Thursday, June 27, 2019   
 
34-year veteran retires from the Mississippi State University Extension Service
A legend in Mississippi agriculture is retiring. Dr. Dennis Reginelli is an Agronomic Regional Extension Specialist for Mississippi State University Extension Service. He has been serving the ag community in the east central portion of the state for nearly 40 years. Reginelli covers 10 counties, and is well-known to farmers, business people, and area residents alike. Although he is retiring from his role as an Extension Specialist, he's not done working. A new chapter begins next month. MSU Extension Agent Crayton Coleman says Reginelli has been a mentor to him and other agents across the entire state, and he will miss working with him. "It has been great to see our farmers adapt to practices that Dr. Reginelli recommend to help improve their quality of life here in Noxubee County and all over the state of Mississippi." And with Reginelli's new job as executive director of the Mississippi Soybean Production Board, he will continue to help improve the quality of life all over the state.
 
GSDP Board gives update as CEO search enters year two
The search for a full-time president and CEO of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership has continued for over a year, but those involved in the national search say they are closing in on finding a candidate. Jennifer Prather has served in an interim CEO capacity since last June after then-CEO Scott Maynard resigned to take another job at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Chairman of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership Board of Directors Jerry Toney, who serves on the search committee, said the GSDP board is looking to find the best person for both The Partnership and for Starkville. "The board of the Partnership is committed to getting a leader in place that is going to help continue with the momentum that we have got," Toney said. "It is important to us to get the right person in." The CEO of the partnership is responsible for growing the relationships among Mississippi State University, Starkville and local economic development partners.
 
Backwater flooding brings long-term issues to Delta
Peter Nimrod, chief engineer of the Mississippi Levee Board in Greenville, recently told members of the Rotary Club of Cleveland that the lower Delta has suffered greatly this year. "Not one acre is going to be planted down there," Nimrod said "The government is going to have to step in and help the farmers, but that doesn't help the seasonal worker that's not going to have a job this year. That's not going to help the guy at the parts house who sells parts for tractors that aren't running this year. Not going to help the fuel guy that sells fuel that they're not buying down there. "The trickle-down effect is horrible," Nimrod said. Mississippi's congressional delegation, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith have worked hard to bring attention to the Mississippi flooding issues in Congress. Gov. Phil Bryant has also lobbied hard in Washington for the same reason. "It is hard to get the national media to come to the Mississippi south Delta," Nimrod said.
 
When will the Bonnet Carre Spillway close? Army Corps announces time frame
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to begin closing the Bonnet Carre Spillway the second or third week in July, ending a record opening for the flood-control structure that pours Mississippi River water into Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound. Plans are based on National Weather Service forecasts and could change. "There is still a tremendous amount of water in the river so the closing will not be a fast operation and Mississippi River waters will not exceed 1,250,000 cubic feet per second past the Carrollton Gage," said an email from Corps spokesman Matt Roe. The spillway has been open this year for a record total of 90 days, pushing trillions of gallons of Mississippi River water into Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound. The spillway opening is being blamed for high mortality rates of dolphins, oysters and other aquatic life, plus algae blooms plaguing the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts.
 
Seafood industry in jeopardy
Floodwaters will soon put a hold on the seafood industry in south Mississippi. WJTV 12's Katey Roh reports, oysters and other marine life are dying due to the open Bonnet Carre Spillway. Seafood is something people all over the metro look forward to but with floodwater affecting the seafood industry down south, our local seafood restaurants will also feel the effects down the road. Seafood restaurants throughout the state rely on their neighbors to reel in the best seafood but the rising floodwaters, seafood will be in jeopardy. Department of Marine Resources, Executive Director Joe Spraggins says, "Right now we're doing ok with the restaurants because there is still a lot of seafood to be caught, but it will be in the long run it will be and it's not just us it's Louisiana, it's Alabama, we're all catching a lot of problems with this and so the seafood market is going to be a little bit less food available in the very near future."
 
Rep. Steven Palazzo: Federal fisheries disaster declaration could come by next week
Mississippi Congressman Steven Palazzo said approval could be coming soon on a federal fisheries disaster declaration for Mississippi. In fact, it could happen as soon as next week. On May 31, Gov. Phil Bryant made the request in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross saying such a declaration could help all those negatively impacted by the freshwater intrusion, including fishermen and related businesses, obtain financial assistance. Palazzo believes minimizing the current damage from the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway is the first step to dealing with the crisis in the Sound, and the best way to do that is through the disaster declaration. "South Louisiana is hurting. South Mississippi, which is what I care about the most, is devastated. We're closing beaches, and we're in the peak summer season. Our livelihood depends on a healthy Gulf of Mexico," Palazzo said. "Hopefully get that approved in the next week or so, so we can begin to look at how we're going to restore our ecosystem and how we're going to help our fishermen and others who have been economically damaged by the actions of the federal government."
 
Col. Robert Hilliard takes command of Vicksburg District
Col. Robert Hilliard assumed command of the U.S. Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District Wednesday during a change of command ceremony at the District's offices on Clay Street. Hilliard succeeds Col. Michael Derosier, who is leaving to be deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Africa Command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Hilliard said he planned to continue to maintain and build on the District's relationships with its stakeholders "and keep us all moving forward." "Rather than working up and down the valley, and on foundational-type things, for me it's going to be getting into the details and decision-making, and working with partners directly at the district level." A 1996 graduate of Auburn University, Hilliard and his wife Donna have two children, Gabriella, 16, and Samuel, 12.
 
Transportation Commissioner candidates disagree over infrastructure funding
Two candidates seeking the Northern District Transportation Commissioner seat disagreed Monday over how to deal with the state's crumbling infrastructure, with one candidate not ruling out raising taxes. Republican candidate Geoffrey Yoste told voters at a campaign forum on Monday that the state's transportation infrastructure is the largest problem the state faces. He said the Department of Transportation must work closely with the state legislature on the issue -- even if that means raising the state's gasoline tax. All options are on the table," Yoste said when asked about increasing the gas tax. "Everything's got to be considered." Yoste said the state's transportation budget has been the same for the past 20 years, and it's time to increase that budget. On the other hand, John Caldwell, a former DeSoto County supervisor, told the same Union County group that officials should stop talking about the gas tax and re-evaluate potential infrastructure projects. The differing opinions come at a time when nearly 500 bridges in the state have been closed because of disrepair and when many have criticized the current condition of the state's road system.
 
Analysis: Trump escalates trade tussle with India, putting U.S. farmers at risk -- again
Of the many trade wars Donald Trump has launched since becoming president, his relatively quiet and in-the-weeds one with India had flown mostly below the radar. No more. And GOP lawmakers and analysts worry those who will be impacted most are the American farmers who send nuts and fruits to India, as well the U.S. firms that export aircraft and machinery there. Voters who make a living in both sectors already are leery of Trump's trade tactics, making an escalation with India dicey politics as he revs up his re-election campaign. As he flew to Japan for a G-20 summit that will include a one-on-one meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump put the leader of the country that ranks ninth in terms of U.S. trading partners on notice. Trump and Modi are scheduled to meet privately Friday morning in Osaka, according to White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley. And when they do, Trump is now expected to press Modi to alter his country's trading practices -- or else.
 
This is not your father's Democratic Party: Debate shows how leftward it has moved
The Democratic Party opened its 2020 presidential debates with a remarkably policy-focused exchange that illustrated how consistently to the left they have moved. For the night, at least, this was Elizabeth Warren's party. The Democratic senator from Massachusetts, who entered the debate with momentum behind her campaign, set the tone and dominated the early part of the debate, which focused on economic policy. The shift in the party goes beyond economics. As the debate made clear, it includes gun control, abortion, climate change and immigration, among other issues. On each of those, candidates took positions to the left of those embraced by either of the last two Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, who was barely mentioned by any of the candidates. Rather than Clinton's call for abortion to be "safe, legal and rare," for example, the debate featured candidates stressing that the universal healthcare plans they backed would include public funds to pay for abortions for poor women.
 
Supreme Court allows Republican, Democratic partisan election maps
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that partisan election maps drawn by North Carolina Republicans and Maryland Democrats are constitutional despite their one-sided nature. The 5-4 opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by the court's other conservatives said federal courts may not intervene to block partisan gerrymandering. "We have no commission to allocate political power and influence in the absence of a constitutional directive or legal standards to guide us in the exercise of such authority," Roberts said. Associate Justice Elena Kagan decried the ruling on behalf of the court's four liberals. "Of all the times to abandon the court's duty to declare the law, this was not the one," she said. "The practices challenged in these cases imperil our system of government."
 
Brent Marsh named new Dean of Students at UM
Brent Marsh has been appointed as UM's new assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students effective August 1. The position of assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students has been vacant since Melinda Sutton Noss resigned at the end of last semester to accept a similar position at her alma mater, Southern Methodist University. This comes at a time after Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Brandi Hephner Labanc interviewed for the position of vice president for student affairs at the University of Utah in April. Marsh, who most recently served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Rogers State University, holds over 20 years of experience in student affairs. He also held several positions in student affairs as Howard Payne University including vice president for student life and dean of students.
 
Many students struggle to navigate college admissions and lack of transparency around financial aid
Katia Sutton returns home from school each day only to work more. She spends three hours studying practice ACT problems, and then a few more researching scholarships and grants that might help her attend college one day. Although Sutton takes an elective ACT preparation class in high school, she's confronted with the reality that not all Mississippi schools have the resources and systems in place to help students maximize their results on the high stakes exam – higher scores open doors to colleges and scholarships. When she can, Sutton attends free ACT preparation classes provided by the Get2College program. The program, which provides services to help students navigate the college admissions process, focuses its outreach on "students that have historically been underserved, – low income, first generation or students of color," said Anne Hendrick, director of Get2College. Many students that come through their doors don't know what financial aid options are available.
 
Co-Lin robotics performs well internationally
Co-Lin's robotics team placed 12th out of 71 teams at a recent international competition in eastern Tennessee. The Seawolf Underwater Robotics Engineering team of Copiah-Lincoln Community College traveled to Kingsport, Tennessee, for their eighth time to compete in the Marine Advanced Technology Education underwater robotics competition June 20-22. "This is one reason we do this program, so students can show their skills to international businesses," advisor Kevin McKone said. "The project is a collaboration between the academic and the career technical sides of campus," McKone said. "We wanted them to work together." The robot took around eight months to design and build before the competition in June.
 
U. of Florida's $30M safety plan includes 1,700 new cameras, more police
The University of Florida plans to spend $30 million over the next five years to bolster campus security. Curtis Reynolds, UF vice president of business affairs, said the $30 million safety plan will include the installation of 1,700 surveillance cameras around campus, new lighting, license plate readers at 20 campus entry points, and fortified building-access controls. Some of the money will go toward adding additional certified police officers to the University Police Department. About $20 million will go toward a new police building, which was in the early design stages as of Wednesday. UF Police did not make law enforcement staff available for an interview Wednesday, and instead deferred media inquiries to the UF Department of Business Affairs.
 
Some South Carolina colleges are increasingly recruiting international students
South Carolina colleges have increasingly been turning to international students to help bolster diversity and budgets alike. Since 2010, the number of international students at S.C. colleges has increased from 3,090 to 3,937, an increase of 30 percent, all while enrollment overall has decreased slightly, according to data The State obtained from public four-year schools and the S.C. Commission on Higher Education. But nowhere has this trend been as pronounced as at the University of South Carolina, where between 2010 and 2018, the number of international students increased from 1,256 to 1,891 -- an increase of 51 percent, data show. Most of those students are coming from China. At USC, 37 percent of the university's international students are from China, data show. The country with the second-highest percentage of USC's international students is India at 7 percent, data show. "China sends more students abroad than any other country in the world," said Allen Miller, who oversees international student recruitment for USC.
 
Vanderbilt University plans to implode historic dorm
Vanderbilt University plans to implode a historic dormitory next month to make space for three new buildings along West End Avenue. Carmichael Towers, which has housed students since 1970, will be demolished in a controlled implosion on the morning of Saturday, July 27. According to the university, the implosion of the 14-story tower, Carmichael Towers 3, will be overseen by Layton Construction LLC and Controlled Demolition Inc. The event will take approximately seven minutes to bring the entire building down and is scheduled for 9 a.m. Through mechanical demolition, the adjacent Carmichael West tower 4 building will also be taken down later in the summer. The West End transformation will consist of three new residential colleges that align with Vanderbilt's Academic Strategic Plan. Through FutureVU, the university's vision is to magnify campus housing so that everyone within the community can thrive in a sustainable and accessible atmosphere.
 
Foundation establishes UGA scholarship for students from rural Georgia
The George W. Strickland Jr. Foundation recently gifted $400,000 to establish four Georgia Commitment Scholarships at the University of Georgia. Scholarships will be awarded starting in Fall 2019 and prioritize students from 16 rural counties: Evans, Tattnall, Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Liberty, Toombs, Emanuel, Jenkins, Screven, Burke, Appling, Wayne, Glynn, Long and Effingham. The Strickland Scholarships will impact students in rural Georgia, an area that had deep meaning to the foundation's namesake, Evans County native George W. "Jack" Strickland Jr., a United States Army veteran and business owner in Claxton. Strickland died in 2010 and the foundation was established in 2016. "We are appreciative of the George W. Strickland Jr. Foundation's commitment to our rural Georgian students and know that the lives of these students and their families will be positively impacted for generations to come," said Kelly Kerner, UGA vice president for development and alumni relations.
 
Texas A&M experts: Brisket prices rising along with demand
Brisket prices and demand are climbing rapidly as a reflection of the Texas barbecue industry's sustained surge, according to Texas A&M University industry experts. David Anderson, an agricultural economics professor and AgriLife Extension economist at Texas A&M, said Wednesday that he and others anticipate a record amount of total meat production in the U.S. in 2019. He said briskets, bacon, chicken wings and hamburgers have shown particular strength in recent years. "For the particular cuts of briskets, demand is really skyrocketing because of, I think, the growth of barbecue restaurants," Anderson said. "What we are seeing is an increase in prices because of that demand, even though the supply is growing." Jeff Savell, a university distinguished professor of animal science at Texas A&M, said that "brisket prices have gone up, as well as other meat prices, and supply and demand is an easy answer for that." Savell said that the state's top barbecue places are using high-quality "top-choice" brisket, which he said is the upper part of the choice grade.
 
Bird retrieves flock of scooters from U. of Missouri impound
The University of Missouri gathered a large flock of Bird scooters -- almost 150 -- during the spring semester and put them in a place where it was far more difficult for them to take flight. On Tuesday, Bird emptied that nest after paying $1,400 in impoundment fees, part of an agreement finalized May 1 that will fine the company $100, plus $50 per day, for scooters that are not picked up when MU Operations Department employees pick them up for being parked in a forbidden location. The university could have been entitled to collect more than $21,000 from the company, but instead will reap just $1,400. Bird picked up 144 impounded scooters on Tuesday, said MU spokesman Christian Basi. Just 14 were impounded after the agreement -- which includes an impound fee of $100 for Bird to retrieve each scooter, along with storage costs of $50 per day. "Typically in the past when we impounded bikes, we don't charge the owners," Basi said. "So until the agreement was in place we were not charging them for the impounding of those scooters."
 
Rural areas lag in degree attainment while urban areas feature big racial gaps
A new analysis of U.S. Census data at the county level shows that rural areas tend to have low college-degree attainment levels, and that urban and suburban areas often feature wide gaps across racial lines. The report from the Center for American Progress was inspired in part by maps of the 2016 presidential election and by studies on "education deserts," or commuting zones that lack more than one broad-access postsecondary education option, said Colleen Campbell, director for postsecondary education at the center. "The intention is to make people think about the bubbles they live in," she said. Just under 40 percent of Americans over the age of 25 have earned an associate, bachelor's or graduate degree, according to the report. About 35 percent of white adults hold at least a bachelor's degree, compared to 18 percent of adults from underrepresented groups. And just 8 percent of bachelor's degree holders live in rural counties.
 
White nationalist propaganda on the rise on college campuses
Despite college administrators' attempts to stamp out white supremacist activities on campuses, these often-anonymous outsiders are distributing their literature with greater frequency, according to a new Anti-Defamation League report. The group's Center on Extremism tracks and verifies incidents involving white supremacists each academic year. It has found sustained growth in propaganda incidents on campuses in recent years. White supremacists were more active on campuses than ever before during the spring semester, according the new analysis ADL released on Thursday. From January to May, at least 161 examples of white supremacy propaganda were recorded on 122 different campuses in 33 different states and Washington, D.C.
 
UAB ranked top young university in the country
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is the top young university in the nation, according to a new ranking. The Times Higher Education 2019 Young University Rankings were released Wednesday afternoon, and listed UAB as the top young university in the United States. It's the second year in a row for the school to receive that spot. UAB also earned the number 12 spot in the worldwide young university ranking. UAB spans more than 100 city blocks, according to the university, and provides an education to nearly 22,000 students. More than 23,000 faculty and staff members have helped UAB become the largest single employer in the state, with an annual economic impact more than $7.15 billion. Annual research at the university exceeds $572 million. “To be recognized again by Times Higher Education is a tremendous honor for our institution,” said Suzanne Austin, UAB senior international officer. “Global recognitions -- especially those as prestigious and respected as Times Higher Education -- are another reason international students choose UAB as their educational home.”


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State dons USA for World University Games in Italy
It's not usual to see one of Mississippi State's basketball teams traveling overseas during the summer. After all, Vic Schaefer took his team to Italy last year and will be doing the same next week. But the stakes as much higher on this trip as the Bulldogs don the stars and stripes to represent the United States at the World University Games in Naples. "It means a lot because USA is something that's bigger than just us," said MSU guard Myah Taylor. "We're getting ready to represent our country and so with that comes a lot of pride and hard work." The team will fly out of Memphis this morning and arrive in Italy on Friday. They will play an exhibition game against Japan on Monday at 10:30 a.m. before beginning pool play. The 16-team tournament is divided into four pools with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the second stage from July 7-9. Mississippi State -- known as "USA Team" at the event -- opens pool play against Mexico on July 3 at 3:30 a.m. and takes on Taipei the following day at 6 a.m. They conclude pool play on July 5 against Slovakia at 10:30 a.m.
 
Mississippi State women's team headed to World Games in Italy
The Mississippi State women's basketball team is off to Europe. The Bulldogs will represent the United States at next week's 2019 Summer World University Games in Naples, Italy. The Bulldogs will take a roster of 12 players to the biennial tournament. Among those are six newcomers -- junior transfers Yemiyah Morris and Sidney Cooks and freshmen Jayla Hemingway, Aliyah Matharu, Rickea Jackson and JaMya Mingo-Young. Jackson, a McDonald's All-American and the highest rated recruit in program history, missed a week of practice while playing for Team USA in the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia June 3-7. Her team went undefeated and took home the gold medal. Graduated point guard Jazzmun Holmes will also join MSU in Italy. Schaefer asked Holmes earlier this month to participate as a way to showcase her talent to scouts overseas after not receiving a WNBA roster invitation.
 
Ethan Small wins second National Pitcher of the Year honor
After being selected the National Pitcher of the Year earlier this month by the College Baseball Foundation, Mississippi State's Ethan Small also garnered the same distinction from the American Baseball Coaches Association on Wednesday. Small posted a 10-2 record with a 1.93 earned run average with a nation-leading 176 strikeouts and only 32 walks in 107 innings across 18 starts. Opponents only hit .164 against him and his strikeout total set the school's single-season record. The junior left-hander from Lexington, Tennessee is just the second MSU pitcher to be named a National Pitcher of the Year, joining Chris Stratton in 2012. Small signed a $1.8 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday after being drafted 28th overall.
 
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott emphasizes not giving up on dreams to hometown kids
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott held his third annual youth football camp in his hometown and stressed to the campers to never give up on their dreams. At his third annual Dak Prescott Procamp, held on the very high school field he played for with the Haughton Buccaneers, Prescott brought a message of endurance and maintaining belief in one's goals, even if they aren't sports related. "Here it's deeper than that for me," Prescott said. "It's about making sure that these kids believe in their dreams, whether it's going to the next level in football or whether it's being an author or whether it's being a teacher or an architect, whatever it may be. Whatever they dream ⁠-- it doesn't have to be football ⁠-- but they accomplish it. When you have a player with the ability it sticks out, so, you have to make sure that you help him and encourage him the same way." For the former 2016 fourth-round pick from Mississippi State, he is compelled to use the visibility of being the Cowboys' quarterback to inspire the next generation.
 
Vanderbilt baseball wins national title, beats Michigan
Drenched with sweat, sports drinks and tears, Vanderbilt players could barely be pulled apart. They dog-piled on the pitcher's mound, bounced off one another in the locker room and howled through the hallways of TD Ameritrade Park. And most of what they tried to say to sum up their feelings made little sense. The moment of winning a national championship simply swept them away. "I don't know where to start," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said. Vanderbilt baseball won its second national championship Wednesday, beating Michigan 8-2 in the winner-take-all title game to cap the College World Series. It marks Vanderbilt's fifth national title in team sports in school history, including women's bowling (2007, 2018), baseball (2014, 2019) and women's tennis (2015).
 
Alcohol at college football games: The policy at every Power 5 university
Many college sports fans are excited about that news that they'll be to crack open a cold one at an SEC stadium. It'll be a new way of life in the conference. But it isn't new elsewhere. Schools in the Power 5 conferences are divided about whether or not booze is allowed. For years, conference officials and have teased fans with the temptation of an ice cold brew and some have already opened the tap. Most recently, the SEC presidents voted to lift the organization's ban on alcohol sales inside stadiums during games. Every conference has left it up to the schools to decide if they will carry out alcohol sales and how they will be handled -- many are still figuring that out. Here is where every school in the Power 5 stands on alcohol at games.
 
Troy AD Brent Jones: 'Almost no one calls' looking to play Trojans after wins over Nebraska, LSU
New Troy athletics director Brent Jones said his school's football team has become a victim of its own success when it comes to playing Power 5 opponents. Jones, who was heavily involved with football scheduling during his three years as Troy's deputy AD for external affairs, said last week that it's no longer all that easy for the Trojans to secure football games with traditional power programs. Victories over LSU and Nebraska the last two years -- in addition to a six-point loss at Clemson in 2016 -- certainly plays a role, he said. Jones, who took over as AD June 12 following Jeremy McClain's departure for Southern Miss, said he's hoping to continue the school's current non-conference scheduling plan, which is one Power 5 opponent (AKA, a "money" game), two games (one home, one away) with fellow Group of 5 schools and then a home game against an FCS school from somewhere in the southeast. In addition, they've added a home-and-home with Mississippi State for 2026-27.
 
Hoping for clarity, NCAA adjusts transfer waiver guidelines
Following fresh concerns about the handling of athletes switching schools, the NCAA approved several adjustments Wednesday to the guidelines used to determine when waivers can be granted to transfers seeking immediate eligibility to play. The adjustments approved by the Division I council will require schools requesting a waiver for an incoming transfer to provide more documentation to support the argument -- and more detailed verification of athletes' claims about why they are leaving the original school. "The overall goal of these adjustments was to provide the membership with as much information and knowledge and education as to what they need to be including in their waiver requests," said Brandy Hataway, NCAA director of academic and membership affairs. "I don't know if I'd say it's extra (information). A lot of it is information that was already being requested in the process. It's just now letting schools know on the front end rather than them submitting their requests and staff going back to them and saying we need x, y, z."



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