| Monday, August 5, 2019 |
| New students mean increase in moving trucks and trailers in Starkville | |
 | The next three weeks will be busy for college towns across the state, and Starkville is no exception. Hundreds of people will be moving into town in the next few days, and some of them will use moving companies to help them get here. Kim Moreland owns three of the five U-Haul dealerships in Starkville. She said this time of year is the busiest for her business. Folks will be coming from all over to attend college at Mississippi State University, and that means Moreland will be getting trucks and trailers from several different states. "Florida, Texas, all over. So, this will be the first wave of it. I think I've got 55 pieces of equipment expected in today and tomorrow to drop, and that's not counting the ones that haven't already picked up yet ... Last year I got in 127 trailers and 74 trucks," said Moreland. |
| Area students enter medical school through rural physicians scholarship | |
 | In Austyn Holden's hometown of Coldwater -- where the population hovers between 1,200 and 1,300, according to the 2016 estimates -- the nearest hospital is a 45-minute drive. That's more than three times the average distance a 2018 Pew Research Survey found residents in the region travel to access medical care. It's also a number that led Holden, a junior biology major at Mississippi University for Women, to apply for the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship. It will fund $120,000 of her medical school tuition at University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine in Jackson, where the scholarship program is based, over four years. Starkville native Hannah Laird, who graduated from Mississippi State University in May and is another recipient of the MRPS scholarship, has found through personal experience that there is value in living in the same community where you work. From an early age, she watched as her grandfather, who worked as a doctor in Starkville for more than 40 years, interacted with his patients outside the office. Laird will begin her first semester at the UMMC School of Medicine in August. |
| Former MHP trooper avoids prison time in MSU track athlete's death | |
| A former Mississippi Highway Patrol officer charged in the death of a Mississippi State University student has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will not face prison time. Kyle Lee was indicted for culpable negligence manslaughter in February for the death of 22-year-old Kaelin Kersh. Kersh, who was a MSU track and field athlete, was killed in a car wreck on May 7, 2017, when the Ford Explorer Lee was driving hit the Toyota Corolla in which she was a passenger on Highway 182. Sixteenth Circuit Judge Jim Kitchens on Friday sentenced Lee to 10 years in Mississippi Department of Corrections, all suspended, with five years probation. Assistant District Attorney Marc Amos, who prosecuted the case, said Lee will not be able to hold a position in law enforcement ever again, and he must pay restitution in the form of $1,000 to the Kaelin Kersh Foundation at MSU. |
| 'Freedom Writer' recounts inspiration he received from high school teacher | |
| While driving through the Golden Triangle, Manny Scott began to pray for guidance in what he should say to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District teachers, staff and administrators during Thursday's convocation. He is no stranger to Mississippi -- some of his family lives a few minutes outside Jackson and he visits as often as he can -- so he could make a few educated guesses about the topics teachers would receive well. Still, he said, prayer never hurts. "I just had this feeling that teachers here needed the reminder of their ability to be the salt and light in classrooms, where it's needed most," he said, referencing a Bible verse. "I sensed there are many Christians in this district, so I wanted to bring up that modern example of a way to put that verse into action." As keynote speaker for SOCSD's convocation in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium at Mississippi State University, Scott's speech centered around his turbulent childhood and, most notably, experience at Wilson High School in Los Angeles, California where, more than 30 years ago, he was part of Erin Gruwell's English class. |
| Oktibbeha County supervisors budgeting for roads and bridges, emergency training | |
 | In a special budget workshop Friday morning, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors discussed potential changes for the upcoming fiscal year. Another meeting will be held at the end of next week to discuss salaries and payroll in regards to the county's budget. Friday's meeting was purely focused on travel, contractual, commodities and equipment costs. In total, the changes proposed in the budget from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020 added just under $1 million in costs at $927,764. However, nearly all of the increased spending came from countywide road and bridges improvements, which are projected to cost $809,650 more than last year. Increased spending on these projects represent a continued effort by supervisors to update and maintain the county's sometimes crumbling infrastructure. |
| Oktibbeha sheriff's candidates raise more than $20K before primary | |
| Two Oktibbeha County sheriff's candidates have raised a combined $19,331.65 in the run up to Tuesday's primary elections. Democrat incumbent Steve Gladney has raised $10,590 so far this election season, according to campaign finance reports spanning four filing periods obtained from the circuit clerk's office. The Committee to Elect John Rice, one of Gladney's two primary opponents, reported raising $8,741.65 in that same span. The final pre-primary filing deadline was July 30. Brandon Gann, the third Democratic sheriff's candidate, only filed one document with the circuit clerk's office showing $850 in disbursements. |
| Mississippi Lottery on opens applications for retailers | |
 | If all goes according to plan, Mississippians will be able to play the lottery in their home state for the first time by the end of the year. By Dec. 1, scratch-off games are expected to be available, and sales of tickets for multistate games such as Powerball and Mega Millions could begin in the second quarter of next year. "If you're a fan of the lottery, the bad news is we're the 45th state to enact one; the good news is we've got 44 other states from which to draw as we build up our lottery corporation," said Mississippi Lottery Corp. board member and vice chairman Gerard Gibert, who spoke to the Tupelo Kiwanis Club on Friday. "The systems and processes are much more mature now relative to where they were when other states started. I think we have a leg up in that respect from a startup perspective. "We're not reinventing anything here; this is what 44 states are already doing." The only other states without a lottery are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. |
| How millions of deadly opioid pain pills flowed into Mississippi | |
 | Newly released federal data reveals how 850 million opioid pain pills flowed into Mississippi from 2006 to 2012, fueling an epidemic that has killed hundreds around the state in recent years. The Drug Enforcement Administration data gives an unprecedented look at which Mississippi counties were hit hardest: Enough opioids traveled to Marion County in South Mississippi to supply every resident with 95 pills a year. Drugmakers pumped Alcorn County to the northeast with enough oxycodone and hydrocodone to supply 87 pills per person a year. The numbers -- obtained and compiled by The Washington Post -- show some Mississippi pharmacies doled out millions more prescription painkillers than their competitors across town. One Meridian pharmacy dispensed more than 10 million pills over the six years -- an average of roughly 5,300 per day. |
| From horse races to politics, thousands flock to 130th annual Neshoba County Fair | |
 | Kids strolled from one ride to the next with lemonade in-hand, adults lounged and watched horse races and political junkies sat at the edge of their seats, listening closely Thursday. All the while, Nona Vickers and her family celebrated a generations-old tradition at the 130th Annual Neshoba County Fair. "For us, the fair is about family," she said. The cabin she stayed in was built in 1982 from wood taken from the home her mother grew up in. It's taken some upkeep to share it with the family's newest generation, but the work was worth it, she said. Most cabins are quick to offer a glass of water to any passerby, if not some food, too, said Andy Taggart, a Republican running for attorney general of Mississippi. He spoke to a few hundred Thursday. "The fair is obviously a wonderful place for anybody who has any interest in politics, but also it's a cultural icon," he said in an interview. "This really is not just representative of Neshoba County but all over Mississippi, all over the United States." "When you get to the fairgrounds, it's come one, come all," Taggart added. "I've never felt unwelcomed in somebody's cabin." |
| Analysis: Neshoba speeches bring humor and serious messages | |
 | The Neshoba County Fair has long been a place for Mississippi politicians to engage in drama, hyperbole, and their own form of comedy as they try to win favor with potential voters. The candidates who appeared to have the most fun at the fair last week were those unburdened by competition in the party primaries. Mississippi has party primaries Tuesday for statewide, regional, legislative and county offices. If runoffs are needed, they will be Aug. 27. |
| 'It's close': Gov. Phil Bryant, a key endorsement for Tate Reeves, acknowledges Bill Waller's appeal in GOP governor's race | |
 | With a knack for retail politicking and a deep understanding of Mississippi's Republican electorate, Gov. Phil Bryant navigated to the pinnacle of Mississippi politics, beginning in 1991 as a member of the state House of Representatives and ending this year as a two-term governor. Drawing on that political experience in a Thursday interview for Mississippi Today's political podcast "The Other Side," Bryant handicapped the Aug. 6 Republican primary for governor and the eventual general election in November -- a race that will determine his successor in the Governor's Mansion. Bryant has publicly endorsed Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, long considered the front-runner for the Republican nomination, and said in the interview that Reeves "has the same ideas and philosophies that I do" and that Reeves "has the ability to lead us in the right direction." But Bryant also conceded that former chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court Bill Waller's likability could boost chances of a runoff in the Republican primary. Bryant didn't venture to forecast how a Reeves-Waller runoff would end. |
| Jim Hood makes populist pitch | |
| Jim Hood's Neshoba County Fair speech last week telegraphed what are likely to be his major themes if he wins the gubernatorial nomination of the Democratic Party, but the outcome of Republican primaries could dilute his message. Hood is completing his fourth term as Mississippi's attorney general, and hopes to be the first Democrat to win the post of governor since the 1999 victory of Ronnie Musgrove. Speaking from the stage of the Founders Square pavilion, Hood clearly anticipates that he'll square off against GOP Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves in the general election. With that in mind, Hood struck a strongly populist tone and criticized Republican leadership of the last eight years, portraying them as beholden to corporate interests, even at the expense of "Mississippi Main Street businesses," the working poor and the middle class. "This race for governor is about fighting for working people," Hood said right at the top of his speech. |
| Mississippi governor candidates quiet on climate change as other Southern states take action | |
| In Mississippi and around the Southeast, climate change already is causing more extreme rain events and sea level rise, federal scientists say. It will trigger more intense hurricanes and drought. Experts say it exacerbated Mississippi River flooding that left parts of the Delta underwater for months. But climate change -- and how the Magnolia State will be forced to adapt -- isn't an issue Mississippi's gubernatorial candidates broach on the campaign trail. Even as climate gains momentum in national polls and as a central topic of the Democratic presidential race, it hasn't registered ahead of Tuesday's statewide primary. None of the contenders' campaign websites mention it -- two candidates generally reference environmental protection -- and it was not discussed in a recent GOP debate. In interviews with the Clarion Ledger, Republicans Tate Reeves and Robert Foster expressed skepticism the warming is human-caused. Nearly all climate scientists agree that it is. |
| PAC money pushes Rep. Jeff Smith well ahead in fundraising for District 39 race | |
| By the end of the final reporting period before the upcoming primary elections, candidates seeking the District 39 seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives raised a combined $68,750, making it the most expensive race for a state legislative office. Incumbent Rep. Jeff Smith (R-Columbus) has raised a total of $54,200 this year for his re-election campaign. He entered the first reporting period this year with a $20,358.18 carryover balance from 2018, according to filings with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, meaning his total war chest exceeded $74,000. Smith has raised $33,700 from 31 political action committees this year, with single donations ranging from $500 to $5,000. Those PACs represented groups including educators, Realtors and manufacturers. |
| Six candidates compete for state Senate race in District 8 | |
| With an incumbent not seeking re-election, six candidates are vying to win the open District 8 Senate seat in the Mississippi Legislature, which sprawls across Calhoun, Chickasaw, Lee, Pontotoc and Yalobusha counties. Kegan Coleman, Mark Hancock and Kathryn York are competing to win the Democratic primary. Stephen Griffin, Benjamin Suber and Steve Whitten are running to win the Republican primary. The district became an open seat with state Sen. Russell Jolly decided not to seek re-election after serving in the state Senate for eight years. Jolly, the vice chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, leaves an opening on an important committee. |
| Appeals court upholds ruling that Legislature diluted black voter strength in Senate District 22 | |
| A three judge panel of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling forcing the redrawing of the 102-mile-long state Senate District 22 because it diluted black voter strength. In mid-June, attorney Rob McDuff, who represented African American plaintiffs in the case, said he expected the decision of the lower court forcing the redrawing of the district to be upheld. He said at the time, he thought the decision would be upheld because the ballots had been printed and candidates had qualified and were campaigning in the newly drawn District 22. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of four African Americans in the district. Federal Judge Carlton Reeves of the Southern District of Mississippi ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. |
| U.S. Senator Roger Wicker introduces fishery disasters bill | |
| As Mississippi awaits an answer to a federal fisheries disaster request, Senator Roger Wicker has introduced a bill to help speed up the process. Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the "Fishery Failures: Urgently Needed Disaster Declarations Act." This legislation would reform the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA)'s Fishery Resource Disaster Relief program of the National Marine Fisheries Service, making improvements to provide fishermen with disaster relief more quickly. "I have met with local officials and seen firsthand how extensive flooding in Mississippi has created an economic and environmental emergency for my state and its coastal fisheries," said Wicker. "Freshwater has devastated our seafood industry and spurred the growth of Harmful Algal Blooms, which shut down our beaches, hurting tourism. This legislation would expedite the process by which fishermen receive disaster relief. I hope my colleagues will move quickly to pass this bill and help our fishermen." |
| 'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie' | |
 | One of the nation's leading climate change scientists is quitting the Agriculture Department in protest over the Trump administration's efforts to bury his groundbreaking study about how rice loses nutrients due to rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Lewis Ziska, a 62-year-old plant physiologist who's worked at USDA's Agricultural Research Service for more than two decades, told POLITICO he was alarmed when department officials not only questioned the findings of the study -- which raised potentially serious concerns for the 600 million people who depend on rice for most of their calories -- but also tried to minimize press coverage of the paper, which was published in the journal Science Advances last year. The departure follows several other government officials recently resigning from their posts over accusations that the administration is censoring climate science -- reports that have raised alarm about scientific integrity in the federal government. |
| Trump's Impact On Federal Courts: Judicial Nominees By The Numbers | |
 | President Trump can be a master of distraction, but when it comes to judges, his administration has demonstrated steely discipline. In the 2 1/2 years that Trump has been in office, his administration has appointed nearly 1 in 4 of the nation's federal appeals court judges and 1 in 7 of its district court judges. The president recently called filling those vacancies for lifetime appointments a big part of his legacy. Given the relative youth of some of his judicial picks, experts say, those judges could remain on the bench for 30 or even 40 years. Legal observers say Trump and his Republican allies in the Senate have placed an unmistakable stamp on the federal judiciary, not only in ideology but in identity. |
| Trump opts against call for gun-control bill after Dayton and El Paso shootings | |
 | Criticized for sometimes appearing to side with white supremacist groups, President Donald Trump on Monday said such ideologies "devour the soul" as he opted against calling on Congress to pass gun-control legislation following two more mass shootings. The president was under pressure to speak out against white nationalists after the suspected gunman in a Saturday El Paso shooting that left 20 people dead posted a racist manifesto before his killing spree. The document echoed Trump's talk about an "invasion" of the United States by undocumented migrants from Central and South America. Trump announced the Justice Department will send Congress proposed legislation that would mandate mass shooters be given the death penalty. He called for DOJ and other entities to work with social media companies to identify users who might become mass killers, and again called for lawmakers to pass "red-flag laws" with the same goal. But, notably, after the Dayton and El Paso shootings he did not propose any new gun-control plans or endorse any existing legislation. |
| Trump condemns white supremacy, focuses on combating mental illness over new gun-control measures | |
 | President Trump urged the nation Monday to condemn bigotry and white supremacy after a pair of mass shootings and focused on combating mental illness over new gun-control measures in remarks delivered from the White House. "In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy," Trump said. "Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul." His nationally televised comments followed a weekend of carnage in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, that left 29 people dead and scores more wounded. The shooter in El Paso appears to have posted an anti-immigrant screed on social media, and authorities are seriously considering charging him with federal hate crimes. He outlined a number of possible steps, including so-called "red-flag laws," that focus on better identifying mentally ill people who should not be allowed to purchase firearms. |
| FBI's haunting warning about 'lone offenders' paints a grim picture | |
 | The week before three lone gunmen cut bloody swaths through three American cities, FBI Director Christopher Wray sounded a prescient alarm about the growing threat within. Wray described the risk posed by domestic violent extremism, animated by racial tension, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other unrest, as nearly on par with the once all-consuming threat posed by international terrorism. "The FBI is most concerned about lone offender attacks, primarily shootings, as they have served as the dominant lethal mode for domestic violent extremist attacks," Wray told a Senate panel July 23. "We anticipate law enforcement, racial minorities and the U.S. government will continue to be significant targets for many domestic violent extremists." Just as 9/11 opened the nation's eyes to the peril posed by international terror, the nearly weekly examples of gun violence highlight a gathering storm led by untethered extremists inside a country riven by racial and political discord. |
| The W announces new MFA in Theatre Education | |
| Mississippi University for Women is now offering a new low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Education. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approved the program in June, and the Mississippi Department of Education later approved in July. "The Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Education is different than other existing programs in that it is a terminal degree. In our research, we have only seen Master of Arts degrees in Theatre Education at other universities, so our program will be unique," said Lee Crouse, associate professor of theatre and graduate studies director of MFA. In its inaugural year, the MFA in theatre education program currently has six students provisionally enrolled pending the completion of their applications. Specifically designed for theatre educators, thesis projects will focus on K-12 production that candidates are either directing, producing and/or designing. The MFA in theatre education is open to all theatre practitioners, whether professional, academic and/or community theatre. |
| Ole Miss researching health implications of esports | |
| Love to hate gaming all you want, but the winner of the Fortnite World Cup earlier this month made more money ($3 million) than the winner of this year's Wimbledon Championship ($2.85 million) and Masters Tournament ($2.07 million). The popularity of esports is skyrocketing, and there's no way around it. Research indicates the esports economic impact will surpass $1 billion for the first time this year. Over 450 million people globally participate in some way. With the numbers and popularity blowing up, researchers at the University of Mississippi have begun looking into the health implications of competitive video gaming. Thomas Andre, an assistant professor of health, exercise science and recreation management, has always focus his research of fitness, exercise and nutrition. A gamer as a hobby, he started noticing some of his research elements playing out in himself. |
| Delta State works to produce teachers for Mississippi | |
| Mississippi has seen an issue with teacher recruitment throughout the state and there are many institutions and programs attempting to solve the problem from within. Delta State University is one of the primary providers of new teachers for the Mississippi Delta and the state at-large. "Education takes a lot of hits. There's a lot of magnifying glasses on all educators, current and prospective," said Dr. Meredith Van Namen, chair of the Division of Teacher Education, Leadership and Research at Delta State. "And so education is not as appealing to people anymore. One of our jobs is to share with others how great of a career education really is. "There's just a lot of hurdles that even if you have people who might desire to begin, they're unable to meet the standards, and some people often get education fatigue and they just want to get their degree and leave and they just change majors so they can be done with school." Along with its traditional degree program, Delta State has partnered with Hinds Community College and Holmes Community College for a "2+2" program that allows students at Hinds and Holmes to earn a bachelor of science in education from DSU. |
| U. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa join forces on business, tech incubators | |
 | A new alignment of resources between the University of Alabama and Tuscaloosa's business incubator will help entrepreneurs and generate new jobs, officials say. The Bama Technology Incubator, which features on-campus support for start-up companies, will now be known as Edge Labs. The name change will emphasize the connection between Edge Labs, located on the northern end of UA's campus close to the Ferguson Student Center, and the Edge, a 26,000 square-foot off-campus business incubator that opened in February as a collaboration between UA, the city of Tuscaloosa and the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama. "The goal of this change is to further align the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship on the UA campus and in the Tuscaloosa area," said Russell Mumper, UA vice president for research and economic development, in a news release. In addition to laboratories and equipment needed by new businesses, Edge Labs also provides technical infrastructure that helps UA faculty, researchers and students test prototypes that can translate into products. UA President Stuart R. Bell said expanding the Edge Labs' mission will benefit UA and West Alabama. |
| Students celebrate summer graduation at Auburn | |
 | Auburn University issued more than 1,300 degrees Saturday during two commencement ceremonies at Auburn Arena. "No doubt the most important thing that you're going to leave Auburn with is your academic training from a well-respected university," Auburn alumnus and commencement speaker Dick Ingwersen, an Atlanta-based businessman, said to the graduating class Saturday. Of the 1,343 degrees awarded, about 904 were undergraduate degrees. Also, 106 doctoral, 310 masters, 20 specialist, two pharmacy and one veterinary medicine degrees were awarded. "On the brink of your commencement... you're probably experiencing a wide range of emotions," Ingwersen said to the graduates. "Give yourself permission to explore them and to understand them. And push yourself beyond them." |
| What are advisors' roles at LSU fraternities? A look at how alumni police a troubled chapter | |
 | Sawyer Reed was an LSU senior -- an enthusiastic member of Sigma Chi with impressive grades and law school aspirations -- when he overdosed on heroin at his apartment just off campus and died in October 2015. An announcement two months later said Sigma Chi's LSU chapter would close for the next three years after an investigation found evidence of drug use and hazing at the fraternity. LSU said the closure was not related to Reed's death, but records show a group of alumni advisors acted in direct response to it by starting an investigation and ultimately pushing to impose routine drug testing on chapter members. When the students balked, LSU administrators and Sigma Chi national leaders agreed to suspend the chapter. Fast forward to 2019 when Sigma Chi was preparing to return to LSU's campus this past semester after serving out the suspension. The fledgling chapter had barely gotten off its feet when alumni advisors once again sounded the alarm bells and started pointing fingers at each other. |
| Good news for Louisiana college students: Their fees aren't rising this semester | |
| Thousands of Louisiana's college students face a surprising change as they start courses this month and pay their registration bills: Their costs for attending class aren't rising. For years, many students across Louisiana's public university campuses faced repeated tuition hikes, and more recently, regular fee increases. But none of the state's four college systems has enacted such mandatory, system-wide increases for upcoming fall semester classes, which generally start between Aug. 14 and Aug. 26 around Louisiana. "There's no appetite to increase fees," said Cami Geisman, spokeswoman for the University of Louisiana System, the state's largest university system. "We have no plans to increase fees at this time," said LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard. |
| New UGA faculty to take annual state tour | |
 | UGA's whirlwind tour of the state makes its 35th run on Monday. Destinations include Amicalola State Park in the north Georgia mountains, the state Capital and National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville, the UGA Griffin and Tifton campuses, Macon and Hawkinsville in middle Georgia, and the Pin Point Heritage Museum, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Gulfstream Aerospace and the Georgia Ports Authority on the coast. Jack Hu, who began work July 1 as UGA's senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, will be among the 40 new faculty members on the tour, who represent 18 university departments. "Our new faculty always learn something about Georgia on this tour that they didn't know before coming to UGA," said Jennifer L. Frum, vice president for Public Service and Outreach. "Many discover similarities in their teaching and research, which can lead to great interdisciplinary partnerships. This year they have the added bonus of getting to know Dr. Hu just as he arrives at the University of Georgia." |
| State cash for Arkansas higher education rises again, but fund formula hits some schools | |
| The 2019-20 academic year is the second in a row in which Arkansas public colleges and universities as a whole will receive more state money, after years of frozen funding that has left the state's higher-education institutions behind pre-recession levels. This year also marks the first in which some schools will lose money after years of steady, if arguably insufficient, funding. Most schools -- 18 of 32 -- will lose money this year compared with their base funding. The increase in state contributions is attributable to Arkansas' new formula for funding higher education. The formula measures school performance against previous years, multiplies the difference by the school's base funding and caps gains and losses. It redistributes funding from schools with productivity losses to those with productivity gains. For this year, the biggest dollar increase from base funding will go to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville -- $3.3 million. The school increased its productivity almost 4.5%, largely by awarding more credentials and having more students hit major progression points. |
| Texas A&M System plans $130 million facility at RELLIS Campus for Army Futures Command | |
 | The Texas A&M University System will create a $130 million combat development complex and testing hub for the Army Futures Command at the RELLIS campus in Bryan. According to a system news release distributed Friday, the A&M System will build a $50 million facility equipped with laboratories, accelerator space and offices for the command on the RELLIS campus. The release said the system plans to invest $30 million in infrastructure improvements to support the new building. The command, which is headquartered in Austin, is an effort to modernize the U.S. Army and prepare for future challenges and engagements. Gen. John "Mike" Murray, commanding general for the Army Futures Command, said the command would develop, test and evaluate next-generation technologies from the private sector and universities around the country at RELLIS. Kathy Banks, Texas A&M's dean of engineering and the vice chancellor of engineering and national laboratories, told the Austin American-Statesman that Texas A&M plans to hire as many as 25 research engineers within the next year to work alongside the Army. |
| In letter to administrators, 172 Missouri faculty object to tax in the new budget model | |
 | A letter from 172 University of Missouri faculty sent to key administrators in late May criticized a policy in the university's new budget model, calling it a "punishment for success and for being careful with money." The letter said the policy of taxing a percentage of unspent reserve funds for administrative use was unfair to faculty who use those funds for research. Signed by professors and researchers from numerous departments and colleges, the letter was addressed to UM System President Mun Choi, Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Provost Latha Ramchand. The accounts affected by the tax are typically comprised of money from incentive programs, and are controlled by one or a few faculty who use it for research, lab maintenance and paying doctoral students, among other things. University administrators have promoted the tax as necessary for growth by investing surplus funds into "strategic initiatives." Faculty are concerned about loss of access to the funds, how quickly the new budget model will be implemented and the way the taxed money will be invested. In the letter, faculty urge administrators to scratch the tax policy until a plan can be established they believe will not be detrimental to them. |
| Tennessee's move of math remediation to K-12 fails to boost college completion, study finds | |
 | Remedial course work has long been viewed as a primary barrier to college completion, a black hole from which relatively few students emerge to earn a credential after being placed in the typically noncredit courses in mathematics and English. Yet a new study found that reforms to remedial education, even a promising one that reaches back into high school, do little to move the needle on students' credit completion or the likelihood of earning a college credential. "We were hoping we'd see bigger effects on credit accumulation," said Thomas Kane, and economist and Walter H. Gale Professor of Education at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, who still said the program was worth keeping and improving. As a result, the study found that focusing student success initiatives on clearing or changing requirements for college remediation -- which has occurred via state policy in Florida, Texas and California -- will not substantially improve the nation's college completion crisis. |
| Trust and Mistrust in Americans' Views of Scientific Experts | |
| In an era when science and politics often appear to collide, public confidence in scientists is on the upswing, and six-in-ten Americans say scientists should play an active role in policy debates about scientific issues, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The survey finds public confidence in scientists on par with confidence in the military. It also exceeds the levels of public confidence in other groups and institutions, including the media, business leaders and elected officials. At the same time, Americans are divided along party lines in terms of how they view the value and objectivity of scientists and their ability to act in the public interest. And, while political divides do not carry over to views of all scientists and scientific issues, there are particularly sizable gaps between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to trust in scientists whose work is related to the environment. |
| How the University of Alaska -- and other public U.S. universities -- now struggle for funding | |
| The higher education world has been rocked by the news that the University of Alaska's state appropriations were slashed by nearly $136 million, 41% of its general fund appropriation to the university. To make matters worse, the cuts are in this year's general fund budget, which started on July 1. As a result, the university must quickly decrease spending before it drains its operating reserves and runs out of cash. For the university, all of this is bad news. But the University of Alaska is not alone. Many other public universities have also reckoned with reduced state support. Over 20 years ago, I confronted a similar crisis at the University of Hawaii, following a precipitous budget cut of 15% by the state. Although the cut was less than that of Alaska, its impact on university operations was painful. We survived intact by making unpopular reallocations and raising tuition by about 70% in a two-year period. Nationwide, money from state governments has become a smaller and smaller fraction of public higher education budgets during the past decade. |
| Sonny saw others as potential allies, not enemies | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: The day before election days harried politicians scurry to and fro making last minute connections and headlines to squeeze out those last few votes. The first "day before" this year for Mississippi elections landed on August 5th. That is also the birthday of a Mississippi politician who seldom had to scurry for last minute votes. The late Congressman G.V. 'Sonny' Montgomery would have turned 99 this year. That's also about the margin of his tightest race, his 1955 election to the Mississippi State Senate over then Lauderdale County School Principal Donald Williamson. In remembering Sonny, the stark contrast between him and today's state and national politicians stands out. Aggressive partisanship embraced today casts those from the other party as enemies. Sonny was above partisanship, seeing others as potential allies. Indeed, Sonny worked tirelessly to unite, not divide. |
| A Waller victory in the Aug. 6 primary would change the dynamics for Hood in general election | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: That time-tested adage "be careful what you wish for" could prove prophetic for the gubernatorial campaign of Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood. When former Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., announced in February, only two weeks before the qualifying deadline, that he was entering the governor's race on the Republican side, nobody was happier than the Hood camp. After all, Waller was a respected jurist with a political lineage -- his father was governor -- who could occupy the time and money of Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, the Republican front-runner. The Hood campaign reasoned Waller and upstart gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster, a freshman state House member from DeSoto County, would be hammering Reeves on the campaign trail -- weakening him for Hood in the November general election. In addition, the theory went -- Reeves would have to use some of his unrivaled campaign war chest, still about $5 million, on something other than lambasting Hood. But as Tuesday's primary election approaches, the possibility exists that Reeves could fall short of the majority vote needed to avoid a runoff in three weeks. |
| Reflections on Neshoba 2019 | |
 | Alan Lange writes at YallPolitics.com: Statewide election year political speaking is always amped up under the Pavilion at the Neshoba County Fair. If you missed the fair, you can catch every speech on Wednesday and Thursday on our YouTube channel as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Almost as important as the speeches themselves in evaluating where a candidate really stands in a campaign is the amount of organization (signs, volunteers, supporters in the Pavilion). By that measure, a few campaigns stood out. Delbert Hosemann was probably the most organized candidate at the Fair this year and Jay Hughes was a close second. For gubernatorial campaigns, you'd expect a pretty high level of organization and the campaigns of Tate Reeves, Jim Hood, Bill Waller and Robert Foster all had vocal supporters and real presence. ... There are four major races that deserve at least a little more analysis in terms of their presence at Neshoba. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State legend Rockey Felker inducted into Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame | |
| Rockey Felker feels older. Saturday night, that feeling was exacerbated, as he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson following a standout playing career at Mississippi State and a coaching career that has lasted parts of five decades. "I guess it means you're getting a little old when you're selected to the Hall of Fame," he quipped. "But it is something that the Felker family is very excited about." Felker, a former quarterback at MSU, led the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record and a Sun Bowl win in 1974 under the watch of coach Bob Tyler. The Nashville Banner named him SEC Player of the Year after helping MSU to its most wins since 1946. "We helped turn the history of Mississippi State football in the right direction," Felker said of the 1974 team. "There's so many great players in the Hall of Fame and will be," Felker said. "So I'm just humbled and thankful and I had a lot of help along the way from family members to teammates of mine that worked just as hard as I did to try to win and be successful." |
| Mississippi State football: Observations from Day 1 of training camp | |
| The horn sounded. Coaches barked out orders. Players dug their cleats into the turf and ran to their positions. One of those players wore a green non-contact jersey. There was a No. 10 on each side of it. Junior Keytaon Thompson appeared to be the current starter at quarterback for Mississippi State as the Bulldogs began preseason practices Friday evening. Head coach Joe Moorhead said not so fast. "The way we have it set up, (the quarterbacks) switch essentially every period," Moorhead said. The media is allowed to watch five five-minute periods per practice. During the first available period Friday, Thompson was with the ones. According to Moorhead, Thompson and graduate transfer Tommy Stevens split even time with the ones and twos during Day 1. Those two are expected to engage in a tight battle over the course of the next three weeks to earn the starting job. Moorhead noticed quickly that Stevens had retained much of the offensive system from when the two were paired together at Penn State in 2016-17. |
| Ashley Gilliam to represent Bulldogs at Old Waverly | |
| Ashley Gilliam has yet to suit up for the Mississippi State women's golf team. But Monday, the incoming freshman will represent the Bulldogs at the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur at Old Waverly Golf Club -- MSU's home course. "I'm really excited to represent Mississippi State and it's just really fun to play in a tournament here before I start qualifying and playing for Mississippi State," Gilliam said. A prolific player on the junior circuit, she made the cut at last year's U.S. Women's Amateur at The Golf Club of Tennessee before falling in the first round of match play. She was also a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Girls' Junior and a winning member of team Tennessee at the USGA Women's State Team Championship in 2017. Most recently, Gilliam advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship in Jacksonville, Florida. One of three incoming freshman for coach Ginger Brown-Lemm's squad, Gilliam joins Ally Williams and Abbey Daniel in the class as the Bulldogs will look to make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament next spring. |
| Mississippi State freshman Ashley Gilliam to compete in U.S. Women's Amateur at Old Waverly | |
 | For the first time in its 119-year existence, the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship will be played in the Magnolia State on Aug. 5-11, with Old Waverly Golf Club hosting the prestigious event. Mississippi State freshman Ashley Gilliam will be competing after qualifying for a spot in the field earlier in the summer. "What a marvelous honor for the entire Golden Triangle region and the State of Mississippi to host the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at the prestigious Old Waverly Golf Club," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "Because of MSU's strong connection to Old Waverly, we think of it as 'our' course, and we are delighted to support this important sporting event in every way. Our MSU Golf programs have long benefited from our affiliation with Old Waverly and the Bryan family." Home of the Mississippi State golf programs, Old Waverly is considered one of the top golf destinations in the South and has hosted other high-profile golf events such as the 1999 U.S. Women's Open and SEC Women's Championships. Fans are encouraged to come out and enjoy the championship, as admission is free each day. |
| 'Hometown girl' at US Women's Amateur | |
| Even in her own backyard, Conner Beth Ball caught some flack. Walking into Old Waverly Golf Club early Saturday ahead of her 7:35 a.m. practice round, an elderly gentleman teased her in reference to the Ole Miss garb she donned -- a powder blue golf skirt, a white sleeveless polo with "Ole Miss" embroidered on her chest and a white cap with Colonel Reb swinging a golf club. The man turned out to be a Mississippi State fan. It was good to be home. Ball, a 20-year-old Madison native whose parents live in Starkville, is the lone Mississippian in the field at this week's U.S. Women's Amateur at Old Waverly Golf Club. The Ole Miss junior qualified for the tournament at Brookfield Country Club in Roswell, Georgia -- shooting a 1-under 71 at the event. "I'm really excited to be here at such a great event and represent not only my home state, but Ole Miss and my friends and family," she said. "Being a hometown girl out here is a great feeling and I'm just really excited to be here." |
| U.S. Women's Amateur opens today at Old Waverly | |
| A 156-woman field of the world's best amateur golfers will begin competition today as the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur opens at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point. Ole Miss junior Connor Beth Ball, whose family lives in Starkville, will be in the first threesome, teeing off at 8:15 a.m. today to begin two days of 18-hole stroke play. Mississippi State freshman Ashley Gilliam will tee off at 3:15 p.m. It's the second U.S. Women's Amateur appearance for Ball, who reached the Round of 64 in the 2017 event. She helped Ole Miss to its first SEC championship in April. Stroke play results will set the 64-player bracket for six rounds of match play starting on Wednesday. The 36-hole championship match will be held on Saturday. Admission to the event is free. FS1 will provide television coverage later in the week. |
| Brandon Smith starstruck by first season at Mississippi State | |
| Brandon Smith grew up a Mississippi State fan but never imagined that one day he would don the maroon and white himself and play at Dudy Noble Field. Smith got that opportunity this past season as a freshman pitcher on the Bulldogs' College World Series team. He was even a little starstruck by the experience. "It was really fun meeting all the guys," Smith said. "There's guys on the team that you've been watching since you were in high school and now you're playing with them and competing against them. It's just been a dream come true." The right-hander from Richland made his debut on opening weekend against Youngstown State and pitched a perfect inning of relief, including his first career strikeout. "It was a bunch of excitement finally getting my feet wet," Smith said. "I grew up a State fan so finally getting that chance was unbelievable." |
| Beer at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium? 'It's probably coming,' says outgoing university boss Hank Bounds | |
| It's a reluctant revenue source for colleges around the country: alcohol on game days inside the stadiums and arenas. Big Ten schools that will have beer on tap for fans during the 2019 season include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Rutgers, Maryland and Minnesota. Introducing alcohol in the stands is an ongoing conversation among leaders at the University of Nebraska. "I'll be honest, we're having conversations all the time about what that looks like, how we do it, if we do it, where we do it," said Hank Bounds, the NU president who's stepping down from the post Aug. 14. While the conversations are happening among university brass, Bounds said he's personally opposed to the alcohol sales, calling himself "old-fashioned" on the topic. "I'd prefer that if I'm there with my 10-year-old daughter that someone doesn't spill a beer down her back," he said during his KETV NewsWatch 7 exit interview. "But I think we also have to recognize that it's probably coming." |
| UF AD Scott Stricklin eager to help Gators football, basketball teams build on success | |
| Sporting an offseason beard, Scott Stricklin kicks back on the sofa in his office on a Friday afternoon looking relaxed, content and confident. Stricklin has plenty of reasons as he nears his third anniversary as Florida Gators athletic director. For one, Stricklin recently was invited to play Augusta National Golf Club -- home to the Masters each April --- a summer after he teed it up at Pine Valley, which is ranked the nation's No. 1 course by Golf Digest. "I get to play at places that are nicer than my game," he quipped. Stricklin's Gators -- the 49-year-old's primary focus -- are looking considerably better than his golf game and doing well in the rankings, too. The football team's fortunes will begin to unfold in three weeks when Mullen's Gators take center stage against in-state rival Miami at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 in Orlando's Camping World Stadium. |
| Arkansas AD responds to Arkansas State's AD on talk of football team between programs | |
| University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Saturday there has been a minimal amount of dialogue between himself and Arkansas State University Athletic Director Terry Mohajir regarding a potential football game between the programs. "Terry and I have had very casual dialogue to the point where Terry -- when he and I were traveling together in September to an event in Washington, D.C., and we were on a tour of the Capitol together with our political representatives -- said, 'We would love an opportunity to start a series with the University of Arkansas,' " Yurachek said. "And he followed that up with a text message when we got back with some dates and guarantees, and that was the extent of any conversation we have had, period. We haven't talked about it again." Last week, Mohajir was quoted on the website "Best of Arkansas Sports" as saying, "They should be begging us to play," citing the Red Wolves' standing as one of the best Group of Five teams in the country. Mohajir also told The Athletic regarding Arkansas, "Their non-conference games are not filling the stadium. Some SEC games don't. We'd sell their game out." |
| Fresno State President Joseph Castro appointed to College Football Playoff Board of Managers | |
| The Mountain West Conference has appointed Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro to represent the conference as a member of the College Football Playoff Board of Managers, according to a Fresno State news release. The main priority of the board is to govern College Football Playoff business, property and affairs over all aspects of the company's operations. In accordance with the aforementioned priorities, the board develops, reviews and approves annual budgets, policies and operating guidelines. Castro will be representing, what many would consider, the top Mid-Major conference in all of college football while serving as the president of the conference's defending football champion, Fresno State. Castro is one of 11 university presidents on the board, chaired by Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State, which represents 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and independent, Notre Dame. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
