Thursday, August 1, 2019   
 
Bollworm Battle Continues: Caterpillar Feeding in Vip3A Cotton and Corn Raises Concerns
As Bob Dylan would put it, the bollworms, they are a-changing. Also known as the corn earworm, the cotton bollworm has spent the last decade steadily evolving resistance to most of the corn and cotton Bt proteins on the market that target it. Now, entomologists across the South are reporting increased feeding and survival in Bt corn and cotton fields expressing the Vip3A protein, once believed to be the final Bt stronghold against this pest. Texas scientists are testing some of these suspect bollworm populations for resistance. Academic entomologists agreed that three-gene cotton and Vip3A-expressing corn hybrids are still controlling bollworm/earworm in the field, but said that growers should be aware that cracks are starting to show in that technology, the entomologists said. "There is some survival in VIP corn we did not see in the past," said Angus Catchot, Extension entomologist with Mississippi State University. "So it is something that we're watching."
 
MSU agent: Farmers market season best yet
A summer of buying fresh produce from the Brookhaven Farmers Market is about to come to a close. The final market for the season will be Friday in Railroad Park, from 7:30 a.m. until noon. "Produce is starting to wind down, which is why we are closing on Friday," said Mississippi State Extension Agent Rebecca Bates. "We will have plenty of tomatoes, okra, maybe some peppers, and then our regular baked goods and canned goods," she said. "One vendor will have South Carolina peaches. We don't normally allow produce from out of state, unless we don't grow it here." The next farmers market will be in late November -- the annual Thanksgiving market on the Tuesday just prior to Thanksgiving Day. This summer's market was, in the extension agent's opinion, the best the county has had in its 11 years. "I measure success by the number of vendors, the amount of produce and the clientele that shop the market, and it's all been outstanding this year," she said.
 
Ice cream in a bag: fun to make, fun to eat
Thoughts of homemade ice cream probably bring to mind visions of a whirring electric ice cream maker -- or, for some, the old-fashioned hand-crank version. But there is another way. Ever tried making ice cream in a bag? Mississippi State University Extension Agent Vivian Cade has, and she shares a few tips on this quick frozen treat that is easy on ingredients and time. Plus, it's a slam dunk if you have kids to entertain. (Sleepovers? Back-to-school parties? Church youth groups?). They'll enjoy making it as much as they will eating it. And since everything is made in plastic baggies, clean-up is simple. "The kids love it. It's a lot of fun for them," said Cade. She and Extension Agent Jane Chamblee have used the activity at several 4-H camps this summer, including a STEM camp at Columbus Air Force Base and a 4-H Learn by Doing camp at the Lowndes Extension facility.
 
Colleagues share memories of Michael Adam
A popular Starkville educator died last week and has been laid to rest in his hometown. Former Starkville High School biology teacher Michael Adam died on Tuesday, July 23. Adam had been an educator in the district for six years, and had also taught in the Columbus Municipal School District. Last year, Adam left SHS for a project manager position at the Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit. He was 39 years old, and is survived by his wife, Tammie and daughter, Lily. While a teacher at SHS, Adam sponsored several extracurricular activities including the Excalibur Science club. Several of his students in Excalibur had presented their projects at national and international science fairs. He was named the district's teacher of the year for 2017. He held bachelor's and master's degrees from MSU, and was working toward a doctorate in human development and family sciences. He also served on the advisory council for the SHS Jobs for Mississippi Graduates program for four years, both as a teacher at SHS and after moving onto the RCU.
 
Tire manufacturer in Clinton gears up for its next round of hiring
Continental Tire has already hired hundreds for company production, and they're looking for more employees. The tire manufacturer located in Clinton is teaming up with the Jackson WIN Job Center to help build their production team. "It's a great place to be where the possibility is to join a team that is really breaking ground here," said Continental Tire Human Resources Manager Marco Will. Wednesday marked 177 days until production starts at Continental Tire. The company is partnering with the Jackson WIN Job Center to hold an information session to give prospective workers details on available production jobs. The Mississippi State engineering major graduated in December and trained two months in Brazil. He was hired as an industrial engineer. "I was a mechanical engineering major and upon graduation Continental reached out to me," said Conner. "I had some previous experience in the tire industry, so I took a chance and said I would stay. I'm Mississippi born."
 
Lottery fever in Mississippi is rising with Dec. 1 target date
Mississippians will initially be able to buy scratch off lottery tickets for $1, $2, $5 and possibly $10, with the chances of winning bigger money. Mississippi Lottery Corporation spokeswoman Meg Annison said Wednesday everything is on schedule for the Dec. 1 target date to start a state lottery. The maximum payoff amount of the scratch-off lottery tickets has yet to be determined, but in neighboring Louisiana, a person has a potential of winning up to $200,000 with a $10 scratch-off ticket. Louisiana has $1,$2, $3, $5 and $10 scratch off lottery tickets. The $1 ticket has the potential winning of up to $5,000, depending on the type of game. As excitement builds around the launch of the Mississippi lottery, the Lottery Corp. has issued a request for proposal for advertising and related services. "Our objective is to have a qualified advertising agency bring our company to life in the public eye," Tom Shaheen, MLC president, said in a statement.
 
Top gubernatorial candidates at Fair
The top three contenders for governor of Mississippi will make appearances at The Neshoba County Fair on Thursday ahead of the Aug. 6 primaries next week. Republicans Tate Reeves and Bill Waller are scheduled to speak at 10:30 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. respectively at the Pavilion, with Democrat Jim Hood appearing at 10:20 a.m. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is scheduled to speak at 10:40 a.m. Thursday. In 1896, Gov. Anselm J. McLaurin spoke and began the tradition of the Fair being a political forum for local, state, and national politicians. Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp and John Glenn are among the national figures who have visited the Fair during their campaigns. Political speaking picks back up at 1 p.m. on Thursday with candidates for State Treasurer and Attorney General. Most of the speeches can be heard locally on WHOC 1490 AM and WWSL 102.3 FM or streaming on their website at whocmedia.com.
 
Lt. Gov. candidates stress education, take a few swipes in Neshoba County Fair speeches
It doesn't matter who's elected lieutenant governor of Mississippi this fall -- education and teacher pay will likely be addressed in next year's legislative session. The lieutenant governor oversees the state Senate in Mississippi, and the leading Republican and Democratic candidates for the office made it clear to voters at the Neshoba County Fair Wednesday: Vote for me and public education will be a top priority. Even though Rep. Jay Hughes is a Democrat and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is a Republican, they both spent much of their stump speeches saying that Mississippi needs to pay teachers more and expand public education programs. Hosemann said he wants to incentivize retired teachers to come back to teach in schools, many of which are facing critical teacher shortages. He also said every Mississippi child needs to have pre-K programs available, and Mississippi teens need to have vocational and technical career training available to them before they graduate high school.
 
Mississippi lt. gov candidates: 'silver spoon' and 'liberal'
Two attorneys running for Mississippi lieutenant governor agreed on some policy issues but traded insults during speeches Wednesday at one of the state's biggest political events. Democratic state Rep. Jay Hughes of Oxford and Republican Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann of Jackson both said at the Neshoba County Fair that Mississippi needs to strengthen public education, including expanding vocational offerings for high school students. Hughes said his own blue-collar upbringing better prepares him to be lieutenant governor. Hughes said of Hosemann: "He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and I was born with a plastic spoon in mine." That drew loud booing from Hosemann supporters sitting and standing under a large tin-roofed pavilion on the fairgrounds. Hosemann was booed by Hughes supporters when he called Hughes a "liberal." Hosemann also said: "I don't just talk about getting things done. I do them. (It's) beyond me how someone can serve four years in the Legislature and have so little influence."
 
Lieutenant governor candidates tout same issues, but critical of each other at Neshoba
Democrat Jay Hughes and Republican Delbert Hosemann touted many of the same issues Wednesday under the tin-roofed Founders Square Pavilion as each asked Neshoba County fairgoers for their vote for lieutenant governor. Both spoke of improving teacher pay, providing more funds for infrastructure and improving health care. Both candidates brought large groups of boisterous supporters, though Hosemann's crowd was significantly bigger. The fair's annual political speaking, which ends Thursday, has been a safe haven for Republican politicians in recent years. The annual political speakings at the fair could be viewed as the kickoff for the race for lieutenant governor. While many candidates face party primary elections on Tuesday, Hughes is unopposed in the Democratic primary and Hosemann faces token opposition on the Republican side from Shane Quick of DeSoto County.
 
Neshoba County Fair: Britton, Watson continue attacks in secretary of state race
The two Republican candidates for Mississippi secretary of state continued to snipe at each other Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair, as the leading Democrat in the race underscored his previous management experience and called for expanding voting access. Republicans State Sen. Michael Watson faces Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton in the Republican primary Tuesday, while former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree takes on Maria Hodges Hunt. Hunt didn't speak at the fair Wednesday. The two Republicans have attacked each other on the campaign trail and in TV ads in recent weeks, and their battle continued Wednesday. Watson touted Gov. Phil Bryant's endorsement, saying the governor had asked him to run. He also criticized Britton for calling on Mississippi to pass a voter ID law several weeks ago. The state already has one. Britton, who spoke last, said it was "apparent from listening to my opponent's speech a few moments ago, he's pretty angry. I guess he's angry I had the nerve to tell the voters the truth."
 
Secretary of state candidates Britton, Watson trade blows as DuPree reintroduces himself to voters at Neshoba County Fair
Sam Britton and Michael Watson, in a continuation of a bitter Republican primary for secretary of state, focused their Tuesday afternoon Neshoba County Fair speeches on attacking each other. Watson, a state Senator from Pascagoula, has purchased several statewide television ads knocking Britton for running for the state House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2003 and donating to Democratic former governor Ronnie Musgrove. Speaking just ahead of Britton on the Tuesday afternoon schedule, Watson weaved those points into his speech. Britton, a public service commissioner from Laurel, has responded in kind to the Watson attacks. Both candidates spent limited portions of their speeches talking substantive policy they'd like to implement if elected secretary of state. The winner of the Republican primary on Aug. 6 faces Johnny DuPree, who won the 2011 Democratic nomination for governor, in the November general election. DuPree, who served as Hattiesburg mayor from 2001-2017, talked about some of his accomplishments as mayor and pointed out he has more executive experience than either Watson or Britton.
 
Killing hogs and taxes: Ag commissioner candidates at the Neshoba County Fair
The first heated candidate exchange Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair came in the race for state agriculture commissioner. Neither current Republican Commissioner Andy Gipson nor Democrat Rickey Cole, a former state party chairman, have primary challengers. But they aren't waiting for the fall to take swings at each other ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. Wearing a cowboy hat and at times waving a branding iron, Andy Gipson spoke into the mic with a booming voice, and accused Cole, who had spoken before him, of "blowing hot air." The attorney and former longtime state lawmaker was appointed to the agriculture commissioner post by Gov. Bryant after Cindy Hyde-Smith resigned to run for U.S. Senate. Cole said Gipson's approach to the job has been all wrong. Instead of focusing on selling Mississippi's agricultural products abroad, the commissioner should be working on strengthening the local food economy, Cole said -- neighbors selling food to neighbors. He said it would create more agricultural jobs in the state.
 
Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson goes 'whole hog'
Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson announced a plan to eradicate wild hogs in Mississippi. The Wild Hog Challenge is an initiative intended to lower the population of an animal which has become a nuisance around the state. The challenge runs between August 1 and September 30. Gipson asked people to upload pictures of people trapping or harvesting wild hogs. It must take place on land where there are row crops, pasture or working timber. "Wild hogs are destroying crops, pastures, and forestlands all across the state. As part of the Wild Hog Challenge, I want the public to understand just how much these nuisance animals are costing our farmers and landowners," said Gipson. Gipson also used his time today on the stage at the Neshoba County Fair to talk about something that's pushing hogs into populated areas... flooding. According to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, hogs cause more than $60 million in property damage each year in throughout the state.
 
Mississippi PSC candidates hate robocalls, but then differ
The 10 candidates running for Democratic and Republican nominations for the Public Service Commission agree the utility regulator should do more to crack down on robocalls and telemarketers. Beyond that, their priorities diverge. They're competing to replace current central district Commissioner Cecil Brown, a Democrat who's retiring, and southern district Commissioner Sam Britton, a Republican who's running for secretary of state. Northern district Commissioner Brandon Presley, a Democrat, is unopposed. One major issue facing whoever wins will be setting new rates for Mississippi Power Co. "We won't pay another dime for the mistakes that were made in the past," said Nic Lott, running as a Republican in the central district. That's a popular and widely shared sentiment. But in addition to debt, Mississippi Power has surplus generating capacity, and could end up with more if it inherits an additional stake in a coal power plant in Escatawpa.
 
Politicians at Neshoba give final pitch before primaries
Neshoba County Fair has long been known as the hot spot for politicians to meet with their constituents and the time-honored tradition of the stump speeches was in full swing this year as political candidates running for various state offices took the stage for a final big pitch before the primary election on Tuesday, August 6th. Current State Auditor Shad white is the lone candidate in the race and spoke of the accomplishments which his office has made in the past year saying he is excited to continue on the same course of ensuring public dollars are being properly spent over the next four years. "The reason I talk about these cases, is because I want people to know that they will have to get by me before they get away with something," said White. "I'm not here to make people feel comfortable. If you want to feel comfortable, go buy a puppy." White also said they have focused on cybersecurity and looked for ways to improve it within their office and state government.
 
Robert Foster emphasizes tax policy, vocational education close to primary election
Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster is trailing in third place in recent polls and has not spent a lot of campaign funds, but he's sticking to his approach of campaigning as an outsider with a business-oriented approach to public policy. Foster, a first-term member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, sat down with the Daily Journal's editorial board on Wednesday to discuss his candidacy for governor, which centers around reorganizing the state's tax structure and increasing vocational programs in public education. Ahead of his speech today at the state's largest political rally, the Neshoba County Fair, Foster said if he is elected governor, he plans to advocate for eliminating the state's personal income tax and increasing other taxes like the state sales tax.
 
Five candidates running for Senate seat vacated by Bob Dearing
On Aug. 6, Adams County voters will help elect the next District 37 State Senator, a position being vacated by Sen. Robert "Bob" Dearing, D-Natchez. The District 37 seat represents Adams, Amite, Franklin and Pike counties and five Republicans and one Democratic candidate are vying for the seat. Mississippi Senate District 37 Republican candidate Milt Burris is a Southwest Mississippi native, a Magnolia resident and a business owner. Will Godfrey of Natchez is the lone Democratic candidate who will face the winner of the Republican primary in the Nov. 5 general election. Mississippi Senate District 37 Republican candidate Morgan Halford Poore is an eighth generation Southwest Mississippian and proprietor of the Halford Law Firm in Meadville. Melanie Sojourner of Natchez served in the District 37 Senate from 2012 to 2015. Republican contender, Kevin B. Wells said he is a native of Baton Rouge who chose to live in Amite County for 35 years.
 
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker introduce legislation that could overturn EPA veto
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker introduced Wednesday legislation that would overturn a 2008 decision that halted the final aspects of a long-awaited flood control project for the South Mississippi Delta, a region hit by disastrous flooding for most of this year. Both Hyde-Smith and Wicker addressed the flooding disaster in the Yazoo Backwater Region in speeches from the Senate floor Wednesday and introduced the Flood Reduction, Wildlife Habitat, and Water Quality Improvement Act of 2019 as they continue to press the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete congressionally-authorized work on a critical pump project for the region. Wicker, who praised Hyde-Smith for her efforts on crafting the legislation and pushing for changes to the veto process, said the completion of the project "cannot be delayed."
 
Debate analysis: Joe Biden was not that bad... and not that good
Yes: Joe Biden for the most part was crisper, more engaged and engaging, in Detroit on Wednesday night than he had been in Miami a month ago. No: He did not summon a performance so commanding as to demand people view an old man in new light. If Biden is the essential variable in the Democratic presidential race --- none of the nearly two dozen other candidates can rise much further unless or until Biden is perceived to be in a dying fall -- then the most reasonable reaction to the latest two-day pair of long and crowded debates is: So what? That is not so much dismissive comment as authentic question. Biden's two debate outings this summer suggest that a politician who has been at this game for decades operates within a predictable and fairly narrow range -- at his best, not half-bad; at his worst, pretty bad for a supposed front-runner.
 
U. of Southern Mississippi offers free tuition to Mississippi National Guard
The University of Southern Mississippi has entered into an agreement to provide free undergraduate tuition to the men and women of the Mississippi National Guard. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by university President Rodney Bennett and Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, the adjutant general of Mississippi, at the Ogletree Alumni House Wednesday morning. It committed to establishing the Golden Eagle Free Tuition Program. Southern Miss will be the fourth university to offer free undergraduate college attendance for the state's citizen soldiers and airmen. Mississippi State University, Jackson State University and the Mississippi University for Women also provide free tuition programs for the Mississippi National Guard.
 
USM to offer free tuition to Mississippi National Guardsmen
The University of Southern Mississippi is partnering with the Mississippi National Guard to offer free tuition to the state's citizen soldiers and airmen. USM President Dr. Rodney Bennett and Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles, the adjutant general of Mississippi, signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday morning establishing the Golden Eagle Free Tuition Program. President Dr. Rodney Bennett tells WDAM that the price for college has gone up. "The ability to have some tuition assistance really makes coming back to school and finishing your education,something that you're able to do," said President Bennett. Boyles said that the tuition bill will be split between the university and the National Guard. "The national guard funds about half of their tuition. Okay, so this is the university partnering with us and funding the remaining half of their tuition," said Maj. Gen. Boyles. With the agreement, USM becomes the fourth university in the state to offer free undergraduate tuition for Mississippi National Guardsmen. Mississippi State University, Jackson State University and the Mississippi University for Women offer similar programs.
 
USM professor testifies before Congress on blue economy
Southern Miss Professor Dr. Monty Graham recently testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather. During the meeting, Graham who serves as the Associate Vice President for Research, Coastal Operations at USM, testified on the topic of America's waterfronts. "Mississippi's working coast has a rich history tied to the sea. It is our blue economy," Graham told the committee. "Harvests for shrimp, oysters and numerous species of fish abound from what has been coined the 'Fisheries Fertile Crescent' because of the nutrient-rich waters fed by many rivers." U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), chairman of the subcommittee, convened the hearing titled, "America's Waterfronts: Addressing Economic, Recreational, and Environmental Challenges," which focused on the current state of the country's working waterfronts. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, invited Graham to testify at the hearing.
 
Rust College Alumni Call on President David Beckley to Resign
Nearly 1,000 Rust College alumni, faculty, staff, students and supporters have signed a petition asking that the college's president, David L. Beckley, Ph.D., step down after 26 years at the college. The group says Beckley's poor leadership has prevented the school from advancing and has created a culture of fear at the small, liberal arts college. Cries from alumni, students and parents have been largely ignored over the past 20 years. Many are withholding financial support until Beckley is no longer president. A letter from Leslie-Burl McLemore, Ph.D., a 1964 graduate and retired political science professor from Walls, Miss., has elevated the issue. McLemore's July 1 letter, Thank You Dr. Beckley, But Your Time is Up sent to Beckley, the Rust College Board of Trustees and hundreds of Rustites, asked the president to step down. Following McLemore's letter, more than 70 letters have been sent to the board citing concerns about dorms with mold and bedbugs, textbooks more than 10 years old, outdated curricula and unfair treatment of faculty, staff and students.
 
Heated exchange draws attention to East Mississippi Community College's trustees at county meeting
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors meeting took a dramatic turn when a man proposed the board remove the two Lowndes County East Mississippi Community College board of trustees. It was a move that Supervisor Leroy Brooks took very personally. This all stemmed from a prior EMCC trustee budget meeting when trustees couldn't agree on a budget issue. One of those meetings ended with a threat from a Lauderdale County trustee to a former employee who dropped the F-bomb in a meeting and was asked to resign. At another meeting, half of the trustees walked out. The spiraling continued Wednesday when a citizen asked for the Lowndes County trustees to be removed. "I'm pissed off. You're talking about bad words. I think you're completely out of order. We should have stopped you from the beginning," Supervisor Leroy Brooks said in an angry manner. Tempers were raised as Supervisor Leroy Brooks told Boomer Brown he was out of line. Brown addressed supervisors, asking them to appoint new trustees to represent Lowndes County at EMCC. Brown claimed their representation puts the Golden Triangle in a negative light.
 
Leia Hill to lead Meridian Community College Foundation
Meridian Community College President Dr. Thomas Huebner named Leia Hill as vice president of advancement and executive director of the MCC Foundation. An alumna of MCC, Hill previously worked in the MCC Foundation office from 2006 to 2014 as program coordinator of the College's Arts & Letters Series and Lifetime Quest programs. She returned to MCC in July 2018 as associate vice president for College Communications, leading the team in continuing to build the College's presence in marketing and public relations as well as coordinating branding endeavors. Hill will serve as vice president for Institutional Advancement, executive director of the MCC Foundation, and will continue to oversee College Communications at MCC. Additional staff changes include Joy Smith as coordinator for College Communications and Laureta Chislom as coordinator for Lifelong Learning. Lauren Pratt will assume responsibility for planning and coordinating the College for Kids program and will continue in her position as social media coordinator and event specialist.
 
Hinds Community College continues partnership with industry on Mississippi River
Deckhand training classes continue this fall on Hinds Community College's Vicksburg-Warren Campus for people who might be looking for a challenging, yet rewarding career. Among those making the final cuts toward permanent job placement working on barges on the Mississippi River is Kristin Blackledge, 33, of Vicksburg, who's making the jump from being in the Coast Guard for nine years to a life on the river. "I'm looking at it as a way into a long-term career," Blackledge said. "I want to be a chief engineer and be in the engine room, working on the engines. That's already my background, from being an aviation maintenance tech in the Coast Guard." Since its inception in 2014, the course has supplied companies with job-ready workers without interrupting workflow. Deckhands in the industry make in the $20,000 to $30,000 range annually. With successful advancements through the ranks, the earnings potential rises to about $65,000 as trained tankermen.
 
U. of Arkansas relaxes academic standards for out-of-staters to get tuition-gap aid
A decision to loosen University of Arkansas, Fayetteville academic requirements for awards that reduce out-of-state tuition comes at a time of "intense" competition among colleges to enroll students from Texas, said Suzanne McCray, the university's top admissions official. The university for years has relied on out-of-state students to boost enrollment and tuition revenue in an era of mostly flat state appropriation dollars. At UA, "Texas numbers have been increasing, but they will decrease slightly this year," McCray said in an email. The freshman class arriving later this month likely will have 30 to 50 fewer Texans, McCray said. Last month, she said the total incoming freshman class will be similar in size to last year's group. Entering freshmen from Texas and the seven other eligible states -- Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee -- need a 28 on the ACT college entrance exam, rather than the previous requirement of a 30 ACT score, to qualify for the 90% nonresident award. They also need a minimum 3.6 grade-point average, down from a previous requirement of 3.7 GPA.
 
U. of Kentucky anthropologist is using radar in the search for Melanie Flynn
A University of Kentucky anthropologist is helping Lexington police in their renewed search for Melanie Flynn who disappeared in 1977, and is using radar and other special equipment. Both Lexington police and Kentucky State Police officers have recently been digging at a former campground called Murphy's Landing on the Kentucky River in Mercer County. The two police agencies renewed the search recently after receiving separate but similar tips from elderly men who said they were told she was dead and had been buried in the area, perhaps in a septic hole. Flynn, 24, was from a prominent Lexington family and investigators have for years looked into whether her disappearance was tied to a group of Lexington law enforcement officers who fell into the illegal drug trade. George Crothers, Director of UK's William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology and Associate Professor of Anthropology, said Wednesday that he twice recently took equipment to Murphy's Landing to help search for her remains and he expects to return to the site.
 
Forum at Texas A&M focuses on animal safety plans during emergencies
The second annual Texas Animal Emergency Management Summit, held Tuesday at Texas A&M, looked at the best ways to integrate animal safety into response plans in emergency situations. "Animals will always, always, always be an issue, I don't care what type of incident it is," said Wesley Bissett, Texas A&M associate professor and director of the Veterinary Emergency Team. The event at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences included discussions about handling exotic animals after natural and manmade disasters, infectious diseases livestock can contract, and the university system's Veterinary Emergency Team deployment to California to aid in the Camp Wildfire response. The free summit, sponsored by PetSmart Charities, is intended to help individuals and local and state representatives develop plans for animals in their home or jurisdiction.
 
China's scientists alarmed, bewildered by growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States
Scientists in China are concerned about what they see as growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States. They dismiss claims of a vast conspiracy to steal U.S. intellectual property and worry that new visa restrictions, scrutiny of export of scientific devices, and U.S. investigations of Chinese and Chinese American scientists will hinder international collaborations. That could harm both countries' research efforts as well as global scientific progress, many say. Increasingly, "Chinese scholars will hesitate to work with collaborators in the U.S.," warns Cao Cong, a China science policy specialist at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. The Chinese government may also steer funding away from U.S.-based projects, he adds. Indeed, visa issues are threatening additional Chinese funding for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), an international project planned for a site on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
 
Professors Still More Likely Than Students to Be White
A new analysis from Pew Research Center says that while racial and ethnic diversity has increased among U.S. college faculty over the past two decades, professors are still much more likely than their students to be white. In 2017, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics and looked at by Pew, 76 percent of all college and university faculty members were white, compared to 55 percent of undergraduates. By ethnic group, just 5 percent of faculty members were Hispanic, compared to 20 percent of students. Six percent of professors were black, compared to 14 percent of their students. Asians were the exception, making up 11 percent of professors and 7 percent of students. The share of nonwhite undergraduates jumped from 28 percent to 45 percent between 1997 and 2017, which Pew attributes largely to the growth in numbers of Hispanic students.
 
All public universities get private money, but some get much more than the rest
U.S. universities raised nearly US$47 billion in the academic fiscal year that ended in mid-2018. This new record haul marked a 7% increase from the prior year. As usual, private universities generally led the way. But public universities are hardly on the sidelines. Some of the most prestigious public universities, such as the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Washington, have since 2011 begun to join schools like Stanford and Johns Hopkins universities in the top 10. Meanwhile, the universities that get less funding are struggling to compete for the donations that can help make up for the steep reductions in state spending on higher education that began more than 30 years ago. As a professor of higher education management and finance conducting research about the private donations that help fund public universities, I'm increasingly concerned that this practice is making the richest public universities richer. The rest face fewer choices as many of these schools are being forced to stretch their budgets thin and cut academic programs and, in extreme cases, scholarships.
 
Council of Graduate Schools data show there's no one way to use a doctorate
We still know surprisingly little about Ph.D. career pathways. So the Council of Graduate Schools' data-collection effort on Ph.D. outcomes continues to yield valuable information. This time, the information is about recent jobs changes among Ph.D.s. The council's new research brief -- the fourth since it began releasing data on its Ph.D. Career Pathways project last year -- says that many Ph.D.s switch jobs in their early careers and even into midcareer. That could reflect postdoctoral training opportunities, the brief says, but it also "signals that earning a Ph.D. is just the beginning of one's career, and job changes continue throughout the next 15 years in the workforce." In other words, according to the council, "a first job is certainly not the last job. This underscores the importance of preparing Ph.D. students not only for their first job searches but also for preparing them to navigate different job opportunities and careers as a whole."


SPORTS
 
Rockey's 'rock' will be there in spirit when he goes into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: At lunch earlier this week Rockey Felker encountered a friend who recently lost his wife to cancer. Felker stood and embraced the man for several seconds. "Rockey, it's just not fair," the man finally said. "No," Felker answered, "it's not." This column is about Felker, one of Mississippi State's all-time football heroes, about to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night. It is about a man beloved by his former teammates, coaches and also by the players he coached and the coaches he coached with. But it is also about Rockey and Susan -- the former Susan Tingle -- and their 42-year marriage that ended Feb. 24 of this year when she died after a nearly six-year battle with cancer.
 
Mississippi State's Sh'mar Kilby-Lane making the most of second chance
Sh'mar Kilby-Lane is one of the rare people to play football in both the Southeastern Conference as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference. Kilby-Lane played in 11 games as a true freshman at Florida State in 2015 and saw action in six games this past season at Mississippi State. "Coming from the ACC to here, the competition is a lot tougher but both are good conference," Kilby-Lane said. There is an obvious two-year window in which Kilby-Lane, a former four-star linebacker and U.S. Army All-American, was away from the Division I level. The Hollywood, Florida native was ruled academically ineligible at FSU in 2016 and spent the following fall playing at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Those two years away from the highest level of collegiate football taught Kilby-Lane a huge life lesson. "I was almost crying to come back," Kilby-Lane said. "I learned not to take things for granted and I needed to take everything serious. Fortunately for me, God gave me a second opportunity and I'm not going to pass that up. This past year has been a game-changer honestly -- mentally, physically and in the classroom too."
 
Landon Jordan living out his dream at Mississippi State
Landon Jordan grew up dreaming of the day that he could don the M over S and play baseball at Dudy Noble Field. Not even multiple coaching changes could sway Jordan from his commitment of coming to play at Mississippi State. In the first series of the freshly completed stadium back in February, the freshman was in the starting lineup and collected hits in all three games helping the Diamond Dogs sweep Youngstown State to open the season. "It's been a dream come true," Jordan said. "You grow up all your life wanting to play in the SEC, the best baseball conference out there. I'm finally getting to do it and I'm making the most of it." Jordan also closed out the regular season at Dudy Noble Field with a bang by belting his first collegiate home run into the right field stands and went 3 for 3 with two RBIs in a series opening win against South Carolina.
 
Blue Mountain hosts Bigger Than Ball conference
With a new school year set to begin, area coaches and administrators gathered at Blue Mountain College on Wednesday for a reminder of everything that is "Bigger Than Ball." "Bigger Than Ball" is the name of the foundation started by Blue Mountain athletic director Will Lowrey. The foundation, which promotes the opportunity for coaches to reflect and reenergize, hosted a conference that featured four other athletic directors as guest speakers: John Cohen of Mississippi State, Keith Carter of Ole Miss, Mike Kinnison of Delta State and Jeremy McClain of Southern Miss. Each of them discussed working with student-athletes, and reminding them that faith, family and academics should come before athletics. "It doesn't take away from any of their goals or their dreams of being a professional athlete, but at the same time, let's have a Plan B, and let's make it a strong Plan B," Cohen said.
 
ADs promote student-athlete development at Bigger Than Ball conference
It's common to hear coaches talk about their goal of preparing players for life. It's also common for that topic to be limited to a few minutes in a press conference setting. That wasn't the case on Wednesday at Blue Mountain College, where some of Mississippi's most influential college athletics policy makers gathered at the Bigger Than Ball Foundation conference. BMC athletics director Will Lowrey began the foundation 2½ years ago with a goal of helping coaches develop in the young men and women under them an awareness that life doesn't end when the game does. In an era when student-athlete welfare has become a buzz word, Mississippi State athletics director John Cohen, Ole Miss interim AD Keith Carter, Southern Miss AD Jeremy McClain and Delta State AD Mike Kinnison shared stories about their vision for providing more than creature comforts and basic necessities. "The student-athlete experience has become a thing that the media loves to talk about," Cohen said, "but the student-athlete experience is not what they have now. It's what will they have 10 years from now?"
 
Chronic wasting disease and deer season 2019: What you need to know
Deer season with archery equipment is only weeks away and there are a few things hunters should be aware of before they head into the woods this fall. One of the biggest changes this year involves the bag limit. The bag limit for antlerless deer on private land will be five in all zones except the Southeast Zone where it remains one per day, two per season. On national forest land the limit is one antlerless deer per day, five per season except in the Southeast Zone where it is one per day, two per season. The opportunity to harvest antlerless deer on national forest lands has also been increased. Hunters may harvest antlerless deer on those lands during archery season and primitive weapon season. In an earlier interview, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Chief of Staff Wildlife Russ Walsh explained the bag limit and antler requirements were changed to help manage chronic wasting disease.
 
LSU hitting coach Eddie Smith 'mesmerized' Paul Mainieri; how will he coach the Tigers?
Inside a Nashville, Tennessee, ballroom in January 2016, Eddie Smith stood in front of more than 5,000 baseball coaches. Smith was the head coach at Lower Columbia, a community college on the Washington border about an hour drive from Portland, Oregon. He had won a conference championship the year before, earning 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association/Diamond Pacific Association Division National Coach of the Year. The honor came with an invitation to speak at the ABCA's 72nd annual conference. The organization assigned him a presentation on infield play. Smith created a PowerPoint with videos. He discussed drills and his team's philosophy, sharing as much as he could about the infield. LSU coach Paul Mainieri sat among the crowd. "I was absolutely mesmerized," Mainieri said. "It was the most organized, articulate, mature presentation I think I'd ever seen at one of those clinics." Three years later, Mainieri hired Smith as LSU's volunteer hitting coach.
 
'Valueless product.' Fans question quality of Kentucky's home opponents
After digesting Kentucky's recent announcement of its non-conference opponents next season, fan Tony Jackson sees the home schedule as UK selling "a valueless product." He was moved to send an email suggesting that pressure from the media might lead to more attractive opponents in Rupp Arena. "I know you guys may not be able to have direct influence," he wrote to several Herald-Leader sportswriters. "But if you're able to have any influence with articles, reports or contacts, PLEASE HELP! Everyone who sits around me at Rupp feels the same." Coincidentally, another fan, Tom Atkinson, sent an email in which he labeled 2019-20 home opponents Eastern Kentucky, Evansville, Utah Valley, Mount St. Mary's, Lamar, UAB and Fairleigh Dickinson "a group of teams that should be playing down the street at Transylvania." Exaggeration aside, UK season tickets are not cheap. The price range per seat next season for the lower level goes from $1,400 (plus a $1,000 donation to the K Fund) to $1,500 (plus a $5,000 donation to the K Fund). The upper level range is $950 (no K Fund donation required) to $1,400 (plus a $1,000 K Fund donation).



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