm in Tribbett, a small community outside of Leland, where his dad was farm manager. His backyard was 1,000 acres of cotton. He loved ag, and got his degree in ag economics from Mississippi State. He would never have dreamed in his early days of a career in politics. But he ended up working in Washington D.C. rising in the ranks to become Chief of Staff for Sen. Trent Lott, who at one time was one of the most powerful politicians in the country serving as Senate Majority Leader. Today, Lundy is a partner in Capitol Resources in Jackson, one of the top state and federal lobbying firms in the South, with offices in nine states. "I have the best of both worlds," Lundy says. "I get to live in Mississippi and raise my family here. But, I also get to work in Washington, D.C." One of Lundy's best friends is Dr. Mark Keenum, president of MSU. "From both a professional and personal standpoint, I have the utmost respect for John and our long friendship has been very meaningful to me and to my family," Keenum says. |
| Walkout held in support of sexual violence victims, Kavanaugh accusers | |
 | Dozens of people took part locally in a widespread show of support for victims of sexual violence, which comes amid a nationwide debate concerning the most recent nominee to the country's highest court. Protesters dressed in black and carrying signs participated in the National Walkout and Moment of Solidarity on both the Mississippi State campus and at City Hall in downtown Starkville at noon on Monday. The nationwide movement was spurred in part by the Me Too movement, but picked up momentum when a California professor -- Christine Blasey Ford -- recently accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during the confirmation process. In the last week, another woman, Deborah Ramirez, came forward in a magazine story accusing Kavanaugh of inappropriate behavior. |
| Oktibbeha jury selected for new trial in Chambers murder case | |
| Fifteen Oktibbeha County residents have been sequestered as jurors for the retrial of a Panola County murder case on Monday. Of the 15 jurors, three will serve as alternate jurors. The retrial comes after the initial jury from Pike County was unable to reach a verdict on the guilt of Quinton Tellis, 30, who faces a charge of capital murder after the burning death of 19-year-old Jessica Chambers, who died of third-degree burns in Panola County in 2014. The retrial of Tellis is expected to begin Tuesday morning in Panola County with the 12 Oktibbeha jurors and the three Oktibbeha alternates selected Monday. Of the 12 jurors, five are black women, four are black men, two are white men and one is a white woman The three alternate jurors consist of two white women and one white man. |
| Toyota supplier's new facility set for early 2019 opening | |
 | The steel framework has been erected, equipment ordered and the walls are set to go up soon at S&A Industries' new manufacturing plant. The 52,500-square-foot facility in the Glenfield Industrial Park is being built by Jesco, which plans to have the automotive supplier in its new home within the next few months. The company currently is sharing space with Vuteq, another Toyota supplier. S&A Industries supplies molded automotive ducting and noise vibration damping products to not only Toyota, but GM and major Tier 1 automotive suppliers as well. The move will allow the company to merge its two existing New Albany operation and accommodate new manufacturing operations. "This project is in partnership with the city and county," said Tim Weston, who leads the Corporate Business Development team at Jesco. "This building can be expanded four times, easily." |
| Gregg Harper, Retiring Congressman and Giddy New Grandpa | |
 | Earlier this summer, Rep. Gregg Harper cleared his calendar to fly home for the birth of his first grandbaby -- a little boy named Lee. Speaking in his Rayburn Building office two weeks later, the Mississippi Republican pulled out his phone to flip through pictures. "I won't show you the hundreds I have, but here's a few," he said. The first showed Lee in matching knitted hat and booties, the second was of him in his parents' arms, and the third depicted the newborn and the family dog meeting for the first time. After 10 years representing Mississippi's 3rd District, Harper is retiring at the end of this term. "I had 150 takeoffs and landings last year, and I thought, 'You know, I think I'd be OK with a little less than that,'" he said. |
| Hosemann to visit Lowndes County on Voter Registration Day | |
 | In June, just 13.5 percent of registered voters went to the polls in the primary elections, and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann seems to have taken it personally. "Embarrassing," said Hosemann, whose office oversees the state's elections. "We had a historically poor turnout, even though there were some important races." For months now, Hosemann has been on the road, talking to voters about the election and visiting high schools to encourage seniors who may be of voting age to register and vote. Tuesday, which also happens to be National Voter Registration Day, Hosemann will visit Columbus. Hosemann will also visit New Hope High School to speak to the seniors there and will attend at voter registration event at Mississippi State at 10 a.m. All eight state-supported universities are holding voter registration events as part of Tuesday's National Voter Registration Day. |
| GOP hammers Espy on Clinton-era indictments despite not guilty verdict | |
| In early 1999, soon after Mike Espy was found not guilty by a federal jury on all 30 counts of accepting illegal gifts while agriculture secretary, he returned to his native Mississippi to hold a news conference where he released a poll showing he would be the favorite in the race for lieutenant governor later that year. It was obvious that the then 45-year-old Espy, was trying to accomplish two goals -- to make sure the people back home understood that he was no longer under a cloud of corruption and to reaffirm his bona fides as a viable Mississippi politician. At that news conference, Espy made it clear he would not be a candidate that year, but left the door open to a run for political office at a later date. Now, Espy, who in 1986 became the first African-American elected to the U.S. House from Mississippi in the modern era, is finally running again -- in a special election to replace Thad Cochran in the U.S. Senate -- and his opponents believe those charges from the 1990s make him unfit to again serve in Congress. |
| U.S. Senate candidate David Baria holds town hall meeting in Meridian | |
| Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, David Baria, had a town hall meeting in downtown Meridian Monday evening. This is the second of 12 such events scheduled for Baria around the state. He talked with citizens about the current political climate and his concern that people aren't being heard. Baria says he wants to represent the real people in Mississippi and ensure they are being represented properly in Washington D.C. Baria told the people he will help fight for a healthcare system where everyone can benefit. He says people are rejuvenated and are eager to be heard. |
| Reagan Dinner features GOP stars | |
 | GOP faithful gathered Friday in tribute to the "Gipper," the former Hollywood screen legend and 40th President of the United States, the late Ronald Wilson Reagan, during the Ronald Reagan Republican Roundup at the Gin at Nesbit. Attendees posed with a large cardboard cut-out of Reagan during the night of festivities, which centered around a country western theme. But they also made a point to promote the Republican agenda. Keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly spoke out in favor of tougher immigration laws, noting that a skilled labor force can include legal immigrants to this country but their application for legal immigration status must be "merit based." Lucien Smith, Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, said the Nov. 6 general election is shaping up to be a pivotal contest in the course of the nation's history. "Control of the U.S. Senate could be decided right here in Mississippi," Smith said. |
| Biloxi looks to lobbyist to get share of BP funds | |
 | Councilmen last week questioned why the city should renew a contract for a lobbyist at $10,000 a month when the council has no report of progress or future plans. The city has so far paid $70,000 to B. Keith Heard, who is former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, and his company, Key Impact Strategies. Although Heard was hired to lobby in Washington and Jackson on behalf of the city, he isn't a registered lobbyist in Mississippi. He is registered in Washington and also represents the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport. Heard was with Mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich in Washington, D.C., last week meeting at the White House and with the Mississippi senators at the Capitol, said Michael Leonard, Biloxi's chief administrative officer. "We're very happy with the access he has and based on his past experience and reputation he has," Leonard said. |
| 13 states accepted Sessions invitation to meeting on social media bias: report | |
 | Representatives from thirteen states and Washington, D.C., are converging in Washington for a meeting about a possible antitrust lawsuit against top tech companies over alleged bias against conservatives, according to BuzzFeed News. BuzzFeed reported that the meeting is set to take place Tuesday at 10 a.m. between top Department of Justice officials and the attorneys general from Alabama, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah and D.C. Representatives from Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri, Texas, and Washington state are also expected to attend, according to BuzzFeed. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who will attend with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, originally invited 24 states to the meeting. |
| Candidates hit snooze button on hacker threat, saying defending cyberattacks is hard | |
 | With some 40 days remaining to the crucial midterm elections, signs of digital meddling in campaigns are mounting. But most candidates have spent little or nothing on cybersecurity, and say it's too hard and expensive to focus on hacking threats with all the other demands of running for office. Only six candidates for U.S. House and Senate spent more than $1,000 on cybersecurity through the most recent Federal Election Commission filing period. Yet those who monitor intrusions and digital mayhem say hackers are active. And various reports cite at least three candidates still in races or ousted in primaries were suffering attempted breaches of their campaigns. Even candidates deeply schooled in cybersecurity said the intense 24/7 nature of campaigning leaves them little time to raise money and buy technology to secure their cell phones, email networks and computers. |
| Lottery will be on agenda this year, Alabama lawmaker says | |
 | Alabama legislature will take up a lottery again this year, according to House Speaker Mac McCutcheon. Alabama is currently one of five states that don't have any form of lottery. The others are Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Mississippi lawmakers passed a gambling bill last month, leaving Alabama as an island among states participating in legalized lotteries. Mississippi expects the lottery to generate as much as $40 million in its first year, increasing to as much as $100 million in later years. McCutcheon said lottery expansion -- along with the Supreme Court decision that legalized sports gambling nationwide -- means Alabama legislators can expect another gambling vote here. McCutcheon said it remains to be seen how a lottery bill would be structured and whether the proceeds would go towards education or the state's general fund. |
| Recruitment 2018 kicks off on Ole Miss campus | |
| Recruitment 2018 is officially underway on the Ole Miss campus, with potential new members spending the next week acquainting themselves with active members in the hope of finding a home away from home in one of the many Greek organizations on campus. While much of recruitment has stayed the same in recent years, College Panhellenic Council President Ann Weston Sistrunk said this year's recruitment is different from those of the past, thanks to values-based recruitment practices adopted by the university. For primary recruitment this year, 1,477 women signed up, a slight increase from last year's 1,430. The structure remains the same as it's been for years, with recruitment taking place throughout the week, an off day on Wednesday and Bid Day on Sunday. This year's Bid Day, as a method to control crowds and keep attendees safe, will involve the distribution of wristbands for entry onto Sorority Row and Rebel Drive. |
| UM Honors College enrollment increases, retention rate flat | |
 | The enrollment of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi has recently increased, but the retention rate of the Honors College has largely remained the same. "Generally speaking, the students who come in as first-semester freshmen will graduate with us about 50-54 percent of the time," said John Samonds, the associate dean of the Honors College. "Of (the) freshman class that entered the university in 2012, 50 percent graduated in the Honors College, while 72 percent of them graduated from the university in four years." Nonetheless, the Honors College has concerned itself with growing its retention rate and cultivating it to reflect a higher average. Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez, dean of the Honors College, said he would like to see the Honors College retention rate nearing 80 or 90 percent, eventually. |
| Ole Miss reverses ban, lets PTSD service dog back in classroom | |
 | The University of Mississippi following public outcry has reversed course and is again allowing a service dog in the classroom with her handler, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. About two weeks ago, Ole Miss had banned "Violet," a professionally trained Labrador for what they say was disruptive behavior. However, the school changed its mind after the dog's trainer and service dog advocates questioned the decision and sought media attention. Jeff McCall, who trained Violet, said he contacted university personnel in the run-up to the ban to see if he could come to Ole Miss and watch how Violet and her handler interacted. At the time, the university refused, but after a story ran in the Clarion Ledger detailing opposition to the ban, authorities contacted McCall. |
| USM receives grant to encourage voter turnout | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi's School of Social Work received a $2,500 grant from the Forward Mississippi Fund of the Community Foundation for Mississippi to encourage students to go out and vote. School of Social Work lecturer Karen Aderer says the funds will be divided between the Hattiesburg Campus and the Gulfport campus. She says students will split up in teams and formulate ideas on the best ways to increase voter turnout in communities less likely to vote. "Teams had from the beginning of the semester to form and decide what their plan is," says Aderer. "Some of them decided to throw voter registration parties. Some are targeting faith-based communities. Some are setting up table outside of Dollar General." Aderer says the classes will use standard voter registration forms and resources from the Mississippi Secretary of State website. |
| Coahoma Community College site of largest embezzlement case in 5 years, auditor says | |
| State Auditor Shad White has announced the end of a year-long investigation and issued demands for two former Coahoma Community College purchasing employees to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars they alleged embezzled using procurement cards. "This is really a heartbreaking situation for this community and this college," White said Monday. "These colleges are the linchpins for these communities. As I was learning about this case, I was sitting and imagining what that money could be used for in this community, and it's just heartbreaking." The former employees used college credit cards and checks from 2013-2017 to make more than $750,000 in personal purchases for shoes, watches, a chandelier and other items, White said. They frequently used college credit cards to purchase gift cards or shop online, he said. |
| State auditor details nearly $1 million embezzlement case at community college | |
| After a year-long investigation, the state auditor's office is demanding that two former Coahoma Community College employees repay nearly $1 million in what the office is calling one of the largest individual embezzlement cases in more than 20 years. State Auditor Shad White announced the findings during a news conference held at the Coahoma County Courthouse on Monday afternoon. He said the alleged embezzlement scheme was hard to catch because it was a conspiracy between multiple people and the doctoring of the college's books to cover their tracks. In a statement released to Mississippi Today, Marriel Hardy, Chief Communications Officer for CCC said the institution immediately terminated those individuals involved and immediately notified its board of trustees and the appropriate agencies/authorities. |
| Amid bumpy financing for Louisiana universities, enrollment rises at LSU, Southern | |
 | Despite rocky finances for most of the past decade enrollment at LSU and Southern University is up slightly, according to preliminary figures released Monday. LSU has 30,987 students this fall compared to 30,863 at the same time last year, Ernie Ballard, a spokesman for the school, said. LSU showed a major increase in its freshmen ranks, to 5,812 this year compared to 4,917 in 2017. LSU President F. King Alexander has repeatedly noted that 2018 marks the school's largest ever freshman class as well its most diverse. Both the average ACT score – which is supposed to measure college readiness -- and the high school grade point average tied for the highest ever. Those scores are 25.5 of a possible 36 on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.53. "We are pleased to see our overall enrollment increase as we have modernized our entire approach to recruiting students, using a data-driven model that is the envy of our peers," Alexander said in a statement Monday. |
| U. of Florida gets poor marks for racial equity | |
 | In a report card of racial equity released today, the University of Florida ranks in the midtier with public institutions in the state and behind a number of its peers nationally. The study, conducted by USC's Race and Equity Center, measured schools based on four equity indicators: representation equity, gender equity, completion equity and black student-to-black faculty ratio. Based on those indicators, UF received a lower equity score than Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida State University. In equity indicators, UF received an F for representation equity, a C for gender equity and B grades for completion equity and black student-to-black faculty ratio. The data was based on enrollment figures from 2016-17 throughout the country. UF vice president of enrollment Zina Evans said the school has a variety of outreach programs designed to increase both application and enrollment of minority and first-generation students, including the Gator Access program, which has grown from six high schools to 56 high schools. |
| U. of Tennessee kicks off Diversity and Inclusion Week with series of panels | |
 | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, kicked off its annual Diversity and Inclusion Week with a series of panels on Monday. This year's theme, "Let's Talk: Listen, Learn and Lead," will feature panel discussions and open forums throughout the week. The events run Sept. 24-27, ending with a festival and barbecue 5-7 p.m. Sept. 27. The week "offers participants an opportunity to gain diversity skills and knowledge along with a chance to talk about diversity and inclusion issues," as well as sharing practices from leaders, according to a news release from the university. Monday afternoon's panel, titled "#Movement: Social Media and Change," included panelists who were involved in various forms of activism and social movements. The discussion focused on using social media for activism and social movements. |
| Aggie grad donates $20 million to Texas A&M, U. of Texas mechanical engineering departments | |
 | Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin each received $20 million gifts from an alumnus of both schools to support their mechanical engineering departments. Announced Monday by the Texas A&M Foundation, the gifts are from alumnus J. Mike Walker, the co-founder of Dril-Quip, a Houston-based manufacturer of offshore drilling and production equipment. Walker earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Texas. Both programs have been renamed after Walker. The gifts will provide resources for teaching and research within the two departments, funding fellowships and professorships to support and recruit faculty, research seed grants, facility renovations and various programs and organizations for undergraduate students. |
| U. of Missouri Extension lands grant to expand program for elderly | |
 | A new federal grant will allow University of Missouri Extension to provide strength training and other programs designed to help older adults decrease their fear of falling and live independently. The $500,000 grant from the Administration for Community Living, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will provide help to about 6,000 Missourians, a news release issued Monday stated. MU will work in partnership with Oasis Lifelong Adventure St. Louis, to expand the current fall prevention programs "Stay Strong, Stay Healthy," "Tai Chi for Arthritis Prevention" and "A Matter of Balance." "Faculty at Mizzou have made their strength training program for older adults a national model," said Marshall Stewart, vice chancellor for extension and engagement. "Research has shown that regular strength training helps build muscle and increases bone density, which is crucial to fall prevention for older adults." |
| MU student wants to ensure Mizzou Rec posts, enforces dress code fairly | |
 | On July 3, Jaelyn Murry walked from her residence hall to the nearby Mizzou Rec to work out. She had gone there almost every day since she arrived as a transfer student a few weeks earlier. Murry usually wore leggings and a T-shirt to work out but decided to wear a sports bra instead. She said she'd seen other students working out in similar outfits -- which covered her chest and legs but left her midriff exposed -- so she thought it was OK. When she walked through the front door, an attendant at the front desk stopped her and said her clothing was against the Rec's dress code. She said she was shaking as she left the Rec after being stopped. No dress code was posted at the door, she said. In the interest of fairness, she believes it needs to be clearly posted at the entrance and throughout the Rec. She is talking about the experience now, she said, because it made her feel unwelcome and discriminated against, and she doesn't want it to happen to anyone else. |
| Former and current academics eye congressional seats | |
 | The 2018 midterm election season has been variously described as the year of young women, the year of political upstarts and the year of antiestablishment, liberal insurgents. Donna Shalala, three-time college president and current candidate for the U.S. Congress, is having none of it. The Clinton-era cabinet secretary may be a seasoned and unapologetic member of the political establishment, but she considers herself a perennial upstart. She's not alone. The candidates cite their growing concern about what they see as a devaluing of science in the United States and the diminished role of scientific research in important domestic and foreign policy decisions on climate change, sea level rise and membership in the Paris climate accord, among other issues. "Donald Trump ran as the most antiscience candidate in my lifetime, and then he won," said Randy Wadkins, a cancer researcher and biochemistry professor at the University of Mississippi and a Democratic candidate for Mississippi's 1st Congressional District in the House. |
| Yale cancels some classes as law students protest Brett Kavanaugh nomination | |
 | Dozens of students dressed in black staged a sit-in at Yale Law School on Monday to protest the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and demand an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him. Organizers said allegations of sexual assault and harassment should be taken seriously, and Kavanaugh poses a ''real threat'' to the country. Other Yale students traveled to Washington to protest Kavanaugh's nomination on Monday. The sit-in came the morning after new allegations against Kavanaugh were reported by The New Yorker, which published an account by a woman, Deborah Ramirez, who alleged Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken dorm party when they were students at Yale during the 1983-84 academic year. |
| How Well Does Your Public University Treat Black Students? New Effort Assigns Grades, State by State | |
 | Black public-university students in two states with the highest percentage of African-American residents are among the most disadvantaged nationwide, according to a new report that grades both public universities and states on how well they attract and graduate black students. Louisiana earned the lowest rating in the report, published on Tuesday by the University of Southern California, despite having the second-highest percentage of black residents. Mississippi, the state with the largest share of its population identifying as African-American, was ranked fourth-lowest on how inclusive its public universities are. The report, released by the university's Race and Equity Center and co-authored by Shaun R. Harper, the center's executive director, measured black-student equity in state universities based on four indicators. |
| New report grades states, public universities on black student enrollment, representation | |
| The issue is nothing new for universities: the need to diversify the student body (and their faculty). Now every public university in the country can see how well it is serving black students -- at least by a few metrics -- with a new report card from the University of Southern California's Race and Equity Center. And universities need improvement, according to Shaun Harper, the center's executive director and a prominent race-relations consultant for campuses. This is the first time Harper has graded both the nation's public, four-year universities and all 50 states using federal data. Harper said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed that many institutions are "failing black students." "I think that this makes painstakingly clear that the failure is systemic. That it's not just a handful of institutions," he said, adding that blame around black students' shortcomings is often placed on the students, not universities. |
| So What Are You Going to Do With That Degree? Physics Majors Get That Question, Too | |
| As a STEM field, physics is probably not the most-obvious example of a discipline that has to reassure students and their parents that someone who majors in it is employable. Even so, professors sometimes find themselves justifying the major to students, who are often pushed to choose engineering or computer science, which seem more directly linked to jobs. Skepticism about the usefulness of the discipline is just one of the challenges that physics faces, and it is part of what motivated the American Physical Society's five-year, $2.2-million effort, which it announced last week, to establish effective practices for undergraduate programs. The society also described a mismatch: Many undergraduate physics programs are designed to prepare students for careers as research physicists. "In reality," the project's leaders wrote, "over 65 percent of students graduating with bachelor's degrees in physics do not pursue a graduate degree in physics or astronomy." |
| Public purse not proper for punishment or reward | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: Mississippi could use more leaders like Commissioner of Public Safety Marshall Fisher. He says what he thinks, does what he says he is going to do. That's why it was no surprise when Fisher announced that the Department of Public Safety would no longer buy Nike products. Fisher, with 41 years in law enforcement, saw the sports gear company's marketing campaign centered on famed NFL anthem-kneeler Colin Kapernick as wrongheaded, at best. Tit for tat. Not going to support a business that doesn't support America, in general, and law enforcement, in particular. Troubling, though, was the immediate comment of Gov. Phil Bryant. His "you betcha" illustrates a wider trend in the Capitol that's simply not good for taxpayers. Here's the nut of it: The only reason this state and others have bid laws is to keep officials from using money that is not theirs to favor political friends or punish political enemies. |
SPORTS
| Joe Moorhead expects team to keep emotions in check for Florida | |
| Joe Moorhead sees no point in ignoring the obvious. Mississippi State's football coach is not ignoring the fact that his predecessor, Dan Mullen, is coaching MSU's next opponent. That being the case, Moorhead expects Florida (3-1) to be a particularly difficult challenge emotionally for No. 19 MSU (3-1), especially for a team that already allowed emotions to play a factor in committing 16 penalties for 139 yards last week. Moorhead plans on having the emotions in check by 5 p.m. Saturday (ESPN). "We understand there will be a certain emotional component attached to this game, for our kids to understand that will be a part of it but not let that distract them," Moorhead said. As wide receiver Osirus Mitchell said after the loss to Kentucky, "Stay focused, stay humble. Don't let all the hype about the coach we're playing get to us and stay focused." |
| Bulldogs focus on tempering emotions | |
| Since taking over as Mississippi State's head coach, Joe Moorhead has stressed to his team the importance of showing emotions without being emotional. However, the Bulldogs let their emotions get the better of them this past weekend at Kentucky which resulted in four unsportsmanlike conduct flags and one roughing the passer penalty. "It became too emotional and turned into a bunch of individual battles as opposed to playing as a team," Moorhead said of the 28-7 loss to the Wildcats. MSU was penalized 16 times for a loss of 139 yards -- nine flags on offense, six on defense and two on special teams. But it is the four 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct fouls that left Moorhead most concerned. "I think you can compete hard, exert maximum effort and do the things necessary to be successful on every play without losing your head and being hot-tempered," Moorhead said. |
| Mississippi State's Moorhead: 'We're going to get this freaking thing right' | |
| Joe Moorhead didn't sound pleased Monday afternoon. Who can blame him? After rolling through the first three weeks of the season outscoring opponents 150-26, unbeaten Mississippi State's hype train violently derailed Saturday from its tracks at Kentucky, The Wildcats stomped the then-No. 14 Bulldogs 28-7. Moorhead belabored about his "championship standard" all offseason. It's hard to win conference titles when you drop the first SEC game of your coaching career to a team that State had beaten in eight of its last nine tries. The road ahead gets tougher for the Bulldogs (3-1, 0-1 SEC West), who fell five spots to No. 19 in the latest USA Today coaches poll. A losing start in conference play isn't ideal with an emotional game against Florida and former MSU head coach Dan Mullen set for this weekend here in Davis-Wade Stadium. |
| Dan Mullen set for return to Starkville when Gators play Bulldogs | |
| Dan Mullen will forever be tied to Starkville, Mississippi. It's where he landed his first head coaching job. It's where his two children were born. It's the place he called home for nearly a decade. It's "StarkVegas" to Mullen, and he takes a lot of pride in everything he did to help get the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs to where they are today. Packed stadiums. Legal cowbells. "Don't Stop Believin'" played before the fourth quarter of games. Mullen had a hand in all of it. Now, he's going to experience it from a different angle: The opposing sideline. Mullen will return to Starkville this weekend with Florida (3-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference), a rare occurrence where a head coach faces his former team on the road in his first season. Mullen expects "a lot of passion" from the Mississippi State faithful. |
| Mullen preparing Gators for his return to Starkville, Miss. | |
| Dan Mullen easily could have been treated as stranger, an outsider, when he first arrived in Starkville, Miss., at the start of 2009 to take over Mississippi State's struggling football program. He was a man with no ties to MSU and the state of Mississippi, no ties to the South, and his accent, or lack of one, stood out. And, well, he was a Yankee, for gosh sakes. But despite the cultural differences, Starkville didn't shun Mullen, it embraced him. "Being a Yankee and all, they were very accepting of me right from the beginning," Mullen said Monday. "The people of Starkville were great to me and my family. The people in town were fabulous people. It's a great place to have kids. Both my kids were born there. It's a great community to live in. The fans are unbelievable." Since his very first days there, Mullen has always felt welcome and at home in Starkville. But things are different now. Starkville might not seem the same. |
| The Back Nine: UF offense climbing stat chart | |
| The obvious storyline this week is going to be about Dan Mullen's return to Starkville. The interesting part of it is that Mullen is taking his team to play a hugely important game against a monster he created. That has to do with the players on the team, but also the environment. Mullen pushed hard to get the fans behind the program and everyone tells me it's a lot tougher place to play than it was the last time Florida was there in 2009. One reason is the Great Cowbell Compromise of 2010. The league already had a ban on artificial noisemakers that was not enforced until 2010. Then, there was a movement to put some teeth into the rule with financial penalties. Mississippi State President Mark Keenum and the late SEC commissioner Mike Slive worked on a compromise that would allow the clanging only at certain times. |
| Mississippi State women's soccer earns first national ranking in advance of Florida match Friday | |
| Two weeks ago, Tom Anagnost didn't have a care in the world other than his team's next match. It didn't matter to the Mississippi State second-year women's soccer coach that his team was on the cusp of achieving its first national ranking in program history. Anagnost also didn't care MSU was 7-0 entering its Southeastern Conference opener at No. 9 Auburn. "We have no accomplishment," Anagnost said. "It doesn't mean anything (that MSU was also receiving votes in the Sept. 11 United Soccer Coaches poll). What matters is playing our best game on Friday." MSU lost to then-No. 9 Auburn on Sept. 14, but it rebounded to earn a signature victory -- a 2-1 win against then-No. 13 South Carolina on Thursday at the MSU Soccer Field -- in its next match. On Sunday, MSU nearly earned another result for its resume, but No. 19 Tennessee scored in the 87th minute to earn a 1-0 victory. Despite the loss, MSU (8-2, 1-2 SEC) made history Monday when it earned a No. 19 ranking in the TopDrawerSoccer poll. The USC poll will be released Tuesday. |
| Mississippi State's Zakirah McGillivary earns second SEC Freshman of the Week honor | |
 | For the second time this year, Zakirah McGillivary has earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors. The Brooklyn, New York, native scored the game-winning goal in overtime on Thursday against then-No. 13/6 South Carolina. McGillivary's goal tied the MSU freshman record for game-winners and puts her just one shy of matching junior MaKayla Waldner's single-season record set last year. Her shot from 25 yards out, snapped the Gamecocks' 24-match SEC unbeaten streak for the Bulldogs' first win against a ranked opponent under head coach Tom Anagnost. "That was quite a shot that we've seen her do before," Anagnost said. "What a time and place to do it. It was just a really good play. McGillivary did her thing that she does, and it was a world class goal." State returns home next week for one match, hosting Florida on Friday, Sept. 28. Kickoff against the Gators is set for 7 p.m. CT with the match broadcast on SEC Network+. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball team set to open practice Thursday | |
| The Mississippi State women's basketball team's countdown to the 2018-19 season started in August. A handful of practices in Starkville set the stage for a 3-0 finish on a 10-day trip to Italy that gave coach Vic Schaefer's team a chance to build chemistry a little earlier than many of its counterparts. On Thursday, the countdown will begin again in Starkville, when a "different" MSU kicks off practice for a new season. MSU could have started practice Tuesday, but Schaefer said he prefers to take two days off at the beginning of the campaign to keep his team in a constant routine as it prepares for a season-opening exhibition game against Central Missouri at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at Humphrey Coliseum. MSU will open the regular season at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, against Southeast Missouri State in Starkville. |
| U. of Alabama evaluating stadium wall after Dylan Moses' collision | |
 | Linebacker Dylan Moses had a close call on Saturday. Too close to be ignored. The sophomore collided with a stadium wall on a play in the third quarter while defending Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger on a pass to the end zone. The ball was over the head of Sternberger, who fell while trying to make the catch. That tripped Moses, who went into the wall as they went out of bounds. Moses remained down for a few minutes after the play as Alabama's athletic trainers examined him. He eventually returned to the game. "I'm still kind of sore from it," Moses said. "It was a freak accident. I had to play through some pain throughout the game, but as far as how I'm feeling right now, I'm trying to get better." |
| How Tennessee football fans can cope with loser fatigue | |
| Tennessee fans say their blood runs orange, but these days many just want to stop the bleeding. Saturday's crushing defeat at the hands of visiting nemesis Florida Gators dimmed hopes of a miracle from first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, protracted the misery from last year's abysmal final season under Butch Jones and might have left some wondering if "Vol For Life" is a lifetime prison sentence rather than an upbeat vow of commitment. Still, the upshot is that being a sports fan is good for you. Prevention.com notes that fans are more likely to be active, live longer and have better relationships. However, Psychology Today points out that obsessive fans (those who can't be happy when their team doesn't win) have poorer relationships and claims, "Turning your passion from an all-controlling urge may be good not only for your ability to be entertained by sports, but also to help you put your fandom in sync with the rest of your life." |
| Heisman contender and an elite defender: Kentucky launches websites to promote its stars | |
 | Junior running back Benny Snell and senior linebacker Josh Allen have played major roles in the University of Kentucky football team's 4-0 start and rise into the national rankings for the first time in more than a decade. On Monday, UK launched a pair of websites aimed at promoting the two stars. Snellyeah.com and DraftJosh41len.com feature biographical information, photographs and video highlights of each player's career, along with testimonials from both. Snell has rushed for 540 yards and seven touchdowns this year and he keyed the Wildcats' offense in their upset of No. 14 Mississippi State at Kroger Field last Saturday, running for 165 yards and four touchdowns. Snell is chasing Sonny Collins' all-time UK rushing record, and some college football pundits are beginning to mention him as a legitimate contender in the chase for the Heisman Trophy. |
| Former Auburn University softball coach denied use of local park facilities | |
 | The cities of Auburn and Opelika recently declined to move forward with contracts to allow former Auburn University head softball coach Clint Myers and his two sons to utilize city practice facilities. The negotiations were for the Chinese national team, for which Myers is rumored to coach, to utilize the fields for practice. ESPN.com reported on Sunday that the decisions came after former Auburn player Anna Gibbs called parks and recreation officials and urged them not to allow Myers to use the facilities. Gibbs played softball for Auburn from 2014-16 and was part of a Title IX complaint towards former associate head coach Corey Myers, citing inappropriate sexual relationships with students. The Parks and Recreations directors for both cities said this was not the case. Becky Richardson, city of Auburn Parks and Recreation director, said the Myerses did contact the city to create a contract, but the reason the city declined to move forward was because the department never received enough information to do so. |
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