| Wednesday, January 23, 2019 |
| Suspected Bully statue vandals charged | |
 | Two suspects have been charged for vandalizing the Bully statue in the Junction on the Mississippi State campus. Timothy Yeldell, 25, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, turned himself into the Oktibbeha County Jail on Thursday morning after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection to the crime that occurred on Sept. 8. Yeldell was charged with felony malicious mischief. He was release after his bond was set at $5,000, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 26. MSU Police Chief Vance Rice said Yeldell's suspected accomplice, Mathes Tillinghast, 24, of Houston, Texas, was booked into the jail on Dec. 22 after a tip was made to the Mississippi State University Police Department. Sid Salter, chief communications officer and director of the Office of Public Affairs at MSU, said he is deeply appreciative of the hard work the MSU Police Department has put in to solving this case. "Social media may have played a role in this, but the case got solved because of good routine police work," Salter said. "We are always concerned when acts of senseless vandalizations like this occur. At this point, we will watch as the judicial process plays out." |
| Teachers learn to use creative movement in the classroom | |
 | Ever since Any Given Child came to Meridian, teachers and students across Meridian and Lauderdale County Public Schools have been learning how the arts can be applied across the curriculum. A Tuesday workshop focused on how teachers can use creative movement, or kinesthetic learning, to advance any subject. "We have students who need to move; many of our children need to move," says Dr. Penny Wallin, an associate professor of education leadership at MSU-Meridian. "Many of our student's pre-K through 12 need to move, and how do we use that energy to teach whatever academic subject we're teaching." This is part of the Partners in Education program, where MSU-Meridian and the Kennedy Center have teamed up with Lauderdale County and Meridian public school districts to integrate the arts in all classes. "We want to get on the same page in terms of what it is we want our students to be able to learn, be exposed to, and how we can bring creative and state of the art ideas to differentiate instruction and really teach children the way they need to learn," Dr. Wallin says. |
| Economic council focuses on preparing youth for workforce | |
 | When it comes to the Mississippi economy, Scott Waller thinks we've still got work to do. Waller, the CEO and president of the Mississippi Economic Council, described his organization as the state's "chamber of commerce" that provided a voice for business leaders in the state legislature during the MEC tour of the state. He quizzed East Mississippi business leaders about their workforce and improving the state at a presentation Tuesday morning for the East Mississippi Development Corporation. While roughly 48 respondents out of 68, or 69 percent, said they believed the Mississippi economy had improved in the last five years but nearly the same number, or 72 percent, said they thought Mississippi's economy was worse than surrounding states. "We do have some work to do," Waller said. |
| MEC tour focuses on workforce, recruitment | |
| Strengthening Mississippi's economy by focusing on young people was the focus of a gathering in Meridian Tuesday morning. The first Business Before Hours event of 2019 took place at the MSU Riley Center. Some of the most important public figures in the community got together for a special edition of the event, a collaboration with the Mississippi Economic Council which focused on workforce development. In an on-the-spot vote, those at the meeting said they think one of the biggest challenges is finding new recruits with skills and training for roles that don't need a four-year college degree. Scott Waller is the president and CEO of the MEC. He says there's a stigma attached to not going to college and that's a problem. "It's really unfair to those students who have great skill and great potential to be in the skilled trades or mechanical trades, things that don't necessarily require a full four-year college degree," Waller said. |
| 'It is a crisis': State workers are underpaid, aging and quitting, official says | |
 | They fix the roads and bridges. They care for the mentally ill in state hospitals. They watch over prisoners. And they're leaving. State employment officials say Mississippi has had two problems for years: It underpays state employees, and its workforce is nearing retirement. Now the executive director of the State Personnel Board says those two problems are causing a third, more costly problem -- turnover -- and that it has now reached a crisis level. Employee turnover could be costing the state of Mississippi as much as $200 million a year, Kelly Hardwick told lawmakers Tuesday. Hardwick said millions of dollars are going to cover the costs of retirements, hiring and training new employees, and more. It does not appear the problem will go away soon. |
| Mississippi school choice looks murky | |
 | It's unclear whether Mississippi lawmakers will seek to expand charter schools or public subsidies for private schools in the current legislative session, even as proponents held a rally Tuesday to press for action. House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, both Republicans, spoke at the event, where hundreds of students and parents gathered outside the Capitol. Reeves clearly called for more money for an existing program that pays private school tuition for students with special education needs. Gunn said he'd consider more funding when lawmakers write budgets later in the session. "We'll just have to see what the dollars are," Gunn told reporters after the event. |
| Students, parents celebrate 'a variety of choices' in education on the Capitol steps | |
 | Parents, children and policy makers gathered once more in Jackson Tuesday morning to advocate for programs parents use to send their children to private or charter schools using public funds. This year's event took place on the steps of the Mississippi State Capitol as part of a celebration for "National School Choice Week." After the 2018 rally, House and Senate leaders acknowledged there was uneven enforcement of a state policy surrounding rallies in the building. Instead of gathering around the Capitol rotunda, on Tuesday crowds of students and adults donned the trademark yellow scarves and fanned out across the Capitol lawn while Jackson State University's Prancing J-Settes danced to music a DJ played nearby. Speakers focused on familiar themes, arguing "school choice" gives parents an equal opportunity to enroll their children in educational settings that are best for their kids. |
| Tate Reeves, fighting unpopularity and defeated agendas, asks GOP senators to pledge support | |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves stood before a group of Republican state senators in the upstairs room at Iron Horse Grill in downtown Jackson last week with a stack of papers. Printed on each sheet was a short pledge to support his candidacy for governor in 2019 and line for a signature, according to seven Republican senators who attended the Jan. 16 lunch. Reeves and most political observers are gearing up for him to face off against Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood, who has boasted of garnering support from some conservatives. At the Jackson restaurant, Reeves stressed party unity and loyalty, warning of the dangers of a Democrat becoming the next governor. He then asked each senator to sign and return the pledges before leaving the restaurant. Several senators signed the pledge. The senators, most of whom declined on-the-record interviews with Mississippi Today because of the possibility of retaliation for breaking ranks and speaking with the press, had varying reactions to Reeves' request. |
| Governor candidate Robert Foster speaks at Gulfport luncheon | |
 | State Representative and gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster made an appearance in Gulfport to share his platform Tuesday. Foster addressed an audience at the Great Southern Club during a luncheon. The DeSoto County native shared his stance on hot-button issues including education, tax reform and plans for Medicare expansion. Foster also touched on boosting small business owners and relayed his own experience working in agritourism. The first-term republican lawmaker explained his decision to run early in his career. During the event, Foster told voters he's skipping the traditional path to avoid becoming too worried about re-election, rather than doing what's best for the state. |
| Proponents advance rural broadband bill; millions in federal grants at stake | |
| Legislation to allow the state's 25 rural electric cooperatives to offer broadband services could be passed this week and pending only the signature of Gov. Phil Bryant to become law. On Tuesday, Senate Energy Committee Chair Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, said quick passage of the bill is needed to give cooperatives times to apply before an April deadline for millions in federal grants that could be used to expand high speed internet to the state's underserved rural areas. The bill passed Doty's Energy Committee Tuesday afternoon and could be taken up on the floor of the Senate as early as Wednesday. The bill passed the House last week. Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley of Nettleton, who has been a vocal advocate of allowing the cooperatives to offer high speed internet, said as much as $100 million in federal Connect America Funds could be available to expand internet to Mississippi's rural areas and that, in addition, $600 million in the farm bill Congress recently passed could be available nationally. |
| $250 million awarded for emergency road and bridge projects | |
| The Mississippi Transportation Commission announced Tuesday which projects will receive funds designated for emergency road and bridge repair during the last special session. The $250 million announced last August will go towards 163 projects around the state. The Mississippi Department of Transportation will receive $16 million for repairs on Interstate 20. MDOT will also get about $8 million for maintenance on Highway 51. "The fund that the legislature secured during the special legislative session last year for emergency road and bridge replacement is being put to work. Speaker Philip Gunn, said in a statement. "...I commend them on acting quickly and look forward to seeing the work begin." Cities and counties applied for money through Mississippi Transportation Commission, which prioritized bridge or road deficiencies that impeded safety, economic vitality, or mobility. |
| Commissioners approve 163 Mississippi road, bridge projects | |
| The Mississippi Transportation Commission has unanimously approved 163 projects to repair or replace crumbling roads and bridges. The three commissioners voted Tuesday, months after lawmakers met in special session and authorized the state to issue $250 million in bonds to fund emergency repairs. A Mississippi Department of Transportation news release said $213 million will be spent on projects overseen by cities and counties, while $37 million will be spent on projects in the state highway system. The most expensive state project is $16.3 million for part of Interstate 20. Ten cities are receiving money for projects. They are Clinton, Columbia, Indianola, Jackson, Meridian, Natchez, Pickens, Southaven, Starkville and Vicksburg. |
| Momentum for earmarks grows with Dem majority | |
 | With Democrats back in control of the House after eight years of Republican control, there is strong support for reviving earmarks -- the power to direct money on pet projects -- which caused a major scandal in Congress during the George W. Bush years. Senate and House lawmakers from both parties predict there will be a serious push to bring back earmarks once the government shutdown is finally over -- with one exception. Earmarks is a dirty word, so if the specially allocated funds return, they will be referred to as "congressionally directed spending." Support for bringing back earmarks is not unanimous, but it is growing in both parties as Republicans and Democrats alike say too much power has shifted to the presidency. "When you discontinue earmarks, you're saying the administration can better spend the money in my district. They know best what we need," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). Republican Rep. Hal Rogers (Ky.), who served as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee from 2011 to 2017, when the earmark ban was in effect, says there is now "very substantial" support in the House GOP conference for ending it. |
| Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell steps into shutdown fight, scheduling dueling votes | |
 | Now Mitch McConnell has joined the game and suddenly, things have changed. The Senate majority leader, who until late last week had been virtually invisible during negotiations to re-open the government, announced Tuesday the Senate will vote Thursday on President Trump's pitch to fund his border wall and end the partial shutdown. And under the Senate rules, if it does not pass, there will be a separate vote on a Democratic-backed package to open up the government immediately -- but not give Trump the money for his wall. The votes will be the first time the Senate has voted on spending measures this year, though neither measure may clear the 60 votes necessary to limit debate and ultimately head for passage. |
| Even giant federal contractors feeling shutdown's bite | |
 | Boeing has halted testing for a multibillion-dollar rocket program designed to return astronauts to the moon. The Rand Corp. is bracing for work stoppages. Booz Allen Hamilton is transferring employees to projects with agencies whose funding hasn't run out. Federal government contractors and consultants have furloughed tens of thousands of employees, and the numbers will only grow as the nearly monthlong shutdown drags on --- even at some of the biggest, most powerful companies that carry out much of the government's work. Plenty of smaller contractors are already suffering. But now the historic length of the political impasse is reverberating at the Fortune 500 level, making it one of the most economically damaging shutdowns in history. And Boeing is a prime example. Tests of key components to ensure that the company's Space Launch System rocket can withstand its demanding mission have been halted at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Boeing project manager John Shannon told POLITICO. "[So] that work has come to a halt during the shutdown," he said. |
| Young Voters Keep Moving to the Left on Social Issues, Republicans Included | |
 | As a self-described political conservative, Reagan Larson might seem to be a natural fit for the Republican Party. The 19-year-old college student from South Dakota grew up in a Catholic household that objected to same-sex marriage, and she remains firmly opposed to abortion. But in many ways, that is where the ideological similarities end. Ms. Larson, a dual major in biology and Spanish at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., does not oppose the legalization of marriage equality. She views climate change as undeniable, believes "immigrants make our country richer," and disagrees with her parents on the need for a border wall. Ms. Larson is part of Generation Z, one of the most ethnically diverse and progressive age groups in American history. People born after 1996 tend to espouse similar views to the age cohort just ahead of them, the Millennials, but they are far more open to social change than older generations have been, according to the findings of a new report by the Pew Research Center. The findings mark a shift that could substantially reshape the nation's political and economic landscape. |
| Library of Congress apologizes for tweeting about Confederate general on MLK Day | |
| The Library of Congress has apologized after posting a tweet on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that paid tribute to Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. The Library of Congress issued a follow-up tweet late Monday saying the earlier post was "pre-programmed" and was a part of the "Today in History" series. "We sincerely regret publishing this tweet on the day that we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.," the post read. Jackson's birthday happened to coincide with the date on which Martin Luther King Jr. Day fell this year. The national holiday celebrating the civil rights leader occurs on the third Monday in January every year, near King's birthday of Jan. 15. |
| After a casino boom, a Mississippi county deals with a reversal of fortune | |
 | In its heyday, Tunica was one of the nation's biggest gambling meccas, ranking third after Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But casino revenue here has plummeted in the last decade as major casino markets have exploded in dozens of cities from Chicago to New Orleans. Tunica casinos now employ about 4,000 workers, less than a third than they did at their peak. Many in this predominantly African American county of just 10,000 residents, about 30 miles southwest of Memphis, worry they are moving backward. Before glitzy casino palaces were built along the Mississippi River in the early 1990s -- state legislators hoping to revive the ailing economy passed a law in 1990 that allowed dockside casino gambling in counties along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast -- Tunica was the most impoverished county in the nation. More than half its residents live below the poverty line. Today, about 29% of the county's residents live in poverty -- significantly less than a quarter of a century ago, yet still nearly two and a half times the national average. |
| For Provosts, More Pressure on Tough Issues | |
 | Nearly half (46 percent) of provosts of American colleges and universities report that at least one faculty member at their institution has faced allegations of sexual harassment in the last year. The percentage was highest (90 percent) at public doctoral institutions and lower in other sectors. The results are from the 2019 Inside Higher Ed Survey of Chief Academic Officers, conducted by Gallup and answered by 475 provosts or chief academic officers. This is the first time the annual survey of provosts included a series of questions related to the Me Too movement as it has become a force in higher education. The results indicate that provosts (as has been the case on many issues on which college administrators are surveyed) are more confident that their own institutions handle these issues correctly than they are of higher education as a whole. The survey, released today as many provosts and other academic leaders head to Atlanta for the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges & Universities, comes at a time of intense pressure on chief academic officers. |
| Southern studies faculty present new works at Off Square Books | |
 | Local literature fans packed the rows of wooden fold-out chairs to hear Southern studies faculty members Ted Ownby, Kathryn McKee and Jessica Wilkerson read from their recent book releases. Ownby, McKee and Wilkerson presented excerpts of their works to a crowded house of colleagues, students and other community members. After a brief introduction, Ownby discussed his book "Hurtin' Words: Debating Family Problems in the Twentieth-Century South," an analysis of expression, "brotherhoodism" and familial discourse in the South. Ownby said the title -- inspired by Tammy Wynette's song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" -- refers to parents spelling out unpleasant words like "divorce" and "custody" around their children. "That was intriguing to me," Ownby said. "It's a book about the idea of family problems, words -- hurtin' words -- about the expression of family problem and the argument, disagreement or debate (of family problems)." |
| 'It's an amazing treasure of children's literature,' and it's open to the public at USM | |
 | Where can you find such singular children's works as an Aesop's fable from the 16th century, all seven "Curious George" books and the original manuscript of the famous 1962 fantasy science fiction adventure "A Wrinkle in Time?" They're all right here in Hattiesburg, housed on the University of Southern Mississippi campus in the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection. "It's an amazing treasury of children's literature," said Ellen Ruffin, de Grummond curator. "It's a total and complete celebration of bookmaking -- books that are classics, books that are new, books that we have grown up with and loved -- things that have made an impression on our lives." The collection houses original manuscripts and pictures from more than 1,300 children's authors and illustrators, as well as more than 180,000 published children's books dating from the 1500s to the present. Researchers from around the world visit Southern Miss to view the collection and study its fairy tales, folklore, alphabet books, nursery rhymes, textbooks, fantasy fiction, primers and children's magazines. |
| Council tables one, approves another student complex near U. of Alabama campus | |
 | In its first test of a new policy meant to temporarily halt the construction of large-scale, student-based housing developments near Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Tuscaloosa City Council split the difference. The council on Tuesday agreed to table one project at the request of the developers, while voting unanimously to approve another within blocks of the University of Alabama campus.The approval of the Times Square project, as planned by local developers College Station Properties, came with the condition that city-funded sewer infrastructure upgrades be completed before the complex and its 293 bedrooms come online. The infrastructure improvements could take up to two years to complete, city officials said, while the apartments aren't expected to be finished until summer 2021.The City Council will consider approval of Here! Tuscaloosa by CA Ventures of Chicago in three weeks. Tuscaloosa-based attorney Bryan Winter, speaking Tuesday on behalf of the developers, requested the delay to allow for more understanding of the project's effect on the local sewer infrastructure. |
| UGA teaching assistant under fire for racially charged comments about whites | |
| The University of Georgia has condemned comments made by an African-American teaching assistant on social media about "fighting" white people that some have described as racist. "I got people in their feelings saying fighting white people is a skill," Irami Osei-Frimpong, 40, said at the beginning of a 45-minute video posted Friday on YouTube. The video was in response to conservative bloggers' reaction to a recent Facebook post. That post about race relations, which ignited a social media firestorm, said that "some white people may have to die for black communities to be made whole in this struggle to advance to freedom." UGA said in a statement it "has been vigorously exploring all available legal options. Racism has no place on our campus, and we condemn the advocacy or suggestion of violence in any form. We are seeking guidance from the Office of the Attorney General as to what actions we can legally consider in accordance with the First Amendment." |
| Burglary dampers Nepalese student's plan to bring parents to UGA graduation | |
 | Suraj Upadhaya traveled halfway around the world in 2013 so he could continue his higher education in the United States.After earning a master's degree in forestry at the University of Kentucky, the 31-year-old doctoral candidate from Nepal is about to realize his dream of earning a doctorate at the University of Georgia. Upadhaya has another dream; bringing his parents to Athens from their home in the Himalayas to see him awarded his doctorate in Integrative Conservation of Nature and Forestry from UGA's Warnell School of Forestry. However, an act of crime jeopardized that dream. After spending all day Jan. 7 at school to work on his dissertation, Upadhaya returned to his home at Argo Apartments on South Milledge Avenue to find it had been burglarized. Only two items were missing -- his friend's backpack and Upadhaya's fanny pack, which contained his passport, visa and more than $3,500 he had saved to finance his parent's trip to the U.S. |
| Original report of rape on Sunday in U. of Tennessee dorm was 'misclassified,' UTPD says | |
 | A rape in a residence hall at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was reported to the UT Police Department through a campus security authority on Sunday, according to UTPD's most recent crime log. However, UTPD has contacted the News Sentinel to say that they will amend the Jan. 20 crime log to clarify that the incident was not a rape. In an email, Lola Alapo, public information officer for UT Public Safety, said the "incident was misclassified by the CSA." "It does not fall within a Clery reportable crime classification," Alapo said. "We were confirming information before we updated the crime log. It will be updated tomorrow when we put together tomorrow's document." The incident reportedly occurred Sunday, Jan. 20, at an unknown time in a residence hall on the east side of campus. It reported that same day to a campus security authority, a title given to university employees such as campus police officers, resident assistants, Title IX officers and coaching staff who are trained in reporting crimes under the Clery Act. |
| Missouri lawmakers propose changes to Title IX process | |
 | Students disciplined in sexual assault cases would be able to appeal the findings outside a university system in legislation proposed by two Missouri Republican lawmakers. Sen. Gary Romine's Senate Bill 259 and Rep. Dean Dohrman's House Bill 573 would allow students involved in Title IX complaints to receive a hearing before the State of Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission, which describes itself as a "neutral and independent hearing officer for the state." "The purpose of the bill is to create balance between the accused and the accuser, to make sure there's a good process in which both sides can be heard without either party's credibility or life being ruined," Romine, R-Farmington, said. But some advocates for an organization that works to raise awareness of sexual assault on the University of Missouri campus had serious concerns about the proposals. Kelli Wilson, the director of MU's chapter of It's On Us, a national organization that raises awareness of sexual assault on college campuses, says the bill's attempt to give the accused the "right to defend (their) character" would only give him or her more power over the accuser. |
| Buoyed by Solid Economies, Most States Spend More on Higher Education | |
 | State spending on higher education this fiscal year grew almost 4 percent over 2018, according to the results of an annual survey released on Monday. The "Grapevine" survey, compiled by the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University and the State Higher Education Executive Officers, found wide variations in states' support for their colleges during the current fiscal year. But over all, the increase in money for higher education follows a strong year for many state economies, which are projected to grow more than 4 percent in the 2019 fiscal year. Half of the states reported increasing higher-education spending by more than 3 percent for the current fiscal year, with Colorado showing the largest gain, at 12 percent, according to the survey. |
| Education Department revisits state authorization for online programs again | |
| Controversial regulations requiring online institutions to be authorized to operate in multiple states were up for debate last week as part of the Trump administration's planned overhaul of higher education rules. For online learning leaders, it was a case of deja vu. Last week's discussion at the U.S. Department of Education represents the third time in a decade that department officials have moved to reshape state authorization rules for distance education through a process known as negotiated rule making. After almost 10 years of discussion, one thing is clear: state authorization is complex. Few groups agree on exactly how it should be done, or even if it should be done at all. Yet Education Department officials are optimistic they can find a way forward that will make the rules simpler for colleges. The test will be whether they can do so without significantly reducing consumer protections for students. |
| Want to Learn How The World Sees Your College? Look on YouTube | |
| Nicolas Chae has a typical morning routine: He wakes up early, heads to the gym, and then changes clothes for class. But one thing about Chae's morning routine sets him apart from his fellow sophomores at Princeton University: He carries a camera wherever he goes, gathering footage of his everyday interactions, which he broadcasts to thousands of people many times a month. Chae is a YouTube influencer, a video creator who has gained recognition via his vlogs, or video blogs, about everyday life. His channel is part of a niche digital community on YouTube where students upload videos documenting the college experience -- about their dorms, study habits, exams. Student influencers own a pretty piece of digital real estate, one that their colleges probably envy. Videos uploaded by college students offer an authentic lens into student life and campus culture, which are helpful for high schoolers looking to visualize themselves on a specific campus. |
| Colleges Lose a 'Stunning' 651 Foreign-Language Programs in 3 Years | |
| Colleges closed more than 650 foreign-language programs in a recent three-year period, according to a forthcoming report from the Modern Language Association. The new data, which the MLA shared with The Chronicle, suggest that it took several years for the full effect of the recession of 2008 to hit foreign-language programs. Higher education, in aggregate, lost just one such program from 2009 to 2013. From 2013 to 2016, it lost 651, said Dennis Looney, director of programs at the MLA. The net loss is a "stunning statistic" that may illustrate how extensively colleges designated foreign-language programs for cuts, said Looney, who also directs the MLA's Association of Departments of Foreign Languages. "I don't want to call it a trend yet," he said, but "everything has really accelerated." |
| Kamala Harris' hidden army: HBCUs | |
| When Kamala Harris makes her first trip this year to South Carolina on Friday, she'll be surrounded by thousands of potential voters at a fundraiser hosted by a group of the state's most powerful voting bloc: black women. The California senator won't have to make a hard sell at the annual "Pink Ice Gala" -- as a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, she's already got a powerful connection to the organizers. Harris pledged the sorority -- the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women -- as a student at Howard University. Now, more than three decades later, she is leaning on the group's influential network to advance her prospects in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. In South Carolina, where there are eight historically black colleges and universities and nearly 4-in-10 Democratic primary voters are black women, according to 2016 exit polls, the AKA advantage amounts to an army of potential surrogates for the first-term senator. Harris is the only black woman running in a crowded field that's expected to include more than 20 candidates. And, as a graduate of Howard University, she's the only HBCU alum running for president. |
| The late Ed Perry was a jovial, intensely loyal force of nature in the Mississippi House | |
 | Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: State Rep. Felix Edwin "Stump" Perry was one of the most effective legislators in the long history of the Mississippi House, but it was the style with which Ed carried out his legislative duties that made Ed's passing last week at age 76 statewide news. ... Perhaps better than most, Perry understood that immense power that came from chairing the House Appropriations Committee, and he used that power to benefit public education at all levels. But Ed's loyalty to his Ole Miss alma mater was keenly evident. During that time, Perry would summon Dr. Donald Zacharias, the thoughtful president of Mississippi State University, to testify before his committee and give him a fair hearing of the legislative "wish list" for the Starkville university. He likewise provided forums for the state's other seven higher education institutions. In that way, Perry would tell me, it made it easier to fund projects for the whole of higher education in Mississippi by not favoring his school over the other seven. |
SPORTS
| What Vic Schaefer expects from Mississippi State without Chloe Bibby | |
| Vic Schaefer sat in the media room at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday afternoon with a puzzled look on his face. He listened to reporters ask multiple questions about how No. 6 Mississippi State will replace sophomore starter Chloe Bibby, who is done for the season and will undergo surgery for a torn ACL in her left knee. She sustained the injury in the first minute of last Thursday's 87-72 win over South Carolina. Seniors Teaira McCowan, Jordan Danberry and Jazzmun Holmes flanked Schaefer. They responded with how they plan to play without Bibby, who was the team's fourth-leading scorer. Finally, after over 10 minutes, Schaefer chimed in with clarification. "I'm sitting here listening to our conference today and there seems to be a concern," Schaefer said, "and I'm not concerned about -- I'm not concerned at all about my team right now or who's going to step into that role." |
| No. 7 Bulldogs looking to change plans after losing Chloe Bibby for season | |
 | To the left, Myah Taylor worked at the top of the key and fired passes to Anriel Howard. With 24 minutes and counting remaining on the clock, Howard launched a mid-range jump shot and started the routine again. To the right, Andra Espinoza-Hunter took a pass just inside the 3-point arc and elevated. In the right corner, Ketara Chapel flicked passes to Jordan Danberry for corner 3-pointers. The drill continued with Mississippi State assistant women's basketball coach Elena Lovato checking Espinoza-Hunter and forcing her to make moves off the dribble and shoot jump shots. Work like that Tuesday by several Bulldogs is just one reason coach Vic Schaefer's team is atop the Southeastern Conference at 17-1 and 5-0 in the league. Continued work like that by those Bulldogs and more will be needed if MSU is going to sustain its current pace. Schaefer believes No. 7 MSU will be able to maintain that pace even though it will play the rest of the season without sophomore Chloe Bibby. |
| Notebook: Teaira McCowan continues to collect awards | |
| Teaira McCowan continues to add to her accomplishments. On Tuesday, Mississippi State's senior center was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time this season and second-straight week. "Congratulations to T," MSU coach Vic Schaefer said. "She has been (ESPNW and Naismith National Player of the Week), and SEC Player of the Week this week for her accomplishments last week, and it very well deserving. I know she would tell you it is the result of having great teammates." The honor was McCowan's ninth of her career, including a freshman of the week selection in 2015-16. She is tied with Missouri's Sophie Cunningham for the most weekly honors by an active SEC player. McCowan doesn't think she will attract any more attention due to the season-ending injury of sophomore forward Chloe Bibby, who was the Bulldogs' primary shooter from 3-point range. It remains to be seen how the Bulldogs will replace Bibby, but McCowan is prepared to do more. |
| Mississippi State's Khristian Carr Selected to Represent SEC at NCAA Convention | |
| Khristian Carr will represent the Mississippi State volleyball program as one of three Southeastern Conference student-athlete representatives who will have a voice on proposed rule changes under the NCAA's Division I autonomy process at the NCAA Convention in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 23-26. Carr is the second student-athlete from MSU to attend the convention. She joins former student-athlete Jay Hughes who represented the SEC in 2016. Carr, alongside Blake Ferguson from LSU and Haley Lorenzen from Florida, will represent the SEC as part of the Autonomy Conferences' (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC) efforts to engage and empower student-athletes by giving them both a voice and vote within a transparent decision-making process. "I am both honored and grateful to represent Mississippi State University and the SEC in the 2019 NCAA Convention in Orlando, Florida," Carr said. Carr, a native of Starkville, ended her senior season in the maroon and white appearing in 26 matches with seven starts. Carr will graduate in May 2019 with a degree in communications with a concentration in broadcasting. |
| No. 22 Mississippi State falters in second half of road loss at No. 8 Kentucky | |
| Kentucky's defense wasn't perfect against Mississippi State, just quick enough to disrupt the No. 22 Bulldogs' rhythm and cause its worst offensive performance this season. The No. 8 Wildcats now aim to keep it going after clearing the second of three big challenges. PJ Washington scored 21 points, including a big 3-pointer down the stretch, Tyler Herro added 18 and Kentucky pulled away from Mississippi State 76-55 on Tuesday night for its fifth consecutive victory. The Wildcats (15-3, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) also emerged with a lot to like in beating their second of three ranked opponents before hosting No. 9 Kansas on Saturday. "We were rushed offensively tonight," Bulldogs coach Ben Howland said. "I think they did a good job of speeding us up and getting us playing faster and not really controlled enough offensively." |
| Mississippi State's Asia Poe honored by SEC | |
 | After an incredible performance in the long jump at the Vanderbilt Invitational, Mississippi State track and field's Asia Poe has been named the Southeastern Conference Women's Freshman of the Week. The Madison, Mississippi, native leaped a personal-best 6.30m (20-8.0) to win the long jump at Vanderbilt on Jan. 18, a mark that was third-best nationally that week. With her selection, Poe becomes the program's first SEC Women's Freshman of the Week, indoor and outdoor combined. "I'm incredibly excited for Asia," interim head coach Chris Woods said. "This is a great honor for her to receive so early in her career, and it is a testament to the hard work that she and Coach Steve Thomas have put in during her training." Poe currently ranks sixth nationally in the long jump and is the nation's top-ranked freshman in the event, which puts her in position to qualify for the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships in March. She also currently ranks second in the SEC in the event. |
| LSU basketball team gets 'beautiful' portraits in new team lounge | |
 | LSU has been renovating the basketball locker room for months, but the project -- orchestrated by director of basketball operations Nelson Hernandez -- is finally finished and the final piece was unveiled to the players and the media on Monday. That final piece was individual portraits of all the team members, as well as coach Will Wade. Hernandez said the only player who had seen the portraits was Skylar Mays. The rest of the team took in the works of art on Monday morning. "We couldn't make it any bigger, but we tried to make it homey," Hernandez said. "... I wanted to do something unique to LSU, so I reached out to a local artist and he painted portraits of each of the guys." LSU commissioned local artist Jacob Zumo to produce the paintings. Zumo was in attendance, hanging out in the back, during the unveiling. |
| Florida State 'sorry for missing the mark' in now-deleted Martin Luther King Jr. Day tweet | |
 | A Twitter account associated with the Florida State football team deleted a tweet Monday, then apologized on the social media platform. On Monday, the FSU recruiting account tweeted an image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. appearing to do the school's tomahawk chop on Martin Luther King Day with King's quote, "If I can not do great things, I can do small things in a great way." The tweet was deleted and an apology was issued. "... in our attempt to more closely connect the message to FSU, we foolishly posted a graphic that was not in line with our intent. We are sorry for missing the mark in our attempt to celebrate Dr. King's legacy." |
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