Tuesday, November 13, 2018   
 
Almost 100 years after it was painted, a local World War I mural still pays tribute
Todd Rowan of Starkville was just a youngster exploring the Mississippi State campus when he first came across one of the largest paintings he'd ever seen. The imposing figures in artist William Steene's sweeping 12-by-16-foot mural in Lee Hall towered above him. Some of them carried weapons and, to a child, the woman at the center of the dramatic scene must have looked like royalty. The theme was probably lost on one so young, but in the years since, Rowan has studied the mural many times over. He's a muralist himself now, with unique appreciation for Steene's creation of one of the state's prominent World War I memorials. It honors 55 students of the then-Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi who put down their books, took up arms and paid the ultimate sacrifice. The impressive artwork fits into the tapestry of MSU's commitment to men and women who serve, said Sid Salter. He is chief communications officer at the university that is home to the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans.
 
TVA Announces Carbon Reduction Award Winners
The Tennessee Valley Authority released Friday the names of the businesses who earned this year's TVA Carbon Reduction Award for businesses served by local power companies, including Mississippi State University and Starkville Utilities. "TVA cares about the environment and we want to recognize Valley businesses who share our commitment to improve air quality and the health of our communities," said Dan Pratt, TVA vice president of Customer Delivery. "These businesses have not only lowered their own as-delivered carbon rates, but their actions have also helped to lower TVA's system carbon rate as a whole, which is good for all who live in the Valley."
 
Why did Homeland Security raid Catholic Diocese of Jackson? It starts with a priest
The Office of Homeland Security raided the Catholic Diocese of Jackson office investigating accusations a Starkville priest obtained money by lying about having cancer when in fact he was HIV positive and was sent to a Canadian sexual addiction facility for priests. An affidavit by Homeland Security Special Agent William Childers was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Jackson. The search of the Jackson Diocese apparently took place Nov. 7. The affidavit says Homeland Security Investigations have developed probable cause to believe the Rev. Lenin Vargas-Gutierrez, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Starkville, knowingly devised schemes of obtaining money by means of false and fraudulent pretense, through the use of wire communications.
 
Bulldog Burger Co. to open Tupelo location
What was going to be just a single location for Bulldog Burger Co. has become a little more. Officials with Eat With Us, the parent company of Bulldog Burger, as well as Sweet Peppers, Harveys and The Grill, confirmed that Tupelo will be home to the second location of the burger restaurant. A banner at Taste of Tupelo last week teased the news, although it had been rumored for some time that the Starkville-based restaurant was looking for an All-America City location. The restaurant will be located at 311 S. Gloster -- the long-vacant white brick building across from McAlister's Deli. The building, built in 1947, is some 7,200 square feet. And it will be more than a restaurant. A retail space also is designed to complement it.
 
Governor, NAACP leader, others react to Cindy Hyde-Smith 'hanging' comments
The video showing U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith joking to supporters in Mississippi earlier this month about attending a "public hanging" continued to draw national scrutiny Monday, as the white Republican prepares to face Democrat Mike Espy, who is black, in a Nov. 27 runoff election. As the Hyde-Smith story was picked up by nearly every major national news outlet Monday, Mississippi political experts were assessing what the attention might mean for a race she is favored to win. Marty Wiseman, a former Mississippi State University political science and longtime state politics observer, said it could translate to many more Espy voters -- especially African-Americans -- turning out to the polls for a contest right after Thanksgiving. "In this time of political correctness, with an African-American opponent, it's like lighting a firecracker," Wiseman said of the video. "You've got to be so careful not to risk misinterpretation of something you say in the political campaign -- boy, did she deliver for Espy."
 
Governor deflects 'public hanging' firestorm, says bringing Trump helped race relations and rails about black abortion
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, in her first public appearance since a video surfaced Sunday in which she joked that she would attend a "public hanging," dodged reporters' questions about the firestorm. Journalists asked Hyde-Smith eight questions about the controversial comment, but she declined to answer, each time stating, "I put out a statement yesterday, and that's all I'm gonna say about it." The comments came at a press conference announcing the endorsement of a pro-life group for Hyde-Smith's reelection bid. After numerous attempts Monday to get Hyde-Smith to elaborate, reporters directed questions to Gov. Phil Bryant, who stepped to the podium at Mississippi Republican headquarters and fielded questions as the senator stood beside him. The governor then talked about race relations and other issues. After abruptly ending the press conference, Hyde-Smith campaign manager Jordan Russell asked reporters why they didn’t ask questions about abortion, the scheduled purpose of the Monday press conference.
 
Governor Calls Abortion 'Black Genocide,' Defends Cindy Hyde-Smith on 'Hanging' Tape
As state and national controversy swirls around U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's comment about a "public hanging" in her race against an African American opponent, Gov. Phil Bryant opened a press conference this morning implying that black women are participating in "the genocide of 20 million African American children" through legal abortions. "See, in my heart, I am confused about where the outrage is at about 20 million African American children that have been aborted. No one wants to say anything about that. No one wants to talk about that," Bryant said, with Hyde-Smith and National Right to Life President Carol Tobias standing nearby. Bryant's use of the abortion-as-genocide conspiracy theory about a woman's right to choose a legal abortion, a trope popular with white conservatives, comes amid a state and national outcry after it went viral Sunday that Hyde-Smith had made a comment about "public hangings" at a campaign stop in Tupelo. She is in a run-off to keep her U.S. Senate set on Tuesday, Nov. 27, against former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, who would become Mississippi's first African American senator since Reconstruction, should he win the race.
 
Chris McDaniel v. Jim Hood? State Senator to 'Pray About' Run for Governor
Just days after his hopes of becoming a U.S. senator were dashed for the second time in four years, Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, signaled interest in a possible run for governor next year. McDaniel, known for his strong support for keeping the state flag that bears the symbol of the Confederacy, McDaniel responded to rumors he might run in a Nov. 8 interview with the Clarion-Ledger. "I hear those same rumors," McDaniel said. "... Yes, sir, it's possible." In Tuesday's U.S. Senate special election, McDaniel placed third behind appointed Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Democrat Mike Espy. Hyde-Smith led Espy 42-41, while McDaniel drew just under 17 percent of the vote. McDaniel won a plurality in just two counties: Jones County, where he lives, and Greene County. When McDaniel was not explaining his own offensive remarks about African Americans or women during his most recent U.S. Senate run, he often struck a similarly populist tone, lambasting the "fat cats" and "special interests" who he said held the reins of his own party.
 
Senate GOP readies for leadership reshuffle
Senate Republicans are preparing for a shuffling of committee chairmen and some changes in the upper ranks of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) leadership team. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is expected to be elected as Republican whip, the No. 2 position in the conference, when GOP lawmakers meet to vote on their new team at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the Old Senate Chamber. Thune will replace Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is facing a term limit as whip. Cornyn will retain his position through the lame-duck session and then take a role as a counselor to McConnell's leadership team next year, allowing him to remain a participant in leadership strategy sessions. Thune is set to step down as chairman of the Commerce Committee, paving the way for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) to take over that panel.
 
Meet Ward Baker, the strategist behind Marsha Blackburn's winning Senate campaign
When Republican Marsha Blackburn celebrated her U.S. Senate victory over Democrat Phil Bredesen on Tuesday, she heaped praise on many of her backers throughout the race. "You know one person does not win a campaign," she said, thanking the many volunteers who helped knock on 1.5 million doors and make 3 million phone calls throughout the 13-month campaign. She also thanked her campaign leadership team, and the first name she mentioned was Ward Baker, the 42-year-old Tennessee native and graduate of Benton Hall Academy in Franklin who served as Blackburn's campaign strategist. Unlike many supporters and volunteers whom Blackburn's campaign recruited during the race, Baker, who was standing behind the senator-elect on the stage, has a relationship with the Brentwood Republican that dates back decades. Baker's foray into politics came in 2002, shortly after he got out of the Marine Corps and started working on the state Senate race for Jim Bryson and Blackburn's congressional campaign. From there Baker went on to work on the campaigns of former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election effort.
 
An alliance in Mississippi is fighting hunger on college campuses
It's lunch time in the cafeteria at Tougaloo College. Makaylah Hampton, a student at the college near Jackson, says for some this is their last meal for the day. "If you don't have a car, you can't get to places cause the cafe closes at like 6:30 I think. Especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays cause people have longer classes because of lab. So some people don't even get out of class until like 8:30 so then you miss dinner. So now, you don't have anything to eat," said Hampton. The College and University Anti-Hunger Alliance of Mississippi is a coalition of institutions and organizations across the state. They are creating food pantries accessible to students in an effort to combat hunger on college campuses.
 
Tuition assistance program announced for Hattiesburg, Forrest County
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker announced good news for seniors graduating in 2019 in the City of Hattiesburg and in Forrest County. Students will have the opportunity to continue their education with tuition assistance. "If you decide to attend Pearl River Community College after graduation, you can go there and you can go tuition free," Barker announced in the Hattiesburg High School Auditorium. The Hattiesburg City Council approved $20,000 to go into this program. This partnership will also take care of any tuition gap if a student has received any type of financial aid or scholarship money. "If they graduate from high school, they will have four semesters at PRCC paid for, tuition-free," Barker said.
 
Alabama's new VP of research and economic development emphasizes importance of involving students
Russell Mumper is the new vice president for research and economic development at the University, effective Jan. 1, 2019. Until then, John Higginbotham, the university's associate vice president for research and economic development, will serve as interim. In this position, Mumper will help lead the University's research and economic development, which is one of the focuses of the University's five-year strategic plan that was announced on Aug. 17, 2016. When Mumper learned about the vice president for research and economic development position at the University, he applied with great interest. "I had been exploring a couple of vice president for research positions and saw that The University of Alabama was hiring," Mumper said. Over a span of 27 years, Mumper has worked as a researcher, an institute and center director, a teacher, a faculty member and an entrepreneur.
 
Auburn University to consider new College of Education building; Birmingham building
The Auburn University board of trustees is expected to address two items related to growth and expansion during Friday's scheduled meeting. Items on the agenda include a proposal for a new College of Education building in Auburn, and a proposal for the university to purchase an existing building in downtown Birmingham. Auburn's College of Education is mostly located in Haley Center, with more personnel assigned to six other buildings across campus, according to a memo presented to board members. The college is the fifth-largest undergraduate academic unit on campus, with enrollment over 1,800, and the largest graduate school at the university, with an enrollment of about 1,000 grad students. At Friday's meeting, the board is expected to vote on whether to approve project initiation and begin the project architect selection process.
 
Walton Foundation Gives $23.7M to U. of Arkansas
The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation has given $23.7 million into the University of Arkansas' research and economic development infrastructure. The gift was announced at a Campaign Arkansas volunteer steering committee meeting Friday. The money brings the campaign's fundraising total to more than $1 billion. Its goal is $1.25 billion. The campaign runs through June 2020. The foundation's investment will support strategic, operational and programmatic initiatives in the Office of Research & Innovation and the Office of Economic Development, over a five-year period.
 
Sex assault at U. of Arkansas frat house reported to police
An 18-year-old University of Arkansas, Fayetteville student last week reported an assault involving unwanted sexual touching taking place at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house. Police are investigating her report as a possible second-degree sexual assault taking place Thursday night, Capt. Gary Crain said. The student reported the assault involved a person known to her, Crain said. "Sexual assault, second-degree, could be fondling or sexual contact where a person is not able to give consent or declines to engage in that contact but is still touched," Crain said.
 
Don't like politics with your sports? Too bad, says Jemele Hill during U. of Missouri speech
You can't separate sports and politics, even though some people would like to, journalist Jemele Hill said in a talk Monday at the University of Missouri's Memorial Student Union. Hill, a senior staff writer for The Atlantic, spoke to just over 200 people about journalism in today's world and how to balance intersections of race, gender and sports. Her talk, titled "When Sports Met Politics: A Love Story," began about an hour late after weather delayed Hill's flight into Columbia. Hill said a lot of people believe that sports and politics don't go together. But, she said, "sports and politics have always mashed against each other." She also said it's hard not to talk about the two things together and gave examples, such as athletes who have committed acts of domestic violence or the discussion about whether college athletes should be paid. For those who are bothered by sports and politics being talked about together on TV, Hill had a message: You don't have to watch it.
 
Colleges Can Recover From Racial Crisis by Taking a Lesson From Mizzou
What does it really take for a college to recover from a racial crisis? That's the question a team of researchers explores in a new American Council on Education report, which spotlights the University of Missouri at Columbia and the 2015 protests that have become a lesson in leadership turmoil across higher education. The report documents what researchers call the "first phase of healing," covering the 18 months after student activism against racism and leaders' inaction forced the Missouri system's president to resign. Researchers compiled information from extensive interviews with dozens of people at Missouri, with the cooperation of the system and the campus, and from news articles and other early research about the fallout from the protests.
 
Blue wave means new focus in House on climate change, research on science committee
Over the past eight years, the House science committee became a home to climate change denialism and attacks on the federal process for doling out research grant awards. That promises to change in January when a Democrat takes up the committee gavel for the first time since 2010. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, the current ranking member, has already announced an about-face for the direction of the committee. She's outlined an agenda that includes addressing climate change, supporting STEM education and restoring the credibility of the committee on science issues. Johnson has also introduced legislation to deal with sexual harassment in science and has called for federal science efforts to be more inclusive of minority scientists and those who work at historically black institutions. The incoming Democratic class, meanwhile, includes eight new members who campaigned on their backgrounds in science, engineering or medical fields and had the backing of organizers opposed to attacks on science by President Trump. Science advocates expect Congress to put a greater emphasis on science in policy making and are hoping the committee could once again become a plum assignment for House members.
 
Is the 'Trump Effect' Scaring Away Prospective International Students?
The number of new international students enrolled in American higher education in the fall of 2017 declined 6.6 percent from the previous year, according to a report released on Tuesday. The data solidify an emerging trend -- they come on the heels of a 3-percent decline the prior year -- and raise concerns about the desire of prospective international students to study in the United States. Some observers have pegged at least part of the blame for the slowdown on the "Trump effect." The combination of policies and rhetoric from the 45th president, the thinking goes, are making international students reconsider coming to the United States amid a political climate hostile to globalism. But the organizations behind the annual "Open Doors" report -- the Institute of International Education and the U.S. State Department -- play down that narrative. It's more complicated, they note, and the data reflect the choices of students who were probably considering colleges the year before Trump took office.
 
More American students are studying abroad, new data show
Kelsey Hrubes knew she had a challenge on her hands when she visited Germany as a study abroad student back in 2015. "I was forced to adapt to cultural norms I had never considered before and try to comprehend everything in a new language," recalls Hrubes, a software engineer at Microsoft and 2017 Iowa State graduate in German and computer science. Hrubes says if she hadn't studied abroad and learned to adjust to new surroundings, she wouldn't be nearly as confident as she is in her career. Stories such as this are part of what's behind the increasing number of university students who are studying abroad -- many of whom are trying to gain valuable experience that will benefit them in their personal and professional lives. According to new data released Nov. 13 by the Institute of International Education, more than 332,000 U.S. students studied abroad during the 2016-2017 academic year, an increase of 2.3 percent over the previous year.
 
New report shows colleges how to bridge the gap between the liberal arts and the work force
A report being released today says higher education is not keeping pace with the ever-changing job market. The report examines the "translation chasm" between the skills graduates of liberal arts programs have and the skills employers say they're looking for in an applicant. Turns out, they're not all that different, but "liberal arts graduates are too often left to stumble upon the valuable mixture of layered skills" required for any specific career, according to the report. While many reports suggest that students should focus on studying marketable skills, the new report identifies career value in liberal arts education, albeit with some tweaks. Put together by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm, and the Strada Institute for the Future of Work, the report is based on more than 100 million social and professional profiles and applicant resumes and more than 36 million job postings to determine how to bridge the gap between what liberal arts students learn and what employers want.
 
One way or the other, voters to make electoral history
Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: For weeks if not months, there is media and coffee club speculation about the hearts and minds of American voters. Then election day comes, and we find out. The answer in Mississippi was, "We're pretty much where we were two years ago, four years ago, six years ago ..." Much in the political realm is counter-intuitive. The prime example is that while Congress, as a whole, earns very little respect -- as low as an 8 percent approval rating -- voters keep sending the same people back. (This is largely a result of creating safe districts for incumbents, the influence of big donors and the cost of campaigning, but that's another column.) ...Similarly, in Mississippi where Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith will face Democrat Mike Espy on Nov. 27 to see who serves the two years remaining on Thad Cochran's term, the hard-charging state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who finished a distant third, threw his support to Hyde-Smith.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State faces 'reality' of disappointing season
Mississippi State's regular season has 10 days remaining and the schedule includes two winnable games against Arkansas and Ole Miss. But no matter the outcome, the Bulldogs' season has fallen short of expectations. This was supposed to be the year that Mississippi State challenged for its first Southeastern Conference championship in more than 75 years. Instead, the 25th-ranked Bulldogs (6-4, 2-4 SEC, No. 16 CFP) are in fifth place. There's little doubt it's been a rocky first season for coach Joe Moorhead. "I know there was an elevated expectation level heading into this season for a myriad of reasons," Moorhead said. "From a historical context, we're battling to get where we've never been since 1941. I understand the disappointment because of the expectation level, but reality is reality."
 
Expectations vs. reality for Mississippi State, Joe Moorhead
Mississippi State was expected to have a strong season in 2018 with the amount of experience and talent the Bulldogs returned on both sides of the ball. But after 10 games, No. 25 MSU sits at 6-4 overall with a 2-4 mark in Southeastern Conference play under first-year head coach Joe Moorhead. "I know there was an elevated level of expectation heading into the season for a myriad of reasons," Moorhead said. "From a historical context, we're battling to get to where we haven't been since 1941. I understand the disappointment because of the expectation level but reality is reality." The reality is that the Bulldogs have only scored 16 points and netted one touchdown in their four losses. State lost back-to-back games to Kentucky (28-7) and Florida (13-6) to close out September and lost 19-3 at LSU last month before being shut out 24-0 at Alabama last weekend. "Certainly with the type of defense that we're playing, I would've obviously been best to perform better and put more points up offensively in those games," Moorhead said. "Part of it is being a first year, new offensive system that probably contributed to that."
 
'Reality is reality': Joe Moorhead speaks on goals, expectations at Mississippi State
Joe Moorhead said he won't fully reflect on his first season as Mississippi State's head coach until after the Bulldogs' bowl game. At his Monday afternoon press conference, though, Moorhead deliberated on State's 6-4 record. Many, maybe even Moorhead, didn't expect State to have four losses with two regular season games to play. That wasn't the goal, anyway. The Bulldogs were expected to contend for the SEC West Division title. But goals and expectations, according to Moorhead, are different. "Goals are what you aspire to as a team, and expectations to me are levied on a confluence of circumstances," Moorhead said. The circumstances Moorhead didn't delve into are probably as follows: 17 returning starters from a team that won nine games a season ago, as much optimism as ever from the Bulldog fan base and a belief in the building that Mississippi State could actually win its first SEC Championship since 1941.
 
MSU notebook: SEC reviewing calls from Alabama game
Several questionable calls from the Alabama game were sent to the Southeastern Conference office and the league's coordinator of football officials Steve Shaw for review. Moorhead did not elaborate on Monday which plays were sent to the league office but there were two fumbles and a touchdown that the Bulldogs were not awarded in that contest. "It was standard operating procedure," Moorhead said. "There were a list of plays that we sent in and a response is forthcoming. Mr. (John) Cohen (MSU's director of athletics) is going to handle the rest of it." Typically, the SEC sends a response back to the schools by midweek according to Moorhead.
 
Three questions Mississippi State football must answer against Arkansas
The only question Mississippi State fans seem concerned with in the final two weeks of this season is this one: will the Bulldogs win out and finish 8-4 on the year? Step one is beating Arkansas Saturday on Senior Day at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State needs to answer these three questions to get that done.
 
ESPN to televise Arkansas' game at Mississippi State
Arkansas' game at Mississippi State on Saturday will be shown on ESPN. The Southeastern Conference and its TV partners announced the game time of 11 a.m. last week, but held off on announcing a network until after games were played Nov. 10. The game also was considered for ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and SEC Network Alternate. ESPN announcers Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore and Quint Kessenich will call the game. It is the third time this season Arkansas has been scheduled to play the 11 a.m. game on ESPN, which is immediately preceded by the popular pregame show College GameDay. The Razorbacks lost 24-17 to Texas A&M on Sept. 29 and 65-31 to No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 6 in its other two appearances in that window.
 
Delta State promotes baseball coach Mike Kinnison to athletic director
An already remarkable career on the diamond added another chapter on Monday, as longtime Delta State baseball coach Mike Kinnison was named the school's athletic director. Kinnison, the sixth director of athletics in the school's history, replaces Ronnie Mayers, who is retiring on Dec. 31 after 42 years of service to university. Kinnison will remain in his role as Delta State's baseball coach as well. "I am honored to accept the opportunity to lead the department of athletics here at Delta State University," Kinnison said at a press conference on Monday. Kinnison has been Delta State's baseball coach since 1997. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. Kinnison also played at Delta State in 1977-78, and spent three seasons as an assistant coach there before ascending to the head coaching position.
 
SEC basketball tournament to stay in Nashville through 2035
The SEC men's or women's basketball tournament will be played in Nashville beginning this season through 2035, The Tennessean has learned. A contract, which currently has the men's or women's tournament playing at Bridgestone Arena through 2025, will be extended by 10 years, according to a source close to the Nashville Sports Council. Under the current contract, the men's tournament will be played in Nashville each year except 2022. The women's tournament will be here in 2022. The extension will bring the men's tournament back to Nashville in 2026-2035. The women were originally set to return in 2026, but that year will be converted to the men's tournament. An official announcement is expected to be made Tuesday at a joint news conference with the SEC and the Nashville Sports Council at Nissan Stadium.
 
South Carolina basketball tries growing attendance new way
Through it all -- the eyebrow-raising quotes, the pointed tweets -- Frank Martin was trying to make clear one particular point. If South Carolina men's basketball fans were purchasing all these tickets, why weren't they showing up to games? You might remember some of this narrative from last season. The Gamecocks were playing the non-conference foes on their schedule in front of sparse Colonial Life Arena crowds, and Martin was noticing. "It would be nice if our marketing department helped us to get people in seats," Martin said after an announced 10,205 showed up for a win over Wyoming on Dec. 6. "It's a little disappointing to continue to play, after the two winningest years in the history of the school, in a building with [4,000] to 5,000 people. It's embarrassing." Martin, through Twitter and additional media opportunities, later clarified his remarks. "We have sold more season tickets than at any point in the history of our school," Martin said. "I need our fans to come help my guys out. That's all I'm asking for. I'm not being critical."
 
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy blames 'liberalism,' 'the snowflake' for athletes transferring
Eleven years after his "I'm a man! I'm 40!" outburst helped make Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy a household name in college sports, he went on another rant. Sporting his perfectly coifed trademark mullet, the target this time was Generation Z. Gundy, whose Cowboys are 5-5 this season, was asked during a Monday news conference in Stillwater, Okla., about safety Thabo Mwaniki's tweet on Sunday that he would be transferring out of the school. The question posed to the coach, who once said that his mullet has been worth "millions" to his football program, concerned the increased frequency of college athletes transferring, thanks to a new rule implemented by the NCAA. "I'm a firm believer in the snowflake," he said. Gundy, clarifying that he wasn't referring to Mwaniki, who hasn't played since starting the first four games of the season, said he was "talking about every millennial, young person. Generation Z, I think is what they call 'em. It's the world we live in because if they say, 'Well, it's a little bit hard,' then we say, 'Okay, well, let's go try something else' versus 'Hey, let's bear down and let's fight and do this.' So you see a lot of that nowadays."
 
All 12 Mississippi Coast casinos offer sports betting as last sportsbook opens
Scarlet Pearl Casino in D'Iberville is teaming with DraftKings to open its sports book on Friday, Nov. 16. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the former PRL Bar, which is being transformed into a multi-screen sportsbook. Nicholas "Nico" Sfanos, who ran sportsbooks for Station Casinos throughout Nevada, has been hired to manage the new sportsbook at Scarlet Pearl. "We're thrilled to be working with Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, whose leadership has a high bar for quality and a forward-thinking approach to sports betting; a perfect fit for DraftKings," said Matt Kalish, chief revenue officer and co-founder of DraftKings. This is the company's first retail sportsbook in the country. With this opening, all 12 Coast casinos will offer sports betting.



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