| Tuesday, May 14, 2019 |
| Summer fun awaits at Mississippi State camps | |
 | From agriculture to art and science to sports and business, Mississippi State University is offering a variety of fun, educational summer camp experiences for elementary through high school students. Dixie Cartwright, manager of the university's Center for Continuing Education, said summer is one of her favorite times of the year at MSU because "campus comes alive with kids of all ages enjoying the benefits of this great university." "Camps are so important to the growth and development of youth because they offer safe and structured opportunities for exploring current and new interests, as well as making new friends," she said. "Many of our camps fill quickly, so I encourage parents to enroll their kids early to ensure they don't miss out on all of the fun and excitement." |
| Monday profile: Long-serving volunteer says 'simple things make a big difference' | |
 | Evita Lopez has been volunteering as long as she can remember. Lopez, who hails from the Philippines and came to the area to attend Mississippi State University in 1985 for graduate school, got her start as a volunteer as a child in her home country. There, she said, her late mother operated a charity organization that included five daycare centers and offered enough funding each year to support education and health care for 300 children per year, from grade school to graduate school. "I grew up in a family that volunteers a lot," she said. "Even before grade school. It was mostly health care and helping flood victims because we have floods a lot in that country." When she arrived in Starkville, Lopez started volunteering by teaching at Sunday school. Then, she got involved as a judge for a science fair Mississippi State's College of Engineering hosts. |
| Grants will expand STEM education in Pontotoc, Oktibbeha and Corinth districts | |
 | The Mississippi Department of Education announced $896,000 in grants to 15 school districts to establish or enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs in kindergarten through the eighth grade, including the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The state board of education awarded the funds as part of the K-8 STEM Initiative Enhancement Project Grant and funds can be used to provide technology upgrades and educator training for implementing the programs. The grants could prepare elementary and middle school students for college and career readiness before they enter high school. According to MDE, priority for the grant funding was given to schools for implementing programs in engineering, computer science, robotics and other STEM projects with the goal of expanding college and career readiness standards for students in K-8 in math and science. |
| Analysis: Mississippi budget improving this election year | |
 | Mississippi is enjoying more robust tax collections in the current budget year than in the last one, which is a reflection of a healthier economy. That will be a bragging point for politicians who are running for statewide offices or legislative seats this year and had a part -- however large or small -- in writing the state budget. However, challengers are likely to point out that the current Mississippi budget leaves many things underfunded, including public education. Like most other states, Mississippi has a budget year that runs from July 1 through June 30. A report released last week by the Legislative Budget Office shows that for the first 10 months of the current year, from July through April, Mississippi collected nearly $228 million more than it did during the same period a year ago. That is just over a 5 percent increase. |
| Mississippi Hospitals Pushing for a Plan to Reform Medicaid | |
 | Members of a medical association in Mississippi are pushing for a plan that could reform Medicaid in the state. But as MPB's Jasmine Ellis reports not all state officials are in favor of the proposal. The proposal is called Mississippi Cares. It would allow the working poor in the state to gain stronger access to health care and participants would have to pay about $20 a month or less in premium payments. Tim Moore is president and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association. He says residents in the state are struggling to pay medical bills. "These are things that we have got to fix," said Moore. "These are not the folks that are just not wanting to work. If you've got somebody who is not able to work, they are already covered by Medicaid in most cases. These are your poor working Mississippians who we need to get help for and that's what this plan does." Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney says he hasn't been able to speak with anyone from the Hospital Association about the proposal. He says the association hasn't been clear about where the money would come from to cover the costs. |
| Hospitals retool Medicaid expansion, hope public outcry presses Gov. Bryant to action | |
 | With Gov. Phil Bryant and hospitals locked in an impasse over Medicaid expansion, a group of Mississippi hospitals is hoping the public will rally behind a new plan to expand Medicaid access in Mississippi. Tim Moore, the chief executive officer of the Mississippi Hospital Association, announced the plan, called Mississippi Cares, before a crowd of hospital administrators on Monday. Moore said state leaders are out of touch with Mississippians, a majority of whom support Medicaid expansion, he added. Regardless of what the current administration does, Medicaid expansion has become a big campaign topic among those vying for Bryant's job in 2019. This includes not just Democratic front-runner and Attorney General Jim Hood but also two Republicans pursuing the gubernatorial nomination. |
| District 39 Rep. Jeff Smith campaign has pile of cash despite being outraised by Dana McLean | |
| Candidates for Mississippi legislative offices had raised thousands of dollars by the end of the first reporting period Friday, when candidates were required to report contributions and disbursements to the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office. District 39 Rep. Jeff Smith (R-Columbus) has more than $21,000 cash on hand, despite being outraised by his Republican challenger Dana McLean, according to filings with the secretary of state's office. Smith raised $1,000 for the campaign finance reporting period. However, according to his report, he came into the period with $20,358.18. Smith reported no expenditures and a $1,000 donation from Keith Heard, of Columbus, leaving him with $21,358.18 cash on hand. McLean, of Columbus, reported raising $6,200 during the period. McLean's money, all of which is itemized, includes a $5,000 donation from Brian Gildea, of Columbus, a $1,000 donation from Roger Burlingame of Columbus and $200 from Robbie Underwood, of Columbus. She's spent $310, leaving her with $5,890 cash on hand. District 39 covers parts of Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties. |
| Mississippi Candidates Raise Millions in Race for Governor | |
| Mississippi candidates vying to become the state's next governor raised millions of dollars in the first political fundraising quarter. In the Republican race, the frontrunner, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, raised an expected hefty sum through his Tate for Governor fundraising PAC, bringing in slightly more than $2 million for the period; however, that included a $1 million transfer from Reeves' other PAC, Friends of Tate, which raised those funds in years prior. Even excluding that transfer, though, Reeves raised more money than any other candidate. Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller demonstrated his fundraising prowess, raising nearly $580,000. While Reeves entered the race and started raising money in January, Waller did not enter the race or start fundraising until March 1. Last week, Waller's campaign previewed his numbers, with campaign finance committee member Leland Speed calling them "a sign of real momentum-building all across the state." |
| Bill Waller Jr. talks teacher pay, state assessments, early vocational education, at Tupelo teacher town hall | |
| A handful of educators came to Steele's Dive on Monday to hear the views of Republican candidate for governor Bill Waller Jr. on the state of education in Mississippi. Waller opened the floor to a handful of teachers from around Lee County who expressed dissatisfaction with state administrative salaries, teacher pay and teacher shortages, as well as state assessments. Tupelo was one of several stops Waller has made to Mississippi cities including Ocean Springs, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Clinton and Vicksburg where teachers were put on the podium to talk about issues in education. He expressed strong support for industrial partnerships, such as Itawamba Community College's relationship with the Toyota manufacturing plant and other partner industries. He said Hinds Community College's barge deck hands training program which connects students with jobs with Vicksburg-based barge companies was another example of a successful partnership. |
| Unita Blackwell, first black woman elected mayor in Mississippi, dies | |
 | Civil rights pioneer Unita Blackwell, who became Mississippi's first black woman mayor in 1976, has died. Blackwell, 86, died Monday, according to multiple reports. A native of Lula, Blackwell entered politics in the 1960s as a member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, established to protest blacks' exclusion from voting in regular Democratic primaries in the state. U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said, "I am saddened by the passing of Unita Blackwell. She dedicated her life to fighting for civil rights in Mississippi. We are forever grateful for her work and sacrifice. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and all those who loved her." |
| White House explores new farmer bailout plan as U.S.-China trade war heats up | |
 | White House officials are scrambling to come up with a new bailout plan to placate furious farmers after President Trump's initial idea of donating unused crops to poor countries came under scrutiny, people briefed on the planning said. Amid intense political pressure from Senate Republicans, White House officials are eyeing different ways to advance funds to agriculture companies that have complained they are being caught in the middle of the escalating trade battle with China. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said he planned to write a letter to Trump to explain the concerns of farmers because he felt the argument he had repeatedly made to the president in person was not registering. "I'm not sure if you talk to him face to face he hears everything you say," said Grassley, who has emerged as one of Trump's chief critics on the administration's trade approach in recent weeks. |
| 'Farmers are suffering': Mississippi soybean farmer talks impacts of tariffs | |
| The trade war between the U.S. and China is ramping up. China announcing Monday it will raise tariffs on about $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. Friday, the U.S. announced it would increase tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese made goods. Meanwhile, soybean farmers say they are fed up with the tariffs. Soybeans have been a good crop for farmers like Danny Murphy, but now the U.S. is nearly a year-in on a trade war with the country that took most of that crop. "We've worked in China for 40 years to develop that market and they developed into the largest market in the world," explained Danny Murphy. Without that, he's concerned. "Farmers are suffering," described Murphy. "We've lost probably 25 percent of our income over this time period with these tariffs." Murphy says they've tried to figure out how to minimize the hit, but there's only so much they can do. This year, weather is adding to the frustrations. |
| White House Reviews Military Plans Against Iran, in Echoes of Iraq War | |
 | At a meeting of President Trump's top national security aides last Thursday, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented an updated military plan that envisions sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East should Iran attack American forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons, administration officials said. The revisions were ordered by hard-liners led by John R. Bolton, Mr. Trump's national security adviser. They do not call for a land invasion of Iran, which would require vastly more troops, officials said. The development reflects the influence of Mr. Bolton, one of the administration's most virulent Iran hawks, whose push for confrontation with Tehran was ignored more than a decade ago by President George W. Bush. It is highly uncertain whether Mr. Trump, who has sought to disentangle the United States from Afghanistan and Syria, ultimately would send so many American forces back to the Middle East. |
| Stopping Key Tech Exports To China Could Backfire, Researchers And Firms Say | |
 | This year, the Trump administration is expected to put new restrictions on the export of "emerging and foundational technology" -- tools that are central to next-generation applications -- to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. But companies and universities are pushing back, arguing such controls would hurt their ability to innovate. Ultimately, they argue, broad restrictions could make it harder to fend off cyber threats and to cooperate globally in scientific advances. Last year, the Commerce Department proposed 14 categories of "emerging technology" exports for tighter controls, ranging from artificial intelligence to computer chips. Fred Cate, Indiana University's vice president for research, says the export controls send a mixed signal to investigation centers founded on the premise of open, collaborative research. "If you get a federal grant, we're required by law to not only publish it, but to make it available without charge," he explains. "On the other hand, we're being told ... to keep certain information, discoveries or material out of the hands of certain foreign nationals." |
| Production issues at Tuscaloosa plant lead to Mercedes storage across region | |
 | In recent weeks, parking lots of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles have been filling up across west and central Alabama. Officials with Daimler AG, the Germany-based company that owns Mercedes-Benz, aren't disclosing much about the reasons for the thousands of vehicles being parked across the region. But they did say that production difficulties of the new GLE Class SUV at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant outside Vance has created "challenges" that the company believes it can "overcome." At issue is the production associated with Daimler's simultaneous launch of the new GLE sport utility vehicle for the three regions it serves -- Europe, the U.S. and China -- and the unforeseen difficulties associated with that. Mercedes launched the multibillion-dollar automotive industry in Alabama when the company announced in 1993 that it would build the MBUSI plant in Tuscaloosa County. It was the first Mercedes assembly plant outside of Germany and is one of the leading employers in West Alabama. |
| 'People with disabilities can do phenomenal things': JSU student with cerebral palsy graduates summa cum laude | |
| An Illinois native, whose grandmother is from Tupelo, lives with a disability that caused her to be bullied from childhood. But it did not deter the honor student from overcoming and excelling. Diamond Dortch earned her diploma at JSU and now hopes to teach and inspire. "I encourage everybody to persevere and push forward regardless of what anybody has to say," said the recent college graduate. That's the philosophy of Diamond Dortch, a Jackson State University graduate who was born with cerebral palsy. She underwent numerous surgeries and procedures in elementary school through high school that eventually allowed her to walk unassisted, and on May 4th she finished college summa cum laude. On August 1st she will begin teaching second grade English and language arts. |
| LSU President F. King Alexander's private home for sale; moving to school-owned property | |
 | LSU President F. King Alexander's University Club home is on the market prior to a move by him and his wife to a university-owned house close to campus, school officials said Monday. Ernie Ballard, a spokesman for LSU, said the decision stems in part from the fact that Alexander's three children are grown. Ballard said the school's "Fierce for the Future" fundraising drive is another reason for the move. "Moving into the University House presented an opportunity for President Alexander to advance the momentum of our most ambitious campaign ever by hosting events closer to campus," Ballard said in an email response to questions. The $1.5 billion fundraising drive was announced in March. Alexander's future at the school has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks. It reached the point that Gov. John Bel Edwards, who names the LSU Board of Supervisors, gave Alexander and others a vote of confidence last month. |
| Authorities investigating suspicious death of UGA professor | |
 | Authorities on Monday were investigating the weekend death of a University of Georgia professor at the home of a Milledgeville man who fatally shot himself. According to an incident report from the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, 42-year-old Marianne Shockley of Madison and her boyfriend were at the home of 69-year-old Clark Heindel, who called 911 at about 1 a.m. Sunday to report that Shockley had been found unresponsive in a hot tub on the deck of his pool. Shockley was an entomology professor with UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, according to a university spokesperson. Shockley's death continued to be investigated on Monday, according to GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles. UGA spokesman Greg Trevor issued a brief statement concerning the professor's death: "On behalf of the university, I'd like to express our deepest sympathy to the family, students and colleagues of Dr. Marianne Shockley." |
| U. of Missouri curators to consider 5 percent tuition increase | |
 | The University of Missouri System Board of Curators on Wednesday will consider a 5 percent tuition increase, its largest in several years. Undergraduate resident tuition rates have increased by 1.2 percent per year on average over the past five years, while the rate of inflation has increased by an average of 1.5 percent over the same period, according to agenda documents. The increase in undergraduate resident tuition for the 2018-19 school year was 1 percent. The proposed increase represents inflation for the last two years plus 2 percent, equaling the proposed 5 percent tuition hike. In the proposed action, resident undergraduate rates would be assessed at an increased rate of 5.6 percent, but UM President Mun Choi would use his authority to waive part of that, so students would pay an increased rate of 5 percent. But Choi may withdraw the waiver and require the 5.6 percent increase if state funding is not at least $403.8 million. |
| Trump administration targets Pell Grant money for NASA's budget boost | |
| The Trump administration wants to shift money for Pell Grants for college education to fund new spending, including a $1.6 billion bump for NASA to return American astronauts to the moon by 2024. Under a budget amendment sent to Congress Monday evening, the administration would use an additional $1.9 billion in surplus Pell Grant money to fund other budget priorities, including an infusion of new cash for NASA "so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!" President Donald Trump tweeted. A series of proposed changes reverses some of the most controversial cuts Trump's administration had proposed, including slashing funding for the Special Olympics. The White House can send such requests, called "rescissions," to Congress to clawback unspent money the administration views as wasteful or unnecessary. Congress, however, must approve. Officials insisted the re-allocation of the Pell Grant money would have no impact on those currently receiving grants, which help low-income students pay for college. |
| UNC Charlotte shooting grips community, but in Congress there's little action | |
 | The April 30 shooting at UNC Charlotte left two young men dead, four others injured and a community shattered and heartbroken. It seemingly had much less impact in the halls of Congress. There were no major press conferences or pieces of legislation introduced. No marches planned or vigils scheduled. And before North Carolina's lawmakers could deliver speeches of mourning and condolences on the floor of the House and Senate, another deadly school shooting -- this one on May 7 in Colorado -- had captured media attention, whatever fleeting attention there is for those kinds of events these days. The national debate over UNC Charlotte was far less than vigorous. It was non-existent. Much of the coverage there was focused not on the factors that led to the shooting, but on the heroism of Howell, who like the sole victim killed in Colorado, was credited with saving other potential victims by confronting the shooter. |
| Deadline arrives for new federal disclosure requirements for colleges on financial risks | |
 | Starting Tuesday, colleges must tell the U.S. Department of Education if they're being sued in connection with the federal student loan program. The requirement promises a wealth of new information about student complaints for department officials who oversee higher ed institutions and could provide earlier warning signs to those officials of financial instability. Although it's not clear if the new disclosures will be made public by the Trump administration, many see added transparency on the financial stability of colleges as a welcome development after a series of abrupt shutdowns by for-profit college chains as well as a number of closures by private nonprofits. It has also created new headaches for college administrators, who have scrambled in recent weeks to identify litigation they must report. |
SPORTS
| State seeks midweek perfection tonight | |
| No. 5 Mississippi State faces one final non-conference tune up as it hosts Louisiana Tech at 6:30 tonight. MSU (42-10) is 14-0 in midweek play and are seeking to finish the season undefeated in that regard. The game was a late addition to Mississippi State's schedule and makes up for a rainout MSU had against Nebraska in the final game of the Frisco Classic early March. Admission to tonight's game is free with monetary donations accepted at the gate benefiting tornado relief in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech, coached by former MSU assistant Lane Burroughs, is 32-20 on the year and coming off a series win against Western Kentucky over the weekend. |
| How Chris Lemonis made the right moves in Mississippi State's sweep of Ole Miss | |
| Players win games on the field, but coaches can do a lot from the dugout to influence those outcomes. Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis did that in a positive manner this past weekend in Oxford. Lemonis pushed all the right buttons in the Bulldogs' sweep of Ole Miss. From Friday to Sunday, Lemonis made moves that led to three Mississippi State victories. Here's how he did it. This weekend, the Diamond Dawgs stay at home and host South Carolina (26-25, 7-20 SEC) in the last week of the regular season. The Gamecocks give the Bulldogs one more weekend to notch some SEC wins before the start of next week's SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama. |
| Finalists are set for the Ferriss Trophy. Who is Mississippi's top college player? | |
 | Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Mississippi State's irrepressible Jake Mangum was hitting for a .401 average coming into this week. He had stolen 20 bases. As a center fielder, he uses sprinter's speed to catch balls others can't reach. He turns triples into outs. He is the heart and soul of a team that has won 42 games while losing 10. Besides that, Mangum, as a senior, became the all-time hits leader in the Southeastern Conference, shattering the old record held by Eddie Furniss of LSU. So, is there any possible way Mangum doesn't win the C Spire Ferriss Trophy to be awarded Monday, May 20 during the annual luncheon at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson? |
| Joe Moorhead embraces lofty expectations at Mississippi State | |
| Joe Moorhead is much slimmer these days. The Mississippi State football coach has shed several pounds since his first season ended, thanks to intermittent fasting. Something else that isn't weighing down Moorhead is the negativity and criticism stemming from an 8-5 campaign last fall despite the Bulldogs' possessing the nation's top defense and three first-round NFL draft picks. At the Starkville stop of the annual Road Dawgs Tour on Monday, Moorhead mentioned one fan who reached out to him via social media expressing his support for the job Moorhead and his staff were doing. Moorhead read the response he sent to the fan for the dozens of alumni and supporters gathered inside the Seal Football Complex for the luncheon. "I understand and embrace the lofty expectations," Moorhead said. |
| Tom Bowen steps down as athletic director at U. of Memphis | |
| The University of Memphis announced Tuesday morning that Tom Bowen has stepped down as athletic director to pursue another opportunity. The school has named former Memphis Redbirds President Allie Prescott as interim athletic director while it conducts a search for Bowen's permanent replacement. Bowen was hired as director of athletics in the summer of 2012, taking over just before the Tigers made the move to the American Athletic Conference in 2013. He is credited with helping revitalize the Memphis football program and hiring coach Mike Norvell, who has won more games in his first three seasons than any Tiger football coach before him. Bowen also oversaw the athletic department's "Time to Shine" fundraising campaign, which allowed the school to construct the state-of-the-art Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center that opened in November 2017. Construction on the football team's indoor practice facility, meanwhile, is in progress as well. |
| At Black Colleges, the Baseball Teams Increasingly Aren't | |
| Before each game, Clarence Carter III glances across the diamond as the opposing team warms up. He peeks in the dugout, scans the outfield and takes inventory around the infield during batting practice, counting how many African-Americans he can spot on the other team. This is not an unusual drill for African-Americans playing in the major leagues, where their numbers have dwindled in recent decades, or in the similarly exclusive world of youth travel baseball. But what makes this exercise striking is that Carter, a junior infielder at Bethune-Cookman University, plays for -- and often against -- one of America's historically black colleges. "It did catch me by surprise; I'm not going to lie," said Carter, who transferred to Bethune-Cookman from a community college in Fullerton, Calif. "I would have thought coming to an H.B.C.U. there would be more black people, but things aren't always what you expect." To stay competitive, H.B.C.U.s have had to cast a wider net. |
| Saints owner Gayle Benson addresses 'obviously terrible no-call' during Loyola commencement | |
 | Gayle Benson said the NFL doesn't like it when team owners criticize the league or its on-field officials. Considering that, the New Orleans Saints owner said some things Saturday, during Loyola University's commencement ceremonies that could get the attention of the league and commissioner Roger Goodell. During a 20-minute address at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Benson spoke from a stage located above where the 50-yard line would have been if the graduates marched across the stadium's turf field. That put her about 100 feet from where game officials made what she said was an "obviously terrible no-call" during the Saints' NFC Championship loss in January. She also praised the resilience of Saints fans in New Orleans. "Had this happened in another city, it is likely there would have been riots in the streets," said Benson, who received an honorary degree from Loyola before her speech. "As bitterly disappointed as our fans were, our response was the opposite. Rather than riot, our protests turned into another cause: for parties." |
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