| Monday, August 10, 2026 |
| MSU-Meridian graduates second Master of Science in Nursing cohort | |
 | According to an MSU press release, Healthcare in the Magnolia State gains 35 advanced professionals Thursday [Aug. 6] with the graduation of Mississippi State's second Master of Science in Nursing cohort. The MSN pinning and graduation ceremony at the MSU-Meridian Riley Campus celebrated the culmination of the rigorous 12-month, direct-entry program for the group, bringing the total number of nursing graduates from MSU's program to 69. The MSU School of Nursing was granted national accreditation last year following review by the Collegiate Nursing Education board of commissioners, and its inaugural MSN cohort of 34 graduated in August 2025. MSU President Mark E. Keenum commended the MSU-Meridian students and their families for their dedication, commitment and perseverance through the intensive degree program that offers a pathway to practice as a registered nurse for those with a previous college degree in a non-nursing field. |
| MSU-Meridian graduates second Master of Science in Nursing cohort | |
 | Healthcare in the Magnolia State gains 35 advanced professionals Thursday [Aug. 6] with the graduation of Mississippi State's second Master of Science in Nursing cohort. The MSN pinning and graduation ceremony at the MSU-Meridian Riley Campus celebrated the culmination of the rigorous 12-month, direct-entry program for the group, bringing the total number of nursing graduates from MSU's program to 69. The MSU School of Nursing was granted national accreditation last year following review by the Collegiate Nursing Education board of commissioners, and its inaugural MSN cohort of 34 graduated in August 2025. Dean of Nursing Mary Stewart said students in the program, which leads to practice-ready graduation and preparedness for the NCLEX exam, are supported by an extremely experienced team of nursing faculty assembled to guide them through the rigorous program. "Brilliant, bold and unafraid to disrupt, these faculty members are grounded in academic excellence and driven by compassion for patients. They are indeed creating new opportunities in healthcare and education." |
| Residents encouraged to 'Think Big, Start Small' at Business After Hours | |
 | Lauderdale County community leaders were encouraged to continue efforts to grow the area's cultural identity at a Business After Hours event Tuesday organized by the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation. Hosted at Soulé Steam Museum, the event provided an opportunity for networking, as well as a presentation by Stennis Institute Project Director Chance McDavid. McDavid, who also serves as president of the Mississippi Main Street board, has a wealth of knowledge about community development, strategic planning, civic engagement and more. "For 20 years plus, I have worked under the belief of asset-based community development. In other words, looking at what communities have as opposed to what they don't have," he said. "And it's very, very important to realize that the people, their knowledge, skills and abilities, and the resources they bring to the table are the very things that build community, and that's where we start." McDavid encouraged local leaders to "think big and start small," by leveraging the assets already present in the community and making small but impactful changes. Starting could be something as simple as adding a bench along a walkway or installing planters to break up a monotonous stretch of wall. |
| The 'Jury Duty' Scam That Cost This Family $25,000 | |
 | Americans are awash in scams: phony UPS texts, AI-generated voices of loved ones in trouble, spoofed emails tricking city governments. People reported losing $3.5 billion to impostor scams in 2025, nearly triple 2020's level, the Federal Trade Commission said in a June report. Some swindles originate overseas, run by sophisticated criminal syndicates. "Some of them have HR departments and performance reviews," said Ben Bernstein, a cybersecurity expert at Huntress. But increasingly, they come from closer to home. In January, the Justice Department announced the conviction of two Georgia inmates who ran scams on stolen cellphones from behind bars. The jury-duty shakedown has surged in the Tampa area. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office alone has received 44 reports of the scam so far this year, up from 25 for all of last year, said Sgt. Andrew Miller, head of the economic-crimes unit. Authorities warn that they won't call you to threaten arrest or demand money over missed jury duty, yet tricksters convince many. As hard as it might be to imagine, so-called "panic scams" can work by triggering stress responses that shift victims into fight-or-flight, impairing rational thought, according to cybersecurity experts. The perpetrators leverage claimed authority and apply tremendous pressure. |
| House lawmakers consider school consolidation as Mississippi public education enrollment declines | |
| The drop in birth rate is playing a part in Mississippi's declining K-12 enrollment numbers, and it has lawmakers considering the need to consolidate schools as well as school districts in areas across the Magnolia State. To that end, Speaker Jason White (R) appointed members of the House of Representatives to a select committee tasked with holding hearings while out of session to gather information as they consider the best path forward. The most recent hearing of the Select Committee on Consolidation for the House of Representatives was held Thursday. As part of the discussion, lawmakers heard presentations from three Mississippi school district superintendents have experience with consolidating districts. John Eillison (former superintendent for the Chickasaw County School District), Leake County School District Superintendent Will Russell, and Dr. Theresa Jackson (former Winona-Montgomery Consolidated School District Superintendent) all told the legislators that the process is not easy, but some positive impacts can be seen in the years following consolidation. "All three of them said it's a tough business," Select Committee Chair State Rep. Rob Roberson (R) said. Roberson also serves as the chairman of the House Education Committee. |
| Mississippi native Marsha Blackburn wins GOP nomination for Tennessee governor | |
| Mississippi native Marsha Blackburn has clinched the Republican ticket for Tennessee's governor. Blackburn, a sitting U.S. senator, ousted primary challengers U.S. Rep. John Rose and Tennessee State Rep. Monty Fritts on Thursday. She will face Democratic challenger Jerri Green, a Memphis city council woman, in the Nov. 3 general election. It's the first time in Tennessee history that either major political party has nominated a female candidate for governor. While Blackburn does not hail from Tennessee, she has spent more than five decades in the Volunteer State. Blackburn was born in Laurel. She graduated from Northeast Jones High School and spent her college years at Mississippi State University on a 4-H scholarship. |
| AT&T deploys new wireless network at Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium | |
| AT&T has completed deployment of a new distributed antenna system at Mississippi State University's Davis Wade Stadium, a project the company says is intended to improve wireless connectivity for fans, students, staff and visitors during high-attendance events. The system, led and owned by AT&T as a neutral-host network, uses Airspan's Mobileaccess 6000 Digital platform to provide cellular coverage throughout the more than 60,000-seat stadium. Neutralhost networks are designed to support service for multiple wireless carriers through shared infrastructure. The distributed antenna system uses strategically placed antennas to expand wireless coverage and increase network capacity during periods of heavy demand, including Southeastern Conference football games and other large events. "When you have tens of thousands of people in one place, you need infrastructure that can keep up," Michael Walker, AT&T'S vice president of external and legislative affairs for Mississippi, said in a statement. He said the upgraded network is intended to improve the fan experience, support stadium operations and help visitors remain connected during large gatherings. |
| Louisiana law mandates new college and career dashboard | |
| A new Louisiana law aims to give students more information about their education and career options before they choose a college degree. Senate Bill 305 requires the Louisiana Board of Regents, Louisiana Works and other state agencies to develop a public online dashboard that connects college degree programs with career and workforce information. State leaders say the dashboard is designed to help students and families better understand what careers are available before selecting a major. "The goal is to help students understand what careers are available," Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell said. The dashboard will allow users to compare degree programs with career outcomes and workforce opportunities across the state. According to the Board of Regents, the goal is to better align higher education with Louisiana's workforce needs while giving students more transparency about their options. |
| Colleges must now comply with South Carolina bathroom law | |
 | For the first time this fall, public colleges in South Carolina will be required to take reasonable steps to ensure that all restrooms and changing facilities afford users privacy from members of the opposite sex. Supporters of this "common sense" measure, which the governor signed into law earlier this year, said its passage was necessary to protect the dignity and safety of women and girls. The law's critics, who argued it stigmatized transgender people and encouraged the harassment of gender non-conforming individuals, called it a "solution in search of a problem." During debate on the legislation, they frequently raised the question of enforcement. What "reasonable steps" would schools be expected to take to comply with the law? Would a simple sign suffice? Or would schools be required to post security guards outside public restrooms to perform genital checks? This past week, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education provided an answer. The agency, which is tasked with enforcing the Student Physical Privacy Act, said it would leave those decisions up to schools themselves. |
| Texas Could Shortchange New Funding Model Champions | |
 | An ambitious performance-based funding model for community colleges in Texas outperformed all expectations in its first three years. Student success metrics at Texas community colleges skyrocketed with credential attainment and dual-enrollment rates surpassing the state's projections. But now, the program is suffering from its own success. Three years ago, Texas celebrated the launch of the new funding model, which was widely applauded by state policymakers and community college leaders for its careful design to reward colleges for improving student outcomes aligned with state priorities. But the state didn't appropriate enough funding to pay for the gains, thrusting colleges into financial uncertainty. Forty-two of the state's 50 community college districts could face funding reductions for fiscal year 2027, according to calculations by the state. For some, that would mean multimillion-dollar shortfalls. |
| College Leaders Play Down Their Involvement in 'Compact 2.0' | |
 | The Department of Education's Monday letter outlining principles for "every postsecondary institution" in the country was a bombshell for two reasons. One: The Trump administration was asking college presidents to sign onto its overarching vision for the sector. Two: Several prominent higher-ed leaders were reported to have helped draft it. The Association of American Universities was reportedly the primary partner. The group had "offer[ed] higher ed up for political repression on a silver platter," Dominique J. Baker, an associate professor of education policy at the University of Delaware, wrote on social media. Douglas A. Girod, chancellor of the University of Kansas, was supposed to have been another major player. The very idea caused "great consternation to the KU faculty," said Ronald M. Barrett-Gonzalez, a professor of aerospace engineering there. The national American Association of University Professors put out a statement calling the reported roles of the AAU and four university presidents, including Girod, "an unconscionable dereliction of duty." And so, in the days following publication of the letter, some of the leaders named as having worked on drafts have sought to play down their parts. At the same time, they generally said that their institutions would answer the questions the letter asks them to. |
| The Heritage Foundation releases sweeping model bill to overhaul higher ed | |
| The Heritage Foundation, a powerful conservative think tank, released a model bill Tuesday designed to help state lawmakers "codify the principles" of the higher education compact proposed by the Trump administration last year. Like the compact, the extensive legislative proposal seeks to require colleges to maintain institutional neutrality and ban scholarships that give advantages to applicants based on race. However, the model legislation significantly differs and often goes further than the Trump administration's compact. It would also restrict how institutions handle student visa issues, increase state influence over faculty hiring, and potentially put colleges on the hook for federal debt held by some students who don't graduate within eight years. The model legislation is something of a conservative wishlist, outlining restrictions and requirements for colleges that would dramatically reshape higher education. Model legislation from conservative think tanks has significantly influenced state higher education policy in recent years. |
SPORTS
| College sports bill stays stuck in Senate, but gets spot on the September calendar | |
 | The Protect College Sports Act failed to reach a vote during an all-night, pre-recess session in the Senate that ended early Saturday, though the bill did gain a spot on next month's calendar after the chamber comes back from its summer break. The measure has been touted as one that would put guardrails around an escalating spending spree in college sports as the industry struggles to adapt to a new model in which teams can pay players. "College sports is something that needs to be fixed, they have a good solution," said Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. "We got it teed up for next month." The bill has been on a roller coaster since it was introduced in late May but quickly failed to gain support of the two biggest conferences: the Big Ten and SEC. Those conferences signed on and saved it from near death late last month after a flurry of negotiations. But as quickly as it was revived, it faced a reality check in the Senate, where lawmakers from SEC states, including Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., were among its biggest skeptics. |
| Senate Doesn't Vote on College Sports Bill Before Recess | |
| At the first hearing for the Protect College Sports Act in June, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) acknowledged the strange nature of his alliance with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), his co-sponsor on the bill. He and Cantwell, Cruz said, probably couldn't have agreed on the color of the sky before walking into the Hart Building that morning, let alone most issues of substance. But college sports, Cruz explained, is a unifier, a way for Democrats and Republicans to come together, hold hands, agree just enough for the sake of the great American traditions of mascot pushups and watching Penn State blow the big game. College sports, however, are never just about college sports. For more than five years now, ever since lobbying picked up in the name, image and likeness (NIL) era, that's been especially true in Congress, most recently with the Senate not holding a full vote on the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) before the August recess. While the Senate expects to pick up the bill in September, not voting this week only tightened the window to pass the bipartisan legislation before the midterms this fall. And in the past few days alone, there were multiple examples of why legislating college sports is complicated, to say the least, and ripe for odd factions forming. |
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