Friday, January 11, 2019   
 
Mississippi State student launches nonprofit for rare disease
Amanda Swanton always thought she was a normal 16-year-old. That changed one day when Swanton, while singing with her high school show choir, abruptly fainted. "I thought 'Great! This is never gonna happen again. Glad to get that over with,'" Swanton said. "That turned into about 25 times of that happening." After several trips to the doctors, the emergency room and misdiagnoses, Swanton finally learned she has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS. POTS is a cardiac condition that, according to the National Institute of Health, is characterized by too little blood returning to the heart when moving from a lying down to standing up position. Now Swanton, a 20-year-old freshman studying business administration at Mississippi State University, has opened an A85 Cure satellite office in Starkville. It is currently located in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach in the College of Business. Swanton said the E-Center caught her eye when she toured MSU in April. On her second day of school in the fall semester, she visited the center and filled out paperwork to get involved with the center.
 
Don Posey leaves legacy as kind-hearted change agent
Don Posey, who died Wednesday at age 75, will be most broadly remembered as Oktibbeha County's first county administrator, but he will also be remembered as a member of the 1963 Mississippi State basketball team that snuck out of town to play in the NCAA Tournament in East Lansing, Michigan, against an integrated Loyola-Chicago team, in defiance of segregationist Gov. Ross Barnett and the Jim Crow attitudes that dominated the era. Posey was a sophomore on the team and was content to play a supporting role. He continued to play a supporting role the rest of his life, those who knew him best recalled this week. Posey, like the other 11 young men who made up the 1963 MSU basketball team, was proud of the role he played in what has become known as the "Game of Change." MSU lost its first-round game to eventual national champion Loyola-Chicago, but the images and symbolism from the game even being played struck a serious blow to the idea of segregation during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. His teammate, Jack Wofford, said Posey was an important member of that team, even though his playing time was limited.
 
Sweet Potatoes Rank As A Top Commodity In The Magnolia State
When it comes to sweet potatoes, it's a crop the Magnolia State has become well known for producing. Now state leaders are looking for ways to continue growing the market. During Thursday night's Mississippi Sweet Potato Council, State Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson spoke about the importance of the crop, and the impact it has on the state. Last year, sweet potatoes had a value of nearly $118 million in Mississippi. The crop also ranks as one of the top 10 valued commodities in the state. Gipson said sweet potatoes are a critical part of our agricultural economy. He believes exporting the crops is one way to continue growing the market. Next week, Gipson he will meet with the Consul General of India and discuss the possibility of a trade involving sweet potatoes.
 
Pesticide Applicator License Required for Dicamba Training
An additional training and certification requirement from the Environmental Protection Agency is now in place for individuals who plan to purchase and apply auxin-based chemicals, such as dicamba, or those who work as applicators for producers who have purchased these products. The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer an increased number of training opportunities around the state to help Mississippians comply with this new requirement. Darrin Dodds, Extension cotton specialist, said the purpose of the requirement is to increase the safe and effective use of these herbicides that are being used more commonly each year since their introduction. "These herbicides have seen increased usage over the past two growing seasons, but this has not come without setbacks, including off-target movement onto susceptible plant species," Dodds said. "The goal of these training programs is to educate those who purchase and apply these products about proper application procedures and reduce the number of off-target damage complaints. Education is critical to ensuring these products remain within the bounds of where they are applied."
 
'48 Hours' to air special on Labor Day murders
Richard Schlesinger thought a "48 Hours" special might help stir enough interest in Starkville's infamous Labor Day murders to help police solve the case. It turned out the CBS News correspondent and his crew would get a front seat to the biggest break in the case since it opened in 1990. On Saturday, CBS will air a "48 Hours" special on the murders of 65-year-old Betty Jones and 81-year-old Kathryn Crigler, at 9 p.m. Saturday. The women were attacked in Crigler's home at 306 Highway 82 E. in Starkville on Sept. 3, 1990. Devaughn, according to affidavits SPD released after his arrest, killed Jones by cutting her throat with a knife. He also reportedly sexually assaulted Crigler, who was taken to the hospital and later died from her injuries. However, a DNA profile was developed from a rape kit, which SPD Lt. Bill Lott used to match to Devaughn.
 
Mississippi businesses ask for focus on worker training
Mississippi lawmakers and officials told business leaders Thursday that they're hearing their concerns about needing more and better-educated workers, noting efforts to improve child care and produce more high school graduates. The Mississippi Economic Council, the state's chamber of commerce, made workforce development one of its main priorities in this year's Legislature as it met Jackson for its annual day at the state capitol. "We truly have to be focusing on making sure we're giving our citizens the opportunity to really get the skills they need," said Scott Waller, the council's executive director. The focus comes as unemployment remains low in Mississippi, making it harder for businesses to find workers easily.
 
Mississippi businesses tout value of early childhood ed, childcare access
Mississippi's chamber of commerce is taking up the mantle of two unlikely issues -- early education and childcare. Panelists at Mississippi Economic Council's annual Capital Day, where business leaders gathered in Jackson to meet with state politicians about important issues for Mississippi, said the focus serves two purposes. First, working parents need somewhere to leave their children during the day. Secondly, in order to have an educated workforce that understands how to work in teams and show up on time, they need to master timeliness, communication and interpersonal skills early on in life, panelists said. "Childcare is where many children are spending the most time when they are the youngest and at the most critical stage of development," said Katharine Stevens, of the American Enterprise Institute. "Childcare is the pivot point for a two-generation approach that moves whole families ahead at the same time."
 
Sen. Wicker to oversee internet privacy, broadband, NASA, interstate trade as new Commerce chair
Passing a federal internet privacy policy will be a top priority for the Senate this year, according to U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who was named Wednesday as the chair of the Senate commerce committee, which oversees all telecommunications. Two hours before Wicker's appointment, Mississippi's senior senator told Mississippi Today that the United States needs a "uniform standard" on internet privacy. And in contrast to the dispute over increased funding for security along the southern border, which has forced a partial government shutdown, Wicker said the policy has bipartisan support. According to Wicker, the commerce committee will have a "wide-ranging jurisdiction" over many areas of government -- including broadband, air travel and railroads, interstate commerce, aerospace and NASA -- that could benefit Mississippians. And Wicker said he plans to use his new chairmanship to direct resources and projects to the state.
 
Delbert Hosemann talks lt. gov. campaign platform during Golden Triangle stop
After announcing his candidacy for lieutenant governor Wednesday morning, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann made a stop in the Golden Triangle. In a speech at BankTEL Systems in Columbus, Hosemann laid down the basics of his platform, with a particular focus on education and roads. He also touched on the importance of business to Mississippi. Hosemann was elected secretary of state in 2007, and before that was an attorney and developer. He is a native of Warren County. "You see this growth around Mississippi, and this is intellectual growth," Hosemann said. "It's smart growth. It's people that are making significant economic impacts both for themselves and their employees." Hosemann also emphasized the importance of higher education, referencing Mississippi State University as an economic driver for the region. "Those university systems will be a key to where we're going, key leadership to where we're going, particularly Mississippi State University," Hosemann said.
 
Delbert Hosemann makes campaign stop in Meridian
Delbert Hosemann, the Secretary of State for Mississippi, made a stop Thursday in Meridian at Structural Steel Services, Inc. as part of a statewide campaign for his run as lieutenant governor. Tommy Dulaney and Rebecca Combs-Dulaney, the president/CEO and vice presidents for public relations of Structural Steel, respectively, introduced Hosemann to the crowd of two to three dozen supporters. "Some of this major work being done is going to Amazon in Bessemer (Alabama) and we're hoping to get the next few bids from Amazon," Combs-Dulaney said, gesturing to the steel work within the plant. "If you don't think companies like Amazon are in Mississippi, you're wrong. They're here because of people like (Hosemann)." Hosemann spoke of the importance of small businesses and workforce development beginning at local high schools and continuing at colleges such as Meridian Community College.
 
SoS Delbert Hosemann Should 'Resign' His Office, Democratic Opponent Demands
One of Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann's potential opponents is calling on him to resign his office while he runs for lieutenant governor. "One of the most important pillars of our state government is a fair and trusted election process where there is non-biased supervision of the entire process," Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Lafayette, said in a press release Thursday. Hughes is running in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. As secretary of state, Hosemann, a Republican, is responsible for training local-level election workers who administer elections and for overseeing campaign finance and lobbying activities. Now that Hosemann is running, that could raise questions, Hughes said. "This is no different than getting to be judge and jury in your own trial," he said. Assistant Secretary of State of Communications Leah Rupp Smith, a spokesperson for Hosemann's office, told the Jackson Free Press that, unlike other states, the secretary of state does not administer elections in Mississippi.
 
Senator Gray Tollison named as the new President Pro Tempore of the Senate
On Friday, Senators unanimously voted to appoint Senator Gray Tollison as the new President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Tollison was nominated by Sen. Buck Clarke and the nomination was seconded by Senator John Horhn who took time to speak highly of the character of Sen. Terry Burton who stepped down on his own volition, and of the newly nominated Senator. Senator Chad Mcmahan then moved that nominations be closed and Tollison be confirmed by acclimation. The Senate was unanimous on the decision, 52-0. "Sen. Tollison's election by his peers to this leadership position shows the deep respect senators have for him," Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said. "His 24 years of experience in the Legislature and his passion for good public policy make him the right fit to serve as the 'Senators' Senator.'"
 
Digital divide: Plan to expand internet access proves popular in House and with Mississippians
As early as next week, the Mississippi House could take up legislation designed to at least try to expand access to high speed internet to the state's underserved rural areas. No bill has been filed yet, but House Public Utilities Chair Jim Beckett, R-Bruce, said bi-partisan work has been ongoing to develop legislation. While Beckett said several options are being discussed, the legislation is likely to allow -- not mandate -- the state's 25 customer-owned rural electric cooperatives, previously known as electric power associations, to offer broadband or high speed internet services. The proposal has vast support across the state, according to a recent poll. A poll by Chism Strategies, a Mississippi-based consulting company that primarily works for Democratic candidates, found that 83 percent of Mississippians favor allowing the electric cooperatives to offer the service while only 6 percent oppose.
 
Democrats lay out agenda; one tapped to lead key committee
Despite what is expected be an uneventful 2019 legislation session, Democrats are proposing an aggressive agenda as one of their colleagues is tapped to lead a key legislative committee. Speaker Pro Tem Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, announced that Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia, would assume the chairmanship of the House Judiciary B Committee. Former Rep. Andy Gipson, who accepted an appointment as state agriculture commissioner, previously chaired the committee. Under Gipson, a Republican from Braxton, the committee known simply as Jud B to Capitol insiders, handled some of the most controversial bills related to the courts and law-enforcement each session. In past years, bills that broadened the ability of domestic abuse victims to cite such abuse as grounds for divorce, created the 15-week abortion ban, religious freedom law, each went through the committee. Sen. Hob Bryan of Amory, who is also a Democrat, is chairman of the Judiciary B Committee in the Senate.
 
Session outlook: District 64 Rep. Bill Denny and District 25 Sen. Walter Michel
If District 64 Rep. Bill Denny has his way, the state will allocate more money for improvements in the Capitol Complex Improvement District, or CCID. The 2019 legislative session began Tuesday, and Denny is again planning to introduce a measure that would increase the annual allocation going to the CCID. Denny, who authored the 2017 legislation, asked that $22 million be set aside for the district each year. However, the final bill included an $11 million allocation once the CCID is fully implemented. Denny also will be introducing legislation to reform voting and criminal justice laws. District 25 Sen. Walter Michel is looking forward to the 2019 legislative session with similar priorities as last year. These priorities include community improvement districts, obtaining funds owed through fines, and education funding. One of his main concerns is the creation of neighborhood improvement districts.
 
Congress fumbles new tax on Nick Saban's paycheck
A mistake in Republicans' tax overhaul is allowing many state universities to escape a crackdown on highly paid executives. Lawmakers inadvertently exempted public universities -- though not private ones -- from a new 21 percent tax they created on nonprofits that pay their employees more than $1 million. There are hundreds of million-dollar employees on college campuses, many of them football and basketball coaches. Nick Saban, the University of Alabama football coach who earlier this week lost his bid for a sixth national championship, earned $8.3 million in 2018, according to USA Today, which tracks coaches' pay. Republicans are now trying to correct the snafu, though there is no sign that Congress will act anytime soon. In the meantime, the oversight is saving public universities millions in taxes. The levy is paid by the school, not the employee. "Congress knows it screwed up," said Paul Streckfus, a longtime expert on tax-exempt organizations. "If you're a state university, this is a pretty nice deal."
 
Huntsville, the city built on federal spending, struggles during shutdown
Once known for its cotton trade and watercress farms, Huntsville, Alabama, is now the ultimate government town: About 70 federal agencies are located at the Army's 38,000-acre Redstone Arsenal. More than half of the area's economy is tied to Washington spendingAs the government shutdown drags into a third week, people and businesses that rely on that federal largesse for their livelihood are showing the strain. Empty parking lots and darkened offices at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center on Redstone have translated into vacant hotel rooms because out-of-town government workers and contractors aren't coming. Restaurants frequented by federal workers who travel on government spending accounts are struggling, too. The influx of people and federal dollars that arrived with NASA transformed the city into a technical and engineering hub that only grew as Army missile and materiel programs expanded on the base. That heavy reliance on federal spending has Huntsville residents wondering what will come next.
 
With Key Government Agencies Shut Down, Science Sputters
Big, important scientific breakthroughs are built of small, incremental experiments. And the partial government shutdown is already interfering with some of that research. Scientists often depend on the government for grant funding, expertise and --- in some cases --- even regulatory approval. With the shutdown, some researchers are missing those key elements of scientific collaboration. Here's how some scientists say the shutdown is affecting their work. Tuesday Simmons, a graduate student in microbiology at the University of California, Berkeley, writes, "I'm a grad student at Berkeley, but my PI [principal investigator] works for the USDA (like several PIs in my department). While the grad students continue to work, it is difficult for us without our advisers here." She says this affects her in two primary ways. "I am trying to complete a manuscript with my adviser and I need to meet with him to discuss figures and text edits," Simmons says. And she says she is "trying to plan a new experiment where I'm adding synthetic microbial communities to sorghum plants, and I need to iron out the details with him before starting the experiment."
 
Farm Country Stood by Trump. But the Shutdown Is Pushing It to Breaking Point.
In Georgia, a pecan farmer lost out on his chance to buy his first orchard. The local Farm Service Agency office that would have processed his loan application was shut down. In Wisconsin's dairy country, a 55-year-old woman sat inside her new dream home, worried she would not be able to pay her mortgage. Her loan had come from an Agriculture Department program for low-income residents in rural areas, but all of the account information she needed to make her first payment was locked away in an empty government office. Farm country has stood by President Trump, even as farmers have strained under two years of slumping incomes and billions in losses from his trade wars. But as the government shutdown now drags into a third week, some farmers say the loss of crucial loans, payments and other services has pushed them -- and their support -- to a breaking point. While many rural conservatives may loathe the idea of Big Government, farmers and the federal government are welded together by dozens of programs and billions of dollars in spending.
 
States, cities gear up for Census with billions of dollars at stake
With billions of dollars in federal money on the line, state and local governments are budgeting hundreds of millions of dollars to convince their residents to respond to next year's Census. Many states are budgeting far more for community outreach than they have in previous Census cycles, a reflection, some legislators said, of concern that this decade's count is at risk of missing thousands of residents. "We're mobilizing earlier, getting coordinated earlier and providing more resources than we ever have in the past," said Marc Berman, a California assemblyman who chairs a special Select Committee on the Census. "The challenge is greater than it's ever been." The stakes are so high because the decennial Census is used to determine how the federal government allocates money from hundreds of programs to state and local governments.
 
Kylon T. Alford-Windfield tabbed as MVSU's new director of alumni relations
Mississippi Valley State University's Office of University Advancement has brought on a new director of alumni relations who is familiar with the institution and all things Valley. Jackson native Kylon T. Alford-Windfield, a 2013 graduate of MVSU, has been tabbed as the director of alumni relations. His primary duties include serving as a liaison between University administration, the National Alumni Association, area chapters and alumni of the institution. He officially began in his new role Nov. 1 Windfield said he's humbled and excited to serve in this capacity at his alma mater. Dameon Shaw, MVSU's interim vice-president of advancement, said bringing Windfield aboard should provide a boost of energy to the department. Windfield said he hopes to help improve efficiency in key areas of the office while maintaining the same welcoming culture that was established by the previous director, Willie Young, who retired in June.
 
Baptist trauma surgeon teaches Heritage students how to aid blood loss victims in emergencies
On Wednesday, the juniors and seniors in Heritage Academy's Anatomy and Physiology class learned their ABCs. That is, Alert, Bleeding and Compression, which Dr. Brad Beckham, director of trauma services at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, told them was the way doctors with trauma experience recommend remembering how to control bleeding in life-threatening situations. Beckham visited with the students for about an hour to present Stop the Bleed, a campaign launched by the American College of Surgeons and other organizations following a 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The idea behind the campaign is to train civilians to help victims suffering life-threatening blood loss until emergency services respond. Beckham walked the students through the steps: calling 911 (alert), finding where the victim is injured (bleeding), then applying a compression or whatever other aid is necessary depending.
 
Auburn research monitoring possible effect from shutdown
As the partial government shutdown heads into day 21, Auburn University is monitoring how it might impact research projects on campus. "We're currently seeing little impact so far on delays with federal grant proposals, new awards or administration of ongoing grants and contracts," Jennifer Kerpelman, interim vice president for research at Auburn, said Wednesday. "However, if the shutdown continues much longer, we will likely see more problems." The university issued a news release last week listing what it anticipated based on previous shutdowns. "Generally speaking, Grants.gov will be maintained by the agencies so that grants can be submitted," the release stated. "They will be held in the queue and processed after the government fully reopens. Proposal deadlines may be impacted." New awards likely will be delayed until after the shutdown ends, and Auburn cautioned its researchers about spending money before an award is received.
 
Alabama two-year system OKs tuition hike, raising chancellor's salary
The trustees for Alabama's community colleges on Wednesday approved a 1.5 percent tuition increase for the academic year beginning this fall and a pay raise for the system chancellor. The Alabama Community College System board unanimously approved the tuition increase, which is expected to generate about $3 million in revenue to be used by the system's campuses, according to a December presentation. The base tuition per credit hour for in-state students will increase by $2 to $131 beginning in the fall. The average cost of tuition and fees will increase to $150 per credit hour, said spokeswoman Rachel Adams. The tuition increase will not affect Marion Military Institute. The board approved an 8 percent increase last spring. The board also voted unanimously to increase Chancellor Jimmy Baker's annual salary to $333,000 following a recommendation from the personnel committee. Baker currently makes $296,640.
 
Tired of competing for 'USC,' South Carolina pushes a new abbreviation
The University of South Carolina is done trying to compete for an acronym with the younger USC out west. Rather, the university, founded in 1801, is charting its own path by doubling down on the "UofSC" abbreviation -- most visibly with a set of new logos released Wednesday -- which officials say avoids confusion with the University of Southern California, circa 1880. "Once you get outside the borders of the state, USC means something different," said J.C. Huggins, USC's Director of Brand Strategy. However, "Over 71 percent of the people we surveyed associated UofSC with South Carolina." Students, alumni and fans were not receptive to the brand change on social media. The $238,000 re-brand was based on two years of research and design, most of which was done in-house, USC spokesman Wes Hickman said. However, there is more to come. The three, revised logos USC posted Wednesday on Twitter make up only about $25,000 of that, Huggins said.
 
Controversial street names: Convenience trumps justice, U. of Tennessee study says
Two University of Tennessee researchers have spent the last two years looking at how governments handle requests to rename streets that honor white supremacists and other controversial figures. Geography professor Derek Alderman and geography Ph.D. candidate Jordan Brasher found that cities can tend to prioritize practicality and economic development over acknowledging sometimes painful pasts. Alderman said this can include streets or areas named for white supremacists or nationalists, Ku Klux Klan members, Confederate generals and slave owners. Brasher and Alderman studied a street renaming in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that sparked controversy for the bulk of their research paper. The street in Tulsa was originally named Brady Street after Tate Brady, a Ku Klux Klan leader and participant in the 1921 Tulsa race riots that targeted African-American residents and property. The riots caused over $1.5 million in damage at the time, which equates to approximately $20 million today, Alderman said. More than 800 people were injured and 36 people were killed in the riots.
 
U. of Louisiana System generates $10.9 billion economic impact for state, study says
The University of Louisiana System contributed $10.9 billion to Louisiana's economy in 2018 thanks to the earnings of its alumni and a range of other factors, according to a study released Thursday. The last time the UL System conducted an economic impact study was in 2008. The Idaho-based Economic Modeling Specialists International company conducted the study, according to a news release. The University of Louisiana System is the largest higher education system in Louisiana, with more than 91,500 students across nine universities including the University of New Orleans. The research relies on multiple data points to illustrate the system's economic footprint, including the existing jobs across its universities, jobs supported though construction contracts, the system's role in the creation of start-up and spin-off companies, and the expenses from students attending its universities, according to the 108-page study. The impacts reported come in the form of added income rather than sales, the study added.
 
Texas A&M human behavior laboratory offers new insights
A new human behavior laboratory inside the Centeq Building on Research Parkway on Texas A&M's campus has been called the largest of its kind in the world and is already being used by researchers to make neurological discoveries. About five years ago, A&M's research capabilities for human behavior were limited to one station for test subject monitoring and experimentation. University faculty who work with such research had a desire to see the scope of their capabilities expand, and they planned for the creation of a much larger laboratory. In 2016, the university's Research Development Fund allotted a $1.5 million grant to the construction of the new facility for multidisciplinary research, according to AgriLife Today. The lab uses paid volunteers to participate in trials during which they may interact with other volunteers or a variety of props, while faculty and doctoral candidates record and study their behavior.
 
Trump administration proposal would lift cap on colleges outsourcing higher ed programs
Dozens of colleges, including many with widely known brands, outsource parts of degree programs to other institutions or private companies. Under federal rules, colleges can offer degree programs in which up to 50 percent of instruction is outsourced, including through unaccredited entities. A proposal from the Education Department would remove that cap entirely, potentially allowing colleges to completely outsource curriculum and instruction for degree programs. That possibility is alarming consumer advocates who worry it will give low-quality operators backdoor access to federal student aid money. Amy Laitinen, director for higher education at New America's education policy program, said it would basically allow colleges to rent out their names to third-party companies while pulling in federal aid. "It raises questions about what it means to be an institution and what it means to have to get a degree from your university," she said. The idea is part of a package of proposed changes to the regulatory system governing higher education that the Education Department will ask a group of appointed negotiators to consider beginning next week.
 
Balance is key to Mississippi's economic success
Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Count me as one of the few people who believe the United States, and many other developed countries, have a good, balanced way of governing. It really comes down to money and who gets it. The free market theory argues that people who earn the money should keep it. The government theory argues that government should tax the money and reallocate it for important social needs. In my opinion, neither side is absolutely right or wrong. A balance is needed. I generally believe the free market is a better way to allocate resources. People should make their own purchasing decisions. That being said, we need roads, schools, courts, police, defense and a host of other services for society to function properly. That requires taxation.
 
What's important in 2019 should be decided by voters, not politicians
The Clarion-Ledger's Sam R. Hall writes: A lot has been written about how the media covers elections versus how they should cover elections. This theme has been tackled by members of the media, media critics, politicos, people on the right who believe the media is out to get the president and people on the left who believe the media's coverage of Donald Trump during the 2016 election ultimately led to him becoming President Trump. Much of what has been written is either mostly useless diatribes by those who don't understand the role of the media or idealist manifestos by those who forget we don't live in a utopian society where elections are decided by the substance of ideas and depth of character. But there are some good pieces on the role of the media in covering elections, and there have been some excellent discussions held at conferences, on social media and within newsrooms across the country. All of these center around how to balance coverage in a responsible, issues-focused manner with the undeniable need to develop a large, engaged audience.


SPORTS
 
No. 7 Mississippi State women rally past Georgia 80-71
Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer had plenty of complaints about his team. There were a bunch of defensive lapses. Questionable shot selection. Spotty energy. But his Bulldogs earned one major compliment Thursday night: During the final few pressure-packed minutes against upset-minded Georgia, they came through. "When it got down to crunch time for us, we didn't blink, we didn't flinch," Schaefer said. "I thought our veterans really answered the bell." Chloe Bibby scored a career-high 24 points, Teaira McCowan added 18 points and 21 rebounds and No. 7 Mississippi State survived a scare from Georgia with an 80-71 win.
 
Johnnie Harris' suggestion sparks Mississippi State's offense
Mississippi State women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer is fond of saying he has the best coaching staff in the nation. Associate head coach Johnnie Harris provided proof of Schaefer's claim Thursday night when she suggested No. 7 MSU push forward Anriel Howard to the corner in its dribble-drive offense in an effort to move Georgia's size, especially 6-foot-3 forward Caliya Robinson, out of the middle of the lane. Harris' tweak to the game plan proved to be just what MSU needed. Jazzmun Holmes scored all seven of her points in the final six minutes to help push No. 7 MSU to an 80-71 victory against Georgia in a Southeastern Conference game before a crowd of 6,493 a Humphrey Coliseum.
 
No. 7 Mississippi State uses defensive switch down stretch to beat Georgia
"It wasn't our best night" usually is a good indication bad news is coming. Even though the Mississippi State women's basketball team only had one loss entering its game against Georgia, MSU coach Vic Schaefer has used that phrase several times this season to describe the myriad issues that plague his team. On Thursday night, Schaefer uttered those words again before praising his team for its work in the final five-plus minutes that ultimately turned the tide and pushed No. 7 MSU to an 80-71 victory against Georgia in a Southeastern Conference matchup before a crowd of 6,493 at Humphrey Coliseum. "When it got down to crunch time we didn't blink, either. We didn't flinch," Schaefer said. "I thought our veterans answered the bell." Que Morrison's drive with 6 minutes, 12 seconds remaining gave Georgia (11-4, 2-1 SEC) a 68-65 lead. From there, MSU raised its intensity and effort on the defensive end.
 
Late rally pushes No. 7 Mississippi State past Georgia
No. 7 Mississippi State's long home winning streak was in jeopardy as Georgia took a three-point lead on a layup by Que Morrison with 6:12 remaining on Thursday night. However, it would be the final field goal UGA made. MSU turned up its defensive intensity and outscored Georgia 15-3 down the stretch to win 80-71 and extend its streak inside Humphrey Coliseum to 29 games. "When it got down to crunch time for us, we didn't blink. We didn't flinch," said MSU coach Vic Schaefer. "I thought our veterans really answered the bell...That's what a veteran team will do. When it gets tough, the tough get going." The senior foursome of Teaira McCowan, Jazzmun Holmes, Jordan Danberry and Anriel Howard combined to score all 15 points for State down the stretch to go along with eight rebounds and three steals. Holmes scored all seven of her points in the final 5:26.
 
Finding a way: Homestanding Bulldogs hold off Georgia women
It was a nervous time for the 6,493 Mississippi State fans who sat in their seats at Humphrey Coliseum. That's because Georgia put the sixth-ranked team's 28-game home winning streak in major jeopardy. Georgia was blistering hot from the field with a three-point lead and 5 minutes remaining before MSU flexed its muscles. State finished the game on a 15-3 run and Georgia missed its last 10 shots from the field as the home-standing Bulldogs survived in a 80-71 win. It was a game that MSU could have very well lost but showed that even on its worst of nights they can still find away. Despite the 10-straight missed shots by Georgia, it still shot 54 percent from the field and MSU was 41 percent. "We hit a stretch where we weren't very good, and Georgia is really good," State head coach Vic Schaefer said. "It wasn't our best night. They just had more juice than we did. For whatever reason, we just couldn't keep up with them."
 
'We didn't flinch': Mississippi State outlasts Georgia in battle of Bulldogs
The majority of the crowd inside Humphrey Coliseum who watched No. 6 Mississippi State play Georgia on Thursday night probably didn't know the hit hip-hop song Swag Surfin' by F.LY. Yet the song still blared over the speakers at The Hump, and the MSU student section -- which had another strong showing on a chilly weeknight -- locked arms and started swaying to the beat. It was an exhibition of confidence and anticipation during a time of nervousness and uncertainty. The visiting version of the Bulldogs shockingly led 68-67 with less than five minutes left. The music made the difference. Well, maybe it did. Or maybe it didn't, but Mississippi State went on a 9-0 run after the students swag surfed and ended up winning the ballgame 80-71.
 
Mississippi State basketball's Teaira McCowan is No. 1 WNBA prospect
Teaira McCowan is no stranger to accolades. Mississippi State's senior center was named to three different All-America teams as a junior. She was also on the 2018 NCAA All-Final Four Team. She earned 2017-18 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, too. This week, McCowan made more national news. She landed on the John Wooden Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday. She's one of 25 midseason candidates. The list will be whittled down to 15 finalists come tournament time. On Thursday, Associated Press released a story that included a poll naming McCowan the No. 1 prospect for the 2019 WNBA Draft. If she were to be selected No. 1, that would make Mississippi State the fourth school ever to have multiple players go first overall. MSU would join Connecticut, Stanford and Tennessee. LaToya Thomas was the other top pick from Starkville in 2003.
 
Teaira McCowan named to Wooden Award midseason watch list
Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan made the cut for the midseason top 25 for the John Wooden Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top player. McCowan leads the Southeastern Conference in field goal percentage (68.7), rebounds per game (13) and blocks per game (2.7). She is also the seventh-ranked Bulldogs' top scorer averaging 16.4 points. The 6-foot-7 senior center from Brenham, Texas has 12 double-doubles this season and has already broken the MSU record for career double-doubles (51) and rebounds (1,210). McCowan has scored in double figures in 14 of the Bulldogs' 15 games this year.
 
2019 College Baseball Opening Days: An Overview
Among major NCAA Division I baseball programs, there will be two very significant facility developments in 2019. The University of Kentucky is preparing to open a new ballpark, while Mississippi State University will unveil a completely renovated Dudy Noble Field. Both programs have announced opening dates at their respective ballparks, giving fans the opportunity to look forward to the debut of two prominent venues in the coming months. The final results of a multi-phase, $55 million renovation to Dudy Noble Field will be revealed February 15, when Mississippi State hosts Youngstown State to kick off a three-game weekend series. Additions such as new lower-level seating and a modernized Left Field Lounge were completed prior to the 2018 season, but additional construction is leading to even more changes for 2019. This season, Dudy Noble Field will debut new upper-level seating, along with improved player facilities, and new premium areas. In addition, 2019 will bring the opening of the Left Field Lofts -- a building with apartment-style units located beyond the left field wall.
 
Homecoming for Ole Miss coach at No. 14 Mississippi State
Ole Miss beat one ranked team on Wednesday. It will try to beat another Saturday. Fresh off an 82-67 victory at home against No. 11 Auburn, the Rebels travel to Starkville to face No. 14 Mississippi State in another SEC game. A lot of good things have been happening for Ole Miss in coach Kermit Davis' first season. A win against the Bulldogs would be special. Davis played at State and began his coaching career there as a graduate assistant. The win over Auburn was the Rebels' first over a ranked team in four years. If the Bulldogs (12-2, 0-1) had hit another shot or two they could have beaten South Carolina, but they missed an opportunity to win in regulation and another to tie at the end of overtime in an 87-82 road loss Tuesday. Howland said he expects more tightly contested games like the one at South Carolina, beginning Saturday.
 
LaQuinston Sharp takes next step at Mississippi State
LaQuinston Sharp's growth happened overnight. It was so pronounced that Jamie Sharp recalls walking down the hallway to his home and peaking into LaQuinston's bedroom and seeing his son's feet sticking off the end of the bed. "He hit that growth spurt two years ago," Jamie Sharp said earlier this week. "He just grew all of a sudden. ... It is exciting to see your son in the house with you grow all of a sudden." Dating back to 2009 and his time with the Columbus baseball All-Stars in Propst Park, LaQuinston Sharp always was one of the bigger boys. He also carried a "bigger" bat than his peers, as evidenced by his ability to hit home runs on the 10-year-old Columbus Nationals team and the 11- and 12-year-old Columbus Americans squad. But Sharp's latest growth spurt came while he was a football standout at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba. It enabled him to be a key performer on the offensive line for the Lions in their national championship runs in 2017 and 2018. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, the former Columbus High School standout took the next step in his college career earlier this week when he started classes at MSU.
 
Mississippi State interim track coach Chris Woods taking blue-collar approach with program
Several times the last few track and field seasons, Mississippi State has found itself as a top-10 team at the end of the year. As impressive as that is, Bulldogs interim head coach Chris Woods wants more. Woods begins his first indoor season as interim coach today when MSU travels across the state line over to Birmingham for the UAB Blazer Invitational. Woods hopes it can be the start of a solid year as the Bulldogs start building for what they believe can be a great future. "Last year, our women finished in the top 20 in the country, so that's something we want to duplicate or do better," Woods said. "This year, we feel like our men, indoors, can be a top 20 to top 25 team and that will set us up and kind of catapult us into being what we feel like can be a very special year for us on the outdoor side." Woods wants the UAB event to be a steppingstone to the rest of Mississippi State's schedule.
 
Chris Woods confident about Mississippi State track teams' chances
Chris Woods has a plan to help the Mississippi State track and field program develop a stronger finishing kick. But the former MSU middle distance runner said the key to realizing that is not to have the end in mind every day. If you do that, Woods said, you won't be able to accomplish the daily goals that will help individuals and the teams hit their bigger marks. That's the philosophy Woods has followed since Sept. 20, when MSU announced the resignation of track and field coach Steve Dudley. Woods was named interim coach that day after five seasons as a sprinters and relays coach for the MSU men and women. That's the mentality he wants all of his student-athletes to have this weekend when MSU travels to Birmingham, Alabama, to compete in two one-day meets to open the indoor season. "I want to take full advantage of this opportunity," said Woods, who competed at MSU from 2005-08. Woods earned two All-America honors and four All-SEC awards.
 
Mallory Eubanks excited about former teammate Carly Mauldin's NWSL draft chances
Mallory Eubanks knows the emotions and feelings Carly Mauldin is experiencing today. A year ago, Eubanks was coming off a strong senior season with the Mississippi State women's soccer team and looking forward to the possibility of being selected in the National Women's Soccer League draft. A year later, coming off a season in which she played in 12 games (five starts), Eubanks is getting ready for her second season as a professional. She hopes Mauldin will earn a shot to make a NWSL roster at 11 a.m. Thursday when the NWSL holds its four-round draft. The Chicago Red Stars have the No. 1 pick in the draft, which will select 36 players. "I think Carly wants to play, and I loved playing with her and my time at State with her," Eubanks said. "Anything can happen because you never know to expect in this league. I definitely think this is a really exciting time for her and that she is going to have a lot of fun with it if she gets drafted or she goes somewhere. I think she will enjoy it a lot and that it will be a really good experience for her."
 
Golden Eagles' 2019 football schedule includes stops at Alabama, Mississippi State
Southern Miss will play just five home games and hit the road for two stops in the SEC in the 2019 season, according to a schedule the university released Thursday. The Golden Eagles will open the season against Alcorn State (Aug. 31) before spending three straight weeks on the road in the month of September with stops at Mississippi State (Sept. 7), Troy (Sept. 14) and Alabama (Sept. 21). It's the third time in four years Southern Miss will have squared off against at least two SEC opponents in the same season. The school also announced a home-and-home series for Southern Miss and Mississippi State, currently slated for the 2023 and 2025 seasons. "With a pair of Southeastern Conference opponents scheduled... the 2019 football slate will challenge us in the non-conference segment to prepare us to compete for a C-USA championship," USM interim Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell said. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 6-5 season that ended in disappointment when the team did not receive a bowl bid despite winning three out of its final four games to become eligible.
 
Belhaven baseball coach Hill Denson to retire at season's end
Belhaven baseball coach Hill Denson announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the 2019 season, bringing to an end a career that spanned 33 seasons. Denson coached at Southern Miss from 1984-97, retired once, and then took over at Belhaven in 2001. He's won 1,058 games as a college coach and won eight conference championships. Belhaven made the school's first-ever appearance in the NAIA World Series on his watch in 2010. "I have thoroughly enjoyed my 19 years here at Belhaven," Denson said in a statement. Denson also coached in high school at Callaway, Manhattan High School, and Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson. Denson was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. Belhaven opens the 2019 baseball season Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. against LeTourneau, at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson.
 
Details emerge on new UGA football project
Georgia is setting in motion plans for its next big football facility project. The school has posted on its athletics website under "current renovations" that it is seeking responses from "design-build firms" for design and preconstruction services for a renovation and expansion to the Butts-Mehre building that is expected to include a new football facility. The Athens Banner-Herald reported in August that Georgia was exploring an upgrade to its football facilities that could include, among other things, more office space and a larger weight room. Georgia could construct a new building on the site of the current upper practice turf field adjacent to the $30.2 indoor practice facility that opened in 2017. "There is limited room to expand the facility and the Design-Builder will need to design to expand and renovate in a multi-phase approach while keeping (UGA Athletic Association) groups operational, minimizing disruptions to the football program, and maintaining a safe environment for all building and field occupants," am online document says.
 
Amid Kansas move, Les Miles's $1.5M Baton Rouge home is up for sale -- and it's 'California Cool'
Now that Les Miles is well on his way to Kansas, the former LSU football coach's Baton Rouge home is up for sale. The one-year-old home in The Settlement at Willow Grove is described in the listing as "amazing," "magazine worthy" and "California Cool." The four-bedroom and 4-1/2-bath house at 11707 Silo Drive comes with a $1,495,000 price tag Between the open floor plan and the tall metal windows, the house has a "vacation feel year round," but the L-shaped pool and the cabana probably has something to do with that too. The sleek and neutral interior is spotted with framed photos of the Miles family. One built-in cabinet features a large framed photo of The Mad Hatter himself, dressed in his LSU purple and gold. Miles and his wife Kathy sold their last home in the Bocage Lakes community for $1.45 million in November of 2017, according to records from the East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court's Office. The six-bedroom, 5,500-square-foot mansion in the gated community had been on the market since November 2016, a few weeks after Miles was fired as coach of the Tigers. The family bought the house in 2005 for $1.1 million.
 
NFL and players to unveil new social justice initiative leading into playoff weekend
The controversy that raged during the 2017 NFL season, fueled in part by President Trump, over protests by players during the national anthem and the league's policy in that regard, has faded. Few players protested this season. Few fans paid much attention. The fierce and polarizing public debates subsided. Trump moved on to other issues. The NFL and team owners put aside their deliberations over the policy and are unlikely to revisit the topic in the foreseeable future unless forced to do so by a new set of circumstances. But the social justice deal struck by the league and representatives of the players in November 2017, with the contentiousness near its height, remains intact, and players and league officials say their collaborative work on community projects continues. That work is to be given a more conspicuous platform Friday when the NFL launches a new social justice initiative, followed by the airing of public service announcements during the TV broadcasts of this weekend's playoff games.
 
Civil rights groups using Super Bowl in push against Confederate statues
A coalition of civil rights groups in Atlanta is using this year's Super Bowl to help kick off a renewed "war on the Confederacy," in a fight to remove Confederate monuments around the nation. The groups on Thursday announced a planned Feb. 2 rally on the eve of the championship football game being hosted in the city. The coalition intends to bring its message to fans who will pour into Atlanta for Super Bowl 53 on Feb. 3. "There's no better time to have this conversation -- social justice conversation -- than right before the largest event in the world, the Super Bowl," said Gerald Griggs of the Georgia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Civil rights leaders at Thursday's news conference also took aim at Stone Mountain, which features a giant carving of three Confederate leaders on horseback: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The speakers did not suggest specifically what might be done about the mammoth symbol of the Old South.
 
Big winner of PGA's Sanderson Farms Championship? Mississippi children
Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Humorist Mark Twain once called the sport of golf "a good walk spoiled." But it can be more than that. Take for example the Sanderson Farms Championship, Mississippi's stop on the PGA Tour, which has meant far more than a walk spoiled to Mississippi children. Last October, on a pleasant Sunday afternoon at Country Club of Jackson, rookie Cameron Champ claimed his first PGA Tour championship and a $792,000 check with a 68 in the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship. Three months later, on a chilly, sunny Thursday morning at University of Mississippi Medical Center, there were bigger winners as a result of that golf tournament. That's because Sanderson Farms Championship tournament officials -- along with sponsoring Century Club Charities -- presented a check for $1.25 million to Friends of Children's Hospital.



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