| Thursday, October 15, 2026 |
| Visit Starkville wins Mississippi tourism organization award | |
 | Visit Starkville has been named Destination Management Organization of the Year in its budget category by the Mississippi Tourism Association. The award recognizes organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 to $999,999. It was presented during the Governor's Conference on Tourism, held Oct. 6-8 at the Oxford Conference Center, according to the association. The association cited Visit Starkville's work in destination development, sports tourism, events and industry leadership. "This honor belongs to everyone who makes Starkville such an amazing destination," said Paige Hunt, Visit Starkville's director of tourism. "Direct visitor spending in Oktibbeha County climbed to $213.1 million in 2025, up nearly 8 percent from 2024." The association said Starkville earned USA Today's No. 1 Best Small Town in the South recognition for a third consecutive year and recorded record tourism tax collections. |
| Lawmakers consider cost saving methods in Mississippi's licensure boards | |
| Efforts are underway to consider methods for licensure boards in Mississippi to save money through the consolidation of office space and the use of shared services. Working out of a state-owned building would provide cost savings in rent and in turn provide a means to lower licensure fees, enticing more people to enter the careers overseen by the licensure boards. Senate Government Structure Committee Chair state Senator Tyler McCaughn (R) advised those in attendance that it was his intent not to delete any board or government office, but rather see if legal, financial, IT work, and human relations needs could be consolidated. In Mississippi, there are separate licensure boards for the various professional fields working in the state, such as doctors and nurses, even though they are both in the medical field. While there is no intent to combine those licenses under one board, the two could share services as described by McCaughn. |
| Everyone has the same question in the midterms -- where's the beef? (And how much does it cost?) | |
 | In the midterm elections, meat is on the menu. As Democrats and Republicans argue over high prices and the Iran war, they're also having a food fight over who's the most red-blooded carnivore. The latest example came this week in Mississippi, where Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom released a video with a snippet of Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith saying that if consumers are upset over high beef prices, "you know you have so many proteins to choose from." The video cuts to a man grilling burgers who says, "Pick another protein? I'd rather pick another senator instead." The Mississippi race is somewhat unusual because it's the Democrat hammering the Republican over beef. Elsewhere, Republicans have branded Democrats as vegans or otherwise opposed to meat, trying to show that they're culturally out of step with voters, hostile to local cattle industries or just not manly enough. A spokesman for Hyde-Smith's campaign argued that the Democrats deserve blame for high prices. "It is Scott Colom who supports Biden-era policies that drove up inflation," said Nathan Calvert. |
| New attendance policy awaits review by faculty senate | |
 | The University of Mississippi Associated Student Body has been developing a proposed attendance policy that would add three new cases for university-wide excused absences since fall 2024. This semester, student government leaders are finally bringing their proposal to the faculty senate. The current university attendance policy gives instructors the responsibility to set attendance policies for their classes and to include their policies on the course syllabus. The university offers guidelines for what "better class attendance policies" include but does not mandate what instructors should include in their policies. The guidelines do state that students should not be penalized for absences associated with legal, civic or military duties. ASB is hoping to add three new scenarios to the university attendance policy that would allow for excused absences: a student's attendance at a university event, including NCAA-sanctioned competitions or Ole Miss Athletics events; in cases of major medical procedures or in bereavement-related absences for one calendar week. |
| UMMC scientists take new approaches to tackling Mississippi's cancer burden | |
| As the University of Mississippi Medical Center prepares to break ground on a new home for its Cancer Center and Research Institute, or CCRI, scientists are exploring new ways to improve cancer outcomes for Mississippians -- from investigating how stress and living conditions affect tumors to uncovering pancreatic cancer's earliest clues and developing more precise ways to deliver chemotherapy. Inside UMMC laboratories, researchers are working to rewrite Mississippi's cancer story, offering the promise of a different ending -- and a new beginning -- for patients, families and health care providers. Their work is driven by intriguing questions: Can a person's environment and life experiences influence how cancer develops and spreads? Can researchers detect pancreatic cancer sooner or deliver treatments more precisely to the cells that need them? |
| USM receives $3M grant to continue AQUAVIEW development | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi's Institute for Advanced Analytics and Society (IAAS) has received a $3 million grant extension from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continue development of AQUAVIEW, a cloud-based platform that improves access to NOAA ocean science and environmental data. The extension will support the project through September 2029. USM said Wednesday that the funding will support expanded platform capabilities and continued collaboration between Southern Miss and NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). AQUAVIEW is designed to make NOAA data easier to discover, access and use across a variety of applications, including scientific research, education and emerging artificial intelligence technologies. |
| School start times under scrutiny amid permanent daylight saving time debate | |
 | School start times have taken center stage in the fight surrounding permanent daylight saving time. Senators concerned about kids walking to school in the dark are holding the line against legislation -- passed by the House and vocally backed by President Trump -- that would halt the semiannual clock-changing. And while those who want permanent daylight saving time (DST) say schools should just start later, school officials and even some advocates for pushing class times back acknowledge a large number of obstacles prevent hearing that first bell even an hour later. "I think it gets lost that schools already start incredibly early, and kids are already going to school in the dark. ... It's a huge problem," said Terra Ziporyn Snider, executive director and co-founder of Start School Later. "If we went to permanent daylight saving time, then even more students would be going to school in the dark unless the schools change their start times. It boils down to a lack of political will, and it's enormously, enormously difficult to run schools at times that are safe and allow kids to get healthy sleep. The early start times, highlighted by the current fight, fly in the face of studies showing the benefits of starting later, particularly for high schoolers. |
| U. of Alabama among 15 schools launching AI computing partnership | |
| The University of Alabama is a founding partner in the Southeast Region Super-Intelligence Computing Consortium, a group of 15 universities across 10 states that plan to share advanced computing resources for artificial intelligence research. The consortium was announced Oct. 8 at the White House's "Science: A New Golden Age Summit" in Washington, D.C., by Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The group's longer-term goal is to develop and operate one or more leadership-class AI computing systems in the Southeast, and also to use the partnership to seek federal, state, philanthropic and industry funding. The 15 universities bring a collective $1 billion in investment for computing infrastructure and research. Along with the University, founding partners include Auburn University, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Other members are the universities of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina, along with Oklahoma State University. The announcement comes as the University is set to open the High Performance Computing and Data Center, a $96 million, 40,000-square-foot facility. |
| Enrollment in Alabama's public community colleges surpasses 100,000 students | |
| Enrollment in Alabama Community College System schools hit the highest number of students for the fall semester in over a decade. Neil Scott, vice chancellor of student success for ACCS, told the Board of Trustees that the combined student headcount across the system is over 100,000 students --- a 3.5% increase over the final enrollment count for fall 2025. "That's an increase of 3,421 students," Scott said. "Sixteen of our colleges are ahead in headcount, and these students are enrolled in over 836,000 credit hours. That's a 3% increase over the final fall 2025 number. Over 24,000 more credit hours being produced by our students or taken by our students." Higher Ed Dive reported in June that students are still enrolling in community colleges more than public or private four-year institutions, but the rate is slowing down. |
| UT Office of Title IX received 78 sexual misconduct reports in 2025. It resolved 9. | |
| The University of Tennessee is one of many universities nationwide currently wrapped up in conversation about sexual misconduct and institutional accountability. A sexual assault case at Cornell University sparked the prolific conversation, garnering national attention at higher education institutions after being publicized online in late September. The case details a student, referred to as Jane Doe, alleging seven men raped her in a fraternity house in October 2024. Doe filed a lawsuit against multiple parties, including the seven men and Cornell. As the conversation rattles UT, the UT Office of Title IX offers data for community members to view related to sexual misconduct. The office publishes sexual misconduct report data yearly in its Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation Annual Report. In 2025, the Office of Title IX received 78 sexual misconduct reports. This included a number of reports in all four categories defined under sexual misconduct, including 37 rape reports, 14 fondling reports, 14 sexual exploitation reports and 13 sexual harrassment reports. |
| The Crisis Playbook for Universities in Trouble | |
 | At Texas A&M University, the crisis was the death of 12 people killed when a stack of bonfire logs collapsed. At Penn State, it was child sex abuse allegations against a coach in the school's legendary football program. Ohio State went into crisis mode over abuse claims against a former team doctor. The actions these schools and others have taken over the years have coalesced into something of a playbook for schools in the grip of a national controversy. Now, Cornell University, rocked by criticism over its response to a former student's allegation that she was gang raped, is inching along a similar, public relations path. Moving too slowly in a crisis is how colleges tend to "botch" their responses, said Evan Nierman, founder and chief executive of the crisis public relations firm Red Banyan. Universities are accustomed to working within the ponderous time frames of academia, he said, in which information is gathered and then run through committees, oversight boards, deans and trustees. Meanwhile, "we live in a rapid-fire world where reputations are made and destroyed in moments, not months," Mr. Nierman said. Ray Bowen, the 90-year-old former president of Texas A&M, recalled the 1999 bonfire deaths as lowest point of his career. His advice for Dr. Kotlikoff is simple: Whenever legally possible, embrace transparency. |
| Mizzou takes a shot at preventing the flu | |
 | Students with busy schedules had the opportunity to take a preventative measure against the flu on Wednesday without straying far from the University of Missouri campus. Mizzou's Office of Student Health & Well-being hosted an Outreach Flu Vaccine Clinic on Wednesday. Vaccines were administered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Stotler Lounge at Memorial Student Union, offering seasonal flu prevention in an accessible, central location and making it easier for students to prioritize their health. Mizzou freshman Isla Gardener said she has made it an annual routine to receive a flu vaccine after having a memorable experience of being sick with the flu when she was 8 years old. Other students receiving a vaccination said their decision was mainly influenced by wanting to avoid the possibility of sickness interrupting their semester. |
| Cornell's President Grilled by Faculty Senate Over Handling of Crisis | |
| A day after the Cornell University president tried to calm students and parents by banning parties at fraternity houses, he faced a largely hostile faculty senate on Wednesday that was considering a vote of no confidence against his administration. The president, Michael I. Kotlikoff, has been in crisis mode since news broke several weeks ago that a former undergraduate, known as Jane Doe, had filed a lawsuit against the university, her sorority and a fraternity accusing seven men of sexually assaulting her in 2024. The Cornell faculty senate is a mostly advisory body, without the power to remove the president. But a vote of no confidence in Dr. Kotlikoff's leadership would be a rare rebuke and a possible rallying cry for those who want him to resign over Cornell's handling of the investigation into Jane Doe's allegations and the ensuing crisis. The meeting started with a lengthy question-and-answer session with Dr. Kotlikoff, who generally defended his response and explained in greater detail why he made the decisions he announced on Tuesday. Victoria Xaka, an assistant professor of music at Cornell, who left the meeting early and spoke to reporters outside, said the faculty was upset. "There's a lot of signs, a lot of anger, a lot of tension in the room," she said. |
SPORTS
| Kamario Taylor Watch begins for LSU-Mississippi State as SEC availability report is released | |
 | Kamario Taylor Watch has officially begun. Mississippi State's quarterback was listed as questionable in the SEC's initial availability report released Wednesday ahead of the No. 16 Bulldogs' trip to No. 22 LSU. Taylor, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore, has reportedly been dealing with a foot injury that predates Mississippi State's last game against Alabama on Oct. 3, which Taylor exited early. The Bulldogs were on a bye last weekend. Mississippi State also listed its top running back, Fluff Bothwell, as questionable. LSU had one player, linebacker Tylen Singleton, listed as questionable Wednesday for Saturday's 11 a.m. kickoff. Singleton was listed alongside a handful of athletes who have been out with long-term injuries, including linebacker Whit Weeks, tight end Trey'Dez Green and safety Dashawn Spears. |
| Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor, RB Fluff Bothwell questionable vs. LSU | |
| Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor, who was a top Heisman Trophy contender before injuring his leg before a loss against Alabama two weeks ago, is questionable to play against LSU on Saturday. Taylor, whose status was updated on the SEC availability report Wednesday evening, originally injured his leg in a win over Missouri. He played through visible pain against Alabama and had to leave the game in the fourth quarter. The sophomore from Macon, Mississippi, has thrown for 1,450 yards 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He's second on the team in rushing with 159 yards and one touchdown. Leading rusher Fluff Bothwell, who was second in the SEC in rushing at the time of his injury earlier this month, is also listed as questionable. He has rushed for 403 yards and three touchdowns this season. |
| Soccer: Ranked Bulldogs Welcome Oklahoma For First Time | |
| For the first time ever, Mississippi State will welcome Oklahoma to the MSU Soccer Field on Thursday night. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and the Sooners is set for 6 p.m. CT. State enters the matchup ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer poll (No. 23), marking the first time in head coach Kevin O'Brien's career that he has led a team ranked in either national poll. The Bulldogs are currently tied for fifth in the SEC standings on 10 points. The Sooners are one of three teams tied for seventh on nine. As things stand, 12 points is the line to earn a first-round bye at the SEC Tournament, and a win could put the Bulldogs firmly in that conversation. Thursday night is MSU's Kick or Treat match with children encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. All kids in costume will be welcomed onto the field to greet the team as it takes the field before the national anthem. Halftime will see a costume contest at midfield, and Bully's Kids Club members can participate in pumpkin painting. |
| Greg Sankey 'certainly concerned' about LSU's relationship with SEC as lawsuit continues | |
 | As expected, the SEC indicated in a federal court filing on Tuesday that it will continue its lawsuit against LSU. The league has been seeking to clarify that it has the authority to enforce its own rules, including removing the Tigers from the conference should the other members vote to do so. On Wednesday at SEC basketball media days, commissioner Greg Sankey said he wasn't going to comment on the issue. "We'll let our filings speak for themselves on these issues," Sankey said. With the SEC still trying to prove it has the power to remove LSU or any other school from the league, Sankey also fielded a question about what it would take for him to feel better about the Tigers' standing in the conference. "Well, I'd like to not be in court," Sankey said. "But, as I said, those legal filings speak for themselves." |
| Greg Sankey says he's 'concerned' that LSU's relationship with the SEC has been damaged | |
| Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said Wednesday he was "concerned" that the league's legal battle with LSU could damage the conference's relationship with one of its founding members. Sankey addressed reporters a day after the SEC submitted a filing in federal court asking that its lawsuit against LSU officials not be dismissed because Tigers coach Will Wade still could add ex-pro RJ Luis to his roster. Sankey was transparent about his worry that these legal proceedings could damage the SEC's relationship with LSU. "Certainly concerned, and we've had disagreements among our membership over time," Sankey said. "So this is Year 12 for me. I know that there's also a commitment to the league and a commitment to its members. But we have to work through some of these difficulties." Wade, who couldn't travel for his slotted appearance at SEC media days on Tuesday because of weather, answered questions virtually, revealing he doesn't have Luis -- the former St. John's star who signed an NBA contract -- on his team. |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey: 24-team CFP decision could come 'sooner than later' | |
| The SEC is open to expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, with a resolution coming soon, commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters. "We'll make some final decisions -- probably sooner rather than later -- is my expectation," Sankey said from SEC basketball media day Wednesday morning. The Big Ten and SEC share decision-making power in shaping the future CFP alignment. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and his conference athletic directors have pushed to double the current 12-team format to 24 teams. Sankey and SEC officials were initially tepid to such a major expansion, but have gradually warmed to it. "Attitudes change over time and perspectives change, and so we'll see where that leads us from a final decision standpoint," Sankey said. "I think in general, we have achieved some of the progress we've expected on scheduling commitments. We'll see if we can finalize those across the nation." |
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