| Thursday, February 7, 2019 |
| Mississippi State wins Kesem chapter in online voting | |
 | Mississippi State University can wrap its bid for a Camp Kesem chapter up in maroon and white. The national organization which provides free summer camps for children affected by a parent's cancer through college-based chapters, announced Wednesday that Mississippi State earned an expansion site through online voting last week. "We are delighted to be home to a Camp Kesem chapter," said MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Young Hyatt. "Not only does this create a new opportunity for our students to be involved, it also is a meaningful way for our students to make a difference in the lives of some very special children." The Mississippi State chapter will be the first in the state. Kesem has more than 100 chapters in 42 other states. In 2018, Camp Kesem served nearly 9,000 children around the country. |
| Camp Kesem chapter coming to Mississippi State | |
 | A camp that supports children impacted by their parent's cancer is coming to Mississippi State University. The new chapter comes to MSU through Camp Kesem's Chapter Expansion Campaign After 12 finalists were voted on for a new chapter, MSU came out in first place with over 7,100 votes. Camp Kesem has 110 chapters nationwide. College student work with kids ages 6-18 through and beyond their parents' cancer. The camp uses activities to help kids build confidence and communication skills, while connecting them to understanding peers. MSU will offer its first camp in the summer of 2020. |
| Program offers high school juniors head start on medical, science studies | |
 | A summer program application process is underway for high school juniors looking for a jump-start on college and exposure to careers in medicine and science. Mississippi's critical need for medical professionals is the reason for a special summer program hosted at Mississippi State University. Ann Sansing, an instructor with the MSU Extension Service, said the application process to participate in the 2019 Rural Medical and Science Scholars Program is underway. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 25. "The four-week program, June 2-28, gives high school juniors a jump-start on college and the opportunity to explore a career in health or science," said Sansing, director of the program. |
| MSU Riley Center Executive Director retiring | |
 | The executive director of the MSU Riley Center for the past 15 years has announced his retirement. Being drawn to the renovation of the theatre over 15 years ago, Dennis Sankovich says the proximity of Meridian in relation to other cities has helped it be successful. He's from Ohio originally, where he helped to renovate a famous theatre there, and now he plans to go back to his hometown. He says he will miss the people here in Meridian the most. "The patrons and our sponsors and all the people that support the Riley Center -- it's just a terrific group of people. I've just really enjoyed being with everyone and getting to know all of those people. It's been great," said Sankovich. |
| Dog-riding monkeys specialty act to perform at Starkville Rotary Rodeo | |
 | They call Tim Lepard the "Wild Thang." Lepard, a Pontotoc native, used to be a bullfighter -- even winning a bullfighter of the year award three years in a row. In 1987, Lepard said, a world champion bullfighter gave him some advice to try something new. "When I went in the arena I had no fear of bulls," Lepard said. "I started jumping on their heads and letting them hoof me and throw me over. It escalated from there, and he said, 'You're not gonna last long doing that.' He told me, 'You need to get an act.'" Lepard said the bullfighter suggested getting a monkey because "Everybody loves a monkey." Lepard, who said he used to carry around a Curious George sock puppet as a child until all of the stuffing was gone, followed the advice. Now, more than 30 years later, Lepard runs the Team Ghost Riders act, which is known across the country for its uniqueness. Now, Team Ghost Riders features up to five monkeys, with three in Starkville for this weekend's Rotary Rodeo. The Rotary Rodeo is set for Friday and Saturday nights at the Mississippi Horse Park on East Poor House Road. |
| Starkville board authorizes drafting annexation ordinance | |
| The city of Starkville will move ahead with drafting an annexation ordinance after aldermen voted to authorize City Attorney Chris Latimer to work with urban planning consultant Mike Slaughter to do so at Tuesday's meeting. Aldermen voted 5-2, with Ward 6's Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7's Henry Vaughn opposing, to authorize the ordinance. Starkville is considering annexing land east of the city limits after aldermen narrowed down a much larger annexation area in October. The proposed area extends east along the Highway 12 and 182 corridor to Highway 82 and Clayton Village. It also extends south on the far side of Mississippi State University's campus to San Marcos Drive. The proposed area would add 3.1 square miles to the city and would increase its population from 25,106 people to 27,146, based on 2010 census figures. |
| Starkville increases sanitation rates | |
| Starkville aldermen approved a sanitation pick-up rate increase on Tuesday to fund required work to bring the city's landfill into compliance with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regulations. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the city is looking at an estimated $1.5 million project to finish work at the landfill, which has been out of compliance after it spread beyond its boundaries and onto adjacent property. The city has since purchased the land -- to the north and east -- and is now facing construction work to ensure the landfill properly fits within its boundaries and meets MDEQ's requirements. The rate increase raises residential pickup by $1.50 per month, from $15.25 to $16.75. Spruill said the sanitation rate increases are the first for residential rates since 2013 and for commercial rates since 2012. They take effect on April 1. |
| Judge upholds state's contract with C Spire for telecommunications service | |
 | Chancery Judge Denise Owens denied AT&T's appeal of the state's awarding of the contract to C Spire. In 2017, the Mississippi Legislature gave authority to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services to purchase telecommunications services for all of state government. The Department of Information Technology Services then selected C Spire's proposal over AT&T's proposal. C Spire's total proposal for both voice and data was $32.8 million less than AT&T's, according to court records. AT&T argued that C Spire's service isn't the traditional business voice service the state requested as a mandatory requirement to bid on the project. AT&T said its service was through a copper-line system. AT&T also argued its voice package was better and lower than C Spire. Owens said in her ruling that "It did not matter if copper lines delivered the service provided at that time and it does not matter now." |
| Airport property bill, sales tax increases in GTR cities, all make it out of committee | |
| Legislation for local projects survived a critical Tuesday deadline in the Mississippi Legislature for moving general bills from committee to the full House and Senate. In Lowndes County, three bills affecting revenue remain in play -- including a bill that would allow the city of Columbus to collect an additional 1 percent on restaurant sales above and beyond the 2-percent sales tax Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law on Tuesday. In Starkville, a bill to increase the city's hotel tax by 1 percent to fund improvements in the city's parks and recreation department -- including funding for a new sports facility at Cornerstone Park -- remains alive. Another statewide measure that did advance from the local delegation was House Bill 1322 -- which calls for children to receive an eye exam when they first enter the school system. Rob Roberson (R-Starkville) was the bill's author. "I'm really pleased this got through," Roberson said. |
| House seeks college graduate tax breaks, but could be costly | |
 | Mississippi could become the latest state to begin offering incentives to recent college graduates who remain in or move to the state, as lawmakers seek to stem the state's falling population. The state House on Tuesday voted 111-2 to pass House Bill 816, which would pay back half or all of a recent graduate's state income tax payments after five years of residence. "The purpose of this is to let Mississippi recruit the best and brightest," said state Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia and sponsor of the bill. Lamar said he doesn't have an estimate of how much such a program would cost, but said he thought it would be nominal. However, Associated Press calculations suggest it could cost more than $20 million a year if widely adopted. |
| Can tax breaks help Mississippi fight its 'brain drain' problem? | |
| Recent college graduates who return or move to Mississippi would receive state income tax breaks under a bill the House passed Wednesday to fight "brain drain." "You want your best and your brightest coming back or moving to Mississippi," said Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, as he successfully shepherded passage of his House Bill 816 on a vote of 111-2. The bill would provide a tax break for any college graduate who stays in, returns to or moves to Mississippi within two years of graduation and stays in the state for five years. Those who do so after five years would be refunded half of the state income taxes they had paid. Similar legislation died in the Senate last year, and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has said he doesn't believe the issue of graduates leaving Mississippi is as bad as some lawmakers and media reports make it out to be. |
| Transportation commissioner candidates looking to replace Mike Tagert | |
| Two candidates have thus far jumped into the race to fill the north Mississippi transportation commissioner post. Jeremy Martin and Trey Bowman have both qualified as Republicans for the position, according to the Mississippi GOP. No Democratic candidates have publicly announced, and the state Democratic Party has declined to release the names of qualifying candidates until the qualifying period is over on March 1. Mike Tagert is the incumbent transportation commissioner for the northern district. A Republican, he is not seeking re-election. An elected board of three commissioners governs the Mississippi Department of Transportation, with each commissioner elected by different regions of the state. The Transportation Commission is guaranteed at least two new faces next year. Central District Commissioner Dick Hall has also declined to seek re-election. |
| Mississippi House passes school safety bill | |
| Mississippi House members agreed Wednesday that public schools should undergo twice-yearly active shooter drills, approving a bill meant to make schools safer from mass shootings and turning aside concerns that such drills could terrorize the students they're meant to protect. The House voted 114-3 on for House Bill 1283, sending it to the Senate for more consideration. It would require safety inspections and the active shooter drills at public schools. It would also create a threat-reporting mechanism monitored by three dedicated analysts at the state Department of Public Safety. "The threat is real and it's one we have to prepare for," said Rep. Mark Baker, the Brandon Republican who sponsored the bill. |
| Bills to reinstate movie industry incentives pass both House and Senate | |
| Could Mississippi soon see more Hollywood movies made here? Lawmakers seem to be on board with re-instating movie incentives that expired, causing the state to lose out on films based in Mississippi but shot out of state. "We could be Atlanta," said Rep. Omeria Scott (D). The Ways and Means Committee member is talking about the southern movie and television production mecca that rivals L.A. and New York. Legislation to re-instate the Motion Picture Incentive Act passed both the House and Senate Wednesday. The measure gives film production companies up to 25 percent rebates and sales tax and use tax reductions. Senator Joey Fillingane (R) was the principal author in the senate legislation for the Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Act. "We want to make sure that the taxpayer dollars are guarded and that we do get a good return on the investment but we also want to make sure that we consider not only the raw dollars that are turning over in the economy but also the good faith and the good will that we can generate through the making of major motion pictures here in the State of Mississippi," said Fillingane. |
| Legislative bills: The living and the dead | |
 | Tuesday's legislative deadline left hundreds of bills to suffer the fate of so many before them -- death by committee. If a bill was not reported out of committee in the chamber in which it originated, it missed the cut. Only bills that made it out by close of business Tuesday remain alive. Sen. Sally Doty's SB 2524 would allow psychiatry students to participate in the Rural Physicians Scholarship Residency Program. Doty's SB 2525 would protect certain information held by rape crisis and domestic violence programs. SB 2532 would amend state law to require employer notification to parents or guardians of minors who come in contact with a registered sex offender. SB 2625 would clarify employee hiring procedures at Mississippi School of the Arts. It would also exempt the school from some state purchasing requirements. Doty's SB 2698 would create the Mississippi Veterans Honor Medal Program. |
| Poll finds dead heat in Mississippi governor's race | |
 | Two titans of Mississippi politics are statistically tied in the race for governor, a new survey shows, highlighting what will be one of the marquee matchups in what might otherwise be a quiet political year. The survey, conducted by the nonpartisan firm Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, finds Attorney General Jim Hood (D) holding a slim two-point lead over Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R), 44 percent to 42 percent, a statistically insignificant edge in a poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. If retired Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller runs as an independent, Hood would cling to a similarly insignificant 40 percent to 38 percent lead over Reeves. Waller takes 9 percent of the vote in that scenario. The margin is slightly smaller for Hood, who has served as attorney general since 2004, from other Mason-Dixon surveys conducted in the last year. |
| Beyond Angry Tweets: Robert Foster on Why He is Running for Governor | |
| Mississippi House Rep. Robert Foster greets me on the floor of the chamber where he is a freshman legislator. Along with his campaign manager, Colton Robinson, he shows me to a room off to the side of the chamber. "Freshmen don't get offices," says the young lawmaker, whom voters first elected to the statehouse in 2015. Back home in DeSoto County, where he runs Cedar Hill Farm, an agritourism business, Foster is known for his nice-guy image. On his campaign materials, he touts himself as a "Man of Faith," a "Conservative Outsider" and a "Farmer." But online, he has earned a reputation for inflammatory tweets and ultra-conservative stances. Now, he is running for governor in the Republican primary, running against current Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican from Florence, Miss., among others. It was early morning on Jan. 30, 2018, when we sat down to go beyond the tweets and discuss his ideas on the issues that could make or break his attempt at a shock primary victory against Reeves. |
| Farmers nearing crisis push back on Trump trade policies | |
 | President Donald Trump's trade war is magnifying some of the toughest farm conditions since the crisis that bankrupted thousands of farmers in the 1980s -- and threatening a constituency crucial to his reelection hopes. The president's trade policies have sent U.S. agricultural exports plunging, exacerbating already difficult economic conditions facing farmers. Average farm income has fallen to near 15-year lows under Trump, and in some areas of the country, farm bankruptcies are soaring. The fate of the farm economy and rural America is fused to Trump's political future. Farmers and ranchers make up the heart of his base, and their support in battleground Midwestern states like Iowa and Wisconsin could help determine the 2020 presidential election. Although Trump's standing with those groups generally remains strong, cracks are starting to show. Hundreds of farmers and business representatives are in Washington this week to pressure lawmakers and the Trump administration to end the trade war by describing the hardships they are facing. |
| 'If the government shuts down, we'll do it again': Vicksburg military park kept open, and 19,000 visitors showed up | |
| A 35-day tug-of-war in Washington D.C. would have kept over 19,000 tourists out of one of the world's jewels for military history. The Vicksburg National Military Park, however, kept its forts manned during the federal government's partial shutdown thanks to the support of a local non-profit, Friends of VNMP, as well as the City of Vicksburg. Friends of VNMP released new figures last week showing only a slight decrease in visitation. "The park is obviously the centerpiece for tourism in Vicksburg," said Bess Averett, Executive Director of Friends of VNMP, which raised over $50,000 to keep the park operating. "The local economy needs tourism in Vicksburg; for every dollar spent on operations at the Vicksburg National Military Park, there's a $10 return for the local economy." Without the support, Vicksburg National Military Park, maintained through the National Park Service, would have closed its gates during the federal impasse. |
| Lawsuit Claims Dicamba-Proof Soybeans Violate Antitrust Laws | |
 | The biggest, most valuable new technology on Midwestern farms these days is a new family of soybean seeds. But some farmers say they're buying these seeds partly out of fear. A new lawsuit claims that the company Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, violated antitrust laws when it introduced the seeds. Bayer is asking the court to dismiss the complaint. The seeds go by the trade name Xtend. They're worth an estimated billion dollars a year to Bayer. Farmers say they made the switch because dicamba can kill weeds that other herbicides can't. Some farmers -- and Bayer -- also say these new seeds produce a bigger harvest. But a lot of farmers say there's also a third reason. |
| SASI says UM administration "stalled for time" at last meeting about removing Confederate statue | |
 | Students Against Social Injustice recently met with University of Mississippi administrative officials to discuss removing the Confederate statue and creating a hate speech policy on campus, but SASI members said administrators "beat around the bush" during the meeting. Quay Williams, the president of SASI, said the meeting went "like he thought it would," but he did say some progress was made. The meeting was a follow-up to the group's protest of the Confederate statue in the Circle in November, where the group used the opportunity to submit a list of demands to the administration. Cam Calisch, a junior anthropology major, said she thinks the university is walking down "a pretty thin line." "Enrollment is down, and black student enrollment is down," Calisch said. "If the university has any desire to change that, they need to become more inclusive." |
| Cottonmouth captured on sidewalk of Ole Miss campus | |
| An Ole Miss police officer got up close and personal with a venomous snake. Officers were called to the front of Barnard Observatory where a cottonmouth was spotted on the sidewalk. Lieutenant Adam Peacock was able to wrangle the snake, which was brought to a "snake-friendly area" off campus. |
| Raylawni Branch shares story of integrating Southern Miss | |
 | Born in 1941, Raylawni Branch grew to be a pioneer in the civil rights movement. She's known best for her role in the integration of the University of Southern Mississippi. We sat in Branch's living room as she recalled her experiences as she made history. Branch and Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong were the first black students to enroll at Southern Miss. In September 1965, to her, it was a golden opportunity. "I would like to say I made Mississippi history, I made Hattiesburg history," Branch said. "I made history for my children. I didn't think about it even as history when I was doing it." Southern Miss' integration process wasn't as hostile for Branch as Ole Miss was years before for Meredith, but the process did come with resistance. |
| High-tech facility The Edge holds grand opening | |
 | The Edge, a high-tech facility designed to support entrepreneurial collaboration and innovation in West Alabama, held its grand opening Wednesday. Officials from the city of Tuscaloosa and state of Alabama, along with leaders from the University of Alabama and community partners attended the celebration, which included a ribbon-cutting. The 26,000 square-foot building is in an enterprise area designated for development after it was devastated by a tornado that struck Tuscaloosa in April 2011. The $11.7 million facility includes 20 offices, 100 workstations and several conference rooms, all offered to entrepreneurs, people seeking to build their businesses and individuals who need working and networking space. "This facility represents a part of a concerted effort, long in the making, to smartly cultivate a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tuscaloosa," said Theresa Welbourne, executive director of the Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute and The Edge. |
| UGA experts predict middling economic growth | |
 | Georgia's and Athens' economies will show moderate growth this year, but 2020 might be "more exciting" as recessionary headwinds continue to gather strength, according to University of Georgia economic forecasters. All of the state's metro areas, including Athens, will see job growth, and all the state's major employment sectors will record growth this year, said Ben Ayers, dean of the UGA Terry College of Business. Ayers gave an outlook for the state, while the business school's Jeff Humphreys spoke on the metro Athens economic prospects before a crowd of nearly 500 in Athens' Classic Center. Economic growth will slow in Georgia, but will still outpace the national average for the sixth consecutive year, Ayers said. Two initiatives championed by former UGA President Michael Adams will help Athens broaden the area's economic development, according to Humphreys. The UGA College of Engineering is one. Also, the UGA-Augusta University Medical Partnership and UGA's Health Sciences Campus in Normaltown will generate long-term benefits for the Athens economy, he said. |
| Tennessee system exec committee discusses priorities and UT in 2030, appoints members | |
 | The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees Executive Committee discussed the future of the UT System and where they see UT in 2030. "I think it's fair to say in 2030, that enrollment of students, graduating students and doing leading-edge research will most likely be our priorities," Board of Trustees Chairman John Compton said at the committee's most recent meeting on Wednesday morning. "If we want a strong state of Tennessee, then we need a strong University of Tennessee." Compton challenged the committee to look forward and think about what UT could accomplish with their resources. Interim System President Randy Boyd said when thinking about where UT will be in 2030, he wants to examine "what's going to drive student success, what's going to drive research, and what's going to drive community impact." |
| South Carolina colleges won't have to publish frat, sorority hazing charges if this law expires | |
 | South Carolina lawmakers want the state's colleges and universities to keep disclosing hazing, alcohol, sexual assault and other conduct violations at fraternities and sororities on campus. The Tucker Hipps Transparency Act, named after a Clemson university student whose parents said he died after being hazed, passed in 2016, but included a provision in the law that says it would expire in June of this year. The House Education and Public Works committee unanimously approved the bill during a Wednesday meeting, which sets the bill up for a vote by the full S.C. House of Representatives. "All this bill would do is remove that sunset provision," said Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, who sits on the house Education and Public Works committee. "We've heard from universities that this is not a burden and in fact it's been an enlightenment.... It's a great transparency bill." Current law, and the pending bill that extends it, applies only to fraternities and sororities. However, some schools such as the University of South Carolina, have also published alcohol and hazing violations against club sports. |
| Political scientist discusses American unity, national isolation, historical parallels at Texas A&M | |
 | Political scientist Robert Putnam published his book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community in 2000, but 19 years later, he says he observes the trends continuing via his research throughout the country. Putnam addressed a full house Wednesday night at Texas A&M's Annenberg Presidential Conference Center and said social, political and economic unity among Americans has drastically plummeted in recent decades. But, he said, this sense of division and isolation Americans feel today was almost perfectly paralleled in the first few years of the 1900s. That generation coming of age transcended the self-centered cultural trends 100 years ago, and Putnam believes that people today can similarly spark a positive change. During his presentation Wednesday, he pointed out a noticeable rise in technological advances, medical breakthroughs, life expectancy and GDP, which continues to climb upward. He said Americans in 2019 are much more accepting of different ethnic groups and religions than they once were. |
| U. of Missouri targets July start for research center work | |
 | University of Missouri officials are confident they will secure the funding for the Columbia campus' first research facility since 2004, they said Wednesday. The Translational Precision Medicine Complex would allow researchers from a variety of disciplines to work on medical treatments designed to match the needs of individual patients. Its three main areas of focus will be treating cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders. "Translational is the first word in the facility's name at this point, and we want to translate the science into clinical products and technologies," MU Vice Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships Elizabeth Loboa said. These products and technologies will help reduce the cost of healthcare in Missouri, she said. The project is the highest priority for the UM System, President Mun Choi said at a TPMC progress update luncheon on the MU campus Wednesday. |
| Council of Graduate Schools survey finds 1 percent drop in new international enrollments | |
 | New enrollments of international students at U.S. graduate schools fell for the second year in a row, according to a survey from the Council of Graduate Schools. First-time international enrollments fell by 1 percent from fall 2017 to fall 2018, following on a 1 percent decline the year before that. "This is the first time we've seen declines across two consecutive years, and while we think it's too soon to consider this a trend, it is troubling," Suzanne Ortega, president of CGS, said in a statement. "We continue to monitor issues, including changes in immigration and visa policy, with growing concern over the possible negative impact to the U.S.'s image as a welcoming destination for international students and scholars." Less research-intensive universities -- many of which have come to rely on international students in master's programs as a key source of revenue -- were hit hardest by the decline in new international master's students. |
| International Graduate-Student Enrollments and Applications Drop for 2nd Year in a Row | |
 | International graduate enrollment and applications have declined for the second year in a row, according to a new report from the Council of Graduate Schools. The slump shows that President Trump's travel ban and changes in visa policies may have an impact on international applications and first-time enrollment, leading to a "troubling" downhill trend, said Suzanne T. Ortega, president of the council, in a news release. In the fall of 2018, the final application count for prospective international graduate students declined by 4 percent, bringing the overall decline to 6 percent over the past two years, according to the report. First-time graduate-student enrollment declined by 1 percent, making for a total 2-percent drop since 2017. |
| Tenure again at risk in Iowa, which saw major threat to academic freedom over margarine during WWII | |
| It's winter, which means that tenure is under attack in Iowa, where academic freedom and tenure were once central to a fight over controversial research on margarine. (Yes, really. More on that later.) The Republican state senator behind the consistent -- and thus far unsuccessful -- attempts to end tenure in Iowa is Brad Zaun. Zaun didn't respond to a request for comment about the new iteration of his proposal. But, similar to bills introduced in legislative sessions past, Zaun's 2019 antitenure bill seeks to prohibit any tenure system for any public college or university employee. Acceptable grounds for termination would include, but not be limited to, just cause, program discontinuance and financial exigency. And each institution governed by the Board of Regents of the State of Iowa "shall adopt a written statement enumerating employment agreements, annual performance evaluations of all faculty members, minimum standards of good practice," faculty discipline and more. Unlike in past years, Zaun's proposal passed the State Senate's education committee in a 2-to-1 vote. |
| Questions to ask before serving on any nonprofit board | |
 | Consultant and columnist Phil Hardwick writes in the Mississippi Business Journal: Linda was so excited. She had just gotten off the phone with the President of a nonprofit agency, and she had been asked to serve on the organization's board of directors. She immediately said that she would be honored to do so. After all, she had been a volunteer for several years now and had even made an annual contribution. The next board meeting was only a few weeks away. At her first board meeting she was enthralled to see the makeup of the board, many of who were prominent members of the community. She had been so involved in the volunteer work that she did not even know who was on the board. To sit at the same table as these people was an honor. One of the orders of business on the agenda was the treasurer's report. As the report was being given, she learned that next year's budget included the usual $5,000 contribution from each board member. She became petrified. This was the first she knew of this requirement, and she certainly was not in a position to make such a contribution without it straining her personal budget. Agony set in. Could this happen to you? Not if you asked the following 12 questions. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Football Lands Top 25 Signing Class | |
| National Signing Day is in the books for 2019, and Mississippi State head football coach Joe Moorhead and his staff solidified a consensus top-25 class on Wednesday. The Bulldogs welcomed eight signees who joined the group of 14 that signed during the early period last December. MSU's class finished ranked 24th nationally by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. Of the Bulldogs' 22 total signees, 11 are natives of Mississippi, while the others hail from Alabama (3), Florida (2), Tennessee (2), Georgia (1), Louisiana (1), New Jersey (1) and North Carolina (1). The class features 11 offensive players, 10 on defense and one specialist. |
| Jake Mangum receives All-America honor; Mississippi State ranked No. 13 | |
| Jake Mangum and the Mississippi State baseball team earned additional recognition Tuesday from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Mangum, a senior center fielder, was named a preseason first-team All-American, while MSU came in at No. 13 in the preseason rankings. It is the fourth preseason top-15 ranking for MSU. It also is the fourth preseason honor for Mangum. The Pearl native also has earned recognition from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (first team), D1Baseball (second team), and Perfect Game (third team). Teammate JT Ginn was named a second-team All-American by Baseball America. MSU enters the season No. 9 in the Baseball America poll, No. 14 according to D1Baseball, No. 15 in the USA Today Sports rankings, No. 17 in the Perfect Game poll, and No. 27 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. MSU will play host to Youngstown State at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, in its season opener at Dudy Noble Field. |
| Mississippi State men drop overtime heart-breaker to No. 21 LSU | |
| On a night full of big shots, LSU's Naz Reid made the biggest. With the shot clock expiring, Reid delivered the final dagger with a top-of-the-key 3-pointer as No. 21 LSU beat Mississippi State 92-88 in overtime in a Southeastern Conference men's basketball game played Wednesday night before a crowd of 7,456 at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs bolstered their NCAA tournament resume with a road win at Ole Miss Saturday. Now back home, Wednesday opened a critical three-game homestand for the Bulldogs, as they look to climb into the top four in the conference standings. Instead, the homeswing started with another heart-breaking last-second defeat. The Bulldogs (16-6, 4-5) have lost four conference games by a combined 17 points, with two being in overtime. "That was a gut-wrenching loss against a very good team," MSU coach Ben Howland said. "Give them credit, the way they battled back. We had leads multiple times in the first and second half. Naz Reid was fantastic. He had a phenomenal second half, and they did a really good job of getting him the ball." |
| Naz Reid's huge game powers LSU over Mississippi State in yet another thriller | |
 | The LSU men's basketball team went to overtime on the road for the third time in Southeastern Conference play Wednesday night. For the third time, the Tigers were able to dig out a key victory in a hostile environment. No. 21 LSU had to come back from an eight-point halftime deficit to get its game with Mississippi State to overtime before the Tigers prevailed 92-88 in Humphrey Coliseum. The teams were tied at 83-83 at the end of regulation, but LSU forward Naz Reid, who scored 25 points after halftime, dropped in seven of the Tigers' nine points in the five-minute overtime -- including a huge 3-pointer with 11.3 seconds left -- to lead the way. "I don't know what it is," LSU coach Will wade said of escaping with a third overtime win on the road. "We played a lot better tonight. We played smart down the stretch to get it to overtime and then we made some plays in overtime." |
| Southern Miss administration, head coach at odds over decision to not hire Art Briles | |
 | Southern Miss officials have decided that it's not worth taking a chance on former Baylor football coach Art Briles and USM head coach Jay Hopson is not happy about it. USM put out a statement Wednesday morning saying that Briles has been informed that he is not a candidate to join the staff. Briles interviewed with Hopson in Hattiesburg on Monday morning for a chance to become the team's offensive coordinator. Hopson released a statement Wednesday that says that it was the decision of USM president Rodney Bennett to not hire Briles, who was fired by Baylor in 2016 amid a probe into allegations of sexual assault by his players. Interim USM athletic director Jeff Mitchell issued another statement Wednesday afternoon that did not address Hopson's response. "We stand by the earlier statement that Rodney Bennett and I released," Mitchell said in the statement. "As today is national signing day, we celebrate the young men who are joining the football program. We look forward to them developing as student-athletes at the University of Southern Mississippi." |
| At USM, Hopson, Bennett at odds over Briles. So what, if anything, happens next? | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Jay Hopson's job is to win football games at Southern Miss. He'll get fired if he doesn't win enough. Never mind graduation rates and playing by the rules, the bottom line is the same as it always has been in college football. Just win, baby. Or else. Rodney Bennett, Southern Miss president, directs the university as a whole. ... Hopson , the football coach, wanted to hire former Baylor head coach Art Briles as his offensive coordinator to help win games. Chances are, Briles would have. He is widely thought to be one of the brightest offensive minds in college football. Bennett, the president, presumably believed the hiring of Briles -- who lost his job amid a sexual assault scandal involving multiple players at Baylor -- would send a bad signal, negatively affecting Southern Miss as a whole. Indeed, just the act of interviewing Briles has brought USM widespread national attention, primarily negative. |
| Ole Miss softball head coach Mike Smith suspended for opening weekend | |
| Ole Miss' softball team left for their opening weekend trip to Orlando on Wednesday but will be without their head coach. The school announced in a press release that Mike Smith would not be making the trip and was suspended due to 'not meeting the university's expectations for operating the program.' The release also said associate head coach Ruben Felix would lead the team during their five-game stint in Orlando and that Smith would return to the field next week. Smith is entering his fifth season as the Rebels' head coach after being hired in May of 2014. The Rebels begin their 2019 campaign against host Central Florida on Thursday ( 5 p.m. CT) at the UCF Softball Complex. Ole Miss deferred any further comment on Smith's suspension to Wednesday's press release when contacted by the EAGLE. |
| Former U. of New Mexico AD facing 5 felony counts over golfing trip | |
| It was an extravagant golfing trip to Scotland -- an excursion paid for, in part, with University of New Mexico funds. But that getaway that then-UNM athletics director Paul Krebs embarked on four years ago with several family members, several prospective donors and former Lobo men's basketball coach Craig Neal has haunted Krebs ever since, culminating Wednesday with the filing of five felony counts against him. Attorney General Hector Balderas' office filed a criminal complaint Wednesday morning charging Krebs with fraud, money laundering, evidence tampering, criminal solicitation and making or permitting false public voucher, all felonies. The AG's Office alleges that Krebs went out of his way to skirt university safeguards put in place to vet such trips and that he subsequently tried to quiet the scandal through deception. Krebs has been embroiled in scandal since 2017, when journalists began unearthing details about a 2015 athletics department fundraising golf trip to Scotland. |
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