| Tuesday, June 25, 2019 |
| With boats and levees, Delta residents weather months of flooding | |
 | Brown water lapped at the sides of Sonny Cliburn's mobile home near the Sunflower River as he clambered off his stepson's boat and onto his cluttered porch. First priority for the 84-year-old was unloading the boat of supplies -- cardboard boxes of medication, a sack of dog food and plastic coolers filled with bread, tomatoes, milk and butter pecan ice cream. Cliburn's home, where he has lived alone with his three dogs since his wife died a year ago, has been surrounded by miles of flooded roads and fields for more than 15 weeks. June 12 marked the second time he has journeyed to town by boat during the months-long flood in the Mississippi Delta. Some homes in the Delta have been flooded since February. More than 500,000 acres -- including about 250,000 acres of farmland -- are covered in water and damage could total tens of millions of dollars, state officials have said. The prolonged flooding has fueled calls to revive a long-dead Yazoo backwater pumps project. |
| 'You feel forgotten': How Mississippians are living through the catastrophic flood | |
| Ollie Tate Jr., a longtime resident of Holly Bluff, was spraying herbicide on tall grass that grew by the side of the road on a sunny Tuesday morning in June. Under normal circumstances, he and other farm workers would be tending fields of soybeans, corn and cotton. However, with the surrounding farmland under several feet of water, farming hasn't been an option this year. He said the herbicide will kill the tall grass, where mosquitoes breed and snakes like to hide. Residents of Holly Bluff have witnessed the months-long flood's sffect on wildlife. The deer are starving, hungry raccoons can be seen in broad daylight, unwelcome snakes show up in yards and alligators roam the waters overtaking the community. Tate said the work he does is enough to cover his utilities. A dirt levee surrounds his home. No matter how bad it gets, he said, he remains committed to stay in Holly Bluff. |
| Tradition-steeped Neshoba County Fair coming next month | |
 | The 148-acre Neshoba County Fairground near Philadelphia is largely empty right now, aside from a few construction crews and some early-arriving RV'ers. But for one week every summer, the fairgrounds are packed with people who have been coming here for generations. Doug Johnson, who has been associated with the fair for about 40 years and now serves as its director, says the fair is so unique that one really has to experience it first-hand even to begin to understand it. he political signs are already up in anticipation of the long tradition of candidates rallying support. This is where Ronald Reagan gave his first speech after winning the GOP presidential nomination in 1980. Johnson says the crowd that day was enormous. "I don't know where they parked, and I don't know how they got here or where they found a spot down at the stage there when they got here, but it was one of the largest crowds we have ever had at the fair." More recently, Donald Trump Jr. drew a huge crowd three years ago. This year's Neshoba County Fair runs July 26-August 2. |
| What will sale of Caesars mean for Biloxi and Harrah's Gulf Coast? | |
 | Monday's announcement that Eldorado Resorts will buy Caesars for $17.3 billion in cash and stock had people in Biloxi asking what the merger will mean for Harrah's Gulf Coast. The casino on U.S. 90 is one of two Caesars had in Mississippi, along with Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel which closed in January. The Associated Press reported that the acquisition puts about 60 casinos and resorts in 16 states under a single name and creates one of the biggest gambling and entertainment ventures in the United States. Monday's news came as General Manager Jonathan Jones and his Biloxi staff have been busy readying Harrah's new multi-million dollar sportsbook in time for football season. Thanks to the extensive Caesars database, Harrah's says it gets national and international guests at its Biloxi resort, which has a swimming pool overlooking the beach, a spa, salon, golf course and several restaurants. Before the sale of Caesars can close, it has to be approved by the Mississippi Gaming Commission and other casino regulators across the country. |
| Lawmakers seek to expand student access to food | |
| A bipartisan bill in D.C. could help increase access to food for students during the summer months. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act of 2019, which give states more options to serve children through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program. "Many children count on USDA nutrition programs during the school year, and that need doesn't stop during summer vacation months. Rural states like Mississippi could use the greater flexibility offered by this legislation to reach eligible children who can't get to Summer Food Service Program sites," Hyde-Smith said. Under current SFSP rules, children must travel to a central location and eat their meals together. This requirement can pose challenges for children in predominantly rural areas. This bill would authorize two alternative options states can utilize to reach more children. |
| Trump's poverty proposal prompts alarms over cuts to Medicaid, Head Start | |
 | Experts are voicing alarm about a Trump administration plan to change how the federal poverty level is determined and potentially cut eligibility for programs like Medicaid, Medicare subsidies, food stamps, Head Start education for young children and low-income energy assistance. The comment period for the Office of Management and Budget proposal closes Friday. Then the agency could roll out a memo that would use an alternative way to calculate the poverty threshold. Multiple experts said it's likely that the administration would use what is called the chained consumer price index, which would update the poverty line using a slower-growing inflation measure than the current method. But some experts worry that the administration may use this proposal to curb eligibility and costs for programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also known as food stamps. |
| EXCLUSIVE: Trump: I would fill Supreme Court vacancy before 2020 election | |
 | President Trump on Monday said he would make a nomination to the Supreme Court if there's a vacancy before the 2020 presidential election. "Would I do that? Of course," Trump said in an exclusive interview with The Hill when asked if he would try to fill a high court vacancy during election season. The position is an apparent reversal for the president, who as a candidate in 2016 backed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) decision to block former President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the high court. But the president denied that his position was an about-face, since Republicans control both the Senate and the White House. "They couldn't get him approved. That's the other problem because they didn't have the Senate. If they had the Senate, they would have done it," Trump said of Democrats. Since his inauguration, the Senate has confirmed dozens of Trump's district court nominees as well as two Supreme Court nominees: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. |
| What to know about every Auburn University construction project happening this summer | |
| Auburn University recently completed $144.6 million in projects and are spending $333.5 million more on current projects. From arts and entertainment to poultry science and business, Auburn is expanding its footprint throughout Lee County. Future projects with board-approved budgets will account for later spending at $130.8 million. Since 2010, Auburn has built 3.33 million square feet on campus -- the largest portion of that going to academic or research facilities. |
| Ex-LSU student charged in Gruver hazing death wants indictment tossed, cites jury glitch | |
 | A former LSU student accused in the 2017 alcohol-related hazing death of fraternity pledge Max Gruver wants his indictment thrown out because a computer glitch kept younger people off the grand jury that indicted him. Anyone born after mid-1993 was not called to serve on grand juries -- and trial juries -- in East Baton Rouge Parish for more than seven years because of the computer glitch, which was discovered in a different case earlier this year. Matthew Naquin, 21, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, was indicted on negligent homicide by an East Baton Rouge jury in early 2018 and is scheduled to stand trial July 8. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. The computer glitch was discovered during jury selection in Baton Rouge in a capital murder case from Caddo Parish. The state Supreme Court ruled in that case in April that East Baton Rouge's jury pool was "improperly constituted" and ordered a new pool that included persons born after June 2, 1993. |
| UGA researchers using tech, pig brains to study disorders | |
 | For the first time, researchers in the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center have used an imaging method normally reserved for humans to analyze brain activity in live agricultural swine models, and they have discovered that pig brains are even better platforms than previously thought for the study of human neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. One immediate potential application is in the study and diagnosis of CTE, a progressive brain disease caused by a series of blunt trauma usually seen in military veterans and NFL football players. Currently CTE can be diagnosed only through an autopsy. The new study strongly suggests that a translational swine model for mapping functional brain connectivity is a promising approach to determine biomarkers or brain signatures that lead to CTE. Using this type of data, doctors would have the opportunity to diagnose CTE while a veteran or athlete is still alive. |
| Aggie-themed fire engine added to College Station Fire Deparment truck fleet | |
 | There is a new engine in town. Bryan-College Station residents may have seen a maroon and white fire truck driving around Aggieland since it went online May 20, emblazoned with special designs and references to the College Station Fire Department's relationship with Texas A&M University. Firefighters and drivers at Station 3 on Barron Road have been training on the new truck for the past month, learning all of the new bells and whistles. "We're so fortunate that we have the support of city management, the city council and the citizens," College Station Fire Department Public Information Officer Carter Hall said. Hall said the university was excited to work with the city and station on the design of the quint, assisting in the design process to assure that everything down to the shade of maroon was perfect. The truck made its debut at the Hall of Champions during a recent Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service fire training event. "It was amazing to see the response to a maroon and white fire truck at Kyle Field; they just loved it. " Hall said. |
| Sanders outflanks Warren with proposal for universal student loan debt relief | |
 | Senator Bernie Sanders, a contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination, on Monday released his plan to address growing student debt -- universal cancellation of all debt regardless of circumstance. The Vermont Independent's announcement comes as debt cancellation is growing in popularity among Democrats. Sanders's plan extends on a proposal introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat and fellow candidate for the nomination. Warren's plan would offer $50,000 in loan forgiveness for anyone making less than $100,000 a year, offer tiered loan forgiveness to those making more than that and offer no forgiveness to those making more than $250,000 a year. However, the Sanders plan simply promises to cancel all $1.6 trillion of the existing student loan debt regardless of income class. Both candidates have pledged in their respective higher-education plans to make two-year and four-year public college tuition free, as well as to invest in historically black colleges and other minority-serving institutions. |
| Rhodes College ruling opens the door for due process at private universities | |
| In a ruling that could have national implications for campus sexual assault proceedings, a federal judge has suggested that a private institution in an alleged rape case may not have followed due process standards -- a constitutional concept that generally applies only to public universities. This is a significant development, commentators and legal observers say. This is the first time a judge, in a case involving a private college, directly linked due process to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the federal law that bars sex discrimination, including sexual violence, at educational institutions. (Students have also sued when they feel a private institution has violated its own sexual assault policies.) The ruling, which emerged from a lawsuit against Rhodes College, in Tennessee, grants a temporary restraining order to a student, a former football player and fraternity member, accused of raping a female student at a party in February. After investigating, the college determined that the student, who is anonymous in court filings, was responsible for alleged assault and kicked him out. |
| Forget Tanning Beds. College Students Today Want Uber Parking. | |
 | The millennial generation attended college in a golden era for student housing, as investors poured money into luxurious off-campus communities packed with resort-style amenities: rooftop pools, golf simulators, tanning beds, climbing walls. The wow factor increased with every new development. Many universities amped up their campus dorms and amenities in an effort to bolster recruitment, with a few going so far as to put in "lazy rivers" for floating around pools. "It was crazy to see what was going to beat the last new thing," said Dan Oltersdorf, a senior vice president and chief learning officer at Campus Advantage, which manages about 70 off-campus student housing communities around the country. "You were just asking, what's next?" But as millennials move on and so-called Generation Z moves in, student housing is shifting away from recreational dazzle and toward amenities that reflect the gig economy: digital conveniences, ample spaces indoors and out for studying and collaborating, and cutting-edge fitness facilities to maintain wellness. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State baseball well represented at USA Baseball Camp | |
 | Mississippi State baseball sophomores Tanner Allen, Justin Foscue and Jordan Westburg will each have the opportunity to represent Team USA this summer as a part of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, as the organization announced the trio will be a part of the Collegiate National Team Training Camp, which begins on June 27 in Cary, North Carolina. Head coach Chris Lemonis will also be a part of the USA Baseball experience, serving as a member of the Collegiate National Team task force. The winningest first-year head coach in Southeastern Conference history, Lemonis helped the Diamond Dawgs to a 52-15 record and the 11th College World Series appearance in school history. The 52 wins rank No. 2 all-time in program history, while the 20 SEC victories are tied for the No. 2 spot at Mississippi State. Lemonis helped the Bulldogs earn a share of the SEC Western Division title, as the Diamond Dawgs swept through the NCAA Starkville Regional and Super Regional on the way to Omaha. |
| Mississippi State hosting West Virginia in Big 12/ SEC Challenge | |
 | The Big 12/ SEC Challenge is coming to Humphrey Coliseum this season. Mississippi State's women's basketball team will host West Virginia on Dec. 8 will tipoff and television coverage to be announced at a later date. The Bulldogs are 3-0 all-time in the Big 12/ SEC Challenge and defeated then No. 10 Texas 67-49 in Austin last year. It will mark only the second meeting between MSU and the Mountaineers. The Bulldogs beat then No. 16 West Virginia 74-61 in Starkville in the semifinals of the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament on Nov. 21, 2014. |
| This school year may have been Mississippi State's best yet | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: Have you ever heard the phrase "can't see the forest for the trees"? That's sort of the way it is for me as the Daily Journal's Mississippi State beat writer. Sometimes I get so caught up in the day-to-day grind and busy looking at what's next that I don't take enough time to appreciate the present and the success that the teams I'm covering are currently enjoying. I finally had an opportunity to reflect on the past year during my 13-hour drive home from Omaha on Friday. As I unsuccessfully attempted to dodge torrential downpours, it started to dawn on me that the 2018-19 sports year was likely the most successful that I've covered during my decade-plus on the MSU beat. It very well could have been the most successful the school has ever had. |
| Cowboys' Dak Prescott in Bossier for youth football camp, induction ceremony | |
| Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Haughton native Dak Prescott is back home for his third annual youth Football ProCamp. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at Haughton High School, 210 E. McKinley Ave. Boys and girls in first through eighth grade will be learning fundamental football skills and getting an opportunity to meet Prescott. Also Tuesday at Haughton High, Prescott will be inducted into the Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars during a ceremony about noon in the Buccaneer Den. He is the 31st inductee into the Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars. Prescott led the Buccaneers to the District-1 4-A high school championship during his senior year at Haughton High. He then set 38 school records at Mississippi State University. |
| With UConn likely leaving AAC, what does it mean for Southern Miss and C-USA? | |
| With UConn reportedly set to re-join the Big East, plenty of schools will be preparing to make their case on why they should become the 12th member of the American Athletic Conference. Multiple reports indicate that the AAC will not be willing to continue to serve as the home of UConn football with the rest of the school's sports set to join the Big East, which no longer sponsors football. Even with the loss of UConn, the league will be in a position of strength as it considers its next move. The conference recently agreed to a new TV deal with ESPN worth a total of $1 billion over the next 12 years, according to Sports Business Journal. Also, the AAC has proven to be the strongest of the Group of 5 conferences in football with UCF and Houston emerging as powers. The problem for AAC officials is that there is no obvious candidate to take UConn's place with some of the more attractive potential candidates like BYU and Air Force located well off the conference's current map. |
| 'If You Don't Have It, You're Behind': College Baseball's Tech Arms Race | |
| Kumar Rocker arrived on Vanderbilt's campus last fall as one of the most heralded freshman pitching recruits in the country. A tall, strapping right-hander, Rocker relied heavily on a fastball and a looping breaking pitch that dropped straight down. The Vanderbilt pitching coach Scott Brown thought Rocker needed another breaking pitch, one with sharper, more diagonal movement. For decades, there was only one way to teach a new pitch to a player like Rocker: A coach demonstrated a grip and release, and then waited weeks, months, maybe even a season or longer for the player to master it. But Vanderbilt is among the programs at the forefront of the technological revolution that has trickled down to the college level from Major League Baseball. It is one of at least four college programs with a pitching lab, stocked with the same technology the big leaguers use: Rapsodo pitch-tracking devices and Edgertronic high-speed video cameras. |
| Vanderbilt turns to freshman Kumar Rocker to keep its season alive in CWS final | |
 | Is this what Kumar Rocker signed up for? Rocker, the hard-throwing freshman who came to Vanderbilt rather than taking a multi-million offer to turn pro, will get the ball in Game 2 of the national title series with the season on the line. Vanderbilt (57-12) lost 7-4 to Michigan (50-20) in Game 1 of the best-of-three series Monday night. Rocker (11-5, 3.38 ERA) will try to redirect the series, just as he did with a historic no-hitter in the Super Regional elimination game against Duke. "He was a freshman in September, (but) you know, he's pitched a lot of baseball games," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. "I think age is really not going to be the factor right now. I think the biggest part of him is he's been on the mound before and he's got confidence in himself. But he's going to have to pitch well against this team. They're very good." Michigan has the momentum, but the Wolverines know Rocker will be a formidable obstacle in winning their first national championship since 1962. |
| Steve Spurrier announces restaurant plans | |
| Over the past several years, Amy Moody has been telling her famous father he needed to get into the restaurant business. "She'd say, 'Dad, you need to get involved with a restaurant, a good one, to have somewhere to put all these trophies and all this (memorabilia),'" legendary former Florida football player and coach Steve Spurrier said Monday. "I said, 'You're exactly right.'" Spurrier is going to have that place now. The Gator great is teaming up with Celebration Pointe to build a restaurant -- Spurrier's restaurant and bar -- at the growing development in a lot just across the street from the movie theater. The restaurant will be 8,400 square feet and have a 1,500-square-foot sports memorabilia exhibit that will feature many of Spurrier's trophies and awards, including his 1966 Heisman Trophy, which has been tucked away in a closet at his Crescent Beach home. Spurrier's name will be on the restaurant, but he is not responsible financially in the construction and/or operation. |
| Former Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel says cancer no longer in remission | |
 | Gary Pinkel is once again receiving treatments for cancer, the former Missouri football coach said in an interview that aired on a Columbia TV station Sunday night. Pinkel shared during his sit-down with Andrew Kauffman of KMIZ that the non-Hodgkin lymphoma he was diagnosed with in 2015 is no longer in remission. Pinkel announced his retirement from coaching during a chaotic 2015 season, citing his diagnosis and a desire to spend more time with his family as his reason for stepping away after that season's end. That same season, the Tigers made national headlines when players threatened to boycott games as part of a student protest over race-related issues on campus that eventually pushed then University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe into a resignation. Pinkel, 67, has since worked for the MU athletics department as a fundraising liaison. |
| LSU women's soccer names Hensley interim coach | |
| LSU on Monday announced Debbie Hensley as its interim women's soccer coach. Hensley spent 12 years on LSU's staff from 2005-16, the last nine seasons as associate head coach under Brian Lee, who left for Rice in March. "Debbie is a veteran coach who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience," athletic director Scott Woodward said in a prepared statement. "She is also a terrific leader of young women with great passion for the collegiate game. We are glad to have her back at LSU during this time." Hensley played a major role as LSU claimed four SEC West titles and made four trips to the NCAA tournament in a five-year span during the 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 seasons. Lee compiled a record of 143-108-45 and led the Tigers to six NCAA tournament appearances in 14 years at LSU before his abrupt departure. |
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