Thursday, August 15, 2019   
 
Mississippi State band pushing through August heat
The Famous Maroon Band at Mississippi State University has been battling the heat during their annual band camp. Band camp has been going on all week and students have been planning. "There are a lot of things that we can use to beat the heat." said Senior Drum Major Trevor Wasden. "We have a cooling tent over by the tower we have been using and we have been using water cooler stations. We have squad leaders constantly going around checking to see if anybody has water bottles and things like that, so it's been good for the most part." Students have access to plenty of sunscreen as well as being able to walk into an air-conditioned building if needed. Scheduling has kept everyone in the shade or inside for the peak hours of the heat.
 
Two more electric power co-ops announce plans to offer broadband internet
Another electric power association has confirmed plans to form internet broadband service, while another has made a step in that direction. Prentiss County Electric Power Association Manager Ronny Rowland and Commissioner Brandon Presley confirmed that the Prentiss County EPA board has already voted unanimously to begin offering internet service to its members. The announcement is the third to come from northeast Mississippi: Tallahatchie Valley EPA announced its service Friday and the Tombigbee EPA announced its Saturday. Presley said Prentiss County EPA is already making progress by having internet fiber already ordered. "They're working with their contractors in place and already have equipment ordered," Presley said. He also noted that another power association, Alcorn County EPA, held a vote Tuesday at the annual meeting of the membership to see about amending their charter. "Their members voted 904 to zero to change their charter to allow them to provide internet service," Presley said.
 
Mississippi gets high grade on manufacturing strength but weak on advanced industries
Mississippi has joined a short list of states that Ball State University's Manufacturing Annual Scorecard rated as tops nationally for the health of their manufacturing sectors. But the leading academic author of the Scorecard said Mississippi must improve the quality of its healthcare and schools to grab a larger share of 21st century advanced industries. "Mississippi does not have its fundamentals right to be a competitive for growth in advanced manufacturing," said Dr. Michael J. Hicks, a professor at the Muncie, Ind., university and director of Ball State's Center for Business and Economic Research, creators of the annual report card issued Aug. 13. The "B+" Mississippi received on the Ball State Scorecard reflects manufacturing's percentage of jobs here compared to the rest of the country, according to Hicks. Manufacturers in Mississippi account for 16.01 percent of state GDP and put nearly $18 billion into the state economy yearly, economic statistics show. The Scorecard shows that among Southeastern states, only South Carolina's "A" grade for manufacturing health surpassed Mississippi's "B+".
 
Waller Says Yes to Equal Pay, No on LGBT Hate Crimes Law
In a series of campaign stops for the Republican runoff for governor on Tuesday, former Mississippi Chief Justice Bill Waller reiterated his views on health care and education, while also sharing his thoughts on equal pay for women and LGBT hate crimes. In Hattiesburg, a local bartender and a former resident several hours away were both the victims of alleged anti-gay beatings just days apart earlier this year. Hattiesburg American reporter Lici Beveridge asked Waller if he supports updating the state's hate-crime laws to include LGBT and disabled people. "I'm a former chief justice, and to be honest with you, I think we need to enforce the laws on the books," he said. "I'm not in favor of additional layers of laws. I think that we need to enforce equally and fairly what's on the books. I think that's what people expect. We don't need more laws or regulations." In this year's legislative session, local Mississippi House Rep. Missy McGee, a Republican, joined several other legislators to push for an LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes law. Committee chairs in both houses blocked the bill from consideration, though.
 
Candidates Lynn Fitch, Dane Maxwell speak at Jones GOP Women meeting
State Treasurer and candidate for attorney general Lynn Fitch made a campaign stop in Laurel Wednesday. She spoke to Jones County Republican Women at The Gables. Fitch is in the Republican runoff in a couple of weeks against Andy Taggert, who two days ago, got an endorsement from former GOP attorney general candidate Mark Baker. Fitch says the only endorsement she's concerned about is the one from voters. "The real endorsement is from the State of Mississippi, from the voters, what people believe in, how they see us working together," said Fitch. That runoff is on Aug. 27.
 
Mike Hurst, the federal prosecutor who oversaw chicken plant raids, has long been tough on undocumented people -- but less so on businesses that hire them
On the eve of the 2018 election, speaking at a Biloxi rally, President Donald Trump acknowledged prominent Republican elected officials Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. From the stage that night, Trump also recognized one unelected political appointee -----Mike Hurst, the U.S. Attorney for Mississippi's Southern District. "A man who's been spectacular," Trump said of Hurst. "The job he's done, everybody's talking about it." Hurst, who Trump appointed to the post in fall 2017, is also a central figure in recent raids in which federal agents apprehended nearly 700 workers at Mississippi meat processing facilities. A 43-year-old Hickory native who ran for state attorney general four years ago, Hurst has also been one of Mississippi's most influential law enforcement officials when it comes to prosecuting individuals in illegal immigration cases. However, Hurst has been less aggressive in prosecuting businesses, including a prominent Mississippi country club that admitted to knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants, documents show.
 
Former Iowa Governor and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack: Take rural voters seriously
Video: Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack helped devise a handful of Democratic presidential candidates' agricultural platforms, including those of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden, as part of his effort to boost Democrats' appeal to rural voters. The former Agriculture secretary sat down with CQ Roll Call during the Iowa State Fair to discuss why Republicans have had an edge over Democrats in rural areas, and how his party is working to connect with rural voters in Iowa and across the country.
 
Kale juice may kill cancer cells, Belhaven University researchers say
Kale is healthy to eat, but can it also cure cancer? Researchers from Belhaven University are on the verge of answering that question. "This is a new way of looking at food," said Dr. Elizabeth Brandon, a biology professor at the university. For years, Brandon has been testing how whole foods like kale react when they come in direct contact with melanoma cells. She said the idea came about from a former graduate student that started conducting the experiments at Mississippi College. "...the kale juice turned out to be toxic for the melanoma cell. The concentration that is applied to the cells in the Petri dish is very low. It's less than .1 percent," said Brandon. In fact, Brandon said the drops don't even change the color of the test sample, despite its dark green color. While her theory has been proven to be true, Brandon said she is unable to test how the kale will work in living organism in the university's lab. "There's a big difference in between observing these effects in Petri dishes and thinking about how foods can be used to maintain health and maybe to minimize the effects of diseases like cancer," she said.
 
Copiah-Lincoln Community College wants retirees for social club
The Institute for Learning in Retirement at Copiah-Lincoln Community College is gearing up for the fall semester. The ILR at the college's Wesson campus will host a membership social Tuesday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Thames Conference Center on campus. "It keeps retirees active," Program Coordinator Julie Wright said. "They make friends and keep their minds active." The event will give members old and new a chance to meet others, find new hobbies or interests and hear the calendar of events for the upcoming semester. Co-Lin's IRL program is an extension of the college's mission to learn. The program for the Wesson campus was founded in November 1996, and the nonprofit organization's purpose is to help older individuals socialize and participate in fun activities with other people their age. "I hope they meet new people and cultivate friendships," Wright said. "I hope they learn something new and have fun."
 
UGA economist Jeffrey Dorfman will advise Gov. Brian Kemp
A University of Georgia economist is now the State Fiscal Economist. Jeffrey Dorfman took over that job Aug. 1 after being appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp. Although Dorfman will remain a UGA employee, he is essentially on loan to the governor's office. His full-time job now will be helping the governor forecast state revenues. Dorfman has been at UGA since 1989. A professor in the College of Agriculture's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Dorfman is a familiar name to readers of Forbes and other national publications as an author and a source of expert commentary. He's written three books, most recently "Economics and Management of the Food Industry," as well as many academic and popular-press articles.
 
Admissions paths changing for prospective Texas A&M freshmen
With a change in Texas A&M's admission options on the horizon, fewer students applying for fall 2021 and beyond will be able to rely solely on academics to get there. Currently, the university offers three main paths for prospective freshmen to be admitted: Automatic admission for those in the top 10% of their high school class; academic admission for those in the top quarter of their class who also meet certain test score minimums; and a holistic review process for everyone else. But starting with applicants for the fall 2021 semester, A&M is dropping the academic admission option, meaning all applicants outside that top one-tenth will go through the review process. Brandie Eneks, senior associate director of admissions, said the change comes in response to a continued increase in the number of freshman applications and a growing pool of students who quality for automatic admission through the top 10 percent and academic admission options.
 
New Tigers move in, settle in at U. of Missouri
The University of Missouri's Hearnes Center served as the one-stop headquarters welcoming all the new students moving into campus residence halls and other apartments Wednesday. The students were able to pick up their keys, and the new Tigers and their families were given a host of information about what life will be like on a college campus. Michelle Froese of the Office of the Dean of Students said campus officials are excited to have the new students and watch them move in. Volunteers were scattered across campus to help students settle into their rooms. "Once they get to the hall, we have about 1,100 volunteers who are helping unload the cars and move things up to the room," Froese said. Ashley Burk, engagement coordinator for the Office of Student Affairs, was at the Hearnes Center to give information to parents and family members about family weekends, an MU newsletter and a family helpline. The table also offered information about MU football tickets and The Mizzou Store.
 
International Students Report Worries About Gun Violence
A quarter of international students attending U.S. colleges report worrying about gun violence at their institution, while 37 percent say they worry about gun violence in the local community, according to a new survey of current international students and recent graduates conducted by the credential evaluation organization World Education Services that garnered 1,921 responses. Students attending urban institutions were most likely to express concerns about gun violence. Students from Asia and from the Middle East/North Africa expressed the highest levels of concern. Despite anxieties about gun violence, 88 percent of respondents said they felt safe from physical harm or acts of violence at their institutions, while 79 percent said they felt physically safe within their local community.
 
Colleges hosting more orientation programs just for parents
The horror stories of so-called helicopter parents are well-known among college admissions administrators and orientation directors. Moms and dads who cling to their young adult children, follow them around during orientation programs and call them constantly from home are ubiquitous on college campuses around this time of year as incoming first-year students take part in programs designed to help them get acclimated. Joyce Holl, executive director of NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education, has seen it all. Fortunately for mortified students and exasperated orientation staff, the gas is being taken out of the engines of many helicopter parents. Orientation programs designed to assuage nervous parents' fears and inform them about the institutions their children have chosen to attend are becoming more common, Holl said. More importantly, they're helping make the process smoother for all concerned -- and reducing the separation anxiety experienced by overprotective parents.
 
Uber launches back-to-college safety campaign
With students gearing up to return to college for the fall semester, Uber has partnered with campus safety organizations across the country to provide educational resources to ensure students stay safe while traveling. This partnership builds upon Uber's Campus Safety Initiative, launched this spring in wake of a college student losing her life after entering a vehicle she mistook for her Uber. Uber has partnered with the National Crime Prevention Council and Young Minds Inspired to help educate college students on travel safety and best practices. NCPC and YMI, in cooperation with Uber, have produced an online safety guide that covers a range of topics, including ride share safety, sexual assault prevention and on and off campus safety. In addition to the company's education and awareness campaign, Uber has established a Campus Safety Fund, which will provide monetary support to colleges' existing transportation systems.
 
Colleges use small grants to develop new programs and expand their study abroad capacity
Nationally, about 11 percent of undergraduate students study abroad at some point in their degree programs, but the percentages who study abroad vary dramatically across some institutions. Some private liberal arts colleges boast 100 percent participation, or very close to it, while other institutions send very small numbers of students overseas. Students at community colleges and minority-serving institutions, or MSIs, tend to study abroad at lower rates: less than 1 percent of students at community colleges study abroad during their degree program, while 5 percent of students at minority-serving institutions study abroad, according to data from the Institute of International Education, which conducts an annual survey of study abroad participation rates. But those numbers may soon grow; there is intense interest at many MSIs and community colleges in expanding study abroad opportunities for their students.
 
U. of Akron selects Gary Miller as new president
The University of Akron's Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to choose Gary Miller to be the university's 18th president. Miller, who currently serves as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, will assume his new position on Oct. 1. Interim President John Green will remain in his current role until October, and then serve as special assistant to the president for strategy and transition until Jan 31, 2020. Prior to taking the chancellor job at UW-GB, Miller worked as chancellor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, provost and vice president for academic affairs and research at Wichita State University and dean of the arts and sciences college at the University of the Pacific. Miller, 65, has a doctorate in biological sciences from Mississippi State University and co-authored an ecology textbook during his time as professor and chair of the biology department at the University of Mississippi.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State secondary harping on takeaways, maintaining defensive tradition
Mississippi State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop has a way with words. An economics major at Yale during his playing days, he's as intelligent as coaches come. And while football verbiage has become the base of his profession as opposed to charts and graphs, Shoop's analytical approach has carried over to the MSU defensive backfield -- most notably when it comes to forcing turnovers. "Takeaways are on defense, turnovers are on offense, so we call them takeaways," he said. "And we want to take the ball away," he said. Wording aside, Shoop's sentiment remains as the Bulldogs finished fifth in the SEC in takeaways last season despite boasting first round picks Montez Sweat, Jeffery Simmons and Johnathan Abram. With all three off to the NFL, MSU must reload while also improving its tenacity in taking the ball away.
 
Teaira McCowan thriving in rookie WNBA season
Teaira McCowan made a name for herself in the Humphrey Coliseum where she blossomed into a star-studded center behind her 6-foot-7 frame and skillset. Now, her dominance is only growing at the next level. On April 10, the WNBA's Indiana Fever selected the Mississippi State center as the third overall pick in the 2019 draft. Indiana coach Pokey Chatman observed McCowan's performance around the rim and felt she'd add to the front court depth of a team coming off a league-worst 6-28 record in 2018. "She could impact our team by being a presence in the paint with her ability to alter shots, block shots, rebound and get us extra possessions because she's a good rebounder," Chatman said. "I thought the offense would come because it's a different league." Upon leaving Starkville, McCowan didn't have much time to get adjusted to her new surroundings. Just 34 days separate the WNBA Draft from the start of the preseason and McCowan only had nine practices before the season began. "It was kind of a whirlwind," McCowan said. "Got right into training camp and it was hard. Transitioning from college, the pace is just so different."
 
Harvey Updyke summoned to court for failing to pay for Toomer's poisoning
Harvey Updyke -- the Alabama fan who admitted to poisoning and killing the iconic Toomer's Oaks on Auburn's campus -- is being summoned back to court to explain why he's not making restitution payments. Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes told WRBL-3, a TV station in Columbus, Georgia, that Updyke has paid less than $5,000 toward his nearly $800,000 restitution bill and frequently misses monthly payments. Earlier this week, officials found Updyke in Louisiana and served him with a court order summoning him to a Lee County courtroom on Oct. 30 to explain why hasn't been making payments. "Harvey Updyke has never left my radar," Hughes told the TV station in a story posted today. "We have been keeping an eye on his payments, or more specifically his non-payment, and he has made exactly two payments for a total of $200 in the past year. Because of that, we have been looking for him for close to a year, and we finally found him."
 
Gamecocks to honor Black Magic era with special throwback uniform
At some point this season, South Carolina football will break out some old-school looks. The team Tuesday revealed throwback uniforms, new gear that is an homage to the program's "Black Magic" 1984 season and "Black Death" defense from 1987. It is part of the Under Armour's "School Heritage" line of throwback uniforms. The uniforms are connected to the sport's 150th anniversary celebration. South Carolina football's Twitter account unveiled the look with the phrase "Back in Black" and a video opening in the Soda City Market before shifting to the team's new operations building. In addition to black uniforms with garnet and white stripes on the sleeves and collar and "Gamecocks" written across the chest, the ensemble includes garnet helmets with the block C logo inside a white circle, as well as white pants, garnet socks and white cleats. Coach Will Muschamp told Jamie Bradford of 98.9 FM in Charleston that the throwbacks will be South Carolina's standard black uniform moving forward.



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