| Friday, March 1, 2019 |
| Search on for Mississippi State provost and executive vice president | |
 | Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum Thursday provided the campus community with an update on the search for the university's next provost and executive vice president. A 19-member search committee now in place includes 10 elected faculty and nine faculty, staff, student and administrative members appointed by Keenum. The committee, chaired by MSU Vice President for Finance and CFO Don Zant, will hold its initial meeting March 4, with Keenum presenting the group with its charge at that time. "This search committee represents a broad base of our faculty, students and staff and is in keeping with established search protocols for this vital position," said Keenum. "I have every confidence that MSU will attract a strong pool of candidates from across the nation who are interested in being a part of our university's momentum and growth. From that pool, I have equal confidence that our search committee will choose an experienced and visionary leader who can help us build on that momentum." |
| Combined Heat and Power: A Sleeping Giant May Be Waking | |
 | Last November, Penn State University issued a guide for those interested in combining natural gas-fueled electric and thermal energy generation -- combined heat and power (CHP) -- with renewable energy resources such as solar photovoltaic arrays and battery storage systems. Penn State said, "Such systems provide an economically and environmentally attractive means to utilize Marcellus shale gas in combination with renewable energy resources to promote economic growth, with higher efficiency and lower emissions than conventional systems." On the same day, Mississippi State University in Starkville announced a shared-savings deal with developers Greystar Real Estate Partners and Blue Sky Power for a combined cooling, heating, and power microgrid serving its new College View student residential-retail university village. The project will combine 285-kW of gas-fired generating capacity with two 1.5 MMBtu boilers and two 300-ton air-cooled chillers. |
| Meet Miss Maroon and White, Rachel Shumaker | |
| Rachel Shumaker, a junior communication major from Pontotoc, was named 2019 Miss Maroon and White during the Tuesday pageant at Mississippi State University. In addition to Shumaker, four students were honored during the program as Campus Beauties: Anna M. Gilder, a freshman management major from Hernando; Marymargaret J. Mattingly, a senior human development and family science major from Ashburn, Virginia; Shumaker; Shelby G. Freeman, a freshman marketing major from Brandon; and Harper E. Laird, a freshman kinesiology/sports administration major from Starkville. |
| Report puts spotlight on challenges of Mississippi's rural small businesses | |
 | A national business advocacy group says a survey it did of small businesses in rural Mississippi found a troubled landscape with a growing need for problem solvers. One consequence of the difficult terrain is lingering pain from the "great recession". It has yet to entirely lift in the harder-to-reach stretches of the Magnolia State, say the authors of the 42-page report prepared by Washington, D.C.-based Small Business Majority. It's hardly just Mississippi, said Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer, in a cover letter to the report "Examining the Unique Opportunities and Challenges Facing Rural Small Businesses." "Rural communities," he said, are "lagging behind their urban and suburban counterparts. If we want to revive rural economies, we must stimulate entrepreneurial activity in these communities to help reverse these trends." |
| Lottery players are months away from buying tickets in Mississippi | |
| By the end of the year, Mississippians who are tired of driving to Louisiana could be lining up at local stores to buy their chance at millions. It's a $200 to $400 million industry being built from the ground up, and in the coming weeks, the Mississippi Lottery Corporation Board will be working around the clock to make it a success. "Once we have financing, we can start hiring people and contracting with vendors and paying bills," said Mississippi Lottery Corporation Board Vice Chairman Gerard Gibert. That organization has not been given any funding by the state and is in the process of securing money from banks to launch this whole new industry. The Lottery Corporation Board has hired the law firm Bausch and Bingham to get operations underway. In the next 45 days, Gibert said a website should be created. Then in 60 days, retailers can go there using an automated system where retailers can apply to sell the lottery tickets. |
| Jim Hood proposes cut to food sales tax, sunshine for lawmakers | |
 | Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hood is proposing to eliminate Mississippi's sales tax on groceries and require lawmakers to be subject to state open records law. Hood, the four-term attorney general, made the proposals Thursday as part of a "Pledge to Mississippi Families." Before supporters at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Hood renewed attacks on Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and other legislative leaders who he says are catering to out-of-state corporations. Hood faces Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and retired Jackson State University employee Velesha P. Williams in the Democratic primary. |
| Jim Hood responds to report about AG satellite office, sets tone for governor run at rally | |
 | Jim Hood rolled out a gubernatorial campaign message Thursday that calls for improving state public record laws, cracking down on government "backroom deals" and scaling back the sales tax on groceries. "It's time for us to move on from that same old, same old," the Democratic attorney general told several dozen supporters at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Hood also responded to a report on how Mississippi taxpayers had spent about $100,000 in recent years so he could work out of a satellite office in his hometown of Houston. Most attorney general staff is based in Jackson. Hood has long acknowledged he prefers to oversee his office remotely in his native Chickasaw County, where his family is based. But a Thursday report from the Y'all Politics website detailed public money has been spent on the office since 2013, when he moved back. Initially, Hood said he would work there rent-free. He said he would need to "deal with where we live" -- Jackson or Houston -- if he's elected governor. But he said he would be putting in the necessary work either way. |
| Legislators should not be above open records law, Jim Hood says while announcing his agenda | |
| Attorney General Jim Hood said Thursday he would work to require legislators to adhere to the state's open records laws if elected governor this November. For years, the Legislature has been exempt from the state law that makes official correspondence of elected officials and governmental entities available to the public. Hood, the four-term attorney general and only statewide elected Democrat, said requiring legislators to be subject to the open records law would help eliminate the legislative leadership's "backroom deals" that he said are holding the state back economically. Hood, a Chickasaw County native, announced in his hometown of Houston in November he was running for governor. On Thursday, the day before the deadline to qualify for election, he held an event at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum to sign a pledge of what his priorities would be if elected. He was introduced at the event by the Rev. Charles Penson of Tupelo, who said, he was glad to see a crowd that looked like Mississippi, black and white, male and female, old and young. |
| Houston, we have a problem: Taxpayers spending over $100K for hometown office perk for AG Jim Hood | |
 | While campaigning to be the next governor of Mississippi, Jim Hood champions transparency as a right of average voters to better understand state government. However, as current state Attorney General, Hood apparently is content to leave some internal workings of his agency, especially his use of taxpayer-funded satellite offices, as murky at best. Especially regarding what would seem to be the least of the AG's offices, the one in his hometown of Houston, Miss., population 3,464. In reality, that branch in Chickasaw County could be more important than his main state office in Jackson. The Attorney General has refused repeated requests for an interview on the topic. Public records requests seeking more detail as to the evolution of the office are pending. "We're not going to do this interview, but thanks for asking," was the reply to Y'all Politics through his communications director, Margaret Ann Morgan. |
| Retired Justice Bill Waller, Jr. entering GOP primary for governor | |
| A retired chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court says he has the best chance to win the governor's race because he believes he will appeal to voters across party lines. Bill Waller Jr. of Jackson said he's filing paperwork Friday to enter the Republican primary. It's the last day for candidates to qualify for statewide, regional, legislative and county offices in Mississippi this year. Waller, 67, served 21 years on the Supreme Court with the last 10 as chief justice. He's making his first run for statewide office and acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday that he's getting a late start after retiring last month. "I did not leave the court with the intention to do that," he said of running for governor. "But when I put my notice in, I started getting calls and letters and visits. And, frankly, I was not satisfied with the candidates in the race. We've got some big, big problems in this state, and the lieutenant governor did not seem to be interested in trying anything new or addressing (problems), in my opinion, in a meaningful way." |
| Bill Waller Jr. believes time is right for his gubernatorial campaign: 'We will be competitive' | |
| While William Waller Jr. admits he had long considered running for governor, he said he was not contemplating such a campaign when he announced in November he was stepping down from his post as chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court. "Five months is not much time" to prepare to run for governor, said Waller referring to roughly the amount of time between when he recently made his decision to run as a Republican and when the party primary election will be in August. But Waller said too many people came to him urging him to consider running. "My intent was to teach and be involved with access to justice and things like that," he told Mississippi Today. "I had lot of calls, visits, letters urging me to run for governor." He said, "I looked and I did not see any ideas, any programs (from the announced candidates) to address the problems. We can't stick our head in the sand." Waller said, if elected, he will focus on the issues of improving infrastructure, providing better access to health care and improving education and work force development. |
| Why is Bill Waller running for governor? In his words: Mississippi's 'house is on fire' | |
| Sitting in the Jackson law office of his late father -- who served as governor from 1972-1976 -- Bill Waller Jr. gave his first interview in his gubernatorial bid, which becomes official Friday morning when he qualifies for the August GOP primary. Waller, 67, longtime former state Supreme Court chief justice and retired brigadier general with the Mississippi Army National Guard, has surprised many politicos with his challenge of presumed Republican front-runner Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. Here's why he's doing it, in his own words. It has been edited for length. |
| Chris McDaniel won't seek statewide office in Mississippi in 2019 | |
| A Republican state senator who has twice run for higher office says he won't seek a statewide position in Mississippi's 2019 elections. Chris McDaniel of Ellisville announced Thursday that he will "take a short break from statewide campaigns." Instead, McDaniel says he'll seek re-election to his state Senate seat covering parts of Jones and Forrest counties. McDaniel says he wants to spend more time with his children. He says he'll focus on helping elect conservatives and "restoring the conscience of the Republican Party." |
| Chris McDaniel announces decision on run for governor | |
| Conservative state legislator Chris McDaniel announced Thursday he will not run for Mississippi governor, but teased a future run. McDaniel said he wants to spend time instead with his two sons and "will take a short break from statewide campaigns." McDaniel had refused to rule out a 2019 run for governor, saying he'd been discussing his political future with President Donald Trump. But on Thursday, McDaniel announced he did not plan to join the race ahead of a Friday qualifying deadline. "I will instead focus on electing conservatives and restoring the conscience of the Republican Party," he said in a statement. "I still believe the GOP is the best hope to save our Republic. If our party embraces liberty, fiscal restraint, and self-government, we can defeat the Democrats and relegate the reckless doctrine of Socialism to the ash bin of history." Political campaigns have been hard on his family, he said, especially his sons Cambridge and Chamberlain. |
| GOP Kills Tort Reform Amendment Requiring 'Reasonable' Safety Efforts | |
| Businesses no longer would have to "take reasonable steps" to prevent violence on their premises after Republicans defeated a proposed amendment to a "tort-reform" bill working through the Mississippi Legislature, also called the Landowners Protection Act. Democratic House Minority Leader David Baria introduced the amendment to Senate Bill 2901 Wednesday. The legislation seeks to shield businesses from liability in the event that a third party on the property causes an injury. Under the bill, courts could only hold property owners liable if plaintiffs could prove they "actively and affirmatively, with a degree of conscious decision-making, impelled the conduct" of the offending third party. Even as Republicans in the House scuttled Baria's amendment, they passed one that Brandon Rep. Mark Baker, a Republican candidate for attorney general, introduced. His change defines a "premises-liability action" to mean "a civil action based upon the duty owed to someone injured on a landowner's premises as a result of conditions or activities of the land." |
| 'Heartbeat' grows stronger in the House as abortion bill advances | |
 | Mississippi lawmakers are moving forward with a proposal that could create one of the strictest abortion laws in the country. The House Public Health Committee on Wednesday amended and passed Senate Bill 2116, which would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy. The bill moves to the full House for debate. Rep. Becky Currie of Brookhaven supported a heartbeat abortion bill in the House earlier this month. "I believe that life begins at conception so this was a no-brainer for me," Currie said previously. "Our hopes are with the Supreme Court changing, and with Ruth Bader Ginsburg probably retiring while President Trump is in office, the makeup of the Supreme Court looks hopeful for this bill." Critics have argued that defending a heartbeat law would be expensive. Currie disagrees. "We looked at the cost of previous bills we have passed and so far we have spent about $50,000 on legal fees for other abortion bills," Currie said. |
| Fired utility worker's federal case a tale of Confederate statues, racism and Facebook | |
| On a summer day in 2017, a group of protesters went to a Memphis park and called for the city government to take down Confederate statues. A man with a bushy gray beard came to the park, too, and exchanged heated words with the activists. This and other comments were broadcast nationally on MSNBC and published in The Commercial Appeal, along with the man's name: Mike Goza. Citizens looked up Goza's Facebook page and saw a picture of one of his young daughters in a Memphis Light, Gas and Water truck. They complained to MLGW, which employed Goza as a skilled technician. The utility launched an investigation and learned of other comments Goza had made on Facebook. MLGW told Goza he had to take another job that would keep him away from customers. That job paid much less. He refused the other job, and was fired. In response, he filed a civil lawsuit. The case reflects broader issues. New technologies such as Facebook allow anyone to express controversial views to a big audience. Facebook also makes it easy for other people to track the person down and pressure their employer to fire them. |
| How to Not Fall for Viral Scares | |
 | Who knows what the kids are doing online, right? They've got their TikToks and their Snapchats and their flop Instagram accounts, while parents are still posting on Facebook and Twitter. The disconnect between how the olds and their children use the internet leads to parental anxiety, and in the case of this week's resurfacing of the viral fake Momo challenge, panic and misinformation. The Momo challenge, according to breathless news reports and posts from worried parents and law enforcement, is a game circulating on social media that encourages kids to engage in increasingly harmful behavior until, eventually, they're supposed to commit suicide and upload the video to the internet. Momo is basically every parent's nightmare. But as multiple outlets have pointed out, there's no evidence that it's a real viral challenge. Momo appears to be another example not of dangerous behavior going viral, but of a hoax going viral. The result, experts say, is that while the Momo scare didn't start out real, the attention it's receiving can actually have the opposite effect of what's intended. |
| East Central Community College to offer diesel mechanic classes | |
| East Central Community College will offer a new program in Diesel Equipment Technology in Philadelphia beginning in Fall 2019, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The instructional program, which will be located at the previous U.S. Motors plant, will provide students with competencies required to maintain a variety of industrial diesel equipment, including agricultural tractors, commercial trucks, and construction equipment. It will include instruction in inspections, repair, maintenance of engines, power trains, hydraulic systems and other components. Wayne Eason, ECCC director of Career and Technical Education, said, "We are excited to offer Diesel Equipment Technology at ECCC. Businesses and industries in our district have expressed a great need for these technicians." Students can select between several pathways, including a career certificate, technical certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree. |
| Auburn rent can be costly -- but how bad is it? | |
| The frantic hunt for housing is a cycle many students know too well. Which complexes still have vacancies? How far away is it? Who needs a roommate? Would it be cheaper to live on campus? Is there even space on campus? How many bedrooms are there? And perhaps most important of all: How much is the rent? It's no secret that Auburn's student housing market is going through some growing pains. That has consequences --- namely, higher rent prices. Out of all 14 schools in the SEC, Auburn came in as the eighth most expensive place to find student housing. The most expensive area was Nashville, Tennessee, home of Vanderbilt University, with a median rent of $1,126 for a 2-bedroom apartment. The cheapest was Starkville, Mississippi, home of Mississippi State University, with a median rent of about $700 for a 2-bedroom apartment. |
| U. of Tennessee condemns blackface photo with racist text believed to be students | |
 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville has released a statement condemning images reportedly posted by students to Snapchat that show them wearing blackface and captioned with racist comments. The images are "repulsive" and the caption "abhorrent," says the statement released by university's media relations department. The pictures circulating on various social media platforms are screenshots of a Snapchat featuring four people. Two are wearing what appears to be black skin care masks. "The racism displayed in this image does not represent the behavior we expect of students or our Volunteer values," the statement reads. The BIAS Education Response Team and Office of the Dean of Students have been made aware of the images and "the university is determining how to handle this incident." A petition was started on Change.org by someone who identifies herself as a student, asking UT to "expel University of Tennessee students that think blackface is acceptable." The petition also asks UT to "enact a zero tolerance policy towards racism and hate speech." |
| U. of Florida's own review finds no misspending | |
 | University of Florida officials announced Thursday afternoon that they have reviewed every university construction project worth more than $2 million over the last 10 years and found that all of them were funded within the bounds of state law. The prepared statement, delivered by email late Thursday afternoon, states UF did not misuse E&G (education and general) money or "carryforward" funds, those left over at the end of a fiscal year. "While there have been recent reports about a complaint alleging improper use of funds in our student affairs group, our ongoing investigation has found no evidence of any misuse of taxpayer funds," the statement read. "The University of Florida places the highest value on transparency, integrity and accountability to the public that it serves." No one from UF's administration would comment on the record, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said. However, Thursday's statement does not appear to put to rest all allegations of misuse of public money at UF. |
| Speaker at Bush School says US-China relations have lots of room for improvement | |
 | In 1979, the United States and the People's Republic of China established a diplomatic relationship. Forty years later, there have been several accomplishments --- and plenty of remaining friction. Trade and investment between the two countries bloomed, and student exchange and tourism numbers have grown exponentially, said George Washington University international affairs professor David Shambaugh. However, he said, "we would be mistaken" to oversell those mutual bonds and underappreciate the stress and suspicion that exists between the two countries today. The relationship is "not in a good place," he said. Speaking at a lecture hosted by the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs in the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University on Thursday, Shambaugh discussed the state of U.S.-China relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations. He described the current relationship as one of growing competition and shrinking cooperation, and one that has endured turbulent times, including during both Bush presidencies. |
| U. of Missouri tries to defend ouster of advocates | |
 | Members of the University of Missouri Faculty Council were skeptical Thursday that MU's public reasons for firing two employees of the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center in May are the real reasons they were forced out. For more than 30 minutes, Donnell Young, assistant vice chancellor for Student Engagement and Success, tried to explain the decisions and how services at the center have been maintained. "We are committed to every single student across this campus," Young said. "We are committed to students that utilize the RSVP Center and we'll continue to show you the efforts that we are putting in place to be great stewards of the resources that we have and to continue the mission going forward." The Tribune reported Sunday that advocate Taylor Yeagle and her supervisor, Danica Wolf, were forced out after Yeagle made statements critical of the MU Title IX process in the case of a student who was not informed of an appeal. Yeagle spoke to the Tribune after the student signed a waiver of her privacy rights under federal law. |
| Former Missouri Professor Stole Student's Research to Sell New Drug, Lawsuit Alleges | |
 | The University of Missouri sued a former pharmacy professor this week, accusing him of stealing a graduate student's research and secretly using it to sell a new drug that it said could make him millions. In the lawsuit against the former professor, Ashim Mitra, the university's Kansas City campus claimed ownership over the invention of a new treatment for dry eye that Dr. Mitra sold to a drug company. The university said a Ph.D. student under Dr. Mitra's advisement performed the research that was central to the discovery but was not credited in the patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The lawsuit said Dr. Mitra had already made about $1.5 million from the inventions. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, described a yearslong scheme Dr. Mitra orchestrated to steal the work of a gifted graduate student, Kishore Cholkar, for his own financial gain. It also accused Dr. Mitra's wife, Ranjana Mitra, who was employed as a research associate at the university, of aiding him in the plot. |
| Senator Patty Murray says higher education legislation must focus on college affordability | |
 | Senator Patty Murray said Thursday that an overhaul of the Higher Education Act should tackle college affordability directly by addressing state investment in public colleges and boosting federal spending on need-based aid programs like Pell Grants. Murray, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate's education committee, argued that even when college students receive federal grant aid, it covers a diminishing proportion of the total cost of college -- meaning more low-income and minority students in particular are forced to take out student loans. "Everyone who wants to go to college -- whether it's a two- or four-year degree -- should have the choice to do so and shouldn't be saddled with debt as a result," she said. Murray was speaking at the Center for American Progress, where she laid out her broad goals for reauthorizing the federal higher ed law. Her speech was partially in response to priorities outlined weeks earlier by Senator Lamar Alexander, the GOP chairman of the education committee. Alexander said his key concerns were simplifying the federal student aid system, streamlining loan repayment and holding colleges accountable with a single borrower-repayment benchmark. |
| What Is It About Confucius Institutes That Spooks Lawmakers? A Senate Hearing Suggests 3 Factors | |
 | The future is unclear for more than 100 Confucius Institutes on American campuses after federal lawmakers expressed reservations about the China-funded programs at a hearing on Thursday of the Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations. Senators grappled with whether the benefits of the centers, such as fostering cultural awareness and language skills, outweighed the downsides of the programs, including concerns about their finances, the confidential contracts under which their teachers and directors work, and the censorship of equivalent U.S. centers in China. Based on a recent investigation and recommendations that appeared in a report by the subcommittee, part of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, the institutes could be forcibly closed. Here are three reasons for the skepticism that senators expressed during the hearing: |
| China is building soft power in U.S. schools, Senate report warns | |
 | A new bipartisan report by a Senate investigative panel has found that the Chinese government has the potential to use a popular Mandarin language program it funds at hundreds of U.S. universities and K-12 schools to shape and even stifle the discussion of controversial Beijing policies. Although the findings are cause for concern, the report did not show a pattern of egregious incidents of U.S. academic research being squashed or that campus debate had been overtly stifled on matters that China views as sensitive such as Tibet, Taiwan and the Tiananmen Square massacre. The findings of the 96-page report, released Wednesday by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, revealed that much is still unknown about the scope and intentions behind the Confucius Institutes, despite an eight-month Senate committee investigation and a parallel assessment by the Government Accountability Office. |
| U. of California System cancels deal with Elsevier after months of negotiations | |
| The University of California System has canceled its multimillion-dollar subscription contract with Elsevier, an academic publisher. Other institutions have canceled their "big deal" journal subscription contracts with major publishers before. But none in the U.S. have the financial and scholarly clout of the UC system -- which accounts for nearly 10 percent of the nation's publishing output. The cancellation, announced Thursday, is a blow to Elsevier, which is facing increasing pressure to change its largely subscription-based business model. Last year, hundreds of institutions in Germany and Sweden refused to sign a deal with Elsevier unless it agreed to fundamentally change the way it charges institutions to access and publish research. After more than six months of negotiations, it became clear that Elsevier was not willing to meet the UC's demands, said Jeff Mackie-Mason and Ivy Anderson, the system's lead negotiators. |
| After decades of effort, African-American enrollment in medical school still lags | |
 | Gabriel Felix is on track to graduate from Howard University's medical school in May. The 27-year-old from Rockland County, N.Y., has beaten the odds to make it this far, and knows he faces challenges going forward. He and other black medical school students have grown used to dealing with doctors' doubts about their abilities, and other slights: Being confused with hospital support staff, or being advised to pick a nickname, because their actual names would be too difficult to pronounce. "We're still on a steady hill towards progress," says Felix, president of the Student National Medical Association, which represents medical students of color. But "there's still a lot more work to do." After decades of effort to increase the ranks of African-American doctors, blacks remain an underrepresented minority in the nation's medical schools. The disparity matters, physicians, students and others say, because doctors of color can help the African-American community overcome a historical mistrust of the medical system -- a factor in poorer health outcomes for black Americans. |
| Why Are So Few Male Students Studying Abroad? | |
| Even as new enrollments of international students at colleges in the United States have declined over the past two years, the number of American students studying abroad continues to grow. But one group of students is underrepresented in the surge of undergraduates going overseas: men. In 2016–17, women accounted for more than two-thirds of American students studying abroad, a proportion that has remained constant for more than a decade. Colleges have long blamed the gender disparity on the simple fact that women outnumber men on campuses and tend to major in disciplines that historically have accounted for a large share of overseas programs, such as the humanities, the social sciences, and foreign languages. Meanwhile, fields dominated by men, mostly STEM disciplines, have a reputation for being less hospitable to overseas study because of demanding degree requirements. But STEM majors now represent the largest group of students abroad, making up a quarter of all undergrads overseas. |
| Birmingham-Southern College, a Methodist college, affirms welcome of gays and lesbians | |
 | After a vote Tuesday by the United Methodist Church General Conference to keep its stance against gay marriage and openly gay clergy, Methodist-affiliated Birmingham-Southern College issued a statement to affirm a welcoming campus. "In light of the recent events, I believe it is important to state as clearly and emphatically as possible that Birmingham-Southern welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities," BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement released today. "We welcome all people in all capacities." |
| Pensacola Beach spring break 2019 crowds could break records | |
| Although longtime Visit Pensacola President Steve Hayes is in the business of monitoring tourism trends, he was still caught off guard when he got his first look at spring break bookings for Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key earlier this year. The numbers were way, way up. "I was blown away," said Hayes, who oversees the regional tourism promotion agency. The data, which reflected bookings as of Jan. 31, showed March condominium bookings were up 16 percent from the same period in 2018 and April bookings were up 20 percent. "People have had a lot more time to book, so we expect the overall numbers to be even stronger," said Hayes, who predicted February's report will show even bigger numbers. While Pensacola Beach visitation has been growing for years, spring break 2019 is expected to be bigger than usual because of the devastating hit Hurricane Michael dealt the Panama City area back in October, Hayes said. Although Panama City Beach was spared the worst of Michael, many of its condos and hotel rooms are being used by area families rebuilding homes destroyed by the monster storm, Hayes said. |
SPORTS
| Teaira McCowan has 25 points, No. 5 Mississippi State beats LSU | |
| Mississippi State's 6-foot-7 Teaira McCowan deflected the LSU pass and grabbed the basketball. To everyone's surprise, she didn't look for a guard and instead took off dribbling to the delight of the home crowd. A few seconds later, she finished the layup and broke into a broad grin: McCowan was putting on a show for senior night and the announced crowd of more than 8,500 at Humphrey Coliseum loved every minute of it. McCowan had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Jordan Danberry added 18 points and No. 5 Mississippi State cruised to a 76-56 victory over LSU on Thursday night. "The crowd doesn't get any louder than when somebody gets a steal or somebody takes a charge," McCowan said of her impromptu fast break. "We score buckets all day, and they clap, but when we do something like that, it gets pretty loud. I was excited." |
| Bulldogs celebrate seniors, share of SEC title | |
 | Two years ago, Mississippi State had a chance to secure a share the Southeastern Conference championship entering its final home game of the regular season. However, the Bulldogs let the emotions of a pregame senior day ceremony spill over to the court and were blown out by 18 points by Tennessee. Since then, MSU coach Vic Schaefer has waited until after the final home game to celebrate his seniors. Thursday night the fifth-ranked Bulldogs celebrated their seniors along with winning a share of their second-straight SEC title after a 76-56 victory over LSU. "Two years ago, we had this same scenario and it was 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'," Schaefer said. "I mean, it was awful. We just tried to impart on them that this isn't their last game in the Hump. They're going to play two more in here in the NCAA Tournament and this is our chance, what we've worked for all year and worked for in our careers and why we came here to win an SEC championship." The win pushes Mississippi State's record to 26-2 overall and 14-1 in conference play. It also sets up a showdown at No. 14 South Carolina for a chance to win the league championship outright. |
| Mississippi State electrifies home crowd in emotional senior night win over LSU | |
| Teaira McCowan strode down the court Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum. All 6-foot-7 of her, all by herself. It started when McCowan, Mississippi State's senior center, fronted an entry pass near her own free throw line. Instead of slowing down and finding a ball handler as she usually does when she collects the ball on the defensive side of half court, McCowan saw an opening and took it. Why not? McCowan has played in 141 games during her record-breaking career. Thursday's matchup against LSU was her last regular season home game. The No. 5 Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 SEC) beat the Tigers, 76-56, and Big T had the most memorable play of the evening on her night -- senior night. She took the ball three-fourths of the way down the floor -- as gracefully as a girl of her stature ever could -- and finished off the layup. When she turned around to get back on defense, she wore a smile as big and wide as her home state of Texas. |
| Mississippi State faces Texas-sized test at Frisco Classic | |
| Mississippi State is off to a successful start to the season. The 12th-ranked Diamond Dogs are 8-1 after a nine-game homestand but will now test their mettle away from the friendly confines of Dudy Noble Field. MSU travels to Texas to participate in the Frisco College Baseball Classic this weekend against Sam Houston State, No. 3 Texas Tech and Nebraska. "We're going to have to strap it on, show up and be ready to play all three days against a different opponent each day," said MSU coach Chris Lemonis. The Bulldogs begin the round- robin tournament against Sam Houston State today at 3 p.m. MSU then takes on Texas Tech on Saturday at 4 p.m. and finishes up against Nebraska on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Frisco Classic features 16 of the D1Baseball.com's top 350 players, six of which suit up for Mississippi State. |
| Bulldogs bring balanced Mississippi State baseball team to Frisco Classic | |
| A pair of Mississippi State Bulldogs said two contrasting things Wednesday night. After a 12-0 victory over Southeastern Louisiana, sophomore third baseman Justin Foscue said Mississippi State is going to put up more power numbers than normal this season. Head coach Chris Lemonis stepped to the table and essentially said not so fast, Mr. Foscue. "I do think we have a good offense, but I don't think we're going to get 12 every night," Lemonis said. He's right, of course. There have been three games this season in which Mississippi State has scored four runs or fewer. One of those was a shutout loss to Southern Miss. But the Bulldogs have scored eight runs or more in the six other games they've played. In total, they've averaged 8.9 runs per game. That's not 12 per night, like Lemonis said, but it's still a nice average. It'll be mighty impressive if that number stays high after this weekend's games. |
| Mia Davidson's grand slam lifts Mississippi State to comeback victory at Memphis | |
 | Down a run in the top of the seventh, sophomore Mia Davidson delivered a two-out grand slam to lift the Bulldogs to a 10-7 victory over Memphis at the Tiger Softball Complex. Davidson's grand slam was one of two for the Bulldogs Wednesday night as State rallied for a comeback victory over the Tigers. Junior Fa Leilua also slugged her first grand slam of her Bulldog career in the contest. Both grand slams happened with two outs on the scoreboard. Sophomore Emily Williams picked up the win to improve to 4-1 on the season. Williams tossed six innings and allowed seven runs off four hits and five walks. Only three of Memphis' runs were earned. The right-hander also struck out nine in the contest. Mississippi State continues its road swing this weekend at the Duke Invitational in Durham, North Carolina. The Bulldogs open the tournament on Friday, March 1 with a doubleheader slate against Ohio (12 p.m. CT) and the host Blue Devils (6 p.m. CT). |
| Malik Dear played his role during 2018 season | |
| Nearly two years have passed but the memory still resonates in the mind of Malik Dear. The Mississippi State wide receiver vividly recalls tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the spring of 2017. And although Dear aggressively rehabbed to return that fall, he was forced to sit out that entire season. "As soon as the injury happened, I was already missing the game," Dear said. "It happened right in the middle of practice and right when I got off that practice field, I got the news that I'd torn my ACL. It was just a devastating moment for me. I just tried to work hard to get back to where I was and got out there a little faster than I expected to." Much had changed at MSU by the time Dear made his comeback in 2018. The Bulldogs had an entirely new offensive staff and system in place to go along with a new head coach. |
| Mississippi State tries to figure out defensive line in spring football | |
| Pretty much everything about Mississippi State's defensive line will feel new in 2019. New starter at left end. New starters in the middle at defensive tackle. New starter at right end. Oh, and a new defensive line coach, too. How does a team overcome a complete overhaul like that? The new guy in town, d-line coach Deke Adams, said he's going to take his time getting things figured out during spring practices. "This spring, they're all new to me," Adams said. "I'm new to them. It's just about learning who they are and what they have and seeing where we can fit everything in and be successful like they have been." Losing Montez Sweat and Gerri Green, two players who are currently in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, isn't ideal, but Adams actually has a lot to work with on the outside. |
| Art Briles' job interview with Southern Mississippi caused huge concerns, emails show | |
 | Southern Mississippi supporters reacted swiftly after reports emerged that the school was interviewing former Baylor football coach Art Briles for its vacant offensive coordinator position. In emails to the school's administration and athletic officials, they lobbied against hiring Briles because of his role in a sexual-assault scandal that led to his firing at Baylor. Some threatened to revoke financial support, either through season tickets or donations. They needn't have worried. Southern Mississippi's interim athletic director had decided against the hire even before Briles set foot on campus for an interview on Monday, Feb. 4. In an email obtained by USA TODAY through a public-records request, Jeff Mitchell instructed head coach Jay Hopson early on Feb. 3 to "go in another direction" for that position. Mitchell declined an interview request from USA TODAY. In a statement, Mitchell said the football program is "moving forward." |
| 'One-time thing:' Rebels squash kneeling questions | |
| Plenty of national media arrived in Oxford on Wednesday. Not only was Ole Miss playing its toughest test to date on the court in No. 7 Tennessee, but after Saturday's protest brought national attention, Ole Miss had questions to answer. "We always support our players. I know what happened Saturday wasn't about the anthem, it was about what was going on, on our campus," said head coach Kermit Davis. "I thought when our guys knelt, we supported our players. We know it was nothing to do with anything except the hate groups that were on our campus." Players emphasized that they felt support after the demonstration, both on campus from other students and from administration. However, their message was similar to Davis'. "It won't happen again; it won't happen," Bruce Stevens said, confidently. "It was just a one-day thing. I was with Devontae Shuler. We're just going to move on and worry about basketball. We're not really worried about that anymore." |
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