| Friday, January 25, 2019 |
| Mississippi State president visits Tupelo High School | |
 | High school seniors and juniors received a visit Thursday from the president of Mississippi State University. Dr. Mark Keenum talked about the importance of higher education at the Tupelo High School Performing Arts Center. He said it is important to think about the future and possibly consider MSU as the next step. |
| It's cold! A Mississippi physiologist explains the science of feeling warm | |
 | Whether waiting for a bus, playing outside or walking the dog -- during the colder winter season, everyone is looking for ways to stay warm. Luckily, the process your body uses to break down foods serves as an internal heater. But when the weather is cold, some defensive strategies are also necessary to prevent your body from losing its heat to the surrounding environment. As the temperature difference between your warm body and its frigid surroundings increases, heat is lost more quickly. It becomes more of a challenge to maintain a normal body temperature. ... But beyond the subjective experience of coldness, researchers do know that natural physiological responses to cold as well as behavioral adaptations -- like bundling up! -- can help keep your body around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure you feel warm. |
| Make choices that will keep you healthy | |
 | Perhaps in the past few months you have seen television commercials featuring families eating healthy food and exercising with a catchy tune and the slogan "HappyHealthy." Actually HappyHealthy is brought to you by the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Mississippi State Department of Human Services. The goal of the HappyHealthy campaign is to help everyone in Mississippi live a happier, healthier life. One thing that is highlighted in the campaign is how to enjoy the foods Mississippians love, in a healthier way. Making healthier choices about food is one of the easiest ways to live a healthier life. But the HappyHealthy campaign goes much farther than commercials. |
| New Law Could Help Co-Ops Wire Rural Homes | |
 | A bill that could expand high-speed internet access to thousands in Mississippi moves one step closer to becoming law. On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed a House Bill giving electric cooperatives the option to provide high-speed internet to their customers. "We've heard the term food deserts, but we got a number of areas and in the state that I would call them broadband deserts," said Dr. Randy Loper, head of the Extension Center for Technology Outreach and Mississippi State University. He believes if the Internet Bill becomes law not only will it have major impacts on rural areas and small businesses, but also farmers: "More and more of the heavy equipment that we use on large scale farming requires internet connectivity to go back to the manufacturer for updates to the equipment, GPS technology, we will even see self driving tractors, and self driving farm equipment at some point, but as we move more and more to precision agriculture, the connectivity is an extremely important issue." |
| Entergy announces 250 new jobs at Jackson nuclear center | |
 | Entergy Nuclear's headquarters in Jackson will expand its operations in 2019, hiring for 250 new job openings. The positions will range from engineers to project managers to training and maintenance. The Entergy Nuclear headquarters monitors nuclear plants around the country, in states such as Arkansas, New York, Louisiana, and Michigan. Entergy's presence in Jackson also includes a training facility for all of the corporation's employees, a transmission control center that employs 300 people, as well as the company's data center. The company also announced two other recent investments: a $20-million newly-renovated distribution center in Jackson, and plans to purchase the Choctaw Generating facility in French Camp -- a natural gas-fired power plant in French Camp -- for $314 million. Gov. Phil Bryant touted Entergy's investment in the state, employing 2,000 workers in Mississippi and serving 449,000 customers across 45 counties. |
| Teacher pay-raise bills flood House and Senate | |
| Will Mississippi teachers see a pay raise this year? Now that the deadline to introduce general legislation has passed, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have put forth more than a dozen pay-raise bills. Gov. Phil Bryant has already endorsed the prospect. At his final State of the State address earlier this month, he told legislators: "Send me a bill to authorize a pay raise for these most critical guardians of Mississippi's future, and I will sign it." This year, a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree earns $34,390, although school districts can supplement salaries with their own funds. Teachers in Mississippi are paid according to a salary schedule based on years of experience and education. The minimum salary for assistant teachers is $12,500. |
| Furlough discussions at Human Services department sends lawmakers scrambling to close gap | |
| After the head of the Department of Human Services warned lawmakers that the federal government shutdown could force his agency to furlough many of their 4,500 employees next month, House Democrats said they would draft legislation to close the gap with state money. John Davis, the executive director of the state human-services department, told the House Appropriations Committee that his agency needs approximately $30 million in federal funds to continue paying its 4,500 employees. Those funds won't be available from the federal government until the federal shutdown, now in its 34th day, ends. As a result, Davis told lawmakers that by Feb. 15 he may have to begin furloughing many agency workers, whose salaries are paid through a mix of federal and state funds. |
| Mississippi agencies: Shutdown could spark worker furloughs | |
 | Mississippi's welfare and child protection agencies could have to begin furloughing state employees without pay because federal welfare money has been interrupted by the federal government shutdown. Department of Human Services Executive Director John Davis told the state House Appropriations Committee on Thursday that he needs to know by Feb. 15 if federal money will resume. If not, according to lawmakers who heard Davis and a spokesman for Gov. Phil Bryant, Davis will plan for furloughs at the agency beginning in March. Davis told lawmakers that his agency gets $30 million or more each month in federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families money to pay employees. Rep. David Baria, a Bay St. Louis Democrat, said Davis told lawmakers that he would have to lay off a substantial portion of the agency's more than 2,000 employees. |
| Why state Democrats are keeping their candidate list secret | |
| The Mississippi Democratic Party wants to keep its slate of candidates confidential -- at least until March 1. Voters wondering about Republican candidates for statewide and district offices, such as legislator or district attorney, can visit the Mississippi Republican Party website and find out. People can do the same by visiting the Secretary of State's website to find out about candidates opting to run for office as independents or third-party candidates. But the Mississippi Democratic Party is not offering the same information. No information can be found on its website about who has qualified to run as a Democrat this year in state elections. "If candidates want to announce, they can do it," said Bobby Moak, the chair of the Mississippi Democratic Party. The leader of the state Republican Party suggested the strategy might signal that Democrats have weak field of candidates this election year. |
| Longtime Mississippi Sen. Terry Burton has stroke, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves says | |
| A longtime Mississippi lawmaker who recently stepped down from a leadership post has had a stroke. Republican Sen. Terry Burton of Newton was hospitalized Thursday and his family is requesting privacy, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. "Please join me and Elee in praying for Sen. Burton and his family," Reeves said. Burton has served in the Senate since 1992. He was a Democrat until switching parties in December 2002. He has said he won't seek re-election this year in his district in Lauderdale, Newton and Scott counties. |
| State recoups $26.6 million from Chris Epps bribery scandal | |
| Attorney General Jim Hood has settled all eleven lawsuits filed against government contractors involved in the Chris Epps bribery case for a total of $26.6 million. The contractors involved used consultants as a means to secure contracts with former Department of Corrections commissioner Chris Epps, Hood said. The settlements should deter companies interested in doing business in the state from engaging in such behavior, Hood told reporters Thursday. "These companies, they had to pay and pay dearly," Hood said. Of the $26.6 million, $10.6 million will go toward the state's general fund, with about $9 million being returned to the Department of Corrections. Attorneys' fees on the cases total $6.7 million. |
| Sens. Roger Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith challenge new liver transplant policy | |
 | U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) are challenging a new policy that could divert livers donated for transplant in Mississippi to other regions of the country. Wicker and Hyde-Smith are among 22 senators who signed a bipartisan letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that questions actions by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) in developing a new national liver distribution policy. The senators outlined their concerns that "the negative effects of this new policy could be most severe for rural, low-income populations." The University of Mississippi Medical Center, which has the only liver transplant program in Mississippi, has excelled under the previous policy that based transplant candidate selection in relation to where the donors lived. |
| GOP senators read VP Mike Pence riot act before shutdown votes | |
 | Frustrated GOP senators read Vice President Pence the riot act at a closed-door meeting Thursday, telling him the partial government shutdown needs to end soon, according to lawmakers in the room. Republican senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), warned the vice president that prolonging the shutdown is not a smart political strategy, in hopes of sending a clear message to President Trump that he needs to resolve the crisis as soon as possible. Lawmakers vented their irritation to Pence shortly before six GOP senators defected to vote for a Democratic-backed bill that would open the government without funding Trump's proposed border wall. One GOP senator said lawmakers told Pence "the shutdown needs to come to an end, this is not a strategy that works [and] we never should have had a shutdown in the first place." |
| First the Senate rejected two spending bills. Then Mitch McConnell went to work | |
 | Mitch McConnell is back at the center of talks to end the partial government shutdown, as his colleagues are hopeful the master negotiator's involvement may be the break that ends the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The Senate majority leader and his Democratic counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, met briefly in McConnell's Capitol office Thursday after Republican and Democratic efforts to end the stalemate died on the Senate floor. Schumer left McConnell's office with a smile, telling reporters "We're talking." The White House noticed. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders highlighted in a statement that " Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Chuck Schumer are meeting now to see whether or not they can work out of the deadlock," while making it clear that a Senate proposal under discussion to open the government with a short-term spending plan would "only work if there is a large down payment on the wall." |
| Roger Stone arrested in Mueller investigation | |
 | Roger Stone, a longtime aide and confidant of President Donald Trump, was arrested early Friday morning by the FBI after being indicted on charges he lied to Congress and obstructed the House Intelligence Committee's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The seven-count indictment alleges Stone misled lawmakers on the committee about his efforts to communicate with WikiLeaks and his contacts with the Trump campaign. It also accuses Stone of attempting to intimidate another witness: radio host Randy Credico, who was in contact with WikiLeaks head Julian Assange in 2016. Special counsel Robert Mueller's office said Stone will make an appearance at 11 a.m. Friday at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Stone indictment marks Mueller's biggest move yet against a Trump associate on grounds related to the release of stolen emails to sabotage Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016. It also reflects a stunning turn for Stone, a GOP operative and prominent Trump cheerleader whose relationship with the president spans nearly 40 years, making him a prime target for investigators to try to turn into a government witness. |
| House members are more diverse, but does the same go for staff? | |
 | More women and people of color are serving in the House than ever before. And at least one office has fueled hopes of that diversity extending to congressional staffers. New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland announced earlier this month that she had assembled a majority-minority team, fulfilling a campaign promise to hire a diverse staff. "Being the first Native American woman in Congress, I felt like I needed to set an example if that were possible," the freshman Democrat said, citing a distinction she shares with Kansas' Sharice Davids. But even with the most diverse House in history, it's not clear how many other offices will follow Haaland's example. At present, there is no entity in the House that tracks staff demographics. But that's about to change. As part of the rules package adopted earlier this month, the House will establish an Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which will collect data on staff demographics and develop a diversity plan. |
| Distracted driving: Risky phone use soars, IIHS study concludes | |
 | Americans are using their phones in riskier ways while driving, worsening the nation's crash crisis, according to a new report. Although overall cellphone use on the road is down, drivers were "observed manipulating their phones" 57 percent more often in 2018 than they were in 2014, according to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means people are putting themselves at significantly higher risk of dying in a car crash. "People are talking on the phone less than they were in 2014 and they're manipulating it more, which is things that include texting and potentially browsing the internet or potentially using it for navigation, audio, music," said David Kidd, senior research scientist for the Highway Loss Data Institute, a sibling organization to IIHS. Using the most recently available figures, IIHS estimated that about 800 people were killed in crashes in 2017 due to drivers who were using their phones for something other than a call. |
| MUW nursing students get a look at their future | |
| Dozens of MUW nursing students gather on campus to learn about future opportunities. Reps from more than 20 different nursing facilities came out for the university's nursing job fair. Employers traveled from all over the state, parts of Alabama, and Tennessee. Event coordinators say the fair allows students to learn more about the field. And also opens doors for potential jobs once nurses graduate. "To get our students connected with those employers, with those nursing facilities that are offering job positions to put them all in one place, so that they are able to find out what is out there, what the options are with the degrees that they've chosen," said MUW Career Specialist Towanda Williams. |
| Proposed Title IX revisions draw student, administrator concern at UM | |
 | Many of the students and faculty in attendance at an open forum on Title IX last night in Bryant Hall disagreed with the Trump administration's proposed changes to the law. Rebels Against Sexual Assault hosted the discussion with Title IX coordinators and invited students to share their thoughts on the possible changes. "I feel like (these changes) are going to do way more harm than it would good," RASA recording secretary Sadie Braddock said. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos proposed the modifications last fall with the main goals of defining sexual harassment and ensuring due process to all students involved in such cases. Fifty percent of sexual assault cases that the University of Mississippi's Title IX office handles occur off campus, according to Title IX coordinator Honey Ussery. Speakers encouraged those in attendance to leave comments on the Title IX page of Regulations.gov, a website that offers citizens a space to share their opinions on possible changes to law. They also showcased the webpages handsoffix.org, and actionnetwork.org. |
| Political commentator Ben Shapiro to speak at U. of Alabama | |
 | Conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro is scheduled to visit the University of Alabama for a lecture series on Feb. 12. The author and podcast host was invited by the University of Alabama Young Americans for Freedom chapter for the Fred Allen Lecture Series. The lecture on current political issues facing the nation will be from 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in the UA Ferguson Student Center Ballroom. The doors open at 6 p.m. The audience will be able to engage with Shapiro during a question-and-answer session. |
| Foot-chase on Auburn University campus ends with Taser, arrest | |
 | A 25-year-old Macon County man was taken into custody Thursday on Auburn University's campus after a brief police pursuit and use of a Taser. The man was arrested on outstanding warrants from Opelika Police Department for writ of arrest on a failure to appear. Auburn police charged him on Thursday with attempting to elude police and resisting arrest, which resulted in the Taster being used, according to the Auburn Police Division. A 26-year-old female of Tuskegee also was taken into custody Thursday morning during the transaction of events, police said. She was arrested on an unrelated warrant from Tuskegee. One witness, Noah Gardner, an Auburn University student, watched the incident from inside the student center and said he believes a gun was drawn on the suspect, who was forced on the ground in bushes outside the student media suites in the Student Center. "I was getting some advising for one of my resumes that I was trying to put together and I hear a cop say, 'Get on the ground! Get on the ground!'" he said. |
| U. of Kentucky freshman dies after dorm incident, officials announce | |
 | A University of Kentucky freshman died Wednesday after being taken to the hospital from a residence hall.UK officials identified the student as Sean Culley, an engineering major from New Jersey. Police and paramedics were called to Jewell Hall, a dorm on the Avenue of Champions, Wednesday afternoon. Officials did not say how he had died but ruled out any foul play. "Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and friends across the campus at this time," UK spokesman Jay Blanton said in a statement Thursday. "We extend our deepest condolences to them and to everyone impacted by this tragedy." Blanton said the UK counseling center and the college are already working closely with people who may be affected by the death. |
| South Carolina college students may have to take U.S. Constitution class | |
 | If you graduated from a four-year college in South Carolina and didn't take a class on the U.S. Constitution, your degree is worthless, according to state law. That law, which has been in place for decades, hasn't been enforced, and nearly all colleges aren't following it. But some S.C. lawmakers want to change that. The REACH Act, sponsored by Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, would require all college students receiving a bachelor's degree or higher to complete three credit hours of a class that includes reading and studying the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. An amendment to the law, proposed by Sen. Floyd Nicholson, D-Greenwood, would also require that class to include the Emancipation Proclamation and how slavery relates to the constitution. Implementing this bill would cost the University of South Carolina up to $3.4 million a year in additional staff, according to the bill's fiscal impact statement. |
| U. of Missouri preparing for possible cuts, system president says | |
 | The University of Missouri is preparing for the possibility of substantial state budget cuts even as it advocates for state help building a major new research complex and protection for its core operating aid, system President Mun Choi said Thursday. In an interview before the 17th annual legislative forum sponsored by the Boone County chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association, Choi said the university has been following news of a drop in state revenue very closely. State tax receipts have fallen substantially so far this fiscal year, a drop blamed on errors in state income tax withholding tables."We know there are some pressures on the general revenues," Choi said. "Hopefully, there will be a rebound. But just to be prepared we are making contingency plans right now." The state budget proposed last week by Gov. Mike Parson is based on modest revenue growth by June 30, the last day of the fiscal year. If that projection is true, the state will end the year with a surplus of more than $500 million and Parson plans to spend about $400 million of that in the coming year. |
| Colleges mull how to handle new popularity of vaping | |
 | The move to snuff out cigarettes, tobacco products and smoking devices on college campuses has exploded in the past decade, and institutions are still declaring new bans entering the new year -- now with the complication of vaping. While campaigns warning young men and women about the dangers of cigarettes have succeeded to a degree, and their popularity has waned, antismoking advocates (and colleges and universities) have attacked the ubiquitous trend of electronic cigarettes with some frustration. Juul and other thriving brands of e-cigarettes have been marketed as a healthy alternative for tobacco users. They can look like normal cigarettes and be as small as a USB flash drive -- and eliminate the stench of tobacco -- and thus can covertly be consumed in public and in dormitories. They can taste like wintergreen or strawberry. College administrators are inheriting a group of students who find e-cigarettes quite appealing. |
| Liberal education advocates discuss ways to reclaim conversations about academe | |
| Don't. Say. Liberal. Arts. But by all means, do preach the value of a "universal" education to anyone and everyone. Smash the false dichotomy between that universal education and job-ready training, while you're at it, rhetorically and via the curriculum. Give students the opportunity to practice what they're learning in a real-world setting before they graduate. And throw in a well-earned credential along with their degree. Those are all ideas pitched by speakers in Atlanta Thursday during the opening plenary and additional sessions of the Association of American Colleges and Universities' annual meeting. The AAC&U has long advocated for students of all backgrounds to get the broad educations that will prepare them for careers and not just first jobs, taught through evidence-based practices. To AAC&U leaders, that means taking general education seriously, not just as boxes to check. |
| State Lawmaker Criticizes U. of Wisconsin Prof's Syllabus Over Characterization of Trump | |
 | A political scientist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison is being criticized by a Republican state lawmaker for how his course syllabus characterizes President Trump. Rep. Dave Murphy, chairman of the state Assembly's Committee on Colleges and Universities, sent a critical letter to Kenneth R. Mayer, a professor of political science, on Wednesday. "I am a fierce advocate for academic freedom, and it is your right to include such statements in your course syllabi; however, your choice to include such a statement cannot go without criticism, and including it is a disservice to your students and the University of Wisconsin-Madison," Murphy wrote in the letter, which was first published by the Wisconsin State Journal. Murphy singled out a part of the syllabus that describes Trump as "a president who gleefully flouts the norms of governing and presidential behavior" and, to some, as "a spectacularly unqualified and catastrophically unfit egomaniac." |
| 3 ways to make your voice heard besides protesting | |
| More Americans are trying to make their voices heard these days. Approximately one in five Americans participated in a protest or rally between early 2016 and early 2018, according to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll. A similar proportion reported they expected to become more involved in political causes in the next year. Similarly, the number of women running for state and federal offices soared during the 2018 midterm elections. The ease of using social media appears to be ramping up virtual protesting too. In addition to making your objections heard in the streets or with tweets, there are many other ways you can influence public policies. In our book "Citizen Participation in the Age of Contracting," we identify several things anyone can do to make their community a better place. |
| State of State survey yields voter insight | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: The latest Millsaps College/Chism Strategies State of the State Survey has some interesting insights into the opinions of Mississippi voters. For the sixth consecutive year, infrastructure remained the most pressing issue with 27 percent of voters picking "fixing roads and bridges" as the "top priority for Mississippi's elected leaders." Number two was "more funding for public schools" with 19 percent, followed by "making healthcare more accessible and affordable" with 17 percent, "reducing the size of state government" with 12 percent, "giving tax incentives and grants to companies that create jobs" with 10 percent, "protecting traditional family values" with 8 percent, "more funding for universities and community colleges" with 3 percent. "Other" was 5 percent. Polls can be skewed by how you phrase the questions and options. |
| How the heck did Democrat Brandon Presley get bill to sail through GOP-run Legislature? | |
 | The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: With the GOP firmly in control of the state House, Senate and governor's office, Democrat-led initiatives and legislation in Mississippi typically end up in the waste basket. Not so with the first major legislation passed on to Gov. Phil Bryant in the newly minted 2019 legislative session. The measure to allow electric cooperatives to provide internet service to rural areas was led by one of the state's (few) top Democratic elected leaders. It was accepted promptly and wholeheartedly by the GOP leadership and an overwhelming majority of Republican lawmakers. How the heck did that happen? Democratic Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley's rural broadband campaign should be taught as a case study in political science classes. He turned the lack of internet service in rural Mississippi into a populist political juggernaut that flattened partisan opposition and some pretty powerful big-money lobbies -- the cable industry, telecoms. |
SPORTS
| No. 7 Mississippi State rolls past Florida 90-42 | |
| For one game, at least, Mississippi State showed it could win without a major contribution from senior center and leading scorer Teaira McCowan. Senior forward Anriel Howard scored 21 points and led four scorers in double figures, lifting No. 7 Mississippi State to a 90-42 win over Florida on Thursday night. Sophomore guard Bre'amber Scott added 15 points off the bench for the Bulldogs (18-1, 6-0 SEC), who won their eighth straight game. Senior guard Jordan Danberry had 12 points and four assists, and freshman guard Xaria Wiggins added 11 points. "Just really pleased with my team today," Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. "I thought our guard play was really good and set the tone early. I just felt like that's where we really dictated tempo." |
| Mississippi State smothers Florida in road victory | |
| Anriel Howard can score in bunches in the first quarter. She's done it multiple times this season. Thursday night against the Florida Gators in Gainesville was one of those nights for Mississippi State's senior forward. Howard scored 10 more points than Florida's entire team in the first quarter of a 90-42 win for the No. 6 Bulldogs (18-1, 6-0 SEC). Howard had 19 of her game-high 21 points in the first frame. The last two came on a buzzer-beating alley-oop of sorts when MSU inbounded the ball with 0.9 seconds on the game clock. "I just came out ready to play," Howard said. "I knew haven't been playing to the best of my ability, so I wanted to turn the page and just be out there and give it my best." Howard entered the game averaging 9.0 points per game in her last two, well below her season average of 15.5. Her buzzer-beater gave Mississippi State a 27-9 lead heading into the second quarter. Mississippi State has a relatively quick turnaround as the Bulldogs prepare to play rival Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon at Humphrey Coliseum. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. |
| Mississippi State soccer: Humble beginnings pave way to Starkville for James Armstrong | |
 | Humble beginnings for James Armstrong have paved a road to Starkville. Armstrong never imagined he would become a head coach in the Southeastern Conference when he worked as an equipment manager for the United States Soccer Federation. It didn't take him long, though, to realize he wanted to get into coaching. After working for nine years and reaching the highest level of club soccer with the Lonestar Soccer Club, Armstrong moved on to become an assistant coach and an associate head coach at Auburn. That time has prepared Armstrong for his next step as head coach of the Mississippi State women's soccer team. "I have done it all, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the process, and I have embraced the process," said Armstrong, whose hiring was announced last week and was officially introduced Wednesday at a news conference at the Bryan Building. "I thought this was the obvious next progression. Being able to go through all of the things I have gone through has allowed me to be ready for anything." |
| Nick Zimmerman joins Mississippi State women's soccer staff | |
| New Mississippi State women's soccer head coach James Armstrong finalized his coaching staff with the addition of Nick Zimmerman on Wednesday. Zimmerman comes to Starkville from Columbus State University where he served as an assistant coach since 2015. "We are thrilled to welcome Nick to our staff," Armstrong said. "This hire shows real intent that Mississippi State soccer is serious about the future. He has an incredible soccer mind and a contagious passion for the game. He is a person of outstanding character with a tireless work ethic. There is no doubt that he will be a huge asset to us on the field and in our recruiting efforts." During his tenure at Columbus State, Zimmerman helped build a top-three scoring offense in the nation. The Lady Cougars set a program record of 96 goals and led the nation with 4.0 goals per game in 2016. The following year, they improved to 4.05 goals per game. |
| Karen Hoppa believes Mississippi State has found right fit with James Armstrong | |
| The Dispatch's Adam Minichino writes: Karen Hoppa believes James Armstrong is ready. That confidence stems from Hoppa getting to know him when they worked on the United States' Under-19 Women's National Team at the inaugural FIFA U-19 World Cup in 2002. At the time, Hoppa was an assistant coach and Armstrong was an equipment manager for the U.S. Soccer Federation. Years later, that month-long experience provided Hoppa a familiarity with Armstrong when she was hiring as assistant coach to join her with the Auburn women's soccer program. After working with Armstrong for six years, Hoppa knows he is the right man to take over the Mississippi State women's soccer program. "I think he is a great fit for Mississippi State," Hoppa said. "I think he will be able to pick up where the program is and carry it forward. I think he will keep up the work rate and I would envision him adding in even more of the soccer. I think exciting times are ahead for Mississippi State soccer." |
| John Abram wants NFL teams to know him as more than just a football player | |
| NFL teams already know John Abram the football player. The Mississippi State standout wants teams to know John Abram the person. As a football player, Abram is a hard-hitting, 6-foot safety who began his college career at Georgia, spent a season at Jones College in Ellisville, and arrived in Starkville as a junior in 2017. He made seven starts that year, but he had a breakout season in 2018 and was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference. Abram's 99 tackles were the most of any SEC defensive back. In two seasons at MSU, Abram had 170 tackles, 14 for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Abram's success earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl at 1:30 p.m. Saturday (NFL Network) at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Abram joined MSU teammates Gerri Green, Elgton Jenkins, and Montez Sweat in being selected to play on the South team. A shoulder injury will prevent Abram from participating in practices or the game. MSU's four selections to the Senior Bowl are its most since four Bulldogs were selected following the 2010 season. |
| Montez Sweat continues to show he is 'special' player | |
| Brian Baker can't say it enough: Montez Sweat is a special player. "I keep telling folks, this kid's special," the Mississippi State defensive line coach said Tuesday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium during the first Senior Bowl practice of the week. "Montez Sweat is as special of a football player as I've been around in 35 years. This dude is special. Tez can do whatever he wants to do physically. His upside is ridiculous. I don't know how good he can be." Sweat is coming off a senior season in which he was second in the Southeastern Conference and tied for sixth nationally in sacks (11 1/2) after leading the league as a junior (10 1/2). His 22 career sacks rank fifth on the Bulldogs' career list, while his 29 1/2 tackles for loss are good for eighth. Sweat will showcase those dominating pass rushing skills at 1:30 p.m. Saturday (NFL Network) when he takes part in the Senior Bowl. Sweat was selected for the Senior Bowl with MSU teammates Johnathan Abram, Gerri Green, and Elgton Jenkins. A shoulder injury will prevent Abram from participating in practices or the game. Green, Jenkins, and Sweat will play for the South team. |
| Texas A&M students to vote on support of reviving UT rivalry game | |
 | In less than a month, students at Texas A&M University will get the chance to voice their thoughts on reinstating the historic rivalry football game against the University of Texas. The Texas A&M Student Senate voted unanimously Wednesday night to support the inclusion of a question on the next campus-wide opinion poll on Feb. 21. The question would very directly ask, "Do you support reinstating the Texas A&M University vs. University of Texas rivalry game on our nonconference football schedule?" Executive Director of Operations for the Student Senate Connor Hull, a junior at A&M, presented the resolution with fellow student Chipper Adams, who was one of the people encouraging Hull to propose the resolution. The resolution comes less than a week after Texas A&M President Michael K. Young met with University of Texas President Gregory L. Fenves for an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, during which both presidents spoke about the rivalry game, among other topics. |
| New year for Hogs after loss in College World Series | |
| The University of Arkansas baseball team will take the field at Baum Stadium for their season opener three weeks from today with a defined end-game in their sights: Another trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Before the 2019 season commences, the Razorbacks had to reconcile the heartbreaking end, the unsatisfying finish to last year, when an uncaught foul pop and a flat offensive effort led to two losses to Oregon State in the championship series after Arkansas opened 4-0 at the CWS. "It was tough being that close to winning a national championship," junior pitcher Isaiah Campbell said. "But that year's done. You just learn from it. We've just got to get everybody on the right track for this season. It's a new season, a new year. Let's hopefully get back to Omaha and do it again." The Razorbacks open full-team spring practice today in their 17th season under Coach Dave Van Horn and are scheduled to begin scrimmaging on Saturday. The Razorbacks open with a three-game set against Eastern Illinois. |
| Georgia, Clemson guaranteed $5 million for playing Chick-fil-A Kickoff | |
| Georgia and Clemson are guaranteed a payout of at least $5 million when they meet Aug. 31, 2024, in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to an agreement signed with Peach Bowl Inc., which operates the event. The 19-page contract, signed late last August, was released Wednesday in accordance with state open record laws. In order to receive the "full settlement," the schools must sell at least 28,500 tickets each. But with opportunities to receive additional tickets thereafter, the respective programs can earn even more money. The contract calls for a "guaranteed payment" of $5 million or 80 percent of ticket revenue, "whichever is greater." Average payout for the game in recent years has been $5.2 million per school. Georgia makes about $3.5 million on average when it plays at home in Sanford Stadium. |
| U. of Tennessee athletics' $6.5M deficit in 2018 due in large part to Butch Jones, John Currie | |
 | Tennessee's athletic department operated at a $6.5 million deficit during the 2018 fiscal year that ended June 30, according to UT's annual revenue and expense report submitted to the NCAA and obtained by USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee via a public records request. That operating deficit is due to the buyouts that stemmed from Tennessee firing football coach Butch Jones, his staff and athletic director John Currie.By comparison, Tennessee operated at a $10.8 million surplus in the 2017 fiscal year, when it had only $1 million in severance expenses. Tennessee reached a $2.2 million settlement with Currie in March after he was placed on paid suspension on Dec. 1, 2017. Phillip Fulmer replaced Currie as athletic director. Football saw a drop of nearly $1 million in ticket-sales revenue -- not surprising considering attendance dropped during the 2017 season, when the Vols were 4-8. And revenue from football contract guarantees decreased by $1.5 million. |
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