Monday, October 29, 2018   
 
National Hurricane Director was inspired by weather as a Mississippi State student
Ken Graham, director of the National Hurricane Center, said he knew at a young age he wanted to pursue a career in meteorology, but the years he spent as a graduate student at Mississippi State University taught him much more than the science of forecasting weather. "I was probably seven years old when I knew I wanted to do weather," Graham, an Arizona native, told the Clarion Ledger. "We had a lot of flooding. "Even at seven years old I knew I wanted to be involved with weather and in this case, tropical weather. A lot of meteorologists wanted to do this since we were pretty young." Graham said he began learning about weather systems by reading encyclopedias and then attended the University of Arizona where he received a Bachelor of Atmospheric Science degree. His fascination with the weather then led him to MSU to work on a Master of Science degree in Geosciences. In the classroom, it was all about math and science, but it was outside of the halls of academics that Graham discovered why his choice of careers was so important.
 
Our View: Student veterans find a much-earned refuge at Mississippi State center
The Dispatch editorializes: Our nation has a long tradition of honoring the men and women who serve in our armed forced. We understand the sacrifices made -- and those that yet may be required -- by hundreds of thousands of active-duty and retired military. Support our troops, we say with enthusiasm, but no amount of warm feelings will take the place of action. What does it mean to support our troops in a tangible way? Mississippi State University provides a good example of that through its Center for America's Veterans. Monday, the center's director, Brian Locke, shared what the MSU program is doing for veterans during a visit to the Starkville Rotary Club. ... That MSU has chosen to recognize the special circumstances our veteran students face by devoting resources to aid them during their academic careers is a tangible means of putting words to action. When veterans feel welcomed, when they feel accepted, when there is help to navigate some of their unique challenges, they are receiving the kind of support that matters most.
 
Singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne comes to MSU Riley Center Nov. 6
Singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne brings his Just Passing Through Tour that is folksy, bluesy, always intimate music to the MSU Riley Center on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. along with special guests The Secret Sisters. LaMontagne's new album, "Part of the Light," returns to the acoustic-guitar sound and emotionally direct lyrics that made him a star -- in his own low-key way -- with such hits as "Beg Steal or Borrow" and "You Are the Best Thing." The electric guitars and mystical poetry of his previous album, "Ouroboros," give way to the quiet intensity of "Such a Simple Thing," the new album's first single release. "I really have a lot of respect for music, the art form of music," LaMontagne told Rolling Stone magazine. "It's my whole life. I don't care about any of that other stuff." So he stands quietly onstage, not saying much between songs, and pours all of his energy into his singing.
 
Homecoming Week at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University will hold its Homecoming Week from Sunday, Oct. 28, to Saturday, Nov. 3. A press release states that the theme of the event is "Old is Gold: Bringing Back Tradition in a New Era." The Center for Student Activities will sponsor a door-decorating competition for all departments, student organizations and residence hall councils until Oct. 30. Groups can decorate office entrances or those leading into their building, but must get approval from their building manager first. Other events during MSU Homecoming Week will also include a donation drive for the Block by Block food bank program; a fundraiser for the MSU student chapter of the Oktibbeha County Humane Society featuring dogs that students can rent time to play with; a "Pancakes on the Plaza" event featuring the homecoming king and queen serving pancakes to students alongside MSU President Mark E. Keenum; a Homecoming Carnival featuring food, rides, booths and inflatables in the parking lot of the Newell-Grissom Building.
 
MDAC grant will be used for education, marketing, research
Commissioner Andy Gipson has announced the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce has been awarded a $441,411.23 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in the state through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. "The specialty crop industry is an important part of Mississippi agriculture, accounting for more than $230 million of our state's agriculture industry," says Gipson. "This Specialty Crop Block Grant Program helps further this industry by providing valuable education, marketing and research that can be passed on to our producers." The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is partnering with four agricultural entities to promote the state's specialty crop industry through research, educational opportunities, promotional campaigns, and the development of marketing and educational tools. The partnerships include Farm Families of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Piney Woods School, and South Mississippi Farmers Market Association.
 
MSU golf tournament raises funds for summer internships
Mississippi State University held a golf tournament fundraiser Friday for the Communication Department. This tournament features a space where the 80 golfing participants can eat, play and socialize. Businesses in the Golden Triangle and MSU Communication Department supporters, statewide are providing prizes for the winning teams and individual accomplishments. Funds raised from this event will help fund summer internships for MSU students. "The money goes to scholarships and again this year we are focusing on the Lora J. Defore scholarships which allow students to go purse distant internships, help them with their travel and other support," said Dr. John Forde.
 
Control of U.S. Senate may hinge on possible Mississippi runoff
A crowded U.S. Senate race in Republican stronghold Mississippi could set the stage for weeks of uncertainty over which party ends up controlling the upper chamber of Congress after the Nov. 6 elections. Two Republicans and two Democrats are contesting a special election to serve out the remainder of retired Republican Senator Thad Cochran's term. Under state law, if no one gets 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation will go to a Nov. 27 runoff. It is a scenario that could focus international attention on the Southern state and bring in millions of dollars from outside political groups. Mississippi State University political scientist Marty Wiseman said a win by Hyde-Smith on Nov. 6 might dampen enthusiasm among McDaniel's more populist supporters, potentially opening a window for Espy. "There's a lot of speculation that McDaniel's people will stay home and fuss about their fate," Wiseman said.
 
Analysis: Groups pump money into Mississippi US Senate race
Interest groups are dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars into a special U.S. Senate election in Mississippi. It's pocket change compared to millions being spent in Texas and Florida, but enough to buy advertising and pay for get-out-the-vote efforts in the mostly rural state. The winner gets the final two years of a six-year term. In reality, though, victory could mean long-term job security because Mississippi has an extensive record of sending senators back to Washington for decades. This special election is happening because one of those longtime senators, Republican Thad Cochran, retired in April at age 80 after spending nearly half his life in the Senate and six years before that in the U.S. House. Independent spending by PACs is likely to continue growing in the final days of the election, in addition to spending by candidates' own campaign committees.
 
Climate change not priority for Senate campaigns
Even as a recent report says some of the most negative impacts from climate change could begin earlier than previously thought, climate policy is virtually invisible in Mississippi's midterm elections. Earlier this month, the Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change, a panel of scientists convened by the United Nations, released a report examining the outcomes associated with different warming scenarios. An increase in average global temperatures of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial era temperatures was once considered the threshold at which major adverse climate impacts would be felt. However, the latest IPCC report determined that 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit of warming above pre-industrial levels could trigger disastrous results, including widespread droughts, wildfires and a collapse of coral reefs. With two races for the U.S. Senate simultaneously ongoing in Mississippi, none of the candidates devote any space on their websites to the issue, though a few discuss a need to protect natural resources like air and water from pollution.
 
Mike Espy, 32 years after historic victory and fall, hopes to rise to moment again
In the oppressive heat of the Neshoba County Fair in July, Mike Espy gave what might have been his biggest speech to date since his historic political career flamed out in the 1990s. At the Neshoba Fair, known as a safe haven for Republicans, not Democrats like Espy, he could have crashed spectacularly in his effort to revive that political career. In a raspy voice that always appears a little hoarse, the first African American from Mississippi elected to the U.S. House since the 1800s told the predominantly white fair crowd, "My name is Mike Espy. I am running for the U.S. Senate because I feel it is time to rise above this divisiveness, and this disunity and this chaos and go on to help lead the nation. There is so much more that unites us than divides us. ... I am going to do my best to be accessible to all of you and to make independent judgments because no one can tell me what to do or what to think."
 
GOP Mega-Donor Implicated in Russia Probe Gives Chris McDaniel $500,000 Boost
Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, received a $500,000 donation for his campaign for U.S. Senate thanks to GOP mega-donor Robert Mercer, the investor behind a firm that harvested the data of 50 million Facebook users during the 2016 election. Mercer, a New York hedge-fund manager, donated $500,000 to the pro-McDaniel "Remember Mississippi" PAC on Oct. 2, new FEC filings show. It's not the first large contribution from Mercer to the PAC. In 2017, he also donated $500,000 to the fundraising committee in anticipation that McDaniel would challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. McDaniel initially launched a bid to unseat Wicker in February, but switched races after former Sen. Thad Cochran retired in March. Though McDaniel founded the Remember Mississippi PAC in 2014 after his failed bid to unseat Cochran in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, federal law prohibits candidates from coordinating with PACs.
 
Michael Ted Evans and tractor try to pull US House seat from GOP's Michael Guest
Michael Ted Evans is out on his tractor, appealing to the rural people of Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District to consider voting for a Democrat. But it's not clear that will be enough. The state representative from Preston faces longtime District Attorney Michael Guest, whose district in the Jackson suburbs of Rankin and Madison counties powered the Republican to victory in a competitive GOP nomination contest. Evans, Guest and Reform Party member Matthew Holland are vying Nov. 6 to succeed U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, another Rankin County Republican who is retiring after representing the district for 10 years. The district runs diagonally across the state through 24 counties from Natchez through Madison and Rankin County suburbs and farther northeast to Starkville. "I believe it's important for the seat that we elect someone who's a conservative," Guest said. Evans, though pushing a populist message aimed at rural residents, is not exactly a liberal.
 
Interstate 269 segment in DeSoto, Marshall counties opens to traffic
With a crowd of more than 700 gathered underneath a highway overpass on a chilly, blustery morning, the final completed segment of the nation's newest superhighway, I-269, was opened to the public amid fanfare and soaring speeches. The new highway was officially opened from Interstate 55 in DeSoto County to State Route 305 in Marshall County after a ribbon cutting at the Getwell Road interchange. "This has been a long, long time coming," Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert said Friday before the large crowd. Both sitting U.S. Senators were on hand for the ribbon cutting, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "This is the realization of a dream," Wicker said during his remarks. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves heralded the project as something that would benefit all of Mississippi.
 
Rural hospitals at risk, pose real challenges for Mississippi leaders and communities
As a bankruptcy court in Tennessee weighs options for a health system operator wanting to cut ties with the local county hospital, about 23,000 people here anxiously await word on whether one of the anchors of the community -- Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center – will close its doors or hand the keys over to another operator. The uncertain future of rural hospitals is a drama that's playing out in other communities around the country and across the state. Other rural hospitals in Mississippi -- most notably in Amory and Batesville -- are also in danger of closure if no new operator picks them up. "Running a rural hospital these days is very difficult. When looking at demographics, it's older, poorer, and sicker. ... (The hospitals) have a lot of difficulty in trying to finance the much needed services that a community has to have in order to stay healthy," said Brock Slabach, senior vice president for member services at the National Rural Health Association.
 
Violence casts cloud week before midterms
A string of violent incidents has cast a pall over the final weeks of a midterm season already marked by months of bitter partisan fighting, vitriolic rhetoric and angry protests. A week that began with President Trump spreading unfounded claims at a rally in Houston about Democrats and a caravan of migrants ended with arrests in a spate of attempted bombings against prominent Democrats and the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the country's history. Both episodes were met with calls for unity from Democrats and Republicans alike, but neither party indicated they would cede an inch in the debate over responsibility for the attacks. Marc Hetherington, a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, expressed skepticism that the rhetoric will cool in the last full week of the campaign, even as the country remains on edge. "I don't think anything's going to cool tensions," he said in an interview with The Hill. "This, on both sides, has the feel of the apocalypse if they lose."
 
'There Is Still So Much Evil': Growing Anti-Semitism Stuns American Jews
Until recent years, many Jews in America believed that the worst of anti-Semitism was over there, in Europe, a vestige of the old country. American Jews were welcome in universities, country clubs and corporate boards that once excluded their grandparents. They married non-Jews, moved into mixed neighborhoods and by 2000, the first Jew ran for vice president on a major party ticket. So the massacre on Saturday of 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue, by a man who told the police when he surrendered that he "wanted all Jews to die," was for many a shocking wake-up call. But it did not come out of nowhere, said experts in anti-Semitism. The hate in the United States came into full view last year as white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Va., with lines of men carrying torches and chanting, "Jews will not replace us."
 
Trump, GOP defiant amid allegations that incendiary rhetoric contributed to climate of violence
President Trump and his Republican allies remained defiant Sunday amid allegations from critics that Trump's incendiary attacks on political rivals and racially charged rhetoric on the campaign trail bear some culpability for the climate surrounding a spate of violence in the United States. Trump, who has faced calls to tone down his public statements, signaled that he would do no such thing -- berating billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer, a target of a mail bomb sent by a Trump supporter, as a "crazed & stumbling lunatic" on Twitter, after Steyer said on CNN that Trump and the Republican Party have created an atmosphere of "political violence." Later Sunday, Trump lashed out again on Twitter, this time at the media: "The Fake News is doing everything in their power to blame Republicans, Conservatives and me for the division and hatred that has been going on for so long in our Country."
 
Caught Between Trump's Tariffs And Tax Changes, Soybean Farmers Face Uncertain Future
As Branon Osmundson harvests soybeans in Randall, Iowa, the combine's blades cut the stems, pods are pulled apart and the hard yellow beans fill the hopper. Osmundson's cousin pulls a matching red Case I-H tractor up alongside, positioning the attached grain cart to catch the beans as they're augured out of the combine. Osmundson is relieved to be in the field on a windy, clear day because he waited through weeks of heavy rain before his crops were dry enough to harvest. Beyond the rain, stubbornly low crop prices have been exacerbated by the trade war that decimated the once-lucrative Chinese market for soybeans. China used to be the biggest buyer of U.S.-grown soybeans. But this year, in retaliation for similar U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, China imposed a 25 percent tariff on imports of U.S. soybeans, resulting in a dramatic drop in shipments. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture still predicts a record soybean harvest, which only further complicates the situation.
 
Tariffs May Crown Corn King Again
American farmers hit by the U.S.-China trade battle are preparing to reshape the U.S. Farm Belt by planting more corn and less soybeans next year over a land mass potentially equal to the size of Connecticut. For decades, corn was U.S. farmers' crop of choice, its tall stalks carpeting the Midwestern landscape. Soybeans, shorter and bushier, began decades ago as a niche crop raised on less acreage but came to rival corn in recent years because of growing demand from China. U.S. farmers in 2018 planted more soybeans than corn for the first time in more than three decades, betting on that demand. But Chinese tariffs on U.S. soybeans have wreaked havoc: U.S. exporters have sold less soybeans to China, typically the largest foreign buyer of the crop, in the past seven weeks than in a single week last fall.
 
MUW's Forum Series features curator of art and civil rights initiative
On Thursday, Nov. 1, Mississippi University for Women's fall Forum Series hosted by the Gordy Honors College will feature Redell Hearn, curator of art and civil rights for Tougaloo College and the Mississippi Museum of Art. Hearn will discuss the relation of art to the civil rights movement and will focus especially on the exhibit "The Art of Engagement: Meditation on a Movement," which positions art works amid the social turbulence of the movement and the decade immediately following. Artworks in the exhibit were created or acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art and Tougaloo College and are currently on view at the Tougaloo College Art Gallery. Hearn is a Fulbright Specialist in museum studies and has also served as consultant with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, among others.
 
Crosby students at UM can relocate after air quality test
The University of Mississippi is allowing students living in Crosby Hall to relocate to different dorm rooms at no additional cost after the university conducted air quality tests for mold spores in the residence hall. The tests were conducted by ERG Environmental Inc. after students reported issues of mold growing in the Crosby Hall rooms. The report stated that out of the 36 air sample tests collected, two of the samples contained elevated levels of mold spores and one sample contained mold spores that were actively growing. Mold spores are the reproductive units of mold that allow the fungi to spread. One of these two samples came from a room where a high level of penicillium mold was discovered. The test found there was an elevated mold count of 4,860. In order to be considered safe, the recommended mold count is under 700. The total amount of mold spores discovered was 5,960, and the recommended level is under 2,000.
 
USM professor's new book tells story of families of Vietnam vets
A University of Southern Mississippi history professor and renowned expert on the Vietnam War has written a new book focusing on the war's impact on soldiers' families. "Charlie Company's Journey Home," written by Andrew Wiest, tells the story of nearly two dozen wives of soldiers who served in Vietnam. It is a follow up to Wiest's book, "The Boys of '67." Thursday evening, Wiest spoke about the book and signed copies at the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby. "It's really a needed follow up, because nobody's ever written about the story of those left behind in war," said Wiest. "Just as much as the 'Boys of '67' lived with that war and have been living with it for 50 years, these wives have been too. I mean, this war has been part of their daily life for half a century."
 
Delta State fraternity members scare up a good time
Each year the brothers of Kappa Sigma Fraternity spend the month of October transforming the Cleveland Recreation Association building, at 301 Yale Street, into a hall of horrors. The annual event, which kicked off Wednesday, will run through Halloween. "The only night it's closed is Sunday," said Chris Johnson, alumni advisor to the chapter. "We will open at 6 p.m. every night. On weeknights we shut down around midnight but Friday, Saturday and Halloween we will be there as long as people keep coming," he added. The cost to walk though is $5 per person and all of the funds to go various charities. Johnson said, "The chapter has always done a charity event for Halloween but we starting doing the haunted house about eight years ago." He described the haunted house as a sort of catchall fundraiser for the chapter.
 
Report cards show success of Northeast Mississippi's community colleges
On Friday morning, Mississippi's Education Achievement Council released report cards for the state's eight universities and 15 community colleges. The latest data, which includes information on student enrollment, degrees awarded, college readiness, student progress, research and other variables, is from the summer and fall of 2016 and the spring 2017. "This is a tool for transparency and accountability. Anytime you get money from the state, they want to know how you're doing," Itawamba Community College Director of Institutional Research and Accountability Liz Edwards said. "It's also an important tool from the aspect of economic impact. When our state is looking to recruit industry, they want to know they have an employment pool to satisfy job demand."
 
Dale Sullivan hits 45-year mark as Hinds Community College trustee
Hinds Community College Board of Trustees vice president Dale Sullivan was recognized as the longest serving member of the board with 45 years of continuous service. But that's not the only distinction he has had over his long career in education. In 1973, at the age of 27, Sullivan became the youngest-ever trustee when he was elected Copiah County schools superintendent, which automatically made him a member of the Hinds Community College board as well. Sullivan also has served simultaneously on two community college boards, the other being the Co-Lin Community College board. After he retired as school superintendent, Sullivan was selected to stay on the Hinds Board of Trustees representing Copiah County. Dr. Clyde Muse became Hinds president in 1978, five years after Sullivan became a trustee. "He is one of the most faithful board members we've got. He now serves as the chairman of the finance committee of the board, which is a major responsibility," said Muse.
 
Typewriters of famous artists will be displayed at U. of Alabama
At present, Steve Soboroff claims 38 children. There are five biological kids, mostly grown, including NBC and MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff, but the Los Angeles businessman and civic leader has, through auctions, connections, estate sales and wiles, adopted 38 babies constructed of keys, ribbons, steel, rubber and type. In their prime, those 38 co-birthed Superman and the Spectre; aboriginal Martians and Mr. Dark, the Illustrated Man; Blanche DuBois and Maggie the Cat: Holly Golightly and her fascination with Tiffany's; "A Hard Day's Night," "The Sun Also Rises" and "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Nine pieces from the Steve Soboroff Typewriter Collection go on display Friday at the University of Alabama Gallery in the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center for "Alabama Types: Poets, Playwrights & Storytellers." The typewriters loaned to the Southern Literary Trail and University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences include those of Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Ernest Hemingway, Gore Vidal, George Bernard Shaw, Tom Hanks, Ray Bradbury, John Lennon and Maya Angelou.
 
Drunk U. of South Carolina students overloading ER and causing mayhem at a Columbia hospital
So many drunk University of South Carolina students are being transported to the emergency room during home football games that stretchers line the hallways of Palmetto Health Baptist, emergency services are strained and drunken antics slow nurses who are trying to tend to the truly sick. "They try to run away, fight people, pee in the corner," said a nurse at Palmetto Health Baptist. "It's been that way the whole time I've worked there." "We do get violent USC students," another nurse at Palmetto Health Baptist said. "It just takes away from other patients." For this story, The State interviewed four nurses and one Richland County Emergency Medical Technician under the condition their names not be used. Nurses and the EMT voiced frustration over an alleged police practice they say further overloads emergency rooms. Officers from USC's police department and the Columbia Police Department catch underage students drinking and give them the option to either go to the hospital or to jail, according to four nurses and an EMT.
 
UGA professor under investigation for improper billing of caviar sales
A University of Georgia professor is retiring under a cloud of suspicion that he personally profited from the sale of caviar harvested from UGA-raised sturgeon. UGA sells the caviar from Siberian sturgeon it raises at its 65-acre Cohutta Fisheries Center in northwest Georgia. The professor in charge of the program, Douglas Peterson, was allegedly profiting from the caviar sales by adding a "consulting fee" to each sale, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In addition, the fisheries research professor and his wife, Joy, who is also a professor at UGA, allegedly used a UGA boat for their personal use at their Florida vacation home, according to the GBI. No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation and a university spokesperson said the 53-year-old professor who began working at UGA in 2001 planned to retire on Wednesday.
 
U. of Tennessee physics students hold annual Pumpkin Drop
Physics students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, started celebrating Halloween this weekend with the annual Pumpkin Drop. The fourth annual Pumpkin Drop, put on by the Society of Physics Students, became a Pumpkin Smash this year because of rain. While pumpkins are usually dropped from about 60 feet in the air, plans were changed after a day of rain on Friday. Instead, physics students smashed frozen pumpkins and other fruit with sledgehammers in front of McClung Tower on campus. Still, the rain didn't stop a crowd from gathering outside the tower to watch as pumpkins and several other fruits were shattered with a sledgehammer. Peyton Nanney, the vice president of the Society of Physics Students, helped organized the event this year. Nanney said the group had pumpkins donated from several student groups and started freezing them in liquid nitrogen and dry ice on Tuesday.
 
Texas A&M AgriLife team gets USDA approval to move ahead with edible cottonseed
A Texas A&M AgriLife research team has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to move toward commercialization of a new strain of cotton that holds the potential to help feed millions of malnourished people worldwide. Lead researcher Keerti Rathore of the Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology at AgriLife said that after 23 years of work, he and his research team figured out a way to remove a naturally occurring toxin from cottonseeds that made them inedible for people and most animals. The breakthrough will allow farmers to grow cotton for both fiber and food. "Achieving nonregulation status on this product from the USDA is a pretty big step," Rathore said. Texas A&M is only the fourth university to successfully petition the USDA for deregulation, and the first in Texas.
 
Hillels nationwide focus on assuring students and protecting safety
A year ago, alt-right protesters marched through the University of Virginia chanting Nazi slogans. White nationalists have for the last two years been posting anti-Semitic banners on campuses. On Saturday, an avowed anti-Semite killed 11 at a Pittsburgh synagogue. For Hillel, Saturday's tragedy prompted quick action, as campus centers for Jewish students opened for counseling and discussions on Sunday. A Pittsburgh Hillel center that serves students at local campuses, several of which are near the site of the synagogue shootings, is among those that opened on Sunday. Many campus Hillel chapters are planning vigils to honor the victims of Pittsburgh. Hillel has been stepping up efforts to train its campus leaders on how to respond to safety threats. In many college towns, Hillel centers are the most visible Jewish organization in the community.
 
What history reveals about surges in anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiments
The Oct. 28 shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in American history. Eleven people were killed when the gunman burst in on the congregation's morning worship service carrying an assault rifle and three handguns. The suspect, Robert Bowers, is reported to be a frequent user of Gab, a social networking site that has becoming increasingly popular among white nationalists and other alt-right groups. He is alleged to have regularly reposted anti-Semitic slurs, expressed virulent anti-immigrant sentiments, called immigrants "invaders," and claimed that Jews are "the enemy of white people." The magnitude of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre may be unprecedented, but it is only the latest in the series of hate crimes against Jews.
 
U. of Virginia Bans Richard Spencer and Other Leaders of Violent 'Unite the Right' Rally
The University of Virginia banned the white supremacist and campus provocateur Richard B. Spencer and nine others from its campus on Friday in connection with a 2017 rally that escalated into violence. The move, following a yearlong investigation by the university's police department, will raise questions about who should be allowed to speak on public-college campuses in light of a university's need to protect itself. James E. Ryan, UVa's newly appointed president, sought to strike that balance in a written statement: "The trespass warnings issued today reflect our commitment to ensuring the safety of our community while upholding the principles of freedom of speech and assembly."
 
Historians announce their 2020 annual meeting won't have a general theme
We've all seen it: the panel or paper contorted to fit within the boundaries of disciplinary conference theme. Credit to the moderator or panelist for trying. But, save a title or a few paragraphs, it has glaringly little to do with the given topic. The American Historical Association has had enough this bending and twisting of research. So the association recently said that its 2020 annual conference will have no theme at all, for the first time in nearly two decades. "Next year, no one will be tempted to engage in misguided and pointless gymnastics to make a panel appear to fit a theme," John R. McNeill, the association's president-elect and University Professor of History at Georgetown University wrote in his announcement of the decision. "I hope that a themeless AHA will prove to be a maximally inclusive AHA. There will be no cluster of sessions devoted to 'War and Peace,'" a reference to the 2004 theme, "or 'Uneven Developments' (2008) or to anything else."
 
Technology offers numerous possibilities for learning
Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: While children's primary mode of learning and communication has changed dramatically over the years, one needs to be careful not to demonize the new technology tools as a challenge to the best practices in learning. Instead, it is paramount that parents understand that the digital supports may very well be the key to developing a composite set of facilitators which will be used for years to come to enhance student access to information as well as develop ways in which students can better retain complex ideas and applications. In "Revisiting Cell Phones in the Classroom" by Education.com, the author details cell phones as "having gone from irritating to imperative in the secondary classroom."
 
PERS sees taxpayers as their evergreen money tree
Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: The PERS Board of Trustees seemed happy after hearing from their actuary. The funded ratio for PERS increased and investment returns were up. So, are things turning up for PERS? Only if you don't mind your pocketbook getting raided. Here's the story. As the actuary report highlighted, PERS' funded ratio moved from 61.1% to 61.8% (the minimum prudent level is 80%), investment returns for the year hit 9.16%, and wage increases were less than expected. But, as the report did not highlight, significant trends continued to weaken PERS -- the unfunded pension amount increased, from $16.8 billion to $16.9 billion, the annual payout to retirees increased by $131.5 million, the number of retirees jumped up 2,713, and the number of active employees fell 1,695.


SPORTS
 
Nick Fitzgerald with 4 TDs leads Mississippi State past No. 16 Texas A&M
Nick Fitzgerald pitched the ball to the nearest official and made his way in the direction of Texas A&M's sideline. He started shaking hands and stopped to have a long conversation with Texas A&M backup quarterback Nick Starkel. By his conduct, the moment carried no meaning from any of the other 20 wins Fitzgerald has quarterbacked Mississippi State to, now in the back half of his third year as the starter. The celebratory hug from wide receiver Stephen Guidry and Fitzgerald's backup Keytaon Thompson stopping by his side -- all interrupting his conversation with Starkel -- showed the emotion Fitzgerald wasn't at the moment. Fitzgerald continued to play it all as normal. He positioned himself as if he has to do a postgame interview, but was told he did not and went to join his team -- only after receiving a hug from the coach's wife, Jen Moorhead. The most emotion he showed was mouthing the, "damn right," at the end of the song the band was playing before the alma mater. Where Fitzgerald did not, those around him were able to communicate the emotion behind this win.
 
Mississippi State upsets No. 16 Texas A&M, 28-13
One week after arguably the worst game of his college career, Nick Fitzgerald made throws that had a little extra zip to them. The decisions were a little quicker. The running had more purpose. In short, Mississippi State's quarterback had his mojo back. And the Bulldogs responded with an impressive upset win. Fitzgerald threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores to lead the Bulldogs over No. 16 Texas A&M 28-13 on Saturday night. The victory by Mississippi State (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) can be attributed largely to an unexpected boost from its passing game, which was among the least productive in the SEC coming into the night.
 
Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald perseveres past negativity
Nick Fitzgerald heard all of the negativity. In today's social media society it was hard not to. But the Mississippi State senior quarterback was able so silence some of that criticism with a huge game against No. 16 Texas A&M. Fitzgerald completed 14 of 22 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 88 yards rushing and two more scores on 16 carries. "For all the B.S. that kid has had to endure for parts of this season and everything that he's done to lay his heart and body on the line for this university and have to listen to that stuff, and him to come out and play this type of football -- the type of football we talked about him playing," said MSU coach Joe Moorhead. "I'm happy for every single person in our program tonight but I'm most happy for that kid because he deserves it. That's the way we expected Fitzgerald to play."
 
Nick Fitzgerald finds form in Mississippi State's 28-13 win over Texas A&M
Nick Fitzgerald heard the criticism coming his way all week. He heard the rumblings that Keytaon Thompson might have a chance to steal his starting quarterback spot, too. After throwing four interceptions in a loss to LSU last week, Fitzgerald wasn't the most popular man in a town that has enthusiastically supported him for years. He brushed off the doubters, though, saying after the game that most of the condemnation made him laugh. Then he got the last laugh, too. Fitzgerald stepped onto the field at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday night to put it all to rest -- and he didn't waste any time in doing so. The senior QB orchestrated a 12-play, 79-yard touchdown drive on the Bulldogs' first possession of the game. The score came in a way Mississippi State fans hadn't seen since Sept. 15 -- through the air via Fitzgerald's arm. A 25-yard strike to junior Stephen Guidry set the tone for State in its 28-13 victory over No. 17 Texas A&M.
 
Mississippi State QB Fitzgerald beats Texas A&M for third straight time
Some things are harder to change than others. Jimbo Fisher has done wonders in his first season as Texas A&M's head football coach, but the 16th-ranked Aggies looked too much like the previous teams that came to Mississippi State as the Bulldogs grabbed a 28-13 victory Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium. A&M again brought out the best in Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald, who had 329 yards of offense and a hand in all of the Bulldogs' touchdowns as they won for only the second time in their last five games. Fitzgerald became the first quarterback to beat A&M three straight times since Texas Tech's Graham Harrell (2006-08) and in the process halted A&M's three-game winning streak. "We didn't play well enough," Fisher said. "That's the bottom line."
 
Mississippi State upsets No. 16 Texas A&M
Nick Fitzgerald's passing woes have been well documented in SEC games this season. The Mississippi State senior quarterback had yet to find the end zone through the air in four conference matchups, but he came alive against a ranked opponent in front of 57,085 fans at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday night. Fitzgerald threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns as MSU beat No. 16 Texas A&M 28-13. "I'm sure when I go back and watch film, I made plenty of wrong reads and I went to the wrong side plenty of times, but it's just about trusting your gut and trusting what you've been working on in practice," Fitzgerald said.
 
How Erroll Thompson ignited Mississippi State's defense against Aggies
Erroll Thompson took off to his right. Moments later, the sophomore linebacker flattened a Texas A&M receiver to limit the Aggies' first play from scrimmage to a minimal gain. Thompson, just a few yards away from the Texas A&M sideline, popped up and flexed. He shouted in excited confidence, letting the Aggie offense know he would be a disruptive force in what was otherwise a serene Starkville night. Mississippi State's defense held Texas A&M to less than 300 total yards in a 28-13 win, marking the first time the Aggies failed to reach that number all season. Thompson was a major reason why -- not just because of his seven tackles and fourth-down interception with less than three minutes left. Thompson's impact went beyond numbers and plays. The fire he showed after making his first tackle continued in waves throughout the night, and his teammates were the beneficiaries of it.
 
Mississippi State's defense delivers late to preserve win
Opponents of the Mississippi State football team have spent countless hours trying to find a way to neutralize the Bulldogs' defensive line -- most of the time to no avail. Texas A&M had some success with screen passes, but it wasn't enough to finish the job. Trailing 21-13, the No. 16 Aggies regained possession with a little more than seven minutes remaining. Screen passes to Jashaun Corbin and Trayveon Williams helped Texas A&M reach the red zone, but MSU adjusted and used an interception in the end zone by Erroll Thompson for a critical stop that it used to earn a 28-13 victory. "It was to neutralize the pass rush because they knew our scheme," defensive back Jaquarius Landrews said. "I feel like we were good coming off the edge, so they had to throw screens to neutralize it."
 
MSU Notebook: No more Fitz for Aggies
Texas A&M fans will be glad to see Nick Fitzgerald graduate. The Mississippi State quarterback is 3-0 against the Aggies as a starter and finished the final chapter with a 28-13 win on Saturday night. Fitzgerald completed 14 of 22 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 88 yards and two more scores on 16 carries. The 6-5, 230-pounder from Richmond Hill, Georgia, generated 966 total yards and 11 touchdowns over that span. He threw for 591 yards and rushed for an additional 375. "Obviously the past three seasons I've played well against them," Fitzgerald said. "Tonight was no different."
 
Bulldogs, Rebels will chase sixth wins at home
Mississippi State reentered both major football polls on Sunday at No. 21 after the Bulldogs' 28-13 victory over then 16th-ranked Texas A&M. MSU and coach Joe Moorhead will now try to build off of that momentum and become bowl eligible for the ninth straight season. The Bulldogs (5-3, 2-3 SEC) will shoot for their sixth win, hosting Louisiana Tech for homecoming on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. Ole Miss (5-3, 1-3 SEC) enjoyed an open date over the weekend after a 31-16 home loss to Auburn on Oct. 20. The Rebels continue their homestand against South Carolina on Saturday at 11 a.m., also on the SEC Network. Mississippi State meets Louisiana Tech for the second straight year. MSU won 57-21 in Ruston last season behind 459 yards of offense. Nick Fitzgerald and Aeris Williams each rushed for over 100 yards with Fitzgerald finishing with five touchdowns.
 
Mississippi State's Maroon Madness tips off basketball season
Mississippi State men's and women's basketball teams are both ranked in preseason polls, and the respective squads are looking to put on a show this year. So what better way to tip off the 2018-19 season than bringing in the ballers who best know how to do just that? The Harlem Globetrotters were in StarkVegas for Maroon Madness on Friday night. They got the party started with bang. Women's head coach Vic Schaefer and men's head coach Ben Howland then addressed the many Bulldogs fans in attendance at Humphrey Coliseum. "These kids have worked incredibly hard this offseason," Howland said. "I think it will be an incredibly fun season this year. We hope we'll have the same type of turnout every night we play." "How about the best crowd in the country, and how about the best fans in the country right here?" Schaefer playfully asked. The crowd roared. "I've said it a million times, but you guys are what makes Mississippi State so special," Schaefer added.
 
Mississippi State's Peng Pichaikool shoots for first victory as Bulldog
Peng Pichaikool follows his cue. He leaves the putting green, takes a seat in his head coach's office and answers a few question. He is polite, he's not dismissive, but he's not overwhelmingly forthcoming either; he retreats to the back of the room and grabs a few peanut M&M's while his teammate Garrett Johnson takes his turn answering questions. They head back to the putting green together. The coach, Dusty Smith, is next in the seat. He remembers his days of having short-lived conversations with Pichaikool, before he found his way through the barrier. The result: Smith has become an important figure in the career of whom could be the best golfer in Mississippi State history.
 
Jackson State head coach Tony Hughes out, John Hendrick named interim
Jackson State head football coach Tony Hughes is out after being informed his contract would not be renewed, according to the Jackson State athletics department. Jackson State Athletic Director Ashley Robinson announced Sunday that Hughes and the university have made a mutual agreement to part ways following Saturday's 41-7 loss at Southern that dropped JSU to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the SWAC. Hughes was in his third year as coach of the Tigers. "I would like to thank Coach Hughes for his dedication and hard work to Jackson State University and the Jackson State football program," Robinson said. "We wish him the best in his future endeavors." Hughes could not be reached for comment. Defensive coordinator John Hendrick will serve as interim coach for the Tigers' final five games. Hughes, 9-20 overall and 8-12 in the SWAC, has a three-year contract that pays him $265,000 annually and is set to expire Dec. 12.
 
Loss to Vanderbilt kills Arkansas Razorbacks' bowl dreams
Whatever slim bowl hopes the Arkansas Razorbacks were clinging to got crushed by Vanderbilt. The Commodores beat the University of Arkansas 45-31 on Saturday to mathematically eliminate the Razorbacks from bowl consideration. After Arkansas (2-7, 0-5 SEC) lost to Ole Miss 37-33 on Oct. 13 in Little Rock, the Razorbacks had to beat their remaining five opponents to get to a 6-6 record required to qualify for a bowl. Arkansas' chances of going to a bowl had seemed remote since a 34-27 loss at Colorado State in the second game of the season, but the Razorbacks at least kept hope alive by beating Tulsa 23-0 on Oct. 20. But whatever momentum the Razorbacks seemed to gain from their first shutout since 2014 was taken away by Vanderbilt. "We talked all week long about being the most physical football team in the stadium," Arkansas Coach Chad Morris said. "That was our message ... and I don't think that we were." After an open date this Saturday, Arkansas will play its home finale against No. 4 LSU (7-1) on Nov. 10 and close on the road at No. 21 Mississippi State (5-3) and at Missouri (4-4).
 
Want a ticket to LSU-Alabama showdown? It'll cost you as frenzy has prices spiking
If you want to see the LSU-Alabama game in person, you had better: 1. Already have your tickets in hand. 2. Be ready to part with hundreds of dollars. A week out from the Nov. 3 showdown in Tiger Stadium between No. 4-ranked LSU and No. 1 Alabama, the ticket-buying frenzy on the secondary market is strong and only expected to grow. Adam Budelli, partnerships and business development manager for ticket reseller StubHub, said LSU-Bama is already the third most sought-after regular-season ticket behind Texas-Oklahoma and Georgia-LSU. The least expensive ticket for the game on StubHub as of Thursday was $234 in the east upper deck. Club-level seats were going for about $2,500. While there is definitely some ticket-buying activity for this game in Alabama, the largest segment of traffic (30 percent) is coming from within Louisiana, Budelli said. That may indicate a departure from the Georgia game, when an estimated 25,000 Bulldogs fans invaded Tiger Stadium.



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