| Monday, April 15, 2019 |
| Mississippi State senior named Truman Scholar | |
 | A Mississippi State University senior is winning a Truman Scholarship. Mississippi State says Alicia Brown of Petal, an honors student majoring in chemical engineering, is one about 65 students nationwide receiving the award. She's the 19th winner from MSU and Mississippi's only winner this year. Honors college Associate Dean Tommy Anderson praises Brown for her understanding of the relationship between science and public policy. |
| Severe storms in the South cause deaths, damage and loss of power | |
| Heavy rains and storms raked Mississippi into the night Saturday as the storms moved east. A 95-year-old man died after a tree crashed onto his trailer in northeastern Mississippi, Monroe County Road Manager Sonny Clay said at a news conference, Nineteen residents were taken to hospitals, including two in critical condition. National Weather Service meteorologist John Moore said a possible twister touched down in the Vicksburg, Miss., area. No injuries were reported, but officials said several businesses and vehicles were damaged. The storm damaged the roof of a hotel in New Albany, Miss. And in Starkville, many of Mississippi State University's 21,000 students huddled in basements and hallways as a tornado came near the school's campus. University spokesman Sid Salter said some debris, possibly carried by the tornado, was found on campus, but no injuries were reported and no buildings were damaged. Trees toppled and minor damage was reported in residential areas east of the campus. |
| Governor declares state of emergency after weekend storms | |
 | Governor Phil Bryant has declared a state of Emergency after 17 counties were affected from severe storms and tornadoes over the weekend. While 17 counties throughout the state suffered damages, two of the hardest hit areas were Monroe and Warren counties. Greg Michel, Executive Director of MEMA said they are working diligently to help those affected by the weather. With seven confirmed tornadoes, the National Weather Service said there were two EF-2 tornadoes that touched down in the city of Vicksburg with another EF-2 confirmed in Winston and Oktibbeha Counties. An additional three EF-1 tornadoes were confirmed in Mathiston, Starkville, and Thomastown with only one EF-0 tornado confirmed just south of Mantee. |
| The true story of the Citizens' Council: Work of researcher, archivist makes important part of group's history available to the public | |
 | In 2006, Stephanie Rolph descended into the bowels of Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library to begin research on her doctoral dissertation on the Citizen's Council Forum, a series of TV/radio shows that aired first locally, then nationally, from 1957 to 1966. Rolph listened and carefully transcribed hundreds of hours from the more than 400 shows that had somewhat mysteriously come into the library's hands in the early 2000s. It took Rolph 18 months to complete her work. After earning her doctorate from MSU in 2009, Rolph donated her transcripts of the show's audiotapes to MSU Libraries, where they became a valuable resource for visiting historians and researchers, but remained largely inaccessible to anyone else. Rolph's painstaking work might have remained in relative obscurity were it not for the arrival of Jessica Perkins-Smith to the MSU library in 2016. |
| New Mississippi State exhibition shows graphic design seniors ready to 'Break the Grid' | |
| Seventeen Mississippi State art majors specializing in graphic design are the creative minds behind a new exhibition on display through April 17 at the university's Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery. "Break the Grid" celebrates the seniors' completion of studio work in MSU's Department of Art, the state's largest undergraduate studio art program. The spring semester graphic design thesis students are under the instruction of Assistant Professor Claire Gipson. Golden Triangle area exhibitors included are Sarah Ferguson of Columbus, Trent Furr of Ackerman and Laura Leigh Hicks of Steens. In addition to physical displays including web design, posters, editorial and advertising design, and illustration, the students' portfolio books and self-promotional pieces will be available for viewing on opening night. For a preview, visit www.breakthegrid2019.com and follow on Instagram @breakthegrid2019. |
| Coming to the MSU Riley Center | |
 | Photo: Steeped in Southern rock, blues, and soul, mindful of tradition but itching to make a little history of their own, The Allman Betts Band visits the MSU Riley Center April 25 as part of its first-ever tour. Sons of three members of the storied Allman Brothers Band will take the stage: Devon Allman (son of Gregg) and Duane Betts (son of Dickey) on guitar and vocals, and Berry Oakley Jr. on bass. Slide guitarist Johnny Stachela, keyboardist John Ginty, and drummer-percussionists R. Scott Bryan and John Lum round out the lineup. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers Band's creation, a new legend is born. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. |
| Show goes on for lucky few Cotton District Arts Festival vendors | |
| Harry Day sat in Rick's Cafe Saturday afternoon behind a table displaying his artwork. He was trying to sell metal sculptures, ink block prints and copies of a couple of books he has written to the fairly constant stream of the bar's customers shuffling past. This was not the arrangement Day had planned for his Saturday, but he said it was working out for him pretty well, nonetheless. "I've sold what I would during an 'OK' show at a big festival," he said. "I'm pushing every kind of item I have. ... I sold an ink block print within the first 30 minutes." Day was among the 150 or so artists signed up for booths at the outdoor Cotton District Arts Festival, which was canceled abruptly Saturday morning when thunderstorms rolled through the area. The Canton resident and 1993 Mississippi State graduate was one of five art vendors who salvaged the day at Rick's. CDAF, an annual event that coincides with Super Bulldog Weekend at MSU, drew about 50,000 people in 2018 and organizers this year were expecting a similar crowd Saturday. |
| Development considering site of Gillespie-Jackson House | |
| A potential development is eyeing a lot on the corner of Louisville Street and Highway 12 where one of the city's oldest homes now sits. Charles T. Carter, a developer with Marietta, Georgia-based Camson Development Company, spoke to Starkville's Development Review Committee on Thursday. Camson Development is considering a development that would -- while details are currently scarce -- bring commercial property and condos to the site of the Gillespie-Jackson House. In order to build the new development, the Gillespie-Jackson house would have to be removed from the site -- whether through relocation or demolition. Thursday's meeting primarily focused on the technical aspects of the development -- engineering work, fire and garbage truck access, ingress and egress -- and City Planner Daniel Havelin said the city hasn't received a formal application for the project yet. |
| Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller resigning from board of aldermen | |
| Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller is resigning from Starkville's board of alderman to take a job in another city. Miller submitted a letter of resignation to the city on Monday. His resignation is effective immediately. Mayor Lynn Spruill confirmed Miller's resignation to The Dispatch and said the alderman is moving to the coast. "He's been a wonderful board member and it is our loss," Spruill said. "I'm very pleased that it's a positive move for him, because in the scheme of things, if it's best for his family and him, then I certainly wish him all the best." Miller was elected to the board in 2017, after former Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard opted not to seek another term. |
| Starkville looking to strengthen stormwater ordinance | |
| Starkville is looking at strengthening its stormwater ordinance to help prevent future problems with flooding. Assistant City Engineer Cody Burnett updated aldermen at a work session Friday on a proposed revision to the ordinance, which is included in the city's larger ongoing development code rewrite. The city's development code lays out the city's requirements for zoning and land type designations, as well as the processes and guidelines for building new developments or altering existing ones. Friday's update was prompted by flooding due to heavy rains earlier in the week. One change for the ordinance, Burnett said, is that it would require new developments or redevelopments to increase the amount of stormwater that can be retained. |
| Regional Rehab to honor Hassell Franklin April 23 | |
 | Hassell Franklin is best known for decades of furniture manufacturing, but later this month he will be honored for building up the region. On April 23, the Regional Rehabilitation Center will honor Franklin with its fifth annual Red Rasberry Humanitarian Award. The event at Tupelo's Summit Center will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m. and program and dinner at 7 p.m. Franklin has lent his support and expertise to guide local corporations, economic development, education and philanthropy. He has served on a number of boards including BancorpSouth, North Mississippi Health Services, CREATE Foundation, Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi and Mississippi State University. Honoring Franklin will be BancorpSouth chairman and chief executive officer Dan Rollins, retired furniture executive Mickey Holliman, and Ripley banker Bobby Martin, a previous Rasberry honoree. Another honoree, State Rep. Steve Holland, will give a brief history of the center. Scott Reed will serve as master of ceremonies. |
| Will Mississippi lottery be derailed before it starts by fed ruling? | |
 | Mississippi's lottery could be hamstrung before it even starts later this year as states with lotteries worry over the U.S. Department of Justice's reinterpretation of a federal gambling law. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and attorney generals from 43 other states have expressed concern about a DOJ statement that it is reconsidering whether the federal Wire Act applies to non-sports gambling. If applied, it could prohibit inter-state, high jackpot games such as Powerball and Mega Millions that entice millions of people to buy lottery tickets. A new interpretation could reverse DOJ's 2011 legal opinion that prohibited only interstate transmission of information regarding sporting events or contests. Some state officials worry a reversal also could impact slot machines and other casino gambling. "This change could potentially have devastating consequences for the lottery Mississippi has finally established," Hood said in a statement. |
| Analysis: Redistricting a big task for incoming lawmakers | |
| People elected to the Mississippi House and Senate this year will be in charge of redrawing legislative districts in the coming term. It's an important and inherently political task. And things could get ugly in the push-and-pull between the two major parties. Mississippi has 52 districts in the Senate and 122 in the House. Political boundaries are supposed to be redrawn at least once a decade, after new Census numbers reveal which parts of the state have gained residents and which have lost them. Ideally, districts would be balanced by population, with roughly 57,390 residents in each Senate district and 24,460 in each House district. Those numbers are based on July 2017 population estimates, which will, of course, change once the national head count is done next year. |
| Jim Hood focuses on mental health, healthcare in gubernatorial run | |
| During Jim Hood's tenure as Attorney General for Mississippi, he's witnessed hundreds of jobs lost in the mental health field coupled with a rise in opioid abuse and addiction. "We have let down people that have needed our help the most at a time when they need it the most," Hood said. "I saw the crack epidemic, the meth epidemic. This one is the worst one yet." Hood, a Democratic candidate for governor, spoke to The Meridian Star's editorial board on Friday about his campaign. Hood will face a host of opponents in the primary with the winner facing the Republican nominee in the general election in November. Hood, along with attorneys general across the country, have joined in a class action suit against opioid manufacturers. "We can try to recoup some of the money lost but you'll never get back the lives we've lost," Hood said. |
| Phyliss J. Anderson announces re-election bid for chief of Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians | |
| Phyliss J. Anderson, Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, announced her candidacy Saturday to seek re-election as tribal chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Anderson first won election in 2011 to becomethe first female chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. In a campaign news release, Anderson points to accomplishments of regained financial stability for the tribe, renewed respect to the office of the chief, and new confidence in the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. During her second term, Anderson oversaw the successful implementation and completion of multiple projects on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, including a new health clinic in the Red Water Community, the new Tribal Council Hall, phase I of the adult sports complex and the building of homes of her "100 Homes" plan, according to the news release. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith calls for regulations of lab-grown meat | |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture may soon have the primary responsibility of regulating, inspecting and labeling lab-grown meat and poultry that is marketed to the American public. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith introduced the Cell-Cultured Meat and Poultry Regulation Act of 2019 that would codify the responsibilities of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration over food products grown in laboratories from animal cell cultures. "Our federal food safety laws need to be updated to address the scientific effort to create imitation meat in laboratories," said Hyde-Smith who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security. "American consumers deserve to know the food they eat is unadulterated, wholesome, and properly labeled, and the federal agencies responsible for these guarantees deserve clear direction from Congress over jurisdiction. |
| Mississippi Judge Carlton Reeves likens Trump attack on judiciary to KKK, Citizens Council | |
| Mississippi federal Judge Carlton Reeves in a speech in Virginia assailed the Trump administration for lack of diversity in judicial appointments and likened President Trump's attacks on the judiciary to tactics used by the Ku Klux Klan and segregationists in the Jim Crow era. Reeves, who has ruled on some of the state's biggest legal cases, spoke Thursday at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he accepted this year's Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law award from his alma mater. Reeves' law clerk Chelsea Caveny Lewis said Friday that the judge will not make any further comment beyond the speech. BuzzFeed News reports Reeves, an African American, quoted President Donald Trump's tweets and public comments about judges and the courts (the written version obtained by BuzzFeed includes footnotes making clear Reeves is referring to Trump tweets) and blasted the lack of diversity among Trump's judicial nominees. |
| IHL Commissioner Dr. Al Rankins: Greenville Native Took the Helm in July 2018 | |
| Greenville native Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., who began serving as Commissioner of Higher Education for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) on July 1, 2018, got into higher education as a career almost by chance. After graduating from Greenville High School, he went to Alcorn State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Following that, he earned Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at Mississippi State University. "Originally, my intent after finishing graduate school was to pursue a career in the agrochemical industry as a research scientist," Rankins says. "However, Dr. Euel Coats and Dr. David Shaw recruited me for a faculty position at Mississippi State University (MSU). I decided to give it a try and have worked in higher education my entire career." Commissioner Rankins' strong leadership and wise counsel helps move Mississippi forward by educating students, serving communities and pursuing innovative research that contributes to economic growth and development, said MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum. |
| Stakeholders share vision for next Ole Miss leader | |
| Stakeholders want the University of Mississippi to recruit a chancellor with an academic background who will lead with an open mind, commit to supporting diversity on campus and actively seek input from the constituency. Such was the consensus from interviews the Daily Journal conducted with students, faculty, alumni and local residents. Although the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board has not officially launched the search for the next leader of Mississippi's flagship university, when it does, it will be seeking to fill a high-profile post that will be watched closely throughout the state. And many people have an opinion on the type of qualities that person should possess. The university will soon conduct its second chancellor search in four years after Jeffrey Vitter resigned in November to return to teaching at the university. Larry Sparks was appointed interim chancellor but has said he is not seeking the full-time post. |
| Finis St. John IV named new chancellor of U. of Alabama System | |
 | The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees found its next leader in its current leader. Finis "Fess" St. John IV, a trustee serving as interim chancellor since the retirement last year of Ray Hayes, accepted the position on a permanent basis Friday at the trustees meeting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The trustees, as expected, also approved the hiring of Darren Dawson as president of UAH, replacing the retiring Robert Altenkirch. St. John, an attorney from Cullman, has served as a trustee since 2002, including three terms as board president pro tem (2008-11). Dawson is the dean of engineering at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Before his five years at Kansas State, Dawson spent 24 years at Clemson University in a variety of ascending positions. |
| U. of Alabama plans to curb tuition increase for in-state students | |
 | The University of Alabama System board of trustees on Friday voted to increase tuition for medical school students, but signaled it would keep rates for in-state undergraduates and graduate students flat for the upcoming year. "For the first time in over 40 years, all three of our campuses will have no increase in tuition for Alabama students," Chancellor Finis St. John said. "To all of our trustees, and some more than others, and some for a long time, this has been an elusive and important goal, and I am very proud we have reached it for this year." St. John announced plans to keep tuition rate growth flat on Friday, but the board will officially vote on tuition rate adjustments for graduate and undergraduates at the three campuses at its June meeting. Undergraduate and graduate tuition at UA would remain flat at $5,390 per semester for Alabama residents. The rate is currently $14,615 per semester for non-residents. |
| Trustees want more money for Auburn University from state budget | |
 | Auburn University trustees and officials say they're unhappy with Auburn's allocations on Gov. Kay Ivey's proposed 2020 budget and are pushing lawmakers to change it. The budget recommendations Ivey released last month include the largest education budget in state history -- $7.1 billion total, including $.1.2 billion for higher education. "The bad news is that her budget was not kind to Auburn," said trustee Jimmy Rane, who chairs the board's governmental affairs committee. "Let me repeat that: It was not kind to Auburn. "With record revenues and the largest budget for education ever, Auburn received the lowest percentage increase among colleges and universities." Under Ivey's recommendation, Auburn would see a 5 percent increase in appropriations from the 2019 fiscal year. University President Steven Leath and other administrators have met with Ivey, her chief of staff and Sen. Pro Tem Del Marsh to express their concerns, Rane said. |
| After protests and hunger strike, U. of Kentucky opens $1 lunch cafe | |
 | A steady stream of students climbed the stairs of Erickson Hall at lunchtime Wednesday to visit the latest in the University of Kentucky's steady stream of new restaurants. This one, though, is decidedly different from the sushi, the French crepes, the Chik-fil-A and the gourmet salad bars. The One Community Cafe has just one offering per day and costs just $1 per offering. Today, lunch is pulled pork barbecue, coleslaw, roasted potatoes and a banana, and according to junior Carly Martindale, "it's really good." The One Community Cafe (formerly Fusion Cafe) opened Monday, the product of a student protest and hunger strike last week designed to bring more attention to food and housing insecurity on campus. With a UK student ID, students can buy lunch; for $2 they can take home another meal for dinner. UK President Eli Capilouto also agreed to fund and hire a full-time employee who deals with students' food and housing insecurity, and he has worked with Aramark, UK's food provider, to make more free meal-plan swipes at dining halls available for students who need them. |
| College classes in every public high school in Louisiana? 'It is worth the effort' | |
 | Gov. John Bel Edwards is pushing for a sweeping change in Louisiana's public high schools by allowing every junior and senior to take two college courses, free of charge and starting next year. "It's a chance for students to get real college experience before they get there," Edwards said in his opening address to the Legislature on April 8. The changes are spelled out in legislation -- Senate Bill 194 -- that is expected to undergo significant changes amid continuing talks. Whether the overhaul wins final approval by June 6 depends on all the parties reaching a nearly historic agreement among high schools, the state Board of Regents, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, two- and four-year colleges, superintendents and school board members statewide. |
| UGA seeks to name College of Education for Mary Frances Early | |
 | The University of Georgia College of Education is launching a special initiative to name its college for UGA's first African American graduate, Mary Frances Early. "The proposed naming of the College of Education in honor of Mary Frances Early is a tribute not only to her trailblazing integration of UGA in the 1960s, but also to her lifetime of accomplishment and service to others as a music educator," said College of Education Dean Denise A. Spangler. Over the course of the next year, gifts benefiting the College of Education may be dedicated in Early's honor to go toward the proposed naming, which will be subject to approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. A lead gift to the campaign already has been made by UGA President Jere W. Morehead: a designation of $200,000 from the President's Venture Fund which, when matched by the UGA Foundation, will be used to create four new $100,000 Georgia Commitment Scholarships for students with financial need. |
| Lawsuit: U. of South Carolina small business center reported false data | |
 | A South Carolina agency meant to help businesses grow tried to pad its budget by reporting fraudulent data to the federal government, according to a lawsuit filed by a former employee. The S.C. Small Business Development Center, based at the University of South Carolina and overseen by the school, claims to have secured $4.5 billion in government contracts for its clients, but that number is wrong, according to a lawsuit filed in Richland County by former employee Pete Oliver. The whistleblower suit alleges the small business center intentionally submitted false data to the federal government to help bolster its funding, said Ryan Hicks, the attorney who is representing Oliver. "The more production they have, the more access they have to funding," Hicks said. USC has not had time to review the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation, spokesman Jeff Stensland said in an email. |
| Writing remains critical component to success | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant clinical professor in Mississippi State University's Shackouls Honors College, writes: In the 21st century, communications have changed dramatically from historic means and approaches. Furthermore, message delivery in just in the last 20 years has evidenced major shifts. Many cards and letters mailed through conventional channels of the United States Post Office have been replaced with virtual narratives sent and received almost simultaneously. Some of the best ways to reach someone today is through a text or even an email. There also are Tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram images, and even Snapchats, all for larger audiences to get one's message across. However, regardless of the plethora of options available via social media, it is paramount that students be taught effective and grammatically appropriate writing strategies both for classroom effectiveness as well as lifelong communication opportunities. |
| Time to change the Legislature one way or the other | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: Whether you deplore the way the Mississippi Legislature currently operates or you rejoice in its works, change is needed. The status quo makes no sense. Longtime North Mississippi legislator Hob Bryan set the stage by calling on his Senate colleagues to take back power from the lieutenant governor. It's no secret that Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, and his counterpart in the House, Speaker Philip Gunn, decide what legislation lives and which projects get funded. As Bryan noted, their extraordinary power does not come from the state constitution. Rather, it is gifted to them by all legislators through the Senate and House rules. |
| Mississippi has long history of debates between governor candidates | |
 | Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: Incumbent Republican Gov. Haley Barbour did not have to debate Democratic challenger John Arthur Eaves in 2007, but he did. Eaves ran a gritty campaign, but the truth is that Barbour could have won without stepping foot out of the Governor's Mansion or perhaps more accurately away for his home on Wolf Lake in Yazoo County to campaign. Still, Barbour continued a tradition in Mississippi of gubernatorial debates. He and Eaves participated in multiple debates that year, and not surprisingly, Eaves, a trial attorney, held his own against Barbour, a seasoned politician and debater. It will be interesting this year to see how many debates occur and who is allowed to participate. |
SPORTS
| JT Ginn hits high speeds in return for Diamond Dawgs | |
| It's been a little over a week since freshman pitcher JT Ginn was pulled after just one inning of work against Tennessee with shoulder soreness. With bated breath, the MSU fan base and coaching staff awaited a read on the youthful sensation's status. Over the past seven days, head coach Chris Lemonis tempered naysayers with reassurances that he did not believe it was anything serious. The initial diagnosis looked more foreboding when MSU did not announce a Sunday starter ahead of this weekend's series against Alabama. Then Sunday came. Donning the customary game three "Nickel-Black" jersey, Ginn routinely pounded the strike zone against the Crimson Tide -- 34 times to be exact. Touching as high as 93 miles per hour on the radar gun perched atop the center field scoreboard, he fanned Alabama batters with a mix of power and precision. Ginn flashed a high-velocity fastball with a shifting breaking ball en route to four strikeouts in four innings of four-hit ball. |
| Bulldogs complete super sweep of Alabama | |
| Super Bulldog Weekend was exactly that for Mississippi State's sixth-ranked baseball team. The Diamond Dogs completed a sweep over Alabama with a 13-3 win on Sunday and outscored the Crimson Tide 28-4 on the weekend. "We needed to makeup some ground so it was big for us this weekend as we move forward," said MSU coach Chris Lemonis. The victory moves MSU (31-6, 10-5 SEC) into the lead in the Western Division and also a first-place tie with Georgia in the overall league standings. The Bulldogs pounded out 17 hits on Sunday led by Tanner Allen's 4 for 6 performance with three doubles and an RBI. The sophomore first baseman has raised his batting average 51 points over the past week. The Diamond Dogs continue their homestand on Tuesday, hosting Texas Southern at 6:30 p.m. |
| Mississippi State baseball completes Super Bulldog sweep of Alabama | |
| A Mississippi State fan in the Left Field Lofts held a broom high over his head and waved it like a flag on Sunday afternoon. On the field below him, the No. 6 Mississippi State Bulldogs were in the latter stages of finishing off a 13-3 victory over Alabama at Dudy Noble Field. Most of the 8,593 fans had already trickled out of Polk-Dement Stadium by the time the fan in the lofts celebrated his cleaning utensil like a trophy. That particular fella wasn't letting go of his broom for anything, though, as the Diamond Dawgs (31-6, 10-5 SEC) put the finishing touches on their first SEC series sweep of the season. The win put Mississippi State on top of the SEC West standings. Freshman pitcher J.T. Ginn, MSU's usual Saturday starter, took the mound for a series finale for the second-straight week. The first time, some soreness limited his outing to one inning. Against Alabama, he went 4.0 innings and threw 58 pitches to prove that he is working his way back into form. |
| Golf Dawgs home for Old Waverly tourney | |
| The Mississippi State men's golf team is finally home. Oh, the Golf Dawgs haven't been totally away. They've practiced. They've gone to class. And they hit the road for a season full of tournaments. But on Monday and Tuesday, they're home to host the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship at the Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point. "This is a special week for our program because we get to play on our home course and in front of our home crowd only once a year," MSU coach Dusty Smith said. "I am looking forward to having our fans out there cheering us on." The tournament is just one week before the Bulldogs head to St. Simons Island, Georgia, for the SEC Championship. |
| Bulldogs get better during spring game | |
| Any thoughts of Mississippi State having a traditional spring game were washed away by showers on Saturday morning. However, a little wet weather did not stop coach Joe Moorhead and his Bulldogs from accomplishing what they wanted to during a situational scrimmage inside Davis Wade Stadium. "It was a good day and we were certainly very excited," Moorhead said. "In terms of spring games, the format was a little disjointed but it was what we needed to do based our numbers at certain positions. I thought we got a lot out of it and walked off the field better than we walked on it." The spring game certainly kept the scoreboard operator busy as the Maroon team -- which consisted of mostly first teamers -- beat their White counterparts, 50-10. Maroon quarterback Keytaon Thompson got off to a slow start, competing just three of his first 10 pass attempts. Thompson managed to turn things around late and finished the day 9 of 18 through the air for 106 yards and three touchdowns. |
| What we learned from Mississippi State's Maroon and White spring game | |
| The American rock band Toto famously blessed the rains down in Africa back in 1982. Somebody must've done the same before Mississippi State's Maroon and White Game at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday. Had it not rained all night Friday and all morning Saturday, then more than a few hundred fans probably would have made the trek to DWS for the spring "game." But the weather kept many people away, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say it was to their benefit. The Maroon and White Game was hardly a game at all. Those who actually did make it to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend saw a glorified scrimmage with sets of seven-on-seven drills sprinkled in between actual 11-on-11 football. The Maroon team technically won the game, 50-10. |
| LSU basketball coach Will Wade reinstated: I'm 'humbled and grateful' and 'sincerely apologize' | |
| After a suspension lasting more than a month, LSU basketball coach Will Wade has been reinstated. The school's decision was announced Sunday afternoon, along with a statement from Wade that he was "humbled and grateful" to return to his coaching job. "I would like to express my appreciation," Wade said in a statement. " ... And I sincerely apologize to the university and our fans for the disruption to the university and the program." Wade met with university officials on Friday for the first face-to-face meeting since being suspended on March 8 after Wade declined to meet with university officials about comments he reportedly made in a FBI wiretapped phone call with federally convicted sports agent Christian Dawkins. No real details emerged from the meeting other than the fact that no decisions were made at that point, according to a brief statement from an LSU spokesman. |
| Bruce Pearl's new contract makes him the SEC's third-highest paid coach | |
| Auburn has made Bruce Pearl the third-highest paid coach in the SEC, just days after the Tigers finished their wild run to the Final Four. Auburn and Pearl announced their agreement to terms on a new five-year contract on Friday night, now revealed to be worth a total of $20.25 million. Pearl will earn $3.8 million for the 2019-20 season, and see his pay hike by $125,000 each season until he's earning $4.3 million for his final season under the deal in 2023-24. His $3.8 million salary this season will match the $3.8 million to be earned by Texas A&M's new coach Buzz Williams, per the Dallas Morning News --- tying those two behind only Kentucky's John Calipari, the highest-paid coach in the league, and Tennessee's Rick Barnes, who is the second. Pearl's buyout starts at $8 million and decreases by $2 million each year through the end of the contract's run. Pearl's average salary of $4.05 million would've made him the nation's sixth-highest paid coach in the country last season, per USA Today's database of coaching salaries fed by open records requests. |
| Hogs fight back to avoid sweep | |
| The University of Arkansas scored five ninth-inning runs, escaping a sweep with a 14-12 victory over Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field on Sunday afternoon. The Razorbacks (26-10, 9-6 SEC) had 22 hits, 9 two-out RBI, got the leadoff man on 7 times, and scored more runs against the Commodores than any SEC team this season. Arkansas' pitching was another story. But right-hander Marshall Denton struck out the only two batters he faced to get his first save. "We were due to have that big inning, and we finally got it," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "We got two super hits with two outs that drove in three runs. We just kept fighting. I felt like we deserved to win. We got embarrassed [in Saturday's 12-2 loss] and we found a way to win in, in my opinion, probably the toughest place in the SEC, as far as baseball goes, to win." The Razorbacks who host the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. |
| College Scholarships for Middle Schoolers? N.C.A.A. Plans Vote to Limit Early Recruiting | |
 | The recent roiling college admissions fraud scandal exposed how the athletic recruiting system at desirable institutions can be manipulated to grant privileged treatment even to students with fabricated athletic achievements. But for truly gifted young athletes drawn into the cryptic world of college sports recruiting, the pressure to lock up a spot at a top university can arrive as early as the seventh grade. In what has become a common, disquieting tactic in dozens of sports -- from soccer to volleyball -- skilled, athletic middle-schoolers are pressured by coaches offering full athletic scholarships to commit to attend institutions many years before they will fill out an admissions application. |
| Trump's hidden life on the golf course | |
 | By some accounts, President Trump -- a lifelong golf buff who owns more than a dozen courses -- is happiest on the links, which he has hit at least 116 times over his 814 days in office, according to the website TrumpGolfCount. This past week, Trump told reporters that he was looking forward to the annual Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga., and that his friend Tiger Woods stands a chance of winning. "I think it's going to be a great Masters. I hope so," Trump said. (Woods did win and Trump tweeted out congratulations.) But revealing interviews with more than 10 former and current Trump aides and golf partners suggest that golfing has become an equivalent of Trump's infamous "executive time," unscripted hours in which his presidency unfolds in spontaneous conversations, phone calls and occasional policy chats with athletes and celebrities. During one 2017 round with Woods, for instance, Trump asked the golf legend for his thoughts on a tax bill moving through Congress, according to a White House official. |
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