| Thursday, June 18, 2026 |
| MSU program to build supervisors out of skilled workers | |
 | Kenna Vowell, an assistant professor with Mississippi State University's College of Professional and Continuing Studies, has dreamed for years of creating a program to develop the next generation of skilled workforce leaders in the Golden Triangle. Professors and faculty in the college had all the ideas to build the program. They just lacked the funding, Vowell said. That was until about six months ago, when the U.S. Department of Education awarded $2.6 million to jumpstart its proposed program. "We have people who are great at their jobs, (and companies) are wanting to move them into manager positions, but they just need some more leadership skills," Vowell told The Dispatch. "And so that is something that I'm really excited about (with this program). Especially with Mississippi State (University) being in the Golden Triangle, we want to partner with any industry locally that we can to try to get people into those roles because ultimately we want to help the employer, but we want to help the employee as well." Starting this fall, CPCS will welcome its first cohort of students for the college's Skills Trade Empowerment Program, which aims to train early and mid-career workers in trade industries on skills related to leadership development, project management and Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety certification. The students in the inaugural cohort this fall are predominantly enrolling from three companies: Ergon Inc., Viking Range and Atmos Energy, Vowell said. |
| Local MSU, Summer Scholars alum gives back to June camp | |
 | According to an MSU press release, Kenzie Claire Burchfield was always going to attend Mississippi State University. The daughter of current and retired MSU employees, Burchfield did not need much convincing to become a Bulldog. However, when she heard her friends at Starkville High School discuss a three-week summer theater camp "that sounded amazing" on the university's campus, she knew she had to be there. "They were always raving about the Summer Scholars program and how it was the most fun," Burchfield said. "So, I begged my parents on my knees to let me come to camp, and they finally did. It was the best summer ever." Burchfield was in her element as part of MSU's long-standing Summer Scholars On Stage tradition. Started in 1983 by Joe Ray Underwood who directed the camp for years, the multidisciplinary program has helped artistic middle and high school students develop story concepts, create characters, write dialogue, shape scripts and perform an original production in a condensed, intensive three weeks. This year has more than 50 students in grades 7-12 from the Southeast and even Michigan working to incorporate their dancing, singing, acting and technical skills into a final musical production. |
| Local MSU, Summer Scholars alum gives back to June camp | |
 | Kenzie Claire Burchfield was always going to attend Mississippi State University. The daughter of current and retired MSU employees, Burchfield did not need much convincing to become a Bulldog. However, when she heard her friends at Starkville High School discuss a three-week summer theater camp "that sounded amazing" on the university's campus, she knew she had to be there. Burchfield was in her element as part of MSU's long-standing Summer Scholars On Stage tradition. Started in 1983 by Joe Ray Underwood who directed the camp for years, the multidisciplinary program has helped artistic middle and high school students develop story concepts, create characters, write dialogue, shape scripts and perform an original production in a condensed, intensive three weeks. "This has been going on for 45 years," current Camp Director Stephen Cunetto said. "The staff has done a great job coming back year after year to help support our campers." Burchfield spent the next two summers attending as a camper, experiences she said helped solidify her path to MSU and pursue a career in vocal music. |
| Rural areas lag behind in cancer treatment and prevention -- even as rich, urban areas increasingly leave dying from cancer in the rearview | |
 | Mississippi State University's Arthur Cosby writes for The Conversation: Cancer in the United States experienced a dramatic turnaround in 1991. Prior to that year, cancer deaths had been increasing for decades, peaking at 215 deaths per 100,000 people, meaning about 1 in 4 deaths were attributed to cancer. Then it began to consistently decline, decreasing by 34% between 1991 and 2022. This amounted to an estimated 4.5 million fewer cancer deaths during that period. When the second-most frequent cause of death in the nation begins to decline, the effects are considerable. Improvements in cancer screening, treatment and prevention have led to increases in longevity and well-being. In a diverse country, however, not everyone or every place benefits equally from improvements in health and medicine. In coordination with my colleague Viswadeep Lebakula, research from my team of social scientists and I found that where people live can profoundly influence their chances of dying from cancer. |
| Know types, uses of electrolyte products for wise consumption | |
| Staying hydrated is an important part of avoiding heat stress during the hot summer months, and many people may be wondering if incorporating electrolyte products into their daily routines can help. Mississippi State University Extension Service health and nutrition specialists say plain water and a balanced diet are sufficient for most people. "Electrolyte products can be helpful to athletes participating in prolonged exercise, individuals working outdoors in hot weather or people recovering from illnesses that cause vomiting or diarrhea," said Mary Nelson Robertson, MSU Extension health specialist. "In those situations, replacing both fluids and electrolytes may be beneficial, but for most healthy people going about their normal daily activities, water and a balanced diet are usually enough," she said. Qula Madkin, Extension registered dietitian nutritionist, encourages people to treat electrolyte products like supplements. "Many sports drinks and electrolyte supplements contain high levels of sodium, added sugar and sometimes potassium. Too much sodium can increase the risk of high blood pressure," said Madkin, who is also an instructor in the MSU Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion. |
| Mary Means Business: Indoor pickleball venue opens July 1 | |
| It's hard to find an available pickleball court in Starkville. Even harder to play pickleball in Starkville with this heat at 5,000% humidity. Well, that all changes next week. PKL ROW, an indoor pickleball facility at 100 Airport Road, is slated to open July 1. Led by five Starkville entrepreneurs -- Wesley Ferguson, Brad Jones, Brian Lesley, Sean Owen and Gregg Jones -- the new Starkville spot will be an indoor, year-round pickleball facility with a bar, and I'm not kidding when I say this, something for everyone. In the last three years, pickleball, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, has grown more than 200%. But if that's not something you're into, co-owner Sean Owen said PKL ROW will have everything from Mahjong Mondays to Cornhole tournaments and even a 13-sport simulator bay. "We are just five people who really just wanted to do something for this community," Owen said. "We are just excited to see this dream become a reality." ... Also in town, construction has started on the new car wash. 5 Minute Express Car Wash, 701 Louisville St., already operates six Mississippi locations in Brandon, Byram, Columbia, Flowood, Hattiesburg and Pearl, with Starkville appearing to be its next addition. |
| Aldermen green light two new housing projects | |
| Aldermen on Tuesday cleared the way for two housing projects, including a five-story mixed-use development downtown and the city's first cottage court community. The first project, planned for the former site of the Starkville Community Market at 128 S. Jackson St., will see 24 residential units added to the downtown portfolio. Along with residential units, the building will include a ground-floor commercial space and a top floor featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and taller ceilings to create "a penthouse" feel to the floor, Developer Mark Castleberry told the board during the meeting. Castleberry said he expects the development to be a "really neat one-two-punch" when combined with the plans for Barter Row, a project that which would develop property encompassing the existing Regions Bank building as well as four other nearby lots surrounding Reeds of Starkville into a mixed-use development with residential and commercial space. Aldermen on Tuesday also approved a request from Developer Christopher McQueen to combine three existing lots near 509 S. Montgomery St. and remove three existing structures to build 14 cottage units organized around two shared courtyards. |
| What a crypto mining center could mean for Starkville residents | |
 | A crypto mining center could be coming to the city of Starkville. The facility would be built next door to the electrical substation on Industrial Park Road. It would consume up to 30 megawatts of electricity. That is equivalent to enough electricity to power thousands of homes. "From a customer standpoint, that's very favorable." Starkville Utilities Director Edward Kemp said. "You have a consistent load that is kind of homogenous across the system. There's not a lot of fluctuations on and off." Kemp and other city officials agree that the load is good for ratepayers and could help offset future rate increases. This proposed crypto mining center is still in the early stages. It is still being reviewed, and it could be a few months before there is an update. Kemp said the company is committed to follow all noise ordinances for those concerned about extra noise. |
| Pentagon officials: Wicker's role as Senate Armed Services Committee chair crucial to Northeast Mississippi | |
| Michael Duffey, the U.S. Department of Defense's undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, was impressed by his first visit to Northeast Mississippi. "Every time I come to Mississippi, I encounter the cutting edge of manufacturing and cutting edge of military technology," he told the Daly Journal editorial board last week following a visit to General Atomics in Shannon. "We've got to start somewhere and set the example and modernize how we're doing manufacturing for military equipment. Mississippi's doing a wonderful job of leading the charge." Duffey was joined by his colleague, Undersecretary for Nuclear Security and the National Nuclear Security Administrator Brandon Williams, at the defense contractor's Lee County facility, which has its Manufacturing Center of Excellence for its Electromagnetic Systems at the Tupelo Lee Industrial Park South. Duffey said the use of automation and advanced manufacturing techniques at GA-EMS in Shannon is exactly what the Pentagon has been looking for as it seeks to streamline and improve production. He said U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, was a champion for the efforts being made to rebuild what Duffey calls the "arsenal of freedom." |
| Fair kicks off Friday for first June start | |
| The Neshoba County Fair will return this week with a historic change, as Mississippi's Giant House Party moves to June for the first time. Fair officials said the change was made to better accommodate early school starts and late-summer scheduling conflicts, allowing more families and friends to enjoy the Fair without interference. The Fair opens Friday, June 19, and runs through Friday, June 26. A full slate of events is scheduled throughout the week, including the 47th running of the Heart O' Dixie Triathlon on Saturday morning, June 20. The event will be operated this year by The Refuge of MS, which takes over from the Philadelphia Sertoma Club after 46 years. Harness and running races begin Sunday, June 21, and continue throughout the week. Political speaking begins Wednesday, June 24, at about 9:30 a.m. and continues through Thursday. The annual fireworks show will close out the Fair following Friday night's entertainment at the Grandstand. |
| Heavy rain could impact farmers crops across Mississippi | |
| For some farmers in the state's agriculture community, all this rain could be too much of a good thing. It can lead to serious damage to crops and produce. The latest Mississippi drought map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows conditions have improved for much of our area since last week -- but much of the state remains abnormally dry. More rain could help ease that. However, farmers like Brenda Langham who sell fresh produce in the Jackson area warn that prolonged rain and limited sunlight can do more harm than good when it comes to their crops. "When it gets too much rain, it kind of rots everything," Langham explained. "If it sits in the water, then it'll just deteriorate like anything. But right now, we're okay with it. They say it's going to be real, real, real rainy tomorrow and Friday, and that will probably hurt us a lot." Langham said workers at her Smith County farm have spent the day harvesting crops ahead of the rain -- picking as much as possible before the heaviest rainfall arrives. |
| Cooper Miller, former Forklift chef, joins Harveys as executive chef | |
| After nearly eight years as executive chef at Forklift in Tupelo, Cooper Miller is shaking up Northeast Mississippi's restaurant scene by moving into a similar role with the Eat With Us Group's Harveys brand. Bernard Bean, chief operating officer of Eat With Us Group, the parent company of Harveys, said the organization was excited to have Miller on board. Miller was crowned King of Mississippi Seafood in 2022 after winning the 11th Annual Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off. The chef's winning dish was potato and chorizo crusted snapper with a summer corn puree, roasted jalapeño sauce and heirloom tomato pico de gallo. He was raised in Amory and went to college at Mississippi State University. His introduction to the restaurant industry began when he got a job at Anthony's Good Food Market. |
| Gould Industries locating in southwest Mississippi | |
| The Mississippi Development Authority announced Wednesday that Gould Industries Ltd. is locating operations in Pike County. The company is a North American leader in the manufacture of recycled plastics, film extrusion and private-label solutions for major retailers. Gould Industries, founded in 1954 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is acquiring an existing facility in Summit and plans to modernize the location while adding additional production lines to increase capacity. The $14 million project will allow the company to expand its operations and strengthen its presence across key North American markets while adding 65 new jobs. Governor Tate Reeves welcomed the news, saying, "Gould Industries' decision to invest in Pike County is another sign that Mississippi is attracting innovative companies that see long-term value in our state. This project strengthens Mississippi's manufacturing sector while advancing solutions that will benefit industries well into the future. I am proud to welcome Gould Industries to Mississippi." |
| DOJ Defends Musk's xAI in Data-Center Pollution Lawsuit | |
 | The Justice Department moved to block an NAACP lawsuit challenging xAI over allegations that gas turbines powering its Mississippi data center risk polluting nearby communities. The lawsuit filed by the civil-rights group said xAI, Elon Musk's artificial-intelligence company, and its subsidiary MZX Tech are violating the Clean Air Act by operating gas turbines without an air permit at the data center in Southaven, Miss. The DOJ said in its filing this week that the data center "trains and develops new AI models that are critical to the economy and the Department of War." The department asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to dismiss the lawsuit. "The Department of Justice will not sit idly by while private organizations use environmental laws to undermine our national security," said Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division. The DOJ also pointed to President Trump's executive order to advance AI capabilities to boost national security. "Citizen suits are a bedrock insurance policy for communities to hold polluters accountable for decisions that cause them harm" said Abre' Conner, director of NAACP's Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, in response to the DOJ's filing. "A data center should not be a potential death sentence for a community's health," he said at the time the lawsuit was filed. |
| Tax incentives fuel rise of data centers in Mississippi, experts, critics say | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves and other state leadership have referenced data centers as the crown jewel of Mississippi's economic development profile. Reeves has held ribbon cuttings and press conferences touting the billions of dollars that companies, particularly Amazon Web Services and Elon Musk's xAI, have poured into the state's economy. Opinions on why companies flock to the Magnolia State for their data centers have diverged. In Reeves' words, they are attracted to a business-friendly environment with "insane execution speed." Experts and critics of data centers, on the other hand, have pointed to what they have described as sweetheart deals made without public input that ultimately disadvantage the public. The state's data center contracts emerged as one of the main topics of conversation at a Wednesday webinar hosted by Sen. Hillman Frazier, D-Jackson. There are two data centers in Frazier's ward, he told the group. |
| Who's running for Agriculture Commissioner in 2027? | |
| Andy Gipson is running for governor in 2027, leaving an open seat race for Mississippi's next Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. The state agriculture commissioner oversees the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. State law provides that the commissioner is to have "a competent knowledge of agriculture; mining, manufacturing, statistics and general industries and he or she must be an experienced and practical agriculturist." The law also charges the commissioner with numerous duties in the areas of development and marketing of agriculture and commerce, regulation of related industries and investigation of agricultural crimes. Who will replace Gipson at the helm of the department tasked with regulating and promoting one of the biggest industries in the state is currently anyone's guess. No clear favorite has emerged as of yet. However, some names are starting to bubble up as possible contenders to be the next Commissioner of Agriculture. Here is a look at who is said to be considering a run. |
| Democrats speak out against Mississippi secretary of state's plan to reinstate 2022 legislative maps | |
 | Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson has instructed his office to prepare the state's electronic voting system for a rollback to the 2022 legislative district maps, a move that drew swift criticism from the state's Democratic Party. In a June 9 letter to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Jason White, Watson announced he has directed his own staff to begin preparing the state's election system to revert to the 2022 legislative maps by 2027. The internal directive follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision which could override federal court-mandated maps adopted last year that briefly cost Republicans their supermajority in the state Senate. Democrats responded to the announcement on June 11th after the letter was made public. House Minority Leader, Robert Johnson III of Natchez, questioned the legal basis of Watson's directive, noting that the authority to draw lines rests with lawmakers. "I don't know any authority under which the Secretary of State has the authority to redraw district lines. That's done by the legislature, so there's no administrative authority. That may be the way he feels, but that's not the way things are done," said Johnson. |
| Secretary of State Michael Watson informs legislative leaders of 'redistricting preparations' | |
| Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson has informed legislative leaders that his office is taking steps to prepare for redistricting in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision opening the door for states to eliminate majority-Black electoral districts. Watson, a Republican who is running for lieutenant governor, referenced the June 9 letter in a news release on Tuesday. "Recently, in light of the ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais et al., its direct impact on the existing legislative district maps, and my statutory duty as Mississippi's Chief Elections Officer, I notified Speaker Jason White and Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann of our team's intent at the Secretary of State's Office to begin preparing the Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS) for a reversion to the original 2022 legislative redistricting map adopted by the Mississippi Legislature," Watson said. Watson said he had to send a letter to inform lawmakers what timeline they face if they intend to redraw districts before the 2027 legislative elections. This is because no redistricting changes may be made to the statewide election system while an election is in progress, Watson said. |
| Warsh Overhauls How the Fed Talks and Keeps Markets Guessing on Rates | |
| Kevin Warsh used his first meeting as Federal Reserve chairman to put his stamp on how the central bank operates and communicates. He trimmed its policy statement, declined to submit a rate forecast of his own, and launched five task forces to study everything from how the Fed communicates to how it analyzes the economy -- a sweeping reach into how the central bank operates. About the things markets most wanted to understand -- how the new chairman reads the economy and translates it into policy -- he said almost nothing. Pressed later on inflation, on whether policy was restrictive and on the future of the so-called interest-rate dot plot, Warsh repeatedly demurred. "We have a task force for that." On one point he was emphatic: The committee was united and determined to bring inflation down. "We've missed for five years, and we're going to fix that," he said, pledging that the committee would "unambiguously and unanimously" deliver price stability. But he declined to say whether that meant raising rates. "The good news is we'll be meeting in six weeks." |
| Mississippi senators aiming to protect local catfish from highly contagious viruses | |
| Mississippi's U.S. senators are urging federal agriculture officials to action before a pair of viruses threaten local farm-raised catfish. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, both Republicans, joined three of their colleagues in penning a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take action with regard to the Yellow Catfish Virus and Channel Catfish Virus before the ailments affect local aquaculture operations. U.S. Sens Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) joined the Mississippi lawmakers in sending the letter. "The domestic catfish industry is a critical component of the broader agriculture economy in the Southeast, supporting rural economies, providing jobs, and contributing to national food security," the senators jointly wrote. "An outbreak of a highly pathogenic virus such as [Yellow Catfish Virus] or [Channel Catfish Virus] could have devastating economic and ecological consequences." |
| USDA has new partners in the fight against screwworm -- drones, dogs and fungi | |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture is doubling down on its fight against screwworm. On Tuesday, the USDA announced new approaches to combat screwworm, including using AI drones to monitor wildlife and enlisting the help of 40 research projects that would be funded via a grant program launched earlier this year. Additionally, the agency said it is in talks to partner with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy the AI-controlled drones. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said additional details, including other strategies to eradicate screwworm, would be forthcoming. "It's going to a whole new level of partnership," Rollins said during a call with reporters on Monday. The USDA expects to provide more details on the potential partnership with DHS later this week when Rollins plans to visit South Texas. DHS did not respond to questions about the drones. The USDA is also funding 40 new projects to help in the fight against screwworm through a grant program it launched in January called the Grand Challenge, which invited farmers and researchers to apply for financial support for their projects. |
| Vance, skeptical of foreign wars, becomes the face of Trump's tentative deal to end war with Iran | |
 | JD Vance was supposed to be spending the week promoting his new book, the kind of event a potential presidential candidate like the vice president typically uses to speak to a wide audience about his life and values ahead of a campaign. Instead, the rollout of Vance's second book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," has been largely crowded out by something else he's put his name on: the tentative deal to end the Iran war. The Republican vice president has embraced the role of chief defender of the agreement he and President Donald Trump signed with Tehran, giving a series of interviews touting the memorandum of understanding as a success and releasing a video championing it. It's a striking emergence for a politician who was known for his skepticism of foreign military interventions and who seemed reluctant to speak on the conflict when Trump launched it in late February. |
| Senate Republicans raise alarm over Trump's deal with Iran | |
 | President Trump's deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting sanctions on Iran is getting strong pushback from Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill who warn that giving Iran's theocratic regime access to billions of dollars in economic relief would be a major "blunder." Some Republicans are warning that the likely outcome of the more than 100-day conflict is not worth the cost to the nation: the lives of 13 American service members and more than $100 billion spent. "Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave," fumed Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in a social media post, calling the war and its outcome the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades." "Iran's nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal," he wrote on the social platform X. "Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump, sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped," he continued. Most concerning to some Senate GOP critics is that the deal will immediately lift sanctions on Iranian oil exports and may lead to the unfreezing of Iranian assets around the world. |
| Trump escalates his war on Senate Republicans -- and senators are striking back | |
 | President Donald Trump is making life almost impossible for Senate Republicans -- and these days fewer of them are willing to just let it slide. Some lawmakers that were once happy to brush off impulsive and disruptive behavior by saying they hadn't seen the president's social media posts or that it was just "Trump being Trump" are increasingly willing to speak out against what they view as bad decisions that undermine their ability to deliver legislative wins as the midterms approach. The latest irritation was the early-morning Truth Social post Wednesday that upended GOP hopes of quickly confirming a new director of national intelligence and reviving a surveillance bill that Trump already derailed earlier this month. The chaos that followed Trump's sudden U-turn on Jay Clayton's nomination, just hours before a scheduled confirmation hearing, further loosened tongues in the Capitol hallways -- even from lawmakers who tend to be reliable allies. "The president's timing and communication needs improvement," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said. "I think it's unfortunate. It throws a kicker into the system when we get going and then we have to readjust." |
| Hegseth Announces Review of U.S. Forces in Europe, Threatens NATO Cuts | |
| Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ratcheted up pressure on European NATO allies, warning that the U.S. will review its military presence on the continent and would cut its payments to the alliance's operating budget if Europeans didn't meet their commitment to boost military spending. In a confrontational address Thursday at NATO headquarters, Hegseth said that the Pentagon was launching an assessment that would last up to six months, to "examine America's force posture and basing in Europe." Since President Trump returned to the White House the U.S. has pushed Europe to assume more responsibility for its own nonnuclear defense, while the U.S. maintains its nuclear umbrella over the 32-country alliance. The Pentagon recently announced cutbacks to its troop presence in Europe and reduced commitments to alliance battle plans in the event of a war. Those moves have drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers, including leading Republicans who have complained that they weren't consulted and have vowed to resist further cuts. Allied military spending is set to be a central focus of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's annual summit in Ankara, Turkey, next month. |
| UMMC launches new cancer biology and therapeutics program | |
 | The researchers who may change the way cancer is detected and treated in the future are being trained at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). Officials said the new cancer biology and therapeutics program, which was approved May 21 by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees (IHL) as the newest graduate degree program within the UMMC School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, aims to train the next generation of cancer scientists. "This is the first cancer-focused graduate program in Mississippi. This new doctoral program will help build a stronger workforce of trained scientists who will make seminal discoveries to improve evidence-based cancer care in Mississippi and beyond," said Dr. Sydney Murphy, dean of the school. The program is one of 10 doctoral programs in the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences at UMMC, which produces about 25 PhD graduates in a variety of biomedical fields each year. The cancer biology and therapeutics program began in 2025 as a track within the Cell and Molecular Biology graduate program, with two students recruited for the 2025-2026 academic year. |
| JSU's Mt. Olive Cemetery project wins prestigious Mississippi Heritage Award | |
| Jackson State University's (JSU) commitment to historical preservation and community engagement has earned statewide recognition. The university's Mt. Olive Cemetery community engagement project was officially honored with an Award of Merit for Rehabilitation at the recent Mississippi Heritage Awards ceremony. "Receiving the Award of Merit for Rehabilitation for our work at Mt. Olive Cemetery is an honor that highlights Jackson State University's sacred responsibility as a caretaker of history," said JSU President Denise Jones Gregory. "JSU is committed to bridging academic excellence with active community stewardship. By preserving the resting places of the visionary leaders who paved the way for our community, we ensure that their legacies continue to inspire, educate, and guide our students and future generations." Sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council and America 250, the annual awards celebrate exceptional dedication to preserving Mississippi's rich and diverse cultural history. |
| New Accreditor Seeks to Turn 'Bean-Counting' Process Into Outcomes-Focused One | |
 | The Commission for Public Higher Education launched last summer with the backing of six state systems. Officials argued that public institutions needed a new accreditor better suited to their needs. They criticized the current model as broken and suggested that new entrants will provide more choices at a time when legacy accreditors are facing greater scrutiny over costs and outcomes. CPHE's six founding members are the State University System of Florida, the University System of Georgia, the University of North Carolina system, the University of South Carolina, the Texas A&M University system and the University of Tennessee system. The aspirational accreditor is now seeking federal recognition, a slow-moving process the Trump administration is working to accelerate for new entrants. Last fall CPHE tapped Mark Becker to be its board chair. Becker was president of Georgia State University for nearly 13 years and spent another three as president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Now he's leaning on that expertise to help launch CPHE, which just announced its inaugural CEO. Becker visited the Inside Higher Ed offices in Washington, D.C., to discuss his work with the fledgling accreditor. |
| U. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences receives $2.6 million grant to expand dual degree program | |
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will receive $2.6 million from the National Institutes of Health to expand its M.D./Ph.D. dual-degree program, university officials announced Tuesday. According to a news release, the grant will allow UAMS to add 10 students to its seven- to eight-year joint program, which currently has a capacity of 22 students. "This training grant is going to enable us to strengthen and expand our existing M.D./Ph.D. program," said Dr. Sara Shalin, the program's director. "This is going to be a huge draw," Shalin said. "We have lost some really tremendous Arkansas applicants who chose to go to a different program that offers an MSTP program." "This landmark achievement establishes the only MSTP in a four-state region, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi, positioning UAMS as a premier hub for biomedical research and elite clinical training in the South," said Dr. William Steinbach, chair of the UAMS Department of Pediatrics. |
| Judges deny fired U. of Tennessee prof's classroom return, approve complaint change | |
 | New decisions in the lawsuit from fired University of Tennessee professor Tamar Shirinian highlight the push and pull of the complex case -- one denying her request to return to the classroom and the other allowing her to expand her federal lawsuit. Judge Katherine Crytzer on June 17 denied Shirinian's request to get her job back immediately, saying she would let the lawsuit run its course amid a "significantly shifted factual and legal landscape." The developments that played into the judge's decision include Chancellor Donde Plowman firing Shirinian in February and a new Tennessee law signed in April that gives chancellors and provosts more control over how they discipline professors. Shirinian's lawsuit makes assertions against UT and the other defendants over First Amendment viewpoint discrimination, procedural due process violations, defamation and invasion of privacy. Shirinian is asking the court to force UT to reveal the identity of the unnamed donor who, according to a redacted email obtained by Knox News, threatened to pull a $10 million gift to the university's engineering department if the professor wasn't fired. |
| Tennessee's new quantum computer could reshape science: Meet Pathfinder | |
| A computer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory -- kept as cold as the void of space -- could deliver faster-than-ever answers to complex questions, like how to treat deadly diseases. Scientists and administrators at ORNL -- the largest multiprogram science and technology lab in the United States – cut the ribbon June 16 on Pathfinder, a quantum computer meant to work with the lab's traditionalsupercomputers to help solve national and global problems. Quantum computing efforts have grown in recent years, but the lab is one of a small number of places to host a quantum computer -- a machine that can, among other capabilities, process massive calculations and specialized problems far faster than traditional computers. Quantum backers say the applications of computer systems like Pathfinder will extend beyond theory. They could accelerate advances in national security and energy systems while helping improve decision-making in fields such as medical research. Embracing development in quantum technology doesn't mean abandoning classical computers, lab director Stephen Streiffer said. The way forward, he said, will come from integrating quantum and classical systems. |
| OU Board of Regents discuss freshman housing plan, approve president longevity bonus, tuition increases | |
| University of Oklahoma Board of Regents approved tuition increases, $420 million in construction project bonds and a longevity bonus for OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. during its meeting Tuesday. Regents approved increased costs for tuition and mandatory fees, housing and meal plans and parking. Tuition and mandatory fees will see a 3% increase for undergraduate and graduate students. According to the agenda, these costs have increased by 2.5% per year for in-state undergraduate students and 3.2% per year for out-of-state undergraduate students over the past five years. Harroz said that great universities aid their students in affording tuition. "This is what great public research universities do," Harroz said. "They aren't the cheapest, but they are the best value, and they find a way to make sure that every individual that has the ability has a way to afford it." Regents revised its post-tenure review policy to align with a recent executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt removing tenure at public universities. Harroz said the review comes "in compliance with the executive order" and that several committees were involved in reviewing the policy. |
| Universities Hiring Student Expression Specialists | |
| Two public universities -- the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Santa Cruz -- are each hiring a student affairs professional whose job will focus entirely on student speech and free expression. The job postings follow a surge of protest activity on American college campuses -- including clashes between student protesters and police at both UT Austin and UC Santa Cruz -- and the ensuing avalanche of lawsuits from students, alumni and others who were arrested or disciplined after participating in campus protests. Based on the job descriptions, the new positions will consolidate into one role a variety of free expression–related responsibilities -- such as crafting speech policies, training faculty in de-escalation tactics, monitoring protests and coordinating with law enforcement. Whether the new staff members will safeguard students' rights to free expression or work to censor them will depend entirely on how the role is deployed, experts said. UT Austin is seeking an "assistant dean for expressive activity support and engagement" who will be responsible for "safeguarding" the First Amendment rights of students, faculty and staff while "ensuring compliance with institutional policy and applicable law," according to a job ad posted over a month ago. |
| Does Your College Need a Librarian for AI? | |
 | Academic libraries have long struggled with shrinking budgets, yet some are now making room for a new position: the artificial-intelligence librarian. That's because at a time when many colleges are grappling with the impacts of generative AI, some are hoping librarians can lead them through the thicket of challenges raised by the new technology. Information literacy -- which has taken on a new urgency and resonance -- is, of course, an area of expertise for librarians. Faculty members and students often turn to them with questions about using AI in research; many librarians have been asked to help find fake citations hallucinated by generative AI, for example. But some colleges are also asking librarians to weigh in on a range of other issues, such as policies on the appropriate use of AI and AI detection tools. A growing number of college libraries are creating new job titles to reflect those new responsibilities. |
| Student Cheating Is Becoming Impossible to Detect in an A.I. Era | |
 | The videos are all over social media, making students an irresistible offer: Go ahead and let A.I. do your homework -- with the latest technology, you won't get caught. If you hate writing, you can avoid it. Even established ed-tech companies are marketing with a wink and a nod. These kinds of tutorials are now pervasive on TikTok and YouTube. They show students how to use tools known as humanizers and autotypers, which make it easier than ever to cheat. The videos -- sometimes labeled ads, sometimes not -- target college and high school students. Colleges and K-12 schools are trying to keep up, with A.I. detection becoming a significant expense. But educators attempting to restrict the technology, worried about students failing to develop basic skills, are often lagging in what tech-industry leaders are calling a detection arms race. In some cases, the very same companies selling detection tools are also making apps that allow students to cheat, including by writing papers for them or rephrasing text written by others. |
| With AI in the Classroom, Professors Are Walking a Tightrope | |
| When it comes to generative AI, Jason Aleksander, like many professors, walks a tightrope. He wants students to use AI where it can be helpful, but not defer to it when developing their ideas and their voice. Aleksander, a philosophy professor at San Jose State University, employs a host of strategies to maintain balance. He added "low-tech pedagogy," distributing course packs so students read on paper, not screens. His classrooms are largely tech-free and class participation is expected. Primary assessments, such as tests and quizzes, are done in class. But he's fine with students using AI as a study aid and sounding board, including to help complete reading guides and in researching and writing papers. In every assignment he lets them know how much AI they can use. To maintain both integrity and trust, he has students write papers in a shared Google doc, so he can "peek under the hood," asking questions about their choices and thought process. On the one hand, he said, all of this is good pedagogy. Students appreciate his attention and his commitment to academic integrity. On the other hand, it's a heck of a lot of work. |
| Beyond Belonging: Do Students Feel They Matter on Campus? | |
| A majority of students say there is at least someone at their institution who knows them in a meaningful way. But a quarter aren't sure if anyone really knows them or say that they feel "invisible," according to a new Student Voice flash survey assessing students' experiences of connection beyond more traditional notions of belonging. "Every student can and should feel like they matter in college," said Peter Felten, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University, who's written extensively about the importance of relationships and mattering to student success. Unlike belonging, which can depend on feeling that one fits into a particular environment, he said, mattering is rooted in feeling valued and known and having something to contribute within a given context -- something that's theoretically attainable for all students, regardless of age or any other factor that could challenge one's sense of fitting in. Felten described the new survey results as mixed, expressing concern for students whose sense of mattering is tied to just one person, which he called "precarious." |
| Colleges know public trust has plummeted, and leaders are seeking a fix | |
 | Amid intense pressure from the Trump administration and deepening public skepticism of higher education, a number of colleges have embarked on an unusually public bout of self-scrutiny in an effort to regain public trust. A group of elite research universities released a statement this spring detailing their principles, including the importance of affordability, the freedom to debate and dissent, and their commitment to self-evaluation and correction. The recent public statements and investigations are intended to underscore not just the public service that universities provide, and the necessity of independence from political pressure, but also their desire to regain public confidence, according to some university leaders. There seem to be two strategies at play with recent efforts, said Robert Kelchen, a professor of education policy at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. "One is trying to head off additional scrutiny and investigations from the federal government," he said. "And the second is using the administration's preferred language, really, against the administration." |
| Education Department Backs Out of Some Sessions at NASFAA Conference | |
| Most years, the Department of Education and its Office of Federal Student Aid have a strong presence at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators' annual conference. They run a table in the exhibit hall to provide technical support on Partner Connect, the digital portal for administering federal aid. They lead more than half a dozen breakout sessions on various topics. And FSA's most popular event, NASFAA staff say, is the annual Ask-a-Fed booth, where financial aid administrators can chat one on one with ED staff about financial aid policy guidance, administrative procedures and more. But at NASFAA's annual conference, which begins June 29 in National Harbor, Md., the Education Department will have less of a presence, according to a Wednesday announcement from the association. During NASFAA's conference, on July 1, key provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will take effect -- including a loan cap for postbaccalaureate students that is prorated based on enrollment, a new loan repayment plan and the introduction of Pell Grants for short-term job training programs. The regulations that explain these changes were only finalized in late April and mid-May, giving financial aid administrators little time to implement them. |
| What the Latest Changes to Civil-Rights Oversight Could Mean for Colleges | |
| The Trump administration announced Tuesday that the Justice Department will collaborate with the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), pledging to enforce antidiscrimination law in a more "responsive and coordinated" manner. But former Education Department lawyers warned the partnership could further compromise civil-rights enforcement at colleges. The OCR reviews discrimination complaints filed by students at primary and secondary schools and colleges. Catherine E. Lhamon, who led the office under the Biden and Obama administrations, warned that the Justice Department and the OCR have fundamentally different -- and incompatible -- roles in the federal government. While the OCR evaluates every complaint and decides whether it warrants further investigation, the DOJ does not have the same mandate and focuses instead on high-profile cases of federal interest. While officials did not release specific details about the partnership, The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the federal government is seeking to move much of the OCR into the Justice Department -- contributing to the Trump administration's stated goal of dismantling the Education Department. |
| State Supreme Court holds firm in seeking justice for Quitman County family in 1990 | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: Once again, Mississippi's highest court was asked to hold out for justice for a family murdered in 1990 in a hellish scene in their Walnut community home in rural Quitman County. On June 12, the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the most recent attempt by one of the two men convicted of the Parker family murders. The appellant was Anthony Carr, now 60 and on Death Row at Parchman. His co-defendant, Robert Simons Jr., is also under a death sentence for the same murders. Still, in 2011 a federal appeals court granted a stay of execution based on claims that Simons fell out of his prison bunk and suffered a head injury that caused memory loss. Both Carr and Simons have been up and down the elevator of state and federal death-penalty appeals. Simons is in legal limbo -- still under the death sentence, but the stay of execution has not been lifted; consequently, the state has not sought a new execution date. Carr's trajectory still leads to execution for the quadruple murders, unless new and legally noteworthy evidence emerges. |
SPORTS
| Purcell, MSU women's basketball 'attacking the gap' ahead of '26-27 season | |
| Head coach Sam Purcell is making the 2026-27 women's basketball season all about "Attacking the gap." What does that mean? Well, Purcell told media members on Wednesday that it has quite a few definitions. All Purcell's MSU teams have had a slogan, starting with "Why Not Us' in 2022-23 to "DRIVE" in 2025-26. It's a tradition Purcell said he started to "hurry and maximize" the short time he has with his players, summarizing the goals and mindset of a team in a quick phrase. He said this year the program is focused on closing the gaps MSU faces on multiple levels of women's basketball. "Attack the gap, for us, each word comes from something that's going on in college athletics," Purcell said. He started with attacking the gap in the current state of college sports. With NIL, revenue share and the transfer portal, Purcell said he looked to build his 2026-27 roster in a culture that "believes in women's basketball." He credited support from the administration and donors in helping retain players like Madison Francis, State's leading scorer last season who averaged 13.2 points per game. Purcell brought in five transfers over the offseason, including Mississippi high school legend Macie Phifer from Middle Tennessee State and Reese Beaty, who averaged 20 minutes per game at Iowa State as a freshman. |
| St. Andrew's hires former Mississippi State standout Jordan Danberry as girls basketball coach | |
 | St. Andrew's has hired Jordan Danberry as its next girls basketball head coach, the school announced. Danberry, a former Mississippi State basketball standout, most recently served as the head coach at Murrah and will now lead the girls basketball program at St. Andrew's. Danberry's resume as a player includes back-to-back Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year awards as a high school player, before going on to play at Mississippi State in college. At Mississippi State, Danberry was an All-SEC second team selection and was an integral part in leading the Lady Bulldogs to back-to-back national runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018. Following her collegiate career, Danberry played professionally in Iceland, which is also where she began her coaching career. Danberry then moved back to Mississippi and was most recently the head coach for the Murrah girls basketball program in Jackson. |
| College Football Playoff leaders dig into 16-, 24- team formats, leave with more questions | |
| College Football Playoff leaders discussed options for 16- and 24-team formats Wednesday as administrators continue to work toward expanding the postseason field. "I think we probably walked out with more questions than we had going in because it seemed like every answer we had, it drove a couple more questions from the commissioners, which is a good thing," CFP executive director Rich Clark told The Athletic. The CFP meeting was part of a three-day gathering of Division I conference commissioners in Denver. Even before the current 12-team format debuted in 2024, further expansion had been a recurring topic among the management committee, which is composed of 11 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director. Clark said format discussions dominated Wednesday's three-plus-hour meeting. An expansion to 16 teams would be less disruptive, while going to 24 would require a dramatic overhaul of college football's current December calendar. "As a staff, we have a lot of work to do, still," Clark said. "We have more questions to answer -- in particular, things about the schedule. What does it look like on paper? What happens with (conference) championship games? What happens with Army-Navy?" Clark added: "Student wellness was top of list, so that we're not putting these games too close together. That's an important aspect of it." |
| Legislation overhauling college sports faces a major test in the Senate | |
| A bill that top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best chance to stabilize college sports faces a key test in the Senate on Thursday as sponsors roll out a revised version after weeks of input from schools, conferences and athletes. The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act aims to regulate payments to players, limit them to one free transfer over their careers and create a rule to restrict coaches from changing jobs during a season. The Senate Commerce Committee will debate the latest version of the bill on Thursday before potentially voting on whether to send it to the full Senate for consideration. The legislation is the product of months of negotiations between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee, and comes when lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are grappling with whether it's time for them to intervene in college sports. The Senate bill has won backing from several athletic conferences as well as the NFL and its players' union and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. But the two most powerful conferences in college sports -- the Southeastern Conference, based in Birmingham, Alabama, and the Big Ten Conference, based in Rosemont, Illinois -- have not endorsed it. |
| With Protect College Sports Act under scrutiny, NIL deals with 'associated entities' creating confusion | |
| On page 25 of the revised 47-page Protect College Sports Act -- the newest college sports legislation -- one can find an interesting section. In all caps and bolded, Section 114's title reads as follows: PROHIBITED COMPENSATION AND AGREEMENTS. Over the next 39 lines, language details an overshadowed portion of the legislation that, if adopted as written, stands to dramatically reshape the college athletics compensation market. At least that's how some are interpreting it -- including a few here in the Mile High City, where Division I conference commissioners are holding their annual meetings. Ahead of one of the most anticipated congressional events in college sports history on Thursday -- a committee amendment session and vote to potentially send the bill to the Senate floor -- many within the industry believe Section 114 of the Protect College Sports Act may limit the amount of money that athletes are currently receiving, potentially by hundreds of millions of dollars. Those include athletes themselves. |
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