| Thursday, July 25, 2019 |
| Young entrepreneur buys unconventional space for first home | |
 | Unconventional. If Hagan Walker is anything, it's that. And he doesn't mind it. The Mississippi State graduate turned down a job at Tesla to start his own drink light company, Glo, in Starkville a few years ago. Now, at 26, he's purchased his first home -- which, incidentally, is an old grocery store built nearly 100 years ago. Walker had been living as a renter in the renovated Buckley Grocery Store, located at 201 Louisville St. across from the Greensboro Center, for about two years. When his landlord and former Mississippi State engineering professor J.W. Bruce decided to sell it, Walker snapped it off the market. "I guess I've always been the oddball in that way," Walker said. "I've always taken a quirky path. When I saw it was for rent, I jumped on it. My landlord was my professor at State. ... I think a lot of people wanted it. I'm just glad I got it." The sale closed Friday, and now Walker is spending more time than usual in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Public Library on a mission to learn as much as he can about the old brick building, best known in Starkville for the Coca-Cola mural painted on its north side. |
| Starkville Community Theatre's 'Brand New Day' musical revue opens Friday | |
| Starkville Community Theatre's annual summer musical revue aims to bring a dose of positivity to audiences July 26-28 and Aug. 1-3 at Playhouse on Main, 108 E. Main St. in downtown Starkville. Created and directed by Brian Hawkins, "Brand New Day: Music to Brighten Your Tomorrow" features a musical lineup of uplifting, comical and inspirational songs from a variety of genres, including pop and rock, Broadway, standards and movies. Performances are 7:30 p.m. (except 2 p.m. Sunday, July 28) at the Playhouse located at 108 E. Main St. in downtown Starkville. With musical direction by Gwyen Elizabeth Sutphin and staging and assistant direction by Pattye Archer, "Brand New Day" features a talented cast of SCT veterans and newcomers, including Michele Crescenzo, M.J. Etua, Madeline Golden, Amanda Gronewald, Peyton Jackson, Brenda Mayor, Brittany Page, Lynn Peterson and Hawkins himself. |
| Locally, absentee voting for August primary lower than expected | |
| While voter turnout is typically high during years that county and state offices are up for grabs, absentee voting -- one indicator of turnout -- hasn't quite matched expectations. Less than two weeks before the Aug. 6 primaries, fewer than 400 people have cast ballots in Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties combined, according to local election officials. "It's kind of low right now," said Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Teresa Barksdale. In Lowndes County, 150 people had voted by absentee ballot as of Tuesday. In Oktibbeha County, there have been 201 absentee ballots cast. "We're not as busy as I thought we'd be," said Oktibbeha County Deputy Circuit Clerk Sheryl Elmore. In Oktibbeha County there's a considerable buzz surrounding the races for governor and sheriff, but that interest has yet to show up in the absentee voting, Elmore said. "Even though there's a lot of talk about the governor's race, especially on the Republican side, and the sheriff's race, we've only about half the absentee votes we had at this time four years ago," she said. |
| Tate Reeves outlines details of $100 million workforce plan | |
 | The robotics that moved around in the background served as an example of a redesigned workforce that Mississippi Lt. Gov. and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tate Reeves wants to prepare Mississippians for. Reeves outlined his plans for workforce development in a Wednesday afternoon press conference at the Belden Conference Center of Itawamba Community College. ICC President Jay Allen welcomed Reeves to share his "Ready to Work" plan. Several ICC community partners were in attendance, and Allen said the conference was a great opportunity to hear some of the opportunities in Reeves' plan. "The great thing is, (the Ready to Work plan) will provide some dollars to help us grow what we're doing for our existing companies as well as companies that will be coming to this region in the future," Allen said. Allen said that Reeves' proposal would help ICC start a robotics program. |
| GOP governor candidates meet in debate | |
 | The three Republican candidates for Mississippi governor met on the same stage for the first time during the primary election campaign Tuesday evening in Jackson. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, state Rep. Robert Foster (R-Hernando) and former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. faced off in a debate held at the studios of WJTV in Jackson. The broadcast station hosted the debate and it was broadcast to a statewide audience, with Memphis station WATN among the affiliates carrying the hour-long discussion of issues. The lively exchange included agreement on some issues, but differences on others, between Reeves, Foster and Waller. Among the top issues of the debate early on was a question regarding salaries for the state's teachers. Mississippi ranks near the bottom of Southeastern states for starting salaries of school instructors at $35,890 a year. Only Arkansas at $33,000 a year is lower than Mississippi among five neighboring states. Louisiana's starting salary for teachers is at more than $40,000 annually, while in Tennessee, it is about $37,000 a year. |
| Velesha Williams runs for governor on policies of healthcare, education reform | |
| Velesha Williams is a newcomer to state politics, but she wants to perform an upset in the Democratic gubernatorial primary with a message of redirecting state funds toward repairing infrastructure and improving the state's education and healthcare systems. Williams, a former officer in the U.S. Army and a former public school educator, said she was enjoying retirement, but felt led to run for governor after feeling God tell her to run for the highest position in state politics. The core message Williams is promoting is improving the lives of all Mississippians and bringing the state up from its last place rankings in education and healthcare. "We have been at the bottom or near the bottom for decades," she said. "In my book, that's a definition of failed leadership, and we can do better. And I tell folks, regardless of your political affiliation, I believe you can agree that Mississippi can do better. We must do better." |
| Bryant calls on Trump to declare a major disaster in Delta counties | |
 | As the historic and devastating flooding in the Mississippi Delta nears its sixth month, and with water levels inching slowly lower, economic and governmental leaders have started to turn their focus to the eventual recovery. In a letter to President Trump Monday, Gov. Phil Bryant requested the president make a major disaster declaration for Mississippi counties significantly impacted by the flood. Those counties covered in the governor's request are Sharkey, Issaquena, Humphreys, Yazoo and Warren counties. In addition to the homes and other structures damaged or destroyed by the flood, Bryant highlighted the significant losses in agriculture and the impact that it has on the Delta and the state. "The economic damage to the region, particularly the damage to the agriculture industry and the thousands of agricultural workers, has been significant," Bryant wrote. Bryant projected the agriculture losses alone would top $800 million. |
| Will Robert Mueller's Testimony Change Any Minds In A Divided Nation? | |
 | Former special counsel Robert Mueller did what Democrats wanted him to do on Wednesday -- the question now is how much difference that may make. Mueller's hearings did not feature a telegenic star who could deliver a message as exuberantly as President Trump's opponents hoped. Even so, the House chairmen who wrestled for months to harpoon Mueller and reel him up to Capitol Hill got TV soundbites of the former special counsel saying the things they wanted. What wasn't clear is whether dawn over Washington on Thursday would reveal any changes to a political battlefield in which the combatants have mostly been entrenched for months -- and were expected to remain that way barring some kind of major revelation by Mueller. At least one prominent political and media commentator was ready with his take not long after the second hearing adjourned: "They lost so big today," Trump told reporters at the White House. "The Democrats are devastated right now." |
| House clears bill to relieve onslaught of robocalls plaguing Americans | |
 | Lawmakers and their constituents are fed up with the bombardment of nuisance and scam calls plaguing their cell phones and on Wednesday the House passed a bipartisan measure to combat robocalls. The House voted 429-3 to pass a bill that would require phone companies to offer screening technology to customers at no cost that would identify and block spam robocalls. It would also double, to four years, the time period that parties can be prosecuted for illegal robocalls. New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone Jr. teamed up with Oregon Republican Greg Walden to sponsor the measure, which would require the Federal Communications Commission to give Congress an annual report on its robocall enforcement activities, and provide legislative proposals to decrease their frequency. In recent years technological advances have allowed robocallers to target thousands of phones with minimal effort, which some advocates say has rendered the 2003 National Do Not Call Registry ineffective. |
| UPS Seeks Authority for Commercial Drone Flights | |
 | United Parcel Service Inc. is seeking U.S. authorization to operate commercial drone flights, signaling the delivery giant's intent to compete in a developing but increasingly crowded sector. The parcel carrier said Tuesday it had applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for certification of drone flights through the company's recently formed subsidiary called UPS Flight Forward Inc. The certification if approved, would allow drone flights beyond an operator's visual line of sight, at night and without limit to the number of drones or operators in command, the company said. Such flights are highly restricted in the U.S. The FAA is working out the regulatory framework to govern commercial uses of unmanned aircraft, which has been generally restricted to flights below 400 feet and within sight of an operator on the ground. |
| Kristi Hipp Mosley elected president of MUW Alumni Association | |
 | Kristi Hipp Mosley of Madison has been elected president of the Mississippi University for Women Alumni Association for 2019-2020. "I am honored to serve the MUWAA as president and give back to the university that laid the foundation for me personally and professionally," said Mosley, a native of Vancleave and a 1999 graduate of The W. "I can trace many of the successes in my career to the experiences I had both in and outside of the classroom at The W. It is my belief that we pay forward those experiences to ensure other students have the same opportunities." Other newly elected MUWAA leaders include Rebecca L. Rogers (2000) of Memphis, president-elect; and board members Kimberly Griffin (1993) of Jackson, Barbara B. Travis (1970) of Flowood, Jane Izard Turner (1980) of Flora,Troy Lewis (1991) of Grovetown, Ga., Monique Jenkins (2008) of Marietta, Ga., and Christie Jones Lawrence (1981) of Starkville. |
| At it again: Ole Miss Prof 'meant it' when comparing Trump supporters to Hitler youth | |
 | The embattled Ole Miss Sociology professor, James Thomas, that was recently granted tenure has once again stirred the proverbial pot by referring back to one of his previous Twitter posts. The latest tweet to catch the rounds said "When I said MAGA teens are modern-day Hitlerjugend, I meant it. What we're watching at this rally is the aesthetics of fascism." Professor James Thomas has earned himself national media spotlight several times after saying U.S. Senators "don't deserve civility" and comparing Trump supporters to Hitler supporters on Twitter. He has drawn derision from within the Ole Miss Community. The tweets even put his tenure in question, after a recent closed board meeting was held for nearly two hours to discuss Thomas's tenure -- despite the open meeting prior tenuring others without question. The new tweet originally reported by Campus Reform stated that neither Thomas nor the University of Mississippi has provided additional comment. |
| Now-deleted Brandon Theesfeld tweets give glimpse of personality | |
| Brandon Theesfeld, the 22-year-old University of Mississippi student charged with the murder of Alexandria "Ally" Kostial, 21, exhibited what could be deemed troubling behavior online in the hours surrounding Kostial's death and the discovery of her body near Buford Ridge in Harmontown, Miss. Theesfeld was very active on the social media platform Twitter, and a series of "likes" and retweets on the site could be seen as red flags in light of recent events. As of Wednesday afternoon, Theesfeld's account had been deactivated, but the EAGLE obtained screenshots prior to deletion. On July 17, three days before Kostial's body was found by Lafayette County Sheriff's Deputies during routine patrol on July 20 at 10:23 a.m., Theesfeld "liked" a tweet that read the following: "if i had a girlfriend i would not let anyone kill her," the tweet read. |
| Delta State receives grant for science outreach program | |
| Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding and Dr. Robert Kagumba at Delta State University have received a grant from the International Paleontological Society to fund several field trips and workshops for local students and teachers in the fall semester. Baghai-Riding and Kagumba, both of the Division of Mathematics and Sciences, were recipients through their proposal "Improving Scientific Education in the Mississippi Delta through Paleontology." "The grants are for educational outreach," Baghai-Riding said. "It falls well into our STEM activities that we do at Delta State, trying to promote more students and teachers into knowing about our faculty, our resources, our laboratories. "We're going to have three field trips and a workshop, as well as some other things where students are going to be putting together an abstract for the Mississippi Academy of Sciences based on what they learned as well as write up a little news release for the Memphis Archeological and Geological Society," said Baghai-Riding. |
| Mississippi Manufacturers Association to partner with Northeast Mississippi Community College | |
| The Mississippi Manufacturers Association Manufacturing Extension Partnership announced its partnership with the Northeast Mississippi Community College Workforce Training Program. NEMCC joins MEP's network of several colleges that provide training, engineering solutions and support services for new, expanding and existing business and industry in Mississippi. "We are pleased to form a partnership with the Mississippi Manufacturers Association to enhance the growth and economic development of Mississippi," said NEMCC President Ricky G. Ford. "MMA plays a major role in the advancement of the state of Mississippi. We are pleased to provide the technology and expertise to assist in workforce training and manufacturing excellence." NEMCC Workforce provides a wide range of training to develop the skills that industry employers require. Workforce training programs available to businesses and industries are: customized training, consortium training, pre-employment screening, safety and health training, short term training, rapid response and personal development. |
| Title IX lawsuit alleges Louisiana State ignores fraternity hazing | |
 | A lawsuit filed by the parents of a Louisiana State University student who died during a fraternity hazing ritual could drastically reform college disciplinary systems nationwide if it is successful. This month, a federal judge agreed that a groundbreaking legal argument by the student's parents potentially has merit. The parents' argument is that fraternity members and pledges at the state's flagship institution are far more at risk than their sorority counterparts because the university disregarded the dangerous and sometimes fatal hazing activities that occur among men in Greek life and cracked down on the women more severely. The lawyer for the parents of Max Gruver -- an 18-year-old who died in 2017 after being forced to chug hard liquor -- alleged this violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the federal law barring sex discrimination at public and private educational institutions that receive federal funds. The law has never been tested in a case involving hazing and purported gender inequities in Greek life. Legal observers said this interpretation of Title IX stretches its boundaries and could prompt others to challenge colleges' disciplinary measures with legal arguments that have not applied under the law. |
| Board set to go on dicamba field trip after U. of Arkansas research site sees crops ruined | |
| The state Plant Board will hold a special meeting at 2:30 p.m. Friday at a state agriculture research station that, according to its scientists, has been hit by dicamba several times over the past four growing seasons. The meeting at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's research station at Keiser, in Mississippi County, will include a tour of damaged soybean fields rendered virtually useless for experiments. Some 300 complaints of possible pesticide drift -- not just of dicamba -- have been received this year by the Plant Board, a division of the state Department of Agriculture. Dicamba was named specifically as a suspect in about 115 complaints, with most being filed in late June and July, well after a ban on in-crop use of the herbicide took effect May 26. Mike Duren, manager of the research station in Keiser, said Wednesday that all 350 acres of soybeans not tolerant of dicamba show the usual signs of dicamba damage -- curled, yellowed leaves cupped into the shape of a cobra's head. The station has another 400 acres in corn, sorghum, rice and dicamba-tolerant soybeans. |
| After contentious search, incoming U. of South Carolina president mending bridges with critics | |
 | Incoming University of South Carolina President Robert Caslen is well aware of the controversy surrounding how he was chosen to lead the state's flagship school. He saw the protests. He heard lawmakers call on the governor to restart the presidential search. And he has read the overwhelmingly negative comments faculty and staff made about his candidacy. Since Caslen was named president Friday, he has been reaching out to students, lawmakers and donors who criticized either his candidacy or the process that led to his selection. Wednesday morning, Caslen spoke on the phone with Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, a Democrat who opposed S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster pressuring the board of trustees to cast a vote on Caslen. That phone call -- which Benjamin described as "cordial" -- was organized by a mutual friend, Adrian Perkins, who is the mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where Caslen was the superintendent. |
| U. of Florida study: Genetic diversity boosts panther population | |
 | A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission presents positive developments in the overall health and population of the endangered Florida panther. The Florida panther population, once as low as 20 to 30 individuals, has rebounded to a range of 120 to 230 panthers following a successful crossbreeding experiment with Texas pumas that began in 1995. Twenty-four years later, panthers bred from the female pumas from Texas and the male panthers from Florida were found to have better chances of survival and reproductive success than their predecessors, which suffered from inbreeding. As UF Wildlife and Ecology Conservation professor and study co-author Madan Oli put it, "We want happier and healthier panthers." And the results of the study, titled "Dynamics, Persistence and Genetic Management of the Endangered Florida Panther Population," indicate just that. |
| State Lawmakers Hand Texas Public Universities Stricter, More Uniform Free Speech Rules | |
| In 2016, white nationalist Richard Spencer arrived at Texas A&M University to hold a rally, triggering massive protests and later a policy change for free speech on campus. A&M administrators decided that only university-sanctioned groups could invite outside speakers. So, when an Aggie alum tried to invite Spencer back the next year -- under the theme of "Today Charlottesville, Tomorrow Texas A&M" -- A&M canceled the event out of safety concerns. That whole situation could have ended very differently today, due to a new Texas law passed this session. Known as Senate Bill 18, it requires public colleges and universities in Texas to follow stricter, more uniform policies regarding free speech on campus. Top Republican state leaders pushed for the changes because they feel conservative voices need more protection on campus. Though some feel it doesn't go far enough in that regard. |
| Senator asks U. of Missouri to 'reconsider' ties to Confucius Institute | |
 | Calling it a source of communist propaganda, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley on Wednesday called for the University of Missouri and Webster University in St. Louis "to reconsider" their ties to the Confucius Institute. Hawley sent a letter to UM System President Mun Choi, Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Board of Curators Chair Jon Sundvold with the request after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified Tuesday to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Responding to a question from Hawley about the Confucius Institutes, Wray said he was "encouraged" by the number of schools that have restricted or severed their ties to the Chinese organization. Hawley then asked about the advice Wray had for college presidents. "I would think a university president ought to do an awful lot of homework and we'd be happy to have the local field office sit down with them to talk to them about what we know that can be shared about Confucius Institutes so that they can make a thoughtful decision themselves about whether it is something they really want to have on their campus," Wray responded. University leaders are reviewing Hawley's letter and deciding if they need to take any action, spokesman Christian Basi said. |
| Spending and costs of textbooks continue to decrease, according to surveys | |
| Keeping in line with recent trends over the last couple of years, spending on course materials such as textbooks decreased 14 percent in the last year, an annual survey of students finds. A separate study of internal prices of one textbook retailer found that prices had decreased 26 percent in the last year. According to the survey of more than 20,000 students across 41 institutions conducted by the National Association of College Stores, students on average spent $415 on course materials in the 2018-19 academic year, down from $484 last year. Student spending has declined almost every year in the last decade -- in 2008 students spent an average of $700 on course materials. Richard Hershman, vice president of government relations at NACS, said this decline is the result of attempts within the college stores industry to make materials more affordable. |
| Georgia lawmaker's idea to separate 3 HBCUs from state system under fire | |
| An African American state senator's proposal several months ago to help Georgia's three public, historically black universities is facing new obstacles after a key lawmaker and the leader of the University System of Georgia said they're against the idea. State Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, the longest-serving member of the Georgia Legislature, wrote a letter Monday to University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley outlining his concerns about the proposal. The legislation, Senate Bill 278 authored by Sen. Lester Jackson, a Savannah Democrat, would move Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State universities from the University System to a proposed Georgia Agricultural & Mechanical University system. Jackson said he introduced the bill because he's concerned about the future of the three schools and others like it nationally, noting many public historically black colleges and universities have experienced enrollment and state funding declines in recent years, particularly after the Great Recession. |
| Emails Show DeVos Aides Pulled Strings for Failing For-Profit Colleges | |
 | Dream Center Education Holdings, a subsidiary of a Los Angeles-based megachurch, had no experience in higher education when it petitioned the federal Education Department to let it take over a troubled chain of for-profit trade schools. But the organization's chairman, Randall K. Barton, told the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, that the foundation wanted to "help people live better lives." The purchase was blessed despite Dream Center's lack of experience and questionable finances by an administration favorable to for-profit education. But barely a year later, the company tumbled into insolvency, dozens of its colleges closed abruptly and thousands of students were left with no degree after paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. Company emails, documents and recordings show that part of why Dream Center kept going is that it thought the Education Department, which under Ms. DeVos has rolled back regulations on for-profit education, would try to keep it from failing. |
| Minority workers support free college to offset automation | |
| American workers are driven to pursue additional education, but they are looking to employers and the government to cover the college price tag, a new report revealed. In its "Racial Differences on the Future of Work" survey, released Wednesday, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that focuses on African Americans, found that financial constraints are the primary barrier preventing American workers of all races from pursuing additional job training or higher education. The survey, which oversampled and identified 1,500 black, Latino and Asian American respondents, showed about half of workers of color are interested in pursuing community college and certification and degree programs, compared to about 41 percent of white workers. The Joint Center surveyed U.S. adults of working age and included only employed adults' answers to questions related to respondents' jobs. |
| How college towns could benefit more from throngs of student volunteers | |
| Millions of college students volunteer at soup kitchens, animal shelters and other nonprofits near where they go to school. The arrangement gives these young adults valuable experience that can help them launch their careers while giving charities a hand. As a professor who studies nonprofits, I'm interested in the effects student volunteers have on the local nonprofit sector. Having recently moved from San Diego, California, to Gainesville, Florida, I was particularly interested in the effect of students in a small college town. For comparison purposes, San Diego has multiple universities as well as multiple strong industries, including biotechnology, telecommunications and military bases. Gainesville has a large university and a community college that dominate its economy. Intrigued by the differences, I wondered whether student volunteers were more of a burden or a boon to local nonprofits in the smaller college town. |
| Is Mississippi GOP governor primary headed to a runoff? | |
 | The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: In the twilight of the GOP gubernatorial primary race, I was expecting spider monkeys, not polite debate and Rev. Billy Graham-style chivalry to be a major issue. That is, I (and others) expected candidates Robert Foster and Bill Waller Jr. to come at presumptive race leader Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves like spider monkeys on bath salts. Particularly, I expected the one and only full primary debate between the three Tuesday night to be a knock-down, drag-out. But no, it was a milquetoast affair, with hardly a cross word exchanged between the candidates. With the Aug. 6 vote bearing down, the candidates appear to be heads-down, staying in their lanes and talking about roads, education -- the usual fare. There doesn't appear to be any July surprise negative bombshell in the offing. Next week's Neshoba County Fair stumping will be the penultimate test. There does appear to be a runoff in the offing. |
SPORTS
| Why Mississippi State, Joe Moorhead expect more from tight ends in 2019 | |
| Many blamed the newness of Joe Moorhead's system for the offense's ineptitude at times during the 2018 season. For nearly an entire decade, Mississippi State ran offense the Dan Mullen way, then the Bulldogs had to turn around and learn Moorhead's schemes. Outside of former quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, the transition might've been toughest on MSU's tight ends. They do, after all, essentially have to play two positions at once. "We want our tight ends to be o-lineman in the running game and wide receivers in the passing game," Moorhead told The Clarion Ledger during spring practices earlier this year. "We have to get those guys more involved." |
| Mississippi State unveils non-SEC slate | |
| The Mississippi State men will go into next basketball season with the SEC's longest non-conference home winning streak, 22 consecutive games. A veteran squad of Bulldogs will put that to the test with seven home games at Humphrey Coliseum before SEC play begins in January. MSU has unveiled its non-conference schedule, featuring seven teams that won at least 19 games last season. The regular season tips off Nov. 5 at home against Florida International (20-14). Not long after the Bulldogs' non-SEC slate was rolled out on Tuesday, CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that MSU will visit Oklahoma as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 25. Ole Miss is not part of that event next season. Another Big 12 squad, regular-season league champion Kansas State, will face the Bulldogs on Dec. 14 in Newark as part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic. |
| MHSAA issues site changes for basketball playoffs | |
| MHSAA associate director Rickey Neaves announced site changes for the 2019-2020 basketball playoffs during the District One meeting held at Belden's ICC campus on Wednesday. Beginning this season, the state championships will no longer be played at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, and will be played at either The Pavilion at Ole Miss or the Humphrey Coliseum at Mississippi State. The specific site has not been determined yet because the SEC schedules have not been released. Neaves said whichever team is traveling during that weekend will host this season, and he hopes to see it rotate between the two schools in following years. The first two rounds of the playoffs will see no change and will be played on the higher seeded team's floor, like normal. In the quarterfinals, instead of playing at the higher seeded high schools like teams did this season, games will now be played at four neutral sites -- two in the north and two in the south. Itawamba Community College and Mississippi Valley State University will be the two north sites, while Pearl River Community College and the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi are the two south sites. |
| LSU opens up new $28 million football operations building | |
 | The idea for sleeping pods in LSU's $28 million renovation of its football operations building came from a travel issue nearly three years ago. The football team found itself stuck in an airport in Green Bay, Wisconsin, following its 16-14 loss to the Badgers in the 2016 season opener. The plane that was supposed to carry the team back to Louisiana broke down, LSU equipment manager Greg Stringfellow recalled, and the team instead used the plane that Stringfellow and the team's support staff had used to fly to Wisconsin. Stringfellow and the support staff hung back and flew on an international plane home. The plane had four rows of first-class pod seating. "It was really cool sitting there," Stringfellow said Wednesday, when LSU hosted a ribbon-cutting and tour of its renovated Football Operations and Performance Nutrition Center. Several hundred donors contributed money to the project, Tiger Athletic Foundation President and CEO Rick Perry said. |
| U. of Memphis athletics receives largest monetary commitment in program history | |
| The University of Memphis athletic department received its largest commitment in program history, the university announced Wednesday. Gary W. and Barbara Bryant made a $13 million commitment to establish the Gary and Barbara Bryant Athletic Excellence Fund. It is the second-largest gift in university history. "This remarkable gift also showcases the Bryants' philanthropic spirit, as we collaborated with another conference institution that is also a recipient of a portion of their trusts," Executive Senior Athletic Director Adam Walker said. "That is a rare occurrence, especially given the size of the commitment. The Bryant family gift is extraordinary and will leave an indelible mark on Memphis athletics." The University of Central Florida also received a $13 million donation from the Bryants. That gift is also the largest yet for UCF. |
| Before he became one of pro baseball's best, Roy Oswalt was already a legend in Weir | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: You can make a strong Cooperstown and Baseball Hall of Fame case for Mississippian Roy Oswalt, but there's no question Oswalt belongs in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame on Lakeland Drive in Jackson. And that will happen in his first year of eligibility during induction ceremonies Aug. 3 at the Jackson Convention Center. From his Major League rookie season in 2001 with the Houston Astros to his retirement in 2013, Oswalt was one of baseball's top pitchers. ... Oswalt, who now calls Starkville home, was a legend in the small community of Weir long before all that. There, they created a baseball program because of his strong, accurate right arm. ... The Astros, who had drafted him in the 23rd round, signed him before the draft for close to first-round money. "I had always wanted to pitch for State, but it was just too much money to turn down," Oswalt says. |
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