| Tuesday, May 20, 2025 |
| Modine expanding data center cooling equipment manufacturing in Grenada County | |
 | The Mississippi Development Authority announced Monday that thermal management company Modine is upgrading one of its existing facilities in Grenada County to manufacture data center cooling equipment. Modine Manufacturing Company has been in thermal management since 1916, the company said. They design, engineer, test, and manufacture heat transfer products for a wide range of applications and markets. The Mississippi project will see an investment of more than $38 million by the end of 2028 and will create more than 450 jobs, MDA said. The expansion in Grenada County includes building enhancements and product line additions to support increased demand for the company's data center cooling solutions. MDA noted that the agency is providing assistance for building improvements while Entergy Mississippi is assisting with utility needs. "MDA is in the business of bringing new opportunities to the people of our state, and these are the types of projects that keep them in good, steady jobs -- jobs that will one day be filled by future generations of Mississippians," said MDA Executive Director Bill Cork. "We are proud to support Modine's growth and appreciate the company for choosing to produce its data center cooling equipment right here at home." |
| Secretary of State's Office launches new text messaging system for election updates | |
| The Mississippi Secretary of State's Office has launched a new platform for prospective voters to access important election information and report issues through text messaging. Secretary Michael Watson unveiled the "TextMyGov" resource on Monday, allowing Mississippians to initiate a conversation with the Secretary of State's Office to seek guidance on a variety of topics. By texting "HI" to (601) 586-7600, users can initiate a conversation with state officials to solicit guidance on a variety of topics. The system utilizes keywords to categorize inquiries, directing users to appropriate responses or information sources. Residents can text the relevant keyword to receive an automated response or a link to the Secretary of State's website for more detailed information. A new text alert system has also been installed. Users may receive a text notification from the number 80946. This is a legitimate text from the Secretary of State's Office, not a scam. Residents who receive the initial text message and opt in will receive election alerts, which will provide important election information. Users may opt out at any time by texting "STOP." |
| Elon Musk brought 'the world's biggest supercomputer' to Memphis. Residents say they're choking on its pollution | |
 | Last summer, an abandoned factory in southwest Memphis got a new life courtesy of the world's richest man. Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI moved in to transform this unprepossessing building into the "world's largest supercomputer." Musk named it Colossus and said it was the "most powerful AI training system in the world." It was sold locally as a source of jobs, tax dollars and a key addition to the "Digital Delta" -- the move to make Memphis a hotspot for advanced technology. "This is just the beginning," xAI said on its website; the company already has plans for a second facility in the city. But for some residents in nearby Boxtown, a majority Black, economically-disadvantaged community that has long endured industrial pollution, xAI's facility represents yet another threat to their health. AI is immensely power-hungry, and Musk's company installed dozens of gas-powered turbines, known to produce a cocktail of toxic pollutants. What's unfolding in Memphis should be a warning to other communities, said Erika Sugarmon, a commissioner of Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis and the surrounding area. "All these different safeguards are being taken away," she told CNN. "So where do you go?" What's happening in southwest Memphis reveals the tension between two very different narratives of what AI can bring US communities. |
| Oklahoma State gets $250 million for College of Veterinary Medicine | |
| Oklahoma State University is getting a $250 million appropriation for the College of Veterinary Medicine. In recent years, the American Veterinary Medical Association has put the college on probationary accreditation twice. In an effort to prevent future accreditation issues, the university asked state lawmakers for a $295 million appropriation to modernize facilities and recruit faculty and students to maintain long-term accreditation. The state budget framework announced Wednesday includes $250 million to go toward the facility. "We are deeply grateful to the Oklahoma legislature for recognizing the critical importance of a new veterinary teaching hospital," OSU President Jim Hess said in a statement. "This investment will ensure OSU can continue training veterinarians who protect our food supply and safeguard public health." The current appropriation is earmarked renovation and construction of the Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. During an Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee meeting in April, Hess said long-term accreditation of the vet school depends on replacing the 40-year-old facility. The $250 million will be added to an existing $79 million dollar appropriation. |
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